The Chicago Journal

Rosalind IT Services Takes Businesses to the Next Level

Claire Peterson Claire Peterson on August 22, 2022

There are numerous information technology service providers in the industry today, and finding the right one to meet the needs of a business can be quite tricky. However, there is one that stands out from the rest as a result of its excellent and wide array of services. Rosalind IT Services specializes in IT consulting, staffing, and recruiting, designed to be a one-stop shop for all the business needs of company owners. 

The company is known in the industry as the best solution provider for web and mobile application user interface design, development, and support in various domains, including e-commerce, health care, education, federal, logistics, insurance, hospitality, sports, finance, food, and restaurants. And because non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are very popular investment options today, Rosalind IT Services also provides Web 3.0 technology for blockchain wallets, financial services, DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), and NFT marketplaces. 

The company exists to help clients grow their businesses strategically. It also focuses on establishing strong and conducive work cultures and empowering employees to nurture professional relationships within the organization. Considered a leader in this particular service, Rosalind IT Services has made it its default to promote business growth through leadership, talent acquisition, promotion of best industry standards, and cutting-edge technology implementation. 

Rosalind IT Services was founded by Rosalind Panda, who is also the company’s current CEO. She has been a known technology enthusiast and evangelist for the past 15 years. Throughout the course of her illustrious career, Rosalind has had the privilege to work with different Fortune 500 companies. As an entrepreneur, she is best known for her uncompromising passion for helping her clients be the best in the industry. She has a deep understanding of what it is like to build a business from the ground up, and she wants her IT company to be the go-to business office when it comes to the IT needs of different organizations. 

The business acumen and leadership skills she has mastered over the years make her one of the best IT consultants in the industry today. With her unmatched experience and dedication to helping business owners elevate their companies, her clients are truly getting their money’s worth. 

Despite its current success, the dynamic CEO still has big plans for her company. She believes that Rosalind IT Services is in the best position to help not just businesses but also emerging professionals who wish to jump-start their careers in the IT industry. 

“I see our company working with corporate clients on enterprise-level projects through which applications serve humanity to make people’s life easier and convenient in different domains. In addition, in the next five years, I am seeing my team growing extensively, and I am influencing and helping people,” Rosalind explained. 

Through her exceptional services, Rosalind wants to educate business owners on how they can leverage the benefits of IT services to grow their businesses significantly in this highly digital age. She is also actively paving the way for industry newcomers, young professionals eager to begin their journey in the technological space. They can learn a lot from Rosalind and the examples she shares with anyone willing to be mentored. 

How Ian and Evan Macklin Built the Biggest Brand in Auto Sales in the Country Today

Claire Peterson Claire Peterson on August 22, 2022

Being in the auto sales business is one of the most challenging and competitive ventures in the world of business today, and twin brothers Ian and Evan Macklin knew all too well that to succeed, they needed to work harder than the rest of their competitors. Over the past ten years, the dynamic duo became popular as two of the country’s top producing car salesmen, but their feat was not without a lot of self-sacrifice, perseverance, and discipline. 

The Macklin brothers dominated the car sales ranking of Nissan for 103 months. They stayed in the top spot all over the region for a considerable amount of time, and other auto salespeople admired them for their diligence and consistency. But, if anything, the two are best known for their dedication to success. They met challenges head-on, no matter how overwhelming they seemed at first glance. The two knew early on that everything they went through was a test of their character and commitment. They mostly attribute their current success to Andy Elliot, who they consider the greatest salesman who ever lived. 

“It was almost easy to be great. We looked around and saw most people treat this as a business. We treated it as a lifestyle. We stayed relentless, we trained every day and more on the challenging days, we were just obsessed with being the best for our customers, for our community and most of all for our family,” the Macklin brothers shared. 

Thanks to Elliot’s electrifying mentorship skills, the brothers were able to push themselves further, always pursuing excellence in everything they did. With Elliot in the picture, they were always finding ways to elevate the experience of both their clients and members of their sales team. One of the ways they realized was necessary to reach the next level was to train like athletes. 

“The only way you get there is to train. We took an approach like many of the great athletes, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan – it all came down to training and your obsession toward your craft,” they needed.

They now operate a company they call The Elliot Group, known as the largest automotive sales training company in the world today. The Macklin brothers are in charge of the dealer division and have been instrumental in the phenomenal growth of the business. 

“We have partnered with thousands of independent dealer owners, to the top groups and CEOs in the world. Most of them have been referred to us. Andy believes in “one thing results.” Our dealers have gotten such great results. We have such great and deep partnerships and believe that the most important thing a dealer can have is human capital and building their people to be the best possible. Most have reached out to us because of the waves of results we have created around the world,” the brothers revealed. 

Creating a business within a business turned out to be the best decision the Macklin brothers made to bring their auto sales business to the next level. They not only achieved skyrocketing sales but also made the company sustainable long-term. With their efforts and personal values combined, there is no doubt that the Macklin brothers are unstoppable in their pursuit of greatness. 

Match Group and Tinder Remove CEO, Metaverse Plans Scrapped

Jason Robinson Jason Robinson on August 22, 2022

Online dating giant Match Group recently announced a series of changes to the Tinder management team.

The company also announced a number of changes to move the company forward.

Shareholder letter

Match Group CEO Bernard Kim expressed his dissatisfaction with Tinder’s performance in a letter to shareholders.

The letter reveals that the popular dating app has failed to achieve its usual monetization success over the past few quarters.

As a result, Match Group’s original earnings growth forecast for the second half of 2022 will not materialize.

Kim attributes Tinder’s troubles to some improvements and poor implementation of new product initiatives.

However, he said that the product implementation and application speed could still be improved.

Departure and change

Also on Tuesday, it was announced that Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg will be leaving the company after less than a year with the company.

With Nyborg gone, Tinder will also reorganize its management team, including:

  • Former Match Group Chief Strategy Officer Faye Iostaluno becomes COO of Tinder
  • Newcomer Mark Van Liswick takes on the role of Tinder’s Chief Product Officer with experience as a gaming CEO
  • Tom Jack, an 11-year Match Group veteran and CTO of Tinder, has been the company’s Chief Technology Officer for the past five years.
  • Amarnath Thombre, CEO of Match Group Americas and a 15-year veteran, advises Tinder executives on the roadmap and product growth.

Bernard Kim has revealed that he will oversee the team as Tinder continues its search for a permanent CEO.

Engagement

This number suggests younger users are less likely to use dating apps like Tinder. This is a cultural shift beyond the impact of the pandemic.

People are coming out of the COVID-19 lockdown and returning to their normal routines, according to a report, but they’re not as ready to dive into online dating apps for the first time as they were before the pandemic.

Conversely, Match Group found that the most engagement on Tinder came from existing users.

Metaverse

With the revamp of Tinder, the “Metaverse” plan has been reduced.

With the acquisition of Hyperconnect, Match Group plans to develop a new form of online dating in a virtual environment.

However, the idea was shelved as Match Group plans to address other issues.

“Given uncertainty about the ultimate contours of the metaverse and what will or won’t work, as well as the more challenging operating environment, I’ve instructed the Hyperconnect team to iterate but not invest heavily in the metaverse at this time,” Kim wrote.

“We’ll continue to evaluate this space carefully, and we will consider moving forward at the appropriate time when we have more clarity on the overall opportunity and feel we have a service that is well-positioned to succeed.”

Crypto

Match Group has also been proposed to unlink cryptocurrency as an experiment with Tinder Coins (which the company will use for its Metaverse plans and long-term roadmap).

“After seeing mixed results from testing Tinder Coins, we’ve decided to take a step back and re-examine that initiative so that it can more effectively contribute to Tinder’s revenue,” said Kim.

“We also intend to do more thinking about virtual goods to ensure that they can be a real driver for Tinder’s next leg of growth and help us unlock the untapped power users on the platform.”

Revenue

Match Group reported revenue of $ 795 million in the second quarter of 2022, up 12% year-over-year.

However, the figure was below the Wall Street average estimate of $ 804.22 million. The company also reported a loss of $ 31.86 million.

The estimates for the next quarter are also not good, as the company expects steady growth in the third quarter from $ 790 million to $ 800 million, which is lower than its estimate of $ 833 million.

Reference:

Tinder to kill virtual currency, metaverse plans amid Match Group earnings loss;Tinder loses its CEO

Documents taken from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home to remain sealed

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on August 22, 2022

On Monday, federal prosecutors asked a judge to withhold a key document related to the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home.

After investigating former President Donald Trump, federal prosecutors said the document contained “highly sensitive information” that could compromise national security investigations.

The request came three days after the federal judge released the search warrant along with other documents detailing key details of the raid.

The Department of Justice refuses to publish the affidavit

Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland said he personally endorsed the warrant and supported its disclosure of “substantial public interest in this matter.”

On Monday, however, the Justice Department denied requests for affidavits in support of the search warrant.

They explained that this “presents a very different set of considerations.”

In the U.S. District Court in Florida, federal prosecutors wrote:

“There remain compelling reasons, including to protect the integrity of an ongoing law enforcement investigation that implicates national security, that supports keeping the affidavit sealed.”

The affidavit contains “critically important and detailed investigative facts,” according to the filing signed by Jay Bratt, director of counterintelligence and export controls for the Department of National Security.

The facts include “highly sensitive information about witnesses, including witnesses interviewed by the government; specific investigative techniques; and information required by law to be kept under seal” under federal regulations as drafted by prosecutors.

“If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps,” the filing wrote.

“In addition, information about witnesses is particularly sensitive given the high-profile nature of this matter and the risk that the revelation of witness identities would impact their willingness to cooperate with the investigation,” the prosecutor added.

Prosecutors said they were considering releasing a heavily redacted version of the affidavit, but ultimately concluded that “the redactions necessary to mitigate harms to the integrity of the investigation would be so extensive as to render the remaining unsealed text devoid of meaningful content.”

Raid Results

The search warrant and title deed were opened on Friday, revealing more behind Trump’s search of the home.

However, it also raised more questions about the federal investigation into the former president.

According to the documents, the FBI received 20 boxes of items and other documents, including several sets of top secret and classified documents.

Under the search warrant, officers were looking for documents related to three criminal laws, including one that is part of the Espionage Act.

A law governing the removal or destruction of government documents carries the penalty of “disqualified from holding any office under the United States” under the law.

Meanwhile, none of the three statutes (US Code Title 18, Sections 793, 1519, and 2071) are based on whether or not the documents are classified.

Earlier on Monday, Trump announced on his social media platform that the FBI had seized three of his passports, including an expired one, during the raid. Relation:

The Justice Department asks the judge to keep the sworn statement of Trump’s search warrant sealed to protect national security investigations.

Reference:

DOJ urges judge to keep Trump search warrant affidavit sealed to protect national security investigation

Salman Rushdie supporting tweet draws death threat for JK Rowling

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on August 22, 2022

Harry Potter author Jk Rowling has joined a series of authors writing supportive statements for Salman Rushdie following his attack last week.

However, Rowling’s online support received a death threat.

Twitter

On Saturday, Rowling tweeted:

“Feeling very sick right now. Let him be okay,” referring to Rushdie’s attack in New York.

Meer Asif Aziz (@MeerAsifAziz1) replied, “Don’t worry you are next.”

Rowling then took a screenshot and asked Twitter for help, with fans sending her messages of support.

“To all those who send messages of support: thank you,” tweeted the author. “The police are intervening (they were already intervening in other threats).”

The user

Meer Asif Aziz’s Twitter account is currently down, but he previously described him as a “student, social activist, political activist and research activist.”

According to reports, Aziz is located in Karachi, Pakistan.

The British newspaper Dailymail reported that Aziz made tasteless “jokes” about the destruction of Israel.

He also mentioned the Pakistan geopolitical rival India and Russia-invaded Ukraine as “terrorist states”.

Aziz’s response to Rowling was later deleted on Sunday morning.

Police involvement

A spokesman for the Scottish police shared their results and said:

“We have received a report of an online threat being made, and officers are carrying out enquiries.”

The police had previously investigated the criticisms of Jk Rowling on her opinions on transgender problems.

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Discovery, the entertainment studio that brought Harry Potter from the pages to the big screen, recently released a statement in support of Rowling.

“Warner Bros. Discovery strongly condemns the threats made against JK Rowling, the statement wrote.

“We stand with her and all authors, storytellers, and creators who bravely express their creativity and opinions. WBD believes in freedom of expression, peaceful discourse, and supporting those who offer their views in public arenas.”

The company also expressed its support for Rushdie, saying:

“Our thoughts are with Sir Salman Rushdie and his family following the senseless act of violence in New York.”

“The company strongly condemns any form of threat, violence, or intimidation when opinions, beliefs and thoughts might differ.”

Salman Rushdie

Rushdie is a 75-year-old writer who has received constant death threats for his novel The Satanic Verses.

The novel was viewed as blasphemous by Muslims, prompting the author to go into hiding for nearly a decade after its publication in 1988. Rushdie was stabbed Friday morning and taken to hospital in critical condition.

Hadi Matar, 24, allegedly stabbed Rushdie at least ten times and punched him in the face, neck and stomach.

Matar was charged with assault and pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.

He was held without bail.

References:

Police probe threat to JK Rowling over Salman Rushdie support

Warner Bros. Discovery condemns threats against JK Rowling made in wake of Salman Rushdie attack

JK Rowling receives death threat after supporting novelist Salman Rushdie

Ezra Miller’s representative releases statement explaining his behavior

Edward Anderson Edward Anderson on August 22, 2022

Ezra Miller, the actor behind the Flash and We Need to Talk About Kevin, has been in a downward spiral since 2020.

It started with video equipment from the actor who suffocated a woman before causing an uprising in Hawaii.

From there, they were in trouble because they were accused of grooming a child, showing violence against a woman and her child, keeping a woman and her three children in their farm, and breaking into a residence to steal alcohol recently.

While Miller was supposed to get papers at that time, the actor was not on the radar.

They recently announced that they were looking for treatment for “complex mental health problems.”

Read also: Ezra Miller Stirs the Internet with Cryptic Messages Before Disappearing

The statement

The representative of Ezra Miller contacted several media with a declaration with the registration:

“Having gone through a time of intense crisis, I now understand that I am suffering complex mental health issues and have begun ongoing treatment.”

“I want to apologize to everyone that I have alarmed and upset with my past behavior.”

“I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe, and productive stage of my life.”

Early efforts to get help

Miller’s decision falls on Monday after at least two months of people who encourage the actor to ask for help.

Among those who encouraged them are the agent of Miller long -term CAA Warner Bros and the nearby employees, friends and family.

Variety has speculated that the turning point came when the actor received a citation on August 7 to appear on September 26 in the Crime department of the Supreme Court of Vermont due to a burglary.

Read also: Ezra Miller Under More Heat After April Footage of Their Farm Where a Woman and Children Reside Emerged Online

The Flash

Ezra Miller plays Barry Allen / The Flash for DC Batman against Superman: Dawn of Justice since 2016, and since then, they have played in cams for Suicide Squad, The Flash on CW and Peacemaker.

Though the Flash solo film is slated for next year, Miller’s antics ran into production difficulties.

However, despite the actor’s numerous altercations and actions in Hawaii, Iceland, Germany and the state of Green Mountain, the film was never seriously threatened.

Warner Bros executives knew they couldn’t release a $ 200 million movie without his star and spent weeks talking to Miller and their reps about a more “proactive” mental health strategy for them.

“This isn’t about business,” said one executive regarding the company’s influence and Miller’s situation.

“It’s about a human being who is clearly in pain.”

References:

Ezra Miller seeking treatment for “complex mental health issues”

‘The Flash’ star Ezra Miller seeking treatment for ‘complex mental health issues’

‘Flash’ star Ezra Miller agrees to mental health treatment as burglary court date looms

CEO Dan Price who cut millions to earn $70K steps down amid assault charges

Leah Cooper Leah Cooper on August 22, 2022

Dan Price caused a stir a few years ago when he took a massive salary cut in order to increase the salaries of his employees.

He recently made the rounds online again, this time due to his resignation from his company, Gravity Payments.

Resignation

Dan Price recently announced his departure from Gravity Payments in a statement posted on Twitter.

“Dear colleagues, Today I resigned as CEO of Gravity Payments, the company I founded 18 years ago,” he wrote on August 18.

“Tammi Kroll, our long-time chief operating officer, has been named the company’s new CEO. 

My No. 1 priority is for our employees to work for the best company in the world, but my presence has become a distraction here.

I also need to step aside from these duties to focus full time on fighting false accusations made against me.

I’m not going anywhere.”

The accusation

Price is currently charged with assaulting a 26-year-old woman.

Earlier this year he was charged with assault and reckless driving after he allegedly tried to kiss the woman after a business meeting.

When she refused his lead, Price allegedly grabbed her by the neck.

The Seattle Times reports that Price pulled into a parking lot and performed “donuts” in his Tesla with the woman in the car.

Despite the allegations, Dan Price insists he is not guilty and denies any wrongdoing

“Mr. Price respects the legal process and is confident that he will be vindicated in court,” his lawyer said earlier this year.

Dan Price

Dan Price gained widespread recognition in 2015 when he revealed he cut his salary from $1 million to $70,000.

He shared that the money helped fund an initiative to raise the company’s minimum wage for employees from $48,000 to $70,000 within three years.

“I’m so happy how people’s lives are changing because they deserve it, and they deserve every penny of it,” Price said.

“For me to make the sacrifice in the short term, I’d rather this than a vacation home in Palm Springs or the Hamptons. I guarantee that this will pay off.”

Since then, Price has established himself as an outspoken advocate for workers’ rights and has built a cult following on social media.

Many of his LinkedIn posts target business leaders, demand better wages and employee benefits, and regularly go viral.

Previous problems

Price has faced legal investigations and allegations of wrongdoing in his personal life over the years.

His initiative to raise the minimum wage at the company coincided with his older brother Lucas accusing Price in court of overpaying himself while violating his rights as a minority shareholder in the company.

The court then ruled in favor of Dan Price.

In 2015, Bloomberg reported that the ex-wife of then Gravity Payments chief Kristie Colon gave a TEDx speech in which she claimed to have physically assaulted her without mentioning his name.

Colon talked about her once she locked herself in her car, fearing that “he was going to body-slam me into the ground again or waterboard me in our upstairs bathroom like he had done before.”

Price told Bloomberg that his account of the incidents “never happened.”

References:

$70,000 CEO Dan Price quits company over choking allegations

Boss who famously slashed own pay so workers earn $70k steps down over assault charges

Hostage situation in Portland ends with peaceful surrender

Leah Cooper Leah Cooper on August 22, 2022

This week, Portland witnessed a hostage situation at an auto repair shop when Robert Connelly ran into from the shooting.

What happened

The Portland Police Department said officers shot the 49-year-old, who was seen in a security video with a gun, as he fled the police.

The video confirmed that Connelly threatened the police with a gun and shot him. His shots missed him.

Robert Connelly stumbled upon an auto repair shop owned by Alonso Rodriguez, who managed to escape. Miguel Sanchez, however, was unable to do the same.

Sanchez was in the garage waiting for his Mini Cooper to be ready. His earplugs were inside him, so he couldn’t hear the shots.

Once he understood the situation, Sanchez went to the kitchen in the store.

In the garage

With Connelly inside, Sanchez hid in a small spot under a counter in the corner. He reviewed his options and said he was considering taking matters into his own hands.

“I have to kill this guy, because if I don’t, he’s gonna kill me,” said Miguel Sanchez.

While considering what to do, Sanchez said Connelly tried to escape by punching holes in the walls.

The two eventually met.

“And I looked, and he looked, and we locked eyes,” said Sanchez. “And I thought, “Oh man, I’m dead.””

“And he said, “Come on, man. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Conversations

In the next few hours, police crisis negotiators and the PBB tactical team spoke of the situation and Sanchez and Connelly spoke.

Connelly smoked an unidentified drug with a pipe and said he was ready to die, and Sanchez spoke to him about faith and forgiveness.

“I don’t care what you did today, I’m not concerned about what you’ve done in your life, but He’s willing to forgive you and you walk out alive from here,” revealed Sanchez.

“But if you don’t, you walk out there and shoot you, you go straight to hell and you will pay for eternity.”

Surrender

Miguel Sanchez’s words reached Connelly and encouraged him to surrender peacefully.

“He said, “OK, I’m ready.” I said, “God bless you bro, you’re gonna be okay.” So he opened the door and showed them his hands and then he followed their instructions,” said Sanchez.

“And then I sat on the chair and just started bawling and praying  — it went from wanting to kill this man to so much compassion. I can see pain in his eyes.”

The situation ended as Miguel Sanchez wished, both for him and for his kidnapper.

“I wanted to make sure that I’d go home to see my grandkids and my kids and my family, that was my whole intention.”

Aftermath

According to the PBB, no one was injured in the accident.

Robert Connelly was arrested on multiple arrests related to firearm offenses and sexual assault charges.

He was also incarcerated at the Multnomah County Detention Center for first degree burglary, triple threat of firearms, three counts of illegal use of a weapon, second degree evasion and criminal possession of a weapon.

Reference:

Hostage at Portland auto shop went from thinking he’d need to kill suspect to talking him into surrendering