McCarthy

Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Celebrates 15th Anniversary With More Than $3 Million Raised for Kids

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 1, 2023

The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk celebrated its 15th anniversary event with more than $3 million raised for children with special needs, public education, and national scholarships—totaling over $24 million in donations since its inception in 2009.

Key Points: 
  • The Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk celebrated its 15th anniversary event with more than $3 million raised for children with special needs, public education, and national scholarships—totaling over $24 million in donations since its inception in 2009.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231101408828/en/
    The 15th Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk raised more than $3 million for children with varying abilities and education.
  • It’s been my greatest joy to make a difference through philanthropy, especially the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk,” said Michael Greenberg, founder of the Walk.
  • To watch this year’s Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk and learn more about the event, please visit skechersfriendshipwalk.com or YouTube , and follow the Walk on Facebook , X and Instagram .

Longroad Energy Closes Financing of Sun Streams 4 a 377 MWdc Solar and 300 MWac / 1200 MWh Storage Project

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, November 1, 2023

BOSTON, Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Longroad Energy, a U.S. based renewable energy developer, owner and operator, announced today the financial close and start of construction of Sun Streams 4, its 377 MWdc PV and 300 MWac / 1200 MWh storage project. Sun Streams 4 is Longroad's largest solar and storage project to date, and is the company's third project in its Sun Streams complex based in Maricopa County, AZ. Commercial operations for Sun Streams 4 is currently expected by mid-2025.

Key Points: 
  • Sun Streams 4 is Longroad's largest solar and storage project to date, and is the company's third project in its Sun Streams complex based in Maricopa County, AZ.
  • "Longroad continues to make significant strides with our flagship Sun Streams portfolio in the important Arizona market," said Paul Gaynor, CEO of Longroad Energy.
  • The project is part of the Sun Streams portfolio that Longroad acquired from First Solar in early 2021.
  • Sun Stream 4's 300 MWac / 1200 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) will be provided by U.S.-based energy storage platform provider Powin.

New House Speaker Mike Johnson leads a GOP majority weakened by decades of declining party authority

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 26, 2023

Until conservative Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House on Oct. 25, no candidate had been able to secure the necessary number of Republicans to win a vote on the House floor.

Key Points: 
  • Until conservative Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson was elected speaker of the House on Oct. 25, no candidate had been able to secure the necessary number of Republicans to win a vote on the House floor.
  • And without an elected speaker, the chamber was effectively stuck.
  • The two proximate reasons for the GOP’s struggle to pick and keep a speaker are that it is internally divided and its majority in the House is small.

The authority of parties


An effective legislative party exercises four kinds of authority. The first is the ability to choose the chamber’s top leader and write the chamber’s rules – which both form part of what political scientists call organizational authority. The second kind is procedural authority, or the ability to set the legislative agenda and decide which bills come to the floor for a vote.

  • The third type of authority is over policy – being able to pass the party’s desired bills and amendments on the floor.
  • Finally, parties have electoral authority, meaning they help their members get reelected and help challengers beat incumbents from the other party.

Before the 1990s: Stronger parties

  • Democrats’ election fundraising also grew rapidly, and they gave more attention to recruiting strong candidates to run for office.
  • Republicans adopted these tactics after they became the majority party in the House in 1995 and elected Newt Gingrich as speaker.

From the 1990s to today: Weakening parties

  • For one thing, congressional elections became more competitive, giving the minority little incentive to help the majority govern.
  • Smaller margins in the House between the two parties gave the majority party less leeway to allow for defections on floor votes.
  • And new legislators were elected to Congress who were skeptical of leaders and the tradition of party loyalty.

What comes next?

  • The current situation has created a serious collective action problem for the GOP, meaning that too many lawmakers think only about their own political needs, even at the risk of hurting the party as a whole.
  • Polls show that the stalemate over choosing a speaker was damaging to the Republican Party’s reputation.
  • The new speaker, despite having been able to pull together his GOP colleagues, will face the same challenges that McCarthy did.
  • The party’s majority will still be small, it will still be divided, and the same forces that have weakened their party’s authority will remain in place.


Matthew Green does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Funding for Ukraine is anything but certain after US elects new speaker

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 26, 2023

US president Joe Biden has proposed a new US$105 billion (£86.5 billion) national security aid package, including $61 billion for Ukraine.

Key Points: 
  • US president Joe Biden has proposed a new US$105 billion (£86.5 billion) national security aid package, including $61 billion for Ukraine.
  • While US support for Ukraine still receives bipartisan backing in the Senate, opposition from Republicans in the House of Representatives has, if anything, hardened.
  • The speaker of the house is often considered the second most powerful role in US politics and can make or break the president’s agenda.

Power battles

  • Capitol Hill (or, more specifically, house Republicans) have been in the throes of a high-stakes power battle, with Ukraine’s defences hanging in the balance.
  • What’s obvious is that any closed-door negotiations over Johnson’s speakership involved constant horsetrading over the issue.
  • House majority leader (the “number two man” under McCarthy) Steve Scalise separately voted three times for (and three time against) aiding Ukraine.
  • The most recent candidate to drop out before Johnson’s selection, the party’s chief whip, Tom Emmer, had previously voted for financing Ukraine.

Funding under threat

  • GOP hardliners wanted to “blow up the system,” and halt the flow of dollars to Kiev.
  • Washington couldn’t funnel more dollars to Ukraine, or continue to bloats its deficit, when there was pandemonium.
  • Yet Democrats who enabled the chaos simply to make the Republican party look bad also showed their true colours.
  • Either way, a long-term funding channel for Ukraine is anything but certain.


Thomas Gift does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Final 10 teams announced for inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Tournament officials today announced the remaining 10 teams that will compete in the Grant Thornton Invitational set to debut December 8-10, 2023, at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida.

Key Points: 
  • Tournament officials today announced the remaining 10 teams that will compete in the Grant Thornton Invitational set to debut December 8-10, 2023, at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida.
  • “Interest from professionals on both tours was incredibly strong, and we are thrilled with the compelling mixed teams and world-class players heading to Naples this December,” said Rob Hartman, Grant Thornton Invitational Tournament Director.
  • More information on the format can be found here: Grant Thornton Invitational golf tournament unveils three distinct formats for mixed-team play .
  • For Grant Thornton Invitational tickets and additional information, visit the official tournament website: grantthorntoninvitational.com .

Skechers Celebrates 15 Years of Giving at This Month’s Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk for Kids

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 23, 2023

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231023378750/en/
    Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk Founder Michael Greenberg celebrates the 2022 event in Manhattan Beach, CA.
  • (Photo: Business Wire)
    “Over 15 years, our Walk has changed the lives of thousands of kids.
  • Today, we are making an indelible impact on children, families, volunteers, and companies that support our work,” said Michael Greenberg, founder of the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk.
  • Our kids work hard and we should have their backs, every single day.”
    Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk donations support the future Friendship Campus (The Greenberg Family / Skechers Center)—a $55 million, 3.25-acre campus that will offer a life-changing community for friendship and learning.

Jim McCarthy Named as Thredd CEO

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 19, 2023

Thredd , the fast-growing ‘next-gen’ issuer payments platform, appointed Jim McCarthy to succeed Kevin Schultz as CEO, effective immediately, as Schultz will retire later this year.

Key Points: 
  • Thredd , the fast-growing ‘next-gen’ issuer payments platform, appointed Jim McCarthy to succeed Kevin Schultz as CEO, effective immediately, as Schultz will retire later this year.
  • “I’m immensely proud of what we have accomplished at Thredd since I joined – we have successfully implemented a new strategy and repositioned the company for sustainable growth,” said Kevin Schultz, outgoing CEO.
  • “With Jim taking the reins, supported by owners who are committed to our continued success, Thredd is well placed as it enters an exciting new phase.
  • “We would like to thank Kevin for his enormous contribution to the company as CEO, and the key role he has played in its success and transformation during this time.”
    “I’m extremely excited to take on the role of CEO at Thredd,” said Jim McCarthy.

OCTOBER HARVARD CAPS / HARRIS POLL: STRONG MAJORITIES OF AMERICANS SUPPORT ISRAEL AGAINST HAMAS AND U.S. POLICY ON ISRAEL

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 20, 2023

NEW YORK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) today released the results of the October Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard (CAPS) and the Harris Poll and HarrisX.

Key Points: 
  • Israel receives overwhelming support from Americans: 84% of voters support Israel over Hamas and 88% believe Israel has a right to respond militarily against Hamas.
  • "Americans strongly support Israel against Hamas' terrorist attacks by 80 percent or more.
  • 70% of voters think Israel should eliminate Hamas, not end its campaign against Hamas now (ages 18-24: 48%; ages 65+: 82%).
  • Follow the Harvard CAPS Harris poll podcast at https://www.markpennpolls.com/ or on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.

Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP Announces Judge Orders Trial For Case Brought By Parents Of Saugus High School Students Killed In Campus Shooting, Rejecting School District’s Defense That It Had No Duty To Protect The Students

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 5, 2023

Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP announces a joint lawsuit brought by the parents of two Saugus High School students killed in a November 4, 2019, on-campus shooting will proceed to trial, according to the ruling issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Key Points: 
  • Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP announces a joint lawsuit brought by the parents of two Saugus High School students killed in a November 4, 2019, on-campus shooting will proceed to trial, according to the ruling issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court.
  • They also allege the District did not adequately supervise or secure the school campus.
  • The District had argued that it had no duty to protect the students and that the shooting was unforeseeable, both arguments rejected by the Court.
  • “The Judge has made clear that a school district cannot turn a blind eye to the risks of potential violence from troubled teenagers and inadequate campus supervision and security.

Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP Alleges in New Lawsuit That San Mateo County Defrauded by Local Contractor

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 5, 2023

Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of San Mateo County against Eaton & Associates for billing taxpayers for work they never completed.

Key Points: 
  • Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP filed a lawsuit on behalf of San Mateo County against Eaton & Associates for billing taxpayers for work they never completed.
  • Eaton & Associates, a San Mateo-based information technology contractor, has collected over $28 million in government contracts since 2013.
  • The lawsuit alleges that approximately $2 million of those dollars were paid for a fiber-optic cable project.
  • San Mateo County hired Eaton & Associates to perform the project from 2018 to 2022, which would have connected buildings in South San Francisco, San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Daly City, and Pacifica with high-speed fiber-optic cable.