AXE® Launches the Find Your Magic Initiative to Show There’s No One Way to Be “A Man”

May 17, 2017

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., May 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Man up! Quit crying! Don’t be such a sissy! These are the type of behaviors 72 percent of guys have been told make them a real man*. The pressures caused by these rigid notions of manhood result in fear, anger and frustration. Moreover, 59 percent of guys believe they should act strong even if they feel scared, and nearly half think they shouldn’t ask for help with their personal problems*. This internal struggle can contribute to bullying, violence and even suicide. As a champion of self-expression, AXE believes there’s no one way to be a man and is launching The Find Your Magic Initiative to address this important issue.

Building on the brand’s “Find Your Magic” point-of-view that self-expression is key to confidence, this initiative aims to help break the cycle of toxic masculinity by providing guys with resources to live more freely. AXE intends to reach men and women with this message of confidence and individuality to further ignite the growing cultural conversation and create a healthier, more equal world for everyone.

The Find Your Magic Initiative kicks off with a new film as part of its “Is It Ok For Guys?” campaign that highlights the tough questions with which guys privately struggle before turning to Google search for guidance. Questions like “is it ok for guys to be emotional,” “wear pink” or “wear makeup” are examples of real searches that inspire the film. AXE is also collaborating with influencers to address these topics by sharing their own experiences and answering the question #isitokforguys. These personal stories will be told by Hunter Klugkist, William Haynes, Josh Peck, Ryan McNulty, and Wes Armstrong, among others.

AXE has also partnered with three non-profit organizations – Promundo, The Representation Project and Ditch the Label – to dive deeper into the causes and effects of the issue, drive wider awareness among both men and women, and help provide young guys with tools to be their most authentic selves. Respectively, AXE:

Commissioned a study from research experts Promundo to better understand the challenges and pressures young guys face as the result of masculine stereotypes.
Sponsored the “Unmasked” campus tour, enabling The Representation Project to bring screenings of its film “The Mask You Live In” to young men and women across the country.
Worked with Ditch the Label, an anti-bullying organization, to create a new digital network that supports guys struggling with toxic masculinity through a unique online community.

“Last year AXE asked guys to ‘find their magic’ and express what truly makes them an individual,” said Rik Strubel, Global Vice President, AXE. “But we can’t just tell guys to be themselves without addressing the underlying cultural issues and restrictive definitions of manhood holding them back in the first place. It not only hurts guys, it hurts everyone.”

AXE is dedicated to helping you #FindYourMagic. To learn more about the Find Your Magic Initiative, “Is It Ok for Guys?” and AXE partner activities, visit http://axe.com/us/en/is-it-ok-for-guys.html.

PRESS CONTACT
Adam Bricault
[email protected]
(212) 819-4801

About AXE^®
AXE, the No. 1 men’s fragrance brand in the world*, champions individuality and self-expression by encouraging guys to embrace their personal style. With a full line of grooming products including daily fragrance sprays, deodorants, anti-perspirants, shower gels, shampoos and styling products, AXE gives guys the tools to express what makes them unique, authentic and ultimately attractive to the world around them. Visit AXE at AXE.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Facebook to get access to exclusive content, special promotions, and more.

*Source Euromonitor International Limited; Beauty and Personal Care 2015ed, Men’s Deodorants & Mass and Premium Men’s Fragrances retail value sales combined, as per umbrella brand name classification, 2014; Lynx includes all AXE/Lynx/Ego sales

About Unilever United States, Inc.
Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home Care, Personal Care and Refreshment products with sales in more than 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Country Crock, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Seventh Generation, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TIGI, TONI&GUY, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.
Unilever employs approximately 8,000 people in the United States – generating more than $9 billion in sales in 2016.

The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan commits to:

Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020.

Unilever ranked number one in its sector on the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
For more information on Unilever U.S. and its brands visit: www.unileverusa.com
To connect with Unilever U.S. via Facebook visit: www.facebook.com/unileverusa
To connect with Unilever U.S. via Twitter follow: @unileverusa

About Promundo
Founded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1997, Promundo works to create a world free from violence by engaging men and boys in partnership with women and girls. Promundo’s offices in the United States, Brazil, and Portugal, and its affiliate in Democratic Republic of the Congo, collaborate to achieve this mission by conducting applied research that builds the knowledge base on masculinities and gender; developing, evaluating, and scaling-up gender transformative interventions and programs; and carrying out national and international advocacy to achieve social justice.

About The Representation Project
Using film and media as catalysts for cultural transformation, The Representation Project inspires individuals and communities to challenge and overcome limiting stereotypes so that everyone, regardless of gender, race, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, ability, or circumstance, can fulfill their human potential. Jennifer Siebel Newsom founded The Representation Project (a 501c3) in 2011 in response to the overwhelming public demand for ongoing education and social action in support of her first film, Miss Representation. Since then, The Representation Project has released Newsom’s second directorial film, The Mask You Live In, and become well known for creating popular campaigns such as #NotBuyingIt, and #AskHerMore. Learn more at therepresentationproject.org.

About Ditch the Label
Ditch the Label is an international anti-bullying charity and one of the leading anti-bullying charities in the UK.

Each month, the charity support thousands of young people through the Ditch the Label online community on their website. They also work with social networks and online games to help those who are being bullied and those bullying others. Experts on bullying within the digital space, Ditch the Label were one of the first anti-bullying charities in the UK to research and understand cyberbullying. They work closely with schools and colleges, producing some of the largest research papers on the topic of bullying and associated behaviours in the world.

Ditch the Label founder and CEO Liam Hackett sits on the government’s Growing Up Digital taskforce and has represented the anti-bullying sector in The White House, the UN and across other international Governments.

The charity take an innovative approach to research and interventions, focussing attention on prevention of bullying in addition to offering support to those who have been bullied.

Ditch the Label helps over 200,000 young people each year in the UK alone. They have recently extended their support service to the US and Mexico. Ditch the Label have recently launched a new digital support platform that provides instant advice and help for young people who are experiencing bullying or associated problems relating to a wide range of issues including mental health, body image, sexuality and hate crimes.

Young people, parents or guardians impacted by bullying can get support directly from Ditch the Label at www.DitchtheLabel.org.

*Source “The Man Box,” a research study by Promundo for AXE/Unilever, of just over 1,000 men age 18-30 in the U.S, U.K, and Mexico. Released in March 2017.

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Wompimeequin Wampatuck selected as Keynote Speaker at Breakfast General Session presenter at World Municipality Conference-Miami 2017

May 16, 2017

MIAMI, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — With the honor to have Mr. Larry Fisher, traditionally known to many as Wompimeequin Wampatuck, who comes from a long line of royal Chief Sachems, the Executive Committee of the Minority Chamber of Commerce continues to expand its impressive roster of premier speakers at the World Municipality Conference Miami-2017. The mission for this high-level global Mayor’s conference is to provide the keys that will unlock doors for municipalities in resources, programs, investment, environment, public service and other opportunities.

The Conference takes place at the world high class Trump National Hotel Doral, Miami Dade County, Florida, May 25-26. Mr. Fisher will present the “Process Towards Development 2017- Municipalities & Agendas for Indigenous Advancement” on Friday, May 26, during the morning general session 7:30-8:15 a.m.

“His presentation is a key addition to the line-up of speakers we have scheduled,” stated Doug Mayorga, Chairman of the Executive Committee and the Chamber Founder. “One of the priorities of this historic event is to bring a diverse group of leaders like Mr. Fisher, his expertise pertains to assessing and evaluating the social, environmental, economic, and political conditions of Indigenous communities and helping to implement new ways that provide national and international platforms for solutions.”

This exclusive conference is just one of several important presentations for the municipal leaders who attend. The overall purpose of the World Municipality Conference is to focus on a myriad of international topics, including the development of global innovative solutions for solving important issues affecting municipalities in the U.S. and beyond. To register for the event, please visit: www.worldmunicipalitiesforum.org

About Mr. Wompimeequin Wampatuck: He also serves as a strategic leader on numerous indigenous organizations that include, but are not limited to, the following: President of Sacred Fire Initiative; President of the Living Curators of the Americas for the Sunshine of the Americas Foundation; National Director for NACHP (National Association for Cultural Heritage Preservation); Founder of PGGR (Promoting Government-to-Government Relationships); Indigenous Representative for the United Nations NGO South West Native Cultures; Indigenous Youth Representative for United Nations NGO New Future Foundation; Board Director of African Views Organization in consultative status with ECOSOS Economic and Social Council; Ambassador of the United Indigenous Peoples and Tribes of the World to the World Energy Forum; and, Global Chief Organizer for Indigenous World Governments at Global Green.

About Minority Chamber of Commerce: was created in 2000 to provide a strong voice for the powerful minority businesses in the nation’s. A global membership organization the mission of which is to: promote business development and economy, technology incubators, and associated programs; facilitate the development, transfer, training, and commercialization of trade and innovations among its members, partners, industry, and government; enhance entrepreneurship teaching, research and service; strengthen micro-small-medium size companies competitiveness; and achieve technology-based economic development within a restructuring global economy. For more information: www.minoritychamber.net

The conference is not open to the public. Registration is necessary. Please register by May 18 at: [email protected] or call 786-406-2190. Official agenda ready May 18, 2017.

Empire Valuation Consultants Opens a New Office in San Francisco, CA

May 16, 2017

NEW YORK, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Empire Valuation Consultants, a leader in business, financial and intangible asset valuations, announced the opening of its fifth location in San Francisco, CA. The office, located at 555 California Street, will join existing locations in New York City, Rochester, NY, West Hartford, CT, and Boston, MA. It will be managed by Kevin Kane, CFA, ASA, and Managing Director.

According to Mr. Kane, “We believe it is important to establish an on-the-ground presence on the West coast given our robust client base in the region. The expansion of our firm in San Francisco allows us to better serve and more efficiently handle clients in the area, as well as building new relationships.”

In the trust and estate space, Empire Valuation Consultants handles gift and estate work from small to vary large companies (e.g. situations of 100 or more property interests, 30+ carried interest holdings, sports teams and complexes, large media libraries, name/likeness, etc.).

Since our founding in 1988, Empire Valuation Consultants has grown into one of the nation’s leading and most respected independent valuation firms.

We provide valuations to attorneys, accountants, business owners, private equity and hedge funds, commercial bankers, investment bankers, trust departments, insurance agents and financial planners, among others. With over 75 valuation professionals, we have prepared or managed the preparation of over 30,000 valuations in the Estate & Gift tax reporting, Fair Value financial reporting, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), fairness and solvency opinions, general business planning, and Private Equity & Hedge Fund marking, spaces.

For more information about our new San Francisco location and our firm, visit empireval.com.

Contact:
Kevin Kane, CFA, ASA
Managing Director
Empire Valuation Consultants
555 California Street, Suite 4925
San Francisco, CA 94104
415.659.1860

First center dedicated to mom and baby safety created by March of Dimes and partners

May 16, 2017

HOUSTON, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The first-ever center in the United States dedicated exclusively to improving safety for pregnant women and babies has been established through grants from The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Joe Kiani/Masimo Corporation to the March of Dimes in collaboration with McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

The first March of Dimes Perinatal Safety Center (PSC) is an innovative concept designed to serve as a blueprint for industry-leading patient safety initiatives that can be applied at hospitals across the nation.

“The March of Dimes is proud to initiate this project that helps fulfill our goal to give every baby a healthy start in life,” says Stacey D. Stewart, president of the March of Dimes. “And it’s fitting that we partner with institutions in the Texas Medical Center, where more than 25,000 babies are delivered each year.” She noted that Sabrina Midkiff, a member of the March of Dimes National Volunteer Council and a local resident, had spearheaded the effort to create the PSC.

“This gift will expand upon efforts at UTHealth and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital to establish a preeminent culture of safety in maternal and infant health care, through the development of a national model devoted to mothers and babies that can be replicated throughout the country,” says Paul E. Jarris, M.D., senior vice president for Mission Impact and chief medical officer for the March of Dimes.

The grant will support the development of evidence-based techniques and training to improve patient safety during pregnancy, labor, delivery, postnatal care and transition to home life. The PSC will also focus on ways to create, teach and assess safety culture among hospitals, especially as pertains to perinatal care.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for us and all those involved in the care of mothers and babies. Although having babies in hospitals is routine in this country, we understand that there are unnecessary risks when we enter a complex healthcare system. Patient safety has to be our No. 1 priority,” says KuoJen Tsao, M.D., lead investigator for the PSC; the Children’s Fund, Inc. Distinguished Professor in Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School; and co-director of The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. “The PSC, in partnership with the March of Dimes, will serve as a framework for healthcare institutions to tackle key safety issues in caring for pregnant mothers and their babies.”

Dr. Tsao is the chair of the American Pediatric Surgical Association Quality and Safety Committee. He is the vice-chair of Quality and Safety for the Department of Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School and led an initiative at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital that focused on establishing a culture of safety and the use of a surgical safety checklist his team created for its needs. He has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for research into safety for neonatal surgery and has led trials in resident education in patient safety. He will now take this expertise and translate it into the PSC goals.

He noted that as an international leader in maternal-infant research and initiatives, the March of Dimes is uniquely qualified to launch the PSC initiative. “And Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and UTHealth are two strong collaborators with outstanding reputations for providing high-quality care centered around patient safety. Together, the organizations make for a natural yet powerful partnership,” said Dr. Tsao.

McGovern Medical School at UTHealth is the only institution in the state and one of just nine centers in the entire United States to be members of both the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Neonatal Research Network and the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Unit Network.

Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, a Magnet^®-designated hospital that has received the prestigious international Baby-Friendly^® recognition, also recently received official designation from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) as a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the most advanced distinction available. Level IV designation recognizes the capability of a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, including McGovern Medical School neonatal physicians, to care for the most critically ill babies and mothers. The hospital is one of only four facilities in the state to carry the accreditation.

With funding from the grants, the March of Dimes PSC will focus on improving four clinical problem areas:

Improving the use of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) for impending premature births. Treatment of women at risk of premature birth with a single course of corticosteroids to improve the infant’s lung function has been shown to decrease the risk of newborn death by about 30 percent. The team will use Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital’s success in administering the full National Institutes of Health-recommended ACS course to all at-risk pregnant women between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation as a model. Recommendations will be included in a perinatal toolkit created to spread the use of established best practices to clinicians and organizations across the country.
Maximizing maternal immunization for flu and pertussis (whooping cough) to provide protection against vaccine-preventable diseases in pregnant women, fetuses and newborns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, changes in the immune system, heart and lungs during pregnancy make pregnant women more prone to severe illness, hospitalization and even death from flu. Pregnant women with flu also have a greater chance of premature labor and delivery. New research, including a 2016 study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, has linked a higher risk of stillborn birth in mothers who were not vaccinated for flu. Maternal vaccination can help prevent more infant hospitalizations and deaths from pertussis by providing passive immunity to the child. The PSC will focus on the optimal timing of maternal vaccination and increasing flu and pertussis rates. The perinatal toolkits will include ways to help obstetrical care providers integrate immunizations into their routine practice.
Optimizing the transition of mother and baby to home. In its statement on the hospital discharge of high-risk newborns, the American Academy of Pediatrics says infants born preterm with low birth weight who require neonatal intensive care have a much higher rate of hospital readmission and death during the first year after birth compared with health babies born at term. According to research cited in a 2012 study in the journal Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing, up to 27 percent of healthy preterm infants were readmitted to the hospital and up to 50 percent of high-risk infants who had spent time in the NICU had to be re-hospitalized. Even late-term premature infants – born between 34 and 36 weeks gestation – were readmitted to the hospital twice as often in the first year of life compared to full-term infants, according to a 2009 study in Pediatrics. The grant will support the development and feasibility of an educational smartphone app, including testing by a multidisciplinary team of parents, nurses, doctors and software engineers. The app will serve as a platform for designing future technologies to aid parents in the care of high-risk infants and children.
Reducing early elective (medically unnecessary) deliveries before 39 weeks of pregnancy. Elective early delivery puts mother and baby at significant risk. Babies born between 37 and 39 weeks are at increased risk for admission into neonatal intensive care units (NICU), respiratory failure or distress, sepsis, feeding difficulties, jaundice, hypoglycemia, hypothermia, delayed brain development and death. The new center will focus on increasing awareness of the dangers of early elective deliveries through physician and patient education.

About UTHealth

Established in 1972 by The University of Texas System Board of Regents, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) is Houston’s Health University and Texas’ resource for health care education, innovation, scientific discovery and excellence in patient care. The most comprehensive academic health center in The UT System and the U.S. Gulf Coast region, UTHealth is home to schools of biomedical informatics, biomedical sciences, dentistry, nursing and public health and the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School. UTHealth includes The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center and a growing network of clinics throughout the region. The university’s primary teaching hospitals include Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital. For more information, visit www.uth.edu.

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit peristats.org. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About Memorial Hermann

A fully integrated health system with more than 250 care delivery sites throughout the greater Houston area, including a nationally acclaimed Accountable Care Organization, Memorial Hermann is committed to delivering safe, high-quality, patient-centered care and offers world-class clinical expertise, innovation and cutting-edge technology to all patients, including its Health Plan members. The system, with its exceptional affiliated medical staff and more than 25,000 employees, provides compassionate, superior service while advancing health in Southeast Texas. Learn more about Memorial Hermann Health System.

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MoneyGram Stockholders Overwhelmingly Approve Merger with Ant Financial

May 16, 2017

MoneyGram Logo (PRNewsFoto/MoneyGram) (PRNewsFoto/MoneyGram)

DALLAS, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — MoneyGram (NASDAQ: MGI) today announced that its stockholders overwhelmingly voted to approve the company’s pending transaction with Ant Financial at the Special Meeting of MoneyGram stockholders that was held today. The preliminary voting results from the Special Meeting indicate 97 percent of the shares voted were in favor of the transaction, representing more than 82 percent of all outstanding shares. The Company will file final voting results with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a Form 8-K once they are certified by the independent inspector of elections.

“We appreciate the strong support from our stockholders in connection with the compelling transaction with Ant Financial,” said Alex Holmes, Chief Executive Officer of MoneyGram. “Stockholder approval represents an important milestone on our path to completing the transaction and maximizing value for our stockholders. We are confident our transaction with Ant Financial will create more jobs in the United States, increase competition in our industry, provide new digital solutions and help more customers across the world who depend on innovative and reliable financial connections to friends and family.”

The transaction with Ant Financial will enable MoneyGram to accelerate and expand its suite of global hybrid solutions while maintaining strong security and privacy protections for our customers. Upon completion of the transaction, MoneyGram, which will remain headquartered in Dallas and continue to operate under its existing brand, will leverage Ant Financial’s global presence and existing network to serve more than 630 million users.

As previously announced on April 16, 2017, MoneyGram and Ant Financial entered into an amended merger agreement under which Ant Financial increased the offer price to acquire all of the outstanding shares of MoneyGram for $18.00 per share in cash. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2017 upon the receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

For additional information regarding the transaction, including presentations, fact sheets and press releases, please visit www.antandmoneygram.com.

About MoneyGram

MoneyGram is a global provider of innovative money transfer services and is recognized worldwide as a financial connection to friends and family. Whether online, or through a mobile device, at a kiosk or in a local store, we connect consumers any way that is convenient for them. We also provide bill payment services, issue money orders and process official checks in select markets. More information about MoneyGram International, Inc. is available at moneygram.com.

About Ant Financial

Ant Financial Services Group is focused on serving small and micro enterprises, as well as consumers. With the vision “bring small and beautiful changes to the world,” Ant Financial is dedicated to building an open ecosystem of Internet thinking and technologies while working with other financial institutions to support the future financial needs of society. Businesses operated by Ant Financial Services Group include Alipay, Ant Fortune, Zhima Credit and MYbank. Ant Financial Services Group is privately held and its majority owners are its employees and members of the Alibaba Partnership. For more information on Ant Financial, its Board of Directors and senior management please visit our website at www.antgroup.com or follow us on Twitter @AntFinancial.

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are protected as forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect MoneyGram’s current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. Words such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “project,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “pursuant,” “target,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The statements in this press release that are not historical statements are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, among other things, statements regarding the likelihood of the merger with Ant Financial being consummated and the timing of any consummation of the merger. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including the risk that requisite regulatory approvals may not be obtained or that the conditions to the closing of the merger may not otherwise be satisfied, many of which are beyond MoneyGram’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements.

MoneyGram Contact
Michael Freitag / Joseph Sala / Viveca Tress
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
Phone: 212 355 4449

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OnDirecTV debuts “Ismael Cala en Puerto Rico,” an exclusive series about the history and culture of Isla del Encanto

May 16, 2017

MIAMI, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The series “Ismael Cala en Puerto Rico,” another of the host’s major projects in his new professional chapter, made its debut yesterday on the channel OnDirecTV.

“Ismael Cala en Puerto Rico” has five one hour chapters. The show will be aired in Latin America and the United States shortly after its premiere in Puerto Rico.

The purpose of the series is to explore the culture, idiosyncrasies and profiles of entrepreneurship and conditions of the country through people who have marked a before an after in the recent history of Puerto Rico.

Cala had rich conversations with Lucecita Benítez, Andy Montañez, Rafael Ithier, Yolandita Monge, Gilbertito Santarosa, Danny Rivera, Antonio Martorel, Tito El Bambino, Siete, Jacobo Morales, Blanca Eró, Modesto Lacen, Stella Nolasco, Francisco Bonet, Roberto Serrallés and Ignacio Cortés Gelpí, among many other personalities on the island.

“First, I would like to thank Puerto Rico for allowing me to become so intimate with its rich culture and history. It is my honor to show the world the talent of Puerto Ricans through its best-known representatives,” said Ismael Cala.

Rafael Abudo Massó, the executive producer of the series, qualified the project as a “jewel, in terms of cinematography and content.” He added that it has “filled us with pride, and it has been an enriching experience to show the world a country brimming with talent and business growth through a communication icon and our friend, Ismael Cala.”

The series debuted yesterday at 9:00 p.m. on OnDirecTV, channel 161 in Puerto Rico.

ABOUT ISMAEL CALA

Life strategist and human development guru, best-selling author and international conference presenter. For more than five years, he presented the show CALA, at prime time on CNN en Español.

He is currently an official collaborator on the program “Awaken America,” for the Univisión chain, and he writes a weekly column for more than 50 publications in Latin America and the United States. “The New York Times” has called him “the Latin Larry King.”

Author of the best sellers “Despierta con Cala [Wake up with Cala],” “La vida es una piñata [Life is a piñata],” “El analfabeto emocional [The emotional illiterate],” “El poder de escuchar [The power of listening],” “Un buen hijo de P… [A real son of a B…],” and “El secreto del bamboo [The secret of bamboo],” Cala was born in Santiago de Cuba (1969) and has a degree in Art History from Universidad de Oriente. He is coauthor of the book “Beat the curve,” with Brian Tracy. He graduated from the School of Communication at the University of York in Toronto, and has a Seneca diploma in Television Production. He has worked with grand masters such as Deepak Chopra and John C. Maxwell, and has trained with coaches such as Tony Robbins and Miguel Ruiz. Cala belongs to a group of collaborating professors at Atlantis University and Next University. He is President of Cala Enterprises Corporation. Visit: http://www.ismaelcala.com/

(Español) FUSION TV Anuncia la Formación de un Consejo Creativo para Ayudar a Identificar y Generar una Fuente Continua y Diversa de Talento

May 16, 2017

Sorry, this entry is only available in Español.

The Fall of Chapo Guzmán Documented in “BUSCADO: VIVO O MUERTO”

May 16, 2017

MIAMI, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Discovery en Español presents BUSCADO: VIVO O MUERTO – EL CHAPO, a special that showcases the details of the investigation and the process that lead to the capture of the world’s most powerful illegal drug supplier. BUSCADO: VIVO O MUERTO – EL CHAPO premieres Sunday, May 21 at 10pm E/P during the investigation segment Discovery a Fondo.

In the late 2000’s a deadly new drug sweeps across America and impacts entire communities destroying the lives of thousands of people: methamphetamine. Behind this epidemic is Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the world’s most feared and wanted drug trafficker. More powerful than Pablo Escobar and more ruthless than Al Capone, El Chapo is America’s number one illegal drug supplier.

Since his escape from a maximum-security prison in 2001, several security agencies begin an intensive search that takes them to Mexico. Now, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States marshals are joining forces and working in collaboration with Mexican police to catch the world’s most wanted fugitive.

As part of the series BUSCADO: VIVO O MUERTO, the episode about El Chapo includes first hand testimonies and recreations that help understand the sequence of the investigation and the persecution of one of the strongest personalities in the world of drug trafficking.

For more about network programming, please follow us on facebook.com/discoveryenespanol, Twitter @DiscoveryenESP, Instagram @discoveryenespanol and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/discoveryenespanol.

About Discovery en Español
Discovery en Español connects Spanish-speaking viewers in the U.S. to the world and all its wonder and possibilities. It provides quality programming focusing on bold storytelling across core genres including adventure, ingenuity, natural history, investigation and current affairs. Created by Discovery Communications, Discovery en Español is widely distributed on Hispanic tier packages throughout the country. For more information, please follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/discoveryenespanol, Twitter @DiscoveryenESP, Instagram @discoveryenespanol, and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/discoveryenespanol.

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The Home Depot Announces First Quarter Results; Updates Fiscal Year 2017 Guidance

May 16, 2017

ATLANTA, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, today reported sales of $23.9 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2017, a 4.9 percent increase from the first quarter of fiscal 2016. Comparable store sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2017 were positive 5.5 percent, and comp sales for U.S. stores were positive 6.0 percent.

Net earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2017 were $2.0 billion, or $1.67 per diluted share, compared with net earnings of $1.8 billion, or $1.44 per diluted share, in the same period of fiscal 2016. For the first quarter of fiscal 2017, diluted earnings per share increased 16.0 percent from the same period in the prior year.

“We were pleased with our results as they reflected broad-based growth across our interconnected platform and all geographies,” said Craig Menear, chairman, CEO and president. “This was made possible by our hard working store associates, merchants and supply chain teams and our continued dedication to customer service.”

Updated Fiscal 2017 Guidance

Based on its year-to-date performance, the Company reaffirmed its fiscal 2017 sales growth guidance and expects sales will be up approximately 4.6 percent and comp sales will be up approximately 4.6 percent. The Company also raised its diluted earnings-per-share growth guidance for the year and now expects diluted earnings-per-share growth after anticipated share repurchases of approximately 11.0 percent from fiscal 2016 to $7.15.

The Home Depot will conduct a conference call today at 9 a.m. ET to discuss information included in this news release and related matters. The conference call will be available in its entirety through a webcast and replay at ir.homedepot.com/events-and-presentations.

At the end of the first quarter, the Company operated a total of 2,281 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. The Company employs more than 400,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Certain statements contained herein constitute “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may relate to, among other things, the demand for our products and services; net sales growth; comparable store sales; effects of competition; state of the economy; state of the residential construction, housing and home improvement markets; state of the credit markets, including mortgages, home equity loans and consumer credit; demand for credit offerings; inventory and in-stock positions; implementation of store, interconnected retail, supply chain and technology initiatives; management of relationships with our suppliers and vendors; the impact and expected outcome of investigations, inquiries, claims and litigation, including those related to the 2014 data breach; issues related to the payment methods we accept; continuation of share repurchase programs; net earnings performance; earnings per share; dividend targets; capital allocation and expenditures; liquidity; return on invested capital; expense leverage; stock-based compensation expense; commodity price inflation and deflation; the ability to issue debt on terms and at rates acceptable to us; the effect of accounting charges; the effect of adopting certain accounting standards; store openings and closures; guidance for fiscal 2017 and beyond; financial outlook; and the integration of Interline Brands, Inc. (“Interline”) into our organization and the ability to recognize the anticipated synergies and benefits of the acquisition. Forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and our current assumptions, expectations and projections about future events. You should not rely on our forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to future events, risks and uncertainties – many of which are beyond our control or are currently unknown to us – as well as potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to those described in Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and elsewhere in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended January 29, 2017 and in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake to update these statements other than as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

THE HOME DEPOT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED APRIL 30, 2017 AND MAY 1, 2016 (Unaudited) (Amounts in Millions Except Per Share Data and as Otherwise Noted)

	Three Months Ended
	April 30, 2017		May 1, 2016		% Increase (Decrease)
NET SALES	$	23,887	$	22,762	4.9	%
Cost of Sales	15,733		14,971		5.1
GROSS PROFIT	8,154		7,791		4.7

Operating Expenses:
Selling, General and Administrative	4,361		4,281		1.9
Depreciation and Amortization	444		433		2.5
Total Operating Expenses	4,805		4,714		1.9

OPERATING INCOME	3,349		3,077		8.8

Interest and Other (Income) Expense:
Interest and Investment Income	(13)		(7)		85.7
Interest Expense	254		244		4.1
Interest and Other, net	241		237		1.7

EARNINGS BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES	3,108		2,840		9.4
Provision for Income Taxes	1,094		1,037		5.5

NET EARNINGS	$	2,014	$	1,803	11.7	%

Basic Weighted Average Common Shares	1,198		1,247		(3.9)	%
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE	$	1.68	$	1.45	15.9

Diluted Weighted Average Common Shares	1,204		1,252		(3.8)	%
DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE	$	1.67	$	1.44	16.0

	Three Months Ended
SELECTED SALES DATA⁽¹⁾	April 30, 2017		May 1, 2016		% Increase (Decrease)
Number of Customer Transactions	380.8		374.8		1.6	%
Average Ticket (actual)	$	62.39	$	60.03	3.9
Sales per Square Foot (actual)	$	394.17	$	376.73	4.6

(1) Selected Sales Data does not include results for Interline, which was acquired in the third quarter of fiscal 2015.

THE HOME DEPOT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS AS OF APRIL 30, 2017, MAY 1, 2016 AND JANUARY 29, 2017 (Unaudited) (Amounts in Millions)

	April 30, 2017		May 1, 2016		January 29, 2017
ASSETS
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$	3,565	$	3,257	$	2,538
Receivables, net	2,164		1,989		2,029
Merchandise Inventories	13,609		13,219		12,549
Other Current Assets	558		545		608
Total Current Assets	19,896		19,010		17,724

Net Property and Equipment	21,789		22,243		21,914
Goodwill	2,095		2,123		2,093
Other Assets	1,164		1,200		1,235
TOTAL ASSETS	$	44,944	$	44,576	$	42,966

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Short-Term Debt	$	—	$	—	$	710
Accounts Payable	9,138		8,711		7,000
Accrued Salaries and Related Expenses	1,353		1,339		1,484
Current Installments of Long-Term Debt	544		44		542
Other Current Liabilities	5,403		5,055		4,397
Total Current Liabilities	16,438		15,149		14,133

Long-Term Debt, excluding current installments	22,393		20,904		22,349
Other Liabilities	2,151		2,188		2,151
Total Liabilities	40,982		38,241		38,633

Total Stockholders’ Equity	3,962		6,335		4,333
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY	$	44,944	$	44,576	$	42,966

THE HOME DEPOT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED APRIL 30, 2017 AND MAY 1, 2016 (Unaudited) (Amounts in Millions)

	Three Months Ended
	April 30, 2017		May 1, 2016
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net Earnings	$	2,014	$	1,803
Reconciliation of Net Earnings to Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:
Depreciation and Amortization	505		486
Stock-Based Compensation Expense	81		72
Changes in Working Capital and Other	1,964		1,275
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities	4,564		3,636
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital Expenditures	(458)		(325)
Proceeds from Sales of Property and Equipment	13		4
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities	(445)		(321)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayments of Short-Term Debt, net	(710)		(350)
Proceeds from Long-Term Debt, net of discounts	—		2,989
Repayments of Long-Term Debt	(11)		(3,012)
Repurchases of Common Stock	(1,289)		(1,157)
Proceeds from Sales of Common Stock	31		29
Cash Dividends Paid to Stockholders	(1,069)		(862)
Other Financing Activities	(33)		25
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities	(3,081)		(2,338)
Change in Cash and Cash Equivalents	1,038		977
Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash Equivalents	(11)		64
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period	2,538		2,216
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	$	3,565	$	3,257

Logo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20030502/HOMEDEPOTLOGO

California Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA) Reports Bay Area Risks Tidal Wave of Convenience Store Closures

May 15, 2017

SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 15, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Hundreds of convenience stores and thousands of employees throughout the Bay Area are being threatened by legislation that would ban the sale of certain tobacco products.

“As an immigrant and business owner, I am deeply concerned by this attack on convenience stores and retailers like me. I am just a local, small business owner trying to achieve the American Dream here in California,” said Sanjiv Patel, a convenience store owner in Oakland.

The counties of Contra Costa and San Francisco as well as the cities of Oakland, San Leandro and Los Gatos have introduced overreaching ordinances that single out family- and minority-owned businesses in an effort to score political points.

“Convenience store owners operate on slim margins and rely on high-volume foot traffic. Tobacco ban ordinances would force the closure of hundreds of locations throughout the Bay Area and put thousands of people out of work,” said Dee Dhaliwal, convenience store owner in the Bay Area.

Despite claims by organizations that advocate the local bans, new restrictions on convenience stores would not impact the sale of tobacco to minors.

California restricts the sale of tobacco products to persons under the age of 21 and imposes heavy fines on retailers that violate the law. Furthermore, a 2016 study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that the vast majority of youth under the age of 17 obtain tobacco products from “social sources,” including older friends, adult siblings and parents.

“CIOMA members operate in accordance to the law and often stage their own internal sting operations to ensure that their employees are not selling tobacco products to anyone under the age of twenty-one,” said Ryan Hanretty, Executive Director at CIOMA. “Local ordinances proposed in several Bay Area cities and counties aren’t about protecting youth from tobacco products, they are about scoring headlines and political points at the expense of family- and minority-owned businesses that serve their local communities.”

BACKGROUND:

Contra Costa Board of Supervisors vote May 23^rd.

San Francisco Board of Supervisors vote as early as May 24^th.

San Leandro City Council vote on June 5^th (possibly as early as May 22^nd).

Oakland City Council vote June 6^th.

CIOMA represents about one quarter of the state’s 14,000 service stations – of that total about 9,500 (over two-thirds) are single-store owners.

Logo – http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/482907/CIOMA_Logo.jpg

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