TEXAS IS AMERICA’S TOP STATE FOR BUSINESS, ACCORDING TO CNBC EXCLUSIVE STUDY

CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn Revealed America’s Top Five States for Business Today on CNBC

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., July 10, 2018—CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, today unveiled the results of its twelfth annual list of America’s Top States for Business with Texas taking the number one position.  The Lone Star state scored 1,651 out of 2,500 points.

CNBC Special Correspondent Scott Cohn reported today live from Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in Fredericksburg, TX and counted down the top five states during CNBC’s “Squawk Box” (M-F, 6AM-9AM ET) and on CNBC Digital.  Coverage of America’s Top States for Business will continue on-air and online through CNBC’s Business Day programming today.

Since the study was introduced in 2007, Texas has placed in the top five every year and is the only state to be named a four-time winner.  This year, the state had top ten finishes in five of the ten categories of competitiveness, including two number one spots.  Texas added more than 350,000 jobs in the past year and had solid economic growth—including a 5.2% state GDP increase in the fourth quarter— putting the state in first place for the Economy category, up from number 25 last year.  However, the state had some of the same weaknesses it had the last time it finished on top—taking the number 31 spot for Quality of Life and number 37 for education this year.

“With its robust economy, solid infrastructure and world class workforce, Texas is always tough to beat,” said Cohn. “It is even more so when the energy industry is healthy, as it is now.”

CNBC Digital offers a detailed analysis of how Texas claimed the top spot including a complete economic snapshot (employment, budget, tax and housing data).  The rankings for all 50 states are available at topstates.cnbc.com.  In addition, the site also has exclusive stories, lists and videos including the best and worst states to live in, the least and most expensive states in 2018, among others.

Follow us on Twitter @CNBC and take part in the social conversation surrounding CNBC’s Top States coverage using hashtag #TopStates.

CNBC’s exclusive study has ranked all 50 states based on their scores in ten categories of competitiveness. This year’s study subjects the states to 64 metrics across those categories. The tried and true methodology rates the states based on the attributes that matter most to business. To do that, we score every state’s economic development marketing materials to see what they are pitching to businesses. The more frequently a selling point appears, the more weight it carries in the study.

America’s Top 5 States for Business:

1.     Texas (Highest Rank - #1 in Infrastructure and Economy; Lowest Rank - #37 in Education)

2.     Washington (Highest Rank - #2 in Workforce; Lowest Rank - #37 in Cost of Living)

3.     Utah (Highest Rank - #2 in Economy; Lowest Rank - #34 in Education)

4.     Virginia (Highest Rank - #3 in Workforce; Lowest Rank - #34 in Cost of Doing Business)

5.     Colorado (Highest Rank - #5 in Workforce; Lowest Rank - #37 in Cost of Doing Business)

For more information contact:

Jennifer Dauble
CNBC
t: 201.735.4721
m: 201.615.2787
e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com

About CNBC:

With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and CNBC World, CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news and provides real-time financial market coverage and business information to more than 409 million homes worldwide, including more than 91 million households in the United States and Canada. CNBC also provides daily business updates to 400 million households across China. The network's 15 live hours a day of business programming in North America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC at night features a mix of new reality programming, CNBC's highly successful series produced exclusively for CNBC and a number of distinctive in-house documentaries.

CNBC Digital delivers more than 52 million multi-platform unique visitors each month. CNBC.com provides real-time financial market news and information to CNBC’s investor audience. CNBC Make It is a digital destination focused on making you smarter about how you earn, save and spend your money by zeroing in on careers, leadership, entrepreneurship and personal finance.

CNBC has a vast portfolio of digital products, offering CNBC content to a variety of platforms such as: CNBC.com; CNBC PRO, a premium service that provides in-depth access to Wall Street; a suite of CNBC mobile apps for iOS and Android devices; Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri voice interfaces; and streaming services including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Samsung Smart TVs. To learn more, visit https://www.cnbc.com/digital-products/.

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5 Ways Neglecting Your Teeth Can Cost You – In Money And In Health

Here’s a hard fact to chew on: Adults between the ages of 20 and 64 average losing about seven permanent teeth, according to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).

Lost teeth are just one of the many costs that can be incurred by neglecting your oral health. Dental professionals say a lack of preventative care by patients is often at the root of dental problems; only 37 percent of adults participating in the NIDCR survey reported visiting a dentist in the previous year.

“You can eliminate a lot of pain by being proactive about your dental health,” says Dr. Ramón Durán (www.drramonduran.com), a dentist in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and author of Your Best Smile … For a Lifetime: Achieving Your Optimal Oral Health. “Taking preventative measures is vital if you want to save money and, more importantly, save your teeth and stay healthy.

There are many signs you need to see your dentist, yet often people ignore oral issues until the pain forces them into action.

“By then, the conditions have likely progressed to the point where more involved and expensive treatments are necessary,” Durán says. “Along with the many dental-related problems, there are serious diseases and health complications that are linked to poor dental health.”

Durán lists five ways neglecting your oral health can cost you - not just in money but also in medical issues:

• Implants. These are the expensive replacements for those teeth you lost. They can run anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000 for a single tooth. Durán links implants with what he calls “opportunity costs” – the choice one relinquishes when making a poor dental health decision. “Deciding not to brush at least twice a day and floss, opting for sugary foods and snacks, not visiting your dentist twice a year – all are opportunity costs,” Durán says. “Your mouth is a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, and if neglected, one the most direct results is tooth loss.”
• Jobs. Yes, yellowed, missing or crooked teeth can cost you a job. An American Dental Association survey found young adults and low-income adults agreed that the appearance of their mouth affected their ability to interview. One reason: they were too embarrassed to smile. ”Like it or not, we’re often judged by our appearance,” Durán says. “We often associate a person’s oral health with some of the social biases we have.”
• Diabetes. The National Institute of Health’s report “Oral Health in America” links periodontitis to diabetes. Periodontitis is the inflammation of the tissue around the teeth, often causing shrinkage of the gums and loosening of the teeth. “Reports have suggested it’s a two-way street for these diseases,” Durán says. “Periodontal disease may have a negative impact on glycemic control.”
• Heart disease and stroke. “Certain bacteria that thrive in dental infections are being identified as potentially linked to heart disease,” Durán says. “Bacteria or viruses in the mouth can get directly into the bloodstream, with the possibility of causing blood clots and narrowing of the arteries.”
• COPD. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, caused by chronic bronchitis, recurrent respiratory infection or emphysema, has been associated with periodontal disease. “This can happen due to bacterial pneumonia living in the mouth and making its way to the airway,” Durán says.

“The cost of choosing not to take proper care of your teeth and gums is greater than many people imagine,” Durán asks. “It could be the cost of an implant, dentures, your overall health – and even your life.”

About Dr. Ramón Durán

Dr. Ramón Durán, DMD (www.drramonduran.com), is a dentist based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a practice focused on cosmetic and implant dentistry. He’s a public speaker and author of Your Best Smile … For a Lifetime: Achieving Your Optimal Health. Dr. Durán is part of just 10 percent of dental professionals in the U.S. who practice the concept of complete dentistry, helping patients to identify potential problems before further damage can occur. He is a former faculty member of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Duran also is a graduate of The Dawson Academy, a world-renowned continuing education institution for dentists. 

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PVMNTS

Announce Debut EP

Better Days

Due Out August 17th

First Single

"Standing (On My Own Two Feet)"

Premiering Exclusively with Alternative Press

LOS ANGELES, CA - Fans all around the world have been buzzing about Los Angeles-based pop-punk trio PVMNTS after their UK headlining tour and Slam Dunk Fest performance, even though there is just one single demo recording currently released. Today, PVMNTS is granting the world's wishes for more music with the premiere of "Standing (On My Own Two Feet)" with Alternative Press. This release comes with the promise of even more music as the band has announced their debut EP Better Days will be released August 17th. Be sure to head to AltPress.com for the full exclusive feature.

"Tyler wrote this song during the passing of his mother so there's a lot of emotion in writing and recording this song. It's basically about when you hit a point in your life where your life will change and there's nothing you can do about. The only control that you have is deciding whether or not it's going to fuck you up or you take a positive route and do something good with what you've just been through" shares the band on this first anthemic lead single, which will hit all digital streaming platforms tomorrow.

Behind the scenes, Freddy Ramirez (vocals, guitar, bass), Tyler Posey (vocals, bass, guitar) and Nick Guzman (drums) have been working toward this for nearly a decade, long before officially forming PVMNTS in late 2016. As bandmates in Lost In Kostko, Ramirez and Posey honed their pop-punk chops-a musical torch Ramirez and Guzman would later carry in various projects.

It's the culmination of those years of hard work and collaboration that's led to Better Days, PVMNTS' debut EP: a collection of undeniable pop-punk that seamlessly blends old- and new-school influences together with the muscular edge of the mid-2000s underground scene.

Produced by Kyle Black (New Found Glory, State Champs), Better Days is the sound of a band unafraid to dig deep within themselves to tackle topics of depression, anxiety, death and self-doubt-offering a lyrical heft to match their musical bite. PVMNTS shared that "with only 6 songs to debut our sound, we wanted to make sure this little EP was as eclectic as possible. There is lots of heavy emotion mixed with light hearted and uplifting tunes."

Drawing from influences like Blink-182, The Story So Far, Taking Back Sunday and so many more major bands in this scene, PVMNTS is ready to take the lead of this next generation of pop-punk. PVMNTS is Freddy Ramirez (vocals, guitar, bass), Tyler Posey (vocals, bass, guitar) and Nick Guzman (drums).

For more information on PVMNTS, please visit:

https://www.pvmntsband.com/ 
https://twitter.com/pvmntsband
https://www.facebook.com/pvmntsband/
https://www.instagram.com/pvmntsband

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