More than a year after voting to organize into the Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM), the largest union on Amtrak, a group of Drummac employees who work on the Amtrak Auto Train Property in Lorton, Va., are holding an informational picket against Drummac management’s stall tactics during negotiations.
“These employees work tirelessly outside, in all weather conditions, to professionally load and unload cars and motorcycles from the trains,” said TCU/IAM Organizing Director Sal Rodriguez. “They fought and won a union in 2023 – it’s well-past time for the company to get serious.”
Amtrak contracts with a third-party company called Drummac to safely load and unload vehicles from their Auto Trains, which travel between Lorton, Va. and Sanford, Fla. The Amtrak Auto Train runs seven days a week, and is one of the highest revenue-producing routes for Amtrak nationwide.
The demands from Drummac workers are simple: fairer wages, proper work scheduling, and improved benefits and overall working conditions. TCU/IAM has been bargaining in good faith to provide these workers with a fair contract, but negotiations have been exceedingly slow.
“Unfortunately, Drummac’s offers have been wholly unserious thus far,” said Matt Hollis, TCU/IAM’s Lead Negotiator. “These workers are seeking things most of America has or recently got: a raise! That’s not too much to ask.”
The informational picket aims get the word out to the public and customers to let them know how Drummac treats employees that handle their vehicles.
The Drummac workers who load and unload these vehicles:
Are paid HALF the industry standard.
Are only being offered pennies for raises.
Are often forced to work unpaid time due to required flexibility for varying train schedules.
Can’t even afford the Auto Train they work on.
Haven’t had a raise in over a year.
Support the Drummac workers on the Auto Train, and make sure they get the contract that they deserve!
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc. (NASDAQ:SAMG) is pleased to announce that J. Allen Gray has been promoted to Head of Institutional Business. In this role, he will oversee Silvercrest’s institutional business, as well as consultant and client relations. Since joining Silvercrest in 2008, Mr. Gray has played a pivotal role in the success of the firm’s institutional equity business. He is a Silvercrest Partner and Managing Director, and a member of the company’s Executive Committee.
Richard Hough, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Silvercrest, remarked, “We are immensely proud of Allen Gray’s success and of our talented equity management teams, with whom he has worked so closely for over 15 years. We are thrilled to have Allen leading our institutional business efforts.”
About J. Allen Gray
J. Allen Gray is a Managing Director and Head of Institutional Business. Prior to Silvercrest, Mr. Gray served as a Managing Partner and a Member of the Management Committee of Osprey Partners Investment Management, LLC and as President of the Osprey Concentrated Large Cap Value Equity Fund. At Osprey he was responsible for Sales, Marketing and Client Relations. Prior to Osprey Partners, Mr. Gray served as a Managing Director with Radnor Capital Management, a start-up investment firm, where he was responsible for the firm’s sales, marketing and client relations activities. Mr. Gray began his career with Kidder, Peabody & Co. as a financial advisor before accepting a position with Wheat, First Securities, Inc. as Vice President for institutional equity sales as well as continuing to work as a financial advisor to families and individuals. Mr. Gray remained with Wheat, First Securities until the founding of Radnor Capital Management. Mr. Gray received his B.A. in Political Science from Randolph-Macon College.
About Silvercrest Asset Management
Silvercrest was founded in April 2002 as an independent, employee-owned registered investment adviser. With offices in New York, Boston, Virginia, Atlanta, New Jersey, California and Wisconsin, Silvercrest provides traditional and alternative investment advisory and family office services to wealthy families and select institutional investors. As of September 30, 2024, the firm reported assets under management of $35.1 billion.
Contact: Richard R. Hough III Chairman & CEO 212-649-0601 rhough@silvercrestgroup.com
MIAMI and VICTORIA, British Columbia, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Trawick International, a leader in global insurance, today announced its expansion into Canada with the launch of three new travel insurance plans designed exclusively for Canadian residents.
Known for its award-winning trip cancellation and travel medical plans, Trawick International brings its expertise to Canada with coverage tailored to the needs of Canadian travelers. The new TrueNorth portfolio includes three plans, offering options from full coverage to budget-friendly protection:
TrueNorth Trip Protection Plus – Comprehensive trip cancellation and emergency medical coverage for domestic or international travel. Includes trip interruption up to $25,000, trip delay, emergency medical, evacuation, baggage coverage, and more.
TrueNorth Travel Medical – Covers emergency medical expenses and repatriation, ensuring travelers can return to Canada for continued care if necessary. Available as a single-trip or annual plan covering multiple trips up to 15 or 30 days each.
TrueNorth Trip Protection Lite – A budget-friendly option covering trip cancellation, delay, interruption, and repatriation of remains.
All plans include 24/7 non-insurance travel assistance services and have a 10-day free look period.
Bailey Foster, Senior Vice President of Travel Insurance, Trawick International, commented, “Expanding into Canada is a natural next step for Trawick International, and we’re thrilled to offer plans that meet the unique needs of Canadian travelers. Whether they need full trip protection, emergency medical coverage, or a more budget-friendly option, our TrueNorth plans provide the flexibility and security travelers deserve.”
Daryl Trawick, President and CEO, Trawick International, added, “Trawick International is committed to redefining travel insurance through innovation, reliability, and customer-focused solutions. Entering the Canadian market represents another significant milestone for us, and we are proud to introduce plans that provide Canadian travelers with the confidence they need to explore the world.”
For full details on the TrueNorth travel insurance plans for Canadian residents, visit trawickinternational.ca.
About Trawick International For over 25 years, Trawick International has been a leading provider of international insurance, administration, and assistance services. The company offers a full suite of innovative products and services designed to support today’s globally mobile population. For more, visit trawickinternational.com.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ibex (NASDAQ: IBEX), a leading global provider of business process outsourcing (BPO) and AI-powered customer engagement technology solutions, recently hosted its third iGrow with ibex event in Jamaica, celebrating employee achievements and fostering career growth within the organization. The event, a cornerstone of ibex’s talent development strategy, recognized the 89 Jamaican team members who earned promotions over the past two quarters, highlighting the company’s commitment to nurturing talent from within.
iGrow with ibex is a recognition program designed to empower employees, drive employee development and engagement, and build a robust leadership pipeline. The event provides employees with opportunities to connect with leaders, participate in career pathing discussions, and learn about future career opportunities within the company. This year’s event also celebrated two standout employees: the longest-tenured team member and the most promoted individual at ibex Jamaica, both of whom exemplify the company’s culture of career acceleration.
“At ibex, we believe that our people are our greatest asset,” said Phil Taylor, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for ibex Jamaica. “iGrow with ibex is a testament to our commitment to fostering a culture of growth and opportunity. By investing in our employees’ development, we ensure that ibex remains a place where talent thrives and where future leaders are born.”
The event, led by ibex’s Talent Mobility team, reinforces the company’s focus on internal mobility as a key differentiator. Through initiatives like iGrow with ibex, ibex Jamaica continues to strengthen its foundation by identifying, developing, and elevating talent from within. This approach enhances employee engagement while supporting the company’s ability to scale effectively.
As ibex Jamaica looks to the future, programs like iGrow with ibex will remain central to its mission of creating a workplace where employees can grow, succeed, and achieve their career aspirations.
About ibex ibex delivers innovative business process outsourcing (BPO), smart digital marketing, online acquisition technology, and end-to-end customer engagement solutions to help companies acquire, engage and retain valuable customers. Today, ibex operates a global CX delivery center model consisting of approximately 30 operations facilities around the world, while deploying next generation technology to drive superior customer experiences for many of the world’s leading companies across retail, e-commerce, healthcare, fintech, utilities and logistics.
ibex leverages its diverse global team of over 30,000 employees together with industry-leading technology, including the AI-powered ibex Wave iX solutions suite, to manage nearly 175 million critical customer interactions, adding over $2.2B in lifetime customer revenue each year and driving a truly differentiated customer experience. To learn more, visit our website at ibex.co and connect with us on LinkedIn.
CHICAGO, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rate, a leader in fintech mortgage solutions, continues to prove that top producers choose to build their careers at the company. After a short time with CrossCountry, Chris Franquemont, a dominant loan originator in the Denver market, has returned to Rate—reinforcing the company’s unmatched ability to help loan officers (LOs) maximize their production and serve their customers at the highest level.
A 20-year industry veteran, Franquemont has built a reputation as a top-performing LO in Denver, consistently delivering high-volume production and strategic financing solutions for homebuyers. In 2024 alone, he funded $38 million across 103 loans, helping families secure homeownership with expert guidance and efficiency. His decision to return to Rate is a testament to the company’s industry-leading platform, progressive AI technology, and end-to-end support system—one that empowers LOs to significantly grow their businesses.
“Providing an exceptional customer experience is my top priority. Aligning with Rate allows me to put families in the best position to win homes and makes the mortgage process faster and easier than ever,” said Franquemont. “The combination of Rate’s streamlined processes, cutting-edge technology, and talented personnel create the ideal environment to support my customers on their homeownership journey. Rate absolutely stands apart from the competition in its ability to provide this superior experience.”
Franquemont’s return underscores the competitive advantage Rate offers to top producers. LOs at Rate consistently outperform industry benchmarks.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Chris back to Rate. With his incredible track record in the Denver market, Chris is a valuable addition to our team,” said Victor Ciardelli, CEO of Rate. “We’re excited to support his current business and work alongside him to expand his reach, serving both his customers and referral partners with the highest caliber of service in the industry.”
Rate has consistently attracted and retained top-producing LOs by offering a proven framework for exponential growth that competitors struggle to match. The company’s advanced AI-driven technology, comprehensive infrastructure, and national footprint provide unparalleled advantages, reaffirming that when it comes to long-term success, top producers choose Rate.
About Rate
Rate Companies is a leader in mortgage lending and digital financial services. Headquartered in Chicago, Rate is the #2 retail mortgage lender in the U.S., with over 850 branches across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 2000, Rate has helped more than 2 million homeowners with home purchase loans and refinances. The company has cemented itself as an industry leader by introducing innovative technology, offering low rates, and delivering unparalleled customer service.
Honors and awards include: Best Mortgage Lender for First-Time Homebuyers by NerdWallet (2023) HousingWire’s Tech100 award for FlashClose℠ (2020), MyAccount (2022), and Language Access Program (2023) #2 ranking in Scotsman Guide’s 2022 list of Top Retail Mortgage Lenders Most Scotsman Guide Top Originators for 11 consecutive years Chicago Agent Magazine’s Lender of the Year for seven consecutive years Chicago Tribune’s Top Workplaces list for seven straight years
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapsodo, the company known for giving athletes the sports technology they need to play like never before, announces the addition of two athletes to the Rapsodo baseball NIL community: Noah Franco and Sebastian “Sushi” Wilson. The partnerships reflect Rapsodo’s commitment to both players as they advance their careers and continue to pursue their dreams of reaching baseball’s highest level – the MLB.
Franco, the No. 7 nationally ranked 2024 prospect by Perfect Game, is starting his freshman season for the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs as a two-way player – a first baseman and left-handed pitcher. While a high school player at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, Franco found success with a mid-90s fastball and honing his hitting skills with a batting average of .319. Franco’s success landed him on the 18U USA Baseball National Team in 2022 and 2023, a spot on the USA Prospect Development Pipeline and recognition as a high-school All-American by the MLB, Baseball America, Under Armour and Perfect Game. Franco has already been named the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year.
“I’ve used Rapsodo technology in practices and training programs my entire life, and because of that, I understand how important it is to track my performance with data when looking for ways to improve my game,” Franco said. “When I was being recruited, coaches often asked for data that backed up my skills, and I was able to show them my Rapsodo profile that showcased my two-way game. I’m excited for the next chapter of my baseball career at TCU and am thrilled to represent Rapsodo along the way.”
Wilson, a sophomore at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL, formerly with Lane Technical High School in Chicago, is both a right-handed pitcher and outfielder. While in the seventh grade, he verbally committed to the University of Tennessee – one of college baseball’s best programs, and at 16 years old, his skills as a utility player have solidified his place as one of the nation’s top recruits. Wilson’s talent is reflected in the data collected on his performance. As of June 2024, Wilson has recorded a 6.62 60-yard dash, reached 90 mph when pitching and had an exit velocity of 98 mph, according to Perfect Game. Most recently, Wilson was honored by MaxPreps for their 2024 Underclass All-America Team.
“My ultimate goal is to find success in baseball as a two-way player,” Wilson said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to join the Rapsodo team, as I believe understanding my metrics and tracking my data will help me improve my performance across all levels of my hitting and pitching game.”
Rapsodo’s PRO 3.0 and PRO 2.0 devices measure both hitting and pitching data by tracking key performance metrics. The success of both Franco and Wilson as two-way players makes them perfect fits for Rapsodo’s technology and NIL community. By utilizing Rapsodo, both players will continue to grow their two-way game using the most accurate, reliable and affordable baseball technology available.
“Young athletes in the early stages of their baseball careers are in tune with technology now more than ever before, and we’re seeing more MLB players join the league having already used baseball technology in their career,” said Katrina Hartwell, general manager of Rapsodo North America. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Noah and Sebastian so early in their careers because we see their potential and want them to use Rapsodo technology to further enhance their game. We’ll be keeping tabs on their seasons and cheering for their success in hopes that they reach the next level.”
Today’s announcement introduces Franco and Wilson to Rapsodo’s community of elite athletes in the Rapsodo Baseball NIL program. All five NIL athletes in Rapsodo’s previous baseball NIL class were drafted in the first two rounds of the 2024 MLB draft: Chase Burns (Cincinnati Reds – round 1, No. 2 overall), Jac Caglianone (Kansas City Royals – round 1, No. 6 overall), Vance Honeycutt (Baltimore Orioles – round 1, No. 22 overall), Blake Burke (Milwaukee Brewers – round 2, No. 34) and Brody Brecht (Colorado Rockies – round 2, No. 38 overall).
Rapsodo’s mission of helping athletes reach their highest levels of success also translates to softball where Rapsodo is continuing to expand its NIL presence. With the launch of PRO 2.0 Softball in late 2024, Rapsodo added three players from the University of Florida to the Rapsodo NIL community.
Jocelyn Erickson – the NFCA Division 1 Player of the Year, 2024 Rawlings Gold Glove award-winner, 2024 unanimous First Team All-American and 2024 SEC Player of the Year
Ava Brown – 2023 National Gatorade Softball Player of the Year, 2023 Gatorade Best Female Athlete, 2024 NFCA All-Southeast Region Second Team and 2024 All-SEC Second Team
Keagan Rothrock – 2024 SEC Freshman of the Year, 2024 NFCA All-American Third Team, 2024 NFCA D1 Freshman of the Year Top 10
The Gators have started the season 13-1 and are currently ranked No. 3 according to D1Softball. A media kit with photos and videos of the Gator athletes using the Rapsodo Softball PRO 2.0 can be found here.
Players and coaches interested in using Rapsodo’s game-changing technology can find more information on Rapsodo.com.
About Rapsodo Rapsodo defies limits with affordable, professional-grade technology to enhance the way athletes play across the world. Used by MLB teams, NCAA Division I Champions, and elite PGA coaches, Rapsodo technology has earned multiple MyGolfSpy’s Best Of Golf Awards and the Official Player Development Partner of USA Baseball, affirming Rapsodo’s leadership in golf, baseball, and softball tech. Do what you didn’t think was possible. Play Without Limits. Play with Rapsodo. Discover more at Rapsodo.com.
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ashtrom Renewable Energy, a global independent power producer and renewable energy developer and subsidiary of Ashtrom Group, has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to sell electricity to the municipality of San Antonio, Texas through CPS Energy, the city’s local utility company.
According to the signed agreement, CPS Energy (Aa2 Moody’s) will purchase approximately 70% of the electricity produced by the project, along with purchasing green certificates (RECs), for a period of 20 years at a predetermined fixed price. Under the agreement, Ashtrom has committed to achieve the commercial operation of the El Patrimonio project by the second half of 2027. The remaining electricity produced by the project is expected to be sold within Texas’s open electricity market. The project will produce electricity equivalent to the annual consumption for about 37,500 households.
“We are proud to announce a significant collaboration and the signing of an important agreement with CPS Energy, the largest municipal utility company in the U.S.,” said Yitsik Mermelstein, CEO of Ashtrom Renewable Energy. “The agreement is not only an expression of our great partnership with CPS Energy, but also a central pillar in realizing our strategic vision to expand renewable energy activities in the country. This step strengthens our position as a leading player in the industry and is a significant milestone in the company’s growth journey.”
El Patrimonio is Ashtrom’s second solar project in Texas, marking a key achievement for the company that further deepens its presence in the ERCOT market. The completion of the PPA is expected to accelerate the project’s development and construction processes. The solar project is expected to be constructed in Bexar County, Texas, with a planned capacity of approximately 150 megawatts (AC).
In addition to delivering electricity to San Antonio, the El Patrimonio project will support the local economy and community through educational activities. Ashtrom will establish an annual scholarship program, offer field tours of the El Patrimonio site for local students, and host job fairs on-site. Through these efforts, Ashtrom aims to enhance community knowledge of renewable energy and the role people can play in its future.
About Ashtrom Renewable Energy
Ashtrom Renewable Energy is delivering clean energy at scale. We build best-in-class renewable energy projects in the United States and around the globe. With a hands-on, risk-informed approach that emphasizes strategic and cost-effective execution, the company is an independent power producer (IPP) led by a team of energy experts with decades of experience in solar and wind siting, development, construction, financing, and operation. Ashtrom Renewable Energy leverages the financial stability and culture of excellence cultivated by Ashtrom Group (TASE: ASHG), a leading infrastructure, construction, and real estate development company with a 60-year legacy of success. With a development pipeline of ~1.8 GWdc in the U.S. and ~2.5 GWdc worldwide, Ashtrom Renewable Energy is poised to rapidly scale its development and investment activities in the U.S. market for the long term. Learn more about Ashtrom Renewable Energy at https://www.ashtromrenewableenergy.co.il/en
About Ashtrom Group Ashtrom is one of Israel’s leading construction and real estate companies whose shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange 90 index The group operates in several operating sectors: Construction and infrastructure contracting in Israel – including, inter alia, residential and infrastructural contract constructions; Franchise – participation in tenders and executing planning, operations and financing activities for large-scale infrastructure and residential projects; Housing entrepreneurship in Israel, through Ashdar, a subsidiary that is a leader and among the oldest companies in the field; Investment and entrepreneurial real estate, through Ashtrom Properties, a subsidiary operating in Israel, Germany and England, holding and managing shopping malls and commercial centers, office buildings and employment centers, industrial structures and more; Industries – mainly manufacturing, marketing and selling raw materials to the construction industry and importing and marketing finishing products for the construction industry; Construction and infrastructures contracting abroad, as well as residential real estate development in the U.S. and Europe – performed by Ashtrom International; Renewable energy – investment in wind, solar, storage and other energy related projects in Israel and worldwide. Ashtrom Group chairperson is Mr. Rami Nussbaum, and the group’s CEO is Mr. Gil Gueron.
AMSTERDAM, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a first, Veriam launches a fully integrated solution for online service providers and SaaS solutions, allowing them to manage identity, access, subscription, contracting, and invoicing on a single platform. This marks a major step in Veriam’s phased rollout, which began in November 2024 with the introduction of its identity and access management (IAM) feature.
Veriam’s integrated approach sets it apart from other solutions in the market, which often specialize in standalone features, resulting in customer journeys that depend on fragmented tools. By eliminating reliance on separate, disconnected tools, Veriam combines core functionalities in one efficient platform, enabling businesses to manage everything from authentication to payments in a single workflow. This allows them to focus on their core offerings, rather than spending time building custom integrations or switching between separate tools, all while improving customer onboarding and retention.
“Fragmented systems force companies to waste valuable time and resources managing multiple tools, learning different interfaces, and patching together different solutions just to keep things running,” said Jeroen de Bruijn, Founder & Co-CEO of Veriam. “We’ve built a single, scalable solution that replaces disconnected systems, so businesses can focus on what matters most.”
A smarter alternative to traditional IAM and subscription tools Traditional IAM and subscription tools require extensive development work for integration, maintenance, and scaling. Veriam makes setup easier, reducing integration code by 99% while boosting conversions to paying customers.
With a unified workflow for authenticating users, managing permissions, handling contracts, and processing payments, Veriam makes user adoption more efficient, facilitating smooth transitions from free to paid services. Its flexible policy engine supports a wide range of access models, from role-based control to complex attribute- and resource-based policies. The platform will soon support various subscription models, including monthly and annual licenses, advanced or arrears payments, and pay-as-you-go pricing.
For businesses, this means lower costs and reduced administrative workload, as they no longer need to pay for separate IAM, subscription, contracting, and billing tools. As companies grow, Veriam scales with them, making it easy to add new products and expand to new markets without constantly reworking their tech stacks. Multiple user tiers, organizational units, and access levels can all be easily managed within one, unified platform.
The integration process for businesses adopting Veriam A single connection using a standard protocol allows businesses to integrate with Veriam, eliminating the need to configure separate systems for identity and access management, contracting, subscription management, payments, and invoicing. Once connected, Veriam handles authentication and authorization requests, giving service providers full oversight of access controls, subscription plans, and payments. At the same time, their customers enjoy convenient access to self-service features, subscriptions, and all Veriam-connected providers with a single login. At the application level, it ensures a frictionless, low-maintenance setup that enhances efficiency and usability.
Key features of Veriam’s platform
Real-time access updates. Subscription changes instantly update access permissions, reducing support tickets and preventing lockouts.
Fewer points of failure. A unified system reduces security risks caused by disconnected tools, API syncs, or manual processes.
One login for everything. With a single login, customers can access all their products, subscriptions, and data across Veriam-connected providers.
Built-in compliance. Veriam helps businesses stay compliant with GDPR, PCI-DSS standards, clear audit trails for easy reporting; and policy-based access control.
By providing unlimited B2B authentication and authorization for free, Veriam presents a unique market proposition that sets it apart in the industry. Through the Veriam Startup Program, qualifying early-stage companies can access the fully integrated solution (Access and Subscription Management) at no additional cost—only passing on transaction fees to ensure minimal operational expenses. Startups can now join a waiting list to get started.
For more information, contact: Sofia Chiscop- sofia@prlab.co
Veriam is an all-in-one platform for managing identity, access, and subscriptions, designed to make B2B operations simpler. By integrating identity verification, policy-based access control, and subscription management, Veriam reduces complexity, cuts costs, and increases security. A subsidiary of Metrics Matter, Veriam aims to streamline processes such as onboarding, authentication, and contract management while helping businesses improve conversions and optimize infrastructure.
MIAMI, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Varonis Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRNS) announced it has been named by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, to its Security 100 list. The annual list recognizes security vendors committed to working with channel partners to protect organizations from cyber threats.
Varonis was named in the Identity, Access and Data Security category for its ongoing innovation as a top-rated Data Security Platform. Varonis’ extensive channel partner network helps customers achieve effortless security outcomes with automation and secure what matters most — data.
“Our partners recognize that data security is a critical and urgent challenge facing organizations. Together, we are aiding customers in preventing data breaches by securing data across the cloud and in SaaS applications,” said John Siverd, Vice President of Channel at Varonis. “We are beyond pleased to be included for the seventh consecutive year on the CRN Security 100 list, a testament to the outstanding and ongoing collaboration with our global partners.”
“Each company on the Security 100 list provides cutting-edge security offerings through solution providers in the IT channel,” said Jennifer Follett, Vice President, U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN, at The Channel Company. “Robust cybersecurity is essential for modern businesses, and these vendors are committed to keeping their security portfolios ahead of bad actors and emerging threats. We congratulate them and look forward to seeing how they advance cybersecurity innovations in the future.”
The 2025 Security 100 list will be featured in the February 2025 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/security100.
Additional Resources
About Varonis Varonis (Nasdaq: VRNS) is a leader in data security, fighting a different battle than conventional cybersecurity companies. Our cloud-native Data Security Platform continuously discovers and classifies critical data, removes exposures, and detects advanced threats with AI-powered automation.
Thousands of organizations worldwide trust Varonis to defend their data wherever it lives — across SaaS, IaaS, and hybrid cloud environments. Customers use Varonis to automate a wide range of security outcomes, including data security posture management (DSPM), data classification, data access governance (DAG), data detection and response (DDR), data loss prevention (DLP), and insider risk management.
Varonis protects data first, not last. Learn more at www.varonis.com.
Investor Relations Contact: Tim Perz Varonis Systems, Inc. 646-640-2112 investors@varonis.com News Media Contact: Rachel Hunt Varonis Systems, Inc. 877-292-8767 (ext. 1598) pr@varonis.com
About The Channel Company The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world’s top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers, and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Traliant, a leader in online compliance training, today announced its new Cybersecurity Awareness training to better protect organizations’ digital infrastructures and ensure compliance with relevant laws, industry standards and company policies.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, the prevalence and maturity of information security threats and risks continues to increase. Cybersecurity awareness training is crucial for all organizations, especially those that handle sensitive data or operate in a digitally connected environment. Traliant’s Cybersecurity Awareness training is designed to help employees understand common cybersecurity threats, learn best practices for protecting themselves and company data and know how to report suspicious activity.
“Cybersecurity awareness is crucial to preventing employees from making errors that can expose companies to costly breaches,” said Mike Dahir, CEO of Traliant. “Effective training not only helps thwart potential threats and safeguard sensitive information but also cultivates a culture of security where everyone understands their role in protecting an organization’s digital footprint.”
In addition to the 30-minute course, Traliant’s Cybersecurity Awareness training can be enhanced with Phishing Simulations, a practical, hands-on experience to improve an employee’s ability to spot phishing threats, as well as quarterly microlearning courses that keep employees prepared year-round on topics such as AI-enabled threats, social engineering, internet security and insider threats.
As part of its commitment to helping organizations understand the full scope of modern security risks, Traliant also recently introduced new Global Data Privacy Awareness and Protecting Intellectual Property training. The courses are designed to promote a culture of compliance by educating employees on how to safeguard customer information and protect a company’s intellectual assets.
About Traliant Traliant, a leader in compliance training, is on a mission to help make workplaces better, for everyone. Committed to a customer promise of “compliance you can trust, training you will love,” Traliant delivers continuously compliant online courses, backed by an unparalleled in-house legal team, with engaging, story-based training designed to create truly enjoyable learning experiences.
Traliant supports over 14,000 organizations worldwide with a library of curated essential courses to broaden employee perspectives, achieve compliance and elevate workplace culture, including sexual harassment training, diversity training, code of conduct training, and many more.
Backed by PSG, a leading growth equity firm, Traliant holds a coveted position on Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America for four consecutive years, along with numerous awards for its products and workplace culture. For more information, visit http://www.traliant.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
BOSTON, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ataccama, the data trust company, today announced a strategic partnership with Concord USA, LLC (“Concord”), a leading technology consultancy, to tackle the complex challenges of data modernization in highly regulated industries. This partnership builds on Ataccama’s Solution Partner Program to support joint enterprise clients to accelerate data-driven digital transformation and deliver measurable business value.
Many organizations struggle to achieve high-quality, trusted data due to siloes created by legacy systems and fragmented data environments. This creates unstructured, inconsistent data that complicates analytics. These issues are magnified in highly regulated sectors like healthcare and financial services where inaccuracies can have costly—even critical—consequences. For example, healthcare requires 99.9% data accuracy to support confident decision-making and meet stringent regulatory standards, far exceeding the 80% threshold acceptable in other industries.
Ataccama’s unified data trust platform tackles these challenges by enabling organizations to catalog and classify their data, giving them clarity on its health and origin, and allowing them to improve the quality of their data by fixing all identified issues. With data cleansed, standardized, and consolidated into a single, trusted source of truth, organizations are empowered to make informed, compliant decisions and drive meaningful outcomes.
Concord brings a proven track record in healthcare and financial services, specializing in digital transformation and seamless data migration for Fortune 500 clients. Together, Ataccama and Concord help organizations modernize data ecosystems, and achieve digital transformation with the confidence that comes from trusted, high-quality data.
“Healthcare and insurance organizations face some of the most complex data challenges, from fragmented legacy systems to meeting stringent regulatory requirements,” said Florin Ibrani, Chief Executive Officer at Concord. “Our partnership with Ataccama better enables highly-regulated organizations to future-proof their data infrastructure and achieve the data accuracy and availability required to advance their modernization goals confidently.”
“Data trust is non-negotiable in healthcare and insurance—where inaccuracies can have costly, even critical, consequences,” said Jessica Goulart, vice president of Partnerships at Ataccama. “Our solution partner program supports consultancies and system integrators to provide the implementation services to support our joint clients to implement the Ataccama unified data trust platform for data quality, catalog, lineage, observability and master data management. Through our partnership with Concord, we help organizations overcome their regulated industry challenges and advance their digital transformation initiatives to drive success.”
For more information about the Ataccama Partner Program, visit the Ataccama Partner Hub.
About Ataccama Ataccama is the data trust company. Organizations worldwide rely on Ataccama ONE, the unified data trust platform, to ensure data is accurate, accessible, and actionable. By integrating data quality, lineage, observability, governance, and master data management into a single solution, Ataccama enables businesses to unlock value from their data for AI, analytics, and operations. Trusted by hundreds of global enterprises, Ataccama helps organizations drive innovation, reduce costs, and mitigate risk. Recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Augmented Data Quality and the 2025 Magic Quadrant for Data and Analytics Governance, Ataccama continues to set the standard for trusted data at scale. Learn more at www.ataccama.com.
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Atlanta, GA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced that Duracell, one of the world’s leading battery manufacturers, will establish its new Global Headquarters for Research and Development at Science Square in Atlanta, creating 110 jobs and investing approximately $56 million. Duracell currently has a manufacturing facility in LaGrange, Georgia, that has been in operation since 1980 and a logistics and distribution plant in Fairburn, Georgia, that began operations in 2020.
“Georgia has set itself apart as a leader in attracting innovative companies with our research institutions, world-class logistics network, and pro-business environment,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “I want to thank our local and state partners who are leveraging those assets to their fullest to bring new opportunities across the state. We are excited to welcome Duracell’s R&D headquarters to Atlanta and continue building on this great relationship.”
Duracell is an American manufacturer of alkaline, lithium coin, and hearing aid batteries. Duracell’s LaGrange facility currently supports approximately 400 jobs, while the Fairburn plant supports an additional 275 jobs.
“We’re excited about the opportunities the move to Atlanta will bring and we’re confident this new chapter will strengthen our position as a global leader in the industry,” said Dr. Liben Hailu, Chief Technology Officer at Duracell. “This move is a significant milestone for Duracell as we continue to drive innovation in battery technology for many years to come.”
Duracell’s new Global Headquarters for Research and Development will be located at 101 Nerem Street NW in Atlanta. Adjacent to Georgia Tech’s Midtown Atlanta campus, Science Square is an 18-acre multi-phase development centered on innovation and featuring more than 1.8 million square feet of lab and office space.
“Atlanta’s transportation infrastructure, diverse talent pool from top-tier universities and a thriving tech ecosystem make the city an ideal environment for corporate innovation and growth,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “We appreciate Duracell’s confidence in Atlanta, including the investment of more than 100 new jobs that will provide the opportunity for more Atlanta residents to build promising careers.”
“The impact of Duracell’s decision to locate their R&D headquarters in Atlanta goes beyond the 110 new innovation jobs in the region: as they make Science Square their new home, Duracell strengthens our region’s powerful reputation as a hub for innovation and furthers Georgia’s growing battery ecosystem,” saidKatie Kirkpatrick, President & CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Duracell is locating literally next door to the world-class talent at Georgia Tech and in close proximity to the other tens of thousands of new graduates in the region, setting them up for long-term success.”
“Duracell’s choice to set up its Global R&D Headquarters in Fulton County solidifies Fulton’s leadership in innovation and talent attraction,” said Robb Pitts, Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. “This will bring unique jobs and investment – a win for Fulton County and Georgia.”
Assistant Director of Statewide Projects John Soper represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with Invest Atlanta, Select Fulton, Metro Atlanta Chamber, Georgia Power, and the University System of Georgia.
“For decades, Georgia has been home to Duracell, and it’s exciting that they are looking to invest their future back into our state,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “For a company like Duracell that is on the cutting edge of innovation, research and development is critical to their long-term success. Locating the new Global Headquarters for Research and Development in Atlanta makes it clear that Duracell sees the State of Georgia as a long-term partner in their success strategy.”
About Duracell
Started in the 1920s, the Duracell brand and company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE-BRK.A, BRK.B) in 2016 and has grown to be a leader in the primary battery market in North America. Duracell’s products serve as the heart of devices that keep people connected, protect their families, entertain them, and simplify their increasingly mobile lifestyles. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a $250 billion holding company owning subsidiaries that engage in diverse business activities. Visitwww.duracell.com for more information; follow Duracell onX.com/Duracelland like Duracell onFacebook.com/Duracell.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Daniel Macfarlane, Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainability, Western Michigan University
Humans have always had a close connection with Lake Ontario. For centuries, this Great Lake has been a backbone of the region’s economy — relied upon for trade, food and industry. But a warming climate could dramatically change this relationship.
This wouldn’t be the first time climate change has affected how humans use this Great Lake, as I show in my new book The Lives of Lake Ontario: An Environmental History. During the Little Ice Age, which spanned roughly the 14th to 19th centuries, Indigenous and settler societies had to adapt to the cooling Lake Ontario environment.
As we again face a changing climate, the way our predecessors adapted during the Little Ice Age teaches us why it’s necessary we change how we use and interact with Lake Ontario today.
The Little Ice Age
Prior to the onset of the Little Ice Age, the Lake Ontario region was occupied exclusively by different Indigenous Peoples — including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg. These groups regularly came to Lake Ontario to hunt, harvest and trade. They were highly attuned to local climate conditions, adapting their agricultural strategies accordingly.
But the Little Ice Age altered the climate in the region — with average temperatures about 1-2°C lower than normal. I argue in my book that the impact this period’s climate had on the environment and those living in the region helped change the course of empires in North America — both Indigenous and Euro-American.
This cooler climate led to seasonal unpredictability. This forced the region’s various occupants to adjust their resource and food acquisition strategies. A higher frequency of summer droughts could mean failed crops — while extremely heavy snows made it harder to hunt. These factors may have contributed to the severe decline of Indigenous populations in the region.
The origins of the fur trade — which dramatically reorganized society and altered political power in the Great Lakes region — are also at least partly attributable to the Little Ice Age. The cooler climate drove the desire for fur in Europe while also affecting the pelt thickness of North American animals.
During the War of 1812, for instance, two American warships sank in a sudden summer squall north of Port Dalhousie. A lack of appreciation for the lake’s capriciousness could mean disaster — while those commanders who respected the local environment had the upper hand.
Agriculture
But alongside the challenges this cooling climate created, it also provided new opportunities.
As I contend in my book, climate changes during the period encouraged the diversification of agriculture and food production — such as the cultivation of wheat strains hardy enough to survive cooler conditions. Settlers also believed the mass conversion of forests and wetlands to fields could modify the climate, making it warmer. The influx of settlers reliant on these new types of agriculture fundamentally shaped the emerging political and economic systems around Lake Ontario.
Heavier ice cover on Lake Ontario actually made winter transportation easier in some ways.
Temperatures during the Little Ice Age frequently caused a thick freeze in the lake’s nearshore waters. This enabled alternative forms of wintertime travel which were generally cheaper, more flexible, and more dependable than travelling by boat. Skates, sleighs and iceboats were developed for both economic and recreational needs.
As the Little Ice Age began releasing its grip during the 19th century, Euro-Americans moved to the Lake Ontario basin in larger numbers. This climatic shift proved integral to settler expansion.
The Toronto region could not have become Canada’s economic and cultural capital without the resources of Lake Ontario.
But all this economic and political growth has come at a tremendous cost. Lake Ontario is now imperilled because of the way we’ve come to rely on it.
In the 19th century, we cut down forests, dammed and polluted tributaries, dug canals and obliterated fish species in the region.
In the 20th century, our impacts only expanded: overwhelming pollution, invasive species, urban sprawl, larger canals and hydroelectric dams. These human costs have led to nutrient overloads in the water from wastewater and farming runoff, impoverished biodiversity, fluctuating water levels, toxic chemicals and plastics in the lake.
This ongoing degradation — coupled with climate change exacerbating ecological challenges and creating new ones — is further undercutting Lake Ontario’s ability to cope with our many abuses.
A hotter lake could alter the entire food web, which could have ripple effects on local species, energy flows and biodiversity.
The changing climate is also causing extreme fluctuations in lake levels. Recent record-high levels eroded shorelines — affecting houses and infrastructure while threatening septic systems, nuclear power stations and fuel refineries.
Resilience
We’re lucky that Lake Ontario is remarkably resilient. But the lake is being pushed to the brink. We have a small window to both adapt to the already changing climate and prevent it from changing further.
Of course, the Little Ice Age involved the climate getting cooler, while today it’s getting warmer — with humanity being the primary driver for this changing climate. In the face of climate change, we too can adapt how we use and interact with the lake — just as was done in the Little Ice Age.
But our response nowadays needs to be as much about stopping old practices as starting new ones. We need to cease contributing to global warming and other negative impacts on Lake Ontario through our unsustainable industry, flawed economic systems and overconsumption, massive pollution and reliance on fossil fuels.
Daniel Macfarlane does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kristina Fullerton Rico, Research Fellow, Center for Racial Justice, Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detain a person on Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
The Trump administration’s plan to deport millions of immigrants living in the country without permission is falling far short of its initial goals in its first few weeks.
After Trump’s inauguration, rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents roaming the streets or showing up at churches and schools have spread on social media and messaging apps, sending waves of panic in immigrant communities from coast to coast.
When I share my research on the effects of U.S. immigration policies, I find that most people intuitively understand how being deported can upend someone’s life.
In fact, research shows that deportation, and the risk of deportation, impacts more than just the person who is deported.
Immigrants in the country without permission tend to belong to mixed-immigration-status families, meaning that at least one family member has legal permission to be in the country or has citizenship.
In some cases, mixed-status families feel pressure to leave the U.S. together if one family member is deported.
Researchers call this phenomenon “de facto deportation.” It frequently affects young, U.S.-born children whose parents are deported.
But it is not just actual deportations that cause harm.
The fear of deportation
Even when immigrants do not face an immediate risk of deportation, the way they live their lives is shaped by the threat of removal.
In hostile political climates, including the current moment in the U.S., immigrants feel the risk of deportation acutely.
Some researchers call the fear of deportation “deportability.” This feeling has a chilling effect, discouraging immigrants from the everyday activities they would otherwise do.
So far, immigrants’ fear is likely disproportionate to the risk of deportation. But the threat looms so large that immigrants and their families have upended their lives.
Business owners, teachers and religious leaders across the country have noticed immigrants’ glaring absence in neighborhoods that are usually bustling and now feel deserted.
Hostility toward immigrants also has a chilling effect on cultural expression.
Research shows that Latino immigrants who fear deportation or anti-immigrant prejudice feel coerced to assimilate. They avoid speaking Spanish or their Indigenous language, like Quechua or Náhuatl, in public, and may even hesitate to teach it to their own children.
Similarly, it can feel dangerous to play music or partake in cultural traditions.
Spillover effects
Research has also found that the threat of deportation makes immigrants hesitant to report dangerous conditions at work. Since immigrants are overrepresented in dangerous industries, like construction and meatpacking, this can lead to a higher risk of being injured or even dying on the job.
Even in cities where local law enforcement agencies refuse to work closely with ICE, the perception that they might be creates fear in immigrant communities and leads people to underutilize public programs and services.
People who have permission to be in the country are also afraid
Perhaps the most striking example of this consists of recent reports that Native American citizens living in Southwest states like Arizona have been increasingly questioned by ICE. In response, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren has advised people to carry proof of their U.S. citizenship.
Nonwhite U.S. citizens’ fears of being deported are not unprecedented.
More than half a century later, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that between 2015 and 2020, ICE likely arrested 674 U.S. citizens, detaining 121 and deporting 70 of them.
The entrance to a church in Chicago had a sign on its door on Feb. 10, 2025, informing ICE officials that they were not allowed to enter the building without a court order. Luzia Geier/picture alliance via Getty Images
A sense of despair
Not surprisingly, anti-immigrant policies and threats can elicit feelings of hopelessness among immigrants. The fear of deportation can lead to significant mental health problems for immigrants and their loved ones, ranging from conditions like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to a loss of trust in others and social isolation.
Similarly, immigrants who are detained by government authorities may agree to voluntary departure orders rather than fighting to remain in the country.
Some consequences of the fear of deportation and anti-immigrant hostility are easy to see, like when children miss school.
Others – delaying doctor’s appointments, going hungry instead of going to the food bank, tolerating abuse instead of seeking help – are harder to observe, and their negative effects may not be evident for years.
Kristina Fullerton Rico’s research has received funding from the Russell Sage Foundation and Sociologists for Women in Society.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paul Bierman, Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont
That’s imprudent, because the Arctic’s climate is changing more rapidly than anywhere on Earth. Such rapid warming further increases the already substantial economic and personal risk for those living, working and extracting resources on Greenland, and for the rest of the planet.
Greenland is unlike where most people live. The climate is frigid. For much of the year, sea ice clings to the coast, making it inaccessible.
An ice sheet, up to 2 miles thick, covers more than 80% of the island. The population, about 56,000 people, lives along the island’s steep, rocky coastline.
While researching my book “When the Ice is Gone,” I discovered how Greenland’s harsh climate and vast wilderness stymied past colonial endeavors. During World War II, dozens of U.S. military pilots, disoriented by thick fog and running out of fuel, crashed onto the ice sheet. An iceberg from Greenland sunk the Titanic in 1912, and 46 years later, another sunk a Danish vessel specifically designed to fend off ice, killing all 95 aboard.
Now amplified by climate change, natural hazards make resource extraction and military endeavors in Greenland uncertain, expensive and potentially deadly.
Rock on the move
Greenland’s coastal landscape is prone to rockslides. The hazard arises because the coast is where people live and where rock isn’t hidden under the ice sheet. In some places, that rock contains critical minerals, such as gold, as well as other rare metals used for technology, including for circuit boards and electrical vehicle batteries.
The unstable slopes reflect how the ice sheet eroded the deep fjords when it was larger. Now that the ice has melted, nothing buttresses the near-vertical valley walls, and so, they collapse.
In 2017, a northwestern Greenland mountainside fell 3,000 feet into the deep waters of the fjord below. Moments later, the wave that rockfall generated (a tsunami) washed over the nearby villages of Nuugaatsiaq and Illorsuit. The water, laden with icebergs and sea ice, ripped homes from their foundations as people and sled dogs ran for their lives. By the time it was over, four people were dead and both villages lay in ruin.
Steep fjord walls around the island are littered with the scars of past rockslides. The evidence shows that at one point in the last 10,000 years, one of those slides dropped rock sufficient to fill 3.2 million Olympic swimming pools into the water below. In 2023, another rockslide triggered a tsunami that sloshed back and forth for nine days in a Greenland fjord.
A cellphone video captures the June 2017 tsunami wave coming ashore in northwestern Greenland.
There’s no network of paved roads across Greenland. The only feasible way to move heavy equipment, minerals and fossil fuels would be by sea. Docks, mines and buildings within tens of feet of sea level would be vulnerable to rockslide-induced tsunamis.
Melting ice will be deadly and expensive
Human-induced global warming, driven by fossil fuel combustion, speeds the melting of Greenland’s ice. That melting is threatening the island’s infrastructure and the lifestyles of native people, who over millennia have adapted their transportation and food systems to the presence of snow and ice. Record floods, fed by warmth-induced melting of the ice sheet, have recently swept away bridges that stood for half a century.
An excavator tries to save a bridge over the Watson River at Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. Part of the bridge and the machine were eventually swept away by the rushing meltwater from the Greenland Ice Sheet during a heat wave in July 2012.
Permafrost melt is already threatening the U.S. military base on Greenland. As the ice melts and the ground settles under runways, cracks and craters form – a hazard for airplanes. Buildings tilt as their foundations settle into the softening soil, including critical radar installations that have scanned the skies for missiles and bombers since the 1950s.
As Greenland’s ice melts and water flows into the ocean, sea level changes, but in ways that might not be intuitive. Away from the island, sea level is rising about an inch each six years. But close to the ice sheet, it’s the land that’s rising. Gradually freed of the weight of its ice, the rock beneath Greenland, long depressed by the massive ice sheet, rebounds. That rise is rapid – more than 6 feet per century. Soon, many harbors in Greenland may become too shallow for ship traffic.
Streams of meltwater flow over the silt-covered surface of the Greenland Ice Sheet as it melts in summer heat near Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland. REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Greenland’s challenging past and future
History clearly shows that many past military and colonial endeavors failed in Greenland because they showed little consideration of the island’s harsh climate and dynamic ice sheet.
In the past, the American focus in Greenland was on short-term gains with little regard for the future. Abandoned U.S. military bases from World War II, scattered around the island and in need of cleanup, are one example. Forced relocation of Greenlandic Inuit communities during the Cold War is another. I believe that Trump’s demands today for American control of the island to exploit its resources are similarly shortsighted.
Piles of rusting fuel drums sit at an abandoned U.S. base from World War II in Ikateq, in eastern Greenland. Posnov/Moment via Getty Images
However, when it comes to the planet’s livability, I’ve argued that the greatest strategic and economic value of Greenland to the world is not its location or its natural resources, but its ice. That white snow and ice reflect sunlight, keeping Earth cool. And the ice sheet, perched on land, keeps water out of the ocean. As it melts, Greenland’s ice sheet will raise global sea level, up to about 23 feet when all the ice is gone.
Climate-driven sea level rise is already flooding coastal regions around the world, including major economic centers. As that continues, estimates suggest that the damage will total trillions of dollars. Unless Greenland’s ice remains frozen, coastal inundation will force the largest migration that humanity has ever witnessed. Such changes are predicted to destabilize the global economic and strategic world order.
These examples show that disregarding the risks of natural hazards and climate change in Greenland courts disaster, both locally and globally.
Paul Bierman receives funding from the US National Science Foundation and the University of Vermont Gund Institute for Environment
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Manchester City Council is set to invest around £5 million extra funding to keep neighbourhoods clean, green and tidy.
The move, proposed in newly-published reports about the Council’s 2025/26 budget to be considered at its Executive meeting on 19 February, will be funded from Manchester’s £5.4 million share of a rebate to councils from Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s waste reserve which was announced last week.
The extra funding, to be spent over three years, will be used to improve and support the upkeep of neighbourhoods across the city. In the council’s recent budget consultation this was the top priority identified by residents – with 77.5% of residents putting it among the issues which mattered the most to them.
£4.6 million of the extra funding will be invested to boost services to keep neighbourhoods clean, including cleaning, combatting flytipping, maintenance of green spaces and leaf collection.
A further £400,000 will be used to overturn a decision taken last year to start charging for replacement recycling bins which would have applied from this April.
The remainder will be invested in other neighbourhood priorities including an extra £338,000 towards improved enforcement to tackle damp and mould in private rented sector properties.
While significant challenges remain, the Council’s position has improved since planning for its 2025/26 budget began in spring 2024. At that point the then Government had indicated there would be real terms funding cuts for local government which, together with emerging pressures, would have required deep cuts.
The incoming Government’s Autumn Statement reversed this position with a real terms increase in Core Spending Power instead. The Government’s financial settlement for the Council, which it received just before Christmas, was better than expected with a number of increases, especially in recognition of the nationwide pressures in social care. Manchester’s Core Spending Power increase of 10.4% is the highest nationally, reflecting a ministerial decision to direct resources to places with high deprivation levels and low council taxbases which had been the hardest hit since 2010.
This has meant that while £18.2m of savings from previously published savings identified for 2025/26 are required, the Council will be able to set a balanced budget for 2025/26 which also takes account of ongoing pressures. The savings relate to efficiencies and increased income generation not service reductions.
The budget assumes a 4.99% increase in the Council’s element of Council Tax, 2% of which is specifically to support adult social care.
Council Leader Cllr Bev Craig said: “We are still dealing with the brutal legacy of 14 years of austerity and cuts to our funding under the previous Government, and that can’t be turned around overnight.
“But the improved funding under the current Government, which recognises this legacy, is a step in the right direction. Together with our careful planning, it means we’re able to bring forward a budget which looks to make lives better and improve the city.”
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Finance, said: “Residents told us loud and clear in our recent budget consultation that keeping neighbourhoods clean was their top priority and we have responded to that with this extra investment.
“We are pleased to be in a position where can deliver a budget that works for Manchester people.”
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
According to the results of 2024, positive dynamics of non-residential real estate construction are noted – 7.7% more was commissioned compared to 2023. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
“The construction of non-residential real estate is a key factor in the balanced development of territories. To create a modern residential development, it is necessary to have a developed infrastructure, as well as commercial, sports and socio-cultural facilities. In turn, new business projects seek to be located in prosperous residential areas, which helps to create a comfortable environment for citizens. Thus, according to the results of the completed national project “Housing and Urban Environment”, last year 38.4 million square meters of non-residential real estate were commissioned, which is 7.7%, or 2.7 million square meters, higher than the 2023 figures. The largest increase is observed in the commissioning of commercial (by 23.6%) and industrial (by 19.9%) buildings. The new national project “Infrastructure for Life” is the successor to the national project “Housing and Urban Environment” and is aimed, among other things, at building high-quality housing in combination with a comfortable urban environment, which attracts both residents and investors,” said Marat Khusnullin.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that when analyzing the structure of commissioned non-residential facilities, the largest share is occupied by commercial buildings (9.5 million sq. m), transport, communications, religious, etc. facilities (8.8 million sq. m), followed by industrial buildings (6.6 million sq. m) and educational institutions (6.4 million sq. m). These categories account for approximately 80% of all non-residential buildings constructed.
Marat Khusnullin added that the leaders in terms of total commissioning of non-residential buildings in 2024 are the Central (13 million sq. m), Volga (6.9 million sq. m) and Northwestern (4.2 million sq. m) federal districts. The largest increase in total commissioning in 2024 is in the Far Eastern (52.7% compared to 2023), Siberian (34% compared to 2023) and Northwestern (15.5% compared to 2023) federal districts.
“Among the regions leading in terms of commissioning of non-residential premises, it is worth noting the Moscow Region (5.2 million sq. m) and the city of Moscow (3.5 million sq. m), the Krasnodar Region (2.4 million sq. m), the city of St. Petersburg (2.2 million sq. m) and the Republic of Tatarstan (1.8 million sq. m). The new national project “Infrastructure for Life” provides for a number of tools to support the construction of infrastructure, including the provision of loans, direct subsidies, as well as the development of key settlements,” said Minister of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities Irek Fayzullin.
About a quarter of the commissioned non-residential real estate is commercial buildings; in 2024, the share of buildings of this type in the total volume of commissioned buildings was 24.6%.
“Today, the leaders in terms of commercial building commissioning volume are Moscow Region (1.3 million sq. m), Moscow (1.6 million sq. m), Krasnodar Region (0.89 million sq. m), Sverdlovsk Region (0.49 million sq. m), the Republic of Bashkortostan (0.34 million sq. m), as well as the Republic of Tatarstan (0.31 million sq. m) and Stavropol Region (0.31 million sq. m). For the regions, the development of commercial real estate is especially important, since thanks to this, large investments come to the territories and they can actively develop. This indicates that a comfortable investment climate and other attractive conditions for business development have been created for companies in these regions,” emphasized Dina Safiullina, Director of the Federal Autonomous Institution “Project Directorate of the Ministry of Construction of Russia”.
In Russia in 2024, 25,881 permits were issued for the construction of non-residential buildings (3.2% of 2023) with a total area of 62 million square meters (12.7% of 2023). The construction area under valid permits as of December 31, 2024 amounted to 155 million square meters (15.2% of 2023).
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
The date of the deposit auction is 19.02.2025. The placement currency is RUB. The maximum amount of funds placed (in the placement currency) is 127,000,000.00. The placement period, days is 20. The date of depositing funds is 19.02.2025. The date of return of funds is 11.03.2025. The minimum placement interest rate, % per annum is 21.00. The terms of the conclusion are urgent or special (Urgent). The minimum amount of funds placed for one application (in the placement currency) is 127,000,000.00. The maximum number of applications from one Participant, pcs. 1. Auction form is open or closed (Open). The basis of the Agreement is the General Agreement. Schedule (Moscow time). Applications in preliminary mode from 11:30 to 11:40. Applications in competition mode from 11:40 to 11:45. Setting the cut-off percentage or declaring the auction invalid before 11:55.
Additional conditions – Placement of funds with the possibility of early withdrawal of the entire deposit amount and payment of interest accrued on the deposit amount at the rate established by the deposit transaction, in the event of non-compliance of the Bank with the requirements established by clause 2.1. of the Regulation “On the procedure for selecting banks for placing funds of the Moscow Small Business Lending Assistance Fund in deposits (deposits) under the GDS” (as amended on the date of the deposit transaction), early withdrawal at the “on demand” rate, payment of interest at the end of the term, without replenishment.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the “Code”)
(b)Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a): The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named.
N/A
(c)Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates: Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree
ALLIANCE PHARMA PLC
(d)If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree:
N/A
(e)Date position held/dealing undertaken: For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure
18 FEBRUARY 2025
(f)In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer? If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state “N/A”
N/A
2.POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.
(a)Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)
Class of relevant security:
1p ORDINARY
Interests
Short positions
Number
%
Number
%
(1)Relevant securities owned and/or controlled:
12,221,397
2.2609
(2)Cash-settled derivatives:
(3)Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:
TOTAL:
12,221,397
2.2609
NOTE: On 18/02/2025 there was a transfer in of 12,933 shares by a discretionary client.
All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.
Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).
(b)Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors’ and other employee options)
Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists:
Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:
3.DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE
Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.
The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.
(a)Purchases and sales
Class of relevant security
Purchase/sale
Number of securities
Price per unit
1p ORDINARY
SALE
4,600
61.3p
1p ORDINARY
SALE
32,700
61.312p
(b)Cash-settled derivative transactions
Class of relevant security
Product description e.g. CFD
Nature of dealing e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position
(d)Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)
Class of relevant security
Nature of dealing e.g. subscription, conversion
Details
Price per unit (if applicable)
NONE
4.OTHER INFORMATION
(a)Indemnity and other dealing arrangements
Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer: Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(b)Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives
Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to: (i)the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or (ii)the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced: If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state “none”
NONE
(c)Attachments
Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached?
NO
Date of disclosure:
19 FEBRUARY 2025
Contact name:
MARK ELLIOTT
Telephone number:
01253 376539
Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.
The Panel’s Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code’s disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dave Inc. (“Dave” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: DAVE), one of the nation’s leading neobanks, will host a conference call on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s results will be reported in a press release after market close on the day prior to the conference call.
Dave management will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer period. The conference call details are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, March 4, 2025 Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern time Dial-in registration link: here Live webcast registration link: here
The conference call will also be available for replay in the Events section of the Company’s website, along with the transcript, at https://investors.dave.com.
If you have any difficulty registering for or connecting to the conference call, please contact Elevate IR at DAVE@elevate-ir.com.
About Dave
Dave (Nasdaq: DAVE) is a leading U.S. neobank and fintech pioneer serving millions of everyday Americans. Dave uses disruptive technologies to provide best-in-class banking services at a fraction of the price of incumbents. Dave partners with Evolve Bank & Trust, a FDIC member. For more information about the company, visit: www.dave.com. For investor information and updates, visit: investors.dave.com and follow @davebanking on X.
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT), a leading commerce media solutions company, today announced the appointment of Adrian Stack as Chief Product Officer. Stack will lead the Company’s product vision and strategy, advancing Fluent’s AI-powered Commerce Media Solutions to elevate consumer engagement and enhance partner and advertiser success.
With over 15 years of experience in product development leadership, Stack has a proven track record of driving growth through AI-driven technologies. Most recently, he led Data Engineering (Data Science & AI) at Zillow. Previously, as SVP of Product at Rokt, he played a key role in scaling the company’s commerce media business, overseeing data engineering, machine learning, and analytics.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Adrian as we continue to build a world-class product team to strengthen Fluent’s AI-powered marketplace,” said Don Patrick, Chief Executive Officer at Fluent. “Adrian’s leadership will accelerate investment in our data infrastructure and product capabilities, while leveraging Fluent’s unique competitive advantages to deliver more impactful commerce media solutions and results for partners, advertisers, and consumers.”
As commerce media evolves, brands require more intelligent, scalable solutions to reach and convert high-intent consumers. Fluent’s investments in AI, identity resolution, and bidding technology position the Company to enhance ad relevance for consumers and maximize ROI for advertisers.
“I’m excited to help drive the next wave of product innovation at Fluent,” said Stack. “We are building an AI-powered marketplace that seamlessly connects brands with high-value consumers at scale.” By leveraging our proprietary first-party identity graph and advanced machine learning models, we are driving higher ad relevance, increased conversions, and more profitable brand-consumer connections.”
Supported by 14 years of expertise in customer acquisition, Fluent continues to differentiate itself in the commerce media space through its owned and operated marketplaces and robust first-party data assets. Building on this foundation, Stack will play a key role in enhancing data strategies, driving product innovation, and unlocking new opportunities for long-term growth and profitability.
About Fluent, Inc.
Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT) is a commerce media solutions provider connecting top-tier brands with highly engaged consumers. Leveraging exclusive ad inventory, robust first-party data, and proprietary machine learning, Fluent unlocks additional revenue streams for partners and empowers advertisers to acquire their most valuable customers at scale. Founded in 2010, Fluent uses its deep expertise in performance marketing to drive monetization and increase engagement at key touchpoints across the customer journey. For more insights visit https://www.fluentco.com/.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inuvo, Inc. (NYSE American: INUV), a leading provider of intelligent advertising technology, will host a conference call on Thursday, February 27, 2025, at 4:15 PM Eastern Standard Time to discuss its financial results and provide a business update for the fourth quarter and year-end 2024.
Conference Call Details: Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025 Time: 4:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Toll-free Dial-in Number: 1-800-717-1738 International Dial-in Number: 1-646-307-1865 Conference ID: 11158080 Webcast Link: HERE
A telephone replay will be available through Thursday, March 13, 2025. To access the replay, please dial 1- 844-512-2921 (domestic) or 1-412-317-6671 (international). At the system prompt, please enter the code 11158080 followed by the # sign. You will then be prompted for your name, company, and phone number. Playback will then automatically begin.
About Inuvo
Inuvo®, Inc. (NYSE American: INUV) is a market leader in Artificial Intelligence built for advertising. Its IntentKey AI solution is a first-of-its-kind proprietary and patented technology capable of identifying and actioning to the reasons why consumers are interested in products, services, or brands, not who those consumers are. To learn more, visit www.inuvo.com.
Safe Harbor / Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Inuvo’s quarter-end financial close process and preparation of financial statements for the quarter that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation risks detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and represent our views only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” in Inuvo, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 as filed on February 29, 2024, and our other filings with the SEC. Additionally, forward looking statements are subject to certain risks, trends, and uncertainties including the continued impact of Covid-19 on Inuvo’s business and operations. Inuvo cannot provide assurances that the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based will prove to have been correct. Should one of these risks materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements, and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are current only as of this date. Inuvo does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Inuvo further expressly disclaims any written or oral statements made by a third-party regarding the subject matter of this press release. The information which appears on our websites and our social media platforms is not part of this press release.
Inuvo Company Contact: Wally Ruiz Chief Financial Officer Tel (501) 205-8397 wallace.ruiz@inuvo.com
Houston, TX, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Houston, TX – February 19, 2025 – Imubit, a global leader in closed loop artificial intelligence optimization (AIO), and Preem, Sweden’s largest fuel company, have entered into a partnership aimed at accelerating Preem’s sustainability journey through Imubit’s Closed Loop AIO technology. As part of Sweden’s drive toward a carbon-neutral future, this partnership underscores Preem’s commitment to innovative, data-driven solutions to reduce emissions and increase operational efficiency.
Preem has set ambitious goals for emissions reduction, including meeting net zero GHG emissions throughout the value chain by 2035. To meet this ambitious target, digitalisation for increased profitability is one of the main areas in Preem’s strategy. This partnership with Imubit represents a significant step in that direction. Imubit’s AI-driven Optimizing Brain™ solution will enable Preem’s Lysekil refinery to maximize the production efficiency of its Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit. This is anticipated to also result in emissions reductions and fuel savings by enhancing yield profiles and stabilizing the fuel gas balance.
Dennis Rohe, Business Consulting Lead at Imubit, expressed the potential impact of the project: “Our collaboration with Preem is an opportunity to showcase the power of AI in industrial sustainability. By optimizing process variables to minimize environmental impact, we are supporting Preem in achieving emission reductions. We’re excited to drive forward their vision of greener refining practices.”
“At Preem, we are constantly exploring new technologies to reach our sustainability goals,” Erika Wikström, SVP of Technology. “Working with Imubit allows us to leverage cutting-edge AI to optimize our renewable processes while minimizing our carbon footprint. This collaboration is an important step toward a more sustainable future for our industry.”
The partnership between Imubit and Preem demonstrates the role of AI in transforming process industries and advancing sustainable operations. Imubit’s Closed Loop AI Optimization will help Preem set a new standard in refining, by including AI-optimisation on top of Preem’s already ambitious plans to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and enabling a sustainable energy transition across Europe.
MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. and BEND, Ore., Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Heliene Inc., a leading North American solar module manufacturer, and Origami Solar, a pioneer in steel solar module frames, are pleased to announce a multi-year agreement to offer U.S.-made, steel-framed solar modules to the North America market. Starting in April 2025, Heliene’s 144 and 156 half-cut bifacial modules will be available with Origami Solar’s strong and durable steel frames in addition to existing aluminum frame options. Origami’s steel frames offer customers increased product resilience and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, while providing a cost reduced and scalable source of domestic steel frames.
Cost-Effective, Durable Frames Built for the Future of Solar
Origami’s innovative steel frames provide a compelling cost advantage over domestic aluminum and eliminate the tariff and supply chain risk of imported aluminum frames. The Origami Solar frames also deliver a significant strength advantage versus weaker foreign aluminum frames. As module sizes grow and extreme weather events become more frequent, Origami’s rigorously tested steel frames outperform aluminum and help to solve emerging challenges in module fragility. Origami Solar steel frames have demonstrated superior structural performance with multiple leading tracker systems, protecting Heliene’s high-performance modules in challenging environments and ensuring structural resilience over the long term.
“Integrating Origami’s steel frames into our 144 and 156 HC M10 SL modules enables Heliene to offer developers an affordable and sustainable domestic module,” said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene. “This partnership aligns with our mission to strengthen the domestic solar supply chain while optimizing product value and minimizing environmental impact. We’re proud to offer steel frames as an option for customers seeking these benefits.”
Origami’s steel frames provide more than just immediate cost savings; their domestically produced supply chain eliminates all duty, tariff, and impoundment risks. Furthermore, the switch to steel reduces embodied carbon in module frames by over 90% vs foreign aluminum.
“Our steel module frames provide a robust, 100% domestically sourced solution for solar module manufacturers like Heliene, as well as developers and EPCs seeking to reduce costs, improve performance and ensure a reliable domestic supply chain,” said Gregg Patterson, CEO of Origami Solar. “Origami Solar’s steel frames offer superior strength, enhancing the durability and long-term performance of solar assets from shipping to end-of-life. Heliene is a leader in delivering domestically sourced modules, and we look forward to driving the industry-wide transition to steel-framed PV modules together.”
Heliene, Inc. is one of North America’s fastest-growing domestic module manufacturers serving the utility-scale, commercial, and residential markets. With an in-house logistics team and remarkably responsive support staff, Heliene delivers competitively priced, high performance solar modules precisely when and where customers need them to accelerate North America’s clean energy transition. Founded in 2010, Heliene consistently ranks as a highly bankable module manufacturer. For more information, visit www.heliene.com.
About Origami Solar
Origami Solar is the leading developer of an innovative steel solar panel frame that is transforming the solar industry with a transparent, domestic recycled steel supply base, precise high-speed production, and dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions. By sourcing steel from an established regional ecosystem, solar module manufacturers can eliminate supply chain risk, decarbonize their modules, and qualify for important domestic content incentives. Origami’s experienced leadership team has successfully developed utility-scale solar projects, commercialized PV components, and launched and scaled several renewable energy companies. For more information, visit: www.origamisolar.com.
Shenzhen, China, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Top KingWin Ltd (“Top KingWin” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: WAI) today announced that on February 18, 2025, it entered into a securities purchase agreement (the “SPA”) to issue a convertible note in the original principal amount of $1,000,000 (the “Note”) to an institutional investor (the “Purchaser”), convertible into its class A ordinary shares, par value of $0.0001 per share (the “Ordinary Shares”), for gross proceeds of $900,000 (the “Offering”).
R.F. Lafferty & Co., Inc. acted as the Company’s exclusive placement agent for this Offering.
The Note bears interest at a rate of 11.75% per annum, subject to adjustment from time to time in accordance with the terms of the Note. All outstanding principal and accrued interest on the Note will become due and payable twelve months after the issuance of the Note (“Issuance Date”), and the Purchaser has the option to extend the maturity term for another twenty-four months upon mutual agreement of the Company and the Purchaser. The Note includes an original issue discount of 10%. The Company may not prepay any portion of the outstanding principal, accrued and unpaid interest or accrued and unpaid late charges on principal and interest, if any. At any time after the Issuance Date, the Note is convertible into validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable Ordinary Shares, on the terms and conditions set forth in the Note. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, as defined in the Note, the Purchaser may require the Company to redeem all or any portion of the Note by delivering written notice thereof.
The Note will be issued to the Purchaser upon satisfaction of all closing conditions. The issuance of the Ordinary Shares issuable upon conversion of the Notes is pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3, as amended (File No. 333-283030), which was declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 13, 2024.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the SPA, the Purchaser and the Company plan to participate in seven additional tranches of closings for the purchase by such Purchaser, and the sale by the Company, including (i) six tranches of a Note (or Notes) in an aggregate original principal amount of up to $4,000,000 each, and (ii) one tranche of a Note (or Notes) in an aggregate original principal amount of up to $4,500,000, as set forth in the Schedule of Buyers to the SPA, with the aggregate original principal amount of these additional closings up to $28,500,000.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Top KingWin Ltd
Top KingWin’s main clients are entrepreneurs and executives in small and medium-sized enterprises in China. Services provided by Top KingWin to its clients including (i) corporate business training services, which mainly focus on providing training services of advanced knowledge and new perspectives on the capital markets, (ii) corporate consulting services, which mainly focus on providing a combination of customized corporate consulting services to fulfill client’s unique financial needs, and (iii) advisory and transaction services, which mainly focus on connecting entrepreneurs and businesses with diversified sources of capital. Its mission is to provide comprehensive services to address clients’ needs throughout all phases of their development and growth.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact in this press release are forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, the use of proceeds from the Company’s offering, the intent, belief or current expectations of Top KingWin and members of its management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and in its other filings with the SEC.
Goldman Sachs Alum Marks Latest Addition to Leadership Bench at Clear Street
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Clear Street (“Clear Street”, “the Company”), a cloud-native financial technology firm on a mission to modernize the brokerage ecosystem, today announced that John Levene will join the firm in the role of Head of Institutional, which oversees the firm’s Prime Brokerage business, this Spring.
Levene joins Clear Street having spent over 25 years at Goldman Sachs, where he was a Partner for the last 14 years. During Levene’s time as Partner, he was a leader in the client service space and served as the Head of Global Banking and Markets Client Experience, Co-Head of Prime Services Client Experience and Head of Americas Prime Brokerage Client Franchise. He was responsible for developing Goldman’s digital service capabilities, consultancy offerings and new business support. Prior to joining Goldman, Levene worked at Salomon Brothers and Hambros Bank (now part of Société Générale).
In his new role, Levene will head Clear Street’s Prime Brokerage business, leveraging his deep expertise in building and managing prime brokerage platforms across the capital markets.
Edward Tilly, CEO of Clear Street, stated, “We welcome John to his new role, where his industry expertise and strategic mindset will be instrumental in advancing our mission to provide best-in-class technology and client service. He is a fantastic addition to our senior team, where his proven leadership across all facets of prime brokerage adds another layer of excellence to the organization. We are excited for the impact John will make as we continue to build the future of Clear Street.”
About Clear Street:
Clear Street is modernizing the brokerage ecosystem with financial technology and services that empower market participants with real-time data and best-in-class products, tools and teams, to navigate capital markets around the world. Complemented by white-glove service, Clear Street’s cloud-native, proprietary product suite delivers financing, derivatives, execution and more to power client success, adding efficiency to the market and enabling clients to minimize risk, redundancy and cost. Clear Street’s goal is to create a single platform for every asset class, in every country and in any currency. For more information, visit https://clearstreet.io.
CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Condor Energies Inc. (“Condor” or the “Company”) (TSX: CDR), a Canadian based energy transition company is pleased to provide an update on the eight gas fields production enhancement project it operates in Uzbekistan.
On a recent workover operation, a potential gas pay section was identified using advanced cased-hole logging tools and reprocessed existing 3-D seismic data which provided significant formation imaging improvements. Prior to the workover, the well had watered out and was not producing. After perforating 23 meters of this newly identified 60-meter interval, the well began flowing at over 1,100 boepd based on a 24-hour production test and has increased to 1,300 boepd during the past 5 days as the completion fluid has now been recovered.
At least five additional well candidates have been identified with similar geologic characteristics using a combination of legacy data and reprocessed 3-D seismic data. Over the coming weeks, these wells will be evaluated to identify potential pay intervals and perforated accordingly. The Company is currently operating two workover rigs and a wireline unit. A third workover rig and second wireline unit with advanced evaluation tools from a North American based services provider is mobilizing to Uzbekistan.
Average production for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 10,510 boepd, up 5% from the third quarter of 2024 and yielded Q4 sales revenues of CA$20.9 million. Production was hampered in the latter part of December 2024 and January 2025 mainly from natural decline rates, as the two workover rigs focused on evaluating shallower Cretaceous-aged, stacked channel sands that had not previously been penetrated on the fields. Despite gas flowing to surface, wellhead pressures were not sufficient to match the existing flowline gathering system pressures. This was likely due in part to having limited zonal isolation to prevent water flows and also not having perforating charges that fully penetrated through two existing casing strings to provide unimpeded access to these gas reservoirs. Given that gas presence was confirmed at surface, Condor will further evaluate these Cretaceous channel sands as part of its 2025 infill well drilling campaign. Both workover rigs have now resumed work on Carbonate formation intervals and production for the past 5 days has averaged 11,455 boepd as newly perforated Carbonate zones begin flowing.
Don Streu, President and CEO of Condor commented: “The material production gains from the ongoing workover program and facility enhancements highlights the capital efficiencies realized from our production enhancement approach. We are continuing to execute our production growth plans in 2025 by adding a third workover rig, drilling a four well vertical and horizontal infill program, continued artificial lift and in-field water separation installations, expanded regions of 3D seismic reprocessing, and field compression. The collaborative working relationship with the national company, JSC “Uzbekneftegaz (“UNG”) and national technical institutes has been instrumental in these early successes.”
ABOUT CONDOR ENERGIES INC
Condor Energies Inc is a TSX-listed energy transition company that is uniquely positioned on the doorstep of European and Asian markets with three distinct first-mover initiatives: increasing natural gas and condensate production from its existing fields in Uzbekistan; an ongoing project to construct and operate Central Asia’s first LNG ‘lower carbon fuel’ diesel substitution facility in Kazakhstan; and a separate initiative to develop and produce critical minerals from brines in Kazakhstan. Condor has already built a strong foundation for reserves, production and cashflow growth while also striving to minimize its environmental footprint.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Such statements are generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as “anticipate”, “appear”, “believe”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “budget”, “outlook”, “scheduled”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “in the process of” or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, information concerning: the timing and ability to complete workovers on the next five well candidates and have them produce at commercial gas rates; the timing and ability to mobilize a third workover rig and second wireline unit; the timing and ability to access and evaluate future Cretaceous channel sands; the timing and ability to execute the 2025 work plan, including adding a third workover rig, drilling a four well vertical and horizontal infill program, continued artificial lift and in-field water separation installations, expanded regions of 3D seismic reprocessing, and field compression; and the timing and ability to maintain a collaborative working relationship with UNG and national technical institutes.
ABBREVIATIONS
The following is a summary of abbreviations used in this news release:
boepd
barrels of oil equivalent per day*
CA$
Canadian dollar
MM
million
* Barrels of oil equivalent (“boe”) are derived by converting gas to oil in the ratio of six thousand standard cubic feet (“Mscf”) of gas to one barrel of oil based on an energy conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6 Mscf to 1 barrel, utilizing a conversion ratio at 6 Mscf to 1 barrel may be misleading as an indication of value, particularly if used in isolation.
The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
For further information, please contact Don Streu, President and CEO or Sandy Quilty, Vice President of Finance and CFO at 403-201-9694.
NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Dave Cantin Group (DCG), a leading mergers and acquisitions advisory company to retail automotive groups and their owners, is proud to announce its elevated partnership with the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) as the exclusive licensed vendor in the mergers-and-acquisitions advisory category for 2025.
“Our newly announced collaboration with the California New Car Dealers Association underscores Dave Cantin Group’s commitment to advancing market insights and fostering shared learning initiatives within the California dealer community,” said Dave Cantin Group President and CEO Dave Cantin. “The timing of this partnership is particularly significant as we just released the 2025 Dave Cantin Group Market Outlook Report (MOR) during NADA, the National Automobile Dealers Association annual conference, and CNCDA recently released its Year-End 2024 California Auto Outlook Report. We’re also excited to further engage with California dealers through CNCDA’s key events, such as its Annual Convention and Dealer Day, as well as welcome CNCDA leadership to DCG’s events, including its exclusive, upscale party during NADA, where we bring together industry leaders to for the most sought-after event of the week.”
Both reports outline key market trends and forecasts in their respective areas. DCG’s exclusive licensed vendor status to CNCDA provides the company with a significant opportunity to advise California new franchised vehicle dealers on the state of the industry, changing business drivers, and the competitive landscape around them, and on the strategies that can aid in achieving business success through mergers and acquisitions. A key resource in DCG’s market intelligence approach is its proprietary AI platform, Jump IQ, which delivers real-time data insights to help advise dealers with real-time deep data in an evolving landscape.
CNCDA President Brian Maas, who recently joined Dave Cantin on its latest episode of CBT News’ Inside M&A alongside two other prominent association presidents, expressed enthusiasm about the increased collaboration with DCG and the benefits to its California dealer members.
“We’re pleased to see our long-standing relationship with Dave Cantin Group continue to evolve,” Maas said. “DCG has built a stellar reputation as a trusted advisor in dealership M&A nationwide, with a deep understanding of the automotive retail regulatory and economic landscape. This partnership reinforces our commitment to delivering actionable market intelligence and educational resources to our members, ensuring that California’s new car dealers remain at the forefront of the industry.”
The 2025 DCG Market Outlook Report is available here on the Dave Cantin Group website, and the CNCDA report is available here.
DCG is excited to integrate its Market Outlook Report with CNCDA’s market intelligence communications, including the association’s educational content designed to equip dealership professionals with the insights and training they need to navigate a rapidly evolving market landscape.
About CNCDA
For over 100 years, the California New Car Dealers Association has represented California’s franchised new car and truck dealers. CNCDA members are primarily engaged in the retail sale and lease of new and used motor vehicles and provide automotive products, parts, services, and repairs. In 2023, California’s franchised new car dealers sold more than 1.77 million new cars and trucks, employed more than 138,807 people, paid $8.74 billion in sales tax, and donated $67.66 million to charitable and civic organizations. CNCDA is the Nation’s largest state association of franchised automotive dealers—with nearly 1,200 members— and provides legal compliance and legislative, regulatory, and legal advocacy.
About Dave Cantin Group
The Dave Cantin Group is a leading automotive M&A advisory company specializing in acquisitions, divestitures, intelligence, and other advisory services. The company is the M&A services provider of choice for North America’s top automotive dealership groups, advising on approximately 40 transactions annually. DCG is differentiated by its advisory approach, long-term lens on client relationships, and commitment to market intelligence tools that inform DCG and client strategies. In 2023, DCG became the only retail automotive M&A company with a significant strategic investor, welcoming Kaltroco to the DCG family.
Through its M&A intelligence division, DCG produces automotive content and delivers relevant, timely marketing intelligence, including the automotive industry Market Outlook Report (MOR). Together with CBT News, DCG produces the Inside M&A studio show and podcast to share stories, news and trends impacting the retail automotive industry. DCG’s proprietary AI-enabled software, Jump IQ, anchors its advisory services that support retail automotive dealers in developing informed M&A strategies and making smarter M&A decisions.
The company’s nonprofit initiative, DCG Giving, funds child and adolescent cancer research and treatment in communities nationwide and other worthy charitable initiatives. DCG team members regularly feature on the industry speaking circuit and are regularly cited by top national and global news outlets. For more information, please visit davecantingroup.com.
Dave Cantin Group Media Contact: Katie Merx katiemerx@gmail.com 313.510.5090
CNCDA Media Contact: Autumn Heacox aheacox@cncda.org (916) 441-2599 x105
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO) announced today that it will host a conference call on March 6, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. MT) to report its financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024.
To participate in the live call, please register through the following event weblink: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIfe02700a31384d12946e60bf35964cb8
After registering, participants will be provided with a dial-in number and pin.
To listen to the conference call (audio only), please register through the following event weblink: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/h9wkbjf5
A webcast replay will be available two hours after the conference call ends on March 6, 2025. The archived webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of Gevo’s website at www.gevo.com.
About Gevo Gevo is a next-generation diversified energy company committed to fueling America’s future with cost-effective, drop-in fuels that contribute to energy security, abate carbon, and strengthen rural communities to drive economic growth. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of renewable products, including sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”), motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials that provide U.S.-made solutions. By investing in the backbone of rural America, Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities that create jobs and revitalize communities. Gevo owns and operates one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas (“RNG”) facilities in the United States, turning by-products into clean, reliable energy. We also operate an ethanol plant with an adjacent carbon capture and sequestration (“CCS”) facility, further solidifying America’s leadership in energy innovation. Additionally, Gevo owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (“ATJ”) fuels and chemicals. Gevo’s market-driven “pay for performance” approach regarding carbon and other sustainability attributes, helps ensure value is delivered to our local economy. Through its Verity subsidiary, Gevo provides transparency, accountability, and efficiency in tracking, measuring and verifying various attributes throughout the supply chain. By strengthening rural economies, Gevo is working to secure a self-sufficient future and to make sure value is brought to the market.
