Latest news with #Kaplan
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
For the first time, fans can stream the music of influential indie rock group Salem 66
Advertisement The new availability of Salem 66's music — four albums, an EP, and two singles released between 1984-90 — marks the resurfacing of a group that was part of a vibrant Boston indie-music landscape in the '80s. The scene yielded breakout acts like the Del Fuegos, Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'It was this really, really creative and exciting time,' Kaplan says. Salem 66 formed after mutual friends suggested that Grunwald and Kaplan connect. Each had previously played in other bands: Grunwald fronted the Maps on their 1979 single 'I'm Talking to You,' while Kaplan was in the Insteps with friends from high school. They were between projects in 1981 when Kaplan came by the house Grunwald shared with musicians from other Boston bands. Advertisement 'We sat there just looking at each other's lyrics in my bedroom on the floor,' Grunwald says. 'You can tell if you like somebody's writing or not.' With Susan Merriam on drums initially, the trio was soon playing gigs and recording songs for their first EP, a six-song, self-titled 1984 release built around hooky melodies, coupled with punchy, angular guitars and the contrasting sound of Grunwald's resonant voice and Kaplan's breathier vocals. Drawing as much on the writing of Emily Brontë and Norman Mailer as on the influence of English bands like the Slits and the Raincoats and Ultravox, Salem 66 quickly carved out a niche in the Boston scene. 'I hate to use the word 'quirky,' but what the heck,' Grunwald says, laughing. Though there was a strong sense of camaraderie among the musicians on the scene, Salem 66 was not immune to casual sexism. Grunwald and Kaplan recall bouncers not letting them into the dressing rooms backstage at clubs, or music-store clerks asking if they were buying guitar strings for their boyfriends. They even changed how they dressed onstage, opting for jeans and T-shirts instead of the vintage clothing they favored at first. 'We were three girls, none of us were that great on our instruments, and we were writing songs,' Kaplan says. 'We were very new and very raw, and kind of noisy. I think that's not what people expected, that they wanted to hear something prettier.' Raw and noisy was exactly what Advertisement 'I loved the way they played off each other,' Donelly says. 'I loved their voices, I was just always really drawn to them. And so, when we got here and we played with them a few times, it was kind of thrilling.' For Grunwald and Kaplan, the thrill was wearing off, and the band split following the release of the 1990 album 'Down the Primrose Path.' There was no blow-up, no undercurrent of ill-will among the members. It was simply time to move on. 'It's a tough life to sustain,' Grunwald says. 'Doing that for that many years without really the model changing that much, I just got to a point where I felt like I wanted to do something else.' Grunwald enrolled at Harvard Extension School, got married (to Dave Minehan, of the Neighborhoods and other bands), and had kids. Kaplan finished a degree in history at UMass Amherst. She got married and worked as a university archivist before becoming a yoga instructor. She moved to Providence a little more than a year ago. Though Kaplan has begun playing out again for the first time in decades, appearing with Chris Brokaw earlier in May in Jamaica Plain, she and Grunwald say the idea of a Salem 66 reunion is more flattering than practical, despite the occasional offer to play festival gigs. 'It's been so long since I've been in a band, it didn't really feel like it fit into where I am,' says Grunwald, who lives in Essex. All the same, the positive reaction to news of their music becoming accessible again has been gratifying for both. Advertisement 'In all these years, I was thinking that there was such an incredibly small number of people who actually noticed, or that I knew them all,' Kaplan says. 'It's been really nice, I think for both of us, to hear from people saying that they loved our band.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gambler sues DraftKings, claims online sportsbook screwed him out of $14 million payday
An Iowa gambler thought he had discovered an all-but guaranteed way to win more than $14 million by wagering just over $300, taking advantage of an apparent loophole that online sportsbook DraftKings appeared to have missed. But, Nicholas Bavas contends in a 39-page breach of contract lawsuit obtained by The Independent, the NASDAQ-listed firm – invoking one of an array of iron-clad platform rules – instead 'unilaterally' voided his bets and refunded his money, rather than forking over the life-altering windfall he now insists is rightfully his. These rules 'can and do lead bettors to sometimes place bets erroneously, or without full comprehension' of them, according to Bavas's complaint, which was removed Friday from state court to Des Moines federal court and has not been previously reported. Additionally, the complaint goes on, '[u]nforeseen events' that occur during a sporting event often result in changes to the odds that 'bettors may not have anticipated when they placed their bets.' 'However,' the complaint argues, 'when DraftKings makes an error or accepts a bet it should not have, or when unforeseen events occur that require an unanticipated large pay out [sic]… then it seems different rules apply.' Attorney Darren Kaplan, who is representing Bavas, told The Independent that DraftKings 'didn't really give an explanation' for canceling his client's bets. Instead, according to the Kaplan, 'they just told him the bet would not be honored.' 'When bettors place bets, they don't do it purely for entertainment,' Kaplan said, referencing the tremendous profit Bavas stood to make. 'They assume that if they win, it'll be paid out.' Co-counsel Benjamin Lynch emphasized that the wager Bavas placed represented a contract between him and DraftKings. 'We believe... that Nick's allegations are founded by fact and law,' Lynch said. 'He placed a valid bet and DraftKings needs to honor it.' In an email on Tuesday, a member of the DraftKings legal team told The Independent that he did not have permission to speak publicly about the case. On Thursday, February 1, 2024, the annual AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am got underway. The tournament was scheduled to run through February 4, across four rounds, with a champion emerging after 72 holes. This time, however, the weather turned bad on the third day, with forecasters predicting severe storms on the final day, which threatened to cut short the event. Despite the substantial possibility that the closing round on Sunday would be canceled, DraftKings was still accepting bets on the tourney's outcome late into the night on Saturday, February 3, according to Bavas's complaint. So, it says, he consulted the current standings to see who was in the lead and, shortly after 10 p.m., used his mobile phone to plunk down a $100 wager on the final results. Bavas, 37, opted for a so-called 20-leg parlay, usually an astronomical longshot. Yet, if the tourney were to get canceled, and the results were to stand, he would soon be significantly richer. A parlay is a single bet that combines individual wagers on multiple outcomes, paying out only if each one hits. The steep odds of getting everything right means, generally, a disproportionately rich haul for a lucky bettor. Bavas picked golfer Wyndham Clark, who was at the top of the standings, to win the tournament, his complaint says. Bavas then selected another four leading players – Ludvig Aberg, Mark Hubbard, Matthieu Pavon, and Thomas Detry – to place among the top five finishers, five others to place in the top 10, and 10 more to place among the top 20. If Bavas's picks held, his $100 bet would earn him a payout of $4,651,571.26, according to the complaint, which says DraftKings took Bavas's action without question. At around 11:30 p.m. that same night, Bavas put $50 down on another 20-leg parlay, with each pick identical to the first, his complaint continues. This one would pay out $2,325,785.63, the complaint states. Less than 30 minutes later, the complaint says Bavas placed a third identical bet, wagering $100 for another shot at winning $4,651,571.26. Finally, at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, February 4, 2024, Bavas bet another $50 on the same outcome, for a $2,325,785.63 payout. Bavas also wagered $25 on a slightly different type of parlay, picking who he thought would be the top 20 finishers in the tournament, in no particular order, according to the complaint. If correct, this bet would pay Bavas $250,067.99, the complaint states. In all, it says, Bavas stood to rake in a total of $14,204,781.77 on a mere $325 outlay. The closing day of the tournament was beset by 'historic rain and wind,' and continually delayed the start of play, according to Bavas's complaint. At 9:15 that night, the PGA Tour Rules Committee announced it would be cutting the tourney short, and that a makeup round tentatively set for February 5 would not take place, the complaint says. 'Although conditions are forecast to improve through the morning Monday, after consultation with Monterey County emergency authorities, who have implemented a Shelter in Place order until early tomorrow morning for the greater Pebble Beach community, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of all constituents, there will be no play on Monday,' tournament organizers said in a statement at the time. 'Therefore, in accordance with the PGA TOUR Regulations the tournament results will be final through the conclusion of 54 holes.' As Bavas sees it, this handed him a sure victory. 'The leaderboard of the top 20 golfers at the conclusion of play in the Tournament is not in dispute,' his complaint argues. 'All of Bavas's [b]ets… were therefore winners.' Yet, DraftKings viewed the situation quite a bit differently, and on February 5, invalidated Bavas's bets and returned his $325, according to the complaint. Bavas's complaint maintains that the rules on 'futures bets' cited by DraftKings in nullifying his wagers do not apply to parlays, and claims that even if certain individual aspects of his bets could have been legitimately excluded on technical grounds, the parlays themselves should have remained valid and the odds recalculated. Although not included in the complaint, the DraftKings rules state, '[I]n the event there is a reduction in scheduled rounds played, bets placed on any market will be void if either less than thirty-six (36) holes of the tournament have been completed by all remaining golfers or the bet(s) are placed after the final shot of the most recently completed round.' While the 2024 Pebble Beach ProAm did exceed 36 holes, Bavas indeed placed his bets following the final shot of the last round played. To this, Lynch pointed out that DraftKings still accepted Bavas's bet. 'Our position would be, if they didn't want to engage in that betting scenario , then they should have closed it for betting,' Lynch told The Independent. 'If you're going to take people's money, it should be paid.' Last year, Americans bet nearly $150 billion on sports, with almost $50 billion of it being wagered through the DraftKings site. DraftKings has faced numerous lawsuits of late, over, among other things, allegations it exploited users' addictions in inducing them to gamble more than they could afford to lose. Last month, the City of Baltimore sued DraftKings, along with rival FanDuel, for what Mayor Brandon Scott called 'shady practices' in targeting vulnerable gamblers. A January 2025 class-action suit filed in New York accused DraftKings of preying upon customers who 'developed debilitating gambling addictions as a result of DraftKings' carefully orchestrated schemes.' In December, a New Jersey woman sued DraftKings after discovering her estranged husband had gambled away nearly $1 million of the family's money in the midst of a crippling habit she claimed had been 'nurtured' by the company's 'VIP hosts.' Bavas, according to Kaplan, has faith in the legal system and is 'relying on the court to hopefully interpret this [case] in our favor.' 'He believes he's entitled to what he won.' Kaplan told The Independent. 'We're going to let the court decide who's right and who's wrong.' Bavas is seeking treble damages to be determined by a jury, plus attorneys' fees and court costs.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kaplan Wins the Association for Talent Development's Prestigious 2025 BEST Award for Commitment to Workplace Talent Development Practices
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global educational services provider Kaplan is proud to announce that it is one of the select recipients from around the world of the Association for Talent Development's (ATD) prestigious 2025 BEST Awards. Kaplan was also a recipient in 2023. The talent industry's most rigorous and coveted recognition, the BEST Awards honor organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through talent development. Among Kaplan's standout learning and development programs are: Develop U Virtual Conference: The Develop U Virtual Conference is Kaplan's signature professional development event—an annual multi-week, fully online experience designed to inspire learning, connection, and collaboration across its diverse organization. Every session, workshop, and networking opportunity is created and led by Kaplan's own subject matter experts and thought leaders—it's "built by Kaplan, for Kaplan." This past year, Develop U was significantly expanded to include a dedicated AI track, addressing the growing importance of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Develop U on Demand: Develop U on Demand is a targeted development strategy designed to identify organizational skill gaps and emerging areas of opportunity through data analysis and stakeholder feedback. Each quarter, the learning and development team curates and launches an on-demand course that directly addresses these priority areas. This approach ensures learning is timely, relevant, and aligned with evolving business needs. Emerging Leader: The Emerging Leader Program is a dynamic eight-week leadership development experience designed to equip high-potential employees with the core skills, mindset, and confidence needed to lead in today's fast-paced and evolving workplace. This program supports individuals transitioning into leadership roles or those identified as future leaders within Kaplan. Leadership Forum: Kaplan's Leadership Forum is a six-month executive development program created by Kaplan's learning and development team that helps participants sharpen their leadership skills, think strategically, and collaborate more effectively. Through interactive workshops, mentoring opportunities, and real-time business challenges tied to their departments, leaders gain practical tools to drive impact. The program places a strong emphasis on ethical leadership, innovation, and lifelong learning—key pillars of Kaplan's leadership culture. Individualized Development Plan: Kaplan's Individualized Development Plan empowers employees to take an active role in shaping their personal and professional growth. In partnership with their managers, employees set meaningful goals, recognize strengths, and identify areas for development, creating a dynamic, evolving roadmap for continuous improvement. Rosa Finelli, executive director of learning and development, Kaplan, said: "At Kaplan, our people are the most powerful drivers of our success. By providing ongoing opportunities for employees to chart their growth, we not only build and retain talent, but also foster a culture of support, engagement, and upward mobility. It's a big part of why Kaplan is such a great place to start—and grow—a career, and why so many of our employees rise through the ranks. We are incredibly honored to receive the 2025 BEST Award, as it affirms our investment in each employee's potential and inspires us to keep ensuring that everyone feels supported, valued, and empowered to succeed." Reporters interested in covering Kaplan's award-winning talent development activities can contact Russell Schaffer at About Kaplan Kaplan, Inc. is a global educational services company that helps individuals and institutions advance their goals in an ever-changing world. Our broad portfolio of solutions help students and professionals further their education and careers, universities and educational institutions attract and support students, and businesses maximize employee recruitment, retainment, and development. Stanley Kaplan founded our company in 1938 with a mission to expand educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Today, our thousands of employees working in 27 countries/regions continue Stanley's mission as they serve about 1.3 million students and professionals, 16,000 corporate clients, and 2,700 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities worldwide. Kaplan is a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC). Learn more at View source version on Contacts Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, Twitter: @KaplanEdNews
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kaplan Wins the Association for Talent Development's Prestigious 2025 BEST Award for Commitment to Workplace Talent Development Practices
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 28, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global educational services provider Kaplan is proud to announce that it is one of the select recipients from around the world of the Association for Talent Development's (ATD) prestigious 2025 BEST Awards. Kaplan was also a recipient in 2023. The talent industry's most rigorous and coveted recognition, the BEST Awards honor organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through talent development. Among Kaplan's standout learning and development programs are: Develop U Virtual Conference: The Develop U Virtual Conference is Kaplan's signature professional development event—an annual multi-week, fully online experience designed to inspire learning, connection, and collaboration across its diverse organization. Every session, workshop, and networking opportunity is created and led by Kaplan's own subject matter experts and thought leaders—it's "built by Kaplan, for Kaplan." This past year, Develop U was significantly expanded to include a dedicated AI track, addressing the growing importance of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Develop U on Demand: Develop U on Demand is a targeted development strategy designed to identify organizational skill gaps and emerging areas of opportunity through data analysis and stakeholder feedback. Each quarter, the learning and development team curates and launches an on-demand course that directly addresses these priority areas. This approach ensures learning is timely, relevant, and aligned with evolving business needs. Emerging Leader: The Emerging Leader Program is a dynamic eight-week leadership development experience designed to equip high-potential employees with the core skills, mindset, and confidence needed to lead in today's fast-paced and evolving workplace. This program supports individuals transitioning into leadership roles or those identified as future leaders within Kaplan. Leadership Forum: Kaplan's Leadership Forum is a six-month executive development program created by Kaplan's learning and development team that helps participants sharpen their leadership skills, think strategically, and collaborate more effectively. Through interactive workshops, mentoring opportunities, and real-time business challenges tied to their departments, leaders gain practical tools to drive impact. The program places a strong emphasis on ethical leadership, innovation, and lifelong learning—key pillars of Kaplan's leadership culture. Individualized Development Plan: Kaplan's Individualized Development Plan empowers employees to take an active role in shaping their personal and professional growth. In partnership with their managers, employees set meaningful goals, recognize strengths, and identify areas for development, creating a dynamic, evolving roadmap for continuous improvement. Rosa Finelli, executive director of learning and development, Kaplan, said: "At Kaplan, our people are the most powerful drivers of our success. By providing ongoing opportunities for employees to chart their growth, we not only build and retain talent, but also foster a culture of support, engagement, and upward mobility. It's a big part of why Kaplan is such a great place to start—and grow—a career, and why so many of our employees rise through the ranks. We are incredibly honored to receive the 2025 BEST Award, as it affirms our investment in each employee's potential and inspires us to keep ensuring that everyone feels supported, valued, and empowered to succeed." Reporters interested in covering Kaplan's award-winning talent development activities can contact Russell Schaffer at About Kaplan Kaplan, Inc. is a global educational services company that helps individuals and institutions advance their goals in an ever-changing world. Our broad portfolio of solutions help students and professionals further their education and careers, universities and educational institutions attract and support students, and businesses maximize employee recruitment, retainment, and development. Stanley Kaplan founded our company in 1938 with a mission to expand educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Today, our thousands of employees working in 27 countries/regions continue Stanley's mission as they serve about 1.3 million students and professionals, 16,000 corporate clients, and 2,700 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities worldwide. Kaplan is a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC). Learn more at View source version on Contacts Press Contact: Russell Schaffer, Twitter: @KaplanEdNews
New York Post
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Soho retail-leasing boom bolstering investment sales
Soho's retail-leasing boom has spilled over to the investment-sale market. As ground-floor rents rose to an average $1,000 per square foot — and up to $1,800 as Ferrari is said to be paying to launch its 'lifestyle boutique' at 92 Prince Street – sale values for retail properties in the landmarked, cast-iron district have also skyrocketed. Blackstone recently paid $197 million for the four locations totaled 131,000 square feet – Manhattan's largest retail play purchase since 2021. 4 Rendering of 115 Spring Street. SL Green Realty Advertisement Now, SL Green hopes to cash in on the frenzy by offering for sale its retail condominium at 115 Spring St. – a building that's home to condo apartments upstairs, but with 5,100 square feet of precious, two-level storefront space. SLG, the city's largest commercial landlord, has owned it since 2014, when it bought the property in tandem with 121 Greene St. for a combined $110 million. Dan Kaplan, an executive vice president in CBRE's investment properties group who is marketing the offering, declined to say how much it might fetch. Some similar-size recent neighborhood retail sites have traded for upwards of $70 million, sources said. 'There's very little availability,' Kaplan said. 'Everybody wants to be in Soho – high-end brands, middle-ground brands, tech brands.' Advertisement Kaplan said current tenant Adidas's lease is up at the end of next March, when the vacancy will make the two-level storefront condo even more valuable thanks to ever-rising rents. He said the property could appeal either to a retailer that would use the space for a store of its own, or to an investor. 4 Soho's shopping district on Black Friday last year. Getty Images Vacancies are scarce and demand for space is insatiable. Los Angeles Apparel chose 480 Broadway for its first Big Apple location. Prada at 575 Broadway covets the space that's home to popular Lure Fishbar on the building's Mercer Street side. Soho's remarkable, post-pandemic resurgence as one of the world's premier shopping districts reflects the city's extraordinary regenerative powers. The concentration of stores and galleries in the cast-iron district bounded by Houston and Canal streets and Sixth Avenue and Crosby Street rivals that in any part of Midtown. Advertisement 4 Most streets – especially Broadway, West Broadway, and Prince and Spring streets – boast luxury lines. Getty Images 4 People walk through a shopping district in the SoHo neighborhood in Manhattan on April 11, 2022 in New York City. Getty Images Most streets – especially Broadway, West Broadway, and Prince and Spring streets – boast luxury lines such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Brunello Cucinelli as well as mass-market names like TJ Maxx and Victoria's Secret. There might be more art and antiques galleries today than ever — although they're public-oriented retail galleries, not showplaces for esoteric art as they were in the 1970s and '80s. Sidewalks are near-impassable with shoppers and sightseers. At the gateway corner of West Broadway and Houston, Corner Store restaurant draws scenemakers at all hours. Thriving brasserie Balthazar at 80 Spring Street has witnessed the neighborhood's evolution since 1997 – including the COVID years, when the New York Times in October 2021 reported Soho was the city's commercial district hardest hit by the pandemic's financial devastation which caused more than 40 stores to close.
