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In all the love stories ever told, has there ever been such a recipe for disaster as in the tale of illicit love? Beginning 3,000 years ago, when Zeus, the married King of the Gods, was gallivanting with all his many mistresses, the message was clear: Unconventional trysts are destined to end badly for all concerned.
But how brightly these love affairs burn during their short span! Heroes become spies as they plot their next tryst, and brief encounters take on this huge intensity, where every moment is lapped up in haste and savored for eternity.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-05-31/forbidden-pages-books-of-illicit-love-thrill-delight | 2022-08-23T17:34:38Z |
In the early '60s psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted his "obedience" experiments, showing that most people will do what an authority figure tells them to do. Psychology professor Thomas Blass details Milgram's life and work in his book The Man Who Shocked the World.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-06-12/how-stanley-milgram-shocked-the-world | 2022-08-23T17:34:44Z |
James von Brunn walked into the U.S. Holocaust Museum and killed a security guard. Late term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller was shot at church.
With examples of right-wing extremism making headlines, guests debate whether heated rhetoric fans the flames.
Guests:
Kathleen Parker, syndicated columnist for The Washington Post Writers Group
Jamie Kirchick, assistant editor of New Republic. He wrote "The Religious Right Didn't Kill George Tiller," which appeared in the Wall Street Journal.
Carol M. Swain, author of The New White Nationalism In America and professor at Vanderbilt University Law School
Listen to the TOTN podcast. Sign up for the newsletter.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-06-15/is-right-wing-extremism-on-the-rise | 2022-08-23T17:34:51Z |
Amer grew up in Kuwait, where he enjoyed a comfortable life — until he was 9, and the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the U.S. in 1991. His new series is Mo.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
Amer grew up in Kuwait, where he enjoyed a comfortable life — until he was 9, and the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the U.S. in 1991. His new series is Mo.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-23/comic-mo-amer-draws-on-his-palestinian-and-texan-roots-in-a-new-netflix-series | 2022-08-23T17:47:00Z |
On Valse Sinistre, Drummond's ride-cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms — the sound of a musician fully engaged and in the habit of attentive listening.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
On Valse Sinistre, Drummond's ride-cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms — the sound of a musician fully engaged and in the habit of attentive listening.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.keranews.org/2022-08-23/new-quartet-album-by-jazz-drummer-billy-drummond-is-a-treat | 2022-08-23T17:47:07Z |
CAUGHT ON CAM: Man tries to break open game machine with ax
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (WPVI) – Authorities in Philadelphia are looking for people who have been trying to steal money out of gaming machines, with a suspect even using an ax in one case.
The brazen thief was caught on camera bludgeoning the skill machine with an ax around 4 a.m. Monday as the 7-Eleven employees, along with store owner Vincent Emmanuel, watched in fear.
“It’s like right out of a ‘Friday the 13th’ horror movie, that’s what’s happening,” he said. “All you’re doing is getting ready and going to work one day and, all the sudden, you’re faced with people with an ax in their hand.”
It’s not the first time gaming machines have been targeted in Philadelphia. In June, three suspects robbed similar machines of thousands of dollars at a Sunoco convenience store and, an hour later, struck again at another Sunoco store. Another store’s machines were hacked at by thieves in February.
In response to the series of break-ins to the machines, the company who makes them responded by making the machines with metal, which has worked to protect them so far.
Thieves were unsuccessful after trying to break into one of the machines with an ax at a Gas-And-Go store, even trying to load the entire machine into their getaway car to no avail.
“The whole operation takes about two and a half minutes,” Emmanuel said. “It’s like a lightning bolt. It was pre-planned, they came and they only have to be correct one time. There’s money involved, and when they get that money, they can do this over and over again. They are getting lucky at some places, and that is what is going on.”
Emmanuel said he doesn’t think the suspect got away with any money during Monday’s incident.
Copyright 2022 WPVI via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/caught-cam-man-tries-break-open-game-machine-with-ax/ | 2022-08-23T17:55:34Z |
Discussing The Dukes: JMU wrapping up preseason camp
Published: Aug. 23, 2022 at 1:43 PM EDT|Updated: 10 minutes ago
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Discussing The Dukes is back for another episode.
WHSV Sports Director TJ Eck is joined by Noah Fleischman of the Daily News-Record and Dave Riggert, radio play-by-play voice of the Dukes, to chat about the JMU football team as preseason camp winds down for the Dukes.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/discussing-dukes-jmu-wrapping-up-preseason-camp/ | 2022-08-23T17:55:35Z |
Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada arrested in corruption probe
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s disgraced former House Speaker Glen Casada and his top aide were arrested Tuesday on federal charges including bribery, kickbacks and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Their indictments follow the abrupt resignation in March of Republican Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges involving Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren. Speculation has swirled about what additional charges might come in the corruption probe.
FBI agents arrested Casada and Cothren at their homes Tuesday morning. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison. Both pleaded not guilty Tuesday and received pretrial release with travel restricted to the middle district of Tennessee unless otherwise approved.
The 20-count charging document alleges Casada and Cothren exploited their positions of power by working with another unnamed lawmaker to funnel money to themselves using a political consulting firm — known as Phoenix Solutions, LLC — to conceal their involvement.
Cothren registered the firm in New Mexico because the state allows anonymous registration of LLCs, and rebuffed requests for in-person meetings with Casada’s fellow lawmakers, saying the company representatives were out of state.
The trio deceived other Tennessee lawmakers in a conspiracy “to enrich themselves by obtaining bribes and kickbacks from Cothren, in exchange for securing the approval of Phoenix Solutions as a mailer program vendor,” a Justice Department news release said.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who succeeded his fellow Republican in the leadership post, was among several lawmakers and former or current staffers to testify in front of a grand jury in March. Sexton commended the FBI on Tuesday, saying he will continue assisting in the investigation if a trial is needed. Smith also promised to cooperate as a potential witness.
Revelations about the case also prompted lawmakers to pass tougher state campaign finance and ethics requirements this year.
“Today is a good day for Tennesseans because we did not turn a blind eye on these criminal activities,” Sexton said.
Casada resigned as speaker in 2019 but held onto his seat after revelations that he and Cothren had exchanged sexually explicit text messages about women years earlier. He is not running for reelection this year. Cothren lost his legislative job in the texting scandal, but remained involved in Republican politics.
FBI agents searched the homes and offices of several state lawmakers in January 2021, including those of Casada and Smith, and the home of Cothren.
The charging documents revealed Tuesday say Cothren launched Phoenix Solutions with Smith’s and Casada’s “knowledge and support” to offer mail and consulting services to lawmakers. All three claimed the firm was run by a “Matthew Phoenix” when in fact it was a made-up alias for Cothren, and Casada knew the name was fictitious, the documents allege.
The documents allege Smith emailed Cothren at one point saying he “may have to assume the role of Matthew again.” He replied saying, “Matthew, reporting for duty!” and included a GIF of “a salute from Harrison Ford’s character Han Solo in the movie Star Wars,” officials said.
Federal investigators said a separate text exchange showed Casada texted Cothren in late 2019 saying “I think this is starting off well I’m pleased!” Cothren later cautioned that “we just have to make sure no one knows it’s me involved,” they said.
When Casada raised concerns about lawmakers wanting “representatives from Phoenix” to make an in-person presentation, Cothren responded that they would remind lawmakers “they live in New Mexico. Will have to get on the phone for it and I could disguise my voice if I has (sic) to.”
Phoenix Solutions received roughly $52,000 from the state in payments associated with the mailer program, according to the charging documents.
Meanwhile, Cothren continues to fight a subpoena over the state campaign finance regulators’ investigation into the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC.
Ahead of the 2020 GOP primary election, the political action committee targeted then-Rep. Rick Tillis, the brother of North Carolina U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. Rick Tillis lost to Republican Rep. Todd Warner, who was among those subject to the FBI searches in January 2021.
The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance decided to reopen its probe into the PAC after its treasurer testified in January that she is Cothren’s former girlfriend and opened the PAC because Cothren asked her to. She said Cothren assured her she was doing nothing wrong and that she took no further action.
Cothren has informed the registry that he is invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and won’t abide by its subpoena. The registry handed the case off to state prosecutors. The state has sued over Cothren’s refusal.
Casada also was subpoenaed, and told the registry he wasn’t involved with the PAC. Casada opted to run for Williamson County clerk this year instead of his statehouse seat, and lost in the GOP primary.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/former-tennessee-house-speaker-glen-casada-arrested-corruption-probe/ | 2022-08-23T17:55:39Z |
LISTEN: 8-year-old uses dad’s amateur radio to chat with astronaut aboard the ISS
ENGLAND (Gray News/TMX) – An 8-year-old girl in Kent, England recently made a very long-distance call to the International Space Station.
Isabella Payne used her father’s amateur radio to contact the ISS on Aug. 2.
Her call was answered by NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, commander of NASA SpaceX Crew-4, which launched on April 27 for a planned six-month mission.
“My name’s Isabella, I’m 8 years old,” she said over the radio.
“Isabella, it’s so great to chat with you, thank you for getting on the radio and saying hello,” Lindgren replied.
Lindgren tweeted that he’s talked to amateur radio operators all over the world, but “this may be my favorite contact so far.”
“Thank you so much @astro_kjell, you have changed her world,” Isabella’s father, Matthew, tweeted.
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, uses small frequency bands and is limited to non-commercial purposes.
According to the International Amateur Radio Union, there are more than 3 million licensed operators worldwide.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/listen-8-year-old-uses-dads-amateur-radio-chat-with-astronaut-aboard-iss/ | 2022-08-23T17:55:45Z |
Loyola University’s Sister Jean turns 103
CHICAGO (WLS) – Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved ambassador of Loyola University, turned 103 on Sunday.
The city of Chicago is honoring her by naming a plaza on campus after her. Friends, family and people from all over the community gathered to celebrate her birthday and plaza dedication.
A sign on the plaza reads, “Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM Plaza” and “Home of the World Famous Sister Jean!”
Schmidt said she plans on visiting her namesake plaza more often.
“And to dedicate the plaza? That’s something very special. I’ll come more frequently, I know that! I know that for sure,” she said.
Donned in her maroon and gold, whether off or on the sidelines, and cheering for the Ramblers, she makes an impact that goes well beyond the court as an educator and mentor.
Sister Jean gained overnight popularity in 2018 during the NCAA Tournament when Loyola upset Miami.
She said her secret to longevity is eating well, sleeping well and praying well.
She will continue her birthday celebration on Tuesday when she will throw out the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game.
Schmidt said perhaps she should “get better prepared to get to heaven,” but for now, “I’m having so much fun.”
Copyright 2022 WLS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/loyola-universitys-sister-jean-turns-103/ | 2022-08-23T17:55:52Z |
Paul Pelosi gets 5 days in jail, 3 years of probation in DUI
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California’s wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.
Paul Pelosi already served two days in jail and received conduct credit for two other days, Napa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Solga said. Paul Pelosi will work eight hours in the court’s work program in lieu of the remaining day, Solga said during Paul Pelosi’s sentencing, which he did not attend.
State law allows for DUI misdemeanor defendants to appear through their attorney unless ordered otherwise by the court.
As part of his probation, Paul Pelosi will also be required to attend a three-month drinking driver class, and install an ignition interlock device, where the driver has to provide a breath sample before the engine will start. He will also have to pay nearly $7,000 in fines, the judge said.
Paul Pelosi was arrested following a May 28 crash in Napa County, north of San Francisco, after a DUI test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .082%, just over the legal limit.
Officers responding to the crash after 10 p.m. near the wine country town of Yountville said they found Pelosi in the driver’s seat of a 2021 Porsche Carrera and the other driver standing outside a sport utility vehicle, according to the complaint.
California Highway Patrol officers reported that Pelosi was “unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.”
Pelosi offered to officers his driver’s license along with an “11-99 Foundation” card when asked for identification, the complaint says. The 11-99 Foundation supports CHP employees and their families.
Prosecutors filed the case as a misdemeanor because of injuries to the 48-year-old driver of the SUV. They have declined to identify the driver, saying the person has requested privacy.
In an interview with investigators from the district attorney’s office, the driver reported pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and neck the day after the crash. He said he also had headaches.
Pelosi was released on $5,000 bail after his arrest. Speaker Pelosi was in Rhode Island to deliver the commencement address at Brown University at the time. Her office has declined to comment.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/paul-pelosi-gets-5-days-jail-3-years-probation-dui/ | 2022-08-23T17:55:54Z |
Pfizer COVID shots appear 73% effective in children younger than 5
(AP) - Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was 73% effective in protecting children younger than 5 as omicron spread in the spring, the company announced Tuesday.
Vaccinations for babies, toddlers and preschoolers opened in the U.S. in June after months of delay. Only about 6% of youngsters ages 6 months through 4 years had gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by mid-August, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Health authorities authorized tot-sized vaccine doses made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech based on a study showing they were safe and produced high levels of virus-fighting antibodies. But there was only preliminary data on how that translated into effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19.
The new update analyzed COVID-19 diagnoses between March and June in Pfizer’s ongoing study of the three-dose vaccine. There were 21 COVID-19 cases among the 351 tots who got dummy shots -- compared to just 13 among the 794 youngsters given three vaccine doses.
The child cases primarily were caused by the BA.2 omicron version that was circulating at the time. Currently, another omicron relative, BA.5, is causing most COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and much of the world.
In older children and adults, the COVID-19 vaccines have been used long enough to prove that they remain strongly protective against severe disease and death even as the coronavirus mutates -- while early protection against infection wanes. Still, scientists track that initial effectiveness rate as extra evidence of vaccine performance and to look for signs of how they initially hold up against new mutants.
Pfizer this week asked U.S. regulators to authorize modified vaccine doses that better match the newest omicron variants for people 12 and older as boosters this fall. The company said it also is developing updated shots for kids younger than 12.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/pfizer-covid-shots-appear-73-effective-children-younger-than-5/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:06Z |
US to send $3 billion in aid to Ukraine as war hits 6 months
WASHINGTON (AP) — As Russia’s war on Ukraine drags on, U.S. security assistance is shifting to a longer-term campaign that will likely keep more American military troops in Europe into the future, including imminent plans to announce an additional roughly $3 billion in aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come, U.S. officials said.
U.S. officials told The Associated Press that the package is expected to be announced Wednesday, the day the war hits the six-month mark and Ukraine celebrates its independence day. The money will fund contracts for drones, weapons and other equipment that may not see the battlefront for a year or two, they said.
The total of the aid package — which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative — could change overnight, but not likely by much. Several officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the aid before its public release.
Unlike most previous packages, the new funding is largely aimed at helping Ukraine secure its medium- to long-term defense posture, according to officials familiar with the matter. Earlier shipments, most of them done under Presidential Drawdown Authority, have focused on Ukraine’s more immediate needs for weapons and ammunition and involved materiel that the Pentagon already has in stock that can be shipped in short order.
In addition to providing longer-term assistance that Ukraine can use for potential future defense needs, the new package is intended to reassure Ukrainian officials that the United States intends to keep up its support, regardless of the day-to-day back and forth of the conflict, the officials said.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg noted the more extended focus Tuesday as he reaffirmed the alliance’s support for the conflict-torn country.
“Winter is coming, and it will be hard, and what we see now is a grinding war of attrition. This is a battle of wills, and a battle of logistics. Therefore we must sustain our support for Ukraine for the long term, so that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign, independent nation,” Stoltenberg said, speaking at a virtual conference about Crimea, organized by Ukraine.
Six months after Russia invaded, the war has slowed to a grind, as both sides trade combat strikes and small advances in the east and south. Both sides have seen thousands of troops killed and injured, as Russia’s bombardment of cities has killed countless innocent civilians.
There are fears that Russia will intensify attacks on civilian infrastructure and government facilities in Ukraine in the coming days because of the independence holiday and the six-month anniversary of the invasion.
Late Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine and the State Department issued a new security alert for Ukraine that repeated a call for Americans in the country to leave due to the danger.
“Given Russia’s track record in Ukraine, we are concerned about the continued threat that Russian strikes pose to civilians and civilian infrastructure,” it said.
To date, the U.S. has provided about $10.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including 19 packages of weapons taken directly from Defense Department stocks since August 2021.
U.S. defense leaders are also eyeing plans that will expand training for Ukrainian troops outside their country, and for militaries on Europe’s eastern and southern flanks that feel most threatened by Russia’s aggression.
___
Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/us-send-3-billion-aid-ukraine-war-hits-6-months/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:12Z |
RENO, Nev., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspen Alpha Advisors, LLC (AAA), a life settlements manager, recently won a Prequin Award for their management. Their life settlement niche strategy has received a Prequin Award for top performance. Prequin is a market data company that provides financial data and information on the alternative investment space and supports further investment in alternatives.
"We are really proud to receive this award, as Prequin is a stable in the alternative asset data space," says Jordon Trice, managing partner, and investor relations for Aspen Alpha Advisors, LLC. "We are confident we can continue on this trajectory."
Niche strategies are a small part of the overall hedge fund space. AAA's life settlement management is a true alternative for most investors. Being recognized by Prequin holds significant weight because they track the majority of the alternative investment space.
"There are many investment alternatives out there," says Trice, "and the reason people invest in alternatives is because they are looking to be outside the usual stock, bonds, and mutual funds space."
The combined team at AAA has over 30 years of experience in the life settlement industry, from servicing to producing non-market correlated returns for investors. AAA is a pure play life settlement manager focused on returns not correlated to the broader markets, and their management strategy is in the insurance-linked category.
"These strategies are linked to different forms of underlying insurance-related risk, such as life/longevity products, natural catastrophes, or industry loss, with little-to-no correlation to capital markets," says Trice.
Media Contact: Dana Reynolds
Phone: 207-749-3653
Email: dana@musegroupmarketing.com
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SOURCE Aspen Alpha Advisors | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/aspen-alpha-advisors-win-prequin-award/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:19Z |
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nashville's hiring market is about to change with the addition of Incipio Workforce Solutions to the Middle Tennessee area. A partnership with Incipio, means you can stop JUST filling empty positions and start retaining top talent. Incipio Workforce Solutions is helping businesses thrive through Workforce Alignment, Recruiting, Employer Branding, and HR solutions. After establishing roots in Louisville, KY and creating long-lasting partnerships with Grit & Gravel, OrgVitals, and UnicusPar they have grown into a thriving national player in the recruiting and hiring world. At the beginning of August, they began bridging businesses from Louisville to Nashville with the opening of their second office in Lebanon, TN! With their partner, Grit & Gravel, they plan to make a huge impact. Both organizations agree that Greater Nashville is overflowing with opportunity and they look forward to what is coming next.
Incipio has worked with large corporations hiring hundreds of people in a year all the way to smaller businesses looking for single digit hires. It doesn't matter if it's manufacturing, construction, healthcare, senior living, technology, or hospitality, they have a team of experts who specialize in many fields and are prepared to make your company's hiring and retention a success.
The problem with today's hiring culture is that businesses are not intentionally hiring. There is a need for cultural changes and the addition of dedicated employees - Incipio can help you create both in a customized approach that is unique to your organization. Through their partnership with OrgVitals, they will administer continued employee analyses for data tracking to understand where your culture is great and how it can improve. Through their partnership with Grit & Gravel, they are able to attract the top talent through targeted candidate driven marketing and advertising. After creating the best culture and finding the best talent, their partnership with UnicusPar will improve the hiring process through advanced placement technology that finds the right organization for a candidate and the best candidate for your teams!
Nashville, it's time to partner in your hiring and retention needs with a team of experts. Incipio Workforce Solutions will bring a new perspective, build your team, lower your turnover cost, and better your business. Contact Incipio today to begin your journey toward a stronger and more effective team.
Incipio offers professional services in Workforce Alignment, Applicant Recruiting, Employer Branding, and HR. Learn more.
Molley Ricketts
502.544.3706
immediateneeds@incipioworks.com
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SOURCE Incipio Workforce Solutions | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/bridging-business-louisville-nashville/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:26Z |
Working with a powerful coalition of public and private stakeholders, LYT's TSP solution improved transit bus flow along one of the region's busiest corridors
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG), Sustainable Silicon Valley, SamTrans, City of East Palo Alto and LYT, a leader in intelligent connected traffic technology solutions, announced today it has successfully completed a pilot project for Intelligent Transit Signal Prioritization (iTSP).The project saw an overall positive impact for improved transit performance in the East Palo Alto community, and complete results of the project will be presented to the East Palo Alto City Council on September 20.
The efficiency of local transit has a direct impact on transit dependent communities such as East Palo Alto which is designated as an Equity Priority Community in part due to the number of Zero-Vehicle Households (9% have no vehicle, as compared to 6% Countywide). Without iTSP, buses stop at traffic signals 70% of the time. With iTSP deployed at key traffic intersections, the pilot demonstrated that buses spent less time idling and got riders to their destinations faster and more efficiently.
With over $178,000 of funding from City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG), Sustainable Silicon Valley (SSV) formed a coalition of public and private stakeholders including San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans), City of East Palo Alto and LYT, to deliver intelligent transit priority along congested arteries in transit-dependent communities. The City of East Palo Alto is a place where such improvements in transit speed and reliability are most needed and can potentially improve the quality of life for residents.
For the pilot project, the coalition deployed LYT's Artificial Intelligence-powered Transit Signal Priority (TSP) technology, called LYT.transit, on a corridor consisting of four signalized intersections in East Palo Alto. This corridor is a subsection of SamTrans route 281 and includes the following intersections:
- University Ave. & Bay Rd.
- University Ave. & Runnymede St.
- University Ave. & Bell St.
- University Ave. & Donohoe St.
The iTSP deployment on University Ave. yielded a significant positive impact on several key performance indicators. TSP reduced northbound intersection delays by 45% and southbound intersection delays by 19%. These reductions translate to 18% and 7% reductions in travel time for northbound and southbound respectively.
As SamTrans completes the upgrade of its CAD/AVL system, they will collect
iTSP data to inform where they can produce operation efficiencies, advise scheduling changes, and drive TSP deployments to be able to meet improved transit service goals.
"Our solutions keep transit vehicles moving for a more reliable and consistent rider experience, while minimizing the impact to other road users. Better transit helps to build better communities and increases the quality of life for all residents. We're excited about the results we saw during our pilot in one of the area's most congested corridors," said Tim Menard, CEO and Founder of LYT. "Traffic management systems driven by Artificial Intelligence and machine learning principles are now benefitting entire regions and transforming cities into places where people can live, work, and move more freely."
The ability to evaluate new technologies in a real world context is key to understanding how these systems will perform and scale. "We want to keep transit on the cutting edge of the latest technology," said SamTrans Board Chair Pete Ratto."iTSP has shown itself to be a great tool in
accomplishing that goal."
A sustainable approach to technology deployment is also key to unlocking value for the long term. "Reliable transit is essential for our community as East Palo Alto residents currently own cars at a much lower rate than the county average. LYT's pilot helped demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a transit signal priority system in East Palo Alto that benefits our community and can be beneficial across jurisdictions," said Lisa Gauthier, East Palo Alto Vice Mayor and C/CAG Board Member.
Developing and maintaining partnerships with local communities, agencies and non-profits allows rapid identification, evaluation and funding of worthwhile projects. "C/CAG is excited about this project, as it serves as another strong example of what's possible when you merge creative and collaborative problem solving with technology," said Davina Hurt, Belmont City Councilmember and Chair of the C/CAG Board. "C/CAG is committed to supporting nimble pilot projects, and leverages those lessons learned to help advance the county's mobility and clean air goals."
Bringing cities, agencies and tech together around some of the big challenges facing under-represented communities is itself a powerful tool. "SSV is recognized for creating unique partnerships and we are pleased to identify a solution for a systemic transit issue in East Palo Alto with LYT's innovative technology and introduce SamTrans to an AI-powered TSP solution that scales for for wider deployment," said SSV Board Chair Andrew (Drew) Clark.
LYT is a cloud-based software platform that uses state-of-the-art connected vehicle and machine learning technologies to prioritize the flow of vehicles in a city and across a corridor. By optimizing public transport, emergency and other vehicles it enables shorter travel times, less congestion, improved air-quality and more reliable mass transit.
The LYT/SSV team will present the project findings in a Special Presentation to the City of East Palo Alto City Council at the September 20th, 2022, City Council meeting.
About C/CAG
C/CAG works on issues that affect the quality of life in general; transportation, air quality, stormwater runoff, airport/land use compatibility planning, hazardous waste, climate planning, energy and water resource strategies, and solid waste and recycling. C/CAG operates as a Joint Powers Authority and has membership that includes each of the 20 cities and the County in San Mateo County. (https://ccag.ca.gov/)
SamTrans operates 70 routes throughout San Mateo County. Funded in part by a half-cent sales tax, the San Mateo County Transit District also provides administrative support for Caltrain and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. SamTrans has provided bus service to San Mateo County customers since 1976. Click here for fact sheet.
LYT is an intelligent connected traffic technology provider that offers a cloud-based platform that orchestrates today's Intelligent Transportation Systems. LYT's AI-powered machine learning technology enables a suite of transit signal priority and emergency vehicle preemption solutions that utilize pre-existing vehicle tracking sensors and city communication networks to dynamically adjust the phase and timing of traffic signals to provide sufficient green clearance time while minimally impacting cross traffic. LYT is headquartered in Silicon Valley and serves municipalities across the US. Learn more at LYT.ai.
SSV is a nonprofit "think and do tank" that has a well-deserved reputation for coalescing Silicon Valley residents, government, agencies, leading tech companies, and start ups around tough sustainability issues such as equity and transit. With support from C/CAG, SSV formed a coalition of private/ public partners for the intelligent Transit Signal Priority project, and successfully led the pilot project, creating a blueprint for future investments in regional bus systems.
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SOURCE LYT | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/ccag-announces-successful-completion-its-transit-signal-prioritization-pilot-project-led-by-ssv-with-samtrans-east-palo-alto-using-lyt-technology/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:33Z |
Deal further cements Cottonwood's rapid growth in the multifamily sector
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cottonwood Group ("Cottonwood"), a private equity real estate investment firm, is pleased to announce that it has acquired a 480-unit multifamily portfolio (the "Portfolio") in Fort Worth, Texas with Dallas-based Texsun Holdings ("Texsun"). The Portfolio consists of the Woodstone Apartments, located at 6051 Bridge Street, and Bridge Hollow Apartments, located at 5801 Bridge Street.
Cottonwood acquired the Portfolio through the Cottonwood Real Estate Founders Fund, a multi-strategy open-ended fund. The Portfolio is the second multifamily acquisition between Cottonwood and Texsun this year. The partnership acquired two multifamily assets, the San Mateo Apartments and Heights on Perrin Apartments in San Antonio, last month.
"We are thrilled to complete another transaction with Texsun and to add such a high-quality asset to our Texas portfolio," said Mark Green, Chief Investment Officer at Cottonwood. "While other traditional investors may be pulling back due to economic and market uncertainty, we remain bullish on the multifamily sector."
The business plan includes a renovation and repositioning of the approximate 342,000-square-foot Portfolio, for which Cottonwood and Texsun have budgeted approximately $5 million.
"Our team is excited to build upon our relationship with Cottonwood to complete another successful acquisition in Texas," said Sean Fogelman, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Texsun Holdings. "We are eager to continue expanding our presence in Texas, and the Fort Worth Portfolio acquisition plays a key role in helping us achieve that goal."
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Cottonwood is a private equity real estate investment firm focused on equity and debt opportunities across all property sectors and geographies. The firm's ability to act as a lender, investor, operator and sponsor of real estate investments of all sizes and complexities is fundamental to delivering a risk-adjusted absolute return for investors. Investing out of its discretionary Cottonwood Real Estate Founders Fund and separate institutional accounts, Cottonwood targets U.S. real estate opportunities with a capitalization of up to $1 billion. For more information, visit www.cottonwoodmgmt.com.
Headquartered in Dallas, Texsun Holdings is a privately-owned real estate private equity firm offering commercial real estate solutions for both retail and institutional investors. Texsun applies a fundamental-oriented approach toward acquiring and managing core-plus and value-add multifamily assets throughout Texas. For more information, visit www.texsunholdings.com.
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SOURCE Cottonwood Group | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/cottonwood-group-partners-with-texsun-holdings-second-multifamily-portfolio-acquisition-texas/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:40Z |
The global music streaming service launches a 360° marketing campaign in key markets, highlighting how music can elevate moods and perceptions.
PARIS, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Deezer (DEEZR), is repositioning its brand to attract younger users. As a first step, a new marketing campaign launched on August 22 in France, Germany and Brazil. Award-winning French agency Buzzman was chosen as the main partner for the campaign, and the wider brand development.
With engaging visuals from photographer Lou Escobar, Deezer presents a number of intriguing scenarios that at first glance might not tell the full story. After scanning a QR code on the image, a song will be played which will either elevate or change the perception of the scenario. The artists range from icons such as Edith Piaf, global superstars like Dua Lipa, and local heroes such as Heuss L'enfoiré, Jul, Die Prinzen and Vitor Kley.
"A song has the power to change how you view the world around you. As the home of music, Deezer is the best partner to set the mood in any situation of our users' lives," said Elsa Batigne, VP Brand Marketing, Deezer. "Working with Buzzman, we have created a disruptive, and engaging campaign, where music makes images come to life. We can't wait for our users to interact and play with the concept, and use the power of music to create their own content."
The campaign will show imagery in multiple outdoor formats, including 8 M2 billboards, as well as digital activations, social media, and TV across France, Germany and Brazil. Additionally, Deezer is creating a TikTok challenge where people will enhance or change a situation with the power of music.
ABOUT DEEZER
Deezer is one of the largest independent music streaming platforms in the world, with more than 90 million tracks available in 180 countries, providing access to lossless HiFi audio, innovative recommendation technology and industry defining features. As the home of music, Deezer brings artists and fans together on a scalable and global platform, to unlock the full potential of music through technology. Founded in 2007 in Paris, Deezer is now a global company with a team of over 600 people based in France, Germany, UK, Brazil and the US, all brought together by their passion for music, technology and innovation. Deezer is listed on the Professional Segment of Euronext Paris (Ticker: DEEZR. ISIN: FR001400AYG6) and is also part of the newly-created Euronext Tech Leaders segment, dedicated to European high-growth tech companies, and its associated index.
For the latest news on Deezer go to https://www.deezer-blog.com/press/. Like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram for realtime information.
ABOUT BUZZMAN
Buzzman, voted "Best International Small Agency of the Year award" in 2011 by Ad Age and "Agency of the year" at the Cristal Festival in 2013 and 2016, "Agency of the year" at the Effie Awards France 2016 and 2021, "Most Creative Agency" in 2016, "New Model of Creative Agency" (elected by advertisers) in 2017, "Advertising Agency of the Decade" in 2020 at the Agencies of the year Award and "Most French Creative Agency" in 2019 by BVA Limelight consulting, is an advertising agency creating innovative concepts that go beyond traditional advertising. Winning for several consecutive years at international well-known festivals (D&AD, Cannes Lions, Eurobest, EFFIE, Clio Awards…) as well as nationals, Buzzman is recognized as one of the most creative agencies in Europe.
Contact Investor Relations
investors@deezer.com
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SOURCE Deezer | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/deezer-defines-power-music-engaging-campaign-attract-gen-z/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:47Z |
Providing Researchers with Breakthrough Materials to Investigate Pre-Eclampsia
CENTENNIAL, Colo., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Essent Biologics™, a leading supplier of human-derived cell and scaffold materials, today announced availability for investigational researchers to obtain human pre-eclamptic cytotrophoblasts and Hofbauer cells through its distribution agreement with the Amnion Foundation.
The Amnion Foundation successfully isolated cytotrophoblasts and Hofbauer cells from the post-partum placenta of a donor with confirmed pre-eclampsia, enabling researchers to further investigate disease mechanisms at the cellular level and identify key differences in health and disease.
Pre-eclampsia is one of the leading causes of death in pregnant women, yet treatment options are limited and the disease etiology is poorly understood. Research studies are crucial to elucidating mechanisms and developing new effective treatments that improve the lives of both mother and child.
"The Amnion Foundation team leveraged their proprietary methods to establish disease-origin cytotrophoblasts and Hofbauer cells from a pre-eclamptic placenta," said Sharon Presnell, Ph.D., President and Director of Client Services for Amnion Foundation. "This provides an exciting opportunity for researchers in this space to expand their efforts and investigate cellular function in both health and disease using well characterized cells. Together, with Essent, we have reached an important milestone on our mission to make living cells from birth tissue accessible to support the development of life-changing therapies."
"We are proud to have a collaborative relationship with such an innovative partner in the Amnion Foundation," said Dr. Jeff Brown. "It's exciting to be able to support the Amnion Foundation with this breakthrough in post-partum research tools. The availability of these rare cells will open up new avenues for researchers and clinicians to further investigate this complicated disorder that affects so many mothers and babies."
To learn more about and how to purchase pre-eclampsia Cytotrophoblasts cells, visit https://essentbiologics.org/product/cytotrophoblast-cells-ctbs/; for Hofbauer cells, visit https://essentbiologics.org/product/hofbauer-cells-macrophages/.
The Amnion Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 organization located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. As an operating 501(c)3, Amnion actively processes donated birth tissues (placenta and umbilical cord) to generate viable human cells that are provided to researchers in academia, government, and pharma to support the development of in vitro models and in vivo therapies. The Foundation provides research-grade cells and related services to clients and has both GLP- and GMP-compliant capabilities. All donations to the Amnion Foundation are tax deductible and donors are provided the opportunity to direct their funds across a spectrum of internal and external projects. To learn more please visit www.amnionfoundation.org.
Essent Biologics is setting a new standard in human-derived biomaterials and comprehensive data for research. The nonprofit biotechnology company provides low-passaged primary cells, research tissue and scaffold materials to advance regenerative medicine research from benchtop to bedside. Essent Biologics supplies products in small or large volumes and serves as a manufacturing partner by creating master cell banks and an inventory of custom products within a tailored specification. In order to ensure reliable product quality, safety and efficacy, Essent Biologics products are developed using robust design control processes and produced under current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). For more information, please visit essentbiologics.org.
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SOURCE Essent Biologics | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/essent-biologics-releases-amnion-foundations-first-human-pre-eclamptic-primary-cytotrophoblasts-hofbauer-cells/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:53Z |
VISALIA, Calif., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Every Detail Solar announces a complimentary report to solar panel farms that shows how much potential gain in productivity solar panels can see by using our Softbrush™ technology.
"In one month, a 10% loss in solar panel productivity for a one gig solar field costs $1,000,000 in lost profit depending on your PPA. It could be more! We can clean outside of maintenance mode which adds 8% per day back to field production values. Our technology brings fields back to factory projected values at an unmatched speed, which is very important to your bottom line."—Dan Piepho, CEO of Every Detail Solar
Every Detail Solar's fleet of panel washing technology from tractors to robots is the largest and highest quality available in the U.S. Our Softbrush™ technology is designed with an extremely lightweight material built solely for the purpose of cleaning solar panels. Every Detail Solar technology uses rubber strips as soft squeegees that gently wipe away dirt and grime and the customized reverse osmosis water filter removes minerals for a spot-free rinse.
Learn more about how to maximize solar panel productivity by visiting www.everydetailsolar.com.
Every Detail Solar is on a mission to provide the best quality solar panel cleaning services available with the lowest carbon footprint. They believe that solar panel technology is one of the most important tools we have to combat climate change, and are dedicated to doing their part to promote the use of renewable energy. The Every Detail Solar team has the skills and experience necessary to clean solar panels to the highest standards, utilizing their technology which is designed to be as effective and efficient as possible. They believe that solar energy is a crucial part of the future, and are committed to helping make that future a reality.
Contact
Travis Piepho
Email: travis@everydetailsolar.com
Phone: (612) 662-4050
Website: everydetailsolar.com
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SOURCE Every Detail Solar, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/every-detail-solar-offers-complimentary-report-maximize-solar-panel-productivity/ | 2022-08-23T17:56:59Z |
HOUSTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Freeport LNG Development, L.P. (Freeport LNG) has completed a detailed assessment of alternatives for resuming operations at its liquefaction facility following the June 8th incident and has identified a recovery plan for reinstatement of partial operations that it believes ensures the long-term safety and integrity of the facility, provides recovery execution certainty, and minimizes procurement and performance testing risks. Although typical construction risks could impact the recovery plan, it is anticipated that initial production can commence in early to mid-November, and ramp up to a sustained level of at least 2 BCF per day by the end of November, representing over 85% of the export capacity of the facility. The recovery plan will utilize Freeport LNG's second LNG loading dock as a lay berth until loading capabilities at the second dock are reinstated in March 2023, at which time we anticipate being capable of operating at 100% of our capacity.
Freeport LNG has engaged Kiewit Energy Group Inc. (Kiewit) to perform the engineering, procurement, and reconstruction activities necessary to implement Freeport LNG's recovery effort. Kiewit has significant LNG facility experience including both greenfield and brownfield developments and large and small/mid- scale LNG projects. They have been involved in LNG projects from start to finish including, front-end engineering design, detailed engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning.
Freeport LNG continues to coordinate closely with representatives of the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard and other applicable regulatory agencies to implement its recovery plan and corrective measures to ensure a safe and confident resumption of operations.
ABOUT FREEPORT LNG
Freeport LNG is an LNG export company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company's three train, 15 MTPA liquefaction facility is the seventh largest in the world and second largest in the U.S. Freeport LNG's liquefaction facility is the largest all-electric drive motor plant of its kind in the world, making it the most environmentally sustainable site of its kind. The facility's electric drive motors reduce carbon emissions by over 90% relative to gas turbine-driven liquefaction facilities. Freeport plans to expand by adding a fourth liquefaction train, which has received all regulatory approvals for construction. Freeport was formed in 2002 to develop, own and operate an LNG terminal on Quintana Island, near Freeport, Texas. The terminal started LNG import operations in June 2008 and began LNG export operations in 2019. Further information can be found on Freeport's website at www.freeportlng.com.
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SOURCE Freeport LNG | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/freeport-lng-provides-update-restart-timeline-its-liquefaction-facility/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:06Z |
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NATSO, representing truckstops and travel centers, along with SIGMA: America's Leading Fuel Marketers and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to incentivize the nation's existing refueling locations to incorporate EV charging into their suite of fueling options as it implements the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula grant program.
The organizations representing more than 150,000 refueling locations nationwide urged the Department of Transportation to implement the NEVI grant program in a manner that does not simply invest public funds but drives policies that will positively shape the future of vehicle fast-charging markets. If federal investments are made without any effort to drive necessary policy and market reforms, or with unnecessary strings attached, the NEVI grant program will result in charging stations being placed in undesirable locations, limiting consumer interest in purchasing EVs and minimizing private companies' desire to invest in charging stations, NATSO, NACS and SIGMA said in comments filed with the U.S. DOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
"Retail fuel companies are capable of single-handedly eliminating range anxiety," said NATSO Executive Vice President of Government Affairs David Fialkov. "All they need is a level playing field and an opportunity to generate a modest return. EV charging availability at existing retail fuel locations will mean drivers do not need to change their refueling habits if they choose not to. They can refuel on-the-go with the same safe, reliable service and amenities that they enjoy today."
"Bringing private investment to EV charging will lead to more of the infrastructure that drivers need," said NACS General Counsel Doug Kantor. "To do that, the NEVI Program should move the country toward a competitive EV charging market with a multitude of retail businesses in all parts of the country having the opportunity to invest and earn a profit. Encouraging private investment will mean state-of-the-art chargers in convenient locations with competitive low prices alongside the types of amenities that drivers have come to expect while they refuel."
"If NEVI investments are made without any effort to drive necessary policy and market reforms, the program will result in charging stations being placed in undesirable locations and likely operated by site hosts with limited incentive to provide consumers with a positive charging experience," said SIGMA Chairman of the Board Richard Guttman. "This ultimately will dampen consumer interest in purchasing EVs as well as charging station innovation."
- Flexibly administer the requirement that states locate electric vehicle charging stations every 50 miles along designated corridors. Rather than forcing states to meet an arbitrary 50-mile requirement where it isn't feasible, U.S. DOT should ensure that states can administer the program in accordance with their specific needs, especially in rural states, working with the private sector as required by law.
- Refrain from regulating or capping revenue earned from private sector operation of a NEVI-subsidized EV charging station. Regulated utilities should be precluded from imposing exorbitant rate hikes on their monthly customers to underwrite NEVI-funded charging station investments that the private sector is willing to make.
- Establish a transparent and uniform pricing structure across the charging station network, requiring NEVI-funded charging operators to display and base the price of electrical charge in dollars per kilowatt hour. A uniform, transparent pricing structure would allow consumers to compare offerings throughout the country.
- Encourage states to allow EV charging station operators to sell electricity to EV drivers without being regulated as a utility. In many states, utilities are opposing efforts by prospective charging station operators to generate their own electricity to power their charging stations. This opposition reflects an effort by regulated utilities to undermine the case for private investment in charging stations and inhibits EV penetration.
- Require states to consider driver safety and convenience by locating chargers at sites that have on-site employees to call emergency personnel when needed and offer amenities that attract other highway travelers. Co-locating charging stations with 24/7 amenities will invariably make consumers more comfortable purchasing an EV without concern for undue safety risks when refueling.
- Avoid bureaucratic hurdles that would inadvertently depress the market for electric vehicle charging. The "Buy America" provision, for example, requires charging station equipment to be manufactured in the United States yet virtually no equipment on the market today meets the "Buy America standards." Such requirements would significantly delay charging projects.
NATSO is the trade association of America's travel plaza and truckstop industry. Founded in 1960, NATSO represents the industry on legislative and regulatory matters; serves as the official source of information on the diverse travel plaza and truckstop industry; provides education to its members; conducts an annual convention and trade show; and supports efforts to generally improve the business climate in which its members operate. Contact: Tiffany Wlazlowski Neuman, Vice President, Public Affairs. 703-739-8578
NACS advances the role of convenience stores as positive economic, social and philanthropic contributors to the communities they serve. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 153,000 stores nationwide selling fuel, food and merchandise, serves 165 million customers daily—half of the U.S. population—and has sales that are 10.8% of total U.S. retail and foodservice sales. NACS has 1,900 retailer and 1,800 supplier members from more than 50 countries.
SIGMA is the national trade association representing the most successful, progressive, and innovative fuel marketers and chain retailers in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1958 as the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA), SIGMA has become a fixture in the motor fuel marketing industry. Representing a diverse membership of approximately 250 independent chain retailers and marketers of motor fuel, the association serves to further the interests of both the branded and unbranded segment of the industry while providing information and services to members. For more information visit SIGMA.org.
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SOURCE NATSO, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/fuel-retailers-truckstops-urge-us-dot-encourage-private-investment-ev-charging-stations/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:13Z |
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. , Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Haig Partners LLC, the leading buy-sell advisory firm to auto, heavy truck and RV dealers in the U.S., served as the exclusive advisor on the sale of a majority stake in John Elway's Crown Toyota to Swickard Auto Group. John Elway's Crown Toyota, located in Ontario, CA, has been one of the highest selling Toyota dealerships in the US for many years.
The total value paid for John Elway's Crown Toyota is believed to be the second highest all-time for a dealership franchise in the U.S.
John Elway's Crown Toyota is owned by National Football League Hall of Famer John Elway, Mitch Pierce Dan Grubb, and Paxton Gagnet. John Elway's Crown Toyota regularly sells between 6,000 and 7,000 new vehicles per year. In addition, John Elway's Crown Toyota has frequently been awarded to the Toyota President's Cabinet, a status achieved by only 12 dealerships per year. This "best of the best" award reflects excellence in sales performance, customer satisfaction and other operational measures. One key in the store's success is the "one-price" sales method that John Elway's Crown Toyota has used for many years that provides pricing transparency and allows a purchase to be completed in less than an hour in many cases.
Mitch Pierce, President and Partner at Elway Dealers, and John Elway, Partner at Elway Dealers issued a joint statement, "It has been a great honor to work with an incredible team to build John Elway's Crown Toyota into one of the top performing Toyota dealerships. We thank all those who have contributed to its mighty success. But we are not retiring! We continue to own an equity stake in Crown Toyota and we want to continue to build our dealership group in the Mountain States and the Southwest. We enjoy the car business and are investing for the long-term. Many thanks to Alan Haig, who knew the one, very best, counterparty for us out of all the buyers in the market. His knowledge of the landscape of auto retailers is remarkable and his commitment to confidentiality and ability to navigate a smooth and successful transaction were invaluable for us during this process."
Swickard Auto Group owns 31 dealerships located in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Texas. The group was founded by Jeff Swickard in 2014 and has grown rapidly to become one of the largest privately owned dealership groups in the United States. Swickard Auto Group ranked #64 on the 2021 Automotive News Top 150 Dealership Groups list. It generated $1.6B in revenue on the sale of 31,510 new and used vehicles.
Jeff Swickard stated, "We are excited to acquire this outstanding dealership and have Mitch and John as minority partners. John Elway's Crown Toyota is well known for its high volume and focus on guest experience, and we plan on keeping it that way. Paxton Gagnet, who has been the GM-Partner for many years, will continue to lead the dealership. I'd like to thank Alan Haig for helping Mitch Pierce, John Elway, and I to put this transaction together. Alan was instrumental in helping us shape the strategic partnership between our teams and providing insight into how we could work collaboratively on this type of opportunity, the first of its kind for our group."
Alan Haig, President of Haig Partners said, "This is a special transaction for me. I have known Mitch Pierce since 1996 when I came out with Mike Maroone to acquire his Toyota store in Arizona for AutoNation. We have been friends ever since. And Jeff Swickard has also become a close friend in the industry as we have had the opportunity to work on several transactions together. Jeff has developed an impressive management team and built one of the highest performing dealership groups in the US in less than a decade.
"I compliment him on this transaction, which reflects a growing trend towards partnerships in our industry. We are seeing dealers interested in selling some, but not all of their ownership in dealerships or dealership groups. They want liquidity or capital for future growth, but don't want to sell out completely, so they are willing to take on a partner. And we are seeing new investment firms that are seeking to put large amounts of capital to work inside dealership groups through minority or majority investments, but not full purchases. Given how capital intensive our industry is, our team at Haig Partners believes that this marriage between operating talent and deep-pocketed investment firms will be increasingly common.
"Finally, this transaction demonstrates that Toyota is perhaps the most desired brand in the industry today. Toyota is fully committed to supporting its retailers and is not dabbling in the agency model or other ideas that could harm both the retailer and the OEM. The Toyota dealership business model is superb with high new and used vehicle sales and excellent fixed operations that allow dealers to make strong profits. Plus, customers can choose from a wide variety of top-quality vehicles. Toyota's long-term commitment to the health of the dealer is a key reason that Toyota sells more vehicles than any other OEM. It's truly a win-win-win for the customer, the dealer and the OEM."
The team at Haig Partners has been involved in the purchase or sale of 67 dealerships in California and 33 Toyota stores nationwide, far more than any other team. Haig Partners has advised on the sale of 31 dealerships nationwide so far in 2022.
James Barone of Ferruzzo and Ferruzzo provided legal counsel to Elway Dealers and Michael Fletcher of Tonkon Torp provided legal counsel to Swickard Auto Group.
Haig Partners LLC helps dealers to maximize the value of their businesses when they are ready to sell. The team at Haig Partners has unmatched experience with executives from leading retail dealer groups and financial institutions. They have advised on the purchase or sale of more than 575 dealerships for over $9.0 billion, more than any other firm. Haig Partners leverages its expertise and relationships to lead clients through a confidential and customizable sales process that also maximizes the value of their businesses. They author the Haig Report, the leading industry quarterly report that tracks trends in auto retail and their impact on dealership values, and are co-author of NADA's Guide, "Buying and Selling a Dealership." For more information, visit www.haigpartners.com.
Transaction Contact:
Alan Haig, Founder and President
Haig Partners
alan@haigpartners.com
(954) 646-8921
Media Contact:
Aimee Allen, Director of Marketing and Business Development
Haig Partners
aimee@haigpartners.com
(603) 933-2194
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SOURCE Haig Partners | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/haig-partners-serves-exclusive-advisor-sale-john-elways-crown-toyota-swickard-auto-group/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:19Z |
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Housing California enthusiastically announces the selection of champion and visionary, Chione Lucina Muñoz Flegal, as the organization's next Executive Director.
Chione enters the role with over 20 years of leadership experience in the housing justice, anti-poverty, climate justice, and equity movements. She brings a deep commitment to building and growing coalitions and leading successful policy campaigns to improve outcomes for marginalized communities and secure a future where all Californians can thrive. Most recently, as a Managing Director at PolicyLink, she led a portfolio of initiatives focused on water, climate, housing, transportation, and equitable fiscal policy in California and beyond.
Dr. Michael McAfee, President and CEO of PolicyLink stated, "Chione's work has strengthened California's housing and equity movements, contributed to statewide policy wins that improve the lives of economically insecure Californians, and resulted in new and expanded public investments in housing and infrastructure. During her years at PolicyLink, she proved that her character was as game changing as her credentials. Housing California has wisely placed a transformational-servant leader at the helm, and the housing justice movement is cheering."
"Chione has an impressive record of building and managing successful teams and strategic alliances and leading large-scale initiatives with tenacity and creativity," stated Housing California Board President, David Howden. "Her leadership will guide our organization and engage our diverse network of committed partners to deliver on Housing California's bold vision of building a California with homes, health, and prosperity for all."
Chione served on Housing California's Board of Directors for seven years and was elected to the position of Board President at a critical moment. From 2019 through 2021, Chione was instrumental in guiding the organization through the development and refinement of its strategic plan while building diversity, inclusion, and equity capacity across every part of the organization.
"Ensuring that every person has safe, stable, environmentally sustainable and affordable housing is one of the most fundamental and pressing challenges we face as a country and as a state," Chione said. "I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Housing California. The organization's intersectional approach combined with its amazing staff, Board of Directors, Residents United Network, and diverse set of members and partners provides the foundation for addressing this challenge and delivering the bold solutions laid out in Roadmap Home 2030," she added.
Partners have expressed excitement regarding Chione's selection. Judith Bell, Chief Impact Officer for the San Francisco Foundation stated, "Chione has championed policy solutions that deliver and expand equitable public investment in active transportation, housing, water, parks, and climate, making sure these investments are directed to the communities most in need. We look forward to her stewardship and leadership as Housing California advocates for solutions to our housing crisis."
Holly Benson, President & CEO of Abode Communities stated, "Chione understands the very specific ways developers and builders continue to be squeezed from all sides by land development costs, labor shortages, entitlement processes, tariffs, local forces who preach from the pulpit of 'not in my backyard,' and decision-makers in Sacramento. Financing affordable housing is complicated enough without having to navigate state budgets and public policies that pit potential collaborators in the housing sector against one another. Chione is the consensus-builder and problem-solver we need."
Megan Kirkeby, Deputy Director of California's Department of Housing & Community Development stated, "Chione is a collaborative leader who can successfully build coalitions across diverse organizations. Her experience puts her in a strong position to advance our shared goals of speeding up the pace and diversity of housing – particularly affordable homes – as we work toward creating 2.5 million more homes by 2030. We look forward to working with her to solve California's housing and homelessness crisis."
Chione's selection is the result of an extensive process guided by a professional recruitment firm. Housing California's Board of Directors, staff, and partners have been inspired by Chione's track-record of accomplishments, vision for Housing California's future, and unyielding commitment to end CA's housing and homelessness crisis, advance racial equity, and secure economic prosperity for all Californians.
Housing California brings together a diverse, multi-sector network to prevent and end homelessness, increase the supply of safe, stable, affordable housing options, and reverse the legacy of racial and economic injustice by building power among the people most impacted by housing injustice, shaping the narrative, and advocating for statewide policy solutions.
Contact: Unai Montes, umontes@housingca.org, 310.962.7369 (Bilingual)
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SOURCE Housing California | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/housing-california-announces-new-executive-director/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:25Z |
Award-Winning Programs Serve More Than 1 Million Students
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine Learning, the largest provider of digital curriculum solutions in the U.S., serving 15 million students in more than half the school districts nationwide, today announced the launch of Imagine Learning Classroom, the new digital application powering its core English Language Arts and Mathematics solutions. Imagine Learning Classroom (formerly LearnZillion) enhances the high-quality curricula of Imagine Learning Illustrative Mathematics, Imagine Learning EL Education, Imagine Learning Odell Education, and Imagine Learning Guidebooks. These comprehensive programs offer the most accessible, teachable, and engaging core curricula for K-12 students available anywhere today.
"Our goal is to deliver compelling, high-quality curricula in a teachable way to support educators and spark learning breakthroughs," said Terry Gilligan, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Core Curriculum for Imagine Learning. "With Imagine Learning Classroom, we've developed a cohesive, immersive classroom environment to empower teachers and ensure student success."
As pioneers in digital instruction, Imagine Learning continually refines its core products and services to meet the needs of all students and educators. These solutions give educators continuous, clear insights into their students' learning, and supports them to maximize their potential. In addition, ongoing pedagogical research measures effectiveness in classrooms around the country to advance learning for all students.
Imagine Learning Classroom puts the teacher and student at the center of learning for more positive outcomes. The dynamic software creates inspiring instructional experiences, providing students with opportunities to own their own learning, express choice in content, and showcase their voice in assignments, building essential skills to set students up for success.
- Offers a turnkey solution that saves teachers time in planning and instruction
- Incorporates features and functionality that support and honor each curricula's instructional design
- Empowers teachers with tools to personalize and customize instruction to their unique needs
- Engages students with rich media, including videos, digital interactivities, virtual manipulatives, and more
- Enables the implementation of quality curricula in all learning environments
- Refreshed student and teacher experiences, including a unique experience for primary students
Imagine Learning Classroom offers the following premier ELA and Mathematics programs for grades K-12:
- Imagine Learning Illustrative Mathematics is a complete K-12 IM-Certified mathematics curriculum that delivers a digital-first classroom experience, enabling teachers to create a student-centered, cohesive learning environment, based on research and driven by data that fully leverages the impact of high-quality curricula.
- Imagine Learning EL Education is a content-based K-8 literacy curriculum utilizing compelling real-world texts that engage and excite learners in grades K-8. Informed by the Science of Reading, the program allows students to focus on mastery of knowledge and skills and demonstrate high-quality work while building habits of character.
- Imagine Learning Odell Education is an innovative knowledge-based literacy program for grades 9-12 dedicated to fostering creativity and critical thinking. The program emphasizes learning through inquiry and empowers teachers to configure the course content by providing a variety of text collections and topics.
- Imagine Learning Guidebooks is a comprehensive English Language Arts solution that immerses grade 3-12 students in reading and writing lessons across genres. Students create a web of meaning critical to the development of reading and writing skills, and build understanding through text sets, compelling questions, and integrated reading and writing activities.
Imagine Learning is a PreK–12 digital learning solutions company that ignites learning breakthroughs by designing forward-thinking solutions at the intersection of people, curricula, and technology to drive student growth. Imagine Learning serves more than 15 million students and partners with more than half the school districts nationwide. Imagine Learning's flagship products include Imagine Edgenuity®, online courseware and virtual school services solutions; supplemental and intervention solutions for literacy, language, mathematics, robotics, and coding; and high-quality, digital-first core curriculum, including Illustrative Mathematics®, EL Education®, and Odell Education®—all on the Imagine Learning Classroom—and Twig Science®. Read more about Imagine Learning's digital solutions at imaginelearning.com.
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SOURCE Imagine Learning LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/imagine-learning-classroom-launches-with-engaging-effective-core-math-english-language-arts-curricula/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:32Z |
Sam Ingram and Hui Tang reinforce the agency's commitment to Digital Experience and Data & Analytics
NEW YORK, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today imre furthers its commitment to practice area excellence with the addition of two senior leaders, Sam Ingram, Senior Vice President of Digital Experience, and Hui Tang as Head of Marketing Analytics.
Sam Ingram brings valuable client-side perspective to imre's Digital Experience team as it strives to design individualized and hyper-relevant patient and HCP experiences architected to deliver results. For over 20 years, Sam has focused on solving challenges with digital solutions across industries and brands.
Sam joins imre from Bristol Myers Squibb where he led Engagement Planning for Worldwide Customer Capabilities and was responsible for the integration of the acquired Celgene lymphoma myeloid hematology portfolio into the BMS digital marketing ecosystem. Additionally, Sam led a cross-functional team of internal & agency resources that managed the ongoing digital strategy for six brands including Sprycel, Reblozyl, and Inrebic. Prior to BMS, Sam led a variety of digital initiatives across Nestle Health Science, Prudential Financial, and Sharp Electronics. Sam will report to Lindsay McGettigan, Executive Vice President of Digital Experience.
Imre also welcomes Hui Tang who joins the agency with 10 years of data engineering and analytics experience, stepping into the role of Head of Marketing Analytics. In this role, Hui aims to integrate measurement solutions more fluidly into client engagements with a focus on interpreting the impact of the total marketing investment. Hui will also help clients strengthen measurement strategy, appropriate measurement solutions and sufficient data integration to ensure accountability and effectiveness of marketing plans.
Hui joins imre from SOLVE(D) where she served as Vice President of Marketing Science and brings deep understanding across key therapeutic areas including oncology, immunology, women's health and neurology, among others. Hui will report to Matthew Zogby, Chief Data Officer.
"Our clients are demanding we play a wider remit across their business, expanding from our equities as a Digital AOR into DTC and HCP AOR. Both Sam and Hui bring tremendous experience to strengthen and differentiate that way our client campaigns come to life, and we're excited by the possibilities their expertise will offer," said Mark Eber, President and Owner of imre. "We're fortunate to have them join our team, and we welcome them."
Imre works with many of the world's leading and high growth brands. Driven by innovation, the agency's integrated suite of marketing communications services include brand strategy, creative, digital marketing, social media, public relations and media, data & analytics. Imre partners with a diversified and growing portfolio of brands including AstraZeneca, Bausch & Lomb, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, among others. The agency maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles, Baltimore and Philadelphia in addition to a growing group of employees who work from anywhere. Imre is an LGBTQ-founded company.
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SOURCE imre | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/imre-adds-two-pharma-industry-leaders-strengthen-practice-expertise/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:39Z |
TOP US PLAYERS AND CELEBRATING USA TENNIS
BENEFITING THE BUSH ACE OUTREACH PROGRAM
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- San Antonio Sports announced today the inaugural Thomas J Henry All American Cup, presented by Tennis Ventures, featuring ten top U.S. players to be played at Freeman Coliseum November 11-13, 2022.
The All American Cup will feature two teams consisting of five players. Bob and Mike Bryan, the winningest doubles team in ATP Tour history, will serve as captains and will face off in the three-day team event. The USA West team will be captained by Mike Bryan and led by Taylor Fritz, the number one ranked American. Fritz will be joined by teammates Marcos Giron, Jenson Brooksby, Mackenzie McDonald, and Steve Johnson. The USA East team will be captained by Bob Bryan and headed up by former top 10 ATP Tour star, John Isner. Frances Tiafoe, Jack Sock, Denis Kudla, and J.J. Wolf will join Isner on the USA East team. This year's inaugural event will be played in San Antonio, Texas, and will alternate years with Austin, Texas. The Tennis Channel will broadcast the All American Cup to over 61 million households throughout the United States.
San Antonio has a rich tennis history and we're excited to host this brand-new competition bi-annual," said Jenny Carnes, COO, San Antonio Sports. "The All American Cup will offer fans a great opportunity to see top men's tennis players in action, solidifying Texas as a premier location for the sport."
"Bob and I are excited to return to San Antonio and honored to captain the All American Cup. San Antonio is a great tennis town and we have enjoyed playing here over the last 20 years," said Mike Bryan. "This will be a new experience competing against each other but I know everyone will be battling to win the cup." The All American Cup will showcase the best of American men's tennis featuring both singles and doubles matches and will help support the work of the Bush ACE Outreach Program. For more information on the All American Cup including VIP packages and the full event schedule please visit www.allamericantenniscup.com.
Tickets will go on sale on to the public September 3 at 9 a.m. and can be purchased at www.allamericantenniscup.com or at www.ticketmaster.com or by using the Ticketmaster App on your mobile device. Individual session ticket prices start at $45.00
The Thomas J Henry All American Cup is presented by Tennis Ventures and proudly sponsored by Frost Bank, H-E-B, Valero, United States Professional Tennis Association of Texas, San Antonio Sports, Noisy Trumpet, The PM Group, RS3 Strategic Hospitality, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Bending Branch Winery, Heineken, Uomo Sport, and Mapei.
About San Antonio Sports A nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform our community through the power of sport. San Antonio Sports bids on and hosts premier sporting events such as NCAA® championships, which have generated a local economic impact of more than $950 million. San Antonio Sports' kids programs, including i play! afterschool, annually provide life-changing opportunities for thousands of children. Additionally, San Antonio Sports serves as a catalyst for the development of quality recreational and athletic facilities in our community, including school parks. To learn more, visit SanAntonioSports.org
About Bush ACE Outreach Program The Program was launched in 2016, at the Bush Tennis Center in Midland, Texas to Advise, Counsel, and Encourage (ACE) area youth by connecting positive role models with elementary-aged children through the sport of tennis. Thanks to partnerships with the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB) and the United States Tennis Association (USTA), ACE has provided free in-school programs to over 40,000 elementary-aged children throughout the Permian Basin and free or discounted after-school and summer programs supported by the Bush Tennis Center. In addition to learning the sport of tennis, ACE promotes the core values of sportsmanship, integrity, self-confidence and hard work. New partnerships with the USTA Arthur Ashe National Junior Tennis & Learning program (NJTL), Baylor Tennis, Texas A&M Tennis, TCU Tennis, UTPB Tennis, UT Austin Tennis and UT San Antonio Tennis will allow the 2022-2023 Program goal to reach over 200,000 Texas children.
For more information
Contact Tim Stallard
All American Cup
tim@allamericancup.com
(512) 576-4796
Contact Carolyn Wheat
San Antonio Sports
cwheat@sanantoniosports.org
(210) 289-7205
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SOURCE Bush Tennis Center | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/inaugural-thomas-j-henry-all-american-cup-serve-up-world-class-tennis-san-antonio-freeman-coliseum-november-11-13/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:51Z |
Investment in R&D increased 26.3% to RMB 221 million. Recorded revenue was RMB 54.7 million.
Global development of KRAS G12C inhibitor and other clinical stage drug candidates accelerated.
Development started in new pre-clinical stage drug candidates, such as iADC (immunostimulatory antibody-drug conjugate), P53, and PARP7.
BEIJING, SHANGHAI and BOSTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobio Pharma (1167.HK), an innovative novel drug developer focused on undruggable targets, released interim 2022 results, new business updates and expected milestones. During H1 2022, investment in R&D increased 26.3% year-on-year to RMB 221 million. Revenue generated from Jacobio's out licensing deal with AbbVie for SHP2 inhibitors was RMB 54.7 million, in line with the same period a year earlier.
"We accelerated our clinical stage programs in the first half of 2022. Through the period, our SHP2 inhibitors completed a number of first dosages of combination therapies. Also, Phase I data for the KRAS G12C inhibitor JAB-21822 was reported at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting. Expanding our reach and capabilities, we started a clinical trial in Europe for the first time and expanded our ongoing trials in China and the U.S.," said Dr. WANG Yinxiang, Chairman and CEO of Jacobio.
"Meanwhile, to fulfil our strategic goal of ensuring our 'key programs are among the top three in the world and obtain the global market', we continued developing pre-clinical programs to expand our pipeline, such as our KRAS related pipeline including KRASmulti and KRAS G12D. We also continued developing several new drugs, including iADC (immunostimulatory antibody-drug conjugate) programs, P53 inhibitor, PARP7 inhibitor, and others," said Dr. WANG.
Development progress of core pipeline products:
SHP2 inhibitors: JAB-3312 & JAB-3068
- In combination with KRAS G12C inhibitor
-Global: A dose escalation study was completed in July 2022 for JAB-3312 in combination with Sotorasib to treat KRAS G12C treatment naïve NSCLC patients.
-China: First dosing in a study of the combination therapy of JAB-3312 and JAB-21822 was completed in May 2022 and a Phase I dose escalation study is ongoing. Partial response (PR) was observed in the first NSCLC patient enrolled at the first dose level.
- In combination with EGFR inhibitor
-A dose escalation trial for JAB-3312 in combination with an EGFR inhibitor is ongoing. Early clinical response with confirmed PR was observed in one EGFR inhibitor resistant NSCLC patient.
- In combination with anti-PD-1 antibody
-Dose exploration studies are being carried out in China and the U.S. and an early clinical response was observed in patients with certain tumor types.
- Monotherapies
-Monotherapy studies for both JAB-3312 and JAB-3068 have identified the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended Phase II dose (RP2D).
KRAS G12C inhibitor JAB-21822
- Monotherapies
-Phase I preliminary clinical data of the JAB-21822 monotherapy trial in China was reported at the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting in June 2022. The overall response rate (ORR) is 56.3% (18/32) and the disease control rate (DCR) is 90.6% (29/32).
-A pivotal trial in patients with NSCLC harboring the KRAS G12C mutation is expected to start in H2 2022 in China. First patient is expected to be enrolled in September 2022 in China for monotherapy in NSCLC patients with KRAS G12C and STK-11 co-mutation.
-The first patient in Europe was enrolled in May 2022 as part of a global trial. Jacobio has enrolled patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer and colorectal cancer and a dose expansion study will be initiated in H2 2022.
- In combination with anti-EGFR antibody
-The first patient in the dose expansion study for colorectal cancer was enrolled in July 2022.
- In combination with JAB-3312
-China: First dose was completed in China in May 2022 for the combination therapy with JAB-3312 and a dose escalation study is ongoing. PR was observed in the first NSCLC patient enrolled at the first dose level.
Development progress of other products:
- JAB-8263 (BET inhibitor): A Phase I dose escalation study was initiated in China and the U.S. The recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) will be determined in Q4 2022.
- JAB-2485 (Aurora A inhibitor): A Phase I/IIa investigational new drug (IND) approval was received in the U.S. in January 2022. The first patient in the U.S. will be enrolled in Q4 2022. An IND application was submitted in China in August 2022.
- JAB-BX102 (CD73 inhibitor): A Phase I/IIa study for advanced solid tumors was approved in China in March 2022. First patient enrolment is expected in Q3 2022. A Phase I/IIa clinical trial in the U.S. was approved in October 2021, once the Phase I dose escalation stage is completed, patients will participate in a Phase IIa dose expansion for which they will receive the combination of JAB-BX102 and Pembrolizumab.
During the period, Jacobio continued to leverage its strength in small-molecule drug discovery and development to design iADC programs with the potential to address the challenges of both the toxicity caused by the conventional ADCs and low response rates in current immune-checkpoint inhabitors (ICIs) therapy. Jacobio is currently developing HER2 STING iADC JAB-BX400 and CD73-STING iADC JAB-X1800. IND applications for these two programs are expected to be submitted in 2024.
Jacobio continued to develop new drugs on KRAS signalling pathway. Among its pre-clinical assets, Jacobio has the oral KRASmulti inhibitor JAB-23400; the KRAS G12D inhibitor JAB-22000; and JAB-BX300 that is a large molecule program on the RAS pathway. Meanwhile, Jacobio is developing the P53 Y220C inhibitor JAB-30300, the PARP7 inhibitor JAB-26766, and the small molecule program JAB-24144 on the tumor metabolic pathway.
As of June 30, 2022, Jacobio owned 228 patents or patent applications filed globally. The number of global employees increased to 285 during the period as of the same date.
Jacobio's investment in R&D has been growing rapidly and the cash income generated from the out-licensing deal ensures a cash runway of 24 to 30 months.
Conference Call Information
Jacobio will host a live conference call on August 24, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. (UTC +8). Participants must register in advance of the conference call. Registration Link: https://goldmansachs.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZD3M5pvPRlmaY19zMIHa1w
All participants must use the link provided above to complete the online registration process in advance of the conference call.
About Jacobio
Jacobio Pharma (1167.HK) is committed to developing and providing new and innovative products and solutions to improve people's health. Our pipeline revolves around novel molecular targets on six major signalling pathways: KRAS, immune checkpoints, tumor metabolism, P53, RB and MYC. We aim for our key projects to be among the top three in the world. Our vision is to become a global leader recognized for our impact in drug R&D together with our partners. Jacobio has R&D centers in Beijing, Shanghai and Boston with our Induced Allosteric Drug Discovery Platform (IADDP) and our iADC Platform. Please visit us at www.jacobiopharma.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly.
These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of the Company with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, the Company's competitive environment, and political, economic, legal and social conditions in China.
The Company, the Directors and the employees of the Company assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained in this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialize or turn out to be incorrect.
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SOURCE Jacobio Pharma | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/jacobio-pharma-announces-2022-interim-results/ | 2022-08-23T17:57:59Z |
Fathom Events, Kingdom Story Company, WTA Media and Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie partner on documentary based on conversations with Cash that have never been heard before
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Fathom Events, Kingdom Story Company, WTA Media, and Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie have partnered to release "Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon" this fall. Initially announced at CinemaCon this past spring, the documentary will be in theaters December 5, 6 & 7 only, and tickets are on sale now HERE.
"Johnny Cash is an American icon who undoubtedly shaped the musical landscape. Behind the fame is the true story of a man who was haunted by his own inner demons, and through facing them, ultimately found an unshakable faith in God," said producer Jon Erwin. "At Kingdom Story Company, we strive to bring inspiring true stories to screen. 'Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon' is one such story. We're excited to share it with you in theaters this December."
"I think of all the documentaries made about my dad, he'd be most excited about this one," said John Carter Cash of the film.
Kingdom Story Company created the documentary with exclusive access to over 100 tapes that have never been heard before outside of the Cash family. Originally recorded for Cash's autobiography, the tapes were provided with the blessings and involvement from John Carter Cash, the only child of Cash and June Carter Cash, and his sister, Joanne Cash. "Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon" features John Carter Cash, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, Marty Stuart, Wynonna Judd, Jimmie Allen, Alice Cooper, Franklin Graham, Joanne Cash Yates, Greg Laurie, and many others.
"Johnny Cash and his music are an indelible part of the fabric of America," said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. "As a huge fan myself, I know that audiences will love hearing his one-of-a-kind music and seeing his command of the stage on the big screen – and being able to live his spiritual transformation through this film will be especially inspiring."
Recounting a critical period in Cash's life and career, the documentary takes place during the time of his most famous album "Man In Black" while the legend was stuck in a cycle of depression and drug addiction. The road to redemption for the iconic country star and his return to an "unshakeable faith" that would influence some of his most famous songs like "The Man Comes Around," are at the core focus of the film.
"Here's the great contradiction–who could be friends with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Billy Graham all at the same time? The answer, Johnny Cash," said Pastor and Producer Greg Laurie of Harvest Ministries. "He was a contradiction at times, but he had a deep faith that he always returned to." Laurie is also the author of a recent spiritual biography of Johnny Cash, and this is his second "American Icon" documentary, having released "Steve McQueen: American Icon" in 2017.
CASH is a KINGDOM STORY COMPANY production, in association with WTA MEDIA and HARVEST MINISTRIES. Music by Brent McCorkle, edited by Andrew Chandler, Adam Jones, directed by BEN SMALLBONE, executive produced by Jon Erwin, Andrew Erwin, Kevin Downes, Tony Young, Bill Reeves, Brian Mitchell, Greg Laurie, Robert Deaton, John Carter Cash, Cathy Sullivan, Josh Matas, Jason Owen, and produced by Josh Walsh, Brendon Gregory, Andrea Royer. Lionsgate will distribute home entertainment worldwide.
Kingdom Story Company, in an exclusive partnership with Lionsgate, creates life-changing content. Helmed by Jon Erwin, Andrew Erwin, Kevin Downes, and Tony Young, Kingdom Story Company aims to raise the bar on thoughtful, high-quality entertainment through true storytelling that is anchored in faith and hope. Features include I CAN ONLY IMAGINE, AMERICAN UNDERDOG, I STILL BELIEVE, OCTOBER BABY, MOMS' NIGHT OUT, and WOODLAWN, amassing nearly $150M in box office. www.kingdomstorycompany.com.
Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.
WTA Media serves filmmakers and authors through producing and marketing content for faith audiences and consumers. For more than a decade, WTA Media has led marketing campaigns for top film-making clients including Kendrick Brothers Productions (WAR ROOM), Kingdom Story Company (I CAN ONLY IMAGINE), Sony/AFFIRM Films (HEAVEN IS FOR REAL), Pure Flix Entertainment (GOD'S NOT DEAD), Universal Pictures (REDEEMING LOVE), and K-LOVE Films (FAMILY CAMP). The agency's author roster includes New York Times best-selling authors, Randy Alcorn, Alex Kendrick, and Stephen Kendrick, and represents K-LOVE Books authors, Michael W. Smith, MercyMe and Mandisa. WTA Media is a subsidiary of Educational Media Foundation. For more information, visit www.wta.media.
Greg Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship with campuses in California and Hawaii and featured speaker of public evangelistic events called Harvest Crusades. In 2020, and in partnership with Kingdom Story Company, Laurie premiered his first-ever cinematic crusade, A RUSH OF HOPE, viewed by over 2 million people in its opening weekend. Laurie's other films include STEVE MCQUEEN: AMERICAN ICON, HOPE FOR HURTING HEARTS, and LOST BOY. Laurie is also the host of nationally syndicated television and radio programs and author of over 70 books, including JOHNNY CASH: THE REDEMPTION OF AN AMERICAN ICON. For more information visit harvest.org.
The first major new studio in decades, Lionsgate is a global content platform whose films, television series, digital products and linear and over-the-top platforms reach next generation audiences around the world. In addition to its filmed entertainment leadership, Lionsgate content drives a growing presence in interactive and location-based entertainment, gaming, virtual reality and other new entertainment technologies. Lionsgate's content initiatives are backed by a 16,000-title film and television library and delivered through a global licensing infrastructure. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring and ground-breaking content created with special emphasis on the evolving patterns and diverse composition of the company's worldwide consumer base. For more information, visit https://www.lionsgate.com/.
GET CONNECTED:
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @johnnycashmovie
Website: johnnycashmovie.com
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SOURCE Fathom Events | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/johnny-cash-redemption-an-american-icon-exclusively-theaters-december-56-amp-7-only/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:10Z |
ATLANTA, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Krystal, the original home of the slider in the South, recently announced that Casey Terrell has been named Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. Terrell is a seasoned marketing professional with demonstrated experience in transforming B2C and B2B revenue along with visibility and operations for globally recognized brands across multiple sectors including retail, hospitality, restaurants, tech, and more. He will report to Krystal President Thomas Stager.
"We are thrilled to bring Casey on to our executive team. His extensive marketing experience, focus on innovation, and ability to cultivate cross-functional collaborations will be vital as we continue our aggressive growth plans," said Thomas Stager, President for Krystal Restaurants LLC. "Our company is continuing to evolve; we are actively adding new franchisees and opening new stores in new and existing markets. It's critical that we have a solid leadership team that can steer us into a future that best serves our customers, franchise partners, and overall enterprise."
Prior to joining Krystal, Terrell was the Head of Digital Transformation for Focus Brands. In this role, he oversaw transformation and change management for all seven brands: Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky's®, Moe's Southwest Grill®, Auntie Anne's®, McAlister's Deli® and Jamba®. He was responsible for collaboration and innovation company-wide across business processes, digital, technology, and organizational transformation. Prior to serving as Head of Digital Transformation, Terrell led marketing for Schlotzsky's. Focus Brands has more than 6,500 locations worldwide.
Terrell's food and beverage marketing experience also includes Head of Global Retail Marketing & Digital Transformation for Anheuser-Busch, Vice President/Head of Global Brand, U.S. Marketing & Digital Transformation for Le Pain Quotidien, International Brand Manager (2014-2015) and Manager, Integrated Marketing (2013-2014) for Outback Steakhouse, and Brand Manager for Burger King.
Before launching into his marketing career, Terrell served as a U.S Army officer. He managed a more than 90-person troop and oversaw deployment training for more than 1,000 soldiers.
Casey Terrell is working towards a Master of Science, Strategic Communications from Columbia University, and holds a Master of Business Administration, Marketing & Finance from Florida State University, and a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Systems Engineering and Art History, Philosophy & Literature from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Terrell is a member of the Innovation. He has served as a guest speaker for various professional conferences, where he shares his insights on innovation and best business practices.
Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Krystal Restaurants LLC is the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South. Krystal hamburgers have been served fresh and hot off the grill on the iconic square bun since 1932. The company proudly sticks to the classics, but is rapidly innovating its menu and growing it's franchisee community.
Krystal has grown to be in 10 states with nearly 300 restaurants and continues to deliver a one-of-a-kind taste experience through their craveable menu items. The company's Atlanta-based Restaurant Support Center serves a team of more than 3,500 employees. In 2019, the company was selected to USA Today's Top-10 Best Regional Fast Food List. More recently Krystal has also been named one of the "Most Craveable Burgers" was just named a "Breakout Brand" of 2022.
For more information, visit www.Krystal.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
MEDIA CONTACT:
kmiller@inklinkmarketing.com
305.333.2809
Link to headshot: HERE
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SOURCE Krystal Restaurants, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/krystal-names-casey-terrell-chief-marketing-officer/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:17Z |
CDC Guidelines include formal recommendation to use "Initial Specimen Diversion Devices—these devices divert the initial 1 to 2 mL of potentially contaminated blood and then collect blood for blood culture."1,2
SEATTLE, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Magnolia Medical Technologies, Inc., commends the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for releasing its new evidence-based guidelines, Blood Culture Contamination: An Overview for Infection Control and Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Working with the Clinical Laboratory. These guidelines support Magnolia Medical's Mission to ZERO® with the goal of eliminating sepsis misdiagnosis and are intended to aid hospitals and healthcare systems in designing and implementing proven practices and technologies that decrease blood culture contamination rates.
Blood cultures are the gold standard test for detecting bloodstream infections, including sepsis. This blood test is one of the most clinically important and frequently performed diagnostic tests in U.S. hospitals; however, up to half of positive blood culture results are false-positive due to contamination in a typical hospital.3,4 These false-positive results compromise the quality of patient care and can lead to unnecessary and prolonged antibiotic exposure, extended hospital stay, and significant avoidable hospital costs.
Magnolia Medical's flagship product family, the Steripath® Initial Specimen Diversion Device®, is the only FDA 510(k)-cleared device platform specifically indicated to reduce blood culture contamination.6 Steripath® diverts and sequesters the initial 1.5 to 2.0 mL of blood prior to specimen collection. Steripath® is also the only all-in-one device solution that meets both the recently published CLSI M47 Principles and Procedures for Blood Cultures, 2nd Edition 2022, and CDC's new evidence-based guidelines for reducing blood culture contamination.
"Magnolia Medical has invested over a decade in product and clinical evidence development as well as training and education to support hospitals and healthcare providers nationwide in our collective mission to eliminate sepsis misdiagnosis," said Greg Bullington, CEO, and Co-founder of Magnolia Medical. "We are delighted to see the significant progress made toward a 1% or below national standard for blood culture contamination and are humbled to see our technology platform, the Initial Specimen Diversion Device®, specifically recognized within the CDC Guidelines."
Recently, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), a national organization that develops and sets standards for laboratory quality and performance, established a 1% goal, with best practices, for blood culture contamination.5 This new goal represents a 66% reduction compared to the longstanding national standard target contamination rate. All six studies cited within the CLSI guideline examined the clinical efficacy of Steripath® and/or referenced Steripath®-specific datasets and reported a sustained 1% or lower contamination rate.
The new CDC Guidelines reinforce the CLSI goal, stating that "when best practices are followed, a target contamination rate of 1% is achievable. Such thresholds can provide a method to benchmark within or between facilities." The CDC Guidelines also provided eight evidence-based practices for reducing blood culture contamination rates, including the use of Initial Specimen Diversion Devices® that divert the initial 1 to 2 mL of potentially contaminated blood prior to blood collection.
Steripath® is supported by extensive clinical evidence including 20 clinical and cost-effectiveness studies citing sustained contamination rates of 1% or below, up to a 31% reduction in vancomycin days of therapy, and as much as a 12-fold decrease in false-positive central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) over extended periods of time.7,8,9
"By increasing awareness of clinically proven technology solutions and best practice techniques, the CDC is playing a vital role in mobilizing the healthcare community to institute quality improvement efforts that reduce blood culture contamination in support of significantly improving sepsis testing accuracy," concluded Bullington.
Magnolia Medical Technologies develops, manufactures, and markets innovative blood and bodily fluid collection devices to facilitate significant improvements in the accuracy, consistency, and predictability of critical laboratory tests. Magnolia Medical invented and patented the Initial Specimen Diversion Technique® (ISDT®) and Initial Specimen Diversion Device® (ISDD®) for blood culture collection and contamination prevention. The company has amassed an intellectual property portfolio, including more than 100 issued method, apparatus, and design patents with more than 70 additional patent applications pending. For more information, visit www.magnolia-medical.com.
- CDC. Blood Culture Contamination Prevention Actions: An Overview of Infection Control and Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Working with the Clinical Laboratory. July 2022.
- CDC. National Email Update to Clinicians. Clinicians: Use this guide to decrease blood culture contamination rates. July 22, 2022.
- CLSI. Principles and Procedures for Blood Cultures; Approved Guidelines. CLSI document M47-A. Wayne, PA: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; 2007.
- Zwang O, Albert RK. Analysis of strategies to improve cost effectiveness of blood cultures. J Hosp Med. 2006;1(5):272-6. doi:10.1002/jhm.115.
- CLSI. Principles and Procedures for Blood Cultures. 2nd Ed. CLSI Guideline M47. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute; 2022.
- Indicated to reduce the frequency of blood culture contamination when contaminants are present, compared to standard method controls without diversion.
- Date on file.
- Nielsen LE, Nguyen K, Wahl CK, et al. Initial Specimen Diversion Device® reduces blood culture contamination and vancomycin use in academic medical center. J Hosp Infect. 2021;117. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2021.10.017.
- Tompkins LS, et al. Getting to zero: impact of a device to reduce blood culture contamination and false-positive central line-associated blood stream infections. Submitting to ICHE in 2022.
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SOURCE Magnolia Medical Technologies | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/magnolia-medicals-steripath-initial-specimen-diversion-device-only-device-clinically-proven-meet-cdcs-new-guidelines-reduce-blood-culture-contamination/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:23Z |
Industrial Portfolio Offers Additional Development Opportunity in Growing Richmond Market
BALTIMORE, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Merritt Properties announced today that it has purchased Crescent Business Center in Ashland, Virginia, for $41.3 million. The project includes five existing Class A industrial buildings situated on ± 20 acres, as well as an additional ± 19 acres for new development opportunities to meet the market's unprecedented demand for warehouse and distribution space. Merritt acquired the park from Crescent Business Center LC, a Thalhimer Realty Partners, Inc. development.
"With this acquisition, we continue to execute on our strategy of extending our presence in strategic growth markets from the Mid-Atlantic to the Southeast," explained Scott Dorsey, CEO of Merritt Properties. "Crescent Business Center offered us the ideal opportunity to establish our presence in Richmond with high-quality existing assets, a strong tenant base and land for additional shallow bay industrial development."
Situated along I-95 ten miles north of downtown Richmond, the development currently includes five shallow-bay industrial buildings totaling 262,256 SF. With 100% occupancy, current tenants include Trane U.S., Electronic Systems, Motion Industries and Sunbelt Rentals. The Richmond Industrial market is one of the strongest performing in the Mid-Atlantic, with a 95% occupancy rate combined with a 10% increase in rental income over the past 12 months. Key market drivers include access to a robust interstate transportation system as well as proximity to Norfolk, the sixth largest port in the U.S.
Eric Robison of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer's Capital Markets Group handled the sale negotiations on behalf of the seller. "Well located, high-quality industrial assets in Richmond continue to be highly sought after by investors. Despite headwinds in the economy, interest in Crescent Business Center was exceptionally competitive, with a number of offers coming from groups bringing new capital to the market. Merritt's execution on this transaction was first class all the way around, and we are pleased to welcome them to Richmond," comments Eric Robison.
Graham Stoneburner and R. Scott Douglas, SIOR, also with Thalhimer, have been named exclusive leasing representatives for Crescent Business Center on behalf of Merritt Properties. Thalhimer's Commercial Property Services Group will be handling the property management of Crescent Business Center; Jason Crowder, ACoM, Senior Portfolio Manager has been named portfolio manager for the center.
Established in 1967, Merritt Properties is a privately held commercial real estate company with over 19 million square feet of Class A office, flex, warehouse, industrial, retail and build-to-suit throughout Maryland, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia. Capabilities include leasing, property development and management, and financing. Merritt Properties is committed to "Creating Homes for Businesses" and providing the highest quality service to its customers. For more information, visit www.merrittproperties.com.
Thalhimer was founded in 1913 and currently has offices in Richmond, Newport News, Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg, Roanoke, Charlottesville, and Lynchburg, VA. The company has nearly 100 broker professionals and employs over 425 associates. Thalhimer represents, on behalf of its clients, a property portfolio of over 55 million leasable square feet, and management of over 30 million square feet of commercial property, and over 10,000 multifamily units. In 2021, Thalhimer completed over 2,300 transactions with a transactional volume more than $2.2 billion. Thalhimer is the region's leading provider of comprehensive commercial real estate services. The firm offers comprehensive commercial real estate services including corporate services, investment sales, tenant representation, project management, asset management, and the sale and leasing of office, industrial and retail properties. To learn more, visit www.thalhimer.com or follow @Thalhimer on Twitter.
Independently Owned and Operated / A Member of the Cushman & Wakefield Alliance
Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 50,000 employees in over 400 offices and approximately 60 countries. In 2021, the firm had revenue of $9.4 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, and valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.
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SOURCE Merritt Properties, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/merritt-properties-acquires-crescent-business-center-ashland-va/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:29Z |
Milliman PPFI plans see estimated investment returns of 4.7% in aggregate during July
SEATTLE, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today released the latest results of its Public Pension Funding Index (PPFI), which consists of the nation's 100 largest public defined benefit pension plans.
During July, the Milliman 100 PPFI funded ratio increased, climbing from 74.0% on June 30 to 77.3% as of July 31. Public pensions recovered the majority of June's market losses, thanks to an estimated 4.7% investment return for these plans, in aggregate. Individual plans' estimated returns ranged from 2.1% to 8.2%. During July, the plans gained market value of approximately $217 billion, which was offset by net negative cash flow of $8 billion.
"July's modest market recovery gave a nice boost to public pension funding, resulting in just over a quarter of the plans in our study now being 90% funded or greater," said Becky Sielman, author of Milliman's PPFI. "That's still far below where we were at the close of 2021, when 46 plans were 90% funded or better – underscoring the importance of market returns on the health of these plans."
For more information and to view the full Milliman 100 Public Pension Funding Index, go to http://www.milliman.com/ppfi/. To see Milliman's full range of annual Pension Funding Studies, go to https://www.milliman.com/en/retirement-and-benefits/pension-funding-studies. To receive regular updates of Milliman's pension funding analysis, contact us at pensionfunding@milliman.com.
About Milliman
Milliman is among the world's largest providers of actuarial and related products and services. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com.
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SOURCE Milliman, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/milliman-analysis-public-pensions-recover-majority-junes-market-losses-reach-773-funded-july-31/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:36Z |
MIT Technology Review's launches ClimateTech — a new event to explore the technology, policy, and societal changes that will transform the economy for a sustainable future.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New for 2022, MIT Technology Review will host its inaugural ClimateTech conference October 12-13 in person at MIT and online. Complementing the esteemed EmTech event series, this program takes a solutions-oriented look at how to address climate change through technology, policy, and societal changes.
The two-day program focuses on a range of topics, including the latest in clean energy generation and transportation, developing a food-secure future, hyper-local urban solutions, and more. We'll explore:
Energy Matters | Technology is a critical mechanism to bend the emissions curve down and provide clean energy to feed our insatiable need for power. New technologies, policies, and strategies have emerged to deliver clean energy while maintaining market competitiveness.
Systems Change, Not Climate Change | Climate change is a global problem with many interconnected and collectively essential solutions. None is a silver bullet. We examine the multitude of ways individuals and organizations can make sustainable changes to decarbonize the economy.
Attendees will have access to mainstage presentations, thought-provoking interviews, and live Q&A sessions and will walk away with strategies and ahead-of-the-curve insights on how businesses can meet their net-zero commitments while improving market competitiveness. The in-person experience takes place at the renowned MIT Media Lab and includes onsite networking, receptions with speakers and other VIPs, and an exclusive open house at the MIT City Science lab. All participants will have access to an online event platform for live-streamed content, videos on demand, and interactive discussions.
For full conference details, registration, and partnership opportunities, visit climatetechmit.com.
Media who would like to cover the event should reach out to press@technologyreview.com to learn more about obtaining press credentials.
About MIT Technology Review
Founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1899, MIT Technology Review is a world-renowned, independent media company whose insight, analysis, and interviews explain the newest technologies and their commercial, social, and political impacts. MIT Technology Review derives its authority from its relationship to the world's foremost technology institution and from its editors' deep technical knowledge, capacity to see technologies in their broadest context, and unequaled access to leading innovators and researchers. MIT Technology Review's mission is to bring about better-informed and more conscious decisions about technology through authoritative, influential, and trustworthy journalism. Subscribe. Listen. Attend. Follow: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.
Media Contact:
MIT Technology Review
press@technologyreview.com
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SOURCE MIT Technology Review | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/mit-technology-review-host-climatetech-october-12-13-in-person-online/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:42Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Corporate Directors® (NACD®), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 23,000 board members, announces that NACD Directorship Certification® has reached the milestone of 1,000 certified directors.
NACD Directorship Certification is the premier board member certification in the United States and was launched in 2020 as part of the NACD Corporate Directors Institute®. As the nation's premier director accreditation, it sets a new standard for director education and includes an ongoing education requirement that prepares directors for an ever-changing array of boardroom challenges.
In recognition of the milestone of 1,000 certified directors, NACD board members, leaders, and certified directors will gather this week in Times Square to ring the Nasdaq Stock Market Closing Bell on August 25. Tune in on August 25 at 3:50 PM EST to watch the live stream of the bell ringing ceremony here.
NACD members who have achieved certification serve on boards across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors of the economy. They represent leading boards such as Advanced Micro Devices, Cigna, Foot Locker, Morgan Stanley, and Nasdaq Inc. and nonprofits that include the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, and AARP, to name but a few.
The 1,000th certified director, Philip D. Amoa, managing partner of the Philadelphia Office of McCarter & English LLP and board member of the NACD Philadelphia Chapter, shared how the certification program has helped him:
"All corporate directors need continuing education to provide effective board leadership. NACD's Directorship Certification is the benchmark for corporate governance and a great tool for director development. Certification has helped me increase my value in the boardroom, including through strengthening investor trust and keeping me updated on the emerging issues and trends impacting the companies I serve," said Amoa.
"NACD is thrilled to celebrate this first group of 1,000 leaders who have taken action to better prepare themselves for board director roles, and we look forward to seeing the certification program continue to elevate both experienced and newer directors," said NACD president and CEO Peter Gleason. "NACD has defined the standard for director education in response to the convergence of a fast-moving, dynamic business environment with changing expectations for the board's role. As the scope and pace of change in demands continue to grow, it is more important than ever that directors are prepared and continually educating themselves on issues and trends. The certification program is all about enabling directors to lead with the highest standards of governance."
Individuals that have achieved NACD Directorship Certification have demonstrated their knowledge and competency in directorship through coursework and a rigorous certification exam. The NACD Directorship Certification requires recertification every two years through 32 hours of continuous learning at recognized programs.
Learn more about NACD Directorship Certification and how NACD is partnering with leading academic institutions such as founding partner Stanford University's Rock Center for Corporate Governance, Columbia Business School Executive Education, and The Wharton School's Aresty Institute of Executive Education to support directorship certification.
For more than 40 years, NACD has been on the leading edge of corporate governance, setting standards of excellence that have elevated board performance. NACD arms today's directors with insights and education that drive their mission forward, while preparing a new generation of boardroom leaders to meet tomorrow's biggest challenges. NACD is a community of more than 23,000 directors driven by a common purpose: to be trusted catalysts of economic opportunity and positive change—in businesses and in the communities they serve. To learn more about NACD, visit nacdonline.org.
The NACD Corporate Directors Institute (CDI) is an independent sister organization to NACD. CDI owns the NACD Directorship Certification program, including the examination and ongoing recertification requirements. The Institute confers the certification credential on those who meet the Institute's requirements, which are developed in consultation with experienced board members.
Media Contacts:
Shannon Bernauer
sbernauer@nacdonline.org
(571) 367-3688
Susan Oliver
soliver@nacdonline.org
703-216-4078
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SOURCE National Association of Corporate Directors | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/nacd-directorship-certification-program-celebrates-1000-certified-directors/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:53Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the world's first mission to test technology for defending Earth against potential asteroid or comet hazards, will impact its target asteroid—which poses no threat to Earth—at 7:14 p.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 26.
Among other activities, NASA will host a televised briefing beginning at 6 p.m. on Sept. 26 from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. APL is the builder and manager of the DART spacecraft for NASA.
This test will show a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a target asteroid and intentionally collide with it to change the asteroid's motion in a way that can be measured using ground-based telescopes. DART will provide important data to help better prepare for an asteroid that might pose an impact hazard to Earth, should one ever be discovered.
The following is a list of activities for DART's impact with the asteroid Dimorphos (all times Eastern):
Monday, Sept. 12
- 9 a.m. – NASA will host a hybrid media day at APL focused on the technology enabling the DART spacecraft to autonomously navigate to and impact its target asteroid. Participants include leaders from NASA and the DART mission team. In-person attendees will have an opportunity to tour the DART mission operations center at APL, located at 11100 Johns Hopkins Road in Laurel, Maryland.
Media interested in participating must RSVP by completing this form no later than 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 30. NASA's media accreditation policy for on-site and virtual activities is available online.
Thursday, Sept. 22
- 3 p.m. – Media briefing at NASA Headquarters to preview DART's final activities before its impact with Dimorphos. The media briefing will take place in the Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters in the Mary W. Jackson building, 300 E. Street, SW in Washington and include senior leaders from NASA and APL.
Media interested in participating must RSVP by completing this form no later than 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 15.
Monday, Sept. 26 (DART Impact Day)
Media interested in covering the DART impact from APL must complete this form by 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2.
- 6 p.m. – Live coverage of DART's impact with the asteroid Dimorphos will air on NASA TV and the agency's website. The public also can watch live on agency social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
- 7:14 p.m. – DART's kinetic impact with asteroid Dimorphos.
Interview Opportunities
Remote live and taped interviews via Zoom will be offered from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26. To book a live shot window, media should fill out this form by 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22.
A series of panels featuring NASA and APL mission experts will take place at APL on Monday, Sept. 26. Opportunities for interviews before and after DART's asteroid impact will be available by filling out this form.
NASA Social
Stay connected with the DART mission and share your experience watching DART's impact with an asteroid on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with #DARTMission and #PlanetaryDefender. Follow and tag these accounts:
- Twitter: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @AsteroidWatch, @JHUAPL
- Facebook: NASA, NASA Solar System Exploration, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
- Instagram: @NASA, @NASASolarSystem, @JohnsHopkinsAPL
Become a Planetary Defender
Support the DART mission by becoming a "Planetary Defender!" Participants who take a short quiz will earn a certificate and badge they can download, print, and share on social media.
For more information about the DART mission, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/dartmission
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SOURCE NASA | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/nasa-invites-media-witness-worlds-first-planetary-defense-test/ | 2022-08-23T17:58:59Z |
Inc. recognizes LMS' three-year revenue growth rate of 172 percent, which places Northpass among America's fastest-growing private companies.
PARSIPPANY, N.J., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Northpass, the provider of the leading Customer Learning platform, announced that it has been recognized by Inc. as an Inc. 5000 company. The Inc. 5000 is the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment — independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names, gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.
"It truly is an honor to be designated an Inc. 5000 company," said Northpass Founder & CEO, Steve Cornwell. "Since Northpass' inception, it's been a goal of mine to bring technological innovation back to the great state of New Jersey and grow a unique business. And, it's clear we're on our way as our best-in-breed Customer Learning platform is adopted by some of the world's largest and most innovative companies."
This news follows several other major Northpass accomplishments for 2022.
In January, Northpass announced it was the recipient of two Brandon Hall Group Excellence in Technology Awards for 2021. Northpass won Gold in the "Best Advance in Learning Management Technology (LMT) for External Training," category. Also, Northpass was awarded Bronze for the "Best Advance in Learning Management Technology."
Additionally, Northpass has been identified as a recipient of 23 badges — varying from "High Performer," to "Highest User Adoption," to "Best Support" — from G2 for Winter, Spring and Summer 2022.
And, in June, Northpass was designated an NJBIZ Best Place to Work for 2022. This marks the third consecutive year Northpass has received this recognition.
"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."
Northpass is the provider of the leading Customer Learning platform that helps today's cutting-edge businesses deliver results. Northpass' Software-as-a-Service- (SaaS) based solution differentiates itself by being connected, fully customizable and is implemented by a customer-centric Support team. Today, Northpass powers learning programs for hundreds of companies, including: Compass, Freshworks, SPS Commerce, Talkspace, Uber and others. To learn more about Northpass, please visit: http://www.northpass.com.
The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
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SOURCE Northpass, Inc | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/northpass-ranks-2022-inc-5000-annual-list/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:05Z |
Weeklong event benefits 22 community nonprofits
INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OneAmerica® continues a nine-year tradition of dedicating a full week of volunteer service to its local communities. Nearly 700 associates will assist nonprofits during the annual Week of Caring.
From Maine to southern California, associates of OneAmerica will provide more than 2,000 hours through 24 combined in-person and virtual volunteer activities in five states.
"What started as a local community event has grown into a national tradition, celebrating our culture of caring," said Jen Pittman, vice president of Community Affairs at OneAmerica. "We invest in our communities in many ways throughout the year. During Week of Caring, we contribute our time and energy to make a meaningful difference for nonprofit organizations across the country."
Most of the volunteer opportunities are in communities in which OneAmerica associates work, although associates also volunteer for virtual activities benefitting national organizations. Twelve volunteer sites are in Indianapolis. Other cities that will benefit from the community investment include: Appleton, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Portland, Maine; and San Diego, California.
Week of Caring is conducted in collaboration with many nonprofit organizations, such as Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. This year, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis and Damar Services are new volunteer opportunities in Indianapolis, and the San Diego Rescue Mission has collaborated with OneAmerica as an additional site in Southern California. Associates will make and donate blankets for the Little Red Door. In conjunction with the Alpha Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, 4,000 children's books were donated to the United Way readUP program, a literacy initiative. The books will be distributed in Indianapolis during the Week of Caring. Virtual volunteer opportunities are also available through the Red Cross and the Alzheimer's Association.
Week of Caring is part of a broader associate-driven philanthropy effort that also includes the company's annual giving campaign. The OneAmerica Cares Giving Campaign starts in September and runs through mid-October. Last year, the campaign raised $823,000 to invest back into communities.
In 2014, OneAmerica became the first organization in central Indiana to devote an entire week to volunteer service. Each year provides associates the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues in an immersive, community-focused effort that benefits others. The public can follow associates in action at the activities by following #OneAmericaCares on social media channels.
About OneAmerica®
A national provider of insurance and financial services for more than 140 years, the companies of OneAmerica help customers build and protect their financial futures. OneAmerica offers a variety of products and services to serve the financial needs of their policyholders and customers. These products include retirement plan products and recordkeeping services, individual life insurance, annuities, asset-based long-term care solutions and employee benefit plan products. Products are issued and underwritten by the companies of OneAmerica and distributed through a nationwide network of employees, agents, brokers and other sources who are committed to providing value to our customers. To learn more about our products, services and the companies of OneAmerica, visit OneAmerica.com/companies.
OneAmerica® is the marketing name for the companies of OneAmerica.
Contact:
Jonathan D. Neal
Public Relations Manager
OneAmerica
765-524-1901
Jonathan.Neal@oneamerica.com
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SOURCE OneAmerica | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/oneamerica-associates-give-2000-service-hours-nationally/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:12Z |
LOS ANGELES and HOUSTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- National probate and inheritance dispute law firm, RMO LLP, announced that Founding Partner Scott Rahn has been recognized in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in America, while Houston Managing Attorney Andrea Uresti-Barr was also recognized as "One to Watch." Best Lawyer rankings are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers and honor only the top 5.3% of elite lawyers in the nation across 150 practice areas.
Rahn is regarded as a leading probate trial attorney, focusing on high-stakes private wealth disputes, fiduciary litigation, and contentious trust, probate estate and conservatorship cases. Rahn guides RMO's clients (heirs, beneficiaries, trustees, executors, administrators, charities, creditors and conservators) through the emotional, legal and financial issues that arise when loved ones become compromised, taken advantage of, and, after they pass, whenever theft, manipulation, fraud, abuse, and other misdeeds are revealed.
Driven by a commitment to provide relief to people grieving the loss of a loved one, Rahn and the team at RMO collaborate closely with clients, pursuing and defending all types of probate litigation disputes, including claims involving incapacity, incompetence, undue influence, breach of fiduciary duty, tortious interference with expected inheritance, financial elder abuse, and other similar areas of conflict.
Recently named a "Legal Visionary" by the Los Angeles Times, Rahn advises clients on the best ways to protect and honor the legacy their loved ones intended for them by helping clients secure rightful inheritances, avoid having inheritances taken from them, and protecting loved ones and their intended legacies against those who seek to take advantage.
This year Rahn also was recognized as a "Top Litigator" by the Los Angeles Business Journal and a leader in Private Wealth Disputes in the Chambers and Partners "2022 High Net Worth Guide."
Andrea Uresti Barr manages the firm's Houston office. A seasoned probate litigator, Uresti-Barr's similarly guides clients involved in defending and prosecuting causes of action on behalf and against heirs, beneficiaries, fiduciaries, and creditors in probate, trust, guardianship, and power of attorney proceedings. She also handles contested estate, probate, and trust administrations.
Uresti-Barr defends wrongfully accused fiduciaries but also prosecutes fiduciaries who have abused their position, including experience handling several commercial real estate transactions (including acreage), commercial and dram shop liability litigation, equitable and statutory bill of review proceedings, and appeals. She also has extensive experience pursuing and defending will contests and trust contests, including claims for incapacity, undue influence, financial elder abuse, fraud and forgery.
RMO LLP provides personal, cost-effective inheritance dispute services to individual and institutional clients. The firm's attorneys focus on probate litigation involving contested trust, estate, probate, and conservatorship matters. RMO has offices serving clients with probate disputes throughout California, Florida, Texas, Kansas and Missouri. For more information, please visit https://rmolawyers.com/.
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SOURCE RMO LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/rmo-llp-founder-scott-rahn-named-best-lawyer-america-andrea-uresti-barr-named-one-watch/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:19Z |
SBA Awards Nearly $3M in Grants to Help Arkansas, Maryland, and South Dakota Entrepreneurs Combat Rise in Cyberattacks and Threats
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the voice for America's 33 million small businesses in President Biden's Cabinet, announced nearly $3 million in new funding for three state delegates to help emerging small businesses develop their cybersecurity infrastructure. Arkansas, Maryland, and South Dakota representatives are receiving grants that will help deliver cybersecurity assistance to nascent and startup business owners as part of the SBA's Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program.
"Cybersecurity is increasingly critical for small businesses and startups as they face rising challenges and cyber risks that could disrupt their operations. As we seek to build a stronger and more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, we must innovate and provide resources to meet the growing, evolving needs of our diverse small businesses. With this new funding opportunity, the SBA is leveraging the strengths across our state governments, territories, and tribal governments to provide services to help small businesses get cyber ready and, in the process, fortify our nation's supply chains," said SBA Administrator Guzman.
Awarded States and Institutions are:
Arkansas – Forge Institute – $999,650.66
Maryland – Department of Commerce – $930,155.00
South Dakota – Dakota State University – $999,933.00
"This pilot program catalyzes our efforts to help small businesses combat cybersecurity threats," said SBA Associate Administrator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development Mark Madrid. "These grants empower state governments to innovate, develop new resources, and scale solutions to protect more small businesses from harmful cyberattacks."
About the Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program
Cyberattacks are a growing threat to small businesses and the U.S. economy. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Report, the cost of cybercrimes against the small business community reached $2.4 billion in 2021.
Small businesses are attractive targets because they have information that cybercriminals want, and they typically lack the security infrastructure of larger businesses.
According to an SBA survey, 88% of small business owners felt their business was vulnerable to a cyberattack. Yet many businesses can't afford professional IT solutions, have limited time to devote to cybersecurity, or don't know where to begin.
The Federal budget for the Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program for 2021-2022 is $3,000,000. SBA awarded three awards, with no single award exceeding $1 million. The period of performance for this award is one-year (12 months).
To learn more about SBA's programs and services related to cybersecurity, visit www.sba.gov/cybersecurity.
To find additional SBA local resources, visit www.sba.gov/local-assistance.
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Contact: press_office@sba.gov, www.sba.gov/news
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Blogs & Instagram
Release Number: 22-66
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SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/sba-administrator-guzman-announces-grant-awardees-new-pilot-program-bolster-cybersecurity-infrastructure-emerging-small-businesses/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:25Z |
Research will explore the diverse safety needs of the evolving mobility ecosystem by further engaging projects with expertise of nationally recognized universities: University of Virginia, University of Michigan Medical School, University of California San Diego, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Iowa State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota's Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) today announced four additional research projects are being added to the next phase of its pioneering automotive safety research. The projects include a study of human diversity in injury biomechanics, a look at technologies that can help prevent impaired drivers from endangering themselves or others, how to help predict when a driver is at risk of incapacitation or illness before it becomes an emergency and how to more effectively pass the operation of the vehicle between the driver and automation. These new projects join the nine announced in April as part of a five-year, $30 million commitment to examine the diversity of safety needs and analyze safe mobility options that accommodate a variety of applications, physical characteristics and levels of accessibility for people and society.
"As we continue to pursue the needs of industry around automotive safety, these new projects will help us better understand human driving behavior, ways to integrate medical technology and crash protection for a diverse population of physical characteristics," said Danil Prokhorov, director of Toyota's CSRC and Future Research Department (FRD).
CSRC will continue to collaborate with the University of Virginia, University of Michigan Medical School, University of California San Diego, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Iowa State University and University of Wisconsin-Madison through these new projects. Safety improvements found in these projects will be publicly available to help push safety forward industrywide.
The four projects include:
Projects are identified based on their application to CSRC's proposed research tracks for the next five-year period – Human-Centric, Safety Assurance and Assessment – which weave together the diverse interdisciplinary backgrounds of CSRC's team.
On top of the multi-year projects announced today and in April, CSRC has announced its pursuit of smaller research investigations to explore potential new topics and collaborator relationships. The investigations enable CSRC to explore contributions to current and emerging safety issues for future project planning. The investigation topics include differences in risky driving behavior across cultures, relationships between child passengers and crash trends and differences in safety perceptions across socioeconomic groups. By working with researchers on these topics early on, CSRC is laying the foundation for future breakthroughs in these and other areas of growing importance. CSRC welcomes continued scientific discussion on these and other potential topics for early investigations.
Toyota created the Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) in 2011 to advance traffic safety for the industry and society through open partnerships with universities, hospitals and other institutions. From 2011-2022, CSRC has received $85 million for foundational safety research, including development of tools and testing procedures related to the efficacy of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and research into human factors on vehicle safety.
Including ongoing work, CSRC has undertaken 98 research projects with more than 30 different institutions, published over 260 research papers and engaged more than 300 researchers, who have publicly shared the output globally. The projects have made meaningful contributions to help advance research and technology for the safe integration of future mobility solutions for all.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company's 2021 North American sales were electrified.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
Media Contact:
Olivia Boisineau
olivia.boisineau@toyota.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/toyotas-collaborative-safety-research-center-adds-four-new-projects-latest-five-year-research-phase/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:31Z |
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A new national survey from U.S. News & World Report's 360 Reviews finds four in five Americans (81%) have adjusted their spending due to inflation, and 84% indicate they worry about the impact of inflation on this year's holiday shopping season.
To better understand the impact of inflation on consumer money-saving and purchasing habits, U.S. News used a third-party survey platform to poll 2,000 U.S. adults. It asked U.S. respondents about their coupon habits, 2022 holiday shopping plans, and more. Survey responses were weighted in order to be representative of the U.S. population.
"Our latest survey makes it clear Americans are flocking to digital coupons and similar digital money-saving tools because of inflation's impact to their wallets," said Alexandra Kelly, senior editor, 360 Deals. Kelly adds, "And they seem to be helping. In fact, an overwhelming 91% of U.S. consumers who use coupon sites, apps, and/or browser extensions report having saved money because of these digital resources — and half of Americans (51%) say they definitely plan to use digital coupons and similar online money-saving tools to help with their holiday shopping this year."
Additional survey highlights include:
- More than half of Americans (58%) look for coupons at least once a week.
- Three in four Americans (76%) have searched for digital coupons while grocery shopping.
- American consumers most prefer online shopping on Black Friday, followed by Amazon Prime Day, which trumped Cyber Monday.
- Half of Americans (51%) follow couponing blogs and social media accounts.
To access the full survey findings, visit:
https://www.usnews.com/articles/online-shopping-coupon-habits-survey
About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/us-news-360-reviews-survey-reveals-americans-have-adjusted-spending-due-inflation-are-worried-about-inflations-impact-holiday-season-ahead/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:38Z |
26% increase in year-over-year revenue, and adds 19 New Partner Agencies
ATLANTA, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Utility today shared its second-quarter 2022 results, showing the technology company's continued growth. Expanding further across the United States, Utility earned 19 new law enforcement agencies, adding 2,153 new devices to bring the total to 9,202 new devices YTD. Utility has seen a steady growth from the first quarter. Financial highlights included:
- 26.75% increase in year-over-year revenue
- 56.2% increase in year-over-year contract bookings
- 30.19% increase in recurring revenue year-over-year
In May, Utility unveiled new names and logos for core products and introduced a new product, Helios by Utility™, as part of a comprehensive rebranding effort to complement the company's accelerated expansion. At the forefront of the brand evolution was the name change of three core Utility technologies to align the company's expanding—and growing—universe of innovative products and operating systems. Product evolutions and introductions included:
- Eosby Utility™: With a name to match its luminary qualities, Eos, formerly known as BodyWorn, is a body-worn camera for solution-seeking agencies, ushering in a new dawn for digital video surveillance.
- Polaris by Utility™: Previously known as AVaiLWEB, Polaris is a powerful, cloud-based digital evidence platform that offers users a wide range of features and case management capabilities. As a seamless, all-in-one evidence management system, Polaris guides Utility clients with total transparency and sets a new standard for tracking and backing up the truth.
- Rocket by Utility™: RocketIoT is now Rocket. Just as its name implies, Rocket by Utility is a state-of-the-art, in-car communication platform that takes situational awareness to a whole new level. With multi-dimensional capabilities and secure evidence-gathering automation, the Rocket delivers comprehensive, time-saving intelligence.
- Helios by Utility™: A central evidence management platform created for district attorneys' offices; Helios provides the power to organize files from multiple agencies into one unified view. The SAAS-based DEMS sheds light on all aspects of case management, allowing law enforcement to collaborate quickly, securely and efficiently with the justice system to bring speed and transparency to the legal process.
Utility increased new contract bookings this quarter by 76.2 percent in the second quarter, totaling $8,311,424. That includes new contracts with 12 city police departments; four county agencies; one state police department, Vermont; one university medical center, University of Mississippi Medical Center, including over 100 officers; and one public city water supply company. This quarter, contracts committed more than 2,000 new devices supporting law enforcement personnel to the platform.
Additional Q2 insights include:
- Utility's platform is actively managing more than 9.5 petabytes of media.
- Utility's platform managed the addition of more than 4.3 million incidents through the quarter, more than a 12% increase from Q1 2022.
- Utility's ALPR technology detected more than 3,4 million license plates during the quarter.
- Users played more than 780,000 videos, a 6% increase from Q1 2022.
- Total users on the platform surpassed 57,000, more than a 14% increase from Q1 2022.
In the second quarter, Utility's team grew by 28 employees, surpassing the 100-employee mark. The leadership team expanded to include Product Management, International Business Development and Sales Leadership. Additionally, many key roles have been filled to support our continuing growth in the areas of client support and project management. This team expansion supports a broader series of Utility-funded growth initiatives, including:
- Work to expand the company's DEMS technologies, Helios and Polaris, to be source agnostic giving clients the opportunity to actively manage data in one place.
- A focus on international market expansion with our core offering and vertical market extension into Corrections, Fire, and EMS, as well as becoming FedRamp certified to engage with federal clients.
- Further development of Active Policing technology to provide clients with real-time crime center capabilities.
"We are thrilled to welcome these teammates to Utility and look forward to the continued success their strong leadership will support," said Michael Nark, President and CEO of Utility. "Building upon the momentum of the first half of the year, we're keenly focused on satisfying our clients through continuous innovation, ensuring that our products are increasingly valuable for all of our clients and highly effective for partner agencies of all sizes."
About Utility
Utility, the innovative technology-enabled service provider recognized for creating groundbreaking digital systems for frontline professions, provides a universe of intuitive products for effectively capturing, managing and releasing video evidence. Technologies include a variety of cameras, sensors and devices as well as situational awareness software solutions for law enforcement, first responders, transportation agencies and utility providers. To learn more about Utility and its technology solutions, please visit utility.com.
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SOURCE Utility, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/utility-inc-shares-steady-growth-q2-2022-business-results/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:45Z |
The acquisition will strengthen Xebia's foothold in the functional programming domain
GURUGRAM, India, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Xebia, a leading global IT consultancy and services company, has united with 47 Degrees, a US-based global technology consultancy focused on unlocking business growth by creating assured solutions for complex, mission-critical software.
47 Degrees has been focused on building and deploying innovative applications for its clients as well as actively engaging in the tech community since 2010. The company offers comprehensive consulting services in functional programming languages and related technologies, like Scala, Kotlin, Spark, Kafka, and Akka. While the company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, they have strong footholds in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Colombia.
Its team handles the design, development, and deployment of applications for its clients so that companies can focus on their core business goals. Their engineers—with years of development expertise—coordinate with client teams to provide additional bandwidth and adapt mission-critical workflow.
Speaking about the collaboration, Mr. Anand Sahay, Global CEO, Xebia Group, said, "We are delighted to join forces with 47 Degrees and we believe that with their strong expertise in Scala, Kotlin as well as functional Java, this acquisition will establish our presence in the global market and also allow us to widen our functional programming expertise to Rust, Clojure, and Haskell. We aim to become one of the most significant one-stop-shop for all functional programming needs."
Nick Elsberry, CEO of 47 Degrees, said; "We're pleased to join forces with Xebia, strong supporters of the functional paradigm, to leverage and support our comprehensive services and expertise to our future and existing clients. Xebia not only aligns with our technology goals but our people-first methodologies, and we're excited about this next chapter."
Functional languages provide significant advantages while building highly scalable and parallelized systems. As the demand for such scalable systems is increasing exponentially among enterprises as well as innovative start-ups worldwide, there is a simultaneous demand for specialized talent that is unfragmented and can support the adoption of functional paradigms.
As a full stack software firm, Xebia is a firm believer in and promoter of functional programming in its solution blueprints. We believe that the consolidation of boutique functional companies can offer enterprises a strong option and build confidence in functional paradigms.
About Xebia
About 47 Degrees
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SOURCE Xebia; 47 Degrees | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/xebia-global-technology-consultancy-47-degrees-join-forces/ | 2022-08-23T17:59:51Z |
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Upon entering 821 Sixth Ave. in Manhattan, starting in 1957, you might hear the warped door of the old building. Then you'd be greeted by photographer W. Eugene Smith, who rented space there for several years. More than likely, you'd be photographed by him.
"He had a remarkable six-shooter style," says pianist Paul Bley. "You'd be standing in the hall with him at the loft, and while he was chatting you up and being very attentive and intriguing, the camera was at his kneecap level, and he would snap, snap, snap."
Smith was also, less obviously, audio tape-recording nearly everything that happened in the loft. Nearly 600 people, over the years, came through, talked, crashed there and played music — people like guitarist Jim Hall and composer David Amram.
"I'd heard about it from the different musicians because all of us — I came to New York in 1955 — had a kind of wonderful underground community where the catchword is: Where's the session?" Amram says.
"Someone'd say: 'A bunch of us are going to go to this painter's loft on Sixth Avenue after work, would you like to come along?' " Hall says. "Probably something very casual like that."
"And no one said, 'Let's be spontaneous,' " Amram says. "It was just something that was in the air, and jazz reinforced that spontaneous feeling and that daring and that virtuosity in everyone."
Visits From God
The Jazz Loft already had a history by the time Smith moved in. A gregarious jazz-loving painter, David X. Young, discovered the five-story walk-up in the mid-1950s. He had been looking for a cheap place to paint.
This place was cheap, all right: $40 a month, barely any electricity or water. It was located in New York's commercial flower district, in the west 20s along Sixth Avenue; the neighborhood was completely deserted at night. Bass player Bill Crow, among many musicians, befriended Young.
"He got a piano up there, and we were welcome to come and play," Crow says. "Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Dick Katz ..."
All the famous players of the day stopped by to rehearse, hang out and jam, as vibraphone player Teddy Charles tells it.
"Miles, Mingus, Art Blakey," Charles says. "Of course Bird [Charlie Parker]; when Bird came, it was like a visit from God, you know."
Smith Steps In
Then W. Eugene Smith, a celebrated Life Magazine photographer given to shooting 3,000 photos while on assignment to shoot 30, was drawn to the space. He left his family in a small town up the Hudson River, and moved in.
His son, Pat Smith, visited the loft many times as his estranged father became entrenched.
"He kept renting more and more floors, and stored more and more stuff," Pat Smith says. "It's kind of a wonder the whole place didn't collapse."
Composer Steve Reich visited the loft often.
"I walked into this room, and this room was wall-to-wall, with four walls, of photographs," Reich says. "And then into those photographs were stuck other photographs so the whole room was, like, leaning. And behind them were others, so the whole room was this leaning series of photos, and about to fall and engulf you."
A Funky Place
In the 1950s, loft dwellings were still an underground way of life, recalls Amram, the composer.
"You weren't supposed to live in them, but they did," Amram says. "And they were basically workplaces that had either been abandoned or kind of left to people to renovate on the sly — and artists of different kinds would sneak in there to live."
Sam Stephenson, author of the new book The Jazz Loft Project and the man who uncovered the tapes in the Smith archive, notes that there was some deception involved.
"They had to have plywood boxes that they put over top of their mattresses to hide the fact that they were sleeping there, because the cops would come over and write them some sort of citation," Stephenson says.
"It was what we called a funky place," says pianist and songwriter Dave Frishberg. He was a regular in the loft. "Funky now has become a term of enthusiastic approval, but in those days funky meant messy, dirty and smelly."
Tapes And Tapes
Eugene Smith felt right at home there. He turned his tape recorders on soon after he arrived in '57. He began with the idea of recording his cats.
"A lot of cats," says his son Pat Smith. "I don't know how many cats he had. I couldn't even guess. There were cats everywhere."
He recorded the television and radio programs he had on, daily, in the loft, as he was printing and working in his darkroom. He taped his own phone calls.
In one room and another, musicians gathered for jam sessions. He taped those, too, says his former assistant and colleague, photographer Harold Feinstein.
"Gene Smith not simply turned his tape recorder on, but he practically wired the whole loft upstairs and downstairs so that he could tape everything," Feinstein says. "So this was both a project of his, or he was an extraordinary voyeur or both. Yeah, probably both."
All this at a time when, as bass player and loft regular Steve Swallow recalls, it was a rather odd thing to be doing.
"The machines were still fairly primitive," Swallow says. "It wasn't that far from the days of wire recorders, and people didn't commonly have tape recorders at that time. So it was a kind of innovative and exciting venture that he was involved in 1960."
So, as it turns out, the Jazz Loft was much more than just jazz. Stephenson led the project to organize, digitize and catalog the tapes.
"What we really honed in on from an early stage was everything but the music," Stephenson says. "What were the conversations about? What could you hear out of the window? Because it gave us a sense of what it was like to live in America, in New York City, in this particular neighborhood in Manhattan, in this time period, in a manner that nothing else could."
So, we wander into sounds and stories of life in a grimy old building in some of the golden years for jazz in New York. Of course, Eugene Smith recorded a lot of that music, too.
-----
Every Sunday in December, NPR presents highlights from The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series, created by WNYC. For more information, and to see photos and hear audio clips from the Jazz Loft, visit our Jazz Loft Project Online Interactive.
WNYC's Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is produced in association with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Copyright 2009 WNYC Radio | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-05/tales-of-the-tape-introducing-the-jazz-loft | 2022-08-23T18:04:24Z |
One
Cloth streamers hung from the front door of the fortune teller's hooch; bright red, yellow, and green. Tiny bells tied to the streamers tinkled in the late afternoon breeze. Doctor Yong In-ja, chief of the Itaewon branch of the Yongsan District Public Health Service, pulled three sticks of incense out of her pocket, struck a single wooden match against a dirty brick wall, and lit all three. She handed one to me, one to the young business girl I knew only as Miss Kwon, and kept the last for herself. Pungent smoke assaulted my nostrils. Turning, Doc Yong pushed open the small wooden door in the front wall and crouched through into the fortune teller's courtyard.
My name is George Sueño. I'm an agent for the Criminal Investigation Division of the 8th United States Army in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Normally, I don't seek consultations with fortune tellers. But when Doc Yong asked me to accompany her and the traumatized Miss Kwon to see the woman whom she referred to as "the most famous chom-cheingi in Seoul," I didn't refuse.
Miss Kwon was a cute kid, about nineteen years old, with cheeks that quivered like a chipmunk's. I had first seen her in Doc Yong's office some twenty minutes ago. She had been so nervous at meeting me that her hands shook. I spoke to her in Korean, using polite verb endings, and she calmed down, but only a bit. Miss Kwon's fear of men — especially Americans — was vast. Doc Yong had asked me to meet with her, talk to her, and eventually to accompany the two of them on this outing to the fortune teller, thinking I could show Miss Kwon the positive side of Western manhood: not drunk, not aggressive, not treating women as objects to be bought and sold. I'd been flattered by Doc's confidence and, more to the point, grateful that she had never seen me running the ville on a Saturday night.
Although she was escorting a superstitious young country girl to a fortune teller, Doc Yong had confided in me before we left that as a modern woman and a medical doctor, she did not believe in such nonsense herself. But Doc Yong felt that a visit to Auntie Mee, the fortune teller, would reassure Miss Kwon, give her hope that she had a future worth working toward, a future that would be better than the present she was suffering through now.
And, Doc Yong finally admitted, when we were already halfway there, that the chom-cheingi also wanted to speak to me. Me specifically, I'd asked, or just anyone representing 8th Army law enforcement? You specifically, Doc Yong had replied. The fortune teller had asked for me by name: Sueño. I asked how she had known my name. Doc Yong shook her head. But I could figure it out. Itaewon was a small village and word gets around. Quick. The fact that my partner, Ernie Bascom, and I were Criminal Investigation Division agents was no secret. What did this chom-cheingi want to talk to me about? Doc Yong shook her head again. I'd find out soon enough.
I wasn't sure I liked being maneuvered into meeting someone I wouldn't normally encounter. I consider fortune tellers to be charlatans, people who use trickery to prey on the insecurities of people - mostly women — who shell out hard-earned money and receive little or nothing in return. But if Doc Yong considered it worthwhile for me to talk to this woman I'd set my misgivings aside. That was good enough for me.
Frankly, I would've followed Doc Yong anywhere. We did a lot of work with her — what with Korean "business girls" being constantly beat up or raped or even occasionally tortured by our brave American fighting men — and I wanted to retain her goodwill. But the main reason I decided to join her on this gray afternoon was that I had a crush on her. She was probably in her early thirties, about seven or eight years older than me, and she had legs that were maybe a little too short and a chest that wouldn't make any Hollywood starlet jealous. Her face was round and never made up and, on top of that, she wore thick-rimmed glasses and cut her hair in a straight bob that hung just past her ears.
But I found her attractive because of her smile. It was brighter than the sun coming up over the Eastern Sea and filled whoever was lucky enough to see it with a sense of vibrant optimism. And her skin was pure, unblemished, the color of light gold with just a hint of brown. It sounds like a lousy pick-up line but I was also attracted to her mind. When I gazed into her eyes I could see her evaluating me, turning everything I said this way and that, not coming to a conclusion but storing data, ready to reach a conclusion when, and only when, it became necessary. She was the only person I knew who, when I gazed into her eyes, I was certain was more intelligent than me.
Admittedly, I didn't live in a world of massive brain power. Most of the people I worked with were Army MPs, Korean cops, or miscreant criminals of either Korean or American vintage. Every time I talked to Doc Yong I felt as if I'd been hit by a breath of fresh air blowing in off the cold Yellow Sea.
Now we sat in the courtyard holding our sticks of burning incense for what seemed a long time, squatting on our haunches. Or maybe it just seemed like a long time because my thigh muscles had started to cramp. After a few minutes I had to stand up and stretch. Doc Yong motioned me back down.
The courtyard was like most courtyards of the working class poor: a byonso — an outhouse — made of cement blocks sat in one corner, earthenware kimchee pots lined the side walls, and in the center of the courtyard were a few scraggly rose bushes, barren now in the middle of winter, reaching toward gray clouds like the gnarled fingers of the dead. Miss Kwon held her stick of incense straight up in front of her face with both hands and remained totally immobile, except for her lips which mumbled an incomprehensible prayer. Doc Yong did pretty much the same except her eyes darted about occasionally. My legs were so stiff and the joints of my knees ached so badly that I was about to stand and call the whole thing off when footsteps pattered on the raised wooden floor of the hooch. Silently, the latticework door slid open. A woman stepped onto the porch and bowed.
She wasn't what I expected; not a withered crone with a hooked nose and warts. Auntie Mee was a slender Korean woman, maybe in her thirties, clad in robes of embroidered blue silk. She bowed at the waist, and thanked us in a melodious voice for being good enough to join her in her humble household. We all stood. Doc Yong bowed first and then Miss Kwon and then me. Following Doc Yong's lead, we placed our burning incense sticks into a bronze holder encircled by rose bushes. Auntie Mee motioned for us to enter. We slipped off our shoes, stepped up onto the varnished wooden porch and ducked through the doorway onto the vinyl-covered floor of the home of the fortune teller.
We followed her down a dark hallway and emerged into a rear courtyard. This one was far better kept, with bonsai trees, ponds with tiny waterfalls and golden carp frolicking in the green water. Fortune-telling paid well. We followed a long porch around the edge of the courtyard to the rear. Auntie Mee bowed once more and led us into a room, twice as big as the hooch up front. It held a shrine. Above flickering candles, many pairs of huge round eyes glared at me: the Conquering General of Heaven, the Goddess of the Land Below, sleek copper Buddhas, fat bronze kitchen gods. Just about every sort of religion was represented here. A bearded figure in one of the murals seemed to be Jesus Christ.
Miss Kwon appeared completely awed. She knelt in the center of the room and bowed her head to the floor. Turning from us, Auntie Mee covered herself in a thick red robe, strode into the middle of the room, and squatted in front of Miss Kwon. Gently, she took the girl's quivering hands in hers. Auntie Mee closed her eyes and began to chant. The two of them seemed to be engaged in a spiritual communion. Neither moved but they held on to one another firmly. Finally, softly, Auntie Mee began to speak.
She asked Miss Kwon for her date of birth and then her hour of birth. After that she pulled a small table away from the wall and began to thumb through a sheaf of loose-leafed pages, tattered at the edges and held together by copper studs. In the center of the title page sat three characters; the one in the middle was too complicated for me to read but those on either end were composed of only a few strokes. By the flickering candlelight, Auntie Mee's finger traced row after row of Chinese characters, elegantly slashed thick lines made by an ink-dipped horsehair brush. Many of the manuscript pages were partially blank, as if chunks were missing.
Auntie Mee stopped — still mumbling to herself — and seized three large bronze coins with small squares punched in the middle. She threw them up in the air and allowed them to clatter to the surface of the wooden table. When they had stopped moving, she took note of how they landed and resumed her search through the grimy stack of curled paper. Finally, she grabbed Miss Kwon's hand, and started chanting again. I could follow little of what she said. Much of the incantation was whispered in Miss Kwon's ear, so only she could hear it. Also, my Korean is conversational, not completely fluent. If I steer the topic of conversation to areas where my vocabulary is extensive, and if the person I'm talking to keeps the words and syntax simple, I can communicate effectively. But when someone takes off into the exotic realms where Auntie Mee was heading, into ancient incantations pulled from the hoary recesses of time, I become lost. Only a few words or phrases seeped in: "trouble with your family;" "men who don't respect you;" "foreigners who treat Koreans badly."
I wondered how much of this was fortune-telling and how much common sense. The Korean economy was desperately trying to rebuild itself in the early seventies, some twenty years after the devastation of the Korean War. Things were tough for the working poor in Seoul and, when crops failed, even tougher for the farmers in the countryside. Despite massive population growth in the cities - Seoul was up to eight million people — most of the Korean population still lived in agricultural areas. When girls reached marriageable age, they found it difficult to find a husband. Landless boys were not only drafted into the army for three years but afterward they ran off to the cities to find work. The girls were left to labor in factories hoping to build a dowry or, if their grades weren't so good in school, as bus attendants or janitors or scullery maids if they were lucky. The unlucky ones signed contracts with labor recruiters. Money would be sent home to their parents. They would work as "hostesses" in bars or nightclubs. Hostesses are expected to perform additional duties, duties that encompass prostitution. Often, after poverty and the system has broken them down, the girls give up all hope of living a decent life and plunge into drunkenness and drugs and sex-for-sale. These are the ones who end up being hauled into jail by Korean cops or, occasionally, G.I. cops like me.
I'm not a fortune teller but I saw all this in Miss Kwon's future. So did Doc Yong. The difference was that Doc Yong was trying to save her. I didn't know how.
Now Auntie Mee spoke in a strong clear voice. Miss Kwon was crying and bowing. Auntie Mee asked her an occasional question. Miss Kwon answered. Auntie Mee made what seemed to be pronouncements and Miss Kwon nodded vigorously.
During all this, Doc Yong had been sitting quietly, her head bowed. But now her fists clenched and she stared directly at Auntie Mee.
"Weikurei?" Doc Yong demanded. Why this way? Auntie Mee shrugged and gestured toward the tattered manuscript, as if to say, That's what the book told me.
Finally, the reading was done and Auntie Mee and Miss Kwon hugged one another. Then Auntie Mee slid backward on her bent knees, and Miss Kwon, crying more than ever, bowed twice. Doc Yong, still scowling, comforted her and dragged her off to the side of the room, away from the glow of the flickering candlelight. They whispered to one another, conferring over the full meaning of the fortune that had just been told.
Auntie Mee motioned for me to sit before her. I slid across the floor and knelt, although my butt wouldn't descend as low as Auntie Mee's. My head towered a foot above hers. She backed up a little, uncomfortable looking up at me.
Many Koreans find Westerners unattractive. Upsetting, even. Our features are too gross, our bone structure too oddly shaped, our bodies too massive and reeking of the odor of meat. Apparently, that was Auntie Mee's attitude.
When she had put some distance between us she relaxed, arranged her blue robe around herself and began to talk, speaking Korean slowly and simply so I could understand.
First, she asked me for my date of birth. I wouldn't give it to her.
"Why? Don't you want your fortune read?"
I shook my head. "I don't believe in these things," I said.
She seemed greatly amused. "But many people do."
"Many people do a lot of things," I replied.
"As you wish." Auntie Mee sighed and slammed shut her pile of dog-eared pages. Then, still in Korean, she said something to me. It was a jarring change of subject and it took me a few moments to translate the sentence, mentally, into English.
"I want you to arrest someone," she told me.
I waited.
"A compatriate of yours," she said. "An American soldier."
"What has he done?" I asked.
"He bothers me every night. Wakes me. Makes me rise from my bed and forces me to light sticks of incense and speaks to me through the Conquering General of Heaven. He even interrupts me when I'm working with my clients, causing delays and confusing my readings. He's quite a pest. Rude, like so many of you Americans. And impatient too."
"Impatient?"
"Yes. Why doesn't he wait to take his revenge in the land of the dead like everyone else? Why must he bother me to take action on his behalf, here in the land of the living? What has he ever done for me?"
I was more confused than ever. "This American soldier," I said.
"He is your boyfriend? He lives with you?"
The smooth contours of Auntie Mee's face twisted into a sneer. Doc Yong and Miss Kwon had both stopped talking.
"No!" Auntie Mee shouted so emphatically that I could scarcely believe the sound emanated from so slender a woman. "He visits me at night," she said. "He awakens me. He interrupts me when I am in trance. He bothers me always and he won't go away until someone finds his bones."
From G. I. Bones, by Martin Limon. Copyright 2009 by Martin Limon. Published by Soho Crime. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-10/excerpt-g-i-bones | 2022-08-23T18:04:30Z |
In the late '50s and early '60s, photographer W. Eugene Smith lived in a dilapidated building where the era's top jazz musicians frequently stopped by to play jam sessions. He made approximately 4,000 hours of reel-to-reel tape recordings, and took nearly 40,000 photos, of the goings-on in the loft. Every Sunday in December, NPR's Weekend Edition presents highlights from The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series on WNYC. For more information, and to see photos and hear audio clips from the Jazz Loft, visit NPR's Jazz Loft Project Online Interactive.
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Among the thousands of hours of Jazz Loft tape discovered in the Eugene Smith archive, there is one clip in particular that produces chills.
It's a tape of pianist Thelonious Monk walking around the Loft, talking with his musical collaborator, Hall Overton. The two were at work there, arranging several Monk tunes for what was to become a historic 1959 concert at New York's Town Hall.
Overton was a tall, Midwestern, chain-smoking college professor of classical music by day. By night, he was living, teaching music and playing jazz piano at the Jazz Loft. He rented the back portion of the third floor, right next-door to photographer Eugene Smith.
The Pilgrimages
Teddy Charles, a vibraphonist, spent many nights at the Jazz Loft over several years in the '50s. He and Overton were good friends.
"Many musicians started to gravitate toward that place 'cause he was the guy that had the real credentials," Charles says. "Not only a serious classical composer on the faculty at Juilliard, but [he] had taught many, many jazz musicians who used to come down there. It was like a pilgrimage to come down there and learn from Hall, study with Hall Overton, who was my early mentor."
"Jazz musicians took a shine to him because he was such a natural guy," said the late jazz pianist Dick Katz. "He acted like a jazz cat; he didn't act like a classical guy who was down with jazz — he acted like one of the fellas, which he was. And he always had a cigarette dangling from his mouth."
Composer Steve Reich went to work with Overton at the Loft in 1957. He remembers that his teacher put him to work composing right away.
"I think the very first lesson, he said, 'Next week I want you to write a melody that starts at the bottom and goes all the way to the top,' " Reich says. " 'I want a melody that starts at the top and goes all the way to the bottom. I want a melody that goes up' — and he just drew these shapes.
"And I said, 'Well, hold on, we haven't studied anything yet. How can I start composing? I don't have enough technique.' And he said, 'You'll never have enough technique. Now you write these pieces.' "
The late Nancy Overton recalled that at one point, her husband's jazz lessons became all the rage.
"Doris Duke the billionairess — she decided to study with him," Nancy Overton says. "And she asked Hall to come out to one of her mansions with a chauffeur and the whole business. And Hall said, 'No, anybody who studies with me comes to my studio.' So here comes Doris in her chauffeur-driven limo onto Sixth Avenue in the Flower District, the seedy part of town, and has to sort of kick the drunks out of the door stoop going up all those grungy stairs with the graffiti. So she kept that up for a while."
Thelonious
For then-aspiring classical composer Carman Moore, the appeal went beyond music lessons.
"One day at the end of my lesson, there's a knock at the door," Moore says. "I put on my coat and was getting ready to go, and he opens the door, and there's Thelonious Monk with a great big, dark, long coat. Hall says, 'Oh, Thelonious, I'd like you to meet my student Carman Moore.' And he said, '[grunts].' I think he was not talking in those days.
"Off they went to the piano. I wasn't leaving at that point. So I just closed the door and leaned up against it, and watched those guys do it. They went right to work. They were preparing for the famous big band concerts at Town Hall."
Those weeks of preparation by Hall Overton and Thelonious Monk were recorded by Eugene Smith. The tapes confirm Moore's memories of how it happened.
"He had two upright pianos right next to each other," Moore says. "Hall sat down at the left-hand piano and as usual lit up a cigarette and then just left it hanging in his mouth burning and dropping all over his chest.
"Thelonious sat down at the piano on the right, and Hall just started playing, and he had his charts up there in front of him. And Thelonious started playing along with him. And Hall seemed to just understand it, that was the deal. There was no English spoken. Only music spoken here."
"[Monk] had lots of looks," Nancy Overton says. "And that's how he and Hall communicated. And a finger up, all these little nuances. Just communicated perfectly."
An Important Man
So Overton was an important man in the New York music scene, at the time. But you'd never have known it.
"He never bragged about himself or his stuff or forced his work on anybody or anything like that," Moore says. Dick Katz agreed: "He didn't promote himself, he didn't write books."
He was modest and he was complicated. Hall Overton dared to occupy two musical worlds — which were thought of as quite separate at the time.
"People were scratching their heads," Moore says. "What are you? Are you a jazz pianist, or are you this classical composer? At Juilliard or in the clubs? 'Man, I'm both!' "
The classical, the jazz and the work with Thelonious Monk — all of that happened in the Jazz Loft. But what also happened there is that Hall Overton played jazz piano, something few have ever heard. That evidence is preserved on Eugene Smith's tapes, too.
Taking Chances
Overton drank a fair amount. And in the end, it wasn't the dangling cigarettes that killed him: It was the drink.
"The doctor said, 'Well you can't have alcohol anymore, and he quit like that,' " says Nancy Overton. "But it was too late."
Overton died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1972 at age 52.
Without Eugene Smith's Jazz Loft tapes, there would be that much less evidence of Hall Overton's role in the jazz world — or his piano playing, for that matter. Did Hall's good friend Teddy Charles know Smith's tape recorders were running?
"No," he says. "Some of us probably would have been upset, 'cause we were just going and having these really free-wheeling, swinging jam sessions. Really cookin'. Nobody's around and you're just among yourself — that's when the best jams happen. You take chances on things.
"And that was one of Hall Overton's theories about ... the real excitement of jazz is taking chances. Whether you make it or not, you try for something even if it doesn't happen. And that's what makes jazz really exciting."
Hall Overton — like more than a few others — found his free-wheeling joy on an upright piano in one particular old building in New York.
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WNYC's Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is produced in association with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Copyright 2009 WNYC Radio | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-12/a-professor-by-day-a-jazzman-by-night | 2022-08-23T18:04:37Z |
In the late '50s and early '60s, photographer W. Eugene Smith lived in a dilapidated building where the era's top jazz musicians frequently stopped by to play jam sessions. He made approximately 4,000 hours of reel-to-reel tape recordings, and took nearly 40,000 photos, of the goings-on in the loft. Every Sunday in December, NPR's Weekend Edition presents highlights from The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series on WNYC. For more information, and to see photos and hear audio clips from the Jazz Loft, visit NPR's Jazz Loft Project Online Interactive.
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The building known as the Jazz Loft was in a commercial district, so after 6 p.m. there were no neighbors to worry about. It was located in between midtown and downtown Manhattan, on the way to everywhere, from everywhere.
But there were other characteristics that made 821 Sixth Avenue the place to come, hang out and play all night.
"I think it became the Jazz Loft because of the pianos that were there," says Sam Stephenson, author of the new book The Jazz Loft Project. "There were four pianos. It was a place where musicians knew that they could go and find tuned pianos. There were drums there."
There was also an unofficial drummer-in-residence. That was Ron Free. He went by Ronnie Free back then.
Free turned out to be one of the anchors at the Loft from 1958 to 1960. He was dedicated to drumming.
"For one period of time, I kind of holed up in Gene Smith's loft, and didn't even go out, and stayed there and jammed for, I don't know, several weeks," he says.
At The Feet Of The Masters
Free had had a prodigious, rather miraculous career up to that point. By the time he was 8, growing up in Charleston, S.C., he knew that drumming was what he wanted to do. He'd picked up enough technique to start playing in local clubs by age 12, and at 18, still hell-bent for drumming, Free headed for New York.
"I wanted to kind of study at the feet of the masters, so to speak," Free says. "But I started getting gigs pretty quick, much to my amazement."
As a young player, he made a few commercial recordings. And after the paying gigs and recording sessions, sometimes at 3 a.m., he'd wind up at the Jazz Loft to jam.
Bass player Steve Swallow often played with Free in the Jazz Loft.
"He had just a beautiful, beautiful touch," Swallow says. "Ron always seemed to be able to draw sounds out of whatever drums were available that was very personal and very musical."
Pianist Dave Frishberg agrees.
"I never heard a drummer address the set of drums the way he did," Frishberg says. "He was a freakishly good drummer and a complete natural."
Junk
Ronnie Free, very young, very good drummer from Charleston, was on the rise. He was also slipping into another kind of life.
"I was — I think at the time that I was hanging out at Smith's, I might have been homeless at that particular period, because I had sunk to some pretty low levels economically and mentally and so forth," Free says. "But meanwhile my music was — I put all my eggs in that basket, and that was my total focus."
Free's childhood dreams of the music world were slipping away — due in part to substance abuse.
"When I was about 12 years old, for example, a friend of the family took me to New York and I went to Birdland and I heard Erroll Garner's trio," Free says. "And he had a drummer named Shadow Wilson. And Shadow just totally dazzled me with his brush work — I mean catching all the licks with Erroll and the bass player — and so that made a profound impact on me. And so Shadow was one of the first people I met when I moved to New York years later and someone introduced us.
"Turns out that Shadow was a junkie — so was the bass player that was with Erroll Garner, John Simmons, and so we used to all hang out. And I got sucked into that because they were my childhood heroes, so it wasn't much of a stretch. I'd always smoked a little grass here and there, but Shadow introduced me to smack.
"Meanwhile, [Wilson had] basically lost all interest in music and so he would send me out to sub on jobs that I would have died for and he could have cared less. Well, that's the price of idolatry, I guess, you discover those clay feet, sooner or later. And so I was living the dream on one hand and it was not at all like I thought it would be, so I was heartbroken on this very deep level."
By now addicted to heroin, Free slept on a lounge chair in Gene Smith's studio, though he continued to play gigs with the idols he'd heard as a kid. Chico Hamilton; Woody Herman; Lena Horne; Marian McPartland. All the time, he was walking a thin line.
"I was following in the feet of my gurus, and in the process of chasing the 'Bird,' Charlie Parker, I wound up in Bellevue [Hospital], where he did a little stint there," Free says. "So did Charlie Mingus; any number of jazz icons ended up in Bellevue. Any respectable jazz man has to pay those dues, I guess.
"Anyhow, here I am in Bellevue looking at these magazines and reminiscing, and it had a picture on the cover of Lena Horne, and I kinda teared up and tears were kinda streaming down my cheek and one of the attendants saw me and came up and says: 'What's the matter with you, man?' And I said, 'I don't know. Just looking at my old boss there. I used to work with Lena Horne.' And he looked at the picture, and he looked at me, patted me on the back, and said 'Uh huh ... yeah, OK ... you take it easy now.'"
A Career In Review, And On Rewind
In 1960 Ron Free left the loft, and New York City. And gradually kicked his drug habit.
"I quit playing altogether after a while," he says. "And I went 10 or 12 years without even playing, without listening to jazz because it was too painful to listen to it and not be a part of it."
But eventually, Free did come back to music, and managed to find work as a drummer — if not at the same heights he'd reached before. Sometimes even Free himself wondered, looking back on that period, whether he'd really played as well as he'd thought. Whether he had been so close to the top.
Then the tapes were discovered in the Smith Archive — and he could hear it for himself.
As for his idols who may have played a role in pushing him towards a drug habit, Free says he looks back "with great compassion."
"They were trapped, doing the best they could under the circumstances that they found themselves," he says. "Racism was a big part of it, I think, back in those days. Shadow [Wilson] and John Simmons, they were black guys. And they grew up with the contradictions of being jazz heroes on the one hand and being the n-word. That does not compute."
So, by way of the Jazz Loft tapes, Ron Free — who a half-century ago, was Ronnie Free, a terrific drummer seminal to the scene — had the rare opportunity to review his own rise and fall.
"It was quite a ride, I tell you," he says. "Wouldn't trade it for the world. Wouldn't want to do it again, but I learned a lot, and it was just incredible experiences."
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WNYC's Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is produced in association with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Copyright 2009 WNYC Radio | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-19/drumming-lost-in-time-but-not-on-tape | 2022-08-23T18:04:43Z |
Hank Stuever, staff writer for the Washington Post, wanted to write a book about Christmas in America with a capital "A."
Tinsel is the story of his journey to Frisco, Texas, where the lights are brighter, the Christmas trees are taller, and the reindeer are faster.
Stuever spent three consecutive Christmas seasons in the Dallas exurb. He visited malls, holiday bazaars and decked-out McMansions, observing how people act at Christmas.
Over the course of his visits, Stuever focused on three families as they shopped, decorated and prayed their way through the over-the-top Christmas season in Frisco.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-21/tinsel-over-the-top-christmas-in-texas | 2022-08-23T18:04:49Z |
After a quiet release, Kathryn Stockett's first novel, The Help, has slowly become a New York Times best-seller — and has its readers buzzing about its racial themes.
The book features two black housekeepers, Aibileen and Minny, who work for white families in Jackson, Miss. Their worlds are turned inside out when Skeeter Phelan returns home from college with pesky questions about segregation in the South. She asks questions like: Why are black maids subordinated so much they can't use the family bathroom, and yet they're trusted to care for that same family's children?
Stockett was raised in Jackson with a black maid named Demetrie, but she says the book is not autobiographical.
"It's fiction, but some of the facts and the settings and the backdrops — sure, that was Southern life," Stockett tells NPR's Michele Norris. "Having a separate bathroom for the black domestic was just the way things were done. It had faded out in new homes by the time [the] '70s and '80s rolled up. But certainly in my grandmother's time — and when I was growing up, yeah, Demetrie's bathroom was on the side of the house, it was a separate door. Still, to this day, I've never been in that room."
Stockett says the book pays homage to Demetrie, who died in 1986 when Stockett was 16 years old. Stockett says that when she was a child, she thought that Demetrie was "treated like a queen."
What conflicting ideas that we love and embrace these women, and entrust them to raise our children and to feed us and to bathe us, but we keep something as silly as a bathroom separate.
"We all adored her. She didn't have children of her own. When Demetrie got sick, we knew it was our responsibility to take care of her and pay her medical bills. And we embraced that," she says. "But the tricky part is, like so many families in the South, we also expected her to use a separate bathroom, to use separate utensils. What a dichotomy. What conflicting ideas that we love and embrace these women, and entrust them to raise our children and to feed us and to bathe us, but we keep something as silly as a bathroom separate."
Stockett says she thinks about Demetrie all the time.
"I always wonder, like, when would she had taken off her white uniform and had the guts to walk into the white grocery store just as a consumer?" she says. "I don't know, but I think about that a lot. Your white uniform as a black domestic was your ticket anywhere in town."
But Stockett has been criticized for trying to cast how a black maid might feel in a white household — and she says the criticism makes her cringe.
"I'm a Southerner — I never take satisfaction in touching a nerve," she says. "I guess if I'm forced to find a good side, I'm glad that people are talking about an issue that hasn't really been discussed all that much. I'm glad that people are talking about it from the black perspective and the white perspective."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-23/the-help-author-says-criticism-makes-her-cringe | 2022-08-23T18:04:56Z |
In the late '50s and early '60s, photographer W. Eugene Smith lived in a dilapidated building where the era's top jazz musicians frequently stopped by to play jam sessions. He made approximately 4,000 hours of reel-to-reel tape recordings, and took nearly 40,000 photos, of the goings-on in the loft. Every Sunday in December, NPR's Weekend Edition presents highlights from The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series on WNYC. For more information, and to see photos and hear audio clips from the Jazz Loft, visit NPR's Jazz Loft Project Online Interactive.
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By 1963, photographer W. Eugene Smith had achieved something phenomenal in the dingy, bare-bones loft space at 821 Sixth Ave. For six years, Smith had been quietly and exhaustively documenting, in pictures and sound, the large, unwieldy loft community.
Bass player Bill Crow was there a lot. As open and spontaneous as the place was, he says, there was a kind of order to it.
"Everybody had their own value and we all knew what it was," Crow says. "I would show up; I was willing to bring a bass there and climb up all those stairs and play as long as they wanted to play."
It was hard not to notice, though, that by the early '60s, something was dramatically different. To the regulars in the Jazz Loft, one of the most obvious changes was in the music itself. Pianists Dave Frishberg and Dick Katz felt it, in their own ways.
"It was a whole different world then, musically and socially," Frishberg says. "The folk musicians came and took over; the guitar players came and took over. The recording engineers came and took over. It changed the face and the sound of music forever."
"It was this period where rock took the ball and affected the jazz world," Katz says. "Because these rock guys, it was really about — they were theater. It wasn't about the music. That's the way I see it."
The New Thing
Jazz had its own readjustments. In one of Smith's tapes from 1963, trumpeter and bandleader Don Ellis addresses his group just before a jam session. They follow his instructions and begin to play what might be called free jazz.
"It was an entirely different kind of music," says jazz musician and teacher Bill Kirchner. "The avant-garde became one of the biggest focuses of jazz of the 1960s."
Pianist Paul Bley remembers it as a transitional moment, coming directly from Charlie "Bird" Parker. His impact was still being felt years after his death in 1955.
"Bird did it all," Bley says. "Bird played everybody's part, everybody's instrument better than they did and summed it all up. And that was the problem; that's when free jazz came about because they said, 'Geez, what's next, what comes after Bird? The guy did it all.' And so that was the conundrum we faced in the early '60s in Eugene Smith's loft. How could you be recognizable?"
Washington University professor Gerald Early, author of One Nation Under a Groove, says that a certain type of predictability had crept into jazz — much like with any form of art.
"It was always, I suppose, against this kind of predictability that you kept getting innovation in the music to try to stave off predictability," Early says.
Predictability was gone, too, from life outside the loft. Smith had his radio on frequently, and his tape recorders picked up broadcasts from up and down the dial.
By the end of 1963, when the radio was almost always on, it was beyond unpredictable. With the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the unthinkable had happened.
Smith's Struggles
As for Smith, he was going through his own crisis. In one of the last tapes recorded in the Jazz Loft, Smith — having over the years resorted to alcohol, amphetamines and other solutions — was now having his astrological chart read by Eleanor Bach. It was December 1967.
Smith's whole world was, to some degree, coming apart, observes Sam Stephenson, author of the new book The Jazz Loft Project.
"I think he really became down-and-out in the mid- to late '60s," Stephenson says. "He ran out of money."
Stephenson also notes that Smith's obsessive taping slowed way down.
"There weren't as many musicians coming through," he says. "So I think it was a combination of the scene changing and him being down-and-out personally that cause this to stop. I don't think he made a conscious decision: 'I'm going to stop doing this now.' He just sort of moved on."
His son, Pat Smith, received frequent cries for help from his father, increasingly alone in the now less-populated Jazz Loft.
"He was going through a period of depression, and he would call up in the middle of the night, and we would have to go hold his hand," Pat Smith says. "He was always threatening to commit suicide back then — I'm not sure he ever meant it, or he just needed attention. But we did make some midnight runs down there."
W. Eugene Smith was evicted from 821 Sixth Ave. in 1971 after lengthy disputes with the landlord there. Soon after, he poured his heart into one of his most dynamic and notable projects: Minamata, a photo essay about the deadly effects of industrial contamination in the water of a small Japanese town. Smith died of a stroke in 1978.
Still Standing
The Jazz Loft building still stands on Sixth Avenue, just north of 28th Street.
"Barely. I walked by there the other day," says Sharon Zukin, author of Loft Living, a book that studies loft history. "And I was a little surprised that it is still standing. It looks as though it's really living on borrowed time."
The building is currently owned by a family that imports and manufactures wigs.
"From the outside it looks like a residential tenement," Zukin says. "It's a relatively narrow five-story building, no elevator."
But it's filled with memories, from the ground floor to the top.
Teddy Charles: "We were just going in and having these really freewheeling, swinging jam sessions."
Dave Frishberg: "You just showed up, any time of day or middle of the night ..."
Phil Woods: "It was life. We didn't think anything of it. Now it's a big deal, 'Oh you played with ...' Yeah, so? That's the way New York was."
Nancy Overton: "But everybody loved it; it was just the place."
821 Sixth Ave. The forgettable address of a nondescript building that was, for some number of years, the place to be.
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WNYC's Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is produced in association with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. The Jazz Loft Project Radio Series is supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities; and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Copyright 2009 WNYC Radio | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-26/in-the-60s-a-musicians-loft-in-flux | 2022-08-23T18:05:02Z |
In 2008, the off-Broadway musical Fela! became one of the most talked-about shows in New York. Telling the life story of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti, the show made the move to Broadway last month and opened to ecstatic reviews. But will this unconventional theater piece speak to a larger audience?
Ben Brantley, chief drama critic for The New York Times, says he was worried about the transition.
"When I heard Fela! was moving to Broadway, I thought, 'That's a mistake.' "
Brantley liked Fela! off-Broadway, but when it moved to Broadway, he changed his mind. He gave the show an all-out rave.
"I think it's pretty much irresistible on Broadway," he says. "And I think what makes it singular is not only that you're talking about a culture based in Yoruban religion and a form of music — Afrobeat — which Broadway has never heard before, but even the way the performers relate to the audience ... They don't sell themselves. There's great energy to them, but there's also a great self-containment. It's like, 'You come meet me. You want to come meet me.' "
It's a good bet that most American audiences have never met the music of Fela Kuti, let alone know about his life or the politics of Nigeria. So it falls on the shoulders of director, choreographer and co-author Bill T. Jones to turn this complicated story into compelling theater. Jones says it starts with the music.
"Fela was, at one point, the most famous musician in Africa," Jones says. "He created this thing called Afrobeat, which was a kind of a recombination of classic jazz. He loved jazz, traditional African music, and American funk and rhythm and blues, all tied together."
Jones says Fela Kuti used that music to protest injustice in his native Nigeria, where the murderous regime arrested him more than 200 times. But Kuti was no saint: He lived the hedonistic life of a rock star. He smoked marijuana; he lived in a compound with 27 women — his "queens" — whom he symbolically married one day.
"I don't know if I would've liked him as a man," Jones says. "But I certainly respect him as a cultural force and an artist."
More Than A Rebel
Jones says Kuti was more than just a bad boy; he also played an important role in the fight for justice in Nigeria.
"I call him a 'sacred monster,' " Jones says, "that any democratically leaning society cannot afford to be without, because he is the one, maybe imperfectly, but he puts his finger on that sore spot. He points at it in impolitic terms. He sets things moving. That's why I'm a fan of his."
To make this artist (who died of AIDS in 1997) live for contemporary audiences, Jones and his design team have turned the Eugene O'Neill Theater into The Shrine — Fela's nightclub in Lagos — complete with colored lights and mirror balls, the Afrobeat band Antibalas onstage, and scantily clad performers dancing in the aisles. Brantley says it works.
"You really do feel as if you're in a nightclub, and a very particular nightclub in a particular place," he says. "You don't feel you've just walked in off Times Square. Theater, at its best, is always supposed to transport us, but this seems to take us to another continent."
Politics And Candy
Audience members at Fela! aren't allowed to be passive. They sing along with songs by following lyrics projected on the set — and, at one point, they get up on their feet and shake their booty ... or, as Kuti would call it, their nyansh.
Sahr Ngaujah, who plays Kuti, encourages the audience to dance.
"Let's just get everybody to participate in moving their nyansh," he says. "And, in this way, they can look at the nyansh of these women and appreciate it — not just from a voyeuristic, you know, pornographic standpoint, but really appreciate the craftsmanship."
Jones says this kind of participation is a deliberate way to bring audiences into the story.
"They have to participate, which is what I think is brilliant about using music in the way Fela did: Music is the weapon," he says. "So now, we all become connected through the music, and we become connected on a primal level."
When the show gets more political and goes to darker personal places, the audience is ready, Ngaujah says.
"Why not give people candy, if that's what you want?" he asks. "They don't have to know it's full of vitamins and minerals, you know what I mean? If it's sweet, they're gonna eat it anyway."
Candy or not, producer Stephen Hendel knows that developing audiences for Fela! isn't going to be easy: He needs to sell three times as many seats a week as he did off-Broadway. So he's enlisted rapper Jay-Z and superstars Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith to lend their names as producers. He hopes Fela! will become a hot ticket, like it was off-Broadway.
"Suddenly, we were just sold out," he says. "Celebrities calling every day, world-famous musicians. We had no tickets. We'd squeeze them in."
Jones says he's already hearing good word of mouth when he stands at the back of the theater.
"It's a fun evening," he says. "Even with all the things that go down in that second act, I heard some people describing it as 'uplifting' the other day. Uplifting? Well, it ends with people bringing coffins into the theater, but I guess that's ... I've also heard people say, 'It made me want to go out and be an activist!' Well, that's good."
Fela! is currently playing at the Eugene O'Neill Theater on Broadway.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2009-12-28/can-afrobeat-musical-fela-move-the-masses | 2022-08-23T18:05:09Z |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A jury on Tuesday convicted two men of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, in a plot prosecutors described as a rallying cry for a U.S. civil war by anti-government extremists.
The jury also found Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. guilty of conspiring to obtain a weapon of mass destruction, namely a bomb to blow up a bridge and stymie police if the kidnapping could be pulled off at Whitmer's vacation home.
Croft, 46, a trucker from Bear, Delaware, was also convicted of another explosives charge.
It was the second trial for the pair after a jury in April couldn't reach a unanimous verdict. Two other men were acquitted and two more pleaded guilty and testified for prosecutors.
The result was a victory for the government following the shocking mixed outcome last spring.
"You can't just strap on an AR-15 and body armor and go snatch the governor," Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler told jurors.
"But that wasn't the defendants' ultimate goal," Kessler said. "They wanted to set off a second American civil war, a second American Revolution, something that they call the boogaloo. And they wanted to do it for a long time before they settled on Gov. Whitmer."
The investigation began when Army veteran Dan Chappel joined a Michigan paramilitary group and became alarmed when he heard talk about killing police. He agreed to become an FBI informant and spent summer 2020 getting close to Fox and others, secretly recording conversations and participating in drills at "shoot houses" in Wisconsin and Michigan.
The FBI turned it into a major domestic terrorism case with two more informants and two undercover agents embedded in the group.
Fox, Croft and others, accompanied by the government operatives, traveled to northern Michigan to see Whitmer's vacation home at night and a bridge that could be destroyed.
Defense attorneys tried to put the FBI on trial, repeatedly emphasizing through cross-examination of witnesses and during closing remarks that federal players were present at every crucial event and had entrapped the men.
Fox and Croft, they said, were "big talkers" who liked to smoke marijuana and were guilty of nothing but exercising their right to say vile things about Whitmer and government.
"This isn't Russia. This isn't how our country works," Croft attorney Joshua Blanchard told jurors. "You don't get to suspect that someone might commit a crime because you don't like things that they say, that you don't like their ideologies."
Fox attorney Christopher Gibbons said the FBI isn't supposed to create "domestic terrorists." He described Fox as poor and living in the basement of a Grand Rapids-area vacuum shop, which was a site for meetings with Chappel and an agent.
Whitmer, a Democrat, has blamed then-President Donald Trump for stoking mistrust and fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn hate groups and right-wing extremists like those charged in the plot.
Over the weekend, she said she hadn't been following the second trial but remains concerned about "violent rhetoric in this country."
Trump recently called the kidnapping plan a "fake deal."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/2-men-are-found-guilty-of-conspiring-to-kidnap-gov-gretchen-whitmer | 2022-08-23T18:08:45Z |
We revisit the iconic version of “Cinderella” staring Brandy and Whitney Houston on its 25th anniversary. Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee speaks with NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour’s Aisha Harris.
The cast of “Cinderella” (1997) (Disney)
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/25-years-ago-rogers-hammersteins-brought-black-cinderella-to-life | 2022-08-23T18:08:49Z |
Colombia’s Andean music is becoming popular again, thanks to a new generation of musicians. Betto Arcos reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Colombia’s Andean music is becoming popular again, thanks to a new generation of musicians. Betto Arcos reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/a-new-generation-of-musicians-spark-a-renaissance-of-colombian-music | 2022-08-23T18:08:49Z |
Amer grew up in Kuwait, where he enjoyed a comfortable life — until he was 9, and the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the U.S. in 1991. His new series is Mo.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
Amer grew up in Kuwait, where he enjoyed a comfortable life — until he was 9, and the first Gulf War forced his family to flee to the U.S. in 1991. His new series is Mo.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/comic-mo-amer-draws-on-his-palestinian-and-texan-roots-in-a-new-netflix-series | 2022-08-23T18:08:56Z |
A Louisville Kentucky police officer is pleading guilty to federal charges in the killing of Breonna Taylor. The officer is charged with lying to get a no-knock search warrant and then lying to obstruct the investigation into Taylor’s death.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong talks with WFPL reporter Roberto Roldan in Louisville.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/former-louisville-police-officer-to-plead-guilty-to-federal-charges-in-breonna-taylor-case | 2022-08-23T18:09:02Z |
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Jean-Martin Bauer, Haiti representative for the World Food Programme, about the ongoing food crisis in the country.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/haiti-faces-ongoing-food-crisis | 2022-08-23T18:09:05Z |
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Vox’s Umair Irfan about the connection between water usage and energy production.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with Vox’s Umair Irfan about the connection between water usage and energy production.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/how-low-water-levels-put-the-power-supply-at-risk | 2022-08-23T18:09:11Z |
According to the Wyoming State Historical Society, on August 23, 1993, Prince Albert of Monaco visited Cody to commemorate his grandfather's visit 80 years earlier. Also on August 23, but in 1965, the restored buildings at Fort Fetterman in Douglas were dedicated. On August 25, 1916, the National Park Service was established with the mandate to "conserve parklands and provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner… as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." And on August 27, 1933, the monument at the Overland Trail crossing at the North Platte River was dedicated.
The Natrona County Tribune reported on August 21, 1907, that the Casper city council had outlawed both instrumental and vocal music at all saloons, at the request of many citizens. "It was argued that when they were having a social drink, they could not drink and keep time with the music and oftentimes they would have to forego their beverage and dance to the sweet strains from the piano and violin, and they did not want it that way…" | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/monday-august-22 | 2022-08-23T18:09:17Z |
On Valse Sinistre, Drummond's ride-cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms — the sound of a musician fully engaged and in the habit of attentive listening.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air
On Valse Sinistre, Drummond's ride-cymbal beat is lively, varied and full of passing cross-rhythms — the sound of a musician fully engaged and in the habit of attentive listening.
Copyright 2022 Fresh Air | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/new-quartet-album-by-jazz-drummer-billy-drummond-is-a-treat | 2022-08-23T18:09:23Z |
Laryssa Moskvichova just filled her biggest order yet. It took four days to make around 360 oreshki, a walnut-shaped cookie filled with doce de leite, a caramelized condensed milk associated with Latin America but also used in Ukraine.
The recipe she brought with her from Ukraine is a favorite of customers in her new home of Prudentópolis, a small town in southern Brazil where she fled with her three daughters — Anastasiia Ivanova, 22, Sofiia Moskvichova, 14, and Ruslana Moskvichova, 6 — when the war at home became too much. ( Like other Ukrainian men between the ages of 18 and 60, Laryssa's husband — the father of her two youngest daughters — had to stay behind when his family fled.)
Orders have been rolling in at a pace Laryssa never expected. Today she's working on buckwheat bread and prepping for another round of oreshki tomorrow. In the days to come, there will be apple pies, honey cakes, vareniki dumplings and more oreshki.
As she kneads the dough for her last loaf of bread and places it into a pan lined with parchment paper, the afternoon sun streaming through the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony of her fourth-floor apartment, she calls her new friend Andreia Burko Bley, who grew up in this town and has sons the same age as her two youngest daughters.
They talk about Andreia taking the girls to school the next day and the menu she made to help Laryssa's baking business, which she and her husband, Paulo Bley, have been circulating on WhatsApp.
It's an easy conversation, filled with laughter and the kind of chatter that usually only comes with years of friendship.
But in fact, the two women only just met in early June.
Andreia is one of many natives of the Brazilian town who learned Ukrainian before she learned Portuguese. Her great-grandparents were among the first families some 116 years ago to come from Ukraine and settle Prudentópolis, named for a past president of Brazil and now known as "Little Ukraine," with the hopes of making a living by farming the available land.
This unexpected hub of Ukrainian culture has become a haven for eight families who escaped the war in the last six months with the help of a worldwide network of evangelical churches. Its ties to home provide not only a sense of comfort to those like Laryssa and her daughters but also deep connection to those who live there and a bond that can't be broken, even if they can, one day, go home.
From fear in Kharkiv to pizza (with a fork) in Prudentópolis
Three pizza boxes are stacked in the center of Andreia and Paulo's dining table. Bruno and Ruslana, classmates at the nearby elementary school, giggle as they take turns swinging a plastic sword at each other in the adjacent living room, the smell of melted cheese and tomato sauce wafting through the air.
Their mothers chat as they get plates and cups from the kitchen cupboards, and Paulo does his best to talk to Sofiia. When the few Ukrainian words he has picked up in the last couple months and slowly spoken Portuguese don't work, he turns to Google Translate for help. He didn't grow up here and is not of Ukrainian heritage like his wife, so he's learning as he goes.
The chatter among the eight — in Ukrainian, Russian, Portuguese and English — continues as they all settle in around the table. Andreia places utensils next to the round cardboard boxes. Sofiia gives a soft laugh at the thought of eating pizza with a fork and knife. It might be the norm in Brazil but not in Ukraine. She folds her slice in half before taking a bite.
A laugh over a hot meal was unimaginable for the 14-year-old and her family just a few months ago. When bombs started falling from the sky over Cold Mountain, the Kharkiv neighborhood where they lived, the family hid in Anastasiia's room — at the center of their duplex, it didn't have any windows — for a week. When the bombs got so close they destroyed a school the girls once attended, they moved down to the cellar, a space so small they couldn't lay down.
But the Ukrainian winter was too harsh and after two days of temperatures as low as -22° Fahrenheit, Laryssa knew they had to leave.
"It was really difficult," she says. "I had to leave my home behind. It was all we had. We had half an hour to grab everything we could, pack our bags and run. All I could think of were my girls. I got all of their things and forgot about myself. I didn't even take my clothes."
They piled into their car and headed toward Poltava, a destination for many since fighting hadn't yet reached the city, giving them time to decide where to go next. During the 20-hour trip — it should have lasted no more than two, but the mass exodus meant traffic was bumper-to-bumper — a friend of Anastasiia's called and recommended they get in touch with a pastor in Poltava from the same church they attended in Kharkiv, Word of Life. He was part of the Global Kingdom Partnership Network (GKPN), a group of evangelical pastors finding safe places around the world for Ukrainian families to start over.
Days later, when he sent a message over WhatsApp asking who wanted to go to Brazil, Laryssa's reaction was immediate.
"The first thing I thought was, no, I'm not going to Brazil," she says. "I don't know anyone in Brazil, I don't know anything about it. What's even there?"
But her faith that God would guide her and a dream she had where she was flying over the ocean made her change her mind. The family embarked on a journey that would take them to Lviv, Warsaw and Frankfurt before boarding a plane to Brazil.
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When she first arrived in São Paulo with her girls — a trip paid for by the church — Laryssa had no idea she would end up in Prudentópolis. The four spent a week at a church-owned farm outside Curitiba, the capital city of Paraná state, before Pastor Vitalii Arshulik, from the First Baptist Church of Prudentópolis and a member of the GKPN, helped set them up in a fully furnished apartment with a stocked fridge, made possible with donations from the community. The church is also helping the families who have come to Prudentópolis and neighboring towns with mental health support, language classes, job-hunting help and money to pay bills, including rent, for their first year in Brazil.
"We feel happy to be able to help, to be able to do something for our Ukrainian brothers and sisters," says the pastor, who came to Brazil with his wife and children five years ago to head up the local Baptist church. "It was very important for us to welcome them."
A new faraway home looks a lot like Ukraine
For Laryssa and her daughters, the connection between their new home and their old one was a shock. They didn't expect to find traditional brightly colored wooden Ukrainian houses and churches with cupolas, a strong pride in Ukrainian dance, music and art — like embroidery and the intricate designs of pysanka Easter eggs, two mediums that Andreia still practices today after learning them from her grandmother as a child — and their language spoken in the streets of the Brazilian town of 52,000.
"I never thought that in Brazil, across the ocean, people would speak Ukrainian," says Anastasiia. "It's a miracle."
Sofiia and Ruslana were quickly enrolled in school, while Laryssa and Anastasiia got to work organizing their new home. They found solace in church and the kindness they received from neighbors, both Ukrainian and Brazilian.
But it wasn't until they were befriended by Andreia and Paulo that they truly felt they had found their place.
Laryssa and Andreia met during school pickup after Andreia's 6-year-old, Bruno, insisted she meet Ruslana's mom. He was sure they would be fast friends, since his mom's first language was Ukrainian too.
The Ukrainian spoken in Prudentópolis is slightly different than what is spoken in Ukraine today — an older version of the language that was brought to the town over 100 years ago and never changed — but that didn't stop Bruno's prediction from coming true.
The two women quickly became close, and their families followed suit. Andreia started driving Ruslana and Sofiia to school so they wouldn't have to walk, and she and Paulo helped promote Laryssa's baking business and set her up with the basic ingredients she needed to get started. Before coming to Brazil the mom of three was already an entrepreneur, running her own online toy store and a business selling pet parrots and parakeets.
When Paulo noticed that Sofiia, the quietest of the family and an avid painter, had a phone case with Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night," he gave her his sweatshirt with the painting replicated across the front.
"Their hearts are so big," says Anastasiia. "In Ukraine we didn't have friends like this. They are very caring people."
For Andreia and Paulo, what they've received is so much more than what they've given.
"I never imagined it would be like this," says Andreia of her relationship with Laryssa's family, "that it would hold this cultural, emotional and spiritual weight."
As Laryssa stands at the black stone counter of her kitchen, dusting an order of oreshki with powdered sugar before packaging it to be picked up, she sighs.
She never imagined she would even visit Brazil, but now, because of something as simple as kindness, it's starting to feel like home.
Jill Langlois is an independent journalist based in São Paulo, Brazil. She has been freelancing from the largest city in the western hemisphere since 2010, writing and reporting for publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, The Guardian and Time. Her work focuses on human rights, the environment and the impact of socioeconomic issues on people's lives.
Gabriela Portilho is a documentary photographer and journalist whose work investigates the relationship between human beings and their communities, focusing on environmental and gender issues. A member of Women Photograph and Native Agency, she lives in Paraty, a small city between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/photos-ukrainian-refugees-feel-surprisingly-at-home-in-brazils-little-ukraine | 2022-08-23T18:09:29Z |
WUSF reporter Steven Newborn joins Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee to discuss what issues are driving voters to the polls in Florida, where Democrats are trying to oust Republicans Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/primaries-in-florida-will-determine-who-will-run-against-desantis-rubio | 2022-08-23T18:09:35Z |
The Internal Revenue Service has seen drastic cuts to its budget in the past decade. Understaffed and operating with outdated technology, it is plagued with backlogs and performing fewer audits on the rich than on the poor.
Congress is about to hand the IRS $80 billion to fund a rehaul of the federal agency.
Here & Now‘s Celeste Headlee talks with ProPublica reporter Paul Kiel for more details.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/set-to-receive-80-billion-from-congress-the-irs-plans-to-go-after-wealthy-tax-dodgers | 2022-08-23T18:09:41Z |
A burning piece of luggage prompted the evacuation of about a dozen people at St. John's Health in Jackson last Thursday. According to the Jackson Hole News and Guide, people smelled burning plastic and called the police. It turned out a laptop inside of a backpack inside of a suitcase inside of a garbage bag was to blame. Officials don't suspect foul play, but rather that someone threw away a laptop with a failing battery which caught fire in the sun-soaked trashcan.
Freshman Cowboy wrestler Jore Volk recently won the US its first medal of the 2022 U20 World Championships in Bulgaria. According to a press release, Volk is now returning to Laramie for his first season with the Cowboys.
Officials from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries from the Republic of Tunisia will be visiting the University of Wyoming in about a week. According to a UW email, this is the second official Tunisian visit to Wyoming, following a July visit to campus from the new Tunisian ambassador to the United States.
And yesterday marked the first day of the fall semester for University of Wyoming students. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/tuesday-august-23 | 2022-08-23T18:09:47Z |
Former President Trump’s lawyers have asked a federal judge he appointed to get involved in the case of the FBI’s seizure of classified documents from Mar-a-Lago.
Here & Now‘s Scott Tong gets the latest from NPR justice correspondent Ryan Lucas.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-08-23/why-trumps-lawyers-want-a-federal-judge-he-appointed-to-get-involved-with-mar-a-lago-case | 2022-08-23T18:09:53Z |
Testimony: Florida school shooter was intellectually slow
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz as a toddler was intellectually and physically behind other children, which caused him to isolate himself and hit and bite to get what he wanted, a daycare administrator and former neighbor testified Tuesday at his penalty trial for mass murder.
Cruz’s attorneys began the second day of their defense by building on testimony that his birth mother’s cocaine and alcohol abuse during pregnancy left him severely brain damaged, putting him on a road that led to him murdering 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
They are trying to persuade his jury to sentence him to life without parole instead of death. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to the murders, and the trial is only to determine his sentence.
Anne Fischer, who ran the daycare center Cruz attended from about age 1, said he did not progress as fast as other children and was smaller. She said while the other toddlers could ask for their water cups and use a spoon, Cruz could not. She said he would fall down when he tried to run, and his head and ears seemed disproportional to his body.
“He isolated himself a lot. He would sit in the corner and observe,” Fischer said. “Because of his language delays, it was easier to use your hands because you didn’t have the words to express yourself.”
He pushed other kids because he “didn’t know how to express himself,” she said. “If someone else had a toy that Nikolas wanted, he would just go up and grab the toy and hit the child’s hand to get the toy or the object. If a teacher was trying to work with him to get him to use his spoon or not his hand. He would hit the teacher’s hand away.”
She said Lynda Cruz, his adoptive mother, was loving toward Nikolas and tried to do the best she could, but was slow to admit he had problems.
She said that since the shooting, she sometimes feels a bit guilty, wondering if there was something she could have done “so he could be a better person.”
Patricia Devaney-Westerlind, who lived across the street from Lynda and Roger Cruz, said Lynda Cruz kept the family’s 4,500-square-foot home immaculate and that she was nurturing to Nikolas and his younger half-brother Zachary, whom the family also adopted.
“He was a cute little baby,” she said of Nikolas. “She would go and get him all these sailor outfits. She was just the happiest I ever saw her.”
But she saw many of the same issues that Fischer did — that other than her daughter, who was about eight months younger than him, Nikolas Cruz could not relate to other children.
“I didn’t see anything that different until about maybe 18 months old. He’s very, very hyper. Very,” she said. “Always running around. He wasn’t talking, so if he wanted a toy, he would go after someone.”
Devaney-Westerlind said when the children of the neighborhood would gather at her home, Cruz would stay by himself and hide behind the blinds.
“You’d see all the kids playing on the floor with different toys and he’d be somewhere else,” she said.
She said Cruz was a bed and pants wetter until he was 6 or 7, which caused other children to pick on him.
“He would get upset and he would start breaking their toys,” she said. “He would be very upset, he would clench his fists. He’d be very angry. It would go on for a while. He wouldn’t get over it.”
The defense is trying to overcome the prosecution’s case, which featured surveillance video of Cruz mowing down students and staff as he stalked a three-story building for seven-minutes, photos of the aftermath and a jury visit to the building.
For Cruz to receive a death sentence, the jury must be unanimous. If one juror votes for life, that will be his sentence.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/testimony-florida-school-shooter-was-intellectually-slow/ | 2022-08-23T18:12:59Z |
The Wingwatchers Trail has been open for 30 years and the group that maintains it has decided to celebrate it.
The Klamath Wingwatchers are throwing a barbeque beginning at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26 at 205 Riverside Drive in Klamath Falls. There will be trail walks following the barbeque at 6:30 p.m. for those interested in exploring the trail. The event is family friendly and organizers say it will be great for first-time trail visitors or seasoned walkers.
"Our trail is a jewel of downtown Klamath Falls, and yet many folks still don't know about it. We are hoping our barbecue will bring folks to learn about this wonderful opportunity to do family or dog walks, jog, bike or birdwatch," Klamath Wingwatchers Board President Leslie Lowe said.
Event organizers say the Wingwatchers Trail is one of many beautiful trails in Klamath County. It is accessible from downtown near Veterans Park or the Discover Klamath Visitor Center. It offers views of Lake Ewauna with a two-mile walking loop, interpretive signage and the opportunity to see different flora and fauna including 30 kinds of native plants and animals such as river otters, cormorants, white pelicans, bald eagles and more than 30 other bird species.
Klamath Wingwatchers have taken care of the trail complex for the past 30 years. Whether it's trimming back brush, weeding, spreading mulch, cleaning up litter, adding signs, extending existing trails, planting native plants, curbing erosion or other trail maintenance, they make it all happen with the help of volunteers, donations and grants.
The Wingwatchers Trail was selected by Healthy Klamath — a Certified Blue Zones Community — as the second trail to receive Wayfinding Signage. The signage is set to be installed before Sept. 16. The Wayfinding Signage Project is intended to help increase the connectivity of trails in Klamath Falls. The first trail was the Link River Trail, which is within close proximity to the Wingwatchers Trail. This proximity could allow for an adventurous hiker to extend their hike by completing both trails in one go and the signage on the trails would make it feel like a cohesive experience.
“Our goal for this project was to increase connectivity through signage. By having signs that identify adjacent trails increasing awareness about other trails nearby, and hopefully more utilization of them,” said Kelsey Mueller Wendt, policy manager and lead on built environment projects for Healthy Klamath. | https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/celebrating-honoring-trail-anniversary-set-friday/article_68485370-2306-11ed-997e-2f08f4b40a15.html | 2022-08-23T18:49:00Z |
CAUGHT ON CAM: Man tries to break open game machine with ax
PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (WPVI) – Authorities in Philadelphia are looking for people who have been trying to steal money out of gaming machines, with a suspect even using an ax in one case.
The brazen thief was caught on camera bludgeoning the skill machine with an ax around 4 a.m. Monday as the 7-Eleven employees, along with store owner Vincent Emmanuel, watched in fear.
“It’s like right out of a ‘Friday the 13th’ horror movie, that’s what’s happening,” he said. “All you’re doing is getting ready and going to work one day and, all the sudden, you’re faced with people with an ax in their hand.”
It’s not the first time gaming machines have been targeted in Philadelphia. In June, three suspects robbed similar machines of thousands of dollars at a Sunoco convenience store and, an hour later, struck again at another Sunoco store. Another store’s machines were hacked at by thieves in February.
In response to the series of break-ins to the machines, the company who makes them responded by making the machines with metal, which has worked to protect them so far.
Thieves were unsuccessful after trying to break into one of the machines with an ax at a Gas-And-Go store, even trying to load the entire machine into their getaway car to no avail.
“The whole operation takes about two and a half minutes,” Emmanuel said. “It’s like a lightning bolt. It was pre-planned, they came and they only have to be correct one time. There’s money involved, and when they get that money, they can do this over and over again. They are getting lucky at some places, and that is what is going on.”
Emmanuel said he doesn’t think the suspect got away with any money during Monday’s incident.
Copyright 2022 WPVI via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/caught-cam-man-tries-break-open-game-machine-with-ax/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:00Z |
Gino's to host a block party Saturday STAFF REPORTS Aug 23, 2022 1 hr ago Comments Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save This Saturday, Gino's Sports Bar is slated to host a block party.The party, presented by Smile Movement is scheduled to be from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 26 at the sports bar, 147 E. Main St. in Klamath Falls.With sound provided by Travis Gearlds, Arden Park Roots and One Dollar Check are set to play during the all-ages event. Music begins at 6 p.m. Along with a barbecue, the block party will have vendors, a dunk tank and games.Pre-sale tickets at $10 while day-of tickets are $15. Children 12 and younger will be admitted free of charge. Purchase tickets at Gino's.For more information, call 541-884-6474. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Trending Now Klamath Falls City Council, citizens clash on park fixture Motorcyclist dies in hit-and-run collision in Klamath Falls; vehicle driver arrested Woman pleads not guilty in Chiloquin death; sister released Man killed in Klamath Falls after standing in road, being hit by truck NEW GUY IN TOWN: Bird scooter gives me wings to fly through Klamath Falls streets Latest e-Edition Klamath Falls Herald and News Read the latest edition of the Klamath Falls Herald and News. | https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/ginos-to-host-a-block-party-saturday/article_3ac22648-230a-11ed-9bc4-c7a6fbcd0ad9.html | 2022-08-23T18:49:06Z |
Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada arrested in corruption probe
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s disgraced former House Speaker Glen Casada and his top aide were arrested Tuesday on federal charges including bribery, kickbacks and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Their indictments follow the abrupt resignation in March of Republican Rep. Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges involving Casada and his chief of staff, Cade Cothren. Speculation has swirled about what additional charges might come in the corruption probe.
FBI agents arrested Casada and Cothren at their homes Tuesday morning. If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison. Both pleaded not guilty Tuesday and received pretrial release with travel restricted to the middle district of Tennessee unless otherwise approved.
The 20-count charging document alleges Casada and Cothren exploited their positions of power by working with another unnamed lawmaker to funnel money to themselves using a political consulting firm — known as Phoenix Solutions, LLC — to conceal their involvement.
Cothren registered the firm in New Mexico because the state allows anonymous registration of LLCs, and rebuffed requests for in-person meetings with Casada’s fellow lawmakers, saying the company representatives were out of state.
The trio deceived other Tennessee lawmakers in a conspiracy “to enrich themselves by obtaining bribes and kickbacks from Cothren, in exchange for securing the approval of Phoenix Solutions as a mailer program vendor,” a Justice Department news release said.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who succeeded his fellow Republican in the leadership post, was among several lawmakers and former or current staffers to testify in front of a grand jury in March. Sexton commended the FBI on Tuesday, saying he will continue assisting in the investigation if a trial is needed. Smith also promised to cooperate as a potential witness.
Revelations about the case also prompted lawmakers to pass tougher state campaign finance and ethics requirements this year.
“Today is a good day for Tennesseans because we did not turn a blind eye on these criminal activities,” Sexton said.
Casada resigned as speaker in 2019 but held onto his seat after revelations that he and Cothren had exchanged sexually explicit text messages about women years earlier. He is not running for reelection this year. Cothren lost his legislative job in the texting scandal, but remained involved in Republican politics.
FBI agents searched the homes and offices of several state lawmakers in January 2021, including those of Casada and Smith, and the home of Cothren.
The charging documents revealed Tuesday say Cothren launched Phoenix Solutions with Smith’s and Casada’s “knowledge and support” to offer mail and consulting services to lawmakers. All three claimed the firm was run by a “Matthew Phoenix” when in fact it was a made-up alias for Cothren, and Casada knew the name was fictitious, the documents allege.
The documents allege Smith emailed Cothren at one point saying he “may have to assume the role of Matthew again.” He replied saying, “Matthew, reporting for duty!” and included a GIF of “a salute from Harrison Ford’s character Han Solo in the movie Star Wars,” officials said.
Federal investigators said a separate text exchange showed Casada texted Cothren in late 2019 saying “I think this is starting off well I’m pleased!” Cothren later cautioned that “we just have to make sure no one knows it’s me involved,” they said.
When Casada raised concerns about lawmakers wanting “representatives from Phoenix” to make an in-person presentation, Cothren responded that they would remind lawmakers “they live in New Mexico. Will have to get on the phone for it and I could disguise my voice if I has (sic) to.”
Phoenix Solutions received roughly $52,000 from the state in payments associated with the mailer program, according to the charging documents.
Meanwhile, Cothren continues to fight a subpoena over the state campaign finance regulators’ investigation into the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC.
Ahead of the 2020 GOP primary election, the political action committee targeted then-Rep. Rick Tillis, the brother of North Carolina U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. Rick Tillis lost to Republican Rep. Todd Warner, who was among those subject to the FBI searches in January 2021.
The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance decided to reopen its probe into the PAC after its treasurer testified in January that she is Cothren’s former girlfriend and opened the PAC because Cothren asked her to. She said Cothren assured her she was doing nothing wrong and that she took no further action.
Cothren has informed the registry that he is invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and won’t abide by its subpoena. The registry handed the case off to state prosecutors. The state has sued over Cothren’s refusal.
Casada also was subpoenaed, and told the registry he wasn’t involved with the PAC. Casada opted to run for Williamson County clerk this year instead of his statehouse seat, and lost in the GOP primary.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/former-tennessee-house-speaker-glen-casada-arrested-corruption-probe/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:07Z |
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Loyola University’s Sister Jean turns 103
CHICAGO (WLS) – Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved ambassador of Loyola University, turned 103 on Sunday.
The city of Chicago is honoring her by naming a plaza on campus after her. Friends, family and people from all over the community gathered to celebrate her birthday and plaza dedication.
A sign on the plaza reads, “Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM Plaza” and “Home of the World Famous Sister Jean!”
Schmidt said she plans on visiting her namesake plaza more often.
“And to dedicate the plaza? That’s something very special. I’ll come more frequently, I know that! I know that for sure,” she said.
Donned in her maroon and gold, whether off or on the sidelines, and cheering for the Ramblers, she makes an impact that goes well beyond the court as an educator and mentor.
Sister Jean gained overnight popularity in 2018 during the NCAA Tournament when Loyola upset Miami.
She said her secret to longevity is eating well, sleeping well and praying well.
She will continue her birthday celebration on Tuesday when she will throw out the first pitch at the Chicago Cubs game.
Schmidt said perhaps she should “get better prepared to get to heaven,” but for now, “I’m having so much fun.”
Copyright 2022 WLS via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/loyola-universitys-sister-jean-turns-103/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:13Z |
Massage therapist accused of inappropriately touching woman at spa, police say
Published: Aug. 23, 2022 at 2:38 PM EDT|Updated: 10 minutes ago
SHELTON, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – A massage therapist without a license is accused of inappropriately touching a female client, according to police in Connecticut.
Police say Lisa Daubenhauser, 46, also made lewd comments toward the woman at the spa.
“During the investigation, it was discovered that Daubenhauser did not have a license to practice massage therapy,” Shelton police said.
Daubenhauser was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and practicing massage therapy without a license. She is due in superior court on Aug. 24.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/massage-therapist-accused-inappropriately-touching-woman-spa-police-say/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:20Z |
More than 100 classified Trump docs recovered back in Jan.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Archives recovered 100 documents bearing classified markings, totaling more than 700 pages, from an initial batch of 15 boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, according to newly public government correspondence with the Trump legal team.
The numbers make clear the large volume of secret government documents recovered months ago from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, well before FBI officials returned there with a search warrant on Aug. 8 and removed an additional 11 sets of classified records. The warrant also reveals an FBI investigation into the potential unlawful retention of the records as well as obstruction of justice.
The figures on documents were included in a May 10 letter in which acting archivist Debra Steidel Wall told a lawyer for Trump, Evan Corcoran, that the Biden administration would not be honoring the former president’s claims of executive privilege over the documents.
Corcoran had weeks earlier requested additional time to review the materials in the boxes before the Archives turned them over to the FBI so that he could to determine if some were subject to executive privilege and therefore exempt from disclosure, according to the letter.
The letter was made public Tuesday on the website of the National Archives and Records Administration. It was earlier released Monday night on a website launched by John Solomon, who was appointed by Trump in June to be one of his designated representatives to the Archives and who is a Trump ally and conservative journalist.
The archivist’s letter says the Justice Department had found “no precedent for an assertion of executive privilege by a former President against an incumbent President to prevent the latter” from obtaining from the Archives presidential records that belong to the federal government and that are needed for current government business. As a result, the letter said, claims of executive privilege would not be honored and the FBI would be given access to the documents in a matter of days.
The Archives had asked the Justice Department to investigate after saying that it had located classified material among the 15 boxes of records it retrieved from Mar-a-Lago that it said should have been turned over by Trump at the end of his White House tenure.
In the letter, archivist Wall writes that in those boxes, the Archives had identified items marked as classified at the top secret level as well as information about special access programs.
It says the records included 100 documents with classified markings, “comprising more than 700 pages” and cites an excerpt from separate correspondence from the Justice Department’s National Security Division saying that “access to the materials is not only necessary for purposes of our ongoing criminal investigation” but also for an “assessment of the potential damage” resulting from the ways in which the documents were transported and stored.
Corcoran did not immediately return messages seeking comment on the letter.
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Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report.
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More on Donald Trump-related investigations: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/more-than-100-classified-trump-docs-recovered-back-jan/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:26Z |
New River Gorge Reg. Dev. Auth. promotes new director Business Retention and Expansion
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - The New River Gorge Reg. Dev. Auth. has promoted a new person tasked with bringing in big businesses to the area while helping other local business expand.
Jenna Grayson previously served as the organization’s Mgr. of Strategic Partnerships. Now, in her new role, she will be advancing to the position of Dir. of Business Retention and Expansion.
While the organization’s HIVE helps lift up smaller businesses, Grayson will be tasked specifically with the recruitment and expansion of larger sized companies.
“My job is to help companies utilize the resources that are already here. A lot of times, companies are unaware of the programs and resources that already exist. My role will really be to connect them with those resources and ensure they are utilized,” she said Tuesday in an interview with WVVA News.
As Director of Business Retention and Expansion, Jenna will work with existing businesses to provide resources for workforce, capital access, physical expansion, health and safety support, importing and exporting, and supply chain needs.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/new-river-gorge-regional-development-auth-promotes-new-director-business-retention-expansion/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:33Z |
Paul Pelosi gets 5 days in jail, 3 years of probation in DUI
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The husband of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pleaded guilty Tuesday to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California’s wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.
Paul Pelosi already served two days in jail and received conduct credit for two other days, Napa County Superior Court Judge Joseph Solga said. Paul Pelosi will work eight hours in the court’s work program in lieu of the remaining day, Solga said during Paul Pelosi’s sentencing, which he did not attend.
State law allows for DUI misdemeanor defendants to appear through their attorney unless ordered otherwise by the court.
As part of his probation, Paul Pelosi will also be required to attend a three-month drinking driver class, and install an ignition interlock device, where the driver has to provide a breath sample before the engine will start. He will also have to pay nearly $7,000 in fines, the judge said.
Paul Pelosi was arrested following a May 28 crash in Napa County, north of San Francisco, after a DUI test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .082%, just over the legal limit.
Officers responding to the crash after 10 p.m. near the wine country town of Yountville said they found Pelosi in the driver’s seat of a 2021 Porsche Carrera and the other driver standing outside a sport utility vehicle, according to the complaint.
California Highway Patrol officers reported that Pelosi was “unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.”
Pelosi offered to officers his driver’s license along with an “11-99 Foundation” card when asked for identification, the complaint says. The 11-99 Foundation supports CHP employees and their families.
Prosecutors filed the case as a misdemeanor because of injuries to the 48-year-old driver of the SUV. They have declined to identify the driver, saying the person has requested privacy.
In an interview with investigators from the district attorney’s office, the driver reported pain in his upper right arm, right shoulder and neck the day after the crash. He said he also had headaches.
Pelosi was released on $5,000 bail after his arrest. Speaker Pelosi was in Rhode Island to deliver the commencement address at Brown University at the time. Her office has declined to comment.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/paul-pelosi-gets-5-days-jail-3-years-probation-dui/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:39Z |
Pfizer COVID shots appear 73% effective in children younger than 5
(AP) - Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was 73% effective in protecting children younger than 5 as omicron spread in the spring, the company announced Tuesday.
Vaccinations for babies, toddlers and preschoolers opened in the U.S. in June after months of delay. Only about 6% of youngsters ages 6 months through 4 years had gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by mid-August, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Health authorities authorized tot-sized vaccine doses made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech based on a study showing they were safe and produced high levels of virus-fighting antibodies. But there was only preliminary data on how that translated into effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19.
The new update analyzed COVID-19 diagnoses between March and June in Pfizer’s ongoing study of the three-dose vaccine. There were 21 COVID-19 cases among the 351 tots who got dummy shots -- compared to just 13 among the 794 youngsters given three vaccine doses.
The child cases primarily were caused by the BA.2 omicron version that was circulating at the time. Currently, another omicron relative, BA.5, is causing most COVID-19 cases in the U.S. and much of the world.
In older children and adults, the COVID-19 vaccines have been used long enough to prove that they remain strongly protective against severe disease and death even as the coronavirus mutates -- while early protection against infection wanes. Still, scientists track that initial effectiveness rate as extra evidence of vaccine performance and to look for signs of how they initially hold up against new mutants.
Pfizer this week asked U.S. regulators to authorize modified vaccine doses that better match the newest omicron variants for people 12 and older as boosters this fall. The company said it also is developing updated shots for kids younger than 12.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/pfizer-covid-shots-appear-73-effective-children-younger-than-5/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:51Z |
PHOTOS: San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomes ‘significant’ birth of baby white rhino
SAN DIEGO (Gray News) - The San Diego Zoo Safari Park announced this week the arrival of a male white rhino born to a first-time mother.
According to the park, the unnamed calf was conceived through natural breeding with the mother, Livia, and the father, J Gregory, and was born on Aug. 6.
Wildlife care specialists report the calf is healthy, confident and full of energy. They said Livia is an excellent mother, being very attentive and protective.
Representatives with the park said, “all rhino births are significant,” and the calf’s birth represents an essential step with Livia carrying a calf to term, as she could serve as a surrogate mother in the future.
Livia and her calf are expected to remain in a private habitat to allow time for bonding at the Nikita Kahn Rhino Rescue Center within the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/photos-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-welcomes-significant-birth-baby-white-rhino/ | 2022-08-23T18:49:57Z |
Bluefield Shrine Club holds inaugural Summerfest Carnival in downtown Bluefield, WV
Ed King says the carnival is geared toward younger children; the proceeds benefit the Shriners organization and its efforts with Shriners Children’s Hospital
Published: Aug. 23, 2022 at 1:25 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. (WVVA) - For more than 50 years the Bluefield, WV Shrine Club has hosted a horse show as part of its fundraising efforts, but this year they are shaking things up by hosting the inaugural Shriner’s Summerfest Carnival. Proceeds will go toward work at Shriners Children’s hospitals.
The Mission of Shriners International is to:
- Be the premier fraternal organization for men of good character.
- Provide attractive, quality programs and services for its members, their families and their friends in a spirit of fun, fellowship and social camaraderie.
- Foster self-improvement through leadership, education, the perpetuation of moral values and community involvement.
- Serve mankind through the resources of its philanthropy, Shriners Children’s.
Ed King with the Bluefield, WV division stopped by WVVA News @ Noon and told our Joshua Bolden about the fun set up for the children.
Carnival Information:
617 Raleigh Street in Bluefield, WV
August 23-27th
Tuesday-Thursday 4-10 PM ($5 off on these days)
Friday 4-12 AM
Saturday 11-12 AM
For more information visit: mybluefield.org/playbluefieldwv
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/shriners-hold-inaugural-summerfest-carnival-downtown-bluefield-wv/ | 2022-08-23T18:50:06Z |
Testimony: Florida school shooter was intellectually slow
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz as a toddler was intellectually and physically behind other children, which caused him to isolate himself and hit and bite to get what he wanted, a daycare administrator and former neighbor testified Tuesday at his penalty trial for mass murder.
Cruz’s attorneys began the second day of their defense by building on testimony that his birth mother’s cocaine and alcohol abuse during pregnancy left him severely brain damaged, putting him on a road that led to him murdering 14 students and three staff members at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.
They are trying to persuade his jury to sentence him to life without parole instead of death. Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to the murders and the trial is only to determine his sentence.
Anne Fischer, who ran the daycare center Cruz attended from about age 1, said he did not progress as fast as other children and was smaller. She said while the other toddlers could ask for their water cups and use a spoon, Cruz could not. She said he would fall down when he tried to run and his head and ears seemed disproportional to his body.
“He isolated himself a lot. He would sit in the corner and observe,” Fischer said.
He pushed other kids because he “didn’t know how to express himself,” she said. “If someone else had a toy that Nikolas wanted, he would just go up and grab the toy and hit the child’s hand to get the toy or the object. If a teacher was trying to work with him to get him to use his spoon or not his hand, he would hit the teacher’s hand away.”
She said Lynda Cruz, his adoptive mother, was loving toward Nikolas and tried to do the best she could, but was slow to admit he had problems.
She said that since the shooting, she sometimes feels a bit guilty, wondering if there was something she could have done “so he could be a better person.”
Patricia Devaney-Westerlind, who lived across the street from Lynda and Roger Cruz, said Lynda Cruz kept the family’s 4,500-square-foot home immaculate and that she was nurturing to Nikolas and his younger half-brother Zachary, whom the family also adopted.
“He was a cute little baby,” she said of Nikolas. “She would go and get him all these sailor outfits. She was just the happiest I ever saw her.”
But she saw many of the same issues that Fischer did — that other than her daughter, who was about eight months younger than him, Nikolas Cruz could not relate to other children.
“I didn’t see anything that different until about maybe 18 months old. He’s very, very hyper. Very,” she said. “Always running around. He wasn’t talking, so if he wanted a toy, he would go after someone.”
Devaney-Westerlind said when the children of the neighborhood would gather at her home, Cruz would stay by himself and hide behind the blinds.
“You’d see all the kids playing on the floor with different toys and he’d be somewhere else,” she said.
She said Cruz was a bed and pants wetter until he was 6 or 7, which caused other children to pick on him.
“He would get upset and he would start breaking their toys,” she said. “He would be very upset, he would clench his fists. He’d be very angry. It would go on for a while. He wouldn’t get over it.”
The defense is trying to overcome the prosecution’s case, which featured surveillance video of Cruz mowing down students and staff as he stalked a three-story building for seven-minutes, photos of the aftermath and a jury visit to the building.
For Cruz to receive a death sentence, the jury must be unanimous. If one juror votes for life, that will be his sentence.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/testimony-florida-school-shooter-was-intellectually-slow/ | 2022-08-23T18:50:17Z |
Wytheville, Tazewell and more among those in the spotlight for various tourism efforts in Virginia
Congratulations to Tazewell, Virginia’s own A.J. Robinson and the ‘Visit Tazewell County’ team!!
Wytheville, Va. (WVVA) - The Southwest Virginia Tourism Awards were held in Wytheville where our own communities were recognized.
Among the topics of discussion were ways to reach travelers from all over the globe and bring them to our corner of the world.
Andrew Webb with our sister station WDBJ7 has details on what was discussed--click here.
During the event president and CEO of Virginia Tourism, Rita McClenny congratulated one of our own--A.J. Robinson is the Director of Communications and Tourism for ‘Visit Tazewell County.’
The organization won “Best Video Series for a Destination” for its campaign, ‘There’s No Better Place To Stay.’
Watch the full report above.
“Congratulations A.J and your team. We are so grateful for all you do for our community.
A.J. You’re an inspiration. We’re all proud to know you and I’m sure Erik, Sophia and Dalton feel the same. Keep up the great work.” --Joshua
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/08/23/wytheville-tazewell-more-among-those-spotlight-various-tourism-efforts-virginia/ | 2022-08-23T18:50:25Z |
Ellis County Commissioners are voting on a resolution Tuesday urging Gov. Greg Abbott to protect the border from a so-called “invasion.”
It’s the latest in a list of counties that in recent months have made similar declarations, citing increased border crossings, smuggling operations and drug trafficking.
Ellis County Commissioner Paul Perry said the intent of the resolution is to show Abbott he has the support of counties far from the southern border “to use all necessary means” to protect it. Perry cited the number of migrants who’ve been detained at the border over the past year as a reason why he’s concerned.
“They’re having massive problems,” Perry said. “I don’t want that outflow interfering with us and we want to encourage the governor to use the powers he has to discourage the mass immigration that’s occurring.”
But critics are calling out the language used in the resolution. Kelly Blackburn, who chairs the Ellis County Democratic Party, says she’s worried about the impact it could have.
“Ellis County is becoming increasingly more diverse, and I just thought this language is just so xenophobic and racist and I’m just afraid people will read more into it and take action.”
In August 2019, a mass shooter drove hundreds of miles from North Texas to an El Paso Walmart, killing 23 people and injuring dozens more.
Blackburn and others have said the word “invasion” triggers memories of that event. The shooter in that case used that language when he wrote that the attack was “a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas” and that he was merely defending his country.
“It scares me and it just feels like it’s an opportunity for political theater on behalf of the other side at the expense of our citizens, and I just think it’s wrong,” Blackburn said.
Since the spring, Abbott and Arizona’s governor have taken unprecedented steps to draw attention to border crossing by busing hundreds of migrants to Washington, D.C. and New York City. Supporters applaud the move while detractors say migrants are being used as political pawns.
Officials in other cities along the bus routes have spoken out too as some migrants have gotten off the buses in their towns, forcing aid groups to scramble to help them.
Back in Ellis County, Commissioner Perry said their resolution isn’t meant to target all immigrants, but rather unauthorized immigration.
“It’s not like anyone with any common sense is anti-immigration but when you’re talking 2 million people in less than two years, that’s a big issue and a whole lot of them are coming to Texas,” he said.
And although Ellis County is far from the border, he said he thinks the impact stretches beyond that, pointing to the number of people who have immigration holds in the Ellis County jail.
At the end of July, 26 people with immigration holds were in jail, which he said is 30 percent more than normal.
Got a tip? Email Stella M. Chávez at schavez@kera.org. You can follow Stella on Twitter @stellamchavez.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you. | https://www.keranews.org/news/2022-08-23/more-texas-counties-cry-invasion-to-drum-up-support-for-gov-greg-abbotts-border-enforcement | 2022-08-23T19:18:59Z |
Former Louisville cop pleads guilty in Breonna Taylor case
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former Louisville police detective who helped write the warrant that led to the deadly police raid at Breonna Taylor’s apartment has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge.
Federal investigators said Kelly Goodlett added a false line to the warrant and later conspired with another detective to create a cover story when Taylor’s March 13, 2020, shooting death by police began gaining national attention.
Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was shot to death by officers who knocked down her door while executing a drug search warrant. Taylor’s boyfriend fired a shot that hit one of the officers as they came through the door and they returned fire, striking Taylor multiple times.
Goodlett, 35, appeared in a federal courtroom in Louisville on Tuesday afternoon and admitted to conspiring with another Louisville police officer to falsify the warrant. Goodlett briefly answered several questions from federal judge Rebecca Jennings Grady.
Taylor’s mother, Tamika Palmer, was in the courtroom Tuesday but did not speak after the proceedings.
Three former Louisville officers were indicted on criminal civil rights charges earlier this month by a federal grand jury. Goodlett was not indicted, but charged in a federal information filing, which likely means the former detective is cooperating with investigators.
Goodlett will be sentenced Nov. 22. Grady said there may be “extenuating circumstances” that may move the court to push back the sentencing date. Part of the plea hearing was also kept under seal and was not discussed in open court Tuesday. She faces up to five years in prison for the conviction.
She resigned from the department Aug. 5, a day after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced new federal charges in the Taylor case.
Former officers Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany were indicted on charges related to the warrant used to search Taylor’s home. A third former officer, Brett Hankison, was charged with using excessive force when he retreated from Taylor’s door, turned a corner and fired 10 shots into the side of her two-bedroom apartment. He was acquitted by a jury on similar state charges earlier this year. Jaynes, Meany and Hankison have all been fired.
The three former officers face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted on the civil rights charges.
Federal prosecutors said in court records that Jaynes, who drew up the Taylor warrant, had claimed to Goodlett days before the warrant was served that he had “verified” from a postal inspector that a suspected drug dealer was receiving packages at Taylor’s apartment. But Goodlett knew this was false and told Jaynes the warrant did not yet have enough information connecting Taylor to criminal activity, prosecutors said. She added a paragraph saying the suspected drug dealer, Jamarcus Glover, was using Taylor’s apartment as his current address, according to the court records.
Two months later, when the Taylor shooting was attracting national headlines, the postal inspector told a media outlet he had not verified packages for Glover were going to Taylor’s apartment. Jaynes and Goodlett then met in Jaynes’ garage to “get on the same page” before Jaynes talked to investigators about the Taylor warrant, court records said.
They decided to say Sgt. John Mattingly, who is identified in the court records as J.M., told them Glover was receiving packages at Taylor’s home, according to prosecutors. Mattingly was shot in the leg during the raid at Taylor’s apartment.
Meany, who signed off on the Taylor warrant and was still a Louisville police sergeant when he was indicted on Aug. 4, was fired by Louisville Police Chief Erika Shields on Friday.
Shields said in a statement that Meany has not yet had his case heard by a jury, but “he is facing multiple federal charges after a lengthy investigation by the DOJ” and should not “expect continued employment under such conditions.”
Hankison was the only officer charged who was on the scene the night of the killing.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/former-louisville-cop-pleads-guilty-breonna-taylor-case/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:01Z |
Housing market sees rise in canceled contracts
In June 55% of houses sold above asking price
InvestigateTV - The number of sale agreements on existing homes canceled by Americans was just under 15% in June compared to 11% last year, according to a new report from Redfin.
Josh Stech, the CEO of Sundae, a real estate marketplace for investors, said inflation and higher mortgage rates are playing a role in what is happening in the market.
“The two main ones are inventory starts spiking and then mortgage rate volatility causes buyers to say, ‘you know what, I’m going to play this game a little bit and if rates drop, I’m going to cancel my contract to get out of the rate lock,’” Stech said.
He said in June, over 55% of homes across the country still sold above the asking price, which generally means there’s multiple offers. So regardless of the uptick in cancellations, Stech said it’s still a seller’s market.
To get the best price for your property, He urged sellers to look local and interview several agents in your area.
Stech said working with real estate agents and brokers that know your local market is the top way to make sure you get the best price for your property.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/housing-market-sees-rise-canceled-contracts/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:02Z |
Massage therapist accused of inappropriately touching woman at spa, police say
Published: Aug. 23, 2022 at 2:38 PM EDT|Updated: 47 minutes ago
SHELTON, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – A massage therapist without a license is accused of inappropriately touching a female client, according to police in Connecticut.
Police say Lisa Daubenhauser, 46, also made lewd comments toward the woman at the spa.
“During the investigation, it was discovered that Daubenhauser did not have a license to practice massage therapy,” Shelton police said.
Daubenhauser was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and practicing massage therapy without a license. She is due in superior court on Aug. 24.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/massage-therapist-accused-inappropriately-touching-woman-spa-police-say/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:05Z |
More than 100 classified Trump docs recovered back in Jan.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Archives and Records Administration recovered more than 100 documents bearing classified markings, totaling more than 700 pages, from an initial batch of 15 boxes retrieved from Mar-a-Lago earlier this year, according to newly public government correspondence with the Trump legal team.
The numbers make clear the large volume of secret government documents recovered months ago from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, well before FBI officials returned there with a search warrant on Aug. 8 and removed an additional 11 sets of classified records. The warrant reveals an FBI investigation into the potential unlawful possession of the records as well as obstruction of justice.
The figures on documents were included in a May 10 letter in which acting archivist Debra Steidel Wall told a lawyer for Trump, Evan Corcoran, that the Biden administration would not be honoring the former president’s protective claims of executive privilege over the documents.
Corcoran had weeks earlier requested additional time to review the materials in the boxes before the National Archives produced them to the FBI so that he could determine whether any specific document was subject to executive privilege and therefore exempt from disclosure, according to the letter.
The letter was made public Tuesday on the website of the National Archives. It was released Monday night on a website launched by John Solomon, who was appointed by Trump in June to be one of his designated representatives to the National Archives and who is a Trump ally and conservative journalist.
The archivist’s letter says the Justice Department had found “no precedent for an assertion of executive privilege by a former President against an incumbent President to prevent the latter” from obtaining from the National Archives presidential records that belong to the federal government and that are needed for current government business.
As a result, the letter said, claims of executive privilege would not be honored and the FBI would be given access to the documents in a matter of days.
The National Archives had asked the Justice Department to investigate after saying that it had located classified material among the 15 boxes of records it retrieved from Mar-a-Lago that it said should have been turned over by Trump at the end of his White House tenure.
In the letter, archivist Wall writes that in those boxes, the National Archives had identified items marked as classified at the top secret level as well as information about special access programs.
It says the records included over 100 documents with classified markings, “comprising more than 700 pages” and cites an excerpt from separate correspondence from the Justice Department’s National Security Division saying that “access to the materials is not only necessary for purposes of our ongoing criminal investigation” but also for an “assessment of the potential damage” resulting from the manner in which the documents were transported and stored.
Corcoran did not immediately return messages seeking comment on the letter.
____
Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report.
___
More on Donald Trump-related investigations: https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/more-than-100-classified-trump-docs-recovered-back-jan/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:05Z |
Officer won’t face any charges in Rayshard Brooks shooting
MORROW, Ga. (AP) — A specially appointed prosecutor said Tuesday that he will not pursue any charges against the Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks more than two years ago.
Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, announced that he won’t pursue charges against Garrett Rolfe, the white officer who shot and killed the 27-year-old Black man in June 2020.
Skandalakis was appointed last year to take over the case after a judge allowed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to recuse herself and her office. Willis had cited concerns about the actions of her predecessor, Paul Howard, who announced a murder charge against Rolfe less than a week after the shooting.
Police responded on June 12, 2020, to complaints of a man sleeping in a car in the drive-thru lane of a Wendy’s restaurant. Police body camera video shows the two officers having a calm conversation with Brooks for more than 40 minutes. Then, when the officers told Brooks he’d had too much to drink to be driving and tried to arrest him, Brooks resisted in a struggle caught on dash camera video. Brooks grabbed a Taser from one of the officers and fled, firing it at Rolfe as he ran. Rolfe fired his gun, and an autopsy found that Brooks was shot twice in the back.
The two officers’ lawyers have said their actions were justified and both were released on bond.
The shooting happened against the backdrop of heightened tensions and protests nationwide in wake of the death of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis less than three weeks earlier.
Sometimes-violent protests over Floyd’s death had largely subsided in Atlanta, but Brooks’ killing set off a new round of demonstrations against police brutality. Police Chief Erika Shields resigned less than 24 hours after Brooks died. Protesters set fire to the Wendy’s restaurant, which was later demolished.
Rolfe was fired a day after the shooting, but his dismissal was overturned in May 2021 by the Atlanta Civil Service Board. The board found that the city failed to follow its own procedures for disciplinary actions.
Five days after Brooks was killed, then-Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard held a dramatic news conference to announce charges against Rolfe and Brosnan. Rolfe’s charges included felony murder, aggravated assault and violation of his oath. Brosnan was charged with aggravated assault and violating his oath.
Two months later, Howard lost the Democratic primary in his bid for reelection. Just weeks after taking office in January 2021, his successor, Fani Willis, asked Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr to reassign the case.
Willis, who has since gained national attention for her investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to influence the outcome of the 2020 election in Georgia, cited concerns about Howard’s actions.
Howard’s conduct, “including using video evidence in campaign television advertisements,” may have violated Georgia Bar rules, Willis argued in a letter to Carr. She also noted that Carr had asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into whether Howard improperly issued grand jury subpoenas in the Rolfe case. Howard has denied wrongdoing.
Noah Pines, an attorney for Rolfe, had also filed a motion to disqualify the Fulton County district attorney’s office from the case.
Carr initially refused to reassign the case, but in July 2021 appointed Skandalakis to take it over after Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Christopher Brasher found there was a conflict of interest and granted a request from Willis to recuse her office.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/officer-wont-face-any-charges-rayshard-brooks-shooting/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:11Z |
PHOTOS: San Diego Zoo Safari Park welcomes ‘significant’ birth of baby white rhino
SAN DIEGO (Gray News) - The San Diego Zoo Safari Park announced this week the arrival of a male white rhino born to a first-time mother.
According to the park, the unnamed calf was conceived through natural breeding with the mother, Livia, and the father, J Gregory, and was born on Aug. 6.
Wildlife care specialists report the calf is healthy, confident and full of energy. They said Livia is an excellent mother, being very attentive and protective.
Representatives with the park said, “all rhino births are significant,” and the calf’s birth represents an essential step with Livia carrying a calf to term, as she could serve as a surrogate mother in the future.
Livia and her calf are expected to remain in a private habitat to allow time for bonding at the Nikita Kahn Rhino Rescue Center within the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/photos-san-diego-zoo-safari-park-welcomes-significant-birth-baby-white-rhino/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:21Z |
Yelp to add more flags to anti-abortion pregnancy centers
(AP) – The online reviews site Yelp said Tuesday it is rolling out a new feature to protect users seeking abortions from being misled about anti-abortion pregnancy centers listed on its platform.
Such centers are typically religiously affiliated and deter clients from having an abortion. On Tuesday, Yelp said it will place a consumer notice on the listings informing users that the centers “typically provide limited medical services and may not have licensed medical professionals onsite.”
In 2018, moderators for the San Francisco-based company began recategorizing listings for such organizations as “crisis pregnancy centers” or “faith-based crisis pregnancy centers.” The organizations had previously categorized themselves as reproductive health services, medical centers and other health and medical categories.
“It’s well-reported that crisis pregnancy centers do not offer abortion services, and it’s been shown that many provide misleading information in an attempt to steer people seeking abortion care to other options,” the company said in a post on its website detailing the change.
Yelp’s move might put more pressure on Google to do something similar with listings on its site. Last week, hundreds of Google employees released a petition calling on the company to fix misleading search results for abortion services by removing “fake abortion providers” and halt its business with “publishers of disinformation related to abortion services.”
In June, Democratic lawmakers in Congress also urged the company to curb the appearance of the anti-abortion pregnancy centers for certain search results. But Republicans pushed back last month, warning the tech giant not to do so in a letter sent by 17 conservative attorney generals to Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Google did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Tuesday.
In the past several months, Yelp said it has also been picking up on efforts to better match users searching for abortion clinics with those services and make it less likely those users will see anti-abortion pregnancy centers in search results. The company said it has evaluated roughly 33,500 listings this year and recategorized nearly 470 pages for the centers.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/08/23/yelp-add-more-flags-anti-abortion-pregnancy-centers/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:27Z |
Refuel With Chocolate Milk
SYRACUSE, N.Y., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "Refuel Her Greatness – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Title IX" is the theme of the 54th Annual Butter Sculpture at the New York State Fair. This year's butter sculpture, sponsored by Wegmans, spotlights female athletes and how today's athletes refuel with chocolate milk.
Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9078851-american-dairy-association-north-east-butter-sculpture-new-york-state-fair/
The butter sculpture features a progression of female athletes ranging in age from a child skier to a high school-aged gymnast to a college lacrosse player to an adult runner. A chocolate milk bottle serves as the centerpiece, reinforcing the role chocolate milk plays in helping female athletes recover, refuel, and rebuild for what comes next.
Participating in today's unveiling, U.S. Olympic Athlete and professional runner Elle St. Pierre said, "As a professional athlete and a dairy farmer, I am proud to produce a product—chocolate milk—that I know helps athletes refuel and recover after a tough workout or competition." St. Pierre went on to say, "To be able to celebrate Title IX in this way, I am reminded of all the opportunities this ruling made available for female athletes like myself – it's powerful."
"Who would have thought that when Title IX was passed back in 1972, that we would be standing here 50 years later acknowledging the strides that women have made in sports," said Gabriella Taylor, New York State Dairy Ambassador. "As a dairy farmer, I am proud to represent New York's 3,500 dairy farmers as we celebrate how many athletes refuel their bodies with chocolate milk."
Richard A. Ball, New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner said, "The Butter Sculpture is an iconic, long-time tradition of the Great New York State Fair that shines the spotlight on our dairy community, while also conveying an important message in its theme that's important to New York. I'm thrilled to be back at the Fair for the unveiling of this year's Butter Sculpture and encourage fairgoers to come see it for themselves; and while they're at it, to enjoy all things dairy in the Dairy Products Building—from our ice-cold 25 cent milk to ice cream and cheese."
"Wegmans is proud to sponsor this year's Butter Sculpture, which is such an integral part of the New York State Fair," said Evelyn Ingram, Director of Community Relations at Wegmans Food Markets. "We are delighted to once again be a participant in this long-standing tradition."
This is the first time in 16 years, since 2006, that color is featured in the butter sculpture. The sculpture was constructed over a 10-day period by artists Jim Victor and Marie Pelton of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, using more than 800 pounds of butter from O-AT-KA Milk Products in Western New York. This year's sculpture also celebrates another anniversary. It is the 20th consecutive year Victor and Pelton have created the butter sculpture at the New York State Fair.
Along with viewing the butter sculpture and enjoying some delicious dairy products, fairgoers can visit the "Reset Yourself with Dairy" photo experience in the Dairy Products Building to discover how dairy and its simple nutrition help you take flight! Snap a photo with beautiful milk wings, scan the QR code on our giant milk carton, and receive some great recipes to help "Reset Yourself with Dairy."
After the Fair, the sculpture will be deconstructed, with assistance from the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, and transported to Noblehurst Farms in Linwood, N.Y., where it will be recycled in a methane digester to create renewable energy.
Visit americandairy.com/nystatefair for more New York State Fair-related information.
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SOURCE American Dairy Association North East | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/54th-annual-american-dairy-association-north-east-butter-sculpture-unveiled-refuel-her-greatness-celebrating-50th-anniversary-title-ix/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:34Z |
CAMPBELL, Calif., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Halo Microelectronics (SSE: 688173), a maker of analog and power management integrated circuits enabling energy-efficient smart systems, announced the release of its HL7090, a fully automatic and highly integrated lithium battery charging management IC with one switching charger, two linear chargers, and full-range programmable charge parameters through an I2C compatible interface.
The HL7090 is a compact, flexible, and high-efficiency switching-mode charge management IC for single-cell Li-ion and Li-polymer batteries used in various IoT and wearable applications, including ear pods. The HL7090 integrates a load switch to accommodate USB and wireless charging sources. Its integrated buck switching charger can operate in boost mode, which powers the linear chargers to charge two accessories simultaneously, ideal for earbud applications. The charge parameters can be programmed through the I2C interface (HL7090FN03 version). The IC integrates a synchronous PWM controller, power MOSFET, input current sensing, high-accuracy current, voltage regulation, and charge termination function into a tiny 3mm x 3mm QFN package.
The HL7090 provides fully automatic three-phase battery charging control, including trickle charge, constant-current charge (CC), and constant voltage charge (CV) until the battery reaches the charge termination voltage. The input current is automatically limited to the value set by the host, and the charging is terminated based on the battery voltage and a user-selectable minimum current level. A safety timer with reset control provides a safety backup for the I2C interface.
During normal operation, the HL7090 automatically restarts the charge cycle if the battery voltage falls below an internal threshold and automatically enters sleep mode, or high impedance mode when the input supply is not correctly connected. The charge status can be reported to the host through the I2C interface.
"Our new Li-ion battery switching charger IC with its fully automatic charge management takes all the worries out of charging IoT applications, providing convenience, no hassle, and peace of mind," said David Nam, CEO of Halo Microelectronics."
Halo Microelectronics develops analog and power management integrated circuits enabling energy-efficient smart systems. Since 2012, Halo Microelectronics has been driving innovation in Mobile, IoT, and Automotive systems. Find out more at https://halomicro.com.
For more information, please contact:
Americas and Europe
Jae Park
Email: jae.park@halomicro.com
Greater China / Asia
Jacky Yan
Email: jacky.yan@halomicro.com
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SOURCE Halo Microelectronics International | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/900ma-dual-channel-input-with-integrated-boost-soc-li-ion-battery-switching-charger/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:41Z |
PHOENIX and ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators® (AAMVA) has incorporated U-Haul Safe Trailering® best practices in the latest version its Model Driver's License Manual, which is used as part of its Noncommercial Model Driver Testing System (NMDTS).
AAMVA develops and maintains NMDTS for use by motor vehicle agencies to assist with testing new drivers.
The updated AAMVA Model Driver's License Manual includes a section dedicated to safe trailering, with content provided by DIY moving and self-storage industry leader from its acclaimed U-Haul Safe Trailering Driver Education program. The program offers trailering education to the North American public for the purposes of preventing injuries, hazards and fatalities on our roadways.
"Trailering activities have broadened each year, and the need for safety education has increased accordingly," stated Joe Cook, U-Haul Vice President of Government Relations. "We are proud to partner with AAMVA to provide practical trailering information and basic guidelines for new drivers. Nearly everyone is exposed to trailer towing in one form or another. Understanding the elements involved is vital for safety. With U-Haul Safe Trailering content adopted into AAMVA best practices, jurisdictions can convey necessary information to new drivers before they begin their tow."
U-Haul® participation and cooperation with AAMVA spans decades in what began as an effort to facilitate vehicle registration reciprocity that would be fair to the transportation industry and member jurisdictions. Since 1959, U-Haul has partnered with AAMVA to sponsor and host the Traditional Past Chairs'/Presidents' Breakfast during the AAMVA's international and regional conferences.
"AAMVA and our members are committed to promoting highway safety and preparing drivers to be safe when they get behind the wheel," said Anne Ferro, AAMVA CEO. "The new guidance in our Model Driver's License Manual, including new information on safe trailering developed with our partners at U-Haul, will strengthen our already robust training materials and bring us closer to achieving our goal of Safe Drivers, Safe Vehicles, Secure Identities, Saving Lives."
The NMDTS establishes uniformity between jurisdictions for the testing of noncommercial operators and provides a base of core information for driver manuals and graduated driver license (GDL) parent instruction guides. The development and maintenance of the NMDTS ensures that new drivers receive proper information on safe operating practices and are tested to determine whether they possess the minimum knowledge and skills for entering the driver's license system.
Chrissy Nizer, Administrator of the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and Chair of the AAMVA International Board of Directors, noted: "AAMVA members nationwide take their responsibility of training new drivers very seriously, knowing that the risk of a crash during the first few years of driving is much more likely. The new guidance provided in our Model Driver's License Manual and in the Noncommercial Model Driver Testing System, including the safe trailering information, is essential to helping our members do their jobs to ensure each person who receives their license is prepared for the road."
The U-Haul Safe Trailering initiative is adaptable to an assortment of audiences, including Driver's Education professionals, Highway Safety Offices, Law Enforcement agencies, youth safety groups and general public safety organizers. As a corporate member of the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA) and National Student Safety Program (NSSP), U-Haul continues its longstanding commitment of encouraging the study and teaching of safe trailering.
U-Haul provides all education materials and experiences 100% free of charge to government, education and industry groups as a public service. The primary way U-Haul accomplishes this is with the Marco Garcia Trailering Demonstrator, a visual teaching tool that features a one-tenth-scaled car on a running treadmill; a weight-toting bar attached to the car, representing a trailer; and a wheel at the end of the treadmill for guests to steer the car.
VIDEO: Demonstrator teaches U-Haul Safe Trailering best practices
When loaded properly with 60% of the cargo weight toward the front of the trailer (in front of the axle), the wheel can turn abruptly and the trailer remains behind the car. But when loaded incorrectly with too much weight in the back, the demonstrator shows how an abrupt turn causes the trailer to fishtail, whipping and potentially creating a catastrophic towing scenario.
To inquire how the U-Haul Safe Trailering program can be your safe towing resource, please email trailerdemonstrator@uhaul.com.
About U-HAUL
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 186,000 trucks, 128,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 895,000 rentable storage units and 76.6 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America. uhaul.com
About AAMVA
Founded in 1933, AAMVA serves North American motor vehicle and law enforcement agencies to accomplish their missions. The Association's vision of Safe Drivers, Safe Vehicles, Secure Identities, Saving Lives guides AAMVA's activities, resources, and programs in driver licensing, vehicle titling/registration, motor carrier services, identity management, and technology solutions. For more information visit www.aamva.org.
Contact:
Jeff Lockridge
Sebastien Reyes
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-760-4941
Website: uhaul.com
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SOURCE U-Haul | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/aamva-adopts-u-haul-safe-trailering-practices-drivers-license-manual/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:52Z |
New Homes Coming Soon to Austin, Round Rock, Elgin and Buda From Top 10 U.S. Builder
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Communities, Inc., a top 10 national homebuilder and industry leader in online sales, is excited to announce four new communities coming soon to the greater Austin area—spread out across exceptional locations from the city of Austin to Round Rock, Elgin and Buda. With the first homes anticipated to begin selling later this fall, now's the time for interested buyers to join interest lists for timely updates about grand openings and available homes.
Showcasing a versatile lineup of single-family floor plans, each community will offer smartly designed open-concept layouts, high-quality included features—like the builder's Century Home Connect™ smart home package—and quick access to a wide variety of outdoor recreation, shopping, dining and employment hubs.
Learn more and join community interest lists at www.CenturyCommunities.com/Austin.
"We're thrilled to be able to deliver over 750 new homes over the next six months to sought-after locations throughout the greater Austin area," said Brian Bekker, Austin Division President. "With beautiful open-concept layouts and on-trend features at a variety of price points, these new communities will provide buyers with abundant choices to find their best fit."
COMING SOON:
Stallion Run | Buda, TX
Two sections anticipated to open in fall 2022
- 179 homes
- Single-family homes from the $300s
- 16 single- and two-story floor plans
- 3 to 5 bedrooms, 2 to 3 bathrooms, up to 2,413 sq. ft.
- Future amenities include a pool and playground
- Prime location near I-35, Highway 130 and Highway 45, with easy access to premier employment, retail and entertainment hubs
Old Lockhart Road and Mustang Mesa Drive
Buda, TX 78610
Join our interest list: 512.271.3831
Trinity Ranch | Elgin, TX
Anticipated to open in December 2022
- 151 homes
- Single-family homes from the $300s
- Future amenities include a pool and playground
- Located south of Highway 290 off Upper Elgin River Road, with a short commute to downtown Austin, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and more
- Small-town rural setting with close proximity to big-city convenience
Highway 290 and Swenson Boulevard
Elgin, TX 78621
Join our interest list: 512.271.3831
Jennings Place | Austin, TX
Anticipated to open in January 2023
- 64 homes
- Single-family homes from the $400s
- Located between I-35 South and Highway 183, across from Onion Creek Metropolitan Park—offering over 500 acres with small ponds, trails and more
- Also located close to McKinney Falls State Park, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and downtown Austin, with a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment in every direction
Nuckolls Crossing and Vertex Boulevard
Austin, TX 78744
Join our interest list: 512.271.3831
Avery Centre | Round Rock, TX
Anticipated to open in January 2023
- 395 homes
- Single-family homes from the $400s
- Future amenities include a pool, parks and trails
- Convenient location between I-35 and Highway 130, offering a short commute to downtown Austin and Georgetown
- Also located close to Old Settler's Park, Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, Inner Space Cavern, plus a variety of shopping and dining–including Round Rock Premium Outlets
CR 112 (Avery Nelson Parkway) and FM 1460 (AW Grimes Boulevard)
Round Rock, TX 78665
Join our interest list: 512.271.3831
DISCOVER THE FREEDOM OF ONLINE HOMEBUYING:
Century Communities is proud to feature its industry-first online homebuying experience on all available homes in the greater Austin area.
How it works:
- Shop homes at CenturyCommunities.com
- Click "Buy Now" on any available home
- Fill out a quick Buy Online form
- Electronically submit an initial earnest money deposit
- Electronically sign a purchase contract via DocuSign®
Learn more about the Buy Online experience at www.CenturyCommunities.com/online-homebuying.
About Century Communities
Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE: CCS) is a top 10 national homebuilder, offering new homes under the Century Communities and Century Complete brands. Century is engaged in all aspects of homebuilding — including the acquisition, entitlement and development of land, along with the construction, innovative marketing and sale of quality homes designed to appeal to a wide range of homebuyers. The Colorado-based company operates in 17 states and over 45 markets across the U.S., and also offers title, insurance and lending services in select markets through its Parkway Title, IHL Home Insurance Agency, and Inspire Home Loans subsidiaries. To learn more about Century Communities, please visit www.centurycommunities.com.
For information, contact:
Alyson Benn
Century Communities, Inc.
303-558-7352
Alyson.Benn@centurycommunities.com
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SOURCE Century Communities, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/century-communities-announces-4-new-austin-metro-communities/ | 2022-08-23T19:27:58Z |
Funding to Support Growth Worldwide and Accelerate Product Development to Combat Climate Change
BERKELEY, Calif., Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarity Movement Co. today announced it closed a US$9.6M Series A+ funding round. The round was co-led by Amasia and the Active Fund, with participation from Spero Ventures, SOSV's HAX program, Jason Calacanis' Launch Fund and The Climate Syndicate.
Clarity is the only air quality monitoring solution to provide continuous, real-time monitoring, on a robust data platform, with data calibration and expert services. The Series A+ will support growth worldwide and accelerate product development to further address climate change.
Clarity nodes extend the resolution of traditional measurement stations with easy-to-install nodes that provide reliable and accurate results within minutes using solar power and cellular communication. Thousands of Clarity nodes have been successfully installed in hundreds of cities in more than 60 countries, including London, Los Angeles and Singapore.
"Our motivation is simple – if you can't measure it, you can't fix it," explained David Lu, CEO of Clarity. "Air pollution is one of the greatest risks to global health and a major factor contributing to climate change. We focus on providing localized, real-time and accurate air quality data by combining the latest technology advances and our expertise to make our solutions cost-effective, easy to implement, and accurate."
Clarity networks can incorporate add-on modules to supplement data collected with additional air pollutant measurements. The first three add-on modules, for Wind, Ozone, and Black Carbon, were introduced in 2021 in response to customer demand.
About Clarity Movement Co.
Clarity Movement Co., a privately-held remote-first company headquartered in Berkeley, California, is transforming the way governments, campuses, businesses and communities understand and respond to air pollution. Clarity provides the most complete, scalable air monitoring solution, with unmatched hardware, software and expert services. Used in more than 60 countries around the world, Clarity solutions empower our customers with continuous monitoring, for accurate data in a fully supported, worry-free environment. For more information, visit: <https://www.clarity.io/>.
Node-S, Clarity Cloud, Clarity Dashboard, Clarity OpenMap and the Clarity logo are trademarks of, and Clarity is a registered trademark of Clarity Movement Co. Copyright (c) 2022, all rights reserved. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Media Contacts:
Naomi Pearce for Clarity, +1.510.528.0824, <mailto:pr@clarity.io>
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SOURCE Clarity Movement Co. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/clarity-movement-co-raises-us96m/ | 2022-08-23T19:28:05Z |
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The TechFounders Accelerator program selected Claros Technologies to work with the German multinational specialty chemicals company Lanxess to develop solutions for the capture and recovery of valuable metals used in electric batteries, such as lithium, cobalt, cadmium, and nickel. Claros is one of only 10 European and U.S. startups selected to take part in the international start-up accelerator's 16th batch.
TechFounders was founded in 2015 to drive corporate innovation by connecting the world's leading companies with startups and by providing coaching and a €25,000 project budget. During the 20-week program, Dr. John Brockgreitens, Claros' research and development director, will work with the Lanxess team to apply Claros' technology platform to enable new functionalities in Lanxess' ion-exchange resins.
"This partnership exemplifies how a circular economy can transform the environment and how business is done," Brockgreitens said. "TechFounders has identified a partner in Lanxess that shares our commitment to converting hazardous wastewater into clean, high-demand products: water and metals such as lithium and cadmium. This project will scrub wastewater so it can be safely reused by mining for scarce metals essential for electric vehicles and high-tech consumer products. We can't wait to get to work."
"The science behind Claros Technologies continues to attract interest from many world-class organizations," he added. "We are grateful for this most recent opportunity to partner with two great organizations like Lanxess and TechFounders."
Founded in 2018, Claros is an advanced materials company that designs and develops sustainable materials and solutions for a circular economy. Claros' proprietary technology platforms have been used to develop sustainable functional textiles that are antimicrobial, UV-resistant, and anti-odor; to develop water sorbents to capture, concentrate, and destroy pollutants such as PFAS and mercury, and to develop sorbents and processes for the recovery and reuse of industrially useful metals. For more information, visit https://clarostechnologies.com/
LANXESS is a leading specialty chemicals company based in Cologne, Germany, with sales of €6.1 billion in 2020. The company currently has about 14,900 employees in 33 countries. The core business of LANXESS is the development, manufacturing and marketing of chemical intermediates, additives, specialty chemicals, and plastics. LANXESS is listed in the leading sustainability indices Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and Europe) and FTSE4Good. They are the second chemical company to become a corporate partner with the TechFounders program after Wacker AG joined in June last year. For more information, visit https://lanxess.com/
TechFounders is the 20-week tech-startup accelerator program that strategically coaches start-ups, brings them together with established businesses, and prepares them for the next venture capital round with individual coaching and a broad mentoring network. A total of 145 start-ups have joined the accelerator program since 2015. With TechFounders, UnternehmerTUM strengthens its role as a central platform for cooperation between start-ups and established companies. TechFounders also operates the RESPOND Accelerator Program for the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt and powers the SAP.io foundries as well as the recently launched SAFRAN Explore H2 Program. For more information, visit https://techfounders.com/
For inquiries about this news release, please contact Sales & Marketing Manager Stacy Hanson at Claros Technologies:
Phone: 507-363-1503
Email: stacy@clarostech.com
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SOURCE Claros Technologies | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/claros-technologies-selected-participate-techfounders-accelerator-program-capture-recover-high-demand-metals/ | 2022-08-23T19:28:12Z |
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With two weeks left in the legislative session, Consumer Watchdog today urged Governor Newsom to reform a hopelessly shattered bottle deposit system via a budget trailer bill as the group unveiled the top 10 signs of the system's collapse.
"We need Governor Newsom to clean up the deposit system's glaring problems by investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a targeted way," said Consumer Advocate Liza Tucker. "California needs to join the most progressive bottle deposit states by installing automated technology at redemption centers and at major supermarket chains. Those chains must be required to refund bottle deposits so that returning empties and getting deposit refunds is as easy as buying beverages in the first place.
"Lawmakers are poised to expand the bottle deposit program by passing legislation adding wine and distilled spirits to the bottle deposit system. That's great but what are some people supposed to do when the nearest redemption center is 50 miles away?"
Over the last decade, the state's inadequate subsidies have starved a network of redemption centers into closing while supermarkets aren't universally required to refund bottle deposits. Many that are required refuse. A Story of Stuff Project survey of over 500 California retailers obligated to refund California Redemption Value (CRV) of a nickel or dime found that 100% of Walmarts, 75% of Ralphs and 60% of Costcos illegally turn consumers away.
Only 58% of California CRV containers were redeemed last year, making California 3rd to last among ten bottle deposit states.
Californians paying roughly $1.5 billion in bottle deposits each year get back just little more than half.
Fewer than 550 convenient redemption sites in supermarket parking lots exist to serve 40 million Californians.
Up to two thirds of legally obligated retailers refuse to redeem deposits.
Many residents of rural Northern California must drive up to 50 miles or more to get CRV refunds.
31 out of 58 California counties have five or fewer redemption centers.
60% of Californians would redeem containers if the system was convenient.
Less than one in four Californians redeem bottle deposits while more than three quarters lose CRV to curbside bins.
One third of containers thrown into curbside bins are landfilled while haulers bill the state for CRV.
In 2020, 13.4 billion beverage containers in wound up in landfills, incinerators or as litter.
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SOURCE Consumer Watchdog | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/consumer-watchdog-unveils-top-10-signs-californias-shattered-bottle-deposit-system-urges-governor-act-fast-fix-it/ | 2022-08-23T19:28:18Z |
DETROIT, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- For years, automakers have talked about electric vehicles and autonomous driving as two connected parts of the future of cars. But new research from Ipsos shows that automakers might be better off if they talked about them separately.
Ipsos' latest Mobility Navigator Study shows that while almost half of drivers (49%) say they're interested in an electric vehicle for their next car, only 31% would be interested in a fully autonomous (aka self-driving) car. And people are growing more interested in electric vehicles every year, while interest in self-driving cars remains stubbornly low.
"Combining electrification and autonomous as a bundled technology advancement may not be a match made in heaven," said Chance Parker, Vice President, U.S. Automotive & Mobility Development at Ipsos. "Dedicated education about autonomous vehicles with a clear safety benefit can help reduce misconceptions and improve trial and acceptance across all generations."
That's not to say people aren't interested in any new driving technology to help them on the road. More than 60% of consumers say they are interested in individual features like accident avoidance, night/all-weather vision, and advanced driver assistance, which are key advancements in driving technology.
Vehicles today offer more potential interactions for the driver, raising concerns over the level of driver distraction. These worries are becoming a common issue. In a U.S. poll of 1,000 adults conducted in 2021, Ipsos found that drivers believe they encounter a distracted driver in one of every two drives they take.
In addition to identifying which features and technology generate the most interest among consumers, the study results also reaffirm that the auto industry is facing a potentially sticky generation gap regarding these transformational technologies. The latest Mobility Navigator data on electric vehicles shows a dramatic difference in attitudes toward electric vehicles by generation. Millennials and Gen Z consumers are much more positive about electric vehicles than their Boomer counterparts. When consumers are asked about autonomous driving technology, the same gap emerges, and may be getting worse.
"Differences in attitudes toward new technology between younger and older consumers are not new – but these technologies aren't simply features than can be used or ignored as you see fit," Parker said. "Instead, both technologies completely change your relationship with your vehicle. Given the billions of dollars being poured into both technologies, the stakes are extremely high."
Another finding with far-reaching ramifications: Consumers ultimately want control of autonomous technology. Even those consumers who are pro-autonomous driving vehicles express that there is a time and place for it: Three out of four consumers who would consider autonomous technology say they would only want to use it in certain circumstances. This will also require more education for consumers, so they better understand and trust the technology. And until full autonomy is embedded and accepted, it will mean that consumers need user-friendly controls and interfaces with which to control the autonomous tech in their vehicle.
To see more charts and learn more about the study, visit https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/knowledge/customer-experience/Why-are-consumers-still-leery-of-autonomous-driving-technology or watch our on-demand webinar at https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/knowledge/customer-experience/Features-and-technology-driving-interest-in-new-automobiles-recording.
Additional data is available through a subscription to the offering.
Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing over 18,000 people.
Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. "Game Changers" – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world.
Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999. The company is part of the SBF 120 and the Mid-60 indexes and is eligible for the Deferred Settlement Service (SRD).
ISIN code FR0000073298, Reuters ISOS.PA, Bloomberg IPS:FP www.ipsos.com
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SOURCE Ipsos | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/consumers-want-electric-vehicles-more-than-autonomous-vehicles-according-ipsos-latest-research-heres-what-automakers-should-do/ | 2022-08-23T19:28:25Z |
Findings Reveal B2B Leaders that Succeed are Modernizing Their GTM and Exploring Progressive Approaches to Data, Technology, and Growth
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Demandbase, the Smarter GTM™ company for B2B brands, today announced the results of its 2022 C-Suite Go-To-Market (GTM) Benchmark Survey in partnership with Demand Gen Report. The survey queried more than 200 high-level B2B leaders across marketing and sales in order to gain a clearer picture of ongoing industry evolution and the GTM approaches that separate the leading versus lagging companies. Demandbase discovered important insights about which strategies are driving growth, the continued challenge of sales and marketing alignment, the evolving definition of GTM to encompass the entire customer journey, the impact of account intelligence and technology, and more.
"This year's GTM Benchmark Survey told us a lot about sales and marketing leaders' changing priorities and attitudes," says Jon Miller, chief marketing officer at Demandbase. "Most importantly, it revealed that the true B2B leaders are modernizing their approach to GTM and becoming more progressive in how they leverage data, align their internal teams, and use technology, leading to greater success."
Key findings from the report include:
- Respondents reported a variety of investments they plan to make in order to drive growth, with 61% citing sales and marketing alignment as their top priority.
- Alignment between the two departments has historically been a major challenge in B2B, and the survey found that measuring different metrics (33%) was the most common cause, next to poor handoffs (28%) and lack of communication (26%).
- While 41% of SDRs report to sales and 22% report to marketing, 26% actually follow a hybrid model in which sales handles outbound efforts and marketing handles inbound.
"To help organizations bridge the gap between sales and marketing, they need to start by sharing the same metrics," says Allison Metcalfe, Demandbase's chief revenue officer. "I like to think of this in terms of a Venn Diagram; one circle is sales KPIs and the other marketing KPIs. If the metrics don't overlap in the middle, misalignment will continue to challenge organizations. To help build stronger internal alignment, it's important revenue teams can agree on what is in that Venn diagram overlap and identify how to best work together to drive success there."
- Based on the survey results, organizations are starting to pay attention to the unreliability and inaccuracy of first and last-touch attribution, with 54% shifting in favor of multi-touch for tracking marketing influence on pipeline.
- The most common response for measurement is marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) at 18%, followed by total pipeline at (16%), marketing-sourced pipeline (13%), total bookings/revenue (13%); and marketing-qualified accounts (MQAs) (13%).
- When asked how organizations are using account intelligence, including intent data and technographics, in their GTM strategy, the survey uncovered that 59% use it for account prioritization, 55% rely on it for competitive intelligence, 49% use it for personalized messaging and outreach, 39% use it to inform account selection, and 26% turn to account intelligence to time their engagements.
- Although both leaders and laggards had similar responses around types of data they use (account history, contact data, and marketing campaign activity), the leaders focused more on social insights (34%), technographics (27%), news (27%), and account hierarchies (26%), while laggards relied more on first-party data sources (such as website activity), which only show a part of the puzzle.
- The research also found that 47% of survey respondents are using "more" or "many more" intent data providers compared to the year before.
- B2B companies continue to struggle with data decay and other data challenges, citing missing/incomplete information (59%), data quality (56%), siloed data sources (40%), and difficulty turning data into action (32%) as ongoing issues.
- Organizations' use of intent data is promising, as mentioned above, but there is still ample opportunity to capitalize on this even more. For example, more B2B companies could use intent data to help with timing their engagement, enabling them to be first to the party, and improving deal velocity.
- The survey revealed that companies are increasing their reliance on data and insights to improve their marketing and sales strategies, which is a positive trend. However, they would be better off using it first to choose the right accounts — the starting point for a successful account-based strategy. A mere 21% focused on firmographics, which are key to identifying the best-fit accounts.
- The industry as a whole is trending toward supporting a self-service buyer's journey, and respondents indicated they're evolving their GTM accordingly. Such efforts, like product tours (in-app walk-throughs/tutorials) (46%), interactive demos (45%), online calculators for ROI, quota, etc. (43%), and demo videos (39%), are important now and will be even more so in the future.
As the industry continues to evolve and new processes, technologies, and strategies enter the fold, B2B leaders will quickly be separated from the laggards. Those companies that expect to drive efficiency and growth will need a firm understanding of modern GTM, and how to support it with internal alignment, data, tech, and progressive practices.
To learn more and download the full survey report, visit https://www.demandbase.com/report/2022-c-suite-go-to-market-benchmark-survey.
Demandbase is Smarter GTM™ for B2B brands. We help marketing and sales teams spot the juiciest opportunities earlier and progress them faster by injecting Account Intelligence into every step of the buyer journey and orchestrating every action. For more information about Demandbase, visit www.demandbase.com.
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SOURCE Demandbase | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/08/23/demandbase-releases-2022-c-suite-go-to-market-gtm-benchmark-survey/ | 2022-08-23T19:28:32Z |
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