Holiday car thieves had their busiest day in 2014 on, ironically, Labor Day, stealing 2,200 vehicles according to new data released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). NICB’s 2014 Annual Holiday Vehicle Theft Report analyzes data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which showed a total of 695,246 vehicle thefts for the year.
After Labor Day, New Year’s Day was the next most active holiday with 2,011 thefts. Halloween came in third with 2,010 thefts followed by Memorial Day with 1,933 thefts. Independence Day rounds out the top five holidays for 2014 with 1,877 thefts.
The holidays with the fewest thefts in 2014 were Christmas Day with 1,225 thefts and Thanksgiving with 1,384 thefts.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523155-nicb-holiday-vehicle-theft-report/
Last winter was one of the harshest, hitting millions of Americans with spikes in their winter utility bills. Unfortunately, here we are, one year later, facing yet another polar vortex. Meteorologists predict some of the coldest blasts of frigid temperatures over the next several days, which has energy experts worried about the impact on consumers’ utility bills, as well as on the reliability of the electric grid we all depend on.
As Polar Vortex 2015 moves across the country, consumers could face spikes in electricity bills, with seniors on fixed incomes and lower income Americans hit the hardest. According to a recent survey, high energy prices already have forced more than 40 percent of low-income seniors to go without needed medical or dental care, and even to skip meals or shut off the heat on cold days.
It may seem odd to be predicting another energy price spike since oil, natural gas and coal prices have all fallen recently. But it’s not the market that will be driving prices higher. It’s politics.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7221731-national-mining-association-americans-electricity-bill-increase-due-to-epa-regulations/
CVS Health (NYSE:CVS), the nation’s largest pharmacy innovation company, today announced Be The First, a five-year $50 million initiative to help deliver the nation’s first tobacco-free generation. Through this initiative, which is funded through CVS Health and the CVS Health Foundation, the company is extending its commitment to help people lead tobacco-free lives. Recognizing that tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in the United States and that youth use of some tobacco products is on the rise, Be The First comprises comprehensive education, advocacy, tobacco control and healthy behavior programming in partnership with organizations uniquely positioned to tackle this public health challenge.
“We are at a critical moment in our nation’s efforts to end the epidemic of tobacco use that continues to kill more people than any other preventable cause of death, and threatens the health and well-being of our next generation,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., and Chief Medical Officer for CVS Health. “Ensuring our youth stay tobacco-free requires increased education and awareness of healthy behaviors. We’re partnering with experts across the public health community who have established best practices to help prevent tobacco use. And, by establishing more public-private partnerships to implement these strategies more aggressively, we can help increase the number of people leading tobacco-free lives and move us one step closer to delivering the first tobacco-free generation.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7775151-cvs-health-be-the-first/
XQ Institute is launching XQ: The Super School Project, a challenge to reimagine and design the next American high school. Harnessing the best of American ingenuity in cities and towns across the country, XQ aims to help spark a movement to rethink the American high school—an institution that was designed to meet the needs of the Industrial Revolution and hasn’t changed in more than a century.
“Our nation is radically different than it was 100 years ago. Nearly every aspect of our daily lives—from how we communicate to how we work and play—has changed dramatically,” said Laurene Powell Jobs, Chair of the board of XQ Institute. “But our high schools have stayed frozen in time. Together, we have an opportunity to help fuel a movement for students, to inspire great high schools, and even to rethink school itself. Our passion at XQ is to help educators everywhere foster students who are curious, engaged, and creative—armed with the new literacies, knowledge, and skills needed to thrive,” she added. “To do that, we must use our collective imagination.”
From the Model T to the Tesla and the switchboard to the smart phone—everything has changed except for how we prepare our kids for the future. XQ: The Super School Project is a rallying call to America to change the outdated model that has failed to prepare our students for the demands of the global economy, and an open call to every community to rethink high school for today and tomorrow. XQ Institute will provide a fund of $50 million to support at least five selected schools over the next five years. It will also partner with them to provide expert support and guidance to turn their ideas into real Super Schools that can inspire the country.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7611851-xq-institute-super-school-project/
Fight for the hungry, fight for the homeless and fight for the hopeless. Newly appointed Commissioner David Hudson, National Commander of The Salvation Army, has issued a call for action as the holiday season approaches. As one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the country, with a presence in every ZIP code and a structure akin to the military, The Salvation Army is asking supporters to join the Fight for Good, the official theme of the 2017 Red Kettle Campaign.
“With the holiday season on the horizon, now more than ever we see the challenges of those faced with hardship,” said Commissioner Hudson. “There are families who don’t know where their next meal will come from, parents choosing between Christmas presents and the utility bill, and the recent natural disasters have displaced hundreds of thousands of people who don’t know where they will have a warm bed, if at all. It is more important than ever that we lift others up during the holidays.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8179631-salvation-army-red-kettle-fight-for-good/
BloodCenter of Wisconsin’s Diagnostic Laboratories today announced the availability of a comprehensive cancer mutation HemeOnc Panel using next generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The NGS panel developed by BloodCenter of Wisconsin is designed to detect variants in 30 genes that are either prognostic or diagnostic for 10 different myeloid hematologic malignancies.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7363151-bloodcenter-of-wisconsin-launches-next-generation-sequencing-hemeonc-panel/
The European Report on Development (ERD) 2013 seeks to contribute to the global reflection on the post-2015 development agenda.
Based on an assessment of the Millennium Development Goals experience and on an analysis of the changing international context, and likely trends for the next 20-30 years, the ERD 2013 looks at key potential drivers of a post- 2015 global partnership, to tackle poverty in the poorest countries and promote structural transformation in an inclusive and sustainable manner.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60634-ec-post-2015-sustainable-future-plan
Celebrating its fifth anniversary next year, the JNA Awards, the jewellery and gemstone industry's premier platform for recognising innovative and high-achieving individuals and enterprises, announces changes to its award categories.
The organiser of the event, JNA (Jewellery News Asia), has made adjustments to a few award categories to encourage greater participation from more regions and, at the same time, consolidate some categories that are judged against a similar set of criteria. In 2016, the JNA Awards will have 11 categories, including the Lifetime Achievement Award -- the recipient of which will be selected by the organiser.
Of the above-mentioned list, the two Manufacturer of the Year categories have been broadened to encourage wider stakeholder involvement from the manufacturing sector. The scope of the Outstanding Enterprise of the Year categories has also been expanded to inspire companies from regions outside of the ASEAN and Mainland China to join the awards.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7705051-jna-awards-2016/
For consumers in the market for a new car, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the new—and newly redesigned—models that have been released since they last bought a car. Autotrader’s editorial team is helping consumers narrow down the many choices on the market today by selecting the top 10 vehicles that shoppers should experience for themselves. Announced today, Autotrader’s Must Test Drive vehicle lineup for 2016 includes a wide range of body styles to ensure that no matter what kind of vehicle a shopper is considering, the list will point them in the right direction for their next purchase.
“We created the Must Test Drive Awards to highlight vehicles that are unexpectedly good,” said Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader. “We have a chance to drive a lot of cars, but few leave us certain that shoppers are missing out if they don’t take them for a spin. The 10 vehicles we chose this year did just that.”
A car is typically one of the biggest purchases a consumer makes, and a recent Autotrader survey showed that 84 percent of consumers say it is extremely important to test drive a vehicle they’re considering. The top three things they look for during test drives are performance, comfort and handling. While 30 percent wait to test drive vehicles until they know the exact model they want to buy, 44 percent get behind the wheel when they’re still considering a few options.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7790751-autotrader-must-test-drive-awards/
Amway today announced the launch of its next generation education platform for Independent Business Owners, Amway Education. The revamped collection of nearly 100 free online training videos and resources are specially designed to practically support today’s aspiring and current business owners.
Building on its existing training resources, which fuel the potential of every Independent Business Owner of the world’s number one direct seller, Amway Education will deliver best-in-class video content, alongside the expert mentor access IBOs already receive. Courses are offered in five languages, allowing users to coach others without communication restrictions.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7784254-amway-education-multi-lingual-platform/
Drivers of vehicles with good small overlap front ratings from the Insurance Institute from Highway Safety can expect to be protected well in a frontal crash involving the left corner of the vehicle. But how would the passengers sitting next to them fare in a right-side small overlap crash? A new study shows that good protection doesn’t always extend across the front seat.
The Institute conducted 40 mph passenger-side small overlap tests on seven small SUVs with good driver-side small overlap ratings. Only one of the vehicles, the 2016 Hyundai Tucson, performed at a level corresponding to a good rating, and the others ran the gamut from poor to acceptable.
The results have prompted IIHS to consider instituting a passenger-side rating as part of its TOP SAFETY PICK criteria.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7856251-ad-council-embrace-refugees/
MSC Cruises — the Swiss-based world’s largest privately-owned cruise line and brand market leader in Europe, South America and South Africa — revealed the names and concepts for the two exclusive Cirque du Soleil at Sea shows that will be performed on board MSC Cruises’ new next-generation flagship, MSC Meraviglia. The long-term partnership between MSC Cruises and Cirque du Soleil will set new standards in live entertainment at sea. The world leader in artistic entertainment will create a total of eight original shows exclusively available on MSC Cruises’ Meraviglia generation ships, coming into service between June 4, 2017 – with MSC Meraviglia – and Fall 2020.
“We are committed to creating unique opportunities that elevate the guest experience to new heights and, for this, we work with innovative, world-class leaders in their sector. It was thus only natural that, when it comes to entertainment, we would look to partner with Cirque du Soleil,” said Gianni Onorato, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7807952-msc-cruises-cirque-du-soleil/
