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Austin columnist returns fire
Austin American-Statesman columnist Ken Herman reacts with - pleasure, actually - at making the front page of the Abilene Reporter-News.
Today's weather: Hot, windy, chance of storms
Today's high to reach 96, overnight low around 70.
APD officer injured in crash back on duty
“I was turning right, looking that direction, and I guess the dog ran from the west curb,” Ricker said.
The hazards of missionary work
Locals recount their time overseas as missionaries.
DCOA picks new CEO
R. Kent Sharp was selected to lead the corporation.
NWS issues weather warnings
Heavy rains reported in Winters and surrounding area.
DCOA names new head
Gainesville EDC chief picked
United to open stores in Brownwood
Ground was broken Monday for a United Supermarkets store and a United Express convenience store in Brownwood.


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Black Country presswork firm BC Barton & Son has collapsed after more than 110 years of trading.
The Oldbury-based firm, established in 1898 by Benjamin Charles Barton and his son Percival, called in administrators from Baker Tilly Restructuring and Recovery on November 23.
Nine of the firm’s 45 members of staff have been made redundant, administrators Guy Mander and Graham Bushby revealed.
The company, which specialises in traditional presswork, welded fabrication and sheet metal manipulation, continues to trade as a buyer is sought.
Mr Mander said the business had suffered in the recession as a result of the depressed construction and civil engineering markets which led to a reduction in turnover.
He said: “The company has an established reputation for quality and good service; it also had a number of interesting projects in the pipeline which did not come to fruition in time.
“We are continuing to trade the business with a view to a restructuring of the company or sale of the business as a going concern.
“Regrettably, following an initial review of the company’s operations we have had to make nine employees redundant.
“Our team has been assisting those employees in order that their claims can be processed as efficiently as possible.”
The company was involved in the construction, scaffolding, materials handling, defence and telecoms sectors.
It had been a part of Black Country business since 1898, starting out in metal work and contract manufacturing and becoming a specialist in traditional presswork, welded fabrication and sheet metal manipulation.
Over the years the company has manufactured for the likes of Ford Motor Company, SGB, Mabey, British Telecom and RMD Kwikform.
In recent years, the company has established ties with China, and has a factory on the outskirts of Shanghai.
The company’s website states: “The 10-year trading partnerships we have forged with our colleagues in China have afforded us the ability to offer our clients a ‘dual capacity manufacturing’ service.
“This gives us the advantage of manufacturing more complicated products and special items in Britain, and manufacturing repeat and volume products in China.
“This has brought us to a point today where our presence in China over the last 10 years has resulted in a large network of contacts and its own joint venture factory.”
The joint administrators said they are continuing to trade business and contacts should be made through the usual channels.

domain: news


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Shatto Milk Co. said Tuesday that its products are back on the shelves of area stores after a voluntary recall.
The Osborn, Mo., company said it began shipping products after samples sent to the Missouri Department of Agriculture passed muster. Shatto said in a release that some varieties of products may be in short supply while the company works to catch up with demand.
Shatto recalled seven of its milk products on Aug. 8 after tests showed levels of residual phosphatase — an indication that they may not have been pasteurized properly.
The company said in a release on Tuesday that it worked with state inspectors and the manufacturer of its pasteurization equipment to make sure everything was in working order. It said a technician for the equipment manufacturer “made a few adjustments to the machine and indicated it was in good working order.”
The Missouri Department of Agriculture said in a release that tests on new samples showed Tuesday that Shatto’s milk met the standard for residual phosphatase in Grade A milk. Based on the new results, the state Milk Board reinstated Shatto’s plant permit.
Shatto has built a local following since it began selling milk in glass bottles from its own herds. The company has gone on to win awards for various flavors of milk and, more recently, has begun selling ice cream and cheese.
Brian leads the Kansas City Business Journal's editorial staff.


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London: Pop singer Celine Dion and her husband Rene Angelil have become the proud owners of a popular sandwich shop in Canada. The famous couple formed part of a consortium of investors who were behind the purchase of the famous Schwartz`s Deli, which has been selling sandwiches in the city since 1928, a leading daily has reported.
The sale price was reportedly USD 6.3 million and Angelil, who has been visiting the deli since since 1961, says he will do everything he can to uphold the firm`s traditional values.
"It`s the most unique restaurant in the world and we`re thrilled to be a part of it. Of course, we`ll make a few improvements as necessary, but we`re not interested in diluting the brand by franchising, or making the deli something that it isn`t," he said.


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FOR those concerned that fleet electrification will lead to power blackouts as we all plug in at once – not true by the way (see National Grid’s mythbusters), but often cited by some as a reason to stick with fossil fuels – here’s an example of an electric car working as an electricity hub.
In Sunderland, where the Nissan Leaf has been made for over a decade, the plant’s 32 foot Christmas tree is being powered by an electric Nissan Leaf, along with some of Rudolf’s reindeers looking highly festive.
They are lit up by the Leaf’s battery using V2X technology. Or, as Nissan would have it, V2X-MAS TREE…well, it is Christmas, so we’re all allowed a Christmas cracker pun.
The Nissan Leaf’s vehicle-to-grid capability (sometimes called vehicle-to-building or vehicle-to-everything – V2X) puts energy management back in the hands of the owner by turning their vehicle into a mobile electric vehicle hub. Drivers can store electricity in their vehicle’s battery and feed it to the grid, their building – or in this case their Christmas Tree – when needed.
The technology allows electric vehicles to be fully integrated into the electricity grid and helps improve grid capability to handle renewable power as well as managing energy more efficiently.
For example, you could charge your car on cheaper off peak electricity and then use it to power your house during peak hours.
Anyway, back to Nissan’s rather neat idea to highlight the 250,000 Nissan Leaf models that have rolled out of the plant.
In 2021 Nissan’s Sunderland Plant was also announced as the home of EV36ZERO, a £1bn flagship electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem bringing together electric vehicles, renewable energy, and battery production.
We’re sure Santa would approve. Happy Christmas!
learnd is a business that supplies building management systems to help customers save energy and reduce carbon emissions. To increase its own decarbonisation goals, the company has introduced a salary sacrifice scheme for learnd employees provided by Edinburgh fleet management provider Gofor
LEASING provider Leasys UK has teamed up with Octopus Energy’s Electroverse to give drivers access to more than 620,000 public electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the UK and Europe.
Leasing firm Octopus Electric Vehicles has agreed a deal with US EV manufacturer Fisker to be one of the first lease providers in the UK to offer a new all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV


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Underlying the global economy is a series of raw materials; resources exchanged between traders, states and industrial consumers that make societies around the world tick. Often hidden from view, these market participants determine the price of everyday goods. These encompass everything from basic foods, to building materials, to intricate circuit boards.
In particular, metals have become an increasingly prominent strand of this growing web. Electric Vehicle companies have been buying diversified mines, South American governments have been looking to nationalise their copper reserves, and – for over a week – nickel trading had to stop on the world’s premier exchange.
In this webinar, we look at some of the five most prominent metals in the new world economy, examining why copper, nickel, cobalt and platinum could be ones to watch over the coming years.


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'Interest rates could rise at turn of the year'
Interest rates could begin to rise from their historic lows, the Bank of England Governor predicts
17 July 2015
10 savings rate boosting tricks
10 tricks to boost your savings interest. Rates are pants, complaining does nowt, so become an active saver to win
20 May 2015
TSB Enhance customer? Consider switching now as rates are to be slashed
500,000 TSB customers with its Enhance current account should consider switching now, as the bank is cutting rates
27 August 2014
Had a West Brom mortgage? You could be due a share of £2m in refunds
Thousands of West Bromwich mortgage customers are due a share of £2 million following interest overpayments
26 June 2014
Nationwide unveils interest-free overdraft, 5% credit interest current account
This makes the Nationwide FlexDirect account one of the top current accounts on the market, but it can be beaten
1 March 2013
Credit card interest should be capped, MP says
Labour's Yvonne Fovargue wants interest to stop once a user has paid interest equivalent to three times the sum borrowed
28 November 2012
Savers lose nearly £18 billion a year
Record low interest rates and multi-billion-pound emergency measures from the Bank of England are hitting deposits
18 June 2012
Homeowners urged to hurry for top mortgage fixes
19 January 2011
When a credit card is cheaper than a loan
18 January 2011
Should you fix your savings?
14 January 2011
24 November 2021
New. Hot mobile deals are back
Incl cheapest iPhones, Samsungs & Sims
Martin's energy crisis update
As Bulb UK collapses
Debt-free? Get paid to spend
Via top reward credit cards
Black Friday week LIVE updates
Predictions, news & analysis
'£9' six-foot Christmas tree
Plus 19 more Ikea hacks
M&S now renting out dresses
Plus rent designer dresses from others
Shift debt to 31 months 0%
And get a £40 voucher
Read the full email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today – it's spam-free!
26 November 2021Martin Lewis has warned households against splurging this Christmas, while also highlighting the importance of being honest about their finances in a bid to remain debt-free over the festive period and beyond. Read below and watch the clip from The Martin Lewis Money Show Christmas Special for more.
British Airways passenger wins battle for cash refund after successfully taking the airline to court for flights cancelled due to Covid26 November 2021A MoneySaver has successfully taken British Airways to the small claims court and been awarded £300 after disputing the airline's decision to issue vouchers instead of a cash refund for flights cancelled due to the pandemic.
26 November 2021The coronavirus outbreak is causing major travel disruption around the globe.. We've the full info on what's happened, including changes to testing and quarantining. Plus, this guide also has key info on travel insurance, refund rights and more.
25 November 2021If you're affected, your supply will continue and credit balances are protected. While it's likely you'll pay more now, there are no savings to be had by switching.
25 November 2021MCE Insurance Company, one of the UK's biggest motorbike insurers, has fallen into administration. The collapse affects around 105,000 policyholders but MSE can confirm that customers will continue to be covered until the end of their policy and claims will still be paid.
21 September 2021There are more myths and misunderstandings about student finance than any other subject. So in this blog is my updated 2021/22 version of the must knows, with links to far more info.
14 September 2021Update September 2017: It’s eight years since I first braved this subject, expecting a snowstorm of protest. Instead, year after year more join in, like Julia who recently tweeted me, “@MartinSLewis, finally took your advice and told my family I can’t afford Christmas presents. What a weight off my mind. Thank you.” One year even the Archbishop of...
Clever ways to calculate your finances


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Search results on Facebook have always incorporated Web search results by Bing amidst your friends posts and other relevant information shared on the 1.35-billion user-base of Facebook. However on Monday this week Facebook has announced a decision to remove Bing results from their own search results – a move that only makes sense as Facebook places more of an emphasis on ...
Over the course of this past week Facebook has been rolling out an update for its 1.3 billion users offering enhancements to search, primarily emphasizing the ability to look up older posts by keywords. The update has been in the making for quite some time, and it’s now finally available to both desktop and mobile customers. The social network makes the ...
As a regular internet user chances are that you’ve logged into a website or two using one of your social profiles. These days you can use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIN, and a slew of other social profiles to login almost anywhere. However while it might be cool to offer your users the ability to login to your website using 12 ...
tarting in January of 2015 Facebook is looking to rework how often promotional content from Pages you follow will appear in your newsfeed. It seems Facebook asked a few hundred thousand ...
Without much of an announcement Facebook has launched a revamped Places Directory which seems to target Yelp as their competitor. The new directory lets you run a search ...
Facebook’s 3rd quarter earnings report came out a couple of days ago – and as expected Facebook brought in a substantial amount of revenue and generated quiet the income raise. However the important numbers within that report to us webmasters is the current user base. Based on this report Facebook currently has 1.35 billion monthly users, which is quiet impressive ...
Atlas is a relaunched ad network, originally purchased by Facebook from Microsoft last year and released last night, allowing marketers to track Facebook users that have seen, interacted with or acted upon ads on the social network, as well as third party sites and applications. The company claims that the tool will help marketers track effectiveness of their ads around ...
I’ve always said it. People like counters. The ability to see how many times somebody has viewed their website, photo, or video has always been interesting to everyone. That was the concept that fueled the creation of the free counter service here, and some part of what caused Facebook to introduce counters to shared videos. A significantly larger part was the ...
Facebook is always hard at work at making sure their advertisers are making the best use of their platform – and their recent announcement let us know about some great new features that small business owners are sure to fall in love with. I have long been a fan of Facebook advertising. In-fact I had written about the benefits of ...
Facebook has announced on December 20, 2012 that they were starting a small experiment by giving a small amount of people the option to pay to send a message to someone they were not Facebook friends with, and have that message routed to that persons Inbox rather than their Others folder. This test is designed to address situations where neither ...
Roughly a month ago now UK2.NET have launched their Facebook Integration service – allowing any of their hosted clients to integrate their entire website into a facebook fanpage within a matter of minutes (5 to be exact). Simple instructions are provided right from within the UK2.NET control panel to setup your Facebook page, and integrate your website into it. Normally ...
The internet is the hottest place today to earn cash. If you are planning to start an online business, then you first need to know that although the internet will potentially generate a lot of cash for you, it doesn’t mean that you will be able to achieve success overnight. You still need to work hard even if it is ...
It’s obvious that social networking is a key part to marketing a business, and Facebook hopes their new Facebook for Business site will help business owners understand the various benefits of Facebook; and teach them how they can use it for their businesses. I have previously talked about how to create a social media plan, and how to profit from ...
Creating A Social Media Plan
Facebook is in millions of homes around the world. In fact, it has more than 500 million active users. (An active user is someone who has been on the site in the past 30 days.) On November 6, 2006, Facebook launched their advertising program. “For the last hundred years media has been pushed out to people, but now marketers are ...


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For LSA junior Kelly Holcomb-Densmor, the dining halls on campus
just don’t satisfy her eating habits because she’s
never around during dining hours.
To serve students such as Holcomb-Densmor, the Off-Campus Meal
Plan, an alternative to the traditional university meal plans, has
sprung up on college campuses across the nation. The Off-Campus
Dining Network, not affiliated with any university, is sponsoring a
renewable debit card that students can use at participating
restaurants in Ann Arbor in the fall term.
The Off-Campus Meal Plan allows students and parents to add a
customized amount to the card or select one of their preset
spending options. There is a one-time $25 enrollment fee for
joining the program, but a current promotion will waive the fee if
students sign up before May 7.
Currently, 11 restaurants have joined the program, including
Cottage Inn Pizza, Our Town Coffee House, Raja Rani, Papa
John’s Pizza and Quiznos Classic Subs have agreed to
Thomas Deloge, director of operations for the network, said the
program gives students a “dollar-to-dollar value” at
restaurants. He mentioned that at some schools the same sandwich
from the same shop costs more on campus than off campus.
“It gives students a better value (than traditional meal
plans) because the money transfers over from semester to semester
and year to year,” Deloge said.
The program currently has 5,000 cardholders across the country
and is in place for Michigan State University. The plan hopes to
have about 30 participating eateries and other Ann Arbor area
merchants join the program before the fall term.
“We (would) have a featured restaurant of the week.
Cardholders (would) get a discount at these restaurants,”
Deloge said. He also said that at other campuses, local merchants
give students discounts when presenting the card at the time of
Chad Maki, manager of Papa John’s said he expects to see
an increase in student business with the restaurant’s
involvement in the program, “especially on Sundays when the
dining halls don’t have dinner.”
Deloge said research indicates that University students wanted
to see an expansion of Entrée Plus — the
University’s own debit card system — to locations off
Housing spokesman Alan Levy said Entrée Plus will not be
extended to off-campus eateries because of contractual
Levy added that he doesn’t expect the meal plan to
“have much impact on the on-campus meal plan
“It’s good for students to have other
options,” he said. Levy also said there was “no
difficulty in seeing this (program) available to
Some students expressed interest in the meal plan. “That
would be really cool and helpful, since dining hall hours
don’t cover hours that I’m available,”
Holcomb-Densmor said. She added that she would be able to choose
what she wanted to eat instead of settling for the day’s
LSA junior Umang Malhotra said she also liked the idea of the
program but said more fast food places should be included instead
of sit-down restaurants. She also suggested incorporating
“smaller places where people go often, like
Students can sign up for the meal program online at
www.ocdn.com, pick up mail-in brochures that are at participating
restaurants or call 888-512-DINE.


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Gearing up for Burning Man: Self-reliance means a long shopping list
The loaded-to-the-gills SUVs and RVs packed with colorful characters make a statement without even saying a word: Burning Man is about to begin.
The annual pilgrimage to the Northern Nevada desert is getting started, although the official start isn’t until this weekend. While 70,000 people will eventually settle in the temporary Black Rock City encampment for a week, thousands are already flowing through the city in preparation. That means big business for stores, especially those selling bottled water, camping supplies, groceries, ice and costumes.
"Everybody is buying and buying and buying. It's amazing,” said Robert Pieszchala, 65, who was headed to his first “Burn” with his son. “You don't realize how much stuff you need. You consume a lot of stuff."
Burning Man is guided by 10 principles, among them the concept of self-reliance. Everyone who attends the event — which is part festival, part music show and completely dusty — must make their own advance arrangements for food and water. Commerce is strictly prohibited at Black Rock City, aside from ice and coffee, which are sold by the organizers to raise money for local schools.
That means every attendee is responsible for all of the food and water they'll need for a week. Event organizers provide outhouses but not showers.
Pieszchala, a retired quality assurance manager from the North Bend, Ind. area, said he’s been amazed to watch the flow of Burners across I-80 into Reno before making the two-hour drive north to the encampment site near Gerlach, Nev. Standing in the shade at a Walmart, Pieszchala watched his son, Thomas, 33, load water, beer and food into their truck and trailer.
Once at Black Rock City, attendees will live in a variety of encampments. Some will sleep in tents or rental SUVs, while others will lounge in greater luxury, with chefs and cooks to prepare their food. Paying someone else to manage your food and lodging is perfectly permitted, although you have to make those arrangements before you arrive, $390 entry ticket in hand.
Travel agent Stephanie Sack of Chicago is managing the cooking for the 100-person Cyberia camp, and spent Thursday morning loading shopping carts' worth of frozen food, fresh fruit and yogurt into a rental van.
Under the Burning Man principles, Cyberia members will offer to strangers free cold-brew coffee, yoga and Japanese rope bondage. “Oh, and belly dancing,” Sack adds in between the creaks of a cooler lid.
Burning Man tends to draw young people, mostly from 25-39, and most have college degrees. And they’re generally wealthy: 44 percent of attendees live in a household earning more than $100,000, which means much of the gear they’re buying now will be discarded at event’s end, either donated to charity or just dumped into the trash.
The average Burner spends nearly $2,000 during their visit, a fact not lost on officials at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, where an extra 17,000 people will fly in for the event, and then depart again as the event officially winds down on Labor Day.
Sack said handling the logistics for her camp’s food is a fun challenge, and proudly showed off a color-coded spreadsheet she was using to track everything. She said it’s impossible to describe exactly the draw the event has, although calling it a “modern stage for human ingenuity” starts to get there.
"Burning Man, at least for me, is not a sex-fueled dance party, although that sounds fun,” she said. “Every year it is very different and every year it is the same."


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Coinbase’s reference price of $250, received ahead of the Nasdaq direct listing, values a “thank you” gift to all 1,700 full-time employees at $25,000.
The popular trading app offers commission-free trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies.
Coinbase raked in $1.8 billion revenue in the first quarter of this year according to new figures released one week prior to the company’s public listing on the Nasdaq.
A number of factors indicate that the present is a beneficial time for eToro to go public, according to the company’s CEO.
Brian Armstrong compares Coinbase to Amazon in the early days in terms of innovations that will benefit customers.
The popular trading app has submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC.
Crunching the numbers: Analysts and industry experts weigh in on crypto firms like Coinbase and Kraken being valued in the billions.
The custody service of leading U.S. exchange Coinbase now controls more than 10% of the combined crypto asset market cap.
Longstanding sagas in crypto saw major plot development and even a conclusion or two in this week’s newsletter.
The bitcoin fund is available in both U.S. dollars and Canadian dollars and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.


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The newest lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan 3, is a part of the Chandrayaan programme. It was released on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 IST. On August 23, 2023, the lander and rover are anticipated to touch down close to the lunar south pole. In order to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and wandering on the lunar surface, Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2. It is believed that Chandrayaan-3’s launch represents a significant advancement in Indian science. A boost to the Indian economy and the creation of new jobs are two advantages of Chandrayaan-3.
Chandrayaan 3: Benefits for India
According to experts, there are many benefits of the successful launch of Chandrayaan 3 for India. Let’s have a look at them one by one:
- The successful landing of Chandrayaan 3 will help India enter the elite club of countries. Only the USA, Russia and China have been successful so far.
- The successful soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the moon will be a huge step for India, which will also boost business in India.
- Chandrayaan-3 will be India’s ticket to the “moon economy,” a rising sector with billions of dollars in potential.
- Today, India’s private space-tech economy is brimming with new potential. Only a few years ago, India’s space industry was estimated to be worth more than $9.6 billion in 2020. According to EY India, this figure might rise to $13 billion by 2025. The launch of Chandrayaan-3 will provide a significant boost to this sector.
- Chandrayaan-3’s successful launch may increase investor confidence and spur additional private investment in space technologies.
Chandrayaan 3 was launched on 14th July 2023.
The successful launch of Chandrayaan 3 will boost business in India, bring in additional private investments and boost the space technology industry.
This was all about the benefits of the Chandrayaan 3 for India. We hope you are clear about everything you want to know about this topic. If you want to know more about the latest trending articles, then stay connected with Leverage Edu.


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Macy’s doesn’t do huge sales in the one-of-a-kind handwoven baskets it imports exclusively from Rwanda, but the business speaks volumes to the people of that country and to the possibility of blending commerce with a humanitarian cause.
“This is not an aid program; it’s basically trade,” Terry Lundgren, Macy’s Inc. chairman, chief executive and president, said at Monday night’s reception in the Herald Square flagship for the president of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. He was in New York for the meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. Kagame thanked Macy’s for helping transform what was a small cottage trade — women weaving silk baskets — into a legitimate and growing enterprise in the African nation.
About three years ago, Macy’s started importing the baskets through Fair Winds Trading Co., run by Willa Shalit. She told Lundgren about Rwandan women, many widowed by the nation’s tribal genocide more than a decade ago, weaving elegant baskets to use as barter, sometimes for food. It’s considered a traditional art form. In year one, Macy’s sold $50,000 worth of baskets, and 15 Rwandans were making the baskets. In year three, Macy’s sold $1.5 million worth in just five doors and on macys.com, and now 3,000 Rwandans are employed in the production of the baskets.
Macy’s is ready to import other Rwandan products, including textiles and jewelry. Income from the sale of one handmade basket can support an entire family for a month. Products include baskets and bowls generally ranging in price from $30 to $65.
The program, called the Path to Peace Basket Project, is part ofMacy’s supplier diversity initiatives to support minority- and women-owned vendor development.
“Making these baskets has been a tradition in Rwanda for many years in just a few homes, but today, this is a huge step in the development of their lives,” Kagame said.
“Today’s these women have cash. Before they bartered the baskets for a loaf of bread,” Lundgren said. “We could have made a donation, but this is a much bigger idea.”
Etro’s show, titled “The Tree of Life,” was a celebration of the house’s 50th anniversary. “My father founded the company in 1968, which was the year of counterculture and psychedelia. It’s really a show that celebrates that and the paisley design of India and its origin,” said Veronica Etro. #wwdfashion #mfw #ss18 (📷: @delphineachard)
For @msgm’s spring 2018 show, creative director @massimogiorgetti said “Words, sounds, colors. Synthesis and therapy of a collection,” were the inspirations behind the collection, showing today. Read the rest of Milan spring 2018 inspirations on WWD.com. #mfw #wwdfashion #ss18
For her first solo album in over 10 years, Fergie tapped Carine Roitfeld, Mert and Marcus, Giovanni Bianco and more to create a fashion-focused video approach for the record, Double Dutchess. "Giovanni really helped me get back in touch with my tomboy side, my hardside," said the singer. #wwdeye #wwdfashion ( : @slovekinpics)
“Volumes and Graphic Art of the Nineties are the main inspirations of the new Aquilano.Rimondi SS 2018 collection,” said cocreative directors Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi. #wwdfashion #mfw #ss18


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Beyond those who are tragically affected directly by foodborne illness, outbreaks often result in further fallout in the supply chain.
The Florida tomato industry estimates that it lost millions as a result of a Salmonella outbreak. In 2006, harvest crews found themselves out of work as no one was harvesting spinach following an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that led to a health advisory on fresh bagged spinach. Following the discovery of BSE in Canada in 2003, many in the transport industry found it had nothing to haul to the U.S.
According to KRQE in Albuquerque, New Mexico peanut farmers are the latest to feel the affects of an outbreak – peanut processor Sunland Inc.’s bankruptcy.
The New Mexico peanut butter plant, involved in a nationwide salmonella outbreak, declared Chapter 7 Bankruptcy early in October, now has growers in eastern New Mexico and west Texas collectively out millions of dollars.
One grower says he’s mostly upset because he feels Sunland wasn’t honest.
Court documents show the plant had been preparing for the possibility of bankruptcy months before doing so, yet the growers say the plant didn’t warn them so they paid for and planted a crop that they may now have to put in storage.


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Dutch food group Wessanen today (3 April) warned that its first-quarter profits would be “significantly lower” than in 2008 due to competition in North America and Europe.
The company, which sells brands including Dr Ritter muesli and Kallo rice cakes, blamed “competitive market conditions” around a number of its branded businesses for the expected drop in operating profit.
Wessanen said its first-quarter numbers – which are due to be published on 13 May – will also include “some incidental charges”.
Last year, Wessanen posted first-quarter operating profit of EUR12.4m (US$16.7m).
Wessanen said sales for the first three months of 2009 would be “broadly in line” with the revenue booked in the first quarter of 2008, which reached EUR384.6m.
The company declined to issue a forecast for full-year sales and earnings for 2009.
Officials at Wessanen could not be reached for immediate further comment.


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Dec. 17, 2010 -- New research adds to the evidence linking obesity with lower levels of vitamin D, and the finding could help explain why carrying extra pounds raises the risk for a wide range of diseases, researchers say.
The study suggests that people who are obese may be less able to convert vitamin D into its hormonally active form.
Researchers measured levels of vitamin D and its hormonally active form 1,25(OH)2D in almost 1,800 people being treated at a weight loss clinic in Norway.
Most of the people were overweight and 11% were considered morbidly obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.
The more the study participants weighed, the lower their vitamin D levels tended to be, study researcher Zoya Lagunova, MD, of the Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Medical Center in Oslo, Norway, tells WebMD.
She says it makes sense that obesity is associated with lower vitamin D levels since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin.
The study appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Nutrition.
“Much of the vitamin D produced in the skin or ingested is distributed in fat tissue,” she says. “So obese people may take in as much vitamin D from the sun, food, or supplements as people who are not obese, but their [blood] levels will tend to be lower.”
Along with calcium, vitamin D has long been recognized as important for bone health. But in recent years studies have suggested that the vitamin plays a part in a host of diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Perhaps not coincidentally, obesity is a known risk factor for many of these diseases, Lagunova says.
The researchers concluded that 1,25(OH)2D levels might be a better measure of vitamin D in obese people than circulating levels of the vitamin.
But Clifford J. Rosen, MD, of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, is unconvinced.
Rosen tells WebMD that 1,25(OH)2D is more difficult and costly to measure and is not a very good indicator of vitamin D status.
He adds that while people who are obese do tend to have lower vitamin D levels, the clinical relevance of this is unclear.
Lagunova and colleagues conclude that people who are obese may need more vitamin D in their diets or greater exposure to the sun than thinner people.
“Obese people may need more vitamin D to end up with the same levels as a person whose weight is normal,” Lagunova says.


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It’s just matter of a week, after which the Apple stores in India will also display the new models of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. While the devices will be up for grabs starting 16 October 2015, the official prices of the devices are out.
The iPhone 6s will be available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB variants at Rs 62,000, Rs 72,000 and Rs 82,000, respectively. The iPhone 6s Plus 16GB, 64GB and 128Gb models will be priced at 72,000,Rs 82,000 and Rs 92,000, respectively.
The new iPhone 6s, 6s Plus have taken the pricing to a new level altogether. And it is for the users to decide how much is too much to shell out for a phone.
In India, Apple has always priced the iPhones at stratospheric levels, as compared to competition – with the exception of Sony, Samsung, HTC and LG. And, the funny thing is, Apple iPhone sales keep growing every year. In fact, iPhone Q3 sales grew by as much as 93% in India, a growth rate higher than China in the same quarter.
On the other hand, Android smartphones at the top end have begun to taper. Probably explaining the trends with LG, Sony and Samsung (Galaxy apart), which have begun to witness a downward trend. In part, these are due to the aggressive positioning by emerging companies such as OnePlus and Xiaomi for a fraction of the cost.
But I guess it’s the heart’s contentment that everyone strives for. To each his/her own, I’d say!


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Published: 00:01, 27 August 2014
Prices at the pumps across Kent are varying by as much as 8p per litre - and motorists want to know why.
Reports suggest drivers were paying 137.9p per litre at Esso in Deal at the weekend, while at Esso in Canterbury motorists were filling up for just 129.9p per litre.
Campaign group Fair Fuel UK, which started in Kent, is calling for a government inquiry to get to the bottom of the fluctuations in fuel prices.
Howard Cox, of Fair Fuel UK, said: "There is no rhyme or reason prices should vary by almost 10p per litre over a matter of miles.
"We are calling for a full-blown inquiry into fuel pricing in the UK. No one knows who is manipulating the figures. You can look at wholesale prices, but these are also all over the place.
"When there is trouble in the Middle East, prices go up like a rocket and down like a feather. Prices can go up in an hour, and take weeks to come down. We want to know why this is."
Fuel pricing is opaque at best, with a number of different factors in play.
As much as 60% of the price per litre goes to the government in tax, but the other 40% is determined by a number of variables - from the cost of extracting the oil right down to retailers' profit margins.
The picture is further complicated by fuel speculators who store millions of gallons of oil off shore in tankers, ready to sell when the price is right.
Also adding to the uncertainty are supermarkets which sometimes sell fuel as a loss leader – a product sold below cost to persuade consumers to visit the shops where they spend money on profitable products.
Drivers have been enjoying the lowest UK fuel prices since 2011, but this may be set to change.
The AA's latest fuel prices report, which charts UK fuel prices, says unleaded is up 1.1p from 130.5p per litre to 131.6p.
Diesel prices have increased 0.4p from 135.7p per litre to 136.1p.
The increase chimes with a recent warning from Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh.
He told the Iranian state news agency the low oil prices of $105 per barrel could not continue "due to seasonal fluctuations" and the increased cost of extraction.
What do you pay to fill up? Have you seen a bigger price variation? Let us know by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org.
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US operator Sprint is working with MVNO M2M DataSmart on an initiative to attract more small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to the M2M marketplace.
The two companies, which struck a wholesale agreement in September last year, say they are promoting more “open access” of data and network services so that entrepreneurial start-ups – as well as traditional OEM companies – can more easily commercialize their M2M concepts.
Hardware maker CradlePoint has released a new router designed specifically to support M2M services running over LTE networks.
The CradlePoint (Boise, ID, USA) COR IBR600 4G is advertised as being flexible and robust and, therefore, suited to critical enterprise applications requiring always-on, around-the-clock connectivity.
CradlePoint says it is designed to support high-bandwidth applications used across a number of industries, including the energy, retail, finance, security and transport sectors.
Nokia shares surged on Monday after it announced plans to buy out partner Siemans AG's share of their valuable network equipment joint venture, betting on the technology to run 4G networks after it stumbled as a maker of smartphones.
Loss-making Nokia (Helsinki, Finland) gains full control of the profitable venture Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for $2.2 billion, a cheaper than-expected price, analysts said, although they also noted the acquisition would put pressure on Nokia's balance sheet.
T-Mobile US has paid $308 million to US Cellular for a swathe of spectrum that will allow it to provide 4G services in the Mississippi Valley region.
The deal with US Cellular (Chicago, IL, USA) gives T-Mobile (Bellevue, WA, USA) – the fourth-biggest operator in the US – some 10MHz of Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum covering about 32 million people across 29 markets, including St Louis, Nashville, Kansas City, Memphis, Lexington, Little Rock-North Little Rock, Birmingham, New Orleans and Louisville.
SK Telecom has stolen a march on domestic and international rivals by claiming to have launched the world’s first network based on LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) technology.
The launch comes just two years after the South Korean company began providing commercial LTE services, and with many operators around the world yet to begin offering LTE to their customers.
Satellite TV company Dish Network has given up its fight to acquire Sprint in the face of tough competition from Japan’s SoftBank, reports Dow Jones Newswires.
Dish (Meridian, CO, USA) is said to have made clear its intention not to continue pursuing a takeover of Sprint in a recent securities filing.
The news comes after the company last week said it would not be able to improve its offer by a Sprint-imposed deadline of June 18.
China's ZTE Corp, the world's fifth largest smartphone maker, is aggressively moving into the higher end of the market for mobile gadgets with more 4G shipments.
The Shenzhen-based company has been trying to move away from selling lower end mobile phones, a strategy that has served it well in boosting its global market share, but at the expense of pressuring margins and profitability.
It plans to further raise its global profile by sponsoring a U.S. National Basketball Association (NBA) team later this year, executives said.
President Barack Obama is directing federal agencies to look for ways to eventually share more of their radio airwaves with the private sector as the growing use of smartphones and tablets ratchets up the demand for spectrum, according to a memo released on Friday.
With blocks of spectrum reserved by dozens of government agencies for national defense, law enforcement, weather forecasting and other purposes, wireless carriers and Internet providers are urging that more spectrum be opened up for commercial use.
French mobile phone operator SFR is preparing to hold an initial public offering in late 2014 or early 2015, according to a report from Les Echos.
SFR (Paris, France) chairman Stephane Roussel told the newspaper that SFR must re-organize to be more independent from parent company Vivendi (Paris, France), with an IPO.
Roussel had been chief executive of SFR since June 2012, but relinquished that role in late May to Jean-Yves Charlier – a change in governance that appears to have been motivated by the prospect of “an initial public offering if market conditions permit”.
Sierra Wireless has launched an embedded module aimed at supporting in-vehicle telematics and infotainment systems on the 4G network of Verizon Wireless.
The announcement comes as industry figures continue to express doubts about the suitability of 4G technology for M2M communications.
Individuals such as John Horn, the chief executive of MVNO RACO Wireless (Cincinnati, OH, USA), have questioned the business case for LTE-based M2M services, with 4G modules still much costlier than 2G or 3G ones.


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Learning from Texas AG Greg Abbott
Over the weekend, the Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott – who is now running for Governor – got himself in a bit of a mess on social media that should serve as a lesson beyond politics to all business owners. Of course, politics often brings out greater passions in people from the beginning, but it is not difficult to recall times businesses have gotten themselves into similar trouble. And this was such avoidable trouble.
It started when a lawyer named Jeff Rutledge who tweets under the handle “@jefflegal” mentioned Attorney General Abbott in a tweet opining that Abbott will beat Senator Wendy Davis if she runs for Governor because she is an “idiot” and “retard Barbie.” That may not be the most inspired or adult way to express his support for Abbott, but given that the only people who likely saw the tweet were Jeff’s connections who probably agree with his perspective, nothing more might have come of the tweet.
But then the Attorney General greatly magnified Rutledge’s disparaging use of words that many understandably find offensive by replying, “Jeff, thanks for your support.”
— Jeff Rutledge (@jefflegal) August 18, 2013
— Jeff Rutledge (@jefflegal) August 18, 2013
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 17, 2013
— Jeff Rutledge (@jefflegal) August 18, 2013
Examining the consequences
At first, it was easy to assume that the AGs tweet was simply an accidental auto-response, but the personalization of the tweet by using Rutledge’s first name in the response is beyond the capability of most auto-responders. Then, it was easy to assume that Abbott’s second string, weekend social media intern just wasn’t paying much attention and made the foolish reply. Later, though, Abbott’s campaign insisted that the Attorney General handles this particular account himself.
While the social media intern would likely have been removed from the position, what are the consequences for Abbott?
Running your business, you can assume that there are several perspective on your service or product: There are fans who will start out giving you support and the benefit of the doubt when you mess up; there detractors of your product or service who will make the worst of anything you do; and then there are those with no formed opinion about you or what you do.
Abbot urges people to stay positive, but is damage done?
Abbott’s supporters and opponents will behave predictably, as will your customers and detractors, but what of all of those you have yet to reach? Would you want this type of situation to be the first impression you made on a potential customer? If you look at the Twitter feed regarding this situation, most of the people engaged are already supporters or opponents, but some are simply offended by the AG’s implicit support of the use of the offensive language by Mr. Rutledge.
Understand that while social media can be very beneficial to your company, at any moment someone can jefflegal you, and you should know how to handle it. The best bet in this type of situation is either not to engage or to make clear that you do not condone the use of demeaning language. But beyond that, you should have a business communications plan in place to guide you and your employee’s behavior when situations arise that could ultimately harm your company.
Twitter to start charging users? Here’s what you need to know
(SOCIAL MEDIA) Social media is trending toward the subscription based model, especially as the pandemic pushes ad revenue down. What does this mean for Twitter users?
In an attempt to become less dependent on advertising, Twitter Inc. announced that it will be considering developing a subscription product, as well as other paid options. Here’s the scoop:
- The ideas for paid Twitter that are being tossed around include tipping creators, the ability to pay users you follow for exclusive content, charging for use of the TweetDeck, features like “undo send”, and profile customization options and more.
- While Twitter has thought about moving towards paid for years, the pandemic has pushed them to do it – plus activist investors want to see accelerated growth.
- The majority of Twitter’s revenue comes from targeted ads, though Twitter’s ad market is significantly smaller than Facebook and other competitors.
- The platform’s user base in the U.S. is its most valuable market, and that market is plateauing – essentially, Twitter can’t depend on new American users joining to make money anymore.
- The company tried user “tips” in the past with its live video service Periscope (RIP), which has now become a popular business model for other companies – and which we will most likely see again with paid Twitter.
- And yes, they will ALWAYS take a cut of any money being poured into the app, no matter who it’s intended for.
This announcement comes at a time where other social media platforms, such as TikTok and Clubhouse, are also moving towards paid options.
My hot take: Is it important – especially during a pandemic – to make sure that creators are receiving fair compensation for the content that we as users consume? Yes, 100%. Pay people for their work. And in the realm of social media, pictures, memes, and opinions are in fact work. Don’t get it twisted.
Does this shift also symbolize a deviation from the unpaid, egalitarian social media that we’ve all learned to use, consume, and love over the last decade? It sure does.
My irritation stems not from the fact that creators will probably see more return on their work in the future. Or on the principal of free social media for all. It stems from sheer greediness of the social media giants. Facebook, Twitter, and their counterparts are already filthy rich. Like, dumb rich. And guess what: Even though Twitter has been free so far, it’s creators and users alike that have been generating wealth for the company.
So why do they want even more now?
TikTok enters the e-commerce space, ready to compete with Zuckerberg?
(SOCIAL MEDIA) Setting up social media for e-commerce isn’t an uncommon practice, but for TikTok this means the next step competing with Facebook and Instagram.
Adding e-commerce offerings to social media platforms isn’t anything new. However, TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese firm ByteDance, is rolling out some new e-commerce features that will place the social video app in direct competition with Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Instagram.
According to a Financial Times report, TikTok’s new features will allow the platform to create and expand its e-commerce service in the U.S. The new features will allow TikTok’s popular users to monetize their content. These users will be able to promote and sell products by sharing product links in their content. In return, TikTok will profit from the sales by earning a commission.
Among the features included is “live-streamed” shopping. In this mobile phone shopping channel, users can purchase products by tapping on products during a user’s live demo. Also, TikTok plans on releasing a feature that will allow brands to display their product catalogs.
Currently, Facebook has expanded into the e-commerce space through its Facebook Marketplace. In May 2020, it launched Facebook Shops that allows businesses to turn their Facebook and Instagram stories into online stores.
But, Facebook hasn’t had too much luck in keeping up with the video platform in other areas. In 2018, the social media giant launched Lasso, its short-form video app. But the company’s TikTok clone didn’t last too long. Last year, Facebook said bye-bye to Lasso and shut it down.
Instagram is trying to compete with TikTok by launching Instagram Reels. This feature allows users to share short videos just like TikTok, but the future of Reels isn’t set in stone yet. By the looks of it, videos on Reels are mainly reposts of video content posted on TikTok.
There is no word on when the features will roll out to influencers on TikTok, but according to the Financial Times report, the social media app’s new features have already been viewed by some people.
TikTok has a large audience that continues to grow. By providing monetization tools in its platform, TikTok believes its new tools will put it ahead of Facebook in the e-commerce game, and help maintain that audience.
Your favorite Clubhouse creators can now ask for your financial support
(SOCIAL MEDIA) Clubhouse just secured new funding – what it means for creators and users of the latest quarantine-based social media darling.
Clubhouse – the live-voice chat app that has been taking the quarantined world by storm – has recently announced that it has raised new funding in a Series B round, led by Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm in Silicon Valley.
The app confirms that new funding means compensation for creators; much like the influencers on TikTok and YouTube, now Clubhouse creators will be able to utilize features such as subscriptions, tipping, and ticket sales to monetize their content.
To encourage emerging Clubhouse creators and invite new voices, funding round will also support a promising “Creator Grant Program”.
On the surface, Clubhouse is undoubtedly cool. The invite-only, celebrity-filled niche chatrooms feel utopic for any opinionated individual – or anyone that just likes to listen. At its best, Clubhouse brings to mind collaborative campfire chats, heated lecture-hall debates or informative PD sessions. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m actually obsessed.
And now with its new round, the video chatroom app will not only appear cool but also act as a helpful steppingstone to popular and emerging creators alike. “Creators are the lifeblood of Clubhouse,” said Paul & Rohan, the app’s creators, “and we want to make sure that all of the amazing people who host conversations for others are getting recognized for their contributions.”
Helping creators get paid for their labor in 2021 is a cause that we should 100% get behind, especially if we’re consuming their content.
Over the next few months, Clubhouse will be prototyping their tipping, tickets and subscriptions – think a system akin to Patreon, but built directly into the app.
A feature unique to the app – tickets – will offer individuals and organizations the chance to hold formal discussions and events while charging an admission. Elite Clubhouse rooms? I wonder if I can get a Clubhouse press pass.
Additionally, Clubhouse has announced plans for Android development (the app has only been available to Apple users so far). They are also working on moderation policies after a recent controversial chat sparked uproar. To date, the app has been relying heavily on community moderation, the power of which I’ve witnessed countless times whilst in rooms.
So: Is the golden age of Clubhouse – only possible for a short period while everyone was stuck at home and before the app gained real mainstream traction – now over? Or will this new round of funding and subsequent development give the app a new beginning?
For now, I think it’s safe to say that the culture of Clubhouse will certainly be changing – what we don’t know is if the changes will make this cream-of-the-crop app even better, or if it’ll join the ranks of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook in being another big-time social media staple.
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Adam Ellenstein says he wants to establish the Okanagan as a destination for endurance swimming.
You won't find any scraps or trim in Lorne Stapleton's sausage.
New research suggests that animal fats can provide health benefits, while some widely consumed vegetable oils lead to gut inflammation and increase susceptibility to disease.
Doctors specializing in women's health are trying to harness the power of nutrition by releasing extensive guidelines today in Vancouver to steer Canadians away from obesity and diabetes.
Harvard University's Keith Group got out the slide rules and what researchers found is food for thought
For decades, Que Pasa tortilla chips have sat quietly but proudly on western Canadian grocery store shelves right next to Pepsico's Tostitos and Doritos.
A Surrey woman whose prolonged negligence caused her two-year-old son to nearly starve to death has been sentenced to a year in jail followed by two years of probation.
It’s the drink of choice for Homer Simpson and a thousand other schlub characters on film and television. Beer, as a result, has been tainted with the stigma of poor dietary choice, even giving its name to the bulging bellies of sedentary, sports-watching sofa surfers.
Julie Cove was a thoroughly modern mess. An interior designer with a home furnishings store and three children to care for, she was a superwoman who’d met her kryptonite. She suffered agonizing back pain. What good is a superwoman who can’t even stand up? She threw everything at it: massage, chiropractic, laser light therapy, physiotherapy, […]
From the post WWII era with the introduction of the TV dinner , we have seen food companies shift from heavily processed and nutritionally valueless offerings, to niche products that cater to the latest fads from fat-free to gluten-free but somehow the industry seemed to have missed the most basic of needs — balanced nutrition.
A roundup of new book releases in the world of health and nutrition.
Including dairy in our diet has become controversial and confusing for many people. Allow me to clarify a few things about dairy foods. Dairy is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, which are important for building bone mass. Although the calcium is not as well absorbed from dairy compared to other foods, a glass of milk still has more calcium than a reasonable portion of most other foods. Milk, fruit and yogurt are good recovery foods after exercise to help replenish our fuel stores and rebuild muscle.
The annual spring bloom of microscopic algae coinciding with the migration of hundreds of thousands of western sandpipers could pose a roadblock for Port Metro Vancouver’s planned $2-billion expansion at Roberts Bank in South Delta.
Two major post-secondary institutions and one high school are now offering vegetarian meals as part of a commitment to Meatless Monday. The British Columbia Institute of Technology has recently begun a soft rollout of the program, introducing a whole variety of new meatless options on Mondays at many of the dining locations on campus over the past few weeks.
2016 is the International Year of Pulses. Declared by the United Nations to promote sustainable food production and lighten climate change, pulses are a nutrition powerhouse delivering a low-fat protein in a high-fibre package (includes chickpeas, lentils and beans). Pulses also contain low-glycemic carbohydrates rich in B vitamins, iron and zinc.
David and Joanne DeVries have lost a combined 65 pounds since cutting sugar, refined starch and — gulp — craft beer from their diet. “My younger brother had a heart attack and he did some research and went to this style of eating and dropped 60 pounds in three months and his blood work was almost perfect,” said Joanne, 52. “His blood pressure dropped like a rock, it was just amazing.”


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Texas Walmart Supervisor Is The Reason All Their Stores Will Be Closed On Thanksgiving
Walmart has news that will make you smile and make you frown!
First, the company announced today that they would provide another $150-$300 to their employees on August 20th
Full and part-time workers employed by the company as of July 31 will qualify for the bonus, this marks the third round of bonuses since the start of the pandemic Shelling our more than $1 billion dollars, way to go Walmart!
Here’s the bad news for those of you who like to camp out at Walmart on Thanksgiving to kick off Black Friday shopping- According to Business Insider They will be closed this year stopping a tradition of black Friday sales on Thanksgiving.
This includes all Walmart and Sam’s Club stores.
Apparently they don't care to lose money to other retailers, last year they opened their doors at 6 PM on Thanksgiving giving shoppers the holiday edge.
Walmart informed their employees that the idea to close on Thanksgiving came from a store manager here in Round Rock, who wrote them suggesting they close for Thanksgiving so associates can spend the day with their families.
READ MORE: 25 Companies You Might Not Know Are Owned by Disney


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Everyone from the bodybuilder at your local gym to the IT guys at work all want the same answer these days: What’s actually in my food? To some extent, the food industry is listening. Transparency campaigns from fast food tycoons, a change in the way products display nutrition facts, and a decision to ban trans fats are just some of the changes that have taken place. Up next: genetically modified organisms (GMOs) — or plants, animals, or organisms manipulated in a lab. Last week, the esteemed New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) called for more research, labeling, and caution when it comes to these science-fiction sounding products.
But what are GMOs — and do you need to worry about them? Here, 8 things every guy should know about the food you’re putting in your mouth.


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U.S. stocks were mixed following reports Thursday that President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are set to push back a meeting investors had hoped would produce a U.S.-China trade deal. Meanwhile, a reading on new-home sales for January dipped to a three-year low.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) fell 0.09%, or 2.44 points, as of market close, with the Materials sector leading declines and the Financial sector outperforming. The Dow (^DJI) rose 0.03%, or 7.05 points, while the Nasdaq (^IXIC) edged down 0.16%, or 12.5 points.
An anticipated meeting between Trump and Xi is likely to occur in April at the earliest, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter. Earlier reports had suggested that the U.S. and China were closing in on a trade deal that could come as soon as this month. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer signaled earlier this week that there were still unresolved issues with China, but the U.S. was making “headway” on issues relating to technology transfer and other structural changes that have been at the center of Washington’s concerns.
“Markets had hoped, perhaps naively, that some sort of deal might be done soon, but it appears that they will be denied this particular bullish catalyst for the time being,” Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group, wrote in an email. However, he added that U.S. markets have “been in bullish form over the past few days.” The S&P 500 is up more than 12% for the year-to-date.
“While big drivers, such as earnings, have dried up, the relative lack of volatility and ongoing economic growth mean that a grind higher remains a distinct possibility for the time being,” Beauchamp said.
But in China, the latest signs of sluggishness in the economy came as data Thursday showed that industrial output fell to a 17-year low in the first two months of 2019, with output rising 5.3% versus 5.5% expected. Other new data, however, was more optimistic and pointed to an uptick in property investment and stable retail sales. The Chinese government has also recently stepped in to help boost the economy, and Premier Li Keqiang last week unveiled a stimulus package involving hundreds of billions of dollars in additional tax cuts and infrastructure spending.
Elsewhere, members of the UK Parliament voted Thursday to delay Brexit for at least three months, setting Prime Minister Theresa May up for another meeting with EU officials to request an extension to the deadline originally set for March 29. This comes after MPs voted Wednesday to avoid a no-deal Brexit, and after lawmakers on Tuesday rejected May’s revised Brexit plan. May will hold another “meaningful vote” on her withdrawal agreement next week, which will help determine how long the extension will last.
General Electric (GE) provided earnings guidance for 2019 that fell short of consensus expectations and said it would see as much as $2 billion in negative free cash flow in its industrial segment this year. However, CEO Larry Culp said in a statement that the company expects to see positive free cash flow in the industrial unit in 2020 and 2021 “as headwinds diminish and our operation improvements yield financial results.” The company sees full-year 2019 adjusted earnings of between 50 cents and 60 cents, short of Bloomberg-compiled consensus estimates of 67 cents. GE Industrial segment organic revenues are expected to grow in the low- to mid-single-digit range for the year, and adjusted margin in the segment is seen to expand in a range of flat to up 100 basis points.
Facebook (FB) is entangled in a criminal investigation with federal prosecutors probing data deals the social media giant carried out with other major tech companies, the New York Times reported Wednesday. According to the report, a grand jury in New York has subpoenaed records from at least two smartphone and device-makers who partnered with Facebook and gained access to personal information for hundreds of millions of its users.
Boeing’s (BA) orders with some international carriers hang in flux amid an ongoing investigation into the cause of the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, which had involved a BA 737 Max 8 jet. VietJet said it planned to reassess future plans to use the 737 Max 8 jet, after doubling an order for 737 Max jets just last month. Bloomberg also reported that Kenya Airways is considering switching to Boeing rival Airbus and using the latter’s A320. This comes as the U.S. on Wednesday joined a swathe of other nations in grounding the 737 Max 8 jet following an executive order from Trump and subsequent statement from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Import prices in the U.S. rose a greater-than-expected 0.6% month-over-month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday, above the 0.3% increase expected. Much of the increase was driven by fuel import prices, which rose 4.9% in February, the largest monthly advance since May. Non-fuel imports registered no change in February after a 0.3% decline in January, as rising prices for consumer goods and non-fuel industrial supplies and materials offset declines in prices for food, beverages and capital goods. Year-over-year, however, headline import prices fell 1.3% in February. January’s import price increase was upwardly revised to 0.1% month-over-month, from negative 0.5% previously.
Export prices rose 0.6% month-over-month in February, following an upwardly revised decrease of 0.5% in January. Consensus expectations had been for a 0.1% increase in February. Over the past year, export prices are up 0.3%.
New-home sales declined to a three-month low in January, falling 6.9% to a seasonally adjusted pace of 607,000, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. This fell short of consensus estimates for an annualized pace of 622,000, based on Bloomberg data. New-home sales for the month prior were upwardly revised by 31,000 to 652,000. The median sale price for new homes in January fell 3.8% to $317,200.
New jobless claims rose slightly more-than-expected for the week ending March 9, with claims rising 229,000 for the week, or 4,000 ahead of expectations. The previous week’s 223,000 figure was left unrevised. The latest reading brings the four-week moving average down by 2,500 to 223,750.
Continuing jobless claims for the week ending March 2 also increased more-than-expected to 1.776 million, versus 1.763 million expected. The week prior’s continuing claims figure was upwardly revised to 1.758 million.
Emily McCormick is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @emily_mcck
Read more from Emily:


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Profits, or an environmentally-friendly business? It doesn’t have to be a choice. How, you ask? Read on and find out all about profitably running an environmentally-friendly business.
Your business asset, should you choose to protect it, is the environment in which we live. And while you may never have thought of the ecosystem as a business asset, maintaining a viable ecosystem is essential to the livelihood of everyone on earth including your staff, your customers, and hence your business.
This thinking needs to lead any action on the environment, says Fiona Wain, CEO of Environment Business Australia. “What’s coming is atrophy of the most fundamental capital we have,” she warns. “The market as an entity doesn’t understand the urgency. It doesn’t understand the value of the natural capital that we take for granted. It doesn’t understand the cost of degradation to that asset.”
Environment Business Australia represents the environment industry and the clean-tech sector, encompassing technology, infrastructure, systems, and financing. “We’re looking at how to create the next great technological era. Australia has always benefited from past eras, such as the recent IT one. The ET—environmental technology—one will be a lot bigger because it impacts on everything,” she predicts.
The urgency involves avoiding an average temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius, which, by scientific estimates, will reinforce a feedback loop that will cause irrevocable damage. On current levels, the world will hit this mark by 2030. Wain admits that it’s a monumental task for both developed and developing countries, but she can identify Australia’s major role. “The one area where Australia can lead is to demonstrate that an energy intensive economy like ours can retain prosperity—rather than growth—by putting in clean energy systems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
She takes issue with artificial advantages given to damaging industries, which means new, more efficient technology without subsidies struggle in the marketplace. “This is something that has crept up over decades of artificially deflating prices for things like energy and water and then assuming that that’s what we can keep on doing,” says Wain. “As consumers we have to start paying the right price for everything.”
Established sectors see the removal of subsidies and other artificial advantages as a threat to their profitability, but Wain says it’s not about eradication and replacement in one fell swoop. She suggests a combination of government policy, private enterprise, and financial incentives for efficient technology may well do the trick. “Alongside private sector innovation we have to see government using their policy levers. Alongside regulations, we need fiscal incentives so we’re taxing the bad and rewarding the good,” she insists.
The government itself is a big consumer, which may be where they can shape the market. Wain proposes that if all three levels of government only bought or leased a benchmark clean vehicle, it would create a market of scale to help consumers access these vehicles at an affordable price. “The auto companies will yell, kick and scream, but if you give them 18 months to retool their plants and set the benchmark, that cleans up a whole slew of things,” she says.
Additionally, auctioning permits in a carbon emissions trading scheme could create about $10 billion per year, enough to help polluting industries fund research and development to increase energy efficiency. “This is the biggest opportunity for wealth generation the world has ever seen, but the window is rapidly closing,” states Wain. “We need to create a framework to overhaul the entire marketplace. It may take 20 years, but it has to start immediately. We can no longer delay saying ‘India, China, US—we’re not going to move if they’re not going to move’.”


text: Korea's Stormblue has announced the A9, a Bluetooth-enabled media player that lets you use wireless headphones. The flash-based player includes built-in memory of up to 2GB and an SD slot so you can stuff it with more tunes. It also has an FM tuner and a 2-inch color OLED display for viewing video files. According to the company's wildly uninformative English-language website, Bluetooth is actually just an option on this device. But it's hard to imagine the non-Bluetooth version finding a way to truly stand out from the undistinguished horde of flash-based players that passes before us week after week.


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Recycle your ‘e-waste’
- Published: March 19, 2018
Local resident Zeke Reichert is collecting “e-waste” — nonfunctioning electronic devices — to be recycled through May 10. Reichert will accept mobile devices, batteries, ink cartridges, flat-screen TVs and tube TVs under 28 inches, computers, cables and other miscellaneous electronics. Not accepted are household appliances or fluorescent bulbs of any style.
According to the Ohio EPA, electronic devices like tube TVs and computer monitors can contain several pounds of lead, and other devices may contain components like mercury and chromium. When electronic devices are not properly recycled, these toxic elements can contribute to harmful pollution.
Those interested in contributing to the recycling effort may contact Reichert at 453-8025 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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Uber has plans to promote an exclusively electric fleet of vehicles for their drivers in London within the next decade.
The company's goal is an ambitious one, and an attempt by the company to show lawmakers in Britain's capital city that they're serious about their commitment to serving the riders of London, according to reporting from the Guardian.
"It represents our wanting our partnership in London not only to be a strong partnership but trailblazing in solving air pollution, which every great city in the world is struggling with, and our mayor here in London is looking to improve," Uber's chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement.
The plan for Uber is to help drivers phase out their current gas-guzzling vehicles over the course of the next few years. Uber wants to create a fund of £200 million (roughly $260 million) for drivers in the city to assist and encourage them to buy electric vehicles in the near future.
The company hopes that the fund would encourage at least half of its fleet of drivers to make the switch by the year 2021. It's hoping for a full transformation to an exclusively electric fleet of vehicles driven by their operators by 2025.
The fund may come at the expense of riders of the company. Uber plans to charge riders an additional 15p (about $0.19) for every ride they take -- plus the regular fees that they already pay -- in order to create the fund.But the fund would also allow full-time drivers to access nearly £3,000 over the next two years, which can be used to upgrade their vehicle to an electric option.
Uber's history in London isn't perfect, according to reporting from The Hill. The company lost its operating license in the city last year, as London transportation officials ruled that Uber was "not fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence" after it didn't report criminal offenses in a proper way. The company, however, had its license reinstated earlier this year on a 15-month probationary basis.
With a fleet of over 40,000 drivers in London alone, the change to electric could have substantial effects on the amount of carbon dioxide created in the city. According to Car Talk, the average car puts out about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide gas for every gallon of gasoline that's used. Annually, that amounts to about 6 tons of carbon for every vehicle that's on the road.
Of course, each driver is different, and produces their own levels of carbon output per year. But with these average numbers in mind, an all-electric fleet of 40,000 drivers in London could reduce the city's carbon footprint by about 240,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year.


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A High Court ruling in Bangladesh has ordered the government to indorse a ban on single-use plastics in coastal areas and in hotels and restaurants within one year.
It urges the government to strictly enforce the ban under the existing law.
The ruling follows a landmark case brought by environmental groups.
“We must curb the use of plastics,” said Rizwana Hasan, a senior environmental lawyer.
“The high court has directed the government to prohibit the use of single-use plastic items in hotels, motels and restaurants within a year. It has also been directed to make all coastal areas free of polythene bags and single-use plastic items within the same period.”
In 2002 Bangladesh became one of the first countries to prohibit polythene bags, but it hasn’t been a success due to a lack of enforcement, partly because of lobbying by plastic bag manufacturers.
It is unclear whether it will prove more successful this time, but Hasan called it ‘an important step.’
About 87,000 tons of single-use plastics are dumped annually in Bangladesh, according to a study by the Environment and Social Development Organization.


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FAMU and LeBron James released an exclusive pair of shoes for the basketball team.
Decorated former NC A&T sprinter Kayla White shows great form in holding off the flamboyant former LSU sprint champion in a Grand...
The North Carolina A&T x Nike Dunk Low "Ayantee" comes dressed in the school’s official colorway, but with a few twists.
The Rattlers are the latest HBCU with their own Nike Dunk sneaker.
The CAU x Nike Dunk Low is described as a "full-fledged love letter to the school itself."
More than two decades before Lebron James and Nike teamed up to outfit FAMU, Michael Jordan started with an HBCU.
Tuesday night, LeBron James wore FAMU sneakers and hinted that something big was up. Thursday morning, we found out what it was.
We told you two weeks ago that Under Armour was part of the Deion Sanders deal. Coach Prime says Jackson State is...
Jackson State reportedly has Deion Sanders in its sights for its coaching job. But the program's deal with Nike could keep Primetime...
The Pirate sneakers ride shotgun in a thrilling OT game.
The ceremony will be virtual and live streamed on Benedict’s website and You Tube channel on Saturday, August 8th at 7p.m.
Morehouse gives us a look at its first collaboration with Nike on its football unis.
With Russell out of the uniform game, Nike has stepped in to outfit the SIAC. Here's our preview.
The conference goes with the swoosh from head to toe.
Another North Carolina A&T student-athlete is turning pro in 2017.


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If you pay attention to the fast food world you know that Taco Bell is notorious for debuting new items on the menu then taking them away and bringing them back again. Well this process has really affected one man.
A guy in California started a weird protest last year. He vowed to work out every day until Taco Bell brought back their Grilled Stuft Nacho, which hasn’t been on the menu since 2015.
The universe cruelly gave California resident Chris Sandberg one week to enjoy Taco Bell's Grilled Stuft Nacho before it disappeared from menus across the country – and he's been fighting to get it back ever since.https://t.co/Bt4UalJy7z— WJBF (@WJBF) May 3, 2022
It hasn’t convinced them to bring it back yet, but he has lost a ton of weight. He was 275 when he started, and he’s dropped 87 pounds so far.
Taco Bell Releasing Charmingly Tacky Luggage Line Inspired By Their Hot Sauce Packets


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Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more for free!
ePHOTOzine brings you a daily round up of all the latest photography news including camera news, exhibitions, events, special offers, industry news, digital photography news, announcements and launches.
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Great photo & negative scanners available from Firebox.
Both offer three frames per second shooting
HTC has announced a new smartphone with a camera designed for optimum image quality with an UltraPixel sensor.
Nikon today introduces Nikon 1, a revolutionary digital camera system built from scratch to offer still image and movie recording without compromise.
Following Jessops' plans to axe 81 of its shops as announced last Thursday, the photographic retail giant have unveiled exactly which stores it plans to close down.
Sony introduce a series of small cameras which they say will give a 'big performance'.
Corel add 75 new features to the latest version of their PaintShop Pro software.
Lee Filters holder for Nikon's 14-24mm f/2.8 wide-angle lens
Red Digital Cinema turn their attentions to the photography market.
Hasselblad's 35mm XPan panoramic camera falls foul of new laws set out by the European Community
Hahnel have launched the first two in a range of stylish battery power grips for power hungry digital SLR cameras
Savings of more than 25% on RRP are being offered by Manfrotto on two tripod kits for cameras and camcorders in the run up to Christmas.
Adobe has launched a beta version of Lightroom 5, that's free for you to download from today.
Sony has launched two new E-mount lenses, bringing the collection to 13 lenses.
Adobe has launched Photoshop Touch 1.4, which is optimised for smaller tablets such as the iPad Mini.
Canon have announced their Spring series of cashback promotions on the EOS range.
Sony has announced a new firmware for the Sony NEX-7 that adds additional functionality and improved image quality with wide-angle lenses, among other updates.
High-Resolution and water-resistant binoculars in 7x35WR, 7X50WR, 8x40WR and 10X50WR sizes
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- Poultry meat production by species
- Poultry meat production by region
- Poultry world slaughterings and production by species and region
World production of poultry meat grew only from about from 91.8 million metric tons in 2008 to 92.3 million metric tons in 2009, but the estimate for 2010 is 94.8 million metric tons. This level of output in 2010 would compare with roughly 106 million metric tons of pork and less than 65 million metric tons of beef.
The stagnation of poultry meat production in 2009 was the first instance of a slowdown seen for the sector in recent times. The recovery in 2010 was expected to be greater, but tended to be held back by concerns over feed costs around the middle of the year when the price of grain showed signs of a substantial increase.
See from Table 1 how regional volumes closely reflected the overall standstill in annual production comparing 2008 and 2009. The global increase of 2.5% from 2009 to 2010 appears again to be spread quite evenly between the regions.
Variations in growth
Early indications for countries with the largest poultry meat sectors gave more variable growth rates, however. China and Brazil were considered to be on course for increases of around 4%, whereas expansion in the USA was put at 2% and that for the EU-27 of Europe no more than about 0.5%.
China is expanding particularly to meet the larger domestic market arising from its economic growth. Brazilian expansion is being driven both by a strong demand for poultry meat at home and an increase in the volume exported.
Even more notable was the potential for a 10.5% rise attributed to Russia’s production of poultry meat in 2010, to fill the gap left by reduced imports and increasing domestic demand. Such growth would take the annual volume from Russian producers to 2.8 million metric tons, driven by economic growth that the World Bank predicted would work out at 4.5% for the annual rise in national GDP.
In fact, the Russian minister of agriculture spoke in 2010 of the possibility that Russia could become a substantial exporter of poultry meat by 2015, capable of selling 400,000 tons per year to other countries. She forecast that national production by 2020 could reach as much as 6.2 million metric tons per year.
Market weight rises
Data from the USA illustrate how rising poultry meat production in 2010 has often been due more to higher market weights for chickens and turkeys than to the number of birds sent to processing plants. For example, the 4.2 billion broilers handled by U.S. plants in the first six months of 2020 represented only a 0.1% increase year on year, but the average weight of the birds at slaughter was up 1.6% at 2.57 kilograms. Similarly with turkeys – although bird numbers were down by 4.5%, there was a 1.3% rise in the average weight per bird.
From a European perspective, the poultry meat market in 2010 had to take account of the mid-year implementation of an EU-27 broiler welfare directive (coded 2007/43/EC) specifying that the stocking density of housing for meat chickens could not exceed 33 kilograms per square meter unless under special circumstances – in which case the limit could increase to a maximum of 39 kg/m2. Revised standards for the marketing of poultry in EU countries were also introduced.
First signs for the EU-27 in 2010 were that member states would produce about 8.7 million metric tons of broiler meat while exporting 770,000 metric tons and importing 720,000 metric tons. Its turkey meat production was put at only slightly under the 2009 total of 1.82 million metric tons, with exports at 105,000 metric tons and imports at 120,000 metric tons.


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By Vicki Needham - 02/06/14 03:24 PM EST
A trio of House Democrats argue the nation's widening trade deficit with South Korea is a reason to oppose expanded trade powers for the White House.
Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and George Miller (D-Calif.) renewed their call on Thursday to oppose trade promotion authority and the passage of trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
"It’s well past time our major export was something other than good paying American jobs."
The cited figures released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showing that the U.S.-South Korea trade deficit reached an all-time high of nearly $20.7 billion last year, a $7.4 billion (56 percent) increase from 2011, the year before the trade deal took effect.
Instead, they suggested that Congress pass legislation supporting U.S. manufacturing, specifically by instructing U.S. trade negotiators to eliminate foreign market barriers before reducing U.S. tariffs and provide enforcement authority to reinstate the tariff if the foreign government does not follow through.
'The data is continuing to prove what we already know, which is that these deals are bad for Americans," they said.
"Supporters of the TPP in its current form should take a hard look at these numbers and think twice about whether they want to inflict another job-killing trade deal on our nation."
The lawmakers said a new poll shows that a majority (62 percent) of those asked oppose fast-track authority that would help push through new trade deals.
The poll also found that 43 percent of respondents would be less likely to vote to reelect a member of Congress who supports fast-track.
They said that the trade data also shows that the nation's overall trade deficit with the 11 countries involved in the TPP negotiations is $154 billion.
"If TPP has the same impact as KORUS, this deficit will only grow larger," they said.


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FRESH! Rescue Program
FRESH! Rescue Program
We are very excited about our newest program that is having such a wonderful impact on hunger in our community. The FRESH! Rescue Program is a collaboration with St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry & the 10th Ave. S. Albertsons to supply out-of-date fresh food to local pantries & kitchens in Great Falls, MT. Monthly, we are delivering about 7000# of fresh food to local kids pantries - food that would otherwise have been discarded as "waste" and been thrown out.
This program is new, and we hope to expand as we find ways to involve both more grocery stores and more recipients. At this time, the Boys & Girls Club (Great Falls and Belt), Mercy Home, Ursuline Pre-school, the Great Falls Children's Receiving Home, and the Juvenile Detention Center are receiving fresh food from the FRESH! Rescue Program. Healthy kids, healthy futures!
Here are some statistics and sources for how much food we waste in this country:
The most obvious problem with this waste is that while Americans are throwing out their food, an estimated one in every nine people in the world still suffers from chronic hunger—that is, insufficient food—including more than 200 million in Sub-Saharan Africa and more than 500 million Asia. Even in the United States, where that number is significantly lower, some 14 percent of U.S. households still struggled to put food on the table for a portion of last year, according to the USDA.
We know that there is more to do. With an estimated 70 billion pounds of food going to waste each year, we must work together to capture more of this valuable resource for the nearly 49 million million people in the United States who feel the effects of food insecurity.
Food Waste Statistics:
- An estimated that 25 – 40% of food grown, processed and transported in the US will never be consumed.
- When food is disposed in a landfill it rots and becomes a significant source of methane - a potent greenhouse gas with 21 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.
- More food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in municipal solid waste (MSW).
Breaking news as of September 2015:


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Facebook closes comment period on `key` policy updates
Washington: Social networking site Facebook has closed its comment period on proposed changes to key user policies, explaining how it uses consumer data.
According to a news website, the social network first proposed the changes last week, saying that it was looking to clarify certain aspects of its data use policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
It includes changes aimed at giving its users better information on how it applies user data to its advertising products, the report said.
The company expects to decide by next week whether it needs to further update the policy in the wake of user feedback.
Download the all new Zee News app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with latest headlines and news stories in Politics, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, Business and much more from India and around the world.


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The US is making ready tariffs on $2.4bn (£1.85bn) rate of French exports as retaliation against the country’s new digital products and companies tax.
The highest US trade legit talked about the new tax, which France well-liked in July, unfairly targets American tech giants.
He talked about the capability tariffs were supposed to deter assorted international locations from taking identical steps.
The objects that can presumably face tariffs at charges as a lot as 100% consist of cheese, ravishing wine, invent-up and purses.
The resolution “sends a transparent rate that the US will engage action against digital tax regimes that discriminate or in every other case impose undue burdens on US companies”, talked about US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer.
Mr Lighthizer announced the capability tariffs, which is ready to now enter a public comment length, on the quit of his space of work’s investigation of the French tax.
It came all by that the legislation – which taxes turnover as a replace of profit – was once inconsistent with international tax norms and “surprisingly burdensome” for US tech firms.
Mr Lighthizer talked about the US is exploring opening investigations into identical regulations in Austria, Italy and Turkey. The UK has furthermore taken steps in the direction of a tech tax.
“The USTR is centered on countering the rising protectionism of EU member states, which unfairly targets US companies, whether by digital products and companies taxes or assorted efforts that focal level on main US digital products and companies companies,” he talked about.
France has long argued that taxes must be in accordance to digital activity, not factual the set firms dangle their headquarters.
Its new legislation imposes a 3% tax on gross sales of obvious digital products and companies that happen within its borders. It applies to any digital company with income of additional than €750m ($850m; £670m) – of which on the least €25m is generated in France.
The tax will chase into quit retroactively from early 2019 and is anticipated to raise about €400m this three hundred and sixty five days.
About 30 companies are anticipated to pay it, mostly US firms akin to Alphabet, Apple, Fb, Amazon and Microsoft.
Amazon has already replied by raising bills for French companies by 3%.
US tech companies say such regulations force them to pay double tax. They say modernisation of tax rules must be a international effort, but those negotiations stay leisurely-going.
The French authorities, which announced its legislation after an EU-wide proposal stalled, has talked about the tax will quit if a identical measure is agreed internationally.
Over the summer season, President Donald Trump threatened to tax French wine over the speak – a belief that the French agriculture minister pushed apart as “entirely moronic”.
But some US commercial foyer groups had warned against tariffs attributable to fears of escalating any other trade battle, no matter their opposition to the French legislation.
The US Chamber of Commerce, as an example, talked about tariffs “can also elicit extra rounds of retaliatory measures that characterize a appreciable threat to US financial enhance and job advent”.
This anticipated retaliation from the US might maybe presumably invent troubling learning for the UK occasion leaders.
Labour Social gathering leader Jeremy Corbyn’s flagship election pledge – to privatise the UK’s broadband network – was once to be funded, on the least partially, by a tax on “multinationals”. In the occasion’s press originate concerning the plans final month, “Amazon, Fb and Google” were talked about particularly.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has furthermore backed the thought that, calling out the so-known as “FAANG” shares – Fb, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google – as paying “shut to nothing”. The Tory manifesto pledges its have Digital Services Tax to fund improvements in broadband infrastructure, among assorted issues.
Each and every leaders are capitalising on the rising momentum in Europe to tax tech firms in accordance to their gross sales in a rustic – in space of profits, which is doubtless to be in total funnelled by counties with a lower tax rate, akin to Ireland.
But while promising a “Google tax” sounds sizable on the marketing campaign path, it easiest strengthens the note in Washington that American success stories are being unfairly focused. And the switch on the novel time suggests the US is provocative to originate combating help.
Right here is what might maybe presumably presumably maybe happen subsequent: France has talked about it will most likely presumably tumble its digital tax if Europe might maybe presumably, as a bloc, reach up with an alternate that is consistent all by the Union; a strength-in-numbers switch that can presumably also be extra refined for the US to counteract. But the UK, post-Brexit, might maybe presumably be on its have – and must quit in Washington’s moral graces.