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Playtech Launches Two New Live Casino Facilities in Multi-State Rollout

LegitimateCasino.com

Playtech’s official US launch comes in the form of two new cutting edge live casinos, the first located in New Jersey, and the second located in Michigan. The Southfield, Michigan location opens under the “ Play Gun Lake ” brand with newly partnered powerhouse Parx, while the Atlantic City, New Jersey location opens with longtime partner Bet365. This is the first single-day dual roll-out of live casino facilities in the history of US gambling. So what do these casinos offer? Both casinos feature live Roulette, Bacarrat and Blackjack, with some new twists on some old favorites. Playtech’s new live casinos both offer All Bets Blackjack, in which an unlimited number of players can participate. This is supposedly the “leading scalable variant” of Blackjack, according to industry leader Playtech. Both casinos have also included Quantum Roulette Arcade, the first American roulette variant containing a multiplier feature. With this feature, players can hit a multiplier up to 1000x! Specifically designed for the American market, this double-zero variant claims to be the highest potential payout for Roulette that has ever existed. Further planned launches in the coming months will feature games based on the most popular game shows, as well as a sports-focused section for players who love betting the sports book side of things. The dual launch continues Playtech’s aggressive US expansion plan, supporting the two communities by creating thousands of jobs and supporting philanthropic efforts in both cities. Further US expansion is all but guaranteed in the coming few years. Playtech is currently involved in a bidding war over who will take charge of these two new facilities. The leading player is Aristocrat, which entered a massive $3.7B bid. We’ll save you the conversion–that’s 3.2B euros, and 2.7B Pounds (Playtech is traded in London). However, a competing bid by rival gaming company JKO by January 26th has stalled the shareholder vote on which company will take over the facilities. How will the online gaming industry be affected? What affects will Playtech’s launch of two state-of-the-art live casinos have on the online gaming industry? How will online casinos be impacted by the simultaneous launch of two live casinos by the world’s leading gambling technology company? The short answer is… They won’t be affected. At all. Live casinos online have experienced a continuous rise in popularity in the last decade, with the pandemic and the growing use of cryptocurrencies spurring the annual increase in both number of players and gross revenue year over year. Online casinos are roughly 100x faster than live casinos, which is attractive to the Millenial and Gen-Z players who gravitate toward all things digital. Online gambling remains more secure, faster, and safer than live casinos, with the added bonus of being able to play anytime, anywhere, from the comfort of your own home. After all, why exchange chips, when your chips can be on your screen? CEO Edo Haitin released a statement regarding the launch: “This is a landmark moment for Playtech and our development in the U.S. and it is something we are all very excited about. We are humbly grateful for the warm welcome and support our teams have received from the Atlantic City and Southfield communities, and we are looking forward to becoming an integral part of these communities and contribute our part. The launch of the two facilities represents our core strategy of bringing our industry-leading studio standards to the U.S. whilst ensuring that Playtech Live’s most engaging and innovative products and technology are available to new markets and audiences. By partnering with Parx Interactive in Michigan and bet365 in New Jersey, we have been able to enter some of the fastest growing states in the U.S. and Playtech’s vision and drive for growth in these states has been well received by the local communities. Launching two state-of-the-art studios across two regulated states in one day is not something I have seen done before, but I am incredibly proud of the entire Playtech Live team for stepping up to the challenge and producing not one, but two best-in-class Live Casino studios. By developing specially customized gameplay experiences for the U.S. audience, we are confident we will deliver an exceptional online experience to players in Michigan and New Jersey, and we are excited to continue our journey with further strengthening our Playtech Live offering with more leading titles and content in the coming months.” Key Takeaways Playtech’s successful dual-launch of two live casinos in Michigan and New Jersey is the first in US history, and continues their US expansion plan. All Bets Blackjack and Quantum Roulette Arcade are the leading scalable variants, and potentially highest-paying versions of the standard games. Further launches will include sports betting and games based on the most popular gameshows. Either Aristocrat or JKO will take charge of the two new live casinos. Contact Details LegitimateCasino.com Camila Santellan +54 9 221 364-1138 camila@legitimatecasino.com

February 14, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Black History Month Employee Spotlight: Joyce Christanio Is Leading the Charge for Change With the Nexttech Diversity Program

T-Mobile

Joyce Christanio, senior program manager for supplier diversity at T-Mobile, often speaks of purpose. The work she is involved with has a meaningful purpose, and the responsibility that comes with it isn’t lost on her. “Our procurement team under Chief Procurement Officer Mike Simpson and Vice President Stephanie Owen is determined to provide leadership when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. Internally as well as with suppliers that conduct business with T-Mobile,” says Joyce. “We’re setting new standards for the wireless industry and beyond -- and changing the way companies recruit talent is a huge part of that.” As someone who lost a brother to gun violence, Joyce is passionate about the NextTech Diversity Program she manages within her larger role at the company. “We must realize that supporting these types of programs can reduce crime,” she says. T-Mobile launched the NextTech Diversity Program last year to provide career training and job placement for hundreds of diverse candidates, helping them take on meaningful employment within the telecommunications industry. The launch coincided with an announcement that T-Mobile shares the responsibility of closing the industry’s diversity gap. The 5G revolution is expected to create or transform up to an astounding 16 million full-time, part-time and temporary jobs directly and indirectly between 2021 to 2025 in the United States. It is estimated that 20,000 field technicians and trained tower crew workers are needed to help build 5G for all wireless providers. But people of color comprise a disproportionately small percentage of all network technicians and field crews, and Christanio says the NextTech Diversity Program — which has two paths to employment with its Technician Program and Commercial Equipment Driver’s Program — creates an important bridge between an industry that needs new workers and a workforce that is underrepresented. At the beginning of February, Christanio and other supporters of the program celebrated its first anniversary, boasting a 100 percent graduation and career placement rate of its original technicians class of 50 students. For 2022, T-Mobile recently announced its commitment to doubling the 2022 NextTech Diversity’s Technician Program class as well as expanding its more recent Equipment Driver’s Program. We spoke with Joyce from her home of Kansas City, Missouri where she was recently recognized by The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City for 32 years of service assisting minority, women and veteran owned businesses. It’s clear speaking with you that you believe to the core in the benefits of this program. Can you share where that confidence in the work comes from? I am so proud to be managing an exciting T-Mobile program aimed at supporting women and men of color within under-represented communities. I can personally identify and whole-heartedly embrace this program because, as a youth, I too lived in an under-represented community. Being privy to unfortunate situations occurring in inner-city communities, such as drug deals, neighbors with addictions, robberies and losing a brother to senseless gun violence, I understand the importance of lending a hand to others to improve their lifestyles. While everyone can’t afford a college education, this program provides individuals a hand to exceed a minimum wage salary resulting in sustainable careers. The NextTech Diversity Program has two focus areas: telecom technicians and equipment drivers. Can you explain how you partner with local trade schools to make the program successful? The NextTech Program was created in January 2021 to fund the training and job placement of women and men of color to become telecom technicians. T-Mobile’s chief procurement officer, Mike Simpson, recognized the need to diversify the pipeline of candidates. We partnered with telecom trade school Learning Alliance Corporation (LAC), which oversaw the recruitment, training, certification and job placement of 50 LAC graduates to 32 different network-building companies last year. Later, in September, T-Mobile’s Vice President of network supply chain, Bob Vorlicek, recognized the need to also diversify the pool of commercial drivers. Therefore, with NextTech being the trademarked program name, we now have two focus areas: NextTech Technician Program run by LAC in Tampa, and NextTech Equipment Driver’s Program that we partnered with New Reflections Technical Institute to manage in Kansas City, Missouri. Both programs are aimed at funding the training and job placement of hundreds of women and men of color through 2025. Throughout 2022, As T-Mobile aims to grow both programs, we are demonstrating our commitment to diversify talent pipelines and ensure continued sustainable positions in the communities that we serve. Additionally, technicians and drivers are the engine behind our 5G world. For us to use our handsets to talk, text, access and deposit funds into our bank accounts, take precious family photos and watch movies — to name a few things we rely on them for every day. It takes technicians to build out the 5G network and drivers to transport the network equipment to T-Mobile’s 5G cell sites. This is why T-Mobile is recommending every company that relies on use of a mobile device to stand with us in one united front to join this program and demonstrate their commitment to embracing diversity, equity and inclusion. Companies can learn more by logging onto nexttechdiversity.com. Have you seen for yourself first-hand how this program can positively impact someone? This program is special to me because it’s a way of giving back to a less fortunate group of individuals who may not have a career path or funding to pursue a career. I have witnessed graduates of the program crying as they thanked T-Mobile for funding their training. One graduate stated he didn’t know where he’d be in life if it weren’t for this program. This program directly helps inner-city youth with no direction in life, no sustainable job to make a decent living who, too often, land in jail. These programs produce jobs to hopefully prevent jail sentences. Additionally, we’re evaluating opportunities to include “returning citizens” – people released from incarceration - as part of these programs to encourage their full and successful reintegration into society. I’m thankful our T-Mobile executives put their trust in me to develop and lead such a rewarding program. I believe it enhances T-Mobile’s brand, and it enhances my life as well. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from T-Mobile on 3blmedia.com

February 11, 2022 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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MENTOR Announces 2022 Excellence in Mentoring Honorees

MENTOR

BOSTON, January 18, 2022 /3BL Media/ - MENTOR, the nation’s unifying champion of the mentoring movement, announces the 2022 Honorees of the Annual Excellence in Mentoring Awards. The Excellence in Mentoring awardees represent the breadth and depth of the mentoring movement and the power of mentoring relationships to support, inspire and engage young people. This year’s awards ceremony will take place on January 28 as part of the National Mentoring Summit, bringing together more than 2,000 experts, practitioners, advocates and philanthropic partners to advance mentoring nationwide. The Summit closes out National Mentoring Month, celebrated each January to focus national attention on the value of mentoring to build meaningful, lasting relationships for young people and adults alike. “The outstanding diversity of this year’s nominees and honorees illustrate the many paths to working to increase our collective well-being, connection to one another, stability and opportunity,” said David Shapiro, MENTOR’s CEO. “As we celebrate these exemplars of the mentoring movement, we also invite others to follow their lead in ensuring all our young people have the relationships needed to thrive.” 2022 EXCELLENCE IN MENTORING AWARD WINNERS AND FINALISTS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Daryle Cobb, Franklin County (OH) Children Services The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual who has dedicated their life’s work to supporting youth through mentoring. For three decades, this year’s award winner, Daryle Cobb, has demonstrated profound dedication to supporting youth with opportunities and connections. Daryle’s career has been centered on ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of Franklin County Ohio’s most vulnerable youth as a caseworker, kinship care worker and director of the Simba Mentoring program. Simba Mentoring is a mentoring program with culturally focused and enriching programming that matches Black boys involved with the child welfare system with Black male mentors. Daryle has also been a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio for three mentees over 25 years. Even after these matches formally ended, the mentees have continued to call on Daryle for advice and support and to celebrate successes that were sometimes only possible because he taught them to believe in themselves. The finalists for the Lifetime Achievement Award are: Mercedes Cintrón from Puerto Rico Youth at Risk, Inc. Robin McHaelen from True Colors, Inc. Nicole Steele from Diamond in the Rough Youth Development Program CORPORATE YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD - Sanah Jivani, Founder and CEO, Love Your Natural Self Foundation The Corporate Youth Leadership Award is presented to a young person who has participated in a corporate mentoring initiative and shown great leadership potential. This year’s award winner is Sanah Jivani. Sanah is a dual degree graduate from The University of Pennsylvania, where she received a M.S. in Non-Profit Leadership and an M.S.E.d. Education, Culture and Society. Currently, she works as the Community Engagement Manager at Generation Hope, focusing on building community partnerships, recruiting mentors and promoting college access. Sanah has spent the last few years both engaging in and leading corporate mentoring initiatives, beginning in high school, where she was selected as one of thirty young people around the nation to be a part of the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. Through this opportunity, she worked with young people to allocate 5 million dollars of State Farm’s philanthropy budget to organizations around the nation. She was selected as the United States Delegate for Girls20, the only platform for young women to influence decisions of the G20, and has recently been involved with a corporate mentoring initiative at Bain & Company where she has been bringing virtual mental health and anti-bullying assemblies to students during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is also the founder and CEO of a non-profit organization called The Love Your Natural Self Foundation, which focuses on empowering individuals through events, mentors and hands-on sessions. She started this organization after losing all of her hair to alopecia in the seventh grade and struggling with bullying and low self-worth. Now, her non-profit organization hosts projects in 150 schools and 28 countries worldwide, including the International Day of Self-Love. She has reached over 50,000 students through speaking engagements. IMPACTFUL PHILANTHROPY AWARD - Stacey Ullrich, Head of Global Community Impact, Under Armour and Executive Director, Under Armour Foundation (Baltimore, MD) The Impactful Philanthropy Award highlights a foundation, company or individual philanthropist who has invested time and funds into mentoring initiatives across the nation and in their own communities. This year’s honoree is Stacey Ullrich, Head of Global Community Impact, Under Armour and Executive Director, Under Armour Foundation. Prior to joining Under Armour, Stacey held positions with Constellation Energy, PW Feats, Earl Beckwith & Associates, and the PGA TOUR. As part of her philanthropic efforts, she serves on the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, Center Club, iMentor, Project Pnuema, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Baltimore, Inc. and University Systems of Maryland Foundation board. Stacey has been a key figure in the mentoring movement in Baltimore. From supporting MENTOR MD|DC since its inception to supporting mentoring at a number of high schools and grassroots programs throughout Baltimore City, Stacey has made mentoring a cornerstone of her personal and professional life and led Under Armour in making mentorship a priority focus. Most recently, she supported mentor recruitment at Under Armour’s headquarters in support of a newly launched mentoring initiative for 9th grade students at several Baltimore high schools. Additionally, she supports a number of internal mentoring initiatives at Under Armour designed to encourage and engage young professionals. Stacey has also been active in engaging the local youth development and mentoring program field by speaking at a number of funders panels and roundtables, to provide even greater awareness into the need to fund grassroots and community-based programs. The finalists for the Impactful Philanthropy Award are: Andrea Elder-Howell, Board Secretary of MENTOR NY Thomas F. Gilbane, Jr., Board Member of ACE Mentor Program Teddy Kapur, Board Chair of Imagine LA PUBLIC ELEVATION: Jamal Stroud, Big Homie Lil Homie Mentoring (Columbia, South Carolina) The Public Elevation Award is given to an individual or organization who uses their influence and public platform to encourage, support and draw awareness to mentoring. This year’s award goes to Jamal Stroud, founder of Big Homie Lil Homie Mentoring, a mentoring program for young boys growing up without father figures. On a national level, Jamal works as the Mentor and Outreach Manager for Camp HOPE America where he provides technical assistance to 40 different programs throughout the United States. Jamal has been recognized locally and nationally for the lasting impact he’s had on more than 10,000 youth, offering support and positive male role models for young people in South Carolina. Jamal’s personal experience growing up in the foster care system and living in six different homes by the time he was six years old led him to the frontlines of improving and advocating for youth. Jamal has been a guest on The Ellen Show and has received numerous awards, including winning the prestigious Jefferson Award. The finalists for the Public Elevation Award are: Jay Flores, founder of Invent the Change, LLC Wafa Saeed from the Sudanese American Public Affairs Association Tonoa Manuel, founder of the SIYG Consulting Firm PUBLIC SERVICE The Public Service Award is a twofold honor – we celebrate individuals at both the federal and state/local level as champions in government who support the mission of mentoring. These public servants dedicate their knowledge, time and platforms to supporting mentoring and encourage adults to become mentors. FEDERAL: The Honorable Mary Gay Scanlon, U.S. House of Representatives, Pennnsylvania-05 At the federal level, this year’s Public Service Award goes to Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, a true champion for mentoring on Capitol Hill. Representative Scanlon has dedicated her career to serving the most vulnerable — first as a lawyer and now in Congress. She was first sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 following a special election, and currently represents Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District. Representative Scanlon’s legislative priorities include voting rights, access to justice, education, supporting economic growth for her region, common sense gun safety and ending hunger. Representative Scanlon is a mentor herself and serves as the chair of the Congressional Youth Mentoring Caucus, which works to advance support for the mentoring movement on Capitol Hill through events, networking and legislative action. STATE & LOCAL: The Honorable Ned Lamont, Governor of Connecticut At the state level, this year’s Public Service Award goes to Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut. Governor Lamont has been a steadfast advocate of mentoring in his state. During COVID-19, he has added mentoring as a volunteer opportunity to the StateUpCT portal, connecting almost 200 more mentors to young people during a time of crisis. Additionally, he serves as the co-chair of the board of The Governor’s Prevention Partnership (MENTOR’s Affiliate in Connecticut), and is an active participant in events elevating mentoring across the state. Governor Lamont often speaks affectionately about this time as a volunteer teacher at a high school in his state where he shared his knowledge of small business ownership and helped connect students to local internships. Congratulations to all of our 2022 honorees. The awards ceremony is free to the public and attendees can register here. ABOUT MENTOR MENTOR is the unifying champion for expanding the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships across the United States. 30 years ago, MENTOR was created to expand opportunities for young people by building a youth mentoring field and movement. The result: a more than 10-fold increase in young people in structured mentoring relationships. Today, MENTOR is the primary resource and expert for the youth mentoring field, representing a movement that meets young people everywhere they are – from schools, to workplaces, and beyond. MENTOR operates in collaboration with 24 local Affiliates across the country. For more information, visit mentoring.org. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from MENTOR on 3blmedia.com

January 18, 2022 05:35 PM Eastern Standard Time

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U.S. Government Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit for $1 Million After Suicide Outside Georgia VA Medical Center

Bertling Law Group

The estate of a Navy veteran, who died by suicide after he was denied medical treatment at a Department of Veteran’s Affairs medical center, recently negotiated a $1 million settlement with the U.S. government as compensation for the 35 days of pain and suffering the veteran experienced before his death. The lawsuit, filed by the Bertling Law Group on behalf of the estate of Gary Steven Pressley, continues against Bobby Dodd Institute, an independent contractor responsible for operating the switchboard at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. The lawsuit alleges that Pressley’s family notified an employee of Bobby Dodd Institute that Pressley was in the parking lot with a loaded gun and intended to shoot himself. The lawsuit states that employee Elaine Carswell did not call the onsite VA police who could have reached Pressley in minutes with officers trained to deescalate such situations. Pressley died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the parking lot of the VA Medical Center. According to the lawsuit, Pressley’s referral to a pain specialist was never scheduled and he experienced excruciating pain after being denied pain medication previously prescribed by a community pain specialist. Pressley took his own life after his VA primary care physician negligently reduced his pain medication and failed to ensure he saw a new community pain management specialist in a timely fashion. Pressley’s referral to the pain specialist was never scheduled because the VA employee responsible for processing the appointment was overworked, overwhelmed and her department was understaffed. Pressley was honorably discharged from the United States Navy with an exemplary record following a tragic car accident that left him with serious injuries to his legs, hip, pelvis, and back. He required assistance to walk and managed considerable pain daily. He had previously been seen by a community pain specialist who was referred through the VA and his life had improved considerably. The community pain specialist stopped treating veterans because the VA was not paying for her services. Pressley was furthering his education and making plans to lead a long and healthy life when the VA failed to assign him a new pain specialist. His condition deteriorated because he did not receive needed prescription pain medicine for several weeks. He reached a breaking point on April 5, 2019 and shot himself in the chest. According to attorney Peter Bertling, Pressley’s death was imminently preventable. “Gary Steven Pressley served his country admirably and had been on a path to lead a long and happy life before the negligence of the Bobby Dodd Institute brought his life to a tragic close,” said Bertling. “Had Ms. Carswell paid attention to the family’s direct warnings, Pressley would still be here today.” Bertling Law Group can help you access all available resources for compensation. Prior to providing veteran advocacy, our attorneys spent three decades defending hospitals, nurses, and doctors accused of wrongdoing, helping to spare insurance companies millions of dollars in unsubstantiated damages. We now use that insight to help injured patients recover the damages to which they are entitled. More information is available at 844-295-7558 or BertlingLawGroup.com Download a copy of the complaint here and at www.LawsuitPressRelease.com. Contact Details LawsuitPressRelease.com John P. David +1 888-859-6637 john@lawsuitpressrelease.com Company Website https://www.bertlinglawgroup.com/

November 22, 2021 01:44 PM Eastern Standard Time

Sequencing to Save the Lemurs: A Collaboration Between the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and Illumina

Illumina

In the 1960s, with the intent to conserve a rare species of primate, the San Diego Zoo initiated a successful breeding program with red ruffed lemurs (varecia rubra) from Madagascar. After the establishment of its in-house research effort, the Zoo also elected to freeze cells from that founding population and their descendants and store them in a facility called the Frozen Zoo. Long before the Human Genome Project, next-generation sequencing, or even the proliferation of the personal computer, the team at the Zoo thought to bank living cells and other genetic material. “This is something that only the San Diego Zoo has,” says Tim Eppley, a postdoctoral research fellow for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA). “It’s really incredible that they had the foresight to start collecting samples when they really couldn’t do much with them.” Today, SDZWA, Illumina’s iConserve program, and universities in Spain and Madagascar are collaborating to assemble the first complete, high-quality red ruffed lemur genome and assess how genetic diversity and population connectedness have changed over time. This unique project will help us understand what we can do to conserve the most threatened group of mammals on earth. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 98 percent of the 113 known lemur species are threatened with extinction. Population numbers are not entirely known, but a few species in the lemur family do have an exact count. For example, there are only 19 Northern sportive lemurs left, and they live in a very small area. Lemurs are endemic to Madagascar, an island in the Indian Ocean, 800 miles off the coast of East Africa. “Madagascar is often referred to as the eighth continent because everything there is so unique and exists nowhere else on earth,” says Eppley. “But Madagascar has less than 10 percent of its original forest remaining. It’s a very, very small sliver of what used to be there.” The red ruffed lemur and the trees of Madagascar have a co-dependent relationship. Because its diet is primarily fruit-based, the lemur depends on the trees in the forest. In turn, the lemur not only disseminates the seeds, but the seeds in its scat are more viable. “Lemurs act as the gardeners of the forest. They play a really, really critical role for a lot of botanical species in Madagascar,” says Eppley. But lemurs face a lot of challenges in their own environment. Lemurs are a female-dominated society. When they travel, the females take the lead. So when hunters set up traps, the females are the first to be ensnared. “That results in a sex skew in those populations. When you end up with a lot more males, it’s not going to help the population grow,” says Eppley. Add to that, the vast majority of lemurs can only become pregnant during one 48- to 72-hour period in an entire year. If a cyclone or other weather event ruins their ripe fruits, they may not reproduce that year. “Even a single weather event can throw the whole thing off.” Using genomics to impact conservation The SDZWA is leading what is the most comprehensive study ever done on a lemur species. They have collected samples from 73 wild or captive lemurs (mostly red-ruffed) born between 1959 and the present. The samples come from the Frozen Zoo, partnering universities, and the Madagascar National Parks, and they come in the form of blood, tissue, frozen cells, or scat. Earlier this year, the Zoo sent the samples to Illumina laboratories for sequencing. The data was then sent to the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva in Barcelona, Spain where Marc Palmada Flores, a PhD candidate at the Pompeu Fabra University is building the genome assembly. “I am really looking forward to seeing how this genome assembly is used to help conserve this particular species of lemur and to start having more real field studies where the resequencing data will serve as tools to better understand a species status,” says Flores. Flores is assembling a new, high-quality reference genome for the red ruffed lemur as well as a draft reference genome for black-and-white ruffed lemurs and six additional lemur species. When the reference genomes are complete, they will be sent to Dr. Aryn Wilder, a researcher at SDZWA, who will also use the high-coverage genome resequencing data for comparative genomic analysis. “Some of the samples were collected more than 50 years ago,” says Wilder, “and they may reflect the diversity present in healthy populations before widespread deforestation.” Wilder hopes the information will provide a barometer for how much genomic erosion may have occurred. This will help direct limited resources toward maximizing the retention of any remaining diversity. “The data are also a springboard for designing capture arrays for non-invasive samples (e.g. fecal samples) that can be used to address behavioral and ecological questions about these species.” The reference genome will also inform breeding practices at zoos. “The data will help refine pedigrees for managing the captive populations,” says Wilder. “Pedigrees are used to help select breeding pairs to minimize inbreeding and retain genetic diversity.” Celebrating the lemur World Lemur Day (October 29, 2021) began with a festival in 2014 in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Today, it is celebrated worldwide in order to bring awareness to the plight of the lemur and attract ecotourists to the island. Tim Eppley will return to Madagascar in three weeks. There, in addition to working with local universities, he’ll manage teams of people to count lemurs, collar them, collect feces, and assess habitat conditions. They study the tree diversity in various areas and try to understand any hunting pressures that may exist, sometimes noting traps or even gun shells. A large portion of Eppley’s job involves working with local agencies like Groupe d’ étude et de recherche sur les primates (GERP) in Madagascar. Malagasy students lead teams into very remote areas where surveys have never been conducted. For these teams, they hire people from the nearest villages and train them on data collection techniques, providing employment and short-term economic relief. Eppley says it’s more money than they would ever make, as 90 percent of the population lives on less than $1.90 a day. Because of poverty and political instability, the forests are disappearing fast. “The local people understand that the forests are important for pure water, for irrigating fields, for protecting animals. They would much rather have the forest, but many people are pushed into a situation where they have to cut down those forests because they need the land to grow rice or they’re clearing land to hunt for subsistence. They need wood to build huts or boats for fishing. So that's why we need to come up with economic alternatives in these areas.” And there’s a strong economic incentive for the Malagasy to protect the land to bring in the tourists. Eppley believes the Malagasy can rally and motivate, and that wildlife will benefit. “My hope for lemurs is that we continue to see populations grow, that we create corridors and buffer zones and grow these forests so that the lemurs have more area to live. And by doing that, the local populations will try to protect those areas, because that will increase tourism. My hope for Madagascar is that there's a shift, like we’ve seen in Costa Rica.” That shift required more than fifteen years, and it took a village. Initiatives like Illumina’s iConserve program were founded to bring the global community together to accelerate environmental and wildlife conservation. “Genomics has become the tool of this century to help conserve biodiversity and ensure the health of our planet,” says Karine A. Viaud-Martinez, Associate Director at the Illumina Laboratory Services. “We believe that Illumina is uniquely positioned to advance some key projects and guarantee that the tools and data are available to anyone.” Some of the iConserve work consists of facilitating research in comparative genomics of various species, which provide structure to cataloging biodiversity in wild and captive populations. This will ultimately support decisions around species conservation and management. To read about sequencing the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, click here. To learn more about the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, click here. To participate in World Lemur Day activities, click here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Illumina on 3blmedia.com

October 29, 2021 01:46 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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News Release

Ideas That Matter Alumni Busier Than Ever With World-Changing Projects

Sappi North America

Since its inception in 1999, Sappi’s Ideas that Matter (ITM) program has granted nearly $14 million to help fund a wide range of social impact causes ranging from sustainable food systems to healthcare to climate change. Although the pandemic put much of the world on pause, Sappi’s ITM recipients were busier than ever with their world-changing projects. We were not surprised to watch how this community continues to adapt in the face of so much uncertainty. 826LA and 826 National students use poetry to demand social justice Ideas that Matter grant recipients have included both 826 National and its Los Angeles chapter, 826LA, in recent years. The national organization is the largest youth writing network in the country with nine chapters serving nearly 40,000 under-resourced students ages 6–18 each year. Whether it’s the March for Our Lives, the Youth Climate Strike, or Black Lives Matter, young people are at the front lines of combating injustice and changing the world. In this spirit, 826 National recently solicited youth poetry from its nine chapters and worked with 826CHI, 826LA, and 826 Valencia to edit the resulting compilation, titled Poets in Revolt! The talented student voices in the publication explore themes including body positivity, institutional racism, religious freedom, sexual identity, bicultural identity, the climate crisis, gun violence, and education inequality. Poets in Revolt! began as a workshop led by writer Ola Faleti at 826CHI, during which students drew meaningful connections between poetry and social justice. Studio Usher secures internet access for 5 million remote students In 2013, Naomi Usher, principal of design firm Studio Usher, received an ITM grant to develop communication materials in print, digital, and motion for EducationSuperHighway—an organization that provides advocacy and consultation to states and school districts to connect American public school classrooms to high-speed internet. The organization brought broadband to 99 percent of all K–12 public schools and was slated to shut down in April 2020 after accomplishing their mission. Then, in the face of COVID-19, with 55 million K–12 students sheltering in place and schools moving their classrooms online, this dynamic organization hired back most of their staff to focus on connecting the 5 million US students who do not have access to the internet at home. Brighter Bites delivers healthy options to food-insecure families In 2018, Allyson Lack, founder and creative director of design studio Principle, received an ITM grant to design and produce a cookbook for stakeholders of Houston-based nonprofit Brighter Bites. Since its inception in 2012, Brighter Bites has provided nutrition education and more than 27 million pounds of fresh produce to over 275,000 people in cities across the country. They work with public schools and community centers to assemble and distribute fresh produce and materials to families in need. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when personal resources are limited, families need fresh, nutrient-rich food to keep them healthy. When their partner schools closed, Brighter Bites quickly shifted gears to deliver produce through a variety of programs and networks, including local food banks, produce distributors, and partnerships with regional grocery chains. MASS Design Group supports hospitals with COVID-19 Design Response team Hospitals around the world are rapidly transforming their physical environments and systems to keep employees and patients safe. MASS Design Group— composed of full-time senior design leaders including ITM grantees Michael Murphy, Alan Ricks, and Amie Shao—has formed a COVID-19 Design Response team to support these efforts. Drawing on their valuable insights from lessons learned in the field, this team responds to the needs of hospital and community healthcare partners by sharing strategies and rules of thumb with those retrofitting different spaces for infection control. The COVID-19 Design Response team has partnered with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City and Boston-based Ariadne Labs and conducted a three-week study to understand which spatial design interventions can help mitigate the risk of infection. As the team members share their conclusions, they hope to scale the research and collaboration between healthcare staff and designers to encourage thoughtful spatial interventions and literacy with COVID-19 units nationwide. 2020 Employee Ideas that Matter program brings charitable ideas to life Through the structured Employee Ideas that Matter (EITM) program, Sappi North America employees bring their charitable ideas to life. For three years, employees have been applying for direct funding to benefit the nonprofit organizations they are most passionate about, and the winners share $25,000 in corporate giving to support their selected causes. Funding can be used in many ways—from financing a project to sponsoring a trail cleanup or providing new equipment and supplies. In 2020, Sappi received applications for worthy causes from around the country. The competition was tough, but in the end, 101 were selected. Read more from Sappi North america's 2020 Sustainability Report here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Sappi North America on 3blmedia.com

October 28, 2021 04:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time

The 2030 Climate Change Imperative: Three Actions to Take Before Time Runs Out

Schneider Electric

The climate change emergency around us is developing at daunting speed. Last month, leaked details of an upcoming UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlighted that tipping points which are projected to exacerbate the impacts of global warming — such as the melting of polar ice caps — have nearly been reached. Once triggered, such events risk causing irrevocable change to our ecosystems, which may be irreversible even with a subsequent rapid reduction in atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. The growing scientific consensus is that the window of opportunity for combating climate change is closing. Through modeling several climate transition scenarios, the IPCC has shown that global emissions need to be reduced by 30-50% by 2030, compared to 2018 levels, for us to have a fighting chance of limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees. Put another way, if we’re to take the objectives of the Paris Agreement seriously, then we need to get serious about making substantial progress by 2030. Worryingly, Schneider Electric’s most recent modeling suggests that 3-5 times more emissions reductions than have currently been pledged by national governments are needed for us to be on track to meet these targets. We need to urgently do much more to meet the 2030 climate change imperative. Luckily, there is still time to achieve this goal with today’s solutions. Our analysis suggests it is possible to reduce emissions to the levels needed to put us back on course to reach net zero by the middle of this century, through the mass deployment and implementation of existing technologies. To ascertain this, we evaluated energy-related CO2 emissions, between now and 2030, for four major regions — North America, Europe, China, and the Asian OECD countries. Collectively, these regions account for 70% of global CO2 emissions. We modeled the impact that the mass adoption of existing technologies would have on emission levels in four sectors — buildings and construction, industry, mobility, and power generation — for these regions, and the extent to which this would allow us to get back on track globally in terms of emissions reductions. The results show that, by 2030, we can successfully abate global energy-related CO2 emissions in line with the IPCC’s climate transition pathways. Electrification, digitalization, and renovations to improve energy efficiency, in particular, have substantial potential to reduce emissions. Take buildings as an example. The widespread adoption of electric and digital technologies, such as heat pumps and digital energy-management systems, could reduce building energy demand by as much as 40%. The good news is that these technologies are already widely available. But for such emissions savings to be realized — and for us to get back on course in the 2030 climate change race — these solutions need to be adopted at an unprecedented scale and pace. Similar trends were uncovered in the other sectors evaluated. In other words, while the solutions needed to combat global warming exist today, they need to be adopted much faster than at current rates. Addressing the 2030 Climate Change Imperative So, what can we do about this? Our results point to the need for three key actions to be taken: There should be a renewed focus on addressing easy to abate sectors. Within the global discourse, much attention is paid to the need to reduce emissions arising from hard to abate sectors like heavy industry and long-haul shipping. Although advancing solutions in these areas will be critical for achieving net zero by 2050, they are not yet deployable at scale. There thus needs to be a greater emphasis on increasing the uptake of already-developed green technologies in the run-up to 2030. Business has a greater role to play in meeting our 2030 climate change challenge. The development of effective and efficient value chains will prove key to ensuring that greener technologies are sufficiently implemented. To facilitate this, large corporations must accelerate their environmental ambitions in the run-up to 2030 and support small-to-medium enterprises, in their supply chains, to also reduce their emissions. Governments must modernize policy frameworks to facilitate decarbonization objectives. Current legislative frameworks often tacitly promote the use of less environmentally-friendly products or fuel sources. For example, in the European Union, taxation rates for electricity usage are, on average, four times higher than for the equivalent use of gas. Common frameworks should be adopted to funnel investments, monitor progress, and reward adopters of more environmentally-friendly products and practices. The challenge we face between now and 2030 is massive. But the solutions to overcome it exist. What’s left is for us to act, with haste and without hesitation. For full details of Schneider Electric’s 2030 climate change modeling, click here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Schneider Electric on 3blmedia.com

July 28, 2021 01:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Nearly 70,000 Hispanics Have Died by Gunfire in U.S. Since 1999, Nearly Two-Thirds of the Deaths are Homicides, Study Finds

Violence Policy Center

Nearly 70,000 Hispanics were killed with guns in the United States from 1999 through 2019, with an average of more than 3,300 gun deaths per year, according to a new study by the Violence Policy Center (VPC), a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. In 2019, 74 percent of Hispanic homicide victims died by gunfire. Looking at type of firearm, 66 percent of Hispanic gun homicide victims were killed with a handgun — the highest percentage of any racial/ethnic group in the U.S. For Hispanics ages 15 to 24, homicide ranked as the third leading cause of death. Hispanic Victims of Lethal Firearms Violence in the United States ( http://vpc.org/studies/hispanic21.pdf ) is the fifth edition of the VPC’s comprehensive study on lethal gun violence against Hispanics in America and is available in both English and Spanish. The study utilizes data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as unpublished information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Supplementary Homicide Report. The study found that of the 69,519 Hispanics killed with firearms from 1999 through 2019, nearly two thirds of these gun deaths were homicides (44,614, or 64 percent), while 21,466 were suicides (31 percent). An additional 1,182 of these gun deaths were unintentional (two percent) and 2,257 (three percent) were the result of undetermined intent or legal intervention. VPC Executive Director and study co-author Josh Sugarmann states, “Year after year, guns exact a lethal toll on Hispanics in the U.S., especially among the young. Yet because of vast gaps in the way data on Hispanic ethnicity is collected in our nation, the full scope of this ongoing crisis remains unknown. What we do know is that all too many Hispanic lives are lost to lethal violence each year, and that guns, especially handguns, play a deciding role.” KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY INCLUDE: — The homicide rate for Hispanics in the United States is nearly twice as high as the homicide rate for whites. The Hispanic homicide victimization rate in 2019 was 5.15 per 100,000. In comparison, the homicide victimization rate for whites was 2.62 per 100,000. — Homicide is the third leading cause of death for Hispanics ages 15 to 24. Of these deaths, 87 percent involved a firearm. — Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Hispanics ages 15 to 24. Of these deaths, 37 percent involved a firearm. — In 2019, 4,058 Hispanics were killed with guns. That year, 2,301 Hispanics died in gun homicides, 1,534 died in gun suicides, 60 died in unintentional shootings, and 163 died of undetermined intent or legal intervention. — Of the 2,301 Hispanic firearm homicide victims in 2019, 1,955 (85 percent) were male and 346 (15 percent) were female. — In 2019, guns were used in 74 percent of the homicides where the victims were Hispanic. Looking at type of firearm, 66 percent of Hispanic gun homicide victims were killed with a handgun, the highest percentage of any racial/ethnic group in U.S. — A large percentage of Hispanic homicide victims are young. Thirty-three percent of Hispanic victims in 2019 were age 24 and younger. In comparison, 34 percent of Black homicide victims and 19 percent of white homicide victims were age 24 and younger that year. For all victims, 29 percent of homicide victims were age 24 or younger. RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY INCLUDE: — Government agencies should improve the methods used to collect and report data on Hispanic victims of gun violence and other lethal violence. Because of major limitations in the way public agencies collect information on Hispanic ethnicity, the total number of Hispanic victims of lethal violence is almost certainly higher than what this study reports. — Additional efforts should be undertaken to support current violence reduction programs and activities as well as to identify new violence-reduction strategies, including: support for community-based violence intervention programs that are holistic and encourage participation by all stakeholders; educational efforts to better inform Hispanics of the risks associated with bringing a firearm into the home including the increased risk for homicide, suicide, and unintentional firearm deaths compared to how rarely guns are used in justifiable homicides by private citizens (especially important in the face of current coordinated efforts by the gun industry targeting Hispanics as potential first-time gun buyers); improved access to resources for victims and survivors of domestic violence; and, identification of anti-trafficking measures to help interrupt the flow of illegal firearms to impacted communities. The homicide victimization rate for Hispanics is calculated by dividing the total number of homicides with Hispanic victims by the total Hispanic population and multiplying the result by 100,000. The study does not include Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories. The complete report in English can be found here. The complete report in Spanish can be found here. Prior editions of the report in both English and Spanish, as well as VPC research focusing on lethal Hispanic victimization in California, can be found at www.vpc.org/hispanic.htm. For more information on how the firearms industry, looking to expand beyond its shrinking base of white male gun owners, has launched an organized marketing campaign focusing on Hispanic and Black Americans, please see the January 2021 Violence Policy Center study How the Firearms Industry and NRA Market Guns to Communities of Color ( https://vpc.org/how-the-firearms-industry-and-nra-market-guns-to-communities-of-color/ ). The Violence Policy Center is a national educational organization working to stop gun death and injury. Follow the VPC on Twitter and Facebook. Contact Details Violence Policy Center Josh Sugarmann +1 202-822-8200 jsugarmann@vpc.org Company Website https://vpc.org/

July 28, 2021 10:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

British online store The Edit LDN transforms prized sneaker industry as sales soar

Stockwood Strategy

The UK’s leading online store for limited edition sneakers and high end streetwear The Edit Man London has become The Edit LDN. The name change reflects the rapidly growing female appeal for new and pre-loved sneakers and streetwear as sales grow 60% month-on-month in the last 12 months. The Edit LDN is an online consignment store that sells new and pre-loved goods from a variety of brands including Yeezy, Jordan, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Off-White, Supreme, Fear of God among others to a wide community of fashionistas, collectors and investors. Just as premium sites like Farfetch address the fashion world, The Edit LDN is the leading destination for limited edition sneakers and high end streetwear. They connect premium resellers with a highly engaged, price agnostic and eager audience. Through partnerships with styling services such as Thread.com and various concierge companies, THE EDIT LDN has expanded its community of buyers from TV and film celebrities to professional footballers and royal families around the world. Moses Rashid, founder and CEO of The Edit LDN commented: “As a brand we want to remain current and relevant to our community, our new name now fairly represents and embraces our diverse community but is true to its origins. We dropped the ‘Man’ from the name simply because the number of women buying had been steadily increasing since launch in January 2020 and passed 50% in March this year. It was the right thing to do.” The Edit LDN has established itself as a trusted source of authenticated and high quality new and pre-loved streetwear and sneakers. Their unabating focus on speed (to deliver purchased goods), customer service engagement and ensuring all goods are authenticated has been testament to the growth of the platform and community. “We set out to create a destination that opens up and levels up the opportunity for anyone wishing to own extremely limited edition goods. Essentially we make Inaccessible, accessible. Previous means to buy these goods have been riddled with issues such as sending payments to random resellers found on social media, authenticity issues when buying online and long delivery times on purchases from global marketplaces. The Edit LDN addresses all these concerns and is transforming the customer experience and industry simultaneously, added Moses ”. In 2021 (to April), The Edit LDN attracted more traffic, transactions and revenue than in their first year of trading (2020). With 60% month-on-month growth and mounting interest, the business is set to take-off. “We’re regularly selling sneakers and streetwear worth £1,500 each. Recently, we sold a Gucci TNF jacket for £9,200. It’s not only the variety of goods we offer but the speed at which we send purchases. Just last year we managed to source and sell 44 Playstation 5 games consoles to the England U21 football team within 24 hours, literally dispatching them in Ubers to their homes” said Moses. Looking ahead, Moses added: “This is a marketplace worth $6b a year globally and will grow 5x by 2030. By the end of this year, The Edit LDN will be worth £10m and given the hyper growth rate of our sales and revenues, we will 3x our valuation by the end of 2022 for sure. In meeting the needs of this rapid scaling, we will seek to raise funds this year to propel us as we launch in new markets”. The Edit LDN has its community and social conscious front of mind. They have raised funds and awareness against gun crime, mental health and sustainability issues. In 2020, the company collaborated with the artist McCrow as part of the One Less Gun campaign to create a sneaker with bullet shells from an AK-47 rifle. Working with Gary James McQueen in aid of MIND mental health charity, they raised funds with an exclusive T-shirt drop featuring the famous McQueen Vanitas skull. In owning their sustainability agenda, they turned their focus to the circular economy by selling pre-owned (or pre-loved) goods through the platform. In addition to this, they are a paperless company and only ship products using recycled packaging. “At the heart of The Edit LDN proposition is a focus on social and economic issues. These are matters that are important to us and our community, so we recognise that we’re in a super hot market right now so we want to use our platform to make a long lasting impact where possible” concluded Moses. About The Edit LDN Founded in 2020, The Edit LDN has quickly become the UK’s leading online consignment store for limited edition sneakers and high end streetwear, both new and pre-loved items. Their innovative platform connects premium resellers to a global audience offering a deluxe experience from discovery, packaging and delivery. Brands include Jordan, Yeezy, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Off-White, Supreme, Fear of God among others. The platform is fast becoming synonymous with speed of service, authenticity, diverse selection of secure payment methods, and first class customer service. The Edit LDN is the leading destination for resellers and their premium sneakers and streetwear. Through partnerships with styling services such as Thread.com and various concierge companies, The Edit LDN has a community of buyers celebrities to professional footballers and royal families around the world. Contact Details The Edit LDN Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.theeditldn.com/

May 27, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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