News Hub | News Direct

Lifestyle

Beverage: Coffee/Tea/Non-Alcoholic Beverage: Spirits/Beer/Wine Casino/Gaming Fashion Food/Cooking/Baking Health & Fitness Home Goods Hospitality Leisure Activities & Hobbies Parenting Pets Photography Seniors Travel & Tourism
Article thumbnail News Release

D-Squared Media Announces Production and Release of “Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives”

D-Squared Media

D-Squared Media today announced the production and release of a new advocacy documentary about the survival of the Iraqi Jewish Archives, over 20,000 documents and personal artifacts rescued in 2003 by U.S. soldiers from the basement of Saddam Hussein’s secret police headquarters in Baghdad. “Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives: A Journey of Identity,” a feature-length film (56 minutes) is fourth in the series about Iraq’s Jewish community, culture and history, produced over 25 years by D-Squared Media, a full-service production company in New York City. To view a trailer, go to: https://vimeo.com/437180481/bd0925d059 The new documentary was co-directed by D-Squared Media Founder Adriana Davis and long-time client Carole Basri, an American attorney descended from prominent Iraqi-Jewish families. The two have collaborated on all films in the Iraqi Jewish series which have brought a deeper recognition of the community and its history. “Saving the Iraqi Jewish Archives” is the first documentary to introduce images of the archives while telling the story of their discovery, rescue and, as yet, undetermined future. It utilizes first person accounts and rare news footage of 1969 Iraq, including the hangings of nine Jews in a Baghdad public square. “This is a story of miracles many times over,” said Ms. Davis, Co-Director, Producer, Co-Writer and Editor of the film. “First, the archives were discovered by a confidential informant,” she added. “Then they survived the wars in Iraq, and an arduous restoration process by the U.S. National Archives. Now, the fact that they are finding their way to the people whose names and images are on the material is unbelievable. A significant portion of the material rescued is personal including school records from the main Jewish school in Baghdad, wedding and birth registers, religious books and Torah scrolls. Interview subjects, many of whom escaped Iraq, became emotional and expressed shock at discovering their names and images among the thousands of documents thought long ago destroyed. “What if you lost your high school diploma, marriage license and children’s birth records?” asked Ms. Davis. “Or at least you thought you did, but then they were found? Wouldn’t you want them back and preserved for future generations to learn who they are and where they came from? Iraqi Jewish Activists Worldwide say “Don’t Send These Items Back to Iraq” The archives, currently in the U.S. and partially digitized, risk being returned to Iraq at any moment -- unless the worldwide Iraqi Jewish community is able to create a groundswell of support to preserve them. “Without access to the archives, the 2,700-year story of Iraq’s Jews is in danger of being lost,” warned Ms. Davis. “It is essential for this material to survive so the presence of Jews in Iraq will be irrefutable.” Along with personal recollections, the film includes interviews with representatives from B’nai B’rith International, JIMENA, a former Department of Defense official, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Justice for Jews from Arab Countries, and American Sephardi Federation. The culmination of the film is a call to action, offering potential solutions to the fate of the archives, while making it clear that sending the archives back to Iraq would be disastrous. In addition to public screenings, the filmmakers seek private showings to members of Congress, the Executive Branch and the State Department, all of whom can play a role to save the archives. An official selection of the 23rd New York Sephardic Jewish Film Festival, the film’s scheduled premiere on March 17, 2020 was postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. A rescheduled online screening is expected this summer. Dates for other festivals and online streaming of the film are underway. For more information about the film, go to: www.SavingIraqiJewishArchivesFilm.com About D-Squared Media and Adriana Davis D-Squared Media was founded in 1995 by Adriana Davis to provide consistent and exceptional video production management, writing, editing, communication and voice acting/casting services. D-Squared clients include health-care, finance, advertising, engineering, broadcasting, lifestyle, legal and publishing firms. The company has also produced the company has produced socially-relevant documentaries, television and radio programs. Ms. Davis and her company produced and co-directed three previous films in the Iraqi Jewish series – “The Life of Frank Iny” (1999), “Searching for Baghdad” (2001) and “The Last Jews of Baghdad” (2005). The trilogy has screened at over 80 premiere film festivals in the US, Canada, Israel and Europe and has been featured on PBS and JLTV. D-Squared Media has also produced “Play It By Ear,” a romantic comedy starring Academy Award Winner® Rita Moreno, which has screened at film festivals in the U.S. and is currently seeking theatrical distribution. The movie was written, directed and produced exclusively by women. Ms. Davis has worked as a production manager, field producer and assignment desk editor for numerous network and cable TV and radio outlets. She is also a voice over talent with commercial and corporate credits and has directed voice actors in the U.S., UK and elsewhere. Ms. Davis is a frequent panel guest at independent filmmaking, women entrepreneur and voice acting seminars throughout the country and is a native New Yorker. For more information about D-Squared Media, go to: www.dsquaredmedia.com/ Contact Details Andrew Blum +1 917-783-1680 ajbcomms@gmail.com Company Website http://www.dsquaredmedia.com/

July 10, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University Hosts Diversity & Inclusion Webinar

LEVICK

Wake Forest University’s Center for the Study of Capitalism will host a July 15 webinar titled, “Doing the Right Thing: How Companies Lead in the New Age of Diversity & Inclusion.” The event will focus on potential diversity and inclusion initiatives for businesses currently rethinking their policies and communications tactics. The panel’s evolution was prompted by the recent focus on the Black Lives Matter protests that have generated far more conversation than all other social issues – abortion, immigration, gun control, #MeToo – combined . The panel will be hosted by the Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University, a research and teaching center and a trusted source of information about well-functioning democratic capitalism. The panel will be hosted by Richard Levick, Chairman and CEO of LEVICK and Executive Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Capitalism. Webinar panelists include: Neil Foote, Foote Communications Kurt Bardella, LEVICK William Ide, Akerman Chris Jackson, Ipsos Derede McAlpin, LEVICK “Since the murder of George Floyd and the Battle of Lafayette Square, diversity and inclusion have dominated our society’s debate in ways they haven’t since the great Civil Rights movement of the 1960s,” Levick said. “All the CEOs, general counsels and board members we have spoken with recognize this historic nature of this moment and tell us ‘We want to do the right thing, but we don’t fully know what or how.’ This webinar is designed to provide the pathway.” While some companies have made significant changes to their policies policy to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement and the public’s outcry for corporate action, many are still asking how and what to do while others are unnecessarily immobilized by past actions or inactions. The webinar will include communications and legal experts who will examine the internal and external changes that companies need to adopt given societal upheaval. For more information on the webinar, visit https://capitalism.wfu.edu/events/doing-the-right-thing-how-companies-lead-in-the-new-age-of-diversity-inclusion/ About the Center for the Study of Capitalism The Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University is a research and teaching center and a trusted source of information about well-functioning democratic capitalism. Contact Details Maria Stagliano +1 404-245-0899 mstagliano@levick.com Company Website https://www.levick.com

July 10, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Americans Blindsided by Medical Bills During COVID-19

YourUpdateTV

Most Americans do not know the prices of their healthcare prior to receiving the care. This can lead to unforeseen medical bills that can be financially devastating to Americans and their families. Recently, Cynthia A Fisher, Founder of PatrientRightsAdvocate.org partnered with YourUpdateTV to discuss the importance of healthcare price transparency. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/l0EX546XbLs System-wide healthcare price transparency can become law by passing the Healthcare Price Transparency Act, which requires hospitals and insurance companies to reveal their discounted, cash prices and secret, negotiated rates, as part of the next COVID-19 stimulus package. This is a bi-partisan issue. 90% of all Americans surveyed want to know prices and be able to shop for the best quality at the lowest price – driving down the costs of care and coverage. Businesses contracting directly with price transparent providers for care and coverage, are already saving 30-50% for their employees and their families. Economists estimate that this bi-partisan measure will save over $1 trillion per year for the United States. Healthcare price transparency is the key to lowering America’s devastatingly high healthcare costs through informed, empowered consumers. For more information, please visit PatientRightsAdvocate.org About Cynthia A. Fisher Cynthia A. Fisher is a life sciences entrepreneur, independent investor, and corporate board director. She founded WaterRev, LLC to invest in novel technologies that enable sustainable practices in water use. She serves on the public company boards of The Boston Beer Company (SAM) and Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (DEA). Cynthia is best known for her pioneering work as Founder and CEO of ViaCord, Inc., a leading umbilical cord blood stem cell banking service which she started in 1993. In 2000, she co-founded and was President of the cellular medicines company, ViaCell, Inc. (Previously to founding ViaCord, Cynthia ran the Blood Bank Division of Haemonetics Corporation, a medical equipment manufacturer. She began her career in sales at IBM focusing on healthcare IT, insurance, and defense industries. Cynthia holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, as well as an Honorary Doctorate of Science and BS in Biophysics from Ursinus College. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content, produced by award-winning video communications firm. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

July 10, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

As COVID-19 Restrictions Lift Americans Return to Travel

YourUpdateTV

According to the U.S. Travel Association, more than two-thirds of consumers miss traveling and can’t wait to get out again, and one in four are already planning a future vacation. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/TsJdJ3quJLE Travelers will drive, rather than fly, and hence take shorter trips closer to home. Choice Hotels’ has nearly 6,000 franchised hotels across America conveniently located near drive-to destinations and therefore well-positioned to support the resurgence of the American road trip this summer. Americans will have different comfort levels when they first venture out in this new travel environment and will be looking for indications from restaurants, hotels and attractions that they are committed to prioritizing travelers’ health and safety. Choice’s Commitment to Clean initiative is designed to help give guests added peace of mind when booking a stay. Commitment to Clean is the company’s holistic approach to supplying hotel owners and their employees with the tools they need to help Choice-branded hotels worldwide achieve superior levels of cleanliness. As part of the initiative, every Choice-branded hotel is designating a “Commitment to Clean Captain,” each of whom is responsible for completing applicable best-in-class cleanliness training and communicating new protocols and best practices to the rest of each hotel’s staff. Travelers will be looking to make the most of their travel budgets. Choice Privileges, the company’s award-winning loyalty program, is currently offering a Stay Twice, Earn a Free Night promotion, designed to help guests maximize their travel budgets as they return to the open road. Choice Privileges also recently announced a series of enhancements that help provide members with the flexibility to use their benefits as soon as they are ready to travel. Updates include reducing the number of nights required to earn elite status; pausing the expiration of loyalty points until Dec. 31; and initiating upgrades, extensions and bonuses for current elite members. For more information on what Choice Hotels is doing to help travelers this summer, visit www.ChoiceHotels.com About Choice Hotels: Choice Hotels International, Inc. is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,100 hotels, representing over 590,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of March 31, 2020, the Choice® family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.ChoiceHotels.com . About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

July 08, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail News Release

Ergo21 Announces New Bicycle Seat Cushion Cover Provides Health Benefits and Comfort

Ergo21

Ergo21 today announced its new custom-made seat cushion cover is now available and ready to ship. The seat uses LiquiCell technology to reduce hot spots and improve blood flow. "If you want to ride forever without the butt burn, the Ergo21 Bicycle Seat Cushion is the perfect choice for regular and exercise bikes. The secret ingredient is the LiquiCell Membrane on top of an open cell foam and covered by a soft fabric"" explains Steve Gambhir, designer, and product specialist at Ergo21. Positive Customer Impact Ergo21 interviewed bicyclists, gym goers and spin enthusiasts and found most people were not happy with their seats. "We researched and evaluated the most popular brands and discovered they used molded foam, which is approximately 30% cheaper to manufacture since it simply requires some sewing. The trade-off is that it's closed-pore foam and it feels hard when you ride," said Gambhir. LiquiCell Blood Flow Technology Ergo21 sourced a custom density open cell foam from a local USA foundry designed to absorb road vibrations while not feeling hard on sitting bones. Custom made LiquiCell Membrane is then placed on top to protect sensitive skin tissues from breaking down while optimizing blood flow. "The biggest challenge we had since the foam was not molded is that it needed special manual double stitching. After several months of trying different stitching methods, we finally were able to come out with what we consider the Best Bicycle Seat Cushion out there! Better than a Gel bicycle seat cushion or foam bicycle seat cushion" said Gambhir. The seat is double-stitched, available in 2 sizes, fits almost any seat, slips on easily and enables cycling or stationary bikes enthusiasts to simply tighten the draw-cord and go. Founded in 2010, Ergo21 offers wide range of Seat Cushions designed for office, driving, home, wheelchairs, and travel. For more information on LiquiCell Blood Flow Technology: https://www.ergo21.com/bicycle-seat-cushion/ ### Ergo21 and LiquiCell are registered trademarks in the United States of the respective owners. Contact Details Steve Gambhir +1 949-975-8219 steve@ergo21.com Company Website https://www.ergo21.com/

July 08, 2020 07:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Image
Article thumbnail News Release

EOS Labs Launches to Help Building Managers Optimize Utility Efficiency

EOS Labs

As a typical facility can waste 30 percent of the energy it consumes or more due to lack of optimization, EOS Labs , a leading utility financial intelligence and technology company, launched today to help building managers ensure facilities are operating at optimum levels. The demand for determining where buildings can cut energy costs has increased dramatically in recent months, due to the COVID-19 crisis and resulting financial downturn— and a spotlight has been placed on this issue as buildings were left partially empty for months and were not energy optimized. EOS Labs is uniquely positioned to solve this challenge and assist facility managers in delivering both immediate and long-term cost savings strategies. In addition to automating and centralizing utility data, EOS Labs’ Utility Financial Intelligence ( ) platform uses AI and advanced analytics to further analyze smart meter and interval utility data, define anomalies wasting energy and deliver actionable insights to support decisive action for facility managers across vertical industries. These financial insights are adjusted for weather, occupancy and specific building consumption variables, helping organizations to eliminate energy waste without costly building upgrades, as well as increase savings. The platform’s added value is providing intelligence powered decision center that host all data related to utilities and energy; such as, billing itemized data, weather, building and business operational data, and more. “Today, building managers across vertical markets are inundated with data and many technology tools available actually hurt operational efficiencies by raising unnecessary alarms that slow cost-saving decisions,” said Sal Alhelo, Founder and CEO. “Currently, when building managers receive an alarm or alert from their BMS or utility management software, those alarms are treated at the same level of urgency, which doesn’t allow for focusing on the alarms that have the most impact on an organization’s bottom line. This is a continual challenge for facilities managers and one we are looking forward to helping them solve.” How it Works With a focus on increasing efficiencies for facilities across Education, Healthcare, Banking, Hospitality, Retail, Fitness and other markets, EOS Labs takes the data points that directly impact a company’s bottom line and prioritizes those data points to determine which alarms require immediate action. Data collected by EOS Labs is presented to building facility managers via dashboards containing simplified and actionable financial insights and custom alerts. EOS Labs automates the majority of the analysis as well as the review process, providing customers with easy to digest insights built on the customer s’ priorities and goals. EOS Labs presents any alarming data enabling immediate action, providing how long an issue has been in effect and the associated costs. For buildings with existing IoT-enabled building management systems (BMS), UFIQ provides an added element of financial intelligence. To elevate the existing platform, UFIQ eliminates the critical and costly blind spot in energy management that typical fault detection algorithms might miss. “During emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever to be able to quickly manage utilities effectively and oversee usage across facilities,” added Alhelo. “The extra layer of visibility ensures building managers can minimize energy consumption of assets.” UFIQ provides that visibility to the entire building's energy financial performance in alignment with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) and equips managers with the financially sound guidance they need to operate and adjust BMS to achieve optimal energy savings. Based in McKinney, Texas, EOS Labs’ Founder and CEO, Sal Alhelo, has nearly 15 years of experience in energy management, engineering, construction and building operations. He has significantly contributed to the design of multi-billion-dollar hotels and casinos in Las Vegas and several healthcare facilities in Texas, as well as managed facilities programs for a Fortune 500 company for more than six years. For more detail, please visit https://energyeos.com . EOS Labs is the utility financial intelligence and technology company behind UFIQTM – a platform that provides the financial intelligence necessary to ensure your building is operating at an optimal efficiency level. The company leverages proprietary AI and advanced analytics to analyze smart meter and interval data, define the anomalies wasting energy and deliver actionable insights to support decisive action for facility managers across vertical industries. The platform’s added value is providing an intelligence-powered decision center that hosts all data related to utilities and energy; such as, billing itemized data, weather, building and business operational data, and more. Contact Details Jennifer Mirabile +1 724-493-3027 eoslabs@trustrelations.agency Company Website http://energyeos.com/

July 08, 2020 08:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Article thumbnail Digital Asset Direct

Survey Reveals Growing Acceptance Around COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Exposure Notification Apps

Metova Inc.

Contact Details Anders Steele +1 323-909-2341 anders.steele@metova.com Company Website https://metova.com/survey-reveals-growing-acceptance-around-covid-19-contact-tracing/

July 08, 2020 07:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image
Article thumbnail News Release

Law Firm Major, Lindsey & Africa Shares Diversity & Inclusion Insights on LEVICK Podcast "In House Warrior"

LEVICK

In LEVICK's new podcast for general counsels, In House Warrior , Major Lindsey & Africa Transform Advisory Services, one of the world’s leading consultants to law firms and legal departments, provides insights into diversity, inclusion and leadership during a period of civil unrest, greater awareness and a thirst by hundreds of law firms and legal departments to provide leadership. Listen here About In House Warrior In partnership with the Corporate Counsel Business Journal , LEVICK distributes its daily five-minute podcast In House Warrior to CCBJ’s readership of 40,000 in-house legal professionals. On each episode, host Richard Levick, Chairman & CEO of the global crisis and litigation communications firm LEVICK, explores some of the challenges facing professionals in the office of General Counsel. House Warrior is carried on all major podcast channels, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. In addition to daily distribution via the Corporate Counsel Business Journal, In House Warrior is hosted on www.levick.com , and is distributed via Today , LEVICK’s weekly e-newsletter with a circulation of over 30,000 corporate, legal and insurance executives. Subscribe here Contact Details Maria Stagliano +1 404-245-0899 mstagliano@levick.com Company Website https://www.levick.com

July 07, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Image
Article thumbnail News Release

National Family Support Finds Help with BlueIron

Family Support of South Carolina, Inc

National Family Support, Inc announced today that it has filed its first patent, filed through BlueIron . National Family Support is rolling out a suite of services for managing child support payments. National Family Support's program separates a non-custodial parent's responsibility of child support payments with the custodial parent's need for reliability and consistency. A parent who is required to pay child support can apply for a loan for delinquent payments, which is immediately paid to the custodial parent. Going forward, the custodial parent's payments are guaranteed. "With billions of dollars of delinquent child support payments nationally, we will arrange loans to parents who are behind and will guarantee all future payments. This means money goes right to the children it needs to help," says Dee Benedict, President of Family Support of South Carolina, Inc., that is implementing the first in the nation program in South Carolina. "Our IP portfolio lets us grow nationwide to address the child support crisis," says Frank Kristan, President of National Family Support, Inc., "It is all about the children - and BlueIron makes this possible." "Financial technology or 'fintech' is a difficult field to get valuable patents," says Russ Krajec, CEO of BlueIron. "Our investment came after a lot of due diligence and study of the marketplace and existing IP. National Family Support's innovation solves a huge problem in a very creative and protectable way." About Family Support: Family Support of South Carolina, Inc., is a private service company organized to assist in the financing of child support payments. National Family Support, Inc. is its parent company. Information is at http://www.familysupportofsc.com and e-mail: info@familysupportofsc.com. About BlueIron: BlueIron provides patent-related financing for companies ranging from startups to publicly traded companies. BlueIron finances the cost to create IP portfolios, insures those portfolios for enforcement and defense, and can provide $2-5M loans using IP as collateral. Information is at https://blueironip.com and email: russ.krajec@blueironip.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Contact Details Frank Kristan +1 843-801-6384 info@familysupportofsc.com Company Website https://familysupportofsc.com

July 07, 2020 11:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

1 ... 402403404405406