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Jewish News Syndicate Commentary: Anti-Defamation League ‘Smeared’ National Legal and Policy Center

NLPC

In an opinion piece distributed by the Jewish News Service titled, “When Will the ADL Start Fighting Antisemitism on the Left?, Elle Krasne-Cohen has come to the defense of National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC). She points to the Anti-Defamation League’s embrace of causes like Black Lives Matter and juxtaposes it with an incident closer to home for NLPC: More recently, the ADL smeared two mainstream policy organizations—the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) and the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC)—accusing them without evidence of antisemitism. The ADL claimed that mere criticism of “globalism” or “globalist organizations,” including the antisemitic United Nations, is an “antisemitic dog whistle.” Krasne-Cohen continues: The NCPPR and NLPC are mainstream organizations, neither of which, to my knowledge, has displayed antipathy towards Jews or any other racial or religious minority. The smear was in the form of a posting on the ADL website on November 21 titled “Conspiracy Theories, Some With Antisemitic Roots, Crop Up in 2023 Shareholder Proposals.” The post appeared only six weeks after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, while antisemitic incidents and demonstrations were exploding worldwide. Why the ADL would devote time and resources to attacking NLPC, which has a long history of fighting antisemitism, was completely baffling to us. Equally baffling, the hit piece was dropped as the Thanksgiving holiday was getting underway. It was almost as if the ADL wanted the story out but didn’t want anyone to report it. The strategy, if it existed, worked because no one else covered it. Even more weirdly, the post itself carried this all-purpose disclaimer that tended to negate the impression that every other word of the post was calculated to create: At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that either organization’s agents espouse overt antisemitism, or that these proposals were filed with antisemitic intentions. So what is going on here? What was behind the attempted smear of NLPC and our ally, the National Center for Public Policy Research? Could it be that the ADL just doesn’t like us filing shareholder proposals, a form of activism dominated for many years by the Left? Krasne-Cohen and a number of other Jewish commentators and activists are making this case that the ADL, under the “leadership” of former Obama White House staffer Jonathan Greenblatt, has devolved into an ideological and partisan tool. ADL’s hit and run on NLPC was actually quite clever. Even if no one paid any attention to it when it was published, whoever wrote it (the piece is unsigned) sought to plant it on the internet for anyone to find for years to come. Any journalist seeking to discredit us can now simply describe NLPC as a “group that, according to the ADL, promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories.” It was a nice try but it is not going to work. NLPC’s track record of fighting antisemitism over many years is just too strong. Indeed, while the ADL has been sanitizing antisemitism by partnering with the likes of Al Sharpton, NLPC has been consistent, resolute and effective. To wit: Ben & Jerry’s - When the Unilever subsidiary Ben and Jerry’s announced in 2021 that it would end ice cream sales in “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” NLPC swung into action, launching the StopBenandJerrys.org website. In September 2021, NLPC filed a Complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against Anuradha Mittal, the anti-Israel chair of the Ben & Jerry’s board of directors. A few weeks later, she was named 2021 “Antisemite of the Year” by the website StopAntisemitism.org. Mittal appeared to have violated laws governing self-dealing by acting as a trustee of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation while approving donations to her personal nonprofit where she is executive director taking a full-time salary. Also, the president of Ben & Jerry’s charitable foundation, Jeff Furman, steered more than $100,000 of its funds to his own nonprofit organization. In the wake of October 7 Hamas attack, Flaherty wrote an op-ed titled, “Unilever, Ice Cream and Antisemitism.” Unilever Divestment - NLPC was a proponent of Unilever divestment efforts in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia. From the September 16, 2021, New York Times: “We are doing this because somebody has to hold the independent board of Ben & Jerry’s accountable for their anti-Semitic use of their platform and company resources,” said Tom Anderson, a director of the National Legal and Policy Center. NLPC collaborated with activist investor Michael Asher in support of Unilever divestment by New York State and New York City. In Virginia, Flaherty met with State Attorney General Jason Miyares and urged him to seek divestment of state funds from Unilever. In North Carolina, NLPC asked Treasurer Dale Folwell requesting divestiture of Unilever holdings in public pension funds. Black Lives Matter & Patrisse Cullors - As a result of original NLPC research, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation co-founder Patrisse Cullors was forced to resign from the group in 2021. NLPC’s allegations, detailed in a Complaint to the IRS, related to her purchase of four pieces of real estate, and apparent self-dealing and inurnment. NLPC has also emphasized Cullors’ 2015 call at Harvard Law School for individuals to “step up boldly and courageously to end the imperialist project that’s called Israel.” NLPC was early in reporting about Black Lives Matter’s (BLM) links to anti-Israel groups. In 2016, Carl Horowitz, then a member of the NLPC staff, wrote a website post titled “Black Lives Matter Activists Join Anti-Israel Boycott.” Following October 7, NLPC asked Visa, Inc. to remove its BLM endorsement from its website and condemn Hamas and antisemitism. We had raised the BLM issue earlier in the year at the company’s shareholders’ meeting. NLPC had also raised the issue of Coca-Cola’s support for BLM at the company’s annual meeting. ADL’s Omar Resolution - NLPC has been a persistent critic of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Talib. While we have cited financial irregularities in a Federal Election Commission complaint against Ocasio-Cortez and a House Ethics Committee complaint against Omar, NLPC has also criticized hostility to Jews by these members. In 2019, NLPC endorsed and publicized the ADL-initiated House resolution condemning Omar. See this op-ed titled “Antisemitism and Islamophobia: No Moral Equivalence” by Horowitz. Foreign Funding of U.S. Higher Education - The recent spate of on-campus antisemitic incidents has shed light an issue on foreign financial support for American colleges and universities, an issue that NLPC has investigated and publicized for several years. See this column by Charles Gasparino that extensively quotes NLPC Counsel Paul Kamenar. Al Sharpton - Whereas the present leadership of the ADL has sought to erase Sharpton’s past, NLPC will not forget his incitements in the 1991 Crown Heights riots, in which a Jew was murdered, nor will we forgive his dangerous statements, such as “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house.” Sharpton was fined $285,000 in 2005 by the Federal Election Commission as a result of an NLPC Complaint for running an “off the books” presidential campaign. For several years, NLPC raised the issue of support for Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) at the shareholders’ meetings of American corporations, including PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch and Colgate-Palmolive. Unlike the ADL, NLPC has never used the fight against antisemitism as a partisan weapon. In 2010, NLPC objected to the sponsorship of Sharpton’s National Action Network annual meeting by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the participation of then-RNC Chairman Michael Steele. In 2009, NLPC asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to end his partnership with Sharpton in a campaign for “education reform.” That same year, NLPC criticized then-President George W. Bush for praising Sharpton. Jesse Jackson - In 2005, the New York Stock Exchange ended its financial support for Jackson’s Citizenship Education Fund, in response to a demand by NLPC that cited Jackson’s 1984 “hymie” and “Hymietown” comments, as well as financial improprieties involving the Fund. And if none of this is good enough for the ADL, it should be noted that NLPC has many Jewish supporters, including prominent individuals and former government officials, several of whom serve on the boards of local and national Jewish organizations. From 2001 to the time of his death in 2019, Edward M. Ackerman of Dallas was a key advisor and major donor to NLPC. His legacy is carried on today by NLPC and the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas. The ADL itself has partnered with the Ackerman Center. Founded in 1991, the National Legal and Policy Center promotes ethics in public life through research, investigation, education and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

March 04, 2024 11:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Media and Democracy Project Supports Pennsylvania Senators' Request for Swift Action on WTXF License Renewal

Media and Democracy Project

The Media and Democracy Project (MAD) today renewed its call for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into FOX Corporation's (FOX) conduct before approving the license renewal of FOX 29 Philadelphia (WTXF-TV). MAD submitted comments in support of U.S. Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey’s recent letter, agreeing that the Commission should “act swiftly” and designate the WTXF application for hearing. In light of serious allegations of rule violations and concerns regarding character, MAD emphasizes the critical need for a thorough investigation into a Murdoch-owned FOX broadcasting affiliate. “FOX Corporation’s (FOX) conduct following the 2020 election was so destructive of the national interest that the Commission must designate the application for hearing,” the filing reads in part. “The documents that are the subject of MAD’s motion can only reinforce what is already in the public record, further demonstrating the egregious behavior of FOX and its leadership.” MAD asserts that it has “raised substantial and material questions of fact concerning FOX’s fitness as a licensee based on its promotion of false election narratives and its failure to maintain current political files.” While there is no set timeline for an FCC decision, MAD is encouraging the Commission to: Prioritize a swift but thorough investigation: The Philadelphia community deserves a licensee that operates in the public interest, and any delay in the FCC's decision only prolongs this uncertainty. Grant MAD's Motion for Production of Documents: Access to additional information is crucial to uncovering the truth and ensuring a fair and complete review. Hold a hearing to examine the evidence: MAD believes the seriousness of FOX's alleged misconduct warrants a full and public airing of the facts. “If properly pursued, the Commission likely would conclude that the station is not serving its community well and the community would better be served by a licensee other than FOX,” the filing continues. “Apparently, despite FOX’s entreaties, the senators were willing to give only a lukewarm endorsement to FOX 29, as they would to any television station in the Philadelphia viewing area.” The filing ends, “granting MAD’s Motion for the Production of Documents will enable MAD to bolster its allegations with relevant information not yet in the public domain or available either to it or the Commission. Airing of these documents is essential to the fair and neutral review that the senators request.” The Petition to Deny and Motion for Production of Documents are pending while FOX faces a number of court challenges, including those put forth by election administration company Smartmatic and a host of pension derivative shareholders. The rush by proponents of FOX to support the station and the various calls for its relicensure is more about avoiding the additional scrutiny FOX management is sure to face in the Smartmatic and shareholder lawsuits. Each of these will show what we know to be true from Dominion—management knowingly pushed false news to protect FOX's profits. All the evidence in each of these lawsuits must be evaluated to ensure the FCC has the information necessary to rule on whether FOX, Rupert, and Lachlan Murdoch have the character to remain trustees of the public airwaves. A copy of MAD’s filing can be found here. The Media and Democracy Project: MAD is a non-partisan, all-volunteer, grassroots organization focused on strengthening a free and independent media in the public interest. MAD aims to improve our national discourse so that American voters can engage in informed decision-making. As part of that goal, MAD has an interest in the responsibility of journalists and media to report fully, accurately, and fairly on the electoral process and the outcome of elections. Additional information is available at www.MediaAndDemocracyProject.Org. To sign up for more information from The Media and Democracy Project, click here. Contact Details Raynor Ave. Aaron Alberico +1 202-744-0786 aalberico@raynoravenue.com Company Website https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/

March 04, 2024 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Jewish News Syndicate Commentary: Anti-Defamation League ‘Smeared’ NLPC

NLPC

Elle Krasne-Cohen has come to the defense of National Legal and Policy Center in an opinion piece distributed by the Jewish News Service titled, “When Will the ADL Start Fighting Antisemitism on the Left?” She points to the Anti-Defamation League’s embrace of causes like Black Lives Matter and juxtaposes it with an incident closer to home for NLPC: More recently, the ADL smeared two mainstream policy organizations—the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) and the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC)—accusing them without evidence of antisemitism. The ADL claimed that mere criticism of “globalism” or “globalist organizations,” including the antisemitic United Nations, is an “antisemitic dog whistle.” Krasne-Cohen continues: The NCPPR and NLPC are mainstream organizations, neither of which, to my knowledge, has displayed antipathy towards Jews or any other racial or religious minority. The smear was in the form of a posting on the ADL website on November 21 titled “Conspiracy Theories, Some With Antisemitic Roots, Crop Up in 2023 Shareholder Proposals.” The post appeared only six weeks after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, while antisemitic incidents and demonstrations were exploding worldwide. Why the ADL would devote time and resources to attacking NLPC, which has a long history of fighting antisemitism, was completely baffling to us. Equally baffling, the hit piece was dropped as the Thanksgiving holiday was getting underway. It was almost as if the ADL wanted the story out but didn’t want anyone to report it. The strategy, if it existed, worked because no one else covered it. Even more weirdly, the post itself carried this all-purpose disclaimer that tended to negate the impression that every other word of the post was calculated to create: At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that either organization’s agents espouse overt antisemitism, or that these proposals were filed with antisemitic intentions. So what is going on here? What was behind the attempted smear of NLPC and our ally, the National Center for Public Policy Research? Could it be that the ADL just doesn’t like us filing shareholder proposals, a form of activism dominated for many years by the Left? Krasne-Cohen and a number of other Jewish commentators and activists are making this case that the ADL, under the “leadership” of former Obama White House staffer Jonathan Greenblatt, has devolved into an ideological and partisan tool. ADL’s hit and run on NLPC was actually quite clever. Even if no one paid any attention to it when it was published, whoever wrote it (the piece is unsigned) sought to plant it on the internet for anyone to find for years to come. Any journalist seeking to discredit us can now simply describe NLPC as a “group that, according to the ADL, promotes antisemitic conspiracy theories.” It was a nice try but it is not going to work. NLPC’s track record of fighting antisemitism over many years is just too strong. Indeed, while the ADL has been sanitizing antisemitism by partnering with the likes of Al Sharpton, NLPC has been consistent, resolute and effective. To wit: Ben & Jerry’s - When the Unilever subsidiary Ben and Jerry’s announced in 2021 that it would end ice cream sales in “Occupied Palestinian Territory,” NLPC swung into action, launching the StopBenandJerrys.org website. In September 2021, NLPC filed a Complaint with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against Anuradha Mittal, the anti-Israel chair of the Ben & Jerry’s board of directors. A few weeks later, she was named 2021 “Antisemite of the Year” by the website StopAntisemitism.org. Mittal appeared to have violated laws governing self-dealing by acting as a trustee of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation while approving donations to her personal nonprofit where she is executive director taking a full-time salary. Also, the president of Ben & Jerry’s charitable foundation, Jeff Furman, steered more than $100,000 of its funds to his own nonprofit organization. In the wake of October 7 Hamas attack, Flaherty wrote an op-ed titled, “Unilever, Ice Cream and Antisemitism.” Unilever Divestment - NLPC was a proponent of Unilever divestment efforts in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and Virginia. From the September 16, 2021, New York Times: “We are doing this because somebody has to hold the independent board of Ben & Jerry’s accountable for their anti-Semitic use of their platform and company resources,” said Tom Anderson, a director of the National Legal and Policy Center. NLPC collaborated with activist investor Michael Asher in support of Unilever divestment by New York State and New York City. In Virginia, Flaherty met with State Attorney General Jason Miyares and urged him to seek divestment of state funds from Unilever. In North Carolina, NLPC asked Treasurer Dale Folwell requesting divestiture of Unilever holdings in public pension funds. Black Lives Matter & Patrisse Cullors - As a result of original NLPC research, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation co-founder Patrisse Cullors was forced to resign from the group in 2021. NLPC’s allegations, detailed in a Complaint to the IRS, related to her purchase of four pieces of real estate, and apparent self-dealing and inurnment. NLPC has also emphasized Cullors’ 2015 call at Harvard Law School for individuals to “step up boldly and courageously to end the imperialist project that’s called Israel.” NLPC was early in reporting about Black Lives Matter’s (BLM) links to anti-Israel groups. In 2016, Carl Horowitz, then a member of the NLPC staff, wrote a website post titled “Black Lives Matter Activists Join Anti-Israel Boycott.” Following October 7, NLPC asked Visa, Inc. to remove its BLM endorsement from its website and condemn Hamas and antisemitism. We had raised the BLM issue earlier in the year at the company’s shareholders’ meeting. NLPC had also raised the issue of Coca-Cola’s support for BLM at the company’s annual meeting. ADL’s Omar Resolution - NLPC has been a persistent critic of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Talib. While we have cited financial irregularities in a Federal Election Commission complaint against Ocasio-Cortez and a House Ethics Committee complaint against Omar, NLPC has also criticized hostility to Jews by these members. In 2019, NLPC endorsed and publicized the ADL-initiated House resolution condemning Omar. See this op-ed titled “Antisemitism and Islamophobia: No Moral Equivalence” by Horowitz. Foreign Funding of U.S. Higher Education - The recent spate of on-campus antisemitic incidents has shed light an issue on foreign financial support for American colleges and universities, an issue that NLPC has investigated and publicized for several years. See this column by Charles Gasparino that extensively quotes NLPC Counsel Paul Kamenar. Al Sharpton - Whereas the present leadership of the ADL has sought to erase Sharpton’s past, NLPC will not forget his incitements in the 1991 Crown Heights riots, in which a Jew was murdered, nor will we forgive his dangerous statements, such as “If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house.” Sharpton was fined $285,000 in 2005 by the Federal Election Commission as a result of an NLPC Complaint for running an “off the books” presidential campaign. For several years, NLPC raised the issue of support for Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) at the shareholders’ meetings of American corporations, including PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch and Colgate-Palmolive. Unlike the ADL, NLPC has never used the fight against antisemitism as a partisan weapon. In 2010, NLPC objected to the sponsorship of Sharpton’s National Action Network annual meeting by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the participation of then-RNC Chairman Michael Steele. In 2009, NLPC asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to end his partnership with Sharpton in a campaign for “education reform.” That same year, NLPC criticized then-President George W. Bush for praising Sharpton. Jesse Jackson - In 2005, the New York Stock Exchange ended its financial support for Jackson’s Citizenship Education Fund, in response to a demand by NLPC that cited Jackson’s 1984 “hymie” and “Hymietown” comments, as well as financial improprieties involving the Fund. And if none of this is good enough for the ADL, it should be noted that NLPC has many Jewish supporters, including prominent individuals and former government officials, several of whom serve on the boards of local and national Jewish organizations. From 2001 to the time of his death in 2019, Edward M. Ackerman of Dallas was a key advisor and major donor to NLPC. His legacy is carried on today by NLPC and the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas. The ADL itself has partnered with the Ackerman Center. Founded in 1991, the National Legal and Policy Center promotes ethics in public life through research, investigation, education and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

March 01, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association Announces Appointment of George Rover as Executive Director

Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association

Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association, the industry trade coalition that advocates for reasonable regulation, responsible advertising, and consumer protection has appointed George Rover as its first Executive Director to lead the organization. Comprising of six major players in the US online gambling affiliate sector, the Association includes Better Collective, Catena Media, FairPlay Sports Media, Gambling.com Group, Spotlight Sports Group, and XLMedia PLC. As Executive Director, Rover will be responsible for executing the RGAA’s long-term mission to safeguard responsible gambling marketing and advertising practices. His duties as Executive Director will be pivotal in shaping the future of responsible affiliate practices, advocating the needs and interests of the Group’s members, promoting sensible regulation, fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders, and advocating for the highest standards of integrity. "In the spirit of collaboration - whether it be with state regulators, politicians, legislators or online gambling operators, I look forward to working with key stakeholders and will champion the critical role affiliate companies play in the regulated online gambling ecosystem,” said Rover. “The formation of the RGAA will provide this essential segment of the industry with an important and constructive voice to promote responsible gambling, prioritizing the best interests of consumers through a unified set of high standards and guidelines to achieve long-term success." Prior to joining the RGAA, Rover held numerous senior positions with the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE). At the NJDGE, Rover oversaw the agency’s Service Industry Licensing, Casino Prosecutions, Internet Gaming and Technical Services Bureaus. During his tenure, he directed the successful launch of Internet Gaming in New Jersey and supervised some of the NJDGE’s most complex licensing and organized crime investigations and prosecutions. After his retirement from government service, Rover also worked closely with the industry’s leading gaming companies to form the Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association (SWIMA), a national non-profit organization with the mission to detect and discourage fraud and other illegal activity related to betting on sporting events. In addition to his role with the RGAA, Rover will continue to support companies in the gaming industry through his strategic gaming advisory company, Princeton Global Strategies. "We are thrilled to welcome George Rover to the RGAA family,” said Katie McCord, Chair of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association. “His unparalleled expertise, spanning decades in casino and sports betting law, will undoubtedly elevate our organization. George's substantial contributions to the industry, including spearheading initiatives like SWIMA, showcase his commitment to integrity and innovation." Rover will participate in a fireside chat at the Next.io Online Gambling and Sports Betting Summit in New York on March 4 to discuss the dangers of the offshore and unregulated market which continues to target consumers in the US who still lack education regarding legitimate operators. Learn more about the RGAA here: www.rgaa.org Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA) is an independent trade association comprised of companies that engage in gambling, gaming, or sports betting marketing and advertising. Its mission is to champion responsible gambling marketing and advertising practices, advocate for sensible regulation, and protect consumer best interest while effectively serving the market. RGAA was founded in 2023 by Better Collective, Catena Media, FairPlay Sports Media, Gambling.com Group, Spotlight Sports Group, and XLMedia plc. Contact Details Digital Sport by Hot Paper Lantern Jackson Gaskins Jgaskins@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://rgaa.org

February 29, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Photography and Videography Jobs Soar in 2023, Finds Freelancer.com

FREELANCER.COM

Freelancer.com (ASX: FLN), the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by number of users and jobs posted, today published the fastest growing online jobs for 2023 based on data from more than 1 million projects posted to the platform. The data reveals that jobs related to video content creation are in high demand. Videography ranked as the second fastest growing skill of 2023, with Video Production and Video Editing jobs also growing significantly and placing in the top growing jobs. Other video-related jobs, such as YouTube Video Editing and TikTok, were also amongst the top 25 fastest growing jobs on Freelancer.com for 2023. Fueling this demand is an increase of brands incorporating video in their marketing strategies. According to Wyzowl, video content marketing is an essential part of a majority (88%) of marketers strategies with most (85%) planning to increase spending on video in 2024. Demand for skills in photography and photo editing was also a driver for new jobs. Adobe Lightroom projects saw the highest percentage growth across the year, while Photography as a skill grew by 3,625 total jobs. In terms of earning potential, freelancers in the United States are charging up to $300/hour for Photography skills, $200/hour for Videography and Video Editing, and $160/hour to create TikTok content. “Advances in generative AI are changing the way businesses are communicating and marketing themselves. A boom in video and photography services is a clear indication that there’s a shift towards visual, highly-produced content as opposed to reliance on legacy forms of internet marketing, such as a reliance on blog posts and articles to generate traffic. We expect this trend to continue and are already seeing signs of video and marketing categories continuing to increase in 2024,” said Matt Barrie, Chief Executive at Freelancer.com. One example of how businesses are shifting towards video and moving away from written content is evident when looking at the decreasing skills of 2023. Blog writing ranked as 13th in the top falling jobs on Freelancer.com, decreasing by 66% from 4,872 to 1,648 jobs posted in 2023. While some may speculate that the introduction of generative AI tools is impacting writing, blog writing was the only writing skill present in the falling jobs. In fact, other forms of writing such as Fiction Writing (up 36.1%), Creative Writing (up 18.8%) and Microsoft Word (up 16.8%) were both amongst the fastest growing jobs of the year. “AI can’t replace creativity, yet. Although this may emerge with model scale. We said this in the middle of the year when we saw creative writing jobs increase in Q2 2023 and the sentiment remains the same in 2024. What we are seeing is that our freelancers are moving up the stack. They’re evolving from just blog writers to editors. Moving from just illustrators to directors. Ultimately, AI is elevating our talent and improving efficiency and productivity in the process,” added Barrie. Top Freelance Jobs The most popular job in 2023 was graphic design, with more than a quarter million projects requiring the skill. Graphic design has always historically been the number one job type on Freelancer.com for over a decade. Jobs related to graphic design are also the best way for new freelancers to break into freelancing, as there is an abundance of projects offering Website Design, Logo Design, Icon Design, and other forms of graphic design available. Best Paid Skills Per Hour on Freelancer.com in 2023 Marketing, photography and video related jobs took out the top spots for the best paid skills per hour on the platform for 2023. These skills being paid the most is consistent with these categories also being the most in-demand for the year Best Paid Jobs per Project on Freelancer.com in 2023 As for jobs paid per project, internet marketing takes out the top spot, followed by website design, graphic design, data entry and video services. ###### Freelancer Fast 50 Freelancer Fast 50 The Freelancer Fast 50 index is the world’s largest forward indicator of trends in online jobs related to industries, technologies, products, and companies. The data is based on 1,122,000 jobs posted to the Freelancer platform between 1 January to 31 December 2023. 2023 Growing Skills 2023 Falling Skills About Freelancer Twelve-time Webby award-winning Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 71 million registered users have posted over 23 million projects and contests to date in over 2,000 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer also owns Escrow.com, the leading provider of secure online payments and online transaction management, and Loadshift, an Australian enterprise freight marketplace. Freelancer Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange under the ticker ASX:FLN and is quoted on OTCQX Best Market under the ticker FLNCF. Contact Details Freelancer.com Marko Zitko +61 404 574 830 mzitko@freelancer.com

February 27, 2024 08:23 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Jacqueline Hallihan Joins Salus GRC as Chief GRC Officer and Board Member

Salus GRC

Salus GRC (or the “Company”) recently welcomed Jacqueline Hallihan as Chief GRC Officer and member of the Board of Directors. Ms. Hallihan is responsible for spearheading the Company’s global GRC (governance, risk and compliance) strategies, with a focus on maximizing growth opportunities. As a pioneer in the compliance consulting industry, with a proven record as an entrepreneur who founded multiple regulatory compliance and technology companies, she joins Salus GRC’s executive team at an exciting time in its growth and strategic evolution. Salus GRC’s unique strategic vision and rapid growth trajectory are attracting talented, deeply experienced, and highly respected resources across the compliance, regulatory and GRC field, reinventing service excellence in a people-oriented business supported by revolutionized technology processes. To date, Salus GRC has amassed clients with over $200 billion in assets. Salus GRC provides a comprehensive suite of tech-enabled regulatory support to investment advisers, private fund managers and other SEC- and FINRA-regulated financial services firms. Offerings include regulatory registration and filing services, compliance program development and ongoing support, managed services, regulatory exam assistance, compliance training and education, regulatory due diligence, and cybersecurity solutions. As it continues its ascent to be the employer of choice in the GRC space, the Company is rapidly attracting experienced professionals who bring a singular focus on providing the highest level of client service with tech-enabled risk management and deep regulatory expertise. Ms. Hallihan brings more than 30 years of experience founding, managing, and growing dominant organizations in the compliance-related industry, including as a founding Partner of Ascendant Compliance Management and founder and CEO of National Regulatory Services. Most recently she served in an Executive Director role at a compliance services organization within a RegTech firm. She is a founder and life-time member of the National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP). “I am thrilled to have Jackie as our Chief GRC Officer, a member of the executive management team, and a strategic partner,” said Bill Mulligan, Salus GRC CEO. “I’ve known Jackie for many years and blending her vast background in growing compliance and regulatory compliance organizations with our unique GRC vision is a winning combination. She has achieved exceptional results over her career, building sustainable and high-profile businesses.” He added, “Jackie is the right strategic leader to join our great team, focusing on growth opportunities at Salus GRC. Her passion for innovation, customer service, and building brand awareness, along with her deep commitment to people, will be invaluable as we continue helping clients maximize our tech-enabled GRC solutions.” “It’s a true privilege to join this incredible team as we work to build the industry’s leading provider of GRC services. Bringing technology, compliance governance, and risk management together with our team’s focused commitment on innovation and redefining service excellence aligns beautifully with Salus GRC’s strategic vision,” said Ms. Hallihan. “I truly believe we are building something special at Salus GRC, at a time when Chief Compliance Officers and SEC-regulated firms desperately need expertise and support, and I’m honored to be a part of the Company’s next growth chapter.” About Salus GRC: Launched in the Spring of 2023, in partnership with financial sponsor Charlesbank Capital Partners, Salus GRC provides GRC services to private fund managers, registered investment advisers, CFTC-registered managers, and broker-dealers. Offerings include SEC and other regulatory registration and filing services, compliance program development and ongoing support, regulatory exam assistance, compliance training and education, regulatory due diligence, and cybersecurity solutions. About Charlesbank Capital Partners: Based in Boston and New York, Charlesbank Capital Partners is a middle-market private investment firm with more than $17 billion of capital raised since inception. Charlesbank focuses on management-led buyouts and growth capital financings and engages in opportunistic credit and technology investments. The firm seeks to build companies with sustainable competitive advantage and excellent prospects for growth. For more information, please visit www.charlesbank.com. Contact Details Salus GRC Monique Stehle mstehle@salusgrc.com Charlesbank Ryan FitzGibbon / Dan Ivers / Peter Gavaris pro-charlesbank@prosek.com Company Website https://www.salus.com

February 21, 2024 10:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Stifel North Atlantic and ASTRO America Announce a First-of-its-Kind Private Equity Fund Under New DOD-SBA Initiative

ASTRO America

Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman and National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard announced at a White House event last Wednesday that the partnership between Stifel North Atlantic (NYSE: SF) and ASTRO America is the first recipient of a “Green Light” to raise private capital for an SBIC Critical Technologies (“SBICCT”) fund. Officially called the AM Forward Critical Technologies SBIC, the Fund is actively fundraising and moving forward with the final SBA licensing process. The SBA-DoD SBICCT initiative is the first program under a historic SBA-DoD collaboration, launched by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and SBA Administrator Guzman in December 2022. By pairing private capital with SBA administered leverage, the initiative will support private sector investment in US national security-vital component-level technologies and production processes. The structure will achieve the important mission of bolstering U.S. national security and the Defense Industrial Base without reliance on deficit funding, while supporting American small businesses. “This new Fund is important to both our national security and American competitiveness,” said ASTRO co-founder and President, Neal Orringer. “Not only will it provide essential financial support to small and medium-sized manufacturers, but it will help modernize key supply chains, helping accelerate adoption of technologies such as metal 3D printing that are increasingly important to America’s defense and aerospace industries.” He continued, “We are grateful for the DoD and SBA’s leadership in developing innovative approaches for catalyzing the injection of private capital into critical defense supply chains, at no cost to the taxpayer.” ASTRO America leads the White House’s AM Forward initiative, which includes a compact between the Administration and seven iconic American lead system integrators. The AM Forward member companies identified access to capital as a key barrier to eliminating bottlenecks, modernizing and increasing resiliency within their supply chains, particularly in metal castings and forgings. In early 2023, ASTRO selected Stifel North Atlantic as the financial partner to manage the SBIC Fund based on Stifel’s rich history of support for small and middle market companies and extensive experience managing SBIC Funds. ASTRO will lead the Fund’s Technical Advisory Board. “We are deeply committed to both our unique partnership in the SBICCT fund as well as with the SBA more broadly,” shared Victor Nesi, Stifel Financial Co-President. “The SBA has made remarkable progress in developing innovative ways to reach out, support and nurture the small business ecosystem that is so foundational to our organization. We are also grateful for the thought leadership provided to this project by key AM Forward member Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT).” Mike Nitka, Managing Director at Stifel North Atlantic offered, “This fund is a rare opportunity to mix purpose and passion. We are advancing the adoption of mission-ready production technology for the US aerospace and defense supply chain while supporting the journey of emerging US small businesses. Through this revolutionary partnership with the SBA, DoD, ASTRO America, and our anchor investors, we have the opportunity to create jobs and build US manufacturing capacity. I applaud all involved as this is a truly unique non-partisan approach to solving for a universal American need – national security.” During the event, in addition to key Biden-Harris Administration officials from the White House, SBA and DoD, Stifel and ASTRO executives also met with leading investors from the financial industry and executives from major aerospace and defense companies. With committed strategic and financial investors, Stifel North Atlantic and ASTRO expect to complete the final phase of the SBICCT licensing process and execute a first closing on the Fund in the coming months. After the initial closing, the Fund will begin actively investing in small business manufacturers to help strengthen the U.S. aerospace and defense supply chains. The White House readout of the event can be read here and the SBA overview of the event can be read here. More information on the SBA-DoD SBICCT initiative can be found here. The Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, non-partisan Research Institute and Think Tank. It was established in 2018 to advance the public interest through manufacturing technology and policy. Led by manufacturing professionals with broad public and private sector experience, ASTRO America supports collaborations by government agencies and companies to address supply chain challenges in highly regulated industries, including aerospace and defense. Find out more: https://www.astroa.org/ Established in 1890, with headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, Stifel is a full-service financial services firm with a distinguished history of providing securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, institutions, corporations, and municipalities. Contact Details Elizabeth Heaton +1 202-445-9858 elizabeth@astroa.org Company Website https://www.astroa.org

February 21, 2024 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Communication Service for the Deaf Names Amanda Whyrick Division President of California Connect

Communication Service for the Deaf

Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) today announced that Amanda Whyrick has been named the new Division President of California Connect. Whyrick previously served as CSD’s Vice President of Information Technology. In this new role, she will provide leadership support for all California Public Utilities Commission contracts held by Communication Service for the Deaf. California Connect, also called the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program (DDTP), provides telecommunication access for Californians with hearing, vision, cognitive, mobility, and speech-related disabilities. The program of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) includes accessible telecommunication equipment and devices, relay service, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. The California Connect Division President will provide strategic and operational support for the State’s marketing services, equipment distribution, and field operations contracts. Equitable and accessible communication solutions have been at the core of CSD’s work for the past fifty years. Bolstering our partnership with California Connect is a logical extension of our efforts to remove communication barriers for people with disabilities. “With the rapid advancement of communications technology, the person who fills this role must have extensive experience in accessible technology,” stated Chris Soukup, CEO of CSD. “Amanda is perfectly suited to lead the advancement of our California Connect division as they work towards their goal of providing communication equity for communities with disabilities.” Whyrick joined CSD in 2016 as a Systems Administrator and held various leadership roles until her promotion to Vice President of Information Technology in 2022. During this period, she successfully implemented accessible organizational-wide technology policies, including a transition to work-from-home call centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before joining CSD, Whyrick provided technology support to organizations including Southeast Community College and Dell Technologies. Now, as Division President for California Connect, Whyrick looks towards modernizing the program in a way that centers on the needs of various communities with disabilities and integrating the most up-to-date technological offerings. “As someone who personally benefits from accessible technologies, I know that access to them is crucial to the health and well-being of the user in all aspects of life. I look forward to extending this same privilege to Californians with different accessibility needs." shared Whyrick. Whyrick will assume the position of California Connect Division President on February 26, 2024. About Communication Service for the Deaf Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD) is the largest Deaf-led social impact organization in the world. For more than four decades, CSD has been a leader in creating and providing accessible and innovative solutions for the Deaf community. Today, CSD continues its work to create opportunities for personal and economic growth within the Deaf community, specifically addressing leadership and employment. For more information, please visit CSD and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Communication Service for the Deaf Molly Miller +1 315-679-8948 leltouny@csd.org Company Website https://www.csd.org/

February 20, 2024 09:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Apple Shareholder: Company’s Actions on Human Rights Don’t Match Its Words

NLPC

Ahead of Apple Inc. ’s annual meeting on February 28, National Legal and Policy Center is highlighting a report it has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that explains how the iPhone maker’s claims about its respect for human rights fall far short of its real-world engagements and operations. NLPC, a shareholder in Apple, is sponsoring a proposal (No. 8 on Page 97 of the company’s proxy statement ) that asks the company to explain why its actions fail repeatedly to match its statements and policies regarding human rights, especially considering its ongoing pandering to the government of China. The SEC filing builds on the case made in the proposal, with extensive evidence of Apple’s concern for cheap labor and enormous profits, at the expense of the people who buy and make its products under the brutal communist regime. “Over the past ten years, various shareholders have brought at least six different proposals at Apple annual meetings because of its weaknesses when it comes to protecting human rights,” said Paul Chesser, director of NLPC’s Corporate Integrity Project. “Why does the Board of Directors have to keep addressing this issue? Because they only pay lip service to it, while their Chinese government business partners constantly violate standards of respect and decency. The U.S. State Department actually calls it genocide.” NLPC’s proposal and SEC filing note the following examples where Apple fails to follow its own proclamations regarding human rights, rendering them empty: Apple removed the New York Times ’s apps from the App Store in China in 2017, and removed apps including HKmap.live and Quartz from its offerings, during the protests in Hong Kong in 2019; The company severely restricted use of its AirDrop wireless filesharing feature on users’ iPhones during protests against Chairman Xi Jinping’s “zero COVID” policies in late 2022; The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice said in January 2024 that it had cracked Apple’s encryption and was able to track senders. According to The Epoch Times, “That allows local police to find ‘several suspects’ who use the iPhone feature to transmit files containing what authorities have referred to as ‘inappropriate remarks,’ according to the agency;” According to Reuters, “Apple has started requiring new apps to show proof of a Chinese government license before their release on its China App Store, joining local rivals that had adopted the policy years earlier to meet tightening state regulations.” Perhaps most telling, the tech giant lobbied against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act when it was up for consideration in Congress. “Apple wants to avoid this embarrassing issue so badly, that the Board asked the SEC to prevent our proposal from being heard by our fellow shareholders, by claiming that they were already addressing the issue,” Chesser added. “Fortunately – even under a presidential administration cozy with both Big Tech and China – the SEC staff followed the facts instead of political bias, and decided to allow our proposal at the annual meeting. “We look forward to explaining to our fellow shareholders why Apple’s carelessness over human rights presents fiduciary and reputational risks to the company.” ### For more information or to schedule an interview with Paul Chesser, contact Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or drene@nlpc.org. Please visit http://www.nlpc.org. Founded in 1991, the National Legal and Policy Center promotes ethics in public life through research, investigation, education and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 drene@nlpc.org Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

February 13, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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