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Syra Health to Present at NobleCon20Get essential daily news for Fort Worth area Sign up to receive insightful, in-depth local stories today. 📩 Texas Wesleyan brands itself as “Smaller. Smarter.” The east Fort Worth university could add “Cheaper” to the list through a new free tuition program. The private university of around 2,500 students announced the program this week that would offer free tuition to incoming freshmen in Texas who qualify for Pell Grants, a federal grant for students with “exceptional financial need,” according to the U.S. Department of Education’s website . The cost of annual undergraduate tuition for full-time students is around $34,000, according to the university’s website . “This program is a game-changer for students in Texas who dream of a college education, especially at a small, private institution like Texas Wesleyan, that may face financial barriers,” Texas Wesleyan President Emily Messer said in a statement. “We believe in the power of education to transform lives. By eliminating tuition barriers for deserving Texas students, we’re opening doors to countless opportunities,” she added. The program will kick off in the 2025-26 academic year for incoming freshmen. Students need to be first-time college students and receive the maximum amount of a Pell Grant to qualify. The federal grant will cover the first dollar amounts of tuition, and Texas Wesleyan will foot the rest of the bill. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. In order to determine Pell eligibility, applicants must complete a FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, form . Once in the program, students can renew their free tuition for up to four years, as long as they remain enrolled full-time and maintain satisfactory academic standards. “Given the extremely high cost of college and how important a degree is to people’s future earning potential, the chance to get an education for free via the combination of Pell Grants and private donations is a really big deal for students,” said Chip Lupo, a writer and analyst for WalletHub, a financial services company. “It also makes colleges that institute such programs more popular among prospective students with affordability issues.” Nearly half — 46% — of Texas Wesleyan students receive a Pell Grant, according to federal financial aid data for the 2022-23 academic year. The average award is nearly $6,000. The maximum allowed Pell Grant award for this academic year is around $7,400. Lupo said the Pell Grant program does not have a strict income cut-off, but only 6% of recipients come from families with an annual income of $60,000 or more. About 39% come from families with incomes between $20,001 and $50,000, and the majority, 51% of students, come from families with annual incomes below $20,000. College accessibility is a central concern at Texas Wesleyan and for Messer personally, as a first-generation college student. In the early days of Messer’s presidency at the east Fort Worth University, she saw the university’s role as being in the business of changing lives . The majority of students come from Tarrant County, and more than half are the first in their family to attend college. The university has many notable alumni in politics, including outgoing U.S. House Rep. Kay Granger, former State Sen. Beverly Powell, current U.S. House Rep. Marc Veasey and current Mayor Mattie Parker, who graduated from the law school before it was purchased by Texas A&M. “I would not be where I am today without Texas Wesleyan University. It played a huge role for me,” Veasey, a 1995 graduate of the school, said at the inauguration ceremony of Messer earlier this year. “I was one of those students that didn’t have a lot of money and was looking for a place where I would fit in, so I could do something with my life.” Update: This story has been updated to state that students who receive the full Pell Grant qualify for the program. Disclosure: Texas Wesleyan University has been a financial supporter of the Fort Worth Report. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Shomial Ahmad is a higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report, in partnership with Open Campus . Contact her at shomial.ahmad@fortworthreport.org. Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Shomial Ahmad, Fort Worth Report December 10, 2024
Long Beach, CA, Nov. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phound, the innovative communication app developed by the creators of FreeConferenceCall.com, is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Unified Communications Innovation of the Year Award by TMC Labs. This honor highlights Phound's commitment to redefining modern communication, especially in an era marked by outdated phone systems, rising spam and robocalls, and escalating costs due to inflation. As traditional phone systems struggle to keep pace with the needs of users, Phound offers a refreshing alternative. For just $5 per month, Phound empowers users to manage their communications more effectively, providing customizable phone numbers linked to unique personas. This feature allows users to tailor their communication experiences, blending messages, meetings, and calls while maintaining privacy and ownership of their phone number contact cards. “Our solution is designed with the modern user in mind, prioritizing security, privacy, and personalization,” said Dave Erickson, CEO of Phound. “We are incredibly honored to receive the 2024 Unified Communications Innovation Award from TMC Labs, a respected leader in the industry. This achievement reflects our team's dedication to delivering innovative solutions that enhance communication.” Phound is not just about phone numbers; it integrates Magnum AI, an intelligent assistant that provides detailed meeting summaries and productivity enhancements, ensuring users stay organized and informed in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. The app’s advanced access controls empower users to dictate who can search, call, or message them, offering a tailored and secure communication experience. Phound is poised to lead the charge in transforming how individuals and businesses communicate. With a suite of innovative features, Phound is set to change the way people interact, ensuring every conversation is streamlined and secure. "We invite everyone to check out Phound.app and take advantage of our free video meetings to see how Phound can transform your communication experience. Thank you for your continued support!” added Erickson. About Phound Founded by a team of innovative thinkers and seasoned professionals, Phound is dedicated to transforming communication by prioritizing user privacy, personalization, and efficiency. Our flagship app combines state-of-the-art features, including customizable phone numbers and integrated AI capabilities, to empower users with complete control over their communications. About TMC TMC is a global leader in technology marketing and publishing. Through its editorial platforms, live events, and webinars, TMC provides buyers with insights for informed technology purchase decisions. TMC’s events, such as the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW, unite thousands of qualified purchasers and product decision-makers with technology vendors, creating a thriving B2B tech community. For more information about Phound and its award-winning communication solutions, please visit Phound.app.Manchester City's struggles continued as Pep Guardiola's side remarkably blew a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain to leave the French club in danger of elimination. There were also big wins for Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta and Bayer Leverkusen, while Inter Milan went top of the standings after five games and Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski reached a century of Champions League goals. However, the biggest drama came at the Etihad Stadium, where City were cruising early in the second half with a three-goal advantage as they sought to end a run of five successive defeats in all competitions. Erling Haaland opened the scoring from a penalty just before half-time, and Ilkay Gundogan's deflected shot made it 2-0 in the 50th minute. Haaland struck again to make it 3-0, but Feyenoord's comeback began on 75 minutes when Anis Hadj Moussa took advantage of hapless defending to round goalkeeper Ederson and pull one back. Substitute Santiago Gimenez bundled in to make it 3-2 on 82 minutes and the equaliser arrived a minute from the end. Ederson was again caught out with Igor Paixao going around the goalkeeper and crossing for Slovak international David Hancko to head in. "We concede a lot of goals because we are not stable," complained Guardiola. "We lost a lot of games lately. We are fragile and of course we need a victory." It is the first time that a team has gone into the last 20 minutes of a Champions League game trailing by three goals and still avoided defeat, as the point boosts the Dutch side's hopes of progressing. City are two points outside the top eight places which offer direct qualification for the last 16, while Bayern moved above them by beating PSG 1-0 in Munich. South Korean defender Kim Min-jae scored the only goal seven minutes before half-time, heading in after goalkeeper Matvei Safonov failed to clear a corner. PSG had Ousmane Dembele sent off in the second half and the French champions have just four points, and three goals, from five games. They are a lowly 26th in the 36-team league, a point adrift of the positions which offer a place in the play-off round in February. "We need to win our last three matches, otherwise we risk being eliminated," admitted PSG coach Luis Enrique. Lewandowski notched his 100th goal in the competition with an early penalty in Barcelona's 3-0 home win over French side Brest. Dani Olmo netted midway through the second half before Lewandowski sealed Barca's win at the death, his 101st goal in the Champions League -- only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more. Inter lead the standings with 13 points, a point ahead of Barcelona and Liverpool, after a 1-0 win at home to RB Leipzig which means they are also still yet to concede a goal. Castello Lukeba's own goal made the difference at San Siro, and Leipzig are one of only three teams to have lost five games out of five. Arsenal romped to a 5-1 victory away to Sporting in Lisbon, as the Portuguese side adapt to life without coach Ruben Amorim, who has departed for Manchester United. Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magalhaes all scored in the first half for Arsenal, before Goncalo Inacio pulled one back shortly after the restart. Bukayo Saka converted a penalty on 65 minutes after Martin Odegaard had been brought down, and Leandro Trossard headed in to seal Arsenal's win late on. Atalanta romped to a 6-1 win over rock-bottom Young Boys in Switzerland, with Mateo Retegui and Charles De Ketelaere both scoring braces. Sead Kolasinac and Lazar Samardzic also netted for the Italians, with Silvere Ganvoula getting the hosts' reply. Florian Wirtz struck twice, including a penalty, as Leverkusen crushed Red Bull Salzburg 5-0, with Alejandro Grimaldo scoring a superb free-kick and Patrik Schick and Aleix Garcia also netting. Julian Alvarez and substitute Angel Correa each scored twice and Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann once as Atletico romped to a 6-0 win away to Sparta Prague. Christian Pulisic, Rafael Leao and Tammy Abraham were the scorers in AC Milan's 3-2 win at Slovan Bratislava, whose goals came from Tigran Barseghyan and Nino Marcelli. Marko Tolic saw red at the end for Slovan, who are without a point. as/nf
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Even before police identified a person of interest in the hunt for the killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, merchandise proclaiming an apparent message that police found at the scene of the shooting began appearing at craft fairs and online shopping platforms. Pint glasses, wine tumblers, sweatshirts and baseball caps emblazoned with the phrase “Deny, Defend, Depose” — words written on ammunition casings found near where Thompson was shot in midtown Manhattan — popped up on eBay, Etsy, TikTok and Amazon. The phrase could be a reference to tactics health insurers have used to decline or limit medical claims. The motivations for the killing, in which a 26-year-old, manifesto-carrying suspect named Luigi Mangione was identified on Monday, are unconfirmed. While it’s unclear how much of the “Deny, Defend, Depose” merchandise was purchased, its spread across online storefronts echoes the swell of anger at health insurance companies and support for the shooter on social media. Even before much was known about the killer’s motivations or identity, some reacted to the shooting by venting frustrations about health insurance and the U.S. health system. Amazon removed the merchandise after being reached for comment by The Washington Post. The company said the products violated their guidelines, but declined to specify which. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post. Online searches for the words “deny defend depose” started climbing Thursday after the ammunition was recovered at the crime scene. By Sunday afternoon, a shopper on Amazon could order a “Deny Defend Depose T-Shirt” that the listing described as related to “Healthcare Insurance Awareness” for $24.55. A “Vibrant Color Vinyl Detail for Cars” with the three-word slogan was $6.99 and a “United Healthcare Parody Deny Defend Depose Wine Tumbler” described as a gift “For Auntie” was $12.59. By Monday, all three items, as well as baseball caps and sweatshirts bearing the three words had been removed from the site. The owner of Chudly.com , a novelty apparel website, told The Post that he sold six “Deny. Defend. Depose.” hats for $24.99 on Amazon before receiving an email Sunday night saying the listing was being taken down. “It was only up for about 12 hours,” said the owner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for his safety. The email from Amazon, seen by The Post, said, “We took this action because this product is not permitted for sale on Amazon.com . It is your obligation to make sure the products you offer comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon’s policies.” Though the email doesn’t specify why the hat isn’t permitted, its designer said he assumes Amazon “labeled it as an offensive product.” The seller said he had already printed the six hats he sold on Amazon and they are ready to be shipped. His hats were still available on Etsy, a platform for handmade goods, and direct on the website Monday, he said. Shoppers on Monday afternoon also could find buttons, necklaces and Christmas tree ornaments on Etsy that said “Deny. Defend. Depose.” One sweatshirt with the slogan featured an image of a guillotine. Also on Monday on TikTok Shop, the video-based social network’s e-commerce feed, a “Deny Defend Depose” shirt with an illustration of a guillotine was discounted as part of the seller’s “Holiday Haul.” The app also promoted Monday a number of “flash sales” on apparel featuring an illustration of the shooting itself captioned with the phrase, selling for anywhere between $3.42 and $16.90. A holiday sweatshirt reading “’Tis the Season, Deny. Defend. Depose” picturing reindeer and the scales of justice was also offered. One of the sweatshirts has sold more than 1,000 times, according to TikTok’s sales data. The TikTok Shop seller behind the “TheSleepyKuma” store was hawking a “Deny Defend Depose keychain” in the shape of three bullets on Monday for $10.00. “If you knew me at all, you knew these key chains were coming,” the seller said in a short video posted to the site. “Frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t see it coming.” “My condolences and sympathy is unfortunately not in-network, so you’ll have to meet your deductible first,” the caption on the video said, apparently in reference to common health insurer polices. The seller did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shirts, stickers, mugs, phone cases, and lawn signs reading “Deny Defend Depose” were also available for sale on eBay on Monday. A spokesperson for eBay, Scott Overland, said in a statement that its policies do not ban the sale of items featuring the phrase “Deny, Defend, Depose.” But “items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited,” he said. TikTok and Etsy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The phrase “delay, deny, defend” is also the title of a 2010 book about the insurance industry by Rutgers Law professor Jay Feinman. Though the book doesn’t focus on health insurance, paper copies are sold out on Amazon. The title is available on Kindle, while on Monday hard copies were available on eBay for $999 and $1,776. As of Monday, there were multiple songs titled “Deny, Defend, Depose” available on Amazon and Spotify for streaming.While the New York Police Department continues its search for the individual who shot United Health Care CEO Brian Thomson early Wednesday morning, theories about the shooter continue doing rounds on social media. The most recent one to emerge is the suggestion that the gray backpack the gunman was carrying was a Peak Design product, priced at $279. The theory is an extension of the previous theory about the backpack being a foil for the investigators when they try to trace the shooters' identity. The proponents of this theory argue that the shooter was pictured around 3-4 days ago in a black backpack checking into his hostel. The shooter then likely dumped the gray backpack somewhere nearby and then switched to the black backpack, and likely also a different coloured garment. Now, social media is pointing out that the gray backpack used by the shooter is most likely a Peak Design model, priced at a whopping $279. It comes in one size, and the internet believes that not many would be sold, in that price range for a backpack, and it could become a vital clue for the NYPD to trace the shooter down. Official Investigation By NYPD Though the NYPD has not been able to trace the shooter, significant progress has been in the investigation after key pieces of evidence were recovered. Surveillance footage captured the suspect before and after the shooting, showing them purchasing items at a nearby Starbucks and later fleeing the scene on an electric bike. Authorities also recovered a phone and a water bottle near the scene, believed to belong to the suspect, along with shell casings inscribed with the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose.” The NYPD has released photos of a person of interest and is offering a reward for information leading to the suspect's capture. 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Article content OTTAWA — Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says Canada didn’t live up to its values on immigration over the last few years as it allowed more people into the country than it could absorb. Recommended Videos Carney, who is currently a special adviser to the Liberal party, made those comments during an event in Ottawa held by Cardus, a Christian think tank. Carney says Canada let newcomers down by admitting more workers and students than it could provide for, including with housing, health care and social services. Earlier this fall, the Liberal government announced a plan to significantly reduced its immigration target for permanent residents and to dramatically scale back the number of temporary residents in Canada. Those changes came about after a period of strong population growth that led to mounting criticism of the Liberal government’s immigration policies. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has acknowledged that the federal government did not get the balance right on immigration after the COVID-19 pandemic.Social media ban to ‘test’ Dutton as opposition frays
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