Ameriprise Team Attracts 40-Year Industry Veteran with Nearly $100 Million in Assets
Elon Musk , a Trump ally and recently appointed head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is being criticized online for suggesting that U.S. businesses recruit skilled professionals similar to how sports teams recruit players . The backlash came after Musk responded to a tweet by entrepreneur Mario Nawfal, in which he claimed there was an engineering talent shortage in Silicon Valley. "SILICON VALLEY'S BIGGEST LIMITATION: ENGINEERING TALENT SHORTAGE," Nawfal wrote. "The U.S. semiconductor industry alone needs over 160,000 engineers by 2032, driven by $250B+ in new investments. Demand for AI experts has skyrocketed, with Elon calling the talent war the 'craziest' ever. Meanwhile, STEM programs struggle to produce enough graduates." 🚨SILICON VALLEY'S BIGGEST LIMITATION: ENGINEERING TALENT SHORTAGE The U.S. semiconductor industry alone needs over 160,000 engineers by 2032, driven by $250B+ in new investments. Demand for AI experts has skyrocketed, with Elon calling the talent war the "craziest" ever.... https://t.co/pssGHDCHWj pic.twitter.com/lsaaU71Oja "This shortage threatens innovation, from AI to semiconductors, slowing progress and global competitiveness," he continued. "Expanding STEM education, streamlining high-skilled immigration, and reskilling workers are urgent solutions. Investing in talent is investing in the future." Musk then took to the replies of Nawfal's post to share an analogy that earned him plenty of social media ridicule in response. No, we need more like double that number yesterday! The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low. Think of this like a pro sports team: if you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever... "No, we need more like double that number yesterday!" Musk began, reiterating Nawfal's points. "The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low." "Think of this like a pro sports team: if you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win," he continued. This sentiment led to a slew of negative tweets from Musk's followers, with many accusing the Tesla CEO of just wanting to cut costs. America is a nation, a culture, and a people. Not a sports team. But you won’t accept remote workers who are highly motivated and skilled. Had you considered the fact that these companies don't want to pay American engineers, so hiring a H1-B visa would be more desirable because of the expense, and not the fact that America is "short on talent?" Responding to a post in which a user asked for genuine incidents of American citizens being unable to find employment due to foreign-born workers, Musk expressed his beliefs regarding the shortage of skilled labor within the U.S. "There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley," Musk wrote. There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley. "America isn't a pro sports team. It's a nation that's supposed to put its citizens before foreign tech workers," wrote one user. "We're in the middle of a tech worker recession with tens of thousands of American engineers who can't get interviews at companies that are 30+% H1B. Put them first." America isn't a pro sports team. It's a nation that's supposed to put its citizens before foreign tech workers. We're in the middle of a tech worker recession with tens of thousands of American engineers who can't get interviews at companies that are 30+% H1B. Put them first. "America is a nation not a sports franchise," wrote another. America is a nation not a sports franchise. "My country is not your sports team or venture capitalist firm," concurred a third. We’re not a sports team to be optimized for shareholder value. We are a nation who will no longer tolerate profiteering at our people’s expense. pic.twitter.com/uTmcjWvGz9 Except Americans are being laid off in those industries and told to train their H1B replacements. Tell me how that is good for America? GTFOH ELON!! WE DONT NEED A SINGLE IMMIGRANT! PAY AMERICANS THE WAGES THEY DESERVE! IMMIGRATION MORATORIUM NOW!!!!!! No, you understand everything backwards because you are an immigrant that looks for short term gains. Just like you fired 80% of the twitter staff. This follows Musk's support of Indian-American venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan, who was appointed to advise the upcoming Trump administration on artificial intelligence (AI). Krishnan has repeatedly expressed his belief that caps on green cards provided to skilled foreign-born workers should be removed, a sentiment Musk has agreed with. Originally published by Latin Times.Hegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the Senate
A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children's toys and hair accessories. In a blog post, Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada, explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. (Dreamstime/TNS) The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were "an order of magnitude lower" than the EPA's thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it's actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren't enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn't be in these products in the first place. "The math error does not impact the study's findings, conclusions or recommendations," said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they're heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you're wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. Generally, how do I know a product is harmful? It's nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That's because these products that include recycled e-waste don't disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it's also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study "had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them," she said. How can I find out if black plastic food trays are made with recycled contaminated plastic? Anytime you're looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you're going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. When did recycled e-waste begin contaminating black plastic products? There isn't a definitive timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. What are safer alternatives? The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. The 20th century brought airplanes, radio, television, the internet, and plastic. Lots of plastic. That plastic is now showing up on shorelines, forming islands in oceans, and generating mountains of translucent trash on land. Around 700 species of animals in the sea have been found to interact with plastic daily. Companies across every industry face pressure to reduce the amount of plastic they produce. Seventy-two percent of the world's largest have made voluntary commitments to reduce their plastic waste, according to a Duke University analysis. One industry, in particular, has greatly benefited from advancements in single-use plastic technology: the medical industry. Only in recent years have businesses and academics in the field begun to talk about minimizing their impact on our environment like beverage manufacturers and other consumer goods-producing businesses. Medical Technology Schools analyzed academic studies published in the National Library of Medicine , the American Medical Association , and news reports to shed light on the medical community's use of plastics through history, their environmental problems, and proposed solutions to reduce their impact. And the impact can be significant. A single hospital patient generates nearly 34 pounds of waste a day —as much as a quarter of it is plastic. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the problem. The pandemic pushed hospital capacity to the brink and led to a massive increase in personal protective equipment and medical supply usage. Medical-grade masks and other protective equipment like face shields, made mostly of nonrenewable plastics, were in high demand. In 2020, the World Health Organization estimated that the international need for PPE manufacturing would boost 40% to address the public health crisis. Hospitals needed an estimated 89 million masks, 76 million gloves, and 1.6 million goggles every month of the pandemic. To date, nearly 677 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, each requiring their own plastic syringe, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan estimated that the U.S. would produce a year's worth of medical waste in just two months due to the pandemic. The World Economic Forum warned that the COVID-19 crisis threatened to " stall and even reverse progress " to reduce large plastic waste. It's a challenge researchers acknowledge today as they search for solutions. Plastics introduced an era of ultraconvenience to the world. It makes our clothes. It's made bike helmets and airbags possible. And it's a cheap material to produce, meaning it's cheap for consumers too. Almost as importantly, it's durable and incredibly easy to make into complex shapes—a trait that helped plastics invented in the mid-20th century quickly replace more expensive metal and wooden goods. That adoption extended to the medical field, where the single-use nature of plastics represented a move toward more hygienic tools for physicians and hospitals. But it wasn't plastic's sanitary qualities that the industry first latched onto. Like so many other technical advancements, convenience and cost were the initial driving factors. That they were more conducive to creating a sterile environment for patients was a benefit that health care began to tout closer to the end of the 20th century. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, replaced glass bottles previously used to hold IV solution and replaced rubber tubing used throughout hospital settings. Plastic has also become the go-to material for making syringes and catheters. Plastic products are generally made from chemicals derived from the oil and natural gas refining process. Chemists use those byproducts to create synthetic materials with malleable and durable chemical structures. The low cost of these materials has helped medical device-makers support better health outcomes for communities across the U.S. since the 1900s. No longer was health care priced at rates only the elite could afford—it was accessible to a much larger swath of the public. In the last decade, the U.S., in particular, has emerged as a massive market for medical plastics. The country generally accounts for nearly half of the global market for medical devices. Plastic's durability is not only a benefit but a detriment to the environment, as the material can take many years to deteriorate when it enters landfills or trashes oceans. Estimates vary widely, but scientists ballpark that depending on the kind of plastic and the environment in which it decomposes, it could take dozens to thousands of years to break down entirely. COVID-19, which remains a burden for health care systems, isn't the only force raising the stakes for a health care industry pressured to reduce reliance on plastics or find ways to reuse them. Global annual production of plastic has doubled in the last two decades , according to the Environmental Protection Agency. As the U.S. looks toward the future, its aging population is another factor that could exacerbate the rate at which medical plastics end up in landfills. People require more medical care as they age, and aging baby boomers are expected to place increased demand on the medical device industry. At the same time, governments are under pressure to lower health care costs, which have become unaffordable even for those insured . As recently as 2021, researchers lamented a lack of data on efforts to recycle medical plastics. Around 350 hospitals participate in Practice Greenhealth's Environmental Excellence Awards . Practice Greenhealth is an organization working to help hospitals increase their sustainability. It's one of the few sources of hospital sustainability data, and its roster of participating hospitals represents a small fraction of the more than 6,000 hospitals operating in the U.S. To meet the need to reduce plastic waste generation, some hospitals are moving away from using plastic in certain applications. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center replaced health care workers' disposable plastic isolation gowns with reusable cloth gowns at its hospitals in the last decade, saving money and preventing literal tons of medical waste. It also implemented a process for sterilizing and incinerating the boxes that hold used needles, allowing them to be reassembled and reused in a health care setting. Recycling plastic medical waste is complicated by the potential for contamination and the need to separate contaminated and noncontaminated waste; once separated, they can be broken down with heat or treated with chemicals and reprocessed. However, using chemical methods to break down and dispose of plastics has drawbacks. Over 200 nongovernmental organizations signed a letter in 2023 urging the Biden administration to end federal support for methods like these, arguing they generate toxic pollutants. The Vinyl Council of Australia is working with hospitals to recover used materials made of PVC . The materials are broken down into tiny pieces, washed and heated at high temperatures, and remade into things used outside medical settings. In the U.S. and Europe, there's the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council, a coalition of companies working in the health care device space that includes DuPont, Johnson & Johnson, and Medtronic. In 2021, the HPRC, advised by professionals at Kaiser Permanente and other health systems, rolled out a medical waste recycling pilot project with hopes of scaling it across more hospitals. Story editing by Ashleigh Graf. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on Medical Technology Schools and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!Imagion Biosystems to use funds from $3m capital raise to advance MagSense platform technology Through MagSense, Imagion aims to revolutionise cancer diagnosis by introducing molecular imaging to MRI The company is pursuing initial indication in HER2+ breast cancer staging, with pipeline candidates for prostate and ovarian cancers Special Report: Imagion Biosystems will use funds from its recent $3m capital raising to advance its revolutionary cancer-diagnosis MagSense platform towards commercialisation. Imagion Biosystems’ (ASX:IBX) chief business officer Ward Detwiler said IBX’s proceeds from the capital raise would help achieve key milestones in 2025, including prioritising phase II clinical studies of MagSense in its first indication of HER2+ breast cancer and advancing two additional pipeline products in prostate and ovarian cancers. It’s a well-known fact, backed up by the World Health Organization , that cancer is a leading cause of death globally. However, cancer mortality is reduced when cases are detected and treated early including through early diagnosis and screening programs. Detwiler said MagSense improved on current techniques for cancer diagnosis such as X-Rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), ultrasounds and positron emission tomography (PET) by providing a more specific and personalised approach. The MagSense imaging platform involves the use of iron oxide nanoparticles labelled with cancer-specific targeting antibodies, which can then be imaged with the widely available MRI. Imagion’s lead imaging agent is targeting diagnosis of metastatic HER2+ breast cancer, a form cancer known to be highly aggressive. “This study not only advances us one step closer to bringing MagSense to a large patient population in need, but also acts as a proof of concept which allows us to address a range of other cancers.” Positive phase I study The company has completed a phase I study (IBI010103), involving 13 HER2+ breast cancer patients at four Australian sites. The results of that study were released in December 2023, which included: The molecularly targeted MRI contrast agent MSH2IA (MagSense HER2 Imaging agent) was safe and well tolerated, with no adverse or serious adverse events An independent panel of radiologists confirmed the detectable magnetic signature The MagSense imaging agent could potentially reduce the need for lymph node biopsies With funding secured, Imagion will progress with an investigational new drug application to the US FDA for a multi-site phase II study for HER2+ breast cancer in mid-2025. “We are bringing something that is so much more powerful than the current standard of care allowing more accurate and timely patient diagnosis leading to personalised and appropriate treatments,” Ward said. Could replace need for biopsy Imagion’s newly appointed medical advisor Dr Susan Harvey, a breast imaging radiologist by training, said breast cancer was typically diagnosed using ultrasound, mammography and biopsy. Harvey recently retired as vice president of medical affairs at Hologic, a world-leader in mammography and women’s health. She previously served as director of breast imaging at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and is co-founder of the non-profit organisation Cure Women’s Cancer . Harvey said these tools are effective, yet not specific, so false positives and false negatives occur. “MagSense brings precision and specificity to breast cancer imaging,” she said. “The technology has the promise of fewer false alarms and fewer overlooked cancers. “Like a pregnancy test that is pink or blue, the MagSense technology could provide an accurate yes or no answer to MRI as to whether cancer is present, and thereby enable a more personalised treatment the woman will receive. “This innovative tool will transform cancer detection and care, starting with HER2+ breast cancer.” Potential to target other cancers Following the capital raise, the company will be ready to recommence the MagSense platform for clinical development in HER2+ breast cancer, and advance other pipeline programs for prostate and ovarian cancers. “The underlying technology is extendable to any type of cancer for which we have a targeting ligand,” said Detwiler. “We already have products in the pipeline for HER2+ breast, prostate and ovarian cancers, representing over 7 million patients per year in the US market alone. Detwiler said expanding to other types of cancer, such as pancreatic, lung, or any other cancer with a known biomarker could follow the same clinical development pathway. “This will fundamentally change how MRI is used in cancer detection, expanding access and improving outcomes for millions of patients globally,” he said. This article was developed in collaboration with Imagion Biosystems, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions. Originally published as Imagion set to improve cancer detection through molecular MRI Stockhead Don't miss out on the headlines from Stockhead. Followed categories will be added to My News. More related stories Stockhead FXG finds exceptional Alaskan anomalies Auger drilling puts a spotlight on anomalies in the shadow of tens of millions of ounces of gold. 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Shares of Canada Carbon Inc. ( CVE:CCB – Get Free Report ) were down 33.3% on Saturday . The stock traded as low as C$0.01 and last traded at C$0.01. Approximately 859,726 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 283% from the average daily volume of 224,190 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.02. Canada Carbon Trading Down 33.3 % The firm has a market capitalization of C$2.05 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.00 and a beta of 0.69. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$0.02 and a 200-day moving average price of C$0.02. About Canada Carbon ( Get Free Report ) Canada Carbon Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, and evaluation of natural resource properties in Canada. The company primarily explores for graphite deposits. It holds interests in the Miller property that covers an area of approximately 100 square kilometers located to the west of Montreal in the Grenville Township; and the Asbury Graphite property, which includes 22 claims covering an area of approximately 1,205.9 hectares located in the Laurentides region of southern Quebec. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Canada Carbon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canada Carbon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .Murphy 'delighted' with young Ulster side's win
By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — An elaborate parody appears to be behind an effort to resurrect Enron, the Houston-based energy company that exemplified the worst in American corporate fraud and greed after it went bankrupt in 2001. If its return is comedic, some former employees who lost everything in Enron’s collapse aren’t laughing. “It’s a pretty sick joke and it disparages the people that did work there. And why would you want to even bring it back up again?” said former Enron employee Diana Peters, who represented workers in the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. Here’s what to know about the history of Enron and the purported effort to bring it back. What happened at Enron? Once the nation’s seventh-largest company, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2, 2001, after years of accounting tricks could no longer hide billions of dollars in debt or make failing ventures appear profitable. The energy company’s collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered $60 billion in Enron stock worthless. Its aftershocks were felt throughout the energy sector. Twenty-four Enron executives , including former CEO Jeffrey Skilling , were eventually convicted for their roles in the fraud. Enron founder Ken Lay’s convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease following his 2006 trial. Is Enron coming back? On Monday — the 23rd anniversary of the bankruptcy filing — a company representing itself as Enron announced in a news release that it was relaunching as a “company dedicated to solving the global energy crisis.” It also posted a video on social media, advertised on at least one Houston billboard and a took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle In the minute-long video that was full of generic corporate jargon, the company talks about “growth” and “rebirth.” It ends with the words, “We’re back. Can we talk?” Enron’s new website features a company store, where various items featuring the brand’s tilted “E” logo are for sale, including a $118 hoodie. In an email, company spokesperson Will Chabot said the new Enron was not doing any interviews yet, but that “We’ll have more to share soon.” Signs point to the comeback being a joke. In the “terms of use and conditions of sale” on the company’s website, it says “the information on the website about Enron is First Amendment protected parody, represents performance art, and is for entertainment purposes only.” Documents filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office show that College Company, an Arkansas-based LLC, owns the Enron trademark. The co-founder of College Company is Connor Gaydos, who helped create a joke conspiracy theory that claims all birds are actually surveillance drones for the government. What do former Enron employees think of the company’s return? Peters said that since learning about the “relaunch” of Enron, she has spoken with several other former employees and they are also upset by it. She said the apparent stunt was “in poor taste.” “If it’s a joke, it’s rude, extremely rude. And I hope that they realize it and apologize to all of the Enron employees,” Peters said. Peters, who is 74 years old, said she is still working in information technology because “I lost everything in Enron, and so my Social Security doesn’t always take care of things I need done.” “Enron’s downfall taught us critical lessons about corporate ethics, accountability, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Enron’s legacy was the employees in the trenches. Leave Enron buried,” she said. Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70U of I awarded $10M grant to study crops that can be used for jet fuelHow to protect your communications through encryption
Hegseth meets with moderate Sen. Collins as he lobbies for key votes in the Senate