Toyota, NCFL expand national learning program to five new cities

May 3, 2016

National Center for Families Learning President and CEO Sharon Darling works with Jasmine He and her grandfather Yun Tong at a recent unveiling of Toyota Family Learning in Louisville, Ky.

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A national two-generation family learning program that aims to provide a solution to the educational challenges facing low-income and ethnically diverse families has expanded from 10 to 15 communities. The following organizations were each awarded a $175,000 grant from Toyota and the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) to launch Toyota Family Learning:

Village of Promise, Huntsville, Ala.
Broward County Public Schools, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Public Education Foundation, Las Vegas
Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, Louisville, Ky.
Plano Independent School District, Plano, Texas

These cities join programs in Bronx, N.Y.; Cincinnati; Denver; Detroit; Houston; Lincoln, Neb.; Milwaukee; Providence, R.I.; San Mateo, Calif.; and San Pedro, Calif. An end goal to the initiative is to strengthen communities by providing opportunities for participants to both learn together and serve their communities.

Toyota Family Learning is a forward-thinking, four-part approach to two-generation learning. Key areas include: Parent and Child Together (PACT) Time® that focuses on parents and children learning together; parents learning together; family to family mentoring; and, Family Service Learning projects in the community.

Sara Aguirre joined Toyota Family Learning in Louisville with the hope that it will start her on a path to find a better job and improve her family’s quality of life by helping her get her GED® certificate and apply to college. She is learning more English and is relying less on her children to translate.

“My three children and I love PACT Time®,” Aguirre said. “Spending that time together is priceless. I know I am learning how to better help them with their homework. We have fun with it and are a stronger family because of it.”

An independent evaluation found that among families graduating from Toyota Family Learning programs:

90% of parents increased their engagement in their children’s education
96% of parents became better teachers to their children
75% of parents increased their English language skills
34% of parents got a better job

More information on the exponential impact of Toyota Family Learning and NCFL’s two-generation efforts is available here.

“Toyota Family Learning is elevating families and communities nationwide,” said Sharon Darling, president and founder of NCFL. “As parents are empowered through our two-generation approach to education, service learning, and technology training, they are able to engage with their children and form a stronger bond.”

This year, NCFL and Toyota celebrate 25 years of partnership. Since 1991, more than 2 million families across the country have been impacted by programs developed by NCFL – a pioneer in the concept of families learning and serving together to raise literacy levels and improve communities. Toyota has invested more than $46 million to fund two-generation family literacy programs at more than 280 sites in 55 communities and 31 states.

“Toyota is proud to stand with NCFL through the past quarter century,” said Mike Goss, general manager, Toyota Social Innovation for Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc. “These NCFL programs help get people where they need to be by bridging the gap between classroom and lifelong learning.”

The Toyota Family Learning initiative also includes two online learning communities: Toyota Family Trails, a website that inspires families nationwide to learn through family exploration and adventure, and Family Time Machine, which encourages grantee site families to learn and thrive together.

ABOUT NATIONAL CENTER FOR FAMILIES LEARNING
The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adults and children learn together. NCFL creates and deploys innovative programs and strategies that support learning, literacy, and family engagement in education. From the classroom to the community to the digital frontier, NCFL collaborates with educators, advocates, and policy-makers to help families construct hotspots for learning wherever they go. For more information on NCFL’s 27-year track record, visit www.familieslearning.org.

ABOUT TOYOTA
Toyota (NYSE: TM), the world’s top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.

Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Media Contacts
Lisa Avetisian
National Center for Families Learning
[email protected]
502-718-2725

Ashley Brauer
Guthrie/Mayes Public Relations, for NCFL
[email protected]
502-649-3205

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adults and children learn together. NCFL collaborates with educators, advocates, and policy-makers to help families construct hotspots for learning wherever they go. For more information on NCFL's 27-year track record, visit www.familieslearning.org

Toyota, the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

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FIBRA Prologis Declares Quarterly Distribution

May 3, 2016

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MEXICO CITY, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — FIBRA Prologis (BMV: FIBRAPL 14), Mexico’s leading owner and operator of Class-A industrial real estate, today declared a cash distribution of Ps. 300.7 million (US$ 17.4 million), or Ps. 0.4739 per Certificado Bursátil Fiduciario Inmobiliario (“CBFI”) (US$ 0.0275 per CBFI) related to the results of the quarter ending March 31, 2016.

The distribution is payable May 11, 2016 to CBFI holders with an ex-dividend date of May 6, 2016 and a record date of May 10, 2016.

ABOUT FIBRA PROLOGIS
FIBRA Prologis is the leading owner and operator of Class-A industrial real estate in Mexico. As of March 31, 2016, FIBRA Prologis was comprised of 188 logistics and manufacturing facilities in six industrial markets in Mexico totaling 32.6 million square feet (3.0 million square meters) of gross leasable area.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
The statements in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the industry and markets in which FIBRA Prologis operates, management’s beliefs and assumptions made by management. Such statements involve uncertainties that could significantly impact FIBRA Prologis financial results. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future — including statements relating to rent and occupancy growth, acquisition activity, development activity, disposition activity, general conditions in the geographic areas where we operate, our debt and financial position, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained and therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Some of the factors that may affect outcomes and results include, but are not limited to: (i) national, international, regional and local economic climates, (ii) changes in financial markets, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, (iii) increased or unanticipated competition for our properties, (iv) risks associated with acquisitions, dispositions and development of properties, (v) maintenance of real estate investment trust (“FIBRA”) status and tax structuring, (vi) availability of financing and capital, the levels of debt that we maintain and our credit ratings, (vii) risks related to our investments (viii) environmental uncertainties, including risks of natural disasters, and (ix) those additional factors discussed in reports filed with the “Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores” and the Mexican Stock Exchange by FIBRA Prologis under the heading “Risk Factors.” FIBRA Prologis undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements appearing in this release.

Non-Solicitation – Any securities discussed herein or in the accompanying presentations, if any, have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act and any applicable state securities laws. Any such announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities discussed herein or in the presentations, if and as applicable.

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(Español) Walmart retira del mercado hervidores de agua eléctricos marca Rival debido a riesgos de quemaduras y choque eléctrico

May 3, 2016

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The Home Depot to Host First Quarter 2016 Earnings Conference Call on May 17

May 3, 2016

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ATLANTA, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Home Depot®, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, announced today that it will hold its First Quarter 2016 Earnings Conference Call on Tuesday, May 17, at 9 a.m. ET.

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A webcast will be available by logging onto http://earnings.homedepot.com and selecting the First Quarter Earnings Conference Call icon. The webcast will be archived and available beginning at approximately noon on May 17.

The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,275 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2015, The Home Depot had sales of $88.5 billion and earnings of $7.0 billion. The Company employs more than 385,000 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.

Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP: Puerto Rico Bond Default Likely To Deepen Losses To Investors

May 3, 2016

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Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP. (PRNewsFoto/Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP)

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Yesterday, Puerto Rico failed to make a payment due to bondholders of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank. The Island was supposed to make a payment of over $400 million for Monday’s payment, representing the largest default to date made by the territory, as well as the first default of bonds by the Government Development Bank. Puerto Rico has been defaulting on payments since the beginning of August 2015. The continuation of these defaults is likely to increase the losses being faced by current investors.

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Many financial advisors with UBS and other firms recommended their clients buy huge amounts of Puerto Rico bonds, claiming that these investments were low risk, fixed income options for Puerto Rican investors. In doing so, these advisors were overlooking the warning signs of Puerto Rico being unable to keep up with debt payments.

Many clients did not understand that Puerto Rico bonds, particularly in large amounts, carried substantial amounts of risk. Those clients who purchased UBS proprietary funds were taking even larger risks, as those funds were often highly leveraged and carried significantly higher risks than what their continental United States counterparts did.

If you are or were a customer of UBS Puerto Rico, Banco Popular, or another Puerto Rico brokerage firm who invested in Puerto Rico bonds, UBS Puerto Rico bond funds or similar securities, it is not too late to contact the law firm of Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP for an evaluation of your account to determine if you might have a claim to attempt to recover some or all of your losses. All communications will be kept strictly confidential, and you will not be billed in any way for a consultation.

Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP has a team of attorneys, consultants and staff with more than 100 years of combined experience in the securities industry and in securities law. For more than two decades, our firm has represented thousands of investors throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and internationally to recover losses suffered through brokerage firms and banks. More information can also be found at www.ubs-taxfree-puertorico.com.

Contact Info: 800-259-9010

713-580-8914 to speak to Spanish fluent staff

Sam Edwards [email protected]

Kirk Smith [email protected]

Luis Acevedo [email protected]

(Español) Estudio revela que las antocianinas en las fresas mejoran la resistencia a la insulina

May 3, 2016

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HITN introduces renowned chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich to the US Hispanic market

May 2, 2016

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HITN-TV Presents Renowned Chef and Restaurateur Lidia Bastianich

BROOKLYN, N.Y., May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network (HITN), the leading media company in offering educational content relevant to the Spanish-speaking audience of the United States, brings to its network screens celebrated chef and entrepreneur Lidia Bastianich with an entertaining cooking show.

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La Italia de Lidia en América (‘Lidia’s Italy in America’) is the Spanish-language version of a program designed to educate and entertain food-loving audiences. Acclaimed chef Lidia Bastianich takes viewers by the hand on an exciting culinary journey through different American cities.

“I am so pleased to be joining the HITN family, offering viewers my series, Lidia’s Italy and Lidia’s Italy in America. I know how important family and cooking is to me, and I know it will resonate with this wonderful Spanish speaking community in America. It’s an honor to be sharing my tradition of food, wine, culture and my cuisine with the Hispanic community,” said Lidia Bastianich Chef and Entrepreneur.

In each episode of La Italia de Lidia en América the chef offers up the ingredients of the cultural fusion between Italy and the United States. In her way, every place she visits is a window on to interesting facts that show viewers how the influence of the rich Italian culture is reflected in various aspects of the culture of the American people, in cuisine, music and artistic expression.

“La Italia de Lidia en América is a stellar show hosted by acclaimed chef Lidia Bastianich, who is given to the task of showing our viewers, in a lively and lighthearted way, various facets of Italian culture, while highlighting the great influence that Italian cuisine has had on American cuisine over the years,” said, HITN General Manager Eric Turpin.

Lidia Bastianich has managed to combine the two greatest passions of her life, her love for her family and her passion for cooking, to develop a successful career in business. The prominent chef is the author of several internationally best-selling cookbooks and, as a successful businesswoman, is the owner of several restaurants in the United States and of a thriving gastronomic enterprise, which she manages with the support of her children.

La Italia de Lidia en América premieres on Saturday, May 7, at 4:00 pm ET / 1: 00 pm Pacific.

For more information about The Hispanic Information and Telecommunication Network (HITN, Inc.) visit: http://www.hitn.org/en/about-us

What: HITN introduces renowned chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich to the US Hispanic market

When: May 2016

Where: HITN TV – Brooklyn, NY

Two Scientists Receive 2016 March Of Dimes Prize For Revolutionary Co-Discovery Of MicroRNAs, The Smallest Genes In Biology

May 2, 2016

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BALTIMORE, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Victor R. Ambros, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Gary Ruvkun, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, have been awarded the 2016 March of Dimes and Richard B. Johnston, Jr., MD Prize in Developmental Biology. The Prize recognizes their pioneering co-discovery of an unanticipated world of the tiniest genes, microRNAs (or miRNAs), and the mechanism by which they regulate their targets.

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This is the 21^st annual awarding of the Prize, now newly named in honor of Dr. Johnston, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado and a former Medical Director of the March of Dimes.

MicroRNAs play pivotal roles in development and physiology of many organisms, including humans. There now exists a catalog of the thousands of miRNAs produced in animals and plants. Human miRNAs are implicated in heart disease, in how viruses infect our cells, in normal brain function, in the transition from totipotent stem cells to differentiated cells, and in cancer. Human therapies based on microRNA regulation are already in clinical trials for heart disease.

Dr. Ambros is the Silverman Chair in Natural Sciences and Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Ruvkun is the Hans-Hermann Schoene Distinguished Investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Molecular Biology and Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Working independently and also at times together, the two scientists identified microRNAs, the smallest genes ever discovered, and elucidated how these small pieces of genetic material influence the production of proteins from particular messenger RNAs to which they are complementary. Their finding that microRNAs switch off the production of proteins from their target genes has changed our knowledge of various developmental and physiological processes.

Dr. Ambros and Dr. Ruvkun published back-to-back studies in the journal Cell in 1993, describing their surprising findings.

“Dr. Ambros and Dr. Ruvkun showed us that microRNAs, genes much smaller than ever imagined, are pivotal for governing embryonic development,” says Joe Leigh Simpson, MD, Senior Vice President for Research and Global Programs at the March of Dimes. “We now know that microRNAs are involved in a wide range of activities relevant to birth defects, viral infections, cancer, and other disorders. This has revealed exciting new paths for lifesaving diagnostic tools and treatments for mothers and babies.”

“I am deeply honored to be associated with the March of Dimes Prize because of the high value I place on what it does to improve the lives of babies and children,” says Dr. Johnston. “Scientific research has been central to the mission of the March of Dimes since it was founded by President Franklin Roosevelt. The March of Dimes Prize has extended that tradition through its recognition of the very best in the field of developmental and genetic science. Drs. Ambros and Ruvkun have made discoveries in basic science of the highest order, and their discoveries are already being translated into a better understanding of the biologic processes that underlie development of a healthy baby or that can go awry and allow birth defects and prematurity.”

Victor Ambros earned his undergraduate degree and Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was the first postdoctoral fellow in the lab of H. Robert Horvitz (recipient of the 2000 March of Dimes Prize). At MIT, Dr. Ambros was a colleague of Gary Ruvkun. In 1993, Dr. Ambros discovered the first microRNA in the roundworm C. elegans and later discovered many more microRNAs in C. elegans. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his work, including the 2008 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research, shared with Gary Ruvkun and the Breakthrough Prize. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Gary Ruvkun obtained his undergraduate degree in biophysics at the University of California, Berkeley, and his PhD at Harvard. He conducted postdoctoral research with Dr. Horvitz at MIT, where he was also a colleague of Victor Ambros. Dr. Ruvkun and Dr. Ambros reported the novel microRNA-mediated mode of gene regulation in C. elegans in 1993. Dr. Ruvkun discovered the mechanism of microRNA regulation of target genes: the miRNA shuts down the production by protein from the target messenger RNA via base-pairing. In 2000, Dr. Ruvkun discovered the second miRNA and that it was conserved across evolution in animals, including in humans. Dr. Ruvkun has published more than 150 scientific articles and has received numerous previous awards for his work, including the 2008 Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research shared with Victor Ambros and the Breakthrough Prize. Dr. Ruvkun is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Ambros and Dr. Ruvkun will deliver the 21^st annual March of Dimes Prize Lectures today at the Baltimore Convention Center during the 2016 Pediatric Academy Societies annual meeting. They will receive the Prize at a gala black-tie dinner and ceremony at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, hosted by CBS sportscaster Greg Gumbel, member of the March of Dimes national Honorary Board of Trustees.

The March of Dimes Prize has been awarded annually since 1996 to honor investigators whose research has profoundly advanced the science that underlies the understanding of birth defects. The March of Dimes Foundation created the Prize as a tribute to Dr. Jonas Salk shortly before his death in 1995. Dr. Salk received Foundation support for his work on the polio vaccine. The Prize is a cash award of $250,000. Each recipient receives a silver medal in the design of the Roosevelt dime, honoring President Franklin D. Roosevelt, March of Dimes founder.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, mothers and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. Find out how you can help raise funds to prevent premature birth and birth defects by walking in March for Babies at marchforbabies.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

(Español) Cientificos especialistas en nutricion infantil exponen importantes avances en estudios sobre componentes bioactivos presentes en la leche

May 2, 2016

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Texas home sales jump in first quarter of 2016, inventory drops to all-time low

May 2, 2016

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AUSTIN, Texas, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Texas home sales rose significantly in the first quarter of 2016, while housing inventory fell to an all-time low, according to the 2016-Q1 Texas Quarterly Housing Report released today by the Texas Association of Realtors.

“Despite the economic downturn in some parts of the state, home sales continue to be strong, indicating the enduring demand of Texas real estate,” said Leslie Rouda Smith, chairman of the Texas Association of Realtors. “Our state continues to be a hub for relocation activity, business development and job growth.”

According to the report, 65,265 homes were sold in Texas in the first quarter of 2016, a 7.8 percent increase from the same quarter of 2015. Home prices continued to rise as well, with the median price for Texas homes increasing 5.4 percent year-over-year to $195,000.

Jim Gaines, Ph.D., economist with the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, added, “The Texas economy is experiencing a cooling off period after a five-year boom, so the Texas housing market’s strong gains despite the current uneasiness in the state economy are remarkable. It will be interesting to see how Texas real estate activity performs in the next two quarters, typically the strongest quarters for home sales every year. That performance will show the full strength of the Texas housing market in 2016.”

Housing inventory fell to an all-time low of 2.8 months in 2016-Q1, a decline of 0.6 months from the first quarter of 2015. The Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University estimates that a monthly housing inventory between 6.0 and 6.5 months is a level at which the supply and demand for homes is balanced.

Active listings also fell sharply in 2016-Q1, dropping 11.9 percent year-over-year to 74,276 active listings. Texas homes also continued to spend less time on the market. In 2016-Q1, Texas homes spent an average of 64 days on the market, a decrease of three days compared to the same quarter of the prior year.

Chairman Smith concluded, “Housing inventory remains extremely limited in Texas. Low housing inventory combined with rising property values is making housing affordability a challenge, not just in Texas’s metro areas but across the state. This could become a larger problem if there is not greater balance between supply and demand in the future.”

About the Texas Quarterly Housing Report
Data for the Texas Quarterly Housing Report is provided by the Data Relevance Project, a partnership among local REALTOR® associations and their MLSs, the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, and the Texas Association of REALTORS®. The report provides quarterly real estate sales data from a statewide perspective and for 25 metropolitan statistical areas in Texas. It is released by the Texas Association of REALTORS® in February, May, August and November each year. To view the 2016-Q1 Texas Quarterly Housing Report in its entirety, visit TexasRealEstate.com.

About the Texas Association of REALTORS®
With more than 100,000 members, the Texas Association of REALTORS® is a professional membership organization that represents all aspects of real estate in Texas. We advocate on behalf of Texas REALTORS® and private-property owners to keep homeownership affordable, protect private-property rights, and promote public policies that benefit homeowners. Visit TexasRealEstate.com to learn more.

CONTACT:
Danielle Urban
Pierpont Communications
+1-512-448-4950
[email protected]