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IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MUSE Microscopy, Inc., a innovator in digital pathology announced it's in their final phase. After a strategic acquisition by the current leadership team in 2021, MUSE has steadfastly pursued a visionary roadmap that has the potential to reshape the future of digital pathology. Today, that journey reaches an exciting moment with SmartPath MUSE TechnologyTM (SmartPath)—the industry's first tissue-to-digitalTM imager using MUSE (Microscopy with Ultraviolet Surface Excitation) technology, intended to create a solution that eliminates the need for traditional slide-based histology, a fundamental process that has remained unchanged for over a century. SmartPath's objective of this advanced imager is to provide new technology that rapidly captures high-resolution ultraviolet images, directly from whole fresh or formalin-fixed (non-FFPE) tissue, and convert these UV images to detailed H&E-like digital images for pathologist's review. Utilization of non-caustic fluorescent dyes on fresh tissue significantly improves RNA retained in the sample for downstream processing. This first of its kind imager implements a simple workflow, with the goal of bringing unprecedented efficiency to aid pathologists in diagnostic pathology labs worldwide. By eliminating cumbersome manual processes, SmartPath has the potential to propel pathology into the digital age and support a wide range of global IVD applications and market segments. Matthew Nuñez, CEO of MUSE Microscopy, Inc., expressed the company's enthusiasm about this landmark achievement: "We are immensely proud of the advancements we've made with SmartPath—a groundbreaking tissue-to-digital imager that redefines where true digital pathology starts. This moment signifies more than just a new product; it represents the potential for a fundamental transformation for the entire field of pathology, empowering professionals to move past legacy processes that have constrained advancements in workflow and diagnostics for far too long. With SmartPath, we are intent on setting a new standard and opening doors to the next generation of aids in pathology." Transforming a Long-Standing Pathology Workflow The SmartPath Imager tackles one of pathology's most persistent challenges: the dependence on traditional glass slide histology. By leveraging rapid tissue-to-digital imaging technology, SmartPath seeks to transform pathology, from analog slide-based processes to a seamless and effective workflow that provides high-resolution digital tissue images to pathologists, without destructive direct-to-digital sample preparation. The statements made regarding the SmartPath Imager have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The SmartPath System is currently intended for research use only. This medical device has not yet been evaluated or cleared by the FDA. Its safety and effectiveness have not been established nor confirmed by FDA-approved research. SmartPath is not currently available for sale in the United States as a diagnostic aid or medical device for human pathology. This material is provided solely for informational purposes and does not substitute for professional medical advice. It also does not constitute an offer to promote the device for any medical use. About MUSE Microscopy, Inc. MUSE Microscopy, Inc. is a company that specializes in the application of Microscopy with Ultraviolet Surface Excitation (MUSE). We are developing a MUSE-enabled imaging system for diagnostic assistance in pathology, cytology, and research applications. SmartPath MUSE TechnologyTM (SmartPath), is intended to be a slide-free tissue-to-digital imaging platform that aims to revolutionize digital pathology by eliminating the need for traditional slide-based histology. Our goal is to offer a first-to-market, non-destructive tissue imaging solution. To learn more, you can visit their website at https://musemicroscopy.com/ or find them on social media platforms such as X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Limits on Accuracy This press release is intended to provide information about MUSE Microscopy, Inc.'s research and potential product. Information is believed to be accurate at the time it is created. However, like any printed material, information may become outdated over time. Information may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Information may be changed or updated without notice. There may also be improvements or changes in the products and services described in this press release at any time without notice. It is important that you rely on the advice of an appropriate professional. Nothing contained in any presentation is to be construed as medical, legal, investment, financial, or other advice. This information is not intended to be a substitute for such advice. MUSE Microscopy, Inc. does not endorse any specific techniques or methods of treatment. Individuals are advised to consult their health care professionals for full information about the potential adverse reactions from use of the medical technologies discussed in this press release. We will use reasonable efforts to include accurate and up-to-date information on the website, but MUSE Microscopy, Inc. makes no warranties or representations as to its accuracy. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-looking statements in this press release are based on our future expectations, plans prospects, and assumptions regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "termed," "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Therefore, we caution you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. They are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this document speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as may be required by law. CONTACT: Matthew Nuñez Tel: 949.813.6121 mnunez@musemicroscopy.com Source: MUSE Microscopy, Inc. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Alameda County divested $32 million from the construction equipment company Caterpillar on Tuesday in response to outrage by activists over the use of the equipment by Israel’s military to . With the Board of Supervisors’ vote this week approving the move, Alameda County becomes the to strip public funds from corporations that support Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as part of a new effort to craft an ethical investment policy. “I have initiated the sale of three bonds from the Caterpillar corporation. Two of our three positions have already been sold,” Alameda County Treasurer Henry C. Levy, the only Jewish elected official in the county, said at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. “I am committed to working with community members to ensure the fiscal policies of our county create safe and sound impacts within the county with our investment’s impact.” The bonds represent 0.3% of Alameda County’s $11 billion investment portfolio. Levy said Caterpillar’s investments would become a “distraction” to creating a new ethical investment policy because of concerns around the company’s reputation. He said divestment from other companies in the county’s portfolio can not be decided until a full analysis is performed. Caterpillar did not respond to the Bay Area New Group’s request for comment. The strategy of divestment is heralded by activists for removing financial support from targeted entities by selling off bonds, contracts, and other investments. Divestment has historically been used to oppose apartheid in South Africa, spurring global support and the eventual collapse of the regime in 1994. Violence in Gaza escalated after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 Israelis. Israel’s war in Gaza following the attack has killed nearly 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Around the Bay Area, pro-Palestinian activists have demanded divestment from Israel and many companies that do business with it. For months, the organization Bay Area Divest! has called for divestment from Caterpillar, which they claim knowingly sold its powerful D9 bulldozer to Israel’s military for use in the demolition of Palestinian homes to make way for future Israeli settlements. The international nonprofit Human Rights Watch has to the Israeli military since 2004. “By challenging corporations like Caterpillar, we are paving the way for a future where human rights are non-negotiable,” said economist Michelle Williams, a representative of Bay Area Divest! in a statement. “Our success shows that divestment is not just a tool for accountability—it’s a way to reshape public expectations and redefine what we collectively accept as just and ethical.” At the meeting Tuesday night, pro-Palestinian supporters spilled out of the Board of Supervisors chambers, forcing officials to open an overflow room. More than 100 residents spoke during the public comment period that extended well into the evening. Supervisor Keith Carson led the Board of Supervisors in calling for an ethical investment policy and the divestment from companies that support Israel’s occupation efforts. He said he had traveled to the Middle East last week and observed the human toll of the war in Gaza and the escalating conflict across the region. “Alameda County has a history of making investment decisions in alignment with our values such as the September 1985 unanimous action to divest from South Africa and the September 1996 unanimous decision to bar investing in companies that do business with Burma,” Carson said. “This is an attempt for us to pump the breaks, if not for us to continue to show that we all have to learn to co-exist. The vast majority of speakers during public comment supported the divestment. “I want to look you each in the eyes as you vote for or against this, and I will never forget any of these votes,” a District 3 resident who identified themselves as E said. “I want to watch you adopt the ethical investment strategy.” Though Levy had already initiated the sale of Caterpillar Inc. bonds, the county treasurer sought more prescriptive language for a formal ethical investment policy to be applied for the county. The crux of this issue, he said, came between positive screening – investing in favor of industries aligned with the county’s values – versus negative screening, which he feared could change with political headwinds. “You begin to put this laundry list of bad things – tobacco, private prisons – you begin to long list of things on it and I don’t think that’s a good way to write policy,” Levy said. “People are here for one particular issue, but next year there might be a different issue. And I don’t want to write a policy specifically about one issue.” Supervisor David Haubert was skeptical of the divestment strategy’s effectiveness in countering Israel’s occupation of Palestine and its use of Caterpillar bulldozers. He questioned whether Caterpillar should be held to the same standard as weapons manufacturers whose products are used by the Israeli military. “I don’t believe that Caterpillar said, ‘Please go use our tractors this way.’” Haubert said, drawing groans from the audience. “My fear is, if it’s not one tractor, then it’s another tractor. And where do you draw the line? If you divest from all tractors, then how do we build homes?” Where to draw the line for divestment will be the central question over the next 90 days for Levy and the Treasury Oversight Committee, who will craft a comprehensive investment policy to present to the Board of Supervisors. For pro-Palestinin activists, however, the county’s decision to proceed with divestment from Israel is the most significant victory in over a year of campaigning for an end to the war in Gaza. When the Board of Supervisors gave their unanimous approval, the supervisors’ chambers filled with the sound of activists’ cheers and the waving of Palestinian flags. Divestment is just one tool, Levy said, but he hoped the decision would lead to a more secure and safe community in Alameda County for Jews and Palestinians alike. “I feel a great sorrow that long histories of trauma have triggered fear, still trigger fear and other emotions when issues like this emerge,” Levy said. “This decision, and any future divestment decision that our office may make, is about adhering to the values of Alameda County and the principles of a more profound understanding of socially responsible investing.”None
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By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER WASHINGTON (AP) — One year after the Jan. 6, 2021 , U.S. Capitol attack, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department was committed to holding accountable all perpetrators “at any level” for “the assault on our democracy.” That bold declaration won’t apply to at least one person: Donald Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith’s move on Monday to abandon the federal election interference case against Trump means jurors will likely never decide whether the president-elect is criminally responsible for his attempts to cling to power after losing the 2020 campaign. The decision to walk away from the election charges and the separate classified documents case against Trump marks an abrupt end of the Justice Department’s unprecedented legal effort that once threatened his liberty but appears only to have galvanized his supporters. The abandonment of the cases accusing Trump of endangering American democracy and national security does away with the most serious legal threats he was facing as he returns to the White House. It was the culmination of a monthslong defense effort to delay the proceedings at every step and use the criminal allegations to Trump’s political advantage, putting the final word in the hands of voters instead of jurors. “We always knew that the rich and powerful had an advantage, but I don’t think we would have ever believed that somebody could walk away from everything,” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law professor and former Justice Department official. “If there ever was a Teflon defendant, that’s Donald Trump.” While prosecutors left the door open to the possibility that federal charges could be re-filed against Trump after he leaves office, that seems unlikely. Meanwhile, Trump’s presidential victory has thrown into question the future of the two state criminal cases against him in New York and Georgia. Trump was supposed to be sentenced on Tuesday after his conviction on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money case , but it’s possible the sentencing could be delayed until after Trump leaves office, and the defense is pushing to dismiss the case altogether. Smith’s team stressed that their decision to abandon the federal cases was not a reflection of the merit of the charges, but an acknowledgement that they could not move forward under longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot face criminal prosecution. Trump’s presidential victory set “at odds two fundamental and compelling national interests: On the one hand, the Constitution’s requirement that the President must not be unduly encumbered in fulfilling his weighty responsibilities . . . and on the other hand, the Nation’s commitment to the rule of law,” prosecutors wrote in court papers. The move just weeks after Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris underscores the immense personal stake Trump had in the campaign in which he turned his legal woes into a political rallying cry. Trump accused prosecutors of bringing the charges in a bid to keep him out of the White House, and he promised revenge on his perceived enemies if he won a second term. “If Donald J. Trump had lost an election, he may very well have spent the rest of his life in prison,” Vice President-elect JD Vance, wrote in a social media post on Monday. “These prosecutions were always political. Now it’s time to ensure what happened to President Trump never happens in this country again.” After the Jan. 6 attack by Trump supporters that left more than 100 police officers injured, Republican leader Mitch McConnell and several other Republicans who voted to acquit Trump during his Senate impeachment trial said it was up to the justice system to hold Trump accountable. The Jan. 6 case brought last year in Washington alleged an increasingly desperate criminal conspiracy to subvert the will of voters after Trump’s 2020 loss, accusing Trump of using the angry mob of supporters that attacked the Capitol as “a tool” in his campaign to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence and obstruct the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory. Hundreds of Jan. 6 rioters — many of whom have said they felt called to Washington by Trump — have pleaded guilty or been convicted by juries of federal charges at the same courthouse where Trump was supposed to stand trial last year. As the trial date neared, officials at the courthouse that sits within view of the Capitol were busy making plans for the crush of reporters expected to cover the historic case. But Trump’s argument that he enjoyed absolute immunity from prosecution quickly tied up the case in appeals all the way up to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled in July that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution , and sent the case back to the trial court to decide which allegations could move forward. But the case was dismissed before the trial court could get a chance to do so. Related Articles National Politics | After delay, Trump signs agreement with Biden White House to begin formal transition handoff National Politics | Rudy Giuliani in a courtroom outburst accuses judge in assets case of being unfair, drawing a rebuke National Politics | Surveillance tech advances by Biden could aid in Trump’s promised crackdown on immigration National Politics | Expecting challenges, blue states vow to create ‘firewall’ of abortion protections National Politics | Washington power has shifted. Here’s how the ACA may shift, too The other indictment brought in Florida accused Trump of improperly storing at his Mar-a-Lago estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, enlisting aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showing off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in July on grounds that Smith was illegally appointed . Smith appealed to the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but abandoned that appeal on Monday. Smith’s team said it would continue its fight in the appeals court to revive charges against Trump’s two co-defendants because “no principle of temporary immunity applies to them.” In New York, jurors spent weeks last spring hearing evidence in a state case alleging a Trump scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. New York prosecutors recently expressed openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump’s second term, while Trump’s lawyers are fighting to have the conviction dismissed altogether. In Georgia, a trial while Trump is in office seems unlikely in a state case charging him and more than a dozen others with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. The case has been on hold since an appeals court agreed to review whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she had hired to lead the case. Associated Press reporter Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed.Hezbollah leaders also signalled tentative backing for the US-brokered deal, which offers both sides an off-ramp from hostilities that have driven more than 1.2 million Lebanese and 50,000 Israelis from their homes. An intense bombing campaign by Israel has killed more than 3,700 people, many of them civilians, Lebanese officials say. But while the deal, set to take effect early Wednesday, could significantly calm the tensions that have inflamed the region, it does little directly to resolve the much deadlier war that has raged in Gaza since the Hamas attack on southern Israel in October 2023 that killed 1,200 people. Hezbollah, which began firing scores of rockets into Israel the following day in support of Hamas, has previously said it would keep fighting until there was a stop to the fighting in Gaza. Here’s what to know about the tentative ceasefire agreement and its potential implications: – The terms of the deal The agreement reportedly calls for a 60-day halt in fighting that would see Israeli troops retreat to their side of the border while requiring Hezbollah to end its armed presence in a broad swathe of southern Lebanon. Us President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that the deal is set to take effect at 4am local time on Wednesday. Under the deal, thousands of Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers are to deploy to the region south of the Litani River. An international panel lead by the US would monitor compliance by all sides. Mr Biden said the deal “was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Israel has demanded the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations. Lebanese officials have rejected writing that into the proposal. Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, insisted on Tuesday that the military would strike Hezbollah if the UN peacekeeping force, known as Unifil, does not provide “effective enforcement” of the deal. – Lingering uncertainty A Hezbollah leader said the group’s support for the deal hinged on clarity that Israel would not renew its attacks. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Qatari satellite news network Al Jazeera. “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state” of Lebanon, he said. The European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said on Tuesday that Israel’s security concerns had been addressed in the deal also brokered by France. – Where the fighting has left both sides After months of cross-border bombings, Israel can claim major victories, including the killing of Hezbollah’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, most of his senior commanders and the destruction of extensive militant infrastructure. A complex attack in September involving the explosion of hundreds of walkie-talkies and pagers used by Hezbollah was widely attributed to Israel, signalling a remarkable penetration of the militant group. The damage inflicted on Hezbollah has come not only in its ranks, but to the reputation it built by fighting Israel to a stalemate in the 2006 war. Still, its fighters managed to put up heavy resistance on the ground, slowing Israel’s advance while continuing to fire scores of rockets, missiles and drones across the border each day. The ceasefire offers relief to both sides, giving Israel’s overstretched army a break and allowing Hezbollah leaders to tout the group’s effectiveness in holding their ground despite Israel’s massive advantage in weaponry. But the group is likely to face a reckoning, with many Lebanese accusing it of tying their country’s fate to Gaza’s at the service of key ally Iran, inflicting great damage on a Lebanese economy that was already in a grave condition. – No answers for Gaza Until now, Hezbollah has insisted that it would only halt its attacks on Israel when it agreed to stop fighting in Gaza. Some in the region are likely to view a deal between the Lebanon-based group and Israel as a capitulation. In Gaza, where officials say the war has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians, Israel’s attacks have inflicted a heavy toll on Hamas, including the killing of the group’s top leaders. But Hamas fighters continue to hold scores of Israeli hostages, giving the militant group a bargaining chip if indirect ceasefire negotiations resume. Hamas is likely to continue to demand a lasting truce and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in any such deal. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered a pointed reminder on Tuesday of the intractability of the war, demanding urgent international intervention. “The only way to halt the dangerous escalation we are witnessing in the region, and maintain regional and international stability, security and peace, is to resolve the question of Palestine,” he said in a speech to the UN read by his ambassador.
( MENAFN - PR Newswire) BEIJING, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The closely watched Central Economic Work conference was held in Beijing from Wednesday to Thursday as Chinese leaders decided priorities for the economic work in 2025. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at the annual conference. According to the meeting, despite the "complex and severe situation of growing external pressures and increasing internal difficulties," China has ensured the overall stability and steady progress of the economy, and the major goals and tasks for economic and social development in 2024 are expected to be accomplished. It stressed that China must adopt more proactive macro policies, expand domestic demand, and promote the integrated development of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation to do a good job in economic work in 2025. Efforts must also be made to secure the steady development of the real estate and stock markets, guard against and defuse risks and external shocks in key areas, and stabilize expectations and stimulate vitality so as to promote sustained economic recovery, said the meeting. From fiscal policy to monetary policy According to the meeting, China will also adopt a "more proactive" fiscal policy, including an increase in the ratio of deficit and in the issuance of ultra-long special treasury bonds and local government special-purpose bonds. China's government debt-to-GDP ratio, according to the Ministry of Finance, stood at 67.5 percent at the end of 2023, much lower than the average 118.2 percent among G20 members and 123.4 percent for G7 countries estimated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). China's fiscal deficit has long been below 3 percent, significantly lower than other major economies. With a low government leverage ratio, China's central budget has room for increased borrowing and deficit expansion, Minister of Finance Lan Fo'an said in October. The Central Economic Work Conference said China will adopt a "moderately loose" monetary policy and lower the reserve requirement ratio and interest rates when necessary to ensure adequate liquidity. It marks the first "prudent" to "moderately loose" transition in the country's monetary stance since 2011. Since the beginning of 2024, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, has cut the reserve requirement ratio twice, by 1 percentage point in total, for financial institutions, releasing approximately 2 trillion yuan (about $274.8 billion) in long-term liquidity. From domestic demand to opening up The Central Economic Work Conference listed priorities for economic work in 2025 in nine aspects, from stimulating consumption and developing new quality productive forces to preventing and addressing risks in key areas, consolidating poverty alleviation achievements and boosting green development. The meeting stressed the need to vigorously boost consumption, improve investment efficiency and expand domestic demand on all fronts. China remains one of the largest markets in the world. From January to October this year, China's total retail sales of consumer goods approached 40 trillion yuan, while last year's total exceeded 47 trillion yuan, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. A national program aimed at promoting consumer goods trade-ins, unveiled in March, has demonstrated the untapped room of China's domestic demand. Over 30 million participants have been attracted to the program, contributing total sales of over 400 billion yuan. The two-day meeting also called for more efforts to further promote high-level opening up and secure the steady growth of foreign trade and foreign investment. "China's development is open and inclusive," said Xi while meeting leaders of major international economic organizations, including the IMF, in Beijing on Tuesday, one day before the start of the annual conference. China will put in place new systems for a higher-standard open economy, provide more opportunities for the development of other countries and share more development benefits with the world, Xi told the leaders at the Great Hall of the People. Starting December 1, China has granted zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines to all least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations. That will help more products from these countries enter the Chinese market, sharing opportunities and boosting development, said Lyu Daliang, an official from China's General Administration of Customs. For more information, please click: SOURCE CGTN MENAFN12122024003732001241ID1108988690 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.December 13 is a sacred day. As it turns out, two iconic stars will both be celebrating their milestone birthdays tomorrow: Dick Van Dyke , who is turning 99, and Taylor Swift , who is turning 35. Van Dyke has been getting into the birthday spirit already. The TV legend appeared in a recent music video for Coldplay's "All My Love," which premiered on December 6. In it, he dances around and appears alongside his wife, Arlene Silver, and Coldplay's lead singer Chris Martin. The emotional video was filmed at the Mary Poppins actor's home in Malibu, California. "I am acutely aware that I can go any day now," Van Dyke said in the video. "But I don't know why it doesn't concern me. I'm not afraid of it. I have that feeling totally against anything intellectual I have that I am going to be alright." Van Dyke revealed on the December 12 episode of Today that he was also thankfully "saved" by his neighbors while trying to escape the California wildfires this week. "I was trying to crawl to the car, I had exhausted myself, I couldn't get up," he said. As for Swift's birthday plans, a source told Page Six that the pop star plans to keep her tradition of celebrating it in NYC with her closest friends. Famous faces will likely be in attendance, such as Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds , and more. The pop star recently ended her massive Eras Tour on December 8 but is using her free time to stay busy. Swift stopped by the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City on December 12. The local outlet KCTV5 reported that Swift spent time meeting young fans on the hematology and oncology floors. A few photos from Swift's visit appeared on social media, including her with a service dog and another of the "Fortnight" singer laughing at a "Go Taylor's boyfriend!" Kansas City Chiefs towel. 📸| More of Taylor at the Children's Mercy Hospital 🫶 pic.twitter.com/V3NFvw6eWM Given that her boyfriend, Chiefs player Travis Kelce , has a tight-knit game schedule, it seems they plan on celebrating a day before Swift's actual birthday. However, Swift did not celebrate her 34th birthday party in 2023 with Kelce. The two had only been dating for a few months at the time. They officially made their relationship public in September 2023, when Swift showed up for a game at Arrowhead Stadium to cheer him on.
Company experts offer predictions across key sectors to help businesses navigate the unexpected MEMPHIS, Tenn. , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sedgwick , a leading global provider of claims management, loss adjusting and technology-enabled business solutions, has published its Forecasting 2025 thought leadership report . In preparing the report, Sedgwick's experts conducted research and engaged with clients for notable insights to forecast trends across key sectors and topics. The content focuses on ensuring organizations are aware of new risks and evolving trends and helping them navigate the unexpected in the year ahead. The Forecasting 2025 thought leadership report highlights trends related to: The future of the workplace: Organizational leaders will need to navigate generational differences, an ever-increasing focus on mental health, and new strategies for talent recruitment, retention and development — while developing efficient support systems to respond in the event of workplace injuries, accidents and other crises. Recalls, regulatory landscape and compliance: Strategies like "mock recalls" will be a priority as leaders focus on maintaining public trust, tailoring communication strategies to broader and more segmented audiences, and maximizing awareness and response in the event of a product recall. Catastrophe planning and disaster recovery: Operational continuity in the event of a disaster will be key in 2025, as business and property owners, company leaders and private citizens anticipate the rising frequency and intensity of droughts, extreme temperatures, flooding and storms. Parametric insurance policies will become more common, as will new building methods and construction strategies amid regulatory and policy changes, technological advancements, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. AI and ...: Artificial intelligence and robotics have driven some of the most prominent workplace evolutions over the past few years. In 2025, these and other leading-edge technologies will continue to play a significant role in the way companies promote efficiencies and engage with customers. However, business leaders must be able to keep up with new regulations, understand the associated vulnerabilities and risks, and put a team in place to effectively implement and maintain them. Planning ahead: The world is rapidly changing, becoming more uncertain and volatile every day. Supply chain disruptions, new tariffs, more frequent and sophisticated cyber-attacks and business interruption will greatly impact organizations in 2025. Diversification, rapid response and technology will be critical tools in being as prepared as possible. "2024 was a seismic year across industry sectors as companies navigated the unexpected, and 2025 will be no different," said Kimberly George, Sedgwick's Global Chief Brand Officer . "These predictions serve as a barometer for what's to come, so leaders around the world can prepare accordingly." The trends and predictions in the Forecasting 2025 report will be monitored by Sedgwick's experts throughout the year and serve as part of a larger thought leadership strategy to keep clients and partners informed. With this, Sedgwick will launch a new podcast featuring in-depth conversations with its experts and client partners on a new topic each month. For more on the report insights, visit sedgwick.com . About Sedgwick Sedgwick is a leading global provider of claims management, loss adjusting and technology-enabled business solutions. The company provides a broad range of resources tailored to clients' specific needs in casualty, property, marine, benefits, brand protection and other lines. At Sedgwick, caring counts; through the dedication and expertise of over 33,000 colleagues across 80 countries, the company takes care of people and organizations by mitigating and reducing risks and losses, promoting health and productivity, protecting brand reputations, and containing costs that can impact performance. Sedgwick's majority shareholder is The Carlyle Group; Stone Point Capital LLC, Altas Partners, CDPQ, Onex and other management investors are minority shareholders. For more, see sedgwick.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sedgwick-shares-major-trends-in-forecasting-2025-report-302330767.html SOURCE Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc.Factbox-How Trump’s new FTC chair views AI, Big Tech
Clemson adds top 50 QB to '25 recruiting class
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden had to bow out from the competition earlier in the month but made a comeback this evening. The beloved BBC dance extravaganza sashayed back onto screens with yet another electrifying episode, as hopeful duos threw everything into their performances, eager to cha-cha their way into Musicals Week looming on the horizon. JB, now twirling across the floor with Lauren Oakley, was originally matched with Wales' own Amy Dowden, until an urgent dash to the hospital was needed post-performance as a "precaution" due to Amy feeling under the weather. Unfortunately, this spelt the premature finale of her stint on the series, as she disclosed on companion show It Takes Two that she's got an "insufficiency stress fracture" sidelining her from further jiving jamborees. Yet, despite her ordeal, the 34-year-old made a heartwarming appearance cheerside, with devoted viewers catching sight of her amidst fellow stars and professional dancers, like Nikita Kuzmin, who was seen giving her a supportive embrace. Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, buzzed with fans chiming in: "OMG, I've only just realised that Amy is there. It makes me so emotional." Emotion flowed with comments like one with teary-eyed emojis: "Nikita hugging Amy." A third message read: "I love that Carlos is always right next to Amy, silently supporting", while a fourth was quick to point out: "Hang on... Amy is there!!!" On tonight's programme, the Samba-thon was in full swing, with all dancing pairs hitting the floor simultaneously, allowing judges to scrutinize their samba steps side by side. To his immense joy, Amy's ex-partner, JB, emerged triumphant tonight, securing the top spot in terms of points. A thrilled viewer expressed their joy on social media, commenting: "JB and Lauren winning the Sambathon fills my heart with pride! ! Amy must be beaming with pride! This wins for you, queen!" During the previous weekend, the duos graced the renowned Blackpool Tower Ballroom, showcasing their most opulent acts to date. Whilst some participants dazzled the audience with their sparkling performances, a few failed to make a positive impression on the judges at this pivotal moment in the BBC contest. JLS sensation JB divine with an energetic Quickstep to Rick Astley's hit 'Never Gonna Give You Up', while EastEnders star Jamie Borthwick made a showstopping entrance aboard a giant ketchup bottle for his Jive to 'The Ketchup Song', and The Only Way Is Essex's Pete Wicks turned up the heat with a sizzling Cha Cha to 'I'm Too Sexy'. It was Love Island's Tasha Ghouri, however, who captivated with her Paso Doble set to Nathan Laniers 'Torn', matching an impressive 39 points together with actress Sarah Hadlands moving Couple's Choice performance to 'Padam Padam'. Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.ABC Locksmith Provides Professional Commercial Locksmith Services in Mesa, AZ
TransMedics Reports Inducement Grants Under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4)Democrats Have a Problem Much Bigger Than Donald TrumpSoporific. Tedious. Platitudinous. Benumbing. These pejoratives condemn former German Christian Democratic Union Chancellor Angela Merkel’s overweight 700-page memoir as not worth the price of admission. Merkel served 16 years as chancellor from 2005 to 2021 before voluntarily bowing out. The high-water mark of intellectual stimulation in her memoir is reached with Merkel’s forgettable, “We can do this” in referencing a flood of immigrants. The reader waits in vain for something as electrifying as President John F. Kennedy’s, “Ich bin ein Berliner.” Born in the communist German Democratic Republic and trained as a scientist, Merkel drifted into politics less because of deep philosophical convictions than faute de mieux. She was not at the barricades participating in the destruction of the Berlin Wall. She was not steeped in political philosophy, including separation of powers touted by Montesquieu and James Madison. She has little or nothing to say about Nazi Germany, the Nuremberg trials or the dynamics that gave birth to the Holocaust. Her understanding of human nature is Pollyannaish, refusing to accept Immanuel Kant’s dictum, “From such crooked timber as humankind is made nothing straight can be made.” Merkel’s attempts to broker peace in Ukraine predictably proved fool’s errands. Thuggish Russian President Vladimir Putin ignites her anguish. But she is unable to suggest a superior replacement. Self-government and the right to march to your own drummer have been alien to Russia since time immemorial. Dictatorship is all Russians know and accept as superior to the alternatives. Alexei Navalny perished on that brute fact. Merkel also neglects that NATO expansion up to Russia’s borders — akin to Nikita Khrushchev’s installation of Soviet missiles in Cuba and the 1962 Cuban missile crisis — made Putin’s attack on Ukraine inevitable to prevent Russia’s encirclement by hostile powers entering her traditional sphere of influence. Consider the following. The Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, ending any military threat to NATO members, which then numbered 16. Since then, while the Russian economy and military profile shrank, NATO mushroomed to 32 members creating an equivalent or greater threat to Russian security than the Cuban missile crisis posed for the United States. Further, in 1990, the United States implicitly promised Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand forces eastward if East and West Germany were permitted to unite — a promise with a truncated shelf life. Additionally, on March 26, 2022, in Warsaw, Poland, President Joe Biden exclaimed with reference to Putin, “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.” The United States had previously orchestrated regime change in Ukraine featuring Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and her memorable vulgarity, “F— the EU.” Putin reacted like the United States reacted in the Cuban missile crisis amid the Soviet Union’s penetration of our traditional sphere of influence in the Caribbean and Central and South America. Remember the Roosevelt corollary to the 1823 Monroe Doctrine: The United States was saddled with the responsibility to preserve order and to protect life and property in all nations in the Western Hemisphere. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine equaled or bettered our instruction not only in the Western Hemisphere but elsewhere as in Libya or Iraq. Merkel understands none of this. She is bereft of ideas for ending the war in Ukraine. She is unable to conceive that Putin could retreat from Ukraine and proclaim victory if the United States withdrew from NATO, removed its troops and weapons from Europe and left the remaining 31 members to defend themselves if attacked without American training wheels. Without the United States, NATO would still eclipse Russia in economic and military strength. Russia is no juggernaut, as its quagmire in Ukraine proves. Merkel also displays naivete over global warming. She chronicles countless international meetings and infinite hours over two decades in which countries repeatedly sally forth with meaningless pledges to plunge greenhouse gas emissions in order to forestall the species’ suicide. Nations, however, are not philanthropies. They act only in short-term self-interest. None have or will handicap economic growth and prosperity to diminish emissions in the hope that other nations will follow suit. Why should they? Other nations can do nothing and take a free ride on the nation that goes first with emissions reductions. All this Merkel-like gnashing about global warming has accomplished nothing. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels and cement will rise around 0.8% in 2024, reaching a record 37.4 billion tons of CO2, the 2024 Global Carbon Budget report by the Global Carbon Project. This is 0.4 billion tons higher than the previous record, set in 2023. Merkel exemplifies the absence of inspiring leadership or statesmanship anywhere on the world stage. The commanding heights of power are populated by pedestrian thinkers as technology, including artificial intelligence, continues to outrace moral or philosophical wisdom. H.G. Wells observed more than a century ago, “Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.” Has the race been lost?
Soup is a dish that wears many hats. When the weather becomes chilly, people often turn to soup to warm themselves up from the inside out. Soup, especially when soup is paired with a favorite sandwich, also can be a simple and light meal when one doesn’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. Soup has been heralded as a remedy as well, a reputation that dates back thousands of years. In the 12th century, Egyptian Jewish physician Moshe ben Maimonides prescribed chicken soup as a treatment for respiratory tract issues. And Penn Medicine suggests eating soup while ill is a good idea because the meal is nourishing, easy to digest and often full of nutritious components. People may wonder what they can do to tweak their favorite soups to make them even more nutritious, as many modern soups have gained a reputation as being sodium-heavy. These ideas can give soup a powerful boost. · Use a higher ratio of vegetables when compared to meats and grains. Vegetables are notoriously high in nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy, including antioxidants and vitamins. · Make your own soup stock from fresh ingredients. Doing so helps retain control over what goes into the soup, helping to reduce potential additives or other ingredients like sugar and sodium. · Vary the color of the vegetables. Aim for vegetables of at least three different colors. The colors of the vegetables often correspond to the nutrients and phytochemicals they contain. For example, carrots are high in beta-carotene. Beta-carotene converts into vitamin A, which is necessary for eye health, healthy skin and a strong immune system. · Replace cream with healthier ingredients. Soups that are cream-based tend to be loaded with calories and saturated fat. Instead, use Greek yogurt at the end (to prevent curdling) or even low-fat cottage cheese to amp up the protein content and give the soup a creamy consistency without the fat. Silken tofu or even a vegetable purée made from potato and cauliflower can add creaminess as well. · Swap meat for lean proteins. Lentils, for example, are a plant protein rich in flavor and nutrition. According to UC Davis Health, lentils have about 18 grams of protein per cup and also are high in fiber. Relatively inexpensive, lentils also can help keep meal budgets in check. Alternative legumes also can work in soups, as can seafood or lean poultry. · Add texture. Pumpkin seeds or flax seeds have taste and texture, and can be a healthier option for topping soups over buttery croutons or crackers. · Keep ingredients “whole.” Lean on whole grains, fibrous vegetables, fresh herbs, and lean meats to build a well-rounded soup that’s bursting with nutrition. · Add turmeric and ginger. If the flavor profile allows, incorporate some fresh turmeric and ginger to the soup. Health magazine says these ingredients are part of the same plant family and have been used in traditional medicine in India and China for centuries. Both are known for reducing inflammation and alleviating symptoms of digestive disease. Experiment with different ingredients to create soups that are not only delicious but nutritious as well.BREAKING: Tinubu finally lands in Nigeria, full details emerge
Banana duct-taped to wall as part of the work Comedian by artist Maurizio Cattelan sells for $9.57 million at Sotheby’s auction