Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says denying health care coverage can be seen as ‘act of violence’None
ATLANTA , Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cousins Properties Incorporated (the "Company" or "Cousins") (NYSE:CUZ) announced today that its operating partnership, Cousins Properties LP (the "Operating Partnership"), has priced an offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior unsecured notes due 2032 at 99.463% of the principal amount. The offering is expected to close on December 17, 2024 , subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Cousins intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund a portion of the purchase price of 601 West 2nd Street, also known as Sail Tower, an 804,000 square foot trophy lifestyle office property in Austin (the "Sail Tower Acquisition"), and the remainder to repay borrowings under its credit facility and for general corporate purposes. In the event the Sail Tower Acquisition is not completed, Cousins will use the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes, including the acquisition and development of office properties, other opportunistic investments and the repayment of debt. The notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by the Company. J.P. Morgan, Truist Securities, US Bancorp, BofA Securities, Morgan Stanley, PNC Capital Markets LLC, TD Securities and Wells Fargo Securities are acting as joint book-running managers. A shelf registration statement relating to these securities is effective with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering may be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Copies of these documents may be obtained by contacting J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, New York , 10179, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, 3rd Floor, telephone collect at 1-212-834-4533; Truist Securities, Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, 303 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308, telephone: 800-685-4786, or e-mail: TruistSecurities.prospectus@Truist.com ; or U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., Attention: High Grade Syndicate, 214 North Tryon Street, 26th Floor, Charlotte, NC 28202, or by telephone at: (877) 558-2607. Electronic copies of these documents are also available from the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov . This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell the notes, nor shall it constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Cousins Properties Cousins Properties is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT"). The Company, based in Atlanta, GA and acting through the Operating Partnership, primarily invests in Class A office buildings located in high growth Sun Belt markets. Founded in 1958, Cousins creates shareholder value through its extensive expertise in the development, acquisition, leasing, and management of high-quality real estate assets. The Company has a comprehensive strategy in place based on a simple platform, trophy assets, and opportunistic investments. Forward-Looking Statements Certain matters contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws and are subject to uncertainties and risks, as itemized in Item 1A included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2024 . These forward-looking statements include information about the Company's possible or assumed future results of the business and the Company's financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, plans, and objectives. They also include, among other things, statements regarding subjects that are forward-looking by their nature, such as: guidance and underlying assumptions; business and financial strategy; future debt financings; future acquisitions and dispositions of operating assets or joint venture interests; future acquisitions and dispositions of land, including ground leases; future acquisitions of investments in real estate debt; future development and redevelopment opportunities; future issuances and repurchases of common stock, limited partnership units, or preferred stock; future distributions; projected capital expenditures; market and industry trends; future occupancy or volume and velocity of leasing activity; entry into new markets, changes in existing market concentrations, or exits from existing markets; future changes in interest rates and liquidity of capital markets; and all statements that address operating performance, events, investments, or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future — including statements relating to creating value for stockholders. Any forward-looking statements are based upon management's beliefs, assumptions, and expectations of our future performance, taking into account information that is currently available. These beliefs, assumptions, and expectations may change as a result of possible events or factors, not all of which are known. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements. Actual results may vary from forward-looking statements due to, but not limited to, the following: the availability and terms of capital and our ability to obtain and maintain financing arrangements on terms favorable to us or at all; the ability to refinance or repay indebtedness as it matures; any changes to our credit rating; the failure of purchase, sale, or other contracts to ultimately close; the failure to achieve anticipated benefits from acquisitions, developments, investments, or dispositions; the effect of common stock or operating partnership unit issuances, including those undertaken on a forward basis, which may negatively affect the market price of our common stock; the availability of buyers and pricing with respect to the disposition of assets; changes in national and local economic conditions, the real estate industry, and the commercial real estate markets in which we operate (including supply and demand changes), particularly in Atlanta , Austin , Tampa , Charlotte , Phoenix , Dallas , and Nashville , including the impact of high unemployment, volatility in the public equity and debt markets, and international economic and other conditions; threatened terrorist attacks or sociopolitical unrest such as political instability, civil unrest, armed hostilities, or political activism, which may result in a disruption of day-to-day building operations; changes to our strategy in regard to our real estate assets may require impairment to be recognized; leasing risks, including the ability to obtain new tenants or renew expiring tenants, the ability to lease newly-developed and/or recently acquired space, the failure of a tenant to commence or complete tenant improvements on schedule or to occupy leased space, and the risk of declining leasing rates; changes in the preferences of our tenants brought about by the desire for co-working arrangements, trends toward utilizing less office space per employee, and the effect of employees working remotely; any adverse change in the financial condition or liquidity of one or more of our tenants or borrowers under our real estate debt investments; volatility in interest rates (including the impact upon the effectiveness of forward interest rate contract arrangements) and insurance rates; inflation; competition from other developers or investors; the risks associated with real estate developments (such as zoning approval, receipt of required permits, construction delays, cost overruns, and leasing risk); supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and increased construction costs; risks associated with security breaches through cyberattacks, cyber intrusions or otherwise, as well as other significant disruptions of our information technology networks and related systems, which support our operations and our buildings; changes in senior management, changes in the Company's board of directors, and the loss of key personnel; the potential liability for uninsured losses, condemnation, or environmental issues; the potential liability for a failure to meet regulatory requirements, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar laws or the impact of any investigation regarding the same; the financial condition and liquidity of, or disputes with, joint venture partners; any failure to comply with debt covenants under debt instruments and credit agreements; any failure to continue to qualify for taxation as a real estate investment trust or meet regulatory requirements; potential changes to state, local, or federal regulations applicable to our business; material changes in dividend rates on common shares or other securities or the ability to pay those dividends; potential changes to the tax laws impacting real estate investment trusts and real estate in general; risks associated with climate change and severe weather events, as well as the regulatory efforts intended to reduce the effects of climate changes and investor and public perception of our efforts to respond to the same; the impact of newly adopted accounting principles on our accounting policies and on period-to-period comparisons of financial results; risks associated with possible federal, state, local, or property tax audits; and those additional risks and environmental or other factors discussed in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Company. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company cannot guarantee the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements contained in this press release, and the Company does not intend to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contacts Roni Imbeaux Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations 404-407-1104 rimbeaux@cousins.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cousins-properties-announces-pricing-of-senior-notes-offering-302330787.html SOURCE Cousins Properties, you may have noticed, is no longer a specific date on the calendar. This year especially, with a late Thanksgiving in the US, it’s a The deals started arriving well before Friday and they’ll last all weekend, just like turkey leftovers. If the new vibes-based Black Friday means shopping for discounted phones and accessories online any day you please rather than standing in line at the mall, well, that’s a vibe I can relate to.
A WOMAN has revealed just how bad the mould problem is in her home and it's left the internet stunned. Mum of two Courtney took to social media to show the extensive cleaning routine she has to do every day to battle mould and condensation. In the clip, she said: "My whole house is covered in condensation damp and mould, I'm gonna show you the things that I put in place to prevent it and I need some advice on some stuff I can do as well." She revealed she has an extractor fan in the kitchen and bathroom, but despite this she still uses mould spray every single day. As well as that she also uses small dehumidifiers on every single windowsill. But despite that, she still couldn't tackle the mould in her home . READ MORE ON HOMES Courtney added: "I have cupboards in the kitchen that turn all of my pans mouldy. "This is just an example of two of the pans that have gone mouldy in that cupboard." She picked up one of the oven trays that she had never even used and it was covered in green fluffy mould. "This here is my daughter's windowsill," she continued "I clean this every day." Most read in Fabulous "And there's just a puddle of water on the windowsill every single day, all around this window in the hallway gets really fluffy mould." In the bathroom, she revealed that one of the walls was crumbling away because of how damp it was. Courtney added: "I don't know why this keeps happening, I really feel like I've exhausted every option, and I just need help now I'm getting so sick of it at this point." The clip soon went viral on her TikTok account @ courtxed with over 75k views and 1,400 likes. People were quick to take to the comments and offer their advice. Many recommended the HG Mould Spray over the one she used in the video and it can be bought for £5.25 from Asda. Mould is more likely to grow during the winter months. Olivia Young, Product Development Scientist at Astonish revealed exactly why this is. "Unfortunately, mould is a common problem many people face during winter. It thrives in conditions that are warm and damp, so your bathrooms are likely to be the most affected place. "That said, during the colder months most rooms in your home could be vulnerable to mould growing. "This occurs primarily from condensation that builds up on your windows when you’ve got your radiators on. "If you think about it, when windows and doors are closed, there's not much chance for the air to circulate and the moisture to make a swift exit. "This build up is what can cause dreaded mould to make an appearance, especially in bathrooms, as it creates that warm and wet environment that is a breeding ground for mould. "If left untreated, not only is it unsightly but it can also pose a serious risk to your health, so it’s really important you treat it. "The key to tackle mould is to act fast. "Try to come into as little contact with it as you can. So, grab your gloves, tie up your hair and get to work to remove any signs of mould as soon as you notice them. "To keep mould at bay, there are some simple solutions you can introduce throughout home. "The first is keep it ventilated. Yes, even in the cold winter months try to leave your bathroom window open for at least 10/15 minutes post shower or bath. This will get rid of any excess moisture quickly preventing mould gathering. "If you’re having a repeat problem with mould in one particular area, it might be because the humidity levels are too high. You can get a dehumidifier that will help keep the levels low and reduce the risk of mould returning. "The golden rule to remember when dealing with mould is the quicker you can treat it, the better. If you leave it, it will only get worse so never ignore it! "To successfully get rid of mould every time, I recommend opting for the UK's No 1 Mould & Mildew Remover , that effectively removes mould and mildew stains almost instantly, with no scrubbing necessary." One person wrote: "HG mould spray is amazing it’s on Amazon ." Another commented: "Mould is so scary." "That mould spray didn’t work very well! I used HG or white vinegar," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "We have the same problem, we are currently using a dehumidifier but also bought a window vac. Go over the windows every morning." "You need a dehumidifier. Expensive but worth it,” claimed a fifth. READ MORE SUN STORIES Someone else added: “Get a dehumidifier girl. Those little things do nothing and with the amount you're buying you'll save eventually." Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line .
Pep Guardiola denies rumours of a rift with Kevin De Bruyne
NoneBY MELISSA GOLDIN Social media users are misrepresenting a Vermont Supreme Court ruling , claiming that it gives schools permission to vaccinate children even if their parents do not consent. The ruling addressed a lawsuit filed by Dario and Shujen Politella against Windham Southeast School District and state officials over the mistaken vaccination of their child against COVID-19 in 2021, when he was 6 years old. A lower court had dismissed the original complaint, as well as an amended version. An appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was filed on Nov. 19. But the ruling by Vermont’s high court is not as far-reaching as some online have claimed. In reality, it concluded that anyone protected under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, or PREP, Act is immune to state lawsuits. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that schools can vaccinate children against their parents’ wishes. THE FACTS: The claim stems from a July 26 ruling by the Vermont Supreme Court, which found that anyone protected by the PREP Act is immune to state lawsuits, including the officials named in the Politella’s suit. The ruling does not authorize schools to vaccinate children at their discretion. According to the lawsuit, the Politella’s son — referred to as L.P. — was given one dose of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic held at Academy School in Brattleboro even though his father, Dario, told the school’s assistant principal a few days before that his son was not to receive a vaccination. In what officials described as a mistake, L.P. was removed from class and had a “handwritten label” put on his shirt with the name and date of birth of another student, L.K., who had already been vaccinated that day. L.P. was then vaccinated. Ultimately, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that officials involved in the case could not be sued. “We conclude that the PREP Act immunizes every defendant in this case and this fact alone is enough to dismiss the case,” the Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling reads. “We conclude that when the federal PREP Act immunizes a defendant, the PREP Act bars all state-law claims against that defendant as a matter of law.” The PREP Act , enacted by Congress in 2005, authorizes the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to issue a declaration in the event of a public health emergency providing immunity from liability for activities related to medical countermeasures, such as the administration of a vaccine, except in cases of “willful misconduct” that result in “death or serious physical injury.” A declaration against COVID-19 was issued on March 17, 2020. It is set to expire on Dec. 31. Federals suits claiming willful misconduct are filed in Washington. Social media users described the Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling as having consequences beyond what it actually says. “The Vermont Supreme Court has ruled that schools can force-vaccinate children for Covid against the wishes of their parents,” reads one X post that had been liked and shared approximately 16,600 times as of Tuesday. “The high court ruled on a case involving a 6-year-old boy who was forced to take a Covid mRNA injection by his school. However, his family had explicitly stated that they didn’t want their child to receive the ‘vaccines.’” Other users alleged that the ruling gives schools permission to give students any vaccine without parental consent, not just ones for COVID-19. Rod Smolla, president of the Vermont Law and Graduate School and an expert on constitutional law, told The Associated Press that the ruling “merely holds that the federal statute at issue, the PREP Act, preempts state lawsuits in cases in which officials mistakenly administer a vaccination without consent.” “Nothing in the Vermont Supreme Court opinion states that school officials can vaccinate a child against the instructions of the parent,” he wrote in an email. Asked whether the claims spreading online have any merit, Ronald Ferrara, an attorney representing the Politellas, told the AP that although the ruling doesn’t say schools can vaccinate students regardless of parental consent, officials could interpret it to mean that they could get away with doing so under the PREP Act, at least when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. He explained that the U.S. Supreme Court appeal seeks to clarify whether the Vermont Supreme Court interpreted the PREP Act beyond what Congress intended. “The Politella’s fundamental liberty interest to decide whether their son should receive elective medical treatment was denied by agents of the State and School,” he wrote in an email to the AP. “The Vermont Court misconstrues the scope of PREP Act immunity (which is conditioned upon informed consent for medical treatments unapproved by FDA), to cover this denial of rights and its underlying battery.” Ferrara added that he was not aware of the claims spreading online, but that he “can understand how lay people may conflate the court’s mistaken grant of immunity for misconduct as tantamount to blessing such misconduct.”
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Times , declared this week that he will introduce an AI-generated “bias meter” alongside the newspaper’s opinion and news coverage as part of a broader effort to give its readers “both sides” of the story. The surprising move, which comes after he axed the paper’s planned endorsement of Kamala Harris and announced his intention to overhaul the Times’ editorial board to add more conservative voices, has prompted the paper’s union to publicly blast Soon-Shiong and longtime columnist Harry Litman to resign. Appearing on the podcast of right-wing CNN political commentator Scott Jennings, who is joining the Times’ editorial board, Soon-Shiong said he’s been “quietly building” the so-called bias meter “behind the scenes. Claiming that it will debut next month, the biotech entrepreneur said it uses the same artificial intelligence technology that he’s been developing at his other businesses for years. “Somebody could understand as they read it that the source of the article has some level of bias,” Soon-Shiong continued. “And what we need to do is not have what we call confirmation bias and then that story automatically — the reader can press a button and get both sides of that exact same story based on that story and then give comments.” Soon-Shiong’s remarks immediately drew an immediate rebuke from the LA Times’ union, which represents hundreds of journalists and newsroom staffers. “Recently, the newspaper’s owner has publicly suggested his staff harbors bias, without offering evidence or examples,” the guild’s council and bargaining committee said in a statement . “The statements came after the owner blocked a presidential endorsement by the newspaper’s editorial board, then unfairly blamed editorial board staffers for his decision.” The guild added that it had “secured strong ethics protections for our members, including the right to withhold one’s byline, and we will firmly guard against any effort to improperly or unfairly alter our reporting.” Litman, who had written for the Times for 15 years and been its senior legal columnist for the past three, announced on Thursday that he had tendered his resignation as a “protest and visceral reaction” against Soon-Shiong’s conduct as owner. “Soon-Shiong has made several moves to force the paper, over the forceful objections of his staff, into a posture more sympathetic to Donald Trump,” he wrote in a Substack post on Thursday. “Those moves can’t be defended as the sort of policy adjustment papers undergo from time to time, and that an owner, within limits, is entitled to influence.” Following Trump’s electoral victory, Soon-Shiong told CNN last month that he planned on “balancing” the paper’s editorial board with more conservative and centrist voices, complaining that it had “veered very left” in recent years. Following the owner’s polarizing decision to block the Times ’ Harris endorsement, which resulted in thousands of readers canceling their subscriptions, the board was reduced to just three members due to several resignations . Besides Litman and the LAT guild, roughly a dozen current and former Times staffers told media reporter Oliver Darcy that they felt “demoralized” by Soon-Shiong’s heavy-handed “meddling” in the newsroom. “The man who was supposed to be our savior has turned into what now feels like the biggest internal threat to the paper,” one staffer said. Additionally, Darcy explained why morale has plummeted at the paper in recent months — and much of it hinged on the owner’s apparent public embrace of Trump and MAGA, which they feel he is now looking to force the paper to reflect. “There certainly is plenty of cause to be alarmed. Soon-Shiong, who once fashioned himself as a Black Lives Matter-supporting vaccine proponent, has morphed into a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Jennings fanboy,” Darcy noted. “Since Trump’s victory in November, Soon-Shiong has turned to X to criticize the news media, praise Trump’s cabinet picks, and appeal to a MAGA audience. The change in behavior has confounded his journalists, who wonder what happened to the Soon-Shiong whose newspaper enforced strict Covid restrictions and emphasized its support for social justice causes.” The Independent has reached out to a Los Angeles Times spokesperson for comment.
I'm A Celebrity fans have accused the ITV show of 'setting up' Tulisa Contostavlos after she took on the latest bushtucker trial. The N-Dubz singer was voted for by the public to take on Shock Around The Clock to win meals for her fellow campmates. But viewers were left feeling sorry for the star after she left the trial with just five stars. After heading down to the bushtucker trial clearing, Tulisa was told by presenters Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly what they had in store for her. The trial centred around a giant clock face that Tulisa was strapped onto. READ MORE: ITV I'm A Celebrity fans brand campmate a 'hypocrite' for 'throwing shade' in camp The singer was then given a category by Ant and Dec and had to shout out 12 things that would fit into that category within just 60 seconds. For each category she managed to name 12 things for, she was awarded a star. However, Tulisa had to undertake the task while rotating around the clock face inside the second hand, where she was joined by all sorts of critters. She was faced with categories including her twelve celebrity campmates, UK cities and Sunday roast trimmings. While viewers at home thought the questions were easy enough, Tulisa struggled to focus on the task at hand and ended up winning less than half of the stars. She said: "When I was in there my brain just wouldn’t function, it just went blank, I was just trying to survive." Tulisa was strapped onto a giant clock face for tonight's trial (Image: ITV) But fans took pity on the 36-year-old, saying the critters would have been a huge distraction for her. Some accused the show of 'setting her up' with the trial and many took to social media to vent. "That was more of a standardised test than a challenge, I feel like tulisa was set up with that one," one viewer wrote on X, formerly Twitter . Another added: "My mind goes completely blank when put on the spot to list things like that even when the answers are 'easy' - that's without bugs and spinning, so I feel for Tulisa there." Another commented: "In fairness I nearly forget my own name when put on the spot and I mess things up that I usually do perfect when others are watching. I hate it," while a fourth said: "Poor old Tulisa. She been hung out to dry with these questions TBF." Another wrote: "That actually looked quite tough, the bugs crawling all over you, being spun around in the air, hungry/tired (probably) having too think of answers - decent effort from Tulisa." Some viewers suggested a trial involving more physical labour would have been more up her street and several said they hoped she would be able to 'redeem herself' with another trial soon. "Aw poor tulisa, hope she gets a chance to redeem herself," one said. Another commented: "Let’s vote Tulisa again ...she deserves another shot to redeem herself." A third person said: "This is IMPOSSIBLE!!! I have no doubt Tulisa would have smashed any kind of manual task but 12 rapid fire quiz answers for 1 star in those conditions is insane." Another added: "Tulisa's general knowledge is terrible but she would've been so good in a physical trial."