Market Newsdesk

April 1, 2021 11:03 am

World Series of Poker® Announces Plans for 2021

The Gaming Industry’s Largest Poker Tournament Series Anticipated for Sept. 30 – Nov. 23 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino

Summer to See the Return of WSOP Online; WSOP Europe in Rozvadov to Round out 2021

PR Newswire

LAS VEGAS, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The World Series of Poker (WSOP) today announced much-anticipated plans for 2021, including the return of the live, in-person World Series of Poker event and $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship, best known as “The Main Event®”.

World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino

The world-famous tournament series, which experienced record-smashing participation in 2019 and adjusted to a hybrid format to accommodate 2020, will be back in-person at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino this fall pending applicable state and/or regulatory approvals. Cards will be in the air for a diverse calendar of events beginning Thursday, Sept. 30with all play concluding on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

The 2021 opening weekend is expected to feature a special charity event to benefit frontline health workers, a $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. and a $5 million GTD No-Limit Hold’em event billed as “The Reunion.”

Further details and specifics on the complete schedule will be released this summer.

“The Main Event” is expected to begin Thursday, Nov. 4 and run through Wednesday, Nov. 17. Players will have their choice of four starting days on Thursday, Nov. 4, Friday, Nov. 5, Saturday, Nov. 6, or Sunday Nov. 7. Players participating on Thursday or Friday will have their Day 2 on Monday, Nov. 8 if they survive the first day with chips. Those selecting Saturday or Sunday for an opening flight will play their Day 2 on Tuesday, Nov. 9, with the fields combining on Wednesday, Nov. 10.

Hotel room reservations are now being accepted across Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas resorts, including the headquarters at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, with rates as low as $60 for existing Caesars Rewards members. Visit www.caesars.com using promo code “WSOPM” to make your room reservations. Online pre-registration won’t open until this summer, after all events have been determined and approved by regulators.

Specific COVID-19 safety protocols and other related 2021 tournament policies will be reviewed with gaming regulators in the lead-up to the event. The World Series of Poker will be compliant with all directives from the state of Nevada regarding social distancing and capacity limits on the tournament dates.

“This year, more than ever, we embrace our role at the WSOP to deliver memorable experiences and bring this community of poker lovers back together. In 2021, the theme is, get vaccinated and get back to Vegas,” said Ty Stewart, WSOP Executive Director.

WSOP Online 2021

Building off last summer’s record-setting success for both domestic and international online poker tournaments, WSOP plans to fill the summer void with an exciting slate of WSOP Gold Bracelet online events.

In 2020, WSOP.com’s domestic series awarded nearly $27 million in prize money across its 31 events, making it far and away the biggest online tournament series in the history of U.S. regulated poker.

Similarly, WSOP Online 2020 was a massive draw for international players in partnership with GGPoker, with the WSOP Online Main Event smashing the Guinness Book World Record for largest online poker tournament with a $27.5 million prize pool for a single event. In total, nearly $150 million in prize money was awarded across the festival, including seven-figure prize pools in 45 events, making it amongst the biggest tournament series in history.

WSOP.com will hold the domestic tournaments on its All-American Poker Network beginning Thursday, July 1, closing with a $1,000 championship. Qualification will be available for as little as $1.

Complete information about the WSOP Online tournament schedule will be released and published on www.wsop.com on April 15, 2021. Additional information on the international component of WSOP Online 2021 will be published shortly thereafter.

WSOP Europe 2021

WSOP Europe is expected to round out the year of poker action with its return to King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic running from Friday, Nov. 19 through Tuesday, Dec. 8, subject to regulatory approval.

“We hope and anticipate travel restrictions will ease by the fall,” said Stewart. “It’s important to us that we have an excellent tournament schedule available to our European players.”

The tournament is expected to include 15 gold bracelet events, including a 10,000 euro buy-in WSOP Europe Main Event and a 50,000 euro High Roller event. For more information on King’s Casino and to book hotel rooms, visit https://kings-resort.com/.

Please note:

The ability to hold a live, in-person event will be subject to the state of the public health emergency due to COVID-19 and all applicable health, safety, and regulatory approvals, guidelines, and restrictions. WSOP reserves the right to make appropriate modifications to this plan and to the policies and procedures under which the tournament series may be held.

About the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker® is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than $3.29 billion in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2019, the event attracted 187,298 entrants from 118 different countries to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and awarded more than $293 million in prize money. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent of WSOP Europe in 2007 and the WSOP Asia-Pacific in 2013 and the WSOP International Circuit Series in 2015. All WSOP events are subject to the then-current and applicable WSOP tournament rules. For more information, please visit www.wsop.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our strategies, objectives and plans for future development or acquisitions of properties or operations, as well as expectations, future operating results and other information that is not historical information. When used in this press release, the terms or phrases such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “projects,” “plans,” “intends,” “expects,” “might,” “may,” “estimates,” “could,” “should,” “would,” “will likely continue,” and variations of such words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although our expectations, beliefs and projections are expressed in good faith and with what we believe is a reasonable basis, there can be no assurance that these expectations, beliefs and projections will be realized. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements which are included elsewhere in this press release. These risks and uncertainties include: (a) the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency, including (i) the extent and duration of the impact of the global COVID-19 public health emergency and measures to contain the public health emergency or mitigate its impact on the Company’s business, financial results and liquidity; (ii) the ability of the Company to modify its operations to comply with various state, tribal and local directives, mandates, and orders; (iii) the impact of actions the Company has undertaken to reduce costs and improve efficiencies to mitigate losses as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency, which could negatively impact guest loyalty and our ability to attract and retain our employees; and (iv) changes and instability in global, national and regional economic activity and financial market activity as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the impact on consumer discretionary spending and travel; (b) the possibility that the proposed acquisition of William Hill and the announced and proposed dispositions are not consummated on the expected terms or at all; (c) risks related to the Merger of the Company and CEC and the proposed acquisition of William Hill and the integration of their respective businesses and assets; (d) potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, including those resulting from the completion of the Merger and the proposed acquisition of William Hill; (e) the possibility that the anticipated benefits of the Merger and the proposed acquisition of William Hill, including cost savings and expected synergies, are not realized when expected or at all; (f) risks associated with increased leverage and additional rental expense resulting from debt financing undertaken in connection with the Merger and the proposed acquisition of William Hill and real estate transactions undertaken in connection with the Merger; (g) competitive responses to the Merger and the proposed acquisition of William Hill; and (h) additional factors discussed in the sections entitled “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s and CEC’s respective most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unknown or unpredictable factors may also cause actual results to differ materially from those projected by the forward-looking statements.

In light of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release might not occur. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, even if subsequently made available on our website or otherwise, and we do not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date on which the statement is made, except as may be required by law.

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SOURCE Caesars Entertainment

April 1, 2021 11:03 am

Rocket Pro TPO Announces Primary Sponsorship of #16 Chevrolet Piloted by Simona De Silvestro in the Indianapolis 500, First Female INDYCAR Team to Partner on Content Highlighting Women in the Mortgage Industry

– Rocket Pro TPO to serve as primary sponsor of the #16 Chevy, marking the first time a car has entered the Indy 500 touting the important role of mortgage brokers

– Paretta Autosport and Rocket Pro TPO to create ‘Rocket Accelerator’ campaign highlighting female leaders in both racing and mortgage industry

PR Newswire

INDIANAPOLIS, April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Paretta Autosport today announced Rocket Pro TPO, the division of Rocket Mortgage which works exclusively with independent mortgage brokers, will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 16 Chevrolet in the 105^th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Piloted by Simona De Silvestro, the #16 Chevrolet represents a groundbreaking achievement in INDYCAR as the first-ever entrant in the Indianapolis 500 from a team that is female-owned, female driven and largely female crewed. As the primary sponsor, Rocket Pro TPO will be front-and-center with dominant branding on the car, firesuit and crew suits.

“Having Rocket Pro TPO come onboard as our primary sponsor for this year’s Indy 500 is a perfect partnership,” said Beth Paretta, CEO/team principal of Paretta Autosport. “We are both huge proponents of highlighting the power of women, while also using technology and speed to be the best at what we do. I cannot wait for what we will be able to accomplish as a team – both on and off the track.”

Together, Rocket Pro TPO, Paretta and De Silvestro will partner on the ‘Rocket Accelerator’ multimedia campaign. The group will use unique and innovative ways to amplify women in the mortgage lending and racing spaces by showcasing female leaders who are thriving in these industries.

This campaign will be just the start of an ongoing commitment from the organizations to improve access to employment in mortgage and racing, increase the availability of mentorship opportunities and build a strong sense of community within the lender’s broker partner network.

“It is an honor to be able to use the Indianapolis 500 to highlight and amplify the important role that women play in our industry, in our company and in independent mortgage brokers’ offices all across the country,” said Austin Niemiec, Executive Vice President of Rocket Pro TPO. “Rocket Accelerator will be a central focus of our business as we look to expand opportunities and access for female brokers, while also creating educational programs for the next generation to give them the keys to unlocking their full potential with a robust career.”

“We all need to have our pedal to the metal and win in our respective industries. At the same time, this isn’t about crossing the finish line first, it is about lifting up others and helping them get there too,” said Stacey Van Roosendaal, President and CEO of Sundance Lending which is a Rocket Pro TPO broker partner. “Women can play a significant role in driving these industries to a better place. It is important we support and cheer for our professional sisters wherever they work.”

Rocket Pro TPO is a division of Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, and part of publicly traded Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT). The company supports the independent mortgage broker community, whose clients seek face-to-face service with the touch of localized expertise, by providing them the industry-leading Rocket technology and process that has enabled so many to achieve the American dream of homeownership.

Paretta Autosport’s formal entry into the 2021 Indianapolis 500 was recently accepted. The team is an extension of the INDYCAR series’ “Race for Equality and Change” announced last July to broaden equality in the sport. Paretta Autosport has a technical alliance with Team Penske.

About Paretta Autosport

Paretta Autosport is a new team competing in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. With a technical alliance with Team Penske, it will attempt to qualify and compete in the 2021 Indy 500 and beyond. More than racing, Paretta Autosport is an initiative to encourage and mentor girls and women to pursue careers in STEM-related fields. The team will incorporate women in key roles: mechanics, engineers, marketing, business operations, and more. Created by female automotive and motorsports executive Beth Paretta, the team is part of the INDYCAR series’ “Race for Equality and Change” initiative.

At Paretta Autosport, the competitive spirit drives us. We work hard and always strive for better: for ourselves, for our team, and for others. For more information go to www.parettaautosport.com.

About Rocket Pro TPO

Rocket Pro TPO is a division of Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, and a part of Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE: RKT). It works exclusively with mortgage brokers, community banks and credit unions. Rocket Pro TPO’s partners provide the face-to-face service their clients desire, while tapping into the expertise, technology and award-winning process from Rocket Mortgage. The partner loan officer creates, and maintains, the relationship with the client. Rocket Mortgage approves, underwrites, processes and closes the loan in its name.

For more information please visit www.rocketprotpo.com.

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SOURCE Rocket Pro TPO

April 1, 2021 11:03 am

Keysight, MediaTek Join Forces to Establish 5G Connectivity Based on 3GPP Release 16 Specifications

Keysight, MediaTek Join Forces to Establish 5G Connectivity Based on 3GPP Release 16 Specifications

Chipset maker uses Keysight’s 5G test platform to deliver modem solutions for smartphones, PCs and mobile hotspots

SANTA ROSA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS), a leading technology company that delivers advanced design and validation solutions to help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, announced that MediaTek, a leading chipset maker headquartered in Taiwan, has used Keysight’s 5G platform to establish 5G connectivity based on 3GPP release 16 (Rel-16) specifications and verified features of 3GPP technical enhancements and improvements including frequency range 1 and range 2 carrier aggregation, (FR1+FR2 NR-CA), new radio-new radio dual connectivity and others.

Shortly after the global standards organization 3GPP finalized the Rel-16 specifications, the two companies worked together to achieve physical player interoperability development testing (IODT). MediaTek used their latest M80 5G modem and Keysight’s 5G Protocol R&D Toolset to establish the link based on Rel-16, which offers enhancements including increased coverage, capacity, mobility and reliability, as well as lower latency and improved power efficiency to 5G new radio (NR) deployments.

“We are pleased to continue working with MediaTek on advancing the maturity of 3GPP Release 16, which is the latest 5G NR standard,” said Cao Peng, vice president and general manager for Keysight’s wireless test group. “Joining forces with a global fabless semiconductor company with leading 5G technology, enables Keysight to support an expanding ecosystem with 5G test solutions for verifying compliance to specifications mandated by 3GPP and mobile operators.”

MediaTek used Keysight’s integrated 5G test solutions to validate the chipset maker’s latest M80 5G modem, which combines mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G technologies into a single chip to support ultra-fast data speeds.

3GPP Rel-16 brings enhancements to existing Rel-15 features such as dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS), multiple input multiple output (MIMO) and carrier aggregation (CA), improving coverage, capacity, latency, power consumption, mobility and reliability. Rel-16 also leverages unlicensed spectrum, satellite communications, downlink-based positioning and integrated access, as well as backhaul (IAB), helps drive the industry towards realizing the vision of smart city, industrial internet of things (IIoT) and autonomous vehicles.

MediaTek also used Keysight’s 5G Protocol Conformance Toolset to validate the protocol signaling performance of the company’s M80 5G modem. The toolset offers the industry’s most comprehensive support for 5G protocol test cases validated by either GCF or PTCRB, a certification forum led by representatives from leading U.S. mobile operators.

About Keysight Technologies

Keysight delivers advanced design and validation solutions that help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight’s dedication to speed and precision extends to software-driven insights and analytics that bring tomorrow’s technology products to market faster across the development lifecycle, in design simulation, prototype validation, automated software testing, manufacturing analysis, and network performance optimization and visibility in enterprise, service provider and cloud environments. Our customers span the worldwide communications and industrial ecosystems, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics. Keysight generated revenues of $4.2B in fiscal year 2020. For more information about Keysight Technologies (NYSE: KEYS), visit us at www.keysight.com

Additional information about Keysight Technologies is available in the newsroom at https://www.keysight.com/go/news and on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

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Fusako Dohi, Asia

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INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Mobile/Wireless Security Telecommunications Software Networks Internet Hardware Data Management

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April 1, 2021 11:03 am

Seeking Context, Organizations Struggle With Fragmented External Data Market

Companies consider external data “very valuable,” especially amid uncertain market conditions, but lack the strategy, skills, time and resources to acquire it, according to new Explorium research

SAN MATEO, Calif., April 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Explorium, the automated external data platform for advanced analytics and machine learning, today released its 2021 State of External Data Acquisition report. The survey found that while 79% of organizations consider external data to be “very valuable,” only 28% have a data acquisition strategy in place. This is despite 81% of companies spending over $1M annually on external data, a further 31% spending over $6M and 78% planning to increase their data acquisition spending in 2021.

The rapid changes brought on by the COVID-19 crisis proved how quickly internal data can be made obsolete. Companies are turning to external data such as foot traffic, pricing data, firmographics, technographics and other marketing and financial attributes to better understand conditions and improve their predictive models. Third-party data is used to enhance analytical and machine learning models that forecast demand, understand buyer behavior, improve conversion rates, assess risk and detect fraud.

However, securing the correct data signals to improve these models is time-consuming and fragmented. 98% of surveyed companies engage with two data providers, and 69% of companies engage with three or more. In some cases, data stakeholders were using multiple tools for the same task.

All this shopping around creates major cost, productivity and compliance challenges that discourage organizations to leverage the benefits of external data. The survey documented a high positive correlation between the number of vendors a company engages with and money spent (0.89) and time spent (0.64) on data acquisition. 91% of surveyed companies report investing more than 20 hours per month on data acquisition. 49% are spending more than 50 hours per month.

“With more than 90% of external data buyers reporting that they struggle to find relevant data, and 77% admitting that they don’t even know what to look for, this report makes a clear case for automation,” said Maor Shlomo, Co-founder and CEO at Explorium. “Organizations need a single platform that can reduce the complexity of acquiring external data, demonstrate the uplift in predictive and machine learning models, ensure compliance and provide immediate access to the right insights.”

For more findings from the 2021 State of External Data Acquisition report, including the most popular types of external datasets companies purchased, download the full report.

About the Survey

The 2021 State of External Data Acquisition is an Explorium research survey conducted by an independent research team. The research team spoke to 100 data stakeholders inside US companies of 100+ people. 43% of the companies employed between 100-500 people, 26% between 501-1,000 people and the remaining respondents employed 1,000+ people. These companies ranged in industry, including Professional Services, Retail, Finance, Healthcare, Utilities and more.

About Explorium

Explorium offers the industry’s first automated External Data Platform for Advanced Analytics and Machine Learning — the single source for all organizational external data needs. Explorium’s all-in-one platform automatically matches internal enterprise data with thousands of relevant external data signals to improve ML models and accelerate ROI. With Explorium, data scientists, risk and fraud leaders, digital marketers and business analysts have instant access to all the relevant external data sources they need to make fast, informed decisions. Learn more at www.explorium.ai.

Media contact

Theresa Carper
415 848 9175
[email protected]

April 1, 2021 11:03 am

NFT pioneers Upland and Blockchain Heroes partner to launch joint NFT collectible card set

First cross-chain project merges individual art styles creating remarkable assets for the future card owners

PALO ALTO, April 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (via Blockchain Wire) – Blockchain-based metaverse Upland (https://upland.me/) and digital collectible card creator Blockchain Heroes (http://bcheroes.com/) today announced a new partnership to release a set of digital collectible cards titled: “Upland Collectibles: The Blockchain Heroes Edition” (more info at https://upland.cards). The partnership will allow Non-Fungible Token (“NFT”) collectible fans to own unique pieces of highly creative art tied to the two major NFT pioneers Upland and Blockchain Heroes. Each card of the set will be minted on the Wax blockchain as a NFT, allowing players to collect, trade, and sell them on digital marketplaces.

Upland is a blockchain-powered metaverse based on the real world and available on iOS, Android and Web. It offers players true ownership of virtual property NFTs based on actual addresses that they can buy, trade, and sell through the Upland marketplace for USD or its in-app currency. Upland is accessible to anyone regardless of location, and to date has launched the cities of San Francisco, New York and Fresno.

Boasting an active community of 100,000 monthly active users, a consistent number top ranking on DappRadar, and over 500,000 minted NFT property parcels to date, Upland is the leading blockchain-powered metaverse based on the real world.

Founded in 2020, Blockchain Heroes is a major NFT collectibles brand that features humorous parodies of emerging personalities and trends in crypto. Their most recent card set release, Stonk Wars, featured heroes inspired by the architects and supporters of the peaceful protest, and heroes inspired by major financial institutions and government agency leaders. The entire set featuring 7500 packs sold out in just 35 seconds.

The upcoming joint card set will feature a diverse range of art like commemorative postcards of Upland’s property collections, various 3D assets, Upland-style voxel versions of Blockchain Heroes characters, and even living legends from Upland’s own community in the form of their own block explorers, the game pieces of the metaverse.

“Blockchain Heroes is a pioneer of the NFT collectibles market and we’re incredibly excited to partner with one of the strongest blockchain metaverse brands out there“ said Joel Comm, co-creator of Blockchain Heroes. “Applying the Upland art style to our blockchain heroes character was lots of fun and produced awesome looking visuals” adds Jason Festa, Creative Director at Upland.

“We are very excited to continue to innovate, this time together with our partner Blockchain Heroes and to launch the first cross-chain project,” said Dirk Lueth, co-founder of Upland. Hagan Dietz-Rosales growth manager at Upland adds: “I just can’t get my eyes off these very special looking creatives and look forward to offering all owners soon additional utility for these cards in the Upland metaverse.”

The card set will sell in two waves at 12 noon ET (9am PT) and 9pm PT on April 6th 2021. Details can be found at https://upland.cards.

ABOUT UPLAND

Upland (https://upland.me/) is a NFT metaverse that sits on top of the real world, allowing users to buy, sell and trade virtual properties that are mapped to actual addresses. Upland follows the principles of an open market economy, using blockchain technology to ensure true ownership of digital assets. Upland is available on iOS, Android and web. Uplandme, Inc. was founded by Dirk Lueth, Idan Zuckerman and Mani Honigstein.

ABOUT BLOCKCHAIN HEROES

Blockchain Heroes (http://bcheroes.com/) is a creative and humorous parody of personalities and trends emerging in the crypto world, presented as the superheroes they might be in an alternate universe. Joel Comm and Travis Wright, co-hosts of the popular The Bad Crypto Podcast, are the creators behind the Blockchain Heroes brand. In May 2020, the duo also debuted The NiFTy Show, a live video podcast focusing on the non-fungible tokens (“NFT”) and digital collectible world.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Media Contact: Transform Group, [email protected]
Upland Contact: [email protected]
Blockchain Heroes contact: [email protected]

April 1, 2021 11:03 am

BlackRock to Report First Quarter 2021 Earnings on April 15th

BlackRock to Report First Quarter 2021 Earnings on April 15^th

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK) today announced that it will report first quarter 2021 earnings prior to the opening of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Laurence D. Fink, President, Robert S. Kapito, and Chief Financial Officer, Gary S. Shedlin, will host a teleconference call for investors and analysts at 8:30 a.m. ET. BlackRock’s earnings release and supplemental materials will be available via the investor relations section of www.blackrock.com, before the teleconference call begins.

Teleconference and Webcast Details

Members of the public who are interested in participating in the teleconference should dial, from the United States, (800) 374-0176, or from outside the United States, (706) 679-8281, shortly before 8:30 a.m. ET and reference the BlackRock Conference Call (ID Number 5079868). A live, listen-only webcast will also be available via the investor relations section of www.blackrock.com.

Both the teleconference and webcast will be available for replay by 11:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 15, 2021 and ending at midnight on Thursday, April 29, 2021. To access the replay of the teleconference, callers from the United States should dial (855) 859-2056 and callers from outside the United States should dial (404) 537-3406 and enter the Conference ID Number 5079868. To access the webcast, please visit the investor relations section of www.blackrock.com.

About BlackRock

BlackRock’s purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210401005158/en/

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Media Relations

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April 1, 2021 11:03 am

DEADLINE ALERT for LDOS, RRC, XL, and PLUG: The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Reminds Investors of Class Actions on Behalf of Shareholders

LOS ANGELES, April 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz reminds investors that class action lawsuits have been filed on behalf of shareholders of the following publicly-traded companies. Investors have until the deadlines listed below to file a lead plaintiff motion.

Investors suffering losses on their investments are encouraged to contact The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz to discuss their legal rights in these class actions at 310-914-5007 or by email to [email protected].

Leidos Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LDOS)
Class Period: May 4, 2020 – February 23, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 3, 2021

Throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the purported benefits of the Company’s acquisition of L3Harris’ Security Detection & Automation businesses were significantly overstated; (2) that Leidos’ products suffered from numerous product defects, including faulty explosive detection systems at airports, ports, and borders; (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Company’s financial results were significantly overstated; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

Range Resources Corporation (NYSE: RRC)
Class Period: April 29, 2016 – February 10, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 3, 2021

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Range Resources had improperly designated the status of its wells in Pennsylvania since at least 2013; (2) the foregoing conduct subjected the Company to a heightened risk of regulatory investigation and enforcement, as well as artificially decreased the Company’s periodically reported cost estimates to plug and abandon its wells; (3) the Company was the subject of a DEP investigation from sometime between September 2017 to January 2021 for improperly designating the status of its wells; (4) the DEP investigation foreseeably would and ultimately did lead to the Company incurring regulatory fines; and (5) as a result, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.

XL Fleet Corp. (NYSE: XL)
Class Period: October 2, 2020 – March 2, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 7, 2021

Shareholders with $50,000 losses or more are encouraged to contact the firm

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that XL Fleet’s salespeople were pressured to inflate their sales pipelines to boost the Company’s reported sales and backlog; (2) that at least 18 of the 33 customers that XL featured were inactive and had not placed an order since 2019; (3) that XL’s technology had been materially overstated and offered only 5% to 10% of fleet savings; (4) that XL lacks the supply chain and engineers to roll out new products on the announced timelines; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG)
Class Period: November 9, 2020 – March 1, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 7, 2021

Shareholders with $250,000 losses or more are encouraged to contact the firm

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company would be unable to timely file its 2020 annual report due to delays related to the review of classification of certain costs and the recoverability of the right to use assets with certain leases; (2) that the Company was reasonably likely to report material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting; and (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

To be a member of these class actions, you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about these class actions, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contacts

The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles
Frank R. Cruz, 310-914-5007
[email protected]
www.frankcruzlaw.com

April 1, 2021 11:03 am

DEADLINE ALERT for ROOT, VRM, and KRMD: The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Reminds Investors of Class Actions on Behalf of Shareholders

Root, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROOT)
Class Period: October 28, 2020 – March 8, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 18, 2021

The complaint filed alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, the Offering Documents and Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Root would foreseeably fail to generate positive cash flow for at least several years following the IPO; (2) accordingly, the Company would foreseeably require significant cash infusions to meet its cash flow needs; (3) notwithstanding the Defendants’ touting of Root’s purportedly unique, data-driven advantages, several of the Company’s established industry peers in fact possessed significant competitive advantages over Root with respect to, inter alia, telematics data and data engagement; and (4) as a result, the Offering Documents and Defendants’ public statements throughout the Class Period were materially false and/or misleading and failed to state information required to be stated therein.

Vroom, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRM)
Class Period: November 11, 2020 – March 3, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 21, 2021

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Vroom had not demonstrated that it was able to control and scale growth in respect to its salesforce to meet the demand for its products; (2) that, as a result, the Company was forced to discount aged inventory to move through its retail channels or liquidated in its wholesale channels; (3) that, as a result, the ecommerce gross profit per unit was reasonably likely to decline; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

Repro Med Systems, Inc. d/b/a KORU Medical Systems (NASDAQ: KRMD)
Class Period: August 4, 2020 – January 25, 2021
Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 25, 2021

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contacts

The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, Los Angeles
Frank R. Cruz, 310-914-5007
[email protected]
www.frankcruzlaw.com

April 1, 2021 11:00 am

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View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thinking-about-trading-options-or-stock-in-tencent-music-entertainment-ford-general-electric-micron-technology-or-cbs-corp-301260822.html

SOURCE InvestorsObserver

April 1, 2021 11:00 am

JetBlue Celebrates Earth Month by Announcing Meaningful, Short-term Actions to Advance Decarbonization Efforts and Benefit its Communities

JetBlue Celebrates Earth Month by Announcing Meaningful, Short-term Actions to Advance Decarbonization Efforts and Benefit its Communities

— JetBlue Sets Ambitious and Comprehensive Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Targets, Focuses on Achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2040, Expanding Usage of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Increasing Representation in Leadership and Robust ESG Governance —

— As part of its annual GreenUp^®Environmental Campaign, JetBlue is Encouraging Customers and Crewmembers to Lessen their Individual Impact and Participate in the Great Global Clean Up in Partnership with EARTHDAY.ORG —

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced an ambitious and comprehensive set of short and medium term ESG targets to achieve net zero carbon emissions for its airline operations by 2040, increase usage of renewable energy, significantly increase diverse representation in its leadership ranks, hold business partners accountable for sustainable business practices, and more. This Earth Month, JetBlue is accelerating its commitment to take critical and measurable steps toward reducing its contribution to climate change.

JetBlue views robust oversight of key ESG issues as good for business and in generating long-term value, and recognizes that customers expect clean, efficient, and affordable travel. That’s why JetBlue is helping lead the path in sustainable aviation. In 2020, JetBlue became the first U.S. airline to achieve carbon neutrality for all domestic flying, today primarily through carbon offsets while the industry builds up lower-carbon technologies to reduce direct emissions.

“Our vision is to lead the way to a lower-carbon future for aviation. To get there, we are focused on innovations that offer meaningful reductions in emissions – and are setting clear targets along the way,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “We’re facing climate change head on and are seeking opportunities to reduce natural resource consumption, such as increasing use of renewable energy and minimizing waste produced.”

While ESG is part of JetBlue’s business strategy, programs encouraging individuals to lessen their environmental impact remain a pillar of JetBlue For Good, the airline’s platform for social impact and corporate responsibility. Each April, JetBlue hosts its annual GreenUp campaign dedicated to bettering the communities it serves and help create a cleaner earth for future generations. This Earth Month, JetBlue is partnering with EARTHDAY.ORG, whose mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide, for the Great Global Cleanup highlighting volunteer opportunities throughout the airline’s network.

JetBlue Launches New ESG Targets

Environmental

Carbon neutrality is just one way JetBlue is preparing for a changing climate and ensuring a more sustainable business for its crewmembers, customers, shareholders and communities. JetBlue’s carbon reduction efforts focuses on decreasing emissions through fuel-efficient operations, aircraft, and usage of sustainable aviation fuels. JetBlue is setting clear targets to chart a path toward net zero.

Reduce emissions with carbon offsets:

Achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, including carbon offsets

Reduce direct emissions:

Decrease aircraft emissions 25 percent per available seat mile (ASM) by 2030 from 2015 levels, excluding offsets

Increase usage of sustainable energy:

Convert 10 percent of total jet fuel to be from blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030
Convert 40 percent of three main ground service equipment vehicle types to electric by 2025 and 50 percent by 2030

Reduce waste:

Eliminate single use plastics within service ware where possible. Where not possible, ensure plastic is recyclable
Maintain at least an 80 percent recycling rate for audited domestic flights

Social

Crewmember feedback and societal demands were part of the impetus for JetBlue to reexamine its relationships with crewmembers, business partners, customers, and the communities it serves. This included an evolution of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy, which now concentrates on three areas: people, sourcing and brand.

This year JetBlue’s senior leaders tied to their 2021-2023 long-term incentive plan (LTIP) compensation to key ESG metrics. An ESG Index was developed that measures leadership payouts based on percent reduction in company emissions per ASM, volume of sustainable aviation fuel used, spend toward underrepresented business partners, long-term efforts to engage and work with minority and women owned businesses (MWBE), and a more diverse slate of officers and directors.

“JetBlue’s reinforced DEI strategy includes an increased investment in crewmembers’ development, retention and growth, focusing on a more inclusive workplace that drives better decision-making and innovation, said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “We’re mobilizing our senior leadership team to create a more equitable workplace that better reflects the diverse communities we serve in all aspects of our airline. To ensure our success and strengthen shareholder value, ESG metrics will be tied to compensation and goals for JetBlue’s officers and directors.”

Leadership diversity:

Double race and ethnic minority representation at the officer and director level, from 12.5 percent today to 25 percent by the end of 2025.
Increase representation of women at the officer and director level, from 32 percent today to 40 percent by the end of 2025.

Business partner engagement:

Engage with 80 percent of top active business partners by spend on ESG principles within JetBlue’s Business Partner Code of Conduct by 2023

Governance

Oversight of material ESG risks and opportunities at JetBlue starts with its board of directors. In 2020, JetBlue’s board established a dedicated ESG subcommittee to manage and address key environmental and social issues, including identifying, monitoring, and mitigating climate-related risks and opportunities.

Board ESG Oversight:

An ESG subcommittee of the Board, consisting of at least 3 members, meets 3 times a year by 2021
Board-level accountability and areas of ESG oversight published by 2021

Board ESG Fluency:

Integrate ESG and DEI into Board member selection process by 2021

Executive Compensation:

Establish ESG goals tied to senior leadership compensation by 2021

JetBlue For Good’s Annual GreenUp Initiative Partners with EARTHDAY.ORG:

From April 1 – 30, 2021, customers and crewmembers are encouraged to visit jetbluegreenup.com, where they can enter the GreenUp sweepstakes (a.) for a chance to win a variety of carbon-neutral JetBlue prizes including one pair of roundtrip Mint tickets, JetBlue Vacations packages or JetBlue flight certificates. All carbon emissions for air travel awarded will be offset by JetBlue. Participants can receive additional entries in the sweepstakes by reviewing eco-friendly fun facts at jetbluegreenup.com and signing up for the EARTHDAY.ORG newsletter or participating in EARTHDAY.ORG’s Great Global Clean Up.

“Plastics and other pollution are destroying our communities, our drinking water systems, and our oceans, said Kathleen Rogers, EARTHDAY.ORG President. “Whether it’s a lot or a little, every piece of plastic and other waste materials that we remove from our beaches, our rivers, our hiking trails, and our parks makes a difference. Thank you to JetBlue for joining our efforts to restore our natural and urban landscapes.”

“We’re focused on reducing our environmental impact all year long. Earth Month serves as a great reminder that we can all lessen our individual impact, whether it’s preserving local natural spaces or participating in a global clean-up event. Our annual GreenUp campaign is one way we’re encouraging our customers and crewmembers to take steps in their daily lives, while we as an airline work on our own footprint,” continued Geraghty.

About JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is New York’s Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the U.S, Caribbean, and Latin America. For more information, visit jetblue.com.

		a.)		Official Rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59 PM ET on 4/30/21. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Sponsor: JetBlue Airways Corporation, located at 27-01 Queens Plaza North, Long Island City, New York 11101.

				Customers: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico who are 18 years of age or older. Void in the U.S. Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories and possessions. Subject to complete Official Rules.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210401005630/en/

Media Contact

JetBlue Corporate Communications

Tel: +1 718 709 3089

[email protected]

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