Celebrity travel files: This is what actress Ya Hui packs for a five-night city holidayBoca Raton, FL, Dec. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Home of Fight (HOF) , the rapidly growing Combat Sports media platform, today announced the completion of series A founding round led by CEO Matty Betss . The round includes notable investments from Growth Box Ventures, a Malta-based VC firm investing in early-stage startups focused on digital media, sports, and igaming with currently over 50 international portfolio companies. The investment marks a significant milestone for the media company, which has experienced explosive growth since January 2024. It has nearly doubled its social media following from 520,000 to over one million followers across all platforms, and it has added UFC commentator Jon Anik and top-ranked UFC fighters Gilbert Burns and Renato Moicano to the HOF team. "We're revolutionizing how fans consume MMA content by bringing together elite fighters, betting experts, and creative content producers under one roof," said Matty Betss, CEO of Home of Fight. "Starting with our flagship Show Me The Money Podcast, we're launching an extensive lineup of original content and programming that will span across multiple formats and platforms. We're creating a media outlet and network that covers every aspect of Combat Sports, from fight analysis to betting insights, all while maintaining the authentic voice that has resonated with our community." The platform's expansion plans include comprehensive UFC event coverage, fighter-hosted podcasts, and specialized betting content. UFC veterans Gilbert Burns and Renato Moicano are currently co-hosts of the " Show Me The Money Podcast ,” the first of many shows under the Home of Fight Network. Home of Fight represents a modern evolution in combat sports media, bringing together the unique perspectives of analysts, content creators, and fighters themselves. This multi-dimensional approach moves beyond traditional coverage to deliver an authentic and comprehensive view of the sport that today's fans demand. The investment team also includes renowned sports betting creator Hayden Iverson (Hayjive Picks), further strengthening HOF's position in the growing intersection of MMA and sports betting. Home of Fight plans to deploy the capital to enhance its content production capabilities, expand its presence at UFC events, and develop new programming formats. The company aims to establish itself as a premier destination for MMA fans seeking high-quality, diverse content that spans all aspects of the sport. "For years, Home of Fight has set the gold standard for MMA and sports media on Instagram. What began as a one-man venture has grown into a powerhouse of creativity and ambition,” says Roman Abdullaiev, head of content. I'm excited to see the company enter a new chapter.” Leading the charge is Jake Noecker, a rising correspondent who will oversee the website's writers and live event coverage. Joining him is Jason Anik, brother of UFC commentator Jon Anik, Nolan Whalen, James Lynch, Dan Tom, Garrett Kerman, Dylan Napoleone, and Vladislav Matveev. With bold vision and unmatched expertise, Home of Fight is set to inspire fans and redefine sports media. For more information about Home of Fight, visit: http://homeoffight.com About Home of Fight Home of Fight is a next-generation MMA media platform combining fighter expertise, betting insights, and premium content creation. Founded with a mission to revolutionize MMA media coverage, HOF has grown to reach over one million followers across social media platforms. To find out more, click here CONTACT: Matty Betss CEO Home of Fight press-at-victoriouspr.com
Hannah Kobayashi’s mysterious non-disappearance, explainedA Chicago mass shooting killed three people and injured five others on Monday, police said. The shooting happened at around 2:10 p.m. inside a home in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood in the southwest side of the city, according to the Chicago Police Department. No arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing, the department said in a news alert. Chicago Police Chief of Patrol Jon Hein said at a that police believe the shooting took place at a social gathering. He added that the victims were of a Hispanic background ages 21 to 35 but could not comment on their relationships to each other. No children were present during the incident. "We're going to solve this crime and find the individuals that were responsible for this heinous terrible incident," Hein told reporters. Upon arrival, responding officers found eight victims suffering from gunshot wounds, including three men who died either at the scene or at the Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, the police department said. Police said that one of the three men was 26 but did not provide the others' ages. Two shooting victims were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, including a 25-year-old man in stable condition and a 27-year-old woman in critical condition, the department said. A 31-year-old man and 21-year-old woman were both treated at the UI Health Hospital in Chicago, both in good condition. A 24-year-old woman was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in serious condition after enduring several gunshot wounds to her shoulder, right hip, left hip and left thigh.
Despite facing a softer-than-expected retail environment in the third quarter, Foot Locker President and CEO Mary Dillon remains optimistic about the company’s long-term digital strategy, including a new mobile app and revamped loyalty program. “While our trends in early November landed below our expectations as consumers held back their spending ahead of the holiday season, we saw a meaningful and positive acceleration over the key Thanksgiving week period, especially in stores,” Dillon said Wednesday (Dec. 4) during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. “We’re taking a more cautious view and are lowering our full-year sales and earnings outlook due to a more promotional environment and softer consumer demand outside of key selling periods. We remain focused on unlocking opportunities through our new Reimagined stores and refresh program, revamped digital experience, including the recent launch of our new mobile app, and stronger customer engagement through our enhanced FLX Rewards program.” Enhancing Customer Engagement Foot Locker is leveraging technology to create a more seamless and personalized shopping experience, Dillon noted, seeking to elevate loyalty program participation and increase customer retention. “ Since the June relaunch of our FLX rewards program here in the U.S., we’ve been very pleased with our members’ response across a variety of KPIs, including a higher pace of enrollments, engagement with first-time redeemers, and higher AOVs compared to non-loyalty members,” she told analysts . “Following an improvement in our signup experience in stores toward the end of October, we’ve seen a meaningful improvement in the sales capture rate in stores as we moved into November. This holiday we’re excited to continue to activate through the program, including the recent addition of members-only events in stores and online across banners. We’re already seeing these events drive value for the program in the pace of new enrollments and lifts in the sales capture rates. We look forward to sharing incremental insights as the program moves toward our 50% loyalty penetration by 2026.” Improved Online Conversion Rates Improvements in online conversion rates enhanced the customer experience, Dillon said. “Our digital penetration in the quarter increased 60 basis points year-over-year to 17.6% of sales as we continue to target around 25% eCommerce penetration by 2026. Last month, we were excited to roll out our new and improved mobile app across the U.S. which provides a faster, more modern shopping experience featuring richer content and an improved launch experience. Importantly, the app serves as a hub for our new loyalty program across both stores and online, making it that much easier for our members to track and access their points across channels. While still very early days, the app has already seen a strong uptick in conversion levels, and we’re confident that this improved experience can be a significant lever for us to drive both our digital and loyalty penetration over time.” Third-quarter comparable store sales rose 2.4% while total sales fell 1.4%. Lace Up Plan Shows Positive Momentum “While we are disappointed that we did not see as much sequential improvement in the business that we had anticipated three months ago, we are pleased to continue to demonstrate ongoing progress against our Lace Up Plan as we delivered another quarter of positive comp results,” Dillon said. The Lace Up Plan simplifies and optimizes Foot Locker’s operations by concentrating on core banners and key markets and gained momentum in the company’s second quarter . During the third quarter, Foot Locker “saw consumers remain cautious with their discretionary dollars,” she said. That meant shoppers focused their spending around the back-to-school season in August, and then pulled back in September and October, possibly to save their spending for the holidays. “Looking to the fourth quarter, we expect our customers to remain cautious with their discretionary dollars and to consolidate their spending over peak periods in the holiday season,” Dillon said. “We also expect the elevated promotional activity we saw in the third quarter to continue through the holiday season.”But alongside his stark warning of the threats facing Britain and its allies, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said there would be only a “remote chance” Russia would directly attack or invade the UK if the two countries were at war. The Chief of the Defence Staff laid out the landscape of British defence in a wide-ranging speech, after a minister warned the Army would be wiped out in as little as six months if forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict. The admiral cast doubt on the possibility as he gave a speech at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank in London. He told the audience Britain needed to be “clear-eyed in our assessment” of the threats it faces, adding: “That includes recognising that there is only a remote chance of a significant direct attack or invasion by Russia on the United Kingdom, and that’s the same for the whole of Nato.” Moscow “knows the response will be overwhelming”, he added, but warned the nuclear deterrent needed to be “kept strong and strengthened”. Sir Tony added: “We are at the dawn of a third nuclear age, which is altogether more complex. It is defined by multiple and concurrent dilemmas, proliferating nuclear and disruptive technologies and the almost total absence of the security architectures that went before.” The first nuclear age was the Cold War, while the second was “governed by disarmament efforts and counter proliferation”, the armed forces chief said. He listed the “wild threats of tactical nuclear use” by Russia, China building up its weapon stocks, Iran’s failure to co-operate with a nuclear deal, and North Korea’s “erratic behaviour” among the threats faced by the West. But Sir Tony said the UK’s nuclear arsenal is “the one part of our inventory of which Russia is most aware and has more impact on (President Vladimir) Putin than anything else”. Successive British governments had invested “substantial sums of money” in renewing nuclear submarines and warheads because of this, he added. The admiral described the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers on Ukraine’s border alongside Russian forces as the year’s “most extraordinary development”. He also signalled further deployments were possible, speaking of “tens of thousands more to follow as part of a new security pact with Russia”. Defence minister Alistair Carns earlier said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. He said it illustrated the need to “generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis”. In comments reported by Sky News, Mr Carns, a former Royal Marines colonel, said Russia was suffering losses of around 1,500 soldiers killed or injured a day. “In a war of scale – not a limited intervention, but one similar to Ukraine – our Army for example, on the current casualty rates, would be expended – as part of a broader multinational coalition – in six months to a year,” Mr Carns said in a speech at Rusi. He added: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger Army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of a crisis.” Official figures show the Army had 109,245 personnel on October 1, including 25,814 volunteer reservists. Mr Carns, the minister for veterans and people, said the UK needed to “catch up with Nato allies” to place greater emphasis on the reserves. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey had previously spoken about “the state of the armed forces that were inherited from the previous government”. The spokesman said: “It’s why the Budget invested billions of pounds into defence, it’s why we’re undertaking a strategic defence review to ensure that we have the capabilities and the investment needed to defend this country.”Italian player to have removable defibrillator fitted
The North Dakota Legislature is preparing to give newer lawmakers an experience boost during the upcoming legislative session, with term limits expected to turn over about half the lawmakers in 2028. Lawmakers are meeting for the organizational session of the Legislature through Wednesday. Newly elected officials are receiving training on the legislative basics, their laptops and their committee designations. The committee assignments could provide a quicker path into leadership roles than in the past, said House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson. “I remember when I was a freshman, it was an overwhelming experience. It’s a lot to take in, in a very short period of time,” he told the North Dakota Monitor . The House might appoint multiple vice chairs to some committees to give more lawmakers experience in helping steer a committee. Lefor added he might open up the committee leadership meetings to more lawmakers so they can observe the process. Under the term limits measure, North Dakota lawmakers can’t serve more than eight years in the state House and eight years in the state Senate, which would limit new lawmakers to four legislative sessions. The sessions are held every two years. North Dakota voters approved term limits in 2022. “I was elected majority (leader) in my fifth session and I was blessed to have a lot of people around me that had a tremendous amount of experience,” Lefor said. “But, if you look in the future, you might see more leadership that is only there for one session.” Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, said the Senate will continue to appoint multiple vice chairs to committees and is planning on putting some newer lawmakers on the Appropriations Committee to gain more budget experience. “It’s always helpful to have knowledge of what we’ve done with the budget in the past and what the agencies have told the legislative branch so they have a base of continuity in terms of the budget,” Hogue said. New lawmakers filled out a survey about their interests and what they would like their first committee assignments to be, Lefor said. The Committee on Committees uses those responses to provide recommendations for assignments to each chamber’s leadership. North Dakota House Minority Leader Zachary Ista, D-Grand Forks, said incoming lawmakers might not have the time that previous legislators had to get their feet under them. “We need folks to become subject matter experts in short order because they only have a short time to leave their stamp on those subjects,” he said. Ista said having multiple vice chairs for committees to broaden the experience pool would be a good idea. He also proposed that having more experienced legislators in a vice chair role could provide guidance to less-experienced committee chairs. Ista said he’s not too worried about the first term-limit turnover coming in 2028 because he believes it is on the radar of every lawmaker in leadership. “No doubt, there’s going to be a loss of institutional knowledge and there is going to be a risk of that knowledge and power shifting to the executive branch or to interest groups that are around the Capitol,” Ista said. “But ultimately, I think this is one of those issues where the voters made their judgment and it’s one we can respect and honor just as long as we are doing our best to prepare for it.” Rep.-elect Collette Brown, D-Warwick, said she feels the pressure to get up to speed quickly. Brown, a former lobbyist with experience watching previous legislative sessions behind the brass railing on the chamber floors, said she’s been relying on her fellow District 9 Dem-NPL running mate, Rep. Jayme Davis, D-Rolette, for advice on being an effective lawmaker. She also said she’d like to be mentored by a more seasoned legislator to round out her experience. “Listening and watching, you don’t get to hear, you are not privy to those conversations on the other side of the railing,” Brown said. “So, I am looking forward to finding a good mentor who will be real with me.” Lefor said there were so many lawmakers willing to help out with the mentorship program he could have assigned two or three legislators to each of the new representatives. Hogue said he encourages senior members of committees to mentor the committee freshmen, but those mentorships are informal. “I do a lot of it myself and, in fact, that’s one of the more enjoyable parts of the job,” Hogue said. “Just about everybody who runs has a passion for public policy ... but you may not be as well-informed about how to be successful in getting your policy adopted as law. And that’s part of the mentorship that I focus on.” Hogue said he believes Legislative Council staff will need to preserve some of the institutional knowledge of the Legislature going forward. Emily Thompson, legal division director for the Legislative Council, said training scheduled for the last day of the organizational session aims to help new committee chairs learn how to run an effective legislative committee. She said a similar training was held before the previous legislative session. “It was really a big hit having new chairmen be able to ask kind of those more seasoned chairmen like, ‘What do you do if somebody won’t go away from the microphone and it’s been 30 minutes and you are way over time?’ Like, how you handle those situations?” Thompson said. She added sometimes legislators feel more comfortable asking questions of other lawmakers instead of the legislative staff. Legislative Council also made a new training document for incoming legislators with information such as explaining what a quorum is, and where to go in case of a tornado, Thompson said. When asked if North Dakotans should be worried about the impacts of legislative term limits going forward, Hogue said he’s worried. “And I don’t worry about a lot,” he said. “We’re adapting without waiting until it becomes a reality.” Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Announces $100 Million At-The-Market Equity Offering Program
The Key Risk to Markets in 2025
MUMBAI: After Swiggy's bumper listing on the bourses last month, Prosus is eyeing more initial public offerings in India, a market where it has invested more than $8 billion over the years. In an earnings presentation on Monday, the Dutch technology investor said that five Indian companies from its portfolio including Meesho, Bluestone and PayU have the potential to go public in 18 months without sharing specific timelines. Fintech firm PayU is owned by Prosus. "We started in India in the right time. India is a big opportunity and we are going to crystallise a lot of our value through our India investments over the next year," Fabricio Bloisi, group CEO at Prosus, said in a post-earnings media call. Prosus made gains of over $2 billion on its total investment in Swiggy and is the largest shareholder in the startup with a stake of over 20%.These seven companies landed New Mexico science and technology startup grants
Roche commences tender offer for all shares of Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. for $9.00 per share in cash, plus a non-tradeable contingent value right for up to $4.00 per share in cashNEW YORK -- Since 1964, visitors to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park have gazed up in awe at the Unisphere. However, elsewhere in the park, preservationists are focused downward at a series of ground-level mosaics. Medallions decorating David Dinkins Circle depict World's Fair symbols from Elsie the Cow to the New York Hall of Science. The 1990s tiled designs are attributed to a group of artists and architects, including Michael Golden of Avenue Mosaic, who still has the early blueprints. "You sort of walk past things, and you don't realize what took place 50 years ago or 100 years ago," he said. From an homage to a portrait of Robert Moses by Andy Warhol to a replica of Salvador Dali's Venus, the mosaics are treasured for their offbeat charm. But they may not remain much longer. Little by little, crumbling tiles have been patched with uneven smears of concrete. Circles of pavement have replaced some of the mosaics entirely, and now, the city says it's time to remove the rest in order to eliminate a tripping hazard. "It would be a very sad day in Queens history to see these commemorative installations be crushed by a jackhammer and bulldozers and end up in a landfill," said Michael Perlman, chairman of the Rego-Forest Preservation Council. Perlman is proposing alternatives, including seeking donations or apprenticeships to salvage the mosaics or reset them upright. Jason Antos, executive director of the Queens Historical Society, said the mosaics' '90s origins make them no less culturally significant. "They do deserve to be treated as landmarks," he said. "It tells the story of the fair." The World's Fair of 1939 and 1964 held in the park were global culture and technology showcases promoting themes of peace and progress. "The television made its debut at the '39 World's Fair," Antos said. The Parks Department said: " The decision to remove the mosaic medallions was made after several attempts at repair, in consultation with specialists, and with the support of the original designer. We are dedicated to preserving historic objects and structures and hope the removal of these mosaics might enable their future preservation as well as ensure the safety of park patrons." Evan Blum of the Architectural Art Reclamation Fund believes he can save the works for the same money it would cost to get rid of them. "It requires taking a few probes and some experiments, and I think I can do it," Blum said. In the World's Fair spirit of unity, preservationists hope to find common ground with the city while there's still time. You can email Elle with Queens story ideas by CLICKING HERE . Elle McLogan joined CBS News New York in September 2017 as a digital reporter for CBSNewYork.com.
NoneA new Grenadian revolution has begun!
