Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ., a longtime peddler of misinformation surrounding vaccine safety, has been moving to reshape US vaccine policy, raising alarm within much of the medical community.According to new reports, the FDA's top vaccine official moved last month to limit the use of two COVID vaccines that had been approved, overruling recommendations by agency medical experts who plan to approve the shots for everyone 12 and older. It all comes after the new members of the ...

[Applause] When I was 8 years old, I was at summer camp where I learned how to do the perfect 80s sight fringe. I danced the MC Hammer at the Friday Discos and won the ping pong tournament twice. Coming home after three weeks, I felt as if I was 2 years older.My parents looked as if they had aged 10 years. That summer, the people who once saved my life in a prison in Iran were secretly executed by the Iranian regime along with thousands of other political prisoners. Their bodies were dumped in an unmarked m ...

The thing about the MAGA movement is they're the worst winners in human history. I mean, you're you're you're you're like a world-class athlete. Have you ever seen anyone win and act like such a jerk as the MAGA people? I mean, I've seen it, but they're not my friends, right? They're not my people. [Music] This is perhaps the episode of the best people that I dreamed about that I thought would never come to be. Um, you two have an outsized role in my life. From untamed to the role of a stepparent with the u ...

How not seeing yourself represented on book shelves as a child can make you a very powerful activist. MARIAH C. ‘29 is a 13-year-old author and activist and a member of Walker’s 8th grade class. She wanted to create a book that was not the “common” type of book that you see on the shelves, so she wrote a children’s book with a focus on Black characters, wanting children like herself to see someone that looks like them. Selling Black Lives Matter bookmarks and with additional donations, she was able to raise ...

TORONTO, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apollo Technology Capital Corporation (“Apollo Capital”), which together with its affiliates and associates collectively is one of the largest shareholders of MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) (“MediPharm”, “MediPharm Labs”, or the “Company”), owning approximately 3% of the Company’s common stock, today issued a presentation to set forth their ambitious plan to grow your investment and help turn MediPharm around. Outlines Commitment to I ...

Company Overview - Couchbase provides a cloud database platform designed for modern applications, including Couchbase Capella, Couchbase Server, and Couchbase Mobile, focusing on high performance and scalability for mission-critical applications [1] - Couchbase Capella is a fully managed database-as-a-service, while Couchbase Server is a multi-service NoSQL database with SQL-compatible query language SQL++ [1] - Couchbase Mobile is an embedded NoSQL database for mobile and edge devices, ensuring high data availability [1] Market Position - Couchbase operates in the document database space, alongside MongoDB, with few direct competitors, establishing a solid business model used in various applications [4] - Since its IPO on February 22, 2021, Couchbase's shares have declined over 20%, indicating challenges in the public market [4] Financial Performance - Revenue has increased annually by an average of 19.39% since the IPO, with gross margins consistently between 87% and 89% [5] - Selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses were 91.94% of revenue in 2024, slightly above the average of 91.25% since the IPO, compared to MongoDB's 54.34% [5] - Couchbase has overhired sales personnel, leading to lower attainment rates of 40% to 50% compared to peers achieving 70% to 80% [5] Activist Involvement - Irenic Capital has taken a significant stake in Couchbase, making it one of its five largest positions, focusing on operational restructuring or a potential sale of the company [6][7] - The activist's approach may involve optimizing management and salesforce, improving operating margins while maintaining organic growth [6] Potential Outcomes - A sale to a larger strategic or financial acquirer could allow Couchbase to restructure costs and pursue margin-friendly growth away from public market pressures [7] - Haveli Investments, the largest shareholder with approximately 9.8% ownership, may seek to take Couchbase private, viewing it as undervalued [8] - Comparable transactions in the tech space suggest Couchbase could be valued around 5.2 times revenue, potentially offering a 20% premium to shareholders [8]

Company Overview - Qiagen NV is a Netherlands-based holding company that provides "Sample to Insight" solutions, transforming biological samples into molecular insights through integrated sample and assay technologies, bioinformatics, and automation systems [1] - The company specializes in isolating and preparing DNA, RNA, and proteins from various biological materials, and its assay technologies enable the analysis of these biomolecules [1] - Qiagen operates primarily in two end markets: Molecular Diagnostics and Life Sciences, generating approximately 90% of its sales from recurring consumables revenue [4] Investment Context - Fivespan Partners has established a position in Qiagen and is engaging with its management to explore potential improvements [3][7] - Qiagen has struggled to create shareholder value post-Covid, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year returns of 1%, -6%, and 1%, respectively, while trading at around 13 times EV/EBITDA compared to peers at approximately 15 times [5] - The company has a strong market position and brand reputation but has lost focus on its core business, leading to missed opportunities for growth [6] Strategic Opportunities - Management is encouraged to invest more in its core business, improve communication with the market, and optimize its balance sheet to enhance shareholder value [6] - Qiagen's operating margin is currently at 25%, with potential for expansion to over 30% through a more disciplined approach [6] - The company holds $1.15 billion in cash and short-term investments against $1.39 billion in debt, suggesting room for leveraging to fund growth initiatives and share buybacks [6] Market Dynamics - Qiagen's dual-listing and geographical revenue distribution show that 52% of its FY24 sales are from North America, 32% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and 16% from Asia [4] - The company has previously engaged in discussions for potential transactions, including a failed offer from Thermo Fisher Scientific at 43 euros per share, indicating its attractiveness as an acquisition target [8] - Fivespan's investment philosophy includes evaluating strategic transactions, and while it does not prioritize sales, it remains open to advocating for shareholder value in the event of acquisition offers [8]

Icahn Enterprises L.P. (NASDAQ:IEP) Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call February 26, 2025 10:00 AM ET Company Participants Andrew Teno - President and CEO Ted Papapostolou - Chief Financial Officer Robert Flint - Chief Accounting Officer Conference Call Participants Andrew Berg - Post Advisory Group Operator Good morning, and welcome to the Icahn Enterprises L. P. Fourth Quarter 2024 Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. We will have Andrew Teno, President and CEO, Ted Papapo ...