By Tony Deyal Earlier this week I found out about the “World Biggest Liar” competition in England. I immediately said it was in the wrong place with the wrong people. I remember one of my friends who lied about everything and his father, really upset, decided to teach him a lesson. He told the boy, “I will give you a whole twenty-five cents if you could tell me a lie now, right now!” The boy looked at the father and with a big smile said, “Twenty-five cents? But Daddy, you just promise me a dollar!” Then there was a Trini who went to one of the “lying” competitions in San Fernando, Trinidad. H ..read more

IMF staff and the Ecuadorian authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on a program of economic policies and structural reforms, supported by a 48-month arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Amid a challenging macroeconomic outlook, the new EFF arrangement will support Ecuador as it continues to make progress to help strengthen fiscal sustainability, safeguard macroeconomic stability, and foster strong and inclusive growth, while protecting the most vulnerable. USA / ECUADOR – IMF staff and the Ecuadorian authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on a set of ..read more

More than 5,000 Ran and Walked for the Conservation of Snow Leopards and Other Wildlife The WCS Run for the Wild is sponsored by Montefiore Einstein 2024 Event photos: https://bit.ly/4a1qOH8 (Credit: © WCS) 2024 Event b-roll video: https://bit.ly/3QmSyPH (Credit © WCS) BRONX, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The WCS Run for the Wild, sponsored by Montefiore Einstein, marking the official start of spring/summer in New York City, returned to the Bronx Zoo today for the 16th year. More than 80,000 runners and walkers have traversed through the park for this event since it started in 2009. Five thousand ..read more

Summit fields a “Run for Rich” employee team in honor of Rich Ford, an exemplary member of the Summit team who sadly and unexpectedly passed away in 2023. MANSFIELD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Summit Energy, one of the Northeast region’s premier solar installers, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of Interfaith Social Services 50th anniversary of its annual “Stop the Stigma” 5K held today, April 27 at the Kennedy Center in North Quincy. The 5K route winds through the Squantum neighborhood, with picturesque views of the Harbor and Boston’s skyline. The Interfaith Social Services annual even ..read more

TOLEDO, Ohio & TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), a leader in global building and construction materials, and Masonite International Corporation (“Masonite”) (NYSE: DOOR), a leading global provider of interior and exterior doors and door systems, today announced that, in connection with the previously announced tender offer (the “Tender Offer”) by Owens Corning and consent solicitation (the “Consent Solicitation”) by Masonite, they have extended the early participation deadline with respect to the Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation from 5:00 p.m., New York City time ..read more

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#GovWaste–Today, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Jessica Rosenworcel (D) announced the return of net neutrality rules. Following the adoption of several attempts by the FCC to impose strict regulations over the internet, CAGW President Tom Schatz issued the following statement: “In a fit of destructive, unnecessary, and wasteful regulatory whiplash, the FCC has decided on a 3-2 party line vote to reinstitute net neutrality with Title II common carrier rules. As CAGW has often noted, the repeal of net neutrality led to increased investment and innovat ..read more

Combined Company Creates No-Fee B2B Digital Payment and Spend Powerhouse That Services Over 1 Million Businesses SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Paystand, the global leader in blockchain-enabled B2B payments, today announced the acquisition of Teampay, an industry-leading spend management software. The transaction creates a B2B payments powerhouse whose continued goal is to revolutionize payments by expanding the largest, fastest, and most cost-efficient B2B payments network. The acquisition marks the next step in Paystand’s trajectory towards building an industry-wide decentralized f ..read more

WHEATON, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–First Trust Advisors L.P. (“FTA”) announced today that the mergers of First Trust Energy Income and Growth Fund (NYSE American: FEN), First Trust MLP and Energy Income Fund (NYSE: FEI), First Trust New Opportunities MLP & Energy Fund (NYSE: FPL) and First Trust Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSE: FIF) (the “Target Funds” or each, individually, a “Target Fund”), each a closed-end management investment company managed by FTA and sub-advised by Energy Income Partners, LLC (“EIP”), into FT Energy Income Partners Enhanced Income ETF (“EIPI”), a newly formed actively ..read more

Phoenix Capital Group, a leading oil and gas mineral rights acquisition company, has acquired an additional 1,500 net royalty acres in the Uinta Basin rounding out their acreage to 4,500 total net royalty acres in Duchesne County, Utah. This recent transaction is one of the most significant single acquisitions in the company’s history. DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Phoenix Capital Group, a leading oil and gas mineral rights company, has acquired 1,500 net royalty acres in Utah’s highly productive Uinta Basin. The company has spent over $60MM to-date in the Uinta Basin. Since April 2023, the newly ac ..read more

Five-year Transformation Period Prepares Business for Next Phase of Growth LOS ANGELES & PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–OpenGate Capital (“OpenGate”), a global private equity firm, announced today that it has completed the sale of SMAC, a provider of waterproofing and building envelope systems, to Compagnie Financière Jousset (“CFJ”) and the SMAC management team. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. SMAC was established in 1884 and has grown into a leader in the French waterproofing and facades market. OpenGate acquired the business in 2019 from Colas Group, a subsidiary of Bouygues SA ..read more