live baccarat

PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in STERIS plc ( NYSE:STE – Free Report ) by 0.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 37,931 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in STERIS were worth $9,200,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in shares of STERIS by 13.7% in the second quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,442,805 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $1,414,453,000 after buying an additional 778,613 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in STERIS by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,738,630 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $390,880,000 after acquiring an additional 120,616 shares in the last quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc boosted its stake in STERIS by 29.7% during the 2nd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 1,150,517 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $251,663,000 after purchasing an additional 263,383 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of STERIS by 9.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,114,224 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $270,230,000 after purchasing an additional 96,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of STERIS by 12.8% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 840,194 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $184,439,000 after purchasing an additional 95,412 shares in the last quarter. 94.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have recently commented on STE. KeyCorp lifted their price target on shares of STERIS from $255.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 3rd. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of STERIS from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $230.00 to $260.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $260.00 price target on shares of STERIS in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com cut STERIS from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a “hold” rating on shares of STERIS in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, STERIS presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $253.00. STERIS Stock Performance STE opened at $214.34 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $227.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $228.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 2.41 and a quick ratio of 1.55. The firm has a market cap of $21.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.26 and a beta of 0.85. STERIS plc has a 1-year low of $195.47 and a 1-year high of $248.24. STERIS ( NYSE:STE – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 6th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.12 by $0.02. STERIS had a return on equity of 13.78% and a net margin of 8.02%. The business had revenue of $1.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.33 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $2.03 EPS. STERIS’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that STERIS plc will post 9.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. STERIS Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 19th. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 19th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 19th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.06%. STERIS’s dividend payout ratio is presently 52.05%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other STERIS news, CFO Michael J. Tokich sold 23,332 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $247.00, for a total transaction of $5,763,004.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 42,930 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,603,710. This represents a 35.21 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . 1.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. About STERIS ( Free Report ) STERIS plc provides infection prevention products and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Healthcare, Applied Sterilization Technologies, Life Sciences, and Dental. The Healthcare segment offers cleaning chemistries and sterility assurance products; automated endoscope reprocessing system and tracking products; endoscopy accessories, washers, sterilizers, and other pieces of capital equipment for the operation of a sterile processing department; and equipment used directly in the operating room, including surgical tables, lights, and connectivity solutions, as well as equipment management services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for STERIS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STERIS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .The Taliban's supreme leader has reportedly ordered a ban on women attending nursing and midwivery institutes, closing a rare avenue they had to pursue an education beyond the sixth grade. Human Rights Watch says the ban was ordered by Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and conveyed to the Ministry of Public Health on Monday, then communicated to private medical training institutes soon after. Although the ban has yet to be formally announced, two government officials who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity, because of the matter's sensitivity, confirmed it. In addition, several nursing and midwivery students told NPR that this week, they were not allowed to attend classes. The European Union has condemned the ban, while the United Nations chief mission in Afghanistan said it was "extremely concerned about a reported directive" that was preventing women and girls from attending private medical institutions. The state of education for girls under Taliban rule The ban reflects an ongoing Taliban effort to curtail education for girls beyond grade six. Despite the Taliban's policies, girls and women still have some options. In certain parts of the country, Taliban officials have quietly ignored the ban, allowing a small number of girls to take classes offered by private educational institutes and charities. And in February 2024, an important loophole opened for women. Officials in the Ministry of Public Health successfully lobbied the hardline Taliban leaders to allow women to take nursing and midwifery courses in a handful of mostly private training institutes and learning centers, according to Ashley Jackson , who closely tracks developments in Afghanistan as co-director of the Center on Armed Groups, a think-tank based in Switzerland. One motivation for this February decision was that in some provinces, the Taliban does not allow women to seek treatment from male medical professionals. "This new decree [banning women from nursing and midwifery training] will result in unnecessary pain, misery, sickness and death for the women forced to go without health care," said Sahar Fetrat of Human Rights Watch, in a statement. Students turned away from classes Human Rights Watch says the ban was ordered by Taliban leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada and conveyed to the Ministry of Public Health on Monday, then communicated to private medical training institutes soon after. Five Afghan women who were studying nursing and midwifery told NPR that they were turned away from their respective private institutions this week. They spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity to avoid being identified by authorities. One 22-year-old nursing student said she learned about the ban when her friends began calling to express their condolences. "Are you telling the truth?" she said she asked them. The young woman went to her institute in case her friends were misinformed. One of her teachers "told us to go home. The institute is closed until further notice," she said. One 22-year-old, who was studying economics before all women were banned from university study in 2022, told NPR she signed up for nursing classes, desperate to continue studying. She, too, rushed to her classes on Tuesday after word of the ban spread on social media, hoping it was a false rumor. She said the teachers were apologetic, "but unfortunately, we were not allowed to enter," she said. "Unfortunately, we could not do anything." "This is bad news for all Afghan people," she said angrily. "Because men cannot become midwives in Afghanistan." Men are not allowed to be midwives because of strict gender segregation customs. Challenges for medical education institutions Even before this week's news, medical education institutions have found it challenging to include women. "Medical schools have not been functioning as they should in the last three years," said Pashtana Durrani, founder of Learn Afghanistan, an organization operating secret schools in Afghanistan as well as a maternal health clinic where they trained midwives. "All they are doing now is closing any loopholes" of the ban on higher education for females, she said. "Many of us have faced increasing harassment from the authorities," she said. "In just the last two weeks, our staffs were detained and they [the Taliban] asked us for money to be allowed to stay open," she told NPR, adding that the constant harassment forced her organization's schools to transition to online lessons. "We don't have any in-person classes at all because they forced us into shutting down the last of our training program." "When we trained the younger women, I had hoped that maybe all these girls would graduate and establish their own institutions someday. But now that seems unlikely," Durrani said. "People often say that under the Taliban women are just left to reproduce. Well, now with this new ban, women are left to reproduce and then die on that same table because there will be nobody to help them. That's what it has come to," Durrani said. Indeed, Afghanistan is one of the most dangerous places in the world for a woman to give birth. According to a December 2023 statement from Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, a woman dies every two hours across Afghanistan in birth-related complications. And the United Nations Population Fund, which tracks women's healthcare globally, reports that the country needs at least 18,000 more trained midwives to ensure basic maternal care to Afghan women. The ban on women studying basic nursing skills "makes absolutely no sense. Even according to the Taliban's own logic," says Jackson of the Center on Armed Groups. She said that even during the Taliban's rule in the 1990s, considered more extreme than the present government, they allowed women to take some medical courses. Jackson also notes that previous exceptions — allowing women to study nursing and midwivery — shows that "there are people inside the system fighting for more sensible policies who realize that Afghanistan needs midwives, it needs female doctors, it needs female nurses." But ultimately, the commands of Akhundzada, their spiritual leader, take precedence. "We know that his beliefs are radical to the extreme," Jackson says. "There's a real paranoia and a fear of losing control, and I think one of the ways that he, as well as the Taliban in the past, have expressed that, is through the control of women's bodies." Even as officials were turning away young Afghan women from health-care education this week, other Afghan women were hoping that soon, there would be some accountability for the Taliban's denial of their human rights. This week, the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan , said he could announce that " very considerable progress has already been made in the investigation of allegations of gender persecution" in Afghanistan. "I am confident that I will soon be in a position to announce concrete results," said Khan. One researcher at Human Rights Watch, Fereshta Abbasi , believes that Khan's statement indicates that he would "soon request applications for arrest warrants" for Taliban officials. Abbasi is from Afghanistan and currently lives in the United Kingdom. "Justice will prevail," she wrote on X. With additional reporting by Fariba Akbari in Paris With additional reporting by Fariba Akbari in Paris Copyright 2024 NPRlive baccarat 。

None

Workday Announces Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Financial ResultsExploration and evaluation of strategic alternatives continue WESTPORT, Conn., Nov. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Portage Biotech Inc. ("Portage” or the "Company”) (NASDAQ: PRTG), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company with a portfolio of novel multi-targeted therapies for use as monotherapy and in combination, today reported its financial results for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2024. "We are continuing to explore multiple strategic alternatives to further unlock shareholder value. These may include finding a partner for one or more of our assets, a sale of our company, a merger, restructurings (both in and out of court), a company wind down, further financing efforts, or other strategic actions,” said Dr. Ian Walters, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Portage. "The ADPORT-601 trial is paused for further patient accrual pending additional financial resources, and we are analyzing the data. We also continue our collaborations with numerous experts to further understand the biology and utility of our product candidates,” continued Dr. Walters. Financial Results for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2024 The Company incurred a net loss of approximately $1.4 million during the three months ended September 30, 2024 (the "Fiscal 2025 Quarter”), compared to a net loss of approximately $5.2 million during the three months ended September 30, 2023 (the "Fiscal 2024 Quarter”), representing a $3.8 million decrease quarter-over-quarter. Operating expenses, including research and development ("R&D”) costs and general and administrative ("G&A”) expenses, were $1.6 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter, down from $5.9 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter, a decrease of $4.3 million, as detailed below. R&D costs decreased by approximately $3.5 million, or approximately 83%, from approximately $4.2 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to approximately $0.7 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter. The decrease was primarily attributable to the winding down of clinical trial costs (principally CRO-related), which decreased by approximately $1.6 million, from $2.0 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to $0.4 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter, as activities ramped down throughout the period since we made the decision to pause enrollment in our sponsored clinical trials in the third and fourth quarters of Fiscal 2024. Manufacturing-related costs decreased by $0.9 million, from $1.0 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to $0.029 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter. These decreases reflect the winding down of clinical activity and manufacturing-related costs resulting from our decision to discontinue our sponsored clinical trial for the iNKT program and pause further patient accrual to our sponsored adenosine program. R&D non-cash share-based compensation expense decreased from $0.4 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to nil in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter. Payroll-related expenses decreased by $0.1 million, from $0.37 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to $0.24 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter, due to the resignation of two employees in January 2024. Additionally, consulting fees decreased by approximately $0.2 million from $0.25 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to $0.03 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter, to reflect the decrease in activity period-over-period. Finally, licensing fees decreased by approximately $0.1 million due to licensing fees paid to the licensor of certain intellectual property utilized in the iNKT clinical trial in Fiscal 2024 Quarter compared to nil in Fiscal 2025 Quarter as the iNKT clinical trial was discontinued in the latter half of Fiscal 2024. G&A expenses decreased by approximately $0.8 million, or approximately 48%, from approximately $1.7 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to approximately $0.9 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter. Professional fees decreased by $0.4 million, from $0.8 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to $0.4 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter. Payroll-related expenses decreased by $0.1 million from $0.2 million in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter to $0.1 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter. The decrease in professional fees and payroll-related expenses is due to the accrual of the monthly fees and payments for the entire second quarter in the first quarter for a consultant and employee in connection with certain Retention Agreements entered into on July 22, 2024. Additionally, G&A non-cash share-based compensation expense decreased by $0.2 million due to the continued vesting of stock options, partially offset by recording all share-based compensation expense as G&A expenses as the result of the discontinuation of the iNKT trial and the pause of further patient accrual in the adenosine program. Finally, directors' fees decreased by $0.1 million in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter, compared to the Fiscal 2024 Quarter, as all directors, except for two directors who resigned in April 2024, waived their fees in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter. The primary reasons for the quarter-over-quarter differences in the Company's pre-tax items of income and expense were the $0.9 million net gain from the settlement and release of obligations and liabilities under the Master Services Agreement between iOx and Parexel partially offset to some extent by the $0.7 million non-cash loss from the change in the fair value of certain warrants accounted for as liabilities, issued in connection with a private placement offering in October 2023, both in the Fiscal 2025 Quarter, and a non-cash loss from the increase in the fair value of the deferred purchase price payable to the former Tarus shareholders and the deferred obligation for the iOx milestone, totaling $0.1 million, in the Fiscal 2024 Quarter. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $1.8 million and total current liabilities of approximately $0.9 million. About Portage Biotech Inc. Portage is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company with a portfolio of multi-targeted therapies to extend survival and significantly improve the lives of patients with cancer. The Company has made the decision to discontinue its sponsored trial for its the invariant natural killer T-cell (iNKT) program and pause further patient accrual to its sponsored adenosine trial program (ADPORT-601 trial) for its potentially best-in-class adenosine antagonists PORT-6 (adenosine 2A inhibitor) and PORT-7 (adenosine 2B inhibitor). The Company is exploring strategic alternatives, which may include finding a partner for one or more of its assets, a sale of the company, a merger, restructurings, both in and out of court, a company wind down, further financing efforts or other strategic actions. For more information, please visit www.portagebiotech.com or find us on LinkedIn at Portage Biotech Inc. Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding about the Company's information that are forward-looking in nature and, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations and those statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "will,” "may,” "plan,” "potential,” "continue,” or similar expressions or variations on such expressions are forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding the Company's plans to continue exploring strategic alternatives, which may include finding a partner for one or more of its assets, a sale of the company, a merger, restructurings (both in and out of court), a company wind down, further financing efforts, or other strategic actions, the Company's expectation to replace one patient in the ADPORT-601 trial, and the Company's plans to continue its collaborations with numerous experts to further understand the biology and utility of its product candidates are forward-looking statements. As a result, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but are not limited to: the Company's plans and ability to develop and commercialize product candidates and the timing of these development programs; the Company's clinical development of its product candidates, including the results of current and future clinical trials; the benefits and risks of the Company's product candidates as compared to others; the Company's maintenance and establishment of intellectual property rights in its product candidates; the Company's ability to obtain financing in the future to cover its operational costs and progress its plans for clinical development, its estimates regarding its capital requirements, and its ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's estimates of future revenues and profitability; the Company's estimates of the size of the potential markets for its product candidates; its selection and licensing of product candidates; and other factors set forth in "Item 3 - Key Information-Risk Factors” in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2024 2024 and "Business Environment - Risk Factors” in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the Three and Six Months ended September 30, 2024 filed as Exhibit 99.2 to the Company's Form 6-K. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. The forward- looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as required by law. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Investor Relations: [email protected] Media Relations: [email protected] ---tables to follow--- PORTAGE BIOTECH INC. Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Operations and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (U.S. Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited) September 30, September 30, Tarus and deferred obligation - iOx milestone ) ) PORTAGE BIOTECH INC. Condensed Consolidated Interim Statements of Financial Position (U.S. Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) 2024 2024

Steelers notes: Keeanu Benton takes the spotlight on ‘Hard Knocks,” RB Jonathan Ward waivedIn a recent segment on the '7 PM in Brooklyn' podcast, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony looked back on the trade that sent J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to play with LeBron James. Carmelo still resents the Knicks for that deal and recently described his reaction after hearing the news all those years ago: "F--k them! I told LeBron, I said 'That's what we doing?' When it happened, the only thing going through my mind was LeBron. I know this is a chess game... I gotta get these guys away from him," said Anthony . "Sh-t is f---ed up because I could have used Shump and J.R. to go win a championship. That's why I flipped out like that in the locker room because you do not touch this nucleus right here! I don't give a f--k what you do. I said 'Y'all can't say sh-t to me. Do y'all know what the f--k you just did? You're gonna send them to him?" The Knicks /Cavaliers trade happened back in January of 2015. It was a three-team deal that involved sending Dion Waiters to the Thunder , Shumpert, and Smith to the Cavaliers, while the Knicks received Lou Amundson, Alex Kirk, Lance Thomas, and a 2019 second-round pick. The Knicks were not a championship team by any stretch, but many saw the deal as a step-down for the team, including Carmelo Anthony , who described how he went off in the locker room after finding out about the trade. The worst part about it for Melo is that they were sent to play with LeBron James, his biggest rival at the time. At the height of his career, Anthony was competing with LeBron James for supremacy in the East. With career averages of 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game on 44.7% shooting, Anthony was an expert three-level scorer who often went toe-to-toe with some of the game's top superstars. LeBron James, however, was arguably his biggest competitor. The two were known to be close friends, and it's a relationship that stands even now , but they were also rivals back in the day who played the same position in the same era of the game. When Carmelo forced his way to the Knicks in 2011, it put him in the same Conference as LeBron and he knew that it was going to take a massive effort to defeat him. Sadly, Carmelo never got further than the second round in his Knicks tenure. He eventually left the team in disgrace after a falling out with Phil Jackson and his career took a rapid decline from here. Meanwhile, LeBron James is still going strong to this day as a 4x MVP, 4x champion, and the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He defeated a lot of people on his way to victory and Carmelo was just one of many of them. Of course, the Knicks helped Lebron win all those years ago by gaining him the support he needed to beat the competition. If only they had done the same for Carmelo, his career might have taken a radically different turn. This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

A dangerous driver who killed an off-duty paramedic has fled interstate days before he was due to be sentenced over the death. or signup to continue reading Mingen He, who is on bail, was expected to be sentenced in Melbourne on Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death over a May 2022 crash. He killed Pauline Smith, a paramedic and former police officer who was on her way home from night shift, after he veered into the wrong lane on the Western Highway at Great Western, in regional Victoria. Mingen faced a pre-sentence hearing on November 1, when his sentence date was set down for Thursday morning. Ms Smith's devastated family and friends, who attended the County Court for the sentence, were instead told He was on the run. "It's just devastating," Judge Kellie Blair told the court. "I'm sorry that you've travelled and sorry that you've been put out." He's wife reported him missing on Monday and he has not been seen or heard from since Saturday, the court was told. Prosecutor Emma Failla said police were investigating and it was believed He left Victoria and fled interstate. "His whereabouts are unknown at present," she said. She said He had surrendered his passport and was supposed to report to police three times a week, but had not done so this week. Lawyer Amit Malik has not had contact with his client since his last plea hearing, and did not oppose a warrant being issued for his arrest. "My instructors made efforts via phone call, WeChat, various other mechanisms to try and get hold of Mr He," he said. "There's simply just been no contact since the last occasion we were before Your Honour." Judge Blair issued a warrant for He's arrest and a $10,000 surety for bail will be forfeited due to his disappearance. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementPHILADELPHIA, PA — Governor Josh Shapiro this week signed Executive Order 2024-04 , establishing the Pennsylvania Permit Fast Track Program, a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to expedite the permitting process for major economic development and infrastructure projects. By streamlining project approvals, increasing government transparency, and fostering interagency collaboration, the program aims to make Pennsylvania more competitive as a destination for businesses seeking to invest and grow. The PA Permit Fast Track Program, overseen by the Office of Transformation & Opportunity (OTO), focuses on fast-tracking permits for high-impact projects without compromising the rigorous standards normally applied in the review process. It builds upon the Shapiro Administration’s ongoing efforts to modernize permitting, licensing, and certification systems across the Commonwealth. With this new structure in place, Pennsylvania aims to demonstrate that government can operate effectively at the speed of business while driving economic development and job creation. The Fast Track Program is aimed at coordinating activities for complex projects that are central to Governor Shapiro’s Economic Development Strategy. Eligible projects include large-scale efforts in infrastructure and economic innovation that require assistance navigating the permitting process across multiple state agencies. This involves scheduling interagency meetings, managing timelines, addressing project milestones, and promoting accountability through a publicly accessible online dashboard. The program draws inspiration from the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council’s FAST-41 Program and features a similar transparent dashboard, which allows stakeholders to track the progress of permits, view timelines, and monitor feedback from agencies and project sponsors alike. By fostering open communication and accountability, the program aims to reduce costly delays and instill confidence in project sponsors. “When I became Governor, I promised to make state government work efficiently and effectively for Pennsylvanians, breaking down barriers and creating real opportunity for the good people of our Commonwealth,” said Governor Shapiro. “By streamlining permitting processes and focusing on results, we’re not just creating jobs and driving economic growth — we’re getting stuff done for the people of Pennsylvania and putting points on the board. The PA Permit Fast Track Program is a game-changer that enhances coordination and communication between the project sponsor and state agencies to cut through red tape, streamline critical projects, and give businesses the confidence to invest and create jobs here in Pennsylvania.” The PA Permit Fast Track Program was piloted earlier this year with three ambitious projects. One of the projects, the Bellwether District in Philadelphia, served as the backdrop for the signing of Executive Order 2024-04. This 1,300-acre logistics and innovation campus is currently undergoing significant redevelopment, including environmental remediation at the site of the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery. Upon completion, the Bellwether District is anticipated to create 19,000 direct permanent jobs and establish itself as a centerpiece of economic revitalization in the Philadelphia area. Roberto Perez, CEO of the HRP Group, developer for the Bellwether District, highlighted the significance of the partnership between business and government. “Transforming a site of this scale and creating thousands of new jobs requires business, government, labor, and institutions to work together — along with a little imagination and a lot of grit. I firmly believe that together, we will show that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we can innovate and accomplish big things,” Perez remarked. Two other pilot projects showcase the program’s versatility. Project Hazelnut in Luzerne County is set to develop a 1,300-acre technology campus, which will feature state-of-the-art server rooms, power distribution infrastructure, and connectivity solutions. Additionally, Blair County’s Martinsburg Community Digester project will involve the installation of an anaerobic digester to convert manure from local dairy farms into biogas, aligning agricultural innovation with environmental sustainability. State officials and private-sector leaders alike emphasized the importance of the program in fostering Pennsylvania’s competitive edge. Ben Kirshner, Chief Transformation Officer for OTO, underscored this objective, stating, “Governor Shapiro knows that to win the competition to attract and retain companies and jobs, we need a government that moves at the speed of business. That’s why he made responsive government a core goal of his economic development strategy. The PA Permit Fast Track program is in line with the Governor’s vision and gives us a new tool to deliver coordination, accountability, and transparency for permitting big, complex projects here in the Commonwealth, increasing Pennsylvania’s competitiveness.” Brian Stahl, Vice President of Development at NorthPoint Development, praised the collaborative framework that Fast Track enables. “This Executive Order strengthens the critical partnership between economic development projects and permitting agencies, fostering a streamlined, transparent, and effective process. This collaboration accelerates investments, creates meaningful jobs, generates vital tax revenue, and further strengthens the economy for all Pennsylvanians,” Stahl said. Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia President and CEO Chellie Cameron echoed this sentiment, noting that the program offers businesses the predictability they need to make sound decisions. “When business leaders can rely on accurate forecasting, they can confidently pursue opportunities that create jobs and drive greater economic growth for Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia region,” Cameron explained. The program not only benefits businesses and project sponsors but also supports workers and local economies by expediting projects that promise high-quality job creation. Ryan Boyer, Business Manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, lauded the Governor’s efforts to ensure Pennsylvania remains a top choice for large-scale investments. “Governor Shapiro knows that to create jobs and put the men and women of the Philadelphia building trades to work, we must make Pennsylvania a place where businesses want to invest. Meaningful permitting reform is long overdue, and Governor Shapiro is making it a reality—building on his track record of moving government at the speed of business and supporting an economy that provides good, family-sustaining jobs here in the Philadelphia region and beyond.” With the establishment of the PA Permit Fast Track Program, Pennsylvania becomes the first state to implement a project-based permitting initiative of this scale. The program’s focus on efficiency, transparency, and collaboration demonstrates the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to removing bureaucratic obstacles and fostering an economic environment where businesses, workers, and communities can flourish. By delivering results through innovation and proactive governance, the initiative lays the groundwork for a stronger, more dynamic Commonwealth prepared to compete on a national and global scale. For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN .

Up, up, up! Reeves sends inflation, tax, mortgages, debt and spending through the roofAs US president-elect Donald Trump continues to nominate personalities to his cabinet, we take a look behind the scenes at how the US Secret Service is using the most up-to-date technology to protect the president-elect and ease the burden on agents. This report from France 24's Jack Colmer Gale and our colleagues at France 2.IVE On Using New Technology For VCR | 2024 MAMA AwardsStock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talk