Latest news with #CVP
The Herald Scotland
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
NHS Fife bid to block livestream of Peggie hearing dismissed
However, it is understood they were told such a move would be contrary to the principle of open justice. The Employment Tribunal was originally due to finish in February after ten days but has now been adjourned until 16 July, when it is expected to last a further 11 days. The extension is partly due to NHS Fife failing to hand over documentation it had been ordered to provide by the judge. Ms Peggie, a nurse at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, is suing the board after she was suspended for raising concerns about a trans woman doctor, Beth Upton, using a female changing room. On Christmas Eve 2023, she experienced a sudden heavy period and was worried she had bled through her scrubs. When she went to the facility and found Dr Upton already there, she stated that, in her view, the medic was a man and should not be in the room. Shortly after, Dr Upton made a formal complaint. Ms Peggie was placed on special leave in late December 2023 and suspended from duty in January 2024, pending an investigation into her 'alleged unwanted behaviours towards another member of NHS Fife staff.' Her suspension was lifted in April, but she remained subject to disciplinary proceedings. She later launched legal action against NHS Fife and Dr Upton, alleging multiple breaches of the Equality Act 2010. The livestream of the tribunal attracted large numbers of public observers, but the Cloud Video Platform (CVP) used by HM Courts and Tribunals Service suffered technical issues, particularly under high demand. Observers were not automatically muted and could keep their cameras on, occasionally appearing on the tribunal's main screen — causing disruption. Towards the end of the hearing's first phase, CVP access was cut for everyone except the media. NHS Fife claimed the interruptions caused delays. Separately, they also accused Tribunal Tweets of making 'a number of inaccuracies,' arguing that their permission to live-tweet — granted on the basis of fair and accurate reporting — should be revoked. However, it is understood the judge rejected both requests. On Tribunal Tweets, the court acknowledged that some mistakes had been made, but that they did not consider that the threshold had been reached at which they would need to revoke access. Tribunal Tweets permission to live-tweet proceedings in Peggie vs NHS Fife & Dr Upton remains in place. The respondents' application was denied. The tribunal is scheduled to resume on 16 July 2025. — Tribunal Tweets (@tribunaltweets) May 14, 2025 A spokesperson for NHS Fife said: "An approach was made by the tribunal for comment after a member of the public raised concerns about the accuracy of the live-tweeting from the Tribunal Tweets account during the earlier proceedings. "Our legal representatives subsequently provided feedback to the tribunal and we accept todays decision." The Scottish Tory equalities spokeswoman Tess White MSP said the decision was "another humiliation for NHS Fife." She added: "Given the huge public interest in this case, it was appalling the health board was hellbent on keeping the public in the dark from proceedings. "If it [the case] does press ahead, they must guarantee the public can witness and report on this case without any restrictions being imposed on them."
Business Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Investing in influencers – Azure Capital partners Gushcloud in fund to support creators, with up to 12.5% returns
[SINGAPORE] The Azure-Gushcloud Entertainment Finance Fund, launched in February 2025, has successfully reached its initial target of raising S$10 million from investors. The fund promises investors a return of 12.5 per cent per annum in US dollars, or 11 per cent in Singapore dollars. Thereafter, returns are fixed at 7 per cent with an additional premium of 0.65 per cent for every 1 per cent change in the US prime lending rate. There is a minimum holding period of one year, and a minimum commitment of either US$100,000 or S$100,000. Distributions are scheduled on a quarterly basis. The fund was jointly launched by Singapore-based fund manager Azure Capital and influencer agency Gushcloud International. It finances Gushcloud's Creator Venture Program (CVP), which aims to provide financial support for digital creators through advances for over one to two years. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Using the creator's estimated projected income, Gushcloud can provide advance capital to the creators with a loan to value ratio of 10 to 50 per of the creator's annual earnings. During the contract, all income generated by the creator through brand sponsorships and platform royalties is received by Gushcloud and subsequently settled to the creator. In exchange, the creator management company will act as the creator's business manager, taking control over their professional e-mail and social media inboxes. This allows creators to expand their reach with brand partnerships and enhance monetisation on various platforms. '(This) gives them some form of stability in their jobs ... so they can focus on being creative,' said Terence Wong, CEO of Azure Capital. Wong noted that in looking at the payback period for each investment, the internal rate of return should be in excess of 20 per cent. Though the contract ties the creator down for up to two years, Althea Lim, CEO of Gushcloud International, said: 'In a time like this, where we live in a very uncertain world, most people will take that because that money could go somewhere so positive.' Currently, Gushcloud is working with around 200 full-time creators globally and is focusing on bringing in digital creators who are experts in their subject matter. Lim estimated that subject matter experts on social media platforms such as Youtube are now getting around S$30 per thousand views. 'All platforms are looking for subject matter experts right now,' she added, noting that people prefer to watch videos to gain understanding on a topic. She observed that the creator economy – currently valued at around US$250 billion – is projected to reach close to US$500 billion by 2027. 'The economy is immense', said Lim. 'I think the ... data that scares and excites us is that six out of 10 kids under 12 today desire to be an influencer, a content creator or a YouTuber.' Lim noted that in 20 years' time, 90 per cent of Singaporeans will live till the age of 95. However, she added, very few creators have health insurance, own their own homes, or have a pension fund. These are problems that Lim is eager to tackle, especially with a growing number of younger creators entering the economy. 'We're here to stay,' said Lim. 'We want to be a long-term business because these are humongous problems that we need to solve.'
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington state Democrats want to tax online dating apps
Finding love in Washington state could come with a price. A bill proposed by two state Democratic lawmakers would impose a tax on dating apps. Under the terms of House Bill 2071, dating app companies would be required to pay $1 per Washington-based user each month, regardless of whether the user pays for the service. Users with inactive accounts for at least 24 months would be excluded. The money would be used to fund domestic violence programs. How To Not Fall In Love With Ai-powered Romance Scammers The money would be put into the newly created state Domestic Violence Services Account, which funds programs and support services for victims. Read On The Fox News App Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of state representatives Lauren Davis and Shaun Scott, both Democrats, who are behind the legislation. Fox News Digital also reached out to several dating app companies for reaction. "Online dating companies can determine how to absorb the cost," Davis told Fox News Digital. "They could simply cut it out of their profits, or increase the fees for paid users by $1/month or possibly begin charging for free users (though the latter is probably less likely)." The bill targets dating apps like Hinge, Bumble and Tinder. The legislation had its first reading Tuesday and has been referred to the state House Finance Committee. Stop These V-day Scams Before They Break Your Heart And Your Bank Account Funding for domestic violence programs is necessary after lawmakers in 2023 passed HB 1169, which removed the Crime Victim Penalty, which was paid for by those convicted of crimes. The CVP provided the primary funding for victim advocates who work in prosecutors' offices, Davis said. "When HB 1169 was passed, the state made a commitment to backfill the funding loss from the CVP with general fund state (GFS) dollars," she said. "Unfortunately, the state has not kept this commitment. Prosecutors' offices across the state have been forced to lay off victim advocates, and scores of victims are no longer receiving victim advocacy services." Davis explained that her bill is intended to replace the missing funds. She further criticized Washington's legal system, calling it "a nightmare for victims." "The system is designed for the protection of defendants, not victims," she said. "I cannot fathom how I would've ever navigated the system successfully without a victim advocate, and I am rightly horrified that similarly situated victims will no longer receive help. "The purpose of this tax proposal is to keep the state's promise to crime victims and not defund victims services," she added. "Though a nexus is not required for a tax as it is for a fee, there is a reasonable nexus between online dating apps and domestic violence."Original article source: Washington state Democrats want to tax online dating apps
Fox News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Washington state Democrats want to tax online dating apps
Finding love in Washington state could come with a price. A bill proposed by two state Democratic lawmakers would impose a tax on dating apps. Under the terms of House Bill 2071, dating app companies would be required to pay $1 per Washington-based user each month, regardless of whether the user pays for the service. The money would be used to fund domestic violence programs. The money would be put into the newly created state Domestic Violence Services Account, which funds intervention programs and support services for victims. The only users excluded are those with inactive accounts for at least 24 months. Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of state representatives Lauren Davis and Shaun Scott, both Democrats, who are behind the legislation. Fox News Digital also reached out to several dating app companies for reaction. "Online dating companies can determine how to absorb the cost," Davis told Fox News Digital. "They could simply cut it out of their profits, or increase the fees for paid users by $1/month or possibly begin charging for free users (though the latter is probably less likely)." The bill targets dating apps like Hinge, Bumble and Tinder. The legislation had its first reading Tuesday and has been referred to the state House Finance Committee. Funding for domestic violence programs is necessary after lawmakers in 2023 passed HB 1169, which removed the Crime Victim Penalty, which was paid for by those convicted of crimes. The CVP provided the primary funding for victim advocates who work in prosecutors' offices, Davis said. "When HB 1169 was passed, the state made a commitment to backfill the funding loss from the CVP with general fund state (GFS) dollars," she said. "Unfortunately, the state has not kept this commitment. Prosecutors' offices across the state have been forced to lay off victim advocates, and scores of victims are no longer receiving victim advocacy services." Davis explained that her bill is intended to replace the missing funds. She further criticized Washington's legal system, calling it "a nightmare for victims." "The system is designed for the protection of defendants, not victims," she said. "I cannot fathom how I would've ever navigated the system successfully without a victim advocate, and I am rightly horrified that similarly situated victims will no longer receive help. "The purpose of this tax proposal is to keep the state's promise to crime victims and not defund victims services," she added. "Though a nexus is not required for a tax as it is for a fee, there is a reasonable nexus between online dating apps and domestic violence."
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wheelchair donation
Apr. 7—MIDLAND — Senior Life Midland (SLM) for 40 plus years has served our most vulnerable, our homebound seniors through an array of services from delivering a hot, nutritious meal, which includes a visit from a caring volunteer, providing handyman services to ensure clients are safe, providing needed additional items such personal hygiene items, additional food, even wheelchairs when available. On April 8, a longtime supporter, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 19, Midland will donate and deliver 28 wheelchairs to Senior Life Midland at 1:30 p.m. During January, SLM's Community Volunteer Program (CVP) hosted an MLK Day project to collect donations to purchase much needed wheelchairs as the need has grown. A wheelchair enables physically limited individuals to increase their independence, whether they are in their homes or when they are being taken to an appointment, a news release said. "Senior Life Midland is one of our favorite and most trusted partners as they work hard to meet needs of seniors in our community and through their agency serve many of our veterans. We work together all throughout the year on important projects, when we saw their urgent call to action for a request for wheelchairs, we wanted to step up to help. We are so proud of our unit and our hard work to be able to do important things like this," Jane Bennett, President of the local American Legion Unit 19, said in the release. Executive Director of Senior Midland, Kathleen Kirwan Haynie, is \thankful for community partners like The American Legion Auxiliary. "We assess the ongoing, evolving local needs of our local seniors, and through grassroots efforts, we are able to help our elderly neighbors no matter what is going on in our economy," she said.
