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Georgia Power continues to make progress on ash pond closure at Plant Mitchell with dewatering process scheduled to begin in February

Ampion, PBC Receives ISO 27001 Certification

Cboe Global Markets Statement on Political Action Committee Donations

Survival of Endangered Languages at Risk in a Globalized Mainstream Culture, WordFinder Study Uncovers

TurboTenant publishes its State of the Rental Industry Report

Panasonic’s Residential Solar Products and Installer Program Reach More Homeowners in High Growth Solar Markets

2020 Tied for Warmest Year on Record, NASA Analysis Shows

Fannie Mae Multifamily Closes 2020 With Record Volume of $76 Billion

Winter Labor Market is Getting Colder

Latino Corporate Directors Association Weighs in on NASDAQ Proposal to Advance Diversity in Corporate Governance

ATLANTA, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Georgia Power continues to make progress towards the closure of three ash ponds at Plant Mitchell with the dewatering process scheduled to begin in February. Dewatering marks a significant step towards completing the closure process, and Georgia Power’s ash pond closure plan for Plant Mitchell is specifically designed for the site to help ensure water quality is protected every step of the way.

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«As we begin the dewatering process at Plant Mitchell, we continue to focus on safety and meeting all requirements throughout the process to fulfill our longstanding commitment to protect the environment, our local communities and water quality every step of the way,» said Dr. Mark Berry, vice president of Environmental & Natural Resources for Georgia Power. «Throughout the process, clear communication to our customers and the community about our progress remains a priority.»

With the Plant Mitchell project, approximately two million tons of stored coal ash will be removed from the existing ash ponds for reuse in Portland cement manufacturing. The project at Plant Mitchell marks the first time that stored ash from existing ash ponds at sites in Georgia will be excavated for beneficial reuse as part of an ash pond closure project.

Today, the company already recycles more than 85 percent of all ash and gypsum, including more than 95 percent of fly ash, it produces from current operations for various beneficial reuses such as concrete production as well as other construction products.

The ash pond dewatering plan for Plant Mitchell has been approved by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and describes the water treatment system, controls and monitoring that will be used during the process to help ensure that the water discharged is protective of water quality standards. The planned onsite closure methods are being permitted and regulated by the EPD.

Communication regarding the closure plan is provided through EPD permitting notifications as well as posting on Georgia Power’s website. To read more about Plant Mitchell’s ash pond closure and dewatering process, click here.

Georgia Power first announced plans to permanently close all of its ash ponds in September 2015, with initial plans released in June 2016. Georgia Power’s ash pond closure plans fully comply with the federal Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) rule, as well as the more stringent requirements of Georgia’s state CCR rule. Georgia was one of the first states in the country to develop its own rule regulating management and storage of CCR such as coal ash. The state rule, which goes further than the federal rule, regulates all ash ponds and landfills in the state and includes a comprehensive permitting program through which the EPD will approve all actions to help ensure ash pond closures are protective of water quality.

Protecting Water Quality
Since 2016, Georgia Power has installed more than 550 groundwater monitoring wells around its ash ponds and onsite landfills to actively monitor groundwater quality to help ensure the company is being protective of lakes, rivers and drinking water. In 2020 alone, there were 1,292 groundwater samples collected and 54 groundwater reports completed.

Third-party professional engineers and geologists direct the appropriate placement of monitoring wells for Georgia Power based on site-specific geology. Independent, third-party professionals perform sampling, with analysis by accredited, independent laboratories.

Monitoring is being conducted in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. The first round of testing was completed with results published in August 2016, more than 18 months ahead of federal requirements, and the company continues to post testing results on Georgia Power’s website and report them to the EPD.

Dewatering Process
The dewatering process marks a significant step towards completing the ash pond closure process and is now underway at seven sites: Plants Bowen, Hammond, McDonough, McManus, McIntosh, Branch and Yates. Georgia Power’s commitment to protecting water quality of surface waters, such as lakes and rivers, includes comprehensive and customized dewatering processes during ash pond closures. The company’s process treats the water to help ensure that it meets the requirements of the plant’s wastewater discharge permits approved by the EPD and is protective of applicable water quality standards.

About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America’s premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the Company’s promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the Company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the Company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning ash pond closure and ash removal plans and schedules. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, Georgia Power’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the impact of recent and future federal and state regulatory changes, including tax, environmental, and other laws and regulations to which Georgia Power is subject, as well as changes in application of existing laws and regulations; the extent and timing of costs and legal requirements related to CCR; current and future litigation or regulatory investigations, proceedings, or inquiries; the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction and operation of facilities or other projects; advances in technology; state and federal rate regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and negotiations, including rate actions relating to cost recovery mechanisms; catastrophic events such as fires, earthquakes, explosions, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and other storms, droughts, pandemic health events, or other similar occurrences; and the effect of accounting procurements issued periodically by standard-setting bodies. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.

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SOURCE Georgia Power

BOSTON, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Ampion, PBC, the leading provider of software and services to DERS (Distributed Renewable Energy Resource Suppliers), announced today that as of December 30, 2020, it achieved the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27001:2013 certification for its Customer Acquisition, Billing and Customer Care, Application and Web Service development for its customers, globally.

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Ampion extends our leadership, becoming the only company in the sector guaranteeing robust data security controls.

«Ampion believes that adhering to the high standards of information security is a requirement of the distributed energy market. We have invested substantially in that responsibility, an effort that has now resulted in our company becoming ISO 27001 certified, receiving accreditation for our Information Security Management System (ISMS). With this certification and the guarantee of robust controls, Ampion extends our leadership position in the industry becoming the only company in the DERS services industry to guarantee the use of robust data security controls conforming with this internationally recognized standard,» said Nate Owen, founder and CEO of Ampion.

«The emphasis placed on data security has steadily risen as awareness and legal protections have grown in response to damaging data breaches in the past. Long an industry with a conservative posture on security, retail energy continues to raise the bar for the provider ecosystem. By adopting this international standard, Ampion demonstrates our intention to meet the needs and expectations of our enterprise clients for whom data security is a foundational expectation.»

ISO 27001 is recognized as the global standard for information security with over 100 requirements governing the creation and management of a robust ISMS. These requirements span physical protection, software development practices and systems architecture, and far-ranging operational processes including risk management and business continuity. Ampion’s certification ensures that its clients can rely on its systems and business practices to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the data under its control. Implemented controls include security-by-design product development, data encryption, vulnerability management, business continuity and disaster recovery plans, and much more.

«We made this commitment over a year ago because we believe that information security is a prerequisite to serving utility customers and CDG (Community Distributed Generation) portfolios, and represents the dominant risk to the emerging market, our business, and our customers,» Owen added. «We did it to convince ourselves that our operations are appropriately secure, but we also know that our clients care deeply about these issues, and this is quickly becoming a non-negotiable consideration when operating in a regulated market.»

Ampion’s certification was issued after the completion of a formal audit performed by NQA, a division of NTS, the leading independent provider of environmental simulation testing, inspection and certification services in the USA. NQA is accredited to perform management systems registrations by ANAB (American National Standards Institute/Registrar Accreditation Board), UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) and various other regional and industry-specific oversight bodies.

About Ampion

Ampion is a market leader in the community distributed generation industry. Ampion manages hundreds of megawatts of CDG assets, serving residential, commercial and anchor customers. Ampion’s platform provides compliant acquisition and revenue management functionality to CDG asset owners, while also providing advanced billing and sustainability reporting to small and large CDG subscribers.

About NQA

NQA is a leading global independently-accredited certification body, providing assessments (audits) of organizations to various Management System Standards since 1988. NQA is part of NTS, the leading independent provider of environmental simulation testing, inspection and certification services in the USA. NTS serves a broad range of industries, including the civil aviation, space, defence, nuclear, telecommunications, industrial, electronics, medical and automotive markets.

Contact information:

Questions about Ampion certification: Philip Kenny, CISO (pkenny@ampion.net)

CDG Client inquiries: sales@ampion.net

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ampion-pbc-receives-iso-27001-certification-301208838.html

SOURCE Ampion

CHICAGO, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), a market operator and global trading solutions provider, today issued the following statement:

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CHICAGO, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), a market operator and global trading solutions provider, today issued the following statement:

The Cboe Global Markets Political Action Committee (PAC) is temporarily pausing all donations following the assault on the U.S. Capitol last week.

Cboe believes respecting the outcome of free and fair elections is the hallmark of modern democracy and we deeply believe in the democratic principles inherent in our electoral process. We are reviewing our PAC contribution strategy to ensure it aligns with our values, which include honoring the democratic process and supporting progress on important issues in a bipartisan and collaborative manner.

About Cboe Global Markets, Inc.
Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE) provides cutting-edge trading and investment solutions to market participants around the world. The company is committed to defining markets through product innovation, leading edge technology and seamless trading solutions.

The company offers trading across a diverse range of products in multiple asset classes and geographies, including options, futures, U.S., Canadian and European equities, exchange-traded products (ETPs), global foreign exchange (FX) and volatility products based on the Cboe Volatility Index® (VIX® Index), recognized as the world’s premier gauge of U.S. equity market volatility.

Cboe’s subsidiaries include the largest options exchange and the third largest stock exchange operator in the U.S. In addition, the company operates one of the largest stock exchanges by value traded in Europe, and owns EuroCCP, a leading pan-European equities clearing house. Cboe also is a leading market globally for ETP listings and trading.

The company is headquartered in Chicago with a network of domestic and global offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia, including main hubs in New York, London, Kansas City and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.cboe.com.

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Cboe® Cboe Volatility Index®, VIX®, and Cboe Global Markets® are registered trademarks of Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

VERO BEACH, Fla., Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A new study by WordFinder based on UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger has found that the United States is home to the greatest number…

The United States is home to the greatest number of near extinct languages in the world.

Furthermore, more than a quarter (28%) of critically endangered languages are spoken in just three countries: the U.S. (13.5%), Brazil (7.4%) and Australia (6.9%), while only 10 countries have more than half of the critically endangered languages in the world. The list includes India (6.7%), Indonesia (5.3%), Canada (4.9%), China (4.1%), Russian Federation (3.6%), Vanuatu (3.6%) and Mexico (3.5%).

«Languages are about more than vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar,» says WordFinder Editor Michael Kwan. «Languages provide insight into how a cultural group views and interacts with the world around them, as well as the history of the people in a particular area.»

It is becoming increasingly important to study and document local languages. That is why national governments, local administrations and private groups and associations are publishing dictionaries, recording speakers and creating educational programs. Revitalizing languages on the brink of extinction strengthens communities and reinforces a sense of cultural identity.

While the latest census (2009-2013) found that more than 291 million people aged 5 and over speak only English at home in the U.S., 45 do so when it comes to the critically endangered Chinook Jargon.

In Australia, over 17 million people speak English only (around 73% of the population) according to the 2016 census. By comparison, about 156 people speak the Aboriginal Miriwoong language (0.00066% of the country’s population).

Visit WordFinder to read the full study, including more detailed accounts of specific critically endangered languages in each of the 10 countries: https://wordfinder.yourdictionary.com/blog/on-the-edge-critically-endangered-languages-in-top-countries/

ABOUT WORDFINDER:

WordFinder by YourDictionary, part of the LoveToKnow Media, is a valuable resource for word game fans to elevate their game and sharpen their competitive edge. It offers unscrambling tools, dictionaries, blog posts and more for gamers and language geeks.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/survival-of-endangered-languages-at-risk-in-a-globalized-mainstream-culture-wordfinder-study-uncovers-301208814.html

SOURCE LoveToKnow

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — TurboTenant, an all-in-one, free property management tool, published its industry analysis – The State of the Rental Industry Report:…

FORT COLLINS, Colo., Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — TurboTenant, an all-in-one, free property management tool, published its industry analysis – The State of the Rental Industry Report: Rent Payment, Rent Pricing, and Communication Trends From 2020. This report is the compilation and breakdown of survey data from landlords and renters collected throughout 2020.

Read The State of the Rental Industry: Rent Payment, Rent Pricing, and Communication Trends from 2020

«Surveying our landlords and renters throughout 2020 was the best way for us to learn how they were being affected by the pandemic, eviction moratoriums, and lack of rent relief,» said Sarnen Steinbarth, TurboTenant’s Founder and CEO. «Identifying trends helped us to provide more value to our landlords by adapting our product and providing helpful resources during a difficult year.»

TurboTenant’s State of the Rental Industry Report Highlights
Surveys were sent to over 70,000 TurboTenant landlords and renters from April to December.

The percentage of landlords receiving full rent decreased throughout 2020, peaking in December with only 54% reporting they received full rent payments.
Independent landlords with 1-4 units received the most missed payments throughout the year.
Households making less than $50,000 annually were financially impacted the most, with only 69% reporting they made full rent payments in December.

TurboTenant and OTL Ventures, a long-time development partner, merged in May of 2020, doubling the size of TurboTenant and allowing them to accelerate product development.

«We believe a great rental process can make a huge difference in a tenant’s life which is why we empower landlords to create a fantastic rental experience,» said Seamus Nally, TurboTenant’s Chief Product Officer. «Now more than ever our landlords and renters need flexibility. We’ve launched online payments with the ability to accept rent via credit card, make partial payments, and add flexible payment plans to help both our renters and landlords get through these difficult financial times.»

About TurboTenant
TurboTenant helps independent landlords improve the investment performance of their properties by offering them access to online tools. Features include online rental applications, tenant screening, rental marketing, and online rent payments. TurboTenant is an Inc. 5000 company and all of its features empower landlords to create welcoming rental experiences through positive interactions with their tenants. Sign up at www.turbotenant.com/tenant-screening/

Contact

Sarah Stinson
TurboTenant
sarahs@turbotenant.com

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SOURCE TurboTenant, Inc.

NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Panasonic Corporation of North America today announced 13 installers across the country have been promoted to the Elite and Premium tiers of its Residential Solar Installer Program. Not only will installers and homeowners gain access to the Panasonic Solar Modules portfolio, they will also receive access to the new high-efficiency Panasonic Solar EverVolt Modules, available beginning in February.

Homeowners in Arizona, Texas, Florida, Iowa and Indiana will be able to access Panasonic’s solar products and expertise from seven Elite Level installers, who will be the first in Panasonic’s network to gain access to new products and rebates, while enjoying preferred access to product availability and the best pricing:

AC/DC Solar in Brandon, Fla.
Advance Solar and Energy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Energy Consultants Group in Anamosa, Iowa
Jefferson Electric, LLC in Indianapolis, Ind.
Wayne’s Solar in Ormond Beach, Fla.
Wells Solar in Austin, Texas
Sunbright Solar LLC, Tucson, Ariz.

Six additional installers in Florida, Texas and New Mexico will also offer homeowners Panasonic’s benefits as new Premium Level installers, with exclusive access to qualified sales leads, a library of cooperative marketing assets, training programs and a robust Installer Portal:

512 Solar in Austin, Texas
Greenbelt Solar in Austin, Texas
IES Texas Solar in San Antonio, Texas
Organ Mountain Solar & Electric in Las Cruces, N.M.
Solar SME Inc. in Dallas, Texas
Bob Heinmiller Solar Solution in Orlando, Fla.

«It’s more important now than ever to have a strong presence in the fastest-growing solar markets in the U.S. In fact, Florida and Texas are the second and third hottest markets in solar growth in the country, behind only California. Compounded with homeowners’ urgency to take advantage of tax credits, more expert installers are needed to keep up with the demand,» said Mukesh Sethi, Director, Solar and Energy Storage, Panasonic Life Solutions Company of America, a division of Panasonic Corporation of North America. «Panasonic is thrilled to welcome 13 new certified installers to our Elite and Premium Installer tiers to serve homeowners in Florida, Arizona, Texas, Iowa, Indiana and New Mexico.»

Introduced in 2016, the Panasonic Solar Residential Installer Program provides exclusive benefits and business opportunities to tiers of installers who meet certain qualifications, including Panasonic’s high standard of excellence. In addition to business-supporting perks, members of these exclusive tiers are able to pass on to consumers the benefits they receive, such as special pricing and preferred access to in-demand and new products. For more information for installers, visit: na.panasonic.com/us/solar/installer.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America
Newark, NJ-based Panasonic Corporation of North America is committed to creating a better life and a better world by enabling its business-to-business customers through innovations in Sustainable Energy, Immersive Entertainment, Integrated Supply Chains and Mobility Solutions. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation. One of Interbrand’s Top 100 Best Global Brands of 2019, Panasonic is a leading technology partner and integrator to businesses, government agencies and consumers across the region. Learn more about Panasonic’s ideas and innovations at www.na.panasonic.com/us.

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SOURCE Panasonic Corporation of North America

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, the year’s globally averaged temperature was 1.84 degrees Fahrenheit (1.02 degrees Celsius) warmer than the baseline 1951-1980 mean, according to scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York. 2020 edged out 2016 by a very small amount, within the margin of error of the analysis, making the years effectively tied for the warmest year on record.

«The last seven years have been the warmest seven years on record, typifying the ongoing and dramatic warming trend,» said GISS Director Gavin Schmidt. «Whether one year is a record or not is not really that important – the important things are long-term trends. With these trends, and as the human impact on the climate increases, we have to expect that records will continue to be broken.»

A Warming, Changing World

Tracking global temperature trends provides a critical indicator of the impact of human activities – specifically, greenhouse gas emissions – on our planet. Earth’s average temperature has risen more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century.

Rising temperatures are causing phenomena such as loss of sea ice and ice sheet mass, sea level rise, longer and more intense heat waves, and shifts in plant and animal habitats. Understanding such long-term climate trends is essential for the safety and quality of human life, allowing humans to adapt to the changing environment in ways such as planting different crops, managing our water resources and preparing for extreme weather events.

Ranking the Records

A separate, independent analysis by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) concluded that 2020 was the second-warmest year in their record, behind 2016. NOAA scientists use much of the same raw temperature data in their analysis, but have a different baseline period (1901-2000) and methodology. Unlike NASA, NOAA also does not infer temperatures in polar regions lacking observations, which accounts for much of the difference between NASA and NOAA records.

Like all scientific data, these temperature findings contain a small amount of uncertainty – in this case, mainly due to changes in weather station locations and temperature measurement methods over time. The GISS temperature analysis (GISTEMP) is accurate to within 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit with a 95 percent confidence level for the most recent period.

Beyond a Global, Annual Average

While the long-term trend of warming continues, a variety of events and factors contribute to any particular year’s average temperature. Two separate events changed the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth’s surface. The Australian bush fires during the first half of the year burned 46 million acres of land, releasing smoke and other particles more than 18 miles high in the atmosphere, blocking sunlight and likely cooling the atmosphere slightly. In contrast, global shutdowns related to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic reduced particulate air pollution in many areas, allowing more sunlight to reach the surface and producing a small but potentially significant warming effect. These shutdowns also appear to have reduced the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions last year, but overall CO2 concentrations continued to increase, and since warming is related to cumulative emissions, the overall amount of avoided warming will be minimal.

The largest source of year-to-year variability in global temperatures typically comes from the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a naturally occurring cycle of heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. While the year has ended in a negative (cool) phase of ENSO, it started in a slightly positive (warm) phase, which marginally increased the average overall temperature. The cooling influence from the negative phase is expected to have a larger influence on 2021 than 2020.

«The previous record warm year, 2016, received a significant boost from a strong El Nino. The lack of a similar assist from El Nino this year is evidence that the background climate continues to warm due to greenhouse gases,» Schmidt said.

The 2020 GISS values represent surface temperatures averaged over both the whole globe and the entire year. Local weather plays a role in regional temperature variations, so not every region on Earth experiences similar amounts of warming even in a record year. According to NOAA, parts of the continental United States experienced record high temperatures in 2020, while others did not.

In the long term, parts of the globe are also warming faster than others. Earth’s warming trends are most pronounced in the Arctic, which the GISTEMP analysis shows is warming more than three times as fast as the rest of the globe over the past 30 years, according to Schmidt. The loss of Arctic sea ice – whose annual minimum area is declining by about 13 percent per decade – makes the region less reflective, meaning more sunlight is absorbed by the oceans and temperatures rise further still. This phenomenon, known as Arctic amplification, is driving further sea ice loss, ice sheet melt and sea level rise, more intense Arctic fire seasons, and permafrost melt.

Land, Sea, Air and Space

NASA’s analysis incorporates surface temperature measurements from more than 26,000 weather stations and thousands of ship- and buoy-based observations of sea surface temperatures. These raw measurements are analyzed using an algorithm that considers the varied spacing of temperature stations around the globe and urban heating effects that could skew the conclusions if not taken into account. The result of these calculations is an estimate of the global average temperature difference from a baseline period of 1951 to 1980.

NASA measures Earth’s vital signs from land, air, and space with a fleet of satellites, as well as airborne and ground-based observation campaigns. The satellite surface temperature record from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument aboard NASA’s Aura satellite confirms the GISTEMP results of the past seven years being the warmest on record. Satellite measurements of air temperature, sea surface temperature, and sea levels, as well as other space-based observations, also reflect a warming, changing world. The agency develops new ways to observe and study Earth’s interconnected natural systems with long-term data records and computer analysis tools to better see how our planet is changing. NASA shares this unique knowledge with the global community and works with institutions in the United States and around the world that contribute to understanding and protecting our home planet.

NASA’s full surface temperature data set – and the complete methodology used to make the temperature calculation – are available at:

https://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp

GISS is a NASA laboratory managed by the Earth Sciences Division of the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The laboratory is affiliated with Columbia University’s Earth Institute and School of Engineering and Applied Science in New York.

For more information about NASA’s Earth science missions, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/earth

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SOURCE NASA

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Fannie Mae (OTCQB: FNMA) provided $76 billion in financing to support the multifamily market in 2020, the highest volume in the history of its 32-year-old Delegated Underwriting and Servicing (DUS^®) program. During a year of pandemic-related disruptions to the nation’s economy and financial markets, Fannie Mae supported the needs of multifamily borrowers while increasing its commitment to affordable…

«Fannie Mae continued to play an important role as a source of financing for multifamily rental housing at a time when borrowers and their tenants faced unprecedented challenges,» said Michele Evans, Executive Vice President of Multifamily, Fannie Mae. «Working with our DUS lenders, we served as a reliable source of financing for multifamily borrowers in an extraordinary year that called for the development of resources for renters and forbearance for borrowers.»

«We want to thank our DUS lenders for their partnership and help in ensuring liquidity for all multifamily market segments, at all times,» said Rob Levin, Senior Vice President of Multifamily Customer Engagement, Fannie Mae. «We are very proud that we exceeded our 2020 mission goal and we look forward to working with our lenders in 2021.»

Multifamily Affordable Housing volume rose more than 9 percent to $7.8 billion last year from $7.2 billion in 2019. Structured Transactions volume totaled $11.6 billion, up nearly 34 percent from $8.6 billion in 2019, helping support multifamily affordable housing, particularly workforce housing. Our Manufactured Housing Communities financing program also helped support affordable housing, reaching a record $5.5 billion, a 120 percent increase from $2.5 billion in 2019.

The following top 10 DUS Lenders produced the highest business volumes in 2020. Also listed below are the Top 5 Lender rankings for highest volumes in 2020 for Structured Transactions, Multifamily Affordable Housing, Small Loans, Manufactured Housing Communities, Green Financing, Student Housing, and Seniors Housing:

Top 10 Producers in 2020		Volume ($Billion)
1.	Walker & Dunlop, LLC	$11.4
2.	CBRE Multifamily Capital, Inc.	$6.8
3.	Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, LLC	$6.7
4.	PGIM Real Estate	$5.2
5.	Newmark	$5.2
6.	Arbor Commercial Funding I, LLC	$4.8
7.	Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital	$4.7
8.	Greystone Servicing Company LLC	$4.7
9.	KeyBank National Association	$3.9
10.	Capital One, National Association	$3.8

Top 5 DUS Producers for Structured Transactions in 2020

Walker & Dunlop, LLC
Newmark
PGIM Real Estate
KeyBank National Association
Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital

Top 5 DUS Producers for Multifamily Affordable Housing in 2020

Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital
JLL Real Estate Capital, LLC
Walker & Dunlop, LLC
PGIM Real Estate
KeyBank National Association

Top 5 DUS Producers for Small Loans in 2020¹

Arbor Commercial Funding I, LLC
Greystone Servicing Company LLC
Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, LLC
Walker & Dunlop, LLC
Lument Capital

Top 5 DUS Producers for Manufactured Housing Communities in 2020

Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, LLC
Walker & Dunlop, LLC
Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital
Bellwether Enterprise Real Estate Capital, LLC
PNC Real Estate

Top 5 DUS Producers for Green Financing in 2020²

CBRE Multifamily Capital, Inc.
Walker & Dunlop, LLC
Greystone Servicing Company LLC
Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, LLC
PGIM Real Estate

Top 5 DUS Producers for Student Housing in 2020

Walker & Dunlop, LLC
CBRE Multifamily Capital, Inc.
Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, LLC
KeyBank National Association
NorthMarq

Top 5 DUS Producers for Seniors Housing in 2020

Newmark
KeyBank National Association
Greystone Servicing Company LLC
Lument Capital
PNC Real Estate

Listed below are 2020 production highlights for individual business categories, which are included in the total multifamily production number:

Structured Transactions – $11.6 billion, an increase of nearly 34 percent from $8.6 billion in 2019
Affordable Housing – $9.3 billion, comprised of $7.8 billion in Multifamily Affordable Housing (for rent-restricted properties and properties receiving other federal and state subsidies), an increase of more than 9 percent from $7.2 billion in 2019; and $1.5 billion for properties with rent restrictions between 60 percent and 80 percent area median income
Small Loans¹ – $7.6 billion, an increase of more than 58 percent from $4.8 billion in 2019
Manufactured Housing Communities – $5.5 billion, an increase of nearly 120 percent from $2.5 billion in 2019
Green Financing² – $13 billion
Student Housing – $1.6 billion
Seniors Housing – $0.9 billion

¹Small Loans are defined as loans of $6 million or less nationwide and loans for properties with 5-50 units.
²Green Loans are defined as loans for properties with Green Building Certifications or loans targeting a 30 percent reduction or more in energy and water consumption, inclusive of at least 15 percent energy reduction consumption.
**Due to rounding, amounts reported may not add up to overall totals.

About Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae helps make the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and affordable rental housing possible for millions of Americans. We partner with lenders to create housing opportunities for families across the country. We are driving positive changes in housing finance to make the home buying process easier, while reducing costs and risk. To learn more, visit:
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Fannie Mae Newsroom
https://www.fanniemae.com/news

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Fannie Mae Resource Center
1-800-2FANNIE (800-232-6643)

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fannie-mae-multifamily-closes-2020-with-record-volume-of-76-billion-301208731.html

SOURCE Fannie Mae

NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Layoffs in the US labor market are rapidly trending upwards as the virus continues to spread. Initial unemployment claims rose by 181,000 to 965,000 in the week ended January 9^th. In November, the average weekly number of claims was 740,000. Layoff rates from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey are also trending upwards, mostly due to restaurant layoffs. Layoff rates in the Accommodation and food services…

The jump in initial unemployment claims in early January suggests that layoffs and job losses probably increased further as well, especially in restaurants. Restrictions on indoor dining combined with colder temperatures preventing outdoor dining, will continue to hurt restaurant jobs for the rest of the winter.

But while the outlook for the winter is bleak, the US labor market should get much stronger in the second half of 2021, mostly due to the impact of the vaccination campaign. By the summer, the United States could reach herd immunity, preceded by very low rates of new infections in the spring. In the United States, 3.5 to 5 million new jobs should be created by the first quarter of 2022, with the unemployment rate dipping below five percent.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/winter-labor-market-is-getting-colder-301208735.html

SOURCE The Conference Board

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dkoopman@cboe.com

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) submitted a comment letter in strong support…

WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) submitted a comment letter in strong support of the Nasdaq Proposed Rule Change (a9SR-NASDAQ-2020-081) which would require Nasdaq-listed companies, subject to certain exceptions, to have at least one director who self-identifies as female, and at least one director who self-identifies as Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, Native American or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, two or more races or ethnicities, or as LGBTQ+, or to explain why the company does not meet this requirement. The proposed change would require Nasdaq-listed companies to provide statistical information on the company’s diversity on its board of directors.

The Latinx community is the fastest growing labor and consumer force in the United States.

«We support these rule changes because for too long SEC rules have permitted inadequate disclosure of directors’ diversity backgrounds, despite investor demand for this kind of information,» said Roel Campos, LCDA Chair and former Commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). «This regulatory indifference has helped sustain the exclusion of American Latinos and other racial and ethnic minorities from boards and the C-suite, despite the existence of an adequate pipeline of qualified candidates. The gap between the labor force and executive representation is widest among Latinx than any other underrepresented group and it must end now.»

Latinos are severely underrepresented among Fortune 500 and 1000 boards and other public companies, and often forgotten when assessing director diversity. Latinos make up nearly 18 percent of the US Population, but less than 2 percent of board seats on the 1,000 largest Nasdaq-listed companies based on revenue.

Nasdaq’s diversity proposal comes at a time in our history when America’s broad Latinx community is increasingly wielding significant importance, both in the economic and political sectors. Latinos are making substantial contributions to the American economy. They are poised to make up 20 percent of the entire American workforce in 5 years and 30 percent by 2050 and Latinos spend $2.6 trillion annually. If the US Latinx population were a country, their Gross Domestic Product market growth rate would be third highest among all global economies. In fact, from 2017 to 2018, studies found that had it not been for strong growth in the US Latinx market, the US economy could have experienced contraction.

LCDA also supports the new disclosure requirements in Nasdaq’s diversity proposal. Current requirements make it difficult for investors to ascertain whether there are any Latinx board members. Investors need improved disclosures and transparency to gauge a company’s commitment to the Latinx community and market. In addition, there is a fiduciary benefit to diverse C-Suites. A 2020 report from McKinsey found, «…a positive, statistically significant correlation between company financial outperformance and [board] diversity, on the dimensions of both gender and ethnicity.» Notably, companies with significant gender diversity were, «…28% more likely than their peers to outperform financially.»

«The Latinx community is the fastest growing labor and consumer force in the United States, yet severely underrepresented among Fortune 500 and 1000 boards and often forgotten when assessing director diversity,» Campos added. «Nasdaq’s Proposal will assist significantly in ensuring that diversity statistics are transparently disclosed and in providing extremely important information to inform all investors in their decision making. Additionally, for those corporations that seek to improve the quality of their board diversity with Latinx representation, the Nasdaq Proposal will assist in that goal being accomplished. We urge the SEC to approve this proposal.»

ABOUT THE LATINO CORPORATE DIRECTOR’S ASSOCIATION
The Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) is a national, membership organization promoting C-level and board diversity. Our organization champions diversity at the highest levels of corporate leadership behind a critical mission: increase the representation of US Latinos on corporate boards.

For more information: latinocorporatedirectors.org

Contact: Monique Navarro (915) 790-7788
mnavarro@latinocorporatedirectors.org

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SOURCE Latino Corporate Directors Association