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As monkeypox continues to spread in the gay community, queer bars have become a place to get information about how to stay safe, without adding to rising stigma.
Copyright 2022 NPR
As monkeypox continues to spread in the gay community, queer bars have become a place to get information about how to stay safe, without adding to rising stigma.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/queer-bars-are-stepping-up-in-the-fight-against-monkeypox | 2022-08-22T21:28:26Z |
With inflation running high, more people are driving for Uber and Lyft. Uber's CEO said that lots of new drivers signing on, but over 70% of them say that cost of living is the main reason.
Copyright 2022 NPR
With inflation running high, more people are driving for Uber and Lyft. Uber's CEO said that lots of new drivers signing on, but over 70% of them say that cost of living is the main reason.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/some-uber-and-lyft-drivers-question-whether-its-worth-it-as-companies-cut-incentives | 2022-08-22T21:28:32Z |
Humans' ability to sweat is useful on Earth — but when people go up into space, they find that perspiring in zero gravity presents some unique challenges.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Humans' ability to sweat is useful on Earth — but when people go up into space, they find that perspiring in zero gravity presents some unique challenges.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/what-happens-to-sweat-in-outer-space-hint-theres-no-gravity-to-help-it-drip-away | 2022-08-22T21:28:39Z |
E.B. Bartels has cared for many pets in her life: Fish, dogs, birds and a tortoise. And she watched many of them die.
In her new book, “Good Grief: On Loving Pets Here and Hereafter” she explores how people mourn and grieve their animals. With her own losses, Bartels says she often diminishes her feelings by telling herself it was a only dog or a bird that died, not a human being.
“The truth is, we can have really deep, special, important relationships with animals that sometimes are even more profound than our relationships with other people,” Bartels says. “I interviewed so many people for my book who said, ‘It hit me way harder when my cat of 20 years died than when my dad who I was sort of estranged from passed away.’”
Good Grief (HarperCollins)
Animals love their owners unconditionally — and the loss of that acceptance can devastate people, Bartels says. And losing the physical affection from cuddling or sleeping beside a pet is a big loss when the animal is no longer around.
Even with all her research, Bartels questions why people continue adopting pets knowing this difficult goodbye is inevitable.
“Are we just masochists? Why do we keep doing this to ourselves?” she says. “There’s really something worth it. I just always think about the complete, unconditional love that our animals give us.”
For example, her beloved dog Seymour endured a tough heartworm treatment last spring that involved shots and drugs — but he never resented or witheld snuggles from Bartels and her husband.
Bartels thinks about Seymour’s eventual death on a daily basis. Prey-driven Seymour loves to chase small animals like squirrels and lunge after trucks, so on every walk, Bartels thinks he’s going to get away from her and run into the street.
“I think in some ways pets bring us so much joy because they force us to remember how short life is and how fleeting our time is together,” she says. “Even if Seymour gets hit by a car tomorrow while I’m walking him, at least we’ve had a few really special years together. And I’m really grateful for that time.”
Interview Highlights
On how to know when it’s time to say goodbye
“That is a really hard question and I wish I had a better answer. I asked every single vet I interviewed for this book that question. One of the best pieces of advice I heard was sort of the three things rule.
“A vet in Western Mass. said to think of three things that your pet loves to do. Maybe it’s swim in the lake and chase a tennis ball and loves to eat carrots. And on any given day, if your pet can still do all three or two of those three things, then your pet’s probably in pretty good shape. But if you start to notice that even the things that they absolutely love to do more than anything in the world are becoming challenging or they’re not interested in doing them anymore, then that’s when you really need to start to think about, am I holding on because I’m having trouble letting go and what’s best for my pet here? Are they in pain or are they suffering? It’s hard, though, because every animal is so different.”
On how the death of pets weighs on veterinarians
“It’s really hard for vets. I spoke to probably like 25 or 30 different [vets] for this book, and all of them brought up the really high suicide rate actually among veterinarians. All of them have lost colleagues to suicide.
“I think that’s part of why I wanted to write so much about the vet perspective in my book, to really remind people who are grieving that it’s really easy when you’re grieving and angry and upset to lash out and blame the vet, ‘Oh, you said this surgery would fix their cancer and it didn’t work and they died anyway.’ Vets are people and they’re just trying the best they can and they want what’s best for your pet, too.
“I had a lot of people tell me they got really angry at their vet when the vet suggested maybe it was time to consider euthanasia, but they admitted later that they just didn’t want to hear that because they were sad and upset and the vet really was doing what was best for the animal or thinking about what was best for the animal.”
On her visits to pet cemeteries and how famous racehorses like Secretariat are memorized
“We can really be profoundly impacted by animals who aren’t our own pets, who are famous, and lots of people know and love them. Secretariat in particular came on the scene when people were going through a hard time in the United States. There was war and seeing such a joyful, successful racehorse really brought a lot of people’s spirits up. So in Lexington, [Kentucky], it was really amazing to see these whole horse cemeteries and monuments to these amazing race horses.
“One of my favorite facts is when Man of War, who is another legendary racehorse, passed away, the whole city of Lexington shut down for the day. So everyone, like kids, didn’t have to go to school so everyone could come and pay their respects to Man of War who lay in state, sort of like a U.S. president.”
On the history of humans grieving the loss of pets
“People have loved animals for millennia. My first chapter of my book is all about how in ancient Egypt, people would mummify their pets, they would bury [their pets] with them and hope to be reunited in the afterlife. There are animal mummies in Peru. There are ancient dog cemeteries in Siberia and Israel. People have loved animals for as long as they have welcomed animals into their homes and lives. And to me, if you’ve loved an animal, you also then grieve an animal. So it’s nothing new.”
“To me, the way that people mourn their pets and have these big mausoleums and statues and plots and pet cemeteries and portraits painted, it just shows to me the depth of their love and the joy that pets bring them.”
Emiko Tamagawa produced and edited this interview for broadcast with Todd Mundt. Allison Hagan adapted it for the web.
Book excerpt: ‘Good Grief: On Loving Pets Here and Hereafter’
by E.B. Bartels
Excerpted from Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter © 2022 by E.B. Bartels. Reproduced by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/why-a-pets-death-hits-so-hard-new-book-explores-dealing-with-the-loss-of-a-beloved-companion | 2022-08-22T21:28:45Z |
When children in the Columbus, Ohio, education system start their school year this Wednesday, they will likely be doing so online, as the school district's nearly 4,500 teachers hit the picket lines.
For the first time in nearly 50 years, the district's unionized teachers are striking, the Columbus Education Association (CEA) announced.
On Sunday, the union voted to go on strike after weeks of negotiations over new contract language with Columbus City Schools went nowhere. The union says it was pushing for guaranteed air conditioning, "appropriate class sizes" and full-time art, music and physical education teachers in the city's elementary schools.
Jennifer Adair, the Board of Education president, said in a statement that the decision by the union to strike is an "unfortunate situation" for families, the community and children.
"Our offer to CEA put children first and prioritized their education and their growth. We offered a generous compensation package for teachers and provisions that would have a positive impact on classrooms," Adair said in the statement. "Our offer was also responsive to the concerns that have been raised by CEA during the negotiations process. Our community's children are the Board's priority, and our offer reflected that fact."
The fact that students will be starting the new year with online schooling "is not ideal," Adair said. "But," she added, "we have an obligation to continue educating and supporting students despite the current circumstances."
This strike comes as schools across the U.S. are scrambling to fill vacancies brought on by a teacher shortage. The country is facing a shortage of 300,000 teachers, according to the National Education Association.
After dealing with two years of illness and disruption brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about school safety and a feeling of lack of respect, teachers have reported being burned out, demoralized and fed up.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/why-teachers-from-one-of-ohios-largest-school-districts-are-on-strike | 2022-08-22T21:28:51Z |
6-year-old girl, dad dead in suspected murder-suicide following custody dispute, police say
MOUNT HEALTHY, Ohio (WXIX/Gray News) – A 6-year-old girl and her father are dead after what police suspect was a murder-suicide, following a custody dispute.
According to Mount Healthy police, the bodies of Iyla Johnson and her father, 40-year-old Eric Johnson, were found with gunshot wounds in the bedroom of an Ohio apartment.
Police said they initially responded to a call at 11:40 a.m. Sunday involving a custody exchange at the Lake of the Woods apartment complex.
When officers entered the apartment, they heard a gunshot come from the bedroom. Police said as officers attempted to force entry into the barricaded bedroom, they heard additional gunshots.
A SWAT team was called and attempted to communicate with Johnson, but “repeated attempts to do so failed.” When SWAT officers entered the bedroom, they found both bodies.
Police said Johnson was a convicted felon, who was prohibited from having a firearm.
No officers were injured.
Mount Healthy is located about 10 miles north of Cincinnati.
Copyright 2022 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/6-year-old-girl-dad-dead-suspected-murder-suicide-following-custody-dispute-police-say/ | 2022-08-22T21:53:13Z |
Oklahoma sheriff deputy serving eviction papers shot, killed
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office deputy was shot and killed and a second deputy wounded while the two were serving eviction papers at a home on the southwest side of Oklahoma City, authorities said.
Both deputies were transported to the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, where one deputy died and the other was in stable condition, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Aaron Brilbeck said.
The two deputies were not immediately identified while their family members were being notified, Brilbeck said.
Sheriff Tommie Johnson said the two deputies were serving “lock-out papers,” which is part of the eviction process, when one of the deputies went to the back door of the home and was shot. The second deputy was shot as he attempted to pull the first deputy to safety, Johnson said.
A suspect in the shooting was taken into custody following a vehicle chase across the city, said Oklahoma City police Sgt. Dillon Quirk. The suspect’s name was not immediately released.
“During that pursuit, the suspect was firing rounds at officers, and we had officers as well returning fire at the suspect,” said Oklahoma City Police Capt. Valerie Littlejohn. She said neither the suspect nor the pursuing officers were hit by gunfire during the exchanges.
Video from a news helicopter showed police chasing a pickup truck hauling a boat across the city to the entrance of Tinker Air Force Base, where the driver was taken into custody after he threw a rifle out the window and exited the truck with his hands raised.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/oklahoma-sheriff-deputy-serving-eviction-papers-shot-killed/ | 2022-08-22T21:53:20Z |
Pentagon rejects DC request for National Guard migrant help
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon on Monday once again denied a request from the District of Columbia seeking National Guard assistance in dealing with thousands of migrants being bused to the city from Texas and Arizona.
According to a copy of a letter to the city reviewed by The Associated Press, the Defense Department said use of the D.C. National Guard would be inappropriate and would hurt the overall readiness of the troops, forcing some to cancel or disrupt military training.
The letter said the department also is concerned about putting uniformed military members in direct contact with migrants to provide food, sanitation or other support, saying the troops have no real experience or training for that mission.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejected a similar D.C. request earlier this month, and Mayor Muriel Bowser had said she would send an amended, “more specific” proposal. Bowser had initially asked for an open-ended deployment of 150 National Guard members per day as well as a “suitable federal location” for a mass housing and processing center, mentioning the D.C. Armory as a logical candidate. The revised request asked that the help be provided for just 90 days.
The Pentagon also denied the use of the armory, saying it is not air conditioned and would have to undergo costly changes and repairs to make it suitable for overnight stays.
When the Defense Department rejected the first request, officials said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s food and shelter program has provided funding for the problem, and has indicated those funds are sufficient at this point. The latest letter said the city should continue to work with non-government groups to address the issue.
During the spring, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, announced plans to send busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C., in response to President Joe Biden’s decision to lift a pandemic-era emergency health order that restricted migrant entry numbers by denying them a chance to seek asylum. The rule remains in effect under court order.
As of Aug. 5, Texas had bused more than 7,000 migrants to Washington, D.C., and more than 900 to New York City, according to the governor’s office. As of Aug. 22, the state of Arizona has sent 1,516 migrants to D.C., in 41 trips, according to the governor’s office. Two to three buses leave each week, and each can hold a maximum of 40 migrants.
The governors call the practice a voluntary free ride - paid for by state taxpayers — that gets migrants closer to family or support networks.
But Bowser has argued that the asylum-seekers are being “tricked,” as many don’t get close enough to their final destinations and some are ditched at Union Station near the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Often they arrive with no resources and no clue what to do next.
Ducey, who began the program in May, has said everyone on the bus trips is going voluntarily to the nation’s capital with intended final destinations in East Coast cities. They leave from Arizona’s western Yuma County, a small border county without a shelter or other infrastructure needed to house and process the large number of asylum seekers now arriving.
When her initial request was turned down, Bowser said she expects the problem to only get worse and that if D.C. were a state, she would have already used the Guard for assistance.
State governors control the use of their Guard troops for any state duties. But, as the D.C. mayor, Bowser does not have the authority to personally order a National Guard deployment, an issue that has become emotionally charged in recent years as a symbol of the district’s entrenched status as less than a state.
Her limited authority played a role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump. When it became clear that Capitol Police were overmatched by the crowds, Bowser couldn’t immediately deploy the district guard. Instead, crucial time was lost while the request was considered inside the Pentagon, and protesters rampaged through the building.
A coalition of local charitable groups has been working to feed and shelter the migrants, aided by a $1 million grant from FEMA. But organizers have been warning that both their resources and personnel were nearing exhaustion. Bowser has said relying on the groups is not sustainable because they are overwhelmed and underfunded.
_____
Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Phoenix, Az., and Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/pentagon-rejects-dc-request-national-guard-migrant-help/ | 2022-08-22T21:53:28Z |
WATCH: Off-duty officer hit by car in front of home, suspect charged
DECATUR, Ala. (WAFF/Gray News) - In a shocking scene caught on camera, an off-duty police officer was hit by a car in front of his own home.
According to a Decatur Police spokesperson, the off-duty officer was at his home Tuesday when 54-year-old Gregory Martin Hill approached in a Jeep.
Police said as the officer was approaching the Jeep to see if he needed assistance, Hill began to curse at the officer. The driver then backed out, hitting another car and a mailbox before driving toward the officer in what police said seemed to be an attempt to run him over. In the attempt, Hill hit a tree.
WAFF reports that, while the officer was heading inside of his home to get his duty weapon and handcuffs, the driver got out of his Jeep and followed the officer into his carport.
The officer’s wife, Sabrina Brown, shared a Facebook comment saying their two children were inside of the home.
WARNING: Video may be disturbing to viewers.
Police said Hill went back to his car as the officer was coming back outside to detain him. The officer ordered him to get on the ground, but he refused. The Jeep then drove toward the officer again in his front yard, and the officer fired multiple shots into the car. The gunshots missed the driver, and the officer’s legs were run over, police said.
The officer said he and a witness held Hill down until other officers arrived at the home to arrest him.
Hill has been charged with attempted murder and had a bond set at $1 million cash.
If Hill were to post bond he would need to be under supervision by pre-trial supervisors, have no alcohol or firearms in his home or any of his vehicles, and can have no direct, indirect or electronic communication with the victim.
According to officials, the officer has been released and is at home recovering.
Copyright 2022 WAFF via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/watch-off-duty-officer-hit-by-car-front-home-suspect-charged/ | 2022-08-22T21:53:34Z |
BOSTON HEIGHTS, Ohio, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Arhaus, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARHS; "Arhaus" or the "Company"), a rapidly growing lifestyle brand and omni-channel retailer of premium artisan-crafted home furnishings, announced today that Tim Kuckelman will join the Company in the new role of Chief Operating Officer at the end of September. He will report directly to John Reed, Arhaus Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
Kuckelman, who has over three decades of leadership experience in retail operations and logistics, will be responsible for enhancing Arhaus' operational capabilities across the business, overseeing Sourcing, Planning, Logistics, Customer Experience, Manufacturing and Information Technology.
"We are delighted to welcome Tim to Arhaus," said Reed. "His proven expertise leading high growth retail with complex operations and logistics will be of immense value as we optimize our processes and continue scaling our operational capacity in our next chapter of growth."
Kuckelman comes to Arhaus after spending the past two years at Fashionphile Group as COO, where he was responsible for establishing operational processes and controls for logistics, inventory sourcing and management, customer service and retail operations in a high growth environment. Prior to Fashionphile, Kuckelman spent over ten years at Kohl's Department Stores in various leadership roles, most recently as Vice President, Logistics and Transportation. In that role, he optimized domestic and international transportation and logistics while achieving a best-in-class cost model.
Prior to Kohl's, Kuckelman held roles of increasing responsibility in distribution, customer service, operations, and industrial engineering across companies such as Best Buy Co. and Gap, Inc. He holds an Industrial Engineering degree from Kansas State University and a J.D. from San Joaquin College of Law.
Founded in 1986, Arhaus is a rapidly growing lifestyle brand and omni-channel retailer of premium home furnishings. Through a differentiated proprietary model that directly designs and sources products from leading manufacturers and artisans around the world, Arhaus offers an exclusive assortment of heirloom quality products that are sustainably sourced, lovingly made, and built to last. With 80 showroom and design center locations across the United States, a team of interior designers providing complimentary in-home design services, and robust online and eCommerce capabilities, Arhaus is known for innovative design, responsible sourcing, and customer service.
Investor Contact:
Wendy Watson
Arhaus SVP of Investor Relations
invest@arhaus.com
Media Contact:
Hannah Wickberg
Arhaus Head of Public Relations
press@arhaus.com
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SOURCE Arhaus, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/arhaus-announces-new-chief-operating-officer/ | 2022-08-22T21:53:41Z |
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Banco BBVA Argentina S.A (NYSE; BYMA; MAE: BBAR; LATIBEX: XBBAR) announced today the approval of dividend payment
The Shareholders of Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. are hereby informed that in accordance with the decision taken by the Ordinary and Extraordinary General Meeting held on April 29, 2022, and the Meeting of the Board of Directors held on June 16, 2022, in relation to installment 9, from September 7, 2022 ("Payment Date"), a dividend in the amount of AR$ 1,097,100,750 (AR$ 1.7905707570 per share representing 179.0570757038 % of the capital stock of AR$ 612.710.079), corresponding to installment N° 9, shall be made available to the shareholders registered in the stock register of the Bank on September 6, 2022 ("Record Date").
In this regard, it is reported that:
i) The payment of the dividend to all Local Shareholders shall be made in Argentine Pesos through the Caja de Valores S.A located at 362, 25 de Mayo St., Buenos Aires City; on working days from 10:00 to 15:00 hours, where all requirements, formalities and settlements shall be met in accordance with the regulatory deadlines.
ii) The payment of the dividend to non-resident shareholders shall be made with securities, unless (a) they state their decision to receive it in Argentine pesos, or (b) they do not inform within the periods described below, the custodial accounts necessary to make the payment with movable securities, in which case they shall receive Argentine pesos.
a) Non-Resident Shareholders wishing to receive the following negotiable instrument: BOND TREASURY $ (Argentine currency) Adjustable by the Reference Stabilizing Ratio [AJ. CER ] 1,30% due 20/09/22 (ISIN ARARGE3209H9), shall send from 22 August to 6 September 2022 included, duly signed by the holder or custodian stating the name of the holder of those shares, for Shareholders who hold their shares through a depositor (Bank, Agent or Stock Exchange).
Such notice shall be served on working days within the aforementioned period, from 10:00 to 15:00 hours, to Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. Att. Ezequiel Serra - addressed to email (ezequiel.serra@bbva.com), at 111, Córdoba Av., 26th Floor, Buenos Aires City, stating beneficiary, number of principal and depositor of Caja de Valores S.A. or identification in the Register of Shareholders carried out by the Registration Agent: Caja de Valores S.A., bank abroad to transfer the securities, account number, reference and any other information necessary for the correct crediting of the net dividend.
It is hereby stated that in case of failure to receive the notification with the required information within the period informed, before September 6 , 2022 the Bank shall pay the dividend in Argentine pesos according to the procedure reported in point b) below.
b) On the other hand, non-resident shareholders who choose to receive Argentine pesos must send written notice to that effect from August 22 to September 6, 2022 included, on working days within that period, from 10:00 to 15:00 hours, addressed to Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. - Att. Ezequiel Serra addressed to email (ezequiel.serra@bbva.com), at 111, Córdoba Av., 26th Floor, Buenos Aires City, and the funds shall be credited through the Caja de Valores S.A located at 362, 25 de Mayo St,, Buenos Aires City; on working days from 10:00 to 15:00 hours, where all formalities and settlements shall be met in accordance with the regulatory deadlines.
Upon any inquiry or request address to: Caja de Valores S.A Phone: 0810-888-7323 or email registro@cajadevalores.com.ar.
Holders of American Depositary Shares (ADS) shall receive payment through the depositary bank, Bank of New York Mellon, as from the date determined by the rules governing the jurisdiction in which the Company's ADS is listed.
It is expressly established that the holdings of shares of the Shareholders registered at the Record Date shall be the only ones taken into account for the purpose of paying the declared dividend. Notices made by those who do not turn out to be holders of Bank shares at the Record Date shall be deemed not to have been filed and shall be null and void.
The distribution of dividends shall, in appropriate cases, be deducted from the sums duly paid by the Company, in its capacity as Substitute Tax Officer for Personal Property corresponding to the periods 2019 and 2020 of those Shareholders who have been reached by such tax, all in accordance with the terms of the last paragraph of the Section incorporated by Law N° 26.452 following Section 25 of Law N°23.966. It is also reported that, in accordance with the provisions of Law N° 27.430, amendment of Law N° 20.628 of Income Tax (third section without added number after section 90), no withholding tax is applicable since the dividends distributed correspond to accrued tax-free profits from periods prior to the beginning of January 1, 2018.
Contact: investorelations-arg@bbva.com
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SOURCE Banco BBVA Argentina S.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/banco-bbva-argentina-sa-announces-dividend-payment/ | 2022-08-22T21:53:49Z |
FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE: BDX) (the "Company" or "BD") today announced the consideration payable in connection with its previously announced Tender Offers (as defined below) to purchase for cash up to $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount (which, subject to applicable law, may be increased in the Company's sole discretion, the "Aggregate Offer Cap") of its (i) 3.794% Senior Notes due 2050, (ii) 7.000% Senior Debentures due 2027, (iii) 6.700% Senior Debentures due 2028, (iv) 6.000% Senior Notes due 2039, (v) 5.000% Senior Notes due 2040, (vi) 4.685% Senior Notes due 2044 and (vii) 4.669% Senior Notes due 2047 (collectively, the "Securities" and each a "series"), in the order of priority set forth in the table below (each, an "Acceptance Priority Level"), subject to an aggregate principal amount of each series of Securities that does not exceed the applicable Offer SubCap, if any, set forth in the table below (each, an "Offer SubCap") (collectively, the "Tender Offers"); provided that the Company will only accept for purchase up to an aggregate principal amount of all series of Securities that does not exceed the Aggregate Offer Cap.
The table below sets forth the Total Consideration for each series of Securities.
(1) Subject to the Aggregate Offer Cap, Offer SubCap, if any, and proration if applicable, the principal amount of each series of Securities that is purchased in the Tender Offers has been determined in accordance with the applicable Acceptance Priority Level (in numerical priority order) specified in this column.
(2) Per $1,000 principal amount of Securities validly tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date (as defined below) and accepted for purchase.
(3) The Total Consideration (as defined below) for each series of Securities validly tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase is calculated using the applicable Fixed Spread and is inclusive of the applicable Early Tender Payment. The Total Consideration for each series of Securities does not include the applicable Accrued Interest (as defined below), which will be payable in addition to the applicable Total Consideration.
The Tender Offers are being made pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the offer to purchase, dated August 8, 2022, as amended and supplemented by the Company's press release on August 22, 2022 (as so amended, the "Offer to Purchase") announcing the upsizing of the Offer SubCap applicable to the 3.794% Senior Notes due 2050. The Company refers investors to the Offer to Purchase for the complete terms and conditions of the Tender Offers.
The "Total Consideration" listed in the table above per $1,000 principal amount of each series of Securities was determined at 10:00 a.m., New York City time, on August 22, 2022. Only holders of Securities who validly tendered and did not validly withdraw their Securities at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 19, 2022 (the "Early Tender Date") are eligible to receive the Total Consideration for Securities accepted for purchase. As previously announced, the Company has elected to exercise its right to make payment for the Securities that were validly tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Date and that are accepted for purchase on August 23, 2022 (the "Early Settlement Date"). Holders will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on Securities validly tendered and accepted for purchase from the applicable last interest payment date up to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date ("Accrued Interest"). Since the Tender Offers are fully subscribed at the Early Tender Date, the Company does not expect to accept for purchase any Securities tendered after the Early Tender Date on a subsequent settlement date.
Information Relating to the Tender Offers
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are the lead dealer managers for the Tender Offers. Academy Securities, Inc., Loop Capital Markets LLC and Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC are co-dealer managers for the Tender Offers. Investors with questions regarding the Tender Offers may contact Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at (800) 558-3745 (toll-free) or (212) 723-6106 (collect) or Wells Fargo Securities, LLC at (866) 309-6316 (toll-free) or (704) 410-4759 (collect) or by email at liabilitymanagement@wellsfargo.com. Global Bondholder Services Corporation is the tender and information agent for the Tender Offers and can be contacted at (855) 654-2014 (toll-free) or (212) 430-3774 (collect).
None of the Company or its affiliates, their respective boards of directors, the dealer managers, the tender and information agent or the trustee with respect to any series of Securities is making any recommendation as to whether holders should tender any Securities in response to any of the Tender Offers, and neither the Company nor any such other person has authorized any person to make any such recommendation. Holders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender any of their Securities, and, if so, the principal amount of Securities to tender.
The full details of the Tender Offers, including complete instructions on how to tender Securities, are included in the Offer to Purchase. Holders are strongly encouraged to read carefully the Offer to Purchase, including materials incorporated by reference therein, because they contain important information. The Offer to Purchase may be downloaded from Global Bondholder Services Corporation's website at www.gbsc-usa.com/BectonDickinson or obtained from Global Bondholder Services Corporation, free of charge, by calling toll-free at (855) 654-2014 (bankers and brokers can call collect at (212) 430-3774).
This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to buy, or the solicitation of an offer to sell, any of the Securities and the Tender Offers do not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Securities in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful.
About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 75,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain estimates and other forward-looking statements (as defined under federal securities laws) regarding BD's performance, including in relation to the consummation of the Tender Offers. All such statements are based upon current expectations of BD and involve a number of business risks and uncertainties. Actual results could vary materially from anticipated results described, implied or projected in any forward-looking statement. With respect to forward-looking statements contained herein, a number of factors could cause actual results to vary materially. These factors include, but are not limited to, the factors discussed in BD's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. BD does not intend to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by applicable laws or regulations.
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Complaint Seeks Various Forms of Relief to Prevent Ms. Bryant from Continuing to Cause Harm to the Organization
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BGC, Inc. (d/b/a Black Girls CODE) ("BGC") today brought a legal action against its former Chief Executive Officer, Kimberly Bryant (the "Complaint") in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The filing of the Complaint follows the decision by the BGC Board of Directors on August 12 to terminate Ms. Bryant from her role as CEO and remove her as a member of the Board.
The Complaint alleges that Ms. Bryant took a series of inappropriate actions following her termination, including the unlawful hijacking of the BGC website and redirecting site visitors to her own website, which makes several false and misleading statements. BGC is currently taking action to restore its web presence and, in the meantime, is providing information to interested parties via its Twitter account, @BlackGirlsCODE. The Complaint seeks various forms of relief to prevent Ms. Bryant from continuing to cause harm to the organization.
Notwithstanding these distractions, BGC has never been in a stronger position. The organization has served more girls this summer than ever before, with several two-week summer camp programs for girls across the country, including in New York City, Oakland, Detroit, and Atlanta. In addition to learning to code, students learned important leadership and teamwork skills through group activities such as coding challenges and explored Black artists and other important representative figures of inspiration. BGC continues to thrive and remains focused on delivering on its mission for the girls it was founded to serve.
About BGC
Since 2011, BGC has been committed to providing girls from underrepresented communities access to technology and the 21st century skills necessary to become tech leaders. BGC's organizational vision is to increase the number of women of color in the digital space by empowering girls of color ages 7 to 17 to become innovators in STEM fields, and builders of their own futures through exposure to computer science and technology.
Please direct all inquiries to:
AUGUST STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
Steven Goldberg (323) 892-5562 or Jenny MacMichael (323) 892-5553
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SOURCE BGC, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/bgc-inc-black-girls-code-brings-legal-action-against-former-ceo-founder-kimberly-bryant/ | 2022-08-22T21:54:02Z |
The Addition of Kilter Will Give Blackbaud's Nonprofit and Corporate Customers New Ways to Engage Their Audiences Through Everyday Health and Wellness Activities
CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world's leading cloud software company powering social good, today announced that it has acquired Kilter. The acquisition will allow Blackbaud to expand activity-based peer-to-peer fundraising engagement, to support activity-based health and wellness initiatives for socially responsible companies, and to grow the ways individuals can connect with the causes they care about most through the activities they love.
Kilter is an intuitive, gamified, activity-based engagement app boasting virtually limitless activity type choices. Kilter expands activity-based engagement beyond the familiar options of running, walking and cycling, enabling users to track new, popular and personally relevant activities, from pickleball to meditation to motorcycling and more.
Blackbaud will leverage Kilter to support activity-based fundraising for Blackbaud TeamRaiser®, the market's most powerful event-based fundraising software, offering a robust set of capabilities for nonprofit organizations hosting events. With the addition of Kilter's intuitive app, Blackbaud will offer an unmatched experience for event participants, meeting their new expectations for digital engagement and for event experience, while enabling nonprofit customers to drive fundraising growth and expansion. Kilter will also support activity-based health and wellness activities for Blackbaud's YourCause® CSRconnect® platform, a leading solution for employee engagement leveraged by companies in support of their social responsibility goals.
"Activity tracking, like logging workouts, sharing goals, and exchanging virtual encouragement with friends, is quickly becoming part of daily routine for millions of people around the world and an essential part of peer-to-peer fundraising," said Mike Gianoni, president and CEO, Blackbaud. "Our acquisition of Kilter will allow us to serve nonprofits by expanding the ways they can engage with their supporters to prepare for their existing fundraising walks, runs and rides, and to create totally new types of engagement opportunities that aren't tied to a specific date or place. It will also provide a unique solution for companies as employers take a more active role in supporting their employees' health and wellness pursuits across remote and distributed workforces."
"Blackbaud powers many of today's largest and most complex activity-based fundraising events through Blackbaud TeamRaiser and enables Fortune 500 companies to engage employees through YourCause CSRconnect," said Jerry Needel, vice president of innovation and incubation, Blackbaud. "This acquisition reflects our commitment to bring innovative capabilities and a leading mobile app experience to our customers—delivering solutions that help them reach their goals as quickly as possible."
Kilter's features include:
- Extensive support for 60+ different physical and virtual activities from yoga to motorcycle rides to healthy eating, with the ability for users to create new activity categories on demand
- Gamification that drives deeper engagement by helping event participants connect with and support one another, as well as motivating individual users
- Integrations with fitness trackers that event participants are already using, including Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin and more, and the ability to incorporate data from external platforms like Peloton and Strava
"Kilter enables nonprofits to turn their supporters' everyday health and wellness activities into opportunities to raise money for their cause," said Seth Braddock, founder and CEO, Kilter. "We couldn't have found a more perfect home for Kilter than Blackbaud, a global leader in software solutions for social good and a team that shares our passion for empowering people to engage in ways that matter to them."
Kilter's activity tracking app will be offered as a feature to Blackbaud TeamRaiser customers with no additional subscription fees and will be available in the coming months, ahead of spring 2023 events. In the future, Blackbaud also plans to extend Kilter's capabilities to YourCause CSRconnect customers, with integration to YourCause CSRconnect coming later in 2023. The app will be introduced to select customers in late 2022.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world's leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG), school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than four decades, Blackbaud is a remote-first company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, with operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com
Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud's investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
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The Existing Notes were exchanged for New Notes with the same coupon and no dilution to shareholders at scheduled maturity versus the Existing Notes and no upfront cost
MIAMI, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today announced that Carnival Corporation (the "Company") has closed its previously announced exchange of approximately $339 million in aggregate principal amount of the Company's outstanding 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 (the "Existing Notes") for $339 million in aggregate principal amount of the Company's new 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2024 (the "New Notes" and such exchange, the "Exchange").
The New Notes have the same initial conversion price as the Existing Notes, representing no dilution to shareholders at scheduled maturity versus the Existing Notes, the same coupon and no upfront cost to the Company. As a result of the eighteen-month extension, the New Notes will mature on October 1, 2024 and be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Carnival plc and certain of the Company's and Carnival plc's subsidiaries that guarantee substantially all of the Company's indebtedness.
The New Notes were offered pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The New Notes and the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the New Notes, if any, will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state laws.
PJT Partners served as independent financial advisor to the Company and Carnival plc.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the New Notes or any other securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration and qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.
Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), Seabourn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.
Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc and their respective subsidiaries are referred to collectively in this press release as "Carnival Corporation & plc," "our," "us" and "we." Some of the statements, estimates or projections contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions with respect to us, including some statements concerning the financing transactions described herein, future results, operations, outlooks, plans, goals, reputation, cash flows, liquidity and other events which have not yet occurred. These statements are intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts are statements that could be deemed forward-looking. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and the beliefs and assumptions of our management. We have tried, whenever possible, to identify these statements by using words like "will," "may," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "depends," "expect," "goal," "aspiration," "anticipate," "forecast," "project," "future," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "target," "indicate," "outlook," and similar expressions of future intent or the negative of such terms.
Forward-looking statements include those statements that relate to our outlook and financial position including, but not limited to, statements regarding:
Because forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are many factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. This note contains important cautionary statements of the known factors that we consider could materially affect the accuracy of our forward-looking statements and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial position. Additionally, many of these risks and uncertainties are currently amplified by and will continue to be amplified by, or in the future may be amplified by, COVID-19. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
- COVID-19 has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant impact on our financial condition and operations. The current, and uncertain future, impact of COVID-19, including its effect on the ability or desire of people to travel (including on cruises), is expected to continue to impact our results, operations, outlooks, plans, goals, reputation, litigation, cash flows, liquidity, and stock price;
- events and conditions around the world, including war and other military actions, such as the current invasion of Ukraine, heightened inflation and other general concerns impacting the ability or desire of people to travel, have led, and may in the future lead, to a decline in demand for cruises, impacting our operating costs and profitability;
- incidents concerning our ships, guests or the cruise vacation industry have in the past and may, in the future, impact the satisfaction of our guests and crew and lead to reputational damage;
- changes in and non-compliance with laws and regulations under which we operate, such as those relating to health, environment, safety and security, data privacy and protection, anti-corruption, economic sanctions, trade protection and tax have in the past and may, in the future, lead to litigation, enforcement actions, fines, penalties and reputational damage;
- factors associated with climate change, including evolving and increasing regulations, increasing global concern about climate change and the shift in climate conscious consumerism and stakeholder scrutiny, and increasing frequency and/or severity of adverse weather conditions could adversely affect our business;
- inability to meet or achieve our sustainability related goals, aspirations, initiatives, and our public statements and disclosures regarding them, may expose us to risks that may adversely impact our business;
- breaches in data security and lapses in data privacy as well as disruptions and other damages to our principal offices, information technology operations and system networks and failure to keep pace with developments in technology may adversely impact our business operations, the satisfaction of our guests and crew and may lead to reputational damage;
- the loss of key employees, our inability to recruit or retain qualified shoreside and shipboard employees and increased labor costs could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations;
- increases in fuel prices, changes in the types of fuel consumed and availability of fuel supply may adversely impact our scheduled itineraries and costs;
- we rely on supply chain vendors who are integral to the operations of our businesses. These vendors and service providers are also affected by COVID-19 and may be unable to deliver on their commitments which could impact our business;
- fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may adversely impact our financial results;
- overcapacity and competition in the cruise and land-based vacation industry may lead to a decline in our cruise sales, pricing and destination options;
- inability to implement our shipbuilding programs and ship repairs, maintenance and refurbishments may adversely impact our business operations and the satisfaction of our guests; and
- the risk factors included in Carnival Corporation's and Carnival plc's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on January 27, 2022 and Carnival Corporation's and Carnival plc's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on March 28, 2022 and June 29, 2022.
The ordering of the risk factors set forth above is not intended to reflect our indication of priority or likelihood.
Forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange rules, we expressly disclaim any obligation to disseminate, after the date of this document, any updates or revisions to any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based. Forward-looking and other statements in this document may also address our sustainability progress, plans, and goals (including climate change and environmental-related matters). In addition, historical, current, and forward-looking sustainability-related statements may be based on standards for measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the future.
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SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/carnival-corporation-amp-plc-announces-closing-convertible-notes-exchange-extending-maturity-existing-575-rate/ | 2022-08-22T21:54:15Z |
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Centerspace (NYSE: CSR) published its 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting the company's commitment to sustainable business practices in the multifamily industry. This is the company's third annual report following its 2019 formation of an Environmental, Social, and Governance Committee established to lead the charge in identifying, implementing, and tracking the progress of various sustainability initiatives.
In 2021, Centerspace focused on safety and well-being, team member development, and financial performance and transparency based on the materiality assessment completed in 2020 which identified topics that matter most to our stakeholders.
The report coincides with the company's initial participation in the GRESB (formerly known as the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) disclosure framework for the year 2021. GRESB is a globally recognized organization that provides ESG assessments and sustainability benchmarks for financial markets.
"Our 2021 achievements are meaningful and lay the groundwork for "Better Every Days" as we continue to make progress. We are excited to receive our GRESB results and incorporate the feedback into the Centerspace ESG program," stated Mark O. Decker, Jr., President and CEO of Centerspace.
Centerspace is committed to exploring and implementing common-sense business practices that further its ability to operate in an environmentally responsible manner. This includes being good stewards of resources, pursuing opportunities to minimize consumption, managing and reducing waste, and conserving energy and water.
The full report can be accessed on the Centerspace website at:
Corporate Governance — Centerspace
About Centerspace
Centerspace is an owner and operator of apartment communities committed to providing great homes by focusing on integrity and serving others. Founded in 1970, the company currently owns 83 apartment communities consisting of 14,838 homes located in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Centerspace was named a Top Workplace for 2022 by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. For more information, please visit www.centerspacehomes.com.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Susan Picotte, SVP, Asset Management, at ESG@centerspacehomes.com.
Contact Information
Susan Picotte, SVP, Asset Management
E-mail: ESG@centerspacehomes.com
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SOURCE Centerspace | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/centerspace-announces-third-annual-environmental-social-governance-report/ | 2022-08-22T21:54:24Z |
Evan Lang joins as portfolio manager and senior analyst
CHICAGO, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co., an affiliated manager of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc., today announced that Evan Lang, CFA has joined Duff & Phelps as a Portfolio Manager on their Water strategy.
Lang will serve as a managing director, portfolio manager, and senior research analyst for the Duff & Phelps Water Strategy. Lang reports to David Grumhaus, president and chief investment officer, and the two will share co-portfolio management duties of the Virtus Duff & Phelps Water Fund (Institutional Shares: AWTAX).
Lang has been actively following the water sector throughout his investment industry career. His research focuses on supply, quality, and efficiency within the water sector, and he has extensive knowledge of the companies comprising the water universe, industry trends, and best practices in sustainability. Prior to joining Duff & Phelps, he was a portfolio manager at TortoiseEcofin, where he co-managed a sustainable global water strategy. He also built a water universe that evolved into an index that launched a global water ESG ETF.
Lang holds a B.B.A. in finance and entrepreneurial management from Texas Christian University's Neeley School of Business and John V. Roach Honors College. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) designation.
"This is an exciting time at Duff & Phelps as we continue to build out our investment strategies with industry veterans," said Grumhaus. "Evan's background and expertise will be invaluable as we further resource our water team."
Lang said, "What attracted me to Duff & Phelps was their deep history in real assets, their commitment to ESG, and the strength of the analyst team that will support the water strategy." He added, "We share a similar approach and process, and I am excited to hit the ground running."
Duff & Phelps managed $13.2 billion of assets, including $800 million in water assets, as of July 31, 2022, and offers a variety of specialized investment strategies with exceptional depth of resources and expertise to institutional and individual investors.
About Duff & Phelps Investment Management
Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co., an affiliated manager of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc., began in 1932 as a fundamental research firm and has been managing assets since 1979. The firm seeks to provide specialty investment strategies that enhance client outcomes through active portfolio management and customized solutions, utilizing a process with values that include quality, reliability, and specialization. Investment strategies include U.S. and global real estate securities, global listed infrastructure, energy infrastructure, water and clean energy.
About Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.
Virtus Investment Partners is a distinctive partnership of boutique investment managers singularly committed to the long-term success of individual and institutional investors. The company provides investment management products and services through its affiliated managers and select subadvisers, each with a distinct investment style, autonomous investment process, and individual brand. Virtus Investment Partners offers access to a variety of investment styles across multiple disciplines to meet a wide array of investor needs.
Important Risk Considerations
Issuer Risk: The portfolio will be affected by factors specific to the issuers of securities and other instruments in which the portfolio invests, including actual or perceived changes in the financial condition or business prospects of such issuers. Market Volatility: Local, regional, or global events such as war, acts of terrorism, the spread of infectious illness or other public health issues, recessions, or other events could have a significant impact on the portfolio and its investments, including hampering the ability of the portfolio manager(s) to invest the portfolio's assets as intended. Sustainable Investing: Because the portfolio focuses on investments in companies that the Manager believes exhibit strong environmental, social, and corporate governance records, the portfolio's universe of investments may be smaller than that of other portfolios and broad equity benchmark indices. Equity Securities: The market price of equity securities may be adversely affected by financial market, industry, or issuer-specific events. Focus on a particular style or on small or medium-sized companies may enhance that risk. Water-Related Risk: Because the portfolio focuses its investments in water-related companies, it is particularly affected by events or factors relating to this sector, which may increase risk and volatility. Focused Investments: To the extent the portfolio focuses its investments on a limited number of issuers, sectors, industries or geographic regions, it may be subject to increased risk and volatility. Foreign Investing: Investing in foreign securities subjects the portfolio to additional risks such as increased volatility; currency fluctuations; less liquidity; less publicly available information about the foreign investment; and political, regulatory, economic, and market risk.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results and current performance may be higher or lower than the performance shown. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so your shares, when redeemed may be worth more or less than their original cost.
Please consider a fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. For this and other information about any Virtus Fund, contact your financial representative, call 800-243-4361, or visit virtus.com for a prospectus or summary prospectus. Read it carefully before investing.
Virtus Mutual Funds are distributed by VP Distributors, LLC, member FINRA and subsidiary of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.
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SOURCE Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/duff-amp-phelps-bolsters-water-strategy-with-new-hire/ | 2022-08-22T21:54:30Z |
CHICAGO, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, World Business Chicago, the city's public-private economic development agency, in partnership with Chicago:Blend and Fifth Star Funds, published an original report detailing the status of startups founded by underrepresented (Black, Hispanic or Latino, and women) founders; as well, the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for Chicago-based startups ready for funding and growth.
Publication link: Chicago Business Bulletin, Issue #5: Black, Latino & Women Founded Startups in Chicago, August 22, 2022
"This report is intended to raise awareness of the strategic movement underway in Chicago to drive greater, more equitable investment by and among VCs and our city's incredibly innovative diverse founders," said Michael Fassnacht, President & CEO, World Business Chicago, Chief Marketing Officer, City of Chicago. "While we have seen some progress over the last couple of years, we still have a long way to go. We especially thank Chicago:Blend and Fifth Star Funds for leading the way generally, and partnering with us on the release of this report."
The World Business Chicago Research Center developed a methodology to analyze deal data for underrepresented founders, using Crunchbase and Pitchbook™ data to explore the performance and range of funding deployed to underrepresented founders. This report establishes a baseline for Black, Hispanic or Latino, and women founded companies, and highlights that better data collection for other marginalized populations (e.g., LGBTQ+, veteran, disabled, and other ethnic or racial groups) remains an opportunity for improvement.
In sum, underrepresented founders historically account for a smaller slice of venture capital (VC) and private equity throughout the United States. In Chicago, only 10.2 percent of all deployed VC funding since 2019 has gone to Black, Hispanic or Latino, or women founded companies.
However, Chicago leads other major startup ecosystems in the share of venture capital funding garnered by underrepresented founders. Leading the report is the fact that underrepresented founders saw a 159 percent increase in VC raised between 2019 ($232M) and 2021 ($601M); and, to date in 2022, $575 million has been raised. According to World Business Chicago, this suggests a trend, or movement, afoot among Chicago investors who are increasingly participating in deals with underrepresented founders. Among the report's highlights include:
- Compared to other top startup ecosystems, Chicago has a higher share of startups participating in venture capital deals with a Black or Latino founder.
- Chicago's Black-founded startups now have a larger median deal size than all companies raising venture capital. For example, in 2022, the median venture capital deal size for Black founded startups was $4.3M, compared to $1.6M for all deals in Chicago.
- Performance by Latino startups in Chicago is driven by larger, later stage deals. Consider, in Q1 and Q2 of 2022, six Latino- founded startups raised over $290M in venture capital, or 11.8% of all venture capital raised this year. This over-performance is driven by two specific deals: a $200M Series D round closed by Loadsmart, and an $82M Series D round closed by Kin Insurance.
- Women-founded startups are still raising less venture capital than non-women founded startups.
"We commend the World Business Chicago team for their leadership in publishing this report, which provides a comprehensive, data-driven framework for understanding the magnitude of funding disparities among BIPOC and women founders," said Joey Mak, Executive Director, Chicago:Blend. "The report also reinforces what many of us have observed anecdotally--that some progress has been made, but there is much work left to do to build a more equitable tech and startup ecosystem for our city."
Investors in Chicago are increasingly participating in venture capital deals with Black, Hispanic or Latino, or women founders; with nearly one-third doing so year to date in 2022. Entrepreneurs from these underrepresented groups are also launching their own funds that have equity-focused investment theses.
"We sought to dive into the data on Black, Hispanic or Latino, and women founders in Chicago in order to set a baseline by which we will track and report growth, as a way to support the broader effort to drive equitable and inclusive economic development in our city," said Hannah Loftus, Research Director, World Business Chicago. "Working alongside our Venture & Innovation team, we hope to make it easier than ever to connect startups with investors with a track record of investing in diverse companies, and begin to close the funding gap."
Chicago is a leader in funding captured by underrepresented founders, and has well over 30 initiatives — including accelerators, incubators and training programs — to help move more startups led by diverse founders into the venture capital funding pipeline. However, there remains plenty of opportunity in tracking data trends and supporting actions for change. World Business Chicago will continue to study how best to track and learn how other leading cities are supporting diverse founders in order to drive growth.
World Business Chicago serves a critical role in driving inclusive and equitable recovery throughout the city's 77 neighborhoods, focused on high growth sectors: transportation, distribution, & logistics; manufacturing; healthcare & life sciences, and our local innovation, startup, & venture ecosystem. As the City of Chicago's economic development agency, World Business Chicago leads corporate attraction & retention, workforce & talent, community impact, and promotion of Chicago as a leading global city. Supported by a council of 300+ local leaders, World Business Chicago's portfolio of Innovation & Venture programs include: the Chicago Venture Summit series, Startup Chicago, ThinkChicago, and Venture Engine with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition (ISTC). Follow World Business Chicago on LinkedIn for daily news and announcements on company relocation and expansion; industry and ecosystem growth, U.S. and world rankings, and more about Chicago's economic progress.
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SHANGHAI, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FinVolution Group ("FinVolution," or the "Company") (NYSE: FINV), a leading fintech platform in China, today announced that on August 21, 2022, the board of directors of the Company approved the expansion of FinVolution's existing share repurchase program from up to US$60 million to up to US$140 million and the extension for another twelve months from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023, which allows the Company to repurchase its own Class A ordinary shares in the form of American depositary shares ("ADSs") with an aggregate value of up to US$140 million until December 31, 2023. This share repurchase program was initially approved by the board of directors of the Company on August 24, 2020 and an extension of the term of this share repurchase program until December 31, 2022 was approved by the board of directors of the Company on November 17, 2021.
Mr. Feng Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of FinVolution, said, "FinVolution remains firmly committed to shareholder value. Since the initial launch of our first share repurchase program on March 21, 2018, we have cumulatively deployed approximately US$158.0 million to purchase the Company's ADSs as of July 31, 2022. This expansion reflects our share buyback efforts, bringing the total cumulative amount of capital for the Company's historical and existing share repurchase programs up to US$260 million. We believe that the increase in our share repurchase program is an efficient use of our existing capital and demonstrates our commitment to providing greater support for our shareholders amid such a challenging macro environment."
"Our announcement today further reflects our confidence in the Company's business operations and underlying earnings strength," noted Mr. Shaofeng Gu, Chairman of the Company." We continue to view FinVolution as an attractive investment opportunity, and our strong balance sheet provides us with the financial flexibility to drive strategic investments and long-term growth while generating sustainable returns for our shareholders."
The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will be determined by management at its discretion and will depend on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, share price, trading volume and general market conditions, along with the Company's capital allocation strategy to prioritize investments to grow the business over the long term and other factors, as well as subject to the applicable rules of Rule 10b5-1 and/or Rule 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. FinVolution plans to fund the repurchases out of its existing cash balance or future cash provided by its operating activities.
About FinVolution Group
FinVolution Group is a leading fintech platform in China connecting underserved individual borrowers with financial institutions. Established in 2007, the Company is a pioneer in China's online consumer finance industry and has developed innovative technologies and has accumulated in-depth experience in the core areas of credit risk assessment, fraud detection, big data and artificial intelligence. The Company's platform, empowered by proprietary cutting-edge technologies, features a highly automated loan transaction process, which enables a superior user experience. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had over 149.3 million cumulative registered users.
For more information, please visit: http://ir.finvgroup.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target," "confident" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to the Company's ability to attract and retain borrowers and investors on its marketplace, its ability to increase the volume of loans facilitated through the Company's marketplace, its ability to introduce new loan products and platform enhancements, its ability to compete effectively, laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to the online consumer finance industry in China, general economic conditions in China, and the Company's ability to meet the standards necessary to maintain the listing of its ADSs on the NYSE, including its ability to cure any non-compliance with the NYSE's continued listing criteria. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and FinVolution does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
FinVolution Group
Head of Investor Relations
Jimmy Tan
Tel: +86 (21) 8030 3200 Ext. 8601
Email: ir@xinye.com
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
Email: finv@tpg-ir.com
View original content:
SOURCE FinVolution Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/finvolution-group-expands-share-repurchase-program-us140-million/ | 2022-08-22T21:54:45Z |
-Ninth consecutive quarters of transaction volume growth-
-Total Transaction Volume in Q2 2022 reached new record high of RMB41.5 billion-
SHANGHAI, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FinVolution Group ("FinVolution," or the "Company") (NYSE: FINV), a leading fintech platform, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2022.
Second Quarter 2022 Operational Highlights
Continued transition towards better-quality borrowers
- Total cumulative registered users5 reached 149.3 million as of June 30, 2022.
- Total number of unique borrowers6 for the second quarter of 2022 was 3.1 million.
- Total number of repeat borrowers7 for the second quarter of 2022 was 2.5 million.
Total Transaction Volume and outstanding loan balance continued consistent growth momentum
- Total transaction volume reached RMB41.5 billion for the second quarter of 2022, an increase of 24.3% compared to the same period of 2021.
- Transaction volume facilitated for repeat borrowers8 for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB36.7 billion, an increase of 39.5% compared to the same period of 2021.
- Total outstanding loan balance reached RMB56.4 billion as of June 30, 2022, an increase of 43.9% compared to June 30, 2021.
Small business owners' loans continued to scale up with steady growth
- Transaction volume facilitated for small business owners for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB10.4 billion, representing 25.1% of total transaction volume in the second quarter of 2022 and an increase of 67.7% compared to the same period of 2021.
- Total numbers of small business owners served for the second quarter of 2022 was 501 thousand, an increase of 22.8% compared to the same period of 2021.
International expansion continued to strengthen with transition to better-quality borrowers
- Transaction volume facilitated in the international markets for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB 0.91 billion, a decrease of 3.2% compared to the same period of 2021.
- Outstanding loan balance for international markets4 as of June 30, 2022 was RMB0.48 billion, representing an increase of 60.0% from June 30, 2021.
More operational highlights
- 90 day+ delinquency ratio9 was 1.60% as of June 30, 2022, compared to 1.01% as of June 30, 2021.
- Average loan size10 was RMB6,978 for the second quarter of 2022, compared to RMB4,403 in the same period of 2021.
- Average loan tenor11 was 8.7 months for the second quarter of 2022, compared with 8.1 months in the same period of 2021.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights
- Net revenue was RMB2,666.0 million (US$398.0 million) for the second quarter of 2022, an increase of 11.8% from RMB2,384.1 million for the same period of 2021.
- Net profit was RMB585.2 million (US$87.4 million) for the second quarter of 2022, a decrease of 5.7% from RMB620.4 million for the same period of 2021.
- Non-GAAP adjusted operating income12, which excludes share-based compensation expenses before tax, was RMB681.5 million (US$101.7 million) for the second quarter of 2022, a decrease of 6.1% from RMB726.1 for the same period of 2021.
- Non-GAAP net profit attributable to FinVolution Group13 was RMB606.0 million (US$90.5 million) for the second quarter of 2022, a decrease of 6.5% from RMB647.8 for the same period of 2021.
- Diluted net profit per American depositary share ("ADS") was RMB1.98 (US$0.30) and diluted net profit per share was RMB0.40 (US$0.06), a decrease of 6.2% from the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP diluted net profit per ADS was RMB2.06 (US$0.31) and non-GAAP diluted net profit per share was RMB0.41 (US$0.06), a decrease of 5.1% from the same period of 2021. Each ADS of the Company represents five Class A ordinary shares of the Company.
Mr. Feng Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of FinVolution, commented, "Together with the Company's ongoing transition towards better quality borrowers in both domestic and international markets coupled with our long-term goal of financial inclusion, these advantages further contributed to our growth momentum in this challenging quarter. Encouragingly, our total transaction volume continuously increased for the ninth consecutive quarter, reaching RMB41.5 billion and representing a year-over-year increase of 24.3% and a quarter-over-quarter increase of 4.5%".
"We also remained committed towards supporting small business owners during this challenging period. During the second quarter, we served over 500 thousand small business owners across a variety of industries such as wholesale, retail and manufacturing, among others, representing an increase of 22.8% from the same period of 2021. Transaction volume for this business further increased 67.7% year-over-year to a new record high of RMB10.4 billion in the second quarter of 2022, contributing 25.1% of total transaction volume in the same period".
With Covid-19 policies easing in the Southeast Asia region, transaction volume in our international markets increased to RMB0.91 billion in the second quarter of 2022. More excitingly, outstanding loan balances for our international markets increased to RMB0.48 billion as of June 30, 2022, representing a year-over-year increase of 60.0% and a quarter-over-quarter increase of 33.3%.
"Last but not least, we continued to make strides in improving our ESG management practices and advancing our ESG initiatives during the quarter. Our recently distributed fourth annual ESG report of the Company, highlights our ESG policies and accomplishments in 2021 as well as our ongoing endeavors. We will continue to reinforce our ESG engagement and responsibilities at multiple levels," concluded Mr. Zhang.
Mr. Jiayuan Xu, FinVolution's Chief Financial Officer, continued, "Consistent improvements in numerous operational metrics across multiple market cycles clearly illustrate the effectiveness of our technological refinements. Bolstered by these strengths, our net revenues for the second quarter grew to RMB2.7 billion, an increase of 11.8% year-over-year."
"Even more encouragingly, we also delivered a strong non-GAAP adjusted operating income12 of RMB681.5 million and maintained a substantial balance sheet with RMB11.4 billion in total shareholders' equity as of June 30, 2022. Supported by a strong financial position, we are well prepared to capture both existing and new opportunities in the markets in which we operate," concluded Mr. Xu.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Results
Net revenue for the second quarter of 2022 increased by 11.8% to RMB2,666.0 million (US$398.0 million) from RMB2,384.1 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the increase in loan facilitation service fees and post facilitation service fees.
Loan facilitation service fees increased by 10.5% to RMB1,052.1 million (US$157.1 million) for the second quarter of 2022 from RMB952.4 million in the same period of 2021. This increase was primarily due to the increase in transaction volume, partially offset by the decrease in service fee rates.
Post-facilitation service fees increased by 61.1% to RMB482.8 million (US$72.1 million) for the second quarter of 2022 from RMB299.6 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the increase in outstanding loans served by the Company and the rolling impact of deferred transaction fees.
Guarantee income was RMB709.5 million (US$105.9 million) for the second quarter of 2022 compared to RMB665.7 million in the same period of 2021. This increase was primarily due to the increased outstanding loan balance of off-balance sheet loans, partially offset by the improved asset quality. The fair value of quality assurance commitment upon loan origination is released as guarantee income systematically over the term of the loans subject to quality assurance commitment. As the Company transitioned its business towards better quality borrowers, the fair value of quality assurance commitment upon loan origination decreased due to better asset quality.
Net interest income decreased by 8.3% to RMB282.9 million (US$42.2 million) for the second quarter of 2022, from RMB308.5 million in the same period of 2021. This decrease was primarily due to the decrease in interest rates, partially offset by the increase in the outstanding loan balance of on balance sheet loans.
Other revenue decreased by 12.2% to RMB138.6 million (US$20.7 million) for the second quarter of 2022 from RMB157.9 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the decrease in customer referral fees from other third-party platforms.
Origination, servicing expenses and other costs of revenue increased by 16.4% to RMB529.7 million (US$79.1 million) for the second quarter of 2022 from RMB455.0 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the increase in employees' expenditures and fees paid to the third-party service providers as a result of the increase in loan origination volume.
Sales and marketing expenses decreased by 30.9% to RMB327.1 million (US$48.8 million) for the second quarter of 2022 from RMB473.2 million in the same period of 2021 as a result of the decreased investments in the acquisition of new borrowers on the Company's platform due to Covid-19 resurgence in China.
Research and development expenses increased by 10.9% to RMB116.0 million (US$17.3 million) for the second quarter of 2022, from RMB104.6 million in the same period of 2021, due to the increased investments in technology development.
General and administrative expenses decreased by 24.0% to RMB95.8 million (US$14.3 million) for the second quarter of 2022 compared to RMB126.1 million in the same period of 2021, primarily due to the increase in operating efficiency.
Provision for accounts receivable and contract assets increased by 99.2% to RMB94.4 million (US$14.1 million) for the second quarter of 2022 compared to RMB47.4 million in the same period of 2021. This increase was primarily due to the increase in outstanding loan balances, partially offset by a lower expected default rate as a result of the transition to better quality borrowers.
Provision for loans receivable was RMB59.1 million (US$8.8 million) for the second quarter of 2022, compared to RMB81.9 million in the same period of 2021. The decrease was primarily due to a lower-than-expected default rate as a result of the transition to better quality borrowers, partially offset by the increase in outstanding loan balance of on balance sheet loans.
Credit losses for quality assurance commitment were RMB787.1 million (US$117.5 million) for the second quarter of 2022 compared to RMB391.1 million in the same period of 2021. This increase was primarily due to the increase in outstanding loan balances, partially offset by lower expected default rate as a result of the transition to better quality borrowers.
Operating profit decreased by 6.8% to RMB656.7 million (US$98.0 million) for the second quarter of 2022 from RMB704.7 million in the same period of 2021.
Non-GAAP adjusted operating income, which excludes share-based compensation expenses before tax, was RMB681.5 million (US$101.7 million) for the second quarter of 2022, representing a decrease of 6.1% from RMB726.1 million in the same period of 2021. Non-GAAP net profit attributable to FinVolution Group was RMB606.0 million (US$90.5 million) for the second quarter of 2022, representing a decrease of 6.5% from RMB647.8 for the same period of 2021.
Other income increased by 81.8% to RMB46.9 million (US$7.0 million) for the second quarter of 2022 from RMB25.8 million in the same period of 2021, mainly due to the increase in government subsidy and investment gains.
Income tax expense was RMB118.4 million (US$17.7 million) for the second quarter of 2022, compared to income tax expenses of RMB110.1 million in the same period of 2021. This increase was mainly due to a change in preferential tax rate for certain qualified subsidiaries, partially offset by the decline in pre-tax profit.
Net profit was RMB585.2 million (US$87.4 million) for the second quarter of 2022, compared to RMB620.4 million in the same period of 2021.
Net profit attributable to ordinary shareholders of the Company was RMB581.2 million (US$86.8 million) for the second quarter of 2022, compared to RMB626.4 million in the same period of 2021.
Diluted net profit per ADS was RMB1.98 (US$0.30) and diluted net profit per share was RMB0.40 (US$0.06), a decrease of 6.2 % year-over-year. Non-GAAP diluted net profit per ADS was RMB2.06 (US$0.31) and non-GAAP diluted net profit per share was RMB0.41 (US$0.06), a decrease of 5.1% year-over-year. Each ADS represents five Class A ordinary shares of the Company.
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of RMB4,277.3 million (US$638.6 million) and short-term investments mainly in wealth management products of RMB907.3 million (US$135.5 million).
The following table provides the delinquency rates for all outstanding loans on the Company's platform in China's Mainland as of the respective dates indicated.
The following chart and table display the historical cumulative 30-day plus past due delinquency rates by loan origination vintage in China's Mainland for all loan products facilitated through the Company's online platform as of June 30, 2022: Click here to view the chart.
Business Outlook
Given COVID-19's resurgence in China since the beginning of 2022, the Company will continue to closely monitor the pandemic situation and remain vigilant in its business operations. As such, the Company holds a cautious view of its operations and anticipates its transaction volume in the third quarter of 2022, to be in the range of RMB44.0 billion to RMB45.0 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of 15.5% to 18.1%.
The above forecast is based on the current market conditions and reflects the Company's current preliminary views and expectations on market and operational conditions and the regulatory and operating environment, as well as customer and institutional investor demands, all of which are subject to change.
Shares Repurchase Program Update
On August 21, 2022, the board of directors of the Company approved the expansion of the Company's existing share repurchase program from up to US$60 million to up to US$140 million and the extension for another twelve months from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, which allows the Company to repurchase its own Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs with an aggregate value of up to US$140 million until December 31, 2023. This share repurchase program was initially approved by the board of directors of the Company on August 24, 2020, and an extension of the term of this share repurchase program until December 31, 2022, was approved by the board of directors of the Company on November 17, 2021. The share repurchase program shall be subject to general business conditions, market conditions and applicable securities regulations.
As of July 31, 2022, in combination with the Company's historical and existing share repurchase programs, the Company had repurchased its own Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs with a total aggregate value of approximately US$158.0 million.
Conference Call
The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:30 PM U.S. Eastern Time on August 22, 2022 (8:30 AM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on August 23, 2022).
Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:
Participants should dial-in at least five minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for "FinVolution Group."
Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at https://ir.finvgroup.com.
A replay of the conference call will be accessible approximately one hour after the conclusion of the live call until August 29, 2022, by dialing the following telephone numbers:
About FinVolution Group
FinVolution Group is a leading fintech platform in China connecting underserved individual borrowers with financial institutions. Established in 2007, the Company is a pioneer in China's online consumer finance industry and has developed innovative technologies and has accumulated in-depth experience in the core areas of credit risk assessment, fraud detection, big data and artificial intelligence. The Company's platform, empowered by proprietary cutting-edge technologies, features a highly automated loan transaction process, which enables a superior user experience. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had over 149.3 million cumulative registered users.
For more information, please visit https://ir.finvgroup.com
Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We use non-GAAP adjusted operating income, non-GAAP net profit attributable to FinVolution Group,non-GAAP basic and diluted net profit per share and per ADS which are non-GAAP financial measures, in evaluating our operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures help identify underlying trends in our business by excluding the impact of share-based compensation expenses and expected discretionary measures. We believe that non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information about our operating results, enhance the overall understanding of our past performance and future prospects and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by our management in its financial and operational decision-making.
Non-GAAP adjusted operating profit, non-GAAP basic and diluted net profit per share and per ADS are not defined under U.S. GAAP and is not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tool, and when assessing our operating performance, cash flows or our liquidity, investors should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for net income, cash flows provided by operating activities or other consolidated statements of operation and cash flow data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company encourages investors and others to review our financial information in its entirety and not rely on a single financial measure.
For more information on this non-GAAP financial measure, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of GAAP and Non-GAAP results" set forth at the end of this press release.
Exchange Rate Information
This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.6981 to US$1.00, the rate in effect as of June 30, 2022 as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "target," "confident" and similar statements. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, uncertainties as to the Company's ability to attract and retain borrowers and investors on its marketplace, its ability to increase volume of loans facilitated through the Company's marketplace, its ability to introduce new loan products and platform enhancements, its ability to compete effectively, laws, regulations and governmental policies relating to the online consumer finance industry in China, general economic conditions in China, and the Company's ability to meet the standards necessary to maintain listing of its ADSs on the NYSE, including its ability to cure any non-compliance with the NYSE's continued listing criteria. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and FinVolution does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
In China:
FinVolution Group
Head of Investor Relations
Jimmy Tan
Tel: +86 (21) 8030-3200 Ext. 8601
E-mail: ir@xinye.com
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Jenny Cai
Tel: +86 (10) 6508-0677
E-mail: finv@tpg-ir.com
In the United States:
The Piacente Group, Inc.
Brandi Piacente
Tel: +1-212-481-2050
E-mail: finv@tpg-ir.com
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SOURCE FinVolution Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/finvolution-group-reports-second-quarter-2022-unaudited-financial-results/ | 2022-08-22T21:54:52Z |
GSF's Chief Philanthropy Officer, Donna Palmer, will assume day-to-day leadership of the Foundation
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gary Sinise Foundation announced today the departure of Dr. Mike Thirtle, an accomplished business and non-profit executive and retired member of the U.S. Air Force, who has served as the organization's Chief Executive Officer since July 2021, leading the foundation through a swift and significant relocation of its headquarters from Woodland Hills, California to Franklin, Tennessee.
"We faced a tough set of competing tasks in growing the foundation to another level while also relocating our first-rate team," said Founder and Chairman Gary Sinise. "The board and I will be forever grateful to Mike for his work in helping the Foundation through this transition."
GSF's Chief Philanthropy Officer, Donna Palmer, will assume day-to-day leadership of the Foundation. Palmer has had a distinguished career in philanthropy, helping to grow and guide a number of our nation's leading nonprofits, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The American Diabetes Association, and the LIVESTRONG Foundation. She has been instrumental in the foundation's rapid growth over the past year and will serve as the interim executive director.
Established in 2011 by award-winning actor and humanitarian Gary Sinise, the Gary Sinise Foundation's mission is to serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. The Foundation achieves its mission through programs and initiatives designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities. For more information, please visit GarySiniseFoundation.org.
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SOURCE Gary Sinise Foundation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/gary-sinise-foundation-gsf-announces-departure-ceo-dr-mike-thirtle/ | 2022-08-22T21:54:59Z |
ROSWELL, Ga., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Imerys today announced that it has signed and closed an agreement to sell its Sahuarita Arizona operation to Cimbar Performance Minerals, a global leader in the delivery of performance mineral-based additive solutions specializing in barium sulfate, talc, and alumina trihydrate (ATH). Cimbar Performance Minerals is headquartered in Chatsworth, Georgia and operates 16 production sites in the United States, Mexico, China and Pakistan. Financial details were not disclosed.
Imerys Sahuarita Arizona operation produces dry coarse and screen grade calcium carbonate and is operating on more than 40 acres in Sahuarita Arizona. The business is #1 High Brightness GCC supplier in the state of Arizona and serves several end markets including building and infrastructure (cement and chips), joint compounds, and agriculture (animal feed).
"In Cimbar, we have a partner that shares our team's passion for delivering outstanding customer outcomes," said Jim Murberger, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Imerys Performance Minerals Americas. "Our goal was to find a new home for our Sahuarita Arizona operation where it can leverage its full potential. Cimbar is an excellent fit for our employees and business."
Imerys Sahuarita Arizona business is a well-designed operation with a history of operational excellence. It has a well established position in the local market and access to high quality reserves.
The world leader in mineral-based specialty solutions for industry, with €4.4 billion revenue and 17,000 employees in 2021, Imerys delivers high value-added, functional solutions to diversified industrial sectors, from processing industries to consumer goods. The Group draws on its knowledge of applications, technological expertise and its material science know-how to deliver solutions based on beneficiation of its mineral resources, synthetic minerals and formulations. These contribute essential properties to customers' products and performance, including refractoriness, hardness, conductivity, opacity, durability, purity, lightness, filtration, absorption and repellency. Imerys is determined to develop responsibly, in particular by fostering the emergence of environmentally-friendly products and processes.
For more information: www.imerys.com
Contact:
Paul Michael Flake
Imerys Performance Minerals Americas
100 Mansell Court East, Roswell, GA 30076
Ph. (404)259-1136
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SOURCE IMERYS | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/imerys-sell-its-sahuarita-arizona-operation-cimbar-performance-minerals/ | 2022-08-22T21:55:05Z |
RESTON, Va., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE® 500 science and technology leader, was recently selected by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to design and build a medium-size unmanned undersea vehicle. The single award, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract holds an approximate value of $358 million if all options are exercised. Work will be performed primarily in Lynnwood, Washington.
"Our decades of experience fielding unmanned technology coupled with our familiarity with the ever-changing needs of the fleet, enables us to provide this critical capability to our warfighters at speed and scale," said Mike Rickels, Leidos Senior Vice President of C4ISR Solutions. "We look forward to building upon our long-standing relationship with the Navy and supporting their critical national security mission."
The medium unmanned undersea vehicle will support intelligence preparation of the operational environment by providing submarine-based autonomous oceanographic sensing and data collection for the Navy. The MUUV will also provide surface-launched and recovered mine countermeasures.
Leidos will work with several partners to deliver this critical technology, including L3Harris Technologies.
"This partnership with the Leidos team provides the Navy with an advanced, agile unmanned undersea vehicle system that leverages our proven Iver technology," said Rosemary Chapdelaine, President, Maritime, L3Harris. "The Leidos and L3Harris team successfully recovered AUVs through a submarine torpedo tube and we're excited to bring this dynamic launch and recovery capability to real-world missions.
About Leidos
Leidos is a Fortune 500® technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil and health markets. Leidos' 44,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $13.7 billion for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.
Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the "Risk Factors" set forth in Leidos' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Leidos does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made.
Contact:
Melissa Dueñas
(571) 526-6850
Melissa.L.Duenas@leidos.com
Thomas Doheny
(571) 474-4735
Dohenyt@leidos.com
Jalen Drummond
(571) 992-5046
Jalen.Drummond@leidos.com
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SOURCE Leidos Holdings, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/leidos-design-future-medium-unmanned-undersea-vehicle/ | 2022-08-22T21:55:13Z |
MISSOURI CITY, Texas, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lufkin is pleased to announce the appointment of Brent Baumann as Chief Executive Officer effective August 22, 2022.
Mr. Baumann has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry. He most recently served as Senior Vice President Global Product Lines & Chief Technology Officer at Weatherford International, following his role as President of Weatherford's Completions and Production Segments. Prior to Weatherford, Mr. Baumann held senior leadership roles at Schlumberger LTD and Cameron International Corporation.
Mr. Baumann is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and later earned an MBA from Harvard Business School. Prior to his corporate career, Mr. Baumann served as an officer in the U.S. Army for seven years, where he led teams in multiple operations domestically and during deployments to Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan.
"I am incredibly excited to join Lufkin, which has a legacy extending back over a century and a very bright future as a leader in its industry," Mr. Baumann said.
Lufkin would like to thank Saeid Rahimian for his leadership in establishing Lufkin as a strong independent company.
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RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Markel Corporation (NYSE: MKL) announced today that Chris Belvedere has joined as Senior Director, Retail Business Development. He will oversee national business development focusing on retail, particularly with Markel's strategic and national partners.
"Chris's experience and long-standing relationships in the retail space make him the ideal person for this important role," said Glenn Harris, Managing Executive, Distribution Strategies and Business Development. "Chris will work closely with our regional underwriting and business development teams and our product line leaders to continue to provide solutions to insureds through our key retail partners. We couldn't be more excited to have Chris on our team."
Chris has over 15 years of industry experience, including leadership underwriting experience, overseeing regional branches in various cities, managing retail relationships, product management, and developing and executing strategies to achieve financial plans for product lines.
Belvedere will report to Harris and is based out of New York.
About Markel
Markel Corporation is a diverse financial holding company serving a variety of niche markets. The Company's principal business markets and underwrites specialty insurance products. In each of the Company's businesses, it seeks to provide quality products and excellent customer service so that it can be a market leader. The financial goals of the Company are to earn consistent underwriting and operating profits and superior investment returns to build shareholder value. Markel® is a registered trademark of the Markel Corporation. Visit Markel on the web at markel.com.
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ARCADIA, Wis., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It was a successful weekend in Arcadia at Ashley for the Arts that took place August 11-13. The annual three-day music and arts festival hosted tens of thousands of fans with an array of headline entertainment, art and craft vendors, rows of food vendors, an inflatable air park, a lumberjack show, street performers, fireworks and so much more! The organization announced last week that more than 70 non-profit organizations that participated in the event will benefit from nearly $650,000 donated by Ashley for the Arts.
"It was an amazing year filled with an abundance of activities for the whole family," said Cole Bawek, Event Director. "As soon as you entered the grounds, you were greeted with artsy vibes throughout the 54-acre Memorial Park, and outstanding musical lineups. The Ashley for the Arts mission of showcasing the arts and supporting humanity was a true description of the weekend!"
Thursday night's kickoff event welcomed performances from Chris Kroeze, Arch Allies and Tuned Up, as well as some new activities including fireworks and a Glow Run. Hundreds of participants dressed in neon colors and glowing accessories to run for a cause, where they crossed the finish line into a pool of green, glowing foam. Proceeds from the Pursuit of a Cure Glow Run, charity raffle and luminaria sales support the advancement of medical research and help offset medical costs that cancer patients incur.
Even with the overcast skies throughout the weekend, Friday and Saturday brought steady, pleasant crowds. Memorial Park Drive was lined with nearly 100 art and craft fair vendors, all showcasing, selling and some even demonstrating their skills and works of art. Timberwork's Lumberjack Show held six shows, performing an art straight out of Wisconsin's Northwoods' logging history. The other half of the walkway showcased host sponsor, Ashley Furniture's "Ashley Zone", which highlighted a wide variety of the company's corporate social responsibility initiatives; Heartworks, City of Hope, Trempealeau Valley Co-op's Mobile Skills Lab, Ashley's Angels, conservation efforts, Wreaths Across America, and local middle and high school robotics teams.
The two ballfields held entertainment for children and families including the inflatable air park that kept the kids bouncing, interactive art projects to make and take home, a petting zoo full of fury friends, BINGO, larger than life tic-tac-toe, and more - all of which was included in the low-cost admission for the weekend.
The remainder of the ambiance held on Friday and Saturday included street performers, balloon artists, a circus trio variety street show, Painting in the Park with Cheers Pablo, 11 local school performances and three side stages full of music and family entertainment. Throughout the park, food vendors from near and far served thousands of hungry festival-goers with tasty snacks and meals.
Main Stage performances included Brooks & Dunn, Brantley Gilbert, Train, Cole Swindell, Night Ranger, Phillip Phillips, Danielle Bradbery and Morgan Wade. The crowd cheered on through the variety of country, pop and classic rock shows. A surprise touch on Friday's National Anthem brought a flyover from the F-35A Lightning II from the 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Brooks & Dunn closed the weekend with suited soldiers and red, white and blue confetti to "Only in America".
Ashley for the Arts sends a large thank you to all of the fans that came out and supported the cause, helping raise a significant amount of money for the community and enjoying the event. With support from the event's host sponsor, Ashley Furniture Industries, and numerous community and corporate sponsorships, Ashley for the Arts was able to provide affordable access to music and the arts for the entire weekend. Additionally, it took nearly 4,000 volunteer shifts to put on the one-of-a-kind non-profit event. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and to all of the emergency service and security personnel for their assistance.
Save the date for 2023, August 10, 11 and 12 in Arcadia, Wisconsin. For more information on Ashley for the Arts, visit www.AshleyfortheArts.com. "Like" Ashley for the Arts on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @AshleyfortheArts.
Download photos: https://we.tl/t-Wg00gErTNs
Ashley for the Arts is a non-profit initiative that provides the entire family with world class entertainment, art, exercise and family fun for a remarkably low cost. The organization is one of Wisconsin's largest charity events, donating over $3 Million since its inception to more than 70 non-profit organizations, including participating schools, children's charities, and medical research. This music and arts festival was conceptualized and established by Ashley Furniture Industries in 2009 and takes place in Arcadia, Wisconsin's Memorial Park.
For more information on Ashley for the Arts, visit www.AshleyfortheArts.com. "Like" Ashley for the Arts on Facebook and follow us Instagram @AshleyfortheArts.
CONTACT:
Bailey Waldera
(608) 323-6782
bwaldera@ashleyfurniture.com
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SHANGHAI, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Noah Holdings Limited ("Noah" or the "Company") (NYSE: NOAH and HKEX: 6686), a leading and pioneer wealth management service provider in China offering comprehensive one-stop advisory services on global investment and asset allocation primarily for high net worth investors, today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2022.
SECOND QUARTER 2022 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Net revenues for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB738.1 million (US$110.2 million), a 17.9% decrease from the corresponding period in 2021, mainly due to decreases in one-time commissions, and performance-based incomes. Net revenues decreased by 7.2% compared with the first quarter of 2022, mainly due to decreases in performance based income amid market volatilities and partially offset by more than doubled one-time commissions.
- Income from operations for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB323.1 million (US$48.2 million), a 3.6% decrease from the corresponding period in 2021, due to the decreased net revenues for the second quarter of 2022 and partially offset by a decrease in our expenses due to the COVID-19 lockdown measures in parts of China, especially Shanghai; income from operations increased by 3.0% compared with the first quarter of 2022, due to less expenses incurred and more government subsidies received in the second quarter of 2022.
- Net income attributable to Noah shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB349.0 million (US$52.1 million), a 14.2% increase from the corresponding period in 2021, and a 14.3% increase from the first quarter of 2022.
- Non-GAAP[1] net income attributable to Noah shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB355.1 million (US$53.0 million), a 5.4% increase from the corresponding period in 2021, and a 13.3% increase from the first quarter of 2022.
SECOND QUARTER 2022 OPERATIONAL UPDATES
Wealth Management Business
We offer investment products and provide value-added services to high net worth investors in China and overseas for our wealth management business. Noah primarily distributes private equity, private secondary, mutual funds and other products denominated in RMB and other currencies.
- Total number of registered clients as of June 30, 2022 was 418,675, a 5.4% increase from June 30, 2021, and a 0.9% increase from March 31, 2022.
- Total number of active clients[2], which excluded mutual fund-only clients during the second quarter of 2022 was 2,272, a 51.4% decrease from the second quarter of 2021, and a 19.4% decrease from the first quarter of 2022. Counting in mutual fund-only clients, the total number of clients who transacted with us during the second quarter of 2022 was 12,866, a 36.6% decrease from the second quarter of 2021, and a 14.1% decrease from the first quarter of 2022, mainly affected by volatile market environment.
- Aggregate value of investment products distributed during the second quarter of 2022 was RMB19.3 billion (US$3.0 billion), a 22.7% decrease from the second quarter of 2021, but a 28.8% increase from the first quarter of 2022, mainly due to increases in the distribution of mutual fund products and private equity products.
- Coverage network in mainland China covered 79 cities as of June 30, 2022, compared with 81 cities as of June 30, 2021 and 83 cities as of March 31, 2022.
- Number of relationship managers was 1,255 as of June 30, 2022, a 1.0% decrease from June 30, 2021, and a 2.0% decrease from March 31, 2022.
Asset Management Business
Our asset management business is conducted through Gopher Asset Management Co., Ltd. ("Gopher Asset Management"), a leading multi-asset manager in China with overseas offices in Hong Kong and the United States. Gopher Asset Management develops and manages assets ranging from private equity, real estate, public securities to multi-strategy investments denominated in RMB and other currencies.
- Total assets under management as of June 30, 2022 were RMB155.4 billion (US$23.2 billion), a 0.4% decrease from March 31, 2022 and a 0.3% decrease from June 30, 2021, mainly due to higher distribution of private equity assets during the second quarter of 2022.
Other Businesses
Our other businesses segment mainly provides more comprehensive services and investment products to our clients.
Ms. Jingbo Wang, co-founder and CEO of Noah, said, "I am glad that Noah Holdings' secondary listing in Hong Kong has been successfully completed, partially mitigating the ADR delisting risk. The Board has approved a motion to pursue the voluntary conversion to dual-primary listing in Hong Kong, and we hope to deliver good news on the matter in the coming quarters. The Board also approved and adopted a new dividend policy in August 2022, to share a part of our non-GAAP net income attributable to Noah shareholders every year with the shareholders, which is a commitment we will try our best to fulfill. In the second quarter of 2022, our non-GAAP net income grew 13.3% quarter-on-quarter and 5.4% year-on-year, and the transaction value of private equity and mutual funds grew 23.2% and 71.4% quarter-on-quarter respectively, representing an expected recovery from the last quarter, while we continued to see volatilities in the market pressuring the distribution of private secondary products. I am happy to see the number of our core clients, diamond and black card, continued to grow at 6.1% and 20.5% year-on-year respectively amid complicated market environment. We expect to see continued challenges from China's prolonged COVID-19 control measures and the slower growth of economy, and reiterate the importance of our recommended asset allocation strategy "Protection over Growth", and further suggest our clients to rebalance their global assets to achieve a domestic and international 'dual circulation' model."
SECOND QUARTER 2022 FINANCIAL RESULTS
Net Revenues
Net revenues for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB738.1 million (US$110.2 million), a 17.9% decrease from the corresponding period in 2021, primarily driven by decreased one-time commissions and performance based income, partially offset by increased other service fees.
- Wealth Management Business
- Net revenues from one-time commissions for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB177.8 million (US$26.5 million), a 17.4% decrease year-on-year, primarily due to decreased transaction value in relation to private secondary products as well as private equity products compared with the second quarter of 2021.
- Net revenues from recurring service fees for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB290.4 million (US$43.4 million), a 14.6% decrease year-on-year. The decrease was primarily due to the service fees recognized upon liquidation of certain credit products with higher fee rates in the second quarter of 2021.
- Net revenues from performance-based income for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB13.2 million (US$2.0 million), a 76.2% decrease from the corresponding period of 2021, primarily due to less performance-based income from public securities products.
- Net revenues from other service fees for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB27.2 million (US$4.1 million), an 86.7% increase from the corresponding period in 2021, primarily due to more value-added services Noah offers to its high net worth clients.
- Asset Management Business
- Net revenues from one-time commissions for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB29.2 million (US$4.4 million), a 7.4% decrease year-on-year due to less private equity products sold compared with the second quarter of 2021.
- Net revenues from recurring service fees for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB168.5 million (US$25.2 million), a 6.3% increase from the corresponding period in 2021, due to an increase in the amount of private equity products managed by Gopher.
- Net revenues from performance-based income for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB12.6 million (US$1.9 million), an 81.0% decrease year-on-year, primarily due to a decrease in performance-based income from real estate products and offshore private equity products compared with the second quarter of 2021.
- Other Businesses
- Net revenues for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB19.2 million (US$2.9 million), compared with RMB17.5 million for the corresponding period in 2021, due to more value added services provided.
Operating Costs and Expenses
Operating costs and expenses for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB415.0 million (US$62.0 million), a 26.4% decrease from the corresponding period in 2021. Operating costs and expenses primarily consisted of compensation and benefits of RMB357.8 million (US$53.4 million), selling expenses of RMB70.3 million (US$10.5 million), general and administrative expenses of RMB35.6 million (US$5.3 million), reversal of credit losses of RMB5.8 million (US$0.9 million) and other operating expenses of RMB22.7 million (US$3.4 million).
- Operating costs and expenses for the wealth management business for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB314.8 million (US$47.0 million), a 29.9% decrease from the corresponding period in 2021, primarily due to a decrease in compensation and benefits in line with decreased transaction value and selling expenses as well as general administrative expenses due to COVID-19 lockdown measures in Shanghai.
- Operating costs and expenses for the asset management business for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB67.8 million (US$10.1 million), an 18.8% decrease from the corresponding period in 2021, primarily due to decreased selling and general and administrative expenses due to COVID-19 lockdown measures in Shanghai.
- Operating costs and expenses for other businesses for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB32.4 million (US$4.8 million), compared with RMB31.7 million from the corresponding period in 2021.
Operating Margin
Operating margin for the second quarter of 2022 was 43.8%, increased from 37.3% for the corresponding period in 2021.
- Operating margin for the wealth management business for the second quarter of 2022 was 38.1%, compared with 28.2% for the corresponding period in 2021, due to less expenses incurred due to the COVID-19 lockdown measures in Shanghai.
- Operating margin for the asset management business for the second quarter of 2022 was 67.8%, compared with 67.4% for the corresponding period in 2021.
- Loss from operation for other businesses for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB13.3 million (US$2.0 million), compared with an operating loss of RMB14.2 million for the corresponding period in 2021.
Investment Income
Investment income for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB5.2 million (US$0.8 million), compared with RMB3.5 million for the corresponding period in 2021.
Income Tax Expenses
Income tax expenses for the second quarter of 2022 were RMB78.2 million (US$11.7 million), a 13.7% increase year-on-year, primarily due to more taxable income compared with the second quarter of 2021.
Income from Equity in Affiliates
Income from equity in affiliates for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB69.2 million (US$10.3 million), a 29.5% increase from the corresponding period in 2021, primarily due to the increase in net income of the funds of funds that we manage and invest in as the general partner or fund manager.
Net Income
- Net Income
- Net income for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB348.9 million (US$52.1 million), a 13.3% increase from the corresponding period in 2021.
- Net margin for the second quarter of 2022 was 47.3%, up from 34.2% for the corresponding period in 2021.
- Net income attributable to Noah shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB349.0 million (US$52.1 million), a 14.2% increase from the corresponding period in 2021.
- Net margin attributable to Noah shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was 47.3%, up from 34.0% for the corresponding period in 2021.
- Net income attributable to Noah shareholders per basic and diluted ADS for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB5.19 (US$0.77) and RMB5.18 (US$0.77), respectively, up from RMB4.56 and RMB4.53 respectively, for the corresponding period in 2021.
- Non-GAAP Net Income Attributable to Noah Shareholders
- Non-GAAP net income attributable to Noah shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB355.1 million (US$53.0 million), a 5.4% increase from the corresponding period in 2021.
- Non-GAAP net margin attributable to Noah shareholders for the second quarter of 2022 was 48.1%, compared with 37.5% for the corresponding period in 2021.
- Non-GAAP net income attributable to Noah shareholders per diluted ADS for the second quarter of 2022 was RMB5.28 (US$0.79), up from RMB5.00 for the corresponding period in 2021.
Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
As of June 30, 2022, the Company had RMB3,608.0 million (US$538.7 million) in cash and cash equivalents, compared with RMB3,899.9 million as of March 31, 2022 and RMB2,686.4 million as of June 30, 2021.
Net cash outflow from the Company's operating activities during the second quarter of 2022 was RMB289.7 million (US$43.3 million), primarily due to payment of employee annual bonuses and annual tax filing.
Net cash outflow from the Company's investing activities during the second quarter of 2022 was RMB17.1 million (US$2.5 million), primarily due to several investments made.
Net cash inflow from the Company's financing activities was RMB0.5 million (US$0.1 million) in the second quarter of 2022, primarily related to the proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares upon exercise of stock options.
2022 FORECAST
The Company estimates that non-GAAP net income attributable to Noah shareholders for the full year 2022 will be in the range of RMB1.45 billion to RMB1.55 billion. This estimate reflects management's current business outlook and is subject to change.
CONFERENCE CALL
Senior management will host a combined English and Chinese language conference call to discuss the Company's second quarter 2022 unaudited financial results and recent business activities.
The conference call may be accessed with the following details:
A telephone replay will be available starting one hour after the end of the conference call until August 29, 2022 at +1-877-344-7529 (US Toll Free) or +1-412-317-0088 (International Toll). The replay access code is 9147064.
A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at Noah's investor relations website under the Announcements & Events section at https://ir.noahgroup.com/financial-information/quarterly-results.
DISCUSSION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES
In addition to disclosing financial results prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, the Company's earnings release contains non-GAAP financial measures excluding the effects of all forms of share-based compensation, share-based settlement expenses and net of tax impact, if any. See "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Results" at the end of this press release.
The non-GAAP financial measures disclosed by the Company should not be considered a substitute for financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The financial results reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP and reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP results should be carefully evaluated. The non-GAAP financial measures used by the Company may be prepared differently from and, therefore, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.
When evaluating the Company's operating performance in the periods presented, management reviewed the foregoing non-GAAP net income attributable to Noah shareholders and per diluted ADS and non-GAAP net margin attributable to Noah shareholders to supplement U.S. GAAP financial data. As such, the Company's management believes that the presentation of the non-GAAP financial measures provides important supplemental information to investors regarding financial and business trends relating to its results of operations in a manner consistent with that used by management.
ABOUT NOAH HOLDINGS LIMITED
Noah Holdings Limited (NYSE: NOAH and HKEX:6686) is a leading and pioneer wealth management service provider in China offering comprehensive one-stop advisory services on global investment and asset allocation primarily for high net worth investors. Noah is a Cayman Islands holding company and carries on business in Hong Kong as Noah Holdings Private Wealth and Asset Management Limited. In the first half of 2022, Noah distributed RMB34.3 billion (US$5.4 billion) of investment products. Through Gopher Asset Management, Noah had assets under management of RMB155.4 billion (US$23.2 billion) as of June 30, 2022.
Noah's wealth management business primarily distributes private equity, private secondary, mutual fund and other products denominated in RMB and other currencies. Noah's network covers 79 cities in mainland China, as well as offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, New York, Silicon Valley and Singapore. A total of 1,255 relationship managers provide customized financial solutions for clients through this network, and meet their international investment needs. The Company's wealth management business had 418,675 registered clients as of June 30, 2022. Through Gopher Asset Management, Noah manages private equity, public securities, real estate, multi-strategy and other investments denominated in RMB and other currencies. The Company also provides other businesses.
For more information, please visit Noah at ir.noahgroup.com.
FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION
In this announcement, the unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2022 ended June 30, 2022 are stated in RMB. This announcement contains currency conversions of certain RMB amounts into US$ at specified rates 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.
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 outlook for 2022 and quotations from management in this announcement, as well as Noah's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. Noah may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Noah's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause Noah's actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: its goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the wealth management and asset management market in China and internationally; its expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of the products it distributes; investment risks associated with investment products distributed to Noah's investors, including the risk of default by counterparties or loss of value due to market or business conditions or misconduct by counterparties; its expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with key clients; relevant government policies and regulations relating to its industries; its ability to attract and retain qualified employees; its ability to stay abreast of market trends and technological advances; its plans to invest in research and development to enhance its product choices and service offerings; competition in its industries in China and internationally; general economic and business conditions in China; and its ability to effectively protect its intellectual property rights and not to infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Noah's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual reports on Form 20-F and other filings with the SEC and the prospectus registered in Hong Kong. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Noah does not undertake any obligation to update any such information, including forward-looking statements, as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under the applicable law.
-- FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL TABLES FOLLOW --
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SOURCE Noah Holdings Limited | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/noah-holdings-limited-announces-unaudited-financial-results-second-quarter-2022/ | 2022-08-22T21:55:39Z |
HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new analysis by the Pennsylvania Lottery shows that so-called skill games, which the Pennsylvania State Police, Office of Attorney General and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board maintain are illegal gaming devices, have led to an estimated loss of $650 million in Pennsylvania Lottery scratch sales.
The report, which is an update to previous Lottery analyses of the impact of skill games, states that:
"In the following report, we show detailed analyses that estimate more than $650 million in Pennsylvania Lottery scratch sales have been lost to unregulated Games of Skill machines across the Commonwealth. To put it another way, the $14.9 billion in scratch product sold between October 2017 and March 2022 could have been more than 4.4% higher, which would in turn have generated over $200 million more for older Pennsylvanians and local businesses during that time."
The Lottery analysis also found that, "Since 2017, the Pennsylvania Lottery retail network has seen:
- 17 times more Skill machines found on-site across the state;
- Eight times the number of retailers with at least one Skill machine;
- Six times the maximum number of Skill machines found at any one retailer; and
- The spread of Skill machines to every county in the Commonwealth."
"This analysis should serve as a flashing red light for lawmakers. It is time, once and for all, to tighten state law and shut these machines down," said Pete Shelly, spokesman for Pennsylvanians Against Gaming Expansion.
Shelly urged lawmakers to consider this report and these impacts as they debate proposals to expand gaming, specifically legislation sponsored by state Sen. Gene Yaw that would regulate skill games, which leading law enforcement agencies have said repeatedly are illegal.
"These machines do not generate a penny in gaming taxes. They also are bringing crime to communities across the state, and they drain revenue from programs for seniors that the Pennsylvania Lottery funds," Shelly said.
For more information, please visit Pennsylvanians Against Gaming Expansion.
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SOURCE Pennsylvanians Against Gaming Expansion | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/pennsylvanians-against-gaming-expansion-illegal-skill-games-cost-older-pennsylvanians-650-million/ | 2022-08-22T21:55:45Z |
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), the largest retina specialty organization in the world joins Safe Eyes America in strong opposition to AB 2236, legislation now under consideration in the California Senate.
AB 2236 dangerously reduces the medical education, clinical, and surgical training requirements to become licensed in California to perform eye surgery. If AB 2236 were to be enacted, an individual would no longer be required to complete medical school and the required surgical training to become licensed to perform eye surgery. ASRS and Safe Eyes America point out that such a large reduction in surgical licensing requirements is detrimental to patient surgical outcomes and safety.
Retina specialists are ophthalmologists (physicians who complete 4 years of medical school followed by 4 years of training in eye diseases and surgery) with an additional 2 years specializing in treatment of the retina (the delicate structure in the deepest part of the eye that converts light into nerve signals necessary for vision). As a part of their training, all retina specialists are trained to perform all of the surgical procedures included in AB 2236. That knowledge of eye surgery, its risks, what it involves, and the consequences to the patient are the basis of the ASRS position opposing AB 2236
Kurt Heitman, MD, Safe Eyes America Board member says: "Every surgical procedure performed on the eye or eyelids requires education, training and experience to make the correct diagnosis, to make a decision on the best treatment be it surgery or not, and to develop the ability to perform the procedure. These are skills developed over years and shortcuts are just not safe for patients. A mistake anywhere along the path to surgery could have vision or even life-threatening consequences for the patient."
Any day now, the California Senate will vote on AB 2236. Jeanette Moffa, a concerned patient and Safe Eyes America Board member said, "We're proud to have ASRS, America's retina specialists, join us in educating patients about the dangerous changes to the law present in AB 2236. Lowering the licensing requirements to allow non-medical physicians (optometrists) to perform surgery is not safe. Californians need to know this."
The California state Senate could take final action on AB 2236 any day now. It simply isn't safe. Please contact your California state Senator NOW and urge them to Vote NO on AB 2236. To find your state Senator click on the following link: (https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/). The California legislature adjourns for the year on August 31.
Safe Eyes America is a 501(c) 4 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the delivery of the highest quality medical and surgical eye care to the American public. SafeEyesAmerica.org.
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SOURCE Safe Eyes America | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/retina-eye-surgeons-warn-lowering-eye-surgery-licensing-requirements-not-californians-best-interests/ | 2022-08-22T21:55:52Z |
WARREN, Mich., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Counties Express, Inc., a subsidiary of Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. ("Universal"), is excited to announce a new partnership with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (the "Teamsters") Local Unit 848 providing drayage services in-and-out of the Southern Californian ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. In a careful negotiation, the parties reached a "best in class" arrangement that is firmly anchored by a top notch labor agreement. The agreement will provide the local membership with great benefits, and Universal's customers with AB5 compliant and reliable services in the Los Angeles and Long Beach drayage market. The partnership between Southern Counties Express, Inc. and the Teamsters Local 848 will add hundreds of good paying, union jobs to the southern California economy.
Universal's Chief Executive Officer Tim Phillips commented, "We are extremely excited to extend our relationship with the Teamsters to the Los Angeles/Long Beach drayage market! Universal has been in partnership with the Teamsters for over 20 years, and our nearly 2,000 current Teamster members have long provided our many customers with superior service and trustworthy capacity." Phillips further elaborated, "Solidifying our relationship with Local Unit 848 will give Southern Counties the ability to advance its capacity footprint in a changing California labor model, and continue to be a leader in the drayage space."
About Universal:
Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. ("Universal") is a holding company that owns subsidiaries engaged in providing a variety of customized transportation and logistics solutions throughout the United States, and in Mexico, Canada and Colombia. Our operating subsidiaries provide customers with supply chain solutions that can be scaled to meet their changing demands and volumes. Universal's consolidated subsidiaries offer customers a broad array of services across the entire supply chain, including truckload, brokerage, intermodal, dedicated, and value-added services. In this press release, the terms "us," "we," "our," or the "Company" refer to Universal and its consolidated subsidiaries.
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SOURCE Universal Logistics Holdings, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/southern-counties-express-announces-partnership-with-international-brotherhood-teamsters-local-unit-848/ | 2022-08-22T21:55:58Z |
600+ members from the global food, feed, and soy industry across 50+ countries in San Diego
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global soy consumption at 1.087 MMT has exceeded global soy production at 1.061 MMT for the past three years (2019-22) following a doubling in consumption and production over the past 20 years. Soybeans continue to be the United States' number one food and agricultural export, and U.S. Soy's customers are as diverse as the countless uses of a soybean itself.
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) will host 600+ industry representatives at SOY CONNEXT - the global U.S. Soy Summit, including 400+ international customers of U.S. Soy from 50+ countries with 200+ U.S. Soy farmers and members of industry, from August 22-24 in San Diego.
"Soy Connext, the industry's premier global summit, will catalyze connections between international customers of U.S. Soy from the animal protein, aquaculture, animal nutrition, edible oil, soy foods, and commodity trading sectors, with U.S. Soy farmers and industry," said Jim Sutter, CEO, USSEC. "With the level of volatility in the world today, it takes vision, resilience, and partnerships to succeed in food and agriculture today. At Soy Connext, we will explore insights, trends, and strengthen our collaborations to advance global nutrition, climate-forward solutions, and progress for people and communities."
USSEC will launch the new 'Soybean Value Calculator' - an innovative tool for soybean crushers to calculate and compare the economic value of soybeans from various countries. Customers can enter company specific data along with soybean composition and physical factor data to analyze the potential economic benefit of choosing U.S. Soy relative to soy of other origins. It's that simple.
Sustainability and transparency are differentiators and a competitive advantage for U.S. Soy customers. As part of Soy Connext, customers from 38 countries will visit U.S. Soy farms across 14 soy-producing states to transparently engage with farmers, inspect the crop, and discuss challenges, needs and opportunities. Further, USSEC, on behalf of U.S. Soy, is the international sponsor of the Pro Farmer Crop Tour providing its customers with credible, third-party, and real-time analysis of U.S. Soy crop quality directly from soy production sites across the United States. Customers and exporter companies will also participate in USSEC's Trade Team Invitational.
"Climatic, economic, and geopolitical events are testing the resilience of the global food system. Uncertainty is the word of the day. We are honored that international companies are rewarding sustainable U.S. Soy's lowest carbon footprint, optimal nutritional bundle, high refining rate, low refining cost, and reliable production and exports by importing record volumes to advance food and nutrition security in the 82 countries we serve," said Doug Winter, USSEC Chairperson, Board Member of the United Soybean Board, and U.S. Soy farmer, Illinois.
Six facts related to U.S. Soy
- Global poultry, pork, and aquaculture consumption are forecast to grow 17.8%, 13.1%, and 23% respectively by 20301
- Global soy foods per capita consumption grew 24% to 2.67 kg in 2020 from 2.16 kg in 20102
- U.S. Soy's top 15 export markets: China, Mexico, EU, Egypt, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Colombia, Taiwan, Canada, Bangladesh, Thailand, S. Korea, Pakistan, Ecuador3
- U.S. Soy's top growth markets (21/22 v. 16/17): Egypt, Turkey, Ecuador, Venezuela, Canada, Guatemala, Colombia, Mexico, EU. Bangladesh growing. India potential evolving4
- Sustainable U.S. Soy has the lowest carbon footprint when compared with soy of other origins5
- U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) verified exports are up 33% vs. year ago, and 58% (approx. 38 MMT) of U.S. Soy's total exports (approx. 64 MMT) in MY 21/22 (as of 7/28/22)
Soy Connext will cover the following topics among others:
- Macro dynamics - inflation, or commodity super-cycle
- Shifting vegetable oil market
- Sustainability in the global feed industry
- Plant-Based Proteins: Consumer Trends & Opportunities
- Sourcing specialty food grade & IP beans
- Live reports on 2022 #USSoy crop ahead of #Harvest22
Noteworthy global speakers at Soy Connext include:
- Matt Ammerman, Commodity Risk Manager and VP, E. Europe & Black Sea region, StoneX
- Erik Noland, Executive Director and Senior Economist, CME Group
- Emily French, Chief Executive Officer, Global Ag Protein
- Anja Manuel, co-founder, Rice, Hadley, Gates and Manuel, LLC
- Marty Ruikka, President, The Pro Exporter Network
- Tom Vierhile, Vice President - Strategic Insights (North America), Innova Market Insights
Other event participants include U.S. Soy farmers representing the American Soybean Association, United Soybean Board, State soy boards, related food and agriculture industry, commodity exporters, among others.
This press release was funded by U.S. Soy farmers, their checkoff and the soy value chain.
About U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)
The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) focuses on differentiating, elevating preference, and attaining market access for the use of U.S. Soy for human consumption, aquaculture, and livestock feed in 80+ countries internationally. USSEC members represent the soy supply chain including U.S. Soy farmers, processors, commodity shippers, merchandisers, allied agribusinesses, and agricultural organizations. USSEC is funded by the U.S. soybean checkoff, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) matching funds, and industry. Visit www.ussec.org for the latest information on U.S. Soy solutions and news about USSEC and U.S. Soy internationally.
1 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - Food and Agriculture Organization 2021 Agriculture Outlook Report
2 USSEC-Agromeris Global Soy Foods Market Report 2021
3 SDA Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) data MY 2021/22 through June-2022
4 SDA Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS) data MY 2021/22 through June-2022
5 Blonk Consultants, Agri-footprint database 5.0 analysis, 2019
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SOURCE U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/us-soybean-export-council-hosts-soy-connext-worlds-largest-soy-summit/ | 2022-08-22T21:56:05Z |
IRVING, Texas, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vistra (NYSE: VST) today announced that Stacey Doré will be joining the company as its first chief strategy and sustainability officer and executive vice president of public affairs, effective Aug. 23, 2022. Doré, who previously worked for Vistra's predecessor companies, will report to Vistra's president and chief executive officer, Jim Burke. In this new role, Doré is responsible for corporate strategy, sustainability, regulatory and government affairs, communications, and community engagement.
"Stacey is a respected, proven leader who has a broad understanding of both our company and our industry," said Burke. "Her diverse background spans not only competitive power generation, retail, and commercial activities, but also in related businesses, including transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas. We are thrilled to have her join our executive team and dedicate her considerable talents to leading our strategy, sustainability, and public affairs efforts. We believe integrating these critical activities under Stacey will further solidify our commitment to decarbonizing our fleet, growing Vistra Zero, and to the broader energy transition and the leading role Vistra will play. We look forward to Stacey's contributions and leadership as our industry goes through considerable change."
"I am honored to join the Vistra team at a pivotal time during the company's growth and transformation," said Doré. "Vistra is a leader in the energy transition and plays a critical role in meeting the needs of customers and communities across the U.S. during a time of rapid change in the industry. This company is at the forefront of responsibly transitioning our country's power grid, and I'm excited about Vistra's future."
Doré most recently served as president and chief executive officer of Hunt Utility Services and Sharyland Utilities, an electric utility within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas market, from 2019-2021. Prior to that role, she was senior vice president and general counsel for publicly traded InfraREIT, Inc., an electric transmission and distribution company structured as a real estate investment trust, from 2016-2019. Doré originally joined Vistra's predecessor companies in 2008 as part of the legal team where she served in several leadership roles, including executive vice president and general counsel. She began her career as an attorney at Vinson & Elkins in 1997.
Doré is a member of the board of directors for Williams, a leading energy infrastructure company with operations across the natural gas value chain, where she serves on the audit committee and the governance and sustainability committee. She holds a juris doctor from Harvard Law School and a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Southwestern Louisiana.
About Vistra
Vistra (NYSE: VST) is a leading Fortune 500 integrated retail electricity and power generation company based in Irving, Texas, providing essential resources for customers, commerce, and communities. Vistra combines an innovative, customer-centric approach to retail with safe, reliable, diverse, and efficient power generation. The company brings its products and services to market in 20 states and the District of Columbia, including six of the seven competitive wholesale markets in the U.S. and markets in Canada and Japan, as well. Serving approximately 4 million residential, commercial, and industrial retail customers with electricity and natural gas, Vistra is one of the largest competitive electricity providers in the country and offers over 50 renewable energy plans. The company is also the largest competitive power generator in the U.S. with a capacity of approximately 39,000 megawatts powered by a diverse portfolio, including natural gas, nuclear, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. In addition, Vistra is a large purchaser of wind power. The company owns and operates the 400-MW/1,600-MWh battery energy storage system in Moss Landing, California, the largest of its kind in the world. Vistra is guided by four core principles: we do business the right way, we work as a team, we compete to win, and we care about our stakeholders, including our customers, our communities where we work and live, our employees, and our investors. Learn more about our environmental, social, and governance efforts and read the company's sustainability report at https://www.vistracorp.com/sustainability/.
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SOURCE Vistra Corp. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/vistra-names-industry-veteran-stacey-dor-chief-strategy-amp-sustainability-officer/ | 2022-08-22T21:56:12Z |
WEST HILLS, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Westwood Insurance Agency, an indirect subsidiary of BRP Group, Inc. ("BRP Group") (NASDAQ: BRP), has been ranked #37 on Insurance Journal's annual Top 100 Property and Casualty Agencies list. For nearly 20 years, the publication has compiled this list to showcase independent agencies and brokerages who are leaders in the insurance industry. Westwood retains its national ranking with $474 million in written premium and $84 million in revenue.
"We're very proud to be included on the list again this year," said Alan Umaly, President of Westwood Insurance Agency. "We're grateful to our clients and policyholders who've trusted us to be their insurance agency. They inspire us to continue building and improving, and our drive to deliver them industry-leading service and superior coverage at competitive rates is part of why we're listed among the top 100 agencies."
Westwood is a full-service agency offering a complete array of personal, commercial, and surplus lines products through appointments with more than 35 insurance companies. With an industry-leading Net Promoter Score® (NPS®) of 91, Westwood keeps customers at the heart of its business and prioritizes an improved policyholder experience. "We continue to invest in the highest quality talent and technology to help customers address their insurance needs efficiently and with the best available options and prices," said Umaly.
Insurance Journal compiles its list by evaluating the total revenue of property/casualty agencies whose business is primarily retail, not wholesale. Information for this list is collected voluntarily or through best estimates according to public sources, and the list ultimately reflects some of the most successful independent insurance agencies and brokerages in the country.
BRP Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRP) is an independent insurance distribution firm delivering tailored insurance and risk management insights and solutions that give our clients the peace of mind to pursue their purpose, passion and dreams. We are innovating the industry by taking a holistic and tailored approach to risk management, insurance and employee benefits, and support our clients, Colleagues, Insurance Company Partners and communities through the deployment of vanguard resources and capital to drive our growth. BRP Group represents over 1,200,000 clients across the United States and internationally. For more information, please visit www.baldwinriskpartners.com. Learn more about MSI at www.msimga.com.
Established in 1952, Westwood Insurance Agency is a leading, full-service personal lines agency specializing in builder-sourced homeowners insurance. Licensed in all 50 states, Westwood represents over 400,000 homeowners through relationships with leading U.S. homebuilders and top insurance companies. Westwood's unique platform facilitates seamless home closings by connecting builders, carriers, lenders and homebuyers with click-to-bind technology. For more information, please visit www.westwoodinsurance.com.
This press release may contain various "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which represent BRP Group's expectations or beliefs concerning future events. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical facts and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or BRP Group's strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may", "might", "will", "should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "predicts", "projects", "potential", "outlook" or "continue", or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements.
Factors that could cause actual results or performance to differ from the expectations expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those described under the caption "Risk Factors" in BRP Group's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and in BRP Group's other filings with the SEC, which are available free of charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at: www.sec.gov, including those risks and other factors relevant to the business, financial condition and results of operations of BRP Group and factors related to the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on BRP Group's business, financial condition and results of operations. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. All forward-looking statements and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to BRP Group or to persons acting on behalf of BRP Group are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to these risks and uncertainties. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BRP Group does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law.
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SOURCE Westwood Insurance Agency | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/westwood-insurance-agency-ranked-top-100-pampc-agency-by-insurance-journal/ | 2022-08-22T21:56:20Z |
In Arkansas, two sheriff's deputies and a police officer have been removed from duty after video posted to social media appeared to show them beating a suspect who was down on the ground.
Copyright 2022 NPR
In Arkansas, two sheriff's deputies and a police officer have been removed from duty after video posted to social media appeared to show them beating a suspect who was down on the ground.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/3-law-enforcement-officers-in-arkansas-are-suspended-following-viral-video-of-beating | 2022-08-22T21:58:04Z |
Each summer, an Atlantic French island holds a regatta which includes a mix of historic and modern sail boats. After being canceled due to COVID, the race, crowds, yachters and history buffs are back.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Each summer, an Atlantic French island holds a regatta which includes a mix of historic and modern sail boats. After being canceled due to COVID, the race, crowds, yachters and history buffs are back.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/a-french-islands-summer-regatta-is-back-in-full-this-year | 2022-08-22T21:58:10Z |
Closing your laptop at 5 p.m. Doing only assigned tasks. Spending more time with family. These are some practices in the workplace trend of "quiet quitting" — which some experts say is a misnomer.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Closing your laptop at 5 p.m. Doing only assigned tasks. Spending more time with family. These are some practices in the workplace trend of "quiet quitting" — which some experts say is a misnomer.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/a-look-at-quiet-quitting-and-whether-its-a-good-or-bad-thing | 2022-08-22T21:58:16Z |
There's a national shortage of 911 operators. In Washington state, the situation is so dire that it closed a rural dispatch center. In addition to recruiting, technology might be a longer-term fix.
Copyright 2022 NPR
There's a national shortage of 911 operators. In Washington state, the situation is so dire that it closed a rural dispatch center. In addition to recruiting, technology might be a longer-term fix.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/a-rural-washington-emergency-dispatch-center-closes-as-911-operator-shortage-persists | 2022-08-22T21:58:22Z |
Dr. Fauci has been at the National Institutes of Health for over 50 years. On Monday, the nation's top infectious disease doctor announced he'll be stepping down from government service in December.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Dr. Fauci has been at the National Institutes of Health for over 50 years. On Monday, the nation's top infectious disease doctor announced he'll be stepping down from government service in December.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/after-more-than-50-years-at-the-nih-dr-fauci-says-hes-retiring-in-december | 2022-08-22T21:58:29Z |
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch threatened to sue Australian news site Crikey for defamation. Crikey says bring it on, though Australian libel laws make such cases much tougher for media companies to win.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch threatened to sue Australian news site Crikey for defamation. Crikey says bring it on, though Australian libel laws make such cases much tougher for media companies to win.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/australian-site-challenged-foxs-lachlan-murdoch-to-sue-after-he-accused-it-of-libel | 2022-08-22T21:58:35Z |
Country stores are a hallmark of rural life. Many have survived for more than 100 years by learning to adapt. Today, they face a new challenge: inflation.
Copyright 2022 WBHM 90.3 FM
Country stores are a hallmark of rural life. Many have survived for more than 100 years by learning to adapt. Today, they face a new challenge: inflation.
Copyright 2022 WBHM 90.3 FM | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/country-stores-a-hallmark-of-rural-life-deal-with-the-challenge-of-inflation | 2022-08-22T21:58:41Z |
Some musicians become more famous for dying young. That's part of the story of Chalino Sanchez, but there's more to it. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with the host of a podcast that explores that theme.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Some musicians become more famous for dying young. That's part of the story of Chalino Sanchez, but there's more to it. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with the host of a podcast that explores that theme.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/encore-podcast-investigates-the-early-death-of-musician-chalino-sanchez | 2022-08-22T21:58:47Z |
Fighting in Gaza shows fractures among militant groups, as Israel targeted Islamic Jihad, while Hamas held off. Civilians are upset at the low quality of life and these groups' lack of public service.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Fighting in Gaza shows fractures among militant groups, as Israel targeted Islamic Jihad, while Hamas held off. Civilians are upset at the low quality of life and these groups' lack of public service.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/how-palestinians-view-the-militant-groups-that-hold-power-in-the-gaza-strip | 2022-08-22T21:58:53Z |
Humans' ability to sweat is useful on Earth — but when people go up into space, they find that perspiring in zero gravity presents some unique challenges.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Humans' ability to sweat is useful on Earth — but when people go up into space, they find that perspiring in zero gravity presents some unique challenges.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-22/what-happens-to-sweat-in-outer-space-hint-theres-no-gravity-to-help-it-drip-away | 2022-08-22T21:58:59Z |
Unequal Education: Special education policies differ from state to state
Qualifying for those services can be a huge battle for the families of millions of children
Portland, Ore. (InvestigateTV) – As the mother of three young boys, life for Oregon mom Edith Goodwin is always unpredictable.
Her children, she said, have unique personalities that require different skills to manage. That’s not just true with how they play, but also how they learn.
For Goodwin and her oldest son, Joseph, it hasn’t been easy. She’s spent most of her life fighting to get him special education services through the public education system.
Goodwin’s struggles happen because of disparate policies across the nation, an InvestigateTV analysis found.
As a toddler, Joseph was diagnosed with a speech delay in Colorado where the family was living at the time. Goodwin tried to get him services at a local preschool, and although he qualified, she wasn’t satisfied with the process and opted for private speech therapy instead.
Diagnoses for ADHD and autism soon followed for Joseph, as the family moved for work. But the family’s challenges with the special education system were just beginning.
When they later moved to New Mexico, Goodwin quickly realized eligibility for special education in that state was different.
“They looked at the records and they just looked at the bottom line, at the scores, and said he wouldn’t qualify,” Goodwin said.
The scores that once qualified Joseph for services in Colorado were no longer acceptable in New Mexico. The school, Goodwin said, told her there wasn’t a need to put him in special education because of his performance on the assessment.
“He was very intelligent. He was a leader,” Goodwin said. “He was well-liked in school, so they didn’t recognize a need with him, but he was struggling and falling behind in reading.”
When the family moved yet again to Idaho, Goodwin’s struggle continued. Seeking advice, she turned to Facebook groups to ask how other families navigated the state’s system.
“They recommended getting in touch with an outside person that could teach me how to communicate with the school,” Goodwin said. “They couldn’t go with me to the classroom or ask or advocate for me, but they taught me how to advocate.”
Using those skills, Goodwin requested an evaluation for Joseph, but was ultimately denied.
“I did it by the book, and they still refused,” Goodwin said. “And so, then I took it to the next level by filing a complaint with the state.”
That complaint resulted in mediation, with Joseph eventually getting a full evaluation by different specialists.
In the end, it took Goodwin six months to get her son the services he qualified for under the state’s special education policy. That battle is among the many documented in a binder she’s used for years to track her efforts to obtain services for Joseph from state to state.
In Oregon, following yet another move, Joseph qualified for services with ease. But in Colorado again, the state required a repeat evaluation because it wouldn’t accept the one done previously in another state by Joseph’s doctor.
That was all before the family returned to Oregon once more.
“If they could have just used the information they already had and applied it, they would have been just fine. It was a lot of time that was wasted that could have helped my son,” Goodwin said. “I felt like at times maybe I was failing them as a parent because I was trying to advocate for them. I was trying to do it. And yet no matter how hard I tried, it still wasn’t helping.”
VIDEO: Funding Special Education
Policy breakdown
The Department of Education has long watchdogged special education programs across the country.
In the 2020-2021 school year, data from the National Center for Education Statistics showed more than 7.2 million students between the ages of 3-21 received special education services under a federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Those stats show California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania were the states with the highest number of special education students enrolled as of the 2020-2021 school year.
In those states, and others, parents like Goodwin have been forced to learn how to navigate a complicated system, discovering access to special education services can vary greatly depending on their state’s eligibility criteria.
Eligibility for services is largely dictated by specific disabilities outlined in the law. IDEA guarantees that students with one of 13 disabilities have access to free public education with appropriate accommodations.
Those disability categories identified by the federal government under IDEA are: Autism, deafness-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, and developmental delay.
The law allows states to create their own special education policies based on the federal IDEA framework. As a result, states can determine their own processes for identifying children for services and the evaluation criteria to meet those requirements.
To understand the variations between special education policies across the country, InvestigateTV and the Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism at Indiana University did our own audit, requesting and analyzing the special education eligibility and evaluation policies from all 50 states.
Our analysis found major disparities from state to state, with each one determining its policies through a series of classifications: disability, age, maximum evaluation time and implementation time, and whether a medical assessment, school assessment, or both qualify as support to eligibility.
Among the findings:
- In South Dakota, there are specific measurements that qualify individuals with deafness or hearing loss for services. But just across the border, Nebraska’s policy has “flexibility” and states that any child with hearing loss of any degree might be eligible for services.
- In Michigan, children can get special education services up until age 25.
- In Connecticut, a parent only has to wait a maximum of 45 days to get their child evaluated and placed with an IEP (individualized education program). In West Virginia that process can take a maximum of 110 days, nearly four months.
While parents wait for a team formulated by the school to decide whether their child qualifies for services, states can also determine whether additional material can be used to make final decisions -- that includes medical assessments.
InvestigateTV looked closely at the differences in which material is deemed acceptable for evaluation and found:
- Eighteen states don’t accept a medical assessment done by a physician. The remaining states may use those assessments as part of the final decision process, but isn’t guaranteed.
- At least 25 states accept both medical and school assessments to help with student evaluation, including Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
In a 2019 Government Accountability Office report, the government watchdog looked into the variation of services offered in different states and found many examples.
“In Maryland, a child must have at least a 25 percent delay in one or more developmental areas to be eligible for Early Intervention services, while in Arizona, a child must demonstrate a 50 percent delay in one or more developmental areas to be eligible,” the GAO report said.
For parents like Goodwin, who have navigated the special education system, the patchwork of policies from state to state was surprising.
“You shouldn’t have to go, move from county to county and fight each school system,” Goodwin said. “It’s supposed to be a federal program. It’s supposed to be uniform. It’s supposed to be services that they are entitled to have nationwide.”
Department of Education perspective
Katy Neas, deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, said the differences we uncovered are a reflection of the intent of IDEA, which was designed as a framework for states, which can then meet their obligation to provide special education in ways that work most effectively for them.
Neas emphasized that children in special education have complex and unique needs that should be addressed with individual approaches. That, she explained, takes a commitment to serving children in special education that hasn’t been universal.
“If we could change attitudes that would be by far the most important thing we could do. And you only do that when you can show people what success really is,” Neas said. “You can talk about it in lofty terms but until you take somebody by the hand and show them, see this child, see the progress this child has made, see the people who have come together to support this child. Once you show them what it looks like, they think, ‘Oh, I can do that too.’ And so I just really think we need to show people what’s possible.”
Neas was clear, uniformity when it comes to implementation of IDEA isn’t the goal. But in some areas, including wait times for evaluation, Neas said there shouldn’t be vast differences. The delays we uncovered, she said, are concerning, telling InvestigateTV states should have a sense of urgency when it comes to identifying students who need special education.
“The thought of making a child and a family wait in order to get the services their child needs that’s going to influence the rest of their lives, it’s just not acceptable,” Neas said.
Implementation of IEPs
Ana Brannan has been studying special education for years.
As an associate professor in the Special Education program at Indiana University’s School of Education, she has specialized in children’s mental health services.
Brannan’s interest in the special education field developed from her childhood. Having family members with special needs, she found an appreciation for helping educate people who may require services at an early age.
“I am the middle [child] of seven children so from as soon as I could walk, I was helping other little babies walk. I knew by the time I was 12, I was going to do something with kids,” Brannan said. “Over the years I just met more people who had disabilities and there’s a fair few in my family.”
But Brannan’s experience extends beyond her family. She’s seen firsthand how state formulas determine special education eligibility for children. She says some states start with basic screenings, while others use an IQ test.
“There’s a lot of variability across states,” Brannan said. “There’s also variability within states, and one of the reasons is because of resources.”
The variability also extends to compliance with meeting the requirements of IDEA. Although the law has been in place for more than 40 years, many states still fall short of the government’s expectations.
In a report to Congress last year, the Department of Education put more than 20 states and Washington D.C. on a list noting they “needed assistance” meeting IDEA for two or more consecutive years.
Two additional states, New York and Vermont, were classified as “needing intervention”.
Brannan said the states that struggle to meet special education requirements do so because of myriad factors including a lack of funding, teacher shortages and a culture that doesn’t always acknowledge the importance of providing special education services.
“Across the country, there are not enough resources in schools for kids. For kids with disabilities, even more so,” Brannan said. “I think that is a challenge for all of us.”
Families’ experiences receiving special education services
Discovering that a child has challenges in the classroom may happen as a result of close communication with teachers.
That’s one of the reasons that schools across the country implement the “Child Find” initiative, which gives teachers a pathway to highlight students that might need special education assistance. Parents can then give approval to have their children evaluated for services.
Phoenix mom Melissa Grant says her son was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia in the fourth grade. He was in kindergarten at Deer Valley Unified School District when his teacher recognized he might benefit from special education.
“I thought it was really an interesting start to the whole process because his kindergarten teacher was the one who was raising the flag, saying, ‘There’s something going on here’,” Grant said.
Another Deer Valley parent, Jillian Jones, had a positive experience with the teachers working with her son, who was diagnosed with dyslexia in grade school.
She now partners with faculty at DVUSD to create those positive experiences for other families who may need services.
Jones leads the Parents of DVUSD Students with Special Needs, a Facebook support group, which has 336 members.
The group offers general information and advocacy support for parents in special education and holds fundraising events for children with learning difficulties. It’s similar to the group Edith Goodwin joined when seeking assistance securing services for her son, Joseph.
Rising Special Education Teacher Shortage and Implementation
Nearly half of all public schools reported part-time and full-time teaching vacancies in 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Those numbers also impact special education teachers.
“Many teachers experience burnout and stress trying to meet the needs of their students in special education,” said Terry McDaniel, an Indiana State University professor and supervisor of the annual survey of Hoosier school superintendents.
McDaniel said that the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual learning only exacerbated that trend.
“In Indiana, despite the efforts of the states’ DOE and the legislature to encourage people to pursue special education, the shortage only continued to increase,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said 2021 had the highest teacher shortage rate in seven years in Indiana, with 96.5 percent of the districts surveyed reporting that they had trouble finding teachers.
“Trying to find special education teachers is very, very difficult,” McDaniel said.
Kelly Myers, a special education teacher at Greater Clark County Schools in southern Indiana, which is among the state’s largest districts, reported that more students are being put into co-taught classes than desired.
“Due to the lack of staff, more students from general education are being placed into the resource group with around 15 to 16 students instead of the usual 10 to 12,” Myers said. “Larger classes make it more difficult for teachers to meet the needs of all their pupils.”
Funding special education
Experts and the federal government itself recognize the lack of funding is problematic for special education.
When the government enacted IDEA in 1975, the legislation came with a commitment to fund 40% of the average cost per special education student, but that promise hasn’t been kept.
As of 2020, only 13.2% of the cost of special education has been covered according to the National Education Association (NAE), a labor union. In Washington, D.C. alone, the NEA says the funding needed to fully cover special education falls short by more than $61 billion.
Neas, with the Department of Education, said states have an obligation to cover the majority of the cost of special education. But she insists Congress also needs to step up to the plate in a more significant way. “We’re going to pay for the needs of these individuals one way or the other. And if we give kids more opportunities in school, they’re going to be independent adults. They’re going to need less support throughout the rest of their lives,” she said. “I kind of feel like, pay me now or pay me later. The investments we make in education for students with disabilities, we will reap the benefits of that for decades to come.”
Some members of Congress are already trying to answer that call to provide more funding. Last year Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, and Congressman Jared Huffman, D-Calif., introduced the IDEA Full Funding Act.
The legislation would offer permanent and mandatory funding to grant programs to help states and other underlying areas for special education and related services for children with disabilities.
“I think that the fact that the federal government has shortchanged schools and not met this commitment, has meant the local schools throughout the country also are shortchanging students in their budgets,” said Van Hollen. “And the impact is felt by kids with disabilities.”
Van Hollen said the bill would mean more special education teachers and significantly more resources in the classroom to help children with disabilities. The bill currently sits in the House.
If the legislation passes, it would alleviate some of the burdens. But challenges remain in the special education system, with training for educators among some of the most pressing issues.
Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, a mom and a special education advocate in Texas, said she thinks all teachers should have some sort of special education training regardless of their discipline.
Without that, she says parents have to figure out the system on their own. For Giwa Onaiwu, she faced her own hardships as an adoptive and biological parent of children on the spectrum.
“Trying to navigate special education was just so overwhelming,” Giwa Onaiwu said. “It felt like some kind of game of whack a mole.”
She often felt like she had to Google terms and find the information herself.
“I felt like I spent more time looking things up to make sure they weren’t getting something over on me for my kids than anything else and I said ‘Wow, I don’t want anybody else to go through this,” Giwa Onaiwu said.
She now uses her experience to help advocate for less isolation among special education students and help create a more inclusive environment.
After spending years navigating the special education system, mom Edith Goodwin believes more needs to be done to help families whose children may experience learning difficulties. And she’d like to see more uniformity in the process of obtaining services, so geography isn’t a factor.
Her son, Joseph, is once again enrolled in programs she firmly believes are helping him achieve his educational goals. But she worries about what will happen if the family has to move again.
“They’re getting a great education here in Oregon,” Goodwin said. “But if you go to another state, we’ll have to do the process all over again, just because they were in school and just because there is special education that doesn’t guarantee an education.”
Additional reporting by Hali Tauxe, Ryley Ober and Kayan Tara.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/unequal-education-special-education-policies-differ-state-state/ | 2022-08-22T22:09:17Z |
Three Arkansas law enforcement officers have been removed from duty and are facing state and federal investigations, officials confirmed Monday, after bystander video captured at least two of them punching and kneeing a suspect during an arrest.
At one point in the 34-second video recorded Sunday, one of the officers also appears to lift the suspect's head and slam it into the pavement.
A Crawford County Sheriff's Department Facebook post identifies the law enforcement personnel involved in the arrest as sheriff's deputies Zack King and Levi White and officer Thell Riddle of the Mulberry Police Department. CNN has reached out to the deputies and officer.
The deputies are not rookies and have been in law enforcement "for some time," while the Mulberry officer has been in policing for "many years" and previously worked for the sheriff's department, Crawford County Sheriff Jimmy Damante told reporters Monday. They are suspended with pay, he said.
State and federal investigations are underway, and the FBI is expected to arrive Monday, officials said.
The video, which was posted on social media, shows the officers restraining an individual -- identified by state police as Randal Worcester, 27, of Goose Creek, South Carolina -- near a curb outside a business. One officer throws punches at the person's face and slams his head to the ground, while another knees the individual in the side and back.
A woman who is not seen on the video says, "Don't beat him! He needs his medicine!" One officer responds, "Back the f**k up!" while another orders her to get in her car.
Damante declined to get into many specifics, emphasizing the case remains under investigation, but said the actions he saw on the video are "not indicative of the Crawford County Sheriff's Department or any law enforcement agency in this area."
None of the officers was wearing a body camera, but the Mulberry officer had a dashboard camera on his squad car, which provided details on how the scuffle began, the sheriff said, without elaborating.
Two CNN senior law enforcement analysts say, judging solely from the video footage, the use of force appears excessive.
Worcester is charged with second-degree battery, resisting arrest, possessing an instrument of crime, criminal trespass, criminal mischief, terroristic threatening and first- and second-degree assault, Arkansas State Police said.
Worcester allegedly threatened a gas station clerk in a neighboring town, Damante told CNN affiliate KHBS. When he was spotted in Mulberry, Worcester was initially cooperative, but then tried to attack the officers, leading to the confrontation seen in the video, Damante told the station.
The suspect told officers he had a weapon, but the sheriff believes Worcester handed it over before the fight ensued, he told reporters Monday.
It was unclear if Worcester suffered any serious injury. The suspect was examined at a hospital and booked into jail, while a deputy received minor head injuries during the altercation, the sheriff told KHBS.
Worcester was released on $15,000 bail, attorney David Powell said. He had his bicycle with him as attorneys escorted him out of the detention center, and he gave no audible response to a reporter's question. He will be staying with family, his lawyers said.
'It doesn't make sense'
For two CNN senior law enforcement analysts, there remain questions about what happened before and after the moment caught on video. Yet even if Worcester attacked the officers as alleged, the level of force with which they respond seems excessive, the analysts said.
"Especially the blows to the face and head," said former Philadelphia police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. "At one point in time, you see one of the officers actually lift the head and push it down into the pavement. Obviously, that raises the level of force considerably." It also heightens the risk of serious injury or death, he said.
Ramsey continued, "Certainly the blows to the head at the same time you're trying to get a person to put their hands behind their back -- think about it. It doesn't make sense. If you're getting hit in the face, you're going to lift your hands to try to protect your face."
Ramsey and fellow CNN analyst Andrew McCabe, former deputy director of the FBI, say it's difficult to imagine what could necessitate the officers' violent response.
"It is important to remember that this video only catches a portion of the interaction between this individual who was arrested and the three officers," McCabe said. "Importantly, those officers maintain that before the video that he attacked one of them, punched him in the head, pushed him to the ground. So, there was obviously a scuffle here that led to the use of force.
"However, what we see on that video, it is very, very hard to argue that what you're seeing -- the sort of punches and the kneeing him in the back and slamming his head ... on the ground. That is not acceptable, normal, standard police use of force under really any circumstances."
It's important to consider there are three officers on a single suspect, McCabe said, and the lawmen do not appear to be using any accepted techniques for handcuffing a suspect.
Rather, it appears to be an "incredibly violent assault seemingly on a person on the ground and under the control of three officers," he said. "I'm finding it impossible to justify what you're seeing on that video really in any way."
If attacked, police have a right to respond with necessary, proportionate and objectively reasonable force, Ramsey said, but the Arkansas officers' reactions seem neither proportionate nor reasonable. Being attacked "doesn't give you permission to then use excessive force when taking the individual into custody, period. It just doesn't," the former police chief said.
Suspect held on $15,000 bail
The person who posted the video online said her sister witnessed the altercation outside the Kountry Xpress in Mulberry.
"In reference to the video circulating on social media involving two Crawford County Deputies, we have requested that Arkansas State Police conduct the investigation and the Deputies have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation," the Crawford County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
The Mulberry police officer is on administrative leave pending the investigation's outcome, his department said.
"The City of Mulberry and the Mulberry Police Department takes these investigations very seriously and holds all their officers accountable for their actions," a Mulberry police statement said.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson found the officers' actions to be "reprehensible conduct in which a suspect is beat in that fashion," but said the video shows only a "glimpse" of the encounter.
Without elaborating, he said Worcester "had a history of concern that was legitimate for the officers" but also said the officers' response was "not consistent" with their training. He confirmed the US Attorney's Office and civil rights division of the US Justice Department are conducting their own investigation.
"This is not what our law enforcement community represents. It's not the proper response, and they will be reviewed and appropriate action taken consistent with" the findings of the investigation, the governor said.
Arkansas State Police issued a statement saying its investigation "will be limited to the use of physical force by the deputies and the police officer," and its findings will be submitted to a local prosecutor who will decide if the use of force was consistent with state law. A spokesperson told CNN the statement was the office's only comment on the case.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/2-arkansas-deputies-suspended-and-1-officer-on-administrative-leave-after-video-posted-of-violent/article_b11caaac-72f0-5b2f-980b-8bca75c942c0.html | 2022-08-22T22:54:26Z |
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH
FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS...
.A south swell (190 degrees) will continue to produce advisory
level surf for south facing shores. The large surf will continue
through the afternoon.
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS
EVENING...
* WHAT...Surf of 7 to 10 feet.
* WHERE...South facing shores of all Hawaiian Islands.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST this evening.
* 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.
&&
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- Police are still searching for the gunman who shot and killed a 24-year-old woman in Chinatown over the weekend.
The shooting happened around 11:20 p.m. near N. Hotel Street and Kekaulike Street on Friday, Aug. 19.
According to Honolulu Police (HPD) homicide investigators, the woman was with her husband at the time of the shooting. The couple got into an argument with a man when a third man approached and shot the woman in the head.
The victim was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.
HPD says they now have “numerous” witnesses cooperating and providing statements on the investigation after initially reporting that some witnesses were uncooperative at the time of the shooting.
Detectives are still interviewing those witnesses, processing the scene, listening to 911 calls and checking surveillance footage in the area in an effort to identify the suspects. Authorities say they do not believe the shooting was a random act.
The victim has still not been identified and police said the Medical Examiner’s office will release that information at a later date.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call 911 or Honolulu CrimeStoppers at 808-935-8300.
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii. | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/gunman-in-deadly-chinatown-shooting-still-at-large/article_fac6e8e4-225f-11ed-ac7b-c7d1bbba5e06.html | 2022-08-22T22:54:32Z |
HAWAII ISLAND, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Expanding the safety net for youth in crisis on Hawaii Island.
That is the goal of the new partnership between the County of Hawaii Mass Transit Agency and National Safe Place Network. The partnership will help to bring resources and services to those in need through the launch of Safe Place.
Safe Place programs offer a place to turn for many keiki who believe they have no other option.
The MTA elected to partner with NSPN because Hawaii Island does not have a complete operating Safe Place program.
“Our keiki need to know that our County staff, resources, and facilities are safe places they can turn to when they’re in need,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “We have an obligation as government to ensure the safety of our entire community – especially our keiki. It’s our hope that teachers, parents, and other members of our community will join us in informing youth across the island that this program exists if they find themselves in a situation where they need protection.”
NSPN offers partial on-island Safe Place services through the Safe Place transit model, where the resources for a complete program are not currently available. The MTA plans to partner with a non-profit organization to support the intent of the Safe Place program and has been in discussion with the Salvation Army.
“Unfortunately, in today’s world, young people face family problems, homelessness, bullying, neglect, abuse, and even human trafficking,” said Laurie Jackson, president, and CEO of NSPN. “Each year, the Safe Place and TXT 4 HELP programs directly impact the lives of more than 12,000 youth by providing access to immediate help and safety. TXT 4 HELP has offered real-time assistance to youth in crisis by responding to more than 117,000 incoming text messages since its inception in 2009.”
The Safe Place transit model will allow for youth in need to reach out by boarding a Hele-On bus and asking the bus driver for a “Safe Place.” The bus driver will connect with dispatch, who will contact the appropriate resources or organizations to meet the youth in need to help them out of the crisis.
With a community of more than 21,000 partner businesses across the country, Safe Place seeks to expand its reach through partnerships similar to its relationship with Hele-On.
“This partnership is important to us because safety is a key part of our mission in our service to the keiki of our island, and we are dedicated to being a resource for those in need,” said John Andoh, Mass Transit Administrator & General Manager. “Providing a safe, secure haven for our vulnerable youth is something we feel called to do, and in joining forces with NSPN, we join more than 12,000 other transit/mobile locations nationally.”
The Hawaii Youth Services Network has been instrumental in implementing the new Safe Spaces for Youth Pilot Project that was recently approved by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Ige, and the MTA is excited to coordinate this new partnership with them.
“Nearly half of Hawaii’s juvenile arrests are for status offenses like running away from home or being truant from school. Since 2013, our youth have advocated for safe places where they can go before they get in trouble with the law. The Hele-On Safe Place Program will help our youth connect with the help that they and their families need.” stated Judith Clark, Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Youth Services Network.
For Safe Place and Hele-On information, call (808) 961-8744 or visit http://www.heleonbus.org.
WATCH: County of Hawaii Public Information Officer, Cyrus Johnasen, joined GMH to talk about the partnership between Hele-On and Safe Place Network
About Hele-On: Hele-On is a service of the County of Hawai’i Mass Transit Agency and provides countywide public transit services on 24 fixed and flex routes countywide Hele-On Kako’o for ADA complementary paratransit service in Hilo, Kailua-Kona, and Puna, a shared ride taxi program with three taxi companies in Hilo, countywide senior and persons with disabilities transportation service in partnership with Hawaii County Economic Opportunities Council (HCEOC), a vanpool program in partnership with Commute with Enterprise and 10 HIBike bike-share stations in Hilo and Kailua-Kona in partnership with PATH. Hele-On transports approximately 400,000 passenger trips annually on a fleet of more than 30 buses, vans, and a trolley. Transit services are contracted with Roberts Hawai’i, taxicab companies, Transdev, HCEOC, Enterprise Holdings, and PATH. For additional Hele-On information, please call (808) 961-8744, TDD/TTY: 711 through the relay service, email: heleonbus@hawaiicounty.gov, or visit www.heleonbus.org
About National Safe Place: Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people under the age of 18 (up to 21 years of age in some communities) in need of immediate help and safety. As a collaborative community prevention initiative, Safe Place designates businesses and organizations as Safe Place locations, making help readily available to youth in communities across the country. Safe Place locations include: libraries, YMCAs, fire stations, public buses, various businesses, and social service facilities. Please call (502) 635-3660 or visit www.nationalsafeplace.org
Safe Place® is a program of National Safe Place Network (NSPN).
About Hawai’i Youth Services Network: Children and youth live in our communities. We must recognize and value them as community assets and include them in decisions that affect their lives in communities, school systems, churches and in our public policy decision-making. We must meaningfully engage youth in all aspects of community life. Through recreation, education, prevention, treatment, outreach, counseling, and shelter programs, HYSN supports youth and families and seeks to build stronger communities. Through our shared advocacy on behalf of youth, HYSN seeks to educate our communities and our decision-makers. Through our networking, HYSN seeks to build collaborations that provide for increased effectiveness and decreased costs of youth services. Learn more about HYSN at www.hysn.org or call (808) 489-9549. | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/hele-on-and-safe-place-network-partner-to-keep-hawaii-island-keiki-safe/article_42543834-225a-11ed-895c-fb3ee5d385f6.html | 2022-08-22T22:54:39Z |
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH
FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS...
.A south swell (190 degrees) will continue to produce advisory
level surf for south facing shores. The large surf will continue
through the afternoon.
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS
EVENING...
* WHAT...Surf of 7 to 10 feet.
* WHERE...South facing shores of all Hawaiian Islands.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST this evening.
* 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.
&&
Young adults were using marijuana and hallucinogens at record high rates in 2021, new data shows. Vaping also increased significantly among this age group last year, despite leveling off during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Young adults were using marijuana and hallucinogens at record high rates in 2021, new data shows. Vaping also increased significantly among this age group last year, despite leveling off during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.
People ages 19 to 30 were surveyed as part of the Monitoring the Future study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1975.
"As the drug landscape shifts over time, this data provides a window into the substances and patterns of use favored by young adults," said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Young adults are in a critical life stage and honing their ability to make informed choices. Understanding how substance use can impact the formative choices in young adulthood is critical to help position the new generations for success."
The survey found that more than one in 10 (11%) young adults reported using marijuana on a daily basis in 2021 and more than two in five (43%) had used it in the past year. Rates of daily marijuana use nearly doubled over the past 10 years for this age group and past-year use jumped nearly 50%.
Vaping prevalence is growing even faster among young adults and on a steady upward trend, according to the study. After slowing in 2020, rates of nicotine vaping in 2021 were nearly triple what they were five years ago and rates of marijuana vaping were about double.
About 16% of young adults reported vaping nicotine in the past month and 12% reported vaping marijuana in the past month, according to the study.
The latest survey was conducted online between April and October of last year. But in April 2022, a loophole that vaping companies have used to circumvent regulators and keep their products on shelves closed, enabling the US Food and Drug Administration to go after myriad products being marketed illegally and in a variety of flavors. And in June, the FDA ordered Juul products removed from the US market as the agency issued marketing denial orders for its vaping devices and pods. However, a US appeals court at least temporarily delayed the ban, as the company gears up to appeal the decision and defend the safety of its inventory.
Overall, young adults are less likely to use hallucinogens than marijuana. But after holding steady for decades, use of hallucinogens among young adults started to "increase dramatically" during the pandemic and reached a record-high in 2021. About 8% of young adults reported using substances such as LSD, PCP and psychedelic mushrooms in the past year, up from just 3% in 2011.
According to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose deaths among people of all ages rose rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, 108,886 people died of a drug overdose in the US, more than double the number of deaths in 2015.
The CDC data shows that the vast majority of recent overdose deaths have involved opioids, especially synthetic opioids including fentanyl. But according to the NIH study, non-medical use of opioids has been declining steadily among young adults for the past decade with "significant decreases" in the past year.
Cigarette use among this age group also decreased. But binge drinking returned to pre-pandemic levels and high-intensity drinking also reached record highs in 2021, with more than one in eight young adults reporting having 10 or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks.
"One of the best ways we can learn more about drug use and its impact on people is to observe which drugs are appearing, in which populations, for how long, and under which contexts," said Megan Patrick, a research professor at the University of Michigan and principal investigator of the study.
"Monitoring the Future and similar large-scale surveys on a consistent sample population allow us to assess the effects of 'natural experiments' like the pandemic. We can examine how and why drugs are used and highlight critical areas to guide where the research should go next and to inform public health interventions." | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/marijuana-hallucinogen-use-among-young-adults-jump-to-record-high-rates-in-2021/article_0d608306-d961-5e0d-822d-a42535656776.html | 2022-08-22T22:54:45Z |
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH
FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS...
.A south swell (190 degrees) will continue to produce advisory
level surf for south facing shores. The large surf will continue
through the afternoon.
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS
EVENING...
* WHAT...Surf of 7 to 10 feet.
* WHERE...South facing shores of all Hawaiian Islands.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST this evening.
* 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.
&&
1 of 2
In a Webb NIRCam composite image, Jupiter's Great Red Spot (lower right) appears white.
Rainbow auroras, giant storms and far-off galaxies are all on display in the latest images of Jupiter from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
"We hadn't really expected it to be this good, to be honest," said planetary astronomer Imke de Pater, professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, in a news release.
De Pater and Thierry Fouchet, a professor at the Paris Observatory, led observations of the largest planet in our solar system using the Webb telescope -- which is itself an international endeavor by NASA with the European Space Agency and Canadian Space Agency, NASA said.
Painting a picture that moves from orange and yellow at Jupiter's poles to blues and purples toward the center, several images from the telescope came together to form an overall composite and give Earth a look at the gas giant.
You can also see faint rings and far off galaxies "photobombing" in the background, according to NASA.
And Jupiter's famous Great Red Spot -- a storm big enough to engulf Earth -- appears white in these images.
"The numerous bright white 'spots' and 'streaks' are likely very high-altitude cloud tops of condensed convective storms," said Heidi Hammel, Webb interdisciplinary scientist for solar system observations and vice president for science at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy.
Scientists collaborated with citizen scientist Judy Schmidt to translate data to form the composite images from the telescope, which help give a better look into Jupiter's life, NASA said.
Jupiter is hard to translate into images because of how quickly it rotates, said Schmidt, who's based in Modesto, California.
"This one image sums up the science of our Jupiter system program, which studies the dynamics and chemistry of Jupiter itself, its rings, and its satellite system," Fouchet said.
But Jupiter isn't Webb's only subject. The space telescope is using infrared light to reveal otherwise invisible aspects of the universe.
Development of the world's premier space observatory began in 2004, and after years of delays, the telescope and its massive gold mirror finally launched on December 25, 2021.
The telescope will look at every phase of cosmic history, including the first glows after the big bang that created our universe and the formation of the galaxies, stars and planets that fill it today.
The telescope is also discovering and observing exoplanetary systems, which each consist of a planet outside of our solar system and its host star.
Some of these exoplanets are potentially habitable, and peering into their atmosphere could uncover clues in the ongoing search for life outside of Earth. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/see-jupiter-through-the-eyes-of-the-worlds-most-powerful-telescope/article_95f6153d-6539-55e1-b303-518b3b74dce7.html | 2022-08-22T22:54:51Z |
Border Patrol officers discover 1.5 million fentanyl pills hidden in tractor trailer
NOGALEZ, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) – Border Patrol agents at the border of Arizona and Mexico discovered hundreds of pounds of fentanyl and other drugs hidden in a tractor-trailer, attempting to make its way into the U.S. over the weekend.
Nogales Port Director Michael Humphries said in a tweet that the 18-wheeler trailer and the vehicle traveling with it held 1.57 million fentanyl pills altogether.
Additionally, 100 pounds of cocaine were found along with heroin and fentanyl powder.
Photos added to the tweet showed that the alleged smugglers attempted to hide the drugs from Border agents using metal boxes and trap doors in the vehicle.
This drug bust comes just days after the same port in Arizona intercepted about 15,000 brightly-colored “rainbow fentanyl” pills strapped to a person’s leg.
Many officials are seeing more of this colorful kind of fentanyl, according to a CNN report.
Authorities are worried this new “trend” could be a way of targeting children and teens into trying the drug.
Copyright 2022 AZFamily via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/border-patrol-officers-discover-15-million-fentanyl-pills-hidden-tractor-trailer/ | 2022-08-22T22:55:15Z |
Unequal Education: Special education policies differ from state to state
Qualifying for those services can be a huge battle for the families of millions of children
Portland, Ore. (InvestigateTV) – As the mother of three young boys, life for Oregon mom Edith Goodwin is always unpredictable.
Her children, she said, have unique personalities that require different skills to manage. That’s not just true with how they play, but also how they learn.
For Goodwin and her oldest son, Joseph, it hasn’t been easy. She’s spent most of her life fighting to get him special education services through the public education system.
Goodwin’s struggles happen because of disparate policies across the nation, an InvestigateTV analysis found.
As a toddler, Joseph was diagnosed with a speech delay in Colorado where the family was living at the time. Goodwin tried to get him services at a local preschool, and although he qualified, she wasn’t satisfied with the process and opted for private speech therapy instead.
Diagnoses for ADHD and autism soon followed for Joseph, as the family moved for work. But the family’s challenges with the special education system were just beginning.
When they later moved to New Mexico, Goodwin quickly realized eligibility for special education in that state was different.
“They looked at the records and they just looked at the bottom line, at the scores, and said he wouldn’t qualify,” Goodwin said.
The scores that once qualified Joseph for services in Colorado were no longer acceptable in New Mexico. The school, Goodwin said, told her there wasn’t a need to put him in special education because of his performance on the assessment.
“He was very intelligent. He was a leader,” Goodwin said. “He was well-liked in school, so they didn’t recognize a need with him, but he was struggling and falling behind in reading.”
When the family moved yet again to Idaho, Goodwin’s struggle continued. Seeking advice, she turned to Facebook groups to ask how other families navigated the state’s system.
“They recommended getting in touch with an outside person that could teach me how to communicate with the school,” Goodwin said. “They couldn’t go with me to the classroom or ask or advocate for me, but they taught me how to advocate.”
Using those skills, Goodwin requested an evaluation for Joseph, but was ultimately denied.
“I did it by the book, and they still refused,” Goodwin said. “And so, then I took it to the next level by filing a complaint with the state.”
That complaint resulted in mediation, with Joseph eventually getting a full evaluation by different specialists.
In the end, it took Goodwin six months to get her son the services he qualified for under the state’s special education policy. That battle is among the many documented in a binder she’s used for years to track her efforts to obtain services for Joseph from state to state.
In Oregon, following yet another move, Joseph qualified for services with ease. But in Colorado again, the state required a repeat evaluation because it wouldn’t accept the one done previously in another state by Joseph’s doctor.
That was all before the family returned to Oregon once more.
“If they could have just used the information they already had and applied it, they would have been just fine. It was a lot of time that was wasted that could have helped my son,” Goodwin said. “I felt like at times maybe I was failing them as a parent because I was trying to advocate for them. I was trying to do it. And yet no matter how hard I tried, it still wasn’t helping.”
VIDEO: Funding Special Education
Policy breakdown
The Department of Education has long watchdogged special education programs across the country.
In the 2020-2021 school year, data from the National Center for Education Statistics showed more than 7.2 million students between the ages of 3-21 received special education services under a federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Those stats show California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania were the states with the highest number of special education students enrolled as of the 2020-2021 school year.
In those states, and others, parents like Goodwin have been forced to learn how to navigate a complicated system, discovering access to special education services can vary greatly depending on their state’s eligibility criteria.
Eligibility for services is largely dictated by specific disabilities outlined in the law. IDEA guarantees that students with one of 13 disabilities have access to free public education with appropriate accommodations.
Those disability categories identified by the federal government under IDEA are: Autism, deafness-blindness, deafness, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, and developmental delay.
The law allows states to create their own special education policies based on the federal IDEA framework. As a result, states can determine their own processes for identifying children for services and the evaluation criteria to meet those requirements.
To understand the variations between special education policies across the country, InvestigateTV and the Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism at Indiana University did our own audit, requesting and analyzing the special education eligibility and evaluation policies from all 50 states.
Our analysis found major disparities from state to state, with each one determining its policies through a series of classifications: disability, age, maximum evaluation time and implementation time, and whether a medical assessment, school assessment, or both qualify as support to eligibility.
Among the findings:
- In South Dakota, there are specific measurements that qualify individuals with deafness or hearing loss for services. But just across the border, Nebraska’s policy has “flexibility” and states that any child with hearing loss of any degree might be eligible for services.
- In Michigan, children can get special education services up until age 25.
- In Connecticut, a parent only has to wait a maximum of 45 days to get their child evaluated and placed with an IEP (individualized education program). In West Virginia that process can take a maximum of 110 days, nearly four months.
While parents wait for a team formulated by the school to decide whether their child qualifies for services, states can also determine whether additional material can be used to make final decisions -- that includes medical assessments.
InvestigateTV looked closely at the differences in which material is deemed acceptable for evaluation and found:
- Eighteen states don’t accept a medical assessment done by a physician. The remaining states may use those assessments as part of the final decision process, but isn’t guaranteed.
- At least 25 states accept both medical and school assessments to help with student evaluation, including Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
In a 2019 Government Accountability Office report, the government watchdog looked into the variation of services offered in different states and found many examples.
“In Maryland, a child must have at least a 25 percent delay in one or more developmental areas to be eligible for Early Intervention services, while in Arizona, a child must demonstrate a 50 percent delay in one or more developmental areas to be eligible,” the GAO report said.
For parents like Goodwin, who have navigated the special education system, the patchwork of policies from state to state was surprising.
“You shouldn’t have to go, move from county to county and fight each school system,” Goodwin said. “It’s supposed to be a federal program. It’s supposed to be uniform. It’s supposed to be services that they are entitled to have nationwide.”
Department of Education perspective
Katy Neas, deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, said the differences we uncovered are a reflection of the intent of IDEA, which was designed as a framework for states, which can then meet their obligation to provide special education in ways that work most effectively for them.
Neas emphasized that children in special education have complex and unique needs that should be addressed with individual approaches. That, she explained, takes a commitment to serving children in special education that hasn’t been universal.
“If we could change attitudes that would be by far the most important thing we could do. And you only do that when you can show people what success really is,” Neas said. “You can talk about it in lofty terms but until you take somebody by the hand and show them, see this child, see the progress this child has made, see the people who have come together to support this child. Once you show them what it looks like, they think, ‘Oh, I can do that too.’ And so I just really think we need to show people what’s possible.”
Neas was clear, uniformity when it comes to implementation of IDEA isn’t the goal. But in some areas, including wait times for evaluation, Neas said there shouldn’t be vast differences. The delays we uncovered, she said, are concerning, telling InvestigateTV states should have a sense of urgency when it comes to identifying students who need special education.
“The thought of making a child and a family wait in order to get the services their child needs that’s going to influence the rest of their lives, it’s just not acceptable,” Neas said.
Implementation of IEPs
Ana Brannan has been studying special education for years.
As an associate professor in the Special Education program at Indiana University’s School of Education, she has specialized in children’s mental health services.
Brannan’s interest in the special education field developed from her childhood. Having family members with special needs, she found an appreciation for helping educate people who may require services at an early age.
“I am the middle [child] of seven children so from as soon as I could walk, I was helping other little babies walk. I knew by the time I was 12, I was going to do something with kids,” Brannan said. “Over the years I just met more people who had disabilities and there’s a fair few in my family.”
But Brannan’s experience extends beyond her family. She’s seen firsthand how state formulas determine special education eligibility for children. She says some states start with basic screenings, while others use an IQ test.
“There’s a lot of variability across states,” Brannan said. “There’s also variability within states, and one of the reasons is because of resources.”
The variability also extends to compliance with meeting the requirements of IDEA. Although the law has been in place for more than 40 years, many states still fall short of the government’s expectations.
In a report to Congress last year, the Department of Education put more than 20 states and Washington D.C. on a list noting they “needed assistance” meeting IDEA for two or more consecutive years.
Two additional states, New York and Vermont, were classified as “needing intervention”.
Brannan said the states that struggle to meet special education requirements do so because of myriad factors including a lack of funding, teacher shortages and a culture that doesn’t always acknowledge the importance of providing special education services.
“Across the country, there are not enough resources in schools for kids. For kids with disabilities, even more so,” Brannan said. “I think that is a challenge for all of us.”
Families’ experiences receiving special education services
Discovering that a child has challenges in the classroom may happen as a result of close communication with teachers.
That’s one of the reasons that schools across the country implement the “Child Find” initiative, which gives teachers a pathway to highlight students that might need special education assistance. Parents can then give approval to have their children evaluated for services.
Phoenix mom Melissa Grant says her son was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia in the fourth grade. He was in kindergarten at Deer Valley Unified School District when his teacher recognized he might benefit from special education.
“I thought it was really an interesting start to the whole process because his kindergarten teacher was the one who was raising the flag, saying, ‘There’s something going on here’,” Grant said.
Another Deer Valley parent, Jillian Jones, had a positive experience with the teachers working with her son, who was diagnosed with dyslexia in grade school.
She now partners with faculty at DVUSD to create those positive experiences for other families who may need services.
Jones leads the Parents of DVUSD Students with Special Needs, a Facebook support group, which has 336 members.
The group offers general information and advocacy support for parents in special education and holds fundraising events for children with learning difficulties. It’s similar to the group Edith Goodwin joined when seeking assistance securing services for her son, Joseph.
Rising Special Education Teacher Shortage and Implementation
Nearly half of all public schools reported part-time and full-time teaching vacancies in 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Those numbers also impact special education teachers.
“Many teachers experience burnout and stress trying to meet the needs of their students in special education,” said Terry McDaniel, an Indiana State University professor and supervisor of the annual survey of Hoosier school superintendents.
McDaniel said that the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual learning only exacerbated that trend.
“In Indiana, despite the efforts of the states’ DOE and the legislature to encourage people to pursue special education, the shortage only continued to increase,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said 2021 had the highest teacher shortage rate in seven years in Indiana, with 96.5 percent of the districts surveyed reporting that they had trouble finding teachers.
“Trying to find special education teachers is very, very difficult,” McDaniel said.
Kelly Myers, a special education teacher at Greater Clark County Schools in southern Indiana, which is among the state’s largest districts, reported that more students are being put into co-taught classes than desired.
“Due to the lack of staff, more students from general education are being placed into the resource group with around 15 to 16 students instead of the usual 10 to 12,” Myers said. “Larger classes make it more difficult for teachers to meet the needs of all their pupils.”
VIDEO: Understanding Special Education Challenges
Funding special education
Experts and the federal government itself recognize the lack of funding is problematic for special education.
When the government enacted IDEA in 1975, the legislation came with a commitment to fund 40% of the average cost per special education student, but that promise hasn’t been kept.
As of 2020, only 13.2% of the cost of special education has been covered according to the National Education Association (NAE), a labor union. In Washington, D.C. alone, the NEA says the funding needed to fully cover special education falls short by more than $61 billion.
Neas, with the Department of Education, said states have an obligation to cover the majority of the cost of special education. But she insists Congress also needs to step up to the plate in a more significant way. “We’re going to pay for the needs of these individuals one way or the other. And if we give kids more opportunities in school, they’re going to be independent adults. They’re going to need less support throughout the rest of their lives,” she said. “I kind of feel like, pay me now or pay me later. The investments we make in education for students with disabilities, we will reap the benefits of that for decades to come.”
Some members of Congress are already trying to answer that call to provide more funding. Last year Senator Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, and Congressman Jared Huffman, D-Calif., introduced the IDEA Full Funding Act.
The legislation would offer permanent and mandatory funding to grant programs to help states and other underlying areas for special education and related services for children with disabilities.
“I think that the fact that the federal government has shortchanged schools and not met this commitment, has meant the local schools throughout the country also are shortchanging students in their budgets,” said Van Hollen. “And the impact is felt by kids with disabilities.”
Van Hollen said the bill would mean more special education teachers and significantly more resources in the classroom to help children with disabilities. The bill currently sits in the House.
If the legislation passes, it would alleviate some of the burdens. But challenges remain in the special education system, with training for educators among some of the most pressing issues.
Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, a mom and a special education advocate in Texas, said she thinks all teachers should have some sort of special education training regardless of their discipline.
Without that, she says parents have to figure out the system on their own. For Giwa Onaiwu, she faced her own hardships as an adoptive and biological parent of children on the spectrum.
“Trying to navigate special education was just so overwhelming,” Giwa Onaiwu said. “It felt like some kind of game of whack a mole.”
She often felt like she had to Google terms and find the information herself.
“I felt like I spent more time looking things up to make sure they weren’t getting something over on me for my kids than anything else and I said ‘Wow, I don’t want anybody else to go through this,” Giwa Onaiwu said.
She now uses her experience to help advocate for less isolation among special education students and help create a more inclusive environment.
After spending years navigating the special education system, mom Edith Goodwin believes more needs to be done to help families whose children may experience learning difficulties. And she’d like to see more uniformity in the process of obtaining services, so geography isn’t a factor.
Her son, Joseph, is once again enrolled in programs she firmly believes are helping him achieve his educational goals. But she worries about what will happen if the family has to move again.
“They’re getting a great education here in Oregon,” Goodwin said. “But if you go to another state, we’ll have to do the process all over again, just because they were in school and just because there is special education that doesn’t guarantee an education.”
Additional reporting by Hali Tauxe, Ryley Ober and Kayan Tara.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/unequal-education-special-education-policies-differ-state-state/ | 2022-08-22T22:55:21Z |
Law enforcement seizes more than $1M in marijuana, ecstasy in Columbus Twp.
Local law enforcement seized more than $1 million in marijuana and ecstasy from a van in Columbus Township following a lengthy investigation into the smuggling of narcotics through St. Clair County via the Blue Water Bridge.
A suspected semi-truck was detected crossing the U.S. border at the bridge at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday following a joint investigation with the St. Clair County Drug Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations Port Huron Border Enforcement Security Team. The truck was then parked at an unrelated, closed business on Gratiot Avenue in Columbus Township, according to the St. Clair County Sheriff Department.
The semi-truck then backed up to a van. Suspected narcotics were being transferred to the van when drug task force members made contact with the vehicles and arrested a 23-year-old Canadian truck driver and a 27-year-old Detroit resident driving the van, according to the sheriff department.
Police seized 348 pounds of marijuana and 24 pounds of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, from that location. While officers were on scene, a second suspect van from Detroit arrived in the area, resulting in the arrest of the driver, police said.
The border enforcement security team obtained a search warrant for a home in Detroit. A firearm, ammunition and $36,000 in cash were found at that residence.
A fourth suspect was also arrested in relation to the incident.
United States Customs and Border Protection and Michigan State Police also assisted with the investigation.
Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com. | https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2022/08/22/law-enforcement-seizes-more-than-1-million-in-marijuana-ecstasy-in-columbus-twp/65414179007/ | 2022-08-22T23:22:17Z |
Marine City taking steps to sell Guy Community Center
Marine City is selling the decades-old Guy Community Center at 303 S. Water St. downtown, but to whom and for how much isn’t yet clear.
The City Commission approved accepting the higher of two bids for the sale — with the caveat that they’re also willing to drop a requirement for parking spaces on Water Street from their proposal — at a meeting last Thursday after the property was first listed for sale earlier this year.
Because part of that means additional negotiating for city administrators, officials said late last week they weren’t divulging who the potential buyer was and what their proposal encapsulated until the process was finalized.
Robert Davis, the city’s attorney, said the site being sold with a view of the St. Clair River includes the physical building’s footprint — something listed with a typical floor size at around 2,400 square feet — as well as an easement for maintenance around it “and what’s heading toward the water but not to the water’s edge.”
City Manager Holly Tatman said both bidders had previously expressed a similar intent to repurpose it.
“The lower one, I know the interest was a high-end Airbnb. I don’t know if it’d be a single or divided up,” she told Commissioners last week. “… The second buyer expressed interest in that, but I don’t know if that was the end result. I did not have the direct conversation with this person.”
However, Tatman clarified, “I do not believe there’s an intent to tear the building down,” adding interested buyers liked the historic nature of the building and its location downtown with neither expressing interest to add a second floor.
The move to sign off on the sale was a 4-2 vote last week with commissioners Lisa Hendrick and Bill Klaassen voting against it. Hendrick said, “I have never ever voted to sell this building as implied.”
When asked about prices after the vote by a commissioner, City Clerk Shannon Adams said they’d still hold off on making them public “because they might change.”
Pushback on selling a community asset?
The move to sell comes after some pushback from residents as the city discussed moving its offices within the last couple of years from 303 S. Water to its current home at 260 S. Parker St., where a meeting room was also named the Guy Center.
City offices called the Water Street site home for well over a decade after what was originally aimed to be a temporary solution while city officials worked out issues with the historic old city hall at 300 Broadway St.
For a brief period by mid-morning on Monday, many of the people walking downtown past the downtown Guy Center were visiting from out of town — with either no opinion on the issue to sell 303 S. Water or with a hope it’d remain a community asset.
Longtime residents Joe and Connie Young were taking a walk Monday when asked about the property and its approaching sale.
“I don’t think it should be sold. I thought it was given to them,” Joe Young said. Connie quickly replied, “I hope they never sell it. I think it’s horrible. Someone gives you something, you go and build another one … and I think it’s awful.”
Neither of the Youngs said they hoped for anything in particular in terms of future use for the property, though Connie Young added, “I can’t imagine what they would do with it.”
Other residents shared the sentiment — that the city shouldn’t sell what was a gift — at last week’s meeting.
Holding a newspaper clipping, Resident Barbara Watson recalled the Guy Community Center’s dedication in the mid-1970s and said, “I don’t see anything on here about the city commission about taking over or being able to sell it.”
City attorney: ‘Contrary to everyone’s belief, nobody left you the Guy Center’
Despite the common belief among residents that the Guy Center was donated, Davis said last week it was originally purchased by the city with a combination of city and bequeathed money.
More than a year before it was dedicated as the Otto A. Guy Center, the city purchased the former Detroit Edison building in 1973 for $46,000.
“Contrary to everyone’s belief, nobody left you the Guy Center. They left you two parcels, two lots,” Davis said of the Guy family. “You took those lots and sold them on the open market and then used that money, combined with general fund money, to buy 303.”
Additionally, addressing fears that the sale of the old Guy Center would precede an impact on the surrounding park property on South Water, Davis referenced a 2021 decision from commissioners to remove mention of the center from the master plan as a city-owned recreation facility, enabling its eligibility to be put up for sale under the city charter.
Joe Moran, chairman of the planning commission who also served on the workgroup that recommended the city sell 303, said it would’ve cost the city thousands to maintain the Guy Center if not sold, particularly to become ADA accessible.
“The estimated cost to the city was over $225,000, add the fact that the city would still owe the Guy Center Legacy at least $42,000,” Moran said Thursday. “If the city kept the building for a civic center or another use, it would have be furnished and staffed all out of the general fund. In addition, the city would still own it, so there would be no tax revenue.
“Tearing the building down and returning the grounds to the surrounding park would certainly not contribute a lot to the surrounding park but would cost an estimate of at least $60,000 for demolition with an additional $18,000 to set up a new electrical panel for (two neighboring parks).”
“The city is whole, the people are not threatened,” Moran said, “and I think we should move on.”
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith. | https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2022/08/22/marine-city-taking-steps-to-sell-guy-community-center/65413877007/ | 2022-08-22T23:22:23Z |
China Twp. man facing charges following fatal traffic crash
A China Township man was arraigned on several charges Sunday for his alleged involvement in a fatal traffic crash on Aug. 15.
Joshua Andre Collier, 32, was charged in St. Clair County District Court with operating under the influence — causing death, operating under the influence — causing incapacitating injury, moving violation causing death and moving violation causing serious impairment of bodily function.
Collier was driving a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee eastbound when he allegedly failed to at the stop sign at the intersection of Wadhams and Puttygut roads shortly before 4 p.m. and struck the passenger side of a southbound Chrysler 200, according to the St. Clair County Sheriff Department.
The collision caused the Jeep to roll over and the two vehicles came to rest in a field southeast of the intersection.
The driver of the Chrysler, a 27-year-old Detroit man, and his passenger, a 29-year-old Clay Township man, as well as Collier, were transported to local hospitals. The Clay Township man died of his injuries at the hospital, the sheriff department said.
St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King said substance use appears to be a factor in the crash.
Collier is scheduled for a probable cause hearing at 9 a.m. Aug. 31 and an examination hearing at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 7 in front of St. Clair County District Court Judge Michael Hulewicz.
Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com. | https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/crime/2022/08/22/china-twp-man-facing-charges-following-fatal-traffic-crash/65414147007/ | 2022-08-22T23:22:29Z |
Blue Water Area Week 1 high school football schedule
Week 1 of the 2022 high school football season begins Thursday. Here is the complete schedule for teams in the Blue Water Area.
Thursday
Almont at Marysville — 7 p.m.
Caro at Marlette — 7 p.m.
Croswell-Lexington at Saginaw Swan Valley — 7 p.m.
2022 PREVIEW:MAC teams in the Blue Water Area
Dearborn Heights Annapolis at Yale — 7 p.m.
Imlay City at Hazel Park — 7 p.m.
St. Clair at Richmond — 7 p.m.
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore at Port Huron Northern — 7 p.m.
Friday
Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Port Huron —3:30 p.m. (game at Michigan Stadium)
Burton Bentley at Memphis — 7 p.m.
2022 PREVIEW:Blue Water Area Conference
Armada at Marine City — 7 p.m.
Sandusky at Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker — 7 p.m.
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian at Cardinal Mooney — 7 p.m. (game at Roseville High School)
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper. | https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/sports/2022/08/22/blue-water-area-week-1-high-school-football-schedule/65414314007/ | 2022-08-22T23:22:35Z |
Accuser’s mom: R Kelly’s threats made her fear for her life
CHICAGO (AP) — A mother whose daughter prosecutors say R. Kelly sexually abused starting when she was 14, told jurors Monday at the singer’s federal trial that she lied to a state grand jury 20 years ago, in part because she and her husband felt threatened by Kelly and feared for their lives if they told the truth.
The mom, who used the pseudonym, “Susan,” in court at the trial in Chicago, described how she, her husband and Kelly were crying when the parents confronted the Grammy-winner at a hotel in the early 2000s about whether he was abusing their daughter. She testified they were startled when Kelly told them, “You are with us or against us.”
She said she took those words to mean “that they were going to harm us if we didn’t do what they wanted us to do.” Among the directives from Kelly and an associate was that they had to lie that their daughter was not in a child pornography video and that they had to leave the country immediately for several weeks, she testified.
“We were very, very frightened,” she told jurors.
She added later that she lied to the grand jury “because we feared for our lives and we were intimidated.” She said she also feared for the well-being of her daughter, who warned her parents at the time that she might commit suicide if they refused to do what Kelly asked them to do.
Kelly, 55, is on trial in his hometown on charges that include production of child pornography, enticing minor girls for sex and obstruction justice by successfully rigging his 2008 child pornography trial in state court, at which he was acquitted.
Kelly is already staring at a 30-year prison sentence imposed by a federal judge in New York in June for his 2021 convictions on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Susan’s daughter, who went by the pseudonym “Jane,” was among the prosecution’s first witnesses as the trial began last week. Jane told jurors that she also lied to the same grand jury prior to 2008 trial when she said she was not the 14-year-old girl in a video with Kelly. Jane, now 37, told jurors last week that, in fact, she had been sexually abused hundreds of times by Kelly before she had turned at 18.
On Monday, in an often contentious cross-examination, Kelly attorney Jennifer Bonjean repeatedly questioned Susan about whether she truly felt her life was in any danger from Kelly or his associates.
“No one actually threatened you, did they?” Bonjean asked.
“Yes, they did,” Susan answered.
Bonjean also asked why, if Susan felt so threatened by Kelly, she and her family continued to mix with Kelly socially for the next 20 years. She answered that Kelly was their sole income for a period, paying her musician husband to work on Kelly recordings. She also said she worried about Jane’s welfare if they cut ties with Kelly.
The husband, Jane’s father, died last year, she told jurors.
During her cross, Bonjean highlighted Susan’s testimony that she lied to the Illinois grand jury, asking if she was “telling the truth now.” Susan said she was.
Prosecutors from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office chose in the mid-2000s to push ahead with charges and to take the case to trial in 2008 despite what they knew was a major hurdle: their inability to call the girl in the video to testify.
After acquitting Kelly in the 2008 trial, some jurors told reporters that that they had no choice but to find Kelly not guilty because the girl — who by then was in her 20s — did not take the witness stand to confirm it was, in fact, her in the video.
Federal prosecutors at the current trial played excerpts of that and other videos they say show Kelly when he was around 30 sexually abusing a 14-year-old Jane.
Kelly has been trailed for decades by allegations about his sexual behavior. The scrutiny intensified during the #MeToo era and following the 2019 release of the Lifetime television docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”
___
Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mtarm and find AP’s full coverage of the R. Kelly trial at https://apnews.com/hub/r-kelly.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/accusers-mom-r-kellys-threats-made-her-fear-her-life/ | 2022-08-22T23:26:38Z |
Border Patrol officers discover 1.5 million fentanyl pills hidden in tractor trailer
NOGALEZ, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) – Border Patrol agents at the border of Arizona and Mexico discovered hundreds of pounds of fentanyl and other drugs hidden in a tractor-trailer, attempting to make its way into the U.S. over the weekend.
Nogales Port Director Michael Humphries said in a tweet that the 18-wheeler trailer and the vehicle traveling with it held 1.57 million fentanyl pills altogether.
Additionally, 100 pounds of cocaine were found along with heroin and fentanyl powder.
Photos added to the tweet showed that the alleged smugglers attempted to hide the drugs from Border agents using metal boxes and trap doors in the vehicle.
This drug bust comes just days after the same port in Arizona intercepted about 15,000 brightly-colored “rainbow fentanyl” pills strapped to a person’s leg.
Many officials are seeing more of this colorful kind of fentanyl, according to a CNN report.
Authorities are worried this new “trend” could be a way of targeting children and teens into trying the drug.
Copyright 2022 AZFamily via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/border-patrol-officers-discover-15-million-fentanyl-pills-hidden-tractor-trailer/ | 2022-08-22T23:26:45Z |
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s offices seeing staffing shortages
AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Staffing shortages have been common since the height of the pandemic.
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s offices in the Valley are the most recent group looking to fill spaces in their offices.
In the Augusta County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Tim Martin said he is down one attorney and for the first time in his career, they are having trouble filling the position.
”For most of my new folks, it’s close to $200,000 in student debt. If we’re offering you $62,000 a year and the private sector is offering you $175,000 dollars a year, it’s pretty tough to say yes to that 62,” Tim Martin, Augusta County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney said.
Martin said wages in prosecution have not kept up with the inflation that everyone is feeling today.
When these offices fall short of employees, even if it’s just one like in Martin’s office, everyone feels the impact.
”It’s a tougher task right now for us to handle for in-depth cases that are work intensive ... time intensive I should say outside of court,” Martin said.
Martin said when staff shortages happen it leads others in the office to pick up the lack of productivity.
The court system has been backed up due to the pandemic, and staffing issues won’t help those backups level out anytime soon.
“We are still having to deal with new and active cases, but were also having to clear that backlog, so the combination of those things has put a lot of pressure on the system,” Martin said.
Although private sectors may offer more money, Martin believes prosecution is the most rewarding field.
“I think there’s no better work to do than being a prosecutor,” Martin said. “We don’t have clients, for instance, and so, our only charge is to seek justice in each and every case.”
Martin said Augusta County has been supportive of his office over the years and helping out with shortcomings and state funding, but it comes down to their budgets as his office is a government entity.
“It’s not like somebody has done something wrong it’s just they aren’t quite so nimble,” Martin said.
Martin said another reason people may be hesitant on getting a job in a prosecutor’s office is because of heightened criticism of those who work in law enforcement agencies in recent years.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/commonwealths-attorneys-offices-seeing-staffing-shortages/ | 2022-08-22T23:26:52Z |
Fundraiser for HPD detective Gavin Lam
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The Rockingham Union No. 27 held a fundraiser for a Harrisonburg Police Department detective Monday evening at Pale Fire Brewery in Harrisonburg.
Gavin Lam suffered a stroke earlier this year. On his road to recovery, the community came together to help his family out with financial strains.
”We really want to be active in the community, and this is a great cause that our lodge and the community’s really rallied behind,” Matthew Frakes, Past Master of Rockingham Union No. 27 said.
“Cheers for Charity” is the first event of its kind and was created specifically to help out the Lam family.
”I actually was having lunch with an old high school friend who’s a lieutenant in the State Police Department, and he had mentioned that they were doing a couple small fundraisers for Gavin, and it seemed like a cause our lodge could really rally behind,” Frakes said.
A portion of the beer sales for the night goes to the family.
There were also $10 souvenir pint glasses for purchase and a 50/50 raffle held to raise money for the family.
The Backroad Hitchhikers provided the entertainment for the night with plenty of pizza and beer to go around.
Frakes said he is thankful to the community and the sponsors of the event for helping to support the cause.
“We really support first responders, and this event for Gavin should be a great time,” Frakes said.
If you could not make it out to the fundraiser Monday night, Frakes said donations for the family can be given to the Rockingham Union’s secretary.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/fundraiser-hpd-detective-gavin-lam/ | 2022-08-22T23:26:58Z |
Woodbridge man dies in crash on I-81 Sunday
Published: Aug. 22, 2022 at 7:05 PM EDT|Updated: 20 minutes ago
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - A man from Woodbridge died in a crash Sunday on I-81 in Shenandoah County.
According to Virginia State Police, the 65-year-old man was heading south on the interstate and tried to abruptly get off at exit 291.
The man’s truck ran off of the right side of the road and collided with an embankment. The Ford was hauling a small utility trailer that overturned.
The driver, Louin S. Coates, died at the scene. Coates was not wearing a seatbelt.
A 13-year-old boy was also in the truck at the time of the crash. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to Shenandoah Memorial Hospital for treatment. The boy was wearing a seatbelt.
The crash remains under investigation.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/woodbridge-man-dies-crash-i-81-sunday/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:04Z |
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A burgeoning collaboration between St. Thomas University (STU) and America's most admired automotive retailer, AutoNation, has already yielded big things. Just travel north from Opa-Locka to Miami Gardens on NW 37th Avenue, near the STU campus, or come in for a landing at MIA or Opa-Locka Executive Airport. You cannot miss the massive scoreboard and iconic DRV PNK digital license plate that surrounds it. The 50 by 32-foot scoreboard anchors STU's new turf athletic field that serves the University's football, women's flag football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's rugby, and women's lacrosse programs this year.
The new field, which will be known as "AutoNation Field," will be dedicated on Wednesday, August 24 at 4:30pm during a large-scale public ribbon-cutting event at the University. The event will also serve as a "welcome back" party for over 1,800 undergraduate STU students, 38% of whom are Black/African American and 36% of whom are Hispanic/Latino. Close to half of the University's incoming first-year students will be first-generation college students, and 70% of them are eligible for Federal Pell Grants which are awarded to students with exceptional financial need.
"Both the DRVPNK scoreboard and the new turf field are part of a bigger plan that the University and AutoNation have developed to ensure that we are producing winners in the classroom and on the field of play," said STU President Armstrong.
Armstrong credits AutoNation Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer and new STU Trustee, Marc Cannon, with the bold vision that led to the creation of the scoreboard, the field, and several ancillary programs that support the development of the whole student—body, mind, and spirit.
"The corporate ethos of AutoNation aligns so well with STU's mission to educate ethical leaders for our global community," Armstrong asserted. "We both believe that learning takes place in a number of places—in the classroom, on the field, in the residence hall, during internships—and these combined experiences will shape the next generation of corporate and civic leaders."
For his part, Cannon is confident that AutoNation's sizeable investment at STU will have a transformational impact on both the campus community and the surrounding area.
"I wanted this to be a BIG endeavor: big for the university, its students, and big for Miami Gardens and the surrounding communities." Cannon emphasized, "Keep an eye on what happens beneath that big DRVPNK scoreboard. I am confident that there, you will soon see young people from the area playing youth soccer and football; and most certainly, the more they play there, the more they, too, will aspire to college."
The partnership with AutoNation is among the many big things happening at STU over the last four years: Big enrollment increases (up 80% since President David A. Armstrong, J.D.'s tenure began in 2018); big campus additions (over 409,000 square feet of learning, living, and athletic space has been added to the campus); and, big announcements (a Center for Social Justice named for famed civil rights attorney Benjamin L. Crump was launched at the STU College of Law).
If you ask President Armstrong about the growth, he is quick to respond that STU "is just getting started." Big partnerships, big impact, and bigger things to come.
St. Thomas University (STU) is a private, non-profit Catholic institution committed to the academic and professional success of its students who become ethical leaders in our global community. Rich with cultural and international diversity, STU is the only Catholic archdiocesan-sponsored university in Florida. On our beautiful campus and online, the university's College of Science, College of Law, Gus Machado College of Business and Biscayne College offer 61 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs.
AutoNation, a provider of personalized transportation services, is driven by innovation and transformation. As one of America's most admired companies, AutoNation delivers a peerless Customer experience recognized by data-driven consumer insight leaders, Reputation and J.D. Power. Through its bold leadership and brand affinity, the AutoNation Brand is synonymous with "DRVPNK" and "What Drives You, Drives Us." AutoNation has a singular focus on personalized transportation services that are easy, transparent, and Customer-centric.
Please visit www.autonation.com, investors.autonation.com, and www.twitter.com/AutoNation, where AutoNation discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations. Please also visit www.autonationdrive.com, AutoNation's automotive blog, for information regarding the AutoNation community, the automotive industry, and current automotive news and trends.
Carlos de Yarza, VP of Marketing & Communications, 786.897.1107, cdeyarza@stu.edu
Marc Cannon, Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Experience Officer, 954.769.3146, cannonm@autonation.com
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SOURCE St. Thomas University | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/autonation-amp-st-thomas-university-have-big-plans-student-success-classroom-amp-field/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:10Z |
Small Business Owners Call for Change from FedEx Ground in the Face of Inflation, Financial Challenges
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 3,500 FedEx Ground contractors, industry analysts, professionals and special guests convened this weekend at Route Consultant's 2022 Contractor Expo to discuss the inflation-based and contractual challenges facing the network of small business owners that power the FedEx Ground network.
"I want to see FedEx Ground remember their identity. FedEx Ground is an amazing delivery company," said Spencer Patton, Founder and President of Route Consultant. "They are a $60 billion dollar company that could be a $120 billion dollar company if we can work together through these challenges."
Patton's keynote address – which was also viewed by an additional 2,500 professionals via the Expo's live stream – detailed the areas that FedEx Ground and its contractor network can work together to create a more viable economic model and prevent the network from collapse due to inflation, high gas prices, and contract issues.
The keynote address is available on the Route Consultant YouTube channel.
Patton – speaking on behalf of his own business challenges with the FedEx Ground model – addressed the three key actions he believes FedEx Ground could take to restore their win-win relationship with contractors:
- FedEx Ground should end Sunday deliveries. FedEx Ground Sunday deliveries financially cripple the network: and both contractors and FedEx Ground lose money on Sunday deliveries. The service has been maligned since its launch and puts an enormous strain on the small businesses powering the network.
- Contractual changes. Recent contractual changes pushed through by FedEx Ground, without support from its contractor network, fundamentally undermine the integrity and financial viability of the contractor model.
- FedEx Ground staffing. Terminal and corporate staff from FedEx Ground have little to no experience in small business or logistics operations. FedEx Ground needs to educate its staff and restore appropriate communications between its staff and the small business owners in the network.
"Part of true leadership is coming up and taking accountability when accountability has to be taken," said Patton. "What I will tell you here is that I will be accountable as we move through this process and I beg that FedEx Ground show the same accountability to its contractors."
Patton operates 225 FedEx Ground routes in 10 states. Starting November 25, 2022, he will no longer operate his routes if the financial terms of his contracts aren't adjusted. Between now and the end of the year he will no longer be part of FedEx Ground's critical contingency network, which services abandoned or underserved delivery territories.
Of those changes, Mr. Patton notes, "My businesses will no longer subsidize FedEx Ground."
Contractor Expo had a wide range of smart business and cost-saving solutions for its large audience of small business owners. More than 80 industry vendors attended the event to support the network of small business owners, including Xos Trucks, Beans Route, Bright Flag Recruiting, Bridgestone Tires, and Ground Cloud. The business owners also learned about the recently announced Route Consultant Purchasing Alliance (RCPA), an organization offering cost-savings based on collective purchasing power, and the Trade Association for Logistics Professionals, an advocacy organization for contractors.
Route Consultant is the leader in education for owners of FedEx Ground and Amazon DSP logistics operations. Additionally, Route Consultant offers consulting services to new and experienced professionals in the logistics community. The Route Consultant team also facilitates the greatest share of transactions in the logistics space.
At its core, the Trade Association for Logistics Professionals (TALP) advocates for small business owners in the industry, including owners of last mile delivery routes and linehaul runs, based on their shared experiences, successes and challenges. TALP was the vision of Spencer Patton, the owner-operator of one of the largest number of FedEx Ground routes in the United States. Mr. Patton is also Founder and President of Route Consultant, an organization that provides consulting and brokerage services to FedEx contractors across the country.
Contact
To schedule an interview or file questions, please contact:
Chad Schmidt
Sheridan PR
chad@sheridanpr.com
(615) 504-6336
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SOURCE Route Consultant | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/contractor-expo-2022-brings-thousands-fedex-contractors-las-vegas/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:17Z |
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Xastro Origin Founder NFTs by DEIXA is launching the first release of a unique experiential and community based NFT collection celebrating diversity inclusion. The first release of the limited set of Xastro NFTs are live today and is available for purchase at DEIXA.
DEIXA - Decentralized Equality Inclusion maXimum Action - is a new web3 online community that will be launching at the end of October 2022, in conjunction with their Mobile dAPP (decentralized iOS & Android app). DEIXA will offer a decentralized rewards program focused on access for all, and has commissioned world-renowned artist Bruce Sulzberg to create Xastro, the official Mascot & Universal Ambassador of DEIXA, which represents the gateway to an innovative diverse inclusive community. Built around participant recognition and epic reward experiences within a core mandate of respect, data privacy and fiscal transparency.
DEIXA promotes and supports advancing equality from local to global brands with aligned standards – for everyone and anyone who supports inclusion, desires recognition integrated with data privacy, along with curated content, and access to be rewarded with epic experiences. DEIXA CMO Anouk De La Tore - Zisa adds "Our vision is to be at the intersection of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and technology. So, for us, NFTs are a logical step in our progression. We wanted to introduce the idea of not just a static NFT but a combined dynamic digital passport access to a more meaningful connected community! We deliver this by creating the foundation for a circular ecosystem framework that is transparent with our participants and provides real physical applications while giving back to support and grow the community." DEIXA is building an innovative digital platform that will reward community participants for engaging with brand content in an equitable inclusive manner. 100% of the revenue generated through sponsored content and advertising as well as any assets sold, including the Xastro NFTs, will flow into a treasury governed by the community participants and trustees of the DEIXA DAO entity to ensure maximum transparency.
Click here to view an enhanced version of this graphic
About DEIXA
DEIXA is a new global community, delivering you the power to be at the forefront of equality and inclusion – and have fun doing it. We connect people who seek the viral power of rewarding experiences, privacy, and security. Together, we participate in a community that is mutually rewarding and impactful. Everyone is invited to the experience. DEIXA is your community; we respect you!
About Bruce Sulzberg
Bruce Sulzberg is an accomplished artist and entrepreneur with over 30 years in film, graphic design and fine art. His unique style and innovative approaches blends traditional techniques with contemporary "pop-art", and exclusive 3-dimensional fine art products connected with the NFT/crypto currency phenomenon, have caught the attention of art collectors and burgeoning apprentices globally. Through his company SSMFA, Bruce regularly collaborates with professional athletes and celebrities.
Forward Looking Statements (scroll down)
Media Contact: press@deixa.io
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SOURCE DEIXA | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/deixa-launches-nft-symbolizing-diversity-inclusion/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:24Z |
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and BUENOS AIRES, Argentina and MEXICO CITY and AMSTERDAM, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FastForward.ai and Balloon Group have agreed to combine in order to accelerate their global growth in digital advertising and marketing, a market expanding at more than 10% per year and expected to reach over $750 billion by 2026.
FastForward.ai develops SaaS subscription solutions that enable enterprises and retailers of all sizes to easily create their own digital advertising conversion funnels inside social media and optimize post-click customer journeys using precise data.
Balloon Group serves Fortune 500 customers' integrated e-commerce needs, primarily in Latin America. As authorized partners of Adobe, AWS, Meta, Google and VTEX, they create and optimize e-commerce solutions and digital advertising campaigns.
Augie K Fabela II, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of FastForward.ai, said: "This is the perfect combination at the perfect time. Enterprises around the world need a transformational change away from traditional marketing and sales to Social Retail Marketing. With today's tightening marketing budgets, together we offer efficient and effective e-commerce and marketing acceleration solutions."
Matias Poso Alonso, CEO & Partner of Balloon Group, said, "We are proud to join an innovative Silicon Valley firm with a European footprint. We have been helping enterprises sell digitally, and now we can also help their marketers and digital advertising agencies deliver even better digital and social media advertising campaign results."
Mark Shmulevich, CEO of FastForward.ai, said: "A clear synergy between FastForward.ai and Balloon Group has defined this combination. We can now offer full-stack digital sales and marketing solutions, from best-in-class e-commerce solutions to social media advertising performance optimization. We are refining our combined brand and product suite to serve clients in the best way."
About FastForward.ai & Balloon Group. As a startup with Seed funding from Silicon Valley's General Catalyst, Ulu Ventures, AllTurtles, Correlation Ventures and Family Offices from the U.S. and U.K., we now have a global footprint serving 54 customers in 11 countries. As an all- encompassing SaaS company, we offer a variety of innovative digital services such as turnkey subscriptions for e-commerce integration, digital advertising performance and cost optimization inside social media.
www.FastForward.ai www.balloon-group.com
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SOURCE Balloon Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/fastforwardai-social-retail-marketing-platform-acquires-balloon-group/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:32Z |
- EBITDA OF $5.4 MILLION FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2022
- ADJUSTED EBITDA OF $9.4 MILLION FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2022
- NET LOSS OF $19.4 MILLION FOR THE SECOND QUARTER OF 2022
- EBITDA OF $29.7 MILLION FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022
- ADJUSTED EBITDA OF $33.6 MILLION FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022
- NET INCOME OF $2.1 MILLION FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022
- COMPANY REITERATES THAT IT EXPECTS TO OPEN 20 NEW FACILITIES BY THE END OF 2024
HOUSTON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutex Health Inc. ("Nutex Health" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NUTX), a physician-led, technology-enabled integrated healthcare delivery system comprised of 21 state-of-the-art micro hospitals in 8 states and primary care-centric, risk-bearing physician networks, today announced fiscal year 2022 2nd Quarter financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2022 and the filing of its current report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2022 ("10-Q") with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Financial Highlights for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2022 (Unaudited):
- Net revenue of $58.0 million.
- Net loss attributable to Nutex Health of $19.4 million. In Q2, the Company recognized a one-time non-cash charge of $18.4 million, net to income tax expense during the three months ended June 30, 2022 for the change in tax status of Nutex Health Holdco LLC and release of acquired valuation allowance of Clinigence. Additionally, the Company recognized one-time acquisition expenses of $3.9 million related to the merger of Nutex Health Holdco LLC and Clinigence Holdings, Inc. Please read "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our 10-Q.
- EBITDA of $5.4 million.
- Adjusted EBITDA of $9.4 million.
- As of June 30, 2022, the Company had total assets of $871.8 million, including cash and cash equivalents of $47.6 million.
Financial Highlights for the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 (Unaudited):
- Net revenue of $137.2 million.
- Net income attributable to Nutex Health of $2.1 million.
- EBITDA of $29.7 million.
- Adjusted EBITDA of $33.6 million.
Note: EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial metrics. A reconciliation of non-GAAP to GAAP measures is included below in this earnings release.
Notes to the Financial Highlights for the Three Months Ended June 30, 2022:
- Clinigence Holdings, Inc. and Nutex Health Holdco LLC completed their merger on April 1, 2022. Therefore, the Second Quarter 2022 financial results reflect the consolidated financial results of post-merger Clinigence Holdings, Inc. and Nutex Health Holdco LLC.
- The Company recognized a one-time non-cash charge of $18.4 million, net to income tax expense during the three months ended June 30, 2022 for the change in tax status of Nutex Health Holdco LLC and release of acquired valuation allowance for Clinigence. Prior to the merger with Clinigence, Nutex Health Holdco LLC and the Nutex Subsidiaries were pass-through entities treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No provision for federal income taxes was provided for these periods as federal taxes were obligations of these companies' members. After the merger, Nutex Health Holdco LLC became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clinigence and will be included in its future consolidated corporate tax filings.
- The Company anticipates opening 20 new facilities by the end of 2024. These facilities are either under construction or in advanced planning stages. Three are expected to open in late 2022, with another 17 expected to open in 2023 and 2024. There can be no assurance that these new facilities will open in the anticipated timeframes or that they will open at all.
"In the second quarter, our management team focused on integrating our two companies post-merger," stated Jon Bates, Chief Financial Officer of Nutex Health. "We believe this integration has now been substantially completed."
"We are very proud of the hard work of our physicians, nurses, hospital staff and corporate staff to get to this stage. We continue our efforts to grow the Company while providing the best patient care possible. This philosophy dictates all of our decision making as an organization," stated Tom Vo, M.D., MBA, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nutex Health. "We are also excited about our pipeline of new facilities which are either under construction or in advanced planning stages throughout the country."
"The Company has formed two new independent practice associations (IPAs), one in Houston and one in South Florida. We are actively working on contracting with primary care physicians as well as specialists. Once this phase is completed, the Company expects to contract with health insurance plans and start enrolling patients in 2023," stated Warren Hosseinion, M.D., President of Nutex Health. "We believe that our unique integrated model which combines our cloud-based data analytics platform, micro hospitals and IPAs will create long-term value for our shareholders."
For more details on the Company's Second Quarter 2022 financial results, please refer to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission and accessible at www.sec.gov.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are used as supplemental non-GAAP financial measures by management and external users of our financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, lenders and rating agencies. We believe EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are useful because these measures allow us to more effectively evaluate our operating performance.
We define EBITDA as net income plus net interest expense, depreciation and amortization, and Adjusted EBITDA is further adjusted for stock-based compensation and any acquisition related costs. A reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA is included below. Neither EBITDA nor Adjusted EBITDA is intended to serve as an alternative to U.S. GAAP measures of performance and may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures presented by other companies.
About Nutex Health Inc.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas and founded in 2011, Nutex Health Inc. is a physician-led, technology-enabled healthcare services company with approximately 1500 employees nationwide and is partnered with over 800 physicians. The Company has two divisions: a Hospital division and a Population Health Management division. The Hospital division currently owns and operates 21 facilities in eight different states. The division implements and operates different innovative health care models, including micro hospitals, specialty hospitals and hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs). The Population Health Management division owns and operates provider networks such as Independent Physician Associations (IPAs). Through our Management Services Organizations (MSOs), we provide management, administrative and other support services to our affiliated hospitals and physician groups. Our cloud-based proprietary technology platform aggregates clinical and claims data across multiple settings, information systems and sources to create a holistic view of patients and providers, allowing us to deliver greater quality care more efficiently.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements and information included in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words or phrases "will", "will likely result," "expected to," "will continue," "anticipated," "estimate," "projected," "intend," "goal," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks, known and unknown, and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy, changes in laws or regulations, economic conditions, dependence on management, dilution to stockholders, lack of capital, the effects of rapid growth upon the Company and the ability of management to effectively respond to the growth and demand for products and services of the Company, newly developing technologies, the Company's ability to compete, conflicts of interest in related party transactions, regulatory matters, protection of technology, lack of industry standards, the effects of competition and the ability of the Company to obtain future financing. An extensive list of factors that can affect future results are discussed in the Current Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2022 under the heading "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item IA thereof, and other documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors could materially adversely affect the Company's financial performance and could cause the Company's actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed within this press release.
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SOURCE Nutex Health, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/nutex-health-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:39Z |
Urges Company to Actively Pursue Strategic Alternatives and Sale of the Company
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Owl Creek Asset Management, L.P. ("Owl Creek"), on behalf of its affiliated investment funds, today sent a letter to the Cano Health, Inc. ("Cano or the "Company") (NYSE: CANO) Board of Directors strongly encouraging the Company to pursue strategic alternatives by engaging with investment bankers and other advisors to pursue a sale to a strategic buyer.
The full text of the letter follows:
Dr. Marlow Hernandez
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Cano Health, Inc.
9725 NW 117th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33178
Dear Dr. Hernandez and other members of the Board of Directors:
I write on behalf of investment funds managed by Owl Creek Asset Management, L.P. ("Owl Creek" or "we"), which, as of August 19, 2022, own 8,685,171 shares of Cano Health, Inc., representing 3.745% percent of the Class A equity of the Company, to share concerns we have with the Company's current trajectory.
While we believe in the Company's business model and management's ability to execute the post "de-SPAC" business plan, the past year's roller coaster of accounting issues has shaken our confidence. We feel that Cano's continued growth will require a larger and stronger vertically integrated partner with access to the capital needed to execute the Company's business plan. So, we were encouraged to hear on the second quarter earnings call that you are "open to considering all strategic alternatives to accelerate value creation."
We strongly encourage you to actively pursue these strategic alternatives by engaging with investment bankers and other advisors to pursue a sale of the Company to a strategic buyer.
Owl Creek participated in the private placement that took place concurrently with your de-SPAC transaction, and since then has acquired significantly more shares in the secondary market. We did so because we saw -- and continue to see -- an enormous opportunity to generate considerable economic value by delivering superior healthcare more efficiently. Your investor day quantified this opportunity as we learned that that the cohort of MA patients among the 26,000 members that joined in the first half of 2019 saw three-year medical costs decline at a 3% compounded annual rate, versus an expected 10% increase. Cano has exceeded the guidance outlined in the March 4, 2021 investor presentation in terms of membership, revenue, and adjusted EBITDA, even excluding the contribution from Direct Contracting Entities ("DCE"). Including DCE, which we believe to be an enormous opportunity both financially and strategically, Cano is close to achieving its 2023 targets a year early. We believe that these results validate our view on the market opportunity and the Company's ability to capture a meaningful portion of it.
Unfortunately, Cano has consistently traded at a discount to its peers due to its SPAC heritage, its hybrid model (owned and operated medical centers along with affiliates), and heavy concentration in the South Florida market. One could argue for some discount due to one or more of these factors, but the valuation discrepancy between Cano and peers is highly punitive. Clearly the recent back and forth on the EBITDA moving from one year to the next also is not helping and will foreclose any thoughts of share sales at reasonable prices to fund growth. The best-known company in the owned and operated medical center segment, and the first to go public, Oak Street Health Inc. ("Oak Street"), has an enterprise value that is nearly 3.2 times the high end of its 2022 revenue guidance of $2.145 billion. One of the leaders in the affiliate space, agilon health inc. ("agilon"), also has an enterprise value more than three times the high end of its 2022 revenue guide of $2.635 billion. Despite Cano guiding to $2.85 billion to $2.90 billion of revenue for the year -- which is higher than both Oak Street and agilon -- the Company trades at under 1.3x the low end of the revenue guide.
With the Company needing capital to compete with its peers and achieve the growth available in current and new markets, its depressed valuation leaves two choices: sacrifice growth or sell equity at highly dilutive levels. Both are unattractive options in our view.
Given the persistent and wide gap between where Cano shares trade and the valuation of comparable companies, we believe there is ample room to come to terms with a strategic buyer that maximizes value for shareholders and provides the Company a platform for future growth. The industry is ripe for consolidation with large health care companies looking to grow.
Recent transactions support this assertion and the willingness of buyers to pay a meaningful premium to where Cano's stock has traded for much of this year. For example, as recently as July, Amazon.com Inc. ("Amazon") announced that it was buying 1Life Healthcare Inc. (better known as "One Medical") for $3.9 billion. Amazon is paying well over three times this year's expected revenue of One Medical, in line with where both Oak Street and agilon are valued. As we know from One Medical's merger proxy filing dated August 9, 2022, there was interest from another company besides Amazon referred to as "Party A" in the proxy. It is widely speculated that Party A is CVS Health Corporation ("CVS"), which has been very vocal in its interest in primary care-centric value-based care (VBC) providers. In fact, CVS has stated since late last year that they have well over $10 billion in capital to deploy towards strategic initiatives with VBC at the top of the list. When asked on their first quarter earnings call on May 4, 2022, as to why they have yet to announce a deal, CVS CFO Shawn Guertin said, "We've evaluated a range of assets in and around the care delivery space. I'll remind you most of these assets aren't up for sale. And so that dialogue starts a process." They may have started the process with One Medical, but Amazon finished it. On their second quarter earnings call on August 3, 2022, CVS CEO Karen Lynch, in response to the first question specifically referencing the One Medical deal, stated, "we can't be in primary care without M&A." CVS and the other managed care companies are clearly prime candidates with which to discuss alternatives. CVS has also been named as a suitor for Signify Health and it was reported late yesterday that Amazon, UnitedHealth Group and Option Care Health are interested in the home-health-services provider. If Cano had an enterprise value equal to three times this year's expected revenue like Oak Street Health and agilon do, or one similar to what Amazon is paying for One Medical, that would increase the valuation by more than $4.5 billion, equating to a share price of approximately $14.
Owl Creek invested in Cano because we saw the massive opportunity in which primary care providers can bend the medical cost curve through preventive medicine and disease management delivering better clinical care more cost effectively. Your management team has achieved strong growth in membership, medical centers, and geographic markets to date; however, we believe that maximization of the Company's long-term potential will require a strategic transaction with a well-funded entity. Such a transaction would not only result in meaningful appreciation in the current share price, but also improve patient health by delivering primary care medical service to as many people as possible.
We look forward to your response and hearing about your proactive efforts in pursuing a strategic suitor for this highly valuable and attractive asset.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey A. Altman
Owl Creek Asset Management, L.P.
About Owl Creek Asset Management, L.P.
Owl Creek Asset Management, L.P. is an investment advisory firm based in New York. It primarily employs an event-driven and fundamental value long/short investment strategy in equity and debt markets across the globe. The firm was founded in 2001 and is registered as an investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Media Contacts
ASC Advisors
Steve Bruce / Taylor Ingraham
1 (203) 992-1230
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SOURCE Owl Creek Asset Management, L.P. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/owl-creek-asset-management-delivers-letter-cano-health-board-directors/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:46Z |
New Series FAST: HOME RESCUE Follows Disaster-Relief Organization, Reach Out Worldwide Founded by the Late Paul Walker, FAST & FURIOUS Franchise Star
ATLANTA, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Weather Channel television network announced a brand new rescue and recovery series, FAST: HOME RESCUE. The show follows families whose lives have been devastated by severe weather and natural disasters, and helps them rebuild stronger than before. In partnership with Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW) – a disaster relief organization founded by the late Paul Walker, star of the Fast & Furious franchise – The Weather Channel works with Cody and Felicia Walker – Paul's brother and sister-in-law and the current leaders of ROWW – to rebuild homes in the most devastated communities.
In FAST: HOME RESCUE, married couple Cody and Felicia Walker lead a team of first-responders, military veterans and construction and design professionals who augment local expertise to accelerate relief efforts. Each episode features a different deserving family and each build happens in just five days. FAST: HOME RESCUE premieres, Saturday, September 17 at 8 p.m. ET on The Weather Channel.
"The new series, FAST: HOME RESCUE is at the intersection of extreme weather events and home renovation. This transformative show reveals the destructive nature of tornadoes, fires and floods, while highlighting the powerful recovery stories of each family," said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group, parent company of The Weather Channel/Weather Group. "Viewers will experience many emotions during the 1-hour episodes, from heartbreak, to surprise, to heart-warming moments of triumph. There's no network better equipped to tell these survivors' stories than The Weather Channel."
This new series, FAST: HOME RESCUE will feature marquee advertising sponsors, including P&G brands Tide and Charmin as well as Ford and Allstate. Tide Loads of Hope initiative, which helps communities wash and get clean clothes after natural disasters, is featured as well as Charmin's Sustainability initiative Protect, Grow and Restore forests. Within an episode, Charmin highlights the restore pillar focusing on their partnership with Arbor Day Foundation to restore 1 million trees in areas that have been devastated by natural disasters by 2025. Ford will debut their new F-150 Lightning throughout the series, highlighting the Lightning's charging features that can assist homeowners affected by power outages during extreme weather events. Allstate will educate homeowners on the best ways to protect their home against the threat of extreme weather and natural disasters before and after the storm through branded content segments that align to their new brand creative.
FAST: HOME RESCUE is produced by Fight or Flight Studios and is executive produced by Rob Hill, Noah Mark and Sam Wasserman. Noah Mark also serves as showrunner. Episodes of FAST: HOME RESCUE will be available to watch on-demand after airing on broadcast via The Weather Channel's Connected Television (CTV) app. The Weather Channel CTV app is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Samsung, and Xfinity Flex.
Since its launch 40 years ago, The Weather Channel television network has become the top-rated and most widely distributed weather network in America. The Weather Channel television network has been the leader in severe weather coverage, providing the most comprehensive analysis of any media outlet and serving as the nation's only 24-hour source of national storm coverage. With trusted meteorologists who analyze, forecast and report the weather, its expertise is unrivaled. In 2021 and 2019, The Weather Channel won Emmy Awards for its innovative Immersive Mixed Reality technology which is changing the standard in weather presentation. The Weather Channel CTV app is available on Amazon Fire TV and Android TV and will be coming soon to Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio, and Xfinity Flex. For more information visit: www.weathergroup.com.
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SOURCE The Weather Channel | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/weather-channel-reveals-latest-new-series-fast-home-rescue-home-renovation-series-highlighting-families-impacted-by-natural-disasters-extreme-weather/ | 2022-08-22T23:27:53Z |
Ameteur 2D winners include Brooke Anderson, 1st place and Mariah McDowell, 2nd place during the 17th Annual Art on the Green on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Expedition Island.
Semi-Professional 2D winners include Mary Parker, 1st place, Ben Nathan, 2nd place and Bryce Castillon, 3rd place for the 2022 Art on the Green competition at Expedition Island in Green River.
Artist Chad Spalding won the Rudy Gunter Memorial Award during the 17th annual Art on the Green at Expedition Island in Green River on Saturday, Aug. 20.
Ameteur 2D winners include Brooke Anderson, 1st place and Mariah McDowell, 2nd place during the 17th Annual Art on the Green on Saturday, Aug. 20 at Expedition Island.
Photo Courtesy of Green River Recreation Center
Professional 2D winners for the annual Art on the Green include Michael Parker, Jill Hartley and Scott Blume.
Photo Courtesy of Green River Recreational Center
Semi-Professional 2D winners include Mary Parker, 1st place, Ben Nathan, 2nd place and Bryce Castillon, 3rd place for the 2022 Art on the Green competition at Expedition Island in Green River.
Photo Courtesy of Green River Recreational Center
Artist Chad Spalding won the Rudy Gunter Memorial Award during the 17th annual Art on the Green at Expedition Island in Green River on Saturday, Aug. 20.
GREEN RIVER -- The 17th Annual Art on the Green was held Aug. 19 and 20, 2022. The event was well received by the community. Forty-Five artists from Utah and Wyoming competed in the 2D and 3D Art competition for 24 hours straight. The weekend began with a bang at 11 a.m. on Friday. All competitors began the creative process in a variety of mediums including, watercolor, oil, clay, airbrush and more. The following are the results from this weekend’s Art on the Green event.
Artists’ Choice:
(Professional 2D)
1st place - Jill Hartley
2nd place: Tyrell Jasperson
3rd place: Michael Parker
Semi-Professional 2D:
1st place - Mary Parker
2nd place - Ben Nathan
3rd place - Bryce Castillon
Professional 3D:
1st place - Jeff Rudolph
2nd place - Mont Crosland
3rd place - Mary Shaw
Non-Professional 3D:
1st place - Wayne Kertz
2nd place - Aiden Shultz
Mayor’s Choice Awards:
Mia Rosas
Bryce Castillon
Andrew Kneeland
People’s Choice:
2D - Jamie Green
3D - Mary Shaw
Judges’ Choice Results
High School 2D:
1st place - Tyler Castillon
2nd place - Natalie Parker
High School 3D:
1st place - Maya Wiekhorst
2nd place - Mia Rosas
Amateur 2D:
1st place - Brooke Andreasen
2nd place - Mariah McDowell
Semi-Professional 2D:
1st place - Ben Nathan
2nd place - Amanda Romero
3rd place - Bryce Castillon
Non-Professional 3D:
1st place - Aiden Schultz
2nd place - Wayne Kertz
Professional 2D:
1st place - Michael Parker
2nd place - Jill Hartley
3rd place - Scott Blume
Professional 3D:
1st place - Mary Shaw
2nd place - Mont Crosland
3rd place - Jeff Rudolph
Rudy Gunter Memorial Award:
Chad Spalding
Other associated events included the 7th Annual Battle on the Green competition which kicked off on Friday at 4:30 p.m. with nine competitors painting head to head. A theme for each battle round was drawn by a member of the Green River Arts Council and competitors had only five minutes to prepare. After the five minutes of preparation, they had 30 minutes to create a work of art that was then judged by the community and a panel of judges. The judges’ choice for Battle on the Green was Brooke Andreasen and the People’s Choice went to Andrew Kneeland. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/art-on-the-green-competitors-drum-up-masterpieces-in-24-hours/article_8f239046-2265-11ed-94b7-87b8767853c5.html | 2022-08-22T23:40:45Z |
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education shared a school choice survey on its social media last weekend, which an official said was the result of a hack.
WDE spokeswoman Linda Finnerty said a link to the survey was posted on the department’s Twitter account by someone with malicious intent, and it has since been removed. She told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle their passwords have since been changed, and recommends no one click on the survey, as it could lead to a virus or damage to electronics.
“We’ve tried to investigate, and we’re still looking into it,” she said. “But at this point, we don’t have that identification.”
Observers of the school choice survey have said it wasn’t just shared on the department’s Twitter account. There were reports it was seen on Facebook, which also came Wednesday from the Jackson Hole News&Guide.
“The survey was promoted on the department’s Twitter and Facebook pages,” wrote reporter Evan Robinson-Johnson. “It was retweeted by the state of Wyoming and @WyoSUP, a collaborative group of school districts, colleges and education organizations.”
Wyoming School Boards Association President Brian Farmer told the WTE he saw the survey on multiple social media platforms. It was brought to his attention last week by another member of the WSBA, who shared a link to the Twitter post and was concerned. He said he saw what he believes to be the same survey on the WDE’s Facebook, but didn’t compare them closely.
In a follow-up text chain with Finnerty, she told the WTE the survey was never posted to the department’s Facebook account.
“I was very surprised,” Farmer said in response. “This sort of posting by a state agency generally gives some sort of legitimacy to the material that they’re sharing or reposting, or that they’re putting out there through their official channels. Yet, the survey itself certainly seems to be very much a promotion of a specific perspective.”
He said it was unusual for a department that doesn’t engage in any partisan promotion.
“I was also very disappointed in the agency that they would post something that was ... I don’t have a better term for it than propaganda,” he said.
About the survey
The “Wyoming School Choice Survey,” which was still online Friday at https://wyomingschoolchoicesurvey.com/, has no connection listed to an official agency, nor does it provide any information about who created it.
It provides those who would participate with 12 questions about schools in the state. It asks them to grade public schools in Wyoming and their communities on a scale from A to F, or undecided, and how much background knowledge they have on charter schools.
It moves into education-related statements, and asks the participant to indicate if they favor or oppose each statement. Some of those include whether they agree with “reducing regulations as long as accountability for student performance remains high,” and “allowing schools to make quick, effective changes to improve student achievement.”
Once the survey is submitted, it thanks the participant and gives no indication what the survey is for or who will receive the information provided.
“I think it encouraged the respondent to present an unfavorable impression of Wyoming public schools, and suggested that charter schools or charter options are somehow always a superior option to public schools,” Farmer said. “It seemed it was a promotion for charter schools, as opposed to taking an unbiased or neutral position – or even one that was just informative.”
Farmer was not the only education advocate concerned with the survey being shared by the state agency.
Charter school critics
“I was disappointed to see a school choice survey being sent out from the Wyoming Department of Education,” said Wyoming Education Association President Grady Hutcherson in a statement. “WDE is our government agency charged with responsibly leading and stewarding our public schools; that is where the agency’s focus should be.”
The Wyoming Legislature voted in 1995 to allow charter schools, according to the National School Choice Week website. The state currently has five, located in Cheyenne, Laramie and Riverton; Poder Academy is the one here.
Despite both organization presidents criticizing the sharing of the survey, they held different perspectives on charter schools in the state.
Farmer said the school boards association doesn’t believe charter schools are either inherently good or bad. He said every application must be judged on whether it meets the requirements under Wyoming law, and there are clearly times when they benefit communities in the state. He said he stands by the belief that charters should be approved by school districts and a neutral party, and held to the same standards as public schools.
“It’s highly important for Wyoming to demand that public dollars have public accountability and public transparency,” he said. “It’s critically important that the governance of any school has local control, and so I think all of our charter schools need to be held to the same standards as our public schools.”
He said if this is not the case, it shouldn’t be a charter school. It should be a private school and operate by different rules.
The WEA also takes the position that programs such as charter schools should not negatively impact the regular public school program, and must include adequate safeguards covering contract and employment provisions for all employees. They also must fully comply with statutory regulations.
However, Hutcherson said charter schools come with unintended consequences that pose a threat to Wyoming students. He said allowing dollars to follow students out of the public education system into charter schools will only siphon money out of already underfunded public schools.
“I find it ironic that this is called the ‘school choice’ movement because, for so many of our students, our traditional, existing public schools are the choice. Because of location, socioeconomic status or circumstance, public school is their one and only choice. And it is a choice that matters: For too many students, their public school is their main – or even their only – source of education, nutrition, counseling, health services, socialization and even safety,” he said. “How can anyone be willing to consider policy options that erode and jeopardize our public schools when they are the heart of our communities and the lifeline for our children?”
School choice advocates
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder has been in charge of the Wyoming Department of Education since being appointed to fill a vacancy in February, and has taken an opposing public stance. He has been an advocate for school choice, and hosted a public information night in Cheyenne in May for a proposed charter school. He was joined by national advocates for the charter school movement.
“A healthy school has zero tolerance for toxic behaviors, toxic attitudes or toxic ideologies. Healthy schools, where the adults are still in charge, students are respectful, common sense prevails, and where our nation’s longstanding traditions are honored, not deleted,” he said at the event. “Which is why the charter school movement is such a critical piece in this whole thing. It breaks the stronghold of centralization, moves things back to the parents and local control, and brings competition back into the picture.”
His support for the charter school movement earned him former President Donald Trump’s endorsement in his campaign during the Republican primary.
“Brian Schroeder is doing an incredible job as Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction,” the Save America PAC said in a statement. “The proud father of seven children, Brian is a Champion for Wyoming Families. He is working hard to Advance School Choice, Deliver Education Solutions for our Children, and Defend Parental Rights.”
Schroeder lost Tuesday to Megan Degenfelder in the Republican primary, and will serve as state superintendent until January. He could not be reached for comment on the survey or the department’s social media pointing to it.
Jasmine Hall is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s state government reporter. She can be reached by email at jhall@wyomingnews.com or by phone at 307-633-3167. Follow her on Twitter @jasminerhphotos and on Instagram @jhrose25. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/education/wde-social-media-hacked-shares-school-choice-survey/article_93debd6e-2264-11ed-a8f1-032772c50760.html | 2022-08-22T23:40:51Z |
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Health announced Monday morning that the first monkeypox case in a Wyoming resident has been identified in Laramie County.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH, said public health representatives are following up with the individual to see if additional Wyoming residents are at higher risk of contracting monkeypox due to direct contact with the adult man, who was tested within the last week.
“Because monkeypox spreads through close, intimate contact we do not believe the risk for the virus is now a higher concern for the local community or for most people in Wyoming,” she said in a statement. “Monkeypox does not spread easily like familiar viruses such as influenza or COVID-19.”
As of Aug. 18, there were more than 14,000 monkeypox cases confirmed in the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The highest number of cases are located in New York and California.
WDH Public Information Officer Kim Deti told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle that the agency would not be surprised to see additional cases in the state, but can’t predict how many or when those might be identified. She reiterated it is unlike other viruses witnessed during the pandemic, and can’t be spread in situations such as being in an elevator with someone infected or touching a shopping cart.
Monkeypox is characterized by a rash with other symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and tiredness. Monkeypox is rarely fatal, but is unpleasant and painful, and can cause serious illness in some people, according to WDH. Experts have been tracking a growing outbreak of monkeypox in areas that don’t normally report the disease, including across the United States.
“Symptoms usually start within 3 weeks of exposure to the virus. If someone has flu-like symptoms, they will usually develop a rash 1-4 days later,” according to the health organization. “Monkeypox can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks."
Detailed facts, including rash photos, data and prevention recommendations are available from the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html.
“We do want to prevent further spread within our state as much as possible. That’s why we will recommend vaccination for people who have been exposed to monkeypox, and also for people who may be more likely to get monkeypox based on the current outbreak and how it has been spreading,” Harrist said in the Monday news release.
The following people are eligible for pre-exposure vaccination if they live or work in Wyoming:
- Men who have sex with men and who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the last year
- Partners of men who have sex with men who have had multiple or anonymous sexual partners in the last year
- Transgender and nonbinary persons assigned male at birth who have sex with multiple or anonymous sexual partners who are male or male assigned at birth within the past year
- Sex workers (of any sex)
“While anyone can become ill with monkeypox, vaccine eligibility is currently limited to people who are at highest risk in connection with this outbreak and how its spreading,” Harrist said in the release. “The goal is to put available vaccine supplies to the best possible use.”
Deti said she doesn’t know the exact amount of vaccination doses the state has, but it is a small supply. She said there are different circumstances in which it would be used, including for someone identified as high risk of infection post-exposure to an individual who tested positive for monkeypox.
Eligible individuals interested in vaccination appointments should contact the public health office in their area. Contact information for county public health offices can be found at https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/nursing/phn-co-offices/. Wyoming residents may also call WDH at 307-777-6004 for help finding the closest local public health office.
Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department will offer pre-exposure Jynneous (monkeypox) vaccine to individuals who meet the criteria every Tuesday and Friday. Call 307-633-4000 to schedule an appointment.
There is no proof of eligibility for the pre-exposure vaccination required, and details will be discussed with a local health provider. This applies for patients showing symptoms, as well.
“That would be the best thing to do, because they’re going to know the patient the best,” Cheyenne-Laramie County Health Department Director Kathy Emmons said. “And we always recommend people go with their local provider.”
While available monkeypox vaccine doses are being provided by the federal government through the state at no cost, a small administration fee may be charged.
More Wyoming-related information and updates about monkeypox can be found at https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/infectious-disease-epidemiology-unit/disease/monkeypox/. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/health_care/first-wyoming-case-of-monkeypox-identified-in-laramie-county/article_53ccc294-2263-11ed-a016-9b360153f4ba.html | 2022-08-22T23:40:57Z |
Incoming University of Wyoming freshman Kanilehua Miller works on a keychain at the makerspace in Coe Library. The crafting time was part of Saddle Up, UW’s new orientation program. Abby Vander Graaff/Laramie Boomerang
Students create flags at the makerspace in Coe Library on the University of Wyoming campus. The crafting time was part of Saddle Up, UW's orientation program.
A University of Wyoming student learns how to make a small banner at the makerspace in Coe Library. The crafting time was part of Saddle Up, the university’s orientation program.
Incoming University of Wyoming freshman Kanilehua Miller works on a keychain at the makerspace in Coe Library. The crafting time was part of Saddle Up, UW’s new orientation program. Abby Vander Graaff/Laramie Boomerang
Abby Vander Graaff/Boomerang
A University of Wyoming student learns how to make a small banner at the makerspace in Coe Library. The crafting time was part of Saddle Up, the university’s orientation program.
University of Wyoming students are getting an early preview of the joys and challenges that could face them across their academic careers.
Monday was the first day of Saddle Up, the university’s orientation program for incoming students. The program is meant to prepare students for their studies and social lives over the course of a week packed with activities that go far beyond a campus tour and learning the UW fight song.
“Our expectation is this incoming class of students will be the best prepared ever in part because of Saddle Up,” UW President Ed Seidel said during a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday.
UW students and employees helped create the program, which was modeled off of similar practices at other universities that have been shown to increase student retention rates by 8%-10%, said Dean of Student Success and Graduation Nycole Courtney.
During the orientation, students take a weeklong course with their peers with same or similar majors. The courses are meant to mimic a real college-level class complete with tests and quizzes. Engineering students even build a car in their class.
When not in class, students spend time learning about the resources and activities on campus, take tours and do team building activities with their assigned orientation groups. The week also includes seminars on wellness topics, such as bystander intervention and mental health.
“Busy, tired and sweaty” was the way one student described the experience, with the consensus of many others.
The week wasn’t without its challenges, especially for student leaders and staff members running the orientation. When the basements of some campus buildings flooded during last weekend’s storm, the group rushed to save the 1,000 “Saddle Up” bags that had been laid out ready to give to the students.
They succeeded in saving the bags and worked to keep spirits up as some students sat in flooded classrooms Monday to the ambiance of fans and a smell one orientation leader described as “mucky.”
In some ways the difficulties were a perfect introduction to college for the students: things were hard at times, but together the group learned how to make the best of it — and build connections with one another along the way.
Teaching students how to advocate for themselves, whether it be to seek help from a professor, counselor or friend, is a central goal of the program.
“We want to get them to success from Day One,” Courtney said.
This type of comprehensive tour of college life and all it entails is something the orientation leaders said they wish they had when starting college.
“I would’ve loved meeting more geology students and getting (involved) in the department sooner,” said orientation leader Sarah Copertino.
Some freshman students said they made friends with people they wouldn’t have met otherwise, while others were exposed to corners of campus they may not have found on their own.
Some students gathered in the makerspace of the Coe Library, where there is equipment available for students to make items like buttons and keychains.
“I don’t think outside of this I would have been here,” incoming student Keagan Bowen said of the space.
The crafting time gave students an opportunity to reflect on what they are looking forward to in the upcoming semester. For Bowen, it’s experiencing more independence and freedom from a high school class schedule.
Others were excited to be closer to family who live in Laramie and start the next phases of their lives.
“I’m excited to start class and clubs,” Kanilehua Miller said.
More than 1,400 students checked into the residence halls by Wednesday, with a total of 1,677 set up to check in throughout the week, UW spokesperson Chad Baldwin said. The first day of classes is Monday.
For many of the new students, heading to class this fall will be a welcome change after a series of difficult school years during the pandemic.
“As freshmen we got booted out of the dorms,” said senior orientation leader Danielle Ernste. “Now it feels like (COVID-19) never happened.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/health_care/working-out-the-kinks-uw-students-study-socialize-ahead-of-semester/article_719f0f1a-2264-11ed-96db-d7081a85ab8b.html | 2022-08-22T23:41:03Z |
LARAMIE – The University of Wyoming soccer team dropped its second nonconference match to begin the season with a 4-1 loss against Oregon State on Sunday at Paul Lorenz Field in Corvallis, Oregon.
Wyoming (0-2) scored for the first time this season when sophomore Maddi Chance created the opportunity after she was fouled by Oregon State’s Valerie Tobias in the penalty box in the 40th minute.
UW senior Jamie Tatum took the penalty kick and deposited the ball in the upper-right corner of the net to cut the Beavers' lead to one goal at 2-1. It marked the 14th score of Tatum’s career.
Oregon State (1-0-1) opened the scoring in the fourth minute from the foot of Ava Benedetti. McKenna Martinez extended the Beavers’ advantage in the 17th minute with a feed from Amber Jackson.
Oregon State gave itself a two-goal cushion early in the second half when Martinez netted her second goal of the game 11 seconds into the half. Jackson closed the scoring by finding the back of the net in the 77th minute.
Oregon State tallied 21 shots, with a third of those on target. The Cowgirls had seven shots, with three of those on frame.
UW senior goalkeeper Miyuki Shoyen made three saves. Oregon State goalie Hailey Coll logged a pair of saves. Chance and Tatum accounted for two shots each, and junior Jazi Barela also had a pair of shots.
Wyoming completes its road trip with a contest against Montana at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at South Campus Stadium in Missoula, Montana. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/uw-soccer-drops-match-at-oregon-state/article_64e4763c-2257-11ed-a23b-67836516168d.html | 2022-08-22T23:41:09Z |
Harrisonburg community leaders discuss ways to address homelessness
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - On Monday morning, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed called a meeting of city and community leaders and stakeholders to discuss short-term solutions to provide overnight shelter for the city’s homeless population.
The city has purchased a property to build a permanent shelter but construction won’t be complete until next November. Open Doors, the city’s low barrier overnight shelter, closed last week and is set to reopen in November without a permanent location. The plan is for the shelter to rotate among different churches.
“In the past, we’ve run through about 13-14 different faith communities that will provide shelter service or shelter buildings for us. We could use more, we’re willing to move, it’s not ideal moving each week but we’re looking for any building that could probably house 40 guests,” said Graham Witt, Chair of the Board of Open Doors.
With Open Doors closed until November, the city’s homeless population currently has nowhere to sleep at night. The purpose of Monday’s meeting was to discuss ways to provide shelter for the homeless in the months until then.
“It’s promising to hear that a couple of people are willing to reach out and try to get stuff done. I just wish we could get an answer about sleeping on the sidewalks or somewhere safe where the cops won’t threaten us to go to jail,” said Alec Dickey, a former guest of Open Doors who attended the meeting.
For the homeless, the promise of the shelter returning in November provides little relief and they are asking for any place to stay.
“November 1 is a long way to wait when you sleep outside. I’m probably running on 12 hours of sleep since the shelter closed. That’s not a lot of sleep since the 15th,” said Dickey.
During the meeting, Reed and other city leaders and community members talked with representatives from Open Doors and other organizations that seek to help those in need like Our Community Place, Mercy House, the Salvation Army of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, First Step, and a number of church organizations.
The goal was to collaborate and find possible shelter locations and in some cases extend hours if possible to give the homeless a place to go during the day.
The Salvation Army said it plans to reopen its shelter that has been closed since March within the next ten days. While it will provide relief for some, the Salvation Army runs a high barrier shelter that only has a capacity of 38 meaning it can’t meet the city’s needs alone.
In addition to the Salvation Army shelter, Mayor Reed was confident that churches in the area will help fill the void left by Open Doors.
“I think we have people from the faith community that will step up. I think there are going to be some opportunities that we maybe haven’t thought of before but I do believe that we’ll come together as a community and fill in that window of time,” said Mayor Reed.
One organization that expressed a willingness to help out was Impact ministries in Elkton. Mayor Reed said that the city will provide support to an organization, faith community, or business willing to host a shelter.
“If there’s a church in the county that’s willing to be a shelter for a week or two can we get people down there? The city has committed yes we can, don’t worry about that. We will get them down there, we will provide the transportation,” said Reed.
Alec Dickey said the homeless just want a place to go and aren’t causing any problems. Dickey said that one issue is the generalizations people make about the homeless.
“They assume that we’re all on drugs and, at night, we’re just tired. I’ve had to walk around until past 2 a.m. so the cops didn’t send me to jail for trying to sleep. That makes it hard for people to want to stay clean,” said Dickey.
Those experiencing homelessness hope a solution is found sooner rather than later.
“It’s getting cold enough to the point where I’ve had to cuddle up with people I don’t want to touch just to stay warm. That’s pretty bad,” said Dickey.
One other idea that was floated around during the meeting was the creation of an outdoor campsite with tents for the homeless similar to the model used in Denver, Colorado. However, city leaders opposed the idea for safety reasons and say they’re prioritizing finding temporary indoor shelters.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/22/harrisonburg-community-leaders-discuss-ways-address-homelessness/ | 2022-08-22T23:44:03Z |
Dallas becomes next victim of flash flooding
DALLAS, Tx. (CNN) - Serious flash flooding occurred in Dallas Sunday overnight into Monday morning. Dallas saw a summer’s worth of rain in less than 24 hours.
The National Weather Service said the city has gotten about 10 inches of rain since Sunday afternoon. The area averages between 7-8 inches of rain during the summer months of June, July, and August combined.
The deluge brought flash flooding which prompted dozens of water rescues.
A judge in Dallas County tweeted that they are asking for state and federal disaster assistance.
It comes amid a “flash drought” that has developed over what had been an extremely dry first half of 2022 for the state.
The drought monitor summary said the big storm essentially erased the rainfall deficits in Dallas although large deficits still remain for other areas of the state.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/dallas-becomes-next-victim-flash-flooding/ | 2022-08-23T00:19:12Z |
Accuser’s mom: R Kelly’s threats made her fear for her life
CHICAGO (AP) — A mother whose daughter prosecutors say R. Kelly sexually abused starting when she was 14, told jurors Monday at the singer’s federal trial that she lied to a state grand jury 20 years ago, in part because she and her husband felt threatened by Kelly and feared for their lives if they told the truth.
The mom, who used the pseudonym, “Susan,” in court at the trial in Chicago, described how she, her husband and Kelly were crying when the parents confronted the Grammy-winner at a hotel in the early 2000s about whether he was abusing their daughter. She testified they were startled when Kelly told them, “You are with us or against us.”
She said she took those words to mean “that they were going to harm us if we didn’t do what they wanted us to do.” Among the directives from Kelly and an associate was that they had to lie that their daughter was not in a child pornography video and that they had to leave the country immediately for several weeks, she testified.
“We were very, very frightened,” she told jurors.
She added later that she lied to the grand jury “because we feared for our lives and we were intimidated.” She said she also feared for the well-being of her daughter, who warned her parents at the time that she might commit suicide if they refused to do what Kelly asked them to do.
Kelly, 55, is on trial in his hometown on charges that include production of child pornography, enticing minor girls for sex and obstruction justice by successfully rigging his 2008 child pornography trial in state court, at which he was acquitted.
Kelly is already staring at a 30-year prison sentence imposed by a federal judge in New York in June for his 2021 convictions on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Susan’s daughter, who went by the pseudonym “Jane,” was among the prosecution’s first witnesses as the trial began last week. Jane told jurors that she also lied to the same grand jury prior to 2008 trial when she said she was not the 14-year-old girl in a video with Kelly. Jane, now 37, told jurors last week that, in fact, she had been sexually abused hundreds of times by Kelly before she had turned at 18.
On Monday, in an often contentious cross-examination, Kelly attorney Jennifer Bonjean repeatedly questioned Susan about whether she truly felt her life was in any danger from Kelly or his associates.
“No one actually threatened you, did they?” Bonjean asked.
“Yes, they did,” Susan answered.
Bonjean also asked why, if Susan felt so threatened by Kelly, she and her family continued to mix with Kelly socially for the next 20 years. She answered that Kelly was their sole income for a period, paying her musician husband to work on Kelly recordings. She also said she worried about Jane’s welfare if they cut ties with Kelly.
The husband, Jane’s father, died last year, she told jurors.
During her cross, Bonjean highlighted Susan’s testimony that she lied to the Illinois grand jury, asking if she was “telling the truth now.” Susan said she was.
Prosecutors from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office chose in the mid-2000s to push ahead with charges and to take the case to trial in 2008 despite what they knew was a major hurdle: their inability to call the girl in the video to testify.
After acquitting Kelly in the 2008 trial, some jurors told reporters that that they had no choice but to find Kelly not guilty because the girl — who by then was in her 20s — did not take the witness stand to confirm it was, in fact, her in the video.
Federal prosecutors at the current trial played excerpts of that and other videos they say show Kelly when he was around 30 sexually abusing a 14-year-old Jane.
Kelly has been trailed for decades by allegations about his sexual behavior. The scrutiny intensified during the #MeToo era and following the 2019 release of the Lifetime television docuseries “Surviving R. Kelly.”
___
Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mtarm and find AP’s full coverage of the R. Kelly trial at https://apnews.com/hub/r-kelly.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/22/accusers-mom-r-kellys-threats-made-her-fear-her-life/ | 2022-08-23T00:26:30Z |
DALLAS — Heavy rains across the drought-stricken Dallas-Fort Worth area on Monday caused streets to flood, submerging vehicles as officials warned motorists to stay off the roads and water seeped into some homes and businesses.
"The Dallas-Fort Worth area was pretty much ground zero for the heaviest rain overnight," said Daniel Huckaby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The official National Weather Service record station at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport reported 9.19 inches (23 centimeters) of rain in the 24 hours ending at 2 p.m. Monday. That ranked second for the top 10 most rain over 24 hours in Dallas on record. The most was 9.57 inches (24.3 centimeters) that fell Sept. 4-5, 1932.
"We've been in drought conditions, so the ground soaked up a lot of it but when you get that much rain over that short a period of time, it's certainly going to cause flooding, and that's what we saw, definitely in the urban areas here," Huckaby said.
Across the area, rainfall amounts ranged from less than 1 inch (3 centimeters) to over 15 inches (38 centimeters), said National Weather Service meteorologist Sarah Barnes. By Monday afternoon, the rain had moved out of the area, she said.
"There was quite a bit of variation in the rainfall totals," Barnes said.
At least one fatality was blamed on the downpours as emergency responders across the area reported responding to hundreds of high-water calls. A 60-year-old woman was killed when her vehicle was swept away by flood waters, said Clay Jenkins, presiding officer of the Dallas County commissioners. Jenkins declared a state of disaster for Dallas County and requested federal and state assistance for affected individuals.
In Balch Springs, a Dallas suburb where last month a grass fire that started in a tinder-dry open field damaged over two dozen homes, officials on Monday rescued people from flooded homes. Fire Chief Eric Neal said they rescued four people from one flooded home and one person from another.
"We had to get to them by boat and pull them to safety," said Neal, who added that others chose to stay in their flooded homes.
"As the rain stopped, the water started to recede pretty quick," Neal said.
At White Rock Lake in Dallas, where the water level has been low through the baking summer months, people with umbrellas and water-proof jackets braved the rain Monday morning to watch the deluge transform the lake's previously dry concrete spillway into what looked like a roaring river.
Trenton Cody, 29, said he drove over Monday morning to take a look at the effect the floodwaters were having on the lake's dam.
"It looks like we're high in the mountains somewhere with some like Class V rapids, which is crazy," Cody said.
Huckaby said that the flooding started overnight on streets and interstates.
"It fell very, very quickly," Huckaby said. "We had some locations there in Dallas that had more than 3 inches (8 centimeters) of rain even in one hour."
He noted that with so much concrete in urban areas, "there's just only so much that the drain systems can handle."
The water seeped into some businesses. Peter Tarantino, who owns Tarantino's Cicchetti Bar and Record Lounge in Dallas, told The Dallas Morning News that about 6 inches of water flowed into the dining room, but had receded by late morning.
He said he may be able to salvage the furniture but he'll need to replace rugs and carpets.
"I'm hoping by Thursday we'll be able to open up the bar with a few snacks," he told the newspaper. "I don't give up too easily."
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said on Twitter that based on preliminary damage assessments, he was declaring a state of disaster in Dallas County and requesting state and federal assistance.
Meanwhile, the weather caused hundreds of delays and cancellations in and out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and at Dallas Love Field.
With the amount of rain that fell Monday, this August now ranks as the second-wettest on record for the area. As of 2 p.m., the National Weather Service reported total rainfall for August of 10.08 inches (25 centimeters) at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The wettest August was 10.33 inches (26 centimeters) in 1915.
"It will probably put a small dent on the drought I would imagine but I don't think it's going to get rid of it by any means," Barnes said.
She said that over the next week, there are only low chances of more rain.
"Unless we continue to see rain, we'll just probably see drought conditions worsen again," Barnes said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-22/heavy-rain-floods-streets-across-the-dallas-fort-worth-area | 2022-08-23T00:26:34Z |
News brief
Golden eagles are colliding, literally, with wind farms in the Mountain West. As the AP reports, this trend is posing a new threat to the species, which avian scientists say is teetering on the edge of decline.
While the bald eagle population has recovered and grown over the past decade, golden eagle populations remain stagnant. They’re put at risk by illegal shootings, rising global temperatures, lead poisoning, electrocutions, and many other factors.
And as wind energy developers push to meet the growing demand for renewable power, the likelihood of collisions with wind turbines becomes increasingly likely.
Bryan Bedrosian, conservation director at the Teton Raptor Center in Western Wyoming, said the bird is ill-equipped to navigate a wind farm.
“They're flying through, they're looking down for prey, they're not looking over their shoulder," Bedrosian said. “What a lot of people don't realize is the tips of those blades are spinning upwards of 180 miles an hour.”
When a bird collides with a turbine blade, the impact is almost always fatal.
Bedrosian isn’t against wind farms, however. He advocates for placing turbines in areas less frequented by birds. Power companies can also shut down operations when eagles are in the area or during migration seasons.
One limited study in Europe suggested that painting one turbine blade black can help mitigate collisions. One energy corporation is funding similar research in Wyoming.
Additionally, Bedrosian supports efforts that limit other current risks to golden eagles. This includes retro-fitting power lines to limit electrocutions, cleaning up roadkill to curb vehicle deaths, and educating hunters to use non-lead ammunition to limit poisoning. Advocacy against illegal shootings and for cutting global emissions would also help, Bedrosian said.
Earlier this year a wind energy company pleaded guilty to criminal charges and was ordered to pay more than $8 million following the deaths of eagles at wind farms in several states, including Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West in Montana, KUNC in Colorado, KUNM in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/natural-resources-energy/2022-08-22/golden-eagles-threatened-by-wind-energy-growth-in-the-west | 2022-08-23T00:26:40Z |
World War II veteran, Holocaust survivor celebrates 101st birthday
BRADENTON, Fla. (WFTS) – Robert Schweiger said he knows the value of hard work.
The World War II veteran and Holocaust survivor enjoys cooking dinner each night after spending a day doing options trading.
He also just celebrated his 101st birthday.
Many on Schweiger’s Jewish family tree were not as fortunate to make it to that age.
“Erwin - see, that’s my brother - he got killed in the concentration camp,” he said, pointing out names of Holocaust victims on a registry. “All these stars you see here (on the registry), their whole families got wiped out in concentration camps.”
Schweiger and his family escaped Austria when he was 16 years old. They eventually made it to the Detroit area.
“We came to this country and, between my mother and I, we had seven bucks in our pocket,” Schweiger said.
A few years after finding refuge on American soil, Schweiger was drafted into the Army during World War II and sent back to the land he escaped from.
He once again faced death as a member of one of the first groups to arrive in Normandy on D-Day.
“We were dug in on the beach, on Omaha Beach,” Schweiger said. “I remember, you know, take the shovel, dig in a little bit. You’d swear that that plane you see up there can see you in that fox hole.”
The highly-decorated hero managed to make it back from Europe with his life for a second time.
“Three Bronze Stars and I got a Presidential Unit Citation,” Schweiger said.
Before moving to Bradenton, Florida, in the 1970s, Schweiger became a successful businessman in the Detroit auto industry.
He started a family and was happily married to his sweetheart for 78 years until she passed away a few years ago.
“I still miss her just terribly,” he said. “They say it’s going to get a little better, but it really doesn’t get better. She was part of my life, you know.”
Despite his loss, the World War II hero, Holocaust survivor and refugee said he knows something about perseverance.
He said living in the U.S. is a gift that he has never taken for granted.
“The best success in the world you can have in this country,” Schweiger said. “Where in the world can a guy like me, a nobody, be as successful as we were?”
Schweiger said the secret to a successful and fruitful life like the one he’s lived is simple: work hard and don’t drink any cheap booze.
“The cheap stuff will absolutely, positively do you in,” he said.
Copyright 2022 WFTS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/world-war-ii-veteran-holocaust-survivor-celebrates-101st-birthday/ | 2022-08-23T00:59:22Z |
Building a leadership team with global and local experience and expertise to enable rapid execution across Company's broad therapeutic strategy
DURHAM, N.C. and BEIJING, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio" or the "Company", stock code: 2137.HK), a multi-national company developing innovative therapies for diseases with significant unmet medical needs and large public health burdens, today announced the appointments of Eleanor (Ellee) de Groot, Ph.D., as Chief Technology Officer and Aleksandar Skuban, M.D., as Central Nervous System (CNS) Diseases Therapy Area Head.
"Ellee and Aleksandar are both seasoned biotech leaders with impressive credentials and an entrepreneurial history of leading medicine development and manufacturing initiatives within their functional areas. We are excited to welcome them to the Brii Bio team as we continue to advance our pipeline of innovative drug candidates on behalf of patients facing significant health burdens around the world," said Zhi Hong, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Brii Bio. "With experience spanning all phases in the making of medicines, Ellee is an important addition to our executive team as we execute against our broad therapeutic modalities. Likewise, Aleksandar's deep expertise in CNS and mental health clinical development and patient care will be essential as we prioritize the advancement of our lead U.S. therapeutic programs in postpartum depression and major depressive and anxiety disorders."
Eleanor (Ellee) de Groot, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer
Dr. de Groot has more than two decades of experience leading a wide range of streamlined global operations across growing biotechnology companies, from early to late stage clinical development and commercial-scale manufacturing. Dr. de Groot held key leadership roles during her career with Alaunos Therapeutics, most recently serving as Executive Vice President of Operations where she oversaw the development of novel cell therapy programs and led clinical manufacturing, quality and process development. In addition, during her extended tenure at Helsinn Therapeutics, Dr. de Groot held multiple roles of increasing responsibility within CMC management where she directed preparations for drug product commercialization, including global regulatory engagement, technology transfers and collaborations with key business partners worldwide. Dr. de Groot holds both a Ph.D. and Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from Stanford University, a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a Master of Business Administration from Rice University.
"I believe Brii Bio's diversified pipeline of promising therapeutic candidates shows great potential to address some of the biggest public health challenges of our time, and I'm eager to contribute my expertise to support ongoing product development and generate a sustainable long-term growth strategy within the Company," said Ellee de Groot, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer of Brii Bio.
Aleksandar Skuban, M.D., CNS Diseases Therapy Area Head
Dr. Skuban brings to Brii Bio more than 25 years of global pharmaceutical R&D experience with an extensive medical, scientific and business leadership track record of achievements, including leading more than 30 studies across therapeutic areas from early stage proof of concept through positive regulatory outcomes, with a focus in CNS diseases. Previously, Dr. Skuban served as SVP of Clinical Development at Better Therapeutics, where he shaped research strategy to enable rapid development of new indications for prescription digital therapeutics. Prior to that, he served as an Executive Medical Director leading clinical development within Alexion's emerging ophthalmology therapeutic area. At Otsuka Pharmaceuticals, Dr. Skuban's tenure included roles overseeing various clinical portfolios, notably guiding to FDA approval for Brexpiprazole (REXULTI) for major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. Dr. Skuban also held a number of clinical development director roles at Merck and Sanofi-Aventis. He earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Semmelweis University of Medicine, Budapest, Hungary and attended the School of Medicine at the University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Yugoslavia (Serbia).
"I am inspired by the meaningful patient-centric approach that Brii Bio has cultivated in the earliest stages of clinical planning. I look forward to incorporating unique patient insights into Brii's CNS programs to ensure our investigational treatments are well-positioned for the future of mental healthcare and grounded in the fundamental understanding of patients' preferences and needs," said Aleksandar Skuban, M.D., CNS Diseases Therapy Area Head of Brii Bio.
About Brii Bio
Brii Biosciences Limited ("Brii Bio", stock code: 2137.HK) is a biotechnology company based in China and the United States committed to advancing therapies for significant infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, COVID-19, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, multi-drug resistant (MDR) or extensive drug resistant (XDR) gram-negative infections, and other illnesses, such as the central nervous system (CNS) diseases, which have significant public health burdens in China and worldwide. For more information, visit www.briibio.com.
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SOURCE Brii Biosciences Limited | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/brii-biosciences-appoints-eleanor-de-groot-chief-technology-officer-aleksandar-skuban-central-nervous-system-diseases-therapy-area-head/ | 2022-08-23T00:59:28Z |
HOUSTON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Flotek Industries, Inc. ("Flotek" or the "Company") (NYSE: FTK), a leader in technology-driven specialty green chemistry solutions will participate in a Fireside Chat hosted by Water Tower Research on Thursday, August 25th at 1:00 p.m. central time. Those interested are welcome to join us at the link below.
About Flotek Industries, Inc.
Flotek Industries, Inc. creates solutions to reduce the environmental impact of energy on air, water, land and people. A technology-driven, specialty green chemistry and data company, Flotek helps customers across industrial, commercial, and consumer markets improve their Environmental, Social, and Governance performance. Flotek's Chemistry Technologies segment develops, manufactures, packages, distributes, delivers, and markets high-quality cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing products for commercial, governmental and personal consumer use. Additionally, Flotek empowers the energy industry to maximize the value of their hydrocarbon streams and improve return on invested capital through its real-time data platforms and green chemistry technologies. Flotek serves downstream, midstream, and upstream customers, both domestic and international. Flotek is a publicly traded company headquartered in Houston, Texas, and its common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "FTK." For additional information, please visit www.flotekind.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute forward-looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) regarding Flotek Industries, Inc.'s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Words such as will, continue, expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, seeks, estimates and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements in this press release. Although forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the good faith judgment of management, such statements can only be based on facts and factors currently known to management. Consequently, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and outcomes may differ materially from the results and outcomes discussed in the forward-looking statements. Further information about the risks and uncertainties that may impact the company are set forth in the Company's most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form 10-K (including, without limitation, in the "Risk Factors" section thereof), and in the Company's other SEC filings and publicly available documents. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect, any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this press release.
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SOURCE Flotek Industries, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/22/flotek-participate-water-tower-research-fireside-chat/ | 2022-08-23T00:59:35Z |
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) has formally announced its opposition to California Governor Gavin Newsom's proposed climate goals for 2030 and 2045.
"Governor Newsom's recently announced new set of climate goals present a significant threat to the homebuilding industry and collective effort to help the tens of thousands of people who want to buy a home in California," said BIASC CEO Jeff Montejano. "While the homebuilding industry supports reasonable and realistic laws to protect our environment, the new climate goals are both unrealistic and unachievable."
If approved, the new set of climate goals would result in the equivalent of adding a minimum of $50,000 to the price of every home in California. In addition, NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) opponents will use the new mandates to delay, deny, or block desperately needed housing projects. It will also make it impossible for local municipalities to achieve their state-required RHNA housing goals, including the overall state goal of 2.5 million new homes over the next eight-year RHNA cycle
The California Environmental Quality Act requires Greenhouse Gas emission goals, policies, and plans adopted at the statewide level to apply to projects. Although they are proposed as far-off aspirational goals for housing, these mandates become immediate starting in 2023.
Due to the extremely negative effect that the proposed climate goals will have on the effort to end California's housing crisis, BIASC strongly urges Governor Newsom to withdraw his current proposal and work with the homebuilding industry in crafting aggressive but achievable environmental standards for new development and housing.
The Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) is the voice of the region's building industry, with four chapters offering localized services to building professionals from Ventura to the southern tip of Orange County. Throughout its 99-year history, the association has served its builder and associate members by anticipating, protecting, and promoting their common interests through its many programs, services, councils, and committees. For more information on the Building Industry Association of Southern California, visit https://biasc.org/.
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SOURCE Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/building-industry-association-southern-california-opposes-governor-newsoms-proposed-climate-goals-2030-2045/ | 2022-08-23T00:59:41Z |
Australia's equity manager is the latest firm to join 50+ asset managers leveraging Eze Eclipse in APAC
WINDSOR, Conn., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSNC) today announced that Fairlight Asset Management, a Sydney, Australia–based global equity manager, has selected Eze Eclipse as its front-to-back investment management platform. The emerging asset manager is the latest firm to join over 50 asset managers of all sizes leveraging Eze Eclipse in APAC.
"When we set out to upgrade our existing workflows, we were looking for a provider to help streamline operations and scale business," said Ian Carmichael, Senior Portfolio Manager and Partner at Fairlight. "Eze Eclipse fits our needs perfectly. The all-in-one front-to-back solution is helping us optimize our team's activities and the tightly integrated and easy-to-use compliance engine simplifies managing global portfolios."
Eze Eclipse features 60 pre-built compliance rule templates and allows firms to build custom rules to accommodate unique restrictions. The system is also helping Fairlight reconcile its full investment book of record daily.
"We are excited to work with Fairlight to help the team grow their strong portfolio," said Michael Hutner, General Manager of SS&C Eze. "We have a long history of servicing clients across APAC and are proud to support this expanding market. Eze Eclipse is ideally suited to support emerging and growing managers. We continue to make significant investments in the platform, regularly releasing new features to meet our clients' needs."
Since its launch in the APAC market in 2019, Eze Eclipse has become a top choice for investment technology for emerging hedge funds and institutional managers across the Asia Pacific and was named "Best Cloud Tech Provider - Public" at the HFM Asia Services Awards 2021 for exceptional innovation, customer service, and business performance.
SS&C has continued to build on its investment management offerings in APAC. SS&C Eze officially launched in Japan in June, with Hiroki Allen taking over operations. SS&C Eze is Tokyo Metropolitan Authority's Qualified Outsourcing Provider, supporting emerging and growing managers launching funds in the region. In addition, SS&C Eze continues to grow its managed services across APAC.
Fairlight Asset Management is an employee-owned boutique firm investing exclusively in global equity markets. We are focused on contributing to superior investment outcomes for our clients through exceptional performance. Our team take an ethically-aware, quality-driven approach to investing, dedicated to deep fundamental research of both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of investee companies. Principals invest the majority of their liquid assets in the business and the fund itself in order to maximise alignment with investors and partners.
SS&C is a global provider of services and software for the financial services and healthcare industries. Founded in 1986, SS&C is headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, and has offices around the world. Some 18,000 financial services and healthcare organizations, from the world's largest companies to small and mid-market firms, rely on SS&C for expertise, scale and technology.
Additional information about SS&C (Nasdaq: SSNC) is available at www.ssctech.com.
Follow SS&C on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
SOURCE: SS&C
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SOURCE SS&C | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/fairlight-asset-management-optimizes-front-to-back-operations-with-ssampc/ | 2022-08-23T00:59:48Z |
MELBOURNE, Australia, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It has been a rollercoaster couple of years for investors and traders alike - with incredible levels of stimulus resulting in genuine risk taking in financial markets and, of course, multi-decade high inflation. We are all feeling the effects of this in our daily lives now and as central banks try to reign in price pressures the opportunity for traders is everywhere.
Over this time, Pepperstone has seen increasing demand for up-to-the-minute commentary and intel on market movements from around the world; both to assist with sourcing opportunities, and to help traders efficiently price risk.
Pepperstone is proud to introduce the Spanish version of their successful The Trade Off - https://thetradeoff.tv/ - an engaging and entertaining weekly show by Pepperstone's Head of Research, Chris Weston, and Blake Morrow of ForexAnalytix.
The Trade-Off Spanish, is a fast-paced, digestible and entertaining weekly show in Spanish, with a focus on helping traders of all abilities make sense of the news flow across global markets. The series features Pepperstone's Spanish Research Strategist, Quasar Elizundia, and Oscar Salem of BCM Partners, LLC.
Join these two highly experienced analysts as they engage in an energetic debate of the financial markets - what's hot, what's not and always breaking down the trade every week.
"This series will break down and unpack the big picture macro debates. We look at the core themes, set-ups, views and event playbooks and break it down in a way few other financial channels address - financial news delivered differently for the Spanish audience." says Chris Weston Pepperstone's Head of Research.
Check out the Pilot episode.
For interviews or assistance with hosting the content on your website and distribution to your base, please don't hesitate to reach out.
About Pepperstone
Established in 2010, Pepperstone has grown to become an award-winning online global forex and CFD broker known for delivering exceptional client service and award-winning funding and withdrawals to tens of thousands of clients around the world. Pepperstone has related entities across the globe and is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySec), the Securities Commission of The Bahamas (SCB), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and The Capital Markets Authority of Kenya (CMA).
Learn more at: http://www.pepperstone.com
About Quasar Elizundia
Quasar Elizundia is Pepperstone's Spanish Research Strategist and holds over 8 years of experience in the industry. A highly respected financial services expert, Quasar has supported both retail and institutional clients at IG and FXCM covering research roles.
Based in Las Vegas, Quasar is a well-known media figure appearing on multiple news feeds and research sites.
Follow Quasar at: https://twitter.com/QuasarElizundia
About Oscar Salem
Oscar has over 25 years' experience in capital markets and more than 10,000 hours of technical work. He Specialises in finding engagement zones with the purpose of controlling the downside. Abiding by the thesis that price leads narratives. Oscar started his career in 1995 working for Banamex as an EM FX trader. From there moved to HSBC, Wells Fargo and Citibank, holding various roles in FX Capital Markets. In 2015 opened Cold Spring Asset Management, a FX only Hedge Fund and currently runs BCM Partners, LLC.
Follow Oscar at: https://twitter.com/Bellehos
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SOURCE Pepperstone Group Limited | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/pepperstone-presents-trade-off-spanish/ | 2022-08-23T00:59:55Z |
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH
FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS...
.A south swell (190 degrees) will continue to produce advisory
level surf for south facing shores. The large surf will continue
through the afternoon.
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS
EVENING...
* WHAT...Surf of 7 to 10 feet.
* WHERE...South facing shores of all Hawaiian Islands.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST this evening.
* 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.
&&
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- More than half a million dollars for interest-free down-payment home loans is available for qualifying Oahu residents from the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Community Services (DCS).
The DCS says it’s accepting pre-eligibility applications for the $550,000 in HOME funds for the 2022 fiscal year. Eligible applicants could receive up to $40,000 toward their dream of becoming a homeowner.
Those eligible to apply must be earning 80% of the area median income or below, which, according to DCS, is $83,600 for a family of two or $104,500 for a family of four.
The loans will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to qualified residents. | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/honolulu-offering-interest-free-down-payment-home-loans-up-to-40-000/article_99117e30-226d-11ed-9141-2706924fd49a.html | 2022-08-23T01:17:53Z |
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH
FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS...
.A south swell (190 degrees) will continue to produce advisory
level surf for south facing shores. The large surf will continue
through the afternoon.
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS
EVENING...
* WHAT...Surf of 7 to 10 feet.
* WHERE...South facing shores of all Hawaiian Islands.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST this evening.
* 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.
&&
LAIE, Hawaii (KITV4) -- The Kamehameha Highway is shut down on Oahu’s North Shore following a crash early Monday afternoon.
The crash happened just after 1 p.m. in the area of Gunstock Ranch and the Malaekahana State Recreation Area.
At least two vehicles were involved in the crash. A KITV4 viewer sent in video from the scene that appeared to show two vehicles -- a pickup and a sedan -- in a head-on crash.
No word yet on possible injuries.
This is a developing story. Check back with KITV4 for more information.
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii. | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/crash-shuts-down-kamehameha-highway-near-laie-on-oahus-north-shore/article_11b58480-2278-11ed-8c6d-a3305ec96cd6.html | 2022-08-23T01:17:59Z |
US: Russia looks to step up hits on Ukraine infrastructure
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department on Monday issued a security alert warning that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv urged U.S. citizens still in Ukraine to depart the country immediately.
“If you hear a loud explosion or if sirens are activated, immediately seek cover,” the State Department said in its alert. “If in a home or a building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings.”
The State Department issued the alert after the U.S. intelligence community on Monday declassified a finding that determined that Russia would increasingly target Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, according to a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence. The official was not authorized to comment publicly about the finding and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The new intelligence comes as Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine will hit the six-month mark Wednesday, which coincides with Ukraine’s independence day from Soviet Union rule.
President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about concerns about shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine and called for the United Nations nuclear watchdog to visit the power plant.
The official said, however, that the intelligence finding is not specifically tied to concerns about Zaporizhzhia.
The Biden administration is battling to keep western allies — and Washington — focused on maintaining pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Monday the “single most important thing going on in the world right now is to beat the Russians in Ukraine.”
Speaking at a luncheon event in Scott County, Kentucky, McConnell said the one fear he has is that the U.S. and others will “all kind of lose interest” as the war drags on.
“We need to stick with them,” McConnell said. “It’s important to us, and to the rest of the world, that they succeed.”
—
AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/us-russia-looks-step-up-hits-ukraine-infrastructure/ | 2022-08-23T01:57:46Z |
World War II veteran, Holocaust survivor celebrates 101st birthday
BRADENTON, Fla. (WFTS) – Robert Schweiger said he knows the value of hard work.
The World War II veteran and Holocaust survivor enjoys cooking dinner each night after spending a day doing options trading.
He also just celebrated his 101st birthday.
Many on Schweiger’s Jewish family tree were not as fortunate to make it to that age.
“Erwin - see, that’s my brother - he got killed in the concentration camp,” he said, pointing out names of Holocaust victims on a registry. “All these stars you see here (on the registry), their whole families got wiped out in concentration camps.”
Schweiger and his family escaped Austria when he was 16 years old. They eventually made it to the Detroit area.
“We came to this country and, between my mother and I, we had seven bucks in our pocket,” Schweiger said.
A few years after finding refuge on American soil, Schweiger was drafted into the Army during World War II and sent back to the land he escaped from.
He once again faced death as a member of one of the first groups to arrive in Normandy on D-Day.
“We were dug in on the beach, on Omaha Beach,” Schweiger said. “I remember, you know, take the shovel, dig in a little bit. You’d swear that that plane you see up there can see you in that fox hole.”
The highly-decorated hero managed to make it back from Europe with his life for a second time.
“Three Bronze Stars and I got a Presidential Unit Citation,” Schweiger said.
Before moving to Bradenton, Florida, in the 1970s, Schweiger became a successful businessman in the Detroit auto industry.
He started a family and was happily married to his sweetheart for 78 years until she passed away a few years ago.
“I still miss her just terribly,” he said. “They say it’s going to get a little better, but it really doesn’t get better. She was part of my life, you know.”
Despite his loss, the World War II hero, Holocaust survivor and refugee said he knows something about perseverance.
He said living in the U.S. is a gift that he has never taken for granted.
“The best success in the world you can have in this country,” Schweiger said. “Where in the world can a guy like me, a nobody, be as successful as we were?”
Schweiger said the secret to a successful and fruitful life like the one he’s lived is simple: work hard and don’t drink any cheap booze.
“The cheap stuff will absolutely, positively do you in,” he said.
Copyright 2022 WFTS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/world-war-ii-veteran-holocaust-survivor-celebrates-101st-birthday/ | 2022-08-23T01:57:52Z |
"Based on preliminary damage assessments, I am declaring a state of disaster in Dallas County and requesting state and federal assistance for affected individuals," Jenkins tweeted shortly before 5 p.m. Monday. "There are thresholds that must be met for each type of assistance."
He asked Dallas County residents to "report your damage" at damage.tdem.texas.gov.
Jenkins also reported Dallas County's first death related to the storm a few hours earlier on Twitter.
"A 60-year-old woman was killed when her vehicle was swept away by flood waters," he wrote. "Please keep her husband and family in your prayers."
That death apparently occurred in Mesquite, where the fire department reported that the body of a woman was discovered inside a car under a bridge. Fire officials told reporters that her car may have been swept off a nearby road.
Jenkins warned in his tweet that "even less than and inch of water on roadways can cause the loss of control of a vehicle."
Many water-related emergencies were reported late Sunday night and into the early morning Monday.
The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to 133 high water calls between 10 p.m. Sunday and 11:30 a.m. Monday.
Many of the calls stemmed from cars that stalled out or were swept away in the deluge, says department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.
"We haven't hit too big of a critical point, but it is all hands on deck at this point in time," Trojacek said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue told KERA they responded to 141 water-related emergencies as of approximately 8 a.m. Monday— 96 high-water incidents, 40 water rescues without a boat and five water rescues with a boat. Videos on social media documented several rescues.
Flooding forced many North Texas residents out of their homes, including apartment residents in Dallas and homeowners in Balch Springs.
Across the metroplex, local governments and first responders continued to grapple with the after-effects of the heavy rainfall throughout the day.
Dallas Water Utilities reported Monday afternoon that the the rain had cause "sanitary sewer overflows at several locations throughout the city."
"None of the overflows of diluted wastewater have affected the City’s water supply," said DWU Assistant Director Zachary Peoples.
But city officials urged people using wells for their drinking water within a half-mile of the spill sites to "use only water that has been distilled or boiled at a rolling boil for at least one minute for all personal uses including drinking, cooking, bathing and tooth brushing."
Weather conditions delayed more than 450 flights in and out of DFW International Airport, and cancelled least 120 more. At least 60 were cancelled at Dallas Love Field. The number of delays decreased substantially as the day progressed.
Power outages also were reported throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As of 8:22 p.m. Monday, Oncor, an energy supply company, was still reporting that 1,337 customers in Dallas County and 7,506 customers in Tarrant County were affected by outages.
Juan Reyes, a spokesperson for Oncor, said crews had been out since before the storms rolled in Sunday night to help restore power.
"We did have crews pre-positioned ahead of the storm ready to make the necessary repairs so they're going to work as quickly and safely as possible," he said Monday.
The Texas Tribune reported that "the rainfall in some areas qualifies as a 1-in-1,000-year flood, which means that in any given year it has a 0.1% chance of happening.
The Tribune also reported that "the east side of Dallas received 13 to 15 inches of rainfall over the past 24 hours, according to a reading from Dallas Water Utilities," and that "most of the Dallas-Fort Worth area recorded 6 to 10 inches of rainfall."
On Tuesday, the chance of thunderstorms in North Texas is 40% with otherwise partly sunny skies expected. | https://www.keranews.org/news/2022-08-22/state-of-disaster-declared-for-dallas-county-after-heavy-rainfall-causes-extensive-flooding | 2022-08-23T02:28:18Z |
US: Russia looks to step up hits on Ukraine infrastructure
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. State Department on Monday issued a security alert warning that Russia is stepping up efforts to launch strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the coming days.
The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv urged U.S. citizens still in Ukraine to depart the country immediately.
“If you hear a loud explosion or if sirens are activated, immediately seek cover,” the State Department said in its alert. “If in a home or a building, go to the lowest level of the structure with the fewest exterior walls, windows, and openings; close any doors and sit near an interior wall, away from any windows or openings.”
The State Department issued the alert after the U.S. intelligence community on Monday declassified a finding that determined that Russia would increasingly target Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, according to a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence. The official was not authorized to comment publicly about the finding and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The new intelligence comes as Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine will hit the six-month mark Wednesday, which coincides with Ukraine’s independence day from Soviet Union rule.
President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about concerns about shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southeastern Ukraine and called for the United Nations nuclear watchdog to visit the power plant.
The official said, however, that the intelligence finding is not specifically tied to concerns about Zaporizhzhia.
The Biden administration is battling to keep western allies — and Washington — focused on maintaining pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Monday the “single most important thing going on in the world right now is to beat the Russians in Ukraine.”
Speaking at a luncheon event in Scott County, Kentucky, McConnell said the one fear he has is that the U.S. and others will “all kind of lose interest” as the war drags on.
“We need to stick with them,” McConnell said. “It’s important to us, and to the rest of the world, that they succeed.”
—
AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/us-russia-looks-step-up-hits-ukraine-infrastructure/ | 2022-08-23T02:31:46Z |
- Wemade announced "100 For 100" at UNICEF HQ at Geneva on August 19
- Wemade plans to donate 100M USD's worth of WEMIX for 100 years
- Partnership with UNICEF's Reimagine Education programme
SEOUL, South Korea, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Wemade announced a partnership with UNICEF and the Korean Committee for UNICEF on August 19 to support education projects for its CSR activity, "100 For 100".
The signing ceremony was held at UNICEF headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Henry Chang, CEO of Wemade, Carla Haddad Mardini, UNICEF's director of private fundraising and partnerships division, and Key-cheol Lee, executive director of the Korean Committee for UNICEF were present.
Wemade plans to donate 1 million USD's worth of the cryptocurrency WEMIX every year, or 100 million USD's worth in total, for 100 years. The company pledged its commitment to education projects and rights promotion for children all over the world.
Based on Korean traditional belief that education constitutes a grand plan for 100 years, Wemade announced the "100 For 100" project for long-term support for children's future. The plan aims to improve the future prospects of children, thus contributing to the betterment of families, communities, and even countries, Wemade spokesperson said.
Donations will be used to support UNICEF's Reimagine Education programme to improve the quality of education for children.
"The pandemic showed us that far too many children are on the wrong side of the digital divide," said Carla Haddad Mardini, Director, UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships. "Thanks to our new partnership with Wemade, we will be able to help improve access to technology for some of the most vulnerable children living in Laos and Timor Leste," she added.
"To fulfill the social responsibility of the WEMIX project on a global scale, we teamed up with UNICEF to support education for children all over the world," said Henry Chang, CEO of Wemade. "To commit ourselves to the sustainable improvement of the educational environment, we decided to do more than a single donation. We will stay devoted for 100 years."
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SOURCE Wemade Co., Ltd | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/100-100-wemade-plans-donate-100m-usds-worth-wemix-unicef-100-years/ | 2022-08-23T02:31:53Z |
SAVANNAH, Ga., Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sleep aid manufacturer Relaxium announced its new status as an Inc 5000 company. RELAXIUM®, a research-driven leading Nutraceutical Brand that's been backed by numerous clinical studies, offers non-habit-forming natural supplements that are shaking up the natural sleep aid and mood support markets. The products are formulated by Dr. Eric Ciliberti, M.D.
Every year, Inc. Magazine generates a list of the top 5,000 most successful private companies in the country based on their annual success rate. While there are a few other industry leaders that pump out a similar list, this particular compilation is known as one of the most prestigious.
The Inc. 5000, unlike other lists that are based on a company's net worth, is a renowned showcase of the most noteworthy examples of corporate development over the previous year. This powerful nod of recognition gives credit where it's due, putting it into the hands of some of the hardest-working, most talented entrepreneurs in the nation.
One of the products in the lineup, RELAXIUM® Sleep, comes at a perfect time. According to the National Institutes of Health, 50 to 70 million Americans are said to suffer from sleep disorders. "Sleeping disorders and issues are at an all-time high, and sleeping pills are no longer as trusted as they once were, for good reason," Ciliberti reportedly commented. "As such, we are delighted that our product's efficacy is being widely recognized. It's encouraging."
Dr. Ciliberti, a board-certified physician, clinical neurologist, sleep expert, and founder of The American Behavioral Research Institute, has created a line of supplements that are quickly gaining popularity as some of the most popular non-synthetic mood support products sold today.
RELAXIUM® Sleep is a sleep aid made from naturally-derived ingredients including melatonin, L-tryptophan, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and several herbal extracts: (Ashwagandha, Valerest®, a blend of hops and valerian, Chamomile Passionflower). Its efficacy has been proven in clinical trials and via the response of customers, which have been universally positive. No adverse effects were reported in the study, making it a safe and effective means of repairing and restoring your natural sleep cycle.
The RELAXIUM® customer help desk is available 24/7 via phone at 1-888-353-1205.
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SOURCE Relaxium | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/natural-sleep-product-relaxium-named-an-inc-5000-company/ | 2022-08-23T02:32:00Z |
SHANGHAI, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pylontech (688063), a dedicated battery storage system (BSS) provider listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange STAR MARKET (SSE), was added to the MSCI China A Onshore Index on August 11, 2022. And beyond that, Pylontech has also been included in MSCI China All Shares Index.
MSCI, as a leading provider of critical decision support tools and services for the global investment community, announced the changes in its August 2022 Quarterly Index Review for the MSCI Equity Indexes. In this review, MSCI China A Onshore Index made seven additions with Pylontech named as one of the three largest. This inclusion is testimony to Pylontech's promising growth.
As the first BESS-focused company listed on the SSE, Pylontech's comprehensive strategy layout, high market share, and strong branding, has gained it a top 2 ranking among global residential BESS suppliers by IHS Research and is ranked among Forbes China 50 Most Innovative Companies. The addition of Pylontech to MSCI index is proof of Pylontech's representative role in the energy storage industry and recognition of its comprehensive strength, competitiveness, industry position, stock circulation, among others. It also means Pylontech will embrace more opportunities and attract attention with its investment value and development potential from global investors.
"Pylontech is proud to be a MSCI index company and grateful for the recognition of the capital market. We are committed to create more value for shareholders, customers and other stakeholders with our leading energy storage technology and reliable products and services. And we will grasp this chance and create more economical value to our shareholders benefiting from the rapid development of renewable energy. We have to do more to achieve net-zero carbon emissions" said Geoffrey Song, vice president of Pylontech.
Under the backdrop of the global energy crisis and energy transition, clean energy will gradually replace traditional fossil energy. Energy storage will be the key technology to promote the replacement of main energy from fossil energy to renewable energy.
BloombergNEF reckons that the entire global energy storage market will reach up to 58GW/178GWh in 2030, five times more than the recording capacity installed in 2021 (10GW/22GWh). There are huge opportunities for energy storage over the next decade, spurring the transition to more sustainable energy. The rapid growth of global energy storage is boosted with the support of different national policies, the favor of capital, and a clear and sustainable business model. As an important support for the new energy system, energy storage will become a value investment orientation.
All changes in the MSCI review will be implemented as of the close of August 31, 2022.
For more information, please click the link below
About Pylontech
Pylontech was founded in 2009 as a dedicated battery storage system (BSS) provider by consolidating their expertise in electrochemistry, power electronics and system integration. By providing reliable and affordable ESS battery products and solutions to global markets, the company have been significantly contributing to a 7-years increasing rate by double, enabling the market position as one of the top suppliers of lithium battery storage world widely.
Website: https://en.pylontech.com.cn/
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SOURCE Pylontech | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/pylontech-added-msci-china-onshore-index/ | 2022-08-23T02:32:07Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Enochian BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENOB) between January 17, 2018 and June 27, 2022, both dates inclusive, (the "Class Period"), including common stock issued by Enochian in a private placement offering on or about February 16, 2018, of the important September 26, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Enochian BioSciences securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Enochian BioSciences class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6517 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 26, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) co-founder and inventor, Serhat Gumrukcu, was engaged in a variety of frauds; (2) Gumrukcu was not a licensed doctor anywhere in the world; (3) as a result of the foregoing, Gumrukcu's purported contributions to Enochian lacked a reasonable basis; (4) as a result of the foregoing, Enochian had overstated its commercial prospects; (5) Gumrukcu had improperly diverted approximately $20 million from Enochian to entities he owned; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Enochian's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Enochian BioSciences class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6517 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/rosen-top-ranked-investor-counsel-encourages-enochian-biosciences-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-enob/ | 2022-08-23T02:32:13Z |
NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Co-Diagnostics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CODX) between May 12, 2022 and August 11, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 17, 2022.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Co-Diagnostics securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Co-Diagnostics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8137 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 17, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Co-Diagnostics was experiencing a significant falloff in demand for its Logix Smart™ COVID-19 Test and demand for its Logix Smart™ COVID-19 Test had plummeted throughout the quarter ended June 30, 2022; and (2) as a result, defendants' positive statements about the demand for its Logix Smart™ COVID-19 Test lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Co-Diagnostics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8137 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/rosen-top-ranked-law-firm-encourages-co-diagnostics-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-codx/ | 2022-08-23T02:32:20Z |
HOUSTON, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stud-RX® is the first brand launched by "Isopharmic" company founded by Dr. J. David Hayes and partners in 2020. The innovative team sensed the need for a totally discreet platform where men can feel less vulnerable to discussing their intimate concerns. This telehealth application specializes in the treatment for erectile dysfunction. No more embarrassing appointments in primary care or urologists' office. No more muddling through a healthcare environment that impedes treatment. Men can get their erectile dysfunction questions answered, discuss options, and receive medications promptly, totally online, through a telehealth visit. All calls and messages are free and totally confidential.
According to TrendStatistics.com, "Most ED patients are over the age of 40. Erectile dysfunction will happen to 33% of men by age 50, and erectile dysfunction will happen to 42% of men by age 60." Also, people are living longer, and many healthy, vibrant seniors express a growing concern about how they can continue to experience sexual pleasure with their spouse.
Stud RX® has a team of top-notched, highly qualified health clinicians who can privately walk through a series of treatments with each client, making it a truly personalized experience. A compound can be made with the same active ingredients found in commercially available oral prescriptions. These compounds are made into different dosage forms or in strengths that the active ingredient is not typically available in. Happy customer, JD, posted these comments in his five-star review, "I really like having the choice when it comes to the medication that fits my needs."
All visits include a digital provider consultation, customized medication, monthly refills, and medical support. All segments are focused and individually designed to improve erection and endurance. Stud-RX® offers four effective and safe customized plans to choose from. The rapid quarter horse, the long-acting thoroughbred, the rapid and long-acting mustang, and the rapid and long-acting stallion.
Stud-RX® is an industry leader that is dedicated to its customers. They endeavor to provide prompt access to quality care and treatments, through their relationships with medical and pharmacy providers. Stud-RX® products are only available for Texas residents. They go the extra mile to meet the needs of each valued client and tout, "Our providers have the full spectrum of solutions (commercial and compounded) available for ED. Since we are local, we can ship or deliver the same day if the address is within 30 miles of a STUD-RX® HUB Pharmacy. We are committed to your success."
For more information, please contact Annette Blaylock at phone: 619-333-1229 or Email: annette@insightsmediasolutions.com or go to Website: https://www.stud-rx.com.
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SOURCE Isopharmic LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/stud-rx-gives-texas-men-relief-embarrassing-ed-problems-lone-star-state/ | 2022-08-23T02:32:27Z |
The 82-Guest Viking Osiris Debuts as Egypt Marks 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of King Tutankhamun's Tomb
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking® (www.viking.com) today named its newest river ship, the Viking Osiris, with a celebration in Luxor, Egypt. As part of the intimate event, the company's first ceremonial godfather, George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship—an evolution of the naval tradition that dates back thousands of years. Designed specifically to navigate the Nile, the state-of-the-art ship was built at Massara shipyard in Cairo and will sail Viking's bestselling Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
The naming of the Viking Osiris comes as Egypt marks several key events this year, including the highly anticipated opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo on the Giza Plateau and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb by the world's most famous Egyptologist, Howard Carter, and his benefactor and co-explorer, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.
"Egypt has always drawn curious explorers for its rich history and ancient antiquities, and ever since we first began operating on the Nile River in 2004, our guests continue to be amazed by the country's many cultural treasures. Today we are pleased to officially welcome the Viking Osiris to our growing fleet on the Nile River, which allows us to welcome even more curious explorers to this incredible destination," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "During this milestone year for Egypt, we are also very grateful for the continued close friendship with the Carnarvon family, and that Lord Carnarvon has honored us by serving as the first godfather in our history."
"It is a great honor to be asked to be godfather to the Viking Osiris, one of the most beautiful river vessels to have ever graced the Nile. This is especially the case in the centenary year of my great-grandfather's discovery of the tomb of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, and no doubt he and my great-grandmother, Lady Almina, would have been delighted to board the Viking Osiris had it been sailing in their day," said Lord Carnarvon. "The 5th Earl of Carnarvon was one of the great explorers and excavators of his time, and today you may join in his love of the glories of ancient Egypt, all in the exceptional comfort and style of the Viking Osiris."
The 8th Earl of Carnarvon is the son of Henry Herbert, 7th Earl of Carnarvon, and Jeanie Margaret Wallop (1935–2019). His mother was born in Big Horn, Wyoming, to Oliver Wallop, who was the brother of the 8th Earl of Portsmouth. The 8th Earl of Carnarvon was educated at Eton College and St. John's College, Oxford. He succeeded to the title of Earl of Carnarvon when his father passed away on September 11, 2001. He lives at Highclere Castle with the 8th Countess of Carnarvon, and they run the estate and business together. He is a keen horseman and sits on the board of the Historic Houses Association (HHA). He also takes a considerable interest in conservation and farming and has been an investor in start-up technology businesses. Together, the Carnarvons are Viking's first "godparents," as Lady Carnarvon is godmother of Viking's newest ocean ship, the Viking Mars®, as well as the river ship, the Viking Skadi.
Nearly 100 years ago, in November 1922, the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun by the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter was considered the first global media event and has provided a legacy of understanding, knowledge and insight into a remarkable civilization. In her newest book, The Earl and the Pharaoh: From the Real Downton Abbey to the Discovery of Tutankhamun, the Countess of Carnarvon tells the behind-the-scenes story of this discovery and explores the unparalleled life of the 5th Earl. Among many talents, he was an avid amateur photographer with an artistic eye for composition. His photographs are at Highclere Castle currently, stored in photo albums in the Library, and show the process of discovering and excavating the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as scenes of daily life in Egypt of the period. With kind permission, the Carnarvons have allowed Viking to share this private collection for guests sailing on board the Viking Osiris.
For years Viking has offered a variety of ways for its guests to experience life at Highclere Castle, which is the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and the historic estate best known as the filming location of Downton Abbey. Viking became a household name during its sponsorship of the celebrated MASTERPIECE series through the years Downton Abbey aired on PBS. Karine Hagen, Viking Executive Vice President, worked closely with the Carnarvon family to develop the Privileged Access Pre/Post Extensions that feature the estate, including the highly-rated Oxford & Highclere Castle and Great Homes, Gardens & Gin extensions. Both are available for guests on select river and ocean voyages. For guests sailing the Pharaohs & Pyramids Nile River itinerary, Viking offers a five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt Pre Extension, which gives guests an introduction to Egyptian antiquities in preparation for their Nile experience, including retracing the steps of Howard Carter and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Guests experience Privileged Access to archives and museum exhibits not normally accessible to the public, including a private, early morning tour of the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum, as well as visits to Sir John Soane's Museum, the Petrie Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Oxford University's Griffith Institute, which houses Carter's archives. At Highclere Castle, guests also have the opportunity to view the Earl's magnificent private collection of Egyptian artifacts.
The Carnarvon family has also welcomed viewers to Highclere Castle on Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV (www.viking.tv). In the ongoing series, At Home at Highclere, Lady Carnarvon offers virtual Privileged Access to the historic home and its grounds during which she is joined by Lord Carnarvon, who shares his memories and a look inside his ancestral home.
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new, state-of-the-art Viking Osiris is inspired by Viking's award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. The vessel features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. The Viking Osiris joins the Viking Ra, which launched in 2018. Additionally, in response to strong demand, the Viking Aton, an identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, will join the fleet in 2023. During today's naming event in Luxor, Hagen also announced that two more sister ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, are already under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
During the 12-day, Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Beginning in late 2022, guests will also be able to visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day, round-trip voyage on the Nile River, featuring Privileged Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan. Guests also visit a colorful Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school. Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.
For more information, images and b-roll for Viking, contact vikingpr@edelman.com.
Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans, and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person's Cruise® in contrast to mainstream cruises. Viking has more than 250 awards to its name, including being the first cruise line to ever be named both the #1 ocean cruise line and #1 river cruise line in Travel + Leisure's 2022 "World's Best" Awards in a single year. In addition to consistently ranking at the top of Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" awards, Viking has been rated the #1 River Cruise Line and #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication's 2021 Readers' Choice Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.
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SOURCE Viking | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/vikings-newest-ship-nile-river-named-luxor-by-8th-earl-carnarvon/ | 2022-08-23T02:32:34Z |
Moose resident Marian Meyers admitted that she didn’t do all of her homework ahead of showing up to the polls Tuesday at the Teton County Recreation Center.
Meyers, who had been in the books as a Democrat, changed her registration to Republican so she could vote for U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who she admired for having the “guts to stand up for our country in the face of a lot of opposition.”
She was less certain, however, about which other Republicans on her ballot had values and stances that best aligned with her own – and so she left some bubbles unfilled.
“I did not want to vote for somebody who I was not familiar with and educated about,” Meyers said.
Meyers wasn’t alone – and it wasn’t just crossover voters who didn’t make it down the ballot.
There were more than 182,000 ballots cast across Wyoming during early and in-person voting, which is the highest raw count in a midterm primary election on record and the highest rate of turnout since 1994. Roughly 40% of Wyoming’s voting age population put a ballot in the mail or showed up to the polls. There was a 31% increase in Wyoming residents who voted compared to 2018, the last primary election halfway through a U.S. president’s term.
“To some degree, this was a referendum of where people stood on Trump, as much as anything else,” former Gov. Dave Freudenthal told WyoFile.
Largely, Wyoming voters motivated to come out sided with Trump in the highest-profile race: Cheney versus Harriet Hageman, the former president’s hand-picked proxy, who topped the incumbent by a 37% margin.
More than 99.5% of the nearly 172,000 ballots cast in the Republican primary marked either Cheney, Hageman or another candidate. Not so for candidates in races farther down the ballot. It’s nothing new, but there were several races – statewide, legislative, county, municipal and others – in which a significant portion of voters didn’t select a candidate.
In the competitive statewide race for the superintendent of public instruction, there were more than 25,000 fewer votes cast – called undervotes – than there were total ballots submitted. That’s about 14% of all the voters who turned out, and in that race, Megan Degenfelder topped incumbent appointed superintendent Brian Schroeder by a relatively slim margin, only 3,555 votes.
Notably, the undervote rate for the superintendent of public instruction improved compared to the 2018 primary, when 21% of Republicans didn’t select a superintendent candidate.
There were 14,000 undervotes in the race for secretary of state, a position that oversees Wyoming’s elections. State Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper, who campaigned on the premise that the 2020 election was rigged, won with 75,938 votes. Second-place finisher, state Sen. Tara Nethercott, garnered 63,044 votes. Still, the undervote very likely played no role in the outcome – it would only have swung the race to Nethercott if more than 90% of the would-be voters filled her bubble.
But undervotes might have played a role in the outcomes of some Wyoming Legislature races. In Albany County’s House District 14, Julie McCallister lost by just 125 votes to Bryan Shuster in a race with 487 fewer votes placed than total ballots cast in the district. Albany County houses Laramie, a liberal-for-Wyoming city where voters were more apt to cross over. Based on who donated to the candidates – far-right mega-donors Dan and Carleen Brophys backed Shuster – a higher percentage of down-ballot voting might have swung the race to McCallister.
Shuster will face incumbent Rep. Trey Sherwood, D-Laramie, in November’s general election.
Cheyenne resident Jeff Oliver is an example of a Wyoming voter who weighed in on statewide races in the primary, but didn’t vote all the way down the ballot. Usually a Democrat, his disapproval of Trump and the former president’s endorsed candidates motivated him to change party affiliation.
“With the age of Trump, democracy is in peril,” Oliver said.
Oliver voted against three Trump picks: Hageman, Schroeder and Gray. He didn’t vote on state House or Senate races, and personally knew of five or six other people in his circle who did something similar.
“You know, in some of those races, they’re either like a Republican that’s unopposed or they are like two or three Republicans, who pretty much are equally very hardcore conservative,” Oliver said. “So, there’s not a viable one that I would see as much better than the other in terms of what they’re going to do for Wyoming.”
The general election, where Wyoming voters can choose between Republicans and often long-shot independents, Democrats and minor-party candidates, is Nov. 8.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/elections/election_2022/voters-turned-out-for-wyo-primary-but-left-some-bubbles-empty/article_17adb95a-2261-11ed-98f0-cf8e59cdb0c1.html | 2022-08-23T02:33:39Z |
ROCK SPRINGS -- Many students are facing food insecurities in Sweetwater County School District No. 1.
“When your stomach is growling, you're not thinking about multiplication,” said Eric Ulacher, community director for Knights of Columbus.
ROCK SPRINGS -- Many students are facing food insecurities in Sweetwater County School District No. 1.
“When your stomach is growling, you're not thinking about multiplication,” said Eric Ulacher, community director for Knights of Columbus.
The 5th annual Coats for Kids Trail Run takes place on Saturday, Aug. 27, 8 a.m. at Stagecoach Elementary School in Rock Springs.
Urlacher is a physical education instructor at Stagecoach Elementary and the head coach for the RSHS Tiger cross country team.
According to Urlacher, the entry fee for adults is $25. Students, 19 and under, can participate for free with a food or clothing donation. Additional donations are appreciated.
Priority items include:
- Lightly used winter clothing
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Rice meals
Physical donations will go to the Stagecoach Backpack Program.
50% of profits Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids and Food for Families program
50% of profits go to Rock Springs Tigers Cross Country team to support student-athletes.
Participants will meet on the morning of registration from 8 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. at Stagecoach Elementary in the rear bus loop. Spectators are encouraged to bring a lawn chair to cheer on their families and friends. The 5K and 10K trail races will begin at 9 a.m. sharp.
Both races will start at the rear Stagecoach parking lot. For small children, there is a dirt road that would be ideal for off-road strollers. Baby-backpacks or children walking is another option.
For 5K participants, they will follow the single track as well as a dirt–road from Stagecoach to the base of White Mountain and back.
The 10K challengers will continue uphill on a single track to the first shelf of White Mountain after the 5K turnoff. They will go north and then move down on a two-track back towards the school. Courses will be flagged.
“White Mountain has great trails on it and I thought that this community has a fair amount of road races but not a lot of trail races so I wanted to utilize the White Mountain areas,” Urlacher shared. “I hope that the participants would help foster a love for moving 60 minutes a day as well as offer a charitable contribution for the kids in our town.”
He added, “If you're not fed and you don't have your needs met, you can't learn.”
“The greatest thing I could do as a teacher is in order to help kids learn is to make sure that their basic needs are met. They can't achieve anything until these needs are met so I guess I feel that I'm helping them learn as best as they can.”
He noted that anyone at any fitness level can participate and that “anybody can get a prize from a community sponsor.”
Anyone who has any questions about the event, may contact Urlacher at urlachere@sw1.k12.wy.us.
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A receipt was sent to your email. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/feeding-the-mind-annual-trail-run-conquers-hunger-and-keep-kids-warm/article_6534d3b0-2271-11ed-9fd2-03bd9a92807d.html | 2022-08-23T02:33:45Z |
Gary Gaines, coach of ‘Friday Night Lights’ fame, dead at 73
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - Gary Gaines, coach of the Texas high school football team made famous in the book and movie “Friday Night Lights,” has died. He was 73.
Gaines’ family said in a statement the former coach died Monday in Lubbock after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Gaines made many stops in West Texas during a 30-year coaching career, but was best known for a four-year stint leading the highly successful program at Odessa Permian. Gaines returned to Permian later in his career.
His 1988 team was chronicled in Buzz Bissinger’s bestselling book, which portrayed a program and school that favored football over academics and attributed racist comments to assistant coaches.
Gaines, who was played by Billy Bob Thornton in the 2004 movie, said he never read the book and felt betrayed by Bissinger after the author spent the entire 1988 season with the team.
The book, which portrayed Gaines as a compassionate coach caught in the win-at-all-costs culture of a high school program in football-crazed Texas, also was turned into a TV series.
Permian lost in the state semifinals in 1988, a season that included the loss of star running back James “Boobie” Miles to a knee injury during a preseason scrimmage. Miles’ character played a prominent role in the movie.
The book described scenes of “for sale” signs being placed in the front yard of Gaines’ home. His record from 1986-89 was 47-6-1.
Gaines led Permian to the fifth of the program’s six state championships with a perfect season in 1989, then left to become an assistant coach at Texas Tech.
He later coached two of Permian’s rivals, Abilene High and San Angelo Central, before returning to college as the coach at Abilene Christian. Another four-year run as Permian’s coach started in 2009, and Gaines also was a school district athletic director in Odessa and Lubbock.
“I just can’t find the words to pay respects,” retired coach Ron King, a former Permian assistant, told the Odessa American. “It’s a big loss for the coaching profession. There are a lot of coaches he took under his wing and mentored.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/gary-gaines-coach-friday-night-lights-fame-dead-73/ | 2022-08-23T03:30:40Z |
Conservationists are calling on the public to help safeguard 'Ua'u Kani, or Wedge-tailed Shearwater Seabirds, after five of them have been found dead in the Ha'ena area on Kaua'i over the past several weeks.
Experts suspect either pets or feral animals killed the birds.
"It's incredibly tragic to hear of these recent kills and I know this is not the first incident in Ha'ena this year," said Alex Dutcher of invasive predator management group Hallux Ecosystems Restoration.
The seabird deaths are especially tragic, scientists point out, as shearwater chicks rely on both parents to grow up successfully.
This time of year, the baby birds are hatching and will be resting in their ground burrows for more than three months before heading out to sea.
Not only are they easily accessible to predators, much of the time they're unguarded, as their parents will forage at sea during the day -- which is why conservationists are urging pet owners to be vigilant.
"Keeping your dogs on a leash, keeping your dogs in a fenced yard if can, keeping your cats indoors or on leashes as well," Dutcher added.
Experts deem the 'Ua'u Kani a critical species because they deliver to upland plants much-needed nutrients that then trickle down throughout watersheds.
"So there's a lot of studies done, especially in coastal systems, looking at the impacts of seabirds on reef health, size of fish, health of coral," Dutcher said.
If you see an 'Ua'u Kani in distress, call Save Our Shearwaters at (808) 635-5117.
Click here for more information on how to safeguard Shearwaters.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
'A'ali'i is a reporter with KITV. He was born and raised on the island of Maui and graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. | https://www.kitv.com/news/its-incredibly-tragic-5-native-seabirds-found-dead-on-kauai/article_d45f6f06-2281-11ed-8571-33a47ba6f08b.html | 2022-08-23T03:32:38Z |
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