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Euro zone business activity took a surprisingly sharp turn for the worse this month as the bloc’s dominant services industry contracted and manufacturing sank deeper into recession, a survey showed on Friday. HCOB’s preliminary composite euro zone Purchasing Managers’ Index, compiled by S&P Global, sank to a 10-month low of 48.1 in November, below the 50 mark separating growth from contraction. A Reuters poll had predicted no change from October’s 50.0. “The November PMI is another wake-up call for euro zone policymakers that the economy continues to show signs of weakness,” said Bert Colijn at ING. “New business is weakening again for both manufacturing and services with export orders in particular being down sharply as the euro zone economy battles weak demand from abroad.” The data pushed euro zone government bond yields lower and knocked the euro EUR= to its lowest against the dollar since December 2022 as investors bet on faster rate cuts from the European Central Bank. The central bank has cut rates three times this year to 3.25% amid increasing concerns about the bloc’s lacklustre growth outlook. Money markets expect another quarter-point cut next month and a further 125 basis points of cuts next year that would take the main rate to 1.75% by end 2025. A composite new business index fell to 46.6 from 47.9, its lowest reading this year, suggesting no imminent improvement. The economic downturn accelerated in both Germany and France with business activity falling at the quickest rate since early this year, the survey showed. Political uncertainty in the bloc’s two biggest economies may be partly to blame. Germany’s three-way coalition collapsed earlier this month, leaving the country in political limbo until snap elections in February, while in France a far-right party is threatening to topple Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s fragile coalition government over a dispute about the 2025 budget. Germany’s economy grew less than previously estimated in the third quarter, the statistics office reported on Friday, in further bad news for a country set to be the worst performer among the Group of Seven rich democracies this year. Adding to the gloomy outlook, German industry expects a 3% fall in production in 2024, a third year of decline, with no recovery in sight for 2025, the country’s BDI industry body said on Friday. To boot, President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed trade tariffs will have a significant effect on the euro zone economy in the coming years, according to a strong majority of economists in a Reuters poll. A PMI index of euro zone services, which had been offsetting the decline among manufacturers, fell to a 10-month low of 49.2 from 51.6. The poll forecast was for no change. Firms did increase headcount again but were less optimistic about the year ahead. The business expectations index fell to a two-year low of 55.0 from 59.9. The manufacturing PMI index fell to 45.2 from 46.0, confounding expectations for no change. An index measuring output, which feeds into the composite PMI, dropped to 45.1 from 45.8. That was despite factories cutting their charges for a third month and at a steeper pace than in October. The output prices index dropped to 47.9 from 48.2. In Britain, outside the European Union, business output shrank for the first time in more than a year and tax increases in the new government’s first budget hit hiring and investment plans, its PMI showed, a fresh setback for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s push for economic growth. British retail sales fell much more than expected in October, according to official data on Friday that added to signs of a loss of momentum in the economy. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Jonathan Cable, Editing by Christina Fincher)Thanksgiving Weekend Sports Guide: Your roadmap to NFL matchups, other games, times, odds
Kash Patel’s Threat to the Rule of LawThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shut down access to the Affordable Care Act marketplace to two health insurance agencies. Here's a look at what's happened.Saints and preceptors arrive on earth regularly, especially during times of stress, in order to guide man on how to lead a simple but effective life of virtue. Sri Chandrasekharendra Mahaswamigal, the 68th Pontiff of Kanchi Math (Kanchi Kamakoti Peetathipathi), was one such, said P. Swaminathan in a discourse. Born in 1894 in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu, the only saint to have the sobriquet of Maha (Periyava) , is renowned for traversing the entire nation in order to carry his message of leading a life of goodliness and godliness to people struggling to make ends meet in the remotest parts. Shunning the palanquin, he chose to walk everywhere, like a true hermit. Many of his rich devotees aspired to present him with a car. Once, when the saint was camping in Madurai, the then temple trustee of Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, who was also a political bigwig there, simply bought a new car and parked it outside the camp, confident he could persuade the saint to drive to Meenakshi Amman temple. Naturally, the more powerful mind prevailed, and the Madurai politician walked alongside the pontiff to the temple. An ascetic from a very young age, he became the Math head when only 13 years. Very well versed in scriptures, he was also endowed with worldly wisdom, making it easy for devotees to gain knowledge and clarity through their interactions with him. He gathered hordes of devotees within a short span of time, from all the world and from all walks of life. Fluent in many languages, he had a good grounding in world affairs and could hold forth on any topic, be it material or spiritual. Such was his yogic power that a number of devotees soon began to seek him out for help when their loved ones fell ill; and Maha Periyava pulled off quite a few miracles. His Brindavan in Kanchi Math continues to attract devotees who place their requests to him, strong in the belief that he continues to look out for the ordinary man. Published - December 27, 2024 05:10 am IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit
As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below* Whether you're looking to upgrade your next movie night setup or hoping to game with higher-quality graphics, Cyber Monday is a great time to get the best TVs for a lower price. We rounded up some of the biggest sales going on right now to help you save on your next TV purchase. Best Cyber Monday TV deals for 2024 Insignia 32-inch Fire TV $69.99 $129.99 This TV is a great option for your living room, bedroom or office. Measuring 32 inches, it's decently sized, yet still easy to fit on a table or TV stand. It's also an Amazon Fire TV, so you'll have access to a wide variety of channels and apps. Currently, you can get it for under $100 at 46% off. TCL 40-inch Roku TV $219.96 $349.99 This TV has been rated five stars over 30,000 times on Amazon, and it's currently on sale for 27% off. It's compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant and since it's a Roku TV, you'll have access to tons of channels and apps. Amazon 43-inch Fire TV $229.99 $369.99 You can get this great Fire TV for 38% off. It's compatible with 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Digital Plus and Alexa Voice. Amazon is also offering six months free of an MGM+ subscription with the purchase of this TV. Insignia 50-inch Fire TV $189.99 $299.99 This 4K Ultra HD TV is an Amazon bestseller and is currently on sale for 37% off. Enjoy high-quality resolution and a large screen size. This TV also comes with Alexa voice, so you can easily speak commands into the remote. SAMSUNG 85 Class DU7200B Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV $898.00 $1098.00 This 85-inch TV is perfect for larger rooms and offers 4K resolution and accurate color representation thanks to Samsung's PurColor technology. Shop it now below $1,000. Toshiba 75-inch Fire TV $449.99 $649.99 If you're looking for a larger TV, this Toshiba 75-inch is a great deal. It boasts 4K resolution and both Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos. Save $200 on this TV for Cyber Monday. Amazon 75-inch Fire TV $699.99 $1049.99 Enjoy cinematic 4K TV quality with this 75-inch Amazon Fire TV, which comes with Dolby Vision and Alexa voice control. Hisense 100-inch TV $1798 $2998 If you're looking for a large family room TV, this deal is a steal. Get this 100-inch Hisense TV for over $1,000 off right now. Both the QLED display technology and advanced full array local dimming bring you a high-quality viewing experience. Plus, this TV is also compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. More TV deals below: Amazon 50-inch Fire TV for under $300. SAMSUNG 55-inch Class DU6900 Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV for under $300. LG 43-inch Class 4K UHD 2160P webOS Smart TV for just $350. *By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, or distributing them and is not making any representations about the safety or caliber of these products. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.
Feds suspend ACA marketplace access to companies accused of falsely promising ‘cash cards’None
One Crowley ISD high school’s football season has come to an end, while another’s — just 3 miles away — will see at least one more game. Though Crowley High School fell to Denton Guyer High School Nov. 30 in a 44-7 loss in its Class 6A Division II regional, North Crowley High School advanced to the quarterfinals of the Class 6A Division I tournament after its Nov. 30 win against Coppell High School. North Crowley, located near the border of Fort Worth and Crowley, is the only public high school team from Fort Worth that still has a chance to win a trophy and bring a state championship to the city. Down 21-13 with just minutes remaining in the first half against Coppell, North Crowley found itself in unfamiliar territory. During the team’s historic 10-0 regular season — which propelled them to No. 9 in MaxPrep’s national high school football rankings — the Panthers had taken a losing score into halftime just once, against DeSoto High School in early September. The game ended with a 57-51 North Crowley win. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. Since then, North Crowley has outscored opponents 622-125 on its path to the regional finals. In the final minutes of the first half, and the entirety of the second half of Saturday’s game, North Crowley outscored Coppell 21-3 on its way to a 35-24 win to reach the quarterfinals. The win forces a case of deja vu for the Panthers, who will take on Allen High School for the second year in a row at 2 p.m. Dec. 7. North Crowley, now 13-0, will aim to end its opponent’s similarly flawless season at Mansfield’s Vernon Newsom Stadium. Crowley High School, which has earned only eight seasons above a .500 win percentage out of its last 20, ended its historic 8-5 season with a loss to Denton Guyer High School. Crowley found itself down 30-0 at halftime and was never able to recover, scoring a single touchdown in the third quarter to avoid a shutout. Crowley High School senior Derrick Tasby Jr. catches a pass for a touchdown during a playoff matchup against Denton Guyer on Nov. 30, 2024. (Marshall Gardner | Cowtown Images) A member of the Crowley High School Mighty Eagle Band performs during halftime of a Nov. 30, 2024, playoff game against Denton Guyer. (Marshall Gardner | Cowtown Images) Crowley High School senior Jonathan Blake returns a Denton Guyer punt during a playoff matchup on Nov. 30, 2024. (Marshall Gardner | Cowtown Images) A member of the Crowley High School Talonettes dances during halftime at a Nov. 30, 2024, playoff game against Denton Guyer. (Marshall Gardner | Cowtown Images) Crowley High School quarterback Caleb Williams looks for a receiver down field during a Nov. 30, 2024, playoff game against Denton Guyer. The senior’s season ended with a 44-7 loss. (Marshall Gardner | Cowtown Images) Despite the loss, Crowley’s 8-5 record is the school’s best performance in football since the 2019-20 season, when the Eagles went 9-2 but lost to Colleyville Heritage High School in a bi-district playoff game. Though North Crowley High School is the final public high school team within Fort Worth still standing, one other Tarrant County school is still in the running. Southlake Carroll High School will face the team that ended Crowley High’s playoff hopes when it takes the field against Denton Guyer at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 7 in the Class 6A Division II quarterfinals. Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1 . 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 . Your support makes TRIPLE the impact today. Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday ! Don’t miss your chance to triple your impact and support local news. Every gift up to $5,000 will be tripled before 11:59 PM on Dec. 3! 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. 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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 Matthew Sgroi, Fort Worth Report December 2, 2024
FOREST HILL, Md. , Dec. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cadmium, the leading provider of event and learning management solutions, announced today that Sean Brady will take over as Chief Executive Officer effective December 2 . Sean succeeds current CEO John Pierson, who will transition into retirement while remaining an active Board member. " Sean Brady brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective that will propel Cadmium to new heights," said John Pierson . "I'm committed to working closely with Sean as an advisor to ensure a seamless transition. I'm confident his leadership will enable Cadmium to continue to thrive, and I wish him all the best in this exciting role." Sean Brady joins Cadmium with a proven track record of driving growth and innovation. Most recently, he served as President and COO at Maropost, where he oversaw strategic operations and enhanced company performance. His career includes leadership roles such as CEO of Terminus, where he championed customer engagement strategies, and President of Emarsys Americas, where he played a pivotal role in its acquisition by SAP. Earlier in his career, Sean helped transform ExactTarget into a multibillion-dollar enterprise, culminating in its acquisition by Salesforce. "I am honored to join Cadmium as CEO and lead its next chapter of innovation and growth," said Sean Brady . "Cadmium's dedication to empowering associations with transformative technology aligns with my vision for fostering impactful solutions that create lasting value for customers." Rushi Kulkarni , Managing Director at Symphony Technology Group (STG) and Cadmium Board member, added: "We are deeply grateful for John Pierson's leadership, which established Cadmium as a trailblazer in event and continuing education technology. As we wish John a joyful retirement, we are confident Sean's expertise and vision will drive Cadmium's continued success." About Cadmium Cadmium delivers integrated solutions that empower associations to manage events and continuing education seamlessly. Focused on creating transformative learning experiences, Cadmium fosters community and drives meaningful change. Learn more at gocadmium.com. Contact: Jessie Reyes Director of Marketing, Cadmium jessie.reyes@gocadmium.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cadmium-appoints-sean-brady-as-ceo-to-drive-next-phase-of-growth-302320010.html SOURCE Cadmium
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. (AP) — PGA Tour rookie Patrick Fishburn played bogey-free for an 8-under 64 for his first lead after any round. Joel Dahmen was 10 shots behind and had a bigger cause for celebration Friday in the RSM Classic. Dahmen made a 5-foot par putt on his final hole for a 2-under 68 in tough conditions brought on by the wind and cold, allowing him to make the cut on the number and get two more days to secure his PGA Tour card for next year. He is No. 124 in the FedEx Cup. “I still got more to write this weekend for sure,” said Dahmen, who recently had said his story is not yet over. “But without having the opportunity to play this weekend, my story would be a lot shorter this year.” Fishburn took advantage of being on the easier Plantation course, with trees blocking the brunt of the wind and two additional par 5s. He also was helped by Maverick McNealy, who opened with a 62 on the tougher Seaside course, making two bogeys late in his round and having to settle for a 70. Fishburn, who already has locked up his card for next year, was at 11-under 131 and led McNealy and Lee Hodges (63) going into the weekend. Michael Thorbjornsen had a 69 and was the only player who had to face Seaside on Friday who was among the top five. RELATED COVERAGE Angel Yin rides a hot putter to 2-shot lead in LPGA finale Martin Slumbers hangs his hat on making British Open big and promoting women’s golf Second round washed out at the Australian PGA and the tournament has been reduced to 54 holes What mattered on this day, however, was far down the leaderboard. The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the PGA Tour season, and only the top 125 in the FedEx Cup have full status in 2025. That’s more critical than ever with the tour only taking the top 100 for full cards after next season. Players like Dahmen will need full status to get as many playing opportunities as they can. That explains why he felt so much pressure on a Friday. He didn’t make a bogey after his opening hole and was battling temperatures in the low 50s that felt even colder with the wind ripping off the Atlantic waters of St. Simons Sound. He made a key birdie on the 14th, hitting a 4-iron for his second shot on the 424-yard hole. Dahmen also hit wedge to 2 feet on the 16th that put him on the cut line, and from the 18th fairway, he was safely on the green some 40 feet away. But he lagged woefully short, leaving himself a testy 5-footer with his job on the line. “It was a great putt. I was very nervous,” Dahmen said. “But there’s still work to do. It wasn’t the game-winner, it was like the half-court shot to get us to halftime. But without that, and the way I played today, I wouldn’t have anything this weekend.” His playing partners weren’t so fortunate. The tour put three in danger of losing their cards in the same group — Zac Blair (No. 123), Dahmen and Wesley Bryan (No. 125). The cut was at 1-under 141. Blair and Bryan came to the 18th hole needing birdie to be assured of making the cut and both narrowly missed. Now they have to wait to see if anyone passes them, which is typically the case. Thorbjornsen in a tie for fourth and Daniel Berger (66 at Plantation) in a tie for 17th both were projected to move into the top 125. Dahmen, indeed, still has work to do. Fishburn gets a weekend to see if he can end his rookie year with a win. “I’ve had a lot of experience playing in cold growing up in Utah, playing this time of year, kind of get used to playing when the body’s not moving very well and you’ve got to move your hands,” said Fishburn, who played college golf at BYU. “Just pretty happy with how I played.” Ludvig Aberg, the defending champion and No. 5 player in the world competing for the first time in more than two months because of knee surgery, bounced back with a 64 on Plantation and was back in the mix. Aberg played with Luke Clanton, the Florida State sophomore who looks like he belongs each week. Clanton, the No. 1 player in the world amateur ranking who received a sponsor exemption, had a 65 at Plantation and was two shots off the lead. Clanton already has a runner-up and two other top 10s since June. “Playing with him, it’s pretty awesome to watch,” Clanton said. “We were kind of fanboying a little it. I know he’s a really good dude but to be playing with him and to see what he’s done over the last couple years, it’s pretty inspirational.” ___ AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golfSHERIDAN (WNE) — With food insecurity reaching the highest level in a decade, Food Bank of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring all Wyomingites can fill their plates with nourishing food this Thanksgiving. “Whether it’s an unexpected car repair, a medical crisis or the elevated cost of living, no one should have to make the tough choice between providing food for their family or paying an essential bill,” said Food Bank of Wyoming Executive Director Jill Stillwagon. “That’s why the Food Bank is incredibly grateful for the support we receive from our community year-round, and especially during the holidays when a meal with family and friends is even more meaningful.” Currently, one in seven people in Wyoming is experiencing hunger, including one in five kids. In addition, Food Bank of Wyoming saw a 25% increase in the amount of food distributed to neighbors across Wyoming experiencing hunger in fiscal year 2024, which ended last June. This statistic underscores the critical need for ongoing support throughout the state. To meet increased demand this holiday season, Food Bank of Wyoming is preparing by sourcing food items to be distributed to local communities through their mobile pantries and 150 Hunger Relief Partners; helping Hunger Relief Partners fill their shelves with Thanksgiving food items; and procuring food through its robust purchasing power using funds donated by individuals and corporate donors. To help provide nutritious food to individuals and families this holiday season, the best way to support the Food Bank of Wyoming is by making a financial gift, which allows the Food Bank to make the greatest impact. To find food resources or to learn more about upcoming food distributions and food pantry locations, visit wyomingfoodbank.org/find-food . Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.Colorado's Travis Hunter to enter draft, vows to be full-time CB and WR in NFL
