With Don O'Dell's expertise in quality service and safety, he is poised to lead New Crystal Restoration's project management team, further enhancing the company’s trusted reputation across the tri-state area. Learn more about his journey and the valuable skills he brings to this leadership role.

RT Specialty’s Hamilton, NJ office has promoted Justin Kochmer, Kelly Jackson, and Joe Fagan to Senior Account Managers, recognizing their contributions to enhancing the insurance experience for clients. Their dedication and leadership are expected to drive further success within the team.

Introducing new video series Unlocking Training Success with Lisa Lavender! A comprehensive video series for effective learning.

As part of the PCC’s efforts on human trafficking, we’re talking with advocates and lawmakers about what is being done to address the issue. Today I’m sharing a series of sound bites from an interview I did with Christine Commerce from the Alliance to End Human Trafficking. https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736783868848492574?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736796871337599054?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1736818153110307184?s=20              

Sarah Bowen of the Promise of Life Network crisis pregnancy center near Pittsburgh talked with me about the motivation behind the campaign by abortion advocates against the work these centers do, which is to provide women with support during an unplanned pregnancy. https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1703790777099235616?s=20   https://fb.watch/nccvJtmh6p/?mibextid=cr9u03  

The rise of new technologies is changing the way companies raise funds. Along with increased popularity of crowdfunding in recent years, a new form of funding has emerged – that is, the use of Initial Coin Offerings, or ICOs. In 2017, companies in the United States raised over $4 billion through ICOs; in 2018, more than $21 billion has been raised. ICOs generate many challenges for securities regulators, and also give rise to other issues including corporate governance, data protection, anti-money laundering and insolvency. Assistant Professor Aurelio Gurrea-Martínez from the SMU School of Law has conducted legal research on financial regulation. In this podcast, he shares his recent comparative and interdisciplinary study which addresses the issue of ICOs and makes recommendations to regulators and policy makers in a way that aims to promote innovation and firms’ access to finance without harming investor protection, market integrity and the stability of the financial system.

11/13/2024 - 7:30 PM - Venue: Park East Restaurant

A new paper presents the first clear evidence that the relationship between fog levels and vegetation status is measurable using remote sensing. The discovery opens up the potential to easily and rapidly assess fog's impact on ecological health across large land masses -- as compared to painstaking ground-level observation.

The post Hydrologists show environmental damage from fog reduction is observable from outer space appeared first on GeoSpace.

For pharmaceutical manufacturers, measuring and controlling moisture content is critical to ensure product safety, quality and efficient production since the amount of moisture in deliverables can have diverse effects when converting feedstock into products such as tablets, capsules, gel or liquid-based products.

ProMach brand Pharmaworks will debut their capability to handle new 100-percent recyclable, mono-material packaging films on their blister machines.

ANALYTICA, a behavioral sciences-based company in Edinburgh, as launched the first service that optimizes packaging using consumer psychology and neuroscience-led customer tests.

The new packaging for toilet cleaners is made with less plastic and more recycled material.

ProMach has acquired Grip-Pak, provider of multipack handle solutions for beverage companies packaging their products in cans or bottles, as well as retailers and wholesale distributors looking to promote or repack their SKUs.

Sabri Demirel has just been appointed new managing director of Romaco North America. He succeeds Charles Ravalli, who retired in April 2019. 

Acucote, a solutions-oriented pressure-sensitive adhesive coating manufacturer, has introduced WOff, a Wash Off Adhesive, a water-based formula that provides debonding of non-recyclable label materials from PET and glass containers, making them recoverable. 

Molkerei Forster is using self-separating cardboard-plastic combinations for its Milbona brand 500g natural yogurts, which are sold by Swiss retailer Lidl Schweiz.

Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery announced Mark Navin has been promoted to Vice President of Sales. Navin has been with the company for 25 years.

Psychologist Dr. Frank Froman on neuropsychology, managed care and diagnostic nomenclature.

It is now well accepted that virtually all brands, from the utmost recognized to the newly eager, face an unprecedented onslaught of counterfeiting and gray market trading. In emerging countries, this menace is bold and audacious, with outright fakes appearing in the open marketplace. In developed countries, the problem is equally insidious due to online propagation of counterfeit products through e-commerce platforms.

HMC fabricates and installs new HMC HFFS machines and rebuilt HMC/Bartelt® HFFS machines for flexible packaging solutions across numerous industries, such as snack food, food, cosmetic, healthcare, pharmaceutical, and household goods

Ardagh Metal Packaging and Crown Holdings finance AI and robotic technology for a California recycling facility with a 50% revenue share.

The farming season in the United States is in full swing, with crops being planted in the spring, tended throughout the summer, and harvested in early fall. When it's harvesting time, consumers usually focus on fresh produce, but what about canned food that provides produce year-round?

Labelexpo Americas 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois, was a key event for the label and package printing industry, featuring over 450 exhibitors. It offered live demonstrations and showcased the latest advancements in machinery and materials, underscoring its significance as a premier platform for industry innovation and networking since 1989.

The deal expands ProMach’s secondary packaging solutions for pharmaceutical applications and further enhances its turnkey line integration capabilities.

ProMach Pharma provides best-in-class processing and packaging technologies that help customers maximize line efficiencies and product quality.

Assets will add approximately 420,000 metric tons of integrated paperboard to Suzano’s annual production capacity.

By offering consumers the option to reuse the packaging, the company addresses the urgent issue of plastic pollution in the United States while providing convenient storage solutions.

With its large packing portfolio and secondary packaging expertise, Sidel has provided three adapted case packers to handle different homecare, automotive and insecticide products on three lines, contributing to an overall 40% production line increase.

Acquisition allows ProMach to establish a powerful position in the food and pet care sectors where can filling and sterilization are required.

Marketing campaign depicts a cast of funny and typical beach characters with whom consumers have likely interacted, and asks, “And you, what beach type are you?”

The trays originate from natural waste and are designed to return to the earth, fully decomposing into compost at the end of their lifecycle.

In addition to its vast portfolio of conveyance solutions, Sentry manufactures a wide array of packaging equipment, including case and bulk palletizing, de-palletizing, and robotic systems. 

The goal of the rebrand is to engage directly with health-conscious consumers as they increasingly seek high-quality and ethically sourced beef products. 

Reporting by Packaging Strategies over the last several months reveals the innumerable applications of inspection/detection/vision equipment.

Investment includes the acquisition of an AV Flexologic Corrugated Flat Mounting Machine and the integration of Reproflex3's high-definition Vortex™ screening technology.

Companies like Digimarc, Wipak, Inovar and Domino are demonstrating how advancements in coding, marking and printing are facilitating recycling efforts, lowering costs for brand managers, making it easier to hire qualified equipment operators, and more.

In this letter, dated January 16, 1801, Alexander Hamilton writes to James Bayard, a Federalist member of the U. S. House of Representatives from Delaware. Hamilton conveys his satisfaction that Bayard has decided to support Burr in the Election of 1800. He goes on to offer his criticisms of both Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson and his worst fears were either man to become president.
Fri, 30 Oct 2020 16:09:37 EST

Members of the United States House of Representatives are listed here in alphabetical order. Each entry includes life dates if known, a member's area of residence when first elected, period of service, and party affiliation when known. Before 1795 and again from the 1810s into the 1830s there were no well-organized political parties or parties were in flux, and for those time periods no affiliation is listed. Between 1795 and the 1810s most members are identified as Federalists or as Democratic-Republicans. The eight men who were elected to the House of Representatives in 1865 but not seated are also included in this list. John Mercer Langston, elected in 1890, was the first African American elected to Congress from Virginia. Leslie Larkin Byrne, elected in 1992, was the first woman elected to Congress from Virginia.
Mon, 04 Jan 2021 09:26:01 EST

Attracting Talent and Boosting Youth Engagement from Austin to LA jhammond@desti… Wed, 07/24/2024 - 20:40

From Campus to Career: The Critical Importance of Experiential Learning in Workforce Preparation jhammond@desti… Tue, 09/24/2024 - 16:52

Justin had the news from the People's Bank of China here on Monday:

• PBOC governor will maintain yuan exchange rate at a reasonable, balanced level

The PBOC governor Pan Gongsheng emphasized that the Bank will not let the yuan plummet without a fight:

• Will step up countercyclical adjustment
• Should resolutely guard against the risk of exchange rate overshoot

Today is an example of the Bank pushing back on yuan weakness, with the reference rate set 300+ points stronger for the CNY than was expected (in the Reuters model).

Offshore yuan has jumped (lower USD/CNH as shown in the chart below):

The USD is higher in trading today as the Trump trade continues. HIgher USD. Higher stocks. Bonds we don't know as the bond market is closed for Veterans Day today. Gold is lower but bitcoin in higher.

In this video, I take a look at the EURUSD, USDJPY and GBPUSD from a technical perspective.

EURUSD: The EURUSD fell below the swing lows from June between 1.0665 to 1.06705. That is below the low from last week at 1.06819. Staying below that area keeps the sellers in control. Absent a move above those levels and the buyers are not winning. ON the downside, the next support comes in at 2024 lows between 1.0600 to 1.06097.

USDJPY: The USDJPY has bounced higher and pushed to the 153.88 level. That level has helped to slow the run higher today. Recall from last week, the price did move above that level and ran to a high of 154.70 on the dollar buying after the Election before the corrective move lower (the price bottomed at the 100 bar MA on the 4-hour chart). So the pair is at a key technical level between support at the 100 bar MA on the 4-hour chart, and the high from last week at 154.70.

GBPUSD:The GBPUSD has seen more up-and-down momentum over the last few weeks of trading. It is trading near the low of that up and down range with 1.2832 to 1.2872 the swing area to get to and through to increase the bearish bias. On the topside gettting back above the low from 3 weeks ago comes in at 1.29065. That would need to be broken to give the buyers more confidence.

The USDCHF has moved higher in trading today and in the process moved above the swing highs from last week and swing area between 0.8772 to 0.8776. That area is now a close risk and bias-defining level. Staying above is more bullish.

The move above that area today has led to an increase in momentum with the price moving to and through the 50% midpoint of the move down from the Mqy 1 high. That level comes in at 0.87986 (near natural resistance at 0.8800).

The price is in trading above and below that level the last four or so hours of trading with a high price of 0.8804. Also in play on the topside is its 200-day moving average at 0.8817 and a swing area from 0.88187 to 0.88251. Get above those levels would open the door for more upside momentum.

So buyers and sellers are battling it out near the 50% midpoint and below the 200-day moving average. That is natural estranged can defined and limited risk against the technical levels. However, the price were to move above the 200-day moving average, the seller leaning now, should look to cover and push the price higher.

---------------------------------

USDCHF Summary

The USDCHF continues its upward trend, testing the 50% target level at 0.87986.

Key Levels:

Resistance

• 0.8817 (200-day MA)

• 0.88187-0.8825 (swing area)

Support

• 0.8772-0.87763 (last week's highs)

Outlook:

• Breaking above 0.88187-0.8825 opens door for more upside momentum.

• Moving below 0.8772-0.87763 gives sellers short-term advantage.

• Absent a breakdown, buyers remain in control, targeting new highs since July 31.

In the kickstart video, I take a look at the 3 major currency pairs:

EUR/USD Summary

The EUR/USD continued its downward trend due to concerns over slower economic growth and increased tariffs under President-elect Trump.

Key Points:

• Initially rose in the Asian session, but sellers took control near 1.0665-1.06703 swing area. That area was the lows from back in June.

• Staying below the lows from June kept the sellers in control

• Reached a low of 1.0606, testing April's swing lows and the year's lows (since October 2023). A move below the 1.0600 increases the bearish bias.

• Buyers may lean against the low as risk can be defined and limited against the level with stops on a break below.

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USD/JPY Summary

The USD/JPY exhibited volatility, with potential bullish signals.

Key Points:

1. Rose yesterday, then stalled between 153.59-153.88 (swing area).

2. Found support at 153.397 (61.8% of July's move down).

3. Broke above 153.88 (bullish signal).

4. Next targets: 154.54-155.09.

Outlook:

Bullish Scenario

Stay above 153.88, targeting 154.54-155.09.

Bearish Scenario

Move below 153.397 increases short-term bearish bias.

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GBP/USD Summary

The GBP/USD fell, breaking below two-week lows and the 200-day MA.

Key Points:

1. Broke below last week's low (1.28329) and 200-day MA (1.28178).

2. Reached 1.27915, then bounced.

3. Traded above and below 200-day MA.

Outlook:

Bullish Scenario

Move above 1.28329, 1.2844, and 1.2866 (50% of April's move) indicates buyer strength.

Bearish Scenario

Stay below 1.28329 and 1.2844 maintains seller confidence; breaking below 200-day MA again confirms bearish trend.

The AUDUSD has moved lower to a swing area low at 0.65357. The high of the swing area comes in at 0.65537. It would take a move above that level and then the 61.8% at 0.6575, to give the buyers more confidence and cause the sellers to have some cause for pause.

ON the downside, a break of 0.6535 would target the low from last weekend 0.6511. That is near the last two session lows going back to early August. oh below that level and traders look toward 0.6463 to 0.6486.

The price action last week in the AUDUSD was up and down with big moves in either direction.Through the first two days of this week, volatility is less, but the bias is more to the downside. That bias would be even more bearish if the 0.6535 level can be broken along with the low price from last week at 0.6511.

------------------------------------

AUD/USD Summary

The AUD/USD fell to a swing area low at 0.65357.

Key Points:

1. Swing area: 0.65357 (low) - 0.65537 (high).

2. Buyers need a break above 0.65537 and 0.6575 (61.8% level).

3. Sellers target last weekend's low: 0.6511.

Outlook:

Bullish Scenario

Move above 0.65537 and 0.6575 boosts buyer confidence.

Bearish Scenario

Break below 0.6535 and 0.6511 confirms bearish bias, targeting 0.6463-0.6486.

Levels to Watch:

• Resistance: 0.65537, 0.6575

• Support: 0.65357, 0.6511, 0.6463-0.6486

Last week, the tech giants — Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta — released their quarterly reports, which showed steady revenue and profit growth across the board, pretty much in line with previous ones.

However, except for the results of Jeff Bezos’ company and Amazon stock, the investors were not “fully satisfied.” Mixed forecasts for the next quarter and expected spending were of concern, especially in AI.

Although companies are confident in AI's enormous potential, developing and building the infrastructure to support it is proving costly, and results continue to fall short of expectations.

Right now, the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom are similar to those in the gold rush — the ones supplying the tools. In today’s terms, that means essential hardware and cloud service providers.

For example, Microsoft Cloud quarterly revenue grew 22% year-over-year to $38.9 billion, with Azure and other cloud services experiencing a 33% increase, about 12% of which was driven by AI services.

Amazon's AWS, in turn, generated $27.4 billion in Q3. Although slightly below expectations, growth in this segment remains strong at 19% (up from 12% last year), underscoring the growing demand for it.

Chipmakers, which drive these AI advances, are also experiencing huge gains. Leading the way is Nvidia, which recently surpassed Apple in market capitalization to become the world's most valuable company.

Taiwan's TSMC, a major chip supplier to giants such as Nvidia, Apple, and AMD, is also thriving. TSMC's technology powers leading-edge products in smartphones and advanced computing systems.

TSMC's third-quarter revenue rose 36% to $23.5 billion, while net profit soared 54.2% to $10.1 billion. Revenue from high-performance computing chips now accounts for 16% of the company's profit.

Who else benefits from the AI boom?

The list is not short: data centers, telcos, and networking companies are all reaping benefits, as are mining companies, driven by increased demand for metals and materials for chips and electronics.

Another big beneficiary could be the energy sector. Following the rise of AI tools such as ChatGPT, the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology noted that global energy demand is expected to double.

Apparently, a single ChatGPT query requires ten times more energy than a Google search. As AI usage increases, so will the need for more data centers that do not run on air.

The minister expects a seven-fold increase in the use of solar and wind power, at least a 65% increase in demand for LNG, and a continued reliance on oil for fuel and other products.