Inequities within our society that have persisted over decades have never been more evident than in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated the digital divide for learners and has laid bare the challenges that todays college students face around ensuring their basic needs are met. In addition to the pandemic, racial injustice in America further highlights the need to eliminate equity gaps.

Like a flash of lightning in the night, the pandemic revealed all the cracks and fissures hidden in the landscape and gave us a stark and unsparing look at the cavernous wealth and attainment gap before us in our Black and Brown urban communities, in the immigrant communities of our gateway cities and in our poor, white communities in the rural regions, Dr. Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College, said in the recent Dallas Herring lecture, entitled Insights from the Pandemic: The Reckoning and the Hope at Our Nations Community Colleges.

To reduce inequities within our society, we have to address the root causes of these disparities. And while there are many potential solutions, wide-open access to education has long been a hallmark of the American dream though one that is not realized for Black, Latinx, and Native American populations. North Carolinas Career and College Promise program provides college coursework through the local community college to high school juniors and seniors. Career and College Promise increases access to the states higher education pipeline and has the potential to reduce college attainment gaps.

Community colleges can be a catalyst for this needed change given their open access missions, embedded nature within the community, and credential programs intended to meet the needs of lifelong learners and the local workforce. North Carolinas Community College System (NCCCS) is uniquely positioned to achieve these aims. The 58 community colleges within NCCCS were specifically designed to be within 30 minutes of any North Carolinian, and my research confirms this is true for more than 99% of residents. Simply being located near a community college reduces barriers to access because a prospective student does not have to travel far and is likely to have more familiarity with their local college.

Another benefit of having community colleges embedded locally across the state is the partnerships between the college and the K-12 schools. These partnerships can lead to early and increased exposure for K-12 students to the college environment. Many of North Carolinas community colleges conduct campus tours as early as eighth grade, community colleges are home to Early College High Schools, and most importantly, community colleges provide opportunities for high school students to earn college credit through the Career and College Promise program.

Within Career and College Promise, there are two pathways for students to choose from. The first is the College Transfer Pathway which consists primarily of general education courses meant to transfer to one of the University of North Carolina System (UNC) institutions. That pathway is governed by the states Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA). The CAA is a joint effort between NCCCS and the UNC System and it establishes the foundation of course transfer between the two systems with the goal of increasing students degree completion through maximizing applicability of credit. While the agreement is not perfect, the CAA establishes the necessary structure and organization around successful between-system transfer. The second pathway is Career and Technical Education meant to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and credentials to enter the workforce.

The goal of Career and College Promise is to increase the number of completed associate and bachelors degrees for North Carolinas residents by providing early access to college while a student is in high school. Early access to college allows students to try on college while in the more familiar environment of high school. Students are able to practice their new time management skills, study skills, and experience the academic rigors of college with the added support often offered by faculty and staff. College courses taken early in high school that apply to students associate and bachelors degrees also save students valuable time and money as they pursue higher education.

While these benefits are common across many dual enrollment programs, North Carolina takes further steps to broaden access. For instance, the North Carolina state legislature has recognized the value of creating a pipeline into and through postsecondary education and covers the cost of tuition for the Career and College Promise. This funding allows students to take advantage of the program without fewer financial constraints.

There are costs such as transportation, books, and supplies which are not covered by the program. However, tuition is the largest college expense, making it an important factor when thinking about how to reach low-income and historically underserved students. Career and College Promise is offered statewide, further reducing geographic barriers in access to education.

Further, the legislature has funded career coaches who are professional staff members that help high school students explore their college and career options. Community colleges across the state also have designated Career and College Promise liaisons who facilitate the delivery of the program. These factors combined not only promise to cover tuition but open the promise of a college education to many students who may not have considered going to college otherwise.

The benefits of Career and College Promise extend beyond increasing student access to higher education. In my own research, I found that students who participated in the program in 2015-2016 and/or 2016-2017 had a higher probability of enrolling in a North Carolina community college after high school, had higher persistence rates, had higher community college graduation rates, and had a higher college GPA when compared to students who did not participate in the program. The Career and College Promise program has all of the right components: free tuition, broad accessibility, support for students, and participation is associated with positive educational outcomes. As of the 2019-20 academic year, the program enrolls more than 70,000 students across the state.

While the foundation of the program is firmly established and there is broad support and participation in the program, Career and College Promise is not equitably reaching populations of students that are historically underserved in higher education. Relative to all North Carolina 10th graders in the 2014-2015 academic year, students who go on to participate in the College Transfer Pathway are more likely to be female (63% compared to 50%) and white (76% to 56%), to speak English at home (93% compared to 86%), and to have a higher high school GPA (4.0 on average, compared to 3.2).

In another aspect of my research that focuses specifically on historically underrepresented students, it is apparent that students that meet these criteria are more likely to participate in the Career and Technical Education Pathway. Relative to their counterparts in the College Transfer Pathway, students in the Career and Technical Education Pathway are more likely to be Black (20% compared to 11%), Latinx (11% compared to 6%), to be economically disadvantaged (48% compared to 30%) and to speak Spanish at home (11% compared to 5%).

Given we know that Black, Latinx, and low-income students are among the groups of students least likely to access higher education, it is important that state-wide marketing, recruitment, and retention policy focus on these populations so that North Carolinas College Transfer Pathway provides postsecondary opportunities for students who may not already be college-bound. The postsecondary pipeline from the high schools through the community colleges and to the universities in North Carolina is strong, and Career and College Promise has already opened access to more than 27% of high school graduates across the state.

However, for North Carolina to fully realize the potential impact of Career and College Promise on postsecondary attainment, to reduce inequities and close postsecondary attainment gaps, the program must provide equitable access for Black, Latinx, and Native American populations.

Sarah A. Deal, Ph. D. is a research affiliate at the Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. Deal researches topics including dual enrollment, college access, and rural student success. Deal focuses on policy and practitioner-relevant research, leveraging her 10 years of experience working in higher education within North Carolina, most recently with the North Carolina Community College System. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development in 2020 at North Carolina State University and is a Lead Consultant with DVP-PRAXIS LTD.

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When busy empty-nesters Donna, an immunologist, and David, a European history professor, traded in their New Jersey family home for a more modestly-sized apartment on New York City's Upper West Side, they knew they'd need some redecorating and renovation guidance from a pro. So they enlisted Joe Human of Designs by Human, who specializes in both construction and decorating for a holistic approach. Down-sizing meant prioritizing a guest bedroom for the occasional home visit from their grown children, but they also needed a designated home office, so Human helped them do bothin one room.

Whether you're trying to figure out how to design a spare room or you could use a little guidance for your own bedroom-meets-home-office, the transformational guest room makeover below is sure to inspire good functional and formal change. Keep reading to discover the do's and don'ts of guest room and home office decorating.

As many of us can personally attest, focusing on work and being productive in the same room where you're supposed to rest, relax, and unwind can feel impossible. But all it really takes is a strategic layout to help break the room into different zones based upon use-case, and versatile decor. In this room, Human started by "toning down some of the colors" and landed on a muted olive green anchor color, Benjamin Moore's Vintage Vogue (the ceiling is Ceiling White and molding, doors, and trim in China White semigloss), which is a nice balance between stimulating and stylish, soothing and understatedin other words, ideal for a bedroom-office hybrid. "It should draw out your creativity and actually make you want to go into that room to get things done," Human says.

If you're trying to come up with a color scheme for this type of room, Human has some advice: "I see and hear all the time that, 'everything must be white and light to feel bright' and it is simply not true! This room was lighter in color tones in almost every way, but now it feels so much lighter and brightereven with all the dark colorsand now is so much more interesting."

The couple's condo is in a classic New York Art Deco building, so Human wanted to accentuate some of that original character. He added "intricately detailed crown molding to bring in that modern take on Art Deco" design. And while the couple didn't have the budget for real wood wainscoting, the existing wood chair rail running the perimeter was able to function as a makeshift alternative. Plus, it could work as a dividing line that allowed for a fun wallpaper moment. "What do we miss in while living in NYC? Nature! I didnt want a literal picture of trees or a floral print because this room had to remain neutral for guests, so we found this wonderful vintage-inspired mural-scape from Anthropologie that almost extends the space further and makes the room feel larger than it actually is."

Hanging full, voluminous drapes warmed up the room and extended the life of the wallpaper into the dimensional space. (Not to mention, the window treatments gives guests the green light to sleep in and relax without blocking any of the natural light when open.) Human brightened up the space with "newer, more useful overhead fixtures and then the addition of side lamps for accent lighting." Oh! And, of course, comfy bedding is a must for a guest room. Human opted for a Brooklinen set.

"The size of the room was ample but as you can see, there was a mish-mosh of items that needed to be curated and made cohesive." We're all for incorporating sentimental items and furniture in a roomthose items can become the very lifeblood of the space, since they often communicate your personal style and interests. For example, the little stuffed doll on the dresser of this room, is "a sock puppet made by our daughter out of some of Donna's old socks! Next to it is an origami dragon, also made by her," the homeowner David says.

The books are another good example. "Their book collection is honestly one of my favorite things" about the entire space, Human says. "In so many projects, I get to curate book collections for clients. But I was so happy to see the existing collection here." All it took was a little reorganizing. While the books were "literally overflowing in the space when we got there," they now look nice and orderly thanks to another bookshelf made to house the books.

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Salemis ready to serve its visitors during theholiday season, as fewer crowds lead to intimate shopping experiences. Salemhas so much to offer during theholidayseason, says Kate Fox, executive director of DestinationSalem. It is magical to stroll through theSalemCommon and see the lights and enjoy the picturesque backdrop of downtownSalem.

In response to the economic impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Massachusetts local businesses and communities, the state has launched the #mylocalMA campaign to help drive business and economic recovery to small businesses and Main Streets across the state such as downtownSalem. In addition, economic development catalyzer Creative Collectiveis running a separate hyper-local campaign, #StayLocalSalem and #StayLocal2020.

We are happy to welcome visitors back toSalemfor theholidayseason. The crowds are light this time of year and walking around and accessing shops and restaurants is easy, says Kim Driscoll, Mayor ofSalem. There are new shops and restaurants in the community that are excited to share theholidayexperience with visitors.

While walking between stores,holidayrevelers can grab a decadent hot chocolate from a stop onSalemshot chocolate crawl,and take in some festive photo opportunities such as theholidaytree next to the statue of Samantha fromBewitched.Salemis celebrating the recent opening of many new businesses and expanded offerings from old favorites. Once the shopping is done, enjoy your favorite local museums and restaurants.

Start yourholidayshopping inSalem, where you can find intimate shopping experiences in local shops. For example, the shops at Artists Row feature items by local artisans such as candles, jewelry, and artwork. In addition to the diverse range of stores on Essex Street, including Moodys Home & Gifts, Wicked Good Books, and the PEM Shop, Pickering Wharf offers many options forholidaygifts in stores like Merry and Bright, Partridge in a Bear Tree, andSalemdipity. DestinationSalemhas created lists of ideas for presents such asmasks,ornaments, and overallgiftsfromSalem-based stores and boutiques.

Salemhas many new businesses this year like Beverly Bees in Artists Row, Botanica / Hermetic Arts Center, City Smoke Shop, Coven Beauty Company, GNU Kitchen, Jenni Stuart Fine Jewelry, Pentagram, Sage, Settler, Shindig Studios at Artists Row, the Juicery, and Spitfire Tacos. In addition to the new businesses, many popular locales such asSalemArts Association, District Trading Company, The Boutique, and Jolie Tea Company have expanded their spaces.

Salem is renowned for its food scene and in addition to indoor dining, the culinary community is ready for the cold weather as many restaurants have been outfitted with tents and heaters to extend outdoor dining through the end of November. Enjoy award-winning pizza from Bambolina, local cuisine from Ledger Restaurant & Bar, or the freshest seafood at Turners or Finz.For a list of DestinationSalemrecommended restaurants, visitsalem.org/eat.

Hotels inSalemoffer cozy rooms forholidayvisitors, sometimes even offering in-room fireplaces. The hotels and inns ofSalemare a perfect place to get comfortable inside and plan out the next day for shopping inSalem. There are seasonal specials to consider when booking a hotel such as the historic Hawthorne Hotel and TheSalemInn, contemporarySalemWaterfront Hotel and Suites, mid-century modern gem The HotelSalem, and the new Hampton InnSalem. Clickherefor a list of recommended hotels and inns.

A long-standing favorite, HistoricSalemis adapting to COVID-1 restrictions and hosting avirtual tourof historic houses decorated for theholidays. Peabody Essex Museum is offering aholidayexperience with seasonal decorations and shop specials.Click herefor a list of recommended museums and attractions.

DestinationSalemhas launched a new mobile app to assist visitors toSalemin accessing the latest information. This new app features news, information on walking tours, educational content, and location-based notifications. The app is available for iOS and Android and can be found on the App Stores by searching for DestinationSalem, Mass.

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7 Ways to Celebrate the Season in Salem This Year - nshoremag.com

ESPN will utilize its signature MegaCast production for its NFL Wild Card presentation (January 9 or 10), marking the concepts NFL postseason debut and delivering fans the most extensive multi-channel NFL Playoff game offering to date. Viewers will be treated to at least four distinct presentations across five Walt Disney Company networks as ESPN and ABC will simulcast the traditional telecast, ESPN2 and Freeform will produce their own distinct viewing experiences and ESPN Deportes will air the Spanish-language offering.

ESPNs Monday Night Football commentator team of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry will call the game on ESPN and ABC, while ESPN2 and Freeform will utilize a separate set of commentators and format. Details on the additional productions, including personalities for those presentations, will be announced in the coming weeks.

ABC to Simulcast Two Upcoming Monday Night Football GamesPrior to the NFL Wild Card game, ABC will also simulcast two Monday Night Football contests in December as ESPN concludes its regular season slate. Buffalo vs. San Francisco on December 7 and Buffalo at New England on December 28 will be on ABC and ESPN, with both networks airing the traditional telecasts featuring Levy, Griese, Riddick, Salters, and Parry. All three games will also be streamed across devices on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ABC and NFL digital properties, and on mobile via NFL and Verizon Media properties.

In addition to tonights game, Seattle at Philadelphia, ESPNs remainingMonday Night Footballslate includes Baltimore at Cleveland on December 14 and Pittsburgh at Cincinnati on December 21. In addition to airing on ESPN, these games are available to be streamed across the same digital and mobile platforms referenced above, with the exception of ABC. AllMonday Night Footballgames begin at 8 p.m. ET.

NFL Draft, Raiders Las Vegas Debut Among ESPNs Enhanced NFL Productions This YearESPNs NFL Wild Card MegaCast production and additional ABC Monday Night Football simulcasts continue a series of enhanced NFL productions in 2020. In April, ESPN, ABC and NFL Networks collaborative NFL Draft presentation shattered viewership records and was also lauded as a technological triumph. Then, in September, ESPN showcased the Raiders first home game in Las Vegas with a multi-network presentation, including a national simulcast on ABC and distinctive presentation on ESPN2.

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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; [emailprotected] and @DerekVolner

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ESPN Activates MegaCast Production for NFL Wild Card Presentation; Most-Extensive Multi-Channel NFL Playoff Game Offering to Date - ESPN Press Room

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

Christmas Day for the royal family is going to look a bit different this year. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there won't be an annual walk to services at St. Mary Magdalene church, and Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip won't be spending the holidays at Sandringham estatebreaking a decades-long royal tradition. Instead, the couple plans to celebrate "quietly" at Windsor Castle.

But even if the Queen and Prince Philip are having a low-key Christmas, it'll still be plenty festive. Windsor Castle has been decorated to the nines this year with Christmas trees, twinkle lights, and festive garlands.

The centerpiece of the castle's Christmas decor is a 20-foot-high Norway spruce tree, sourced from Windsor Great Park. The tree sits in St. George's Hall, the largest room in the castle, and is decorated with 3,000 lights and hundreds of iridescent ornaments. Starting today, visitors to Windsor Castle can also view this jaw-dropping tree, which took Royal Collection Trust staff two full days to decorate.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

In addition to the spruce, other parts of the castle were also gussied up for the holiday season. The State Dining Room now showcases the Grand Service, a silver-gilt dining service commissioned by King George IV in 1806 (while he was Prince Regent), in honor of the bicentenary of George IVs accession to the throne. The service, which consists of over 4,000 pieces, is still used by the royal family today for State Banquets.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

In other parts of the castle, holiday decorations complement existing features. Garlands pepper the Grand Staircase, which is home to some of the most notable arms and armor from the Royal Collection. In the Queen's Gallery, small Christmas trees line the room's perimeter, standing alongside rare silver furniture.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

And finally, while the 20-foot spruce might be the most impressive tree in Windsor Castle, it is by no means the only one. In the Inner Hall sits another Christmas tree, decorated with shimmering lights and ornaments. The space, created by George IV in the 1820s as an area to greet official guests, is now the first room visitors see when they enter the castle.

Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

Those who visit the royal residence this holiday season should be sure to also stop by the castle's Undercroft Caf. For the holiday season only, the restaurant will serve a variety of festive fare, from turkey sandwiches to cranberry and orange clairs.

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A Ukrainian Village workers cottage, little changed since 1920 and likely built originally by one of the legendary post-Chicago Fire rebuilders of the city, is on the market for the second time this year.

Priced at $660,000, the one-and-a-half story brick house on Walton Street appears to be a Kerfoot cottage,the classic Chicago houses that William Kerfoots real estate firm built by the dozens in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Kerfoot was the real estate man who advertised in the first edition of the Chicago Tribune published after the October 1871 fire, all gone but wife, children and energy. To some people, he represents the I Will spirit that rebuilt the city in subsequent years.

While its not certain that the Walton Street house, built in 1895, is one of Kerfoots, he is known to have been a prolific builder in the neighborhood between 1886 and 1907.

With its trim brick exterior and steep gabled roof, it has the look and feel of a Kerfoot, said Rich Anselmo, the @properties agent representing the home. Anselmo said hes been part of the sale of at least a dozen Kerfoot cottages, representing either buyer or seller, over the years. This one, Anselmo said, is the closest to original condition Ive seen.

Two successive ownershave failed to follow through on updating the home, which Anselmo said leaves it largely as it was in 1920. The family that owned it from 1920 through 2007 updated only a toilet and some light fixtures in all that time, he said. He knows the toilet is from 1946 because the date is stamped inside the tank.

A buyer who paid $465,000 for the house in 2007 got distracted by another project and didnt get around to updating this one, Anselmo said, and the next buyer, who paid $627,500 in July, hasdecided not to go through with a planned rehab. The secondowner put the house on the market Nov. 30, asking for $660,000.

The house has old-fashioned kitchen and bathroom sinks and no kitchen cabinetry, all of which would demand updating. At the same time, it has desirable vintage features intact: pocket doors and wood window and door frames. The cost of rehab would likely start in the $400,000s, Anselmo said, and could go much higher if it included a family room addition off the back.

The house, seen in the center of the photo at the top of this story, is flanked by a homebuilt in the 2010s to replicate the look of Kerfoot cottages (on the left in the photo) and another original one. They are in a landmark district that prevents demolition.

A fully rehabbed Kerfoot cottage across the street sold for $850,000 in June 2019.

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An 1890s cottage is on the market for second time this year - Crain's Chicago Business

Soak up the scene.

After the world shuttered in response to the pandemic, numerous hotels took advantage of the empty hallways and guest rooms to make substantial renovations. Many of these improvements are an attempt to cater to new travel habits in the age of COVID, when comfort is even more paramount and guests are sticking close to the property, staying for longer spurts of time and seeking out spaces for both work and play.

Here are some newly refreshed Forbes Travel Guide-approved hotels to visit when you are ready to travel:

The St. Regis Toronto

Canadas sole St. Regis outpost enlisted Toronto-based Chapi Chapo Design to remake its 258 accommodations the citys largest. The firm gave the spaces a more residential feel, adding chaise lounge sofas, sizable desks, reading lights built into the headboards, Nespresso machines and 65-inch smart LG TVs. Lake Ontario, which sits a mile away, inspired the use of deep blue patterns throughout.

The hotel also debuted the 31st-floor Iridium Spa, the countrys highest luxury spa. Swathed in earthy colors, the sleek facility specializes in bespoke treatments like the Stress Relief massage.

Step into the bright, modern lobby.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort

Nestled on 200 acres next to a preserve, the San Diego hotel has always been a place to relish the great outdoors. Now, thanks to a $50 million makeover, it continues to focus on its surroundings with an airy lobby overlooking the ocean, an adult pool with luxe cabanas and a family pool with a waterslide and tide pool splash pad. Even the refreshed rooms take their cue from nature: the color palette comes from the local great blue heron.

More changes are afoot: celebrity chef Richard Blais will open a vintage steak and seafood restaurant here in March 2021.

Bask in beachfront accommodations.

Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, Mexico

At this beachfront paradise, the revamped rooms have shades that pay homage to the blue-footed booby birds endemic to the Marietas Islands just off the coast. Area artisans created the dcor, including decorative volcanic stone and clay pieces, teak and huanacaxtle wood furniture, traditional textiles and Huichol art consisting of tiny colorful beads wedged into wax representing the peninsula. A new minibar features products tied to Punta Mita and a locally made copper backsplash. And watch out for the new Beach Houses; they arrive December 19.

Spend time in these elegant spaces.

Mandarin Oriental, Munich

The Munich hotel marks its 20th anniversary this year by emerging from the most extensive renovation in its history. It unveiled new guest rooms and suites that elegantly mix different styles (like historic heritage furniture with a contemporary color scheme) and feature images of the Alps by local artist Felix Rehfeld (a tribute to Munich being the gateway to the peaks). Expect special in-room perks, like butlers, locally produced biodegradable coffee capsules for Nespresso machines, a bar with daily creations by Matsuhisa Munich and a daily champagne experience from a roving trolley.

Stay in your own townhouse.

Rosewood Washington, D.C.

To offer more private accommodations, the intimate D.C. property launched six new townhouses. The structures were built in the 1700s, but received an update by local designer Thomas Pheasant. Adjacent to the Georgetown hotel, each four-story townhouse has its own entrance and furnished back courtyard, laundry room, kitchen (with Smeg Williams Sonoma, KitchenAid and Nespresso appliances), bedroom, living room with a fireplace and bathroom with a deep-soaking tub, rainforest shower and heated marble floors. Youll have access to all the hotel amenities, but the butler is all yours.

Enjoy light and bright spaces.

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas

Although the St. Thomas hotel wrapped up its $100 million redesign at the end of 2019, it only began showing off its beach-chic public spaces, rooms and restaurants when it reopened in September. In addition, the tropical escape devised a slew of COVID-era offerings, including a three-bedroom penthouse for travel pods and digital workers, a Seaside Spa Cabana for those who prefer alfresco massages and the clever Club Lounge on the Beach, where Club Level guests have their own area on the sand with a complimentary non-alcoholic drink service.

This inn emanates modern country charm.

Mayflower Inn and Spa, Auberge Resorts Collection

Its hard to believe that this Washington, Connecticut, country inn turned 100 after New York-based designer Celerie Kemble gave it a facelift in time for its centennial. In the rooms, Kemble gleaned inspiration from English and Scandinavian country houses. She kept the four-poster beds, but brought in florals, intricate patterns and color, sisal carpets, Turkish rugs, handcrafted ceramics, eclectic wicker, Gustavian antiques and contemporary art. She also turned her eye to a new farm-driven restaurant, The Garden Room, adding a large-scale floral mural and lots of greenery.

Get a suite with a plunge pool.

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort

Jump right into the new Plunge Pool Oceanfront Suites, where you can soak in your own serene pool while gazing at the Sea of Cortez. But pry yourself away to partake in the Los Cabos hotels other new attractions, like the adults-only infinity pool and Enclave, a beach club with a rum bar, four cliffside bungalows, eight oceanfront cabanas and sunken fire pits. Little ones will stay busy at the reimagined kids clubs outdoor playground and splash zone with a pool and water slide.

Stay in stylish accommodations.

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

For the largest renovation in its 30-year history, the downtown hotel attempted to capture the essence of the cultured city. It spotlights music from local jazz, blues and house artists throughout. Chicago-based consultant Shashi Caudill curates a vast art collection. A day bar and social lounge encourage lingering, and respected chef Jonathon Sawyer crafts global fare with local ingredients at the new Adorn Bar & Restaurant. And like the Magnificent Mile just outside the hotels doors, the revamped rooms take on a stylish and luxurious aesthetic.

Rooms showcase modern art deco design.

The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach

This art deco gem gets polished to its original luster in Miami. The $90 million renovation kept architects Morris Lapidus original design intact (like the two-story ship-inspired lobby), but added modern touches (like the inviting bronze-and-brass Lapidus Bar). Yet it also flaunts the classic Florida style, from the subdued flamingo-wallpapered hallways to the pops of pink in the graphic flooring in the indoor-outdoor restaurant Fuego Y Mar. The guest rooms feel bright and renewed with white art deco moldings and curved navy headboards, and the white marble bathrooms exude that Ritz-Carlton luxury.

Art plays a large role at this property.

The St. Regis San Francisco

Steps from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Contemporary Jewish Museum and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, this hotel had to keep up with its neighbors for its renovation. It tapped into San Franciscos history and natural beauty for the upgraded rooms. The citys hills are worked into a wall covering with the soft curves of a Richard Serra-inspired sculpture. Photographer Ansel Adams California shots sit underneath smoked desk glass. And the silver, copper and iron hues recall the California Gold Rush of 1849.

Suites now have a kitchenette.

Mandarin Oriental, Boston

The Boston hotel recently embarked on a renovation of the citys most spacious luxury accommodations. New York City-based Champalimaud Design, which did the interiors for Raffles Singapore and Halekulani Okinawa, blends elements from the Mandarin Orientals Asian roots and New England location into an eclectic but cohesive design. Neutral hues pull together the chinoiserie wallpaper and plaid carpets. For longer stays or more in-room dining options, book a suite equipped with a brand-new kitchenette, which has a stovetop, sink, microwave and refrigerator.

Peek at the new public spaces.

Madeline Hotel and Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection

The Telluride hotel is set to embrace the mountain towns relaxed luxury with a comprehensive refresh of its first-floor public and social spaces, which will be unveiled December 23. After skiing, cozy up to seating areas with vintage and custom furniture crafted with an attention to detail. Or aprs-ski in the new Timber Room, a lounge serving up fresh bites and cocktails. Order bota bags filled with mulled wine to share its the Telluride version of the punch bowl. More will come, as the guest rooms are scheduled for refurbishment in 2021.

Catch the sun in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Ponte Vedra Inn & Club

Known for its tennis and golf offerings, The Spa at Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and its unspoiled beach on the Atlantic coast, this Old Florida getaway adds another accomplishment to the list: 41 new beachfront rooms and suites. In September, it introduced Ocean House and Peyton House, three-story buildings that hold the accommodations. Each room has sweeping ocean vistas, terraces and Southern coastal flair.

Plus, the storied Ocean Course one of the states oldest reopened after a year of renovations by golf course architect Bobby Weed.

Rooms have ocean and sand tones.

Rosewood Little Dix Bay

After a four-year closure, this island hideaway in the British Virgin Islands reopens today. Following conservationist Laurance Rockefellers vision when he began the Virgin Gorda hotel in 1964, New York-based Meyer Davis kept the same structures, including the signature cone-shaped roofs, and injected laidback luxury among the 81 beachfront accommodations. New restaurants join Rosewood: Reef House sources ingredients from the onsite farm and local purveyors, Sugar Mill whips up tapas, Pavilion turns out international fare with bold flavors and Rum Room carries 107 different labels of the spirit.

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15 Newly Renovated Hotels To Visit - Forbes

More local guests also are checking into The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis for a relaxing escape, says the hotels general manager, Amanda Joiner, who adds that weekend occupancy is up and many people are splurging on extras, such as the hotels bed and breakfast package for two, featuring complimentary valet parking and the relaxing comforts of room service.

Staycationers also can treat themselves to their choice of luxurious accommodations, which include standard deluxe rooms with sweeping views of Clayton and the St. Louis skyline featuring the Gateway Arch, 11 miles east. Or double the fun with an executive suite, boasting a lovely living area with French doors, a separate bedroom, and a full bath and a half-bath, Joiner says, where kids can have their own TV area, as well as enjoy time as a family, playing games.

photo courtesy ofThe Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis

The stunning Ritz-Carlton Suite, complete with a built-in fireplace, five balconies and a separate living area, makes for another great getaway for three days, Joiner says. It even has a convection oven where you can bake cookies, and we recently had a mother and daughter do that. People are using the pandemic to make special moments for their families.

Guests also are indulging in room service, Joiner adds. Everyone loves room service right now, she says. Its a way to treat yourself and stay safe in a luxury environment. And for guests looking to venture just outside their room, they can access the recently redesigned, members-only Cigar Club to enjoy a great glass of red wine and a cigar, and take in some fall football, Joiner says, although this experience is delayed with the most recent St. Louis County restrictions.

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Planning a Luxurious Staycation in the St. Louis Metro Area - Ladue News

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- INOVIO (NASDAQ:INO), a biotechnology company focused on bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat and protect people from infectious diseases and cancer, today announced the execution of an agreement with Kaneka Eurogentec S.A., an affiliate of Kaneka Corporation, for Eurogentec to manufacture INOVIO's COVID-19 vaccine candidate INO-4800 at their industry-leading GMP plasmid production scales. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Kaneka Eurogentec joins existing partners Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richter-Helm BioLogics and Ology Biosciences in INOVIO's global manufacturing consortium. Each contract development and manufacturing organization that has been selected to join the consortium is compliant with commercial GMP standards and capable of supporting INOVIO's future large-scale global manufacturing needs across its portfolioof DNA medicines and vaccines.

INOVIO's President & CEO, Dr. J. Joseph Kim, said, "Our partnership with Kaneka Eurogentec, one of the world's largest and most experienced plasmid manufacturers, provides additional scale to our growing global manufacturing coalition. Kaneka Eurogentec will be a crucial member of INOVIO's global manufacturing consortium, supporting our plans to produce, manufacture and scale our COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800."

Dr. Lieven Janssens, Kaneka Eurogentec's President and CEO, said, "We are excited to join INOVIO's growing global manufacturing consortium and look forward to supporting the manufacturing needs of DNA medicines and vaccines across INOVIO's platform. We are pleased that our large-scale manufacturing technologies are well-recognized by INOVIO, a leading player in the DNA plasmid field."

INOVIO's Senior Vice President of Biological Manufacturing and Clinical Supply Management, Robert J. Juba Jr., said, "Kaneka Eurogentec brings a wealth of DNA plasmid manufacturing expertise and innovation to INOVIO's global consortium to manufacture INO-4800. We look forward to working with them to utilize their state-of-the-art, large-scale manufacturing capabilities towards our goal of producing hundreds of millions of doses of INO-4800 for worldwide distribution."

INOVIO recognizes the importance of having a robust coalition to support its broader development platform for DNA medicines as well as its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, INO-4800. As a result, the company continues to build the coalition to ensure timely, cost-effective and scalable production of DNA medicines and vaccines. INOVIO's third-party manufacturers will produce the patent-protected formulation for INO-4800, developed to enhance stability of the vaccine with a favorable tolerability profile. Importantly, INO-4800 has shown an excellent thermo-stability profile. INOVIO's other platform DNA vaccine candidates have also demonstrated a shelf life of greater than 5 years when refrigerated and stability for more than 30 days at 37 degrees Celsius, and more than one year at room temperature. INOVIO's candidates also do not need to be frozen during transport or storage, a vital factor when implementing immunizations on a global scale. INO-4800 is administered via INOVIO's proprietary CELLECTRA smart delivery device, which delivers the vaccine locally into the patient's skin, a process that takes only a few seconds.

INOVIO is conducting a Phase 2 segment of its planned Phase 2/3 clinical trial for INO-4800, its COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The planned Phase 2/3 clinical trial, called INNOVATE (INovio INO-4800 Vaccine Trial for Efficacy), is a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled safety and efficacy trial of INO-4800 to be conducted in adults in the U.S. The INNOVATE trial will be funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) in coordination with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (OASD (HA)) and the Defense Health Agency (DHA).

The DoD has agreed to provide funding for both the Phase 2 and Phase 3 segments of the INNOVATE clinical trial, in addition to the $71 million of funding previously announced in June for the large-scale manufacture of the company's proprietary smart device CELLECTRA 3PSP and the procurement of CELLECTRA 2000 devices.

About the INO-4800 "INNOVATE" Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial

The lead Principal Investigator for the INNOVATE trial is Dr. Pablo Tebas, Professor of Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. The Phase 2 segment of the trial is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of INO-4800 in a 2-dose regimen (1.0 mg or 2.0 mg), in a three-to-one randomization to receive either INO-4800 or placebo for each dose, to confirm the more appropriate dose(s) for each of three age groups (18-50 years, 51-64 years and 65 years and older) for the subsequent Phase 3 efficacy evaluation. The company intends to work diligently to ensure diversity in enrollment, targeting specific populations that are working or residing in environments with high infection rates and/or areas where there is greater risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, for whom exposure may be relatively prolonged or for whom personal protective equipment (PPE) may be inconsistently used, especially in confined settings.

In the Phase 3 segment of the trial, INOVIO intends to enroll healthy men and non-pregnant women 18 years and older, to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed dose(s) based on the data from the Phase 2 evaluation.Participants will be enrolled in a one-to-one randomization to receive either INO-4800 or a placebo. The Phase 3 segment will be case-driven with the final number of enrollees to be determined by the incidence of COVID-19 during the Phase 3 segment. The primary endpoint of the Phase 3 segment will be virologically-confirmed COVID-19 disease.

About INOVIO's Global Coalition Advancing INO-4800

INOVIO has assembled a global coalition of collaborators, partners and funders to rapidly advance the development of INO-4800. R&D collaborators to date include the Wistar Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas, Fudan University and Laval University. INOVIO has partnered with Advaccine and the International Vaccine Institute to conduct clinical trials of INO-4800 in China and South Korea, respectively. INOVIO is also assessing nonclinical efficacy of INO-4800 in several animal challenge models with Public Health England (PHE) and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia. INOVIO is working with a team of contract manufacturers including Kaneka Eurogentec, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richter-Helm BioLogics, and Ology Bioservices to manufacture INO-4800 on a commercial scale and is seeking additional external funding and partnerships to further scale up manufacturing capacities to satisfy the urgent global demand for safe and effective vaccines. To date, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Defense have contributed significant funding to the advancement and manufacturing of INO-4800.

About INO-4800

INO-4800 is INOVIO's DNA vaccine candidate intended to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. INOVIO has extensive experience working with coronaviruses and was the first company to initiate a Phase 2a trial for INO-4700, a vaccine for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), another coronavirus related to SARS-CoV-2.

INO-4800 is the only nucleic-acid based vaccine that is stable at room temperature for more than a year and does not need to be frozen in transport of storage, which are important factors when implementing mass immunizations.

About INOVIO's DNA Medicines Platform

INOVIO has 15 DNA medicine clinical programs currently in development focused on HPV-associated diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, including coronaviruses associated with MERS and COVID-19 diseases being developed under grants from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the U.S. Department of Defense. DNA medicines are composed of optimized DNA plasmids, which are small circles of double-stranded DNA that are synthesized or reorganized by a computer sequencing technology and designed to produce a specific immune response in the body.

INOVIO's DNA medicines deliver optimized plasmids directly into cells intramuscularly or intradermally using INOVIO's proprietary hand-held smart device called CELLECTRA. The CELLECTRA device uses a brief electrical pulse to reversibly open small pores in the cell to allow the plasmids to enter, overcoming a key limitation of other DNA and other nucleic acid approaches, such as mRNA. Once inside the cell, the DNA plasmids enable the cell to produce the targeted antigen. The antigen is processed naturally in the cell and triggers the desired T cell and antibody-mediated immune responses. Administration with the CELLECTRA device ensures that the DNA medicine is efficiently delivered directly into the body's cells, where it can go to work to drive an immune response. INOVIO's DNA medicines do not interfere with or change in any way an individual's own DNA. The advantages of INOVIO's DNA medicine platform are how fast DNA medicines can be designed and manufactured; the stability of the products, which do not require freezing in storage and transport; and the robust immune response, safety profile, and tolerability that have been observed in clinical trials.

With more than 2,000 patients receiving INOVIO investigational DNA medicines in more than 7,000 applications across a range of clinical trials, INOVIO has a strong track record of rapidly generating DNA medicine candidates with potential to meet urgent global health needs.

About Kaneka Eurogentec

Eurogentec was founded in 1985 as a spin-off of the University of Lige (Belgium). Kaneka Eurogentec contributes to improving health and fighting diseases by supplying products and services to scientists involved in life science research, molecular diagnostics, and therapeutic developments. The Lige-based company is recognized as one of the major suppliers in the field of genomics and proteomics as well as a trusted US FDA inspected Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) for the bio-production of pharmaceuticals vaccines and medicines. Kaneka Eurogentec is a leading company in large scale production of GMP DNA Plasmid for DNA vaccines and starting materials for vector-based gene medicines. In parallel, Kaneka Eurogentec offers CDMO services for GMP mRNA, the active molecule of RNA vaccines and RNA based gene therapy. In 2010, Eurogentec, renamed Kaneka Eurogentec in April 2017, became part of Kaneka Corporation, a large Japanese chemical company focusing on technology and innovation. For more information, visit https://www.eurogentec.com/

About INOVIO

INOVIO is a biotechnology company focused on rapidly bringing to market precisely designed DNA medicines to treat and protect people from infectious diseases, cancer, and diseases associated with HPV. INOVIO is the first and only company to have clinically demonstrated that a DNA medicine can be delivered directly into cells in the body via a proprietary smart device to produce a robust and tolerable immune response. Specifically, INOVIO's lead candidate VGX-3100, currently in Phase 3 trials for precancerous cervical dysplasia, destroyed and cleared high-risk HPV 16 and 18 in a Phase 2b clinical trial. High-risk HPV is responsible for 70% of cervical cancer, 91% of anal cancer, and 69% of vulvar cancer. Also in development are programs targeting HPV-related cancers and a rare HPV-related disease, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP); non-HPV-related cancers glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and prostate cancer; as well as externally funded infectious disease DNA vaccine development programs in Zika, Lassa fever, Ebola, HIV, and coronaviruses associated with MERS and COVID-19 diseases. Partners and collaborators include Advaccine, ApolloBio Corporation, AstraZeneca, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)/Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND)/Department of Defense (DOD), HIV Vaccines Trial Network, International Vaccine Institute (IVI), Kaneka Eurogentec, Medical CBRN Defense Consortium (MCDC), National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Ology Bioservices, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Plumbline Life Sciences, Regeneron, Richter-Helm BioLogics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, University of Pennsylvania, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and The Wistar Institute. INOVIO also is a proud recipient of 2020 Women on Boards "W" designation recognizing companies with more than 20% women on their board of directors. For more information, visit http://www.inovio.com.

CONTACTS:

Media: Jeff Richardson, 267-440-4211, [emailprotected] Investors: Ben Matone, 484-362-0076, [emailprotected]

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to our business, including our plans to develop and manufacture DNA medicines, our expectations regarding our research and development programs, including the planned initiation and conduct of the Phase 2/3 clinical trial of INO-4800, and our ability to successfully manufacture and produce large quantities of our product candidates if they receive regulatory approval. Actual events or results may differ from the expectations set forth herein as a result of a number of factors, including uncertainties inherent in preclinical studies, clinical trials, product development programs and commercialization activities and outcomes, our ability to secure sufficient manufacturing capacity to mass produce our product candidates, the availability of funding to support continuing research and studies in an effort to prove safety and efficacy of electroporation technology as a delivery mechanism or develop viable DNA medicines, our ability to support our pipeline of DNA medicine products, the ability of our collaborators to attain development and commercial milestones for products we license and product sales that will enable us to receive future payments and royalties, the adequacy of our capital resources, the availability or potential availability of alternative therapies or treatments for the conditions targeted by us or our collaborators, including alternatives that may be more efficacious or cost effective than any therapy or treatment that we and our collaborators hope to develop, issues involving product liability, issues involving patents and whether they or licenses to them will provide us with meaningful protection from others using the covered technologies, whether such proprietary rights are enforceable or defensible or infringe or allegedly infringe on rights of others or can withstand claims of invalidity and whether we can finance or devote other significant resources that may be necessary to prosecute, protect or defend them, the level of corporate expenditures, assessments of our technology by potential corporate or other partners or collaborators, capital market conditions, the impact of government healthcare proposals and other factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and other filings we make from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that any product candidate in our pipeline will be successfully developed, manufactured or commercialized, that final results of clinical trials will be supportive of regulatory approvals required to market products, or that any of the forward-looking information provided herein will be proven accurate. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE INOVIO Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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INOVIO Expands Global Manufacturing Consortium For Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate INO-4800 With Addition of Kaneka Eurogentec SA - PRNewswire

Its been a busy start to the offseason for the Portland Timbers. Weve already seen two trades with Marco Farfan being sent to LAFC and Julio Cascante going to Austin FC and another acquisition made official with the addition of Nicolas Claudio Bravo to the roster. Along with that, general manager and president of soccer, Gavin Wilkinson, noted that the club will not take up the options for Andres Flores or Chris Duvall. Its a fast start to the offseason to say the least.

But the influx of moves isnt particularly surprising. Both Wilkinson and head coach Giovanni Savarese said that moves would be made at Thursdays end of the season press conference. The biggest key for them was making sure that throughout all these decisions they were ensuring the best possible future for all players involved.

Were no longer moving players just for the benefit of the club, Wilkinson said. I think this has been a challenging year with COVID, and for many players wand their families and we went about it a different way to actually talk about their careers, talk about the next steps within their careers and see what they want.

There are still plenty of moves Portland needs to make. One of the points of emphasis for the club this offseason is shoring up the defense, specifically in the wide areas. Theyre also looking to add a young central defender to come through the system for Portland as well.

Defense rightfully so should be Portlands main area of focus this offseason. Portland put together a stellar offense despite numerous injuries to designated players and star wingers, but oftentimes the work put in by the attacking players was nullified by mistakes on the defensive end, especially late in games. No team in MLS gave up more goals in the final 15 minutes of a match than Portland (15), and it was even the thing that ended their season prematurely.

Were reinforcing the defense, Savarese said. And we can build on other positions to make sure that we continue to get better and make sure that we can be a little more competitive.

Along with acquiring new players, Portland is hoping to keep old ones in place. Wilkinson mentioned that theyll be looking at extending Larrys Mabiala, noting theyre still trying to figure out a solution that works for both sides. Most notably, however, Wilkinson made it clear that theyre interested in acquiring Felipe Mora permanently from Pumas UNAM.

Mora joined the Timbers on a one-year loan and was solid in 2020. In 19 appearances (12 starts), he had 7 goals and 2 assists. Jaroslaw Niezgoda is not expected to return to play until around mid-season, so having Mora available along with Jeremy Ebobisse who often plays on the wing would be extremely helpful.

[Mora] is a key piece to the team for the club and a well-liked player in the locker room, Wilkinson said. Theres multiple reasons why he would be a benefit to the locker room next year.

Thursdays press conference wasnt just a time for thinking about the future. There was also some time for the two leaders of the club to reflect on the past season, and Savarese noted for himself that he felt content with the team he had despite not going as far in the playoffs as he may have liked.

It was a great pleasure to work with every player that we had and will have in the future, Savarese said. I wouldnt want to battle this season with anybody different than what we had on the roster; and I feel that everybody really fought hard with great mentality and the ideas were very clear for everyone that it didnt matter who was out, somebody will come in and field that position.

Its a pretty positive outlook on a season that didnt end the way they hoped. But that doesnt mean they didnt fight through adversity to accomplish some great things. The MLS is Back Tournament is an impressive feat that no one will probably ever replicate. They had no positive tests throughout the entirety of the 2020. And no matter what happened injuries, wildfires, the pandemic, etc. they still managed to put together a solid season.

But as great as those things are, it doesnt change the fact that they had MLS Cup expectations for themselves and came up well short. Savarese noted that anything short of an MLS Cup victory leaves you wanting more, and he wants to get that next season.

Yes, we can say so many good things and positive things the way we played ... but for us the most important thins is to make it always to the MLS Cup, Savarese said. And I think thats the biggest disappointment of this year because we believe in this group tremendously to make it all the way to the cup.

If they hit on their offseason signings like they hope they will, then its possible. This was a solid club that played most of the regular season without arguably their best player in Sebastian Blanco, and as of right now hes set to return at the beginning of the year. Returning Blanco to an offensively potent lineup will be huge for the Timbers.

But for now, well just have to wait and see how this team turns out. In what was a horrifically strange year for everyone, Portland had things they could be proud of. They still have work to do if they want to make the MLS Final again and be the one hoisting the trophy at the end. So for now, well just spend December staring at Twitter waiting to see the team come together.

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Portland Timbers focused on shoring up defense this offseason - Stumptown Footy