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Pension Protection Act Overlooked by Many Retirees.

Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC

Contact Details Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC. Jennifer Lang +1 651-314-4812 mail@jenniferlangfinancialservices.com Company Website https://www.annuityquoteadvisor.com/

July 06, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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‘Forge Ahead’ podcast provides inside look at future of work

Velocity Global

Hosted by Velocity Global founder and CEO Ben Wright Features conversations with forward-thinking business and tech leaders Debut episode with “Shark Tank’s” Robert Herjavec “ Forge Ahead,” a new podcast uniquely focused on the future of work through insights from forward-thinking business leaders, launched today. Hosted by Ben Wright, Velocity Global founder and CEO, “Forge Ahead” explores how the world embraces and overcomes challenges of new ways of working, from remote work to distributed teams. The debut episode is a conversation with Robert Herjavec, founder and CEO of global cybersecurity firm, Herjavec Group, and a lead investor on the Emmy Award-winning show, “Shark Tank.” “Now is the perfect time for these conversations about how people want to work, and how us as business leaders must blaze a new path,” said Herjavec. “My conversation with Ben allowed me to look inward at what I’ve learned. One topic we touched on was that the true driver of remote work is that customers now accept it like never before. Employees have proven able to embrace remote work, and the tech tools have been available, but now that the customer cadence is not disrupted, we’ll never look back.” “In ‘Forge Ahead’ we go beyond the buzzwords and get inside the heads of business leaders who shape the future of work,” said Wright. “Robert is the first of many leaders I am humbled to learn from as listeners get to hear his personal story and how he runs a business.” “Forge Ahead” will release a new episode every two weeks on leading podcast platforms. In subsequent episodes, Wright speaks with thought leaders such as USA Today’s “Gratitude Guru” Chris Schembra, and 6-time PGA TOUR champ Billy Horschel. Listeners will hear a mix of personal stories and actionable insights from successful leaders so they are prepared to embrace the future of work. Ben Wright founded Velocity Global in 2014 and applies two decades of experience supporting companies’ global business growth and remote teams. As the largest Employer of Record in 185 countries and all 50 United States, brands rely on Velocity Global’s expertise and global infrastructure to employ a compliant workforce without the cost or complexity of setting up their own foreign legal entities or state registrations. Listen and subscribe to the “Forge Ahead” podcast at forgeaheadpodcast.com, or search for it on leading podcast platforms including Spotify, Google Podcast, and Apple Podcast. ABOUT VELOCITY GLOBAL Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its platform helps companies compliantly employ distributed teams and expand internationally through best-in-breed technology, global expertise, and scale. As the largest global Employer of Record (also known as International PEO) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, more than 700 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. Named a "Leader" in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall, Velocity Global offers additional services including Immigration, Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors. Founded in 2014, Velocity Global has hundreds of employees in 16 countries. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global Eli Rice +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

July 06, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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Comcast Establishes 50 WiFi-Connected Lift Zones in Houston and Surrounding Areas

Comcast Houston

As part of its ongoing commitment to help connect low-income families to the Internet so they can fully participate in educational opportunities and the digital economy, Comcast today announced it has equipped 50 locations in Houston and surrounding areas with free WiFi enabled Lift Zones. Working with its network of nonprofit partners, Comcast is providing robust WiFi hotspots in safe spaces designed to help students get online, participate in distance learning and do their homework. This initiative provides free connectivity inside partner community centers for the next three years. “We are proud to partner with community organizations across Houston and surrounding areas and equip them with free internet service to provide safe, fast, and reliable connectivity,” said Ralph Martinez, regional senior vice president, Comcast Houston. “The COVID-19 crisis put many at risk of being left behind, accelerating the need for comprehensive digital equity and Internet adoption programs to support them. We hope these Lift Zones will help those who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to connect to effective distance learning at home.” Each Lift Zone location will be outfitted with a robust WiFi solution, powered by Comcast Business, at no cost. The sites are equipped with a combination of Comcast Business’ award-winning Business Internet, WiFi Pro and SecurityEdge solutions; customized based on the size and unique connectivity needs of each location. Some of the Houston and surrounding area community organizations that have established Lift Zones in their respective facilities include Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, the City of Houston, and the City of Galveston. A full list of Comcast Lift Zones in Houston and surrounding areas, can be found here. Earlier this year, Comcast announced a $1 billion commitment over ten years in continued support of digital equity, including its Lift Zones initiative, which aims to establish WiFi-connected safe spaces in 1,000+ community centers nationwide for students and adults by the end of 2021. Lift Zones complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which has helped connect approximately 10 million low-income people to the Internet at home since 2011, including almost one million Texans. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Misha McClure +1 832-547-6783 Misha_McClure@cable.comcast.com Company Website https://houston.comcast.com/

July 06, 2021 05:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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PCMA v. WEHBI AMICUS BRIEF ADVOCATES FOR STATE REGULATION OF PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER INDUSTRY

Alliance for Transparent & Affordable Prescriptions

The Alliance for Transparent and Affordable Prescriptions (ATAP), a coalition of physician and patient advocacy organizations dedicated to exposing the role the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry has on rising prescription drug costs was joined by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and American Pharmacies in filing an amicus brief in PCMA v. Wehbi. The case, currently being argued in the 8 th Circuit, Court of Appeals is a challenge to a North Dakota law designed to regulate abusive practices by the PBM industry. The brief prepared by Daniel Geyser of Alexander Dubose & Jefferson LLP on behalf of ATAP, COA and American Pharmacies may be found here. Following a ruling by the United States Supreme Court in Rutledge v. Pharmaceutical Care Management Association ( where ATAP also filed an amicus brief ), many states have begun to explore regulating the PBM industry to lower costs and increase access to therapies. That case resulted in a unanimous 8-0 decision where the Justices agreed that states have the right to impose regulations on PBMs. Despite setbacks in legislatures and the courts, the PBM industry continues to raise challenges to state regulation of their practices and seeks to avoid accountability. ATAP has been an active advocate for patients in a variety of federal and state battles to amplify the voices of patients and physicians – especially as it relates to exposing PBM abuses and their impact on patients’ access to therapies (medications) needed in their treatment. Dr. Robert Levin, ATAP’s President stated, “We see first-hand how the PBM industry drives up costs and interferes with medical care. Doctors, patients, legislators and regulators are all saying, ‘enough is enough’ and fighting back. We appreciate the opportunity to argue on behalf of patients and defend our obligation to them as the Courts once again weigh in on regulating this rogue industry.” “Oncologists remain troubled by the negative impact PBMs have on patient care and role they play in driving up costs,” said Kashyap Patel, MD, president of COA and a practicing medical oncologist at Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates in Rock Hill, South Carolina “PBMs are directly responsible for the loss of patient access to affordable, potentially life-saving medications for cancer and other serious diseases. COA is proud to share our voice and support to effort in North Dakota and nationwide to stop PBM abuses.” “PBMs have used their outsized market power to raise community pharmacies costs of operation,” explained Miguel S. Rodriguez, General Counsel at American Pharmacies. “PBMs operate in secrecy and routinely fail to pass along any savings to patients. It is time to shine a light on and regulate this industry.” American Pharmacies is a nation-wide independent pharmacy cooperative that routinely advocates on behalf of independent pharmacies and the patients they serve. ATAP, COA, and American Pharmacies argue in the brief that: “…PBMs engage in harmful practices that impair optimal patient care, distort the free market, and impose serious costs on every major stakeholder in 5 the healthcare industry. States are ideally positioned to attack PBM misconduct; the regulation of healthcare is a traditional state function, and States routinely address market inefficiency and abuse, just as North Dakota did…” “We are optimistic that the Courts will see through the previously hidden profit motives of the PBM industry,” said Dr. Angus Worthing of the American College of Rheumatology, an ATAP member organization. “With each new state law combined with other actions at the federal level, patients, physicians, and policy makers now have the power to effect meaningful change.” “The Courts will surely see, like we all do, that patients are suffering under a system preventing them from obtaining medicine they need – at prices they can afford,” said Dr. Michael Schweitz of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations, an ATAP member organization. “The PBM industry profits significantly off rebates and other schemes while interrupting the provider-patient relationship. It is time to do what is right and allow policymakers to stand up and do the right thing.” “The profit motivations from the PBM industry impact real people in dangerous ways,” Dr. Levin continued. “ATAP members are on the front lines of medical care. We see the struggles and confusion that patients are put through by this completely unnecessary middleman industry. They deserve better – they deserve the truth – not dangerous interference from policies motivated only by profit.” ATAP is working in many states to force the PBM industry to disclose rebate data and encourage transparency and reporting requirements for all entities involved in the prescription drug supply chain – PBMs, insurers, and manufacturers. ### For more information, or to schedule an interview with an ATAP spokesperson please contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357. Please visit http://www.atapadvocates.com ATAP's mission is to address prescription drugs costs and patient access to affordable treatment by regulating PBM practices and reforming the drug industry through educational outreach and grassroots advocacy initiatives at both the state and federal level. Contact Details Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 daniel.rene@kglobal.com Company Website http://www.atapadvocates.com

July 02, 2021 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Elizabeth Fegan, notable advocate for sex-abuse survivors and lead attorney in the Harvey Weinstein litigation issued the following statement on the recent development in the Bill Cosby case:

FeganScott

“I have spent a large portion of my legal career representing survivors of sexual assault, helping them hold their perpetrators accountable long before #MeToo became a rallying cry. “In my years, I’ve seen rulings and decisions handed down by courts veer away from justice, often driven by arcane legal arguments. Today’s ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will make even the most rule-bound of us question it with incredulity. At the end of the day, rulings like this mean survivors of sexual abuse will be less willing to step forward, afraid that the legal system is stacked against them. “The fact that a DA’s initial decision not to prosecute Cosby can have preclusive effect on future claims is deeply disheartening. It is equally vexing that current laws will likely prohibit other victims from pursuing Cosby for civil claims because of statute of limitation issues. “I hope that this judicial breakdown will empower victims’ advocates to bring change to the laws that prohibit survivors from holding sexual predators accountable.” About Beth Fegan: Elizabeth Fegan is a Chicago-based attorney and founder of FeganScott, a law firm that represents survivors of sexual assault, abuse and harassment. Fegan led the legal battle against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on behalf of a group of survivors. Contact Details Mark Firmani feganscottpr@firmani.com Company Website https://feganscott.com

June 30, 2021 01:48 PM Pacific Daylight Time

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FeganScott Founding Partner Elizabeth A. Fegan Named to Chicago Lawyer and Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s Top 50 Women in Law Awards and Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer Guide

FeganScott

FeganScott’s founding partner and managing member Elizabeth A. Fegan was recently named to the to the Chicago Lawyer and Chicago Daily Law Bulletin’s Top 50 Women in Law Awards and to the 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyer guide. Recognized for her mentorship and promotion of women in the profession, the Top 50 Women in Law Award highlights Fegan’s success in the legal community as an example of leadership. Lawdragon’s annual guide offers a curated list of attorneys who are notable for their experience, results and impact on the legal community. This is the third year Fegan has received an honor in the plaintiff consumer category – a distinction that is only awarded to the top 500 attorneys in each category throughout the country. “It is always an honor to be recognized among colleagues as we work to improve the lives of our clients and effect large-scale change,” said Fegan. “I consider it a privilege to represent clients who are standing up against injustice, and it’s encouraging to see so many attorneys recognized for this shared commitment.” Fegan leads the firm on major cases surrounding sexual abuse, consumer fraud and data privacy violations, including cases against TikTok, the makers of Roundup and Zantac, and the NCAA. Recently, the firm filed a federal class action lawsuit filed against an Illinois charity, claiming the organization is profiting by pulling Kenyan children from their families to be marketed as orphans to well-meaning American donors. Passionate about supporting victims of sexual assault, abuse and harassment, Fegan also served as co-lead counsel in the class action lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein and in several class actions that seek to advocate for survivors of systemic sexual abuse. Fegan co-founded FeganScott in 2019, creating the national class-action law firm that serves as a powerful ally for survivors, consumers and small businesses. Collectively, the firm’s attorneys have successfully recovered $1 billion for clients nationwide. “These awards are a testament to the dedication and commitment of our firm as a whole, and I am honored to represent our work,” added Fegan. Evaluated by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin & Chicago Lawyer Women’s Advisory Board and chosen by the CDLB & CL selection committee, Fegan’s nomination comes as part of the second annual iteration of the Top 50 Women in Law award. Lawdragon uses a combination of peer nomination, journalistic research and editorial vetting to curate the list of honorees in each category. Being listed among Lawdragon’s 500 denotes the wider influence of attorneys’ work, legal approach, and arguments. About FeganScott FeganScott is a national class action law firm dedicated to helping victims of consumer fraud, sexual abuse, and discrimination. The firm is championed by acclaimed veteran, class action attorneys who have successfully recovered $1 billion for victims nationwide. FeganScott is committed to pursuing successful outcomes with integrity and excellence while holding the responsible parties accountable. Contact Details Mark Firmani +1 206-466-2700 feganscottpr@firmani.com Company Website https://feganscott.com

June 30, 2021 11:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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DoorDash and Albertsons Partner for On-Demand Delivery

YourUpdateTV

DoorDash, the nation’s leading last-mile logistics platform and Albertsons, one of the nation’s top grocers, announced a national partnership to offer on-demand grocery delivery across nearly 2,000 of their banner brand stores nationwide through DoorDash including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Acme and more. Consumers can now order groceries and essentials on-demand for delivery within an hour through DoorDash's top-rated marketplace with no time slot, queues or minimum order size required. Albertsons will offer more than 40,000 grocery items from stores for delivery via DoorDash, including fresh and prepared food, core grocery, floral and convenience items at select stores. Whether shopping for a week's worth of groceries, including dairy, eggs, bread, local produce, fresh meat and seafood, or grabbing a few fresh ingredients for the perfect weeknight meal, consumers can shop right on the DoorDash app to fulfill all of their grocery needs conveniently, quickly and affordably. All Albertsons stores are also available on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership service that offers members unlimited $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees from thousands of restaurants, grocery, and convenience stores nationwide. DashPass members can enjoy these benefits on all eligible orders of $25 or more from Albertsons. Download the DoorDash app to your mobile device or visit DoorDash.com to get started. 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

June 30, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Amanda Wethington Joins SullivanCotter’s Not-for-Profit Practice

SullivanCotter

SullivanCotter, the nation’s leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of total rewards programs, workforce solutions, and technology and data products for the health care industry and not-for-profit sector, welcomes new Principal Amanda Wethington to the firm’s Not-for-Profit Practice. Joining practice leader Nanci Hibschman, Amanda will help to support SullivanCotter as it continues to expand its advisory services, proprietary survey data and insights to better serve the not-for-profit sector nationwide – including private and community foundations, higher education, policy and research institutes, trade and professional associations, and other service and charitable organizations. With nearly 20 years of experience delivering comprehensive workforce compensation and performance solutions across a number of industries, Amanda leverages data-driven insights to help organizations align total rewards, recognition, and talent management programs. She works to solve the unique challenges that not-for-profit organizations face in the attraction, retention, and motivation of high-caliber talent. She serves as a close advisor to boards and leadership on executive and employee total rewards programs with a focus on improving the design, development and implementation of compensation and performance management programs to enhance alignment with an organization’s mission, vision and values. “In today’s complex operating environment, high-performing not-for-profit organizations require increasingly competitive compensation, benefits and talent strategies in order to stay ahead of the curve. Amanda’s in-depth experience in delivering effective total rewards strategies, including diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, will serve our clients well as they continue to look for guidance on developing innovative programs that support key organizational objectives,” said Nanci Hibschman, Managing Principal and Not-for-Profit Practice Leader, SullivanCotter. Prior to joining SullivanCotter, Amanda led the Workforce Rewards Team as a Senior Principal at a global management consulting firm. She also spent 10 years working in human resources and compensation at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. About SullivanCotter SullivanCotter partners with health care and other not-for-profit organizations to understand what drives performance and improve outcomes through the development and implementation of integrated workforce strategies. Using our time-tested methodologies and industry-leading research and information, we provide data-driven insights, expertise, data and technology products to help organizations align business strategy and performance objectives – enabling our clients to deliver on their mission, vision and values. Contact Details SullivanCotter Becky Lorentz +1 314-414-3719 beckylorentz@sullivancotter.com Company Website https://sullivancotter.com

June 29, 2021 07:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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Crow Creek Tribal School Teacher to Team with OfficialToken for Cryptocurrency Student Donation

OfficialToken

When Catherine Schmidt was searching for something she could use to demonstrate her appreciation for her students as well as providing a learning experience in finances, the Social Studies teacher did not turn to the stock exchange or other traditional teaching tools to motivate and educate her students. Instead, she set her focus on cryptocurrency. “To be honest, these kids are probably going to live in a world where crypto is more mainstream,” said Ms. Schmidt. “A lot of my students are very interested in crypto. They follow it on social media. They’ll ask me, 'Hey Ms. Schmidt, how do you become a solidity developer?' 'I had no idea what they were talking about. I had to do some research and I started to look into this during the pandemic and it was there, sometime in May, I discovered OfficialToken on Reddit’s Crypto Moonshots. Their (Official Token) platform intrigued me so I joined their community.” The Crow Creek Tribal School, which is located on the Hunkpati Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, is made up of grades K through 12. For Schmidt, her love for her students and her motivation to give something back was the driving force behind her outreach to OfficialToken, a San Diego, Calif.-based cryptocurrency community whose mission is to create a thriving ecosystem for investors, while maintaining transparency and its goal of community charity. “I wanted to buy some tokens and donate to my kids so they can monitor their investment throughout the 2021/22 school year. They know all about this through social media which will add to the learning experience. It seemed like the perfect match for what I was trying to accomplish,” Schmidt said, noting that 36 students will be participating. In all, she has donated 1 million Official Tokens to her students, which will be used during the curriculum. OfficialToken Community Leader Eric Dennis said this is exactly how OfficialToken is supposed to function. “Our primary mission is education and charity work. What Kate is doing, lends itself to what our goals and aspirations are. However, we realized that Kate’s initial investment needed some help so we decided to provide further support with an additional 10 billion Official Tokens for each of the 36 students, which is a total donation of 360 billion tokens,” Dennis said. Ms. Schmidt has already set up accounts for her students, which includes a trust wallet, which holds the tokens. A trust wallet is where an investor can send, receive and store cryptocurrencies. While Ms. Schmidt wanted the crypto investment to be a surprise for her students when they returned in the fall, she soon found that they were already one step ahead of her. “What’s funny is we were decorating for prom and I noticed that OfficialToken spiked and I screamed, ‘Oh wow.’ One of the students asked, what wow?’ After explaining to them why she was excited, the cat was out of the bag and before she knew it, they all knew of the surprise. “In all honesty, this could be life-changing for some of these kids. I just want to prepare them for the world. “Maybe it’s their generation. But they’re all in.” As is Rozee Drapeau, one of Ms. Schmidt’s students. “I think it’s awesome. She believes in us when no one does. She puts her time and becomes another ‘iná’ (Iná means mother in Dakota). About OfficialToken OfficialToken is a community-driven, socially responsible and transparent cryptocurrency token that provides a robust platform for users. We also offer a free Crypto School and 24/7 support. We are doing live-streaming educational and interactive Videos with our New spokesperson Marjie Von Jexxy! Podcasts feature a focus on Charity organization spotlights, Crypto news, Tips and Updates. Get some Free Crypto! OfficialToken is on the lookout for new team members on our Telegram channel. We offer free Crypto Airdrops, giveaways and competitions to reward our very loyal community members and helpers! We are also here to help if you have any problems: Go to https://t.me/OfficialToken for 24/7 Live support. (This is an almost unheard-of feature in this space!) Through local, national and global Charitable Donations and our Free Crypto education platforms - We are producing a positive impact in the World and in the Defi Crypto space. Contact Details The Hoyt Organization Erik Hamilton +1 310-373-0103 ehamilton@hoytorg.com

June 28, 2021 09:57 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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