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
|
|---|---|---|
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rollick, a leading customer engagement technology provider for the Marine, Powersports, and RV industries, announced today the launch of GoRollick Sell, a new offering within the GoRollick Marketplace platform to help consumers sell their used outdoor recreational vehicles to Rollick dealers.
The Covid-19 pandemic turned many people's work lives and leisure time upside down, causing an increase in outdoor recreation vehicle purchases. This was followed closely by the supply chain crisis, which is continuing to impact many industries. And now, as U.S. consumers' lives begin to return back to normal, some first-time buyers are looking to offload the vehicles they recently purchased, and selling to a dealer is the preferred option.
"We recognized that our affinity-based customers, which come from trusted organizations like Sam's Club, AAA, Progressive, Allstate and thousands of U.S. employers, are not always in a trade-in situation," said Jill Tarallo, Chief Operating Officer of Rollick. "Sometimes they just want to sell an existing vehicle without buying a new one. GoRollick Sell was created to give the millions of consumers we reach a simple, fast, and easy way to get offers from our dealers wherever and whenever they are ready to sell."
Launched within a new "Sell Your Vehicle" tab in the site navigation of the GoRollick Marketplace platform, GoRollick Sell first became available to program users in late 2021 with a pilot program. Customers can choose to receive offers from participating Rollick dealers and partners for their RV, motorcycle, boat, ATV, UTV, scooter, or watercraft after sharing information about their vehicle and completing a registration form.
"GoRollick Sell customers are proving to be one of our best partner lead sources," said Mike Adams, CEO of Pop Sells. "And given Pop's unique business model, these customers are getting connected with the right buyer at the right price in a safe, convenient transaction. Rollick and Pop have teamed up to provide these sellers with the type of experience they've come to expect from the largest online marketplaces combined with the personalized service of our nationwide team of Pop Consultants."
Rollick connects manufacturers, dealers, and finance and insurance providers with in-market consumers in the Powersports, RV, and Marine industries to deliver a seamless customer journey. Rollick's OEM solutions include new customer acquisition, enterprise lead management, customer experience/loyalty, and marketing automation. In addition, the company has rapidly built its GoRollick.com outdoor recreational vehicle buying marketplace to include a nationwide network of dealers, over 100 manufacturers, and an affinity partner network with access to over 250 million high-quality customers including policyholders of major insurance providers, employees at more than 2,000 top U.S. companies, members of the military, veterans and first responders. For more information, visit Rollick.io.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Rollick
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/rollick-introduces-gorollick-sell-giving-consumers-simple-way-sell-used-outdoor-recreation-vehicles/
| 2022-09-14T19:34:35Z
|
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Salem University is proud to announce that our Integrative Health Coaching Certificate program has received official approval from the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC).
According to NBHWC, "Salem University - Integrative Health Coaching is an Approved Health and Wellness Coach Training & Education Program by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for the HWC Certifying Examination to become National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWC)."
"We are very pleased to have this acknowledgment from NBHWC that our Integrative Health Coaching (IHC) Certificate program meets their rigorous standards," said Bruce Cryer, Executive Director of the Integrative Health Institute at Salem University. "This distinguishes our program from other health coaching offerings and qualifies our graduates to apply for national board certification. Our program focuses on an integrative approach to health coaching, preparing capable, competent coaches who lead by honoring that people can enhance their own well-being through self-directed changes."
The NBHWC is considered the benchmark for health coaching programs. Dr. Kirsten Ferguson, Director of Integrative Health Programs for IHI at Salem, has led the development of this program at Salem University.
"The demand for skilled health educators is expected to rise 17% in the next decade," Dr. Ferguson said. "To meet this need, Salem offers a gold-standard graduate-level program to create quality health coaches in a reasonable amount of time and for a reasonable cost."
The IHC program has been designed for a variety of professions, including nurses and nurse practitioners, allied health professionals, teachers, caregivers, service providers, life and business coaches, wellness, and fitness professionals.
About Salem University
Salem University was founded in 1888 with the goal of providing comprehensive, affordable degree programs, and that is still the mission that drives them today. The university offers master's, bachelor's, and associate degree programs, as well as post-master's certificate programs, in a wide array of subject areas and specializations. The Integrative Health Institute was founded at Salem University in January 2022. Find out more by visiting https://www.salemu.edu/integrative-health-institute/.
Media contact: Bruce Cryer, bruce.cryer@salemu.edu, 831-818-2355
View original content:
SOURCE Salem University
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/salem-universitys-integrative-health-coaching-program-awarded-national-board-approval/
| 2022-09-14T19:34:42Z
|
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sense, the leader in real-time home energy intelligence, announced the close of $127.6 million in Series C financing with Volery Capital Partners joining Blue Earth Capital, TELUS Ventures, MCJ Collective, Schneider Electric, Energy Impact Partners, Prelude Ventures, iRobot and others.
This investment brings Sense's funding to date to $179.6 million USD and allows the company to accelerate on its path to broad consumer adoption in partnership with smart home innovators, utilities, insurers, and the construction industry. Sense will also expand its global footprint to Europe, Asia Pacific and other regions.
Led by pioneers in machine learning who commercialized voice recognition technology in hundreds of millions of mobile phones, Sense's mission is to reduce global carbon emissions by making homes smarter and more efficient. Sense provides engaging consumer applications that give people real-time insights into how energy is used in their homes so they can save money, make their homes more reliable and avoid household disasters.
For instance, the Sense app can reveal hidden electrical issues such as floating neutrals and arcs in home electrical wiring, appliance failures that could lead to electrical fires, water heaters that run continuously, or broken pumps. With this knowledge, Sense can help consumers, utilities, and insurers reduce risk.
Through go-to-market partnerships, Sense has been integrated into smart meters from Landis+Gyr and smart electrical panels from Schneider Electric. These partnerships are expected to lead to a scaled rollout of Sense intelligence into millions of homes, where it will enable automated energy savings, reduce carbon emissions, and contribute to the grid's flexibility.
Said Sense CEO Mike Phillips: "A decarbonized, digitized grid and the electrification of homes and vehicles is the most viable path to reducing the carbon impact of homes and transportation. As the world moves toward this reality, consumers will play a crucial role in this energy transition. With Sense intelligence built into millions of homes, we'll help people and the grid evolve to address climate change."
Manny Citron, Managing Partner of Volery Capital, said, "We believe Sense's technology is significantly differentiated and has the potential to be an essential building block of the energy transition, providing a critical enablement layer of data for use cases including energy efficiency, automated and behavioral demand response, grid analytics, insurance risk management and home energy audits. We look forward to working with Mike and the Sense team to help them execute on the opportunity."
Sense's mission is to reduce global carbon emissions by making homes smarter and more efficient. We empower people to care for their homes and families while contributing to a cleaner, more resilient future. Founded in 2013 by pioneers in speech recognition, Sense uses machine learning technology to provide real-time insights on device behavior, even for those devices that are not "smart." Customers rely on Sense for a wide range of uses including monitoring their home appliances, determining whether they left appliances running and identifying how to reduce their energy costs. Sense is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. To make sense of your energy, visit: https://sense.com.
Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., has served as the company's exclusive financial advisor for the entire Series C round.
Volery Capital Partners is a growth-stage private equity firm that invests in companies addressing climate change or economic inclusion. Volery's portfolio includes financial services and technology companies that are thematically focused within energy transition, resource efficiency, and financial inclusion and well-being. For more information, visit www.volerycapital.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Sense
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/sense-adds-series-c-totaling-1276-million-with-volery-capital-investing/
| 2022-09-14T19:34:48Z
|
Three founding partners are top ranked advisors by Forbes/Shook, including the #6 wealth advisor in California
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanctuary Wealth, home to the next generation of elite advisors, welcomes SLK Private Wealth, led by its Founders and Managing Partners Glen Strauss, Jonathan Lewis, and Edward "E.J." Kahn. The members of the new firm previously practiced as The Strauss/Lewis/Kahn Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors and advised on over $1.6 billion in client assets.
"It's highly gratifying and validates what Sanctuary Wealth is all about, as a team of such outstanding caliber chooses our network and platform above all the other options out there," said Jim Dickson, CEO and Founder of Sanctuary Wealth. "This is the fourth billion dollar plus team that we've added this year and the second in Southern California in just the past week. We're excited to welcome Glen, Jonathan, E.J., and the rest of the SLK team to our network"
"Independence is the next logical evolution in our business. We chose to start our own firm in partnership with Sanctuary Wealth where we can control the client experience and truly act in their best interest without conflict or distraction," said Glen Strauss, Founder and Managing Partner, SLK Private Wealth. "Sanctuary has built a robust platform for serving clients with an elite network of likeminded, successful advisors. The culture and capabilities are unmatched in the industry. We will have a much more robust selection of solutions available and the ability to determine which strategies make the most sense for each individual client."
Founder & Managing Partner Glen Strauss has more than 35 years of financial advisory experience. He was previously a Managing Director and PIM Portfolio Manager, building custom investment strategies and managing equity accounts for clients. Glen earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, and a JD degree from the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California practicing law as a corporate attorney for several years. His accolades include being among Forbes America's Top Wealth Advisors, 2018–2022, Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2018–2022 (including the #6 spot in California in 2022), Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors, 2014–2020, Barron's Top 1,000 Financial Advisors, 2008–2013; and Financial Times Top 400 Financial Advisors, 2015. He was recently recognized by Forbes as one of the top 250 Wealth Advisors in the country.
"We conducted extensive due diligence before arriving at such an important decision and it was obvious that for our team and our clients that Sanctuary was the way to go," said Jonathan Lewis, Founder and Managing Partner, SLK Private Wealth. "We really liked their business model and found the resources available to be far beyond what any other firm provides. Sanctuary offered us all the things that matter to us and our clients."
Jonathan Lewis has spent nearly 30 years providing clients with insightful, independent, and individualized wealth management and investment planning advice. As a relationship-driven advisor, Jonathan helps guide clients through the practical and emotional elements of the planning process, drawing out essential details that enhance his investment selection, and advice. More than just an investment advisor, Jonathan earned a CPA certificate in 1980, although he is no longer a practicing accountant, and was a senior PIM portfolio manager at Wells Fargo Advisors, where he worked for 22 years. He was named to the Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
"Sanctuary Wealth has disrupted the industry and stands out as the ideal partner for top bank and brokerage teams with a client focused mission and an entrepreneurial spirit. We want to be part of that," added Edward "E.J." Kahn, Founder and Managing Partner, SLK Private Wealth. "It played a big part in our decision."
Founder and Managing Partner E.J. Kahn began his financial services career in 2013 at Canyon Capital Advisors, before moving to Wells Fargo Advisors three years later, where he quickly established himself as a top young producer on both sides of the balance sheet. He earned both a master's degree in investor relations and a bachelor's degree in finance (honors) from the University of San Francisco. After graduation, E.J worked with start-ups prior to heading to Canyon Capital Advisors. E.J. was named to Forbes America's Top Wealth Advisors list in 2018, 2019 and 2020; Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, 2018–2020; and Forbes Americas Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors 2019, 2021, 2022.
In addition to the three founding partners, SLK Private Wealth also includes Partner and Portfolio Manager Hank Krakover, a financial advisor since 1995 and Chief Investment Officer Razmig Der-Tavitian, a veteran of 15 years in institutional asset management who has earned both the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations.
Financial Advisor Joseph Plutsky, Investment Analyst Eric Beatty, Registered Client Associates Michi Lunde and Barbara Moreno, and Client Associates Evan Richardson, Derek Finch, Armen Kesian, and Kevin Ozbay round out the team.
"Glen, Jonathan, and E.J. have put together an outstanding team, with a range of experience and a deep bench that few other firms could match," said Vince Fertitta, President, Sanctuary Wealth. "Our partner firms are all industry leaders. Collectively, they form somewhat of a think tank made up of the best of the best. SLK will make all Sanctuary partner firms better and their clients will benefit from the collective wisdom of our network."
To learn more about SLK Private Wealth, please visit: www.slkprivatewealth.com.
About Sanctuary Wealth
Sanctuary Wealth (sanctuarywealth.com/) is the advanced platform for the next generation of elite advisors, who have the entrepreneurial spirit to build and own their own practices and desire the freedom to deliver the tailored service their clients deserve. Sanctuary Wealth's ecosystem of partnered independence provides a complete technology and operations platform, as well as support from a community of like-minded advisors and the resources of invaluable affiliated businesses. Currently, the Sanctuary Wealth network includes partner firms in 27 states across the country with approximately $25 billion in assets under advisement. Sanctuary Wealth includes the fully owned subsidiaries; Sanctuary Advisors LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser, Sanctuary Securities, Inc. a FINRA member broker-dealer as well as Sanctuary Alternative Holdings, Sanctuary Asset Management, Sanctuary Insurance Solutions, Sanctuary Global, and Sanctuary Global Family Office.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Sanctuary Wealth
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/slk-private-wealth-16-billion-elite-team-chooses-partnered-independence-with-sanctuary-wealth/
| 2022-09-14T19:34:55Z
|
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, diets high in processed meats, such as bacon, ham, hot dogs, lunch meat, and sausage, may kill more than 100,000 people every year. Most deaths are due to heart disease, but cancer and diabetes also take lives. Eating meat-heavy diets results in millions of healthy years of life lost every year around the world—and it doesn't take much. The Union of Concerned Scientists estimated that thousands of annual cancer deaths could be averted if Americans cut down meat intake to just one ounce a week.
Physician and author of The New York Times bestsellers How Not to Die and How Not to Diet, Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM, weighs in: "It is as if each burger a person consumes is taking 30 minutes off their life. So, lifespan-wise, one burger appears to equal two cigarettes. If it wouldn't occur to someone to light up at lunch, then maybe choose the bean burrito instead of the hamburger. And processed meat is even worse."
Alternatively, you can compare life-extending behaviors. According to research, a lifetime of eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day may add an average of four years onto the lifespan of men and three years for women. That's up to twice as beneficial as exercising every day. Exercise still offers a 3:1 return on your time investment, though. Just 20 minutes of physical activity may add an hour to lifespan.
More information regarding these studies and a library of evidence-based health information can be found free to the public at www.nutritionfacts.org.
Mary Harris, Media Director
mharris@nutritionfacts.org
View original content:
SOURCE NutritionFacts
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/study-suggests-that-meat-consumption-may-reduce-lifespan-says-dr-michael-greger-nutritionfactsorg/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:02Z
|
Automaker and Major League Soccer Team Hosted Back-to-School Festival To Celebrate Donation to Chester, Pennsylvania School
CAMDEN, N.J., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc., in partnership with the Philadelphia Union, announced the automaker and Major League Soccer team "adopted" all classrooms at Stetser Elementary School in Chester, Pennsylvania, providing critical learning materials to more than 250 students. Additionally, Subaru of America donated an extra $12,500 worth of school supplies and sports equipment to the school. The donations are part of the Subaru Loves Learning initiative, a partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org to give all students an equal opportunity to thrive in the classroom.
The adoption of Stetser Elementary School impacts more than 250 Pre-K through 5th grade students in Chester, Pennsylvania, where the Union's home stadium, Subaru Park, is located. As part of the "adoption," each of the 20 Stetser Elementary teachers received $500 to buy supplies from AdoptAClassroom.org and a school supply kit with classroom essentials. In addition to providing flexible funding for teachers to purchase supplies customized to their classroom, Subaru donated an additional $12,500 worth of supplies and sporting equipment to the school.
"Students across the country are excited to be kicking off a new school year back in the classroom, yet for many families, the cost of school supplies can add an unbelievable amount of stress to the family budget," said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing Subaru of America, Inc. "Subaru is proud to give back in Subaru Park's backyard and ensure that all students at Stetser Elementary have the tools they need to succeed this year."
Subaru of America and the Union also hosted a back-to-school festival outside of the school for students and teachers, featuring refreshments, games and a visit from the Union mascot, Phang. Each student also took home a Subaru soccer ball.
"The Philadelphia Union prides itself on being a club that is dedicated to bettering the community," said Charlie Slonaker, Chief Revenue Officer, Philadelphia Union. "That begins in our own backyard and it starts with providing the next generation the tools to become successful in in academics and athletics."
As part of the Subaru Loves Learning initiative, Subaru of America and more than 600 participating retailers are working with AdoptAClassroom.org to help teachers and schools purchase the tools and materials they need for their students.
For information about Subaru Loves Learning and to find out more about the partners that Subaru supports, visit subaru.com/learning.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $270 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 78,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.
For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union is an innovative, forward-thinking professional soccer club competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) and one of Philadelphia's five major league sports teams. Driven by unprecedented fan support, MLS awarded the Philadelphia expansion franchise rights to Jay Sugarman in 2008 and the Union kicked off its inaugural season in 2010. The club has reached the finals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and has appeared in the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2011, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020. In 2020, the Union were awarded the club's first Supporters' Shield after finishing with the best regular season record in MLS.
The Philadelphia Union is part of parent company Keystone Sports and Entertainment LLC, which also operates Philadelphia Union II, the Philadelphia Union Academy, Philadelphia Union Foundation and Philadelphia Union Youth Programs. With a commitment to developing talent from the Delaware Valley, the Union has signed nine local players from their academy to a first team contract.
The Union play at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania on the banks of the Delaware River. The custom-built stadium is part of the Union's unique waterfront campus, featuring a historic power plant rebuilt into a 400,000 sq. ft. creative office building, a state-of-the-art Training Complex, over 7 acres of professional-grade practice pitches and multiple onsite parking fields. For more information about the Philadelphia Union, visit www.philadelphiaunion.com and follow @PhilaUnion on Twitter or Instagram.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/subaru-philadelphia-union-adopt-stetser-elementary-school-chester/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:08Z
|
Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez honors Tampa General with award for its commitment to providing the safest care to mothers and their babies in the Tampa Bay region and for exceeding national goals.
TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital has been recognized for exceeding national goals for reducing the number of unnecessary cesarean deliveries for first-time mothers with low-risk pregnancies and instead promoting vaginal deliveries.
Tampa General is one of just 26 delivery hospitals in Florida to achieve the distinction in 2022.
Florida has one of the highest cesarean section (C-section) rates in the U.S., leading to state and national efforts to promote safe vaginal deliveries. Tampa General achieved a C-section rate of 21.4 percent – exceeding the goal of 23.6 percent set by Healthy People 2030, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services women's and children's health initiative. The current national cesarean delivery rate is 32 percent. The initiative is focused on preventing pregnancy complications and maternal deaths and helping women stay healthy before, during and after their pregnancies.
Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez visited Tampa General today to present the hospital with an award for its continuing efforts to reduce unnecessary C-section deliveries and promote safe vaginal deliveries. She was joined by Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida's Surgeon General, and officials from the state Agency for Health Care Administration and the Florida Department of Health.
"Exceeding national goals for reducing unnecessary C-sections for two straight years is a tremendous recognition for all of those working with the Women and Children's Institute at Tampa General," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "We are honored to receive this award from Lt. Governor Nuñez and Surgeon General Ladapo as we continue on our journey to provide the safest and highest quality care in the country to mothers and their babies."
In all, only 26 of 114 hospitals in Florida – or 29 percent of those participating – exceeded the national goals and are being recognized by the state.
"We are honored to see our primary hospital partner receive this recognition from the state," said Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health, dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and a maternal-fetal medicine expert. "Obstetrician-gynecologists across the state are working together to safeguard women's and children's health by preventing unnecessary surgeries that carry increased risk."
Cesarean deliveries can prevent injury and death in women who are at higher risk of having complicated deliveries or unexpected complications, including prevention of injury and death in their newborns. But C-sections are also linked to an increased risk of severe bleeding, infections, blood clots, and complications in future pregnancies. Some women who aren't at higher risk for delivery complications may have unnecessary C-sections that lengthen their recovery times. That has prompted efforts at hospitals and by medical providers to help reduce the number of C-sections performed on low-risk mothers.
"The success in reducing the number of unnecessary C-sections is the result of ongoing close teamwork between Tampa General, OB/GYN physicians, and midwives who deliver patients at the hospital," said Dr. Karen Bruder, associate professor and director of the Division of Specialists in General OB/GYN, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and medical director of OB/GYN, Genesis Health at Tampa General. She also credited the ongoing work of the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative at the USF College of Public Health, which has initiatives that focus on providing evidence-based perinatal care, education and training.
"Collaboration among our partners and our relentless emphasis on following best practices leads to better health care for women and children as reducing C-section rates for first time mothers impacts their health and safety throughout their lifetime," Bruder said. "I am delighted for the entire team who share in this award, but even more so for the impact we're having on providing the safest care to mothers and their babies in the Tampa Bay region."
Tampa General delivers more babies than any other hospital in Tampa Bay, with about 6,500 births at the hospital since Oct. 1, 2021, noted Dr. Judette Louis, James M. Ingram Professor and Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and medical director of the Women's Institute at Tampa General Hospital. "Our success in preventing unnecessary C-sections in low-risk women once again underscores our commitment to the safety of our patients and sends a message to expectant mothers that where you choose to receive your prenatal care and deliver your baby really does matter."
Along with this latest recognition, Tampa General Hospital has been ranked #1 in Florida and Top 50 in the nation in Obstetrics and Gynecology by U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, named a Best Maternity Hospital in 2022 by Newsweek, and was one of only 15 hospitals in Florida recognized in 2021 for exceeding the national Healthy People 2030 goals for reducing unnecessary C-sections, and was also named a Best Maternity Hospital by Newsweek and the Leapfrog Group in 2020.
Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic medical center, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida, with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic medical center's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – first nationally in the 2022 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2020, provided a net community benefit worth more than $182.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics, and they can even receive home visits in select areas through TGH Urgent Care at Home, powered by Fast Track. As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to https://www.tgh.org.
Media Contact: Karen Barrera
Assistant Director of Communications & Partnerships
(813) 844-8725 (direct)
(813) 928-1603 (cell)
kbarrera@tgh.org
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/tampa-general-hospital-is-recognized-reducing-unnecessary-cesarean-section-deliveries-first-time-mothers/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:15Z
|
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical device company Theragen announced today that the Company's in-network participation agreements with managed care organizations and governmental payors now cover over 150 million U.S. residents for its ActaStim-S spine fusion bone growth stimulator and Kneehab XP quadriceps therapy system.
On the heels of its recent FDA approval of ActaStim-S, Theragen accelerated its growth in participating provider contracts. Since April, the Company has entered into new agreements that cover almost 30 million U.S. residents, including agreements with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas, Blue Shield of California, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield, and several Amerigroup plans.
"Theragen's practical, home-based therapeutic devices feature clinically proven technology and empower patients to take an active role in their day-to-day recovery," says Vice President of Reimbursement and Strategic Development, Thomas Burke. "Our rapid expansion of in-network contracting is increasing patient access to these technologies and lowering barriers to affordable care."
Burke continues: "In keeping with Theragen's core values, patients are at the heart of everything we do. It's why we focus on easy-to-use product designs that follow value-based care guidelines by delivering therapies at home, in the lowest-cost setting."
Theragen COO and VP of R&D, Richard Pearce, adds: "Regarding ease-of-use for home therapies, we learned a great deal from the success of our flagship Kneehab XP System. Our newest device, ActaStim-S, is a remarkably discreet and unobtrusive wearable. We continue to receive positive feedback from patients due to its overall wearability and supportive ActaStim-Sync companion app. We are thrilled that more patients will now have access to this suite of technologies."
Theragen, Inc. is a leader in the development and manufacture of non-invasive, electrical stimulation DME products that deliver therapeutic energy for healing and empower patients to play an active role in their recovery. We're committed to continuous innovation and expanding our reach to help improve outcomes for more patients. To learn more, please visit theragen.com.
Contact: Colleen Turner, Strategic Marketing
Email: Colleen.Turner@theragen.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Theragen
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/theragen-expands-treatment-access-over-150-million-us-residents/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:21Z
|
Following increasing theft of homes and real estate, breakthrough blockchain protection for towns and homeowners is finally available
SARASOTA, Fla., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Town clerks and leaders across the country are working hard to ensure their citizens and homeowners are protected against a wave of homeowner title theft.
Protecting homes from title theft: new blockchain solution available to towns and homeowners
"It is easy to get a copy of any homeowner deed. It took less than 5 minutes to get my deed, and I was never even asked for ID" said Michael Danforth, a homeowner in Norwalk, CT.
Thieves across the country are taking this easily accessed information and using it to remortgage and steal properties, along with millions of dollars, from homeowners in small towns to big cities. It is happening with primary and vacation homes, raw land and more.
Town officials and homeowners alike are frustrated. Existing solutions can alert to a problem, but they cannot stop the thefts or prevent an altered deed from being re-recorded.
TruDoss (www.trudoss.com) is on a mission to help towns and homeowners protect their real estate through patented use of blockchain technology with distributed ledgers which keeps altered deeds from ever being recorded.
Paul Hartzell, co-founder of TruDoss, noted "recent stories in Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida tell us about people who were shocked to discover they no longer owned real estate they thought was theirs. This is wrong, and we have a solution that is available to towns right now."
Hartzell went on to say "TruDoss can stop theft before it happens by using our patented blockchain technology which uses a cryptographic hash, to identify the digital content immutably, making it impossible to submit an altered document without immediate detection before recording. This is how TruDoss will stop the thieves cold."
The TruDoss architecture allows integration with all types of document and data management platforms and provides this protection at reasonable cost. The service can be purchased by an annual license with no upfront costs and include 100% text search, global security certifications and a complete administrative console allowing highly secure citizen access, while not breaking the annual town budget.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE TruDoss LLC
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/trudoss-protecting-homes-title-theft-new-blockchain-solution-available-towns-homeowners/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:28Z
|
SANTA FE SPRINGS, Calif., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vance & Hines, the most noted name in powersports performance, today announced a lineup of exhaust systems for the most popular side-by-side (SxS) UTV offerings on the market. The UTV market in the US was estimated at over $7 billion in 2020 with a projected CAGR of 6% through 2027.
The company will debut its Mojave Eliminator Series this weekend at the Sand Sports Super Show in Orange County, California.
"Style, sound and performance are the three pillars of our brand," said Vance & Hines President Mike Kennedy. "We knew we wanted to enter the side-by-side market with a bold statement about Vance & Hines. Not just great performance, not just great sound, but also a style that totally transforms the rear of the vehicle. I think our team nailed it, and I can't wait to show it to customers this weekend."
Every aspect of the new line of exhaust systems has been tailored to meet the rigorous demands of off-roading, from heavy-duty bracketry to an automotive-grade, all-mechanical muffler design that is maintenance-free. Each of the systems produces power gains along with a deeper and more satisfying growl, while still meeting SAE J1287 sound standards and complying with EPA emissions criteria. All the units are equipped with US Forest Service compliant spark arrestors.
Vance & Hines has been creating race-winning systems for the Yamaha Powersports1.com racing team since 2020, with drivers Rod and Owen VanEperen, earning four SxS championships over the past three seasons. Those learnings from the track have enabled the company to develop the Mojave Eliminator Series, testing and refining the new systems at the Vance & Hines Off Road Proving Grounds in the Mojave Desert.
All of the systems are visually striking and change the look of the rear of the unit with a laser-cut rear guard featuring the Vance & Hines logo. The 4-inch, dual-tip, center exits with CNC-machined billet end caps reaffirm to riders left in the dust that this system delivers the sound, performance and style that Vance & Hines is known for.
The initial launch of the series includes three part numbers which fit Honda, Polaris and Can-Am units dating from 2017 to today. (See below for specific fitments). Vance & Hines will begin shipment of its Mojave Eliminator Series units later in October.
Vance & Hines part number 14531 mounts to the factory header on Honda Talon units from 2019 to 2022. Retail price is $1,399.99.
The 2022 Polaris RZR Turbo R and 2020 to 2022 Polaris RZR Pro XP models use Vance & Hines part number 11015 which mounts to the factory down pipe. Retail price is $1,399.99.
Can-Am Maverick X3 from 2017 to 2022 use Vance & Hines part number 11017 which mounts to the factory down pipe. Retail price is $1,249.99.
Race Only parts for the Yamaha YXZ1000R are available through the Vance & Hines Racing Development Center in Brownsburg, IN. There are two configurations to choose from for the Yamaha, including a full system under part number 15210 with a retail price of $1,499.99 and a slip-on ideal for vehicles running a turbocharger under part number 15213 with a retail price of $699.99.
The Vance & Hines brand has always been about enhancing the exhilaration of the motorcycle ride. It started over 40 years ago, when Terry Vance and Byron Hines were two young enthusiasts in the fledgling Southern California motorcycle drag race scene. Terry always wanted to go faster, and Byron knew how to make that happen. In short order, their on-track success and innovation drew the attention of other racers, riders and motorcycle manufacturers, which ultimately translated to commercial demand for their products and services. Today, the Company's mission and activity is the same; make bikes go faster on the racetrack and take those learnings to make impactful products for riders around the world. Since the Company's inception in 1979, it has run factory race programs in partnership with Suzuki, Yamaha, Ducati and Harley-Davidson in drag racing, road racing and flat track. Vance & Hines is based in Santa Fe Springs CA and has its Racing Development Center in Brownsburg IN. Learn more about the company's history and products at www.vanceandhines.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vance & Hines
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/vance-amp-hines-debut-its-first-utv-exhaust-systems-sand-sports-super-show/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:34Z
|
Philadelphia Insurance Companies' customers have logged more than one billion miles with the technology.
BALA CYNWYD, Pa., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With U.S. traffic deaths hitting a 20-year high in early 2022 and record surges in gas prices around the country, more organizations are recognizing the value of vehicle telematics in increasing safety and lowering costs. Philadelphia Insurance Companies' (PHLY) vehicle telematics tool, PHLYTRAC, has reached a new milestone, recently logging more than one billion miles in customer vehicles.
As a relatively new sector rapidly growing, the global commercial telematics market size is predicted to surpass $162 billion by 2030. PHLY has been at the forefront of commercial insurers in the telematics space, launching a pilot program in 2016 and offering the service to all commercial auto customers in 2018. Since then, PHLYTRAC has been installed in nearly 70,000 commercial vehicles for over 2,000 policyholders in all 50 states.
PHLYTRAC has lowered the frequency of accidents for users by 19%. A small device that can easily be installed in minutes, PHLYTRAC alerts organizations of dangerous driving behaviors such as speeding and hard braking so they can take action to lower the risk of driver-related accidents. The devices can even help reduce gas costs by tracking vehicle idling time and providing more efficient routing.
"It helped us improve the safety culture because people live it every day," said Lucas Carvalho, Vice President of Corporate Resources at BAMSI, a PHLY-insured non-profit. "We went from having a culture where people only thought of safety when the safety committee met once a month or once a quarter, but now we live it every day. We show the data, we follow up with program managers and area directors, and it's a very positive approach to solving a real big issue we had as an organization."
"One billion miles traveled is an exciting milestone for the PHLYTRAC program," said Mark Konchan, Senior Vice President of Risk Management Services at PHLY. "As one of the early adopters of commercial telematics, we have extensive data that supports expanding the program and we're striving to unlock new innovations to help our policyholders increase safety and experience additional benefits."
Vehicle telematics surfaced originally for personal auto coverage, designed to track individual driver behavior to help carriers better determine premiums. PHLYTRAC is not used to calculate premiums and PHLY covers the cost for insureds with auto coverage to help them make more informed decisions about their fleets.
Visit PHLY.com/PHLYTRAC to learn more.
Philadelphia Insurance Companies designs, markets, and underwrites commercial property/casualty and professional liability insurance products incorporating value added coverages and services for select industries. The Company is rated "A++" (Superior) by AM Best Company and "A+" for counterparty credit and financial strength by Standard & Poor's. In business for over 60 years, PHLY is nationally recognized as a member of Ward's Top 50, one of the Best Places to Work in Insurance, and one of the Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America. The organization is strategically located across the United States to provide superior service. For more information, please visit www.PHLY.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Philadelphia Insurance Companies
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/vehicle-telematics-program-gains-speed-with-commercial-auto-customers/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:41Z
|
AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vyopta, a leader in digital collaboration user experience management, today announced it has added support for Oracle Enterprise Communications Products. This includes new integrations with Oracle Acme Packet (AP) Platforms and Oracle Enterprise Operations Monitor. Oracle AP Platforms are one of the leading Microsoft-certified Session Boarder Controller (SBC) solutions.
Vyopta provides organizations using both Microsoft Teams Direct Routing and Oracle SBCs with complete visibility into the end-to-end call experience from origination to the PSTN. This enables companies to better monitor SIP trunk status and traffic, assuring the quality of voice/PSTN calls. Vyopta also provides detailed call records to help organizations diagnose and identify performance issues.
As remote and hybrid work have taken off, many organizations are finding it difficult to monitor and manage the edge of their enterprise UC networks. According to Microsoft, direct routing calling minutes grew eight times in 2020 alone and more than four times as many companies now use the service.
Oracle provides multi-tenancy support, security, and reliability through its Microsoft Teams direct routing solution. It also supports Operator Connect for companies in need of a managed services-style approach to Microsoft Teams voice.
"By supporting Oracle SBCs, we empower customers to better troubleshoot call issues for Microsoft Teams direct routing and broader voice environments," said Jonathan Sass, Vice President of Product for Vyopta. "We're helping organizations better manage the quality, reliability, and performance across their entire environment."
Vyopta, a leader in digital collaboration user experience management, has helped 40 million people collaborate better. Its Technology Insights and Space Insights applications have helped identify and address over 9 million issues. Vyopta helps organizations deliver the best UC user experience and optimize their UC and real estate investments. Hundreds of organizations worldwide spanning 20+ industries use Vyopta to monitor 6 million endpoints and over 20 billion meeting minutes a year.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Vyopta Inc
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/vyopta-now-supports-oracle-enterprise-communications/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:48Z
|
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- JobsOhio, the state's private nonprofit economic development corporation, today announced the release of a new white paper titled, "Maximize Your Electric Vehicle Investment in Ohio." The report explains why automotive companies are setting their sights on Ohio when pivoting their businesses to meet the high demand for electric vehicles; a developing trend that has included the likes of Ford Motor Company and Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solution.
The white paper offers an in-depth analysis of current problems plaguing this industry while highlighting the resources and opportunities across Ohio for new-age innovations in automotive manufacturing.
The auto supply chain focused on electric vehicle production in Ohio is increasing. Evolving consumer demands fuel the industry's change, including the ongoing angst from fluctuating gasoline prices and the desire to lower carbon footprints and vehicle emissions. According to the report, numerous issues facing the automotive industry are causing roadblocks to future change. These include:
- Supply Chain: the industry-disrupting shift towards electrification has compounded the existing supply chain problems facing nearly every industry today;
- Talent: new manufacturing requires an evolution in the workforce that will need to be driven by post-secondary education, including colleges, trade schools, and manufacturing training programs;
- Existing Infrastructure: traditional automotive manufacturing still needs support even while ramping up capacity for electric vehicles;
- R&D: funding is needed for research and development that will drive the future of transportation, such as advanced mobility; and
- Economy: Economic headwinds and inflation continue to create challenges for consumers and businesses.
"The automotive industry is undergoing a generational shift toward more electric vehicle and battery production, and Ohio is ideally positioned to seize this extraordinary opportunity," said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef. "Ohio has logistics infrastructure, manufacturing talent, a rapidly growing technology sector, and more to attract future investment to be a global leader in this evolving space as demand for more electric vehicles continues to rise."
Ohio has a legacy of automotive manufacturing. As the top producer of engines, and number two of transmissions in the U.S., industry leaders are looking to Ohio for its wide breadth of talent and expertise while they invest in the future of the auto industry. The automotive sector experienced continued growth last year in Ohio, including more than 30 projects, with 1,500 jobs and $353 million in capital investment committed, according to JobsOhio's 2021 Annual Report and Strategic Plan.
In June 2022, Ford Motor Company announced it was investing $1.5 billion into Lorain County at the Ford Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake to fund the assembly of an all-new commercial electric vehicle (EV) and create 1,800 new hourly jobs. And Foresee Power, a global expert in smart battery systems, announced in June 2022 that it selected Hilliard, Ohio, located in the Columbus Region, to establish its North American headquarters and Gigafactory - making Ohio the site for its first U.S. battery systems manufacturing facility. Other recent investments include Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solution in Lordstown, creating one of North America's largest battery manufacturing operations. Ultium is preparing for full-scale production as it hires 1,100 advanced automotive manufacturing workers and invests $2.3 billion of capital.
Another must-have for future-focused automotive manufacturers is access to the innovations happening in mobility. The paper highlights Ohio's various programs and research centers to support the designing, testing, and manufacturing of advanced mobility. These include:
- Accelerate Ohio: First announced in April 2022, AccelerateOhio seeks to leverage Ohio's unique position as an air and ground mobility leader. It is a collaborative effort between the state of Ohio, JobsOhio, and 15 public and private organizations to create an innovation ecosystem for the advanced mobility sector – including automotive, aviation, aerospace, and military industries.
- Transportation Research Center: Transportation Research Center Inc. is North America's most advanced, independent mobility testing and research facility, with 4,500 acres of road courses and a 54-acre SMARTCenter for automated and connected vehicles. In a March 2022 economic impact study, TRC was credited with contributing $127 million to the state's economy annually.
- DriveOhio: As part of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), DriveOhio connects public infrastructure with advanced mobility technology developers to create a smart, safe transportation system. In addition to fostering mobility advancement, DriveOhio works to ensure Ohio's regulatory environment and public policies are conducive to further technology development and adoption.
In February 2022, the "Ohio Battery Supply Chain Opportunities" report highlighted Ohio's unique positioning to become an industry leader and hub for advanced technologies that can reduce emissions and innovate the automotive industry for decades. The "Ohio Battery Supply Chain Opportunities" report was co-sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and JobsOhio and authored by expert consulting firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI).
JobsOhio is a private nonprofit economic development corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention, and expansion. The organization also works to seed talent production in its targeted industries and to attract talent to Ohio through Find Your Ohio. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Dayton Development Coalition, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership , and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter , and Facebook.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE JobsOhio
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/white-paper-report-electric-vehicle-success-requires-strong-ecosystem/
| 2022-09-14T19:35:54Z
|
Free class to help quit tobacco, nicotine use starting Sept. 21
FLUVANNA COUNTY, Va. (WVIR) - A virtual and free class to help quit tobacco and nicotine use is starting up on September 21.
The Quit Nicotine/Smoking Blue Ridge Program teaches people strategies for quitting and provides a support group.
The program used to meet in-person, but since the coronavirus pandemic has gone virtual. The program’s organizer, Scott Mein, says numbers have doubled.
“We’re finding out most of the people we get are working and they are busy, and so for them to go to a place, especially if they have families, is very difficult. But they can go home, do what they have to do, and then get on the computer and meet us virtually,” Mein said.
The program runs every Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from September 21 through October 26. Questions can go to Scott Mein at 862‐432‐0490 or scottrmein@gmail.com. To sign up email scottrmein@gmail.com.
Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here.
Copyright 2022 WVIR. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/free-class-help-quit-tobacco-nicotine-use-starting-sept-21/
| 2022-09-14T19:41:58Z
|
The US economy can keep running without freight trains — but not for long.
That is why the risk of the first national railroad strike in 30 years is so worrying to economists and businesses. A brief work stoppage — some previous rail strikes have lasted only hours — likely won't cause much economic disruption.
But a prolonged walkout of a week or more will cripple the nation's still struggling supply chain, cause widespread shutdowns and shortages, and likely further drive up prices even as inflation remains near a 40-year high.
"At a week, you see real damage in the US economy," said economist Patrick Anderson of Anderson Economic Group, which conducts impact estimates on work stoppages.
If it lasts a week, a strike will mean reduced gas production, spoiled crops, a choked off supply of new cars and empty shelves at stores over the holidays. Your commute may be snarled. And for factory workers, there could be temporary layoffs in the near future.
America's railroads remain crucial for keeping the US economy running smoothly. They carry nearly 30% of the nation's freight, measured by the distance traveled and the weight of the cargo, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. And there really isn't an alternative if the trains stop running.
"Idling all 7,000 long distance daily freight trains in the US would require more than 460,000 additional long-haul trucks every day, which is not possible based on equipment availability and an existing shortage of 80,000 drivers," said Chris Spear, CEO of the American Trucking Associations in a letter to members of Congress asking that they act to prevent a strike. "As such, any rail service disruption will create havoc in the supply chain and fuel inflationary pressures across the board."
Anderson said it is impossible to come up with a dollar estimate for the impact on the economy at this point, but he said the costs will grow geometrically the longer the strike lasts, starting out at tens of millions of dollars and growing rapidly each day.
"It might only be millions, but that's a lot if it's your job that's one that is being lost," he said. "If we reach a week-long strike, we're in uncharted territory," he said.
Gasoline
The price of gas has been falling steadily for three months. But a rail strike could send prices shooting higher again due to limited supplies.
Refineries get most of their crude oil via pipelines and ship out most of the products they produce, such as gas, diesel and jet fuel, via pipelines as well. But railroad tank cars are a key part of the process to make the gas that ends up in your tank.
Just about all ethanol that goes into gasoline moves by rail. Without ethanol, gasoline wouldn't be compliant with some environmental regulations. But even if those regulations could be waived, the lack of ethanol could increase the cost of a gallon of gas by about 16 cents due to the loss of tax breaks, according to Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis for OPIS.
Although pipelines carry most crude oil to refineries, about 300,000 barrels move by rail each day, a volume that could supply about two mid-size refineries, according to data from the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, the refineries' trade group. Numerous chemicals used in the refining process also arrive via rail, and some lower-grade products and waste materials need to be shipped out by rail.
"If rail cars aren't coming in regularly to pick up facility products, including the sulfur that refiners remove from crude oil, production will have to curtail," the refineries' trade group said.
Food
The strike would be hitting at a particularly bad time for the nation's agricultural industry. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data show that trains account for 27% of the distance grains travel when measured by weight.
"A rail stoppage on September 16 would hit right as the fall harvest accelerates in many parts of the United States," said Mike Seyfert, CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association. "The economic damages across the food and agricultural supply chain would be swift and severe."
The railroads started refusing to take new shipments of grain as of Wednesday in preparation for the possible strike. If the work stoppage happens, grain operators will load what they can onto rail containers sitting in their yards. But they won't be able to move them out or accept additional grain from farmers, who will then have limited options to sell their crops.
In recent months there have been improvements to farmers' supply chain issues suffered during the pandemic.
"The gains we've made in the last seven to eight months will be reversed largely if this strike happens," said Terri Moore, spokesperson for the American Farm Bureau Federation.
In addition, farmers preparing to plant for the fall season could see shortages of the fertilizer they need, since the railroads have already stopped accepting shipments because they are classified as hazardous materials in many cases. That could hurt future supplies of crops.
"There definitely would be at least some price increase for consumers," said Max Fisher, chief economist at the National Grain and Feed Association. "If our processing plants are not running, the food manufacturers that buy these ingredients won't have access to them for an extended period of time. Depending on how long it would go on, we worry about scarcity — being able to actually get the food."
Beyond domestic food prices, the strike could affect global food markets, since the US is a major grain exporter. With the war in Ukraine cutting off much the grain from that country, a disruption in US supply will only make a bad situation worse.
Cars and trucks
Car and truck production has already been hampered by a shortage of numerous essential parts, most notably computer chips. That has created a dearth of vehicles available for sale on dealer lots, which in turn has resulted in record high car prices.
But that's nothing compared to what would happen with a prolonged rail strike. About 75% of cars built in US factories or imported here move by rail. There are nowhere near enough trucks to carry that many vehicles.
In addition, many of those parts move between suppliers and car assembly plants by rail. Production will quickly halt if those rail links are severed.
Eventually production would resume, but it would take some time to make up for lost output. Which means more upward pressure on car prices.
Consumer goods
The snarl of container ships coming into West Coast ports is finally easing after years of backlogs and delays. And although things have gotten better, they are by no means "normal" yet.
As of Tuesday the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's largest, said it had 27,000 shipping containers waiting to be loaded onto trains. That's roughly three times as many as under normal conditions. Two thirds of the current inventory of containers have been there nine or more days, when none should have been there that long.
"Efficient rail operations are critical to the Port of Los Angeles," said Gene Seroka, the port's executive director. "With two-thirds of our cargo leaving California by rail, the supply chain and the US economy need all of us working at maximum effort."
The peak season for imported goods heading to retailers ahead of the holiday shopping period is now. The National Retail Federation said last week it is concerned about shortages later this year if there is a rail strike.
"We are in the middle of the peak import season," said the trade group. "Any rail network disruptions this month could have long-lasting negative effects on this important selling season. Product delays and shortages are correlated with inflation."
Manufacturing
Most factories aim to have parts and raw materials delivered just before they are used in assembly lines — a process known as "just-in-time" deliveries. And many factories depend on rail to get those parts and supplies, as well as to ship them out.
"For years now, America's manufacturing workers have endured the effects of rapidly rising material costs and severe supply chain disruptions," said a statement from the National Association of Manufacturers. A rail strike would "devastate the movement of manufactured products that families depend on."
The rail strike could result in temporary plant closures, as happened across the global auto industry due to the shortage of parts and computer chips brought on by the pandemic.
Commuting
Although only the nation's freight rail lines face a pending strike, many of the nation's commuter trains travel on tracks maintained and operated by the freight railroads. As a result, many passenger railroads expect to shut down operations once the freight strike starts.
Amtrak already has cut service on many of its long distance trains. The company owns roughly 700 miles of track, mostly between Boston and Washington, DC, but about 97% of its 22,000 mile system runs on freight lines.
Many commuter railroads also are preparing to shut much of their operations for the same reason.
That could mean more commuters driving to work, and more traffic and congestion even for those who don't normally take a train.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/business/heres-how-the-freight-rail-strike-could-affect-you/article_034abd69-41d1-545d-9464-69823647aa6f.html
| 2022-09-14T19:59:10Z
|
Just one day after August's disappointing Consumer Price Index report triggered a meltdown on Wall Street, a separate inflation report indicated that wholesale price increases are showing signs of improvement.
The Producer Price Index, which tracks average changes in the prices paid to producers of goods and services, was up 8.7% in the 12 months ended in August, down from 9.8% in July. It's the second consecutive month that the pace of increase slowed.
Prices fell by 0.1% in the month from July to August, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday.
Economists expected year-over-year PPI to rise by 8.8% and to fall by 0.1% from July, according to Refinitiv estimates.
Since PPI captures price changes happening further upstream, the report is considered by some to be a leading indicator for broader inflationary trends and what consumers could potentially see at the store level.
The continued decline in headline PPI mostly reflects commodity prices settling down from record highs, said Jason Reed, assistant chair and teaching professor of finance at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. The decline in energy prices will "push PPI a little bit lower," he said. "But overall, we're still seeing elevated pricing levels."
Stripping out the more volatile components of food and energy, core inflation increased 0.2% from July and is up by 8.1% for the 12 months ending in August.
Tuesday's hot CPI report showed annual price inflation hit 8.3% in August. While that was a tick down from July's 8.5%, the data also showed that core CPI, which strips out volatile gas and food prices, rose at twice the projected rate, dashing hopes that inflation has hit its peak.
Fed meeting on deck
America has been battling decades-high inflation in recent months, with the Federal Reserve implementing a series of historic rate hikes in an attempt to slow the economy and discourage further spending.
This week's two key inflation reports will provide crucial context for Fed policymakers, who meet next week to determine the scope of the central bank's next rate hike. Tuesday's CPI report has already pushed some analysts to call for a 100-basis-point increase, up from recent expectations of a third-straight 75 basis points.
In the meantime, consumers are paying hundreds of dollars more each month as prices for food, shelter and health care surge. And plenty of uncertainty continues to loom, including Russia's war in Ukraine and a potential US rail worker strike.
"The Federal Reserve can really only impact the demand side of inflation — it's really hard to raise rates and unkink a supply chain or raise rates and help the war in Ukraine," Notre Dame's Reed said.
"If you have a big supply shock again, I think the Fed continues their course," Reed added. "They can't be seen as slow anymore."
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/business/some-good-inflation-news-wholesale-prices-fell-in-august/article_c55be628-1197-5379-912f-789eedd25469.html
| 2022-09-14T19:59:16Z
|
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/coronavirus/10-new-covid-related-deaths-1-343-new-infections-recorded-in-hawaii-doh-reports/article_4c4c552c-345e-11ed-82cb-07971ee0fc7e.html
| 2022-09-14T19:59:22Z
|
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- There have been two separate "stranger danger" incidents at different schools across the state over the last few weeks. Suspects involved in each incident, one at Jarrett Middle School and one at Honaunau Elementary, have been arrested. But concerns remain.
The Department of Education is pointing KITV4 to an email and letter concerning each of the incidents for information. The department is also saying both principals didn't want to talk. But one Jarrett Middle School parent did want to talk and so did a security professional who teaches safety to schools.
The joy of children going to Jarrett Middle school was shattered Monday morning. According to a letter from the school principal, a man tried to grab two groups of young girls near the school gym. Luckily, the students got away and no one was hurt. “They screamed and alerted other people around them so they knew that an issue was going on,” said Jacie Slaymaker who is the parent of a 12-year-old student at the school.
Slaymaker says she learned about the incident from that letter. The she provided it to KITV4. According to that correspondence, the girls ran and told someone right away. KT Protection Services Security expert Michael Thomas says the girls did the right thing.
He says there were other things they could have done if they couldn't have got away. “You look for the special points where people grab you. The weak point is between the forefinger and the thumb. You want to pull your wrist toward the weakness of the hand to escape,” said Thomas.
He says just because an attacker has control, doesn't mean you make it easy on them. “If you drop all your body weight, you force them to pick you up. And they have to carry you. Because if they walk away people are going to wonder why they are carrying someone over their shoulder,” said Thomas.
Dropping your body weight however does not mean giving up the fight. “Make all the noise you can. Kick and scream and yell for help. Make it where this person is not supposed to have you. Make it so everyone around you knows you are in trouble,” said Thomas.
“School safety is something we should be concerned about. I think the schools are doing the right thing. The principal told the parents immediately when the incident happened, but we still need to be aware,” said Slaymaker.
Two weeks earlier at Honaunau Elementary on the Island of Hawaii, an uninvited person approached a student in the bathroom and threatened them. That student also got away.
Thomas says limiting access to grounds and certain areas, are ways schools can limit this sort of threat. “Another teacher should be standing outside the bathroom, because that is a place of vulnerability,” said Thomas.
The DOE, security expert, and parent we spoke to, are all encouraging people to stay vigilant and encourage their children to speak out if they see something suspicious.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Jefferson Tyler joined KITV after a lengthy stint in Reno, Nev. where he covered a variety of subjects. From wildfires to presidential elections, Jefferson takes pride in creating balanced stories that keep viewers’ attentions.
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/parents-raise-concern-over-campus-safety-following-recent-instances-at-hawaii-schools/article_c8cd2a12-33ec-11ed-b814-33d63b8e6da1.html
| 2022-09-14T19:59:28Z
|
MAILI, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Local animal rescue organizations are sounding the alarm over an uptick in cases of animal cruelty after a dog was found with two bullet wounds on Tuesday in Maili.
Cassie Moniz with Aloha Animal Outreach said she received a call around 4:30 p.m. about an injured dog laying on the side of Mailiilii Road. When she got to the dog, it was covered in fleas, ticks, ants, and in pain.
Another Good Samaritan, who turned out to work at an animal hospital in Kapolei, pulled over to help. Together, they took the dog to the hospital, thinking he had been run over.
"Come to find out, the doctor comes out and tells me, 'You're not gonna believe this, someone shot him,'" explained Moniz. "I was in disbelief. She said he was actually shot before, but that wound had covered up. So the bullet had actually entered through the left side of this shoulder and went through his body and almost exited out the other side. So it's still in his body."
For now, Moniz said the dog's being monitored, but the next 24 hours are critical. Aloha Animal Outreach will take him under its wing, but will eventually need someone to help look after him till he can get back on his feet.
Moniz said she's recently seen more animal cruelty cases than usual.
Aloha Animal Outreach does plan to file a police report, and urges anyone who witnesses any type of animal cruelty to call police.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com
Mika is the co-anchor for KITV4 Island News at 5, 6, and 10 p.m.
Since joining KITV4 in 2016, Mika has also served as a multimedia journalist, weather, and traffic anchor.
|
https://www.kitv.com/news/local/dog-found-suffering-from-two-gunshot-wounds-in-maili-fighting-to-survive/article_7ee966ae-33f6-11ed-bac6-17d241523d1f.html
| 2022-09-14T19:59:34Z
|
HONOLULU (KITV4) -- A burnt out Toyota Tacoma sits in front of a residential home on Manoa Road. A surveillance camera at the home caught the suspected arson on tape, with a man targeting the truck out front.
Video shows an SUV stopping in the middle of 2-lane Manoa Road. A suspect in a light hoodie and face covering pours an accelerant from a container into the back of the truck bed. The truck ignites and the fuel tank combusts. The sound of the explosion woke neighbors next door and down the street.
"Having a fire, especially something that seems that it's arson, is unsettling," a neighbor named Craig told KITV4.
Adding to the uneasy news, another vehicle was torched less than two miles away within the same half hour. The vehicle owner in Makiki rushed down the stairs to the carport below and put out the blaze using a fire extinguisher before it could spread to a second vehicle in the carport.
The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) is currently investigating but has not said if the vehicle or suspect description match in the two cases.
"I'm not sure what that liquid was, obviously something flammable. But we're asking the public, if you know anything about the case, if you recognize the vehicle or the suspect, please contact us at CrimeStoppers," Sgt. Chris Kim told KITV4.
Back in Manoa, a charred fence stands between the burnt out vehicle and the neighbor's house. Investigators combed the area through the morning, as police seek more help from the public to find the perpetrator of the brazen act or acts.
"But you can tell as soon as he pours his liquid on and lights it, there's immediate combustion. He actually put himself at risk to burning himself. I'm sure he is singed. I'm sure he's got some eyelashes, some eyebrows missing at this point," Kim added.
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/local/duel-arson-fires-torch-vehicles-less-than-two-miles-apart-in-manoa-makiki/article_68c64bec-3402-11ed-b2f3-9310838a47f7.html
| 2022-09-14T19:59:40Z
|
Bluefield Coal and Mining Show officially returns after three year hiatus
BRUSHFORK, W.Va. (WVVA) - The first day of the Bluefield Coal and Mining Show kicked off Wednesday at the Brushfork Armory. Many vendors are here and ready to go. They opened the show with a ribbon cutting.
“This is the 24th year which equates to roughly 50 years. We had a couple of off years, it’s a biennial show. We did sort of get stepped on and we made some changes in the schedule,” said show chairperson, Bob Ramsey.
Ramsey says vendors from 30 states and four different countries are in attendance, showcasing what they have to offer. He says the real heroes making the event happen are the volunteers.
“They deserve all of the credit for pulling this thing together. So we’re so impressed the way they run and do their job and the way they handle things. We couldn’t thank them enough,” said Ramsey.
Ramsey says having members from the different corporations will contribute around six to seven million dollars to the local economy. Mercer county Commissioner Bill Archer says that impact will reach farther than just mercer county.
“It fills up our local motels and it extends beyond the Bluefield area. Up in Beckley and down in Virginia and it’s really great for the local economy,” said Archer.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/bluefield-coal-mining-show-officially-returns-after-3-year-hiatus/
| 2022-09-14T20:09:15Z
|
Border patrol horse dies in the line of duty
Published: Sep. 14, 2022 at 3:01 PM EDT|Updated: 1 hour ago
DEL RIO, Texas (Gray News) – A border patrol horse died in the line of duty, according to the U.S. Border Patrol Del Rio Sector.
Jayce, the agency’s mounted patrol partner, was on patrol near Carrizo Springs when he came in contact with a downed power line.
The horse fell to the ground and succumbed to his injuries. The rider was not hurt.
According to U.S. Border Patrol, Jayce served the agency “with honor for over 11 years.”
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/border-patrol-horse-dies-line-duty/
| 2022-09-14T20:09:21Z
|
California sues Amazon, alleging antitrust law violations
NEW YORK (AP) — California is suing Amazon, accusing the company of violating the state’s antitrust and unfair competition laws by stifling competition and engaging in practices that push sellers to maintain higher prices on products on other sites.
The 84-page lawsuit filed Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court mirrors another complaint filed last year by the District of Columbia, which was dismissed by a district judge earlier this year and is now going through an appeals process.
But officials in California believe they won’t encounter a similar fate, partly due to information collected during a more than two-year investigation that involved subpoenas and interviews with sellers, Amazon’s competitors as well as current and former employees at the company.
In the lawsuit, California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office said Amazon used contract provisions to effectively bar third-party sellers and wholesale suppliers from offering lower prices for products on non-Amazon sites, including on their own websites. That, in turn, harms the ability of other retailers to compete.
The suit maintains merchants that do not comply with the policy could have their products stripped from prominent listings on Amazon and face other sanctions such as suspensions or terminations of their accounts. It alleges Amazon’s policy essentially forces merchants to list higher prices on other sites, helping the retail giant maintain its e-commerce dominance.
Among other things, the California lawsuit seeks to stop Amazon from entering into contracts with sellers that harm price competition. It also seeks a court order to compel Amazon to pay damages to the state for increased prices. State officials did not say how much money they are seeking.
Seattle-based Amazon controls roughly 38% of online sales in the U.S., more than that of Walmart, eBay, Apple, Best Buy and Target combined, according to the research firm Insider Intelligence. About 2 million sellers list their products on Amazon’s third-party marketplace, accounting for 58% of the company’s retail sales.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Bonta said some vendors have expressed they would offer lower prices on other sites with lower seller fees, but don’t do so to avoid punishment from Amazon.
“Amazon has stifled its competition for years, not by successfully competing, but by blocking competition on price,” Bonta said. “As a result, California families paid more, and now Amazon must pay the price.”
He said the lawsuit is also a message to other companies who “illegally bend the market at the expense of California consumers, small business owners and the economy.”
The tech industry’s allies quickly slammed the lawsuit. Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the industry trade group Chamber of Progress, which receives funding from Amazon and other tech companies, said the case would force Amazon to raise prices.
“That makes no sense while consumers shop for bargains to counter inflation, and it’s based on a legally unsound theory already rejected by federal courts,” Kovacevich said.
Amazon did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The company has said in the past that sellers set their own prices on the platform. It has also said it has the right to avoid highlighting products that are not priced competitively.
Despite that defense, Amazon’s market power has been a subject of scrutiny from lawmakers and advocacy groups calling for stricter antitrust regulations. Earlier this year, congressional lawmakers urged the Justice Department to investigate if the company collects data on sellers to develop competing products and offer them more prominently on its site. Critics have also lambasted the increasing fees imposed on sellers, which makes it more difficult for merchants to enter the market.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been pushing bipartisan legislation aiming to limit Amazon and other Big Tech companies, including Apple, Meta and Google, from favoring their own products and services over rivals. The bill has cleared key committees but has languished in Congress for months amid intense pushback from the companies.
Meanwhile, regulators have also been looking into Amazon’s business practices and deals. In July, the company offered concessions to settle two antitrust investigations in the European Union, including a promise to apply equal treatment to all sellers when ranking product offers on the site’s “buy box,” a coveted spot that makes items more visible to shoppers.
In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission is investigating Amazon’s $3.9 billion acquisition of the primary health organization One Medical as well as the sign-up and cancellation practices of Amazon Prime, the company’s paid subscription service that offers deals and faster shipping.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/california-sues-amazon-alleging-antitrust-law-violations/
| 2022-09-14T20:09:28Z
|
Corrections officer arrested for having sex with inmates, sheriff says
ALTURAS, Calif. (Gray News) – Officials in California say a corrections officer has been terminated and arrested for having sexual relationships with inmates.
Melanie Alicia Martin, 34, with the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested on Sept. 10 and booked into the Modoc County Jail on a $20,000 bond.
California law prohibits correctional officers from engaging in sexual activity with inmates as inmates cannot consent to sex if confined in a detention facility.
Modoc County Sheriff Tex Dowdy said in a statement that his office is taking the allegations very seriously. The investigation was completed by an outside agency.
Modoc County is located in the northeast corner of California, bordering Oregon and Nevada.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/corrections-officer-arrested-having-sex-with-inmates-sheriff-says/
| 2022-09-14T20:09:34Z
|
DNA leads to an arrest in 2014 killing of Texas family
HOUSTON (AP) — Authorities say newly tested DNA evidence helped them make an arrest in the killings more than eight years ago of a family, including two boys, who were shot in their suburban Houston home.
Feng Lu, 58, who had long been considered a suspect in the case, was arrested on Sunday by police in San Francisco after his arrival from China, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Lu has been charged with capital murder in the deaths of Maoye Sun and his wife Mei Xie and the couple’s two sons, 7-year-old Titus and 9-year-old Timothy, the sheriff said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Lu was being held Wednesday at a jail in San Mateo County, California, pending extradition to Texas. Court records did not list an attorney for Lu who could speak on his behalf.
The bodies of all four family members were found on Jan. 30, 2014, in their home in the Houston suburb of Cypress. All had been shot in the head. Investigators said Sun was last seen alive leaving work on Jan. 24.
Lu was linked to the killings after new forensic testing done in January on samples that previously were not able to be identified showed that Lu’s DNA was found on a purse that belonged to Xie, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The DNA testing contradicted statements Lu had made previously to investigators in which he had said he did not know Xie or her children and didn’t know where the family lived, according to the affidavit.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killings, but according to the affidavit, Lu had unsuccessfully tried to get Sun’s help with a promotion at work. Both had worked at Cameron International, which provides products and services to oil and gas companies.
Lu “stated he believed that (Sun) made derogatory comments about him to fellow co-workers ... which may have been the reason he did not get the promotion,” according to the affidavit.
Investigators say Lu had bought a handgun a week before the killings and then returned it five days after the killings without the weapon’s barrel. Authorities allege Lu gave inconsistent stories about what happened to the gun’s barrel. Investigators also allege that bullets Lu had bought with the gun had likely been manufactured on the same machine as the bullet that killed one of the boys, Titus.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/dna-leads-an-arrest-2014-killing-texas-family/
| 2022-09-14T20:09:41Z
|
Ex-aide who alleged sexual harassment sues Andrew Cuomo
NEW YORK (AP) — A onetime aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sued him, saying he tried to groom her for a sexual relationship at the start of the pandemic and then later smeared her reputation publicly.
The lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court Wednesday by Charlotte Bennett also named three former aides of Cuomo as defendants.
The lawsuit sought unspecified damages.
It said Bennett was a health policy adviser in the Democratic governor’s administration when a barrage of inappropriate sexual comments by the governor left her experiencing near-debilitating anxiety, symptoms of depression and a neurological disorder.
A lawyer for Cuomo said in a statement that they’ll respond to the lawsuit in court.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/ex-aide-who-alleged-sexual-harassment-sues-andrew-cuomo/
| 2022-09-14T20:09:48Z
|
Police ask for assistance in identifying male connected to burglary
Published: Sep. 14, 2022 at 4:00 PM EDT|Updated: 8 minutes ago
FAYETTE COUNTY, W.Va. (WVVA) - The Fayette County Sheriff’s Dept. is asking for help in identifying a male that is possibly connected to a burglary in the Lookout area.
The burglary occurred sometime between Saturday, September 3rd and Tuesday, September 13th.
If you recognize this man or have any information, please contact the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office at 304-574-4216.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/police-ask-assistance-identifying-male-connected-burglary/
| 2022-09-14T20:09:54Z
|
US government OKs nearly $190M in bids from offshore oil lease sale
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The U.S. government has accepted nearly $190 million in bids from an offshore oil and gas lease sale that was held nearly a year ago but rejected by a federal judge, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Wednesday.
The action met a 30-day deadline set in the climate bill signed Aug. 16. That law also requires the bureau to reschedule three sales that had been put on hold by a moratorium ordered by President Joe Biden, with the first of them to be held by Dec. 31.
“We are pleased that the Department of the Interior has finally offered the first offshore leases of this administration, but it is disappointing that it took 19 months and an act of Congress to get us to this point,” said Cole Ramsey, vice president of upstream policy for the American Petroleum Institute.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said Wednesday that it had accepted 307 valid high bids totaling just under $189.9 million from the November 2021 sale “in compliance with congressional direction.” Companies bid on about 2% of the tracts offered for sale in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Leases resulting from this sale include stipulations to protect biologically sensitive resources, mitigate potential adverse effects on protected species, and avoid potential ocean user conflicts,” the agency said in a news release.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who got the lease sale provisions into the law, said, “Our federal oil and gas leasing programs are critical to American energy security, and these offshore leases will provide the market signals necessary to help ease the pain Americans are feeling from record inflation and high energy prices.”
Miyoko Sakashita, director of the oceans program at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental nonprofit, called the congressional order a huge disappointment.
“Congress just gave the greenlight to a lease sale that was found unlawful. That’s a serious blow to our climate and Gulf ecosystems, which have already suffered so much from oil industry pollution,” she said.
The judge’s order in February said the Biden administration had failed to adequately consider the sale’s effect on planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras in Washington said Interior could decide whether to scrap the sale, undertake a fresh review or take other steps.
The National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore energy companies, said, “Communities along the Gulf Coast and throughout the country rely upon Gulf of Mexico oil and gas development for good-paying jobs, affordable energy supplies, and important funding for local infrastructure needs, coastal restoration and resiliency, and parks and recreation programs.”
The previous lease sale, in November 2020, had brought $120.9 million in high bids on 93 tracts. Seven of those bids, totaling $9.3 million, were rejected as too low.
In a separate action, the Center for Biological Diversity asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday to forbid companies to discharge fracking waste into the ocean.
It said trade secret protections in current rules for permits governing oil industry discharges into the Gulf of Mexico mean EPA “often does not know what chemicals are used.”
As of 2016, it said, EPA had identified nearly 1,100 chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing and more than 500 found in water that comes up with oil and gas. The agency “has little to no information regarding the impacts of many of these chemicals on human and marine environments,” it said.
A proposed new permit for the western Gulf of Mexico “would allow more of the same,” the organization said in public comments about a two-year industry study to assess discharges.
The climate bill’s requirement for offshore lease sales is likely to increase offshore drilling and fracking, the group said.
“With offshore drilling set to surge, the Biden administration needs to stop oil and gas companies from poisoning the Gulf of Mexico with fracking waste,” Kristin Carden, a senior scientist at the Center, said in a news release.
National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito responded, “This is a complete misunderstanding of offshore production processes and does not reflect the actual science and engineering behind how U.S. offshore oil and gas is actually produced. Performance-based limits provide strict controls on the fluids that are discharged and ensure a sound, risk-based approach to protecting the environment.”
___
To follow AP’s coverage of oil and gas, go to https://apnews.com/hub/oil-and-gas-industry.
To follow AP’s environmental coverage, go to https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/us-government-oks-nearly-190m-bids-offshore-oil-lease-sale/
| 2022-09-14T20:10:00Z
|
VIDEO: Divers find prehistoric human skeleton in ancient cave
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A prehistoric human skeleton has been found in a cave system that was flooded at the end of the last ice age 8,000 years ago, according to a cave-diving archaeologist on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
Archaeologist Octavio del Rio said he and fellow diver Peter Broger saw the shattered skull and skeleton partly covered by sediment in a cave near where the Mexican government plans to build a high-speed tourist train through the jungle.
Given the distance from the cave entrance, the skeleton couldn’t have gotten there without modern diving equipment, so it must be over 8,000 years old, Del Rio said, referring to the era when rising sea levels flooded the caves.
“There it is. We don’t know if the body was deposited there or if that was where this person died,” said Del Rio. He said that the skeleton was located about 8 meters (26 feet) underwater, about a half-kilometer (one-third of a mile) into the cave system.
Some of the oldest human remains in North America have been discovered in the sinkhole caves known as “cenotes” on the country’s Caribbean coast, and experts say some of those caves are threatened by the Mexican government’s Maya Train tourism project.
Del Rio, who has worked with the National Institute of Anthropology and History on projects in the past, said he had notified the institute of the discovery. The institute did not immediately respond to questions about whether it intended to explore the site.
But Del Rio said Tuesday that institute archaeologist Carmen Rojas told him that the site was registered and would be investigated by the institute’s Quintana Roo state branch Holocene Archaeology Project.
He stressed that the cave — whose location he did not reveal because of a fear the site could be looted or disturbed — was near where the government has cut down a swath of jungle to lay train tracks and could be collapsed, contaminated or closed off by the building project and subsequent development.
“There is a lot more study that has to be done in order to correctly interpret” the find, Del Rio said, noting that “dating, some kind of photographic studies and some collection” would be needed to determine exactly how old the skeleton is.
Del Rio has been exploring the region for three decades, and in 2002, he participated in the discovery and cataloging of remains known as The Woman of Naharon, who died around the same time, or perhaps earlier, than Naia — the nearly complete skeleton of a young woman who died around 13,000 years ago. It was discovered in a nearby cave system in 2007.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is racing to finish his Maya Train project in the remaining two years of his term over the objections of environmentalists, cave divers and archaeologists. They say his haste will allow little time to study the ancient remains.
Activists say the heavy, high-speed rail project will fragment the coastal jungle and will run often above the fragile limestone caves, which — because they’re flooded, twisty and often incredibly narrow — can take decades to explore.
Caves along part of the coast already have been damaged by construction above them, with cement pilings used to support the weight above.
The 950-mile (1,500-kilometer) Maya Train line is meant to run in a rough loop around the Yucatan Peninsula, connecting beach resorts and archaeological sites.
The most controversial stretch cuts a more than 68-mile (110-kilometer) swath through the jungle between the resorts of Cancun and Tulum.
Del Rio said the route through the jungle should be abandoned and the train should be built over the already-impacted coastal highway between Cancun and Tulum, as was originally planned.
López Obrador abandoned the highway route after hotel owners voiced objections, and cost and traffic interruptions became a concern.
“What we want is for them to change to route at this spot, because of the archaeological finds that have been made there, and their importance,” said Del Rio. “They should take the train away from there and put it where they said they were going to build before, on the highway ... an area that has already been affected, devastated.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/video-divers-find-prehistoric-human-skeleton-ancient-cave/
| 2022-09-14T20:10:12Z
|
Corrections officer arrested for having sex with inmates, sheriff says
ALTURAS, Calif. (Gray News) – Officials in California say a corrections officer has been terminated and arrested for having sexual relationships with inmates.
Melanie Alicia Martin, 34, with the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested on Sept. 10 and booked into the Modoc County Jail on a $20,000 bond.
California law prohibits correctional officers from engaging in sexual activity with inmates as inmates cannot consent to sex if confined in a detention facility.
Modoc County Sheriff Tex Dowdy said in a statement that his office is taking the allegations very seriously. The investigation was completed by an outside agency.
Modoc County is located in the northeast corner of California, bordering Oregon and Nevada.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/corrections-officer-arrested-having-sex-with-inmates-sheriff-says/
| 2022-09-14T20:16:46Z
|
Ex-town official pleads guilty to Capitol riot charge
(AP) – A former Massachusetts town official pleaded guilty on Wednesday to joining a mob in storming the U.S. Capitol after she organized a bus trip to Washington, D.C., for fellow members of a right-wing group called “Super Happy Fun America.”
Before her guilty plea, Suzanne Ianni had argued in February that federal authorities had selectively targeted her for prosecution based on her political beliefs. Prosecutors said her political views played no role in charging her with crimes for her conduct at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. A judge didn’t rule on Ianni’s request to dismiss the case before she pleaded guilty.
Ianni, 60, of Natick, Massachusetts, faces a maximum sentence of six months of imprisonment and five years of probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols is scheduled to sentence her on Dec. 2.
Ianni was an elected member of Natick Town Meeting in a Boston suburb while serving as operation director of Super Happy Fun America, which gained national notoriety for organizing a “Straight Pride Parade” in Boston in 2019.
On its website, Super Happy Fun America calls itself “a right of center civil rights organization focusing on defending the Constitution, opposing gender madness and defeating cultural Marxism.” The group registered as a nonprofit with Massachusetts state regulators.
A Dec. 29, 2020, post on the group’s Twitter account said Super Happy Fun America members would be in Washington “to get wild.” Ianni was listed as the contact for the trip. The account also tweeted a photo of Ianni and other members on a bus traveling to Washington on the eve of the riot.
After marching to the Capitol, she joined a crowd chanting “Fight for Trump!” and “Our house!” while rioters near her broke windows, forced open doors and breached police barricades. Surveillance video captured Ianni marching through the Capitol after she entered the building through a Senate fire-exit door. She raised her fist in the air in front of police officers who stopped her and other members of the mob, prosecutors said in a court filing.
Mark Sahady, another Super Happy Fun America member, was arrested on Capitol riot-related charges that haven’t been resolved.
In April 2021, Natick Town Meeting members voted to condemn the Capitol riot. Ianni, who was elected to a three-year term that was due to expire in March 2022, told the MetroWest Daily News that the vote represented “political persecution of conservatives.”
More than 870 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. Approximately 400 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors, and over 250 have been sentenced.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/ex-town-official-pleads-guilty-capitol-riot-charge/
| 2022-09-14T20:16:53Z
|
Fundraiser for teen who killed her alleged rapist reaches goal of $150,000 in less than 24 hours
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray News) – A community in Iowa raised more than $150,000 in restitution money for a girl who killed a man who allegedly raped her when she was being sex trafficked at 15 years old.
The fundraiser was created for 17-year-old Pieper Lewis by her former teacher, Leland Schipper.
Lewis was sentenced Tuesday after she pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in 2021. After hearing her testimony and studying the evidence in the case, the judge dropped the sentence from 20 years in prison to five years probation, KCRG reported. She was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to the man’s family, which is mandatory under Iowa law and upheld by the state’s Supreme Court.
Officials said Lewis was a runaway who sought to escape an abusive life with her adopted mother. AP reports she was sleeping in the hallways of an apartment building in Des Moines when she was taken in by a 28-year-old man who later trafficked her to other men for sex.
Lewis said one of the men who raped her was 37-year-old Zachary Brooks. She said he had raped her multiple times in the weeks leading up to his death and said she had been forced at knifepoint by the 28-year-old man to go with Brooks to his apartment for sex.
In June 2020, after she said Brooks had raped her again, she grabbed a knife that was on a bedside table and stabbed him 30 times in a fit of rage.
Prosecutors have argued Brooks was asleep at the time he was stabbed and not an immediate danger to Lewis.
A fundraiser on GoFundMe was organized for Lewis by her former teacher, Leland Schipper, after her sentencing. The original goal was set at $150,000, enough to pay off the restitution owed to Brooks’ family.
On the GoFundMe page, Schipper said the goal had been reached, in less than 24 hours. He raised the goal to $200,000.
Schipper said the money raised would be used to pay off the $150,000 owed to Brooks’ family, pay the $4,000 in restitution owed to the state, and the remainder of the money would be used to help Lewis pursue a college education or start her own business. Schipper also said some of the money would go toward helping other victims of sex crimes.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/fundraiser-teen-who-killed-her-alleged-rapist-reaches-goal-150000-less-than-24-hours/
| 2022-09-14T20:16:59Z
|
VIDEO: Divers find prehistoric human skeleton in ancient cave
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A prehistoric human skeleton has been found in a cave system that was flooded at the end of the last ice age 8,000 years ago, according to a cave-diving archaeologist on Mexico’s Caribbean coast.
Archaeologist Octavio del Rio said he and fellow diver Peter Broger saw the shattered skull and skeleton partly covered by sediment in a cave near where the Mexican government plans to build a high-speed tourist train through the jungle.
Given the distance from the cave entrance, the skeleton couldn’t have gotten there without modern diving equipment, so it must be over 8,000 years old, Del Rio said, referring to the era when rising sea levels flooded the caves.
“There it is. We don’t know if the body was deposited there or if that was where this person died,” said Del Rio. He said that the skeleton was located about 8 meters (26 feet) underwater, about a half-kilometer (one-third of a mile) into the cave system.
Some of the oldest human remains in North America have been discovered in the sinkhole caves known as “cenotes” on the country’s Caribbean coast, and experts say some of those caves are threatened by the Mexican government’s Maya Train tourism project.
Del Rio, who has worked with the National Institute of Anthropology and History on projects in the past, said he had notified the institute of the discovery. The institute did not immediately respond to questions about whether it intended to explore the site.
But Del Rio said Tuesday that institute archaeologist Carmen Rojas told him that the site was registered and would be investigated by the institute’s Quintana Roo state branch Holocene Archaeology Project.
He stressed that the cave — whose location he did not reveal because of a fear the site could be looted or disturbed — was near where the government has cut down a swath of jungle to lay train tracks and could be collapsed, contaminated or closed off by the building project and subsequent development.
“There is a lot more study that has to be done in order to correctly interpret” the find, Del Rio said, noting that “dating, some kind of photographic studies and some collection” would be needed to determine exactly how old the skeleton is.
Del Rio has been exploring the region for three decades, and in 2002, he participated in the discovery and cataloging of remains known as The Woman of Naharon, who died around the same time, or perhaps earlier, than Naia — the nearly complete skeleton of a young woman who died around 13,000 years ago. It was discovered in a nearby cave system in 2007.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is racing to finish his Maya Train project in the remaining two years of his term over the objections of environmentalists, cave divers and archaeologists. They say his haste will allow little time to study the ancient remains.
Activists say the heavy, high-speed rail project will fragment the coastal jungle and will run often above the fragile limestone caves, which — because they’re flooded, twisty and often incredibly narrow — can take decades to explore.
Caves along part of the coast already have been damaged by construction above them, with cement pilings used to support the weight above.
The 950-mile (1,500-kilometer) Maya Train line is meant to run in a rough loop around the Yucatan Peninsula, connecting beach resorts and archaeological sites.
The most controversial stretch cuts a more than 68-mile (110-kilometer) swath through the jungle between the resorts of Cancun and Tulum.
Del Rio said the route through the jungle should be abandoned and the train should be built over the already-impacted coastal highway between Cancun and Tulum, as was originally planned.
López Obrador abandoned the highway route after hotel owners voiced objections, and cost and traffic interruptions became a concern.
“What we want is for them to change to route at this spot, because of the archaeological finds that have been made there, and their importance,” said Del Rio. “They should take the train away from there and put it where they said they were going to build before, on the highway ... an area that has already been affected, devastated.”
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/video-divers-find-prehistoric-human-skeleton-ancient-cave/
| 2022-09-14T20:17:05Z
|
Beckley cafe to be featured on America’s Best Restaurants
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - It’s not every day that a local restaurant is placed in the national spotlight.
But this is exactly what is happening to a cafe new to the Beckley area. In the coming weeks, Fruits of Labor Cafe will be hosting a visit from America’s Best Restaurants (ABR), a national company based out of Kentucky that focuses on local and independently-owned establishments.
The feature, which will air on ABR’s social media channels at a later date, will highlight popular dishes at the cafe, as well as, an extensive interview with Tammy Jordan, Fruits of Labor, Inc. President.
But Jordan says it is shining a light on an even more important topic:
“It’s amazing to have been nominated, for them to have gone through that process and said we want to come, and not only do they want to come and share the story of a restaurant, but they want to share this story of recovery.”
Filming will take place at the cafe’s Beckley location on Tuesday, September 27. The cafe will be closed that afternoon.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/beckley-cafe-be-featured-americas-best-restaurants/
| 2022-09-14T20:52:44Z
|
Humane Society of Raleigh County seeks volunteers
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Volunteering at your local animal shelter may not seem like it will make an impact on your community, but the Humane Society of Raleigh County (HSRC) says it can be monumental in increasing an animal’s chance at adoption.
HSRC’s Outreach Coordinator Alexis Johnston, says spending time with a volunteer can make all the difference in an animal’s temperament.
“Having those positive interactions with people...is a huge, huge help- just to help them get more social and come out and say hello when a stranger walks into the room, and that just naturally translates into them having a higher chance of being adopted.”
Volunteers at HSRC are tasked with spending one-on-one time with cats and dogs, but they are also instrumental in helping in other areas.
“They are absolutely necessary to make fundraisers or adoption events possible,” Johnston shared. “Again, just with so much on our plates, staff can’t always leave to help with those events, so volunteers are extremely valuable for fundraising and adoption events too.”
For months, the shelter has been at maximum capacity, and because of this Johnston says increasing adoption is at the center of their agenda. But, she says it has become even more paramount now that the county has voiced its displeasure with animals being turned away.
“With just the way things are right now in the pet care industry on top of tensions with the county, it is even more important to get involved if that’s something that you care about...”
Shelter employees say they have seen multiple shy animals become adopted after spending quality time with a volunteer.
According to HSRC, they require volunteers to be 18 or older, but they say kids can also help out when accompanied by an adult. Learn more under the “get involved” tab at www.hsrcwv.org.
Copyright 2022 WVVA. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.wvva.com/2022/09/14/humane-society-raleigh-county-seeks-volunteers/
| 2022-09-14T20:52:52Z
|
To reach the prompter's box at the home of the San Francisco Opera, Matthew Piatt heads under the stage and walks down a long, narrow passageway.
Then he shimmies up a metal ladder.
"I always have to be careful not to rip my pants," Piatt says, as he hoists himself into a seat and pushes a button to propel himself upward several feet, using a hydraulic lift. From this vantage point, Piatt can view the entire stage through an opening that's about the size of the average suitcase.
Piatt is the prompter for the company's production of Antony and Cleopatra, a new opera adapted from the Shakespeare play by John Adams, who is considered to be one of the world's greatest living composers. Like the play, it's about the star-crossed romance of the Roman general and the Egyptian queen.
The prompter is invisible to the audience, and he may be only one person among the roughly 250-strong cast and crew, but he plays a major role in keeping everything from flying off the rails.
Inside his box, it's bare bones. There's a wooden stand to hold a musical score, monitors to view the conductor, a fan to deal with the heat, a phone to call stage management in case the audio or video feed goes out, and a small electronic keyboard, conveniently Velcroed to the side of the box, to help the prompter give pitches — though Piatt said this is rarely needed, as most people who do this job have perfect pitch.
"We always joke about putting in a wet bar, but we haven't done that yet," he says, with a chuckle.
Piatt will spend the entirety of every performance during the run concealed under a hood in this stuffy little enclosure, located right on the edge of the stage, front and center.
Not all opera productions use prompters. But performers don't wear earpieces, and it can be tough to hear the orchestra properly from the stage; it's likewise challenging to see the conductor under the glaring lights. The prompter helps with cues in difficult moments by speaking, shouting or waving his arms in their direction.
Piatt has been studying Adams's rhythmically and tonally complex score for months in preparation ("Basically, you have to have the score memorized," he says), so that he can help the performers hit all the right notes in all the right places. He also attends every rehearsal, and makes notes about what cues to give in his score, and meets with each cast member individually to develop a prompting strategy tailored specifically for that person.
"When I tell people what I do for a living, most people are not even aware that there's this box," says Piatt. "And if they are aware, they think it conceals lights or something."
A brittle performance — or a sense of comfort?
The operas of John Adams employ massive forces, driving rhythms and vocal lines that mimic human speech patterns. However, the world premiere productions of works like Dr. Atomic and Girls of the Golden West — which both took place under the auspices of San Francisco Opera — didn't use prompters for performances. That's largely because director Peter Sellars, who collaborated with the composer on these productions, says prompters can distract performers from being in the moment.
"With a prompter, you don't get any emotional grounding, you're just desperately trying to save your skin," he says. "And so it creates a rather brittle performance."
Sellars says he'd rather the performers' improvise if they bungle something until they can get back on track.
But Adams says his latest work is especially complex and disorienting for the performers. There are few melodic arias and the scenes are packed with fast-paced, back-and-forth between characters.
"The idea of actually learning all these entrances and bringing them in exactly where they belong is really a treacherous thing," Adams says. "All I care about is that the singers are secure and comfortable."
Prompting in action
Adams originally wrote the role of Cleopatra for someone else (Julia Bullock, who had to pull out of the production around six months ago owing to pregnancy.) So when soprano Amina Edris stepped in, he had to start changing notes during rehearsals to better suit the timbre and range of her voice.
"I'm not gonna lie," says Edris, who had never sung an Adams opera before. "It's a little bit overwhelming to be, like, 'Okay, just after I memorized this part, now I have to reprogram how I think of it again and learn a different version of it.'"
That's why she's grateful for the safety net that is Matthew Piatt.
"Matt is the glue that holds this show together," she says.
In audio captured in the prompter's box during a recent rehearsal, you can hear Piatt cueing Edris as she sings a scene. He sounds loud. But it's directed toward the stage, so the audience doesn't hear the prompter feeding pitches, lines and rhythms to the Queen of Egypt.
Even seasoned performers of Adams' operas are relieved there's a prompter. Baritone Gerald Finley starred in the world premiere production of Adams' Dr. Atomic in 2005. Now he's playing Antony — a Roman general with a tricky death scene. He has to sing while face down on a staircase upstage. From that position, he can't see the conductor or a monitor.
"I can hear [Piatt] counting and giving me literally the beats," Finley says. "I don't know what I would do in fact if Matt wasn't there. Without Matt, I couldn't die."
Taking pride in private thanks
Every now and again, during curtain call, a conductor, director or cast member will lean down to the hood at the edge of the stage and shake the prompter's hand in gratitude for mishaps quietly solved or prevented.
Piatt, who's been doing this job for more than a decade, says he gets the greatest satisfaction from more private acknowledgements of his talents.
"The thing that I take the most pride in is when a singer says, 'I feel really safe when you're at the prompt box,'" he says. "It is my goal so that they can give the best performance possible. After all, that's why people go to the opera."
San Francisco Opera's Antony and Cleopatra runs at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco through Oct. 5, 2022.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.keranews.org/2022-09-14/the-hidden-world-of-an-opera-prompter
| 2022-09-14T20:56:35Z
|
NAIROBI, Kenya — William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's president on Tuesday after narrowly winning the Aug. 9 election in East Africa's most stable democracy, and quickly signaled that his leadership will be a strongly Christian one.
The Supreme Court last week rejected a challenge by losing candidate and longtime opposition figure Raila Odinga of the official results, completing a markedly peaceful election in a country with a history of troubled ones.
The 55-year-old Ruto had been the deputy to outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta but had a bitter split with Kenyatta that left the two not speaking for months at a time. On Tuesday, the audience cheered as the two shook hands, and again as Kenyatta handed over the instruments of power.
Ruto, who had dropped to his knees in tears and prayer when the court upheld his win, knelt on the stage minutes after his swearing-in during an extended sermon. "A chicken seller to a president," intoned the pastor, highlighting Ruto's humble youth.
Ruto's first tweet quoted Psalms: "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." In his speech, he praised both the church and Islamic leadership and vowed that "we will enhance our partnership, build on our collaboration and enhance our support to them."
The event began with some chaos. Scores of people were crushed and injured as they forced their way into the packed stadium. A medic said a fence fell down after people pushed it and about 60 were injured, though the number may rise.
"We had to treat some with minor injuries. Most of them were rushed to the main hospital in Nairobi," medic Peter Muiruri said.
People tried to dodge baton-wielding security forces. Some failed. "I was beaten by the police after trying to get inside," said a witness, Benson Kimutai.
Ruto is taking power in a country heavily burdened by debt that will challenge his efforts to fulfill sweeping campaign promises made to Kenya's poor, whom he has described as getting by on "stubborn hope." In his speech, he acknowledged that "clearly, we are living beyond our means."
He promised cheaper fertilizer as food prices rise and more affordable credit. He also vowed more money for the judiciary, financial independence for the national police from the presidency and efforts to fight a drought in Kenya's north that brings the threat of famine.
Ruto also asked Kenyatta to continue "chairing discussions" on the regional crises in neighboring Ethiopia, where the government is fighting Tigray forces, and in eastern Congo, where tensions exist with Rwanda. Kenyatta has accepted, the new president said.
With the transition, Kenya's presidency moves from one leader indicted by the International Criminal Court to another. Both Kenyatta and Ruto were indicted over their roles in deadly 2007 post-election violence, but the cases were later closed amid allegations of witness intimidation.
The August election was calm in a country with a history of political violence. Chaos erupted only in the final minutes when the electoral commission publicly split and prominent Odinga supporters tried to physically stop the declaration of Ruto as the winner.
Ruto's campaign portrayed him as a "hustler" with a humble background of going barefoot and selling chickens by the roadside, a counterpoint to the political dynasties represented by Kenyatta and Odinga. His presidential flag features a wheelbarrow, the symbol of his campaign.
"A village boy has become the president of Kenya," he said Tuesday.
But Ruto received powerful political mentoring as a young man from former President Daniel arap Moi, who oversaw a one-party state for years before Kenyans successfully pushed for multiparty elections.
Ruto now speaks of democracy and has vowed there will be no retaliation against dissenting voices. "I will work with all Kenyans irrespective of who they voted for," he said in his speech.
But in a warning sign for media, local broadcasters accused by Ruto of bias in the past were restricted in their coverage of the inauguration and forced to use a feed from a South African broadcaster in which Kenya's national broadcaster has a share.
The losing candidate, 77-year-old Odinga, is setting himself up to be a prominent opposition voice once again after being backed by former rival Kenyatta in the election. In a statement on Monday, he said he would skip the inauguration and later would "announce next steps as we seek to deepen and strengthen our democracy."
Though Odinga also asserted that "the outcome of the election remains indeterminate," a spokesperson told The Associated Press it was "highly unlikely" he would seek to declare himself the "people's president" as he did after losing the 2017 election.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-13/william-ruto-sworn-in-as-kenyas-president-touts-his-chicken-seller-roots
| 2022-09-14T20:56:35Z
|
The school is located within the city limits of Dallas. Plano ISD will cover the financial costs of the school resource officers.
Large school districts like Dallas ISD have their own police forces. But city council member Cara Mendelsohn said smaller school districts like Plano and Richardson ISD don't have the resources for that.
“I think as a city, we have to recognize that we implement different resources for different areas based on what they're capable of doing and what the needs are,” she said.
The Dallas Police Department also provides officers for Richardson ISD schools that are in Dallas. Richardson ISD pays for 8out of the 10 officers at its campuses. That contract ends in 2024.
Police chief Eddie Garcia said that school safety is a priority, which is why his department is providing schools with resource officers even though Dallas police is having staffing and retention issues.
“As police chief, I can't throw my hands in the air and say, 'I can't help you keep your students safe,'” Garcia said.
Got a tip? Email Caroline Love at clove@kera.org.
Caroline Love is a Report For America corps member for KERA News.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
|
https://www.keranews.org/news/2022-09-14/dallas-police-officers-working-at-a-plano-isd-school-heres-why-thats-happening
| 2022-09-14T20:56:42Z
|
NEW YORK — A onetime aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sued him Wednesday, saying he sexually harassed her and then smeared her reputation after she became the second woman to publicly accuse him of misconduct.
Charlotte Bennett's lawsuit, filed in a federal court in New York City, repeats many of the allegations she has talked about publicly in the year and a half since she first began telling her story.
She said the governor subjected her to unwanted advances, including telling her he was "lonely" and on the hunt for a girlfriend and asking her if she would be open to sex with an older man.
The lawsuit is at least the second to be filed by one of the multiple women who accused Cuomo of sexual harassment before the scandal led to his resignation last summer. Bennett has also sued three Cuomo aides.
The suit seeks unspecified damages, saying Bennett experienced near-debilitating anxiety, symptoms of depression and a neurological disorder after a barrage of inappropriate comments by the governor spoiled her job as a health policy adviser in the governor's administration.
In a statement, Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin said Cuomo "has always said he didn't harass anyone and with each day that goes by more and more information is uncovered showing how evidence favorable to the Governor was suppressed and crucial facts ignored or omitted that undermined witness credibility."
"We'll see them in court," she added.
Cuomo resigned after New York's attorney general released the results of an investigation that concluded Cuomo had sexually harassed at least 11 women, including Bennett.
Those women had told of being subjected to unwanted kisses and touches, or inappropriate comments about their looks and their sex lives. One aide filed a criminal complaint alleging that Cuomo had groped her breast. The charge was later dropped by the Albany district attorney, who cited a lack of proof. Cuomo denied the allegation.
Bennett played a critical role in Cuomo's downfall. At the time she came forward with her accusations, only one other woman, Lindsey Boylan, had spoken publicly about being harassed by the governor.
By adding her voice, Bennett emboldened other women to speak up.
"I was really scared to come forward," Bennett later told The Associated Press. "But something that reassured me even in that moment of fear was that there were women before me ... (it wasn't) Charlotte versus the governor, but a movement, moving forward. And I am one small event and one small piece of reckoning with sexual misconduct, in workplaces and elsewhere."
When Bennett initially told her story to The New York Times, Cuomo appeared to acknowledge that he had hurt her with comments inappropriate for a workplace, but denied that he was making sexual advances. He claimed Bennett had misinterpreted his comments.
Bennett, who turned 25 when she worked for Cuomo, said she had no doubt that Cuomo's comments — some of which were delivered in a whisper — were intended to probe her interest in a sexual relationship.
Bennett's lawsuit came a day after Cuomo filed an ethics complaint against New York Attorney General Letitia James, claiming the sexual harassment investigation she launched against the governor was biased and intended to drive him from office.
In February, Cuomo was sued by a New York State Police trooper who said Cuomo subjected her to sexual remarks and on occasion ran his hand or fingers across her stomach and her back.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-14/a-former-aide-who-alleged-sexual-harassment-sues-ex-gov-andrew-cuomo
| 2022-09-14T20:56:42Z
|
The joint judiciary committee discussed a bill that would prohibit aircrafts like drones to fly over or near prisons. This would include pictures or footage obtained without intent to commit another crime; like if you flew a drone close to a correctional facility by mistake.
Dan Shannon, director of the state Department of Corrections, said he automatically assumes that these aircraft are being used for surveillance or to deliver contraband.
“The issue is the introduction of contraband, as well as live surveillance that jeopardizes the safety of those inmates,” he said.
He said there's no way to know if a drone is being used for illicit activities or by a news station in the public interest.
Teton County Representative Mike Yin offered an amendment that would require correction institutions to make a policy to vet media outlets, especially in times of emergency. But it was not approved.
That’s because, if passed, the Department of Corrections could make their own policies on how to vet media outlets interested in flying drones in penal airspace.
The judiciary committee chair Tara Nethercott said there needs to be a balance between what the Department of Corrections says it needs to keep inmates safe and the rights of the media to act in the public interest.
“The fourth arm of government is the media to make sure the public is aware of what's going on in our penal institutions as well as the safety and security of those penal institutions themselves. I do think that the bill strives to address all those concerns and balance them carefully, ” she said.
Albany County Representative Karlee Provenza asked the bill to be discussed in an upcoming meeting to address questions about the rights of free speech but the draft of the bill passed without amendments.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-14/bill-looks-to-prohibit-drones-flying-near-state-penal-facilities
| 2022-09-14T20:56:48Z
|
California sued Amazon on Wednesday, accusing the company of pushing sellers and suppliers into anticompetitive deals that lead to higher prices, including at rival online stores.
The lawsuit, filed by state Attorney General Rob Bonta, focuses on the way Amazon — the largest online retailer — deals with third-party merchants, who account for most of the sales on the platform.
California alleges that Amazon penalizes sellers and suppliers that offer cheaper prices elsewhere on the internet, including Walmart and Target, for example by displaying their items lower or less prominently or outright blocking their new postings.
"Amazon makes consumers think they are getting the lowest prices possible," the lawsuit alleges, "when in fact, they cannot get the low prices that would prevail in a freely competitive market because Amazon has coerced and induced its third-party sellers and wholesale suppliers to enter into anticompetitive agreements on price."
California's antitrust lawsuit is among the biggest legal challenges to Amazon in recent years, as lawmakers and regulators in the U.S. and abroad have investigated the retail giant for potential anticompetitive practices.
Amazon has denied any antitrust violations. Its representatives did not immediately comment on Tuesday's lawsuit.
California also accuses Amazon of creating a "vicious anticompetitive cycle": Sellers view Amazon as a must; Amazon charges them higher fees to be able to sell on its platform; Sellers, in turn, raise their Amazon prices. And, even though it costs them less to sell on other websites, Amazon's policies push sellers to raise prices on those sites, too.
"Through its illegal actions, the, quote, "everything store" has effectively set a price floor, costing Californians more for just about everything," Bonta said at a press conference on Wednesday.
Earlier this year, a judge dismissed a similar lawsuit that was filed in Washington, D.C., though the city's attorney general has appealed.
In that case, Amazon argued its deals with merchants were meant to prevent shoppers from being overcharged, and punishing Amazon would hurt consumers.
Amazon has separately proposed a settlement with European antitrust regulators, who charged the company with violating competition laws. Their key allegations accused the company of using data it collected from third-party sellers to its own benefit.
Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's recent financial supporters.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-14/california-sues-amazon-alleging-its-policies-cause-higher-prices-everywhere
| 2022-09-14T20:56:54Z
|
Updated September 14, 2022 at 4:02 PM ET
Federal officials are examining whether the employee who reported an explosion at Northeastern University may have lied to investigators and staged the incident, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.
Investigators identified inconsistencies in the employee's statement and became skeptical because his injuries did not match wounds typically consistent with an explosion, said one official.
The officials could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The Northeastern staff member said late Tuesday the hard plastic case exploded on the campus in Boston, causing minor injuries, according to authorities.
The case contained a rambling note that railed against virtual reality and also referenced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, a law enforcement official said. No explosive materials were found and they do not believe the package was sent through the U.S. Postal Service, the official said.
The official described the case as a "Pelican-style" case. Pelican is a company that makes hard cases designed to protect sensitive equipment.
A spokesperson for the FBI office in Boston declined to comment Wednesday, saying the investigation is "still very active and fluid."
Northeastern in a message posted on its website Wednesday said the campus is safe.
"Events such as the incident that took place on our Boston campus last night can create or heighten anxiety for many of us," said the post, credited to Provost David Madigan and Chancellor Kenneth Henderson. "We would like to underscore what was communicated to our community last night: Multiple law enforcement agencies have determined that the campus is safe and secure."
The campus opened normally for classes and other activities Wednesday. Counseling and other support services were made available for students, faculty and staff.
The package delivered to Holmes Hall detonated just after 7 p.m. Tuesday when a staff member opened it, the university had said in a statement. The staff member, a 45-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries to his hand, police said. No name was made public.
Boston's bomb squad neutralized a second package near the city's Museum of Fine Arts, which is near Northeastern's campus.
Holmes Hall is home to the university's Immersive Media Labs, which according to its website includes technologies for design, development, and exploration of virtual worlds. It is also home to the creative writing program and the women's, gender and sexuality studies program.
Northeastern is a private university in downtown Boston with about 16,000 undergraduate students.
The case marks one of the first big scares in Boston since 2013, when two bombs planted near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three spectators and wounded more than 260 others.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-14/the-explosion-at-northeastern-university-may-have-been-staged-officials-say
| 2022-09-14T20:57:01Z
|
To reach the prompter's box at the home of the San Francisco Opera, Matthew Piatt heads under the stage and walks down a long, narrow passageway.
Then he shimmies up a metal ladder.
"I always have to be careful not to rip my pants," Piatt says, as he hoists himself into a seat and pushes a button to propel himself upward several feet, using a hydraulic lift. From this vantage point, Piatt can view the entire stage through an opening that's about the size of the average suitcase.
Piatt is the prompter for the company's production of Antony and Cleopatra, a new opera adapted from the Shakespeare play by John Adams, who is considered to be one of the world's greatest living composers. Like the play, it's about the star-crossed romance of the Roman general and the Egyptian queen.
The prompter is invisible to the audience, and he may be only one person among the roughly 250-strong cast and crew, but he plays a major role in keeping everything from flying off the rails.
Inside his box, it's bare bones. There's a wooden stand to hold a musical score, monitors to view the conductor, a fan to deal with the heat, a phone to call stage management in case the audio or video feed goes out, and a small electronic keyboard, conveniently Velcroed to the side of the box, to help the prompter give pitches — though Piatt said this is rarely needed, as most people who do this job have perfect pitch.
"We always joke about putting in a wet bar, but we haven't done that yet," he says, with a chuckle.
Piatt will spend the entirety of every performance during the run concealed under a hood in this stuffy little enclosure, located right on the edge of the stage, front and center.
Not all opera productions use prompters. But performers don't wear earpieces, and it can be tough to hear the orchestra properly from the stage; it's likewise challenging to see the conductor under the glaring lights. The prompter helps with cues in difficult moments by speaking, shouting or waving his arms in their direction.
Piatt has been studying Adams's rhythmically and tonally complex score for months in preparation ("Basically, you have to have the score memorized," he says), so that he can help the performers hit all the right notes in all the right places. He also attends every rehearsal, and makes notes about what cues to give in his score, and meets with each cast member individually to develop a prompting strategy tailored specifically for that person.
"When I tell people what I do for a living, most people are not even aware that there's this box," says Piatt. "And if they are aware, they think it conceals lights or something."
A brittle performance — or a sense of comfort?
The operas of John Adams employ massive forces, driving rhythms and vocal lines that mimic human speech patterns. However, the world premiere productions of works like Dr. Atomic and Girls of the Golden West — which both took place under the auspices of San Francisco Opera — didn't use prompters for performances. That's largely because director Peter Sellars, who collaborated with the composer on these productions, says prompters can distract performers from being in the moment.
"With a prompter, you don't get any emotional grounding, you're just desperately trying to save your skin," he says. "And so it creates a rather brittle performance."
Sellars says he'd rather the performers' improvise if they bungle something until they can get back on track.
But Adams says his latest work is especially complex and disorienting for the performers. There are few melodic arias and the scenes are packed with fast-paced, back-and-forth between characters.
"The idea of actually learning all these entrances and bringing them in exactly where they belong is really a treacherous thing," Adams says. "All I care about is that the singers are secure and comfortable."
Prompting in action
Adams originally wrote the role of Cleopatra for someone else (Julia Bullock, who had to pull out of the production around six months ago owing to pregnancy.) So when soprano Amina Edris stepped in, he had to start changing notes during rehearsals to better suit the timbre and range of her voice.
"I'm not gonna lie," says Edris, who had never sung an Adams opera before. "It's a little bit overwhelming to be, like, 'Okay, just after I memorized this part, now I have to reprogram how I think of it again and learn a different version of it.'"
That's why she's grateful for the safety net that is Matthew Piatt.
"Matt is the glue that holds this show together," she says.
In audio captured in the prompter's box during a recent rehearsal, you can hear Piatt cueing Edris as she sings a scene. He sounds loud. But it's directed toward the stage, so the audience doesn't hear the prompter feeding pitches, lines and rhythms to the Queen of Egypt.
Even seasoned performers of Adams' operas are relieved there's a prompter. Baritone Gerald Finley starred in the world premiere production of Adams' Dr. Atomic in 2005. Now he's playing Antony — a Roman general with a tricky death scene. He has to sing while face down on a staircase upstage. From that position, he can't see the conductor or a monitor.
"I can hear [Piatt] counting and giving me literally the beats," Finley says. "I don't know what I would do in fact if Matt wasn't there. Without Matt, I couldn't die."
Taking pride in private thanks
Every now and again, during curtain call, a conductor, director or cast member will lean down to the hood at the edge of the stage and shake the prompter's hand in gratitude for mishaps quietly solved or prevented.
Piatt, who's been doing this job for more than a decade, says he gets the greatest satisfaction from more private acknowledgements of his talents.
"The thing that I take the most pride in is when a singer says, 'I feel really safe when you're at the prompt box,'" he says. "It is my goal so that they can give the best performance possible. After all, that's why people go to the opera."
San Francisco Opera's Antony and Cleopatra runs at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco through Oct. 5, 2022.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-14/the-hidden-world-of-an-opera-prompter
| 2022-09-14T20:57:07Z
|
Experts warn about scams targeting public housing seekers
Section 8 assists with housing for low-income families, elderly, disabled
InvestigateTV - The Federal Trade Commission is warning renters against scams involving Section 8, a housing choice voucher program that assists low-income families, the elderly, and the disabled.
Signa Brooks, one of millions of Americans living in public housing, had been struggling to find new housing when she came across a listing for a beautiful property on a website with Section 8 listings.
Brooks left a message for the lister, who asked for an application fee and to communicate via personal email instead of the site. When the lister asked for the fee to be paid via a cash app, Brooks knew it was a scam.
The FTC says this scam has been popping up across the country, stealing not only money but also people’s personal information.
Diane Shelley, the Midwest Regional Director for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said HUD would never ask for an application fee; it’s actually against the law.
Shelley urged people to pay attention to the websites you use to look for public housing. A good way to vet websites is to check for a “.gov” at the end of a url. Most government agencies use this top-level domain.
The website Brooks used, AffordableHousing.com, has a scam alert section on their site.
Richard Cupelli, the Founder and CEO, AffordableHousing.com, took Brook’s experience seriously. He said the site will add trusted owner badging and membership dates to the site so people can see if an owner is legitimate. He also had several tips for people looking for affordable housing.
- Do NOT send any money until you have a signed contract.
- Do NOT pay any money if you have not seen the property with the landlord that owns the property.
- Review the listing on other websites to ensure this is a valid property. It is a red flag when the terms and contact information differ.
- If the owner does not want to meet face to face this is usually a red flag and should be questioned.
- Send no money up front to “hold” the property.• If there is not a first/last/security deposit requested.
- If there is a lock box on the rental – scammers target vacant properties.
- If the owner is too pushy to get your money.• Ask if they are the owner and get their full name and then check it against Public Records to verify they are the owner of record.
- Favorite the landlord on AffordableHousing.com to view all rentals listed by that landlord. It is a red flag if the owner’s rentals are in different states and all newly listed.
- It’s a red flag if the landlord would rather text than talk.
- Record any suspicious activity and report it back to AffordableHousing.com so we can verify the listing and report it to the authorities.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/experts-warn-about-scams-targeting-public-housing-seekers/
| 2022-09-14T21:00:17Z
|
Money approved for states to build car-charging network
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Biden administration said Wednesday it has approved ambitious plans by 34 states and Puerto Rico to create a national electric vehicle charging network as the U.S. begins in earnest its transition away from gas-powered transportation.
The plans’ approval means $900 million can begin to flow to the states, which are tasked with using money from President Joe Biden’s huge infrastructure law to form the network of chargers across the nation. Building out a reliable and convenient network is critical to spur more adoption of the technology, which is itself key to reducing greenhouse emissions that cause global warming.
The announcement came on the same day that Biden toured the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to tout the new law that includes tax incentives to purchase electric vehicles.
In practical terms, it means residents in some of those states could see charging stations start popping up along major travel corridors as early as next spring. Biden has a goal of ultimately installing 500,000 chargers across America and building a network of fast-charging stations across 53,000 miles of freeways from coast to coast.
“Unlocking this type of funding is an enormous step in getting the charging network out, which is something we absolutely need if we’re going to get full-scale deployment and adoption” of electric vehicles, said Nico Larco, director of Urbanism Next Center at the University of Oregon. “We don’t have the capacity now to power anywhere near the fleet that we need.”
Federal officials said they will continue to review the plans not approved in this round with the goal of approving all the states’ EV roadmaps by Sept. 30.
Biden’s infrastructure law provides $5 billion over five years for the electric vehicle charging network.
The funding announced Wednesday is specifically for installing the most powerful chargers along “alternative fuel corridors” — major freeways that connect states — with the goal of eliminating the “range anxiety” that keeps many people from purchasing electric vehicles or using them on long road trips. Under proposed guidelines, states would be required to install at least one four-port fast-charging station every 50 miles on these corridors and ensure they are within one mile of an off-ramp.
Some states received exemptions in rural areas for the 50-mile requirement, according to the approval letters.
An additional $2.5 billion in discretionary grants is also available to fund electric vehicle charging infrastructure in economically disadvantaged communities, rural areas and urban cores. And Biden’s recently passed Inflation Reduction Act includes $3 billion to spur electric vehicle adoption and charging accessibility in disadvantaged communities.
Some rural states have raised serious concerns about the proposed federal requirements that accompany the money, including the every 50-mile requirement.
State transportation officials in Wyoming joined with their counterparts in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota last month to urge the Biden administration to ease the qualification requirements.
The proposal to install a minimum of a four-port charging station, for example, would needlessly drive up costs in areas with few people and so far little demand for chargers, according to Wyoming Department of Transportation Director K. Luke Reiner.
EVs account for 0.1% of vehicle registrations in Wyoming and it would be “irresponsible and illogical” for rural sates to spend now on a four port requirement, Reiner wrote in an August letter to the U.S. Transportation Department.
“It would take more than two decades before a significant enough increase in statewide EV adoption would result in long queues of EVs waiting for charging at four-port stations,” he wrote.
Wyoming’s plan is still pending, while Montana’s plan was among the 35 approved.
The Federal Highway Administration will review those concerns and determine the final guidelines now that the public comment period has closed. Federal officials are also considering a waiver of the “Buy America” provision of the infrastructure deal.
Officials in Nevada, for example, have expressed concern that they would not be able to acquire charging stations that meet the American-made provisions and thus would be unable to start building out their piece of the network.
Experts who have followed the evolution of electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. say having charging stations everywhere is important.
“It’s like the U.S. Postal Service. You need to be able to send mail everywhere, including places that are rural,” said Jeremy Michalek, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and director of the university’s Vehicle Electrification Group.
“Even if that charger that’s in that rural area isn’t used as much every day, we still need the infrastructure to supply them.. We have gas stations that are used less in rural areas than they would be in a big city, but we need them for the demand.”
Electric vehicle owners hailed the news and said they currently must take extra steps and precautions if they want to take their EVs on a long trip.
Bob Palrud of Spokane, Washington, says the small number of chargers in some rural areas of the West means he must carefully plot his travel routes to avoid running out of power. Palrud journeys three times yearly with his wife, Judy, to their cabin in Sheridan, Wyoming, and twice they’ve gotten so low on electricity coming through southeastern Montana that his vehicle automatically shut down some functions to conserve power.
“The thing people worry most about is range,” said Palrud, a semi-retired house painter who was at a charging center just off Interstate-90 in Montana on Wednesday on his way back to Spokane. “I sit there and do mental calculations on what kind of range I’m going to get.”
When he travels to see family in Minnesota, Palrud said he goes hundreds of miles out of his way to avoid northern Montana, where there is no major interstate and charging options are few.
“It would be better to have more but it’s not a deal killer,” he said. “I could chop a couple hundred miles off and that would be great.”
_____
Brown reported from Billings, Montana.
____
Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/money-approved-states-build-car-charging-network/
| 2022-09-14T21:00:24Z
|
‘Serial’ case: Prosecutors move to vacate Syed’s conviction
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Baltimore prosecutors asked a judge on Wednesday to vacate Adnan Syed’s conviction for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee — a case that was chronicled in the hit podcast “Serial.”
Baltimore’s state’s attorney filed a motion in circuit court, saying a lengthy investigation conducted with the defense had uncovered new evidence that could undermine the conviction of Syed, Lee’s ex-boyfriend.
“The motion filed today supports a new trial for Syed based on a nearly year-long investigation that revealed undisclosed and newly-developed information regarding two alternative suspects, as well as unreliable cell phone tower data,” State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s office said in a news release.
Syed, 42, has maintained his innocence for decades and captured the attention of millions in 2014 when the debut season of the “Serial” podcast focused on the case and raised doubts about some of the evidence, including cellphone tower data.
Prosecutors on Wednesday said they weren’t asserting that Syed is innocent, but they lacked confidence “in the integrity of the conviction” and recommended he be released on his own recognizance or bail.
“We believe that keeping Mr. Syed detained as we continue to investigate the case with everything that we know now, when we do not have confidence in results of the first trial, would be unjust,” Mosby added.
The state’s attorney’s office said if the court grants its motion it would effectively put Syed in a new trial status, and his convictions would be vacated, but the case would remain active.
“Whether the State ultimately continues with a trial in this matter or dismisses the charges will depend on the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” the state’s attorney’s office said.
Prosecutors said a reinvestigation of the case revealed evidence regarding the possible involvement of two alternative suspects other than Syed. The two suspects may be involved individually or may be involved together, the state’s attorney’s office said. One suspect had threatened Lee, saying “he would make her
Now, prosecutors say, the approximately year-long probe revealed two alternative suspects who were known to the authorities 23 years ago but not disclosed to Syed’s defense. Neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys will reveal the suspects’ identities because the investigation is ongoing, according to the motion.
One of the suspects had threatened Lee, saying “he would make her (Ms. Lee) disappear. He would kill her,” according to the filing.
“Given the stunning lack of reliable evidence implicating Mr. Syed, coupled with increasing evidence pointing to other suspects, this unjust conviction cannot stand,” said Assistant Public Defender Erica Suter, Mr. Syed’s attorney and, Director of the Innocence Project Clinic. “Mr. Syed is grateful that this information has finally seen the light of day and looks forward to his day in court.”
The suspects were known persons at the time of the original investigation and were not properly ruled out nor disclosed to the defense, prosecutors said.
The investigation also found a separate document from the original trial file, in which a different person relayed information that can be viewed as a motive for that same suspect to harm the victim, prosecutors said. The information about the threat and motives to harm could have provided a basis for the defense and was not disclosed to the trial nor the post-conviction defense counsel, the state’s attorney’s office said.
Prosecutors also said new information revealed that one of the suspects was convicted of attacking a woman in her vehicle, and that one of the suspects was convicted of engaging in serial rape and sexual assault.
The state’s attorney’s office declined to release information about the suspects, due to the ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors also noted unreliable cellphone data used during Syed’s court case to corroborate his whereabouts on the day of the crime. The notice on the records specifically advised that the billing locations for incoming calls “would not be considered reliable information for location.”
“Evidence proved that the State should not have relied on the incoming call evidence,” the state’s attorney’s office said.
Syed has served more than 20 years in prison for the strangling of Lee, who was 18 at the time. Her body was found weeks later buried in a Baltimore park.
More than a decade later, the popular “Serial” podcast revealed little-known evidence and attracted millions of listeners, shattering podcast-streaming and downloading records.
In 2016, a lower court ordered a retrial for Syed on grounds that his attorney, Cristina Gutierrez, who died in 2004, didn’t contact an alibi witness and provided ineffective counsel.
But after a series of appeals, Maryland’s highest court in 2019 denied a new trial in a 4-3 opinion. The Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that Syed’s legal counsel was deficient in failing to investigate an alibi witness, but it disagreed that the deficiency prejudiced the case. The court said Syed waived his ineffective counsel claim.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review Syed’s case in 2019.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
|
https://www.whsv.com/2022/09/14/serial-case-prosecutors-move-vacate-syeds-conviction/
| 2022-09-14T21:00:31Z
|
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) ("AGNC" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock for September 2022. The dividend is payable on October 12, 2022 to common stockholders of record as of September 30, 2022.
For further information or questions, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com.
ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP.
AGNC Investment Corp. is an internally-managed real estate investment trust that invests primarily in residential mortgage-backed securities for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise or a U.S. Government agency. For further information, please refer to www.AGNC.com.
CONTACT:
Investor Relations - (301) 968-9300
View original content:
SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/agnc-investment-corp-declares-monthly-common-stock-dividend-012-per-common-share-september-2022/
| 2022-09-14T21:00:37Z
|
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AGNC Investment Corp. (Nasdaq: AGNC) ("AGNC" or the "Company") announced today that its Board of Directors has declared cash dividends for the third quarter 2022 on its 7.00% Series C Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "Series C Preferred Stock") underlying its outstanding depositary shares (Nasdaq: AGNCN), 6.875% Series D Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "Series D Preferred Stock") underlying its outstanding depositary shares (Nasdaq: AGNCM), 6.50% Series E Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "Series E Preferred Stock") underlying its outstanding depositary shares (Nasdaq: AGNCO) and 6.125% Series F Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (the "Series F Preferred Stock") underlying its outstanding depositary shares (Nasdaq: AGNCP).
(1) Each depositary share represents a 1/1,000th interest in a share of the Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock, Series E Preferred Stock and Series F Preferred Stock, as applicable.
(2) The Series C Preferred Stock will accrue dividends from and including the original issue date to (but excluding) October 15, 2022 at a fixed rate of 7.00% per annum and, from and including October 15, 2022, at a floating rate equal to Three-Month LIBOR plus a spread of 5.111% per annum.
(3) The Series D Preferred Stock will accrue dividends from and including the original issue date to (but excluding) April 15, 2024 at a fixed rate of 6.875% per annum and, from and including April 15, 2024, at a floating rate equal to Three-Month LIBOR plus a spread of 4.332% per annum.
(4) The Series E Preferred Stock will accrue dividends from and including the original issue date to (but excluding) October 15, 2024 at a fixed rate of 6.50% per annum and, from and including October 15, 2024, at a floating rate equal to Three-Month LIBOR plus a spread of 4.993% per annum.
(5) The Series F Preferred Stock will accrue dividends from and including the original issue date to (but excluding) April 15, 2025 at a fixed rate of 6.125% per annum and, from and including April 15, 2025, at a floating rate equal to Three-Month LIBOR plus a spread of 4.697% per annum.
For further information or questions, please contact Investor Relations at (301) 968-9300 or IR@AGNC.com.
ABOUT AGNC INVESTMENT CORP.
AGNC Investment Corp. is an internally-managed real estate investment trust that invests primarily in residential mortgage-backed securities for which the principal and interest payments are guaranteed by a U.S. Government-sponsored enterprise or a U.S. Government agency. For further information, please refer to www.AGNC.com.
CONTACT:
Investor Relations - (301) 968-9300
View original content:
SOURCE AGNC Investment Corp.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/agnc-investment-corp-declares-third-quarter-dividends-preferred-stock/
| 2022-09-14T21:00:45Z
|
FREMONT, Calif. and WESTBURY, N.Y., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Amprius Technologies, Inc. ("Amprius"), the leader in lithium-ion batteries with its Silicon Nanowire Anode Platform, today announced that it has completed its business combination with Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV ("Kensington") (NYSE: KCAC.U), a special purpose acquisition company. The Business Combination was approved by Kensington shareholders in a special meeting held on September 13, 2022, and formally closed today. On September 15, 2022, Amprius' common stock will begin trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "AMPX" and Amprius' public warrants will trade under the ticker symbol "AMPX.W."
Amprius Technologies, Inc. has developed and, since 2018, been in commercial production of an ultra-high energy density lithium-ion battery for mobility applications, leveraging a disruptive silicon nanowire anode. Amprius' silicon nanowire anode technology enables batteries with a higher energy density, higher power density, and extreme fast charging capabilities over a wide range of operating temperatures, resulting in its batteries providing superior performance compared to conventional graphite lithium-ion batteries. Amprius' batteries are uniquely positioned to address existing and emerging aviation applications, including unmanned aerial systems, such as drones and high-altitude pseudo satellites as well as broad applications in electric transportation. Amprius has several customers who are successfully using Amprius batteries today in aviation and defense applications.
"Entering the public markets is an important milestone for Amprius, one we have been diligently working towards since our founding," said Dr. Kang Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Amprius. "This transaction provides Amprius with capital to use in scaling production capabilities to meet the significant demand for our transformational silicon nanowire anode technology. We are thankful for the Kensington team's support in reaching this important milestone and look forward to further advancing our mission of enabling the future of electric mobility."
Justin Mirro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kensington, added: "We are excited to complete our business combination with Amprius, which enhances their business plan and will accelerate the adoption of electric mobility in the sky and on the ground. Through the leadership of Kang Sun, Amprius has created a world-class team that is producing and selling next-generation batteries today."
Dieter Zetsche, Vice Chairman and President of Kensington, further added, "Amprius batteries are truly revolutionary and will change the way people and products will move in the future."
The transaction will result in gross proceeds of approximately $87 million to Amprius. Funds from the transaction are expected to support the company through the construction of its gigawatt hour-scale manufacturing facility.
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP served as legal advisor and Marcum served as auditor to Kensington. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. served as financial advisor, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati served as legal advisor, and SingerLewak served as auditor to Amprius.
About Amprius Technologies, Inc.
Amprius Technologies, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of high-energy and high-power lithium-ion batteries producing the industry's highest energy density cells. The company's corporate headquarters is in Fremont, California where it maintains an R&D lab and a pilot manufacturing facility for the fabrication of silicon nanowire anodes and cells.
For additional information, please visit amprius.com.
About Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV
Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV (NYSE: KCAC.U) is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, stock purchase or similar business combination with a business in the automotive and automotive-related sector. Kensington's management team of Justin Mirro, Dieter Zetsche, Bob Remenar, Simon Boag and Dan Huber is supported by a board of independent directors including Tom LaSorda, Nicole Nason, Anders Pettersson, Mitch Quain, Don Runkle, and Matt Simoncini.
Kensington's units, subunits and warrants are currently trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols "KCAC.U," "KCA.U," and "KCAC.WS," respectively. Each "KCAC.U" unit contains one subunit and one warrant. Each "KCA.U" subunit contains one share of Kensington common stock and one warrant. A holder of the subunit will only be able to retain the one warrant underlying the subunit if the holder elects not to redeem the subunit in connection with the Business Combination. The subunits will not separate into shares of common stock and warrants until the consummation of the Business Combination.
For additional information, please visit autospac.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, each as amended, including Amprius Technologies, Inc.'s (formerly known as Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV "Amprius") management team's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek" or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Amprius' securities trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Amprius' expected product offerings, the addressable market for Amprius' products, and Amprius' ability to produce its products at a commercial level. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of Amprius' management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied upon by any investors as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond Amprius' control. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; risks related to the rollout of Amprius' business and the timing of expected business milestones; the effects of competition on Amprius' business; supply shortages in the materials necessary for the production of Amprius' products; the termination of government clean energy and electric vehicle incentives or the reduction in government spending on vehicles powered by battery technology; and delays in construction and operation of production facilities. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact the operations and projections discussed herein can be found in the "Risk Factors" section of Amprius' proxy statement/prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Kensington's name (the "SEC") on September 1, 2022, and other documents filed by Amprius from time to time with the SEC, all of which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that Amprius does not presently know or that Amprius currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect Amprius' expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Amprius' assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Amprius specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Contacts:
For Amprius Technologies
Investors
Cody Slach and Sophie Pearson
Gateway
949-574-3860
IR@amprius.com
Media
Zach Kadletz
Gateway
949-574-3860
IR@amprius.com
For Kensington
Dan Huber
Chief Financial Officer
703-674-6514
dan@kensington-cap.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. IV
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/amprius-technologies-inc-merges-with-kensington-capital-acquisition-corp-iv-power-future-electric-mobility/
| 2022-09-14T21:00:51Z
|
SCRANTON, Pa., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Andreozzi + Foote has filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of a former client of attorney Corey Kolcharno, a former Lackawanna County assistant district attorney, and his law firm, Fanucci & Kolcharno. Recently, Mr. Kolcharno was arrested for sexual exploitation of his clients while representing them, their significant others, or family members. According to reports, Kolcharno would demand sexual services from female clients in exchange for payment. Andreozzi + Foote's lawsuit alleges Kolcharno withheld legal services from Andreozzi + Foote's client to pressure her to engage in unwanted sexual contact. The authorities have accused Kolcharno of similar conduct with three women in addition to Andreozzi + Foote's client.
Kolcharno's criminal charges remain pending. However, Kolcharno's criminal defense attorney stated publicly that Kolcharno will "take responsibility" for his unlawful conduct towards these women. Unfortunately, people in positions of power and trust, like attorneys, take advantage of those less fortunate. It is important that victims receive justice, and that those who are responsible for such abuse are held accountable. Andreozzi + Foote's lawsuit seeks to hold Kolcharno liable for his behavior.
Andreozzi + Foote is one of the nation's leading firms representing survivors of sexual abuse against powerful institutions. Andreozzi + Foote has handled many cases against schools, youth serving organizations, churches, and other institutions for abuse on their watch. If you or a loved one was the victim of sexual abuse or exploitation, please reach out to us for a free consultation at (877) 214-3238.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Andreozzi + Foote
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/andreozzi-foote-files-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-against-former-lackawanna-county-assistant-district-attorney-corey-kolcharno-law-firm-fanucci-amp-kolcharno/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:00Z
|
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bank of America Corporation Board of Directors today appointed José (Joe) E. Almeida as a director, effective immediately.
Almeida, 59, serves as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Baxter International Inc., a position he has held since 2016. Before joining Baxter, Almeida served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Covidien plc from 2012 to 2015. Almeida also served in leadership roles at Tyco Healthcare (Covidien's predecessor), Wilson Greatbatch Technologies Inc., American Home Products' Acufex Microsurgical division, and Johnson & Johnson's Professional Products division. He began his career as a management consultant at Andersen Consulting (Accenture).
Almeida previously served on the boards of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., Analog Devices, Inc., EMC Corporation, State Street Corporation and Covidien plc. He currently serves on the Northwestern University Board of Trustees.
"Joe's experience in leading large, global companies and serving as a board member in a variety of industries will bring additional depth to our board," said Brian Moynihan, chair and chief executive officer.
Almeida has been appointed to the Audit Committee and Compensation and Human Capital Committee of the Bank of America Board of Directors.
"Joe has a tremendous record of achievement as a business leader and we look forward to him making a significant contribution to our Board," said Lionel Nowell, lead independent director.
A native of Brazil, Almeida received a bachelor's of science degree in mechanical engineering from Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,000 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs and award-winning digital banking with approximately 55 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and approximately 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.
Reporters may contact:
Jessica Oppenheim, Bank of America
Phone: 1.646.855.1600
Jessica.oppenheim@bofa.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Bank of America Corporation
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/bank-america-names-jos-e-almeida-board-directors/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:06Z
|
TOLEDO, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mike Gramke, President of The Bostwick-Braun Company's Hardware Business Unit, today announced the hiring of Rob Dilts as the unit's first-ever Director of Supply Chain and 22-year company veteran Damian Nicholson as Merchandise Manager.
Dilts will oversee all the Hardware Business Unit's supply chain functions and its two warehouse facilities. In addition, he will identify how to best increase staff productivity and efficiency, analyze unit financial transactions, assist in contract negotiations with vendors, minimize expenses and provide strategic planning input to senior management.
All Toledo and W. Helena Purchasing, Merchandising and Procurement personnel will report to Dilts, and he will work closely with Warehouse Operations to ensure clear communication and strategy between both locations.
In his new role, Nicholson will guide the Hardware Business Unit's product strategy by developing and leading vendor selection, directing promotional activities and managing and participating in various store resets, and merchandising and design activities with key customers.
Nicholson will also serve as the liaison between the Hardware Business Unit's customers, field sales and purchasing and be responsible for setting expectations with vendors, evaluating new vendors and product lines and negotiating pricing. Along with Dilts, Nicholson will monitor profitability of lines within the unit's key categories.
Prior to joining Bostwick-Braun Company's Hardware Business Unit, Dilts had over 30 years' experience in supply chain management at HJ Heinz, Hearthside Food Solutions, Dana Corporation, Thyssen Krupp, MTD and Vigoro Industries. He mostly recently served as Senior Materials and Logistics Manager at Norcold, Inc., a manufacturer of specialty refrigerators to the RV and marine industries.
In his 22 years at Bostwick-Braun, Nicholson served as a Customer Service Manager, National Accounts Assistant, Promotions and PRO Programs Manager and Regional Sales Manager.
"These new roles will help shape the design of our business moving forward," said Gramke. "I am confident in Rob's and Damian's abilities to drive the changes needed for our unit's continued business growth."
The Bostwick-Braun Company is a wholesale distributor of hardware and industrial supplies, and is one of the largest and oldest in the Midwest. For more than 160 years, we have assisted stores with their supply needs and provided them with business services and guidance to ensure their longevity. We also supply companies with MRO products, fasteners, cutting tools and value-add solutions that help them reduce costs and improve productivity.
Contact:
The Bostwick-Braun Company
Brad Rosenthal
VP Marketing and eCommerce
brosenthal@bostwick-braun.com
View original content:
SOURCE BOSTWICK-BRAUN
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/bostwick-braun-elevates-hardware-business-unit-leaders/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:17Z
|
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI/CDZIP) ("Cadiz", the "Company") announced today that on September 13, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California affirmed its tentative ruling in two cases filed against the US Department of the Interior ("Interior") and US Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") by the Center for Biological Diversity and National Parks Conservation Association ("plaintiffs") challenging the adequacy of the federal review of the two rights-of-ways issued to the Company in 2020 authorizing the conversion of the natural gas pipeline acquired from El Paso Natural Gas ("Northern Pipeline") to transport water over BLM-managed lands (approx. 58 miles of the 220 mile pipeline).
In its ruling, the Court granted Interior's motion for voluntary remand, sending the permits back to the BLM while the agency considers the scope of environmental review required to approve conversion of the pipeline to transport water over BLM lands. There is a status conference with the Court set for September 26, 2022.
The Executive Chair of the Company's Board of Directors, Susan Kennedy, made the following statement regarding the ruling:
Yesterday's ruling will have no impact on completion of the Cadiz Water Conservation and Storage Project and we do not expect additional environmental review by the BLM to cause significant delay. Cadiz' ownership of the pipeline is unaffected by the Court's ruling, and any additional environmental review required by the BLM to convert the pipeline to transport water will be done concurrently with the existing construction schedule.
Full environmental review of the Cadiz Water Conservation and Storage Project was completed in 2012 with a final ruling issued by the California Court of Appeal in 2016. California Courts have determined the Groundwater Management, Monitoring and Mitigation Plan adopted by San Bernardino County and reviewed under California Environmental Quality Act ensures that the Project will have no adverse environmental impacts. The Company has no concerns with additional environmental review and believes review can be conducted without impeding the construction timeline.
While permits for conversion of the Northern Pipeline are reviewed by federal agencies, the Company will continue with the conversion of the pipeline and development of the Project, including the construction of three new groundwater wells beginning in the 4th quarter of 2022. Construction of the three wells will start in early October and proceed through 1st quarter of 2023. With three new wells online, the Cadiz Ranch will have 10 wells in operation with total annual capacity of 25,000 acre-feet of water per year.
Founded in 1983, Cadiz Inc. (NASDAQ: CDZI) is a California business with more than 70 square miles of property, significant infrastructure, and water rights. The Company's mission is to deliver sustainable solutions to California's clean water challenges. The Cadiz Water Conservation and Storage Project is an innovative aquifer storage project that will create a new water supply for 400,000 people a year by conserving billions of gallons of renewable groundwater currently being lost to evaporation and salt contamination at Mojave Desert dry lakes. With state-of-the-art groundwater management technology, the Project will put conserved water to beneficial use and create a much-needed groundwater bank interconnecting California's existing water infrastructure. For more information, please visit the Company's website www.cadizinc.com or review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT: This release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements related to the future operating and financial performance of the Company and the financing activities of the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those reflected in the Company's forward-looking statements include the Company's ability to maximize value for Cadiz land and water resources, the Company's ability to obtain new financing as needed, the receipt of additional permits for the water project and other factors and considerations detailed in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Cadiz Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/cadiz-inc-issues-statement-federal-court-ruling-cases-challenging-conversion-former-oil-amp-gas-pipeline-transport-water/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:24Z
|
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) today announced its intention to separate its Environmental & Applied Solutions segment to create an independent, publicly traded company. The new company will be comprised of Danaher's Water Quality and Product Identification businesses and will be referred to as "EAS" until it is named at a later date. The transaction is intended to be tax-free to Danaher shareholders and expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023.
"With today's announcement, Danaher will become a more focused science and technology leader committed to innovation and making a profound impact on human health," said Rainer M. Blair, President and Chief Executive Officer.
"We believe that EAS will be advantaged as a standalone company with greater opportunities to pursue high-impact organic and inorganic investments," Mr. Blair continued. "The combination of a resilient business model—with more than 50% recurring revenue—and a talented team with a foundation built on the Danaher Business System will position EAS to continue delivering the same outstanding results it has as part of Danaher."
Mr. Blair concluded, "This is an important milestone for both Danaher and EAS and demonstrates our commitment to maximizing long-term value for all of our stakeholders."
Jennifer L. Honeycutt will become President and Chief Executive Officer of EAS upon completion of the transaction. Ms. Honeycutt joined Danaher in 1999 via the acquisition of Hach and she currently serves as a Danaher Executive Vice President with responsibility for the Environmental & Applied Solutions segment. Ms. Honeycutt has extensive mergers and acquisitions experience and brings a strong operational track record to EAS, having overseen accelerated business performance at several Danaher operating companies.
"I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead EAS as a standalone public company," said Ms. Honeycutt. "As a leading water quality and product identification franchise we will be well-positioned to pursue our strategic priorities and create long-term value for our shareholders, customers and associates. We have an outstanding team that is committed to executing with the Danaher Business System and building upon our culture of continuous improvement. I look forward to leading the team through this transition and toward our opportunities ahead."
Danaher is targeting to complete the separation in the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including obtaining final approval from the Danaher Board of Directors, satisfactory completion of financing, receipt of tax opinions, receipt of favorable rulings from the Internal Revenue Service and receipt of other regulatory approvals. Additional details regarding the anticipated separation of EAS have been posted to the "Investors" section of Danaher's public website, www.danaher.com.
EAS will have leading positions and outstanding brands in the areas of water quality and product identification. EAS will be comprised of Danaher's current Environmental & Applied Solutions segment operating companies including Hach, ChemTreat, Trojan, OTT, and McCrometer in Water Quality and Videojet, X-Rite Pantone, Esko and Linx in Product Identification. The segment generated revenue of approximately $4.7 billion in 2021 and has a global team of approximately 16,000 associates united by a common culture and operating system, with the Danaher Business System as its foundation. As a standalone entity EAS is expected to have an investment-grade credit rating.
Danaher is a global science and technology innovator committed to helping its customers solve complex challenges and improving quality of life around the world. Its family of world class brands has leadership positions in the demanding and attractive health care, environmental and applied end-markets. With more than 20 operating companies, Danaher's globally diverse team of approximately 80,000 associates is united by a common culture and operating system, the Danaher Business System, and its Shared Purpose, Helping Realize Life's Potential. For more information, please visit www.danaher.com.
Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding the anticipated separation of Danaher's Environmental and Applied Solutions segment, the expected timetable for completing the transaction, EAS advantages as a standalone company, future organic and inorganic investment opportunities for EAS, EAS's future growth prospects, positioning and financial and operating performance, anticipated value-creation opportunities for Danaher's and EAS's stakeholders, EAS's anticipated leadership, anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction (including the anticipated tax treatment of the transaction) and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, the uncertainty of regulatory approvals, Danaher's ability to satisfy the necessary conditions to consummate the transaction on a timely basis or at all, Danaher's ability to successfully separate EAS and realize the anticipated benefits from the separation (including consummating the transaction on a basis that is tax-free to shareholders), EAS's ability to succeed as a stand-alone, publicly traded company, deterioration of or instability in the economy, the markets we serve and the financial markets, uncertainties relating to U.S. laws or policies, including potential changes in U.S. policies and tariffs and the reaction of other countries thereto, contractions or growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies and expand into new markets, the potential for improper conduct by our employees, agents or business partners, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including rules relating to off-label marketing and other regulations relating to medical devices and the health care industry), the results of our clinical trials and perceptions thereof, our ability to effectively address cost reductions and other changes in the health care industry, our ability to successfully identify and consummate appropriate acquisitions and strategic investments and successfully complete divestitures and other dispositions, our ability to integrate the businesses we acquire and achieve the anticipated growth, synergies and other benefits of such acquisitions, contingent liabilities and other risks relating to acquisitions, investments, strategic relationships and divestitures (including tax-related and other contingent liabilities relating to past and future IPOs, split-offs or spin-offs), security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems or violations of data privacy laws, the impact of our restructuring activities on our ability to grow, risks relating to potential impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, currency exchange rates, tax audits and changes in our tax rate and income tax liabilities, changes in tax laws applicable to multinational companies, litigation and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property and environmental, health and safety matters, the rights of the United States government to use, disclose and license certain intellectual property we license if we fail to commercialize it, risks relating to product, service or software defects, product liability and recalls, risks relating to product manufacturing, our relationships with and the performance of our channel partners, uncertainties relating to collaboration arrangements with third-parties, commodity costs and surcharges, our ability to adjust purchases and manufacturing capacity to reflect market conditions, reliance on sole sources of supply, the impact of deregulation on demand for our products and services, the impact of climate change, or legal or regulatory measures to address climate change, labor matters and our ability to recruit, retain and motivate talented employees, international economic, political, legal, compliance, social and business factors (including the impact of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the United Kingdom's separation from the EU), disruptions relating to man-made and natural disasters (including pandemics such as COVID-19), and pension plan costs. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2022. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise.
View original content:
SOURCE Danaher Corporation
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/danaher-announces-intention-separate-environmental-amp-applied-solutions-segment-create-an-independent-publicly-traded-company/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:30Z
|
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) (the "Company") announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Rainer M. Blair, will comment tomorrow on the Company's third quarter 2022 performance in a presentation at its investor and analyst event.
Mr. Blair will communicate that Danaher's third quarter 2022 core revenue growth is expected to be above the Company's prior guidance range. This increase is driven by higher Cepheid respiratory testing revenue, which is now anticipated to be greater than $500 million for the third quarter 2022 versus the prior expectation of approximately $325 million. The Company continues to expect base business core revenue growth to be in the high single digit range in the third quarter.
Danaher will host a live video webcast of its investor and analyst meeting on September 15, 2022, beginning at approximately 12:00 p.m. ET and concluding at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET. The video webcast and accompanying slide presentation will be available on the Investors section of Danaher's website, www.danaher.com, under the heading "Events & Presentations." A replay of the webcast will be available shortly after the conclusion of the presentation.
ABOUT DANAHER
Danaher is a global science and technology innovator committed to helping its customers solve complex challenges and improving quality of life around the world. Its family of world class brands has leadership positions in the demanding and attractive health care, environmental and applied end-markets. With more than 20 operating companies, Danaher's globally diverse team of approximately 80,000 associates is united by a common culture and operating system, the Danaher Business System, and its Shared Purpose, Helping Realize Life's Potential. For more information, please visit www.danaher.com.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this release that are not strictly historical, including the statements regarding the Company's anticipated third quarter 2022 non-GAAP core revenue growth and base business core revenue growth, anticipated third quarter 2022 respiratory testing revenue and any other statements regarding events or developments that we believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, among other things, deterioration of or instability in the economy, the markets we serve and the financial markets, uncertainties relating to U.S. laws or policies, including potential changes in U.S. policies and tariffs and the reaction of other countries thereto, contractions or growth rates and cyclicality of markets we serve, competition, our ability to develop and successfully market new products and technologies and expand into new markets, the potential for improper conduct by our employees, agents or business partners, our compliance with applicable laws and regulations (including rules relating to off-label marketing and other regulations relating to medical devices and the health care industry), the results of our clinical trials and perceptions thereof, our ability to effectively address cost reductions and other changes in the health care industry, our ability to successfully identify and consummate appropriate acquisitions and strategic investments and successfully complete divestitures and other dispositions, our ability to integrate the businesses we acquire and achieve the anticipated growth, synergies and other benefits of such acquisitions, contingent liabilities and other risks relating to acquisitions, investments, strategic relationships and divestitures (including tax-related and other contingent liabilities relating to past and future IPOs, split-offs or spin-offs), security breaches or other disruptions of our information technology systems or violations of data privacy laws, the impact of our restructuring activities on our ability to grow, risks relating to potential impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, currency exchange rates, tax audits and changes in our tax rate and income tax liabilities, changes in tax laws applicable to multinational companies, litigation and other contingent liabilities including intellectual property and environmental, health and safety matters, the rights of the United States government to use, disclose and license certain intellectual property we license if we fail to commercialize it, risks relating to product, service or software defects, product liability and recalls, risks relating to product manufacturing, our relationships with and the performance of our channel partners, uncertainties relating to collaboration arrangements with third-parties, commodity costs and surcharges, our ability to adjust purchases and manufacturing capacity to reflect market conditions, reliance on sole sources of supply, the impact of deregulation on demand for our products and services, the impact of climate change, or legal or regulatory measures to address climate change, labor matters and our ability to recruit, retain and motivate talented employees, international economic, political, legal, compliance, social and business factors (including the impact of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the United Kingdom's separation from the EU), disruptions relating to man-made and natural disasters (including pandemics such as COVID-19), and pension plan costs. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in our SEC filings, including our 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2022. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and except to the extent required by applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise.
Statement Regarding Non-GAAP Measures
Each of the non-GAAP measures set forth above should be considered in addition to, and not as a replacement for or superior to, the comparable GAAP measure, and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Management believes that these measures provide useful information to investors by offering additional ways of viewing Danaher Corporation's ("Danaher" or the "Company") results that, when reconciled to the corresponding GAAP measure, help our investors to:
- with respect to core sales and related sales measures, identify underlying growth trends in our business and compare our sales performance with prior and future periods and to our peers.
While we expect overall demand for the Company's COVID-19 related products to moderate as and to the extent the pandemic subsides, as the pandemic evolves toward endemic status we believe a level of demand for the Company's products that support COVID-19 related vaccines and therapeutics (including initiatives that seek to prevent or mitigate similar, future pandemics) and COVID-19 testing will continue. However, on a relative basis, we expect the level of ongoing demand for products supporting COVID-19 testing will be subject to more fluctuations in demand than the level of demand for products supporting COVID-19 related vaccines and therapeutics. Therefore, beginning with the first quarter of 2022, in addition to disclosing core revenue growth, we disclose "base business core sales growth" on a basis that excludes revenues related to COVID-19 testing and includes revenues from products that support COVID-19 related vaccines and therapeutics. We believe this additional measure provides useful information to investors by facilitating period-to-period comparisons of our financial performance and identifying underlying growth trends in the Company's business that otherwise may be obscured by fluctuations in demand for COVID-19 testing as a result of the pandemic.
Management uses these non-GAAP measures to measure the Company's operating and financial performance, and uses core sales in the Company's executive compensation program.
- With respect to core sales related measures, (1) we exclude the impact of currency translation because it is not under management's control, is subject to volatility and can obscure underlying business trends, and (2) we exclude the effect of acquisitions and divested product lines because the timing, size, number and nature of such transactions can vary significantly from period-to-period and between us and our peers, which we believe may obscure underlying business trends and make comparisons of long-term performance difficult.
With respect to forecasted core sales related measures, we do not reconcile these measures to the comparable GAAP measure because of the inherent difficulty in predicting and estimating the future impact and timing of currency translation, acquisitions and divested product lines, which would be reflected in any forecasted GAAP revenue.
View original content:
SOURCE Danaher Corporation
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/danaher-ceo-comment-financial-performance/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:37Z
|
CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Grainger (NYSE: GWW), the leading broad line distributor of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions, will hold an Investor Day on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at the Company's Northeast Distribution Center. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time and will also be accessible via a live webcast at invest.grainger.com.
Investor Day speakers will include:
- D.G. Macpherson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
- Paige Robbins, Senior Vice President and President, Grainger Business Unit
- Brian Walker, Vice President and Chief Product Officer
- Barry Greenhouse, Senior Vice President and President, Global Supply Chain & Customer Experience
- Masaya Suzuki, Managing Director, Endless Assortment
- Kevin Weadick, Vice President and President, Zoro
- Deidra Merriwether, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Following the presentation, management will host a question-and-answer session. To register for the live webcast or watch a recorded replay, visit invest.grainger.com. A recorded replay will be available for 90 days following the event.
About Grainger
W.W. Grainger, Inc., with 2021 sales of $13.0 billion, is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America, Japan and the United Kingdom. Grainger achieves its purpose, We Keep the World Working®, by serving more than 4.5 million customers worldwide with a wide range of product categories that keep customer operations running and their people safe. The Company also delivers services and solutions, such as technical support and inventory management, to provide tangible value and save customers time and money. Grainger offers more than 2 million maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products in its High-Touch Solutions assortment and more than 30 million products through its expanding Endless Assortment offering. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.
View original content:
SOURCE W.W. Grainger, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/grainger-host-investor-day-september-21/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:48Z
|
This news release constitutes a "designated news release" for the purposes of the Company's prospectus supplement dated December 3, 2021, to its short form base shelf prospectus dated April 22, 2021.
- Same-store Sales Increased by 46% Compared to the Same Quarter Last Year and 18% Sequentially
- Reports 77% Sequential Increase in Adjusted EBITDA to $4.2 Million
- Current Annual Revenue Run Rate of Over $400 Million and Is Now Within Striking Distance of Having the Highest Revenue of Any Cannabis Company Reporting in Canadian Dollars
- The Cabana Club Loyalty Program, which is the largest in Canadian cannabis retail, has Surpassed 750,000 Members, with over 90% of daily transactions conducted by club members
- Anticipates Launching Enhanced Fee-Based Cabana Elite Membership Program by the end of calendar 2022
CALGARY, AB, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - High Tide Inc. ("High Tide" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: HITI) (TSXV: HITI) (FSE: 2LYA), a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, filed its financial results for the third fiscal quarter of 2022 ended July 31, 2022, the highlights of which are included in this news release. The full set of condensed interim consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2022 (the "Financial Statements") and accompanying management's discussion and analysis can be accessed by visiting High Tide's website at www.hightideinc.com, its profile pages on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
Third Quarter 2022 – Financial Highlights:
- Revenue increased to $95.4 million in the third quarter of 2022 compared to $48.1 million in the same quarter last year, representing an increase of 98%. Sequentially, revenue increased by 18% compared to the second quarter of 2022
- Gross profit increased by 54% to $25.8 million in the third quarter of 2022 compared to $16.7 million in the same quarter last year
- Gross profit margin in the three months ended July 31, 2022, was 27% compared to 35% in the same quarter last year. The shift in the gross margin was due to a change in retail pricing strategy to a discount club model. Sequentially, the gross profit margin was relatively on par with the previous quarter, which closed at 28%
- Adjusted EBITDA1 for the three months ended July 31, 2022, was $4.2 million compared to $1.5 million for the same quarter last year, representing an increase of 176%. Sequentially, Adjusted EBITDA increased by 77% compared to $2.4 million during the previous quarter
- Cabanalytics data sales were $5.5 million in the third quarter of 2022 compared to $3.8 million for the same quarter last year. Sequentially, Cabanalytics data sales increased by 7% compared to $5.1 million the previous quarter
- For locations operational throughout the third fiscal quarter of 2022 and 2021, same-store sales increased by 46%. Sequentially, same-store sales increased by 18% compared to the previous quarter
- Geographically, in the third quarter of 2022, $80.7 million of revenue was earned in Canada, $12.7 million in the United States and $1.9 million internationally. Compared to the third quarter of 2021, revenue increased by 110% in Canada, 33% in the United States, and 1,486% internationally
- Cash on hand as of July 31, 2022, totalled $18.3 million compared to $14.0 million as of October 31, 2021
"Our team continues to deliver strong execution, and this shows in our third quarter results, which feature quarterly revenue of $95 million, representing 98% annual growth, as well as a 176% annual increase in Adjusted EBITDA, making this the tenth consecutive quarter of positive Adjusted EBITDA for High Tide. These impressive numbers come despite hyper-competitive cannabis retail markets across Canada and a global softening of e-commerce sales as pandemic-related restrictions are continuing to be lifted. High Tide now sits within striking distance of having the highest revenue of any cannabis company reporting in Canadian dollars. Our same-store sales have continued their upward trajectory, increasing by 46% year over year and 18% sequentially. This growth continues to be propelled by our innovative discount club model, which is specifically tailored to our Company's unique position in the market through our diversified ecosystem. I am also very happy to report that our Cabana Club loyalty program, which is the largest of its kind in Canada, now sits at over 750,000 members, which represents more than 12% of the cannabis users across the country, excluding Quebec per Statistics Canada data. This membership number was our initial goal when we launched our discount club model last October, and we have now met our target in under a year. We look forward to rolling out our Cabana Elite program in the near term. This program will let members access additional benefits for a small recurring fee, while the existing Cabana Club program will remain free of charge," said Raj Grover, President and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide.
"Our rapidly increasing sales and focus on cost control led us to generating $2.3 million in cash flow from operations before non-cash working capital for the quarter ended July 31, 2022, which was up meaningfully versus the prior quarter and the third fiscal quarter of 2021. Our selling, general and administrative expenses ("SG&A") relative to our peer group has always been conservative; however, we remain focused on further controlling our costs to drive even more cash flows for our shareholders. On the mergers and acquisitions ("M&A") front, subsequent to the end of the quarter, we added nine stores from Choom Holdings Inc. ("Choom"), and currently have many other prospects which are both accretive and strategic, that we are in the process of analyzing.
"I have always strived to underpromise and over-deliver. This is a value that I consistently instill in our team. We set targets and are held accountable as a team if we do not meet them. I am happy to report that based on our latest financial results, we are consistently outperforming our targets as communicated to the market. One example of this is the fact that we were able to improve our balance sheet with a commitment letter from Connect First Credit Union Ltd. ("connectFirst"), despite the process taking longer than we had initially anticipated. This facility, which is expected to close imminently, will inject additional fuel to power our growth. As of August 2022, our annualized revenue run rate sits at over $400 million, and our Adjusted EBITDA is clearly on the right trajectory. Although, in our view, these strong fundamentals are not currently reflected in our market capitalization, myself and our team maintain a laser-like focus on the continued improvement of our fundamentals, as that is what we can control. We believe that sooner or later, the market sentiment will catch up to our business fundamentals. I would like to give a huge thanks to our customers, team, investors, and Board of Directors for their continued support." added Mr. Grover.
Third Quarter 2022 – Operational Highlights:
- Organic retail store expansion continued with 5 new Canna Cabana locations: 2 in Alberta, 1 in Ontario, 1 in Saskatchewan, and the Company's first store in British Columbia
- The Company completed the acquisition of the final store operating under the name Crossroads Cannabis in Woodstock, Ontario
- The Company completed the acquisition of an 100% equity interest of Livonit Foods Inc. operating as Bud Heaven, adding two established cannabis retail stores in Bracebridge, Ontario
- The Company continued the rollout of its Fastendr™ retail kiosk and smart locker technology, with 22 Canna Cabana locations having been equipped with the technology by the end of the quarter
- On June 13, 2022, the Company launched its Cabana Cannabis Co. line of house-branded products in Saskatchewan, with anticipated launches in Ontario and Manitoba by the end of 2022, pending listing approval
- On June 22, 2022, the Company secured $5 million subordinated debt to power continued growth
- On July 7, 2022, the Company announced the acquisition of a nine-store portfolio from Choom through Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA") proceedings, the acquisition of the portfolio was subsequently closed in tranches on August 9, 2022 and September 1, 2022, respectively
- On July 11, 2022, the Company's subsidiary, Enigmaa Ltd., operating as Blessed CBD, launched sales of hemp-derived CBD products on Amazon United Kingdom platform
- On July 22, 2022, the Company closed a bought deal equity financing for aggregate gross proceeds of $11.5 million, inclusive of the exercise in full of the over-allotment option
- On July 29, 2022, the Company announced that it had seized the shares of Halo Kushbar Retail Inc. ("Kushbar"), taking control of three operating cannabis retail stores in Alberta
Subsequent Events:
- The Company's Cabana Club loyalty program continued its rapid growth, sitting at over 750,000 members as of today, representing over 90% of daily transactions
- Rollout of Fastendr™ continued, with 28 Canna Cabana locations equipped with the technology as of today
- On August 18, 2022, the Company executed a binding commitment letter with connectFirst for $19 million in non-dilutive credit facilities
- The Company acquired nine operating retail cannabis stores from Choom. As of today, the Company operates a total of 140 retail cannabis stores across Canada
Selected financial information for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2022:
(Expressed in thousands of Canadian Dollars)
The following is a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to Net Loss:
Outlook
High Tide continues to be the largest non-franchised cannabis bricks-and-mortar retail chain in Canada, with 140 locations across the country and expects to reach its target of 150 by the end of the calendar year. The Company's launch of its innovative discount club model near the end of the fourth fiscal quarter of 2021 has driven remarkable same-store sales increases. These gains have been magnified by organic store openings and M&A activity leading to a sustained upward trend in its market share across the country. The Company currently has three stores in the province of British Columbia, and a clear path to reach eight, the maximum allowable today by any one entity, in the near term, via both organic openings as well as accretive M&A.
As previously stated, the Company is currently on an annual revenue run rate exceeding $400 million which puts it within striking distance of being the top revenue-generating cannabis company which reports in Canadian dollars. Canna Cabana possesses the largest loyalty program in Canadian cannabis with over 750,000 members, which represents over 90% of daily transactions. The Company anticipates launching a paid version of the Cabana Club, Cabana Elite membership program, by the end of the calendar year, which should monetize this base even further.
The Company first launched its white label offerings in June 2022 in the province of Saskatchewan, under the name Cabana Cannabis Co., and expects to launch in Ontario beginning next week. Over the long-term, the Company expects these offerings to reach 25% of total sales, which should provide a meaningful boost to profitability. The Company has many benefits from its diversified ecosystem, one of which is the ability to bring its existing international CBD brands (NuLeaf Naturals, FABCBD and Blessed CBD) to Canada and sell them in its nationally-leading store network. The Company anticipates entering into new markets and distribution platforms for its ancillary cannabis business lines in fiscal 2023.
High Tide Earnings Event Webcast
The Company will host a webcast and conference call to discuss the Financial Statements at 5:30 PM (Eastern Time) today, Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
Webcast Link for High Tide Earnings Event: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/992967987
Participants may pre-register for the webcast by clicking on the link above prior to the beginning of the live webcast. Three hours after the live webcast, a replay of the webcast will be available at the same link above.
Participants who wish to ask questions during the event may do so through the call-in line, the access information for which is as follows:
Canada Dial-In Number (Toll-Free): +1 833 950 0062
Canada Dial-In Number (Local): +1 226 828 7575
United States Dial-In Number (Toll-Free): +1 844 200 6205
United States Dial-In Number (Local): +1 646 904 5544
Dial-In Number for All Other Locations: +1 929 526 1599
Participant Access Code: 619859
*Participants will need to enter the participant access code before being met by a live operator*
ATM PROGRAM QUARTERLY UPDATE
Pursuant to the Company's at-the-market equity offering program (the "ATM Program") that allows the Company to issue up to $40 million (or the equivalent in U.S. dollars) of common shares ("Common Shares") from treasury to the public from time to time, at the Company's discretion and subject to regulatory requirements, as required pursuant to National Instrument 44-102 – Shelf Distributions and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), the Company announces that, during its third quarter ended July 31, 2022, the Company has issued an aggregate of 34,900 Common Shares over the TSXV and Nasdaq Capital Market ("Nasdaq"), for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $0.1 million (compared to the three and six months ended April 30, 2022: 1,336,313 Common Shares; $7.4 million; and three months ended January 31, 2022: 130,197 Common Shares; $0.8 million).
Pursuant to an equity distribution agreement dated December 3, 2021, entered into among the Company, ATB Capital Markets Inc. and ATB Capital Markets USA Inc. (the "Agents"), associated with the ATM Program (the "Equity Distribution Agreement"), a cash commission of less than $0.01 million on the aggregate gross proceeds raised was paid to the Agents in connection with their services under the Equity Distribution Agreement during the third quarter ended July 31, 2022 (compared to the three and six months ended April 30, 2022: $0.1 million; and three months ended January 31, 2022: $0.01 million).
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the ATM Program, if any, and at the discretion of the Company, to fund strategic initiatives it is currently developing, to support the growth and development of the Company's existing operations, funding future acquisitions as well as working capital and general corporate purposes.
Common Shares issued pursuant to the ATM Program will be issued pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated December 3, 2021 (the "Canadian Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's final base shelf prospectus dated April 22, 2021, filed with the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in each of the provinces and territories of Canada (the "Canadian Shelf Prospectus") and pursuant to a prospectus supplement dated December 3, 2021 (the "U.S. Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's U.S. base prospectus dated September 17, 2021 (the "U.S. Base Prospectus") included in its registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Registration Statement") and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The Canadian Prospectus Supplement and Canadian Shelf Prospectus are available for download from SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and the U.S. Prospectus Supplement, the U.S. Base Prospectus and Registration Statement are accessible via EDGAR on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
The ATM Program is effective until the earlier of (i) the date that all Common Shares available for issue under the ATM Program have been sold, (ii) the date the Canadian Prospectus Supplement in respect of the ATM Program or Canadian Shelf Prospectus is withdrawn and (iii) the date that the ATM Program is terminated by the Company or Agents.
OMNIBUS PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
On April 19, 2022, the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") approved the 2022 equity incentive plan of the Company (the "Omnibus Plan"), which was effective June 2, 2022, upon the Company receiving disinterested shareholder approval at the annual general meeting and special meeting of shareholders of the Company (the "Effective Date"), pursuant to which it is able to issue share-based and cash-based long-term incentives to eligible participants. A copy of the Omnibus Plan is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.
The Omnibus Plan replaced the former stock option plan (the "Stock Option Plan") and restricted share unit plan (the "RSU Plan") of the Company (together, the "Predecessor Plans").
All directors, officers, employees, management company employees and consultants of the Company and/or its affiliates ("Participants") are eligible to receive Awards (as defined below) under the Omnibus Plan, subject to the terms of the Omnibus Plan. Awards include stock options ("Options"), stock appreciation rights ("Stock Appreciation Rights"), restricted share awards ("Restricted Share Awards"), restricted share units ("RSUs"), performance shares ("Performance Shares"), performance units ("Performance Units"), cash-based awards ("Cash-Based Awards") and other share-based awards (collectively, the "Awards"), under the Omnibus Plan.
Purpose of the Omnibus Plan
The Omnibus Plan serves several purposes for the Company. One purpose is to advance the interests of the Company by developing the interests of Participants in the growth and development of the Company by providing such persons with the opportunity to acquire a proprietary interest in the Company. All Participants are considered eligible to be selected to receive an Award under the Omnibus Plan. Another purpose is to attract and retain key talent and valuable personnel, who are necessary to the Company's success and reputation, with a competitive compensation mechanism. Finally, the Omnibus Plan will align the interests of Participants with those of shareholders by devising a compensation mechanism which encourages the prudent maximization of distributions to shareholders and long-term growth.
The Omnibus Plan is administered by the Board, and/or if applicable, a committee of the Board.
Omnibus Plan Maximum, Limits and Vesting Restrictions
The maximum number of Common Shares available and reserved for issuance, at any time, under the Omnibus Plan, together with any other security-based compensation arrangements adopted by the Company, including the Predecessor Plans, has been fixed at 20% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on the Effective Date, namely 12,617,734 Common Shares.
Common Shares underlying outstanding Awards that for any reason expire or are terminated, forfeited or cancelled shall again be available for issuance under the Omnibus Plan. Also, any Common Shares forfeited, cancelled or otherwise not issued for any reason under the predecessor Options and/or predecessor RSUs pursuant to the Stock Option Plan and RSU Plan, respectively, shall be available for grants under the Omnibus Plan. Any predecessor Options and/or predecessor RSUs outstanding under the Predecessor Plans shall remain subject to the terms of those awards and the Stock Option Plan and RSU Plan, respectively.
Awards that by their terms are to be settled solely in cash shall not be counted against the maximum number of Common Shares available for the issuance of Awards under the Omnibus Plan.
No Awards, other than Options, may vest before the date that is one year following the date it is granted or issued, although the vesting required of any such Awards may be accelerated for a Participant who dies or who ceases to be an eligible Participant under the Omnibus Plan in connection with a Change in Control (as such term is defined in the Omnibus Plan), take-over bid, reverse takeover or other similar transaction.
The aggregate number of Awards which may be granted to any one Participant that is a consultant of the Company in any 12-month period must not exceed 2% of the issued Common Shares calculated at the first such grant date. In addition, the aggregate number of Options granted to all persons retained to provide investor relations activities must not exceed 2% of the issued Common Shares in any 12-month period calculated at the first such grant date (and including any Participant that performs investor relations activities and/or whose role or duties primarily consist of investor relations activities) and any such Options granted to any person retained to provide investor relations activities must vest in a period of not less than 12 months from the date of grant of the Award and with no more than 25% of the Options vesting in any three month period notwithstanding any other provision of the Omnibus Plan. The maximum aggregate number of Common Shares that are issuable pursuant to all Awards granted or issued to Insiders (as such term is defined in the Omnibus Plan), as a group, must not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares at any point in time, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval. The maximum aggregate number of Common Shares that are issuable pursuant to all Awards granted or issued in any 12-month period to Insiders, as a group, must not exceed 10% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, calculated as at the date any Award is granted or issued to any Insider, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval. The maximum aggregate number of Common Shares issuable pursuant to Awards granted to any one Participant in any 12-month period must not exceed 5% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares, calculated on the date the Award is granted or issued to the Participant, unless the Company has obtained the requisite disinterested shareholder approval. Participants who provide investor relations activities may not receive any Awards other than Options.
ABOUT HIGH TIDE
High Tide is a leading retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets. The Company is the largest Canadian retailer of recreational cannabis as measured by revenue, with 140 current locations spanning Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The Company is also North America's first cannabis discount club retailer, under the Canna Cabana banner, which is the single-largest cannabis retail brand in Canada with additional locations under development across the country. High Tide's portfolio also includes retail kiosks and smart locker technology – Fastendr™. High Tide has been serving consumers for over a decade through its established e-commerce platforms including Grasscity.com, Smokecartel.com, Dailyhighclub.com, and Dankstop.com and more recently in the hemp-derived CBD space through Nuleafnaturals.com, FABCBD.com, BlessedCBD.co.uk, BlessedCBD.de, and Amazon United Kingdom, as well as its wholesale distribution division under Valiant Distribution, including the licensed entertainment product manufacturer Famous Brandz. High Tide was featured in the third annual Report on Business Magazine's ranking of Canada's Top Growing Companies in 2021 and was named as one of the top 10 performing diversified industries stocks in the 2022 TSX Venture 50™. High Tide's strategy as a parent company is to extend and strengthen its integrated value chain, while providing a complete customer experience and maximizing shareholder value.
For more information about High Tide Inc., please visit www.hightideinc.com, its profile page on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its profile page on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.
Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events.
The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the Company's business objectives and milestones and the anticipated timing of, and costs in connection with, the execution or achievement of such objectives and milestones (including, without limitation, proposed acquisitions); the Company's future growth prospects and intentions to pursue one or more viable business opportunities; the development of the Company's business and future activities following the date hereof; expectations relating to market size and anticipated growth in the jurisdictions within which the Company may from time to time operate or contemplate future operations; expectations with respect to economic, business, regulatory and/or competitive factors related to the Company or the cannabis industry generally; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's current and future operations; the market for the Company's current and proposed product offerings, as well as the Company's ability to capture market share; the Company's strategic investments and capital expenditures, and related benefits; the distribution methods expected to be used by the Company to deliver its product offerings; the competitive landscape within which the Company operates and the Company's market share or reach; the performance of the Company's business and the operations and activities of the Company; the Company adding the number of additional cannabis retail store locations the Company proposes to add to the Company's business upon the timelines indicated herein, and the Company remaining on a positive growth trajectory; same-store sales continuing to increase in the fourth quarter of 2022 and beyond; the Company making meaningful increases to its revenue profile; the Company expanding in the German market and in British Columbia; the Company deploying Fastendr™ technology across the Company's retail stores upon the timelines disclosed herein; the Company continuing to increase its revenue through the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022, and the remainder of the year; the Company building upon its existing momentum in the international hemp-derived CBD and consumption accessories e-commerce sectors; the Company continuing to integrate and expand its CBD brands; the Company completing the development of its cannabis retail stores; the Company's ability to generate cash flow from operations and from financing activities; the Company's ability to obtain, maintain, and renew or extend, applicable authorizations, including the timing and impact of the receipt thereof; the realization of cost savings, synergies or benefits from the Company's recent and proposed acquisitions, and the Company's ability to successfully integrate the operations of any business acquired within the Company's business; the anticipated sales from continuing operations for the financial year of the Company ending October 31, 2022; Cabana Club loyalty program membership continuing to increase; the Company hitting its forecasted revenue and sales projections for the fourth quarter of 2022; the Company's expectations from its Cabana Cannabis Co. white label products; the Company launching Cabana Cannabis Co. white label products in the jurisdictions and on the timelines outlined herein; the Company securing the proposed credit facilities on the terms and within the timelines set out herein; the use of proceeds from the proposed credit facilities being utilized as outlined herein; the anticipated effects of the proposed credit facilities on the business and operations of the Company; the Company becoming the largest revenue-generating cannabis company reporting in Canada dollars; the Company launching the Cabana elite program on the terms and timelines outlined herein; the anticipated effects of the Cabana elite program on the business and operations of the Company; the intention of the Company to complete the ATM Program and any additional offering of securities of the Company; the aggregate amount of the total proceeds that the Company will receive pursuant to the ATM Program and/or any future offering; the Company's expected use of the net proceeds from the ATM Program and/or any future offering; the listing of Common Shares offered in the ATM Program and/or any future offering; and the Company continuing to grow its online retail portfolio through further strategic and accretive acquisitions.
Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: current and future members of management will abide by the Company's business objectives and strategies from time to time established by the Company; the Company will retain and supplement its board of directors and management, or otherwise engage consultants and advisors having knowledge of the industries (or segments thereof) within which the Company may from time to time participate; the Company will have sufficient working capital and the ability to obtain the financing required in order to develop and continue its business and operations; the Company will continue to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled consultants and/or employees, as the case may be; no adverse changes will be made to the regulatory framework governing cannabis, taxes and all other applicable matters in the jurisdictions in which the Company conducts business and any other jurisdiction in which the Company may conduct business in the future; the Company will be able to generate cash flow from operations, including, where applicable, the distribution and sale of cannabis and cannabis products; the Company will be able to execute on its business strategy as anticipated; the Company will be able to meet the requirements necessary to obtain and/or maintain authorizations required to conduct the business; general economic, financial, market, regulatory, and political conditions, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, will not negatively affect the Company or its business; the Company will be able to successfully compete in the cannabis industry; cannabis prices will not decline materially; the Company will be able to effectively manage anticipated and unanticipated costs; the Company will be able to maintain internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure, and procedures in order to ensure compliance with applicable laws; the Company will be able to conduct its operations in a safe, efficient and effective manner; general market conditions will be favourable with respect to the Company's future plans and goals; the Company will reach the anticipated sales from continuing operations for the financial year of the Company ending October 31, 2022; the Company will complete its proposed acquisitions; the Company will hit its forecasted revenue and sales projections for the fourth quarter of 2022; Cabana Club loyalty program membership will continue to increase; the Company will deploy Fastendr™ technology across the Company's retail stores upon the timelines disclosed herein; the Company will launch Cabana Cannabis Co. white label products in the jurisdictions and on the timelines outlined herein and such products will achieved the results disclosed herein; same-store sales will continue to increase in the fourth quarter of 2022 and beyond; the Company will make meaningful increases to its revenue profile; the Company will expand in the German market and in British Columbia; the Company will continue to increase its revenue through the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022, and the remainder of the year; the Company will build upon its existing momentum in the international hemp-derived CBD and consumption accessories e-commerce sectors; the Company will continue to integrate and expand its CBD brands; the Company will add the additional cannabis retail store locations to the Company's business and remain on a positive growth trajectory; the Company will complete the development of its cannabis retail stores; the Company will secure the proposed credit facilities (and will have the ability to obtain all requisite approvals) on the terms and within the timelines anticipated; the use of proceeds from the proposed credit facilities will be utilized as outlined herein; the proposed credit facilities will have the anticipated effect on the business and operations of the Company; the Company will become the largest revenue-generating cannabis company reporting in Canada dollars; the Company will launch the Cabana elite program on the terms and timelines outlined herein; the Cabana elite program will have the anticipated effect on the business and operations of the Company; the Company will complete the ATM Program; the Company's will use of the net proceeds from the ATM Program and/or any future offering as outlined herein; the Company will list the Common Shares offered in the ATM Program and/or any future offering; and the Company will continue to grow its online retail portfolio through further strategic and accretive acquisitions.
These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company's inability to attract and retain qualified members of management to grow the Company's business and its operations; unanticipated changes in economic and market conditions (including changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic) or in applicable laws; the impact of the publications of inaccurate or unfavourable research by securities analysts or other third parties; the Company's failure to complete future acquisitions or enter into strategic business relationships; interruptions or shortages in the supply of cannabis from time to time available to support the Company's operations from time to time; unanticipated changes in the cannabis industry in the jurisdictions within which the Company may from time to time conduct its business and operations, including the Company's inability to respond or adapt to such changes; the Company's inability to secure or maintain favourable lease arrangements or the required authorizations necessary to conduct the business and operations and meet its targets; the Company's inability to secure desirable retail cannabis store locations on favourable terms; risks relating to projections of the Company's operations; the Company's inability to effectively manage unanticipated costs and expenses, including costs and expenses associated with product recalls and judicial or administrative proceedings against the Company; risk that the Company will not reach the anticipated sales from continuing operations for the financial year of the Company ending October 31, 2022; risk that the Company will not hit its forecasted revenue and sales projections for the fourth quarter of 2022; risk that Cabana Club loyalty program membership will decrease and/or plateau; risk that the Company will be unable to deploy Fastendr™ technology across the Company's retail stores or on the timelines disclosed herein; risk that the Company will be unable to launch Cabana Cannabis Co. white label products in the jurisdictions and on the timelines outlined herein and/or that such products will be unable to achieve the results disclosed herein; risk that same-store sales will not increase, but decease and/or plateau; risk that the Company will be unable to increase its revenue profile; risk that the Company will be unable to increase its revenue through the fourth fiscal quarter of 2022, and the remainder of the year, but that it will decease and/or plateau; risk that the Company will be unable to expand in the German market and/or in British Columbia; risk that the Company will be unable to build upon its existing momentum in the international hemp-derived CBD and consumption accessories e-commerce sectors; risk that the Company will be unable to continue to integrate and expand its CBD brands; risk that the Company will be unable to grow its online retail portfolio through further strategic and accretive acquisitions; risk that the Company will be unable to add additional cannabis retail store locations to the Company's business and remain on a positive growth trajectory; risks that the Company will be unable to complete the development of any or all of its cannabis retail stores; risk that the Company will be unable to secure the proposed credit facilities, unable to utilize the proposed credit facilities on the terms and within the timelines anticipated and/or the proposed credit facilities will not have the anticipated effect on the business and operations of the Company; risk that the Company will not become the largest revenue-generating cannabis company reporting in Canada dollars; risk that the Company will be unable to launch the Cabana elite program on the terms and timelines outlined herein or at all; risk that the Cabana elite program will not have the anticipated effect on the business and operations of the Company; risk the Company will not complete the ATM Program; the Company's inability to list the Common Shares offered in the ATM Program and/or any future offering; the Company's failure to utilize the use of proceeds from the ATM Program and/or any future offering as expected; risks surrounding the legality of delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol ("Delta-8") derived from hemp; risks surrounding the uncertainty and legality of Delta-8 and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol ("Delta-9") state to state; risk that the United States Drug Enforcement Administration could consider the Company's Delta-8 products an illegal controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act (the "CSA") or Federal Analogue Act in the United States; risk that that state or federal regulators or law enforcement could take the position that the Delta-8 and Delta-9 products and/or in-process hemp extract are/is a Schedule I controlled substance in violation of the CSA and similar state laws; risk that the Company's Delta-9 products could be considered by state law enforcement and state regulators to be marijuana illegal under state laws criminalizing the possession, distribution, trafficking and sale of marijuana; risk that should the Company become subject to enforcement action by federal or state agencies, the Company could: (i) be forced to stop offering some or all of it Delta-8 and Delta-9 products or stop all business operations, (ii) be subject to other civil or criminal sanctions, (iii) be required to defend against such enforcement and if unsuccessful could cause the Company to cease its operations; and risk that enforcement or regulatory action at the United States federal and/or state level could adversely impact the listings of the Common Shares on the TSXV and Nasdaq.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.
Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FUTURE ORIENTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
This press release may contain future-oriented financial information ("FOFI") within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, about prospective results of operations, financial position or cash flows, based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action, which FOFI is not presented in the format of a historical balance sheet, income statement or cash flow statement. The FOFI has been prepared by management to provide an outlook of the Company's activities and results and has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed under the heading above entitled "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and assumptions with respect to the costs and expenditures to be incurred by the Company, capital expenditures and operating costs, taxation rates for the Company and general and administrative expenses. Management does not have, or may not have had at the relevant date, firm commitments for all of the costs, expenditures, prices or other financial assumptions which may have been used to prepare the FOFI or assurance that such operating results will be achieved and, accordingly, the complete financial effects of all of those costs, expenditures, prices and operating results are not, or may not have been at the relevant date of the FOFI, objectively determinable.
Importantly, the FOFI contained in this press release are, or may be, based upon certain additional assumptions that management believes to be reasonable based on the information currently available to management, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: (i) the future pricing for the Company's products, (ii) the future market demand and trends within the jurisdictions in which the Company may from time to time conduct the Company's business, (iii) the Company's ongoing inventory levels, and operating cost estimates, (iv) the Company obtaining the proposed credit facilities, (v) the Company completing the ATM Program, and (vi) the Company's unaudited financial results for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2022. The FOFI or financial outlook contained in this press release do not purport to present the Company's financial condition in accordance with IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and there can be no assurance that the assumptions made in preparing the FOFI will prove accurate. The actual results of operations of the Company and the resulting financial results will likely vary from the amounts set forth in the analysis presented in any such document, and such variation may be material (including due to the occurrence of unforeseen events occurring subsequent to the preparation of the FOFI). The Company and management believe that the FOFI has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management's best estimates and judgments as at the applicable date. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks including the risks discussed under the heading above entitled "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's public disclosures, FOFI or financial outlook within this press release should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the FOFI, or financial outlook contained in this press release. Except as required by Canadian securities laws, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update such FOFI.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE High Tide Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/high-tide-reports-third-quarter-2022-financial-results-featuring-98-increase-revenue-tenth-straight-quarter-positive-adjusted-ebitda/
| 2022-09-14T21:01:57Z
|
- Presented expansion strategy in North American market with its highly value-added technologies at the NAIAS 2022 Press Conference.
- Planning to expand production facilities worldwide, including a new EV components plant for prompt supply to North American automakers.
- Aiming to reach about 30-40% CAGR in the North American market by 2030 with future mobility technologies.
DETROIT, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Mobis (KRX 012330), the sixth largest global automotive supplier, today introduced its expansion strategy in the North American market during a press conference at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). According to Axel Maschka, Executive Vice President and head of Hyundai Mobis Global OE Sales, the two keywords of the company's growth strategy are Plant Expansion and Value Expansion.
Hyundai Mobis will first plan to expand its production facilities across the globe for prompt and timely supply to global automakers. At the press conference, Maschka said that "Hyundai Mobis will construct more EV dedicated sites here in the region, and we will invest in EV components, and battery system assemblies to allow rapid and environmentally optimized local production." Currently, Hyundai Mobis operates 44 production bases, with North American facilities located in Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, and Michigan.
North America leading the electric vehicle shift to achieve carbon neutrality and green mobility is integral to the company's electrification production expansion plan. As the EV market continues to grow, having a strong production capacity will be key to winning sales orders. A new manufacturing site, combined with over ten years of expertise in producing high-quality electrification components, will allow Hyundai Mobis to see continued growth in the market.
Hyundai Mobis also revealed its value expansion plan to increase its sales orders in the North American market with its value-added technologies, optimized specifically for electric and autonomous vehicles. It presented some of its future mobility technologies, including the electric Complete Chassis Platform Module (eCCPM) and next-generation AR HUD. "Hyundai Mobis has a wide range of innovations in its portfolio, and is ready for the future of mobility. Our vision is to bring the future to the present and make it more valuable," said Maschka.
In particular, Hyundai Mobis pointed to its successful mass-production of key electrification components, including the battery system for the e-GMP platform used in Hyundai and Kia electric vehicles, and the PE module, and showed its confidence in the paradigm shift for electric vehicle platforms. Together, value-added products including the eCCPM module, electrification platform, AR HUD, and lighting grilles are drawing attention from clients in North America for its versatility and innovation.
During the presentation, Hyundai Mobis announced its goal of driving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36% in the North American market through the year 2030. Hyundai Mobis has reported steady growth in total order volumes over the last few years, with $660 million USD in 2020, $1.4 billion USD in 2021, and $1.7 billion USD in the first half of 2022.
About Hyundai Mobis
Hyundai Mobis is the global no. 6 automotive supplier, headquartered in Seoul, Korea. Hyundai Mobis has outstanding expertise in sensors, sensor fusion in ECUs and software development for safety control. The company's products also include various components for electrification, brakes, chassis and suspension, steering, airbags, lighting and automotive electronics. Hyundai Mobis operates R&D headquarter in Korea, with four technology centers in the United States, Germany, China and India.
For more information, please visit the website at http://www.mobis.co.kr/
Media Contact
Jihyun Han: jihyun.han@mobis.co.kr
Choon Kee Hwang: ckhwang@mobis.co.kr
Allen Nguyen (Ketchum): allen.nguyen@ketchum.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Hyundai Mobis
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/hyundai-mobis-takes-new-step-with-future-mobility-through-further-expansion-north-american-market/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:03Z
|
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:IDYA) today announced that it intends to offer and sell up to $80.0 million of shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. In addition, IDEAYA intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to $12.0 million of shares of its common stock. The offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering.
J.P. Morgan, Jefferies, Citigroup and Guggenheim Securities are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.
The securities described above are being offered by IDEAYA pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 that was previously filed with and declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. The offering will be made only by means of a written prospectus and a prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to and describing the terms of the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to these securities may also be obtained by request from: J.P. Morgan, by mail at J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at 866-803-9204, or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmorganchase.com; Jefferies, by mail at Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at 877-547-6340 or 877-821-7388, or by email at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com; Citigroup, by mail at Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at 1-800-831-9146, or by email at prospectus@citi.com; or Guggenheim Securities, by mail at Guggenheim
Securities, LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 330 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017, or by telephone at (212) 518-5548 or by email at gsequityprospectusdelivery@guggenheimpartners.com.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
___________________
About IDEAYA Biosciences
IDEAYA is a synthetic lethality focused precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics for patient populations selected using molecular diagnostics. IDEAYA's approach integrates capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers with drug discovery to select patient populations most likely to benefit from its targeted therapies. IDEAYA is applying its research and drug discovery capabilities to synthetic lethality – which represents an emerging class of precision medicine targets.
___________________
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained herein, including without limitation statements regarding the offer and sale of shares, the terms of the offering are forward-looking statements reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause IDEAYA's preclinical and clinical development programs, future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, risks and uncertainties related to market conditions and the satisfaction of closing conditions related to the proposed public offering, the uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including IDEAYA's programs' early stage of development, the process of designing and conducting preclinical and clinical trials, the regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing drug products, IDEAYA's ability to successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual property, the effects on IDEAYA's business of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of existing cash to fund operations. IDEAYA undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of IDEAYA in general, see IDEAYA's recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 15, 2022, the preliminary prospectus supplement related to the proposed public offering and subsequent filings with the SEC.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE IDEAYA Biosciences, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/ideaya-announces-proposed-public-offering-common-stock/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:10Z
|
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- To help balance the social and academic stressors youth and young adults face while navigating school, family and friends, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) offers a regular schedule of fun – and free – classes at its community resource centers.
"Extracurricular activities decrease the potential for risky behaviors in children and young adults and provide an increased sense of connectedness and belonging," said IEHP Community Behavioral Health Clinical Director Amrita Rai. "Any kind of opportunity to engage in activities supporting healthy emotional development can increase self-esteem and the ability to interact with peers, which offers benefits well into adulthood."
IEHP's community resource centers can help nurture and improve mental health for young Inland Empire residents. The centers offer classes and activities including Zumba, creative arts, cooking and gardening across its three locations in Riverside, San Bernardino and Victorville. Sessions are held Monday through Saturday and can be found on iehp.org.
The U.S Surgeon General's 2021 Advisory further highlights COVID-19's impact to the ongoing youth mental health crisis, citing the urgent need to address these challenges head-on through coordinated action by community and federal organizations and by recognizing mental health as an essential part of overall health.
This concept is not new to IEHP, which is currently partnering with several community organizations and Local Education Agencies to expand behavioral health services in and near schools (Student Behavioral Health Incentive Program).
The health plan is also exploring opportunities to add even more free classes and activities for teens and young adults to their centers through a partnership with Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy.
"We're looking forward to adding more fun to our center schedules in the weeks and months to come," said IEHP Victorville Community Resource Center Manager Delia Orosco. "Our centers serve as a safe space for all who enter, regardless of age, to truly express themselves and we take that very seriously."
To learn more about IEHP Community Resource Centers and class schedules, visit iehp.org.
With a mission to heal and inspire the human spirit, Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is one of the top 10 largest Medicaid health plans and the largest not-for-profit Medicare-Medicaid plan in the country. In its 26th year, IEHP is supporting more than 1.6 million residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties who are enrolled in Medicaid or Cal MediConnect Plans and has a growing network of over 7,800 providers and nearly 3,000 team members. Through dynamic partnerships with providers and community organizations, paired with award-winning service and a tradition of quality care, IEHP is fully committed to their vision: We will not rest until our communities enjoy optimal care and vibrant health. For more information, visit iehp.org.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP)
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/iehp-promotes-balance-with-youth-activities/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:16Z
|
Company is Focused on Ongoing Margin Enhancement While Supporting Continued Momentum of Its Strategy
ORRVILLE, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The J.M. Smucker Co. (NYSE: SJM) today announced the formation of a Transformation Office, which will be overseen by Amy Held in the newly created role of Chief Transformation Officer. Held previously served as the Company's Chief Strategy and International Officer. The Transformation Office will support the Company's commitment to ongoing margin enhancement efforts and will be solely focused on enterprise-wide continuous improvement strategies to ensure a pipeline of productivity initiatives and profit growth opportunities.
In corresponding decisions, the Company announced it will undertake a rigorous search to fill the Chief Strategy Officer role. Held will maintain oversight of strategy while the Company recruits to fill the position. Additionally, Tim Wayne, who has taken on the expanded role of Vice President, International and Away From Home, will now oversee the international business.
"Our teams have done an incredible job of navigating sustained external pressures. As these challenges endure, we must be proactive in addressing their impact to support both near-term performance and long-term growth potential," said Mark Smucker, Chair of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The introduction of the Transformation Office will help ensure the continued momentum of our strategy, which has supported the tremendous results our business has delivered, by sharpening our focus on driving productivity and unlocking cost savings."
The Transformation Office will be compiled of cross-functional leaders, under Held, who will help establish new ways of working, along with sustainable efficiencies and cost reduction while embedding capabilities to track, measure and report on these efforts throughout the Company.
"I am excited to take on this challenge and to have the opportunity to work with an incredible team of leaders," said Held. "As I assume this new role, I am inspired by our commitment to continuous improvement – of being even better tomorrow than we are today. We are beginning this work from a place of strength thanks to the dedication of our employees, and the results we will achieve together will further strengthen our already solid position."
The Company plans to share further details on its Transformation Office at its upcoming Investor Day on December 14, 2022.
About The J.M. Smucker Co.
Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a diverse portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets and is found in more than 80 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers®, Jif® and Milk-Bone® and new favorites like Café Bustelo®, Smucker's® Uncrustables® and Rachael Ray® Nutrish®. By continuing to immerse ourselves in consumer preferences and acting responsibly, we will continue growing our business and the positive impact we have on society. For more information, please visit jmsmucker.com.
The J.M. Smucker Co. is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Rachael Ray®, a registered trademark of Ray Marks II LLC, which is used under license.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Co.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/jm-smucker-co-announces-formation-transformation-office/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:22Z
|
CORK, Ireland, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE: JCI) approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per common share, payable on Oct. 14, 2022, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 26, 2022. Johnson Controls has paid a consecutive dividend since 1887.
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 nearly 140 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/2022/09/14/johnson-controls-announces-quarterly-dividend/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:28Z
|
Hemric to Pilot No. 11 First Bank of Alabama Chevrolet in Sparks 300
LEXINGTON, N.C., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaulig Racing and Daniel Hemric announced today their partnership with the First Bank of Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway for the Sparks 300.
Proudly serving Talladega and the surrounding area for nearly 175 years, the First Bank of Alabama looks to showcase the positive impact it has on its local communities, as it is featured on Hemric's No. 11 Chevrolet for the NASCAR Xfinity Series' (NXS) playoff race at Talladega Superspeedway.
"Our desire to partner with Kaulig Racing was driven highly by the reputation they have of giving back and service," said Chad Jones, President & CEO First Bank of Alabama. "First Bank of Alabama and Kaulig Racing share this philosophy, and it seemed a natural fit for how we will continue to serve our communities. Our mission statement drives how we perform excellence in service through our empowered employees to make a positive impact. We believe that both Daniel and Kaulig Racing can propel our partnership to the top level that our customers and shareholders expect from First Bank of Alabama, and we are proud to be a part of this weekend in our 'backyard.'"
In addition to its partnership with Hemric and Kaulig Racing, First Bank of Alabama is also teaming up with Talladega Superspeedway to provide over 500 students the opportunity to attend "Driving STEM at Talladega", an experience First Bank of Alabama has been providing to local middle school students since 2019 to help develop their leadership skills, abilities to communicate, collaborate and problem solve.
"Not only does First Bank of Alabama strive to provide excellent service to its customers, but its local communities as well," said Chris Rice, president of Kaulig Racing. "Both Kaulig Racing and Daniel have a passion for paying it forward and helping others, which is what makes this partnership such a perfect fit."
Hemric, currently sitting 10th in the 2022 NXS playoff standings, offers an annual scholarship to students at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College who qualify for financial aid and have chosen a field of study in either motorsports, welding or mechanical engineering.
"This partnership with First Bank of Alabama is special in more ways than one," said Hemric. "I have had so many people help me throughout my racing career, so to have them as a partner at Kaulig Racing, as well as seeing them giving students the opportunity to find their passion is something that is close to my heart."
Hemric and First Bank of Alabama will take the green flag at Talladega Superspeedway for the second race of the 2022 NXS playoffs on Saturday, October 1 at 4pm ET on the USA network.
First Bank of Alabama, based in Talladega, AL, is the banking subsidiary of FirstBanc of Alabama, Inc. and a full-service community bank with approximately $930 million in total assets. Formed in 1848, First Bank of Alabama is the oldest continuously operated bank in the state of Alabama and operates 12 offices in East Central Alabama. For more information, please visit www.firstbankal.com.
Contact: Brooke Bayliss, Marketing Officer, bbayliss@firstbankal.com
View original content:
SOURCE First Bank of Alabama
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/kaulig-racing-hemric-team-up-with-first-bank-alabama-talladega/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:35Z
|
Continuing his partnership with world-class tequila maker, Juan Domingo Beckmann, Gran Coramino launches a one-of-its-kind Añejo tequila
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- After successfully launching Gran Coramino™ Tequila this spring with a Cristalino, founders Kevin Hart and 11th generation tequila producer Juan Domingo Beckmann, expand the brand's tequila portfolio with their second expression: Gran Coramino Añejo tequila. The world-class Añejo is the combination of 250 years of tequila-making expertise and a relentless dedication to quality. The result is an exceptionally smooth luxury tequila, blended to perfection in the heart of Tequila Valley, created and developed by Kevin Hart, Global Brand Equities, and Proximo Spirits.
A deep amber color with copper hues, Gran Coramino Añejo delivers the complexity of an aged tequila, with a sweet and smooth cognac finish. Initially matured in both American and French oak barrels for 12 months, the tequila is then blended with Añejo reserves matured in ex-cognac casks. The final liquid reveals notes of butterscotch, toasted cacao, and coffee beans for a silky smooth tequila taste with a long and sweet cognac-laced finish.
For the founders Kevin and Juan, every step in the process is a celebration of what tequila should and can be; from harvesting the finest Blue Weber agaves at peak maturity from family-owned fields, cooking the agaves in traditional brick ovens, to distilling and aging the tequila at the La Rojeña Distillery in Tequila, Mexico, the oldest distillery in Latin America. Gran Coramino Añejo continues to honor the brand's dedication to delivering a superior liquid to a new U.S. audience and generation.
"I couldn't be more excited to introduce Gran Coramino Añejo to the tequila community," says Kevin Hart, Founder of Gran Coramino. "It's a truly sublime drink. Bringing Añejo to both tequila connoisseurs and new tequila drinkers alike has been a goal since we launched Gran Coramino - I'm positive everyone will love it as much as I do. I am so proud of this second expression and can't wait for everyone to see what else is to come!"
Juan Domingo Beckmann, Founder of Gran Coramino Tequila and 11th generation tequila producer says, "Our first tequila, Gran Coramino Cristalino was finished in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks to give it a sweet berry finish, but the magic touch to our Añejo is its incredible maturation process, using American and French oak barrels as well as reserves from ex-cognac casks. This is one of the most complex and robust Añejo's I have created, and will be attractive to both tequila enthusiasts and cognac drinkers alike. I am truly proud to bring this tequila to the U.S."
Gran Coramino Tequila is proud to donate $1 from every bottle sold to support diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses through its 'Give Back Program'. Launched last month, Gran Coramino is working with trusted impact partners including LISC in the United States, and the Beckmann Foundation in Tequila, Mexico, to help close wealth and opportunity gaps through entrepreneurship programs and funding.
"It has been an honor to work alongside Kevin and Juan as we develop Gran Coramino's portfolio of tequila expressions. Their hard work and dedication to creating an unmatched Añejo liquid will shine through its complexity and smoothness," says James Morrissey, Founder and CEO of Global Brand Equities. "As a brand, Gran Coramino set out to bring people together and create a community; and the response has been resounding."
Gran Coramino was created and developed by Kevin Hart, Global Brand Equities and Proximo Spirits. Gran Coramino Añejo is available now on GranCoramino.com and across CA, GA, IL, TX, FL, NY, AZ and OH in all retailers and online at ReserveBar for a suggested retail price of $99.99. It will be available nationwide starting January 2023. For more information, please visit GranCoramino.com and follow @GranCoramino on Instagram.
Gran Coramino is a tequila brand founded by two world-class masters of their crafts, Juan Domingo Beckmann and Kevin Hart. As entrepreneurs and tequila lovers, Juan and Kevin first bonded in Tequila, Mexico over their passion for what tequila is and can be, as well as their shared values and desire to innovate the tequila category. The Gran Coramino portfolio consists of two ultra-premium tequila expressions; a Cristalino and Añejo, both produced in the heart of Tequila Valley. Gran Coramino will donate $1 from every bottle sold to support diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses from communities in Tequila, Mexico and the United States. For more information, please visit GranCoramino.com and follow @GranCoramino on Instagram.
Global Brand Equities (GBE) is the leading producer, owner, and operator of disruptive consumer brands in the spirits industry. Founded by international entrepreneur James Morrissey, the GBE portfolio consists of investments in brands that live in high-growth categories. Responsible for some of the industry's most successful product launches globally, the company continues to innovate and evolve beyond the average industry standard. Creating long-term growth of brand equity is a priority for all of the GBE businesses, and its foundations are deep rooted in the liquor, manufacturing, and entertainment sectors, ensuring longevity and the ability to scale at a global level. The growing portfolio which Includes Maison No 9 French Rosé, Mercer + Prince Canadian Whisky and Sunny Vodka continues to receive exceptional accolades from leading experts. www.globalbrandequities.com
Emmy & Grammy nominated Kevin Hart was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he launched his career as a comedian during an amateur night at a local comedy club. Over the years Hart has become Hollywood's box office powerhouse, opening ten films at number one at the box office with $4.23 billion revenue at the global box office. Hart is the Chairman of HARTBEAT and Founder of HartBeat Ventures. Both of these companies play an integral part of his eco-system serving as an incubator for extraordinary growth and creativity. Hart continues to develop, star, and produce feature films and television and podcasts via HARTBEAT for his various partners which include Netflix, Peacock, Sirius XM and Audible. In 2020 Hart released his seventh hour long stand-up special, "Zero Fu**ks Given," which quickly became Netflix's biggest stand-up special of 2020 and earned him a Grammy nomination for "Best Comedy Album". Hart also earned Emmy nominations for "Die Hart," for "Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series" along with an Emmy nomination for his Docu-series, "Don't F**k This Up". Kevin is a New York Times Best Selling author twice over and his first Audible original, "The Decision," was nominated for an Audie award for "Best Original Audiobook in 2021."
Kevin's brand partnerships include Fabletics Men, Chase J.P Morgan, Hydrow, NutraBolt, Brüush, Tommy John and Therabody.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Gran Coramino
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/kevin-hart-introduces-new-luxury-tequila-experience-gran-coramino-aejo/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:42Z
|
Introducing a transformative approach to replace gas-powered commercial landscape equipment with an entirely new battery system and technology.
CHARLOTTE, N.C, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kress is leading the transition from gas-powered commercial lawn equipment for professional operations with the introduction of the industry's first true game-changing innovation in battery-powered equipment. Until today, despite a growing environmental awareness, commercial landscape professionals and facilities managers in the industrial channel have been forced to accept high-emission, gas-powered equipment as the only economical option that provides them with the performance and runtime required to complete a full day's work. Battery-powered equipment simply has not been a viable alternative due to the expense of multiple battery packs, the hassle of overnight charging and the high cost to replace dead battery packs after only a few months of daily re-charging.
Kress has changed all of that: now commercial landscapers and facilities managers can even save money and time by switching from gas to battery power. Based on the current price of gas, a typical landscaping business can recoup the entire purchase price of their Kress battery-powered equipment in less than one season. Kress offers lawncare professionals the opportunity not only to save the planet, but to save money as well.
"Our new Kress battery technology will ignite a dramatic shift in the professional outdoor power equipment industry that has been dominated by loud, dirty gas-powered tools and equipment for the past 50 years," says Don Gao, Chairman and CEO of Positec Group, the parent company of Kress. "The revolutionary, new Kress battery charges to 80 percent capacity in only five minutes, provides 10 times more re-charges than current lithium-ion batteries and produces the power and performance that meets or exceeds that of comparable combustion gas-engines. In the time it takes for a short water break, lawncare professionals now can rest assured that their fuel supply – the new powerful, proprietary Kress batteries – will be re-charged and ready to go. No wasted down time, more productivity and more profits for our customers – that's what Kress is all about."
As a part of the well-established Positec family of leading brands, Kress has built a reputation for advanced German engineering and has been recognized for designing and manufacturing electric motors for over 50 years. Today, the Kress brand unveils its new line of professional outdoor power equipment which is powered by its exclusive cordless battery technology — specifically designed for commercial lawn-care professionals — that will forever eliminate the need for petrol equipment.
The Kress battery technology explained
The new commercial Kress 8-minute Cybersystem™ battery platform was engineered and designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of commercial landscapers. The system features both 4Ah and 11Ah battery packs with the ability to recharge each 60v battery pack to 100% charge in only 8 minutes or 80% charge in 5 minutes, the fastest re-charge of any commercial battery system available. Due to its proprietary battery cell technology, each 60v Cyberpack battery is capable to produce up to twice the power output of standard lithium-ion batteries. The added power output allows Kress outdoor power equipment to meet or exceed the same performance as comparable commercial gas-powered machines but with less noise and zero harmful emissions. In addition, the Kress Cyberpack battery can be re-charged thousands of times - up to 10 times more than standard lithium-ion batteries. The extended battery life supports multiple re-charges per day and greatly reduces the cost of replacement battery packs over the life of the equipment. The Kress 8-minute™ Cybersystem is the first and only cordless battery power supply that will allow commercial landscapers to finally replace their expensive gas-powered equipment without sacrificing performance, power or runtime.
The new Kress 8-minute Cybersystem battery platform will power a full line of Kress professional outdoor equipment that includes commercial-grade backpack and handheld blowers, grass trimmers, edgers, chainsaws and hedge trimmers, as well as heavy-duty walk-behind commercial mowers. Each Kress commercial-grade tool is designed and engineered for heavy-duty use with a high-efficiency brushless motor and state-of-the-art features and performance. There are no more excuses to keep operating noisy, high-cost gas equipment or wasting time with cordless battery tools that won't get the job done.
Launch information and Dealer inquires
Kress will introduce the brand's complete line of commercial-grade equipment and revolutionary battery technology in North America in Q4 2022 in conjunction with the International Equip Exposition (formerly GIE). Kress is positioned to become a powerhouse in producing professional-grade, cordless outdoor power equipment as it partners with leading equipment dealers in the United States and Canada.
North American-based dealers interested in learning more about the Kress brand launch should visit Kress.com.
Join the landscape revolution. Visit www.kress.com for more information.
About Kress
In 1966, Kress launched a quiet revolution. While others were focused on loud, smelly combustion engines, Kress perfected clean, quiet, tough-as-nails electric tools with zero emissions. Positec Group has acquired the Kress brand in North America and positioned Kress to become a powerhouse in producing professional-grade cordless equipment valued by professional landscapers and facilities managers in the industrial channel. Many benefits of Kress's batteries have never before been available in OPE in North America. Kress will sell its products at select dealer locations in the United States and Canada beginning January 2023. Join the quiet revolution.
Visit Kress.com.
Media Contact:
Matt Lochel
mattl@jdpr.com
803.984.2883
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Kress
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/kress-reinvents-professional-outdoor-power-equipment-with-revolutionary-battery-innovation/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:49Z
|
The family-favorite designer of soft, bamboo baby and toddler clothing releases three iconic prints inspired by the Wizarding World.
DALLAS, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyte BABY announces its collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products on its enchanting Harry Potter Collection of bamboo sleepwear, featuring three iconic prints for babies and toddlers inspired by the Harry Potter films. The collection will feature a range of body styles and accessories, including Kyte BABY's beloved sleep bags and blankets.
"We are overjoyed to be working with Warner Bros. Consumer Products!" said Kyte BABY Founder Ying Liu, whose own children admire the Wizarding World. "Our entire Kyte BABY team are huge Harry Potter fans too, so when we had the opportunity to make clothes with Harry Potter themes, it was a no-brainer! We are excited about our customers finding the best prints for their little ones."
With stars and sparkles to bring the magic to life, the Flight print includes three beloved flying creatures as depicted in JK Rowling's iconic stories. Hedwig the owl, Fawkes the phoenix and Buckbeak the Hippogriff will grace this collection, with their hallmark prints set on an all-new dark blue background color, Tahoe, which is from the Kyte's Fall 2022 collection.
The Icons print features several iconic elements from the Harry Potter films with metallic gold accents to give the overall print an enchanting and festive look. Images include Harry Potter's glasses and lightning bolt scar, a Golden Snitch, the Deathly Hallows symbol and a winged key.
Herbology is a print that contains many natural elements, including subjects of study during Herbology lessons at Hogwarts and iconic plants as depicted in the films, such as Mandrakes, Dirigible Plums, Asphodel and Leaping Toadstools. The illustrations, outlined in black, have a khaki background giving them Kyte BABY's spin on a vintage look.
The enchanting Harry Potter Collection will be available for purchase on the Kyte BABY website starting on Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. CDT. For more information, visit www.kytebaby.com.
Founded in 2014 in Dallas, Texas, Kyte BABY is the brainchild of Ying Liu. When looking for better quality material for her sensitive baby's skin, her research led her to the soothing and sustainable properties of bamboo. Out of this, Kyte BABY was launched. Using this environmentally-intelligent fabric, the company's line features clothing for babies, toddlers, and moms. The name Kyte BABY is a playful nod to the whimsical activity of flying a kite, meant to evoke a feeling of innocence, freedom, and a return to nature. Kyte BABY is a testament to timeless fun and youth while being natural and healthy.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), part of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Brands and Experiences, extends the company's powerful portfolio of entertainment brands and franchises into the lives of fans around the world. WBCP partners with best-in-class licensees globally on an award-winning range of toys, fashion, home décor, and publishing inspired by Warner Bros.' biggest franchises from DC, Wizarding World, Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera, Game of Thrones, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. With innovative global licensing and merchandising programs, retail initiatives, and promotional partnerships, WBCP is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
In the years since Harry Potter was whisked from King's Cross Station onto Platform nine and three quarters, his incredible adventures have left a unique and lasting mark on popular culture. Eight blockbuster Harry Potter films based on the original stories by J.K. Rowling have brought the magical stories to life and today, the Wizarding World is recognized as one of the world's best-loved brands.
Representing a vast interconnected universe, it also includes three epic Fantastic Beasts films, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – the multi-award-winning stage-play, state-of-the-art video and mobile games from Portkey Games, innovative consumer products, thrilling live entertainment (including four theme park lands) and insightful exhibitions.
This expanding portfolio of Warner Bros. owned Wizarding World tours and retail also includes the flagship Harry Potter New York, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, and the Platform 9 3⁄4 retail shops.
The Wizarding World continues to evolve to provide Harry Potter fans with fresh and exciting ways to engage. For the worldwide fan community, and for generations to come, it welcomes everyone in to explore and discover the magic for themselves.
WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s22)
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Kyte BABY
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/kyte-baby-launches-harry-potter-inspired-collection/
| 2022-09-14T21:02:55Z
|
Vote Like a Madre 2022 launches with support from Eva Longoria, America Ferrera Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Angélica María, Angélica Vale, Gloria Calderón Kellet, Ariana DeBose, Carolina Sandoval, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Rosie Perez, among other Latina artists, celebrities and influencers.
Climate change continues to be a top issue for Latino voters across the country. Nearly 60 percent of Latinas support candidates that champion initiatives to combat climate change.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Latino Victory Project is launching its 2022 Vote Like a Madre campaign, a $5 million voter mobilization investment, featuring Latina artists, celebrities and influencers, including: Eva Longoria, America Ferrera, Lin-Manuel Miranda and his mother Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda, Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Rosie Perez, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Ariana DeBose, Angélica María, Angélica Vale, Gloria Calderón Kellet, Chef Lorena Garcia, Carolina Sandoval, Danna Garcia, Cyn Santana among other Latina leaders.
Led by Latino Victory Project, Vote Like A Madre aims to mobilize Latina voters, an influential voter demographic, to vote around the climate crisis issue, which is a top priority issue for Latinas and Latinos in 2022. This campaign brings together mothers and mother figures, such as tías, abuelas, hermanas, madrinas, to make a pinky promise and harness Latinas' voting power in these high-stakes midterm elections. With nearly 60 percent of Latinas saying that they would support candidates who champion initiatives to combat climate change, Vote Like A Madre calls on madres to demand that candidates have bold plans and commit to make progress towards finding practical solutions to address climate change.
"Latina moms are leaders in their families, the workforce and our communities, but they also exert tremendous power as voters. Nearly 60 percent of Latinas support candidates that support initiatives to combat climate change, so we have a key opportunity to mobilize this powerful electorate to vote for climate change action in November," said Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Project president and CEO. "As mothers, we want nothing more than a clean, safe environment so our children can live healthy, prosperous lives with clean air, water, and a stable climate. So, in this election, I call on my fellow madres and madre figures to make a pinky promise to their children to demand candidates have bold plans to combat the climate crisis. Together, we can elect a government that will protect our children by taking action on the climate emergency."
Polling conducted ahead of the 2022 midterm elections indicate that climate change continues to be a priority issue for Latinos nationwide and for a growing concern for Latinos in Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. Latinos are also disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change, from droughts to wildfires to record-breaking heat, their health and livelihood are all on the line when it comes to climate change. Vote Like a Madre will focus on the urgency for Latinas to mobilize on this issue.
"At Chispa Arizona, we envision communities that enjoy clean air and water, open spaces and parks and the security of knowing that our planet can sustain us today and for future generations," Vianey Olivarría, Chispa Arizona State Director. "We also envision a democracy that is accessible, through which all people have the opportunity to represent them. Just as Madre Tierra cares for us, madres and madre figures care for others, and are an essential part of materializing our vision. We look forward to showing their power in this election."
With 63 percent of Latinas 18 and over registered to vote, Vote Like A Madre encourages Latinas to make a pinky promise to vote for elected officials who are willing to take bold action on climate change policy. The campaign is planning an initial $5 million advertising spend mainly on digital, social media, radio and influencer platforms, which will be accompanied by robust GOTV direct voter contact.
The goal is to make Latinas the biggest voting block pushing elected officials to make the changes needed to stop the climate crisis. With 31 million Latinas in the United States and more than one million eligible Latina voters in Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado they are a powerful electorate and can have a significant impact on the midterm elections. In 2020, Latino Victory Project launched the Gold Effie-winning campaign—Vote Like A Madre—one of the largest mobilization efforts specifically designed with Latinas in mind and most impactful campaigns of the 2020 cycle driving 40,000 incremental voters in Arizona and Florida.
Full list of celebrity madres, madres figures and allies who are joining to make a pinky promise and encouraging the women in their lives to Vote Like a Madre on November 8:
The Latino Victory Project develops a pipeline of Latino leaders and shapes public discourse to reflect the growing influence of the Latino community while also building cross-constituency alliances that can move the country forward.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Latino Victory Project
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/latino-victory-projects-vote-like-madre-campaign-returns-with-5-million-mobilization-investment-southwest/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:02Z
|
MIAMI, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Laureate Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: LAUR) (the "Company") today announced that its board of directors approved, pursuant to the previously announced adoption of a plan of partial liquidation (the "Plan") related to the distribution of net proceeds from the Company's sale of Walden e-Learning LLC (the "Sale"), the payment of a special cash distribution (the "Distribution") equal to $0.83 per each share of the Company's Common Stock, par value $0.004 per share, to each holder of record on September 28, 2022. The Distribution is scheduled to be paid on October 12, 2022. Based on the current number of shares outstanding, the aggregate amount of the Distribution is expected to be approximately $137 million.
The proceeds being distributed are attributable to the release of $71.7 million of escrowed funds from the Sale plus remaining net proceeds that had yet to be distributed. This is anticipated to be the final distribution pursuant to the Plan.
Eilif Serck-Hanssen, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "In addition to delivering on our growth and quality commitments, we continue to prioritize return of capital for our shareholders. We believe that our leading brands, cash accretive business model and strong balance sheet position us well for continued value creation for all our stakeholders, including our shareholders."
Summary of Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences to the Receipt of the Distribution
The Distribution will be taxable to holders of Company common stock. In general, except as described in the immediately succeeding paragraph, the Company will treat the Distribution as a partial liquidation for U.S. federal income tax purposes as the Company obtained a private letter ruling from the Internal Revenue Service that, in summary, provides that the Distribution will be treated as a distribution in partial liquidation. As a result, each holder of Company common stock that is not a corporation (for this purpose any stock held by a partnership, estate or trust will be treated as if it were actually held proportionately by its partners or beneficiaries) (a non-corporate shareholder) will be treated as having a portion of their Company common shares redeemed and will recognize gain or loss equal to the difference between the cash received by them in the Distribution and their adjusted tax basis in the Company common stock deemed to have been exchanged therefor. Each corporate shareholder generally will be required to treat the Distribution as a dividend for federal income tax purposes to the extent of the Company's current and accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for federal income tax purposes).
Notwithstanding the above, the Company is not yet able to finally determine the amount of net proceeds from the Sale as relevant for purposes of the private letter ruling described above. If the amount of the Distribution exceeds the net proceeds from the Sale, a portion of the Distribution could be treated as a distribution with respect to, rather than in exchange for, stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, such portion of the Distribution would be treated as a dividend for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of the Company's current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes). To the extent that amounts received pursuant to the Distribution that are treated as distributions exceed the Company's current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distribution will first be treated as a non-taxable return of capital, causing a reduction in the tax basis of a holder's shares, and any amounts in excess of a holder's tax basis will result in capital gain.
Because a currently undetermined portion of the Distribution could be treated as a distribution with respect to, rather than in exchange for, stock for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it is possible that a withholding agent may withhold tax at a rate of 30% (or such lower rate as may be specified by an applicable income tax treaty) on the entire amount of the Distribution payable to a holder of Company common stock that is not a United States person (as such term is defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; any such holder, a "Non-U.S. Holder"). Non-U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular facts and circumstances, the procedures for claiming treaty benefits or otherwise establishing an exemption from U.S. withholding taxes with respect to the Distribution, and any action that may be taken to mitigate any potential adverse tax consequences.
All holders of Company common stock should consult their own tax advisors to determine the particular tax consequences to them of the Distribution, including the applicability and effect of any U.S. federal, state, local, non-U.S. and other tax laws. For further details regarding material U.S. tax consequences of the Distribution, see the Company's Form 8-K filed September 14, 2022.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain statements which contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which involve risks and uncertainties. You can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "intends," "plans," "estimates" or "anticipates" or similar expressions that concern our strategy, plans or intentions. In particular, statements regarding the impact of the Distribution and the amount, timing, process, tax treatment and impact of any future special distributions under the Plan represent forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements, which are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations are disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2022, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed and to be filed with the SEC and other filings made with the SEC.
About Laureate Education, Inc.
Laureate Education, Inc. operates five higher education institutions across Mexico and Peru, enrolling more than 375,000 students in high-quality undergraduate, graduate, and specialized degree programs through campus-based and online learning. Our universities have a deep commitment to academic quality and innovation, strive for market-leading employability outcomes, and work to make higher education more accessible. At Laureate, we know that when our students succeed, countries prosper, and societies benefit.
Investor Relations Contact:
ir@laureate.net
Media Contact:
Adam Smith
Laureate Education, Inc.
adam.smith@laureate.net
U.S.: +1 (443) 255 0724
View original content:
SOURCE Laureate Education, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/laureate-education-announces-special-cash-distribution/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:09Z
|
Focus on Assessment Adds to Powerful Educational Program for Teaching the Earliest Learners
WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning Without Tears' acclaimed Early Childhood curriculum, Get Set for School® (GSS), will now include the new Assessments to Guide Instruction, an addition to the complete program that provides greater value and more complete foundational learning. This new assessment tool allows educators to easily assess, track, and remediate student performance over the course of the school year. With AGI, teachers can easily provide updates and suggestions to families, building strong school-to-home connections, an important element of young learners' success.
"We have been experts in successful early childhood education for 40 years," said Terry Nealon, CEO of Learning Without Tears. "Get Set for School is the culmination of that learning expertise, and is being used by thousands of schools across the country. The addition of Assessments to Guide Instruction expands the impact GSS can have on very young learners. With a clear, individual assessment of what their students need at this early point in their education, teachers can create a lifelong learner and lover of reading, by meeting students where they are."
The award-winning Get Set for School complete curriculum is divided into six learning areas that seamlessly create a better academic outcome for pre-K students. Students are taught developmentally, learning the easiest skills first, then building on that knowledge as learning progresses. Multi-sensory activities provide hands-on learning and play-based opportunities for students to learn.
This complete pre-K curriculum prepares students for kindergarten in delightful ways, developing the foundational learning skills necessary for overall academic success. With the new Assessments to Guide Instruction, teachers can:
- Identify the skills students need to improve
- Enable data-driven enhancements of teacher-led instruction
- Visualize student progress reports and share with families and administrators
- Organize student assessments through a digital dashboard
- Ensure student success over time, with digital progress monitoring
- Remediate student skills with guided suggestions per unit
The impact pandemic school shutdowns had on student progress will be measured and monitored for many upcoming years. But the Nation's Report Card released last week by NAEP, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, reported what many feared: student performance declined significantly, with lower performing students seeing a shaper decline than some of their peers. "Each early learner is starting school this year at a different spot," CEO Nealon explained. "Some students are starting preschool with foundational learning skills already in place, while other students still need to develop those building blocks of learning. Many of these young children have never been in a formal learning environment. All of this impacts student achievement and progress."
Assessment of each student's skills and progress is vital, so teachers have the data to know where each student is, in terms of learning. With assessment in place, teachers can tailor their instruction based on each students' performance. Teachers can follow and track the progress students make as they get ready for kindergarten.
Get Set for School helps teachers keep students on-track for kindergarten readiness in a simple way: by expanding early learning possibilities. Embedded Professional Development will empower and inspire teachers with real-time guided and just-in-time learning modules. Digital teaching tools, multi-sensory manipulatives, activities, play-based lessons, and a host of other important educational tools, are included in the complete version of GSS.
In all elements of the GSS program, teachers are supported with guided lessons and other learning opportunities. Students will access a hands-on curriculum that engages their minds, and helps many kids gain a real love for reading. As a complete pre-K curriculum, Get Set for School aligns to standards developed by Head Start and the National Association for the Education of Young Children and addresses each subject area throughout the course of research-based instruction.
Get Set for School is eligible for federal funding sources.
Learning Without Tears is a leading early education company offering a proven and unique approach to teaching and learning, from crucial readiness skills in pre-K to foundational writing and typing skills, including handwriting, keyboarding and cursive. The elementary school-level programs benefit all learners with multisensory, developmentally appropriate, proven practices, and are used by millions of students around the world. Learning Without Tears professional development programs deliver early education expertise to thousands of teachers, tutors, and occupational therapists in the US and across the globe.
View original content:
SOURCE Learning Without Tears
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/learning-without-tears-announces-assessments-guide-instruction-expanding-impact-get-set-school-complete-multisensory-early-childhood-curriculum/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:15Z
|
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- De Beers Jewellers natural & responsibly sourced diamonds dazzled on actor Lily James at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
James, nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Pam and Tommy radiated natural elegance in pieces from De Beers Talisman collection paired with a bronze-hued gown. Comprised of rough diamonds juxtaposed against polished diamonds, the Talisman collection is inspired by the ancient appreciation of rough diamonds as a symbol of power. The collection tells the story of natural diamonds, nature's most precious treasures, from the moment that they are discovered by De Beers in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Canada to the refined craftsmanship of the diamond jewelry that makes its way onto the red carpet.
Lily James
- De Beers Talisman Hoop Earrings set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Talisman Closed Bangle set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Talisman Closed Bangle with Rough & Polished Diamonds set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Talisman Small Band set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Talisman Large Band set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Dewdrop Diamond Band set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Dewdrop Diamond Band set in 18k Rose Gold
- De Beers Micropave Bangle set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Micropave Bangle set in 18k Yellow Gold
- De Beers Micropave Bangle set in 18k Rose Gold
Mindy Kaling
- De Beers Lea Earrings set in Platinum, 4.04 carats
- De Beers Adonis Rose Pear-Shaped High Jewelry Ring set in Platinum, 5.39 carats
- De Beers Adonis Rose Cluster Ring set in 18k White Gold, 1.94 carats
Nicholas Braun
- De Beers Talisman Azulea Large Band set in 18k White Gold
- De Beers DB Classic Bangle set in 18k White Gold
Download images here
Founded in London, with a flagship store on Old Bond Street and a presence in the most exclusive locations around the world, De Beers Jewellers is the pinnacle of luxury diamond jewellery. Building on De Beers' 130 years of expertise, the House glorifies the world's most beautiful diamonds through creativity and craftsmanship in bold, distinctive designs.
De Beers is invested in ensuring all the diamonds it discovers create a lasting positive impact for people and the places where they are found. This comes with a pledge to build a better future – one that is fairer, safer, cleaner and healthier, in which communities thrive, ethical practices are maintained, and the natural environment is protected. We call this long-term commitment Building Forever.
De Beers Jewellers has 30 stores globally and ships to 15 markets via debeers.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE De Beers
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/lily-james-shines-de-beers-2022-emmy-awards/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:22Z
|
LimnTech Scientific's automation of road striping operations will improve quality and safety.
SOUDERTON, Pa., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LimnTech Scientific recently completed an upgrade to the LifeMark ®-100 Automated Record and Layout system which allows customers to export AI camera-collected pavement marking location data into CAD programs. The new feature allows engineers and designers to compare "as built" data with design plans enabling them to store accurate information and make changes for future layout by the LifeMar ®k-100 system. Traffic control customers can layout new changed pavement marking locations by truck instead of by hand. Common use case is for traffic switches, generally completed by hand crews in live traffic. These marks are used nationwide to place temporary traffic control devices like cones, barrels, and markings every night.
This third generation LifeMark ®-100 Automated Record and Layout System has revolutionized the pavement marking industry. The ability to record pavement marking location via camera using AI software at traffic speeds is now combined with LimnTech Scientific software's ease of operation. Multiple customers are ordering additional units to increase the efficiency obtained by their first unit delivered.
The new Data Export and Import capability will allow further growth of the system to allow for recording of data of other infrastructure assets. Examples include utility hole or storm drain identification and location, curbs or sidewalk, bike lanes. Contact us to see what we can do for your infrastructure management.
LimnTech Scientific automation products for road striping equipment are currently in operation across North America, with thousands of roads recorded and laid out quickly from the safety of a state-of-the-art truck. Dozens of automatic layout trucks are being used to keep workers out of harm's way in over 12 states, all while simultaneously recording road marking locations to a high degree of accuracy.
LimnTech Scientific designs and manufactures automation systems for the roadway marking industry. GPS-based and machine vision systems make jobs safer by removing workers from dangerous environments and are available for most equipment worldwide.
#stripinggenius #robotstriper #automation #autonomous
Visit www.limntech.com for more information or call Chris Davies at 215-240-2223.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE LimnTech Scientific
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/limntech-scientific-announces-data-export-import-ability-lifemark-100-automated-layout-system/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:29Z
|
FINDLAY, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marathon Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: MPC) will host a conference call on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 11 a.m. ET to discuss 2022 third-quarter financial results.
Interested parties may listen to the conference call by visiting MPC's website at www.marathonpetroleum.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on MPC's website for two weeks. Financial information, including the earnings release and other investor-related material, will also be available online prior to the conference call and webcast at www.marathonpetroleum.com.
About Marathon Petroleum Corporation
MPC is a leading, integrated, downstream energy company headquartered in Findlay, Ohio. The company operates the nation's largest refining system. MPC's marketing system includes branded locations across the United States, including Marathon brand retail outlets. MPC also owns the general partner and majority limited partner interest in MPLX LP, a midstream company that owns and operates gathering, processing, and fractionation assets, as well as crude oil and light product transportation and logistics infrastructure. More information is available at www.marathonpetroleum.com.
Investor Relations Contacts: (419) 421-2071
Kristina Kazarian, Vice President
Brian Worthington, Manager
Kenan Kinsey, Analyst
Media Contact: (419) 421-3312
Jamal Kheiry, Communications Manager
View original content:
SOURCE Marathon Petroleum Corporation
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/marathon-petroleum-corp-report-third-quarter-financial-results-november-1-2022/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:35Z
|
The culinary icon will be featured in upcoming ORIGIN™ campaigns and making appearances on behalf of the brand
STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The original master chef, Wolfgang Puck, is joining BlueTriton Brand's premium ORIGIN™ spring water brand as an Ambassador. The award-winning restaurateur, who has been a favorite of Presidents and celebrities alike, brings his discerning taste to the ORIGIN™ Refreshingly American Spring Water brand.
"We are very excited to welcome world-renowned master chef, Wolfgang Puck to our team as an ambassador for the ORIGIN™ brand," says Origin brand lead Brittany Lewis "His refreshingly American entrepreneurial spirit speaks to the core of our values of crafting a better and more purposeful world."
"I am excited to be joining the ORIGIN™ team," says Puck. "I have always focused on fresh, local ingredients because I believe they are the key to great flavor and a unique dining experience. BlueTriton and ORIGIN™ bring that quality experience with their spring-to-table water."
As the newest face of ORIGIN™, fans of Puck will soon be able to see him make public appearances and be featured across platforms in social media and video campaigns.
About ORIGIN™
We all have a unique story to tell. And now more than ever that story is one of connection and purpose. Resilience and determination. Innovation and creativity. And with these stories, we help re-define what being Refreshingly American truly means.
ORIGIN™ is a new brand that has its own unique story to share as a Refreshingly American Spring Water. Sourced and bottled in the U.S., ORIGIN is truly spring-to-table so none of the goodness of nature is lost. With a crisp, refreshing taste, we are the brand of choice for those looking for a small spark during the day to naturally refresh, refuel, and inspire the innate quest for potential and possibility.
ORIGIN™ is also available in sparkling varieties. Enhanced with the perfect balance of fine bubbles that tingle on the tongue and naturally occurring electrolytes for a crisp, clean taste, ORIGIN™ Sparkling 100% Natural Spring Water provides an exceptional drinking experience that can help elevate any occasion. With Lime, Berries and unflavored options available in beautifully designed and recyclable aluminum cans that add a special touch.
Our Commitment
Not only do we 100% source, bottle and can ORIGIN™ in America, we also help conserve the spring sources where our water comes from. Nature isn't just beautiful, it's precious. From the design of our bottles and cans, to the care we put into helping to conserve our springs, we are devoted to bringing you spring water that provides an exceptional drinking experience for any occasion.
About Wolfgang Puck
The world-renowned master chef and restaurateur has carefully crafted a vast empire since the early 1980s which includes fine dining restaurants, premium catering services, casual restaurants, licensed retail food, houseware products, cookbooks, and media run by three distinct companies - Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide.
Puck began cooking as a child, at his mother's side. She was a chef in the Austrian town where he was born, and with her encouragement, Wolfgang started his formal training at fourteen years of age.
In 1975, Wolfgang came to Los Angeles and very quickly garnered the attention of the Hollywood elite as chef of Ma Maison in West Hollywood. His dynamic personality and culinary brilliance that bridged tradition and invention made Ma Maison a magnet for the rich and famous, with Wolfgang as the star attraction. From Ma Maison, Wolfgang went on to create his first flagship restaurant, Spago, originally located in West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip. From its opening day in 1982, Spago was an instant success and culinary phenomenon. Wolfgang and Spago earned many accolades during its popular eighteen years in West Hollywood, including winning the prestigious James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Chef of the Year, twice, in 1991 and 1998, and the James Beard Foundation Award for Restaurant of the Year in 1994. Wolfgang is the only chef to have won the Outstanding Chef of the Year Award multiple times.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Origin
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/master-chef-wolfgang-puck-joins-origin-spring-water-an-ambassador/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:42Z
|
DALLAS, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohr Partners, Inc., a leading global corporate real estate services firm, recently announced the successful sale leaseback of the Republic Finance office building located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Situated near Louisiana State University, the 27,160-square-foot building recently served as Republic Finance's headquarters, with over 200 employees in Baton Rouge.
The company signed a 15-year lease (plus multiple options) as part of the sale, committing to the site as it builds a new headquarter in Plano, Texas.
Mohr Partners' Capital Markets division – led by Managing Principal/Shareholder Eric Beichler, Managing Director Trent Smith and Managing Director Grant Palmer – sourced and worked the opportunity to a local buyer in Louisiana.
"We were very pleased with the work of our national real estate provider Mohr Partners, Inc., and their team in assisting us with a successful sale-leaseback transaction of our Baton Rouge facility," Republic Finance Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Mark Freeman said.
The property sits just minutes from the Towne Center at Cedar Lodge, a 350,000-square-foot shopping center, and the Louisiana Farm Bureau's brand new 84,000-square-feet office.
The building also features sustainable design aspects, including a high-efficiency HVAC system, high-performance exterior glass, a high-albedo roofing system, Kone EcoDisc elevators, exterior solar shading devices, high performance lighting fixtures and Levitron lighting control system.
Additionally, the property is well-connected to local and national transportation infrastructure, boasting easy access to the local Capital Area Transit System, Interstate 10 — one of the largest interstates in the U.S. — Interstate 12 and U.S. Route 190.
Mohr Partners exclusively represented the buyer in the transaction. Additional terms of the sale were not disclosed.
About Mohr Partners, Inc. Mohr Partners, Inc. is a global corporate real estate advisor, providing corporate tenants with an integrated set of portfolio services including strategic planning, business intelligence, lease administration/accounting & FASB ASC 842 compliance, research and site selection, labor analytics, project and construction management, comprehensive demographics analysis, economic incentives negotiations and transaction management. Since 1986, Mohr Partners has been managing real estate portfolios for corporations, and each year completes transactions for its clients in all 50 U.S. states, all provinces of Canada and locations around the world. Mohr Partners seamlessly provides corporate real estate services globally through its strategic alliance partners in Canada, Mexico/Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. For more information on Mohr Partners, please visit www.mohrpartners.com.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Mohr Partners, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/mohr-partners-transacts-republic-finance-baton-rouge-la/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:49Z
|
FINDLAY, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- MPLX LP (NYSE: MPLX) will host a conference call on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. ET to discuss 2022 third-quarter financial results.
Interested parties may listen to the conference call by visiting MPLX's website at www.mplx.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on MPLX's website for two weeks. Financial information, including the earnings release and other investor-related material, will also be available online prior to the conference call and webcast at www.mplx.com.
MPLX is a diversified, large-cap master limited partnership that owns and operates midstream energy infrastructure and logistics assets, and provides fuels distribution services. MPLX's assets include a network of crude oil and refined product pipelines; an inland marine business; light-product terminals; storage caverns; refinery tanks, docks, loading racks, and associated piping; and crude and light-product marine terminals. The company also owns crude oil and natural gas gathering systems and pipelines as well as natural gas and NGL processing and fractionation facilities in key U.S. supply basins. More information is available at www.MPLX.com.
Investor Relations Contacts: (419) 421-2071
Kristina Kazarian, Vice President
Isaac Feeney, Supervisor
Media Contact: (419) 421-3312
Jamal Kheiry, Communications Manager
View original content:
SOURCE MPLX LP
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/mplx-lp-report-third-quarter-financial-results-november-1-2022/
| 2022-09-14T21:03:56Z
|
Collaboration combines leading expertise of Neuron23 in drug discovery, data science, and machine learning with QIAGEN's long-standing experience in companion diagnostic development
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. and GERMANTOWN, Md. and HILDEN, Germany, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuron23™ Inc., an early stage biotechnology company focused on developing precision medicines for genetically defined neurological and immunological diseases, and QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced a collaboration to develop a companion diagnostic for Neuron23's LRRK2 inhibitor for Parkinson's disease.
Under the Master Collaboration Agreement, QIAGEN will develop and validate a clinical trial assay that will detect a combination of biomarkers discovered by Neuron23 that together predict the responsiveness of Parkinson's disease patients to a LRRK2 inhibitor. The partnership will support the clinical development of Neuron23's drug candidate that is currently in the late stages of preclinical development. Subject to further clinical development, the agreement also covers options for the future development of additional companion diagnostics.
The assay for this collaboration will be integrated into a next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflow that leverages QIAGEN's Sample to Insight capabilities. Parallel development of the diagnostic assay and the therapeutic will allow the companies to submit the application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for premarket approval (PMA) of the NGS companion diagnostic test in tandem with the new drug application (NDA) for Neuron23's LRRK2 inhibitor.
"We are excited about this partnership as this is the first companion diagnostic to be developed for Parkinson's disease. This collaboration combines the leading expertise of Neuron23 in drug discovery, data science, and machine learning with QIAGEN's long-standing experience and global leadership in companion diagnostic development," said Nancy Stagliano, Ph.D., CEO of Neuron23. "QIAGEN's blood-based test will help to identify patients with Parkinson's disease who are likely to respond to Neuron23's LRRK2 inhibitor. The development of a companion diagnostic identifying this sub-population of Parkinson's disease patients will de-risk the clinical development of Neuron23's LRRK2 inhibitor and help identify individuals who may benefit from this disease-modifying therapy. We are excited to be working with an industry leader on the first companion diagnostic developed for Parkinson's disease."
"The collaboration with Neuron23 shows the rapid momentum precision medicine is gaining in disease areas outside oncology," said Jonathan Arnold, Vice President, Head of Oncology and Precision Diagnostics at QIAGEN. "Our expertise in blood- and NGS-based molecular testing from Sample to Insight will enable Neuron23 to run a clinical trial for a drug candidate that may have the potential to modify the course of an inexorable neurodegenerative disease in a genetically defined population."
LRRK2 is a complex, multidomain protein found in neurons and many other tissues and cell types throughout the body. Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are one of the most common causes of familial Parkinson's disease and individuals who inherit gain of function mutations in LRRK2 are clearly at higher risk to develop the disease in later life. Additionally, there is emerging evidence that LRRK2 activity may play a role in a subset of the larger population of patients with non-familial Parkinson's disease. Recent investigations have shown that small-molecule LRRK2 inhibitors can be neuroprotective, suggesting that therapies targeting LRRK2 could be beneficial in a larger population of patients.
No laboratory tests are currently available for the diagnosis of non-genetic cases for Parkinson's disease. Usually, the disease is diagnosed based on medical history and neurological examination. Although no cure currently exists for Parkinson's disease, therapies are used to alleviate some symptoms.
QIAGEN is a pioneer in Precision Medicine and the global leader in collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to co-develop companion diagnostics, which detect clinically relevant genetic abnormalities to provide insights that guide clinical decision-making in diseases such as cancer. QIAGEN has an unmatched depth and breadth of technologies from NGS to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and digital PCR (dPCR) for companion diagnostic development. QIAGEN has ten PCR based companion diagnostic indications that are FDA approved, including therascreen EGFR for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), therascreen KRAS for colorectal cancer and NSCLC, therascreen FGFR for urothelial cancer, therascreen PIK3CA for breast cancer based on tissue or plasma samples and the therascreen BRAF kit for colorectal cancer.
Currently, QIAGEN is working under master collaboration agreements with more than 25 leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop and commercialize companion diagnostic tests for their drug candidates – a deep pipeline of potential future products to advance Precision Medicine for the benefit of patients.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
About Neuron23™
Neuron23™ Inc. is an early stage biotechnology company focused on developing precision medicines for genetically defined neurological and immunological diseases. Neuron23 combines recent advances in human genetics with a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled drug discovery and biomarker platform to advance therapeutics for devastating diseases. The Company's focus areas are neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammatory diseases, and systemic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Founded in 2018, Neuron23 has assembled a world-class team of experts and entrepreneurs located in South San Francisco, CA. For more information, please visit www.neuron23.com.
About QIAGEN
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands-based holding company, is the leading global provider of Sample to Insight solutions that enable customers to gain valuable molecular insights from samples containing the building blocks of life. Our sample technologies isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from blood, tissue and other materials. Assay technologies make these biomolecules visible and ready for analysis. Bioinformatics software and knowledge bases interpret data to report relevant, actionable insights. Automation solutions tie these together in seamless and cost-effective workflows. QIAGEN provides solutions to more than 500,000 customers around the world in Molecular Diagnostics (human healthcare) and Life Sciences (academia, pharma R&D and industrial applications, primarily forensics). As of June 30, 2022, QIAGEN employed more than 6,100 people in over 35 locations worldwide. Further information can be found at http://www.qiagen.com.
QIAGEN Forward-Looking Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the extent that any of the statements contained herein relating to QIAGEN's products, collaborations markets, strategy or operating results, including without limitation its expected adjusted net sales and adjusted diluted earnings results, are forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with management of growth and international operations (including the effects of currency fluctuations, regulatory processes and dependence on logistics), variability of operating results and allocations between customer classes, the commercial development of markets for our products to customers in academia, pharma, applied testing and molecular diagnostics; changing relationships with customers, suppliers and strategic partners; competition; rapid or unexpected changes in technologies; fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's products (including fluctuations due to general economic conditions, the level and timing of customers' funding, budgets and other factors); our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products; difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integrated solutions and producing such products; the ability of QIAGEN to identify and develop new products and to differentiate and protect our products from competitors' products; market acceptance of QIAGEN's new products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses. For further information, please refer to the discussions in reports that QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Neuron23
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/neuron23-qiagen-announce-collaboration-develop-first-next-generation-sequencing-companion-diagnostic-novel-parkinsons-disease-drug/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:02Z
|
DALLAS, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NexBank Capital, Inc., a Dallas-based financial services and parent company of NexBank, announced that it completed a $50 million common equity raise through an offering of 199,996 shares of its common stock. The private placement closed on September 9, 2022. The net proceeds will be used as growth capital and for other general corporate purposes.
This press release is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or sale is not permitted.
About NexBank Capital, Inc.
NexBank Capital, Inc. is a financial services company that serves its clients through three core businesses: Institutional Banking, Commercial Banking, and Mortgage Banking. It provides customized financial and banking services primarily to institutional clients, financial institutions, and corporations nationwide.
NexBank | Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE NexBank Capital, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/nexbank-capital-inc-raises-50-million-additional-common-equity/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:09Z
|
JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) announced today that it intends to sell $2.0 billion of equity units.
Each equity unit will be issued in a stated amount of $50. Each equity unit will consist of a contract to purchase NextEra Energy common stock in the future and a 5% undivided beneficial ownership interest in a NextEra Energy Capital Holdings, Inc. debenture due Sept. 1, 2027, to be issued in the principal amount of $1,000. The debentures will be guaranteed by NextEra Energy Capital Holdings' parent company, NextEra Energy, Inc.
The holders would be required to complete the stock purchase by no later than Sept. 1, 2025, and their purchase obligations may be satisfied with proceeds raised from remarketing the debentures that comprise part of their equity units.
The net proceeds from the sale of the equity units, which are expected to be approximately $1.94 billion (after deducting the underwriting discount and other offering expenses), will be added to the general funds of NextEra Energy Capital Holdings. NextEra Energy Capital Holdings expects to use its general funds to fund investments in energy and power projects and for other general corporate purposes, including the repayment of its outstanding commercial paper obligations.
This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities to which this communication relates in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The offering may be made only by means of a prospectus and the related prospectus supplement, copies of which may be obtained from NextEra Energy, Inc., Investor Relations, 561-694-4697.
NextEra Energy, Inc.
NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra Energy owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is America's largest electric utility that sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.8 million customer accounts, or more than 12 million people across Florida. NextEra Energy also owns a competitive clean energy business, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from seven commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune's 2022 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," recognized on Fortune's 2021 list of companies that "Change the World" and received the S&P Global Platts 2020 Energy Transition Award for leadership in environmental, social and governance.
Cautionary Statements and Risk Factors That May Affect Future Results
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts, but instead represent the current expectations of NextEra Energy, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy) regarding future operating results and other future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of NextEra Energy's control. In some cases, you can identify the forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "will," "may result," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," "seek," "potential," "projection," "forecast," "predict," "goals," "target," "outlook," "should," "would" or similar words or expressions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance. The future results of NextEra Energy and its business and financial condition are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, or may require it to limit or eliminate certain operations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this news release and the following: effects of extensive regulation of NextEra Energy's business operations; inability of NextEra Energy to recover in a timely manner any significant amount of costs, a return on certain assets or a reasonable return on invested capital through base rates, cost recovery clauses, other regulatory mechanisms or otherwise; impact of political, regulatory, operational and economic factors on regulatory decisions important to NextEra Energy; disallowance of cost recovery based on a finding of imprudent use of derivative instruments; effect of any reductions or modifications to, or elimination of, governmental incentives or policies that support utility scale renewable energy projects or the imposition of additional tax laws, tariffs, duties, policies or assessments on renewable energy or equipment necessary to generate it or deliver it; impact of new or revised laws, regulations, interpretations or constitutional ballot and regulatory initiatives on NextEra Energy; capital expenditures, increased operating costs and various liabilities attributable to environmental laws, regulations and other standards applicable to NextEra Energy; effects on NextEra Energy of federal or state laws or regulations mandating new or additional limits on the production of greenhouse gas emissions; exposure of NextEra Energy to significant and increasing compliance costs and substantial monetary penalties and other sanctions as a result of extensive federal regulation of its operations and businesses; effect on NextEra Energy of changes in tax laws, guidance or policies as well as in judgments and estimates used to determine tax-related asset and liability amounts; impact on NextEra Energy of adverse results of litigation; effect on NextEra Energy of failure to proceed with projects under development or inability to complete the construction of (or capital improvements to) electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities, gas infrastructure facilities or other facilities on schedule or within budget; impact on development and operating activities of NextEra Energy resulting from risks related to project siting, planning, financing, construction, permitting, governmental approvals and the negotiation of project development agreements, as well as supply chain disruptions; risks involved in the operation and maintenance of electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities, gas infrastructure facilities, retail gas distribution system in Florida and other facilities; effect on NextEra Energy of a lack of growth or slower growth in the number of customers or in customer usage; impact on NextEra Energy of severe weather and other weather conditions; threats of terrorism and catastrophic events that could result from terrorism, cyberattacks or other attempts to disrupt NextEra Energy's business or the businesses of third parties; inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage for protection of NextEra Energy against significant losses and risk that insurance coverage does not provide protection against all significant losses; a prolonged period of low gas and oil prices could impact NextEra Energy's gas infrastructure business and cause NextEra Energy to delay or cancel certain gas infrastructure projects and could result in certain projects becoming impaired; risk of increased operating costs resulting from unfavorable supply costs necessary to provide full energy and capacity requirement services; inability or failure to manage properly or hedge effectively the commodity risk within its portfolio; effect of reductions in the liquidity of energy markets on NextEra Energy's ability to manage operational risks; effectiveness of NextEra Energy's risk management tools associated with its hedging and trading procedures to protect against significant losses, including the effect of unforeseen price variances from historical behavior; impact of unavailability or disruption of power transmission or commodity transportation facilities on sale and delivery of power or natural gas; exposure of NextEra Energy to credit and performance risk from customers, hedging counterparties and vendors; failure of counterparties to perform under derivative contracts or of requirement for NextEra Energy to post margin cash collateral under derivative contracts; failure or breach of NextEra Energy's information technology systems; risks to NextEra Energy's retail businesses from compromise of sensitive customer data; losses from volatility in the market values of derivative instruments and limited liquidity in over-the-counter markets; impact of negative publicity; inability to maintain, negotiate or renegotiate acceptable franchise agreements; occurrence of work strikes or stoppages and increasing personnel costs; NextEra Energy's ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions, including the effect of increased competition for acquisitions; environmental, health and financial risks associated with ownership and operation of nuclear generation facilities; liability of NextEra Energy for significant retrospective assessments and/or retrospective insurance premiums in the event of an incident at certain nuclear generation facilities; increased operating and capital expenditures and/or reduced revenues at nuclear generation facilities resulting from orders or new regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; inability to operate any of NextEra Energy's owned nuclear generation units through the end of their respective operating licenses; effect of disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit and capital markets or actions by third parties in connection with project-specific or other financing arrangements on NextEra Energy's ability to fund its liquidity and capital needs and meet its growth objectives; inability to maintain current credit ratings; impairment of liquidity from inability of credit providers to fund their credit commitments or to maintain their current credit ratings; poor market performance and other economic factors that could affect NextEra Energy's defined benefit pension plan's funded status; poor market performance and other risks to the asset values of nuclear decommissioning funds; changes in market value and other risks to certain of NextEra Energy's investments; effect of inability of NextEra Energy subsidiaries to pay upstream dividends or repay funds to NextEra Energy or of NextEra Energy's performance under guarantees of subsidiary obligations on NextEra Energy's ability to meet its financial obligations and to pay dividends on its common stock; the fact that the amount and timing of dividends payable on NextEra Energy's common stock, as well as the dividend policy approved by NextEra Energy's board of directors from time to time, and changes to that policy, are within the sole discretion of NextEra Energy's board of directors and, if declared and paid, dividends may be in amounts that are less than might be expected by shareholders; NextEra Energy Partners, LP's inability to access sources of capital on commercially reasonable terms could have an effect on its ability to consummate future acquisitions and on the value of NextEra Energy's limited partner interest in NextEra Energy Operating Partners, LP; effects of disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit and capital markets on the market price of NextEra Energy's common stock; and the ultimate severity and duration of public health crises, epidemics and pandemics, and its effects on NextEra Energy's business. NextEra Energy discusses these and other risks and uncertainties in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and other Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and this news release should be read in conjunction with such SEC filings. The forward-looking statements made in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and NextEra Energy undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/nextera-energy-sell-equity-units/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:15Z
|
The heart of the Pass is a new, NFT-centric venue in Las Vegas where communities will meet IRL for onboarding from Web2 to Web3, launch new art and NFT projects, enjoy unique immersive and live experiences, or just mix and mingle.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Non-Fungible Art™ Inc (NFA™), the NFT agency and mega-community innovator, specializing in physical/digital cross-over collections of sight and sound, announced today that they will drop their inaugural, limited edition, NFA™ Membership Pass on September 28st, to be available on www.NonFungibleArt.io.
Among NFA™ Pass' varied membership perks will include 4 free NFTs from NFA's private collection and VIP access to their new phy-digital experience venue at the Arts District in Las Vegas. Through their exclusive Project Partner Program, NFA, in partnership with the world famous Zinu™ and their zombie-mob legions, joins hundreds of other NFT collections and thousands of community members to create a truly engaged and fast growing mega-community for all. "The Pass will give NFT projects a continuing way to grow their own communities and utility, plus establish an enormous platform for new NFT projects to introduce their works, while also giving their collectors an IRL hub to meet-up", said Sidney Richlin, CEO of NFA. "It also gives visitors the ability to be onboarded into Web3 by our onsite Mods. This can include everything from signing-up for their first crypto wallet to being gifted their first NFT."
The Vegas sites plan to host a rotating Gallery of NFT and physical art, immersive entertainment, live stage and streaming performances, lounge and unique retail "shopping" experience. NFA is providing a hub for holders to engage peer-to-peer and to network with leaders at special events, while unlocking innovative new experiences. Passholders who can't make it IRL, will still enjoy access to live streams ranging from NFT launch parties, pop-up shows and concerts, to intimate special leadership events.
With an advisory board as varied as its collaborations, from music moguls like Snoop Dogg and Slash to sports starts like NBA All-Star Ralph Sampson and Rashad Evans, NFA caters to some of the world's most established IP and talent while having committed a large part of their IRL experience to help showcase, promote and support emerging creators.
NFA is scheduled to follow up their launch of the Pass quickly with the much-anticipated initial drop of Crypto Homies™; created in collaboration with its founder David Gonzalez, the 30-year legacy of the Homies® OG six characters.
For more information, visit NonFungibleArt.io. For the latest news, drops, and future experiences – follow @NFA_Inc on Twitter.
NFTs based on the iconic Homies®, which in their 25th year have made their way from comics and vending machine to cult status and now the blockchain barrio. For more news and information, visit CryptoHomiesclub.io and join our Discord - or follow @CryptoHomies_.
Contact:
Jen Egan
CMO, NFA™
O: 310-854-8157 / M: 310.612.9862
jen@nonfungibleart.io
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Non-Fungible Art
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/non-fungible-art-drop-utility-rich-membership-pass/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:22Z
|
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Portland Cement Association (PCA) President and CEO Mike Ireland alongside Thomas Guillot, CEO of the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), will host a hybrid panel event during New York Climate Week, with attendance available either in-person or online.
Industry leaders, as well as Selwin Hart, Special Advisor to UN Secretary General for Climate Action and Just Transition, will discuss the progress and next steps for the cement-concrete industry to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. (Read more about PCA's Roadmap to Carbon Neutrality here.) The panelists also will address specific policies that are vital in building a green, net zero concrete future, as well as showcase the tools available to stakeholders and policymakers worldwide. Following the event, Mr. Ireland will be available for questions and one-on-one interviews, as will Sean O'Neill, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at PCA. Participants can also tune into the event virtually.
WHERE: Blender Event Space, 135 Madison Avenue, or join us online. Register here.
WHEN: 11:00 AM ET Tuesday, September 20, 2022
WHO:
- Keynote - Selwin Hart, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations for Climate Action and Just Transition
- Jan Jenisch, CEO, Holcim - and President, Global Cement and Concrete Association
- Thomas Guillot, CEO, Global Cement and Concrete Association
- Ron Henley, President, GCC America and Chairman, Portland Cement Association
- Filiberto Ruiz, President and CEO, Votorantim Cimentos North America and Vice Chairman, Portland Cement Association
- Mike Ireland, President and CEO, Portland Cement Association
- María José García, Executive Director, Federación Interamericana del Cemento (FICEM)
REGISTER: Registration can be found here. If you would like to set up a separate interview with Mike Ireland, please contact Remi Braden at Rbraden@cement.org or Alex Adams at Aadams@apcoworldwide.com
The Portland Cement Association (PCA), founded in 1916, represents 93 percent of U.S. cement production capacity and have facilities in all 50 states. The association promotes safety, sustainability, and innovation in all aspects of construction, fosters continuous improvement in cement manufacturing and distribution and generally promotes economic growth and sound infrastructure investment.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Portland Cement Association
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/panel-event-with-us-global-cement-concrete-industry-be-held-2022-new-york-climate-week/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:29Z
|
DALLAS, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Seconds count when communicating during urgent events, and the ability to navigate quickly and easily within a mass notification platform is crucial. This ease of use is accomplished by both the application design and meeting of accessibility standards that allow all users, regardless of disability, to easily navigate through, read and understand every element of the application.
Already well-known and award-winning for its ease of use, RedFlag's latest refresh continues its commitment to be the easiest-to-use platform on the market. This update includes enhanced navigation and interface design to support accessibility and improve natural pathways for users.
"The user experience is always at the forefront of our discussions. Updating our interface to encapsulate feedback, align with enhanced design practices and meet additional accessibility standards is a practice we do regularly," said Neal Guilliotti, Head of Product and Delivery at Pocketstop. "This design refresh enables users to have greater visibility to all of the functions within RedFlag, ensuring they navigate seamlessly and more efficiently so no time is wasted – even from less experienced users."
Specifically, this release standardizes application sections with intuitive groupings and layers, as well as adds shortcuts for new messages and support. An optimized color palette and refreshed design meets accessibility standards. These changes ensure users can quickly navigate and draft messages, as well as get assistance.
"The update is much more user friendly and has a better flow, allowing me to create messages even faster than before," said Luis Rivas, Aviation Safety Coordinator and RedFlag user.
To see more details on the refresh, schedule a walkthrough of the platform here.
Pocketstop is a communication software solutions company who empowers companies to create personalized, automated messages designed to provide rapid ROI, backed by the industry's best support at a cost customers can afford. For more information, visit https://pocketstop.com.
View original content:
SOURCE Pocketstop
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/pocketstop-announces-an-updated-refreshed-interface-navigation-redflag-mass-notification-making-it-even-easier-use/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:35Z
|
SHREVEPORT, La., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Radiance Technologies (Radiance), a national leader in defense technologies and solutions, commits to expanding the economic development of the Shreveport-Bossier City region. Radiance recently partnered with BRF, a North Louisiana economic development organization, to expand its office in Shreveport.
"We welcome Radiance's expansion in Shreveport at BRF's InterTech 1 facility located on Kings Highway near downtown," said John F. George Jr., M.D., BRF President and CEO. "Radiance and its CEO Bill Bailey have been supporters of the region since his time here at Barksdale Air Force Base. His title sponsorship of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is another example of his commitment to the area. The new positions coming with Radiance's planned expansion are high quality jobs for our region."
To support efforts at both Air Force Global Strike Command and all mission areas across the company, Radiance plans to hire up to 150 high-tech research and development professionals in Shreveport-Bossier City in the next three to five years.
"Growing our presence in North Louisiana pleases me to no end. Barksdale AFB, Shreveport-Bossier, and Louisiana Tech were foundational and transformational for me," said Radiance CEO Bill Bailey. "Being postured to better support Global Strike will ensure that Radiance continues to do what's important to us - support our warfighters. The business case for growing in North Louisiana is solid. The BRF, Shreveport-Bossier, and LED have made it known that they want us in Louisiana."
In addition to its role as the title sponsor of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, Radiance is looking forward to expanding its strong connections to the Shreveport-Bossier City region and being a strong community partner as it continues the economic development of the area.
"Radiance Technologies' planned expansion is a terrific economic development win. These positions will be good-paying jobs for Northwest Louisiana residents and will support the mission of our defense community," said Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins.
Radiance Technologies is an employee-owned small business prime contractor founded in 1999. Radiance has over 1000 employee-owners across the United States serving the Department of Defense, national intelligence community and other government agencies. From concepts to capabilities, Radiance leads the way in developing customer-focused solutions in the areas of cyber security, systems engineering, prototyping and integration as well as operational and strategic intelligence including scientific and technical intelligence.
BRF, headquartered in Shreveport, is an economic development organization establishing North Louisiana as a preferred destination for high growth initiatives. Diversifying the region's economy is its mission. It fulfills this mission through initiatives that start new businesses, recruit new businesses and retain current businesses in the region, and through supporting the development of a science and technology-based workforce.
Contact:
Julia Parrish (256) 929-7969 | julia.parrish@radiancetech.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Radiance Technologies
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/radiance-technologies-plans-expansion-into-shreveport-la/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:42Z
|
Free, Virtual Event is the Biggest Pre-Health Event in the World
BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Mappd has opened registration for MappdCon, enabling premedical and pre-health professionals to attend a free virtual conference with some of the world's foremost pre-health experts.
This is third year of this annual event. MappdCon is a continuation of the event formerly known as National Premed Day. With 10,000+ Premeds in attendance in 2020, its inaugural year, National Premed Day became the biggest premedical student event in the world. In 2021, the event expanded to include a pre-physician assistant track. In 2022, the event was renamed MappdCon and will offer workshops aimed at helping a wide range of future health professionals.
"MappdCon is something I've wanted to do for a long time," said Dr. Ryan Gray, Mappd CEO and co-founder. "I started National Premed Day to bring the best minds in the premed world together to help students navigate their journey to med school. I'm excited to expand this free event to help not only future physicians but also physician assistants and other future health professionals."
"Only about half of medical school applicants are accepted into med school," explained Rachel Grubbs, Mappd COO and Co-founder. "Acceptance rates are similar for other pre-health professional programs. In many cases, the issue is not a lack of talent but rather a lack of knowledge of the steps required before applying. I hope to help all future health care professionals, regardless of background or economic situation, access clear information about the road to med school."
Premedical students, as well as their families and advisors, are all welcome to attend. Registration is open now at MappdCon.com
Company information. Mappd, LLC was founded in 2019 by Ryan Gray, MD, and Rachel Grubbs. Gray is a physician by training and retired Air Force Flight Surgeon. He created the award-winning Premed Years Podcast with over 5 million downloads. Grubbs has been a professional advisor of test preparation and higher education for more than 20 years. Mappd's smart technology and advising services take the guesswork out of planning, tracking, and applying to professional health programs. For more information about Mappd, LLC, visit https://mappd.com//
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Mappd
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/registration-opens-mappdcon-2022/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:48Z
|
GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman and Chef Eric Ripert are pleased to announce the highly-anticipated event lineup for Cayman Cookout 2023, taking place at the resort from Thursday, January 12th though Monday, January 16th, 2023. Cayman Cookout will make its grand return to the resort after a two-year hiatus and plans to bring together some of the world's most talented chefs, wine and spirits experts alongside new events, never before seen by attendees.
Hosted by Chef Eric Ripert, the 14th annual celebration will feature an impressive line-up of talent including José Andrés, Adrienne Cheatham, Master Sommelier Aldo Sohm, Andrew Zimmern, Antonio Bachour, Charles Joly, Daniel Boulud, Dean Max, Dominique Crenn, Emeril Lagasse, Jennifer Carroll, Kristen Kish and Tom Colicchio. The events and menus for Cayman Cookout have been carefully curated by Chef Ripert, as well as the participating chefs, who have worked closely with Master Sommelier Aldo Sohm, Wine Director for Cayman Cookout and Monica Dubar, Beverage Manager at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. This year in particular, an emphasis has been placed on expanding the beverage programming, offering events and menus designed through the lens of master mixologists and global spirits experts. The beverage team has curated an extensive list of rare wines provided by some of the most exclusive and world-class producers, including Jason Smith MS, Jean-Marc Rouleau, Landon Patterson, Larry Stone MS, Marc Gagnon, Michael Kennedy, Nathaniel Dorn and Rajat Parr MS.
The festival will also allow guests to take advantage of two new dining concepts on property as well as the recently renovated guestrooms and public areas. The reimagined interiors include the revamped Silver Palm Lounge, which has retained its iconic spirit but offers updated interiors and the Armoire, a custom-built hardwood cabinet, offering guests a collection of indulgent discoveries from rare rums to premium hand-rolled cigars of the Caribbean, alongside chocolates created from the region's finest cacao. This venue will provide attendees with laid-back space to relax between events. The resort will also debut a new restaurant named Saint June, which provides a setting punctuated with relaxed luxury, where guests can enjoy a sophisticated and stylish food and bar menu inspired by Caribbean and Latin American cuisine. The space will host dinners and events throughout the weekend, including a memorable South American Steakhouse Dinner.
Guests planning to attend will also see the return of signature events like Beach Bash, Barefoot BBQ, and Rum and Robusto alongside new events including, but not limited to:
- A Cayman Cookout In-Flight Experience with Chef Eric Ripert presented by Cayman Private Aviation
- Island Culinary Excursions including a Cayman Brac Lunch Experience
- Wine Tasting and Discussions with World-Class Producers like Marc Gagnon
- Exclusive dining experiences including a Le Bernardin Reunion
- A Sommelier Standoff featuring Master Sommelier Aldo Sohm, Michael Kennedy, Monica Dubar, and Enrico Carmassi
- Steakhouse Dinners and Latin American/Caribbean inspired experiences at newly opened Saint June
- Effervescence Soirée by Moët & Chandon
The full event line-up can be found here and ticket sales for all events will be available starting October 1, 2022. The 2023 event promises to be a memorable one, including unique experiences created by Marriott Bonvoy® loyalty program and Chase Marriott Bonvoy® Credit Card. Individual ticket sales for Cayman Cookout 2023 will be available in autumn and will be available for purchase on the festival's website.
About The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
Newly reimagined in 2021, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman occupies 144 beautifully manicured acres, from the sparkling waters of the North Sound to white sands of world-famous Seven Mile Beach. The longstanding luxury Cayman Islands resort is a Forbes Five-Star Hotel, home to 369 luxuriously appointed rooms handcrafted by acclaimed Champalimaud Design. An elegant spa offers a bespoke collection of revitalizing and relaxing treatments, while six dining venues present guests with a diverse array of epicurean delights, including the Caribbean's only AAA Five Diamond restaurant, Blue by Eric Ripert. In addition to a spectacular Greg Norman-designed nine-hole golf course, the resort also offers golf enthusiasts a state-of-the-art indoor simulator using Trackman technology. Ideal for events of all sizes, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is home to the island's largest ballroom as well as an interactive culinary studio. Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment family programming allows guests of all ages to discover the incredible flora and fauna of Cayman, while Starfish Cay water park, tennis and basketball courts and an indoor game room ensures guest young and old are entertained. The Caribbean's largest luxury suite configuration, Seven South offers nearly 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space replete with elegant interiors, personalized service, and amenities as well as breathtaking panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea. Encompassing up to 9 bedrooms, including the three-bedroom Grand Penthouse, the private enclave is perched atop the resort's Ocean Tower evoking a sense of being on top of the world. Each year, the resort and Chef Eric Ripert, welcome some of the world's finest chefs and most discerning guests for Cayman Cookout. More information about The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is available at www.ritzcarlton.com/grandcayman or by phone at +1(345)943-9000.
Media Contacts:
Lee Edelstein/Sarah Fielman
The Brandman Agency
Tel: +1 (212) 683-2442
Email: ritzcarltongrandcayman@brandmanagency.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/ritz-carlton-grand-cayman-announces-highly-anticipated-lineup-events-cayman-cookout-2023/
| 2022-09-14T21:04:55Z
|
HOUSTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Salient Midstream & MLP Fund (the "Fund") (NYSE: SMM) announced today that the reorganization of the Fund with and into Salient MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund ("SMAPX"), a series of Salient MF Trust ("Reorganization"), with SMAPX being the surviving fund, is effective as of the opening for business of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") on Wednesday September 14, 2022.
In the Reorganization, shareholders of the Fund received an amount of SMAPX Class A shares equal to the aggregate net asset value of their holdings of SMM shares as determined at the close of business on September 13, 2022.
Relevant details pertaining to the Reorganization include the following:
This press release is not intended to, and does not constitute, an offer to purchase or sell shares of the Fund or SMAPX.
Salient Midstream & MLP Fund is a Delaware statutory trust registered as a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Fund's investment objective is to provide a high level of total return with an emphasis on making quarterly cash distributions to its common shareholders. The Fund seeks to achieve that objective by investing at least 80% of its total assets in securities of MLPs and midstream companies. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project," "will," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ significantly from the Fund's present expectations or projections indicated in any forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, changes in economic and political conditions; regulatory and legal changes; leverage risk; valuation risk; interest rate risk; tax risk; the volume of sales and purchase of shares; the continuation of investment advisory, administration and other service arrangements; and other risks discussed in the Fund's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Fund undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein. There is no assurance that the Fund's investment objective will be attained.
About Salient
Salient Partners, L.P. ("Salient") is a real asset and alternative investment firm that offers a suite of strategies focused on energy and infrastructure, real estate and tactical alternative investments. Institutions and investment advisors turn to Salient to build smarter, more efficient portfolios. Strategies are offered in the form of open- and closed-end funds and separately managed accounts. Salient was founded in 2002 and has offices in Houston and San Francisco. Learn more about Salient at www.salientpartners.com.
The Salient MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund ("SMAPX") seeks to maximize total return (capital appreciation and income). SMAPX seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in at least 80% of its net assets in securities of MLPs and energy infrastructure companies. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. SMAPX may engage in other investment practices that may involve additional risks and you should review the Fund prospectus for a complete description.
You should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Funds carefully before investing. The prospectus and summary prospectus for SMAPX contain this and other information about SMAPX and are available by calling 866-667-9228. They should be read carefully before investing.
Advisory services offered by Salient Capital Advisors, LLC (the "advisor"). A wholly owned subsidiary of Salient Partners, L.P. Salient is the trade name for Salient Partners, L.P., which together with its subsidiaries provides asset management and advisory services. Salient MLP & Energy Infrastructure Fund is distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Salient Partners, L.P.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/salient-midstream-amp-mlp-fund-announces-closing-reorganization/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:02Z
|
PHOENIX, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SenesTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNES), a developer of proprietary technologies for managing animal pest populations through fertility control, announced today that it will be participating in the Lytham Partners Fall 2022 Investor Conference taking place virtually on September 28-29, 2022.
Company Webcast
The Company's webcast presentation will be available for viewing at 9:00am ET on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, on the Company's website or https://wsw.com/webcast/lytham6/snes/2052765. The webcast will also be archived and available for replay.
1x1 Meetings
Management will be participating in virtual one-on-one meetings throughout the event. To arrange a meeting with management, please contact Lytham Partners at 1x1@lythampartners.com or register at https://www.lythampartners.com/fall2022invreg/.
About SenesTech
We are "The Pest Control Difference" for the 21st century. We are rodent fertility control specialists fueled by our passion to create a healthy environment by virtually eliminating rodent pest populations. We keep an inescapable truth in mind: 2 rats and their descendants can be responsible for the birth of up to 15,000 pups in a year. We invented ContraPest, the only U.S. EPA-registered contraceptive for male and female rats. ContraPest fits seamlessly into all integrated pest management programs, greatly improving the overall goal of effective rat management. We strive for clean cities, efficient businesses, and happy households – with a product that was designed to be effective and sustainable without killing rats. At SenesTech, we don't just eliminate rats. We make a better world.
For more information visit https://senestech.com/ and https://contrapeststore.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
The foregoing paragraphs contain forward-looking statements that involve estimates, assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. "Forward-looking statements" may be preceded by words such as "may," "future," "plan" or "planned," "will," "should," "expected," "anticipates," "continue," "eventually," "believes," or "projected." Forward-looking statements include statements concerning the potential impact and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business, results of operations and financial performance; any measures the Company has and may take in response to COVID-19 and any expectations the Company may have with respect thereto; the Company's strategy and target marketing and markets; continuing the Company's vision; expected benefits of the Company's initiatives and continuation of those initiatives; deployment of the Company's product; the continuation or expansion of the use of ContraPest; demand for ContraPest; the Company's expectation regarding costs, expenses and cash and continuing its cost improvement plan; future financial results; and the Company's execution of its strategic business plan.
CONTACT:
Investor: Robert Blum, Lytham Partners, LLC, 602-889-9700, senestech@lythampartners.com
Company: Tom Chesterman, Chief Financial Officer, SenesTech, Inc., 928-779-4143
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE SenesTech, Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/senestech-participate-lytham-partners-fall-2022-investor-conference/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:08Z
|
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
If you own shares in any of the companies listed above and
would like to discuss our investigations or have any questions concerning
this notice or your rights or interests, please contact:
Joshua Rubin, Esq.
Weiss Law
305 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 682-3025
(888) 593-4771
stockinfo@weisslawllp.com
Brigham Minerals, Inc. (NYSE: MNRL)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Brigham Minerals, Inc. (NYSE: MNRL), in connection with its proposed merger with Sitio Royalties Corp. ("Sitio"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, MNRL shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 1.133 shares of common stock in the combined company for each share of MNRL common stock owned, and Sitio's shareholders will receive one share of common stock in the combined company for each share of Sitio common stock owned. Upon completion of the transaction, Sitio shareholders will own approximately 54.0% and MNRL shareholders will only own approximately 46.0% of the combined company. If you own MNRL shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/mnrl
ChannelAdvisor Corporation (NYSE: ECOM)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of ChannelAdvisor Corporation (NYSE: ECOM) in connection with the proposed acquisition of ECOM by CommerceHub. Under the terms of the merger agreement ECOM shareholders will receive $23.10 in cash for each share of ECOM common stock owned. If you own ECOM shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/ecom
Silverback Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBTX)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Silverback Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBTX), in connection with SBTX's proposed merger with ARS Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("ARS"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, assuming that SBTX's net cash at closing is $240 million, SBTX equity holders ECO Nare expected to own only approximately 37% of the combined company and pre-merger ARS equity holders are expected to own approximately 63% of the combined company. If you own SBTX shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/sbtx
iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ: IRBT)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of iRobot Corporation (NASDAQ: IRBT) in connection with the proposed acquisition of IRBT by Amazon.com, Inc. Under the terms of the merger agreement, IRBT shareholders will receive $61.00 in cash for each share of IRBT common stock owned. If you own IRBT shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/irbt
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Weiss Law
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-reminds-mnrl-ecom-sbtx-irbt-shareholders-about-its-ongoing-investigations/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:15Z
|
High-Speed Automation Solutions for Delicate Baked Goods
BEDFORD, Mass., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Soft Robotics Inc. announced that they will be showcasing mGripAI in booth 5033-North Hall at the International Baking Industry and Exposition (IBIE), September 18-21, 2022, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
mGripAI combines 3D Perception, Soft Grasping, and State-Of-The-Art Artificial Intelligence to help machine builders and end users address complex picking tasks that were previously reliant on human labor in the food and consumer goods industries.
At this event, Soft Robotics will demonstrate mGripAI working in two capacities:
- Donut Sortation - Picking, sorting, and packaging of donuts at rates of up to 70 picks per minute.
- Bin Picking Bread - 3D bin picking and sorting of bread at rates of up to 23 picks per minute.
"IBIE is the perfect platform to showcase our high-speed automated picking solutions," said Paul Kling, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Soft Robotics. "Along with the protein and produce industries, the baking industry is also faced with labor and workforce challenges which are impacting production levels. Whether it's breads, muffins, cookies, or cakes, we have technology and solutions to automate these processes."
mGripAI Benefits:
- Save floorspace
- Reduce dependency on unavailable human labor
- Increased throughput
- Lower maintenance costs
- Safer products
- Reduction in food waste
Staubli Robotics, a leading international player in industrial automation will also be demonstrating Soft Robotics' mGrip, modular gripping system, in booth 7255.
Soft Robotics is an industry-leading technology company that designs and builds automated high-speed picking solutions using proprietary soft robotic grippers, 3D machine vision, and artificial intelligence. The company's transformational robotic automation solutions enable machine builders and end users to solve the hardest picking problems in the consumer goods, logistics and e-commerce industries. Learn more at www.softroboticsinc.com.
Soft Robotics is backed by leading venture capital firms and strategic investors that include ABB Technology Ventures, Calibrate Ventures, Hyperplane Venture Capital, Material Impact, Scale Venture Partners, FANUC, Honeywell Ventures, Tekfen Ventures, Tyson Ventures and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.
Media contact:
Julie Collura
Director, Marketing Communications
Soft Robotics, Inc.
jcollura@softroboticsinc.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Soft Robotics Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/soft-robotics-demonstrates-mgripai-international-baking-industry-exposition/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:22Z
|
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SVB Financial Group (SVB), the financial partner of the innovation economy and parent of Silicon Valley Bank, today announced the appointment of Thomas King, former Chief Executive Officer of Investment Banking at Barclays, to its board of directors, effective September 13, 2022. King will also serve on the board's Compensation and Human Capital Committee.
"Tom's proven leadership within complex global financial services firms makes him well suited to join SVB's board as the company continues to grow," said Kay Matthews, Chair of SVB's board of directors. "Tom's expansive knowledge of the financial services industry will contribute to SVB's ability to execute its strategy and deliver long-term value for stakeholders."
SVB provides innovators, enterprises and investors with the services they need to succeed via four complementary businesses: Silicon Valley Bank, SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities. With $214 billion in assets and more than 7,700 employees globally (as of Q2 2022), SVB strives to improve the probability of its clients' success.
"Over three decades, Tom has leveraged his global banking and corporate finance expertise, regulatory knowledge and keen relationship-building talents to build and transform businesses," said Greg Becker, president and CEO of SVB. "His strategic thinking and values-led leadership will be an asset to our company and our clients."
King has nearly 35 years of experience in corporate and investment banking, and currently serves as an Operating Partner of investment firm Atlas Merchant Capital. From 2014-2016, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Investment Banking at Barclays, overseeing both the banking and markets businesses. In that time, he also served as the Chairman of the Investment Banking Executive Committee and as a member of the Barclays Group Executive Committee.
King began his career at Salomon Brothers, which was later acquired by Citigroup. During his tenure at Citi, he held several senior roles, including Global Head of Mergers and Acquisitions, Head of Investment Banking for the EMEA Region and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for the EMEA region. King previously served on the board of directors for Leerink Holdings, now SVB Securities, from 2017 to 2018. SVB Financial Group acquired Leerink Holdings in 2018.
King received a Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College. He currently serves on various public, private and nonprofit boards, including the King School in Stamford, Connecticut.
SVB is the financial partner of the innovation economy, helping individuals, investors and the world's most innovative companies achieve their ambitious goals. SVB's businesses - Silicon Valley Bank, SVB Capital, SVB Private and SVB Securities - together offer the services that dynamic and fast-growing clients require as they grow, including commercial banking, venture investing, wealth planning and investment banking. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, SVB operates in centers of innovation around the world. Learn more at svb.com/global. [SIVB-C]
SVB Financial Group (SVB) (Nasdaq: SIVB) is the holding company for all business units and groups. © 2022 SVB Financial Group. All rights reserved. SVB, SVB FINANCIAL GROUP, SILICON VALLEY BANK, SVB SECURITIES, SVB PRIVATE, SVB CAPITAL and the chevron device are trademarks of SVB Financial Group, used under license. Silicon Valley Bank is a member of the FDIC and the Federal Reserve System. Silicon Valley Bank is the California bank subsidiary of SVB Financial Group.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE SVB Financial Group
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/svb-financial-group-appoints-thomas-king-its-board-directors/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:28Z
|
CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE: TDS) announced the publication of its 2021 Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Report.
"TDS has held good corporate responsibility at the forefront of our values for over 50 years," said LeRoy T. Carlson, Jr., TDS President and CEO. "This report will highlight many of our efforts."
In order to advance its ESG strategy, TDS conducted a stakeholder assessment to identify challenges and opportunities that are most important to stakeholders. TDS partnered with an independent third party to guide the organization in the process of researching, testing, and analyzing its significant ESG issues. The topics identified in the stakeholder assessment remain key priorities for the TDS ESG Program. These include: Access and Affordability; Data Security; Business Continuity; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and Community Relations and Engagement.
"Our socially responsible practices, which make up the "S" in ESG, are what comprise our 3Cs – Customers, Culture, and Community," said Carlson.
TDS has also designated an Environmental, Social and Governance Steering Committee to oversee all initiatives and disclosures related to ESG.
The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) framework is featured in the appendix of the TDS 2021 ESG report and provides a collection of industry-specific standards to help measure and communicate performance on sustainability topics.
TDS also prepared an index in reference to the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) Standards in order to report significant economic, environmental, and social topics within the business.
About TDS
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS), a Fortune 1000® company, provides: wireless; broadband, video and voice; and hosted and managed services to approximately 6 million customer connections nationwide through its businesses, UScellular, TDS Telecom, and OneNeck IT Solutions. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employed approximately 8,900 associates as of June 30, 2022.
For more information about TDS and its subsidiaries, visit:
TDS: www.tdsinc.com
UScellular: www.uscellular.com
TDS Telecom: www.tdstelecom.com
OneNeck IT Solutions: www.oneneck.com
View original content:
SOURCE Telephone and Data Systems
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/tds-publishes-2021-environmental-social-governance-report/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:35Z
|
City of Houston Councilwoman, Sallie Alcorn and County Judge Hidalgo's Senior Advisor, Chris Chu de Leon Spoke at Ceremony Introducing One of the Largest Solar Installations in Houston
HOUSTON, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TGS, a global provider of energy data and intelligence, unveiled the completion of its landmark solar energy parking canopy at its Houston operational headquarters, one of the largest commercial solar installations in Houston to date with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 7. Additionally, TGS announced its recent acquisition of Prediktor, a data- and asset- management system designed for the future.
"Solar is the fastest growing energy source, is progressively affordable, and will provide TGS with significant cost savings for the future," said TGS Chief Executive Officer Kristian Johansen. "In addition, it provides business opportunities as the world is moving towards net-zero ambitions and we could not be more excited to be leading the movement in Houston. Thank you to City of Houston Councilwoman, Sallie Alcorn and County Judge Hidalgo's Senior Advisor, Chris Chu de Leon for aligning with TGS as we unveiled this much awaited solar carport installation."
TGS's recent acquisition of Prediktor will further accelerate its ambitions of becoming an integrated provider of all types of energy data. Prediktor has already installed its production optimization software on some of the largest solar plants in the world and will, under TGS ownership, target increased market presence in this rapidly growing market, which is essential to reach the world's climate targets.
The ribbon-cutting, held beneath the new carport solar installation, featured a time lapse video of the complete solar project construction from start to finish and an energy calculator highlighting the energy produced by the panels in real time. The program included remarks by TGS CEO, Kristian Johnson; City of Houston Councilwoman, Sallie Alcorn; County Judge Hidalgo's Senior Advisor, Chris Chu de Leon; and Freedom Solar CEO, Bret Biggart. Guests included the TGS board of directors, the Norwegian Consulate, EnerGeo Alliance, the RMR Group, TGS employees and Freedom Solar executives.
Alcorn and de Leon remarked on the project's alignment with the city's Resilient Houston and Climate Action Plans and the hope for more Houston companies to execute these types of projects in the coming years. de Leon presented TGS with a proclamation from the city of Houston and congratulated TGS for having one of the largest and most innovative solar projects in Houston to date. Bret Biggart, Freedom Solar CEO, touched on the design and installation of the landmark solar project, highlighted the importance of TGS' sustainability and renewable energy commitments and TGS's aggressive goals to be a net-zero company by 2030. Additionally, he touted Freedom Solar is offering TGS employees rebates on solar panel projects further solidifying Freedom's partnership with TGS.
The TGS installation consists of 15 solar arrays made up of 1,650 modules covering 210 spaces in the employee parking lot. The system will produce some 901,710 kilowatt hours (KWh) of energy annually and it is estimated the canopies will provide almost 60% of the Houston facility's daily energy consumption and costs, enabling TGS to slash its carbon dioxide emissions by 1.4 million pounds annually, the equivalent of planting nearly 11,000 trees a year, and helping to create a more stable, resilient Texas electricity grid.
In early 2021, TGS announced its commitment to being net zero in its Scope 1 emissions and 2 emissions by 2030. Transitioning the company's offices to renewable energy is critical to achieving this objective. TGS has undertaken significant sustainability efforts in other locations globally and recently began composting organic waste in its Houston headquarters and has diverted an astounding 21,799 pounds of waste from area landfills to date.
TGS conceptualized the Houston project and undertook it in partnership with The RMR Group, which manages the building that houses the TGS Houston headquarters. Austin-based Freedom Solar, the leading turnkey solar energy installer in Texas and the nation, designed and installed the solar canopy.
"Solar energy is progressively becoming more affordable and will provide TGS with tremendous cost savings year over year," said Johansen. "With the support of quality partners like RMR Group and Freedom Solar, we have been able to complete this project and make real progress toward greenhouse gas emissions and attaining our global net-zero goals."
TGS provides scientific data and intelligence to companies active in the energy sector. In addition to a global, extensive and diverse energy data library, TGS offers specialized services such as advanced processing and analytics alongside cloud-based data applications and solutions. In addition to the company's operational headquarters in Houston, Texas, TGS has offices in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Rio de Janeiro, Botofogo, Brazil; Woking, UK; Oslo, Norway; and West Perth, Western Australia. For more information, visit www.tgs.com.
Founded in 2007, Freedom Solar is the nation's leader in turnkey solar installations, providing high-quality, cost-effective, reliable solar solutions for residential and commercial markets nationwide. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Freedom Solar also has operations in Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia. Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer and the only SunPower® Master Dealer in Texas, the firm has installed more than 154 megawatts of solar panels since 2007, ranking as the 10th-largest solar installer in the U.S and the 3rd-largest in Texas. Freedom Solar has completed projects for numerous national and multinational corporate clients, including Whole Foods Market, Shake Shack, Office Depot, Holiday Inn Express, Home2 Suites by Hilton, The University of Texas at Austin and numerous automotive dealerships, such as Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Maserati, Subaru and Toyota. For more information, visit https://www.freedomsolarpower.com or follow @freedomsolarpwr on Twitter and @freedom_solar_power on Instagram.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE TGS
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/tgs-unveils-landmark-solar-carport-canopy-announces-recent-acquisition-prediktor-september-7-ribbon-cutting/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:42Z
|
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tuya Inc. ("Tuya" or the "Company") (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391), a global leading IoT cloud development platform, today announced that it will hold an annual general meeting of the Company's shareholders (the "AGM") at 11:00 a.m. Beijing time (or soon after the Class A Meeting and the Class B Meeting, both of which are defined below) on Tuesday, November 1, 2022 at Huace Center, Building A, 3/F VVIP room, Xihu District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China, for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, passing each of the Proposed Resolutions as defined and set forth in the notice of the AGM (the "AGM Notice"). The AGM Notice and the form of proxy for the AGM are available on the Company's website at ir.tuya.com. The board of directors of the Company fully supports the Proposed Resolutions and recommends that shareholders and holders of American depositary shares ("ADSs") vote in favor of the Proposed Resolutions.
The Company will hold a class meeting of holders of Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.00005 each (the "Class A Meeting") and a class meeting of holders of Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.00005 each (the "Class B Meeting") convened on the same date and at the same place as the AGM, for the purposes of considering and, if thought fit, passing the Class-based Resolution as defined and set forth in the circular of the Company dated September 15, 2022, Hong Kong time. The notices and forms of proxy for each of the Class A Meeting and the Class B Meeting and the circular are available on the Company's website at ir.tuya.com.
Holders of record of the Company's ordinary shares as of the close of business on September 30, 2022, Hong Kong time, are entitled to receive notice of, and to attend and vote at, the AGM or any adjournment or postponement thereof, and, as applicable, the Class A Meeting or the Class B Meeting. Holders of record of ADSs as of the close of business on September 30, 2022, New York time, who wish to exercise their voting rights for the underlying Class A ordinary shares must give voting instructions directly to The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary of the ADSs, or indirectly through a bank, brokerage or other securities intermediary, as the case may be.
The Company has filed its annual report on Form 20-F, including its audited financial statements, for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The Company's annual report on Form 20-F can be accessed on the Company's website at ir.tuya.com and on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.
About Tuya Inc.
Tuya Inc. (NYSE: TUYA; HKEX: 2391) is a global leading IoT cloud development platform with a mission to build an IoT developer ecosystem and enable everything to be smart. Tuya has pioneered a purpose-built IoT cloud development platform that delivers a full suite of offerings, including Platform-as-a-Service, or PaaS, and Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, to businesses and developers. Through its IoT cloud development platform, Tuya has enabled developers to activate a vibrant IoT ecosystem of brands, OEMs, partners and end users to engage and communicate through a broad range of smart devices.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "target", "aim", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "believe", "potential", "continue", "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty.
Investor Relations Contact
Tuya Inc.
Investor Relations
Email: ir@tuya.com
The Blueshirt Group
Gary Dvorchak, CFA
Phone: +1 (323) 240-5796
Email: gary@blueshirtgroup.com
View original content:
SOURCE Tuya Inc.
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/tuya-inc-hold-annual-general-meeting-november-1-2022/
| 2022-09-14T21:05:48Z
|
Safe Water Network Invites Esteemed Guests to Celebrate 15 Years of Impact and Take Action in Support of Sustainable Safe Water Solutions
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe Water Network, the global non-profit founded by the late actor and philanthropist, Paul Newman, will host the 2022 Water for All Ball on November 8 – a charity event held at the historic Gotham Hall in New York City, with a cocktail reception at 6:00 PM EST. The event aims to raise funds and inspire action to deliver safe water for underserved communities across the world. Visit waterforallball.org to learn more.
Safe Water Network is reaching nearly 2 million people across Ghana and India, while collaborating with international public and private partners to make water work for millions more. The organization's market-driven approach to delivering safe water in underserved communities is essential to achieving universal access to safe water for all globally.
Safe Water Network's inaugural Water for All Ball in 2019, hosted by Robert De Niro, honored the organization's late co-founders Paul Newman and John Whitehead, as well as founding board chair emeritus Josh Weston. This year's event will assemble a star-studded guest list to imagine a world where all communities can sustainably manage their own safe water. The event's Board Co-hosts are Dr. Rita Colwell, award-winning microbiologist and 11th Director of the National Science Foundation, and Dr. Surya Mohapatra, the former CEO and President of Quest Diagnostics. Prior to the event will be an invite-only industry thought-leader roundtable, hosted by water quality expert Dr. Shane Snyder. The evening will kick off with a "blue carpet," hosted by TV/radio personality Guy Lambert and close out with entertainment, including selections from singer/songwriter Amos Lee, performing 'Sweet Pea," "Wonderland,' and 'Shout Out Loud,' as well as "Worry No More" from his 2022 album Dreamland.
Robert De Niro said during his remarks at the 2019 Water for All Ball, "The world isn't going to be safe by one sweet gesture, but through initiatives like Safe Water Network and [through] continuing support, we can make the world a better place."
The gala will be a celebration of the organization's 15 years of partnership and impact. In that time, Safe Water Network has transformed communities, solved challenges with innovative technology, improved health outcomes, opened doors to entrepreneurship for women, and created opportunities for children to grow into a better future. Funds raised at this year's event will help the organization achieve its goal of reaching 50 million people with access to safe water by 2026. Sponsorship opportunities are available upon request.
About Safe Water Network: Safe Water Network believes in a collaborative, innovative response to the global water crisis. The organization's mission is to develop and demonstrate affordable, economically viable solutions, share sector knowledge, and build partnerships that reach millions in underserved communities. Visit safewaternetwork.org for more information.
CONTACT: Nathan Yardy, nyardy@safewaternetwork.org, or Divya Gupta, DivyaGupta@gridsconsulting.com
View original content:
SOURCE SAFE WATER NETWORK
|
https://www.whsv.com/prnewswire/2022/09/14/water-all-ball-nonprofit-event-raise-funds-address-global-water-crisis/
| 2022-09-14T21:06:00Z
|
Marysville Board of Education appoints new member
The Marysville Board of Education appointed a new board member to fill a vacant seat during a special meeting Tuesday.
The board announced the resignation of treasurer Dave Watson on Aug. 24. Following the resignation, the board had until Sept. 18 to fill the position, otherwise RESA would appoint someone instead. After receiving 10 applications and interviewing five candidates, the board appointed Mike Rutallie to the seat.
Superintendent Shawn Wightman said the board chose Rutallie because of his previous experience on the school board. Rutallie was on the board from 2015 to 2018. Rutallie said he applied because he saw that two seats are up for election in November and wanted to help the board.
"It takes about a year to get new members acclimated to the board, so if Marysville elects new people, that's half the board figuring out what it means to be on the board, and that can be a little difficult," Rutallie said. "I thought I could help out."
Rutallie said he wants to help the district succeed while he's on the board. He will be finishing the remaining two years of Watson's term.
In addition to a new member, the board also appointed a new treasurer. Trustee Barry Kreiner received the position. He has been on the board for six years.
Kreiner will serve as treasurer until the organizational meeting in January.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Sept. 22 at Marysville High School.
The Marysville Board of Education has four seats with four year terms up for the election on Nov. 8. The following people are running for the openings:
- Pamela Binsfeld
- Colleen Dodson
- Kevin Palmateer, current board vice president
- David Schmorrow, current board president
- Duane Schunk
- Nick Thomas
- Catherine Vermeersch
- Aleiha Watson
Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.
|
https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2022/09/14/marysville-board-of-education-appoints-new-member/69495158007/
| 2022-09-14T21:22:03Z
|
Long-time Times Herald photographer reflects on Queen Elizabeth II's visit
Ralph Polovich covered many memorable events in his nearly five decades with the Times Herald, but one event sticks out in his early years.
Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Blue Water Area in July 1959.
Polovich started with the paper in 1952 when he was 17, the same year the queen inherited the throne at 25.
The queen and Prince Phillip sailed to the Imperial Oil dock in Sarnia aboard the 413-foot Britannia following a visit to Windsor.
The royals were celebrating the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, providing a link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.
Polovich recounted his time covering the event following the queen's death last week.
"It was so impressive with all the ceremonial stuff," Polovich said. "We certainly recognized the importance of her as a figurehead and of course it was the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway which really opened up the world trade for the Midwest. It was pretty fascinating."
The crowd that lined both sides of the St. Clair River to greet the royals was estimated to be anywhere from 75,000 to 125,000, according to a Times Herald article.
Polovich said a ceremony was held at Canatara Park where dignitaries included Telford Adams, chief of the Sarnia Chippewa Indians.
"It was pretty remarkable to see the queen with the Indian chief," he said. "I was about 20 feet away taking pictures of it too.
"This was right at dusk and she went back to the yacht Britannia, and got on board and went up the lake and as they passed the Blue Water Bridge, the scouts built a huge bonfire at Point Edward in honor of her."
Polovich retired from the Times Herald in 2000.
Contact Liz Shepard at (810) 989-6273 or lshepard@gannett.com.
|
https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/news/2022/09/14/queen-elizabeth-former-times-herald-photographer-ralph-polovich-reflects-on-sarnia-visit/69494091007/
| 2022-09-14T21:22:09Z
|
Cros-Lex edges Imlay City in battle of two of area's best in volleyball
CROSWELL — Two of the best high school volleyball teams in the BWAC this season finally met on the court Tuesday night.
Croswell-Lexington held off a late rally on its home court to defeat Imlay City in five sets, 25-20, 25-23, 12-15, 19-25, 15-10.
Both the Pioneers and Spartans know the result won't matter in the long run. But it served as a measuring stick for two programs that are hoping to go deep in the postseason.
Cros-Lex has 'learned a lot from last year'
Ryan Wilson first noticed the difference in July. Well before the 2022 season began, the Cros-Lex coach witnessed his team playing more "cohesive volleyball" than it did in 2021. Two months later, that trend has continued.
"This team is mentally tough and they're just really excited to play volleyball," Cros-Lex coach Ryan Wilson said. "They know that if they don't come out with a ton of energy, they're wasting a great opportunity to play an amazing game."
Fortunately for the Pioneers, lack of energy hasn't been a concern. Cros-Lex is 21-4 overall and 5-1 in BWAC play.
"We learned a lot from last year," Wilson said. "(There was) a lot of inconsistency with how we handled our emotions and how we handled winning and losing. But we learned a lot from that. And we've been really resilient."
Two of its key players are Elara Rankin and Riley Robertson.
"We have two of the very best defenders in Elara and Riley," Wilson said. "I really believe that. They just play amazing and the rest of the girls really trust them and play well around them."
But he knows that every team's fate rests in the hands of its setter.
"All your successes and failures ultimately fall on their success," Wilson said. "And our setter, Annalise Weeder, has just worked her tail off all year. She never quits on anything and really holds this team together."
Weeder will play a big part in guiding the Pioneers through the final month of the regular season.
"Our October schedule is really tough," Wilson said. "It's going to push us. And that's what we need going into the postseason with the district we're in with Imlay City and North Branch. We're really going to find out just how far we can push ourselves."
Imlay City works on "pulling it together"
There isn't "one star" that stands out for the Spartans. And Imlay City coach Rachel Van Dyk sees that as a plus.
"We don't really have one," Van Dyk said. "Which I think is a really awesome thing. We've got a lot of players that are really solid. It's just a matter of playing together."
The Spartans are doing just that with an 11-4-2 start to the season. For most of Imlay City's players, volleyball isn't their primary sport. So they realize how important attitude and repetition is to their approach.
"It's (about) developing a volleyball IQ, working on that in practice and then executing it in a game," Van Dyk said. "And when we do execute in a game, we play really well."
One Spartan who consistently executes is freshman Emma Keeping. She finished with eight kills, three blocks, 14 assists and seven digs against Cros-Lex on Tuesday. While Imlay City ultimately fell short, Keeping is part of a strong freshman class that includes Makayla Bruman and Makenzie Craven.
"We've got a couple of freshmen that've been big difference makers for us in the setting position," Van Dyk said. "We've also got two great senior (middle hitters) ... we have it all, it's just a matter of pulling it together."
Part of that process will include limiting unforced errors. The Spartans had 14 in the first set against the Pioneers. They know that'll have to change.
"There are lots of learning opportunities to be taken away from a loss," Van Dyk said. "That's what I told them in the huddle. Nobody is going to remember a match versus Cros-Lex in the middle of the season when it's time in November to compete in the district (tournament).
"We're (also) working on our mental game," Van Dyk said. "High highs are great, but we also have low lows. And I'd rather us have a nice even tone, no matter what the score is on the scoreboard."
Contact Brenden Welper at bwelper@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendenWelper.
|
https://www.thetimesherald.com/story/sports/2022/09/14/cros-lex-edges-imlay-city-in-battle-of-two-of-areas-best-in-volleyball/69494330007/
| 2022-09-14T21:22:15Z
|
Back in the early 1990s, Nathaniel Landau was a young virologist just starting his career in HIV research. But he and his colleagues were already on the verge of a landmark breakthrough. Several labs around the world were hot on his team's tail.
"We were sleeping in the lab, just to keep the work going day and night because there were many labs all racing against each other," Landau says. "Of course, we wanted to be the first to do it. We were totally stressed out."
Other scientists had identified groups of people who appeared to be completely resistant to HIV. "People who knew they had been exposed to HIV multiple times, mainly through unprotected sex, yet they clearly were not infected," Landau explains.
And so the race was on to figure out why: "Are these people just lucky or did they really have a mutation in their genes that was protecting them from infection?'" he asks.
Now 25 years later, scientists all over the world are trying to answer the same question but about a different virus: SARS-CoV-2.
By this point in the pandemic, most Americans have had at least one bout of COVID. For children under age 18, more than 80% of them have been infected, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.
But just as with HIV, some people have been exposed multiple times but never had symptoms and never tested positive.
"We've heard countless anecdotes about nurses and health-care workers, being exposed without any protection and remaining negative over and over again," says pediatrician Jean-Laurent Casanova, who studies the genetics of viral resistance at Rockefeller University. "Or people share a household with someone who's been coughing for a couple of weeks, and one person stays negative."
So why haven't these people caught COVID? .
After two years of hunting, a team at the University of California, San Francisco has come pretty close to answering the question.
"These findings are like hot off the presses," says immunogeneticist Jill Hollenbach, who led this research. "We haven't published them yet. It's all stuff that's been happening this summer."
Hollenbach and her team have found a genetic mutation doesn't prevent the virus from infecting cells – that's what Landau was searching for– but still does something remarkable: It prevents a person from having COVID symptoms.
Turns out, stopping an infection altogether is an extremely tough nut for our bodies to crack.
What does it take to be a true superdodger?
Over the course of human history, scientists have identified only two instances of true virus superdogers. That is, where a specific mutation in their genes makes people completely resistant to a virus. So that it slides off their cells, "like water sliding off a glass window," as Casanova puts it.
In 2003, a team in London showed how some people never get a stomach bug, called norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea. The researchers found that one mutation in their genes prevents them from making a molecule the virus needs to infect the cell.
(In 1995, researchers in France figured out why some people appeared to never be infected with a species of malaria, known as Plasmodium vivax. However, over the past decade, further studies have clarified that these superdodgers actually do become infected with the parasite, they simply don't show symptoms.)
By far, the most famous virus superdodgers are people protected against HIV. The ones Landau and his colleagues were studying back in the early 1990s.
In 1996, his team was getting really close to solving that puzzle. One morning they found a huge clue. The night before, they had set up an experiment to test which molecules HIV needed to infect a human cell. The experiment garnered spectacular results.
It showed that HIV didn't enter cells the way scientists had believed. Instead it needed a little bit of extra help. Specifically, HIV needs a specific molecule, called CCR5, on the surface of the cell to "open the door" and let the virus enter, Landau says. Without CCR5, the virus only sticks to the cell's surface but can't enter. "It's kind of like the virus is knocking at the door, but nobody's opening the door. The door is locked," he says.
"That was what we call a eureka moment," Landau says. "That was the moment where we could say, 'We found something that had never been seen before.' "
Landau and his colleagues rushed to the computer and wrote up the findings as quickly as possible. Then he literally ran to the FedEx store to submit the paper to the journal Nature, knowing that other teams were likely to have the same finding soon.
"In those days you couldn't just submit your paper through your computer," he says. "You had to mail a hard copy of it to the journal. And my job was to sprint over to the FedEx store so we could get the paper mailed on time."
Then only a few short weeks later, Landau and his colleagues made another huge discovery, and in the process solved the final piece of the HIV puzzle. . "We were quite amazed that it all happened so quickly," Landau says.
In collaboration with a research group down the hall, Landau and his colleagues sequenced the CCR5 gene in two people completely resistant to HIV. Lo and behold! Both people had the same mutation in the gene – and it's a powerful mutation. It completely cripples the molecule so that it doesn't appear on the cells' surface, the group reported in the journal Cell. Remember, without CCR5, HIV can't infect the cell.
"You can put as many virus particles as you want onto those cells, and they will not get infected," he says. "So in the case of resistance to HIV, the story was very clear."
The finding completely shifted the field of HIV. It led to the first – and only – way to cure a person of HIV and suggested a new route, using gene editing with CRISPR.. But it did something else: It showed scientists that one mutation could make a person completely resistant to an infection. One mutation in their genes could make them a true superdodger.
"So when SARS-CoV-2 came along, of course, many labs looked to see if the same might be true for this virus," Landau says. And inspired by the story of CCR5, they went looking for mutations in the genes required for SARS-CoV-2 to enter and infect cells.
Are there really COVID superdodgers?
For COVID superdodgers, the situation appears to be more complex than for people resistant to HIV, Landau says, because the way SARS-CoV-2 infects cells is different from that of HIV.
Instead of using CCR5 to "open the cell's door," SARS-CoV-2 uses the ACE2 receptor. People can't live without ACE2. "The receptor regulates your blood pressure," Landau explains. So, unlike CCR5, you can't simply knock out the ACE2 receptor, he says. "You're not going to have many people walking around that don't have ACE2.
"Of course, there may be more subtle mutations in ACE2 which could play a role in resistance to SARS-CoV-2," he adds. "But there doesn't seem to be an obvious and dramatic mutation as is the case for HIV."
But perhaps what's more likely, he says, is that people have mutations in genes other than ACE2, and these mutations probably don't protect them from getting infected per se but do protect them from getting sick.
So having one of these mutations would make you a sort of COVID minidodger, if you will. There are other ways to resist an infection besides denying the virus entrance into the cell, Landau explains. And they likely involve your body's immune system.
That's exactly what the team at UCSF has found.
Since the pandemic began, Jill Hollenbach and her colleagues at UCSF have been studying people who test positive COVID but show no symptoms. "Not even a sniffle or a scratchy throat," she says. "So they are entirely asymptomatic."
After analyzing DNA from more than 1,400 people, they identified a mutation that helps a person clear out a SARS-CoV-2 so fast that their body doesn't have a chance to develop symptoms.
The mutation occurs in a gene called HLA, which is critical during the earliest stages of infection. Hollenbach and her colleagues found that having a particular mutation in that gene increases a person's chance of being asymptomatic by almost 10 times. They reported those preliminary findings online last September.
Since then, they've gone on to show how this mutation works. And it has to do with your immune system preparing for SARS-CoV-2 before the pandemic even began back in 2019.
When viruses first enter cells, HLA signals to the immune system that cells are invaded and need help. That signal triggers a cascade of events that ultimately leads your body to make potent weapons specifically designed to fight SARS-CoV-2. These weapons include antibodies and T cells that uniquely recognize pieces of this virus. Once these targeted weapons are available, your immune system has a much easier time clearing up the infection. But these weapons take time to manufacture. And that delay allows the infection to spread and symptoms to develop.
But what if, for some lucky reason, your immune system already had weapons specifically targeted to SARS-CoV-2?
This summer, Hollenbach and her colleagues demonstrated that, with a specific mutation in HLA, some people have T cells that are already pre-programmed to recognize and fight off SARS-CoV-2. So there's no delay in generating COVID-specfic weaponry. It's already there.
"Your immune response and these T cells fire up much more quickly [than in a person without the HLA mutation]," Hollenbach says. "So for lack of a better term, you basically nuke the infection before you even start to have symptoms."
But here's the kicker. For the HLA mutation to work (and for you to have these pre-armed T cells), you first had to have been infected with another coronavirus.
"Most of us have been exposed to some common cold coronavirus at some point in life," she explains. And we all generate T cells to fight off these colds. But if you also have this mutation in your HLA, Hollenbach says, then just by mere luck, these T cells you make can also fight off SARS-CoV-2.
"It's definitely luck," she says. "But, you know, this mutation is quite common. We estimate that maybe 1 in 10 people have it. And in people who are asymptomatic, that rises to 1 in 5."
While Hollenbach and her team continue to look for more minidodger genes, Casanova over at Rockefeller University and his colleagues are still trying to determine if there are true superdodger genes. And he's looking for participants right now for his study.
"You fill out a questionnaire online about your exposures to SARS-CoV-2," he says. And then if you meet the criteria of a superdodger, the team sends you a testing kit. Basically you spit in a cup and mail it back to Casanova and his collaborators.
"We'll extract your DNA and sequence your genome," he explains. "We hope that in a group of 2,000 to 4,000 people, some people will have genetic mutations that tell us why they're resistant to infection."
And perhaps, like with HIV, that finding will one day shift the field of COVID research and lead to a vaccine that does what everyone wishes our current vaccines do: turn everyone into a COVID superdodger.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-07/so-you-havent-caught-covid-yet-does-that-mean-youre-a-superdodger
| 2022-09-14T21:26:20Z
|
KABUL, Afghanistan – In the year since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, they have used their muscle to restrict the education and curiosity of girls. They've been banned from high school, told to cover up and stay home. But in one secret book club in Kabul, about a dozen teenagers are defying the Taliban to continue learning – and along the way have connected to a girl from a different time and place who was also forced to live her life in secret.
"She had hope. She was fighting. She was studying. She was resisting her fate," says Zahra. She's in the basement of a building on a side alley on the outskirts of Kabul where the book club met on a recent August day with two young volunteers who act as facilitators, steering the conversation and asking questions.
Zahra is speaking of Anne Frank.
The girls are reading and discussing the teenager's famous diary, which she began writing at age 13. And they are struck by the parallels: Just like them, Anne was only a kid – one who was starting to learn about the world – when she was forced into hiding because of a violent, oppressive government.
Another book club member summarizes the diary at a facilitator's urging: "In the beginning Anne has a good life, but after Hitler takes over, he places strict laws and regulations against Jews. They go into hiding. They can't make noise. They have to walk softly."
Four volunteers set up this weekly book club for teenage girls shortly after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August last year.
(NPR is only using the first names of the girls to protect them from any Taliban reprisals for violating the education ban and not identifying the club's organizers, who fear the Taliban could shut down the book club and punish them for educating the girls.)
The origins of the secret book club
The girls in this book club come from a heart-wrenching cohort: Nearly all of them have survived suicide bombings over the past few years. Some were wounded; others suffered psychological harm. Some lost family. They lost friends. They all belong to a persecuted ethnic minority called Hazaras. Living under the Taliban's rule has added to their hardships..
The four volunteers are young men and women who have worked in education and community service for years. They hope the girls will be able to process the events of their own lives through reading and talking about the classics of Persian and Western literature, translated into Farsi.
"We come here, we talk about the books, and then we understand ourselves, our thoughts," says one of the young book club members, Arzou. "It is like, so amazing."
Some of the books are intended to show the girls how other minorities have survived persecution – or not – through personal stories of resistance and suffering, like Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
Bringing a Jewish voice to Kabul
It is a remarkable effort in a culture and region where there have been no substantial Jewish communities for decades and where clerics have often maligned Jews, without evidence, as seeking to undermine Muslim communities and Islam itself.
But the Hazara volunteers who lead this book club understand the European Jewish experience differently: a minority that was once unspeakably persecuted as part of the Nazi effort to exterminate the Jewish people, with millions killed, but which has since thrived. They hope the girls will see that too.
Volunteers who facilitate the book club assigned Frank's diary to the girls in late July. They agreed to meet weeks later with NPR to talk about it.
The book, which has been translated into over 70 languages and sold some 30 million copies, was translated into Farsi by a 61-year-old Afghan refugee named Khalil Wedad who lives in the Netherlands.
Wedad said when he first came across the book in a class he attended on Dutch language and culture, he was taken by how Anne Frank's story of a girl in hiding resonated with the experience of many Afghans living through decades of war. He hoped that if he were to translate the book, Afghan girls would see themselves in her story.
Wedad told NPR that he was supported by the Anne Frank House, which oversaw the translation and paid for publishing about 1,500 copies.
"At first it may seem surprising that these girls relate so powerfully to Anne Frank, but for young people who experience terror and oppression who have to hide for their lives, there's somehow comfort to know they're not alone," says Doyle Stevick, executive director of the Anne Frank Center at the University of South Carolina. (The center is the official partner of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam).
"The diary helps us recall our common humanity no matter what our differences may be," Stevick says. "Anne's strong spirited determination not to give into despair has inspired people around the world."
In 2005, after the Farsi edition of the book was published, Wedad said he traveled back to Afghanistan and held small meetings with journalists and civil society activists to introduce the book. He even held readings with Afghan teenage girls.
Wedad said he hadn't heard about the secret book club but was pleased to learn that young Afghan women are finding meaning in Anne Frank's story. "It feels like his mission was kind of fulfilled," Wedad's son Khaled told NPR, translating for his dad, who does not speak English.
'I think Anne Frank is ... a friend for me.'
Arzou, one of the book club participants, said it was the first time they had read the firsthand account of a teenage girl living through extreme hardship. "I think Anne Frank is like, as a friend for me," she said.
"Something is in common with me and Anne Frank," Arzou says. "We are both the victims of war. I mean, Anne Frank is suffering from war and I am too. And Anne Frank cannot go to school, cannot, like go out very freely. And I have the same situation."
Like Anne Frank, Arzou says, "we are just in a dark place and there isn't any light," she says. "And we don't understand what would come after this."
Before the Taliban came to power, Arzou says her grades were so high that she expected to apply to colleges abroad to study computer science. That dream is over.
She's 17, but her hair is streaked with gray – a startling sight set against the pimples on her teenage face. She thinks the grays are because she holds in the suffering she's experienced.
But she says she's learning that other people, like the Jews of Europe, like Anne Frank, lived through worse.
"I found the Anne Frank situation more harder than us," Arzou says. "They cannot go out, and every minute they are thinking of being free, but in the end, they even die. So if I think of my situation. I am very grateful because I have these people that I can share my ideas with. We can gather together and talk about anything that we want."
Another girl, 17-year-old Masouma, wearing a lavender headscarf and purple robe, raises her hand to talk. She says she relates to how Anne Frank faced the real fear that she'd be killed even as she wrote about her typical teenage problems, including her crush on a teenage boy who shared their hiding place and her clashes with her mother.
"I loved the whole book. It was like a friend of mine telling me her pain, her stories. When she called her diary Kitty, I smiled and I imagined that I was Kitty, and that we are best friends," Masouma says smiling.
Masouma is referring to this moment in Frank's diary: "All I think about when I'm with friends is having a good time. I can't bring myself to talk about anything but ordinary everyday things. We don't seem to be able to get any closer and that's the problem. Maybe it's my fault that we don't confide in each other. In any case, that's just how things are, and unfortunately they're not liable to change. This is why I've started the diary."
"To enhance the image of this long-awaited friend in my imagination, I don't want to jot down the facts in this diary the way most people would do, but I want the diary to be my friend, and I'm going to call this friend Kitty."
Masouma says she admires Anne Frank for trying to have a sense of perspective: She was sad because she couldn't go to school in hiding. But she knew it was worse out in the world. She wrote in her diary in 1942 about Jews being transported to camps: "We assume that most of them are being murdered. The English radio says they're being gassed. Perhaps that's the quickest way to die."
And she says, Anne Frank didn't give up on education. She tried to continue her education in secret, even taking a shorthand course by correspondence. Masouma is trying to keep up her education as well.
Despite the Taliban's ban on secondary education for girls, Masouma and other girls were sneaking into a high school that was secretly letting them attend the boys-only classes. They were ducking into the school gate in tiny numbers, hoping they wouldn't be noticed.
"But there were too many of us," Masouma says. She says the school principal feared local Taliban security forces would notice the girls coming in and out, and so they were told to go home. "The girls were all crying," Masouma recalls. "My sister is still traumatized and now she doesn't want to try to get an education."
Masouma and the other girls say they find comfort in Anne Frank's diary, even though they know how it ends. Anne Frank died of typhus in 1945 in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after her family was betrayed and their hiding place revealed. She was 16.
Zahra, the young woman who described Anne Frank as resisting her fate, says knowing the end didn't depress her at all. "Nobody knows how long I will live, or when I will die," she shrugs. "The only thing you can do is leave something behind for the world that gives your life meaning."
Like Anne Frank, who left behind her diary, published in 1947.
"Right now, the Taliban are in power," Zahra says. "One day, they will be gone. Maybe people will forget what they did to girls like me."
She says that she wants to write a book as Anne Frank did so the world will know about the teenage girls of Afghanistan as well.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
|
https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/2022-09-11/in-a-secret-kabul-book-club-teen-girls-find-comfort-in-the-diary-of-anne-frank
| 2022-09-14T21:26:26Z
|
4 Non-Investment Questions to Ask an Adviser Before Retiring
NEW YORK (AP) — Using a financial adviser for your investment needs is 100% on brand, but what about the other parts of your retirement life? For example, a third of people ages 64 and up have a financial adviser, but only 2% of them asked their adviser to help with their Medicare choices, according to a July 2022 report from health care consulting firm Sage Growth Partners.
But Medicare and other non-portfolio topics — like travel and long-term care — can affect your finances.
“We are actively bringing these ideas to our clients, but there are still plenty of advisers out there that are not,” says Crystal Cox , a certified financial planner in Madison, Wisconsin. “They’re still focused just on the investments and the portfolio.”
Here are some questions to ask at your next meeting.
WHAT RETIREMENT DECISIONS DO I NEED TO THINK ABOUT?
Your life in retirement may not continue as it has in the past. Do you plan to travel? Do you intend to move to a different state or downsize? How often will you want to buy a new vehicle?
“Most people just think, ‘I need a certain amount of money to live on,’” says Daniel Lash , a CFP in Vienna, Virginia. “What about all the ancillary things that come along with living? All the things you want to do?”
Mapping your retirement plans can help you and your adviser pinpoint when and how you’ll need cash.
“Do you have an idea of where you’re going to move, and what does real estate look like in that general area?” Lash says. “They’ve thought about retiring, not ‘What am I going to do when I retire?’”
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT MEDICARE?
Although you generally can’t sign up for Medicare until you’re closer to 65 years old, your income in the years beforehand will affect what you pay for coverage. Each year, both Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D base their premiums on your reported modified adjusted gross income from two years prior. So if you filed individually making more than $91,000, or filed jointly making more than $182,000, you’ll pay additional amounts each month.
“Because there’s a lookback on earnings for Medicare expenditures, we’ll adjust plans accordingly, because they might be paying considerably more the first couple of years in retirement than later in retirement,” Lash says.
It’s also wise to consider guidance on Medicare choices in general, because you sometimes can’t change coverage later if your health situation shifts — and Medicare is complicated. “We do an annual meeting with somebody that specializes in Medicare,” Lash says. “All clients are invited to attend.”
CAN I AFFORD TO SELF-INSURE FOR LONG-TERM CARE?
A person turning 65 now has about a 70% chance of needing some kind of long-term care, and costs are steep: It’s $54,000 a year for an assisted living facility and nearly $95,000 for a shared room in a nursing home, according to insurance company Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey.
“Some people are well enough off that they’re comfortable self-insuring,” says Kevin Brady , a CFP in New York City. “Others have more limited assets.”
No matter what is the case, it’s crucial to discuss potential costs and whether you have the savings to manage them. If you don’t, you’ll need to run the numbers on products like long-term care insurance or a hybrid policy that combines permanent life insurance with a long-term care rider.
“We’re always working with an expert to do projections and see what makes sense,” Brady says.
DO I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO HAVE SOME FUN?
A successful retirement isn’t always about the tangibles. For many, it’s a time to realize dreams of travel and other experiences, but spending too frugally can get in the way.
“Often clients are overly conservative for fear of running out of money, but in the process they shortchange the retirement experience,” says Kevin Lum, a CFP in Los Angeles. “By the time they realize their abundance, they’re too old to spend it.”
Talk to your adviser about your big-ticket wishes and whether you have enough money to splash out a little before you settle into quieter spending.
Actual retirement spending looks more like a smile than a straight line, Lum says, with more spending at the beginning on things like travel and more spending at the end on long-term care needs.
“I’m not saying people should spend irrationally,” Lum says. “But thinking about retirement spending as a fixed calculation that doesn’t change across the retirement life isn’t a smart idea.”
This article was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet. The content is for educational and informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. Kate Ashford is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: kashford@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kateashford.
|
https://www.bizneworleans.com/4-non-investment-questions-to-ask-an-adviser-before-retiring/
| 2022-09-14T21:45:23Z
|
Could Louisiana Lawmakers Eliminate State Income Tax?
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana legislators are once again discussing a possible path toward eliminating state income tax.
Lawmakers acknowledged, during Tuesday’s tax-writing committee meeting, that proposals to rid income tax is bound to meet massive fiscal hurdles, but others say it is necessary to help keep and attract residents, businesses and corporations to Louisiana. Republican Rep. Richard Nelson, who steered the conversation, described an overhaul of the state’s tax system as a “mousetrap” — allowing it to compete with states without income tax, such as neighboring Texas, that have seen faster and more significant growth.
“When you look at the state and you look at the trajectory that we’re going, I think the tax structure in Louisiana is one of the fundamental things that’s holding us back,” Nelson said during the House Ways and Means committee meeting.
Revamping the state’s complex tax code is likely to face fiscal and political challenges, considering personal income taxes are expected to raise $4.3 billion of the state’s $39 billion annual operating budget.
If income tax is removed, lawmakers will need to figure out how funds would be replaced — whether that means increasing sales and property taxes or reducing exemptions. Subcommittees will be tasked with conducting an analysis of the state’s tax structure, looking at what exemptions and credits are costing and what other taxes can be afforded to change.
Debbie Vivien, Chief Economist for the Legislative Fiscal Office, cautioned that it may not be the time for an immense change.
“We’re seeing really high revenue, we know it’s probably going to come down. We have hurricane recovery, we have a lot of federal money being dropped in. We know it’s going to come down so we just caution you… if you’re tempted to cut just keep in mind we have a far way to fall at this point,” Vivien said.
Eight states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — do not have personal income tax.
“Texas, our neighbor to the west, grew six times faster than we did. Florida is about the same,” Nelson said. What do they have in common? They have no income tax. It’s one of the major things that attracts people from across the country.”
Last year, Louisiana voters approved a constitutional amendment that decreases the maximum individual income tax rate from 6% to 4.25% beginning next year.
The Louisiana Legislature can tackle tax issues during odd-numbered years. The Ways and Means Committee is expected to make recommendations for tax structure changes to the Legislature for the 2023 regular session, which begins April 10.
By AP reporter Sara Cline
|
https://www.bizneworleans.com/could-louisiana-lawmakers-eliminate-state-income-tax/
| 2022-09-14T21:45:29Z
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.