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The City of Winnipeg and the province of Manitoba will introduce a plan to clear out encampments and move people into housing in 2025, Mayor Scott Gillingham and Premier Wab Kinew tell Global News. “We’ll be going out and providing a 30-day period to work with people in camps,” Kinew said. “The bottom line is that a tent is not a permanent solution anymore.” Kinew said service providers will move “camp by camp” and move people into housing with “wraparound” addictions and mental health supports within 30 days. Once all the people in the area are housed, they will not be able to return, though Kinew didn’t elaborate on how that would be enforced. “We make it clear no one is coming back to this area in terms of tents. We’re not going to allow tents to be set up in this area once we have people in housing and with supports people need to be successful,” he said. The plan will see all service providers working together, Kinew and Gillingham said. “The province, the city, there’s a role for the federal government, Indigenous governments, non-profit sector, private sector, all moving in the same direction in a co-ordinated effort to address homelessness ,” Gillingham said. Gillingham said the city has set up a “non-profit housing concierge” for service providers. “That person makes one call to one person and that person helps them navigate all things related to getting their housing built,” Gillingham said. Kinew says the province has acquired housing to support the plan. “When there’s legal challenges or roadblocks put up to moving people out of tents, it relies on the argument that there’s not sufficient housing units for those folks. We believe we’ve addressed that,” he said. Siloam Mission CEO Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud says the organization was consulted on the project, and plans to build 700 to 1,000 housing units within the next 10 years. She says while there are about 3,500 people experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg, there are only roughly 100 housing units in the city that rent at the level someone on employment and income assistance can afford. “This plan ... is focused on supporting folks out of encampments. The fact that it’s about bringing housing online to do that is the crucial piece,” she said. St. Boniface Street Links founder Marion Willis says it’s a “significant step forward.” “I feel a bit validated because that’s exactly what our team has been doing now for the past four or five years,” she said. “I congratulate the province on maybe having the courage to try something different.” Social Planning Council of Winnipeg executive director Kate Kehler hopes the plan also includes measures to help people on the brink of homelessness stay housed. “We have so many people who are still barely hanging on to their homes already,” she said. She also is looking forward to more details on how the plan will be funded. “When I say details, I’m actually talking about resources, as in money, in order to help everybody co-ordinate. Co-ordination does not come free. In fact, it’s not inexpensive even. But the teams already out there, they’re already doing the work. They already know how to work together. But there has to be substantial, substantial resources put towards allowing them to co-ordinate properly,” she said. Downtown Community Safety Partnership executive director Greg Burnett was part of a delegation that travelled to Houston, Texas, to observe its homelessness model. “I think the fact that we’re all talking at all levels of government again and all the organizations who are working on this is success,” he said. Kinew said he has “often tried to urge everyone that we work with to move more quickly.” “But the reality is we had to put the pieces into place together first,” he said. “In a rich country like Canada, the idea that we accept tents as a permanent solution, I think it’s time we leave that in the past.”NEW YORK , Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CLOSING PRICES AS OF 11/30/24 NAV 13.80 MKT 11.79 AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURN AS OF 11/30/24 NAV (%) MKT (%) One-Month* 4.23 2.50 Year to Date* 17.75 20.89 One-Year 28.25 30.00 Three-Year 1.68 -1.71 Five-Year 7.89 7.98 10-Year 7.78 7.38 *Not Annualized Important Performance and Expense Information All performance information reflects past performance, is presented on a total return basis, and reflects the reinvestment of distributions. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be higher or lower than performance quoted. Returns as of the most recent month-end may be obtained at www.royceinvest.com . The market price of the Fund's shares will fluctuate, so that shares may be worth more or less than their original cost when sold. The Fund invests primarily in securities of small-cap and mid-cap companies, which may involve considerably more risk than investing in larger-cap companies. The Fund's broadly diversified portfolio does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss. From time to time, the Fund may invest a significant portion of its net assets in foreign securities, which may involve political, economic, currency and other risks not encountered in U.S. investments. PORTFOLIO DIAGNOSTICS Average Market Cap 1 $2686.5M Weighted Average P/E 2 23.3x Weighted Average P/B 2 3.0x Net Assets $87.8M Net Leverage 2.6 % 1 Geometric Average : This weighted calculation uses each portfolio holding's market cap in a way designed to not skew the effect of very large or small holdings; instead, it aims to better identify the portfolio's center, which Royce believes offers a more accurate measure of average market cap than a simple mean or median. 2 Harmonic Average : This weighted calculation evaluates a portfolio as if it were a single stock and measures it overall. It compares the total market value of the portfolio to the portfolio's share in the earnings of its underlying stocks. The Price-Earnings , or P/E, ratio is calculated by dividing a company's share price by its trailing 12-month earnings-per-share (EPS). The Fund's P/E ratio calculation excludes companies with zero or negative earnings (18% of portfolio holdings as of 11/30/24). The Price-to-Book, or P/B, Ratio is calculated by dividing a company's share price by its book value per share. The Price-to-Book , or P/B, Ratio is calculated by dividing a company's share price by its book value per share. Net leverage is the percentage, in excess of 100 %, of the total value of equity type investments, divided by net assets. Portfolio Composition TOP 10 POSITIONS % OF NET ASSETS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) FTAI Aviation 4.1 Tel Aviv Stock Exchange 3.0 SEI Investments 2.6 Sprott 2.3 ESAB Corporation 2.2 Protector Forsikring 2.1 Alamos Gold Cl. A 2.0 APi Group 2.0 Viper Energy Cl. A 2.0 Morningstar 2.0 TOP FIVE SECTORS % OF NET ASSETS (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) Industrials 35.4 Financials 25.9 Information Technology 15.6 Materials 7.5 Health Care 5.4 Recent Developments The investment goal of Royce Global Trust is long-term growth of capital. Under normal market circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities, such as common stock and preferred stock, and at least 65% of its net assets in the equity securities of companies located in at least three countries outside of the United States . Royce & Associates, LP manages the Fund. Daily net asset values (NAVs) for Royce Global Trust are now available on our website and online through most ticker symbol lookup services and on broker terminals under the symbol XRGTX. For more information, please call The Royce Funds at (800) 221-4268 or visit our website at www.royceinvest.com . An investor in Royce Global Trust should consider the Fund's investment goals, risks, fees, charges, and expenses carefully before purchasing share's of the Fund's common stock. Important Disclosure Information Closed-End Funds are registered investment companies whose shares of common stock may trade at a discount to their net asset value. Shares of each Fund's common stock are also subject to the market risks of investing in the underlying portfolio securities held by the Fund. Royce Fund Services, LLC. ("RFS") is a member of FINRA and has filed this material with FINRA on behalf of each Fund. RFS does not serve as a distributor or as an underwriter to the closed-end funds. View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/royce-global-trust-nyse-rgt-as-of-nov-30-2024-302338581.html SOURCE Royce Global Value Trust, Inc.
One day after enjoying a laugh at the expense of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, quarterback Aaron Rodgers offered an unusually curt response Tuesday when asked about Johnson -- boosting the perception of a rift between them. Rodgers, discussing his future, said he must be "in the plans of multiple people, starting with the ownership" for the Jets to retain him in 2025. The future Hall of Famer sidestepped a question on whether he believes Johnson wants him back. "You should ask Woody," Rodgers said tersely. Has he had any conversations with Johnson about his future? "No." Editor's Picks Rodgers muses on 'being released by a teenager' 1d Rich Cimini Jets WR Garrett Wilson wants more targets, but says 'people see it differently' 1d Rich Cimini Week 17 NFL Power Rankings: 1-32 poll, plus every team's rookie of the year 10h NFL Nation Rodgers, 41, is preparing for what likely will be the final two games of his Jets' career -- and perhaps his NFL career. Despite an MCL injury to his left knee, Rodgers said he's planning to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills , insisting, "There is no way I'm not playing." Earlier Tuesday, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich was noncommittal. With the Jets (4-11) closing out their most disappointing season in recent memory, the game is the secondary storyline to Rodgers, who continues to make headlines. On Monday, he poked Johnson during his weekly appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," saying he's never been released by a teenager -- a reference to a recent story by The Athletic that said Johnson is influenced by his teenage sons, Brick and Jack. A source told ESPN recently that he'd be "shocked" if Johnson, 77, brings back Rodgers, who is under contract for 2025 but hasn't played up to expectations. In Week 6, Johnson suggested benching Rodgers, sources said. That didn't sit well with Rodgers, who has battled through various leg injuries to stay on the field. In recent days, Rodgers has talked openly about the possibility of being released, perhaps as soon as Jan. 6 -- the day after the season ends. He doesn't think that's likely, but he wouldn't rule it out. "I don't think it's a high percentage," he said. "I think this is probably a conversation to be had, but I'm just not naive to that being a zero [percent chance]." Rodgers, who said he will take time after the season to mull his future, expressed gratitude to the Johnsons for bringing him to New York in 2023 -- meaning Woody and his younger brother, Christopher, the vice chairman. Rodgers and Christopher are known to have a good relationship. Rodgers said it would be "special" to be asked back because it would mean they "see me as an important part of helping the culture, the changeover, whatever they do at head coach and helping the next wave of New York Jets. ... But if they don't, again, no offense at all will be taken." The four-time MVP also responded brusquely when asked about wide receiver Garrett Wilson , who has expressed frustration over his role in the offense. Rodgers didn't seem interested in explaining why Wilson's numbers have slipped. "I've talked to him throughout the season about some of [his frustrations]," Rodgers said, adding, "Not this week. No, not in the last couple of weeks, but it's not the first time. So, there's been conversations about it." After being a non-factor for most of Sunday's game, a 19-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams , Wilson said he wants more targets, but "people see it differently." He didn't mention Rodgers by name, but the reference seemed obvious. On Monday, Ulbrich said Wilson needs to be more involved. "We have to find ways to get Garrett the ball more often," Ulbrich said. "He's one of the best players on our team, if not one of the best players in this league, especially at his position." Wilson has 90 receptions and is the fourth most-targeted player in the league (139), but his chances have declined since the arrival of Davante Adams in Week 7. Since the trade, Adams -- a longtime Rodgers friend -- has 93 targets and 56 receptions. Wilson has 74 and 49, respectively. Rodgers said he understands that receivers always want the ball, but he added, "There's a ton of plays in the plan for both him and Davante. That's how you usually you scheme out plays for your top players." He said coverage dictates where he throws the ball. "We've moved him around a bunch," Rodgers said of Wilson. "We give him a lot of plays where he's number one or two in the progression." In injury news, rookie left tackle Olu Fashanu suffered a plantar fascia injury on his left foot and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. He won't need surgery, according to the Jets.DATA BREACH ALERT: Edelson Lechtzin LLP Is Investigating Claims On Behalf Of American Addiction Centers, Inc. Customers Whose Data May Have Been CompromisedNew pro-European coalition approved in Romania amid period of political turmoil
Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market was valued at USD 255.92 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 392.76 billion by 2031 11-22-2024 06:51 PM CET | Advertising, Media Consulting, Marketing Research Press release from: Data Bridge Market Research Private Ltd / PR Agency: Data Bridge Market Research "Global Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market, By Offering (Customized, Non-Customizable), End User (Industrial Manufacturing, Phramaceutical, Semiconductors and Electronics, Healthcare, Food and Beverages, Others), Sales Channel (Direct, Indirect) - Industry Trends and Forecast to 2031. Global Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market was valued at USD 255.92 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach USD 392.76 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 5.50% during the forecast period of 2024-2031. Explore Further Details about This Research Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market Share Report https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-cleanroom-fluorescent-lighting-market **2022 Market Analysis:** - The dissolved gas analyzer market in 2022 is expected to showcase steady growth due to the increasing emphasis on preventive maintenance in industries such as power generation, oil & gas, and transformer monitoring. The demand for dissolved gas analyzers is driven by the need to detect faults in equipment early, thus reducing maintenance costs and minimizing downtime. **2030 Market Analysis:** - By 2030, the dissolved gas analyzer market is projected to witness significant growth attributed to the rising adoption of dissolved gas analysis techniques in various end-use industries. The market is likely to be driven by advancements in sensor technologies, increasing awareness about the benefits of dissolved gas analysis, and the growing focus on improving asset reliability and performance. **Market Players:** - Some of the key players in the dissolved gas analyzer market include: - General Electric - Siemens AG - ABB - Doble Engineering Company - Weidmann Electrical Technology AG - Morgan Schaffer - LumaSense Technologies, Inc. - Qualitrol Company LLC - EMH Energy-Messtechnik GmbH - Vaisala For a more in-depth analysis of the global dissolved gas analyzer market, please visit: https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-dissolved-gas-analyzer-marketThe global dissolved gas analyzer market is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, driven by several key factors that are expected to shape the industry landscape. One of the primary drivers of market expansion is the increasing focus on preventive maintenance practices across various industries such as power generation, oil & gas, and transformer monitoring. The adoption of dissolved gas analyzers plays a crucial role in enabling early detection of faults in equipment, thereby aiding in cost reduction associated with maintenance activities and minimizing downtime. This emphasis on predictive maintenance is expected to fuel the demand for dissolved gas analyzers in the market, as organizations recognize the importance of proactive asset management in ensuring operational efficiency and reliability. Furthermore, the advancements in sensor technologies are anticipated to revolutionize the dissolved gas analyzer market, enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of gas detection processes. As sensor technologies continue to evolve, offering improved sensitivity and reliability, end-users are likely to benefit from more precise fault detection capabilities, enabling timely interventions to prevent unexpected equipment failures. Additionally, the growing awareness about the advantages of dissolved gas analysis in terms of enhancing asset performance and minimizing operational risks is expected to drive market growth. Organizations are increasingly recognizing the value of leveraging dissolved gas analyzers to optimize their asset management strategies, thereby creating opportunities for market players to cater to this demand. Moreover, the market players in the dissolved gas analyzer segment are poised to play a crucial role in shaping the industry dynamics through innovative product offerings and strategic initiatives. Companies such as General Electric, Siemens AG, ABB, Doble Engineering Company, and others are at the forefront of driving technological advancements in the dissolved gas analyzer market. These key players are focused on developing cutting-edge solutions that address the evolving needs of end-users across various sectors, further propelling the market growth. Collaborations, partnerships, and acquisitions are expected to be key strategies adopted by market players to strengthen their market presence and expand their customer base. In conclusion, the global dissolved gas analyzer market is set to experience significant growth driven by the increasing adoption of preventive maintenance practices**Market Players:** - Doble Engineering Company - General Electric Company - Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. - Qualitrol Company LLC - Siemens - SDMyers - Vaisala - Weidmann Electrical Technology AG - Camlin Ltd - Hitachi Energy Ltd. - SRI Instruments - MM Tech - HV Hipot Electric - MTE Meter Test Equipment AG - Ap2e - Yokogawa Electric Corporation - Sieyuan Electric Co., Ltd. - Thermo Fisher Scientific - Drallim Industries Limited - Agilent Technologies In the dynamic landscape of the dissolved gas analyzer market, key market players are leveraging strategic initiatives and innovative product offerings to drive industry growth. Doble Engineering Company, General Electric Company, Advanced Energy Industries, Inc., Qualitrol Company LLC, Siemens, and other prominent players are at the forefront of technological advancements in dissolved gas analyzers. Collaborations, partnerships, and acquisitions are anticipated to be key strategies adopted by market players to bolster their market presence and broaden their customer base. As technological advancements in sensor technologies continue to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of gas detection processes, end-users are expected to benefit from more precise fault detection capabilities, enabling proactive interventions to prevent unforeseen equipment failures. The increasing awareness about the advantages of dissolved gas analysis in optimizing asset performance and mitigating operational risks is likely to be a driving force behind market growth. Furthermore, the rising adoption of preventive maintenance practices across Table Of Content 1 Introduction 1.1 Objectives Of The Study 1.2 Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market Definition 1.3 Overview 1.4 Limitations 1.5 Markets Covered 2 Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market Segmentation 2.1 Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market Covered 2.2 Geographical Scope 2.3 Years Considered For The Study 2.4 Currency And Pricing 2.5 Dbmr Tripod Data Validation Model 2.6 Multivariate Modeling 2.7 Primary Interviews With Key Opinion Leaders 2.8 Dbmr Cleanroom Fluorescent Lighting Market Position Grid 2.9 Dbmr Vendor Share Analysis 2.1 Secondary Sources 2.11 Assumptions 3 Executive Summary............. Browse Related Reports: https://strategicmarketresearch12.blogspot.com/2024/11/medical-aesthetics-market-driving.html https://strategicmarketresearch12.blogspot.com/2024/11/machine-tool-market-advancing.html https://strategicmarketresearch12.blogspot.com/2024/11/liquid-nitrogen-fertilizer-market.html https://strategicmarketresearch12.blogspot.com/2024/11/mdi-market-expanding-applications-in.html Contact Us: Data Bridge Market Research US: +1 614 591 3140 UK: +44 845 154 9652 APAC : +653 1251 975 Email: corporatesales@databridgemarketresearch.com About Data Bridge Market Research: Data Bridge set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process. This release was published on openPR.Stock market 12-03-24: Wall Street inches higher to set more recordsThe move could usher in an end to a protracted political crisis in the European Union country following the annulment of a presidential election by a top court. Parliament approved the new administration in a 240-143 vote in Romania’s 466-seat legislature. The new coalition is made up of the leftist Social Democratic Party (PSD) the centre-right National Liberal Party (PNL), the small ethnic Hungarian UDMR party and national minorities. It caps a month-long period of turmoil in which far-right nationalists made significant gains in a parliamentary election on December 1 a week after a first-round presidential race saw the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu emerge as the front-runner. “It will not be an easy mandate for the future government,” Mr Ciolacu, whose PSD party topped the polls in the parliamentary election, said in a statement. “We are aware that we are in the midst of a deep political crisis,” he said. “It is also a crisis of trust, and this coalition aims to regain the trust of citizens, the trust of the people.” Romania’s 16 ministerial positions will be shared among the parties, which will hold a slim majority in the legislature. It is widely seen as a tactical partnership to shut out far-right nationalists whose voices found fertile ground amid high living costs and a sluggish economy. Mr Ciolacu, who came third in the first-round presidential ballot despite polls indicating he would win the most votes, has served as prime minister since June 2023. After parliament’s approval, President Klaus Iohannis swore in the new government and warned the new Cabinet that it is entering a “difficult new period” in which “for many Romanians, there are major concerns”. Romania was plunged into turmoil after Mr Georgescu’s surprise success in the presidential race, after allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference emerged. Days before the December 8 run-off, the Constitutional Court made the unprecedented move to annul the presidential race. “We go through complicated times, but I think we all learned from mistakes of the past,” Mr Ciolacu said. “I hope that together with my colleagues in the coalition, we’ll find the best solutions to get past the challenges we have in front of us.” Mr Ciolacu said that the new government would aim to quickly organise the rerun of the presidential election in which the new coalition has agreed to put forward an agreed common pro-European candidate. Cristian Andrei, a political consultant based in Bucharest, said that the new government made up of the same political parties will likely embrace “soft populist” rhetoric such as economic patriotism, anti-austerity, and a peace solution in neighbouring Ukraine to counter the rise of far-right populism. “This will be a way to answer the concerns of many Romanians who voted for populists... but will not solve the fundamental problem of trust,” he said. “The only decisive factor now will be who and how convincing the pro-European candidates will be against this popular revolt.” George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, which came second in the parliamentary election, said that all politicians from his party on Monday would vote against the Ciolacu government. In 2021, the PSD and the PNL also formed an unlikely but increasingly strained coalition together with UDMR, which exited the Cabinet last year after a power-sharing dispute.
Your black plastic kitchen utensils aren’t so toxic after all. But you should still toss them, group saysBy Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere , experts from the nonprofit Toxic-Free Future said they detected flame retardants and other toxic chemicals in 85% of 203 items made of black plastic including kitchen utensils , take-out containers, children’s toys and hair accessories. The study initially said the potential exposure to chemicals found in one of the kitchen utensils approached the minimum levels the Environmental Protection Agency deemed a health risk. But in an update to the study, the authors say they made an error in their calculations and the real levels were “an order of magnitude lower” than the EPA’s thresholds. The error was discovered by Joe Schwarcz, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society in Canada. In a blog post, Schwarcz explained that the Toxin-Free Future scientists miscalculated the lower end of what the EPA considered a health risk through a multiplication error. Instead of humans being potentially exposed to a dose of toxic chemicals in black plastic utensils near the minimum level that the EPA deems a health risk, it’s actually about one-tenth of that. Though Schwarcz said the risks outlined in the study aren’t enough for him to discard his black plastic kitchen items if he had them, he agreed with the authors that flame retardants shouldn’t be in these products in the first place. “The math error does not impact the study’s findings, conclusions or recommendations,” said Megan Liu, a co-author of the study who is the science and policy manager for Toxic-Free Future . She added that any traces of flame retardants or toxic chemicals in cooking utensils should be concerning for the public. Flame retardants are getting into commonly used items because black-colored products are being made from recycled electronic waste, such as discarded television sets and computers, that frequently contain the additives. When they’re heated, the flame retardants and other toxic chemicals can migrate out. If you’re wondering whether your old black plastic spoon or other utensils are a part of this group, Liu shared some more guidance. It’s nearly impossible to know whether a black plastic product is contaminated. That’s because these products that include recycled e-waste don’t disclose a detailed list of all ingredients and contaminants in the product. Liu said it’s also unclear how many types of flame retardants are in these black plastic products. Some of the products that researchers tested in this recent study “had up to nine different harmful chemicals and harmful flame retardants in them,” she said. Anytime you’re looking for the type of recycled plastic a product is made of you’re going to look for a number within the chasing arrows (that form a triangle) logo. Recycling symbols are numbered 1 to 7 and we commonly associate the numbers with what we can toss in our blue recycling bins. The 1 through 7 numbers stand for, respectively, polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or Styrofoam, and miscellaneous plastics (including polycarbonate, polylactide, acrylic, acrylonitrile butadiene, styrene, fiberglass and nylon). The study found higher levels of toxic flame retardants in polystyrene plastic, which is labeled with the number 6, said Liu. There isn’t a definitively timeline of when recycled electronic-waste started to be incorporated into black plastic products specifically, but e-waste started to get recycled in the early 2000s, Liu said. The way computers, cellphones, stereos, printers and copiers were being disposed of previously was to simply add them to a landfill without reusing salvageable parts. But as the National Conference of State Legislatures notes, electronics production required a significant amount of resources that could be recovered through recycling. Recovering resources such as metals, plastics and glass through recycling used a fraction of the energy needed to mine new materials. However, the study pointed out that flame retardants and other chemical contaminates have been detected in and near e-waste recycling facilities, in indoor air and dust at formal e-waste recycling facilities in Canada, China, Spain and the U.S. It also noted contamination in soil samples surrounding e-waste recycling sites in China and Vietnam. The safest nontoxic material options for kitchen utensil are wood and stainless steel. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Drug company executives had hoped that a second Trump administration would be staffed by friendly health policy officials who would reduce regulation and help their industry boom. But some of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed nominees are instead alarming drugmakers, according to interviews with people in the industry. For health secretary, Trump chose Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic with no medical or public health training who has accused drug companies of the “mass poisoning” of Americans. Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is Dr. Dave Weldon, a former Congress member from Florida who raised doubts about vaccines and pushed to move most vaccine safety research from the agency. And Trump’s choice to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, former television host Dr. Mehmet Oz, has scant experience in managing a large bureaucracy like the one he may now oversee; the agency is in charge of health care programs that cover more than 150 million Americans. In Trump’s first term as president, pharmaceutical executives largely cheered his health policy nominees. They had ties to the moderate wing of the Republican Party and decades of conventional experience, including at major drug companies. John LaMattina, who was once the top scientist at Pfizer and is now a senior partner at PureTech Health, a firm that creates biotech startups, said of those officials, “You could disagree with them, but at least there’s a certain knowledge base, and they’ve given serious thought to these issues.” He added, “We’re now seeing some people without any sort of background, and that’s worrisome.” The implications remain unclear for Americans who rely on medications or on widespread immunity from diseases that, for now, are rare. Some in the Trump administration want to speed drug approvals, potentially seeding the market with drugs of uncertain effectiveness. Kennedy has in some forums called for more independent safety reviews of established vaccines, and at other times, he has demanded fewer constraints on unconventional and unproven treatments. But Kennedy has also tapped in to veins of outrage among consumers and lawmakers, who have long vilified drug companies for setting high prices on certain drugs and reaping billions of dollars in profits rather than putting patients first. In choosing such a vociferous critic as Kennedy, the president-elect stunned the sector, causing vaccine and biotechnology stocks to plummet temporarily. And though Kennedy most recently said that he would not take vaccines away from Americans who want them, even a modest reduction in the number of people receiving certain shots could spook investors and translate into hundreds of millions of dollars of lost revenue. The industry is also concerned that drug approvals could be delayed if Kennedy makes good on his threats to fire drug regulators, or if they quit in droves to avoid working under his leadership. “There was cautious optimism on Trump when he won, and that was very rapidly replaced with concern over RFK Jr.,” said Brian Skorney, a drug industry analyst at the investment bank Baird. Drug companies’ political action committees made millions of dollars in contributions to Democrats and Republicans this election cycle, and the industry’s lobbying groups can wield considerable influence over policy and legislation. Top pharmaceutical executives have said little publicly about Trump’s picks for health policy positions, seeking to avoid alienating the people who would regulate them. Their lobbying groups have publicly issued polite statements saying they want to work constructively with the administration. But Derek Lowe, a longtime pharmaceutical researcher and industry commentator, has criticized Kennedy on his blog, calling him “a demagogue whose positions on key public health issues like vaccination are nothing short of disastrous.” “You really can’t engage with someone like that. There is no common ground,” Lowe said in an interview. Drug industry officials have a long list of concerns about Kennedy, who did not return a request for comment for this article. They are particularly worried that he could seek to undermine childhood vaccines; one way would be for him to push to revise the government’s recommendations on immunizations. Kennedy has also called for overturning legal protections that shield vaccine makers from litigation when people are seriously harmed by vaccines — a change that would upend an established compensation program and could expose the industry to costly lawsuits. The stakes appear to be highest for companies that make vaccines. About a fifth of Merck’s revenue comes from two types of vaccines that Kennedy has targeted: a vaccine against the human papillomavirus that has averted thousands of cancer cases, and the shots that children receive to protect them against measles, mumps and rubella. (Merck declined to comment.) Vaccine sales represent about 3% of the industry’s overall prescription drug revenues, according to IQVIA, an industry data provider. With some exceptions, vaccines tend to generate relatively low returns compared with profits from more expensive products used for diseases like cancer and arthritis. Drug manufacturers also fear the effect Kennedy could have at the Food and Drug Administration. They often complain that the agency can be too onerous, but their business model is reliant on a well-staffed FDA that can weed out would-be competitors that haven’t met its standards for safety and effectiveness. Kennedy regularly lambastes the FDA as “corrupt” and too close to the drug industry. He has denounced the fees the agency receives from makers of medical devices and drugs, which make up about half of its $7.2 billion annual budget. It’s unclear how Kennedy’s views will mesh with those of Jim O’Neill, a Silicon Valley investor and former government official who would serve as his deputy if he is confirmed. O’Neill, a former top aide to billionaire Peter Thiel, has called for approving drugs once they’ve been shown to be safe but before they have been shown to be effective. That idea goes well beyond the deregulation favored by most pharmaceutical executives. Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump’s transition who will be his press secretary, described the president-elect’s choices for administration posts as “highly qualified” and reflective of “his priority to put America First.” Although lawmakers in both parties frequently criticize the drug industry for charging high prices, Kennedy paints pharmaceutical companies in a much harsher light. In an interview last year, Kennedy called vaccine makers “the most corrupt companies in the world” and “serial felons.” He has advanced falsehoods about the science underlying some of the industry’s most influential products, suggesting that vaccines cause autism and that HIV may not be the true cause of AIDS. He has embraced an increasingly popular notion that healthy food and lifestyle changes — not pharmaceutical products — will heal sick people. Referring to drug companies, he wrote on the social platform X this year, “The sicker we get the richer and more powerful they become.” “His view of our world seems to be that everything is a conspiracy,” said Brad Loncar, a former biotech investor who now runs BiotechTV, an industry media company. “If you really know our industry, it’s made up of well-intentioned, smart people, and it’s one of the most innovative sectors of our entire economy.” Pharmaceutical officials were relieved by Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, Dr. Martin Makary, who has a contrarian bent but has been aligned with scientific consensus on vaccine safety and is not seen as a threat to unwind the status quo. Drug companies hope to have an ally in Vivek Ramaswamy, who made his fortune as a biotechnology executive and has been named to lead a government efficiency effort alongside Elon Musk. Ramaswamy has been critical of what he describes as regulatory red tape that slows new drug approvals. And O’Neill, the president-elect’s choice for deputy health secretary, has close ties to some biotechnology and medical technology companies, though he is less well-connected to major industry players. Bracing for the potential of public attacks and new proposals that could hurt their bottom lines, drug companies are said to be reaching out to contacts close to Trump in hopes of influencing the incoming administration. Some are also considering new ways to defend their businesses from government initiatives they consider detrimental. “There’s no playbook for dealing with these disruptive figures like Kennedy,” said Sam Geduldig, managing partner of the right-leaning lobbying firm CGCN Group. Other lobbyists said they are instructing pharmaceutical clients not to hit the panic button yet. Once Congress returns after the Thanksgiving break, Kennedy is expected to make the rounds on Capitol Hill. He could face trouble winning the support he needs from Senate Republicans to be confirmed because of his record on vaccines, his past support for abortion rights and his ideas about overhauling the food system. Drug industry officials have long regarded Trump as a wild card, just as likely to be a boon as a foe. In 2020, the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed worked closely with drugmakers and poured billions of dollars into producing highly effective COVID shots in record time, saving countless lives. Trump’s pandemic-era health secretary, Alex Azar, spoke with admiration that year about “our partners in the private sector.” But this year, Trump spoke little about Operation Warp Speed. With some exceptions, the drug industry has been in something of a slump since the heights of the pandemic, when it enjoyed a boost in its public image, and investors eager to get in on huge gains poured money into drug stocks. But trust in vaccines and public health institutions has eroded at the same time as the bubble in the biotech markets has deflated. Among major COVID vaccine makers, Moderna’s stock price is down tenfold, and Pfizer’s stock price has fallen by half, from their high-water marks in 2021. An index of smaller biotechnology stocks is down by close to half. Drug company officials still see opportunities to benefit from Trump’s win. The industry is looking forward to Trump replacing Lina Khan, the chair of the Federal Trade Commission, as he is expected to do. She has been aggressive in taking on big business, including pharma. The industry is also hopeful that Trump could help reverse its worst policy defeat in recent memory. Under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, President Joe Biden’s signature policy achievement, Democratic lawmakers empowered Medicare to directly negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs — cutting into manufacturers’ profits and raising the specter of similar price cuts in the commercial market. Republicans in Congress have said that they want to repeal the negotiation program. This article originally appeared in The New York Times . © 2024 The New York Times Company
By JILL COLVIN and STEPHEN GROVES WASHINGTON (AP) — After several weeks working mostly behind closed doors, Vice President-elect JD Vance returned to Capitol Hill this week in a new, more visible role: Helping Donald Trump try to get his most contentious Cabinet picks to confirmation in the Senate, where Vance has served for the last two years. Vance arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday with former Rep. Matt Gaetz and spent the morning sitting in on meetings between Trump’s choice for attorney general and key Republicans, including members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The effort was for naught: Gaetz announced a day later that he was withdrawing his name amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations and the reality that he was unlikely to be confirmed. Thursday morning Vance was back, this time accompanying Pete Hegseth, the “Fox & Friends Weekend” host whom Trump has tapped to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth also has faced allegations of sexual assault that he denies. Vance is expected to accompany other nominees for meetings in coming weeks as he tries to leverage the two years he has spent in the Senate to help push through Trump’s picks. Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., center, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, left, walk out of a meeting with Republican Senate Judiciary Committee members, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, departs the chamber at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, center speaks during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, right, speaks with Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, before testifying at a hearing, March 9, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a classified briefing on China, at the Capitol in Washington, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrives for a vote on Capitol Hill, Sept. 12, 2023 in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE – Sen. JD Vance R-Ohio speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Feb. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File) Vice President-elect JD Vance, still a Republican senator from Ohio, walks from a private meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Vance is taking on an atypical role as Senate guide for Trump nominees The role of introducing nominees around Capitol Hill is an unusual one for a vice president-elect. Usually the job goes to a former senator who has close relationships on the Hill, or a more junior aide. But this time the role fits Vance, said Marc Short, who served as Trump’s first director of legislative affairs as well as chief of staff to Trump’s first vice president, Mike Pence, who spent more than a decade in Congress and led the former president’s transition ahead of his first term. ”JD probably has a lot of current allies in the Senate and so it makes sense to have him utilized in that capacity,” Short said. Unlike the first Trump transition, which played out before cameras at Trump Tower in New York and at the president-elect’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, this one has largely happened behind closed doors in Palm Beach, Florida. There, a small group of officials and aides meet daily at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to run through possible contenders and interview job candidates. The group includes Elon Musk, the billionaire who has spent so much time at the club that Trump has joked he can’t get rid of him. Vance has been a constant presence, even as he’s kept a lower profile. The Ohio senator has spent much of the last two weeks in Palm Beach, according to people familiar with his plans, playing an active role in the transition, on which he serves as honorary chair. Mar-a-Lago scene is a far cry from Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing Vance has been staying at a cottage on the property of the gilded club, where rooms are adorned with cherubs, oriental rugs and intricate golden inlays. It’s a world away from the famously hardscrabble upbringing that Vance documented in the memoir that made him famous, “Hillbilly Elegy.” His young children have also joined him at Mar-a-Lago, at times. Vance was photographed in shorts and a polo shirt playing with his kids on the seawall of the property with a large palm frond, a U.S. Secret Service robotic security dog in the distance. On the rare days when he is not in Palm Beach, Vance has been joining the sessions remotely via Zoom. Though he has taken a break from TV interviews after months of constant appearances, Vance has been active in the meetings, which began immediately after the election and include interviews and as well as presentations on candidates’ pluses and minuses. Among those interviewed: Contenders to replace FBI Director Christopher Wray , as Vance wrote in a since-deleted social media post. Defending himself from criticism that he’d missed a Senate vote in which one of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees was confirmed, Vance wrote that he was meeting at the time “with President Trump to interview multiple positions for our government, including for FBI Director.” “I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45,” Vance added on X. “But that’s just me.” Vance is making his voice heard as Trump stocks his Cabinet While Vance did not come in to the transition with a list of people he wanted to see in specific roles, he and his friend, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is also a member of the transition team, were eager to see former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. find roles in the administration. Trump ended up selecting Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence , a powerful position that sits atop the nation’s spy agencies and acts as the president’s top intelligence adviser. And he chose Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services , a massive agency that oversees everything from drug and food safety to Medicare and Medicaid. Vance was also a big booster of Tom Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who will serve as Trump’s “border czar.” In another sign of Vance’s influence, James Braid, a top aide to the senator, is expected to serve as Trump’s legislative affairs director. Allies say it’s too early to discuss what portfolio Vance might take on in the White House. While he gravitates to issues like trade, immigration and tech policy, Vance sees his role as doing whatever Trump needs. Vance was spotted days after the election giving his son’s Boy Scout troop a tour of the Capitol and was there the day of leadership elections. He returned in earnest this week, first with Gaetz — arguably Trump’s most divisive pick — and then Hegseth, who has was been accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2017, according to an investigative report made public this week. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. Vance hosted Hegseth in his Senate office as GOP senators, including those who sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee, filtered in to meet with the nominee for defense secretary. While a president’s nominees usually visit individual senators’ offices, meeting them on their own turf, the freshman senator — who is accompanied everywhere by a large Secret Service detail that makes moving around more unwieldy — instead brought Gaetz to a room in the Capitol on Wednesday and Hegseth to his office on Thursday. Senators came to them. Vance made it to votes Wednesday and Thursday, but missed others on Thursday afternoon. Vance will draw on his Senate background going forward Vance is expected to continue to leverage his relationships in the Senate after Trump takes office. But many Republicans there have longer relationships with Trump himself. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, said that Trump was often the first person to call him back when he was trying to reach high-level White House officials during Trump’s first term. “He has the most active Rolodex of just about anybody I’ve ever known,” Cramer said, adding that Vance would make a good addition. “They’ll divide names up by who has the most persuasion here,” Cramer said, but added, “Whoever his liaison is will not work as hard at it as he will.” Cramer was complimentary of the Ohio senator, saying he was “pleasant” and ” interesting” to be around. ′′He doesn’t have the long relationships,” he said. “But we all like people that have done what we’ve done. I mean, that’s sort of a natural kinship, just probably not as personally tied.” Under the Constitution, Vance will also have a role presiding over the Senate and breaking tie votes. But he’s not likely to be needed for that as often as was Kamala Harris, who broke a record number of ties for Democrats as vice president, since Republicans will have a bigger cushion in the chamber next year. Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.Fox News contributor Karl Rove discusses the outrage over President Biden's pardons of death row inmates. President-elect Trump on Monday pledged to seek the death penalty for certain federal criminal defendants, days after President Biden controversially commuted the death sentences for 37 inmates. Biden's move to reclassify the death sentences to life without the possibility of parole was heavily criticized by Republicans and many Democrats. 'SQUAD' DEM APPLAUDS BIDEN FOR SPARING MURDERERS FROM 'RACIST' DEATH PENALTY IN 11TH-HOUR CLEMENCY MOVE President-elect Donald Trump points at AmericaFest, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Phoenix. On Monday, Trump pledged to have the Justice Department pursue the death penalty following President Biden's move to commute death sentences for 37 inmates. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri) "As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. We will be a Nation of Law and Order again!" In his message announcing the move, the White House said Biden's actions would prevent the incoming Trump administration from "carrying out the execution sentences that would not be handed down under current policy and practice." BIDEN SETS RECORD WITH FIRST-TERM CLEMENCY GRANTS, HERE'S HOW OTHER PRESIDENTS RANK Only three men on federal death row failed to meet Biden's requirements for having their sentences commuted. They are: Robert Bowers, the Tree of Life Synagogue shooter who killed 11 people in 2018; Dylann Roof, a White supremacist who killed nine Black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who worked with his now-dead brother to carry out the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds. Trump spokesman Steven Chueng on Monday said Biden's action was a "a slap in the face to the victims, their families, and their loved ones." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP During Trump's first term, 13 federal prisoners were put to death, the most under any president in a century. Upon taking office in 2021, Biden declared a moratorium on federal executions. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com .
NEW ORLEANS , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Locally , the leading technology solution bridging online and offline retail since 2014, today debuted the first Omni-Seller Marketplace (OSM) in partnership with Trek Bicycle , a global leader in the cycling industry. Locally's OSM platform enables manufacturers to develop a robust brand-centric shopping journey unifying every possible channel with an unlimited number of sellers.