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A church in New Hampshire offers the use of ayahuasca. It's one of a small but growing number of retreats where people can use hallucinogens.
Copyright 2022 New Hampshire Public Radio
A church in New Hampshire offers the use of ayahuasca. It's one of a small but growing number of retreats where people can use hallucinogens.
Copyright 2022 New Hampshire Public Radio | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/the-psychedelic-ayahuasca-is-easier-to-find-even-though-its-legality-is-questionable | 2022-08-19T10:13:59Z |
One Dallas code officer was robbed at gunpoint, his wallet and cell phone stolen.
Another was nearly struck by a bullet fired during a fight between two residents while tagging a nearby vacant property.
And a few months ago, a code officer was attacked by a bystander while issuing a citation to a resident.
Dallas’ Code Compliance Department enforces city environmental and safety codes, addresses neighborhood nuisances like illegal dumping, and checks local restaurants for unhealthy practices.
Delivering notices that a homeowner or business or business is violating city codes — and telling them they’ll have to pay to fix the problem — can be met with aggression, said Carl Simpson, the assistant city attorney who oversees the division.
“We say we’re providing customer service, but not everyone sees what we do as a service,” said Carl Simpson.
That’s why the city manager’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes $440,000 to buy 297 body cameras for code compliance and consumer health field staff.
Simpson said the cameras will help increase accountability. They’ll be useful as training tools. And they’ll improve safety for these city employees.
“They don’t carry sidearms, they can’t take you to jail. And yet, they’re asked to come to your home or your business and ask you to do (or not do) something that you may not want to do,” he said.
Dallas Animal Services, a department Simpson also oversees, is in a similar position, and the city recently issued body cameras for its field staff. Dallas police have been wearing body cameras since 2015.
The city manager’s proposal increases the code compliance department budget from $34.8 million to $40.4 million. It adds $2 million to field two more teams focused on illegal dumping and includes funding to respond to blighted apartments as part of the city’s crime-reduction strategy.
The Dallas City Council is currently holding budget town halls to gather resident input and will finalize the city spending plan for the next fiscal year by the end of September.
Earlier this year, KERA News reported on the daunting task of keeping up with inspections across the sprawling city. With a roughly 13% vacancy rate, Simpson said the biggest challenges facing the code department are officer turnover and recruitment, and that a continued focus on code officers’ safety will help.
Keeping officers safe
Simpson said he hopes the body cameras will be a deterrent, “because if people know they are being recorded, then maybe they’ll be less apt to carry out these acts of violence.”
It’s difficult to calculate how much more dangerous the job of code officers has become. The city doesn’t have a centralized system for tracking complaints about code compliance officers or threats and attacks on officers in the field.
National statistics are also hard to come by. The Code Enforcement Officer Safety Foundation has tried to capture some statistics about threats, attacks and deaths on the job, but their statistics are largely incomplete. In Texas, code officers have come under attack in Fort Worth and Austin as well.
Simpson said it certainly seems more dangerous than when worked as a code enforcement officer in San Jose in the 1990s.
“The [body-worn] camera piece is just one piece of the many things that we’ve tried to do since I’ve been here,” Simpson said. “The safety of your team is critical. That’s the most important thing.”
Adding protection
When he came to Dallas from Sacramento in 2019 to run the code compliance department, Simpson was surprised by the relative lack of protections for field staff. Unlike California, Simpson said Texas’ training for code compliance officers largely leaves out self-defense, de-escalation, and situational awareness techniques that can prevent officers from getting stuck in a dangerous situation.
Since Simpson’s arrival, the city started issuing bulletproof vests and pepper spray to field officers. And it has purchased radios that allow code officers to call directly into police channels. Simpson also instituted trainings in officer safety.
“The number one thing is de-escalation techniques: How you approach folks, how you talk to folks and how you deal with the public in a manner that is non-adversarial,” he said. “The interpersonal skills just have to be on point.”
Body cams help out code officers when de-escalation doesn’t work.
“When we're trying to get justice and we take that [body-camera] video to the district attorney or the court system, I think we're in much better of a position to really analyze what happened,” Simpson said.
Accountability and training
Beyond keeping the city’s employees safe, Simpson thinks body cameras will improve the quality of service for residents.
The city often gets complaints that code officers were rude or disrespectful, Simpson said. Without body cameras, there often isn’t any way to know what actually happened.
“It'll be helpful to us if we determine that our code officer just had a bad day and maybe we need to have a discussion with him or her, or maybe the resident is just not feeling good because they're being given a direction that they don't want to adhere to,” Simpson said.
Simpson sees potential for using video collected on body cameras as training tools.
“We can use these videos potentially later on to say, ‘This is okay customer service, but this is excellent customer service,’” he said. “We can use technology, I think, to be better at what we do and also be safer at what we do.”
Got a tip? Christopher Connelly is KERA's One Crisis Away Reporter, exploring life on the financial edge. Email Christopher at cconnelly@kera.org. You can follow Christopher on Twitter @hithisischris.
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/2022-08-19/dallas-code-officers-have-been-robbed-beaten-and-dodged-bullets-and-may-soon-wear-body-cams | 2022-08-19T10:14:05Z |
The Trump Organization's longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg has pleaded guilty to 15 felonies and agreed to a five-month jail term.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The Trump Organization's longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg has pleaded guilty to 15 felonies and agreed to a five-month jail term.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/allen-weisselberg-trump-organization-ex-cfo-pleads-guilty-to-felony-charges | 2022-08-19T10:14:11Z |
A year ago, tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to safety following the Taliban's takeover. Canada pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghans but many remain in limbo.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A year ago, tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to safety following the Taliban's takeover. Canada pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghans but many remain in limbo.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/canada-is-criticized-for-not-getting-more-endangered-afghans-into-the-country | 2022-08-19T10:14:17Z |
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Jonah Goldberg, conservative columnist and editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, about Rep. Liz Cheney's future in the Republican party following her primary loss in Wyoming.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Jonah Goldberg, conservative columnist and editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, about Rep. Liz Cheney's future in the Republican party following her primary loss in Wyoming.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/cheney-vows-to-thwart-a-2nd-trump-presidency-how-strong-is-trumps-grip-on-the-gop | 2022-08-19T10:14:24Z |
It can seem as though the tabloid press has dogged Demi Lovato nearly every step of way, from the Disney Channel to Glee to the pop-star life — and also through alcohol and drug addiction, rehab and recovery. On a harder-edged new album, out today and titled HOLY F***, Lovato shares several dark moments from along that winding path.
"I came out of treatment and began working on this album shortly after," Lovato tells Morning Edition's Leila Fadel. "And I was very angry. I had some healing to do. But I got out a lot of that anger in my anger in the music — and there's an evolution in the project, you see me going from angry to... owning my power and my sexuality and then to like, happier love songs. So there's this arc over the album where it's angry to happy. I just love that."
One new song, "FREAK," addresses a somewhat recent experience for the pop star: The reaction, some would describe it as backlash, to an announcement last year that Lovato identified as nonbinary. "I started seeing, in my Instagram comments, people being really hateful." With the track, she hoped to be "taking the power back" from the trolls, among others.
It can seem that nearly everything Lovato says — such as the recent announcement that she would again be accepting of she/her pronouns — or does generates some level of reaction, or "outrage," online. One's power would need to be taken back constantly in the face of it. So how does she deal with it?
"I just don't read it. Like, it's not important to me ... there's so many ignorant people on the internet, and you just can't pay attention to them all."
To hear the full conversation, use the audio player at the top of this page.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/demi-lovato-on-taking-the-power-back-through-a-heavy-new-album-holy-f | 2022-08-19T10:14:30Z |
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Ben Gallegos, city manager of Firebaugh, Calif., about how the town is preparing for megastorms, that could hit as often as every 50 years due to climate change.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Ben Gallegos, city manager of Firebaugh, Calif., about how the town is preparing for megastorms, that could hit as often as every 50 years due to climate change.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/firebaugh-city-manager-warns-a-megastorm-could-devastate-his-calif-community | 2022-08-19T10:14:36Z |
Judge creates a path for releasing a redacted affidavit from Mar-a-Lago search. The U.N. secretary general is in Ukraine. Drug cartel violence surges in Mexico, including the border city of Tijuana.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Judge creates a path for releasing a redacted affidavit from Mar-a-Lago search. The U.N. secretary general is in Ukraine. Drug cartel violence surges in Mexico, including the border city of Tijuana.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/morning-news-brief | 2022-08-19T10:14:42Z |
Mortgage rates have seen their biggest rise in 40 years. But now, rates are jumping up and down as markets try to anticipate where the economy is headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Mortgage rates have seen their biggest rise in 40 years. But now, rates are jumping up and down as markets try to anticipate where the economy is headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/mortgage-rate-spikes-force-many-potential-homebuyers-to-rethink-their-plans | 2022-08-19T10:14:48Z |
One of the first lunch counter sit-ins of the civil rights movement took place in Oklahoma City in 1958. This weekend, the city remembers the protest and its organizer Clara Luper.
Copyright 2022 NPR
One of the first lunch counter sit-ins of the civil rights movement took place in Oklahoma City in 1958. This weekend, the city remembers the protest and its organizer Clara Luper.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/oklahoma-city-marks-a-moment-in-the-fight-for-desegregation | 2022-08-19T10:14:54Z |
The carried interest loophole was central to the debate over the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden this week. It's part of a bigger story about a tax code riddled with loopholes.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The carried interest loophole was central to the debate over the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden this week. It's part of a bigger story about a tax code riddled with loopholes.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/planet-money-the-carried-interest-tax-loophole-survives-another-challenge | 2022-08-19T10:15:00Z |
In this week's StoryCorps, two sisters remember their mother Mary Barr. She was the first woman to fly for the U.S. Forest Service — guiding tanker planes on a safe path through the flames.
Copyright 2022 NPR
In this week's StoryCorps, two sisters remember their mother Mary Barr. She was the first woman to fly for the U.S. Forest Service — guiding tanker planes on a safe path through the flames.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/remembering-mary-barr-the-first-woman-to-fly-for-the-u-s-forest-service | 2022-08-19T10:15:06Z |
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson starts his first season on the team with an 11 game suspension and a $5 million fine as part of a settlement reached with the NFL following accusations of misconduct.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson starts his first season on the team with an 11 game suspension and a $5 million fine as part of a settlement reached with the NFL following accusations of misconduct.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/the-nfl-suspends-clevelands-qb-deshaun-watson-for-11-games | 2022-08-19T10:15:12Z |
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is in Ukraine where he is calling for the Russian and Ukrainian armies to back away from a nuclear power plant over fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
Copyright 2022 NPR
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is in Ukraine where he is calling for the Russian and Ukrainian armies to back away from a nuclear power plant over fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/the-united-nations-wants-to-avoid-a-nuclear-disaster-in-ukraine | 2022-08-19T10:15:19Z |
A wave of car burnings in the Mexican border city of Tijuana prompted residents to stay home. NPR's A Martinez talked to Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramírez about the power of organized crime.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A wave of car burnings in the Mexican border city of Tijuana prompted residents to stay home. NPR's A Martinez talked to Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramírez about the power of organized crime.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/violence-erupts-in-tijuana-mexico-following-the-arrest-of-a-drug-cartel-leader | 2022-08-19T10:15:25Z |
Business in the front, party in the back is one way to describe the mullet — a hairdo popular in the 80s. Who is the next champion? That's up to you. Voting at mulletchamp.com ends Friday.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Business in the front, party in the back is one way to describe the mullet — a hairdo popular in the 80s. Who is the next champion? That's up to you. Voting at mulletchamp.com ends Friday.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-19/voting-is-about-to-end-in-the-usa-mullet-championships | 2022-08-19T10:15:31Z |
CANBERRA, Australia — Australia's leader said Friday that it's upsetting that Indonesia has further reduced the prison sentence of the bomb-maker in the Bali terror attack that killed 202 people — meaning the terrorist could be freed within days if he's granted parole.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he'd been told by Indonesian authorities that Umar Patek's sentence had been reduced by another five months, taking his total reductions to almost two years.
That means Patek could be released on parole ahead of the 20th anniversary of the bombings in October.
"This will cause further distress to Australians who were the families of victims of the Bali bombings," Albanese told Channel 9. "We lost 88 Australian lives in those bombings."
Albanese said he would continue making "diplomatic representations" to Indonesia about Patek's sentence and a range of other issues, including Australians currently jailed in Indonesia. Albanese described Patek as "abhorrent."
"His actions were the actions of a terrorist," Albanese told Channel 9. "They did have such dreadful results for Australian families that are ongoing, the trauma which is there."
Indonesia often grants sentence reductions to prisoners on major holidays such as the nation's Independence Day, which was Wednesday.
Patek received a 5-month reduction on Independence Day for good behavior and could walk free this month from Porong Prison in East Java province if he gets parole, said Zaeroji, who heads the provincial office for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights.
Zaeroji, who goes by a single name, said Patek had the same rights as other inmates and had fulfilled legal requirements to get sentence reductions. "While in the prison, he behaved very well and he regrets his radical past which has harmed society and the country and he has also vowed to be a good citizen," Zaeroji said.
Patek was arrested in Pakistan in 2011 and tried in Indonesia, where he was convicted in 2012. He was originally sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
With his time served plus sentence reductions, he became eligible for parole on Aug. 14. The decision from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in Jakarta is still pending, Zaeroji said. If refused parole, he could remain jailed until 2029.
Patek was one of several men implicated in the attack, which was widely blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian militant group with ties to al-Qaida. Most of those killed in the bombing on the resort island were foreign tourists.
Another conspirator, Ali Imron, was sentenced to life. Earlier this year, a third militant, Aris Sumarsono, whose real name is Arif Sunarso but is better known as Zulkarnaen, was sentenced to 15 years following his capture in 2020 after 18 years on the run.
Erik de Haart, a survivor of the bombings, said said there was little the Australian government could do about Patek's reduced sentence. He told Seven's Sunrise that the time for that had passed.
"When you consider all of the financial aid we've given (Indonesia) over the years, with the disasters they have had, they seem to keep rubbing our noses in it," de Haart said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-18/australias-leader-says-reducing-bali-bombers-sentence-will-upset-victims-families | 2022-08-19T10:32:03Z |
A federal judge in Tennessee has ordered Starbucks to offer to reinstate seven fired baristas following a union organizing drive at a store in Memphis.
The employees, referred to as the Memphis Seven, were fired following an in-store media interview about the store's organizing efforts earlier this year. Starbucks said this violated company policy, but the union, Starbucks Workers United, claims this was all in retaliation for the union drive.
Officials with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency responsible for enforcing U.S. labor laws, viewed this as retaliation as well and brought the coffee giant to court.
U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman on Thursday agreed, saying Starbucks failed to prove that it enforced similar company policies elsewhere and in similar situations.
Lipman said in her order that the NLRB "provides evidence consistent with the theory that Starbucks discriminatorily applied its policies to the Memphis Seven when terminating them."
Starbucks has to offer those workers their jobs back within five days, Lipman ordered. The company also must expunge those employees' disciplinary actions and cease and desist from any other anti-union practices.
Starbucks said in a statement Thursday that it plans to appeal this decision and request a stay of the order pending appeal.
"We strongly disagree with the judge's ruling in this case. These individuals violated numerous policies and failed to maintain a secure work environment and safety standards," the company said. "Interest in a union does not exempt partners from following policies that are in place to protect partners, our customers and the communities we serve."
The Memphis Starbucks employees voted for union representation by Workers United earlier this summer and the NLRB certified this election on June 15.
Starbucks has fought against efforts to unionize its stores. Earlier this month, the retail giant accused NLRB employees of coordinating with union organizers during an election in Overland Park, Kansas, earlier this year.
The first Starbucks union was formed in Buffalo, New York, a year ago, launching what has since become a nationwide organizing campaign in the country's largest coffee chain.
The NLRB claimed in court in June that Starbucks unlawfully fired seven other employees at shops in Buffalo and engaged in illegal anti-union activities to dissuade workers from organizing.
Starbucks Workers United says more than 200 of the company's stores in the U.S. are now unionized.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-18/starbucks-must-rehire-7-memphis-employees-who-supported-a-union-a-judge-says | 2022-08-19T10:32:09Z |
The Trump Organization's longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg has pleaded guilty to 15 felonies and agreed to a five-month jail term.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The Trump Organization's longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg has pleaded guilty to 15 felonies and agreed to a five-month jail term.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/allen-weisselberg-trump-organization-ex-cfo-pleads-guilty-to-felony-charges | 2022-08-19T10:32:15Z |
A year ago, tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to safety following the Taliban's takeover. Canada pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghans but many remain in limbo.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A year ago, tens of thousands of Afghans were airlifted to safety following the Taliban's takeover. Canada pledged to resettle 40,000 Afghans but many remain in limbo.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/canada-is-criticized-for-not-getting-more-endangered-afghans-into-the-country | 2022-08-19T10:32:22Z |
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Jonah Goldberg, conservative columnist and editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, about Rep. Liz Cheney's future in the Republican party following her primary loss in Wyoming.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Jonah Goldberg, conservative columnist and editor-in-chief of The Dispatch, about Rep. Liz Cheney's future in the Republican party following her primary loss in Wyoming.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/cheney-vows-to-thwart-a-2nd-trump-presidency-how-strong-is-trumps-grip-on-the-gop | 2022-08-19T10:32:28Z |
Growing up in Santa Rosa, Calif., Kayley Walker put sports at the center of her life. She was on the track and field team, doing shotput and discus. After high school, she went to a community college near her home before transferring to the University of California, Davis in the fall of 2020.
There, half of her tuition was covered by her tribe – the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians – but the other half was up to her. This summer, as she geared up to start her fifth year of college, coming up with that tuition money was weighing on her.
But starting in September, Walker will have her tuition covered, part of a new initiative through the University of California system to make tuition free for Native students.
"It just kind of it takes a really big weight off my shoulders to know that I'm covered," Walker said. It also opened up an opportunity she never thought possible: applying for a Master's degree.
The UC system, the largest in the nation, is part of a growing number of schools to make tuition free for Native students. In June, the University of Arizona announced free tuition for students who are enrolled with a federally recognized tribe in Arizona. This fall, Oregon State University will grant in-state tuition for every federally-recognized Native student, regardless of where they live.
These programs aim to support Native students, who had the highest dropout rates out of any ethnic group in the country during the pandemic. But it's not just a pandemic issue, Native student enrollment has been on the decline since 2008.
Low college-going numbers are related to high school graduation numbers. Native students have a high school graduation rate of 49.3 percent nationally, compared to their white peers with 76.2 percent. Affordability in itself is a challenge for Native students, related to a lack of generational wealth in communities. A report in 2020 showed 51 percent of Native students had an expected family contribution – the amount of money the government deemed they had to pay for college – at $0. Native students also struggle with a sense of belonging at mainstream universities, where many faculty don't look like them.
Additionally, Native communities have a complicated relationship with education institutions in the U.S. Many universities are built on stolen Indigenous lands and Native communities have a traumatic history with government-supported boarding schools that still lingers today.
"There's a lot of systematic issues and political ramifications that people aren't aware of, which hinders economic mobility for Native students," said Amanda Tachine, an assistant professor of higher education at Arizona State University. "So when universities increase tuition, we're seeing this trend of also Native student enrollment decreasing."
Tachine, a citizen of Navajo Nation, argues it adds more reasons to why colleges should be supporting Native students.
This is where tuition waivers come in—they can help break down barriers for Native students.
Free tuition for Native students has a long history
Tuition waivers and discounts aren't a new trend, however. Tribal colleges, of which there are about three dozen nationwide based in Indigenous communities, have historically made tuition cost-effective.
The University of Maine has had a tuition waiver since the 1930s. Their waiver originally had limitations on the number of students that could apply from two nearby tribes – the Penobscot tribe and the Passamaquoddy tribe – but over time has expanded to allow an unlimited number of applicants.
Several states, including Montana and Michigan, offer free tuition for Native students attending public colleges in the state. These programs have been in effect since the 1970s. In Colorado, Fort Lewis College, a public liberal arts school that was once a federal boarding school for Native American children, has provided free tuition since 1911.
So have these tuition programs been successful? At Fort Lewis College, administrators are having an easier time recovering their enrollment drop felt in the pandemic. The school's data show that Native students are now enrolling and persisting at pre-pandemic levels. Officials cite the tuition program and the multiple supports on campus for students. In Montana, the state university system saw an 8 percent increase in the number of Native students enrolled over the past three years.
And the University of Maine was also able to retain its Native students during the pandemic at higher rates than the national average of 41%. The university put a concerted effort into letting students know about the tuition program through the Wabanaki Center, a campus resource that offers programs for Native students.
John Bear Mitchell, a citizen of Penobscot Nation, runs the Native tuition waiver program at the university. Mitchell works with tribal education directors and does outreach to prospective students.
"We work with [Native students], we invite them and bring them to our events. We want them to be successful wherever they are," Mitchell says. "I think that's what makes us unique."
Administrators at the school credit that outreach and support with helping make sure their Native students graduate.
Universities across the nation are following suit. So why now?
Molly Hall-Martin, a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux tribe and the director of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, says there are multiple factors: more attention is being paid toward the land-grant university system, which has exposed how universities have financially benefited from sitting on stolen land, the land back movement which is part of a larger conversation around returning the political and economic control of land to Native people as a part of reparations and an increased consciousness on race-related issues after the murder of George Floyd.
"Institutions are being forced to pay attention to the voices they've chosen to ignore for decades, which includes Native students and Native communities," she said.
Free tuition is not enough, student supports are needed too
While tuition waivers help, so do university relationships with tribal communities and programs focused on supporting Native students.
"We're trying to stay connected to the communities and really be aware and be able to advocate for the nuanced needs of our Native students," says Brad Hall of the Blackfeet Nation and tribal outreach specialist at the University of Montana.
The University of Montana works directly with tribal colleges and high schools to help Native students pave their way into higher education. Hall points to a program started at Blackfeet Community College, where state colleges and tribal colleges now have a transfer pipeline for students studying social work.
In Colorado, Fort Lewis College hosts Indigenous healing events throughout the academic year and an annual powwow event known as Hozhoni Days. Additionally, in 2021, the college was awarded $950,000 to hire more Native American faculty.
Hall-Martin says schools can also provide living and learning communities for Native students. This could be in the form of consistent social and academic support, a meal plan or an elder in residence.
Tuition programs open doors — but not everyone is eligible
Michelle Villegas-Frazier, the director of the Native American Academic Student Success Center at UC Davis and Pinoleville Pomo, foresees these tuition programs boosting the number of Native students who attend and graduate from college. Once the University of California announced its program, Villegas-Frazier said she got calls from Native students eager to enroll or return to UC Davis.
"I've gotten many calls from families, or even older people who want to get a Master's and [go into a] Ph.D. program but could never afford it," she said. "Now they have this opportunity to come back to school."
While these programs aim to open up pathways to higher education, not every Native student is eligible. Some students belong to tribes not federally recognized, and others have been disenrolled. Other challenges come up with enrolling through descendancy: a person could have a family member adopted out, come from foster care and not have accessibility to documents to enroll in their tribe, or they don't meet their tribe's blood quantum requirement.
As universities expand programs offering free tuition to Native students, there are concerns about unenrolled Native students not receiving the same opportunities as their enrolled peers.
"It's going to be harder for some of our young people to take advantage of these programs," says Louise Ramirez, the tribal chairwoman of the Ohlone Esselen Nation. "There were no guidelines set up for them."
So how do universities include every Native student? Ramirez says these programs should require genealogy rather than tribal enrollment. Villegas-Frazier suggests universities work directly with tribes and nations to accommodate eligibility for non-federally recognized tribes.
"We're all happy that this is happening, " said Villegas-Frazier, "but for those students who may just recently been disenrolled it's a slap in the face."
The benefit brings optimism and relief to current students
Kayley Walker decided to transfer to UC Davis because of the university's supportive Native community and resources specific to Native students. There, she's spent the last 2 years studying communications and Native American studies. She's also stuck to track and field as a thrower with Davis' team.
She's hoping her degree in Native American studies will help her become a liaison between tribes and federal and state agencies on land management. With that role, she aspires to promote and perform cultural and prescribed burns.
With the new tuition waiver, Walker's next quarter at UC Davis will be more financially secure.
But, she said, it isn't enough to fully support Native students. She calls on more Native representation in faculty and more programs dedicated to Native students' needs. Implementing a tuition waiver, she said, it's just an invitation to the table.
"It's definitely a good start," she said. "But I don't think it's, by any means, all [universities] have to offer."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/colleges-are-making-tuition-free-for-native-students-will-more-students-graduate | 2022-08-19T10:32:35Z |
This comic, illustrated by Breena Nunez, is inspired by an interview with dancer and choreographer Camille A. Brown from TED Radio Hour's episode The Artist's Voice.
About Camille A. Brown
Camille A. Brown is a dancer and choreographer who has worked on award-winning productions of Once On This Island, Jesus Christ Superstar Live on NBC and A Streetcar Named Desire, among others.
She is also the founder of Camille A. Brown & Dancers (CABD) that tours nationally and internationally. Her team has worked on productions of Mr. TOL E. RAncE and BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play, as well as community engagement initiatives incorporating social dance.
Brown received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
This segment of TED Radio Hour was produced by Katie Monteleone and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Twitter @TEDRadioHour and email us at TEDRadio@npr.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/comic-finding-my-voice-through-dance | 2022-08-19T10:32:41Z |
It can seem as though the tabloid press has dogged Demi Lovato nearly every step of way, from the Disney Channel to Glee to the pop-star life — and also through alcohol and drug addiction, rehab and recovery. On a harder-edged new album, out today and titled HOLY F***, Lovato shares several dark moments from along that winding path.
"I came out of treatment and began working on this album shortly after," Lovato tells Morning Edition's Leila Fadel. "And I was very angry. I had some healing to do. But I got out a lot of that anger in my anger in the music — and there's an evolution in the project, you see me going from angry to... owning my power and my sexuality and then to like, happier love songs. So there's this arc over the album where it's angry to happy. I just love that."
One new song, "FREAK," addresses a somewhat recent experience for the pop star: The reaction, some would describe it as backlash, to Lovato coming out as nonbinary. "I started seeing, in my Instagram comments, people being really hateful." With the track, she hoped to be "taking the power back" from the trolls, among others.
It can seem that nearly everything Lovato says — such as the recent announcement that she would again be accepting of she/her pronouns — or does generates some level of reaction, or "outrage," online. One's power would need to be taken back constantly in the face of it. So how does she deal with it?
"I just don't read it. Like, it's not important to me ... there's so many ignorant people on the internet, and you just can't pay attention to them all."
To hear the full conversation, use the audio player at the top of this page.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/demi-lovato-on-taking-the-power-back-through-a-heavy-new-album-holy-f | 2022-08-19T10:32:47Z |
The National Football League has suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for 11 games and fined him $5 million in a settlement, amid accusations of sexual misconduct and assault against him from two dozen women.
A disciplinary officer initially decided to suspend him for six games, but it was later appealed by the NFL, with league Commissioner Roger Goodell saying he sought to have Watson suspended for at least a year.
The updated decision was made Thursday as the NFL and the NFL Players Association, the union representing the players, reached a mutual agreement on Watson's punishment.
So what is the NFL's policy on suspensions, and how did it arrive at that decision?
What does the personal conduct policy say?
The NFL's personal conduct policy states that employees must not engage in "conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in" the NFL, or behavior that is "illegal, violent, dangerous or irresponsible" according to a 2018 version of the policy.
It applies to team owners, coaches, players and other team employees, game officials, as well as employees of NFL Films, the NFL Network, or any other NFL business.
Employees do not have to be convicted of a crime or be questioned by law enforcement to be subjected to punishment by the league.
Some of the prohibited behavior includes:
A disciplinary officer gathers evidence for a hearing
A disciplinary officer is jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.
A hearing follows, in which the officer gathers evidence and determines what actions to take, if any. The NFL has 10 days before the hearing to inform the officer, the player and the players association of any recommended punishment, according to the 2020 collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and players union.
The league is responsible for establishing a burden of proof that the player violated the personal conduct policy, as well as publishing any mitigating factors, such as the player accepting responsibility, receiving clinical help and paying fines.
While the investigation is ongoing, the player accused of a violation may continue to play or be placed on the commissioner's exempt list, which functions as paid leave.
Once the officer makes a decision, it is final unless the league or union decides to appeal. Goodell then has the last word, or can appoint a third party to make a final decision.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/deshaun-watson-is-suspended-for-11-games-how-does-the-nfl-make-those-decisions | 2022-08-19T10:32:53Z |
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Ben Gallegos, city manager of Firebaugh, Calif., about how the town is preparing for megastorms, that could hit as often as every 50 years due to climate change.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Ben Gallegos, city manager of Firebaugh, Calif., about how the town is preparing for megastorms, that could hit as often as every 50 years due to climate change.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/firebaugh-city-manager-warns-a-megastorm-could-devastate-his-calif-community | 2022-08-19T10:32:59Z |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Americans consistently say the economy is their biggest concern — specifically, the soaring cost of living.
For months, polls have indicated that a majority of Americans do not approve of how President Biden has handled the economy.
"The cost of living — it's just crazy," said Debbie Pisco, a 67-year-old retiree who is on a fixed income, as she loaded groceries into her car outside Walmart in Pinellas Park, Fla.
The broader Tampa metro area has seen some of the highest inflation rates in the country: 11.2% in the latest government data in August.
Pisco's solution: elect more Republicans in midterm elections this November. She said Democrats "are not doing anything — they're just making things worse."
Voters view the economy through a partisan lens
While Pisco's blunt, bleak economic outlook is fairly common among people in Pinellas County, her political prescription is not universal.
The health of the economy, like most issues in modern politics, is increasingly viewed through a partisan lens.
This is a rare "boomerang" county, meaning it voted for President Barack Obama, then President Donald Trump and subsequently Biden. In years past, it would have been a competitive district for the midterms, but recent redistricting has made most districts in Florida uncompetitive. But it's still an ideal political microcosm to get a pulse on how people feel about the president.
In more than two dozen interviews across Pinellas County, Republicans and Democrats alike expressed frustration with the economy. Republicans blamed the president. Democrats blamed global forces, the pandemic, and interrupted supply chains. They also pointed out that other countries around the world have far higher inflation rates.
But it's unclear how negative views of the economy will filter down to voters' political choices.
A registered Democrat says inflation has confused her political choices
In the last midterm elections in 2018, Republicans had hoped that a relatively strong economy under then-President Trump would save them from losses. But that strategy did not pan out. A post-mortem by the New York Times found that there wasn't a clear correlation between the economy and 2018 election results.
But four years ago, people felt relatively happy with the economy. Now, they don't. And the question is whether pessimism over the state of the economy affects how people feel about President Biden — and ultimately, how and whether they vote in November.
As Jill Mallen packed groceries into a bag at a food pantry in St. Petersburg, she complained about how grocery prices have shot up. The 62-year-old bone cancer survivor is on disability and said the pantry has become her main source of food.
"I can't afford to go to Aldi and places like I used to go," she said. "I don't have money left over with the increase and everything ... to go to the grocery store."
Mallen owns her home but said she currently can't afford insurance on it because homeowners insurance rates have increased.
She said the economy was better under Trump. So now, she feels politically confused. "I'm a registered Democrat," she said. "I have issues with our former president ... I don't like the untruths that took over with that party — even though I like the economy better."
The White House has a messaging problem on inflation
But for some voters, economic frustration isn't limited to inflation. It's about messaging and credibility.
The White House often touts the low unemployment rate and record job creation as evidence of a strong economy. But Maranda Douglas, a Democrat, said her first-hand experience in the current economy isn't matching the job market Biden and his team describe.
"I thought I went the high road. I got my bachelor's degree," said Douglas. "I'm applying for jobs that I feel like I'm qualified for, that I should be paid well for. But I'm not getting that feedback."
This week, the 32-year-old is moving back into her mom's house — with her daughter and boyfriend — to save money.
"It's a little disheartening because we were really trying to establish our independence," she said. Her mom Deirdre Douglas said that most of the homes in their neighborhood now house multigenerational families because home prices are beyond reach for young adults.
Sharp rent increases have squeezed voters in Pinellas County
The struggle to find affordable housing is common in Pinellas County, which has seen an influx of new residents in recent years.
"Rent prices are really — they're too high," said Christina Willette, a certified nursing assistant who makes $15 an hour. She said the rent on her two-bedroom apartment has gone up more than $600 a month over the last couple of years.
"It's like you can't do anything fun with the kids or with family, 'cause the only money you have is really for bills," she said.
The mom of four said she began feeling financially squeezed when Biden came into office. "That's who I picked," she said. "But it seems like that's when it started."
She doesn't blame Biden; she said she would never have voted for Trump because she thought he was sexist and divisive. But if Biden runs for president again, she said she probably won't vote for him.
If anything, she said she's been more impressed by how her Republican governor Ron DeSantis — who many believe has presidential ambitions — has handled the economy. She said she liked how he tried to keep schools and businesses open throughout the pandemic, so people like her could continue to work.
Jared Muha, 28, had hoped to buy a house when he became a high school history teacher. But instead of a house, he had to find a roommate, because his rent went up $400 this year.
"I have a master's degree, six years of experience and two jobs, and I don't feel like I can just, like, live comfortably in the world," Muha said. "I knew I wasn't going to be rich when I got a degree in history, you know what I mean? But I would like to just be able to live comfortably."
Muha voted for Biden "very reluctantly." He said he wishes the president would follow through on his campaign promise to forgive a portion of student debt. He feels like Democrats take their base for granted — but he said he probably will still vote for the party in the November midterms.
Most people won't vote in midterms. That's why the base is key
A majority of eligible voters won't vote in midterms. And research shows nonvoters tend to be people who don't have as much money.
"The food prices are ridiculous," said Kevin Connors, a 41-year-old security guard grabbing a free dinner on a recent evening through the nonprofit Feeding Tampa Bay. "Our government blaming Ukraine and everybody for our gas prices is ridiculous. The housing is ridiculous."
Connors, who makes about $16 an hour, said he hasn't voted in years. He said he's disillusioned with all his choices.
Political experts say midterms are won not by persuading people like Connors, but by energizing the already-existing base.
For the midterms, congressional Democrats plan to run on the Inflation Reduction Act that they recently passed, some $700 billion in spending that Biden described as "delivering progress and prosperity to American families."
The White House plans to hit the road this month to promote the package, which locks in lower premiums for people who have Affordable Care Act coverage, provides rebates for climate-change-curbing appliances and vehicles, and allows Medicare to negotiate prices on some prescription drugs — although some of these benefits won't take effect until after the November elections.
"Every single Republican in the Congress sided with the special interests in this vote," Biden said, noting that pharmaceutical companies and corporations had fought the bill. "That's the choice we face: we can protect the already-powerful, or show the courage to build the future where everybody has an even shot."
Anger is often effective to motivate voters, in both parties
Back in Florida, Pam McAloon, president of the Pinellas Federated Republican Women's club, said the economy is extremely important to GOP voters, but it isn't the sole motivating factor. She thinks the FBI search of Trump's home at Mar-a-Lago could rally people.
"When you see a former president being treated the way he was treated just recently, that's really gonna energize people [to] go out and vote," she said.
Anger is often effective at motivating voters. And Democrats insist their base is angry too — about rights being stripped away from them.
Jennifer Griffin, an OB-GYN who performs abortions in the area, said her patients are furious about the series of rules imposed on them by the Florida state legislature — the 24-hour waiting period for an abortion, and the 15-week ban, for example.
"They're angry. And they say, 'What can I do about it?'" Griffin explained. "I said the one thing you can do is vote. The second thing you can do is get everyone you know to vote."
While polling suggests voters have concerns about the economy, the political story in real life is complicated. The economy is the single issue voters repeatedly point to in surveys as their biggest concern. But in interviews in this county, it seems like it's not the primary factor driving many people's political decisions.
"No one's gonna change their point of view because of the economy," said Gretchen Johnson, president of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, explaining the economy is already baked in to voters' calculations.
"Either you're gonna blame Joe Biden or you're not gonna blame Joe Biden for inflation, and gas and all that stuff," she said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/how-inflation-is-influencing-politics-in-a-bellwether-florida-county | 2022-08-19T10:33:06Z |
With abortion now being heavily restricted in many U.S. states following the fall of Roe v. Wade, social media has been filled with complicated and, in some cases, baseless workarounds that experts say should be intensely scrutinized before one considers pursing them.
Mandatory vasectomies, building clinics that offer abortion services on Native American reservations and placing children for adoption or foster care are among the most popular choices for post-Roe abortion workarounds, but experts say that these suggestions aren't realistic.
Here's what those researchers have to say about why these post-Roe workarounds are not as realistic as they may seem.
Mandatory vasectomies
When news hit that abortions were going to be nearly totally banned in several states, it was reported across the U.S. that calls for vasectomy appointments were increasing.
While many men were quoted saying they were doing it for their significant other or because they had no interest in having kids, Twitter was filled with suggestions, both serious and not, that men should be forced to get vasectomies.
Simple. Men will never understand the importance of bodily autonomy until they lose it. Now that the state has been given control over reproductive rights, makes sense all males should receive a vasectomy until proven fit for fatherhood. https://t.co/oFq536YpLI
— 🔥Reverend Dr. Aiden (@SweetFnLucifer) August 11, 2022
"I understand that they are trying to show how restrictive abortion [bans] are on the body and how unfair it is and how it is an attack on women, but I do find that they are quite tone-deaf when it comes to the very real history of eugenics and of forced sterilization of men," Georgia Grainger, a PhD student at the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, who is studying the history of vasectomies, told NPR over the phone.
“if abortion is illegal we should make it mandatory for people to get vasectomies” ah yes because the best solution for the government policing people’s bodies is to police more bodies
— L (they/them) (@aquariusxmars) July 7, 2022
In a thread that garnered over 17,000 retweets, Grainer explained why the idea of mandatory sterilization is harmful to men, especially men of color and men with disabilities.
Eugenics in the 20th century was a form of sexism and racism in the United States, a report from the University of Michigan explains.
The report says that the first sterilization law came in 1907 from Indiana, and other states passed similar legislation almost immediately after. Currently, those laws still exist in 31 states.
I am a historian of vasectomy who is going to lose her shit if she sees one more feminists suggest "mandatory vasectomies" for men, that vasectomies prevent abortion, or that vasectomies are any kind of solution to this situation. Strap in, folks.
— Georgia Grainger (@sniphist) June 25, 2022
🧵
Grainer said that there are ways to talk about unjust restrictions on bodily autonomy without suggesting further restrictions on other people's bodies.
"It's so long as it's voluntary," Grainer said, "and by choice, then any contraception is good, any reproductive choices are good in my book. But it's when it becomes not about choice, I think there's a real issue."
Building clinics that provide abortions on Native American reservations
The sovereign status of Native American reservations has brought up the idea of building clinics that provide abortions on reservations.
The tribal sovereignty that the U.S. has granted to Native Americans gives Native tribes the right to govern themselves and allows them to regulate their own affairs in-house, meaning they are exempt from laws like the bans on abortions that have taken effect post-Roe.
One suggestion that has circulated on social media is to start building clinics on reservations because they are sovereign nations where decisions from state governments do not apply.
What if we put all the abortion clinics on Indian reservations like we do casinos and the good fireworks.
— Dani Question the Anne Heche Narrative. (@DaniGraceHader) June 30, 2022
However, Aila Hoss, an associate professor at IUPUI's McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, said that building clinics on reservations is much more complicated than it might seem.
"First off, legally, it's not as simple as, 'Oh, tribes are sovereign nations,' even though it should be," Hoss told NPR over the phone.
She said that the difference between criminal and civil laws, who is providing the services, and funding and tribal membership are among many of the reasons that providing abortions for outsiders is difficult for tribal nations.
Hoss said that practitioners on reservations typically work under a federally funded system called the I/T/U. The I/T/U is made up of three parts: the Indian Health Service (IHS), which is the federal government directly helping with clinics and other health services for Native Americans; tribal health services, which are IHS-funded health services directly handled by the tribes; and Urban Indian Health Programs, also funded by the IHS but handled by nonprofit organizations.
Medical practitioners within the I/T/U system cannot administer abortions on tribal land, except under certain situations, because of the Hyde Amendment. This 1976 law prohibits the federal funding of abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or the pregnant patient's life being in danger. This means that if reservations wanted to go forward with providing abortions for nontribal patients, they would have to use their own resources to bring in a practitioner who was not part of the federally funded system and who would not have some of the legal protections granted to practitioners working within the federal system.
For example, under the federally funded system, practitioners are covered from having to personally take on the financial brunt of a malpractice suit. But Hoss said practitioners not under the federal system wouldn't have this protection in the event of a medical procedure going wrong. She added that in order to build clinics that would provide abortions for nonmembers, tribes would have to want to take on these legal and financial risks.
Aside from the legal issues surrounding this idea, it also ignores ethical and cultural factors.
Hoss said that none of the suggestions for building clinics that provide abortions have come from tribes themselves, but have instead come from non-Native national organizations that don't think of the legal and ethical effects of volunteering tribes to take on the weight of a complicated issue.
Reproductive health care, including abortion, is already difficult for Native American women to access on their own land, Hoss said, so this suggestion of building clinics on reservations now comes only at a time when lack of abortion access is impacting the non-Native population.
According to a study published in 2014 in the American Journal of Public Health, over 80% of Indian Health Service facilities, the primary provider of reproductive health care to Native American women, were not in compliance with IHS and Hyde Amendment regulations because they did not provide abortion services in the event of rape, incest or the life of the pregnant patient being in danger. Only 5% of these facilities performed on-site abortions, and none had Mifeprex, a drug used for medication abortion.
Native Americans also have the highest poverty rate of any racial group in the U.S., which has negatively affected their access to proper health care.
"And so I think the first point is a reflection on why this was not important to you pre-Dobbs. Why are folks making these kinds of broad generalizations without thinking about the legal, the ethical, cultural impacts of this?"
Adoption as an answer
As protests took place across the U.S. on the morning that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision overturned Roe, a tweet featuring a couple holding a sign that read "We Will Adopt Your Baby" became a meme.
The couple in the photo, Neydy Casillas and Sebastián Schuff, are lawyers who have spent most of their careers supporting conservative Christian legal fights. Casillas is tied to an anti-LGBTQ law firm, Alliance Defending Freedom, that has been pushing to transform the U.S. into a more "Christian values" nation.
My favorite sign yesterday. pic.twitter.com/6UsmNy8Q9r
— Noelle Fitchett (@NoelleFitchett) June 25, 2022
To convince people not to have abortions, many have suggested placing babies for adoption or putting them in the foster care system.
More than 100,000 children were already waiting for adoption in the foster care system in 2020, according to the Kids Count Data Center.
Dana Davidson, co-director of adoption and family support at The Cradle, which helps facilitate adoptions for families nationwide and internationally, told NPR over email that the impact of the overturn of Roe v. Wade and its effect on adoption will vary in different parts of the country.
"What we know to be true is that adoption is complex and is born of loss," Davidson said.
Davidson said that in the agency's experience, clients are not making the decision between abortion and adoption at the same time.
"Adoption is an alternative to parenting, not an alternative to being pregnant," she said.
States like Texas, which has a trigger law that banned abortion once Roe v. Wade was overturned, were among those with the most foster youth as of 2021, according to the project Who Cares: A National Count of Foster Homes and Families.
"I think it's also important to point out that while there has been a lot of conversation online suggesting a Roe v. Wade overturn could be great for prospective parents who want to adopt, The Cradle is not in the business of finding babies for families," Davidson said. "We are in the business of finding families for babies if and when the expectant parents decide that adoption [is] the best option for themselves and their families."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/how-realistic-are-the-post-roe-abortion-workarounds-that-are-filling-social-media | 2022-08-19T10:33:12Z |
A flash flood watch had been issued by the Nashville office of the National Weather Service the evening before. Meteorologists expected two to three inches of rain an hour, and almost no one was prepared.
That included the 4,000 or so people who lived in Waverly, a small town an hour and a half west of Nashville.
The rain began just before 1 a.m. on August 21, 2021. After sunrise, the water was so deep that it was forcing families from their homes and trapping others. In the course of a day, 21 inches of rain fell on Waverly and overflowed local creeks. The sound of helicopters filled the air while rescue boats cruised on top of the brown floodwaters below. The flood tore through Waverly and surrounding Humphreys County and killed 20 people.
Waverly is the largest city in the county. It was hit hard. There's been a lot of effort to rebuild. But many people are still a long way from a full recovery, and it's unclear if the community will ever be the same.
Building new memories
Some lifelong residents have left the town. The trauma was enough for longtimers, like Linda Balthrop, to count their losses and leave Waverly.
"It came fast," Balthrop says, "in a flash."
Balthrop, who's in her mid-70s, survived the flood with her husband. But in the year since, they've moved closer to their daughter and grandchildren in Mississippi.
"Coming back to Waverly and seeing it, I kind of admire the people that have stuck around," Balthrop says, "because it's really depressing here."
She and her husband had lived in their old home for nearly 50 years. But Balthrop is ready to put those memories behind her.
"If I were here, it wouldn't be as easy to do that because it's all around us, you know, all this destruction," Balthrop says. "But I think we're better off where we are now."
The house was the highest home in the neighborhood. It wasn't considered part of the floodplain, but the waters still reached it. It's since been remodeled by a family member.
Recounting the damage
Floodwaters damaged dozens of businesses and destroyed most of Waverly's public housing. Waverly Elementary School and Waverly Junior High School had to be abandoned.
Earlier this month, kids were supposed to start school in a remodeled boot factory, but there were construction delays. Renovation costs are expected to reach $11.7 million, with most of the bill covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
People harmed by the flood have received more than $7 million from FEMA. Millions of dollars have also been allocated to Waverly for road, bridge and other projects. Tennessee's statewide emergency management agency has also been working with federal leaders to map out possible flood mitigation projects.
Scientists say that extreme weather disasters are increasingly likely as climate change leads to heavier rainfalls. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been conducting studies to prevent flooding from doing this kind of damage again.
"One of these studies will take 18 months," Waverly Mayor Buddy Frazier says. "So, you know, we've got to be patient while that's going on."
Frazier grew up in Waverly and used to be a local police officer. But the place he knew before the flood could be slipping away. Many people were displaced by the flood and haven't had the option to come back. One of those families were his tenants.
"They all survived. But then they had to relocate," Frazier says. "So we lost a good family. That's another one of the casualties, is what it is."
A lonely recovery
The displacements are expected to hurt sales and property tax revenues. But Waverly still has people who have made their way back.
"It's going to sound so cheesy. I always wanted to own a house, and I never thought I was going to be able to, because I've been disabled for a very long time," Gary Jackson says. "We were able to get this house, and I just couldn't bring myself to give it up."
Jackson has Type 1 diabetes, which caused him to lose a leg. He's been staying outside of Waverly and is now getting ready to move back. But the destruction is still hard to shake.
"Sometimes it's waking up in the middle of the night because you're having a bad dream," Jackson says. "Sometimes it's just not being able to sleep at all because you're just overthinking about what happened and what you could have done differently."
Jackson said his mind replays the moment his dog was sucked underneaththe raging water.
He moved to Waverly in 2017. His home is one of several rebuilt by Christian ministry group Appalachia Service Project. His new home represents the progress since the first days after the flood, when roads had washed away, and cars were stuck in trees.
Waverly has had a history of flooding. No one knows when another deadly flood could come through, or what long-term recovery will really look like. Pointing across his neighborhood, Jackson says he just hopes that things can get back to the way they were.
"That house is empty. They're all empty until you get to the other end of the street. And most of those are gone. Debbie's gone," Jackson says.
"And, I forget his name, he's gone right now" Jackson continues, "don't know if they're coming back or not, I haven't talked to them. But it's just lonely. It just looks lonely."
Copyright 2022 WPLN News | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/in-a-flood-ravaged-tennessee-town-uncertainty-hangs-over-the-recovery | 2022-08-19T10:33:18Z |
Mortgage rates have seen their biggest rise in 40 years. But now, rates are jumping up and down as markets try to anticipate where the economy is headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Mortgage rates have seen their biggest rise in 40 years. But now, rates are jumping up and down as markets try to anticipate where the economy is headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/mortgage-rate-spikes-force-many-potential-homebuyers-to-rethink-their-plans | 2022-08-19T10:33:24Z |
Judge creates a path for releasing a redacted affidavit from Mar-a-Lago search. The U.N. secretary general is in Ukraine. Drug cartel violence surges in Mexico, including the border city of Tijuana.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Judge creates a path for releasing a redacted affidavit from Mar-a-Lago search. The U.N. secretary general is in Ukraine. Drug cartel violence surges in Mexico, including the border city of Tijuana.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/news-brief-mar-a-lago-search-affidavit-u-n-chief-in-ukraine-tijuana-violence | 2022-08-19T10:33:31Z |
One of the first lunch counter sit-ins of the civil rights movement took place in Oklahoma City in 1958. This weekend, the city remembers the protest and its organizer Clara Luper.
Copyright 2022 NPR
One of the first lunch counter sit-ins of the civil rights movement took place in Oklahoma City in 1958. This weekend, the city remembers the protest and its organizer Clara Luper.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/oklahoma-city-marks-a-moment-in-the-fight-for-desegregation | 2022-08-19T10:33:37Z |
The carried interest loophole was central to the debate over the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden this week. It's part of a bigger story about a tax code riddled with loopholes.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The carried interest loophole was central to the debate over the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden this week. It's part of a bigger story about a tax code riddled with loopholes.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/planet-money-the-carried-interest-tax-loophole-survives-another-challenge | 2022-08-19T10:33:43Z |
In this week's StoryCorps, two sisters remember their mother Mary Barr. She was the first woman to fly for the U.S. Forest Service — guiding tanker planes on a safe path through the flames.
Copyright 2022 NPR
In this week's StoryCorps, two sisters remember their mother Mary Barr. She was the first woman to fly for the U.S. Forest Service — guiding tanker planes on a safe path through the flames.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/remembering-mary-barr-the-first-woman-to-fly-for-the-u-s-forest-service | 2022-08-19T10:33:50Z |
In a small meeting hall in downtown Manhattan in 1989, more than 20 prominent writers stood in turn to read aloud the work of writer Salman Rushdie and denounce the fatwa that had just ordered his death.
Back then, the fatwa prompted an outpouring of support for Rushdie while also igniting a debate about the complicated collision of art and free expression with offensiveness.
Now, more than three decades later, those outpourings and debates have come back to the fore in the wake of a brutal knife attack on Rushdie at an art and literary retreat in New York.
PEN America, the writers group that advocates for free expression, organized the 1989 Rushdie reading. Among the speakers then were writer Joan Didion, novelist Norman Mailer and essayist Christopher Hitchens — all of whom decried the fatwa in the name of freedom of expression.
"Censorship has been imposed in the United States," said the biographer Robert Caro. "There are issues on which no compromise is possible, and this is one of them."
But not all responses to the fatwa were such full-throated defenses of Rushdie. Perhaps most prominently, former President Jimmy Carter penned an op-ed in The New York Times with a headline proclaiming The Satanic Verses to be an "insult."
"While Rushdie's First Amendment freedoms are important, we have tended to promote him and his book with little acknowledgment that it is a direct insult to those millions of Moslems whose sacred beliefs have been violated and are suffering in restrained silence," Carter wrote.
Commenting on Twitter in the days after last week's attack on Rushdie, Iranian American writer Roya Hakakian criticized a response by a U.S. official. Later, while posting a link to Carter's 1989 op-ed, she attributed what she called the abandonment of Rushdie and free speech to "the elites in 1989" and tweeted, "it's the elites today, too, all laying the building blocks of the unsightly cancel culture of today."
The attack on Rushdie comes at a moment when libraries and schools have come under immense pressure from conservatives to remove books about race and LGBTQ issues from their shelves. The publishing industry, too, has faced its share of criticism over issues of representation in literary fiction and young adult books, along with pressure to drop book deals with people like Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, Woody Allen and a Louisville, Ky., police officer involved in the death of Breonna Taylor.
"When literature departments refuse to teach Lolita, conferences on Dostoevsky are cancelled over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Oscar winners feel comfortable slapping standup comedians on live television, journalists and cartoonists can be killed because they publish a thought or joke that offends their readers, it is a dangerous world for both artists and art itself," wrote Israeli writer Etgar Keret this week.
Several writers, including Graeme Wood of The Atlantic and David Rieff, have suggested that The Satanic Verses might not be published had it been written today.
The Satanic Verses, published in 1988, includes a section in which the Prophet Muhammad is tricked by Satan into proclaiming a revelation, the titular satanic verses, that he must later retract. Because the sequence portrayed fallibility and human weakness in the prophet, the novel is viewed as blasphemous by some Muslims.
The year after the book was published, Iran's religious leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued an order, known as a fatwa, calling for Rushdie's death and the deaths of anyone involved in the book's publication.
Afterward, Rushdie spent almost a decade in hiding under police protection. During those years, several publishers and translators were attacked, including the book's Japanese translator, who was killed in 1991.
Rushdie gradually reemerged into public life in the early 2000s. He has said he still receives periodic threats, as the fatwa has not been lifted. Over the years, hard-liners in Iran have reportedly pooled together a bounty totaling more than $3 million.
Last Friday, Rushdie, now 75, was preparing to speak at the retreat in New York when a man ran onstage and stabbed him 12 times in his neck, chest, stomach, hand and eye. Rushdie was hospitalized and his condition has since improved, those close to him have said.
The attacker, a 24-year-old Lebanese American man, has been charged with attempted murder. Iran has denied involvement in the attack.
Now, on Friday, PEN America will host a new version of the 1989 Rushdie reading: A group of writers will gather on the steps of the main branch of the New York Public Library to read passages of Rushdie's writing in a show of support. The event will include Hakakian, along with actor and comedian Aasif Mandvi, National Book Award winner Colum McCann and others.
"As publishers, we have a collective responsibility to support writers whose books and ideas ensure an open and ever-evolving society," Markus Dohle, the CEO of Rushdie's publisher Penguin Random House, said in a statement.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/since-1989-threats-to-salman-rushdie-have-sparked-support-and-debate-on-free-speech | 2022-08-19T10:33:56Z |
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson starts his first season on the team with an 11 game suspension and a $5 million fine as part of a settlement reached with the NFL following accusations of misconduct.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson starts his first season on the team with an 11 game suspension and a $5 million fine as part of a settlement reached with the NFL following accusations of misconduct.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/the-nfl-suspends-clevelands-qb-deshaun-watson-for-11-games | 2022-08-19T10:34:02Z |
A church in New Hampshire offers the use of ayahuasca. It's one of a small but growing number of retreats where people can use hallucinogens.
Copyright 2022 New Hampshire Public Radio
A church in New Hampshire offers the use of ayahuasca. It's one of a small but growing number of retreats where people can use hallucinogens.
Copyright 2022 New Hampshire Public Radio | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/the-psychedelic-ayahuasca-is-easier-to-find-even-though-its-legality-is-questionable | 2022-08-19T10:34:09Z |
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is in Ukraine where he is calling for the Russian and Ukrainian armies to back away from a nuclear power plant over fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
Copyright 2022 NPR
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is in Ukraine where he is calling for the Russian and Ukrainian armies to back away from a nuclear power plant over fears of a nuclear catastrophe.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/the-united-nations-wants-to-avoid-a-nuclear-disaster-in-ukraine | 2022-08-19T10:34:15Z |
A wave of car burnings in the Mexican border city of Tijuana prompted residents to stay home. NPR's A Martinez talked to Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramírez about the power of organized crime.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A wave of car burnings in the Mexican border city of Tijuana prompted residents to stay home. NPR's A Martinez talked to Mayor Montserrat Caballero Ramírez about the power of organized crime.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/violence-erupts-in-tijuana-mexico-following-the-arrest-of-a-drug-cartel-leader | 2022-08-19T10:34:22Z |
Business in the front, party in the back is one way to describe the mullet — a hairdo popular in the 80s. Who is the next champion? That's up to you. Voting at mulletchamp.com ends Friday.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Business in the front, party in the back is one way to describe the mullet — a hairdo popular in the 80s. Who is the next champion? That's up to you. Voting at mulletchamp.com ends Friday.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/voting-is-about-to-end-in-the-usa-mullet-championships | 2022-08-19T10:34:28Z |
Closing your laptop at 5 p.m. Doing only your assigned tasks. Spending more time with family. These are just some of the common examples used to define the latest workplace trend of "quiet quitting."
Some experts say it's a misnomer and should really be defined as carving out time to take care of yourself.
Ed Zitron, who runs a media consulting business for tech startups and publishes the labor-focused newsletter Where's Your Ed At, believes the term stems from companies exploiting their employees' labor and how these businesses benefit from a culture of overwork without additional compensation.
"If you want people to go 'above and beyond,' compensate them for it. Give them $200. Pay them for the extra work," Zitron told NPR over email. "Show them the direct path from 'I am going above and beyond' to 'I am being rewarded for doing so.'"
A TikTok video on quiet quitting posted in July by @zkchillin (now @zaidleppelin) went viral. Many TikTok users shared their own experiences in response, with #quietquitting gaining 8.2 million views on the platform as of 4 p.m. ET Thursday.
Quiet quitting doesn't actually involve quitting. Instead, it has been deemed a response to hustle culture and burnout; employees are "quitting" going above and beyond and declining to do tasks they are not being paid for.
How employees have changed their approach to work
Workplace culture has gone through many changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, including with the "great resignation." Some workers are negotiating for better work conditions and benefits with newfound leverage.
Some workers have expressed a desire for a less rigid line between their work and personal selves. Professionals told NPR's Morning Edition how during the pandemic, they have made changes in their work lives, from how they dress to their career field, to align more closely with their personal values.
"I started to realize that all of the hang-ups about being away from work to spend time with my kids, that was all me wanting to be a really good employee," Kristin Zawatski told NPR's Morning Edition. "But my work speaks for itself."
Zawatski works in project management, a job that has afforded her the flexibility she needs as a mom of two. Although she would always make sure her work was done, she felt guilty whenever she needed to leave early or take a day off. That changed with the pandemic.
"Knowing that life could be short, I didn't want to waste it anymore all the time just worrying about what kind of employee I was, because my kids don't care what kind of employee I am," Zawatski said. "My kids care what kind of mom I am."
Quiet quitting is in line with a larger reevaluation of how work fits into our lives and not the other way around. As Gen Z is entering the workforce, the idea of quiet quitting has gained traction as Gen Zers deal with burnout and never-ending demands.
However, Gen Z is not the first generation to experience burnout, and quiet quitting is not a new idea. Zitron shared his frustrations with the framing of the term, because it mischaracterizes doing the tasks you are paid for with the idea of quitting your job.
"The term 'quiet quitting' is so offensive, because it suggests that people that do their work have somehow quit their job, framing workers as some sort of villain in an equation where they're doing exactly what they were told," Zitron said.
Employers benefit financially from workers doing extra work without compensation and it is reasonable for employees to push back against that, he added.
"It's part of an overwhelming trend of pro-boss propaganda, trying to frame workers that don't do free work for their bosses as somehow stealing from the company," Zitron said.
For employers that are dealing with workers who may be exhibiting signs of quiet quitting, Zitron has one simple message for them: Pay them for extra work.
If you are experiencing burnout at work, setting boundaries can help you regain some control. Additionally, working on addressing workplace conflict head-on can make a situation easier — or be a sign it's time to move on.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-19/what-is-quiet-quitting-and-how-it-may-be-a-misnomer-for-setting-boundaries-at-work | 2022-08-19T10:34:34Z |
2 Russian villages evacuated after fire at munitions depot
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The residents of two villages in Russia’s Belgorod region on Ukraine’s northeastern border were evacuated after a fire at a munitions depot near the village of Timonovo, the region’s governor said Friday. The fire is the latest in a series of destructive incidents on Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine or inside Russia itself.
Roughly 1,100 people reside in the villages of Timonovo and Soloti, around 15 miles from the Ukrainian border. There were no casualties in the late Thursday blaze, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
The fire came days after another ammunition depot exploded on Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, a Russian-occupied territory seized by Moscow in 2014.
Last week, nine Russian warplanes were reported destroyed at an airbase on Crimea, demonstrating both the Russians’ vulnerability and the Ukrainians’ capacity to strike deep behind enemy lines. Ukrainian authorities have stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility.
But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to Ukrainian attacks behind enemy lines after the blasts in Crimea, which Russia has blamed on “sabotage.”
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in televised remarks Friday that statements from Ukrainian officials about striking facilities in Crimea mark “an escalation of the conflict openly encouraged by the United States and its NATO allies.”
Ryabkov said Russian officials had warned the U.S. against such actions in phone calls with high-level members of the Biden administration, adding that “deep and open U.S. involvement” in the war in Ukraine “effectively puts the U.S. on the brink of becoming a party to the conflict.”
“We don’t want an escalation, we would like to avoid a situation where the U.S. becomes a party to the conflict, but so far we haven’t seen their readiness to deeply and seriously consider those warnings,” Ryabkov said.
Meanwhile, Kyiv and Moscow continued to accuse each other of shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, stoking international fears of a catastrophe on the continent.
On Friday, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, accused the United States of encouraging Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. The facility has been controlled by Russian forces since shortly after the invasion began on Feb. 24.
“In case of a technological disaster, its consequences will be felt in every corner of the world,” Patrushev said. “Washington, London and their accomplices will bear full responsibility for that.”
Ukraine has accused Russia of storing troops and weapons at the Zaporizhzhia plant and using its grounds to launch strikes against Ukrainian-controlled territory. Ukrainian officials and military analysts say Moscow’s forces have cynically employed the plant as a shield, knowing that the Ukrainians would be hesitant to fire back.
Russia has denied the accusations and, in turn, accused Ukrainian forces of repeatedly shelling the plant.
Following a visit to Ukraine on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Zelenskyy had asked him to ensure that Russia remove weapons stored at the plant as an “important step for world peace.”
“Zelenskyy asked this of us especially: that Russia remove all mines and similar (weapons) there and for the issue to rapidly cease to be frightening. Because it is a threat,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan, whose country has maintained close relations with both Ukraine and Russia, said he would discuss the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that “Russia must do its part in this regard.”
The Turkish president made the comments to a group of Turkish journalists on his return from a visit with Zelenskyy and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in Ukraine late on Thursday. His comments were reported by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency and other media on Friday.
At the meeting in the western city of Lviv, far from the front lines, the leaders discussed expanding exchanges of prisoners of war and arranging for U.N. atomic energy experts to visit and help secure the nuclear power plant.
IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
— At least five people were killed and 10 others were wounded by the Russian shelling of towns and villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to regional authorities. The shelling damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the embattled region where Russian forces are pushing to overtake areas still held by Ukraine.
— At least one civilian died early Friday in Russian shelling of the city of Kharkiv, to the northwest of the Donetsk region, while Russian missiles in the southern port city of Mykolaiv again struck port facilities and a university building that was previously hit by shelling earlier this week. One person was wounded in the attacks, authorities said.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/19/2-russian-villages-evacuated-after-fire-munitions-depot/ | 2022-08-19T11:20:56Z |
Biden bill to help millions escape higher health care costs
WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people in the United States will be spared from big increases in health care costs next year after President Joe Biden signed legislation extending generous subsidies for those who buy plans through federal and state marketplaces.
The sweeping climate, tax and health care bill sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people, just before the reduced prices were set to expire in a year beset by record-high inflation.
As the calendar pushed closer to the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, Sara Cariano was growing nervous about her work helping people across Virginia sign up for subsidized, private health insurance on the HealthCare.gov website.
“I expected very difficult conversation with folks to explain why their premiums were spiking,” said Cariano, a policy specialist at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.
But the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act erased those worries.
“Things aren’t going to change for the worst for individuals who are purchasing coverage through the market,” she said.
The bill will extend subsidies temporarily offered last year when Congress and Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that significantly lowered premiums and out-of-pocket costs for customers purchasing plans through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. It also continues reduced costs for more individuals and families who live well above the poverty line.
Only Democrats supported the extended health care subsidies and the other proposals in the bill that Biden signed on Tuesday. Republicans criticized the measure as big government overreach that will only worsen inflation. In reality, economists say, the bill will do little to either fan or extinguish the flames of exorbitant prices.
Health insurance premiums in the marketplace are expected to rise significantly next year — roughly 10 percent — according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The extended subsidies, which determine premium payments based on income, will guard most people from those price increases, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at the foundation.
“Generally speaking, people should not see increases in their premiums,” Cox said.
Those who bought plans on the government marketplace saved on average about $700 in premium payments from the subsidies this year, according to estimates by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
As costs dropped, more people signed up for the coverage over the last year and the number of those without health insurance dropped to an all-time low of 8% in August, the Department of Health and Human Services announced. Roughly 26 million people, 2 percent of them children, remain uninsured in the U.S.
In California, many of the 1.7 million people who purchase health insurance through Covered California, the state-operated insurance marketplace will continue to see savings ranging from $29 and $324 per month, depending on their income level.
State officials predict about 220,000 people will be saved from being priced out of coverage. Between 2 million and 3 million people in California might also turn to the state marketplace if they lose coverage through Medicaid when the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency expires. About 15 million people in the U.S. have been extended Medicaid coverage during the pandemic.
Cost is the biggest factor driving whether a person signs up for coverage or not, said Joseph Poindexter, the senior director of health insurance programs at HealthCare Access Maryland.
Some parents, for example, sign their children up for Medicaid but skip buying coverage for themselves, he said.
“It’s really said to see folks who will say, I’ll forgo treatment, or won’t go visit the doctor,” Poindexter said.
Fewer people have had to make that calculation with the subsidies, Poindexter said, attributing the lowered prices to a 9% increase in new enrollees in the state last year.
___
Associated Press writer Adam Beam in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/19/biden-bill-help-millions-escape-higher-health-care-costs/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:02Z |
Biden to host ‘unity’ summit against hate-fueled violence
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden will host a White House summit next month aimed at combating a spate of hate-fueled violence in the U.S., as he works to deliver on his campaign pledge to “heal the soul of the nation.”
The White House announced Friday that Biden will host the United We Stand Summit on Sept. 15, highlighting the “corrosive effects” of violence on public safety and democracy. Advocates pushed Biden to hold the event after 10 Black people were killed at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in May, aiming as well to address a succession of hate-driven violence in cities including El Paso, Texas, Pittsburgh and Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
“As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for the soul of our nation ‘we must all enlist in this great cause of America,’” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all races, religions, regions, political affiliations, and walks of life to take up that cause together.”
Biden will deliver a keynote speech at the gathering, which the White House says will include civil rights groups, faith leaders, business executives, law enforcement, gun violence prevention advocates, former members of violent hate groups, the victims of extremist violence and cultural figures. The White House emphasized that it also intends to bring together Democrats and Republicans, as well as political leaders on the federal, state and local levels to unite against hate-motivated violence.
Biden, a Democrat, has frequently cited 2017′s white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, with bringing him out of political retirement to challenge then-President Donald Trump in 2020. He promised during that campaign to work to bridge political and social divides and to promote national unity, but fulfilling that cause remains a work in progress.
Sindy Benavides, the CEO of League of United Latin American Citizens, said the genesis of the summit came after the Buffalo massacre, as her organization along with the Anti-Defamation League, the National Action Network and other groups wanted to press the Biden administration to more directly tackle extremist threats.
“As civil rights organizations, social justice organizations, we fight every day against this, and we wanted to make sure to acknowledge that government needs to have a leading role in addressing right-wing extremism,” she said.
The White House did not outline the lineup of speakers or participants, saying it would come closer to the event. It also would not preview any specific policy announcements by Biden. Officials noted Biden last year signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and released the nation’s first National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism.
Benavides said Biden holding the summit would help galvanize the country to address the threats of hate-inspired violence but also said she hoped for “long-term solutions” to emerge from the summit.
“What’s important to us is addressing mental health, gun control reform, addressing misinformation, disinformation and malinformation,” she said. “We want policy makers to focus on common sense solutions so we don’t see this type of violence in our communities. And we want to see the implementation of policies that reduce violence.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of hate crimes at https://apnews.com/hub/hate-crimes.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/19/biden-host-unity-summit-against-hate-fueled-violence/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:08Z |
Utah officials secretly investigated female athlete’s gender
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah high school athletics association secretly investigated a female athlete — without telling her or her parents — after receiving complaints from the parents of two girls she had defeated in competition questioning whether the girl was transgender.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday that the Utah High School Activities Association and the girl’s high school determined she indeed was female after poring through her school records dating back to kindergarten.
Association spokesman David Spatafore told lawmakers that the girl and her family weren’t told of the investigation to spare them embarrassment and “to keep the matter private,” the Tribune reported.
The revelation came as at least 12 Republican-led states — including Utah — have passed laws banning transgender women or girls in sports. Supporters of the bans say transgender girls have an unfair advantage because they were born as stronger males and could deny girls places on sports teams.
There have been almost no cases of potential competitive advantages in K-12 sports in states passing the bans, including Utah. The state’s ban is being challenged in state court.
Spatafore told a legislative hearing on transgender athletes Wednesday that the parents of the second- and third-place finishers in a competition last year filed a complaint with the association after the girl won first place in an event “by a wide margin,” the Tribune said.
The girl’s school reviewed her high school record and determined she was registered as female. The Utah high school association asked the school to “double check,” Spatafore said, and officials contacted her middle and elementary schools to review files.
“The school went back to kindergarten,” Spatafore said, “and she’d always been a female.”
Spatafore declined to reveal the student’s grade, school or sport to protect her identity. He said the student and her family were not told about the investigation because it might be offensive to them and that the parents would have been contacted “if needed.”
Spatafore also said the association has looked into other complaints involving transgender athletes in its efforts to comply with the Utah law, which went into effect in July. Some complaints include “when an athlete doesn’t look feminine enough,” he said. None of the complaints have been verified.
Lawmakers didn’t question the process during the hearing, the Tribune reported.
Sue Robbins, of the Transgender Advisory Council of Equality Utah, said the association should publicly adopt a policy spelling out how and when it may investigate student records.
“Where does the UHSAA get their authority to go investigate?” Robbins said. “We warned about this being a possibility, that everyone would accuse everyone who is successful of being transgender. ... It becomes about judging women’s bodies. And no body is safe.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican whose veto of the ban earlier this year was overridden by the Legislature, said Thursday that the parents’ complaint about the girl who was investigated had crossed a line.
“My goodness, we’re living in this world where we’ve become sore losers, and we’re looking for any reason why our kid lost,” he said. He said he supports fairness in sports but that “making up allegations like that are pretty disturbing to me.”
Before the ban, Utah had one registered transgender female athlete competing last year on a high school girls’ team, Spatafore said.
In a lawsuit, three transgender girls and their parents claim the outright ban passed by the Republican-majority Utah Legislature wrongly keeps their children from participating in the sports.
Their attorneys argue it violates provisions of the state constitution that prohibit discrimination and guarantee equal rights and due process.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/19/utah-officials-secretly-investigated-female-athletes-gender/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:14Z |
Meet the Addmotor M-360 e-trike's 2023 version. The upgrade applies UL verified EB 2.0 electric system and accessories, ensuring a longer range and more comfortable & safer riding.
Upgrades of Addmotor EB 2.0 M-360 Electric Trike
EL MONTE, Calif., Aug. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Addmotor, an e-bike brand specializing in electric bicycles and electric trikes, has debuted its EB 2.0 M-360 Electric Trike model on its website with upgrades to the battery, lighting, control, and integrated systems and some mechanical parts. Debuting new army green and purple color options, the M-360 is not only more stylish, but also more comfortable & safer. On top of that, EB 2.0 M-360 e-trike is equipped with the world's first 48V*20Ah UL-certified battery pack. It can ensure an estimated maximum range of 85 miles with PAS1 mode (8 MPH), which extends the range of any Motan electric tricycle series by approximately 73%, depending on the riding factors.
EB 2.0 M-360 model lighting system consists of a 40-lumen headlight and a multi-functional taillight. These components together can ensure a visible distance of 200 meters & a 360° side view while also meeting the IP standard of IPX5 for waterproof & water-resistant performance at any direction. Specifically, the taillight applies the MUC chip and ultrasonic welding technology, showing danger, driving, flashing, braking, and left & right turning signals.
The uneven button control design and multi-functional LCD display are upgraded to the integrated system.
"By interacting with each of the different shaped buttons on the handlebar switch, the rider can easily control the e-trike's ride and view riding information through the display, such as battery usage, riding mileage, current/average/max riding speed, lighting usage, PAS mode level, current motor wattage, etc.," said Addmotor's founder & designer. "This makes the ride more convenient and safer."
The control system is more accurate and efficient. The EB 2.0 25A controller is upgraded to a chip type, which simplifies the various circuit design and improves the stability of the system to achieve a fast, efficient & accurate command control. The EB2.0 750W motor with a newer inner ring has a lower sound and better heat dissipation performance to maximize the use of electrical energy into kinetic energy.
Recap the Addmotor M-360 2022
Looking back at the first version of the M-360, it runs on 48-Volt system with 17.5Ah battery which can last up to 55 miles with PAS1 mode. Powered by EB 2.0 battery in its new generation, Addriders can go further and ride longer. In addition, in the 2022 collection of Addmotor M-360 etrike, its lighting system has less functions, such as left & right turn signals are not included in rear light. The original version M-360 model comes with a semi-recumbent design, suitable for those with back pain or limited mobility. The M-360 e-trike's 2023 version maintains the design which answers the needs of the handicapped and riders with back pain. The backrest can be adjustable to fit different riders with different heights for more comfort.
About Addmotor
Addmotor is one of the top e-bike brands producing electric tricycles in the United States. For more than a decade, it has been known for continuously designing and manufacturing high quality electric tricycles for its customers. The EB 2.0 M-360 model is particularly made for those who value longer riding range & comfort or those with back pain or limited mobility. For more information about the EB 2.0 M-360 Semi-Recumbent Electric Trike, please visit addmotor.com.
Media Contact:
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SOURCE Addmotor Electric Bike | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/addmotor-eb-20-m-360-electric-trike-extends-riding-range-amp-comfort/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:20Z |
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AiDot launches the 18-month Cloud service package, which provides consumers 24*7 hours monitoring, including the home monitoring and pet sitting, also human detection, pet detection, package detection and vehicle detection. This service helps users understand family's activities and pets' habits better through the data analysis dashboard.
Empowers Users' Security Camera to Know More of Family Members
Parents always know the kids' favorite activity areas and favorite toys, but when parents are away from kids, they want to do more to protect them from the dangerous zone that parents don't want them to go. (The Danger Zones for little kids like Medicine Cabinet, Garage, The Stairs,Laundry Room ).
Using AiDot Cloud service, parents can designate the identification areas for their family. Users can see the statistics of cameras in different rooms on the APP, and then know which room pets and children like to play in. For the elderly, through the statistical analysis in AiDot APP, it also can understand their living patterns and daily needs.
Reduce Separation Anxiety for Pet Parents
Pet owners always want to know the room their pet likes to explore or rest in, and whether they eat and drink normally, but it takes a lot of time to observe and summarize. Now pet parents can use pet settings feature of AiDot app cloud service to define pet's activity area and learn about their daily diet so you can help them in time.
Through AiDot's intelligent analysis service, users can count the frequency and duration of family members and pets' activities. Observe the daily activities of family members in real time helps to find problems faster.
Availability: AiDot's 18-month cloud service plan originally priced at $95.90. Shop it now can enjoy 64%off: $35.92, plus a free $59.99 indoor security camera. Check it at AiDot Cloud Service now.
About AiDot：
AiDot believes we can add more value to the word "eco" when it comes to eco-systems and eco-lifestyles. AiDot app has interconnected with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Homekit, Conrad connects, Smartthings. It's fully compatible with Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, Apple Home Pod and other voice assistants, also works with 20 other partners' mainstream smart home devices.
Works with AiDot (WWA) is a symbol of cross-brand and cross-category connectivity. Brands that have joined the AiDot ecosystem include well-known smart device brands, such as Linkind, OREiN, Winees, Hyderson, Syvio, GoGonova, Ganiza, etc. Users can easily control any product with Works with AiDot with just one app. All products within the AiDot ecosystem are designed to help users start building a sustainable world.
For more information, visit: www.AiDot.com
CONTACT: marketing@aidot.com
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SOURCE Works with AiDot | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/aidot-launches-18-month-cloud-service-package-with-data-analysis/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:26Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/amazon-com-inc-loss-submission-form-2/?id=30971&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities that purchased or otherwise acquired shares of Amazon common stock between July 30, 2021, and April 28, 2022, inclusive.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 6, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Amazon.com, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: 1) defendants knew or recklessly disregarded that the Company's infrastructure and fulfillment network investments substantially outpaced demand; 2) those investments were a massive, self-imposed, undue drain on Amazon's financial condition; 3) contrary to defendants' public statements and undisclosed to investors, defendants had already implemented cutbacks to Amazon's fulfillment capacity by July 2021; and 4) as a result of defendants' misrepresentations and omissions, Amazon's common stock traded at artificially inflated prices during the class period.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/amzn-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-amazon-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:33Z |
–Ascend Montclair is AWH's second dispensary in New Jersey, serving both adult-use consumers and medical patients–
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. ("AWH" or the "Company") (CSE: AAWH.U) (OTCQX: AAWH), a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator focused on bettering lives through cannabis, today announced that Ascend Montclair, located at 395 Bloomfield Ave., will begin selling recreational cannabis today.
This announcement comes just months after a successful adult-use launch at Ascend Rochelle Park, the first of Ascend's New Jersey retail locations to commence recreational sales on April 21st. To ensure adequate access for both adult-use consumers and medical patients, consumers over 21 can now access a separate adult-use menu featuring a wide selection of products, including flower, edibles, vapes and more. To better streamline the shopping experience, Ascend Montclair customers will require an appointment to visit during the initial launch, available to book in advance at letsascend.com.
To accommodate heightened customer demand, medical patients can enjoy a special array of services, including a medical express lane, direct access to the front entrance, private consultation rooms, designated parking spots and dedicated shopping hours. Walk-in medical patients requiring time-sensitive services may also shop without an appointment.
"After an incredible adult-use launch in Rochelle Park, the Ascend New Jersey team is thrilled to bring that same energy and enthusiasm to Montclair," said Frank Perullo, President and Co-Founder of AWH. "New Jersey is already showing signs of a booming adult-use market, and Ascend has proactively scaled our operations and staffing to serve our customers' specific needs in the state. We are grateful for the support of the Montclair community and cannot wait to share the Ascend experience with the people of Montclair and the surrounding towns."
Please note, that the Montclair store is open from 8 am to 8 pm daily, and has specific medical-only hours reserved for medical patients. Check letsascend.com for medical-only hours.
AWH is a vertically integrated multistate cannabis operator with licenses and assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. AWH owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award-winning strains and producing a curated selection of products for retail and wholesale customers. AWH produces and distributes its in-house Simply Herb, Ozone, and Ozone Reserve branded products. For more information, visit www.awholdings.com.
The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.
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SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/awh-launches-adult-use-sales-montclair-new-jersey-dispensary/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:41Z |
HONG KONG, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BIT Mining Limited (NYSE: BTCM) ("BIT Mining" or the "Company"), a leading technology-driven cryptocurrency mining company, today announced the closing of its registered direct offering previously announced on August 16, 2022, with certain institutional investors for the purchase and sale of 15,566,665 of the Company's American Depositary Shares ("ADSs"), Series A Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 15,566,665 ADSs and Series B Warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 15,566,665 ADSs, at a combined purchase price of US$0.60 per ADS and associated warrants, in a registered direct offering. Each ADS represents ten (10) Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.00005 per share, of BIT Mining.
Revere Securities LLC acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering.
The Series A Warrants have an exercise price of US$0.66 per ADS, are exercisable immediately and expire five years from the date of issuance. The Series B Warrants have an exercise price of US$0.60 per ADS, are exercisable immediately and expire two and a half years from the date of issuance.
The gross proceeds from the offering (without taking into account any proceeds from any future exercises of warrants issued), before deducting the placement agent's fees and other estimated offering expenses payable by the Company were approximately US$9.3 million. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the registered direct offering to invest in mining machines, expand infrastructure, improve working capital position and invest in new business opportunities.
The securities described above were offered by BIT Mining pursuant to a "shelf" registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-258329) originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on July 30, 2021 and declared effective by the SEC on May 17, 2022. The offering of such securities was made only by means of a prospectus, including a prospectus supplement, forming a part of the effective registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the securities being offered have been filed with the SEC. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov or by contacting Revere Securities LLC at 650 Fifth Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10022, by phone at 212-688-2350 or e-mail at placement@reveresecurities.com.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
About BIT Mining
BIT Mining (NYSE: BTCM) is a leading technology-driven cryptocurrency mining company, with a long-term strategy to create value across the cryptocurrency industry. Its business covers cryptocurrency mining, mining pool, data center operation and miner manufacturing. The Company owns the world's top blockchain browser BTC.com and the comprehensive mining pool business operated under BTC.com, providing multi-currency mining services including BTC, ETH and LTC. The Company also owns a 7-nanometer cryptocurrency mining machine manufacturer, Bee Computing, enabling the Company's self-sufficiency through vertical integration with its supply chain.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target," "going forward," "outlook" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause BIT Mining's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include the intended use of net proceeds from the registered direct offering. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law.
For further information:
BIT Mining Limited
ir@btcm.group
ir.btcm.group
www.btcm.group
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1 (212) 481-2050
Email: BITMining@thepiacentegroup.com
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SOURCE BIT Mining Limited | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/bit-mining-announces-closing-us93-million-registered-direct-offering/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:47Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueTape, a leading payments and financing provider for the construction industry, today announced the closing of a $50M debt funding led by Arcadia Funds and a $5M seed round led by Chicago Ventures. Other investors include construction industry executives, real estate developers, and Plug and Play Ventures.
This funding gives BlueTape the resources to continue providing payments and financing for the construction industry. BlueTape will increase lending, expand its team, and develop new products to help construction businesses address the nation's housing and infrastructure crisis.
The US construction industry market size is over $1.3 trillion, made up of over 3 million small and medium-sized businesses. Unfortunately, the industry lags behind others in technology adoption and has been neglected by traditional financial institutions. BlueTape blends affordable financing options with easy-to-use accounts receivable and invoice management tools. Construction pros can use BlueTape credit to buy building materials at any supplier and pay back over time. BlueTape has also forged a community of construction industry dealers and suppliers that offer BlueTape credit instantly to their trade customers. This allows the construction suppliers to lower their risk and improve their cash flow and customer experience.
"We are excited to partner with BlueTape to provide affordable financing on demand for this industry. With the current economic uncertainty, BlueTape is needed more than ever to help construction businesses of all sizes operate successfully and thrive," stated Andrew Hallowell, Managing Director and CEO at Arcadia Funds. "Arcadia is constantly on the lookout for these opportunities, having built a powerful portfolio over the past several years by helping similar agile and innovative lenders like BlueTape make lives better with credit."
Jackie DiMonte, partner at Chicago Ventures, said, "Given the team's background, we strongly believe BlueTape is the right company to tackle one of the fundamental obstacles for any construction business. They are paving the way for small businesses in the industry to have access to working capital and benefit from adopting new technology."
- Convenient funding: Quick access to much-needed funding for building materials keeps existing jobs moving and allows for more new revenue-generating projects.
- Designed for SMBs in Construction: Higher approval rate for small construction businesses than other solutions.
- Repay over time: Helping small businesses manage cash flow is more critical than ever in a time of inflation. BlueTape gives contractors up to 120 days to pay their building material invoices.
- Accepted at nation's top building material suppliers: BlueTape credit can be used at all the building suppliers that industry professionals use and trust.
- Easy to use: Managing invoices, collecting payments, and paying bills with BlueTape on mobile is simple and convenient for construction pros who are always on the move.
"We have had enormous demand from construction businesses for our services since we launched. Inflation and supply chain interruptions mean builders and contractors need more working capital. With the funding from Arcadia and Chicago Ventures, we will be able to help more construction companies get the financing and payments services they need to navigate economic uncertainty and supply chain issues," said Yaser Masoudnia, CEO and Co-Founder of BlueTape.
About BlueTape: BlueTape provides financing and payments for companies in the construction industry. Its innovative and easy-to-use payment and financing solutions have transformed payments in the construction industry. BlueTape offers construction pros a quick and hassle-free way to pay for building materials on the go. All loans on the BlueTape platform are originated by CBW Bank, member FDIC.
About Arcadia Funds: Arcadia Funds, LLC is a registered investment manager focused on identifying, partnering with and providing balance sheet capital to fintech and specialty finance originators. Since its inception in 2012, Arcadia-advised entities have purchased over $5.5 billion of unsecured consumer loans, secured and unsecured small business loans and secured specialized auto loans. For more information about Arcadia Funds, please visit www.arcadiafunds.com.
For more information, visit: BlueTape.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Contact:
Sara Masoudnia
VP of Marketing
pr@bluetape.com
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SOURCE BlueTape | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/bluetape-raises-55m-transform-financing-payments-smbs-construction-industry/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:53Z |
PRODUCED BY 11-TIME GRAMMY® NOMINATED MIXER/PRODUCER
MARK NEEDHAM (FLEETWOOD MAC, IMAGINE DRAGONS, MT. JOY)
FULL-LENGTH ALBUM DUE OUT IN 2023
STREAM/PURCHASE "SET ME UP"
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Bluphoria share their major label debut single "Set Me Up" - a high-energy alternative rock song with blues and psych-rock influences that satisfyingly takes the listener on a journey from anger into a cathartic dance party.
"'Set Me Up' was one of those surprising songs that didn't take long to write," says Reign LaFreniere (lead vocals, lead guitar). "From the Stones-esque beats to the catchy breaks we hope y'all enjoy this song as much as we do!"
Today's release is the first sampling of Bluphoria's forthcoming self-titled album, due out in 2023.
The band worked with GRAMMY® award-winning producer Mark Needham (Fleetwood Mac, Imagine Dragons, P!NK, Mt. Joy) at East Iris Studios in Berry Hill, as well as Needham's personal Nashville studio.
Adds Needham, "I loved working on this song ("Set Me Up") with Bluphoria. They are a great young band with instinctive pop sensibilities combined with a cool edginess and rawness that make the song sound like a car driving almost out of control!"
"The second we stepped into the studio, we could feel the years of experience Mark brought to the table," LaFreniere said. "He helped us be better musicians. We got locked in. Everyone was on the same page."
In addition to local Portland area shows, the band recently played to a packed house at Hotel Cafe for LA tastemakers and received glowing reviews.
For more information on Bluphoria please visit http://www.bluphoriaband.com/.
About Bluphoria:
Bluphoria is an alternative rock band with blues rock and psychedelic rock influences. Formed in 2019, the band hails from Eugene, Oregon and is fronted by Reign LaFreniere, 22 (lead vocals, lead guitar) along with Dakota Landrum, 19 (rhythm guitar, background vocals) Rex Wolf, 21 (bass, background vocals) and Dani Janae, 21 (drums, background vocals).
Bluphoria began playing together in their sophomore year at the University of Oregon and was signed to EDGEOUT Records/Ume/UMG in early 2021.
About EDGEOUT Records:
EDGEOUT Records focuses on the development and curation of young mainstream rock bands and artists that will be the future rock movement in the music industry through their program THE STUDIO.
EDGEOUT is an American independent record label, founded by Tony Guanci (Danny Wimmer Presents, Maloof Entertainment and Cheryl-Benson Guanci in 2018. EDGEOUT is partnered through Universal Music Group / Universal Music Enterprises in a global services and distribution agreement.
CONNECT WITH BLUPHORIA
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
TIK TOK
CONNECT WITH EDGEOUT
WEBSITE
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SOURCE EDGEOUT/UMG/UMe | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/bluphoria-bring-their-alternative-rock-blues-psych-rock-influences-their-major-label-debut-single-set-me-up-edgeout-records-ume-umg/ | 2022-08-19T11:21:59Z |
Outcomes from the Build from Within Alliance Convening
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Representatives from 12 states and 25 member organizations of the Build from Within Alliance recently concluded their annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. The goal of the gathering was to discuss the needs faced by communities across the nation and to work on plans to combat these issues, particularly to focus on developing strong eco-systems within inner-city low-income neighborhoods.
The Build from Within Alliance is a national network of community development organizations supporting local entrepreneurship in neighborhoods across the country. It works in communities that show visible and invisible signs of systemic disinvestment, connecting entrepreneurs to opportunities from which they are often excluded.
The Alliance was launched by the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) across multiple cities and organizations to adopt, adapt and implement the NDC's approach of place-based entrepreneur-focused economic development.
"This Convening is a celebration and reminder about the movement for social, economic, and racial equity for America's entrepreneurs," says Renay Dossman, president of the Neighborhood Development Center. "This work will take all of us. We are all united in solidarity to support marginalized communities across the country by sharing ideas, strategies, and best practices that will help our neighborhoods and people thrive."
Each member of the Alliance brought their expertise and experience to the table and together, effective strategies can be developed to target needs such as: business training, risk-tolerant lending, and real estate activities.
"Each member comes from a different part of the country, yet they have all seen similar barriers," says Mihailo "Mike" Temali, founder of the Neighborhood Development Center. "The Convening allows us to share tools and understandings for success through training, lending, and real-estate activities. It is important to share our experiences and resources across the country for every community."
Participating organizations included:
- Alaska - Community Land Trust (Anchorage)
- Arkansas - Canopy NWA (Fayetteville)
- Colorado - CEDS Finance (Aurora); The Beacon Fund and Montbello Organizing Committee (Denver)
- California - Canopy NWA (Berkeley); Central Valley Immigration Integration Collaborative (Fresno)
- Delaware - West End Neighborhood House (Wilmington)
- Florida - Aire Ventures, Opportunity Connect, The Glover Disruptive, and Allegany Franciscan Ministries (Miami)
- Louisiana - New Orleans Business Alliance and Fund 17 (New Orleans)
- Michigan - ProsperUs Detroit (Detroit)
- Minnesota - Heritage Road Consulting LLC (Brainerd); Initiative Foundation (Little Falls); Mille Lacs Cooperate Ventures (Onamia); Neighborhood Development Center (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.)
- New York - Center State CEO (Syracuse)
- Texas - Change Agent Consultancies (Houston)
- Pennsylvania - The Welcoming Center, Philadelphia Commerce Department, Neighborhood Progress Fund, and The Merchants Fund (Philadelphia)
In March of 2020, the Wilder Research found that the small businesses within the Build From Within Alliance, spent about $1.5 million annually on businesses expenses (not including rent and payroll). Almost 60% of that was spent within the same neighborhood as the business. Furthermore, 74% percent of business owners contributed their time, money, or in-kind support to neighborhood events and activities in the previous year for a totaled valued contribution of $267,200. In fact, 96% of all owners said they serve as role models for youth and/or young adults in their communities, and about half said they serve as leaders in groups or organizations in their neighborhood or ethnic community
NDC is a non-profit, community development financial institution that believes residents of low-income, inner-city neighborhoods have entrepreneurial talent and energy that represent powerful assets available to help revitalize communities. NDC provides entrepreneur training, small business lending (and Sharia-acceptable financing), business services and real estate incubators that help our clients start and grow vital small businesses. For more information, visit www.ndc-mn.org.
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SOURCE Neighborhood Development Center | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/building-small-business-ecosystem-across-nation/ | 2022-08-19T11:22:06Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 30 and 31, Camel Group Co., Ltd. ( "Camel Group" or "the Company") was audited by an international expert team ("Expert Team")entrusted by a third party, consisting of environmental safety experts from Washington, D.C. and sociologists from Thailand. The purpose of the audit was to examine Camel Group's environmental, social and governance issues with respect to its operations in China.The comprehensive and robust investigation into Camel's ESG practices includes interviews with employees at the facilities, which were selected by the auditors.
As a result of its audit,The Expert Team recognized the Camel Group's performance in environmental protection and corporate social responsibility. The Company was praised by its employees, customers, the community, suppliers, investors, and others for its ESG practices, including implementing the national "Double Carbon" strategy, adopting and executing an effective ESG compliance system, improving corporate governance, advocating green and low-carbon practices, facilitating energy savings and emission reduction. Also noted in expert team's findings was that Camel Group implemented employee-friendly policies and took an active part in social and charitable undertakings, and deeply participated in community construction initiatives. Camel Group is committed to continuing its efforts to execute meaningful standards, and actively fulfill its security, environmental protection, and social responsibilities.
A Guardian of Safe and Green Production
Safe and green production is the cornerstone of corporate development. Camel Group highly values the management of production safety and environmental protection, and has established a safety, environmental, and occupational health management system. Every year, the factories of the Company receive internal audits for EHS certification and external audits for CQC certification. Continuous audits and improvements ensure the sound operation of the systems.
In terms of environmental monitoring, online monitoring systems have been installed for the sewage discharge of the battery factory and for the exhaust gas emission of the reclaimed lead factory, and the data is directly uploaded to the national monitoring platform. Every factory receives third-party inspections for pollution discharge and environmental quality every quarter (some indicators are monthly). Weekly self-inspections are organized in terms of safety, environmental protection, fire protection, and occupational health. Inspection results are regularly announced on the official website of the Company and the national pollutant discharge permit information platform.
The company also focuses on the information-based practices of safety and environmental protection. The "Micro-safety Platform" effectively classifies and controls sources of danger, identifies hidden danger, tracks the corrections, and sends relevant environment protection data through Camel Group's safety and environmental protection data platform.
Camel Group has always been an advocate and practitioner of green and low-carbon actions. In 2021, the Company invested RMB 90 million in safety, environmental protection, and energy saving projects. Camel Group's factories regularly promoted multiple energy-savings, water-savings and waste reduction projects, with 9 million kWh of electricity, 23000 m3 of water, and 110 tons of solid waste saved. As the Company's energy-saving and efficiency promotion efforts produce more positive outcomes, Camel Group has intensified its confidence and determination in green and sustainable development, and requires every employee to participate in the Company's philosophy of green production and green living. Together we will build a more eco-friendly and sustainable battery manufacturing and recycling industry.
A Bearer of Corporate Social Responsibilities
Performing social responsibilities is the soul of development for Camel Group. The Company actively performs its social responsibility to empower the sustainability construction of a great community. In the past two years, the Company has donated more than RMB 10 million to charitable and poverty-stricken destinations. The Company focuses on repaying the society, actively boosts rural revitalization, participates in voluntary activities, carries out emergency rescues, and contributes to a healthier and happier life for the communities in which it does business.
While performing its social responsibilities, Camel Group cares about employees and fully protects their legitimate rights and interests. Camel Group cherishes the safety and health of every employee, and has been committed to creating a sound working and living environment for them and improving their experiences in terms of working environments, health and safety, meals and living accommodations provided by the Company. In recent years, the Company has invested nearly ten million in anti-epidemic efforts. It has established and implemented anti-epidemic measures in its factories and living areas, vaccinates employees, facilitates nucleic acid testing to the maximum extent, delivers free masks, medical supplies, and other anti-epidemic supplies, thereby effectively containing the spread of the virus.
In terms of employment, Camel Group applies a consistent recruitment procedure that is impartial, voluntary, and based on the same remuneration system as other employers. The Company has erected a smooth development platform and promotion channel to help employees grow with the Company and further enhance their cohesion, solidarity, and happiness.
It is the right moment for Camel Group to continue its growth. The Company receives RBA audits by OEMs and third-party agencies at home and abroad every year, and always insists on the concept of sustainable development. In the past ten years, Camel Group has upheld its mission, provided green power, and developed the circular economy to make unremitting contributions to creating beautiful lives for all of humankind.
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SOURCE Camel Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/camel-groups-practice-esg-concept-receives-high-commendation-international-expert-team/ | 2022-08-19T11:22:12Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:
The first World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference (WVTEDC) will kick off in North China's Tianjin, from Aug 19 to 20. It's expected to be shaped into a first-class platform for promoting vocational education development, and become a brand with Chinese allure and global influence.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Education (MOE), the National Commission of the People's Republic of China for UNESCO and the Tianjin government, the three-day event is set to gather 500 representatives from international organizations, domestic and foreign government agencies, enterprises, research institutions and vocational colleges in the beautiful port city, with an additional 300 attending online.
The much-anticipated conference will host a series of activities, including a main forum and 14 parallel forums, a plenary session of the World TVET League, a vocational college skills competition, and an industry-vocational education integration expo with the theme of "Vocational and Technical Education Development in the Post-Pandemic Era—New Changes, New Ways and New Skills".
The offline venue is located at the National Convention and Exhibition Center. Forum participants will gather to discuss digital economic empowerment, industry and education integration, poverty reduction and lifelong learning, as well as share experience and explore the direction and main tasks of global vocational education reform.
The MOE plans to hold the conference every two years based on the principles of achieving shared growth through discussion, collaboration and mutual learning.
World TVET League
China will launch a World Technical and Vocational Education and Training League, in collaboration with partners, to support global development.
The league, with 131 initial members, has been commissioned to build a vocational education-industry integration community, which it will achieve through strengthening cooperation in talent training, standards and curriculum co-construction, school-running capability improvements and academic exchanges.
The draft constitution has been completed, and will be deliberated in the afternoon of Aug 18.
In addition, the International Vocational and Technical Education Award Program (tentative name) will be launched at the opening ceremony of the WVTEDC on Aug 19, with the league being officially established at the closing ceremony on Aug 20.
World Vocational College Skills Competition
The 2022 World Vocational College Skills Competition kicked off online and in person in the northern port city of Tianjin, on Aug 8.
Nearly 1,000 players from 70 countries and regions have competed against and learned from one another in around20 venues in this beautiful port city.
With a theme of "showing off youth with skills for the future", two competition areas were set up in Tianjin municipality and Jiangxi province, comprising 15 competition and 8 exhibition events. The Tianjin competition area, which served as the main venue, hosted 13 competition and 8 exhibition events.
As the first of its kind hosted by China, the six-day competition focused on contestants' abilities in innovation, coordination and cooperation, and exchanges among vocational schools and enterprises.
In order to enhance friendships, the organizer required that Chinese and foreign players should work together to complete various competitions.
The exhibition category is not as intense as that of the competition, but it is equally fascinating. Things displayed included not only high-level intelligent technology but also unique Chinese traditional culture.
World Expo on the Integration of Vocational Education and Industry
The World Expo on the Integration of Vocational Education and Industry will open to the public on Aug 19, both online and on site. The event is sponsored by the Chinese Society for Technical and Vocational Education.
With a theme of "Make vocational education match new technology and industrial changes", the online part will consist of nine special exhibitions pertaining to the digital economy, smart manufacturing and high-end equipment, frontier technology, the green economy, engineering education and international education.
The offline exhibitions condense the content mentioned above, demonstrating how the high-quality vocational education results Tianjin has achieved serve local development, among which the Luban Workshop is an outstanding example.
The Luban Workshop
During the past six years, the Luban Workshop has created job opportunities in countries in which Chinese companies have increased their investments.
The Luban Workshops are programs designed to offer high-end technical skills training that can help college students meet the requirements of the emerging global market.
To date, 20 workshops have been established in Asia, Africa and Europe by Tianjin's vocational colleges, providing training skills and certifications for more than 200,000 students in 49 majors, including transportation, mechanical engineering and new energy.
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SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/china-led-world-conference-vocational-technical-education-open-tianjin/ | 2022-08-19T11:22:19Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Carvana Co. (NYSE: CVNA).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/carvana-co-loss-form/?id=30979&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Carvana between May 6, 2020 and June 24, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until October 3, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Carvana Co. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Carvana faced serious, ongoing issues with documentation, registration, and title with many of its vehicles; (2) as a result, Carvana was issuing unusually frequent temporary plates; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was violating laws and regulations in many existing markets; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana risked its ability to continue business and/or expand its business in existing markets; (5) as a result of the foregoing, Carvana was at an increased risk of governmental investigation and action; (6) Carvana was in discussion with state and local authorities regarding the above-stated business tactics and issues; (7) Carvana was facing imminent and ongoing regulatory actions including license suspensions, business cessation, and probation in several states and counties including in Arizona, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and North Carolina; and (8) as a result, Defendants' statements about Carvana's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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Deere Reports Third Quarter Net Income of $1.884 Billion
Published: Aug. 19, 2022 at 6:45 AM EDT|Updated: 37 minutes ago
Third-quarter net sales rise 25%, bolstered by higher rates of production, despite continuing supply-chain pressures.
Full-year earnings outlook revised to range of $7.0 – $7.2 billion.
Strong order books and positive customer fundamentals to drive demand in 2023.
MOLINE, Ill., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) reported net income of $1.884 billion for the third quarter ended July 31, 2022, or $6.16 per share, compared with net income of $1.667 billion, or $5.32 per share, for the quarter ended August 1, 2021. For the first nine months of the year, net income attributable to Deere & Company was $4.885 billion, or $15.88 per share, compared with $4.680 billion, or $14.86 per share, for the same period last year.
Net sales and revenues increased 22 percent, to $14.102 billion, for the third quarter of 2022 and rose 13 percent, to $37.041 billion, for nine months. Net sales were $13.000 billion for the quarter and $33.565 billion for nine months, compared with $10.413 billion and $29.461 billion last year.
"We're proud of the extraordinary efforts by our employees to increase factory output and get products to customers under challenging circumstances," said John C. May, chairman and chief executive officer. "At the same time, our results reflected higher costs and production inefficiencies driven by the difficult supply-chain situation."
Company Outlook & Summary
Net income attributable to Deere & Company for fiscal 2022 is forecast to be in a range of $7.0 billion to $7.2 billion.
"Looking ahead, we believe favorable conditions will continue into 2023 based on the strong response we have experienced to early-order programs," said May. "We are working closely with our factories and suppliers to meet higher levels of customer demand next year. Additionally, we are confident the company's smart industrial strategy and leap ambitions will continue unlocking new value for customers through Deere's advanced technologies and solutions."
Results for the presented periods were affected by special items. See Note 1 of the financial statements in this earnings release for further details.
Production and precision agriculture sales increased for the quarter due to higher shipment volumes and price realization, partially offset by the unfavorable impact of currency translation. Operating profit rose primarily due to price realization and higher shipment volumes / sales mix. These items were partially offset by higher production costs, higher selling, administrative, and general expenses, increased research and development expenses, and the unfavorable effects of foreign currency exchange.
Small agriculture and turf sales for the quarter increased due to higher shipment volumes and price realization partially offset by the unfavorable impact of currency translation. Operating profit decreased primarily due to higher production costs, higher selling, administrative, and general expenses, increased research and development expenses, and the unfavorable effects of foreign currency exchange. These items were partially offset by price realization and higher sales volumes. Results for the prior period included a gain on the sale of a closed factory in China that had produced small agricultural equipment.
Construction and forestry sales moved higher for the quarter primarily due to price realization. Operating profit increased due to price realization, partially offset by higher production costs.
Financial services net income for the quarter was negatively affected by unfavorable discrete income-tax adjustments, a higher provision for credit losses, and lower gains on operating-lease residual values. These items were partially offset by income earned on a higher average portfolio.
Financial Services. Full-year 2022 results are expected to be slightly lower than in fiscal 2021 due to a higher provision for credit losses, less-favorable financing spreads, and higher selling, administrative, and general expenses. These factors are expected to be partially offset by income earned on a higher average portfolio.
John Deere Capital Corporation
The following is disclosed on behalf of the company's financial services subsidiary, John Deere Capital Corporation (JDCC), in connection with the disclosure requirements applicable to its periodic issuance of debt securities in the public market.
Results in the quarter declined due to unfavorable discrete income-tax adjustments, less-favorable financing spreads, and lower gains on operating-lease residual values. Partially offsetting these factors was income earned on a higher average portfolio. For the year-to-date period, net income decreased mainly due to less-favorable financing spreads, a higher provision for credit losses, and unfavorable discrete income-tax adjustments, partially offset by income earned on a higher average portfolio.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained herein, including in the sections entitled "Company Outlook & Summary," "Industry Outlook," and "Deere Segment Outlook," relating to future events, expectations, and trends constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve factors that are subject to change, assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties could affect all lines of the company's operations while others could more heavily affect a particular line of business.
Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and current assumptions, expectations, and projections about future events and should not be relied upon. Except as required by law, the company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements. Further information concerning the company and its businesses, including factors that could materially affect the company's financial results, is included in the company's other filings with the SEC (including, but not limited to, the factors discussed in Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q).
Factors Affecting All Lines of Business
All of the company's businesses and their results are affected by general global macroeconomic conditions, including but not limited to inflation, including rising costs for materials used in our production, slower growth or recession, higher interest rates and currency fluctuations which could adversely affect the U.S. dollar and customer confidence, customer access to capital and overall demand for our products; delays or disruptions in the company's supply chain, including work stoppages or disputes by suppliers with their unionized labor; shipping delays; government spending and taxing; changes in weather and climate patterns; the political and social stability of the markets in which the company operates; the effects of, or response to, wars and other conflicts, including the current military conflict between Russia and Ukraine; natural disasters; and the spread of major epidemics or pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic). The sustainability of economic recovery from COVID-19 remains unclear and significant volatility could continue for a prolonged period.
Significant changes in market liquidity conditions, changes in the company's credit ratings, and any failure to comply with financial covenants in credit agreements could impact our access to or terms of future funding, which could reduce the company's earnings and cash flows. A debt crisis in Europe, Latin America, or elsewhere could negatively impact currencies, global financial markets, funding sources and costs, asset and obligation values, customers, suppliers, and demand for equipment. The company's investment management activities could be impaired by changes in the equity, bond, and other financial markets, which would negatively affect earnings.
Additional factors that could materially affect the company's operations, financial condition, and results include changes in governmental trade, banking, monetary, and fiscal policies, including, policies, and tariffs for the benefit of certain industries or sectors; actions by environmental, health, and safety regulatory agencies, including those related to engine emissions, carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions, and the effects of climate change; changes to GPS radio frequency bands and their permitted uses; changes to accounting standards; changes to and compliance with economic sanctions and export controls laws and regulations (including those in place for Russia); and compliance with evolving U.S. and foreign laws when expanding to new markets and otherwise.
Other factors that could materially affect the company's results and operations include security breaches, cybersecurity attacks, technology failures, and other disruptions to the information technology infrastructure of the company and its suppliers and dealers; security breaches with respect to the company's products; the loss of or challenges to intellectual property rights; the availability and prices of strategically sourced materials, components, and whole goods; introduction of legislation that could affect the company's business model and intellectual property, such as right to repair or right to modify; events that damage the company's reputation or brand; significant investigations, claims, lawsuits, or other legal proceedings; the success or failure of new product initiatives or business strategies; changes in product preferences, sales mix, and take rates of products and life cycle solutions; gaps or limitations in rural broadband coverage, capacity, and speed needed to support technology solutions; oil and energy prices, supplies, and volatility; the availability and cost of freight; actions of competitors in the various industries in which the company competes, particularly price discounting; dealer practices, especially as to levels of new and used field inventories; changes in demand and pricing for used equipment and resulting impacts on lease residual values; the inability to deliver precision technology and agricultural solutions to customers; labor relations and contracts, including work stoppages and other disruptions; changes in the ability to attract, develop, engage, and retain qualified personnel; and the integration of acquired businesses.
Agricultural Equipment Operations
The company's agricultural equipment operations are subject to a number of uncertainties, including certain factors that affect farmers' confidence and financial condition. These factors include demand for agricultural products; world grain stocks; soil conditions; harvest yields; prices for commodities and livestock; availability and cost of fertilizer; availability of transport for crops; the growth and sustainability of non-food uses for some crops (including ethanol and biodiesel production); real estate values; available acreage for farming; changes in government farm programs and policies; changes in and effects of crop insurance programs; changes in environmental regulations and their impact on farming practices; animal diseases and their effects on poultry, beef, and pork consumption and prices on livestock feed demand; and crop pests and diseases.
Production and Precision Agriculture Operations
The production and precision agriculture operations rely in part on hardware and software, guidance, connectivity and digital solutions, and automation and machine intelligence. Many factors contribute to the company's precision agriculture sales and results, including the impact to customers' profitability and/or sustainability outcomes; availability of technological innovations; speed of research and development; effectiveness of partnerships with third parties; and the dealer channel's ability to support and service precision technology solutions.
Small Agriculture and Turf Equipment
Factors affecting the company's small agriculture and turf equipment operations include customer profitability; consumer purchasing preferences; housing starts and supply; infrastructure investment; spending by municipalities and golf courses; and consumable input costs.
Construction and Forestry
Factors affecting the company's construction and forestry equipment operations include real estate and housing prices; the number of housing starts; commodity prices such as oil and gas; the levels of public and non-residential construction; and investment in infrastructure. Prices for pulp, paper, lumber, and structural panels affect sales of forestry equipment.
John Deere Financial
The liquidity and ongoing profitability of John Deere Capital Corporation and the company's other financial services subsidiaries depend on timely access to capital to meet future cash flow requirements, and to fund operations, costs, and purchases of the company's products. If general economic conditions deteriorate or capital markets become more volatile, funding could be unavailable or insufficient. Additionally, customer confidence levels may result in declines in credit applications and increases in delinquencies and default rates, which could materially impact write-offs and provisions for credit losses.
In the first quarter of 2022, the company had a one-time payment related to the ratification of the UAW collective bargaining agreement, totaling $90 million.
In the third quarter of 2021, the company sold a closed factory that previously produced small agriculture equipment in China, resulting in a $27 million pretax gain. During the first quarter of 2021, the fixed assets in an asphalt plant factory in Germany were impaired by $38 million, pretax and after-tax. The company also continued to assess its manufacturing locations, resulting in additional long-lived asset impairments of $12 million pretax. The impairments were the result of a decline in forecasted financial performance that indicated it was probable future cash flows would not cover the carrying amount of the net assets. These impairments were offset by a favorable indirect tax ruling in Brazil of $58 million pretax.
The following table summarizes the operating profit impact, in millions of dollars, of the special items recorded for the three months and nine months ended July 31, 2022 and August 1, 2021:
DEERE & COMPANY OTHER FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The company evaluates its business results on the basis of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. In addition, it uses a metric referred to as Shareholder Value Added (SVA), which management believes is an appropriate measure for the performance of its businesses. SVA is, in effect, the pretax profit left over after subtracting the cost of enterprise capital. The company is aiming for a sustained creation of SVA and is using this metric for various performance goals. Certain compensation is also determined on the basis of performance using this measure. For purposes of determining SVA, each of the equipment segments is assessed a pretax cost of assets, which on an annual basis is approximately 12 percent of the segment's average identifiable operating assets during the applicable period with inventory at standard cost. Management believes that valuing inventories at standard cost more closely approximates the current cost of inventory and the company's investment in the asset. The Financial Services segment is assessed an annual pretax cost of approximately 13 percent of the segment's average equity. The cost of assets or equity, as applicable, is deducted from the operating profit or added to the operating loss of each segment to determine the amount of SVA.
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/deere-reports-third-quarter-net-income-1884-billion/ | 2022-08-19T11:22:31Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Enochian BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOB).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/enochian-biosciences-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30977&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Enochian between January 17, 2018 and June 27, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 26, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Enochian BioSciences, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company's co-founder and inventor Serhat Gumrukcu was engaged in a variety of frauds; (2) Gumrukcu was not a licensed doctor anywhere in the world; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Gumrukcu's purported contributions to the Company lacked a reasonable basis; (5) as a result of the foregoing, the Company had overstated its commercial prospects; (6) Gumrukcu had improperly diverted approximately $20 million from Enochian to entities he owned; and (7) 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.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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- Solid second quarter sales and earnings compared to record results in 2021
- Total sales decreased 9.2% from 2021 and increased 16.4% from 2019
- Comparable-store sales decreased 10.3% year-over-year
- EPS of $0.99 and Non-GAAP EPS of $1.10
- Well positioned for Back-to-School season with high-quality, fresh product
- Expect to achieve the lower end of original earnings guidance range
- Repurchased $40 million of stock
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, today reported financial results for its second quarter ended July 30, 2022.
"Despite an increasingly challenging macroeconomic backdrop, we delivered a solid quarter against the favorable fiscal stimulus and promotional environment from last year," said Richard Johnson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Driven by strong execution from our team and ongoing progress against our key objectives, we grew our sales 16.4% above levels from 2019."
Mr. Johnson continued, "Our strategy of diversifying our brand portfolio and offering more choice continues to resonate with consumers and is enabling us to expand our customer base. We are confident that our operational excellence, our improving ability to fuel our customer's desire for self-expression, and the secular trends driving our categories, put us in a strong position to navigate the expected ongoing macroeconomic headwinds in the back half of 2022."
Second Quarter Results
The Company reported net income of $94 million, or $0.99 per share, for the 13 weeks ended July 30, 2022, compared with net income of $430 million, or $4.09 per share, for the corresponding prior-year period.
On a non-GAAP basis, the Company earned $1.10 per share, compared with non-GAAP earnings of $2.09 per share in the prior-year period. Please see the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliation below.
Second quarter comparable-store sales decreased by 10.3% versus record sales levels from last year. Total sales decreased by 9.2%, to $2,065 million, compared with sales of $2,275 million in the second quarter of 2021. Excluding the effect of foreign exchange rate fluctuations, total sales for the second quarter decreased by 6.1%.
Gross margin declined by 340 basis points compared with the prior-year period, driven mainly by higher markdowns, as the promotional environment started to normalize after last year's unusually favorable backdrop, followed by supply chain costs, and occupancy deleverage.
SG&A deleveraged by 210 basis points, driven mainly by labor inflation and the decline in sales.
Year-To-Date Results
For the first six months of the year, the Company posted net income of $227 million, or $2.36 per share on a GAAP basis, compared with $632 million, or $6.02 per share, for the corresponding period of 2021. On a non-GAAP basis, earnings per share for the six-month period totaled $2.71, compared to $4.05 per share in the prior year period in 2021. Year-to-date sales were $4,240 million, a decrease of 4.2% compared to the sales of $4,428 million in the corresponding six months of 2021. Year-to-date, comparable store sales decreased 6.2%, while total year-to-date sales, excluding the effect of foreign currency fluctuations, decreased by 1.7%.
Financial Position
As of July 30, 2022, merchandise inventories were $1,644 million, up 52% compared to the supply-constrained levels at the end of the second quarter last year. Current inventory quality and aging are healthy, positioning the Company well for the Back-to-School season and the third quarter overall. At quarter-end, the Company's cash and cash equivalents totaled $386 million, while debt was $455 million.
During the second quarter of 2022, the Company repurchased 1.4 million shares of its stock for $40 million and paid a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, for a total of $38 million.
Financial Outlook
Andrew Page, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said, "Following our solid results for the second quarter, against record results last year, we remain confident in our ability to achieve earnings within our original guidance range. But recognizing that the back half will likely see more pressure than we originally anticipated, we now expect to be at the lower end. Our balance sheet, real estate flexibility, and relationships with vendors all remain strategic assets that will aid us in navigating ongoing macroeconomic volatility while we continue to serve the sport and sneaker communities."
The Company's updated full-year 2022 outlook is summarized in the table below.
Store Base Update
During the second quarter, the Company opened 34 new stores, remodeled or relocated 24 stores, and closed 50 stores.
As of July 30, 2022, the Company operated 2,799 stores in 28 countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition, 148 franchised stores were operating in the Middle East and Asia.
Conference Call and Webcast
The Company is hosting a live conference call at 9:00 a.m. ET today, Friday, August 19, 2022, to review these results and provide an update on the business. An investor presentation will be available under the Investor Relations section of the Company's corporate website before the start of the conference call. This conference call may be accessed live by calling toll-free 1-844-701-1163 or international toll 1-412-317-5490, or via the Investor Relations section of footlocker-inc.com. Please log on to the website 15 minutes prior to the call to register. An archived replay of the conference call can be accessed approximately one hour following the end of the call at 1-877-344‑7529 in the U.S. or 1-855-669-9658 in Canada or 1-412-317-0088 internationally with passcode 5833077 through September 2, 2022. A replay of the call will also be available via webcast from footlocker-inc.com.
Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Other than statements of historical facts, all statements which address activities, events, or developments that the Company anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, but not limited to, such things as future capital expenditures, expansion, strategic plans, financial objectives, dividend payments, stock repurchases, growth of the Company's business and operations, including future cash flows, revenues, and earnings, and other such matters, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on many assumptions and factors which are detailed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
These forward-looking statements are based largely on our expectations and judgments and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control. For additional discussion on risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 29, 2022 filed on March 24, 2022. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could produce significantly different results. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to reporting the Company's financial results in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), the Company reports certain financial results that differ from what is reported under GAAP. Effective with the first quarter of 2022, the Company excludes all gains or losses associated with the minority investments to arrive at non-GAAP earnings; previously only certain amounts were adjusted. Those amounts not previously excluded from non-GAAP earnings during 2021 represented $17 million ($12 million, after tax or $0.12 per share), $27 million ($20 million after tax or $0.19 per share), and $27 million ($20 million or $0.21 per share) for the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2021, respectively. For the full year, that represented income of $71 million ($52 million after tax or $0.50 per share) and was primarily related to our investment in Retailors, Ltd. Amounts recorded prior to 2021 were not significant. Non-GAAP financial measures that will be presented will exclude (i) minority investments, (ii) impairments and other charges, and (iii) certain tax matters that we believe are nonrecurring or unusual in nature.
Certain financial measures are identified as non-GAAP, such as sales changes excluding foreign currency fluctuations, adjusted income before income taxes, adjusted net income, and adjusted diluted earnings per share. We present certain amounts as excluding the effects of foreign currency fluctuations, which are also considered non-GAAP measures. Where amounts are expressed as excluding the effects of foreign currency fluctuations, such changes are determined by translating all amounts in both years using the prior-year average foreign exchange rates. Presenting amounts on a constant currency basis is useful to investors because it enables them to better understand the changes in our business that are not related to currency movements.
These non-GAAP measures are presented because we believe they assist investors in comparing our performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by excluding items that we do not believe are indicative of our core business or affect comparability. In addition, these non-GAAP measures are useful in assessing our progress in achieving our long-term financial objectives and are consistent with how management compensation is determined.
We estimate the tax effect of all non-GAAP adjustments by applying a marginal tax rate to each of the respective items. The income tax items represent the discrete amount that affected the period. The non-GAAP financial information is provided in addition to, and not as an alternative to, our reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. The various non-GAAP adjustments are summarized in the tables below.
Contact: Robert Higginbotham
Vice President, Investor Relations
robert.higginbotham@footlocker.com
(212) 720-4600
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SOURCE Foot Locker IR | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/foot-locker-inc-reports-2022-second-quarter-results-updates-2022-outlook/ | 2022-08-19T11:22:45Z |
Transaction is expected to bolster Ginkgo's growing biosecurity platform and provide expanded epidemic tracking, modeling, and forecasting offerings to public health leaders and communities
BOSTON, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA), the leading horizontal platform for cell programming, today announced the purchase of certain epidemiological data infrastructure assets from Baktus, Inc., a Delaware-based public benefit corporation. Under the terms of the deal, Ginkgo will assume ownership of proprietary datasets, modeling and analytic tools, and a software platform with the capabilities to track, model, and forecast epidemics and associated risks and impacts. Ginkgo also expects to integrate several ongoing epidemiological analysis projects and a team of epidemiological data experts into its biosecurity and public health initiative, Concentric by Ginkgo.
Baktus, through its subsidiary, Metabiota, Inc., has built an extensive database of infectious disease outbreaks. In addition to epidemiological tracking and forecasting, the company created specialized data infrastructure to help governments and other partners understand and model the risks and disruptive impacts of pathogens in order to promote resilience to pandemics and epidemics. Baktus and Metabiota are expected to continue their independent operations after transferring the assets and epidemiological data personnel included in this transaction.
"We believe robust public health data is the bedrock of biosecurity—it's what enables public health leaders to direct resources where they're needed the most and researchers to develop targeted vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics," said Matt McKnight, General Manager for Biosecurity at Ginkgo. "Integrating state-of-the-art epidemiological modeling and predictive capabilities with our end-to-end biosecurity offerings will help us continue making the data we gather on pathogen spread and evolution that much more meaningful and actionable for public health leaders and communities."
"Our team has spent nearly a decade building epidemiological data and risk modeling tools for the public and private sector to more effectively quantify, mitigate and manage epidemic risk. This transaction demonstrates the importance of these efforts and capabilities," said Nita Madhav, outgoing CEO of Metabiota, who will be joining Ginkgo as part of the transaction. "Ginkgo's biosecurity initiative is an ideal home for our data, analytics, and expertise, and we are very excited to join the Ginkgo team."
Concentric has built a large-scale biosecurity platform, bolstered by a nationwide laboratory and operational network, to deliver comprehensive COVID-19 monitoring programs and services across thousands of sites in the U.S., including schools, airports, and other congregate settings. Concentric is building upon this foundation to create a sustainable global biosecurity infrastructure to help detect, mitigate and respond to a wide variety of biological threats, and we expect this transaction to be a key milestone towards developing that infrastructure.
Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization, and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential success of the transaction and Ginkgo's biosecurity platform. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the effect of Ginkgo's business combination with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. ("Soaring Eagle") on Ginkgo's business relationships, performance, and business generally, (ii) risks that the business combination disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and potential difficulties in Ginkgo's employee retention, (iii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Ginkgo related to its business combination with Soaring Eagle, (iv) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities now that it is a public company due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business and changes in the combined capital structure, (v) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (vi) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (vii) the unpredictability of the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demand for COVID-19 testing and the commercial viability of our COVID-19 testing business, (viii) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations, and (ix) our ability to close and realize the expected benefits of pending merger and acquisition transactions. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on August 15, 2022 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR CONTACT:
investors@ginkgobioworks.com
GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA CONTACT:
press@ginkgobioworks.com
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SOURCE Ginkgo Bioworks | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/ginkgo-bioworks-announces-strategic-purchase-epidemiological-data-infrastructure-assets/ | 2022-08-19T11:22:51Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hello Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MOMO) (the "Company"), a leading mobile social and entertainment platform in China, today announced that it will release its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022 before U.S. markets open on Thursday, September 1, 2022.
Hello Group's management will host an earnings conference call on Thursday, September 1, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 p.m. Beijing / Hong Kong Time on the same day).
Preregistration Information
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investor Relations section of Hello Group's website at https://ir.hellogroup.com.
About Hello Group Inc.
We are a leading player in China's online social and entertainment space. Through Momo, Tantan and other properties within our product portfolio, we enable users to discover new relationships, expand their social connections and build meaningful interactions. Momo is a mobile application that connects people and facilitates social interactions based on location, interests and a variety of online recreational activities. Tantan, which was added into our family of applications through acquisition in May 2018, is a leading social and dating application. Tantan is designed to help its users find and establish romantic connections as well as meet interesting people. We also operate a number of other applications to serve different social and entertainment demands from our users.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Hello Group Inc.
Investor Relations
Phone: +86-10-5731-0538
Email: ir@hellogroup.com
Christensen
In China
Mr. Eric Yuan
Phone: +86-10-5900-1548
E-mail: Eyuan@christensenir.com
In US
Ms. Linda Bergkamp
Phone: +1-480-614-3004
Email: lbergkamp@christensenir.com
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SOURCE Hello Group Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/hello-group-report-second-quarter-2022-results-september-1-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:22:57Z |
HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikvision has reported its financial results for the first half year of 2022. During the reporting period, the company generated a revenue of RMB 37.26 billion, up 9.90% year over year (YoY). Net profits attributable to shareholders of the listed company were RMB 5.76 billion, reflecting a YoY decrease of 11.14%.
In the first half of 2022, Hikvision achieved a revenue of RMB 11.71 billion in overseas markets, with a YoY growth of 23.72%.
With continued external uncertainties, Hikvision has maintained steady development, leveraging advantages in R&D innovation, flexible manufacturing capabilities, a global marketing & sales network, and quality of service. The company will remain focused on creating more value for customers with innovative AIoT technologies, products, and solutions.
For the full first half 2022 financial report, please click here.
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Egan-Jones and ISS Both Conclude that Aviat's Revised Indication of Interest Significantly Undervalues Ceragon and is a Low-Ball Offer
Ceragon Urges Shareholders to Vote "AGAINST" All Proposals on the WHITE Proxy Card
ROSH HA'AIN, Israel, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) (the "Company", "Ceragon", "we", "us", or "our"), issued the following statement with reference to a report issued by Egan-Jones Proxy Services ("Egan-Jones") in connection with the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) scheduled to be held on August 23, 2022.
We are pleased that Egan-Jones believes that "voting AGAINST this proposal is in the best interest of the Company and its shareholders" and has joined Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") in recommending that shareholders vote AGAINST all of Aviat's nominees.
In reaching this conclusion, Egan-Jones cited the following factors regarding Aviat's inadequate indication of interest1:
- "We strongly believe that Aviat's revised indication of interest still significantly undervalues [Ceragon] and is a low ball offer, given that its implied multiples are below precedent transaction and public company trading multiples, and is well [below] research analyst price target[s]"
- "….given the current market environment, we are also doubtful [of] Aviat's ability to obtain committed financing as it failed to provide evidence of securing such"
Moreover, Egan-Jones' report highlighted that Ceragon's Board is far superior to Aviat's hand-picked nominees to protect the interests of Ceragon's shareholders, saying:
- "Contrary to Aviat's nominees, we believe that Ceragon's incumbent Board continues to possess the best in class qualifications and expertise in the telecom industry, public board experience, and M&A transactions for value creation"
Egan-Jones concludes that: "After evaluating the provisions and tenets of [Aviat's] proposal, we determined that the proposed resolution is NOT in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. We recommend a vote AGAINST this Proposal."
Two out of the three proxy advisory firms raised significant concerns regarding Aviat's low-ball, highly conditional indication of interest and recommended that shareholders vote AGAINST all of Aviat's nominees. With respect to Glass Lewis' report, we respectfully disagree with their conclusions, which we believe did not properly take into account (i) the low-ball value of Aviat's indication as determined by multiple proxy advisors, research analyst price targets, and many of our top shareholders, (ii) the lack of financing certainty in Aviat's indication, (iii) our record of engagement with Aviat, (iv) and the lack of telecom and appropriate board experience among Aviat's hand-picked nominees.
The Ceragon Board and leadership team are focused on doing what is right for Ceragon, our shareholders and our customers. As we have said, our Board has been open to exploring a potential combination with Aviat that delivers full, fair, and certain value to Ceragon shareholders. However, we will not enter into a sale transaction at an inadequate price or with a high degree of uncertainty. As ISS puts it, "It is in shareholders' best interests to encourage a hostile acquirer to submit an offer that is subject to as little conditionality as possible and is at an initial value sufficient to "earn" a seat at the negotiating table."
Ceragon urges shareholders to vote "AGAINST" all proposals on the WHITE proxy card to prevent Aviat's attempt to take control of the Ceragon Board.
Ceragon reminds shareholders that every vote is important. Shareholders are urged to discard any GOLD proxy materials and only to vote AGAINST all proposals using the WHITE proxy card.
If you have any questions or require any assistance with voting your shares, please contact the Company's proxy solicitor, Morrow Sodali LLC at 800-662-5200 (toll-free in North America) or +1 203-658-9400 or email at CRNT@info.morrowsodali.com.
Evercore is serving as financial advisor and Shibolet & Co. and Latham & Watkins LLP are serving as legal advisors to Ceragon.
Ceragon Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: CRNT) is the global innovator and leading solutions provider of 5G wireless transport. We help operators and other service providers worldwide increase operational efficiency and enhance end customers' quality of experience with innovative wireless backhaul and fronthaul solutions. Our customers include service providers, public safety organizations, government agencies and utility companies, which use our solutions to deliver 5G & 4G broadband wireless connectivity, mission-critical multimedia services, stabilized communications, and other applications at high reliability and speed.
Ceragon's unique multicore technology and disaggregated approach to wireless transport provides highly reliable, fast to deploy, high-capacity wireless transport for 5G and 4G networks with minimal use of spectrum, power, real estate, and labor resources. It enables increased productivity, as well as simple and quick network modernization, positioning Ceragon as a leading solutions provider for the 5G era. We deliver a complete portfolio of turnkey end-to-end AI-based managed and professional services that ensure efficient network rollout and optimization to achieve the highest value for our customers. Our solutions are deployed by more than 400 service providers, as well as more than 800 private network owners, in more than 150 countries. For more information please visit: www.ceragon.com
Ceragon Networks® and FibeAir® are registered trademarks of Ceragon Networks Ltd. in the United States and other countries. CERAGON ® is a trademark of Ceragon Networks Ltd., registered in various countries. Other names mentioned are owned by their respective holders.
This document contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of Ceragon's management about Ceragon's business, financial condition, results of operations, micro and macro market trends and other issues addressed or reflected therein. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: projections of demand, revenues, net income, gross margin, capital expenditures and liquidity, competitive pressures, order timing, supply chain and shipping, components availability, growth prospects, product development, financial resources, cost savings and other financial and market matters. You may identify these and other forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "targets", "expects", "intends", "potential" or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
Although we believe that the projections reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be obtained or that any deviations therefrom will not be material. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Ceragon's future results or performance to differ materially from those anticipated, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, any ongoing actions taken and future actions that may be taken by Aviat Networks Inc. or other stockholders or others; the continuing impact of the components shortage due to the global shortage in semiconductors, chipsets, components and other commodities, on our supply chain, manufacturing capacity and ability to timely deliver our products, which have caused, and could continue to cause delays in deliveries of our products and in the deployment of projects by our customers, risk of penalties and orders cancellation created thereby, as well as profit erosion due to constant price increase, payment of expedite fees and costs of inventory pre-ordering and procurement acceleration of such inventory, and the risk of becoming a deadstock if not consumed; the continued effect of the global increase in shipping costs and decrease in shipping slots availability on us, our supply chain and customers, which have resulted, and may continue to result in, price erosion, late deliveries and the risk of penalties and orders cancellation due to late deliveries; the impact of the transition to 5G technologies on our revenues if such transition is developed differently than we anticipated; the risks relating to the concentration of a major portion of our business on large mobile operators around the world from which we derive a significant portion of our ordering, that due to their relative effect on the overall ordering coupled with inconsistent ordering pattern and volume of business directed to us, creates high volatility with respect to our financial results and results of operations; the effect of the competition from other wireless transport equipment providers and from other communication solutions that compete with our high-capacity point-to-point wireless products; the continued effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and markets and on us and on the markets in which we operate and our and our customers, providers, business partners and contractors business and operations; the risks relating to increased breaches of network or information technology security along with increase in cyber-attack activities, growing cyber-crime threats, and changes in privacy and data protection laws, that could have an adverse effect on our business; risks associated with any failure to meet our product development timetable, including delay in the commercialization of our new chipset; imposition of additional sanctions and global trade limitations in connection with Russia's invasion to Ukraine, the effects of general economic conditions and trends on the global and local markets in which we operate and such other risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect our results, as further detailed in Ceragon's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F and in Ceragon's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect our results, represent our views only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. Such forward-looking statements do not purport to be predictions of future events or results and there can be no assurance that it will prove to be accurate. Ceragon may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future but the company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so except as may be required by law.
Ceragon's public filings are available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov and may also be obtained from Ceragon's website at www.ceragon.com.
Ceragon has filed a definitive proxy statement and WHITE proxy card with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in connection with its solicitation of proxies for the 2022 Extraordinary General Meeting of Ceragon Shareholders (the "2022 Extraordinary General Meeting"). CERAGON SHAREHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT (AND ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ACCOMPANYING WHITE PROXY CARD AS THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Shareholders may obtain the proxy statement, any amendments or supplements to the proxy statement and other documents as and when filed by Ceragon with the SEC without charge from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
Ceragon Investor & Media Contact:
Maya Lustig
Ceragon Networks
Tel. +972-54-677-8100
mayal@ceragon.com
1 Permission to Use Quotes Neither Sought Nor Obtained. Emphasis added.
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NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRBP).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/kiromic-biopharma-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30980&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of a class consisting of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired: (a) Kiromic common stock issued in connection with the Company's public offering that closed on July 2, 2021 and/or (b) Kiromic common stock between June 25, 2021 and August 13, 2021, both dates inclusive.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until October 4, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
The complaint alleges that the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's public offering that closed on July 2, 2021 (the "Offering Documents") failed to disclose that the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") had, prior to the filing of these documents, imposed a clinical hold on the Company's Investigational New Drug ("IND") applications for its two new drug candidates. Given that the offering closed on July 2, 2021, more than thirty (30) days after the Company submitted the IND applications for its two immunotherapy product candidates, investors were assured that no clinical hold had been issued and clinical trials would commence.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/krbp-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-kiromic-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-4-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:23:17Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuke Music Holding Limited ("Kuke" or the "Company") (NYSE: KUKE), a leading classical music service platform, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights
- Total revenue was RMB54.4 million (US$8.1 million), compared to RMB84.1 million in the same period of 2021.
- Total gross profit was RMB28.9 million (US$4.3 million), compared to RMB49.7 million in the same period of 2021.
- Net profit was RMB3.4 million (US$0.5 million), compared to net loss of RMB11.4 million in the same period of 2021.
- Non-IFRS net profit[1] was RMB16.9 million (US$2.5 million), compared to a Non-IFRS net loss of RMB18.3 million in the same period of 2021.
Second Quarter 2022 Business Developments
- During the second quarter of 2022, the Company added nearly 4,000 tracks of traditional classical music. The Company's copyrighted classical music content included over 2.9 million music tracks as of June 30, 2022. This is comprised of more than 2 million tracks of traditional classical music, more than 360 thousand tracks of jazz, world, folk and other genres of music, as well as over 1000 video titles, more than 470 thousand spoken content tracks and more than 5000 volumes of sheet music. These contents span across more than 95 thousand musicians, more than 2 thousand musical instruments and more than 200 countries and regions.
- In addition, the company has added more long-form videos including opera, live concert, ballet, documentary, master class, international competition, live streaming to further enrich its classical music library and capture the growth opportunities in the market.
- With regard to the subscription business segment, the aggregated institutional subscribers increased to 812 from 809 across China.
- The 25th Beijing Music Festival ("BMF") will commence in the month of September, 2022
Mr. He Yu, Chief Executive Officer of Kuke, commented, "Despite, firstly, the negative impact of local COVID-19 resurgence and subsequent lockdowns in certain cities in China, including where our clients are based, secondly, the smart music learning business is in the process of transiting from private kindergarten subscription model to public school model, which has impacted our revenues and revenue mix, we still recorded a total of revenues of RMB54.4 million during the second quarter of 2022, and achieved IFRS-based positive net income of RMB3.4 million.
Going forward, in view of the challenges presented by macroeconomic environment during the second quarter, we will continue to focus on strengthening our existing product and service portfolio, and executing cost saving initiatives to help us achieve a more optimized cost structure going forward."
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results
Total Revenue
Total revenue decreased by 35.2% to RMB54.4 million (US$8.1 million) from RMB 84.1 million in the same period of 2021.
- Total licensing and subscription segment revenue decreased by 14.2% to RMB33.9 million (US$5 million) from RMB39.6 million in the same period of 2021. Specifically, licensing revenue decreased by 15% to RMB29.0 million (US$4.3 million) from RMB34.2 million in the same period of 2021, due to the adverse impact from the COVID-19. Subscription revenue decreased to RMB4.9 million (US$0.7 million) from RMB5.4 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to the decrease in sales of hardware products.
- Total smart music learning solutions segment revenue decreased by 59% to RMB8.5 million (US$1.3 million) from RMB20.7 million in the same period of 2021. Specifically, smart music learning solutions sales revenue from public schools and commercial clients decreased by 71.5% to RMB4.1 million (US$0.6 million) from RMB14.4 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to the decreased sales to commercial clients. Smart music learning solutions subscription revenue from kindergarten students decreased by 30.1% to RMB4.4 million (US$0.7 million) from RMB6.2 million in the same period of 2021, due to the strategic contraction of our private kindergarten business starting from 2022.
- Total live music events segment revenue decreased to RMB11.9 million (US$1.8 million) from RMB23.8 million in the same period of 2021, due to the decreased revenues of live music events service due to the adverse impact by COVID-19.
- Total one-time disposal of obsolete inventory revenue was RMB0.1 million, as a result of the strategic contraction of our private kindergarten business.
Gross Profit and Gross Margin
Gross profit in the second quarter of 2022 decreased to RMB28.9 million (US$4.3 million) from RMB49.7 million in the same period of 2021, which was largely attributable to the decreased revenues. Gross margin was 53.1%, compared to 59.1% in the same period of 2021.
- The gross margin of classical music licensing and subscription segment was 81.7%, compared to 86% in the same period of 2021. Specifically, the gross margin of classical music licensing slightly improved to 89.1% from 87.4% in the same period of 2021. The gross margin of classical music subscription decreased to 37.6% from 77.4% in the same period of 2021, due to the higher linear amortization costs of royalty payments.
- The gross margin of smart music learning solutions segment was (5.0)%, compared to 63.8% in the same period of 2021. Specifically, the gross margin of smart music learning solution sales decreased to 43.0% from 89.0% in the same period of 2021, due to lower-margin business representing a larger percentage of our revenue mix compared to the prior quarter. The gross margin of smart music learning solution subscriptions from private kindergarten students was (50.3)%, compared to 5.5% in the same period of 2021 due to higher depreciation costs as a result of the strategic contraction of the private kindergarten subscription business.
- The gross margin of live music events segment increased to 15.9% compared to 10.4% in the same period of 2021.
- The gross margin of one-time disposal of obsolete inventory was (287.7)%, due to the strategic contraction of the private kindergarten business.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses in the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 53.2% to RMB27.8 million (US$4.2 million) from RMB59.5 million in the same period of 2021.
- Selling and distribution expenses in the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 53.9% to RMB6.0 million (US$0.9 million) from RMB13.0 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was mainly due to decreased expenses in relation to kindergarten business.
- Administrative expenses in the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 48.5% to RMB19.3 million (US$2.9 million) from RMB37.5 million in the same period of 2021, due to the deceased stock-based compensation costs that incurred in the second quarter of 2021.
- Impairment losses on financial assets in the second quarter of 2022 decreased by 75.5% to RMB2.2 million from RMB9million in the same period of 2021. This was mainly due to increased impairment losses on accounts receivable.
Operating Profit
Operating profit in the second quarter of 2022 was RMB4.4 million (US$0.65 million), compared to operating loss of RMB8.4 million in the same period of 2021.
Net Profit for the Period
Net profit was RMB3.4 million (US$0.5 million), compared to net loss of RMB11.4 million in the same period of 2021.
Non-IFRS Net Profit for the Period
Non-IFRS net profit was RMB16.9 million (US$2.5 million), compared to non-IFRS loss of RMB18.3 million in the same period of 2021.
Net Profit per ADS and Non-IFRS Net Profit per ADS
Basic and diluted net profit per American Depositary Share ("ADS") were both RMB0.13 (US$0.02) in the second quarter of 2022, compared to basic and diluted net loss per ADS of RMB0.42 in the same period of 2021. Basic and diluted non-IFRS net profit per ADS were both RMB0.57 (US$0.09) in the second quarter of 2022, compared to basic and diluted non-IFRS net loss per ADS of RMB0.62 in the same period of 2021. Each ADS represents one Class A ordinary share of the Company.
Balance Sheet
As of June 30, 2022, cash and cash equivalents were RMB18.8 million (US$2.8 million).
About Kuke Music Holding Limited
Kuke is a leading classical music service platform in China encompassing the entire value chain from content provision to music learning services. By collaborating with its strategic global business partner Naxos, the largest independent classical music content provider in the world, the foundation of Kuke's extensive classical music content library is its unparalleled access to more than 900 top-tier labels and record companies. Leveraging its market leadership in international copyrighted classical music content, Kuke provides highly scalable classical music licensing services to various online music platforms and classical music subscription services to over 800 universities, libraries and other institutions across China. In addition, it has hosted the Beijing Music Festival ("BMF"), the most renowned classical music festival in China, for 24 consecutive years. Through KUKEY, the Company's proprietary AI music learning system, Kuke aims to democratize music learning via technological innovation, bring fascinating music content and professional music techniques to more students, and continuously improve the efficiency and penetration of music learning in China.
For more information about Kuke, please visit https://ir.kuke.com/
Exchange Rate Information
This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("US$") at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to US$ were made at the rate of RMB6.6981 to US$1.00, the noon buying rate in effect on June 30, 2022, in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or US$ amounts referred could be converted into US$ or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all. For analytical presentation, all percentages are calculated using the numbers presented in the financial statements contained in this earnings release.
Forward-looking Statements
This announcement contains forward looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident," "potential," "continue" or other similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts, including but not limited to statements about Kuke's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including those in Kuke's registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Kuke's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Kuke undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Use of Non-IFRS Financial Measures
The Company uses non-IFRS profit for the period, which is a non-IFRS financial measure, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. The Company believes that non-IFRS profit helps management to analyze trends in the Company's business that could otherwise be distorted by the effect of certain expenses that the Company includes in its profit or loss for the period.
Non-IFRS profit for the period should not be considered in isolation or construed as an alternative to net profit for the period or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of its operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review non-IFRS profit for the period and the corresponding footnote explaining the calculation of such measure together. Non-IFRS profit for the period presented here may be different to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, and should not be compared to the measure adopted by the Company's data. The Company encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.
Non-IFRS profit for the period represents profit or loss for the year excluding the combined effect of amortization and depreciation, share-based compensation, impairment losses on financial assets, net, and the corresponding income tax effects of these non-IFRS adjustments.
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TREVOSE, Pa., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lannett Company, Inc. (NYSE: LCI) today announced that it will report financial results for its fiscal 2022 fourth quarter and full year on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, after the market closes. Lannett management will host a conference call that same afternoon at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time to review the company's performance.
The conference call will be available to interested parties by dialing 877-407-9716 from the U.S. or Canada, or 201-493-6779 from international locations. The call will be broadcast via the Internet at www.Lannett.com. Listeners are encouraged to visit the website at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the scheduled presentation to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A playback of the call will be archived and accessible on the same website for at least three months.
About Lannett Company, Inc.
Lannett Company, founded in 1942, develops, manufactures, packages, markets and distributes generic pharmaceutical products for a wide range of medical indications. For more information, visit the company's website at www.lannett.com.
Contact:
Robert Jaffe
Robert Jaffe Co., LLC
(424) 288-4098
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NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of LifeStance Health Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: LFST).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/lifestance-health-group-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30982&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of all purchasers of LifeStance common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the documents issued in connection with LifeStance's June 10, 2021 initial public stock offering.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until October 11, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, LifeStance Health Group, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the number of virtual visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance Health was decreasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby flatlining LifeStance Health's out-patient/virtual revenue growth; (ii) the percentage of in-person visits clients were undertaking utilizing LifeStance Health was increasing as the COVID-19 lockdowns were being lifted, thereby causing LifeStance Health's operating expenses to increase substantially; (iii) LifeStance Health 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 initial public offering's registration statement, and LifeStance Health had been expending additional costs to onboard new physicians who were less productive than the outgoing physicians they were replacing; and (iv) as a result, LifeStance Health's business metrics and financial prospects were not as strong as the initial public offering's registration statement represented.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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HOUSTON and LONDON, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LyondellBasell (NYSE: LYB) today announced it has declared a dividend of $1.19 per share, to be paid September 6, 2022, to shareholders of record on August 29, 2022, with an ex-dividend date of August 26, 2022.
About LyondellBasell
As a leader in the global chemical industry, LyondellBasell strives every day to be the safest, best operated and most valued company in our industry. The company's products, materials and technologies are advancing sustainable solutions for food safety, access to clean water, healthcare and fuel efficiency in more than 100 international markets. LyondellBasell places high priority on diversity, equity and inclusion and is Advancing Good with an emphasis on our planet, the communities where we operate and our future workforce. The company takes great pride in its world-class technology and customer focus. LyondellBasell has stepped up its circularity and climate ambitions and actions to address the global challenges of plastic waste and decarbonization. In 2022, LyondellBasell was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "World's Most Admired Companies" for the fifth consecutive year. For more information, please visit www.LyondellBasell.com or follow @LyondellBasell on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE LyondellBasell Industries | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/lyondellbasell-announces-quarterly-dividend/ | 2022-08-19T11:23:42Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Missfresh Limited (NASDAQ: MF).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/missfresh-limited-loss-submission-form/?id=30973&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons who purchased or otherwise acquired Missfresh securities pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with Missfresh's June 2021 initial public offering.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 12, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Missfresh Limited issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Missfresh provided false financial figures in its registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with the Company's June 2021 initial public offering; (2) Missfresh would need to amend its financial figures; (3) Missfresh, among other things, had lesser net revenues for the quarter ended March 31, 2021; and (4) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times and negligently prepared.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/mf-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-missfresh-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:23:48Z |
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mission Wealth is pleased to announce that we have expanded our operations to include two new offices in Tampa and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The establishment of our Florida footprint enables our advisors to now serve clients from 24 convenient locations across the United States, continuing our expansion efforts in 2022 and beyond.
The new Fort Lauderdale office location is less than a mile from Fort Lauderdale Beach and central to the area's well known shopping center, high-fashion retailers, and top-class restaurants. Located off East Sunrise Blvd., we're minutes away from Highway 1 and I-95.
Our Tampa office location is on the architectural 2nd floor of a six-floor building in Westshore. We're conveniently located five minutes from Tampa International and next door to fine dining and a brand new shopping mall.
"Mission Wealth is thrilled about the opening of our new offices in Florida and working alongside families in and around this diverse and growing region. I am excited and honored to help establish Mission Wealth's footprint in the Florida market. I am looking forward to forming many new relationships and building something special down here in the great state of Florida" said Jesse Pantano our local Fort Lauderdale and Miami, FL Client Advisor.
About Mission Wealth
Founded in 2000, Mission Wealth, a national Registered Investment Advisor (RIA), proudly serves over 2,100 families and manages over $5 billion in assets across the United States. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, the firm has 23 additional offices located in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Mission Wealth's service offerings include financial planning, investment management, estate planning and charitable giving, tax planning, retirement planning and family office services.
For more information, visit www.missionwealth.com. To meet with a Mission Wealth financial advisor in Florida, contact us today at (305) 564-4749.
00460364 08/22
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SOURCE Mission Wealth Management, LP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/mission-wealth-expands-florida/ | 2022-08-19T11:23:56Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Molecular Partners AG (NASDAQ: MOLN).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/molecular-partners-ag-loss-submission-form/?id=30974&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of a class consisting of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired: (a) Molecular Partners American Depositary Shares pursuant and/or traceable to certain documents issued in connection with the Company's initial public offering conducted on or about June 16, 2021; and/or (b) Molecular Partners securities between June 16, 2021, and April 26, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 12, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Molecular Partners AG issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company's product, ensovibep, was less effective at treating COVID-19 than defendants had led investors to believe; that (ii) accordingly, the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") was reasonably likely to require an additional Phase 3 study of ensovibep before granting the drug Emergency Use Authorization ("EUA"); (iii) waning global rates of COVID-19 significantly reduced the Company's chances of securing EUA for ensovibep; (iv) another of the Company's product candidates, MP0310, was less attractive to Molecular Partners' collaborator, Amgen, than defendants had led investors to believe; (v) accordingly, there was a significant likelihood that Amgen would return to global rights of MP0310 to Molecular Partners; (vi) as a result of all the foregoing, the clinical and commercial prospects of ensovibep and MP0310 were overstated; and (vii) as a result, documents issues in connection with the Company's initial public offer and defendants' public statements throughout the class period were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/moln-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-molecular-partners-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:02Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Inotiv, Inc. (NASDAQ: NOTV).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/inotiv-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30968&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Inotiv between September 21, 2021 and June 13, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until August 22, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Inotiv, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Inotiv's acquisition, Envigo RMS, LL ("Envigo"), and Inotiv's Cumberland, Virginia facility (the "Cumberland Facility") engaged in widespread and flagrant violations of the Animal Welfare Act ("AWA"); (2) Envigo and Inotiv's Cumberland Facility continuously violated the AWA; (3) Envigo and Inotiv did not properly remedy issues with regards to animal welfare at the Cumberland Facility; (4) as a result, Inotiv was likely to face increased scrutiny and governmental action; (5) Inotiv would imminently shut down two facilities, including the Cumberland Facility; (6) Inotiv did not engage in proper due diligence; and (7) as a result, defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/notv-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-inotiv-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-22-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:09Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Republic International Corporation (NYSE: ORI) – today announced its Board of Directors has authorized a $450 million share repurchase program and a special, one-time cash dividend of $1.00 per share. This special dividend is payable on September 15, 2022 to shareholders of record on September 1, 2022. With 309 million shares outstanding at June 30, 2022, the return of capital authorized by the Board through these actions totals approximately $760 million.
Under the share repurchase program, Old Republic may purchase shares on a discretionary basis from time to time through open market purchases, private negotiated transactions or other means. The timing and amount of any transactions will be conducted subject to the discretion of Old Republic based upon valuation, market conditions and other considerations. Old Republic may also from time to time repurchase shares pursuant to written, pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans, which will be established and conducted in accordance with applicable regulations. The repurchase program is intended to comply with Rule 10b-18 and has no expiration date, does not require the purchase of any minimum number of shares and may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time without prior notice.
In reaching its decision to authorize the share repurchase program and the special cash dividend, the Board of Directors evaluated such factors as the current and foreseeable liquidity and capital needs of the parent holding company and its insurance company subsidiaries.
Craig R. Smiddy, President and CEO, commented, "Old Republic continues to perform at a high level, a testament to our talented associates executing on our specialty, diversified business strategy. Today's announcement by our Board continues a long history of prudent capital management and reflects our Board's confidence in the strength of our earnings and cash flow."
Since December 31, 2016, Old Republic will now have declared regular and special cash dividends of approximately $3.0 billion. The current annualized regular dividend rate of 92 cents per share marks the 41st consecutive year that Old Republic has boosted this rate, and 2022 becomes the 81st year of uninterrupted regular cash dividend payments.
About Old Republic
Chicago-based Old Republic International Corporation is one of the nation's 50 largest shareholder-owned insurance businesses. It is a member of the Fortune 500 listing of America's largest companies. The Company is organized as an insurance holding company whose subsidiaries actively market, underwrite, and provide risk management services for a wide variety of coverages mostly in the general and title insurance fields. Old Republic's general insurance business ranks among the nation's 50 largest, while its title insurance business is the third largest in its industry.
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SOURCE Old Republic International Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/old-republic-announces-share-repurchase-authorization-special-dividend/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:16Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Republic International Corporation (NYSE: ORI) — today announced its Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 23 cents per common share. This dividend is payable on September 15, 2022 to shareholders of record on September 1, 2022. Subject to quarterly Board approval, the full year's cash dividend is projected to be 92 cents per share for 2022, compared to 88 cents paid in 2021.
The current annualized regular dividend rate of 92 cents per share marks the 41st consecutive year that Old Republic has boosted this rate, and 2022 becomes the 81st year of uninterrupted regular cash dividend payments.
About Old Republic
Chicago-based Old Republic International Corporation is one of the nation's 50 largest shareholder-owned insurance businesses. It is a member of the Fortune 500 listing of America's largest companies. The Company is organized as an insurance holding company whose subsidiaries actively market, underwrite, and provide risk management services for a wide variety of coverages mostly in the general and title insurance fields. Old Republic's general insurance business ranks among the nation's 50 largest, while its title insurance business is the third largest in its industry.
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SOURCE Old Republic International Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/old-republic-declares-third-quarter-regular-cash-dividend-23-cents-per-share/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:16Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Outset Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: OM).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/outset-medical-loss-submission-form/?id=30972&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Outset Medical common stock between September 15, 2020, and June 13, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 6, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Outset Medical, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that:(1) the Company's flagship product, Tablo Hemodialysis System ("Tablo"), would require an additional 510(k) application to be filed with The United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), as defendants had "continuously made improvements and updates to Tablo over time since its original clearance"; (2) as a result, the Company could not conduct a human factors study on a cleared device in accordance with FDA protocols; (3) the Company's inability to conduct the human factors study subjected the Company to the likelihood of the FDA imposing a "shipment hold" and marketing suspension, leaving the Company unable to sell Tablo for home use; and (4) as a result, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and /or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/om-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-outset-medical-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:22Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The regional brand identity of the Hinggan League was officially released at the press conference co-launched by the CPC Hinggan League Committee, the Civil Administration of the Hinggan League, and the Communication University of China on August 15, 2022 in Beijing.
The press conference released the Hinggan League's regional brand identity and its main logotype (Hinggan League in the Hinggan Mountains), the regional public logo for farm and pasture products (Taste Life in Hinggan League, Natural and Fertile), the regional public slogan (Safety Products from Hinggan League), and the slogan for cultural tourism products (Embrace Mountains, Rivers, and the Hinggan League), according to the Publicity Department of the CPC Hinggan League Committee.
A follow-up 3-year regional brand identity campaign of the Hinggan League was also announced to embark on the Hinggan League's brand building and communication.
"The Hinggan League spares no effort to build a green farm and pasture product base and a famous tourist destination in China. This requires us to shape a distinctive regional brand identity and to present the nice and ambitious characters of the League so that more people will get to know and visit the League and contribute to its quality development," Zhang Xiaobing, secretary of the CPC Hinggan League Committee, noted. "We will further tap the potentials of the League, highlight the uniqueness of this region, build an IP portfolio, and enhance the awareness, reputation, and competitiveness of the brand to facilitate the transformative, green, and quality development of the League."
Located in the northeast of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the middle part of the Greater Hinggan Mountains, the Hinggan League gives full play to its diverse tourist resources as its regional strengths and is dedicated to building a nationwide famous tourist destination and green farm and pasture product base. The League has won a series of honors, such as the Demonstration League of National Unity, National Demonstration League of Ecological Civilization Construction, and the Innovation Base Keeping "Green for Gold".
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Caption: The regional brand identity of the Hinggan League
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SOURCE Publicity Department of the CPC Hinggan League Committee | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/regional-brand-identity-hinggan-league-officially-released/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:29Z |
Dona D. Young to Become Non-Executive Chair, Effective February 1, 2023
Transition Reflects Thorough Succession Planning Process and Strong Governance
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Foot Locker, Inc. (NYSE: FL) ("Foot Locker" or "the Company"), the New York-based specialty athletic retailer, today announced that, as part of a planned succession process, Richard A. Johnson will retire as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2022. Mary N. Dillon, former Executive Chair and CEO of Ulta Beauty, Inc., has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Foot Locker Board, also effective September 1, 2022.
Johnson will continue as Executive Chairman of the Board through January 31, 2023, and will step down from the Board at that time, subsequently remaining with the Company as a Senior Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer until early April 2023 to facilitate a smooth transition. The Company's Board has determined that the Chair and Chief Executive Officer roles will be separated, also effective September 1, 2022, and the Company's Lead Independent Director, Dona D. Young, will become non-Executive Chair, effective February 1, 2023.
Johnson has had a distinguished three-decade long career at Foot Locker, including having served as the Company's Chief Executive Officer since 2014 following two years as Chief Operating Officer and holding multiple other divisional leadership roles. During Johnson's tenure, he has led the development of the Company's strategic imperatives and long-term plan, overseen sales growth to approximately $9 billion in 2021 from approximately $7 billion in 2014, been responsible for a number of investments and acquisitions, including WSS and atmos in 2021, led Foot Locker's digital transformation and strategy to expand into new geographies as well as diversify product mix across brands and categories, along with strengthening the Company's focus on DE&I and ESG initiatives.
"It has been a privilege and an honor to lead Foot Locker and work alongside the best team in retail for nearly 30 years," said Johnson. "Together, we have built a broad house of brands and banners fueled by a shared passion for the global sneaker community. We have turned a brick-and-mortar company into an interactive retail community poised for long-term growth in the digital era. The Board and I have worked closely together on a thoughtful succession plan, and with a strong foundation in place and ongoing momentum against our strategic objectives, we believe now is the right time to complete the CEO transition. We are confident that Mary is the ideal person to serve as Foot Locker's next CEO and lead the Company forward. Mary has established a remarkable track record in the retail industry, and she brings an incredible mix of talent, experience and commitment to take Foot Locker to the next level."
Dillon said, "I am thrilled to be joining Foot Locker, an iconic company that possesses a strong set of values and focus on the customer experience as well as tremendous growth opportunities. It is clear how Foot Locker sits at the heart of the global sport and sneaker community, and I am excited to become part of the Company's team. I look forward to working closely with Dick to ensure a smooth transition, and to partnering with the Board, leadership team and nearly 50,000 team members around the world to build on Foot Locker's strong foundation and help shape the Company's future."
Young noted, "On behalf of the Board and the entire Foot Locker team, I extend our deepest gratitude to Dick for his dedication, leadership and outstanding contributions. It has truly been an honor and a privilege serving on the Board with Dick. He has left an indelible mark on the business, organization and sneaker community and we wish him only the best on his well-deserved retirement from the Company and next chapter of his life's journey. Looking forward, we are unanimous in our belief that Mary will be a tremendous addition to Foot Locker's dynamic and diverse leadership team. Mary's experience leading consumer-driven businesses and building robust brand portfolios, along with her commitment to culture, is deeply aligned with Foot Locker's priorities and strategy."
Young added, "Today's Board and leadership transitions are the culmination of a multi-year succession planning process which mirrors our track record of active planning for board succession and adherence to governance best practices. We are confident this will be a smooth transition as the Board and leadership team continue to focus on driving value for all Foot Locker stakeholders."
Dillon has over 35 years of experience leading consumer-driven businesses in a diverse range of industries, from consumer-packaged goods to restaurants to telecom to beauty and retail. She brings deep consumer marketing and digital transformation expertise, strong operational experience, a proven track record of shareholder value creation and a demonstrated commitment to leadership development. Most recently, she served as Executive Chair of Ulta Beauty, after having served as CEO for eight years, and was responsible for guiding the company as it became the leading beauty destination in the U.S. and a successful omni-channel retailer with a best-in-class loyalty program. This led to revenue CAGR of 16% and the tripling of the company's market capitalization over her tenure. Previously, Dillon served as President, CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of U.S. Cellular, the Global Chief Marketing Officer of McDonald's Corp., and held leadership roles at PepsiCo. Dillon also has extensive public company board experience. She received a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Asian Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Foot Locker, Inc. leads the celebration of sneaker and youth culture around the globe through a portfolio of brands including Foot Locker, Kids Foot Locker, Champs Sports, Eastbay, atmos, WSS, and Sidestep. With approximately 2,800 retail stores in 28 countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand as well as websites and mobile apps, the Company's purpose is to inspire and empower youth culture around the world, by fueling a shared passion for self-expression and creating unrivaled experiences at the heart of the global sneaker community. Foot Locker, Inc. has its corporate headquarters in New York. For additional information please visit footlocker-inc.com.
Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Other than statements of historical facts, all statements which address activities, events, or developments that Foot Locker, Inc. anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, but not limited to, such things as future capital expenditures, expansion, strategic plans, financial objectives, dividend payments, stock repurchases, growth of Foot Locker, Inc.'s business and operations, including future cash flows, revenues, and earnings, and other such matters, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on many assumptions and factors which are detailed in Foot Locker, Inc.'s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
These forward-looking statements are based largely on our expectations and judgments and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control. For additional discussion on risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" disclosed in Foot Locker, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 29, 2022, filed on March 24, 2022. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could produce significantly different results. Foot Locker, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Investor Contact:
Robert Higginbotham
Vice President, Investor Relations
robert.higginbotham@footlocker.com
(212) 720-4600
Media Contact:
Cara Tocci
Vice President, Corporate Communications
cara.tocci@footlocker.com
(914) 582-0304
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SOURCE Foot Locker IR | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/richard-johnson-retire-chairman-ceo-mary-n-dillon-appointed-ceo-effective-september-1-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:36Z |
Tennessee-based global public relations firm ranks 8th on annual list of franchise partners
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth year in a row, Ripley PR, the leading global public relations agency specializing in franchising, skilled trades and B2B technology, has been named to Entrepreneur Magazine's annual list of the nation's Top Franchise Suppliers.
The company ranks 8th among PR agencies.
Entrepreneur's Top Franchise Suppliers ranking is based on an annual survey of franchisors, from emerging brands to some of the oldest in the industry. This year, a record 900-plus franchise brands participated, stating which suppliers they and their franchisees work with and rating their satisfaction with those suppliers' services in the areas of quality, cost, and value. Each supplier receives a score based on the survey results, and the top-scoring suppliers are ranked within their respective categories.
"Entrepreneur's Top Franchise Suppliers list underscores some of the aspects of the industry that are easy to miss, but critical to a franchise's success," said Entrepreneur Senior Vice President of Franchising Liane Caruso. "The 134 companies ranked in this year's list help to handle critical aspects of business by providing vital services to franchisors and franchisees, such as accounting, financing, legal services, marketing, real estate assistance, and more."
Ripley PR, a woman-owned full-service communications agency, was founded in 2013 by Heather Ripley and specializes in franchising with an added focus on B2B technology, construction, home services and manufacturing public relations.
"It is humbling that our franchise clients have taken the time to nominate us for this award five years in a row. I couldn't be prouder of my dedicated team for continuing to deliver proven results through increased exposure and leads," said Ripley. "Our clients find extreme value in the custom strategies and results delivered by the Ripley PR team, results that improve the reputations of our franchise clients on both national and local levels. We aren't typical. We don't want to be just another vendor, but a trusted partner who celebrates the victories by your side."
Ripley PR offers its franchise clients strategic communications services, including crisis management, media relations and social media strategies with a focus on franchise development. The agency's unique combination of expertise and creativity in public relations helps clients build brand awareness, establish positive reputations and drive franchise prospects to the brand.
For more information visit www.ripleypr.com or call (865) 977-1973.
About Ripley PR
Ripley PR, Inc. is an elite, global public relations agency specializing in franchising, construction, technology, home services and manufacturing. Offering a full range of strategic communication services, including crisis management, media relations and social media strategies, Ripley PR uses a blend of strategic business accounting and creative public relations branding to tell compelling stories and deliver measurable results. Ripley PR is a partner in IPREX, the $350 million network of communication agencies, with 1,800 staff and 115 offices worldwide. For more information, visit ripleypr.com or call 865-977-1973.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
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SOURCE Ripley PR | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/ripley-pr-named-entrepreneur-magazines-top-10-franchise-pr-agencies-list-fifth-consecutive-year/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:36Z |
This is the first year the Roanoke-based home service company has made the list based upon their three-year revenue growth rate of 83 percent
ROANOKE, Va., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Trust Home Services, a leading electrical, HVAC and plumbing company serving southwest Virginia, announced today that it has been selected to the annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. This is the first year Southern Trust has made the respected list.
The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"It is exciting to have earned this impressive honor, and we could not have done it without the support of our wonderful team of employees and the dedication of our loyal customers," said Ted Puzio, owner of Southern Trust Home Services. "While the selection of Southern Trust to this list proves that we are one of the country's fastest-growing companies, our growth will not stop here. We are constantly working to recruit and hire the best technicians and provide unparalleled customer service so that our clients consider us their only home service choice."
The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 have not only been successful, but have also demonstrated resilience amid supply chain woes, labor shortages, and the ongoing impact of Covid-19. Among the top 500, the average median three-year revenue growth rate soared to 2,144 percent. Together, those companies added more than 68,394 jobs over the past three years.
Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine, which will be available on August 23.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
Puzio said Southern Trust prides itself on offering its customers the best solutions and latest innovations in heating, cooling, plumbing and electric and also works to ensure that the staff receives the ongoing training they need to be leaders in the Roanoke area home services industry.
"Our incredible growth during the some of the most difficult times in recent memory is a testament to the dedication of our staff and the ongoing training we provide them to stay at the top of their game," Puzio said. "I congratulate the team of Southern Trust Home Services for this achievement."
About Southern Trust Home Services
Founded in 1995 as Southern State Electric, Southern Trust Home Services provides residential plumbing, electrical HVAC services, drain cleaning and one day bath remodel services, including 24/7 emergency repairs, to homeowners in more than 60 cities throughout southwest Virginia. Roanoke's first to offer a lifetime guarantee on all recommended repairs, Southern Trust Home Services staffs dedicated, certified, licensed and insured, drug and criminal background checked technicians who provide timely, same-day services for a variety of home repairs, installations, and maintenance. An A Better Business Bureau accredited company since 2006, Southern Trust Home Services has financing available including 0 percent for 18 months, and Lifetime Repair Guarantee on stated repairs. To find out more, call 540-343-4348 or visit www.southerntrusthomeservices.com.
More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000
Methodology
Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2018 to 2021. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2018. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2021. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2018 is $100,000; the minimum for 2021 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places. The top 500 companies on the Inc. 5000 are featured in Inc. magazine's September issue. The entire Inc. 5000 can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.
About Inc.
The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala, visit http://conference.inc.com/.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
865-977-1973
hripley@ripleypr.com
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SOURCE Southern Trust Home Services | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/southern-trust-home-services-named-2022-inc-5000-annual-list/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:43Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: TGTX).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/tg-therapeutics-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30975&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased TG Therapeutics between January 15, 2020 and May 31, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 16, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, TG Therapeutics, Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) clinical trials revealed significant concerns related to the benefit-risk ratio and overall survival data of the Company's therapeutic product candidates, Ublituximab and Umbralisib; (ii) accordingly, it was unlikely that the Company would be able to obtain approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the Umbralisib marginal zone lymphoma and follicular lymphoma New Drug Application, the Biologics License Application for Ublituximab in combination with Umbralisib, the supplemental New Drug Application for Ublituximab in combination with Umbralisib, or the Ublituximab relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis Biologics License Application in their current forms; (iii) as a result, the Company had significantly overstated Ublituximab and Umbralisib's clinical and/or commercial prospects; and (iv) therefore, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/tgtx-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-tg-therapeutics-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-16-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:49Z |
Health Plan uses Connect Oregon platform to facilitate integrated healthcare services
EUGENE, Ore., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trillium Community Health Plan (Trillium) is proud to announce its partnership with Unite Us, a leading technology company connecting health and social care services, to further enhance the health plan's ability to collaborate with providers and local community-based organizations to provide integrated healthcare services for Oregon Health Plan (OHP) members in Lane, western Linn, western Douglas, Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties.
The Connect Oregon network, powered by Unite Us, is a coordinated care network of health and social service providers. Partners in the network are connected through the Unite Us Platform, an integrated, HI-TRUST-certified social care infrastructure helping providers and community-based organizations address social determinants of health and advance health equity. Trillium's care managers and member services staff will use the Connect Oregon network to efficiently coordinate care for OHP members, ensuring their access to needed services and supports.
"At Trillium, we are committed to ensuring our members have access to equitable, culturally sensitive care that addresses their whole health. This can mean helping members schedule preventive check-ups with their primary care providers; referring them to organizations that have safe, stable housing options; or connecting them with agencies that provide free or low-cost meal delivery services," said Sarah Brewer, Plan President and CEO, Trillium Community Health Plan. "Through the Connect Oregon network, we can facilitate engagement with a variety of services for our members while actively collaborating with our provider and community partners to assist if more care is needed along the way."
In alignment with Trillium's health equity strategy, the health plan will analyze metrics from the platform to track health outcomes and inform future partnerships and initiatives designed to invest resources where they are most needed, continuing to transform community health for all Oregonians.
"The collective goal of our partnership with Trillium Community Health Plan is to effectively increase equitable access to care for Oregonians regardless of circumstance," said Celia Higueras, State Network Director at Unite Us. "Trillium and Unite Us will work together to redefine the quality, impact, and intersection of health and social care across this community."
About Trillium Community Health Plan
Trillium Community Health Plan serves Oregon Health Plan members through the CCO model, which began in 2012. Trillium is a recognized leader for outstanding coordination of care. It was first awarded a contract with the state of Oregon to help manage care for the Oregon Health Plan in 1999. Trillium partners with an extensive group of providers to improve care and access to services for OHP members. For more information, please visit our website.
About Unite Us
Unite Us is a technology company that builds coordinated care networks of health and social service providers. With Unite Us' end-to-end solution, providers across sectors identify social care needs, send and receive secure, electronic referrals, report on tangible outcomes, and transform payment models within a secure and collaborative ecosystem. Unite Us' community engagement teams build sustainable partnerships with local organizations to ensure networks have solid foundations, launch successfully, and continue to grow and thrive. This HITRUST-certified social care infrastructure helps communities address social determinants of health and advance health equity. Follow Unite Us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
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SOURCE Trillium Community Health Plan | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/trillium-community-health-plan-partners-with-unite-us-address-social-determinants-health-oregon-health-plan-members/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:55Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Tuya Inc. (NYSE: TUYA).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/tuya-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30981&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Tuya American Depositary Shares in or traceable to the Company's March 2021 initial public offering.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until October 11, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Tuya Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (a) 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; (b) prior to the initial public offering, 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; (c) as a result of (a) and (b) 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 (d) as a result of (a)-(c) above, the registration statement's representations regarding Tuya's historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities and expected growth did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, financial results, and trajectory of the Company at the time of the initial public offering, and such statements were materially false and misleading and lacked a reasonable factual basis.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/tuya-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-tuya-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-11-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:24:57Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Unity Software Inc. (NYSE: U).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/unity-software-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30970&from=4
The lawsuit seeks to recover losses for shareholders who purchased Unity between March 5, 2021 and May 10, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 6, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Unity Software Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) deficiencies in Unity's product platform reduced the accuracy of the Company's machine learning technology; (ii) the foregoing was likely to have a material negative impact on the Company's revenues; (iii) accordingly, Unity had overstated the Company's commercial and/or financial prospects for 2022; (iv) as a result, the Company was likely to have to reduce its fiscal 2022 guidance; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
View original content:
SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/u-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-unity-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:25:03Z |
HILO, Hawaii (KITV4) -- A Hilo couple made their first court appearance Monday after being arrested for drug-related charges.
Mikki Matsuyama, 29, and Elias Peace, 33, both of Hilo, were arrested on August 12 and charged for conspiracy to distribute, and attempted possession with intent to distribute over three pounds of methamphetamine and nearly 1,000 fentanyl pills.
During their court appearance on August 15, Matsuyama was denied bail, and Peace's bail hearing was scheduled for August 22, 2022.
“Our Office will continue to promote and encourage coordination between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to hold drug dealers accountable and prioritize the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the distribution and trafficking of serious drugs, like methamphetamine and fentanyl, on our island,” said Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen.
Anyone having information regarding illegal drugs distribution should call the Hawai‘i Police Department Vice Section in East Hawai‘i at (808) 961-2258, in West Hawai‘i at (808) 326-4646 Ext. 226, or Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Kathryn spent the last decade in the Bay Area working in nonprofits, education, and communications consulting. She has a B.A. in English from St. Mary's College of CA and an M.A. in Public Affairs and Politics from the University of San Francisco. | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/hilo-couple-charged-for-conspiracy-to-distribute-meth-and-nearly-1-000-fentanyl-pills/article_4b7171ba-1f9f-11ed-8b93-d3ed5cd6c118.html | 2022-08-19T11:25:10Z |
BEIJING, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ucommune International Ltd (NASDAQ: UK) ("Ucommune" or the "Company"), a leading agile office space manager and provider in China, today announced that at the extraordinary general meeting of the Company (the "Initial Meeting") held at 10 A.M. on August 19, 2022, Beijing time (10 P.M. on August 18, 2022, U.S. Eastern time), its shareholders approved the adjournment of the Initial Meeting to 10 A.M. on August 24, 2022, Beijing time (10 P.M. on August 23, 2022, U.S. Eastern time) ("Adjourned Meeting"), to be held in the same office at Floor 8, No.2 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. The purpose of the Initial Meeting and the Adjourned Meeting is the same and is to amend the Company's Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association currently in effect (the "Current M&A") to change the voting power of the Class B ordinary shares, par value of US$0.002 each, of the Company (the "Class B Ordinary Shares") from fifteen (15) votes for each Class B Ordinary Share to thirty-five (35) votes for each Class B Ordinary Share. Pursuant to the Current M&A, the Company obtained the ordinary resolutions of the holders of Class B Ordinary Shares to approve the proposed variation of rights of Class B Ordinary Shares set forth in the notice of the Meeting on August 2, 2022. The Company has established the close of business on August 2, 2022, Eastern time (the "Record Date"), as the record date for determining shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof.
Dial-in details: https://meeting.tencent.com/dm/ilrnykQyOJ5T
Copies of the notice of the Meeting and the form of proxy are available on the Company's corporate investor relations website at https://ir.ucommune.com.
About Ucommune International Ltd
Ucommune is China's leading agile office space manager and provider. Founded in 2015, Ucommune has created a large-scale intelligent agile office ecosystem covering economically vibrant regions throughout China to empower its members with flexible and cost-efficient office space solutions. Ucommune's various offline agile office space services include self-operated models, such as U Space, U Studio, and U Design, as well as asset-light models, such as U Brand and U Partner. By utilizing its expertise in the real estate and retail industries, Ucommune operates its agile office spaces with high efficiency and engages in the urban transformation of older and under-utilized buildings to redefine commercial real estate in China.
Safe Harbor Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," "targets," "guidance" and similar statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's growth strategies; its future business development, results of operations and financial condition; its ability to understand members' needs and provide products and services to attract and retain members; its ability to maintain and enhance the recognition and reputation of its brand; its ability to maintain and improve quality control policies and measures; its ability to establish and maintain relationships with members and business partners; trends and competition in China's agile office space market; changes in its revenues and certain cost or expense items; the expected growth of China's agile office space market; PRC governmental policies and regulations relating to the Company's business and industry, and general economic and business conditions in China and globally and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Ucommune International Ltd
ir@ucommune.com
ICR, LLC
Robin Yang
ucommune@icrinc.com
+1 (212) 537-3847
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SOURCE Ucommune International Ltd | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/ucommune-announces-adjournment-extraordinary-general-meeting/ | 2022-08-19T11:25:10Z |
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NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Weber Inc. (NYSE: WEBR).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/weber-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30978&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Weber Class A common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's August 2021 initial public offering.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 27, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Weber Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Weber was reasonably likely to implement price increases; (2) as a result, consumer demand for Weber's products was reasonably likely to decrease; (3) due to the resulting inventory buildup, Weber was reasonably likely to run promotions to "enhance retail sell through"; (4) the foregoing would adversely impact Weber's financial results; and (5) 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.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
View original content:
SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/webr-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-weber-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-27-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:25:17Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/wfc-lawsuit-loss-submission-form/?id=30969&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Wells Fargo common stock between February 24, 2021 and June 9, 2022.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until August 29, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, Wells Fargo & Company issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Wells Fargo had misrepresented its commitment to diversity in the Company's workplace; (ii) Wells Fargo conducted fake job interviews in order to meet its Diverse Search Requirement; (iii) the foregoing conduct subjected Wells Fargo to an increased risk of regulatory and/or governmental scrutiny and enforcement action, including criminal charges; (iv) all of the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to negatively impact Wells Fargo's reputation; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
JAKUBOWITZ LAW
1140 Avenue of the Americas
9th Floor
New York, New York 10036
T: (212) 867-4490
F: (212) 537-5887
View original content:
SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/wfc-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-wells-fargo-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-29-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:25:24Z |
SHANGHAI, NANJING, China and SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IASO Biotherapeutics (IASO Bio), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing, and manufacturing innovative cell therapies and antibody products, announced today that the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved its investigational new drug (IND) application (Acceptance No.: CXSL2200233,CXSL2200234) for the new extended indication of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) for a fully human BCMA chimeric antigen receptor autologous T (CAR-T) cell Injection (Equecabtagene Autoleucel, CT103A). This is the world's first IND approval for CAR-T in NMOSD treatment.
The new IND application is based on clinical data from an investigator-initiated clinical study of Equecabtagene Autoleucel. Subjects in the study were NMOSD patients with poor symptom control who had at least one year of treatment with at least one immunosuppressant. The study's primary objective was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, preliminary efficacy, pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) profiles in NMOSD patients treated with Equecabtagene Autoleucel. As of March 20, 2022, 12 subjects received Equecabtagene Autoleucel cell infusion, including three in the 0.5×106 CAR-T cells/kg dose group and nine in the 1.0×106 CAR-T cells/kg dose group. The study data initially showed that the Equecabtagene Autoleucel injection was safe in patients with relapsed/refractory NMOSD in the 0.5×106 CAR-T cells/kg and 1.0×106 CAR-T cells/kg dose groups. All patients experienced Grade 1-2 CRS (Cytokine Release Syndrome) and no Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) events. In terms of efficacy, all subjects observed improved Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores after infusion. Fifty percent experienced improved visual acuity, 67% improved their walking ability, and 75% experienced improved bladder function. After a median follow-up of 5.5 months, 11 / 12 (92%) subjects did not observe any disease recurrence.
Wen (Maxwell) Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Medical Officer of IASO Bio, said, "As one of the first companies to conduct research on CAR-T to treat autoimmune diseases worldwide, our BCMA CAR T-cell therapy represents a significant milestone for Investigator Initiated Trial (IIT) data of relapsed and refractory NMOSD, an autoimmune disease with serious complications, blindness, and paralysis."
The existing treatment of NMOSD can only decrease the number of relapses within a certain period and has little effect on the functional recovery of sensory, nervous, and motor systems. BCMA CAR T-cell therapy can reduce the disability score and improve the functions of sensory, nervous, and motor systems, providing a milestone proof-of-concept for CAR-T therapy to treat autoimmune diseases caused by auto-antibodies produced by plasma cells. The IND's approval demonstrates further momentum for IASO Bio to promote the expansion of CAR-T therapy and launch products beyond the treatment of malignant tumors to the treatment of autoimmune diseases. IASO Bio will initiate and complete the clinical study per submitted protocol to prepare for new drug application (NDA) and to bring hope to NMOSD patients.
About Equecabtagene Autoleucel (CT103A)
Equecabtagene Autoleucel (CT103A) is a BCMA chimeric antigen receptor autologous T cell injection, a lentiviral vector containing a CAR structure with a fully human scFv, CD8a hinger and transmembrane, 4-1BB co-stimulatory and CD3ζ activation domains. Based on strict selection and screening, utilizing a proprietary in-house optimization platform, and integrated in-house manufacturing process improvement, the construct of the BCMA CAR-T is potent and Equecabtagene Autoleucel shows prolonged persistency in patients. The NMPA accepted the New Drug Application for Equecabtagene Autoleucel for the treatment of elapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). Equecabtagene Autoleucel also received Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the NMPA in February 2021 and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD)by the U.S. FDA in February 2022.
In addition to multiple myeloma, the NMPA has received IND application of Equecabtagene Autoleucel for the new expanded indication of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD).
About Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO)
Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) is an acute or subacute inflammatory demyelination disorder of the central nervous system, an antibody-mediated idiopathic inflammatory disease of the nervous system. NMO Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD) are marked by NMO-IgG antibodies in the serum, covering NMO and NMO-related diseases. The first onset of NMOSD is seen at all ages, mostly in young and middle-aged people, with a median age of 39 years. The prevalence of NMOSD is high in Asian populated areas, and middle-aged women are the most prevalent group. According to Frost & Sullivan, the number of NMOSD cases in China was around 49,300 and 173,000 worldwide in 2021. AQP4-Ab is a foremost pathogenic antibody of NMOSD, and many clinical studies have confirmed that this antibody may cause pathological damage to the central nervous system in animals and humans. Its diagnostic specificity is up to more than 90%, with the positive rate of AQP4-Ab in NMOSD patients ranging from 40% to 90%. NMOSD is a highly recurrent disease with a high disability rate. More than 90% of patients have a multitemporal course, 60% relapse within one year and 90% relapse within three years, with sequelae found in most patients such as severe visual impairment, physical dysfunction, and urination and defecation disorders.
About IASO Bio
IASO Bio is an innovative biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and manufacture of cellular therapeutics and antibody drugs. The company is expanding into solid tumors and autoimmune diseases with the development of hematologic oncology cell-based drugs and antibody drugs as the cornerstone of innovation. It offers a complete platform from early discovery, registration, and clinical development to commercial production. IASO Bio owns many technology platforms, including a fully human antibody discovery platform, a high-throughput CAR-T drug preference platform, a general CAR technology platform, a production technology platform, and a clinical translational research platform. It has more than 10 products at different stages of development, including Equecabtagene Autoleucel (CT103A),fully human BCMA chimeric antigen receptor autologous T cell injection, which received NDA acceptance of the China NMPA for the treatment of elapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM). Equecabtagene Autoleucel also received Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the NMPA in February 2021 and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the U.S. FDA in February 2022. In addition to multiple myeloma, the NMPA has received IND application of Equecabtagene Autoleucel for the new expanded indication of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD). Additionally, its product CT120 (fully human CD19/CD22 dual-target CAR-T cell injection) has entered the clinical research stage for the treatment of CD19/CD22-positive relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) and relapsed/refractory acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation (ODD).
Leveraging its strong management team, rich product pipeline, cutting-edge R&D, and business model, and with the introduction of innovative drugs that truly solve clinical pain points and open new treatment paths, IASO Bio is becoming one of the industry's most influential and innovative pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.iasobio.com or www.linkedin.com/company/iasobiotherapeutics.
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SOURCE IASO Biotherapeutics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/worlds-first-car-t-nmosd-treatment-iaso-biotherapeutics-equecabtagene-autoleucel-receives-ind-approval-by-nmpa/ | 2022-08-19T11:25:30Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jakubowitz Law announces that a securities fraud class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of shareholders of 17 Education & Technology Group Inc. (NASDAQ: YQ).
To receive updates on the lawsuit, fill out the form:
https://claimyourloss.com/securities/17-education-technology-group-inc-loss-submission-form/?id=30976&from=4
This lawsuit is on behalf of persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired publicly traded 17EdTech securities pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus issued in connection with 17EdTech's December 2020 initial public offering.
Shareholders interested in acting as a lead plaintiff representing the class of wronged shareholders have until September 19, 2022 to petition the court. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.
According to a filed complaint, 17 Education & Technology Group Inc. issued materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) 17EdTech's K-12 Academic AST Services would end less than a year after the Company's initial public offering; (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' statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.
Jakubowitz Law is vigorous in pursuit of justice for shareholders who have been the victim of securities fraud. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
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SOURCE Jakubowitz Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/19/yq-shareholder-alert-jakubowitz-law-reminds-17edtech-shareholders-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-19-2022/ | 2022-08-19T11:25:37Z |
2 Russian villages evacuated after fire at munitions depot
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The residents of two villages in Russia’s Belgorod region on Ukraine’s northeastern border were evacuated after a fire at a munitions depot near the village of Timonovo, the region’s governor said Friday. The fire is the latest in a series of destructive incidents on Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine or inside Russia itself.
Roughly 1,100 people reside in the villages of Timonovo and Soloti, around 15 miles from the Ukrainian border. There were no casualties in the late Thursday blaze, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
The fire came days after another ammunition depot exploded on Ukraine’s Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, a Russian-occupied territory seized by Moscow in 2014.
Last week, nine Russian warplanes were reported destroyed at an airbase on Crimea, demonstrating both the Russians’ vulnerability and the Ukrainians’ capacity to strike deep behind enemy lines. Ukrainian authorities have stopped short of publicly claiming responsibility.
But President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alluded to Ukrainian attacks behind enemy lines after the blasts in Crimea, which Russia has blamed on “sabotage.”
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in televised remarks Friday that statements from Ukrainian officials about striking facilities in Crimea mark “an escalation of the conflict openly encouraged by the United States and its NATO allies.”
Ryabkov said Russian officials had warned the U.S. against such actions in phone calls with high-level members of the Biden administration, adding that “deep and open U.S. involvement” in the war in Ukraine “effectively puts the U.S. on the brink of becoming a party to the conflict.”
“We don’t want an escalation, we would like to avoid a situation where the U.S. becomes a party to the conflict, but so far we haven’t seen their readiness to deeply and seriously consider those warnings,” Ryabkov said.
Meanwhile, Kyiv and Moscow continued to accuse each other of shelling Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, stoking international fears of a catastrophe on the continent.
On Friday, Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, accused the United States of encouraging Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. The facility has been controlled by Russian forces since shortly after the invasion began on Feb. 24.
“In case of a technological disaster, its consequences will be felt in every corner of the world,” Patrushev said. “Washington, London and their accomplices will bear full responsibility for that.”
Ukraine has accused Russia of storing troops and weapons at the Zaporizhzhia plant and using its grounds to launch strikes against Ukrainian-controlled territory. Ukrainian officials and military analysts say Moscow’s forces have cynically employed the plant as a shield, knowing that the Ukrainians would be hesitant to fire back.
Russia has denied the accusations and, in turn, accused Ukrainian forces of repeatedly shelling the plant.
Following a visit to Ukraine on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Zelenskyy had asked him to ensure that Russia remove weapons stored at the plant as an “important step for world peace.”
“Zelenskyy asked this of us especially: that Russia remove all mines and similar (weapons) there and for the issue to rapidly cease to be frightening. Because it is a threat,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan, whose country has maintained close relations with both Ukraine and Russia, said he would discuss the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that “Russia must do its part in this regard.”
The Turkish president made the comments to a group of Turkish journalists on his return from a visit with Zelenskyy and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres in Ukraine late on Thursday. His comments were reported by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency and other media on Friday.
At the meeting in the western city of Lviv, far from the front lines, the leaders discussed expanding exchanges of prisoners of war and arranging for U.N. atomic energy experts to visit and help secure the nuclear power plant.
IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
— At least five people were killed and 10 others were wounded by the Russian shelling of towns and villages in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, according to regional authorities. The shelling damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure in the embattled region where Russian forces are pushing to overtake areas still held by Ukraine.
— At least one civilian died early Friday in Russian shelling of the city of Kharkiv, to the northwest of the Donetsk region, while Russian missiles in the southern port city of Mykolaiv again struck port facilities and a university building that was previously hit by shelling earlier this week. One person was wounded in the attacks, authorities said.
___
Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/19/2-russian-villages-evacuated-after-fire-munitions-depot/ | 2022-08-19T11:29:21Z |
Biden bill to help millions escape higher health care costs
WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people in the United States will be spared from big increases in health care costs next year after President Joe Biden signed legislation extending generous subsidies for those who buy plans through federal and state marketplaces.
The sweeping climate, tax and health care bill sets aside $70 billion over the next three years to keep out-of-pocket premium costs low for roughly 13 million people, just before the reduced prices were set to expire in a year beset by record-high inflation.
As the calendar pushed closer to the Nov. 1 open enrollment date, Sara Cariano was growing nervous about her work helping people across Virginia sign up for subsidized, private health insurance on the HealthCare.gov website.
“I expected very difficult conversation with folks to explain why their premiums were spiking,” said Cariano, a policy specialist at the Virginia Poverty Law Center.
But the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act erased those worries.
“Things aren’t going to change for the worst for individuals who are purchasing coverage through the market,” she said.
The bill will extend subsidies temporarily offered last year when Congress and Biden signed off on a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that significantly lowered premiums and out-of-pocket costs for customers purchasing plans through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace. It also continues reduced costs for more individuals and families who live well above the poverty line.
Only Democrats supported the extended health care subsidies and the other proposals in the bill that Biden signed on Tuesday. Republicans criticized the measure as big government overreach that will only worsen inflation. In reality, economists say, the bill will do little to either fan or extinguish the flames of exorbitant prices.
Health insurance premiums in the marketplace are expected to rise significantly next year — roughly 10 percent — according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The extended subsidies, which determine premium payments based on income, will guard most people from those price increases, said Cynthia Cox, a vice president at the foundation.
“Generally speaking, people should not see increases in their premiums,” Cox said.
Those who bought plans on the government marketplace saved on average about $700 in premium payments from the subsidies this year, according to estimates by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
As costs dropped, more people signed up for the coverage over the last year and the number of those without health insurance dropped to an all-time low of 8% in August, the Department of Health and Human Services announced. Roughly 26 million people, 2 percent of them children, remain uninsured in the U.S.
In California, many of the 1.7 million people who purchase health insurance through Covered California, the state-operated insurance marketplace will continue to see savings ranging from $29 and $324 per month, depending on their income level.
State officials predict about 220,000 people will be saved from being priced out of coverage. Between 2 million and 3 million people in California might also turn to the state marketplace if they lose coverage through Medicaid when the federal government’s COVID-19 public health emergency expires. About 15 million people in the U.S. have been extended Medicaid coverage during the pandemic.
Cost is the biggest factor driving whether a person signs up for coverage or not, said Joseph Poindexter, the senior director of health insurance programs at HealthCare Access Maryland.
Some parents, for example, sign their children up for Medicaid but skip buying coverage for themselves, he said.
“It’s really said to see folks who will say, I’ll forgo treatment, or won’t go visit the doctor,” Poindexter said.
Fewer people have had to make that calculation with the subsidies, Poindexter said, attributing the lowered prices to a 9% increase in new enrollees in the state last year.
___
Associated Press writer Adam Beam in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/19/biden-bill-help-millions-escape-higher-health-care-costs/ | 2022-08-19T11:29:27Z |
Biden to host ‘unity’ summit against hate-fueled violence
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden will host a White House summit next month aimed at combating a spate of hate-fueled violence in the U.S., as he works to deliver on his campaign pledge to “heal the soul of the nation.”
The White House announced Friday that Biden will host the United We Stand Summit on Sept. 15, highlighting the “corrosive effects” of violence on public safety and democracy. Advocates pushed Biden to hold the event after 10 Black people were killed at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in May, aiming as well to address a succession of hate-driven violence in cities including El Paso, Texas, Pittsburgh and Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
“As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for the soul of our nation ‘we must all enlist in this great cause of America,’” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all races, religions, regions, political affiliations, and walks of life to take up that cause together.”
Biden will deliver a keynote speech at the gathering, which the White House says will include civil rights groups, faith leaders, business executives, law enforcement, gun violence prevention advocates, former members of violent hate groups, the victims of extremist violence and cultural figures. The White House emphasized that it also intends to bring together Democrats and Republicans, as well as political leaders on the federal, state and local levels to unite against hate-motivated violence.
Biden, a Democrat, has frequently cited 2017′s white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, with bringing him out of political retirement to challenge then-President Donald Trump in 2020. He promised during that campaign to work to bridge political and social divides and to promote national unity, but fulfilling that cause remains a work in progress.
Sindy Benavides, the CEO of League of United Latin American Citizens, said the genesis of the summit came after the Buffalo massacre, as her organization along with the Anti-Defamation League, the National Action Network and other groups wanted to press the Biden administration to more directly tackle extremist threats.
“As civil rights organizations, social justice organizations, we fight every day against this, and we wanted to make sure to acknowledge that government needs to have a leading role in addressing right-wing extremism,” she said.
The White House did not outline the lineup of speakers or participants, saying it would come closer to the event. It also would not preview any specific policy announcements by Biden. Officials noted Biden last year signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and released the nation’s first National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism.
Benavides said Biden holding the summit would help galvanize the country to address the threats of hate-inspired violence but also said she hoped for “long-term solutions” to emerge from the summit.
“What’s important to us is addressing mental health, gun control reform, addressing misinformation, disinformation and malinformation,” she said. “We want policy makers to focus on common sense solutions so we don’t see this type of violence in our communities. And we want to see the implementation of policies that reduce violence.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of hate crimes at https://apnews.com/hub/hate-crimes.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/19/biden-host-unity-summit-against-hate-fueled-violence/ | 2022-08-19T11:29:34Z |
Utah officials secretly investigated female athlete’s gender
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah high school athletics association secretly investigated a female athlete — without telling her or her parents — after receiving complaints from the parents of two girls she had defeated in competition questioning whether the girl was transgender.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Thursday that the Utah High School Activities Association and the girl’s high school determined she indeed was female after poring through her school records dating back to kindergarten.
Association spokesman David Spatafore told lawmakers that the girl and her family weren’t told of the investigation to spare them embarrassment and “to keep the matter private,” the Tribune reported.
The revelation came as at least 12 Republican-led states — including Utah — have passed laws banning transgender women or girls in sports. Supporters of the bans say transgender girls have an unfair advantage because they were born as stronger males and could deny girls places on sports teams.
There have been almost no cases of potential competitive advantages in K-12 sports in states passing the bans, including Utah. The state’s ban is being challenged in state court.
Spatafore told a legislative hearing on transgender athletes Wednesday that the parents of the second- and third-place finishers in a competition last year filed a complaint with the association after the girl won first place in an event “by a wide margin,” the Tribune said.
The girl’s school reviewed her high school record and determined she was registered as female. The Utah high school association asked the school to “double check,” Spatafore said, and officials contacted her middle and elementary schools to review files.
“The school went back to kindergarten,” Spatafore said, “and she’d always been a female.”
Spatafore declined to reveal the student’s grade, school or sport to protect her identity. He said the student and her family were not told about the investigation because it might be offensive to them and that the parents would have been contacted “if needed.”
Spatafore also said the association has looked into other complaints involving transgender athletes in its efforts to comply with the Utah law, which went into effect in July. Some complaints include “when an athlete doesn’t look feminine enough,” he said. None of the complaints have been verified.
Lawmakers didn’t question the process during the hearing, the Tribune reported.
Sue Robbins, of the Transgender Advisory Council of Equality Utah, said the association should publicly adopt a policy spelling out how and when it may investigate student records.
“Where does the UHSAA get their authority to go investigate?” Robbins said. “We warned about this being a possibility, that everyone would accuse everyone who is successful of being transgender. ... It becomes about judging women’s bodies. And no body is safe.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican whose veto of the ban earlier this year was overridden by the Legislature, said Thursday that the parents’ complaint about the girl who was investigated had crossed a line.
“My goodness, we’re living in this world where we’ve become sore losers, and we’re looking for any reason why our kid lost,” he said. He said he supports fairness in sports but that “making up allegations like that are pretty disturbing to me.”
Before the ban, Utah had one registered transgender female athlete competing last year on a high school girls’ team, Spatafore said.
In a lawsuit, three transgender girls and their parents claim the outright ban passed by the Republican-majority Utah Legislature wrongly keeps their children from participating in the sports.
Their attorneys argue it violates provisions of the state constitution that prohibit discrimination and guarantee equal rights and due process.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/19/utah-officials-secretly-investigated-female-athletes-gender/ | 2022-08-19T11:29:40Z |
We’ll stay unsettled this weekend
Off and on showers and storms are possible at times
Today will bring a mix of sun and clouds, and a better chance of hit-and-miss showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the late afternoon and early evening. A few storms could produce some heavier downpours this afternoon. Highs today will again be in the 70s for most.
A few showers and storms are possible this evening, but we should dry up tonight with partly cloudy skies. Low temperatures will fall into the 50s and 60s again tonight.
We’ll stay unsettled through the weekend as low pressure continues to move in. A few hit-or-miss showers and storms are possible on Saturday, but a better chance of rain comes on Sunday. We’ll be a bit more humid on Saturday and Sunday with highs in the 70s and low 80s for most.
Wider-spread rain looks likely to begin the work week next week and temperatures look to stay slightly below average for a while. Make sure to stay tuned and catch the latest on WVVA.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/19/well-stay-unsettled-this-weekend/ | 2022-08-19T11:29:47Z |
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
It doesn’t always pay to fit in.
Sometimes, even though the going gets rough, setting yourself apart just might garner the recognition that a musician needs to build a cult following. Take Lost Dog Street Band, a neo-folk and “dark country” group that the general public has most likely never heard of.
They’re not quite country music in their atmosphere, but quite folk in their lyrical style due to the writing of frontman Benjamin Tod, who leads the band on guitar with his wife, Ashley Mae, on fiddle. They’re accompanied by bassist Jeff Loops.
Earlier this year, they released their eighth full-length album, titled “Glory,” which deals in heavy themes and complex bluegrass instrumentals, addressing Tod’s road to recovery after a living period of his life plagued by substance abuse.
No, you probably haven’t heard of them, but that’s what Tod expects at this point.
Growing up as a street busker – a street musician playing for cash tips – he had to learn how to play something that earned him enough money to afford a drink or what might be his sole meal that day.
His perseverance and skills for captivating a crowd seem to be paying off. Lost Dog Street Band has suddenly begun playing sold-out shows on their most recent tour.
On Sunday, they land at the Gryphon Theatre in Laramie.
Prior to their show in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday night, Tod stepped away from a sound check to speak with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle about the band’s tour, their most recent album and his mindset as a musician.
“I’m much more optimistic person than I used to be,” Tod said. “OK, I’m not really optimistic, but I’m a more grateful person. People will be like, ‘Oh, you’re smiling. You look happy.’ I’m like, ‘Well, I’m not happy, but I’m grateful.’ I think it’s really the attitude shift.”
There is a difference between the two emotions, Tod said.
Passing the age of 30 presented Tod with a turning point. He became more aspirational and stopped allowing the desire for notoriety to fuel his creative process. The fans have always been there for him, but, historically, the press sure hasn’t.
From his perspective, it took gaining such a following of listeners that media outlets couldn’t ignore Lost Dog any longer. But by the time the media had its revelation, his personal conquest was over, and his focus had turned to serving the fans.
The revelation came when Tod, 26 years old at the time, nearly quit the music business to find a more viable career, possibly through military enlistment. But at a gig in Denver, he and Mae unexpectedly sold 150 tickets, filling a small venue.
“(The band) had actually split up for a while. We were kind of touring, and then when we got back together and started touring again, it was just a big surprise,” Tod said. “That was insane to us, and it just happened out of nowhere.”
At this point in his career, it isn’t an issue if the band fails to sell out that night’s venue. If Lost Dog fills just half of the room, then they will play to the smaller crowd, and Tod will be grateful for those who showed, regardless of the size of the market.
And the crowds do vary; that’s just how it goes when you’re labeled as a “dark country” band.
“I don’t know what to tell people. I just don’t know,” Tod said, laughing. “I’m a songwriter, mainly (influenced by) the big three Texas songwriters – Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Steve Earle. I don’t really know how to define it.
“We don’t fit in in the country community. None of the country community wants anything to do with us.”
“Country music” is categorized by a different set of characteristics, depending on the person, Tod emphasized. To some it’s honky-tonk, to others it might be red-dirt rock/country. Some think Nashville’s Music Row of Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean and their contemporaries exemplify the modern country genre as a whole.
For the record, Tod admits to hating the general consensus as to what represents the country genre today – so much so that he essentially plans to use the latter half of the year to satirize it in an upcoming honky-tonk album.
The idea is reminiscent of the habits maintained by country musician Sturgil Simpson, whom Tod respects. Simpson transitions between genres and manipulates the record industry to meet his terms, when typically the inverse holds true in many country musicians’ careers.
After releasing two of the most critically acclaimed country albums in the past several decades, Simpson then went on to find success with a rhythm and blues/jazz infused album, “A Sailors Guide to Earth,” as well as a hard rock album, “Sound and Fury.” He has since returned to his country roots, at least for now.
“I’m about to really branch out and push myself in different directions artistically,” Tod said. “I want to do it as kind of a middle finger to people who do that (style of music), because I’m going to do it, and it’s going to be better writing than 95% of everything else that’s coming out of that modern genre, and I’m not going to (expletive) try.”
Not only is this attitude in line with Tod’s humor, but having a chip on your shoulder is expected when, at the age of 13, you’re developing a vocal and musical style on Nashville’s Broadway. While music blared from the open bar windows, of which there were many, he had to sing and play over the noise.
“So, in order to compete where I grew up, if I wanted to eat, if I wanted to drink that day, I had to be extremely loud,” he said. “I learned from a very young age how to project my voice. So, my vocal style really comes from there.”
On their most recent album, he lyrically addresses the struggles that arose from such a difficult upbringing. The result is something raw and personal, and understandably earns Lost Dog the odd genre identification of “dark country.”
“My writing style comes directly from just mixing experiences that I had in my youth with solitude, addiction and hard choices, then redeeming myself from that.”
They might not fit in, but at least they’re not sellouts.
Will Carpenter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s Arts and Entertainment/Features Reporter. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3135. Follow him on Twitter @will_carp_. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/busking-recovery-and-giving-country-music-the-middle-finger-lost-dog-street-band-to-perform/article_6381e0bc-1e89-11ed-861f-23a261215404.html | 2022-08-19T11:42:58Z |
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA–When Disney+’s latest series “She-Hulk” begins, Jennifer Walters is a typical ambitious single 30-something attorney, a more modern version of Ally McBeal or Elle Woods.
But after a car accident, the blood of her cousin Bruce “The Hulk” Banner accidentally intermingles with hers and she ends up becoming a hulk, too. (The first of nine episodes of season one, mostly shot at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville, was released on Thursday, with new episodes coming out weekly thereafter.)
The difference: the 5-foot-4 Walters, played by Tatiana Maslany of “Orphan Black” fame, can control her ability to become a 6-foot-7-inch hulk at will.
She did not sign up for this. She recoils when her best friend and paralegal Nikki Ramos (a vibrant Ginger Gonzaga) dubs her a superhero, preferring to impose justice in a courtroom.
“No,” Walters said. “I did not go to law school and rack up six figures in student loans to become a vigilante. That is for billionaires and narcissists and adult orphans for some reason.”
Nikki: “You can join the Avengers!”
Walters: “Do the Avengers offer health care, maternal benefits and a pension? Are they even paid?”
Director and executive producer Kat Coiro, in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said she was able to parlay her background in comedy into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having worked on shows like “Modern Family,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “Girls5Eva.”
“We leaned into a very simple shooting style,” Coiro said, “so that her outlandishness as a big green woman doesn’t stand out and be overshadowed by the camera.”
Like “Fleabag,” “Deadpool” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Walters every so often breaks the fourth wall to discuss the show itself. It’s what She-Hulk did in the comic book series three decades ago. She’ll comment to viewers about how storylines converge and crack wise about appearances from Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk, Tim Roth’s Abomination and Benedict Wong’s Wong.
Wong, who has appeared in many MCU movies, shows up consecutive weeks. As Walters said in the opening of the fourth episode: “Everybody loves Wong! It’s like giving the show Twitter armor for a week!”
“I saw the fourth wall breaking as almost part of her superpowers,” Coiro said. “She gains this sense of self awareness. When she is talking to the cameras, she is acknowledging the meta elements of this show.”
After the origin story and set up in the first couple of episodes, the show gets into the more conventional rhythms of a “case of the week” law drama while incorporating elements of the Marvel world.
Walters as She-Hulk is hired to be the face of the new “Super Human” department at a prestigious law firm because she is the only one with both a legal and superhero background. She has a blend of supportive and jealous colleagues, tropes familiar to anyone who has binged shows like “L.A. Law” and “Private Practice.”
“I’m all into tropes,” Coiro said. “I love leaning into them. You give the audience something very familiar, then go on all these crazy Marvel twists. It was definitely a balancing act.”
“She-Hulk” has the added complication of grappling with clients who may follow the Book of Vashanti, not “the book of American laws,” as she tells a confused Wong at one point.
The series is set in Los Angeles, but a bulk of the season was shot in metro Atlanta, including scenes outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building and Courthouse in downtown Atlanta and inside the Garden Room and Atlas restaurants in Buckhead.
Coiro herself liked Atlanta so much while shooting here that she moved her family from Los Angeles to a home near Trilith Studios.
She said Maslany was picked for the lead in part because she was already used to technical challenges having played multiple characters over five seasons on BBC America’s “Orphan Black,” landing an Emmy win in 2018 for lead actress in a drama.
In this case, she had to don an uncomfortable, unflatteringly tight gray motion capture suit (known in the business as a “mocap”) for about two-thirds of her scenes as She-Hulk.
“It’s not for the faint of heart,” Coiro said. “You feel very disconnected from your fellow actors and crew. You have a camera strapped to your face and you can’t see properly. I did wear gray one day in solidarity.”
It’s taken producers a year to make She-Hulk look authentic on screen. “We aren’t finished yet with post production,” she said.
Coiro hopes the unusual genre blending will draw new viewers who aren’t MCU acolytes. “There are plenty of Easter eggs and back stories for the fans,” she said. “But a huge part of my job was to make it accessible for audiences who haven’t seen every Marvel movie. At the same time, it might make them go back and watch some of them.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/disney-s-she-hulk-blends-the-mcu-with-an-ally-mcbeal--style-law-show/article_11e6d41a-1f1a-11ed-b320-9ff76d789235.html | 2022-08-19T11:43:04Z |
The Detroit News
The creepy 2009 horror thriller “Orphan” stood out because of a bonkers twist that threw caution to the wind and everything that lead up to it into upheaval.
The Detroit News
The creepy 2009 horror thriller “Orphan” stood out because of a bonkers twist that threw caution to the wind and everything that lead up to it into upheaval.
Now that the first film’s big reveal is out in the open, “Orphan: First Kill” has a steeper hill to climb in order to grab audiences and shake them in the same way. And while it may not get all the way there, it sure has a hell of a good time trying.
Isabelle Fuhrman plays Leena Klammer, the “Orphan” of the title, and already she has two strikes against her. Her character is a 30-year-old affected with a rare gland disorder that causes her to look like she’s 9 years old. The problem is Fuhrman is 25 and looks it, and “First Kill” takes place before the first film, so technically she should look even younger than she did before.
Fuhrman was 12 years old the first time around, so the youth thing wasn’t really a problem. This time, director William Brent Bell (“The Boy” and and its sequel, “Brahms: The Boy II”) has to shoot around Fuhrman, framing her up close in tight shots and shooting a body double from behind in wide shots. The constant back-and-forth lends the film an air of campy ridiculousness that the script by David Coggeshall is more than happy to indulge.
Leena stages a bloody escape from an Estonian psychiatric hospital and is able to pose as the missing child of a wealthy Connecticut family. That family, including mom Tricia (Julia Stiles) and dad Allen (Rossif Sutherland), accepts Leena as their daughter Esther, despite her now having a thick Russian accent and a proficiency for painting. Things are off, they can sense, but not off enough that they don’t welcome her back with open arms.
Well, for a little while, at least.
“First Kill” heads down a very familiar highway before taking a huge turn off the exit toward Crazy Town, and it makes for an engaging ride thanks to a committed performance by Stiles and director Bell’s willingness to both embrace the audience’s expectations and toss them out the window. “First Kill” – even the title doesn’t really hold water, because the first of many kills is dismissed without ceremony – doesn’t quite make a case for a third movie in the “Orphan” series, but it knows exactly what it is and has fun toying with the audience before finally showing its hand.
Will Carpenter is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s Arts and Entertainment/Features Reporter. He can be reached by email at wcarpenter@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3135. Follow him on Twitter @will_carp_.
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A receipt was sent to your email. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/review-orphan-first-kill-nearly-out-crazies-its-predecessor/article_1232981e-1f1f-11ed-967c-4f55100f98c0.html | 2022-08-19T11:43:11Z |
For the Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Batman had his Robin.
Bonnie rode with Clyde, Shaggy has Scooby, Sheldon needed his Amy and salt sits by pepper. Throughout history – and certainly in the entertainment world – famous pairs seem to gravitate toward one another to hang out. And in ”The World’s Worst Assistant” by Sona Movsesian, it’s extra-nice if one is paid well.
For most of her teenage and after-college years, Sona Movsesian worked a series of random jobs: retail, hostessing, running a store for a Hollywood venue, work for an “entertainment research company,” a difficult little bit of this and that. When she got a job as an NBC page and was assigned to give tours, she made up stories to impress tourists and took “a more relaxed approach to my work.”
It must’ve helped: she eventually became “the events and operations coordinator at NBC.” Then, though she knew almost nothing about late-night TV, when she heard that Conan O’Brien was the new host of The Tonight Show, she asked for a job with him. After making an audacious joke at the interview, she was hired to be O’Brien’s assistant.
“Very quickly into my tenure...” she says, tongue-in-cheek, “this comedic icon whom I had admired my entire adolescent life became... a nuisance.”
Movsesian says she quickly came to realize that getting the job was harder than doing the job – although she admits that she should’ve paid better attention. O’Brien sent her on impossible tasks for laughs. He made her “high-five him after he made fun of me.” He asked her for things he needed and she promptly forgot them, while he used her bad-date stories as fodder for jokes. He picked on her because of her car. She traveled around the world as his assistant. He danced a money dance at her wedding.
Once, she hadn’t been sure she’d like the job. She didn’t think she’d last but she eventually realized that she was “exactly where I’m supposed to be and working for the person I’m meant to be working for.”
Eight months pregnant, she made sure she was with O’Brien at the end of his time at NBC.
For early-to-bed kinds of people, “The World’s Worst Assistant” may be a struggle.
The teasing that author Sona Movsesian writes about may seem juvenile or malicious, if you don’t know much about today’s late-night talk shows. If you’ve never seen the good-natured fun-poking there, you won’t understand how she kept her job and the rapport she had with O’Brien, her boss. Still, you’ll enjoy this book, if you make sure your read-between-the-lines powers are in the “on” position.
That’s because this isn’t a book about being an assistant. It’s about being a friend.
Readers, therefore, shouldn’t expect a cascade of laughter on every page. What they can look forward to are stories of slacking, awkwardness, and wasting time on the boss’s dime, told amid the story of two fun people who’d hang out together, even if work wasn’t involved.
Once you know that about “The World’s Worst Assistant,” you’ll want to hang out with them, too. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/for-late-night-fans-worlds-worst-assistant-will-cause-a-cascade-of-laughter/article_72564839-a9b5-51b8-ac9f-80d90dab05b1.html | 2022-08-19T11:43:17Z |
Cheyenne and Laramie County
Fridays on the Plaza
– Aug. 19, 5:30 p.m. A weekly summer concert series featuring acts from around the country. This week’s headliner is Jeremiah Tall, with an opening performance by Dirty Grass Players. Cheyenne Depot Plaza, 1 Depot Square. 307-637-6200
Country Dance Lessons with David Uriquidez
– Aug. 19, 6-8 p.m. $15 per person, $25 per couple. Be the star of the country bar after attending this swing dance class. Bring water and dance appropriate shoes. Tickets available via https://cfdoldwestmuseum.org/products/country-dance-lessons Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-778-7290
Cheyenne Farmers Market
– Aug. 20, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their produce, honey, jams, meat, bakery and specialty items, and much more. Proceeds benefit Community Action of Laramie County and its programs. B Parking Lot, Frontier Park, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-635-9291 or www.calc.net/farmers-market
NRA Action Pistol Regional and Wyoming State Championship
– Aug 20-21, 9 a.m. Some of the top Action Pistol competitors in the U.S. will compete in the “Steamboat Challenge” shooting competition. NRA Action Pistol is best described as “precision pistol shooting at speed.” Otto Road Shooting Range, 1531 Otto Road. 307-640-3847
Historic Cemetery Walk
– Aug 20, 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. $10. The living history program, “Cheyenne’s Melting Pot,” presented by the Cheyenne Genealogical & Historical Society, begins at the main gate of Lakeview Cemetery and features interesting characters who played large and small parts in Cheyenne’s frontier history. Lakeview Cemetery, 2501 Seymour Ave. 307-630-0924
Cheyenne Arts Celebration
– Aug. 20, 12:30-7 p.m. Free. The Cheyenne Arts Celebration may be young, but it’s in the middle of rapid growth. This festival features live music, vendors, food, drinks and more. Lions Park, Lions Park Drive. 307-637-6423
Puddle of Mudd
– Aug 20, 8-10 p.m. $30. This Kansas City, Missouri-based rock band enjoyed mainstream success in the ‘90s, and now they’re on their way to downtown Cheyenne. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Healing and the Mind
– Aug. 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Join Dr. Ken Kranz for Part VIII of the “What’s the Next Step?” presentation series. This installment will focus on different ways that we can use the power of our mind to improve the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our life. Laramie County Community College Library, 1400 E. College Drive. 307-778-1206
Cultural Blind Spots series
– Aug. 21, 2 p.m. Join St. Mark’s in the second installment of its Cultural Blind Spots series, which will explore the experiences of minority ethnic groups in Cheyenne. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1908 Central Ave. 307-634-7709
Animal Collective @ The Lincoln
– Aug 22, 7-10 p.m. $25. Renowned indie rock group Animal Collective will perform at the historic downtown theater. The Lincoln Theatre, 1615 Central Ave. 307-369-6028
Open Mic Night at Blue Raven
– Aug. 24, 7-10 p.m. A musical open mic night, presented in collaboration with Wyoming Wave Studios. Blue Raven Brewery, 209 E. 18th St. 307-369-1978
”’Twilight of the Gods:’Defeat, Memory, and Legacy of World War II and the Holocaust” presentation
– Aug. 25, 6-8 p.m. The third and final installment in a series of expert presentations from Adam Blackler, associate professor of history at the University of Wyoming, all of which will provide context and historical background for the themes and concepts presented in Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition for libraries, currently on display. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
New Frontier Cheyenne Gun and Western Collectibles Show
– Aug. 26, 12-5 p.m.; Aug. 27, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. This Western collectible and firearms show will have a large assortment of new and antique firearms, accessories, knives, edged weapons, cowboy and Indian artifacts, relics, Western memorabilia, antiques and jewelry. Laramie County Events Center at Archer, 3801 Archer Parkway. 307-633-4670
Fridays on the Plaza
– Aug. 26, 5:30 p.m. A weekly summer concert series featuring acts from around the country. This week’s headliner is Jocelyn & Chris, with an opening performance by The Patti Fiasco. Cheyenne Depot Plaza, 1 Depot Square. 307-637-6200
Cheyenne Farmers Market
– Aug. 27, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their produce, honey, jams, meat, bakery and specialty items, and much more. Proceeds benefit Community Action of Laramie County and its programs. B Parking Lot, Frontier Park, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-635-9291 or www.calc.net/farmers-market
End of Summer Foam Party
– Aug. 27, 10 a.m.-noon. Summer is over, and it’s time to go back to school. Join the library for outdoor games and sipping on lemonade as we enjoy the last rays of summer with a foam party. Performance Park, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
University of Wyoming Football Fest
– Aug. 27, 2-6 p.m. Prepare your best University of Wyoming football cheer, don your brown and gold, and get ready for game day at the library. Join fellow fans to watch the first game of the season as the Cowboys take on Illinois. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
New Frontier Cheyenne Gun and Western Collectibles Show Auction
– Aug. 27, 4 p.m. This year’s auction includes antique Native American and cowboy items, Old West memorabilia and eight special items worn on-screen by famous (now deceased) actor John Wayne. Laramie County Events Center at Archer, 3801 Archer Parkway. 307-633-4670
Edge Fest 2022
– Aug. 27, 5-11 p.m. Experience Tones & I, Claire Rosinkranz and Joe P at the seventh installment of this free outdoor music festival. There will be food and drink on site, as well. Civic Commons Park, Bent Avenue and 20th Street. info@edgefest.com
Tales Together
– Aug. 30-31, 10:15-10:45 a.m. An interactive early literacy class for preschool children and their caregivers. Practice new skills incorporating books, songs, rhymes, movement and more. Laramie County Library, 2200 Pioneer Ave. 307-634-3561
Open Mic Night at Blue Raven
– Aug. 31, 7-10 p.m. A musical open mic night, presented in collaboration with Wyoming Wave Studios. Blue Raven Brewery, 209 E. 18th St. 307-369-1978
Cheyenne First Friday Artwalk
– Sept. 2, 5 p.m. Free. The Cheyenne Artwalk is a monthly event that highlights a local gallery or studio on the first Friday of every month. This month, look for the mobile ArtHaus unit parked out front the Clay Paper Scissors, along with food trucks and live music. Cheyenne Artist Guild, 1701 Morrie Ave. 307-632-2263
Cheyenne Farmers Market
– Sept. 3, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their produce, honey, jams, meat, bakery and specialty items, and much more. Proceeds benefit Community Action of Laramie County and its programs. B Parking Lot, Frontier Park, 4610 Carey Ave. 307-635-9291 or www.calc.net/farmers-market
Laramie and Greater Wyoming
7220’ Music Fest
– Aug. 27, 3-10 p.m. $20. A music festival to raise money for Albany County Search and Rescue and Laramie Chamber Business Alliance. There will be street vendors, food trucks and music. Bond’s Brewing Company, 411 S. Second St. 307-460-3385
307 Film Festival
– Aug. 27-28. $49 for weekend pass. A festival that celebrates films and filmmakers from across Wyoming, the United States and internationally. Studio City UW, 2422 Grand Ave. 307-460-1598
Fort Collins, Colorado
Foodie Walk
– Aug. 19, 5-8 p.m. Free. A monthly self-guided food walk through downtown Fort Collins. Various locations, Fort Collins, Colorado. 970-484-6500
Off the Shelf: Contemporary Book Arts in Colorado
– Aug. 26-Dec. 18, museum hours. Free. This exhibit features artists that innovate and defy our conceptual framework of the book and its contents. The artist book, a medium spanning the public and private sphere of creators and viewers, reflects on issues intimate and grand. Colorado State University Gregory Allicar Museum of Art, 1400 Remington Street, Fort Collins, Colorado. 970-491-1989
World’s Biggest Pizza Party
– Aug. 27, noon-4 p.m. Fort Collins pizza maker Project Pizza Co. is hosting an event to beat the world record for the world’s biggest pizza party. There will be six pizza trucks making pizzas, a DJ and a celebration for pizza lovers in Fort Collins. City Park Fort Collins, 1500 W. Mulberry St. info@projectpizzaco.com
Boulder, Colorado
Hiatus Kaiyote @ Boulder Theater
– Aug. 31, 8 p.m. $39.50-$40. A performance by Melbourne-based, genre-transcending alternative band Hiatus Kaiyote. Boulder Theater, 2042 14th St., Boulder, Colorado. 303-786-7030
Denver
Loco Locals Comedy Extravaganza
– Aug. 17, 7:30-9:30 p.m. $10. A night of stand-up comedy. Ten-minute sets from five different comics. Avanti Food and Beverage, 3200 Pecos St., Denver. 720-269-4778
Mt. Joy @ Mission Ballroom
– Aug. 18, 8 p.m.; doors at 7 p.m. A performance from indie-rock band Mt. Joy, fresh off their latest studio album, “Orange Blood.” Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. 720-577-6884
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats @ Red Rocks
– Aug. 23-24, 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. Folk artist Nathaniel Rateliff is stopping by Red Rocks with support from Caroline Rose for his 2022 North American Tour. Red Rocks Amphitheater, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado. 720-865-2494
My Morning Jacket @ Red Rocks
– Aug. 26-27, 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. A two-night performance from alternative-rock band My Morning Jacket. Red Rocks Amphitheater, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado. 720-865-2494
Nine Inch Nails @ Red Rocks
– Sept. 2-3, 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. A two-night performance from critically acclaimed industrial/electronic/metal band fronted by Trent Reznor. Red Rocks Amphitheater, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison, Colorado. 720-865-2494
To submit an item to the events calendar, email ToDo@wyomingnews.com or call WTE features editor Will Carpenter at 307-633-3135. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/friday-calendar-8-19-22/article_f88b5e44-1e7b-11ed-a933-bb11f487b4cb.html | 2022-08-19T11:43:23Z |
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