Biggest dinosaur ever discovered arrives at the Field Museum
CHICAGO, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — This week, the Field Museum in Chicago unveiled a cast of the largest dinosaur ever discovered, and his name’s Máximo. The 122-foot-long touchable cast takes up a third of the Museum’s main Stanley Field Hall, with its head peeking over the 28-foot balcony to the second floor. The titanosaur, a recently discovered dino from Argentina, is nicknamed Máximo—Spanish for “maximum” or “most” and a nod to the dinosaur’s enormous size and Argentinian homeland. And Máximo won’t be alone—as part of the museum’s massive renovation to its iconic Stanley Field Hall, he’ll be joined this week by a flock of life-size replicas of giant flying reptiles, as well as state-of-the-art hanging gardens. These additions will transform the hall in celebration of the museum’s 125th anniversary this year.
“Our goal as an institution is to offer visitors the best possible dinosaur experiences, and we want that to start right when visitors first enter Stanley Field Hall,” says Field Museum president Richard Lariviere. “The new titanosaur is huge and it looks amazing in Stanley Field Hall. It is the perfect home to display the world’s largest dinosaur.”
The new dinosaur is a cast made from the fossil bones of Patagotitan mayorum (pat-uh-go-tie-tan my-or-um), a giant, long-necked herbivore from Argentina that’s part of a group of dinosaurs called titanosaurs. The cast is the only Patagotitan in the world that visitors are able to touch and walk under, and only the second to ever be on display. Along with the cast of the titanosaur skeleton, there are some of its real bones on display, including an 8-foot-long thighbone. Máximo’s pink hue matches the color of the real fossils, turned reddish by the red clay soil where they were found.
The flock of pterosaurs (which are flying reptiles, not dinosaurs) joining Máximo will give visitors a lifelike look at the animals that shared the planet with the dinosaurs. The pterosaurs will also serve as a wayfinding tool from Stanley Field Hall up to the rest of the dinos and SUE’s new home in the permanent exhibition The Griffin Halls of Evolving Planet. The largest pterosaur will have a 32-foot wingspan, the length of a school bus.
Máximo, the flying reptiles, gardens, and renovations to SUE the T. rex (who is undergoing scientific updates before their reveal in their new gallery by the museum’s other dinos in early 2019) are all made possible by Citadel CEO Kenneth C. Griffin’s generous gift of $16.5 million, and are just the beginning of groundbreaking changes at the museum this year. “Visiting the Field Museum has brought tremendous joy and wonder to my children and me over the years,” says Griffin. “I am proud to support such an outstanding institution so that children and families can better understand and appreciate dinosaurs and their history.”
For more information, visit us at fieldmuseum.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht3EQrpOpko
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/698353/Field_Museum_Maximo.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/698354/Field_Museum_Logo.jpg
SOURCE Field Museum
AFGE Endorses California’s Gavin Newsom for Governor
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Gavin Newsom for governor of California.
“With public-sector employees across this country facing unprecedented attacks on their workplace rights, it’s more important than ever that we support candidates who will have our backs,” said American Federation of Government Employees District 12 National Vice President George McCubbin III.
“Gavin Newsom knows that workers covered by union contracts enjoy higher wages, better health and retirement benefits, and safer workplaces – and he understands that all employees have benefited from the gains achieved by unions,” McCubbin said.
“When it comes to supporting working people, Gavin Newsom has literally walked the walk and talked the talk – from joining striking workers on the picket line to negotiating fair contracts at the bargaining table,” McCubbin said. “Gavin Newsom strongly supports the collective bargaining rights of all public-sector employees and as governor will oppose any effort to strip workers of their rights.”
More than 250,000 federal employees live in California – caring for veterans, supporting the military, guarding our borders, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time. More than 443,000 active and retired federal employees live in California.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing 700,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. District 12 represents about 80,000 employees in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 700,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.
For the latest AFGE news and information, visit the AFGE Media Center. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/698593/AFGE_Gavin_Newsom.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/329549/american_federation_of_government_employees_logo.jpg
SOURCE American Federation of Government Employees
Samaritan’s Purse Standing with Puerto Rico in Long-Term Recovery
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — As hurricane season approaches people across Puerto Rico are still reeling from last year’s devastating storms—Irma and Maria. That is why international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse is announcing a multiyear recovery plan aimed at rehabilitating more than 390 homes and 55 churches in central and southern Puerto Rico.
“It’s important for people in Puerto Rico to know they are not forgotten, and that God loves them,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham. “We have been on the ground in Puerto Rico since the day Hurricane Maria hit, and we will continue to help them rebuild their lives.”
The organization also plans a much-needed solar energy project for 100 homes in Yabucoa, one of the hardest-hit areas on the island, where residents continue to be affected by intermittent power outages.
Teams will begin installing solar units this summer. The solar project is the first of its kind for the relief group. The time-intensive installation process will provide enough electricity for a small home, including enough to power a refrigerator, which is critically important when electricity is not available because it allows residents to keep crucial prescription medications and temperature-sensitive food items from spoiling.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
- Remote or in-person interviews with disaster relief specialists in Puerto Rico
- Central and Southern Puerto Rico: rebuilding efforts with local churches and homes
- Yabucoa: solar energy project installation
- High-resolution, downloadable photos of work in Puerto Rico
- Broadcast-quality, downloadable b-roll from Puerto Rico
PUERTO RICO STATISTICS – Samaritan’s Purse Post-Maria Aid
- 1,900+ generator kits
- 75,000 tarps, helping households stay dry until permanent repairs can be made
- 34,000 grocery boxes, in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency
- 6,000+ solar lamps
- 24,000 Sawyer water filters
- 1,400,000 aqua tablets used to purify water
- Tens of thousands of buckets and jerry cans used to transport water
- 1,540 Bibles
- 3,100 people served by 67 free mobile medical clinics
- 756 helicopter trips to deliver tons of food, supplies and staff to remote or
inaccessible areas
In addition to 1,900 generator kits already distributed across the island, Samaritan’s Purse in April shipped another 500 generator kits, which include a generator, oil, a gas can and solar lights. The kits are being distributed to vulnerable families in remote areas of central Puerto Rico that still do not have access to power.
BACKGROUND: CARIBBEAN-WIDE RESPONSE CONTINUES
Samaritan’s Purse first deployed teams of disaster response specialists across a number of Caribbean islands in the immediate aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria to provide medical help and distribute food, emergency shelter materials, clean water, hygiene kits and solar lights to families in need.
Over the subsequent weeks and months, the organization’s DC-8 cargo jet made 44 round trips from North Carolina to the Caribbean, airlifting more than 1,000 tons of emergency relief supplies and key staff. With the conclusion of the emergency response phase, the organization is now shipping additional supplies on barges, with more than 2,000 tons of aid shipped by air and sea to the Caribbean so far. Many supplies have also been sourced locally.
In addition to distributing relief supplies, the organization established 16 clean water points throughout the Caribbean that provided ongoing sources of clean water.
Barbuda
More than 53 homes have been repaired, with another 112 targeted for completion by the end of the year. Samaritan’s Purse staff have completed repairs to one church and will work on five other churches that were significantly damaged. The organization also installed a reverse-osmosis plant that continues to provide safe water for families as they move back to the island.
Dominica
Samaritan’s Purse staff plan to assist with an estimated 1,000 roof repairs. Over the next two to three years, the organization also plans to help rebuild some 30 churches and provide reconstruction support to approximately 825 people through home repair efforts. Samaritan’s Purse, in partnership with the local utility, continues to truck clean water to communities in need.
St. Martin
Samaritan’s Purse, the first relief organization to arrive after the hurricane with food, water and heavy-duty shelter materials, plans to repair 40 churches, restore 315 homes and provide 2,500 families with material assistance vouchers to purchase large appliances, lumber, windows, roofing supplies or other construction materials.
About Samaritan’s Purse
Following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Samaritan’s Purse has helped more than 94,900 families in the Caribbean, which included disaster response efforts in Turks and Caicos, St. Martin, Puerto Rico, Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda. Samaritan’s Purse also helped more than 3,800 families impacted by the hurricanes in Texas and Florida.
SOURCE Samaritan’s Purse
Takata Airbag Special Master/Trustee Announces The Launch Of The Claim Process For Personal Injuries Or Wrongful Death
BOSTON, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The following statement is being issued by Professor Eric D. Green, Special Master for the Department of Justice’s Takata Airbag Individual Restitution Fund and the Trustee of the Tort Compensation Trust Fund Created in the Takata Bankruptcy Cases.
Takata Defective Airbag Claims
Professor Eric D. Green, the Court-Appointed Special Master of the Department of Justice’s $125 million Takata Individual Restitution Fund (“IRF”) and the Court-Appointed Trustee of the Takata Airbag Tort Compensation Trust Fund (“TATCTF”) created in the Takata bankruptcy case announced today that he has launched the compensation program for individuals who suffered personal injury or wrongful death caused by the rupture or aggressive deployment of a Takata phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate airbag inflator (a “Takata Airbag Inflator Defect”). The TATCTF has about $140 million.
There are three types of claims that can be brought by individuals who suffered injury or wrongful death caused by a Takata Airbag Inflator Defect: (i) an “IRF Claim” for compensation from the IRF, the personal injury and wrongful death restitution fund overseen by the Special Master and established under the Restitution Order entered by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (the “District Court”) on February 27, 2017 in connection with the Department of Justice’s criminal case against Takata, U.S. v. Takata Corporation, Case No. 16-cr-20810 (E.D. Mich.); (ii) a “Trust Claim” against Takata, which must be resolved through the TATCTF, overseen by the Trustee and established in connection with Takata’s Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization (the “Bankruptcy Plan”) in the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the “Bankruptcy Court”), and (iii) a “POEM Claim” against a Participating Original Equipment Manufacturer (a “POEM;” presently the only POEM is Honda/Acura), which must be resolved pursuant to the Bankruptcy Plan through the TATCTF overseen by the Trustee.
Each of these three types of claims has its own eligibility requirements and each claim type covers only physical injuries and wrongful death resulting from a Takata Airbag Inflator Defect. Claims related to injuries or wrongful death caused by other airbag components — such as airbag failure to deploy, spontaneous airbag deployment, crash injuries unrelated to the inflator, or economic losses unrelated to physical injuries or death — are not covered by the three types of claims described above.
Individuals can now access the claim forms, which include detailed instructions regarding how to file a claim, on the IRF website, www.takataspecialmaster.com, or on the TATCTF website, www.TakataAirbagInjuryTrust.com.
Oversight of the Claims Process and Resources for More Information
Professor Green was appointed by the District Court to serve as the Special Master overseeing IRF Claims and was appointed by the Bankruptcy Court to serve as the Trustee overseeing Trust Claims and POEM Claims.
For more information about eligibility requirements, filing deadlines and how to file a claim, please visit www.takataspecialmaster.com, www.TakataAirbagInjuryTrust.com, email [email protected], or call us toll-free at (888) 215-9544.
SOURCE: Takata Special Master/Trustee
SOURCE Takata Special Master/Trustee
@GoParks Photo Contest: 11 Moments That’ll Expand Your Bucket List
WASHINGTON, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A captivating starry night at Acadia National Park is the grand prize winner of the 2017 Share the Experience photo contest, hosted by the National Park Foundation, the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service. Captured by Manish Mamtani of Peabody, Massachusetts, this image will be featured on the annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. View the complete collection of winning photos on the National Park Foundation’s blog today.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7588557-national-park-foundation-share-the-experience-photo-contest/
This annual contest invites amateur photographers to submit their favorite views, moments, and adventures from America’s national parks and public lands. The 2018 Share the Experience photo contest is now accepting entries through December 31.
“The Share the Experience photo contest inspires people to explore the country’s diverse public lands,” said Will Shafroth, president of the National Park Foundation. “Once people discover these incredible treasures for themselves, the hope is that they’ll be moved to also support them.”
The grand prize for the winning image is $10,000, followed by $5,000 and $3,000 for second and third place. Winners also receive outdoor gear provided by Celestron and Osprey Packs, hotel packages courtesy of Historic Hotels of America®, and an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass.
“I have always been a great fan of America’s national parks,” said Manish Mamtani, who took the winning image while visiting Acadia National Park with his wife last summer. “I love the way beauty and wilderness is preserved in the parks. I always feel a close connection to nature in the national parks. My love for night sky is the reason I ventured into Astro-photography. Hiking in the night sky not only fulfills my appetite for adventure, but also makes me appreciate my existence among billions of galaxies, where our planet itself is no more than a tiny dot. Some of the national parks like Death Valley, Big Bend, Natural Bridges, Acadia and Arches provide the darkest night skies.”
A photograph by Kristy Burns from Livingston, Texas, of Fort Union National Monument took second place.
Third place went to Dorrie Henderson of Lafayette, Indiana, for her photo of Coconino National Forest.
Prizes are awarded for fan favorites and the following six category winners:
- Adventure and Outdoor Recreation
- Historical and Cultural
- Scenic, Seasons, and Landscapes
- Family, Friends, and Fun
- Wildlife
- Night Skies
More than 16,000 photos were submitted to the contest, which ran from May 4, 2017, through December 31, 2017.
The 2018 Share the Experience photo contest is hosted by the National Park Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and Recreation.gov. Share the Experience is the official photo contest of America’s national parks and federal recreational lands, showcasing the more than 500 million acres of federal lands and drawing entries from across the United States. For a full listing of prizing and rules, or to submit a photo, please visit www.sharetheexperience.org. You can also follow @GoParks on Instagram for photo inspiration.
Share the Experience is a great example of the countless ways there are to #FindYourPark. Launched in March 2015, Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque inspires people from all backgrounds to connect with, celebrate, and support America’s national parks and community-based programs. #FindYourPark invites people to discover and share their own unique connections to the country’s natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION
Celebrating 50 years, the National Park Foundation is the official charity of America’s national parks and nonprofit partner to the National Park Service. Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation raises private funds to help PROTECT more than 84 million acres of national parks through critical conservation and preservation efforts, CONNECT all Americans with their incomparable natural landscapes, vibrant culture and rich history, and ENGAGE the next generation of park stewards. In 2016, commemorating the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, the Foundation launched The Centennial Campaign for America’s National Parks, a comprehensive fundraising campaign to strengthen and enhance the future of these national treasures for the next hundred years. Find out more and become a part of the national park community at www.nationalparks.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Alanna Sobel
202-796-2538
[email protected]
SOURCE National Park Foundation
Colombia guest of honor at the Miami Fashion Week 2018
MIAMI, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Colombia is positioned as a designer factory in Latin America. Is a country where the sophistication and luxury are shown through the innovation of its fashion companies. With ideas inspired in the tropic, targeted to luxury consumers, Colombia arrives to the Miami Fashion Week 2018. Five designers with great international recognition: Daniella Batlle, Lina Cantillo, Carolina Estefan, Goretty Medina and Divina Castidad will attend the event, one of the most representative fashion platforms between American and Latin American culture.
With the slogan ‘Colombia is the best guarded secret in the Americas’, the participation in the event is organized by ProColombia, the Colombian government entity that promotes non-mining exports, tourism and investment. “Colombian design mixes great creativity inspired by the country’s biodiversity with the utmost respect for natural resources and the support for vulnerable communities. “That’s why we consider our fashion industry a jewel worthy of attention,” assured Felipe Jaramillo, ProColombia’s president.
The Miami Fashion Week is a great opportunity for positioning Colombia as the fashion provider for the United States and Latin America. The United States is already a key destination for Colombia’s fashion industry exports. In 2017, Colombia exported US$286.4 million to this market leveraging the benefits of the FTA between both countries. Nowadays, Colombian clothing and manufacturing inputs reach more than 100 destinations around the globe.
Colombian industry characteristics:
Colombia has a 100-year-old tradition and expertise in fashion development, reason why is a Latin American leader in the bathing suits category. Is the third biggest world exporter of control clothing and the fifth textile and inputs exporter of South America. Fabric production with smart technologies with added values as UV protection, skin moisturizer and anti-humidity, are some of the examples of the country’s portfolio. Besides, Colombian enterprises can adapt to client’s needs such as minimum flexible production and competitive delivery schedules.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/697979/ProColombia_Miami_Fashion_Week_2018.jpg
SOURCE ProColombia, The Colombian Government Trade Bureau
Health insurance giant Aetna under legal fire from New York City Cardiologist
NEW YORK, May 29, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — A New York cardiologist, Dr. Perry Frankel, is suing Aetna for breach of contract with his practice, Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics (ACD) in a lawsuit filed today, May 29, 2018. The suit, filed with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, is the result of a year-long battle to pay out nearly $1 million worth of legitimate claims for Covered Services of Aetna plan members. Aetna ordered ACD to cease all medical care provided specifically by its mobile clinic in May 2017. The lawsuit follows a protest outside of the Aetna building in New York earlier this month. Dozens of Black and Latino union and city workers affected by the blackballing of ACD screenings, proven to save lives, urged Aetna to reinstate ACD coverage to their plans. ACD made repeated attempts to ask Aetna why it honored claims for some ACD services and refused others, but never received an explanation. Soon after, Aetna dropped Dr. Frankel as a provider altogether, leaving hundreds of members claims unpaid.
“Aetna’s reckless behavior has already compromised the health and well-being of thousands,” said Dr. Perry Frankel, President and chief cardiologist of ACD. “This is life-or-death for countless members whose claims have been denied without cause or explanation.”
ACD mobile clinics provide important on-site cardiac screenings at union and church locations in medically underserved communities across New York City. This prompted Black and Latino union leaders and rank and file patients of Dr. Frankel’s to rally outside of the Park Avenue Aetna headquarters in a protest, which took place on May 9, 2018, one year after Aetna first ordered ACD stop mobile clinic visits. “Aetna’s sudden refusal to pay more than $900,000 of medical claims for hardworking union and city workers under their coverage is nothing more than corporate greed and discrimination,” said Attorney Todd Cushner of Cushner & Associates, P.C., the firm representing Dr. Frankel and ACD in the suit. “My client has faithfully honored his agreement [Specialist Physician Agreement Execution Sheet] since 1998, but the same cannot be said for Aetna who is effectively restricting access to lifesaving healthcare from municipal workers.”
The complaint cites Breach of Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing which is a violation of New York law. Other infractions Aetna could be found guilty of:
- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 42 U.S.C § 80001, et seq. ,
- New York Public Health Law § 4406(1);
- New York Public Health Law § 4406-(d)(2)(a);
- New York Public Health Law § 4406-(d)(2)(d);
- New York Public Health Law § 4406-d(5);
- New York Insurance Law § 3224-a (the Prompt Payment Law);
- New York Insurance Law § 4803(b)(1).
CONTACT: Hank Sheinkopf (212) 725-2378
SOURCE Advanced Cardiovascular Diagnostics (ACD)
Ismael Cala shines in TEDxRoma with an astonishing lecture about Neutrality and Mental Health
ROME, May 29, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Strategist and communicator Ismael Cala keeps moving forward in his career by participating in TEDxRoma, with a lecture on neutrality and mental health. He was the only Hispanic guest at the event.
“Can each one of you remain neutral for the next few minutes?” Cala asked to a packed auditorium with over one thousand participants at Rome’s La Nuvola Convention Center in the Italian capital.
By drawing on his own history of personal achievement, Cala elucidated about how “being neutral is a human dilemma, since we are trained and programmed to find truth and arrive at a definite opinion about all we know, all we think to know, and things we don’t even know.”
He highlighted that “most of the time we obsess about being right instead of being happy,” because our own mental maps betray us. “Our brain can’t stand to leave an unanswered question, and always wants to be right,” he remarked.
In the lecture, which was given in English, Ismael presented three keys, derived from his personal experience, on how to enhance happiness and success:
1- Diagnosing awareness: Observing ourselves constantly. Monitoring our own emotions and reactions. Studying our brain, reconnecting our minds, and raising our awareness. Once we find this awareness, we empower ourselves as great observers and creators.
2- Being like bamboos: Bamboos are empty and flexible. They bend to face the wind and can survive in any climate. Flexibility helps us to navigate the river of uncertainty.
3- Smiling: Would we rather be right or be happy? If we want a peaceful life, we must start exercising our smile today. A smile is a softener of emotional and spiritual stress.
“Transformation is possible. If I am smiling here in Rome in front of all of you, it is because non-attachment and neutrality have transformed scarcity into infinite possibilities, from being a victim to becoming an aware leader, by turning fear into power. We are all masters of our own destiny. I dream of a world free of emotional stress,” the communicator and bestselling author concluded to a standing ovation.
TEDx is a program of TED, which involves holding local events independently, to develop “ideas that deserve to be shared.”
ABOUT ISMAEL CALA
A life and business strategist, for five and a half years Ismael Cala was the host of CALA during prime time on CNN en Español. Businessman, social entrepreneur and journalist. Author of eight bestsellers on themes of leadership, entrepreneurship and personal development, including El poder de escuchar (‘The power of listening’), and Despierta con Cala (‘Wake up with Cala’); ambassador for the concept of Corporate Happiness in Latin America. Cala was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1969, and holds a degree in Art History from the Oriente University. He is the co-author of the book “Beat the Curve,” with Brian Tracy. He graduated from the School of Communication at York University in Toronto, and has a diploma from Seneca College in Television Production. He is President and founder of the Cala Enterprises Corporation and the Ismael Cala Foundation.
SOURCE Cala Enterprises