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The Trump inspired trade war between the US and China could offer opportunities for EU pork producers according to Iain McDonald, economics analyst with Quality Meat Scotland.
Mr McDonald said it was an example of the ’significant trade volatility which can affect agricultural commodities when measures are aimed at unrelated industries’.
The recent trade conflict began in February with US President Donald Trump imposing tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium products to the US.
China failed to gain an exemption to these new tariffs and immediately retaliated by increasing tariffs on 128 US products with an annual value similar to its steel and aluminium trade.
“Since April 2, 120 of these products have faced an additional 15 per cent tariff on top of the current tariff, while eight products are now subject to an additional 25 per cent tariff,” said Mr McDonald.
“US pork falls under the latter category, meaning Chinese importers now have to pay a 37 per cent or 45 per cent tariff on top of the price charged by the US exporter, compared to 12 per cent or 20 per cent previously.”
To meet the new tariffs US producers would need to drop prices by 18 per cent if they were to remain competitive.
Volumes delivered in early 2018 suggest that over a year, this could work out at a revenue reduction of around $50m or around $2 per pig processed. China is the fifth biggest export market for US pork.
“This context may help explain the 8 per cent fall in US farmgate prices in the week that the tariff increase came into force,” added Mr McDonald.
“If the US finds it harder to sell pork into China as a result of the additional tariff, EU exporters will be well-placed to compete. Whereas the US had increased its exports to China in early 2018 by 10 per cent, EU shipments were down 10 per cent.
“If EU exporters can regain market share in China from the US, this would be likely to place some upwards pressure on farmgate pig prices across the EU.
“Given the EU Commission has forecast EU pigmeat production will be 0.8 per cent above 2017 levels and 2.6 per cent ahead of its 2013-17 average, this trade dispute could come at a good time for EU pig producers.”
Impact on the market
A second round of Chinese retaliatory tariffs on imports from the US, up to a value of about $50bn has now been announced.
Beef is included but no date of implementation has been set.
Based on a similar calculation to that for pork, if these tariffs were to enter force, it could result in US beef exporters foregoing as much as $12m in revenue to remain competitive in the Chinese market.
However, more positively for the US beef industry, Japan’s special safeguard clause which had raised the tariff on imported frozen beef from countries lacking a trade partnership with Japan has come to an end.
After Japanese imports exceeded a threshold level in the first quarter of 2018, the tariff on frozen beef was automatically increased to 50 per cent in August 2017. At the beginning of April, it was lowered back to 38.5 per cent.


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World of Beer to Open in California Pizza Kitchen Space at CambridgeSide Galleria in East Cambridge
Last summer, we reported that a Florida-based chain of beer bars was making another run at coming to the Boston area, two years after initial plans for them to open in another location fell through. Now we have learned where exactly they will be opening this time around.
BostInno is reporting that World of Beer is looking to open at the CambridgeSide Galleria in East Cambridge, with Eater Boston stating that it will be coming to the space where a location of California Pizza Kitchen had been until recently closing. According to BostInno, the new dining and drinking spot will have 60 beers on tap and more than 500 other options available in bottles and cans, and that they will be offering "tavern fare" to go with the beer.
Back in 2013, the chain mentioned that they had plans to open in Somerville's Davis Square, but those plans never materialized and they announced in 2015 that they would be looking once again to open in the region, though at the time there was no word on where they might open.
Eater Boston says that the new World of Beer could be opening in Cambridge sometime this summer if all goes as planned.
[May 23 update: A Facebook post from the place indicates that World of Beer is "putting all the final touches" on its new location in Cambridge and is currently hiring for a variety of job positions. An earlier post had said that they were hoping to open in June, but no specific opening date has been given as of yet.]
[June 29 update: Eater Boston mentions that World of Beer plans to open in Cambridge on July 11.]
[July 15 update: According to an article from boston.com, World of Beer is now open in Cambridge.]
World of Beer Is Looking to Come to Somerville's Davis Square
World of Beer May Be Out, Beer Works May Be In (or Maybe Not) for Somerville's Davis Square
World of Beer Planning to Come to the Boston Area
Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston
[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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There's no need to spend vast sums of money to get a safe new car.
Read This Article
The premise was simple enough: with all these good, economical commuter cars out there, which one do we like best?
Kia's crazy trio of life-size children's characters are back in a new set of ads for the refreshed 2012 Sorento crossover.
Exploiting yet another burgeoning segment of vehicles, Kia is heading to the Geneva Motor Show with what it calls a "racy new urban concept." That's how the British say small crossover.


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It's been a lean two years for 'bricks and mortar' retailers as households save more and spend less, and a high Australian dollar has driven consumers to overseas-based online shopping sites in search of bargains.
But a new report from Deloitte Access Economics released this morning says there may be blue sky ahead for the beleaguered sector this year, with households beginning to loosen their purse strings.
- David Rumbens
- A partner in Deloitte Access Economics
- Sheryle Bagwell, Business Editor


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Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid pull 22-ounce J&J baby powder off shelves
By Manojna Maddipatla and Nivedita Balu (Reuters) - Three major U.S. retailers, including Walmart , are removing all 22-ounce bottles of Johnson & Johnson's baby powder from their stores, following the healthcare conglomerate's recall last week of some bottles due to possible asbestos contamination. CVS Health Corp said on Thursday it would remove the bottles from its online store as well, out of caution and to prevent customer confusion
By Manojna Maddipatla and Nivedita Balu
(Reuters) - Three major U.S. retailers, including Walmart
CVS Health Corp
Rite Aid had informed its stores to pull all 22-ounce bottles of Johnson's Baby Powder from shelves on Oct. 18 and store them in a secure location, company spokesman Chris Savarese said. "Additionally, we've applied a point of sale system block for this product to prevent it from being sold."
Late Thursday, CNBC reported https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/24/cvs-pulls-all-jj-22-ounce-baby-powder-from-shelves-after-fda-finds-sub-trace-levels-of-asbestos.html that Walmart, the world's largest retailer, had also removed and blocked all of the recalled baby powder. The company did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
J&J, which is facing thousands of lawsuits over a variety of products, said last week it was recalling around 33,000 bottles of baby powder in the United States after U.S. health regulators found trace amounts of asbestos in samples taken from a bottle purchased online.
The move marked the first time J&J recalled its iconic baby powder for possible asbestos contamination, and the first time U.S. regulators announced a finding of asbestos in the product.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that has been linked to deadly mesothelioma.
The voluntary recall was limited to one lot of Johnson's Baby Powder produced and shipped in the United States in 2018, J&J had said. The company added that testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as recently as a month ago found no asbestos in their talc.
"It's not important at all in terms of the dollar figure to either CVS or J&J. What it tells you is that retailers are being extra cautious with how they are dealing with J&J's voluntary recall," Jefferies healthcare analyst Jared Holz said.
Commenting on CVS's move, J&J spokesman Ernie Knewitz said, "It's temporary ... They are doing it storewide because they don't have the resources to go through at the store level and check all the SKUs (stock keeping units), check all the lot numbers."
Other retailers are expected to remove the product from their shelves as they want to avoid liability, said Eric Schiffer, chief executive officer of private equity firm Patriarch Organization.
"It wouldn't surprise me to see Amazon and other online retailers do the same," he added.
J&J has known for decades that asbestos lurked in its talc, Reuters reported last year. Internal company records, trial testimony and other evidence show that from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company's raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos.
Company executives, mine managers, scientists, doctors and lawyers fretted over the problem and how to address it, while failing to disclose it to regulators or the public, Reuters found.
J&J has repeatedly said that its talc products are safe, and that decades of studies have shown them to be asbestos-free and that they do not cause cancer.
(Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru, Richa Naidu in Chicago; Editing by Maju Samuel and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Robin Emmott and John Irish | BRUSSELS/PARIS BRUSSELS/PARIS France and Germany will agree to a U.S. plan for NATO to take a bigger role in the fight against Islamic militants at a meeting with President Donald Trump on Thursday, but insist the move is purely symbolic, four senior European diplomats said.The decision to allow the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to join the coalition against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq follows weeks of pressure on the two allies, who are wary of NATO confronting Russia in Syria and of alienating Arab countries who see NATO as pushing a pro-Western agenda."NATO as an institution will join the coalition," said one senior diplomat involved in the discussions. "The question is whether this just a symbolic gesture to the United States
BEIJING Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater efforts to make the country's navy a world class one, strong in operations on, below and above the surface, as it steps up its ability to project power far from its shores.China's navy has taken an increasingly prominent role in recent months, with a rising star admiral taking command, its first aircraft carrier sailing around self-ruled Taiwan and a new aircraft carrier launched last month.With President Donald Trump promising a US shipbuilding spree and unnerving Beijing with his unpredictable approach on hot button issues including Taiwan and the South and East China Seas, China is pushing to narrow the gap with the U.S. Navy.Inspecting navy headquarters, Xi said the navy should "aim for the top ranks in the world", the Defence Ministry said in a statement about his visit."Building a strong and modern navy is an important mark of a top ranking global military," the ministry paraphrased Xi as saying.


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In collaboration with the Future Laboratory, Tia Maria launched Tia Maria Coffee Cocktail Futures earlier this month. Taking place at Chapter 72 in Bermondsey, the event saw the unveiling of a trend report from Tia Maria and the Future Laboratory, featuring insights on current and predicted drink trends.
The Tia Maria Coffee Cocktail Futures trend report outlines the fact that hundreds of millions of people have developed palates able to appreciate once alien flavours. For a new generation of coffee and alcohol drinkers, this has meant a new adventurousness around previously unpopular tastes and combinations, such as bitterness and sweetness in the same recipe. The report also showed traditional gender stereotyping around food and drink is finally breaking down in the face of globalised experiences. The Future Laboratory also outlined four new cocktail ‘tribes’: ‘The Sensorialists’, ‘The Optimisers’, ‘The Experimental Connoisseurs’ and ‘The Truth Seekers’.
Speaking on the event, Tia Maria Global Brand Manager Claudio Giuliano said: “The findings from the research support what we were already observing, which is that people’s love for coffee, and coffee cocktails, is at an all-time high. Tia Maria is certainly happy to be leading the charge and we’re urging all coffee lovers out there to unite and join us.”
At the event, a number of Tia Maria cocktails were also served, including an Iced Popcorn Frappe. With a base of Tia Maria coffee liqueur, made with 100% Arabica coffee, vanilla and a splash of Jamaican rum, the drink also features espresso, milk and sweet popcorn syrup.
50ml Tia Maria coffee liqueur
Double shot of espresso
20ml popcorn syrup
Shake all of the ingredients together and pour, over cubed ice, into a glass.
Garnish the drink with popcorn.
Further information on Tia Maria coffee liqueur can be found here.


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Fengate Announces Commercial Operations of the Sunderland Solar Energy Project
Fengate announced today the commercial operation of the 10 MW AC photovoltaic Sunderland Solar Energy Project.
Silfab + HELIENE, Commercial Update
Today, we are pleased to announce that Silfab Ontario, Inc. and HELIENE Inc. have commenced an Operational Arrangement.
HELIENE Modules on First Solar Powered EV Charging Station
Event marks installation of one of North America’s largest commercial solar powered EV charging stations.


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Mai Dubai, a bottled water company entirely owned by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has revealed the launch of ‘Mai Dubai Zero-Sodium Alkaline Water,’ which combines Zero Sodium with Alkaline. The launch complements the company’s mission for growth by surpassing customer expectations and offering high quality products and services in an innovative, safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner.
The new Zero-Sodium Alkaline water has no sodium additives and has an alkalinity of up to pH8.2. The new 3-1 (three-in-one) product was internally developed and is produced at the Mai Dubai Factory in Al Qudra, Dubai. This highly automated industrial facility is known for having the second-largest solar roof installation in the world and runs on solar energy minimizing carbon emissions with 10,000MTs per year.
Talking about on the new launch, Alexander van ‘t Riet, CEO of Mai Dubai, stated: “Our latest ‘three -in-one’ product, Zero-Sodium Alkaline Water has been designed with the need for healthier hydration in mind. We were able to create a product which is almost same in taste to our classic Mai Dubai water, which we know consumers love. Early market feedback shows a stunning initial response. This launch suits ideally with our journey to become a local-leading, sustainable and innovative bottled water provider. We export to over a dozen countries around the world and this product will most likely be shipped abroad in the near future. Note, this is only the beginning; there is much more to come.”
A fast-growing brand in the bottled water segment, Mai Dubai has recorded high growth in present years, growing from a start-up to a major market player. Today, it exports its products to several countries in the GCC, Asia, Africa and Europe. The brand made its mark in the area of sustainability by having its carbon footprint measured in just the second year of operation with a target to set up a benchmark against which progress can be made year after year.


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At Beau Bra, designer Gabrielle Ross is tying things up nicely.Gabrielle Ross brings new meaning to the term "easy access." Her lingerie line, Beau Bra, features sexy bras that tie in the front — and inspiration came from, of all things, a silly college dare.While an archeology student at Durham University in England, Ross had a boyfriend who bet that he could undo a bra with his left hand in four seconds. While his unhitching prowess left much to be desired, it got Ross, 27, thinking. What could be more provocative, she thought, than bras that can be untied in the front?Within a year, the dare had turned into a promising little side business. By that time, Ross was working her way through law school. "The law is very black-and-white," she says. "And I really needed something to dilute what I was doing, so I started selling the bras out of my bedroom." In 1998, Ross modeled her design for British Vogue, and soon calls started coming in from as far away as Bermuda and India. When she sold her first 500 bras in less than two weeks, she knew that Beau Bra was more than a pet project. The top guns at the law firm that had just hired her understood completely. "They said, ‘Go away. We want you to get this out of your system,’" Ross remembers. Now, Ross’ quirky lingerie sets are available at Bergdorf Goodman in the U.S. and Harvey Nichols and Fortnum & Mason in the U.K. Bras retail for $130-135, and G-strings, $70-75. Spring will feature soft pastel laces with intricate floral embroidery. "I got an idea of unicorns and virgins and maidens — purity," Ross says. But such gentle thoughts aside, she understands that designing bras is a technical discipline. "It’s structural engineering," she says. "It’s like trying to push two bags of sugar into a cup." These days, Ross is checking out pajama fabrics and mulling a move into ready-to-wear. She’s also working on a swimwear line called B’Eau.And what about the boy who started it all? "He’s now a journalist," Ross says. "But he never mentions my name because he doesn’t want to be known as the guy who couldn’t get a bra unclasped in under four seconds."
Exclusive: @isabelmarant and @lorealmakeup have teamed up to create a capsule makeup collection. "She is rather natural in the day but doesn't have time to go back home before going out [in the evening] and redo her entire beauty look," said Marant on the 5 products included in the collection, which will launching in September. Read @jenniferbethweil's interview with the designer on WWD.com. #wwdnews #wwdbeauty
After 17 years, Tomas Maier is leaving @bottegaveneta. “I am deeply grateful to him and I personally thank him for the work he accomplished, and for the exceptional success he helped to achieve,” said François-Henri Pinault, head of parent company @kering_official. Head to WWD.com for more on his departure. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: Davide Maestri)
@shaymitchell is no stranger to teaming up with beauty brands, but she’s made her latest partnership official: She’s signed with @buxomcosmetics as global creative brand ambassador, WWD learned exclusively. Mitchell and Buxom will collaborate on campaign development, social media strategy and content and new product and shade development. Read more on WWD.com. #wwdbeauty (📷: @clint_spaulding)
Today we’re at the WWD Retail 20/20 Forum where industry leaders will be talking about the future of shopping for fashion, footwear and beauty. Tune in on Instagram Live at 9 am and 3:30 pm to hear from two of our speakers –– @therealreal’s Rati Levesque and @bandier’s Stephen Ippolito. #wwdsummits (📷: @elizaflorendo)
Seen last night at @coach’s launch party for “Life Coach,” an interactive pop-up in Soho: @joansmalls. Open now, visitors of the pop-up can engage in themes of “creativity and self-expression,” through tarot, carnival games, live performances and art. See the rest of the party pics on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: @vnina)
“We figure there’s enough cynicism to go around the world right now let’s go out there and be ourselves, let’s be enthusiastic, let’s have positive energy, which is something I think a lot of people really want and need right now,” said musician @joshgroban ahead of hosting the Tony Awards with @sarabareilles. Read @leighn’s interview with Groban on how he picked his look for the night, his next record and more on WWD.com. #wwdeye #tonyawards (📷: @vnina)
“Rock as an attitude and not a uniform. Street as a style and not just clothing. Sportswear as the new normality,” @paul_surridge said of his first @roberto_cavalli men’s wear collection, previewed here. The British designer joined the brand as the creative director in May 2017, and is gearing up to unveil his debut for the label with a runway show at the Florence Charterhouse on June 13 at #PittiUomo. Head to WWD.com to read more about his collection and see more sneak peek photos. #wwdfashion (📷: @simonelezzi)


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Google has worked aggressively towards most of its apps to revamp them with some new features in the recent past. Now, the latest report by XDA hints that Google Phone automatic call recording for unknown numbers functionality is under work.
Notably, this piece of information comes via an APK teardown by folks at XDA. If you are not aware, Google started working on adding call record support on its Google Phone app almost a year ago.
Soon, the company started rolling out this new feature to its Pixel smartphone lineup. Later on, several Nokia devices started picking up this new call recording feature for the Google Phone app.
Thereafter, a couple of Xiaomi phones also picked up this new feature. However, now, Google seems to be working on expanding the feature of this call recording feature.
Basically, the APK teardown of the latest version of the Google Phone app reveals new strings of codes. These codes hint towards the upcoming functionality.
Note that APK teardown, although highlights some new features the developers are working on. But there is no 100% possibility that the new feature will make its way to the stable app.
Google Phone automatic call recording will have two options, "Always record" & "Cancel"
Multiple strings of codes suggest that the company is working towards adding Google Phone automatic call recording feature. It will let users record calls from unknown numbers.
Here are the strings that XDA spotted this new feature on:
<string name="non_contact_always_record_dialog_message">"You or the other person in your call might be somewhere that requires everyone to consent to being recorded. Everyone will be notified ahead of time that the call is being recorded. It's up to you to follow laws about recording conversations. Recordings are stored only on your phone."</string>
<string name="non_contact_always_record_dialog_title">Always record calls with numbers not in your contacts?</string>
<string name="non_contact_always_record_positive_button_label">Always record</string>
<string name="non_contact_toggle_label">Numbers not in your contacts</string>
If you take a look at the first string (mentioned above) it mentions a disclaimer. It states, "You or the other person in your call might be somewhere that requires everyone to consent to being recorded. Everyone will be notified ahead of time that the call is being recorded. It’s up to you to follow laws about recording conversations. Recordings are stored only on your phone."
Taking a hint from the above disclaimer, users will see a confirmation. This confirmation will ask users if they wish to turn on automatic call recording for unknown numbers.
Moreover, it will include two options, "Always Record" and "Cancel." Choosing any one of the options will either enable or disable the feature.
The disclaimer also mentions a toggle that will show up within the app once Google Phone automatic call recording feature rolls out for users.


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Word out of the NVIDIA camp is that it will be unveiling the new generation of GeForces on June 21st:
Nvidia has revealed that it will announce its next-generation GPU on June 21 at a launch event in San Francisco. An invitation sent to Nvidia partners, analysts, and members of the press promises invitees an "evening of full-throttle entertainment" filled with "revolutionary technologies, hot 3D content, and exciting gaming action as we unveil our next-generation GPU."
This GPU will be similar to what powers the PS3. But, brace yourself, it's on the PC!


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In the world’s largest new car market, Tesla manufactures electric cars. On Monday, according to the CNN, the Silicon Valley auto manufacturer delivered the first cars to CNN employees from a new plant in China.
Just 15 workers in this first batch received Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles. Wang Hao, Tesla China General Manager, told CNN that Tesla’s employees would receive more cars during the next few days, whereas other customers would start to receive cars next month.
During an event celebrates first delivers, Wang Hao said. Tesla has previously reserved for customers the first examples of new models.
The plant in Shanghai was finished according to CNN in 10 months.
According to the news network, a handful of cars were assembled in the test production program from October. Such vehicles have been delivered to Tesla stores in China to test drive and will not be sold to the public for potential customers.
Project cars are a common practice in the automotive industry as part of a trial run for a new plant. These cars are usually used for public relations or testing before dismantling.
Since 25 October, Tesla has been taking Model 3 orders in China.
Mode S and Model X are already marketed by the Company to electric vehicles which are designed and shipped to China in Fremont, California. An important step for Tesla is increased local efficiency.


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Sixth Annual Food Entrepreneur Conference scheduled for March 21-22 in Auburn
By Karen Hunley
Five years ago, the Auburn University Food Systems Institute combined its knowledge of food safety and food business to organize the first Food Entrepreneur Conference for aspiring entrepreneurs and small farmers. Food business owners, faculty members from Auburn’s College of Business, and state organizations began supporting the event and participating in speaker panels. Participation in the event has grown each year, and now food business experts and entrepreneurs from all over the state travel to Auburn each spring to give advice and share their own stories.
This year one of those entrepreneurs will be Robert Armstrong, founder of G Momma’s “Southern-style bite-size cookies” based in Selma, who will be a keynote speaker at the event. This will be Armstrong’s first year participating in the conference, which is scheduled for March 21 and 22 at the CASIC building in the Auburn Research Park.
“I am excited to share the journey I’ve been on with G Mommas Cookies and hopefully I’ll share some valuable knowledge I’ve gained as well,” says Armstrong.
Armstrong says G Momma’s came about for two important reasons – his love for his “Gammy” (pronounced “Gah-mee”) as well as his desire to help boost the economy in his hometown. The melt-in-your mouth cookie recipe doesn’t hurt, either.
“Gammy would bake these little cookies for all our family ‘get-togethers’, and we would crawl all over each other to get a few,” Armstrong says on his G Momma website. “We would just keep coming back again, and again, and again. You really couldn’t eat just one!”
He also says he wants to help keep Selma alive, including its rich history connected to the Civil Rights Movements. “(Selma) has suffered from a declining economy for the last 40 years or so, and a big reason for that is young people generally don’t move back after college because the lack of opportunity,” Armstrong says. “It has always been a dream of mine to come back and help the area in some way.”
Armstrong will be joined by speakers like John Syzmanski, who works in recipe and new program development for The Kroger Company and can give the “big-box store” perspective of food entrepreneurship. Jimmy Wright of Wright’s Market will also be on hand to provide the viewpoint of a smaller, local grocer.
Audience interest in the event has grown each year, too. Last year’s Food Entrepreneur Conference was a turning point – more than 74 aspiring and current food entrepreneurs attended, and there wasn’t an empty seat in the house.
Hosted by the Auburn University Food Systems Institute (AUFSI) in cooperation with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) the event is focused on offering “real life” advice for growing a food business as well as providing an opportunity for burgeoning entrepreneurs to make invaluable business connections. Representatives from the Alabama Department of Public Health along with ACES will cover topics such as food safety, regulations, and labeling, while a professor from the AU College of Business will cover business marketing.
Past keynote speakers include Patricia “Sister Schubert” Barnes; Stacy Brown of Chicken Salad Chick, an Auburn-based restaurant that now has locations throughout the Southeast; and Chuck Caraway of Southeastern Food Group, one of Alabama’s largest food processing companies. Caraway has agreed to come back this year as a panelist; in fact, most past presenters have seemed to enjoy inspiring others to take the next steps toward food entrepreneurship and are eager to return.
Armstrong says it will be important to share with the audience not only what worked well for him when starting his own business, but also what he would do differently if he had the chance.
“I hope to impart that there really is no magic formula or secret to becoming successful in the food industry,” he says. “It all starts with the product and from there, it’s just a lot of hard work.”
In addition to the speaker panels and the Q&A sessions that follow, participants can also choose to attend up to two specialized breakout sessions on topics such as Cottage Food Law certification, which allows entrepreneurs to operate some types of food businesses from their homes; catering/food service/bakery; USDA meat products; food trucks; maximizing opportunities for minority-owned businesses; and the innovative aquaponics industry.
Registration for the two-day event is $150 before March 14 and $200 after that date. For a full conference agenda and to register, visit https://aufsi.auburn.edu/2018-food-entrepreneur-conference/ or call Regina Crapps at 334.844.7456. Also check the AUFSI Food Entrepreneur Conference Facebook page for updates to the conference agenda and other pertinent conference information.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities), is an equal opportunity employer and educator. Everyone is welcome!


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A press release issued by the Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) regarding its decision in the Schrems Safe Harbor case (C-362/14) confirms that the ECJ has declared Safe Harbor invalid.
Outside of handling internet defamation matters and protecting businesses from product diversion/unauthorized online sales, we are often asked about a number of other internet-related issues, including removing intellectual property (IP) infringement from social media websites.
Judge Richard J. Walsh began his opinion in Largent v. Reed with the following question: “What if the people in your life want to use your Facebook posts against you in a civil lawsuit?”
On July 21, 2015, the First Department of the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, ruled that Facebook could not bring a pre-execution challenge judicially issued search warrants for records associated with customer Facebook accounts on behalf of its customers.
Last week a New York state appeals court recognized that “Facebook users share more intimate personal information through their Facebook accounts than may be revealed through rummaging about one’s home.”


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MICROSOFT: Sales of Office 97 surging in Japan
NEW YORK -- Microsoft Corp. said sales of its Office 97 software package are growing rapidly in Japan.
Robert Bach, vice president of Microsoft's learning and entertainment division, said sales of Office 97 are growing faster there than the company's historic growth rates in Japan because of surging personal computer sales there.
"PC sales in Japan have been phenomenal," Bach said. He declined to reveal specific Japanese sales figures.
Office 97, released earlier this year, is a bundle of various software programs, including the latest version of the company's Word word-processing software and Excel spreadsheet software. Bach said that Office 97 is enjoying faster sales in its early months than its immediate predecessors Office 95 and Office 4.
Bach was speaking at the PaineWebber Aggressive Growth and Technology Conference in New York. He also said that sales in Japan are more profitable than the average sale of Office, because more of the customers also are buying new PCs and often buy Windows 95 or other accompanying software.
Bach recently moved from the team responsible for Office to new responsibilities managing the development of new so-called learning and entertainment software, chiefly for the youth market.
He said Microsoft plans to expand this unit, aiming to release 20 to 25 titles annually in areas like sports and strategy.
"The games market is ripe for consolidation," Bach said.


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Between a $25,000 prize here, $60,000 of awards there and a $120,000 flurry the same day, it was a lucrative week for winners of startup competitions in the Show-Me State.
Accelerate St. Louis Challenge
On Tuesday at the annual St. Louis Startup Connection event, some of the St. Louis area’s top early-stage companies won a combined $120,000 through the Accelerate St. Louis Challenge.
Geneoscopy, which has developed a non-invasive screening test for colorectal cancer, took home the $50,000 top prize.
“The competition itself was instrumental in developing Geneoscopy’s business plan and the award will provide funds to support a 1,000 patient pre-clinical FDA trial,” Geneoscopy’s Erica Barnell said in a press release. “This pivotal trial will bring our test one step closer to the 80 million Americans recommended to undergo regular colorectal cancer screening.”
Babyation, which makes a discreet breast pump for nursing mothers, received the $30,000 second prize.
Pro-Arc Diagnostics, which is developing a test for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, a potentially fatal virus, took third place and won $20,000.
AirZaar, Idiomatic and Upaya Pharmaceuticals each received $5,000 prizes at the annual competition, which is put on by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and the St. Louis Regional Chamber.
STL Export Accelerator
Also Tuesday, the STL Export Accelerator awarded $60,000 to four companies.
U.S. International Foods, which exports food and grocery products to growing international markets, won the $20,000 top prize.
Aggio, which makes a cloud-based platform for agricultural data, won $15,000 for taking second.
AirZaar, which makes software for managing commercial drone fleets, took home the $5,000 third-place prize.
Aggio, AirZaar, U.S. International Foods and Arch Innotek also picked up $5,000 prizes for awards in specialty categories.
The competition, designed to promote global strategies from companies in the St. Louis area, was coordinated by the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, World Trade Center St. Louis and JPMorgan Chase.
1 in a Million
Across the state in Kansas City on Wednesday, Pandere Shoes won $25,000 cash and a variety of other prizes in the 1 Million Cups “1 in a Million” competition.
Pandere, an Alaska-based startup that makes shoes for women with Lymphedema, emerged from a field of more than 200 companies to win the contest. 1 in a Million was open to past presenters from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s 1 Million Cups events.


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Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Labor to continue down same trade path
19 August 2010
AAP/Labor has promised more of the same on trade if it is re-elected on Saturday.
Trade Minister Stephen Smith has released Labor’s policy paper, which promises to continue striving for an "ambitious" outcome for Australia in the frustrated World Trade Organisation’s Doha round.
Labor would continue to use existing WTO rules strategically and defend Australia’s rules where needed, as seen in the appeal against the decision to allow New Zealand apple imports.
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Free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations would continue along with finance and promotion programs that support Australian exporters.
The coalition’s policy, released early in the campaign, increased funding to the Export Market Development Grants Scheme by $50 million, giving it a $200 million cap from July 1, 2011.
The scheme reimburses exporters for the cost of promoting their businesses.
The coalition’s trade spokesman Warren Truss said Labor had treated the portfolio with "disdain", and promised several appointments to reinvigorate the area.
It would start with a dedicated minister, and also appoint ambassadors for trade reform, manufacturing and service industries, and re-establish the Trade Advisory Council abolished by Labor.
But Mr Smith said the coalition had not attached funding to its promised appointments because the arrangement did not fit with its planned cuts to the public service.
Mr Truss had been "invisible" in his role, Mr Smith said.
"He did not ask a single question on trade in the life of the last parliament," he said.
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) was pleased Labor would not be tempted to put agriculture in the too-hard basket and exclude it from future trade negotiations.
But it hoped Labor would match the coalition’s commitment to have a dedicated trade minister in cabinet, which was lost in the small reshuffle following Julia Gillard becoming prime minister.


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All signs indicate that another of Carnival Cruise Line’s classic ships has become a casualty of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, The Points Guy (TPG) reported.
The 2,056-passenger ship, Carnival Inspiration, based in Long Beach, California, is reportedly bound for Izmir, Turkey, home to a notorious ship-scrapping operation that has become the final resting ground for many big-brand vessels. Carnival Inspiration embarked for Izmir by way of Curacao just days after another of the line’s Fantasy Class ships—Carnival Fantasy—departed the island, bound for the same destination and the same grim fate, Cruise Radio reported. Both ships were being stripped of their heavy equipment at Curacao’s container port, the island’s port authority disclosed—a telltale sign that they’re being prepared for removal from service.
On July 10, Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald revealed that the company would be removing 13 ships from the fleets of its nine global brands over the coming months. He indicated that those being cut would be the various brands’ older vessels, but didn’t specify which ships those would be.
“To reduce our cash burn and have a more efficient fleet once we do resume cruising, we have aggressively shed less efficient ships,” Donald said during a quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts, according to TPG.
The strategy does explain the demise of Carnival Fantasy, which debuted in 1990 and is now Carnival Cruise Line’s oldest ship. Carnival Inspiration dates back to 1996, making it the fleet’s sixth-oldest vessel.
Carnival Corp’s brand, Holland America Line, also said Wednesday that four of its ships—Amsterdam, Maasdam, Rotterdam and Veendam—were among those being sold off, though further plans for them were not specified. Other Carnival Corp brands, P&O Cruises in the U.K. and Costa Cruises in Europe, also announced that they’d be retiring one vessel apiece for their part.
Carnival appears to still be selling voyages that were scheduled to sail aboard Carnival Inspiration through April 2022, although there is a caveat displayed on the website in light of COVID-19’s ongoing impact on operations, which reads: “Our actual offerings may vary from what is displayed or described here.” So, perhaps another ship in the fleet will be taking over Inspiration’s routes.
Carnival Corp’s combined ship-count between its nine brands was 104 vessels prior to the onset of the pandemic, and its operations were accounting for around 45 percent of all of the world’s cruises.
Carnival Cruise Line didn’t immediately respond to TravelPulse’s request for comment on the Carnival Inspiration’s future.
For more information, visit carnival.com.
Source: Read Full Article


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It???s bad enough that global warming prophecies predict seas around the world will rise, a million species will become extinct, and hurricanes and cyclones will level the landscape, but now dire forecasts say a world shortage of bacon is looming.
The theory goes like this: Climate change has created a drought, the drought drives up the cost of feed, pig farmers can???t afford feed, pig farmers can???t afford pigs, the crunchy goodness of a BLT goes silent.
This. Must. Stop.
Britain???s National Pig Association is urging consumers on their side of the pond to pay the higher prices when the shortage is expected to hit in six months to keep their pig producers in business.
In the U.S., the Agriculture Department (USDA) spent $100 million on a pork-buying program, and in China, the government is putting pork into cold storage.
???High temperatures in Mid-western States will all but certainly have a negative impact on U.S. pork production next year,??? the USDA said in an August report.
???High feed costs from lower U.S. corn and soybean production is expected to reduce U.S. pork production in 2013. Per capita consumption of pork products in 2013 are expected to decline by 1.23 percent. Next year, per capita consumption of red meat and poultry is expected to drop below 200 pounds per person for the first time since 1990,??? the USDA report said.
R.C. Hunt president of the National Pork Producers Council, said the USDA help would assist producers ???struggling with the effects of this severe drought, which has adversely affected much of the nation???s corn crop.???
Bacon-loving Americans should follow the lead of Britain???s pig association, and support U.S. producers when hard times come a knocking this winter.
Save the pigs, because they are delicious.


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Uber seating area
We’re celebrating the grand opening of the Uber seating area for riders on the ground level of Terminal 1. The seating area is now open and features furniture made with sustainably sourced wood and a living wall. The development of the space is aligned with the GTAA’s commitment to Net-Zero carbon emissions by 2050 and Uber’s Road to Zero Emissions.
Uber Innovator Award for Toronto Pearson
We’re happy to be recognized by our partners for our commitment to innovation in the industry. This year, Uber has awarded Toronto Pearson an Innovator Award for 2021. Each year, Uber recognizes airports in the US and Canada whose efforts demonstrate a commitment to innovation through initiatives and operational pilots that can serve as a model for the broader industry. Toronto Pearson joins Philadelphia and Denver International Airports in receiving the 2021 Innovator Award.
Toronto Pearson is being recognized for ensuring that reliable transportation options are available to passengers, including through pilot programs that tested new technologies.
In 2021, Toronto Pearson became the first in the world to offer mobile food ordering and contactless pick up through the UberEats app. Passengers can avoid lines when ordering, creating a socially distanced experience that also saves time. The app automatically detects when a passenger is at the airport and informs them of the nearest food options.


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15 Nov 2018
3D sensing "multi-beam flash lidar" solid-state solution uses only two chips enabled by recent patents.Ouster, a manufacturer of high-resolution lidar sensors, has announced details of its underlying technology, revealing a departure from what it calls “niche and high-cost materials that are commonly used in the lidar industry.
Several fundamental breakthroughs covered by recently granted patents have enabled Ouster's move toward state-of-the art, high volume, silicon-based sensors and lasers that operate in a near-infrared light spectrum.”
Ouster's statement adds that Its approach to lidar is “speeding the deployment of technology ranging from autonomous vehicles, to large-scale mobile robotics, to long-range mapping drones”.
The new category, called multi-beam flash lidar, offers significant advantages over traditional approaches, claims the company:
This two chip lidar core contains no moving parts on the macro or micro scale while retaining the performance advantages of scanning systems through its multi-beam flash lidar technology. Ouster claims that its OS-1 64 sensor “costs nearly 85% less than competing sensors, making it the most economical sensor on the market. The company has decoupled cost from increases in resolution by placing all critical functionality on scalable semiconductor dies,” it states.
The OS-1 64 contains just two custom semiconductor chips capable of firing lasers and sensing the light that reflects back to the sensor. This approach replaces the thousands of discrete, delicately positioned components in a traditional lidar with just two.
Because of the sensor's simpler architecture, Ouster's devices are significantly smaller, lighter weight and more power efficient, making them suitable for applications in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), handheld and backpack-based mapping applications, and small robotic platforms.
In an article on the company's website, CEO Angus Pacala states, "Ouster has been granted foundational patents for our multi-beam flash lidar technology, which allows me to talk more openly about the incredible technology we've developed over the last three years and why we're going to lead the market with a portfolio of low-cost, compact, semiconductor-based lidar sensors in both scanning and solid state configurations."


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Walmart has proposed a grocery pickup-only store for a former Dominick’s supermarket site in Lincolnwood, Ill.
Plans for the facility, dubbed Walmart Pickup, were presented at a Lincolnwood village planning commission meeting earlier this month.
A Walmart representative at the meeting said the concept marks a different grocery pickup approach for the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer and would represent its largest pickup-only site. The location also would be Walmart’s first stand-alone, drive-up grocery facility in Illinois, according to the planning commission report on the project.
Located on North McCormick Boulevard in Lincolnwood, the building would have no customer access and house 41,700 square feet of inventory space. Signs would direct customers driving through the lot to one of three canopied pickup bays, where they would park in a designated space and have their groceries loaded into their vehicle.
Customers would order their groceries as usual via the Walmart Grocery app or website and select a pickup time in one-hour windows. Pickup trips and parking spots would be coordinated to avoid congestion.
Walmart projects the number of pickup trips (including to and from the facility) at about 180 per hour, based on the location’s 24 pickup stalls, and 1,960 daily. Home grocery deliveries also would be made from the site, and Walmart estimates 30 such deliveries a day, the report said. About 30 to 40 employees would run the facility.
Walmart is aiming for the internet pickup store, if approved, to open sometime next spring, according to the Chicago Tribune, which first reported plans for the site.
Taking on growing rival Amazon-Whole Foods Market, Walmart has set a goal to provide online grocery delivery to 100 metropolitan areas, covering 40% of U.S. households, by the end of 2018 through its own services and third-party providers.
Last week, Walmart said it reached a couple of milestones: availability of online grocery delivery in over 50 markets (the 50th was Akron, Ohio) and more than 2,000 grocery pickup locations (the 2,000th was in Fayetteville, Ark.). The company projects that it will have 2,140 grocery pickup sites in 430 markets, covering 69% of U.S. households, by the close of its fiscal year at the end of January.
Walmart operates several stand-alone pickup facilities, including near its Bentonville headquarters and in Metairie, La. The company also is testing 24-hour automated pickup kiosks, which measure 20 feet wide by 80 feet long and can hold 30,000 items. The first launched in mid-2017 near Oklahoma City.
Currently, Walmart works with outside service providers such as Postmates, Doordash and Deliv for grocery delivery. Earlier this year, the company ended delivery partnerships with Uber and Lyft and abandoned a test in which Walmart employees delivered groceries to customers after their regular shifts.
Several technology-driven pilots of grocery delivery also are under way.
In late July, the company said it had teamed up with Waymo — formerly Google’s self-driving car project — to test an online grocery service in which driverless vehicles pick up customers at their homes and take them to the store to collect their orders. The service is being piloted in Chandler, Ariz. About a week later, Walmart announced a partnership with automation specialist Alert Innovation in a test of its Alphabot robot to help fill online grocery orders faster. The system, developed for Walmart, is being installed at the retailer’s supercenter in Salem, N.H.
And earlier this month, Walmart said it began testing a crowdsourcing-based service that enlists drivers using their own vehicles to provide last-mile delivery of groceries ordered online. Called Spark Delivery, the service is being piloted in New Orleans and Nashville, Tenn., and is due to be rolled out to several more metropolitan areas this year.


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India won't back WTO trade protocol unless food security concerns addressed
Instead, India has suggested a four-point action plan that seeks to deliver by December 31 a complete package on agreements reached at the Bali ministerial that includes trade facilitation, a package for least developed countries and public stocking for food security.
Rich rattled by India's stance
The hardening of India's stand emerged after the new government took stock of the situation earlier this week.
Rattled rich countries have hit back at India, accusing it of going back on what was signed in December 2013 at Bali, a charge India has strongly countered." The EU is not ready to renegotiate basic elements or timelines that were agreed as integral part of the Bali package," the European Union said, indicating a heightened risk of a stalemate or talks unravelling. Another delay looms, an expert said.
"WTO goes by consensus and with India along with the other African, Latin American countries not agreeing to sign the trade facilitation protocol, it will have to get deferred," said Biswajit Dhar, professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. It is by no means clear what will happen next, said a person present at the general council meeting, adding that the atmosphere was very tense.
"It will be suicidal, absolutely. And that's not a threat, that's just a statement of fact," one Western diplomat was cited as saying by Reuters. "They say we're going to get what we want or we'll blow everything else up, but if they do that they won't even get what they want." India said the concerns of poorer nations needed to be addressed.
"To fully understand and address the concerns of members on the TF (Trade Facilitation) Agreement, my delegation is of the view that the adoption of the TF Protocol be postponed till a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security is found," India said at the general council meeting, adding that that it was disappointed by the lack of similar urgency shown on issues of importance to the developing countries.The trade facilitation agreement seeks to cut down red tape in global trade that some studies say could add $ 1 trillion to the global economy.
At the Bali ministerial in December, WTO members had agreed to pursue trade facilitation, a solution to the issue of public stock holding for food security and a package for least development countries.
India's food security law, which is based on massive government procurement from farmers and distribution to poor at subsidised prices, runs the risk of violating WTO rules that prescribe a limit on farm subsidies at 10% of output.
The country has budgeted Rs 1.15 lakh crore for food subsidies in the current year.
"India is of the view that the Trade Facilitation Agreement must be implemented only as part of a single undertaking including the permanent solution on food security," New Delhi said in its submission, accusing the developed world of not having the "will to engage in areas of interest".
The G-33 countries, a group of developing nations, want a complete exclusion of subsidies given on account of public stockholding programmes from the category of actionable subsidies at the WTO. This will require amendment to the WTO Agreement on Agriculture to allow countries to procure food grain from poor farmers at minimum support prices and sell to poor people at subsidised rates through public distribution systems.
"Having signed on to the ministerial decisions in Bali, let there be no doubt about India's commitment to those decisions including the Trade Facilitation Agreement. All we are asking is that the public stockholding issue as well as other decisions of Bali be taken forward in the same time frame as trade facilitation," India said.
An Indian commerce department official justified India's stand saying that any accord should not ignore the interests of the poor."We can defer the time. Timelines are important, but they are not sacrosanct at the cost of the interest of a large (amount of) humanity which lives below the poverty line. We are not saying that we want to postpone it to eternity, no, not at all," the person said.
India sought immediate establishment of an institutional mechanism such as a dedicated Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture to find a permanent solution on public stockholding for food security.


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Security improvements urged to boost e-commerce
Better IT security and identity management is needed if online commerce and e-government services are to succeed, according to RSA Security chief executive Arthur Coviello.
And despite the growth in broadband usage, key IT security issues need to be addressed if consumers are to gain trust in e-commerce, said Coviello, speaking at the RSA Conference Europe 2004 in Barcelona this week.
"Although the majority of Europe can connect to the Internet it is only a small number of people who are carrying out activities like buying or paying bills online," said Coviello.
By Daniel Thomas at the E-Commerce Times.
[ Read more ]
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Businesses racking up unpaid water bills during the pandemic have pushed water retailers to the brink, according to industry suppliers.
The UK Water Retailer Council (UKWRC), which represents 18 suppliers, has commissioned an independent report that also warns that pricing is unfair to customers and that some businesses are paying higher bills than necessary.
Most participants in the market were lossmaking before the pandemic but an increase in non-payments during lockdown has piled on the pressure. There is now a “material risk of systemic retailer failure”, said the report by the consultancy Economic Insight.
If a provider collapsed there is a risk that “customers would be ‘stranded’ without a retailer for a period of time”, the report added. Low margins in the sector also meant that water retailers were unable to invest in the service and deliver the improvements promised at the time the market was opened to liberalisation, the industry said.
“This report clearly highlights that the market is not currently delivering adequately for business customers,” said Phillip Mills, chair of the UKWRC.
The industry warning comes four years after the economic regulator Ofwat introduced reforms to allow non-household customers, which include supermarkets, charities, public sector bodies and retailers, to switch their billing arrangements to any water supplier in the country or to new independent market entrants.
The study found the actual cost of serving the smallest customers in the market — who consume less than 1,400 litres a day — is more than 50 per cent higher than they are allowed to charge by Ofwat, and that these customers account for about 70 per cent of the entire market.
Larger water customers such as pubs and restaurants are being charged more so that they can subsidise smaller businesses, the study found.
Water retailers are allowed to charge smaller customers £78 a year for services — in addition to the cost of the water — but the report says the actual average cost is £121 a year, which covers the cost of metering, scheduling site visits, invoicing and dealing with problems.
John Reynolds, chief executive of Castle Water, which took over Thames Water’s business customers, said the charges were “completely unfair” for many of the smallest customers.
He pointed to several examples of cross-subsidies in the sector. In one case, he said, a pub was paying £500 a year for retail services, while an architect’s practice two doors down was paying £50 a year even though the cost for providing services at both premises was about £120 a year.
In another example, a charity shop pays £16,000 a year — based on an estimate of prices — because it has no meter, which is the responsibility of landlords. On the same street, an amusement arcade with a meter pays just £750 a year.
The industry is calling on the regulator to bring forward a review that would look at how the sector could be made more sustainable.
Ofwat said it had taken steps to protect business customers, including in light of the pandemic, and would continue to work with Defra, the environment ministry, “to see if there is more we can do”.
“We are also looking at what additional protections are required to help the market deal with increased customer bad debt resulting from Covid-19.”


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Gridlock In Action: Retailers Demand New Regulations To Protect Consumerschicksdaddy (814965) writes "How bad is the gridlock in Washington D.C.? So bad that the nation's retailers are calling for federal legislation on cyber security and data protection to protect consumer information — this even though they would bear the brunt of whatever legislation is passed.
The Security Ledger notes (https://securityledger.com/2014/11/retailers-demanding-federal-action-on-data-breach/) that groups representing many of the nation's retailers sent a letter to Congressional leaders last week urging them to pass federal data protection legislation that sets clear rules for businesses serving consumers. The letter, dated November 6, was addressed to the majority and minority party leaders of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and signed by 44 state and national organizations representing retailers, including the National Retail Federation, the National Grocers Association, the National Restaurant Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, among others.
“The recent spate of news stories about data security incidents raises concerns for all American consumers and for the businesses with which they frequently interact,” the letter reads. “A single federal law applying to all breached entities would ensure clear, concise and consistent notices to all affected consumers regardless of where they live or where the breach occurs.”
Retailers would likely bare the brunt of a new federal data protection law. The motivation for pushng for one anyway may be simplicity. Currently, there are 47 different state-based security breach notification laws, as well as laws in the District of Columbia and Guam. (http://www.ncsl.org/research/telecommunications-and-information-technology/security-breach-notification-laws.aspx) There is broad, bi-partisan agreement on the need for a data breach and consumer protection law. However, small differences of opinion on its scope and provisions, exacerbated by political gridlock in Congress since 2010 have combined to stay the federal government’s hand."
Link to Original Source


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Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Economic Reporter
ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s trade development and promotion agency, says it is working with community farmers to increase baobab production for export to the European Union as demand for organic food increases.
Demand for organic food is said to have surged with the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic as consumers change their tastes.
This has created an opportunity for producers to seek more markets and take advantage of the export window, said Allan Majuru, ZimTrade’s chief executive officer.
During a panel discussion at the International Business Conference in Bulawayo on Wednesday, Mr Majuru said the emergence of Covid-19 has created a huge export market for pineapples and baobab in particular.
He said baobab powder has important nutritive components that consumers are now chasing.
“We started exporting organic pineapples to the Netherlands based on our colleagues’ need to focus on healthy food,” he said.
“Covid-19 has changed consumer tastes and that has subsequently also prompted us to look at our value chains to say how best to respond to the changes in the market,” he said in a discussion , which dealt with the reshaping of opportunities and challenges in the value chain .
“On conservation, farmers were selling pineapples for 20 cents a kilo, but when they became organic the price shot up to 70 cents.
“As much as we export, we are changing the livelihoods and value retention in the municipal areas and for us it is export promotion and changing the way of life of our farmers.”
Mr. Majuru said ZimTrade is now also focusing on baobab exports after discovering that its powder component has six times more calcium than milk, six times more vitamin C than oranges and more potassium than bananas.
“That gives you the health benefits of getting into baobab production. Our community farmers are best suited for this,” he said.
He said the country was at one point the continent’s largest exporter of agricultural commodities, but the focus is on reclaiming that label.
“The prevailing focus was on exporting to the European Union, but we have shifted focus to the Middle East. We have made the UAE our second largest export market destination,” said Mr. Majuru.
“Our fresh produce at Dubai Expo has been well received and now we are attracting buyers from Dubai because people are skeptical about the product coming from Zimbabwe.
“So buyers will come to visit to also invest in production and control the supply chain.”
ZimTrade participated in the Zimbabwe-Dubai Business Forum which strengthened bilateral trade ties between the country and the United Arab Emirates.
With the horticultural recovery and growth plan in place to stimulate exports, signs suggest that local farmers will ramp up production, making it easy to meet buyer demands and growing demand.
Demand for organic foods is growing among consumers as more and more people become health conscious and look for nutritious and low-calorie products.
Consumers are increasingly paying attention to foods containing synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and switching to organic foods, driving the market growth of organic farming, which eliminates the chemicals used in crops.


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- U.S.Associated Press
A former “Melrose Place” actress who has already served a prison sentence for a fatal 2010 drunken driving crash in New Jersey is headed back behind bars after a judge agreed with prosecutors Thursday that her initial sentence was too lenient. Saying Amy Locane still refuses to fully acknowledge her culpability in the crash that killed 60-year-old Helene Seeman and severely injured Seeman's husband, state Superior Court Judge Angela Borkowski sentenced her to eight years in state prison. Locane apologized to the Seeman family in a brief statement.
- U.S.NBC News
Fires ravaging California, Oregon and Washington have killed at least 34 people, destroyed thousands of homes and other structures and charred an area about the size of New Jersey.
- LifestyleEat This, Not That!
American diets now include a diverse range of foods from all over the globe. Ingredients like fish sauce, turmeric, and coconut milk have made their way into pantries across the country as they've become mainstream ingredients in home cooking as well as on restaurant menus. And yet, these items can still be found in their own designated aisle—often labeled "ethnic"—in many grocery stores.Well, that likely won't be the case for much longer. According to Business Insider, the existence of the "ethnic" grocery aisle no longer reflects shoppers' sensibilities—especially not those of younger Americans. Beyond that, consumers and food brands are becoming increasingly vocal about the undertones of marginalization that such segregation of popular foods seems to evoke. Sometimes known as the "international" aisle (or "Asian" and "Hispanic" aisles as Walmart labels them), these sections lump together foods in a way that emphasizes their outsider status.As Epicurious explains, "ethnic" used to describe foods that were popular in other cultures and not in the typical American diet. Not so long ago, Italian food was considered ethnic, as were German hot dogs and Jewish rye bread. Over time, however, these foods migrated to the main aisles of the grocery store because of demand and frequency with which Americans adopted them as their staples. Still, there are plenty of products that remain in the "ethnic" food aisle in grocery stores, which is problematic to both shoppers and food brands alike. (Related: 8 Grocery Items That May Soon Be in Short Supply.)Celebrity chef David Chang argued the issue isn't whether or not Americans have incorporated these "ethnic" foods into their mainstream diet, but with the grocery store's outdated perception of them. "All the foods in the ethnic food aisle are already accepted. So why do we even have them?" he asked in a 2019 interview with The Washington Post. In other words, why can't noodles live in the pasta aisle, and navy beans with other legumes?Chang's point is echoed by the fact that millennials seem to be more interested in food with global origins than any other generation before them, partly because immigrant millennials are nearly twice as likely to be high-earning, college-educated people than the previous generation, with an increased buying power that's fueling the demand for diverse food. There's also been a surge in American shoppers embracing global ingredients for their health benefits (matcha latte, anyone?) and craveable flavors.An increase in demand for "ethnic" groceries should be matched with an increase in shelf space dedicated to them, but currently, the opposite seems to be true. Miguel Garza, the CEO of Siete Family Foods, told Business Insider that "ethnic" food companies often end up competing for very limited shelf space because they're being lumped together. "I don't understand it. If something like salsa is now the No. 1 condiment in the US, why would it be relegated to one aisle?" he said.For more social changes taking place at the grocery store, check out 10 Groceries You'll Never Find Under the Same Name Again. And, don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to get the latest grocery news delivered straight to your inbox.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Bill Barr responds to Democrats' fear that Trump won't leave office: 'I’ve never heard of that crap'
President’s hand-picked AG says United States on verge of being ruled by a ‘mob’ even though GOP holds two branches
- SportsThe Associated Press
Phil Mickelson chose driver again on the 18th at Winged Foot. Back at the scene of his most crushing defeat, Mickelson found no reason to enjoy this beast of a course any more than when he left it 14 years ago. ''I'm 9 over,'' Mickelson said in discussing his plans for Friday.
"We will never rewrite the Constitution of the United States," she proudly and wrongly proclaimed on Twitter
- HealthBest Life
You've probably been hearing a lot about how it's more important than ever to get a flu shot this year. Health experts are worried about the collision of flu season and the coronavirus pandemic. Doctors have warned people that they can get COVID and the flu at the same time, with potentially serious complications. But while it's important to take all the precautions you can, the nation's leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, MD, recently said you might want to wait a bit before getting the flu shot.In a Sept. 10 interview with actor Jennifer Garner on Instagram Live, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) said that he gets the flu vaccine in mid- to late October, and recommended that others follow suit."You really should get a flu shot," Fauci said. "I wouldn't necessarily get it now, in September, because there is evidence that, in fact, the immunity might wear off when you get to February and early March."Fauci called his advice "unofficial," and it's important to note that there is some debate among doctors around when to get the flu shot. In an interview with the New York Post, Michael Richardson, MD, of One Medical, said, "We always recommend getting the flu shot early—that's in September, October. That's because flu season comes around in October."But as Richardson acknowledged, there is no exact date when flu season starts, and it can last until as late as May. Because it takes two weeks to develop immunity, it makes sense for doctors to recommend patients get the vaccine as soon as possible. On the other hand, Fauci's concern also carries weight, since an early flu shot might mean losing immunity to the virus before flu season is over.RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.And Fauci is not the only doctor who recommends holding off on the shot. If you are older of immunocompromised, you might want to consider waiting "a little longer before getting vaccinated," David Hirschwerk, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health, told CNBC Make It. For everyone else, however, "you can get the flu shot any time."Meanwhile, if you're worried that they'll run out of the vaccine before you get your flu shot, Fauci told Garner that's an "unlikely" scenario. "Every year there's a certain [amount] of flu shots that we just don't use," he said. And for more advice on staying healthy, these are The 2 Vitamins Dr. Fauci Says You Should Take to Boost Immunity.


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Across Western Europe, advertising revenue continues a gradual shift toward digital avenues at the expense of TV. IHS Markit estimates that across the five biggest markets, namely UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, ad revenue in traditional TV grew 9% between 2014 and 2018 to €18.4bn. In contrast, online video ad revenue grew 187% in the same period to reach €3.4bn. Despite the growth of online video ad revenues, however, European broadcasters are struggling to sustain their share of ad revenue in online video thanks to the digital duopoly, Facebook and Google. To address this, broadcasters have revised their strategies and alliances have become more commonplace.
- IHS Markit estimates that online video ad revenue across the EU Big Five soared 187% between 2014 and 2018, while traditional TV ad revenue rose just 9%
- Facebook and Google captured 65% of online video ad revenue across the Big Five in 2018, other ad-funded online video platforms held 10%, leaving broadcasters with a 25% share
- Broadcaster share of online video ad revenue is forecast to fall to 22% by 2023 as the duopoly’s influence grows
- Collaboration between commercial and free to-air broadcasters has buoyed France’s share of broadcaster online ad revenue, with TF1 leapfrogging ITV to become the sector leader in 2018
- Cohesive advertising video on-demand (AVoD) platforms may offer European broadcasters the best chance to regain ad market share from the digital duopoly by aggregating content and distribution rights
List of tables and charts:
- The State of TV & online video advertising revenues across the EU Big 5
- European broadcaster alliances and acquisitions ramping up
- European broadcaster AVoD revenues (€m)
- Broadcaster AVoD by country (€m)
Number of Pages: 8
Number of Tables and Charts: 4
Research Analyst, Advertising, IHS Markit
Ryan Doherty is a research analyst for global advertising and media at IHS Markit, based in London.
Senior Research Analyst – Advertising & Television Media, IHS Markit
Ms. Kia Ling Teoh is a senior research analyst, Advertising & Television Media at IHS Markit.


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Nintendo to allow gay marriage in latest 'Fire Emblem' game
The sword and spear-wielding warriors in the new instalment of Nintendo's hit "Fire Emblem" series will be able to marry whomever they like, the Japanese game-maker has said.
The move comes after the board game-turned-console behemoth was forced to apologise for excluding same-sex relationships in an earlier game.
"Fire Emblem Fates", which hit the Japanese market on Thursday, will roll out in the United States and Europe next year.
In a statement released this week, Kyoto-based Nintendo said the game, in which players advance through a fantasy world doing battle with other characters, will be inclusive.
"We can confirm that Fire Emblem Fates for Nintendo 3DS... includes the possibility for a same-sex marriage to take place between the main character created by the gamer and another character," it said.
"We believe that our gameplay experiences should reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate."
The development came after Nintendo America was forced to apologise last year when users complained that a life-simulation game, "Tomodachi Life", did not allow same-sex marriage.
"We apologize for disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life," a statement released in May last year said.
"We will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players," it said.
While calls are also growing for Japan to legalise same-sex marriage, there is no specific legal protection for gay people and the issue is not widely debated among the public.
Tokyo's Shibuya district council voted earlier this year to issue "partnership" certificates to gay couples, the first such recognition of same-sex unions in Japan.
© 2015 AFP


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|By Marketwired .||
|January 9, 2013 04:30 PM EST||
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwire) -- 01/09/13 -- Popular Mechanics, one of America's most trusted men's magazines, today announced the winners of its Editor's Choice Awards at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology and America's largest annual tradeshow of any kind.
Martian Watches has been named one of an elite group of products at CES to be awarded an Editor's Choice Award. The winners were honored at a ceremony at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 8, 2013.
The Martian Watch is the world's first Bluetooth voice command watch that allows you to talk, listen and control your phone from your wrist to provide a truly unique hands-free experience to the consumer. For the first time, mobile phone users can communicate without needing to touch their phone by accessing their phone's voice commands, including placing and receiving calls, sending voice-to-text messages, listening and responding to text messages, setting calendar notifications and reminders, controlling music, and searching the web, all without their phones leaving their pocket or purse.
The Bluetooth-enabled watches support voice control on both the Apple iOS® and the Android® platforms. Three different styles are available and the classic analog design combined with modern wireless technology sets it apart from a plethora of digital options.
The impressive rectangular-faced Passport watch is an elegant, upscale executive watch. It is styled for men and women who appreciate traditional styling with a black or white face. The white face models are available with a white or black leather band, and the men's black face model comes with a custom-molded black silicone band. This watch appeals to busy executives, high-tech enthusiasts and ardent mobile phone users for whom elegant, classic watch styling is important. The MSRP is $299 USD.
The Victory watch offers all-day style for the individual who wants a sporty round watch face with substantial size and stainless steel polish. The monotone color options include matching face and band combinations of black, white and tan. This workhorse watch appeals to males and females who appreciate its contemporary styling and for whom technology is an important part of their daily lives. The MSRP is $299 USD.
Fun and color flavor the G2G watch style that is designed for women and young adults who love technology and trendy styling. The rectangular watch face is fashioned with lightweight aluminum so it's easy to wear. The bright matching face and band colors mean that the G2G watches will get noticed for good looks as well as its high-tech features. The MSRP is $249 USD.
More information and pre-ordering is available on the Martian Watch website at: http://www.martianwatches.com.
For a list of additional Editor's Choice Award winners, visit: http://www.popularmechanics.com/ces2013
Popular Mechanics also awards Editor's Choice honors at the SEMA Show, the definitive event for the automotive aftermarket, and at the National Hardware Show.
About Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics empowers readers to navigate the increasingly complex, technological world around us. The magazine, published monthly by Hearst Magazines, inspires, instructs and influences nine million curious readers. Their mindset -- the hunger to know, the desire to investigate and learn -- drives them to explore, experiment and experience a wide range of interests. Issues engage readers with breakthroughs in the latest innovations in science and technology; educates with informative "how-to" stories on automotive, the home and digital technology; and motivates action with product reviews and comparison tests of the newest equipment and products. Popular Mechanics is also the #1-ranked men's monthly magazine when it comes to reaching an environmentally conscious audience. The brand is a 21st-century must-read, with a robust Web site (popularmechanics.com) and an award-winning tablet edition.
About Martian Watches
Founded in 2007, Martian Watches is an Irvine, California-based developer of unique personal wireless communication solutions that are reshaping how we communicate with friends, family and the world. The Martian engineering team has an extensive history in Bluetooth development, having created the world's smallest system-on-chip solution for Bluetooth wireless systems. Martian is best known for the award-winning SilverCare Personal Safety Alert Device, a two-way voice communication watch and for developing the world's first voice command watch.
More Martian Watches details and specs: www.martianwatches.com
Apple iOS is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Android is a registered trademark of Google Inc.
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Meat Industry Ireland (MII) has said that the continued blockading of beef processing plants across the country has already forced companies into staff lay-offs.
The association, which represents the meat processing sector in Ireland, warned that if the protests continue, ‘further significant staff lay-offs in the coming days are inevitable’.
MII said that the situation is “extremely damaging” to the entire Irish beef sector.
‘For the second time in just three weeks, hard-won customers of Irish beef are being left without deliveries,’ MII explained in a statement.
‘These loyal and valued customers are again forced to seek alternative fresh beef supplies. This damages the position of Irish beef in the marketplace.’
MII added that with the political chaos in the UK ahead of a potential no-deal Brexit, the last thing the Irish beef industry needs is a series of industry blockades.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.


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Will investors support the chain for being socially conscious?
Two weeks ago, after Dick’s Sporting Goods announced that it would stop selling assault rifles and raise its age requirement for gun purchases to 21, the retailer’s shares rose 1% even as the broader stock market fell sharply. In the wake of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, investors seemed eager to distance themselves from gun sellers while rewarding socially-conscious firms. But now comes the real test: Will they stick by a retailer that is suffering as a result of its new gun policy?
Dick’s, which reported fourth-quarter earnings on March 13, said same store sales fell 2 %, double the decline analysts expected. Profits reached USD 1.22 a share, two cents above estimates, yet revenue fell short at USD 2.66 billion, trailing estimates of USD 2.74 billion. Shares fell as much as 8 % on March 13 morning before rebounding.
The decision didn’t affect the quarterly results just released, but it will weigh on the future. In a call with analysts, Chief Executive Ed Stack acknowledged that the new policy is “not going to be positive from a traffic and sales standpoint.”
It is difficult to say just how extensive the impact will be. Assault rifles were previously sold at three dozen of the company’s Field & Stream stores. Mr. Stack says the company has already seen pushback. “Some of those customers that buy firearms [from Dick’s] buy other things also.” They may not shop at Dick’s at all anymore, he said.
That loss is reflected in the company’s outlook. It expects same-store sales will range from flat to a single-digit decline this year. It also said that it will no longer provide analysts and investors with a quarterly outlook, underscoring the sense that the company is troubled.
Much of that is unrelated to guns, of course. Although Dick’s looked poised to enjoy its status as the last national sports retailer after Sports Authority’s collapse in 2016, it has struggled to compete with Amazon.com and non-specialty retailers. Meanwhile, brands such as Nike and Under Armour have focused on selling directly to consumers, undercutting Dick’s. Shares have fallen more than 37% from a year ago.
Despite some praise the company has received for its new gun policy, it is only likely to hurt it further. Long after the glow of a socially-conscious move fades, investors’ focus on the bottom lines remains.


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TECNO Camon 18 succeeds the TECNO Camon 17 series launched early this year just in time for the holidays.
We have already checked out the TECNO Camon 17 Pro, putting it through its paces in our first impressions review, camera performance review, full review and even put it against the Samsung Galaxy A32 in our full comparison review.
TECNO Camon 18 series is slated to come with new upgrades up its sleeve and here’s what we know so far.
At the helm of the TECNO Camon 18 series is a MediaTek Helio G96 processor coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.
TECNO Camon 18 series will feature a 6.7″ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate – an upgrade over its predecessor that shipped with a 90Hz refresh rate.
For optics, we expect a 64MP triple camera setup that features a hardware depth engine for dual-camera bokeh captures, a Camera Control Unit (CCU) and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and Rolling Shutter Compensation (RSC) technologies combined with TECNO’s AI Vision
Optimization Solution (TAIVOS) to create smoother, sharper and clearer photos and videos.
At the front, we expect a 48MP centred punch-hole selfie camera.
We may see an in-display fingerprint reader too just like the Phantom X, its flagship sibling.
TECNO Camon 18 series is expected to come with Android 11 and HiOS 7.6.
Keeping the lights on will be a 5000mAh battery with support for 33W USB-C charging.
TECNO Camon 18 series is slated to launch sometime next month.
We expect TECNO to share more updates about its new midrange smartphone in the coming days.