Latest news with #Kindred
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Man, teen charged in separate Gary, Hammond murders
Charges were unsealed this week for a man and a teen in separate Gary and Hammond murders. Lamont Wilkerson, 22, of Gary, is charged with murder, unlawful carrying of a handgun and one misdemeanor in the July 13 death of Edward Kindred, 23, of Gary. He is in custody. His next court date is Aug. 6. Indiana State Police Detective Roger Escutia of the Lake County Prosecutors' Homicide Task Force responded July 13 to Waverly Drive and Taft Street in Gary. Kindred was pronounced dead at Methodist Hospital. He died from a gunshot wound to his legs, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office. Police found 15 bullet shells at the scene. Video showed Kindred leaving Taft Foods when a silver car pulled up, a man in all white got out, followed Kindred briefly, then opened fire before fleeing. A second man also got out, but police weren't sure if he fired a gun. Moments later, as Kindred was 'limping away' and holding a weapon, he appeared to draw as he was attacked. Police appeared to identify the suspect as Wilkerson after he was seen on video pumping gas a day earlier – matching his picture to a police database. The car appears to be the same one later seen fleeing the murder. He was wearing the same clothes. The car was registered to Wilkerson's relative. Investigators found it torched July 17 on the 1100 block of Wright Street. Kindred loved basketball and had a 'heart to help people,' his obituary stated. In the second murder, a Hammond teen was arrested after a married couple smoking marijuana were found shot up in a car. The assailant wore a black mask, records show. Xavier Cruz, now 18, of Hammond, was charged with murder and attempted murder in November with the Sept. 14, 2024, death of Steven Gonzalez, 20, of Hammond. Gonzalez's death was ruled a homicide. Hammond Police Detective James Onohan responded around 5:46 p.m. that evening to the 400 block of Huehn Street. Police recovered a gun magazine in the grass eight feet away. They also found five 9-mm shells. Surveillance footage showed three males walking in a gangway toward the car. One, Cruz's relative, now 20, has not been charged to date in public filings. A third teen was a light-skinned Hispanic, with glasses, a Chicago Bulls baseball hat and wavy hair. 'He just smoked them,' Cruz's relative said after the shooting. Afterwards, Cruz and his relative went to a home on the 4000 block of Towle Avenue. The man who lived there at first declined to let police in the home, but then gave permission. An older woman and three male teens were allowed to leave before a SWAT team raided it. After a search warrant, police found blood on a closet door and the floor. They seized cellphones, drugs, ammunition, and a gun hidden in the basement ceiling, which matched ballistics found at the scene. A warrant for Cruz's relative's phone eventually led to the third teen. Police learned Cruz's relative alleged the female victim recently stole a gun from him, and Xavier Cruz was the alleged shooter. Anyone with information can reach Escutia at 219-755-385 or Onohan at 219-853-6490.
TechCrunch
11-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Justine Palefsky, Author at TechCrunch
Justine Palefsky Justine Palefsky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kindred, a global home swapping community she launched in 2021 with co-founder Tasneem Amina. Prior to Kindred, Justine was on the early teams at Opendoor and Homebound and began her career at Bain & Company. She holds a degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University. Raised in San Francisco in a home where the family's studio apartment was always open to extended relatives and friends, Justine grew up seeing hospitality as a way of life – an early model of reciprocal travel that later inspired Kindred. She's based inSan Francisco but travels often to New York, Chicago, and Europe, and is an avid drawer, painter, and magical thinker.
Business Wire
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Westlake Royal Building Products ™ Launches Outdoor Design Tool for Kindred ™ Outdoors + Surrounds
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Westlake Royal Building Products ™ ('Westlake Royal'), a Westlake company (NYSE:WLK), announces the launch of its new Outdoor Design Tool for Kindred ™ Outdoors + Surrounds —an interactive visualizer that helps users imagine, design and plan custom outdoor living spaces with ease. Whether building new or enhancing an existing area, the tool provides an intuitive, hands-on experience to explore products, experiment with layouts and make confident design decisions. The new Outdoor Design Tool is an immersive platform that allows homeowners, contractors and landscape architects to create detailed outdoor designs, starting with a layout and then customizing with Kindred's easy-to-install solutions. Users can incorporate a wide range of Kindred products, including Signature Kitchens, outdoor cabinets, fire bowls, fireplaces and fire pits, available in multiple finishes and colors. Designs can be further customized with a curated selection of architectural stone veneer, cooking appliances like grills and ovens, as well as lighting, flooring, furniture, plants and more to create a realistic and fully imagined space. 'We're thrilled to introduce the new Outdoor Design Tool for Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds,' said Steve Booz, vice president of marketing at Westlake Royal Building Products. 'Whether for personal inspiration or professional use, this tool empowers users to visualize and personalize their space with Kindred's beautiful, functional products—designed to bring outdoor living visions to life.' To simplify and streamline the journey from concept to construction, users can use the tool to generate a design summary to guide contractors through the planning and specification stages, ensuring a smooth, efficient build process. In addition to the tool's design capabilities, in-platform guidance is also available to support users throughout the process. This includes helpful callouts and tips for using a variety of tools—such as controlling lighting conditions, adjusting viewing angles and tracking products applied to the space—making it especially valuable for first-time users exploring the platform's robust features. Explore the Kindred Outdoor Design Tool by visiting: 1 About Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds creates thoughtfully designed outdoor living solutions that bring people together in beautiful, functional spaces. From handcrafted fire bowls and fireplace surrounds to fully equipped outdoor kitchens, Kindred products are made for connection, comfort and conversation—both inside and outside the home. Launched in 2020, Kindred offers easy-to-install solutions that can be specified with any manufactured stone from the Westlake Royal Building Products portfolio, including Eldorado Stone, Cultured Stone, Dutch Quality and StoneCraft. For more information, visit About Westlake Royal Building Products Westlake Royal Building Products USA Inc., a Westlake company (NYSE:WLK), is a leader throughout North America in the innovation, design, and production of a broad and diverse range of exterior and interior building products, including Siding and Accessories, Trim and Mouldings, Roofing, Stone, Windows and Outdoor Living. Westlake Royal Building Products manufactures high quality, low maintenance products to meet the specifications and needs of building professionals, homeowners, architects, engineers and distributors, while providing stunning curb appeal with an unmatched array of colors, styles, and accessories. For more information, please visit Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram and 'Like' us on Facebook.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who Is Mephisto in Marvel? Powers of Ironheart's Potential Villain Listed
After Ironheart scattered some more hints in its first three episodes, there has been a spike in interest in Mephisto, one of the most iconic villains in Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Silver Surfer #3 back in 1968 and has remained crucial over the years. So, as rumors continue to swirl about the character appearing in Ironheart, here is a full breakdown of who he is and what powers he has. Mephisto was created by Stan Lee and John Buscema for Marvel comics. The character is based on Mephistopheles, a demon character from the Faust legend. The character was originally an antagonist to Silver Surfer and Ghost Rider, but extended beyond this over the years. Mephisto even appeared in Ghost Rider (2007), played by Peter Fonda, and in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), played by Ciaran Hinds. According to the lore, Mephisto claims that the supreme being died by suicide, which led to his creation. The supreme being's death allegedly created the whole Marvel Universe as well as the infinity stones. Mephisto has a totally evil nature and claims that this was also determined by the supreme being. Over the years, Mephisto has played a major role in several defining events. He captured and held the soul of Cynthia von Doom, and he caused the respective transformations of Norman and Harry Osborn into the Green Goblin and Kindred. Mephisto has many powers in Marvel Comics. He is an extremely powerful, immortal demonic entity who can manipulate and use magic. Using his powers, Mephisto can gain superhuman physical attributes, shape, and size-shifting abilities. He can also project illusions, manipulate memories, and alter time and reality. He is also highly durable and can recover from practically anything. Mephisto often acquires souls by making pacts with humans. The Ironheart narrative could use this as a device.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FDJ UNITED Capital Markets Day
FDJ UNITED continues to pursue sustainable value creation and announces its financial and non-financial strategy and goals for 2028 Following the success of its strategic plan and the consolidation of Kindred, acquired in autumn 2024, FDJ UNITED is continuing its transformation At its Capital Markets Day, the Group is presenting its "Play Forward 2028" strategic plan and associated targets, as it continues its sustainable and profitable growth trajectory / momentum Over the period 2025-2028, FDJ UNITED aims to assert its leadership in Europe as a responsible lottery, gaming and betting operator and expects to achieve: Sustainable financial performance in line with the ongoing value creation pursued under the previous strategic plan, with average annual organic revenue growth of around 5% and a recurring EBITDA margin of over 26% by 2028, driven by operating leverage combined with the efficiency measures taken by FDJ UNITED Year-on-year dividend growth, reflecting the Group's performance and medium-term outlook, based on a payout ratio of at least 75% of adjusted net profit1 Confirmed non-financial performance, with a dual commitment – unique among betting and gaming operators – to continue to reduce the proportion of revenue attributable to at-risk players and to gradually raise the level of its voluntary contribution to social and environmental causes, to 5% of the Group's reported net profit by 2030, compared with 2.7% in 2024 BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT, France, June 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: FDJ UNITED (Paris:FDJ), a leader in betting and gaming in Europe, is holding its Investor Day today to present its operational, ESG and financial goals under its "Play Forward 2028" strategic plan. Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman and CEO of FDJ UNITED, commented: "FDJ UNITED has undergone a considerable transformation since its IPO, with financial and non-financial performance underscoring the success of our strategy for sustainable, profitable growth. 2025 is a pivotal year for the Group, with the consolidation of Kindred, the benefits of which are reflected in our "Play Forward 2028" strategic plan. This plan opens a new chapter in our transformation, with the ambition of asserting our position as Europe's leading responsible betting and gaming operator, based on a more diversified, more digital and more international business portfolio. "Play Forward 2028" aims to continue to create value for our shareholders and all our stakeholders." FDJ UNITED continues to pursue sustainable value creation The Group's performance in 2019-2024 demonstrated the relevance of its strategy, notably focused on expanding its digital and international presence, while maintaining solid business momentum at its points of sale in France. As a result, the Group's international presence now accounts for around 26% of its revenue, compared with 3% in 2019, and the share of digital revenue has risen from 5% to 35% over the period. Between 2019 and 2024, through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, FDJ UNITED's revenue increased by a factor of 1.8, to €3.8 billion,2 with average annual organic growth of over 5%. recurring EBITDA has increased by a factor of 2.3, to €964 million,2 equating to a recurring EBITDA margin that rose by nearly 500 basis points to over 25% in 2024. This high level of profitability can be explained both by the operating leverage of FDJ UNITED's businesses and by the performance-driven culture intrinsic to the Group. Guidance for 2025 confirmed Taking into account the strong performance achieved in 2024, the impact in 2025 of the sharp increase in taxes on betting and gaming in France and the Netherlands as well as the stricter implementation of regulations in major markets, FDJ UNITED expects to see revenue remain stable over the financial year, compared to 2024 pro forma, and a recurring EBITDA margin of over 24%. Solid targets for 2028 Over the period 2025-2028, FDJ UNITED aims to assert its leadership in Europe as a responsible lottery, gaming and betting operator and expects to see: - Average annual organic revenue growth of around 5%- Recurring EBITDA margin of over 26% by 2028 Margin growth is driven by the operating leverage generated by business growth combined with the efficiency measures taken by FDJ UNITED, for a total impact over the 2025-2028 period of more than €120 million, more than half of which is attributable to the Online betting and gaming BU and nearly 40% to the French lottery and retail sports betting BU. The Group will benefit from its past and future investments in the use of data and artificial intelligence to further improve the gaming range and player experience in a responsible manner. - Recurring EBITDA to free cash flow conversion rate remaining above 80%- Cumulative capital expenditure of between €650 and €700 million, equating to an annual amount towards the lower end of the Group's historical range of 4% to 5% of revenue- Net debt to recurring EBITDA ratio less than or equal to 2x, with Investment-Grade debt An attractive dividend policy FDJ UNITED is pursuing its attractive dividend policy, with year-on-year dividend growth reflecting its performance and medium-term outlook, based on a payout ratio of at least 75% of adjusted net profit. Confirmed non-financial commitments At the same time, FDJ UNITED plans to continue expanding its CSR initiatives and to maintain its non-financial performance at the highest level. FDJ UNITED is therefore making a dual commitment, unique among betting and gaming operators, to: - Continue to reduce the proportion of its revenue attributable to high-risk players. In addition to the highly promising results already achieved by both FDJ and Kindred before their tie-up, the Group is working on setting new targets, which will be shared in early 2026.- Raise the level of its voluntary contribution to social and environmental causes to 5% of the Group's reported net profit by 2030, compared with 2.7% in 2024. Within this framework, FDJ UNITED announces an investment of €5 million in Averrhoa Nature-Based Solutions, a fund led by Ardian in partnership with aDryada aiming at restoring forests, wetlands and mangroves and contributing to carbon sequestration from the atmosphere while generating high-quality carbon credits By business activity: The French lottery and retail sports betting BU is aiming to achieve sustainable, profitable growth in its pool of players, across its two distribution channels, complemented by an omnichannel approach. The main driver of growth over the period 2025-2028 is expected to be the influx of more than one million additional players, compared with 27 million players in 2024.3 This influx will be driven both by the expansion of the point-of-sale network to cover large food retailers – which could account for 20% of the physical network by 2028, to offset closures in the traditional network of bar-tobacco-press outlets – and by the development of the online channel, which is expected to account for 20% of lottery revenue by 2028. At the same time, the Group's omnichannel player account and its FDJ & Moi programme will help raise the share of identified players to over 25%. The BU's ambition is expected to result in: - Average annual revenue growth in the low to mid-single digit, low single digit for points of sale and low to mid-teens for ilottery- Recurring EBITDA margin of over 35% by 2028 The Online betting and gaming BU's ambition is to expand its positions in all its markets, with rapid growth in revenue and even greater growth in profitability. This responsible development is based on an engaging gaming experience supported by a differentiating marketing strategy, the unique scalable proprietary platform KSP, and greater operational efficiency to outperform the markets in which the Group is present and benefit from significant operating leverage. The BU's ambition is expected to result in: - Growth in market share and stronger positioning in all geographic markets, with the aim of being in the top 3 in seven of its eight main European markets, for average annual revenue growth in the high single digit- Higher growth in recurring EBITDA, with a recurring EBITDA margin of over 30% by 2028 FDJ UNITED's 2025 Capital Markets Day will begin at 3:00 p.m. today. All presentation materials and recordings will be available on FDJ UNITED's website at the following address: About FDJ UNITED FDJ UNITED is one of Europe's leading betting and gaming operators, with a vast portfolio of iconic brands and a reputation for technological excellence. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in more than 10 regulated markets, the Group offers a diversified, responsible range of games, both under exclusive rights and open to competition: lottery games in France and Ireland, via an extensive point-of-sale network and online; sports betting at points of sale in France; and online games open to competition (sports and horse-race betting, poker and online casino games, in markets where these activities are authorised). FDJ UNITED has placed responsibility at the heart of its strategy and promotes recreational betting. The Group is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (FDJU) and is part of the SBF 120, Euronext 100, Euronext Vigeo 20, EN EZ ESG L 80, STOXX Europe 600, MSCI Europe and FTSE Euro indices. For more information, visit ______________________________ 1 Adjusted net profit: the Group adjusts consolidated net profit for amortisation of intangible assets and depreciation of property, plant and equipment, recognised or revalued when allocating the acquisition price of business combinations, and for changes in tax resulting from these items.2 Data for 2029 restated in particular for the new tax regime applicable from 1 January 2020 and 2024 pro forma data with Kindred consolidated as of 1 January 2024.3 FDJ UNITED estimate based on players registered online and at points of sale (Mediamétrie 2024). View source version on Contacts Media Contact 01 41 10 33 82 | media@ Investor Relations Contact 01 41 04 19 74 | invest@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
