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Adam Taylor: From Sommelier to Financial Maverick in Tampa

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

Photo Credit: Taylor FinancialSuccess stories of real people make great reads but those that people can connect with are truly inspirational. One such story is Adam Taylor’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming a financial maverick in Tampa. Born and raised in Tallahassee, in the heart of Florida, Adam made his way into the world of hospitality, ultimately creating a thriving career in financial planning.Adam’s journey began with his thirst for knowledge and a deep passion for culinary arts. After graduating from the College of Business at Florida State University, he moved to San Francisco to chase his passion in the culinary world. Working with restaurants allowed him to immerse himself in the art of wine. This experience also helped him gain expertise in hospitality. He gradually scaled his career by moving to the New Orleans restaurant scene and later to Atlanta, honing his skills continually.While Adam felt like his career had started taking off, his life took a piv...

How SuperDville’s Social and Emotional Curriculum Accommodates The Needs Of Children With Learning Disabilities

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

The American education system has become infamous for below-average testing scores, teacher shortages, and other systemic issues that are taking a toll on educators and children alike. Performance in reading and math has been stagnant since the 2000s. Two-thirds of children aren’t meeting national reading standards either. The pandemic has also exacerbated many issues, leaving many children disengaged and unmotivated.Children with learning disabilities may have suffered the most from these compounding issues. One in five children nationwide deal with learning differences that negatively impact their education. Overall, America has 4 million children with diagnosed learning disabilities. The total number is much higher, but educators and schools may be unqualified or unable to diagnose children. This is because of miseducation about what learning disabilities are or how much additional funding they may require.However, American schools are federally required to design an Individualiz...

Monte Mahler: The Young Prodigy Pioneering Global Sneaker Commerce with Laces VA

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

From the streets of Richmond to the international markets of Japan and the elegant boulevards of France, Monte Mahler’s entrepreneurial spirit has left a memorable footprint. At just 15, while his peers were navigating the ups and downs of high school, Monte was already taking his first steps into the world of commerce. Sparking a revolution in the sneaker industry, he founded the brand “Laces VA.”Monte, the young dynamo behind Laces VA, didn’t just leap into business. During his sophomore year of high school, he caught sight of the potential riches within the sneaker industry. Armed with a tireless work ethic and clear vision, he dived deep. With boundless energy, Monte mastered critical networking skills. He connected with partners from England to China and from Canada to Turkey. His drive to cross borders and understand diverse cultures became the jet fuel propelling Laces VA to international recognition.Each connection was a story, an insight. Some contac...

Introducing Interwoven Studios | CULVER CITY: How Interwoven’s Latest Studio Opening is the Culmination of a Patient Exercise in Community-Building

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

Interwoven’s new CULVER CITY studio.Introducing Interwoven Studios | CULVER CITYThis summer, Interwoven Studios, the LA-based multi-media production agency and boutique studio operator, opened “Interwoven Studios | CULVER CITY,” the company’s second Los Angeles production studio location.Built to accommodate production teams of all shapes and sizes, the new 7,000 square-foot creative space features one oversized white cyc stage (35′ x 30′ x 15′, drive-on car access allowed), one green screen cyc stage (15′ x 15′ x 15′) and one colored backdrop shooting space. The studio also features a full kitchen, conference room, hair & makeup / wardrobe area, green rooms, a multi-media/podcast room, full bathrooms, outdoor space and designated on-site parking.The opening marks a significant milestone for Interwoven Studios. Already, the new space has welcomed renowned brands like Apple and Dior, A-list creatives like photographer Alana O’Herily and c...

Mailbag: Stanford and Cal caught in ACC breakup(?), Big Ten revenue shares, the Pac-2 lawsuit, media decisions and more

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

The Hotline mailbag publishes each Friday. Send questions to [email protected] and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line. Or hit me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline.Please note: Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity.With news of schools in the ACC possibly leaving soon, is there a chance the conference will be no more? Or will enough schools stick around? Also would Stanford and Cal look to work back to the Pac-12? — @ag10899So much to unpack with this topic, but let’s start with the core issue: The use of the word “news.”The Hotline is aware of the noise on social media. But we have yet to read or hear anything that resembles hard news about the imminent breakup of the ACC.It will happen, eventually. But the timeframe is more likely years than months or weeks.Next, we need to define what constitutes a breakup: Is that two or three schools leaving, or the majority? And where would they land?That was Florida State’s central pr...

Stanford defense facing another top-flight challenge in Oregon

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

After failing to offer any resistance against the top-scoring team in the country, Stanford gets another chance to stop a high-powered offense Saturday when Oregon visits Stanford Stadium (3:30 p.m., Pac-12 Network).The Ducks (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) are second in the country in points per game (54.0) behind Southern Cal (55.0). The Trojans led 49-3 at halftime against Stanford in the second week of the season before pulling Heisman-winning quarterback Caleb Williams in a game that ended 56-10.The Ducks have their own Heisman hopeful at quarterback in Bo Nix, who accounted for four touchdowns, including an 80-yard run, in last year’s 45-27 win over Stanford in Eugene.“He’s great in the pocket, gets himself out of trouble,” Cardinal coach Troy Taylor said. “He doesn’t rely on his running ability, but he’s a very good runner. He’s a guy that’s got a lot of confidence in his ability and the system. And they have good people around him.”Oregon leads the nation in yards ...

Editorial: Feinstein succeeded by eschewing political partisanship

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

In the current era of hyperpartisan state and national politics, elected leaders in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., should pause to reflect on Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s willingness to pragmatically reach across the aisle.The oldest member of the U.S. Senate, California’s first woman elected to the upper house of Congress, and the longest-tenured female senator in American history, Feinstein died Thursday night at her home in the nation’s capital. She was 90.For too many with only short-term memories, she will be remembered for her refusal to resign her Senate seat as her health failed and her mental acuity declined. But that narrow focus on the final few years of her life misses the importance of her political career that spanned more than half a century.Feinstein was not a political ideologue. She was a trailblazer and great leader respectful of the state’s diverse electorate and loathe to get too far ahead of it. It’s a legacy that Gov. Gavin Newsom should respect as he appoints he...

Livermore: Two sentenced to life for frenzied stabbing murder of 19-year-old woman

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

After five years, two Modesto residents have been given life sentences for the frenzied stabbing death of a 19-year-old co-worker who later identified them as she bled to death on a lonely Livermore road.The defendants are now identified as 24-year-old Kate-Lynn Armstrong — who used to go by Daniel Gross — and Melissa Leonardo, 30, two Modesto residents who were engaged to be married at the time of the attack. The victim, 19-year-old Lizette Andrea Cuesta, of Tracy, was riding in a vehicle with both her killers when Armstrong allegedly stabbed her 43 times with a large knife.Leonardo and Armstrong were engaged to be married at the time of the stabbing.In an extremely rare move, Armstrong pleaded guilty to murder almost immediately after being charged. Leonardo also entered a no contest plea to second degree murder. Both were sentenced Sept. 19, at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, to 15 years to life, with Armstrong receiving one extra year for use of a knife du...

McCarthy’s last-ditch plan to avoid a shutdown collapses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

By Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking and Stephen Groves | Associated PressWASHINGTON — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open collapsed on Friday as hard-right holdouts rejected the package, making a shutdown almost certain.McCarthy’s right-flank Republicans refused to support the bill despite its steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions, calling it insufficient.The White House and Democrats rejected the Republican approach as too extreme.The bill’s failure a day before Saturday’s deadline to fund the government leaves few options left to prevent a shutdown that will furlough federal workers, keep the military working without pay and disrupt programs and services for millions of Americans.The outcome puts McCarthy’s speakership in serious jeopardy with almost no political leverage to lead the House at a critical moment that has pushed the government into cr...

Who killed Tupac Shakur? What we know about the rapper’s murder investigation, almost 30 years later

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:52:00 GMT

By Alisha Ebrahimji | CNNFor almost three decades, the answer to “Who murdered Tupac Shakur?” has remained a mystery.Now, an arrest has been made in Las Vegas in connection with the legendary musician’s 1996 killing, a law enforcement source told CNN Friday.Duane Keith Davis, aka “Keffe D,” was arrested Friday morning, confirmed the source with knowledge of the investigation, adding Davis’ Henderson, Nevada, home was searched in July as part of the ongoing investigation into the shooting.Las Vegas Metro Police Department officials plan to hold a news conference later Friday, the source said.RELATED: Man tied to suspected shooter in Tupac Shakur’s 1996 killing arrested in Las VegasFor years, no suspect had been caught after Shakur was shot leaving a boxing match on the Las Vegas Strip in September 1996. With the murder unsolved, conspiracy theories have surfaced and left the world with more questions than answers.Here’s what we know about the musician’s life, his artistry, and his mu...