Market Newsdesk

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As the Christmas holiday approaches, Verizon is proud to announce its support of the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) Santa tracking program for the 18th straight year. NORAD knows all about the importance of Santa’s whereabouts. For more than six decades, NORAD Tracks Santa (NTS) has helped children around the globe follow Santa as he and his team of world-class reindeer fly from Sydney, Australia to New York City, and everywhere in between. 

To help expand support for volunteers who want to help in a COVID-19 environment, Verizon announced its role in the sharing of Apple iPhones preloaded with One Talk Service from Verizon. One Talk establishes a virtual hotline allowing NTS volunteers to operate as if they were inside the NORAD call center. Small shifts of onsite volunteers at NORAD and offsite volunteers utilizing the One Talk technology will begin taking calls at 6 a.m. on Christmas Eve.

“It’s a great source of joy for the Verizon team to volunteer alongside our partners at NORAD to help carry on the tradition of tracking Santa Claus’ whereabouts around the world,” said Andrés Irlando, senior vice president and president, Public Sector and Verizon Connect at Verizon. “For 18 consecutive years, it has been an honor to support NORAD and their mission to help children believe in the magic of Santa Claus and the holiday season.”

Amid the global pandemic, NORAD’s leadership has shown great care in requiring a different approach from the normally spirited, heavily populated call center, with an emphasis on protecting the health and safety of volunteers. NORAD recently announced shifts that will be open to personnel and families within the command, with much smaller groups fielding calls compared to previous years. Historically, nearly 1,500 people over 20 hours have participated in call center operations, fielding more than 154,000 phone calls, beginning at 6 a.m. Eastern on Christmas Eve.

What do you want to know about Santa?

Verizon employees and other government and corporate partners are proud to again stand with NORAD to make this magic possible. While the volunteer infrastructure looks a little different in 2020, children who contact NORAD on December 24 can still ask questions like:

• Where in the world is Santa?
• Is he close to my house?
• Does Santa have to wear a mask?
• What kind of cookies does Santa like?
• Is Rudolph leading the reindeer this year?

Tools to help you track Kris Kringle

While small shifts of volunteers will be onsite in NORAD’s physical call center, supported by Apple iPhones with Verizon’s One Talk technology, it will be more challenging this year to field calls through the hotline. Callers unable to reach a volunteer will get a recorded update on Santa’s current location.

Here is information on the hotline along with other methods children and their families are encouraged to utilize to track Santa:

Phone: The toll-free hotline – 1-877-Hi-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) – will be in operation for calls beginning at 6 AM (Eastern Time) on December 24. Program the hotline number into your Verizon phone as “NORAD Call Center.” On Christmas Eve, have your child use the voice command to call the NORAD Call Center, and enjoy NORAD’s Santa Tracker as volunteers do their best to answer your child’s pressing questions.

Internet: On December 24, families can also visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website to gain tracking information. There you’ll even find several ‘SantaCams’ on NORAD Tracks Santa’s social media pages that capture Santa’s flight through various locations around the world.

To experience the magic throughout the day, visit the website www.noradsanta.org on desktop or mobile for more fun activities. While Santa is in flight, you can see his whereabouts, play games, learn about holiday traditions around the world and dive deeper on how NORAD tracks Santa.

For more information on Santa’s whereabouts, visit https://www.noradsanta.org/ or track via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Be sure to also download the NORAD Tracks Santa mobile app (Apple or Google Play).

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $131.9 billion in 2019. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.

VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at https://www.verizon.com/about/media-center. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.

Media contact:
Geoffrey Basye
[email protected]
(202) 271-1529
@gbasye

New York, Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Tech Industries Group, Inc. (“GTII”), www.gtii-us.com, a development stage company focused on acquiring new and/or innovative technologies in diverse industries, today announced that it has entered into a formal agreement with International Monetary, www.intlmonetary.com, a merchant bank based in Newport Beach, CA, who will assist GTII in identifying new business prospects and strategic partnerships, as well as source capital so the company can continue to expand.

GTII’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. David Reichman stated, “We are pleased to have signed an agreement with International Monetary and believe that this additional support will serve to put the company in position to achieve its stated goals of expanding our shareholder base, raising awareness of the company in the marketplace, and uncovering interesting opportunities going forward.”

International Monetary’s Managing Director, Mr. Blaine Riley added, “From the moment our team reviewed GTII’s capabilities, we immediately recognized the enormous potential for this young company and wanted to be part of what I expect will be one of the most talked about emerging growth stories. On the investor relations side, we will direct a series of initiatives to enhance shareholder value and ensure liquidity, and through our investment banking and strategic advisory arm, we will also advise the company on matters such as capital resources, structured financing, mergers and acquisitions, and advise the company’s management on other strategic decisions”.

About Global Tech Industries Group, Inc.: GTII, a publicly traded company incorporated in the state of Nevada, is a development stage company, specializing in the pursuit of acquiring new and/or innovative technologies.

About International Monetary: Founded in 1997, IM recognized a need to provide investment banking services with the speed and precision that is required in the new internet and technology economy. IM focuses on turnaround situations and rapidly growing small companies, specializing in debt/equity financing of under $1 billion. IM is led by a team of Managing Directors that offer a number of strategic advisory services, including: sourcing capital sources, M&A consultation, int’l licensing/commercialization, product/service distribution, advertising and marketing, and shareholder enhancement services. To learn more about IM, go to: www.intlmonetary.com

Safe Harbor Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release may contain forward looking statements that are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks as well as uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the SEC. Among other matters, the Company may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including but not limited to general stock market conditions. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in the Company’s most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our expansion of our existing as well as new service lines noting there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. Additional service offerings may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s) based upon the various geopolitical locations we will be providing services in, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time.

Mike King
Princeton Research, Inc.
3887 Pacific Street, Las Vegas NV
702.338.2700

Kitchener, Waterloo, Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global learning technology leader D2L announced today that the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has selected the Brightspace platform as its learning management system after a competitive process.

Founded in 1824 and based in Charleston, MUSC is home to over 3,000 students, 800 residents and more than 17,000 employees. It is South Carolina’s only integrated academic health centre, building on a long tradition of excellence in education, research and patient care.

“It became increasingly clear to us as 2020 unfolded that we needed more functionality from our learning management system,” says Dr. Melissa Hortman, Director of Instructional Technology with MUSC. “So, we took on an extensive review of all the options on the market, and we’re very pleased with where we landed.”

According to MUSC, Brightspace offered several advantages:

• A True Partnership: MUSC was looking for a provider that aligned with their mission and vision and provided value-added services like change management and content consulting in partnership with staff and faculty.
• Data Analytics: Brightspace stood out for having robust data and analytics reporting tools, providing visibility and tracking at the institution level, down to the course level.  
• Ease of Adoption: Reviewers found Brightspace’s interface to be fun and easy to use, while reducing course management worktime by providing improved workflows.

“MUSC is a recognized leader in biomedical and health sciences research and education for almost two centuries, and we’re gratified to be helping them fulfill that mission,” says Dr. Christopher D. Sessums, Director, Academic Affairs at D2L. “This is the beginning of a great partnership and collaboration.”

ABOUT BRIGHTSPACE

D2L Brightspace is a cloud-based learning platform built for people who care deeply about student success and helping to prepare them for what comes next.

It gives faculty across your institution tools they’re going to love, makes it easy to support exceptional student experiences in the classroom or fully online. D2L Brightspace is designed in close collaboration with clients around the world – building a pedagogically rich set of features to improve engagement, retention and learning outcomes. It also makes it easier to do assessments and give feedback.

D2L Brightspace is worry-free with 99.99% reliability. It’s fully accessible and looks beautiful on any mobile device, making it easier for educators to reach every learner.

D2L Brightspace has won multiple industry awards, including the #1 LMS Technology for next-generation online teaching and learning. To learn more, visit D2L for Higher Education.

ABOUT D2L

D2L is transforming the way the world learns – helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our more than 900 global employees are dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than where they found it. Learn more about D2L for schools, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.

D2L MEDIA CONTACT

Dana Dean, Director of Awareness, D2L Corporation, [email protected]

Twitter: @D2L

© 2020 D2L Corporation.

The D2L family of companies includes D2L Corporation, D2L Ltd, D2L Australia Pty Ltd, D2L Europe Ltd, D2L Asia Pte Ltd, and D2L Brasil Soluções de Tecnologia para Educação Ltda.

All D2L marks are trademarks of D2L Corporation. Please visit D2L.com/trademarks for a list of D2L marks.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Green Star Products, Inc. (USOTC: GSPI) announced last Friday December 18^th it received new data from a US Federally Accredited Laboratory stating, “In three replications at 3% and 10% concentration [of normal dosage of Viro Spectrum Shield], 100% of the cells were protected from signs of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 [COVID-19] virus, in vitro“.

Additionally, Viro Spectrum Shield (VSS) was specifically tested and found to be effective against the COVID-19 virus as well as the A/H1N1, A/H2N3, B/H2N3 flu viruses in vitro, which demonstrates its Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Capability. VSS was also tested and found to be non-toxic in vitro.

Furthermore, over the past nine months numerous infected volunteers with serious flu-like symptoms, including those who have tested positive for COVID-19, have experienced significantly improved health and reduction or elimination of symptoms usually within 24 to 48 hours or less with no side effects. None of these people needed hospitalization.

Biotech Research makes no claims for VSS. The evidence and results speak for themselves!

Unlike vaccines, which can only protect you if you were vaccinated before you were infected, VSS can be taken before or after you unfortunately get/catch the virus and begin to show symptoms. Therefore, it’s a very good idea to have VSS in your home if you ever need it.

Viro Spectrum Shield is a proprietary blend of natural herbs and native plants. Presently, the blend is considered a dietary supplement. See https://vssmt.net/ for more information and testimonials (use coupon code GSPI30 at check out).

On December 11, 2020 (see Press Release dated 12/11/2020), Mr. LaStella announced, “Green Star Products has secured the exclusive distribution rights for three countries in South America: Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. These three countries have been extremely hard hit by the COVID-19 virus. Green Star Products has important connections in these Countries and has already been able to send VSS samples to Brazil, Peru, and Colombia.” Presently, Green Star Products is planning to send additional supplies of VSS to help all three countries.

Green Star Products has one year to finalize the exclusive contract with Biotech Research LLC, which will require shareholders’ approval. Green Star Products has tentatively scheduled the next Shareholders Meeting for January 21th, 2021, at 10 AM at Little America Hotel, 500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 (800) 215-7697 (https://saltlake.littleamerica.com/). We urge everyone to send their email address to [email protected] to ensure that they all receive timely messages to participate in this particularly important shareholders meeting.

PLEASE NOTE: President Joseph LaStella will be interviewed on radio next Tuesday by The Wall Street Analyzer sharing Green Star Products’ story and discussing Viro Spectrum Shield’s new research data and its effectiveness against the COVID-19 virus with their Global Investor Audience. 

All Interested Green Star Products’ shareholders are invited to join in and listen:

Interview time and dialing instructions: 
DATE and TIME: Tuesday, December 22th, 2020 at 11am PST/ 2 pm EST
DIAL-IN NUMBER: (781) 448-4069 Code: 26790

About Green Star Products

Green Star Products, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSPI) is an environmentally friendly Public Company dedicated to creating innovative and cost-effective products to improve the quality of life and the environment. For more information, please email us at [email protected] or call us at (406) 360-5019.

Forward-looking statements in the release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of the company’s products, increased levels of competition, new products and technological changes, dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company’s periodic filings.

CONTACT:

Joseph LaStella, President
Green Star Products, Inc.
(406) 360-5019
[email protected]
https://gspiusa.com/

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQT), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for unmet needs in immune-mediated dermatological diseases and conditions, or immuno-dermatology, today announced that it has been selected for inclusion in the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (Nasdaq: NBI), based on the results of the annual reconstitution of the index announced by Nasdaq on December 11, 2020. The inclusion will become effective prior to the U.S. market open on Monday, December 21, 2020.

The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index is designed to track the performance of a set of securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, and is a modified market capitalization weighted index. According to NASDAQ, the NBI is reconstituted annually in December in accordance with a set of eligibility criteria including minimum market capitalization and average daily trading volume. The index currently has 198 securities as its components. For more information about the NBI, please visit https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/index/overview/nbi.

About Arcutis – Bioscience, applied to the skin.
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQT) is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for unmet needs in immune-mediated dermatological diseases and conditions, or immuno-dermatology. The company is leveraging recent advances in immunology and inflammation to develop differentiated therapies against biologically validated targets to solve persistent treatment challenges in serious diseases of the skin. Arcutis’ robust pipeline includes four novel drug candidates currently in development for a range of inflammatory dermatological conditions. The company’s lead product candidate, topical roflumilast, has the potential to revitalize the standard of care for plaque psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, scalp psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis. For more information, visit www.arcutis.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Investors and Media:

Heather Rowe Armstrong
Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
[email protected]
805-418-5006, Ext. 740

The Company Plans to Launch its Tauri-Gum™ Product Line throughout Mainland China, During Calendar Year 2021

NEW YORK, NY, Dec. 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NewMediaWire — Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: TAUG) (“Tauriga” or the “Company”), a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, with a proprietary line of functional “supplement” chewing gums (Flavors: Pomegranate, Blood Orange, Peach-Lemon, Pear Bellini, Mint, Black Currant) as well as two ongoing Biotechnologies initiatives, today announced that it has completed the translated version of its Tauri-Gum™ packaging into the following language: Mandarin Chinese (“Mandarin”).  The Company contracted GTS Translation Services (“GTS”) to provide this service, important to the Company’s long-term growth strategy.  At this time the Company is also contemplating the translation of its Tauri-Gum™ packaging into the following additional languages: Korean, Japanese, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, and Arabic.  Over the past two years, the Company has established some meaningful relationships in Mainland China (“China”) and believes that its Tauri-Gum™product line adheres to the prevailing Chinese rules and regulations.

On November 16, 2020, the Company announced that it had extended its relationship with Alibaba Group (“Alibaba”) for an additional 12 months.  The Company believes that this relationship can be helpful in accelerating its international expansion plans – with a focus on the Asian marketplace.

Link to 11/16/20 Press Release:  https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/16/2127698/0/en/Tauriga-Sciences-Inc-Extends-its-Relationship-with-Alibaba-Group-for-a-Period-of-an-Additional-12-Months.html

The Mandarin Chinese (‘Mandarin”) language is group of Sinitic (“Chinese”) languages spoken across most of Northern and Southwestern China.  Mandarin is by far the largest of the multiple Chinese dialect groups, spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area. As of September 2020, it is estimated that more than 1,000,000,000 people speak Mandarin globally.

ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES INC.

Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (TAUG) is a revenue generating, diversified life sciences company, engaged in several major business activities and initiatives.  The company manufactures and distributes several proprietary retail products and product lines, mainly focused on the Cannabidiol (“CBD”) and Cannabigerol (“CBG”) Edibles market segment.  The main product line, branded as Tauri-Gum™, consists of a proprietary supplement chewing gum that is Kosher certified, Halal certified, and Vegan Formulated (CBD Infused Tauri-Gum™ Flavors: Mint, Blood Orange, Pomegranate), (CBG Infused Tauri-Gum™ Flavors: Peach-Lemon, Black Currant) & (Vitamin C + Zinc “Immune Booster” Tauri-Gum™ Flavor: Pear Bellini).  The Company’s commercialization strategy consists of a broad array of retail customers, distributors, and a fast-growing E-Commerce business segment (E-Commerce website: www.taurigum.com). Please visit our corporate website, for additional information, as well as inquiries, at http://www.tauriga.com

Complementary to the Company’s retail business, are its two ongoing biotechnology initiatives.  The first one relates to the development of a Pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum™, for nausea regulation (specifically designed to help patients that are subjected to ongoing chemotherapy treatment). On March 18, 2020, the Company announced that it filed a provisional U.S. patent application covering its pharmaceutical grade version of Tauri-Gum™.  The Patent, filed with the U.S.P.T.O. is Titled “MEDICATED CBD COMPOSITIONS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING, AND METHODS OF TREATMENT”. The second one relates to a collaboration agreement with Aegea Biotechnologies Inc. for the co-development of a rapid, multiplexed, Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) test with superior sensitivity and selectivity.   

On October 6, 2020, the Company announced that it has been approved to operate as a U.S. Government Vendor (CAGE CODE # 8QXV4)

On October 7, 2020 the Company disclosed a Strategic Alliance with Think BIG, LLC, Social Impact Startup Founded by CJ Wallace, Son of Christopher “The Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace.

The Company is headquartered in New York City and operates a regional office in Barcelona, Spain.  In addition, the Company operates a full time E-Commerce fulfillment center located in LaGrangeville, New York.

DISCLAIMER — Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 which represent management’s beliefs and assumptions concerning future events. These forward-looking statements are often indicated by using words such as “may,” “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” believes, “hopes,” “believes,” or plans, and may include statements regarding corporate objectives as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones. Forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on management’s present beliefs with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences or timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in  forward looking statements due to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, such as are not guarantees of general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to consummate successful acquisition and licensing transactions, fluctuations in exchange rates, and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Many of these risks and uncertainties are discussed in greater detail in the “Risk Factors” section of Tauriga’s Form 10-K and other filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Tauriga Sciences, Inc.

555 Madison Avenue, 5th Floor

New York, NY  10022

Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Seth M. Shaw

Email: [email protected]

cell # (917) 796 9926

Instagram: @taurigum

Twitter: @SethMShaw

Corp. Website:  www.tauriga.com

E-Commerce Website:  www.taurigum.com