Latest news with #CCC
The Star
a day ago
- Health
- The Star
Chinese medical team, peacekeepers donate essentials to orphans in South Sudan
NAIROBI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The 12th batch of the Chinese medical team, in partnership with the 11th Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion in South Sudan, on Friday donated essential goods to orphaned children at the Confident Children out of Conflict (CCC) Orphanage. The group donated milk powder, mosquito nets, maize flour, washing powder, books, school bags, soap, flip-flops, tables, and chairs, among other items. Robert Bida Samson, executive director of the CCC, a charity organization, said support from the Chinese medical teams over the past years has helped ease the burden of taking care of these children. "The Chinese medical teams have stood with the CCC, making sure that all the children receive medical services, screening them both here at the center and also in Juba Teaching Hospital when the sickness is too serious," Bida said during the donation ceremony in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. The ceremony, held under the theme "One Sky One Dream," coincided with the celebration of the 100th visit of the Chinese medical team to orphanages in South Sudan. Established in 2007, the center is home to orphans, abandoned children, and survivors of revenge attacks and gender-based violence. Bida commended the regular visits by the Chinese medical team, noting that these are critical to their longstanding partnership, which has empowered many vulnerable children at the center. "Some of these children are soon finishing school. I urge that through your empowerment, some of them could get employed at Juba Teaching Hospital to share responsibility with you," he said. Gift Gibson Natana, deputy director general at Juba Teaching Hospital, commended the Chinese medical team for their dedication to providing medical services to orphans and communities in remote areas. "These programs benefit tens of thousands of vulnerable people," Natana said. The 12th batch of the Chinese medical team, prior to visiting the CCC, also visited Juba Orphanage and Rock City Orphanage. Liu Hongyong, commander of the Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), expressed hope that the support provided to the children would empower them to realize their future dreams. "We wish the children of the orphanage a joyful International Children's Day. May this contribution add color to their lives and wings to their dreams. May they grow up healthy and strong," Liu said. Huo Ying, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan, expressed her gratitude to the Chinese medical team and the Chinese peacekeeping force for their contribution toward peace and development in South Sudan. "These contributions made by the Chinese medical team have been a valuable legacy in bilateral friendship," Huo said. She noted that the Chinese peacekeeping forces are participating in the UN peacekeeping operations in South Sudan, while the Chinese medical team is protecting the public health security of the South Sudanese. Huo also commended the contributions of Chinese companies toward the development of South Sudan, stressing that the Chinese people will always be the friends of the South Sudanese people.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The heat pump planning permission rule change that could affect millions, explained
A change to planning rules is set to make it easier for heat pumps to be installed in homes. Previously, a key planning restriction meant heat pumps had to be 1 metre from a neighbour's property, but the government has changed the rule in a bid to encourage the take-up of the technology. The change is part of the government's Warm Homes Plan, which aims to cut emissions but also lower household bills. The Government has targeted a UK market for heat pumps delivering at least 600,000 installations per year by 2028, meaning the changes could affect millions of people over time. Most homes currently use gas boilers and heating systems, but heat pumps run on electricity, taking in heat from the air or ground and amplifying it using a heat exchanger. However, they are not cheap to install, and campaigners have warned that while changes to planning laws may encourage some homeowners to switch, it will not necessarily help people who rent, or those in leasehold properties - especially in older houses where a new system might also need new pipework or insulation. Consumer groups warn that the biggest barrier to installing a heat pump remains the high upfront costs. Heat pumps are seen as one of the key measures that could help reduce UK emissions and are a priority for the government. Their importance to emission reduction was highlighted in a report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) in February, in which it presented what it called a 'new pathway to a decarbonised UK', saying it would result in cheaper bills, energy security and more private sector investment. In the plans, it said 14% of emissions reductions by 2040 could be achieved through residential buildings - thanks to new and replacement homes using low carbon heating installations - mainly heat pumps. Heat pumps have also been touted as potentially saving cash for households, many of whom are facing prohibitively expensive energy bills. Max Schwerdtfeger, from The Eco Experts, said the move could be "vital" to meeting government targets on heat pumps. He told Yahoo News UK: "Removing the 1 metre rule is a brilliant and critical step from the government, and if it does reach its target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, we could look back and view it as a vital move. "It means it is less likely that planning applications will be rejected and fewer consumers will drop out of the process of having one installed. "Removing as many barriers to heat pump installation as possible is of the utmost importance because the window of opportunity for getting them installed is usually much smaller than other clean tech. Why? Because people tend to consider heat pumps when either their gas boiler has broken down or it is just nearing the end of its lifecycle. "Either way, if someone needs a heat pump, they need it installed as quickly as possible, and taking any potential friction makes it much more likely they will do so. If they don't, that is a customer the industry has missed out on for a potential decade, or until they need another upgrade. "Every opportunity to get people to upgrade to a heat pump must be taken. Figures suggest that as many as 34% are put off from installing a heat pump because of planning rules. This stat is far too high, and the government should be credited for trying to bring it down. "It should seize this opportunity to expand the Boiler Upgrade Scheme further and facilitate financing options for consumers to install heat pumps." The planning permission change comes after the government announced steps to encourage households to take up measures that would deliver 'cleaner' heating in November last year. The steps - part of the ongoing rollout of the Warm Homes Plan - included the removal of the '1m rule', that meant households wanting to install an air source heat pump within a metre of a neighbour's property would need to submit a planning application. The rule was blamed for a slow take-up of the technology, with Octopus Energy telling the Energy Security and Net Zero (ESNZ) Committee in 2023 that the rule was instrumental in putting people off having a heat pump, saying 27% of customers its customers had been requested to obtain planning permission. It said many customers had decided against heat pumps when they become aware of the planning permission requirements and those who had tried to proceed ended up waiting an extra eight to 10 weeks on average, adding: "The combined impact of all these things mean that very few of the 27% of customers who require planning have made it to install." Announcing its changes in November, the government said it would be: "allowing more households in England to install an air source heat pump without the need to submit a planning application from early next year, by removing the rule requiring them to be installed at least one metre from a property's boundary. This will provide greater flexibility, with rules still in place around listed buildings." The take-up of heat pumps may be slower than targets, but is rising. As of 2023, the total number of certified heat pumps installed across the UK surpassed 200,000, according to figures from the MCS Foundation, the UK's main certification scheme. It said 2023 saw a nearly 20% jump in certified heat pump installations compared to the previous year. Earlier this year, data suggested the UK had seen its busiest ever start to the year for low-carbon heat pump installations, up by one quarter on the previous year. Data suggested that through January, 4,743 of the devices were installed under the MCS, which accounts for the vast majority of heat pumps across the country. Meanwhile, 21% of the UK's new home market had a heat pump installed that month, up from 11% in January 2024, according to energy performance certificate (EPC) data. And in April, government figures said heat pumps were continuing to grow in popularity with a record 4,028 applications received in March – up 88% on the same month last year. A government document published in March 2024, called: 'Heat pumps explained: experts answer your questions', said homeowners could expect to pay £6,500 to £11,500 for a heat pump. Within the document, Joanna O'Loan, Knowledge Manager at Energy Saving Trust, said: "Some installers are now offering highly competitive installation costs, so it's worth exploring your options. We'd recommend getting at least 3 installers to quote, so that you can compare costs and design." The Boiler Upgrade Scheme is a grant system that helps with the cost of the installation of a heat pump. In recent weeks, the government announced a consultation that could see the scheme expanded to include more heat pump alternatives and third-party ownership models. However, figures suggest that the real term average cost of heat pump installations is around the top end of the range quotes in the government document. The argument for heat pumps is that they will save households money, with the government 'experts' document suggesting they could save a typical home £234 a year. In the document, Jo Alsop, co-founder at Warmur, said: "Based on current energy prices, heat pumps can save a typical gas household around £234 per year when they opt for smart electricity tariffs and remove the gas meter. Actual savings can vary depending on how efficiently the heat pump operates. "Modern, well optimised heat pumps perform well at higher temperatures, but households may wish to consider cost effective insulation and some radiator swaps to reduce running costs further."
Business Wire
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Business Wire
CCC Intelligent Solutions Selected by Premium Automaker to Help Drivers Connect with Certified Repairers and Take the First Step Toward Repair
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. (CCC), a leading cloud platform provider powering the P&C insurance economy, today announced that it was selected by BMW of North America to help enhance the post-collision experience for its drivers. By integrating CCC technology into its customer-facing digital experience, BMW now makes it easier for drivers in the U.S. to find and connect with certified repair centers, request photo estimates and gain early insight into repair costs. At the same time, the number of BMW certified parts available to repairers has been significantly expanded through CCC ® Parts, helping shops access competitively priced original BMW components. To help more drivers connect with BMW-certified repairers, CCC's technology has been integrated into BMW's Certified Shop Locator to enhance its functionality. Through CCC ® OEM Net Refer, BMW Certified Collision Repair Centers (CCRCs) with CCC ® Engage can now offer drivers the ability to request a photo estimate or book an appointment directly through the locator. These shops can also enable CCC's AI-powered Repair Cost Predictor, which analyzes driver-submitted photos to instantly generate a repair cost range, giving consumers early insight into potential damage before scheduling a formal estimate or filing a claim. Through CCC ® Promote, the number of eligible promotionally priced BMW parts available in 2025 has tripled making it easier for more than 30,500 repair facilities to access BMW parts from participating dealers using CCC Parts. BMW has also designated CCC Parts as its platform for managing dealer rebate programs, helping dealers streamline incentives and maintain consistency across the network. 'BMW is improving how drivers and repairers engage after a collision,' said Andreas Hecht, senior vice president of mobility at CCC. 'We're proud to support that commitment through technologies that simplify the repair journey, increase visibility into shop performance and help enable access to original BMW parts.' To learn more about CCC's OEM solutions, visit About CCC CCC Intelligent Solutions Inc. (CCC), a subsidiary of CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: CCCS), is a leading cloud platform for the multi-trillion-dollar P&C insurance economy, creating intelligent experiences for insurers, repairers, automakers, part suppliers, and more. The CCC Intelligent Experience (IX) Cloud™ platform, powered by proven AI and an innovative event-based architecture, connects more than 35,000 businesses to power customized applications and platforms for optimal outcomes and personalized experiences that just work. Through purposeful innovation and the strength of its connections, CCC technologies empower the people and industry relied upon to keep lives moving forward when it matters most. Learn more about CCC at Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: 'may,' 'will,' 'could,' 'would,' 'should,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'plan,' 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'potential,' 'continue,' 'ongoing' or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future use and performance of CCC's digital solutions. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this press release will prove to be accurate. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, among others, competition, including technological advances and new products marketed by competitors; changes to applicable laws and regulations; and other risks and uncertainties, including those included under the header 'Risk Factors' in CCC's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ('SEC'), including the Form 10-K filed February 25, 2025, which can be obtained, without charge, at the SEC's website ( The forward-looking statements in this press release represent our views as of the date of this press release. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we have no current intention of doing so except to the extent required by applicable law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
CCC overhaul, cannabis reforms sprouting in House
BOSTON (SHNS) – The House side of the Cannabis Policy Committee unanimously advanced legislation Wednesday to downsize and restructure the embattled Cannabis Control Commission and to address a handful of industry pressure points like retail license limits, restrictions on medical marijuana businesses, and the emergence of intoxicating hemp products. All 11 representatives on the committee backed Chairman Daniel Donahue's recommendation for a favorable report on the 46-page bill Wednesday, and it next heads to the House Ways and Means Committee. House Speaker Ronald Mariano earlier this year said a bill to deal with issues at the CCC was an early-session priority. Frustration with the slow pace of CCC regulatory changes, headline-grabbing internal conflicts and a plea from the inspector general for the Legislature to intervene at the 'rudderless agency' and revisit its 'unclear and self-contradictory' 2017 enabling statute combined last summer to compel the committee to weigh a response. 'The committee has been working on this issue, it's no surprise to anyone, we've been working on this issue for quite a while,' Donahue said Wednesday. The Worcester Democrat said the bill came about as a result of 'listening to the industry, CCC, experts about the challenges that the CCC has been chasing over the past couple years, and some of the ways that we think we can help industry and also reform the commission to be more nimble and more effective in its regulation of the market.' Created by the Legislature in 2017 after voters legalized non-medical marijuana in 2016, the CCC is a five-commissioner body, with appointments made singularly and jointly by the governor, attorney general and treasurer. Under the bill moving to the House, the CCC would include three people all appointed by the governor, with the governor also selecting one to serve as chair. Donahue said the idea behind making all CCC members gubernatorial appointees is that it will create a 'unified structure' and will make it easier for the CCC to coordinate with other agencies that fall under the governor's office. 'I think that having this structure is going to help it to kind of focus in on its its role of promoting, regulating and enforcing the cannabis laws,' he said. Currently, the treasurer appoints the CCC chair. A CCC spokesperson said the agency 'neither lobbies for nor against legislation,' but looks 'forward to continued collaboration with the Legislature that would allow the Commission to address needed statutory updates in pursuit of our mission to oversee a safe, equitable cannabis marketplace in Massachusetts.' CCC Executive Director Travis Ahern said he looks forward to 'continued collaboration' as the legislative process advances. Under the bill advanced Wednesday, the CCC's chairperson, rather than the entire body of commissioners, would hire the agency's executive director. Two potentially contradictory sections of the CCC's enabling statute delineating powers of the CCC chair and the agency's executive director were among the issues Donahue identified last July in a memo to Mariano. 'There was some ambiguity that was there on exactly who was in charge and who had what responsibilities and where it was. So we hope that this way, having it a little bit clearer, will have a little bit of a better relationship up and down from the chair to the executive director, and hopefully have a little more effective management,' Donahue said Wednesday. The bill extends beyond cannabis products that are already under the CCC's purview to address intoxicating hemp-based products that largely fall into a gray area of the law and between the regulatory cracks. Since hemp-based gummies, energy shot-like drink bottles and seltzers proliferated across Massachusetts convenience store checkout counters and social media feeds in recent years, lawmakers and regulators have already expressed a desire to straighten out what is and is not cannabis, and how it should all be regulated. Donahue said restructuring the CCC provides the opportunity to straighten out the ambiguity around what agency is supposed to regulate these products. The committee bill would ban the sale of hemp beverages and consumable CBD products unless the product is registered with the CCC and complies with regulations that the CCC would be required to promulgate to deal with things like product testing, labeling requirements and more. 'It's time for us, I think, to have to step up and look at how we can kind of get ahead of this product, which sometimes … is geared towards children, it might be sold somewhere that's not age-restricted and, to be honest, we don't know what's in it, it doesn't have the same standard as other cannabis products,' Donahue said. 'So with the restructuring of the CCC, we see it as an opportunity … we need to have a place that's able to kind of set a standard on what is allowable and what's safe and where it's at.' The bill adjusts the existing cap on retail licenses any one operator can hold. The current limit is three, but some business owners have said the cap prevents them from selling their businesses. Under the bill advancing towards the House, the cap on retail licenses would be raised to six over a three-year period (increasing first to four, a year later to five and finally to six), and the existing three-license caps would remain in place for cultivation and manufacturing. Payton Shubrick, founder and CEO of the 6 Brick's dispensary in Springfield, told the Cannabis Policy Committee in April that she viewed her entry into the legal cannabis sector as 'an opportunity to create generational wealth, acknowledging the money that could be made.' But cannabis prices have been dropping every month since her store opened in September 2022, she said, and the limit of three retail licenses per operator makes it hard for her to find a buyer for her business. 'With the license cap in place, it's prohibiting an exit that my family and I have worked hard and earned, in my humble opinion. At this point in time, I'm sitting on an asset that's losing value over time with oversaturation and oversupply and creating a dynamic where I can't create a successful exit,' she said. Opponents, including Equitable Opportunities Now and the Massachusetts Cannabis Equity Council, have warned that multistate operators are able to spend heavily to increase their market share and that allowing them to grow even more will hurt small and equity-owned businesses. 'We don't want multistate operators dominating the market. And we're keeping it to six, which I think is a reasonable number, in this draft of the bill to make sure that we have the competition and that the market share that [multistate operators] would have would be very small,' Donahue said. The bill also eliminates the requirement that medical marijuana businesses be 'vertically integrated,' meaning they must grow and process all the marijuana they sell. Patients and advocates have been calling for that change for years, saying the medical-only options have become scarce across Massachusetts since cannabis was legalized for non-medical use. Donahue said the Cannabis Policy Committee has backed that idea each session since he became chairman in 2021. It includes language that would let the CCC 'establish and provide for issuance of additional types or classes of licenses to operate medical use of marijuana-related businesses' and would change the terminology in state law from 'medical marijuana treatment center' to 'medical marijuana establishment.' It also would carve out a new definition for 'fully integrated medical marijuana treatment center,' essentially existing businesses that may continue to operate as vertically integrated. Donahue said medical marijuana retail licenses would be available exclusively to social equity applicants for at least the first three years. 'The big push here is that it gives a whole other revenue stream to many of our social equity applicants by allowing them to also sell medical marijuana. And also, one of the big issues that we're seeing is on the patient side. We've had a lot of these medical marijuana treatment centers that have closed across the state, which kind of have created areas that don't have, if you're a patient and rely on this, you don't have access to it,' he said. 'So this hopefully will allow for more dispensaries to have access to medical marijuana, so the patients have better access across the state.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Business Wire
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
AI Re-Use Rights for Content Now Available in Digital Copyright License from VG WORT and RightsDirect
DANVERS, Mass. & MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In collaboration with RightsDirect, a subsidiary of the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC), VG WORT offers an extension to the existing VG WORT Digital Copyright License (DCL): The collective licensing solution now also includes rights to re-use content within artificial intelligence (AI) applications for internal purposes. The VG WORT DCL provides German companies and their worldwide affiliates with a consistent set of re-use rights for legally acquired materials from an extensive repertory. The VG WORT DCL enables companies based in Germany to share and store content internally within their organizations. With the license extension, certain internal uses of AI have now been added. This provides a legally compliant solution for common types of use of copyright-protected content within companies. The license covers works published in German, English, and several other languages. 'Licensing provides contractual solutions for companies. We are delighted that the extended VG WORT DCL now also covers internal AI use within companies,' explains Dr. Robert Staats, managing member of the VG WORT executive board. 'Copyright laws differ widely across countries and re-use permission terms vary across rightsholders, making it challenging to use copyrighted content in AI technologies,' said Tracey Armstrong, President and CEO, CCC. German companies that subscribe to the VG WORT DCL are mostly operating in industries including Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare, Medical Devices and Diagnostics, Financial Services, Automotive, Engineering, Transportation, Telecommunications, and others. VG WORT is the only collective management organization in Germany that administers rights to written works on behalf of authors and publishers in a fiduciary capacity. It is organized as a commercial association under German law. RightsDirect provides advanced information and data integration solutions to organizations throughout Europe and Asia. Established in Amsterdam in 2010, the RightsDirect team, VG WORT's agent in Germany, collaborates closely with reproduction rights organizations (RRO) to develop licensing and content solutions that facilitate global copyright management. About CCC A pioneer in voluntary collective licensing, CCC advances copyright, accelerates knowledge, and powers innovation. With expertise in copyright, data quality, data analytics, and FAIR data implementations, CCC and its subsidiary RightsDirect collaborate with stakeholders on innovative solutions to harness the power of data and AI.
