Category Archives: Progress

MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N) made "important progress" in wage negotiations with a new independent union representing several thousand workers at a GM plant in central Mexico, the auto giant told Reuters on Thursday.

Reuters reported earlier this week that the union, SINTTIA, said it initially proposed a 19.2% raise, which GM countered with an offer of 3.5%. read more

The pay negotiations are part of a high-profile test case for a new trade deal that seeks to close the vast gap between U.S. and Mexican wages. If SINTTIA lands a big raise for the workers in the central Mexican city of Silao, the victory could usher in similar demands at other companies, experts say.

Register

"The meeting was productive, both parties showed the commitment we have for the workers of GM Silao," the company said in a statement to Reuters.

GM on Thursday did not address which wage proposals were under discussion. It said talks would continue on May 5 in an effort to reach a deal quickly.

Hector de la Cueva, an adviser to SINTTIA from worker rights advocacy group CILAS, said the company took a "less aggressive" position and that talks moved forward. He declined to discuss specific wage proposals.

SINTTIA and the U.S. automaker began talks last month after workers ousted their powerful long-time union and elected an independent group led by fellow workers, one of the first such elections under the new trade deal, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

The provisions in the 2020 deal that replaced NAFTA were meant to help Mexican workers elect unions they feel will best fight for their interests, breaking the grip of business-friendly groups that operated behind workers' backs for years as cheap labor lured companies to Mexico.

Register

Reporting by Daina Beth Solomon; Writing by Laura Gottesdiener; Editing by Sandra Maler and Lincoln Feast.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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GM says 'progress' made in wage talks with new union in Mexico - Reuters

Singapore, April 28, 2022 Olam Agri, a global food, feed and fibre agri-business, has released its Specialty Grains & Seeds, Peru Sustainability Report 2021 that outlines its continued progress towards more sustainable quinoa and chia supply chains, which are delivering positive social and environmental impacts for local quinoa and chia farming communities in Peru.

While nutrient-rich quinoa and chia seeds are seeing strong growth in demand as healthier eating and plant-based foods grow in popularity amongst consumers, smallholder farmers in Peru still struggle to realise the positive economic and social impact. Through on-the ground training and public-private collaboration, Olam Agri empowers these smallholder farmers to grow more efficiently and sustainably, and to get better access to the marketplace. This enables them to improve crop quality and yields, increase their incomes, and tackle key challenges such as improving soil fertility, preventing soil erosion, and controlling pests and diseases, while working towards a more traceable, transparent, responsible supply chain. Additionally, communities are benefitting from initiatives that are improving nutrition and well-being in these farming regions.

Olam Agris Specialty Grains & Seeds business in Peru is a leading supplier of processed quinoa grains and chia seeds, offering services to distributors, manufacturers, supermarkets, and private brands across 5 continents. It supports more than 2,100 smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable and regenerative practices, achieving AtSource certification.

Biswajeet Singh, General Manager, Specialty Grains & Seeds, Olam Agri, Peru, said, Our efforts in Peru are a natural extension of Olam Agris purpose to transform food, feed and fibre to cultivate a sustainable and food- secure future. With demand for quinoa and chia continuing to rise, we are building our business in a way that contributes positively to the prosperity and well-being of people along our supply chains. This includes a continued focus on the production of organic and sustainable products, the protection and regeneration of our natural resources base, and the fight against climate change.

Key highlights from the report include:

Improving farmer livelihoods:

Helped more than 2,100 smallholder farmers to increase productivity and achieve organic certification through trainings and technical assistance, thus driving household incomes Supported 300 farmers to gain access to infrastructure, inputs, funding and technical assistance for organic quinoa production through partnership with Ministry of Agriculture

Started working directly with farmer leaders from six farming districts in the Junin region through our digital platform Olam Direct to give them a fairer, more transparent and more efficient sourcing process along with full traceability to the supply chain

Improving nutrition and health:

Started a nutrition program with the Peruvian Association of Nutrition Professionals to fight anaemia and malnutrition that benefitted 300 farmers and their families

Improved dental health of more than 1,000 children in the highlands of the Peru through partnership with Colgate and their Bright Smiles, Bright Futures (BSBF) Programme

Continued the Kilo per Ton initiative which gives back 1kg of processed quinoa and chia for every ton sold to promote consumption among farming communities

Stepping up on our carbon emission reduction plan:

Worked with the Ministry of Environment of Peru to establish carbon footprint baseline at our processing mill and implementing third party verification and reduction plans

Marisol Escobar, Sustainability Head, Specialty Grains & Seeds, Olam Agri, Peru, said, This latest report reaffirms Olam Agris commitment to creating positive change for farmers and communities in Peru. We are in a unique position to drive impact at scale; we have robust partnerships with like-minded partners, a dedicated team on the ground and strong relationship with farmers and communities all along our supply chains. Complementing our efforts is our unique ability to derive insights and implement action plans via our agtech tools such as Olam Farmer Information System (OFIS) and AtSource.

View the full report here.

More information on Olams Specialty Grains & Seeds is available here.

This press release was provided to Sprudge for Sprudge Press Releases. Interested in submitting a press release?Get in touch!

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Olam Agri Strengthens Progress Towards Sustainable Quinoa And Chia, Positively Benefitting Farming Communities In Peru - Sprudge

Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear power industry in the US and beyond, and highlights the efforts of those working to create a nuclear free world.

By Michael Steinberg

The 103 nuclear power plants in America produce 20 % of the nations electricity without producing a single pound of air pollution or greenhouse gases.

President George W. Bush, June 22, 2005.

The above quote cited in no nukes activist Dr. Helen Calicotts 2006 book Nuclear Power Is Not the Answer illustrates the irony of a March 22 Associated Press report Biden announces $6 Billion to revive dying nuclear plants.

The names and faces and political parties in power may change, but the shill game remains the same: waste incredible fortunes on dangerous discredited boondoggles.

Nuclear power came into being as a reaction to the publics horror after the USs use of nuclear bombs to devastate Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In reaction to this the government instituted the Atoms for Peace program, most notably encouraging electric companies to build large nuclear power plants with huge subsidies that would produce electricity promised to be too cheap to meter.

The Associated Press Article said Bidens scheme was intended to bailout financially distressed owners and operators of US nuclear reactors.

A bidding process started earlier in April to shell out megabucks to nuke owners who have already announced plans to shut down their bankrupt nuclear plants.The US taxpayer scam is to come from Bidens $1 Trillion infrastructure bill, enacted last November.

Over the past decade, a number of nuke plants closed prematurely because they no longer made money.

Nuclear reactors in the US were designed to last only 40 years. Most of them started up in the 1970s and 80s. so now many are approaching or have surpassed their operating lives. As they age increasingly expensive repairs keep shutting them down.

For example, Unit 2 at the fittingly named Millstone nuclear plant in my old stomping ground of southeastern Connecticut started up in 1975, making it 47 years old now. Last year its failure to follow established safety rules during Hurricane caused flooding in the reactor building and a subsequent spanking from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Under the Biden scheme, the San Onofre nuclear plant in Southern California, which closed permanently in 2012 after gross mismanagement, could still be operating at great risk of causing another Fukushima.

Californias last nuke plant, the aptly monickered Diablo Canyon, is planning to close its two reactors in a few years, to be replaced with renewable energy generation. But Bidens boondoggle threatens to undo this too.

Sources: Associated Press, ap.com; Nuclear Power is Not the answer, Dr. Helen Caldicott, 2006.

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Biden's Nuclear Boondoggle Threatens to Unravel Decades of Progress - OB Rag

Despite the winds and dry conditions there has been little fire progression along the perimeter, there are still areas of concern where firefighters are still actively fighting. Currently the priority remains on preventing the fire moving north on the northwest perimeter and protecting structures near Mount Tritle. With the assistance ofUnmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)otherwise known as drones, firefighters have made significant progress in locating and extinguishing hot spots in and around the perimeter.

Like firefighters, drones are actively used for day and night operations. Trained professionals, utilize this essential tool for fighting wildfires. These drones give firefighters a birds eye view of the terrain and can assist with determining where the fire moves next, allowing swift decisions can be made about where crews should go. It is illegal for the public deploy or utilize a personal Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)in a fire area to get a closer view of the fire. This can interfere with firefighting operations and place both pilots and firefighters lives in danger. During a wildfire incident a Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) around the fire and privately owned drones (UAS) can interfere with wildland fire air traffic, such as air tankers, helicopters, and other firefighting aircraft that are necessary to suppress wildland fires. Even the smallest drone (UAS) can cause a serious or fatal accident if it collides with firefighting aircraft and disrupts firefighting operations.

Per the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, 43 CFR 9212.1(f), it is illegal toresist or interfere with the efforts of firefighter(s) to extinguish a fire.Doing so can result in a significant fine and/or a mandatory court appearance. So, be smart and just don't fly your drone anywhere near a wildfire. No amount of video or photos are worth the consequences.

WEATHER:On Saturday, high pressure will bring a continuation of very dry conditions, but light southwest winds.

SMOKE INFORMATION:Residents should be aware of increasing smoke conditions do to winds out of the south.Residents can monitor current conditions for the Crooks Fire, viaArizona Smoke Forecasting system locatedathttps://azdeq.gov/wildfireforecast?fire=crooksfire

EVACUATIONS: Several areas remain in both the READY and SET status. Residents should continue to monitortheYavapaiCounty Sheriffs Department Facebook page for additional information.https://www.facebook.com/YavapaiCountySheriff/

FOREST CLOSURE: To provide public health and safety due to firefighting operations and fire danger

associated with the uncontrolled Crooks Fire the Prescott National Forest has expanded the fire area emergency closure to the south. To view the Crooks Fire area closure order and map visit:Prescott National Forest - Alerts & Notices (usda.gov)

A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place:Wildfires are a NO Drone Zone. Flying recreational and media drones within a TFR is illegal and impedes fire suppression efforts. Report drones to local law enforcement. If You Fly, We Cant!

FIRE DETAILS

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Crooks Fire: firefighters make progress with drones, areas of concern remain | Arizona Emergency information Network - az.gov

In 2019, the Atlantic ran an opinion piece titled The struggle for gay rights is over. Written by the rightwing academic James Kirchick, the piece was obviously meant as a provocation, but its argument that for those born into a form of adversity, sometimes the hardest thing to do is admitting that theyve won was at least considered cogent enough at the time to publish.

It came towards the end of a slew of political victories for the LGBTQ+ cause. At that time, it seemed as though the US supreme court would hand down a landmark ruling immediately before Pride Weekend every couple of years. The demise of the homophobic Defense of Marriage Act in 2013 was followed by the end of the federal ban on marriage equality in 2015. Widespread acceptance of same-sex marriage rights, gay people serving in the military and the need for protections for LGBTQ+ people followed. As recently as 2020, the court, then with two Trump appointees, ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protected gay, lesbian and transgender workers. For all the terrible crises of our century, LGBTQ+ peoples rights were solidly enshrined, and attitudes were shifting in line with legislation. In 1985, 89% of parents said they would be sad if they discovered their child was gay or a lesbian. By 2015, it was down to 39%.

Yet in the past few months, those victories have come under threat as the US has witnessed a pronounced acceleration of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation, fueled chiefly by misinformation about what it means to be trans and hysteria over so-called grooming. A rash of laws concerning the teaching of human sexuality in school curricula, banning trans student athletes and stripping parents of the right to help their gender-variant children obtain appropriate care have popped up in numerous red states this year.

As same-sex marriage is now part of the fabric of America, conservatives have chosen to exploit Americans unfamiliarity with trans people and piggyback on parental anger over the perceived overreach of Covid-era school closures, conflating it with an insidious sense of wokeness, in the hopes of finding an electorally viable sluiceway for anti-LGBTQ+ hysteria.

The most famous of these anti-LGBTQ+ laws is the piece of Florida legislation banning instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in schools between kindergarten and third grade, the so-called dont say gay law.

A state hasnt passed a law like this in more than 20 years, said Shannon Minter, the legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and a trans man. Like many other people, I thought there was no way they would, because its so draconian and obviously unconstitutional.

Laying groundwork for a potential 2024 presidential campaign, Floridas Trump-like governor, Ron DeSantis, has positioned the state as the last stronghold of liberty in America. The governor and his supporters have labeled as a groomer anyone who believes children can learn LGBTQ+ people exist, arguing that simply by talking about gay relationships to a child, you are sexualizing that child. DeSantis press secretary, Christina Pushaw, for example tweeted: If youre against the Anti-Grooming bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you dont denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children.

To be gay, in their view, is to be inherently sexualized, a threat to innocence in a way that straight Americans are not.

Such vehemence has caught even veteran LGBTQ+ advocates by surprise. At first, it was like 2015 again, with the bathroom bills, and I thought, Therell be a little pressure from national orgs and itll stop, but it didnt, says Ada-Rhodes Short, a roboticist and trans rights activist. It started escalating and escalating.

For her, the catalyst was when Texas Republicans such as Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton, the governor and attorney general, not only banned gender-affirming medical care for trans youth but reframed their parents as child abusers, Paxton signing a 13-page legal opinion that parents or doctors who helped children transition were abusers who should be investigated by law enforcement. He was followed by Arizonas governor, Doug Ducey, who, after barring minors from gender-affirmation treatment, wouldnt even state for the record that trans people were real.

Politicians are supported in the media by commentators like Tucker Carlson, who claimed no one had heard of this trans thing four years ago, or Charlie Kirk, channeling 1980s fears in saying gays want to corrupt your children.

Newly rejuvenated, the right wing is poised to make transphobia and homophobia cornerstones of the midterms and 2024 elections, with promises to deliver dont say gay legislation in states including Michigan and New York.

Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, a conservative lobbying group, inveighed against the governors of Indiana and Utah for vetoing legislation banning trans women from participating in sports, calling the bills timely, mainstream protections. The Republican US representative Marjorie Taylor Greene vowed to introduce a federal dont say gay bill if Republicans win the House this November, only to one-up herself days later by tweeting that for people to be pro-trans is to be pro-pedophilia. The dynamic is one of perpetual ratcheting-up.

What began in Florida could spread nearly everywhere.

Convinced that theres a culture shift happening and we need to be focused on survival, Rhodes-Short and a dozen others co-founded Tear It Up. Modeled on Act Up, the organization that staged die-ins and other aggressive tactics to draw attention to the lack of funding for HIV/Aids, it is simultaneously confrontational and focused on mutual aid.

While we are under a huge attack, we can see whats coming in November and the spring and we need to prepare for the next fight. People are running on insane nonsense, like trans people should face a firing squad, says Rhodes-Short, referring to to Robert Foster, a former Mississippi lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate who said that anyone advocating to put men pretending to be women in locker rooms and bathrooms with young women should receive the death penalty by firing squad.

Republican-dominated state legislatures have even begun bringing back North Carolina-style bathroom bills mandating that people use the facilities that correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth.

That started to supercharge this issue, says Alejandra Caraballo, an attorney and instructor at Harvard Universitys Cyberlaw Clinic. Thats what DeSantis ran with. Its the new tactic du jour. You saw Tucker Carlson saying that Disney supports the chemical castration and sexual grooming of children stuff you would have heard two years ago and thought it was off the wall. Now its going to an audience of 4 million.

The business-friendly wing of the GOP that would quietly team up with Democrats to scuttle rabidly homophobic bills is now outnumbered, and legislators in a dozen or more states that lean even farther to the right than DeSantis are taking note.

Minter, the National Center for Lesbian Rights legal director, believes Florida is the test case for a renewed push for an aggressive, Christian-nationalist program.

Thats why its important that Disney has dramatically stepped up, Minter says, referring to its initially uneven but increasingly vocal opposition to Floridas new law. The GOP is in an internal battle between the moderate, center-right legislators who have historically controlled the party and a very extreme Trumpian right wing that poses a threat not just to the Republican party but to our democracy, he says. Were seeing that play out in real life. LGBTQ+ people and women and people of color are the primary targets.

The dont say gay bill, Minter notes, is very similar to whats been passed in Russia, tethering American conservatives to their authoritarian counterparts who have successfully rolled back democratic norms across eastern Europe.

There is a worldwide authoritarian resurgence and our country is not immune from that, Minter says.

Ive seen this movie before over the last 30 years: The right wing decided to target the LGBTQ community, whether its around marriage or adoption or trans kids playing sports or bathrooms, says the California state senator Scott Wiener, who is gay. One state does something, and then they all start proposing it.

Wiener introduced legislation to explicitly make California a refuge for families who may no longer feel that they can raise a queer or trans child in states such as Texas.

I thought it was really important to push back on the policy level, and to send a clear signal that California and other states really care about these kids, he says.

He believes that dont say gay is patently unconstitutional but also contends that relying on the judicial system to protect human rights may no longer be a sound option.

Once the court lawlessly allowed that Texas abortion law to stay in place, that sent a powerful signal that we cant rely on the courts, Wiener said. We have to rely on the political process.

But even that process has limits. Bella Blue, a burlesque dancer in New Orleans who is a pansexual, queer cis woman, homeschools a teenager whose stepfather is a trans man. Her child is very aware of the full spectrum of human sexuality, she says, but he himself has not kind of landed on a firm identity.

I guarantee you when theyre writing these bills, theyre not asking how the kids feel, she says. The only thing you can do is remember theyre going to turn out to be whoever they are.

The urge to legislate the diversity of human experience so it conforms with the Christian-nationalist project Minter points to seems certain to intensify. Although the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson didnt change the ideological balance of the supreme court, Republican senators opposition to her consisted mainly of conjuring up a nonexistent sympathy for child abuse images, tying her to the QAnon-led tropes about satanic child trafficking that seem ever closer to Republican orthodoxy.

Indeed, conservatives messaging heading into 2024 feels like a hypercharged version of the eternal paranoia that Americas very existence is forever on the cusp of annihilation at the hands of liberals, immigrants, and LGBTQ+ people. The far-right One America Network recently called Joe Biden the groomer-in-chief, alleging that Democrats are now the party of perversion, gender mutilation and an end to human reproduction itself.

This renewed movement, channeling itself through overheated rhetoric about parents rights that first gained traction during discussions of students masking up, now threatens to undo much of the progress America has made on LGBTQ+ rights over the last 15 years.

More here:

After years of progress on gay rights, how did the US become so anti-LGBTQ+? - The Guardian US

I am writing this on the evening of May 1. May Day, we call it. For me, it is one of my favorite holidays as it combines both left wing history with a bit of Paganism.

When I was a kid, we would fill up May Baskets full of treats and ring the doorbell of the person on whom we had crushes. It was then the tradition that the person who received the May Basket would run out of the house and attempt to kiss the person leaving the basket.

I remember leaving a basket at the age of 6 for a 6-year-old girl. I didnt run too fast, so she caught me. Why anyone would run from receiving a kiss from a person you like strikes me as odd.

The Pagans of northern Europe called the day Beltane. It is from this that we have the tradition of the May Pole, which actually started 2,000 years ago with the Romans, and maybe some of you have participated in such celebrations. It is the celebration of spring and fertility and new life.

Among my more Pagan friends I have had throughout life, the Beltane celebration had a bit of a more randy side. One lady of such a persuasion used to say: Hurray, Hurray, it is the first of May. Outdoor sexual activities begin today. Of course, she used a different word for the carnal nature of the holiday but this is a family newspaper.

May Day was designated the day of the worker back in 1889 by a bunch of socialists and trade unionists to commemorate the Haymarket Riot, which occurred in Chicago on May 4, 1886. The Haymarket strike was in support of something we all enjoy today the 8-hour work day.

Industrial relations at the time were horrendous and workers were often expected to work 6 days a week, working up to 16 hours a day for an average of $1.50 a day. The 1880s is often called the Great Upheaval due to the explosion of the labor movement along with a governmental backlash that often resulted in beatings and death.

On May 1, 1886, a general national strike was called by socialists, anarchists and trade union groups in support of the 8-hour day. The numbers of people who went out on strike was impressive 70,000 people in Chicago and 40,000 people in New York City went on strike. Milwaukee and Detroit similarly had thousands of people out on strike for the 8-hour day. Nationwide, it is estimated that between 350,000 and half a million workers went on strike that day.

The strikers all sang a popular song called The 8 Hour Day in which the last lyrics were: Eight hours wed have for working; eight hours wed have for play; eight hours wed have for sleeping in free Amerikay.

The strike lasted for a few days and on May 3, 1886, the police killed a couple of protesters in Chicago. This upset the strikers who then had a huge rally in Haymarket Square in Chicago on May 4. The police came to break up the demonstration, which had begun peacefully, until someone threw a bomb at the police killing several of them. Mayhem ensued and Haymarket square was cleared within five minutes.

Eight police officers died during the riot and four protesters, 70 protesters were injured. Eventually 7 anarchists were sentenced to death by hanging for their unproven participation in the violence.

As often happens after a riot where there has been violence, a backlash against the labor movement ensued. In modern times, think of the negative Fox coverage of the Minneapolis riots after the killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis police. Something similar happened back in the 1880s.

However, by 1889, as mentioned above, Samuel Gompers and the American Federation of Labor, in concert with a group of international Socialists called the Second International decided to begin a new push for the 8-hour day on May 1 of that year.

In the United States, it wasnt until 1937 and the New Deal that the 8-hour day became the standard for everyone with overtime established for work beyond the 8-hour day. However, the fight for the 8-hour work day began in earnest as early as the late 1860s. Some social innovations happen slowly. It took nearly 70 years of advocacy to establish the 8-hour work day in the United States.

May Day as the day of the worker is celebrated in 80 countries. Of course, most of us of a certain age remember the Soviet Union and its spectacular parades they used to have in Red Square. The tradition lingers on in many countries and it seems a bit ironic that the country that first designated May Day doesnt have it as an official holiday.

In the United States, Labor Day was created as a holiday by President Grover Cleveland after the Pullman Strike, but he moved it to the first Monday in September to avoid giving any credit to the socialists and the union folk who pushed for the holiday on May 1.

Allan Stellar is an RN and a freelance writer who moved to Red Bluff after the Camp Fire. He can be reached at Allan361@aol.com.

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May Day celebrates the progress of the labor movement - Red Bluff Daily News

WWE is reportedly giving its new talent just 90 days to show improvements or else they may get reported, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition ofWrestling Observer Radio.

Releases in WWE have become more frequent over recent years, and last week the company cut another 10 employees last week from NXT. There were a variety of reasons for that, and it had been reported that Harland had been let go due to a lack of progress. That is something that WWE is now looking at for all the new wrestlers that join.

Talent will reportedly be fine if theyre showing steady progress throughout their time. But, if there is not a quick improvement, then there is a chance they will not be kept around long past 90 days. This even includes those who sign on to long-term contracts, as even they are being given 90 days to showcase their ability.

Meltzer did add that Harland had not shown enough progression in his time with the company overall. Not all of the wrestlers were released for that reason though, such as Dakota Kai. Her release was down to WWE not seeing her as a main roster talent.

The full list of released talents from last week are as follows:

It has been reported that there could be more releases coming in the future in regards to NXT talent. But, at this point, nothing has been confirmed in regards to anyone else being cut.

Have a news tip or correction? Send it to [emailprotected]

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WWE Reportedly Giving New Talent 90 Days To Progress - Wrestling Inc.

ACTON, Mass., May 02, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ: PODD) (Insulet or the Company), the global leader in tubeless insulin pump technology with its Omnipod brand of products, today announced the release of its 2021 Sustainability Report. The publication highlights the Companys success in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues across Insulets global markets and describes the progress Insulet has made in building upon its sustainability strategy.

"It is more important than ever to integrate sustainability into our business while pursuing our mission to simplify and improve the lives of people with diabetes worldwide," said Shacey Petrovic, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are now driving measurable impact on critical environmental, social, and governance issues. I am proud of the remarkable progress we have made in a short amount of time, and I know that our accomplishments will motivate continued growth."

As described in the Sustainability Report, Insulet executed several purpose-driven projects designed to build resilient operations, drive sustainable product innovation, and expand the Companys social impact while reducing its effect on the environment.

While supply chains around the world were disrupted in 2021, Insulet achieved 100% fulfillment of customer orders, due to the Companys dual and local sourcing efforts. Throughout the year, Insulet built resilience by managing climate-related risks and opportunities, and making advancements in products, packaging, and operations that improve sustainability at all phases of the products lifecycle. For example, in the European Union, U.K., and Canada, more than 135 metric tons of Pods* were diverted from landfills through product takeback programs. With solar roof panels at its United States headquarters in Acton, Massachusetts, the Company generated almost 800 kilowatt hours of renewable energy.

Insulet continued to build an inclusive culture to foster employee wellbeing. The Company offered comprehensive, flexible working arrangements to support employees and expand the talent pool. Over 500 employees participated in our seven Employee Resource Groups, a two-fold increase in participation from our inaugural year in 2020. Additionally, aligned with its commitment to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout all levels of Insulet, the Company reached 60% gender and ethnic diversity on its Board of Directors.

Story continues

"As I reflect on our journey, we have much to be proud of, and there is more ahead to challenge and excite us," said Lisa Brady, Vice President of Global Sustainability and Chief Sustainability Officer. "We remain inspired by our sustainability vision to Deliver growth with purpose: Innovating to improve lives and preserve our planet, and we look forward to leading systemic change on key environmental, social, and economic issues."

The 2021 report applies the Sustainability Reporting Standards issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the most prevalent international standards used to report an organizations sustainability impact and performance. This years report also continues to align with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). SASB is the leading standard used by investors and public companies to ensure standardization in reporting on ESG issues and specifically how they impact financial performance.

The full report can be found at investor.insulet.com under Environmental, Social & Governance.

* These metrics reflect data for the European Union, U.K., and Canada

About Insulet Corporation:

Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ: PODD), headquartered in Massachusetts, is an innovative medical device company dedicated to simplifying life for people with diabetes and other conditions through its Omnipod product platform. The Omnipod Insulin Management System provides a unique alternative to traditional insulin delivery methods. With its simple, wearable design, the disposable Pod provides up to three days of non-stop insulin delivery, without the need to see or handle a needle. Insulets latest innovation, the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System, is a tubeless automated insulin delivery system, integrated with a continuous glucose monitor to manage blood sugar with no multiple daily injections, zero fingersticks, and is fully controlled by a compatible personal smartphone. Insulet also leverages the unique design of its Pod by tailoring its Omnipod technology platform for the delivery of non-insulin subcutaneous drugs across other therapeutic areas. For more information, please visit: insulet.com and omnipod.com.

2022 Insulet Corporation. Omnipod is a registered trademark of Insulet Corporation in the United States of America and other various jurisdictions. All rights reserved.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220502005118/en/

Contacts

Investor Relations: Deborah R. GordonVice President, Investor Relations(978) 600-7717dgordon@insulet.com

Media: Angela Geryak WiczekSenior Director, Corporate Communications(978) 932-0611awiczek@insulet.com

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Insulets 2021 Sustainability Report Reveals Progress on Strategy to Deliver Growth with Purpose - Yahoo Finance

The LGBTQ+ progress pride flag will fly over Oak Bluffs for two weeks in June to coincide with pride month, following a select board discussion Tuesday that saw dozens of community members advocate for the flag to be flown in town.

Please dont turn back the hands of time by disallowing such a flag from being raised in our community, Marthas Vineyard NAACP representative Jennelle Gadowski said.

The progress pride flag is an LGBTQ+ flag designed in 2018 that includes stripes to represent people of color and the transgender community, alongside the larger LGBTQ community.

The flag will be raised beneath the American flag on the Ocean Park flagpole on June 1 during a flag raising ceremony approved earlier this week by the parks commission. The flag will remain raised for two weeks, including through the Oak Bluffs pride parade on June 11, which will march down Circuit avenue and end in Ocean Park.

The select board approved raising the flag in a 4-1 vote. Board member Jason Balboni was the lone dissenter, arguing that a non-governmental flag should not be flown on the same pole as the American flag. Mr. Balboni said he would prefer to see a new flag pole erected specifically for the purpose of flying community flags. In this capacity he said he would like to see the progress pride flag flown through the whole month of June.

So Im not completely a bad guy, he joked. Just a lot.

Board member Brian Packish said he personally agreed with Mr. Balboni but considering the long line of speakers advocating for the flag at the meeting, he said it was his job to represent the will of the community.

Im not here serving as an individual, he said.

Throughout the meeting, speakers stood before the select board to offer their personal experiences and underscore the meaning of the flag for the LGBTQ+ community.

Us taking that stand is so important at this time, Larkin Stallings said, citing national discussion surrounding the handling of LGBTQ+ identity in schools.

Last summers display of pride flags on our Island made a huge impression, Alex Palmer said, adding that flying the progress pride flag is an opportunity for Oak Bluffs to display its values to the world.

Speakers also took aim at a proposed flag policy the town is considering, regarding community flags in general. Members of the board argued that a policy is needed due to potential legal vulnerabilities, such as accusations that the town may fly one community flag over another.

Were constantly working around challenges around how we handle the flag, Mr. Packish said.

Arthury Hardy-Doubleday, attorney and president of the Marthas Vineyard NAACP, argued that discretion over which flags to fly and when is a power the board should have, and approach with careful thought.

I think adopting the policy as written, it ties your hands behind your back, Mr. Hardy-Doubleday said.

The board decided to forgo a decision on a flag policy, and create a subcommittee comprising two select board members and a handful of members of the public to work toward a new draft for the policy.

I think theres a way that we can thread this needle, Mr. Hardy-Doubleday said.

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Progress Pride Flag to Fly in Oak Bluffs - The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sage Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SAGE), a biopharmaceutical company leading the way to create a world with better brain health, today reported business highlights and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2022.

Current events have put a spotlight on the need for significant progress in brain health disorders, and at Sage, weve made a strong start to 2022 with the initiation of our rolling regulatory submission for zuranolone in major depressive disorder and meaningful progress across our entire pipeline, said Barry Greene, Chief Executive Officer at Sage Therapeutics. We are currently executing four Phase 2 studies across our neuropsychiatry and neurology franchises, and we recently presented encouraging data from our SAGE-718 program in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Parkinsons disease and mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia due to Alzheimers disease at key scientific forums. Most importantly, across our programs we remain focused on innovation that emphasizes outcomes that are most important to patients, as we progress our mission to pioneer solutions to deliver life-changing brain health medicines, so every person can thrive.

First Quarter 2022 Portfolio UpdatesSage is advancing a portfolio of clinical programs featuring internally discovered novel chemical entities with the potential to become differentiated products intended to improve brain health by targeting the GABAA and NMDA receptor systems. Dysfunction in these systems is thought to be at the core of numerous neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Depression FranchiseSages depression franchise features zuranolone, Sages next-generation positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of GABAA receptors being evaluated in clinical development as a treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD) and postpartum depression (PPD), and ZULRESSO (brexanolone) CIV injection, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) as the first treatment specifically indicated for PPD. Zuranolone has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of MDD and Fast Track Designation for the treatment of PPD from the FDA.

Zuranolone is being evaluated, in collaboration with Biogen, as a potential rapid-acting, oral, once-daily, two-week treatment for MDD and PPD in the LANDSCAPE and NEST clinical development programs, respectively. The LANDSCAPE and NEST programs include five positive clinical trials in people with MDD and PPD, as well as the ongoing SKYLARK Study. Additionally, Shionogi completed a positive Phase 2 study with zuranolone in MDD. In the first quarter of this year, Sage and Biogen announced that the CORAL Study met the study objectives. In meeting its pre-defined objectives, the CORAL Study supports the potential of zuranolone, when co-initiated with standard of care, to accelerate the benefit of depression treatment compared to treatment with antidepressant treatments (ADTs) alone.

Yesterday, Sage and Biogen announced the initiation of a rolling New Drug Application (NDA) submission to the FDA for zuranolone in MDD with plans to complete the submission in the second half of 2022. An associated NDA filing for PPD is anticipated in early 2023 pending results from the SKYLARK Study.

The Company expects to achieve the following milestones across its depression franchise in 2022, with plans to share additional analyses from completed and ongoing studies at scientific forums throughout the year:

Neuropsychiatry FranchiseSages neuropsychiatry franchise features SAGE-718, the Companys first-in-class NMDA receptor PAM and lead neuropsychiatric drug candidate, in development as a potential oral therapy for cognitive disorders associated with NMDA receptor dysfunction, potentially including Huntingtons disease (HD), Parkinsons disease (PD) and Alzheimers disease (AD). SAGE-718 received Fast Track Designation from the FDA for development of SAGE-718 as a potential treatment for HD.

Sage is advancing a robust clinical program for SAGE-718 with multiple ongoing or planned Phase 2 studies, including the DIMENSION and SURVEYOR Studies in people with HD cognitive impairment, the lead indication for SAGE-718, the PRECEDENT Study in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) associated with PD and a Phase 2 study in people with MCI and mild dementia due to AD.

Additionally, the Company recently presented data from completed SAGE-718 studies in PD and AD cognitive impairment at key scientific forums. Data from the Companys Phase 2 open label PARADIGM Study presented at the AD/PD 2022 Advances in Science & Therapy International Conference on Alzheimers and Parkinsons Diseases and Related Neurological Disorders, showed that SAGE-718 given once daily for 14 days was associated with improvements in executive function and learning and memory at Day 14 in patients with MCI due to PD. Additionally, sustained effects and improving trends were seen out to Day 28. Data from the Phase 2 open-label LUMINARY Study in individuals with MCI and mild dementia due to AD presented at the American Academy of Neurology showed that SAGE-718 given once daily for 14 days was generally well-tolerated and associated with improved executive performance and learning and memory. At Day 14, improvements from baseline were observed in multiple tests of executive functioning and learning and memory. Statistically significant improvement was also observed in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment at Day 28.

The Company expects to achieve the following milestones across its neuropsychiatry franchise in 2022:

Sage also plans to share additional analyses from studies completed with SAGE-718 to date throughout 2022.

Neurology FranchiseSages neurology franchise features SAGE-324 and SAGE-689. SAGE-324, a next-generation PAM of GABAA receptors and Sages lead neurology program, is in development as a potential oral therapy for neurological conditions, such as essential tremor (ET), epilepsy and PD. SAGE-689 is an intramuscular GABAA receptor PAM in development as a potential therapy for disorders associated with acute GABA hypofunction.

Sage and its collaborator, Biogen, are currently enrolling people in the Phase 2b KINETIC 2 placebo-controlled study of SAGE-324 in ET following positive results from the KINETIC Study. The KINETIC 2 Study is a Phase 2b dose-ranging study with the primary goal of defining the dose and frequency for SAGE-324 in ET with a good tolerability profile and a dosing schedule to maintain plasma concentrations needed for sustained tremor symptom control in treating ET.

Sage also plans to initiate a Phase 2 long-term open label safety study with SAGE-324. The study is designed to evaluate the long-term safety and tolerability of SAGE-324 in ET, with incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events as the primary endpoint.

SAGE-689 continues in Phase 1 development.

The Company expects to achieve the following milestones across its neurology franchise in 2022:

Sage also plans to share additional analyses from studies completed with SAGE-324 to date throughout 2022.

Early DevelopmentSage is progressing its early development programs with IND-enabling studies underway for SAGE-319 and SAGE-421.

Business UpdatesSage announced today that Mark Pollack, M.D., joined the Company as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs. Dr. Pollack will lead Sages global medical affairs efforts across all Sage programs, with a focus on supporting the Companys external relationships with the scientific community. Dr. Pollack joins Sage from Myriad Genetics, where he served as Chief Medical Officer of the Neuroscience Business Unit. Additionally, Dr. Pollack brings 35 years of proven leadership in scientific research and medical practice, including positions as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center, Professor of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

ANTICIPATED 2022 MILESTONES

FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER 2022

FINANCIAL GUIDANCE

Conference Call InformationSage will host a conference call and webcast today, Tuesday, May 3, at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss its first quarter 2022 financial results and recent corporate updates. The live webcast can be accessed on the investor page of Sage's website at investor.sagerx.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on Sage's website approximately two hours after the completion of the event and will be archived for up to 30 days.

About Sage TherapeuticsSage Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company fearlessly leading the way to create a world with better brain health. Our mission is to pioneer solutions to deliver life-changing brain health medicines, so every person can thrive. For more information, please visit. http://www.sagerx.com.

Forward-Looking StatementsVarious statements in this release concern Sage's future expectations, plans and prospects, including without limitation our statements regarding: plans for completion of our rolling NDA filing for zuranolone in MDD and associated submission for zuranolone in PPD, and the potential timing of such activities; our belief in the regulatory filing pathways for zuranolone; the potential profile and benefit of zuranolone in MDD and PPD; the potential for regulatory approval and commencement of commercialization of zuranolone; other planned next steps for the program; anticipated timelines for reporting clinical trial results, commencement of trials, and initiation of new activities; our plans for advancement of our pipeline; our belief in the potential profile and benefit of our product candidates; potential indications for our product candidates; the potential for success of our programs, and the opportunity to help patients in various indications; the mission and goals for our business; and our expectations with respect to 2022 year-end cash, no receipt of milestones from collaborations in 2022 and funding of future operations. These statements constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees of future performance, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements, including the risks that: we may experience delays or unexpected hurdles in our efforts to complete our rolling NDA submission for zuranolone in MDD and our planned submission in PPD and we may not be able to complete the submissions on the timelines we expect or at all; the FDA may find inadequacies and deficiencies in our NDA for zuranolone, including in the data we submit, despite prior discussions, and may decide not to accept the NDA for filing; even if the FDA accepts the NDA for filing, the FDA may find that the data included in the NDA are not sufficient for approval and may not approve the NDA; the FDA may decide that the design, conduct or results of our completed and ongoing clinical trials for zuranolone, even if positive, are not sufficient for approval in MDD or PPD and may require additional trials or data which may significantly delay and put at risk our efforts to obtain approval and may not be successful; even if our NDA is successfully filed and accepted, the FDA may not meet expected review timelines for our NDA; other decisions or actions of the FDA or other regulatory agencies may affect our efforts with respect to zuranolone and our plans, progress or results; we may experience negative results in the ongoing SKYLARK Study in PPD that negatively affect our ability to file an NDA for approval of zuranolone in PPD; results of ongoing or future studies may impact our ability to obtain approval of zuranolone or impair the potential profile of zuranolone; success in earlier clinical trials of any of our product candidates may not be repeated or observed in ongoing or future studies, and ongoing and future clinical trials may not meet their primary or key secondary endpoints which may substantially impair development; unexpected concerns may arise from additional data, analysis or results from any of our completed studies; we may encounter adverse events at any stage of development that negatively impact further development or that require additional nonclinical and clinical work which may not yield positive results; we may encounter delays in initiation, conduct or completion of our ongoing and planned clinical trials, including as a result of slower than expected site initiation or enrollment, the need or decision to expand the trials or other changes, that may impact our ability to meet our expected timelines and increase our costs; decisions or actions of the FDA or other regulatory agencies may affect the initiation, timing, design, size, progress and cost of clinical trials and our ability to proceed with further development or may impair the potential for successful development; the anticipated benefits of our ongoing collaborations, including the achievement of events tied to milestone payments or the successful development or commercialization of products and generation of revenue, may never be achieved; the need to align with our collaborators may hamper or delay our development and commercialization efforts or increase our costs; our business may be adversely affected and our costs may increase if any of our key collaborators fails to perform its obligations or terminates our collaboration; the internal and external costs required for our ongoing and planned activities, and the resulting impact on expense and use of cash, may be higher than expected which may cause us to use cash more quickly than we expect or change or curtail some of our plans or both; we may never be able to generate meaningful revenues from sales of ZULRESSO or to generate revenues at levels we expect or at levels necessary to justify our investment; we may not be successful in our efforts to gain regulatory approval of products beyond ZULRESSO and, even if successfully developed and approved, we may not achieve revenues from such products at the levels we expect; our expectations as to year-end cash and sufficiency of cash to fund future operations may prove not to be correct for these and other reasons such as changes in plans or actual events being different than our assumptions; we may be opportunistic in our future financing plans even if available cash is sufficient; additional funding may not be available on acceptable terms when we need it; the number of patients with the diseases or disorders for which our products are developed, the unmet need for additional treatment options and the potential market for our current or future products may be significantly smaller than we expect; any of our products that may be approved in the future may not achieve market acceptance or we may encounter reimbursement-related or other market-related issues that impact the success of our commercialization efforts; and we may encounter technical and other unexpected hurdles in the development and manufacture of our product candidates or the commercialization of our marketed product which may delay our timing or change our plans, increase our costs or otherwise negatively impact our business; as well as those risks more fully discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual/quarterly report, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our views only as of today, and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. We explicitly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Financial Tables

Three Months Ended March 31,

2022

2021

$

1,582

$

1,583

286

187

78,018

58,056

46,477

39,847

124,781

98,090

(123,199

)

(96,507

)

1,168

708

(24

)

35

$

(122,055

)

$

(95,764

)

$

(2.07

)

$

(1.64

)

59,028,858

58,374,219

Sage Therapeutics, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands)

(unaudited)

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Sage Therapeutics Announces First Quarter 2022 Financial Results and Highlights Pipeline and Business Progress - Business Wire