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Introducing Biebs Brew! The much-anticipated next collab between Justin Bieber and Tim Hortons is a co-created French Vanilla-flavored Cold Brew coffee

Tim Hortons

The wait is almost over – starting June 6, Tim Hortons guests across Canada and the United States can try Justin Bieber’s next Tims-inspired creation! The first part of the Tims x Justin Bieber collab was focused on Justin putting his own spin on his favorite treats at Tim Hortons: bite-sized Timbits donuts. This time, Justin and Tims developed a new twist on what the iconic brand is best known for: brewing the perfect cup of coffee. In product brainstorms with the Tims team for the second collab, Justin shared that he prefers his coffee on ice, which led to working on a new flavor of Tim Hortons Cold Brew, which is made with 100 percent premium Arabica beans and is steeped for 16 hours to enhance the bold and smooth flavor. Also inspired by a slight sweet tooth and his love for hints of delicious vanilla flavoring in his coffee, Justin and our beverage innovation team developed a creamy French Vanilla flavor to go with our Cold Brew. Biebs Brew is the perfect blend of those two beloved Tims flavors. "We couldn't stop at Timbiebs, we needed a Biebs Brew too. And we are bringing both to Tims next month,” said Justin. "Doing a Tim Hortons collab had always been a dream of mine. I grew up on Tim Hortons and it's always been something close to my heart." All three Timbiebs flavors – Chocolate White Fudge, Sour Cream Chocolate Chip, and Birthday Cake Waffle flavors – will return to Tims restaurants in Canada and the United States along with Biebs Brew on June 6. Guests in the US can get a $5 Biebs Bundle*: a large Biebs Brew and a 10-pack of Timbiebs for $5 when ordered through the Tims app. In the US, Tims restaurants will also be bringing back limited quantities of Timbiebs merchandise for guests, including the beanie, fanny pack, and tote bag that were developed in collaboration with Justin. When guests buy any Tims x Justin Bieber merch they get 50% off a second item**. “Timbiebs was a huge success – truly beyond all of our expectations – and what made it so great was the authenticity of the partnership,” said Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons. “Even before the Timbiebs collaboration, Justin had often shared with fans how he’d grown up with Tim Hortons and was obsessed with the brand. His commitment to working with us to develop a natural and authentic twist on the Tims experience is what made Timbiebs a hit and we know guests are going to love Biebs Brew and his take on Tims Cold Brew.” * No substitutions. Valid on bundle only, if items are added à la carte, promotional price will not apply. Ends 7/5/22. Add'l terms apply: timhortons.com/offer-terms. ** Buy 1 item at reg. price, get 1 for 50% off, while supplies last. No substitutions. Tax extra. Cannot be combined w/ any other offer, including food & beverage offers. Not valid on digital orders. “Justin Bieber” and “Biebs” are trademarks of Bieber Time Holdings, LLC. TM & © Tim Hortons, 2022. About Tim Hortons Tim Hortons® is one of North America's largest restaurant chains operating in the quick service segment. Founded as a single location in Canada in 1964, Tim Hortons appeals to a broad range of guest tastes, with a menu that includes premium coffee, hot and cold specialty drinks (including lattes, cappuccinos, espresso, teas and our famous Iced Capp® beverages), fresh baked goods, hot breakfast sandwiches, breakfast snacking items, and other food products. Tim Hortons has more than 4,800 system wide restaurants located in Canada, the United States and around the world. More information about the company is available at www.timhortons.com. Contact Details Alison Brod Marketing & Communications Adrianna Lauricella tims@abmc-us.com Company Website https://www.timhortons.com/

May 17, 2022 04:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

Huobi NFT Partners with Metahallo to Put “McGrady moment” NFT on Auction this May

Huobi NFT

Huobi NFT, the official non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace of Huobi Global,, today announced that it has partnered with Metahallo, a web3.0-based platform, to roll out a “McGrady moment” NFT auction centered around the career highlighting performance of NBA star Tracy McGrady during a groundbreaking match in December 2004. This rare NFT work, an exclusive video NFT immortalizing 33 seconds of McGrady's dazzling performance for the Houston Rockets against the San Antonio Spurs, will be showcased at the Huobi NFT zone at a British auction with a starting price of US$3,500 on 25 May 2022. The “McGrady moment” NFT features renowned basketball player Tracy McGrady who scored 13 points in 33 seconds during the final moments of a nail-biting game on 9 December 2004 between the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs and helped the Rockets magically beat the Spurs 81-80. This brilliant performance continues to inspire basketball players and fans to this day. Metahallo allows participants to experience the joy digital spaces by having their identifies and digital assets function across different games, websites and virtual worlds. Featuring plug-and-play functions like NFT issuance, live broadcast,3D environment, interactive video, customized avatar, social networking, and more, Metahallo enables users to participate in an interconnected digital space with their decentralized Identities (DID). The partnership with Huobi NFT to release the “McGrady moment” NFT signals a new chapter forward for both the NFT industry and the metaverse. Starting on 25 May 2022, the auction will last 35 hours. All participants in the auction will receive a Huobi NFT Issued on the Ethereum Chain, the final winner will be able to trade this “McGrady moment” NFT in the secondary market. “Tracy McGrady’s epic comeback against the Spurs in December 2004 lives on in the hearts and minds of fans and players alike to this day,” said Huobi NFT team. “Reworking this moment into an NFT ensures his contribution will live on forever. We hope this auction will enrich both the NBA fan community and the burgeoning NFT industry.” For more information about this auction, please visit here. In addition, users can also receive updates through Tracy McGrady’s Facebook. About Huobi NFT Huobi NFT is the official NFT platform of Huobi Global. The platform will not only provide users of Huobi Global with the world's best NFT assets, but also provide more application scenarios for various NFT assets to manifest their respective value. Users of Huobi NFT can realize NFTs' utility and commercial value through accessing products in the Huobi ecosystem. In the future, the platform will also leverage its ecosystem development to create an entrance to the metaverse, with a foundation based on NFT assets. Contact Details Ker Zheng media@global-hgroup.com

May 13, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

THE MORRIS HOUSE HOTEL INDUCTED INTO HISTORIC HOTELS OF AMERICA®

The Morris House Hotel

The Morris House Hotel in the City of Philadelphia is pleased to announce it has been inducted into Historic Hotels of America ®, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Morris House Hotel, along with other iconic and legendary historic hotels and resorts from across the United States of America, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C., has been recognized by Historic Hotels of America for preserving and maintaining its historic integrity, architecture, and ambiance. “We are delighted to induct The Morris House Hotel, a Federal-style historic house and garden built in 1787, to Historic Hotels of America.” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Vice President of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “We welcome The Morris House Hotel, its owners Michael and Tracey DiPaolo, Eugene and Deborah Lefevre, and their leadership team into Historic Hotels of America.” To be selected for membership in Historic Hotels of America, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance. Julio Ugarte, the General Manager said, “I am very proud of our team and staff to have brought the hotel up to such an extraordinary level of service and comfort, and that we are now included in this prestigious list with other phenomenal iconic hotels.” Designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark, the Morris House Hotelis rich in history and architectural integrity. It was built by the Reynolds Family in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The signers included two very important members of the Morris family who became the next owners of the house. Many generations of the Morris family have lived in the house for over 150 years. The current owners acquired the property in 2000 and immediately began turning the home and the two ancillary buildings into a first-class hotel. They endeavored to preserve the building’s historic details, while also bringing its facilities up to 21st century standards. About Historic Hotels of America ® Historic Hotels of America is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing, celebrating, and promoting the finest historic hotels in the United States of America. To be nominated and selected for membership in this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historical significance. Of the more than 300 historic hotels inducted into Historic Hotels of America from 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, all historic hotels faithfully preserve their sense of authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity. To view the Morris House Hotel’s weblink on The Historic Hotels website, see incredible photos, and review its rich history, click on the link below: https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/morris-house-hotel/ For more information, please visit HistoricHotels.org/US. Contact Details Historic Hotels of America | Historic Hotels Worldwide Julio Ugarte, GM +1 215-922-2446 julio@morrishousehotel.com Michael and Tracey DiPaolo, Owner +1 215-922-2446 info@morrishousehotel.com Eugene and Deborah Lefevre, Owner +1 215-922-2446 deborah@morrishousehotel.com Katherine Orr - Manager, Marketing Communications +1 202-772-8337 korr@historichotels.org Company Website https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/morris-house-hotel/

May 12, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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City Produce Joins FreshEdge

FreshEdge

INDIANAPOLIS – FreshEdge, a family of produce and specialty food companies backed by Rotunda Capital Partners, acquired City Produce, a fresh food distributor headquartered in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. For many years, City Produce has been serving North Central Florida, the Florida Panhandle, and central to southern Alabama distributing fresh fruits and vegetables, including an array of fresh-cut offerings, dairy, meats, seafoods, specialty foods, and more. City Produce operates out of two facilities, one in Fort Walton Beach, and a second in Foley, Alabama. The addition expands FreshEdge’s footprint into the southern United States and provides space and logistical support to better serve its customer base as it spreads farther south. City Produce joins Piazza Produce & Specialty Foods, Indianapolis Fruit, Get Fresh Produce, McCartney Produce, Monteverde’s, Valley Produce, Vine Line, Garden Cut, CIBUS Fresh and Papania’s. FreshEdge now operates with more than 2,000 employees, approximately 808,500 square feet of warehouse space, and a fleet of more than 720 trucks. “We welcome Tommy Sundy and his amazing team to the FreshEdge family of companies,” said Steve Grinstead, CEO of FreshEdge. “We are excited for this great company to join FreshEdge as we expand farther into the Southeast.” Terms of the deal, which closed on May 10, 2022, were not disclosed. The transaction strengthens the combined business’s presence in Florida and southern Alabama. “City Produce will be a great addition to our expanding group of ‘best in class’ fresh food distribution companies,” said Greg Corsaro, president and COO of FreshEdge. “We look forward to Tommy’s continued leadership at City Produce.” “Our City Produce team is excited to join the FreshEdge family - knowing we’ll be ‘better together’,” said Tommy Sundy, president. “This is the next step in increasing our footprint, serving customers with expanded offerings and growing for our future.” FreshEdge is backed by Rotunda Capital Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm focused on investments in founder and family held companies. Rotunda seeks to provide opportunities for management teams to reach strategic, financial, and operational objectives. Rotunda entered the food business in 2017 with the acquisition of Indianapolis Fruit and Piazza Produce. FreshEdge was created in 2019 when Get Fresh Produce joined the platform. City Produce represents FreshEdge’s seventh acquisition since Rotunda’s initial investment. Together, Rotunda and FreshEdge intend to continue expanding FreshEdge by welcoming more companies into the group—all focused on high quality produce and specialty food products, along with exceptional service—to create a unique group of complementary entities. About FreshEdge FreshEdge was formed in 2019 through the combination of Get Fresh Produce (founded 1982) and the IF&P Foods family of companies, primarily composed of Indianapolis Fruit (founded 1947) and Piazza Produce (founded 1970). McCartney Produce (Paris, TN) joined the FreshEdge family in November 2020 followed by Valley Produce (Knoxville, TN) in June 2021, Vine Line (Grand Rapids, MI) in October 2021, and Monteverde's (Pittsburgh, PA) in November 2021. Collectively, these leading fresh food distribution companies have nearly 500 years of combined experience serving the grocery and food service industries. FreshEdge includes two Garden Cut branded fresh-cut processing facilities, a tomato re-packer, a USDA fresh kitchen (CIBUS Fresh), and two transportation companies. FreshEdge's fleet resource includes more than 720 trucks servicing the Midwest and beyond from 12 facilities totaling approximately 808,500 square feet of warehouse space. Today, FreshEdge is one of the largest independent fresh food distributors in the United States and a category leader in providing both the foodservice and retail industries with fruit, vegetables, proteins, fresh grab-n-go offerings, dairy, floral, and specialty products. For more information, visit www.freshedgefoods.com. About Rotunda Capital Partners Rotunda Capital Partners is an operationally oriented private equity firm focused on transforming family-founder owned companies into dynamic, data-driven platforms able to achieve and manage significant growth. Since its founding in 2009, Rotunda has partnered with management teams to build great businesses within three primary sectors: value-added distribution, asset-light logistics and industrial & business services. Rotunda strives to achieve replicable results by implementing its Rotunda Performance System to create strategic alignment, develop lean processes and create robust, data-driven infrastructures. For more information, visit www.rotundacapital.com. Contact Details FreshEdge Greg Corsaro +1 317-981-3440 gcorsaro@freshedgefoods.com Rotunda Capital Partners Jill Lafferty +1 847-280-1295 jill@rotundacapital.com Company Website https://www.freshedgefoods.com/

May 11, 2022 07:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time

In the new article, AmericanGambler.com reveals: 10 Athletes Who Lost Fans in the Most Shocking Ways

American Gambler

Professional athletes are idolized for their prowess on the court, field, and track, but they don’t always live up to those high standards when it’s not game time. In a new article, AmericanGambler.com takes a closer look at 10 athletes who have gone through shocking controversies that not only tarnished their reputations and lost them fans, but much more than that. Because of the scandals that they were involved in, many of the athletes took major financial hits, including the most famous cyclist Lance Armstrong, who is estimated to have lost around $75 million due to his longtime doping misconduct, and basketball player Latrell Sprewell, who lost more than $6 million after punching his coach while playing for the Golden State Warriors. Others spent time in jail, such as football player Michael Vick — who went from being the onetime highest-paid player in the NFL to an inmate washing dishes for 12 cents an hour after financing a dog-fighting ring — and track athlete Oscar Pistorius, convicted of murder after shooting his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day 2013. Two women made the list as well, including soccer goalie Hope Solo, who’s been involved in a variety of controversies over the years — from domestic violence to poor sportsmanship — and figure skater Tonya Harding, infamous for her role in attempting to take out rival Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Winter Olympics. What all the athletes on the list share is undeniable sporting talent — and the fact that they all disappointed fans through their shocking scandals. For the full list of 10 athletes and their stories, visit: https://www.americangambler.com/10-athletes-who-lost-fans-in-the-most-shocking-ways/. About AmericanGambler.com AmericanGambler.com is a U.S. online gambling platform owned by Raketech Group Holding, licensed to operate in the United States. The community-driven platform’s primary focus is to provide reliable information about iGaming in the U.S. and give insights about legal online betting, poker, casinos, eSports, gambling laws, and more. Contact Details American Gambler Agnieszka Kaszuba +356 7934 4264 agnieszka.kaszuba@raketech.com Company Website https://www.americangambler.com/

May 11, 2022 07:39 AM Eastern Daylight Time

KILTER’S NEWEST “MILES FOR MEANING” EVENT WILL FOCUS ON NONPROFITS SUPPORTING CANCER PREVENTION, RESEARCH, AND TREATMENT THIS JUNE

Kilter

Hustle For Hope, the newest activity-driven fundraising challenge in Kilter’s Miles for Meaning series, will launch on June 1st with $20,000 available in donation prizes for the top performing cancer-related nonprofits or corporations supporting their favorite cancer-related causes, it was announced by Seth Braddock, Kilter Founder & CEO. “Cancer is something that touches most lives in some way. I’m a huge believer in exercise and movement as a powerful preventative and rehabilitative therapy for cancer, which is why bringing Hustle For Hope to life is so exciting to me, because it will enable communities of people to get out and move however they like throughout the month of June while raising awareness and funds for the cancer-cause of their choice.” Kilter is the most inclusive activity-based engagement platform for good. The platform is used by nonprofits, corporations, and brands to unite supporters and employees through everyday health, wellness and lifestyle activities. Hustle For Hope, open to both nonprofits and companies for their supporters and employees, will provide tens of thousands of dollars in donation prizes to nonprofit organizations during National Cancer Survivor Month and engage nonprofit partners as big as American Cancer Society to small family run foundations like Linda W. Daniel Foundation who all have a fair and equal opportunity to win donation prizes. Participants, regardless of location or physical ability, will accumulate miles (steps, run, bike, walk, wheelchair roll) from June 1-21 and can also fundraise for their favorite cause along the way if they so choose. The participating teams will compete to win cash donation prizes sponsored by Kilter & TVP. “When your mission is to ‘Challenge the athlete in you to fight cancer today’, Kilter is the perfect partner” says Laura Daniel of the Linda W. Daniel Foundation. “We are thrilled to partner with Kilter and join Hustle for Hope! It's a great opportunity to build and compete as a community while raising funds to support our efforts.” This annual event will be the first of many in the Miles For Meaning series that focuses on a specific sector of the nonprofit industry for large donation prizes. Registration for interested nonprofits and corporations is open all of May, with many corporate and nonprofit teams already involved. ABOUT KILTER Kilter is the most inclusive activity-based engagement platform for good. The platform allows users to turn their everyday health, wellness and lifestyle activities into opportunities for to drive charitable dollars to their favorite causes, all while building culture and community to make a global impact. With 50+ trackable activities from running to yoga to pickleball to volunteering, plus our best in class user experience, functionality and customer support, employers, nonprofits and event producers will meet their supporters where they are today (on their phones) and easily exceed engagement and impact goals. Learn more at www.kilterapp.com. Contact Details Julian Lavelle +1 315-708-3494 julian@kilterapp.com Company Website https://www.kilterapp.com

May 10, 2022 09:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Quarter4 Adds WNBA to AI Predictions, Heightening the Visibility of Professional Women Athletes

Quarter4

Quarter4, an AI-powered predictive sports data and analytics provider for media, affiliates and betting platforms, today announced the addition of WNBA predictions and forecasts for players, teams and playoff scenarios to its platform. This data is now available to Quarter4’s existing and future customers via the On Demand Dashboard or API. “At Quarter4, we want to champion women’s sports and support those taking it to the next level by offering robust WNBA data,” said Kelly Brooks, co-founder and CEO of Quarter4. “Our goal is to increase the engagement with women’s sports. The WNBA is full of extremely talented athletes and advocates for equality. By offering rich data on the league, bettors and fans will become more familiar with the amazing women on the rosters and enjoy the action on the court even more this season.” Quarter4’s predictions are automatically generated by a validated deep learning neural network. Combined are the historical statistics of yesterday with the big data of today to generate a predictive data point for every player and team in select college or professional sports, now including the WNBA. With up to 2 million predictions produced daily, and updated no less than every 15 minutes, the unbiased insights deliver an intimate viewpoint for the bettor or fan. “Access to more data and stats on women’s sports, like Quarter4’s new WNBA predictions, will propel the league and women’s sports,” said Jaymee Messler, co-founder of Gaming Society and The Players’ Tribune. “We all know that sports betting drives visibility and engagement, and it’s time that spotlight shines on the WNBA. Let’s bet on women.” "It's so important to support women's sports and build up the infrastructure around them,” said Meghan Chayka, co-founder and CEO of Stathletes, and advocate for women’s sports. “As a fellow woman entrepreneur, I am so excited to see the roll-out of WNBA models by Quarter4. The continued evolution of women's sports and the capacity for growth has never been higher. I'm truly looking forward to seeing the rapid change in the landscape of sports with athletes and entrepreneurs leading the way." Quarter4 enables its partners to bring sports betting content to life for the sports betting newbies and the seasoned veterans. These partners then use the predictions to dig deeper and enhance their products and experiences they are providing to the new generation of sports bettors and fans. The WNBA 36-game regular season tipped off May 6, and will run through August 14. Additionally, for the upcoming season, Quarter4 will be delivering women’s college basketball data, including dynamic brackets, for one of the most exciting tournaments in North America. ABOUT QUARTER4 Quarter4 is a revolutionary artificial intelligence platform that generates 2 million daily pregame and in game predictions for multiple professional and college sports. The easy-to-use sports technology delivers proprietary insights, related to team and player performance, via multiple delivery methods. Sportsbooks, data providers, media agencies and affiliates are empowered with predictive analysis that is unique, personalized and non-biased. The data is available via robust API, custom dashboard and most recently, via embeddable products such as brackets, player affect simulators and seeding probability widgets. Contact Details Bailey Irelan +1 614-795-3308 birelan@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://quarter4.io/

May 10, 2022 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Telos “Mission” NFT Challenge - 175,000 in Crypto Prizes!

Telos Foundation

Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) presents its “Mission NFT Challenge” for digital graphic creators, offering a very attractive prize pool to be shared among contest winners. Telos believes that NFTs are both an art form and a pivoting technology that should be easily and affordably accessible to the masses. As such, Telos strives to facilitate the lowest barrier of entry into the emerging field of NFTs. Utilizing Byt.io, the latest leading NFT marketplace to integrate Telos, end-users will mint and trade their NFTs at unprecedented fast speeds while enjoying industry-low gas fees. The Telos EVM will also offer a congestion-free minting experience that leaves no carbon footprint or any of the front running / MEV that constantly plagues Ethereum users. Furthermore, contract deployment is a fraction of the cost and significantly faster on Telos when compared to virtually every other network, making it a far superior ecosystem to build on. Transactions are instant on Telos! Some Contest Details: The contest opens for registration on Monday May 9th, 12:00 pm EST and participants can submit their projects by Friday, June 24th, 12:00 pm EST. Public Voting on the submissions will take place between Monday May 23rd, 12:00 pm EST to Thursday, June 30th, at 12:00 pm EST. Twenty finalists will be announced on Friday July 1st, 12:00 pm EST and the top five winners will be selected and announced on Tuesday July 5th at 11:00 am EST. Telos encourages all digital artists and aspiring NFT projects to compete in this contest to win one of 5 prizes worth 25,000 TLOS each. Furthermore, an honorable pick by The Big Gooey, Telos’ in-house NFT curator, will award one winner with an additional 50,000 TLOS. The contest and voting will be hosted on the Taikai platform (also built on telos), which recently completed a very successful hackathon for the Telos Ignite contest. The public will vote on all submissions to select the top 20 projects after which a panel of judges will decide on the top five. This maiden NFT contest is inviting artists to bring their NFT projects (ERC 721) and deploy them on the tEVM where they can be minted to be sold on the Byt marketplace or other secondary markets. All additional details and criteria can be found on the Taikai platform through the following link: https://taikai.network/en/telos-foundation/hackathons/nftp-slug/overview About Telos Live since 2018, Telos Blockchain (ticker: TLOS) is a third-generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper, and Native C++ smart contracts. Telos provides full EVM/Solidity support with fixed low-cost gas fees and no front running and, more uniquely, offers a path to fee-less transactions via its robust native C++ smart contract support. Even while operating as a Net Zero Blockchain, Telos still sustainably supports hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produces blocks in 0.5 second intervals (on a first-in-first-out basis, eliminating front running on the network), and securely validates transactions via a credibly neutral and globally decentralized block producer network. As a result, the Telos blockchain has the throughput needed to facilitate and scale the thriving Metaverse / Web 3.0 landscape better than any other blockchain in existence. Its performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, credible decentralization, and end-user fairness. Telos harnesses its power by utilizing tight C++ on the frontend and a custom WASM runtime environment on the backend. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Contact Details The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Telos NFT Curator The Big Gooey thebiggooey@telosfoundation.io Byt Co-founder Will Perkins will@byt.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

May 09, 2022 11:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Raj Chaudhuri’s Claims Against R&S Records And Renaat Vandepapeliere Dismissed

R&S Records

All claims submitted to an Employment Tribunal in London (United Kingdom) by Raj Chaudhuri, were dismissed on 06 April 2022. In a trenchant judgment following a 2-day hearing on 10 th and 11 th March 2022 at which Chaudhuri gave evidence, the judge ruled that Chaudhuri was not an employee of R&S Records. As such, his claims were dismissed. Employment Judge (EJ) Wright rejected Chaudhuri’s version of events. She found that: For his 700 Euros a month, Chaudhuri did as much or as little work for R&S Records as he saw fit and in fact, he did very little; Contrary to his claims, Chaudhuri was in business on his own account and knew that he was not an employee. His contemporaneous descriptions of himself contradicted the status he wished to present to the tribunal and what Chaudhuri claimed now was not what he understood at the time he was scouting for R&S; On Chaudhuri’s evidence, there were 33 missing invoices which he failed to disclose, and it was strange and of concern that Chaudhuri only provided a tax return for a single year which had been amended just before a tribunal deadline. Having sought to extend his remit and further ingratiate himself with R&S Records, he was unsuccessful in attempting to negotiate a partnership deal with Vandepapeliere and never managed to secure the deal he wanted; He had no authority to sign acts for R&S Records and did not do so; The basis of Chaudhuri’s claim to be entitled to a payment of £10,000 was unclear but, more seriously, in September 2020 he threatened to publish an open letter online unless £10,000 was paid into his account that evening which Vandepapeliere referred to as blackmail; Chaudhuri released details of his claim though it was sub judice leading to a concern that media outlets including the BBC, Guardian and Resident Advisor were in contempt of court; Contemporaneous documents pointed to the opposite of Chaudhuri’s alleged basis for his claims which were all dismissed; It was a difference of view about the future direction of the label that led to a fundamental difference of opinion and a parting of the ways. Renaat Vandepapeliere commented, “ After 18 months of making false, malicious and damaging allegations about me and the record label, the judge has utterly rejected Chaudhuri’s attempts to rewrite history.” Following criticism about the basis for his claims by a judge in a previous hearing, and despite having pursued wide press publication for his allegations, Chaudhuri withdrew significant aspects of his claim without explanation, retraction or apology. In consequence of the judges’ decisions and his failed claims, Chaudhuri and his legal representative now face applications for costs in excess of £95,000. In further developments, the Belgian authorities are investigating the possible prosecution of Chaudhuri for blackmail threats. a reference on contempt has been made to the UK Attorney-General by leading media law firm, Manley’s. Background Summary and Further Comment follow...... Background Summary Mr Vandepapeliere formed R&S Records in 1983 with his partner Sabine and is widely regarded as a pioneer of the electronic dance music industry. The label is one of the forerunners in the genre. Chaudhuri’s race discrimination allegations are contradicted by the exceptional African American artist and label stalwart, Mikahl Anthony. Anthony said, “ Renaat has been nothing but genuine in regards to my musical career and also understanding the culture i come from as an African American living in the states. He’s not only supported my Art; he’s been a mentor and true supporter of diversity. I fully affirm his character and the allegations seem completely opposite of the individual he’s been to me. He’s been a man of respect, honor and authentically a great human being. Renaat; he’s changed my life for the better and has always been present in a time of need.” It was a reference to Mikahl by Vandepapeliere which sparked the press furore exploited by Chaudhuri. A former, disgruntled LA-based artist, Eddington Again, whose contract had been terminated by Vandepapeliere, accused R&S Records of lacking racial and gender diversity among its artists; a label that doesn’t “sign colour”. An allegation that is categorically false. In a series of leaked, private, email exchanges between Mr Vandepapeliere and Eddington Again, Vandepapeliere said he had, “found a full pure breed black artist that he could spend his life focussed on”. Vandepapeliere’s remark in Flemish referred to Mikahl Anthony as world class and unique, a one-off artist. When told the meaning of the phrase could be misconstrued in other languages, Vandepapeliere immediately apologised. But Raj Chaudhuri exploited the ambiguity with a self-serving intention to damage the reputation of Vandepapeliere and R&S Records having previously ‘warned’ Mr Vandepapeliere about what harm allegations of racism would cause,. R&S Records is a world class label working with music’s top creative artists signed for their ability to write and produce great tracks irrespective of colour, creed or gender. R&S Records and Mr Vandepapeliere now look forward to future releases and refocussing their attention on sharing music for all to enjoy. Further Comment From Mr Vandepapeliere On the employment tribunal dismissal of all three claims, Mr Vandepapeliere said: “I am delighted that the tribunal has dismissed all three claims brought by Raj Chaudhuri. Given our label’s roster of artists, his allegations of racial discrimination always looked like a cover for his unwarranted demands for money. “This last two years has been absolute hell for me and my partner Sabine, my family and the artists on our record label. My artistic policy for R&S Records has always been inclusive and Raj Chaudhuri knew that. He also knew that allegations of racism would have a devastating impact on me and my business. We would like to personally thank our loyal friends, fans and artists who have remained supportive throughout these very difficult times. “Differences of opinion over music and artistic direction in a record label are one thing, but to falsely label them as racism or racial inequality is wrong; it undermines the very fabric of tackling racism and makes a mockery of those who are genuinely fighting inequality. “Dance music has always been about uniting people through the commonality and love of electronic music, regardless of ethnicity, colour, religion or sexuality. I have always been a champion and supporter of original artists. Signing an artist is about their talents; the music they make and produce – it’s what the label stands for. “As the Tribunal Judge found, my priority is, ‘the integrity of the music R&S Records produced’.” Note: Relevant claim numbers: 2300271/2021, 2300665/2021, and 2301949/2021. London South Employment Tribunal in Croydon, London Contact Details R&S Records Gerard Franklin +44 7791 039636 hello@i5media.co.uk

May 09, 2022 07:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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