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International Game Technology PLC Hosting 2021 Investor Day Today

Commits to Compelling 2025 Growth Objectives and Announces Multi-Year Share Buyback Program

– Grow, Innovate, and Optimize strategic initiatives to deliver accelerated, compound annual growth rates of mid-single-digits for revenue and mid-teens for operating income from 2022 – 2025

– Expect to deliver strong cash flow generation with cumulative cash from operations of approximately $4.0 billion and free cash flow of about $2.4 billion from 2022 – 2025

– Balanced capital allocation plans support business reinvestment, debt reduction, and increased shareholder returns

– $300 million multi-year share buyback program announced, enhancing shareholder returns after recently reinstating quarterly cash dividend

– Separate public listing of the Digital & Betting business under evaluation

LONDON, Nov. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — International Game Technology PLC (“IGT”) (NYSE:IGT) will host a virtual Investor Day today at 8:30 am EST, detailing the progress the Company has made over the past two years to build a solid foundation for profitable growth across all business segments, generate robust cash flows, and pursue a disciplined capital allocation strategy.

IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We deliver entertaining and responsible gaming experiences for players across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Sports Betting and Digital. Leveraging a wealth of compelling content, substantial investment in innovation, player insights, operational expertise, and leading-edge technology, our solutions deliver unrivaled gaming experiences that engage players and drive growth. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has approximately 11,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com.

IGT (NYSE:IGT) is the global leader in gaming. We deliver entertaining and responsible gaming experiences for players across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Sports Betting and Digital. Leveraging a wealth of compelling content, substantial investment in innovation, player insights, operational expertise, and leading-edge technology, our solutions deliver unrivaled gaming experiences that engage players and drive growth. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world, and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has approximately 11,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.igt.com.

“IGT’s industry leadership is built on a legacy of innovation and trust. Through greater player engagement, responsible management, and best-in-class content, services, and solutions, we are well-positioned for profitable growth,” said Marco Sala, CEO of IGT. “Our diverse portfolio aligns with attractive end-markets and our strategy is to grow, innovate, and optimize. Over the next four years, we are confident we can deliver accelerating organic growth, significant margin expansion, and robust free cash flow to drive stakeholder value and increased shareholder returns.”

Strategic Initiatives to Grow, Innovate, and Optimize Provide Foundation for Compelling Long-term Outlook

  • Grow: leverage innovation in content and solutions as well as leading market positions to expand market share, support customer sales growth, and capture new market opportunities

  • Innovate: utilize large and highly differentiated intellectual property portfolio and leading investment in research and development to create best-in-class games, systems, and solutions to further enhance player experiences and support customer growth

  • Optimize: operational excellence and structural cost reductions enable continued margin improvement; new OPtiMa 2.0 cost-reduction program expected to deliver more than $150 million in incremental savings, compared to pre-pandemic levels, by the end of 2023

Introducing 2022 Outlook

  • Revenue of $4.1 – $4.3 billion

  • Operating margin of 20{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} – 22{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809}

  • Cash from operations ranging from $850 million – $1.0 billion

  • Capital expenditures totalling $400 million – $450 million

  • Net debt leverage of 3.5x – 4.0x

Setting Compelling and Achievable Financial Goals for 2022 – 2025, Including Robust Growth in Revenue and Margins and Significant Cash Flow Generation

  • Revenue of $4.6 – $5.0 billion in 2025, reflecting a mid-single-digit compound annual growth rate (“CAGR”)

  • Mid-teens operating income CAGR; operating margin expansion of over 500 basis points to 26{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} – 29{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} (at the mid-point) in 2025

  • Cumulative cash from operations of approximately $4.0 billion; free cash flow of approximately $2.4 billion

Disciplined Capital Allocation Plans Balance Reinvestment in the Business with Increased Shareholder Returns

  • A comprehensive capital investment plan of approximately $2.8 billion in aggregate capital expenditures and research and development from 2022 – 2025, supporting the existing portfolio with a focus on fast-growing iLottery and Digital & Betting activities

  • Continue to reduce leverage to a range of 2.5x – 3.5x across the investment cycle, targeting the lower part of the guidance range by 2025

  • Reinstated quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per common share (previously announced with earnings on November 9, 2021)

  • Implementing $300 million multi-year share repurchase program, the first in IGT PLC’s history

Strategic Positioning to Increase Optionality for Digital & Betting Segment

Event Details
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST

Webcast Registration: A live webcast is available under “Events Calendar” on IGT’s Investor Relations website at www.IGT.com. Registration for the event is required and can be completed in advance. A replay will also be available on the website following the call.

Presentation Materials: Materials presented at the event will be posted on IGT’s Investor Relations website at www.IGT.com during the event.

Share Repurchase Program
IGT’s Board of Directors authorized a program for the repurchase of up to $300 million of the Company’s outstanding ordinary shares during a period of four years commencing on November 18, 2021.

Repurchases will be made pursuant to repurchase contracts entered into with counterparties approved by IGT’s shareholders, pursuant to which such counterparties will purchase ordinary shares for delivery to the Company. The timing and amount of any repurchases will be determined by IGT’s management based on an evaluation of market conditions, applicable securities laws and other factors. These repurchases may be made pursuant to repurchase plans that meet the requirements of Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Rule 10b5-1 allows the Company to repurchase its ordinary shares at times it might otherwise be prevented from doing so under insider trading laws or because of self-imposed blackout periods.

The share repurchase program is expected to be funded through cash generated from operations. Any shares acquired pursuant to the repurchase program will be cancelled or held in treasury. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of its ordinary shares, and it may be suspended or terminated at any time.

Any repurchases of the Company’s ordinary shares will be made in accordance with the authority granted by IGT shareholders at its annual general meeting (“AGM”) to repurchase ordinary shares that is in effect from time to time. At its 2021 AGM, IGT shareholders voted to authorize the repurchase of up to 20,485,646 ordinary shares of the Company. Repurchases will be discontinued in the event the Company lacks the general authority to repurchase ordinary shares.

Evaluation of Potential Separate Public Listing of Digital & Betting Business
IGT recently established a dedicated Digital & Betting business segment, enhancing visibility to this high-growth part of IGT’s portfolio of businesses. As a part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring appropriate strategic flexibility for its Digital & Betting business, the Company is also undertaking a legal entity and organizational realignment over the next 12 months designed to provide the Digital & Betting business with dedicated management, a more nimble organization and governance structure and the ability to pursue organic and inorganic growth opportunities. As part of this process, the Company may evaluate a potential separate public listing of its Digital & Betting business to further enhance its strategic flexibility while maintaining a controlling interest following the consummation of any such potential separate public listing. There can be no assurances as to the form and timing of any separate public listing or other strategic activity that may result from this evaluation or if any such listing or activity will be consummated at all. IGT does not currently intend to disclose further developments regarding its evaluation of a potential separate public listing for its Digital & Betting business until such time as a final determination has been made or IGT otherwise determines that further disclosure is appropriate.

About IGT
IGT (NYSE: IGT) is a global leader in gaming. We deliver entertaining and responsible gaming experiences for players across all channels and regulated segments, from Gaming Machines and Lotteries to Sports Betting and Digital. Leveraging a wealth of compelling content, substantial investment in innovation, player insights, operational expertise, and leading-edge technology, our solutions deliver unrivalled gaming experiences that engage players and drive growth. We have a well-established local presence and relationships with governments and regulators in more than 100 countries around the world and create value by adhering to the highest standards of service, integrity, and responsibility. IGT has approximately 11,000 employees. For more information, please visit www.IGT.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning International Game Technology PLC and its consolidated subsidiaries (the “Company”) and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions, and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, dividends, results of operations, or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the management of the Company as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, such management. Forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “plan,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “shall”, “continue,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “future,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project” or the negative or other variations of them. These forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and speak only as of the date on which such statements are made. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company’s control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those predicted in the forward-looking statements and from past results, performance, or achievements. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) the factors and risks described in the Company’s annual report on Form 20-F for the financial year ended December 31, 2020 and other documents filed from time to time with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at www.IGT.com. Except as required under applicable law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. You should carefully consider these factors and other risks and uncertainties that affect the Company’s business. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to International Game Technology PLC, or persons acting on its behalf, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

Contact
Phil O’Shaughnessy, Global Communications, toll free in U.S./Canada +1 (844) IGT-7452; outside U.S./Canada +1 (401) 392-7452
Francesco Luti, +39 06 5189 9184; for Italian media inquiries
James Hurley, Investor Relations, +1 (401) 392-7190

Cision

Cision

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SOURCE International Game Technology PLC

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Princess Diana’s ‘royal rebel’ wardrobe inspires designers today, model claims

Princess Diana’s ‘rebellious’ sense of trend continue to conjures up large-finish fashion designers today, a product and activist has claimed. 

Talking in Channel 4’s Diana: Queen of Design, which airs tonight at 10pm, British model Leomie Anderson says the late royal, who died in 1997, conveyed a ‘chic’ sense of insurrection in her outfits that designers even now check out to emulate. 

‘I assume Diana evokes a ton of large manner designers, due to the fact she was observed as the royal rebel,’ Leomie suggests. ‘And I really feel which is an electricity that a lot of designers consider and capture in their personal collection.’

‘I come to feel that when folks are referencing Diana, they are trying to seize that stylish, couture ingredient, but with a rebellious touch.’  

In the meantime, sesigner Jacque Azagury, who dressed Diana on various situations, notes how the late royal wore short, revealing attire – this kind of as the 1 she famously donned through a check out to the Serpentine Gallery in June 1994 or the blue ensemble she wore at the Royal Albert Corridor in June 1997 – to exhibit she was a ‘free woman.’ 

Channel 4's Diana: Queen of Style, which airs tonight at 10pm, explores how Princess Diana's wardrobe still influences fashion today. Pictured: The royal in the Christina Stambolian black dress that is now referred to as the 'revenge dress,' in June 1994 at the Serpentine Gallery, London

Channel 4’s Diana: Queen of Design and style, which airs tonight at 10pm, explores how Princess Diana’s wardrobe even now influences fashion right now. Pictured: The royal in the Christina Stambolian black gown that is now referred to as the ‘revenge gown,’ in June 1994 at the Serpentine Gallery, London

The documentary explores how the late Princess of Wales’ wardrobe and feeling of style have stood the take a look at of time and are nevertheless well-known with the community 24 years soon after her demise.

Somewhere else, trend author Justine Picardie statements Princess Diana’s clothes helped her to join with the public – including that the personalized way in which she utilized her wardrobe to connect will appeal to potential generations to appear.  

‘Every generation will return to Diana because every single generation understands the cloth of lifestyle, the material of appreciate and decline,’ she clarifies. 

‘And it’s that we recognise in Diana’s wardrobe, what we are recognising is anything that demonstrates in ourselves: in our have pleasure, our own sorrows, our have grief, our possess joy, our personal losses, that is there, in the cloth of her clothes.’

But in accordance to Elizbeth Emanuel, who famously created Diana’s wedding ceremony costume, the royal was not often clued up on the power clothes could have. 

Pictured: Princess Diana in a light blue dress designed by Jacques Azagury, which she wore to attend a performance of 'Swan Lake' by the English National Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1997

Pictured: Princess Diana in a light blue costume intended by Jacques Azagury, which she wore to attend a performance of ‘Swan Lake’ by the English Countrywide Ballet at the Royal Albert Corridor in June 1997

The royal was not always clued up on the power of clothes, but was stylish even as a shy newcomer. Pictured in her famous sheep sweater from 1980

The royal was not normally clued up on the electricity of clothes, but was stylish even as a shy newcomer. Pictured in her famous sheep sweater from 1980

‘In the commencing, when we very first met Diana, I do not assume she thought a lot about manner,’ she describes. ‘I imagine she appreciated sporting clothes but under no circumstances considered it by way of on the kind of stuff that would be suitable for her to put on. And we have been incredibly young of course and it was all new to us as nicely.’

She suggests this shifted when the Princess – who was just 19 at the time and had just received engaged to the heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles – wore a black taffetas gown with a revealing neckline for an night at the Royal Opera Household in 1981. 

‘We occurred to have this black gown that was hanging on the rail which was a sample but she loved it, she tried it on and we all assumed “wow, she seems to be good in it”, Elizabeth recalls. ‘But we did not know at the time that black was not a great colour to wear because it is really ordinarily reserved for funerals.

‘But it was also quite low-slash, and when she wore that gown, most people just went ridiculous. It was a controversial outfit. It centered the eyes of all the fashion journalists at the time.’

The dress is nowadays found as the second Diana went from a shy newcomer to a manner powerhouse. 

‘I consider that from that stage on, she realised the electrical power of the vocabulary of clothing and as several years went by she employed that. She understood it could seriously create an impact,’ Elizabeth notes. 

Justine also explains how the late royal often employed her clothing to covey a message. 

‘In the early 80s, we even now lived in a sexist society and women like Diana had been observed but not listened to,’ she states. ‘Clothes have been her way of speaking with the globe.’

She provides Princess Diana’s wardrobe was what manufactured her relatable, prior to the facts of her unhappy relationship to Prince Charles came to light-weight.   

‘I feel that Diana is the People’s Princess, the female that folks sense they know her as if she is their good friend, their sister, their mother, really attained construction in that Australia tour,’ Justine claims. ‘That will have to come down in aspect to her outfits. Mainly because at that level, no person understood that her relationship was in hassle.’

British model Leomie Anderson, pictured in 2020, says Diana's rebellious flair inspires fashion designers to this day

British design Leomie Anderson, pictured in 2020, says Diana’s rebellious flair conjures up style designers to this day 

‘So it wasn’t as if you could relate to Diana as someone that was struggling heartbreak.’

Author Banseka Kayembe agrees: ‘I assume basically, her garments is a way to have a voice in a media landscape that doesn’t like to give women of all ages voices and won’t like to give women any type of autonomy about their own narrative and their tale.’  

Right after her separation from Prince Charles in 1992, Princess Diana arrived out with an emboldened wardrobe. 

Her pay a visit to to the Serpentine Gallery in June 1994 on the night exactly where Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles’ affair came to gentle – now the Duchess of Cornwall – is even now talked about. 

For the celebration she donned a revealing dress by Christina Stambolian which is even now spilling ink nowadays. 

The style, which was a black fitted off-the-shoulder gown with a short hemline, was dubbed the ‘Revenge Dress’ and even has its very personal Wikipedia website page. 

Designer Jacques Azagurdy, who created gowns for Diana in the 1990s, testified of the Princess’s wish to costume in revealing outfits more generally. 

Pictured: Diana, then 19, causing a commotion in a black taffetas dress designed by the Emanuels for an evening at thw Royal Opera House in 1981, which made her realise the effect fashion can have on people

Pictured: Diana, then 19, leading to a commotion in a black taffetas dress made by the Emanuels for an night at thw Royal Opera Dwelling in 1981, which made her realise the result style can have on individuals

He discusses a blue diamond costume he created for her, which she wore at a functionality of Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Corridor in June 1997. 

‘This is probably one of the renowned dresses that the princess wore,’ he suggests. ‘You’ll discover how shorter it is and the princess was 5ft 10 in flat ft, so there was not much costume and there was a large amount of the Princess,’ he jokes. 

Pointing to the dress’ cleavage and hemline, he provides: ‘It was quite reduced right here and, really significant there. She really preferred it a bit shorter than this.’

‘At the time she genuinely preferred to set the information throughout that yes, she was a absolutely free woman finally and pretty self-confident in herself and higher than all, incredibly joyful in herself,.’

Diana: Queen of Design, airs tonight at 10pm on Channel 4.  

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Xbox Game Pass is Losing 6 Games Today

While new games are added to Xbox Game Pass regularly, Microsoft also removes games from the service as well, giving six titles the boot today.


xbox game pass black and white logo

Microsoft makes sure that it’s always adding more games to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service than it’s removing, but games still leave the service sometimes regardless. Generally, Xbox Game Pass games leave at the middle of the month and the end of the month, and since today is November 15, six games are being removed from Xbox Game Pass. Anyone interested in the games has until November 16 to play them, and they can also purchase them at a discount for a limited time.

Whenever Microsoft removes games from Xbox Game Pass, it gives subscribers the opportunity to purchase the games at a discount. So right now any Xbox Game Pass subscriber could purchase the games that are leaving for 20{cfdf3f5372635aeb15fd3e2aecc7cb5d7150695e02bd72e0a44f1581164ad809} less than their usual asking price, just in case they didn’t have time to finish them while they were available on the service.

GAMERANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

RELATED: Xbox Game Pass Adding Evo One Next Week

The six Xbox Game Pass games leaving on November 15, 2021 are headlined by Final Fantasy 8 Remastered, the enhanced version of the PS1 JRPG classic. Final Fantasy 8 Remastered brings the original game to modern consoles with some huge quality of life improvements, such as the ability to speed up the gameplay so that players can get through grindier sections at a much faster rate than they could before.

Xbox Game Pass Games Leaving November 2021

final fantasy 8 squall

  • Final Fantasy 8 Remastered
  • Planet Coaster: Console Edition
  • Star Renegades
  • Streets of Rogue
  • River City Girls
  • The Gardens Between

Another notable game leaving Xbox Game Pass on November 15 is Planet Coaster: Console Edition. While theme park simulation games may be relatively niche, Planet Coaster: Console Edition earned mostly positive reviews at the time of its release and is generally considered one of the better games in the genre. Other titles being removed on November 15 include Star Renegades, Streets of Rogue, River City Girls, and The Gardens Between.

Even more games will be leaving Xbox Game Pass at the end of the month, though Microsoft not revealed what they are at the time of this writing. However, it has touched on some of the games that will be added to the service in the second half of November 2021. For example, UnDungeon and Evil Genius 2: World Domination are coming on November 18 and November 30, respectively.

Looking ahead, there’s even more for Xbox Game Pass subscribers to look forward to in December, with Among Us coming to Xbox Game Pass on December 14 and of course, Halo Infinite dropping on December 8.

MORE: The Best Games On Xbox Game Pass (November 2021)


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Dalton Cooper
(7703 Articles Published)

Dalton Cooper is an editor for Game Rant who has been writing about video games professionally since 2011. Having written thousands of game reviews and articles over the course of his career, Dalton considers himself a video game historian and strives to play as many games as possible. Dalton covers the latest breaking news for Game Rant, as well as writes reviews, guide content, and more.

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NFL schedule Week 10: TV coverage, channels, scores for every football game today

After a hectic weekend in the NFL, several contenders are going to be looking for bounceback opportunities.

Following a shocking loss to the Jaguars, the Bills return to AFC East competition when they head to East Rutherford to take on the Jets. The Cowboys will be back in Jerry World to face off against the Falcons hoping to rebound falling to the Broncos. And the Raiders will hope to hold off the Chiefs in the AFC West after losing to the Giants.

But there are also a few teams looking to keep the ball rolling on Sunday. The Browns and Patriots both picked up big wins to move closer to stay in the hunt for division titles, and they’ll each face off with one another in New England on Sunday.

And, of course, there will be the added intrigue of the potential returns of Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson coinciding with a battle between the Packers and Seahawks on Sunday.

Sporting News has you covered for everything you need to watch Week 10 of the season.

MORE: Watch NFL games live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

NFL schedule this week: Week 10 TV coverage

Here’s the full schedule for Week 10 of the NFL season, plus final scores and how to watch every game live. 

Note: national broadcasts are listed in bold

Thursday, Nov. 11

Game Time (ET) TV Channel
Dolphins 22, Ravens 10 8:20 p.m. Fox, NFL Network, fuboTV

Sunday, Nov. 14

Game Time (ET) Channel
Cowboys 43, Falcons 3 1:00 p.m. Fox, fuboTV
Titans 23, Saints 21 1:00 p.m. CBS, fuboTV
Colts 23, Jaguars 17 1:00 p.m. CBS, fuboTV
Patriots 45, Browns 7 1:00 p.m. CBS, fuboTV
Bills 45, Jets 17 1:00 p.m. CBS, fuboTV
Lions 16, Steelers 16 1:00 p.m. Fox, fuboTV
Washington 29, Buccaneers 19 1:00 p.m. Fox, fuboTV
Panthers 34, Cardinals 10 4:05 p.m. Fox, fuboTV
Vikings 27, Chargers 20 4:05 p.m. Fox, fuboTV
Eagles 30, Broncos 13 4:25 p.m. CBS, fuboTV
Packers 17, Seahawks 0 4:25 p.m. CBS, fuboTV
Chiefs at Raiders 8:20 p.m. NBC, fuboTV

Monday, Nov. 15

Game Time (ET) Channel
Rams at 49ers 8:15 p.m. ESPN, fuboTV

How to watch NFL games in Week 10

The NFL will have three prime time games with matchups slated for Thursday, Sunday and Monday. The Ravens already faced off against the Dolphins. On Sunday, it’s an AFC West matchup with the Chiefs taking on the Raiders. ESPN will have the next matchup of division rivals when the Rams travel to Levi’s Stadium to take on the 49ers.

The rest of the slate will be aired either on CBS or FOX. Check your local listings to see which games will be on your broadcast.

Canadian viewers can find the games on TSN, CTV and CTV2.

NFL scores Week 10

Thursday, Nov. 11

Game Score
Ravens at Dolphins 22-10, MIA

Sunday, Nov. 14

Game Score
Falcons at Cowboys 43-3, DAL
Saints at Titans 23-21, TEN
Jaguars at Colts 23-17, IND
Browns at Patriots 45-7, NE
Bills at Jets 45-17, BUF
Lions at Steelers 16-16, TIE
Buccaneers at Washington 29-19, WFT
Panthers at Cardinals 34-10, CAR
Vikings at Chargers 27-20, MIN
Eagles at Broncos 30-13, PHI
Seahawks at Packers 17-0, GB
Chiefs at Raiders —

Monday, Nov. 15

Game Score
Rams at 49ers —

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Coronavirus Today – November 10


By Anne Blythe

Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services, has talked about her daughters many times as she helped steer the state through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now the state gets to see them in a public service announcement about the kid-sized Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine that has just become available for children ages 5 to 11.

Cohen, the proud mother of a 7- and 9-year-old, took her children on Saturday to get a first dose of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine approved last week for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Like most kids, my daughters don’t like shots,” Cohen told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday. “But we talked as a family about the reasons it was important to protect them from COVID just like we protect them from flu and other childhood illnesses like chicken pox.”

Then she showed a video that she said she hopes will help persuade other parents of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. In clinical trials, according to data reviewed by Cohen, the CDC and FDA, the kid-sized dose of the Pfizer vaccine, a third of the amount in the vaccines given to anyone 12 and older, is 90 percent effective at preventing COVID infection in the younger children.

“We love our kids so much and we want to make good decisions for them and their health, and I was really happy that we have a safe and effective COVID vaccine,” Cohen says in a video showing her hugging her daughters. “And I was really proud of them today that they got their vaccine. It was a huge sigh of relief for mom. So I hope everyone goes out and gets their COVID vaccine for their kids as soon as possible.”

Cohen posted photos of her daughters to her Twitter account on Saturday. There is one of her older daughter getting her vaccine. Another one shows the two girls together after getting their shots. The 9-year-old gave a thumbs-up while revealing the colorful Band-Aid covering the spot on her left arm where she got the shot. The younger girl is smiling with her hands raised in the air.

They might have been celebrating, too, because chocolate milk was coming to them after their shots, their mother said.

Cohen’s girls are among the more than 24,000 children in North Carolina who have received their first dose of the newly available vaccine. Though children can experience side effects such as a sore arm, fever, headaches or feeling tired for a few days, Cohen said her daughters experienced no side effects.

“We have plenty of vaccine supply across the state. Kids can get vaccinated at any location that has a smaller dose of the Pfizer vaccine available,” Cohen said. “This includes their pediatrician or doctor’s office or hospital. Unlike other vaccines, younger children can also get vaccinated at local pharmacies and grocery stores, making it even easier for parents to find a convenient location for them.”

Additionally, DHHS has worked with community partners to set up nine family COVID-19 vaccination centers in historically underserved communities that will be open for the next six weeks. The centers will be open on weekends and during the evening so parents don’t have to take their children out of school or miss work to get a vaccine.

The centers also will have vaccines available for people older than 12, as well as boosters. Spanish interpreters will be there, too.

Cohen and Charlene Wong, a Duke pediatrician and the DHHS assistant secretary for children and families, know that many parents might have questions about the vaccine and tried to provide answers to many at the briefing with reporters. They also encouraged parents to talk with their pediatricians and other trusted health care providers about any concerns they have.

Here are some of the questions and answers:

Q: Two physicians asserted in a recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece that a low number of children in this country have been hospitalized or died from COVID infections. But the piece also cited data that have not been peer reviewed and have been contested.

So, what’s the urgency to get the younger children vaccinated?

A: To date, North Carolina has seen more than 1,300 hospitalizations and 11 deaths in children under the age of 17, out of 244,902 cases, according to data on the DHHS COVID-19 dashboard. Cohen and Wong made the point that although the risks of hospitalization and death from COVID are rare in children in that age group, the virus can make them very sick.

Some children infected with COVID have come down with the multi-system inflammatory syndrome, or Mis-C, a rare condition in which their organs can become inflamed and in some cases can be deadly.

Children also can experience long-COVID symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, insomnia, trouble concentrating, muscle and joint pain, as well as a lingering cough, months after infection, according to the CDC. 

“We are seeing that children can have longer-term side effects, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, lethargy, again, different kinds of tiredness. So we are seeing that in children and adults,” Cohen said. “And so I think what we want to do is say we have a tool here that is safe and effective at preventing your child from getting COVID in the first place. Let’s use that safe and effective tool to make sure they don’t get COVID.”

Q: How prevalent is long-COVID in children?

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NBA games today: League Pass schedule for Friday, Nov. 12

Welcome in the weekend with a loaded NBA slate.

There are a full of 11 games to search forward to on Friday, Nov. 12. Two of them will be on ESPN — the Bucks and Celtics will facial area off at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Bulls getting on the Warriors at 10:00 p.m. — leaving the other 9 for League Move.

The action commences with a matchup concerning the Knicks and Hornets and finishes with a significant person fight among Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Davis.

NBA League Move: Indication up to unlock dwell out-of-market place video games (7-working day totally free demo)

NBA video games these days: Plan for Friday, Nov. 12

NBA plan for Friday, Nov. 12
Match Time (ET) Television
New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets 7:00 p.m. League Pass
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics 7:30 p.m. ESPN
Detroit Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers 7:30 p.m. League Move
Portland Path Blazers vs. Houston Rockets 8:00 p.m. League Go
Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies 8:00 p.m. League Move
Brooklyn Nets vs. New Orleans Pelicans 8:00 p.m. League Pass
Sacramento Kings vs. Oklahoma Town Thunder 8:00 p.m. League Go
Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs 8:30 p.m. League Go
Atlanta Hawks vs. Denver Nuggets 9:00 p.m. League Move
Chicago Bulls vs. Golden Point out Warriors 10:00 p.m. ESPN
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers 10:30 p.m. League Pass

League Go highlight: Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies

If you specially enjoy observing rookie showdowns, Pistons (Cade Cunningham) vs. Cavaliers (Evan Mobley) will be truly worth checking out. Otherwise, you are unable to go mistaken with Suns vs. Grizzlies.

The draw is a matchup in between two of the league’s most effective issue guards in Chris Paul and Ja Morant. Paul has, of course, been carrying out his thing for perfectly in excess of a 10 years now, while Morant is just finding began. He enters this matchup with averages of 26.5 points, 7.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds for each match on the year. He’s run the Grizzlies to a 6-5 start, placing them 50 percent a video game at the rear of the Lakers for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.

Paul and Morant have faced each and every other 6 occasions in their professions heading into Friday’s conference. They’ve received a few game titles every, Paul submitting averages of 18. details and 6.8 assists to Morant’s 15.8 factors and 6.3 helps.

There is no scarcity of talent outdoors of those people two. The Suns could be without Deandre Ayton yet again, but several players can get buckets like Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges is just one of the league’s premier 3-and-D wings. The Grizzlies have some intriguing youthful expertise on their own. Adhering to a promising rookie year, Desmond Bane has bumped his scoring average to 15. points for every sport to start out the year. Jaren Jackson Jr. has not been efficient, shooting only 38.5 percent from the area, but he is 1 of the a lot more intriguing younger bigs in the league right now.

The Grizzlies also welcomed Dillon Brooks again in their decline to the Hornets. In 26 minutes, he completed with 20 details and six assists.

This will be a further fantastic check for a Grizzlies crew that is searching to make some sound this year.