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HOUSTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NexTier Oilfield Solutions Inc. (NYSE: NEX) ("NexTier" or the "Company") and Seneca Resources Company, LLC ("Seneca"), the Exploration and Production segment of National Fuel Gas Company (NYSE: NFG), today announced the upcoming deployment of NexTier's first electric Emerald™ fracturing system, a fully integrated electric fracturing fleet commencing in the first quarter of calendar year 2023.
Operations under the multi-year agreement are designed to deliver optimal fracturing performance while decreasing emissions, lowering fuel costs and reducing the equipment footprint.
Providing electrified completion services on Seneca well sites in the Marcellus and Utica shale plays of the Appalachian Basin, the Emerald™ fracturing system, NexTier's integrated electric frac and wireline fleet, will receive on-site power generation from VoltaGrid LLC's advanced power generation system featuring proven dynamic response reciprocating natural gas generators. These generators powering NexTier's electric Emerald™ fracturing system will be fueled by natural gas produced in the field by Seneca. Each Emerald pumping unit incorporates two fully independent 3,000-HHP electric pumps on a single trailer, which produces abundant pumping power with a smaller equipment footprint than conventional diesel powered fracturing fleets.
"NexTier is pleased to align with Seneca for the deployment of our first electric powered fleet. Our strategy of providing industry-leading natural gas-powered frac fleets benefits NexTier and our customers with a reduced emissions profile, lower fuel cost, improved safety and more efficient completions operations," said Robert Drummond, President and Chief Executive Officer of NexTier. "This initiative demonstrates the forward thinking and alignment accomplished through our long-standing relationship with Seneca as our work together progresses from Tier 4 Dynamic Gas Blending technology to electric completions. We are excited to work hand in hand with Seneca and VoltaGrid to achieve this milestone in our Low Cost, Low Emissions journey."
"We have closely followed innovations in hydraulic fracturing equipment and last year completed a comprehensive, real-time in-field study evaluating the emissions generated by various types of completion equipment," Justin Loweth, President of Seneca Resources, said. "The results of these field trials provided us with high quality comparative data on the emissions profile of these completion technologies, supporting our decision to select NexTier's electric equipment that aligns with our long-term sustainability goals, which are focused on the significant reduction in methane intensity and greenhouse gas emissions from our operations."
About NexTier Oilfield Solutions
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, NexTier (www.NexTierOFS.com) is America's premier onshore well-completions company, offering lower-carbon solutions to optimize oilfield production. Powered by our AI-driven NexHub™ Digital Center – and supplemented by our Power Solutions natural gas fueling services – our integrated operations are proven to reduce fuel costs, improve efficiencies and decrease emissions. Employing sustainable practices and equipment throughout our operations, a diverse team of talented professionals delivers a range of integrated completion services that, when used in conjunction, can deliver increased production at an overall lower cost per barrel.
About National Fuel Gas Company: National Fuel is a diversified energy company headquartered in Western New York that operates an integrated collection of natural gas assets across four business segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. Additional information about National Fuel is available at www.nationalfuel.com.
NFG Contacts:
Brandon Haspett
Analyst Contact
716-857-7697
Rob Boulware
Media Contact
412-548-2572
NEXTIER Contacts:
Kenneth Pucheu
Executive Vice President - Chief Financial Officer
Michael Sabella
Vice President - Investor Relations and Business Development
michael.sabella@nextierofs.com
Cautionary Statements
Certain statements contained herein, including statements identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "projects," "believes," "will," "may," and similar expressions, and statements other than statements of historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, including statements contained herein regarding expectations for the performance of NexTier's electric fracturing fleet, involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. While National Fuel's and NexTier's expectations, beliefs, and projections are expressed in good faith and are believed to have a reasonable basis, actual results may differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. In addition to other factors, the following are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements: (1) National Fuel's and NexTier's ability to estimate accurately the time and resources necessary to implement new practices; and (2) the other risks and uncertainties described in National Fuel's and NexTier's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including (i) National Fuel's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K at Item 7, MD&A, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q at Item 2, MD&A, under the heading "Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements," (ii) NexTier's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K at Item 7, MD&A and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q at Item 2, MD&A and in such reports under heading "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Information" and (iii) the "Risk Factors" included in National Fuel's and NexTier's respective most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K at Item 1A and in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q at Item 1A, Risk Factors. National Fuel and NexTier disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. Because of these risks and uncertainties, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements or use them for anything other than their intended purpose.
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SOURCE NexTier Oilfield Solutions | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/nextier-seneca-resources-enter-agreement-electric-powered-emerald-fracturing-system-appalachian-basin/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:10Z |
SEATTLE, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) announced today that Erik Nordstrom, chief executive officer, and Anne Bramman, chief financial officer, will participate in a fireside chat at the Goldman Sachs Annual Global Retailing Conference on Thursday, September 8, 2022 at 9:35 a.m. EDT.
The session will be webcast live through the Events & Presentations section at investor.nordstrom.com. The archived webcast will be available until February 5, 2023, at the same location within four hours after the conclusion of the live event.
At Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN), we exist to help our customers feel good and look their best. Since starting as a shoe store in 1901, how to best serve customers has been at the center of every decision we make. This heritage of service is the foundation we're building on as we provide convenience and true connection for our customers. Our digital-first platform enables us to serve customers when, where and how they want to shop – whether that's in-store at more than 350 Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local and Nordstrom Rack locations or digitally through our Nordstrom and Rack apps and websites. Through it all, we remain committed to leaving the world better than we found it.
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SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/nordstrom-participate-goldman-sachs-annual-global-retailing-conference/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:17Z |
Online book retailer Booksio has just launched and pledged 10% of every book, audiobook, and magazine sale to customer-selected charities.
FRESNO, Calif., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Improve the world with Booksio, a new online book retailer launching this month.
Booksio (part of 360 Media Direct) will soon be the name on every print, digital, and audiobook fan's lips. This woman-owned online retailer has more than 15+ million book and magazine titles available, placing them securely in the top ten book retailers in the United States. But what makes them different is their philanthropic approach to business. While other companies may question WHAT they can gain, Booksio is more concerned with who they can help.
Every month, Booksio highlights one or two organizations as their featured charities. Chosen charities are promoted to the Booksio audience and receive 10% of all purchases for the duration of the month. Customers can also CHOOSE which charity benefits from their donation, allowing them to connect directly with the charity that resonates best with them. Customers will find the sign-up process to be user-friendly.
According to principal and co-founder Kelly Vucovich, "We wanted our values to drive Booksio's charitable giving. The list of charities we've brought together is passionate about both their work and the impact they're leaving on the world. They've made an enormous effort to make a difference, from providing a hot meal or working to overcome systemic inequalities."
"We are so excited to share the Booksio mission," states Vucovich, "By tying this into the purchase of books and magazines, we're giving consumers a chance to give back and share in the joys, challenges, and knowledge of creators everywhere. And when those stories are told, the impact on our communities is much greater than financial support alone."
Booksio is part of the 360 Media Direct family of services, created through the acquisition of Hummingbird Digital Media in May 2020. Both organizations have a long history with the publishing industry, serving as digital fulfillment platforms for major and independent publishers and organizations.
Booksio will deliver digital books in EPUB or PDF formats and can be read using a web browser or the Booksio app, currently available for Apple and Android devices. Non-charitable organizations can partner with Booksio through branded storefronts and perks for employees or clients. More information can be found on www.booksio.com.
About 360 Media Direct: 360 Media Direct is a robust digital marketplace for data-driven customer acquisition and marketing execution. We help businesses grow and connect with new and existing customers to ensure long-term brand engagement, loyalty, and equity.
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SOURCE Booksio; 360 Media Direct | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/not-work-fiction-book-retailer-pairs-online-sales-with-charitable-giving/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:23Z |
FARMINGTON, Conn., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) Chair, CEO & President Judy Marks will participate in a fireside chat at the 10th annual Laguna conference hosted by Morgan Stanley on Friday, September 16, 2022 at 9:20 a.m. PDT (12:20 p.m. ET). The presentation will be broadcast live at www.otis.com.
About Otis
Otis is the world's leading elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company. We move 2 billion people a day and maintain more than 2.1 million customer units worldwide, the industry's largest Service portfolio. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 70,000 people strong, include 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. To learn more, visit www.otis.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @OtisElevatorCo.
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SOURCE Otis Worldwide Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/otis-ceo-speak-morgan-stanley-conference/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:30Z |
Lucio previously served 10 years on PenFed Supervisory Committee
TYSONS, Va., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PenFed Credit Union, the nation's second-largest federal credit union, today announced the appointment of LCDR USNR-Retired Ed Lucio to its board of directors. Lucio has served on the PenFed Supervisory Committee for 10 years and is appointed to a vacant director position with a three-year term that expires in May of 2023.
"PenFed is proud to announce the appointment of Ed Lucio to our board of directors," said PenFed Credit Union Chairman Ed Cody. "Ed brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in business, finance and information systems. He's demonstrated a strong commitment to serving our members through his service on the PenFed Supervisory Committee over the last decade, and we are looking forward to his continued service on the board of directors."
Lucio is a Naval Academy graduate and served as a Naval Aviator participating in Operation Shining Hope aboard the USS Inchon and accumulated over 1,500 flight hours on the H-53 Sea Dragon, H-3 Sea King and C-12 King Air. Upon leaving active duty, he started his new career as a business and financial analyst with the Federal Reserve Board, specializing in bank operations and data management, and currently serves as a data engineer. Lucio is a Certified Public Accountant and a Project Management Professional and earned master's degrees in business administration, finance, and information systems.
"I feel honored for the opportunity to serve our 2.9 million current members and all future members seeking great financial services," said Lucio.
About PenFed Credit Union
Established in 1935, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed) is America's second-largest federal credit union, serving 2.9 million members worldwide with $36.6 billion in assets as of June 30, 2022. PenFed Credit Union offers market-leading certificates, checking, credit cards, personal loans, mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and a wide range of other financial services. Our mission is to empower members of our community to achieve their financial well-being. PenFed Credit Union is federally insured by the NCUA and is an Equal Housing Lender. To learn more about PenFed Credit Union, visit PenFed.org, like us on Facebook and follow us @PenFed on Twitter. Interested in working for PenFed? Check us out on LinkedIn. We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
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SOURCE PenFed Credit Union | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/penfed-credit-union-announces-appointment-ed-lucio-board-directors/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:36Z |
MEXICO CITY, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Rotoplas S.A.B. de C.V. ("Rotoplas", "the Company" or "the Group") (BMV: AGUA*), the leading provider of water-solutions in the Americas, announces to the investing public that, as of today, and in line with its sustainability commitments, it has decided to increase its efforts and execute the Group's ESG Strategy as a joint responsibility between the Vice-Presidency of Sustainability and Human Capital led by José Luis Mantecón and the Vice-Presidency of Administration and Finance led by Mario Romero.
By making sustainability a joint responsibility between two of the six vice presidencies at the Group level, the Company seeks to increase the scope and pace of execution to keep Rotoplas at the forefront as a best-in-class company on sustainability topics.
The team promoting the development of the Sustainability Strategy is made up of seven members with experience in environmental, social and governance issues, as well as those responsible for sustainable investments and capital allocation.
This multidisciplinary team will work along with the Sustainability Committee, which is in charge of reporting the most relevant ESG issues to the Corporate Practices and Strategy Committee. Likewise, this Committee is a direct line to the Board of Directors to monitor the fulfillment of the 2025 goals in terms of people, planet, and economic benefit.
IR Contact Details
About the Company
Grupo Rotoplas S.A.B. de C.V. is America's leading provider of water solutions, including products and services for storing, piping, improving, treating and recycling water. With over 40 years of experience in the industry and 19 plants throughout the Americas, Rotoplas is present in 14 countries and has a portfolio that includes 27 product lines, a services platform and an e-commerce business. Grupo Rotoplas has been listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV) under the ticker "AGUA" since December 10, 2014.
Pedregal 24, piso 19, Col. Molino del Rey, Miguel Hidalgo
C.P. 11040, Ciudad de México
T. +52 (55) 5201 5000
www.rotoplas.com
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SOURCE Grupo Rotoplas S.A.B. de C.V. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/rotoplas-strengthens-its-sustainability-team/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:43Z |
CHICAGO, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ryerson Holding Corporation (NYSE: RYI), a leading value-added processor and distributor of industrial metals, announced today its acquisition of Howard Precision Metals, Inc. ("Howard"), one of the largest aluminum distributors in the Midwest. Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Howard specializes in value-added processing services including high-quality precision cut aluminum plate and saw cut extruded aluminum bar distribution.
"Howard has cultivated a strong brand and a reputation for creating excellent customer experiences," said Mike Burbach, Ryerson's Chief Operating Officer. "Its processing capabilities complement Ryerson's existing non-ferrous franchise, and we are excited to recognize these synergies as we welcome them to the Ryerson Family of Companies."
"Building on our legacy of over 90 years in the industry, Howard is excited for this opportunity to grow our brand and business with a company that shares our values and commitment to customers," said Mark Howard, President of Howard. "We look forward to continuing to provide excellent service to our customers as a member of the Ryerson Family of Companies."
About Ryerson
Ryerson is a leading value-added processor and distributor of industrial metals, with operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and China. Founded in 1842, Ryerson has around 4,000 employees in approximately 100 locations. Visit Ryerson at www.ryerson.com.
Safe Harbor Provision
Certain statements made in this presentation and other written or oral statements made by or on behalf of the Company constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding our future performance, as well as management's expectations, beliefs, intentions, plans, estimates, objectives, or projections relating to the future. Such statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "objectives," "goals," "preliminary," "range," "believes," "expects," "may," "estimates," "will," "should," "plans," or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy. The Company cautions that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may involve significant risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may vary materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Among the factors that significantly impact our business are: the cyclicality of our business; the highly competitive, volatile, and fragmented metals industry in which we operate; fluctuating metal prices; our substantial indebtedness and the covenants in instruments governing such indebtedness; the integration of acquired operations; regulatory and other operational risks associated with our operations located inside and outside of the United States; impacts and implications of adverse health events, including the COVID-19 pandemic; work stoppages; obligations under certain employee retirement benefit plans; the ownership of a majority of our equity securities by a single investor group; currency fluctuations; and consolidation in the metals industry. Forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various factors, including those set forth above and those set forth under "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, we caution against placing undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date they were made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances, new information or otherwise.
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SOURCE Ryerson Holding Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/ryerson-acquires-howard-precision-metals/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:50Z |
Latest Rio Tinto Offer Remains Disappointing to Minority Shareholders
HOUSTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SailingStone Capital Partners LLC does not support Rio Tinto's revised offer to acquire the minority stake in Turquoise Hill for C$43/share. The proposal does not adequately compensate minorities for their economic interest in Oyu Tolgoi and is consistent with Rio's opportunistic attempts to take advantage of a situation that is of its own creation. The facts are clear: Rio Tinto holds its interest in Turquoise Hill on the Rio balance sheet at US$41/share, the equivalent of C$56/share at current exchange rates and a more than 30% premium to the revised offer. This should be the bare minimum for any attempt at price discovery. Furthermore, the independent directors (effectively appointed by Rio Tinto) continue their pattern of acquiescing to Rio Tinto at the expense of minority shareholders, agreeing to support a proposal at the low end of a deeply flawed valuation range. As large, long-term holders of Turquoise Hill, we are not interested in selling our stake at a massive discount to intrinsic value as we sit on the precipice of a wall of free cash flow.
SailingStone Capital Partners, a division of Pickering Energy Partners, provides investment solutions in the global natural resource space with a specific focus on the industrial businesses, commodities and infrastructure assets which will enable the energy transition. SailingStone manages concentrated, public and private equity strategies for institutional investors.
Petree Partners LLC
Jennifer Petree / Tina Tallant
713.269.3776
SailingStone Investor Relations
ir@sailingstonecapital.com
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SOURCE SailingStone Capital Partners | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/sailingstone-statement-turquoise-hill-special-committee-approval-rio-tinto-offer/ | 2022-09-01T22:49:57Z |
HOUSTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Salient Midstream & MLP Fund (the "Fund") (NYSE: SMM) announced today that at a special meeting of shareholders of the Fund, shareholders approved the reorganization of the Fund with and into Salient MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund ("SMAPX") (the "Reorganization").
As previously announced, it is currently expected that the Reorganization will be completed after the market close of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") on September 13, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and the unwinding of the Fund's leverage. To facilitate the anticipated Reorganization, Automated Customer Account Transfer Service ("ACATS") will be restricted as of market close on September 2, 2022, and all shares of the Fund will cease trading on the NYSE as of market close on Thursday, September 8, 2022. On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, shareholders of the Fund who become shareholders of SMAPX pursuant to the Reorganization will hold shares of SMAPX and not the Fund. Shareholders of the Fund who become shareholders of SMAPX will receive newly issued Class A Shares of SMAPX in the Reorganization. The aggregate net asset value of SMAPX shares received by Fund shareholders will be equal to the aggregate net asset value of the shares of the Fund held by Fund shareholders, in each case as of the close of business on the date of Reorganization. Shares of SMAPX may be purchased or redeemed on any business day. SMAPX is an open-end fund that is a series of Salient MF Trust with approximately $964 million in net assets and is also managed by Salient Capital Advisors, LLC, the investment adviser of SMM, using a similar investment strategy.
This press release is not intended to, and does not constitute, an offer to purchase or sell shares of the Fund or SMAPX (together, the "Funds") nor is this press release intended to solicit a proxy from any shareholder of the Funds. The solicitation of the purchase or sale of securities or of proxy to effect the Reorganization will only be made by the definitive Proxy Statement/Prospectus.
The Funds and their respective trustees and officers, and Salient, and its partners, officers and employees and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the Reorganization. Investors and shareholders may obtain more detailed information regarding the direct and indirect interests of the Funds' respective trustees and officers, and Salient and its partners, officers and employees and other persons by reading the Proxy Statement/Prospectus filed with the SEC.
INVESTORS AND SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUNDS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION. INVESTORS SHOULD CONSIDER THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISKS, CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS CAREFULLY. THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS CONTAINS INFORMATION WITH RESPECT TO THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISKS, CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUNDS.
The Proxy Statement/Prospectus does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities, in any state where such offer or sale is not permitted.
Shareholders may obtain free copies of the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC at the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov. In addition, free copies of the final Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC may also be obtained by directing a request to Salient Investor Relations at (713) 548-2636.
Salient Midstream & MLP Fund is a Delaware statutory trust registered as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of total return with an emphasis on making quarterly cash distributions to its common shareholders. The Fund seeks to achieve that objective by investing at least 80% of its total assets in securities of MLPs and midstream companies. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project," "will," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ significantly from the Funds' present expectations or projections indicated in any forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, changes in economic and political conditions; regulatory and legal changes; leverage risk; valuation risk; interest rate risk; tax risk; the volume of sales and purchase of shares; the continuation of investment advisory, administration and other service arrangements; and other risks discussed in the Fund's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Funds undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein. There is no assurance that the Funds' investment objective will be attained.
Salient Partners, L.P. ("Salient") is a real asset and alternative investment firm that offers a suite of strategies focused on energy and infrastructure, real estate and tactical alternative investments. Institutions and investment advisors turn to Salient to build smarter, more efficient portfolios. Strategies are offered in the form of open- and closed-end funds and separately managed accounts. Salient was founded in 2002 and has offices in Houston and San Francisco. Learn more about Salient at www.salientpartners.com.
The Salient MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund (the "SMAPX") seeks to maximize total return (capital appreciation and income). SMAPX seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in at least 80% of its net assets in securities of MLPs and energy infrastructure companies. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. SMAPX may engage in other investment practices that may involve additional risks and you should review the Fund prospectus for a complete description.
You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Funds carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus for SMAPX contain this and other information about SMAPX and are available by calling 866-667-9228. They should be read carefully before investing.
Advisory services offered by Salient Capital Advisors, LLC (the "advisor"). A wholly owned subsidiary of Salient Partners, L.P. Salient is the trade name for Salient Partners, L.P., which together with its subsidiaries provides asset management and advisory services. Salient MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
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SOURCE Salient Partners, L.P. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/salient-midstream-amp-mlp-fund-announces-shareholder-approval-reorganization-with-salient-mlp-amp-energy-infrastructure-fund/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:03Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Forma Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. ("Forma Therapeutics" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: FMTX), in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Company by Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE: NVO) via tender offer. Under the terms of the merger agreement, the Company's shareholders will receive $20.00 in cash for each share of Forma Therapeutics common stock owned. The transaction is valued at approximately $1.1 billion.
If you own Forma Therapeutics shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website:
https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/fmtx
Or please contact:
Joshua Rubin, Esq.
Weiss Law
305 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 682-3025
(888) 593-4771
stockinfo@weisslawllp.com
Weiss Law is investigating whether (i) Forma Therapeutics' board of directors acted in the best interests of Company shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, (ii) the $20.00 per-share merger consideration adequately compensates Forma Therapeutics' shareholders, and (iii) all information regarding the sales process and valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed. Notably, the merger consideration is below the $30.50 median price target set by analysts, and at least one analyst set a price target for the Company of $53 per share, $33.00 above the per-share merger consideration.
Weiss Law has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at stockinfo@weisslawllp.com
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SOURCE Weiss Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-investigates-forma-therapeutics-holdings-inc/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:10Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
If you own shares in any of the companies listed above and would like to discuss our investigations or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact:
Joshua Rubin, Esq.
Weiss Law
305 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 682-3025
(888) 593-4771
stockinfo@weisslawllp.com
Avalara, Inc. (NYSE: AVLR)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Avalara, Inc. (NYSE: AVLR), in connection with the proposed acquisition of AVLR by Vista Equity Partners. Under the terms of the merger agreement, AVLR shareholders will receive $93.50 in cash for each share of AVLR common stock owned. If you own AVLR shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/avlr
CarLotz, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOTZ)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of CarLotz, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOTZ), in connection with the proposed merger of LOTZ with Shift Technologies, Inc. ("Shift"). Pursuant to the merger agreement, LOTZ shareholders will receive 0.692158 shares of Shift common stock for each share of LOTZ common stock. If you own LOTZ shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/lotz
Gemini Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMTX)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Gemini Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMTX), in connection with the proposed merger of GMTX with Disc Medicine, Inc. ("Disc"). Pursuant to the merger agreement, GMTX shareholders are expected to own approximately 28% of the combined company and Disc shareholders are expected to own approximately 72% of the combined company. Prior to the closing of the proposed merger, GMTX shareholders will be issued contingent value rights ("CVR's) representing the right to receive certain payments from proceeds received by the combined company, if any, related to pre-transaction legacy assets during the period ending one year following the closing of the merger. If you own GMTX shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/gmtx
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAWW)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAWW), in connection with the proposed acquisition of AAWW by a consortium of investors led by Apollo Global Management Inc. Pursuant to the merger agreement, AAWW shareholders will receive $102.50 in cash for each share of AAWW common stock owned. If you own AAWW shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/aaww
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SOURCE Weiss Law | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-reminds-avlr-lotz-gmtx-aaww-shareholders-about-its-ongoing-investigations/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:17Z |
HOUSTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Shell Offshore Inc., a subsidiary of Shell plc, has agreed to sell its 100% interest in Shell Onshore Ventures LLC which holds a 51.8% membership interest in Aera Energy LLC to IKAV for a total consideration of approximately $2 billion in cash with additional contingent payments based on future oil prices, subject to regulatory approval. The transaction has an effective date of October 1, 2021 and is expected to close in Q4 2022.
"This decision supports our strategy to create a resilient and competitive Upstream portfolio by focusing on positions with high growth potential and a strong integrated value chain," said Zoe Yujnovich, Shell's Upstream Director.
Headquartered in Bakersfield, California, Aera Energy LLC is operated as an independent company.
While this transaction will end Shell's Upstream position in California, Shell will remain active in the state through a variety of other assets and projects.
Notes to editors
- Aera Energy LLC operates around 13,000 wells in the San Joaquin Valley in California, producing oil and associated gas. For more information on Aera Energy LLC, please visit https://www.aeraenergy.com/
- IKAV is an international asset management group invested across the energy sector from solar and wind to natural gas. For more information, please visit https://www.ikav.com/
- This transaction is estimated to result in an approximate post-tax impairment of $0.3 to $0.4 billion, subject to adjustments.
- Shell has secured and will maintain its current oil marketing agreement for a period of at least five years following sale completion.
- Shell's Powering Progress strategy is comprised of three pillars (Growth, Transition and Upstream), and each contribute to our energy transition plans. Shell's Upstream business plays a critical role in the Powering Progress strategy through a more focused, competitive, and resilient portfolio that provides the energy the world needs today whilst funding shareholder distributions as well as the energy transition.
- Shell has been in California for more than hundred years and has a statewide footprint that includes gas and power trading, electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen and LNG fueling stations, retail and lubricants, distribution facilities and terminals. California is a key market for our Renewables and Energy Solutions business given its advanced, emerging technology and country-leading research and development.
- Shell is a leading energy company in the U.S. with interests in 50 states employing more than 12,000 people. Shell's U.S. portfolio of operated companies and interests consists of oil, natural gas, petrochemicals, gasoline, lubricants, and other refined products along with renewables such as wind, solar, and mobility options like electric vehicle charging and hydrogen. In the U.S. Shell is also investing in an integrated power business that will provide electricity to millions of homes and businesses.
Cautionary note
The companies in which Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this press release "Shell", "Shell Group" and "Group" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ''Subsidiaries'', "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this press release refer to entities over which Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as "joint ventures" and "joint operations", respectively. "Joint ventures" and "joint operations" are collectively referred to as "joint arrangements". Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "aim", "ambition", ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', "milestones", ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', "schedule", ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this press release, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, judicial, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; (m) risks associated with the impact of pandemics, such as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak; and (n) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Shell plc's Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this press release and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, September 1, 2022. Neither Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
Shell's net carbon footprint
Also, in this press release we may refer to Shell's "Net Carbon Footprint" or "Net Carbon Intensity", which include Shell's carbon emissions from the production of our energy products, our suppliers' carbon emissions in supplying energy for that production and our customers' carbon emissions associated with their use of the energy products we sell. Shell only controls its own emissions. The use of the term Shell's "Net Carbon Footprint" or "Net Carbon Intensity" are for convenience only and not intended to suggest these emissions are those of Shell plc or its subsidiaries.
Shell's net-Zero Emissions Target
Shell's operating plan, outlook and budgets are forecasted for a ten-year period and are updated every year. They reflect the current economic environment and what we can reasonably expect to see over the next ten years. Accordingly, they reflect our Scope 1, Scope 2 and Net Carbon Footprint (NCF) targets over the next ten years. However, Shell's operating plans cannot reflect our 2050 net-zero emissions target and 2035 NCF target, as these targets are currently outside our planning period. In the future, as society moves towards net-zero emissions, we expect Shell's operating plans to reflect this movement. However, if society is not net zero in 2050, as of today, there would be significant risk that Shell may not meet this target.
Forward Looking Non-GAAP measures
This press release may contain certain forward-looking non-GAAP measures such as cash capital expenditure and divestments. We are unable to provide a reconciliation of these forward-looking Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures because certain information needed to reconcile those Non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measures is dependent on future events some of which are outside the control of Shell, such as oil and gas prices, interest rates and exchange rates. Moreover, estimating such GAAP measures with the required precision necessary to provide a meaningful reconciliation is extremely difficult and could not be accomplished without unreasonable effort. Non-GAAP measures in respect of future periods which cannot be reconciled to the most comparable GAAP financial measure are calculated in a manner which is consistent with the accounting policies applied in Shell plc's consolidated financial statements.
The contents of websites referred to in this press release do not form part of this press release.
We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this press release that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov.
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SOURCE Shell | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/shell-sell-interest-aera-energy-ikav/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:23Z |
Virtual fitness challenge to inspire thousands to holoholo (go out) while benefiting the nonprofit Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge
HONOLULU, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Calling all runners, joggers and walkers to the starting line! Beginning today, athletes of all levels can sign up for the third annual Hawaiian Airlines Holoholo Challenge. The Hawaiʻi inspired fitness experience runs throughout October and invites participants worldwide to track their progress with virtual routes inspired by scenic roads that wind through Hawaiʻi Island – also known as the Big Island.
"Each year, the Holoholo Challenge has been a fun way for Hawaiʻi lovers to commit to their personal wellbeing while virtually exploring the Hawaiian Islands – no matter where they are in the world," said Rob Sorensen, vice president of marketing at Hawaiian Airlines. "The Big Island is considered a world-class destination for endurance fitness, making it the perfect place for Holoholo athletes to get inspired and go BIG with their challenges."
Participants can take on one of two virtual courses: a solo 50-mile run/walk on Saddle Road, the high-elevation highway that stretches from Hilo to Waimea, passing between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, or a 125-mile solo run/walk or team relay across the southern section of Hawai'i Belt Road, starting in the rainforests of Hilo, through Kaʻū, and ending in the lava fields of Kona. Holoholo Challengers will also be encouraged to donate to Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, a nonprofit working to protect a 32,830-acre parcel on the Island of Hawaiʻi that is home to 29 critically endangered species including seven birds, one insect, one mammal and 20 plants found nowhere else in the world.
"The Holoholo Challenge continues to expose Hawaiʻi nonprofits to new audiences and bring awareness to their important role in sustaining our islands' environment, culture and communities. We are inspired by the Friends of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge and excited to support their work," added Debbie Nakanelua-Richards, director of community and cultural relations at Hawaiian Airlines.
Those embarking on this year's month-long challenge can stay motivated by creating a team, printing a bib to add to their race memorabilia, challenging friends or working out to Spotify playlists curated by Hawaiʻi's hometown airline. Registrants can also learn about Hawaiʻi Island's rich culture, history and unique geography on the Holoholo Challenge website, sign up for regular emails notifying them of their progress along the digital route, and join the popular Holoholo Challenge community on Facebook. Participants posting about their journey on social media can also use #HoloholoChallenge for a chance to be featured on Hawaiian Airlines' channels.
Finishers of the challenge will receive a collectible Hawaiʻi Island Holoholo Challenge medal, a choice of a limited-edition apparel item and an exclusive postcard map designed by POW! WOW! Hawaii Artist Aaron Kai. Those who refer friends to join the Holoholo Challenge can earn up to 40,000 bonus HawaiianMiles. HawaiianMiles members and Hawaiian Airlines® Bank of Hawaii World Elite Mastercard® cardholders will receive 20% off registration. Cardholders can also earn three HawaiianMiles for every dollar spent during sign-up.
Hawaiian introduced the Holoholo Challenge in October 2020 to foster wellness and connection amid times of heightened isolation due to COVID-19 restrictions. The virtual race debuted with two Oʻahu courses and attracted nearly 12,000 participants from Hawaiʻi and the U.S. mainland who completed approximately 852,700 miles. In 2021, the carrier introduced four new Maui routes and brought in 8,333 participants who completed nearly 595,000 miles. Since the Holoholo Challenge's inception, participants have raised nearly $120,000 for nonprofits in Hawaiʻi.
To learn more, visit HoloholoChallenge.com.
About Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian® has led all U.S. carriers in on-time performance for each of the past 18 years (2004-2021) as reported by the U.S. Department of Transportation and consumer surveys by Condé Nast Traveler and TripAdvisor have placed Hawaiian among the top of all domestic airlines serving Hawaiʻi. In 2022, the carrier topped Travel + Leisure's 2022 World's Best list as the No. 1 U.S. airline and was named Hawaiʻi's best employer by Forbes.
Now in its 93rd year of continuous service, Hawaiian is Hawaiʻi's biggest and longest-serving airline. Hawaiian offers approximately 130 daily flights within the Hawaiian Islands, daily nonstop flights between Hawaiʻi and 16 U.S. gateway cities – more than any other airline – as well as service connecting Honolulu and American Samoa, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Tahiti.
The airline is committed to connecting people with aloha by offering complimentary meals for all guests on transpacific routes and the convenience of no change fees on Main Cabin and Premium Cabin seats. HawaiianMiles members also enjoy flexibility with miles that never expire. As Hawai'i's hometown airline, Hawaiian encourages guests to Travel Pono and experience the islands safely and respectfully.
Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. is a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: HA). Additional information is available at HawaiianAirlines.com. Follow Hawaiian's Twitter updates (@HawaiianAir), become a fan on Facebook (Hawaiian Airlines), and follow us on Instagram (hawaiianairlines). For career postings and updates, follow Hawaiian's LinkedIn page.
For media inquiries, please visit Hawaiian Airlines' online newsroom.
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SOURCE Hawaiian Airlines | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/start-stretching-hawaiian-airlines-debuts-its-third-annual-holoholo-challenge-with-hawaii-island-inspired-routes/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:30Z |
HOUSTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) today announced a dividend increase that reflects the company's continuing commitment to return capital to its shareholders.
The Stewart Board of Directors has approved an increase in the Company's annual cash dividend from $1.50 to $1.80 per share, payable to common shareholders beginning with the third quarter of 2022. Consistent with the increase, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.45 per share for the third quarter 2022, payable September 30, 2022, to common stockholders of record on September 15, 2022.
"I am pleased to announce this action in keeping with Stewart's goal of delivering a consistent return on capital to shareholders, both through its operational performance as well as the annual dividend," said Fred Eppinger, Stewart CEO.
Stewart Information Services Corporation (NYSE:STC) is a global real estate services company, offering products and services through our direct operations, network of Stewart Trusted Providers™ and family of companies. From residential and commercial title insurance and closing and settlement services to specialized offerings for the mortgage industry, we offer the comprehensive service, deep expertise and solutions our customers need for any real estate transaction. Learn more at stewart.com. ST-IR
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SOURCE Stewart Information Services Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/stewart-information-services-corporation-announces-20-dividend-increase-declares-third-quarter-dividend/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:36Z |
The fourth annual fundraising campaign brings over 300 content creators on Twitch and YouTube in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Starlight Children's Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to delivering happiness to seriously ill kids and their families, today announced the start of its fourth annual Stream For Starlight (S4S).
The month-long virtual fundraising campaign, which takes place in September for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, invites content creators to stream and raise critical funds for Starlight to carry out its mission.
"We're grateful and honored to have so many returning and new streamers uniting together to help Starlight bring moments of joy to hospitalized kids at a time when they need it most," said Adam Garone, CEO of Starlight Children's Foundation. "We're also incredibly thankful and humbled by the support of Razer as a returning sponsor. With their support, we've been able to help our amazing charity streaming community thrive."
One of the most recognized forces in the global gaming and esports communities, Razer signed on as an inaugural S4S sponsor last year.
Stream For Starlight aims to raise $300,000 from over 1,000 streams to help fund cozy Starlight Hospital Gowns and entertaining Starlight Gaming Stations to over 800 children's hospitals and facilities. Since 2019, Stream For Starlight has raised more than $1.3 million.
Over 300 streamers from all categories on Twitch are joining the campaign – including musicians, such as the8bitdrummer and mrdandandan; food and drink streamers like chefsteve330 and thehungerservice; and gamers SistaKaren and the stream team Sistas of the Fog, a group of Black women, femmes and non-binary content creators who love horror games.
Other notable events include the Stream For Starlight Kickoff on September 1 at 3:30 p.m. PST on Starlight's Twitch channel. Viewers will have the opportunity to meet Starlight Kid Kyrell, watch streamers compete in an epic pancake stacking contest sponsored by Bob's Red Mill, and listen to tunes from a DJ raid train led by Sas8jr.
With events happening daily, fans can always find something engaging to watch directly from Starlight's streaming calendar. To play a part in transforming hospital moments for seriously ill children, anyone can donate by visiting starlight.org/donate.
For over 40 years, Starlight Children's Foundation has delivered happiness to over 21 million seriously ill kids and their families through innovative programs that provide play and distraction, helping them get through the pain and stress of medical procedures and conditions. These programs – like Starlight Gaming, Starlight Virtual Reality, and Starlight Hospital Gowns – are offered across 800 U.S. children's hospitals and healthcare facilities to help young patients heal and thrive.
About Starlight Children's Foundation
Starlight Children's Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that delivers happiness to seriously ill or injured children and their families. Since 1982, Starlight's ground-breaking and innovative programs, like Starlight Virtual Reality, Starlight Hospital Wear, and Starlight Gaming, have impacted 21 million kids at more than 800 children's hospitals across the U.S.
To learn more and to help Starlight deliver happiness to seriously ill kids, visit www.starlight.org and follow Starlight on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Contact: Rick Jardiolin, Director of Public Relations & Communications
424-245-3675 | rick.jardiolin@starlight.org
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SOURCE Starlight Children's Foundation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/streamers-unite-fundraise-starlight-childrens-foundation/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:43Z |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Journalism internships in Washington, D.C., are a chance to expand a student's skills and to experience life in a professional newsroom. But internship experiences are unique. Considering a D.C.-based internship means thinking about relocating, whether the internship is paid, and other issues that can feel like barriers to applying — and even make a talented student feel like they don't belong in D.C.
The National Press Club Journalism Institute is inviting student journalists of all experience levels to join a virtual question-and-answer session featuring internship coordinators based in Washington. Working in the nation's capital can be a life-changing experience, and we'll provide guidance to help student journalists plan their internship applications. Please help us spread the word by sharing information about this program.
Registration is open for this program, which will take place on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET. Participants will learn about the reporting, visual journalism, production, and other opportunities that exist, as well as:
- What makes an internship applicant stand out
- What recruiters wish applicants would do differently
- How to frame your journalistic achievements and best stories
- What types of work samples catch an editor's eye
- How to decide whether a paid or unpaid internship opportunity is right for you
Panelists include:
- Sequoia Carrillo, reporter and intern manager, NPR's Education Team
- Shirley Carswell, executive director, Dow Jones News Fund
- Christine Cox, intern program manager, NPR
- Angie Seldon, human resources senior specialist, C-SPAN
Beth Francesco, the Journalism Institute's deputy executive director and a former student media adviser, will moderate the discussion, which will be held on Zoom.
We'll also share information about the new Lewis Scholarship, which will provide free housing and a monthly stipend to a student journalist of color interning in Washington, D.C. Valued at $10,000, the first award will be given to someone interning in Spring 2023.
About the Institute
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.
The National Press Club Journalism Institute serves thousands of people daily with our newsletter, online programming, writing group, and other support. The Institute depends on grants, foundation funds, and contributions from individuals like you. Your donation today allows the Institute to offer the majority of its programming at no cost. If you value the Institute's services, please donate today. Any amount helps.
Contact: Beth Francesco, deputy executive director, bfrancesco@press.org
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SOURCE National Press Club Journalism Institute | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/students-dc-internship-coordinators-discuss-what-makes-an-applicant-stand-out-sept-23/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:50Z |
AAM to become the retail distribution arm of SLC Management in the U.S.
TORONTO, WELLESLEY, Mass. and MONUMENT, Colo., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) today announced that it intends to acquire a majority stake in Advisors Asset Management, Inc. ("AAM"), a leading independent U.S. retail distribution firm, through SLC Management, Sun Life's institutional fixed income and alternatives asset manager. AAM will become the U.S. retail distribution arm of SLC Management.
AAM provides a range of solutions and products to financial advisors at wirehouses, registered investment advisors ("RIA's") and independent broker-dealers. AAM will have exclusive rights to market and promote SLC Management's specified alternative investment products to the U.S. retail market. AAM oversees $41.4 billion (approximately C$55 billion) in assets as of July 31, 2022. With 10 offices across eight U.S. states, AAM has a team of more than 270 professionals.
Sun Life will acquire a 51% interest in AAM for US$214 million (approximately C$280 million) subject to customary adjustments with a put/call option to acquire the remaining 49% starting in 2028. As part of the transaction, Sun Life is committing to invest up to US$400 million to launch SLC Management alternative products for the U.S. retail market to be distributed by AAM.
"We're thrilled that AAM will be joining SLC Management," said Steve Peacher, President, SLC Management. "We've seen a sustained increase in demand for alternatives from the high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth market as they look to add new sources of yield and total return."
"We've been looking to enter into the retail distribution segment for some time now. Adding AAM to our platform allows us to extend our set of world class alternative investment capabilities to new clients and expands the roster of investment solutions that AAM can offer to the U.S. financial advisor market," added Peacher.
With the growing demand among high-net-worth ("HNW") investors for alternative assets in the U.S., the acquisition of a majority stake in AAM will allow SLC Management and its affiliated investment managers, BentallGreenOak, Crescent Capital Group and InfraRed Capital Partners, to offer their investment strategies to the U.S. HNW market. The transaction is also strategic for AAM, which will expand its product roster to include a range of alternative products in commercial real estate, private credit and infrastructure.
"We see significant potential in the alternatives space to deliver steady, reliable returns for our clients, which has been AAM's mission as a trusted resource for financial professionals for more than 40 years," said Scott Colyer, CEO, Advisors Asset Management. "As we sought to diversify and gain a greater foothold within alternatives, it was crucial to identify a best-in-class partner that shared the same client-focused and team-oriented culture as ours. SLC Management's common values and interest in establishing a durable, long-term partnership figured heavily into the decision to join forces with one of the premier alternatives asset managers in the world."
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2023, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Evercore acted as financial advisor to Sun Life for this transaction and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal counsel. For AAM, Berkshire Global Advisors acted as financial advisor and Chapman and Cutler LLP acted as legal counsel.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2022, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.26 trillion.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
About SLC Management
SLC Management is a global institutional asset manager that offers institutional investors traditional, alternative and yield-orientated investment solutions across public and private fixed income markets, as well as global real estate equity and debt. SLC Management is the brand name for the institutional asset management business of Sun Life Financial Inc. ("Sun Life") under which the entities of Sun Life Capital Management (U.S.) LLC in the United States, and Sun Life Capital Management (Canada) Inc. in Canada operate. These entities are also referred to as SLC Fixed Income and represent the investment grade public and private fixed income strategies of SLC Management.
BentallGreenOak, InfraRed Capital Partners (InfraRed) and Crescent Capital Group (Crescent) are also part of SLC Management. BentallGreenOak is a leading, global real estate investment management advisor and a globally recognized provider of real estate services. InfraRed is an international investment manager focused on infrastructure, managing equity capital in multiple private and listed funds, primarily for institutional investors across the globe. Crescent is a global alternative credit investment asset manager registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. Crescent provides private credit financing (including senior, unitranche and junior debt) to middle-market companies in the U.S. and Europe and invests in high-yield bonds and broadly syndicated loans.
As of June 30, 2022, SLC Management has assets under management of C$335 billion (US$260 billion).
For more information, please visit slcmanagement.com.
About Advisors Asset Management
For over 40 years, AAM has been a trusted resource for financial advisors and broker/dealers. It offers access to unit investment trusts (UITs), open- and closed-end mutual funds, separately managed accounts (SMAs), structured products, the fixed income markets, portfolio analytics and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). For more information, visit www.aamlive.com.
As of July 31, 2022, the brokerage and advised business at AAM represents approximately $41.4 billion in assets. (Assets under supervision represent $6.1 billion in UIT assets. The firm has $31.5 billion in assets under administration that represents the non-proprietary assets for which AAM provides various levels of service, but not management. The firm's $3.8 billion in assets under management represents AAM's proprietary separately managed account, mutual fund and ETF assets.)
Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (AAM) is a SEC-registered investment advisor and member FINRA/SIPC.
CRN: 2022-0825-10303 R
Forward-Looking Statements
From time to time, Sun Life makes written or oral forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including the "safe harbour" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking statements contained in this release include, without limitation, statements (i) relating to our strategies, (ii) relating to SLC Management's anticipated acquisition of a 51% equity interest in AAM; (iii) that AAM will become the retail distribution arm of SLC Management; (iv) relating to our growth initiatives and other business objectives, (v) relating to the expected timing of the closing of the transaction, (vi) relating to the expected impact of the transaction on our business, (vii) that are predictive in nature or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and (viii) that include words such as "intends", "expect", "will", and similar expressions.
These statements represent our current expectations, estimates, and projections regarding future events and are not historical facts, and remain subject to change, particularly in light of the ongoing and developing COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy and its uncertain impact on our business. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The forward-looking statements in this news release do not reflect the potential impact of any non-recurring or other special items or of any dispositions, mergers, acquisitions, other business combinations or other transactions that may be announced or that may occur after the date of this news release. If any non-recurring or other special item or any transaction should occur, the financial impact could be complex and the effect on our operations or results would depend on the facts particular to such item and we cannot describe the expected impact in a meaningful way or in the same way we could present known risks affecting our business.
Forward-looking statements are presented for the purpose of assisting investors and others in understanding our expected financial position and results of operations as at the date of this news release, as well as our objectives for the transaction, strategic priorities and business outlook following the transaction, and in obtaining a better understanding of our anticipated operating environment following the transaction. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements may not be appropriate for other purposes and undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements.
The following risk factors are related to our intention to acquire a majority interest in AAM that could have a material adverse effect on our forward-looking statements: (i) the ability of the parties to complete the transaction; (ii) the failure of the parties to obtain necessary consents and approvals or to otherwise satisfy the conditions to the completion of the transaction in a timely manner, or at all; (iii) our ability to realize the financial and strategic benefits of the transaction; (iv) the impact of the announcement of the transaction; and (v) the dedication of our resources to completing the transaction. Each of these risks could have an impact on our business relationships (including with future and prospective employees, clients, distributors and partners) and could have a material adverse effect on our current and future operations, financial conditions and prospects. Other important risk factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements in this presentation are set out in our MD&A for the period ended June 30, 2022 and in Sun Life Financial Inc.'s other annual and interim regulatory filings filed with Canadian securities regulators or furnished to U.S. securities regulators, which are available for review at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively.
Sun Life does not undertake any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
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SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/sun-life-acquire-majority-stake-advisors-asset-management/ | 2022-09-01T22:50:56Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Teleperformance, a leading global group in digitally integrated business services, announced that its Indonesia operations received the prestigious Great Place to Work® award. By being certified as a Great Place to Work® in Indonesia, Teleperformance has helped set a high benchmark for Indonesian Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry companies and companies operating in all other industries.
Teleperformance's Indonesia operations scored strong for overall trust, fairness and pride in the company by its more than 4,000 Indonesian team members. It operates five facilities in Indonesia and provides work from home services, which 20% of its staff currently utilize. Additionally, Teleperformance Indonesia recently won the Global Contact Center World Award in the Asia Pacific, which recognizes world-class practices in providing exceptional customer experiences.
Jose Bezanilla, CEO Great Place to Work® China commented, "In Great Place to Work®, we have special respect and admiration for companies and leadership teams that kept their priorities clear on their people, while navigating the tough times of the pandemic. Teleperformance is a clear example of this, making it again to the top recognition as Best Workplaces™ in Asia keeping Trust as a key element of their working culture. Congratulations!"
"We are absolutely delighted to be Great Place to Work® certified for three consecutive years," said Michael Wullur, President Director of Teleperformance Indonesia. "This accreditation is a tribute to each and every team member at TP Indonesia and we couldn't be prouder of this achievement."
"Earning this certification year over year shows how Teleperformance Indonesia associates view our organization, and signals to talented individuals outside of Teleperformance what it's like to work here and make a real difference," said Christinawaty Melania, Senior HR Director of Teleperformance Indonesia.
With a top global priority of people care, over 97% of Teleperformance employees worldwide currently work in independently certified great employer operations.
The company welcomes applicants from across the globe to apply for exciting work options. Interested applicants can go to www.teleperformance.com.
ABOUT TELEPERFORMANCE GROUP
Teleperformance (TEP – ISIN: FR0000051807 – Reuters: TEPRF.PA - Bloomberg: TEP FP), the global leader in outsourced customer and citizen experience management and related digital services, serves as a strategic partner to the world's largest companies in many industries. It offers a One Office support services model including end-to-end digital solutions, which guarantee successful customer interaction and optimized business processes, anchored in a unique, comprehensive high touch, high tech approach. Nearly 420,000 employees, based in 88 countries, support billions of connections every year in over 265 languages and around 170 markets, in a shared commitment to excellence as part of the "Simpler, Faster, Safer" process. This mission is supported by the use of reliable, flexible, intelligent technological solutions and compliance with the industry's highest security and quality standards, based on Corporate Social Responsibility excellence. In 2021, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of €7,115 million (US$8.4 billion, based on €1 = $1.18) and net profit of €557 million.
Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: CAC 40, STOXX 600, S&P Europe 350, MSCI Global Standard and Euronext Tech Leaders. In the area of corporate social responsibility, Teleperformance shares are included in the Euronext Vigeo Euro 120 index since 2015, the EURO STOXX 50 ESG index since 2020, the MSCI Europe ESG Leaders index since 2019, the FTSE4Good index since 2018 and the S&P Global 1200 ESG index since 2017.
For more information: www.teleperformance.com. Follow us on Twitter: @teleperformance
PRESS RELATIONS
Americas and Asia-Pacific
Mark Pfeiffer
TELEPERFORMANCE
Tél : + 1 801-257-5811
mark.pfeiffer@teleperformance.com
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SOURCE Teleperformance | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/teleperformance-certified-great-place-work-indonesia-third-consecutive-year/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:03Z |
DUBLIN, Calif., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNet (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of comprehensive human resources for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), today announced the addition of seven new speakers, including TriNet customers, to its roster of thought leaders and influencers for TriNet PeopleForce 2022. The three-day, award-winning conference taking place September 13-15 will feature acclaimed leaders from the worlds of business, public policy, science, social justice, sports, entertainment, media and more. The live event will take place at the Theater at City Tech in downtown Brooklyn, NY, and virtually from anywhere.
The newly added participants are:
- Alan Murray - CEO, Fortune Media
- Christopher J. Wolfe - Chief Investment Officer, First Republic Investment Management
- Laurent Francois - Co-founder & CEO, Le Botaniste (TriNet Customer)
- Alex Collmer - Founder & CEO, VidMob (TriNet Customer)
- Andres Wydler - Executive Director, StartOut
- Dr. Heather Wathington – CEO, iMentor
- Kimberly Greene, Founder and CEO, Svalinn
Among the previously announced speakers are former Chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company Bob Iger, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace, award-winning actor, musician and entrepreneur Riz Ahmed, former Ukrainian Press Secretary Iuliia Mendel, and many more. The event will also feature performances by accomplished vocalists Katharine McPhee, Lauren Davidson, Victoria Renée, and Loren Allred.
TriNet PeopleForce 2022 will provide entrepreneurs and SMB leaders with three days of outstanding speakers and dynamic sessions that will focus on this year's conference theme: passion, purpose and perseverance.
Register to attend virtually or live in New York by visiting peopleforce.TriNet.com.
About TriNet
TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll, all enabled by industry leading technology capabilities. TriNet's suite of products also includes services and software-based solutions to help streamline workflows by connecting HR, Benefits, Employee Engagement, Payroll and Time & Attendance. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most—growing their business and enabling their people. TriNet, incredible starts here. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter.
Contacts:
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SOURCE TriNet Group, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/trinet-adds-additional-innovative-business-leaders-roster-esteemed-speakers-trinet-peopleforce-2022/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:09Z |
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Suicide is a global public health concern and the National Council for Suicide Prevention works to advance suicide prevention through leadership, advocacy, and a collective voice. Today the members of the National Council for Suicide Prevention launched a new "Take 5 to Save Lives" suicide prevention campaign in recognition and support of World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) -- an annual, global event observed on September 10. The campaign's main tool, www.take5tosavelives.org, encourages everyone to complete several action steps to prevent suicide using 5 important themes: LEARN, KNOW, DO, TALK, and SHARE.
- LEARN the warning signs, risk factors, & protective factors of suicide
- KNOW how to help yourself and others who may be struggling
- DO raise awareness, volunteer, & practice self-care
- TALK about suicide, dispel myths, & reduce stigma
- SHARE Take 5 to Save Lives with others
"The purpose of the Take 5 to Save Lives campaign is to unite people everywhere in suicide prevention and our goal is to encourage everyone to get involved in suicide prevention in 5 simple steps," said Dr. Dan Reidenberg, Managing Director of the NCSP. "The causes of suicide are complex, but getting involved in the suicide prevention movement doesn't have to be," according to Reidenberg.
"We wanted to create an informative and engaging campaign to highlight the most important ways we can prevent suicide," said Jennifer Owens who manages the Take 5 program for the NCSP. The Take 5 to Save Lives campaign was designed to be shared with colleagues, friends, family, social groups and on social media using the Take 5 Toolkit. On the website you can also find flyers, the Take 5 logo, and sample social media text and images to make sharing the campaign easy.
Take 5 to Save Lives organizers believe the new themes and prevention-focused activities will make it easy for people to get involved and this year promotional materials are also available in Spanish for the first time to continue to expand the accessibility in other languages and create materials that are culturally sensitive and responsive. If you are interested in helping translate the Take5 program into other languages please contact jowens@save.org.
To learn more or to get involved in the Take 5 to Save Live campaign, visit www.take5tosavelives.org.
NCSP Members – American Association of Suicidology, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Jason Foundation, The Jed Foundation, Samaritans USA, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, and the Trevor Project
CONTACT: Dr. Daniel J. Reidenberg, PsyD952-946-7998, dreidenberg@save.org
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SOURCE National Council for Suicide Prevention | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/updated-take-5-save-lives-campaign-highlights-most-important-ways-engage-suicide-prevention/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:16Z |
/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES./
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Uranium Royalty Corp. (NASDAQ: UROY) (TSXV: URC) ("URC" or the "Company") announces it has renewed its at-the-market equity program (the "ATM Program") that allows the Company to distribute up to US$40 million (or the equivalent in Canadian dollars) of common shares of the Company (the "Offered Shares") to the public from time to time, through the Agents (as defined below), at the Company's discretion. The Offered Shares sold under the ATM Program, if any, will be sold at the prevailing market price at the time of sale.
Sales of Offered Shares through the ATM Program will be made pursuant to the terms of an equity distribution agreement dated September 1, 2022 (the "Distribution Agreement") with a syndicate of agents led by BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., and including BMO Capital Markets Corp., Canaccord Genuity, H.C. Wainwright & Co. LLC, Paradigm Capital Inc., and TD Securities (collectively, the "Agents").
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of any such sales under the ATM Program to finance the acquisition of additional royalties, streams, physical uranium and similar interests and for working capital.
Under the Distribution Agreement, sales of Offered Shares will be made by the Agents through "at-the-market distributions" as defined in National Instrument 44-102 – Shelf Distributions on the TSX Venture Exchange, Nasdaq Capital Markets or any other trading market for the Offered Shares in Canada or the United States. The Company is not obligated to make any sales of Offered Shares under the Distribution Agreement. Unless earlier terminated by the Company or the Agents as permitted therein, the Distribution Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (a) the date that the aggregate gross sales proceeds of the Offered Shares sold under the ATM Program reaches the aggregate amount of US$40 million (or the equivalent in Canadian dollars); or (b) July 14, 2023.
The ATM Program will become effective upon the filing of a prospectus supplement to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated June 16, 2021 and U.S. registration statement on Form F-10 filed June 4, 2021, as amended on June 16, 2021. The prospectus supplement relating to the ATM Program will be filed shortly with the securities commissions in each of the provinces and territories of Canada and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of the prospectus supplement, the Distribution Agreement and other relevant documents will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the lead agent will send copies of such documents to investors upon request by contacting BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. by mail at Brampton Distribution Centre, 9195 Torbram Road, Brampton, Ontario, L6S 6H2, attn: The Data Group of Companies, by email at attorbramwarehouse@datagroup.ca or by telephone at 905-791-3151 ext. 4312.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor will there be any sale of, the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
Uranium Royalty Corp. (URC) is the world's only uranium-focused royalty and streaming company and the only pure-play uranium listed company on the NASDAQ. URC provides investors with uranium commodity price exposure through strategic acquisitions in uranium interests, including royalties, streams, debt and equity in uranium companies, as well as through holdings of physical uranium. The Company is well positioned as a capital provider to an industry needing massive investments in global productive capacity to meet the growing need for uranium as fuel for carbon free nuclear energy. URC has deep industry knowledge and expertise to identify and evaluate investment opportunities in the uranium industry. The Company's management and the Board include individuals with decades of combined experience in the uranium and nuclear energy sectors, including specific expertise in mine finance, project identification and evaluation, mine development and uranium sales and trading.
Certain statements in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information", including those regarding the intended use of proceeds raised from the ATM Program. Forward-looking information includes statements that address or discuss activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. When used in this news release, words such as "estimates", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "will", "believes", "intends" "should", "could", "may" and other similar terminology are intended to identify such forward-looking information. Statements constituting forward-looking information reflect the current expectations and beliefs of the Company's management. These statements involve significant uncertainties, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and, therefore, actual results, performance or achievements of the Company and its industry may be materially different from those implied by such forward-looking statements. They should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be an accurate indication of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks inherent to royalty companies, uranium price volatility, risks related to the operators of the projects underlying the Company's existing and proposed interests and those other risks described in filings with Canadian securities regulators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should exercise caution in relying upon forward-looking information and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Website: www.UraniumRoyalty.com
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SOURCE Uranium Royalty Corp. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/uranium-royalty-corp-announces-renewed-at-the-market-equity-program/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:23Z |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Verdant Microgrid, LLC, ("Verdant") a leading clean energy development company, today announces the completion of its newest energy storage microgrid at the ThermalVac Technologies, Inc., a premier brazing, heat treating and metals finishing facility headquarters in Orange, California.
This project deploys state-of-the-art energy storage technology in a demand-reduction mode that will reduce the peak draw of electric power from the customer's utility. This results in fewer demand charges from the utility to the customer and significant cost savings.
Verdant collaborated with Eos Energy Enterprises of Edison, NJ, Stronghold Engineering, Inc. of Parris, CA and Gridswitch Asset Management Services of Moon, PA to deploy 4 containerized Znyth™ aqueous zinc energy storage batteries to provide approximately 500 kW of energy storage for 4 hours per day. These U.S. manufactured batteries are completely recyclable and use earth abundant, non-conflict minerals in their construction and operation. The deployment of the Eos batteries in California is supported by that state's Self Generation Incentive Program ("SGIP") – a landmark first for the technology.
"This exciting project is another great example of the changing energy market in the U.S.," said Robert Babcock, Chief Executive of Verdant. "The customer benefits from advanced battery technology through reduced demand charges on their site, which also provides several hours of resiliency in case of a power outage. Eos' batteries are made in America, are fully recyclable, nonflammable and provide a wide range of operating parameters that allows us to match the complicated customer load profile to minimize their demand charges," continued Babcock.
"Eos was thrilled to provide the primary energy storage equipment to Verdant for this project," said William Mao, Chief Commercial Officer of Eos. He added, "This project also represents our first deployment of our energy storage systems under California's SGIP program, and we look forward to doing many more similar projects with the Verdant team in the future."
Verdant's affiliate, Gridswitch Asset Management Services, provided construction management services; coordinating the logistics and installation teams that implemented and commissioned the project. Gridswitch will also provide its GridCareSM long-term asset and operations management service to Verdant, including through-life performance warranty support required by SGIP. "Gridswitch will assure the performance and health of the ThermalVac battery installation through our state-of-the-art Operations Center outside of Pittsburgh," said Paul Tobin, CEO of Gridswitch. "GridCareSM includes a comprehensive suite of remote monitoring and reporting and predictive maintenance tools which will provide Verdant and other project stakeholders with real-time insights on the health and efficiency of the system."
About Verdant
Verdant Microgrid, LLC was founded in 2019 by energy industry experts who have deployed and operated over 30 gigawatts of clean power generation over the last 30 years. Formed primarily to address the commercial and industrial market, Verdant develops, builds, owns and operates microgrids ranging from 500 kilowatts to 50 megawatts utilizing solar, energy storage, advanced CHP and other clean technologies as a unified on-site energy source.
About Gridswitch Asset Management Services
GridSwitch provides turnkey design, development and long-term operational services for Microgrids and other renewable energy generation assets throughout the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Operations phases of a microgrid development. Founded in June 2021 and based in Pittsburgh, GridSwitch partners with specialist developers such as Verdant Microgrid and financial owners of renewable energy assets seeking a centralized and standardized way of managing and optimizing the productivity and performance of their energy portfolio.
About Eos Energy Enterprises
Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. is accelerating the shift to clean energy with positively ingenious solutions that transform how the world stores power. Our breakthrough Znyth™ aqueous zinc battery was designed to overcome the limitations of conventional lithium-ion technology. Safe, scalable, efficient, sustainable—and manufactured in the U.S—it's the core of our innovative systems that today provide utility, industrial, commercial, and residential customers with a proven, reliable energy storage alternative. Eos was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Edison, New Jersey. For more information about Eos (NASDAQ: EOSE), visit eose.com.
For more information, contact:
Robert Babcock
Verdant Microgrid, LLC
917-744-2712
Rob@VerdantMicrogrid.com
Paul Tobin
GridSwitch Asset Management
412-445-2789
tobinpjr@gridswitch.com
Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc.
732-225-8400
info@eose.com
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SOURCE Verdant Microgrid, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/verdant-microgrid-llc-announces-completion-new-microgrid-thermalvac-technologies-inc-orange-california/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:29Z |
MEXICO CITY, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vesta Real Estate Corporation, S.A.B. of C.V. ("Vesta") (BMV: VESTA), one of the leading industrial real estate companies in Mexico, today announced a new US$200 million sustainability linked revolving credit facility with various financial institutions.
The committed three-year unsecured revolving credit line has an interest rate of SOFR +160 basis points and includes a target regarding the number of Green Building Certifications associated with the Company's Gross Leasable Area ("GLA"). This remains a crucial KPI for Vesta's long-term strategic priorities, also aligned to the Company's sustainability linked Public Bond which was issued in 2021.
"This new transaction represents a significant milestone for our Company as another step to further integrate ESG into the core of our business, aligned with our Level 3 Strategic Plan, strengthening our Company´s financial position and providing Vesta with important balance sheet flexibility," said Lorenzo Dominique Berho, CEO of Vesta.
Vesta is a best-in-class, fully integrated real estate company that owns, manages, acquires, sells, develops and re-develops industrial properties in Mexico. As of June 30, 2022, Vesta owned 193 properties located in modern industrial parks in 15 states of Mexico totaling a GLA of 32.1 million ft2 (2.98 million m2). The Company has multinational clients, which are focused on industries such as e-commerce/retail, aerospace, automotive, food and beverage, logistics, medical devices, and plastics, among others. For additional information visit: www.vesta.com.mx
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SOURCE Corporación Inmobiliaria Vesta, S.A.B. de C.V. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/vesta-announces-us200-million-sustainability-linked-revolving-credit-facility/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:36Z |
HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtus Convertible & Income Fund (formerly known as Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund) (NYSE: NCV), announced today that it has declared a $0.3515625 per share cash distribution payable on September 30, 2022 to Series A cumulative preferred shareholders of record on September 12, 2022.
The Series A Cumulative Preferred Shares, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NCV PR A, are rated "A" by Fitch Ratings and have an annual dividend rate of $1.40625 per share. The 4,000,000 Series A Cumulative Preferred Shares were issued September 20, 2018 at $25.00 per share and pay distributions quarterly. This distribution represents the accrual period from July 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022. The Series A Cumulative Preferred Shares will be callable at any time at the liquidation value of $25.00 per share plus accrued dividends from and after the expiration of a five-year non-call period on September 20, 2023.
Virtus Convertible & Income Fund has an investment objective to provide total return through a combination of capital appreciation and high current income. Virtus Investment Advisers, Inc. is the investment adviser to the fund and Voya Investment Management is its subadviser.
For more information on this fund, contact shareholder services at (866) 270-7788, by email at closedendfunds@virtus.com, or through the Closed-End Funds section on the web at virtus.com.
An investment in a fund is subject to risk, including the risk of possible loss of principal. A fund's shares may be worth less upon their sale than what an investor paid for them. Shares of closed-end funds may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. For more information about each fund's investment objective and risks, please see the fund's annual report. A copy of the fund's most recent annual report may be obtained free of charge by contacting "Shareholder Services" as set forth at the end of this press release.
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SOURCE Virtus Convertible & Income Fund | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/virtus-convertible-amp-income-fund-announces-quarterly-distribution-5625-series-cumulative-preferred-shares/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:43Z |
HARTFORD, Conn., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtus Convertible & Income Fund II (formerly known as Virtus AllianzGI Convertible & Income Fund II) (NYSE: NCZ), announced today that it has declared a $0.34375 per share cash distribution payable on September 30, 2022 to Series A cumulative preferred shareholders of record on September 12, 2022.
The Series A Cumulative Preferred Shares, which trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NCZ PR A, are rated "A" by Fitch Ratings and have an annual dividend rate of $1.375 per share. The 4,360,000 Series A Cumulative Preferred Shares were issued September 11, 2018 at $25.00 per share and pay distributions quarterly. This distribution represents the accrual period from July 1, 2022 through September 30, 2022. The Series A Cumulative Preferred Shares will be callable at any time at the liquidation value of $25.00 per share plus accrued dividends from and after the expiration of a five-year non-call period on September 11, 2023.
Virtus Convertible & Income Fund II has an investment objective to provide total return through a combination of capital appreciation and high current income. Virtus Investment Advisers, Inc. is the investment adviser to the fund and Voya Investment Management is its subadviser.
For more information on this fund, contact shareholder services at (866) 270-7788, by email at closedendfunds@virtus.com, or through the Closed-End Funds section on the web at virtus.com.
An investment in a fund is subject to risk, including the risk of possible loss of principal. A fund's shares may be worth less upon their sale than what an investor paid for them. Shares of closed-end funds may trade at a premium or discount to their net asset value. For more information about each fund's investment objective and risks, please see the fund's annual report. A copy of the fund's most recent annual report may be obtained free of charge by contacting "Shareholder Services" as set forth at the end of this press release.
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SOURCE Virtus Convertible & Income Fund II | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/virtus-convertible-amp-income-fund-ii-announces-quarterly-distribution-5500-series-cumulative-preferred-shares/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:49Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dotdash Meredith, the largest digital and print publisher in America, today named Wendy Naugle as Editor-in-Chief of PEOPLE Magazine. Deputy Editor of the brand since 2019, she will now oversee all print editorial strategy and report to Leah Wyar, President of the Entertainment Group. Liz Vaccariello remains at Dotdash Meredith, shifting from her role at PEOPLE to a corporate editorial leadership position. These changes are effective immediately.
"Wendy is an amazing editor and award-winning journalist with deep knowledge of the brand – she has spearheaded some of our largest franchises, including Sexiest Man Alive, the Beautiful Issue, 100 Reasons to Love America and People of the Year," said Leah Wyar, President of Dotdash Meredith's Entertainment Group. "We are excited for Liz to bring her talent and leadership to a broader role at the company, and congratulate her on this next chapter of her decades-long magazine career. We thank her for her incredible work at PEOPLE."
Prior to Naugle's role as Deputy Editor at PEOPLE, she was executive editor at Glamour for nearly 20 years, leading editorial content and the brand's Women of the Year Awards and Women of the Year Summit.
"PEOPLE is one of the most iconic brands in America and drives the culture conversation," said Naugle. "We have the best team in the business and I'm incredibly excited to work with them to create powerful stories every day and every week that entertain, inform and delight our millions of readers. This combined with Dotdash Meredith's vision and commitment to our future, there is no stopping this brand."
About Dotdash Meredith
Dotdash Meredith is the largest digital and print publisher in America. From mobile to magazines, nearly 200 million people trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action, and find inspiration. Dotdash Meredith's over 40 iconic brands include PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Verywell, FOOD & WINE, The Spruce, Allrecipes, Byrdie, REAL SIMPLE, Investopedia, and Southern Living. Dotdash Meredith is based in New York City and is an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IAC).
Wendy Naugle Bio
Wendy Naugle joined PEOPLE as Deputy Editor in July 2019 and oversees some of our largest franchises, including Sexiest Man Alive, the Beautiful Issue, 100 Reasons to Love America and People of the Year.
Before that, she was executive editor at Glamour for nearly 20 years, leading editorial content and the brand's Women of the Year Awards and Women of the Year Summit. Her stories on subjects ranging from breast implants to health insurance to reproductive rights won two National Magazine Awards for Personal Service and a National Press Club Consumer Journalism Award, among other honors.
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SOURCE Dotdash Meredith | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/wendy-naugle-appointed-editor-in-chief-people/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:51Z |
Coupons and other details to be shared on whitecastle.com, in social media and through Craver Nation in the White Castle app
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mix in a little bit of football, the annual color change of leaves, and a whole lot of White Castle and you have the makings of a pleasant autumn. The iconic hamburger chain has some craveable deals lined up for September, October and November including free food, discounted prices, and buy one, get one free (BOGO) offers that are sure to make fall even more enjoyable for those who crave White Castle.
"We're all treats and no tricks when it comes to making sure our Cravers are getting the best dining experience possible," said Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle. "One of our top priorities remains providing families a variety of high-quality menu items at a great price point that will leave Cravers satisfied."
White Castle is making sure you get your fair share of cheese this fall. Cravers can grab the Cheesy 10 Sack for only $8.99 ($9.99 in NJ/NY), a special offer that runs now through the end of November.
Some of the offers are available only to members of the Craver Nation customer loyalty program in the White Castle app. Craver Nation is free and simple to join. More information can be found at whitecastle.com/download-app.
Special Offers (no coupon necessary)
Delivery Offers (available on White Castle's social media and/or website)
Value Offers (details at whitecastle.com/value-offers)
Craver Nation Member Offers
(available through Craver Nation in the White Castle app)
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SOURCE White Castle | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/white-castle-bringing-bacon-heat-along-with-other-special-offers-fall/ | 2022-09-01T22:51:58Z |
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Xoran Technologies® announces that the xCAT IQ™ was installed at the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Israel earlier this month—it was approved by the Israeli Minister of Health and is now in use for cochlear implantation and oral and maxillofacial surgery. "The xCAT helped support five cases on the first day alone," states David Sarment, DDS, MS, Xoran President. "This milestone demonstrates the clear need for intraoperative imaging at this preeminent institution."
Xoran's xCAT IQ is a truly mobile cone beam CT system for soft tissue and bone imaging. With high resolution down to 70 microns and an extremely small footprint, the xCAT IQ is uniquely suited to meet the needs of the Hadassah clinicians.
"Because the xCAT is compact and easy-to-maneuver, we were able to wheel it back and forth from one operating theatre to another, enabling the surgeons to maximize patient access to low-dose intraoperative imaging," says Ronen Eitan, Xoran Europe distributor, Medi-Fisher.
Located in the operating rooms of the Sarah Wetsman Davidson Hospital Tower—named after Sarah Wetsman Davidson who started Hadassah's Detroit chapter in the early 1900s, the xCAT IQ was purchased for use by Michal Kaufmann-Yehezkeli, MD, head of the Ear Surgery and Cochlear Transplantation Center at Hadassah University Medical Center and Nardy Casap, DMD, MD, chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel.
The first patient was an 18-month-old girl with single-sided lack of hearing. Thanks to the low dose protocol, a pre-surgical CT was obtained during a single general anesthesia, immediately followed by the placement of a cochlear implant. Another otology patient was imaged due to complications caused by a cholesteatoma in the presence of a total middle-ear prosthesis. Other maxillofacial cases included the immediate CT of a complex zygomatic fracture. Fracture reduction and stabilization were confirmed on the CT, and the surgeons were able to confirm anatomical symmetry prior to closing using Xoran's advanced 3D rendering software.
The implementation of xCAT IQ was largely facilitated by the efforts of Prof. Yoram Weiss, MD, Director General of the Hadassah Medical Organization.
Since the establishment of Hadassah's first hospital on Jerusalem's Neviim Street (Street of the Prophets) - a gift of the Rothschild family in 1918 - the Hadassah University Medical Center has expanded to include two University hospitals in Jerusalem - located on Mt. Scopus and in Ein Kerem. The flagship of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, the two hospitals have 1,000 beds, 31 operating theaters, nine specially oriented intensive care units, and five schools of allied medical professions, owned and operated in collaboration with the Hebrew University.
Hadassah's extensive network of satellite services provides community health care programs, specialized outpatient clinics and services in several city neighborhoods and nearby towns, as well as consultation clinics in the center of Jerusalem and in Tel Aviv.
Since 2001, Xoran is the pioneer and medical market leader in low-dose radiation, cone beam CT systems specifically designed for the patient's point-of-care. Providers around the world rely on our industry-leading MiniCAT™, xCAT™, and veterinary CT systems: VetCAT and vTRON, to diagnose and treat patients.
Xoran is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
For more information visit www.xorantech.com
© 2022 Xoran Technologies, LLC
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SOURCE Xoran Technologies, LLC | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/xcat-iq-installed-hadassah-university-hospital/ | 2022-09-01T22:52:05Z |
Brisk wage and employment growth in Oregon are generating record state revenues that could send an unprecedented $3.4 billion back to taxpayers in 2024, the state’s latest economic forecast said.
At the same time, the state’s Office of Economic Analysis said the chance of a recession is a “coin flip.”
“The outlook is essentially a coin flip between the soft landing and a recession,” the office said. “For now, our office is keeping the baseline, or most probable outlook, as the soft landing and continued economic expansion.”
In its forecast this spring, the office predicted that Oregon taxpayers would receive a $3 billion kicker in 2024. The state issues personal income tax rebates – a kicker – every two years when the revenues collected exceed official projections by 2%. Wednesday’s forecast, which analyzed current economic conditions and estimated state revenues through the current two-year budget cycle, which ends June 30, 2023, said the next “kicker” could reach $3.4 billion.
Taxpayers would get the refund as a credit when they file their tax return in 2024. How much a taxpayer would get depends on how much tax they paid. The median – or midpoint — rebate would be $700 to $800, said Josh Lerner, an economist with the economic analysis office.
That’s nearly double what taxpayers received this year. The personal income kicker this year totaled $1.9 billion.
Kickers are also calculated on business revenue. The forecast predicts the corporate tax kicker would total $1.1 billion in 2024, up from this spring’s forecast of $931 million. Businesses don’t get that money back, however. The corporate kicker is kept by the government and used for educational spending.
But at some point during the next couple of years, Oregon’s economy will sag as consumer spending and employment growth sour, the forecast warned. Just when and how severe that downturn would be remains a matter of debate, the forecast said.
The economic analysis office said the risk of recession remains “uncomfortably high.”
Rising inflation can drive a recession. Forecasters said if inflation persists, Oregon could experience a recession by the third quarter of 2023, prompting job losses, income stagnation and weakened consumer spending and corporate profits.
If that happened, it would have a big impact on the state, the forecast said.
“The potential recession would weigh heavily on (state) revenues over the next several years,” the forecast said.
But Oregon also could experience a soft economic landing, the forecast said.
For now, government revenues remain flush.
“Growth in Oregon’s primary revenue instruments continues to outstrip expectations,” the forecast said. “Both personal and corporate tax collections remain strong in keeping with income gains seen in the underlying economy.”
Democrats were quick to laud the forecast, saying it validated their policies and public spending programs.
Sen. Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego and state Senate majority leader, said: “Oregon’s economy is still strong. Oregon Senate Democrats’ investments in housing, education and child care are showing results.”
He did not give any details, but under Democratic leadership and amid a booming economy, the state Legislature has allocated millions of extra dollars for health care, housing and other programs.
State House Majority Leader Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, also commented on the forecast. “Today’s revenue forecast demonstrates steady growth in our economy and shows why we must continue to invest in working and low-income Oregonians, as well as small businesses,” Fahey said. “That means focusing our investments on driving down the cost of living, addressing the ongoing affordable housing crisis, creating stronger schools, improving our child care infrastructure, and supporting small businesses.”
Gov. Kate Brown also commented: “With rising costs of living continuing to impact Oregon families and businesses, the Legislature can, in the budget for the next biennium, build on the investments we made in the last session––particularly in housing, workforce development, behavioral health, and child care.”
The forecast said Oregon’s government revenues and strong economic activity are being driven by a range of factors.
“Although growth in labor income has been very strong, much of the 2022 flood of personal income tax collections (by the state) can be traced to nonwage forms of income,” the forecast said. Nonwage income includes business and rental income, dividends, capital gains and retirement account withdrawals.
“As tax returns for high-income extension filers are now beginning to trickle in, this growth in business and investment income is revealed to be stronger by the day,” forecasters said.
Households not only have enjoyed wage increases, but they also have accumulated savings from earlier in the pandemic while debt has stayed below historic trends, the forecast said.
“Consumers really have no shortage of firepower if they want to spend and are not worried about potential job losses in the future,” the forecast said.
Oregon’s public policies play an important role in inflation, the forecast said.
Many workplace labor contracts are loosely tied to inflation, and higher inflation “may lead to larger wage increases for public workers moving forward,” it said.
Oregon’s minimum wage has been ratcheted up in recent years in a series of bumps, and starting in 2023 will be tied to the consumer price index, which will rise with inflation. The index tracks the cost of goods and services. The forecast anticipates the minimum wage will rise 5% effective July 1.
Oregon’s rent stabilization law will likely allow rent increases in 2023 of about 14%, the forecast said.
Oregon’s unemployment rate, now at about 4%, will likely rise to about 4.6% by late 2024, the forecast said. “This is what a soft landing would look like,” the forecast said. | https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/oregon-s-latest-economic-forecast-predicts-a-record-3-4-billion-kicker-to-taxpayers/article_efe33ee0-2a30-11ed-bb10-d3b7207b8d10.html | 2022-09-01T22:55:36Z |
More than 150 years after it was officially outlawed in the United States, slavery will be on the ballot in five states in November, as a new abolitionist movement seeks to reshape prison labor.
Voters in Alabama, Louisiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont will decide on state constitutional amendments prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude, in some cases except for work by incarcerated people. Advocates say the amendments are needed to strip antiquated language from state constitutions and to potentially transform the criminal justice system by making all work in prisons voluntary.
Three states — Colorado, Nebraska and Utah — have approved similar ballot initiatives since 2018.
“This is the crown jewel of criminal justice reform,” said Curtis Ray Davis II, who served 25 years for second-degree murder in the Louisiana State Penitentiary known as Angola and is campaigning for the amendment in Louisiana following his experiences in incarceration.
“Most people believed it was impossible to get the amendment on the ballot in Louisiana, but Louisiana and America should not be in the business of legalized slavery,” he said in an interview.
The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States — except as publishment for someone convicted of a crime. The “exception clause” loophole led to repressive 19th-century laws in the South known as Black Codes that allowed authorities to incarcerate Black people for petty crimes, such as vagrancy, and then force them to work. Black Codes were a precursor to the Jim Crow laws outlawed by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“We want to remove offensive language and provide protection for citizens from slavery and involuntary servitude,” Max Parthas, co-director of state operations of the Abolish Slavery National Network and co-host of a weekly online radio program, Abolition Today, said in an interview.
Parthas and other proponents also want to remove the exception clause from the 13th Amendment. They hope the stalled effort in Congress will gain momentum once states amend their constitutions.
About 20 state constitutions have exception clauses that allow either slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment for crime. Vermont prides itself on being the first in the nation to ban slavery in 1777, but its constitution allows involuntary servitude in certain circumstances, such as to pay a debt, damage, fine or other cost.
There’s a debate over whether removing the exception clauses in the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions would be largely symbolic, or whether it could lead to significant change in the prison system. Advocates say the symbolism is important, given the shameful historic context, but also that banning involuntary servitude could be a steppingstone to improving the pay and working conditions of incarcerated people.
So far, no state that has passed the amendment has changed its prison work rules, but lawsuits to force changes are likely.
“The (state constitutional) amendment is more than symbolic,” said the Rev. Mark Hughes of Burlington, Vermont, executive director of Abolish Slavery Vermont and Justice for All Vermont, organizations that seek to end systemic racism in the state. “Vermont has permitted slavery longer than any other state — for 245 years. What that means is no constitution allowed slavery in any state before Vermont,” he said.
In 2018, Colorado became the first state since Rhode Island in 1842 to ban slavery and involuntary servitude outright. Two years after a ballot initiative with confusing language failed, Coloradans voted 66% to 34% for an amendment reading: “There shall never be in this state either slavery or involuntary servitude.”
Ballot initiatives also have passed with wide margins elsewhere. In 2020, Amendment 1 passed in Nebraska by 68% to 32%, and Amendment C passed in Utah 80% to 20%. Since 2020, bills have been introduced to put slavery or involuntary servitude on the ballot in states including California, Florida, Ohio, New Jersey and Texas.
But after the amendment passed in Colorado, a lawsuit seeking higher wages for prison workers was dismissed. Another lawsuit, seeking to end compulsory prison work, is in state court. Inmates Richard Lilgerose and Harold Mortis in February sued Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections and the agency itself, arguing that the state has continued to compel people in prison to work under conditions amounting to involuntary servitude.
Under current rules, able-bodied inmates in Colorado are expected to work in the kitchen, the laundry, as janitors or other jobs.
The state does not comment on pending litigation, but in court papers, it said the lawsuit should be dismissed because Colorado does not force those who are incarcerated to work, but rather penalizes them for not doing so. Incarcerated people who refuse to work might forfeit time they have earned off their sentences, be forced to spend up to 21 hours a day in their cell, or face reductions in phone calls, visitors and time for meals.
If the incarcerated plaintiffs prevail in their class action suit, their attorneys say, Colorado might have to revamp that system.
“The state would have to create incentives for people to work — like wages,” David Seligman, executive director of Towards Justice, a nonprofit law firm in Denver that advocates and litigates on economic justice issues, said in an interview. “That’s how it is supposed to work in this country. Work has to be voluntary.”
To head off lawsuits, some states have added compromise language that suggests prison work is still authorized. In Utah, Amendment C states that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist” in the state but adds that the provision “does not apply to the otherwise lawful administration of the criminal justice system.”
In Tennessee, state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a Democrat, introduced Amendment 3 in 2019 as part of the national campaign to remove the exception clause from state constitutions.
“Someone from the organization brought it to me, and I thought it was a great idea,” she said in an interview. She later added a second sentence, so that the proposed amendment now reads: “Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.”
“The Department of Corrections asked us to put in the exception. I don’t think it would have moved forward if we had not agreed to do it,” she said. “There’s a difference between working and being enslaved. This will allow people in prison to work if they want to.”
“This could easily be a partisan issue, but it’s not,” she said in an interview. Former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, is on the campaign’s advisory board. “The strategy here is bipartisan all the way.”
In Louisiana last year, Republican lawmakers killed a Democratic proposed ballot question to remove the exception clause. On a second try this year, the Democratic sponsor agreed to compromise language requested by Republican lawmakers, and the Louisiana House and Senate passed it unanimously.
The ballot question in Louisiana reads: “Do you support an amendment to prohibit the use of involuntary servitude except as it applies to the otherwise lawful administration of criminal justice?”
What practical effect the amendment would have in Louisiana is a matter of dispute.
“If this amendment passes, then the incentive to incarcerate Black people will no longer exist,” said former inmate Davis, who never made more than 20 cents an hour working while incarcerated. After he was released in 2016, he published a book of essays, “Slave State: Evidence of Apartheid in America,” which has been made into a documentary, and founded Decarcerate Louisiana, a criminal justice reform organization based in Baton Rouge.
He lobbied state legislators last spring, arguing the constitutional change is a moral and religious issue, and plans to visit all 64 parishes in the state before Nov. 8 to encourage voters to turn out.
But Louisiana state Rep. Alan Seabaugh, a Republican who opposed the measure in committee, said the effect would be “absolutely none, whatsoever. It’s essentially just symbolic. It says what’s already on the books — although potentially worse.”
The state constitution currently prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude, except in the latter case for punishment of a crime. The new wording says slavery and involuntary servitude are prohibited, but the provision “does not apply to the otherwise lawful administration of criminal justice.”
In other words, “the new amendment technically allows slavery,” Seabaugh said. “I don’t think anybody thought of it that way, but that’s what it says.”
Asked to predict the practical effects of amendments on state ballots this year, some proponents prefer not to speculate.
“We don’t want this bill confused with a labor bill,” Parthas of the Abolish Slavery National Network said. “This is strictly about ending slavery. What comes after that is to be seen.”
And Hughes, in Vermont, said, “Who knows?” what the effects will be. “I just want to abolish slavery.”
This story is from Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts. | https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/slavery-is-on-ballot-in-oregon-and-four-other-states/article_5b0aa67c-2a27-11ed-976e-73cddb323feb.html | 2022-09-01T22:55:42Z |
LISBON, Portugal — On a trip to Portugal a few years back with National Geographic’s Oregon arm, the Center for Geography Education in Oregon (C-GEO), my group was assigned a tour guide. He held bottomless knowledge about the regions we visited in Spain and Portugal.
As we rolled through Lisbon, he proudly boasted the city was home to “the best fish in the world” a statement Seattle, San Francisco, Vancouver, Halifax, Boston, Key West, Tokyo and a host of other cities weren’t there to contest, so it stood.
Despite my inability to spell “connoisseur” the first time I typed it here, I consider myself a seafood connoisseur, so I was stoked to try what Lisbon had to offer.
I sampled a dozen fish dishes in the most highly-rated restaurants across the city, including various bream, European sea bass, tuna, mackerel, dogfish and mullet, but nothing came close to “the best” fish I’d ever eaten. While a few of the dishes were delicious, none held a candle to what I had back home.
To be fair, Lisbon isn’t the only place to make claims about the table value of its fish it just can’t back up. This was pervasive in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and at virtually every port in the United States.
Kiwis swore up and down snapper (Pagrus auratus) was the best.
Floridians swore it was gag grouper (Mycteroperca microlepis).
The Canucks told me it was fresh, ocean-caught sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka).
The Singaporeans praised the marbled gudgeon (Oxyelotris marmoratus).
Now, all of these were delicious, but they weren’t the best I’ve ever had.
What fish was? I’m no Anthony Bourdain or Andrew Zimmern, but I’ve eaten fish virtually everywhere you can eat green eggs and ham, across 17 countries and 46 U.S. states, so I’ve seen (and tasted) a lot.
Each region tends to have a fish its proponents claim tastes better than everything else that swims. That’s simple humanity; we automatically form tribes around our national pride, religion, politics, hobbies and yes, even the foods we like.
Freshwater
Throughout the United States and Canada, many claim either walleye or yellow perch is the “best-eating fish” around. First things first, if anyone tells you a freshwater fish is the best-tasting fish on Earth, slap them and ask them if their mother knows they’re a dirty liar.
OK, don’t do that, but they’re either lying or haven’t tasted anything from the ocean. While I agree that perch and walleye are the best freshwater fish in North America (if you don’t count salmon), virtually every fish I’ve had from the ocean tastes better, has a better texture and can be cooked in more ways. Don’t be salty; it’s true.
Saltwater
Everyone’s tastes are different, and depending on how a fish is prepared, certain fish perform better than others. Soft-fleshed fishes such as eel make for decent sushi but wouldn’t hold up to the heat of a fryer like a firmer fish such as a rockfish or cod would. Likewise, some fish such as mackerel have such strong flavors that lightly sautéing or baking them in butter or olive oil might not turn out the best result. Others still should never be eaten raw either because of parasite, bacterial loads or simply because they taste foul until cooked.
What fish is the best? Impossible to say objectively, but in my experience, there are three fishes that rise to the top — when cooked.
Strangely enough, all three of them can be found in the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest. I know. It’s not really fair. We already have some of the best water, coffee, beer, restaurants and quality of life (outside our major metropolitan areas) in the world, so it doesn’t seem right that we also have the best-tasting fish, but when it rains, it pours. And it rains a lot in the Pacific Northwest.
The four best fishes I’ve eaten are, starting with the absolute best: cabezon, monkeyface prickleback, lingcod and sockeye salmon.
In fact, while I release more than 99 percent of the fish I catch, I always keep these fishes when legal and practical. There are precisely zero other fish that meet that criteria in my book. Why? Well, once you have the best, why settle?
Fortunately, all of the species are available on the West Coast to the enterprising recreational angler, though unless you count the entirely freshwater form of sockeye salmon — kokanee — there is little viable sockeye fishing below British Columbia.
The other three fish, all white-fleshed and with uniquely pleasant flavors, can be found from California up to Alaska. Oregon’s laws are by far the least restrictive. Oregon allows anglers to keep all three species of fish, so long as the cabezon are at least 16 inches long and the lingcod measure 22 inches or more. There is no size limit on pricklebacks. Anglers can keep two lings, one cabezon (only during the July 1 to Dec. 31 season in normal years, but the fishery closes next week due to overharvesting in 2022), and up to four pricklebacks. Lingcod and pricklebacks can be harvested all year long.
According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency's FishWatch site and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), respectively, lingcod represented just 1.4 million of 300 million pounds of the commercial catch (less than 0.5 percent) while recreational anglers harvested some 68,000 lingcod (numbers as opposed to weights are typically recorded in recreational fisheries), making it one of the most-harvested fishes.
Where better to focus than Newport and Depoe Bay on Oregon’s central coast? The two ports represented almost half of the 2018 recreational bottomfish catch according to the same ODFW report, so get out there and catch some fish that puts every other “best fish on earth” to shame. | https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/the-best-fish-on-earth/article_b797569c-2a31-11ed-bd6b-f7383c79012d.html | 2022-09-01T22:55:48Z |
Mount Shasta is a big mountain. Not only does its snowy peak dramatically rise 14,162-feet above sea level, it dominates and towers over a vast region. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Shasta “is the most voluminous of all Cascade Range volcanoes.”
Each year thousands of people focus on reaching Shasta’s highest point, which I’ve summited dozens of times throughout several decades. But, because that’s been the goal, many other areas of the mountain have been unexplored and unknown. Unknown until now.
Instead of being summit bound our group of eight had another destination, South Gate (formerly Squaw) Meadows.
The trailhead, located at an elevation of 7,820 feet at the end of Everitt Memorial Highway, is accessed from the upper parking lot of the former Mount Shasta Ski Bowl on Shasta’s south flank. The ski area opened in December 1958, but a massive avalanche in January 1978 destroyed its main chairlift, resulting in the area’s closure. The current downhill ski/snowboard area, Mount Shasta Ski Park, located below timberline, opened in 1985.
Nothing remains of the old lodge or ski area, but the parking area provides access to trails up sections of Shasta’s south side, including South Gate Meadows.
Unusually, the toughest part of the hike happens almost immediately with the trail gaining a quick 470 feet in elevation. But the reward is a circumference of views, including two nearby buttes, Gray Butte to the south and Red Butte to the east, and, of course, the dominating presence of Shasta.
The elevation gained is just as quickly lost descending to a trail junction at The Gate, a distance from the trailhead of about 1.3 miles. The route to the meadows continues east, dropping into and past a desert of sand before entering tree-shaded woods and, in wetter years, small streams. The obvious trail ends about a mile later at the Meadows.
Two of our group had made the hike before, so we followed them steeply downstream to a “falls,” a narrow chute of tumbling waters from South Gate (Squaw) Creek.
Back near the junction, some of us headed north, frequently criss-crossing the creek while following a sometimes faint path north. It was breath-taking, not only because of the views of the valley below and Shasta’s ever-impressively rugged slopes, but because of its unrelenting steepness. After a hard-earned half-mile and 600-foot elevation gain we reached hard-earned Monkeyflower Spring. On Shasta’s slopes were knobby Shastarama Point and Sargents Ridge, which rises to Shasta’s summit
After rejoining the others, we backtracked on the trail we’d used to reach the meadows to The Gate. Again we split into two groups, with four heading directly back to the South Gate Meadows trailhead/parking area while four of us angled south 1-1/2 miles to another trailhead at the Panther Creek Campground. The tradeoff for our added distance was an elevation loss of 400 feet and, to satisfy curious eyes, new views, including the seemingly out-of-place sandy section below Red Butte. Once across, the route climbed a small ridge, where we escaped the afternoon heat in forests shaded by Shasta red firs, mountain hemlocks and occasional whitebark pines.
As the trail dipped toward the campground, where the others were waiting, semi-wet meadows revealed limited smatterings of colorful wildflowers — Indian paintbrush, monkeyflowers, pennyroyal and others.
We never neared Shasta’s summit, but that wasn’t the goal. Instead, the hike provided glimpses of some of the mountain’s other aspects and features. Hiking to South Gate was a worthwhile hike, one that for me revealed another side of Mount Shasta. | https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/unexplored-and-unknown-another-side-of-mount-shasta/article_be2d4202-2a2f-11ed-a9f3-cbdf3346d85b.html | 2022-09-01T22:55:54Z |
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has joined 23 fellow attorneys general in supporting a federal law that protects Native American foster children and adoptees.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has joined 23 fellow attorneys general in supporting a federal law that protects Native American foster children and adoptees.
The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 was passed by Congress to combat a widespread and destructive practice of displacing Native American children by placing them with non-Native parents. Oregon passed its own law in 2020 to address the disproportionate number of Native American foster children in the system.
Rosenblum said in a statement that the Indian Child Welfare Act had improved the lives of “countless Native American children by ensuring that their tribes are able to collaborate with child welfare agencies.”
“Oregon has a strong interest in defending the constitutionality of (the act), which respects tribal sovereignty and promotes cooperative work between states and tribes.” Rosenblum said.
The federal and state laws recognize the damage done by removing Native children from their culture, but opponents say the concept is racist. They are challenging the federal law with four cases that have been consolidated as one, scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. Rosenblum and the other attorneys general are worried the law could be struck down or significantly altered by the court’s 6-3 conservative majority.
America has a history of displacing Native American children through the foster system, a practice out of line with the Native custom of children being raised by extended families. At the time the federal law was passed, states commonly initiated child-custody proceedings that removed hundreds of Native children from their families and placed them with non-Native adoptive families and foster homes, according to documents in the case challenging the law.
When it was passed 44 years ago, the welfare act prioritized placing Native adoptees with members of their own tribe when possible. The law also establishes minimum standards governing the breakup of Native families.
In 2016, advocates and justice officials in Oregon sought to create a state law that would help judges, attorneys and caseworkers better understand the requirements of the welfare act and recent updates to the law, according to the state Department of Human Services. Ultimately, in 2020, the state Legislature passed Oregon’s version of the law, modifying state child dependency laws to conform to the federal welfare act.
Around that time, Native American and Alaska Native children were three times more likely to be in foster care than non-Native kids. Between Jan. 1 and July 15, 591 Native children from 61 federally recognized Indian tribes were involved in Oregon juvenile dependency proceedings.
Like the federal version, the Oregon law was written to ensure Native American children in the state foster care system remain in “culturally appropriate settings.” Oregon’s law also requires the Department of Human Services to provide reports every two years about Native American and Alaska Native children in the welfare system.
The consolidated case before the U.S. Supreme Court – Haaland v. Brackeen – stems from
the 2016 adoption of a 10-month-old Navajo boy by a white Texas couple, the Brackeens. Following the adoption, the Navajo Nation attempted to place the child with a Navajo family under the provisions of the welfare act – but failed. The Brackeens were later prevented from adopting the boy’s sister, prompting this legal challenge.
The Brackeens and other opponents say the law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and other laws against racial preference. The case was heard in federal district court in Texas and the 5th District Court of Appeals before being granted review by the U.S. Supreme Court in February.
Rosenblum has joined previous briefs in the case in 2020 and 2021.
She and the 23 other attorneys general argue that the legal challenge would hurt Native children and erode tribal sovereignty.
“In our view, plaintiffs’ challenges to (the act) are not supported by this court’s precedent or by the text or history of the relevant constitutional provisions,” they wrote in the brief. | https://www.heraldandnews.com/oregons-ellen-rosenblum-joins-ags-in-supporting-federal-law-that-protects-native-foster-children-and/article_9b038a1a-2a26-11ed-aac6-e39578f574e9.html | 2022-09-01T22:56:01Z |
Casino worker gets ‘grand send-off’ into retirement after 55-plus years with company
LAS VEGAS (KVVU/Gray News) - A casino employee who has called Caesars Palace home for more than 55 years has officially retired.
According to Caesars Entertainment, Benny Figgins was hired at the property on April 27, 1967, and held positions in five different departments. He was also the final first-year employee working at the resort.
KVVU reports Figgins began his career with Caesars as a casino porter, assisting with maintaining cleanliness throughout the casino floor. He then became a convention porter and helped set up various events. Later, Figgins worked as a dishwasher at the original Bacchanal restaurant kitchen and a busboy in the Circus Maximus showroom.
Since 1971, Figgins served as a blackjack dealer in the original Palace Casino dome, the company said.
On Wednesday, Caesars Entertainment said Figgins received a “grand send-off fit for a Caesar” to help celebrate his retirement.
According to the company, Caesars Palace team members sent Figgins on his way through the resort’s main entrance after his final shift with “good wishes and cheers.” He left work for the last time with a special limo ride to his home.
Caesars Entertainment said that in honor of Figgins’ retirement, the company gifted him a commemorative plaque and a string of crystals from the chandelier that hung in the original casino dome at Caesars Palace.
As part of a recent renovation of the resort’s main entrance, the company notes that the gaming area where Figgins worked for the past five decades underwent an upgrade that included a new chandelier, columns and carpeting.
In June 2016, Caesars Palace noted that Figgins was one of five year-one employees still working at the property. The group received a 50th anniversary pin in honor of their work.
According to the company, some of Figgins’ most memorable moments included meeting celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Diana Ross, Henry Belafonte and Joe Louis.
Those weren’t his only highlights, as Figgins said he met his wife while working at the property in the early 1970s. The company said Figgins’ wife retired after working at the resort for 38 years as an operator and also a table games dealer. The couple has three daughters.
Figgins said he would miss working at Caesars Palace, which has been his home away from home.
Copyright 2022 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/casino-worker-gets-grand-send-off-into-retirement-after-55-plus-years-with-company/ | 2022-09-01T22:59:56Z |
Child abuse claims deemed “valid” by Dept. of Social Services
TAZEWELL, Va. (WVVA) - Dark allegations have come to light against Bright Beginnings Child Development Center in Tazewell. A complaint of forbidden punishment of a child was filed back in early January. The child reportedly was seen with red marks on his buttocks. Three days after the complaint, Virginia Department of Social Services conducted an unannounced investigative visit at the center. This visit was the beginning of a 6 week investigation into the childcare center. The investigation contained in-person interviews with all persons involved as well as collaboration with two other agencies.
The report concluded the allegations to be valid, saying: " The preponderance of the evidence gathered during the investigation supports the allegation; the complaint is determined to be valid. Information gathered during the inspection determined non-compliance with applicable standards or law and violations were documented on the violation notice issued to the program.”
Two sources tell WVVA that the employee accused of committing the alleged abuse has not been working for the center since the investigation wrapped up.
The investigation also found a litany of other violations by Bright Beginnings Child Development Center. The most egregious of which were a lack of finger print back ground checks, oversight in sexual offender registry checks, and reference checks. It is also stated in the report that children were sometimes retrained in a high-chair as punishment, sometimes for up to an hour.
We checked with the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Tazewell County this afternoon and we were informed they’ve handed this case off to the city of Bristol’s Commonwealth’s Attorney...
We could not confirm pending charges against the accused, so we are not releasing the name at this time.
It may not be related, but the center did close its doors today.
We will continue to follow this story and share new developments as that information is released.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/child-abuse-claims-deemed-valid-by-dept-social-services/ | 2022-09-01T22:59:58Z |
Gov. Justice presents $5M check for Monroe County Courthouse
UNION, W.Va. (WVVA) - The courthouse in Union has stood in the heart of Monroe County since the late 19th century and now it’s set to receive 21st century upgrades. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice personally handed over the money to pay for the remodeling work that will modernize the old building. Years of problems including an issue with mold forced circuit court proceedings to move outside the county, but when remodeling is complete. The county can resume having the proceedings back in Monroe County.
“For the most part I think everybody is excited to see their tax dollars come back to their home county. We’ve lost a lot of businesses not having court. They go to the restaurants, they go to the garages, they go to every little store when they’re in court here,” said President of the Monroe County Commission, Kevin Galford.
The historic courthouse closed back in 2017 and a majority of their hearings were transferred to Summers County, creating an expense because Monroe County had to pay to do so. Now a fixture in this old town has a renewed future.
“We could not afford for such a historic building to be torn down. So in the five year process we convinced enough people in leadership in Charleston to help us round up enough money,” said Del. Roy Cooper (R-28th District).
“This helps out quite a bit and they moved around in a lot of different buildings trying to keep the system going here in Monroe. They did the best they could with what they had,” said Sen. Jack Woodrum (R-10th District).
County leaders say the process of getting money for remodeling was no easy task. It was a group effort.
“It took everybody to do it. It’s not just us. Phone calls, trips to Charleston. I’d just like for the people to know that everybody was involved and I hope they appreciate what they’ve done for them,” said Vice President for the Monroe County Commission, Kevin Mann.
“It took an absolute team effort from everybody. It’s the best team effort I’ve seen in my 30 years in Monroe County,” said Chairman for the Monroe County Building Commission, Bill Shiflet.”
Those with the Monroe County Commission hope to see construction begin in six to eight months but are set to meet with their architect next week to lay out a detailed timeline.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/gov-justice-presents-5m-check-monroe-county-courthouse/ | 2022-09-01T22:59:59Z |
Judge declines to overturn Elizabeth Holmes guilty verdict
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday tentatively declined to overturn the jury conviction of disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy. That leaves the former Silicon Valley star a step closer to serving prison time.
U.S. District Judge Edward Davila won’t make that decision final until Oct. 17, when he is scheduled to sentence Holmes in the same San Jose, California, courtroom where a jury found her guilty of duping investors in her much-hyped blood-testing startup.
Holmes, 38, faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, plus restitution, for lying to investors about a Theranos technology she hailed as a revolution in healthcare but which in practice produced dangerously inaccurate results.
Amy Saharia, one of Holmes’ lawyers, tried to persuade Davila that the jury of eight men and four women had acted irrationally during their seven days of deliberations. The judge concluded that the jurors drew reasonable inferences from evidence presented at the trial, although he said he would still review some cases Saharia presented before making a final decision.
Thursday’s 90-minute hearing marked the first time Holmes has returned to the court since her Jan. 3 conviction. The verdict ended a nearly four-month trial that recounted Holmes’ remarkable rise from a Stanford University dropout in 2003 to a lionized entrepreneur once worth $4.5 billion before it all unraveled in 2015.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/judge-declines-overturn-elizabeth-holmes-guilty-verdict/ | 2022-09-01T23:00:03Z |
NASA telescope captures first-ever image of planet outside our solar system
(CNN) – NASA’s newest telescope has captured its first image of a planet outside our solar system.
These are known as exoplanets, and the one pictured is called HIP 65426B.
The planet is known as a gas giant and has six to 12 times the mass of Jupiter. It’s also an interstellar baby at only 15 to 20 million years old.
In comparison, Earth has been around for 4.5 billion years.
The James Webb Space Telescope captured four images, representing how the planet appears in four different bands of infrared light.
Scientists have known about the exoplanet, which is some 385 light years away, since 2017.
The new observation provides details like a water signature and evidence of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.
The Hubble telescope was the first device to capture direct images of exoplanets.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/nasa-captures-first-ever-direct-image-planet-outside-our-solar-system/ | 2022-09-01T23:00:13Z |
Sexual assault spike spurs military to focus on prevention
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alarmed by a dramatic increase in reported sexual assaults in the military, defense leaders said Thursday they want to beef up prevention, but they are struggling to find people to hire and are still developing programs they think can work, after nearly two decades of trying.
The idea of preventing a sexual assault before it happens isn’t new. The military services have been casting about for ways to do it for years and appear to have made little progress. But this year, officials said they are bolstered by an infusion of $479 million to hire as many as 2,400 personnel for a new “prevention workforce.”
The latest assault numbers show how much prevention programs haven’t worked. Overall, the number of reported sexual assaults involving members of the military jumped by 13% last year, driven by significant increases in the Army and the Navy.
At the same time, nearly 36,000 service members said in a confidential survey that they had experienced unwanted sexual contact — a dramatic increase over the roughly 20,000 who said that in a similar 2018 survey. The conclusion, said officials, is that more service members than at any time before are experiencing some type of unwanted sexual contact, and far fewer are reporting it.
“The decline in the reporting rate,” said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., “suggests trust and faith in the military is on the wrong trajectory.” Speier, who heads the House Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, said she plans to hold a hearing in the coming weeks on the issue.
The survey found that military units that have poor command climates or have instances of gender discrimination or sexual harassment are more likely also to see more serious sexual assaults. So one prevention effort is focused on better assessing military commanders at all levels, and using command climate surveys to weed out poor leaders.
Army leaders — who saw an increase of nearly 26% in reported assaults last year — said they realized last summer that the numbers were trending badly. Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston said the service had been spending most of its energy on responding to assaults, rather than how to prevent them.
As a result, the Army is improving how it does command climate surveys, including randomly selecting soldiers to provide feedback and using those surveys in determining promotions.
“I expect our leaders to maintain positive command climates where our soldiers feel safe and can thrive,” said Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, adding that the Army is committed to focusing more on prevention and reforming the systems.
Another program the Army started involves more immediate training for younger recruits as they move to their first duty posts.
Grinston said the new training, done in the first 72 hours of a soldier’s arrival, involves vignettes and role-playing to instruct troops on proper behavior and what to do if something bad starts to happen. He said that at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, where the program is in use, the number of sexual assault cases to date this fiscal year is about half of what it was last year.
Other bases, including Fort Hood in Texas, are doing similar training, teaching soldiers how to identify problems and react better and more quickly. Moving the training to earlier in a soldier’s first job puts greater emphasis on it and is designed to set the tone for behavior going forward.
Building a new prevention workforce, however, is only slowly getting off the ground. A key challenge is the tight labor market, said Beth Foster, executive director of the Pentagon’s office of force resiliency.
“That’s been a challenge for us,” said Foster. “It is difficult in the labor environment in this country right now to hire specialized personnel.”
She said the department is developing a recruitment plan and hopes to tap into colleges and universities and also seek professionals who are military spouses or veterans. She said it’s difficult to say how many — if any — people have actually been hired because the various military services are doing that themselves.
Once in place, the money and the hiring will “go a long way toward funding and sustaining change over time,” said Nate Galbreath, acting director of the Pentagon’s sexual assault prevention and response office.
More than half of those in the survey said they were not satisfied with the response of their chain of command or law enforcement to their particular incident, and 30% to 40% were unhappy with the assault response staff. Those totals, said department officials, showed a sharp, and unusual, decline in trust since 2018, when the survey was last conducted.
The distrust was far greater among women.
For example, just 39% of women said they trusted the military to treat them with dignity and respect, and 40% didn’t trust that the military would ensure their safety after the assault incident.
Ashlea Klahr, director of health and resilience research for the Pentagon, said some of the decline may reflect a broader distrust in the military and other government organizations that has deepened in recent years.
“We also see declining retention intentions, and declining confidence in potential recruits and in their influencers in terms of whether or not the military is doing a good job of addressing sexual assault,” she said.
In addition, assault prevention and response staff — including victims’ advocates, lawyers and response coordinators — reported a sharp spike in stress, job burnout and fatigue. They complained about the impact of the pandemic on their ability to treat people and do their jobs.
Unwanted sexual conduct — which includes everything from rape to touching — increased across the board last year in the military. In addition to the Army’s nearly 26% jump, the increase in Navy reports was about 9%, the Air Force was a bit more than 2% and the Marine Corps was less than 2%.
The big increases come as all the services — particularly the Army —- are struggling to meet recruiting goals this year. Officials agree that increased sexual assaults can hurt recruiting, as parents and other influencers become more wary of allowing young people to serve.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/sexual-assault-spike-spurs-military-focus-prevention/ | 2022-09-01T23:00:16Z |
US agents search properties linked to Russian oligarch
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. federal agents on Thursday simultaneously searched properties in Manhattan, a posh Hamptons beach community, and an exclusive Miami island that have been linked to a billionaire Russian oligarch whose $120 million yacht was seized in April.
The FBI confirmed it was at a Park Avenue high-rise, an estate in Southampton, New York, and the enclave of Fisher Island on Thursday, conducting what Miami-based FBI spokesperson Jim Marshall described as “court-ordered law enforcement activity.” The bureau would not provide more information. Dozens of federal agents could be seen carrying boxes out of the Park Avenue property.
FBI agents and Homeland Security Investigations personnel searched the properties, linked to Viktor Vekselberg, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. There was no immediate response to a request for comment sent to lawyers who have represented Vekselberg.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Vekselberg was the target of the searches. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.
A similar search occurred in Fisher Island, a stone’s thrown from Miami Beach, where dozens of agents from the FBI and other federal agencies could be seen on properties linked to Vekselberg and his associates.
NBC News first reported the searches.
A federal task force has been looking into Russian oligarchs and the money trail that helps fuel Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the task force is working to enforce U.S. financial restrictions imposed on Russia and its billionaires. A spokesperson for the task force declined to comment.
Vekselberg, a Ukrainian-born businessman, built a fortune by investing in the aluminum and oil industries in the post-Soviet era. According to U.S. Treasury Department documents, Vekselberg heads the Moscow-based Renova Group, a conglomerate encompassing metals, mining, tech and other assets.
He was one of the first Putin allies sanctioned in April 2018 by the U.S. Treasury Department in response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Vekselberg’s assets in the U.S. are frozen, and American companies are barred from doing business with him and his entities.
In April, the U.S. government seized a 254-foot yacht owned by Vekselberg at a port in Spain. At the time, the U.S. Justice Department asserted that the yacht could be forfeited for violations of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering and sanctions laws.
All the properties searched Thursday are owned by Vekselberg’s childhood friend Vladimir Voronchenko or companies tied to Voronchenko’s family and associates. Voronchenko was the founding director of a St. Petersburg museum built to house the oligarch’s Faberge egg collection.
Among the properties were four luxury condominiums on Fisher Island. Three were purchased for a combined $42 million but are worth considerably more today, property records show. Two are owned by The Medallion Inc., a Panama-registered company that lists Voronchenko’s wife, Olesya Kharlamova, as a director.
Kharlamova, who like her husband was born and raised in Ukraine, is also an officer of a condominium association for two luxury high rises on Fisher Island, which is so favored by jet-setting Russians that they’ve been dubbed the “Red Zone” by other residents. Amenities include infinity-edge pools, a state-of-the-art theater and a fur coat storage facility to protect garments from Miami’s humidity.
In New York, Medallion Inc. in 2008 paid nearly $11 million for a penthouse unit at 515 Park Avenue in Manhattan and $11.4 million for the Southampton home. Both were searched Thursday.
Voronchenko’s family and associates did not immediately respond to a call placed to them seeking comment.
___
Goodman reported from Miami.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/us-agents-search-properties-linked-russian-oligarch/ | 2022-09-01T23:00:23Z |
US agents search properties linked to Russian oligarch
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. federal agents on Thursday simultaneously searched properties in Manhattan, a posh Hamptons beach community, and an exclusive Miami island that have been linked to a billionaire Russian oligarch whose $120 million yacht was seized in April.
The FBI confirmed it was at a Park Avenue high-rise, an estate in Southampton, New York, and the enclave of Fisher Island on Thursday, conducting what Miami-based FBI spokesperson Jim Marshall described as “court-ordered law enforcement activity.” The bureau would not provide more information. Dozens of federal agents could be seen carrying boxes out of the Park Avenue property.
FBI agents and Homeland Security Investigations personnel searched the properties, linked to Viktor Vekselberg, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. There was no immediate response to a request for comment sent to lawyers who have represented Vekselberg.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed that Vekselberg was the target of the searches. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.
A similar search occurred in Fisher Island, a stone’s thrown from Miami Beach, where dozens of agents from the FBI and other federal agencies could be seen on properties linked to Vekselberg and his associates.
NBC News first reported the searches.
A federal task force has been looking into Russian oligarchs and the money trail that helps fuel Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the task force is working to enforce U.S. financial restrictions imposed on Russia and its billionaires. A spokesperson for the task force declined to comment.
Vekselberg, a Ukrainian-born businessman, built a fortune by investing in the aluminum and oil industries in the post-Soviet era. According to U.S. Treasury Department documents, Vekselberg heads the Moscow-based Renova Group, a conglomerate encompassing metals, mining, tech and other assets.
He was one of the first Putin allies sanctioned in April 2018 by the U.S. Treasury Department in response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Vekselberg’s assets in the U.S. are frozen, and American companies are barred from doing business with him and his entities.
In April, the U.S. government seized a 254-foot yacht owned by Vekselberg at a port in Spain. At the time, the U.S. Justice Department asserted that the yacht could be forfeited for violations of U.S. bank fraud, money laundering and sanctions laws.
All the properties searched Thursday are owned by Vekselberg’s childhood friend Vladimir Voronchenko or companies tied to Voronchenko’s family and associates. Voronchenko was the founding director of a St. Petersburg museum built to house the oligarch’s Faberge egg collection.
Among the properties were four luxury condominiums on Fisher Island. Three were purchased for a combined $42 million but are worth considerably more today, property records show. Two are owned by The Medallion Inc., a Panama-registered company that lists Voronchenko’s wife, Olesya Kharlamova, as a director.
Kharlamova, who like her husband was born and raised in Ukraine, is also an officer of a condominium association for two luxury high rises on Fisher Island, which is so favored by jet-setting Russians that they’ve been dubbed the “Red Zone” by other residents. Amenities include infinity-edge pools, a state-of-the-art theater and a fur coat storage facility to protect garments from Miami’s humidity.
In New York, Medallion Inc. in 2008 paid nearly $11 million for a penthouse unit at 515 Park Avenue in Manhattan and $11.4 million for the Southampton home. Both were searched Thursday.
Voronchenko’s family and associates did not immediately respond to a call placed to them seeking comment.
___
Goodman reported from Miami.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/us-agents-search-properties-linked-russian-oligarch/ | 2022-09-01T23:08:35Z |
Director’s Log
The food we eat, the furniture we use, the shoes on our feet, the fuel in our cars – there’s no way around it; it all comes through a port. That is exactly what is happening everyday at the port on the river in your region. The work done there is quite literally feeding and fueling the nation and the world.
As America’s leading grain exporter, 60 percent of the nation’s grain comes right through the Port of South Louisiana. The importance of that statistic cannot be understated. With conflict in Russia and Ukraine, the world is facing a grain shortage that could affect nearly 400 million people. Farmers and industry are coming up with new technology and solutions every day to address this crisis, and the Port of South Louisiana is ground zero for that movement.
Greenfield Louisiana plans to construct a state-of the-art export grain terminal which will move 11.0+ million metric tons annually of U.S. grown agriculture products. It is important to note that, given the safety protocols and technology innovations that Greenfield Louisiana have designed into the facility and will implement for construction and operations, there will be minimal environmental impacts resulting from the construction of the terminal. An added value to the project will be significant direct economic benefit to the region, including 200 safe, high-paying jobs with salaries up to two times the national average and three times that of the state of Louisiana. This will prove to attract young residents back to the area to build a good life for their families for generations to come as well as provide opportunity for current residents of the area.
With over 26 million tons of crude oil imports per year, three major oil refineries, and 11 petrochemical manufacturing facilities, the Port of South Louisiana has been ranked the second-largest energy transfer port in the nation. Getting that fuel from the Port to consumers is especially vital right now. That’s why important projects such as the recent construction of a six-track rail yard adjacent to Dow Chemical in St. Charles Parish make that transfer even more efficient. The Port also recognizes the energy transition that is happening globally. Along with major investments in renewable energy that are being made at facilities throughout the River Parishes, the Port of South Louisiana has partnered with Greater New Orleans, Inc. to secure funding for refueling stations for low-carbon emission, hydrogen-based methanol-fueled vessels. These will be the first of their kind in the nation.
At The Port of South Louisiana, we continue to proactively assess market trends and how to best meet the needs of our region before they happen. We will “Be Ready” so we never have to “Get Ready.”
Paul Matthews
Chief Executive Officer
Paul Matthews
CEO
Ryan Burks
CHAIRMAN
Judy B. Songy
VICE CHAIRWOMAN
Robbie Leblanc
TREASURER
Stanley Bazile
SECRETARY
Whitney Hickerson
VICE PRESIDENT
Louis Joseph
VICE PRESIDENT
Katie Klibert
VICE PRESIDENT
P. Joey Murray, III
VICE PRESIDENT
D. Paul Robichaux
VICE PRESIDENT | https://www.bizneworleans.com/directors-log-26/ | 2022-09-01T23:30:49Z |
Final Frame Photo of Globalplex dock courtesy of Port of South Louisiana Captain Jared Mabile. 09/01/2022 Site Staff, FacebookTwitter | https://www.bizneworleans.com/final-frame-22/ | 2022-09-01T23:30:55Z |
Legislative Sessions Recap
Senators and House Representatives who advocate for the Port of South Louisiana’s tri-parish district had an active and productive year during the 2022 Legislative Session and the 117th United States Congress. Get to know your legislators and learn about some of their main priorities and achievements.
Representative Troy Carter – District 2
Congressman Troy A. Carter proudly represents the people of southeast Louisiana—the Second Congressional District—in Congress.
Carter previously served in the state legislature and says he was disappointed to see this year’s session pass unrepresentative congressional maps and refuse to pass voting rights protections, which he says continues to “silence and dilute” the voices of Black Louisianans. “The leadership of the Louisiana Legislature,” Carter says, “is drifting farther and farther from the mainstream, focused on imposing their personal positions on social issues upon the people of Louisiana instead of fighting for policies that will advance the state and provide opportunities for our children.”
Carter says he’s grateful to see the state’s ports succeed despite the pandemic, which is part of the reason he voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which invests more than $17 billion in port infrastructure and waterways.
Representative Garrett Graves – District 6
Congressman Garrett Graves represents Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. He serves more than 750,000 people across 13 parishes, which includes most of his hometown of Baton Rouge, many of the city’s suburbs, parts of parishes along both sides of the Mississippi River to the western shores of Lake Pontchartrain, and through Thibodaux to Houma.
During the last Congressional session, Graves focused on the development, passage and enactment of a wide range of policy measures related to rivers, levees, flood protection, coastal issues and Corps of Engineers reforms.
He also played a vital role in bringing about much-needed upgrades to federal disaster response and disaster recovery programs, helping to create faster recoveries and making communities across the country more resilient to natural disasters.
Representative Clay Schexnayder – District 81
Representative Clay Schexnayder has been working for the people of Louisiana’s 81st District, which comprises parts of Ascension, Livingston, St. James and St. John the Baptist Parishes, since he was elected in 2011.
Schexnayder had a busy 2022 session. He served as Speaker of the House, presiding over every session, putting to a vote any questions or measures that required consensus, and explaining or clarifying procedural rules, which is a vitally important role. He also authored impactful legislation that went on to be signed into law, including a bill that helps disperse funds from the American Rescue Plan—getting money into the hands of Louisianans that need it. He also authored bills that help fund firefighter training, boost agricultural production and improve the state’s emergency preparedness.
Additionally, Schexnayder supported the funding appropriations that set aside more than $100 million for infrastructure projects at the state’s ports.
Senator Eddie J. Lambert – District 18
Senator Eddie Lambert represents the people of District 18, which consists of parts of Ascension, St. James and Livingston parishes. Before he was elected to the State Senate in 2016, Lambert worked in the House of Representatives for 13 years.
In this year’s session, Lambert brought his experience to the table by authoring a wide variety of bills, ranging from re-creating the state’s Department of Environmental Quality to creating specialty license plates and recognizing April 18-24 as “Love the Boot Week,” which is dedicated to the cleanup and beautification of Louisiana.
Lambert has worked to secure funding for the state’s ports through the Capital Outlay process, which helps advance projects, improve infrastructure, and add jobs. He says the success is apparent. “The Port of South Louisiana has excelled over the last couple of years to be one of the leading Ports in the nation,” Lambert says.
Senator Edward J. “Ed” Price – District 2
Senator Ed Price represents District 2, a large area that encompasses portions of 8 parishes, mostly along the Mississippi River.
In this year’s session, Senator Price focused on taking care of state retirees. He authored Senate Bills 5, 6 and 7, which provided additional payments and adjustments to help support eligible retirees and beneficiaries. “I am extremely proud that we were able to provide a cost of living adjustment to our state retirees, which included retired teachers, state workers, and state police,” Price says.
Price was also proud of the fact that the session was successful in dedicating surplus dollars to improving infrastructure, including millions of dollars to the state’s ports. “The Mississippi River is one of the economic drivers for this state, and we must continue to support all our ports to ensure that they remain viable to support our economy,” Price says.
Senator Gary L. Smith – District 19
Serving the people of the 19th District, Senator Gary Smith represents an area comprising Jefferson, Lafourche, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes.
A native of Norco, Smith still maintains a law practice in his hometown and has been serving in the State Senate for more than a decade. In the 2022 session, Smith focused on updating and modernizing existing laws. For instance, he authored a bill that allows the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to hold open meetings via video conferencing, using tools such as Zoom, which allows for more community input.
Smith says he feels part of his job is supporting the Port of South Louisiana, which employs many of his constituents. Smith calls the port a “solid backbone of industry and employment” and says the Mississippi River is the “most important natural infrastructure” that supports trade, commerce and agriculture in the country.
Representative Kendricks “Ken” Brass – District 58
Representative Kendricks “Ken” Brass represents District 58, which includes portions of Ascension, Iberville and St. James parishes. A committed and dedicated public servant, Brass has been working to help his community both inside and outside of the legislature. He’s served on numerous local boards and commissions and still manages to carve out time in his schedule to coach Biddy Basketball and T-Ball.
In this year’s session, Brass focused much of his attention on education. He authored HB231, which provides for the transfer of academic credit from public postsecondary education institutions granting bachelor’s degrees to institutions granting associate’s degrees—making it easier for people to continue their education.
Brass believes that better education opportunities means more citizens in his district can find high-paying jobs. That reasoning is also why Brass supported funding appropriations for the state’s ports, which provide myriad career opportunities and could further stimulate the job market with more resources.
Representative Randal L. Gaines – District 57
Representative Gaines’ district lies in the heart of the River Parishes. The 57th district comprises St. Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes, and Gaines has been serving the region since he was elected in 2011.
An attorney from Laplace, Gaines served in the United States Army for 25 years, including during major military operations like Desert Storm, as well as in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. At the legislature, he serves on the House Select Leadership Committee and the Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.
In this year’s session, Gaines focused mostly on criminal and procedural affairs with his own legislation, such as convictions rendered by a non-unanimous jury and election procedures during a state of emergency. But Gaines has long supported the state’s ports through efforts such as the Tiger Grant Application, which sought federal funds for the Port of South Louisiana’s Globalplex complex.
Representative Gregory A. Miller – District 56
Representative Miller works for the people of the 56th district, which is made up of parts of St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes.
For Miller, one of the legislature’s biggest accomplishments of the 2022 regular session was allocating the surplus dollars available in a fiscally responsible way. “We were able to make the largest state investment in infrastructure since the 1980s,” Miller says.
That investment includes $450 million for safe drinking water and sewer projects throughout the state, money for highway and bridge improvements, $1.2 billion in coastal restoration and hurricane protection, and $60 million towards Louisiana community and technical colleges for training in high demand jobs, such as broadband and healthcare.
Additionally, approximately $20 million was appropriated for the Port of South Louisiana and about $100 million for the Port of New Orleans for infrastructure improvements.
Representative Joseph A. Stagni – District 92
Joseph “Joe” Stagni has represented the state’s 92nd district, made up of the parishes of Jefferson and St. Charles, since he was first elected in 2017.
Before he started working at the House of Representatives, Stagni served on the Kenner City Council, on two zoning boards and on former Mayor Phil Capitano’s transition team. Stagni even won an award from the Louisiana Civil Service League in recognition for his work.
Given his commitment to his community, it’s no surprise that much of Stagni’s focus in the 2022 session was on local matters such as renaming Kenner city council’s building and providing for loss of use benefits in homeowner’s policies—the latter of which is a major concern heading into this year’s hurricane season.
That commitment means Stagni also supported appropriations for the Port of South Louisiana and the Port of New Orleans, which received a combined $120 million for infrastructure projects. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/legislative-sessions-recap-2/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:01Z |
Meet Renee Lapeyrolerie
Q&A with a St. John Native & State Leader of Multimodal Commerce
For three decades, Renee Lapeyrolerie has been committed to a life of service. That singular drive has been manifest in multiple roles across various industries–political consulting, public relations, engineering, and even an interim role with the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. Lapeyrolerie sees each previous challenge as a building block that prepared her for her most significant job to date, as Commissioner of the Office of Multimodal Commerce for the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development. Lapeyrolerie caught up with Port Log to recount her professional journey so far, to discuss her department’s vital role in Louisiana, and to look forward to her next big projects.
Tell us about yourself. How did you get started on your career path? I am a proud native of Reserve and grew up half a football field from the Mississippi River. I now live half a mile from it in New Orleans. My career started with a communications degree from Loyola University and an interest in public service and policy. The bulk of my resume is as a communications professional and political consultant, including two presidential campaigns. I also served as the executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party.
What drew you to a role with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development? I was recruited by an engineering firm as a client service leader for Louisiana. I served eight years there and learned a great deal about water, energy, environment, and the transportation study, planning, design and build processes. I became passionate about infrastructure and all that it means to communities. My collective experience is of great benefit to me in this role. This office serves to coordinate the four primary modes of transportation through communications, collaboration and planning. The Office of Multimodal Commerce was created by an act of the legislature to elevate multi-modalism to a level commensurate with its role in our state’s economy. I had the tremendous honor of being appointed to this position by Governor John Bel Edwards.
Why is multimodal transportation such a critical player in Louisiana’s economy? Louisiana is a multimodal state. Multimodal transportation is the backbone of Louisiana commerce, industry and trade. Our coastal and inland ports are economic hubs for their communities and support the nation’s agriculture and petrochemical industries, among other industries. We have 69 public airports, 39 active ports, 6 class 1 railroads, and a vast network for commercial trucking. The system accounts for a $6.7 billion direct economic output and 59,000 jobs.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishments in your current role? It is a work in progress, but to assist our partners in maximizing federal budget allocations to Louisiana, particularly via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I have heard from stakeholders that we are doing a better job of communicating.
What have been some of your greatest challenges, and how have you overcome them? We did not slow down during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have a great team, and they kept our critical infrastructure grant programs on target while trying to remain healthy.
Are there new advancements or initiatives you’re particularly excited about right now? At this very moment, initiating a study of the Baton Rouge to New Orleans passenger rail service and also knowing that the I-20 corridor will be studied. I am also excited about the future of the Port of South Louisiana. This port has great multimodal accessibility for rail, trucking, and even air cargo. It is the link between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which are all ports of Louisiana. We are competing against Texas, Alabama and Georgia, not against our brothers and sisters, and I have seen the ports finding ways to work cooperatively.
How do you keep your job exciting? My job is authentically exciting; there is something new almost every day. There is nothing like a site visit, particularly with a boat ride. I have yet to participate in any aerial inspections with our aviation section.
Outside of your professional role, what else are you passionate about? I am passionate about my Momma, my ancestry, and I am becoming known in certain circles as a grower and promoter of the Louisiana heirloom mirliton. I am a part of a group under the banner mirliton.org, and we profile growers around the state and ask them to share seed after they get their annual Fall crop. We want to get mirliton vines back on hurricane fences in people’s yards again. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/meet-renee-lapeyrolerie/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:08Z |
More T-Hangars are Teed Up at the Port
In light of increasing demand, The Port of South Louisiana wasted little time ordering up another batch of 10 T-Hangars for lease at the Executive Regional Airport
In 2018, Port of South Louisiana officials secured funding and commissioned construction of 10 rentable T-Hangars to store planes at the Executive Regional Airport, hoping to bring in new tenants and increased traffic for the airport.
Much to their pleasant surprise, the moment this project was formally announced and made public, the number of interested aviators far surpassed the soon-to-be available units for their aircraft. The demand surpassed even the Port’s own expectations.
It was a great problem to have, but one that still required action if the Port’s full potential could be realized. The solution? Build another 10 T-Hangars right across the apron from the original 10.
“When we laid out the plans to build the first ten units, our airport director at the time put out a notice or survey to gauge interest in the number of aircraft owners who would like to rent out a hangar,” says Dale Hymel, the Port’s Chief Project and Planning Officer. “Well, 24 people expressed interest, and we were only building 10, so we immediately had a Waiting List before the first T-Hangar was even constructed.
“As soon as the initial 10 were operational and rented out, we sought funding and explored the idea of making another batch of 10. We got right back to it.”
Earlier this year, construction began on the $1.8 million project at the Executive Regional Airport. Roughly one-third of funding was covered by a Department of Transportation grant.
Unlike a traditional box hangar, these “Nested T-Hangars” allow for the tail sections of the aircraft to sit in the center of the structure, which provides a more cost-effective use of the space. In this scenario, the overall length of the hangar can be reduced. Same goes for the apron space, and therefore, the total cost of building materials.
Furthermore, Professional Engineering Consultants of Baton Rouge purposely designed these 10 new T-Hangars to handle the dimensions of the aircraft owned by tenants on the original Waiting List. That includes Cessna 340s, a Beechcraft 55 Baron, Daher TBM 900, among others.
When these 10 new T-Hangars are operational in December 2022, they’ll represent the third publicly-accessible aircraft storage structure built at the Airport in the past decade. Prior to the construction of the original 10 T-Hangars, the Port commissioned an 8,000-sq. foot ‘Transient Hangar’ back in 2017 that can be rented out on a temporary basis to serve the needs of travelers stopping in the area for a short time—an Aircraft Hotel, if you will.
When the Port acquired the operational rights to the airport and unveiled its “Master Plan” in late 2011, the desire for upgrades and improvements (like these hangars) was done to attract more aerial traffic.
“The Executive Regional Airport is one of only two port-owned airports in the state of Louisiana,” says Commissoner Joey Murray, Chair of the Aviation Committee. “We have the unique ability to not only attract avaitors from throughout the region, but to also expand our operations to make the Port of South Louisiana a logistical hub for the entire region.”
Port of South Louisiana CEO Paul Matthews echoes that the potential for even more growth is already present at the Port and, while the plan for increasing capacity for aerial traffic has come to fruition, Port officials aren’t done considering ways to upgrade the airport and expand operations.
“The Master Improvement Plan at the airport has really transformed this overall facility in a matter of years,” Matthews says. “But there are additional steps to take and challenges to figure out. For instance, expanding the runway further to the north another 1,000 or 1,500 feet would open up the possibly of being more than just a general aviation facility (people owning private planes, personal travel, the occasional corporate jet flying executives to check their facilities up and down the river).
We have the land available to keeping build out, which would allow us to become a ‘Light Cargo’ airport, as well. That would allow us to take further advantage of the airport’s proximity to our terminal on the Mississippi River, about a mile away. As far as next goals and next steps for the airport, that would certainly be one of them.” | https://www.bizneworleans.com/more-t-hangars-are-teed-up-at-the-port/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:14Z |
Officials Announce $35M in Broadband Grants for 10 Parishes
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday announced $35 million in grants going to 10 parishes over the next two years to expand broadband to nearly 15,000 locations.
Edwards made the announcement alongside elected officials and community leaders at an inaugural Broadband Solutions Summit in Alexandria. The funding for the state’s broadband program, Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities, comes from a $176 million allocation in the American Rescue Plan approved by Congress last year.
Edwards announced $130 million in GUMBO grants for the first phase of the program in July, which is expected to expand access to 66,000 households and businesses in 50 parishes. The grants announced Wednesday add two more parishes not included in the first round: Vernon and LaSalle.
“In 2019, we set a goal to close Louisiana’s digital divide by 2029, and this announcement is another step in the right direction,” Edwards said. “I am so grateful for the progress we are making thanks to help from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Some of us take access to broadband for granted, but there are still many people who do not have a reliable or affordable connection, especially in the rural parts of our state. If we can connect those communities, we will improve health outcomes, grow our economy, increase access to educational opportunities, and enhance quality of life for so many people.”
Officials from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration also attended the summit to announce two additional broadband grants made possible by last year’s infrastructure law, which Louisiana was the first state in the nation to receive.
Louisiana will receive a $2 million planning grant through a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, and another $941,542 for a State Digital Equity Planning Grant, the first phase in what’s expected to be over $1 billion coming to Louisiana for broadband through the infrastructure law.
The funding is based on the number of unserved and underserved broadband recipients in each state as determined by internet coverage maps expected to be completed by the Federal Communications Commission later this year.
“Today’s announcement is just the start of around a billion dollars we can expect from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to increase broadband access in Louisiana. This will transform our children’s lives and grow our economy,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who helped negotiate the funding. “A student needs internet access at home to study online, the parents to telecommute, a business to reach its customers, and our state to attract new investment.”
Every state and six territories applied for BEAD funding and the Digital Equity Act program and more grants will be distributed to other states on a rolling basis, Cassidy said.
The BEAD program will ultimately provide $42.45 billion to fund planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs.
In Louisiana, that work is coordinated through the Louisiana Division of Administration’s ConnectLA.
“We are grateful that NTIA has quickly approved our plans to draw down the first funds in the country for BEAD and Digital Equity to develop not only the 1st 5-year strategic plan for the state but also the first digital equity plan” said Veneeth Iyengar, ConnectLA’s executive director. “The approach we are going to take to address access, affordability, literacy and the lack of devices will be highly innovative and move Louisiana’s economy forward.” | https://www.bizneworleans.com/officials-announce-35m-in-broadband-grants-for-10-parishes/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:20Z |
PORTraits
Delta Regional Authority
Delta Regional Authority, a congregation of business leaders and elected officials from the Delta Region, visiting the Port of South Louisiana to discuss transportation and infrastructure.
LADOTD conducting a drone inspection at KAPS.
Paul Matthews in April at a speaking engagement with Jefferson Parish high school principals about career paths at Associated Terminals.
Security Supervisor Dennis Millet being recognized at a commission board meeting upon his retirement after 21 years of service. Pictured here with Commission Chairman Ryan Burks.
Matthews on WBOK 1230AM in July, speaking about how Louisiana ports can collaborate and the impact Port of South Louisiana has on the world.
Port of South Louisiana executive staff attending June’s 2022 C. Alvin Bertel Awards that featured recipient Big River Coalition’s Sean Duffy.
Husky mix Stormy prepares to be flown to her forever home by KAPS tenant Gerald Herbert (R) in May 2022. Also pictured is KAPS Supervisor Charles Palmer.
In June, Port of South Louisiana hosted Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals lower Mississippi basin meeting, a learning and networking opportunity for its members.
Paul Matthews at the American Association of Port Authorities’ Trade Routes Seminar in June 2022, where he got to catch up with longtime mentor and CEO of Port Tampa Bay, Paul Anderson, and participated in a panel discussion regarding investments by MSC group.
Port of South Louisiana executive staff and Commissioner Katie Klibert visit South Carolina’s Port Greer in July.
In June, the Port had the privilege of hosting this year’s River Region Chamber Leadership Class of 2022.
Staff of Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District, including Executive Director Sandy Sanders, visit the Port of South Louisiana in May for a reunion with Paul Matthews. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/portraits-20/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:26Z |
Staying Safe Through the Storm
Civic Leaders in the River Parishes Roll Out Hurricane Preparedness Plans Ahead of the 2022 Storm Season
Technically speaking, “Hurricane Season” in South Louisiana lasts from June 1 to November 30. But the reality is, when you live in this part of the country—where the sheer power and destructive capabilities of these natural disasters can change lives forever—devising a plan for hurricanes is a year-round priority for government officials of St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish and their citizenry.
In 2021, residents of the River Parishes (and the Greater New Orleans region) suffered heavy structural damage, flooding and weeks-long power loss once Hurricane Ida reached Port Fourchon as a Category 4 storm with winds reaching up to 150 mph.
While all three of the River Parishes have had formal Hurricane Preparedness Plans for decades, the lessons learned from Ida are reflected in each of their 2022 editions.
St. John The Baptist
Since power outages during storms can block lines of communication, St. John president Jaclyn Hotard joined FEMA, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), along with parish leaders from across the region when WWL Radio opened its new emergency radio broadcast studio in late June 2022.
The facility was purposely constructed to withstand threats both natural (hurricane-force winds) and manmade (terrorist activities) so that citizens can receive information from battery-powered terrestrial radio sets even in a power outage.
“Local media is critical to getting information out,” President Hotard says, “and this facility provides yet another avenue to ensure we keep residents informed in the event of a disaster or communications failure.”
St. John’s 2022 Hurricane Preparedness Brochure can be downloaded from the parish’s official website and contains information on what to do with family pets, your own brick-and-mortar business, how to purchase flood insurance, a list of must-have survival items for those who ride out a storm at home and what evacuees should do once they return.
Access St. John’s 2022 Hurricane Preparedness Brochure via the QR code below:
St. Charles
Situated in a vulnerable, low-lying area of the parish, Des Allemands—and more specifically, the residents and structures along Down the Bayou Road—suffered extreme flooding and damage when Hurricane Ida tore through the region last August.
In response, FEMA allocated money for the immediate construction of an 800-foot emergency bulkhead to better protect person and property in the inevitable event of another major storm. That project, which reinforces the area’s existing protective wall, was completed in July.
The current emergency steel-sheet-pile bulkhead was installed via barge and planted two feet outward from the existing protective timber wall.
“Our plan is to extend this project further along the bayou, but the area where the emergency bulkhead was placed was vital to get done now because the protection in that area was compromised during Ida,” says Matthew Jewell, St. Charles Parish President. “The fact that the emergency bulkhead was able to be completed before the traditional height of hurricane season this year was critical and will add significant protection in an area where we experienced issues last year.”
Noting that communication is paramount during crisis, officials in St. Charles Parish expanded the avenues in which residents can receive important information when they launched the parish’s NEXTDOOR page. Through the app’s geotargeted messaging function, parish officials can pinpoint announcements to specific neighborhoods, thus ensuring relevant information reaches those who need to see/hear it.
With the addition of NEXTDOOR, St. Charles Parish is now capable of reaching residents on six social media platforms.
St. James
Once the summer began, St. James Parish officials made a strong push for its citizens to sign up for the Community Alerting System—a feature that’s been available for years that conveys emergency messages during a time of crisis.
“Most of the time, it might be difficult for people to make or receive phone calls, but text alerts generally still function when other features don’t work,” says Eric Deroche, St. James Parish Director of Emergency Preparedness. “Internet might be out. Electricity might be out. But that text could answer a question in a time of need or provide a solution in a time of need. So that’s why it’s so important to get people signed up for that service.”
Like many neighboring parishes, Deroche says Ida tested St. James’s Hurricane Preparedness Plan—reinforcing positive, safe-saving measures in the system, but also shining a light on areas that needed to be reconsidered after undergoing a trying, merciless storm. For instance, Ida knocked out power throughout the region with some neighborhoods in St. James left in the dark for close to a month, which resulted in unforeseen consequences that are now addressed in this year’s Hurricane Prep Plan.
“A power outage lasting that long was something we’ve never seen before,” Deroche says. “So, fuel for generators was an issue—people running out of fuel. But what was also an issue with Ida, because of the huge influx of home generator use, was the amount of carbon monoxide alarm calls that Fire Services had to respond to.
It put a huge strain on our Fire Services, to the point where we had to call on assistance from out-of-state crews to supplement our local department because of the call volume.”
To make the message of Hurricane Prep more palatable and consumable for modern audiences, St. James shot and produced a series of How-To YouTube videos that were released shortly before last year’s storm season. Video topics include how to sandbag your house, and how to dispose of debris once the storm has passed. Parish officials plan to produce more Hurricane Prep videos in the coming months.
Lastly, Parish president Pete Dufresne expressed his heartfelt thanks to the hundreds of Louisianans in and around the River Parishes who donated food, supplies or money to Hurricane Ida relief efforts in St. James. Beyond opening the pantry, cupboard or one’s wallet, though, President Dufresne urges residents to also give their time to relief efforts, calling for the community to rally around a spirit of volunteerism when storms ravage our way of life and parish resources are exhausted.
“You don’t realize the need for organizing community groups of volunteers until something like Ida happens,” President Dufresne says. “We’re so thankful for the generous outpouring from so many people—dry goods, clothing, food. But we need people to give of themselves, too. We need volunteers to accept those goods, prepare that food, serve those thousands of plates. Thank goodness for groups like the Lutcher and St. James High School band members who stepped up to the plate last year.
“We hope in our lifetime that no one sees another storm like (Ida), but if we do, we need the community to rally and serve one another, if they can. A few hours here and there can make a world of difference.” | https://www.bizneworleans.com/staying-safe-through-the-storm/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:32Z |
TRANSPORTATION CENTER OF THE AMERICAS
The state legislature established the Port of South Louisiana in 1960 to promote commerce and industrial development along the 54-mile stretch of the Mississippi River that runs through the St. Charles, St. John and St. James tri-parish regions.
Mission
The Port is charged with a mission to promote maritime commerce, trade and development, and to establish public and private partnerships for the creation of intermodal terminals and industrial facilities.
Governance
The Port is under the jurisdiction of the state of Louisiana and authorized by the state constitution. A nine-member board of commissioners directs the Port; all of them are unsalaried.
Philosophy
The Port’s philosophy of development is to entice companies to set up regional operations within its boundaries. The Port serves primarily as a “landlord” port to more than 30 grain, petroleum and chemical companies. The exception to this is the port-owned world-class intermodal Globalplex facility SoLaPort, and the St. James Westbank property.
World’s largest port district
The ports of South Louisiana, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, St. Bernard and Plaquemines make up the world’s largest continuous port district. They are responsible for moving one-fifth of all U.S. foreign waterborne commerce.
Facilities
Within the Port’s jurisdiction, there are seven grain elevators, multiple midstreaming operations, more than 40 liquid and dry-bulk terminals, the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal and the Port’s Executive Regional Airport.
Port area
The Port covers a 54-mile stretch of the lower Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The Port begins at river mile 114.9AHP near the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and winds through St. Charles, St. John the Baptist and St. James parishes. It continues north to river mile 168.5AHP just north of the Sunshine Bridge. | https://www.bizneworleans.com/transportation-center-of-the-americas-24/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:38Z |
Two Weeks as Port Professionals
Two students of the United States Merchant Marines Academy spent summer break learning the ropes at the Port of South Louisiana
Noah Kunce and Nathan Mars – a defensive end and offensive lineman, respectively, on the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy varsity football team – joined another winning team for two weeks this summer: the administrative staff of the Port of South Louisiana.
Kunce and Mars were extended an invitation by Ted Knight, the Port’s Senior Advisor for Commercial Operations and a fellow Merchant Marine Academy football alum, to serve as interns in the River Parishes during their three-and-a-half week summer break.
While their stay at the Port was brief, both college students were exposed to multiple facets of the day-to-day operations of the largest tonnage port in the Western Hemisphere.
“We got thrown into the mix right away, observing the executive staff at the Port and seeing how this massive operation gets managed at multiple levels” says Kunce, a Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management major. “The decisions made on a daily basis have ramifications that extend far beyond the area, so it was interesting to see those inner workings up close.”
Throughout the internship, Kunce and Mars sat in on various executive meetings, including matters of logistics, the Port’s 10-year Master Plan, government agencies like the Department of Agriculture, and potential new domestic and international industries seeking to relocate or expand operations on the Mississippi River.
The internship also opened both students’ eyes to the “shore side” aspect of the maritime industry. While the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has a long and storied tradition of educating leaders who go on to serve the national security, marine transportation and economic needs of the country, the major of Kunce’s and Mars’ hands-on training has been ‘underway’ on ships.
“A lot of what we do at school, at least for our sailing periods, is more operational as a cadet,” Mars says. “This experience was both interesting and beneficial because we got a glimpse into an aspect of the maritime industry—the administrative side—that a lot of people go into later in their careers.”
Although the internship was somewhat abbreviated because of the Merchant Marine Academy’s semester schedule, both Kunce and Mars were in south Louisiana long enough to gain a full perspective of the Port’s total impact, be it near or far. Within this 54-mile stretch of river, tens of thousands of local residents are employed in high-paying careers. On a state level, the Port of South Louisiana provides billions in direct and indirect economic impact and generates hundreds of millions in state tax revenue. And globally, the Port of South Louisiana handles more than $69 billions in trade on an annual basis and remains a vital and strategic passageway for the world’s food and energy supply chain.
“Going in, I just wanted to absorb all that I could in this two-week ‘crash course’, if you will,” Kunce says. “To see if this is something I wanted to consider as a future. Being involved in it first-hand, you’re drawn to this worldwide point of view or scale. At a Port of this size, what happens affects the lives of people locally, obviously. But what you do, and the decisions you make, also affect national and global economic development.
“So the magnitude of it all, and the far-reaching impact of the Port, really becomes clear to you once you’re able to witness the choices that have to be made each day here.”
Port of South Louisiana CEO Paul Matthews says both interns serve as a testament to the strength of the next-gen maritime workforce and that, just as Kunce and Mars were impacted by their time observing and learning, the Port saw just as much benefit from the experience.
“It was a pleasure to welcome these two men of the grey and blue to the Port of South Louisiana,” Matthews says. “Noah and Nathan were quick learners and I know these two young men will take what they learned along the Mississippi River and have outstanding careers as Merchant Marine Academy graduates.” | https://www.bizneworleans.com/two-weeks-as-port-professionals/ | 2022-09-01T23:31:45Z |
The college's student health center became the center of a maelstrom this past week, after students learned the Catholic health agency hired to run it follows religious restrictions on contraception.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The college's student health center became the center of a maelstrom this past week, after students learned the Catholic health agency hired to run it follows religious restrictions on contraception.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.keranews.org/2022-09-01/oberlin-college-students-worry-catholic-directives-could-affect-contraception-access | 2022-09-01T23:46:52Z |
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Thursday on the recommendation of the agency's independent vaccine advisers in favor of updated Covid-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13 to 1 earlier in the day to recommend updated mRNA boosters for Americans this fall.
Walensky's decision means the shots could be available by Friday, according to pharmaceutical manufacturers, which began shipping the new doses after the US Food and Drug Administration authorized them Wednesday.
"The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant," Walensky said in a statement. "They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants. This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion. If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it."
The updated boosters have instructions that tell our cells to make antibodies against two strains of the virus that causes Covid-19: the original strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, which share the same spike.
Pfizer/BioNTech's updated vaccine is a 30-microgram dose authorized for people 12 and older. Moderna's updated vaccine is a 50-microgram dose authorized for people 18 and older.
The CDC said in the statement that it "also expects to recommend updated COVID-19 boosters for other pediatric groups" in the coming weeks.
People are eligible for the updated boosters as long as they have completed all primary doses in their vaccine series. The committee recommended that the new boosters be given at least two months after the last dose of any Covid-19 vaccine and up to three months after an infection.
The new formulations do not replace shots for the primary series.
The boosters were approved based on studies in mice bred to have human ACE-2 receptors -- the doors the coronavirus uses to get into our cells -- but clinical trial data showing how well they may work in humans won't be available for another month or two.
This is similar to the way annual flu shots are studied and approved, but it's the first time for Covid-19 vaccines.
In approving the vaccines, regulators also reviewed data behind different two-strain boosters. Those carry instructions to fight the original strain of the Omicron variant, BA.1, along with the original virus. Those boosters have been studied in about 1,400 people. They have been authorized for use in the UK and Canada but will not be available in the US.
Several of the committee members said Thursday that they were uncomfortable recommending a vaccine with no human data to back it.
"We're been extrapolating the data that has been seen with the bivalent BA.1, and hopefully, we'll have similar data for BA.4 and BA.5," said Dr. Pablo Sanchez, a pediatrician at Ohio State University and a member of the committee.
"So I'm just concerned about that extrapolation. And because and ultimately, I really don't want to establish a precedent of recommending a vaccine that we don't have clinical data," said Sanchez, who voted against the recommendation.
That prompted a quick rebuttal from government experts who work with the committee.
"I just would like to remind the committee that every year, we use influenza vaccines that are based on new strains without clinical studies being done," said Dr. Melinda Wharton, associate director for vaccine policy at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Dr. Doran Fink, deputy director of the FDA's Division of Vaccines and Related Products Applications, said, "I do appreciate the amount of discomfort that I'm hearing from committee members who are being asked to take this leap with the Covid vaccines that they haven't been asked to make previously with the Covid vaccines.
"FDA felt very comfortable with the approach of extrapolating the safety and effectiveness or rather the known and potential benefits," Fink said. "We recognize that we've taken a different path than the regulatory authorities have in Europe and Canada."
Fink said the US chose to go this route based on feedback from its independent advisory group and projections for the viruses that may be circulating in this country over the fall and winter.
On Thursday, the committee saw new modeling data that suggested there were substantial risks to waiting to roll out new boosters.
According to the CDC's forecasts, boosters given to US adults in September could prevent 137,000 more hospitalizations and 9,700 deaths than if the boosters were held until November.
New analyses on the cost-effectiveness of the boosters suggest that the US could save at least $63 billion in medical costs between August and March 31 if as many people get these boosters as got flu shots during the 2021-22 season.
In the studies that looked at the shot targeting BA.1 along with the original, the boosters broadened immunity against many variants, and they were proven to be better than the older single-strain boosters because they made higher levels of antibodies.
Moderna presented tantalizing data suggesting that the two-strain shots it developed against the Beta variant might extend the length of protection people get from their vaccines, which currently drops off significantly after about four months. It said a study on these results was being prepared for publication
In mice bred to have human ACE-2 receptors, the two-strain vaccines against BA.4 and BA.5 protected better against infections in their lungs, compared with the original vaccine.
About two-thirds of the total US population is vaccinated against Covid-19 with an initial series, according to data from the CDC. But less than half of those with their initial series -- and less than a third of the total population -- has also gotten a booster.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/cdc-vaccine-advisers-vote-to-recommend-updated-covid-19-boosters/article_aa514c9a-c80c-5011-a06f-636ba5431205.html | 2022-09-02T00:11:32Z |
A pair of fiery speeches inside packed gymnasiums over the past week left even some White House aides surprised at President Joe Biden's new-found electricity.
Yet when he delivers a rare prime-time address Thursday evening in Philadelphia, Biden's somber assessment of American democracy isn't likely to generate any cheering from the in-person audience in front of Independence Hall. Thursday's remarks will instead adopt a far graver tone, officials say.
"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards. Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love," he will say, according to advanced excerpts of his speech, referring to Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
"For a long time, we've reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed. But it is not. We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us," Biden plans to say in his speech.
After tearing into Republicans for what he calls "MAGA extremism" and "semi-fascism," administration officials say Biden has determined the time is right to provide a serious, sober reckoning on what he regards as growing anti-democratic forces building across the country.
"This is not a speech about the former President," a senior administration official told reporters. "This is a speech about democracy."
It's a topic Biden has come to embrace more publicly in recent months after initially attempting to ignore the after-effects of his predecessor and focus instead on national unity. At its core, the speech, which the White House says will center on the "continued battle for the soul of the nation," represents the same overarching theme that defined the launch of his presidential campaign in 2019 as he set out to defeat Trump.
It remained a constant through high profile speeches in locations rife with historical symbolism, including Warm Springs, Georgia, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The prime-time remarks will be no different, this time with the site of the nation's revolutionary beginning as the backdrop.
A crowd of about 300 invited guests -- a mix of elected officials and dignitaries, along with Democratic supporters -- will watch Biden speak from behind panes of bulletproof glass. It's a short distance away from where Biden formally announced his bid for the presidency in 2019, striking similar themes about the "battle for the soul of the nation."
Thursday's speech will serve as an implicit acknowledgment that Biden's efforts to move past the divisiveness and chaos of former President Donald Trump have been harder than he might have imagined. Trump continues to dominate headlines, especially in recent weeks after federal agents searched his Florida home, revealing an investigation into the former President's possession of classified documents after he left office. Biden's speech will take place hours after a court hearing regarding that investigation.
"The way that he sees it, the MAGA Republicans are the most energized part of the Republican Party," press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said a day ahead of the speech. "This is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights. They just don't respect the rule of law."
White House officials emphasized that when Biden warns of the threat to democracy, he is not talking about Republicans as a whole, but those who style themselves after Trump: the "MAGA Republicans," as the administration has deemed them.
Asked if Biden will name Trump directly, given he is the face of the movement, the senior official said, "This will be a very direct discussion."
Ahead of the speech, Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Biden was dividing the nation.
"Joe Biden is the divider-in-chief and epitomizes the current state of the Democrat Party: one of divisiveness, disgust, and hostility towards half the country," she said in a statement.
Biden has been mulling a thematic speech about American democracy for several months, spurred in part by the revealing hearings convened by the congressional committee investigating the January 6 riot, according to an official. He has also watched with alarm as election deniers running for statewide office have been elevated by Trump and was outraged by the attempted attack on an FBI field office in Cincinnati, Ohio.
"This is a speech the President has been thinking about for a long time. He's been working on it for a while," a senior administration official said. "It is not in response to any news of the day. It is a response to what he sees as a moment in this country."
Biden looks to seize the moment
While Biden underestimated when the "fever will break" when it came to the GOP's ties to Trump, the last several weeks have brought into sharp focus that many of the campaign pledges that seemed just as unrealistic -- from major bipartisan deals to substantial investments in the manufacturing, climate and health care -- have, in fact, been signed into law.
The convergence of factors has created a genuine sense inside the West Wing that the political winds are changing just as Americans start to tune in ahead of the midterm elections. It has also had a dramatic effect on the White House itself, where months of intraparty warfare, a resurgent and ever-present Covid-19 pandemic and a myriad of crises many aides viewed as outside of their control appear to have finally turned their way.
Even Biden, who revels in telling the story of the doctor who called him "a congenital optimist," wasn't immune from a sense of gloom and occasional doom that hung over the West Wing for months.
"He could get pretty dark," said one person who spoke regularly to Biden said of his view of things toward the end of his first year in office. "It's not his way, but there was a period there" when Biden's mood reflected that of the exhausted country he led.
Yet the shifting winds this summer coincided with Trump's major re-emergence into the national spotlight. Republican politicians and candidates running entire campaigns based on false claims of fraudulent elections have only become more prevalent.
As the midterm campaign season kicks into high gear, convergence of factors has created an ideal moment for Biden to lay out what has long been on his mind, officials say.
"The President felt that this was an appropriate time before the traditional campaign season begins next week to lay out what he sees at stake, not for any individual political party, but for our democracy itself," a senior administration official said.
A rare prime-time speech shows Biden's focus on democracy
He has been working for several days with his speechwriters on drafts of the 20- to 30-minute address, poring over the precise language and wording. The President typically rehearses his major addresses beforehand and his schedule was clear of public events on Wednesday and Thursday as he prepared.
Biden has delivered only a smattering of speeches in prime-time over the course of his presidency, including his yearly addresses to Congress and remarks on gun violence earlier this summer. Aides said the President felt the topic was serious enough to address the nation in the evening -- and ask television networks to interrupt their regular programming.
White House officials have said they want to be selective in when and where to address the issues surrounding the erosion of democracy, even though many party activists have clamored for more sustained focus on the issue. The issue itself is one that consumes much of Biden's own thinking, those close to him say -- something can spill into the public sphere during the rare moments he engages in a substantive way with reporters.
But choosing the right moment to address them on a major national scale, Biden's team believes, will prevent the issue from becoming rote and routine for voters. Biden, officials note, has had no qualms about that strategy.
On the anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riot, Biden spoke during the day from National Statuary Hall, leveling his most direct attack on Trump for his continued election lies and on Republicans who have amplified them.
In that speech, Biden accused Trump of holding "a dagger at the throat of America, at American democracy," an extraordinary moment that marked a sharp escalation in his approach to the persistent assertions by Trump that the 2020 election was fraudulent.
At the time, it wasn't clear whether the new, more aggressive posture toward Trump would herald a sustained shift in his approach toward the de-facto leader of the Republican Party. Biden did not repeat his criticisms of Trump on a regular basis until recently, as he began his efforts to elect Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.
"The MAGA Republicans don't just threaten our personal rights and economic security, they're a threat to our very democracy," he said last week at a Democratic political rally in Maryland. "They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace political violence. They don't believe in democracy."
A few days later, Biden used an official event in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to chastise South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican he once called his friend, for suggesting there could be riots in the street if Trump is prosecuted by the Justice Department.
"Where the hell are we?" Biden intoned.
'Semi fascism' comment draws ire, but White House won't back down
The movement toward Trump by Graham and other Republicans whom Biden has known well for years has disappointed and unsettled Biden more than most dynamics in Washington.
A senior adviser said Biden "goes darkest" when he sees former establishment Republicans "behave badly" and associate themselves with the worst elements of Trump's political brand.
The newly aggressive rhetoric has drawn howls of protest from Republicans. When he accused followers of Trump of "semi-fascism" at a fundraiser last week, the response was swift.
"Horribly insulting," said Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican who has not aligned himself with Trump. "He's trying to stir up controversy, he's trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it's just -- it's horribly inappropriate."
At least one Democrat in a tight reelection race also distanced herself from Biden's remark; Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire said Biden "painted with way too broad a brush" when he uttered the comment.
White House officials have given no ground when asked about the criticism -- and neither has Biden. But officials say Biden will make clear his target is not the Republican Party, or conservatives generally.
"He will talk very clearly and about Democrats, independents and mainstream Republicans who he believes are united in our belief in democracy and in our willingness to defend democracy," the senior administration official said. "But he will talk about these direct threats to democracy from MAGA Republicans and the extremism that is a threat right now to our democratic values."
While officials describe Biden's message as urgent, it remains to be seen whether voters facing high prices and an uncertain economy will respond to his warnings about the state of democracy.
Yet recent polls have shown concerns about democracy rising among voters. An NBC poll conducted in August found "threats to democracy" rose to the No. 1 issue facing the country, surpassing "cost of living." And a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 67% of respondents think the nation's democracy is in danger of collapse, a 9-point increase from January.
Unplanned -- but not entirely unwelcome -- for the White House has been the ongoing developments over Trump's handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, a matter the White House has officially kept at arm's length to avoid the appearance of politicization.
Still, the reminder to voters of the chaos that surrounded Trump's presidency has been privately gratifying to some Democrats, who believe it presents a stark contrast to Biden's way of doing business.
"It's like the chaos was memory-holed because of the 50 million other things going on," one Democratic official with close ties to the White House said.
Biden "will never make it about Trump alone -- he views it as so much bigger than that and probably, to some degree, beneath him," the official said. "But I think most in our party appreciate the very clear contrast now that he's back in the headlines."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/biden-to-issue-a-warning-over-american-democracy-in-rare-prime-time-speech-we-have/article_fd0b1929-8502-522f-9668-43a5a9027bff.html | 2022-09-02T00:11:38Z |
Police in Columbus, Ohio, have released body camera video that shows a police officer fatally shooting an unarmed Black man in his bed.
Donovan Lewis, 20, died Tuesday after being shot by Columbus Police Officer Ricky Anderson, a 30-year veteran with the Columbus Division of Police assigned to the K9 Unit, according to a police statement.
Rex Elliott, an attorney for Lewis' family, said at a news conference Thursday morning that there was no justification for the officer to discharge his weapon.
"Donovan was unarmed, and he was abiding by police commands to come out of his room when he was shot in cold blood by Officer Anderson," he said, with Lewis' mother, father, siblings, grandmother aunt and family friends gathered around him. They were not ready to offer comments or answer questions, the attorney said, but they were "just a few of the many people that have had their lives altered forever because of the events of early Tuesday morning."
The shooting is under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and Anderson is currently on leave, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said at a news conference Tuesday.
The shooting happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday at an apartment building where uniformed officers were serving a felony warrant for domestic violence and assault and improper handling of a firearm, Bryant said at the news conference. A news release by police indicated the male who was shot, later identified as Lewis, as the person sought in the felony warrant.
"The officers knocked on the door for several minutes ... acknowledging themselves as Columbus Police officers," Bryant said. Two men were taken
Police body camera video shows them knocking and calling out to occupants repeatedly for more than eight minutes. They called for "Donovan" by name several times.
Eventually, a man came to the door and was taken into custody by police, Bryant said. He told officers he'd been asleep, and they took a knife from his pocket. A second man inside the apartment was taken into custody about a minute later.
Officers asked if anyone else was inside the apartment, Bryant said, but were unable to determine that, and Anderson and a K9 were then called in by Columbus Police to see if anyone else was inside.
"Once the K9 officer arrived on the scene, additional announcements were made for anyone else inside to come out or the K9 was going to be released inside of the apartment," Bryant said.
In the police body camera video, the K9 is seen barking outside a back bedroom door, then officers enter the apartment and warn they are going to send a dog in.
An officer is seen opening the bedroom door, where a man is seen on a bed.
Bodycam video shows Anderson firing a single shot at a man, later identified as Lewis, moments after opening the bedroom door.
During the news conference, Bryant showed the body camera video frame-by-frame, asserting that the moment Anderson opened fire, it appeared Lewis was holding "something" in his hand.
A vape pen was later found next to Lewis on the bed, Bryant says. Once Lewis was handcuffed, video shows, officers began rendering aid.
Lewis was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:19 a.m., according to the Columbus Police statement.
Lewis' death follows a string of other police shootings
Attorneys for the officer expressed sympathy for Lewis' family in a statement Thursday, but said police officers "are forced to make split-second decisions in response to the actions of others."
"When we analyze police involved shootings, we must look to the totality of the circumstances and we are expressly forbidden from using 20/20 hindsight, because unlike all of us, officers are not afforded the luxury of armchair reflection when they are faced with rapidly evolving, volatile encounters in dangerous situations," the statement by attorneys Mark Collins and Kaitlin Stephens said. "Because of this, the law allows a reasonable officer to be mistaken, just as the law allows us as non-police officers to be mistaken."
"We are sure the investigation will be thorough," they said, "and we certainly hope the process of any future legal proceedings will be more fair than what we have seen in the recent past."
Bryant, the police chief, said Tuesday officers are "put in compromising, potentially life-threatening situations" every day, "in which we are required to make split-second decisions."
"As the chief, it is my job to hold my officers accountable, but it's also my job to offer them support and make sure that I give that to them through the process," Bryant said. "If they do the right things for the right reasons, we will support them. If they do something wrong, they will be held accountable."
But Elliott, the family's attorney, called Lewis' death "utterly senseless" at Thursday's news conference, saying "excessive deadly force was recklessly used by officer Anderson when he shot and killed an unarmed Black man."
"How many more lives are going to be lost to this type of reckless activity? How many more young Black lives will be lost? How many more families like Donovan's will need to appear in news conferences like this one," Elliott asked, "before our leaders do enough to put a stop to these barbaric killings?"
The incident is just the latest in a string of deadly and controversial law enforcement shootings involving the city's Black residents in recent years that have prompted protests over racial injustice and a review by the US Department of Justice into the Columbus Division of Police.
A Franklin County Sheriff's Office deputy fatally shot Casey Goodson Jr. in December 2020 as the 23-year-old tried to enter his home with a Subway sandwich. The deputy was working for the US Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force looking for violent offenders at the time, police said, but Goodson was not the individual being sought. A grand jury indicted the deputy on two counts of murder and one count of reckless homicide.
Later that month, a Columbus police officer fatally shot Andre Hill as officers responded to a report of a man who was sitting in his SUV for an extended period. The officer in that case was fired and charged with murder, and the city council later voted to approve a $10 million settlement to Hill's family, the largest in the city's history.
Ma'Khia Bryant, 16, was killed in another shooting last April when Columbus police responded to her foster home, where Ma'Khia had been arguing with another young woman over a messy home and unmade bed. Police body camera video showed Ma'Khia lunge at the other woman with a knife, and a grand jury later declined to indict the officer who fired the fatal shot.
Lewis' family has appreciated the support it has receive from the community so far, Elliott said, and they asked that any gatherings or protests remain "peaceful and supportive and constructive."
"Reality is, if we don't gather, and we don't indicate how upsetting this is to all of us, we're never going to see change," the attorney said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/body-camera-video-shows-a-columbus-ohio-police-officer-fatally-shooting-an-unarmed-20-year/article_3b9f10f1-6a1a-52ab-870d-8dc5ed8e81c3.html | 2022-09-02T00:11:44Z |
CHEYENNE – The Colorado Department of Transportation has partnered with the Cheyenne Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Wyoming Department of Transportation to conduct a transit connection feasibility analysis between northern Colorado and southern Wyoming.
This transit analysis will examine transit needs, routing, amenities and the overall benefits to communities in the two regions. It will build on recent and ongoing planning efforts, examining travel markets, population/employment growth, and other infrastructure improvements, according to the planning organization. It will also examine existing service models, such as Bustang in Colorado, and evaluate how to maximize connectivity for users through integration with local transit providers.
The primary outcomes of this effort outlined on the site are:
An examination of transit demand, and if demand is deemed sufficient to support the new transit service.
Evaluation and recommendation of appropriate service models (fixed route, on-demand, deviated, etc.), matched to the potential demand and potential service patterns
Evaluation and recommendation of termini, routing, bus technology/vehicle, and stops (as applicable to the recommended service type), including examining the potential integration with other existing/proposed transit improvements, mobility hubs and major activity centers
Conceptual-level capital and operating costs for the final recommended service. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/feedback-needed-on-transit-between-front-range-and-cheyenne/article_c78368bc-2a30-11ed-a8cc-83db630dd282.html | 2022-09-02T00:26:21Z |
Gabriel Testerman is seen in a picture provided by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office. Testerman is a sergeant with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, but has been on administrative leave since May 2 pending a Laramie County criminal investigation, according to WHP. He was arrested Aug. 30.
CHEYENNE – A Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper arrested earlier this week is no longer in custody, a Laramie County jail official said Thursday.
Sgt. Gabriel Testerman bonded out Wednesday, Laramie County jail Capt. Don Hollingshead told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Testerman's bond had been set at 10% of $100,000 at his initial appearance Wednesday in Laramie County Circuit Court, Hollingshead said.
Testerman was arrested Tuesday, according to a WHP news release distributed that day. He was stationed in Cheyenne. He was placed on administrative leave in early May after the agency learned of a Cheyenne Police Department investigation involving him, the news release said.
It's unclear exactly what Testerman has been charged with. A Laramie County Circuit Court employee said Thursday that they "don't have any information about that case." No public documents had been filed in the case as of late Thursday afternoon, according to a WTE records search.
On Wednesday, Cheyenne Police Department Sgt. Kevin Malatesta told the WTE the law limits what the department can say about the case. He cited Wyoming statute 6-2-319(a), which prohibits a public employee from releasing information about an alleged perpetrator before charges are filed in district court.
Wyoming statute 6-2-319 applies to charges of sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual assault of a minor and soliciting.
Malatesta said he wasn't sure why Testerman's name was included in the Highway Patrol news release, but that "it was probably an attempt for transparency."
The statute does say that "the actor's name may be released to the public to aid or facilitate an arrest. This subsection shall not apply if release of the name or information is necessary to enforce an order for protection against the alleged actor."
"We look at every allegation seriously – we're investigating this just as we would any other," Malatesta told the WTE on Wednesday. "The fact that this person is a law enforcement officer does not give them preferential treatment. We do our investigation in the same manner and with the same professionalism."
On May 2, the Highway Patrol was contacted by the Cheyenne Police Department about an investigation involving a trooper, according to Tuesday's news release. It said the trooper, Testerman, was immediately removed from service and placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
WHP spokesperson Sgt. Jeremy Beck said Testerman has been with the agency since August 2005. Beck declined to provide any details about Testerman's job duties.
An investigation is ongoing. The Highway Patrol is "cooperating fully with the investigation," the news release said.
Hannah Black is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s criminal justice reporter. She can be reached at hblack@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3128. Follow her on Twitter at @hannahcblack. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/highway-patrol-trooper-no-longer-in-custody-at-laramie-county-jail/article_976e2ace-2a1a-11ed-850b-abe37a155261.html | 2022-09-02T00:26:28Z |
MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS – Yellowstone National Park is ending some limits on a six-mile stretch of road, the nation's oldest national park has announced.
Starting next Thursday, the park said, it won't mandate visitors get a day-use ticket to drive along the corridor between Tower Junction and Slough Creek. It had ran a pilot program of the so-called day-use program, in order "to expand access to this impacted area in the northern part of Yellowstone following the historic flood event in June," a news release recounted. "After closely monitoring use in the area, the park found the corridor could safely maintain an increase in day-use capacity."
This is the only section of the Northeast Entrance Road that is now open. The rest of it, from "Lamar Valley east to the barrier near Warm Creek)," is currently closed to traffic due the damage from the deluge earlier this year. Yellowstone reminded people the "North (Gardiner, Montana) and Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) entrances are closed with limited access." Visitors "wanting to drive the Tower Junction to Slough Creek road corridor will need to enter the park through the West, South or East entrances," it added.
This road corridor that is open "is essentially a dead-end," according to Wednesday's announcement. "People driving large vehicles (buses, long towing units etc.) are asked to be aware that turnaround areas along the Slough Creek Campground Road are limited."
For hikers and other nature lovers, the park went on to note that some trails and campsites in the northern range of the park near the road corridor remain closed.
The North and Northeast entrances remain shut to visitors' vehicles. "Access is available by approved commercial tours, bicycle (on paved roadways) and foot through the North (Gardiner, Montana) and Northeast (Cooke City/Silver Gate, Montana) entrances to fish and hike in areas not identified as closed," Yellowstone added. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/yellowstone-ends-some-limits-for-tower-junction-to-slough-creek-road/article_f03706c2-2997-11ed-8a6b-7743cd7a1c72.html | 2022-09-02T00:26:34Z |
Drone hovers over house, peeps into daughter’s room, mother says
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KCAL/KCBS) – A California mom is alerting her community after she said she saw a drone hovering near her home. She said she believes it was spying on her daughter.
The Huntington Beach wife and mother said she spotted the drone Monday afternoon hovering above her adult daughter’s balcony in the backyard. She said it was like a Peeping Tom.
“I could hear a drone,” the unnamed mother said. “And then I just was walking up and I realized one kind of swooped down and was only, like, maybe five feet from me, looking right in.”
She said her daughter didn’t hear the drone because the TV was on.
“For her not to know that that was just sitting there viewing … which, she’s in there, you know,” the mother said. “I don’t want her seen, I don’t want anyone that close.”
It’s not the first time family members have seen the drone flying close to their windows. They called the police and posted a warning on the Nextdoor app.
“That’s an easy way to Peeping Tom,” the mother said. “I mean, if they can come right into your window and be looking in, that’s a problem.”
Residents posted comments on Nextdoor about drones and concerns that criminals may be using them to scope out neighborhoods, and people were left wondering about their privacy rights.
Eric Traut, a civil trial attorney, said using drones to spy on people is an invasion of privacy.
“The laws are kind of catching up with the technology now, fortunately. So, you could have a drone that’s half a mile away videotaping somebody in their bathroom or bedroom and be in violation of the civil code section,” he said. “It’s also a violation of penal code.”
The California law on drone regulation spells out that no drone pilot can enter the airspace of a person to capture images without consent, nor can they take photos or record video of a person engaged in personal, private or familial activities without approval.
“It’s exactly the same as a peeper standing in your backyard or from their backyard,” Traut said. “As I said, it doesn’t have to be a trespass. If you’re looking into an area where people have an expectation of privacy, whether it’s with a drone or physically doing it or binoculars or any other device, it’s a violation of the law.”
Traut recommends that people with privacy concerns get photos or video of drones they believe may be invading their privacy.
He said, if it is safe, a person could even follow the drone to get more information about the possible pilot.
Copyright 2022 KCAL, KCBS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/drone-hovers-over-house-peeps-into-daughters-room-mother-says/ | 2022-09-02T00:39:55Z |
Jan. 6 panel asks former Speaker Gingrich for information
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is seeking information from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich about his communications with senior advisers to then-President Donald Trump in the days leading up to the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
The committee’s chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, wrote in a letter sent to Gingrich on Thursday that the panel has obtained emails Gingrich exchanged with Trump’s associates about television advertisements that “repeated and relied upon false claims about fraud in the 2020 election” and were designed to cast doubt on the voting after it had already taken place.
Thompson wrote that Gingrich also appeared to be involved in Trump’s scheme to appoint fake electors and emailed Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, about those efforts on the evening of Jan. 6, after Trump supporters had attacked the Capitol.
“Information obtained by the Select Committee suggests that you provided detailed directives about the television advertisements that perpetuated false claims about fraud in the 2020 election, that you sought ways to expand the reach of this messaging, and that you were likely in direct conversations with President Trump about these efforts,” Thompson wrote to Gingrich.
The request for Gingrich to cooperate voluntarily comes as the committee has been quietly continuing its investigation and preparing for a new set of hearings this month. Lawmakers and staff have been interviewing witnesses and compiling a final report in recent weeks after a series of hearings in June and July shed new light on Trump’s actions before and after the deadly rioting -- and his lack of a response as the violence was underway at the Capitol.
If he cooperates, Gingrich would be one of more than 1,000 witnesses interviewed by the committee, including dozens of Trump allies. The committee’s eight hearings this summer featured not only live witness testimony but also clips of video interviews with some of the former president’s closest aides, Cabinet secretaries and even family members. The panel is expected to resume the hearings in September, ahead of the midterm elections.
In the letter to Gingrich, Thompson said the former Georgia lawmaker exchanged emails with top Trump aides in which he provided “detailed input” into the television advertisements that encouraged members of the public to contact state officials and pressure them to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden. “To that end, these advertisements were intentionally aired in the days leading up to December 14, 2020, the day electors from each state met to cast their votes for president and vice president,” Thompson wrote.
That came as Georgia election officials were facing intimidation and threats of violence.
In an Dec. 8, 2020, email to the White House aides, according to the committee, Gingrich wrote: “The goal is to arouse the country’s anger through new verifiable information the American people have never seen before. ... If we inform the American people in a way they find convincing and it arouses their anger, they will then bring pressure on legislators and governors.”
The panel also cited a Nov. 12, 2020, email from Gingrich, just days after the election, to Meadows and then-White House counsel Pat Cipollone: “Is someone in charge of coordinating all the electors? … the contested electors must meet on (D)ecember 14 and send in ballots to force contests which the house would have to settle.”
On the evening of Jan. 6, Gingrich wrote Meadows at 10:42 p.m., after the Capitol had been cleared and after Congress had resumed certifying Biden’s win. He asked about letters from state legislators concerning “decertifying electors,” the committee says.
“Surprisingly, the attack on Congress and the activities prescribed by the Constitution did not even pause your relentless pursuit,” Thompson wrote.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/01/jan-6-panel-asks-former-speaker-gingrich-information/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:01Z |
Mastriano sues Jan. 6 committee over deposition authority
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Republican nominee for governor on Thursday sued the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, contesting its legal ability to force him to answer questions about it.
The lawsuit filed by Doug Mastriano contends that the committee lacks appointees of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and thus does not comply with House rules for conducting a compelled deposition of witnesses.
A properly appointed ranking minority member is necessary for a witness to have access to protections provided in House rules on deposition authority, the lawsuit says.
Last month, Mastriano cut short a closed-door interview without answering questions from committee members. The committee refused to let Mastriano record the deposition, Mastriano’s lawsuit said, and Mastriano has concerns about how the committee might disseminate excerpts to the public from a closed-door deposition with him, the lawsuit said.
A committee spokesperson declined comment on the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington.
Still, Mastriano’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, has said his client is willing to voluntarily testify publicly before the panel and has told the FBI that he didn’t know about a planned insurrection or any coordination behind the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Mastriano, a state senator and retired U.S. Army colonel who won the GOP nomination for governor in May, was in regular communication with Donald Trump as the then-president sought to stay in power despite his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Mastriano helped organize efforts in Pennsylvania to submit alternate presidential electors beholden to Trump and was seen outside the Capitol as pro-Trump demonstrators attacked police.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/02/mastriano-sues-jan-6-committee-over-deposition-authority/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:08Z |
Drone hovers over house, peeps into daughter’s room, mother says
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (KCAL/KCBS) – A California mom is alerting her community after she said she saw a drone hovering near her home. She said she believes it was spying on her daughter.
The Huntington Beach wife and mother said she spotted the drone Monday afternoon hovering above her adult daughter’s balcony in the backyard. She said it was like a Peeping Tom.
“I could hear a drone,” the unnamed mother said. “And then I just was walking up and I realized one kind of swooped down and was only, like, maybe five feet from me, looking right in.”
She said her daughter didn’t hear the drone because the TV was on.
“For her not to know that that was just sitting there viewing … which, she’s in there, you know,” the mother said. “I don’t want her seen, I don’t want anyone that close.”
It’s not the first time family members have seen the drone flying close to their windows. They called the police and posted a warning on the Nextdoor app.
“That’s an easy way to Peeping Tom,” the mother said. “I mean, if they can come right into your window and be looking in, that’s a problem.”
Residents posted comments on Nextdoor about drones and concerns that criminals may be using them to scope out neighborhoods, and people were left wondering about their privacy rights.
Eric Traut, a civil trial attorney, said using drones to spy on people is an invasion of privacy.
“The laws are kind of catching up with the technology now, fortunately. So, you could have a drone that’s half a mile away videotaping somebody in their bathroom or bedroom and be in violation of the civil code section,” he said. “It’s also a violation of penal code.”
The California law on drone regulation spells out that no drone pilot can enter the airspace of a person to capture images without consent, nor can they take photos or record video of a person engaged in personal, private or familial activities without approval.
“It’s exactly the same as a peeper standing in your backyard or from their backyard,” Traut said. “As I said, it doesn’t have to be a trespass. If you’re looking into an area where people have an expectation of privacy, whether it’s with a drone or physically doing it or binoculars or any other device, it’s a violation of the law.”
Traut recommends that people with privacy concerns get photos or video of drones they believe may be invading their privacy.
He said, if it is safe, a person could even follow the drone to get more information about the possible pilot.
Copyright 2022 KCAL, KCBS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/drone-hovers-over-house-peeps-into-daughters-room-mother-says/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:37Z |
Fall allergy season nears its peak
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Fall allergies are in full swing.
Dr. Steven Pence, an allergist from Allergy & Asthma Associates of Virginia in Harrisonburg, said Labor Day weekend is typically when ragweed peaks.
If the weather is dry, warm, and breezy, ragweed has a greater prevalence. If you are very sensitive to ragweed, Pence said antihistamines can help even before you go outside, especially during high exposure to the outdoors. There’s also a pretty simple task to do when coming back inside.
“If you are doing a Labor Day picnic or you are out boating or something like that, when you get in for the evening, even if you’re not dirty, you’ll want to rinse off and change your clothes. That’s a pretty simple mechanical sort of thing but it works pretty well with any patients,” said Pence.
Pence also said ragweed completely goes away by the second frost of the fall or Halloween.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/fall-allergy-season-near-peak/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:39Z |
Gov. Youngkin reveals plan addressing teacher shortage, learning loss
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed solutions to the teacher shortage and student learning gaps by signing an executive directive Thursday morning.
“It makes one sad to think that we have a whole generation of students who aren’t fully prepared,” Youngkin said to students and staff at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford.
Under the executive directive, the governor outlined a number of actions that include:
- Issuing teaching and renewal licenses for teachers who are licensed out-of-state and retired teachers whose licenses have relapsed.
- Coordinating with the Virginia Retirement System to allow retired teachers to fill all vacant K-12 positions.
- Calling on the Secretary of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of Labor, and the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry to work together to reduce red tape in getting a teacher’s license while ensuring high standards.
- Targeting teacher recruitment and retention by offering bonuses to communities with the greatest need, maximizing teacher benefits, and fund incentives towards existing positions with Covid relief funds.
- Forming an apprenticeship program allowing college students earning a degree in Education to earn credits while learning in the classroom.
- Forming a statewide model policy to establish childcare specialist apprenticeship opportunities for high school students.
- Offering support in child care operating inside of schools to benefit both teachers and local families.
“We need to know the needs through accurate and timely data on why teachers have left the profession. Why do we have vacancies?” he asked.
Youngkin said documenting those answers routinely in a comprehensive plan would also help address the root of teacher vacancies.
School board member Jonathan Young said retention is a big issue for Richmond Public Schools, where one quarter, or 25.6%, of RPS teachers, walked away last school year.
“We’re losing teachers because they are being micromanaged - because they are being told to shut up, sit down, know your place,” Young said.
Young said he hopes the governor’s executive action will make a difference.
“This is the beginning of an accelerated program that will not just bridge the gap for our children, but also bridge the gap in having a great teacher in every single classroom,” Youngkin said.
The governor is also launching a new pilot program where 15 school divisions will share learning loss recovery plans to see what works best.
The hope is to roll out the program statewide based on their findings eventually.
Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/gov-youngkin-reveals-plan-addressing-teacher-shortage-learning-loss/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:40Z |
Jan. 6 panel asks former Speaker Gingrich for information
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection is seeking information from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich about his communications with senior advisers to then-President Donald Trump in the days leading up to the 2021 attack on the Capitol.
The committee’s chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, wrote in a letter sent to Gingrich on Thursday that the panel has obtained emails Gingrich exchanged with Trump’s associates about television advertisements that “repeated and relied upon false claims about fraud in the 2020 election” and were designed to cast doubt on the voting after it had already taken place.
Thompson wrote that Gingrich also appeared to be involved in Trump’s scheme to appoint fake electors and emailed Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, about those efforts on the evening of Jan. 6, after Trump supporters had attacked the Capitol.
“Information obtained by the Select Committee suggests that you provided detailed directives about the television advertisements that perpetuated false claims about fraud in the 2020 election, that you sought ways to expand the reach of this messaging, and that you were likely in direct conversations with President Trump about these efforts,” Thompson wrote to Gingrich.
The request for Gingrich to cooperate voluntarily comes as the committee has been quietly continuing its investigation and preparing for a new set of hearings this month. Lawmakers and staff have been interviewing witnesses and compiling a final report in recent weeks after a series of hearings in June and July shed new light on Trump’s actions before and after the deadly rioting -- and his lack of a response as the violence was underway at the Capitol.
If he cooperates, Gingrich would be one of more than 1,000 witnesses interviewed by the committee, including dozens of Trump allies. The committee’s eight hearings this summer featured not only live witness testimony but also clips of video interviews with some of the former president’s closest aides, Cabinet secretaries and even family members. The panel is expected to resume the hearings in September, ahead of the midterm elections.
In the letter to Gingrich, Thompson said the former Georgia lawmaker exchanged emails with top Trump aides in which he provided “detailed input” into the television advertisements that encouraged members of the public to contact state officials and pressure them to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden. “To that end, these advertisements were intentionally aired in the days leading up to December 14, 2020, the day electors from each state met to cast their votes for president and vice president,” Thompson wrote.
That came as Georgia election officials were facing intimidation and threats of violence.
In an Dec. 8, 2020, email to the White House aides, according to the committee, Gingrich wrote: “The goal is to arouse the country’s anger through new verifiable information the American people have never seen before. ... If we inform the American people in a way they find convincing and it arouses their anger, they will then bring pressure on legislators and governors.”
The panel also cited a Nov. 12, 2020, email from Gingrich, just days after the election, to Meadows and then-White House counsel Pat Cipollone: “Is someone in charge of coordinating all the electors? … the contested electors must meet on (D)ecember 14 and send in ballots to force contests which the house would have to settle.”
On the evening of Jan. 6, Gingrich wrote Meadows at 10:42 p.m., after the Capitol had been cleared and after Congress had resumed certifying Biden’s win. He asked about letters from state legislators concerning “decertifying electors,” the committee says.
“Surprisingly, the attack on Congress and the activities prescribed by the Constitution did not even pause your relentless pursuit,” Thompson wrote.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/jan-6-panel-asks-former-speaker-gingrich-information/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:44Z |
Leaders launch ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign ahead of Labor Day weekend
RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - Inside the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond on Thursday, Governor Glenn Youngkin joined other leaders across the state to remind Virginians about the dangers of impaired driving as part of a statewide traffic safety awareness campaign called “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”
The campaign, formerly known as “Checkpoint Strikeforce,” aims to prevent alcohol-related fatalities on the roads.
“As we head into Labor Day weekend, and if you find yourself in a quick discussion with anybody, remind them that they have to drive sober or they will get pulled over,” said Gov. Youngkin.
Leaders hope to communicate their message with videos, including a new “Act Like It” spot and data.
“This year’s survey of 600 male drivers ages 21 to 35 in Virginia reveal 86 percent have admitted to either driving after a few drinks or being driven by someone who had a few drinks or both,” said John Saunders with Virginia DMV’s Highway Safety Office.
At the podium, Gov. Youngkin said alcohol-related crashes have ticked up in the last year, but added fatalities continue to decline.
We admit more than 4,300 patients per year, mostly to motor vehicle crashes, of which one-third have alcohol in their system,” said Michel Aboutanos, medical director of VCU Medical Center’s Level I Trauma Center.
Aboutanos adds around 50 percent of those cases end up in the intensive care unit, a statistic leading to heartbreak and grief for families.
“Telling a mom or a father that their daughter or their son will not walk again or not come home again is the hardest part of their job,” he said during the press conference.
In an effort to prevent these crashes, Virginia State Police plans to be out in full force along with their law enforcement partners across the state this Labor Day weekend. State troopers around Virginia will hold more than two dozen DUI checkpoints and hundreds of patrols to keep drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.
“If knowing this makes one driver decide after taking a few drinks not to drive, then we have done our job,” said Colonel Gary Settle with Virginia State Police.
A message with a mission to save more lives.
“If you’re old enough to drink, act like it,” said Gov. Youngkin. “Act like it. It’s a lot more than a slogan. It’s the life of a Virginian that can be put at risk.”
The campaign will continue throughout the year, focusing on different holidays, including Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Years’.
Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/leaders-launch-drive-sober-or-get-pulled-over-campaign-ahead-labor-day-weekend/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:45Z |
Shenandoah County family concerned over lack of bus stop for their children
STRASBURG, Va. (WHSV) - A family in Shenandoah County is worried for their children’s safety because of a lack of a school bus stop.
The issue is in the Lebanon Church area of the county near Indian Rock Road.
For years, the Cach children have been able to walk through a neighbor’s property to get to a bus stop -- which is a mile away -- but that is no longer an option.
Tony and Kristina Cach live off of U.S. Route 48 & Virginia State Route 55. Their children have no bus stop they can walk to safely after their neighbor closed off a private access road they used to get to their previous stop.
“They have no way to go from here to there, to and from the bus stop. Their only other choice is to walk down the side of the road,” said Tony Cach.
With the path blocked, there is no stop they can walk to safely. The parents have had to drive their children to school and it can be difficult because of their work schedules.
“With gas prices the way they are, it’s kind of tough,” said Tony Cach. “We definitely don’t want them walking without a sidewalk or anything. It’s pretty dangerous,” said Tony Cach.
In addition to the extra fuel expenses, U.S. Route 48-Virginia State Route 55 is a fairly busy road with no sidewalks. The Cach parents do not want their children walking long distances down the road with a 55 mph speed limit to get catch the nearest bus to class.
“I don’t understand why Shenandoah County is not giving us a bus stop. I have to change my schedule to meet my kids’ needs. What if people don’t have transportation? How are they supposed to get their kids to school?” said Kristina Cach.
The couple said they have been in touch with Shenandoah County Public Schools Transportation Department about the problem but so far no solution has been offered.
“Shenandoah County asked and said if you need a bus stop get ahold of transportation and we will grant you guys bus stops. They haven’t granted us anything. Just a headache,” said Kristina Cach.
WHSV spoke briefly with Shenandoah County Public Schools Transportation Department on Thursday. The transportation supervisor said that the department has been in contact with the family and is prioritizing safety as it tries to find a solution.
The Cach family hopes the schools will work with VDOT and add a closer bus stop soon for their children. They believe one could be added at the bottom of Indian Rock Road.
“If VDOT would come in and put gravel through here, there looks like there’s plenty of room to me for a bus to be able to pull slightly off the road,” said Tony Cach.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/shenandoah-county-family-concerned-over-lack-bus-stop-their-children/ | 2022-09-02T00:40:57Z |
Shenandoah County holds Strasburg tour as part of its Shenandoah 2045 project
STRASBURG, Va. (WHSV) - On Thursday, Shenandoah County’s Planner held a tour of downtown Strasburg as part of the county’s Shenandoah 2045 project which aims to map out the vision for the county’s future.
As the county works toward creating its 2045 comprehensive plan which will be in effect from 2025-2045, it’s been holding walking tours of every town in the county.
During the tours, the county gathers community feedback and looks at what works well in each town and looks into what can be improved to help map out plans for the future.
“The tours get us on the ground and in the community,” said Shenandoah County Planner Tyler Hinkle. “Understanding what are the real-life situations and ways that we can look within ourselves in order to better understand how different places in the county and in each town could learn from each other for the future.”
Hinkle and his team have also been attending festivals in the towns and gathering feedback on what people would like to see in the future.
“We came to Mayfest here in Strasburg and we hear a lot of good input. The main thing that we heard from them was that they need another grocery store in town. There were also a lot of concerns about if there is a second school built that they’d want it on this side of the river due to the traffic impacts of the current schools,” said Hinkle.
During the tour on Thursday, Strasburg leaders and members of various organizations walked around the downtown Strasburg area and discussed the town’s strengths and weaknesses including look into what possible needs there may be for the future.
“For Strasburg, I think that from the discussions we’ve had today a lot of the ways that the town can look to the future are sometimes looking within itself and to other towns in the county. So we were just talking about how there’s a lack of grocery stores in the town, so a model for that could be New Market,” said Hinkle.
Hinkle said that there are a lot of commonalities in each of the towns. He said one of the county’s top priorities is making the most valuable land in each of the towns more beneficial to everyone.
“Finding those opportunities areas, working with the residents to find out what the community wants, and then finding a way it can be implemented by both private and public investments,” said Hinkle.
Shenandoah County residents can provide their input on what they’d like to see in the county’s future through an online survey here. The survey will close on September 5. From there, the county will begin writing the first draft of its new comprehensive plan.
Hinkle said that making sure the community is involved in the crafting of the plan is vital and urges all residents to provide their input through the online survey.
“You want to be informed about what your community is planning for the future. You may not think it now but you drive on the roads, your kids go to the schools here, you go to the grocery store here, and in some way or another, this plan impacts your life,” he said.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/shenandoah-county-holds-strasburg-tour-part-its-shenandoah-2045-project/ | 2022-09-02T00:41:03Z |
Why has hurricane season been quiet?
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) -- We are now halfway through the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season and as the peak approaches, it has been oddly quiet with only four named storms so far.
“It looks like there’s a lot of interaction with weather systems in the middle latitudes. It’s sort of bringing some dry air and sort of mixing it down into the tropics. It’s sort of a climate signal we don’t see often,” said Stephanie Zick, an assistant meteorology professor from Virginia Tech.
However, it can change quickly.
“There are a lot of warm waters in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico and so we could see some really intense hurricanes from later this season,” said Zick.
The number of named storms also doesn’t matter when it comes to impact. In 1992, there were only 6 named storms but the first one was Hurricane Andrew. Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 hurricane that rampaged South Florida. It was the costliest hurricane before Hurricane Katrina and caused 65 fatalities.
It’s also important to not let your guard down even in October and November.
“Honestly, a lot of storms have formed in October and into November. If they form, they tend to form close to land so we just want to keep monitoring that,” Zick said.
This season at least will likely be one that is studied intensely in the future.
“Really people that do tropical climate or seasonal predictions will really invest a lot of time in this,” said Zick.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season ends November 30th.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/01/why-has-hurricane-season-been-quiet/ | 2022-09-02T00:41:17Z |
EndZone Game of the Week Preview: Strasburg vs. Broadway
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Strasburg and Broadway meet in the WHSV EndZone Game of the Week.
For Strasburg, Friday night’s contest is the first game of the season after last week’s opener against Skyline was canceled following alleged threatening comments made on social media.
“We are going to be fresh and we are going to have a lot of energy to get out,” said Strasburg head coach Mark Roller. “For our kids it will be a little emotional and physical and excitement.”
Broadway returns home in week two after an impressive road win in week one. The Gobblers defeated Fluvanna County, 28-17, last Friday.
“Super proud of our kids and it’s going to be a testament to see where we’re at this week,” said Broadway head coach Danny Grogg. “It’s gonna be a dogfight this week. It’s gonna be a physical ballgame. Strasburg is gonna be well-coached but (we’re) excited to play in this game.”
The Gobblers and Rams met in Strasburg last season. Strasburg came away with a 25-21 win in a game that came down to the final minute.
“We’re ready,” said Broadway senior QB Ethan Pfamatter. “We want to get that revenge. Last game we didn’t come out on top.”
Kickoff between Strasburg and Broadway is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday night at Broadway High School.
“Excited about this Friday,” said Strasburg junior offensive/defensive lineman Colby Shaw. “Broadway has always been a pretty good team to play against...this week we’re really gonna have to work hard on defense and offense.”
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/02/endzone-game-week-preview-strasburg-vs-broadway/ | 2022-09-02T00:41:23Z |
Updated September 1, 2022 at 7:38 PM ET
Amazon appears to be losing its case to unravel the union victory that formed the company's first organized warehouse in the U.S.
After workers in Staten Island, N.Y., voted to join the Amazon Labor Union this spring, the company appealed the result. A federal labor official presided over weeks of hearings on the case and is now recommending that Amazon's objections be rejected in their entirety and that the union should be certified.
"Today is a great day for Labor," tweeted ALU president Chris Smalls, who launched the union after Amazon fired him from the Staten Island warehouse following his participation in a pandemic-era walkout.
The case has attracted a lot of attention as it weighs the fate of the first – and so far only – successful union push at an Amazon warehouse in the U.S. It's also large-scale, organizing more than 8,000 workers at the massive facility.
Workers in Staten Island voted in favor of unionizing by more than 500 votes, delivering a breakthrough victory to an upstart grassroots group known as the Amazon Labor Union. The group is run by current and former workers of the warehouse, known as JFK8.
The union now has its sights on another New York warehouse: Workers at an Amazon facility near Albany have gathered enough signatures to petition the National Labor Relations Board for their own election.
However, Amazon has objected to the union's victory, accusing the NLRB's regional office in Brooklyn – which oversaw the election – of acting in favor of the Amazon Labor Union. Amazon also accused the ALU of coercing and misleading warehouse workers.
"As we showed throughout the hearing with dozens of witnesses and hundreds of pages of documents, both the NLRB and the ALU improperly influenced the outcome of the election and we don't believe it represents what the majority of our team wants," Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement on Thursday, saying the company would appeal the hearing officer's conclusion.
The officer's report serves as a recommendation for a formal decision by the National Labor Relations Board, which does not have to follow the recommendation, though typically does. Amazon has until Sept. 16 to file its objections. If the company fails to sway the NLRB, the agency will require the company to begin negotiations with the union.
At stake in all this is future path of labor organizing at Amazon, where unions have long struggled for a foothold, while its sprawling web of warehouses has ballooned the company into America's second-largest private employer.
In the spring, two previous elections failed to form unions at two other Amazon warehouses. Workers at another, smaller Staten Island warehouse voted against joining the ALU.
And in Alabama, workers held a new vote after U.S. labor officials found Amazon unfairly influenced the original election in 2021, but new election results remain contested.
In that Alabama vote, the NLRB has yet to rule on ballots contested by both the union and Amazon, which could sway the results of the election. The agency is also weighing accusations of unfair labor practices by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union that's trying to organize Alabama warehouse workers.
Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's recent financial supporters.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-01/amazon-loses-key-step-in-its-attempt-to-reverse-its-workers-historic-union-vote | 2022-09-02T00:48:26Z |
Updated September 1, 2022 at 5:42 PM ET
KYIV, Ukraine — The mayor of the town closest to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant says he hopes the Russian forces now controlling the complex will move out, following an inspection by the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
Dmytro Orlov, mayor of Enerhodar, which sits less than 2 miles from Europe's largest power plant, says the occupying Russian forces have been using the plant as a fortress and a staging ground to shell local residents.
"I only hope that the international experts will be able to assess and take appropriate decisions in order to protect the whole world from the disaster," he tells NPR in an interview from Zaporizhzhia City. Orlov had to leave Enerhodar weeks ago for his safety, a spokesperson says.
A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency got to the plant Thursday to assess the safety and security of the complex, which has been under Russian occupation since early March. The inspectors, welcomed by both Russia and Ukraine, made it from Kyiv in just under a day, despite long delays and intense shelling Thursday morning along the preapproved route.
Ukrainian officials say Russian forces are to blame for the attacks on the route. Orlov says he can tell because "around 2 seconds" pass between hearing a mortar shot and the resulting explosion.
"Therefore, we understand that ... the distance of this weapon is somewhere around 1-2 kilometers from the place that was hit," he tells NPR. "This [where the sounds are originating from] is occupied territory."
Orlov notes that residents from Primernoye and Ivanivka, two villages in the Zaporizhzhia region, under Russian control, have reported shelling originating from their villages. He also says that he has seen shelling originate from the nuclear power plant; missiles that struck the cities of Nikopol and Marganec across the Dnipro River.
Meanwhile, Russia says it is the Ukrainians who are doing the shelling. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Moscow was working hard to facilitate the IAEA visit.
"We are doing everything to ensure that this station is safe, that it functions safely," Lavrov said in Moscow on Thursday. "And for the mission there to carry out all of its plans."
Nuclear experts around the world have warned that a nuclear catastrophe is imminent if the Russians aren't maintaining the plant correctly and if shelling in the area does not stop.
Orlov calls the reduced crew of Ukrainian workers at the plant "heroes," and says they are under immense physical and psychological pressure. Many of the plant's employees are residents of his town — its prewar population a little over 53,000 — where Orlov says the shops and internet have stopped working and everyone lives in fear of the constant shelling, or the Russian troops and their armed allies walking around town.
"They rob people, steal cars, mobile phones," he says. "Everyone who expresses a pro-Ukrainian position openly — or not openly — is being taken to basement and tortured."
Ukraine's nuclear energy operator, Enerhoatom, says IAEA director Rafael Mariano Grossi and most of his delegation left the Zaporizhzhia plant by Thursday evening Ukrainian time. It says five representatives of the mission will stay behind until Saturday.
Polina Lytvynova contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-01/as-inspectors-leave-ukraines-nuclear-plant-the-mayor-of-a-nearby-town-has-high-hopes | 2022-09-02T00:48:32Z |
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has endorsed the first updated COVID-19 booster shots.
Earlier in the day vaccine advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend reformulated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. The vote was 13 in favor and one no vote.
"The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant," Walensky said in a written statement announcing her decision.
"If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it," Walensky said.
The booster shots target both the original strain of the coronavirus and the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants that most people are catching now. This double-barreled vaccine is called a bivalent vaccine.
The CDC advisers recommended that anyone age 12 and older get the new Pfizer-BioNTech boosters as authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. The updated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for anyone 18 and older.
In both cases people would have to wait two months after completing their initial vaccination or their last booster shot. But many vaccine experts say it would be better to wait at least four months since the last shot or COVID infection, or the boosters won't work as well.
This is the first time the FDA has authorized COVID vaccines without requiring they get tested in people. To keep up with the rapidly evolving virus, the FDA relied on how well the shots stimulated the immune systems of mice. They also looked at how well similar shots targeted at earlier variants worked on people.
The companies and federal officials say there's no question the shots are safe and they argue the evidence indicates the reformulated boosters will help reduce the chances people will catch the virus and spread it.
But some people wonder if it would be better to wait for the results from human studies that are already underway.
"It certainly looks very promising," said CDC advisor Dr. Pablo Sanchez from The Ohio State University at Thursday's hearing. "I understand the constant shift of these variants but studies with the BA.4 and BA.5 are ongoing in humans and I just wonder if it's a little premature," he said. Sanchez was the only adviser to vote no. "I voted no because I feel we really need the human data," he explained. "There's a lot of vaccine hesitancy already. We need human data."
But other advisers were more comfortable, pointing out that flu vaccines are updated every year without being tested in people.
"This is the future that we're heading for," says Dr. Jamie Loehr of Cayuga Family Medicine. "We're going to have more variants and we should be treating this like the flu, where we can use new strain variants every year." Loehr says he's comfortable recommending the updated boosters, "even if we don't have human data."
Between 400 and 500 people are still dying every day in the U.S. from COVID-19 and public health officials are worried another surge could hit this fall or winter. The administration hopes the reformulated boosters will help contain a surge and protect people from serious disease or death.
The federal government plans to make the boosters available quickly. In advance of the FDA's decision, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator told NPR that the new boosters represented "a really important moment in this pandemic."
Now the CDC has signed off, few shots could be available as early as Friday, with a wider rollout next week.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-01/cdc-recommends-new-booster-shots-to-fight-omicron | 2022-09-02T00:48:39Z |
The college's student health center became the center of a maelstrom this past week, after students learned the Catholic health agency hired to run it follows religious restrictions on contraception.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The college's student health center became the center of a maelstrom this past week, after students learned the Catholic health agency hired to run it follows religious restrictions on contraception.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-01/oberlin-college-students-worry-catholic-directives-could-affect-contraception-access | 2022-09-02T00:48:45Z |
On her very first day in Antarctica, one woman was warned to avoid a certain building at the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station "unless [she] wanted to be raped."
Another was so "freaked out" by the pervasive sexual harassment that she began carrying around a hammer.
Sexual assault and sexual harassment "are a fact of life" in Antarctica, another woman said, "just like the fact that Antarctica is cold and the wind blows."
These are among the accounts published in a newly released report, commissioned by the National Science Foundation, that shows just how pervasive stories of harassment and assault are at the bottom of the world.
And it comes to a damning conclusion about the agency's operations in Antarctica: "Sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual assault are ongoing, continuing problems."
The report, which was presented to the NSF in June and publicly released last week, is based on more than 80 interviews with individuals and focus groups, along with a survey of 880 current and recent employees. Many of the report's interviewees are anonymous.
"This is totally unsurprising, unfortunately," said Roberta Marinelli, the director of the NSF's Office of Polar Programs, in an interview with NPR. "We've known for a long time, anecdotally, that women in particular suffer greatly down south, that sexual harassment is a significant problem."
Many employees view sexual harassment as a problem
The NSF oversees all American operations in Antarctica. Each year, more than 3,000 scientists, contractors and military personnel are sent to the continent for programs under NSF's jurisdiction. About one in three of them are women.
Every woman I knew down there had an assault or harassment experience that had occurred on ice.
In the report's survey, 72% of female respondents agreed that sexual harassment was a problem. Just under half agreed that sexual assault was a problem. (Among male employees responding to the survey, about half and a third, respectively, agreed that harassment and assault were problems.)
"Every woman I knew down there had an assault or harassment experience that had occurred on ice," one interviewee told the report's authors. Although incidents involving female victims were "much more frequent and severe," the report stated, several men also recounted experiencing sexual harassment by men and women.
Officials at the NSF commissioned the report in April 2021 after years of individual reports of sexual harassment.
A remote and difficult workplace
Antarctica is an unusually challenging environment for these kinds of allegations. Its remoteness often means people are unable to leave for weeks or months at a time.
"You're so isolated and so detached from the normal roles in society that often it makes it, for lack of a better word, easier to get away with inappropriate behavior," said Meredith Nash, an Australian researcher who did not participate in the NSF report.
"When people are out doing deep field work, not only do they not have the capacity to report, because you can't call someone or send an email or whatever – if you're working with your harasser, you literally can't get away from them," said Nash, who now serves as an associate dean of Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity at the Australian National University.
Up until now, incidents have been reported as one-offs. In 2018, the name of a seven-mile-long glacier was changed after its namesake, the geologist David Marchant, was accused of sexually harassing female graduate students. He was later fired from his job at Boston University. In a statement at the time, he denied the allegations.
In a separate incident, the NSF says it received a report of a rape at one of its facilities within the past five years. The agency says it "promptly" referred the allegation to the Department of Justice.
The problems go well beyond scientists. Of the thousands of people working in Antarctica under the NSF each year, about 800 are researchers. The rest are support staff, including cooks, janitors and maintenance workers, many of them employed on seasonal contracts.
Challenges of reform
Throughout the report, respondents describe a pervasive environment of harassment and assault – and a workplace that is unfriendly to those who report incidents.
"People on station fear, and rightfully so, that if they are harassed or assaulted and report it, they will be the ones who will be going home," one person told the report's authors. "When things happened on ice, the number one thing I heard was 'don't report it or you will go home and be blacklisted from the program.'"
Particularly at risk were people who felt that their livelihoods could be at stake, like seasonal employees who depend on contract renewals, or Ph.D students who are reliant on lead researchers – a fact that officials acknowledged.
"The research shows us that even when we have the best sort of the best practice around reporting, the best possible sort of system, people still don't report because the power dynamics are such that it's not usually in the interest of the victim's last survivor," said Stephanie Short, the NSF's head of Antarctic Infrastructure and Logistics.
Changing the power dynamics at these remote bases will be challenging, officials acknowledged. The infrequent availability of flights and ships means there's no simple way to separate victims from their harassers. And the numerous contractors and institutions that operate under NSF's oversight each has its own human resources policies and procedures around assault and harassment.
But officials at NSF say they are committed to reforming their operations.
"I don't feel I have a choice but to do anything other than meet this challenge head on," said Marinelli. "We have an obligation to provide a safe work environment, to provide workplace safety and workplace development opportunities for anyone who wants to come to Antarctica."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-01/sexual-harassment-and-assault-plague-u-s-research-bases-in-antarctica-report-says | 2022-09-02T00:48:52Z |
President Biden is giving a rare prime-time speech on Thursday on what he calls the "battle for the soul of the nation" — including threats posed by a faction of the Republican party tied to former President Donald Trump.
It's a message that comes just two months ahead of the midterm congressional elections, where Democrats are fighting to keep their slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives. Biden is expected to travel to key states in upcoming weeks to campaign for Democratic candidates.
The speech from the Independence National Historical Park in downtown Philadelphia marks a return to a message Biden used in his 2020 campaign.
Watch the speech here at 8 p.m. ET:
"For a long time, we've reassured ourselves that American democracy is guaranteed," Biden will say, according to excerpts of remarks released by the White House. "But it is not. We have to defend it. Protect it. Stand up for it. Each and every one of us."
The White House calls supporters of Trump "MAGA Republicans" — referring to the 'Make America Great Again' slogan used by the former president. Biden says they must be confronted.
"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards," he will say, according to the excerpts. "Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love."
In recent weeks, Biden has said they support a form of semi-fascism, and has excoriated them for embracing political violence in their refusal to accept the results of the election.
Republicans have criticized Biden for being divisive. Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the president was pitting Americans against each other.
"Joe Biden is the divider-in-chief and epitomizes the current state of the Democrat Party: one of divisiveness, disgust, and hostility towards half the country," McDaniel said in a statement.
After months of struggling in the polls, Biden is seeking to capitalize on a series of legislative wins, concerns about the impact of the Supreme Court's abortion ruling --- as well as from ongoing coverage of Trump's legal problems, said Doug Sosnik, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton.
Democrats are working to capitalize on this newfound momentum ahead of the midterms, particularly with independent voters, Sosnik said.
"In a world that's increasingly become bifurcated, the center here is the 30% of the people out there who are, you know, open to persuasion," he said.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/politics-government/2022-09-01/biden-is-giving-a-prime-time-speech-on-threats-to-democracy-as-midterm-races-heat-up | 2022-09-02T00:48:58Z |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has endorsed the first updated COVID-19 booster shots.
Earlier in the day advisers to the CDC voted to recommend reformulated versions of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. The vote was 13 in favor and one no vote.
"The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant," Walensky said in a written statement announcing the recommendation.
"If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it," Walensky said.
The booster shots target both the original strain of the coronavirus and the omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants that most people are catching now. This double-barreled vaccine is called a bivalent vaccine.
The CDC advisers recommended that anyone age 12 and older get the new Pfizer-BioNTech boosters as authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. The updated Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for anyone 18 and older.
In both cases people would have to wait two months after completing their initial vaccination or their last booster shot. But many vaccine experts say it would be better to wait at least four months since the last shot or COVID infection, or the boosters won't work as well.
This is the first time the FDA has authorized COVID vaccines without requiring they get tested in people. To keep up with the rapidly evolving virus, the FDA relied on how well the shots stimulated the immune systems of mice. They also looked at how well similar shots targeted at earlier variants worked on people.
The companies and federal officials say there's no question the shots are safe and they argue the evidence indicates the reformulated boosters will help reduce the chances people will catch the virus and spread it.
But some people wonder if it would be better to wait for the results from human studies that are already underway.
"It certainly looks very promising," said CDC advisor Dr. Pablo Sanchez from The Ohio State University at Thursday's hearing. "I understand the constant shift of these variants but studies with the BA.4 and BA.5 are ongoing in humans and I just wonder if it's a little premature," he said. Sanchez was the only adviser to vote no. "I voted no because I feel we really need the human data," he explained. "There's a lot of vaccine hesitancy already. We need human data."
But other advisers were more comfortable, pointing out that flu vaccines are updated every year without being tested in people.
"This is the future that we're heading for," says Dr. Jamie Loehr of Cayuga Family Medicine. "We're going to have more variants and we should be treating this like the flu, where we can use new strain variants every year." Loehr says he's comfortable recommending the updated boosters, "even if we don't have human data."
Between 400 and 500 people are still dying every day in the U.S. from COVID-19 and public health officials are worried another surge could hit this fall or winter. The administration hopes the reformulated boosters will help contain a surge and protect people from serious disease or death.
The federal government plans to make the boosters available quickly. In advance of the FDA's decision, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator told NPR that the new boosters represented "a really important moment in this pandemic."
Now the CDC has signed off, few shots could be available as early as Friday, with a wider rollout next week.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-09-01/cdc-recommends-new-booster-shots-to-fight-omicron | 2022-09-02T01:20:54Z |
Updated September 1, 2022 at 8:31 PM ET
On her very first day in Antarctica, one woman was warned to avoid a certain building at the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station "unless [she] wanted to be raped."
Another was so "freaked out" by the pervasive sexual harassment that she began carrying around a hammer.
Sexual assault and sexual harassment "are a fact of life" in Antarctica, another woman said, "just like the fact that Antarctica is cold and the wind blows."
These are among the accounts published in a newly released report, commissioned by the National Science Foundation, that shows just how pervasive stories of harassment and assault are at the bottom of the world.
And it comes to a damning conclusion about the agency's operations in Antarctica: "Sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual assault are ongoing, continuing problems."
The report, which was presented to the NSF in June and publicly released last week, is based on more than 80 interviews with individuals and focus groups, along with a survey of 880 current and recent employees. Many of the report's interviewees are anonymous.
"It wasn't surprising to me to hear some of the stories that we heard," said Roberta Marinelli, the director of the NSF's Office of Polar Programs, in an interview with NPR. "It's certainly disappointing."
Many employees view sexual harassment as a problem
The NSF oversees all American operations in Antarctica. Each year, more than 3,000 scientists, contractors and military personnel are sent to the continent for programs under NSF's jurisdiction. About one in three of them are women.
Every woman I knew down there had an assault or harassment experience that had occurred on ice.
In the report's survey, 72% of female respondents agreed that sexual harassment was a problem. Just under half agreed that sexual assault was a problem. (Among male employees responding to the survey, about half and a third, respectively, agreed that harassment and assault were problems.)
"Every woman I knew down there had an assault or harassment experience that had occurred on ice," one interviewee told the report's authors. Although incidents involving female victims were "much more frequent and severe," the report stated, several men also recounted experiencing sexual harassment by men and women.
Officials at the NSF commissioned the report in April 2021 after years of individual reports of sexual harassment.
A remote and difficult workplace
Antarctica is an unusually challenging environment for these kinds of allegations. Its remoteness often means people are unable to leave for weeks or months at a time.
"You're so isolated and so detached from the normal roles in society that often it makes it, for lack of a better word, easier to get away with inappropriate behavior," said Meredith Nash, an Australian researcher who did not participate in the NSF report.
"When people are out doing deep field work, not only do they not have the capacity to report, because you can't call someone or send an email or whatever – if you're working with your harasser, you literally can't get away from them," said Nash, who now serves as an associate dean of Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity at the Australian National University.
Up until now, incidents have been reported as one-offs. In 2018, the name of a seven-mile-long glacier was changed after its namesake, the geologist David Marchant, was accused of sexually harassing female graduate students. He was later fired from his job at Boston University. In a statement at the time, he denied the allegations.
In a separate incident, the NSF says it received a report of a rape at one of its facilities within the past five years. The agency says it "promptly" referred the allegation to the Department of Justice.
The problems go well beyond scientists. Of the thousands of people working in Antarctica under the NSF each year, about 800 are researchers. The rest are support staff, including cooks, janitors and maintenance workers, many of them employed on seasonal contracts.
Challenges of reform
Throughout the report, respondents describe a pervasive environment of harassment and assault – and a workplace that is unfriendly to those who report incidents.
"People on station fear, and rightfully so, that if they are harassed or assaulted and report it, they will be the ones who will be going home," one person told the report's authors. "When things happened on ice, the number one thing I heard was 'don't report it or you will go home and be blacklisted from the program.'"
Particularly at risk were people who felt that their livelihoods could be at stake, like seasonal employees who depend on contract renewals, or Ph.D students who are reliant on lead researchers – a fact that officials acknowledged.
"The research shows us that even when we have the best sort of the best practice around reporting, the best possible sort of system, people still don't report because the power dynamics are such that it's not usually in the interest of the victim," Nash said.
Changing the power dynamics at these remote bases will be challenging, officials acknowledged. The infrequent availability of flights and ships means there's no simple way to separate victims from their harassers. And the numerous contractors and institutions that operate under NSF's oversight each has its own human resources policies and procedures around assault and harassment.
But officials at NSF say they are committed to reforming their operations.
"I don't feel I have a choice but to do anything other than meet this challenge head on," said Marinelli. "We have an obligation to provide a safe work environment, to provide workplace safety and workplace development opportunities for anyone who wants to come to Antarctica."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.keranews.org/2022-09-01/sexual-harassment-and-assault-plague-u-s-research-bases-in-antarctica-report-says | 2022-09-02T01:21:00Z |
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, signed off Thursday on the recommendation of the agency's independent vaccine advisers in favor of updated Covid-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 13 to 1 earlier in the day to recommend updated mRNA boosters for Americans this fall.
Walensky's decision means the shots could be available by Friday, according to pharmaceutical manufacturers, which began shipping the new doses after the US Food and Drug Administration authorized them Wednesday.
"The updated COVID-19 boosters are formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating COVID-19 variant," Walensky said in a statement. "They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants. This recommendation followed a comprehensive scientific evaluation and robust scientific discussion. If you are eligible, there is no bad time to get your COVID-19 booster and I strongly encourage you to receive it."
The updated boosters have instructions that tell our cells to make antibodies against two strains of the virus that causes Covid-19: the original strain and the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, which share the same spike.
Pfizer/BioNTech's updated vaccine is a 30-microgram dose authorized for people 12 and older. Moderna's updated vaccine is a 50-microgram dose authorized for people 18 and older.
The CDC said in the statement that it "also expects to recommend updated COVID-19 boosters for other pediatric groups" in the coming weeks.
People are eligible for the updated boosters as long as they have completed all primary doses in their vaccine series. The committee recommended that the new boosters be given at least two months after the last dose of any Covid-19 vaccine and up to three months after an infection.
The new formulations do not replace shots for the primary series.
The boosters were approved based on studies in mice bred to have human ACE-2 receptors -- the doors the coronavirus uses to get into our cells -- but clinical trial data showing how well they may work in humans won't be available for another month or two.
This is similar to the way annual flu shots are studied and approved, but it's the first time for Covid-19 vaccines.
In approving the vaccines, regulators also reviewed data behind different two-strain boosters. Those carry instructions to fight the original strain of the Omicron variant, BA.1, along with the original virus. Those boosters have been studied in about 1,400 people. They have been authorized for use in the UK and Canada but will not be available in the US.
Several of the committee members said Thursday that they were uncomfortable recommending a vaccine with no human data to back it.
"We're been extrapolating the data that has been seen with the bivalent BA.1, and hopefully, we'll have similar data for BA.4 and BA.5," said Dr. Pablo Sanchez, a pediatrician at Ohio State University and a member of the committee.
"So I'm just concerned about that extrapolation. And because and ultimately, I really don't want to establish a precedent of recommending a vaccine that we don't have clinical data," said Sanchez, who voted against the recommendation.
That prompted a quick rebuttal from government experts who work with the committee.
"I just would like to remind the committee that every year, we use influenza vaccines that are based on new strains without clinical studies being done," said Dr. Melinda Wharton, associate director for vaccine policy at the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Dr. Doran Fink, deputy director of the FDA's Division of Vaccines and Related Products Applications, said, "I do appreciate the amount of discomfort that I'm hearing from committee members who are being asked to take this leap with the Covid vaccines that they haven't been asked to make previously with the Covid vaccines.
"FDA felt very comfortable with the approach of extrapolating the safety and effectiveness or rather the known and potential benefits," Fink said. "We recognize that we've taken a different path than the regulatory authorities have in Europe and Canada."
Fink said the US chose to go this route based on feedback from its independent advisory group and projections for the viruses that may be circulating in this country over the fall and winter.
On Thursday, the committee saw new modeling data that suggested there were substantial risks to waiting to roll out new boosters.
According to the CDC's forecasts, boosters given to US adults in September could prevent 137,000 more hospitalizations and 9,700 deaths than if the boosters were held until November.
New analyses on the cost-effectiveness of the boosters suggest that the US could save at least $63 billion in medical costs between August and March 31 if as many people get these boosters as got flu shots during the 2021-22 season.
In the studies that looked at the shot targeting BA.1 along with the original, the boosters broadened immunity against many variants, and they were proven to be better than the older single-strain boosters because they made higher levels of antibodies.
Moderna presented tantalizing data suggesting that the two-strain shots it developed against the Beta variant might extend the length of protection people get from their vaccines, which currently drops off significantly after about four months. It said a study on these results was being prepared for publication
In mice bred to have human ACE-2 receptors, the two-strain vaccines against BA.4 and BA.5 protected better against infections in their lungs, compared with the original vaccine.
About two-thirds of the total US population is vaccinated against Covid-19 with an initial series, according to data from the CDC. But less than half of those with their initial series -- and less than a third of the total population -- has also gotten a booster.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/cdc-signs-off-on-updated-covid-19-boosters/article_aa514c9a-c80c-5011-a06f-636ba5431205.html | 2022-09-02T01:59:13Z |
This August 2022 photo provided by Pfizer shows vials of the company's updated COVID-19 vaccine during production in Kalamazoo, Mich. U.S. regulators have authorized updated COVID-19 boosters, the first to directly target today's most common omicron strain. The move on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2022, by the Food and Drug Administration tweaks the recipe of shots made by Pfizer and rival Moderna that already have saved millions of lives. (Pfizer via AP)
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) recommends residents get the updated COVID-19 booster vaccine following its approval by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The new, bivalent vaccine booster protects against the original COVID-19 strain as well as specifically targeting the most-dominant ba.4 and ba.5 Omicron strains of the virus.
According to the DOH, the BA.5 subvariant accounts for about 91% of all COVID-19 cases in the state. The BA.4 subvariant accounts for an additional 4% of the state’s cases.
“The COVID-19 boosters we have been using do a good job of protecting us against severe illness. The new bivalent boosters are an upgrade because they take into account mutations of the COVID-19 virus to specifically address Omicron subvariants,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char in a press release.
The US Food and Drug Administration gave emergency authorization for the updated vaccines on Wednesday. That was followed Thursday morning by approval by a CDC Advisory Committee before finally getting final go-ahead from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Walensky’s approval means that the updated shots could be available by Friday, according to pharmaceutical manufacturers, which began shipping the new doses after the FDA’s emergency authorization.
The CDC and DOH recommend the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine for people ages 12 and older. They recommend the Moderna bivalet vaccine for adults 18 and older.
Both shots require just a single dose. The bivalent boosters can only be administered if it’s been at least two months since a person’s most recent vaccination.
“The federal government allotted DOH initial orders totaling 37,800 doses of bivalent boosters. Those initial orders will arrive in the coming days. DOH will place additional orders weekly as needed,” Hawaii health officials wrote in a press release following the CDC’s approval.
Pharmacies and community health centers in Hawaii will place their own orders for the new vaccine, DOH said.
Scheduling of booster appointments will be done by individual vaccine providers. | https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/doh-recommends-new-covid-19-vaccine-booster-following-cdc-approval/article_9532ff4a-2a5c-11ed-87f4-db796b26c639.html | 2022-09-02T01:59:19Z |
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A second leg, which appears to be from a child or a newborn, was found at the water pollution control plant on Ryawa Avenue in Hunts Point around midnight.
HUNTS POINT, Bronx (WABC) -- More apparent human remains were found at a Department of Environmental Protection facility in the Bronx early Thursday.
A second leg, which appears to be from a child or a newborn, was found at the water pollution control plant on Ryawa Avenue in Hunts Point around midnight.
The discovery was made a day after workers initially spotted possible human remain there, described as a leg from the knee down, with the foot attached, on a conveyor belt as recycled materials passed them just before 9 a.m. Wednesday.
"It's unbelievable," said Efraim Basom, who works across the street at a seafood warehouse. "It's starting to be scary in this area."
Investigators have concluded the legs were cut from the rest of the body using a cutting instrument.
The Medical Examiner's office has told detectives the remains appear human.
It remains unclear if it was dumped at the location or came from the water and got caught in the system.
The plant is an initial filter point for all of the Bronx, so the possible remains could have come from anywhere in the borough.
The investigation is ongoing and detectives are waiting for more information from the medical examiner.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/another-human-leg-seeming-to-belong-to-a-child-found-at-nyc-dep-facility/article_09ee7020-f4ef-5a45-a845-d20e64cc007e.html | 2022-09-02T01:59:31Z |
President Joe Biden delivered his sharpest rebuke yet of Republicans and their fealty to his predecessor in an evening speech in Philadelphia on Thursday, alleging they "thrive on chaos" and warning their attempts to undermine democracy could devolve into violence.
"They live not in the light of truth but in the shadow of lies," Biden said in front of a red-lit Independence Hall, harnessing the historic setting to call for a reckoning on the movement led by former President Donald Trump.
It was a strident and urgent call to Americans months ahead of midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Biden's remarks, while billed as an official address, provided the broad contours of his election message heading into the fall.
Even as he worked to balance a dose of optimism about the country's future -- and his own string of recent accomplishments -- Biden painted a dark portrait of his political opponents, saying Trump and his followers are threatening the entire American experiment. He named his predecessor within minutes of taking the stage, and suggested Americans faced an existential choice in the coming elections.
"As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault," Biden said. "We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise."
Biden attempted to separate Trump's most loyal followers from the Republican Party as a whole. And as he concluded, he sought to strike a more upbeat note, saying it was still within voters' power to rein in the nation's darkest forces.
But the heart of Biden's address was a ringing alarm bell about what he called "an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic."
"MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards. Backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy. No right to contraception, no right to marry who you love," he said, striking on cultural issues Democrats believe can help them win in November.
"They promote authoritarian leaders," he went on. "They fanned the flames of political violence."
After tearing into Republicans for what he calls "MAGA extremism" and "semi-fascism" over the past week, administration officials say Biden determined the time was right to provide a more serious, sober reckoning on what he regards as growing anti-democratic forces building across the country.
Officials insisted Biden's message wasn't partisan and instead targeted to an extreme wing of the GOP. Still, he called on his audience to go to the polls in November and lashed into his predecessor, backed by traditionally apolitical symbols like the United States Marine Band and two Marines who were positioned in a spot where they were on camera throughout the speech.
"We must be honest with each other and with ourselves: Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal," Biden said. The Republican Party of 2022 is partly "dominated, driven and intimidated" by Trump and his acolytes, he said.
It's a topic Biden has come to embrace more publicly in recent months after initially attempting to ignore the after-effects of his predecessor and focus instead on national unity. At its core, the speech represented the same overarching theme that defined the launch of his presidential campaign in 2019 as he set out to defeat Trump.
It remained a constant through high profile speeches in locations rife with historical symbolism, including Warm Springs, Georgia, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The prime-time remarks was no different, this time with the site of the nation's revolutionary beginning as the backdrop.
A crowd of about 300 invited guests -- a mix of elected officials and dignitaries, along with Democratic supporters -- watched Biden speak from behind panes of bulletproof glass. It was a short distance away from where Biden formally announced his bid for the presidency in 2019, striking similar themes about the "battle for the soul of the nation."
White House officials emphasized ahead of time that when Biden warns of the threat to democracy, he is not talking about Republicans as a whole, but those who style themselves after Trump: the "MAGA Republicans," as the administration has deemed them.
Ahead of the speech, Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said Biden was dividing the nation.
"Joe Biden is the divider-in-chief and epitomizes the current state of the Democrat Party: one of divisiveness, disgust, and hostility towards half the country," she said in a statement.
Biden had been mulling a thematic speech about American democracy for several months, spurred in part by the revealing hearings convened by the congressional committee investigating the January 6 riot, according to an official. He has also watched with alarm as election deniers running for statewide office have been elevated by Trump and was outraged by the attempted attack on an FBI field office in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In his remarks, Biden said forces on the right were stoking political violence, insisting it was "inflammatory and dangerous."
"We, the people must say this is not who we are," he said.
Biden looks to seize the moment
While Biden underestimated when the "fever will break" when it came to the GOP's ties to Trump, the last several weeks have brought into sharp focus that many of the campaign pledges that seemed just as unrealistic -- from major bipartisan deals to substantial investments in the manufacturing, climate and health care -- have, in fact, been signed into law.
The convergence of factors has created a genuine sense inside the West Wing that the political winds are changing just as Americans start to tune in ahead of the midterm elections. It has also had a dramatic effect on the White House itself, where months of intraparty warfare, a resurgent and ever-present Covid-19 pandemic and a myriad of crises many aides viewed as outside of their control appear to have finally turned their way.
Even Biden, who revels in telling the story of the doctor who called him "a congenital optimist," wasn't immune from a sense of gloom and occasional doom that hung over the West Wing for months.
"He could get pretty dark," said one person who spoke regularly to Biden said of his view of things toward the end of his first year in office. "It's not his way, but there was a period there" when Biden's mood reflected that of the exhausted country he led.
Yet the shifting winds this summer coincided with Trump's major re-emergence into the national spotlight. Republican politicians and candidates running entire campaigns based on false claims of fraudulent elections have only become more prevalent.
As the midterm campaign season kicks into high gear, convergence of factors created an ideal moment for Biden to lay out what has long been on his mind, officials say.
"The President felt that this was an appropriate time before the traditional campaign season begins next week to lay out what he sees at stake, not for any individual political party, but for our democracy itself," a senior administration official said.
A rare prime-time speech shows Biden's focus on democracy
Biden worked for several days with his speechwriters on drafts of the 20- to 30-minute address, poring over the precise language and wording. The President typically rehearses his major addresses beforehand and his schedule was clear of public events on Wednesday and Thursday as he prepared.
Biden has delivered only a smattering of speeches in prime-time over the course of his presidency, including his yearly addresses to Congress and remarks on gun violence earlier this summer. Aides said the President felt the topic was serious enough to address the nation in the evening -- and ask television networks to interrupt their regular programming (though the broadcast networks declined to air the President's remarks).
White House officials have said they want to be selective in when and where to address the issues surrounding the erosion of democracy, even though many party activists have clamored for more sustained focus on the issue. The issue itself is one that consumes much of Biden's own thinking, those close to him say -- something can spill into the public sphere during the rare moments he engages in a substantive way with reporters.
But choosing the right moment to address them on a major national scale, Biden's team believes, will prevent the issue from becoming rote and routine for voters. Biden, officials note, has had no qualms about that strategy.
'Semi fascism' comment draws ire, but White House won't back down
Biden's newly aggressive rhetoric has drawn howls of protest from Republicans. When he accused followers of Trump of "semi-fascism" at a fundraiser last week, the response was swift.
"Horribly insulting," said Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican who has not aligned himself with Trump. "He's trying to stir up controversy, he's trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election, it's just -- it's horribly inappropriate."
At least one Democrat in a tight reelection race also distanced herself from Biden's remark; Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire said Biden "painted with way too broad a brush" when he uttered the comment.
While officials describe Biden's message as urgent, it remains to be seen whether voters facing high prices and an uncertain economy will respond to his warnings about the state of democracy.
Yet recent polls have shown concerns about democracy rising among voters. An NBC poll conducted in August found "threats to democracy" rose to the No. 1 issue facing the country, surpassing "cost of living." And a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday found 67% of respondents think the nation's democracy is in danger of collapse, a 9-point increase from January.
Unplanned -- but not entirely unwelcome -- for the White House has been the ongoing developments over Trump's handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, a matter the White House has officially kept at arm's length to avoid the appearance of politicization.
Still, the reminder to voters of the chaos that surrounded Trump's presidency has been privately gratifying to some Democrats, who believe it presents a stark contrast to Biden's way of doing business.
"It's like the chaos was memory-holed because of the 50 million other things going on," one Democratic official with close ties to the White House said.
Biden "will never make it about Trump alone -- he views it as so much bigger than that and probably, to some degree, beneath him," the official said. "But I think most in our party appreciate the very clear contrast now that he's back in the headlines."
This story has been updated with additional developments on Thursday.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/biden-warns-trump-and-his-closest-followers-are-trying-to-undermine-american-democracy-in-combative/article_fd0b1929-8502-522f-9668-43a5a9027bff.html | 2022-09-02T01:59:37Z |
August 2022 weather stats and how this summer compares
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The start of September might not be the official end of summer but it does bring a close to what we refer to as meteorological summer. It’s much easier keeping seasonal weather records by the full month as opposed to the solstice and equinox.
Our two longest running weather stations in the area are Dale Enterprise (4 miles west of Harrisonburg on Rt. 33) and Staunton. There was quite a difference when you compare the summer temperature to previous records.
For most of the summer, the majority of the area was in at least a minor drought. As of September 1, 2022 there is no drought across the area.
Here is a look at some of the local weather stations, the highest high for August and monthly rainfall.
SEPTEMBER
A look ahead to September. We loose just over an hour of daylight by the end of the month.
The average high also drops about 10 degrees. However we still average at least half of the month with highs at or above 80 degrees. There have been a few early freezes in September before, but the odds are less than 1%.
RECORD HIGH AND LOW
Here are the highest and lowest temperatures recorded in a September. These readings are from Dale Enterprise just west of downtown Harrisonburg. This station has 130 years of weather records and is the oldest, continuous weather station in the state of Virginia.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/02/august-2022-weather-stats-how-this-summer-compares/ | 2022-09-02T02:11:57Z |
Indiana cop shot in head hangs on after life support removed
Published: Sep. 1, 2022 at 9:03 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
RICHMOND, Ind. (AP) — An eastern Indiana police officer shot in the head during a traffic stop has been taken off life support but her department said she remained alive with vital signs that were stable.
Richmond Police Department Officer Seara Burton, 28, has been treated at a hospital in Dayton, Ohio, since being shot on Aug. 10.
The department said in a news release posted on Facebook Thursday afternoon that “at this time Officer Burton is still alive and surrounded by family.”
The decision was made Wednesday to remove Burton from life support. She was shot Aug. 10.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/02/indiana-cop-shot-head-hangs-after-life-support-removed/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:03Z |
Mastriano sues Jan. 6 committee over deposition authority
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s Republican nominee for governor on Thursday sued the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, contesting its legal ability to force him to answer questions about it.
The lawsuit filed by Doug Mastriano contends that the committee lacks appointees of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and thus does not comply with House rules for conducting a compelled deposition of witnesses.
A properly appointed ranking minority member is necessary for a witness to have access to protections provided in House rules on deposition authority, the lawsuit says.
Last month, Mastriano cut short a closed-door interview without answering questions from committee members. The committee refused to let Mastriano record the deposition, Mastriano’s lawsuit said, and Mastriano has concerns about how the committee might disseminate excerpts to the public from a closed-door deposition with him, the lawsuit said.
A committee spokesperson declined comment on the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington.
Still, Mastriano’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, has said his client is willing to voluntarily testify publicly before the panel and has told the FBI that he didn’t know about a planned insurrection or any coordination behind the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Mastriano, a state senator and retired U.S. Army colonel who won the GOP nomination for governor in May, was in regular communication with Donald Trump as the then-president sought to stay in power despite his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Mastriano helped organize efforts in Pennsylvania to submit alternate presidential electors beholden to Trump and was seen outside the Capitol as pro-Trump demonstrators attacked police.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/02/mastriano-sues-jan-6-committee-over-deposition-authority/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:10Z |
Serena, Venus Williams lose in 1st round of US Open doubles
NEW YORK (AP) — Serena and Venus Williams lost in the first round of doubles at the U.S. Open to the Czech pair of Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 7-6 (5), 6-4 in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night.
Ashe had never hosted a first-round doubles match — for women or men, during the night or day — until this one featuring two American sisters who have combined to claim 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles but were partnering for the first time since the 2018 French Open.
This was their fourth first-round doubles defeat at a Slam; the most recent had been at the 2013 French Open.
As usual when playing together, they traded fist bumps or palm slaps and chatted between points; they smiled while conversing in their seats at changeovers. When the match ended, the sisters hugged each other. They left the court to a standing ovation.
“I’m still in shock that we won,” Hradecka said in an on-court interview right after the match’s conclusion.
Speaking to the crowd, she said: “I’m so sorry for you that we beat them, but we are so happy that we did it.”
An announced sellout of 23,859 showed up, just like for each of Serena’s two victories in singles so far this week, although the fans were not quite as boisterous Thursday as they had been for those other night matches involving a player who has hinted that this will be the final event of her career. Serena plays Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday night in the third round of singles; Venus lost in the first round of that bracket.
The doubles spectators saved their biggest cheers for some of Serena’s best efforts, whether aces or putaways or an on-the-run forehand winner. The sisters went up 5-4 early and held two set points there on Noskova’s serve, but could not convert either.
The loudest moment probably arrived after a 19-stroke point won by the sisters during the first-set tiebreaker, featuring three swinging volleys by Serena. That put them ahead 4-3, and soon it was 5-3.
But Hradecka and Noskova grabbed the next four points to claim that set. They then jumped ahead 3-0 in the second, and after the Williams sisters made it 4-all, the Czech team pulled away.
The Williams siblings received a wild-card entry into this year’s doubles field. Serena, who turns 41 next month, and Venus, who turned 42 in June, won doubles trophies at the U.S. Open in 1999 -- the year Serena won her first major singles trophy at age 17 in New York -- and 2009.
They have a total of 30 major trophies in singles: 23 for Serena, seven for Venus.
Hradecka is a 37-year-old who won two major doubles trophies with Andrea Hlavackova, at the 2013 U.S. Open and 2011 French Open. Noskova, 17, was making her Grand Slam doubles debut.
“Playing against the Williams sisters,” Noskova said, “is a special moment for everybody.”
___
More AP coverage of U.S. Open tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/us-open-tennis-championships and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/02/serena-venus-williams-lose-1st-round-us-open-doubles/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:17Z |
Woman dealing with rare eye infection; doctors say contacts could be to blame
GRETNA, Neb. (WOWT/Gray News) - A brain-eating amoeba killed a young boy last month in Nebraska, and now a woman says the same type of microorganism is in her eye.
Tiffani Zeleny said she receives several deliveries of medicine for the bug that got in her eye.
“Acanthamoeba keratitis is a horrible infection,” she said. “We are very optimistic that a miracle can happen, and my eye can be saved.”
But that involves a constant regimen of drugs she carefully administers herself. She said she has to use about 60 eye drops a day.
“Eighty-five percent of acanthamoeba infections are associated with contact lenses,” said Dr. Ron Krueger, director of Truhlsen Eye Institute of Nebraska Medicine.
Having worn soft contacts since the third grade, Zeleny said she wore her contacts while riding an inner tube this summer at a lake.
“I didn’t put my head underwater, but I may have been splashed,” she said.
Zeleny said she also did some yardwork that could have caused the infection.
“I helped tear down an old fence and cut some trees without any safety glasses,” she said.
Dr. Mike Feilmeier, a corneal surgeon at Midwest Eye Care, said those who wear soft contacts should clean them properly, not sleep in them and try to avoid wearing them when swimming.
“I would say over the past 15 years, maybe, I’ve seen five or six cases this severe,” Feilmeier said.
With her sister-in-law driving, Zeleny has been traveling four hours about once a week to the University of Iowa, where a prognosis of a corneal transplant is a possibility.
“If I get to save my eye, I’d like to wear contacts again. I’ll just be much more careful,” Zeleny said.
And to fight the amoeba that infected her eye, Zeleny said she needs seven different formulas of eye drops. A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay the costs, which she said are out of pocket.
Copyright 2022 WOWT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/02/woman-dealing-with-rare-eye-infection-doctors-say-contacts-could-be-blame/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:23Z |
Documents outline a sordid conspiracy of sexual abuse and billion dollar profits
COLUMBIA, S.C., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorneys filed a bombshell federal lawsuit today against Rockstar Cheer, Varsity Spirit, the U.S. All Star Federation (USASF), Bain Capital and more including Rockstar Cheer owners Scott and Kathy Foster detailing a sordid and far-reaching criminal conspiracy where teenage athletes lived a nightmare of physical, mental and sexual abuse from Foster and other Rockstar Cheer coaches while Varsity Spirit, the USASF and Bain Capital turned a blind eye while collecting billions of dollars in profits. The abuse survivors are represented by Bakari Sellers, Jessica Fickling, and Alexandra Benevento of The Strom Law Firm.
"This was a factory of abuse designed specifically to generate two things: a constant supply of underage victims for Scott Foster and his fellow predators and a billion dollar revenue stream to Varsity Spirit, USASF and Bain Capital," said Sellers. "Instead of protecting these young men and women, they victimized them and cashed their checks."
The lawsuit not only outlines multiple instances where teenage boys and girls were recruited, plied with drugs and alcohol and abused, it explains how companies like Varsity Spirit, USASF, Bain Capital and more knew about the abuse yet failed to stop it for fear it might hurt their profits.
While today's lawsuit details the abuse of several of the survivors, the attorneys confirm that additional lawsuits are coming which will include additional victims as well as perpetrators and gyms in various jurisdictions across the country.
"Scott Foster and his allies did their best to intimidate and isolate their targets, making these young people feel alone and somehow responsible," said Fickling. "Well, they're not alone anymore. We're standing with them and we stand with all of the survivors coming forward."
The scandal has gained new prominence following news last week that Greenville-based Rockstar Cheer owner and founder, Scott Foster, was the subject of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. Foster committed suicide on Monday, August 22, while that investigation was underway.
"We're not just fighting for these survivors and their families," said Benevento. "We're fighting against a system, created and fostered by USASF, Varsity Spirit and Bain Capital that not only allows an environment where physical, mental and sexual abuse can run rampant, but encourages it. We're fighting to change that system once and for all."
Click HERE to view a copy of the lawsuit.
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SOURCE Strom Law Firm | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/attorneys-file-lawsuit-rockstar-cheer-abuse-scandal/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:30Z |
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Lawyers Association (CLA), Public Law Section will honor UC Berkeley School of Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky with its highest award on October 3, 2022, following the constitutional law scholar's talk on "Our Imperiled Democracy."
Dean of Berkeley Law since 2017, Chemerinsky was previously the founding Dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law. He has taught law since 1980, including more than two decades at the University of Southern California Law School.
He has authored more than 200 law review articles and 14 books, including leading casebooks and treatises about constitutional law, criminal procedure, and federal jurisdiction. One of the country's leading academic commenters on the U.S. Supreme Court, his op-eds and columns frequently appear in the Los Angeles Times, The Sacramento Bee, the ABA Journal, the Daily Journal, and newspapers across the country. In 2016, he was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
CLA's Public Law Section will present Chemerinsky with the Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award on October 3, 2022, during a reception from 5:30–7 p.m. at the Hotel Shattuck Plaza in Berkeley, Calif. The award is presented annually to recognize a public law practitioner who has provided outstanding service to the public and possesses an exemplary reputation in the legal community and the highest of ethical standards. Since 2008, the award has been named for former Chief Justice Ronald M. George in recognition of his distinguished career.
"This award recognizes Dean Chemerinsky's exemplary contributions to educating lawyers and the public about the Constitution and the rule of law," said CLA CEO and Executive Director Oyango A. Snell. "His long track record of prolific writing and public speaking has helped to improve the public's understanding of these legal principles, which are critical to a functioning democracy."
The award reception will follow CLA Public Law Section's program "Our Imperiled Democracy," from 4–5:15 p.m. at UC Berkeley School of Law. Featuring Chemerinsky as keynote speaker, the program will explore the legal and political developments threatening democracy in the United States.
"There are few legal scholars in the country who have such an outstanding depth of knowledge of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Constitution," CLA President Jeremy M. Evans said. "CLA appreciates Dean Chemerinsky's tireless efforts to share his wisdom and experience with the legal profession and the public and encourage a variety of legal opinions."
Established in 2018, California Lawyers Association is the statewide voluntary bar association for all California attorneys. CLA's mission is to promote excellence, diversity, and inclusion in the legal profession and fairness in the administration of justice and the rule of law. Visit us at www.calawyers.org to learn more about CLA or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
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SOURCE California Lawyers Association | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/california-lawyers-association-honor-work-law-school-dean-erwin-chemerinsky-following-program-our-imperiled-democracy/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:37Z |
DALLAS, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Highland Income Fund (NYSE: HFRO) ("HFRO" or the "Fund") today announced its regular monthly distribution on its common stock of $0.0770 per share. The distribution will be payable on September 30, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business September 23, 2022.
The Fund is a closed-end fund managed by Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors, L.P. (the "Manager"). The Fund will pursue its investment objective by investing primarily in the following categories of securities and instruments: (i) floating-rate loans and other securities deemed to be floating-rate investments; (ii) investments in securities or other instruments directly or indirectly secured by real estate (including real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), preferred equity, securities convertible into equity securities and mezzanine debt); and (iii) other instruments, including but not limited to secured and unsecured fixed-rate loans and corporate bonds, distressed securities, mezzanine securities, structured products (including but not limited to mortgage-backed securities, collateralized loan obligations and asset-backed securities), convertible and preferred securities, equities (public and private), and futures and options. The investment objective of the Fund is to provide a high level of current income, consistent with the preservation of capital in a registered fund format. The Fund declares and pays distributions of investment income monthly.
About the Highland Income Fund
The Highland Income Fund (NYSE: HFRO) is a closed-end fund managed by Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors, L.P. For more information visit www.highlandfunds.com/income-fund/
About Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors, L.P.
Highland Capital Management Fund Advisors, L.P. is an SEC-registered investment adviser. It is the adviser to a suite of registered funds, including open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds, and an exchange-traded fund. For more information visit www.highlandfunds.com.
Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Highland Income Fund carefully before investing. This and other information can be found in the Fund's prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-800-357-9167 or visiting www.highlandfunds.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before you invest.
Effective shortly after close of business on November 3, 2017, Highland Floating Rate Fund converted from an open-end fund to a closed-end fund, and began trading on the NYSE under the symbol HFRO on November 6, 2017. The performance data presented above for periods prior to November 3, 2017 reflects that of Class Z shares of the Fund when it was an open-end fund, HFRZX. The closed-end Fund pursues the same investment objective and strategy as it did before its conversion. The expense ratio is that of Class Z shares of the Fund prior to its conversion.
The distribution may include a return of capital. Please refer to the 19(a)-1 Source of Distribution Notice on the Highland Funds website for Section 19 notices that provide estimated amounts and sources of the fund's distributions, which should not be relied upon for tax reporting purposes.
No assurance can be given that the Fund will achieve its investment objectives.
Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the Fund's shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the Fund. Therefore, the Fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Closed-End Fund Risk. The Fund is a closed-end investment company designed primarily for long-term investors and not as a trading vehicle. No assurance can be given that a shareholder will be able to sell his or her shares on the NYSE when he or she chooses to do so, and no assurance can be given as to the price at which any such sale may be affected.
Credit Risk. The Fund may invest all or substantially all of its assets in Senior Loans or other securities that are rated below investment grade and unrated Senior Loans deemed by Highland to be of comparable quality. Securities rated below investment grade are commonly referred to as "high yield securities" or "junk securities." They are regarded as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuing company's continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Non-payment of scheduled interest and/or principal would result in a reduction of income to the Fund, a reduction in the value of the Senior Loan experiencing non-payment and a potential decrease in the NAV of the Fund. Investments in high yield Senior Loans and other securities may result in greater NAV fluctuation than if the Fund did not make such investments.
Senior Loans Risk. The London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") is the average offered rate for various maturities of short-term loans between major international banks who are members of the British Bankers Association. LIBOR is the most common benchmark interest rate index used to make adjustments to variable-rate loans. It is used throughout global banking and financial industries to determine interest rates for a variety of financial instruments (such as debt instruments and derivatives) and borrowing arrangements. Due to manipulation allegations in 2012 and reduced activity in the financial markets that it measures, in July 2017, the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA"), the United Kingdom financial regulatory body, announced a desire to phase out the use of LIBOR by the end of 2021. Although the period from the FCA announcement until the end of 2021 is generally expected to be enough time for market participants to transition to the use of a different benchmark for new securities and transactions, there remains uncertainty regarding the future utilization of LIBOR and the specific replacement rate or rates. As such, the potential effect of a transition away from LIBOR on the Trust or the financial instruments utilized by the Trust cannot yet be determined. The transition process may involve, among other things, increased volatility or illiquidity in markets for instruments that currently rely on LIBOR. The transition may also result in a change in (i) the value of certain instruments held by the Trust, (ii) the cost of temporary borrowing for the Trust, or (iii) the effectiveness of related Trust transactions such as hedges, as applicable. When LIBOR is discontinued, the LIBOR replacement rate may be lower than market expectations, which could have an adverse impact on the value of preferred and debt-securities with floating or fixed-to-floating rate coupons. Any such effects of the transition away from LIBOR, as well as other unforeseen effects, could result in losses to the Trust. Since the usefulness of LIBOR as a benchmark could deteriorate during the transition period, these effects could occur prior to the end of 2021.
Real Estate Industry Risk: Issuers principally engaged in real estate industry, including real estate investment trusts, may be subject to risks similar to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate, including: (i) changes in general economic and market conditions; (ii) changes in the value of real estate properties; (iii) risks related to local economic conditions, overbuilding and increased competition; (iv) increases in property taxes and operating expenses; (v) changes in zoning laws; (vi) casualty and condemnation losses; (vii) variations in rental income, neighborhood values or the appeal of property to tenants; (viii) the availability of financing and (ix) changes in interest rates and leverage.
Illiquidity of Investments Risk. The investments made by the Fund may be illiquid, and consequently the Fund may not be able to sell such investments at prices that reflect the Investment Adviser's assessment of their value or the amount originally paid for such investments by the Fund.
Ongoing Monitoring Risk. On behalf of the several Lenders, the Agent generally will be required to administer and manage the Senior Loans and, with respect to collateralized Senior Loans, to service or monitor the collateral. Financial difficulties of Agents can pose a risk to the Fund.
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SOURCE Highland Income Fund | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/highland-income-fund-announces-regular-monthly-distribution/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:43Z |
MAVERIX BOLSTERS GROWTH PIPELINE WITH ACQUISITION OF ROYALTY PORTFOLIO FROM BARRICK GOLD
Published: Sep. 1, 2022 at 7:38 PM EDT|Updated: 3 hours ago
All amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Maverix Metals Inc. ("Maverix" or the "Company") (NYSE American: MMX) (TSX: MMX) is pleased to announce that it has acquired a portfolio of 22 royalties (the "Royalty Portfolio") from Barrick Gold Corp. ("Barrick") for upfront cash consideration of $50 million and contingent consideration of up to $10 million depending on certain events occurring (the "Transaction").
The Royalty Portfolio includes royalties on development, advanced exploration and exploration stage projects located predominantly in Canada, the United States, and Australia. The portfolio comprises multiple assets that contain multi-million gold equivalent ounces of reserves and resources, highlighted by a 1.0% royalty on Skeena Resources' Eskay Creek gold-silver project in the prolific Golden Triangle of British Columbia. The Eskay Creek project is currently undergoing a feasibility study that is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022.
Dan O'Flaherty, CEO of Maverix, commented, "This transaction marks another important milestone in our continued growth at Maverix. We are pleased to add Barrick alongside Newmont, Pan American Silver, Kinross and Gold Fields, to the list of reputable counterparties from which we have acquired royalty portfolios. This portfolio boasts significant existing attributable mineral inventory with meaningful exploration potential in historic mining geographies. The acquisition increases our portfolio to a total of 147 royalties and streams and enhances our already robust exposure to the next generation of gold mines."
Key Royalties
Eskay Creek Royalty
A 1.0% net smelter return ("NSR") royalty on the Eskay Creek project, located in British Columbia, operated by Skeena Resources Limited ("Skeena").
Eskay Creek is a past-producing gold-silver mine located in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia. Eskay Creek has proven and probable mineral reserves of 26.4 million tonnes at 3.37 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold and 94 g/t silver containing approximately 2.9 million ounces of gold and 80.2 million ounces of silver. In July 2021, Skeena completed a pre-feasibility study for the project which highlighted a high-grade open-pit operation producing an average of 249,000 ounces of gold and 7.2 million ounces of silver per year with an initial mine life of approximately 10 years generating an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4 billion and a 56% IRR at a $1,550 per ounce gold price. Skeena is currently completing a feasibility study which is expected to be released in the third quarter of 2022. (1)
Skeena has the right to purchase 0.5% of the 1.0% royalty for a cash payment of C$17.5 million.
A 2.0% NSR royalty on the Bullfrog Gold project operated by Augusta Gold Corp. ("Augusta").
Bullfrog Gold is a past-producing gold-silver mine located in the prolific Bullfrog mining district near Beatty, Nevada. Bullfrog Gold has measured and indicated resources of 71 million tonnes at 0.53 g/t gold and 1.26 g/t silver containing approximately 1.2 million ounces of gold and 2.9 million ounces of silver. Additionally, there are inferred resources of 16.7 million tonnes at 0.48 g/t gold and 0.96 g/t silver containing approximately 0.3 million ounces of gold and 0.5 million ounces of silver. Augusta expects to complete a pre-feasibility study in the fourth quarter of 2022 with a path to commercial production by 2024, subject to the preparation of up-to-date economic studies, an affirmative board production decision, and financing. (2)
The 2.0% royalty rate is subject to change such that the maximum aggregate royalty on any individual mining claim shall not exceed 5.5% but shall be a minimum 0.5% on any individual mining claim.
For more information on Bullfrog Gold, please visit augustagold.com.
Lagunas Norte Royalty
A 2.0% NSR royalty on the refractory sulphide ore project ("PMR") of the Lagunas Norte mine operated by Boroo Pte Ltd ("Boroo").
Lagunas Norte is an open-pit heap-leach mine located in the Alto Chicama mining district in northern Peru and has produced over 10 million ounces of gold since 2005. As of June 30, 2021, Lagunas Norte had proven and probable reserves of 49.4 million tonnes at 2.49 g/t gold and 6.24 g/t silver containing approximately 4.0 million ounces of gold and 9.9 million ounces of silver. In December 2021, Boroo announced a new technical report for Lagunas Norte, which included the PMR project and had a 22 year mine life producing an average of 147,000 ounces of gold per year. (3)
The royalty terminates after one million ounces of gold has been sold from the PMR and Boroo has the right to buy back the royalty for a cash payment of $16 million before July 1, 2023.
For more information on the Lagunas Norte PMR Project, please visit boroomc.com.sg.
Sanutura (South Houndé) Royalties
A pair of 1.0% – 2.0% NSR royalties on the Tankoro deposit of the Sanutura project operated by Sarama Resources Ltd. ("Sarama").
The Tankoro deposit is the primary deposit of Sanutura, Sarama's flagship project located in the prolific Houndé Belt in Burkina Faso. The Tankoro deposit hosts an indicated resource of 9.4 million tonnes at 1.9 g/t gold containing approximately 0.6 million ounces of gold and an inferred resource of 43.6 million tonnes at 1.4 g/t gold containing approximately 1.9 million ounces of gold. Sarama is currently completing a 50,000 metre drill program to update the mineral resource estimate which will lead to a preliminary economic assessment expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. (4)
The royalty rate for each royalty is 2.0% when the realized gold price is greater than $1,500 per ounce, 1.5% when the realized gold price is between $1,300 per ounce and $1,500 per ounce, and 1.0% when the realized gold price is less than $1,300 per ounce. Each of the royalties terminate after one million ounces of gold has been sold from the applicable covered areas. The Sanutura royalties are subject to a right of first refusal.
Maverix will pay $50 million in cash to acquire the Royalty Portfolio. In addition, Maverix has agreed to make up to a total of $10 million in contingent payments if the following events occur within six years of the closing date of the Transaction: (i) $6 million payable upon Eskay Creek receiving all material permits required to commence construction; (ii) $2 million payable when Maverix has received $10 million in payments from the Royalty Portfolio (excluding any proceeds derived from Eskay Creek); and (iii) $2 million payable when Maverix has received $20 million in payments from the Royalty Portfolio (excluding any proceeds derived from Eskay Creek).
Maverix will use cash on hand and its revolving credit facility to fund the upfront purchase price of the Transaction. The Transaction is expected to close by the end of September and is subject to customary closing conditions.
Qualified Person
Brendan Pidcock, P.Eng., is Vice President, Technical Services for Maverix, and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.
About Maverix
Maverix is a gold-focused royalty and streaming company with a globally diversified portfolio of over 140 assets. Maverix's mission is to increase per share value by acquiring precious metals royalties and streams. Its shares trade on both the NYSE American and the TSX under the symbol "MMX".
The above press release was provided courtesy of PRNewswire. The views, opinions and statements in the press release are not endorsed by Gray Media Group nor do they necessarily state or reflect those of Gray Media Group, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/maverix-bolsters-growth-pipeline-with-acquisition-royalty-portfolio-barrick-gold/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:50Z |
Guests Booking Cruises and Cruisetours Sailing in 2023 & Beyond Score $765 Value, which includes $100 Shore Excursions Credit, Drinks, Wi-Fi & More
SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cruising, "life's sweetest reward," just set a new course for adventure and love with Princess Cruises' The Love Boat Sale, starting today and running through October 31, 2022.
Guests will find fares they'll like and a value they'll love when booking 2023 (and beyond) cruises and cruisetours to Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, the California Coast, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, and Canada/New England. They'll receive $765 value when booking during The Love Boat Sale, which includes $100 shore excursion credit.
The sale celebrates the cruise line's past connection to "The Love Boat," where Princess cruise ships were the romantic backdrop for the iconic series, as well as "The Real Love Boat," the upcoming reality dating adventure inspired by the show, debuting on CBS October 5, and hosted by husband-and-wife team Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell. "The Real Love Boat" is also set onboard a Princess ship, Regal Princess, sailing through the dreamy Mediterranean.
Here's how The Love Boat Sale works:
- Guests who book during The Love Boat Sale with Princess Plus – a cruise fare that adds highly desired amenities including drinks, Wi-Fi and crew appreciation, or Princess Premier – which includes everything offered in Princess Plus, plus multi-device Wi-Fi, specialty dining, a photo package and Princess Prizes – will receive a $100 shore excursions credit per person.
- The $765 value is based on a seven-day cruise booked with Princess Plus, with the added shore excursions credit, so those booking longer cruises and/or Princess Premier save even more.
The Love Boat Sale runs from September 1, 2022 to October 31, 2022 and is available to residents 21 years of age and older of the United States & D.C., Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Bermuda. General terms and further details of The Love Boat Sale can be found at www.princess.com.
More information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company's website at www.princess.com.
About Princess Cruises
One of the best-known names in cruising, Princess Cruises is the world's leading international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 15 modern cruise ships, carrying millions of guests each year to 330 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days and Princess Cruises is continuously recognized as "Best Cruise Line for Itineraries." In 2017 Princess Cruises, with parent company Carnival Corporation, introduced MedallionClass Vacations enabled by the Medallion device, the vacation industry's most advanced wearable device, provided free to each guest sailing on a MedallionClass ship. The award-winning innovation offers the fastest way to an effortless personalized vacation, giving guests more time to do the things they love most. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).
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SOURCE Princess Cruises | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/princess-cruises-offers-something-everyone-will-love-with-love-boat-sale/ | 2022-09-02T02:12:57Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Coinbase Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: COIN) between April 14, 2021 and July 26, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important October 3, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Coinbase securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Coinbase class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8095 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 3, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Coinbase custodially held crypto assets on behalf of its customers, which assets Coinbase knew or recklessly disregarded could qualify as the property of a bankruptcy estate, making those assets potentially subject to bankruptcy proceedings in which Coinbase's customers would be treated as the Company's general unsecured creditors; (2) Coinbase allowed Americans to trade digital assets that Coinbase knew or recklessly disregarded should have been registered as securities with the SEC; (3) the foregoing conduct subjected Coinbase to a heightened risk of regulatory and governmental scrutiny and enforcement action; and (4) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Coinbase class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8095 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/rosen-highly-recognized-law-firm-encourages-coinbase-global-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-coin/ | 2022-09-02T02:13:03Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American: AMPE) between December 29, 2020 and August 3, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important October 17, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Ampio securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Ampio class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8201 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 17, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants inflated Ampio's true ability to successfully file a Biologics License Application for Ampion, the Company's lead product purportedly to treat individuals with inflammatory conditions including, but not limited to, severe osteoarthritis of the knee; (2) defendants inflated the results of the AP-013 study of Ampion and the timing of unblinding the data from the AP-013 study; and (3) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' statements about Ampio's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Ampio class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8201 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-ampio-pharmaceuticals-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-ampe/ | 2022-09-02T02:13:10Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Co-Diagnostics, Inc. (NASDAQ: CODX) between May 12, 2022 and August 11, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important October 17, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Co-Diagnostics securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Co-Diagnostics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8137 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 17, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) there was significant falloff in demand of Co-Diagnostics' Logix Smart™ COVID-19 Test as demand for the tests plummeted throughout the quarter ended June 30, 2022; and (2) as a result, defendants' positive statements about the demand for its Logix Smart™ COVID-19 Test lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Co-Diagnostics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=8137 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/rosen-leading-longstanding-top-ranked-firm-encourages-co-diagnostics-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-codx/ | 2022-09-02T02:13:17Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: TGTX) between January 15, 2020 and May 31, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important September 16, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased TG Therapeutics securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the TG Therapeutics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7662 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 16, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) clinical trials revealed significant concerns related to the benefit-risk ratio and overall survival data of Ublituximab (an investigational glycoengineered monoclonal antibody for the treatment of B-cell non-hodgkin lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia ("CLL"), and relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis) and Umbralisib (or UKONIQ, an oral inhibitor of PI3K-delta and CK1-epsilon for the treatment of CLL, marginal zone lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma); (2) accordingly, it was unlikely that TG Therapeutics would be able to obtain U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approval of the marginal zone lymphoma ("MZL") and follicular lymphoma ("FL") (the "Umbralisib MZL/FL NDA"), the rolling submission of a Biologics License Application ("BLA") to the FDA for Ublituximab in combination with Umbralisib (together, "U2"), as a treatment for patients with CLL (the "U2 BLA"), the supplemental New Drug Application ("sNDA") for Umbralisib to add an indication for CLL and small lymphocytic lymphoma ("SLL") in combination with Ublituximab (the "U2 sNDA"), or the Ublituximab as a treatment for patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis ("RMS") (the "Ublituximab RMS BLA") in their current forms; (3) as a result, TG Therapeutics had significantly overstated Ublituximab and Umbralisib's clinical and/or commercial prospects; and (4) therefore, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the TG Therapeutics class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7662 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/rosen-recognized-investor-counsel-encourages-tg-therapeutics-inc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-september-16-deadline-securities-class-action-tgtx/ | 2022-09-02T02:13:23Z |
NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Tuya Inc. (NYSE: TUYA) pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and related prospectus (collectively, the "Registration Statement") issued in connection with Tuya's March 2021 initial public offering (the "IPO") of the important October 11, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.
SO WHAT: If you purchased Tuya securities pursuant and/or traceable to the Registration Statement you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Tuya class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7007 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 11, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the IPO Registration Statement featured false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) a material portion of Tuya's China-based customers were engaged in the widespread and systematic manipulation of reviews and product offerings in violation of Amazon.com's terms of use; (2) prior to the IPO, a consumer investigation and data breach had exposed an illicit fake review scheme being perpetrated by many of Tuya's clients, among others, which included, among other things, the exposure of 13 million records of organized fake review scams linked to over 200,000 Amazon account profiles; (3) as a result, there was a substantial risk that a material portion of Tuya's significant customers would be barred from using Amazon.com's platform, negatively impacting Tuya's business, revenue, earnings, and prospects; and (4) as such, the IPO's Registration Statement's representations regarding Tuya's historical financial and operational metrics and purported market opportunities and expected growth did not accurately reflect the actual business, operations, financial results, and trajectory of Tuya at the time of the IPO. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the Tuya class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=7007 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/01/rosen-top-ranked-firm-encourages-tuya-inc-investors-with-losses-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-tuya/ | 2022-09-02T02:13:31Z |
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations and ATA's Share the Road highway safety program are advising Labor Day travelers to take extra driving precautions through the busy holiday weekend.
As summer starts to wind down, families will be on the road packing in every ounce of summer fun while they can. The Vacationer has predicted that during Labor Day weekend, nearly 92 million American adults intend on traveling via car to arrive at their destination. Therefore, it is crucial for drivers to practice patience, planning, and safety fundamentals.
"With high volumes of traffic traveling further distances than usual on the highways this Labor Day weekend, practicing safe driving is vital," said Share the Road professional truck driver Jeff Rose, of Yellow. "Everybody deserves to be able to celebrate this holiday in safety, and by applying these simple safety tips, the motoring public can deliver a safe holiday for themselves and their neighbors on the road."
"Doing small things as simple as buckling your safety belt, putting away your cell phone, and leaving an appropriate following distance between you and other cars can all play a part in safe driving," said Share the Road professional truck driver Bob Bramwell, of ABF Freight System, Inc., "We want people across America to have a great time with their family and friends this holiday, and using these tips from professional truck drivers can drastically increase highway safety for everyone."
Share the Road's professional truck drivers promote these safety tips to motorists, students, members of the media, and elected officials throughout the country while on tour with the Share the Road program and through the Share the Road award winning instructional video. They emphasize these tips during major US holidays to remind motorists of all ages about key elements of safe driving, especially relating to operating small passenger vehicles near large tractor-trailers.
- Buckle Up: Safety belts save lives. Day or night, and even if you're riding in the back seat – wear your safety belt.
- Slow Down: Chance of a crash nearly triples when driving faster than surrounding traffic. Spring and summer are periods when work zones are busiest. It is important to reduce speeds when traveling through those areas.
- Do not drive impaired: There is much to celebrate this time of year, including graduations, and holidays seemingly every weekend. With that said, driving is a great responsibility, and your fellow travelers are relying on safe and attentive drivers to respectfully share the road and make good decisions.
- Be aware of truck blind spots: When sharing the road with large trucks, be aware of their blind spots. If you can't see the professional truck driver in his or her mirrors, then the professional truck driver can't see you.
- Keep your eyes on the road: Distracted driving is a major cause of traffic accidents, especially among younger drivers. Even just two seconds of distraction time doubles the chances of an accident. Only use your cell phone when stopped and never text while driving.
- Do not cut in front of large trucks: Remember trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so avoid cutting quickly in front of them.
- Prepare your vehicle for long distance travel: Check your wipers and fluids. Have your radiator and cooling system serviced. Simple maintenance before you leave your home can prevent many of the problems that might strand motorists on the side of the road.
- Leave early and avoid risks: Leave early so you won't be anxious about arriving late. Road conditions may change due to inclement weather or traffic congestion.
- Be aware of the vehicle in front of you: Leave extra room between you and the vehicle ahead.
- Understand congestion patterns: High traffic volumes lead to greater opportunities for accidents, so plan your trip to avoid traffic bottlenecks and increased traffic volumes.
Share the Road is a highway safety outreach program of the American Trucking Associations that educates all drivers about sharing the roads safely with large trucks. An elite team of professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles deliver life-saving messages to millions of motorists annually. The safety program is sponsored by Mack Trucks Inc., and supported by TA-Petro, Pre-Pass, Hyundai Translead, OmniTracs, Mack Leasing, P.S.I., Shell Lubricants, and Bendix. www.atastr.org. Follow Share the Road on Twitter and Facebook.
American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward
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SOURCE American Trucking Associations | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/02/atas-share-road-offers-safe-driving-tips-labor-day-weekend/ | 2022-09-02T02:13:38Z |
- Non-clinical studies explored the potent anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory efficacy of BBT-301 and BBT-209 for IPF treatment
- Company enhances its strategic focus on fibrotic diseases inclusive of IPF with 1 clinical asset and 2 non-clinical assets
BOSTON and SEONGNAM, South Korea, Sept. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridge Biotherapeutics (KQ288330), a South Korean clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel drugs for cancer, fibrosis and inflammation, presented the non-clinical study results of 'BBT-301', a novel, small molecular inhibitor of KCa 3.1, and 'BBT-209', an endogenous GPCR19 agonist, both being developed as novel IPF treatments, at the 6th Annual IPF Summit (August 29 - September 1, 2022), in Boston, MA.
During the poster presentation titled "BBT-301: a potent KCa3.1 modulator in development to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis", the company highlighted the potent anti-fibrotic efficacy of BBT-301, observed through cell-based biochemistry assays and animal model studies. BBT-301 inhibits KCa 3.1, a calcium-activated potassium channel at an IC50 (inhibitory concentration 50%) of 6nM, which suggests a competitive channel inhibitory efficacy in the same class of candidates.
BBT-301 also improved pulmonary function, and attenuated Ashcroft and collagen deposition in bleomycin (BLM)-induced animal model. According to the in-vivo data exhibited at the poster presentation, BBT-301 inhibited the expression of collagen in a dose-dependent manner. In terms of forced vital capacity (FVC) and pressure-volume curve, BBT-301 has also shown comparable potency in lung function recovery compared to the current standard of care (SoC).
In addition to BBT-301, the company unveiled non-clinical data of BBT-209, under the title of "BBT-209: endogenous GPCR19 agonist attenuates animal model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis". According to the poster presentation, BBT-209 has exhibited competitive inhibitory effects against cytokine expressions such as IL-1β and TNF-α, with EC50 (effective concentration of 50%) of 0.031 and 0.36 μM each. Through the cell-based biochemistry assay and the BLM mouse model, BBT-209 also exhibited a strong anti-inflammatory effect reaching over 80%, and inhibitory efficacy of α-SMA (α-smooth muscle actin) expression, which is suggestive of combination therapies with the current standard of care and novel IPF treatments with strong anti-fibrotic drugs such as BBT-877, which is being developed as a potent best-in-class autotaxin inhibitor.
"We are excited to present the non-clinical data of BBT-301 and BBT-209, our new assets being developed for the treatment of IPF," said James Lee, founder and CEO of Bridge Biotherapeutics. "In addition to our commitment to develop novel treatment options with therapeutic benefits, we will continue to enhance our pipeline to address the significant unmet needs in IPF, a serious disease caused by various factors."
Posters presented at the conference is available at: https://bit.ly/3CPAxmS.
About Bridge Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Bridge Biotherapeutics Inc., based in the Republic of Korea, US, and China, is a publicly-traded, clinical-stage biotech company founded in 2015. Bridge Biotherapeutics is engaged in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics, focusing on therapeutic areas with high unmet needs including ulcerative colitis, fibrotic diseases, and cancers. The company is developing BBT-401, a first-in-class Pellino-1 inhibitor for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, BBT-877, a novel autotaxin inhibitor for the treatment of fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and BBT-176, a potent targeted cancer therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with C797S triple EGFR mutations.
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SOURCE Bridge Biotherapeutics, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/02/bridge-biotherapeutics-presented-non-clinical-study-results-2-ipf-candidates-ipf-summit-2022/ | 2022-09-02T02:13:44Z |
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