PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intapp (NASDAQ: INTA), a leading global provider of AI-powered solutions for professionals at advisory, capital markets, and legal firms, announces that New Forests has implemented Intapp DealCloud to modernize its investor relations and fundraising functions. New Forests is a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies with teams spanning the United States, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia. The firm manages a diversified portfolio of sustainable timber plantations and conservation areas, carbon and conservation finance projects, agriculture, timber processing, and infrastructure.
Leading strategic change “With Intapp DealCloud, we are able to keep better track of our investors, and the entire fundraising process, to ensure we’re offering investors and prospective investors a more targeted and tailored approach to relationship management,” said Sarah Clawson, Global Head of Investor Relations at New Forests. “The AI capabilities within DealCloud will help streamline reporting, investor outreach, and follow ups.”
Modernizing investor relations DealCloud provides New Forests’ investor relations teams with the insight they need to make important decisions and build long-term relationships with investors. It is a data-powered platform built for capital markets firms that centralizes critical proprietary and third-party data. Access to real-time data and analytics helps New Forests’ IR professionals cultivate existing and prospective investor relationships, build pipeline, organize investor events, and tailor thought leadership content.
Using Applied AI, DealCloud furthers the modernization of investor relations processes through every stage of the process. With AI assistance, IR professionals can analyze data quickly and accurately, and make more informed decisions based on real-time insights, market trends, and existing firm knowledge. DealCloud’s AI capabilities also help automate everyday workflows, identify and communicate with potential new investors, and ensure investor and fundraising activity is recorded for future reference.
Multiplying success with Intapp “We’re excited to work with New Forests, a leading investment manager across Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa and the United States,” said Rudy Saad, Global Head of Private Equity and Private Capital Markets at Intapp. “With Intapp DealCloud, their IR professionals are empowered with greater visibility into key investor interactions, more targeted business development campaigns, and ultimately better management of capital raising initiatives while automating more manual processes.”
About Intapp Intapp software helps professionals unlock their teams’ knowledge, relationships, and operational insights to increase value for their firms. Using the power of Applied AI, we make firm and market intelligence easy to find, understand, and use. With Intapp’s portfolio of vertical SaaS solutions, professionals can apply their collective expertise to make smarter decisions, manage risk, and increase competitive advantage. The world’s top firms — across accounting, consulting, investment banking, legal, private capital, and real assets — trust Intapp’s industry-specific platform and solutions to modernize and drive new growth. For more information, visit intapp.com and LinkedIn.
About New Forests New Forests is a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, with A$11.6 billion in assets under management across more than 4.2 million hectares of investments. We manage a diversified portfolio of sustainable timber plantations and conservation areas, carbon and conservation finance projects, agriculture, timber processing and infrastructure. We aim to generate shared prosperity for our clients and the communities in which we operate and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future (as at 30 June 2024).
Headquartered in Sydney, New Forests is a Certified B Corp and operates in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Africa and the United States. www.newforests.com.
Intapp Ali Robinson Global Media Relations Director, Intapp press@intapp.com
TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Visited app, a travel list app published by Arriving In High Heels Corporation, announces the publication of its Top 25 Most Visited cruise ports list, based on international travelers cruising. The app was developed to keep track of all countries visited, it has later expanded to include US states that users have been to and destinations and experiences while abroad. With over 175 travel lists to choose from, including famous ports, users can select places and activities that they have done or wish to do. By building their ultimate bucket list, they are able to plan their future trip with itinerary feature.
The top visited cruise ports list is based on over 2.45 international travelers, with the full list available in the app on iOS or Android stores. “It is not surprising that 5 cruise ports out of 25, are found in United States, as a lot of cruises heading to Caribbean and Latin America originate there. What is surprising is that Barcelona continues to top the list as the most visited cruise port,” said Anna Kayfitz, CEO of Arriving In High Heels.
For those that love Cruising, here are the top 10 most popular cruise ports as per Visited’s users:
Barcelona, Spain
Venice, Italy
Miami, USA
London, UK
Amsterdam, Netherlands
New York, USA
Naples, Italy
Lisbon, Portugal
Copenhagen, Denmark
Cozumel, Mexico
To see the full list of popular cruise ports in United States and abroad, download the Visited app on iOS or Android.
About Visited Travel App
Visited is the ultimate travel bucket list app, is the app for those that love to travel both internationally and domestically. Some features of the app includes:
Personalized map which an be looked at as by country, region or city
Over 175 Travel lists, where users can select where they have been or want to go and what they like or want to do. Travel categories include places such as art museums, US National Parks or activities such as golf destinations, culinary experiences and wine regions.
Trip itinerary feature lets you see the number of places and experiences you wish to visit and do by country. The rank helps decide where to next.
Personal travel stats let’s you see how many countries you visited, what percentage of the world or country you have seen as well as they type of traveler you are.
The travel app is available in 30 languages and is available on iOS or Android and free to download.
To learn more about the Visited app and its latest feature update, please visit https://visitedapp.com/.
TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blockmate Ventures Inc (TSX.V: MATE) (OTCQB: MATEF) (FSE: 8MH1) (“Blockmate” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that its majority-owned subsidiary, Hivello Holdings Ltd, has had its $HVLO token commence trading on leading exchanges, Gate.io and MEXC.
$HVLO’s token listing should unlock greater passive income functionality for its users and attract new ones. Ultimately, the token will enable more users to participate in blockchain mining, earn rewards, and leverage the token’s utility across the growing DePIN ecosystem.
This milestone marks a significant step in Hivello’s mission to revolutionize the Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) space by enabling seamless participation in decentralized computing. By connecting unused computing resources to decentralized networks, Hivello users can earn rewards while strengthening the DePIN ecosystem.
With over fifteen thousand nodes already active in its beta application, Hivello is leading the DePIN aggregation space. The platform’s plug-and-play mining model removes the complexity of blockchain mining, making it accessible to both novice and experienced users.
Blockmate has not directly issued any tokens or received any proceeds from the token listing. The tokens are issued by the Swiss-based HVLO Association, under licence from Hivello Holdings Ltd.
Below is the press release from Hivello:
Hivello’s $HVLO Token Live on Gate.io and MEXC exchanges
London & Amsterdam, 11th February 2025 –Hivello, a DePIN aggregator that enables users to earn by monetising idle computer resources across multiple decentralised networks, has announced their Token Generation Event (TGE) is live, and the $HVLO token is officially trading. This marks a significant milestone in Hivello’s mission to redefine- and expand the DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) ecosystem.
Key Dates and times:
Gate.io – 11 February 2025, 10 AM UTC
MEXC – 11 February 2025, 10 AM UTC
Raydium.io (Solana DEX) – 12 February 2025, 11AM UTC
The company requests that interested individuals visit Hivello’s official website www.hivello.com for all the latest information, including the Contract Address (CA) for the smart contract.
The $HVLO token is important in Hivello’s ecosystem, incentivizing users to contribute compute, storage, and networking resources to DePIN protocols. By listing on Gate.io and MEXC, two of the industry’s leading centralized exchanges, and Raydium, the largest decentralized exchange (DEX) on Solana, Hivello is ensuring deep liquidity and accessibility for a wide range of users.
Now that $HVLO is live on multiple exchanges, multiple benefits exist:
Expanding accessibility and benefits of $HVLO, enabling more users to participate in decentralized compute mining, earn rewards, and leverage the token’s utility across the growing DePIN ecosystem.
Enhancing staking and governance functionalities for $HVLO holders, ensuring long-term engagement and sustainability.
Expanding partnerships with DePIN protocols and AI compute networks, driving broader adoption of decentralized infrastructure.
Scaling its network of decentralized node operators, making it easier for users worldwide to contribute to DePIN.
Hivello will be running an X Space event for people to tune in, details below:
For the latest updates on staking, rewards, and DePIN integrations, users are encouraged to follow Hivello’s official channels:
Domenic Carosa, Co-Founder & Chairman of Hivello, stated:
“Launching $HVLO and listing it on Gate.io, MEXC, and Raydium is a major achievement for Hivello and our growing community. These listings provide global accessibility, allowing more users to engage with decentralized compute and earn rewards through DePIN.”
About Gate.io
Founded in 2013, Gate.io is one of the top 5 cryptocurrency exchanges globally by real trading volume, providing secure, reliable, transparent, and authentic digital asset trading services to over 20 million users. For more information, visit www.gate.io.
About MEXC Established in 2018, MEXC serves more than 30 million users in more than 170 countries. MEXC has an extensive range of popular tokens and airdrop options. Their platform provides safe and effective access to digital assets, catering to both novice traders and seasoned investors. MEXC places an emphasis on innovation and simplicity, which increases the accessibility and profitability of token trading.
About Hivello Hivello is a DePIN aggregator that enables users to earn by monetising idle computer resources across multiple decentralised networks. The Swiss-based HVLO Association will issue the $HVLO token under license from Hivello Holdings Ltd. For more information about Hivello and to stay updated on its developments, visit www.hivello.com
About Blockmate Ventures Inc. Blockmate Ventures is a venture creator focussing on building fast-growing technology businesses relating to cutting-edge sectors such as blockchain, AI and renewable energy. Working with prospective founders, projects in incubation can benefit from the Blockmate ecosystem that offers tech, services, integrations and advice to accelerate the incubation of projects towards monetization. Recent projects include Hivello (download the free passive income app at www.hivello.com) and Sunified, digitising solar energy.
The leadership team at Blockmate Ventures have successfully founded successful tech companies from the Dotcom era through to the social media era. Learn more about being a Blockmate at: www.blockmate.com.
Blockmate welcomes investors to join the Company’s mailing list for the latest updates and industry research by subscribing at https://www.blockmate.com/subscribe.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Justin Rosenberg, CEO Blockmate Ventures Inc justin@blockmate.com (+1-580-262-6130)
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release
Forward-Looking Information This news release contains “forward-looking statements” or “forward-looking information” (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on the assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Raindrop disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
The New Yorker expanded the scope of journalism far beyond the standard categories of crime, courts, politics and sports.Design Uncensored
Literate in tone, far-reaching in scope, and witty to its bones, The New Yorker brought a new – and much-needed – sophistication to American journalism when it launched 100 years ago this month.
As I researched the history of U.S. journalism for my book “Covering America,” I became fascinated by the magazine’s origin story and the story of its founder, Harold Ross.
In a business full of characters, Ross fit right in. He never graduated from high school. With a gap-toothed smile and bristle-brush hair, he was frequently divorced and plagued by ulcers.
Ross devoted his adult life to one cause: The New Yorker magazine.
For the literati, by the literati
Born in 1892 in Aspen, Colorado, Ross worked out west as a reporter while still a teenager. When the U.S. entered World War I, Ross enlisted. He was sent to southern France, where he quickly deserted from his Army regiment and made his way to Paris, carrying his portable Corona typewriter. He joined up with the brand-new newspaper for soldiers, Stars and Stripes, which was so desperate for anybody with training that Ross was taken on with no questions asked, even though the paper was an official Army operation.
In Paris, Ross met a number of writers, including Jane Grant, who had been the first woman to work as a news reporter at The New York Times. She eventually became the first of Ross’ three wives.
After the armistice, Ross headed to New York City and never really left. There, he started meeting other writers, and he soon joined a clique of critics, dramatists and wits who gathered at the Round Table in the Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street in Manhattan.
Over long and liquid lunches, Ross rubbed shoulders and wisecracked with some of the brightest lights in New York’s literary chandelier. The Round Table also spawned a floating poker game that involved Ross and his eventual financial backer, Raoul Fleischmann, of the famous yeast-making family.
In the mid-1920s, Ross decided to launch a weekly metropolitan magazine. He could see that the magazine business was booming, but he had no intention of copying anything that already existed. He wanted to publish a magazine that spoke directly to him and his friends – young city dwellers who’d spent time in Europe and were bored by the platitudes and predictable features found in most American periodicals.
First, though, Ross had to come up with a business plan.
The kind of smart-set readers Ross wanted were also desirable to Manhattan’s high-end retailers, so they got on board and expressed interest in buying ads. On that basis, Ross’ poker partner Fleischmann was willing to stake him US$25,000 to start – roughly $450,000 in today’s dollars.
Ross goes all in
In the fall of 1924, using an office owned by Fleischmann’s family at 25 West 45th St., Ross got to work on the prospectus for his magazine:
“The New Yorker will be a reflection in word and picture of metropolitan life. It will be human. Its general tenor will be one of gaiety, wit and satire, but it will be more than a jester. It will not be what is commonly called radical or highbrow. It will be what is commonly called sophisticated, in that it will assume a reasonable degree of enlightenment on the part of its readers. It will hate bunk.”
The magazine, he famously added, “is not edited for the old lady in Dubuque.”
In other words, The New Yorker was not going to respond to the news cycle, and it was not going to pander to middle America.
Ross’ only criterion would be whether a story was interesting – with Ross the arbiter of what counted as interesting. He was putting all his chips on the long-shot idea that there were enough people who shared his interests – or could discover that they did – to support a glossy, cheeky, witty weekly.
Ross almost failed. The cover of the first issue of The New Yorker, dated Feb. 21, 1925, carried no portraits of potentates or tycoons, no headlines, no come-ons.
Instead, it featured a watercolor by Ross’ artist friend Rea Irvin of a dandified figure staring intently through a monocle at – of all things! – a butterfly. That image, nicknamed Eustace Tilly, became the magazine’s unoffical emblem.
A magazine finds its footing
Inside that first edition, a reader would find a buffet of jokes and short poems. There was a profile, reviews of plays and books, lots of gossip, and a few ads.
It was not terribly impressive, feeling quite patched together, and at first the magazine struggled. When The New Yorker was just a few months old, Ross almost even lost it entirely one night in a drunken poker game at the home of Pulitzer Prize winner and Round Table regular Herbert Bayard Swope. Ross didn’t make it home until noon the next day, and when he woke, his wife found IOUs in his pockets amounting to nearly $30,000.
Fleischmann, who had been at the card game but left at a decent hour, was furious. Somehow, Ross persuaded Fleischmann to pay off some of his debt and let Ross work off the rest. Just in time, The New Yorker began gaining readers, and more advertisers soon followed. Ross eventually settled up with his financial angel.
A big part of the magazine’s success was Ross’ genius for spotting talent and encouraging them to develop their own voices. One of the founding editor’s key early finds was Katharine S. Angell, who became the magazine’s first fiction editor and a reliable reservoir of good sense. In 1926, Ross brought James Thurber and E.B. White aboard, and they performed a variety of chores: writing “casuals,” which were short satirical essays, cartooning, creating captions for others’ drawings, reporting Talk of the Town pieces and offering commentary.
As The New Yorker found its footing, the writers and editors began perfecting some of its trademark features: the deep profile, ideally written about someone who was not strictly in the news but who deserved to be better known; long, deeply reported, nonfiction narratives; short stories and poetry; and, of course, the single-panel cartoons and the humor sketches.
Intensely curious and obsessively correct in matters grammatical, Ross would go to any length to ensure accuracy. Writers got their drafts back from Ross covered in penciled queries demanding dates, sources and endless fact-checking. One trademark Ross query was “Who he?”
During the 1930s, while the country was suffering through a relentless economic depression, The New Yorker was sometimes faulted for blithely ignoring the seriousness of the nation’s problems. In the pages of The New Yorker, life was almost always amusing, attractive and fun.
The New Yorker really came into its own, both financially and editorially, during World War II. It finally found its voice, one that was curious, international, searching and, ultimately, quite serious.
Over the past century, The New Yorker had a profound impact on American journalism.
For one thing, Ross created conditions for distinctive voices to be heard. For another, The New Yorker provided encouragement and an outlet for nonacademic authority to flourish; it was a place where all those serious amateurs could write about the Dead Sea Scrolls or geology or medicine or nuclear war with no credentials other than their own ability to observe closely, think clearly and put together a good sentence.
Finally, Ross must be credited with expanding the scope of journalism far beyond standard categories of crime and courts, politics and sports. In the pages of The New Yorker, readers almost never found the same content that they’d come across in other newspapers and magazines.
Instead, readers of The New Yorker might find just about anything else.
Christopher B. Daly 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.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Laura E. Alexander, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Nebraska Omaha
Vice President JD Vance has criticized the U.S. Catholic bishops condemning agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement entering churches and schools.Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance and several bishops of the U.S. Roman Catholic Church are having a war of words over the Trump administration’s flurry of executive orders and highly publicized immigration raids. The bishops argue that these policies tend to empower gangs and traffickers while harming vulnerable families; Vance has criticized the bishops’ stance and argued that crackdowns are a matter of public safety.
In the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive orders, both Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bishop Mark Seitz, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, publicly objected to the tone and the humanitarian impacts of the orders.
Seitz critiqued generalizations that denigrate and describe migrants without legal status as “criminals” or “invaders,” saying this “is an affront to God, who has created each of us in his own image.” Instead, he urged humane policies and bipartisan immigration reform for an “effective, orderly immigration system.”
Interviewed on “Face the Nation,” Vance argued that the USCCB should “look in the mirror … and recognize that when they receive over US$100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line?”
To be clear, this line of attack appears to be false. USCCB contracts with the U.S. State Department to resettle refugees and has received over $100 million in recent years to do so, but refugee resettlement is a legal immigration program. The Catholic Church, rather than making money on this program, provides funding from its own budget to supplement its humanitarian work with refugees. For example, according to the USCCB’s audited financial statements, in 2023, the most recent year reported, the USCCB spent over $134.2 million on resettlement services. Federal grants provided over $129.6 million for these services, with the USCCB covering the rest.
As a scholar of religion and migration, I see in this debate long-standing tensions among Catholic – and other Christian – thinkers and practitioners about moral obligations to people with whom we have closer versus more distant relationships.
This tension is magnified in the case of migrants without legal status, since most of these migrants do have close relationships with U.S. communities and citizens, but they are not legally authorized by the U.S. government.
Some Christian thinkers have adopted these terms as a helpful way to understand Christian ethical debates over how to prioritize caring for people who are more closely connected or less connected to us. Those who take a cosmopolitan stance argue that Christians should care equally about all people of the world and should not show preference to family members or those within their near orbit, even if, for practical reasons, they do assist those close to them more often.
Meanwhile, thinkers who take a communitarian stance argue that Christians certainly should care about the well-being of all but have a moral obligation to prefer helping people they have a closer relationship with, such as family members, those who are close geographically and possibly fellow citizens.
Christian theologies of neighborly love
Many Christian thinkers have developed perspectives on how to prioritize care for different neighbors by interpreting the words and actions of Jesus, as well as the teachings and practices of the early Christian church. Over time, Christian thinkers have also considered institutional statements and traditional teachings of different church bodies.
Early theologians, including Clement of Rome, the first-century bishop of Rome, and John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth and fifth centuries, demonstrated cosmopolitan tendencies.
In another passage, Jesus heals the daughter of a woman who was both non-Jewish and of foreign ethnicity, accepting her chastisement for his initial reluctance to assist a non-Jew.
Later in the New Testament, the apostle Paul used expansive language for the Christian community, particularly in Galatians, the ninth book of the New Testament: “There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
The contemporary Roman Catholic Church has often taken a cosmopolitan perspective on social issues. Pope Francis, in his message for the 2024 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, highlights the biblical passage that “our citizenship is in heaven” and states that “the encounter with the migrant … ‘is also an encounter with Christ.’”
Catholic service organizations draw on this thinking when they help migrants in concrete ways. In addition to refugee resettlement services, many Catholic organizations provide humanitarian assistance such as food and shelter to migrants, no matter where they are from.
Christian communitarian thought
From a communitarian perspective, some thinkers argue that Christians’ concrete obligations to members of their communities can differ from their obligations to others, even though they view all people as of equal moral worth.
St. Thomas Aquinas, whose writings have also become part of the current debate after Vance referenced them online, argues that Christians should assist people in need, even to the point of depriving themselves of luxuries or social standing. He consistently urges Christians to love all people as commanded by God. Yet he also writes that, all other things being equal, Christians can properly meet the needs of people close to them before they give to those outside their own family or close circles, and that in political matters there can be some justification for preferring fellow citizens.
Some contemporary Christian thinkers apply similar ideas to relationships between citizens and noncitizens in modern states. Ethicist Mark Amstutz argues that American Christian churches should incorporate a stronger focus on citizens’ needs and solidarity within state communities into their statements on immigration. German Catholic thinker Manfred Spieker has advocated that Christian social teachings permit preferences for people one is close to, as well as requirements of cultural integration by immigrants.
These proponents of Christian communitarian perspectives continue to stress that all neighbors should be treated well even if some are prioritized over others. In this way, Vance’s remarks are not the best example of Christian communitarian thought, since migrants without legal status still should not be demonized nor falsely accused of criminal behavior, both of which Vance himself has done in the past few months.
But it’s possible that love could take different shapes in different relationships. Immigration poses a unique test case because immigrants are not citizens, but they are “close” neighbors to U.S. citizens.
This further nuances debates about cosmopolitan and communitarian moral perspectives, since immigrants arrive from places outside the U.S. but have close relationships with U.S. citizens, whether as family members or as neighbors with whom they work, shop and worship.
At the moment, public debate over immigration reflects trends in U.S. politics as much or more than it does Christian ethics. Yet Christian communities do continue to wrestle with cosmopolitan and communitarian ways of thinking, as they try to understand and apply Christian scriptural and moral commands to care for all people.
Laura E. Alexander receives funding from the Mellon Foundation and has previously received funding from the Public Religion Research Institute. As a private individual, she is a member of the Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities, a statewide network of businesses, institutions, and individuals seeking immigration reform solutions.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, James Irvine Chair in Urban and Regional Planning and Professor of Public Policy, University of Southern California
Part of the problem is that people living in rural areas don’t always have easy access to health care.cstar55/iStock via Getty Images
Rural Americans – particularly men – are expected to live significantly shorter, less healthy lives than their urban counterparts, according to our research, recently published in the Journal of Rural Health.
We found that a 60-year-old man living in a rural area is expected on average to live two fewer years than an urban man. For women, the rural-urban gap is six months.
A key reason is worse rates among rural people for smoking, obesity and chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. These conditions are condemning millions to disability and shortened lives.
Our teamarrived atthese findings by using a simulation called the Future Elderly Model. With that, we were able to simulate the future life course of Americans currently age 60 living in either an urban or rural area.
The model is based on relationships observed in 20 years of data from the Health and Retirement Study, an ongoing survey that follows people from age 51 through the rest of their lives. Specifically, the model showed how long these Americans might live, the expected quality of their future years, and how certain changes in lifestyle would affect the results.
We describe the conditions that drive our results as “diseases of despair,” building off the landmark work of pioneering researchers who coined the now widely used term “deaths of despair.” They documented rising mortality among Americans without a college degree and related these deaths to declines in social and economic prospects.
The main causes of deaths of despair – drug overdoses, liver disease and suicide – have also been called “diseases of despair.” But the conditions we study, such as heart disease, could similarly be influenced by social and economic prospects. And they can profoundly reduce quality of life.
We also found that if rural education levels were as high as in urban areas, this would eliminate almost half of the rural-urban life-expectancy gap. Our data shows 65% of urban 60-year-olds were educated beyond high school, compared with 53% of rural residents the same age.
One possible reason for the difference is that getting a bachelor’s degree may make a person more able or willing to follow scientific recommendations – and more likely to work out for 150 minutes a week or eat their veggies as their doctor advises them to.
Rural communities are increasingly hampered by their lack of access to health care.
Why it matters
The gap between urban and rural health outcomes has widened over recent decades. Yet the problem goes beyond disparities between urban and rural health: It also splits down some of the party lines and social divides that separate U.S. citizens, such as education and lifestyle.
Scholarship on the decline of rural America suggests that people living outside larger cities are resentful of the economic forces that may have eroded their economic power. The interplay between these forces and the health conditions we study are less appreciated.
But health can also have a strong influence on economic outcomes. Hospitalizations cause high medical costs, loss of work and earnings, and increases in bankruptcy. The onset of chronic disease and disability can lead to long-lasting declines in income. Even health events experienced early in childhood can have economic consequences decades later.
In tandem, these health and economic trends might reinforce each other and help fuel inequality between rural and urban areas that produces a profoundly different quality of life.
What still isn’t known
It should be noted that our results, like many studies, are describing outcomes on average; the rural population is not a monolith. In fact, some of the most physically active and healthy people we know live in rural areas.
Just how much your location affects your health is an ongoing area of research. But as researchers begin to understand more, we can come up with strategies to promote health among all Americans, regardless of where they live.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Elizabeth Currid-Halkett was the Kluge Chair in Modern Culture at the Library of Congress while conducting some of this research.
Currid-Halkett is on the Scholars’ Council for the nonprofit Braver Angels.
Bryan Tysinger receives funding from NIA.
Jack Chapel 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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in May 2024 an estimated 3% decrease in overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2023 compared with 2022. Shortly after, data from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health showed a similar trend: Fatal overdoses across the city decreased 7% in 2023, from 1,207 to 1,122. The city is expected to release its 2024 data in the spring of 2025.
While these declines are notable, the city’s 2023 fatal overdose numbers are three times higher than they were in 2013.
In a phenomenon known as the “iron law of prohibition,” stricter drug law enforcement led drug-trafficking organizations to shift from heroin toward more powerful synthetic opioids that are easier to produce, conceal and distribute. Gram for gram, pure fentanyl is over 50 times stronger than pure heroin.
But street-obtained fentanyl has proven to be anything but pure.
This unpredictable potency is considered to be the chief contributor to the deadliness of street fentanyl. It’s like cracking a beer and not knowing whether drinking it will get you mildly buzzed or send you to the graveyard.
Research suggests drug busts, though touted as improving public safety, can lead to more inconsistency and unpredictability in the potency of illicit opioids. An analysis of 14 studies conducted in the U.S. demonstrated a marked increase in fatal overdoses following the supply disruptions that result from drug seizures.
There’s also some evidence that the heightened economic insecurity and despair caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have intensified the fatal overdose epidemic.
Andres Freire of Prevention Point stands on the ‘bupe bus,’ a mobile service that offers medication treatment such as buprenorphine to people with opioid use disorder in Philadelphia. Jeff Fusco for The Conversation U.S., CC BY-NC-ND
Potential reasons for decline
Just as economic insecurity was associated with rising deaths, the subsequent economic recovery as the U.S. emerged from the pandemic may have contributed to the 2023 drop in overdose fatalities nationwide.
Another possible explanation for the reduction in overdose deaths is the increasing availability of buprenorphine.
Buprenorphine, an FDA-approved medication for opioid use disorder, reduces withdrawal and cravings for fentanyl. What’s more, it decreases overdose risk by more than 50%.
However, efforts to increase access to this medication have stagnated. National prescribing rates for buprenorphine were relatively stable from 2019 to 2023, and the CDC estimates that only a quarter of those who need treatment are getting it. Efforts to make buprenorphine available without a prescription have not yet gained traction.
Access to and education around naloxone, a lifesaving drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, has also increased, and the drug is increasingly being administered by bystanders. Over 1.3 million doses were distributed in Pennsylvania since 2017. National research suggests these distribution efforts, often spearheaded by local harm-reduction organizations, have led to quicker administration of naloxone. This saves lives while also decreasing reliance on emergency medical services.
Finally, the consequences of a seemingly minor characteristic of fentanyl’s pharmacology might also be reducing the overdose death rate in Philadelphia.
These additives lengthen the duration of the effect, mitigate withdrawal symptoms and possibly reduce the amount of fentanyl needed per dose. Some evidence from animal studies shows that xylazine reduces fentanyl intake by suppressing fentanyl withdrawal, thereby lengthening the time before a person uses again.
The opioid settlement, a multibillion-dollar payment from the pharmaceutical industry to resolve legal actions against them, has led to increased funding in Philadelphia for naloxone and medications such as buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder.
Meanwhile, at the federal level, Republican members of Congress have proposed cuts to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income Americans.
Whether new data, when it’s released, will show overdose deaths in Philly have continued to decline or are back on the rise is anybody’s guess. But I do know that harm-reduction advocates, medical providers and communities of people who use drugs will continue to fight this epidemic as if their lives depend on it. For many, it does.
Ben Cocchiaro is affiliated with Prevention Point Philadelphia but his opinions are his own. He served on the Data Analysis and Sharing Subcommittee of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Task Force to Combat the Opiate Epidemic from 2016-2017.
I recently helped my mom sort through boxes she inherited when my grandparents passed away. One box was labeled – either ironically or genuinely – “toothpick holders and other treasures.” Inside were many keepsakes from moments now lost to history – although we found no toothpick holders.
My favorite of the items we sorted through was a solitary puzzle piece, an artifact reflecting my late grandmother’s penchant for hiding the final piece to a jigsaw puzzle just to swoop in at the last moment and finish it.
After several hours of reminiscing, my mom and I threw away 90% of what we had sorted.
“Why did I keep this?” is a question I hear frequently, both from my family and friends and from patients. I am a licensed clinical psychologist whose research focuses on the characterization, assessment and treatment of hoarding disorder, particularly for adults 60 years of age or older. As such, I spend a great deal of my time thinking about this question.
What drives the need to keep stuff?
Hoarding disorder is a psychiatric condition defined by urges to save items and difficulty discarding current possessions. For adults with “clinically severe” hoarding disorder, this leads to a level of household clutter that impairs daily functioning and can even create a fire hazard. In my professional experience, however, many adults struggle with clutter even if they do not meet the clinical criteria for hoarding disorder.
When I was a graduate student, I conducted a study in which we asked adults with hoarding disorder to spend 15 minutes making decisions about whether to keep or discard various items brought from their home. Participants could sort whatever items they wanted. Most chose to sort paper items such as old mail, cards or notes.
We found that age was associated with lower levels of distress during the task, such that participants who were older tended to feel less stressed when making the decision about what to keep and what to discard. We also found that many participants, particularly those who were older, actually reported positive emotions while sorting their items.
In new research publishing soon, my current team replicated this finding using a home-based version of the task. This suggests that fear of making the wrong decision isn’t a universal driver of our urge to save items.
In fact, a study my team published in August 2024 with adults over 50 with hoarding disorder suggests that altruism, a personality trait of wanting to help others, may explain why some people keep items that others might discard. My colleagues and I compared our participants’ personality profiles with that of adults in the general population of the same gender and age group. Compared with the general population, participants with hoarding disorder scored almost universally high on altruism.
Altruism also comes up frequently in my clinical work with older adults who struggle with clutter. People in our studies often tell me that they have held onto something out of a sense of responsibility, either for the item itself or to the environment.
“I need it to go to a good home” and “my grandmother gave this to me” are sentiments we commonly hear. Thus, people may keep things not out of fear of losing them but because saving them is consistent with their values.
Your values can help guide which possessions should stay in your life and which ones should go.
Leaning into values
In a 2024 study, my team demonstrated that taking a values-based approach to decluttering helps older adults to decrease household clutter and increases their positive affect, a state of mind characterized by feelings such as joy and contentment. Clinicians visited the homes of older adults with hoarding disorder for one hour per week for six weeks. At each visit, the clinicians used a technique called motivational interviewing to help participants talk through their decisions while they sorted household clutter.
We found that having participants start with identifying their values allowed them to maintain focus on their long-term goals. Too often, people focus on the immediate ability of an object to “spark joy” and forget to consider whether an object has greater meaning and purpose. Values are the abstract beliefs that we humans use to create our goals. Values are whatever drives us and can include family, faith or frivolity.
Because values are subjective, what people identify as important to keep is also subjective. For example, the dress I wore to my sister’s wedding reminded me of a wonderful day. However, when it no longer fit I gave it away because doing so was more consistent with my values of utility and helpfulness: I wanted the dress to go to someone who needed it and would use it. Someone who more strongly valued family and beauty might have prioritized keeping the dress because of the aesthetics and its link to a family event.
Additionally, we found that instead of challenging the reasons a person might have for keeping an item, it is helpful to instead focus on eliciting their reasons for discarding it and the goals they have for their home and their life.
Start with writing out your values. Every object in your home should feel value-consistent for you. For example, if tradition and faith are important values for you, you might be more inclined to hold onto a cookbook that was made by the elders at your church and more able to let go of a cookbook you picked up on a whim at a bookstore.
If, instead, health and creativity are your core values, it might be more important to hold onto a cookbook of novel ways to sneak more vegetables into your diet.
Defining value-consistent goals for using your space can help to maintain motivation as you declutter. Are you clearing off your desk so you can work more efficiently? Making space on kitchen counters to bake cookies with your grandchildren?
Remember that sometimes your values will conflict. At those moments, it may help to reflect on whether keeping or discarding an object will bring you closer to your goals for the space.
Similarly, remember that values are subjective. If you are helping a loved one declutter, maintain a curious, nonjudgmental attitude. Where you might see a box filled with junk, your grandmother might see something filled with “toothpick holders and other treasures.”
The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was shaken by revelations in December 2023 that two local teenage boys shared hundreds of nude images of girls in their community over a private chat on the social chat platform Discord. Witnesses said the photos easily could have been mistaken for real ones, but they were fake. The boys had used an artificial intelligence tool to superimpose real photos of girls’ faces onto sexually explicit images.
With troves of real photos available on social media platforms, and AI tools becoming more accessible across the web, similar incidents have played out across the country, from California to Texas and Wisconsin. A recent survey by the Center for Democracy and Technology, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, found that 15% of students and 11% of teachers knew of at least one deepfake that depicted someone associated with their school in a sexually explicit or intimate manner.
The Supreme Court has implicitly concluded that computer-generated pornographic images that are based on images of real children are illegal. The use of generative AI technologies to make deepfake pornographic images of minors almost certainly falls under the scope of that ruling. As a legal scholar who studies the intersection of constitutional law and emerging technologies, I see an emerging challenge to the status quo: AI-generated images that are fully fake but indistinguishable from real photos.
Policing child sexual abuse material
While the internet’s architecture has always made it difficult to control what is shared online, there are a few kinds of content that most regulatory authorities across the globe agree should be censored. Child pornography is at the top of that list.
For decades, law enforcement agencies have worked with major tech companies to identify and remove this kind of material from the web, and to prosecute those who create or circulate it. But the advent of generative artificial intelligence and easy-to-access tools like the ones used in the Pennsylvania case present a vexing new challenge for such efforts.
In the legal field, child pornography is generally referred to as child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, because the term better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the children involved. In 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that child pornography is not protected under the First Amendment because safeguarding the physical and psychological well-being of a minor is a compelling government interest that justifies laws that prohibit child sexual abuse material.
That case, New York v. Ferber, effectively allowed the federal government and all 50 states to criminalize traditional child sexual abuse material. But a subsequent case, Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition from 2002, might complicate efforts to criminalize AI-generated child sexual abuse material. In that case, the court struck down a law that prohibited computer-generated child pornography, effectively rendering it legal.
The government’s interest in protecting the physical and psychological well-being of children, the court found, was not implicated when such obscene material is computer generated. “Virtual child pornography is not ‘intrinsically related’ to the sexual abuse of children,” the court wrote.
States move to criminalize AI-generated CSAM
According to the child advocacy organization Enough Abuse, 37 states have criminalized AI-generated or AI-modified CSAM, either by amending existing child sexual abuse material laws or enacting new ones. More than half of those 37 states enacted new laws or amended their existing ones within the past year.
California, for example, enacted Assembly Bill 1831 on Sept. 29, 2024, which amended its penal code to prohibit the creation, sale, possession and distribution of any “digitally altered or artificial-intelligence-generated matter” that depicts a person under 18 engaging in or simulating sexual conduct.
Deepfake child pornography is a growing problem.
While some of these state laws target the use of photos of real people to generate these deep fakes, others go further, defining child sexual abuse material as “any image of a person who appears to be a minor under 18 involved in sexual activity,” according to Enough Abuse. Laws like these that encompass images produced without depictions of real minors might run counter to the Supreme Court’s Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition ruling.
Real vs. fake, and telling the difference
Perhaps the most important part of the Ashcroft decision for emerging issues around AI-generated child sexual abuse material was part of the statute that the Supreme Court did not strike down. That provision of the law prohibited “more common and lower tech means of creating virtual (child sexual abuse material), known as computer morphing,” which involves taking pictures of real minors and morphing them into sexually explicit depictions.
The court’s decision stated that these digitally altered sexually explicit depictions of minors “implicate the interests of real children and are in that sense closer to the images in Ferber.” The decision referenced the 1982 case, New York v. Ferber, in which the Supreme Court upheld a New York criminal statute that prohibited persons from knowingly promoting sexual performances by children under the age of 16.
The court’s decisions in Ferber and Ashcroft could be used to argue that any AI-generated sexually explicit image of real minors should not be protected as free speech given the psychological harms inflicted on the real minors. But that argument has yet to be made before the court. The court’s ruling in Ashcroft may permit AI-generated sexually explicit images of fake minors.
But Justice Clarence Thomas, who concurred in Ashcroft, cautioned that “if technological advances thwart prosecution of ‘unlawful speech,’ the Government may well have a compelling interest in barring or otherwise regulating some narrow category of ‘lawful speech’ in order to enforce effectively laws against pornography made through the abuse of real children.”
With the recent significant advances in AI, it can be difficult if not impossible for law enforcement officials to distinguish between images of real and fake children. It’s possible that we’ve reached the point where computer-generated child sexual abuse material will need to be banned so that federal and state governments can effectively enforce laws aimed at protecting real children – the point that Thomas warned about over 20 years ago.
If so, easy access to generative AI tools is likely to force the courts to grapple with the issue.
Wayne Unger 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.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kate Adamala, Assistant Professor of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota
Synthetic biology offers many tantalizing possibilities, but scientists consider some projects too risky to pursue.DBenitostock/Moment via Getty Images
Most major biological molecules, including all proteins, DNA and RNA, point in one direction or another. In other words, they are chiral, or handed. Like how your left glove fits only your left hand and your right glove your right hand, chiral molecules can interact only with other molecules of compatible handedness.
Two chiralities are possible: left and right, formally called L for the Latin laevus and D for dexter. All life on Earth uses L proteins and D sugars. Even Archaea, a large group of microorganisms with unusual chemical compositions, stick to the program on the handedness of the main molecules they use.
For a long time, scientists have been speculating about making biopolymers that would mirror compounds in nature but in the opposite orientation – namely, compounds made of D proteins and L sugars. Recent years have seen some promising advancements, including enzymes that can make mirror RNAs and mirror DNAs.
Chirality refers to something that is not superimposable on its mirror image – like your hands. NASA
When scientists observed that these mirror molecules behave just like their natural equivalents they considered that it would be possible to make a whole living cell from them. Mirror bacteria in particular had the potential to be a useful basic research tool – possibly allowing scientists to study a new tree of life for the first time and solve many problems in bioengineering and biomedicine.
This so-called mirror life – living cells made from building blocks with an opposite chirality to those that make up natural life – could have very similar properties to natural living cells. They could live in the same environment, compete for resources and behave like you would expect of any living organism. They would be able to evade infection from other predators and immune systems because these opponents wouldn’t be able to recognize them.
These features are why researchers like me were so attracted to mirror life in the first place. But these qualities are also huge bugs of this technology that make it a problem.
I am a synthetic biologist who studies using chemistry to create living cells. I am also a bioengineer who develops tools for the bioeconomy. As a chemist by training, engineering mirror life initially seemed like a fascinating way to answer foundational questions about biology and practically apply those findings to industry and medicine. As I learned more about the immunology and ecology of mirror life, however, I became aware of the potential environmental and health consequences of this technology.
Real concerns about hypothetical mirror life
It’s important to note that researchers are likely at least 10 to 30 years away from creating mirror bacteria. On the timescale of a fast-moving field like synthetic biology, a decade is a very long time. Creating synthetic cells is difficult on its own. Creating mirrored ones would require several technical breakthroughs.
However, it would come with a risk. If mirror cells were released into the environment, they would likely be able to quickly proliferate without much restriction. The natural mechanisms that keep ecosystems in balance, including infection and predation, would not work on mirror life.
Bacteria, like most life forms, are susceptible to viral infections. These bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, enter bacteria by binding to their surface receptors and then use their cellular machinery to replicate. But just as a left glove doesn’t fit a right hand, natural bacteriophages wouldn’t recognize mirror cell receptors or be able to use its machinery. Mirror life would likely be resistant to viruses.
Mirror bacteria may be able to evade the bacteriophages that would otherwise help keep them in check. Here, multiple bacteriophages are attached to a bacterial cell wall. Professor Graham Beards/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
Microorganisms foraging in the environment also keep bacterial populations in check. They differentiate food from nonfood by using chemical “taste” receptors. Anything those receptors bind to, such as bacteria and organic debris, are considered edible, while things that cannot bind to those receptors, such as rocks, are classified as inedible. Think about how a dog foraging on the kitchen floor will eat a bread roll but only sniff a spoon and move on. Mirror life would be, to the bacterial predators, more like a spoon than bread – predators would “sniff” it with their receptors and move on because these cells can’t bind.
Safety from being eaten would be great news for mirror bacteria, because it would allow it to replicate freely. It would be much worse news to the rest of the ecosystem, because mirror bacteria might hog all the nutrients and spread uncontrollably. Even if mirror bacteria don’t actively attack other organisms, they would still consume food sources other organisms need. And since mirror cells would have much lower death rates than regular organisms due to a lack of predation, they would slowly but surely take over the environment.
Even if mirror cells grow more slowly than normal cells, they would be able to grow without anything stopping them.
Insufficient immunity
Another biological control mechanism that wouldn’t be able to “sniff” out mirror cells is the immune system.
Your immune cells constantly check everything they find in your blood. The decision tree of an immune cell is fairly simple. First, decide whether something is alive or not, then compare it with its database of “self” – your own cells. If it is alive but is not a part of you, then it needs to be killed. Mirror cells likely wouldn’t pass the first step of that screen: it would not induce an immune response because the immune system would not be able to recognize or bind to mirror cell antigens. This means mirror cells could infect an unprecedentedly wide variety of hosts.
You might think an infection from mirror bacteria could be treated with antibiotics of the same handedness. It would probably work, and may even be easier on your gut than regular antibiotic therapy. Because antibiotics are also handed, mirror versions of these drugs would not affect your gut microbiome, just like how regular antibioics would not affect mirror cells.
But humans are a relatively small part of the ecosystem. All other animals and plants may also be susceptible to infection from mirror pathogens. While it is possible to imagine developing mirror antibiotics to treat human infections, it is physically impossible to treat the entire plant and animal world. If all organisms are susceptible to even a slow-moving infection by mirror bacteria, there is no good treatment that could be deployed across the entire ecosystem.
Better safe than sorry
Mirror life is an exciting research subject and a potential tool with some practical applications in medicine and biotechnology. But for many scientists, including me, none of those benefits outweigh the serious consequences to human health and the environment that mirror life poses.
I and a group of researchers in immunology, ecology, biosafety and security – including some who used to actively work on mirror life – conducted a thorough analysis of possible concerns regarding the creation of mirror life. No matter how we looked at it, straight up or in the mirror, the conclusions were clear: The potential benefits of engineering mirror life are not worth the risk.
Mirror life is scientifically tantalizing but ethically unwise.
There is no way to make anything completely foolproof, and that includes any safeguards built into a mirror cell that could prevent the risk of accidental or deliberate release into the environment. Researchers working in this space, including us, may find this disappointing. But not making mirror cells can ensure the safety and security of the planet. More discussion among the global scientific community about what kinds of research on mirror biomolecules and related technologies are safe – as well as how to regulate this research – can help safeguard against potential harms.
Keeping mirror cells inside the mirror, rather than making them a physical reality, is the clearest path to staying safe.
Kate Adamala 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.
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Council Tax is a broken system that needs to be replaced rather than reformed, says Scottish Greens spokesperson for local government, Ariane Burgess MSP.
The call comes as the Scottish Government has announced that it is taking action to make the system “fairer.”
“Council tax is an outdated and broken tax that works for nobody.
“It isn’t fair to the households who are paying it and does not benefit the councils that are struggling to fund essential services.
“From schools and social care to waste collections, libraries and community centres, our councils are on the front line of delivering for our communities. We need to support them.
“Tweaking and reforming it is not enough. It is time to replace it with a fairer and more progressive system that would see most households paying less while the wealthiest would pay more.”
Ms Burgess added:
“The Scottish Greens have already delivered important reforms, like doubling Council Tax on holiday homes and allowing councils to set tourist levies, raising money for local services and helping to tackle the housing crisis.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A key Russian cybercrime syndicate responsible for aiding merciless ransomware attacks around the world has been targeted by new UK sanctions.
UK sanctions target Russian cyber entity, ZSERVERS responsible for facilitating crippling ransomware attacks globally
targets also include 6 ZSERVERS members who are part of a prolific cybercrime supply chain, and their UK front company XHOST
action on illicit Russian cybercrime syndicate is latest step to strengthen UK national security
Fresh sanctions are targeting ZSERVERS, a key component of the Russian cybercrime supply chain, and 6 of its members, as well as its UK front company, XHOST Internet Solutions LP. ZSERVERS provide vital infrastructure for cybercriminals as they plan and execute attacks against the UK.
The illicit supply chain protects, supports and conceals the operations of some of the world’s most ruthless ransomware gangs. Ransomware actors rely on these services to launch attacks, extort victims and store stolen data.
In the modern digital-first economy, cyber security is a non-negotiable cornerstone of business success. A secure digital economy is a less attractive target for cybercriminals and a more attractive home for investment, generating jobs and putting more money into hardworking people’s pockets, delivering on this government’s Plan for Change.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:
Putin has built a corrupt mafia state driven by greed and ruthlessness. It is no surprise that the most unscrupulous extortionists and cyber-criminals run rampant from within his borders.
This government will continue to work with partners to constrain the Kremlin and the impact of Russia’s lawless cyber underworld. We must counter their actions at every opportunity to safeguard the UK’s national security and deliver on our Plan for Change.
Predatory ransomware groups pose a clear and persistent threat to national security, public services and privacy. These attacks threaten critical national infrastructure, disrupt essential services, compromise sensitive data and generated $1 billion from their victims globally in 2023 alone.
Minister of State for Security, Dan Jarvis, said:
Ransomware attacks by Russian affiliated cybercrime gangs are some of the most harmful cyber threats we face today and the government is tackling them head on. Denying cybercriminals the tools of their trade weakens their capacity to do serious harm to the UK.
We have already announced new world-first proposals to deter ransomware attacks and destroy their business model. With these targeted sanctions and the full weight of our law enforcement, we are countering the threats we face to protect our national security, a foundation of our Plan for Change, and our economy.
ZSERVERS explicitly advertise themselves to illicit actors as a Bulletproof Hosting (BPH) Provider. Some BPH are known to host hackers, misinformation, child exploitation material, spam and hate speech. BPH providers like ZSERVERS, protect and enable cybercriminals, offering a range of purchasable tools which mask their locations, identities, and activities. Targeting these providers can disrupt hundreds or thousands of criminals simultaneously.
Today’s action is the latest in a series of coordinated steps alongside US and Australian partners, and comes off the back of recent sanctions against notorious ransomware groups LockBit and Evil Corp.
LockBit affiliates are known to have used ZSERVERS as a launch pad for targeting the UK, enabling ransomware attacks against various targets, including the non-profit sector.
Protecting the nation from threats both physical and digital sits at the foundation of the government’s Plan for Change. That is why we are moving through the entire ransomware pipeline step by step, cracking down on Russian cybercriminals that threaten the UK’s security, integrity, and prosperity.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge announced that Brandon Lee Chase, 45, of Walkerville, previously pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and was sentenced yesterday to 90 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Chase sexually abused the child of a woman he was dating. The sexual abuse happened repeatedly and continued for years. Chase also recorded explicit videos of the abuse. Chase is a repeat sex offender and has also pleaded no contest to criminal sexual conduct in a separate case that is pending sentencing in Shelby Village.
“Today’s sentencing of Brandon Chase is a decisive victory in the FBI’s unyielding battle against sexual predators who prey on our most vulnerable population,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “I am grateful of the tireless investigative efforts of the FBI’s WEBCHEX Task Force, alongside our law enforcement partners at the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office and the Muskegon Justice for Women Task Force. The priority of the FBI in Michigan is to protect our communities and disrupt criminal acts that could harm the residents and visitors of Michigan. Lastly, I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their essential partnership in ensuring Mr. Chase is held accountable for his criminal acts and that those who were victimized are a step closer to healing.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Muskegon Township Police Department, and Muskegon Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Doaa Al-Howaishy prosecuted it.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor’s offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
MIAMI and NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Siebert Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: SIEB) has launched Siebert Investment Banking, a strategic expansion designed to serve middle-market clients often overlooked by larger financial institutions. Leading this new division are Kimberly Boulmetis and Ajay Asija, two seasoned professionals with extensive experience in capital markets, M&A, and financial advisory services.
Siebert Investment Banking will initially focus on providing tailored solutions for underserved companies in financial services in FinTech, depository, and specialty finance, expanding the practice into blockchain and digital assets and building additional verticals over time. In addition to the existing institutional distribution channels, the new division will be able to leverage Siebert’s extensive retail distribution network. The firm is uniquely positioned to provide certainty of execution in equity and debt financings while offering a client-centric, transparent business model that attracts top banking talent.
John J. Gebbia Sr., CEO of Siebert Financial, emphasized the firm’s strategic vision. “Investment banking is a natural extension of Siebert’s commitment to providing best-in-class financial solutions to its clients. Kimberly and Ajay bring the expertise and leadership necessary to develop a strong platform, serving a vital market segment.”
Asija and Boulmetis’ appointment strategically complements the recent expansion of the firm with the Capital Markets Group, led by Randy Billhardt complementing Siebert’s existing strengths.
Ajay Asija, bringing over 25 years of experience in investment banking, has advised on over $90 billion in transactions throughout his career at firms including Lehman Brothers, J.P. Morgan, Bear Stearns, and B. Riley. Most recently, he served as CFO of BM Technologies, a publicly traded FinTech company, orchestrating its successful sale to First Carolina Bank. His M&A and strategic financial advisory expertise make him a key driver in Siebert’s expansion.
“The middle market deserves the same level of expertise and execution as larger firms,” said Asija. “Siebert’s platform offers the ideal foundation to deliver trusted high-quality advisory services to clients who need them most.”
With over 25 years of experience in debt capital markets and financial institutions advisory, Kimberly Boulmetis most recently was the head of U.S. Financial Institutions for the DCM Group at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) where she was responsible for covering a broad roster of financial institution clients – including banks, insurance companies, asset management firms, private equity sponsors, business development companies (BDCs) and closed-end funds. She has a deep knowledge of markets, providing her clients with innovative strategic and financing solutions in both public & private markets. One of her major areas of focus is helping ’40 Act companies, specifically BDCs and Closed-End Funds, optimize their cost of capital.
“I am so excited to join Siebert, a firm that was originally founded by Muriel Siebert, a true trailblazer, with current leadership that honors her legacy with incredible focus, drive, and the desire to continue to strategically enhance the firm for our clients’ benefit,” said Boulmetis. “Siebert’s current platform, coupled with the areas that the firm is building out, will allow Randy, Ajay & I to be extremely well-positioned to truly add value to our clients from a corporate advisory and capital raising perspective.”
Randy Billhardt, Head of Capital Markets at Siebert, comments, “Investment banking at Siebert will be defined by its ability to provide a boutique, high-touch experience while leveraging the firm’s broad distribution network. I am proud to welcome Kimberly and Ajay to Siebert, adding their deep expertise and leadership to our growing capabilities.”
About Siebert Financial Corp. Siebert is a diversified financial services company and has been a member of the NYSE since 1967 when Muriel Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the NYSE and the first to head one of its member firms.
Siebert operates through its subsidiaries Muriel Siebert & Co., LLC, Siebert AdvisorNXT, LLC, Park Wilshire Companies, Inc., RISE Financial Services, LLC, Siebert Technologies, LLC, and StockCross Digital Solutions, Ltd, and Gebbia Entertainment LLC. Through these entities, Siebert provides a full range of brokerage and financial advisory services, including securities brokerage, investment advisory and insurance offerings, securities lending, and corporate stock plan administration solutions, in addition to entertainment and media productions. For over 55 years, Siebert has been a company that values its clients, shareholders, and employees. More information is available at www.siebert.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements The statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project,” “intend” and similar words or expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections, or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements, which reflect beliefs, objectives, and expectations as of the date hereof, are based on the best judgment of the management of Siebert. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, including, without limitation, the following: economic, social and political conditions, global economic downturns resulting from extraordinary events; securities industry risks; interest rate risks; liquidity risks; credit risk with clients and counterparties; risk of liability for errors in clearing functions; systemic risk; systems failures, delays and capacity constraints; network security risks; competition; reliance on external service providers; new laws and regulations affecting Siebert’s business; net capital requirements; extensive regulation, regulatory uncertainties and legal matters; failure to maintain relationships with employees, customers, business partners or governmental entities; the inability to achieve synergies or to implement integration plans; and other consequences associated with risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A – Risk Factors of Siebert’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and Siebert’s filings with the SEC.
Siebert cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive, and new factors may emerge, or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact its business. Siebert undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except to the extent required by the federal securities laws.
VALENCIA, Spain, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Turbo Energy, S.A. (NASDAQ:TURB) (“Turbo Energy” or the “Company”), a global provider of leading-edge, AI-optimized solar energy storage technologies and solutions, today announced the appointment of Julian Groves to the Company’s Board of Directors, which was approved by the Company’s shareholders on December 18, 2024 at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.
Turbo Energy Welcomes Julian Groves to Board of Directors
Groves brings Turbo Energy extensive experience in commercial strategy, geographic market expansion, worldwide product distribution and logistics, capital formation, private equity investments and corporate governance, as well as nearly three decades of experience leading business-to-business, direct-to-consumer, retail, wholesale and ecommerce initiatives for numerous iconic global brands in both the public and private sectors.
Since February 2019, Groves has served as Chief Operating Officer and executive member of the Board of MGO Global, Inc., a Nasdaq-listed company engaged in global commercialization of digitally-native lifestyle brands that have included both legendary soccer icon Leo Messi’s apparel brand, Messi Brand, and Stand Flagpoles. In this role, he has helped MGO raise tens of millions in pre-IPO, IPO and follow-on financings and is currently working to complete MGO’s business combination with one of the world’s leading commercial and pool management businesses serving the crude oil and refined petroleum tanker market in a transaction expected to be valued at more than $300 million.
Previously, Groves served as CEO of EC2M Holdings, a lifestyle brand-building company which owned and operated London Persona, a growing men’s lifestyle brand launched as a direct-to-consumer shopping experience for men seeking season-to-season high-end wardrobes. EC2M also represented the lifestyle brand Trickers throughout North America and Canada, charged with developing and managing the brand’s B2B channel. Other former senior executive posts have included Sales Director, EMEA of J Brand Europe, a premium, American denim clothing company in which Fast Retailing acquired an 80% stake for $290 million in 2012. As General Manager, EMEA of True Religion, Julian had full profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for the region, overseeing corporate operations in Switzerland and managing full P&L responsibility for the growing, fashion-forward denim brand.
In August 2007, Julian was recruited by GUESS Europe to serve as Country Manager of the casual lifestyle brand’s operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Under his proven leadership, GUESS Europe opened 32 concessions and 22 retail shops, including GUESS’ Central London flagship store. Earlier in his distinguished career, he was General Manager, UK and Ireland, for Groupe Zannier International from September 2004 through 2007; United Kingdom Sales Director for Burberry from September 2001 through 2004; and United Kingdom Sales Manager for LVMH Kenzo Homme UK Ltd. from November 1997 through August 2001.
Commenting on Groves’ appointment to the Board Enrique Selva, Chairman of the Board of Turbo Energy, stated, “I am delighted to welcome Julian to Turbo Energy’s Board and believe that his deep understanding of business strategy and global market penetration will have a significant impact on Turbo Energy’s planned expansion initiatives – with particular emphasis on commercialization of our SUNBOX Home solar energy storage technologies in the United States. He represents an outstanding addition to our Board and his unique and proven skillset is expected to greatly complement and enhance the overall strength and depth of capabilities of our leadership.”
About Turbo Energy, S.A.
Founded in 2013, Turbo Energy is a globally recognized pioneer of proprietary solar energy storage technologies and solutions managed through Artificial Intelligence. Turbo Energy’s elegant all-in-one and scalable, modular energy storage systems empower residential, commercial and industrial users expanding across Europe, North America and South America to materially reduce dependence on traditional energy sources, helping to lower electricity costs, provide peak shaving and uninterruptible power supply and realize a more sustainable, energy-efficient future. A testament to the Company’s commitment to innovation and industry disruption, Turbo Energy’s introduction of its flagship SUNBOX represents one of the world’s first high performance, competitively priced, all-in-one home solar energy storage systems, which also incorporates patented EV charging capability and powerful AI processes to optimize solar energy management. Turbo Energy is a proud subsidiary of publicly traded Umbrella Global Energy, S.A., a vertically integrated, global collective of solar energy-focused companies. For more information, please visit www.turbo-e.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of the business of the Company, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control, including the risks described in our registration statements and annual report under the heading “Risk Factors” as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Turbo Energy, S.A. specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
For more information, please contact: At Turbo Energy, S.A. Dodi Handy, Director of Communications Phone: 407-960-4636 Email: dodihandy@turbo-e.com
MIAMI, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Moderne, the automated code refactoring and analysis company, announced it has closed $30 million in Series B funding led by Acrew Capital with participation from Morgan Stanley, Amex Ventures, and TIAA Ventures, as well as all previous investors Allstate, Intel Capital, Mango Capital and True Ventures. The funding is further validation that Moderne is emerging as the only company driving mass-scale code modernization and tech debt remediation critical to the progress and success of enterprises and hyperscalers.
In the last two years, billions of dollars have been invested in AI-powered coding assistants to help developers write new software. However, these tools can fail to address the millions of applications and billions of lines of existing code that companies have developed over the last three decades that must be constantly updated, maintained and secured.
Moderne is the only company with a proven platform designed to analyze and transform large codebases efficiently and cost-effectively. The technology, developed for a fraction of the cost of the new crop of AI-powered coding assistants, stems from the OpenRewrite open-source project Moderne CEO and co-founder Jonathan Schneider developed at Netflix. OpenRewrite has become the de facto standard for code migration and maintenance, and it has been integrated into a number of developer tools from the world’s largest software companies, including AWS’s Amazon Q, Broadcom’s App Advisor, and Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot.
“The challenge of addressing technical debt impacts nearly every company, but it’s mission-critical for enterprises managing massive, complex codebases,” said Mark Kraynak, Founding Partner at Acrew Capital. “Moderne’s technology is purpose-built for this scale, plus it complements and improves this new generation of AI for code. Moderne has redefined what success in code modernization looks like—delivering proven results for some of the largest and most sophisticated enterprises.”
The breakthrough innovation powering Moderne is its one-of-a-kind Lossless Semantic Tree (LST) data model for code that enables a new level of insights into a codebase beyond what is visible in the typical ‘code as text’ representation. The Moderne Platform can work across multiple LST files at once to analyze and transform codebases quickly and accurately. When combined with agentic experiences, like Moderne’s new Mod Agent, developers can work even more efficiently to understand and evolve large codebases.
“Moderne alone produces the data that is going to drive the next decade of code modernization. This data covers everything the compiler knows about the code multiplied by tens of thousands of repositories at each customer,” said Schneider. “Moderne is already driving large-scale application modernization savings for our customers over and over again—and we’re only scratching the surface of what can be done.”
With a team of language engineering and software development experts, Moderne grew its customer base by 250% in 2024, attracting many Fortune 500 companies, including Allstate, Choice Hotels, and Walmart. In fact, five top North American banks are Moderne customers. The company will use the new funding to extend its commitment to providing ideal customer experiences and rapid time to value with Moderne.
Additional Investor Quotes:
Amex Ventures: “Moderne’s technology and open-source community can help enterprises move their valuable software forward with higher accuracy and reliability,” said Kevin Weber, Managing Director at Amex Ventures. “The company helps ensure efficient and cost-effective modernization.”
TIAA Ventures: “It’s crucial that financial institutions are agile and adaptive in today’s advanced digital age. Moderne offers an impressive at-scale approach that can revolutionize code modernization, helping to streamline, improve, and secure the software that’s driving some of the biggest industries. This investment can streamline and improve services for TIAA retirement clients, and we look forward to working with the Moderne team,” said Thompson Barro, Senior Director at TIAA Ventures.
About Moderne Moderne automates mass-scale code modernization that’s critical to the progress and success of enterprise companies today—making a difference in minutes, not months. Moderne is based in Miami, and its investors include Acrew Capital, Intel Capital, True Ventures, Mango Capital, Allstate Strategic Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Amex Ventures, and TIAA Ventures, among other investors and advisors. To learn more visit www.moderne.ai
ASHEVILLE, N.C., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBI) (“Company” or “HomeTrust”), the holding company of HomeTrust Bank, today announced that the Company will transfer the listing of its common stock from the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”) to the New York Stock Exchange LLC (“NYSE”). HomeTrust’s common stock is expected to commence trading on the NYSE on Monday, February 24, 2025 under a new ticker symbol, “HTB”. The Company’s common stock is expected to continue to trade on NASDAQ until the close of the market on Friday, February 21, 2025.
“We are excited to announce our partnership with the NYSE,” said Hunter Westbrook, President and Chief Executive Officer. “In joining the world’s largest stock exchange, we believe leveraging the NYSE trading platform will provide greater exposure for our Company and long-term value for our stockholders. We look forward to celebrating this occasion and milestone for HomeTrust by ringing The Opening Bell on our first of day of trading on the NYSE.”
“We are pleased to welcome HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. to the New York Stock Exchange,” said Tara Dziedzic, Head of US Listings, New York Stock Exchange. “As an NYSE-listed company, HomeTrust joins our community of icons, disruptors and many of its peers, leveraging the membership value that our exchange uniquely provides.”
About HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc.
HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for HomeTrust Bank. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had assets of $4.6 billion. The Bank, founded in 1926, is a North Carolina state chartered, community-focused financial institution committed to providing value added relationship banking with over 30 locations as well as online/mobile channels. Locations include: North Carolina (the Asheville metropolitan area, the “Piedmont” region, Charlotte, and Raleigh/Cary), South Carolina (Greenville and Charleston), East Tennessee (Kingsport/Johnson City, Knoxville, and Morristown), Southwest Virginia (Roanoke Valley) and Georgia (Greater Atlanta).
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, but instead are based on certain assumptions including statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, assumptions and statements about future economic performance and projections of financial items. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or implied by forward-looking statements. The factors that could result in material differentiation include, but are not limited to, the impact of bank failures or adverse developments involving other banks and related negative press about the banking industry in general on investor and depositor sentiment; the remaining effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on general economic and financial market conditions and on public health, both nationally and in the Company’s market areas; natural disasters, including the effects of Hurricane Helene; expected revenues, cost savings, synergies and other benefits from merger and acquisition activities might not be realized to the extent anticipated, within the anticipated time frames, or at all, costs or difficulties relating to integration matters, including but not limited to customer and employee retention, might be greater than expected, and goodwill impairment charges might be incurred; increased competitive pressures among financial services companies; changes in the interest rate environment; changes in general economic conditions, both nationally and in our market areas; legislative and regulatory changes; and the effects of inflation, a potential recession, and other factors described in the Company’s latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission – which are available on the Company’s website at www.htb.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Any of the forward-looking statements that the Company makes in this press release or in the documents the Company files with or furnishes to the SEC are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made and may turn out to be wrong because of inaccurate assumptions, the factors described above or other factors that management cannot foresee. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.
TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Schellman, a leading provider of attestation and compliance services and a top 50 CPA firm, is proud to announce the appointment of Preeya Voss as its new Chief Revenue Officer. Voss brings nearly two decades of experience in SaaS and services revenue leadership, with a proven track record of driving transformative growth across diverse industries and customer segments.
Voss has spent her entire career in GTM, spanning a variety of industries and customer segments. She joins Schellman from her most recent role as Senior Vice President of Sales at Ellucian, the global market leader in EdTech for higher education. She was responsible for the company’s enterprise cross-selling strategy, including overseeing revenue growth for both SaaS subscriptions and professional services.
“As we double down on our investment in sales and go-to-market strategies in 2025, having the right leadership is critical,” said Avani Desai, CEO of Schellman. “Preeya brings not only a wealth of experience in driving revenue and scaling organizations but also a unique ability to inspire teams and foster lasting client relationships. Her strategic mindset and passion for innovation will help us take our growth to the next level while staying true to our core values of excellence and client service.”
In her role as Chief Revenue Officer, Voss will oversee all revenue-generating initiatives, including client acquisition, strategic partnerships, and go-to-market strategies. Her focus will be on enhancing Schellman’s growth trajectory by aligning sales, marketing, and customer success efforts to deliver exceptional value and outcomes for clients. Based in Denver, Colorado, Voss is an advocate for mentorship and is deeply committed to empowering early-career talent and women in customer-facing roles.
“I’m honored to join Schellman as Chief Revenue Officer during such a pivotal time in the company’s history,” said Voss. “My mission is to amplify Schellman’s legacy of excellence by driving innovation, forging deeper client partnerships, and unlocking new market opportunities. With Schellman’s unparalleled suite of services—from SOC reports to the latest AI-related assessments to expanded sustainability services—we will continue to empower our clients to build trust with their customers in an increasingly complex compliance landscape.”
Voss’ appointment underscores Schellman’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its leadership team with exceptional top-tier talent. This announcement follows a series of strategic advances in Q4 of 2024, including receiving ISO 42001 and ISO 14001 accreditation and furthering its mission to be a leader in compliance and attestation services.
To learn more about Schellman’s services and how they can help your organization, visit the website.
About Schellman “Schellman” is the brand name under which Schellman & Company, LLC and Schellman Compliance, LLC provide professional services. Schellman stands as a leading global provider of attestation, compliance, and certification services. Operating under two distinct entities, Schellman & Company, LLC (a top 50 firm) and Schellman Compliance, LLC (a globally accredited compliance assessment firm which is not a licensed CPA firm). The services provided by the Schellman entities include acting as a CPA firm (Schellman & Company, LLC Florida license number AD62941) as a leading provider of SOC reports, an ISO Certification Body, a PCI Qualified Security Assessor Company, a HITRUST assessor, a FedRAMP 3PAO, being among the pioneering CMMC Authorized C3PAOs, as well as offering international certification services including TISAX and HDS.
Renowned for its professionals’ expertise combined with practical experience, Schellman delivers superior client service while upholding steadfast independence. The company’s approach fosters successful, long-term relationships, enabling clients to achieve multiple compliance objectives through a single trusted third-party assessor. For further information about the services provided, please visit schellman.com.
The Floating Rate Fund’s investment objective is to seek a high level of current income through floating rate debt instruments, with a secondary objective of long-term capital appreciation. In addition, the fund received a five-star Morningstar rating for the three-, five- and ten-year periods.
The High Income Fund invests in corporate high-yield bonds, which provide a premium to U.S. Treasury bonds. The fund generally invests in the higher-quality segment of the market and looks for companies with good growth prospects, superior and defensible products and strong management teams.
The Payden Funds span the fixed income asset class, from short-term floating rate bonds to socially responsible municipal bonds to credit sensitive areas like high yield and emerging markets corporates. During a turbulent period for the bond market, with rising rates and increasing uncertainty about the future direction of the global economy, Payden’s process has endured even in challenging markets.
About Payden & Rygel
With $159 billion under management, Payden & Rygel is one of the largest privately-owned global investment advisers focused on the active management of fixed income and equity portfolios. Payden & Rygel provides a full range of investment strategies and solutions to investors around the globe, including Central Banks, Pension Funds, Insurance Companies, Private Banks, and Foundations. Independent and privately-owned, Payden is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices in Boston, London, and Milan. Visit www.payden.com for more information about Payden’s investment offerings, including US mutual funds and Irish-domiciled funds (subject to investor eligibility).
*Morningstar rates funds from one to five stars based on how well their risk-adjusted performance compares to similar funds. Within each Morningstar Category, the top 10% of funds receive five stars, the next 22.5% four stars, the middle 35% three stars, the next 22.5% two stars, and the bottom 10% receive one star. Funds are rated for up to three time periods—three-, five-, and 10 years—and these ratings are combined to produce an overall rating. Funds with less than three years of history are not rated. Ratings are objective, based entirely on a mathematical evaluation of past performance. They’re a useful tool for identifying funds worthy of further research, but shouldn’t be considered buy or sell recommendations. Morningstar does not adjust total returns for sales charges (such as front-end loads, deferred loads, and redemption fees). Total returns do account for the expense ratio, which includes management, administrative, 12b-1 Distribution fees, and other costs that are taken out of assets.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate, so investors’ shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. For the most recent month-end performance, which may be higher or lower than that quoted, visit our website at payden.com or call 800 572-9336.
For more information and to obtain a prospectus or summary prospectus, visit payden.com or call 800 572-9336. Before investing, investors should carefully read and consider investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses and other important information about the Fund, which is contained in these documents.
A Investing in high-yield securities entails certain risks from investing in investment grade securities, including higher volatility, greater credit risk, and the issues’ more speculative nature.
B Investment in foreign securities entails certain risks from investing in domestic securities, including changes in exchange rates, political changes, differences in reporting standards, and, for emerging-market securities, higher volatility. The Payden Funds are distributed through Payden & Rygel Distributors, member FINRA.
Sources for the material contained herein are deemed reliable but cannot be guaranteed. This material is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or an offer to sell or buy any security. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and IT managed services, today announced Ben Reich has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Reich will bring his strategic expertise in growing businesses organically and through acquisition as Thrive continues to experience rapid growth to meet the complex needs of the industries the company serves.
With a proven track record of building finance, operations, and HR teams while successfully managing P&L and capital budgets, Reich brings a wealth of expertise in financial and M&A strategy to Thrive. Reich most recently held the title of Chief Financial Officer at Opti9 Tech, a leading hybrid cloud solutions provider, where he provided critical financial guidance to the executive team and stakeholders, and drove the M&A strategy by modeling potential acquisition targets, conducting due diligence, and evaluating synergies. Prior to Opti9 Tech, Reich served as Vice President, Finance at ATSG, completing the integration of four acquisitions and driving $100M in commitment from external investment groups.
“We have grown into one of the leading global technology outsourcing firms, and to support our momentum, we need leaders who will help us execute our growth and expansion objectives,” said Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive. “Ben’s proven track record and deep understanding of driving M&A strategy and business growth will be indispensable as we continue to scale to deliver the best solutions for our customers.”
The appointment of Reich comes at an exciting time of growth for Thrive, having recently elevated Bill McLaughlin to the CEO role. The company also received a strategic investment from Berkshire Partners and Court Square Capital Partners to unlock further growth. Along with this, Thrive continues to expand geographically, most recently acquiring Michigan-based Safety Net and North Carolina-based The Longleaf Network.
“Tapping into financial strategies that lead to business growth and bring real impact to organizations is what I’m most enthusiastic about,” said Reich. “Thrive’s growth trajectory and aggressive M&A goals are why I am here. I look forward to working with Bill and the rest of the Thrive team to start executing against them and continue to scale the company to ensure future success.”
If you’re interested in learning more about open positions at Thrive, visit the careers page.
About Thrive Thrive delivers global technology outsourcing for cybersecurity, Cloud, networking, and other complex IT requirements. Thrive’s NextGen platform enables customers to increase business efficiencies through standardization, scalability, and automation, delivering oversized technology returns on investment (ROI). They accomplish this with advisory services, vCISO, vCIO, consulting, project implementation, solution architects, and a best-in-class subscription-based technology platform. Thrive delivers exceptional high-touch service through its POD approach of subject matter experts and global 24x7x365 SOC, NOC, and centralized services teams. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
MCKINNEY, Texas, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Allied Energy Corporation (OTC: AGYP) (“Allied Energy”) proudly announces a transformative Natural Gas Purchase and Sale Agreement with River Energy Group, LLC and Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. This collaboration positions Allied Energy at the forefront of both the energy and digital economies, helping to power the next generation of cryptocurrency data centers while embracing sustainable and efficient natural gas usage.
With exclusive rights granted to Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. to purchase natural gas from the Thiel Well 1 in Washington County, Texas, this agreement is set to energize a state-of-the-art cryptocurrency mining facility. Strategically located near the wellhead, this facility is designed to meet the rapidly growing energy demands of the digital economy.
As of the latest Texas Railroad Commission data from December 2024, Texas continues to lead in natural gas production, with the state accounting for nearly 25% of U.S. natural gas production. In 2023 alone, Texas produced more than 11 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily, making it the largest natural gas producer in the United States. The natural gas supply from Well 1 will provide the stable, reliable energy necessary to support Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. cutting-edge 2-3.5 megawatt mining operation, with plans for future expansion.
In addition, according to the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance, the U.S. is the world leader in Bitcoin mining, with approximately 37% of the global hash rate coming from U.S.-based operations. This dominance is partly powered by reliable, low-cost energy sources such as natural gas, an efficient and environmentally responsible option for powering large-scale mining facilities.
Key Highlights of the Agreement Include:
Exclusive Natural Gas Supply: Allied Energy and River Energy will deliver a steady and exclusive natural gas supply from Well 1, providing a reliable and cost-effective energy source to power Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. mining operations.
Crypto Datacenter Infrastructure: Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. will build and operate a state-of-the-art mining facility with a minimum one-megawatt power generation capacity, with plans for future expansion to meet future energy demands.
Sustainability and Efficiency: This collaboration is committed to utilizing natural gas in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible, supporting a greener, more energy-efficient future for the crypto currency sector.
Regulatory Compliance: Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. is fully dedicated to securing all required regulatory approvals and permits, ensuring that every aspect of the project meets rigorous environmental and safety standards.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with River Energy and Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. on this exciting new venture,” said George Monteith, CEO of Allied Energy. “This agreement marks a major milestone for Allied Energy, highlighting our dedication to providing sustainable energy solutions for the rapidly growing crypto currency sector. It also positions us to play a pivotal role in the expanding natural gas market, supporting long-term growth and innovation.”
This agreement represents a key moment for both the energy and technology industries, underscoring the importance of sustainable, reliable energy in powering the future of digital economies worldwide.
About AGYP:
Allied Energy Corp. is an energy development and production company acquiring oil & gas reserves in some of the most prolific hydrocarbon bearing regions of the United States. The Company specializes in the business of reworking & re-completing ‘existing’ oil & gas wells located in the thousands of mature oil & gas producing fields across the United States. The Company applies its knowledge, experience, and effective well-remediation technologies to achieve higher production volumes, longer well life, and more efficient recovery of the proven and available oil and gas reserves in the fields/projects in which it has acquired an ownership interest. The Company will utilize updated technologies such as hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), drilling of lateral (“horizontal”) legs in productive zones, and utilizing new cased hole electric logging to locate bypassed pays, all to enhance daily rates and oil & gas recoveries. By acquiring interests in a growing number of selected projects in various regions, Allied Energy Corp. is diversifying its exposure and effectively minimizing risk as it pursues corporate growth, top line & bottom-line revenues to the benefit of all stakeholders. There are proven, recoverable reserves contained in the many aging oil & gas fields that have been bypassed by companies moving away from these fields in search of deeper, more plentiful, but more costly reserves. The Company plans to concentrate on bypassed oil and gas as there is less competition and, as mentioned above, the costs are considerably less. Additionally, the company will acquire interests in marginal wells that can be acquired at minimal cost, of which there are 420,000 wells in the U.S. Quoting Barry Russell, President of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (“IPAA”) – “With approximately 20 percent of American oil production and 10 percent of American natural gas production coming from marginal wells, they are America’s true strategic petroleum reserve.”
About River Energy Group, LLC:
River Energy Group, LLC brings over 90 years of expertise in the commodities, derivatives, and financial services sectors. The company has partnered with Allied Energy Corporation through a joint venture to identify, secure, and allocate stranded and flared natural gas resources. Their focus is on transforming these resources into resilient and reliable stand-alone microgrids, advancing sustainable energy solutions.
About Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc.:
Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. is a forward-thinking energy company specializing in the development, operation, and optimization of innovative energy solutions. The company focuses on providing high-capacity, sustainable energy to diverse industries, with a notable emphasis on powering crypto currency data centers. Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. is committed to advancing renewable energy technologies while ensuring operational efficiency, reliability, and regulatory compliance across all its projects. Through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge infrastructure, Louis Energy Gas Texas, Inc. continues to play a pivotal role in driving Texas’ energy future forward.
Safe Harbor Statement:
This Press Release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company has tried, whenever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “potential” and similar expressions. These statements reflect the Company’s current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to it. Accordingly, such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or advise in the event of any change, addition or alteration to the information catered in this Press Release, including such forward-looking statements.
RISHON LE ZION, Israel, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd. (“BOS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BOSC), an integrator of supply chain technologies, announced today that it will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2024 before the market opens on Monday, March 31, 2025.
BOS will host a video conference call on March 31, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. To access the video conference meeting, please click on the following link:
For those unable to participate in the video conference, a recording of the meeting will be available the next day on the BOS website: https://www.boscom.com/conference-calls
About BOS. BOS integrates cutting-edge technologies to streamline and enhance supply chain operations across three specialized divisions:
Intelligent Robotics Division: Automates industrial and logistics inventory processes through advanced robotics technologies, improving efficiency and precision.
RFID Division: Optimizes inventory management with state-of-the-art solutions for marking and tracking, ensuring real-time visibility and control.
Supply Chain Division: Integrates franchised components directly into customer products, meeting their evolving needs for developing cutting-edge products.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anfield Energy, Inc. (TSXV:AEC; OTCQB:ANLDF), with its uranium and vanadium asset portfolio based in the Southwestern United States and focused on development and the pursuit of near-term production, today announced that Corey Dias, Chief Executive Officer, will present live at the Metals and Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on February 13th, 2025
DATE: February 13th TIME: 11:30 AM ET LINK:https://bit.ly/4hPp1JA Available for 1×1 meetings: February 12th and 13th
This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.
It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.
Announced its intention to pursue a listing of its shares on a senior US stock exchange
Announced that it had completed its 14-hole, 14,100-foot drill program at its Slick Rock uranium and vanadium project and outlined its 2025 plans to advance the project, including the pursuit of a Plan of Operations
About Anfield Energy, Inc.
Anfield is a uranium and vanadium development and near-term production company that is committed to becoming a top-tier energy-related fuels supplier by creating value through sustainable, efficient growth in its assets. Anfield is a publicly traded corporation listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (AEC-V), the OTCQB Marketplace (ANLDF) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (0AD).
About Virtual Investor Conferences® Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.
Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
CONTACTS: Anfield Energy, Inc. Corey Dias Chief Executive Officer 604-669-5762 cdias@anfieldresources.com
Virtual Investor Conferences John M. Viglotti SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access OTC Markets Group (212) 220-2221 johnv@otcmarkets.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 news release. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. “Forward-looking information” includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the anticipated use of proceeds from the Equity Financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals with respect to the Equity Financing and the intention to pursue a listing on a US stock exchange.
Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, or “believes” or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved” or the negative connotation thereof.
Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company will use the proceeds of the Equity Financing as currently anticipated; that the Company will receive regulatory approval with respect to the Equity Financing; and that the Company will be able to pursue a listing on a US stock exchange. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate.
There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s plans or expectations include the risk that the Company may not use the proceeds of the Equity Financing as currently anticipated; that the Company may not receive regulatory approval with respect to the Equity Financing; the risk that the Company may not have the resources, or may otherwise be unable to pursue a listing on a US stock exchange; risks relating to the actual results of the Company’s operational activities, fluctuating commodity prices, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. We seek safe harbor.
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Silver Tiger Metals Inc. (TSXV:SLVR)(OTCQX:SLVTF) based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, focused on Developing Production at the El Tigre Silver Mining District in Sonora Mexico, today announced that Glenn Jessome President & CEO, will present live at the Metals and Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on February 13th, 2025
DATE: February 13th TIME: 1:00pm EST LINK:https://bit.ly/3Ex4Xxc Available for 1×1 meetings: February 12th / 13th
This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.
It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.
About Silver Tiger and the El Tigre Historic Mine District
Silver Tiger Metals Inc. is a Canadian company whose management has more than 27 years’ experience discovering, financing, and building large hydrothermal gold and silver mines in Mexico. Silver Tiger’s 100% owned 28,414 hectare Historic El Tigre Mining District is located in Sonora, Mexico. Principled environmental, social and governance practices are core priorities at Silver Tiger.
Silver Tiger commenced work on its El Tigre Project in 2017. El Tigre intends to build an open pit and underground mine. Silver Tiger has drilled over 150,000 meters at the El Tigre Project, with 119,000 meters completed since 2020. Silver Tiger has completed several MREs, a maiden MRE in 2017 and MRE updates in 2023 and 2024. The PEA for the El Tigre open pit was released in November 2023.
The October 2024 PFS for the El Tigre open pit delivered robust economics. The PFS projects an After-Tax NPV of US$222 million at a 5% discount rate, an After-Tax IRR of 40.0%, and a payback period of 2.0 years. This open pit operation is expected to have a 10-year mine life. The El Tigre project delivers a life of mine undiscounted After-Tax Cash Flow of US$318 million, with initial capital costs of $86.8 million (including $9.3 million in contingency). Operating cash costs are projected at $973/oz AuEq and $12/oz AgEq, with AISC at $1,214/oz AuEq and $14/oz AgEq. The economics of the Project have been evaluated based on a discounted $26/oz silver price and gold price of $2,150/oz.
Silver Tiger is now drilling from underground drill pads, focusing on the high-grade silver Veins, Sulphide and Shale Zones. A PEA for the permitted underground mineral resource is expected to be released in the first half of 2025.
About Virtual Investor Conferences® Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.
Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Red Pine Exploration Inc. (TSXV: RPX, OTCQB: RDEXF), based in Toronto, focused on Gold exploration in Canada, today announced that Michael Michaud, President and CEO, will present live at the Metals and Mining Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on February 13th, 2025
DATE: February 13th TIME: 1:30 pm (EST) LINK:https://bit.ly/3CX0cMV Available for 1×1 meetings: February 13-17
This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.
It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.
Recent Drilling at the Wawa Gold Project has Expanded Gold System
Recent Mineral Resource Estimate increased by 150% ounces of gold
Fully Funded to complete 25,000 metre drill program
About Red Pine Exploration Inc.
Red Pine Exploration Inc. is a gold exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Company’s shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “RPX” and on the OTCQB Markets under the symbol “RDEXF”.
The Wawa Gold Project is in the Michipicoten Greenstone Belt of Ontario, a region that has seen major investment by several producers in the last five years. The Company’s land package hosts numerous historic gold mines and is over 7,000 hectares in size. Red Pine is building a strong position as a major mineral exploration and development player in the Michipicoten region.
About Virtual Investor Conferences® Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.
Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access. Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.
CONTACTS: Red Pine Exploration Inc. Michael Michaud President and CEO 905-410-3191 mmichaud@redpineexp.com
Virtual Investor Conferences John M. Viglotti SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access OTC Markets Group (212) 220-2221 johnv@otcmarkets.com
Tree branches in art throughout history follow geometric rules related to fractal geometry. ‘Almond blossom’ by Vincent van Gogh.Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.
Do artists and scientists see the same thing in the shape of trees? As a scientist who studies branching patterns in living things, I’m starting to think so.
Piet Mondrian was an early 20th-century abstract artist and art theorist obsessed with simplicity and essence of form. Even people who have never heard of Mondrian will likely recognize his iconic irregular grids of rectangles.
When I saw Mondrian’s 1911 “Gray Tree,” I immediately recognized something about trees that I had struggled to describe. By removing all but the most essential elements in an abstract painting, Mondrian demonstrated something I was attempting to explain using physics and fractal geometry.
My field of research is mathematical biology. My colleagues and I try to explain how treelike structures such as veins and arteries, lungs and leaves fine-tune their physical form to efficiently deliver blood, air, water and nutrients.
From 1890 to 1912, Mondrian painted dozens of trees. He started with full-color, realistic trees in context: trees in a farmyard or a dappled lane. Gradually he removed leaves, depth, color and eventually even branching from his tree paintings. “Gray Tree” uses only curved lines of various thickness superimposed on top of one another at seemingly random angles. Yet the image is unmistakably a tree.
How did Mondrian convey the sense of a tree with so little? The science of trees may offer some clues.
The science of branching
One goal of mathematical biology is to synthesize what scientists know about the vast diversity of living systems – where there seems to be an exception to every rule – into clear, general principles, ideally with few exceptions. One such general principle is that evolution fine-tunes treelike structures in living things to make metabolism and respiration as efficient as possible.
The body carefully controls the thickness of vessels as they branch, because deviation from the most efficient diameter wastes energy and causes disease, such as atherosclerosis.
In many cases, such as human blood vessels, the body exerts much tighter control over diameter than length. So while veins and arteries might take circuitous routes to accommodate the vagaries of organs and anatomy, their diameter usually stays within 10% of the optimum. The same principle appears in tree branches as well.
The precise calibration of branch diameter leads to a hallmark of fractal shapes called scale invariance. A scale invariance is a property that holds true regardless of the size of an object or part of an object you’re looking at. Scale invariance occurs in trees because trunks, limbs and twigs all branch in similar ways and for similar reasons.
The scale invariance in branch diameter dictates how much smaller a limb should be as it branches and how much investment a tree makes in a few thick branches versus many thin ones. Trees have evolved scale invariance to transport water, reach light and resist gravity and wind load as efficiently as possible given physical limits.
Among my favorite images is a carving of a tree from a late-medieval mosque in India. Its exaltation of trees reminds me of Tolkien’s Tree of Gondor and the human capacity to appreciate the simple beauty of living things.
The stylized tree carvings of the Sidi Saiyyed mosque also follow the precise system of proportions dictated by the scale invariance of real trees. This level of precision of branch diameter takes an attentive eye and a careful plan – much better than I could freehand.
Indeed, wherever our team looked at trees in great artwork, such as Klimt’s “Tree of Life” or Matsumura Goshun’s “Cherry Blossoms,” we also found precise scale invariance in the diameter of branches.
“Grey Tree” also realistically captures the natural variation in branch diameters, even when the painting gives the viewer little else to go on. Without realistic scaling, would this painting even be a tree?
As if to prove the point, Mondrian made a subsequent painting the following year, also with a gray background, curved lines and the same overall composition and dimensions. Even the position of some of the lines are the same.
But, in “Blooming Apple Tree” (1912), all the lines are the same thickness. The scaling is gone, and with it, the tree. Before reading the title, most viewers would not guess that this is a painting of a tree. Yet Mondrian’s sketches reveal that “Blooming Apple Tree” and “Gray Tree” are the very same tree.
The two paintings contain few elements that might signal a tree – a concentration of lines near the center, lines that could be branches or a central trunk and lines that could indicate the ground or a horizon.
Yet only “Gray Tree” has scale-invariant branch diameters. When Mondrian removes the scale invariance in “Blooming Apple Tree,” viewers just as easily see fish, scales, dancers, water or simply nonrepresentational shapes, whereas the tree in “Gray Tree” is unmistakable.
Photo synthesis
Mondrian’s tree paintings and scientific theory highlight the importance of the thickness of tree branches. Consilience is when different lines of evidence and reasoning reach the same conclusions. Art and math both explore abstract descriptions of the world, and so seeing great art and science pick out the same essential features of trees is satisfying beyond what art or science could accomplish alone.
Just as great literature such as “The Overstory” and “The Botany of Desire” show us how trees influence our lives in ways we often don’t notice, the art and science of trees show how humans are finely attuned to what’s important to trees. I think this resonance is one reason people find fractals and natural landscapes so pleasing and reassuring.
All these lines of thinking give us new ways to appreciate trees.
Mitchell Newberry has published research on tree branching supported by University of Michigan and University of New Mexico. He volunteers with Cool It Burque, a tree-planting group in Albuquerque, NM.
Source: World Trade Organization – WTO (video statements)
The Young Trade Leaders Programme was established to connect young people with the work of the WTO. Eric Andrew is the founder and Team Lead of AgrofixiNG, an organization in Nigeria successfully implementing solutions in agriculture and the circular economy.
Eric shares his impressions about the programme and his plans as a Young Trade Leader.
Download this video from the WTO website:
https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/webcas_e/webcas_e.htm
During a simulated at-sea period, or fast cruise, the staff and Mount Whitney’s military-civilian combined crew exercised normal underway conditions and the battle rhythm required to sustain fleet-wide distributed maritime operations.
“We demonstrated we could run our Maritime Operations Center effectively from our flagship,” said Vice Adm. J.T. Anderson, commander of U.S. 6th Fleet. “Our staff’s ability to deploy anytime while still commanding thousands of Sailors, ships, submarines and aircraft across two areas of operation is what makes our headquarters one of the most flexible, mobile, and active warfighting platforms in the U.S. military.”
USS Mount Whitney is 6th Fleet’s primary warfighting platform and the only place where the commander can simultaneously command U.S. forces and NATO forces. Its command and control systems allow designated staff to enable an array of naval and joint operations while at sea, including rapid maritime response; planning, coordinating, and directing the employment of forces to maintain mission readiness; building working relationships with Allies and partners; protecting U.S. citizens and U.S. interests; and deterring hostile forces in European and African theaters.
The three-day embark coincided with the U.S. 6th Fleet’s anniversary. Sixth Fleet was established Feb. 12, 1950 with the responsibility for the Mediterranean, marking 75 years of service.
U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts a full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with Allies, in order to advance security and stability in Europe and Africa.
Exercise Cutlass Express 2025, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and enabled by U.S. 6th Fleet, brings together more than 20 multinational partners for two weeks of training to support collaborative maritime security operations in the region.
Throughout the exercise, U.S. forces will work alongside participating nations to enhance maritime domain awareness, improve international law enforcement capacity and increase interoperability between the U.S., African, and other multinational partner navies and coast guards.
“Cutlass Express continues to provide an exceptional venue to collaborate with our African partners on maritime security,” said Vice Adm. J. T. Anderson, commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. “When we combine the strength of our partnerships with the high level of training provided by exercises like this, we improve the overall security and economic prosperity of a region that extends far beyond the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones of each individual nation.”
This year’s exercise will focus training efforts in Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania, though information sharing and coordination will take place across nine maritime operation centers (MOCs) located throughout the region. Additionally, Exercise Cutlass Express 2025 is linked to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s International Maritime Exercise 2025 through information sharing between MOCs to improve theater-to-theater coordination, reduce regional seams, and strengthen U.S. and partner nation capabilities and interoperability.
Exercise Cutlass Express 2025 will also run concurrently with the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa led exercise Justified Accord 2025 in Kenya and Tanzania to improve defense capabilities of multi-domain forces and refine crisis and counterterrorism responses, ultimately reducing global maritime threats.
Participants in this year’s iteration of Cutlass Express include Belgium, Comoros, Djibouti, France, Georgia, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom.
Cutlass Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by U.S. 6th Fleet as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities to African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.
Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners to advance U.S. national interests, security and stability in Europe and Africa.
The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, delivered an address at the national assembly of CISL [Italian Confederation of Workers’ Unions] today.
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