Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign says it’s “in a very good place” as the race for the White House enters the two-month stretch until Election Day.
— Paul Steinhauser
Author: Michelle Dryden
With the coronavirus still spreading, many choirs are gathering only online. But one London group is cautiously attempting a way forward.
— Alex Marshall
She was the first Black woman to run for vice president, in 1952. She was also a pioneering journalist.
— Jessica Bennett
In a wide-ranging briefing less than two months before Election Day, Joe Biden’s team said that he and Kamala Harris would be ramping up in-person activities and travel.
— Katie Glueck
Chef Anthony Russo introduces an Italian favorite to the menu.
Nonna’s Pizza is now available at participating locations. Free delivery included.
HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ItalianKitchen–Nonna’s Pizza, also known as grandma’s pie, is a traditional Italian pizza that grandmother’s would make for the entire family. The signature dish is said to have originated on Long Island and now has spread to the greater New York area. Chef Anthony Russo is now introducing this legendary pizza to several of his locations in the Texas marketplace for the first time.
Nonna’s Pizza also known as Nonna’s Pie is a rectangular pizza that is cooked in an olive oil-coated pan. Traditionally, the pizza is covered in a thin layer of mozzarella cheese and then topped with fresh tomatoes. Oftentimes, the mozzarella is placed directly on the dough, and the sauce goes on top of that, but this is not always the case. What makes Nonna’s unique is the crust. The dough is quickly stretched on the pan, giving it little time to rise before baking in the oven. This gives the pizza its signature thinner, crisper crust. The crust is what separates Nonna’s Pizza from other similar thinner crust pizzas, like Sicilian Pizza.
Using high-quality ingredients is what makes Chef Anthony Russo’s Nonna’s Pie rise above competitors. Chef Russo always uses the best quality ingredients to ensure a delicious final product. Nonna’s Pie includes Sicilian extra virgin olive oil, Robusto pizza sauce, premium roma tomatoes, fresh-cut basil, and Wisconsin’s signature mozzarella cheese.
This pie is very nostalgic for Chef Anthony Russo. Russo reminisces on his childhood when Grandma would make it for him.
“This was our go-to pizza growing up,” Chef Anthony Russo states. “We used to have it for dinner every Sunday night at Grandma’s house. She used to use fresh homemade marinara sauce and fresh-made dough left over from the bread recipe. Grandma would place the dough square pan, then top it with marinara sauce, fresh basil and fresh mozzarella cheese. We are very excited to be one of the first pizzerias to bring Nonna’s Pizza to the Texas.”
Nonna’s Pie is now available for a limited time for pick-up or free delivery for just $16. Call or order online today. Nonna’s Pizza is only available at participating locations only. Please contact your local store for more details. To learn more about Russo’s safety measures, menu, lunch specials, delivery, takeout, catering, or to order online, please visit www.nypizzeria.com. See store for details.
Chef Anthony Russo’s Bio: The son of first-generation Italian immigrants, Anthony Russo, Russo’s New York Pizzeria Founder and CEO, grew up in a New Jersey home where the kitchen was the center of family life. He learned to cook from relatives visiting from Sicily and Naples, and worked at his family’s restaurant, Russo’s Italian, at the Jersey Shore each summer.
The family relocated to Galveston, Texas in 1978, yet remained steadfast in their commitment to serving fine Italian cuisine no matter where they called home. Anthony’s father opened Russo’s Italian Restaurant, which quickly became a favorite among locals, and reinforced Anthony’s passion for creating and serving homemade Italian fare.
In 1985, Anthony opened his first pizza restaurant, Russo’s Pizza, when he was just 18 years old. In 1992, just seven years later, Anthony introduced his first Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Houston, Texas, where using fresh, homemade ingredients and unique family recipes, became a model for success.
Fast forward to today and Russo’s Restaurants is now a national and international franchisor of the casual dining brand Russo’s New York Pizzeria. With its corporate office located in Houston, Texas – Russo’s Restaurants has surpassed 50 locations with over ten more planned in 2020. Composed of a mix of corporate and franchised locations in Texas, Oklahoma, and Florida, Russo’s has also entered international markets as well, with locations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates.
Chef Anthony Russo created Russo’s Restaurants by applying his unique, family recipes featuring New York-style pizza, handcrafted pasta dishes, calzones, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts. At its heart, Russo’s Restaurants reflects Chef Anthony’s commitment to his New York roots where food and family come first.
Russo’s corporate support team is strong and collaborative with a franchisee-friendly corporate culture and is ready for expansion. What separates Russo’s from the rest of the pizza industry is not only a great support team ready to tackle it all, but also the unique family recipes and fresh ingredients. With no additives or preservatives, Russo’s New York Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen creates dishes from ingredients that are safe and reliable from trusted brands. Chef Russo adds, “Our mission statement is: ‘If it isn’t fresh, don’t serve it.’ That is the Russo family promise.” The average store investment ranges from $350,000- $895,000. Qualified candidates must have at least $200,000 in liquid capital. To learn more about Russo’s Franchise Opportunities, our menu, lunch specials, delivery, takeout, catering, or to order online, please visit www.nypizzeria.com.
Contacts
Lynn Zeller-Aldana
Russo’s Restaurants
(346) 802-4700
OLDWICK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B (Fair) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bb+” of Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company (GLAIC) (Richmond, VA). Concurrently, AM Best has affirmed the FSR of C++ (Marginal) and the Long-Term ICRs of “b” of Genworth Life Insurance Company (GLIC) (Wilmington, DE) and Genworth Life Insurance Company of New York (GLICNY) (New York, NY). Additionally, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICRs of “b” of Genworth Financial, Inc. (Genworth) [NYSE: GNW] and Genworth Holdings, Inc. (both domiciled in Delaware), as well as their Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (Long-Term IR). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect GLAIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strong, as well as its weak operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
The ratings of GLAIC also reflect its strong balance sheet strength, including the level and quality of capital, and the quality of the asset portfolio. Although absolute and risk-adjusted capital, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), increased in 2019, many uncertainties around the strength of the balance sheet remain related to the potential for future reserve increases or asset impairments. There has been history of negative profitability in aggregate and in most lines of businesses. GLAIC calculated its risk-based capital (RBC) level at 438% at the end of 2019, an increase from the prior-year RBC score of 422%.
The ratings of GLIC and GLICNY reflect the group’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as weak, as well as its weak operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
The ratings of GLIC and GLICNY reflect AM Best’s view of its balance sheet strength and its operating performance. Risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by BCAR and other capital metrics, is low and volatile. A strong offsetting factor is management’s focused strategy of garnering actuarially supported premium rate increases on in-force, long-term care policies. Management identified the need for these increases several years ago, took corrective action and has achieved meaningful results. While GNW has demonstrated success at achieving premium rate increases in the past, operating losses continue to persist due to deviation in experience relative to pricing assumptions. The impact and timing of the approval and receipt of those rate increases continue to be uncertain. GLIC calculated its RBC level at 213% at the end of 2019, an increase from the prior-year RBC score of 199%, while GLICNY’s RBC improved to 291% from 223% between 2018 and 2019.
The rating affirmations of the two holding companies, Genworth and Genworth Holdings, Inc., as well as its associated debt, reflect the ongoing challenges the operating companies face, its debt obligations and secured promissory note to settle recent dispute. Genworth has shown financial flexibility navigating through those complications, including the sale of Genworth’s stake in Genworth MI Canada, Inc. in 2019, the recent $750 million senior notes offering by Genworth Mortgage Holdings, Inc. and a potential 19.9% IPO of the U.S. mortgage insurance business. Finally, GNW continues to pursue closing the transaction with China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd. and the $1.5 billion capital commitment, which has been delayed due to funding issues given current market challenges with COVID-19.
The following Long-Term IRs have been affirmed with a stable outlook:
Genworth Holdings, Inc. (guaranteed by Genworth Financial, Inc.)—
— “b” on $400 million 7.20% senior unsecured notes, due 2021
— “b” on $750 million 7.625% senior unsecured notes, due 2021
— “b” on $400 million 4.9% senior unsecured notes, due 2023
— “b” on $400 million 4.8% senior unsecured notes, due 2024
— “b” on $300 million 6.50% senior unsecured notes, due 2034
— “ccc+” on $600 million fixed/floating rate junior subordinated notes, due 2066
The following indicative Long-Term IRs on securities available under the universal shelf registration have been affirmed with a stable outlook:
Genworth Financial, Inc.—
–“b” on senior unsecured debt
–“b-” on subordinated debt
–“ccc+” on preferred stock
Genworth Holdings, Inc.—
— “b” on senior unsecured debt
— “b-” on subordinated debt
— “ccc+” on preferred stock
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media – Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.
AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Copyright © 2020 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Contacts
Bruno Caron
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5144
bruno.caron@ambest.com
Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
Michael Porcelli
Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5548
michael.porcelli@ambest.com
Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com
OLDWICK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B++ (Good) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bbb+” from “a-” of Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (ICBL) (Barbados). Concurrently, AM Best has placed these Credit Ratings (ratings) under review with developing implications.
The ratings reflect ICBL’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strongest, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
This rating action follows the announcement that BF&M Limited, ICBL’s majority shareholder, has sold its 51% share ownership in ICBL to Paynes Bay Finance Inc., an investment vehicle owned and controlled by Joe Poulin through his family office, JPK Capital. The rating downgrades reflect the removal of rating enhancement that ICBL received from BF&M Limited.
Additionally, the under review with developing implications status reflects the need for AM Best to assess the new majority shareholder, its strategic plans for ICBL and the potential impact on the company’s rating fundamentals. The ratings will remain under review until AM Best has conducted detailed discussions with JPK Capital and completes its evaluation of the transaction and the implications for ICBL.
This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media – Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases.
AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Copyright © 2020 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Contacts
Ricardo A. Longchallon
Senior Financial Analyst
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5676
ricardo.longchallon@ambest.com
Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
Sharon Marks
Associate Director
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 55477
Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com
The Washington Football Team released running back Adrian Peterson Friday in a shocking move less than 10 days before the start of the 2020 season.
— Ryan Gaydos
College football is back — sort of.
— Ryan Gaydos
Mr. Auchincloss, a city councilor, won the highly fragmented House race with just 23 percent of the vote, as nine candidates split the electorate.
— Astead W. Herndon