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TRUST & WILL ACQUIRES EZ-PROBATE TO FURTHER ENHANCE ESTATE PLANNING EXPERIENCE

Trust & Will

Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning platform, today announced the acquisition of EZ-Probate, the nation’s leading digital probate settlement provider. This acquisition will provide a more comprehensive estate planning experience for Trust & Will members, advisors, and partners by adding estate settlement and probate assistance benefits to the holistic portfolio of estate planning documents. EZ-Probate is an affordable and alternative approach to the traditional attorney probate process, helping families settle estates and navigate the probate legal procedure. Since its launch in 2016, EZ-Probate has resolved more than 3,500 cases and saved customers more than $30M in legal fees related to probate. On average, estates are settled within six months and for as little as $600 using EZ-Probate’s service. Probate is the legal process a person’s estate goes through after they pass away to distribute their assets to the proper heirs. There are estimated to be more than one million new probate cases in the U.S. each year. The average time to settle an estate using a traditional attorney takes up to 14 months and roughly $10,000 in legal fees. This is Trust & Will’s first acquisition to support its mission to help every family leave their legacy, accelerating its increased focus on digital asset and estate management and wealth distribution. “We are humbled to work directly alongside EZ-Probate, a brand and team that I’ve admired in the end-of-life planning space for years,” said Cody Barbo, Founder & CEO of Trust & Will. “By integrating EZ-Probate into our estate planning platform, we can better serve families with customized and affordable solutions to fit their needs and help build generational wealth.” Both Trust & Will and EZ-Probate were created from their founders’ desires to modernize an antiquated industry that caused families financial and mental stress to carry out the wishes of their loved ones through estate planning and settlement. EZ-Probate was founded by Byron Batres, CFP ®, who serves as the company’s CEO. He will transition into a new role at Trust & Will as General Manager of Probate. “We are excited to join the growing Trust & Will team and help more families tackle the process of settling estates,” said Byron Batres, CEO of EZ-Probate. “I founded EZ-Probate after my own experience of acting as an executor for my family’s estate. Even with years as a Certified Financial Professional under my belt, I was extremely frustrated by the slow and expensive legal process. By merging with Trust & Will, we can help more families navigate the complex processes involved with estate settlement by providing much-needed access to affordable legal services that are a fraction of the cost of a typical attorney.” The existing EZ-Probate team will be joining the newly formed Probate team within Trust & Will, bringing the company’s remote workforce to more than 90 employees across 19 states. To learn more, visit http://trustandwill.com/probate-acquisition. ##### ABOUT TRUST & WILL Trust & Will is a modern approach to digital estate planning, offering legally valid documents designed and approved by estate planning attorneys to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, more than 300,000 Trust & Will members have created an online estate plan to set up their family legacy. We make estate planning simple, affordable, and accessible by providing a secure way to set up a plan online in minutes, using bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC2. Trust & Will is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members and is a proud partner of several leading financial institutions, including Northwestern Mutual and Haven Life. To learn more, visit trustandwill.com. ABOUT EZ-PROBATE EZ-Probate is the easiest and most cost-effective way to probate an estate in the U.S. Our proprietary software prepares ready-to-sign documents vetted by probate attorneys with easy-to-follow instructions, empowering customers to expedite the process conveniently, and either avoid probate or probate an estate on their own, significantly reducing costs, time and stress. For more information, visit ez-probate.com. Contact Details Trust & Will Danielle Nuzzo +1 631-807-7772 danielle@trustandwill.com Company Website https://trustandwill.com

May 25, 2022 07:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Grassroots Leaders ‘Ready for Ron’ Launch Draft DeSantis for President Committee

Ready for Ron

Today, grassroots leaders and political activists launched an official committee to encourage Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to run for President of the United States. ‘Ready for Ron’, led by senior strategist Ed Rollins – Reagan ’84 Campaign Chairman and Chairman of the leading pro-trump group in 2016, and appellate attorney and conservative activist Lilian Rodríguez-Baz, started a petition for DeSantis supporters to sign demonstrating the growing support for his candidacy nationwide. The online petition located at: ReadyForRon.com provides information about the Committee and encourages supporters to get involved with the movement to draft DeSantis for President. “Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, the United States enjoyed record unemployment, economic stability, and safety. Many are yearning for a return to these policies and the prosperity good leadership can bring,” stated Ed Rollins. “The era of President Trump was wonderful, but now, since he isn’t currently running, we must get ready for a new leader, we must be Ready for Ron. “We are undertaking a comprehensive campaign to draft Governor DeSantis to run for President of the United States,” explained Rodríguez-Baz. “We need his proven leadership to bring safety and prosperity back. With the current political and economic, crises, the American values that provided the courage for my mother and four-year-old me to get on a boat that we didn’t even know was seaworthy, are eroding. We risked everything to make it to the United States and refuse to see our country fail.” In addition to the draft petition, the ‘Ready for Ron’ campaign announced a significant advertising effort to attract more supporters to encourage Governor DeSantis to announce his candidacy. “We are hoping to build one of the biggest grassroots movements ever, Rodríguez-Baz continued. “The radical left is risking our future. We must change course immediately. While with the economy, inflation, crime, and erosion parental rights and the American way of life, we need confident, dependable, and proven leadership like only Ron DeSantis can deliver.” ‘Ready for Ron” has registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), whose regulations provide that “…a draft committee is a political committee that is established solely to draft an individual or to encourage him or her to become a candidate for federal office…” While ‘Ready for Ron’ is completely unaffiliated with the DeSantis campaign per federal regulations, it has taken the novel step of submitting a formal Advisory Opinion Request to the FEC seeking to share its supporter list with Governor DeSantis if the Draft succeeds and he announces his candidacy. “We hope the FEC will not stand in the way of political speech and freedom of association. Millions of Americans want Ron DeSantis to run. Signing their names to this draft petition is the ultimate act of political speech, and we should be able to give those names to the Governor if – and when – he heeds their call and runs.” Rodríguez-Baz said. “In the meantime, we remain completely unconnected entity dedicated to encouraging his candidacy. American needs his leadership now more than ever." ### Contact Details Ready for Ron Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 dan@readyforron.com Company Website https://www.readyforron.com/

May 24, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Volatus Aerospace to showcase leading Tactical ISTAR Drone at CANSEC as part of its Strategic Partnership with Aerovel

Volatus Aerospace Corp.

Volatus Aerospace Corp. (TSXV: VOL) (OTCQB: VLTTF) ("Volatus" or "the Company") is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Aerovel, manufacturer of the Flexrotor. The Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted Volatus to seek an industry-leading UAV solution with exceptional military accuracy, intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance ("ISTAR") capabilities. "We have been supplying small ISR drones to Ukrainian forces, and our team is in regular contact with Ukrainian defenders on the frontline. Aerorozvidka leadership tell us that the small drones are becoming less effective because of their low altitude and short endurance combined with Russian jamming. Lt. Col. Yaroslav Honchar shared that Russian forces have dug in and are indiscriminately bombarding Ukraine's civilian populations from concealed places, with no regard for the death and destruction inflicted on non-military targets. Ukraine needs dynamic situational awareness and accurate targeting," said Glen Lynch, Volatus CEO. "The Aerovel Flexrotor is capable of altitudes of up to 6.5 km, airspeeds of up to 170 kph and staying aloft for up to 30 hours, making it the ideal solution. We look forward to broadening our relationship with Aerovel as we work to supply Ukraine with the capabilities they need to protect civilian populations targetted by Russia.” Volatus will showcase the Flexrotor at CANSEC 2022, Canada's largest global defence and security trade show. The company has indoor (#801 and #1911) and outdoor (#3036) booths. Ali Dian, Aerovel CEO, stated: "We are hopeful that we can support Ukraine and its courageous defence fighters. Volatus and Aerovel have a shared vision of the enormous market potential for the Flexrotor as global defence ministries realize how critical it is to have these UAV-enabled ISR and ISTAR capabilities. Our relationship with Volatus also provides the capability to expand our manufacturing to Canada. We’re looking forward to standing together at CANSEC 2022.” About Volatus Aerospace: Volatus Aerospace Corp. is a leading provider of integrated drone solutions throughout Canada, the United States, and Latin America. Operating a vast pilot network, Volatus serves commercial and defense markets with imaging and inspection, security and surveillance, equipment sales and support, training, and design, manufacturing, and R&D. Through its subsidiary Volatus Aviation, Volatus carries on the business of aircraft management, charter sales, and cargo services using piloted, remotely piloted, and autonomous aircraft. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement This news release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Corporation with respect to future business activities and operating performance. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or statements formed in the future tense or indicating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” (or other variations of the foregoing) be taken, occur, be achieved, or come to pass. Forward-looking information includes information regarding (i) the business plans and expectations of the Corporation; and (ii) expectations for other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Forward-looking information is based on currently available competitive, financial and economic data and operating plans, strategies or beliefs as of the date of this news release, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors may be based on information currently available to the Corporation, including information obtained from third-party industry analysts and other third-party sources, and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. Any and all forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Forward-looking information reflects the Corporation’s current beliefs and is based on information currently available to it and on assumptions it believes to be not unreasonable in light of all of the circumstances. In some instances, material factors or assumptions are discussed in this news release in connection with statements containing forward-looking information. Such material factors and assumptions include, but are not limited to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Corporation; meeting the continued listing requirements of the TSXV; and anticipated and unanticipated costs and other factors referenced in this news release and the Circular, including, but not limited to, those set forth in the Circular under the caption “Risk Factors”. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release and, other than as required by law, the Corporation disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Source: Volatus Aerospace Corp. TSXV: VOL Contact Details Volatus Aerospace Corp. Rob Walker +1 514-447-7986 rob.walker@volatusaerospace.com Company Website https://volatusaerospace.com

May 24, 2022 07:45 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Hudson Valley Duck Farms File Lawsuit Challenging NYC’s Controversial Foie Gras Sales Ban

Catskill Foie Gras Collective

Hudson Valley duck farmers, organized as the Catskill Foie Gras Collective, filed suit today against New York City challenging its ban on the sale of the delicacy, foie gras, which will go into effect on November 25, 2022. The Collective asserts that the sales ban violates a state law, Agriculture and Markets Law § 305-a, which prohibits municipalities, like the City, from adopting local laws that unreasonably restrict farming operations in certified agricultural districts. As a practical matter, the sales ban will wipe-out millions of dollars in revenue for the State, New York City, restaurants, wholesale distributors, retail store owners, and transportation companies. The Collective predicts that over 100 farm workers in Sullivan County will lose their jobs. The Collective also notes that, if allowed to stand, the NYC law will set a dangerous precedent allowing local legislative bodies to effectively control or eliminate other farming practices in agricultural districts. “Today, it’s foie gras, a gourmet delicacy thousands of New York City residents enjoy,” said Marcus Henley, a spokesperson for the Foie Gras Collective. “Tomorrow it could be chicken eggs that aren’t raised cage-free. Or milk-fed veal or non-organic fruit. Do you really want a small group of special-interest lobbyists controlling what you can and can’t have for dinner? This ban creates a nightmarish precedent for farmers and consumers alike.” The Collective is also seeking a preliminary injunction to postpone the ban until the courts can determine its legality. Otherwise, the Collective may be forced to halt its weekly shipments of duck products into the City. “This is the kind of law that puts people out of work, and farmers out of business, and we are asking the court to maintain the status quo until the lawsuit is resolved.” said Henley. “The sales ban is not only groundless and unconstitutional, it also clearly violates a state law which was enacted to protect farmers from local acts like this,” said Henley. “We’re confident that the courts will see it this way and that the city’s top chefs and their guests will continue to enjoy our foie gras products.” Advocates for the sales ban included animal rights groups, who notoriously misrepresented how foie gras is produced and claimed that ducks are treated inhumanely during the production process. Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farms maintain that their ducks are well cared for, are allowed to roam freely, and are processed in a government-inspected facility, strictly adhering to animal welfare and federal regulations. Both farms produce foie gras using a special hand-feeding method, like no other farm in the world, so as not to harm the ducks. “We invite everyone who cares about freedom to make some noise. Write their legislators, write their newspaper editors, voice their concern to restaurant owners,” urges Henley. “Don’t allow a small group of well-funded lobbyists dictate what you can and can’t chose to eat. If we don’t win this case, who knows what the next food ban will entail.” To view a copy of the lawsuit, click here or visit www.LawsuitPressRelease.com. For more information about foie gras production visit: https://foiegrasfacts.org. About Catskill Foie Gras Collective: The Catskill Foie Gras Collective is comprised of Hudson Valley Foie Gras and La Belle Farm, the main producers of foie gras to restaurants and retail food stores. The collective serves as a resource for factual information and independent articles about our farming. For more information, visit: https://foiegrasfacts.org/ Contact Details Catskill Foie Gras Collective Lynn Munroe +1 845-548-1211 lynn@maracaibomedia.com Company Website https://foiegrasfacts.org/

May 23, 2022 02:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global raises $400M in Series B growth round

Velocity Global

Eldridge and Norwest Venture Partners lead funding round Achieves multi-billion dollar valuation, a 7x increase in one year Investment boosts the company’s Global Work Platform™ that enables businesses and talent to work with anyone, anywhere, anyhow Velocity Global, the leading provider of global talent solutions, announced today that it raised $400 million in its Series B funding round, increasing the company’s valuation seven-fold since the same time last year. This second round of funding is led by Eldridge and Norwest Venture Partners which join Series A investor FFL Partners on Velocity Global’s board to lend their deep expertise in the areas of technology, future of work and global scale. The company retains majority ownership and founder Ben Wright continues as CEO and chair of the board of directors. “This is a pivotal moment for our company in the midst of a paradigm shift for employers and talent,” said Wright. “Access to work is no longer limited by borders or the star you are born under as the adoption of global talent accelerates. In March, we tripled the number of new supported talent on our platform compared to the same time last year, and the momentum continues to build. Eldridge and Norwest Venture Partners join FFL Partners to invest in people’s lives and the future of business. Massive kudos to our team for this achievement on our way to even greater heights.” Profitable since its founding in 2014, Velocity Global more than doubled its client roster over the past year, tripled the number of new supported talent on its platform, and will reach an annual net revenue run rate of $200 million by midyear as it continues to scale rapidly. “Velocity Global’s proven technology platform is positioned to transform the future of work, offering businesses a frictionless solution for building and expanding their teams,” said Todd Boehly, co-founder and CEO of Eldridge. “We are proud to partner with Ben and his team as demand continues to grow for best-in-class workforce solutions that support organizations looking to scale across the globe.” Parker Barrile, partner at Norwest Venture Partners, joins the Velocity Global board as a director. Barrile is the former vice president of product at LinkedIn who oversaw 20-fold growth as the company went public. “Velocity Global has a rare mix of scale, growth, and profitability that attracted us to be part of the next phase,” said Barrile. “The company is led by a strong leadership team with an ambitious roadmap, and we look forward to partnering with them as they accelerate the future of work.” The company’s Global Work Platform™ seamlessly connects employers and talent worldwide through proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched global scale. The platform offers a full suite of talent solutions, including global Employer of Record (EoR) and Contractor Management, to help thousands of companies compliantly onboard, manage, and pay full-time and part-time talent, contractors, and freelancers in more than 185 countries and all 50 United States. Velocity Global serves more than 1,200 clients and over 7,000 supported employees worldwide. The Velocity Global team is more than 700 employees strong in 47 countries across six continents with plans to more than double the number of employees by the end of the year. In 2021, the company successfully completed acquisitions of iWorkGlobal and Shield GEO that added capabilities to its Global Work Platform. Velocity Global will use the funds to continue enhancing the customer experience for both businesses and talent. The company will make further strategic investments in technology, sales and marketing, as well as potential future acquisitions to execute on its vision to provide a frictionless solution for businesses and talent to work with anyone, anywhere, anyhow. FT Partners served as exclusive strategic and financial advisor to Velocity Global on this transaction. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work for anyone, anywhere, anyhow. Its Global Work Platform™ simplifies the employer and talent experience through its proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. The platform offers a full suite of talent solutions, including global Employer of Record and Contractor Management, to help companies onboard, manage, and pay talent in more than 185 countries and all 50 United States. Thousands of brands rely on Velocity Global to build international teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. Velocity Global was named a "Leader" in Global Employer of Record Services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees across six continents. For more information, visit velocityglobal.com. About Eldridge Eldridge invests in businesses across the Insurance, Asset Management, Technology, Mobility, Sports & Gaming, Media & Music, Real Estate, and Consumer landscapes. The firm seeks to build and grow businesses led by proven management teams that have demonstrated leadership and experience to scale an enterprise. Eldridge is headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, with additional offices in Beverly Hills, New York, and London. To learn more about Eldridge, please visit www.eldridge.com. About Norwest Venture Partners Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $12.5 billion in capital. Since its inception, Norwest has invested in more than 650 companies and currently partners with more than 200 companies in its venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early- to late-stage businesses across a wide range of sectors with a focus on consumer, enterprise and healthcare. The Norwest team offers a deep network of connections, operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, with subsidiaries in India and Israel. For more information, please visit www.nvp.com. Follow Norwest on Twitter @NorwestVP. Contact Details Corporate Communications Anja Koltes +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Eldridge Nadia Damouni +1 212-518-8012 ndamouni@prosek.com Norwest Venture Partners Kate Dishaw +1 650-321-8000 kdishaw@nvp.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

May 18, 2022 07:01 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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Underline Science Closes Pre-Series A Round To Further Advance Scholarly Research With The Growth Of The Digital Video Library

Underline Science Inc

Most industries have progressed from paper to all forms of content; how is it that one of our most essential industries, science, is staying behind. This is something Underline's founder doesn't understand, and therefore he will change it with the launch of the Underline Digital Video Library (DVL). With a considerable track record, this multi-accomplished founder is now taking on the big publishers in a way that hasn't been seen before as a premier aggregator of streaming scientific conference lecture video content. Together with his team of industry leaders, Underline is aiming to transcend the industry into the 21st century. The mission of Underline is to improve researchers' access to quality scientific conference lecture video content. Historically, if you did not attend a scientific conference, you would miss out on all of the conference's lectures. Underline's DVL contains 26,000+ videos (Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Engineering, Technology, Social Sciences, and Humanities). The video content from the world's prestigious scientific societies and universities, like IEEE, Endocrine, AIP, lecturers from MIT, Harvard, Facebook, Google, etc. Each video is complete with abstract, English transcription, bio, picture of the author, and most importantly, a DOI (digital object identifier), which ensures that the video can be searched and discovered. Today, the company announced that it had raised a $2.5 million Pre-Series A round of funding, led by South Central Ventures and the Dutch Founders Fund. As a result, Mr. Jure Mikuz (South Central Ventures) and Mr. Laurens Groenendijk (Dutch Founders Fund) will join the Underline Board of Directors. "With this new round of funding, we'll be able to enhance the Underline DVL features and content greatly. Further to grow the team and expand our go-to-market strategy," Underline CEO and founder Alex Lazinica said in a press release. "We are looking forward to increasing our penetration into the library, government and corporate, institutional subscription market." South Central Ventures, who led the round, Managing Partner Jure Mikuz, said, “Underline’s mission resonates with us very well as they are addressing a global opportunity of creating a library of global scientific video content. I believe they will be successful by facilitating their excellent execution skills and deep industry knowledge. We are very excited to join Underline on this journey.” Founding Partner Laurens Groenendijk of The Dutch Founders Fund states, " We believe that if Underline Science manages to tap into the apparent possible network effects, it can quickly grow to be the dominant player in science content aggregation. We at Dutch Founders hope to see “underlining become a verb”. If anyone is going to do it, We know a seasoned entrepreneur like Alex is. “ Underline's business model is an annual subscription fee for unlimited access to the entire Digital Video Library for the subscribing institution's community. About Underline Science Underline is the premier virtual conference platform for events in science, medicine, academia, and other professional fields. Underline’s mission is to capture and disseminate scientific knowledge through video, making it globally accessible by enriching and preserving both virtual and hybrid conference content. Underline’s groundbreaking scientific Digital Video Library is providing new opportunities to access and expand the scientific record and accelerate scientific discovery. For more information, visit the Underline website and follow Underline on Twitter. About South Central Ventures South Central Ventures is a VC investor with the longest presence in the Balkans. Operating out of four offices – Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Skopje – the team has invested in about 40 early stage tech companies and has been an integral part of the local start up communities. With a strong base of international investors, South Central Ventures is a go-to investor for regional tech companies competing in global markets. SCV’s portfolio companies include Cognism, Celtra, Agrivi, Orgnostic and AdScanner, among others. About Dutch Founders Fund DutchFounders is an early-stage venture capital fund from Amsterdam, started by a group of successful Dutch entrepreneurs like Laurens Groenendijk (Just Eat, Treatwell, Miinto, Hiber), Patrick Kerssemakers (fonQ), Bas Beerens (WeTransfer), Hidde Hoogcarspel (Spacebuzz) and Remco van Zanten ( Booking, Zalando, Vinted and BCG). The fund specialises in marketplaces and companies with strong network effects. Since its launch in 2018, the fund has successfully invested in 16 companies. This includes: YourCampus, Shypple, Vintage Cash Cow, Lumaly, Blanco, Nostics, Reveall, Veylinx, Wonderkind, Voicebooking, Fleks, Minimum, Caya, Winc Academy, Buildstream and Tracedock (exited to CM.com). The total fund has almost €100 million assets under management. DutchFounders is a committed partner of Techleap’s Fundright initiative. ### Contact Details Underline Science, Inc. Darrell W Gunter +1 973-454-3475 darrell@underline.io Company Website https://www.underline.io/

May 17, 2022 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NLPC Targets ConocoPhillips Over Carbon Tax Advocacy

National Legal & Policy Center

On Tuesday, National Legal and Policy Center presented a resolution at ConocoPhillips Company ’s annual shareholder meeting that would require greater transparency and itemization by the corporation about its lobbying expenditures. The company’s board of directors opposed our proposal, as explained in its proxy statement. Speaking as sponsor of the resolution was Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. Excerpts from his five-minute remarks, which you can listen to here, follow: Americans are suffering under the highest gasoline prices in their lives. And they are not only paying more at the pump – they are also sending much larger checks every month to their local electricity providers. But what are ConocoPhillips and their allies at the American Petroleum Institute prioritizing? A carbon dioxide tax. Talk about being tone-deaf. This is just one reason why my organization, as the shareholder sponsoring this proposal, seeks greater transparency and specificity from ConocoPhillips about its lobbying expenditure disclosures. And while I’m at it, we believe it is no longer in shareholders’ interest for the company to remain as a member of API. Let other fossil-fuel haters fund API President Mike Sommers’s $2.5 million-dollar annual salary to advocate for the demonization of his organization’s principal product. And if a carbon dioxide tax continues to be a priority for Mr. [Ryan] Lance (pictured above), then his leadership should be revisited as well… In case you haven’t noticed, ESG is failing. Company leaders may think they are ahead of the curve on ESG, but they are in fact behind, as we are in the middle of another very sharp curve that turns in the opposite direction. The backlash against “woke” is very real and very significant. Just look at what’s happening to Disney in Florida. And what happened to the advocates of racist CRT training and education in Virginia last year. The trend against climate-focused ESG is no different. Americans are furious at the price of gasoline and natural gas, caused by climate alarmist advocacy. Pinning a carbon dioxide tax on top of it should be a non-starter… Make no mistake: Climate change alarmists are anti-science, anti-logic, anti-economics, and anti-humanity. They are anti-science because they fail to understand that the physics of energy dictates that they can never erect enough wind, solar, and other so-called renewables to replace the density and power packed into fossil fuels, to meet the energy demands of global humanity. Yet they disregard this incontrovertible science and instead make repeated false predictions about future climate doom if we don’t abandon fossil fuels. Their prophecies always fail to materialize on their predicted timelines, yet no one calls them on it… It’s time for ConocoPhillips’s directors and executives to exercise real leadership, and to stand for truth in science and against these false prophets. It’s to that end that we seek greater transparency from ConocoPhillips about its lobbying expenditures, to provide assurance that the company truly is acting in the best interests of shareholders, of customers, and of our country. Read NLPC’s shareholder resolution for ConocoPhillips annual meeting here. Read a transcript of Chesser’s full five-minute remarks here. Listen to Chesser’s presentation of NLPC’s shareholder resolution here. Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. Contact Details Paul Chesser +1 703-237-1970 pchesser@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

May 10, 2022 01:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time

ThreatModeler Recognized as Silver Stevie® Award Winner for Best Cloud Platform by the 2022 American Business Awards®

ThreatModeler Software, Inc

ThreatModeler, a leader in securing cloud infrastructure from design to deployment, today announced that CloudModeler has earned a Silver Stevie® Award for Best Cloud Platform as part of the 20th Annual American Business Awards®. Optimizing ThreatModeler’s automated capabilities, CloudModeler enables organizations to implement true DevSecOps, providing actionable insights through continuous monitoring and empowering teams to discover unknown flaws in real-time. Designed with cloud migration in mind, CloudModeler enables DevOps teams to detect security flaws before they become code vulnerabilities, enabling instant remediation, mitigating risk and ensuring compliance post-deployment. “ThreatModeler is dedicated to creating a collaborative platform where security experts or non-security professionals alike can visualize design flaws within a few hours or minutes instead of weeks,” said Archie Agarwal, Founder and CEO, ThreatModeler. “This award highlights the value we have been able to deliver with CloudModeler, enabling enterprises to develop and deploy cloud architectures quickly, confidently and compliantly.” The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – large and small. More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s American Business Awards® winners. ThreatModeler’s distinction as a best cloud platform was clear to the ABA judges, who provided the following comments as part of their assessment of the CloudModeler solution: “A product designed with the specific pain point or niche market needs in mind, and solutioning implemented in a way that is easy to use, light to implement and maintain, brings efficiency and cuts cost from day one! ThreatModeler fits every category of this type of product. With the cloud being the top platform and destination for services and cybersecurity being the top priority and concerns of almost all businesses with a presence in cloud, threat modeling is a crucial part of the development cycle that ensures the product is secure and robust enough to protect both the business and the customers. I am impressed by the result metrics and statistics provided in the submission demonstrating how ThreadModeler has helped shorten the whole development efforts, cut costs, and avoid cyber risk and threats for its customers.” “[This submission] clearly demonstrates the success and growth of the company. ThreatModeler’s suite of products empowers DevOps to measure, design and validate threat drift from development to deployment within a fraction of the time and cost tied to other tools. Optimizing ThreatModeler’s automated capabilities, CloudModeler enables organizations to implement true DevSecOps, providing actionable insights through continuous monitoring, empowering teams to discover unknown flaws in real-time.” To learn more about ThreatModeler, CloudModeler and more, click here. Details on The American Business Awards and the list of Stevie winners are available here. About ThreatModeler Software, Inc. ThreatModeler Software, Inc.’s suite of products empowers DevOps to measure their threat drift from code to cloud. With a fraction of the time and cost tied to other tools, users can design, build and validate threat drift from development to deployment. Teams can instantly visualize their attack surface, understand security requirements and prioritize steps to mitigate threats. CISOs can make critical security-driven business decisions to scale their infrastructure for growth. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Contact Details Clayton Murtle ThreatModeler@luminapr.com

May 05, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Vermont legislature passes bill to phase out most toxic light bulbs

CLASP

Today, the Vermont Senate adopted legislation to ban the sale of 4-foot linear fluorescent light (LFL) bulbs in 2024. Climate, environmental, and health advocates applaud the vote, noting the widespread availability of more energy-efficient, mercury-free LED alternatives. “Vermonters no longer need to tolerate fluorescent lighting, which contains mercury, a potent neurotoxin,” said Michael Bender, Director of the Mercury Policy Project. “By passing this legislation, Vermont is making a clear statement that it will not accept outdated and toxic technologies when safer, more efficient bulbs are widely available.” Four-foot LFL bulbs are the most common type of fluorescent bulb, covering about 90% of fluorescent installations including lighting in most offices, schools, and other indoor spaces. According to a recent report, fluorescents release mercury whenever they are broken, posing a threat to the environment and vulnerable groups like pregnant women, infants and others with chemical sensitivities. “Who wants to put toxic mercury lighting in their homes, day care centers, schools, offices, hospitals, or shops when they don’t have to?” said Paul Burns, Executive Director of Vermont Public Interest Research Group. “LED alternatives are available, cost-effective, are mercury free and offer better quality light than fluorescents.” Experts say that in the majority of cases, efficient LED retrofit solutions are widely available and can save Vermont residents and businesses money by cutting electricity costs in half. A new study from the Appliance Standards Awareness Project (ASAP) found a typical school could see $24,000 in lifetime savings from transitioning to LEDs. Further, by 2040 Vermont could see savings of $167 million in reduced utility bills thanks to just over 1,000 gigawatt hours of saved electricity due to transitioning to LED four-foot tubes. “Based on our analysis of drop-in retrofit LED bulb prices in Vermont, we concluded that an LED bulb can pay for itself 5 times over in electricity bill savings over its lifespan,” said Brian Fadie of ASAP. “Clearly LED is the lowest cost option today.” In response to a consumer advocate petition last fall and a subsequent review, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources issued a determination in February that will end the sale of screw-based mercury-containing compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). This restriction will begin on February 17, 2023, to allow Vermont retailers and distributors sufficient time to sell any existing inventories. “We applaud the leadership of Vermont’s legislators in setting phase-out dates for the most common fluorescent lighting technologies in state”, said Ana Maria Carreño, Director at CLASP. “There is no place for mercury in lighting today, especially when LED alternatives offer better performance, coupled with climate and environmental benefits”. Governments around the world are increasingly recognizing LEDs as the foremost lighting technology on the market today. On December 16, the European Union banned the sale of almost all mercury-containing fluorescent lamps by September 2023, and in March, 137 governments voted to phase out CFLs by 2025 through the Minamata Convention on Mercury. CLASP improves the energy and environmental performance of the appliances & equipment we use every day, accelerating our transition to a more sustainable world. Contact Details Vermont Public Interest Research Group Paul Burns +1 802-793-1985 paul@vpirg.org Mercury Policy Project Michael Bender +1 802-917-8222 mercurypolicy@aol.com ASAP Appliances Standards Awareness Project Brian Fadie +1 202-672-1387 bfadie@standardsasap.org Company Website http://www.clasp.ngo/

May 04, 2022 01:58 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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