Latest news with #Marrocco
Axios
14-03-2025
- Climate
- Axios
Philadelphia's cherry blossom peak bloom is in early April
Philadelphia's cherry blossoms are on track to reach peak bloom from April 5-8. Why it matters: Cue weekend crowds in Fairmount Park vying for the best selfie content and picnic spots among flowering trees. State of play: Philly's annual Cherry Blossom Festival 's main event — Sakura Weekend — runs April 5-6, lining up with the peak-bloom forecast. The intrigue: Blossoms could come sooner, if forecasts for above-average temperatures pan out for the rest of March, Vince Marrocco, director of horticulture at Morris Arboretum and Gardens, tells Axios. This spring's peak season in Philly is slightly later than last year's, Marrocco said. That's because Philly saw a typical winter this year with a string of cold snaps. Threat level: With our warming springs, the effects of climate change are a threat to Philly's beloved blossoms. Rising temps and more precipitation over the past century can weaken them and make them more susceptible to disease. Last summer's heat waves and drought may affect blooms this year, including the potential for reduced flowering. For affected trees, "they'll still bloom, but they won't bloom as much," Marrocco noted. How it works: Once those buds pop, expect flowers to last up to two weeks, depending on the weather. Nearby blooms: D.C.'s cherry blossoms are slated to hit peak bloom March 28-31. 1 cool thing: Philly's cherry blossoms don't flower at the same time. The city boasts a variety of cherry blossom species throughout the city, with some flowering earlier or later than others. For example: Some trees at Morris Arboretum and Gardens may have already started to pop. What they're saying:"We have so many species of cherries that we get a really long season of bloom," Marrocco said. What's next: Philly's on track to add 250 new cherry blossom trees by 2026 for the nation's semiquincentennial anniversary. A ceremonial tree planting for the project, which began in 2024, is set for Wednesday at the Horticultural Center in Fairmount Park.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas Stock Exchange hires top ETF executives from Cboe, Nasdaq
By Suzanne McGee (Reuters) - The Texas Stock Exchange (TSXE), still months away from winning regulatory approval to begin operations, said it hired senior exchange-traded funds executives from Cboe Global Markets and Nasdaq to win a share of trading in the $11 trillion U.S. ETF market. It announced on Thursday that Robert Marrocco, formerly global head of ETP, or exchange-traded products, listings at Cboe Global Markets, will take on the same role at TXSE and Alison Hennessy, the former head of ETP listings at Nasdaq, will become managing director of exchange traded products. The hirings signal the Texas exchange views the ETF arena as key to its future growth, analysts said. "The fact that they are poaching top talent from two of the three biggest exchanges sends a clear signal that they are to be taken seriously" as a future competitor in the ETF sector, said Bryan Armour, ETF strategist at Morningstar. The TXSE, which has disclosed that it has raised about $161 million in capital from some four dozen investors that include financial giants BlackRock, Citadel Securities and Charles Schwab, filed paperwork in late January seeking regulatory approval to operate a national securities exchange. It hopes to win approval later this year and to begin listing and trading in early 2026. The hirings not only bolster the TXSE's roster but also may end up creating challenges for the incumbent exchanges, said one market structure analyst, who asked not to be named because his firm does not permit him to comment publicly. In a rapidly growing area such as ETFs, losing top executives to a potential rival is "less than ideal," the analyst said. "Together, these leaders managed more than 40% of all (exchange-traded products) in the United States," the Texas exchange said in a press release. A spokesperson for Nasdaq declined comment on Hennessy's departure. "We wish them well in their future endeavors," Cboe said in an statement, referring to Marrocco and two other Cboe staffers that TXSE also hired. In its press release, TXSE said that under Marrocco's leadership since 2020, Cboe captured nearly 30% of all new ETP listings. Marrocco did not respond to requests for comment and a TXSE spokesperson said neither he nor Hennessy were available to discuss their new roles. In a post on LinkedIn, he described TXSE as being "the next chapter of U.S. capital markets." Marrocco's hiring "indicates that TXSE could prioritize ETP listing, which is a relatively less competitive avenue compared to individual stock listing," said Owen Lau, a senior analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. The three exchanges that dominate the U.S. stock and ETF trading market have already responded to the TXSE's moves to establish itself as a competitive force. Last month, the New York Stock Exchange announced plans to open its own NYSE Texas division.
Reuters
13-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Texas Stock Exchange hires top ETF executives from Cboe, Nasdaq
March 13 (Reuters) - The Texas Stock Exchange (TSXE), still months away from winning regulatory approval to begin operations, said it hired senior exchange-traded funds executives from Cboe Global Markets and Nasdaq to win a share of trading in the $11 trillion U.S. ETF market. It announced on Thursday that Robert Marrocco, formerly global head of ETP, or exchange-traded products, listings at Cboe Global Markets (CBOE.Z), opens new tab, will take on the same role at TXSE and Alison Hennessy, the former head of ETP listings at Nasdaq (NDAQ.O), opens new tab, will become managing director of exchange traded products. here. The hirings signal the Texas exchange views the ETF arena as key to its future growth, analysts said. "The fact that they are poaching top talent from two of the three biggest exchanges sends a clear signal that they are to be taken seriously" as a future competitor in the ETF sector, said Bryan Armour, ETF strategist at Morningstar. The TXSE, which has disclosed that it has raised about $161 million in capital from some four dozen investors that include financial giants BlackRock (BLK.N), opens new tab, Citadel Securities and Charles Schwab (SCHW.N), opens new tab, filed paperwork in late January seeking regulatory approval to operate a national securities exchange. It hopes to win approval later this year and to begin listing and trading in early 2026. The hirings not only bolster the TXSE's roster but also may end up creating challenges for the incumbent exchanges, said one market structure analyst, who asked not to be named because his firm does not permit him to comment publicly. In a rapidly growing area such as ETFs, losing top executives to a potential rival is "less than ideal," the analyst said. "Together, these leaders managed more than 40% of all (exchange-traded products) in the United States," the Texas exchange said in a press release. A spokesperson for Nasdaq declined comment on Hennessy's departure. "We wish them well in their future endeavors," Cboe said in an statement, referring to Marrocco and two other Cboe staffers that TXSE also hired. In its press release, TXSE said that under Marrocco's leadership since 2020, Cboe captured nearly 30% of all new ETP listings. Marrocco did not respond to requests for comment and a TXSE spokesperson said neither he nor Hennessy were available to discuss their new roles. In a post on LinkedIn, he described TXSE as being "the next chapter of U.S. capital markets." Marrocco's hiring "indicates that TXSE could prioritize ETP listing, which is a relatively less competitive avenue compared to individual stock listing," said Owen Lau, a senior analyst at Oppenheimer & Co. The three exchanges that dominate the U.S. stock and ETF trading market have already responded to the TXSE's moves to establish itself as a competitive force. Last month, the New York Stock Exchange announced plans to open its own NYSE Texas division.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands gather in Raleigh for protests over NC Supreme Court race, Trump and Musk
Thousands of demonstrators gathered at the State Capitol in downtown Raleigh on Monday for protests related to the ongoing challenge of the results in the state Supreme Court election and President Donald Trump's actions since taking office last month. First, beginning at noon, hundreds gathered to protest Republican Jefferson Griffin's attempt to throw out 65,000 ballots cast in November's Supreme Court election — which, speakers said, could set a dangerous precedent for future elections. 'The eyes of the nation are on North Carolina,' said Caitlin Swain, co-founder and director of Forward Justice, a nonpartisan law, policy and strategy center based in Durham. 'What happens here is a harbinger of what will come, not just for our state, but for the South and for the nation.' The race between Griffin and his opponent, Democrat Allison Riggs, remains uncertified more than three months after the election, despite Riggs' lead of 734 votes being affirmed by two recounts. A Wake County Superior Court judge dismissed Griffin's case on Feb. 7, but he has since appealed the ruling. In seeking to throw out tens of thousands of ballots, Griffin is challenging three key categories of voters: those who don't have a Social Security number or driver's license number attached to their registration records; military and overseas voters who cast absentee ballots without providing a voter ID; and adult children of North Carolina residents who currently live abroad. Monday's rally at the capitol featured remarks from a handful of voters whose ballots Griffin is challenging. Jenna Marrocco, 27, said she voted for the first time in November's election. Marrocco first registered to vote when she was in college at N.C. State University, she said, but found her registration was inactive before she went to vote this fall. Following information she found on the State Board of Elections website, Marrocco said, she updated her registration during the early-voting period. 'The election worker updated my registration,' Marrocco told the crowd. 'Everything went smoothly.' Then, weeks after the election, she found her name on the list of voters Griffin was challenging. 'This list is telling me that even if you follow the rules, even if you do everything right, even if you try to make a difference, they will still try to tell you your vote doesn't count,' Marrocco said. Marrocco and the other speakers expressed worry that Griffin's tactics, particularly if they prove to be successful, could threaten future elections. 'If we allow this today, what happens tomorrow? If they can silence 60,000 of us today, how many will they silence next time?' said Amy Bryant, a doctor and Orange County resident whose vote Griffin is challenging. 'This isn't about one election. This is about the integrity of our democracy.' Monday's 'The People v. Griffin' protest was organized by Common Cause NC, a grassroots organization based in Raleigh. The group organized more than a dozen similar rallies across the state Monday, garnering hundreds more supporters in Charlotte, Greensboro, Asheville and other towns. A second protest, unaffiliated with Common Cause and the Griffin protest, attracted thousands of demonstrators, also at the State Capitol. The event was part of a nationwide day of protests under the '50501' umbrella — a movement, generated on social media in the weeks since Trump took office, to host 50 protests in 50 states on one day against the actions of the president and his administration. Protesters marched around the perimeter of the Capitol and its grounds, along Morgan, Wilmington, Edenton and Salisbury streets. They carried signs and chanted about a wide range of issues and groups, including immigration and immigrants, the LGBTQ community and federal workers. But the overarching theme of the grassroots event was the unprecedented power Trump has given billionaire Elon Musk, who is serving in an unelected capacity and has swiftly worked to dismantle multiple agencies in the federal government. Annemarie Selaya said she has attended plenty of protests throughout her life, calling out actions by the federal government that she does not agree with. But Trump's moves so far in his second term go beyond anything she's protested in the past, she said. 'This is an entirely different thing other than just a variance of opinions,' Selaya said. 'This is a breach of our rights as citizens that are protected by the Constitution.' In his role in the Trump administration, Musk is tasked with running the Department of Government Efficiency, which Trump created. Multiple lawsuits, including at least two filed by dozens of state attorneys general, claim that DOGE and the powers that Trump granted Musk in leading the agency — including the ability to dismantle federal agencies and access sensitive data — are unconstitutional. 'This is a constitutional crisis in the sense that we have rights and restrictions in the constitution which are currently being ignored by this administration,' Selaya said. So far, Musk and DOGE have targeted the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other agencies in his quest to 'delete entire agencies' from the federal government. Ethan Sivek of Zebulon attended Monday's protest in part to speak out against Musk's actions. As a subcontractor with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Sivek worries about his own work being impacted by the Trump administration — and how those changes could affect everyday Americans. 'Things are going to be really bad for people if all the funding stops reaching beneficiaries,' Sivek said. Sivek's wife, Katherine, also attended the protest. She specifically wanted to support diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, which Trump has targeted through multiple executive orders since taking office. Sivek said she thinks many people do not understand the meaning of DEI or how it helps a wide range of people, including women and those who are disabled — like her. She was diagnosed with ALS last year, she said, and wanted to attend Monday's event for anyone who wasn't able to do so. 'I need to be here to help those that really can't do anything, that are stuck at home, that physically can't come out,' Sivek said. Sherrie Yuschak of Lillington attended the rally against Griffin early Monday afternoon and planned to stay for the second demonstration. Yuschak told The N&O that she wasn't closely involved with politics for much of her life. But Griffin's attempt to throw out ballots of her fellow North Carolinians concerns her, she said, and has encouraged her to show up to protest. 'If we don't come out, we're being neglectful to our democracy. And to me, it's an affront on all of the generations before us who fought for our rights to vote, as women, as minorities,' Yuschak said. 'They shaped this country, and we can't just sit back and let people take it over.' A previous 50501 event drew thousands of protesters to downtown Raleigh on Feb. 5. Reporter Kyle Ingram contributed.
