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Without Earned Wage Access, Connecticut Working Families Have to Go Without Basic Necessities

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New Research from the University of Connecticut Demonstrates the Negative Impact of State’s 2024 Decision to Shutdown Instant EWA Services

MANSFIELD, Conn., April 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — New, independent research from the University of Connecticut, commissioned by DailyPay, illustrates the negative impact on Connecticut workers from the state’s January 2024 decision limiting their ability to instantly access their earned but unpaid wages. The research highlights the results of a survey, conducted in February and March 2025, following a measure by the state legislature that effectively shut down Earned Wage Access (EWA) services that had been available to workers in Connecticut for nearly a decade.

Over two-thirds (67%) of the survey respondents stated that prior to the shutdown, EWA had positively impacted their financial situation. The new research shows that at that time, EWA users were primarily using their earned wages to pay for food or groceries (85%), transportation or gas (63%), and rent or mortgage (59%). Additionally, most of the respondents in the sample were women (64%), the majority of whom have children in the home, and who the research describes as being credit-constrained and living paycheck-to-paycheck.

As a result, the EWA shutdown had negative impacts on this population. The UConn research finds that working families in Connecticut went without what they needed (36%) or relied on more expensive methods — including using a credit card (26%) — or borrowed from friends and family (31%) to afford necessities. Unfortunately, some were even driven to sell items of value (14%), while others turned to pawning items (8%) and taking out payday loans (6%). The finance charge for a payday loan ranges from $10 to $30 for every $100 borrowed.

“Currently, when families are feeling the crunch of high cost-of-living, as well as cut backs on food benefits, an avenue for people to access necessities is blocked. As a result, they either go without or turn to using credit cards with their related high fees, or other predatory alternatives,” Professor Raissian noted. “The Connecticut legislature should consider measures, like Senate Bill 1396, which help working families access the resources they need, provided by Earned Wage Access, while ensuring key consumer protections.”

“This report confirms what we’ve long known — Earned Wage Access is a lifeline for working families,” said Phil Goldfeder, CEO of the American Fintech Council. “Connecticut didn’t eliminate financial need by curbing access to EWA, it simply took away a resource that helped families meet those needs with dignity. The result has been predictable and painful: more reliance on pawn shops and predatory loans. We urge Connecticut lawmakers to consider thoughtful regulation like SB 1396 that prioritizes transparency and consumer protection, while preserving access to critical financial flexibility tools that workers need.”

Read the Connecticut Earned Wage Access User Impact Study here.

Survey Methodology:
Data was collected via a quantitative online research survey fielded February 25, 2025March 9, 2025. Responses were collected from direct emails from leading EWA vendors.

Good Policy Partners is a communications and advocacy consultant to DailyPay.

MEDIA CONTACT
Amy Dowell
amy@goodpolicypartners.com

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SOURCE DailyPay

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MindHYVE.ai™ and Islamabad Diagnostic Centre Forge Strategic Alliance to Launch AGI-Powered Diagnostic Intelligence Across Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a groundbreaking move to elevate clinical diagnostics nationwide, MindHYVE.ai™, a U.S.-based pioneer in orchestrated agentic AI and swarm-intelligent systems, has signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Islamabad Diagnostic Centre (IDC). The collaboration will see the deployment of Chiron and Ava-AutoNarrator™—two proprietary, AGI-powered agents—across IDC’s core diagnostic workflows.

Initially launching at flagship centers in Islamabad (F-8 Markaz) and Lahore (DHA Phase 4), the pilot will introduce a multi-agent diagnostic intelligence layer, enhancing decision precision, speed, and reproducibility in radiology and laboratory services.

“This isn’t just AI—it’s agentic intelligence in action,” said Belal Faruki, Founder & CEO of MindHYVE.ai™. “By fusing swarm intelligence with domain-specific reasoning models, we’re equipping clinicians with AI collaborators that learn, adapt, and elevate patient outcomes—ethically and transparently.”

Key Innovations:

Chiron – A medical diagnostic reasoner, part of MindHYVE.ai™’s Ava-Agent architecture, performs pre-diagnostic inference and real-time anomaly detection across radiological and laboratory datasets.Ava-AutoNarrator™ – A semi-autonomous narrative generation agent, trained on clinical ontologies, that synthesizes structured reports aligned with ICD and HL7 standards.Agentic Coordination Layer – MindHYVE.ai™’s Swarm AI Framework orchestrates agents in real-time—enabling self-organization, priority optimization, and contextual reasoning across patient records.Secure PACS/LIS Integration – Seamless, encrypted integration with IDC’s Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and Laboratory Information Systems (LIS).

Three-Phase Rollout Strategy:

Phase 1 – Ground Launch: Initial deployment, radiologist/lab team onboarding, and system calibration.Phase 2 – Reasoner Tuning: AGI model refinement, cross-clinic feedback loops, and clinical data harmonization across 5–7 IDC locations.Phase 3 – Nationwide Readiness: DRAP-compliant licensing, agent swarm scaling, and full-stack intelligence across IDC’s 130+ branches.

Ethical Intelligence Commitment

All systems will be governed under MindHYVE.ai™’s Ethical AGI Protocol, including:

Human-in-the-loop validationEncrypted patient data pathwaysCollaborative oversight with DRAP and PNACExplainable diagnostic decisions using Ava-Fusion™ reasoning models

“MindHYVE.ai™’s orchestrated AGI reflects our vision of scalable, accessible diagnostics,” said Dr. Rizwan Uppal, Founder & CEO of IDC. “This alliance ushers in a new era of intelligent healthcare, anchored in ethics and excellence.”

About MindHYVE.ai™

Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, MindHYVE.ai™ builds domain-specific AGI agents, multi-agent orchestration systems, and the Ava-Fusion™ family of reasoning models—driving intelligent transformation in diagnostics, infrastructure, and national systems.

Website: www.mindhyve.ai | Email: hello@mindhyve.ai | Contact: +1 (949) 200-8668

Media Contact
Marc Ortiz
Email: marc.ortiz@mindhyve.ai

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MediSun Energy and EMSTEEL Launch UAE’s First Pilot to Transform Desalination Brine into Blue Energy and Magnesium Carbonate

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SINGAPORE, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MediSun Energy, a Singapore-based integrated brine management company, has partnered with EMSTEEL (ADX: EMSTEEL) (“the Group”), one of the largest publicly traded steel and building materials manufacturers in the region, to launch Project Elixir — the UAE’s first pilot system that transforms desalination brine into renewable blue energy and magnesium carbonate. This groundbreaking initiative introduces a circular model that converts industrial waste into clean energy and sustainable materials, aligning with the UAE’s goals for innovation, decarbonization, and resource efficiency.

The project is supported by an AED 100 million R&D fund launched by ADQ, an active sovereign investor with a focus on critical infrastructure and global supply chains, in 2022. The fund forms part of ADQ Growth Lab, a community of innovators across ADQ’s portfolio that realises the company’s commitment to accelerating innovation and R&D with a focus on unlocking growth opportunities and driving value creation and sustainability across priority sectors of the UAE’s economy.

The pilot will be installed at EMSTEEL’s steel business unit in Abu Dhabi, where MediSun Energy will deploy two integrated systems. The WEGen RED system treats 500 cubic meters of desalination brine per day, generating “blue energy” while consuming less power than conventional processes. The WEGen Green Pilot processes 30 cubic meters of brine daily, captures carbon dioxide, and produces up to 300 kg of magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃) per day — a low-carbon alternative to traditional additives used in steelmaking.

By combining carbon capture and energy recovery, Project Elixir transforms desalination brine — typically treated as waste — into a valuable resource. The recovered magnesium carbonate will be trialed as a sustainable substitute for dololime in EMSTEEL’s electric arc furnace (EAF), supporting the company’s efforts to reduce emissions and advance green steel production.

Eng. Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, Group CEO of EMSTEEL, said: “This collaboration with MediSun Energy marks a significant step in redefining industrial sustainability. The ability to convert desalination brine into clean energy and valuable materials directly supports our decarbonization strategy and aligns with national objectives for circularity and innovation. Project Elixir reflects EMSTEEL’s commitment to advancing green steel production while reinforcing the UAE’s leadership in industrial transformation.”

Dusun Kim, CEO of MediSun Energy, said: “This pilot represents a breakthrough for industrial sustainability in the UAE. By turning brine waste into clean power and green materials, we’re demonstrating a circular model for the future of steelmaking. We’re proud to partner with EMSTEEL on this historic initiative.”

Scheduled for installation in mid-2025, the pilot will be implemented without disrupting existing operations. MediSun will lead engineering, installation, and operations, supported on-site by EMSTEEL and Emirates Electrical & Instrumentation Company (EEIC), which will assist with local assembly and integration.

About EMSTEEL

EMSTEEL is a public joint stock company (ADX: EMSTEEL) and the UAE’s largest steel and building materials manufacturer. The Group leverages cutting-edge technologies to supply both the local market and over 70 international markets with high-quality finished products, creating a one-stop shop for the manufacturing and construction sectors.

About MediSun Energy

MediSun Energy is an integrated brine management company headquartered in Singapore. The company specializes in turning desalination brine and industrial waste streams into valuable resources through energy-efficient and circular solutions. MediSun’s proprietary technologies — including Reverse Electrodialysis (RED) and CO₂ mineralization — are designed to decarbonize energy-intensive sectors such as desalination and heavy industry, supporting a more sustainable and resource-resilient future.

For more information, visit www.medisun.energy or write to info@medisun.energy. You can also follow MediSun on LinkedIn.

 

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Think Together Expands Executive Team with Matt Scharpnick as Chief of Innovation

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Think Together creates new C-suite role to fuel market innovation and transform educational outcomes as it expands services and impact across California.

SANTA ANA, Calif., May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Think Together, California’s leading nonprofit provider of expanded learning, afterschool programs, staffing, and school improvement services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Scharpnick as Chief of Innovation, Impact Portfolio.

With the completion of Think Together’s strategic plan, the organization is launching a bold new phase of growth through its Impact Portfolio to create conditions where every child has access to all of life’s possibilities upon graduation from high school. As Chief of Innovation, Scharpnick will play a pivotal role in building out Think Together’s five-year plan to double its footprint and increase its impact on school systems across California and beyond.

“Our Impact Portfolio is designed to extend the reach of Think Together’s core services by elevating what we offer in support of schools and communities,” said Founder and CEO of Think Together Randy Barth. “Scharpnick brings a rare blend of creativity, strategic insight, and digital innovation expertise that will help advance our vision for scalable and equitable student success.”

In this role, Scharpnick will lead the strategic development of technological solutions for Orenda Education, Leading for Student Success, as well as a new suite of digital products designed to expand the impact of Think Together’s core expanded learning and afterschool programs. He will also drive innovation across Think Together’s Impact Portfolio using technology and strategic design to scale transformative education efforts statewide.

The Impact Portfolio will focus on leveraging digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to help schools elevate student outcomes. Scharpnick will partner with leaders across Think Together and its sister organizations to launch new ventures, train the next generation of education leaders, and deliver proven practices to the right stakeholders at the right time.

Scharpnick returns to Think Together with nearly two decades of experience in strategy, design, and digital transformation. He most recently served as a Director at BCG X, the digital and AI innovation arm of Boston Consulting Group, where he led product  development and venture launches for Fortune 500 companies. He also co-founded Elefint, a design studio focused on supporting mission-driven organizations through strategy and storytelling. Earlier in his career, he served as Think Together’s Director of Marketing and Communications from 2006 to 2007.

“Returning to Think Together feels like coming full circle—not just personally, but professionally,” said Scharpnick. “It’s an exciting moment to be part of an organization that’s leaning into innovation to meet the needs of today’s students. I’m honored to help lead efforts that make our systems more scalable, more sustainable, and ultimately more impactful.”

“Innovation is essential to transforming education at scale,” added Barth. “By reimagining systems and streamlining how we deliver what works in schools, we can align people and practices around a shared vision for student achievement.”

For more information about Think Together and its expanded learning programs, visit thinktogether.org.

About Think Together
For over 25 years, Think Together has partnered with schools and communities to pursue educational opportunity and excellence for all kids. As a nonprofit organization, Think Together innovates, implements, and scales academic solutions that change the odds for hundreds of thousands of California students each year. Think Together’s program areas include early learning, afterschool programs, staffing, and leadership development for teachers and school administrators. For more information, call (888) 485-THINK or visit www.thinktogether.org

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