Washington, Nov 30 (PTI) US President-elect Donald Trump has met Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where they discussed key bilateral issues, including trade, tariffs, border security, and drug trafficking. In a social media post on Friday, Trump described the meeting as "productive", highlighting Trudeau's commitment to address these issues. However, there was no indication of any resolution of the differences between the incoming US administration and the Canadian government. âI just had a very productive meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, where we discussed many important topics that will require both countries to work together to address," Trump said. The topics include Fentanyl and drug crisis due to illegal immigration, fair trade deals that do not jeopardise American workers, and the massive trade deficit the US has with Canada, he said. Trump emphasised his administration's commitment to tackling the drug epidemic. âThe US will no longer sit idly by as our citizens become victims to the scourge of this drug epidemic, caused mainly by drug cartels, and Fentanyl pouring in from China,â he said. âToo much death and hardship! Prime Minister Trudeau has made a commitment to work with us to end this terrible devastation of US families. We also spoke about many other important topics like energy, trade, and the Arctic. All are vital issues that I will be addressing on my first days back in office, and before,â Trump said. According to The New York Times newspaper, the dinner meeting between the two leaders on Friday included senior Canadian officials and Trumpâs close aides. Prominent among them were North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Trump's nominee for interior secretary; Howard Lutnick, his pick for commerce secretary; and Mike Waltz, his choice for national security adviser. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024-- Sims Lifecycle Services (SLS) has once again been recognized as a Representative Vendor in the 2024 GartnerÂŽ âMarket Guide for IT Asset Disposition. 1 â In our opinion, this acknowledgment, our fifth inclusion in the Market Guide 2, highlights SLS's commitment to delivering world-class IT asset management and disposition solutions that meet the highest standards of data security, sustainability, compliance and value return. We feel this recognition of SLS as a Representative Vendor underscores the company's strong position in the market and our ability to support global clients in managing the end-of-life cycle of IT assets. According to Gartner, âSustainability requirements are compounding the ongoing ITAD challenges of data security and sound reuse/recycling. Sourcing, procurement and vendor management leaders can use this Market Guide to navigate the ITAD market, assess growing compliance risks and identify representative ITAD providers.â "In our view, being included again as a Representative Vendor in the 2024 GartnerÂŽ âMarket Guide for IT Asset Dispositionâ is not just a recognition, itâs a validation of our commitment to excellence and innovation in IT asset disposition,â notes Sean Magann, chief commercial officer at Sims Lifecycle Services. âWe believe this inclusion highlights our ability to innovate in ways that not only safeguard our clientsâ data but also drive sustainability and efficiency. Itâs proof that weâre not just adapting to change, weâre leading it.â While inadequate data security and environmentally harmful recycling continue to be the biggest risks within the ITAD market, the report focuses largely on the financial and environmental advantages of device reuse and states that âITAD is increasingly focused on the environmental sustainability benefits of extending the lifecycle of technology assets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and e-waste.â Refurbishment and redeployment of IT devices is expected to increase as organizations more fully recognize the carbon avoidance realized versus recycling. âITAD,â the report maintains, âis crucial for IT sustainability, mitigating Scope 3 emissions and supporting the circular economy.â Gartner urges corporations to utilize industry-best ITAD vendors to âleverage the superior environmental sustainability (and budget) characteristics of asset reuse as your primary disposition process.â About Sims Lifecycle Services Sims Lifecycle Services provides solutions to extend the life of data center and enterprise IT assets, and the company recognizes the value in end-of-life electronics, components and materials. SLS works with hyperscale and cloud data centers to reuse and redeploy data center equipment. Fortune 500 companies are supported by SLS to navigate ongoing technology shifts by securely and responsibly managing the disposition of IT equipment and recycling of electronic products. IT asset disposition (ITAD) and electronics recycling services offered at SLS support the evolution of the electronics industry movement toward circularity. SLS clients benefit from data security, maximum IT value recovery, global compliance and sustainable IT use. As a responsible corporate citizen, and in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we continuously seek new ways to contribute to the circular economy. Visit the SLS website, www.simslifecycle.com for more information on the companyâs global coverage and services offered or for media contact email: sls.media@simsmm.com . Notes: 1 Gartner, Market Guide for IT Asset Disposition, By Rob Schafer, Christopher Dixon, Autumn Stanish, 6 November, 2024 2 Sims Lifecycle Services (SLS) was recognized as Sims Recycling Solutions in 2018 and 2016. Gartner, Marketing Guide for IT Asset Disposition, 22 November 2016 Gartner, Marketing Guide for IT Asset Disposition, 26 July 2018 Gartner, Marketing Guide for IT Asset Disposition, 30 November 2020 Gartner, Marketing Guide for IT Asset Disposition, 23 January 2023 Required Disclaimer: GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartnerâs research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121451696/en/ sls.media@simsmm.com KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SUSTAINABILITY ENVIRONMENT HARDWARE DATA MANAGEMENT RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY OTHER TECHNOLOGY SECURITY SOURCE: Sims Lifecycle Services Copyright Business Wire 2024. PUB: 11/21/2024 06:01 PM/DISC: 11/21/2024 06:00 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241121451696/en
WHEELING, W.Va. , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- WesBanco, Inc. ("WesBanco") (Nasdaq: WSBC) and Premier Financial Corp. ("Premier") (Nasdaq: PFC) today announced that WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders have each voted overwhelmingly to adopt and approve, as applicable, all proposals relating to the previously announced merger agreement for WesBanco to acquire Premier. The votes were held at the respective special meetings of WesBanco's shareholders and Premier's shareholders today. Approximately 85% of the votes cast at WesBanco's special meeting voted to approve the merger and to approve the proposal to issue shares of WesBanco common stock as described in the joint proxy statement/prospectus for the special meeting, and approximately 68% of the outstanding shares of Premier common stock voted to approve the proposal to adopt the merger agreement. "Shareholder approval is a key milestone that reflects strong confidence in the opportunities this merger creates for our communities, customers, employees and shareholders," said Jeff Jackson , President and Chief Executive Officer of WesBanco. "With this step complete, we look forward to receiving the required regulatory approvals and then scheduling the closing of the merger, so we can bring our community commitment and the resources of a stronger organization to all of our communities." With the completion of this critical milestone, the companies believe the merger is on track to close during the first quarter of 2025. The transaction remains subject to the completion of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals. The merger will create a regional financial services institution with approximately $27 billion in assets, significant economies of scale, and strong pro forma profitability metrics. With complementary and contiguous geographic footprints, the combined company would be the 8th largest bank in Ohio , based on deposit market share, have increased presence in Indiana , and serve customers in nine states. About WesBanco, Inc. With over 150 years as a community-focused, regional financial services partner, WesBanco Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBC) and its subsidiaries build lasting prosperity through relationships and solutions that empower our customers for success in their financial journeys. Customers across our eight-state footprint choose WesBanco for the comprehensive range and personalized delivery of our retail and commercial banking solutions, as well as trust, brokerage, wealth management and insurance services, all designed to advance their financial goals. Through the strength of our teams, we leverage large bank capabilities and local focus to help make every community we serve a better place for people and businesses to thrive. Headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia , WesBanco has $18.5 billion in total assets, with our Trust and Investment Services holding $6.1 billion of assets under management and securities account values (including annuities) of $1.9 billion through our broker/dealer, as of September 30, 2024 . Learn more at www.wesbanco.com and follow @WesBanco on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. About Premier Financial Corp. Premier Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: PFC), headquartered in Defiance, Ohio , is the holding company for Premier Bank. Premier Bank, headquartered in Youngstown, Ohio , operates 73 branches and nine loan offices in Ohio , Michigan , Indiana and Pennsylvania and also serves clients through a team of wealth professionals dedicated to each community banking branch. For more information, visit Premier's website at www.PremierFinCorp.com . Matters set forth in this press release contain certain forward-looking statements, including certain plans, expectations, goals, and projections, and including statements about the benefits of the proposed Merger between WesBanco and Premier, that are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ materially from those contained or implied by such statements for a variety of factors including: the effects of changing regional and national economic conditions, changes in interest rates, spreads on earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and associated interest rate sensitivity; sources of liquidity available to WesBanco and its related subsidiary operations; potential future credit losses and the credit risk of commercial, real estate, and consumer loan customers and their borrowing activities; actions of the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Institution Regulatory Authority, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, the Securities Investors Protection Corporation, and other regulatory bodies; potential legislative and federal and state regulatory actions and reform, including, without limitation, the impact of the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act; adverse decisions of federal and state courts; fraud , scams and schemes of third parties; cyber-security breaches; competitive conditions in the financial services industry; rapidly changing technology affecting financial services; marketability of debt instruments and corresponding impact on fair value adjustments; and/or other external developments materially impacting WesBanco's operational and financial performance, the businesses of the WesBanco and Premier may not be integrated successfully or such integration may take longer to accomplish than expected; the expected cost savings and any revenue synergies from the proposed Merger may not be fully realized within the expected timeframes; disruption from the proposed Merger may make it more difficult to maintain relationships with clients, associates, or suppliers; the required governmental approvals of the proposed Merger may not be obtained on the expected terms and schedule; changes in economic conditions; movements in interest rates; competitive pressures on product pricing and services; success and timing of other business strategies; the nature, extent, and timing of governmental actions and reforms; and extended disruption of vital infrastructure; and other factors described in WesBanco's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Premier's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, and documents subsequently filed by WesBanco and Premier with the SEC. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available at the time of the release. Neither WesBanco nor Premier assumes any obligation to update any forward-looking statement. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wesbanco-inc-and-premier-financial-corp-announce-shareholder-approvals-of-merger-agreement-302329433.html SOURCE WesBanco, Inc.NEW ORLEANS â A scruffy little fugitive is on the lam again in New Orleans, gaining fame as he outwits a tenacious band of citizens armed with night-vision binoculars, nets and a tranquilizer rifle. Scrim, a 17-pound mutt that's mostly terrier, has become a folk hero, inspiring tattoos, T-shirts and even a ballad as he eludes capture from the posse of volunteers. And like any antihero, Scrim has a backstory: Rescued from semi-feral life at a trailer park and adopted from a shelter, the dog broke loose in April and scurried around the city until he was cornered in October and brought to a new home. Weeks later, he'd had enough. Scrim leaped out of a second-story window, a desperate act recorded in a now-viral video. Since then, despite a stream of daily sightings, he's roamed free. People are also reading... The dogâs fans include Myra and Steve Foster, who wrote âOde to Scrimâ to the tune of Ricky Nelsonâs 1961 hit, âIâm a Travelinâ Man.â Michelle Cheramie, founder of Zeus' Rescues, at her office in New Orleans on Dec. 9 with a whiteboard index of sheltered cats and dogs and a Scrim look-alike recuperating in the background. 'I'm a travelin' dog and I've made a lot of stops/All over this town...' Leading the recapture effort is Michelle Cheramie, a 55-year-old former information technology professional. She lost everything â home, car, possessions â in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and in the aftermath, found her calling rescuing pets. âI was like, âThis is what I should be doing,ââ Cheramie said. âI was born to rescue.â She launched Zeusâ Rescues, a nonprofit shelter that now averages 600 cat and dog adoptions a year and offers free pet food to anyone who needs it. She helped Scrim find the home he first escaped from. It was Cheramie's window Scrim leaped from in November. She's resumed her relentless mission since then, posting flyers on telephone poles and logging social media updates on his reported whereabouts. She's invested thousands of dollars on wildlife cameras, thermal sensors and other gear. She took a course offered by the San Diego Zoo on the finer points of tranquilizing animals. And she's developed a network of volunteers â the kind of neighbors who are willing to grid-search a city at 3 a.m. Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...And at every stop I own the heart, of at least one lovely...' People like writer David W. Brown, who manages a crowd-sourced Google Map of all known Scrim sightings. He says the search galvanized residents from all walks of life to come together. As they search for Scrim, they hand out supplies to people in need. âBeing a member of the community is seeing problems and doing what you can to make life a little better for the people around here and the animals around you,â Brown said. Neighbor Tammy Murray had to close her furniture store and lost her father to Parkinson's disease. This search, she says, got her mojo back. âLiterally, for months, Iâve done nothing but hunt this dog,â said Murray, 53. âI feel like Wile E. Coyote on a daily basis with him.â Murray drives the Zeus' Rescues van toward reported Scrim sightings. She also handles a tactical net launcher, which looks like an oversized flashlight and once misfired, shattering the van's window as Scrim sped away. After realizing Scrim came to recognize the sound of the van's diesel engine, Murray switched to a Vespa scooter for stealth. Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, left, walks with Scrim on Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...If you're ever in the 9th Ward stop and see/My cute little mini poodle...' Near-misses have been tantalizing. The search party spotted Scrim napping beneath an elevated house, and wrapped construction netting around the perimeter, but an over-eager volunteer broke ranks and dashed forward, leaving an opening Scrim slipped through. Scrim's repeated escapades prompted near-daily local media coverage and a devoted online following. Cheramie can relate. âWeâre all running from something or to something," she said. "He's doing that, too.â Cheramie's team dreams of placing the pooch in a safe and loving environment. But a social media chorus growing under the hashtag #FreeScrim has other ideas â they say the runaway should be allowed a life of self-determination. The animal rescue volunteers consider that misguided. âThe streets of New Orleans are not the place for a dog to be free,â Cheramie said. âItâs too dangerous.â Scrim rests in a kennel Oct. 24 at the Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie, La. '...and my Shar-Pei doll down in old Treme/Waits for my return...' Scrim was a mess when Cheramie briefly recaptured him in October, with matted fur, missing teeth and a tattered ear. His trembling body was scraped and bruised, and punctured by projectiles. A vet removed one, but decided against operating to take out a possible bullet. The dog initially appeared content indoors, sitting in Cheramie's lap or napping beside her bed. Then while she was out one day, Scrim chewed through a mesh screen, dropped 13 feet to the ground and squeezed through a gap in the fence, trotting away. Murray said Cheramie's four cats probably spooked him. Cheramie thinks they may have gotten territorial. Devastated but undeterred, the pair is reassessing where Scrim might fit best â maybe a secure animal sanctuary with big outdoor spaces where other dogs can keep him company. Somewhere, Murray says, âwhere he can just breathe and be.â A fugitive gains fame in New Orleans eluding dart guns and nets Scrim sits in the arms of Zoey Ponder on Oct. 24 at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. Scrim at the Terrebonne Parish Animal Shelter in Louisiana. A homemade portrait of Scrim hangs Dec. 9 in the Zeus' Rescues shelter in New Orleans. Scrim spends some time outside Oct. 24 with Michelle Cheramie, director of Zeus' Rescues, in a fenced-in area at Metairie Small Animal Hospital in Metairie. A Scrim sticker for sale Dec. 9 at Zeus' Rescues office to raise money for the shelter in New Orleans. 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Busy studying for her national five exams, she also spent a lot of time online and on social media. She describes her use of social platforms as âsecond natureâ and âeveryone had itâ. While chatting online with a boy who she thought was her age, he asked her to download another app that was an encrypted private messenger. âAfter we were messaging a while, he asked for pictures of myself. And I did it. I was 15,â Aoife told Scotland Tonight. But the tone of the conversation changed after she shared an intimate photo of herself. âHe said he was much older than me, that he was 22. He had a degree in cyber security. The way he described himself was that he was untouchable and he was so powerful it didnât matter what I did.â Aoife immediately experienced further threats as the man demanded more pictures of her. âI remember the bit that gave me the shock of my life was (he told me) if you donât comply, Iâll send these photos youâve already sent me to your Facebook family and friends. âI just felt like, you know in the movies when someoneâs alone and everything just turns black. Mum and dad were down the hall and my sisters in their bedrooms, but I felt like the only person in the world. âOne minute youâre 15 and having fun on a social media app and then the next thing youâre suddenly in so much trouble. You feel like youâre the only person in the world and you donât know where to turn with it.â Despite being filled with panic and dread, Aoife remembered a helpline sheâd been told about in school. Her abuser was still bombarding her with threats and demands but she managed to convince him she was logging off to go to sleep as she had school in the morning. She logged onto the and had the presence of mind and courage to report what had happened. The following day, Aoifeâs teacher phoned her dad. âHe sat me down and said the school had just phoned. They said you reported an incident that happened last night, tell me about it. âAnd then I just broke down. It was difficult. Itâs one thing knowing this person has all this power over you and pictures of you. âItâs another thing having to admit to your mum and dad. But after I told them they were very supportive and my dad was like âweâll phone the police and let them deal with it.'â After an 18-month investigation by the police and National Crime Agency, Aoifeâs abuser, a man from West Sussex, was tracked down. Jordan Croft admitted 65 offences against 26 girls and women aged between 12 and 22. In 2022, he was jailed for 18 years and will spend another eight years on licence. Aoife joined the other victims in court and they held hands as he was brought to justice. She now volunteers for the NSPCC and wants to use her experience to help others. Seeing her abuser convicted has helped her realise what happened wasnât her fault. âMy abuserâs already in jail, he doesnât have power over me,â said Aoife. âI can turn something disgusting and horrible into a good thing where I can help other people.â Her advice to others is clear. âJust tell anyone. Tell someone that you trust, someone you think will look after you. That will probably be one of the hardest conversations of your life but itâs so worth it.â Get all the latest news from around the country Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the countryNone