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DWC's New Deputy Commissioner for Operations and External Relations

Texas Workers' Compensation Commissioner Jeff Nelson has announced the appointment of Matthew Posey as DWC's new Deputy Commissioner of Operations and External Relations.




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Consejos de seguros después del huracán Beryl

Si sufrió daños por causa del huracán Beryl, llame a su compañía de seguros para comenzar una reclamación.




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How Old is the Earth: A Response to "Scientific" Creationism

Added January 10, 2006: A classic and often-referenced 1984 paper by G. Brent Dalrymple. The paper contains short but accurate expositions of radiometric dating methods and discussions of creationist criticisms and attempts to date the Earth as young. It includes material difficult to find elsewhere, such as the discussion of mixing isochrons and the effect of neutron-capture reactions. Dr. Dalrymple is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a winner of the National Medal of Science, a former president of the American Geophysical Union, and the author of The Age of the Earth




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Spring Numbers Show 'Dramatic' Drop In College Enrollment

; Credit: LA Johnson/NPR

Elissa Nadworny | NPR

Undergraduate college enrollment fell again this spring, down nearly 5% from a year ago. That means 727,000 fewer students, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse.

"That's really dramatic," says Doug Shapiro, who leads the clearinghouse's research center. Fall enrollment numbers had indicated things were bad, with a 3.6% undergraduate decline compared with a year earlier, but experts were waiting to see if those students who held off in the fall would enroll in the spring. That didn't appear to happen.

"Despite all kinds of hopes and expectations that things would get better, they've only gotten worse in the spring," Shapiro says. "It's really the end of a truly frightening year for higher education. There will be no easy fixes or quick bounce backs."

Overall enrollment in undergraduate and graduate programs has been trending downward since around 2012, and that was true again this spring, which saw a 3.5% decline — seven times worse than the drop from spring 2019 to spring 2020.

The National Student Clearinghouse attributed that decline entirely to undergraduates across all sectors, including for-profit colleges. Community colleges, which often enroll more low-income students and students of color, remained hardest hit by far, making up more than 65% of the total undergraduate enrollment losses this spring. On average, U.S. community colleges saw an enrollment drop of 9.5%, which translates to 476,000 fewer students.

"The enrollment landscape has completely shifted and changed, as though an earthquake has hit the ground," says Heidi Aldes, dean of enrollment management at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, a community college in Minnesota. She says her college's fall 2020 enrollment was down about 8% from the previous year, and spring 2021 enrollment was down about 11%.

"Less students are getting an education"

Based on her conversations with students, Aldes attributes the enrollment decline to a number of factors, including being online, the "pandemic paralysis" community members felt when COVID-19 first hit, and the financial situations families found themselves in.

"Many folks felt like they couldn't afford to not work and so couldn't afford to go to school and lose that full-time income," Aldes says. "There was so much uncertainty and unpredictability."

A disproportionately high number of students of color withdrew or decided to delay their educational goals, she says, adding to equity gaps that already exist in the Minneapolis area.

"Sure, there is a fiscal impact to the college, but that isn't where my brain goes," Aldes says. "There's a decline, which means there are less students getting an education. That is the tragedy, that less students are getting an education, because we know how important education is to a successful future."

To help increase enrollment, her team is reaching out to the high school classes of 2020 and 2021, and they're contacting students who previously applied or previously enrolled and stopped attending. She says she's hopeful the college's in-person offerings — which now make up nearly 45% of its classes — will entice students to come back, and appeal to those who aren't interested in online courses. So far, enrollment numbers for fall 2021 are up by 1%. "We are climbing back," she says.

A widening divide

Despite overall enrollment declines nationally, graduate program enrollments were up by more than 120,000 students this spring. That means there are more students who already have college degrees earning more credentials, while, at the other end of the spectrum, students at the beginning of their higher ed careers are opting out — a grim picture of a widening gap in America.

"It's kind of the educational equivalent of the rich getting richer," Shapiro says. "Those gaps in education and skills will be baked into our economy, and those families' lives, for years to come."

The value of a college degree — and its impact on earning power and recession resilience — has only been reinforced by the pandemic. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans with a college degree were more likely to stay employed during the pandemic, and if they did lose a job, they were more likely to get hired again. Unemployment rates were higher for those without a degree or credential beyond high school.

"Almost all of the income gains and the employment gains for the last decade have gone to people with higher education degrees and credentials," Shapiro says. "Those who are getting squeezed out of college today, especially at community colleges, are just getting further and further away from being able to enjoy some of those benefits."

In the National Student Clearinghouse data, traditional college-aged students, those 18 to 24, were the largest age group missing from undergraduate programs. That includes many students from the high school class of 2020, who graduated at the beginning of the pandemic. Additional research from the Clearinghouse shows a 6.8% decline in college-going rates among the class of 2020 compared to the class of 2019 — that's more than four times the decline between the classes of 2018 and 2019. College-going rates were worse for students at high-poverty high schools, which saw declines of more than 11%.

For the communities and organizations tasked with helping high school graduates transition and succeed in college, the job this year is exponentially harder. Students have always struggled to attend college: "It's not new to us," says Nazy Zargarpour, who leads the Pomona Regional Learning Collaborative, which helps Southern California high school students enroll and graduate from college. "But this year, it's on steroids because of COVID."

Her organization is offering one-on-one outreach to students to help them enroll or re-enroll in college. As part of that effort, Zargarpour and her colleagues conducted research to help them understand why students didn't go on to college during the pandemic.

"Students told us that it's a variety of things, including a lot of just life challenges," she says. "Families being disrupted because of lack of work; families being disrupted because of the challenges of the illness itself; students having to take care of their young siblings; challenges with technology."

The biggest question now: Will those students return to college? Experts say the farther a student gets from their high school graduation, the less likely they are to enroll, because life gets in the way. But Zargarpour is hopeful.

"It will take a little bit of time for us to catch up to normal and better, but my heart can't bear to say all hope is lost for any student ever."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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The Supreme Court Leaves The CDC's Moratorium On Evictions In Place

The U.S. Supreme Court; Credit: Jose Luis Magana/AP

Nina Totenberg and Chris Arnold | NPR

Updated June 29, 2021 at 7:53 PM ET

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to lift a ban on evictions for tenants who have failed to pay all or some rent during the coronavirus pandemic.

By a 5-to-4 vote, the court left in place the nationwide moratorium on evictions put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and which was challenged by the Alabama Association of Realtors.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who cast the fifth and deciding vote, wrote in a concurring opinion that he voted not to end the eviction program only because it is set to expire on July 31, "and because those few weeks will allow for additional and more orderly distribution" of the funds that Congress appropriated to provide rental assistance to those in need because of the pandemic. He added, however, that in his view Congress would have to pass new and clearer legislation to extend the moratorium past July 31.

The Biden administration has said it does not plan to extend the moratorium any further.

Also voting to leave the program intact until July 31 were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

Dissenting were Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett. They would have blocked the moratorium from continuing for another month.

The decision comes at a time when roughly 7 million American households say they are still behind on their rent. Many suffered job loss during the pandemic. And delays have stopped more than $46 billion in congressionally approved rental assistance from reaching many people facing eviction who need it.

Housing groups have been warning that pulling the CDC eviction protections away from people before that congressional aid can reach them would spark a wave of evictions that could otherwise be avoided.

Evictions often send families into a downward financial spiral. It can be very hard to find another place to live with an eviction on your record. People can end up living in their cars, motels when they can afford it or in homeless shelters. Research has found there's also a disparate impact on people of color.

During the pandemic, public health experts have warned — and research showed — that evictions result in more coronavirus cases because people end up living in more crowded situations, where they are more likely to catch or spread the disease.

At the outset of the pandemic, Congress adopted a limited, temporary moratorium on evictions. After Congress' moratorium lapsed last July, however, then-President Donald Trump asked the CDC to step in and issue a new eviction ban, which it did in September. In March, President Biden extended that ban, which was to expire at the end of June. Then on June 24, the Biden administration notified the Supreme Court that it had extended the moratorium until July 31. It also said that barring a rise in coronavirus cases, the "CDC does not plan to extend the Order further."

Landlords have long argued that the CDC order was an overreach and that the agency doesn't have the power to, in effect, take control over their own properties away from them.

A group of the nation's landlords challenged the eviction ban and on May 5, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled that the CDC has exceeded its authority. The judge, however, blocked her own decision from going into effect to give the government time to appeal. On June 2, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the stay, prompting the landlords to go to the Supreme Court.

Keeping the status quo in place "will prolong the severe financial burdens borne by landlords under the moratorium for the past nine months," the property owners said.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.




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PM Profile: Getting to know PHCC's new President Dave Frame

This month, PHCC — National Association President Joel Long, owner of Gastonia, North Carolina-based GSM Services, will pass the baton to Dave Frame, fourth-generation owner of Bob Frame Plumbing Services, South Bend, Indiana. Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke had a chance to chat with Frame about what he hopes to accomplish during his term and the many opportunities for PHCC members over the next year.




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PM Profile: ICC's Dominic Sims

Plumbing & Mechanical recently had the chance to interview International Code Council CEO Dominic Sims about the current landscape for codes and standards and the plumbing industry overall. 




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Thermal Energy Networks for HVAC&W

Circulating ground-temperature water in a Thermal Energy Network (TEN) provides efficient heating and cooling, reducing costs and mitigating climate change through decarbonization. The water must be kept within a specific temperature range, known as the performance zone.




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Donaldson introduces Dalamatic® G2 dust collector

Engineered to work with materials that create sticky or agglomerative dust, the evolutionary Dalamatic G2 dust collector includes patented Dura-Life bag filters. 




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Assistance for Affordable Homeownership: $50,000 Grant Offered by CAHEC's Open Doors Homeownership Initiative

$50,000 Grant Offered by CAHEC's Open Doors Homeownership Initiative




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Actor Courtney Rioux and Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García To Discuss AI In The Workplace At Institute For Work and The Economy Event

The AI industry and its work product are growing exponentially, well ahead of critical rules and laws needed to provide safeguards, including fair use in the workplace.




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Breakout Music's Super Bowl and Valentines Day Timing Brilliance "Back 2 Back" Marketing Strategy

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"Designed-for-Electric" Boat Ends 26-year Lack of Innovation

AquaNaut Folding Catamaran cruises at 3.5 knots with 4 adults using only 300w of power




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Cécilia M. Attias Recognized by Marquis Who's Who

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Ron Gordon Watch Repair, NYC's Certified TAG Heuer Service and Repair Specialist, Announces Post on TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper

Ron Gordon emerges as a certified TAG Heuer watch repair technician, operating from Midtown, New York City.




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Crete Mechanical Group Expands Presence Through Partnership With C&C Service

Crete Mechanical Group, a nationwide multi-service building solutions provider, expands its HVAC services to Stamford, CT by partnering with C&C Service.




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FFW Honored With 2022 Acquia Engage Award For Digital Work Supporting Hologic's National Campaign

Award recognizes exceptional digital experiences developed in a time of ceaseless change.




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DAESAN INOTEC introduces Chain Block, Lever, and Geared Trolley Hoist Solutions




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Hale Consulting Solutions LLC's Charles Hale to Present at PMI Global Summit 2024

Renowned Project Management and HIPAA Compliance Expert to Showcase AI's Role in Transforming Project Management Efficiency and Strategy




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Renowned Chef Eric Crowley Announces the Closure of Chef Eric's Culinary Classroom After 22 Memorable Years

"I am grateful for years of support from students, staff, and supporters."




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MARÍA ROSA FENOLLAR AND JUDITH MÁS FENOLLAR, FROM BROTOCÓ ATELIER, RECEIVE THE "VALENCIA, CITY OF THE GRAIL 2023" AWARD

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US SIF: SEC's final climate disclosure rule a first step toward material financial reporting

US SIF: The Sustainable Investment Forum released a statement regarding the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) final rule on climate risk disclosure




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VRC's Rucker to participate in Boston Private Equity Network continuation fund panel

Webinar will cover the current market, the advantages of continuation funds and best practices for navigating challenges.




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J2C's Safe, Accurate and Cost-Effective — Iris Recognition Solution

J2C's Iris Recognition Solution — Accurate, Affordable, Cost-effective and named one of the K-Global 300 Companies by the Korean Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning in 2017




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Best Form of Biometric Identification — J2C's Iris Recognition Devices




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Customer Appreciation Event at Sac's Barber Lounge on Sunday, July 21, 2024, from 2 pm to 4 pm

A fun thank-you to Sac's many loyal clients held in Suite 108 inside Salon & Spa Galleria Hulen in Fort Worth, TX.




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Reel Sisters celebrates Women In Hip Hop and a special magazine issue honoring the music's history and roots

Special Screening of Black Love Manifesto directed by Liza Jessie Peterson & Women In Hip Hop Talk




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Lessons in Innovation from Bowie, Beyoncé, and More

Panos Panay, incoming co-president of the Recording Academy, which presents the Grammys, and R. Michael Hendrix, partner at the innovation consultancy IDEO, argue that the music world offers myriad lessons for anyone looking to improve their performance at work. They explain how strategies long used by musicians -- from egoless experimentation to gathering talented teams for creative collaboration -- can be applied directly to business. Panay and Hendrix are the authors of "Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation."




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Widow Gets Award for Paramedic's Fatal Heart Attack

The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania upheld an award of benefits to the widow of a paramedic who died of a heart attack. Case: Prospect Medical Holdings Inc. v. Reeder (WCAB), No.




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Federal Court Upholds Summary Dismissal of Mechanic's Disability Discrimination Claim

A federal appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of an injured mechanic’s claim for disability discrimination. Case: Goosen v. Minnesota Department of Transportation, No. 23-2360, 06/24/2024, published. Facts: Robert Wayne Goosen worked…




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WCIRB C&R Committee Meeting Nov. 12

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California Classification and Rating Committee is meeting Nov. 12. Committee members will review a draft report investigating the idea of a universal payroll limitation. The…




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La nueva guía explica en detalle cómo manejar el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares (ECV) antes, durante y después de una cirugía no cardíaca

Aspectos destacados de la guía: La guía conjunta de la American Heart Association (la Asociación Americana del Corazón) y el American College of Cardiology, que aborda el tratamiento y la evaluación cardiovascular de los pacientes antes, durante y...




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La Cámara de Representantes aprueba un proyecto de ley que salvaría la vida de quienes sufran un paro cardíaco en el ámbito de una escuela

WASHINGTON, D.C., 23 de septiembre de 2024 — En el día de hoy, la Cámara de Representantes de los EE. UU. aprobó la Ley de Educación para la Salud, Concienciación, Investigación y Capacitación sobre Cardiomiopatías en las Escuelas (Health Education,...




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PWABC's Women in Public Works 2025 (Virtual)

Organizer: Public Works Association of BC
Location: Online




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4 W&H Questions As We Enter Pandemic's 4th Year

Claire Deason weighs in on whether employers are obligated to pay for remote employees' commutes into work, business expenses and paid sick time.

Law360 Employment Authority

View (Subscription required.) 




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Spider-Woman. Vol. 2, King in black / writer, Karla Pacheco ; artist, Pere Pérez ; color artist, Frank D'Armata ; letterer, VC's Travis Lanham.

"Collects Spider-Woman (2020) #6-10. Road trip— to space! After learning some startling secrets about her family, Jessica Drew goes on a mission to find the one person who might know more: the High Evolutionary! But she's going to need her BFF by her side— and that means it's Captain Marvel team-up time! Before long though, those closest to Spider-Woman will abandon her. Only one person will come to her aid: Octavia Vermis! Octavia has a cure for Jessica, and the prescription is crime! Is Jess willing to resort to theft to gather all the tools needed to fix what's wrong? In the shadow of Knull's invasion, Spider-Woman must put everything on the line— and then cross it! Even if Jess can find the cure for what ails her, will she still have a life worth saving?" -- Page [4] of cover.




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Miles Morales. Ultimate end / Brian Michael Bendis, writer ; artist, David Marquez, artist ; Justin Ponsor with Jason Keith, color artists ; VC's Cory Petit, letterer.

"Miles Morales, the Ultimate Universe's newest Spider-Man, is back in action with a new status quo and a new outlook on life! But now Miles must face with the worst nightmare of the Spider-Man legacy: Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin— the man who killed Peter Parker! Or did he … ? Even as new villains start coming out of the woodwork, Miles finds himself with— a girlfriend! Her name is Katie Bishop, but she has a secret … and it's bad news for Spider-Man! As Miles makes a life-changing decision, he discovers a mind-blowing truth about his family! But what does it have to do with S.H.I.E.L.D.? Doctor Doom steps from the shadows and Spider-Man gathers the mighty Ultimates— but no matter what happens next, this might be the end of the world for Miles Morales!" -- Description provided by publisher.




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Advice for HVAC's Next Generation

Speaking to several high school students at AHR, David Richardson offered some advice and wisdom that he’s gathered over his career.




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SE-Radio Episode 240: The Groovy Language with Cédric Champeau




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SE Radio 597: Coral Calero Muñoz and Félix García on Green Software

Coral Calero Muñoz and Felix Garcia, professors at the University of Castilla-La Mancha, speak with host Giovanni Asproni about green and sustainable software—an approach to software development aimed at creating software systems that consume less energy and produce less CO2 during their entire lifetimes with minimal impact on their functionality and other qualities. The episode starts by describing why green software matters, particularly in the context of global warming, and introducing the key concepts. Continues discussing the current status of the field, in both academia and industry, and finishes with hints and tips that can be readily applied by development teams to make their systems greener. Brought to you by IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Software magazine.




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Cómo Apoyar a Las Personas Que Enfrentan el Duelo a Larga Distancia

Para los inmigrantes que enfrentan pérdidas desde lejos, el apoyo puede provenir de la comunidad, nuevos rituales y mejores políticas.




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World famous college to offer course on Beyoncé

Beyoncé joins Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga as a subject for serious academic study.




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Contec® Citric Acid Disinfectant

Contec® Citric Acid Disinfectant is the low odor botanical that’s ideal for restoration jobs. 




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Haleon Named Founding Member of PA Consulting & PulPac's Blister Pack Collective

PA and PulPac created the Blister Pack Collective to limit the use of non-recyclable plastics in over-the-counter and prescription drug packaging through cross-industry collaboration.




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LAKRIDS BY BÜLOW uses PulPac's Dry Molded Fiber for Licorice Advent Calendar

First announced in May, the project progressed at a remarkable speed, demonstrating the versatility and efficiency of PulPac’s Dry Molded Fiber technology, which brings to life bespoke, deep-drawn designs with a premium feel.




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Researchers Invent 100% Biodegradable 'Barley Plastic' Suitable for Food Packaging

A biofriendly new material made from barley starch blended with fiber from sugar-beet waste sees the light of day at the University of Copenhagen – a strong material that turns into compost should it end up in nature.




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Once Upon a Farm Sees Growth with SOMIC's 424 W3 Wraparound Case Packing System

Prior to purchasing the pair of SOMIC case packing systems, Once Upon a Farm’s co-packers used manual labor to handle the products.




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ProAmpac's Rotibag Provides Sustainable Solution for Grab-and-Go Food

Rotibag's innovative features include an integrated handle, making it ideal for hot grab-and-go items like rotisserie chicken and other prepared foods, while its fog-resistant packaging ensures product visibility.




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NAB Statement on FCC's Hearing Designation Order

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today at the NAB State Leadership Conference, President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt expressed concern with the implications of the FCC’s decision to refer the Standard General-Tegna merger to the agency’s administrative law judge. The following statement can be attributed to him:




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"ABC's Wide World of Sports" Named 2023 NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame Inductee

Washington, D.C. -- Long-running sports anthology series "ABC's Wide World of Sports" will be inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Broadcasting Hall of Fame at the 2023 NAB Show as this year's television inductee. The show, which aired on ABC from 1961-1998, will be honored at NAB Show during the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame Ceremony on the Main Stage, held April 17 in Las Vegas, Nev.