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☆ $3 billion startup Sword Health cuts some physical therapists as it ramps up AI to treat more patients
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-11 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sword Health cut a portion of physical therapists last month, the company confirmed to BI. The startup is working to increase the number of patients its physical therapists care for using AI. AdvertisementSword Health has made cuts to its clinical workforce as the $3 billion startup seeks to manage more patients with the help of AI, Business Insider has learned. The layoffs come as Sword seeks to enable its PTs to treat more patients using AI. AdvertisementIt's not the only digital health startup waiting at the IPO gates.

Persons: —, Sword, would've, aren't, Virgilio Bento, It's, Bento, Morgan Stanley, Omada Organizations: BI, Service, Business Locations: Omada

☆ Medical startup Sword Health announces AI that patients can talk to
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Pain management startup Sword Health on Tuesday announced a new artificial intelligence solution named Phoenix that patients can speak with for guidance through virtual physical therapy sessions. Sword patients join sessions using a tablet from the company that can track their movement. Phoenix will propose changes for the patient's next session, as well as a follow-up message about the session they completed. Patients can sign up for Sword if it is supported by their employer or their health plan. Sword has been testing Phoenix with some patients using its "Thrive" digital physical therapy product.

Persons: Virgílio Bento, Bento, Sword, Catalyst Organizations: Pain, CNBC, Phoenix, Venture, Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund Locations: Phoenix

☆ Holocaust survivor visiting Israel flees for safety as war breaks out
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Nick Watt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Los Angeles CNN —“It went from wonderful to horrible in an instant,” Charlotte Hauptman said of that fateful Saturday morning. A photo of Mercedes Virgili, left, and Charlotte Hauptman is seen on Hauptman's phone. The framed photo is on display in the Virgili family home in Secchiano, Italy. Charlotte Hauptman shows off her mother's ring, which was returned to her years after her family traded it for food in Italy. Panic.”Her daughter, Hauptman would later find out, was panicking on the inside.

Persons: Charlotte Hauptman, “, ”, “ I’m, she’d, ” Hauptman, ‘ Heil, “ Let’s, Hauptman, ‘, Myriam Lanternari, Virgilio, Daria Virgili, Charlotte Hauptman's, Elizabeth Weinberg, Wolf, Esther, Charlotte, “ Virgilio Virgili, ” Virgilio, Mercedes, Madonna, “ Virgilio, Mercedes Virgili, Esther Fullenbaum, ’, Charlotte –, He’d, …, Michele Goldman, ’ ”, We’re, “ It’s, Israel Organizations: Los Angeles CNN, CNN, Nazi, Allies, Partisans, Charlotte, Gestapo, IDF Locations: Jerusalem, Southern California, Israel, Italy, Cagli, Italian, Secchiano, Nazi, Hanover, Milan, Calabria, Venice, Charlotte, Auschwitz, Los Angeles, American, San Francisco, America, LA, Gaza, Bethlehem

☆ Billion-dollar physical-therapy startup Sword Health shares the strategies it's using to drive growth ahead of a potential IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Sword Health wants to be profitable before an IPO, and it's aiming to hit that milestone in 2024. Virgilio Bento founded Sword Health in 2015 to give patients around the world access to virtual physical therapy. Bento isn't interested in taking Sword public before the company is profitable, he said, a milestone he expects to reach next year. "And I don't want to be a public company that's not profitable because that puts us in a very tricky situation." Sword Health uses wearables to monitor user movement and provide physical therapy virtually.

Persons: Virgilio Bento, Sword, Bento isn't, Bento, hadn't, he's, hasn't Organizations: Health, Sword Health, Smart

☆ Cocaine cartels encroach on Unification Church’s Paraguayan paradise
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Puerto Casado | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +20 min

Many of the runways are on land owned by the Unification Church of South Korea, founded by Rev. The Unification Church is a major power in this unruly region. Byun, the Unification Church lawyer, provided Reuters with an April 2022 document the church sent to Paraguayan anti-narcotics prosecutors, urging an investigation into potential illicit activity. Trouble in paradiseThe alleged drug-running on its land isn’t the only trouble the Unification Church has faced in the Chaco. Byun, the church lawyer, acknowledged the tensions with locals in Puerto Casado but declined to comment on the Myungs or the fire.

Persons: Sun Myung, Michelle Byun, ” Byun, “, Moon, God, ”, Miguel Ángel Servín, Servín, Rodrigo Alvarez, Elva Cáceres, Marco Alcaraz, Cynthia Tarrago, Tarrago, Raimundo Va, Rodrigo Alvarenga Paredes, Byun, Alvarenga, “ Alvarenga, Rodrigo Álvarez, Álvarez, Pedro Juan Caballero, ‘ Lawless, –, Marcelo Pecci, José Carlos Acevedo, ” Acevedo, Pecci, Acevedo, Mario Abdo Benítez, James Laverty, Hak Ja, ” –, Carlos Casado, Anger, Locals, Lorenzo Myung, Martin Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Dora Irrazábal, Irrazábal, Alberto David Gauto, Gauto, Emilio Camacho, Moon’s, Hyun Jin, Preston, Hak, Hyung Jin, Sean, Massimo Introvigne, Sean Moon, Preston Moon, Puerto Casado, Virgilio Chamorro, Gabriel Stargardter, Daniela Desantis, Feilding, Tomas Bravo, John Emerson, Brian Thevenot Organizations: Unification Church of, Rev, Authorities, Reuters, Unification Church, Holy Spirit Association, South Korea’s Unification, Belgian, Sting, South, International Association of Parliamentarians, Peace, U.S . Federal Bureau of Investigation, Colorado Party, Yorker, U.S, Attorney, FBI, Capital Command, PCC, United Nations Office, Drugs, U.S . Drug, Carlos Casado SA, Salesian, Supreme, FARC, Peace Foundation, Center for Studies, New, Iron Ministries, Preston, Tomas Bravo Graphics Locations: Paraguayan, Unification Church of South Korea, SENAD Paraguay, Chaco, Paraguay, Korea, Bolivian, Peruvian, Atlantic, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Europe, Argentine, Manhattan, “, Antwerp, Europe’s, Servín, Asunción, Seoul, New York City, United States, New Jersey, Tarrago, Va, U.S, Byun, Alvarenga, Chile, Ecuador, Colombian, Bolivia, American, South America, America, Puerto Casado, Gauto, Preston, Turin, Italy, Pennsylvania, Puerto

☆ The world’s 50 best restaurants revealed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Peru’s capital city – and undoubtedly its gastronomic capital – had a tremendous showing Tuesday at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, taking the No. Four Lima restaurants made the 50 Best list: Central at No. Central is the first South American restaurant to earn the “World’s Best” title. This year’s top 50 includes restaurants from 24 territories on five continents, with 12 restaurants entering the list for the first time. Ken Motohasi/CentralThe world’s 50 best restaurants 20231.

Persons: –, Maido, Kjolle, Virgilio Martinez, Pía, Santiago Calatrava, Asador, Le Du, Gaggan Anand, Atomix, Le Bernardin, Éric Ripert, they’re, Osteria Francescana, Ken Motohasi, Bruno Verjus, São, Julien Royer, Le, Don Julio, Quique, Schloss, Hiša Franko, El, Jane, Tim Raue, Le Calandre, Leo, Bogotá, Orfali Organizations: City of Arts and Sciences, Diverxo, Longtime, Peru's, Trèsind, Orfali Bros, Mexico City Locations: –, Lima, Central, American, Spanish, Valencia, Spain, Barcelona, Madrid, Atxondo, Basque, Italy, France, Europe, England, London, Asia, Bangkok, United States, New York, North America, Noma, Copenhagen, Modena, Mirazur, Menton, Peru, South America, Disfrutar, Denmark, New York City, Quintonil, Mexico City, Mexico, Paris, Dubai, UAE, East, Africa, São Paulo, Brazil, Odette, Singapore, Le Du, Thailand, Sangro, Steirereck, Vienna, Austria, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tokyo, Japan, Belcanto, Lisbon, Portugal, Switzerland, Santiago, Chile, Frantzén, Stockholm, Sweden, San Sebastian, Kobarid, Slovenia, Bogotá, Colombia, Ikoyi, Antwerp, Belgium, Berlin, Germany, Piazza, Alba, United Arab Emirates, Montreuil, Rosetta, Hong Kong

CNN —Ecuador’s embattled President Guillermo Lasso, who is facing a looming impeachment vote, has triggered a constitutional clause to dissolve government, a politically fraught move that could spark protests with the country already tackling a fragile security situation. Lasso, who took office in 2021, is accused of interfering in the negotiation of a shipping contract related to the export of oil products. The president’s decision to instate muerte cruzada means his government will remain in office until a new general election takes place in around six months. But calls for his resignation have grown louder in recent months, as Ecuador’s opposition and influential federation of Indigenous organizations accused Lasso of negligence in a country engulfed by a cost-of-living crisis and high rates of criminal violence. Will Freeman, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the application of muerte cruzada “would absolutely cause instability.”“Lasso is too unpopular to benefit from the impression that he’s overriding checks and balances to finally get something done,” he told CNN, before the announcement on Wednesday.

☆ Ecuador assembly begins impeachment hearing against President Lasso
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

QUITO, May 16 (Reuters) - Ecuador's National Assembly on Tuesday began an impeachment hearing against President Guillermo Lasso, who could be removed from his post, though the process increases the likelihood he will dissolve the legislature to avoid a final vote. The opposition, including members of the party of ex-President Rafael Correa - himself accused of corruption - has been invigorated following the re-election of Virgilio Saquicela as president of the National Assembly on Sunday. "The Ecuadorean people want Guillermo Lasso (...) to go home," said opposition lawmaker Viviana Veloz while presenting a motion to vote on the censure and dismissal of the president. CONAIE, Ecuador's largest indigenous organization, backed the measure to remove Lasso in a statement, saying that "with Guillermo Lasso Ecuador doesn't have a future, only fear and uncertainty." The assembly voted to continue with the impeachment process last Tuesday with 88 votes in favor out of 116 legislators present.

This would see Lasso resign, triggering snap elections for both the presidency and the National Assembly, according to a clause in the Ecuador’s constitution. While Ricachon believes Ecuador’s president Lasso should complete his mandate, Zamora thinks the president’s time is up and that the country’s problems require a new leader. Once the president wraps up his defense on Tuesday and leaves the legislature, each of Ecuador’s 137 National Assembly members will be accorded ten minutes to speak. Then Saquicela, the National Assembly president, will set a date within five days for the impeachment vote. Members of unions and civil society groups demand that Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso leave office amid rising crime and insecurity, in Quito, Ecuador May 1, 2023.

☆ Ecuador lawmakers re-elect National Assembly president
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

QUITO, May 14 (Reuters) - Independent lawmaker Virgilio Saquicela was re-elected president of Ecuador's National Assembly on Sunday, supported by politicians who want an impeachment process against President Guillermo Lasso to advance to a vote for his possible removal. Saquicela, who took over as president of the National Assembly in May last year, has become a principal figure in the process against Lasso, who is accused of embezzlement in an oil transportation contract. The assembly voted to continue with the impeachment process on Tuesday in a session convened by Saquicela with 88 votes in favor out of 116 legislators present. A majority of 96 lawmakers of the 136 present voted to re-elect Saquicela. He was supported by allies of former President Rafael Correa, who is convicted of corruption, as well as other opposition and independent parties.

☆ Explainer: Why are Ecuador lawmakers trying to impeach President Lasso?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Ecuadorean President Guillermo Lasso participates in an interview at Carondelet Palace, in Quito, Ecuador April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Santiago Arcos/File PhotoQUITO, April 24 (Reuters) - Ecuadorean opposition lawmakers and President Guillermo Lasso - or his lawyer - are scheduled to testify this week in impeachment hearings that could see the conservative former banker censured and removed from office. Lasso has denied the charges, pointing out the contract was signed in 2018, three years before he took office. Estupinan is a key witness for opposition lawmakers, who say the former manager claims to have warned Lasso about contract irregularities allegedly committed by Luque, but got no response. Lawmakers from the Revolucion Ciudadana party of former President Rafael Correa, fierce opponents of Lasso, have pledged to cast their 47 votes for removal.

[1/5] One of the dishes created by Bolivian chef Marsia Taha and Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez with ingredients from the Amazon, gets served at Gustu restaurant, in La Paz, Bolivia, March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia MoralesApril 3 (Reuters) - In the high altitudes of Bolivia's La Paz, some of South America's top chefs are paying homage to regional Amazonian culinary ingredients including gusanillo, or worm chili, tree bark that tastes like garlic, and honey from stingless bees. At Taha's restaurant Gustu in La Paz, a feast of colors and flavors was carefully spread out on wooden tables decorated with large leaves to celebrate the gastronomic diversity of the Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon. "This is not only a celebration of the Amazon and its biodiversity but of our producers as well. They are the ones who make it possible for these products to arrive to our homes or our restaurants," said Taha.

☆ Italy seeks clarification, prompt solution to massive email outage
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MILAN, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Italy's government has sought clarification over an outage that has been affecting nine million users of Internet provider Italiaonline's webmail services since Jan. 23, it said on Wednesday. Answering a query from Reuters, Italiaonline said it had no evidence at present that its problems bore any relation to those suffered on Wednesday by millions of Microsoft (MSFT.O) users. "We expected to restore usage of Libero Mail and Virgilio Mail within the next 24/48 hours," Italiaonline said in a statement. "Given it's an operating system bug it takes time to develop a technical solution, with the primary goal of protecting data integrity," Italiaonline said. Reporting by Elvira Pollina; editing by Valentina Za, Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Pablo Escobar was gunned down 29 years ago today — here are 3 theories about who took the Medellin kingpin's life
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

By 1993, Colombian authorities, the US government, and rival criminals were all after Pablo Escobar. "Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar," or People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar — known as Los Pepes — was made up of rival drug traffickers, paramilitaries, and others scorned by the Medellín cartel boss. His son, Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, who has changed his name to Sebastián Marroquín, has insisted that his father took his own life on that Medellín rooftop. "I have no doubt" that Pablo Escobar planned his own death, Marroquín said in a 2014 interview. The question of who killed Pablo Escobar is likely to go unresolved, probably by design.

☆ Sword Health wants to do some M&A as business picks up. Here's what the physical-therapy startup is looking for.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

After a year of growth, Sword Health is looking to expand through mergers and acquisitions. CEO Virgílio Bento said he's looking for startups with solid healthcare partnerships and teams. As merger-and-acquisition activity in healthcare heats up, Sword Health has some of its own irons in the fire. Since October, the startup has grown its employer base from 150 to more than 1,400, Insider has learned exclusively. Instead, Bento said Sword wanted to accelerate how it grows, including by exploring more M&A opportunities.

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