agosto 2020 – Página 146

Influitive Pledges Technology and Support to Not-for-Profit Orgs Fighting for Racial Equality

TORONTO, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Influitive Corporation—a leading provider of customer advocacy and engagement software—today announced its furthering commitment for racial equality and justice.

The announcement was made at

The announcement was made at Influitive Live, the company’s virtual customer conference. The theme of this year’s event is all about journeys, and Influitive Chief Executive Officer Dan McCall opened his keynote address by talking about a journey to unite. He said while the crisis of racial inequality and racial injustice are not new issues, they are issues that can no longer be ignored—and we all need to do our part to make change happen.

«To kick off Influitive Live, we are announcing our intent to support one or more not-for-profit organizations with free use of our technology and access to volunteers to help run a program,» McCall said. «I often describe Influitive as a human engagement platform, and I’ve always felt we could do a world of good in the nonprofit sector. So we’re going to start there.»

Event attendees interested in helping to support Influitive’s program were welcomed with open arms. «The limit on what we can accomplish will be based on the support we can garner from our employees and you. It won’t be because we ran out of cloud-computing resources,» said McCall.

Influitive’s diversity and inclusion team will help guide this new program on using the company’s technology and time to the betterment of the human rights agenda—and steer it clear from political activism and political agendas. Nonprofits and volunteers wanting to learn more and take part in the program can request more information here.

About Influitive
Influitive works with forward-thinking marketers and digital businesses who want a better way to engage customers and mobilize advocates to increase referrals, references, reviews, case studies, and more. Our easy-to-use SaaS platform combines industry-leading customer advocacy tools, expert services, and training with intelligent automation, gamification, and personalization features that drive extreme engagement and customer growth at scale. Leading brands such as Cisco, Adobe, ADP, and IBM rely upon Influitive to help foster collaboration, build trust and deepen relationships with customers for top-line growth and bottom-line profits. Visit influitive.com to learn more.

SOURCE Influitive Corporation

USAGov’s Five Tips for Reporting a Scam

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Scammers target millions of Americans every year, and anyone can fall victim to their deceptive tricks. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 3 million reports of fraud. With so many types of scams, it’s hard to figure out where to report them. Follow these five tips to know why, how, and where to report a scam:

Collect information like email addresses, receipts, and phone numbers associated with the scam. You will need these items when filling out a report.
Start by contacting your state consumer protection office. If you’ve lost money, possessions, or other personal and valuable information, call your local police department.
Visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaint assistant to report online. The FTC works to protect consumers and offers tips to help safeguard personal information.
If your information was stolen, such as your Social Security number, credit card, or bank numbers, go to IdentityTheft.gov. You can take specific steps to protect yourself depending on what information was lost.
Place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert is a free service to keep you aware of activity on your account and can make it harder for an imposter to open more accounts in your name.

By reporting a scam, you could help identify fraudsters, bring them to justice, and protect yourself and others in the future. Learn more about reporting scams and how to protect your information from unwanted use at USA.gov/Stop-Scams-Frauds.

Want helpful information right in your inbox? Subscribe to USAGov emails.

USAGov is the official guide to the government. Our mission is to make it easier for everyone to find and understand the government services and information they need – anytime, anywhere, any way they want.

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SOURCE USAGov

Momentus to Launch Dodona Nanosat for Lockheed/USC La Jument Program

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Momentus (http://www.momentus.space), provider of in-space transportation services for satellites, and Lockheed Martin (LMT: NYSE), today announced a launch service agreement for a 3U satellite in Lockheed Martin and SERC (Space Engineering Research Center) University of Southern California’s (USC) smallsat program. The agreement is for Momentus’ Shuttle Service to sun synchronous orbit (SSO) via a February 2021 SpaceX Falcon 9 launch.

The La Jument program includes four nanosatellites, with the first launching at the end of this year. The payload and bus will use Lockheed Martin’s SmartSat™ software-defined satellite architecture first announced in 2019. SmartSat lets satellite operators quickly change missions while in orbit with the simplicity of starting, stopping or uploading new applications. This specific nanosat includes optical payloads connected to SmartSat that will allow AI/ML in-orbit testing.

«We are honored to have been selected as a service provider for Lockheed Martin and SERC/USC’s program advancing new SmartSat apps, sensors and bus technologies,» said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Momentus. «We look forward to building a relationship to deliver future smallsat missions from Lockheed to orbit.»

As a SpaceX rideshare partner, Momentus is manifested on rides to SSO and mid-inclined low Earth orbits, where the Vigoride transfer vehicle will be deployed to access custom deployment altitudes and orbits in space.

Momentus is a Space Transportation and Space Logistics company and a graduate of the prestigious Y Combinator program based in Silicon Valley. Momentus employs new and proprietary technologies, including water plasma propulsion to enable revolutionary low-cost orbital shuttle and charter services. Momentus has already demonstrated its core technology in space and is currently preparing for its next two customer test missions starting later this year.

About Momentus
Momentus is the first company providing in-space transportation services for satellites. The company was founded in 2017 in Santa Clara, CA. Momentus designs and builds transfer vehicles propelled by proprietary water plasma thrusters. The vehicles ferry satellites to a custom orbit after they are delivered by conventional rockets to their initial orbit. Momentus is a 70 person team growing rapidly.

For more information visit http://www.momentus.space

SOURCE Momentus

Preliminary Injunction Hearing Scheduled Concerning Religious And Private School Classroom Shutdown

GREENBELT, Md., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The United States District Court for the District of Maryland has scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing next week on Friday, August 14, 2020 at 10 a.m. At the hearing, the Court will consider plaintiffs’, represented by Joseph Greenwald & Laake, request to enjoin the Montgomery County Health Officer’s order prohibiting classroom instruction at religious…

The hearing will be held before Federal Judge George J. Hazel. An announcement will be made later concerning the logistics of the hearing to ensure safe public access. The hearing has become necessary because the Montgomery County Health Officer has so far failed to comply with Governor Hogan’s revised emergency order, which removes any potential legal authority for the Health Officer’s blanket closure order.

The Health Officer’s order is the only one of its kind in Maryland – or the country – which targets religious and private school classroom instruction for closure. The Health Officer issued this order while allowing restaurants, bars, day care facilities, colleges to remain open. There have been no Covid-19 reported cases in Montgomery County religious and private schools.

The Health Officer has continued to assert that he has authority independent of the Governor to issue a blanket order shutting down classroom instruction in all religious and private schools. The Health Officer now has State-retained private counsel who has asserted that the Health Officer has independent authority for his order.^¹ At a press briefing today at 12:30 p.m. with the County Executive, the Health Officer stated that «as it stands today, the order has not been rescinded.»

The Health Officer issued an order on Friday, July 31 at 7:58 p.m. prohibiting all religious and private schools in Montgomery County from conducting in-person classroom instruction until October 1, 2020. The order was effective Monday morning, August 3, 2020 at 6:00 a.m. The order included criminal penalties for violation of the order, including fines and incarceration. The Health Officer had made no meaningful review of private schools’ detailed safe reopening plans before issuing his order.

In issuing his order, the Health Officer premised his authority on Governor Hogan’s emergency executive order that had been issued on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, which gave political subdivisions the authority to issue more stringent restrictions «requiring any businesses, organizations, establishments, or facilities to close and/or modify their operations» than the State requirements.

Since the pandemic began, Governor Hogan’s emergency executive orders have not applied to schools. Instead, school reopenings have been subject to detailed guidelines issued by the State Superintendent of Schools, Karen B. Salmon. In the Maryland School Reopening Plan, she advised religious and private schools that they should make their own determinations as to how and when to reopen, consistent with CDC and State guidelines.

On Monday, August 3, 2020, Governor Hogan issued a revised emergency executive order in response to the Health Officer’s order. The revised order exempted schools from the new authority given to political subdivisions in his Wednesday order. Governor Hogan made it clear that the Health Officer’s order was «inconsistent with the power intended to be delegated» to the County:

Private and parochial schools deserve the same opportunity and flexibility to make reopening decisions based on public health guidelines. The blanket closure mandate imposed by Montgomery County was overly broad and inconsistent with the powers intended to be delegated to the Health officer.

When he learned about the Governor’s Monday order at a press conference, the Health Officer was publicly dismissive. He stated that, «It doesn’t matter if we see the tweet. It doesn’t matter if we see the statement.» Despite Governor Hogan’s clear and unequivocal statement and order, the Health Officer has refused to rescind his unlawful order.

On Friday, the Health Officer expressly premised his emergency order on the Governor’s July 29 executive order. The Health Officer is a State employee. He is jointly appointed by the State. He is paid by the State. He is required by State law to carry out State health policy. Since the Governor clarified his executive order on Monday, the Health Officer has been openly insubordinate. He has defied clearly articulated State health policy.

Governor Hogan has made it explicitly clear that State policy does not permit blanket closures of religious and private schools and that each school can make its own reopening decisions «as long as schools develop safe and detailed plans that follow CDC and state guidelines.» The Maryland State Department of Education’s «Recovery Plan for Maryland Education» makes it clear that each private school has the right to make its own reopening decisions consistent with CDC and State Department of Education guidelines.

The Health Officer’s continued refusal to comply with the law and the Governor’s order is creating continued chaos and confusion for thousands of Montgomery County families and the schools they have chosen. As schools are ready to reopen, the Health Officer’s continued failure to rescind his illegal order exacerbates the confusion he created Friday night. This uncertainty has been created because the Governor has issued a clear directive but the Health Officer has refused to comply.

The Health Officer must act immediately to unequivocally and irrevocably rescind his unlawful order. The failure of the Health Officer, a State employee, to follow clearly established State policy and the explicit directive of the Governor, constitutes insubordination. He should not continue in office if he cannot comply with the Governor’s clear directive and the State’s established health policy.

The rule of law is important. If the Health Officer cannot follow the law and the clear directive of the Governor, plaintiffs will seek an order from the Federal court enforcing the law.

Statement of Counsel for Plaintiffs
Beahn, et al. v. Gayles, et al.

¹ Because the County Health Officer is a State employee, actions against a county health pfficer are usually defended by the Office of the Maryland Attorney General. In this case, the Maryland Attorney General has determined that private counsel to represent the Health Officer.

Timothy F. Maloney
Attorney at Law
Office in Greenbelt, MD
Direct Dial: (240) 553-1107 Direct Fax: (240) 553-1737
Email: tmaloney@jgllaw.com

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SOURCE Joseph Greenwald and Laake

The Blackbaud Institute Releases The State of the Social Sector: Navigating in a Time of Uncertainty

CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Blackbaud Institute, a research division of Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s…

CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The Blackbaud Institute, a research division of Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, today releases The State of the Social Sector: Navigating in a Time of Uncertainty, a series of reports which seeks to help social good organizations interpret the rapidly changing landscape of 2020 and plan for a resilient future by applying lessons learned from past giving data and trends.

«From recessions to significant natural disasters to political campaigns and social upheavals, looking back allows us to understand how philanthropy follows and often aligns with major events,» said Managing Director of the Blackbaud Institute Ashley Thompson. «In examining these trends, we can identify the core practices that have enabled organizations to weather past challenges and allow social good organizations to forge a path forward in the ever-changing 2020. While much remains uncertain, we can expect the events of 2020 to shake up charitable behavior across the sector.»

The Blackbaud Institute’s The State of the Social Sector report coincides with the release of its quarterly charitable giving index, The Blackbaud Institute Index, and provides additional context into the potential long-term impacts of 2020 and how organizations can use these insights to plan and adapt for the future. In addition to this report, the Blackbaud Institute is also launching a sector-specific series to help organizations across the social good space make informed, data-driven decisions about how to navigate these times of uncertainty.

Key insights from the report include:

Though 2020 will be marked as a time of widespread change, the overarching trends in philanthropy are positive: individuals, companies and groups continue to invest in the causes they care about. Giving by individuals remains the largest contributor to overall giving year over year. And, overall giving in June increased by 1.2% for the last 12-months compared to the same months ending in June 2019.
Major events and social movements have the power to temporarily attract attention toward specific causes. In 2017, for example, a multitude of circumstances motivated Americans to engage socially and politically¹. In the immediate aftermath, organizations saw significant rises in households making new gifts. While organizations did not retain all those new donors, the spotlights shone on their causes provided a renewed interest in giving.
History—specifically the 1970s and 80s—demonstrates that while social and political movements do not directly benefit all charitable subsectors, expanding the population of donors inevitably benefits all types of organizations. So far, 2020 has felt an unforeseeable convergence of similar influences, which will likely impact 2020’s climate of giving.

«In these unprecedented times, the way your organization adapts to challenges will determine both your current and long-term organizational health,» continued Thompson. «By looking back, we can provide a sense of stability in knowing that Americans are, and continue to be, philanthropic. We hope this additional context and insight will help members of the social good community harness all that is changing to propel their missions forward.»

Read the full State of the Social Sector report and view the sector-specific editions by visiting BlackbaudInstitute.com/state-of-the-social-sector-series.

¹ Vital Signs Part 2: The Undeveloped Value of New Donors, Blackbaud Institute, 2018

About The Blackbaud Institute
The Blackbaud Institute drives research and insight to accelerate the impact of the social good community. It convenes expert partners from across the philanthropic sector to foster diverse perspectives, collective thinking and collaborative solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. Using the most comprehensive data set in the social good community, the Blackbaud Institute and its partners conduct research, uncover strategic insight and share results broadly to drive effective philanthropy at every stage, from fundraising to outcomes. Knowledge is powering the future of social good, and the Blackbaud Institute is an engine of that progress. Learn more, sign up for our newsletter, explore our knowledge base of social good best practices and trends, see the latest quarterly statistics on giving and check out our most recent resources at BlackbaudInstitute.com.

About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility, school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media Inquiries
media@blackbaud.com

Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks; uncertainty regarding increased business and renewals from existing customers; continued success in sales growth; management of integration of acquired companies and other risks associated with acquisitions; risks associated with successful implementation of multiple integrated software products; the ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks associated with management of growth; lengthy sales and implementation cycles, particularly in larger organization; technological changes that make our products and services less competitive; and the other risk factors set forth from time to time in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, copies of which are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.

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SOURCE Blackbaud

Sharper Image Founder, Richard Thalheimer, Sees Tesla Soaring in the Future

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The share price of Tesla stock had an incredible run, going from $228 in July 2019, to $1,500 in July 2020.

…

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — The share price of Tesla stock had an incredible run, going from $228 in July 2019, to $1,500 in July 2020.

This impressive growth reflects the growing success of Tesla in several areas. The two most recent Tesla car introductions have been huge successes. Model 3, which is a scaled-down version of the Model S sedan, has sold better than expected. The latest Model Y, rolling out of the factory as I write this, is just beginning its run and may be the most popular Tesla ever. It delivers in many ways, giving drivers an SUV body at half the price of the Model X, which it closely resembles.

Tesla is the most shorted stock of any U.S. equity.

«Jim Chanos has repeatedly claimed Tesla will never be profitable, will not be able to produce cars in a timely manner, and will be overshadowed by new competition. ‘The big guys, such as Porsche and Audi, are coming after Tesla’s seven-year-old Model S with better, faster, more stylish cars at more attractive price points.» Source

Chanos has so far been proven wrong. The competition has not met Tesla in speed, range or price. Style is in the eye of the beholder – and I love the Tesla style. Source

«The Tesla shorts have booked large losses in 2020, with the total short loss at $15.9 billion dollars in 2020 as of July 3, 2020, during which time TSLA has risen by more than 180%,» according to analyst Ihor Dusaniwsky of data firm S3 Partners.

«Even worse, Dusaniwsky estimates that Tesla short-sellers have lost a staggering $30.45 billion since 2010, as of July 3, 2020. And the stock has continued to climb, trading around $1,500, making the losses even greater for Chanos and other short-sellers.» Source

I view Elon Musk as a hero, visionary, genius, and wunderkind of enormous proportions, and put him up there with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Steve Jobs. What he has accomplished is singularly amazing. Musk both introduced and found acceptance for all-electric cars. To start a car company from scratch and, within a decade, sell more cars in its class than BMW, Mercedes, or Audi, is an unbelievable and unlikely success which defies imagination.

Volkswagen, CEO, Herbert Diess agreed: «Volkswagen Group’s CEO again praised Tesla’s Elon Musk, this time for showing it’s possible to profit off electric cars even in the midst of a global pandemic. Tesla and VW group’s Porsche sports-car division will be among the few automakers who navigate the market turmoil caused by COVID-19 without suffering a quarterly loss.»

«Elon Musk delivers results that many have deemed impossible,» Diess wrote in response to a post by auto industry researcher Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer. Source

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas «thinks Tesla will sell 3 million units a year by 2030 after factoring in the new factories and upside demand for the Model S, Model X, Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, a compact model, Semi and even the Roadster.»

«It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Tesla is going to become a very large company, approaching (if not exceeding) Toyota or VW revenues in the next decade and leaving the world’s largest luxury OEMs behind. For the first time during our 10 years of coverage we’re starting to model this company as a very, very large auto maker. Our revised 2030 revenue forecast is over $170bn of revenues, a substantially larger company by revenue than Ford or GM.» Source

Very important to the Tesla success story is the Supercharger network, which is available only to Tesla owners. There are about 2,000 Supercharger stations around the world. This is a significant advantage because, driving cross-country, you can usually find a fast-charging Supercharger station conveniently located next to a Starbucks or shopping center. Just pull in, charge for 20 minutes, and continue on. This is a big advantage compared to the competition, which leaves you scratching your head where to charge up. Elon Musk figured from the beginning this would be a huge advantage for Tesla, and that’s one reason Tesla is the first choice for buyers moving into an electric car.

Here’s a headline from 2019:
«Tesla Model 3 Outsold BMW, Mercedes, Audi, & Lexus Competitors In 2nd Quarter In USA — By A Landslide!» Source

Autoblog compared the Model Y to its competitors: «The Model Y Long Range I drove starts at $54,190. Handsome blue-metallic paint and 20-inch black alloy wheels kicked that to $57,190. The Audi starts at $75,795 and reached nearly $86,000 in a test model. The Jaguar starts from $70,875, with my tester topping $81,000. In defense of the legacy luxury brands, both the Audi and Jaguar read ‘richer’ than the Tesla, from materials to fit-and-finish. But $25,000 to $30,000 ‘richer’ is a stretch, considering their other handicaps.»

«To wit: The Model Y Long Range’s 316-mile boundary embarrasses Audi’s official range of 204 miles, or the Jaguar’s 234 miles. That yawning range gap is the difference between easy round-trips and thumb-twiddling charging stops and detours — or roads not taken at all. (The Model Y’s ingenious heat pump, a first for any Tesla, should help preserve driving range in cold climates).»

«Even the $62,900 Model Y Performance version, with 456 horsepower and 497 pound-feet of torque, manages 291 miles of range. And the Performance’s vicious, 3.5-second slap to 60 mph will leave the Jaguar and Audi wondering what hit them. That 3.5-second moon shot is faster than several vastly pricier fossil-fueled SUVs, including the Porsche Macan Turbo and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio.»

«For $10,000 less than the Performance edition, the Long Range — also with dual electric motors, one per axle — generates 384 horses, 376 pound-feet of torque, and a Tesla-cited 4.8-second scamper to 60 mph. Perhaps more impressive than stoplight speed is the way the Model Y catapults from 30, 70, or 90 mph, with the merest squeeze of the throttle. Passing internal-combustion cars in the Tesla is so easy, it’s not even fair. But it is fun.» Source

It’s hard to believe this upstart company delivers such outstanding performance and outsell its competitors by a landslide. This is an amazing accomplishment.

The New York Times described it this way: «Tesla stock has tripled in the last several months. Mr. Musk is the first person in almost a century to come out of nowhere and create a car company with that much volume, showing other plodding car companies how electric cars can be cool, sexy, and incredibly efficient.»

The Tesla blog, Teslarati, summed it up this way: «The Model 3 has sold more than 142,300 units so far in 2020. Tesla’s affordable mass-market vehicle has dominated the Top 20 list for some time, and it is not much of a surprise. With the performance specifications of a high-end automobile and the price point of an affordable family sedan, the Model 3 is a perfect fit for any individual or family looking to join the Tesla revolution.» Source

«Peter Thiel, who helped build the company that became PayPal with Mr. Musk, told me (Maureen Dowd), ‘He’s on top of the world. All of the people who have been shorting Tesla stock, who constitute a kind of ‘hate factory’ against the company, have been totally crushed.» Source

One reason Chanos misses the point about the future success of Tesla is, in my opinion, because he keeps evaluating it as a car manufacturing company. Tesla is much more than that; it is an energy company with many different opportunities to dominate its markets in the future. Consider this analysis from CleanTechnica:

«Tesla’s business model encompasses what’s been called the Energy Triumvirate: transportation, home solar, and battery storage. The 3-way renewable energy system provides security against rising energy costs, connected software, and solar production for energy independence. And that reciprocity is just one reason to look at Tesla as much more than either a car company or a technology company.» Source

Tesla reached a milestone of four profitable quarters in a row when it released 2nd quarter earnings in July 2020: «Electric-vehicle maker Tesla crushed earnings estimates Wednesday evening. Wall Street was impressed with the results, but not overly so. ‘Good but not great,’ wrote Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, adding Tesla’s valuation implies nearly world domination.» Source

A second-quarter profit was essentially the last step in qualifying Tesla stock for inclusion in the S&P 500. That’s good news for bulls because it generates demand for Tesla stock from index funds and others that track the S&P 500 closely.

Let’s pivot from the numbers, and talk products, specifically the new Model Y. I bought one just recently, taking delivery at the San Francisco Tesla showroom. What a smooth experience! The purchase was done online until the actual final handoff. When I showed up to pick up my new Y, in my 15-minute window, I was surprised that there were other folks standing there, for deliveries before me, and after me. It prompts the question, «What other car showroom is delivering a new car every 15 minutes?» This steady delivery pace may not go on every day. But it was impressive.

After looking over the car, and driving away, I noticed the car drives so well. I have a Model X already, so my bar is high for comparison. But the Y delivered in every way. The ride quality, the fit, and finish, the overall experience, is truly exceptional.

I took my new Y to a favorite body shop for a professional opinion of the manufacturing quality. My resident expert pronounced the body perfect and was impressed there were no gaps or misaligned body panels. That is an improvement from other Tesla cars he’s seen in the past. It bodes well for future Tesla production quality.

The Model Y really shines as a harbinger of future success for Tesla. It is a mid-size SUV, which is the sweet spot for vehicle sales today. It has generous space for people and cargo. The acceleration and handling are superb. And it’s selling like hotcakes.

Electric cars in general are passing the tipping point, becoming more affordable and desirable. «The pandemic has made electric cars more inevitable,» declared the headline for an in-house interview with Volkswagen Group of America senior VP of Strategy Reinhard Fischer.

«I expect the pandemic could cause the transition to electric vehicles to briefly hesitate but then accelerate. While sharing services were heavily promoted before the pandemic, fear of virus transmission could cause more people to return to personal cars,» Fischer said. «In this scenario, electric cars have the added advantage of home charging, allowing drivers to avoid possible infection at gas stations,» he added Source

Ron Baron, the billionaire investor, has been an outspoken Tesla bull. Baron’s eponymous investment firm, with over $32 billion in assets under management, holds more than 1.6 million Tesla shares. They were purchased at an average cost per share of $219.02, according to the firm. Baron said June 9, 2020, on «Squawk Box» that he believes «there’s 10 times more to go» with Tesla. Source

Where is the stock going from here? Do you believe short-seller Jim Chanos? Or uber bull Ron Baron?

I made the call publicly, back in December 2018, Source. I made it again in February 2020, Source. I’m repeating it now:

«Buy on the dips when they happen. Tesla is heading higher. The Model Y will be incredibly popular and propel the stock to new highs.»

About Richard Thalheimer

Investor and Stock Guru, Richard Thalheimer is the founder and former CEO of the American consumer brand, The Sharper Image. Thalheimer now runs The Sharper Fund, a successful private fund. He is an expert in the field of investing who is sought after by journalists and their readers for his trendsetting observations about products, companies, and market movements.

Having been CEO of a NASDAQ listed public company, The Sharper Image, Richard has 20 years of experience with analysts and stock listings. Regularly evaluating concepts and products for The Sharper Image has given him a keen insight into what will succeed and grow, and what will not. He has spoken to analysts and reporters for over 20 years as a public CEO, this has taught him valuable lessons about how Wall Street analysts think, and when to actually have confidence in their judgment. As a result, today he is able to better predict which company’s stock price will go up. This gives him an edge in investing and has resulted in superior portfolio performance.

Recent Podcast with Richard on Investing:

Podcast – Business Lunch with Roland Fraiser

Relevant Links:
Richard Thalheimer | RichardThalheimer.com
Private Family Fund | The Sharper Fund
Nostalgic Sharper Image Moments | The Legend of Sharper Image
Owner | RichardSolo.com

Tesla and Richard Thalheimer Sources Referenced:
https://insideevs.com/news/341378/this-ceo-thinks-tesla-is-a-ford-killer/
https://www.richardthalheimer.com/sharper-image-founder-richard-thalheimer-called-the-tesla-move-now-whats-next/

Contact Meredith Sasseen | 3 Outcomes | The Sharper Fund for Richard Thalheimer

meredith@thesharperfund.com

Successful Investor and Stock Guru, Richard Thalheimer will consider press inquiries and investing related interviews on a case by case basis.

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SOURCE Richard Thalheimer

‘Get Things Done’ Channel Executive Nellie Scott Honored as CompTIA Member of the Year

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — A high-energy executive in the information technology (IT) industry who is widely respected by her colleagues and peers for her skills as a communicator and collaborator who gets things done is the Member of the Year at CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the global technology…

Nellie Scott, global channel development manager for the SAS Institute, is recognized by CompTIA for her outstanding service to and impact on the association and the industry.

«Nellie Scott is a true treasure in our industry,» said Nancy Hammervik, executive vice president for industry relations at CompTIA. «She leads by example; inspires others with her caring and passion; and always works toward the greater good, whether it is in business, in her community or with CompTIA. There is no one more deserving of recognition as the CompTIA Member of the Year than Nellie.»

The industry is honoring Scott this week during ChannelCon Online, CompTIA’s seventh annual virtual gathering of technology business thought leaders, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.

Scott’s involvement with CompTIA began with her use of career and skill building educational resources offered by the association. She expanded her engagement to include participation in the Advancing Women in Technology Community. In 2017 she was selected as the co-chair of the CompTIA Channel Advisory Board. She most recently served as the vice-chair of the CompTIA Business Applications Advisory Council.

Scott has also shared her talent and time with other community and industry organizations, including Dress for Success Triangle NC, a group dedicated to empowering women to achieve economic independence, the National Association of Professional Women and the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals.

In her current position as global channel development manager for SAS Institute she is responsible for developing, executing and managing partner sales enablement programs focused on increasing partner competence and confidence in selling SAS products, and accelerating time to revenue. As a skilled communicator and sales professional, she works closely with subject matter experts to create sales aids and training assets to meet the required selling skills for SAS business partners across multiple geographies.

Her career also includes senior sales positions with Dell, Lenovo and CompUSA.

Scott is the fifth technology industry leader to receive the CompTIA Member of the Year award. Past honorees include Angel L. Piñeiro Jr., Victor Johnston, Tracy Pound and John Tippett.

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5.2 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. www.comptia.org.

Contact:

Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
+1 (630) 678-8468
sostrowski@comptia.org
www.comptia.org

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SOURCE CompTIA

Tamika Mallory Of Until Freedom Criticizes The California District Attorneys Association’s Request For The NFL To Pull Stephon Clark PSA

NEW YORK, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Until Freedom, a racial justice organization co-founded by leading activists Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, hip-hop artist Mysonne Linen and civil rights attorney Angelo Pinto, today criticized the California District Attorneys Association’s request for the NFL to pull its

The league’s Inspire Change platform initially released the educational PSA in late-July that shed light the 2018 murder of Sacramento’s Stephon Clark in his grandmother’s backyard. However, citing a «misrepresentation of facts,» the California District Attorneys Association made the request on Aug. 4 to axe the Inspire Change public service announcement immediately.

Until Freedom is now pushing back on the CDAA’s insensitive request.

«The CDAA has one set of facts, but our facts are clear – Stephon Clark was unarmed, he was innocent and he was murdered in his grandmother’s yard,» said Mallory. «It’s incredibly problematic and concerning for top law enforcers and officials to tell the NFL, Stephon’s family and his community that police have the right to kill you for simply being suspected of a crime. The CDAA’s statement is a perfect example of the huge conflict of interest when prosecuting cops and it lacks self-awareness. It is not the role of police officers to be the judge, jury and executioner.»

Contact: Linda Sarsour: linda@untilfreedom.com

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SOURCE Until Freedom

Ariadne Labs and The Learning Accelerator Launch the Parabola Project to Help Schools Minimize COVID-19 Health Risks While Maximizing Learning

BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Ariadne Labs and The Learning Accelerator…

BOSTON, Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Ariadne Labs and The Learning Accelerator announced the launch of The Parabola Project, an initiative that aims to rapidly develop evidence-informed tools to help school system leaders identify options for school reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Parabola Project draws on expertise from both the education and health communities with the goal of minimizing health risks to students, staff, and teachers, while maximizing learning for all students.

«Reopening schools safely has far-reaching health and safety implications for teachers, staff, and students, as well as for the broader communities in which they live,» said Asaf Bitton, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. «Carefully weighing COVID-19 transmission risks with the need for children to have access to a productive learning environment is critical to our ability to move forward into our next phase of normal. This work aims to provide school leaders with implementation options to consider for a more safe and comprehensive approach to school reopening in the upcoming weeks and months.»

Resources, which are available free of cost, include:

School Reopening Readiness Guide: This evidence-informed guide is intended to assist district and school leaders in developing, evaluating, and executing operational plans for reopening schools, as well as in assessing readiness to implement these plans.
Practitioner Toolkit: How to Build a Mask Culture: This resource aims to help educators consider how to best help students adjust to and sustain mask-wearing.
Practitioner Toolkit: Learning Together In Socially Distanced Classrooms: This resource aims to help educators consider how to support small-group, collaborative, and one-to-one learning while physically distancing.

Developed in collaboration with several school districts in Massachusetts where the guide is also currently being piloted, The School Reopening Readiness Guide outlines a set of core public health principles to consider when approaching safe school reopening and a set of related specific implementation options for district and school leaders to consider applying to their own context. Because the pandemic and the research to mitigate it continue to rapidly evolve, resources will be regularly updated with revised recommendations to reflect the latest scientific evidence.

«We must focus on reopening in ways that meet our shared aspirations for community safety, wellbeing, and learning,» said Beth Rabbitt, Ed.L.D., Chief Executive Officer of The Learning Accelerator, a national nonprofit that is working to make the ‘potential’ possible and practical for every teacher and learner. «Doing this will require thinking technically and adaptively, and looking at problems through multiple perspectives, including education, public health, and, crucially, the experiences and needs of practitioners, parents, and students. The Parabola Project seeks to do that, offering not just concrete recommendations but frames and common language to help leaders make decisions and implement with the whole picture in mind given their local context.»

The Parabola Project is funded by the generous contributions of the One8 Foundation.

For more information, visit parabolaproject.org.

About Ariadne Labs

Ariadne Labs is a joint center for health systems innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. We develop simple, scalable solutions that dramatically improve the delivery of health care at critical moments to save lives and reduce suffering. Our vision is for health systems to deliver the best possible care for every patient, everywhere, every time. We’re a team of 110+ physicians, nurses, researchers, data scientists, implementation specialists, program managers, and operations professionals, and 150+ associate faculty and affiliate members from across the Harvard system and beyond. Visit ariadnelabs.org to learn more and covid19.ariadnelabs.org to learn about our response to COVID-19.

About The Learning Accelerator

The Learning Accelerator is a national nonprofit that is working to make the ‘potential’ possible and practical for every teacher and learner. Underpinning TLA’s work is a drive to ensure each student receives an effective, equitable, and engaging education that supports them to reach their full and unique potential. Our mission is to connect teachers and leaders with the knowledge, tools, and networks they need to transform K-12 education. TLA has mobilized to help school and district leaders navigate the transition to remote learning and prepare for the upcoming school year, as well as plan for long-term, resilient, and sustainable change beyond the COVID-19 era, through its Always Ready for Learning initiative, of which the Parabola Project is a part. Learn more and find various free resources for teachers and leaders.

About the Parabola Project

The goal of the Parabola Project is to rapidly identify, develop, and share guidance and tools to help school system leaders and practitioners consider how to more safely reopen schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on expertise from both the education and health communities, the Parabola Project aims to minimize health risks to students, staff, and teachers, while maximizing learning for all students. The initiative draws inspiration from the parabola, a type of geometric curve that can be used to determine minimum or maximum values. Every parabola has a key point — a focus — through which all lines pass.

Resources developed by the Parabola Project are meant to augment and fit within state and federal guidelines about school reopening. They are not a replacement for them, nor do they constitute formal guidance about exactly what school districts should or should not do. The Parabola Project is a collaborative endeavor between Ariadne Labs and The Learning Accelerator, and philanthropically funded by the One8 Foundation. For more information, visit https://parabolaproject.org or email parabolaproject@learningaccelerator.org.

Media Contacts
Brigid Tsai, Director of Communications, Ariadne Labs: btsai@ariadnelabs.org

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SOURCE Ariadne Labs

Hoag Offers Clinical Trial for Pancreatic Cancer Patients

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian has been selected to conduct a Phase 2 clinical trial that researchers hope will demonstrate preliminary efficacy on pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, with a five-year survival rate of just 5%. The new combination therapy uses the body’s own immune system to fight off deadly cancer cells.

«Hoag will be the first in Orange County to offer cell therapy for solid tumors, and was exclusively selected as the only hospital in Orange County to offer this pancreatic cancer trial as part of its new cell therapy program,» said Burton L. Eisenberg, M.D., F.A.C.S., executive medical director of Hoag Family Cancer Institute and the Grace E. Hoag Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair.

«Pancreatic cancer is a deadly cancer. Our present-day therapies are better than they use to be, but science is not anywhere near where it needs to be for these patients,» he said. «Hoag continues to push forward and expand our ability to offer patients with advanced pancreatic cancer new hope as we deliver on innovative treatments, such as immunotherapy clinical trials.»

This type of immunotherapy, also known as cell therapy, harnesses the body’s own immune system to target, kill and «remember» cancer cells. The agents involved in this pancreatic cancer clinical trial have been «designed» to find pancreatic cancer cells and initiate a large immune response against them. This may allow the body to develop its own antibodies to fight the cancer.

The treatment involves combining standard-of-care chemotherapy with investigational therapies, including cell therapy company NantKwest’s tumor-targeted natural killer cells, PD-L1 t-haNK; ImmunityBio’s superagonist, N-803, and the drug aldoxorubicin HCI. The trial will compare the results of the combination therapy against the use of chemotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.

«This unique approach to orchestrating the innate and adaptive immune systems to target and kill cancer cells may be an important new approach for pancreatic cancer patients,» said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NantKwest and ImmunityBio. «We are excited to collaborate with Hoag to offer this investigational approach to more patients who suffer from pancreatic cancer.»

Hoag’s commitment to innovation and excellence has earned the hospital a reputation as an effective partner for these investigational new therapies on-par with leading academic centers.

«For many patients, especially those with advanced cancers, a clinical trial can offer a more effective treatment option than standard therapy,» Dr. Eisenberg said. «Hoag continues to relentlessly pursue innovative treatment options and leading-edge medical advances to deliver a level of care that is truly personalized medicine.»

For more information please email clinicalresearch@hoag.org or call 949-764-4577.

ABOUT HOAG
Hoag is a nonprofit, regional health care delivery network in Orange County, California, that treats more than 30,000 inpatients and 480,000 outpatients annually. Hoag consists of two acute-care hospitals – Hoag Hospital Newport Beach, which opened in 1952, and Hoag Hospital Irvine, which opened in 2010 – in addition to nine health centers and 13 urgent care centers. Hoag has invested $261 million in programs and services to support the underserved community within the past five years, including areas like mental health, homelessness, transportation for seniors, education, and support for single mothers. Hoag is a designated Magnet^® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Hoag offers a comprehensive blend of health care services that includes five institutes providing specialized services in the following areas: cancer, heart and vascular, neurosciences, women’s health, and orthopedics through Hoag’s affiliate, Hoag Orthopedic Institute, which consists of an orthopedic hospital and two ambulatory surgical centers. In the 2020 – 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals Rankings, Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County and the only OC hospital ranked in the Top 10 in California. For an unprecedented 23 years, residents of Orange County have chosen Hoag as one of the county’s best hospitals in a local newspaper survey. Visit www.hoag.org for more information.

ABOUT HOAG FAMILY CANCER INSTITUTE
As the largest cancer program in Southern California outside of Los Angeles County, Hoag Family Cancer Institute treats more than 4,000 new patients and 18,000 total patients annually. Hoag’s multidisciplinary cancer team orchestrates subspecialized, tumor-specific programs that provide leading edge cancer treatments and a full range of advanced cancer therapies, as well as Hoag’s Precision Medicine Program and new investigational treatments. Hoag Family Cancer Institute formed an alliance with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center to become the first community hospital in Orange County to offer patients access to Early Development Clinical Trials. Hoag also offers patients access to a Cancer Prevention, High Risk & Early Detection Network to educate, screen and implement best practices for preventing the onset of cancer. With dedicated, site-specific nurse navigation and extensive support services, Hoag helps patients optimize quality of life from diagnosis through survivorship. Hoag Family Cancer Institute has received numerous national distinctions, including Hoag Radiation Oncology ranking in the top 1% of outpatient facilities in the Press Ganey® overall patient satisfaction ratings, and U.S. News & World Report ranking Hoag as high performing in cancer, placing them in the top 10% in the nation, along with high performing in lung cancer surgery and colon cancer surgery.

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SOURCE Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian