text stringlengths 65 123k | url stringlengths 25 420 | crawl_date timestamp[us, tz=UTC]date 2022-04-01 01:00:57 2022-09-19 04:34:04 |
|---|---|---|
BEIJING, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanchang county in east China's Jiangxi province recently kicked off its "lotus festival", an annual economic, trade and cultural event to promote business environment and attract investment.
With opening ceremony held on August 18, this year's festival covers rural revitalization, digital economy and fine business environment with activities such as cultural and tourism product trade and expo, art exhibition as well as night market expected to last for four months.
In its sixth this year, the lotus economic and trade festival has become the hallmark event for Nanchang county to better promote its charm, to attracts more talents and also for local people to have fun in all sorts of cultural activities. What's more, it has become the platform for project matching, negotiation and a booster for local development, a business participant noted.
It is introduced during the opening ceremony that digital economy and optimizing business environment are the priorities of Nanchang county this year, which has actively promoted digital industrialization and industrial digitization. The county has launched a number of digital projects such as Xiaolan · Taihao VR Industrial Park, China Mobile Jiangxi Xiaolan data center, and China Unicom's only VR / AR research base in China.
Nanchang county has been constantly improving business environment as well. The county has been building and upgrading its online corporate services and e-government services to provide convenient, round-the-clock services for individuals and enterprises while providing favorable policies for cutting cost for businesses.
Nanchang county is the first in Jiangxi province that ranks among China's top 100 counties. Statistics shows that its GDP reached 102.78 billion yuan in 2019, also a first among counties in Jiangxi to exceed 100 billion yuan. The county has formed a "3 + 3 + N" industrial structure of automobiles and new energy vehicles, green food, biomedicine, intelligent equipment manufacturing, semiconductors, new energy and new materials.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/xinhua-silk-road-echina-jiangxi-nanchang-county-holds-promotional-event-show-charm-attract-investment/ | 2022-08-22T08:06:19Z |
Teen hit-and-run victim ‘will not be the same’ after brain injury, mother says
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The mother of a 13-year-old girl badly injured in a hit-and-run crash wrote on GoFundMe that her daughter “will not be the same” due to extensive, inoperable damage to her brain stem.
Lilly, a 13-year-old from Osprey, Florida, is fighting to survive after Florida Highway Patrol reported she was hit by a car while riding her bike in a crosswalk Tuesday, according to WWSB.
The family asked that Lilly’s last name not be published to protect her privacy.
Her mother wrote in an update on GoFundMe that doctors say the teen “will not be the same Lilly that we all know and love ever again” because of extensive damage to her brain stem, which she said is “inoperable” after the crash.
Her mother’s post goes on to write she’s unsure if Lilly will ever be “aware as you and I are,” as the family waits for the results of an MRI scheduled for Monday.
Despite the seriousness of her brain injuries, the family is hoping the 13-year-old can recover to the best of her abilities. However, she is expected to need long term care for the rest of her life.
Investigators say Lilly, a student at Pine View School, was on her bike in a school crosswalk, marked with flashing yellow lights and yellow signage, about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday when a dark silver sedan approached her, heading west.
The sedan hit the 13-year-old before fleeing the scene westbound.
Suspect David Chang was arrested the next day after he and his heavily damaged car were found at an auto-repair shop in Tampa. He bonded out of jail but is facing a string of charges, including leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crash causing property damage and destroying evidence.
Lilly’s mother is feeling both gratitude toward community members who have stepped forward to donate tens of thousands of dollars to aid her daughter’s recover and other powerful emotions aimed at the man accused of putting her in the hospital.
“I am struggling with feelings of anger at this horrible man who is walking around our community while Lilly is fighting for her life,” she wrote in the post. “The overwhelming feeling of unfairness comes in waves.”
The GoFundMe, set up for medical and travel expenses, has raised more than $85,000. Any money left over will be donated to All Children’s Hospital, Lilly’s mother says.
Chang is expected to appear in court on Sept. 30.
Copyright 2022 WWSB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/teen-hit-and-run-victim-will-not-be-same-after-brain-injury-mother-says/ | 2022-08-22T09:03:46Z |
Teen hit-and-run victim ‘will not be the same’ after brain injury, mother says
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The mother of a 13-year-old girl badly injured in a hit-and-run crash wrote on GoFundMe that her daughter “will not be the same” due to extensive, inoperable damage to her brain stem.
Lilly, a 13-year-old from Osprey, Florida, is fighting to survive after Florida Highway Patrol reported she was hit by a car while riding her bike in a crosswalk Tuesday, according to WWSB.
The family asked that Lilly’s last name not be published to protect her privacy.
Her mother wrote in an update on GoFundMe that doctors say the teen “will not be the same Lilly that we all know and love ever again” because of extensive damage to her brain stem, which she said is “inoperable” after the crash.
Her mother’s post goes on to write she’s unsure if Lilly will ever be “aware as you and I are,” as the family waits for the results of an MRI scheduled for Monday.
Despite the seriousness of her brain injuries, the family is hoping the 13-year-old can recover to the best of her abilities. However, she is expected to need long term care for the rest of her life.
Investigators say Lilly, a student at Pine View School, was on her bike in a school crosswalk, marked with flashing yellow lights and yellow signage, about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday when a dark silver sedan approached her, heading west.
The sedan hit the 13-year-old before fleeing the scene westbound.
Suspect David Chang was arrested the next day after he and his heavily damaged car were found at an auto-repair shop in Tampa. He bonded out of jail but is facing a string of charges, including leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury, leaving the scene of a crash causing property damage and destroying evidence.
Lilly’s mother is feeling both gratitude toward community members who have stepped forward to donate tens of thousands of dollars to aid her daughter’s recover and other powerful emotions aimed at the man accused of putting her in the hospital.
“I am struggling with feelings of anger at this horrible man who is walking around our community while Lilly is fighting for her life,” she wrote in the post. “The overwhelming feeling of unfairness comes in waves.”
The GoFundMe, set up for medical and travel expenses, has raised more than $85,000. Any money left over will be donated to All Children’s Hospital, Lilly’s mother says.
Chang is expected to appear in court on Sept. 30.
Copyright 2022 WWSB via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/teen-hit-and-run-victim-will-not-be-same-after-brain-injury-mother-says/ | 2022-08-22T09:38:20Z |
LONGMONT, Colo., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 3D at Depth, the global leader in commercial subsea LiDAR laser technology, has appointed two senior staff members at their new Aberdeen base, which is officially being opened this week with a ceremony and technical sessions.
Rob Davidson and Tarry Waterson both joined this month, hitting the ground running to assist with sales and business development of the company's leading asset, Cuvier DEEP™, the World's only deep-water Subsea LiDAR™ providing end-to-end service. With previous roles in DeepOcean, Boskalis, Proserv and Technip; Rob brings over 12 years' experience in the industry, five of which in Senior and Lead roles in the capacity of Project Surveyor. Tarry has over 20 years' experience in the industry; specialising in subsea sonar technology and imaging, with previous roles representing Sulmara for Boskalis Subsea, Imagenex Technology Corp and Subsea 7.
3D at Depths Global Service Manager Ian Ellis comments, "Our unparalleled underwater data solution, Cuvier DEEP™, is a highly specialist technology which is gaining fast traction in the subsea industry due to its ability to provide an end-to-end service offering, from high data capture accuracy to data deliverables. We are pleased to welcome Rob and Tarry as their experience with subsea LiDAR's combined with their meticulous approach for detail and tenacious business acumen, will lend itself to meeting the level of interest we are experiencing."
"We're confident that this expansion will only help to deliver a new level of efficiency, transparency and data quality whilst lowering carbon and vessel time savings from crewed and un-crewed surface vessels.
Ian concludes, "The new office is based at NEO House, in Aberdeen, it's a great location for us and is well known. We're opening, officially this week with a two-day open event complete with technical sessions to showcase the Cuvier DEEP™ and answer any questions to potential partners and clients."
Issued on behalf of 3D at Depth by HHE Business. For more information please contact Martine Watker media@3datdepth.com / martine@hhebusiness.co.uk or +44 7828828216.
Notes to Editors
3D at Depth is the World's foremost commercial leader in advanced subsea LiDAR laser technology. Its advanced Subsea LiDAR laser (SL) systems and subsea survey services enable clients to extract more value from underwater 3D data. Through advanced data collection, processing, visualization, and analysis, 3D at Depth provides accurate, repeatable, millimetric 3D point clouds to help measure, map, and evaluate underwater assets and environments. The firm supports customer survey operations globally from its bases in Europe and the United States.
To learn more and gain insight into the range of solutions and services provided by 3D at Depth, visit www.3datdepth.com, LinkedIn, and 3D at Depth on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For more information visit: https://3datdepth.com/
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE 3D at Depth, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/3d-depth-announce-record-growth-first-half-2022-with-new-aberdeen-hub-two-senior-recruits/ | 2022-08-22T09:38:26Z |
Investment supports customer demand across Europe in attractive segments, including coffee and pet food
ZURICH, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amcor (NYSE: AMCR) (ASX:AMC), a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, today announced that it has closed the acquisition of a world-class flexible packaging plant located in the Czech Republic.
The strategic location of the site immediately increases Amcor's ability to satisfy strong demand and customer growth across its flexible packaging network in Europe.
"With this acquisition we are investing to accelerate the organic growth momentum of our flexibles business in Europe in attractive segments," said Michael Zacka, President, Amcor Flexibles Europe, Middle East & Africa. "The scalable nature of the acquired site and its attractive location further bolsters our ability to service strong customer demand and generate strong returns for Amcor shareholders."
The plant is a greenfield development commissioned by DG Pack in 2019 and features state-of-the-art specialized equipment for attractive segments including coffee and pet food. The land and buildings acquired also provide the option to significantly scale up operations and establish a highly efficient production hub.
About Amcor
Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly lighter weight, recyclable and reusable, and made using an increasing amount of recycled content. In fiscal year 2022, 44,000 Amcor people generated $15 billion in annual sales from operations that span 220 locations in 43 countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC
www.amcor.com I LinkedIn I Facebook I Twitter I YouTube
View original content:
SOURCE Amcor | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/amcor-buys-world-class-scalable-flexible-packaging-plant-central-europe/ | 2022-08-22T09:38:33Z |
GLOUCESTER, Va., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cook Foundation is pleased to announce the awarding of a $75,000 matching to Woodville Rosenwald School Foundation to complete interior restoration of the historic school.
"The Woodville School is not only a historic site but with the leadership of the Woodville Rosenwald Foundation, it will again become a cultural center in Gloucester, Virginia. The Cook Foundation is pleased to support the restoration and preservation of the interior. The Woodville School and the foundation that supports it are critical to preserving both history and a sense of wholeness within our community," said Adrianne Joseph, Founder and Chair of The Cook Foundation.
Built in 1923, the school replaced an earlier school at the same site. Integral to the community was the nexus between the Rosenwald Fund and African American leadership from Thomas Calhoun Walker, better known as TC Walker, who was enslaved at birth but became a lawyer and community leader in Virginia. Walker is credited for bringing six Rosenwald schools to Gloucester. Walker's relationship with Booker T. Washington fostered access to education and vocational training, and necessary community building within and for the African American population. The Woodville School represents a unique time and place in American history, and has earned consideration as a part of the proposed Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park which will honor the connection between Jewish and African American history.
We are eager to foster the continuation of both Rosenwald's legacy and the African American community here in Gloucester that persevered despite the systemic challenges they faced.
Michael Blakey, PhD, Chair of the Woodville School Scholars Committee and member of the board is widely known for his expertise in engaging descendant communities. He is the National Endowment for the Humanities Professor of Anthropology and American Studies at William and Mary. Blackey said: "Memory is essential to who and what we are: fond memory, critical memory, reminiscence. Museums serve memory with physical objects that demonstrate its details, just as the Woodville Rosenwald School resonates the educational memories of a whole community. We are encouraging the living descendants of African American education in Gloucester to reach back and fetch their memories in a conversation with scholars about the past and its impact on the present and future."
Learn more: http://thecookfoundation.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Cook Foundation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/cook-foundation-awards-75000-matching-grant-historic-woodville-rosenwald-school-foundation/ | 2022-08-22T09:38:39Z |
HONG KONG, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited (HKEX stock code: 1691) ("JS Global" or the "Company"), a leading producer of household appliances, announces its inclusion to the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index, effective on September 5, 2022.
JS Global was one of the 96 companies included in the index, among 2800 companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index is the official benchmark for sustainability investments in Hong Kong and evaluates companies' performance in Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") indices.
JS Global places great importance to sustainable corporate development and to high standards in ESG initiatives. The Company has built a complete ESG indicator system and management mechanism in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The SharkNinja segment was the one of the first to achieve its carbon neutral target at its European headquarters. The Joyoung segment, through its Joyoung Hope Fund, has built a total of 1,306 Joyoung Kitchens in China for primary and secondary schools in need, positively impacting over 500,000 teachers and students across the country.
As such, JS Global Lifestyle was ranked in the top three for the "Best ESG Management Company" in consumer necessities sector by leading international financial magazine Institutional Investor in June 2022.
Mr. Wang Xuning, Chairman and CEO of JS Global said: "We are very pleased by our inclusion to the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index, which demonstrates recognition of our ongoing corporate sustainability efforts. As we look to the future, we are eager to continue to grow and develop our ESG programs and deepen our sustainability practices. We would like to thank all those who contributed to the Company's development in ESG, and we will continue to emphasize the importance of taking responsibility to create a sustainable future and create greater value for all our stakeholders."
About JS Global
JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited (Hong Kong: 1691) is a world leading producer of small household appliances. It ranks fourth globally in the small household appliance industry and third among small household appliance-focused companies. It primarily operates three major brands: Shark, Ninja and Joyoung. The Company's success is centered around its deep understanding of consumer needs, and is built on its strong product innovation and design capability powered by a global research and development platform, marketing strengths driving high brand engagement, and an omni-channel distribution coverage with high penetration.
About SharkNinja
SharkNinja is an innovation leader in the housewares industry and creator of the familiar household brands Shark® and Ninja®. SharkNinja provides the latest in easy-to-use innovative technology with a growing line of solutions that consist of Shark cleaning and home care products and Ninja kitchen appliances. Products are sold at major retailers and through distributors around the world. Ninja and Shark are registered trademarks of SharkNinja Operating LLC. SharkNinja is a subsidiary of JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited (Hong Kong: 1691) a leader in small household appliance innovation.
About Joyoung
Joyoung (002242.SZ) is SharkNinja's sister brand and has become a well-known small household electrical appliance enterprise and one of the market share leaders in China. Joyoung invented the first soymilk maker in China and closely connect the concept to plant-based solutions. With 28 years of experience and over 10,000 patented technologies, Joyoung specializes in the research and development, design, manufacturing, and sale of its innovative product categories including small household appliances, primarily focusing on kitchen. Joyoung is a subsidiary of JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited (Hong Kong: 1691) a leader in small household appliance innovation.
Company Contacts
Venus Zhao, Head of Investor Relations, Public Relations and Compliance, JS Global Lifestyle
venus.zhao@jsgl.com
Adam Quigley, VP of Finance at SharkNinja
AQuigley@sharkninja.com
Investor Relations
ir@jsgl.com
View original content:
SOURCE JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/js-global-announces-inclusion-hang-seng-corporate-sustainability-index/ | 2022-08-22T09:38:45Z |
FORNEBU, Norway, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mainstream Renewable Power ("Mainstream"), the global renewable energy company majority-owned by Aker Horizons, and Ocean Winds, the international company dedicated to offshore wind energy, have been appointed preferred bidder by Crown Estate Scotland for an area with the potential for a 1.8 GW offshore wind farm off the Shetland Islands in Scotland.
Mainstream and Ocean Winds, as the preferred bidders, are now offered the opportunity to enter into an option agreement for the site which is located east of the Shetland Islands in approximately 100m water depth and is well suited for floating offshore wind. The project partners, which hold a 50-50 ownership, are committed to developing floating offshore wind on an industrial scale in Scotland, generating local jobs and opportunities in Scotland and the Shetland Islands. The site output is expected to power for the equivalent of over 2 million homes.
"We are proud of Mainstream and Ocean Winds' success in the ScotWind process. It is a testament to the strength of the partnership, and to Mainstream's standing as a leading developer of gigawatt-scale renewables platforms with significant offshore technology expertise. This was further reinforced by the company's recent combination with Aker Offshore Wind," said Kristian Røkke, Chief Executive Officer of Aker Horizons and Chairman of Mainstream.
"This is a very significant win for Mainstream, which plays to our key strengths as a global leader in floating offshore wind technology as well as our track record in offshore wind project development," said Mainstream's Chief Executive Officer Mary Quaney. "In Scotland, we have already developed the 450 MW Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm and we now look forward to working with all stakeholders to further develop and strengthen Scotland's offshore wind industry and help position it as a global leader in floating offshore wind power."
Mainstream and Aker Offshore Wind in August 2022 completed a transaction to combine the two companies to create a stronger renewable energy company with more than 27 GW net portfolio. Combining Aker Offshore Wind's strong technical and engineering capabilities and early mover position in floating offshore wind with Mainstream's proven project development methodology, execution track record and global presence unlocks new opportunities worldwide. The company is currently bringing forward multi-gigawatt scale developments of offshore wind assets in markets including Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Norway, Ireland and Sweden.
Mainstream, through its combination with Aker Offshore Wind, has already partnered with Ocean Winds in the joint venture KF Wind in South Korea and are in consortium to bid in the upcoming leasing round for floating wind at Utsira Nord in Norway. Mainstream and Ocean Winds are also major shareholders of the leading floating wind technology provider Principle Power.
"We are proud of the strength that Ocean Winds and Mainstream Renewable Power teams have combined to secure this major new project," said Bautista Rodriguez, Ocean Winds' chief executive officer. "As Ocean Winds, we are looking forward to using our more than 10-year expertise as pioneer in floating offshore wind farms from development to operation to progress this large floating project awarded with Mainstream, as well as the 500 MW floating project also awarded to Ocean Winds during this clearing round. Both will bring major benefits to Shetland and Scotland, and an important contribution to Net Zero."
Ocean Winds was created as a 50-50 joint venture in 2020 by EDP Renewables and ENGIE. The company is one of Scotland's leading offshore wind developers, with 950 MW currently in operation at Moray East and 882 MW in late development stage at Moray West. In January 2022, Ocean Winds was successful in its ScotWind bid, the Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm, with a plan for up to 2 GW.
About Mainstream Renewable Power
Mainstream Renewable Power is a leading pure-play renewable energy company, with wind and solar assets across global markets, including in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Mainstream is one of the most successful developers of gigawatt-scale renewables platforms, across onshore wind, offshore wind, and solar power generation. It has successfully delivered 6.5 GW of wind and solar generation assets to financial close-ready and has a global portfolio of more than 27 GW.
In May 2021, Aker Horizons acquired a majority stake in Mainstream and, in April 2022, Mitsui & Co., Ltd. joined Aker Horizons as a long-term strategic investor. In August 2022, the transaction to integrate Aker Offshore Wind into the Mainstream Group was completed.
Mainstream is one of the leading developers of offshore wind at scale globally. It has successfully consented Hornsea One (1.2 GW), the largest operational offshore wind plant in the world today; and developed the Hornsea 2 project (1.4 GW) before selling these projects and the entire Zone in 2015. Mainstream fully consented the Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind project in Scotland, where 450 MW is currently under construction. Overall, it has developed and consented 20% of the UK's offshore wind capacity either in operation or under construction. The company is currently bringing forward multi-gigawatt scale developments of offshore wind assets in markets including Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Norway, Ireland, the UK, and Sweden.
Mainstream, through Aker Horizons' ownership and its combination with Aker Offshore Wind, will leverage the decades of offshore energy development experience through the Aker group. Aker has been instrumental in the design and deployment of more than half of all semisubmersible floating offshore installations in the world and has over four decades of experience in Scotland, including a global subsea centre of excellence.
About Ocean Winds
Oceans Wind (OW) is an international company dedicated to offshore wind energy and created as a 50-50 joint venture, owned by EDP Renewables and ENGIE. Based on our belief that offshore wind energy is an essential part of the global energy transition, we develop, finance, build and operate offshore wind farm projects all around the world.
When EDP and ENGIE combined their offshore wind assets and project pipeline to create OW in 2019, the company had a total of 1.5 GW under construction and 4.0 GW under development; OW has been adding rapidly to that portfolio and is now on a trajectory to reach the 2025 target of 5 to 7 GW of projects in operation, or construction, and 5 to 10 GW under advanced development. In 2022, OW's offshore wind gross capacity already operating, in construction or with advanced development rights granted reaches 14.5 GW.
OW, headquartered in Madrid, is currently present in 8 countries, and primarily targets markets in Europe, the United-States, selected parts of Asia, and Brazil.
For more information: www.oceanwinds.com
About Aker Horizons
Aker Horizons develops green industrial projects and technologies that accelerate the net zero transition. The company holds assets across renewable energy and carbon capture, and develops green industrial hubs that combine low-cost renewable energy with hydrogen production and downstream applications. As part of the Aker group and its 180-year industrial heritage, Aker Horizons applies industrial, technological and capital markets expertise to solve fundamental challenges to sustainable existence. Aker Horizons is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and headquartered in Fornebu, Norway. Through its portfolio companies, Aker Horizons employs over 1,200 people across 18 countries and five continents. www.akerhorizons.com
For further information, please contact:
Ivar Simensen, Communications, Tel: +47 46 40 23 17,
ivar.simensen@akerhorizons.com
Christian Yggeseth, Investor Relations, Tel: +47 915 10 000,
christian.yggeseth@akerhorizons.com
This information is considered to include inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation article 17 and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. This stock exchange announcement was published by Ivar Simensen, Communications at Aker Horizons ASA, on August 22, 2022 at 10:20 CEST.
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
View original content:
SOURCE Aker Horizons | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/mainstream-renewable-power-ocean-winds-win-18-gw-scotwind-site/ | 2022-08-22T09:38:52Z |
LONDON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prytek, a multinational technology group with a focus on building and investing in technologies and delivering managed services, announces that it has appointed Noga Knaz as its CEO of Prytek Ventures to provide the Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arm with more management attention and concentrating on early-stage fintech startups.
As part of her role, Noga will be responsible for Prytek's investment activities in early-stage companies that work with or contribute to the technology and services sectors of mature companies in the Group. Prytek's venture capital assets are currently worth over $100 million, which among other things, are developing technologies for the services divisions of the Group. Its CVC portfolio includes several technology companies that the Group has invested in, such as BlackSwan, Apester, CyberHat, FICX, Orchestra, and Ezbob.
In her new role, Noga brings with her over 20 years of Financial Services experience and a wide variety of positions, from trading in stock exchanges, analysis, marketing and investment management. She was previously a partner in Rosario Capital and also served as their CEO and Vice Chairman. She also currently holds director positions at BIG, Hilan, and Altshuler-Shacham.
Andrey Yashunsky, CEO of Prytek says: "We are very happy to see a professional such as Noga joining the Venture Capital arm of Prytek. In her role she will be looking to continue investing in technologies for our corporate and managed services. The Venture Capital arm has served to build dozens of great tech solutions in the last few years, which are our divisions use to provide solutions to our clients."
Noga Knaz, CEO of Prytek Ventures, adds: "I am delighted to be joining the Prytek family and growing the portfolio of tech solution providers. I look forward to leading Prytek Ventures' growth and enhancing its value chain proposition."
About Prytek
Prytek is a multinational technology group that builds deep technology and SaaS solutions through a BOPaaS (Business Operating Platform-as-a-Service) which is a combination of Deep Tech Solutions with Managed Services and Capital, providing the capability to lift out entire operations to create more efficient businesses of the future. Headed by industry experts, Prytek builds businesses and ecosystems in the Financial Services, Cyber & Tech Education and HR sectors.
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1699026/Prytek_Logo.jpg
View original content:
SOURCE Prytek | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/prytek-appoints-noga-knaz-ceo-its-venture-capital-arm-prytek-ventures/ | 2022-08-22T09:38:59Z |
CHONGQING, China, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from iChongqing:
The Smart China Expo (SCE) 2022 is held in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality from August 22 to 24, where development plans, latest achievements, and hot topics are discussed on the application of frontier technology of intelligent science on the building of smart city. Online exhibition is available here SCE.
The world-renowned scientists representing at the SCE 2022 include 2010 Nobel Prize winner Konstantin Novoselov, and 2021 Turing Prize winner Jack Dongarra, academics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and heads of well-known enterprises like Changan Auto, Alibaba Group, and Huawei. They delivered video speeches to discuss new technologies, developments, and trends in "smart city" construction at the Opening Ceremony and Summit of the SCE today.
The Expo gathered more than 50 of the Fortune Global 500 and Fortune China 500 enterprises, including Huawei, Bosch, BOE, and Inspu, combined with the global release of Beitai Tianyuan numerical calculation software V2.0 and the launch of Baidu autonomous driving commercial operation scheme for the first time.
With an exhibition area of 90,000 square meters, 557 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions participates including Italy, more than 1560 application scenarios are presented in over 30 fields, and make extensive use of information technology such as naked eye 3D, Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).
This year's SCE highlights the cutting-edge achievements showcase. Fifty eight new products such as a high-definition 8k decoder and intelligent machine workshop, 15 new technologies including desert socialization smart agriculture, 24 new applications like "city brain" big data platform, and 16 new achievements involving microchip and IntelliSense system, are presented at this session.
Focusing on "Smart City" this year, the SCE sets up the guest of honor province by Sichuan Province, aiming to accelerate the development of intelligent industries in Chengdu and Chongqing through cooperation.
This year marks the fifth year of the SCE, helping Chongqing to accelerate the construction of the smart city and promote the deep integration of digital technology, and economic and social development. With Chongqing as the fulcrum, the integration and exchange of advanced technologies between China and foreign countries will be further promoted in big data intelligence.
For more information on SCE2022, please visit
https://www.ichongqing.info/special/smart-china-expo-2022/
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE iChongqing | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/smart-china-expo-2022-opens-promote-chinas-international-high-tech-cooperation/ | 2022-08-22T09:39:05Z |
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (HKEx:2318; SSE:601318) announced the successful launch of PingAn-3, also known as Taijing-1 01, Ping An's first earth observation optical remote sensing satellite. PingAn-3, launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, will join Internet of Things (IoT) satellites PingAn-1 and PingAn-2, to support the supply chain financial services of Ping An Bank and the development of inclusive finance.
Due to a lack of loan collaterals and reliable credit information, micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) face challenges in raising funds required for business expansion and production upgrades. It is difficult and risky for financial institutions to review financing applications from MSMEs due to the long industrial chains, numerous cross-regional businesses, difficulties in due diligence, and receivables that are small amounts and high frequency.
Ping An strives to drive the development of inclusive finance by leveraging technologically innovative financial service model to address financing needs of MSMEs. PingAn-3, as Ping An Insurancean earth observation optical remote sensing satellite, can obtain high-resolution image data, help banks to grasp real operation data and other information in the upstream and downstream of the supply chain more effectively and intuitively upon corporate authorization. This information can also help banks to assess loan risks and improve the availability and accessibility of financial services.
In the agricultural sector, the area and growth of crops are monitored through remote sensing images on a regular basis. This information helps determine the extent of financial support provided to MSMEs in the upstream and downstream of the agricultural supply chain. In the energy sector, a remote sensing satellite can obtain images of a solar farm, check the number and integrity of photovoltaic panels with artificial intelligence (AI) image technology, and provide data support for green credit of banks. In urban services sector, banks can use remote sensing images to understand the construction progress of commercial real estates and industrial parks, and improve the security of financing business.
Since Ping An Bank embarked on its Nebula IoT Program in 2019, it has launched the IoT satellites PingAn-1 and PingAn-2 to improve the IoT data communications on the ground. By connecting IoT devices, services can be extended to mines, forests, grasslands, deserts, oceans and other areas where ground signals are missing. As of the end of March 2022, more than 20 innovative projects under the Nebula IoT Program have been implemented in six major industrial fields, including vehicle connectivity, manufacturing, energy, agriculture, infrastructure and logistics. The projects are serving more than 12,000 customers and connecting more than 12 million IoT end devices. In the future, the three satellites will work together to sense, identify, locate, track, monitor and manage physical assets for more timely and effective transmission of true operation data in the upstream and downstream of the supply chain. They will play a valuable role in pre-loan credit enhancement review, post-loan monitoring, early warning and other aspects.
About Ping An Group
Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") strives to become a world-leading retail financial services group. With over 223 million retail customers and nearly 657 million internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world. Ping An focuses on two over-arching domains of activity, "integrated finance" and "healthcare", covering the provision of financial and health care services through its integrated financial services platform and ecosystems in financial services, healthcare, auto services and smart city services. The "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Group is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Ping An ranked 17th in the Forbes Global 2000 list in 2022 and ranked 25th in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2022.
For more information, please visit www.group.pingan.com and follow us on LinkedIn - PING AN.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/successful-launch-pingan-3-satellite-empowers-inclusive-finance/ | 2022-08-22T09:39:12Z |
Man accused of shooting sleeping wife with crossbow
Published: Aug. 22, 2022 at 5:32 AM EDT|Updated: 14 minutes ago
OTTUMWA, Iowa (KCRG) - A 68-year-old man from Iowa is charged with attempted murder after police say he shot his wife with a crossbow.
Police responded to an Ottumwa, Iowa, house at 1:13 a.m. Wednesday on a report that a woman was shot with a crossbow, according to KCRG.
Investigators say the victim was shot with the crossbow while sleeping on a couch inside the home. She reportedly sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from the hospital.
Police arrested the victim’s husband, 68-year-old George Edward Dennison, at approximately 10 a.m. in a wooded area near the home. He was charged with attempt to commit murder and domestic abuse assault.
Copyright 2022 KCRG via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/man-accused-shooting-sleeping-wife-with-crossbow/ | 2022-08-22T09:47:02Z |
A Michigan man aims to bring high-speed internet to a rural community. It's a place where broadband is a lifeline for many, but neighbors are often stuck with slow dial-up connections.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A Michigan man aims to bring high-speed internet to a rural community. It's a place where broadband is a lifeline for many, but neighbors are often stuck with slow dial-up connections.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/after-poor-broadband-access-a-man-started-his-own-fiber-internet-service-provider | 2022-08-22T10:37:43Z |
Three law enforcement officers in Arkansas have been suspended over what appeared to be the beating of a suspect that was caught on video.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Three law enforcement officers in Arkansas have been suspended over what appeared to be the beating of a suspect that was caught on video.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/arkansas-officers-are-suspended-after-social-media-video-shows-a-police-beating | 2022-08-22T10:37:49Z |
When a reservoir in central Spain dropped to just 28% of its capacity, a giant stone circle from about 5000 BC emerged. What's being called Spanish Stonehenge disappeared in a flood in the 1960s.
Copyright 2022 NPR
When a reservoir in central Spain dropped to just 28% of its capacity, a giant stone circle from about 5000 BC emerged. What's being called Spanish Stonehenge disappeared in a flood in the 1960s.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/drought-hit-dam-reveals-spanish-stonehenge | 2022-08-22T10:37:56Z |
Brazil is the world's largest Catholic country. But evangelical Christian churches are popping up everywhere, even in the jungle, and now about one-third of Brazil's population is evangelical.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Brazil is the world's largest Catholic country. But evangelical Christian churches are popping up everywhere, even in the jungle, and now about one-third of Brazil's population is evangelical.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/evangelical-christian-churches-gain-ground-in-majority-catholic-brazil | 2022-08-22T10:38:02Z |
Fox Corp CEO and Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch — already busy fighting two multi-billion dollar defamation lawsuits aimed at Fox News here in the U.S. — has threatened a news organization in his family's home country of Australia with legal action.
The threat stems from commentaries accusing him of being responsible for rhetoric on the network that helped fuel the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol.
Now the Aussie political news site Crikey has a message: Bring it on.
"Lachlan Murdoch appears desperate to disassociate himself from the actions of Fox in inciting the January 6th insurrection," Crikey's editor-in-chief, Peter Fray tells NPR from Sydney. "And he's taking quite extraordinary steps to shut down public debate in this country."
Fray says his news site was not literally saying Murdoch personally incited people to violence that day. But, Fray says, "the buck has to stop somewhere."
So, in full-page ads set to appear today in The New York Times and the Canberra Times in the Australian capital city, Fray and Eric Beecher, the chairman of Crikey's parent company, Private Media, proclaim they welcomed Murdoch's threat of a lawsuit.
In the written text of their ad, the two men suggested they wanted it to serve as a test of Australian defamation laws, which, they wrote, "are too restrictive."
Fox Corp declined comment yesterday on the dispute with Crikey.
Murdoch's complaints arose from a June 29th piece driven by revelations about the activities of former President Donald Trump and his allies ahead of the insurrection at the U.S. Congress last year.
Crikey's political editor said Fox was among Trump's top allies, and concluded a column by calling Murdoch and his father Rupert "unindicted co-conspirators" in the siege because of the incendiary rhetoric Fox often aired.
"We at Crikey strongly support freedom of opinion and public interest journalism," Beecher and Fray wrote.
The two men said they decided to publish all the legal demands and accusations against Crikey from Murdoch's attorneys, and the site's replies, "so people can judge your allegations for themselves."
Fox News faces a pair of defamation suits in the U.S.
The flap occurs at the same moment Fox News is publicly invoking free speech ideals as it seeks to defend itself from two multi-billion dollar defamation lawsuits from election technology and voting machine companies in the U.S.
In response to those two lawsuits, Fox News said, "freedom of the press is foundational to our democracy and must be protected."
And the network called the damages sought — more than $4 billion combined — "nothing more than a flagrant attempt to deter our journalists from doing their jobs."
A day after Crikey political editor Bernard Keane's June 29 column alleging a link between Fox's broadcasts and Trump's actions, Lachlan Murdoch's Australian media attorney, John Churchill, sent a note threatening a defamation suit and demanding an apology.
Churchill argued that Crikey had made an "unwarranted attack" in personally connecting Murdoch to the Jan. 6th attacks that was "malicious and aggravates the harm."
Crikey took the post down, saying it was doing so as a courtesy. But no apology was forthcoming, and earlier this month, Crikey re-posted Keane's column.
Its executives told the Sydney Morning Herald that the episode was just one of several moments in which Murdoch had sought to bully the news site.
Australia remains key to the Murdochs
Australia plays a recurring and central role in the Murdoch family's many dramas, both personal and professional.
Lachlan's father, Rupert Murdoch, was born there and made the foundation of his wealth there from a small newspaper granted to him by his father in Adelaide. Nearly two decades ago, Lachlan moved to Australia, seeking to make his own mark, when he quit his father's Manhattan-based media empire over corporate infighting. Lachlan's wife is Australian. He holds Australian citizenship and considers Australia home.
Though Lachlan returned to the fold, and once more helps to lead the family media empire, he moved with his wife and children back to Sydney during the pandemic. They still live there.
In defending its coverage of unproven allegations of voter fraud involving Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic election technology companies, Fox Corp and Fox News have argued that the network was merely covering newsworthy, if false, claims made by then President Donald Trump and his allies.
Republican and Democratic election officials at the local, state, and federal level have concluded there was no meaningful election fraud in the 2020 presidential race. Judges appointed by Trump were among the dozens who ruled against the Trump campaign in its legal challenges to the presidential election results.
Similarly, the New York City-based general counsel for Fox News, Bernard Gugar, wrote a formal complaint last September against a two-part documentary program Four Corners on the Australian Broadcasting Corp, called "Fox and the Big Lie."
The documentary focused on Fox's coverage following the 2020 elections, which it contended boosted Trump's false claims. But Gugar asserted the documentary was biased and false.
His very first objection: the fact it said it relied on network "insiders." He noted that the six former Fox News staffers interviewed by the ABC included people who left as far back as 2016 and 2017, as well as its former political director, who was let go several months after the election. (Fox sparked Trump's fury when its decision desk was the first to project that he would lose Arizona on Election Night in November 2020. )
According to two people with knowledge of the matter, the complaint was rejected by the internal unit at the ABC that reviews outside objections. Fox subsequently lodged its objections with the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the regulator that oversees broadcasting there. The regulator has not yet acted upon it.
The Crikey column that started the spat
The latest clash between the Murdochs and the Australian press hinges on a June 29th column by Crikey's politics editor, Bernard Keane, inspired by the revelations of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection.
Keane made two references to a Murdoch, though it's not clear whether the initial one pointed at Lachlan or Rupert.
The headline of the column, unmistakably a work of political commentary, calls Trump a "a confirmed unhinged traitor" and goes on to say "Murdoch is his unindicted co-conspirator."
The column's final line reaches a grand rhetorical crescendo to make a case for the Murdochs' moral culpability: "the Murdochs and their slew of poisonous Fox News commentators are the unindicted co-conspirators of this continuing crisis."
Churchill, the attorney for Fox and Murdoch, argues that connecting the Murdochs to such violent acts is unfair, inaccurate and ultimately defamatory.
Fox's attorneys have taken the first steps toward filing such a lawsuit against Crikey. In Australia, such cases are much easier to win than in the U.S.
"We're unwilling to be bullied by Lachlan Murdoch any more," Crikey's Fray tells NPR. "We thought it was important to make a stand for free speech and for independent journalism — something Lachlan Murdoch, his father Rupert, and his grandfather, too, have stood up for over the years."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/fox-ceo-lachlan-murdoch-threatened-an-aussie-news-site-its-fighting-back | 2022-08-22T10:38:08Z |
Two astrophotographers have teamed up to produce an out of this world photo of the moon, capturing over 200,000 shots to create a single image.
Andrew McCarthy and Connor Matherne collaborated last November to push their photography skills to the limit. Their finished product was posted online Saturday, and is currently gaining lots of attention on Reddit.
The two stargazers first connected over Reddit and then Instagram, sharing and commenting on each other's work over the past three or four years. After recognizing one another's strengths in photography, they decided to team up for a photoshoot of Earth's moon.
"When he and I put our heads together we were able to make something a little off brand for both of us, which is cool," McCarthy told NPR. "The whole thing is assembled like a mosaic, and each tile is made up of thousands of photos."
McCarthy said he specializes in detailed photographs, taking tens of thousands of photos to capture the geographical features on the moon's surface. Matherne, who prefers to shoot deep space photos, specializes in colors.
Over the course of a single evening, McCarthy shot over 200,000 detailed photos of the moon from Arizona, while Matherne shot another 500 images from Louisiana to capture color data. They combined their work by stacking the photos on top of one another to create a detailed image of the moon in spectacular color.
"Andrew aimed purely for the detail side whereas I aimed purely for the color side," Matherne said. "That allowed us to get the full moon."
They spent the next nine months bouncing edits and ideas off one another about the edits, using photo editing programs to help produce the best image possible.
Matherne and McCarthy said though their work is technical, it's not out of reach for other photo enthusiasts. All that's required is a camera, tripod and a star tracker. Aspiring astrophotographers can take their work to the next level by purchasing a telescope, but the two said it's best to develop basic photo skills before taking that next step.
But astrophotography isn't as simple as point and shoot. One of the most difficult parts of the job, McCarthy said, is practicing patience.
A successful shoot relies heavily on clear skies and limited light pollution. Most nights McCarthy walks away empty handed, but that makes successful shoots all the more meaningful.
"If you can't handle that, then you're not going to get to the point where you're getting these great pictures," he said. "Anybody can do it, but it takes a special temperament."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/how-2-astrophotographers-teamed-up-to-capture-a-stellar-image-of-the-moon | 2022-08-22T10:38:14Z |
The drought is forcing western states to rethink how much water they use — including dozens of coal-fired power plants that provide electricity to millions.(NOTE: The word "shit" is bleeped.)
Copyright 2022 NPR
The drought is forcing western states to rethink how much water they use — including dozens of coal-fired power plants that provide electricity to millions.(NOTE: The word "shit" is bleeped.)
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/how-drought-threatens-electricity-producing-coal-fired-power-plants | 2022-08-22T10:38:20Z |
Students across the country are moving into dorms or getting ready to board school buses for their first day of class.
But unlike the past two years, COVID-19 numbers are down nationally and most students are walking in the school doors without masks. From kindergarten all the way through college, educators are trying to convey a sense of normalcy, and for Dr. Richard Martini, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of Utah, that push comes with added baggage.
"For some of these kids, [there is] a good bit of anxiety around getting back into the classroom on a regular basis," he says, "They're understanding and trying to deal with everything that has happened over the last two years."
While the pandemic caused widespread disruption to learning, one of the biggest concerns, for students of all ages, has been how it has affected their mental health. High numbers of teenagers have reported persistently feeling sad or hopeless, and the Biden Administration has tried to make student mental health a priority.
For parents concerned about how their students are handling the new school year, here are five suggestions mental health experts say can help them monitor their child's mental health:
1. Be proactive
Whether your student is starting pre-K or high school, there are many ways to be proactive. Martini says a lot of anxiety for students comes from the unknown, so help walk them through the steps – sometimes literally.
"Give the child an opportunity to walk around the school grounds," he says. "If you're talking about kindergartners ... if there's a playground that's adjacent to it, get used to being around the building."
If you don't have access to the actual school grounds early, looking at a map in "street view" on your phone or computer can help. Get them used to talking about class or recess. Ask them what they want to eat for lunch. The more questions, Martini says, the more real it becomes: "What are they excited about? What are they looking forward to?"
Athletics and arts programs can help, too. Even if students are nervous about the classroom, he says, getting them to pinpoint other aspects of school life that excite them can relieve the academic stress and provide outlets for students to express themselves.
2. Ask about the good and the bad
Asking questions is the best way to understand how students are doing. But for older students, especially, if you're only asking about the good things, you may not get the full picture.
"When you're talking to your student, ask them about what's going well, but also be very clear and ask what isn't going as well," says Nathaan Demers. He's a clinical psychologist in Denver and helps run YOU at College, an app designed to connect students with mental health resources. He says, don't shy away from the hard questions with your kids – ask them about the challenges they're facing, too.
Demers tell parents: Pay particular attention to how you phrase the questions. Using "what" instead of "why" can remove any hint of accusation. That leaves room for students to open up about their feelings and relieves the pressure some students feel to be having a good time.
For example, you might want to ask "What isn't going well?" instead of "Why aren't you enjoying [school]?' "
3. Keep an eye on changing behavior
"One thing that can admittedly be challenging," Demers acknowledges, is that "a lot of the common signs of the onset of mental health symptoms are very much those of major transitions."
Things like changes in sleep, increased irritability, increased weight gain or changes in appetite can signal to clinicians that there may be an underlying issue. But for incoming college students, he adds, "a lot of those things can naturally happen ... with students going away from home for the first time."
There is no perfect answer, so Demers says to trust your gut. "Parents know their kids better than anyone else," and often they can sense when something isn't right. "There's a difference between, 'Oh, my son or daughter is having a challenging day or a challenging week' versus 'something just seems off.' "
For younger students, one of the most common warning signs is irritability with school or teachers, says Martini at the University of Utah. He notes that for younger students, irritability with teachers has been a recent trend in classrooms. "Particularly when you're dealing with young children, there is a tendency to blame the school teachers and principals for some of the challenges they're having," he says.
4. It's not just COVID
The increase in anxiety and mental health issues isn't solely a result of the pandemic. The number of students struggling with mental health has been rising for years, says Sarah Lipson, an assistant professor of public health at Boston University. She helps lead an annual survey of hundreds of colleges around the country to get a better picture of student mental health.
"You wouldn't look at a bar chart and say, you know 'what started to happen in spring of 2020?' " she explains. "That's not the case. We instead see this gradual but problematic trend that continued through COVID."
According to her department's survey, the number of college students experiencing mental health issues first spiked in the 2015-2016 school year and has been going up since.
While the past two years have been especially challenging, Lipson says not to belittle students' feelings by explaining them away with the pandemic. In an academic year where there is a push for normalcy some students may not be ready to return to business as usual.
Lipson says to keep an eye on those students in particular: "One of the most powerful specific symptoms that we see— it's also the strongest predictor of students dropping out — and that's a lack of interest in their usual activities."
5. Lend a hand
Parents can help by identifying the problem and offering solutions. Ultimately, resources are there to help students of all ages deal with their mental health, but the daunting task of finding the right one can keep students away.
"If you cut off your finger right now," Demers says. "You know to go to the emergency room. But a lot of times when students have changes in their appetite, aren't sleeping or feeling more frustrated, a lot of times students don't know that [those are] signs of depression or anxiety."
All of the experts we spoke with recommend that parents know about the resources available, and be ready to step in to help their children find the help they need.
Some in-person resources include talking with a counselor at school or finding an on-campus group like Active Minds. But often virtual resources are the easiest first step. Demers' app YOU at College is one example – students can input their symptoms and find recommendations for nearby resources. In a crisis situation the easiest option for families is to text HOME to 741741 to connect via phone with a trained counselor.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/keep-an-eye-on-your-students-mental-health-this-back-to-school-season | 2022-08-22T10:38:27Z |
Back in 2016, Kid Cudi wrote a heartfelt letter to his fans explaining that he needed help. The musician was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, so he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility.
"I am not at peace. I haven't been since you've known me. If I didn't come here, I would [have] done something to myself," he explained.
But another danger was lurking.
In a recently published interview with Esquire, the artist revealed that two weeks after entering rehab, he had a stroke and was subsequently hospitalized. It was a terrifying and traumatic event. It slowed his speech and movements so badly that his manager urged him to step away from music while he underwent weeks of physical therapy to recover.
He was 32 at the time.
While that's young, a February 2020 article in the journal Stroke suggests that between 10% and 15% of strokes occur in people ages 18 to 50. And rates among people under 45 appear to be on the rise. Recent research in the United States and Europe has found that "ischemic stroke in younger adults is increasing," according to the paper.
Ischemic is one of two types of stroke. They're the most common, accounting for about 87% of strokes, according to the American Stroke Association, and they occur when a vessel supplying blood to the brain is obstructed. Meanwhile, hemorrhagic strokes make up about only 13% of cases. They're caused by a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. The blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue.
May Kim-Tenser, a neurologist with Keck Medicine of USC, told NPR that young people are mistaken in thinking they're innately protected from having a stroke. But there are factors that they can control to reduce their risk.
In Cudi's case, the artist has been candid about going on a two-week cocaine binge before checking himself into rehab. "When you do drugs or smoke, that drives up your blood pressure, and high blood pressure can be a contributing factor," Kim-Tenser explained.
Other reasons for increased strokes in young people are poor diet and more sedentary lifestyles. The latter, she noted, has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It probably didn't help that younger people were just sedentary at their job. They were sitting, zooming for meetings, not really moving as much," Kim-Tenser said.
Sitting still for hours was one of the factors in model Hailey Bieber's mini-stroke in March.
The 25-year-old said in a YouTube video that she had been eating breakfast when she suddenly felt a "weird sensation" from the top of her right shoulder through the tips of her fingers. One side of her face drooped for about 30 seconds, and she lost the ability to speak for some time.
Doctors eventually concluded she'd experienced a "perfect storm" of conditions that likely caused a transient ischemic attack (TIA) — a brief blockage of blood supply to the brain — often called a mini-stroke by doctors.
In the days before the TIA, Bieber had flown from Paris to Los Angeles without getting up to walk or move around the plane. She'd also recently recovered from COVID-19, which some researchers believe produces blood clots. Finally, Bieber had also begun taking birth control pills, "which I should have never been on because I am somebody who suffered from migraines anyway," she noted, adding that she hadn't talked to her doctor about it.
Bieber, who is considered an influencer in all things beauty and style related, said she hoped her video would help others understand how to recognize signs of a stroke and share resources for anyone "going through something similar."
Kim-Tenser said spreading the word is imperative to understanding stroke prevention.
"Obviously, there are genetic causes, but there are also things we can change," she said. "Just moving your body is probably one of the best things you could do, and you could probably decrease the risk through diet and exercise."
And if someone is actively experiencing acute stroke symptoms, Kim-Tenser has three words to remember: "Time is brain!"
In such emergencies, don't call loved ones for help. Call 911 immediately, she said, because the sooner a patient can get to an emergency room, the sooner doctors can start administering stroke protocols.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/kid-cudi-says-he-had-a-stroke-at-32-hailey-bieber-was-25-how-common-are-they | 2022-08-22T10:38:33Z |
Mexico shelters migrants from Latin America to Africa to the Middle East NPR Published August 22, 2022 at 3:16 AM MDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Flipboard Listen • 6:44 NPR's A Martinez visits a shelter dedicated to serving Muslim migrants in Tijuana. It's the first of its kind in Mexico. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/mexico-shelters-migrants-from-latin-america-to-africa-to-the-middle-east | 2022-08-22T10:38:39Z |
More states will enact abortion trigger bans this week NPR Published August 22, 2022 at 3:16 AM MDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Flipboard Listen • 4:06 Abortion bans are set to take effect in several states following a waiting period after June's Supreme Court decision. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/more-states-will-enact-abortion-trigger-bans-this-week | 2022-08-22T10:38:46Z |
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/morning-news-brief | 2022-08-22T10:38:52Z |
Eric Alvarez remembered what it felt like to hear his fiance was coming home from prison: overwhelming relief.
Alvarez has heart trouble and he's struggled to take care of his four kids and his fiance's daughter through their long separation. When Eva Cardoza returned from the federal correctional institution in Danbury, Connecticut, she shouldered a lot of burdens.
"She was doing everything at home. She was cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, helping them with homework," Alvarez said.
More than 11,000 people like Cardoza have been released from federal prison in the last couple of years, to ride out the pandemic at home, often with their families and loved ones. But that situation can be precarious.
In June 2021, Alvarez and Cardoza took a 90-minute cab ride into the Bronx, so she could meet with staffers in charge of her supervision. Cardoza, who had tested positive for marijuana, never came out of the building. Alvarez ended up forking out $433 to cover the hours the taxi meter ran as he waited in vain.
Cardoza's return to prison turned the family upside down. She's now been back at Danbury for 14 months. Alvarez said she never got the chance to explain herself or challenge that single positive drug test.
"That's just mind boggling to me," Alvarez said. "Where is the judicial system? Where is the fairness? Where is the 50-50? I don't see it."
Less than 0.2% of the people released committed new crimes while they were out
This week, the Bureau of Prisons told NPR that 442 people who were released during the pandemic have now returned to prison. Only 17 people out of more than 11,000 who were released committed new crimes, mostly drug related ones, while they were out. More than half, some 230 people including Eva Cardoza, got sent back for alleged alcohol or drug use. Other cases involved technical violations.
Sakira Cook of the racial justice group Color of Change explained what that means.
"It could be as simple as failing to answer the phone when your probation officer calls you. It could be as simple as the ankle monitor giving an incorrect signal about your location," Cook said.
Cook has personal experience with that last problem: a relative recently left federal prison on home confinement, only to get an ankle monitor that didn't work. Fortunately, she said, the probation officer understood the situation.
Kevin Ring advocates for people in prison and their families at the group FAMM, formerly known as Families Against Mandatory Minimums.
"In a normal circumstance, somebody who violates the terms of their home confinement is sent back to the halfway house or to prison, but the stakes are much lower," Ring said. "They're only going back for a month or two."
But some of the people released from prison under the bipartisan pandemic legislation called the Cares Act have years remaining on their prison terms.
"Is it really worth sending people back for years because they missed a phone call or they had alcohol in their urine?" Ring asked.
Hoping for due process as a judge rules the current procedures are unconstitutional
Most of the monitoring of people on home confinement is being done by private contractors, said Quinnipiac University School of Law professor Sarah Russell.
"There can be a lot of room for miscommunications and misunderstandings," Russell said.
Russell said that's all the more reason to ensure due-process rights for people at risk of being sent back: the opportunity to see the evidence against them and to have a hearing before a neutral arbiter.
Last week, one of Russell's clients won those rights in court. The decision by Judge Omar Williams is the first in the nation to hold that the current process for returning people to federal prison after home confinement is un-constitutional.
Russell said her other clients — moms with young children-- are still nervous about having to leave their lives behind unexpectedly.
"My real hope is that this gets addressed at the national level through the Bureau of Prisons and through the Department of Justice," Russell said. "They have a real opportunity to set clear procedures and criteria."
More lawsuits from people returned to prison are under way. The Bureau of Prisons said it can't talk about that pending litigation. But it is considering a new federal rule to make the process more clear.
For Eric Alvarez, 46, that can't come too soon. He's been diagnosed with colon cancer--the same disease that took his uncle years ago.
"And my heart is not up to par to take this kind of abuse and now I'm going through it on my own," he said. "It's just I'm afraid that I'm going to die alone."
Alvarez talks to his fiance in prison on the phone, or with video calls. But he said it's not the same as having her home.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/released-during-covid-some-people-are-sent-back-to-prison-with-little-or-no-warning | 2022-08-22T10:38:58Z |
In an escalation of political tensions with the current leadership in Pakistan, terrorism charges have been filed against the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Copyright 2022 NPR
In an escalation of political tensions with the current leadership in Pakistan, terrorism charges have been filed against the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/terrorism-charges-are-filed-against-pakistans-former-prime-minister-imran-khan | 2022-08-22T10:39:04Z |
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief for The Financial Times, about a weekend car bombing outside of Moscow that killed the daughter of a key ally of President Putin.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief for The Financial Times, about a weekend car bombing outside of Moscow that killed the daughter of a key ally of President Putin.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/the-daughter-of-putin-ally-alexander-dugin-is-killed-in-a-car-bomb-explosion | 2022-08-22T10:39:11Z |
A look inside one of Pennsylvania's 13 centers taking calls for 988, the new national suicide prevention hotline. Centers across the U.S. need more money and staffers for the increase in calls.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A look inside one of Pennsylvania's 13 centers taking calls for 988, the new national suicide prevention hotline. Centers across the U.S. need more money and staffers for the increase in calls.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/the-national-988-hotline-is-up-and-running-but-local-centers-need-workers-funding | 2022-08-22T10:39:17Z |
Extended school closings during the pandemic were a calamity for education. NPR's Anya Kamenetz writes about how COVID changed children's lives in her new book: The Stolen Year.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Extended school closings during the pandemic were a calamity for education. NPR's Anya Kamenetz writes about how COVID changed children's lives in her new book: The Stolen Year.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/the-new-book-the-stolen-year-details-how-the-pandemic-disrupted-childrens-lives | 2022-08-22T10:39:24Z |
A Navy program helped to bring home the remains of an Ohio sailor who died at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. Musician First class Joseph Hoffman was aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack.
Copyright 2022 WYSO
A Navy program helped to bring home the remains of an Ohio sailor who died at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. Musician First class Joseph Hoffman was aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack.
Copyright 2022 WYSO | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/the-remains-of-an-ohio-man-who-died-in-the-pearl-harbor-attack-are-buried | 2022-08-22T10:39:30Z |
At this point, control of the U.S. Senate next year looks like a jump ball.
Four months ago — the last time we wrote about the top 10 seats most likely to change hands — Republicans were growing confident they would win the chamber.
But a lot has changed in that time.
The Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade has boosted Democratic enthusiasm (and fundraising); a handful of hardline or untested Republican challengers won their primaries; and the Jan. 6 committee hearings and the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home have put him front and center yet again, threatening to make the election a choice rather than a referendum on President Biden and Democratic governance.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell noted last week that "candidate quality" could hamper Republicans' ability to win the chamber.
"I think there's probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate," the Kentucky senator said in his home state. "Senate races are just different, they're statewide. Candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome."
It's all giving Democrats hope of retaining the 50-50 Senate, which they narrowly control with Vice President Harris casting tie-breaking votes. But inflation remains the top concern for many voters, especially independents, and Biden continues to be unpopular — though many Democratic candidates are outperforming his approval.
Here's where things stand in the key races, in order of most likely to flip:
1. Pennsylvania (R-Open)
Democrat John Fetterman has held up well so far against Trump-backed TV doctor Mehmet Oz, despite suffering a stroke that kept him off the campaign trail for months. Fetterman is better liked, and he's pounded Oz's residency and wealth on social media. Oz, on the other hand, is coming off a bruising primary and hasn't quite found his footing.
Still, Oz is in striking distance. For him to improve his odds, he will need to pierce Fetterman's brand, as Republicans try to figure out the best issue set to stick to Fetterman. Some operatives believe it's not tying the tough-talking, burly former mayor to left-wing politics, like Medicare for All or the democratic socialism of Sen. Bernie Sanders, but fracking and crime. So far, that message hasn't taken hold.
2. Georgia (D-Warnock)
Very little separates the next four races, which are all expected to be extremely tight.
Georgia has remained close, and incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock has done well so far. Republicans acknowledge that earlier efforts to try and paint Warnock as a "radical" were a mistake. It's tough to make the pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church — the same post once held by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — whose ads have featured him smiling with his beagle, look like a bad guy. Instead, the attacks to come are more likely to be simply making Warnock out to be a Democrat whose votes are out of step with Georgia.
But Georgia is about as purple as it comes now, and Warnock's Trump-backed opponent, Herschel Walker, has his issues as a candidate. Still, the former NFL and University of Georgia running back has high name ID and appeal among Republicans. And Walker will likely benefit from the gubernatorial race of Republican Brian Kemp, who is currently favored to win reelection. This one will likely be a nail-biter.
3. Arizona (D-Kelly)
Incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly has a lead in the polls and has struck a moderate profile in this state Biden won narrowly. Plus, Trump-endorsed Republican Blake Masters won his primary and backs Trump's election lies. But this is Arizona, and operatives in both parties expect this race to tighten. Masters has landed in controversy on multiple topics, but Democrats have chosen to focus on his hardline stance on abortion. In fact, one of the first ads run against him after the primary was on that, showing what a salient issue Democrats think it is, especially with independents, which are so crucial in this state.
But Republicans see inflation and immigration as the two most important issues. Plus, Masters is already making a tonal shift now that he's in the general election. Republicans also outnumber Democrats in the state by about 147,000, and with a third of the state not identifying with either party, independents are key for Kelly. Democrats have been able to win over independents in recent Senate elections in the state, but it's a tougher task in the first midterm of an unpopular Democratic president.
4. Nevada (D-Cortez Masto)
Nevada's political leaning and demographics — with substantial Latino and Asian American populations — tend to favor Democrats. But Republicans continue to doubt the strength of incumbent freshman Catherine Cortez Masto's candidacy.
Democrats, on the other hand, think Cortez Masto, the first Latina elected senator, has run a good campaign so far, focusing on local issues, like helping get drought funding in the Democratic-passed Inflation Reduction Act.
Democrats outnumber Republicans in Nevada by tens of thousands of voters, and Democrats think abortion will fire up their voters to head to the polls. Republican Adam Laxalt is a controversial candidate who has backed Trump's election lies, but he is a former attorney general who is also a political scion in the state. (His grandfather, Paul Laxalt, was a senator and governor.)
5. Wisconsin (R-Johnson)
Incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is not very well liked in the state and has landed in numerous controversies related to the coronavirus vaccine and his ties to Trump and the Jan. 6 insurrection. Johnson hardly cuts the image of the vanilla businessman that helped him first win his seat in 2010. An early poll shows he could be in trouble, but Republicans are feeling positive about his chances. They say Johnson is doing a good job raising money and running a strong campaign, doing the groundwork, even reaching out to the small share of Latinos in the state.
The Democrat here is Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is less well known, though he has won statewide. While Democrats want to make this about Johnson, Republicans will seek to paint Barnes as progressive as anyone in the state, particularly on crime and ties to the "defund the police" and "defund ICE" movements, which he has tried to distance himself from in recent months.
6. New Hampshire (D-Hassan)
This is the one key Senate race that doesn't have its general election matchup set. That would be thought of as an advantage for incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan, but New Hampshire is a purple state with a strong independent and libertarian streak, and Hassan's numbers have lagged. Biden may have won New Hampshire in 2020 by 7 points, but he's now very unpopular in the state. That makes it a tough place for a Democrat up for reelection.
The GOP primary will be decided Sept. 13, and no candidate has really stood out from the pack. So far, Don Bolduc, a retired Army general who has backed Trump's election lies and whom Trump has praised, has a lead in polls over the more staid state Senate President Chuck Morse and others. Primary polls have moved quickly this year closer to elections, and this race hasn't gotten a lot of attention yet, but Republicans likely would rather make this a campaign between a more generic Republican and Hassan rather than with an election denier.
7. North Carolina (R-Open)
These next two are close, but still lean in Republicans' direction.
Democrats like what they've seen out of their nominee in North Carolina, Cheri Beasley, the first Black chief justice of the state Supreme Court. That's a statewide elected position, one she lost by just 401 votes out of more than five million in 2020. (Biden lost the state by more than 100,000 votes.)
Notably, she has more than doubled the amount of money raised by Republican Rep. Ted Budd, the Trump-endorsed candidate, as of June 30. North Carolina has a Democratic governor, as well, but this has been something of a Lucy-and-the-football state for the party. Democrats have been close, but won no presidential or Senate races since Barack Obama (and former Sen. Kay Hagan) won in 2008.
There are more Democrats in the state than Republicans, but independents here are more GOP-leaning, which has given Republicans the advantage in recent federal elections. What's more, while Republicans have seen their ranks stay about the same since 2020, Democratic registrations have shrunk since then, when Biden lost by 1.4 points.
8. Ohio (R-Open)
Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan has run a strong, middle-of-the-road campaign so far, Democrats say. And it's showing in the polls against Republican J.D. Vance, who has landed in controversies with his remarks on women and family. Vance has a lot of work to do to right his campaign's ship. He's been seen as running a weak campaign and Ryan has raised seven times the amount of money as Vance.
But there's a long way to go. And the cavalry is about to come to Vance's aid. The Senate Leadership Fund is planning to plunk down $28 million to boost Vance, more than quadrupling what Republicans have already spent on his candidacy. Plus, this is a Republican-leaning state that Biden lost by 8 points. The president's approval rating is underwater in the state, and Ryan has distanced himself from Biden.
9. Florida (R-Rubio)
Rounding out the top 10 are two states that are stretches for both parties, but where they are competing strongly.
In Florida, Republican incumbent Marco Rubio has veered a long way from his 2016 anti-Trump days that won him the pejorative "Little Marco" from Trump. Since then, he's shrunk into the former president's shadow, denouncing the search at Trump's Florida home, for example, as a "Third World Act."
The fact is: Rubio needs Trump's supporters in a state Trump won twice and where conservative Ron DeSantis is governor. Challenging him is Democratic Rep. Val Demings. Demings, a former Orlando chief of police, was a Trump impeachment manager and has actually outraised Rubio, highly unusual for a sitting senator. At the end of the day, though, this is still Florida, and Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 200,000 voters.
10. Colorado (D-Bennet)
The incumbent here is Democrat Michael Bennet. Republicans are happy their candidate Joe O'Dea, a more moderate construction company executive who supports abortion rights in the early months of a pregnancy, made it through the primary against an election denier who did not believe in any exceptions for abortion. (Trying to get through the primary, O'Dea touted on his website that "pro-lifers" had endorsed him.)
Democrats aim to use abortion to fire up their voters in this state, where Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 100,000 voters. They'll paint O'Dea as a vote for McConnell for majority leader and the 51st vote to ban abortion — despite the fact that O'Dea has said he would vote to codify early-term abortion rights and later with exceptions. (He has likened himself to a "Republican Joe Manchin.")
Republicans don't believe Bennet has been pushed and think he's potentially vulnerable. He won in 2016 with just 50% and by 6 points. (Republicans also believe they can give Sen. Patty Murray in Washington state a run for her money, but that hasn't borne out so far and is an even more left-leaning state than Colorado.)
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/the-senate-looks-like-a-jump-ball-here-are-the-10-seats-that-will-decide-the-majority | 2022-08-22T10:39:36Z |
The big climate and health care bill signed into law by President Biden has what at first sight looks like a big incentive for those shopping for a car: a revamped $7,500 tax credit if you buy a new electric vehicle, or $4,000 if you get a used one.
Although tax credits for electric cars have been offered before, the new bill revamps those incentives. But there are so many caveats – on everything from the buyers' income level to which models can qualify – that many electric cars may actually not be eligible for the tax credit.
Nonetheless, the caveats are there for two key reasons: to eventually make electric cars more affordable for more Americans and to bring more of the production across the supply chain to the U.S.
If the bill succeeds in accomplishing those two goals, experts believe the law could catapult the electric vehicle market into the mainstream in ways the country hasn't seen before.
Here's what to know about the tax credits.
So, who qualifies for the revamped tax credits?
Not everybody.
Only singles with incomes up to $150,000 a year and couples who file taxes jointly who earn up to $300,000 will qualify.
This income cap requirement is meant to help less affluent people afford electric cars – and incentivize automakers to expand their customer base.
The high cost of electric cars has long been seen as a major impediment to the adoption of these vehicles. Currently the average price of an electric vehicle is $66,000.
What about the requirements for the electric vehicles?
There are some major requirements, both on how the car – and its battery – is produced and the overall price of the vehicle.
To start with, to get the full tax credit, the car has to be assembled in North America. This provision of the law went into effect when President Biden signed the legislation into law last week. There are more than two dozen vehicles that meet this requirement, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, but dozens more have already been disqualified from the tax credit with this requirement alone.
Starting Jan. 1, 2023, more caveats come into effect.
Sedans have to be under $55,000 to qualify, and the cost of trucks, vans, and sports utility vehicles can't exceed $80,000.
The price caps for used electric vehicles is $25,000, but the cars won't have to comply with the made-in-America requirements.
Are there requirements for the batteries as well?
Yes, and that's important because batteries are the most important part of any electric car
A certain percentage of minerals in the EV battery must come from North America or a country that has a free trade agreement with the U.S.
Much of the battery components must also be manufactured or assembled in North America.
That's expected to complicate things for auto companies.
"That's going to be a huge burden and hurdle to overcome," says Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research. "We don't have the mining, we don't have the critical minerals that are needed in North America or from our free trade partners, and almost 90% of the refining is done in China."
Currently, no electric vehicle on the market will qualify for the full tax credit when battery requirements take effect in 2023, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.
Is it possible qualify for a partial tax credit?
It is.
A buyer could get a partial credit of $3,750 if 40% of the critical minerals in EV batteries are sourced from countries with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement.
The other $3,750 is linked to battery components. Starting in 2023, 50% of components will have to be manufactured or assembled in North America.
Over time, the required amount of minerals in the EV batteries sourced from the U.S. or trading partners will increase. So too will the required amount of components manufactured or assembled in North America.
Which automakers win and lose under this law?
Based on what's currently available on the market, higher-end electric car companies like Rivian stand to lose customers who qualify for the tax credit based on the cost of their vehicles.
Companies like Tesla or General Motors that have been producing cars in the U.S. and have already shifted their supply chains are better poised to meet the many requirements.
"They're probably at the forefront of this technology right now with some vehicles on the market and many more on the way," says Jessica Caldwell, executive director of insights at Edmunds.
Meanwhile, international automakers, like Toyota or Hyundai, face some big decisions.
"For the Asian and European automakers who have some limited production in North America, that's where we might see some more weighing of the scales in terms of, 'Is it worthwhile for us to shift production of vehicles or sourcing of materials to qualify for this, or do we just walk away?,'" says Michael Fiske, associated director of Powertrain and Compliance for S&P Global Mobility.
Don't these caveats make it hard to get the tax credit?
Initially, yes.
It will be difficult, if not impossible, for buyers to qualify for the full $7500 tax credit as automakers rethink their operations to meet the various requirements.
But this is a long-term play by the Biden administration. By incentivizing automakers to cater to a less affluent crowd and by pushing automakers to bring their supply chains to the U.S., the administration believes it can make EVs more mainstream and accelerate toward an ambitious goal: to have half of all new car sales be for electric models by 2030, up from only 3% today.
Another motivating factor is China.
China controls about three-quarters of the market for the minerals that are essential for batteries and the Biden administration has been worried about continued access to those minerals. By bolstering domestic supply chains, the administration intends to reduce China's ability to roil the electric vehicle market.
"This is about protecting American national security" says Fiske. " We've seen a lot of the challenges that have come from being reliant on the Middle East and for oil for the last half century or more. Now, I think there are valid concerns about becoming overly reliant on Asian countries for processing and manufacturing of batteries and battery-related materials for the next decade or 50 years."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/you-can-get-a-7-500-tax-credit-to-buy-an-electric-car-but-its-really-complicated | 2022-08-22T10:39:42Z |
Area around Ukraine nuclear plant hit again despite US pleas
NIKOPOL, Ukraine (AP) - Only hours after the latest international pleas to spare the area around Ukraine’s main nuclear plant from attacks, there were new claims of Russian shelling close to the Zaporizhzhya facilities early Monday.
Nikopol, on the opposite bank of the Dnieper River and about 10 kilometers (6 miles) downstream from the plant, came under fire three times during the night from rockets and mortars, hitting houses, a kindergarten, the bus station and stores, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. Ukraine media reported that four people were wounded.
Reports of sustained shelling around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant further highlighted the dangers of a war that will hit the half-year mark on Wednesday.
After U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres again urged caution during a visit to Ukraine last week, U.S. President Joe Biden further discussed the issue with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain on Sunday.
The four leaders stressed the need to avoid military operations in the region to prevent the possibility of a potentially devastating nuclear accident and called for the U.N.’s atomic energy agency to be allowed to visit the facilities as soon as possible.
Yet, nothing seemed certain in a war that has spread fear and unease far beyond the frontlines in eastern and southern Ukraine and also into the Russia-annexed Crimea peninsula and as far as Moscow, where on Saturday night a car blast killed the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as “Putin’s brain.”
On Monday Russian authorities were looking for further clues who could be behind the incident, after authorities said preliminary information indicated 29-year-old TV commentator Daria Dugina was killed by an explosive planted in the SUV she was driving.
A former Russian opposition lawmaker, Ilya Ponomarev, said an unknown Russian group, the National Republican Army, claimed responsibility for the bombing. The AP could not verify the existence of the group. Ponomarev, who left Russia after voting against its annexation of Crimea in 2014, made the statement to Ukrainian TV.
Ukraine officials have denied involvement.
In Crimea, anxiety has spread further following a spate of fires and explosions at Russian facilities over the past two weeks. The governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, ordered that signs showing the location of bomb shelters be placed in the city that had long seemed untouchable.
Monday’s statement follows a series of drone incursions into the Crimean city that is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. A drone exploded at the fleet’s headquarters on July 31 and another was shot down over the HQ last week. Authorities also say air-defense systems have shot down other drones. Razvozhaev said on Telegram that the city is well protected but “it is better to know where the shelters are.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not mention Russia’s military operation in Ukraine during a speech marking National Flag Day on Monday, but echoed some of the justifications cited for sending in troops.
“We are firm in pursuing in the international arena only those policies that meet the fundamental interests of the motherland,” Putin said. He maintains Russia sent troops into Ukraine as effectively a protective measure against the encroaching West.
“The desire to live according to one’s will, to choose one’s own path and follow it, has become part of the genetic code of our people,” he 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/2022/08/22/area-around-ukraine-nuclear-plant-hit-again-despite-us-pleas/ | 2022-08-22T10:40:04Z |
A few showers and storms are possible today, but drier conditions are on the way
High pressure will dry us out through the middle of the week
A few showers and thunderstorms are possible today, mainly during the morning hours. Otherwise, we’ll see a mix of sun and clouds with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon.
We will hold onto the chance for a few showers this evening, but most should dry up with partly cloudy skies overnight. Temperatures will be in the upper 50s and low 60s tonight.
Partly cloudy skies are expected tomorrow, however, a stray shower cannot be ruled out. Temperatures will be warmer with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s.
High pressure will keep us dry on Wednesday with mainly sunny skies. Temperatures will once again top off in the upper 70s and low 80s.
We’ll start to grow unsettled towards the end of the week as another cold front approaches the region. Highs will continue to rise into the upper 70s and low 80s. Make sure to stay tuned and catch the latest on WVVA.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/few-showers-storms-are-possible-today-drier-conditions-are-way/ | 2022-08-22T10:40:10Z |
Man accused of shooting sleeping wife with crossbow
Published: Aug. 22, 2022 at 5:32 AM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
OTTUMWA, Iowa (KCRG/Gray News) - A 68-year-old man from Iowa is charged with attempted murder after police said he shot his wife with a crossbow.
Police responded to an Ottumwa, Iowa, house at 1:13 a.m. Wednesday on a report that a woman was shot with a crossbow, according to KCRG.
Investigators said the victim was shot with the crossbow while sleeping on a couch inside the home. She reportedly sustained minor injuries, and she was treated and released from the hospital.
Police arrested the victim’s husband, 68-year-old George Edward Dennison, at approximately 10 a.m. in a wooded area near the home. He was charged with attempt to commit murder and domestic abuse assault.
Copyright 2022 KCRG via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/man-accused-shooting-sleeping-wife-with-crossbow/ | 2022-08-22T10:40:17Z |
A Michigan man aims to bring high-speed internet to a rural community. It's a place where broadband is a lifeline for many, but neighbors are often stuck with slow dial-up connections.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A Michigan man aims to bring high-speed internet to a rural community. It's a place where broadband is a lifeline for many, but neighbors are often stuck with slow dial-up connections.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/after-poor-broadband-access-a-man-started-his-own-fiber-internet-service-provider | 2022-08-22T10:55:27Z |
Three law enforcement officers in Arkansas have been suspended over what appeared to be the beating of a suspect that was caught on video.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Three law enforcement officers in Arkansas have been suspended over what appeared to be the beating of a suspect that was caught on video.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/arkansas-officers-are-suspended-after-social-media-video-shows-a-police-beating | 2022-08-22T10:55:33Z |
When a reservoir in central Spain dropped to just 28% of its capacity, a giant stone circle from about 5000 BC emerged. What's being called Spanish Stonehenge disappeared in a flood in the 1960s.
Copyright 2022 NPR
When a reservoir in central Spain dropped to just 28% of its capacity, a giant stone circle from about 5000 BC emerged. What's being called Spanish Stonehenge disappeared in a flood in the 1960s.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/drought-hit-dam-reveals-spanish-stonehenge | 2022-08-22T10:55:40Z |
Brazil is the world's largest Catholic country. But evangelical Christian churches are popping up everywhere, even in the jungle, and now about one-third of Brazil's population is evangelical.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Brazil is the world's largest Catholic country. But evangelical Christian churches are popping up everywhere, even in the jungle, and now about one-third of Brazil's population is evangelical.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/evangelical-christian-churches-gain-ground-in-majority-catholic-brazil | 2022-08-22T10:55:46Z |
Tanzania's Information Ministry is installing high-speed internet on Africa's highest mountain. Right now climbers can use it at roughly 12,200 feet. Connectivity to the summit comes later this year.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Tanzania's Information Ministry is installing high-speed internet on Africa's highest mountain. Right now climbers can use it at roughly 12,200 feet. Connectivity to the summit comes later this year.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/high-speed-internet-on-mount-kilimanjaro-will-allow-climbers-to-post-selfies | 2022-08-22T10:55:52Z |
The drought is forcing western states to rethink how much water they use — including dozens of coal-fired power plants that provide electricity to millions.(NOTE: The word "shit" is bleeped.)
Copyright 2022 NPR
The drought is forcing western states to rethink how much water they use — including dozens of coal-fired power plants that provide electricity to millions.(NOTE: The word "shit" is bleeped.)
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/how-drought-threatens-electricity-producing-coal-fired-power-plants | 2022-08-22T10:55:58Z |
Mexico shelters migrants from Latin America to Africa to the Middle East Published August 22, 2022 at 4:16 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 6:44 NPR's A Martinez visits a shelter dedicated to serving Muslim migrants in Tijuana. It's the first of its kind in Mexico. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/mexico-shelters-migrants-from-latin-america-to-africa-to-the-middle-east | 2022-08-22T10:56:04Z |
More states will enact abortion trigger bans this week Published August 22, 2022 at 4:16 AM CDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 4:06 Abortion bans are set to take effect in several states following a waiting period after June's Supreme Court decision. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/more-states-will-enact-abortion-trigger-bans-this-week | 2022-08-22T10:56:10Z |
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/morning-news-brief | 2022-08-22T10:56:16Z |
Eric Alvarez remembered what it felt like to hear his fiance was coming home from prison: overwhelming relief.
Alvarez has heart trouble and he's struggled to take care of his four kids and his fiance's daughter through their long separation. When Eva Cardoza returned from the federal correctional institution in Danbury, Connecticut, she shouldered a lot of burdens.
"She was doing everything at home. She was cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, helping them with homework," Alvarez said.
More than 11,000 people like Cardoza have been released from federal prison in the last couple of years, to ride out the pandemic at home, often with their families and loved ones. But that situation can be precarious.
In June 2021, Alvarez and Cardoza took a 90-minute cab ride into the Bronx, so she could meet with staffers in charge of her supervision. Cardoza, who had tested positive for marijuana, never came out of the building. Alvarez ended up forking out $433 to cover the hours the taxi meter ran as he waited in vain.
Cardoza's return to prison turned the family upside down. She's now been back at Danbury for 14 months. Alvarez said she never got the chance to explain herself or challenge that single positive drug test.
"That's just mind boggling to me," Alvarez said. "Where is the judicial system? Where is the fairness? Where is the 50-50? I don't see it."
Less than 0.2% of the people released committed new crimes while they were out
This week, the Bureau of Prisons told NPR that 442 people who were released during the pandemic have now returned to prison. Only 17 people out of more than 11,000 who were released committed new crimes, mostly drug related ones, while they were out. More than half, some 230 people including Eva Cardoza, got sent back for alleged alcohol or drug use. Other cases involved technical violations.
Sakira Cook of the racial justice group Color of Change explained what that means.
"It could be as simple as failing to answer the phone when your probation officer calls you. It could be as simple as the ankle monitor giving an incorrect signal about your location," Cook said.
Cook has personal experience with that last problem: a relative recently left federal prison on home confinement, only to get an ankle monitor that didn't work. Fortunately, she said, the probation officer understood the situation.
Kevin Ring advocates for people in prison and their families at the group FAMM, formerly known as Families Against Mandatory Minimums.
"In a normal circumstance, somebody who violates the terms of their home confinement is sent back to the halfway house or to prison, but the stakes are much lower," Ring said. "They're only going back for a month or two."
But some of the people released from prison under the bipartisan pandemic legislation called the Cares Act have years remaining on their prison terms.
"Is it really worth sending people back for years because they missed a phone call or they had alcohol in their urine?" Ring asked.
Hoping for due process as a judge rules the current procedures are unconstitutional
Most of the monitoring of people on home confinement is being done by private contractors, said Quinnipiac University School of Law professor Sarah Russell.
"There can be a lot of room for miscommunications and misunderstandings," Russell said.
Russell said that's all the more reason to ensure due-process rights for people at risk of being sent back: the opportunity to see the evidence against them and to have a hearing before a neutral arbiter.
Last week, one of Russell's clients won those rights in court. The decision by Judge Omar Williams is the first in the nation to hold that the current process for returning people to federal prison after home confinement is un-constitutional.
Russell said her other clients — moms with young children-- are still nervous about having to leave their lives behind unexpectedly.
"My real hope is that this gets addressed at the national level through the Bureau of Prisons and through the Department of Justice," Russell said. "They have a real opportunity to set clear procedures and criteria."
More lawsuits from people returned to prison are under way. The Bureau of Prisons said it can't talk about that pending litigation. But it is considering a new federal rule to make the process more clear.
For Eric Alvarez, 46, that can't come too soon. He's been diagnosed with colon cancer--the same disease that took his uncle years ago.
"And my heart is not up to par to take this kind of abuse and now I'm going through it on my own," he said. "It's just I'm afraid that I'm going to die alone."
Alvarez talks to his fiance in prison on the phone, or with video calls. But he said it's not the same as having her home.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/released-during-covid-some-people-are-sent-back-to-prison-with-little-or-no-warning | 2022-08-22T10:56:22Z |
In an escalation of political tensions with the current leadership in Pakistan, terrorism charges have been filed against the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Copyright 2022 NPR
In an escalation of political tensions with the current leadership in Pakistan, terrorism charges have been filed against the country's former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/terrorism-charges-are-filed-against-pakistans-former-prime-minister-imran-khan | 2022-08-22T10:56:28Z |
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief for The Financial Times, about a weekend car bombing outside of Moscow that killed the daughter of a key ally of President Putin.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief for The Financial Times, about a weekend car bombing outside of Moscow that killed the daughter of a key ally of President Putin.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/the-daughter-of-putin-ally-alexander-dugin-is-killed-in-a-car-bomb-explosion | 2022-08-22T10:56:35Z |
A look inside one of Pennsylvania's 13 centers taking calls for 988, the new national suicide prevention hotline. Centers across the U.S. need more money and staffers for the increase in calls.
Copyright 2022 NPR
A look inside one of Pennsylvania's 13 centers taking calls for 988, the new national suicide prevention hotline. Centers across the U.S. need more money and staffers for the increase in calls.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/the-national-988-hotline-is-up-and-running-but-local-centers-need-workers-funding | 2022-08-22T10:56:41Z |
Extended school closings during the pandemic were a calamity for education. NPR's Anya Kamenetz writes about how COVID changed children's lives in her new book: The Stolen Year.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Extended school closings during the pandemic were a calamity for education. NPR's Anya Kamenetz writes about how COVID changed children's lives in her new book: The Stolen Year.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/the-new-book-the-stolen-year-details-how-the-pandemic-disrupted-childrens-lives | 2022-08-22T10:56:47Z |
A Navy program helped to bring home the remains of an Ohio sailor who died at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. Musician First class Joseph Hoffman was aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack.
Copyright 2022 WYSO
A Navy program helped to bring home the remains of an Ohio sailor who died at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. Musician First class Joseph Hoffman was aboard the USS Oklahoma during the attack.
Copyright 2022 WYSO | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/the-remains-of-an-ohio-man-who-died-in-the-pearl-harbor-attack-are-buried | 2022-08-22T10:56:53Z |
That does not mean, however, that people will pay less for county services. Property taxes, whether paid directly by home and business owners or indirectly through rent, are expected to increase this year for many Dallas County residents.
That’s due to the surge in the appraised value of properties as more and more people move to the area.
“We have never seen a real estate market like this,” Ken Nolan, the head of the Dallas Central Appraisal District, told commissioners in May.
The current property tax rate for the county is 22.79 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, a ten year low. At a recent presentation, staff in the county’s budget office presented four possible rates for fiscal year 2023.
All the rates presented are lower than the current rate. Each is per $100 of assessed valuation:
- 19.768 cents. Budget director Ronica Watkins-Babers called this the “No-New Revenue” rate and said it would lead to a $29.5 million shortfall for maintenance and operations costs. That could lead to reductions in what the county could do. She said this rate would not cover new programs or unfunded mandates.
- 20.648 cents, called a “break even” scenario. Watkins-Babers said this would keep maintenance and operations costs the same but not cover unfunded mandates from the state or allow new programs or projects. Any unexpected expenses would have to come from the county’s reserves.
- 21.3879 cents, the “Voter-Approval Rate.” According to Watkins-Babers, the county would be able to pay for unfunded mandates and spend on priorities like infrastructure for electric vehicles, and an increased security contract for county buildings.
- 21.7946 cents, a reduction of 1 cent from the current rate. This rate would replenish County reserves and put money toward IT capital projects. This was the rate county staff used in its proposed budget.
By the end of the presentation, commissioners had not found a consensus, even though most expressed concern about having enough money to retain employees with pay increases and support an increasing jail population.
"I don’t think it is clear where three votes are,” said County Judge Clay Jenkins. Three votes constitute a majority of the commissioners court.
Two commissioners, District 3’s John Wiley Price and District 4’s Elba Garcia, clearly stated they wanted the one cent reduction rate.
"I’m there,” said Price.
District 2 Commissioner J. J. Koch, however, wanted a much deeper rate cut. But he also said, “I understand that we’re not going to be able to do ‘no new revenue’ rate.”
Koch wanted staff to look at how many projects could happen with funding already in escrow accounts or money from the American Rescue Plan, which sent millions to the county for coronavirus-related expenses.
“Using the money that’s at hand, particularly when we have the opportunity to give a larger tax break to folks in what is a difficult time, does seem fiscally prudent,” Koch said.
Watkins-Babers said some of the money in escrow may be needed for un-budgeted IT projects. And Garcia pointed out that the federal government continues to put restrictions on ARP funds.
“Tell us how many times the federal government has changed the rules that we still haven’t been able to deliver a lot of the money for small businesses, minority diversion, and non-profits,” she said.
Finally, Jenkins instructed the budget staff to calculate another potential tax rate below the “voter approval rate,” one that incorporated any usable escrow and ARP money into the budget.
“I definitely want to do all the due diligence on that,” Koch said.
The county isn’t the only entity that levies taxes on property owners. Others include city governments, school districts, Parkland Hospital, and the Dallas Community College District.
County commissioners are expected to adopt a tax rate in September ahead of passing a budget before the new fiscal year starts October 1.
Got a tip? Email Bret Jaspers at bjaspers@kera.org. You can follow Bret on Twitter @bretjaspers.
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/government/2022-08-22/tax-rates-likely-to-decrease-in-dallas-county-although-commissioners-split-on-how-far-to-go | 2022-08-22T10:56:59Z |
Area around Ukraine nuclear plant hit again despite US pleas
NIKOPOL, Ukraine (AP) - Only hours after the latest international pleas to spare the area around Ukraine’s main nuclear plant from attacks, there were new claims of Russian shelling close to the Zaporizhzhya facilities early Monday.
Nikopol, on the opposite bank of the Dnieper River and about 10 kilometers (6 miles) downstream from the plant, came under fire three times during the night from rockets and mortars, hitting houses, a kindergarten, the bus station and stores, regional governor Valentyn Reznichenko said. Ukraine media reported that four people were wounded.
Reports of sustained shelling around Europe’s largest nuclear power plant further highlighted the dangers of a war that will hit the half-year mark on Wednesday.
After U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres again urged caution during a visit to Ukraine last week, U.S. President Joe Biden further discussed the issue with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain on Sunday.
The four leaders stressed the need to avoid military operations in the region to prevent the possibility of a potentially devastating nuclear accident and called for the U.N.’s atomic energy agency to be allowed to visit the facilities as soon as possible.
Yet, nothing seemed certain in a war that has spread fear and unease far beyond the frontlines in eastern and southern Ukraine and also into the Russia-annexed Crimea peninsula and as far as Moscow, where on Saturday night a car blast killed the daughter of an influential Russian political theorist often referred to as “Putin’s brain.”
On Monday Russian authorities were looking for further clues who could be behind the incident, after authorities said preliminary information indicated 29-year-old TV commentator Daria Dugina was killed by an explosive planted in the SUV she was driving.
A former Russian opposition lawmaker, Ilya Ponomarev, said an unknown Russian group, the National Republican Army, claimed responsibility for the bombing. The AP could not verify the existence of the group. Ponomarev, who left Russia after voting against its annexation of Crimea in 2014, made the statement to Ukrainian TV.
Ukraine officials have denied involvement.
In Crimea, anxiety has spread further following a spate of fires and explosions at Russian facilities over the past two weeks. The governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, ordered that signs showing the location of bomb shelters be placed in the city that had long seemed untouchable.
Monday’s statement follows a series of drone incursions into the Crimean city that is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. A drone exploded at the fleet’s headquarters on July 31 and another was shot down over the HQ last week. Authorities also say air-defense systems have shot down other drones. Razvozhaev said on Telegram that the city is well protected but “it is better to know where the shelters are.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not mention Russia’s military operation in Ukraine during a speech marking National Flag Day on Monday, but echoed some of the justifications cited for sending in troops.
“We are firm in pursuing in the international arena only those policies that meet the fundamental interests of the motherland,” Putin said. He maintains Russia sent troops into Ukraine as effectively a protective measure against the encroaching West.
“The desire to live according to one’s will, to choose one’s own path and follow it, has become part of the genetic code of our people,” he 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/2022/08/22/area-around-ukraine-nuclear-plant-hit-again-despite-us-pleas/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:03Z |
Closing arguments next in trial of 2 men in Whitmer kidnapping plot
(AP) - Jurors will hear closing arguments Monday in the retrial of two men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.
Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. declined to testify Friday as defense lawyers rested their case in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The government has portrayed Fox and Croft as leaders of a wild plan to snatch Whitmer at her vacation home in Elk Rapids, Michigan, and trigger chaos across the U.S.
Fox, Croft and their allies were furious about COVID-19 restrictions and generally disgusted by government, prosecutors say.
Defense lawyers, however, say Fox and Croft were a bumbling, foul-mouthed, marijuana-smoking pair exercising free speech and incapable of leading anything as extraordinary as an abduction of a public official. They say FBI agents and informants fed their outrage and pulled them into their web.
“It has FBI fingerprints all over it,” Christopher Gibbons said.
The jury heard secretly recorded conversations and read violent social media posts, some written before the FBI got involved. Two undercover agents and an informant testified for hours, explaining how the men trained in Wisconsin and Michigan and visited Elk Rapids to see Whitmer’s home.
Other witnesses included Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, who pleaded guilty and insisted the group was not entrapped.
Fox and Croft are on trial for a second time after a jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict but acquitted two other men.
Croft, 46, is from Bear, Delaware. Fox, 39, was living in the basement of a vacuum shop in the Grand Rapids area.
Whitmer, a Democrat, has blamed then-President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn hate groups and right-wing extremists like those charged in the plot.
She said Sunday that she hasn’t been following the retrial, but that she remains concerned about “violent rhetoric in this country.”
“This is a dangerous trend that is happening. We cannot let it become normalized and I do hope that anyone that’s out there plotting to hurt their fellow Americans is held accountable,” Whitmer said at the Michigan Democratic Party’s convention in Lansing.
Trump recently called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal.”
___
Find the AP’s full coverage of the kidnapping plot trial: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
___
Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/closing-arguments-next-trial-2-men-whitmer-kidnapping-plot/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:09Z |
Boston-based OSJ Affiliates with Advisor Group Through SagePoint Financial From Securian Financial Services
PHOENIX, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Advisor Group Inc., the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, today announced the successful recruitment of Brian Falconer and his team of 16 registered representatives to its platform. Wealth Management Resource Group, with $203 million in total client assets, joins the Advisor Group network from Securian Financial Services, a provider of financial services offering retirement planning, investment advisory, insurance and financial planning.
Mr. Falconer, based in Braintree, Mass., joins Advisor Group through member firm SagePoint Financial, a firm with approximately 1,300 advisors across the United States. Mr. Falconer is a coach and team leader to independent financial advisors and has more than two decades of experience in the financial services industry. Advisor Group's network of firms also includes FSC Securities, Royal Alliance Associates Inc., Securities America, Triad Advisors and Woodbury Financial Services.
Desireé Sii, President and CEO at SagePoint Financial, said, "We are delighted to welcome Brian and his team of talented professionals to SagePoint Financial and Advisor Group. Brian's passion for mentoring independent advisors searching for solutions as they grow amplifies SagePoint's mission of providing technology, marketing, practice management and investment solutions to the firms we serve. We look forward to working with Brian and his team."
Mr. Falconer began his career as a financial services representative for New England Financial, where he served in leadership positions of increasing responsibility. As managing partner at Securian Advisors of New England, he maximized opportunities for advisors at every stage of the growth cycle, providing high levels of support to promote their practice, from onboarding to practice development.
"Wealth Management Resource Group has built its reputation on delivering high value to entrepreneurial advisors seeking a peerless support system and remains committed to coaching advisors to be the best as they take their business to the next level in partnership with our talented team," Mr. Falconer said. "We chose SagePoint Financial because of shared values around leadership and cultivating relationships. Our advisors need to feel seen and heard, and SagePoint offers the network we need to grow our business."
Greg Cornick, President of Advice and Wealth Management at Advisor Group, said: "We congratulate SagePoint Financial on bringing Brian and his remarkable team to our firm. We look forward to working closely with Brian, whose record of collaborating with outstanding advisors has enabled them to become highly regarded professionals who understand the importance of collaborating closely with their clients. We look forward to welcoming Brian and his affiliates, and to another notable year for Advisor Group."
SagePoint Financial, Inc. is part of one of the nation's largest independent broker-dealer organizations and a Registered Investment Advisor, member FINRA and SIPC. SagePoint is supported by Advisor Group, one of the largest truly independent broker-dealer networks in the industry. The firm has approximately 1,400 advisors across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.sagepointfinancial.com.
Advisor Group, a portfolio company of Reverence Capital Partners, is the nation's largest network of independent wealth management firms, serving approximately 9,700 financial professionals and overseeing approximately $515 billion in client assets*. The firm is mission-driven to support the strategic role that financial professionals can play in the lives of their clients. Cultivating a spirit of entrepreneurship and independence, Advisor Group champions the enduring value of financial professionals and is committed to being in their corner every step of the way. For more information visit https://www.advisorgroup.com.
Securities and investment advisory services are offered through the firms: FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., Triad Advisors, LLC, and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, and members of FINRA and SIPC. Securities are offered through Securities America, Inc., a broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Arbor Point Advisors, LLC, Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, Inc., Securities America Advisors, Inc., and Triad Hybrid Solutions, LLC, registered investment advisers. Advisory programs offered by FSC Securities Corporation, Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., are sponsored by VISION2020 Wealth Management Corp., an affiliated registered investment adviser. Advisor Group, Inc. is an affiliate of these firms. 20 E. Thomas Rd., Ste. 2000, Phoenix, AZ, 85012. 866.481.0379.
*Based on end-of-year 2021 data
Media Inquiries
Joseph Kuo / Donald Cutler
Haven Tower Group
jkuo@haventower.com or dcutler@haventower.com
424 317 4851 or 424 317 4864
View original content:
SOURCE Advisor Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/advisor-group-welcomes-brian-falconer-with-203-million-assets-its-platform/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:15Z |
FOSHAN, China, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited ("Bright Scholar" or the "Company") (NYSE: BEDU), a global premier education service company, today announced that it held its 2022 annual general meeting of shareholders on August 22, 2022. At the meeting, the shareholders resolved by ordinary resolution to ratify the appointment of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Certified Public Accountants LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022.
About Bright Scholar Education Holdings Limited
Bright Scholar is a global premier education service company, which primarily provides quality international education to global students and equip them with the critical academic foundation and skillsets necessary to succeed in the pursuit of higher education. Bright Scholar also complements its international offerings with Chinese government-mandated curriculum for students who wish to maintain the option of pursuing higher education in China.
IR Contact:
GCM Strategic Communications
Email: BEDU.IR@gcm.international
Media Contact:
Email: media@brightscholar.com
Phone: +86-757-6683-2507
View original content:
SOURCE Bright Scholar Education Holdings Ltd. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/bright-scholar-announces-results-2022-annual-general-meeting/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:21Z |
ROSEMONT, Ill., Aug 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalog Manager is a Product-led-growth model SaaS software that is on a mission to "make eCommerce effortless". The SaaS product is making waves in the retail world by providing retailers with cleaned, structured, standardized manufacturer catalogs that can be accessed by retailers in several formats tailored for each business. Catalog Manager aims to enable retailers to sync up-to-date catalogs directly onto their online storefronts.
"On average, we've seen retailers save 50+ hours a month using Catalog Manager."
- Avinash Reddy, Head of Product
As the global B2B eCommerce industry continues to grow exponentially, online sellers are under immense pressure to keep their websites up to date. The reason is – today 73.7% of B2B buyers' research that precedes any purchase begins on an online platform. And a large part of their sales journey happens online across a multitude of online channels with no intervention from the seller.
However, with retailers juggling dozens of product feeds every day from multiple suppliers, manually checking for data accuracy and uploading them to the website in real-time can be a daunting task.
And that's where Catalog Manager comes into the picture for it serves to bridge the gap between suppliers and sellers by automating the catalog management process so online retailers can publish consistent, standardized data on their eCommerce portals.
Catalog Manager works by sourcing latest product information from 130+ brands scrubs data and pushes it to eCommerce stores of subscribing retailers. All retailers have to do is subscribe for catalog updates to their choice of suppliers, and automatically receive the latest product information to feature on their online stores.
Top Reasons to Use Catalog Manager to Keep Your Webstore Up-to-date
- Subscribe to 130+ uniform brands
- Integrates with Shopify, Volusion, WooCommerce & BigCommerce
- Get daily inventories updates
- Access catalogs via XML, FTP or APIs
- Stay on top of every product update or pricing change
"Catalog Manager is freaking amazing! I'm super glad to not have my team tangled up in scrubbing spreadsheets anymore and do some real business. In the past 2 months, our website traffic has gone by 37% resulting in a significant increase in sales."
- Sarah Corbynn, Shopify Seller
The current version of Catalog Manager can be used by uniform retailers and distributors to receive updated catalogs for their eCommerce stores.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE SellersCommerce | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/catalog-manager-is-making-ecommerce-effortless-with-real-time-product-updates-online-retailers/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:28Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention 17 Education & Technology Group Inc. ("17EdTech") (NASDAQ: YQ) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in 17EdTech, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against 17EdTech includes allegations that the Company made 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.
DEADLINE: September 19, 2022
Aggrieved 17EdTech investors only have until September 19, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-17edtech-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-19-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:34Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Amazon.com, Inc. ("Amazon") (NASDAQ: AMZN) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Amazon, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Amazon includes allegations that the Company made 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.
Aggrieved Amazon investors only have until September 6, 2022, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-amazon-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:40Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Carvana Co. ("Carvana") (NYSE: CVNA) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between May 6, 2020, and June 24, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Carvana, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Carvana includes allegations that the Company made 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.
Aggrieved Carvana investors only have until October 3, 2022, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-carvana-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-3-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:47Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Enochian BioSciences, Inc. ("Enochian") (NASDAQ: ENOB) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between January 17, 2018 and June 27, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Enochian, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/enochian-biosciences-inc-loss-submission-form?prid=31013&wire=4
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Enochian includes allegations that the Company made 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.
Aggrieved Enochian investors only have until September 26, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-enochian-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-26-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:12:53Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Inotiv, Inc. ("Inotiv") (NASDAQ: NOTV) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between September 21, 2021 and June 13, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Inotiv, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Inotiv includes allegations that the Company made 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.
Aggrieved Inotiv investors only have until August 22, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-inotiv-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-22-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:00Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Kiromic BioPharma, Inc. ("Kiromic") (NASDAQ: KRBP) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Kiromic, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: 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.
DEADLINE: October 4, 2022
Aggrieved Kiromic investors only have until October 4, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-kiromic-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-4-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:06Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention LifeStance Health Group, Inc. ("LifeStance") (NASDAQ: LFST) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in LifeStance, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/lifestance-class-action-submission-form?prid=31018&wire=4
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against LifeStance includes allegations that the Company made 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.
DEADLINE: October 11, 2022
Aggrieved LifeStance investors only have until October 11, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-lifestance-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-11-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:13Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Missfresh Limited ("Missfresh") (NASDAQ: MF) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Missfresh, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Missfresh includes allegations that the Company made 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.
DEADLINE: September 12, 2022
Aggrieved Missfresh investors only have until September 12, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-missfresh-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:19Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Molecular Partners AG ("Molecular Partners") (NASDAQ: MOLN) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Molecular Partners, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Molecular Partners includes allegations that the Company made 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.
Aggrieved Molecular Partners investors only have until September 12, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-molecular-partners-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-12-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:25Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Outset Medical, Inc. ("Outset Medical") (NASDAQ:OM) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. This lawsuit is on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased Outset Medical common stock between September 15, 2020, and June 13, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Outset Medical, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Outset Medical includes allegations that the Company made 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.
DEADLINE: September 6, 2022
Aggrieved Outset Medical investors only have until September 6, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-outset-medical-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:31Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention TG Therapeutics, Inc. ("TG Therapeutics") (NASDAQ: TGTX) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between January 15, 2020 and May 31, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in TG Therapeutics, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/tgtx-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?prid=31011&wire=4
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against TG Therapeutics includes allegations that the Company made 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.
DEADLINE: September 16, 2022
Aggrieved TG Therapeutics investors only have until September 16, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-tg-therapeutics-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-16-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:37Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Tuya Inc. ("Tuya") (NYSE: TUYA) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Tuya, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Tuya includes allegations that the Company made 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.
DEADLINE: October 11, 2022
Aggrieved Tuya investors only have until October 11, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-tuya-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-october-11-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:43Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Unity Software Inc. ("Unity") (NYSE: U) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased between March 5, 2021 and May 10, 2022.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Unity, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Unity includes allegations that the Company made 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.
DEADLINE: September 6, 2022
Aggrieved Unity investors only have until September 6, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-unity-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-6-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:50Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Weber Inc. ("Weber") (NYSE: WEBR) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Weber, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Weber includes allegations that the Company made 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.
Aggrieved Weber investors only have until September 27, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-weber-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-september-27-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:13:57Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attention Wells Fargo & Company ("Wells Fargo") (NYSE: WFC) shareholders:
The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors. 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.
If you suffered a loss on your investment in Wells Fargo, contact us about potential recovery by using the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you.
ABOUT THE ACTION: The class action against Wells Fargo includes allegations that the Company made 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.
Aggrieved Wells Fargo investors only have until August 29, 2022 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. You are not required to act as a lead plaintiff in order to share in any recovery.
Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney who has represented investors in securities litigations involving financial fraud and violations of shareholder rights. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
CONTACT:
Vincent Wong, Esq.
39 East Broadway
Suite 304
New York, NY 10002
Tel. 212.425.1140
E-Mail: vw@wongesq.com
View original content:
SOURCE The Law Offices of Vincent Wong | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/class-action-alert-law-offices-vincent-wong-remind-wells-fargo-investors-lead-plaintiff-deadline-august-29-2022/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:03Z |
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) announced today that Chief Executive Officer Linda Rendle and Chief Financial Officer Kevin Jacobsen will be featured speakers at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference next month in Boston. They will be hosting a fireside chat Sept. 7 from 3-3:40 p.m. ET.
Live webcasts can be accessed on the company's website. Replays will be posted there following the events.
About The Clorox Company
The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) champions people to be well and thrive every single day. Its trusted brands, which include Brita®, Burt's Bees®, Clorox®, Fresh Step®, Glad®, Hidden Valley®, Kingsford®, Liquid-Plumr®, Pine-Sol® and Rainbow Light®, can be found in about nine of 10 U.S. homes and internationally with brands such as Ajudin®, Clorinda®, Chux® and Poett®. Headquartered in Oakland, California, since 1913, Clorox was one of the first U.S. companies to integrate ESG into its business reporting, with commitments in three areas: Healthy Lives, Clean World and Thriving Communities. Visit thecloroxcompany.com to learn more.
CLX-F
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Clorox Company | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/clorox-present-upcoming-barclays-investor-conference/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:09Z |
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP is investigating major U.S. credit reporting agency Equifax for allegedly sending bank and nonbank lenders, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial, inaccurate credit scores on a vast number of U.S. consumers applying for credit cards, mortgages, and auto loans.
Equifax collects information and compiles credit reports for more than 200 million U.S. consumers. On August 2, 2022, Equifax issued a press release confirming they had identified the coding issue that affected a portion of U.S. consumers who had applied for credit reports between mid-March and early April. The coding error prompted Equifax to send erroneous credit scores to consumers' chosen lenders when consumers requested credit reports to apply for various loans. According to a class action lawsuit filed on August 3, 2022 in the Northern District of Georgia, almost 25 million credit reports were requested from the major three credit reporting agencies during the implicated time frame, deeming it likely that at least hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of U.S. consumers were affected by Equifax's mishap. An August 2, 2022 Wall Street Journal article additionally stated that some of the scores were changed by 20 or more points, which is enough to affect the interest rates offered to consumers or result in a rejected loan application.
The Schubert Firm is investigating whether Equifax violated state and federal laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, by reporting inaccurate credit information to lenders. If you applied for credit or a loan between March 17, 2022 and April 5, 2022 and were negatively affected by an inaccurate Equifax credit score, you may be entitled to damages and an injunction requiring the company to reform its credit practices.
If you believe you may have been negatively affected by an inaccurate Equifax credit score between March 17 and April 5, please contact us today or visit our website at http://www.classactionlawyers.com/equifax.
Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe represents shareholders, employees, and consumers in class actions against corporate defendants, as well as shareholders in derivative actions against their officers and directors. The firm is based in San Francisco, and with the help of co-counsel, litigates cases nationwide.
Contact
Noah Schubert
Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP
nschubert@sjk.law
Tel: 415-299-8257
View original content:
SOURCE Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/consumer-alert-equifax-under-investigation-sending-lenders-inaccurate-credit-scores-over-three-week-period/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:15Z |
Hundreds of under-resourced schools across the U.S. will receive new school supplies for 6,000 incoming students
DENVER, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Shane Co., fourth-generation, family-owned jeweler, kicks off its annual partnership with Kids In Need Foundation (KINF). This year's school supply program will be the largest volunteering initiative since the partnership was established in 2020. In the weeks prior to the start of most schools, Shane Co. employees will use employer-paid volunteer days to fill backpacks with essential back-to-school supplies for students attending underserved schools.
"This program is something we look forward to every year because it is a tangible and meaningful way for us to connect and give back to the communities we serve," said Rordan Shane, President and CEO of Shane Co "It is truly incredible to be part of a such a remarkable program. Knowing that we're able to be part of a student's school year to help them succeed is amazing"
Throughout the month of August, volunteers from all 21 Shane Co. stores will pack new notebooks, pencils, pens, and other essential school supplies in individual backpacks for teachers to distribute to students.
"We are grateful for Shane Co.'s continued dedication to creating equitable learning environments through its partnership with Kids In Need Foundation," said Corey Gordon, CEO of KINF. "Each year, they've increased employee and customer engagement in making a difference in their respective communities and inspired a collective passion within their organization for our mission. We appreciate the commitment Shane Co. has made to under-resourced teachers and students in their hometowns."
Funding for the backpacks and school supplies comes from Shane Co.'s most recent donation of $150,000 and an additional $15,000 directly from Shane Co.'s customer giving program. This donation is an increase from Shane Co.'s previous donation of $100,000 in both 2020 and 2021.
Kids In Need Foundation is a national organization that provides the support and tools needed for teachers to teach and learners to learn. Schools set to receive supplies are based in local communities or neighborhoods that Shane Co. stores currently serve and have been identified by KINF as under-resourced. The under-served schools selected for the program have a student enrollment of 70 percent or higher eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The regions to receive school supplies include the San Francisco Bay Area, Atlanta, Nashville, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle, Phoenix, Sacramento, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville Kentucky, St. Louis, Missouri, Portland, Nashville, and Salt lake City. The collaboration between Shane Co. and KINF aims to create equitable learning environments by supporting schools where the enrollment is primarily composed of students who are Black, Indigenous, and children of color.
Fast Facts
- To date, the Shane Co. + KINF partnership has supported 375 classrooms and almost 9,000 K-5 students in under-resourced schools through the Supply A Student and Supply A Teacher programs.
- To date, Shane Co. employees have volunteered over 3,400 hours to fill backpacks and teacher/classroom kits with supplies, handwritten notes of encouragement, and more for underserved schools in local communities where Shane Co. has a presence.
- 6,000 backpacks full of supplies will be distributed to students in August - an additional 1,440 from previous years, supporting 6,000 students and 250 classrooms.
- Shane Co. volunteers will clock in an estimated 1,000 additional hours to fill backpacks and teacher totes.
- 21 schools will receive backpacks in 13 states across the U.S.
By partnering with teachers and students in under-resourced schools, KINF helps create equitable learning environments by ensuring students are properly equipped to learn and empowers teachers by supplying them with adequate resources. Absenteeism, coupled with teacher attrition, are more prevalent in underserved communities. These factors create an Opportunity Gap with lifetime repercussions. Children of color are more than two times more likely to be born into poverty, and they constitute nearly half of all children in American public schools (Source: Economic Policy Institute, 2019).
Shane Co. is a fourth-generation, family-owned jeweler committed to offering fine jewelry of the highest quality, from diamonds and engagement rings to gifts for any occasion. A direct importer of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, pearls, and other gemstones, Shane Co. operates 21 stores in 13 states, as well as an online store at www.ShaneCo.com. Recognized as an industry leader in customer service, Shane Co. offers the finest array of benefits including a Free Lifetime Warranty and a 60-day Money-back Guarantee. More than just a jewelry store, Shane Co. is your friend in the jewelry business since 1929.
Kids In Need Foundation (KINF), a nonprofit organization that believes every child in America deserves equal opportunity and access to a quality education, provides the support and tools needed for teachers to teach and learners to learn. By providing essential school supplies, distance learning resources, and other classroom items in high demand, KINF partners with teachers in underserved schools to ensure students are prepared to learn in the classroom. In 2021, through its programs and National Network of Resource Centers, comprised of more than 40 mission-driven organizations nationwide, KINF served an estimated 7.8 million students, 316,900 teachers through 13,807 under-resourced schools, and provided over $162 million in product at no cost to schools or teachers. For more information, visit KINF.org, and join us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter: @KidsInNeed.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Shane Co. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/family-jeweler-shane-co-kids-need-foundation-team-up-third-year-deliver-back-to-school-supplies/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:21Z |
HOUSTON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trusted Dispatch receives a $1,000,000 USD Partner Preferred investment led by Golden Section to drive expansion and growth. Trusted Dispatch is a leader in heavy equipment shipping and logistics software for truckers and shippers in North America.
"Dusty LaValley and his team are experts in the shipping of heavy machinery. They know the problems truckers and heavy machinery distributors face, and they have solutions that provide tangible value. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with such an effective team," says Dougal Cameron, General Partner at Golden Section.
"A few years ago, we recognized that the trucking industry was operating in an inefficient way, and we wanted to improve that. We built Trusted Dispatch to solve these problems, and today, our platform automates the complex logistical matching and delivery connections needed by heavy equipment shippers and truckers daily" stated Dusty LaValley, Trusted Dispatch Founder and CEO. "Our customer base is growing fast, with thousands of commercial users all over North America using the platform each month. With Golden Section's enterprise software expertise and track record of success, we're confident that they are the right partner for this next step in our journey."
"We are most excited about the sales efficiency of this company - we believe Dusty can immediately convert our investment into recurring revenue. We are expecting aggressive growth over the next 18 months." says Adam Day, General Partner at Golden Section.
Trusted Dispatch connects empty trucks with profitable loads every day through its software platform. The platform allows shippers to generate a competitive quote for their load, match the load to truckers needing a backhaul, then confirms and settles invoices electronically. For more information, please visit www.trusteddispatch.com.
Golden Section is a Houston based venture capital fund that invests in early-stage B2B software companies at the inflection point of expansion. Golden Section partners with driven entrepreneurs to build great companies. The fund is excited to meet entrepreneurs who have a deep understanding of the end customer's problems and an existing product with demonstrated traction. For more information, please visit www.goldensection.com.
Trusted Dispatch
Calgary, AB, Canada
www.trusteddispatch.com.
Golden Section
Houston, Texas
www.goldensection.com
Media Contact:
Yosef Levenstein, CMO at Golden Section
yosef@goldenesection.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Golden Section | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/golden-section-invests-leading-logistics-software-company-trusted-dispatch-part-1000000-partner-preferred-round/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:28Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Grammy® Award winner Ariana Grande has officially taken her top-selling fragrance portfolio into a new product category with the launch of the God is a Woman Body Line, as a global exclusive with Ulta Beauty. The line debuts today on Ulta.com and will be available in Ulta Beauty stores nation-wide starting August 28th. As Grande continues to expand her presence in beauty and fragrance it was a natural step to expand the globally successful God is a Woman clean fragrance line into a self-care line of body products.
"Creating fragrances and developing products that I love and can share with my fans is such a rewarding creative process," says Ariana Grande. "My favorite part of my personal routine includes exfoliating with the body scrub and finishing with our hydrating lotion or body oil. I am obsessed with this line and particularly with the scrub since it's all about nourishing and caring for your skin. I am so excited for everyone to try this collection!"
As an extension of the brands commitment to continuing to develop clean beauty products, the God is a Woman Body Line upholds the standards of Ulta Beauty's Conscious Beauty Program, meaning the products are made with Clean Ingredients, are Cruelty Free and Vegan.
"For years Ulta Beauty guests have loved Ariana Grande fragrances, and we know they'll embrace the God Is A Woman body collection with the same passion and enthusiasm," says Penny Coy, Vice President Merchandising at Ulta Beauty. "As the proud retail partner, we're delighted to exclusively offer this extension to an already beloved brand that will provide guests even more possibilities to discover self-care essentials that smell great and feel even better."
The new God is a Woman Body Line includes a skin-softening Body Scrub Soufflé, a rich and soothing Luxurious Body Oil, a multi-purpose Hand and Body Cream and a Deluxe Travel Spray.
Body Scrub Soufflé:
Ariana's favorite product in this collection; the Body Scrub Soufflé. Formulated with organic ingredients including Coconut Oil and Shea Butter, this salt-based scrub gently exfoliates skin leaving it silky smooth and ready for the Luxurious Body oil to make your skin glow.
Luxurious Body Oil:
The Luxurious Body Oil is beautifully scented with the addicting God Is a Woman fragrance. Formulated with essential acids to help nourish skin and lock in moisture, this skin-softening must-have will leave skin with an alluring, healthy glow. Apply the body oil after a shower to maximize moisture.
Hand and Body Cream:
Made with hydrating Argan Oil, this quick-absorbing, lightweight, nourishing multi-purpose cream is suitable for the hands and body. The Argan Oil deeply hydrates, moisturizes, and soothes your skin.
Deluxe Travel Spray:
Bring the addicting scent of the God is a Woman fragrance with you wherever you go! The sleek and modern case is perfect for travel and includes 2 x 0.25 oz. Eau de Parfum refills.
Top:
Ambrette & Juicy Pear
Heart:
Orris & Turkish Rose Petals
Dry down:
Madagascar Vanilla & Creamy Cedarwood
PRICING
Luxurious Body Oil 2 fl oz $35.00
Body Scrub Soufflé 6.3 oz $30.00
Hand and Body Cream 1.7 fl oz $12.00
EDP fragrance refillable travel spray (Includes 2 7.5ml sprays) $38.00
All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices in US dollars.
Grammy winning, multi-platinum recording artist and international superstar, Ariana Grande, is the first artist to hold the top three Billboard Hot 100 spots since The Beatles in 1964 with "7 Rings," "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored," and "Thank U, Next." In 2020, she became the first and only artist to have 5 singles debut at #1 in the charts history. In 2021, Grande made history as the first artist to simultaneously hold three top 10 spots on Billboard Pop Airplay and Mediabase Top 40 Charts with "positions," "34+34" and "pov." At only 29, she has released six albums which have all gone platinum and has surpassed 98 billion streams globally – she's Spotify's most streamed female artist of the past decade – while rapidly becoming one of the biggest pop stars of our generation with her powerhouse vocals and unmatched presence both on stage and with her fans. In 2022, Grande became the first artist to have four albums with over 4 billion streams each on Spotify. In 2019, Grande embarked on the Sweetener World Tour and performed over 100 shows throughout the year, including headliner sets at Lollapalooza and Coachella - where she was the youngest headliner in the festival's history. In 2021, Grande joined NBC's THE VOICE as a coach and was also featured in the Academy Award nominated film DON'T LOOK UP opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, for Netflix. She will next begin production Jon M. Chu's film adaptation of WICKED, starring as Glinda opposite Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba.
LUXE Brands, Inc. is a global, prestige beauty company dedicated to developing world-class beauty brands that inspire consumers around the world. The company's innovative approach to design, marketing, and building-brands with a digital first ethos has earned numerous awards around the world. LUXE Brands was awarded Fragrance of the Year in 2019 on behalf of Cloud by Ariana Grande. The full portfolio includes Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Eau de Juice by Cosmopolitan and a licensing partnership with General Motors on the Hummer brand.
Ariana Grande Fragrance Press Contacts:
The Lede Company
Devi Kinkhabwala
Devi.Kinkhabwala@LedeCompany.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE LUXE Brands | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/grammy-award-winning-multi-platinum-artist-ariana-grande-enters-body-care-category-with-new-god-is-woman-clean-body-line/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:34Z |
ANDERNACH, Germany, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG ("LTS") announces the closing of the acquisition of Tapemark Inc. ("Tapemark") located in St. Paul, MN, USA. This acquisition combines Tapemark, a world-class CDMO specialized in transdermal drug delivery systems and oral thin films as well as unit dose semi-solid drug and iontophoresis products with LTS, a leading pharmaceutical technology company that develops and manufactures innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches ("TTS"), Oral Thin Films ("OTF") and Micro Array Patches (MAP) for major Bio- /Pharmaceutical, Generic, and Consumer Health companies.
With the acquisition, Tapemark´s St. Paul facility will become part of the worldwide operations network of LTS, along with LTS' existing facilities in Andernach, Germany and West Caldwell, NJ in the US.
Bas van Buijtenen, CEO of LTS, commented, "We are very pleased to welcome the Tapemark team to the LTS family. This strategic acquisition demonstrates our commitment to continue to set the standard as the best CDMO in TTS and OTF and to strengthen our footprint in the US, the world's most important pharma market. We will offer an even more complete portfolio of drug delivery expertise and expanded manufacturing capabilities to our customers and their patients, and we are excited to welcome Tapemark's customers to LTS' global network. The acquisition strengthens our R&D capabilities in North America, allowing us to bring ever more innovation and development support to players developing innovative therapies and new drug delivery systems. With that, we're even better positioned to address our customers' desire for a single partner to support them from feasibility through commercialization.
We are particularly pleased that such a talented team is joining our organization. I am delighted that Beau Garrett will be strengthening our Global Leadership Team in the role of SVP Strategy and Corporate Development. His track record as a leader successfully driving growth will bolster our LTS Growth Journey."
Beau Garrett, CEO of Tapemark, noted, "Joining LTS strengthens our ability to craft the best product development and manufacturing strategy to deliver complex drugs for our customers who ultimately bring these to market and help patients around the world. Having spoken to our customers, I know they are excited to benefit from the breadth of LTS's global technology portfolio, its product development capabilities, and the vast global network. Together, we will reach more pharmaceutical partners and ultimately help more patients. Personally, I am pleased our executive team is joining such a strong team at LTS. From the day I met Bas and several of the senior leaders at LTS, I knew this was the right fit for both companies, our employees, and our customers."
The transaction has obtained the necessary regulatory approvals and has closed as of August 19, 2022. Financial details of the transaction are not disclosed. Bourne Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to Tapemark.
About LTS:
LTS LOHMANN Therapie-Systeme AG is a leading pharmaceutical technology company that develops and manufactures innovative drug delivery systems such as Transdermal Patches ("TTS") and Oral Thin Films ("OTF") for the pharmaceutical industry. LTS maintains its leading position through the continuous refinement of its core TTS and OTF technologies and by advancing emerging drug delivery technologies, including Micro Array Patches (MAP) for the transdermal delivery of large molecule, biological actives and vaccines. Founded in 1984, LTS operates today from three sites: in Andernach, Germany, West Caldwell, NJ, USA and St. Paul, MN, USA. LTS has also a representative office in Shanghai, China.
Contact: Dr. Iris Schnitzler
Phone: +49 (0) 2632 99 - 2589
E-mail: iris.schnitzler@ltslohmann.com
View original content:
SOURCE LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme AG | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/lts-takes-next-step-its-growth-journey-with-acquisition-tapemark-inc/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:40Z |
CORAL GABLES, Fla., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MasTec, Inc. (NYSE: MTZ) (the "Company") today announced its amendment of the terms of its private exchange offer to certain Eligible Holders (as defined herein) (the "Exchange Offer") for any and all outstanding 6.625% Senior Notes due August 15, 2029 (the "IEA Existing Notes") issued by IEA Energy Services LLC (the "IEA Issuer"), a subsidiary of Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. ("IEA"), for up to an aggregate principal amount of $300,000,000 of new 6.625% MasTec Senior Notes due August 15, 2029 issued by the Company (the "MTZ Exchange Notes"). As described in more detail below, the Company has amended the Exchange Offer to (i) extend the deadline for the delivery of consents in the Consent Solicitation (as defined herein), (ii) extend the Early Tender Date (as defined herein) and (iii) modify the Consent Payment and the Total Consideration (each as defined herein). In addition, notwithstanding the extension of the deadline for delivery of consents in the Consent Solicitation, consents delivered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 19, 2022 may not be revoked, and any consent delivered after such time may not be revoked. Except as otherwise described in this press release, the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer set forth in the Offering Memorandum (as defined herein) remain unchanged.
The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are being conducted in connection with, and are conditioned upon the completion of, the previously announced merger in which IEA would become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (the "Merger"), which is currently expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, regulatory approvals and approval by the stockholders of IEA.
The following table sets forth the Consent Payment, the Exchange Consideration (as defined herein), the Early Tender Premium and the Total Consideration for the MTZ Exchange Notes:
As part of the Exchange Offer, the Company is soliciting consents (the "Consent Solicitation") with respect to the IEA Existing Notes, to eliminate or modify certain of the covenants, restrictive provisions and events of default (the "Proposed Amendments") in the indenture, dated as of August 17, 2021, governing the IEA Existing Notes (the "IEA Existing Indenture"). The Proposed Amendments require the valid consent of the holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of IEA Existing Notes, excluding IEA Existing Notes held by certain affiliated holders of IEA (the "Requisite Consents"). The Company has amended the Consent Payment as follows:
- For each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Consent Deadline, Eligible Holders of IEA Existing Notes will be eligible to receive a consent payment of either (i) $2.50 in cash or (ii) if the Requisite Consents are obtained, the Success Fee in cash (the "Consent Payment"); provided that the Consent Payment will not be paid with respect to any IEA Existing Notes validly withdrawn prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 19, 2022.
- If the Requisite Consents are obtained at or prior to the Consent Deadline, the Company will pay a fee in an aggregate amount of $750,000 (the "Total Amount") to all Eligible Holders that validly delivered their consents at or prior to the Consent Deadline (including all Eligible Holders that validly delivered (and did not validly revoke) their consents prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022), and for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes with respect to which an Eligible Holder validly delivered their consent at or prior to the Consent Deadline, such Eligible Holder will be entitled to receive their pro rata portion of the Total Amount (the "Success Fee"). Therefore, the Success Fee will be an amount, per $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes for which Eligible Holders have validly delivered consents prior to the Consent Deadline, equal to the product of $2.50 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate principal amount of IEA Existing Notes outstanding as of the Consent Deadline and the denominator of which is the aggregate principal amount of IEA Existing Notes for which Eligible Holders have validly delivered consents prior to the Consent Deadline. As a result, the Success Fee for the IEA Existing Notes will range from $2.50 per $1,000 (if all holders consent) to approximately $5.00 per $1,000 (if holders of a simple majority of the aggregate principal amount of the IEA Existing Notes consent).
- For the avoidance of doubt, if the Requisite Consents are obtained, the Success Fee to be received by each Eligible Holder that validly delivers their consent at or prior to the Consent Deadline includes, and is not in addition to, the $2.50 in cash for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes that an Eligible Holder that validly delivers their consent at or prior to the Consent Deadline would have received if the Requisite Consents were not obtained at or prior to the Consent Deadline. In addition, notwithstanding the extension of the deadline for the delivery of consents to the Consent Deadline, consents delivered (and not validly revoked) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 19, 2022 may not be revoked, and any consent delivered after that date may not be revoked.
- For the avoidance of doubt, the Success Fee will not be paid if the Requisite Consents are not obtained at or prior to the Consent Deadline (in which case, the Consent Payment will be $2.50 in cash for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes for which Eligible Holders have validly delivered consents prior to the Consent Deadline, as described above).
In addition, the Company has amended the Early Tender Date to be 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 24, 2022 (such date and time, as the same may be further extended, the "Early Tender Date"). Subject to applicable law, the Company expressly reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation in any respect, including to (i) extend the Early Tender Date without extending the Consent Deadline, (ii) extend the Consent Deadline or (iii) provide that the Early Tender Premium will be payable only to Eligible Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw IEA Existing Notes at or prior to the Consent Deadline.
At any time before the Expiration Date, if the Company receives the Requisite Consents, the IEA Issuer has agreed that the IEA Issuer, IEA and the trustee of the IEA Existing Notes will execute and deliver a supplemental indenture relating to the Proposed Amendments (the "IEA Supplemental Indenture"), which will be effective upon execution but will only become operative upon the settlement date of the Exchange Offer (the "Settlement Date"). An Eligible Holder that validly tenders (and does not validly withdraw) its IEA Existing Notes and validly delivers a consent prior to the Consent Deadline (including all Eligible Holders that validly delivered (and did not validly revoke) their consents prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022), but validly withdraws such IEA Existing Notes after the Consent Deadline but prior to the Expiration Date, will receive the Consent Payment, even if such Eligible Holder is no longer the beneficial owner of such IEA Existing Notes at the Expiration Date, but will not receive the Early Tender Premium or the Exchange Consideration.
The Company, at its option, may complete the Exchange Offer even if the Requisite Consents are not received. Any amendment or waiver of the terms of or conditions with respect to the Exchange Offer by the Company will automatically amend or waive such terms or conditions with respect to the Consent Solicitation unless expressly stated otherwise.
The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offering memorandum, dated August 8, 2022, as amended by the Offering Memorandum Supplement, dated August 22, 2022 (as so amended, the "Offering Memorandum"), and are conditioned upon the closing of the Merger, which condition may not be waived by the Company, and certain other conditions that may be waived by the Company. The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time on September 30, 2022, unless extended or terminated (such date and time with respect to the Exchange Offer, as may be extended for such Exchange Offer, the "Expiration Date").
For each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Consent Deadline and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Tender Date, Eligible Holders of IEA Existing Notes will be eligible to receive the total consideration set out in the table above (the "Total Consideration"), which consists of the Exchange Consideration, the Consent Payment and an early tender premium, payable in MTZ Exchange Notes, equal to $50.00 (the "Early Tender Premium"). To be eligible to receive the Total Consideration, Eligible Holders must (i) validly tender (and not validly withdraw) their IEA Existing Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Date, (ii) validly deliver their consent in the Consent Solicitation at or prior to the Consent Deadline (including all Eligible Holders that validly delivered (and did not validly revoke) their consents prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022) and (iii) beneficially own such IEA Existing Notes at the Expiration Date.
The principal amount of MTZ Exchange Notes to be received by an Eligible Holder in the Exchange Offer for each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes will in no event exceed $1,000, unless the Exchange Offer is amended.
For each $1,000 principal amount of IEA Existing Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn prior to the Expiration Date, Eligible Holders of IEA Existing Notes will be eligible to receive $950 principal amount of MTZ Exchange Notes (the "Exchange Consideration").
Tenders of IEA Existing Notes may be validly withdrawn by Eligible Holders at any time prior to the Expiration Date; however, a valid withdrawal of tendered IEA Existing Notes before the Expiration Date (including any valid withdrawal after 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022) will not be deemed a valid revocation of the related consent delivered by such Eligible Holder (including any consent delivered (and not validly revoked) prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time on August 19, 2022), and such consent will continue to be deemed delivered.
No accrued and unpaid interest is payable upon acceptance of the IEA Existing Notes in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, including, for the avoidance of doubt, if the Settlement Date falls between a regular record date and interest payment date under the IEA Existing Indenture. The first interest payment on the MTZ Exchange Notes will include the accrued and unpaid interest on the IEA Existing Notes tendered in exchange therefor, such that a tendering Eligible Holder will receive the same interest payment it would have received had its IEA Existing Notes not been tendered in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation; provided that for any portion of an interest period after the Settlement Date, interest will only accrue with respect to the aggregate principal amount of MTZ Exchange Notes an Eligible Holder receives, which will be less than the principal amount of the IEA Existing Notes tendered for exchange if such Eligible Holder validly tenders (and does not validly withdraw) its IEA Existing Notes after the Early Tender Date. For the avoidance of doubt, to the extent an interest payment date occurs prior to the Settlement Date, Eligible Holders who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw IEA Existing Notes in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will receive accrued and unpaid interest on such interest payment date as required by the terms of the IEA Existing Indenture.
The MTZ Exchange Notes will be the general senior unsecured obligations of the Company and rank equally in right of payment with all of the Company's existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness.
Documents relating to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will only be distributed to persons who certify that they are (a) a "Qualified Institutional Buyer," as that term is defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or (b) a person that is not a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) (such persons, "Eligible Holders"). The complete terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are described in the Offering Memorandum, copies of which may be obtained by contacting D.F. King & Co., Inc., the exchange agent and information agent in connection with the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, by telephone at (800) 549-6864 (U.S. toll-free) or (212) 269-5550 (banks and brokers), or by email at mastec@dfking.com. The eligibility certification may be completed at www.dfking.com/mastec or is also available by contacting D.F. King & Co., Inc. using the information above.
The MTZ Exchange Notes have not been, and will not be, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act, or any state or foreign securities laws. The MTZ Exchange Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any U.S. person except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act.
This press release is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, or the solicitation of tenders or consents with respect to, any security. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are being made solely pursuant to the Offering Memorandum and only to such persons and in such jurisdictions as are permitted under applicable law.
About MasTec, Inc.
MasTec is a leading infrastructure construction company operating mainly throughout North America across a range of industries. MasTec's primary activities include the engineering, building, installation, maintenance and upgrade of communications, energy, utility and other infrastructure, such as: power delivery services, including transmission and distribution, wireless, wireline/fiber and customer fulfillment activities; power generation, primarily from clean energy and renewable sources; pipeline infrastructure, including natural gas pipeline and distribution infrastructure; heavy civil; and industrial infrastructure. MasTec's customers are primarily in these industries. The information contained on the Company's website is not incorporated into this press release.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the anticipated results and execution of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation and the actions that the Company may take with respect thereto; statements relating to expectations regarding the future financial and operational performance of the Company or IEA; the projected impact and benefits of IEA on the Company's operating or financial results; expectations regarding the Company's or IEA's business or financial outlook; expectations regarding the Company's plans, strategies and opportunities; expectations regarding opportunities, technological developments, competitive positioning, future economic conditions and other trends in particular markets or industries; the potential strategic benefits and synergies expected from the acquisition of IEA; the development of and opportunities with respect to future projects, including renewable and other projects designed to support transition to a carbon-neutral economy; the Company's ability to successfully integrate the operations of IEA; the expected closing of, and financing sources for, the acquisition of IEA; the impact of inflation on the Company's costs and the ability to recover increased costs, as well as other statements reflecting expectations, intentions, assumptions or beliefs about future events and other statements that do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. These statements are based on currently available operating, financial, economic and other information, and are subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors in addition to those mentioned above, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual future results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Other factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: risks related to completed or potential acquisitions, including the acquisition of Henkels & McCoy Group, Inc., as well as the ability to identify suitable acquisition or strategic investment opportunities, to integrate acquired businesses within expected timeframes and to achieve the revenue, cost savings and earnings levels from such acquisitions at or above the levels projected, including the risk of potential asset impairment charges and write-downs of goodwill; risks related to timely completion, or completion at all, of the Exchange Offer; risks related to the Company's ability to obtain consents under the Consent Solicitation; risks that conditions to the closing of the proposed transaction are not satisfied or waived at all or on the anticipated timeline; risks related to the impact of inflation on costs as well as economic activity, customer demand and interest rates, risks related to adverse effects of health epidemics and pandemics or other outbreaks of communicable diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, including its effect on supply chain or inflationary issues, as well as, the potential effects of related health mandates and recommendations; market conditions, technological developments, regulatory or policy changes, including permitting processes and tax incentives that affect us or our customers' industries; the effect of federal, local, state, foreign or tax legislation and other regulations affecting the industries we serve and related projects and expenditures; the effect on demand for our services of changes in the amount of capital expenditures by our customers due to, among other things, economic conditions, including potential adverse effects of public health issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic on economic activity generally, the availability and cost of financing, and customer consolidation in the industries we serve; activity in the industries we serve and the impact on our customers' expenditure levels caused by fluctuations in commodity prices, including for oil, natural gas, electricity and other energy sources; our ability to manage projects effectively and in accordance with our estimates, as well as our ability to accurately estimate the costs associated with our fixed price and other contracts, including any material changes in estimates for completion of projects and estimates of the recoverability of change orders; the timing and extent of fluctuations in operational, geographic and weather factors affecting our customers, projects and the industries in which we operate; the highly competitive nature of our industry and the ability of our customers, including our largest customers, to terminate or reduce the amount of work, or in some cases, the prices paid for services, on short or no notice under our contracts, and/or customer disputes related to our performance of services and the resolution of unapproved change orders; our dependence on a limited number of customers and our ability to replace non-recurring projects with new projects; the effect of state and federal regulatory initiatives, including costs of compliance with existing and potential future safety and environmental requirements, including with respect to climate change; risks associated with potential environmental issues and other hazards from our operations; disputes with, or failures of, our subcontractors to deliver agreed-upon supplies or services in a timely fashion, and the risk of being required to pay our subcontractors even if our customers do not pay us; risks related to our strategic arrangements, including our equity investments; any exposure resulting from system or information technology interruptions or data security breaches; any material changes in estimates for legal costs or case settlements or adverse determinations on any claim, lawsuit or proceeding; the adequacy of our insurance, legal and other reserves; the outcome of our plans for future operations, growth and services, including business development efforts, backlog, acquisitions and dispositions; our ability to maintain a workforce based upon current and anticipated workloads; our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, key management and skilled employees, including from acquired businesses, and our ability to enforce any noncompetition agreements; fluctuations in fuel, maintenance, materials, labor and other costs; risks associated with volatility of our stock price or any dilution or stock price volatility that shareholders may experience in connection with shares we may issue as consideration for earn-out obligations or as purchase consideration in connection with past or future acquisitions, or as a result of other stock issuances; restrictions imposed by our credit facility, senior notes and any future loans or securities; our ability to obtain performance and surety bonds; risks related to our operations that employ a unionized workforce, including labor availability, productivity and relations, as well as risks associated with multiemployer union pension plans, including underfunding and withdrawal liabilities; risks associated with operating in or expanding into additional international markets, including risks from fluctuations in foreign currencies, foreign labor and general business conditions and risks from failure to comply with laws applicable to our foreign activities and/or governmental policy uncertainty; as well as a small number of our existing shareholders have the ability to influence major corporate decisions. We believe these forward-looking statements are reasonable; however, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are based on current expectations. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of our underlying assumptions are incorrect, our actual results may differ significantly from the results that we express in, or imply by, any of our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to reflect future events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law. We qualify any and all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary factors.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the Merger, the Company intends to file relevant materials with the SEC, including a Registration Statement on Form S-4 to be filed by the Company that will include a preliminary proxy statement of the Company and also constitute a prospectus with respect to the shares of common stock of the Company to be issued in the Merger.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION.
These materials (when they are available) and other documents filed with the SEC may be obtained free of charge at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by the Company (when they become available) may be obtained free of charge at MasTec's website at MasTec.com or (305) 406-1815. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by IEA (when they become available) may be obtained free of charge on IEA's website at iea.net or (765) 828-2653.
View original content:
SOURCE MasTec, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/mastec-inc-announces-amendment-exchange-offer-consent-solicitation/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:46Z |
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Moonstone Nutrition, a Pittsburgh-based, kidney health nutraceutical company, has announced the appointment of Mr. Kenneth G. Romanzi as Chairman of the Moonstone Board of Directors, effective immediately.
"We have been very pleased having Ken as a member of the Moonstone Board over the past year and happy to announce he will now serve as our Chairman," said Salim Rayes, President and CEO of Moonstone Nutrition. "His appointment comes at a pivotal moment as our company continues to grow and create a new kidney health category at retail. Ken's deep experience and leadership in building brands through superior marketing and innovation will be invaluable to our company."
Mr. Romanzi is the former President, CEO and Director of B&G Foods, a $2 billion public food company. Prior to B&G, Ken has led numerous global brands and entrepreneurial ventures at companies such as Ocean Spray, Earthbound Farm Organics (Danone/Whitewave), Nabisco, Cadbury Schweppes, Balduccis and Naked Juice. Ken began his career in marketing at Frito-Lay. He is a graduate of Babson College with a Bachelor of Science in finance and accounting and a long-time member of its Board of Trustees. Ken also attended the Executive Education Program at INSEAD.
Upon the announcement, Ken shared, "I am delighted to serve as Chairman of Moonstone's Board of Directors. The founders of this company have developed a terrific product line of supplements and beverage products that will help millions of kidney stone sufferers. I look forward to helping the board and management scale this business to its full potential."
Moonstone Stone Stopper™ was developed by world-renowned kidney stone doctors and is scientifically proven to reduce the formation of kidney stones. Stone Stopper™ has clinically significant amounts of alkali citrate, which is known to increase urine pH and citrate, making the kidneys inhospitable to the formation of kidney stones. Over 33 million people in the U.S. suffer from excruciating kidney stones and 49 million suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD). Stone Stopper™ is the first effective kidney stone supplement and beverage on the market with true functional health benefits. It is available in supplement capsules, gummies, and ready-to-mix (RTM) powders.
Moonstone products are currently available on Amazon, Walmart.com, Target.com, and CVS Health Hub stores nationwide.
For more information:
https://moonstonenutrition.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Moonstone Nutrition | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/moonstone-nutrition-appoints-kenneth-g-romanzi-chairman-board/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:53Z |
Electrify Expo to Produce Over 25,000 Demo Rides of Electrified Fun August 27 & 28
LONG ISLAND, N.Y., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrify Expo, North America's largest electric-vehicle festival, rolls into New York Saturday, August 27 through Sunday, August 28, at the Nassau Coliseum. As the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Bill call for millions of dollars to build out a wide-scale charging network in the U.S. and kick in energy rebates, the curiosity of the general consumer has been piqued.
The outdoor festival offers attendees the thrilling opportunity to experience all types of electric vehicles across 1 million square feet of exhibit and demo space, as well as explore the world's leading brands in EV technology and mobility from electric cars, e-bikes, e-motorcycles, e-skateboards, e-scooters, and more.
BMW, Chrysler, Kia, Toyota, Lexus, Polestar, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Harley-Davidson's Livewire, as well as iconic bike brands like Specialized, UBCO, Fliteboard, and others, offer the ability to interact with their products in a fun outdoor festival setting on multiple demo courses. The family-friendly festival also hosts the Hover-1 Kids Zone for the Empire state's young thrill seekers.
According to Consumer Reports, the biggest barrier to EV adoption is simply the opportunity to test drive them. As the premier North American festival for testing electric vehicles and e-mobility, Electrify Expo removes the barrier by offering meaningful test drives that encourage the adoption of cleaner transportation.
To register for a press pass to attend Electrify Expo, you are invited to apply here https://www.electrifyexpo.com/exhibits-press#Press
Electrify Expo is North America's largest outdoor electric vehicle festival showcasing the latest electric vehicles and products, including EVs, e-motorcycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, e-boats, e-surfboards, and more from top brands around the world. The festival addresses one of the most challenging barriers to mass adoption of electric vehicles with meaningful hands-on experiences, demonstrations, and test rides. Electrify Expo meets the soaring demand for companies to share new technologies, new modes of mobility and put products in the hands of consumers in a meaningful way. Electrify Expo will feature more than 1M+ square feet of exhibit space in Los Angeles County, Seattle, New York, Miami, and Austin.
Contact:
Mission Control Communications
electrifyexpo@missionc2.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Electrify Expo | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/new-yorkers-charge-into-electrify-expo-demo-experience-evs/ | 2022-08-22T11:14:59Z |
ZUNYI, China, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from CRI Online:
As midsummer is approaching, a great number of tourists visit Wujiang Village Resort, located in Zunyi in southwest China's Guizhou Province, and tourist season begins.
As a large tourist destination with comprehensive functions such as sightseeing, leisure, taking holiday and exhibition, the Resort takes the advantages of natural environment and folk custom of Northern Guizhou, which enables tourists to explore the natural landscape in and around the village and experience the glamour of folk custom in Northern Guizhou in an immersive manner.
Besides natural and human landscape, colorful cultural performance is also an outstanding character of Wujiang Village. Visitors are able to enjoy a lake cruise or drink tea while listening to opera. In addition, they can also take part in some singing and dancing performances with ethnic features such as drum dance, bamboo pole dance and folk songs of Qilao.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE CRI Online | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/news-report-cri-online-enjoy-splendid-landscapes-wujiang-village-summer/ | 2022-08-22T11:15:06Z |
GENEVA and RADNOR, Pa., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX: RLF) (OTCQB: RLFTF) (OTCQB: RLFTY) ("Relief"), and NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: NRXP) ("NRx"), today announced that they have agreed to a tentative settlement of their pending litigation. The parties have agreed to work collaboratively to finalize the settlement within the next 30 days. Further, the parties have agreed to stay the litigation for an additional 60 days to allow for the negotiation and execution of the definitive settlement agreement and related terms. Terms of the settlement will be reported following execution of the definitive settlement documents, but any settlement may result in a re-allocation of the development rights and licensing arrangements for aviptadil. There can be no assurance that the parties will successfully complete the proposed settlement.
Relief focuses primarily on clinical-stage programs based on molecules with a history of clinical testing and use in human patients or a strong scientific rationale. Relief has a Collaboration and License Agreement with Acer Therapeutics for the worldwide development and commercialization of ACER-001 (sodium phenylbutyrate) for the treatment of various inborn errors of metabolism, including UCDs and Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD). Relief also continues to study aviptadil for several possible lung related conditions. Finally, Relief's 2021 acquisitions of APR Applied Pharma Research SA and AdVita Lifescience GmbH brought to Relief a diverse pipeline of marketed and development-stage programs.
RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF and quoted in the U.S. on OTCQB under the symbols RLFTF and RLFTY. For more information, visit www.relieftherapeutics.com. Follow Relief on LinkedIn.
NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. draws upon decades of collective, scientific, and drug-development experience applying innovative science to known molecules to address very high unmet needs and bring improved health to patients. NRx Pharmaceuticals is developing NRX-101, its proprietary fixed-dose combination as a treatment for Bipolar Depression in Patients with Acute Suicidal Ideation and Behavior (ASIB). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation ("BTD"), a Special Protocol Agreement, and a Biomarker Letter of Support for NRX-101. NRx Pharmaceuticals is led by executives who have held leadership roles at Lilly, Pfizer, and Novartis as well as major investment banking institutions.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. A number of factors, including (i) whether the parties can complete the proposed settlement, and (ii) those factors described in Relief's and NRx's reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 could adversely affect Relief and NRx. Copies of Relief's and NRx's filings with the SEC are available on the SEC EDGAR database at https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch. Relief and NRx do not undertake any obligation to update the information contained herein, which speaks only as of this date.
CONTACT:
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE NRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/relief-therapeutics-holding-sa-nrx-pharmaceuticals-inc-announce-tentative-settlement-pending-litigation/ | 2022-08-22T11:15:13Z |
Publicist Katja Sieling joins the agency's Enterprise and Venture Capital publicity team as it undergoes rapid growth.
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribe Builder Media, a top U.S. public relations firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles, today announced the further expansion of its Enterprise and Venture Capital team with publicist Katja Sieling. To further drive results for Tribe Builder Media and its partners, Sieling brings a unique analytical approach to storytelling she derived from her work in the nonprofit sector.
"We are thrilled to welcome Katja to our team after her recent completion of Tribe Builder Media's Publicist Incubator, a high-level paid internship program for students and recent graduates. Katja quickly became a standout internship participant through her passion for storytelling and dedication to our client's campaign success. As our agency continues to expand, Katja will step into her new role on the Enterprise and Venture Capital team," said Kristen Shea, President of Tribe Builder Media.
The Southern New Hampshire University alumna comes to Tribe Builder Media after working for various nonprofits over the last six years. As a result, she gained experience in PR writing, liaising between organizations and their public, and implementing creative strategies to get nonprofits recognized by the media.
In her new role, Sieling will assist Tribe Builder Media, a public relations firm ranked the 5th Best Company in America by Entrepreneur Magazine, with executing full-service PR campaigns and reputation management across all enterprise sectors, including Fintech, Health Tech, SaaS, B2B, etc. In addition, she will serve as a Coordinator for the upcoming Publicist Incubator Internship program.
Currently, Sieling is pursuing MBA programs in the New England region to further her educational qualifications. In the interim, she is focused on gaining industry certifications and working alongside Tribe Builder Media's extensive client roster, including top venture capital firms, technology startups, and celebrity clients.
"My passion for public relations comes from my desire to help organizations tell their stories," said Sieling. "I'm thrilled to join a company like Tribe Builder Media because they are invested in my professional growth and my capabilities as a storyteller."
For more information on Tribe Builder Media, visit www.tribebuildermedia.com.
Tribe Builder Media is an award-winning public relations agency that connects the world of business development, marketing, and public relations. Through the years, the agency's success has gained the trust of many high-profile CEOs, professional athletes, and celebrities who look to Tribe Builder Media to incubate new ideas, create buzz, and develop strategic partnerships. The agency has received the following awards for its marketing and public relations work, ranked the 5th Best Company in America by Entrepreneur Magazine, Best Public Relations Agency in CA and NY, and Consumer World Award for Best Global PR Agency. In addition, the agency's strategy and insight have played an integral part in its clients achieving prestigious awards such as Inc 500, Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startup, and Entrepreneur 360, among other top-level recognition.
Press Inquiries
Kymberlee Bolden
Tribe Builder Media
929-367-8993
press@tribebuildermedia.com
View original content:
SOURCE Tribe Builder Media | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/tribe-builder-media-expands-its-enterprise-saas-venture-capital-team/ | 2022-08-22T11:15:19Z |
Gross margin improved year-over-year to 22.1% from 21.2 %
GUANGZHOU, China, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viomi Technology Co., Ltd ("Viomi" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: VIOT), a leading IoT @ Home technology company in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial and Operating Highlights
- Net revenues reached RMB924.2 million (US$138.0 million), compared to RMB1,658.9 million for the second quarter of 2021.
- Gross margin increased to 22.1% from 21.2% for the second quarter of 2021.
- Number of cumulative household users reached approximately 7.2 million, compared to approximately 6.9 million as of the end of the first quarter of 2022 and approximately 5.9 million as of the end of the second quarter of 2021.
- Percentage of household users with at least two connected products reached 22.0%, compared to 21.8% as of the end of the first quarter of 2022 and 20.7% as of the end of the second quarter of 2021.
Mr. Xiaoping Chen, Founder and CEO of Viomi, commented, "In the second quarter, we continued to execute our high-quality business operation strategy: (i) continue to streamline SKUs and optimize our product mix; (ii) focus on core business and product lines to build best-selling products; and (iii) implement cost control and efficiency improvement measures in production and supply chain. These efforts led to the ongoing optimization of our business operation with gross margin increasing by about 1% year-over-year, representing consecutive year-over-year improvement since the fourth quarter of 2020. Despite COVID-19 recurrences and weak consumer spending exerting considerable pressure on our sales, we made significant progress in product innovation, channel optimization and strategic cooperation alongside the development of our one-stop IoT home solutions, further solidifying the foundation for our long-term product enhancement and branding influence."
"First, with respect to our products, we introduced a series of new AI products at our strategic new products launch event in March, including Space Pro, our all-space AI air conditioner featuring formaldehyde removal; Boss, our large-screen refrigerator with AI fitness functionality; our Royal series of AI laser interactive smart screens incorporating 4K UHD display; Super 2, our 2000G super large-flux water purifier which generates ultra-micro bubbles to remove pesticide residues; and our Royal series of AI twin-tub washing machines. Among them, the air conditioner, water purifier, and interactive smart screen came to market in the second quarter. We also introduced a series of new smart home devices, such as EyeLink, our smart lock with upgraded 3D facial recognition technology, as well as HomePad Plus, our AI screen-based control interface for managing all smart home appliances across scenarios. These new AI-equipped products provide our consumers with a superior smart home experience and have received favorable market feedback and reviews."
Mr. Chen added, "Furthermore, sales growth and product influence among our mid- to high-end products are also increasing. During the recent domestic '618' shopping festival, some of our mid- to high-end products topped the e-commerce sales charts in their respective categories, such as our Space series of air conditioners, Super series of water purifiers and 21Face AI large-screen refrigerators. Meanwhile, based on our one-stop IoT home solutions, we are accelerating the implementation of our premium bundled home solution offerings across the nation. After our offline merchants signed whole-home solution orders ranging from RMB200,000 to RMB400,000 with customers in Beijing, Guangzhou, Changsha and Kunming in the first quarter, our offline merchants in Chengdu, Zunyi, Yinchuan and some other cities followed suit, recording multiple high-end whole-home solution orders exceeding RMB200,000 and RMB300,000 in the second quarter. Our consumers' recognition and adoption of our premium AI products and our bundled home solution offerings are a testament to the success of our phased transformation into a premium brand and our investment in R&D for our AI products."
"Second, we continued to execute our 'larger store, better merchant' channel strategy. In the second quarter, we cooperated with our newly signed offline merchants and opened additional Viomi 4S and 5S flagship stores in provinces including Hunan, Anhui and Guizhou, etc. These flagship stores enhanced our 'trending technology' branding positioning through unified storefront decoration and immersive scenario experience, and helped implement our one-stop IoT home solutions."
"Third, to support the release of premium new products and our high-end brand transformation, we continued to enhance our brand promotions in the second quarter. In addition to the launch of a large number of elevator and print ads, we reached more targeted young groups by partnering with Tmall and becoming the co-sponsor of the well-known variety show 'Design Ideal Future' broadcasted on the Mango TV platform, exposing a growing audience to our immersive smart home experience across whole-home scenarios and bringing an intelligent lifestyle to more young consumers," Mr. Chen commented.
"In addition, we continued to deepen our strategic cooperation with more channels in the second quarter to promote the integrated and development of the smart home industry. In the first half of this year, we reached partnerships with JD.com, Tmall and China Telecom. We are exploring strategic cooperation with additional channels and companies to create a more convenient and smart living experience and promote the development of smart home ecology for families."
"We successfully navigated the challenges caused by the pandemic and the weak macro industry environment in the first half of the year, and made progress in developing new products and enhancing brand awareness. As we progress through 2022, we will continue to focus on product innovation and product portfolio optimization, devoting more resources to improving product competence while implementing more disciplined cost and expense control measures to lay a solid foundation for long-term healthy growth," Mr. Chen concluded.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results
REVENUE
Net revenues were RMB924.2 million (US$138.0 million), compared to RMB1,658.9 million for the second quarter of 2021. Net revenues were in line with the Company's previous guidance. The decline was mainly due to (i) the complete cutoff of sales of Xiaomi-branded sweeper robots this year, as well as its high prior-year base for comparison, and (ii) the ongoing product portfolio adjustments in some categories.
- IoT @ Home portfolio. Revenues from IoT @ Home portfolio decreased by 54.2% to RMB524.5 million (US$78.3 million) from RMB1,146.3 million for the second quarter of 2021. The decline was primarily due to the complete cutoff of sales of Xiaomi-branded sweeper robots, as well as SKU adjustments for some categories.
- Home water solutions. Revenues from home water solutions decreased by 17.4% to RMB180.9 million (US$27.0 million) from RMB218.9 million for the second quarter of 2021. The decline was primarily due to the decreased demand of water purifiers.
- Consumables. Revenues from consumables decreased slightly by 1.9% to RMB100.3 million (US$15.0 million) from RMB102.2 million for the second quarter of 2021.
- Small appliances and others. Revenues from small appliances and others decreased by 38.1% to RMB118.5 million (US$17.7 million) from RMB191.5 million for the second quarter of 2021, which was primarily due to the product portfolio adjustment within this category, as well as the decreased demand of small appliances products.
GROSS PROFIT
Gross profit was RMB204.5 million (US$30.5 million), compared to RMB351.8 million for the second quarter of 2021. Gross margin increased to 22.1% from 21.2% for the second quarter of 2021, primarily driven by the Company's continued efforts to shift the business and product mix toward higher gross margin products, and partially offset by decreases in selling prices of some products for clean-up due to the product portfolio adjustment in the quarter.
OPERATING EXPENSES
Total operating expenses decreased by 14.6% to RMB264.6 million (US$39.5 million) from RMB309.7 million for the second quarter of 2021, primarily due to the year-over-year decrease in selling and marketing expenses.
Research and development expenses increased by 20.4% to RMB79.7 million (US$11.9 million) from RMB66.2 million for the second quarter of 2021, mainly due to the increase in research and development experts and related salaries and expenses, as well as the increased input in new product development.
Selling and marketing expenses decreased by 24.6% to RMB162.0 million (US$24.2 million) from RMB214.8 million for the second quarter of 2021, mainly due to the decrease in marketing expenses, partially offset by the increased expenses on advertising activities that enhance the Company's branding recognition.
General and administrative expenses decreased by 20.3% to RMB22.9 million (US$3.4 million), compared to RMB28.8 million for the second quarter of 2021, primarily due to the decrease in estimated allowance for accounts and notes receivables recognized in the current period.
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS
Loss from operations was RMB55.6 million (US$8.3 million), compared to income from operations of RMB47.2 million for the second quarter of 2021.
Non-GAAP operating loss[1] was RMB49.9 million (US$7.5 million), compared to non-GAAP operating income of RMB60.6 million for the second quarter of 2021.
NET LOSS
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company was RMB39.6 million (US$5.9 million), compared to net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company of RMB46.1 million for the second quarter of 2021.
Non-GAAP net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company[2] was RMB33.9 million (US$5.1 million), compared to non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company of RMB59.5 million for the second quarter of 2021.
BALANCE SHEET
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB816.3 million (US$121.9 million), restricted cash of RMB46.8 million (US$7.0 million), short-term deposits of RMB10.0 million (US$1.5 million) and short-term investments of RMB237.0 million (US$35.4 million), compared to RMB587.0 million, RMB35.8 million, nil and RMB828.9 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2021.
OUTLOOK
For the third quarter of 2022, the Company currently expects:
- Net revenues to be between RMB740 million and RMB840 million.
The above outlook is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, all of which are subject to change.
Conference Call
The Company's management will host a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday, August 22, 2022 (8:00 p.m. Beijing/Hong Kong time on August 22, 2022) to discuss financial results and answer questions from investors and analysts. Listeners may access the call by dialing:
A telephone replay will be available one hour after the call until August 29, 2022 by dialing:
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://ir.viomi.com.
About Viomi Technology
Viomi's mission is to redefine the future home via the concept of IoT @ Home.
Viomi has developed a unique IoT @ Home platform consisting an ecosystem of innovative IoT-enabled smart home products, together with a suite of complementary consumable products and value-added businesses. This platform provides an attractive entry point into the consumer home, enabling consumers to intelligently interact with a broad portfolio of IoT products in an intuitive and human-like manner to make daily life more convenient, efficient and enjoyable, while allowing Viomi to grow its household user base and capture various additional scenario-driven consumption events in the home environment.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.viomi.com.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
The Company uses non-GAAP operating income, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company, non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share and non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per American depositary share ("ADS"), which are non-GAAP financial measures, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. Non-GAAP operating income is income from operations excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income is net income excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company is net income attributable to ordinary shareholders excluding share-based compensation expenses. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share is non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by weighted average number of ordinary shares used in the calculation of non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ordinary share. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS is non-GAAP net income attributable to ordinary shareholders divided by weighted average number of ADS used in the calculation of non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS. The non-GAAP adjustments do not have any tax impact as share-based compensation expenses are non-deductible for income tax purpose.
The Company believes that non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in its business by excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses, which are non-cash charges, and these measures provide useful information about the Company's operating results, enhance the overall understanding of the Company's past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by the Company's management in its financial and operational decision-making.
Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or construed as alternative to income from operations, net income, or any other measure of performance or as an indicator of the Company's operating performance. Investors are encouraged to review the historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Non-GAAP financial measures presented here may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Other companies may calculate similarly titled measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures to the Company's data. We encourage investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure. Reconciliations of the Company's non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are included at the end of this press release.
Exchange Rate
The Company's business is primarily conducted in China and the significant majority of revenues generated are denominated in Renminbi ("RMB"). This announcement contains currency conversions of RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("US$") solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to US$ are made at a rate of RMB6.6981 to US$1.00, the effective noon buying rate for June 30, 2022 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on for June 30, 2022, or at any other rate.
Safe Harbor Statement
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," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Viomi's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Viomi may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the United States 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 Fourth parties. 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; the cooperation with Xiaomi, the recognition of the Company's brand; trends and competition in global IoT-enabled smart home market; development and commercialization of new products, services and technologies; governmental policies and relevant regulatory environment relating to the Company's industry and/or aspects of the business operations and general economic conditions in China and around the globe, and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks 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:
In China:
Viomi Technology Co., Ltd
Cecilia Li
E-mail: ir@viomi.com.cn
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Emilie Wu
Tel: +86-21-6039-8363
E-mail: viomi@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: viomi@tpg-ir.com
View original content:
SOURCE Viomi Technology Co., Ltd | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/viomi-technology-co-ltd-reports-second-quarter-2022-unaudited-financial-results/ | 2022-08-22T11:15:26Z |
- Led by Canadian Agtech venture capital fund Emmertech
- Participation from the Cibus funds, Silicon Valley Bank, and existing investors
- Capital planned for expanding commercial footprint, R&D pipeline
TORONTO, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Vive Crop Protection announced today the close of its USD $26 million Series C investment round. The round was led by Emmertech with participation from the Cibus funds, and existing investors Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), Export Development Canada (EDC), and Urbana Corporation. Vive has also secured debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) to provide both working and growth capital in support of their continued expansion.
Vive will have a second close in the next quarter to accommodate top-tier investor groups still completing diligence - all strategically focused on next-generation agriculture technology.
Vive will leverage its newest funding to accelerate the commercial deployment of its next-generation product portfolio into new North American markets while advancing its research and development pipeline.
"The investment by Emmertech, the Cibus funds, and existing investors, and the debt financing provided by Silicon Valley Bank underscores our success in delivering innovative solutions to farmers," says Darren Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Vive Crop Protection. "We're extremely excited about how these new relationships will propel our business to the next level, including into global markets."
Vive's proprietary Allosperse® technology is a nanoscale, polymer-based delivery system that improves the targeting and performance of both synthetic and biological active ingredients, enhancing farmers ROI and sustainability profile.
"Since 2018, our products are estimated to have saved farmers 34 million gallons of water, 189,000 gallons of fuel, and 15,000 hours of farm labor," says Anderson. "In addition, feedback from our annual customer satisfaction survey has been overwhelmingly positive with 97% of respondents indicating their desire to re-use Vive products."
In the last 18 months, Vive has experienced rapid growth which is evident in new product registrations, and increases in customer base, employment roster, and revenue - which has more than doubled from sales of its seven EPA-registered products.
Following Vive's 2021 U.S. launch of AZterknot® fungicide, sales opportunities in new crop segments have been significant. Registered across a broad spectrum of crops, AZterknot demonstrates Vive's ability to more effectively deliver both biologicals and synthetic active ingredients in a single jug.
In its first full marketing season of 2022, AZterknot sales exceeded expectation with product use on more than 50,000 U.S. acres. "AZterknot showcases our ability to deliver biologicals with proven chemistry," says Anderson. "As the demand for biologicals increases, Allosperse will be an important technology for bringing more bio-based offerings to market."
Kyle Scott, Managing Director of Conexus Venture Capital & Emmertech, says, "We are thrilled to be backing Vive's outstanding team and the trust they've built among farmers with solutions that are efficient, sustainable, and profitable. We look forward to supporting Vive with their R&D infrastructure and entrance into global markets."
Vive is also pleased to announce the appointment of Kyle Scott to its Board of Directors.
Alastair Cooper, Head of Venture at the Cibus funds, says, "Our investment underlines our commitment to disruptive companies like Vive who place innovation at the core of their business model. As agriculture continues to embrace new technology, we believe Vive products will become increasingly important for maximizing on-farm efficiency and sustainability."
Graeme Millen, Managing Director and Climate Tech & Sustainability lead in Canada for Silicon Valley Bank, says, "Vive's unique technology exemplifies the power of next-generation solutions to create sustainable yet profitable outcomes for stakeholders. This approach aligns with SVB's role as an active partner for high impact Agtech companies and we're excited to support Vive's important mission."
Marketplace Achievements
- Seven commercially available products used on more than 2 million acres of U.S. farmland in 2022
- First to launch a three-way fungicide that combines Allosperse with biological and synthetic chemistries
- Intellectual property portfolio of more than 100 patents granted with others pending, plus R&D capabilities
- Recognized as one of Canada's Sustainability Changemakers for 2022 by the Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) organization
- Corporate recipient of numerous international awards for its innovative Allosperse technology
Vive recognizes Fort Capital Partners for their advisory role in this funding round.
Vive creates Precision Chemistry to expand the horizons of Precision Ag. Utilizing the patented Allosperse® Delivery System, Vive improves the targeting and performance of chemical and biological active ingredients, helping growers achieve real results. Learn more at vivecrop.com.
Emmertech is an agtech fund built from the industry outwards, with an investor base which includes some of Canada's most innovative farmers, agribusiness owners, agriculture-centred insurers and financial institutions, and Canada's biggest agricultural province through Innovation Saskatchewan. Emmertech is fund-managed by Conexus Venture Capital, built with the vision that Canada can become a global leader in agriculture innovation if our founders are given proper access to early stage venture capital. Learn more at emmertech.ca.
The Cibus funds are advised by ADM Capital Europe LLP. The Cibus Enterprise strategy invests in innovative venture Agrifood Tech companies that adopt technologies to enable the profitable and sustainable capture of high-growth markets. Learn more at cibusfund.com.
Silicon Valley Bank, the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors, provides commercial banking services, expertise and insights to the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. Silicon Valley Bank operates in centers of innovation around the world and is one of SVB's core businesses with SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities. With global commercial banking services, Silicon Valley Bank helps address the unique needs of its dynamic, fast-growing, innovative clients. Learn more at svb.com.
Urbana Corporation is a diversified corporation with a focus on financial services, information services and innovative technologies. The long-term goal of Urbana is to seek and acquire investments for income and capital appreciation through a combination of public and private investments. The portfolio mix of actively managed publicly traded securities with private equity investments has generated significant long-term investment results. Learn more at urbanacorp.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vive Crop Protection | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/vive-crop-protection-closes-funding-round-accelerating-its-precision-chemistry-platform/ | 2022-08-22T11:15:32Z |
HAMILTON, Bermuda, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE: WTM) announced today that it has commenced a "modified Dutch auction" self-tender offer to purchase up to $500 million in value of its common shares, at a purchase price not greater than $1,400 nor less than $1,250 per share, in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest. The tender offer commenced today, on August 22, 2022, and will expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, at the end of the day on September 20, 2022, unless extended. White Mountains's common shares closed on the New York Stock Exchange at $1,305.13 per share on August 19, 2022.
A "modified Dutch auction" self-tender offer allows shareholders to indicate how many shares and at what price within the Company's specified range they wish to tender their shares. Based on the number of shares tendered and the prices specified by the tendering shareholders, the Company will determine the lowest purchase price per share within the range that will enable it to purchase $500 million in value of shares, or if a lesser value of shares is properly tendered, all shares that have been properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. In the event that shares representing more than $500 million in value are properly tendered in the tender offer, the Company reserves the right to increase the number of shares sought in the tender offer by an amount not exceeding 2% of outstanding shares without extending the expiration time for the tender offer. All shares purchased by the Company in the tender offer will be purchased at the same price regardless of whether the shareholder tendered at a lower price. The Company will not purchase shares below a price stipulated by a shareholder, and in some cases, may actually purchase shares at a price above a shareholder's indication under the terms of the tender offer.
If the tender offer is fully subscribed, (1) at the maximum purchase price of $1,400 per share, the Company could purchase 357,142 shares, which would represent approximately 12.3% of shares outstanding and (2) at the minimum purchase price of $1,250 per share, the Company could purchase 400,000 shares, which would represent approximately 13.8% of the shares outstanding.
The tender offer will not be conditioned upon the receipt of financing or any minimum number of shares being tendered. The tender offer will be, however, subject to certain conditions as will be specified in the offer to purchase. Specific instructions and a complete explanation of the terms and conditions of the tender offer will be contained in the offer to purchase, the letter of transmittal and the related materials, which will be mailed to shareholders of record shortly after commencement of the tender offer. Any shares tendered may be withdrawn prior to expiration of the tender offer.
None of the Company, its Board of Directors, the dealer managers or the information agent for the tender offer makes any recommendation as to whether any shareholder should participate or refrain from participating in the tender offer or as to the price or prices at which shareholders may choose to tender their shares in the tender offer. Shareholders must make their own decision as to whether to tender their shares and, if so, how many shares to tender and the price or prices at which they will tender their shares.
D.F. King & Co., Inc. will serve as information agent for the tender offer. The dealer managers for the tender offer will be J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Barclays Capital Inc.
White Mountains is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "WTM" and the Bermuda Stock Exchange under the symbol "WTM-BH".
This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell any shares of the Company's common shares. The solicitation and offer to buy the Company's common shares will only be made pursuant to the offer to purchase and the related materials that the Company will send to its shareholders shortly after commencement of the tender offer. Shareholders should carefully read those materials when they are available because they will contain important information, including the various terms and conditions of the tender offer. Shareholders may obtain free copies, when available, of the offer to purchase, the letter of transmittal and the related materials that will be filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission at the commission's website at www.sec.gov. Shareholders also may obtain a copy of these documents, without charge, from the Company's website: www.whitemountains.com. Shareholders are urged to read these materials carefully prior to making any decision with respect to the offer.
Shareholders and investors who have questions or need assistance may call D.F. King & Co., Inc. at (800) 290-6424 (toll free) or email wtm@dfking.com.
This press release may contain "forward-looking statements". All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included or referenced in this press release which address activities, events or developments which White Mountains expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. The words "could", "will", "believe", "intend", "expect", "anticipate", "project", "estimate", "predict" and similar expressions are also intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements with respect to the conduct, terms and completion of the tender offer.
These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by White Mountains in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. However, whether actual results and developments will conform to its expectations and predictions is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations, including:
- the risks that are described from time to time in White Mountains's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to White Mountains's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021;
- claims arising from catastrophic events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fires, severe winter weather, public health crises, terrorist attacks, explosions, infrastructure failures, cyber-attacks or armed conflicts;
- recorded loss reserves subsequently proving to have been inadequate;
- the market value of White Mountains's investment in MediaAlpha;
- the trends and uncertainties from the COVID-19 pandemic, including judicial interpretations on the extent of insurance coverage provided by insurers for COVID-19 pandemic related claims;
- business opportunities (or lack thereof) that may be presented to it and pursued;
- actions taken by rating agencies, such as financial strength or credit ratings downgrades or placing ratings on negative watch;
- the continued availability of capital and financing;
- deterioration of general economic, market or business conditions, including due to outbreaks of contagious disease (including the COVID-19 pandemic) and corresponding mitigation efforts;
- competitive forces, including the conduct of other insurers;
- changes in domestic or foreign laws or regulations, or their interpretation, applicable to White Mountains, its competitors or its customers; and
- other factors, most of which are beyond White Mountains's control.
Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments anticipated by White Mountains will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, White Mountains or its business or operations. Except for our obligations under Rule 13e-4(c)(3) and Rule 13e-4(e)(3) of the Exchange Act to disclose any material changes in the information previously disclosed to shareholders or as otherwise required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Rob Seelig
(603) 640-2212
View original content:
SOURCE White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/white-mountains-commence-self-tender-offer-purchase-up-500-million-value-its-common-shares/ | 2022-08-22T11:15:39Z |
Montessori Community School is a special place that creates a hands-on, individualized learning experience, and gives your child an education that will last a lifetime. Located in the residential neighborhood of Makiki, they are just five minutes from both the University of Hawaii and downtown Honolulu.
Head of School, Marjie Carroll shared, "We're really excited about the 50 years that we've been able to serve students in our community, but we're also looking forward to the future... Our teachers are trained in the Montessori approach --they have undergraduate [degrees], many of them have masters degrees as well... We have an amazing group of teachers, administrators, parents who are committed to their families and to their kids --and we love doing that."
Marjie is expressed why she "We believe that that foundation will help them, but also help the community. Children who are well educated, well balanced, curious, responsible, independent...are important to all of us. Not just for themselves, but for the wellbeing of others."
Matt Raff has been involved with Montessori Community School since he was child. He is an MCS alumni, parent and board member. He shared, "I'm an alum of the school. I went here from the time I was two years old to sixth grade. I'm also a board member and I'm a current parent --I have two children who are in the school now. So, I loved my time here at Montessori, I felt like my childhood was so great, and the school you go to is such a big part of that.
Matt continued, "The school allows these long, uninterrupted learning work periods...you don't switch from math for one hour to science for another hour...we have these longer periods of time, and what that does is, naturally, they gravitate toward these subjects and these activities that interest them, and it allows them to really develop an area of expertise...and a love of learning how to learn. And they love coming to school every day, they have a very happy day...and that's the most important thing to me."
To see the difference a Montessori education can make, visit: MontessoriHawaii.org
Interested in featuring your business or organization? Email IslandLife@kitv.com | https://www.kitv.com/island-life/montessori-community-school-gives-children-an-education-that-lasts-a-lifetime/article_f6130564-1db7-11ed-8a2b-1b7ee342f28f.html | 2022-08-22T11:57:59Z |
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH
FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS...
.A south-southwest swell (190 degrees) has built larger than
expected late this afternoon and evening, leading to advisory
level surf for south facing shores. The large surf will continue
into Monday afternoon.
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY...
* WHAT...Surf of 7 to 10 feet.
* WHERE...South facing shores of all Hawaiian Islands.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST Monday.
* IMPACTS...Moderate. Expect strong breaking waves, shore break,
and strong longshore and rip currents making swimming
difficult and dangerous.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Beachgoers, swimmers, and surfers should heed all advice given by
ocean safety officials and exercise caution.
&&
HAWAII (KITV)-With the all the increases in power bills recently, many people are wondering what's next for the state of electricity in Hawaii. If you look on Hawaiian Electric's renewable status area of their website, you can see 14 power plants and storage facilities are set to go online in the next 2 years. While one is a geothermal plant, the rest are solar.
AES and Innergex Renewable Energy are tied for most on that list, 4 each. AES is ramping up renewables as it prepares to shut down its coal plant September 1st.
“In Kauai, our solar plant when it was put in 3 years ago, paired solar with a battery,” said AES Hawaii Market Business Leader Sandra Larsen. According to a map from AES, the company has 12 renewable facility sites, with 6 of those facilities still needing to be built on assorted Hawaiian islands.
“On Maui, that should be coming online beginning of 2023, or late 2022. We'll have our Waikalu project in 2023, and our Oahu projects coming online around that time period as well. In particular West Oahu in the first quarter of 2023,” said Larsen.
'Part of the plans include another power plant on Kauai. This one with a twist on hydro-power. “It's hydro paired with solar and battery,” said Larsen. They've already got permits for that. There's also work yet to be done on the West Oahu plant to make it functional by early 2023. This Includes laying out solar panels, putting in connection lines, and a new substation.
AES's coal plant will be dismantled after its closure September 1st. “We're still talking internally about what could be done at the property site,” said Larsen.
More renewable electricity may also be on the way from AES and other companies. Hawaiian Electric tells us they've opened up a new period for companies to submit additional energy projects. “We're still looking at sites across all of the islands to see if we can continue to contribute,” said Sandra Larsen from AES.
Hawaiian Electric says the more renewable energy plants that come on line, the less fuel that will most likely have to be used for electricity. Which may provide the chance for electricity rates to decrease.
Jefferson Tyler joined KITV after a lengthy stint in Reno, Nev. where he covered a variety of subjects. From wildfires to presidential elections, Jefferson takes pride in creating balanced stories that keep viewers’ attentions. | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/update-on-renewable-power-plant-plans-for-hawaii/article_6ef8fa1e-2200-11ed-aadc-0f98eaba9150.html | 2022-08-22T11:58:05Z |
By the end of August, nearly all of the abortion trigger bans in the country will have taken effect.
Thirteen states have legislation that was designed to automatically outlaw abortions once the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
In some states, the trigger law is written so that abortions are immediately prohibited without needing further action. In others, the policy requires 30 days to go into effect or certification from the state's attorney general. Meanwhile, in Utah, Wyoming and North Dakota, their trigger bans have been temporarily blocked by local courts.
A number of states have codified abortion bans without the use of a trigger law. So far, a total of 14 states have near-total abortion bans or bans after six weeks of pregnancy.
Three of those states are expected to implement even more draconian laws starting Aug. 25.
Tennessee
Since Roe was struck down in June, Tennessee has banned abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which is about six weeks of pregnancy. But on the 25th, nearly all abortions will be outlawed, except in cases related to preventing the death or serious injury of a pregnant woman. That law will make no exceptions for rape or incest.
Idaho
Similar to Tennessee, Idaho has already banned abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy in a law that took effect on Friday.
Barring court intervention, later this week, the state will impose a near-total abortion ban, with the exception of rape, incest or medical emergency. Physicians who perform abortions outside of these circumstances will be at risk of up to five years in prison. The Justice Department sued Idaho to block this law and a court hearing is scheduled for Monday.
Yet another law already in effect allows potential relatives of an embryo or fetus to sue abortion providers for up to $20,000 within four years of the procedure. That policy will not be granted for rapists, but still apply for the rapists' family members.
Texas
Abortion has already been outlawed in Texas because of a law from before Roe v. Wade that is now being enforced. The current ban makes no exceptions for rape or incest.
The state's trigger law on Aug. 25 will toughen the punishment for those involved in an illegal abortion — putting physicians who perform the procedure at risk of facing life in prison and fines no less than $100,000. It only allows the procedure for pregnant patients in a medical emergency.
States with abortion bans taking effect in September
Indiana became the first state to pass new legislation for an abortion ban since the reversal of Roe. That law is set to take effect on Sept. 15.
Similar to other states, Indiana will ban abortions except in the case of rape, incest or a medical emergency. Even then, the law imposes a complicated process for those abortions to be performed.
Arizona's abortion ban, which would criminalize providing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, is scheduled to go into effect on Sept. 24. But a stricter ban is being considered by the courts, as requested by the state attorney general.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/3-more-states-will-enact-abortion-trigger-bans-this-week | 2022-08-22T12:11:23Z |
There are primary elections Tuesday in Florida and New York. A special congressional election in New York could be a fresh indicator of which way the fall midterm elections are headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR
There are primary elections Tuesday in Florida and New York. A special congressional election in New York could be a fresh indicator of which way the fall midterm elections are headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/as-primaries-wind-down-there-are-some-hints-about-whats-in-store-for-midterms | 2022-08-22T12:11:30Z |
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to professor Rick Hasen at UCLA School of Law about the election deniers who may be in positions that have a direct role in the vote certification process.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to professor Rick Hasen at UCLA School of Law about the election deniers who may be in positions that have a direct role in the vote certification process.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/candidates-who-deny-the-2020-presidential-election-results-are-winning-races | 2022-08-22T12:11:36Z |
Fox Corp CEO and Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch — already busy fighting two multi-billion dollar defamation lawsuits aimed at Fox News here in the U.S. — has threatened a news organization in his family's home country of Australia with legal action.
The threat stems from commentaries accusing him of being responsible for rhetoric on the network that helped fuel the Jan. 6, 2021, siege of the U.S. Capitol.
Now the Aussie political news site Crikey has a message: Bring it on.
"Lachlan Murdoch appears desperate to disassociate himself from the actions of Fox in inciting the January 6th insurrection," Crikey's editor-in-chief, Peter Fray tells NPR from Sydney. "And he's taking quite extraordinary steps to shut down public debate in this country."
Fray says his news site was not literally saying Murdoch personally incited people to violence that day. But, Fray says, "the buck has to stop somewhere."
So, in full-page ads set to appear today in The New York Times and the Canberra Times in the Australian capital city, Fray and Eric Beecher, the chairman of Crikey's parent company, Private Media, proclaim they welcomed Murdoch's threat of a lawsuit.
In the written text of their ad, the two men suggested they wanted it to serve as a test of Australian defamation laws, which, they wrote, "are too restrictive."
Fox Corp declined comment yesterday on the dispute with Crikey.
Murdoch's complaints arose from a June 29th piece driven by revelations about the activities of former President Donald Trump and his allies ahead of the insurrection at the U.S. Congress last year.
Crikey's political editor said Fox was among Trump's top allies, and concluded a column by calling Murdoch and his father Rupert "unindicted co-conspirators" in the siege because of the incendiary rhetoric Fox often aired.
"We at Crikey strongly support freedom of opinion and public interest journalism," Beecher and Fray wrote.
The two men said they decided to publish all the legal demands and accusations against Crikey from Murdoch's attorneys, and the site's replies, "so people can judge your allegations for themselves."
Fox News faces a pair of defamation suits in the U.S.
The flap occurs at the same moment Fox News is publicly invoking free speech ideals as it seeks to defend itself from two multi-billion dollar defamation lawsuits from election technology and voting machine companies in the U.S.
In response to those two lawsuits, Fox News said, "freedom of the press is foundational to our democracy and must be protected."
And the network called the damages sought — more than $4 billion combined — "nothing more than a flagrant attempt to deter our journalists from doing their jobs."
A day after Crikey political editor Bernard Keane's June 29 column alleging a link between Fox's broadcasts and Trump's actions, Lachlan Murdoch's Australian media attorney, John Churchill, sent a note threatening a defamation suit and demanding an apology.
Churchill argued that Crikey had made an "unwarranted attack" in personally connecting Murdoch to the Jan. 6th attacks that was "malicious and aggravates the harm."
Crikey took the post down, saying it was doing so as a courtesy. But no apology was forthcoming, and earlier this month, Crikey re-posted Keane's column.
Its executives told the Sydney Morning Herald that the episode was just one of several moments in which Murdoch had sought to bully the news site.
Australia remains key to the Murdochs
Australia plays a recurring and central role in the Murdoch family's many dramas, both personal and professional.
Lachlan's father, Rupert Murdoch, was born there and made the foundation of his wealth there from a small newspaper granted to him by his father in Adelaide. Nearly two decades ago, Lachlan moved to Australia, seeking to make his own mark, when he quit his father's Manhattan-based media empire over corporate infighting. Lachlan's wife is Australian. He holds Australian citizenship and considers Australia home.
Though Lachlan returned to the fold, and once more helps to lead the family media empire, he moved with his wife and children back to Sydney during the pandemic. They still live there.
In defending its coverage of unproven allegations of voter fraud involving Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic election technology companies, Fox Corp and Fox News have argued that the network was merely covering newsworthy, if false, claims made by then President Donald Trump and his allies.
Republican and Democratic election officials at the local, state, and federal level have concluded there was no meaningful election fraud in the 2020 presidential race. Judges appointed by Trump were among the dozens who ruled against the Trump campaign in its legal challenges to the presidential election results.
Similarly, the New York City-based general counsel for Fox News, Bernard Gugar, wrote a formal complaint last September against a two-part documentary program Four Corners on the Australian Broadcasting Corp, called "Fox and the Big Lie."
The documentary focused on Fox's coverage following the 2020 elections, which it contended boosted Trump's false claims. But Gugar asserted the documentary was biased and false.
His very first objection: the fact it said it relied on network "insiders." He noted that the six former Fox News staffers interviewed by the ABC included people who left as far back as 2016 and 2017, as well as its former political director, who was let go several months after the election. (Fox sparked Trump's fury when its decision desk was the first to project that he would lose Arizona on Election Night in November 2020. )
According to two people with knowledge of the matter, the complaint was rejected by the internal unit at the ABC that reviews outside objections. Fox subsequently lodged its objections with the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the regulator that oversees broadcasting there. The regulator has not yet acted upon it.
The Crikey column that started the spat
The latest clash between the Murdochs and the Australian press hinges on a June 29th column by Crikey's politics editor, Bernard Keane, inspired by the revelations of the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection.
Keane made two references to a Murdoch, though it's not clear whether the initial one pointed at Lachlan or Rupert.
The headline of the column, unmistakably a work of political commentary, calls Trump a "a confirmed unhinged traitor" and goes on to say "Murdoch is his unindicted co-conspirator."
The column's final line reaches a grand rhetorical crescendo to make a case for the Murdochs' moral culpability: "the Murdochs and their slew of poisonous Fox News commentators are the unindicted co-conspirators of this continuing crisis."
Churchill, the attorney for Fox and Murdoch, argues that connecting the Murdochs to such violent acts is unfair, inaccurate and ultimately defamatory.
Fox's attorneys have taken the first steps toward filing such a lawsuit against Crikey. In Australia, such cases are much easier to win than in the U.S.
"We're unwilling to be bullied by Lachlan Murdoch any more," Crikey's Fray tells NPR. "We thought it was important to make a stand for free speech and for independent journalism — something Lachlan Murdoch, his father Rupert, and his grandfather, too, have stood up for over the years."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/fox-ceo-lachlan-murdoch-threatened-aussie-news-site-crikey-its-fighting-back | 2022-08-22T12:11:42Z |
Tanzania's Information Ministry is installing high-speed internet on Africa's highest mountain. Right now climbers can use it at roughly 12,200 feet. Connectivity to the summit comes later this year.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Tanzania's Information Ministry is installing high-speed internet on Africa's highest mountain. Right now climbers can use it at roughly 12,200 feet. Connectivity to the summit comes later this year.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/high-speed-internet-on-mount-kilimanjaro-will-allow-climbers-to-post-selfies | 2022-08-22T12:11:48Z |
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/news-brief-primary-election-are-winding-down-imran-kahn-russia-car-bomb | 2022-08-22T12:11:55Z |
Cineworld theater chain confirms it’s considering bankruptcy
LONDON (AP) — Cineworld Group PLC, one of the world’s largest movie theater chains, said Monday that it is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. and similar actions elsewhere.
The British company, which owns Regal Cinemas in the United States and operates in 10 countries, said bankruptcy is one option it is weighing to help preserve a business that has struggled to rebound from the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.
Cineworld said it’s holding talks with major stakeholders such as lenders. It expects operations to run normally following any filing and “ultimately to continue its business over the longer term with no significant impact upon its employees.” It has about 28,000 workers, according to the company’s website.
Company shares tumbled 58% Friday after The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was preparing to file for bankruptcy within weeks.
Cineworld, which has 9,189 screens across 751 sites, said Monday that it’s open for business and is still evaluating its options to boost cash flow and potentially restructure.
In March, the company said COVID-19 closures in the first part of last year took a toll, reporting a $565.8 million loss after taxes and debt of $4.8 million. It also took a hit from terminating its 2020 takeover of Canadian movie theater company Cineplex Inc. A court in Ontario agreed with Cineplex that the British company breached its obligations and awarded 1.23 billion Canadian dollars ($947.5 million) in damages. Cineworld has appealed.
Despite the hurdles, Cineworld has said pent-up demand to see movies on the big screen helped its bottom line at the end of last year. It also expected blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World: Dominion” and others to help it “continue to rebound strongly.”
Shares of AMC and Cinemark, two major theater chains based in the U.S., also fell before the opening bell in New York.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/cineworld-theater-chain-confirms-its-considering-bankruptcy/ | 2022-08-22T12:15:42Z |
Closing arguments next in trial of 2 men in Whitmer kidnapping plot
(AP) - Jurors will hear closing arguments Monday in the retrial of two men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.
Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. declined to testify Friday as defense lawyers rested their case in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The government has portrayed Fox and Croft as leaders of a wild plan to snatch Whitmer at her vacation home in Elk Rapids, Michigan, and trigger chaos across the U.S.
Fox, Croft and their allies were furious about COVID-19 restrictions and generally disgusted by government, prosecutors say.
Defense lawyers, however, say Fox and Croft were a bumbling, foul-mouthed, marijuana-smoking pair exercising free speech and incapable of leading anything as extraordinary as an abduction of a public official. They say FBI agents and informants fed their outrage and pulled them into their web.
“It has FBI fingerprints all over it,” Christopher Gibbons said.
The jury heard secretly recorded conversations and read violent social media posts, some written before the FBI got involved. Two undercover agents and an informant testified for hours, explaining how the men trained in Wisconsin and Michigan and visited Elk Rapids to see Whitmer’s home.
Other witnesses included Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, who pleaded guilty and insisted the group was not entrapped.
Fox and Croft are on trial for a second time after a jury in April couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict but acquitted two other men.
Croft, 46, is from Bear, Delaware. Fox, 39, was living in the basement of a vacuum shop in the Grand Rapids area.
Whitmer, a Democrat, has blamed then-President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn hate groups and right-wing extremists like those charged in the plot.
She said Sunday that she hasn’t been following the retrial, but that she remains concerned about “violent rhetoric in this country.”
“This is a dangerous trend that is happening. We cannot let it become normalized and I do hope that anyone that’s out there plotting to hurt their fellow Americans is held accountable,” Whitmer said at the Michigan Democratic Party’s convention in Lansing.
Trump recently called the kidnapping plan a “fake deal.”
___
Find the AP’s full coverage of the kidnapping plot trial: https://apnews.com/hub/whitmer-kidnap-plot-trial
___
Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/closing-arguments-next-trial-2-men-whitmer-kidnapping-plot/ | 2022-08-22T12:15:49Z |
Russia’s FSB blames Ukrainian intelligence for car bombing that killed nationalist’s daughter
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top counterintelligence agency on Monday blamed Ukrainian spy services for organizing the killing of the daughter of a leading Russian nationalist ideologue in a car bombing just outside Moscow.
Daria Dugina, the 29-year-old daughter of Alexander Dugin, a philosopher, writer and political theorist whom some in the West described as “Putin’s brain,” died when an explosive planted in her SUV exploded as she was driving Saturday night.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the main KGB successor agency, said that Dugina’s killing had been “prepared and perpetrated by the Ukrainian special services.”
On Sunday, Ukraine’s presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak denied any Ukrainian involvement in the killing.
In Monday’s statement, the FSB accused a Ukrainian citizen, Natalya Vovk, of perpetrating the killing and then fleeing from Russia to Estonia.
The FSB said that the suspect, Natalya Vovk, arrived in Russia in July with her 12-year-old daughter and rented an apartment in the building where Dugina lived to shadow her. It said that Vovk and her daughter were at a nationalist festival, which Alexander Dugin and his daughter attended just before the killing.
The agency said that Vovk and her daughter left Russia for Estonia after Dugina’s killing, using a different vehicle license plate on their way out of the country.
Dugin has been a prominent proponent of the “Russian world” concept, a spiritual and political ideology that emphasizes traditional values, the restoration of Russia’s global clout and the unity of all ethnic Russians throughout the world. He has been vehemently supported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move to send troops into Ukraine and urged the Kremlin to step up its operations in the country.
The explosion took place as Dugin’s daughter was returning from a cultural festival she had attended with him. Russian media reports cited witnesses as saying the SUV belonged to Dugin and that he had decided at the last minute to travel in another vehicle.
The car bombing, unusual for Moscow since the turbulent 1990s, is likely to aggravate tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
On Sunday, Denis Pushilin, head of the Russia-backed separatist “Donetsk People’s Republic” in Ukraine’s east, quickly blamed the blast on “terrorists of the Ukrainian regime, trying to kill Alexander Dugin.”
While Dugin’s exact ties to Putin are unclear, the Kremlin frequently echoes rhetoric from his writings and appearances on Russian state television. He helped popularize the “Novorossiya,” or “New Russia” concept that Russia used to justify the 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and its support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Dugin, who has been slapped with U.S. and European Union sanctions, has promoted Russia as a country of piety, traditional values and authoritarian leadership, and spoken with disdain about Western liberal values.
His daughter expressed similar views and had appeared as a commentator on nationalist TV channel Tsargrad, where Dugin had served as chief editor.
Dugina herself was sanctioned by the United States in March for her work as chief editor of United World International, a website that the U.S. described as a disinformation source. The sanctions announcement cited a United World article this year that contended Ukraine would “perish” if it were admitted to NATO.
In an appearance on Russian television just Thursday, Dugina said, “People in the West are living in a dream, in a dream given to them by global hegemony.” She called America “a zombie society” in which people opposed Russia but couldn’t find it on a map.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/russias-fsb-blames-ukrainian-intelligence-car-bombing/ | 2022-08-22T12:15:55Z |
There are primary elections Tuesday in Florida and New York. A special congressional election in New York could be a fresh indicator of which way the fall midterm elections are headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR
There are primary elections Tuesday in Florida and New York. A special congressional election in New York could be a fresh indicator of which way the fall midterm elections are headed.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/as-primaries-wind-down-there-are-some-hints-about-whats-in-store-for-midterms | 2022-08-22T12:36:09Z |
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to professor Rick Hasen at UCLA School of Law about the election deniers who may be in positions that have a direct role in the vote certification process.
Copyright 2022 NPR
NPR's Leila Fadel talks to professor Rick Hasen at UCLA School of Law about the election deniers who may be in positions that have a direct role in the vote certification process.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/candidates-who-deny-the-2020-presidential-election-results-are-winning-races | 2022-08-22T12:36:15Z |
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Have the primaries given hints about the upcoming midterms? Terrorism charges are filed against Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. A car bomb near Moscow killed the daughter of a key Putin ally.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/news-brief-primary-election-are-winding-down-imran-kahn-russia-car-bomb | 2022-08-22T12:36:21Z |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.