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Prudential Financial, Inc. announces 2020 results

  • Fourth quarter 2020 net income attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc. of $819 million or $2.03 per Common share versus $1.128 billion or $2.76 per share for the year-ago quarter.
  • Fourth quarter 2020 after-tax adjusted operating income of $1.183 billion or $2.93 per Common share versus $915 million or $2.24 per share for the year-ago quarter.
  • Net loss attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc. of $374 million or $1.00 per Common share for 2020 versus net income of $4.186 billion or $10.11 per share for 2019.
  • After-tax adjusted operating income of $4.111 billion or $10.21 per Common share for 2020 versus $4.656 billion or $11.24 per share for 2019.
  • Book value per Common share of $167.81 versus $155.88 per share for the year-ago; adjusted book value per Common share of $94.79 versus $101.04 per share for the year-ago.
  • Parent company highly liquid assets of $5.6 billion versus $4.1 billion for the year-ago.
  • Assets under management amounted to $1.721 trillion versus $1.551 trillion for the year-ago.
  • The Company’s Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $1.5 billion of its outstanding Common Stock during the period from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. In addition, the Company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.15 per share of Common stock, payable on March 11, 2021, to shareholders of record as of February 16, 2021, representing an increase of 4.5% over the prior year dividend level and a 4.9% annualized yield on adjusted book value.

Charles Lowrey, Chairman and CEO, commented on results:

“As we reflect on the extraordinary events of 2020 and the ongoing global pandemic, we thank our employees for their continued dedication to fulfilling our company’s purpose of making lives better by solving the financial challenges of our changing world.

During the fourth quarter, we continued to successfully execute against our 2020 priorities, paving the path for the acceleration of our strategy in 2021 and beyond.

Looking ahead, we will continue our transformation by executing on our $750 million cost savings plan and by taking additional steps to increase our growth potential and reduce our market sensitivity. Over the next three years we plan to reallocate between $5 billion and $10 billion of capital with the intention of doubling the earnings contribution of our higher growth businesses and halving Individual Annuities.

Backed by the strength of our rock solid balance sheet, we also plan to return approximately $10 billion of capital to shareholders via dividends and share repurchases during this time period. This includes the resumption of share repurchases in the first quarter of 2021, as part of our $1.5 billion authorization for the year.

These changes will position Prudential to make a more meaningful difference in the financial lives of more people around the world, and to deliver attractive returns to our shareholders.”

NEWARK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU) today reported fourth quarter and year-end 2020 results. Net income attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc. was $819 million ($2.03 per Common share) for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to net income of $1.128 billion ($2.76 per Common share) for the fourth quarter of 2019. After-tax adjusted operating income was $1.183 billion ($2.93 per Common share) for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $915 million ($2.24 per Common share) for the fourth quarter of 2019.

Net loss attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc. was $374 million ($1.00 per Common share) for 2020, compared to net income of $4.186 billion ($10.11 per Common Share) for 2019. After-tax adjusted operating income was $4.111 billion ($10.21 per Common share) for 2020, compared to $4.656 billion ($11.24 per Common share) for 2019.

Consolidated adjusted operating income and adjusted book value are non-GAAP measures. These measures are discussed later in this press release under “Forward-Looking Statements and Non-GAAP Measures” and reconciliations to the most comparable GAAP measures are provided in the tables that accompany this release.

RESULTS OF ONGOING OPERATIONS

The Company’s ongoing operations include PGIM, U.S. Businesses (consisting of U.S. Workplace Solutions, U.S. Individual Solutions, and Assurance IQ), International Businesses, and Corporate & Other. In the following business-level discussion, adjusted operating income refers to pre-tax results.

PGIM

PGIM, the Company’s global investment management business, reported record high adjusted operating income of $404 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $288 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase reflects higher asset management fees, driven by an increase in average account values, and higher Other Related Revenue, driven by record high agency revenue and the impact of investment performance on incentive fees and co- and seed investment earnings, partially offset by higher expenses, primarily driven by business growth.

PGIM assets under management of $1.499 trillion, a record high, were up 13% from the year-ago quarter, reflecting market appreciation and public fixed income inflows. Third-party net inflows of $6.3 billion in the current quarter reflect retail inflows of $3.8 billion and institutional inflows of $2.5 billion.

U.S. Businesses

U.S. Businesses reported adjusted operating income of $807 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $841 million in the year-ago quarter. The decrease reflects less favorable underwriting results, driven by COVID-19 related net mortality experience, and a change in business practice in our Individual Life business, and lower fee income, net of distribution expenses and other associated costs, in our Individual Annuities business, partially offset by higher net investment spread results, driven by higher variable investment income, and lower expenses.

U.S. Workplace Solutions, consisting of Retirement and Group Insurance, reported adjusted operating income of $451 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $342 million in the year-ago quarter.

Retirement:

  • Reported record high adjusted operating income of $538 million in the current quarter, compared to $281 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase reflects higher net investment spread results, driven by higher variable investment income, higher reserve gains, including favorable impacts due to COVID-19, and lower expenses.
  • Account values of $559 billion, a record high, were up 12% from the year-ago quarter, driven by market appreciation and net inflows. Net inflows in the current quarter totaled $5.5 billion with $3.2 billion from Institutional Investment Products, primarily from pension risk transfer transactions, and $2.3 billion from Full Service.

Group Insurance:

  • Reported a loss, on an adjusted operating income basis, of $87 million in the current quarter, compared to adjusted operating income of $61 million in the year-ago quarter. The decrease primarily reflects less favorable underwriting results in our group life and group disability businesses due to COVID-19 and related impacts.
  • Reported earned premiums, policy charges, and fees of $1.3 billion in the current quarter were consistent with the year-ago quarter.

U.S. Individual Solutions, consisting of Individual Annuities and Individual Life, reported adjusted operating income of $375 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $508 million in the year-ago quarter.

Individual Annuities:

  • Reported adjusted operating income of $440 million in the current quarter, compared to $450 million in the year-ago quarter. The decrease reflects lower fee income, net of distribution expenses and other associated costs, partially offset by higher net investment spread results.
  • Account values of $176 billion, a record high, were up 4% from the year-ago quarter, reflecting equity market appreciation, partially offset by net outflows. Gross sales of $2.0 billion in the current quarter reflect our continued product repricing and pivot strategy.

Individual Life:

  • Reported a loss, on an adjusted operating income basis, of $65 million in the current quarter, compared to adjusted operating income of $58 million in the year-ago quarter. The decrease reflects less favorable underwriting results, driven by COVID-19 mortality experience, and a change in business practice, which resulted in a refinement to reserves and related balances, partially offset by higher net investment spread results and lower expenses.
  • Sales of $239 million in the current quarter were up 14% from the year-ago quarter, as higher Variable sales were partially offset by lower Universal Life and Term sales, reflecting our product repricing and pivot strategy.

Assurance IQ reported a loss, on an adjusted operating income basis, of $19 million in the current quarter, compared to a loss of $9 million in the year-ago quarter. This reflects a 94% increase in sales, driven by higher Medicare sales during the annual enrollment period, that were more than offset by increased expenses to support business growth, including higher marketing, distribution, and infrastructure costs.

International Businesses

International Businesses, consisting of Life Planner and Gibraltar Life & Other, reported adjusted operating income of $790 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to $748 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase reflects lower expenses, business growth, and more favorable underwriting results, partially offset by lower net investment spread results.

Life Planner:

  • Reported adjusted operating income of $426 million in the current quarter, compared to $345 million in the year-ago quarter. The increase reflects lower expenses, business growth, higher net investment spread results, and more favorable underwriting results.
  • Constant dollar basis sales of $216 million in the current quarter decreased 19% from the year-ago quarter, primarily reflecting lower sales in Japan following product repricing in August of 2020.

Gibraltar Life & Other:

  • Reported adjusted operating income of $364 million in the current quarter, compared to $403 million in the year-ago quarter. The decrease primarily reflects lower net investment spread results.
  • Constant dollar basis sales of $238 million in the current quarter decreased 16% from the year-ago quarter, reflecting lower sales in Japan following product repricing in August of 2020.

Corporate & Other

Corporate & Other reported a loss, on an adjusted operating income basis, of $486 million for the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to a loss of $738 million in the year-ago quarter. The lower loss reflects lower expenses, driven by the absence of costs related to the Company’s Voluntary Separation Program in the year-ago quarter, partially offset by lower net investment income.

NET INCOME

Net income in the current quarter included $1.2 billion of pre-tax net realized investment losses and related charges and adjustments, driven by losses on derivatives, and also includes $12 million from impairment and credit-related losses. These losses were partially offset by $376 million of pre-tax gains related to market experience updates and $87 million of pre-tax net gains from divested and run-off businesses.

Net income for the year-ago quarter included $145 million of pre-tax net gains from divested and run-off businesses, $73 million of pre-tax net realized investment gains and related charges and adjustments, net of $58 million from impairment and credit-related losses, and $66 million of pre-tax gains related to market experience updates.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND NON-GAAP MEASURES(1)

Certain of the statements included in this release, including those regarding our plans to reallocate capital, dividends, share repurchases, priorities, cost savings goals, and other business strategies constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects upon Prudential Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Prudential Financial, Inc.’s actual results may differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates reflected in such forward-looking statements. Certain important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates reflected in such forward-looking statements can be found in the “Risk Factors” and “Forward-Looking Statements” sections included in Prudential Financial, Inc.’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Statements regarding our plans to reallocate capital, dividends, share repurchases, priorities, cost savings goals, and other business strategies are subject to the risk that we will be unable to execute our strategy because of market or competitive conditions or other factors, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prudential Financial, Inc. does not undertake to update any particular forward-looking statement included in this document.

Consolidated adjusted operating income and adjusted book value are non-GAAP measures. Reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures are included in this release.

We believe that our use of these non-GAAP measures helps investors understand and evaluate the Company’s performance and financial position. The presentation of adjusted operating income as we measure it for management purposes enhances the understanding of the results of operations by highlighting the results from ongoing operations and the underlying profitability of our businesses. Trends in the underlying profitability of our businesses can be more clearly identified without the fluctuating effects of the items described below. Adjusted book value augments the understanding of our financial position by providing a measure of net worth that is primarily attributable to our business operations separate from the portion that is affected by capital and currency market conditions, and by isolating the accounting impact associated with insurance liabilities that are generally not marked to market and the supporting investments that are marked to market through accumulated other comprehensive income under GAAP. However, these non-GAAP measures are not substitutes for income and equity determined in accordance with GAAP, and the adjustments made to derive these measures are important to an understanding of our overall results of operations and financial position. The schedules accompanying this release provide reconciliations of non-GAAP measures with the corresponding measures calculated using GAAP. Additional historic information relating to our financial performance is located on our website at www.investor.prudential.com.

EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL

Members of Prudential’s senior management will host a conference call on Friday, February 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. ET to discuss with the investment community the Company’s fourth quarter results. The conference call will be broadcast live over the Company’s Investor Relations website at investor.prudential.com. Please log on 15 minutes early in the event necessary software needs to be downloaded. Institutional investors, analysts, and other members of the professional financial community are invited to listen to the call and participate in the Q&A by dialing one of the following numbers: (877) 336-4437 (domestic) or (234) 720-6985 (international) and using access code 2805600. All others may join the conference call in listen-only mode by dialing one of the above numbers. A replay will remain on the Investor Relations website through February 19. To access a replay via phone starting at 4:00 p.m. ET on February 5 through February 19 dial (866) 207-1041 (domestic) or (402) 970-0847 (international) and use replay code 4902339.

(1) Description of Non-GAAP Measures:

Adjusted operating income is the measure used by the Company to evaluate segment performance and to allocate resources. Adjusted operating income excludes “Realized investment gains (losses), net,” as adjusted, and related charges and adjustments. A significant element of realized investment gains and losses are impairments and credit-related and interest rate-related gains and losses. Impairments and losses from sales of credit-impaired securities, the timing of which depends largely on market credit cycles, can vary considerably across periods. The timing of other sales that would result in gains or losses, such as interest rate-related gains or losses, is largely subject to our discretion and influenced by market opportunities as well as our tax and capital profile.

Realized investment gains (losses) within certain of our businesses for which such gains (losses) are a principal source of earnings, and those associated with terminating hedges of foreign currency earnings and current period yield adjustments are included in adjusted operating income. Adjusted operating income generally excludes realized investment gains and losses from products that contain embedded derivatives, and from associated derivative portfolios that are part of an asset-liability management program related to the risk of those products. Adjusted operating income also excludes gains and losses from changes in value of certain assets and liabilities relating to foreign currency exchange movements that have been economically hedged or considered part of our capital funding strategies for our international subsidiaries, as well as gains and losses on certain investments that are designated as trading. Additionally, adjusted operating income excludes the changes in fair value of equity securities that are recorded in net income. Additionally, market experience updates, reflecting the immediate impacts in current period results from changes in current market conditions on estimates of profitability, are excluded from adjusted operating income beginning with the second quarter of 2019, which we believe enhances the understanding of underlying performance trends.

Adjusted operating income excludes the results of Divested and Run-off Businesses, which are not relevant to our ongoing operations. Discontinued operations and earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests, each of which is presented as a separate component of net income under GAAP, are also excluded from adjusted operating income. Adjusted operating income also excludes other items, such as certain components of the consideration for the Assurance IQ acquisition, which are recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service periods, as well as changes in the fair value of contingent consideration. The tax effect associated with pre-tax adjusted operating income is based on applicable IRS and foreign tax regulations inclusive of pertinent adjustments.

Adjusted book value is calculated as total equity (GAAP book value) excluding accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and the cumulative effect of foreign currency exchange rate remeasurements and currency translation adjustments corresponding to realized investment gains and losses. These items are excluded in order to highlight the book value attributable to our core business operations separate from the portion attributable to external and potentially volatile capital and currency market conditions.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial wellness leader and premier active global investment manager with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2020, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees help to make lives better by creating financial opportunity for more people. Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit news.prudential.com.

Financial Highlights

(in millions, unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Year Ended

December 31

December 31

2020

2019

2020

2019

Adjusted operating income (loss) before income taxes (1):

PGIM

$

404

$

288

$

1,262

$

998

U.S. Businesses:

U.S. Workplace Solutions division

451

342

1,420

1,586

U.S. Individual Solutions division

375

508

1,422

1,930

Assurance IQ division (2)

(19

)

(9

)

(88

)

(9

)

Total U.S. Businesses

807

841

2,754

3,507

International Businesses

790

748

2,952

3,112

Corporate and Other

(486

)

(738

)

(1,824

)

(1,766

)

Total adjusted operating income before income taxes

$

1,515

$

1,139

$

5,144

$

5,851

Reconciling Items:

Realized investment gains (losses), net, and related charges and adjustments

$

(1,216

)

$

73

$

(4,315

)

$

(958

)

Market experience updates

376

66

(640

)

(449

)

Divested and Run-off Businesses:

Closed Block division

(9

)

31

(24

)

36

Other Divested and Run-off Businesses

96

114

(629

)

755

Equity in earnings of operating joint ventures and earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests

152

(32

)

90

(103

)

Other adjustments (3)

(14

)

(47

)

51

(47

)

Total reconciling items, before income taxes

(615

)

205

(5,467

)

(766

)

Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in earnings of operating joint ventures

$

900

$

1,344

$

(323

)

$

5,085

Income Statement Data:

Net income (loss) attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc.

$

819

$

1,128

$

(374

)

$

4,186

Income attributable to noncontrolling interests

203

10

228

52

Net income (loss)

1,022

1,138

(146

)

4,238

Less: Earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests

203

10

228

52

Income (loss) attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc.

819

1,128

(374

)

4,186

Less: Equity in earnings of operating joint ventures, net of taxes and earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests

(169

)

5

(132

)

48

Income (loss) (after-tax) before equity in earnings of operating joint ventures

988

1,123

(242

)

4,138

Less: Total reconciling items, before income taxes

(615

)

205

(5,467

)

(766

)

Less: Income taxes, not applicable to adjusted operating income

(420

)

(3

)

(1,114

)

(248

)

Total reconciling items, after income taxes

(195

)

208

(4,353

)

(518

)

After-tax adjusted operating income (1)

1,183

915

4,111

4,656

Income taxes, applicable to adjusted operating income

332

224

1,033

1,195

Adjusted operating income before income taxes (1)

$

1,515

$

1,139

$

5,144

$

5,851

See footnotes on last page.

Financial Highlights

(in millions, except per share data, unaudited)

Three Months Ended

Year Ended

December 31

December 31

2020

2019

2020

2019

Earnings per share of Common Stock (diluted):

Net income (loss) attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc.

$

2.03

$

2.76

$

(1.00

)

$

10.11

Less: Reconciling Items:

Realized investment gains (losses), net, and related charges and adjustments

(3.05

)

0.18

(10.85

)

(2.33

)

Market experience updates

0.94

0.16

(1.61

)

(1.09

)

Divested and Run-off Businesses:

Closed Block division

(0.02

)

0.08

(0.06

)

0.09

Other Divested and Run-off Businesses

0.24

0.28

(1.58

)

1.84

Difference in earnings allocated to participating unvested share-based payment awards

0.01

0.07

0.01

Other adjustments (3)

(0.04

)

(0.12

)

0.13

(0.11

)

Total reconciling items, before income taxes

(1.92

)

0.58

(13.90

)

(1.59

)

Less: Income taxes, not applicable to adjusted operating income

(1.02

)

0.06

(2.69

)

(0.46

)

Total reconciling items, after income taxes

(0.90

)

0.52

(11.21

)

(1.13

)

After-tax adjusted operating income

$

2.93

$

2.24

$

10.21

$

11.24

Weighted average number of outstanding common shares (basic)

396.2

400.7

395.8

404.8

Weighted average number of outstanding common shares (diluted)

398.3

403.7

397.8

410.9

For earnings per share of Common Stock calculation:

Net income (loss) attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc.

$

819

$

1,128

$

(374

)

$

4,186

Earnings related to interest, net of tax, on exchangeable surplus notes

12

Less: Earnings allocated to participating unvested share-based payment awards

10

12

21

45

Net income (loss) attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc. for earnings per share of Common Stock calculation

$

809

$

1,116

$

(395

)

$

4,153

After-tax adjusted operating income (1)

$

1,183

$

915

$

4,111

$

4,656

Earnings related to interest, net of tax, on exchangeable surplus notes

12

Less: Earnings allocated to participating unvested share-based payment awards

14

11

50

53

After-tax adjusted operating income for earnings per share of Common Stock calculation (1)

$

1,169

$

904

$

4,061

$

4,615

Prudential Financial, Inc. Equity (as of end of period):

GAAP book value (total PFI equity) at end of period

$

67,425

$

63,115

Less: Accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI)

30,738

24,039

GAAP book value excluding AOCI

36,687

39,076

Less: Cumulative effect of foreign exchange rate remeasurement and currency

translation adjustments corresponding to realized gains/losses

(1,399

)

(1,835

)

Adjusted book value

38,086

40,911

End of period number of common shares (diluted)

401.8

404.9

GAAP book value per common share – diluted

167.81

155.88

GAAP book value excluding AOCI per share – diluted

91.31

96.51

Adjusted book value per common share – diluted

94.79

101.04

See footnotes on last page.

Contacts

MEDIA CONTACT: Bill Launder, (973) 802-8760, bill.launder@prudential.com

Read full story here

Categories
Technology

John Sarkis joins Align as Chief Revenue Officer

NEW YORK — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #ITtransformationAlign, the premier global provider of technology infrastructure solutions and managed IT services, today announced the appointment of John Sarkis as Chief Revenue Officer.


John brings 20+ years of experience leading high-performance business lines in various sales initiatives focused on hybrid cloud, security, data center, managed services and cloud solutions. Prior to joining Align, he managed business unit transformations for prominent organizations including NTT America, Digital Realty and Deutsche Telekom.

“John’s extensive industry knowledge uniquely positions him to drive and enhance our comprehensive IT Transformation solution, as well as advance key partnerships for Align,” said Jim Dooling, CEO and president of Align. “His frontline expertise in enterprise IT infrastructure transformations will add value to both our clients and our organization, positioning Align at the forefront of providing hybrid outsourced models for IT.”

John’s primary focus is expanding upon Align’s global reach of offering clients transformational solutions that deliver future-state models fit for their scaling business needs. This includes both leading the company’s growth across its core lines of business and increasing the user base within Align’s Managed Services Platform.

“I am extremely excited to join Align and be a part of the successful evolution as a premier Managed Services provider within the Financial Services community, as well as leading the charge in expanding our offering into new verticals,” said John.

About Align

Align is a premier provider of technology infrastructure solutions. For over 35 years, leading firms worldwide have relied on Align to guide them through IT challenges, delivering complete, secure solutions for business change and growth. Align is headquartered in New York City and has offices in London, Chicago, San Francisco, Arizona, New Jersey, Texas and Virginia.

Learn more about Align’s IT transformation services at https://www.align.com/it-transformation and follow @AlignITAdvisor.

Contacts

Ashley Holbrook

aholbrook@align.com
212-546-6159

Categories
International & World

‘Eye of the storm’: Diverse east London grapples with virus

Road cleaners work in the town centre of Ilford in London, Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. In parts of east London, the pandemic is hitting much harder than most places in the U.K. The borough of Redbridge had the nation’s second worst infection rate in January, with an estimated 1 in 15 residents thought to be infected. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

 

LONDON (AP) — Taxicab driver Gary Nerden knows colleagues who got seriously ill from COVID-19. He knows the area of east London where he lives and works has among the highest infection rates in the whole of England. But since he can’t afford not to work, he drives around picking up strangers for up to 12 hours a day, relying on a flimsy plastic screen to keep him safe.

“I’ve got people telling me they won’t wear a mask, saying they’re exempt,” said Nerden, 57. “I’ve got diabetes, I have to look after myself. I wipe the handles, the seat belt, after every customer, but that’s all I can do, really.”

Nerden and his wife, a hospital administrative worker, live in the outer London borough of Redbridge, which in mid-January had the country’s second-highest rate of residents testing positive for the coronavirus: 1,571 cases per 100,000 people. Official figures estimated that at one point, 1 in 15 people there had COVID-19 — even after the government imposed a third national lockdown to control a fast-spreading, more contagious variant of the virus.

Redbridge and its surrounding areas, which lie on a commuter belt between the capital’s northeast and coastal Essex, have been dubbed the “COVID triangle” because they all topped England’s worst infection rates in recent weeks. While case rates have come down significantly, local leaders said the situation remained critical and the borough was still “in the eye of the storm.”

They say the area’s large number of essential workers in public-facing jobs, combined with dense housing and high levels of poverty, contribute to why the virus has hit it much harder than most places in the U.K. Those factors also make fighting the pandemic there particularly challenging.

“We have some of the most front-line workers here in the community: the taxi drivers, the NHS (National Health Service) workers, the train drivers going into central London, the commuter workers, the cleaners,” Redbridge Council leader Jas Athwal said.

“People are taking their chances — is it about feeding my children, or risking myself with COVID? And of course, they need to feed their children,” Athwal added. “All that accounts for the excess number of virus infections, the deaths, because people are having to go out to do their job.”

Many of those lower-income workers with high exposure to the virus are from ethnic minority backgrounds, who are among the most at-risk — as well as the hardest to persuade to get vaccinated. Redbridge’s population is among the most diverse in the country, with large Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities and fewer than 40% of residents identifying as white British.

Numerous studies have shown that the pandemic is causing disproportionate serious illness and deaths among ethnic minorities and those from poorer households. In the U.K., Public Health England found that after accounting for factors like age and sex, people of Bangladeshi heritage were dying from COVID-19 at twice the rate of white Britons. Black people and other Asian groups also had a 10% to 50% higher risk of death.

Experts say that is due to a combination of factors. People from minority groups are more likely to live in crowded housing and to take poorly ventilated public transport to go to work. They are also more likely to have long-term conditions like heart disease and diabetes that increase their risk of becoming seriously ill if they catch the virus.

Khayer Chowdhury, a Redbridge councilor of Bangladeshi descent, said many Asian households in the borough are multigenerational families living together under one roof, giving the virus greater opportunity to spread.

“Our diversity makes us unique, but it also makes us vulnerable,” he said.

Britain has lost more than 100,000 lives to the coronavirus, the worst death toll in Europe.

“Here in the community, everybody knows somebody who’s passed away,” Athwal said. “The fear is finally starting to hit home.”

Officials say a small but increasing number of people are breaking restrictions, partly because of fatigue with lockdown rules. Enforcement officers have broken up gatherings and “car meets,” shutting down and fining clubs and restaurants for hosting parties. On a recent weekday, a large team of police officers patrolled the main shopping street, which bustled with a steady stream of people despite the government’s “stay at home” message.

But the bigger challenge is on the vaccination front. Several U.K.-based studies have suggested that vaccine take-up rates for both the coronavirus and other jabs among Black people and minorities are significantly lower than that in the general population. Some researchers say that’s caused by longstanding distrust of authorities and disengagement from public health messages, and exacerbated by anti-vaccine posts on social media.

Local resident Salman Khan and his wife said they were not sure they would have the jab if offered, because the pandemic has made them question “whether the government and the news is telling the truth.”

Dr. Anil Mehta, a local doctor, said health officials are making every effort to reach the poorest and hardest to reach communities. This week he is offering vaccine shots out at homeless shelters, hoping to inoculate the area’s many refugees and those sleeping rough. He said he’s also taken up the role of “myth-buster,” trying to dispel misinformation and conspiracy theories.

“People believe in all sorts of things — this is affecting fertility, or against Black Lives Matter,” Mehta said. “There is a lot of hesitancy, whether they want it, whether they trust us. That’s our battle at the moment.”

___

Follow all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

 

— Associated Press

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Hunter Biden’s memoir ‘Beautiful Things’ out in April

This cover image released by Gallery Books shows “Beautiful Things” a memoir by Hunter Biden. Biden, son of President Joe Biden and an ongoing target for conservatives, has a memoir coming out April 6. The book will center on the younger Biden’s well publicized struggles with substance abuse, according to his publisher. (Gallery Books via AP)

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden and an ongoing target for conservatives, has a memoir coming out April 6.

The book is called “Beautiful Things” and will center on the younger Biden’s well publicized struggles with substance abuse, according to Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Acquired in the fall of 2019, “Beautiful Things” was kept under wraps even as Biden’s business dealings became a fixation of then-President Donald Trump and others during the election and his finances a matter of investigation by the Justice Department.

“Beautiful Things” was circulated among several authors and includes advance praise from Stephen King, Dave Eggers and Anne Lamott.

“In his harrowing and compulsively readable memoir, Hunter Biden proves again that anybody — even the son of a United States President — can take a ride on the pink horse down nightmare alley,” King writes in his blurb. “Biden remembers it all and tells it all with a bravery that is both heartbreaking and quite gorgeous. He starts with a question: Where’s Hunter? The answer is he’s in this book, the good, the bad, and the beautiful.”

In a snippet released by Gallery, Biden writes in his book, “I come from a family forged by tragedies and bound by a remarkable, unbreakable love.”

During one of last fall’s presidential debates, Joe Biden defended his son from attacks by Trump.

“My son, like a lot of people, like a lot of people you know at home, had a drug problem,” the Democratic candidate said. “He’s overtaken it. He’s fixed it. He’s worked on it, and I’m proud of him. I’m proud of my son.”

Hunter Biden, who turned 51 Thursday, is the oldest surviving child of the president, who lost his first wife and 1-year-old daughter, Naomi, in a 1972 car accident, and son Beau Biden to brain cancer in 2015. The title of Hunter’s book refers to an expression he and his brother would use with each other after Beau’s diagnosis, meant to emphasize what was important in life.

Hunter Biden is a lawyer and former lobbyist whose work helped lead to the first impeachment of Trump. Biden joined the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma in 2014, around the time his father, then U.S. vice president, was helping conduct the Obama administration’s foreign policy in that region. Trump and others have insisted that Biden was exploiting his father’s name, and they raised unsubstantiated charges of corruption. The House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump in 2019 after learning that he had pressured Ukraine’s president to announce it was investigating the Bidens. Trump was acquitted by the Senate.

Last December, Hunter Biden confirmed that the Justice Department was looking into his tax affairs, and The Associated Press subsequently reported that he had received a subpoena asking about his interaction with numerous business entities. Though Trump made clear publicly that he wanted a special counsel to handle the investigation, then-Attorney General William Barr did not appoint one. Biden has denied any wrongdoing.

Financial terms for “Beautiful Things,” which was written in collaboration with the author and journalist Drew Jubera, were not disclosed. Biden and his publisher likely will face criticism from Republicans for his memoir, although books by presidential family members are nothing new. During Trump’s presidency, son Donald Trump Jr. released two books, “Triggered” and “Liberal Privilege.”

New York publishers often take on authors with a wide range of political viewpoints, and Simon & Schuster has released books by Trump and Sean Hannity, along with such anti-Trump bestsellers as former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s “The Room Where It Happened” and presidential niece Mary Trump’s “Too Much and Never Enough.”

The publisher signed up a book last fall by a leading Trump supporter in Washington, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, but dropped it in the wake of Hawley’s support for the Jan. 6 protest that led to the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters who wrongly believed that the president had been reelected.

 

— Associated Press

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Super Bowl 2021 commercials: the best and worst

The 2021 Super Bowl is upon us, which means a myriad of big-budget, high-profile commercials to air between gameplay. 

 

— FOX News

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As U.S. vaccinations speed up, cautious optimism grows

More than 27 million Americans have received a first dose, and more than six million are fully inoculated.

 

— NYT: Top Stories

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Technology

Wipro included in 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. & BANGALORE, India — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #Bloomberg–Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced that it has been included in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI).

Wipro is one of 380 companies across 11 sectors included in the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI). This is the second consecutive year that Wipro has been included in the Index.

The GEI brings transparency to gender-related practices and policies at publicly listed companies increasing the breadth of environmental, social, governance (ESG) data available to investors. The comprehensive, transparent GEI scoring methodology allows investors to assess company performance and compare across industry peer groups. The reference index measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, equal pay and gender pay parity, inclusive culture, sexual harassment policies, and pro-women brand.

“At Wipro, our focus is on building a culture of inclusion by breaking stereotypes and biases and promoting equitable practices. We value our diversity and believe that there is much to learn from the varied perspectives and experiences of others. We are honoured to receive this recognition as it highlights how incredibly committed we are to gender equality,” said Sunita Cherian, Chief Culture Officer & Senior Vice President, Corporate Human Resources, Wipro Limited.

In 2012, Wipro signed the Women Empowerment Principles (established by UN Global Compact and UN Women) showing its commitment to the agenda of gender equality and women empowerment at the workplace. The Women of Wipro (WoW) framework, a unique life-stage based approach that recognizes the needs and expectations of women at different life/career stages, is the foundation for Wipro’s internal policies, processes and initiatives that promote gender inclusion & empowerment. Over the years, Wipro has introduced several initiatives for women including focused mentoring programs, behavioral development programs, structured upskilling initiatives for women in technology and concentrated efforts to create an ecosystem of support and enablement for women returning from maternity break.

About Wipro Limited

Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 180,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future.

Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent Wipro’s beliefs regarding future events, many of which are by their nature, inherently uncertain and outside Wipro’s control. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Wipro’s growth prospects, its future financial operating results, and its plans, expectations and intentions. Wipro cautions readers that the forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated by such statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, complete proposed corporate actions, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. The conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could decrease technology spending, adversely affect demand for our products, affect the rate of customer spending and could adversely affect our customers’ ability or willingness to purchase our offerings, delay prospective customers’ purchasing decisions, adversely impact our ability to provide on-site consulting services and our inability to deliver our customers or delay the provisioning of our offerings, all of which could adversely affect our future sales, operating results and overall financial performance. Our operations may also be negatively affected by a range of external factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic that are not within our control. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, Annual Reports on Form 20-F. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

Contacts

Purnima Burman

Wipro Limited

purnima.burman@wipro.com

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McCarthy meets with Greene; decision expected on her place in the Party

Supporters of former President Donald J. Trump want to punish Representative Liz Cheney for voting to impeach him, while others want to strip Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments for endorsing conspiracy theories and calling for violence.

 

— NYT: Top Stories

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Regulations & Security

Myanmar Military charges Aung San Suu Kyi with obscure infraction

The move against the deposed civilian leader was a curious coda to the army’s rapid dismantling of the country’s nascent democracy.

 

— NYT: Top Stories

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Live updates: Golden Globes 2021 nominations

Many movie theaters have been closed for almost a year, but the Hollywood awards season began in earnest on Wednesday morning with the announcement of the Globe nominees.

 

— NYT: Top Stories