Source: Reserve Bank of India
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The Reserve Bank today released data on India’s invisibles as per the IMF’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual (BPM6) format for January-March of 2024-25. Ajit Prasad Press Release: 2025-2026/816 |
Source: Reserve Bank of India
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Data on lending and deposit rates of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) (excluding regional rural banks and small finance banks) received during the month of July 2025 are set out in Tables 1 to 7. Highlights: Lending Rates:
Deposit Rates:
Ajit Prasad Press Release: 2025-2026/818 |
Source: Samsung
London, U.K. – 31 July, 2025 – Leading social entertainment business LADbible Group makes its debut on television screens with the launch of the LADbible Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channel.
Now available in the UK on Samsung TV Plus, Samsung’s FAST platform, LADbible FAST Channel will showcase the Group’s most loved original programming 24/7, including hit series such as Minutes With, Snack Wars, Agree to Disagree and Would You Rather.
As viewing habits shift, LADbible Group is expanding its reach to meet audiences exactly where they are. Insights from Samsung’s 2024 Anatomy of a Streamer research report show that Gen Z Samsung Smart TV viewers are embracing streaming TV, watching an average of 1 hour and 38 minutes of streamed content per day, compared to just over 49 minutes for Boomers.
The channel offers a bold mix of entertaining, unfiltered moments with household celebrities and untold stories from around the world, all delivered straight into viewers’ homes. Whether it’s Minutes With, spotlighting powerful, personal stories from mental health advocates to reformed gangsters, or Snack Wars featuring stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Ryan Gosling or Paul Mescal, each show is designed to entertain, spark conversation, and put viewers into the heart of culture.
To mark the launch, LADbible Group will also premiere its new format ‘Jury Room’, a debate show that takes on issues the public can not agree on, hosted by ‘Juries’ – from barristers, business owners, gangsters, to Gen Z influencers. The six-part series will see the first episode questioning, “Should we bring back military conscription in the event of war?”. It will be available on CTV and YouTube.
LADbible’s original programming has seen notable growth and success. Its audience has grown to over 280 million views on YouTube alone with a YOY increase of 20%, averaging a staggering 100 million minutes per month.
Becky Gardner, Head of Originals said, ‘LADbible on TV presents an exciting new opportunity to expand our reach and connect with even more viewers of our shows. This launch reflects our dedication to being where our audience is, delivering always-on entertainment that they love – anytime, anywhere, on any screen. We’re thrilled to bring LADbible directly into people’s homes”
Gus Grimaldi, Head of Samsung TV Plus EMEA, added: “LADbible is a global powerhouse of entertainment, and we’re thrilled to bring their first-ever TV channel to Samsung TV Plus users for free in the UK. With young viewers rapidly turning to CTV and watching from the comfort of their own homes, Samsung TV Plus is at the forefront of connecting audiences with high quality entertainment. LADbible is the ideal content partner to reach the ever-growing number of FAST TV viewers.”
Availability:
LADbible is now live on Samsung TV Plus, available pre-installed on 2016+ Samsung Smart TVs and on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Channel number: 4093
About LADbible Group
LADbible Group is a leading social entertainment business, reaching a global audience of 520 million followers. In the UK alone, it reaches two‑thirds of 18‑ to 34‑year‑olds and ranks as the fifth largest social and digital business. The Group operates a diverse portfolio of brands and platforms, including LADbible, SPORTbible, UNILAD and Betches, and operates over seven websites. Every month, it generates 13.9 billion views on social and 2,700 views per second. Its purpose is to give young adults a voice by building communities that laugh, think and act, with content that spans entertainment, celebrity interviews, news, live documentary and factual programming. LADbible Group has an international presence spanning all corners of the globe, with physical offices across APAC, US, the UK and Ireland. The Group has been widely recognised across the industry for its impactful social good campaigns, brand partnerships and original programming. This includes Media Brand of the Year at the Media Week Awards, Commercial Team of the Year at the Campaign Media Awards and Web Channel of the Year at the Broadcast Digital Awards.
About Samsung TV Plus
Samsung TV Plus is free streaming, TV with no subscription and no additional device or credit card needed. The service is pre-installed on all 2016+ Samsung Smart TVs, and on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets in select territories. Samsung TV Plus instantly delivers a vast and growing library across multiple genres including news, sports, entertainment, as well as a video on demand catalogue of your favourite movies and popular shows. The free, ad-supported streaming video service is available globally in 30 territories, all you need is an internet connection. For the latest on Samsung TV Plus, please visit www.samsungtvplus.com.
Source: US State of Connecticut
In the coastal waters of Long Island Sound, Connecticut’s shellfish industry is quietly thriving and evolving. A statewide effort led by Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension professionals is helping prospective farmers, agriscience teachers, and environmental professionals dive into the world of aquaculture with the Foundations of Shellfish Farming course.
Now entering its fourth year, the course has become a vital entry point for people launching or expanding their careers in the shellfish industry, and the results are rippling across the state.
“In this business, you need to get up early and go to work even when it’s not always fun. But we try to prepare people for that reality, and for the opportunities that come with it,” says Mike Gilman, an assistant extension educator and co-instructor of the course.
A former high school science teacher, Gilman co-owns an oyster business and has experienced firsthand the long, uncertain path from lease applications to harvesting a market-ready crop.
Tessa Getchis, senior extension educator and aquaculture specialist, co-teaches the course with Gilman.
“We’ve created a program that combines science, policy, and lived experience. Students walk away with a binder full of resources, a support network, and a deeper understanding of the industry,” Getchis says.
The course was launched through a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant. Foundations of Shellfish Farming offers 12 weeks of intensive, in-person instruction each winter. Classes are held at UConn Avery Point, and the curriculum includes biology lessons, business planning, regulatory guidance, and mental and emotional preparedness for the unpredictable world of shellfish farming.
The course enrolls around 15 participants annually, with a cap of 20 to ensure knowledge sharing and individualized attention. Students range from new farmers to conservation professionals, and entrepreneurs.
The course’s hands-on emphasis extends beyond the classroom. Each year, students have an opportunity for real-world experience through the Sharing Hands-On Understanding and Cultivating Knowledge on Shellfish (SHUCKS) internship program, a partnership with Sixpenny Oyster Farm in Noank.
Last year’s interns were funded by the Small Business Development Fund, with preference given to Foundations students. One of the interns, Sam Tucker of Clinton, was already a seasoned shellfish worker. A music teacher by trade, Tucker recently planted his first crop of oysters after navigating a complex, years-long permitting process.
This season, two new interns are back on the water with funding from Connecticut Sea Grant. Sixpenny co-owners Will Ceddia and Jason Hamilton oversee the interviews and day-to-day management of interns. Gilman and Getchis facilitate the program, provide orientation, and collect feedback.
The Foundations course addresses a significant barrier in the shellfish industry: access.
“Shellfishing has traditionally been a hard industry to enter,” Gilman says. “One of our goals is to make the path clearer and more inclusive.”
The start-up requirements and expenses involved can also be a disincentive. In some cases, the Foundations course has helped students decide a large investment in shellfish farming isn’t the right choice for them.
“If this class helps a student realize that aquaculture isn’t for them, before they spend years in the permitting process and potentially thousands of dollars in equipment, that’s actually a win for the industry,” says Gilman.
But for many, the course is the launchpad they need to start or expand their businesses.
Four new farms have launched directly from the program with multiple others currently in the process of becoming established operations. Also, some former students now hire interns or share equipment.
Participants report increased confidence with permitting, inspections, and gear management. A six-month follow-up survey shows that more than 60% of graduates are actively engaged in industry work, environmental stewardship, or continued aquaculture training.
The course is a requirement for new licensees through the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Aquaculture. Gilman and Getchis also consult regularly with the Bureau and other subject matter experts to adapt content to emerging issues, such as pests, predators, diseases, impaired water quality and climate (for example, the growing threat of rainfall-related closures).
The Foundations course goes beyond shellfish biology and gear types. It includes sessions on physical and mental health, business planning, and managing risks. “Farming shellfish is isolating and physically demanding,” says Gilman. “We don’t shy away from that. We talk about how to stay safe, how to deal with closures, and how to make it through when things get tough.”
Another recent innovation honors the legacy of former Guilford Shellfish Commissioner, Peter Charland, who passed away in 2024. In partnership with the Guilford Shellfish Commission, the team created aquaculture worker starter packs with boots, sun gear, and other essentials which were distributed during a ceremony this spring. A larger grant seeks to continue this initiative and help reduce startup costs for new entrants.
Extreme weather and regulatory hurdles challenge the industry, making sustainable shellfish aquaculture more important than ever. Connecticut remains one of the top six shellfish-producing states, with over 50 businesses supported by its oyster and clam operations.
The next steps for Gilman and Getchis include facilitating more pathways from coursework to water-based experience.
“You don’t need an advanced degree to grow oysters,” says Gilman. “We need plumbers, electricians, and mechanics, people with complementary skills who can fix a pump or a boat engine and aren’t afraid to get dirty.”
For now, the Foundations course is cultivating more than oysters; it’s growing a community.
“Our students stay in touch. They ask questions, they call us for help, and they show up at industry meetings,” Getchis says. “It’s been incredible to watch this bubble of new energy form around Connecticut aquaculture. That’s the kind of impact you hope for in Extension.”
The Connecticut Sea Grant College Program (CTSG) is part of the National Sea Grant College Program network, administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). CTSG is based at UConn Avery Point in Groton. Several staff members have academic appointments in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, including UConn Extension. For more than 30 years, CTSG has worked to foster the wise use and conservation of coastal and marine resources of Long Island Sound and beyond through research, outreach and education. It is science serving the coast!
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Second patient in the first cohort is now advancing through protocol-defined evaluations as Company provides promising update on first patient pharmacokinetic results
SOUTH SAN FRANSCISCO, Calif., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., (Nasdaq: CERO) (“CERo” or the “Company”) an innovative cellular immunotherapy company seeking to advance the next generation of engineered T cell therapeutics that employ phagocytic mechanisms, announces it has dosed the second patient in the first cohort of its Phase 1 CER-1236 clinical trial focused on patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The patient was dosed at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) at Colorado Blood Cancer Institute (CBCI) in Denver, Colorado, with Yazan Migdady, M.D., an associate member physician at CBCI acting as principal investigator for the study. With more than seven days passed following the second patient’s infusion, monitoring continues for key safety, tolerability, and efficacy endpoints.
Dr. Migdady noted, “The dosing of the second patient in this Phase 1 first-in-human trial is an important indicator, representing a key clinical development milestone for CER-1236, a novel autologous CAR-T therapeutic candidate targeting TIM 4L. We believe that CER-1236 may be an important advancement in cancer immunotherapy and this second patient reflects steady progress in our clinical evaluation. We are now conducting protocol-specified evaluations of safety, pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and efficacy endpoints, and expect to communicate progress over the course of the study.”
Previously CERo reported that the first patient treated in CertainT-1 had no dose-limiting toxicities during the 28-day DLT observation period. Further analysis of CER-1236 pharmacokinetics in this patient reveals that the therapy of infused cells expanded (e.g., the cell number multiplied) as expected upon infusion, reaching a peak at 14 days post infusion with a 20.8-fold expansion of infused cells. These are early insights into how CER-1236 functions in AML patients, and CERo will be monitoring pharmacokinetics in subsequent patients.
The first-in-human, multi-center, open label, Phase 1/1b study is designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of CER-1236 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia that is either relapsed/refractory, or in remission with measurable residual disease, or newly diagnosed patients with TP53 mutated MDS/AML or AML. The two-part study has begun with dose escalation to determine the highest tolerated dose and recommended dose for Phase 2, followed by an expansion phase to evaluate safety and efficacy. Primary outcome measures include incidence of adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs), incidence of dose limited toxicities and estimation of overall response rate (ORR), complete response (CR), composite complete response (cCR), and measurable residual disease (MRD). Secondary outcome measures include pharmacokinetics (PK).
CERo CEO Chris Ehrlich said, “We are encouraged that in our very first patient treated we saw rapid and significant expansion in CER-1236 cells after infusion, a positive sign that we’re on the right track in our Phase I study, based on the extensive experience and history of the clinical development of CAR T cells. We continue to believe that CER-1236 is a novel approach to treating cancer, and we are grateful for the participation of our first and second patients, and to the many people who have worked tirelessly to reach this milestone, including our CERO team, our consultants and study sites. We look forward to discussing additional outcomes, which we anticipate will validate the scientific work performed to date with CER-1236.”
About CERo Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
CERo is an innovative immunotherapy company advancing the development of next generation engineered T cell therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Its proprietary approach to T cell engineering, which enables it to integrate certain desirable characteristics of both innate and adaptive immunity into a single therapeutic construct, is designed to engage the body’s full immune repertoire to achieve optimized cancer therapy. This novel cellular immunotherapy platform is expected to redirect patient-derived T cells to eliminate tumors by building in engulfment pathways that employ phagocytic mechanisms to destroy cancer cells, creating what CERo refers to as Chimeric Engulfment Receptor T cells (“CER-T”). CERo believes the differentiated activity of CER-T cells will afford them greater therapeutic application than currently approved chimeric antigen receptor (“CAR-T”) cell therapy, as the use of CER-T may potentially span both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. CERo has commenced clinical trials for its lead product candidate CER-1236 for hematological malignancies.
Forward-Looking Statements
This communication contains statements that are forward-looking and as such are not historical facts. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of management for future operations of CERo. These statements constitute projections, forecasts and forward-looking statements, and are not guarantees of performance. Such statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. When used in this communication, words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “strive,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. When CERo discusses its strategies or plans, it is making projections, forecasts or forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the beliefs of, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to, CERo’s management.
Actual results could differ from those implied by the forward-looking statements in this communication. Certain risks that could cause actual results to differ are set forth in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and the documents incorporated by reference therein. The risks described in CERo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission are not exhaustive. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all such risk factors, nor can CERo assess the impact of all such risk factors on its business, or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance. You should not put undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. All forward-looking statements made by CERo or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. CERo undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Contact:
Chris Ehrlich
Chief Executive Officer
chris@cero.bio
Investors:
CORE IR
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Inuvo, Inc. (NYSE American: INUV), a leading provider of artificial intelligence AdTech solutions, will host a conference call on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 4:15 PM Eastern Time to discuss its financial results and provide a business update for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.
Conference Call Details:
Date: Thursday, August 7, 2025
Time: 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time
Toll-free Dial-in Number: 1-800-717-1738
International Dial-in Number: 1-646-307-1865
Conference ID: 1148531
Webcast Link: HERE
A telephone replay will be available through Thursday, August 21, 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 1148531 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.
Inuvo Company Contact:
Wally Ruiz
Chief Financial Officer
Tel (501) 205-8397
wallace.ruiz@inuvo.com
Source: APO – Report:
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) (www.CCBAGroup.com) marks nine years since the transformative merger that established it as the continent’s largest Coca-Cola bottling partner.
This milestone is grounded in a proud legacy that began 85 years ago, when the first Coca-Cola was bottled in Gqeberha, South Africa in 1940 by the SA Bottling Company (Pty) Ltd. That same year, Philipp Rowland Gutsche joined the company, beginning a family legacy that would shape the business for generations. From those early beginnings, CCBA has evolved into a key player in Africa’s beverage industry, with a deep commitment to local communities and long-term development.
Today, CCBA continues to invest in new production capacity, reinforcing its belief in Africa’s potential and its commitment to creating shared opportunities across the value chain.
In the past year alone, CCBA has launched new state-of-the-art bottling lines in South Africa, Namibia and Malawi, increasing total production capacity by over 108,000 bottles per hour, and equipped with advanced technology, including artificial intelligence. CCBA has also opened a new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flaking plant in Namibia which doubled the capacity of the only mechanical recycler of plastic in the country through a partnership with Plastic Packaging. The completion of this cutting-edge recycling facility has enabled Namibia Polymer Recyclers (NPR), a subsidiary of Plastic Packaging, to recycle up to 500 tons of PET per month.
CCBA has also announced the company’s intention to grow its investment in Kenya by up to $175m in the five years between 2024 and 2029, should it achieve its anticipated growth targets in the country.
“These investments are a demonstration of our progress and continued belief in the future of Africa,” said Sunil Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of CCBA.
“They reaffirm the Coca-Cola system’s local approach – we produce locally, distribute locally and, where possible, source locally. Our value chain includes a significant number of businesses, many of them small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“These investments go beyond numbers, it’s about creating shared opportunities across the value chain,” Gupta said.
“Our vision is to refresh Africa and create shared value. As we celebrate our ninth birthday as a company, we aim to inspire excellence and set the standard as Africa’s leading and most admired company, fostering growth, innovation and impact across the continent,” Gupta said.
– on behalf of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
ISSUED BY:
Keli Fernie
Head: Reputation and Communication
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Tel: +27 82 419 8766
Email: kfernie@ccbagroup.com
Follow us on:
LinkedIn: https://apo-opa.co/4l54fGW
About CCBA:
CCBA is the eighth largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 17,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 800,000 customers with a host of international and local brands. CCBA operates in 14 countries, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Malawi.
Learn more at https://www.CCBAGroup.com
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Source: APO – Report:
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the Government of Burkina Faso launched the third phase of the incubator program of the Support Project for Youth Employment and Skills Development in Rural Areas (PADEJ-MR in the French acronym) on July 15, 2025, in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
Ms. Franceline Kaboré, representing the country’s Minister of Sports, Youth, and Employment, and Ms. Mouna Diawara, Head of Operations both attended.
The PADEJ-MR aims to promote the economic empowerment and resilience of young people in rural areas through entrepreneurship. The project, with a total cost of €13.62 million, mainly financed by a €12.25 million grant from the African Development Bank, has supported the establishment of an incubator mechanism providing practical training in financial education and safeguards, personalized coaching, and local technical support.
The initiative aims to help young people convert their ideas into viable businesses in promising sectors such as agriculture, agri-food, services, crafts, and new technologies. In the third phase of the incubator program, 65 young people from the four regions covered by the Project are receiving support to help them prepare business plans that are eligible for financing.
Ms. Franceline Kaboré commended the African Development Bank’s commitment to the PADEJ-MR. She noted that youth entrepreneurship is a national priority enshrined in the strategic vision of the government of Burkina Faso.
Ms. Mouna Diawara emphasized that “the Project to Support Youth Employment and Skills Development in Rural Areas is a concrete and integrated response to the problem of youth unemployment in rural areas. The African Development Bank is ready to continue supporting Burkina Faso in its economic transformation efforts, with a particular focus on opportunities for young people and women.”
Sévérine Lankouandé, speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries of the incubator, expressed gratitude to the government and to the African Development Bank for the opportunities that the incubator program had already provided. A cohort of young entrepreneurs have already received training that will enable them to launch transformative enteprises.
– on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Media contact:
Department of Communication and External Relations
media@afdb.org
.
Source: Government of South Africa
Government launches project for investors in energy sector
As part of ongoing efforts to unlock infrastructure investments and strengthen the energy sector, government is calling on investors to invest in the country’s transmission infrastructure through the Independent Transmission Projects (ITPs) Programme.
This initiative marks the first time private investment will be allowed in South Africa’s transmission infrastructure, paving the way for a faster rollout of new high-voltage power lines across the country.
“This will support the efforts already underway by the National Transmission Company of South Africa to implement the Transmission Development Plan, which calls for more than 14 000 km of new lines to be built over the next decade.
“The introduction of ITPs is a key objective of Operation Vulindlela Phase II and will play an important role in the broader reform of the energy system. This reform includes the introduction of a competitive electricity market, which will allow multiple generators and traders to compete to provide electricity to consumers at the lowest cost and with the greatest efficiency,” Deputy Minister of Finance Dr David Masondo said on Thursday.
Addressing the launch of the Request for Pre-Qualifications for Independent Transmission Projects (ITPs) in Johannesburg, the Deputy Minister said the reform of the energy system is advancing rapidly, and its commitment remains unwavering.
“We will not allow any vested interests to delay or obstruct this reform process, including Eskom itself. Indeed, today’s release of the Request for Quotation (RFQ) demonstrates that government, led by [Electricity] Minister Dr [Kgosientsho] Ramokgopa and his team, is working hard to implement the reforms that are needed to ensure long-term energy security and expand access to affordable electricity for all South Africans.
“National Treasury has supported this process through the design of a Credit Guarantee Vehicle, as an innovative mechanism to unlock private capital and complement public financing for infrastructure while minimising contingent liabilities,” he said.
South Africa is faced with a significant infrastructure financing need.
It is estimated that South Africa’s infrastructure gap is around R3.5 to R4 trillion by 2025, or around R400 billion per annum.
“This substantial need calls for scaling up of public financing for infrastructure as well as crowding in private capital through public-private partnerships (PPP). The objective of the Credit Guarantee Vehicle is to mobilise and leverage private capital to address South Africa’s infrastructure financing gap by mitigating offtake risk for private investors.
“This vehicle will also support the efficient deployment of development partner funding under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) and the achievement of the country’s decarbonisation commitments,” the Deputy Minister said.
While the Credit Guarantee Vehicle will focus on the initial phase on enabling investments in transmission infrastructure, it will be expanded into other areas such as logistics and water over time.
“The vehicle will be incorporated as a private company in South Africa, regulated by the Prudential Authority. It will operate as a standalone entity with an independent balance sheet and will target a minimum credit rating of AAA.
“A professional executive management team and board of directors with relevant experience and expertise will be appointed to operate and manage the fund,” he said.
The Credit Guarantee Vehicle will issue a combination of payment and termination guarantees to a Special Purpose Vehicle established for the project.
This will substantially derisk early investments in ITPs until the model has been proven and established.
“We are targeting an initial capital raise of US$500 million for the vehicle, spread across a range of development partners. National Treasury has committed to providing first loss capital of 20%, which will be an initial US$100 million increasing to US$500 million (R9 billion) if needed.
“In February 2025, the Minister of Finance [Enoch Godongwana] wrote to a range of development partners asking them to submit an expression of interest to invest in the vehicle. The responses received have been overwhelmingly positive, with 32 development partners engaged thus far,” the Deputy Minister said.
Formal engagements with participating partners are continuing and will lead to the delivery of conditional equity participation commitment letters in the third quarter of 2025.
This will enable the Credit Guarantee Vehicle to be operationalized by July 2026 to align with the first phase of ITP projects.
“South Africa’s ITP programme, backed by credit guarantees, represents a globally innovative model which has been designed with our own context and needs in mind.
“It will not only result in massive new investment in infrastructure but will enable thousands of megawatts of new renewable energy capacity to be connected in areas where grid capacity is limited. This will support economic growth, create jobs, and power our economy into the future,” Masondo said. –SAnews.gov.za
nosihle
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A new Trade Remedies Advisory Service will provide improved support for businesses navigating trade remedies investigations.
The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today (31 July) launched the Trade Remedies Advisory Service to provide support for UK businesses navigating trade remedies investigations.
The service will build on support previously provided by the TRA’s Pre-Application Office, simplifying how businesses can bring a case to the TRA to investigate a potential trade injury. It also aims to increase engagement with small and medium enterprises. The new service will provide a simplified application and questionnaire process that makes it quicker and less onerous for new businesses who want to bring a case to TRA. It is being launched as part of the TRA’s work to make its investigations more accessible to case participants, as part of the 2025 Trade Strategy.
TRA Chief Executives Jessica Blakely and Carmen Suarez said:
We’re committed to ensuring that UK businesses of all sizes have the support they need to navigate trade remedies investigations effectively. The expanded Trade Remedies Advisory Service represents a significant step forward, moving to a more proactive engagement with industry throughout the entire case lifecycle. This change responds to feedback from businesses who told us they need more comprehensive guidance and ongoing support. By updating processes and expanding the specialist team, we’re committed to making it easier for companies to access support if they face unfair trading practices.
The Trade Remedies Advisory Service increases support beyond traditional pre-application guidance. Assistance is now available from initial enquiries through to final determinations, with dedicated specialists for producers, importers and SMEs addressing sector-specific challenges.
Three strategic areas define the service’s enhanced capabilities:
Feedback from industry stakeholders made it clear that ongoing support throughout a case’s lifecycle is vital, and this has directly influenced the redesign of the service. The expanded Trade Remedies Advisory Service team now includes additional specialists who recognise the needs of different interested parties, particularly SMEs. Regular drop-in sessions and process guidance workshops will also help stakeholders submit high-quality responses while freeing case teams to focus on core investigative functions.
A spokesperson from a UK producer who has been involved in a TRA investigation said:
Today’s announcement is a much-needed step to ensure every business, especially our small and medium-sized enterprises, can grow and prosper. We understand, first-hand, how daunting a TRA investigation can appear , and the enhanced function will be instrumental in guiding businesses through the process to ensure their voice is heard. We also welcome their commitment to using data to identify industries at risk and potentially requiring trade measures. This will be essential if we are to safeguard British businesses from unfair international trading practices in the future.
This change represents a strategic shift from reactive assistance to proactive engagement with industries involved in trade remedies investigations, helping the TRA support businesses in adjusting to the current turbulent global trading picture.
Any UK producer that believes they are being harmed by unfair overseas trading practices can contact the TRA for guidance and support. The TRA’s Trade Remedies Advisory Service can be contacted on: contact@traderemedies.gov.uk.
Source: World Health Organisation
While Sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest HIV burden globally and is home to almost 65% of all people living with HIV, for decades, access to HIV treatment across the African region depended almost entirely on imports of lifesaving drugs and diagnostic tests manufactured thousands of miles away.
To boost supply chain resilience and regional self-reliance, WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes Department, in collaboration with the Regulation and Prequalification Department, has been actively advocating for locally manufactured quality-assured medicines and diagnostics. This work is carried out in close partnership with countries, manufacturers in Africa and partners such as the Global Fund and Unitaid.
In 2023, Universal Corporation Ltd (UCL), a Kenya-based pharmaceutical company led by Mr Palu Dhanani, became the first African manufacturer to receive WHO prequalification to produce tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine and dolutegravir (TLD), a WHO-recommended first-line antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection.
“Local production of quality-assured health products is an urgent priority. With every African manufacturer that meets WHO prequalification standards, we move closer to a more self-reliant, resilient, and equitable health system. Regulation and prequalification are not just technical processes; they are catalysts for health sovereignty and timely access to lifesaving medicines and diagnostics,” said Dr Rogerio Gaspar, WHO Director for Regulation and Prequalification.
As recently announced, the Global Fund now procures UCL’s TLD for Mozambique, marking the first time TLD is manufactured on African soil. This milestone reflects ongoing collaboration between WHO and the Global Fund to support essential HIV services, through the NextGen market shaping approach.
“The procurement of the African-manufactured first-line HIV treatment by the Global Fund for Mozambique is a great milestone towards strengthening supply chain systems in Africa. This will contribute to better health outcomes for people living with HIV who need uninterrupted medicine supplies,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes.
However, production alone isn’t enough. To ensure sustainable and resilient supply chains, critical enablers are needed, such as advanced market commitments, fair procurement policies and continued technical support.
WHO shares the vision of a world where every region has the capacity to secure its own health. Locally manufactured TLD is a major step towards that goal, but more action is needed. African manufacturers should be prioritized in global supply chains, and guaranteed equitable access to health technologies that meet quality, safety and efficacy/performance standards.
HIV testing is a critical health service and a vital gateway to both prevention and treatment. With current shifts in donor funding, many countries are facing financial strain, putting testing programmes at risk. Keeping people living with HIV on treatment is important and requires affordable and reliable access to HIV rapid tests.
WHO is urging governments to shift towards low-cost, quality-assured HIV rapid tests, especially the first test in their national testing algorithms, for significant cost savings.
Codix Bio, a Nigerian in-vitro diagnostics company, has received a sublicense to manufacture rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), with an initial focus on RDTs for HIV, using technology transferred from the global in-vitro diagnostics company SD Biosensor. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of WHO’s Health Technology Access Programme and the Medicines Patent Pool, this new local manufacture of HIV RDTs will improve access to affordable diagnostic tests and help mitigate disruptions of HIV testing services.
“Having locally produced HIV RDTs will help increase affordability, and more broadly address supply chain vulnerabilities and delays in access to diagnostics,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of WHO’s Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes.
In addition to switching to low-cost quality-assured HIV tests, WHO encourages countries to use HIV self-tests to mitigate gaps in human resources for health as well as stockouts for the first RDT in national algorithms.
Source: United States Bureau of Economic Analysis
Personal income increased $71.4 billion (0.3 percent at a monthly rate) in June, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—increased $61.0 billion (0.3 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $69.9 billion (0.3 percent).
Personal outlays—the sum of PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments—increased $69.5 billion in June. Personal saving was $1.01 trillion in June and the personal saving rate—personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income—was 4.5 percent.
The increase in current-dollar personal income in June primarily reflected increases in government social benefits to persons and in compensation.
The $69.9 billion increase in current-dollar PCE reflected increases of $40.1 billion in spending on services and $29.9 billion in spending on goods.
From the preceding month, the PCE price index for June increased 0.3 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index also increased 0.3 percent.
From the same month one year ago, the PCE price index for June increased 2.6 percent. Excluding food and energy, the PCE price index increased 2.8 percent from one year ago.
| Personal Income and Related Measures [Percent change from May to June] |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current-dollar personal income | 0.3 | |||
| Current-dollar disposable personal income | 0.3 | |||
| Real disposable personal income | 0.0 | |||
| Current-dollar personal consumption expenditures (PCE) | 0.3 | |||
| Real PCE | 0.1 | |||
| PCE price index | 0.3 | |||
| PCE price index, excluding food and energy | 0.3 | |||
Next release: August 29, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. EDT
Personal Income and Outlays, July 2025
The increase in personal income in June primarily reflected increases in government social benefits to persons and in compensation.
Revisions to Personal Income
Estimates have been updated for April and May. Revisions to compensation reflect updated BLS CES data. Within personal income receipts on assets, personal dividend income was revised up, reflecting an updated sample of dividends paid by publicly traded companies. Within government social benefits, Medicaid was revised up, reflecting Monthly Treasury Statement data.
Source: United States Courts
Personal and business bankruptcy filings rose 11.5 percent in the twelve-month period ending June 30, 2025, compared with the previous year.
According to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, annual bankruptcy filings totaled 542,529 in the year ending June 2025, compared with 486,613 cases in the previous year.
Business filings rose 4.5 percent, from 22,060 to 23,043 in the year ending June 30, 2025. Non-business bankruptcy filings rose 11.8 percent to 519,486, compared with 464,553 in the previous year.
Bankruptcy totals for the previous 12 months are reported four times annually.
For more than a decade, total filings fell steadily, from a high of nearly 1.6 million in September 2010 to a low of 380,634 in June 2022. Total filings have increased each quarter since then, but they remain far lower than historical highs.
| Year | Business | Non-Business | Total |
| 2025 | 23,043 | 519,486 | 542,529 |
| 2024 | 22,060 | 464,553 | 486,613 |
| 2023 | 15,724 | 403,000 | 418,724 |
| 2022 | 12,748 | 367,886 | 380,634 |
| 2021 | 18,511 | 443,798 | 462,309 |
| Year | Chapter | |||
| 7 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |
| 2025 | 333,321 | 8,408 | 282 | 200,290 |
| 2024 | 284,975 | 8,717 | 181 | 192,421 |
| 2023 | 239,125 | 5,986 | 147 | 173,362 |
| 2022 | 239,750 | 4,429 | 201 | 136,169 |
| 2021 | 335,886 | 6,871 | 438 | 118,864 |
Additional statistics released today include:
For more on bankruptcy and its chapters, view the following resources:
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
RESTON, Va., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Science Applications International Corp. (NASDAQ: SAIC) has been awarded a $202 million contract to provide an extensive range of training solutions for the U.S. Navy, including modernized virtual and synthetic training environments, as part of the Fleet Deployment Training Program. This initiative is crucial to supporting U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) and associated Fleet commands and activities, significantly enhancing the Navy’s readiness to operate and fight effectively across the globe.
The renewed prime contract includes a 10-month base period of performance, four one-year options and one six-month extension option – ensuring a sustained and robust partnership to fortify the Navy’s training programs.
“Our team is extremely proud to continue this decades-long, dedicated support for the U.S. Navy to advance their operational readiness,” said Barbara Supplee, SAIC executive vice president of Navy Business Group. “This program is integral to ensuring the Navy is thoroughly prepared to execute any mission assigned by Geographic Combatant and Forward Fleet Commanders. It directly enhances the Navy’s ability to deploy and employ all facets of the naval force on a global scale – making a critical difference in combat situations and supporting the Chief of Naval Operation’s priority of developing highly capable warfighting teams equipped for the complexities of modern combat environments.”
Under this contract, SAIC will provide the Navy with extensive training and readiness support capabilities across 19 different headquarters and training commands. This encompasses academic instruction, live exercises, synthetic training events and policy support to ensure comprehensive pre-deployment training and certification, as well as post-deployment sustainment for fleet units and staffs.
SAIC’s support extends to delivering advanced training scenarios through Fleet Synthetic Training and Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) environments. These training methods cover the Fleet Training Continuum from Basic Phase unit-level activities to Advanced Phase certifications, culminating in high-end Integrated Phase major exercises for deployment readiness. Additionally, SAIC will provide reach-back training support to strike groups and amphibious ready groups during deployments, adapting to the evolving operational environments and emerging threats.
This contract underscores SAIC’s long-standing commitment to enhancing the Navy’s global readiness and combat capabilities, playing a pivotal role in improving operational effectiveness and preparedness across the Navy. Our innovative training solutions have been instrumental in ensuring the Navy’s ability to swiftly adapt to evolving threats and operational environments. By equipping naval forces to face challenges and secure strategic interests worldwide, SAIC is playing a critical role in ensuring the Navy’s ability to maintain operational superiority across the globe.
About SAIC
SAIC® is a premier Fortune 500 mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.
We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release contain or are based on “forward-looking” information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “guidance,” and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Legal Proceedings” sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SEC’s website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC’s expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others.
Media Contact:
Greg Hicks
619.961.0075 | Gregory.L.Hicks@saic.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
ATHENS, Greece, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TOP Ships Inc. (the “Company” or “TOP Ships”) (NYSE American:TOPS), an international owner and operator of modern, fuel-efficient “ECO” tanker vessels, announced today that the expected distribution date for the common shares of Rubico Inc. (“Rubico”) is August 1, 2025.
Rubico common shares are expected to commence trading on a standalone basis on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 4, 2025, the first trading day after the date of distribution, under the ticker “RUBI”.
As previously announced, TOP Ships intends through Rubico to effect a spin-off of two of its vessels, the M/T Eco Malibu and M/T Eco West Coast, each a modern, high specification, scrubber-fitted and fuel-efficient 157,000 dwt Suezmax tanker. As part of the spin-off transaction, TOP Ships intends to distribute 100% of the common shares of Rubico pro rata to its securityholders of record as of June 16, 2025. As previously announced, the NYSE American established an ex-distribution date for the distribution of Rubico common shares of June 16, 2025. Beginning on that date, TOP Ships common shares traded without an entitlement by the purchaser of such shares to Rubico common shares distributed in connection with the spin-off.
Rubico has filed a registration statement on Form 20-F pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with the SEC, which includes a more detailed description of the terms of the spin-off. A copy of the registration statement on Form 20-F is available at www.sec.gov.
About TOP Ships Inc.
TOP Ships Inc. is an international owner and operator of ocean-going vessels focusing on modern, fuel-efficient eco tanker vessels transporting crude oil, petroleum products (clean and dirty) and bulk liquid chemicals. For more information about TOP Ships Inc., visit its website: www.topships.org.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts, including statements regarding the proposed spin-off and the prospects and strategies of TOP Ships and Rubico following the spin-off, the valuation of the shares of Rubico and TOP Ships following the spin-off, and the listing of Rubico’s common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including, without limitation, our management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records, and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs, or projections. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward‐looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.
For further information please contact:
Alexandros Tsirikos
Chief Financial Officer
TOP Ships Inc.
Tel: +30 210 812 8107
Email: atsirikos@topships.org
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
Dallas, TX, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vivakor, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIVK) (“Vivakor” or the “Company”), an integrated provider of energy transportation, storage, reuse, and remediation service, today announced the record date of August 20, 2025 for its previously disclosed plan to issue a special dividend to Vivakor shareholders.
Vivakor currently holds 206,595 (approximately 13.5% of the outstanding common) shares of Adapti, Inc. (OTCID: ADTI), a company that manages the marketing of products, data and companies through its AdaptAI software platform that leverages advanced AI technology to match products and brands with influencers to attempt to generate superior marketing results.
Based on Vivakor’s current shares outstanding of approximately 47,297,347 and excluding 20,963,229 shares held by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and former Chief Financial Officer who waived their right to the dividend, each Vivakor shareholder will be entitled to receive approximately 0.0079 shares of Adapti, Inc. common stock per Vivakor share. Based on the current $3.50 share price of Adapti’s common stock, the special dividend is currently valued at approximately $0.75 million.
Adapti, Inc., formerly known as Scepter Holdings, Inc., filed its Form 10 Registration Statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in September 2024 and has since become a mandatory SEC reporting company. Adapti, Inc. filed its Annual Report on 10K for the period ended March 31, 2025 on July 3, 2025.
The Ballengee Group, LLC, a Dallas-based baseball sports management agency which represents approximately 200 professional athletes, an entity previously controlled by Vivakor’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. James Ballengee, was acquired by Adapti, Inc. on July 14, 2025. Additional information regarding this transaction can be found in Adapti, Inc.’s filings with the SEC.
About Vivakor, Inc.
Vivakor, Inc. is an integrated provider of sustainable energy transportation, storage, reuse, and remediation services, operating one of the largest fleets of oilfield trucking services in the continental United States. Its corporate mission is to develop, acquire, accumulate, and operate assets, properties, and technologies in the energy sector. Vivakor’s integrated facilities assets provide crude oil and produced water gathering, storage, transportation, reuse, and remediation services under long-term contracts.
Once operational, Vivakor’s oilfield waste remediation facilities will facilitate the recovery, reuse, and disposal of petroleum byproducts and oilfield waste products.
For more information, please visit our website: http://vivakor.com
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. Actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified but not limited by the use of the words “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “may,” “will,” “believes,” “estimates,” “potential,” or “continue” and variations or similar expressions. Our actual results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, , the expected transaction and ownership structure, the valuation of the transaction, the likelihood and ability of the parties to successfully and timely consummate planned acquisitions, the risk that any required regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect Vivakor or the expected benefits of the such transaction, our ability to maintain the listing of our securities on The Nasdaq Capital Market, the parties failure to realize the anticipated benefits of pending transactions, disruption and volatility in the global currency, capital, and credit markets, changes in federal, local and foreign governmental regulation, changes in tax laws and liabilities, tariffs, legal, regulatory, political and economic risks, our ability to successfully develop products, rapid change in our markets, changes in demand for our future products, and general economic conditions.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed in Vivakor’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which factors may be incorporated herein by reference. Actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially, and potentially adversely, from any projections and forward-looking statements and the assumptions on which those forward-looking statements are based. There can be no assurance that the data contained herein is reflective of future performance to any degree. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a predictor of future performance as projected financial information and other information are based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to various significant risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. All information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof in the case of information about Vivakor and the Endeavor Entities or the date of such information in the case of information from persons other than Vivakor and the Endeavor Entities, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication. Forecasts and estimates regarding the Endeavor Entities industries and markets are based on sources we believe to be reliable; however, there can be no assurance these forecasts and estimates will prove accurate in whole or in part.
Investors Contact:
P:949-281-2606
info@vivakor.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
PHOENIX, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fold Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLD) (“Fold” or the “Company”), the first publicly traded bitcoin financial services company, today announced it has teamed up with Blackhawk Network, Inc. (BHN) to expand distribution of the Fold Bitcoin Gift Card™, significantly increasing mainstream consumer access to bitcoin across a growing portfolio of major U.S. digital retailers. The offering marks a key milestone in bringing bitcoin into everyday commerce and positions Fold to meaningfully increase user and transaction growth through one of the nation’s most extensive retail distribution networks.
The Fold Bitcoin Gift Card is now available through select online platforms, with additional online retailers set to launch in the coming weeks. The card is also available directly at foldapp.com/bitcoin-gift-card. In-store retail availability is planned for later this year as part of a broader multi-channel expansion strategy.
The launch is powered by BHN, a leading branded payments provider whose global footprint spans over 400,000+ consumer touchpoints, including top retailers, e-commerce platforms, loyalty programs and enterprise rewards. Fold is rapidly expanding within this ecosystem, positioning the Fold Bitcoin Gift Card to become one of the most broadly distributed bitcoin gift products in the U.S. market.
“Until now, bitcoin was difficult for the average person to access, let alone share,” said Will Reeves, Chairman and CEO of Fold. “By making bitcoin available as a gift card, we’re opening access to the millions of consumers who already buy, send, and use gift cards. This isn’t about novelty. It’s about meeting people where they are and integrating bitcoin into the financial tools and channels they already understand. We’re building infrastructure for everyday adoption. BHN gives us that path into mainstream retail, opening access to bitcoin across the $300 billion U.S. gift card market, something the ecosystem has struggled with for over a decade.”
The Fold Bitcoin Gift Card launched in May 2025, enabling consumers to gift bitcoin in a simple and familiar format without requiring technical knowledge or a crypto wallet. Recipients redeem their gift card through the Fold App, ensuring a smooth onboarding experience for both newcomers and experienced bitcoin users.
“At BHN, we understand that consumers today expect more flexibility in how they give and store value, and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are becoming part of that equation,” said Jennifer Philo, GVP, global commerce, BHN. “Fold exemplifies the kind of forward-looking partner BHN is proud to support—they are creating products that bring bitcoin into the center of how consumers engage with money and build long-term value. By bringing the Fold Bitcoin Gift Card into our expansive retail ecosystem, we’re delivering yet another practical, accessible way for shoppers nationwide to embrace cryptocurrency by helping them earn, save, and spend smarter.”
Momentum is building for crypto-based gifting. According to the Incentive Gift Card Coalition, 47% of executives expect crypto gift cards to grow as a category in 2025, reflecting a broader shift in consumer preferences toward digital assets.
About Fold
Fold (NASDAQ: FLD) is the first publicly traded bitcoin financial services company, making it easy for individuals and businesses to earn, save, and use bitcoin. With over 1,492 BTC in its treasury, Fold is at the forefront of integrating bitcoin into everyday financial experiences. Through innovative products like the Fold App, Fold Credit Card™, Fold Bitcoin Gift Card™, and Fold Debit Card™, the company is building the bridge between traditional finance and the bitcoin-powered future.
About Blackhawk Network (BHN)
Today, through BHN’s single global platform, businesses of all kinds can tap into the world’s largest network of branded payment solutions. BHN helps businesses grow revenue, increase loyalty, motivate and reward their teams, disburse funds and engage consumers. Branded payment solutions include the issuance and distribution of gift cards, eGifts, corporate payouts and rewards, along with the technology to deliver these products in seamless, integrated ways. BHN’s network spans the globe with more than 400,000 consumer touchpoints. Learn more at BHN.com.
For investor inquiries, please contact:
Orange Group
Samir Jain, CFA
FoldIR@orangegroupadvisors.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jessica Starman, MBA
media@foldapp.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
ASPEN, Colo., July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aspen Energy Forum – CleanCounts, a nonprofit with the industry leading environmental attribute certificate (EAC) tracking platform for voluntary and compliance claims of renewable energy projects across North America, today announced James Critchfield as the Head of Registry & Market Integrity. In his role, Critchfield will lead the development and governance of high-fidelity registries that safeguard transparency and trust across clean-energy and carbon markets. CleanCounts shared the news on Critchfield joining the team from Aspen Energy Forum, where the nonprofit is taking part in discussions on decarbonization and renewable energy strategies.
Critchfield joins CleanCounts after spending two decades at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he was an authority on energy-attribute certificates, registry architecture, and greenhouse-gas accounting, advising Fortune 500 companies, state regulators, and international bodies. Most recently, Critchfield scaled the EPA’s Green Power Partnership from its infancy to hundreds of organizations, pushing annual voluntary green-power procurement to more than 100 billion KWh annually and catalyzing nearly 19 GW of new renewable capacity nationwide.
“CleanCounts has advocated for standards in the renewable energy market and the environmental attribute tracking industry to drive better decision making by corporate buyers and provide transparency for regulators,” said James Critchfield, CleanCount’s Head of Registry & Market Integrity. “I look forward to stepping into this new role to bring my experience to support CleanCounts’ continued reputation as the true validator for environmental markets.”
CleanCounts, formerly known as M-RETS, tracks generated energy outputs across North America, enabling market participants to place a dollar value on the environmental benefits of renewable energy and renewable thermal outputs. Through rigorous validation of the environmental benefits, verifiable data, and unbiased third-party verification, CleanCounts is now North America’s leading platform to obtain, transfer, or retire renewable energy certificates (RECs), renewable thermal certificates (RTCs), and alternative energy certificates (AECs).
“James Critchfield’s work in the federal government to support tracking system infrastructure for clean energy in the United States has led to the development of next generation tracking capabilities that feature the granularity needed for market transparency,” said Benjamin Gerber, CEO of CleanCounts. “With James joining our executive team, we look forward to engaging stakeholders throughout North America for conversations about how a continuity-first, climate-aligned, and tech-forward clean energy registry can create benefits for, and strengthen trust in, both the voluntary and compliance markets.”
Prior to joining CleanCounts full time on August 21, Critchfield will join an upcoming webinar with senior leaders from Singularity Energy and EnergyTag titled, How Western States Can Achieve Grid Decarbonization, on August 13, 2025 at 9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET. The energy industry leaders will discuss how granular energy data and verified certificates can enable the hourly electricity accounting needed to drive investment and deployment of decarbonization technologies for an around-the-clock clean grid. Those interested in attending can register here.
To learn more about CleanCounts, please visit www.cleancounts.org
About CleanCounts
CleanCounts, formerly known as Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System (M‑RETS) Inc., is North America’s most expansive clean energy registry and a trusted gateway to environmental markets. As a nonprofit organization, CleanCounts empowers participants across the energy ecosystem to track, trade, and validate clean energy production and consumption with confidence and transparency.
Media Contact:
FischTank PR
cleancounts@fischtankpr.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dd918d85-5f5a-493e-9a32-31974fc5a615
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
CHICAGO, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Frequency Holdings Inc (OTC: FRQN) today announced it has officially completed its corporate name and symbol change from Yuenglings Ice Cream Corp (OTC: YCRM) following final approval by FINRA. This milestone marks the formal transition into a modern holding company structure with a portfolio that includes cybersecurity-first IT services through ReachOut and upcoming ventures in decentralized identity and artificial intelligence.
The new name and symbol hit the market this morning.
Frequency Holdings is building a multi-brand platform modeled after Berkshire Hathaway and Alphabet with each subsidiary operating independently while benefiting from shared strategic leadership. The flagship operating company ReachOut is actively acquiring and scaling cybersecurity-focused MSPs across the US while new brands like TRUSTLESS aim to bring privacy and authentication innovation into new digital verticals.
“This is more than a name change” said Rick Jordan CEO of Frequency Holdings. “This is about building something bigger than one brand. We are creating a structure that can hold multiple companies each with their own identity and velocity while sharing the same DNA of performance protection and technology that works. The market has asked what we’re building. This is it. A public platform with room for massive upside and real-world relevance.”
Kevin Harrington, original Shark from ABC’s Shark Tank and longtime board member of the company added, “I joined the board because Rick’s vision was bold, and both the industry and timing are right. ReachOut was just the beginning, and now Frequency is turning the vision into a machine with the team we have in place.”
David Meltzer, global entrepreneur, Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and the newest addition to the board commented, “Your frequency is your neighborhood, and Frequency Holdings is about raising the signal in every sense. This is a company tuned into innovation, tuned into value, and tuned into service. I’m honored to be part of this next chapter and proud to support the expansion of its platform and purpose.”
The Company previously operated under the name Yuenglings Ice Cream Corp and traded under the symbol YCRM. The new name and symbol are effective immediately with full updates in place across OTC Markets and all investor communications. Frequency Holdings will continue to execute on its rollup strategy through ReachOut and plans to unveil additional ventures in the coming quarters.
ABOUT FREQUENCY HOLDINGS INC. (OTC: FRQN)
Frequency Holdings is a modern holding company focused on high-growth ventures in cybersecurity, AI, digital identity, and IT infrastructure. Through its lead operating brand, ReachOut, Frequency is building the first nationally recognized name in cybersecurity-first IT services for SMBs. Additional holdings, including TRUSTLESS, are structured to contribute long-term equity value via independent growth and strategic alignment.
ABOUT RICK JORDAN
Rick Jordan is a resilient entrepreneur, cybersecurity expert, and media personality known for leading companies through high-growth transformations. He founded ReachOut Technology and is the architect of Frequency Holdings Inc., a multi-brand technology holding company focused on scaling ventures in cybersecurity, digital identity, and AI. Rick has advised in the White House on national cyber policy, appeared on major networks including Bloomberg and NewsNation, and hosts the globally ranked podcast ALL IN with Rick Jordan, soon to be renamed FREQUENCY. His leadership bridges bold vision with operational precision, in addition to bringing clear signal and communication to the public markets.
ABOUT KEVIN HARRINGTON
Kevin Harrington is a globally recognized entrepreneur, original Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, and a pioneer of the infomercial industry. Over his career, he has launched more than 20 companies to over $100 million in sales and helped generate over $15 billion in market value–including his early leadership in Celsius Holdings, Inc. As a board member of Frequency Holdings Inc., Kevin brings deep strategic insight, brand-building expertise, and decades of experience scaling disruptive ventures into household names.
ABOUT DAVID MELTZER
David Meltzer is Chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute and former CEO of Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment, the inspiration for Jerry Maguire. A globally recognized entrepreneur, investor, and business coach, he’s been named Variety’s Sports Humanitarian of the Year and is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. As Executive Producer of Apple TV’s 2 Minute Drill and Office Hours, and Entrepreneur’s top digital show Elevator Pitch, David brings media fluency and business expertise to global audiences. His mission—to empower more than 1 billion people to be happy–drives his work across coaching, content, and leadership.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding future events, performance, and financial expectations. These statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions, and are subject to risks and uncertainties–many of which are beyond the Company’s control–that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Factors that may affect results include the Company’s need for capital, changes in regulatory environments, market competition, demand for services, and other risks detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them except as required by law.
PR and Investor Relations Contacts
For press inquiries or to book media interviews, TV appearances, and speaking engagements for CEO Rick Jordan:
Email: pr@frequencyhold.com — pr@reachoutit.com
Phone: 312-288-8008
Rick Jordan on Social Media–
Instagram: @mrrickjordan
X: @mrrickjordan
Kevin Harrington on Social Media–
Instagram: @realkevinharrington
X: @harringtonkevin
David Meltzer on Social Media–
Instagram: @davidmeltzer
X: @davidmeltzer
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
NEW YORK, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KraneShares is proud to announce the 1-year anniversary of its KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (Ticker: AGIX), highlighting a year marked by strong performance and private market access.
Since its inception on July 18, 2024, AGIX has delivered an impressive 29.55% total return, outpacing the Nasdaq 100’s 18.63% over the same period.1
The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed or sold, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. For performance data current to the last month-end, please visit https://kraneshares.com/agix.
AGIX aims to provide investors with exposure to both public and private companies at the forefront of AI. AGIX broke new ground by becoming one of the first US-listed ETFs to make direct investments in private AI companies. Following its addition of Anthropic in early 2025, AGIX expanded its private AI exposure further by acquiring shares of xAI. AGIX, a series of the KraneShares Trust, appears on both respective cap tables as a direct holder of shares in these companies.
As of July 29, 2025, xAI represents 3.72% and Anthropic represents 2.96% of AGIX’s net assets.2
KraneShares launched AGIX in collaboration with Etna Capital Management, an established pioneer in AI venture investing. Etna’s expertise is underscored by its early-stage investments in groundbreaking AI innovators, including Anthropic, xAI, and Perplexity.
“Not only has AGIX delivered a standout year of performance, but its unique structure gives investors access to both public and private companies contributing to the future of artificial intelligence,” said Derek Yan, Senior Investment Strategist at KraneShares. “Direct holdings in Anthropic and Elon Musk’s xAI underscore our dedication to bringing groundbreaking opportunities to our investors.”
“The artificial intelligence industry is experiencing a rapid pace of innovation, with new breakthroughs and applications emerging at an unprecedented rate,” said Max Chen, Partner at Etna Capital Management. “It’s incredibly exciting to witness companies like xAI and Anthropic participate in this transformation, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve and help establish a foundation for profound changes across sectors worldwide.”
Join us for an AGIX webinar on August 6th, 2025, where we will discuss access to private AI unicorns, examine the latest valuation trends, and provide an outlook for the AI sector. To register, click here.
For more information on the KraneShares Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (Ticker: AGIX), top 10 holdings, and its innovative structure, please visit https://kraneshares.com/agix.
About KraneShares
KraneShares is an investment manager focused on providing innovative, high-conviction, and first-to-market ETFs based on extensive investing knowledge. KraneShares identifies groundbreaking capital market opportunities and offers investors cost-effective and transparent tools for gaining exposure to diverse asset classes. Founded in 2013, KraneShares serves institutions and financial professionals globally.
Holdings are subject to change.
Citations:
Carefully consider the Funds’ investment objectives, risk factors, charges and expenses before investing. This and additional information can be found in the Funds’ full and summary prospectus, which may be obtained by visiting: www.kraneshares.com/agix. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
Risk Disclosures:
Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. There can be no assurance that a Fund will achieve its stated objectives. Indices are unmanaged and do not include the effect of fees. One cannot invest directly in an index.
This information should not be relied upon as research, investment advice, or a recommendation regarding any products, strategies, or any security in particular. This material is strictly for illustrative, educational, or informational purposes and is subject to change. Certain content represents an assessment of the market environment at a specific time and is not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results; material is as of the dates noted and is subject to change without notice.
AGIX may invest in derivatives, which are often more volatile than other investments and may magnify AGIX’s gains or losses. A derivative (i.e., futures/forward contracts, swaps, and options) is a contract that derives its value from the performance of an underlying asset. The primary risk of derivatives is that changes in the asset’s market value and the derivative may not be proportionate, and some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited losses. Derivatives are also subject to liquidity and counterparty risk. AGIX is subject to liquidity risk, meaning that certain investments may become difficult to purchase or sell at a reasonable time and price. If a transaction for these securities is large, it may not be possible to initiate, which may cause AGIX to suffer losses. Counterparty risk is the risk of loss in the event that the counterparty to an agreement fails to make required payments or otherwise comply with the terms of the derivative.
AI-exposed companies face profitability challenges due to high research costs, competition, IP reliance, and regulatory risk. Product failures or safety concerns could be detrimental. Identifying AI companies accurately is complex. Tech firms face risks of product failure, obsolescence, regulatory impact, and uncertain profitability due to technological advancements and government policies. Certain tech investments may lack current profitability and future success is uncertain. AGIX is subject to non-U.S. issuers risk, which may be less liquid than investments in U.S. issuers, may have less governmental regulation and oversight, are typically subject to different investor protection standards than U.S. issuers, and the economic instability of the non-U.S. countries. Fluctuations in currency of foreign countries may have an adverse effect to domestic currency values. AGIX may invest in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. In addition, the prices of securities sold in IPOs may be highly volatile. In addition, as AGIX increases in size, the impact of IPOs on AGIX’s performance will generally decrease.
Large capitalization companies may struggle to adapt fast, impacting their growth compared to smaller firms, especially in expansive times. This could result in lower stock returns than investing in smaller and mid-sized companies. In addition to the normal risks associated with investing, investments in smaller companies typically exhibit higher volatility. AGIX is new and does not yet have a significant number of shares outstanding. If AGIX does not grow in size, it will be at greater risk than larger funds of wider bid-ask spreads for its shares, trading at a greater premium or discount to NAV, liquidation and/or a trading halt. Narrowly focused investments typically exhibit higher volatility. AGIX’s assets are expected to be concentrated in a sector, industry, market, or group of concentrations to the extent that the Underlying Index has such concentrations. The securities or futures in that concentration could react similarly to market developments. Thus, AGIX is subject to loss due to adverse occurrences that affect that concentration.
A large number of shares of AGIX are held by a single shareholder or a small group of shareholders. Redemptions from these shareholders can harm Fund performance, especially in declining markets, leading to forced sales at disadvantageous prices, increased costs, and adverse tax effects for remaining shareholders. AGIX is non-diversified.
ETF shares are bought and sold on an exchange at market price (not NAV) and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. However, shares may be redeemed at NAV directly by certain authorized broker-dealers (Authorized Participants) in very large creation/redemption units. The returns shown do not represent the returns you would receive if you traded shares at other times. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Beginning 12/23/2020, market price returns are based on the official closing price of an ETF share or, if the official closing price isn’t available, the midpoint between the national best bid and national best offer (“NBBO”) as of the time the ETF calculates the current NAV per share. Prior to that date, market price returns were based on the midpoint between the Bid and Ask price. NAVs are calculated using prices as of 4:00 PM Eastern Time.
The KraneShares ETFs and KFA Funds ETFs are distributed by SEI Investments Distribution Company (SIDCO), 1 Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, PA 19456, which is not affiliated with Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, the Investment Adviser for the Funds, or any sub-advisers for the Funds.
Contact:
KraneShares Investor Relations
info@kraneshares.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
SINGAPORE, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Currenc Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CURR) (“Currenc” or the “Company”), a fintech pioneer empowering financial institutions worldwide with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, today announced that it has retained Shareholder Intelligence Services, LLC (“ShareIntel”) to assist the Company in monitoring and investigating potential naked short selling of its shares. This is part of Currenc’s broader initiative to protect shareholder value as the Company executes its growth strategy and scales its operations globally.
ShareIntel’s patented DRIL-Down™ process aggregates, analyzes and monitors repository data from reporting entities, broker-dealers and shareholders, enhancing Currenc’s shareholder communication, regulatory compliance and trading surveillance capabilities with actionable intelligence. Together with ShareIntel, Currenc intends to actively investigate what it believes may be potential irregularities in the trading patterns of its shares, and intends to pursue every available avenue—including regulatory and legal recourse, if appropriate—to ensure that there is no illegal trading or market manipulation involving the Company’s shares.
“As we continue to expand our global business footprint with new partnerships and innovative AI-driven solutions, Currenc remains committed to protecting our investors and maximizing shareholder value,” said Alex Kong, Founder and Executive Chairman of Currenc. “Based on the trading patterns we have observed, we believe Currenc may have been the target of naked short selling and are taking action to understand these trading patterns, ensure transparent trading practices and maintain the integrity of our share price. Leveraging ShareIntel’s proprietary processes will allow us to closely track ownership, monitor any irregular trading behavior, and swiftly implement corrective measures.”
About Currenc Group Inc.
Currenc Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CURR) is a fintech pioneer dedicated to transforming global financial services through artificial intelligence (AI). The Company empowers financial institutions worldwide with comprehensive AI solutions, including SEAMLESS AI Call Centre and other AI-powered Agents designed to reduce costs, increase efficiency and boost customer satisfaction for banks, insurance, telecommunications companies, government agencies and other financial institutions. The Company’s digital remittance platform also enables e-wallets, remittance companies, and corporations to provide real-time, 24/7 global payment services, advancing financial access across underserved communities.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties, or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.
Investor & Media Contact
Currenc Group Investor Relations
Email: investors@currencgroup.com
SOURCE: Currenc Group Inc.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
LAS VEGAS, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Live Ventures Incorporated (NASDAQ: LIVE) (“Live Ventures” or the “Company”), a diversified holding company, will issue its financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2025, before the market opens on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The Company will hold a conference call to discuss the results on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time).
The dial-in numbers are as follows:
Please dial in at least 15 minutes in advance, but no sooner than 30 minutes, to ensure you are connected. To listen to the discussion after the call, please visit the “Investor Relations” page of the Live Ventures website (https://ir.liveventures.com/) for a recording.
About Live Ventures Incorporated
Live Ventures is a diversified holding company with a strategic focus on value-oriented acquisitions of domestic middle-market companies. Live Ventures’ acquisition strategy is sector agnostic and focuses on well-run, closely held businesses with a demonstrated track record of earnings growth and cash flow generation. The Company seeks opportunities to partner with management teams of its acquired businesses to build increased stockholder value through a disciplined buy-build-hold long-term focused strategy. Live Ventures was founded in 1968. In late 2011, Jon Isaac, CEO and strategic investor, joined the Board of Directors of the Company and later refocused it into a diversified holding company. The Company’s current portfolio of diversified operating subsidiaries includes companies in the textile, flooring, tools, steel, and entertainment industries.
Contact:
Live Ventures Incorporated
Greg Powell, Director of Investor Relations
725.500.5597
gpowell@liveventures.com
www.liveventures.com
Source: Live Ventures Incorporated
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
TORONTO, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NowVertical Group Inc. (TSXV: NOW) (“NowVertical” or the “Company”), a leading data and AI solutions provider, today provided an update which highlights geographic expansion in two marquee engagements that illustrate how a single operating framework converts early local wins into scales enterprise‑wide programmes.
During the first half of 2025, NowVertical substantially deepened its work with one of the world’s largest insurers—a strategic account client that operates in more than forty countries. Leveraging the Company’s status as Google Cloud Partner of the Year, the engagement has evolved from a single‑country project into a Latin‑American data‑modernisation and AI initiative that migrates fragmented estates onto a common cloud architecture, delivers advanced analytics to business users and applies robust data governance. The approach delivered by NowVertical is a central, consistent, high-quality delivery capability providing services which can be tailored to meet the specific needs of each geography. Revenue generated from this account in the first six months of 2025 already surpasses the client’s full‑year 2024 spend with NowVertical, demonstrating both the speed and scale at which the integrated model can grow strategic relationships.
A similar growth trajectory is underway with a global media and telecommunications group, where NowVertical’s solution has been adopted as the enterprise standard for managing and modernizing legacy data assets in preparation for AI adoption. Initially launched in the UK & Ireland market in 2024, the solution has now been implemented across eight projects within the group, including recent expansions into Italy and Germany, with additional deployments scheduled for H2 2025. By integrating legacy and modern data through standardized schemas, automated archival processes, and unified retention and compliance controls, the platform not only delivers measurable cost savings but also unlocks significant strategic value. The transformed data estate serves as a compliant, AI-ready foundation for advanced analytics and model training—supporting both regulatory requirements and long-term innovation objectives. This rollout reflects the repeatability of NowVertical’s delivery playbook, its ability to scale across complex enterprise environments, and its alignment with clients’ global data modernization and AI-readiness agendas.
Sandeep Mendiratta, Chief Executive Officer of NowVertical, commented: “Clients are choosing to scale with NowVertical because we can help them bring one architecture, one governance model and one integrated team that can deliver quickly from country to country. These engagements prove that our ‘One Brand, One Business’ strategy is translating early successes into broad, multi‑region programmes that drive measurable value for customers and sustainable growth for NowVertical.”
Management believes that the growing contribution from these cross‑market engagements supports the Company’s ability to grow it’s strategic account base while reinforcing NowVertical’s position as a trusted, full‑stack data and AI partner.
About NowVertical Group Inc.
NowVertical is a global data and analytics company which helps clients transform data into tangible business value with AI, fast. Offering a comprehensive suite of solutions and services, the Company enables clients to quickly harness the full potential of their data, driving measurable outcomes and accelerating potential return on investment. Enterprises optimize decision-making, improve operational efficiency, and unlock long-term value from their data using the Company’s AI-Infused first party and third-party technologies. NowVertical is growing organically and through strategic acquisitions.
For further details about NowVertical, please visit www.nowvertical.com.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For further information, please contact:
Andre Garber, CDO
IR@nowvertical.com
Investor Relations: Bristol Capital Ltd.
Stefan Eftychiou
+1(905)326-1888 x60
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws (together “forward-looking statements“), including, with respect to the availability of funds under the Facilities, the ability of NowVertical to utilize funds under the Facilities, the effect of the Facilities on NowVertical’s operations contemplated in this press release on NowVertical’s business, finances and operations. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies, certain of which are unknown. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “may”, “should”, “will”, “could”, “intend”, “estimate”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “believe” or “continue”, or the negative thereof or similar variations. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by inherent risks and uncertainties, including: adverse market conditions; risks inherent in the data analytics and artificial intelligence sectors in general; regulatory and legislative changes; that future results may vary from historical results; inability to service the Company’s debt; any inability to realize the expected benefits and synergies of acquisitions or dispositions; that market competition may affect the business, results and financial condition of the Company and other risk factors identified in documents filed by the Company under its profile at www.sedarplus.com, including the Company’s management’s discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2024. Further, these forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as expressly required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Arie Perliger, Director of Security Studies and Professor of Criminology and Justice Studies, UMass Lowell
Since Oct. 7, 2023, as Israel’s war against Hamas drags on in the Gaza Strip, a quieter but escalating war has unfolded in the West Bank between Israelis and Palestinians.
While precise figures are elusive, United Nations estimates indicate that Jewish settlers have carried out around 2,000 attacks against Palestinians since the war in Gaza began. That number represents a dramatic surge compared with any previous period during the nearly six decades Israel has controlled the West Bank.
Attacks include harassment of Palestinian villagers trying to access their crops or work outside their villages, as well as more extreme and organized violence, such as raiding villages to vandalize property. While many of the attacks are unprovoked, some are what settlers call “price tag” actions: retaliation for Palestinian violence against Israelis, such as car-rammings, rock-throwing and stabbings.
Settlers’ attacks displaced more than 1,500 Palestinians in the first year of the war in Gaza, and gun violence is increasingly common. Since October 2023, more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed. While most of these fatalities resulted from military operations, some were killed by settlers.
As a scholar who has studied Jewish religious extremism for over two decades, I contend this campaign is not merely a result of rising tension between the settlers and their Palestinian neighbors amid the Gaza conflict. Rather, it is fueled by a confluence of ideological fervor, opportunism and far-right Israelis’ political vision for the region.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967’s Six-Day War against Egypt, Jordan and Syria, transforming this small region of around 2,000 square miles (5,200 square kilometers) to an amalgam of Jewish and Palestinian enclaves. Most countries other than Israel consider Jewish settlements illegal, but they have rapidly expanded in recent decades, becoming a major challenge for any settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ideological roots of violence lie within religious Zionism: a worldview embraced by about 20% of Israel’s Jewish population, including most West Bank settlers.
The great majority of the leaders of the early Zionist movement held strong secular views. They pushed for the creation of a Jewish state over the objections of Orthodox figures, who argued that it should be a divine creation rather than a human-made polity.
Religious Zionists, on the other hand, view the creation of modern-day Israel and its military victories as steps in a divine redemption, which will culminate in a Jewish kingdom led by a heaven-sent Messiah. Adherents believe contemporary events, particularly those asserting Jewish control over the entire historical land of Israel, can accelerate this process.
In recent decades, influential religious Zionist leaders have argued that final redemption requires Israel’s total military triumph and the annihilation of its enemies, particularly the Palestinian national movement. From this perspective, the devastation of Oct. 7 and the subsequent war are a divine test – one the nation can only pass by achieving a complete victory.
This belief system fuels most religious Zionists’ opposition to ending the war, as well as their advocacy for scorched-earth policies in Gaza. Some hope to rebuild the Jewish settlements in the strip that Israel evacuated in 2005.
The violence in the West Bank reflects an extension of the same beliefs. Extreme groups within the settler population aim to solidify Jewish control by making Palestinian communities’ lives in the region unsustainable.
Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, traumatized the nation. It also hardened many Jewish Israelis’ conviction that a Palestinian state would be an existential threat, and thus Palestinians cannot be partners for peace.
This shift in sentiment created a permissive environment for violence. While settler attacks previously drew criticism from across the political spectrum, extremist violence faces less public condemnation today – as does the government’s lack of effort to curb it.
This increase in violence is also enabled by a climate of impunity. Israeli security forces have been stretched thin by operations in Gaza, Syria, Iran and beyond. In the West Bank, the military increasingly relies on settler militias known as “Emergency Squads,” which are armed by the Israeli military for self-defense, and army units composed primarily of religious Zionist settlers, such as the Netzah Yehuda Battalion. Such groups have little incentive to stop attacks on Palestinians, and at times, they have participated.
This dynamic has dangerously blurred the line between the state military and militant settlers. The Israeli police, meanwhile, under the command of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, appear focused on protecting settlers. Police leadership has been accused of ignoring intelligence about planned attacks and failing to arrest violent settlers or enforce restraining orders. Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group, asserts that just 3% of attacks have resulted in a conviction.
In June 2025, military attempts to curb settler militancy triggered a violent backlash, as extremist settlers attacked military commanders and tried to set fire to military facilities. Settlers view efforts to restrict their actions as illegitimate and a betrayal of Jewish interests in the West Bank.
Violence by extremist settlers is not random; it is one arm of a coordinated pincer strategy to entrench Jewish control over the West Bank.
While militant settlers create a climate of fear, Israeli authorities have undermined legal efforts to stop the violence – ending administrative detention for settler suspects, for example. Meanwhile, the government has intensified policies that undermine Palestinians’ economic development, freedom of movement and land use. In May, finance minister and far-right leader Bezalel Smotrich approved 22 new settlements, calling it a “historic decision” that signaled a return to “construction, Zionism, and vision.”
Together, violence from below and policy from above advance a clear strategic goal: the coerced depopulation of Palestinians from rural areas to solidify Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank.
The militant elements of the settler movement constitute a fractional segment of Israeli society. When it comes to improving the situation in the West Bank, broad punitive measures against the entire country, such as economic boycotting and divestment, or blocking access to scientific, economic and cultural programs and organizations, have historically proved ineffective.
Instead, such policies seem to entrench many Israelis’ perception of international bias and double standards: the sense that critics are antisemitic, or that few outsiders understand the country’s challenges – particularly in light of threats from entitles like Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah, which openly seek Israel’s elimination.
More targeted policies aim specifically at the Israeli far right, including sanctions – economic, political or cultural – directed at settler communities and their infrastructure. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and the U.K. have imposed travel bans on Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, and frozen their assets in those countries. Similarly, I believe decisions to ban goods produced in the West Bank settlements, as Ireland has recently debated, would be more effective than banning all Israeli products.
This targeted approach, I would argue, would allow the international community to cultivate stronger alliances with the many Israelis concerned about the settlements and Palestinians’ rights in the West Bank.
Arie Perliger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. The quiet war: What’s fueling Israel’s surge of settler violence – and the lack of state response – https://theconversation.com/the-quiet-war-whats-fueling-israels-surge-of-settler-violence-and-the-lack-of-state-response-261990
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Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Kirk Freudenburg, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Classics, Yale University
President Donald Trump’s first term saw a record-high rate of turnover among his Cabinet members and chief advisers. Trump’s second term has, to date, seen far fewer Cabinet departures.
But some political commentators have observed that the president this time around has primarily appointed loyal advisers who will not challenge him.
As Thomas Friedman pointed out in The New York Times on June 3, 2025, “In Trump I, the president surrounded himself with some people of weight who could act as buffers. In Trump II, he has surrounded himself only with sycophants who act like amplifiers.”
As a scholar of Greco-Roman antiquity, I have spent many years studying the demise of truth-telling in periods of political upheaval. Spanning the period from 27 B.C.E. to 476 C.E., the Roman Empire still offers insights into what happens to political leaders when they interpret possibly helpful advice as dissent.
Particularly telling is the case of Nero, Rome’s emperor from 54 to 68 C.E., who responded to a disastrous fire in 64 with extreme cruelty and self-worship that did nothing to help desperate citizens.
Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, established a handpicked circle of advisers – called the consilium principis in Latin, meaning emperor’s council – to give a republican look to his autocratic regime. Augustus became the emperor of Rome in 27 B.C.E. and ruled over the empire, which stretched from Europe and North Africa to the Middle East at its peak, until his death in 14 C.E.
Augustus wanted to hear what others thought about the empire’s needs and his policies. At least some of Augustus’ advisers were bold enough to assert themselves and risk incurring his displeasure. Some, such as Cornelius Gallus, paid for their boldness with their lives, Gallus apparently took his own life, so that might not be the best example – unless it was a forced suicide while others, such as Cilnius Maecenas, managed to push their political agendas in softer ways that allowed them to maintain their influence.
But the Roman emperors who came after Augustus were either less skilled at maintaining a republican facade, or less interested in doing so.
Nero was the last of the emperors from the noble Julio-Claudian dynasty in ancient Rome at its peak of power. Historians who describe Nero’s rise and fall from power describe the first five years of his reign, or the quinquennium neronis in Latin, as a period of relative calm and prosperity for the empire.
Because Nero was just 16 years old when he acceded to power, he was assigned advisers to guide his policies. Their opinions carried significant weight.
But five years into his reign, chafing at their continued oversight, Nero began to purge these advisers from his life, via execution, forced suicide and exile.
Nero instead collected a small cadre of self-interested enablers who derived power for themselves by encouraging their leader’s delusions, such as his desire to project himself as the incarnation of the sun god, Apollo.
The single most unspeakably corrupt and nefarious of these preferred advisers was Ofonius Tigellinus. Tigellinus had caught Nero’s eye early in 62 by urging the senate to convict a Roman magistrate of treason for having composed poems that he deemed insulting to the emperor. Later that year, Tigellinus was appointed the head of the emperor’s personal army.
As praetorian prefect, Tigellinus was charged not only with protecting Nero from physical harm, but also with crafting and guarding the leader’s public image. Tigellinus urged Nero to stage an ongoing series of public spectacles – like theatrical performances and athletic competitions – that featured him as a divine ruler and a god on Earth.
It was likely at Tigellinus’ urging that, in the aftermath of the great fire of 64 that raged for six days in Rome, Nero staged an exorbitant garden party where Christians were soaked in flammable oils and lit as human torches to illuminate a decadent late-night feast.
But, try as he might, Nero couldn’t outrun the fire and its aftermath by indulging in clever cruelties. Huge swathes of the city had been razed by the fire. Thousands of citizens lacked clothing. They were hungry, displaced and homeless.
For answers, the fire’s countless victims looked to Nero, their earthly Apollo, for help. But they did not encounter a sympathetic leader sweeping in to address their needs. Instead, they found a man desperate to place blame on others – in this case, foreigners from the east.
In order to squelch rumors that Nero had lit the fire, Tigellinus’ army unit rounded up Christians, falsely blamed them for starting the fire and executed them.
But this move just showcased Nero’s failure to focus on the dire needs of the poor, the very people who worshipped him. Instead, he sought to rise above the ashes by doubling down on his divine pretensions.
Once the rubble left by the fire was cleared away, Nero built a magnificent new home for himself. This palace, called the domus aurea in Latin, meaning house of gold, covered more than 120 acres in the heart of Rome. It featured spectacular water fountains, elaborate works of art and, standing tall in the entryway, a 120-foot bronze statue of Nero as the sun god, Apollo.
No truth-teller was there to tell Nero that maybe he shouldn’t rub his people’s noses in their suffering. (can we say ‘Maybe he shouldn’t exploit his people’s suffering in this way’?) this suggestion needs either accepted or rejected
Nero’s delusional response to the fire did not put an end to his career, but it did much to hasten its end.
Less than four years later, with armies bearing down on the city, Nero committed suicide. Rome tumbled into civil war.
Trump has long expressed a desire to have his face carved on Mount Rushmore, a national memorial in South Dakota that features the likenesses of legendary American presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt.
This dream became a bit closer to reality when Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles in July 2025 urged the Department of the Interior to explore adding Trump’s image to Mount Rushmore – even though such an addition might not be possible because of geological issues.
Trump’s critics have long noted the president’s propensity to focus on himself and his own greatness and power, rather than the needs of citizens.
As far away as the Roman Empire might seem, Nero’s rise and fall offers a lesson in what can happen when honest criticism of a political leader is sidelined in favor of idolatry.
Instead of honest solutions to real problems, what Romans got was a colossal statue that portrayed their leader as a god on Earth.
Kirk Freudenburg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Roman Empire and the fall of Nero offer possible lessons for Trump about the cost of self-isolation – https://theconversation.com/roman-empire-and-the-fall-of-nero-offer-possible-lessons-for-trump-about-the-cost-of-self-isolation-257871
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Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Elizabeth W. Covington, Associate Clinical Professor of Pharmacy, Auburn University
Imagine this: You’re at your doctor’s office with a sore throat. The nurse asks, “Any allergies?” And without hesitation you reply, “Penicillin.” It’s something you’ve said for years – maybe since childhood, maybe because a parent told you so. The nurse nods, makes a note and moves on.
But here’s the kicker: There’s a good chance you’re not actually allergic to penicillin. About 10% to 20% of Americans report that they have a penicillin allergy, yet fewer than 1% actually do.
I’m a clinical associate professor of pharmacy specializing in infectious disease. I study antibiotics and drug allergies, including ways to determine whether people have penicillin allergies.
I know from my research that incorrectly being labeled as allergic to penicillin can prevent you from getting the most appropriate, safest treatment for an infection. It can also put you at an increased risk of antimicrobial resistance, which is when an antibiotic no longer works against bacteria.
The good news? It’s gotten a lot easier in recent years to pin down the truth of the matter. More and more clinicians now recognize that many penicillin allergy labels are incorrect – and there are safe, simple ways to find out your actual allergy status.
Penicillin, the first antibiotic drug, was discovered in 1928 when a physician named Alexander Fleming extracted it from a type of mold called penicillium. It became widely used to treat infections in the 1940s. Penicillin and closely related antibiotics such as amoxicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanate, which goes by the brand name Augmentin, are frequently prescribed to treat common infections such as ear infections, strep throat, urinary tract infections, pneumonia and dental infections.
Penicillin antibiotics are a class of narrow-spectrum antibiotics, which means they target specific types of bacteria. People who report having a penicillin allergy are more likely to receive broad-spectrum antibiotics. Broad-spectrum antibiotics kill many types of bacteria, including helpful ones, making it easier for resistant bacteria to survive and spread. This overuse speeds up the development of antibiotic resistance. Broad-spectrum antibiotics can also be less effective and are often costlier.
People often get labeled as allergic to antibiotics as children when they have a reaction such as a rash after taking one. But skin rashes frequently occur alongside infections in childhood, with many viruses and infections actually causing rashes. If a child is taking an antibiotic at the time, they may be labeled as allergic even though the rash may have been caused by the illness itself.
Some side effects such as nausea, diarrhea or headaches can happen with antibiotics, but they don’t always mean you are allergic. These common reactions usually go away on their own or can be managed. A doctor or pharmacist can talk to you about ways to reduce these side effects.
People also often assume penicillin allergies run in families, but having a relative with an allergy doesn’t mean you’re allergic – it’s not hereditary.
Finally, about 80% of patients with a true penicillin allergy will lose the allergy after about 10 years. That means even if you used to be allergic to this antibiotic, you might not be anymore, depending on the timing of your reaction.
Believing you’re allergic to penicillin when you’re not can negatively affect your health. For one thing, you are more likely to receive stronger, broad-spectrum antibiotics that aren’t always the best fit and can have more side effects. You may also be more likely to get an infection after surgery and to spend longer in the hospital when hospitalized for an infection. What’s more, your medical bills could end up higher due to using more expensive drugs.
Penicillin and its close cousins are often the best tools doctors have to treat many infections. If you’re not truly allergic, figuring that out can open the door to safer, more effective and more affordable treatment options.
Start by talking to a health care professional such as a doctor or pharmacist. Allergy symptoms can range from a mild, self-limiting rash to severe facial swelling and trouble breathing. A health care professional may ask you several questions about your allergies, such as what happened, how soon after starting the antibiotic did the reaction occur, whether treatment was needed, and whether you’ve taken similar medications since then.
These questions can help distinguish between a true allergy and a nonallergic reaction. In many cases, this interview is enough to determine you aren’t allergic. But sometimes, further testing may be recommended.
One way to find out whether you’re really allergic to penicillin is through penicillin skin testing, which includes tiny skin pricks and small injections under the skin. These tests use components related to penicillin to safely check for a true allergy. If skin testing doesn’t cause a reaction, the next step is usually to take a small dose of amoxicillin while being monitored at your doctor’s office, just to be sure it’s safe.
A study published in 2023 showed that in many cases, skipping the skin test and going straight to the small test dose can also be a safe way to check for a true allergy. In this method, patients take a low dose of amoxicillin and are observed for about 30 minutes to see whether any reaction occurs.
With the right questions, testing and expertise, many people can safely reclaim penicillin as an option for treating common infections.
Elizabeth W. Covington does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Are you really allergic to penicillin? A pharmacist explains why there’s a good chance you’re not − and how you can find out for sure – https://theconversation.com/are-you-really-allergic-to-penicillin-a-pharmacist-explains-why-theres-a-good-chance-youre-not-and-how-you-can-find-out-for-sure-253839
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Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor Questrom School of Business, Boston University
Recently, Delta Air Lines announced it would expand its use of artificial intelligence to provide individualized prices to customers. This move sparked concern among flyers and politicians. But Delta isn’t the only business interested in using AI this way. Personalized pricing has already spread across a range of industries, from finance to online gaming.
Customized pricing – where each customer receives a different price for the same product – is a holy grail for businesses because it boosts profits. With customized pricing, free-spending people pay more while the price-sensitive pay less. Just as clothes can be tailored to each person, custom pricing fits each person’s ability and desire to pay.
I am a professor who teaches business school students how to set prices. My latest book, “The Power of Cash: Why Using Paper Money is Good for You and Society,” highlights problems with custom pricing. Specifically, I’m worried that AI pricing models lack transparency and could unfairly take advantage of financially unsophisticated people.
For much of history, customized pricing was the normal way things happened. In the past, business owners sized up each customer and then bargained face-to-face. The price paid depended on the buyer’s and seller’s bargaining skills – and desperation.
An old joke illustrates this process. Once, a very rich man was riding in his carriage at breakfast time. Hungry, he told his driver to stop at the next restaurant. He went inside, ordered some eggs and asked for the bill. When the owner handed him the check, the rich man was shocked at the price. “Are eggs rare in this neighborhood?” he asked. “No,” the owner said. “Eggs are plentiful, but very rich men are quite rare.”
Custom pricing through bargaining still exists in some industries. For example, car dealerships often negotiate a different price for each vehicle they sell. Economists refer to this as “first-degree” or “perfect” price discrimination, which is “perfect” from the seller’s perspective because it allows them to charge each customer the maximum amount they’re willing to pay.
Currently, most American shoppers don’t bargain but instead see set prices. Many scholars trace the rise of set prices to John Wanamaker’s Philadelphia department store, which opened in 1876. In his store, each item had a nonnegotiable price tag. These set prices made it simpler for customers to shop and became very popular.
Set prices have several advantages for businesses. For one thing, they allow stores to hire low-paid retail workers instead of employees who are experts in negotiation.
Historically, they also made it easier for stores to decide how much to charge. Before the advent of AI pricing, many companies determined prices using a “cost-plus” rule. Cost-plus means a business adds a fixed percentage or markup to an item’s cost. The markup is the percentage added to a product’s cost that covers a company’s profits and overhead.
The big-box retailer Costco still uses this rule. It determines prices by adding a roughly 15% maximum markup to each item on the warehouse floor. If something costs Costco $100, they sell it for about $115.
The problem with cost-plus is that it treats all items the same. For example, Costco sells wine in many stores. People buying expensive Champagne typically are willing to pay a much higher markup than customers purchasing inexpensive boxed wine. Using AI gets around this problem by letting a computer determine the optimal markup item by item.
AI needs a lot of data to operate effectively. The shift from cash to electronic payments has enabled businesses to collect what’s been called a “gold mine” of information. For example, Mastercard says its data lets companies “determine optimal pricing strategies.”
So much information is collected when you pay electronically that in 2024 the Federal Trade Commission issued civil subpoenas to Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase and other financial companies demanding to know “how artificial intelligence and other technological tools may allow companies to vary prices using data they collect about individual consumers’ finances and shopping habits.” Experiments at the FTC show that AI programs can even collude among themselves to raise prices without human intervention.
To prevent customized pricing, some states have laws requiring retailers to display a single price for each product for sale. Even with these laws, it’s simple to do custom pricing by using targeted digital coupons, which vary each shopper’s discount.
There are ways to get around customized pricing. All depend on denying AI programs data on past purchases and knowledge of who you are. First, when shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, use paper money. Yes, good old-fashioned cash is private and leaves no data trail that follows you online.
Second, once online, clear your cache. Your search history and cookies provide algorithms with extensive amounts of information. Many articles say the protective power of clearing your cache is an urban myth. However, this information was based on how airlines used to price tickets. Recent analysis by the FTC shows the newest AI algorithms are changing prices based on this cached information.
Third, many computer pricing algorithms look at your location, since location is a good proxy for income. I was once in Botswana and needed to buy a plane ticket. The price on my computer was about $200. Unfortunately, before booking I was called away to dinner. After dinner my computer showed the cost was $1,000 − five times higher. It turned out after dinner I used my university’s VPN, which told the airline I was located in a rich American neighborhood. Before dinner I was located in a poor African town. Shutting off the VPN reduced the price.
Last, often to get a better price in face-to-face negotiations, you need to walk away. To do this online, put something in your basket and then wait before hitting purchase. I recently bought eyeglasses online. As a cash payer, I didn’t have my credit card handy. It took five minutes to find it, and the delay caused the site to offer a large discount to complete the purchase.
The computer revolution has created the ability to create custom products cheaply. The cashless society combined with AI is setting us up for customized prices. In a custom-pricing situation, seeing a high price doesn’t mean something is higher quality. Instead, a high price simply means a business views the customer as willing to part with more money.
Using cash more often can help defeat custom pricing. In my view, however, rapid advances in AI mean we need to start talking now about how prices are determined, before customized pricing takes over completely.
Jay L. Zagorsky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. What is personalized pricing, and how do I avoid it? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-personalized-pricing-and-how-do-i-avoid-it-262195
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Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Skip Mark, Assistant professor of political science, University of Rhode Island
Despite the strength of the U.S. economy, the gap between rich and poor Americans is increasing.
The wealthiest 1% of Americans have more than five times as much wealth as the bottom 50%, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. That’s up from four times as much in the year 2000. In 2024 alone, the wealthiest 19 families got a total of US$1 trillion richer – the largest one-year increase on record.
And yet 59% of Americans don’t have enough money saved up to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense.
We are political scientists who study human rights and political economy.
In a 2023 study, our team looked at 145 countries, including the U.S., to understand the link between labor rights and inequality. We found evidence that strengthening collective labor rights may reduce economic inequality.
Collective labor rights include the rights to form and join a union, bargain collectively for higher pay and better working conditions, go on strike, and get justice if employers punish workers who exercise these rights.
In the U.S., where less than 10% of workers belong to unions, union members typically earn higher wages than their nonunion counterparts.
Through negotiations on behalf of their members, unions can pressure employers to provide fair wages and benefits. If negotiations break down, the union can call for a strike – sometimes winning better benefits and higher wages as a result.
Some U.S. unions don’t have the right to strike, including air traffic controllers, teachers and those working on national security issues. But most unions have some ability to implement work stoppages and impose costs on employers to negotiate for raises and better benefits and conditions.
For our study, we analyzed the human rights in the CIRIGHTS dataset, which uses human rights reports from the U.S. State Department, Amnesty International and other sources to measure government respect for 24 human rights, including the rights to unionize and bargain collectively. The dataset is produced by the University of Rhode Island, Binghamton University and the University of Connecticut. One of us, Skip Mark, serves as a co-director of the project.
Using a scoring guide, a team of researchers reads human rights reports and gives each country a score of zero if they have widespread violations, one point if they have some violations, or two if they have no evidence of violations. The team has assigned scores for all 24 rights from 1994 through 2022.
Using this data, we created a measure of collective labor rights by adding scores for the right to workplace association and the right to collective bargaining. The resulting collective labor rights score ranges from zero to four.
Countries where workers’ rights are routinely violated, such as Afghanistan, China and Saudi Arabia, scored a zero. The United States, Macedonia and Zambia, three countries with little in common, were among those that tended to get two points, placing them in the middle. Countries with no reported violations of the rights to workplace association and collective bargaining, including Canada, Sweden and France, got four points.
According to the CIRIGHTS dataset, the strength of respect for collective labor rights around the world declined by 50%, from 2.06 in 1994 to 1.03 in 2022.
At the same time, according to the World Inequality Dataset, the share of income earned by the 1% with the biggest paychecks increased by 11%.
We used advanced statistical methods to figure out whether better worker protections actually reduce inequality or are just associated with it.
We also measured what’s been happening to economic inequality, using two common ways to track it.
One of them is vertical inequality, the gap between what people earn within a country – the rich versus the poor. The more unequal a society becomes, the higher its vertical inequality score gets. We measured it using the disposable income measure from the Gini index, a commonly used indicator of economic inequality that captures how much money individuals have to spend after taxes and government transfers.
We found that a one-point increase in collective labor rights on our four-point scale reduces vertical inequality by 10 times the average change in inequality. For the U.S., a one-point increase in collective labor rights would be about enough to undo the increase in inequality that occurred between 2008 and 2010 due to the Great Recession and its aftermath. It would also likely help stem the growing wealth gap between Black and white Americans. That’s because income disparities compound over time to create wealth gaps.
We also assessed the connection between horizontal inequality, which measures income inequality between ethnic or other groups, and collective labor rights.
Negative horizontal inequality measures the amount of a country’s income held by the poorest ethnic group. Higher scores for this metric indicate that the lowest-earning ethnic group has less income relative to the rest of society. Black Americans have the lowest median income of any racial or ethnic group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Positive horizontal inequality measures the income earned by the richest ethnic group. When positive horizontal inequality rises, that means the richest ethnic group has more income relative to the rest of society. According to the same Census Bureau report, Asian Americans had the highest median earnings.
We found that stronger collective labor rights, both in law and in practice around the world, also reduce both types of horizontal inequality. This means they raise the floor by helping to improve the income of the poorest ethnic groups in society. They also close the gap by limiting the incomes of the richest ethnic group, which can reduce the likelihood of conflicts.
That is, our findings suggest that when workers are free to advocate for higher wages and better benefits for themselves, it also benefits society as a whole.
Stephen Bagwell is a researcher with the Human Rights Measurement Initiative, a charitable trust registered in New Zealand
Skip Mark does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Strengthening collective labor rights can help reduce economic inequality – https://theconversation.com/strengthening-collective-labor-rights-can-help-reduce-economic-inequality-254258
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Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Joseph Sageman, Postdoctoral Researcher in Sociology, University of Pennsylvania
Zikia, a 12th grader in Philadelphia, was stressing over where she would attend college in the fall. Her charter school’s college decision ceremony was the next day, and she was torn between her two top choices.
At a crossroads, she reached out to her favorite teacher, the only Black educator on her course schedule. “I texted him at nighttime,” she recalled. “I didn’t feel like I could do that with my other teachers.”
In my research
on college and career readiness, I did not initially set out to study the impact of Black teachers, but students like Zikia readily brought up the topic.
In interviews, students insisted on the importance of having Black educators. They consistently named their Black teachers and counselors as the most influential adults in their planning for life after graduation.
Black educators, though, are severely underrepresented in the local teaching workforce. At Zikia’s school, over 75% of students are Black compared to only about 15% of teachers.
The picture is just as striking in Pennsylvania as a whole. Statewide, the share of Black students is four times the share of Black teachers – 14.5% of students are Black, while only 3.7% of teachers are. A majority of public schools in Pennsylvania do not employ a single teacher of color despite serving racially diverse communities.
These statistics are particularly concerning because strong evidence suggests that minority students benefit greatly from working with same-race teachers.
Over the past two decades, a wave of studies from economists and education scholars have documented that when Black students are assigned to Black teachers, their math and reading scores improve, their rates of absenteeism and suspensions drop, and over the long run, they are more likely to enroll in honors classes, complete high school and go to college.
This research is mostly quantitative and does more to establish that Black teachers are effective than explain why they are able to deliver such impressive results.
To answer this latter question, I went directly to the source.
I conducted interviews with roughly 100 Philadelphia 12th graders, asking them how they came to trust and depend on Black educators when weighing one of the most consequential decisions of their lives: whether and where to go to college. I spoke with students at five city high schools, including district-run and charter schools, as well as some of the teachers and counselors involved in their college decisions.
Zikia and the other names used in this story are pseudonyms to protect the confidentiality of research participants.
The presence of Black educators mattered to students for several reasons.
Some of my respondents felt inspired by seeing Black people in school leadership positions. LaMont, for instance, said that taking classes from Black teachers motivated him: “Just to see success is achievable. A teacher is something in life. And it shows that people that look like me are able to overcome something. Having Black teachers gives you a sense of confidence.”
LaMont’s seeing his own identity and background reflected in his teachers is what sociologists and political scientists call descriptive representation. His classmates agreed that it was important to have teachers who looked like them. Their connection, they insisted, was more than skin deep. Most of them gravitated to Black teachers because of how those teachers did their jobs and advocated for minority students, a concept called substantive representation.
For instance, many students felt most comfortable asking for help from Black teachers because they regarded them as more empathetic listeners and felt they were invested in their holistic well-being, not just in their grades or academic performance.
When I asked Ramir to tell me about the teachers he had strong relationships with, he offered a typical answer: “Most of them are African American,” he said. “But it’s not even just about that. I like a teacher who tries to understand you for who you are. Not look at you as a student but as a human being and build with you.”
Students also credited Black teachers with making them feel like they belonged at school. They sought out advice from teachers who believed in their potential and held them to high academic and behavioral standards. These qualities were by no means unique to Black teachers, but white teachers sometimes found it difficult to balance authority with warmth in their relationships with students.
“There are some teachers that act like siblings and some that act like parents,” said Emily, a white social studies teacher. “And it’s very rare that a white teacher can act like a parent and have the kids still like them.”
Black educators also had culturally relevant insights into college that students valued highly. They often had deeper knowledge of local historically Black colleges and universities, or they could speak to the experience of being a racial minority at a predominantly white institution. Students valued guidance more when it came from a source they felt was relatable.
These findings suggest that Black educators are effective not only because of shared identity or experiences, but also because of the skills and dispositions they bring into the classroom: proactively building relationships, coupling high expectations with high levels of support, and bringing schoolwork to life. As a result, minority students held out hope not only for more representation in the classroom but also that all their teachers – regardless of race – would integrate these practices into their tool kits.
Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.
Joseph Sageman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Black teachers are key mentors for Philly high school seniors navigating college decisions – https://theconversation.com/black-teachers-are-key-mentors-for-philly-high-school-seniors-navigating-college-decisions-261732
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Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By Michael Childers, Associate Professor of History, Colorado State University
The Trump administration’s cuts to the National Park Service’s budget and staffing have raised concerns among park advocates and the public that the administration is aiming to further privatize the national parks.
The nation has a long history of similar efforts, including a wildly unpopular 1980 attempt by Reagan administration Interior Secretary James Watt to promote development and expand private concessions in the parks. But debate over using public national park land for private profit dates back more than a century before that.
As I explain in my forthcoming book, no park has played a more central role in that debate than Yosemite, in California.
In early 1864, Central American Steamship Transit Company representative Israel Ward Raymond wrote a letter to John Conness, a U.S. senator from California, urging the government to move swiftly to preserve the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees to prevent them from falling into private hands. Five months later, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act, ceding the valley and the grove to the state of California, “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.” This was years before Yellowstone became the first federal land designated a national park in 1872.
Controversy arose quickly at Yosemite. Two men – James Lamon and James Hutchings – had claimed land in the valley before the federal government gave it to California. Both began commercial operations, Lamon growing cash crops and Hutchings operating a hotel.
California said their businesses threatened the state’s ability to develop roads and trails in Yosemite by competing for tourist dollars. A legal battle ensued and was not resolved until an 1872 U.S. Supreme Court ruling found that the men’s land claims had not been fully validated according to the procedures of the time. The California legislature paid both men compensation for their land, and both left the park.
In 1890, neighboring parts of the Yosemite area became America’s third national park – and in 1906, the federal government again took possession of the Yosemite Valley itself and the Mariposa Grove, specifically to incorporate them into an expansion of the national park.
Yet, as my research has found, the role of private interests in the park remained unsolved. Private companies under contract to the National Park Service have long provided needed amenities such as lodging and food within the national parks. But questions over what is acceptable in national parks in the pursuit of profit have shaped Yosemite’s history for generations.
In 1925, I found, the question centered on the right to build the first gas station inside the park, in Yosemite Valley. Two private businesses, the Curry Camping Company and the Yosemite National Park Company, had long competed for tourist dollars within the park. Each wanted to build a gas station to boost profits.
Frustrated over the need to decide, National Park Service Director Horace Albright ordered the rival firms to simplify management of the park’s concessions. The companies merged, and the newly formed Yosemite Park and Curry Company was granted the exclusive rights to run lodges, restaurants and other facilities within the park, including the new gas station.
But as I found in my research, the park service and the concessions company did not always see eye to eye on the purpose of the park. The conflict between profit and preservation is perhaps most clearly illustrated by the construction of a ski area within the park in the early 1930s. The park service initially opposed the development of Badger Pass Ski Area as not conducive to the national park ideal, but the Yosemite Park and Curry Company insisted it was key to boosting winter use of the park.
In 1973, the Music Corporation of America, an entertainment conglomerate, bought the Yosemite Park and Curry Company. The company already had a tourist attraction operating near Hollywood, where visitors could pay to tour movie sets, but had not yet changed its name to Universal Studios or launched major theme parks in Florida and California. Its purchase of the park’s concessions set off a firestorm of controversy over fears of turning Yosemite into a theme park.
That didn’t happen, but annual park visitor numbers climbed from 2.5 million to 3.8 million over the 20 years MCA ran the concessions, which sparked concerns about development and overcrowding in the park. Conservationists argued the park service had allowed the corporate giant to promote and develop the park in ways that threatened the very aspects of the park most people came to enjoy.
With three restaurants, two service stations with a total of 15 gas pumps, two cafeterias, two grocery stores, seven souvenir shops, a delicatessen, a bank, a skating rink, three swimming pools, a golf course, two tennis courts, kennels, a barbershop, a beauty shop, Badger Pass Ski Area and three lodges, the Yosemite Valley was a busy commercial district. Critics argued that such development contradicted the park service’s mandate to leave national parks unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.
Falling profits and consolidation within the music industry led MCA to sell its concessions rights in Yosemite in 1993. The Delaware North Companies, a global hospitality corporation, took over and ran the park’s concessions until 2016, when it sold the rights to Aramark.
But in that sale, the question of public resources and private profits arose again. Delaware North demanded $51 million in compensation for Aramark continuing to use the names of several historic properties within the park, such as the Ahwahnee, a hotel, and Curry Village, another group of visitor accommodations. The company claimed those names were a part of its assets under its contract with the park service.
The park service rejected the claim, saying the names, which dated back more than a century, belonged to the American people. But to avoid legal problems during the transition, the agency temporarily renamed several sites, including calling the Ahwahnee the Majestic Yosemite Hotel and changing Curry Village to Half Dome Village. Public outrage erupted, denouncing the claim by Delaware North as commercial overreach that threatened to distort Yosemite’s heritage. In 2019, the park service and Aramark agreed to pay Delaware North a total of $12 million to settle the dispute, and the original names were restored.
In June 2025, Yosemite again took center stage in the dispute over the role of federal funding versus private interests at the start of the second Trump administration when a group of climbers unfurled an American flag upside down off El Capitan in protest of the administration’s cuts in personnel and slashing of the park service’s budget.
Conservationists, including former National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, argued that by defunding the park service and laying off as much as a quarter of its workforce, the Trump administration was “laying the groundwork to privatize” the national parks by allowing corporate interests more access to public lands. Those concerns echo ones raised during the first Trump administration, when the White House argued privatization would better serve the American public by improving visitor experiences and saving federal dollars.
Whichever side prevails in the short term, the debate over the role of private interests within national parks like Yosemite will undoubtedly continue.
Michael Childers does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Yosemite embodies the long war over US national park privatization – https://theconversation.com/yosemite-embodies-the-long-war-over-us-national-park-privatization-261133
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