Mom’s unconditional love deserves a little taste of happiness.
The Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box is full of bright, luxurious chocolates that will sweeten Mom’s day.
With chocolate-covered pretzels, graham crackers, and sandwich cookies, she’ll be delighted with the perfect combination of sweet and salty flavors. The happiness continues with sweet and colorful strawberry delights and Linzer cookies filled with raspberry jam.
The Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box is completed with an all-time favorite, nonpareils and a cheerful dark chocolate sunflower.
Vertical has acquired U.S. rights to “Bucky F*cking Dent,” a father-son story set against the 1978 Red Sox vs. Yankees pennant race.
The movie was written, directed by and stars David Duchovny. It also happens to be based on Duchovny’s 2016 best-selling novel of the same name.
The cast of “Bucky F*cking Dent” includes Logan Marshall-Green “(Spider-Man: Homecoming),” Stephanie Beatriz “(Brooklyn Nine-Nine),” Jason Beghe “(Chicago P.D.),” Evan Handler “(Californication)” with Daphne Rubin-Vega “(In the Heights)” and Pamela Adlon “(King of Staten Island).” The film is produced by Yale Productions’ Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman, as well as Duchovny.
“Bucky F*cking Dent” had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. The release date is slated for later this year.
The film follows Ted (Marshall-Green), a failed writer-turned-Yankees Stadium peanut seller who moves back home after learning of the failing health of his Red Sox-obsessed father, Marty (David Duchovny). While Marty tries to make amends for his past, his condition worsens whenever his beloved Sox lose a game. To keep his dad’s spirits up, Ted takes matters into his own hands and manufactures a winning streak for the local team with the help of dad’s neighborhood pals. In the process, Ted strikes up a bond with Marty’s charming “Death Specialist,” Mariana (Beatriz), reigniting his writing ambitions.
“I wrote ‘Bucky F*cking Dent’ as a screenplay more than ten years ago but couldn’t get it made, so I wrote it as a novel,” said Duchovny. “Then, I re-wrote it as a screenplay from the novel. I had originally written the son character for myself, but as I aged out of it in the years I was trying to make it, I made the happy adjustment to play the dad and was so lucky to find Logan Marshall-Green to play the son so beautifully.”
Duchovny adds: “I wanted to get back to directing and make an old-fashioned movie where you laugh till you cry and then find yourself really crying. The folks at Yale Productions believed in the movie and stepped up to generously let me make the movie I wanted to make. I’m excited to work with the Vertical team who will expertly bring this movie to a wide audience.”
Vertical’s Peter Jarowey, a partner at the company, said, “David’s big screen adaptation of his novel delivers an emotionally charged coming-of-age story that skillfully tugs at your heartstrings. With a cast that feels tailor-made for their roles, we’re confident that this film will captivate audiences across the country.”
The film’s executive producers include Peter R. Anske, Randy E. Kleinman, Aviva Carroll, Tiffany Kuzon, Jason Kringstein, Scott Levenson, Kurt Ebner, Nicholas Donnermeyer, Will Hirschfeld, Gregory Ruden, Anne B. Ruden, Michael J. Rothstein, Patrick Heaphy, Jeffrey Tussi, and David Nazar. Jeffrey Tussi and Nick Phillips are co-producers, and Edward Nugent is co-executive producer.
Jarowey and SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi negotiated the deal on behalf of Vertical. CAA Media Finance negotiated the deal on behalf of the production.
Vertical’s upcoming slate includes “Jeanne Du Barry,” directed by Maïwenn who stars alongside Johnny Depp; “Lee,” directed by Ellen Kuras and starring Kate Winslet; “Asphalt City” directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and starring Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan; and “Firebrand” directed by Karim Aïnouz and starring Alicia Vikander and Jude Law.
OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of NiSource Insurance Corporation, Inc. (NICI) (Salt Lake City, UT). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect NICI’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
NICI maintains the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). A conservative reserving philosophy is evident through the company’s reported favorable reserves development in each of the past 10 years. The balance sheet assessment also considers the company’s ample liquidity measures, and maintaining low underwriting leverage, in addition to having no debt.
The strong operating performance assessment is supported by favorable combined and operating ratios that outperforms AM Best’s commercial casualty composite. NICI’s strong operational results reflect loss ratios trending favorably, and a low underwriting expense structure that stems from the inherent benefits of being a single-parent captive for NiSource Inc. (NiSource). Through its niche captive orientation, risk management expertise and conservative underwriting criteria, NICI has generated favorable results at levels generally equal to or better than its industry peers, organically growing its surplus by three-fold in the past 10 years.
NICI is a single-parent captive insurer wholly owned by NiSource, providing all-risk property, workers’ compensation, excess general and automobile liability, medical stop-loss, long-term disability, group life insurance and punitive damage coverage for the parent and its affiliates. AM Best has taken a balanced view of NICI’s overall business profile, which albeit limited in scope, maintains inherent advantages as a single-parent captive with immediate access to business and resources along with the broader financial wherewithal of its ultimate parent. NICI plays a critical role in NiSource’s overall ERM framework, supporting its objectives through insuring key risks of the parent, ultimately supporting NiSource’s financing needs.
The stable outlooks for NICI reflect the company’s sustained profitability, adherence to maintaining capital at the appropriate risk-adjusted levels and its measured and prudent approach in insuring its parent’s exposure. Positive rating action may occur due to a sustained trend of improvement in the company’s overall balance sheet strength that supports a higher assessment level. Conversely, negative rating actions could occur from a decline in the company’s operating performance, an increase in underwriting leverage or an outsized loss event that triggers a sudden decline in risk-adjust capitalization. In addition, negative rating action could occur due to financial issues resulting in rating pressure on the ultimate parent that could impact NiSource’s ratings.
AM Best remains the leading rating agency of alternative risk transfer entities, with more than 200 such vehicles rated in the United States and throughout the world. For current Best’s Credit Ratings and independent data on the captive and alternative risk transfer insurance market, please visit www.ambest.com/captive.
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 use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.
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 London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
WE tv on Thursday shared a super tease and announced that all-new reality series, The Barnes Bunch, will premiere on Friday, April 19 at 10 p.m. ET with new episodes available on the popular AMC streaming service ALLBLK every Tuesday.
This endearing new series follows NBA champion and successful Podcaster, Matt Barnes, alongside his fiancée, model and reality personality, Anansa Sims, as they navigate love, forgiveness, and personal growth while reconciling their past. Both incredibly active and supportive parents, they are often aided by Sims’ mother, supermodel and New York Times Bestselling author, Beverly Johnson. Amid their chaotic lives with a blended family of six kids, now they confront the challenge of conquering their complex history to forge a future together and build a lasting union. The stakes are even higher as they navigate co-parenting, family dynamics, fame, and their growing empire.
Source: Courtesy / WeTV
Fresh off their engagement last year, the season features Matt and Anansa’s extensive planning of their engagement party. However, in the premiere episode, Matt reveals shocking information to Anansa at couples therapy, making her recall old relationship troubles. Beverly convinces Anansa to join her at a modeling shoot celebrating the 50th anniversary of her history-making Vogue Cover, but Anansa’s responsibilities as a mother makes it difficult. Will the ‘bad boy of basketball’ finally settle down? And can this dynamic duo maintain their sanity while juggling the kids, busy careers and potentially another baby?
Check out the supertease below!
We love to see the highs and hate to see the lows but we’re definitely gonna be watching this! What did you think of the trailer?
The Barnes Bunch is Executive Produced by Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner for Foxxhole Productions, Sun de Graaf of Lionsgate Alternative Television, and Oji Singletary and Amy Chaffin serve as Showrunners. Angela Molloy, SVP Development & Original Production, Unscripted and Noella Charles, VP Development & Original Production, Unscripted Executive Produce for WE tv.
The Barnes Bunch, will premiere on Friday, April 19 at 10 p.m. ET with new episodes streaming on ALLBLK every Tuesday.
OLDWICK, N.J. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — #insurance — AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Coalition Insurance Company (CIC) (New York, NY). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect CIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
CIC’s balance sheet strength is supported by the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), surplus growth, conservative loss reserves and low underwriting leverage produced in the first nine months of operation and its five-year pro forma.
CIC’s adequate operating performance is largely based on CIC scaling its book of business through its affiliate, Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc. (CIS) and the ability to execute on the company’s strategic business plan, including, pro forma operating results over the next five years. Cyber insurance is one of the fastest growing lines of business, and between business and management projects the business to expand rapidly with sustained premium growth for the company over the next five-year period.
CIC’s business profile assessment of limited reflects its position as a new company writing cyber insurance. The company is licensed and operating in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and is currently providing coverage for cyber liability and technology errors & omissions. CIS has relationships with a broad base of insurance brokers, which has access to the company’s proprietary system to quote, rate and bind policies. CIC’s management team includes diverse backgrounds with extensive experience in insurance, engineering & product, cybersecurity and software development. CIC partners with its brokers and insureds to educate and remediate vulnerabilities identified in their systems.
CIC’s ERM is considered appropriate for its risk profile, overall underwriting, risk management, remediation response and circular and continuous underwriting. CIC understands the risk, reviews vulnerabilities and manages risks within its risk appetite and risk tolerances. CIC is dependent on its parent for most of its risk management resources and decision-making as it works to develop its own framework over time.
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 use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.
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 London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
— Google Search is home to various tools and the latest lets you look up Bitcoin addresses to show the balance of any wallet.
Announced on Tuesday, you can “Search for any of your wallet addresses across bitcoin and five new EVM networks.” The latter (Ethereum Virtual Machine) is a component of another cryptocurrency.
Enter a Blockchain address into Google Search and the first result will be a card noting your Bitcoin balance and when it was last updated. Google notes that this is the “Balance as of last transaction. Supported formats include: P2PKH, P2SH, and Bech32. Extended public key addresses are not currently supported.”
All Bitcoin transactions are public on a distributed ledger, the “blockchain.” Knowing an address cannot reveal the owner, while the private key is what’s needed (and has to be kept secure) to retain control.
Meanwhile, Google Search will also show Ethereum balances. It’s looking at Arbitrum, Avalanche, Fantom, Optimism, and Polygon. This joins other tools like searching for the price of Bitcoin (e.g., BTC USD) like you would with any other stock.
— Owner contributes $430K for IVF treatments amidst court controversy
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. –– According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five couples in the U.S. struggles with some form of infertility.
— Photo: Attorney Brooke Goff, founder and owner of Goff Law Group in Connecticut, is helping her employees start a family by offering a bonus health benefit by pledging $43oK for coverage of infertility treatments. From left: Attorney Brooke Goff, her wife Angeline Ioannou, and their children: 11-year-old Grayson and 5-month-old Victoria, who were conceived via IVF and IUI, are a refreshing example of the modern family. — Credit: Goff Law Group
The biggest roadblock for most of them to start on the path of parenthood is the high cost of fertility treatments. To ease that financial burden and help those seeking to start a family achieve success, Brooke Goff, founder and president of Goff Law Group in Connecticut, has pledged $430K to offset the massive expense of the fertility process.
The enhanced benefit is a hot topic given the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling on “fetal personhoods” and the uncertain future of the procedure.
“I knew at a young age that I wanted to have a family, yet I also knew that as a gay woman, I would need some assistance from science,” said Attorney Brooke Goff, owner of Goff Law Group, a personal injury law firm in Connecticut.
“In vitro fertilization fulfilled my desire to carry a child and experience the beautiful journey of pregnancy, something every woman should be entitled to, if she so desires, regardless of her sexuality.”
That’s why in 2022, Attorney Goff began researching viable solutions and was told that only larger global companies, not small businesses, would even consider fertility health coverage.
“I was taken aback that more small businesses do not invest in their employees across the board- with family planning and creation,” she adds.
“Employees are the lifeblood of any company and if a business owner wants continued success and profitability, he or she should be investing in their employees’ family – both present and future.”
Undeterred, Attorney Goff eventually partnered with Carrot, a third-party health benefit company, and absorbed the entire near half-a-million-dollar cost of implementing the program. Specifics of Goff Law Group’s comprehensive IVF program include:
mental health counseling as related to the infertility process
individual infertility journey design and implementation
access to over 800 clinics throughout the United States
discount coverage for infertility care including but not limited to IVF, IUI, surrogacy, adoption, preservation of embryos, genetic testing, and medications related to infertility
coverage for after birth lactation services, overnight doulas, and women’s behavioral health as related to postpartum
“It has always been my belief that every woman deserves the right to have a family and unfortunately, it is easier for some than others,” said Attorney Goff.
“When infertility comes into the mix, it adds unplanned costs to the family and a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. Hence, it is important to offer a benefit with full-spectrum physical and mental health care.”
Attorney Goff explains that although some health insurance plans cover run-of-the-mill infertility treatments, they may have certain requirements as a result of strict state mandates such as 12 months of unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant and other limitations based on the age of the woman.
She further notes that health insurance typically does not cover surrogacy, adoption, egg harvesting, donor eggs, or donor sperm. “I wanted to provide something better to my employees alternative to the minimal health insurance coverages currently on the market,” Attorney Goff adds.
Regarding the recent Alabama legislation that allows couples undergoing IVF to sue a fertility clinic for lost or damaged embryos under the state’s wrongful death law, Attorney Goff explains that the ruling takes away pregnancy options and freedoms from potential parents who desperately desire a biological family. She believes that couples who are having infertility issues will now be deterred in using IVF intervention due to the risk of criminalization if their embryos are not used or disposed of properly.
“The ruling is making a lot of assumptions as to what might happen in that an embryo is a promise of pregnancy not an actual pregnancy,” said Attorney Goff. “The ruling should be appealed and overturned so as not to limit a family’s ability to conceive and reproduce. This is not a woman issue — it’s a family issue.”
When asked if she has any concerns about her female employees becoming mothers and its residual impact on her firm’s bottom line due to them being out of the office for sick days, Attorney Goff notes that she prefers hiring working mothers because they do the same amount of work in eight hours that others often do in twelve since they have learned excellent time management and organization skills, patience, and compassion while raising a family — all essential traits in operating a legal business. Goff Law Group is currently the largest women-owned and operated personal injury law firm in the state and is predominately made up of a female staff.
“Everyone has their own parenting journey and I want to open all of the doors for my employees to select one that universally meets their medical history, sexual preference and financial situation,” concludes Attorney Goff. “Doing my part to give my employees hope and direction in creating a family is something I take very seriously — and so should everyone else.”
About Attorney Brooke Goff
Attorney Brooke Goff is the founder and president of Goff Law Group, the largest woman-owned and operated personal injury law firm in Connecticut, comprised of 12 experienced female attorneys with various litigation backgrounds and skillsets. The firm’s foundation is built on its aggressive, no-nonsense tactics, free consultations, direct attorney access and a 99% resolution result rate. Arguably the most public openly female gay lawyer in the region, Attorney Goff has been named one of the Top 10 Most Influential People in Legal Services for 2024 and has earned the Super Lawyer Rising Star Award for the past seven years. Attorney Goff is a sought-after speaker at numerous elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as colleges and universities about the importance of education and pursuing one’s dreams. She is an inspiration for girls and a strong advocate for women to live their authentic lives. Visit www.gofflawgroup.net for more information.
The battling factions of “Red vs. Blue” are getting one last adventure — in which they must team up to fight a common enemy — that will soon available on a screen near you, even though Rooster Teeth is closing its doors.
“Red vs. Blue: Restoration,” the 19th and final season of Rooster Teeth’s groundbreaking comedy sci-fi series, will be available starting May 7 in its entirety as an 87-minute feature-length film by Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment.
The movie will be available on May 7 to purchase for $14.99 from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and other electronic sell-through outlets, and available May 21 to rent digitally for $4.99.
WBDHE also released a teaser trailer of the forthcoming movie (watch below). Per the official synopsis: “When the universe’s greatest villain returns in a terrifying new form, old adversaries, the Reds and Blues of Blood Gulch, will have to set aside their differences to save the galaxy one last time.”
The move comes in the wake of the decision by Warner Bros. Discovery — Rooster Teeth’s most recent corporate parent — earlier this month to shut down the money-losing entertainment division, throwing RT’s employees and contributors out of work. WBD is looking to sell the catalog and intellectual property rights to “Red vs. Blue,” along with a handful of other popular Rooster Teeth productions like “RWBY” and “Gen:Lock.”
For the final chapter of “Red vs. Blue,” series co-creator and RT co-founder Burnie Burns returned after a four-year hiatus to pen the script, reuniting with director Matt Hullum to bring closure to the narrative that has spanned more than two decades.
“I’m thrilled to return for ‘Red vs. Blue: Restoration’ and to conclude this incredible 21-year journey with our longtime fans,” Burns said in a statement. Hullum added: “Red vs. Blue has been a cornerstone of Rooster Teeth’s legacy, and we’re immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”
“Red vs. Blue” is set in the universe of Xbox’s Halo game franchise, in which two teams, Red and Blue, engage in a perpetual conflict in a desolate canyon. Led by the bumbling Sarge and the cynical Church, the soldiers navigate absurd situations and misunderstandings with a mix of humor and sci-fi elements.
The show debuted in 2003, before YouTube launched. “Red vs. Blue,” in addition to establishing a popular digitally distributed entertainment franchise before the streaming revolution, was innovative in using machinima to create animations using video game engines. “Red vs. Blue: Restoration” was produced with Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.
OLDWICK, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#insurance—AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) to Emerald Bay Specialty Insurance Company (EBSIC) (Tucson, AZ). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
The ratings reflect EBSIC’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).
EBSIC is an Arizona-domiciled hybrid fronting company operating in the surplus lines market throughout the United States. As such, the company’s strategy involves maintaining a significant risk position in the programs it writes. EBSIC’s ultimate parent is Emerald Bay Risk Solutions, LLC (Emerald Bay) and Emerald Bay will be owned primarily by Bain Capital Insurance (BCI).
EBSIC’s balance sheet strength assessment is driven by the company’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), which is expected to be in the strongest range throughout the company’s initial five-year business plan. The balance sheet strength is underpinned further by a conservative investment profile and the backing of BCI. BCI has committed significant equity into the company to support the start-up operations and has assisted EBSIC’s ultimate parent, Emerald Bay, in sourcing a term loan credit facility as part of the initial funding of EBSIC.
AM Best assesses EBSIC’s operating performance as adequate as the company’s underwriting guidelines are anticipated to produce profitable operating results over the intermediate term. Additionally, the company’s initial portfolio will include third-party programs where management has developed deep expertise through previous collaborations. AM Best assesses EBSIC’s business profile as limited given the start-up nature of the company’s operations. However, AM Best notes that management has a strong track record of operating in the insurance and fronting markets, which reduces execution risk. AM Best assesses EBSIC’s ERM framework as appropriate with clear strategic objectives well aligned with the company’s risk appetite. Moreover, there is a robust risk monitoring and governance structure in place to ensure accountability and oversight throughout the organization.
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 use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.
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 London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Limonero Films has picked up world rights to distribute environmental documentary, “Wild Coast Warriors,” which launches at Mipdoc.
The film aims to raise awareness of the plight of small coastal communities on South Africa’s Wild Coast, who are standing up to the oil and gas industry.
It follows a David vs. Goliath court-case against Shell, which halted oil and gas exploration, winning protection for the community, the ocean and the local culture.
“Wild Coast Warriors” is directed by Nick Chevallier and Leigh Wood, who also edits the film. It is produced by Chevallier for Contemporary Film Productions. The cinematographer is Warren Smart, who was part of the camera crew on Oscar winner “My Octopus Teacher.”
Pippa Ehrlich, director of “My Octopus Teacher,” said “Wild Coast Warriors” was “a critical story about the power of community advocacy, and a warning to big corporations that there is strength in the voices of vulnerable people who are connected to and dependent on their land.”
She said the film was “an empowering case-study showing how South Africa’s constitution protects its people.” She added: “It is exquisitely shot and paints a beautiful portrait of the people working to defend their communities and the land they love.”
The film is supported by Greenpeace Africa, Natural Justice and Oxfam Intl.
Chevallier’s credits include “Blood Lions.” His clients have included BBC, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Animal Planet and South African broadcasters.
Twenty years ago, Chevallier produced a documentary called “The Wild Coast….a Fragile Paradise” in which he explored the natural beauty and rich natural resource base of the Wild Coast.
Mipdoc runs April 6-7 in Cannes, ahead of the MipTV market and conference.
