text stringlengths 65 123k | url stringlengths 25 420 | crawl_date timestamp[us, tz=UTC]date 2022-04-01 01:00:57 2022-09-19 04:34:04 |
|---|---|---|
CORK, Ireland, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE: JCI), the global leader for smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, will present at the 2022 Goldman Sachs Industrials and Materials Conference. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer George Oliver will participate on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at 9:40 a.m. EDT.
A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the company's website at: http://investors.johnsoncontrols.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations.
About Johnson Controls
At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places and the planet.
Building on a proud history of more than 135 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering. Today, with a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world`s largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the most trusted names in the industry. Visit www.johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @Johnson Controls on social platforms.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Johnson Controls International plc | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/johnson-controls-present-2022-goldman-sachs-industrials-materials-conference/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:04Z |
Nascar driver extends community and charitable contributions with heartwarming experiences for sick or injured children and their families
SAN JOSE, Calif and CONCORD, N.C., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today, Nascar Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams announced a strategic partnership with award-winning robotics company, OhmniLabs, that will bring innovation to new speeds. OhmniLabs has provided two of its telepresence robots to accompany Williams on this year's Josh Williams Hospital Tour, which kicked off earlier this season in Daytona.
With the Ohmni robot on-site at the track with Williams, patients drive the robot virtually from their hospital room, exploring the track and cruising through the garage alongside Williams. Ohmni Robots are easy for kids to control themselves using a tablet, computer or phone, and their smiling faces are proudly displayed on a tablet attached to the robot's "head."
The Josh Williams Hospital tour has been in existence since 2015 and Josh has visited over 140 hospitals in person. In 2020, the pandemic restricted in-person visits at some hospitals, so virtual options were explored and Williams used Zoom to visit and play games with the kids, as well as collect the kids' handprints for the signature end of the season "handprint car."
Earlier this year, Phoenix Children's Hospital (PCH) introduced Williams to Ohmni Robots, and this took the tour to a whole other level of innovation. Ohmni Robots have been used by PCH for several years to give patients virtual access to spectacular experiences outside the hospital.
"The robots were a perfect solution to our hospital visits, but also inspired us to transport kids onto the racetrack in this really cool new way," said Williams, who tested out the robots at the Phoenix Raceway last month. "It was the most incredible experience and we knew we had to keep doing these kinds of visits on our tour. People were just blown away - it became a weekly question for me and my team…Where were the robots? Well, now they will travel with us week in and week out."
OhmniLabs, creators of the robots, have now officially joined Williams in a unique strategic partnership that will leverage multiple NASCAR assets. Two Ohmni Robots will be carried in the team hauler to allow for virtual visits at every track on the schedule. The OhmniLabs logo will appear on the C-Post of the Williams 78 BJ McLeod Motorsports Xfinity entry for the remainder of the 2022 season, and the company will be an active partner in the end of the year handprint car.
"Ohmni telepresence robots are all about establishing connections," said Tra Vu, Chief Operating Officer at OhmniLabs. "What Josh is doing, allowing kids who are sick or injured to cruise around trackside with him and explore the pit from that perspective, is something the kids will never forget. It builds connections for the other racers as well and hopefully will inspire more athletes, drivers and performers to offer similar experiences."
Williams is not only thankful for the partnership but excited to welcome OhmniLabs into multiple facets of his season. "We have a lot of ideas for how to incorporate the robots into our day-to-day operations so that more people, families, and anyone anywhere can experience these virtual visits," he added. "We are exploring charitable and educational elements as well."
OhmniLabs will utilize the partnership with Williams to promote its new UV-C disinfecting robot, OhmniClean, and educate potential customers such as hospitals, schools, training facilities and other high traffic environments about the need for UV-C disinfection. For many organizations, COVID-19 is still very much top of mind and keeping the patients and staff safe from the spread of bacteria and viruses is paramount.
Williams was able to drive the robot through Phoenix Children's Hospital earlier in the year and has not ruled out the possibility of some shop or trackside robot racing.
About OhmniLabs
Founded in 2015 by robotics experts Jared Go, Tingxi Tan and serial entrepreneur Thuc Vu, OhmniLabs, Inc. is a Silicon Valley robotics company that produces service robots at scale. With over 3,000 robots deployed worldwide in 50 countries, OhmniLabs made a name for itself by creating a unique, on-demand robot manufacturing model that allows it to design, engineer and manufacture custom robots based on customer needs at unrivaled speed. The company produces all robots here in the USA using proprietary 3D printing processes and boasts a vast portfolio of modular accessories that unlock a world of possibilities. OhmniLabs telepresence and UV-C disinfecting robots are used daily by businesses, medical professionals, schools, and major sports teams around the world.
View the OhmniLabs media kit here:
https://ohmnilabs.com/about-us/press-room/
About BJ McLeod Motorsports…
B. J. McLeod Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is based out of Mooresville, NC. and owned by B.J. McLeod and his wife, Jessica. The team currently fields the full-time No. 5, No. 78, and No. 99 stock cars.
PR Contacts:
Laura Guy, OhmniLabs
laura@ohmnilabs.com
Meghan Henriques-Parker
President/Dynamic Energy Marketing
Sports Marketing and Brand Partnerships
MeghanDEmarketing@gmail.com
704-787-2031
View original content:
SOURCE OhmniLabs | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/josh-williams-hospital-tour-revs-up-virtual-visits-nascar-xfinity-racetracks-using-kid-controlled-telepresence-robots-ohmnilabs/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:12Z |
BEIJING, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Joy Spreader Group Inc. ("Joy Spreader" or the "Company", Stock Code: 06988.HK), a leader in new media performance-based marketing, announced its 2021 annual results as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) report on April 25. The ESG report shows details on how the Company has been working to make ESG an integral part of its daily operations and long-term development roadmap, with the goal of improving its ESG performance as part of the process to facilitate environmentally responsible growth alongside the fulfillment of social responsibilities.
Leveraging technologies to cut emissions in response to China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals
To fulfill the carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, a green and low-carbon action plan has become a prerequisite for the next stage of development across multiple industries. As part of its efforts to reduce exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as non-hazardous waste, Joy Spreader has adopted a series of environmental management measures, including encouraging employees to print on both sides of a sheet of paper and in black and white to reduce paper and ink consumption, and to travel by high-speed train rather than by plane, as well as tracking and monitoring its own fleet to prevent the misuse of vehicles.
According to the report, Joy Spreader generated 12.2 tons of non-hazardous waste in 2021, a reduction of 18.7% over than originally forecast, while greenhouse gas emissions totaled 133.4 tons, a 11.1% decrease more than originally forecast.
A technology company should not only reflect its green development in its daily activities including such implementations as low-carbon offices and low-carbon mobility, but what can be even more effective is that it can deploy technologies to empower its businesses to improve quality and efficiency and reduce the resulting carbon emissions.
Based on the analysis and processing of marketing product, new media content and anonymous user group behavior data, Joy Spreader provides customized product distribution and release strategies for customers, and ensures the smooth implementation of marketing plans. All steps throughout the business process are carried out based on a highly automated platform, which, along with data and algorithms, can achieve the optimal matching of marketing products and touch points. This low-carbon marketing model not only ensures the accuracy and conversion rate, but also greatly reduces energy consumption.
Establishing a sound talent recruitment, training and retention program to enhance business competitiveness
Zhu Zinan, Chairman, Executive Director and CEO of Joy Spreader, said that the ESG report is and will continue to be a fundamental component of the Company's sustainability roadmap rather than a one-time event. He said that integrating ESG concepts into the Company's governance structure, management model, and even the business model, will not only help Joy Spreader resolve some bottlenecks in operation and management, but also enhance the Company's competitiveness when it comes to sustainable development.
Although invisible on the balance sheet, employees serve as an important intangible asset of a technology company, and play a central role in fostering technological breakthroughs and corporate development. In order to bring on board, properly train and retain valued employees, Joy Spreader has gone above and beyond to optimize its approach to all matters related to management, pay and benefits.
In terms of talent recruitment and training, Joy Spreader upholds the fundamental principle of fairness and justice by providing every employee with promotion and training opportunities, reviewing and rewarding employees in an open and fair manner on the basis of merit after a comprehensive assessment. In order to provide the best opportunities to each and every employee, the Company holds internal and external training sessions for all employees that cover the general rules, working skills and professional knowledge.
As for welfare and security, Joy Spreader complies with applicable laws and regulations to ensure the rights and interests of employees. In addition to the national statutory social insurance, the Company further provides benefits including accident and supplementary medical insurance, and strictly protects the right of employees to be fully free of any work obligations during their scheduled time off.
According to the annual report, as of December 31, 2021, the proportion of technical staff engaged in R&D, technology and operations at Joy Spreader exceeded 71% of the total headcount, comparable to top technology companies who seek to build a robust technical talent pool.
Shouldering social responsibility while facilitating business development
Since its establishment, Joy Spreader has been committed to understanding the needs of the communities where it operates while maintaining the steady growth of its main business, making a positive impact on social development by investing money and time, and undertaking practical actions.
"From an ESG perspective, a company should be evaluated not only by how much value it creates for its shareholders and customers, but also by how much of its social responsibilities it has fulfilled and how much it has contributed to society," said Mr. Zhu, the CEO.
In 2021, Joy Spreader launched a 500,000 yuan (USD 75,800) donation program to help underprivileged children with congenital heart disease correct their heart abnormalities with one-to-one peer support. The two children who received the support were both from disadvantaged families in Baise city, Guangxi province. They had been unable to receive ongoing and effective treatment due to their difficult economic circumstances. Upon learning of these circumstances, Mr. Zhu responded quickly by starting the donation program. The two children have been successfully operated on and discharged from the hospital.
Combining social responsibility and corporate development, Joy Spreader has achieved simultaneous growth of social and business value, and has been recognized for these efforts by a series of awards. In 2021, the Company was awarded the Most Valuable Listed Company for Investment, the Best Listed Company for ESG Practice, the Most Popular IPO Company for Investors, and the Most Growth Award by Gelonghui, HKTKWW, Zhitong Finance, Hithink RoyalFlush and other authoritative institutions and media organizations.
Along with the rising importance of ESG, the capital market has been paying more attention to ESG investment and persuading listed companies to be more willing to assemble and issue ESG reports.
For technology companies like Joy Spreader, ESG is now part and parcel of its business and daily management, and more attention needs to be paid to the balance between commercial value and social and environmental value for better long-term corporate growth. In 2021, Joy Spreader recorded revenue of HK$1.396 billion, representing a year-on-year growth of 51.08% and demonstrating how the focus on sustainable development has been in more ways than one a rewarding experience for the Company.
For more information about Joy Spreader Group Inc., please visit here.
View original content:
SOURCE Joy Spreader Group Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/joy-spreader-announces-2021-esg-report-technology-driven-green-development-solidifies-commitment-corporate-responsibility/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:19Z |
KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas City Life Insurance Company recorded a net loss of $7.7 million or $0.79 per share in the first quarter of 2022 compared to a net loss of $0.7 million or $0.07 per share in the first quarter of 2021.
The largest factor in the decline in net income in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021 was an increase in policyholder benefits, largely from death benefits, net of reinsurance. Policyholder benefits have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its related impacts. In addition, the amortization of deferred acquisition costs and operating expenses increased compared to the prior year. Also, net investment income and net investment gains declined verses one year earlier. Partially offsetting these, income tax expense decreased compared to the prior year, reflecting a higher pretax loss.
Kansas City Life Insurance Company (OTCQX: KCLI) was established in 1895 and is based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Company's primary business is providing financial protection through the sale of life insurance and annuities. The Company operates in 49 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit www.kclife.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Kansas City Life Insurance Company | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/kansas-city-life-announces-first-quarter-2022-results/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:25Z |
SYDNEY, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA; ASX: KZA), an oncology-focused drug development company, today announced that final data from its phase II study of paxalisib in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma will be the subject of a poster presentation at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
The ASCO Annual Meeting will take place virtually and in person from 3-7 June 2022 and will be held in Chicago, IL.
Abstracts from the meeting are expected to be released from 5pm, ET, on 26 May 2022, and the poster will be made available by ASCO and via the Kazia website shortly after presentation.
POSTER PRESENTATION
Title: Paxalisib in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with unmethylated MGMT promoter status: Final phase 2 study results.
Date and Time: Sunday, 5 June 2022 – 8am – 11am, CDT
Session: Central Nervous System Tumors
Abstract ID: 2047
About Kazia Therapeutics Limited
Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA; ASX: KZA) is an oncology-focused drug development company, based in Sydney, Australia.
Our lead program is paxalisib, a brain-penetrant inhibitor of the PI3K / Akt / mTOR pathway, which is being developed to treat glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer in adults. Licensed from Genentech in late 2016, paxalisib commenced recruitment to GBM AGILE, a pivotal study in glioblastoma, in January 2021. Seven additional studies are active in various forms of brain cancer. Paxalisib was granted Orphan Drug Designation for glioblastoma by the US FDA in February 2018, and Fast Track Designation for glioblastoma by the US FDA in August 2020. In addition, paxalisib was granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Orphan Designation by the US FDA for DIPG in August 2020.
Kazia is also developing EVT801, a small-molecule inhibitor of VEGFR3, which was licensed from Evotec SE in April 2021. Preclinical data has shown EVT801 to be active against a broad range of tumour types and has provided compelling evidence of synergy with immuno-oncology agents. A phase I study commenced recruitment in November 2021.
For more information, please visit www.kaziatherapeutics.com or follow us on Twitter @KaziaTx.
This document was authorized for release to the ASX by James Garner, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Kazia Therapeutics Limited | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/kazia-present-final-data-paxalisib-phase-ii-study-glioblastoma-asco/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:31Z |
New commitments include $125 million to support organizations, programs and initiatives that advance equity and access among underrepresented groups, pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, and a commitment to invest 30% of reportable spend with diverse suppliers by 2025.
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- KPMG LLP1 published its inaugural U.S. 2022 Impact Plan today outlining environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies and commitments across four pillars: People, Planet, Prosperity, and Principles of Governance. Capturing progress throughout the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2021, the report represents an important milestone for KPMG as it advances its ESG strategy, embeds good governance and ethics, considers its impact on the planet, and fosters a prosperous, equitable, and sustainable society.
The information within the report represents a consolidation of past reporting efforts and was prepared in accordance with the World Economic Forum International Business Council Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics.
KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO Paul Knopp said, "This is an important milestone as we consider how our firm supports and advances people both within the firm and beyond, impacts our planet, fosters a prosperous society, and embeds good governance. And while this report is the first of its kind for us, our work in this space is not new. For 125 years, we have been committed to supporting our clients and our communities, and now, we are leading on critical ESG issues. From fostering a diversified, inclusive workforce and neutralizing our carbon emissions to expanding our community engagement and instilling an ethical business culture, we are committed to driving progress and — most importantly — impact."
Key areas that evidence KPMG's progress to date include a 40% increase in hiring from historically Black colleges and universities, establishing an internal price on carbon to operationalize sustainable behavior and fund green investments, contributing over $47 million to community investments, and a U.S. Board of Directors with 50% of members from underrepresented groups.
To lay the foundation upon which KPMG will accomplish its ESG ambitions today, tomorrow, and in the future, KPMG has committed to the following:
- People: Enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at all levels of the firm through Accelerate 2025, KPMG's long-term strategy and commitment to DEI, to tackle one essential dimension of its overall DEI agenda — ensuring that more individuals from underrepresented groups choose KPMG as their employer of choice, build careers at KPMG, and advance to leadership positions within the firm and profession.
- Planet: Achieving net-zero emissions by 2030 while also achieving a 50% reduction of direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Prosperity: Investing $125 million over five years from KPMG and the KPMG U.S. Foundation to support organizations, programs, and initiatives that advance equity and access among underrepresented groups that have historically faced systemic barriers.
- Principles of Governance: Setting the bar for ethics and integrity in professional services by fostering a culture where all people behave ethically and feel empowered to speak up without hesitation to address difficult situations, hold each other accountable, and ensure the firm constantly improves.
KPMG U.S. Deputy Chair and Chief Operating Officer Laura Newinski added, "At KPMG, we believe we must do our part to make our society more equitable and sustainable, and also help our people, clients, and communities do the same. We continue to make meaningful investments in ESG initiatives for both our firm and clients to ensure we maintain our positive momentum."
About KPMG LLP
KPMG LLP is the U.S. firm of the KPMG global organization of independent professional services firms providing audit, tax, and advisory services. The KPMG global organization operates in 145 countries and territories and has close to 236,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.
KPMG is widely recognized for being a great place to work and build a career. Our people share a sense of purpose in the work we do, and a strong commitment to community service, inclusion and diversity, and eradicating childhood illiteracy. Learn more at www.kpmg.com/us.
For further information, contact:
Ichiro Kawasaki
KPMG LLP
551-486-9310
ikawasaki@kpmg.com
1 This report covers activities of KPMG LLP the U.S. firm of the KPMG global organization of independent professional services firms (referred to as "KPMG" throughout the report) for the fiscal year from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021, abbreviated as "FY21" in the report. The information included in this report aligns with KPMG International's Our Impact Plan released in March 2022 and includes some complementary information and commitments with clear distinctions in specific areas.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE KPMG LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/kpmg-us-launches-inaugural-impact-plan-affirming-commitment-transparency-accountability/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:38Z |
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lupus Foundation of America is leading the effort to Make Lupus Visible throughout the month of May for Lupus Awareness Month as it rallies communities across the country to raise awareness of lupus and funds to support lupus research, education programs and support services.
Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body, causing the immune system to attack healthy tissue instead of fighting infections. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with and a challenge to treat. Many of the debilitating symptoms and impacts of lupus can't be seen - from extreme fatigue and excruciating joint pain to impacts on the organs like the kidneys, heart and lungs. Because many of these symptoms aren't visible, it can often leave those living with lupus feeling misunderstood and isolated.
Throughout the month of May, the Lupus Foundation of America will be shining light on some of the invisible impacts of lupus including symptoms and diagnosis, the impact of lupus on the body and quality of life, as well as the importance of research and clinical trials. There are many ways to get involved and Make Lupus Visible throughout May:
- Raise awareness of lupus by sharing facts and resources using the Lupus Foundation of America's awareness toolkit.
- Celebrate World Lupus Day on May 10 by wearing purple, whether it's your favorite purple clothing item or accessory, and share with friends and family why raising lupus awareness is important to you.
- Host a fundraiser or start a Facebook fundraiser, and invite your community to support the fight against lupus no matter where they live.
- Donate to support lupus research, education programs and support services.
"With the support of the lupus community, including lupus warriors, friends and family members, health care professionals and partners, we will Make Lupus Visible throughout the month of May, raising awareness of this devastating and life changing disease," said Stevan W. Gibson, president and CEO, Lupus Foundation of America. "We encourage everybody to share facts and information about lupus to increase awareness, helping to reduce time to diagnosis while increasing the understanding and compassion for those living with lupus."
Thank you to our sponsors for supporting key awareness topics during the month of May – Aurinia Pharmaceuticals for our focus on the impact of lupus on the body; Exagen for supporting our focus on symptoms and diagnosis; and GSK for supporting our focus on research and treatments. For more information on Lupus Awareness Month and how to get involved, visit www.lupus.org/lam.
About Lupus
Lupus is an unpredictable and misunderstood autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body. It is difficult to diagnose, hard to live with and a challenge to treat. Lupus is a cruel mystery because it is hidden from view and undefined, has a range of symptoms, strikes without warning, and has no known cause and no known cure. Its health effects can range from a skin rash to a heart attack. Lupus is debilitating and destructive and can be fatal, yet research on lupus remains underfunded relative to diseases of similar scope and devastation.
About the Lupus Foundation of America
The Lupus Foundation of America is the national force devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, one of the world's cruelest, most unpredictable and devastating diseases, while giving caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. Through a comprehensive program of research, education, and advocacy, we lead the fight to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus. Learn more about the Lupus Foundation of America at lupus.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Shannon Brown
brown@lupus.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Lupus Foundation of America | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/lupus-foundation-america-rallies-communities-make-lupus-visible-lupus-awareness-month/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:47Z |
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA is requesting public comment on the scope of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the agency's proposed Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign. Comments will be accepted through the mail and online through Monday, May 16, 2022.
The agency also is hosting two virtual public meetings about the proposed program at 3 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, and 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at:
https://jpl.webex.com/meet/msr
An audio-only feed of the public meetings will be available at 510-210-8882, meeting number 901-525-785. The online Webex feed of the meetings will include real-time automated closed captioning. Advance registration for the meetings is not required. The meeting website will be accessible to participants starting about 15 minutes before the event begins.
NASA and the European Space Agency are planning to use robotic Mars orbiter and lander missions launched in 2027 and 2028 to collect samples gathered by NASA's Perseverance rover. The samples, securely isolated inside a robust Earth Entry System using a layered "container within a container" approach, could be brought to Earth in the early 2030s. The Earth Entry System would then be transported to a specialized MSR sample receiving facility.
The public meetings will include briefings about the status of the National Environmental Policy Act process for the proposed program, as well as its purpose and scientific goals. Meetings will also cover why the Utah Test and Training Range operated by the U.S. Air Force is the proposed landing site for the samples, and what planners are doing to ensure safe and secure return of the samples – a topic known as backward planetary protection.
NASA will consider all comments received during the scoping process in the subsequent development of the MSR Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which is currently scheduled to be released for public comment later this year.
Additional information on the agency's National Environmental Policy Act process and the proposed NASA-ESA MSR program is available online.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE NASA | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/nasa-invites-comment-initial-plans-mars-sample-return-program/ | 2022-04-29T16:00:55Z |
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In keeping with its public health mission for over 32 years and its commitment to sleep health equity, National Sleep Foundation applauds Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA-28), and 35 other U.S. Representatives who signed onto a bipartisan letter supporting awareness for general sleep health and sleep disorders.
Specifically, the letter includes language on identifying the assistance and resources needed to conduct multi-center sleep network studies and clinical trials related to the NIH Sleep Research Plan and encouraging further work in and collaboration with community stakeholders on the issue of sleep health disparities.
People of color in the U.S. are disproportionately affected by poor sleep health and sleep disorders. The NSF's Sleep Health Equity Position Statement outlines key strategic changes needed to achieve sleep health equity, including: expanding evidence-based and culturally-sensitive sleep health resources, improving equitable access to clinical sleep healthcare, and addressing sleep health equity across the continuum of sleep health care delivery. Other strategic focuses include funding research and policy actions.
"Sleep health is essential to overall health and well-being and safety. The National Sleep Foundation encourages all members of Congress to support initiatives eliminating sleep health disparities to achieve sleep health equity," said John Lopos, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation.
As a leader in sleep health for over 30 years, NSF will continue to focus on actionable solutions for underserved and underrepresented communities that help ensure everyone has the opportunity to get the sleep we all need.
Read the full letter here.
About the National Sleep Foundation
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. Founded in 1990, the NSF is committed to advancing excellence in sleep health theory, research and practice.
TheNSF.org │SleepHealthJournal.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE National Sleep Foundation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/national-sleep-foundation-applauds-bipartisan-support-sleep-health-equity-capitol-hill/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:02Z |
STAMFORD, Conn., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Stamford, CT based private equity firm Olympus Partners has acquired Excel Fitness Holdings, LLC ("Excel"), a Planet Fitness franchisee serving six markets including Austin, Dallas Ft-Worth, Northwest Arkansas, Raleigh-Durham, Tulsa, and Virginia. Excel Fitness is headquartered in Austin, Texas and operates over 90 Planet Fitness locations serving nearly 750,000 members at the time of acquisition.
"The Planet Fitness brand has done an incredible job cultivating a welcoming environment for the large percentage of the population who have never belonged to a gym or find traditional gym settings intimidating. We are thrilled to be partnering with Excel management who we believe has developed one of the premier franchisees by marrying the proven Planet Fitness concept with exceptional customer service and operational excellence," said Matt Boyd, Principal at Olympus. "We look forward to our partnership with CJ and the rest of the Excel team as we further expand the Company's presence in its core markets and beyond."
CJ Bouchard, CEO of Excel, added, "Our team is extremely excited to partner with the Olympus team as we continue growing our business, building communities through fitness and bringing the Judgement Free Zone to new members."
"We are in many of the highest growth markets in the U.S. and this gives us the opportunity to expand our footprint through development and marketing," said CJ Bouchard. The Excel team plans to operate over 100 locations by the end of 2022 with 80 clubs left to build.
The Olympus team included Paul Rubin, Matt Boyd, Matt Bujor and Sid Ahuja. Olympus was represented by Matt Goulding and Alexandra Dayneka-Hayes from Kirkland & Ellis and the Company was advised by Ryan Budlong and Zach England from Harris Williams.
About OLYMPUS PARTNERS
Founded in 1988, Olympus Partners is a private equity firm focused on providing equity capital for middle market management buyouts and for companies needing capital for expansion. Olympus is an active, long-term investor across a broad range of industries including business services, consumer products, healthcare services, financial services, industrial services, and manufacturing. Olympus manages in excess of $8.5 billion mainly on behalf of corporate pension funds, endowment funds and state-sponsored retirement programs.
About EXCEL FITNESS
Excel Fitness Holdings is a leading Planet Fitness franchise group based in the Austin area with over 90 locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia. Excel Fitness has built a team culture that focuses on elevating the member experience by developing exceptional health clubs and delivering world-class customer service. The team is passionate about building communities through fitness and supporting their local markets through employment and memberships opportunities that positively impact lives.
About PLANET FITNESS
Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of December 31, 2021, Planet Fitness had 15.2 million members and 2,254 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico and Australia. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone®. More than 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.
View original content:
SOURCE Olympus Partners | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/olympus-continues-excel-acquires-planet-fitness-franchisee/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:08Z |
Supports higher education in addressing U.S. Department of Education regular and substantive interaction (RSI) requirements
BOSTON, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and SUNY Online announce the release of an update to the free OLC OSCQR Course Design Review Scorecard. This OSCQR 4.0 scorecard is the first online course quality rubric to account for recent U.S. Department of Education (DoE) regular and substantive interaction (RSI) regulatory requirements for online and distance education.
Institutions are seeking assistance in successfully navigating the new RSI regulation and risk losing access to student financial aid if the institution is audited and found to be out of compliance by the DoE Office of Inspector General, or as part of a periodic Departmental financial aid program review. The new DoE regulatory definitions of distance education that went into effect on July 1, 2021, require that institutions ensure RSI between instructors and students in all online/distance education courses for financial aid purposes. Regulations related to RSI have not been waived due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
OSCQR, developed by SUNY Online and adopted by OLC in 2016 as its online course quality scorecard, is an openly licensed, freely available set of online course quality standards, online interactive tools, and resources that are research-based, customizable, and non-evaluative for anyone to use and adapt. It assists in ensuring awareness of best practices in the instructional design of new and existing online courses, and targeted initiatives to continuously improve the design, accessibility, and now regular and substantive interaction. The self-assessment tool has already been downloaded nearly 9,000 times. The interactive OSCQR rubric and dashboard have also been updated and are available.
"As the learning landscape continues to evolve with emerging pedagogies, technologies, and regulations, OLC is excited to collaborate with partners, like SUNY Online, to share effective practices that support quality online learning experiences with the education community," said Nicole Weber, Associate Vice President of Learning at OLC. "It is important to remember that this is just one piece of the equation. It is also essential that educators receive additional support from their institutions, including faculty/ID training, awareness building and online teaching skills, and institutional/departmental policy and monitoring."
Instructional designers and faculty, as well as administrators and distance learning leaders can leverage OSCQR. This tool can support online course quality assurance initiatives, faculty self-assessments, faculty training activities, course reviews, and can be used as recommendations and standards to support and document how the online course meets the RSI requirements.
"SUNY Online is very pleased to share the updated OSCQR to support online educators, instructional designers, and institutions in navigating the new RSI requirements," said Alexandra M. Pickett, Director, Online Teaching, SUNY Online. "I am also thankful to the all-volunteer workgroup from across the SUNY system who worked together to review and update OSCQR and ensure that RSI is clearly visible, articulated, and highlighted in specific OSCQR standards, and in all related OSCQR support materials."
Additional details regarding the new RSI regulation are available at SUNY Online and in a free OLC webinar, How to Increase Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in Online and Distance Learning.
Best practices in the instructional design, student engagement and the RSI regulatory requirements were among the topics of discussion at OLC Innovate 2022 conference, which was held virtually March 28-April 1, and in Dallas, April 11-14, 2022.
About Online Learning Consortium
The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is a collaborative community of education leaders and innovators, dedicated to advancing quality digital teaching and learning experiences designed to reach and engage the modern learner – anyone, anywhere, anytime. OLC inspires innovation and quality through an extensive set of resources, including, best-practice publications, quality benchmarking, leading-edge instruction, community-driven conferences, practitioner-based and empirical research, and expert guidance. The growing OLC community includes faculty members, administrators, trainers, instructional designers, and other learning professionals, as well as educational institutions, professional societies, and corporate enterprises. Visit onlinelearningconsortium.org for more information.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the state's only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.3 million students in credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2021, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit suny.edu.
Media contact:
Director of Communications and Community Relations
Online Learning Consortium
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Online Learning Consortium | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/online-learning-consortium-suny-online-update-course-quality-rubric-based-new-federal-requirements-distance-education/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:15Z |
HOBOKEN, N.J., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pearson, the world's leading learning company, today announced it has acquired Mondly, a global online language learning platform. The acquisition will allow Pearson to offer a full range of ways for people to learn and prove their English skills – adding online self-study to its existing diagnosis and learning tools and assessment portfolio.
Mondly is one of the world's leading online language learning players, offering consumers high quality learning in English and 40 other languages via its app, website, virtual reality and augmented reality products. Mondly delivers language courses for both professional and personal learning in a combination of more than 1300 language pairs and is consistently ranked as one of the highest rated educational language apps in the app store. It also offers enterprise solutions through MondlyWORKS and has built an award-winning app that helps children learn languages – MondlyKIDS.
"Today's acquisition marks another step in our digital strategy, giving us an exciting foothold in the fast growing direct-to-consumer English learning market and building yet more connectivity across the entire Pearson portfolio," said Andy Bird, chief executive of Pearson.
"Mondly is a fast growing and profitable business that expands our reach and scale in the language learning market and drives growth for the company. This acquisition is strategically important to the Group as well as being accretive and driving shareholder returns."
"Mondly's mission has always been to make language learning fun, easy and accessible to everyone. We are excited to be joining forces with Pearson, the world's leading learning company, to help us achieve our goal on a much larger scale. Together we will work to shape the future of learning languages, " said Alex Iliescu, CEO and co-founder of Mondly.
Pearson expects this acquisition to accelerate revenue growth from 2023 onwards for our English Language Learning division and continues to expect mid-teens margins for the division by 2025.
The acquisition enables the company to offer a fully integrated market proposition. It also provides synergies and cross-selling opportunities across the portfolio, such as offering the opportunity to bundle English with upskilling and reskilling products through Pearson's Workforce Skills division. The Mondly team, including the founders, will join Pearson's English Language Learning division.
About Pearson
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to add life to a lifetime of learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That's why our c.20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world's leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. Visit us pearsonplc.com.
About Mondly
Mondly is a leading language learning platform that has been named "Regional App of the Year" by Facebook, "App of the Day" by Apple, and "Editors' Choice" by Google Play. Launched in 2014, it quickly became a leading app in the mobile space. According to Statista, Mondly is currently in the Top 5 language learning apps worldwide by number of downloads.
Contact
Joe Wiggins, Joe.wiggins@pearson.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Pearson | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/pearson-acquires-leading-online-language-learning-platform/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:25Z |
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An of China," "Ping An," the "Company" or the "Group," HKEX: 2318; SSE: 601318) today announced its first quarter financial results for the three months ended 31 March 2022.
Global capital markets experienced substantial volatility in a complex and severe international environment where the COVID-19 pandemic continued and a geopolitical conflict broke out in the first three months of 2022. Domestic economic growth faced three headwinds, namely shrinking demand, supply chain disruption, and weakening expectations amid sporadic COVID-19 outbreaks. Facing challenges, Ping An adhered to the business policy of "focusing on financial business, introducing reforms and innovations, increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, and ensuring compliant business operations." Ping An pressed firmly ahead with Ping An Life's quality-oriented reform and transformation, continuously strengthened the advantages of integrated finance, and built the "HMO managed care model." Ping An laid a solid foundation for long-term sustainable, healthy growth by delivering "heartwarming financial services" and providing customers with "worry-free, time-saving, and money-saving" experience.
Thanks to the synergies and resilience of the integrated finance strategy, Ping An empowered its main financial businesses with ecosystems and gradually yielded results. The Group continued to deepen its Life & Health reform and transformation, strengthened its core competitiveness, and achieved steady business results. Ping An's operating profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company rose 10.0% year on year to RMB43,047 million in the first three months of 2022. Net profit attributable to shareholders of the parent company decreased 24.1% year on year to RMB20,658 million mainly due to volatile capital markets. Basic operating earnings per share rose 11.3 % to RMB2.46. Customer development continued to yield greater results. Ping An's retail customers grew 0.7% from beginning of the year to over 223 million as of March 31, 2022. Contracts per customer grew 1.0% from the beginning of the year to 2.94. The Group's internet users increased 1.6% from the beginning of the year to over 657 million as of March 31, 2022. The number of yearly active users exceeded 345 million as of March 31, 2022. Written premium of the corporate channel achieved through cross-selling increased 28.2% year on year and new financing scale achieved through corporate business cross-selling increased 9.0% year on year to RMB192,969 million in the first three months of 2022.
Life & Health advanced reform and transformation. Property & Casualty maintained good business quality. The banking and asset management business increased steadily.
Ping An Life unswervingly advanced its reform and transformation and constantly upgraded its products and services. The operating profit of Life & Health rose 16% year on year to RMB29,678 million. NBV of Life & Health fell 33.7% year on year to RMB12,589 million in the first three months of 2022 due to the agent force adjustment, product mix change, spread of pandemic, and the high base in the first quarter of 2021. Nevertheless, the decline significantly narrowed in March. Ping An Life adhered to its original aspiration of reform, and advanced the quality-oriented transformation via its two-pronged "channel + product" strategy to build a solid foundation for long-term healthy development. In terms of channels, Ping An Life refined the tiered management of its agent force to optimize the team structure. The proportion of agents with a college education background and above rose 3.5 pps year on year as of March 31, 2022. The bancassurance channel continuously built the professional operations framework of "channel + product + technology." Ping An Life continuously deepened cooperation with Ping An Bank to build an exclusive product suite, share training resources, and accelerate the development of Ping An Bank's Private Wealth Advisers whose contributions are increasing. Ping An Life actively explored innovative channels including the Community Grid channel and the Lower-tier Market channel to facilitate multi-channel development. Ping An Life successfully piloted the Community Grid channel in cities including Shanghai, Shenzhen and Shenyang as of March 31, 2022, and also initiated and promoted pilots at eight more cities. The 13-month persistency ratio of "orphan policies" improved sharply year on year. Ping An promoted the intelligent operation through multiple channels. As of March 31, 2021, the intelligent operation had been promoted in 65% of the business units through the agent channel. In respect of products, Ping An Life increased the supply of competitive products to meet customer demands. Ping An Life created differentiated advantages with three core services, namely "insurance + health management," "insurance + high-end elderly care," and "insurance + home-based elderly care," by leveraging the Group's healthcare ecosystem. In the first quarter, more than one third of the NBV was contributed by the three core services. For example, Ping An Life launched a whole life insurance product named "Sheng Shi Jin Yue" in the first quarter of 2022. This product was widely recognized by customers for its unique advantages.
Ping An Property & Casualty maintained good business quality with steady growth in its written premium. Ping An P&C's premium income increased 10.3% year on year to RMB73,018 million in the first three months of 2022. Premium growth returned to normal as the cyclical impact of the auto insurance pricing reform ended. Overall combined ratio rose 1.6 pps year on year to 96.8% due to rising claims of the guarantee insurance business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, overall business quality remained good and risks under control due to enhanced business management and risk screening. "Ping An Auto Owner," the most popular automotive service app in China, had over 153 million registered users as of March 31, 2022, with over 97 million vehicles linked with the app. Ping An P&C launched contact-free fast tracks for auto insurance claims in pandemic-stricken regions. 91.1% of Ping An P&C's family auto insurance claims were processed via "One-click Claims Services" in the first three months of 2022. Ping An P&C also launched the "Fast, Easy, and Free" claims services to cut the number of documents required for small-amount claims, helping small and micro-businesses enhance their risk resistance capacity against COVID-19.
Ping An Bank maintained stable business growth and asset quality. Revenue grew 10.6% year on year to RMB46,207 million and net profit grew 26.8% year on year to RMB12,850 million in the first three months of 2022. Non-performing loan ratio remained unchanged from the beginning of the year at 1.02 % and provision coverage ratio rose 0.68 pps from the beginning of the year to 289.10% as of March 31, 2022. The average cost of deposits was 2.05%, down 0.01 pps year on year. Ping An Bank further advanced its retail business transformation. The retail assets under management ("AUM") rose 5.6 % from the beginning of the year to RMB3,360,669 million as of March 31, 2022. Retail customers increased 1.6% from the beginning of the year to approximately 120,097,500, among which wealth management customers increased 6.1% from the beginning of 2022 to approximately 1,166,500. The balance of retail deposits increased 9.0% from the beginning of the year to RMB 839,575 million. The balance of retail loans grew 0.2% from the beginning of the year to RMB 1,913,471 million.
Ping An continued to improve the asset allocation of its insurance fund investment portfolio to withstand market volatility. The Company's insurance fund investment portfolio grew 4.6% from the beginning of the year to nearly RMB4.10 trillion as of March 31, 2022. The investment portfolio of insurance funds achieved an annualized net investment yield of 3.3% and an annualized total investment yield of 2.3% in the first three months of 2022 as a result of the fluctuations in stock market.
Net profit of the asset management business grew 10.5% year on year to RMB 2,914 million in the first three months of 2022. Ping An Securities and other asset management business achieved steady growth.
Ping An continued to develop technology business steadily and accelerated the implementation of its healthcare ecosystem strategy. The synergies between insurance business and healthcare ecosystem improved customer experience.
Ping An continued to further its technology strategies, enhanced its technological capability and developed its technology business steadily. The technology patent applications increased by 2,048 from the beginning of the year to 40,468 as of March 31, 2022, more than most other international financial institutions'.
Ping An empowered financial services with technology to promote sales, improve efficiency and contain risks. AI service representatives provided services more than 580 million times in the first three months of 2022, covering a series of services including lending, credit cards, and insurance. The AI Customer Visit Assistant facilitated a monthly average of 2.36 hours of interactions per agent with existing and potential customers in the first three months of 2022, an increase of 55% year on year. Ping An Property & Casualty leveraged AI robot assistants to reform traditional operational models and streamline operational processes. 75% of policies were issued through self-service in March 2022. Ping An Bank improved fraud risk identification and interception technology to protect customers from financial losses through building intelligent systems. Ping An Bank's Smart Anti-fraud System (SAFE) prevented various types of frauds involving an amount of RMB346 million in the first three months of 2022.
Ping An accelerated the implementation of healthcare ecosystem strategy and empowered main financial businesses to improve customer experience. The Company offered customers with one-stop "worry-free, time-saving, and money-saving" services covering health, chronic disease, disease and eldercare management via its world-leading healthcare ecosystem. Ping An's healthcare ecosystem partnered with all top 100 hospitals and 3A hospitals and nearly 203,000 pharmacies in China as of March 31, 2022. Ping An Smart Healthcare cumulatively served 187 cities and over 54,000 medical institutions, and empowered approximately 1.38 million doctors as of March 31, 2022. Ping An's dedicated family doctors provide healthcare services by connecting "online, in-store, and home-delivered" service networks. Ping An achieved a 60-second connection rate of 99.9% in online services, and realized 24/7 active management. Ping An enhanced its strategic offline presence in the healthcare industry by integrating PKU Healthcare's excellent resources into Ping An's healthcare ecosystem. The Company had 14 health management centers as of March 31, 2022. Over 65% of Ping An's over 657 million internet users used services from the healthcare ecosystem as of March 31, 2022. Over 64% of Ping An's over 223 million retail customers used services from the healthcare ecosystem as of March 31, 2022.
As an integral part of the Group's "HMO managed care model," Ping An Health effectively reaches potential users under the fees-based "basic benefit packages + individual value-added services" model. Starting with members' dedicated family doctors, Ping An Health covers five healthcare scenarios, namely health, sub-health, disease, chronic disease, and elderly care management. Capitalizing on its online-to-offline (O2O) service network, Ping An Health has developed an online-merge-offline "medical + healthcare" services platform to provide users with high-quality and more convenient healthcare services. With its strong commitment to sustainable development, Ping An Health's MSCI ESG rating had risen to A, ranking among the best in the healthcare industry as of 31 March, 2022.
Lufax Holding is one of the leading technology-empowered personal financial services platforms in China. Ping An Puhui, a controlled subsidiary of Lufax Holding, rolled out an innovative AI-powered loan solution named Xingyun to transform and improve the credit service experience of SMEs. Since December 2021, Xingyun has helped more than 160,000 of such business owners to access loan services. In wealth management, Lufax Holding cooperates with financial product providers and builds a technology-powered smart business framework, using AI to match customers with products and providing middle-class and affluent investors with diverse, customized offerings.
OneConnect is a technology-as-a-service provider for financial institutions, providing clients with "full stack" integrated products, including Digital Banking, Digital Insurance, and Gamma Platform, which offers fintech infrastructure services. OneConnect continues to advance its innovation in fintech business and facilitates the digital transformation of the financial services ecosystem to provide governments, regulators, and enterprises with technological services relating to trade, supply chains, data security, risk management and so on.
Autohome, China's leading online auto services platform, is dedicated to developing a smart auto ecosystem centering on data and technology. In the ecosystem, Autohome provides auto consumers with diverse products and services across the entire auto lifecycle. Autohome continuously promotes the upgrade of its "ecosystem strategy." By developing the dual ecosystem based on Autohome and Ping An's cooperation, Autohome builds its new business portfolio and provides comprehensive services for consumers, automakers and various players in the auto ecosystem.
Ping An said, Looking forward, Ping An will adhere to its original aspiration of "being people-centric and contributing to national rejuvenation," advance the "integrated finance + healthcare" strategic upgrade, and comprehensively strengthen high-quality business development centering on life insurance reform and digital empowerment. Moreover, Ping An will contribute to the "Healthy China" initiative and respond to the national strategy of actively coping with population aging. In line with national strategies and people's livelihoods, Ping An will strive to become a world-leading integrated financial and healthcare services provider by providing retail and corporate customers with comprehensive risk protection and one-stop healthcare services.
View original content:
SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/ping-an-reports-yoy-growth-100-operating-profit-attributable-shareholders-parent-company-q1-2022/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:32Z |
ALLENTOWN, Pa., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) will release consolidated first-quarter 2022 earnings results on Thursday, May 5.
Vincent Sorgi, PPL president and chief executive officer, and other members of PPL's executive team will discuss quarterly results and the company's general business outlook during a conference call with financial analysts that will begin at 11 a.m. Eastern Time.
The call will be webcast live, in audio format, along with slides of the presentation. Interested individuals can access the webcast link at www.pplweb.com/investors under Events and Presentations or access the live conference call via telephone at 1-888-346-8683. International participants should call 1-412-902-4270. Participants will need to enter the following "Elite Entry" number in order to join the conference: 8931083.
For those who are unable to listen to the live webcast, a replay with slides will be accessible at www.pplweb.com/investors for 90 days after the call..
PPL Corporation (NYSE:PPL), based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is a leading U.S. energy company focused on providing electricity and natural gas safely, reliably and affordably to more than 2.5 million customers in the U.S. PPL's high-performing, award-winning utilities are addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. For more information, visit www.pplweb.com.
Note to Editors: Visit our media website at www.pplnewsroom.com for additional news about PPL Corporation.
Contacts: For news media: Ryan Hill, 610-774-4033
For financial analysts: Andy Ludwig, 610-774-3389
View original content:
SOURCE PPL Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/ppl-corporation-conduct-webcast-first-quarter-2022-earnings-results/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:38Z |
Cisco AppDynamics VP and GM Will Help Take Video Presentations 3D
SAN FRANCISCO, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Prezi, the leading collaboration software for video presentations, today announced the appointment of Linda Tong to its Board of Directors. Tong currently serves as vice president and general manager of Cisco AppDynamics.
"Linda is an experienced product leader and innovator, and she will be an incredible addition to our board as we scale in the enterprise and build more engaging virtual meetings," said Jim Szafranski, chief executive officer, Prezi.
In her role at Cisco AppDynamics, Tong leads the product vision and strategic direction. She previously held leadership roles driving product and operational innovation at the National Football League (NFL), Nextbit Systems, Tapjoy and Google.
As a member of Prezi's board of directors, Tong's expertise in product strategy and customer experience will drive innovation in line with the organization's vision, mission and goals. "I am thrilled to be joining the Prezi Board to help the team achieve its vision to engage and connect hybrid teams by unlocking superior digital video experiences," said Tong. "I am passionate about the importance of virtual collaboration in building personal relationships, retaining talent, supporting career development and developing a sense of belonging and culture."
Prezi's video presentation tool, Prezi Video, is the first-to-market software that allows people to bring any content with them on-screen in video meetings. Prezi Video is fully integrated with all the major video conferencing platforms, letting users easily bring video, slides, GIFs, images or on-screen text responses into their video feed on Webex by Cisco, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and GoToMeeting.
About Prezi
Prezi is the leading virtual presentation and collaboration solution for the digital workplace. Its signature offering, Prezi Video, is helping the majority of the Fortune 1000 to build more productive video meetings by letting participants bring their content with them onto any screen. Founded in 2009, Prezi has offices in San Francisco, Budapest, and Riga, with investors, including Accel, Spectrum Equity and TED conferences. For more information, please visit www.prezi.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Prezi | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/prezi-appoints-linda-tong-board-directors/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:45Z |
LOS ANGELES, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) today announced 11 PCF-Pfizer Global Health Equity Challenge Awards. A collaboration between PCF and Pfizer Global Medical Grants, the awards totaling $1.47 million are granted to teams at some of the world's leading cancer research institutions to support prostate cancer research projects that will improve the understanding of, or reduce disparities in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of patients in minority and underserved communities. The 11 award winners represent eight countries including Hong Kong, Ghana, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and the United States and were selected by an esteemed, independent panel of experts assembled by PCF.
Globally, prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer diagnosed among men, with over 1.4 million cases diagnosed worldwide. In the United States alone, Black men are about 75 percent more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer and over two times more likely to die from it; in the U.S. Latino community, prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among men. The 11 projects selected from across the globe in the 2021 PCF-Pfizer Global Health Equity Challenge Awards will focus specifically on research to identify barriers in the delivery of equitable health care and health services research programs to study and optimize care delivery.
"The Prostate Cancer Foundation has been funding research to understand and address this disparity for more than 25 years," said Howard R. Soule, PhD, Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer, PCF. "We are honored to partner with Pfizer in this endeavor and congratulate the investigators on their research which we believe has the potential to reduce disparities in prostate cancer."
"At Pfizer, we are committed to reducing healthcare disparities by working with partners who share our vision of health equity and quality care for all," said Dany Habr, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer Oncology. "Pfizer and The Prostate Cancer Foundation are steadfast in our support of these investigators and their work to address these critical areas of improvement for the prostate cancer community."
The teams awarded 2021 PCF-Pfizer Health Equity Challenge Awards are:
Principal Investigators: Theodore DeWeese, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Sara Alcorn, MD, MPH, PhD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Co-Investigators: Anna LaVigne, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Jean Wright, MD Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Todd Adams, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine; Michael Van Wert, MSW, MPH, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Project Title: Radiotherapy Deserts in Prostate Cancer: Identifying Regions of Mismatched Resources and Need through Characterization of the Impact of Race, Poverty and the Rural-Urban Continuum on Radiation Resource Density and Utilization in the United States
Principal Investigator: Christina Dieli-Conwright, PhD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Co-Investigators: Paul Nguyen, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Tim Rebbeck, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Hajime Uno, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Dong-Woo Kang, PhD; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Project Title: Exercise to Enhance Cardiovascular Health Among Black Prostate Cancer Patients with Androgen Deprivation Therapy: The POWER Trial
Principal Investigators: Veda Giri, MD, Thomas Jefferson University; Amy Leader, DrPH, MPH, Thomas Jefferson University
Co-Investigators: Mary-Ellen Taplin, MD; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Brandon Mahal, MD, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine-Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center; Jessica Russo, LCGC, Thomas Jefferson University
Project Title: Extending Prostate Genetic Awareness, Navigation, and Delivery: The EXPAND Network
Principal Investigator: Lindsey Herrel, MD, MS, University of Michigan
Co-Investigators: Avinash Maganty, MD, University of Michigan; Brent Hollenbeck, MD, MS, University of Michigan; Vahakn Shahinian, MD, University of Michigan
Project Title: Understanding the Impact of Dual Eligibility on Treatment of Localized Prostate Cancer
Principal Investigators: Patrick Maison, MBChB, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, Ghana; Evelyn Jaige, MD, PhD, Henry Ford Health System
Co-Investigators: George Amoah, MBChB, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana; Sylvester Antwi, MD, Henry Ford Health System; Janet Acquaye, MS, Precision Medicine for Aggressive Breast Cancers; Doreen Dankerlui, MS, Henry Ford Health System; Livingstone Aduse-Poku, MS, Precision Medicine for Aggressive Breast Cancer
Project Title: Integrating Orthodox and Traditional Prostate Cancer Care and Treatment in Ghana
Principal Investigator: Blandina Mmbaga, MD, MMed, PhD, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, United Republic of Tanzania
Co-Investigators: Kien Mteta, MD, MMed, MSc, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College; Alex Mremi, MMed, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre; Orgeness Mbwambo, MMed, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre; Bartholomeo Ngowi, MD, MMed, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center
Project Title: Correlation Between Prostate Cancer and PSA, Community Awareness and Barriers Associated with Screening Among Men in Northern Tanzania
Principal Investigator: Murallitharan Munisamy, MD, PhD, National Cancer Society Malaysia, Malaysia
Project Title: GPS-P: Guided Patient Support Navigation Programme for Men with Prostate Cancer
Principal Investigator: Pius Musau, MBChB, MMed, MSc, PhD, Moi University, Eldoret-Kenya
Co-Investigators: Edward Mugalo, MBChB, MMed, Moi University, Eldoret-Kenya; Walter Akello, BSc, MBChB, MMed, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya; Dennis Rono, MBChB, MSc, MMed, Egerton University, Njoro-Kenya; Kibet Keitany, MBChB, MMed, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret-Kenya; Samson Boyo, BBM, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret-Kenya
Project Title: Prostate Cancer Care in Western Kenya: The Determination of Barriers to Care, Establishment and Interrogation of Rapid Access Satellite Clinics and Evaluation of Instituted Measures for Improved Outcomes
Principal Investigators: Jackson Orem, Uganda Cancer Institute, Uganda ; Lyn Atuyambe, PhD, MPH, Makerere University
Co-Investigators: Annabella Habinka Ejiri, PhD, MS, King Ceasor University; Alfred Jatho Lubega, PhD, MPH, Uganda Cancer Institute; Babra Nalwadda, DPH, King Ceasor University; Alphonsina Mujiwimana, MBChB, King Ceasor University; Sibointore Jack, MPH, Uganda Prisons; Justine Ariko, MSc, Uganda Prisons; Kajooba Fred, MBChB, Uganda Prisons
Project Title: Understanding Barriers to and Facilitators of Prostate Cancer Screening Among Men in Uganda Prisons so as to Design and Implement Interventions to Increase Prostate Cancer Screening Uptake in Prison Settings
Principal Investigator: Marques Shek Nam Ng, RN, PhD, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Co-Investigators: Ka Ming Chow, RN, RM, DN, FHKAN, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Kai Chow Choi, PhD, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Kath Schubach, RN, BSc, MN, Men's Health Melbourne; Carmen Wing Han Chan, RN, PhD, FAAN, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Project Title: Health Inequity in Sexual Health Services Among Chinese Men with Prostate Cancer in the Public Hospital Setting
Principal Investigator: Musliu Tolani, MBBS, PGcertPH FWACS, FMCS, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria
Co-Investigators: Ahmed Muhammed, MBBS, FMCS, Ahmadu Bello University; Agbo Christian Agbo, MBBS, FMCS, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital; Rufus Wale Ojewola, MBChB, FWACS, FMCS, MPH, University of Lagos; Ernie Kaninjing, DrPH, MPH, MBA, CHES, Georgia College & State University; Rebecca DeBoer, MD, MA, University of California, San Francisco
Project Title: Utilization of an Implementation Science Approach to Develop and Evaluate a Systems Strengthening Intervention for Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer Management in a Low Middle Income Country in Sub-Saharan Africa
ABOUT PCF
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has been responsible for raising close to $1 billion in support of cutting-edge research by more than 2,200 research projects at 245 leading cancer centers in 28 countries around the world. Since PCF's inception, and through its efforts, patients around the world are living longer, suffering fewer complications, and enjoying better quality of life. PCF is committed to creating a global public square for prostate cancer, in service to our mission of ending death and suffering from the disease. Learn more at pcf.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Prostate Cancer Foundation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/prostate-cancer-foundation-announces-first-ever-pcf-pfizer-global-health-equity-challenge-award-winners/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:52Z |
STOCKHOLM, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) publishes its Annual Report and Remuneration Report for the financial year 2021. The reports are held available at RaySearch's website, under the section Investors – Financial Reports. An English version of the Annual Report will be published on May 24, 2022.
When preparing the Annual Report for 2021, a number of adjustments were made that affect all of the consolidated financial statements as well as the Parent Company's income statement, comprehensive income and balance sheet compared with the year-end report for 2021. The changes had a positive impact of SEK 0.2 M for the Group and SEK 7.7 M for the Parent Company on profit/loss for the year before tax. For more information, see note 35 in the Annual Report.
This information is information that RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication at 5:00 PM CET on April 29, 2022.
About RaySearch
RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ) is a medical technology company that develops innovative software solutions for improved cancer treatment. RaySearch markets the RayStation®* treatment planning system (TPS) and the oncology information system (OIS) RayCare®*. The most recent additions to the RaySearch product line are RayIntelligence® and RayCommand®. RayIntelligence is an oncology analytics system (OAS) which enables cancer clinics to collect, structure and analyze data. RayCommand, a treatment control system (TCS), is designed to link the treatment machine and the treatment planning and oncology information systems.
RaySearch software is used by over 800 clinics in more than 40 countries. The company was founded in 2000 as a spin-off from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and the share has been listed on Nasdaq Stockholm since 2003. More information is available at raysearchlabs.com.
* Subject to regulatory clearance in some markets.
CONTACT:
For more information, please contact:
Johan Löf, founder and CEO, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ)
Telephone: +46 (0)8 510 530 00, johan.lof@raysearchlabs.com
Björn Hårdemark, interim CFO, RaySearch Laboratories AB (publ)
Telephone: +46 (0)709 564 217, bjorn.hardemark@raysearchlabs.com
This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com
The following files are available for download:
View original content:
SOURCE RaySearch Laboratories | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/raysearch-publishes-annual-report-2021/ | 2022-04-29T16:01:58Z |
Statement Pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
DENVER, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 29, 2022, the Reaves Utility Income Fund (NYSE MKT: UTG) (the "Fund"), a closed-end sector fund, paid a monthly distribution on its common stock of $0.19 per share to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 22, 2022.
The following table sets forth the estimated amount of the sources of distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the related rules adopted thereunder. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), the Fund estimates the following percentages, of the total distribution amount per share, attributable to (i) current and prior fiscal year net investment income, (ii) net realized short-term capital gain, (iii) net realized long-term capital gain and (iv) return of capital or other capital source as a percentage of the total distribution amount. These percentages are disclosed for the current distribution as well as the fiscal year-to-date cumulative distribution amount per share for the Fund.
The timing and character of distributions for federal income tax purposes are determined in accordance with income tax regulations which may differ from GAAP. As such, all or a portion of this distribution may be reportable as taxable income on your 2022 federal income tax return. The final tax character of any distribution declared in 2022 will be determined in January 2023 and reported to you on IRS Form 1099-DIV.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this 19(a) Notice are only estimates and not for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.
Presented below are return figures, based on the change in the Fund's Net Asset Value per share ("NAV"), compared to the annualized distribution rate for this current distribution as a percentage of the NAV on the last day of the month prior to distribution record date.
Fund Performance & Distribution Information
^ Based on the Fund's NAV as of March 31, 2022.
*Cumulative fiscal year-to-date return is based on the change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions for the period November 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022.
**The 5 year average annual total return is based on change in NAV including distributions paid and assuming reinvestment of these distributions and is through the last business day of the month prior to the month of the current distribution record date.
While the NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's Managed Distribution Plan.
Furthermore, the Board of Trustees reviews the amount of any potential distribution and the income, capital gain or capital available. The Board of Trustees will continue to monitor the Fund's distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund's net asset value and the financial market environment. The Fund's distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Trustees at any time. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.
ALPS Portfolio Solutions Distributor, Inc., FINRA Member Firm.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Reaves Utility Income Fund | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/reaves-utility-income-fund-section-19a-notice/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:05Z |
MILWAUKEE, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating GTY Technology (NASDAQ: GTYH) for possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law in its transaction with GI Partners.
Click here to learn how to join the action: https://www.ademilaw.com/case/gty-technology-holdings-inc or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you.
Ademi LLP alleges GTY Technology's financial outlook and prospects are excellent and yet GTY Technology holders will receive only $6.30 in cash for each share of GTY common stock that they hold. The transaction agreement unreasonably limits competing bids for GTY Technology by prohibiting solicitation of further bids, and imposing a significant penalty if GTY Technology accepts a superior bid. GTY Technology insiders will receive substantial benefits as part of change of control arrangements.
We are investigating the conduct of GTY Technology's board of directors, and whether they are (i) fulfilling their fiduciary duties to all shareholders, and (ii) obtaining a fair and reasonable price for GTY Technology.
If you own GTY Technology common stock and wish to obtain additional information, please contact Guri Ademi either at gademi@ademilaw.com or toll-free: 866-264-3995, or https://www.ademilaw.com/case/gty-technology-holdings-inc.
We specialize in shareholder litigation involving buyouts, mergers, and individual shareholder rights throughout the country. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Contacts
Ademi LLP
Guri Ademi
Toll Free: (866) 264-3995
Fax: (414) 482-8001
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Ademi LLP | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/shareholder-alert-ademi-llp-investigates-whether-gty-technology-holdings-inc-has-obtained-fair-price-its-transaction-with-gi-partners/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:13Z |
WearRAcon 22 Onsite
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 25-26, 2022, WearRAcon 22, the annual conference of the Wearable Robot Association, is excited to be back in person in the city of Scottsdale, AZ of USA. The two-day conference brings together more than 100 professionals and entrepreneurs from across the globe, who are in wearable robotics industry, academia, medical/rehabilitation centers and government-related fields.
As an emerging force in the R&D of wearable exoskeleton products from China, Siyi Intelligence with its SyreboTM Soft Rehabilitation Robot Glove, is honored to participate in this event, to hear about the latest innovations in wearable robotics, listen to cutting-edge presentations, see live robotics demonstrations, and network with the industry leaders.
As known to all, the application fields of exoskeleton robots mainly include rehabilitation, industrial and military use. The exoskeleton robot product of Siyi Intelligence chooses the rehabilitation track.
As a consumer-grade wearable robot product, SyreboTM Soft Rehabilitation Robot Gloves adopt the flexible drive technology of imitation pneumatic artificial muscles, which assist patients after stroke to finish hands passive training, bilateral training, assistance training etc. and lead a wave of new technology helping home rehabilitation in the market. Therefore, SyreboTM attracted a lot of attentions this time. Visitors flocked to the booth and made many consultations on Syrebo's technical implementation, functional effects and rehabilitation applications.
Globalization strategy of Siyi Intelligence
As a high-tech company, since 2018,Siyi Intelligence is gradually promoting its globalization strategy. The product SyreboTM Soft Rehabilitation Robot Gloves have certified by the FDA and CE, and exported to 80+ countries and regions around the world, serving 3,000+ medical institutions and 20,000+ families. The gloves are highly praised by the therapists, professional institutions and patients because of its practicality and innovation.
Participating in the WearRAcon 22 is also an important step for SiYi's global plan, while Siyi not only shows the brand style of national enterprises to the world, but also conducts the technical exchanges and discussed cooperation with many well-known institutions in this industry.
Adhering to the company vision of "building the world's leading consumer-grade rehabilitation robot and allowing everyone to have innovative rehabilitation service", Siyi Intelligence deeply feels that there is a lot of work to be done. In the future, Siyi Intelligence will continue to go abroad to export China's cutting-edge rehabilitation robot technology and simultaneously to absorb the leading technology and experience of other companies in medical and artificial intelligence to serve more clinicians and patients.
More about Siyi Intelligence, please check on the following link
www.syrebo.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Siyi Intelligence | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/siyi-intelligence-bringing-its-syrebo-soft-rehabilitation-robot-glove-wearracon-22-usa/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:20Z |
ST. LOUIS, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) will host a conference call and webcast on Friday, May 6 to discuss our fiscal 2022 second quarter results. We will issue our earnings news release before the market opens that day, and it will be available on our website at Investors.SpireEnergy.com under the News tab.
To access the call, please dial the applicable phone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time.
The call will be webcast in a listen-only format for the media and public. The webcast can be accessed
at Investors.SpireEnergy.com under the Events & presentations tab.
A replay of the call will be available from 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) on May 6 until June 6, 2022, by dialing 877-344-7529 (U.S.), 855-669-9658 (Canada) or 412-317-0088 (international). The replay access code is 8957406. A replay of the webcast will be available on our website at Investors.SpireEnergy.com under the Events & presentations tab.
About Spire
At Spire Inc. (NYSE: SR) we believe energy exists to help make people's lives better. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the heart of our company. Every day we serve 1.7 million homes and businesses making us the fifth largest publicly traded natural gas company in the country. We help families and business owners fuel their daily lives through our gas utilities serving Alabama, Mississippi and Missouri. Our natural gas-related businesses include Spire Marketing, Spire STL Pipeline and Spire Storage. We are committed to transforming our business through growing organically, investing in infrastructure, and advancing through innovation. Learn more at SpireEnergy.com.
Investor Contact:
Scott W. Dudley Jr.
Scott.Dudley@SpireEnergy.com
314-342-0878
Media Contact:
Jessica B. Willingham
Jessica.Willingham@SpireEnergy.com
314-342-3300
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Spire Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/spire-host-earnings-conference-call-may-6/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:27Z |
Labor Productivity Set to Flatline for the Second Straight Year in 2022, Dashing Hopes of Resurgence
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- At the height of COVID-19, economists found at least one hopeful glimmer in a sea of dire data: productivity. In 2020, GDP per hour worked—a standard definition of labor productivity—saw its largest year-on-year increases since the 1970s: +4.5% globally, including +2.6% in the US.
This spike appeared to accelerate a revival for economies mired in a long-term productivity slowdown over the past decade. But 2020's turnaround was short-lived, explains The Conference Board in its new report, Global Labor Productivity: Stagnating, But Still Above Prepandemic Levels.
"After a COVID-fueled surge in 2020, global labor productivity—defined as GDP per hour worked—stagnated in 2021 and is forecast to stall again in 2022," said Klaas de Vries, economist at The Conference Board. "The lack of productivity growth in 2022 is driven in large part by the impact of the war in Ukraine, with weak output growth but robust labor input growth. Furthermore, lingering effects of the pandemic—driven by slowing growth in goods consumption and increasing service sector activities which tend to show below-average productivity—will likely weigh negatively on global 2022 productivity performance."
The report draws on data from The Conference Board Total Economy Database™, a compendium of productivity for over 130 countries, regions, and economies worldwide. Among its key findings:
After a pandemic-related surge in 2020, global labor productivity growth flatlined in 2021 and is likely to do so again in 2022.
- Globally, The Conference Board projects GDP per hour worked will remain roughly unchanged in 2022—marking a second straight year of stagnation despite rapid growth in output and employment around the world.
- This marks a disappointing return to weak productivity growth after the productivity spurt in 2020, and the hopeful signs in the years preceding it. In 2020, GDP per hour worked spiked +4.5% globally—and +2.6% in the US—after years of averaging anemic growth of just 1.4% and 0.7%, respectively. (See 2011-19 averages below)
- When COVID-19 hit, furloughs, fear, and stay-at-home orders caused a dramatic decline in hours worked that outpaced even the steep contraction in economic activity. While many economies were already seeing momentum toward higher productivity growth—US GDP per hour worked grew a strong +1.5% in 2019—it was the pandemic's historically unique combination of forces that explained much of 2020's surge in labor productivity, and why it proved so fleeting.
As lower-productivity services reopen—and the pandemic surge in goods consumption abates—pandemic-related productivity gains are receding.
- For much of the world, 2022 will see productivity decline, as the gains in hours worked—due to reopening of economies and the return of in-person activities—will outpace GDP growth. While overall productivity could remain above prepandemic trend levels, these gains may erode rapidly.
- Across mature economies, GDP per hour worked is poised to contract by −0.2% in 2022. These declines range from −0.2% in the US, to −0.9% in Germany, −1.3% in the UK, and −2.2% in Japan.
- The situation across emerging and developing economies is only slightly more positive, with GDP per hour worked likely to grow just +0.2% in 2022.
Surging inflation and the ongoing war in Ukraine will make productivity gains more important for sustaining growth but harder to achieve.
- Escalating costs for inputs, particularly energy, and supply chain disruptions leading to shortages of materials worsened following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These factors are likely to weigh on productivity growth this year and quite possibly in 2023 as well.
- The Ukraine war will intensify inflation pressures and limit the ability of companies to compete on pricing and costs. The longer these pressures exist, the more important productivity improvements will become.
- To offset rising input and labor costs, firms will need to redouble efforts to overcome weak productivity growth through innovation, restructuring, digital transformation, automation, improving efficiency, and investment in new business models.
For complete analysis, charts, and data tables, visit The Conference Board Total Economy Database™, Productivity results (2022 update): https://www.conference-board.org/data/economydatabase
About The Conference Board
The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what's ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Conference Board | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/stagnant-productivity-growth-returns-post-pandemic-economy/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:34Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gabriel & Co., the most trusted leader of the bridal and fashion fine jewelry world, is excited to share their exclusive DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT interview with fearless designer, Rebecca Minkoff. The Q&A candidly discusses the way style has evolved during the pandemic as well as what inspires Minkoff's designs, changes to her personal wardrobe and more.
Delighted by risk, Minkoff rejected college with a mission to become a designer and moved to New York where she started her accessory brand. She embraced online shopping before most of her contemporaries, which led to the notoriety of her bag designs. "We have to own our own destiny," says Minkoff, "and stick out our neck because what we do now not only changes the path for ourselves but the women behind us."
Minkoff amplifies Gabriel & Co.'s new mission to "Ignite Your Spirit", expressed in Gabriel & Co.'s latest photoshoot, which pairs their latest Bujukan bracelets, Kaslique earrings and Gaby necklaces with Minkoff 's oh-so-cool, dress with no stress collection. The shoot embraces this new era of thinking and dressing that Minkoff describes as "outside the box."
The complete DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT Series highlights talent from diverse concept of style to showcase Gabriel & Co.'s wide range of offerings. Each designer-dedicated web page features four parts: a written interview; the designer's selection of five new jewels from Gabriel & Co., along with a statement on each piece; the Q&A, which can be viewed and downloaded; and a #GabrielNY section, offers each piece that the designers used to style the model in the on-page photos. Past installments featured such artists as Norma Kamali, Badgely Mischka, Max Mara, Adam Lippes, Donna Karan's Urban Zen, Tommy Hilfiger and Oscar de la Renta
PRESS CONTACT:
Erica Gordon
Erica@michelemariepr.com
About Gabriel & Co.:
Gabriel & Co. is a New York City based jewelry design house which was founded in 1989 by brothers Jack and Dominick Gabriel. Family owned and operated, the company began in New York City and has since evolved into one of the most prolific fine jewelry brands in the U.S., sold at more than 1,200 retailers nationwide. The story of Gabriel & Co. is one of passion, integrity, service and trust. Gabriel creates beautifully unique and distinctive pieces that are designed to reflect the true beauty that is unique in all of us. Each piece is passionately designed and created as a crafted personal experience. By infusing human passion into natural elements, Gabriel creates jewelry that enhances and celebrates beauty and personal achievements. Individually numbered, each piece is as unique as the woman who wears it. Gabriel & Co. has consistently won awards since 2011 in both JCK & Instore Magazines for being one of the most innovative and best performing brands in the jewelry industry.
SOURCE Gabriel & Co.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Gabriel & Co. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/style-outside-box-rebecca-minkoff-presented-by-gabriel-amp-co/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:41Z |
New store, regional offices bringing 25 jobs to 3300 Harrison Ave.
BUTTE, Mont., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- U-Haul® is now operating at the former Kmart® store at 3300 Harrison Ave. and will create 622 indoor climate-controlled self-storage rooms at its first Company-owned facility in Butte.
Erected in 1989, the building was vacated in 2019 and remained empty until U-Haul acquired the property last Nov. 11.
"U-Haul has been repurposing vacated buildings for decades, and we are excited to bring our sustainability model to Butte," said Patrick Friede, U-Haul Company of Montana president. "We look forward to providing this community with a modern, clean and convenient location for all its moving and self-storage needs."
U-Haul Moving & Storage of Butte is currently offering truck and trailer sharing, boxes and moving supplies out of a temporary showroom. The store will also have towing accessories, professional hitch installation, U-Box® portable storage containers, an indoor load/unload area for storage customers, propane and much more.
The first 440 self-storage units will be ready for rent by the end of July.
Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Butte at (406) 565-4060. Hours of operation are currently 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.
Acquisition the former Kmart property is being driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings.
By repurposing the 94,591-square-foot former Kmart building, U-Haul is preventing the use of 1,268 tons of metal manufacturing and transportation (the amount of steel used to make 1,278 passenger cars); avoiding 3,934 tons of new concrete pours (enough to create 79 miles of concrete blocks); keeping 5,312 tons of building and demolition debris out of landfills (avoiding 204 dump trucks traveling 4,290 miles); and stopping 6,668,612 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere (the carbon emissions of 512 large SUVs or pickup trucks for one year).
"This property brings with it so much opportunity," added Friede. "With a property this size, we are able to locate our regional marketing company offices and a U-Haul facility all in one place."
Once U-Haul of Butte is fully operational, Friede aims to staff the facility with at least 25 local hires to promote employment in the Butte community. U-Haul, honored as a "Best for Vets 2020" leading veteran-friendly employer by The Military Times, actively recruits veterans and gives them preference in the hiring process. Find U-Haul careers at uhauljobs.com.
U-Haul dealers in Butte continue to be available to serve DIY movers. U-Haul has teamed with independent dealers to offer rental equipment since 1945. During these challenging times for small businesses, more than 21,000 dealers across the U.S. and Canada are generating supplemental income through their U-Haul affiliation. When customers rent from U-Haul dealers, they are directly supporting small businesses in their community. Because no financial investment is required, dealers are not U-Haul franchises. They are simply small businesses that have committed lot space for U-Haul equipment and time to help meet the mobility needs of their neighbors. Learn more about the dealer program by visiting uhaul.com/dealer.
Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 126,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 855,000 rentable storage units and 73.6 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.
Contact:
Andrea Batchelor
Jeff Lockridge
E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com
Phone: 602-263-6981
Website: uhaul.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE U-Haul | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/sustainability-impact-u-haul-reuse-vacated-building-will-benefit-butte/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:50Z |
Virtual CompTIA Tech Talent Roadshow set for May 3
DENVER, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Employers in the greater Denver area are invited to learn about new strategies and tactics for recruiting and retaining information technology (IT) workers, including cybersecurity pros, at a virtual program presented by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce.
The CompTIA Tech Talent Roadshow will examine the current state of tech employment in the Denver market and explore new strategies for recruiting, hiring and retaining IT professionals with the right skills to help any business thrive. Registration for the free program at 11 a.m. MST on May 3 is available at https://connect.comptia.org/events/view/tech-talent-road-show---denver-front-range.
CompTIA executives Gordon Pelosse, senior vice president for employer engagement, and Dr. James Stanger, chief technology evangelist, will lead the program.
"The tight labor market has employers struggling to fill open positions, with tech job openings at or near the top of the list," Pelosse said. "These positions are critical to business operations, from tech infrastructure and support personnel, to software and app developers, to data analysts and cybersecurity professionals."
Denver area employers added about 2,500 new tech workers in 2021, the third highest total nationally.1 At the same time, employers in the region posted job openings for 80,000-plus tech positions in 2021. Beyond the high demand, IT job openings often take longer to fill than other positions. On average, cybersecurity roles take 21% longer to fill than other IT jobs.2
CompTIA research reveals that 74% of HR professionals expect hiring to be even more challenging over the next 12 months, and 67% believe that persistent hiring constraints may become the new normal.3 As a result, a growing number of companies are turning to skills-based hiring, where consideration is given to a broader range of indicators of career readiness beyond a four-year degree.
"It requires reframing not just who we employ, but the ways in which we think about talent development and acquisition," Stanger explained. "Employers must shift their mindset from being purchasers of talent to investors in talent, viewing its acquisition and development as a long-term strategy and not a short-term fix."
About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world's economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit https://www.comptia.org/.
Media Contact
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
sostrowski@comptia.org
630-678-8468
1 CompTIA State of the Tech Workforce, March 29, 2022.
2 CyberSeek, November 2021.
3 CompTIA Workforce and Learning Trends, April 27, 2022
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE CompTIA | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/taking-tech-talent-crunch-comptia-invites-denver-area-employers-learn-about-new-recruiting-training-strategies-it-workers/ | 2022-04-29T16:02:57Z |
JUPITER, Fla., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- tevixMD announced today that the company reached a new milestone by processing over 8 million HRSA related identity and insurance verification transactions. This benchmark is largely due to the response by healthcare providers and RCM companies to the benefits of the company's unmatched intelligent verification accuracy.
t19, a service module within the company's tevixAccuPAS solution, is specifically designed for intelligent comprehensive insurance discovery around HRSA COVID Uninsured Program reimbursements delivering the most accurate results in the market. "HRSA related activity is just one of many clean data claims requirements where our customers are realizing revenue gains and increased cash flow that is attained through use of the tevixMD solutions" explained Stephen Passalacqua, CEO of tevixMD. With the end of the HRSA Uninsured Program for COVID, providers are looking at the potential of losing reimbursements when funds run out or claims being rejected and are actively looking to find new ways to up the game for intelligent verification of patient demographics and their valid insurance eligibility.
The company states the real time data accuracy of tevixAccuPAS achieves a success rate 30% above industry standards which provides customers a 100% path to payment to realize significant revenue recovery.
As HRSA ramps up audits to the COVID-19 Uninsured Program and Coverage Assistance Fund, tevixMD has also developed a methodology that will provide an audit trail showing proper due diligence for each claim submitted. Current customers as well as prospective customers will be able to comply with government requests as they emerge.
By Christina Cuartas
Vice President, Client Success
tevixMD
For more details on how tevixMD can help reclaim more Uninsured Program revenue for your business click here
tevixMD was founded in 2014 and provides insurance and other patient data through a patented platform of connected services that enables healthcare providers to identify coverage and deductible information for patients to efficiently process claims and get paid. The company was founded to improve the financial performance of healthcare providers and by doing so improve healthcare and patient satisfaction. It's the only platform that provides real-time accurate patient data and insurance/MBI coverage information using minimal patient identification information. Learn more at www.tevixmd.com/contact
View original content:
SOURCE TevixMD | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/tevixmd-reaches-8000000-covid-hrsa-uninsured-program-transactions-processed/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:04Z |
Dr. Lara S. Shekerdemian is the new Pediatrician-In-Chief, Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi is the new Research-In-Chief, and Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt is the new Community-In-Chief
HOUSTON, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Children's Hospital is pleased to announce the following organizational changes.
Dr. Lara S. Shekerdemian has been named Pediatrician-In-Chief at Texas Children's Hospital.
"I could not be more pleased to announce Dr. Shekerdemian for this role, said Mark A. Wallace, president and CEO at Texas Children's Hospital. "As a highly accomplished physician responsible for transformational change in both academic and clinical settings, she is a tremendous asset to our team."
Dr. Shekerdemian succeeds Dr. Catherine Gordon in the role of Pediatrician In-Chief, bringing with her 23 years of experience in three continents, 11 of those at Texas Children's where she has served as Chief of Critical Care. Shekerdemian is also a tenured Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine. During her tenure, she has been involved in every aspect of administration and led growth in all areas, especially clinically, expanding critical care services from 72 beds on one campus, to 172 over three campuses, most recently with the opening of the award-winning Lester and Sue Smith Legacy Tower. In addition to her M.D., she also holds a Master's of Healthcare Administration and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
"I am truly honored, and beyond excited to serve as Texas Children's Pediatrician-In-Chief," said Dr. Shekerdemian. "Since the day I walked in, over 11 years ago, I have felt a deep allegiance and commitment to the institution, to our workforce, and to our patients and their families. I truly cannot wait to see what we can accomplish, together as a team, in the months and years to come."
The organization is also expanding its leadership team to include two new roles: Research-In-Chief and Community-In-Chief. These changes further the strategy and vision Wallace employed eight years ago, with the appointment of new In-Chief roles to manage hospital-based services.
"Leadership of an organization is the sum of three things: vision, structure and people. As we continue to expand it is critical to ensure that we have a proper and robust structure populated with the best people," said Wallace. "That is why I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi as our new Research-In-Chief and Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt as our new Community-In-Chief."
An internationally renowned physician-scientist, Zoghbi, a Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, founded the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital in 2010. Under her leadership, it is now a premiere destination for families with neurological concerns.
"I am honored and excited to help build disease-oriented research," said Dr. Zoghbi. "I appreciate the confidence placed in me to assist in leading the cutting-edge research at Texas Children's, which is so critical to not only the children and families in Texas, but around the world."
Dr. Jeffrey S. Shilt is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine who also has served as Chief of Community Surgery for the last 3 years. Shilt currently serves as Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, Medical Director of the Motion Analysis & Human Performance Lab, Pediatric Sports Medicine Liaison to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board for United States cycling. During his tenure at Texas Children's Hospital, Dr. Shilt was instrumental in leading the operational activation of Texas Children's Hospital's Woodlands location and has successfully led multiples initiatives to foster and maintain key community partnerships.
"It has been an extraordinary privilege to be a part of Texas Children's Hospital's incredible growth and expansion," said Dr. Shilt. "I could not be more excited about building upon our promise to deliver the highest quality of care, close to home at our community locations. I remain committed to uphold the excellence our patients expect from Texas Children's in this new role."
"I'm confident that this new structure will elevate Texas Children's to heights it's never before seen," said Wallace. "These exemplary leaders will be instrumental in expanding our research enterprise and expand women's services and pediatric care into the communities we serve. And those who will benefit most are patients."
ABOUT TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
Texas Children's Hospital, a not-for-profit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children's hospital in Texas, and among the top in the nation, Texas Children's has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women's health. The hospital includes the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children's Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; and Texas Children's Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children's care for communities north of Houston. The organization also created Texas Children's Health Plan, the nation's first HMO for children; has the largest pediatric primary care network in the country, Texas Children's Pediatrics; Texas Children's Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that's channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children's Global Health program leads efforts that advance health care equity through innovative collaboration in care, education and research for underserved populations globally. Texas Children's Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, go towww.texaschildrens.org. Get the latest news by visiting the online newsroom and Twitter at twitter.com/texaschildrens.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Texas Children's Hospital | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/texas-childrens-hospital-announces-new-leadership-roles-benefit-patients-expand-research/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:11Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical Crypto Alerts for KNC, GMT, VRA, APE, and DOGE.
Click a link below for an in-depth cryptocurrency analysis report to see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary ranking system rates these cryptocurrencies.
- KNC:
https://www.investorsobserver.com/pr-crypto?cmcid=9444&symbol=knc&prnumber=04292022-1 - GMT:
https://www.investorsobserver.com/pr-crypto?cmcid=18069&symbol=gmt&prnumber=04292022-1 - VRA:
https://www.investorsobserver.com/pr-crypto?cmcid=3816&symbol=vra&prnumber=04292022-1 - APE:
https://www.investorsobserver.com/pr-crypto?cmcid=18876&symbol=ape&prnumber=04292022-1 - DOGE:
https://www.investorsobserver.com/pr-crypto?cmcid=74&symbol=doge&prnumber=04292022-1
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's Crypto Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each cryptocurrency is evaluated based on risk, short-term technical, long-term technical, volatility, and sentiment factors. Each rank provides the needed information to determine a cryptocurrency's overall suitability for potential investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks, options, and cryptocurrency.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/thinking-about-buying-kyber-network-crystal-v2-stepn-verasity-apecoin-or-dogecoin/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:18Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for BIOL, GTYH, RDBX, BEKE, and KC.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- BIOL: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=BIOL&prnumber=042920222
- GTYH: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=GTYH&prnumber=042920222
- RDBX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=RDBX&prnumber=042920222
- BEKE: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=BEKE&prnumber=042920222
- KC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=KC&prnumber=042920222
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/thinking-about-buying-stock-biolase-gty-technology-redbox-ke-holdings-or-kingsoft-cloud/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:24Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for DUO, STAB, BRQS, ACCD, and ARVL.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- DUO: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=DUO&prnumber=042920226
- STAB: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=STAB&prnumber=042920226
- BRQS: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=BRQS&prnumber=042920226
- ACCD: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=ACCD&prnumber=042920226
- ARVL: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=ARVL&prnumber=042920226
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/thinking-about-buying-stock-fangdd-network-group-statera-biopharma-borqs-technologies-accolade-or-arrival/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:31Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for HOOD, TKAT, METX, CRXT, and FUTU.
To see how InvestorsObserver's proprietary scoring system rates these stocks, view the InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alert by selecting the corresponding link.
- HOOD: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=HOOD&prnumber=042920225
- TKAT: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=TKAT&prnumber=042920225
- METX: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=METX&prnumber=042920225
- CRXT: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=CRXT&prnumber=042920225
- FUTU: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-stocks-lp-2/?symbol=FUTU&prnumber=042920225
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver's PriceWatch Alerts are based on our proprietary scoring methodology. Each stock is evaluated based on short-term technical, long-term technical and fundamental factors. Each of those scores is then combined into an overall score that determines a stock's overall suitability for investment.
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/thinking-about-buying-stock-robinhood-takung-art-meten-holding-group-clarus-therapeutics-or-futu/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:38Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for AAPL, PDD, BABA, BIDU, and LLY.
Click a link below then choose between in-depth options trade idea report or a stock score report.
Options Report – Ideal trade ideas on up to seven different options trading strategies. The report shows all vital aspects of each option trade idea for each stock.
Stock Report - Measures a stock's suitability for investment with a proprietary scoring system combining short and long-term technical factors with Wall Street's opinion including a 12-month price forecast.
- AAPL: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=AAPL&prnumber=042920224
- PDD: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=PDD&prnumber=042920224
- BABA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=BABA&prnumber=042920224
- BIDU: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=BIDU&prnumber=042920224
- LLY: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=LLY&prnumber=042920224
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-apple-pinduoduo-alibaba-baidu-or-eli-lilly/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:44Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for INTC, BMY, ABBV, TDOC, and ROKU.
Click a link below then choose between in-depth options trade idea report or a stock score report.
Options Report – Ideal trade ideas on up to seven different options trading strategies. The report shows all vital aspects of each option trade idea for each stock.
Stock Report - Measures a stock's suitability for investment with a proprietary scoring system combining short and long-term technical factors with Wall Street's opinion including a 12-month price forecast.
- INTC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=INTC&prnumber=042920227
- BMY: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=BMY&prnumber=042920227
- ABBV: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=ABBV&prnumber=042920227
- TDOC: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=TDOC&prnumber=042920227
- ROKU: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=ROKU&prnumber=042920227
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-intel-corp-bristol-myers-squibb-abbvie-teladoc-health-or-roku/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:51Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- InvestorsObserver issues critical PriceWatch Alerts for TSLA, LNTH, JD, MSFT, and MA.
Click a link below then choose between in-depth options trade idea report or a stock score report.
Options Report – Ideal trade ideas on up to seven different options trading strategies. The report shows all vital aspects of each option trade idea for each stock.
Stock Report - Measures a stock's suitability for investment with a proprietary scoring system combining short and long-term technical factors with Wall Street's opinion including a 12-month price forecast.
- TSLA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=TSLA&prnumber=042920223
- LNTH: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=LNTH&prnumber=042920223
- JD: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=JD&prnumber=042920223
- MSFT: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=MSFT&prnumber=042920223
- MA: https://www.investorsobserver.com/lp/pr-options-lp-2/?symbol=MA&prnumber=042920223
(Note: You may have to copy this link into your browser then press the [ENTER] key.)
InvestorsObserver provides patented technology to some of the biggest names on Wall Street and creates world-class investing tools for the self-directed investor on Main Street. We have a wide range of tools to help investors make smarter decisions when investing in stocks or options.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE InvestorsObserver | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-tesla-lantheus-jdcom-microsoft-or-mastercard/ | 2022-04-29T16:03:58Z |
PRINCE GEORGE, Va., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Touchstone Bankshares, Inc. (the "Company") (OTC Pink: TSBA), and its wholly owned subsidiary, Touchstone Bank (the "Bank"), reported unaudited results for the quarter ended March 31, 2022.
The Company reported net income of $1.1 million available to common shareholders for the quarter ended March 31, 2022. Basic and diluted earnings per common share for the quarter were $0.35 and $0.34, respectively. Return on average assets was 0.78% while return on average common equity was 9.30%. By comparison, the Company's net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 was $919 thousand and basic and diluted earnings per common share were $0.28 and $0.27, respectively. The return on average assets was 0.69%. For the fourth quarter of 2021, the Company reported net income available to common shareholders of $1.2 million or $0.37 per common share on a basic and diluted basis.
James Black, President and CEO, stated, "Touchstone Bank demonstrated strong loan growth during the first quarter, continuing the 2021 momentum and on a pace to meet double-digit loan growth for 2022. The growth was supported by the $10 million subordinated debt raise that closed earlier in the quarter along with solid growth in core deposits. We improved return on equity over the first quarter of 2021, despite a reduction in Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") income, additional subordinated debt interest and higher operating cost due to internal investments and wage inflation."
He continued, "We are also pleased to announce that we are expanding our physical presence with a loan center at 3101 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina in the second quarter of 2022, which will complement our existing loan center in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Together, these offices provide the convenience to deliver our services throughout the Raleigh, MSA and in alignment with our franchise building focus. We expect another successful year as the team is focused on our mission."
Earnings
Net interest income for the first quarter of 2022 was $4.6 million, compared to $4.3 million for the same period in 2021, an increase of $216 thousand, or 5.0%. Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2021 was $4.7 million. The Company's cost of funds were 40 basis points in the first quarter of 2022 which is 12 basis points lower than the 52 basis points cost of funds for the first quarter of 2021. The net interest margin for the quarter ended March 31, 2022 was 3.34% compared to 3.50% for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. The net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2021 was 3.31%.The Company expects its net interest margin to remain stable or show a nominal increase for the remainder of 2022, depending on federal interest rate changes.
The Bank recorded no provision for loan losses in the first quarter of 2022 as credit metrics remain sound and the potential for credit losses from the pandemic have mostly subsided. No provisions were recorded in 2021.
Noninterest income totaled $868 thousand for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, a nominal decrease of the $871 thousand recorded in the same period in 2021.
The following table is a comparison of the components of noninterest income for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and 2021:
Notable variances for the noninterest income table above:
- The increase in service charges on deposit accounts was mainly due to an increase in ATM and debit card interchange fees.
- The decrease in other operating income was mainly due to recoveries received in the first quarter of 2021 from charge offs from legacy Citizens Community Bank before its merger into Touchstone Bank in 2017.
Noninterest expense totaled $4.3 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2022, an increase of $253 thousand, or 6.2% when compared to the $4.1 million recorded in the same period in 2021. The following table is a comparison of the components of noninterest expense for the quarters ended March 31, 2022, and 2021:
Notable variances for the noninterest expense table above:
- The increase in salaries and employee benefits for 2021 when compared to the same period in 2020 is mainly due to added staff, wage inflation, and various one-time bonuses paid.
- The increase in occupancy expense is due to the Bank paying its lease on its headquarters as a part of the sales-leaseback transaction recorded in the fourth quarter of 2021.
- The decrease in data processing expense in 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021 was mainly due to the renegotiation of the Bank's core contract as well as the use of additional credits provided by the Company's core provider.
- The increase in telecommunications in 2022 versus 2021 was due to the Bank switching over its services and temporarily paying for two vendors.
- Legal and professional fees are higher for the three months ended March 31, 2022, when compared to the same period in 2021 due to recruiting and consulting fees.
In the first quarter of 2022, the Bank recorded a one-time tax benefit of $241 thousand bringing the total income tax benefit to $51 thousand for the quarter.
Balance Sheet
At March 31, 2022, total assets were $594.2 million, compared to $568.9 million at March 31, 2021, an increase of $25.3 million, or 4.4% as the Bank experienced a spike in deposits in 2021 which was used mainly to fund loan growth on the asset side of the balance sheet. Total assets increased $13.1 million, or 2.3% during the quarter.
Total loans were $427.0 million at March 31, 2022. Total loans increased $24.1 million, or 6.4% during the quarter. Total loans increased $25.9 million, or 6.9%, during the fourth quarter of 2021. Total PPP loans outstanding at March 31, 2022, were $5.8 million.
On the liability side of the balance sheet, deposits totaled $537.9 million at March 31, 2022, as compared to $517.4 million at December 31, 2021. This represents an increase of $20.5 million or 4.2%.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, the Bank prepaid its outstanding $3.0 million FHLB note. The Bank had no outstanding FHLB borrowings at December 31, 2021 or March 31, 2022. This compares to $18.0 million of FHLB borrowings at March 31, 2021.
At March 31, 2022, the Bank had $17.5 million of outstanding subordinated debt. In August of 2020, the Company issued $8 million of subordinated debt with a 10-year maturity and an initial 6.00% coupon. In January of 2022, the Company issued an additional $10.0 million of subordinated debt. These notes have a maturity date of January 30, 2032 and carried an initial coupon of 4%.
Shareholders' Equity totaled $47.6 million at March 31, 2022. The Company initiated a stock repurchase program in the fourth quarter of 2021 in which 76,706 shares had been repurchased as of March 31, 2022. The Bank's Community Bank Leverage Ratio was 9.59% at March 31, 2022, and remains well capitalized as defined by regulatory guidelines.
Asset Quality
The allowance for loan losses at March 31, 2022, was $4.3 million, or 1.01%, of total loans. Loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing were $451 thousand at March 31, 2022, while nonaccrual loans, excluding purchased credit impaired loans, totaled $254 thousand. The Bank believes the current level of allowance for loan loss reserves are adequate to cover anticipated losses as credit metrics remain stable.
About Touchstone Bankshares, Inc.
Touchstone Bankshares, Inc. is the bank holding company for Touchstone Bank. The majority of the Company's business activities are conducted through Touchstone Bank. Touchstone Bank is a full-service community bank headquartered in Prince George, Virginia. The Bank has ten branches serving Southern and Central Virginia and two branches and two loan centers serving Northern North Carolina. Visit www.touchstone.bank for more information.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For this purpose, any statement that is not a statement of historical fact may be deemed to be a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from historical results or those anticipated by such statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; changes in interest rates and general economic conditions; the legislative/regulatory climate; monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government; the quality or composition of the loan or investment portfolios; demand for loan products; deposit flows; competition; demand for financial services in the Company's market area; mergers, acquisitions and dispositions; implementation of new technologies and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; and tax and accounting rules, principles, policies and guidelines.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Touchstone Bankshares, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/touchstone-bankshares-reports-2022-first-quarter-financial-results/ | 2022-04-29T16:04:05Z |
STRATFORD, Conn., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Roads Brewing Co. announced today the launch of a line of non-alcoholic beers under the Two Roads brand name. The Company, which is coming up on its 10th anniversary, has been at the forefront of "beyond beer" innovation in the Northeast, with everything from hard seltzers, RTD spirits-based cocktails and now a brand-new line of non-alcoholic beer offerings.
Two Roads plans to roll out a number of NA beers over the coming months, starting with a non-alcoholic version of a Juicy IPA. According to Director of Marketing, Collin Kennedy, "an NA (non-alcoholic) Juicy makes perfect sense from a trend standpoint. Juicy IPAs, and non-alc beers in general, continue to grow in popularity, making this entry a very logical first step."
The Company has developed a 70-calorie, non-alcoholic liquid that lives up to its reputation for high quality, great tasting brews over the last decade. According to CEO Brad Hittle, "Two Roads' secret weapon all along has been Master Brewer Phil Markowski. Phil is one of the most creative and technically advanced brewers in the world. He has been professionally brewing since 1989 and has received countless accolades including numerous GABF medals and the renowned Russell Scherer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing." Hittle went on to say "Phil's goal was to create an NA that would convince beer drinkers they are actually enjoying a full powered Juicy IPA and to no one's surprise, he developed an NA that's 'two good to be true!'"
Reflecting on the R&D process, Markowski noted that "developing an NA beer has been one of the more interesting challenges in my brewing career. We'd already built a successful line of traditional, Juicy IPAs including Two Juicy, one of the most highly rated beers of this style, so the bar was set high in terms of nailing an NA. After about 18 months of trial and error I love where we've arrived. We have a flavorful, authentic tasting Juicy IPA that is non-alcoholic, but drinks like any of our other traditional Juicy IPA products."
The bright, vibrant package graphics employ the familiar Two Roads logo while really standing out on the shelf versus other NAs." Kennedy added, "It was important for us to leverage the significant consumer awareness of our brand and our reputation for innovation and quality that we've built over the last 10 years."
Two Roads Non-Alcoholic Juicy IPA will launch this week in 12oz/6-Packs in CT, NY, MA and RI, with plans to expand as awareness and demand for the product increases.
About Two Roads Brewing Co.
Two Roads opened its doors in December 2012 having earlier acquired and renovated a 100-year-old vacant, brick factory building in Stratford, CT. Its name and philosophy are inspired by the Robert Frost Poem "The Road Not Taken"—a philosophy brought to life in the beers & beverages they create using the highest quality brewing and packaging equipment. Since opening, Two Roads has grown to become a Top 10 brewery in the northeast. Two Roads has two tasting rooms on its 10-acre campus including one at its Area Two Innovation Center. For more information visit www.tworoadsbrewing.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Two Roads Brewing Co. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/two-roads-brewing-launches-line-non-alcoholic-beers/ | 2022-04-29T16:04:11Z |
NEW YORK, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UFO Gaming released the alpha version of Super Galactic on Monday, April 25th, 2022.
The previous week, the team held a 3-day campaign that enabled 1,000 community members to try out the alpha version of the new decentralized game. Due to popular demand, they increased that number to 1200.
Twenty lucky winners started their in-game journey with a $50 bonus token reward in their TRC20 wallets.
Super Galactic is the debut game from UFO Gaming ecosystem.
Super Galactic is an Arcade Action game (ARG game) that lets users breed digital super soldiers (NFT's) and use them to go to battle. It's built on the Ethereum blockchain while integrated with the Polygon network. This guarantees low gas fees and minimized transaction times.
The blockchain game combines a decentralized auto battler with an NFT collection of digital assets. These digital super soldiers are warriors that landed on a scavenged world with an alien race that threatens the peace of the world.
In order to play, users need these playable NFT characters that work as game assets. Players can mint these game NFT's by providing liquidity and staking. This can be in the form of the native UFO token or UFO-ETH LP for plasma points inside the staking dApp.
Only 10,000 genesis NFT's will be minted. Each will hold exceptional value and increase its price over time.
1,200 lucky users who participated in a campaign were randomly chosen to be the first Super Galactic players ever.
Players who will play the alpha version of the game will test out items and features. These include two characters, two weapons, and some powers and abilities. When a player discovers a bug, they can report them on the official Discord platform or the native feedback system.
The alpha testing stage is there to iron out any preliminary bugs or glitches. It will also help remove other errors that testers might find while testing the Dark Metaverse. This is to ensure that it will deliver a flawless gameplay experience to players once the full version is released. This stage will last for about three weeks.
UFO Gaming has released this limited alpha version of which will not feature any of the decentralized mechanics of blockchain integration. This will help fine-tune the gameplay for the soon-to-be-released official version.
What does this mean for the future of UFO Gaming?
The gaming industry is changing because of the rapid development of p2e games.
UFO Gaming is a fully decentralized gaming platform that bridges the gap between blockchain and traditional games.
In the future, we can expect this new Dark Metaverse to grow as the independent gaming company continues to grow an exciting new metaverse ecosystem. And with that, an entirely new blockchain gaming sector.
A sector that the UFO Gaming experience is set to shape to their vision and standard in the coming years.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1807974/UFO_Super_Galactic.jpg
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE UFO Gaming | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/ufo-gaming-launches-alpha-version-their-debut-game-super-galactic/ | 2022-04-29T16:04:18Z |
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban One, Inc. (NASDAQ: UONEK; UONE) will be holding a conference call for investors, analysts and other interested parties to discuss its results for the first fiscal quarter of 2022.
The conference call is scheduled for Thursday, May 05, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. EDT. To participate on this call, U.S. callers may dial toll-free 1-877-226-8215; international callers may dial direct (+1) 409-207-6982. The Access Code is 4339423.
A replay of the conference call will be available from 2:00 p.m. EDT May 05, 2022 until 12:00 a.m. EDT May 09, 2022. Callers may access the replay by calling 1-866-207-1041; international callers may dial direct (+1) 402-970-0847. The replay Access Code is 7445259. Access to live audio and a replay of the conference call will also be available on Urban One's corporate website at www.urban1.com. The replay will be made available on the website for seven days after the call.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements represent management's current expectations and are based upon information available to Urban One at the time of this release. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond Urban One's control, that may cause the actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are described in Urban One's reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, S-3 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Urban One does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements.
About Urban One, Inc.
Urban One, Inc. (urban1.com), together with its subsidiaries, is the largest diversified media company that primarily targets Black Americans and urban consumers in the United States. The Company owns TV One, LLC (tvone.tv), a television network serving more than 59 million households, offering a broad range of original programming, classic series and movies designed to entertain, inform and inspire a diverse audience of adult Black viewers. As of April 2022, Urban One currently owns and/or operates 64 independently formatted, revenue producing broadcast stations (including 54 FM or AM stations, 8 HD stations, and the 2 low power television stations we operate) branded under the tradename "Radio One" in 13 urban markets in the United States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (blackamericaweb.com), the Company also operates syndicated programming including the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show and the DL Hughley Show. In addition to its radio and television broadcast assets, Urban One owns iOne Digital (ionedigital.com), our wholly owned digital platform serving the African-American community through social content, news, information, and entertainment websites, including its Cassius, Bossip, HipHopWired and MadameNoire digital platforms and brands. We also have invested in a minority ownership interest in MGM National Harbor, a gaming resort located in Prince George's County, Maryland. Through our national multi-media operations, we provide advertisers with a unique and powerful delivery mechanism to the African-American and urban audiences.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Urban One, Inc. | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/urban-one-inc-first-quarter-2022-results-conference-call/ | 2022-04-29T16:04:26Z |
Leaders in digital supply chain solutions set to announce innovative new services at ICON 2022
ALISO VIEJO, Calif., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- UST, a leading digital transformation solutions company, is marking the first anniversary of its unique strategic partnership with Blue Yonder, a leader in digital supply chain solutions and omnichannel commerce fulfillment. At a time of increased difficulty for retailers and supply chain platforms, UST and Blue Yonder remain committed to revolutionizing supply chain and retail.
Over the past year, the partnership has allowed UST to enhance its professional services capabilities significantly and offer retail customers a range of exciting possibilities. UST has in this first year participated in over 15 joint projects implementing innovative Blue Yonder solutions, and has been increasing its scope of offering with additional services for these projects as part of continuing efforts to help mutual customers find even more success. The company's broad range of services makes UST a one-stop shop for Blue Yonder Planning services.
The new Blue Yonder Retailers compliment UST's existing Retail Practice which currently counts 12 of the top 20 global retailers as long-term clients. The close relationship has benefited both companies, and UST's Blue Yonder practice team has doubled since the partnership first began.
UST is the only Blue Yonder partner trained and experienced in providing services for the Retail Markets newest offerings, such as Luminate Assortment and Luminate Allocation. UST is an accredited Blue Yonder partner for the implementation of existing and future retail planning solutions.
As the relationship continues to grow, UST is proud to announce the following initiatives:
- UST Secure – A new enterprise platform focused on cyber supply chain risk management assessments, UST Secure alone gives users a measurable and actionable approach to cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and cyber supply chain risk.
- UST Edge for Retail – Designed to transform in-store video systems into vision intelligence platforms, UST Edge for Retail makes it possible to optimize the in-store customer journey. By using vision intelligence and the Edge infrastructure, UST Edge for Retail automatically identifies misplaced or out-of-stock products while also providing real-time analytics on how customers are experiencing stores and personalizing in-store advertising using digital signage.
Peter Charness, Vice President, Retail Strategy, UST, said, "UST prides itself on our strong client relationships, and we are excited to participate in ICON 2022 as we roll out a new range of services for the retail sector. Our partnership with Blue Yonder has allowed us to offer dynamic new supply chain management solutions catered to emerging needs. We will continue to prioritize agility and responsiveness as we work to put clients in a position for continued success."
"The relationship between Blue Yonder and UST shows how close collaboration can result in pathbreaking supply chain innovation and improved services for end users. Both companies have benefited from the partnership, and we look forward to continuing to build on our legacy of success," noted Wayne Usie, Chief Market Development Officer, Blue Yonder.
UST will have a booth at ICON - Blue Yonder's flagship global event - taking place in Orlando, Florida and online from May 23-25, 2022.
About UST
For more than 22 years, UST has worked side by side with the world's best companies to make a real impact through transformation. Powered by technology, inspired by people, and led by our purpose, we partner with our clients from design to operation. We identify their core challenges and craft disruptive solutions that bring their vision to life through our agile approach. With deep domain expertise and a future-proof philosophy, we embed innovation and agility into our clients' organizations—delivering measurable value and lasting change across industries and worldwide. Together, with over 30,000 employees in 30 countries, we build for boundless impact—touching billions of lives in the process. Visit us at ust.com.
About Blue Yonder
Blue Yonder is the world leader in digital supply chain and omni-channel commerce fulfillment. Our intelligent, end-to-end platform enables retailers, manufacturers and logistics providers to seamlessly predict, pivot and fulfill customer demand. With Blue Yonder, you can make more automated, profitable business decisions that deliver greater growth and re-imagined customer experiences. Blue Yonder – Fulfill your Potential™ blueyonder.com
'Blue Yonder' is a trademark or registered trademark of Blue Yonder Group, Inc. Any trade, product or service name referenced in this document using the name 'Blue Yonder' is a trademark and/or property of Blue Yonder Group, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of the companies with which they are associated.
Media Contacts, UST:
Tinu Cherian Abraham
+1 (949) 415-9857
Merrick Laravea
+1 (949) 416-6212
Neha Misri
+91-9972631264
media.relations@ust.com
Media Contacts, U.S.:
S&C PR
+1-646.941.9139
media@scprgroup.com
Media Contacts, U.K.:
FTI Consulting
UST@fticonsulting.com
View original content:
SOURCE UST | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/ust-marks-one-year-partnership-with-blue-yonder/ | 2022-04-29T16:04:33Z |
DALLAS, April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As previously announced, Vertical Capital Income Fund (NYSE: VCIF) paid a monthly distribution of $0.0742 per share to all shareholders of record as of April 19, 2022, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan").
As a general matter, the amount of the Fund's distributable income depends on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the entire year. Distributions may consist of net investment income, capital gains and return of capital but the character of these distributions cannot be determined until after the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the terms of the Plan, the Fund may be required to indicate the source of each distribution to its shareholders. The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, and the cumulative distributions paid during the 2022 fiscal year to date from the sources indicated in the table. All amounts are expressed on a per share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.
The Plan will be subject to periodic review by the Board, and the Board may amend the terms of the Plan including amending the annual rate of payment or may terminate the Plan at any time without prior notice to the Fund's shareholders. The Fund's distribution rate may be affected by numerous factors, including changes in realized and projected market returns, Fund performance, and other factors. There can be no assurance that an unanticipated change in market conditions or other unforeseen factors will not result in a change in the Fund's distribution rate at a future time. The amendment or termination of the Plan could have an adverse effect on the market price of the Fund's shares. The public health crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social and economic risks to which the Fund is exposed. The duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and its effects cannot be determined with certainty. In order to comply with the requirements of Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, and an exemptive order received by the Fund from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Fund will provide its shareholders of record on each distribution date with a 19(a) Notice and issue an accompanying press release disclosing the sources of its distribution payment when a distribution includes anything other than net investment income.
The amounts and sources of distributions reported in 19(a) Notices are only estimates and are not provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its full fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell them how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Information on the Fund's 19(a) Notices, if any, can be found at www.vertical-incomefund.com. The final determination of the source and tax characteristics of all distributions in 2022 will be made after the end of the year.
Shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from their net asset value. The market price of Fund shares may vary from net asset value based on factors affecting the supply and demand for shares, such as Fund distribution rates relative to similar investments, investors' expectations for future distribution changes, the clarity of the Fund's investment strategy and future return expectations, and investors' confidence in the underlying markets in which the Fund invests. Fund shares are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal invested. No Fund is a complete investment program and you may lose money investing in a Fund. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors. Before investing, prospective investors should consider carefully the Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses. For further details, please visit Vertical Capital Income Fund's website at vertical-incomefund.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the business and financial outlook of Vertical Capital Income Fund that are based on the Fund's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on any such statements. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release.
Vertical Capital Income Fund (VCIF) is an NYSE-listed closed-end fund that seeks monthly income by investing primarily in performing non-agency residential whole loans secured by real estate. As a secondary strategy the Fund aims to provide total return by acquiring performing residential loans at a discount to the unpaid principal balance (UPB). VCIF realizes capital gains as loans are paid off before maturity. For more information visit VCIF.us and connect with the Fund on Twitter.
Oakline Advisors, LLC is the adviser to Vertical Capital Income Fund. Founded in 2013, Oakline Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that specializes in the residential whole loan market. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dallas, TX-based Behringer. Since its inception in 1989, Behringer, together with its affiliates, has raised equity of more than $6 billion in assets through public and private fund structures. For more information about Oakline and Behringer please visit their respective websites at oaklineadvisors.com and behringerinvestments.com.
Fund shares are identified by CUSIP 92535C104
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vertical Capital Income Fund | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/vertical-capital-income-fund-vcif-announces-estimated-sources-april-2022-distribution/ | 2022-04-29T16:04:40Z |
- New OS update gives M-Series glasses the industry's broadest language support
- Webinar on May 5 with Vivoka will review this expanded language support
ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), ("Vuzix" or, the "Company"), a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, today announced the release of an OS update, Version 2.5, for its M400 and M4000 smart glasses. This update follows on the heels of the Company's recently expanded distribution footprint in Europe and Asia, and provides increased language support, including voice recognition of speech commands, for 28 languages.
With this latest OS release, Vuzix' M-series smart glasses now support, in addition to English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Mandarin and Cantonese, the following languages:
Vuzix will be hosting a webinar with Vivoka on May 5 to demo and discuss this expanded language support. The details of this event are as follows:
Date: May 5, 2022
Start Time: 11am ET/5pm CET
https://vuzix.zoom.us/webinar/register/2716505562442/WN_6dATQ2nYTA-BM9IZUILkgA
"Vuzix smart glasses are presently being used in a long list of countries around the world for a variety of applications and it is important for us to provide as much regional language support as possible," said Paul Travers, President and Chief Executive Officer at Vuzix. "With this latest release, our M-Series smart glasses now provide the broadest language support of any smart glasses in the market."
Vuzix is a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies and products for the consumer and enterprise markets. The Company's products include personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and augmented reality. Vuzix holds 246 patents and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the Video Eyewear field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2022 and several wireless technology innovation awards, among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in Rochester, NY, Oxford, UK, and Tokyo, Japan. For more information, visit the Vuzix website, Twitter and Facebook pages.
Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements contained in this release relate to Vuzix Smart Glasses, our current and future business relationships and opportunities with Vivoka and among other things the Company's leadership in the Smart Glasses and AR display industry. They are generally identified by words such as "believes," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "should" and similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based upon the Company's beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this release. The Company's actual results could differ materially due to risk factors and other items described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Reports and MD&A filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators (copies of which may be obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law.
Ed McGregor, Director of Investor Relations,
Vuzix Corporation
ed_mcgregor@vuzix.com
Tel: (585) 359-5985
Vuzix Corporation, 25 Hendrix Road, West Henrietta, NY 14586 USA,
Investor Information – IR@vuzix.com www.vuzix.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vuzix Corporation | https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/04/29/vuzix-m-series-smart-glasses-now-fully-support-28-languages/ | 2022-04-29T16:04:46Z |
7-month-old baby shot and killed in Ohio
Published: Apr. 28, 2022 at 6:58 AM EDT
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - A 7-month-old baby was shot and killed Wednesday,
Toledo Police said that Desire Hughes was killed after shots were fired into a vehicle belonging to her father, Jeremiah Hughes, WTVG reported.
Officers responded to a hospital where the baby was being treated for at least one gunshot wound.
Hughes, 20, was driving when occupants of an unknown vehicle fired shots into his car at the intersection of Jackman Road and Hillcrest Avenue, police said.
The father was grazed by a bullet and released from the hospital.
At this time, no suspects are in custody, police said.
Copyright 2022 WTVG via Gray Media Group. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/7-month-old-baby-shot-killed-ohio/ | 2022-04-29T16:28:39Z |
Ala. high schooler offered more than $3M in scholarships
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - An Alabama high school valedictorian announced he will be attending Harvard University after getting more than $3 million in scholarships from dozens of colleges.
Kylan Benson has earned more than $3 million in scholarships from more than a dozen of the nation’s top Ivy League and post-secondary institutions. He is the class valedictorian at Ramsay IB High School in Birmingham, Alabama, and will graduate in 2022 with a 4.5 GPA, a 31 on the ACT and other academic and civic honors.
During a news conference Wednesday, Benson announced he is going to Harvard University, WBRC reports.
“Getting accepted into Ivy League schools like Harvard and Yale has been a wonderful feeling, especially with how selective schools of that caliber are. After working hard in school for so many years, it’s good to see the fruits of my labor,” Benson said.
Benson said he hopes to carry the foundation he received at Ramsay forward with him into the future. He said he attended the high school “because of the rigorous and internationally recognized” International Baccalaureate program.
“Being an IB scholar helped me stand out as a candidate for admission to the schools that I applied to. The IB program stresses being a global-minded citizen, and this has deepened my passion for serving the world. I’m not quite sure exactly what I want to do in the future, but I’ve been considering politics, foreign service or even nonprofit work. Anything that gives me the influence to positively impact others gives me personal fulfillment,” he said.
Copyright 2022 WBRC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/ala-high-schooler-offered-more-than-3m-scholarships/ | 2022-04-29T16:28:46Z |
Americans are facing soaring rental prices
(CNN) - Americans already feeling the sting of inflation now have to deal with skyrocketing rental prices.
Prices have increased 20% from just two years ago, and it is forcing some people to leave their homes.
Laura Guilmain and her daughter, Karson, have 30 days to find a new home.
Guilmain said she has looked into thousands of properties and still cannot find an affordable one.
For three years, she has been paying $2,100 a month for a three-bedroom residence in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Last month, she got a letter from her landlord that said her new rent would be $3,200 a month. An attorney for her landlord said that rising property taxes and mortgage rates are to blame.
“I freaked out. We can’t afford it. We can’t do it,” Guilmain said.
There is a housing affordability crisis in the U.S. With home prices sky high, Americans are being forced into a competitive rental market.
Guilmain is a single mother and disabled veteran. She is reliant on rental assistance from Housing and Urban Development. She said she already had fewer options, but now the landlords looking to capitalize on rising rents are less willing to accept the strict guidelines of her rental voucher.
Guilmain said that without the rental assistance, she would be “homeless.”
Rents are rising across the country and are up nearly 20% in two years. In cities like Memphis, Tampa and Riverside, California, prices are up nearly 40%. The Miami area is up 58%.
“When there’s a hurricane, it’s illegal for gas stations to jack up the prices. Why is there not a cap in the state of Florida?” Guilmain said.
In Florida, it is illegal to impose rent controls.
Florida renter Sara Espinoza said it gives her “a lot of anxiety.” She is facing a 106% increase in her rent in Coral Gables, Florida.
For 22 years, she has lived in a three-bedroom home. She raised her son there.
The $1,700 she pays in rent is below market value, but the $3,500 that her new landlord is charging is out of her budget.
“It’s not reasonable at all. I guess right now, everybody’s just price-gouging because people need somewhere to live,” Espinoza said.
She set a new budget of $2,800 and found an apartment right next door. It is smaller and over her budget by $400.
“I just think it’s very unfair. It makes me upset,” she said.
Guilmain’s search for a new home for her and her daughter continues with no prospects in sight.
The city of Miami just passed a new law that requires landlords give tenants a 60-day notice if they plan to raise the rent more than 5%. While that gives people more time, it still does not help them find an affordable place to live.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/americans-are-facing-soaring-rental-prices/ | 2022-04-29T16:28:53Z |
Climate change may increase risk of new infectious diseases, study says
(AP) - Climate change will result in thousands of new viruses spread among animal species by 2070 — and that’s likely to increase the risk of emerging infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans, according to a new study.
This is especially true for Africa and Asia, continents that have been hotspots for deadly disease spread from humans to animals or vice versa over the last several decades, including the flu, HIV, Ebola and coronavirus.
Researchers, who published their findings Thursday in the journal Nature, used a model to examine how over 3,000 mammal species might migrate and share viruses over the next 50 years if the world warms by 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), which recent research shows is possible.
They found that cross-species virus spread will happen over 4,000 times among mammals alone. Birds and marine animals weren’t included in the study.
Researchers said not all viruses will spread to humans or become pandemics the scale of the coronavirus, but the number of cross-species viruses increases the risk of spread to humans.
The study highlights two global crises — climate change and infectious disease spread — as the world grapples with what to do about both.
Previous research has looked at how deforestation and extinction and wildlife trade lead to animal-human disease spread, but there’s less research about how climate change could influence this type of disease transmission, the researchers said at a media briefing Wednesday.
“We don’t talk about climate a lot in the context of zoonoses,” or diseases that can spread from animals to people, said study co-author Colin Carlson, an assistant professor of biology at Georgetown University. “Our study ... brings together the two most pressing global crises we have.”
Experts on climate change and infectious disease agreed that a warming planet will likely lead to increased risk for the emergence of new viruses.
Daniel R. Brooks, a biologist at University of Nebraska State Museum and co-author of the book “The Stockholm Paradigm: Climate Change and Emerging Disease,” said the study acknowledges the threat posed by climate change in terms of increasing risk of infectious diseases.
“This particular contribution is an extremely conservative estimate for potential” emerging infectious disease spread caused by climate change, said Brooks.
Aaron Bernstein, a pediatrician and interim director of The Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said the study confirms long-held suspicions about the impact of warming on infectious disease emergence.
“Of particular note is that the study indicates that these encounters may already be happening with greater frequency and in places near where many people live,” Bernstein said.
Study co-author Gregory Albery, a disease ecologist at Georgetown University, said that because climate-driven infectious disease emergence is likely already happening, the world should be doing more to learn about and prepare for it.
“It is not preventable, even in the best case climate change scenarios,” Albery said.
Carlson, who was also an author on the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said we must cut greenhouse gas and phase out fossil fuels to reduce the risk of infectious disease spread.
Jaron Browne, organizing director of the climate justice group Grassroots Global Justice Alliance, said the study highlights climate injustices experienced by people living in African and Asian nations.
“African and Asian nations face the greatest threat of increased virus exposure, once again illustrating how those on the frontlines of the crisis have very often done the least to create climate change,” Browne said.
___
Follow Drew Costley on Twitter: @drewcostley
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/climate-change-may-increase-risk-new-infectious-diseases-study-says/ | 2022-04-29T16:29:00Z |
Man accused of luring more than 100 children into making child porn
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Gray News) - A 24-year-old California man was arrested on accusations of producing and distributing child pornography. Authorities believe he convinced dozens of children to send him sexually explicit images of themselves and others.
Demetrius Carl Davis, 24, was booked Tuesday on felony charges of committing a lewd or lascivious act with a child under 14, according to jail records. He is ineligible for bail.
Davis is suspected of communicating with over 100 children in the guise of a young girl named Lizzy. Sgt. Rodney Grassmann, a spokesman for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, says Davis used social media accounts to connect with the victims and “groom” them.
More than 80 victims have been identified across the United States, and at least 15 others are believed to live internationally.
Victims in the U.S. lived in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin, according to media reports.
Grassmann said the victims vary in age, but most are between the ages of 6 and 13.
Davis is accused of using sexually explicit language in conversations with the victims and sending them videos of child pornography. He is also accused of telling the children to make child pornography that showed them “engaging in sexual acts with their siblings and other children,” according to Grassmann.
The Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children task force learned about Davis’ alleged crimes after receiving a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
During a search of Davis’ home in December 2021, investigators found recordings of “children engaging in sexual acts,” Grassmann says. Forensic analysis allegedly revealed files of child pornography in Davis’ cell phones and social media accounts.
Authorities are encouraging parents to check their children’s electronic devices for any suspect communication from late 2020 to December 2021. Those who believe their children have been victimized should contact the ICAC task force.
Davis is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/man-accused-luring-more-than-100-children-into-making-child-porn/ | 2022-04-29T16:29:07Z |
Man convicted of killing 8-year-old girl set to be executed next month
Published: Apr. 28, 2022 at 9:38 AM EDT
ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia man convicted of killing an 8-year-old girl and raping a 10-year-old girl more than 45 years ago is scheduled to be executed next month.
Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Timothy Ward announced Wednesday that Virgil Delano Presnell Jr. is set to be executed on May 17 at the state prison in Jackson.
Presnell, who’s 68, is accused of abducting and attacking the two girls as they walked home from school on May 4, 1976. He was convicted in August 1976 on charges including malice murder, kidnapping and rape and was sentenced to death.
His death sentence was overturned in 1992 but was reinstated in March 1999.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/man-convicted-killing-8-year-old-girl-set-be-executed-next-month/ | 2022-04-29T16:29:14Z |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/stocks-fall-on-wall-street-sinking-indexes-for-the-week/article_8c247518-c7cf-11ec-8953-e7d9133b76a4.html | 2022-04-29T17:06:42Z |
HONOLULU (KITV4) - High clouds linger making for a mostly cloudy Aloha Friday. Windward and mauka sections will see scattered showers with a few showers over leeward spots. Highs 81 to 86. Trades 15 to 25 mph.
Tonight through the weekend, Mostly cloudy conditions continue with scattered showers windward and mauka. Lows 68 to 73. Trades 15 to 25 mph.
Moderate to fresh trade winds will continue into the weekend into the new week. Expect showers to favor windward and mauka locations mostly overnight through the morning periods through Saturday. A wetter, more unstable pattern is expected with the new week as an upper-level system moves in from the north.
A small northwest swell arriving early Saturday will likely cause a modest increase in surf along north and west facing shores of the smaller islands this weekend. A new moderate, long-period northwest swell arriving late Sunday is expected to gradually build, and may cause surf to approach the High Surf Advisory criteria along some north and west facing shores of the smaller islands from late Tuesday into Wednesday. Small south and southwest swells will keep small background surf along south facing shores through Saturday. A new, long-period south-southwest swell arriving Sunday is expected to cause surf to increase well above the summertime average along south facing shores for an extended period early next week. Expectthe choppy surf along east facing shores to increase to above average heights from this weekend through early next week due to the strengthening trade winds.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/aloha-friday-weather-breezy-trades-are-back-with-scattered-showers-high-clouds-linger/article_5d2a8fea-c7ca-11ec-9c9c-cbec499417eb.html | 2022-04-29T17:06:48Z |
Robert Pattinson will return for ‘The Batman’ sequel, director Matt Reeves confirms
Published: Apr. 29, 2022 at 12:46 PM EDT|Updated: 31 minutes ago
(CNN) - A sequel is in the works for “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson returning in the title role.
The director of the first film, Matt Reeves, delivered the news at an annual trade show for theater owners this week.
Reeves confirmed he will write and direct the sequel. There’s no word yet on whether the rest of the cast, including Zoe Kravitz, will return.
Warner Brothers released “The Batman” in theaters in March, which scored the biggest opening weekend of 2022.
So far, it’s the highest grossing movie of the year, earning nearly $760 million at the global box office. It was also watched by 4.1 million households during its first week on HBO Max.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/robert-pattinson-will-return-batman-sequel-director-matt-reeves-confirms/ | 2022-04-29T17:17:48Z |
Teen arrested after mother noticed son had gun at Texas school drop-off
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD/Gray News) - Several agencies responded to a middle school in Texas Friday morning after a teenager’s mother noticed he was carrying a gun.
Police in Lubbock tell KCBD a mother was dropping off her 15-year-old son at O.L. Slaton Middle School around 9 a.m. when she noticed the firearm. The teen never made it inside the building, and he ran from the school.
The Lubbock Police Department responded to the area along with several other agencies in an attempt to find him.
The teen was found near the school’s campus and taken into custody.
Authorities said the 15-year-old could be facing a felony weapons charge.
Police say there was no threat made to the school or anyone inside the school.
O.L. Slaton Middle School was briefly placed on lockout as a result of the incident.
Copyright 2022 KCBD via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/teen-arrested-after-mother-noticed-son-had-gun-texas-school-drop-off/ | 2022-04-29T17:17:54Z |
Tropicana debuts cereal to be paired with orange juice, not milk
Published: Apr. 29, 2022 at 12:42 PM EDT|Updated: 35 minutes ago
(CNN) - Have you ever had the urge to pour orange juice in your cereal instead of milk?
Even if your answer is a hard “no,” Tropicana wants to change that.
The orange juice brand is releasing Tropicana Crunch, a cereal specifically intended to be served with orange juice instead of milk.
The granola cereal is full of honey almond clusters that is supposed to pair well with a citrus taste.
“Because whether you hate it or love it, you won’t know until you try it,” Tropicana’s website reads.
You can only order it on Tropicana’s website starting May 4.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/tropicana-debuts-cereal-be-paired-with-orange-juice-not-milk/ | 2022-04-29T17:18:01Z |
Trump election probe in Georgia to seat special grand jury
ATLANTA (AP) — When potential grand jurors show up at an Atlanta courthouse Monday, they’ll find a television camera in the room and streets closed outside — nods to the intense public interest in the investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to pressure Georgia officials to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential election victory in the state.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has taken the unusual step of requesting a special grand jury for the investigation, and the selection of that panel begins Monday.
The seating of a grand jury — even a rare special grand jury — is a routine process that’s generally of little interest to the public. But the appetite for any news about this case has prompted the court to make accommodations for at least parts of the grand jury selection to be broadcast to the public. Although there will be cameras in the room, they won’t be allowed to show potential grand jurors.
The investigation into potential attempts to influence the 2020 general election in Georgia began early last year. Willis asked the chief judge of the county superior court in January to impanel a special grand jury. She wrote in a letter that her office had information indicating a “reasonable probability” of “possible criminal disruptions” to the administration of that election.
The chief judge’s order says the special grand jury is to be seated for a period of up to a year, beginning Monday. Unlike a regular grand jury, which hears many different cases and can issue indictments, a special grand jury focuses on investigating a single topic and produces a report on its findings. The district attorney then decides whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.
Former Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, who convened a special grand jury roughly 15 years ago, said the process for seating a special grand jury is pretty much the same as seating a regular grand jury. It’s made up of between 16 and 23 people who are summoned from the county master jury list.
The judge will make sure the potential grand jurors are qualified — over 18, residents of Fulton County and haven’t been convicted of a felony — and then will hear from people who want to be excused for one reason or another.
Unlike jury selection for a trial, where there are two sets of lawyers trying to ferret out biases and prejudices, there’s no defense attorney in this process because no one has been charged yet. Anyone who tunes in to watch shouldn’t expect to hear potential grand jurors questioned extensively about their political leanings or their opinions on Trump.
“There’s no excuses for bias or prejudice,” Porter said. “In this case, I would suspect if somebody came in wearing a MAGA hat, they would probably excuse them. But the inquiry into their prejudices or biases is very, very limited in selecting a grand jury.”
Once the special grand jury is seated, the cameras will have to leave — all grand jury proceedings are secret. But Willis indicated in her letter to the chief judge that one reason she wanted a special grand jury is to issue subpoenas to witnesses who have refused to cooperate without one.
Willis has confirmed that her team is looking into a January 2021 phone call in which Trump pushed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed for him to win the state. She has also said they’re looking at a November 2020 phone call between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Raffensperger, the abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2021, and comments made during December 2020 Georgia legislative committee hearings on the election.
A Trump spokesman has previously dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated “witch hunt.” Graham has also denied wrongdoing.
In a separate investigation in New York, Trump is appealing rulings enforcing a subpoena for his testimony and holding him in contempt of court for failing to turn over documents in a civil investigation that the state attorney general’s office says has uncovered evidence that he may have misstated the value of skyscrapers and other assets for more than a decade.
Trump’s lawyers argue that Attorney General Letitia James is using the civil probe to collect information that could then be used against the former president in a parallel criminal probe overseen by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. James and Bragg are both Democrats.
Bragg says the criminal investigation is continuing despite a shakeup in the probe’s leadership. So far, it’s resulted only in tax fraud charges related to fringe benefits against the Trump Organization and its longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg. Both have pleaded not guilty.
___
Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/trump-election-probe-georgia-seat-special-grand-jury/ | 2022-04-29T17:18:01Z |
UK lawmaker suspended over porn-watching claim
LONDON (AP) — A lawmaker from Britain’s governing Conservative Party has been suspended after colleagues alleged he watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons chamber.
Party officials said Friday that Neil Parish was suspended from the Conservative group in Parliament while the House of Commons Standards Committee investigates.
He will remain a lawmaker but sit as an independent.
The allegations against him are the latest claims of sexual misconduct in British politics.
Earlier this week, female lawmakers reacted with outrage after a newspaper quoted an unnamed Conservative legislator who accused Labour Party Deputy Leader Angela Rayner of trying to “distract” the prime minister during debates by crossing and uncrossing her legs.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/uk-lawmaker-suspended-over-porn-watching-claim/ | 2022-04-29T17:18:02Z |
US Army ‘returns’ cake to Italian woman for 90th birthday
ROME (AP) — With a round of “Happy Birthday” in Italian and English, the U.S. Army toasted an Italian woman with a birthday cake Thursday to replace the one that U.S. soldiers ate as they entered her hometown during one of the final battles of World War II.
Meri Mion, who turns 90 on Friday, wiped away tears as she was presented with the cake during a ceremony in Vicenza, northwest of Venice. The event marked the anniversary of the day the 88th Infantry Division fought its way into the city on April 28, 1945.
According to the U.S. Army, Mion spent that night with her mother hiding in the attic of their farm in the nearby village of San Pietro in Gù. Retreating German soldiers had fired on the house, but when Mion awoke on the morning of her 13th birthday, American soldiers were nearby.
In a statement, the U.S. Army Garrison Italy said Mion’s mother baked her a birthday cake and left it on the windowsill to cool. But it disappeared — apparently nicked by hungry American soldiers who had already been feted by grateful Italians with wine and bread as they entered Vicenza along its main thoroughfare.
Mion seemed genuinely surprised that U.S. soldiers had returned the cake 77 years later. She marveled “Mama mia” and “Grazie” as a small crowd featuring U.S. commanders and Italian officials sang “Happy Birthday.”
“Tomorrow, we will eat that dessert, with all my family remembering this wonderful day that I will never forget,” Mion said, according to the U.S. Army.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/us-army-returns-cake-italian-woman-90th-birthday/ | 2022-04-29T17:18:08Z |
Skip to content
News
Precision Weather
Coronavirus
Sports
Livestream
Contests
Things to Do
Contact
Search
WVVA | Bluefield - Beckley - Oak Hill Local News, Weather, Sports | Bluefield, WV
News
All Points Bulletin
Education
Get the WVVA News App
Good News
Health
Hometown Hero
In Focus
Politics
Small Business Wednesday
Student/Teacher of the Month
Community Service Report
WVVA Today
Meet the News Team
Coronavirus
Precision Weather
Interactive Radar
Maps and Conditions
WVVA Weather Cam Network
Meteorology Monday
Weather Service Alerts
Get the Weather App
Snow Patrol Closings & Delays
Signup for SnowPatrol
Admin - SnowPatrol
Sports
Football Friday
High School
College Sports
Sunday Night NFL Football
Things to Do
Contests
Nominate a Hometown Hero
Nominate a Student of the Month
Nominate a Teacher of the Month
Watch
Livestream
6.1 NBC Network
6.2 The Two Virginias' CW
6.3 MeTV Two Virginias'
6.4 Court TV
6.5 Start TV
Contact Us
Advertise at WVVA
WVVA Careers
Sign up for WVVA Newsletters
Submit Photos and Videos
Gray DC Bureau
Investigate TV
Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren
Circle - Country Music & Lifestyle
PowerNation
Latest Newscasts
Advertisement | https://www.wvva.com/page/grants-100-gift-card-giveaway/ | 2022-04-29T17:22:09Z |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM MDT SATURDAY...
* WHAT...Northwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph
expected.
* WHERE...Central Laramie County and East Laramie County.
* WHEN...Until 10 AM MDT Saturday.
* IMPACTS...Mainly to transportation. Strong cross winds will be
hazardous to light weight and high profile vehicles, including
campers and tractor trailers.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A High Wind Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected
or occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts of
58 mph or more can lead to property damage.
&&
According to the website of Firehouse Subs, it expects to have a location in the Pershing Boulevard Marketplace, in unit C, at 3901 E. Pershing Blvd. Captured via screenshot on April 28, 2022.
CHEYENNE – A national sub sandwich chain is poised to enter the Wyoming market, and specifically to open a new location in the Capital City.
According to the website of Firehouse Subs, it expects to have a location in the Pershing Boulevard Marketplace, in unit C. The retail space’s street address is 3901 E. Pershing Blvd. The location is near where East Pershing Boulevard intersects with North College Drive.
The expected opening date is June, according to the franchisee. She said by phone that this will be her first such business, as opposed to her operating other locations under the Firehouse Subs name in other markets.
The new restaurant in Cheyenne “will be our only current location in the state!” wrote a customer-care representative in an email to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “We predict it to open in early June 2022, though this is subject to change.”
Firehouse Subs is part of Restaurant Brands International, which has other brands, including Burger King and Popeyes.
There were no further details from the website, nor from the company Thursday. A company representative wrote in an email that she had no information to provide about the Pershing Boulevard location. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/national-sub-sandwich-chain-coming-to-wyoming-on-pershing-boulevard-in-cheyenne/article_8f830c3e-0bac-5a30-9a3d-b2123891fe80.html | 2022-04-29T17:40:32Z |
CHEYENNE – Taco John’s announced Thursday it will partner with Jonah Bank of Wyoming and the Grace for 2 Brothers Foundation to raise money for local suicide prevention efforts during the month of May.
From May 1 to 31, participating Taco John’s and Jonah Bank locations will be accepting donations for this cause, with all of the money going to awareness and prevention efforts, the organizations said in a news release.
In Laramie County, those funds will go to Grace for 2 Brothers, a Cheyenne-based organization dedicated to preventing suicide through awareness and education.
Small businesses that donate $200 or more at Jonah Bank locations will be entered into a drawing for a free lunch catered by Taco John’s.
“Wyoming’s suicide rate is double the national average and more than triple the lowest rate of any other U.S. state or territory,” the news release said.
In 2020, Wyoming ranked number one per capita in suicide deaths in the U.S., according to SAVE.org – 31.3 people per every 100,000. Wyoming has also led the nation in suicide since 2018 and has been in the top five since 2014.
“Suicides not only leave communities grieving, they also have financial and economic impacts,” the release said. “Exposure to just one suicide affects an estimated 135 people, with six of those (having) major life disruptions. Each suicide costs an average of $1.5 million in lost productivity and medical costs.”
May has been nationally designated as Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949, when it was first recognized by a nonprofit now known as Mental Health America.
Jeremy Bay, executive director of Grace for 2 Brothers, said proceeds from the fundraiser will help their organization keep the services they provide as free as possible. These include trainings on suicide intervention, access to case management services that can aid in prevention, and assisting those affected by suicide in the grieving process.
This will be the sixth year Taco John’s has partnered with Jonah Bank and Grace for 2 Brothers to raise money for suicide prevention. In 2015, one of the bank’s founders, Casper’s Mick McMurry, died by suicide, bank marketing director Cidne Skavdahl told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
“It’s really impacted not only the bank, but also the community – Casper, in particular, as well as the state of Wyoming, and the business community, as well,” she said. “So it’s very near and dear to us, and obviously, it is a huge problem.”
In Casper, money raised will benefit the Natrona County Suicide Prevention Task Force, Skavdahl said.
Taco John’s cashiers typically ask if patrons would like to donate when they pay for their food, said Taylor Sawyer, field marketing manager for Taco John’s International.
Lobbies in Jonah Bank locations will have glass fishbowls out to collect donations, or patrons can donate by going through teller lines, Skavdahl said. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/banking_and_finance/taco-john-s-jonah-bank-to-raise-money-for-suicide-prevention/article_b26492be-c7e1-11ec-aadd-938ed44f0741.html | 2022-04-29T17:40:39Z |
According to the website of Firehouse Subs, it expects to have a location in the Pershing Boulevard Marketplace, in unit C, at 3901 E. Pershing Blvd. Captured via screenshot on April 28, 2022.
CHEYENNE – A national sub sandwich chain is poised to enter the Wyoming market, and specifically to open a new location in the Capital City.
According to the website of Firehouse Subs, it expects to have a location in the Pershing Boulevard Marketplace, in unit C. The retail space’s street address is 3901 E. Pershing Blvd. The location is near where East Pershing Boulevard intersects with North College Drive.
The expected opening date is June, according to the franchisee. She said by phone that this will be her first such business, as opposed to her operating other locations under the Firehouse Subs name in other markets.
The new restaurant in Cheyenne “will be our only current location in the state!” wrote a customer-care representative in an email to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “We predict it to open in early June 2022, though this is subject to change.”
Firehouse Subs is part of Restaurant Brands International, which has other brands, including Burger King and Popeyes.
There were no further details from the website, nor from the company Thursday. A company representative wrote in an email that she had no information to provide about the Pershing Boulevard location. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/national-sub-sandwich-chain-coming-to-wyoming-on-pershing-boulevard-in-cheyenne/article_9ea00470-c7e1-11ec-8e56-bb84fc57aa44.html | 2022-04-29T17:40:45Z |
CHEYENNE – One potentially positive offshoot of the pandemic, the ability to get some health care information virtually from the local hospital instead of going directly to the emergency room, is going away. At least for now, if all goes according to plan, a revamp is expected.
Cheyenne Regional Medical Center has announced that, starting Friday, it is “suspending virtual, or telehealth, visits to its emergency department.” Such virtual ED visits began in April 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As CRMC noted in its Thursday news release, the goal of such remote visits was to “determine if a patient’s condition could be managed safely at home or if the patient needed to come to the emergency department to be evaluated in person.”
In a signal of more developments to come, the health system said this kind of telehealth is taking a break so that CRMC emergency medicine physician Dr. Stephen Pecevich and colleagues “can work on creating a more streamlined emergency telehealth experience.”
The good news for those who prefer to connect virtually with an emergency medicine expert is that the program is expected to return.
“The telehealth ED is coming back, it is just being worked on,” Kathryn Baker, a spokesperson for CRMC, said by phone. After discussing the issue with Pecevich, Baker said he says that “by sometime this summer, it will go live again, but it will be a new format.”
“The goal is to improve the model and process for our patients,” Pecevich said in the announcement. “Understandably, the early days of the pandemic created significant concern and confusion for those seeking health care,” he noted. “We wanted those who had reservations about coming to the ED to know that our providers were available via telehealth.”
CRMC pointed out that its emergency room remains open all day, every day, “for anyone needing emergency care.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/health_care/crmc-telehealth-for-er-takes-a-hiatus-expected-to-return-this-summer-in-a-new/article_c3eda372-c7e1-11ec-8dbc-9b3c06cec4c0.html | 2022-04-29T17:40:51Z |
COVID-19 antiviral drug seeing increased use in the Valley
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The Biden administration announced this week it is expanding the access to the COVID-19 oral antiviral drug Paxlovid.
The Pfizer-produced drug has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization by 90 percent, and local healthcare providers have been utilizing it for their patients.
They say it comes as a welcome treatment to the latest variants like Omicron BA.2.
“The FDA and CDC found the monoclonal antibodies aren’t effective and have actually been pulled off the market they’re not being used for this particular variant. So then these other drugs became more prominent in the use and that’s why you’re seeing Paxlovid being used more,” Dr. Robert Garwood of Sentara RMH said.
Dr. Garwood adds because of this, the pharmacy at Sentara has seen an uptick in prescriptions, but the medication does have its side effects.
“It has a lot of drug interactions so prior to prescribing with older people on a lot of medications, physicians have to go through their medication list and make sure there are no drug interactions that can cause problems for the patient. This is why initially it was a second-line treatment,” Garwood explained.
He says Sentara is looking into a potential future system in which symptomatic patients who test positive would be given Paxlovid immediately on site for treatment.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/covid-19-antiviral-drug-seeing-increased-use-valley/ | 2022-04-29T18:00:00Z |
Jones Garden in Staunton looking to expand
STAUNTON, Va. (WHSV) - On the corner of Montgomery Avenue and Peck Street in Staunton, you’ll find Jones Garden, a community nonprofit that began to serve the community members who volunteered there free access to fresh produce a year ago.
Within the first year, staff saw a large demand for affordable food sources. That’s why they are in the process of expanding to more areas within Staunton to provide more food to more people in the city and surrounding area.
“Our goal is to make good quality fresh food available to everyone ya know food is it’s something that everybody needs no matter who you are you need food to live and need good healthy food,” Director Naomi Jones said.
She says to help fund the upcoming expansion, the garden will be hosting a 5K on May 28.
Registration closes May 1, and you can find out more about the event, and the garden, by clicking here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/jones-garden-staunton-looking-expand/ | 2022-04-29T18:00:06Z |
Ohio school board member’s typo puts porn link in pro-abstinence Facebook post
BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX/Gray News) - The Lakota School Board voted 4-1 to censure a board member for posting a link on Facebook that led to “inappropriate sexual content.”
A separate motion Wednesday passed requesting that board member Darbi Boddy resign immediately, WXIX reported.
Boddy, according to the censure resolution, made the post on her campaign’s Facebook account.
In her post, Boddy responds to the notion of the district hiring a firm to review its curriculum for potentially objectionable content.
Boddy, who ran on a platform opposing critical race theory, objects to hiring the firm without the board ensuring that both board members and the firm have an understanding of CRT. But she also objects to sexual education content she claimed is already found in Ohio schools, and she posts links to such sites as examples of what she would find objectionable, including content “about masturbating, sex toys, anything taught besides abstinence.”
One of the links originally contained a typo that took users not to the intended site but to a site containing sexual content the board found inappropriate.
“To post pornographic content on an official, public-facing school board member account that can be accessed by many of our own students is absolutely unacceptable,” Board President Lynda O’Connor said Wednesday evening. “Furthermore, to make a public accusation that our curriculum contains such pornographic material is deplorable.”
Boddy has since removed the link, according to the school board.
She posted a follow-up statement prior to Wednesday’s meeting. It reads in part: “One of the pornographic sites that was put in my communication as part of my list of what to look for in our schools, was a typo and although it was not meant to be part of my communication, it is still representative of the disgusting material that is being put in front of our children. If a typo brings more attention to this problem so be it.”
The board’s censure resolution contends it doesn’t matter that Boddy might not have meant to post the link in question: “Even if the link was posted inadvertently, Ms. Boddy demonstrated gross negligence and reckless conduct by posting links on her Facebook page without ensuring that the content thereon is appropriate.”
Boddy cast the lone no vote on the censure resolution as she walked out of the meeting, saying, “I will not be part of this political ruse.”
The board then voted 4-0 on the resignation request.
“You exposed our community, including potentially children, to inappropriate sexual content,” O’Connor said. “By trying to raise awareness about what to keep out of our schools, your manner of communication has placed it directly into our school community. Your conduct was fundamentally wrong and we expect you to take responsibility.”
School boards in Ohio do not have the authority to remove one of their fellow board members from the board.
“The steps taken at this afternoon’s emergency meeting are the strongest actions the Board can legally take in response to this situation,” a district spokesperson said.
The censure resolution notes Boddy has engaged in previous conduct unbecoming of a board member, referencing “disrespectful and unprofessional comments” to administrators and other Board members.
An earlier online petition to censure Boddy “for her continued disrespect and aggression” towards district superintendent Matt Miller has more than 1,500 signatures, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
The petition reads, “Month after month, meeting after meeting, Mrs. Boddy has repeatedly attacked the integrity and honesty of Mr. Miller. Mrs. Boddy’s statements and behavior serve to undermine the confidence in District leadership at the Board level. Additionally, by her words and statements she is demeaning the integrity of the entire Lakota Staff.”
Copyright 2022 WXIX via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/ohio-school-board-members-typo-puts-porn-link-pro-abstinence-facebook-post/ | 2022-04-29T18:00:13Z |
Zac Clark brings “Keep Going” tour to Hotel Madison in Harrisonburg
HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - On Wednesday students, professionals and community members gathered at Hotel Madison for a special conversation on mental health with television personality Zac Clark.
Clark appeared on season 16 of The Bachelorette and founded an addiction treatment center in New York back in 2017. He has been traveling to university communities along the East Coast to help bring awareness to mental health resources.
“For us what we have seen to work throughout our careers is that community is undefeated so teaching these kids to come together, be vulnerable, talk about how they are feeling. That doesn’t mean they are not tough, that doesn’t mean they are not good. It means they are opening up and allowing other peers with that peer-to-peer support,” Clark said.
Each event combines panel discussions and physical activity, aiming to create a safe space for students to share their stories.
“I got sober 10 and a half years ago, went through some of my own stuff. Running specifically has just been a blessing for me,” Clark explained. “Just another tool in my toolbox. I think especially college students, have a tendency to be stagnant so getting them out and moving around a little bit. Move a muscle, change a feeling.”
Clark says the main goal is to instill hope in the community.
“Teach them that they are going to need to lean on one another. Then if they are feeling a certain kind of way, please ask for help. Please, please, please, because there are people out there like our foundation that want to help but the problem is sometimes we just don’t know exactly when that is.” Clark explained.
The keep going tour plans to make stops in Maryland, New Jersey and Philadelphia. For more information on Release Recovery, click here.
Copyright 2022 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/zac-clark-brings-keep-going-tour-hotel-madison-harrisonburg/ | 2022-04-29T18:00:19Z |
3 arrested in child care center abuse probe after child’s leg broken, authorities say
LEXINGTON, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - Three women have been arrested in connection to a child abuse case at a Lexington child care center, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
WIS reported that Shayna Nicole McKnight, 36, is charged with infliction of great bodily harm upon a child. Amy Marie Grice, 38, and Jeannie H. Locklear, 49, are charged with obstructing justice, according to warrants.
Sheriff Jay Koon said the case started a month ago with a call from the child’s mother from Windsor Academy in Lexington. The daycare told the mother of the child that their leg was hurt in the railing of a crib.
Doctors determined that the child’s leg was broken.
Detectives asked to review the video from inside Windsor Academy. Grice and Locklear told deputies that the camera system wasn’t working when the child was injured.
Eventually, detectives determined that the women had taken steps to delete the video after they watched it. However, Koon said that detectives were able to recover the video.
The video allegedly shows McKnight forcefully folding the child’s leg under their body and flipping them into the crib while still holding their left leg.
“Based on detectives’ review of the video, the child was crawling and playing without any visible pain before the incident, then crying and unable to put weight on the left after the incident,” Koon said.
On Friday morning, McKnight, Grice and Locklear were arrested. They are being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services is assisting the sheriff’s department in the investigation.
Copyright 2022 WIS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/3-arrested-child-care-center-abuse-probe-after-childs-leg-broken-authorities-say/ | 2022-04-29T18:49:05Z |
Dog stolen over a decade ago reunited with its owner
BOSTON (WCVB) – Rex is back in his owner’s arms after 11 long years. His owner, Marzena Niejadlik admits it was hard to have any hope she would see her beloved Yorkie again.
“I was starting to lose hope,” she said. “And I counted the years and thinking that maybe he passed away.”
Niejadlik got Rex in 2010 after her brother passed away. He was a comfort to both her and her mother.
But the following year, they say someone stole the puppy from outside their home.
Now, over a decade later, Stoughton Animal Control Officer Michelle Carlos got a call that a Yorkie was running around a neighborhood.
The microchip on the dog led back to Niejadlik.
“It was linked to her old address, but her phone number was still current – which is good,” Carlos said. “She was just overjoyed.”
Niejadlik said the timing of Rex’s return is strange as her other brother also recently died.
“So [Rex] is just here to help us, I guess, during the grieving time again,” she said.
That comfort comes at just the right time, and Rex returned to meet new family members welcoming him home with open arms.
Copyright 2022 WCVB via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/dog-stolen-over-decade-ago-reunited-with-its-owner/ | 2022-04-29T18:49:11Z |
Millions of bees used in pollination die in airline shipping
(AP) – A shipment of honeybees bound from California to Alaska died after an airline re-routed them through Atlanta, then left them to sit on the tarmac during hot weather.
Delta Air Lines said Friday it is making changes to prevent a repeat of what happened last weekend.
About 5 million honeybees were being shipped to Sarah McElrea, a beekeeper and distributor in Anchorage, Alaska.
The crates holding the bees didn’t fit on the plane that was supposed to take them from Sacramento, California, to Anchorage via Seattle.
Instead they were sent to Atlanta, where they arrived too late to make an Anchorage-bound flight.
By the time an Atlanta beekeeper went to check on them, most of the bees were dead.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/millions-bees-used-pollination-die-airline-shipping/ | 2022-04-29T18:49:18Z |
Spartans score three in the seventh to tame Tigers
Greenbrier East wins back-and-forth game
Published: Apr. 29, 2022 at 2:32 PM EDT|Updated: 16 minutes ago
PRINCETON, W.Va. (WVVA) - Greenbrier East lost a five-run lead then came from behind to beat Princeton.
The Spartans scored one in the sixth to tie the game and then plated three more in the seventh to win 9-8.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/spartans-score-three-seventh-tame-tigers/ | 2022-04-29T18:49:20Z |
Whistleblower told FDA about baby formula issues months before recall, complaint says
(CNN) - A whistleblower complained to the Food and Drug Administration about safety concerns months before infant formula was taken off store shelves, according to newly released documents.
Three popular brands of formula produced at the Abbott Nutrition plant in Sturgis, Michigan were recalled in February.
Multiple babies got a rare and serious bacterial infection after drinking the formula, and two children died.
The recall included several types of Similac, Alimentum and EleCare brand products.
The whistleblower complaint was sent in October and released this week.
A former employee at the plant laid out concerns about poor cleaning practices, falsified records and instances where employees knowingly put out formula that may have been contaminated.
The complaint says the employee was fired for raising safety concerns, and he was one of several people who came forward about safety issues.
Abbott said it’s investigating and cooperating with the FDA’s investigation.
The federal agency also is under scrutiny for its handling of the case. After receiving the complaint in October, the former employee was not interviewed until December.
The FDA did not do an in-person inspection of the Sturgis facility until January.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/whistleblower-told-fda-about-baby-formula-issues-months-before-recall-complaint-says/ | 2022-04-29T18:49:26Z |
Woman accused of sex trafficking child for drugs and money accepts plea deal
CAMERON, Wis. (WEAU/Gray News) - A Wisconsin woman accused of offering a child to a man for him to have sex with in exchange for drugs and money has accepted a plea deal.
WEAU obtained court documents stating 35-year-old Amanda Eyman of Cameron pleaded guilty to an amended charge of child neglect in Barron County Circuit Court.
According to the criminal complaint filed with the original charge in 2021, Eyman is accused of offering a child to a man, 35-year-old Paul Osterman of Rhinelander, for him to have sex with in exchange for drugs and money. This attempted exchange took place through social media app MeetMe and is part of a larger investigation into Osterman.
The two are accused of sending messages in December 2019. Osterman used the alias “Jake George” to ask Eyman if she knew of a “real young girl.”
Investigators said Osterman and Eyman messaged back and forth until Eyman agreed to let Osterman have sex with a child in exchange for money and drugs, with Eyman saying, “Bring me a bag of spin and a little cash so I can get some smokes, we’ll go over the details later.”
Eyman was charged in January 2021 with trafficking of a child as a party to a crime, and the original charge would have carried a maximum prison sentence of 40 years and a maximum fine of $100,000. The amended charge in the plea agreement carries a maximum sentence of three and a half years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation used data from Osterman’s phone and MeetMe, and detectives said Osterman used the app to offer money in exchange for sex with young girls on multiple occasions.
Osterman has yet to be charged in the case involving Eyman, but he is facing charges in other jurisdictions. He has also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of sex trafficking of children in April, and he will be sentenced in July.
Eyman’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 28.
Copyright 2022 WEAU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wvva.com/2022/04/29/woman-accused-sex-trafficking-child-drugs-money-accepts-plea-deal/ | 2022-04-29T18:49:33Z |
Chauvin appeals murder conviction for killing George Floyd
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is appealing his conviction for murder in the killing of George Floyd, arguing that jurors were intimidated by the protests that followed and prejudiced by heavy pretrial publicity.
Chauvin asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals in a court filing Monday to reverse his conviction, reverse and remand for a new trial in a new venue, or order a resentencing.
Last June, Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill sentenced Chauvin to 22 1/2 years in prison after jurors found him guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin pinned the Black man to the ground with his knee on his neck for 9 minutes, 29 seconds. Floyd had been accused of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a convenience store. Three other fired officers face state trial this summer after being convicted in federal court earlier this year of violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Chauvin’s attorney, William Mohrman, laid out a number of challenges to his conviction, including that the trial should not have been held in Hennepin County, where Floyd was killed.
“The overwhelming media coverage exposed the jurors — literally every day — to news demonizing Chauvin and glorifying Floyd which was more than sufficient to presume prejudice,” the brief said.
In the months that followed Floyd’s killing, protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and around the country to protest police brutality and racism. Some of that unrest was violent.
Mohrman said several potential jurors expressed concerns during jury selection that if Chauvin was acquitted they would fear for their personal safety and worried about more violence. He said several of them said they were intimidated by the security measures implemented at the courthouse to protect trial participants from protesters.
The filing also cited the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright by a police officer in nearby Brooklyn Center that sparked mor protests during Chauvin’s trial. It says jurors should have been sequestered after selection to avoid being prejudiced by reports of that slaying. It also cited a $27 million settlement reached between the city and Floyd’s family that was announced during jury selection, saying the timing of that prejudiced jurors in the case.
Mohrman cited several instances of alleged prosecutorial misconduct, claiming untimely sharing of evidence, failure to disclose and document dumping by the government.
The filing also says the judge did not apply the sentencing guidelines correctly and should not have included “abuse of a position of authority” as an aggravating sentencing factor for the former police officer.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has 45 days to respond to Chauvin’s brief.
The appeal came as the Minnesota Department of Human Rights released the results of a nearly two-year investigation launched after Floyd’s slaying. It found the Minneapolis Police Department has engaged in a pattern of race discrimination for at least a decade, including stopping and arresting Black people at a higher rate than white people, using force more often on people of color and maintaining a culture where racist language is tolerated.
___
Find AP’s full coverage of the death of George Floyd at: https://apnews.com/hub/death-of-george-floyd
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/chauvin-appeals-murder-conviction-killing-george-floyd/ | 2022-04-29T19:32:39Z |
Chipotle wants to thank healthcare heroes with a year of free food
(CNN) - Free Chipotle for a year?
Yes, please!
Chipotle Mexican Grill is thanking healthcare heroes in a big way. The company is giving 2,000 of them free burritos, bowls or whatever else their Chipotle-loving hearts desire for a year.
That’s more than $1 million in free food!
If you know a hero in healthcare, post on Chipotle’s social media and tag your hero.
Make sure to share a little about what they’ve done for you and how they’ve impacted your life.
You’ve got until May 6, which is National Nurses Day, to do it.
After that, Chipotle will randomly select 2,000 people who’ve been tagged, DM them and then give them free Chipotle for a year.
It’s a tasty way to thank the people who spend their lives taking care of others.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/chipotle-wants-thank-healthcare-heroes-with-year-free-food/ | 2022-04-29T19:32:46Z |
Juvenile charged with first-degree murder following road rage shooting, police say
BALTIMORE (Gray News) – A juvenile in Maryland has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder following a shooting that police describe as a road rage event.
The Baltimore Police Department said a 17-year-old male, whose name was not released, shot and killed 52-year-old Daniel Pitts on April 14.
Police said they responded to reports of a shooting that afternoon where they found Pitts dead inside a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Investigation revealed that the victim was “involved in a road rage incident before he was shot,” police said.
Ten days later, on April 24, police arrested the 17-year-old, who they describe as “no stranger” to law enforcement.
Following his arrest, the teen was taken to the Central Booking Intake Facility and charged as an adult with first-degree murder, false statement to officers, handgun on person and loaded handgun in vehicle.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact Baltimore’s homicide detectives at 410-396-2100.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/juvenile-charged-with-first-degree-murder-following-road-rage-shooting-police-say/ | 2022-04-29T19:32:54Z |
Study: Gun violence surged in pandemic’s first year
Published: Apr. 28, 2022 at 1:50 PM EDT
(CNN) - Gun violence in the U.S. rose during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a study published Thursday in JAMA Network Open, there were roughly 4,400 excess deaths linked to firearms between March 2020 and the following February.
There were also more than 10,000 excess nonfatal injuries.
The findings came from data collected by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive.
Four states - New York, Illinois, Michigan, and Texas - accounted for most of the shootings.
Researchers can’t say if COVID-19 itself factored into the increase of gun incidents compared to other issues, including civic unrest.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/study-gun-violence-surged-pandemics-first-year/ | 2022-04-29T19:33:01Z |
Supreme Court limits discrimination claims for emotional distress
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the dismissal of a discrimination lawsuit filed by a deaf, legally blind woman against a physical therapy business that wouldn’t provide an American Sign Language interpreter for her appointments.
In a 6-3 ruling with conservatives in the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that businesses that receive federal health care money can’t be sued for discrimination under the Affordable Care Act when the harm alleged is emotional, not financial.
Justice Stephen Breyer wrote in dissent that people who suffer discrimination often feel humiliation or embarrassment. “It is difficult to square the Court’s holding with the basic purposes that antidiscrimination laws seek to serve. One such purpose, as I have said, is to vindicate ‘human dignity and not mere economics,’” Breyer wrote, citing an opinion from his onetime boss, Justice Arthur Goldberg, in a key Civil Rights-era case.
Breyer noted in his opinion that some anti-bias laws, including against workplace discrimination, allow for damages for emotional distress.
The current case began when the woman, Jane Cummings, asked for an ASL interpreter for physical therapy appointments to treat chronic back pain with Premier Rehab Keller, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Cummings communicates primarily in ASL. But Premier Rehab said Cummings could “communicate with the therapist using written notes, lip reading, or gesturing,” Roberts wrote.
She went elsewhere, but then sued the business, asking for a court order against Premier Rehab and damages for emotional distress. Lower courts dismissed the lawsuit.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/supreme-court-limits-discrimination-claims-emotional-distress/ | 2022-04-29T19:33:08Z |
Virginia COVID-19 cases rise by 2,019 Thursday
13,438,041 total PCR tests have been run for the virus in Virginia, with 1,699,596 positive cases.
Due to the number of vaccinations across our region, we will no longer be updating the COVID-19 hotline.
As of Thursday, April 28, Virginia has had 1,699,596 total cases of COVID-19, including confirmed lab tests and clinical diagnoses, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The Virginia Department of Health reports an 8.7% 7-day positivity rate for total PCR testing encounters.
18 additional deaths were reported this Thursday, leaving the death toll at 20,220.
For a comprehensive summary of COVID-19 cases and testing in Virginia, you can visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website and view their COVID-19 dashboard.
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, vaccine eligibility expanded to all individuals in the Commonwealth age 16 and above.
On Thursday, April 22, 2021, former Governor Northam announced an ease in some of the COVID-19 restrictions for social gatherings that began on Saturday, May 15:
- Social gatherings: The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 100 people for indoor settings and 250 people for outdoor settings. Social gatherings are currently limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
- Entertainment venues: Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity or 1,000 people, up from 30 percent capacity or 500 people. Outdoor venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity — up from 30 percent — with no specific cap on the number of attendees.
- Recreational sporting events: The number of spectators allowed at indoor recreational sporting events will increase from 100 to 250 spectators or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less. Outdoor recreational sporting events will increase from 500 to 1,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less.
- Alcohol sales: Restaurants may return to selling alcohol after midnight, and dining room closures will no longer be required between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday, May 13, 2021, vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask in most circumstances. On Friday, May 14, 2021, Former governor Ralph Northam announced the mask mandate in Virginia would be lifted, and capacity and social distancing restrictions will end on May 28.
Statewide case totals and testing numbers as of April 28
By April 28, the Virginia Department of Health had received reports of 1,219,835 confirmed cases and 479,761 probable cases of COVID-19 across the commonwealth.
Those positive test results are out of 13,438,041 total PCR tests administered in Virginia.
At this point, 49,902 Virginians have been hospitalized due to the disease caused by the virus, and at least 20,220 have died of causes related to the disease.
Where are our local cases?
Here’s a breakdown of cases for our region as of 10:00 a.m. April 28.
Central Shenandoah Health District: 67,532 total cases
Beginning March 10, 2022, the Locality dashboard is no longer being published. Cases by report date and cases by date of illness can be viewed by locality on the Cases dashboard.
Total PCR tests: 430,319
Lord Fairfax Health District: 54,727 total cases
Total PCR tests: 367,228
Northwest Total Outbreaks: 1,013 reported, including 328 in long term care facilities, 92 in K-12 settings, 73 in healthcare settings, 42 in correctional facilities, 330 in congregate settings, 66 in colleges/universities, and 82 in child care settings.
Note: VDH has changed the way it tracks outbreaks. They are now grouped by regions instead of health districts.
COVID-19 Vaccine in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Health has launched a data dashboard showcasing the number of COVID-19 vaccines that have been distributed and administered throughout the commonwealth.
According to the data dashboard, as of April 28, 7,028,101 people have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 6,288,323 people are fully vaccinated.
18,903,625 total vaccine doses have been distributed throughout the state.
Recovery
The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s online dashboard indicates that, as of April 28, at least 108,066 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital.
Unlike the VDH data that reports cumulative hospitalizations, their data on hospitalizations reflects hospitalized patients confirmed positive for COVID-19, and that number is 194.
West Virginia updates
Here at WHSV, we cover Grant County, Hardy County and Pendleton County. The below information is the most recent data from each counties’ health department. You can find West Virginia’s COVID-19 dashboard here.
There are 500,972 total cases in West Virginia as of April 28.
Grant County: 3,783 total COVID-19 cases (+1 from Wednesday)
Hardy County: 4,187 total COVID-19 cases (+2 from Wednesday)
Pendleton County: 1,971 total COVID-19 cases (+3 from Wednesday)
For the latest factual information on COVID-19, you’re encouraged to check both the Virginia Department of Health and the CDC.
Copyright 2021 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/28/virginia-covid-19-cases-rise-by-2019-thursday/ | 2022-04-29T19:33:15Z |
(CNN) -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk sold $8.5 billion of the electric automaker's stock in the three days after the Twitter board agreed to sell the company to him.
Musk sold 3.7 million shares of Tesla stock on Tuesday, for a total of $3.3 billion, and another 735,000 shares on Wednesday, bringing in $654 million, according to filings he made with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Thursday.
Friday morning he disclosed that he had sold an additional 5.2 million shares for a total of $4.5 billion. All told, he received an average price of $883.09 per share.
The sales represent only 5.6% of the Tesla shares he held outright at the start of the day Tuesday, and less than 4% of his total holdings of Tesla if stock options he controls are included.
The filings do not disclose the reason for the sale, but Musk appears to be raising funds to buy Twitter.
In a tweet Thursday evening, after the initial filings but before the disclosure of Thursday's sales, Musk said, "No further TSLA sales planned after today."
Company insiders, such as Musk, must report purchases or sales of their company's stock to the SEC to inform the broader investment community of their activity. But they have a couple of days to make that filing and still comply with the rules.
Musk's sales of Tesla shares were large enough to sink the company's stock price. The 3.7 million shares sold on Tuesday represented 17% of the normal daily trading value in Tesla shares so far this year before Tuesday. Tesla shares lost 12.2% of their value during the course of trading Tuesday, the biggest one-day drop in the company's stock since September 2020. The stock's decline prompted a selling spree by other investors, as 45 million shares traded hands -- about twice the volume of trades from the day before.
Tesla investors could also have sold shares this week out of concern that Musk would be unable to give as much time and attention to Tesla. The company has ambitious growth plans and growing competition.
Shares of Tesla hardly changed Wednesday and Thursday. The stock was up 3% in early afternoon trading Friday, as his tweet apparently assured investors that his sales were complete.
"How much he's going to have to sell now appears to be known. That's the reason for the bounce in the stock," said Gene Munster, managing partner of Loup Ventures. "I actually thought he'd have to sell more shares than this."
Musk is expected to use his massive Tesla holdings as a way to finance his purchase of Twitter. But that doesn't mean he needs to sell all his shares to raise the full purchase price. Instead he can use the shares as collateral for loans to raise the cash.
But there are limits to how much money he can raise simply by pledging his Tesla shares as collateral. He can raise more money by selling some portion of his Tesla shares. Tesla corporate rules state that officers and directors of the company can raise only 25% of the value of the stock being pledged as collateral.
As of June 30, 2021, company filings show Musk already pledged 88.3 million of his Tesla shares as collateral, but those shares were pledged years ago when Tesla shares were worth a small fraction of their current value. He would likely be able to borrow more money even against some of those shares.
Even if Musk doesn't use those shares as collateral, the estimated 67 million unpledged shares that he owns after this week's sales could be used to borrow nearly $17 billion — even with the recent decline in Tesla's share price.
But Munster said Musk probably doesn't want to go right up to that maximum, because if Tesla stock falls further he could be forced to sell some shares in the future.
"This is a pretty volatile stock. It's up 10 times in value in just the past few years. Those stocks can go back down," he said.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the initial number of Tesla shares Elon Musk sold, the value of the shares, and when he sold them. Musk sold 4.4 million shares, worth $4 billion, Tuesday and Wednesday.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/elon-musk-sells-8-5-billion-worth-of-tesla-shares/article_80151652-c7e2-11ec-8246-e34a9981c10b.html | 2022-04-29T19:46:05Z |
(KITV4) -- In Case You Missed It: Here are four stories from around Hawaii that you need to know about from Thursday, April 28, 2022, along with today's weather.
Teen girl in critical condition after stabbing in Kapolei, suspect arrested
One person has been arrested for attempted murder in the second degree after a 17-year-old was stabbed in Kapolei, early Thursday morning.
The incident happened around 3:45 a.m. at a home in the Hale Moena affordable and senior living high rise.
Suspect charged for hindering prosecution in 2-year-old Kytana Ancog case asks to be released
The man allegedly involved in the 2021 disappearance of a Honolulu toddler is now asking a judge to grant an order for supervised release.
49-year-old Scott Michael Carter is in custody at the Halawa Correctional Facility after being charged with hindering prosecution in the case of 2-year-old Kytana Ancog.
The state is changing the way it deals with COVID, but it doesn't mean Hawaii is out of this pandemic.
Some experts believe Hawaii's daily case counts are actually much higher because many people are using home tests. Those results are NOT reported to the state.
High clouds linger making for a mostly cloudy Aloha Friday. Windward and mauka sections will see scattered showers with a few showers over leeward spots. Highs 81 to 86. Trades 15 to 25 mph. | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/icymi-4-stories-you-need-to-know-about-april-28-2022/article_b60ca760-c7e8-11ec-9053-47d7788e372d.html | 2022-04-29T19:46:11Z |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/judge-dismisses-case-against-thirty-meter-telescope-protesters-without-prejudice/article_ef260b4c-c7f0-11ec-b615-03462738ea05.html | 2022-04-29T19:46:17Z |
WAHIAWA, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Business owners in Wahiawa are banding together after a string of burglaries and incidents of vandalism.
Community members, Honolulu police, and security professionals all attended a town hall Thursday evening.
This last week a Subway sandwich shop had a truck back into a storefront window with thieves causing thousands of dollars in damage. The newly opened Boxing gym at Wahiawa District park was also vandalized.
One business owner who had a break-in in March decided it was time to mobilize others.
"As a group we are stronger and I want to start getting people involved so we can start connecting that way. So we can be one voice instead of a lot of business owners suffering on their own. We can kind of work together and come up with solutions that actually work," Keoni Ahlo told KITV4.
HPD's new district captain for Wahiawa attended the meeting to receive feedback from owners and concerned citizens.
"The idea that somebody would go trough all that trouble to vandalize something that just got put in for the entire community, that these two young men could have used themselves, is silly," said a concerned citizen of the vandalism at the new boxing gym.
"It's gotten really bad, but it's gotten progressively worse," bakery owner Dawn told KITV4.
Jeremy Lee joined KITV after over a decade & a half in broadcast news from coast to coast on the mainland. Jeremy most recently traveled the country documenting protests & civil unrest. | https://www.kitv.com/news/wahiawa-business-owners-band-together-at-town-hall-to-address-spike-in-burglaries/article_4db880a8-c7ac-11ec-a663-274ce355e215.html | 2022-04-29T19:46:23Z |
3 arrested in child care center abuse probe after child’s leg broken, authorities say
LEXINGTON, S.C. (WIS/Gray News) - Three women have been arrested in connection to a child abuse case at a Lexington child care center, according to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
WIS reported that Shayna Nicole McKnight, 36, is charged with infliction of great bodily harm upon a child. Amy Marie Grice, 38, and Jeannie H. Locklear, 49, are charged with obstructing justice, according to warrants.
Sheriff Jay Koon said the case started a month ago with a call from the child’s mother from Windsor Academy in Lexington. The daycare told the mother of the child that their leg was hurt in the railing of a crib.
Doctors determined that the child’s leg was broken.
Detectives asked to review the video from inside Windsor Academy. Grice and Locklear told deputies that the camera system wasn’t working when the child was injured.
Eventually, detectives determined that the women had taken steps to delete the video after they watched it. However, Koon said that detectives were able to recover the video.
The video allegedly shows McKnight forcefully folding the child’s leg under their body and flipping them into the crib while still holding their left leg.
“Based on detectives’ review of the video, the child was crawling and playing without any visible pain before the incident, then crying and unable to put weight on the left after the incident,” Koon said.
On Friday morning, McKnight, Grice and Locklear were arrested. They are being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.
The South Carolina Department of Social Services is assisting the sheriff’s department in the investigation.
Copyright 2022 WIS via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/3-arrested-child-care-center-abuse-probe-after-childs-leg-broken-authorities-say/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:03Z |
4 teens to be tried as adults for brutal carjacking that severed woman’s arm, killed her
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) – Four teenagers accused of a brutal carjacking that killed a 73-year-old woman will be tried as adults on second-degree murder charges, according to the district attorney.
In a news conference Thursday, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said 17-year-old John Honore and three 15-year-old girls – Briniyah Baker, Marquel Curtis and Lenyra Theophile – will be tried as adults.
Police said the teens carjacked Linda Frickey on March 21 and dragged her for more than a block until her arm was severed. She then died on the scene as frantic neighbors tried to help.
Williams said the juvenile court system is not set up to handle cases this severe.
“Four or five years (of prison) is just not enough,” Williams said. “The juvenile sentencing limits would be inadequate to ensure that these young people are appropriately held accountable for taking a life.”
If convicted, all four teens will face life in prison, a mandatory sentence for second-degree murder in the state of Louisiana.
“This was one of the most violent carjackings we’ve ever seen; these young people dragged Mrs. Frickey, severing her arm as they all fled the scene in her car. Today’s grand jury decision to indict these young people for second-degree murder is fair and ensures they are appropriately held accountable,” Williams said in a statement.
New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson asked Williams’ office to try the teens as adults after the horrific details of the crime were released.
“I mean, look at the nature of the crime. Brazenness. Broad daylight. No regard for this woman hanging outside the car,” Ferguson said. “I’m not an advocate for incarceration, but sometimes people need to be locked up. When you commit a crime like this, absolutely you need to be locked up.”
Honore had a previous violent crime allegation charged in adult criminal district court that was dropped last year by Williams’ office, court records show. He and two other co-defendants were charged as adults for another alleged carjacking when he was 15.
The court record shows Honore was ordered to home confinement and later incarcerated at the Orleans Juvenile Justice Center while awaiting prosecution. He was ordered freed from confinement after Williams’ office told the court it was dropping the case.
The family of Frickey has struggled to cope with the gruesome way their loved one was killed.
“I never, ever would want to wish that on another human being,” said Kathy Richard, Frickey’s sister-in-law. “It’s just beyond comprehension. It’s evil. And you don’t just go from being in school to just taking a walk, to killing somebody. It was murder. Downright murder.”
Copyright 2022 WVUE via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/4-teens-be-tried-adults-brutal-carjacking-that-severed-womans-arm-killed-her/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:12Z |
Arizona death-row prisoner won’t be executed in gas chamber
Published: Apr. 29, 2022 at 3:24 PM EDT|Updated: 24 minutes ago
PHOENIX (AP) — A prisoner scheduled to be executed in what would be Arizona’s first use of the death penalty in nearly eight years won’t be put to death in the gas chamber.
Clarence Dixon declined to pick a method of execution when officials asked if he wanted to die by lethal injection or the gas chamber.
That means he will be executed by lethal injection, the default execution method.
Dixon is scheduled to be executed May 11 for the 1978 murder of college student Deana Bowdoin.
The last lethal gas execution in the U.S. was carried out in Arizona in 1999. Arizona refurbished its gas chamber in 2020.
Arizona has 113 prisoners on death row.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/arizona-death-row-prisoner-wont-be-executed-gas-chamber/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:18Z |
Deputy struck, killed during car chase in Illinois
HENRY COUNTY, Ill. (KWQC/Gray News) - A deputy was killed after troopers reported he was struck by the suspect’s car during a chase in Illinois.
The Illinois State Police reported the death of the Knox County sheriff’s deputy on Friday, according to KWQC.
“We understand members of our law enforcement community and the public want answers,” the Illinois State Police said in a media release. “The investigative team will be working around the clock to get those answers, and we will update everyone in the hours and days ahead.”
Troopers reported the incident began when the Galesburg Police Department responded to a report of a suspect with a gun at a gas station in Galesburg, Illinois, at about 8 a.m. Friday.
Two officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, according to the Illinois State Police, but the suspect failed to stop and continued to drive north on U.S. Highway 150.
According to troopers, the deputy set up spike strips at an intersection in Henry County when he was struck by the suspect’s car and died.
The car then crashed into a field north of the intersection and officers arrested the suspect after a brief foot pursuit.
The Illinois State Police was requested to investigate the deputy’s death.
The name of the deputy and of the suspect involved have not been released at this time.
The Galesburg City Hall has been designated as the collection point for those wishing to support the Knox County Sheriff’s Office with food, flowers or gifts.
Copyright 2022 KWQC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/deputy-struck-killed-during-car-chase-illinois/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:24Z |
Dog stolen over a decade ago reunited with its owner
BOSTON (WCVB) – Rex is back in his owner’s arms after 11 long years. His owner, Marzena Niejadlik admits it was hard to have any hope she would see her beloved Yorkie again.
“I was starting to lose hope,” she said. “And I counted the years and thinking that maybe he passed away.”
Niejadlik got Rex in 2010 after her brother passed away. He was a comfort to both her and her mother.
But the following year, they say someone stole the puppy from outside their home.
Now, over a decade later, Stoughton Animal Control Officer Michelle Carlos got a call that a Yorkie was running around a neighborhood.
The microchip on the dog led back to Niejadlik.
“It was linked to her old address, but her phone number was still current – which is good,” Carlos said. “She was just overjoyed.”
Niejadlik said the timing of Rex’s return is strange as her other brother also recently died.
“So [Rex] is just here to help us, I guess, during the grieving time again,” she said.
That comfort comes at just the right time, and Rex returned to meet new family members welcoming him home with open arms.
Copyright 2022 WCVB via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/dog-stolen-over-decade-ago-reunited-with-its-owner/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:30Z |
Former Idaho lawmaker found guilty of raping intern
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A former Idaho lawmaker was convicted Friday of raping a 19-year-old legislative intern after a dramatic trial in which the young woman fled the witness stand during testimony, saying “I can’t do this.”
The intern told a Statehouse supervisor that Aaron von Ehlinger raped her at his apartment after the two had dinner at a Boise restaurant in March 2021. He said the sex was consensual.
At the time, von Ehlinger was a state representative from Lewiston, but he later resigned.
Von Ehlinger, 39, was found guilty Friday of rape. He was found not guilty of sexual penetration with a foreign object.
Von Ehlinger sat calmly as the verdict was read, as he has throughout the trial. Von Ehlinger talked quietly with his attorney, who removed items from Von Ehlinger’s pockets as he was handcuffed and remanded to custody.
Afterward, 4th District Judge Michael Reardon told the jury: “This has been an unusual case attended by many unexpected circumstances, but I appreciate your attention ... and hard work.”
Sentencing has been scheduled for July 28.
The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, and has referred to the woman in this case as “Jane Doe” at her request.
Doe haltingly described the moments the alleged assault began, before abruptly leaving the witness stand.
“He tried to put his fingers between my legs and I closed my knees,” Doe said.
At that, she stood up.
“I can’t do this,” she said, quickly walking out of the courtroom.
The judge gave the prosecuting attorneys 10 minutes to find her to determine if she would return and resume her testimony.
When she did not, the judge told the jurors they had to “strike (Doe’s testimony) from your minds as if it never happened,” because the defense could not cross-examine her.
During his testimony Thursday, von Ehlinger often spoke in a clear, loud voice directly to jurors, saying he and Doe decided to return to his apartment to “hang out” after eating at a fancy Boise restaurant. Then they began making out on the couch, he said.
“Things were going well, and I asked (Doe) if she would like to move to the bedroom,” von Ehlinger said. “She said ‘Sure.’ We got up, held hands and walked into the bedroom.”
Deliberations stretched for seven hours until nearly 8 p.m. Thursday before the jury decided to break for the evening. At one point, the judge summoned the attorneys to his chambers because the jury asked a question. No details were made public about the jury’s inquiry.
When the allegations became public — largely because of the legislative ethics investigation — Doe faced unrelenting harassment from some of von Ehlinger’s supporters. Her name, photo and personal details about her life were repeatedly publicized in “doxxing” incidents. One of the people who frequently harassed her was in the courthouse to attend the trial, but law enforcement banned the man from the floor where where case was being heard.
During closing arguments, Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Katelyn Farley told jurors that the case was about “power in the wrong hands” used to the “great devastation” of Doe. Von Ehlinger had social, political and physical power over the petite intern, Farley said.
“He used that power to rape and forcibly penetrate her,” Farley said, pointing at von Ehlinger. Doe resisted in several ways, she said, highlighting the testimony of law enforcement investigators and a nurse sexual assault examiner who interviewed Doe after the alleged assault.
“Words show lack of consent. Excuses of ‘Why this shouldn’t happen,’ show lack of consent. Yanking your head back and getting an injury shows lack of consent,” Farley said.
But von Ehlinger’s defense attorney Jon Cox told jurors the prosecution’s case was made up of “red herrings,” and said von Ehlinger was a credible person who willingly took the stand to share his side of the story.
Earlier this week, jurors heard from investigators and a nurse who performed a rape exam. They testified that Doe reported being pinned down while von Ehlinger forced her to perform oral sex, and that she knew he frequently carried a handgun and had placed it on a dresser near the bed at the time of the assault. A nurse also testified that Doe had a “goose egg” on the back of her head from striking the wall or a headboard while trying to jerk her head away from von Ehlinger’s grip.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/former-idaho-lawmaker-found-guilty-raping-intern/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:36Z |
Georgia man 2nd Capitol rioter to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy
PHOENIX (AP) — A Georgia man affiliated with the far-right Oath Keepers militia group became the second Capitol rioter to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy for his actions leading up and through the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection.
The sentencing guidelines for Brian Ulrich, who pleaded guilty on Friday, were estimated to be 5 ¼ years to 6 ½ years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding.
Authorities say Ulrich participated in encrypted chats with other people affiliated with the Oath Keepers in the days before the riot, rode toward the Capitol with others in golf carts on that day, marched on the grounds in a military “stack” formation, taunted police officers who were guarding the building and also entered the Capitol as hundreds of former President Donald Trump’s supporters sought to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory.
Asked by the judge whether he was pleading guilty because he was in fact guilty of the charges, Ulrich answered, “Yes, your honor.”
The 44-year-old from Guyton, Georgia, agreed to cooperate with authorities investigating the riot, including testifying before a grand jury.
The seditious conspiracy prosecution is the boldest publicly known attempt so far by the government to prosecute those who attacked the U.S. Capitol. The group’s founder, Stewart Rhodes, and eight others have pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy and other charges.
A conviction under the seditious conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years, compared with five years on the lesser conspiracy charge that others associated with the militia group are facing.
Those charged with seditious conspiracy are accused of working together to use force to stop the peaceful transfer of presidential power. Authorities say participants discussed their plans in encrypted chats, traveled to the nation’s capital from across the country, organized into teams, used military tactics, stashed weapons in case they felt they were needed and communicated with each other during the Jan. 6 riot.
While four other people connected with the Oath Keepers have pleaded guilty to obstruction of Congress and the lesser conspiracy charge, Ulrich is the second person to plead guilty to seditious conspiracy. Joshua A. James of Arab, Alabama, pleaded guilty to the charge last month.
Prosecutors say the group set up a “quick reaction force,” or QRF, that kept guns at a hotel in nearby Arlington, Virginia, and that they were prepared to bring the weapons into Washington if Rhodes or associates believed the need arose. Days before the attack, one defendant suggested getting a boat to ferry weapons across the Potomac River. In the end, the QRF teams didn’t bring guns into Washington.
More than 780 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. Over 250 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors. About 160 of them have been sentenced.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/georgia-man-2nd-capitol-rioter-plead-guilty-seditious-conspiracy/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:43Z |
Joke turns into nearly $2 million in scholarships for high school senior
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT/Gray News) – A mother in Mississippi told her daughter she wasn’t paying for college – a joke that turned into nearly $2 million in scholarships for a driven, 4.3 GPA high school senior.
“I stopped announcing after I hit a million dollars back in February,” Iyanna Nichols told WLBT.
Nichols is part of a dual enrollment program and will graduate with an associate’s degree from Tougaloo College on Sunday. She’ll graduate from Jim Hill High School in a few weeks.
“I was going to my high school classes, checking in with my teachers in the morning. And then later in the day, I will check in with my college professors, and I just juggle work for both,” she said.
Nichols says pushing herself is the only culture she’s ever known.
“I think my mom really set the standard for me. I was born when she was 22. So, she was always encouraging me to work hard and to push myself because she believed that I could do anything,” Nichols said.
Persistence is a common trait among the Nichols family. Nichols said everyone in her family is competitive.
“We’ve always had competitions about something,” Nichols smiled. “The ongoing joke is that everyone in my family is athletic except for me, so we find ways of connecting and competing with each other. It’s how we bond, I think.”
When Nichols’ mom joked a year ago that she wouldn’t pay for college, the high school senior started her own competition to reach $1 million in scholarships.
“I took that joke to heart, and I didn’t want my parents to pay for college,” Nichols said. “I mean, I felt like I could do it. Scholarships are everywhere, so I just started applying to historically black colleges and universities and keeping a spreadsheet.”
Months later - like any other goal - it was set and crushed. Now, the only immediate decision is where to finish college.
“I don’t know where I’m currently going, but I do have three final choices,” Nichols said.
Nichols, who loves working with children and is fascinated by human behavior, wants to be a child psychologist.
Copyright 2022 WLBT via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/joke-turns-into-nearly-2-million-scholarships-high-school-senior/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:50Z |
Man charged in buggy crash that killed couple, hurt 8 kids
FARMVILLE, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man is facing charges in a crash with an Amish horse-drawn buggy that killed a Cumberland County couple and injured their eight children.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that a Cumberland County grand jury indicted Mickel Bates on Tuesday on two counts of involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving in the deaths of Barbie and John Esh.
Police say the buggy was traveling south on Cumberland Road in the Farmville area before 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 when it was hit by a Toyota Tundra.
Police say Barbie Esh died at the scene and her husband died the next day. Their eight children were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries that ranged from minor to serious.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/man-charged-buggy-crash-that-killed-couple-hurt-8-kids/ | 2022-04-29T19:50:58Z |
Son charged with murder in stabbing death of father
SOUTH BEND TOWNSHIP, Minn. (KEYC/Gray News) - A son has been charged with murder after his father died from being stabbed in Minnesota.
Authorities said Steven Earle died while undergoing surgery Wednesday night. His son, 24-year-old Travis Earle, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and appeared in court Friday morning, KEYC reported.
According to a criminal complaint, law enforcement officials responded to a 911 call from Steven Earle around 1 p.m. Wednesday. Authorities say Travis Earle was waiting for them and acknowledged he had stabbed his father.
The complaint says Steven Earle was “covered in blood” when authorities arrived. Court documents allege a disagreement regarding a cable subscription being canceled led to the incident, with Travis Earle allegedly taking a knife in Steven Earle’s possession and subsequently stabbing him with it.
“I can tell you that he was stabbed multiple times. On a preliminary post-mortem it’s hard because they’re still going through processing things, in the torso area primarily then I think he had an additional wound in his leg as well,” said Captain Paul Barta of the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office.
Travis Earle’s bail has been set at $2 million with no conditions and $1 million with conditions. His next court appearance will be May 12 in Blue Earth County.
Copyright 2022 KEYC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/man-dies-after-stabbed-by-son-police-say/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:04Z |
Mild weekend ahead with storms Sunday, potential for some severe
Several rain chances this weekend
FRIDAY: A much nicer day and turning warmer with highs in the mid to upper 60s. Finally calmer wind so it will feel much warmer. Adding more clouds for the evening and overnight with temperatures falling into the upper 30s to low 40s. Patchy frost is possible if some areas stay more clear.
SATURDAY: Some sun to start the day and pleasantly cool with temperatures rising into the 50s. Mostly cloudy in the afternoon and mild for the day with highs in the mid 60s. A few isolated showers for the day, with more scattered showers in the afternoon generally south of Rockingham County. Not a total washout. Plenty of clouds overnight with a few showers by around midnight and chilly with lows in the mid to upper 40s.
SUNDAY: A pleasantly cool start with temperatures rising into the 50s and rather cloudy. Scattered showers in the morning and a few storms for the afternoon. There is potential for some of these to be strong to severe. Damaging winds and hail look to be the main threats. Timing is betweeen 2-9PM. Make sure to stay tuned. Plenty of clouds will be around but mild with highs in the mid to upper 60s. A comfortable evening with temperatures in the 60s and pleasantly cool overnight with lows in the low to mid 50s.
MONDAY: A pleasant morning with temperatures rising into the 60s and a few clouds. A good amount of sun for the day and warm with highs in the low to mid 70s. A warm evening with temperatures in the 70s. Pleasant overnight and mostly cloudy with lows in the low to mid 50s.
TUESDAY: Another pleasant morning with temperatures rising into the 60s and cloudy. Overcast for the day and warm again with highs in the low to mid 70s. Our next system will bring a few scattered showers and storms in the afternoon and evening hours. A warm evening with temperatures in the 70s and pleasant overnight with lows in the low to mid 50s. A few lingering scattered showers and storms before midnight.
WEDNESDAY: Much of the cloud cover moves out, and a pleasant morning with temperatures rising into the 60s with a few clouds. A good amount of sunshine for the day and warm with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. A mild evening with temperatures in the 60s and pleasant overnight with lows in the low to mid 50s.
THURSDAY: A pleasant start with temperatures rising into the 60s with a mix of sun and clouds. Staying partly cloudy for the day but rather warm with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. A mild evening with temperatures in the 60s and pleasant overnight with lows in the low to mid 50s again.
As always, you can get the latest updates by downloading and checking the WHSV Weather App.
**A reminder that spring wildfire season is underway for both Virginia and West Virginia. No outdoor burning before 4pm in Virginia until April 30th. No outdoor burning in West Virginia before 5pm through May 31.**
Copyright 2021 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/mild-weekend-ahead-with-storms-sunday-potential-some-severe/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:11Z |
Millions of bees used in pollination die in airline shipping
(AP) – A shipment of honeybees bound from California to Alaska died after an airline re-routed them through Atlanta, then left them to sit on the tarmac during hot weather.
Delta Air Lines said Friday it is making changes to prevent a repeat of what happened last weekend.
About 5 million honeybees were being shipped to Sarah McElrea, a beekeeper and distributor in Anchorage, Alaska.
The crates holding the bees didn’t fit on the plane that was supposed to take them from Sacramento, California, to Anchorage via Seattle.
Instead they were sent to Atlanta, where they arrived too late to make an Anchorage-bound flight.
By the time an Atlanta beekeeper went to check on them, most of the bees were dead.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/millions-bees-used-pollination-die-airline-shipping/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:18Z |
Dodgers’ Bauer suspended for 2 seasons over alleged assault
NEW YORK (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer was suspended Friday for two full seasons without pay by Major League Baseball for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy, which he denies.
Bauer’s lengthy suspension comes after a San Diego woman, whom the pitcher had met through social media, alleged that Bauer beat and sexually abused her last year. Los Angeles prosecutors said in February there was insufficient evidence to prove the woman’s accusations beyond a reasonable doubt.
“In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy,” Bauer said Friday in a statement. “I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives and I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.”
If the suspension is upheld, Bauer will lose about $60 million in salary.
Bauer earlier this week sued his accuser in federal court, a move that came less than three months after prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against the pitcher.
Bauer named the woman and one of her attorneys, Niranjan Fred Thiagarajah, as defendants in the lawsuit. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been victims of sexual assault.
The pitcher was placed on administrative leave last July 2 under the joint domestic violence and sexual assault policy of MLB and the players’ association. The leave has been repeatedly extended.
Bauer has continued to be paid his $32 million salary while on leave.
After winning his first Cy Young Award with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, Bauer agreed to a $102 million, three-year contract to join his hometown Dodgers. He did not pitch after June 29 and finished with an 8-2 record and a 2.59 ERA in 17 appearances. He was paid his $28 million salary last year.
“The Dodgers organization takes all allegations of this nature very seriously and does not condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence or sexual assault,” the team’s statement said. “We’ve cooperated fully with MLB’s investigation since it began, and we fully support MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, and the Commissioner’s enforcement of the Policy. We understand that Trevor has the right to appeal the Commissioner’s decision. Therefore, we will not comment further until the process is complete.”
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/mlb-suspends-trevor-bauer-under-its-domestic-violence-sexual-assault-policy/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:24Z |
Robert Pattinson will return for ‘The Batman’ sequel, director Matt Reeves confirms
Published: Apr. 29, 2022 at 12:46 PM EDT|Updated: 3 hours ago
(CNN) - A sequel is in the works for “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson returning in the title role.
The director of the first film, Matt Reeves, delivered the news at an annual trade show for theater owners this week.
Reeves confirmed he will write and direct the sequel. There’s no word yet on whether the rest of the cast, including Zoe Kravitz, will return.
Warner Brothers released “The Batman” in theaters in March, which scored the biggest opening weekend of 2022.
So far, it’s the highest grossing movie of the year, earning nearly $760 million at the global box office. It was also watched by 4.1 million households during its first week on HBO Max.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/robert-pattinson-will-return-batman-sequel-director-matt-reeves-confirms/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:30Z |
Teen arrested after mother noticed son had gun at Texas school drop-off
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD/Gray News) - Several agencies responded to a middle school in Texas Friday morning after a teenager’s mother noticed he was carrying a gun.
Police in Lubbock tell KCBD a mother was dropping off her 15-year-old son at O.L. Slaton Middle School around 9 a.m. when she noticed the firearm. The teen never made it inside the building, and he ran from the school.
The Lubbock Police Department responded to the area along with several other agencies in an attempt to find him.
The teen was found near the school’s campus and taken into custody.
Authorities said the 15-year-old could be facing a felony weapons charge.
Police say there was no threat made to the school or anyone inside the school.
O.L. Slaton Middle School was briefly placed on lockout as a result of the incident.
Copyright 2022 KCBD via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/teen-arrested-after-mother-noticed-son-had-gun-texas-school-drop-off/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:37Z |
Tropicana debuts cereal to be paired with orange juice, not milk
Published: Apr. 29, 2022 at 12:42 PM EDT|Updated: 3 hours ago
(CNN) - Have you ever had the urge to pour orange juice in your cereal instead of milk?
Even if your answer is a hard “no,” Tropicana wants to change that.
The orange juice brand is releasing Tropicana Crunch, a cereal specifically intended to be served with orange juice instead of milk.
The granola cereal is full of honey almond clusters that is supposed to pair well with a citrus taste.
“Because whether you hate it or love it, you won’t know until you try it,” Tropicana’s website reads.
You can only order it on Tropicana’s website starting May 4.
Copyright 2022 CNN Newsource. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/tropicana-debuts-cereal-be-paired-with-orange-juice-not-milk/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:44Z |
Trump election probe in Georgia to seat special grand jury
ATLANTA (AP) — When potential grand jurors show up at an Atlanta courthouse Monday, they’ll find a television camera in the room and streets closed outside — nods to the intense public interest in the investigation into whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to pressure Georgia officials to overturn Joe Biden’s presidential election victory in the state.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has taken the unusual step of requesting a special grand jury for the investigation, and the selection of that panel begins Monday.
The seating of a grand jury — even a rare special grand jury — is a routine process that’s generally of little interest to the public. But the appetite for any news about this case has prompted the court to make accommodations for at least parts of the grand jury selection to be broadcast to the public. Although there will be cameras in the room, they won’t be allowed to show potential grand jurors.
The investigation into potential attempts to influence the 2020 general election in Georgia began early last year. Willis asked the chief judge of the county superior court in January to impanel a special grand jury. She wrote in a letter that her office had information indicating a “reasonable probability” of “possible criminal disruptions” to the administration of that election.
The chief judge’s order says the special grand jury is to be seated for a period of up to a year, beginning Monday. Unlike a regular grand jury, which hears many different cases and can issue indictments, a special grand jury focuses on investigating a single topic and produces a report on its findings. The district attorney then decides whether to seek an indictment from a regular grand jury.
Former Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter, who convened a special grand jury roughly 15 years ago, said the process for seating a special grand jury is pretty much the same as seating a regular grand jury. It’s made up of between 16 and 23 people who are summoned from the county master jury list.
The judge will make sure the potential grand jurors are qualified — over 18, residents of Fulton County and haven’t been convicted of a felony — and then will hear from people who want to be excused for one reason or another.
Unlike jury selection for a trial, where there are two sets of lawyers trying to ferret out biases and prejudices, there’s no defense attorney in this process because no one has been charged yet. Anyone who tunes in to watch shouldn’t expect to hear potential grand jurors questioned extensively about their political leanings or their opinions on Trump.
“There’s no excuses for bias or prejudice,” Porter said. “In this case, I would suspect if somebody came in wearing a MAGA hat, they would probably excuse them. But the inquiry into their prejudices or biases is very, very limited in selecting a grand jury.”
Once the special grand jury is seated, the cameras will have to leave — all grand jury proceedings are secret. But Willis indicated in her letter to the chief judge that one reason she wanted a special grand jury is to issue subpoenas to witnesses who have refused to cooperate without one.
Willis has confirmed that her team is looking into a January 2021 phone call in which Trump pushed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed for him to win the state. She has also said they’re looking at a November 2020 phone call between U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Raffensperger, the abrupt resignation of the U.S. attorney in Atlanta on Jan. 4, 2021, and comments made during December 2020 Georgia legislative committee hearings on the election.
A Trump spokesman has previously dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated “witch hunt.” Graham has also denied wrongdoing.
In a separate investigation in New York, Trump is appealing rulings enforcing a subpoena for his testimony and holding him in contempt of court for failing to turn over documents in a civil investigation that the state attorney general’s office says has uncovered evidence that he may have misstated the value of skyscrapers and other assets for more than a decade.
Trump’s lawyers argue that Attorney General Letitia James is using the civil probe to collect information that could then be used against the former president in a parallel criminal probe overseen by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. James and Bragg are both Democrats.
Bragg says the criminal investigation is continuing despite a shakeup in the probe’s leadership. So far, it’s resulted only in tax fraud charges related to fringe benefits against the Trump Organization and its longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg. Both have pleaded not guilty.
___
Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York contributed reporting.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/trump-election-probe-georgia-seat-special-grand-jury/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:51Z |
Trump, fighting contempt fines, says he doesn’t have records
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s lawyers, seeking to reverse their client’s $10,000-per-day contempt fine, provided a New York judge Friday with an affidavit in which the former president claims he didn’t turn over subpoenaed documents to the state attorney general’s office because he doesn’t have them.
The judge, though, was unmoved and refused to lift sanctions he imposed on Trump on Monday. Judge Arthur Engoron criticized the lack of detail in Trump affidavit, which amounted to two paragraphs, saying that he should have explained the methods he uses to stores his records and efforts he made to locate the subpoenaed files.
In the affidavit, which bore Trump’s signature and Wednesday’s date, the former president said that documents sought in Attorney General Letitia James’ civil investigation into his business dealings weren’t in his personal possession. Trump, who is appealing the contempt ruling, said he believed any documents would be in the possession of his company, the Trump Organization.
In other affidavits, Trump lawyers Alina Habba and Michael Madaio detailed steps they took to locate documents in the Dec. 1 subpoena, including meeting with Trump last month at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and reviewing prior searches of his company’s files.
Andrew Amer, a lawyer for the attorney general’s office, said in a court filing that while the affidavits “provide some additional information” about Trump’s efforts to comply with the subpoena, more extensive searches were needed — including of Trump Tower, his residences and electronic devices — before the judge should consider reversing the contempt finding.
Frank Runyeon, a reporter for the legal publication Law360, said that Engoron held an impromptu hearing Friday, without a court stenographer, in which he addressed the affidavits from Trump and his lawyers and ruled to keep the contempt fine in place.
Runyeon, one of the few members of the news media to attend the unadvertised hearing, reported that Engoron was insistent that Trump provide the “who, when, where, what” of his search, with the judge asking at one point: “Where did he keep files? I assume it wasn’t all in his head.”
Habba filed a notice of appeal Wednesday with the appellate division of the state’s trial court seeking to overturn Engoron’s contempt ruling. Trump is also challenging Engoron’s Feb. 17 ruling requiring that he answer questions under oath. Oral arguments in that appeal are scheduled for May 11.
James, a Democrat, has said that her investigation has uncovered evidence that Trump may have misstated the value of assets like skyscrapers and golf courses on his financial statements for more than a decade. Her Dec. 1 subpoena sought numerous documents, including paperwork and communications pertaining to his financial statements and various development projects.
James asked Engoron to hold Trump in contempt after he failed to produce any documents by a March 31 court deadline. In his ruling, Engoron said that Trump and his lawyers not only failed to meet the deadline, but also failed to document the steps they had taken to search for the documents, as required under case law.
Trump, a Republican, is suing James in federal court in an effort to stop her investigation. Oral arguments in that matter are scheduled for May 13.
Trump recently labeled her an “operative for the Democrat Party” and has said in written statements that her investigation and a parallel criminal probe overseen by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, another Democrat, are “a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time.”
Bragg said this month that the 3-year-old criminal investigation he inherited in January from his predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr., is continuing “without fear or favor” despite a recent shakeup in the probe’s leadership. Trump’s lawyers contend that James is using her civil investigation to gain access to information that could then be used against him in the criminal probe.
So far, the district attorney’s investigation has resulted only in tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, relating to lucrative fringe benefits such as rent, car payments and school tuition. The company and Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty.
___
Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/trump-fighting-contempt-fines-says-he-doesnt-have-records/ | 2022-04-29T19:51:58Z |
US Army ‘returns’ cake to Italian woman for 90th birthday
ROME (AP) — With a round of “Happy Birthday” in Italian and English, the U.S. Army toasted an Italian woman with a birthday cake Thursday to replace the one that U.S. soldiers ate as they entered her hometown during one of the final battles of World War II.
Meri Mion, who turns 90 on Friday, wiped away tears as she was presented with the cake during a ceremony in Vicenza, northwest of Venice. The event marked the anniversary of the day the 88th Infantry Division fought its way into the city on April 28, 1945.
According to the U.S. Army, Mion spent that night with her mother hiding in the attic of their farm in the nearby village of San Pietro in Gù. Retreating German soldiers had fired on the house, but when Mion awoke on the morning of her 13th birthday, American soldiers were nearby.
In a statement, the U.S. Army Garrison Italy said Mion’s mother baked her a birthday cake and left it on the windowsill to cool. But it disappeared — apparently nicked by hungry American soldiers who had already been feted by grateful Italians with wine and bread as they entered Vicenza along its main thoroughfare.
Mion seemed genuinely surprised that U.S. soldiers had returned the cake 77 years later. She marveled “Mama mia” and “Grazie” as a small crowd featuring U.S. commanders and Italian officials sang “Happy Birthday.”
“Tomorrow, we will eat that dessert, with all my family remembering this wonderful day that I will never forget,” Mion said, according to the U.S. Army.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/us-army-returns-cake-italian-woman-90th-birthday/ | 2022-04-29T19:52:04Z |
Virginia COVID-19 cases rise by 1,862 Friday
13,451,369 total PCR tests have been run for the virus in Virginia, with 1,701,352 positive cases.
Due to the number of vaccinations across our region, we will no longer be updating the COVID-19 hotline.
As of Friday, April 29, Virginia has had 1,701,352 total cases of COVID-19, including confirmed lab tests and clinical diagnoses, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The Virginia Department of Health reports a 9.1% 7-day positivity rate for total PCR testing encounters.
16 additional deaths were reported this Friday, leaving the death toll at 20,236.
For a comprehensive summary of COVID-19 cases and testing in Virginia, you can visit the Virginia Department of Health’s website and view their COVID-19 dashboard.
On Sunday, April 18, 2021, vaccine eligibility expanded to all individuals in the Commonwealth age 16 and above.
On Thursday, April 22, 2021, former Governor Northam announced an ease in some of the COVID-19 restrictions for social gatherings that began on Saturday, May 15:
- Social gatherings: The maximum number of individuals permitted in a social gathering will increase to 100 people for indoor settings and 250 people for outdoor settings. Social gatherings are currently limited to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
- Entertainment venues: Indoor entertainment and public amusement venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity or 1,000 people, up from 30 percent capacity or 500 people. Outdoor venues will be able to operate at 50 percent capacity — up from 30 percent — with no specific cap on the number of attendees.
- Recreational sporting events: The number of spectators allowed at indoor recreational sporting events will increase from 100 to 250 spectators or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less. Outdoor recreational sporting events will increase from 500 to 1,000 people or 50 percent capacity, whichever is less.
- Alcohol sales: Restaurants may return to selling alcohol after midnight, and dining room closures will no longer be required between midnight and 5:00 a.m.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday, May 13, 2021, vaccinated individuals are no longer required to wear a mask in most circumstances. On Friday, May 14, 2021, Former governor Ralph Northam announced the mask mandate in Virginia would be lifted, and capacity and social distancing restrictions will end on May 28.
Statewide case totals and testing numbers as of April 29
By April 29, the Virginia Department of Health had received reports of 1,220,957 confirmed cases and 480,395 probable cases of COVID-19 across the commonwealth.
Those positive test results are out of 13,451,369 total PCR tests administered in Virginia.
At this point, 49,969 Virginians have been hospitalized due to the disease caused by the virus, and at least 20,236 have died of causes related to the disease.
Where are our local cases?
Here’s a breakdown of cases for our region as of 10:00 a.m. April 29.
Central Shenandoah Health District: 67,591 total cases
Beginning March 10, 2022, the Locality dashboard is no longer being published. Cases by report date and cases by date of illness can be viewed by locality on the Cases dashboard.
Total PCR tests: 430,669
Lord Fairfax Health District: 54,759 total cases
Total PCR tests: 367,410
Northwest Total Outbreaks: 1,014 reported, including 329 in long term care facilities, 92 in K-12 settings, 73 in healthcare settings, 42 in correctional facilities, 330 in congregate settings, 66 in colleges/universities, and 82 in child care settings.
Note: VDH has changed the way it tracks outbreaks. They are now grouped by regions instead of health districts.
COVID-19 Vaccine in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Health has launched a data dashboard showcasing the number of COVID-19 vaccines that have been distributed and administered throughout the commonwealth.
According to the data dashboard, as of April 29, 7,029,226 people have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 6,289,676 people are fully vaccinated.
18,903,625 total vaccine doses have been distributed throughout the state, as of April 28.
Recovery
The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association’s online dashboard indicates that, as of April 29, at least 108,103 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital.
Unlike the VDH data that reports cumulative hospitalizations, their data on hospitalizations reflects hospitalized patients confirmed positive for COVID-19, and that number is 186.
West Virginia updates
Here at WHSV, we cover Grant County, Hardy County and Pendleton County. The below information is the most recent data from each counties’ health department. You can find West Virginia’s COVID-19 dashboard here.
There are 501,204 total cases in West Virginia as of April 29.
Grant County: 3,785 total COVID-19 cases (+2 from Thursday)
Hardy County: 4,190 total COVID-19 cases (+3 from Thursday)
Pendleton County: 1,972 total COVID-19 cases (+1 from Thursday)
For the latest factual information on COVID-19, you’re encouraged to check both the Virginia Department of Health and the CDC.
Copyright 2021 WHSV. All rights reserved. | https://www.whsv.com/2022/04/29/virginia-covid-19-cases-rise-by-1862-friday/ | 2022-04-29T19:52:11Z |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.