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Airbnb’s $10M OMG! Fund to Finance the World’s Craziest and Most Unique Ideas

YourUpdateTV

From a UFO house to a giant potato hotel, the growing trend of flexible living encourages travelers to seek out more unexpected places to stay. This demand has created new opportunities for creative hosts with awe-inspiring spaces to share – and now, Airbnb is helping those with an out-of-this-world idea to bring their vision to life with a $10M fund. Recently, Kristie Wolfe, host of the Big Idaho Potato Hotel and member of the OMG! Fund judging panel, conducted a satellite media tour to talk about the OMG! Fund and her experience being an Airbnb host. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/XPKfKgzbCuk The first-of-its-size OMG! Fund is seeking original and offbeat ideas from existing and aspiring designers, architects, DIYers and makers from around the globe. The fund's $10 million will finance 100 of the craziest and most unique property ideas, giving 100 people the chance to turn them into actual Airbnb OMG! Category listings, which are Airbnb’s collection of one-of-a-kind, offbeat homes. Starting June 22nd, 2022, anyone with an out-of-this world idea for an OMG! Category listing can submit an application at airbnb.com/omgfund. One hundred people with the 100 craziest ideas will receive a grant of $100,000* each to make their fantastical creations possible and, ultimately, bookable. Ideas will be judged for their uniqueness, creativity, feasibility, sustainability and how immersive an experience they might provide for guests. The fund is shaped in part by the growing trend of flexible living that has emerged in the past two years. As part of this shift, Airbnb guests are craving more unexpected spaces that become the destinations themselves, and Airbnb Categories, which launched last month, provide a new way to search for these spaces. Over 30,000 unique listings across the world were added to Airbnb in 2021 and the OMG! Category showcases the craziest amongst them, making it easy for guests to discover these listings in places they wouldn't have otherwise looked. Additionally, Hosts of unique listings saw a 138 percent increase in worldwide earnings from 2019 to 2021, with nights booked at unique properties increasing globally by over 45 percent in the same two-year timespan. Applications for the OMG! Fund open today for a period of 30 days, through July 22 at 11:59 pm ET. The 100 grant recipients will be selected by the panel over the coming months, with the intent of having several newly-constructed spaces available for booking next year. To find out more about the OMG! Fund and how to apply go to airbnb.com/omgfund About Kristie Wolfe Kristie is a proud Idahoan who is passionate about living simply. In the winter of 2013, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of building her very own treehouse in Hawaii and sharing it with travelers from around the world. From the success of that unique stay, she has since been able to build a hobbit hole, refurbish a fire lookout and, of course, has transformed an over a 6-ton spud into a space guests can sleep in! Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 28, 2022 02:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Perfitly Partners with To Act Brand to Introduce Virtual Fitting Room Solutions to Plus-Size Shoppers

Perfitly

Perfitly, a virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) and AI-powered virtual fitting room solution that is being integrated into the e-commerce platforms of the nation’s leading retailers, today announced its partnership with Germany/UK-based To Act Brand, a plus-size women’s apparel brand catering to sizes between 42-54. Through the partnership, To Act Brand will incorporate Perfitly’s cutting-edge virtual fitting platform, including size recommendations and visualizations, into its e-commerce channel, allowing the brand to better engage shoppers while increasing conversion and reducing return rates. Perfitly’s solutions will help plus-size shoppers find their perfect fit when shopping on To Act Brand’s website. Once on the homepage, customers can create a digital avatar of themselves and select any fashion piece in To Act Brand’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection, to virtually try on and personalize by sizing up and down. “Working with Perfitly has enabled our brand to offer shoppers beautiful plus-size clothing through an interactive shopping experience that mimics brick and mortar stores,” said Anna Carlotta, CEO and Co-Founder of To Act Brand. “We are looking forward to delighting our shoppers with a fun way to engage with our collections while seeing higher conversion rates and reduced returns due to the virtual fitting room technology we now have access to. Additionally, we’re proud to now offer a solution to shoppers that will also increase our sustainability efforts in the fashion industry.” Size inclusivity has been a major issue for the retail and fashion industries, with shoppers of all sizes needing to return their clothing items often. To Act Brand now joins Perfitly's repertoire of boutique brands and global clients who are using virtual fitting room solutions to provide accurate virtual fitting and enhanced shopping experiences for their target audiences, eliminating the need for returns. “Working with To Act Brand has been a great opportunity to expand our footprint in the European market and showcase our technologies in collaboration with a size-inclusive brand that’s working to combine sustainability goals with a next-level e-commerce experience,” said AJ Jarzebiak, Head of Product Strategy and Business Development at Perfitly. “It’s rewarding to help our clients become disrupters within their industries, especially as the e-commerce space continues to become more competitive.” Following this partnership, Perfitly will continue to expand its business development on a global scale by working with retailers of all sizes and expects to see an influx of traffic to their core business and metaverse applications throughout 2022. To learn more about Perfitly, please visit Perfitly.com and for more information on To Act Brand visit ToActBrand.com. About Perfitly: Perfitly is a virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) and AI powered virtual fitting room solution that is being integrated into the e-commerce platforms of the nation’s leading retailers. Perfitly’s cutting-edge size recommendation and visualization platform serves fashion brands and works to help increase sales and conversion and reduce returns, while enhancing sustainability. Perfitly enables shoppers to try on clothes, find their perfect fit and look, and purchase with confidence - all from the comfort of their homes. To learn more, please visit: Perfitly.com. About To Act Brand: To Act Brand aims to take plus-size fashion out of its niche and in doing so, the brand celebrates and embraces the diversity of curvy bodies and their shapes with bold colours, patterns and exciting cuts. To shop the collection, please visit: ToActBrand.com. Contact Details North 6th Agency for Perfitly Paige Blair perfitly@n6a.com Company Website https://www.perfitly.com/

June 28, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Growing Global Hunger Crisis Requires Immediate Unwavering Commitment and Support

Mary's Meals USA

The catastrophic impact on world feeding programs from the confluence of conflicts, climate, COVID, rising prices and disrupted supply chains requires immediate coordinated action. Mary’s Meals, an international school feeding charity, believes resource sharing and increased financial support is urgently needed to help prevent a worldwide humanitarian hunger crisis, the effects of which may be felt for years to come. Children are bearing an outsized impact of the growing global food crisis. “For 20 years, Mary’s Meals has provided children in the world’s poorest communities with a daily meal in their place of education. Since we’ve been doing this, I cannot remember so many humanitarian crises unfolding at one time in the world. We continue to see that children are disproportionally impacted by these crises,” states Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder, and CEO of Mary’s Meals, which feeds 2.2 million children every school day in 20 developing countries. “The urgent need for humanitarian aid is evident and must be answered. We are in a race against time to address widespread hunger today, while creating programs to end chronic poverty, enable food independence and reduce dependence on external aid. Increased cooperation by developed countries and increased financial support will be crucial to address the sheer scale of hungry people as rising costs, natural disasters, disrupted supply chains and conflict converge. We firmly believe that hunger isn’t an abstract concept – it is the aching belly of children whose health and dreams are being stolen from them,” states Mr. MacFarlane-Barrow. Mary’s Meals advocates that the growing global food crisis demands that the world’s developed countries commit to helping those in the world’s poorest countries most impacted today. In its ongoing work, Mary’s Meals witnesses this impact every day. Yemen is described as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The people of South Sudan and Ethiopia are victims of ongoing conflict, in which entire communities are displaced, leaving families dependent on foreign aid. For nations like Haiti, Madagascar and Malawi, natural disasters compounded the chronic poverty and hunger. ### About Mary’s Meals Mary’s Meals is a global movement that sets up school feeding projects in some of the world’s poorest communities, where poverty and hunger prevent children from gaining an education. Mary’s Meals works with in-country volunteers to provide one daily meal in a place of learning to attract chronically poor children into the classroom, where they receive an education that can be their ladder out of poverty. Mary’s Meals began by feeding just 200 children in Malawi in 2002. Today, the organization feeds 2,279,941 hungry children every school day across five continents, in the following countries: Benin, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Myanmar, Niger, Romania, South Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Mary’s Meals collaborates with the U.N. World Food Program and is part of the global School Meals Coalition, an emerging initiative of governments and partners to drive actions that can urgently reestablish, improve, and scale up food and education systems. For more information about Mary’s Meals visit: www.marysmealsusa.org or follow Mary’s Meals on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Interviews Interviews with Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder and CEO of Mary’s Meals, are available. Additional images and information are available upon request. Contact: Helena Finnegan, +1 239-290-7788, helena.finnegan@marysmeals.org. Contact Details Mary's Meals USA Paul McMahon +1 781-910-0904 paul.mcmahon@marysmeals.org Company Website https://www.marysmealsusa.org/

June 28, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Bring the Indoors Outside!

YourUpdateTV

The last two years transformed how people entertain in their homes, placing a greater emphasis on the outdoors. One of this summer’s emerging design trends is the concept of bringing indoor furniture and decor outdoors to achieve that cozy, homey feeling in your backyard. Recently, New York-Based Interior Designer, Mikel Welch conducted a satellite media tour to share tips on how to achieve that indoor look outside. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/Y1DjHjaFGlc For years, the tradition has been bringing elements of the outdoors inside. This summer, we’re turning this tradition around and showcasing several furniture pieces and styles that can help you bring elements of the indoors outside. Mikel Welch — a sought-after design expert and media personality renowned for his DIY decor tutorials — shared tips to embrace this trend and get ready to host summer parties by upgrading your outdoor space with indoor furniture and decor. With new research from payment network Affirm finding that the average consumer will spend $4,000 on home upgrades this year, Mikel also shared hacks to redo your space without going over budget, including how to use Affirm to pay over time for furniture and decor so you don’t have to compromise on the items you want and love. Affirm is a transparent and flexible payment alternative to credit cards that allows consumers to split the cost of their eligible purchases and pay over time at over 200,000 retail partners, including home and design merchants such as Article, Casper, Home Threads, Lowe’s, Pottery Barn, Purple, Room & Board, Target, Walmart, West Elm, Williams Sonoma and more. Eligible consumers can select Affirm at checkout and once approved, spread a purchase out into biweekly or monthly payments, with terms ranging from six weeks to 60 months. For example, a $800 purchase might cost $73/mo over 12 months at 15% APR. Affirm shows consumers exactly what they’ll pay upfront in simple dollars, and never charges late or hidden fees, ever. Download the Affirm app or sign in at affirm.com to make payments. About Mikel Welch Mikel Welch is a New York-based interior designer and host of Roku’s Murder House Flip and the Design contributor on The Drew Barrymore show. On camera, Mikel shows viewers tips and tricks for renovating homes with luxury looks at affordable prices. Mikel is a former on-air personality of TLC’s Trading Spaces, and his designs have been featured on HGTV, The Real Housewives Of Atlanta and Good Morning America. Most recently, House Beautiful Magazine named Mikel as one of the 2020 NEXT WAVE designers. His work has also been featured in Veranda, Architectural Digest, Traditional Home, Elle Decor, People, The New York Times and several other shelter magazines Mikel has also had the honor of designing lavish VIP green rooms for prominent personalities, including First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Faith Hill, Steve Harvey, and Halle Berry. About Affirm Affirm is a transparent and flexible payment alternative to credit cards that allows consumers to split the cost of their eligible purchases and pay over time at over 200,000 retail partners, including home and design merchants such as Article, Casper, Home Threads, Lowe’s, Pottery Barn, Purple, Room & Board, Target, Walmart, West Elm, Williams Sonoma and more. Whether looking to nest a new home or just spruce up backyard space ahead of summertime entertaining, eligible consumers can select Affirm at checkout and once approved, spread a purchase out into biweekly or monthly payments. Affirm shows consumers exactly what they’ll pay upfront in simple dollars, and never charges late or hidden fees, ever. Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check, may not be available in all states, and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. CA residents: Loans by Affirm Loan Services, LLC are made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lender license. Follow Affirm on social media: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter. Your rate will be 0% APR or 10–30% APR. Payment options through Affirm are subject to eligibility, and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. Options depend on your purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. Affirm, Inc., NMLS ID 1883087. Affirm Loan Services, LLC, NMLS ID 1479506. CA residents: Loans by Affirm Loan Services, LLC are made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lender license. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 27, 2022 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Stupid Cancer and its partners release a statement regarding abortion access for cancer patients

Stupid Cancer, Inc.

The following joint statement was issued today by Stupid Cancer's Board of Directors and co-signed by Bright Spot Network, Cactus Cancer Society, Cervivor, Elephants and Tea, Escape, Family Reach, Fuck Cancer, Imerman Angels, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Teen Cancer America, True North Treks, and The Ulman Foundation. Stupid Cancer and its Board of Directors is committed to the empowerment of people affected by adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer. As patient advocacy organizations serving AYA patients, we join the medical community in fully renouncing any efforts to limit or remove access to safe abortion care. Abortion is a safe and essential healthcare right. Patients with cancer may face many difficult choices in their treatment journey. Patients who learn of a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy often must choose between continuing pregnancy (delaying essential life-saving treatments) and termination of pregnancy. Surgeries or medical treatment for cancer that could also result in loss of pregnancy would be considered abortion under certain state laws. This threatens the patient’s ability to receive cancer care in a timely fashion. Additionally, the continued interference of state legislatures into individuals’ personal healthcare decisions undermines the principles of the patient-physician relationship. These decisions are personal and should be made by patients in discussion with their medical team and not limited by legal consideration. Changes occurring in state laws ( Texas SB8, Oklahoma HB4327 ) and the recent ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization raise grave concerns regarding access to abortion care in this country. Multiple leading medical organizations including American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) 1, Society for Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2, American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 3, North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (NASPAG) and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) have denounced the opinions of this ruling. Given trigger laws in effect in at least 25 states, swift and immediate loss of abortion access is expected. A joint statement from NASPAG/SAHM 4 outlines how these changes would affect adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients in particular. AYA patients undergoing cancer care often consider options for preserving their fertility prior to cancer therapies, including freezing embryos. Given the confusion and misconceptions that anti-abortion legislation has caused and more recent bans starting with fertilization, we also have grave concerns that these laws and those that follow will limit the ability of patients to access fertility preservation techniques and have control over reproductive decision making of their stored tissue in the future. Finally, given misconceptions about the mechanisms of actions of many of the most effective contraceptive methods (including emergency contraceptives), we have serious concerns about the potential for limitations on AYA patients' access to the best form of contraception for them. We, the undersigned, are patient advocacy nonprofit organizations supporting AYA patients and their loved ones. We remain committed to advocating for the AYA community to have resources to navigate treatment and survivorship on their own terms, inclusive of access to abortion care. Signed Stupid Cancer, Inc. Bright Spot Network Cactus Cancer Society Cervivor Elephants and Tea Escape Family Reach Fuck Cancer Imerman Angels Living Beyond Breast Cancer Teen Cancer America True North Treks The Ulman Foundation [1] American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. (2022, May 2) ACOG Statement on Reports of a Draft Opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson [Press Release]. Retrieved from https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2022/05/acog-statement-on-reports-of-a-draft-opinion-in-dobbs-v-jackson [2] Society for Gynecologic Oncology. (2022, May 4) SGO Commits to Policy Action and Advocacy in Defense of Reproductive Rights. [Press Release]. Retrieved from https://www.sgo.org/news/sgo-commits-to-policy-action-and-advocacy-in-defense-of-reproductive-rights/ [3] American Society of Reproductive Medicine. (2022, May 3) ASRM Issues Statement Regarding Roe v. Wade and Its Possible Implications on Access to Reproductive Care. [Press Release} Retrieved from https://www.asrm.org/news-and-publications/news-and-research/press-releases-and-bulletins/asrm-issues-statement-regarding-roe-v.-wade-and-its-possible-implications-on-access-to-reproductive-care/ [4] North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. (2022, May 17). SAHM/NASPAG Statement on Leaked Draft SCOTUS Opinion Regarding Mississippi v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization [Press Release]. Retrieved from https://naspag.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/SAHM%20NASPAG%20Statement%202022.05.17.pdf About Stupid Cancer: Stupid Cancer's mission is to help empower everyone in the adolescent and young adult (AYA) community by ending isolation and building community. Contact Details Stupid Cancer Alison Silberman +1 212-619-1040 media@stupidcancer.org Company Website https://stupidcancer.org/

June 27, 2022 01:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time

COMCAST NAMES RACHEL DRAKE VICE PRESIDENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN WASHINGTON STATE

Comcast Washington

Comcast today announced Rachel Drake as the new Vice President of Human Resources in Washington. She will lead Comcast Washington's Human Resources team and operations in this role, including business partners, environmental health and safety, employee engagement, and internal communications. Drake replaces Betsy Kippenhan, who was named division vice president of Comcast Talent and Acquisition earlier this year. "On behalf of the Washington Region, I am thrilled to welcome Rachel to our team," said Rodrigo Lopez, regional senior vice president of Comcast Washington. "She has unmatched expertise in human resources. I look forward to working together to sustain an environment where all of our teammates feel connected to the business, each other, our customers, and communities no matter the circumstance." A human resources and labor relations executive with more than 20 years of experience, Drake most recently served as vice president of Human Resources for Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser. She led the Wood Products Human Resources organization, managing a team of approximately 38 human resources professionals across the United States and Canada. A lawyer by trade, Drake began her career practicing law at Miller Nash LLP as an associate in employee law and labor relations before joining Weyerhaeuser in 2006 as senior employment legal counsel. "I'm happy to be joining Comcast and look forward to supporting Washington Region employees as they grow with the company in an environment of shared success," said Drake. "Together, we will continue to build an inclusive, supportive and innovative culture every day, year-round." Rachel earned her undergraduate degree from Washington State University and her Juris Doctor's law degree from Seattle University School of Law. Comcast is deeply committed to Washington, where our thousands of employees serve more than 1.7 million residential and business customers throughout our state footprint. Comcast is Washington's leading media and technology provider that connects people and businesses to resources and moments that matter. For more information, please visit https://washington.comcast.com/. ABOUT COMCAST CORPORATION Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Nick McDonald andy_colley@comcast.com Company Website https://washington.comcast.com/

June 27, 2022 07:40 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Priceline’s Guide to Saving on Summer Travel Amid Rising Prices

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/_VGcIiLWW9E This summer is looking to be a record travel season. Schools are out, families are planning trips, friends are set for adventure, and after the last two years of travel limitations, the demand, and prices, for travel are high. So, how can you plan a summer vacation at a price you can afford? As summer approaches and return to travel is top of mind, Priceline is a valuable resource to ensure that you are getting the best deals possible. Priceline is a one-stop-shop, with deals across hotels, flights, rental cars, cruises and packages, offering the opportunity to book travel with ease and find great travel deals for every budget. The past couple of years people were looking for outdoor and open spaces. But this summer, big cities are back. People are ready to socialize again, and big cities offer the culture, the entertainment, and dining experiences that they are craving. Cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, Chicago, and Seattle are among the most popular destinations domestically for summer travel. Internationally, Europe is the hot spot for Americans - with London, Paris and Rome topping the most popular lists. Priceline is kicking-off their annual two-week Summer Sale with discounts on thousands of hotels and coupons ranging from $20-$100 off. Priceline has a great rewards program called Priceline VIP - it’s free to join and you start saving immediately after signing up with instant discounts on your next trip. You also get a coupon after each completed trip for even more savings. The more you book, the more you save. On average, VIP Members' savings are 50% higher than non-members when booking hotels. Priceline also just announced a new benefit of the program called VIP Family, which will help you unlock savings 3x faster. Each member maintains their own private account, and this new feature allows up to three users to pool status by creating a VIP Family. Now when any of you complete a trip, your totals are tallied into one status level, helping families gain a higher status and unlock more benefits, faster. For more information, visit PRICELINE.COM/VIP Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 24, 2022 02:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Bat Boy Found in West Virginia Cave 30 Years Ago; Americans Push to Make June 23rd a National Bat Boy Holiday!

Weekly World News

Weekly World News (WWN) celebrates the 30 th anniversary of its ground-breaking June 23, 1992 cover story “ Bat Child Found In Cave. ” WWN introduced the half-human, half-bat child to readers around the world, and its ongoing coverage has fostered a growing national movement to make June 23 an official National Bat Boy holiday! Weekly World News is celebrating the anniversary with a special tribute on its website. It all started in Pendleton County, West Virginia where Dr. Ron Dillon discovered this unique “creature,” who would become known as Bat boy, living in a cave in the Allegheny Mountains. Explorers captured Bat Boy, who was living almost two miles underground. Weekly World News' Bat Boy reporting went “viral,” spreading faster than any news story could in the days before the Internet and social media – it was a peaceful time. Scientists and reporters quickly learned that Bat Boy is a very skittish and elusive creature who is frequently on the run, often disappearing for extended periods of time. Bat Boy has been known to be quite tricky and unpredictable. He even managed to steal a vehicle and drive it at high speed, leading to a multi-state run with law enforcement in pursuit. When explorers discovered Bat Boy in Hellhole Cave, they estimated his age at around 10 years old. But further research has identified a genetic deformity that has locked Bat Boy in the very same age for the last 30 years. It seems Bat Boy will never age, however his intelligence and global interests continue to grow. Bat Boy has long demonstrated a keen interest in political and social issues which have thrust him into the limelight, as he has befriended and advised a range of U.S. Presidents and candidates for national office. Bat Boy’s political interests even led to an unsuccessful 2020 run for the U.S. Presidency. Close advisors admit that cryptid prejudices along with the candidate’s communications challenges and non-traditional demeanor posed major obstacles in the campaign. Dr. Ron Dillon, one of the foremost experts on Bat Boy, describes him as a “human-bat hybrid creature. His father was likely a bat or a creature heavily dominated by bat genomes, his mother, Susan Boy, was a human being. We have since traced Susan’s ancestry to passengers on the Mayflower.” Bat Boy's life has been nothing short of a whirlwind and even spawned an off-Broadway musical. Weekly World News does its best to keep readers up to date on his comings and goings. In the years since his discovery, Bat Boy has met Travis Scott, Elvis, Nelson Mandela, Frank Sinatra, every living U.S. President. He is adored by most celebrities – though given his reclusive nature, very few have been lucky enough to meet him. In anticipation of his run for president, Bat Boy abandoned his pagan ways and converted to Judaism and then to every other religion, seeking to play a unifying role for all people under his “Right Wing AND Left Wing” platform. He’s also had a busy and sometimes stormy romantic life, dating Farrah Fawcett, Jennifer Lopez, Jean Kirkpatrick, Cher, Kim Kardashian and more recently, Taylor Swift, but never really settling down. Bat Boy has no known offspring. Bat Boy has become a reluctant cultural icon and national treasure, who savors hiding in plain sight. He has been a subject in numerous TV shows and films such as The Simpsons, American Dad, The Boys, 12 Monkeys and many others. When Bat Boy isn't evading the paparazzi, law enforcement or government scientists, he apparently enjoys supporting his fans via surprise appearances in pop culture outlets. Recently, Bat Boy was knighted by the Queen Elizabeth and blessed by Pope Francis, and there are growing rumors about another presidential run in 2024 under his healing and unifying right-wing plus left-wing message. Leaders of the Bat Boy holiday movement urge all supporters to contact their elected representatives to voice support for a National Holiday to honor Bat Boy and his achievements and to demonstrate support for cryptids of all shapes and sizes. Supporters also encourage of Bat Boy themed apparel, some of which is coincidently available in the WWN online store! There are rumors that Bat Boy will be biking with President Biden today, but with Bat Boy, one never really knows. BAT LINKS WWN Bat Boy Tribute Page Bat Boy the Musical Book - Going Mutant: The Bat Boy Exposed Bat Boy Mask, Socks, Koozies, Pins, etc. Bat Boy Blanket! I © Bat Boy T-Shirt About Weekly World News Since its launch in 1979, Weekly World News has emerged as the defining brand for reliable tabloid news, known for exclusive coverage of Bat Boy, Manigator, P’lod the Alien, SpyCat, the three-legged, Bigfoot and scores of other notable characters. WWN boasts a global fan base of millions, is regularly profiled in the media and relaunched its reliable reporting online in 2019. The brand is expanding into exciting new areas including an online store, advertising and promotions, licensed merchandise and the recent formation of Weekly World News Studios, to bring its iconic characters and stories to big and small screens across the universe. Contact Details Weekly World News Media Contact Carl Woodward press@weeklyworldnews.com Company Website https://www.weeklyworldnews.com

June 23, 2022 08:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Microbusinesses Drive Local Economies

YourUpdateTV

There are over 20 million microbusinesses in the United States. According to a recent study by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative, about half of the microbusinesses in the country are run by solopreneurs and around 94 percent have 10 or fewer employees. But their impact is bigger than you think. Recently, Jeremy Hartman the Vice President of Venture Forward at GoDaddy and Alexandra Rosen the Senior Director of Venture Forward conducted a satellite media tour to help shine a light on microbusinesses, their impact on local economies, and the work GoDaddy is doing to empower entrepreneurs across the nation. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/S4TF6UDwD8U At the beginning of the pandemic, entrepreneurs faced unexpected and unprecedented challenges as many had to move online and adjust their nascent businesses for the new rules of COVID living. Yet over the last two years, these business owners - many of them running microbusinesses made up of 10 employees of less - refused, again and again, to let the pandemic define them; rather, they’ve exhibited the creativity, imagination, hard work, and resiliency that are the hallmark of all successful entrepreneurs. And as they’ve succeeded, this rapidly growing movement of over 20 million microbusinesses is having a substantial impact on the economy, especially in their local communities. Venture Forward has collected data on these microbusinesses since 2018 to better understand how they are doing - and what more that local policymakers and economic developers can do to fuel their growth. According to Venture Forward, about half of all microbusinesses are run by solopreneurs and around 90 percent have 10 or fewer employees. Because many of these businesses have never registered with a government entity, they’re often excluded in official measures of small businesses - meaning many of them succeed based on true people power through hard work, family and personal loans, and access to web and online tools that make online commerce easier and more accessible. The Venture Forward team recently launched the Microbusiness Data Hub to help shine a light on this audience, providing an easily accessible location for anyone to download millions of data points and insights collected from microbusinesses across the country and in Great Britain. This data hub can provide a better understanding of the microbusiness community and help inform policies. At the most recent U.S. Conference of Mayors, Jeremy Hartman announced the launch of GoDaddy Open, where they’ll be taking their expertise in empowering everyday entrepreneurs on the road. GoDaddy Open started as a one-day immersive experience for entrepreneurs focused on those who were seeking ways to start or pivot their business during the pandemic. It has continued to evolve, but remains dedicated to providing entrepreneurs with resources, tools and inspiration. When entrepreneurs have access to relevant training, their businesses thrive! Venture Forward’s research has revealed that 67% of microbusiness owners who receive training at GoDaddy reported at least one positive outcome. o 44% Got more customers o 28% Improved internal processes o 26% Grew revenue o 16% Increased profitability Go to godaddy.com/ventureforward to learn more about Venture Forward and explore the data platform hub. --------------------------- About Jeremy Hartman Jeremy Hartman is the Vice President of Venture Forward at GoDaddy. He was hired to help GoDaddy better advocate on behalf of its 20 million microbusiness customers by quantifying and communicating their impact on the global economy. Jeremy has over two decades of experience developing communication platforms for companies, non-profits and political candidates. Prior to GoDaddy, Jeremy was Director of Applied Thought Leadership at Cisco, chartered to raise Cisco’s relevancy among key influencers. His background originated in politics, where he served as a senior campaign advisor to State and Federal candidates. Jeremy holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis and a master’s degree from Northwestern University. About Alexandra Rosen Alexandra Rosen is the Senior Director of Venture Forward, GoDaddy’s multi-year research initiative focused on entrepreneurs and their impact on the economy. Prior to GoDaddy, she collaborated with organizations across live entertainment, the Olympics, enterprises and the public sector to launch several first-to-market programs and partnerships as a global manager at Cisco. These included international skills training, new digital platforms and innovative technology deployments. Passionate about empowering people and businesses to reach new goals through technology, creativity, and connected experiences, Alex is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator. She completed her undergraduate degree at Stanford University and her MBA at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

June 22, 2022 02:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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