U.S. shares higher at close of trade; Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.97%CHICAGO — It’s a big day for insects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that it is proposing the monarch butterfly for threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act, a big step forward in a process set in motion in 2014 with a petition from conservationists. After a 90-day public comment period, the agency will make a final decision. “Despite its fragility, (the monarch) is remarkably resilient, like many things in nature when we just give them a chance,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams said in a written statement. “Science shows that the monarch needs that chance, and this proposed listing invites and builds on unprecedented public participation in shaping monarch conservation efforts.” The eastern migratory population of monarchs, which flies through Illinois, is estimated to have declined by approximately 80% since the 1990s. People are also reading... The western migratory population has declined by more than 95% since the 1980s, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which said the western populations have a greater than 99% chance of extinction by 2080. With big orange wings veined in black, the monarch is still a fairly common sight in the Chicago area, a summer breeding ground and a stop on the annual fall migration to Mexico, which can span up to 3,000 miles. Tuesday’s announcement is “a call to action,” said Karen Klinger, a geographic information systems analyst at the Field Museum and the lead author of a July study focusing on strategies to maximize monarchs’ success in small urban and suburban gardens. “This species is endangered and people can do something to help. Every little bit of milkweed and other blooming flowers can make a difference for monarchs,” she said. Milkweed is the only plant that monarch caterpillars can eat, and its decline is one of the most frequently cited threats to monarchs, along with more general habitat loss, exposure to insecticides and climate change. Field Museum lead conservation ecologist Aster Hasle had been waiting for the announcement of the proposed threatened species status, checking every day. “It’s a big deal,” said Hasle. “It brings us in line with both Canada and Mexico and the international organization, and I think it is in line with the data. This is a reflection of the reality.” The announcement comes at a time when insects in general are increasingly viewed as imperiled, and Hasle said that listing the monarch as a threatened species will help a lot of other, lesser-known pollinators. Klinger likened monarchs to pandas, in the sense that they are visually appealing and draw humans to conservation. “We call them charismatic microfauna,” Hasle said of monarchs. With the winter cold upon us, local monarch fans have the option of participating in U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s public comment period regarding threatened species status, Hasle noted. Or they can get to work on next year’s pollinator plantings. “Those (native plant) sales come up pretty fast, and this is an ideal time to start planning out your garden,” Klinger said. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.
Share market ends in green, Sensex settles at 78,699
Austin, TX, Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital Brands Group, Inc. (“DBG”) (NASDAQ: DBGI), a curated collection of luxury lifestyle brands, today announces the first 45 day results since it entered into a marketing partnership on October 21, 2024, with VAYNERCOMMERCE, https://vaynercommerce.com/ . VAYNERCOMMERCE is a full service digital growth agency created by Gary Vaynerchuk, also known as GARYVEE. VAYNERCOMMERCE’s services aim to help digital companies scale their online presence and revenues. This partnership has already led to a 224% increase in daily digital revenues during the 45 day period (October 22 nd , 2024 to December 5th, 2024) after VAYNERCOMMERCE began providing DBG with digital marketing services versus the prior 45 day period from September 6th nd to October 21 st . “We made the decision to outsource digital marketing services to VAYNERCOMMERCE based on their reputation in the industry. We felt that we could benefit from an outside performance driven marketing solution team that can focus its efforts on improving our marketing campaigns. We have just begun this journey with them and are already experiencing an increase in our results,” said Hil Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Brands Group. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements included in this release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are made based on our expectations and beliefs concerning future events impacting DBG and therefore involve several risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the fact that they use words such as “will,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “should,” and “may” and other words and terms of similar meaning or use of future dates, however, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. All statements regarding DBG’s plans, objectives, projections and expectations relating to DBG’s operations or financial performance, and assumptions related thereto are forward-looking statements. We caution that forward-looking statements are not guarantees and that actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. DBG undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results of operations or financial condition of DBG to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: risks arising from the widespread outbreak of an illness or any other communicable disease, or any other public health crisis, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic; the level of consumer demand for apparel and accessories; disruption to DBGs distribution system; the financial strength of DBG’s customers; fluctuations in the price, availability and quality of raw materials and contracted products; disruption and volatility in the global capital and credit markets; DBG’s response to changing fashion trends, evolving consumer preferences and changing patterns of consumer behavior; intense competition from online retailers; manufacturing and product innovation; increasing pressure on margins; DBG’s ability to implement its business strategy; DBG’s ability to grow its wholesale and direct-to-consumer businesses; retail industry changes and challenges; DBG’s and its vendors’ ability to maintain the strength and security of information technology systems; the risk that DBG’s facilities and systems and those of our third-party service providers may be vulnerable to and unable to anticipate or detect data security breaches and data or financial loss; DBG’s ability to properly collect, use, manage and secure consumer and employee data; stability of DBG’s manufacturing facilities and foreign suppliers; continued use by DBG’s suppliers of ethical business practices; DBG’s ability to accurately forecast demand for products; continuity of members of DBG’s management; DBG’s ability to protect trademarks and other intellectual property rights; possible goodwill and other asset impairment; DBG’s ability to execute and integrate acquisitions; changes in tax laws and liabilities; legal, regulatory, political and economic risks; adverse or unexpected weather conditions; DBG's indebtedness and its ability to obtain financing on favorable terms, if needed, could prevent DBG from fulfilling its financial obligations; and climate change and increased focus on sustainability issues. More information on potential factors that could affect DBG’s financial results is included from time to time in DBG’s public reports filed with the SEC, including DBG’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Forms 8-K filed or furnished with the SEC. About Digital Brands Group We offer a wide variety of apparel through numerous brands on a both direct-to-consumer and wholesale basis. We have created a business model derived from our founding as a digitally native-first vertical brand. We focus on owning the customer's "closet share" by leveraging their data and purchase history to create personalized targeted content and looks for that specific customer cohort. Digital Brands Group, Inc. Company Contact Hil Davis , CEO Email: invest@digitalbrandsgroup.co Phone: (800) 593-1047 SOURCE Digital Brands Group, Inc. Related Links https://ir.digitalbrandsgroup.co
Netflix continues to express confidence that its streaming platform is prepared to handle the massive audiences expected for a pair of Christmas Day NFL games along with the start of its live coverage of the World Wrestling Entertainment's "Raw" next month. Concerns were raised after users experienced issues with buffering and low quality feeds during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match last month. Netflix has exclusive rights to stream NFL games on Christmas Day between the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. Beyonce is scheduled to perform during halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, which could create more server traffic Netflix must take into account. It's a major test after the company reported an average global live audience of 108 million viewers for Paul's victory over Tyson in Arlington, Texas. Downdetector.com , which tracks service outages, announced that there were 90,000 issues reported at one point. "It was a big number, but you don't know, and you can't learn these things until you do them, so you take a big swing," Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria told Front Office Sports. "Our teams and our engineers are amazing, moved super quickly, and stabilized it, and many of the members had it back up and running pretty quickly. But we learn from these things. "We've all obviously done a lot of stuff to learn and get ready for the NFL and Beyonce, and so we're totally ready and excited for WWE." WWE president Nick Khan told FOS that Raw's tone and content will not change as it moves to the streaming service, with its first event of 2025 scheduled for Jan. 6. "There's some online chatter about, ‘oh, it's going to be R-rated, or for us old folks, X-rated.' That's definitely not happening," Khan said. "It's family-friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It's going to stay that way. I would look for more global flair, especially as the relationship continues to develop." --Field Level MediaTrailers of the week: Minecraft, Elio, and Alien: Earth
An online debate over foreign workers in tech shows tensions in Trump’s political coalition