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After pushing through controversy over their West Town location and shuttering the shop in Oak Park, Bleeding Heart Bakery finally opened its doors Thursday. The shop's owners, Michelle and Vinny Garcia, had wanted to open about a month ago, but were pushed back due to construction and financial concerns.
But now that the new Lakeview shop is open, the Garcias are "returning to our roots by letting the food and seasons speak to us," according to their email newsletter circulated this morning.
The new shop will allow Vinny Garcia to build out his cake business, as they say this spot will be "the sole location to truly get a Bleeding Heart cake." Not sure what that means customers at West Town and the suburban spot in Elmhurst will be getting.
Pop in today for specials on tarts (buy one, get the second half off); flavors include key lime, chocolate rosewater and chocolate salted caramel. On Saturday, LevelUp will be on site, offering anyone $10 toward purchases if they have the LevelUp app on their phone.
The Belmont location will be open daily (save Monday) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and will offer a selection of savory small plates during the day. BHB will also offer weekend brunch between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
· Is There a Shakeup at Bleeding Heart Bakery? [~EChi~]
· Bleeding Heart Bakery Shuttering Oak Park Location [~EChi~]
· Bleeding Heart Bakery Close to Opening Belmont Location [~EChi~]


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One of the many hardships of having a public relationship as a celebrity is the chorus of sideline pocket watchers clocking how they spend their hard-earned cash. Broke Twitter is currently attempting to drag Taina Williams for buying her boo G Herbo a high-end jeep not realizing it’s one of the better vehicles in the market.
G Herbo, born Herbert Wright, celebrated his 24th birthday Thursday (Oct. 8) in grand fashion. From what images are available on social media and across Twitter accounts following this sort of news, it looks like Williams spent big on Herb buy copping him a Rolex watch among other gifts we’re sure.
However, what’s got Twitter going hamburger, sausage, and baloney meat is the purchase of a Grand Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk, a high-end SUV that just rolled out its 2021 version. With a hefty price tag of $87,000, this isn’t a ride you can just walk up and drive off the lot without feeling the hit.
What Check to Check Twitter is really getting their jokes off about is the assumption that Ari Fletcher, G Herbo’s ex and mother of his child, would have laced him up better. Others are simply reacting to the fact that it’s an American made vehicle and not some fancy foreign whip that most of the Hip-Hop world fancies.
Without actually knowing the man’s true feelings or levels of gratitude, the pocket watchers are out here saying Herb didn’t look that impressed with his car despite him taking a photo of him sitting on the hood and even showing approval of how it drove in his first test spin.
Taina’s name is trending on Twitter, unfairly so might we add, but it’s not all slander as some are checking the brokies out here that they couldn’t afford that truck on their best days working the pole.
Check out those reactions below.

domain: news


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Grayscale's managing director, Michael Sonnenshein, has been appointed as the asset manager's new chief executive officer, Fortune reports.
He will replace Barry Silbert, the CEO of parent company Digital Currency Group (DCG). The "crypto king" will now be able to focus on the conglomerate's new subsidiary that will be announced soon.
Earlier today, U.Today reported that Grayscale had crossed nearly $25 billion worth of cryptocurrencies under management. Its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust alone boasts over $21 billion worth of inflows.
Silbert expects an "eventful" year for the cryptocurrency industry.


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PetSmart is the latest major pet food retailer to say it will stop selling dog and cat treats made in China because of ongoing fears that they are making pets sick.
The company plans to have the treats off all of its store shelves by March 2015.
"This is something we've been working toward for some time, and feel it's the right thing to do for pets and our customers," said PetSmart spokeswoman Erin Gray.
Investigators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration haven't been able to prove that treats made in China are making pets ill. But since 2007, it has received more than 4,800 complaints of pet illnesses and more than 1,000 reports of dog deaths after eating Chinese-made chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats.
In an update of its investigation last week, the FDA said it found that antiviral drug amantadine in some samples of imported chicken jerky treats sold a year or more ago, but doesn't think it caused the illnesses. The FDA said it will continue to investigate.
Rival Petco announced on Tuesday that it would remove all Chinese-made treats from its 1,300 stores by the end of this year after shoppers pushed them to do so. The San Diego company said it has been cutting the number of those treats it sells over the past three years.
In January 2013, NBC News reported that "two of the largest retailers of pet chicken jerky treats issued voluntary recalls of several popular brands after New York state agriculture officials detected unapproved antibiotics in the products.
Nestle Purina PetCare Co. recalled its popular Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats, and Del Monte Corp. officials recalled their Milo’s Kitchen Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats from shelves nationwide.
In addition, two more firms have recalled their treats as well, including Publix stores, which recalled its private brand Chicken Tenders Dog Chew Treats and IMS Pet Industries Inc., which withdrew its Cadet Brand Chicken Jerky Treats sold in the U.S.
The voluntary recalls effectively remove the pet treats from store shelves nationwide.
PetSmart Inc., which is based in Phoenix, owns more than 1,300 stores in North America.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Meta Platforms Inc META has launched its Meta Verified subscription service on Instagram and Facebook within the U.S.
The verified service offers customers a blue badge after they confirm their accounts utilizing a authorities ID, and prices $11.99 monthly on the internet or $14.99 a month on iOS and Android.
The firm stated that, upon subscribing to its newest service, customers will grow to be premium members and obtain unique stickers on Facebook and Instagram. In addition, customers will get 100 Stars a month to assist them help their favourite creators.
Subscribers have to be not less than 18 years outdated and meet minimal account exercise necessities.
Meta’s verified service follows within the footsteps of Snapchat, which is owned by Snap Inc SNAP, and messaging app Telegram.
The advantages of Meta’ subscription service are divided into 5 classes: “Verification,” “Exclusive Features,” “Increased Visibility,” “Proactive Account Protection” and “Direct Account Support.”
Read Also: Thousands Of Meta Workers Receive Poor Performance Ratings, Signaling Potential Layoffs: Report
Subscribers can safe their accounts with two-factor authentication and get extra safety to make sure others cannot impersonate them on Meta’s platforms.
After Meta introduced its subscription service, Twitter CEO Elon Musk responded to a tweet from a person claiming Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had copied Twitter, saying it was “inevitable” that Meta would observe Twitter and cost for verified standing through subscription companies.
Twitter’s subscription service prices $8 monthly for “Blue Verified” customers on the internet and $11/monthly for customers signing up through iOS gadget. However, this system has attracted considerably fewer subscribers than the billionaire might need anticipated. As of mid-January 2023, roughly 180,000 individuals within the U.S. are paying for subscriptions to the microblogging web site. This contains Twitter Blue subscribers.
Read Next: Meta’s Subscription Model Could Generate $1.7B Revenue By 2024, Bank Of America Says


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Microsoft is hiring a product manager to lead a new Microsoft 365 subscription service for consumers—and boy, that person will have their work cut out for them.
The job posting, unearthed by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, pretty clearly specifies that Microsoft wants to orchestrate a consumer version of the Microsoft 365 subscription it has put in place for enterprises. The existing Microsoft 365 service for enterprises covers Windows 10, Office 365 and a bundle of enterprise services called EMS, mainly geared at device management.
Subscriptions are Microsoft’s new religion. If Microsoft can get enterprises (and you!) to budget in its services alongside the water bill, car maintenance, and groceries, it wins steady income.
But set aside the fact that an enterprise has dedicated employees whose jobs are to manage hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of PCs and mobile devices, and that that enterprise has budgeted a substantial amount of money for the purpose. While Microsoft may be able to pick and choose among various services to offer a large enterprise, the fact of the matter is that Microsoft currently has very little to offer the consumer PC customer—at all.
Windows 10 still consists of a number of free services—Bing, Cortana, Mail, Edge, and more—built into the “free” copy of Windows 10 that PC makers bundle as part of their PCs. But there aren’t many paid subscriptions beyond that. Microsoft pulled the plug on Groove Music last year. Buying minutes for Skype, or paying for Skype Unlimited, means more for customers with friends and family overseas, rather than United States consumers. Microsoft’s financials have demonstrated that consumers will budget in an Office 365 subscription—but even so, why would they then switch to a presumably more expensive bundle?
The alternative, then, would be to go outside the PC. There’s precedent for that: Microsoft’s Work and Play Bundle, now discontinued, offered a bundle of services worth close to $300 for an asking price of $160: Office 365 Home, Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Music (which later became Groove Music), and Skype Unlimited. Swap out Xbox Music for Microsoft’s new Xbox One game subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, and Microsoft could even maintain its pricing.
Microsoft eventually sweetened up its Work and Play bundle by adding a third-party support contract, offering additional assistance with Windows problems. That would be a bit more analogous to what Microsoft is offering businesses. Maybe tempt customers with a bit more OneDrive storage (2 terabytes, maybe?) and the consumer version of Microsoft 365 looks even better.
The reality, though, is that Microsoft has only a handful of services that consumers will be willing to pay for, and many of those involve the Xbox. The alternative would be to charge an additional fee for apps and services consumers already receive for free: Cortana, Bing, and even (gulp!) some sort of annual Windows subscription. (Microsoft has never suggested that this will happen, and there’s no indication it will.)
Microsoft hasn’t publicly commented on the job posting, and there’s no indication that the company will confirm a Microsoft 365 offering for consumers before it launches. (Microsoft declined to comment when we asked.) But as it stands, the only successful subscription services that Microsoft can offer consumers are Office 365, Xbox Live Gold, and Xbox Game Pass. If a consumer version of Microsoft 365 doesn’t offer those, it’s difficult to see how it will succeed.
Updated at 12:20 PM: Microsoft declined to comment.


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Apple's iPhone is Losing Ground in China
Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) sales in China took a massive beating last year, dropping an estimated 23%, which pushed its market share into the single digits, per research from IDC. Now, the latest sales data from the Middle Kingdom indicates that local smartphone players have continued gaining on the iPhone maker.
Apple isn't going anywhere in China
Market research firm Canalys estimates that Chinese smartphone sales jumped 9% during the first quarter of 2017, but most of the gains were lapped up by just three companies. As it turns out, Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo took the top three spots, accounting for 50% of sales, up from a combined market share of 42% in the prior-year period.
Image Source: Apple
Apple stood fourth in the Chinese smartphone hierarchy. Though Canalys didn't reveal the exact sales figure, the Cupertino-based company should have moved more than fifth-ranked Xiaomi's 9 million units. However, Apple's sales couldn't have been close to third-placed Vivo's 17 million shipments, which had 15% share of the market.
This is because the iPhone maker's Chinese market share was just 9.6% at the end of 2016, according to IDC's market research, and it faced increased competition from the three local players during the quarter. What's more, the growing dominance of Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo also impacted Apple's global performance as its sales in the first quarter stagnated.
The company moved 51.6 million iPhones last quarter, giving it 14.9% of the global smartphone market. Apple, meanwhile, had shipped 51.2 million units in the prior-year period, when it had 15.4% of the market. This isn't good news for Apple investors -- overall smartphone shipments jumped 4.3% year-over-year, but the Chinese top three cornered a bigger share of the market as their combined sales jumped almost 25%.
Therefore, the growing dominance of Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo in China -- the world's largest smartphone market, with a third of overall sales -- has translated into gains on the global stage.
Can Apple turn the tide?
UBS and Gartner estimate that iPhone sales in China will fall in the double digits once again this year, though the company has announced certain steps to turn the tide in its favor. For instance, the company recently announced that it plans to open two new research and development facilities there, in addition to two previously announced centers.
In fact, Apple has set aside over $500 million to spend on R&D in China. But Cupertino needs to understand that innovation is not where the problem lies. According to IDC's research manager Anthony Scarsella:
The Chinese companies have been spending a lot of money to advertise that their smartphones can compete with the best at a lower price point. What's more, they have been aggressively trying to grab greater customer attention by opening retail stores and improving customer service.
For instance, Huawei had 35,000 retail stores globally a year ago, and decided to open another 15,000 to boost smartphone sales. More specifically, 11,000 of Huawei's stores were on the Chinese mainland in June last year, while Apple had just 40. OPPO's phones, on the other hand, are sold at 200,000 locations in China.
Meanwhile, Xiaomi is looking to get into the offline retail act and plans to open 1,000 new retail stores over the next three years. Now, data from Counterpoint Research indicates that 40% of smartphone sales in China take place through the offline store channel, so it is not surprising to see these companies aggressively increasing their point-of-sales presence to grab a bigger pie of the market.
On the other hand, Apple doesn't want to open up its store ecosystem to local outlets, limiting its chances of reaching a wider audience. Therefore, the iPhone maker needs a new sales strategy in China. It can consider rapidly expanding its retail presence by spending a lot of money, or allow local dealers to brand, advertise, and sell the iPhone for a fee and get into more stores at a fast pace. Otherwise, it won't be surprising if Apple continues to lose ground in China.
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Beyonce was spotted shopping at a couple of boutiques in London. She looks great.
More of Seen On The Scene after the jump….
Jersey Shore’s Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino showed off a doll replica of himself Tuesday in NYC….*DEAD*
Tori Spelling and daughter Stella, who is now 2 years of age, visited Dean McDermott (recovering from a bike crash) at a L.A. hospital Sunday.
She did that!
Gwyneth Paltrow rocked shorts Monday at a viewing of “Mario Testino: Kate Who?” in London.
Adrienne Bailon was spotted shopping at a few store’s in Times Square Wednesday in NYC.
John Legend and Michelle Rodriguez hung out at the Edeyo Foundation’s 3rd anniversary fundraiser at The Bowery Hotel in NYC.
Kourtney Kardashian and boyfriend Scott Disick hit NYC club Greenhouse. Scott always looks constipated…smh.
Christina Aguilera rocked light pink locks on the Los Angeles set of Entourage. Hopefully, that was just for Entourage. Pink is not her color…


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There are 240 million Muslims in Southeast Asia and 600 million Muslims in South Asia, representing a $2.2 trillion dollar market, and with Ramadan just around the corner, brands are racing to stand out in the busiest season of the … Continue reading How to Reach Asian Consumers During Ramadan
Binge-watching of online video is on the rise amongst Singaporeans, who spend on average two hours, 35 minutes watching videos in each sitting according to the State of Online Video 2019 report. In addition to time spent, Singaporeans are also … Continue reading India and Singapore among the highest consumers of online video globally
AppsFlyer has just released it’s “State of App Marketing in India” report, offering insights into India’s mobile marketing landscape, the latest trends and how to navigate India’s mobile ecosystem. India is the world’s fastest growing mobile market, faster than even … Continue reading Mobile to account for 62% of India digital ad spend by 2021
Touching video content from Unilever. 6 million children die before they reach the age of 5 due to infections like Diarrhea and Pneumonia. 44% of these deaths occur in the first 28 days of birth. This experiment taught Sangrahi how the … Continue reading How to do Compelling Social Video Content
The latest MasterCard Mobile Shopping Survey covering Asia Pacific finds consumers embracing the convenience of mobile shopping. Almost half of consumers – around 45% in total – made a purchase using their smartphone in the three months preceding the survey. Exactly 50% of … Continue reading Half of APAC Smartphone Users Now Shopping on their Device
According to latest forecasts from Mediacells, consumers in India and China alone will buy almost 600m smartphones in 2014, comprising half of the global total.
Smartphone penetration will grow fastest in China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia where half a billion new users will be added in 2014. Continue reading “Half a Billion New Smartphone Users Across China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia in 2014”
Two in every three Asian shoppers has already researched and made a decision regarding which brand of consumer electronics product they will buy before they approach point-of-sale, online or offline, according to Text100’s Digital Index: APAC Consumer Electronics Study.
The research looks at how different information sources vary in importance at each stage of the customer journey for the consumer electronics sector. Continue reading “Consumer Electronics Path to Purchase in Asia Pacific”
A new report from World Newsmedia Network looking at global Digital hot spots, highlights again the impact of mobile in Asia. With large parts of the region having higher mobile than desktop penetration, mobile internet is currently leading broadband and desktop and will do so for the foreseeable future. Continue reading “Asia a Digital Hot Spot, Hottest for Mobile”
Ecommerce is very much in the news at the moment, with Rocket Internet launching their month long online promotion across Lazada, Zalora and Foodpanda, ebay launching in Indonesia, and mobile ecommerce projected to hit $2.4bn revenue in Singapore by 2015. Continue reading “Ecommerce in Emerging Asia”
The comScore Digital Future in Focus reports provide some of the most comprehensive coverage of Asia’s Digital landscape. Industry leading research across a series of Asian markets, with insight into search, social, online advertising, mobile and e-commerce. Continue reading “Asia’s Digital Future in Focus”


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Justin Gibbons, the director of strategic services at PHD, and Dani Washer, the agency's head of consumer insight, are launching Work in a bid to offer integrated marketing research that covers both consumer attitudes to media channels and the creative message.
The pair, who have helped PHD to develop its qualitative research activity, including its recent Neuroplanning system, left the agency last week.
Work will target marketers, creative agencies and media owners, offering bespoke research options that will attempt to link media and creative insights.
Gibbons said: "You've got creative agencies using groups that typically only they attend, media planners using TGI, direct marketing planners looking at response data and digital agencies using their own specialists. We are going to offer a process that uses research to bring the disciplines together."
Before joining PHD, Gibbons and Washer had experience of working as planners in advertising agencies. Gibbons then launched PHD's Living Room qualitative research programme and was promoted to the agency's board two years ago.
Work is expecting to get most of its agency business from ad agencies that require insights at pitch stage. It will also work on projects for PHD and hopes to capitalise on the growing trend for media owners launching their own in-house creative solutions teams. Its first project is new product development for an unnamed FMCG client.
Gibbons added: "We will provide a piece of research that's agnostic, by talking to punters about which channels work, as well as which messages work."


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At least five eateries were shuttered on Monday for violating the physical distancing protocol imposed by the city government as part of the community quarantine.
In an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio, Mayor Sara Duterte said these eateries allowed customers to dine inside their places.
Even with the strict guidelines being implemented by the city government during this period of community quarantine, some eateries and food stalls are still allowed to operate as long as they sell food on a take-out basis.
“When I saw it, I was disappointed because of course, (you) already had the chance to continue your business while others were already ordered to close. But you just violated the conditions set for you to open,” Mayor Duterte said.
She said these eateries were allowed to continue to serve mainly city government workers who could not work from home.
“We have created an inspection team who will roam around (the establishments) to ensure that people are following the measures being implemented by our doctors on the ground,” Duterte said.
Ambulant vendors allowed, however…
Meanwhile, ambulant or warik-warik vendors will be allowed to work even during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.
“As long as they will follow the protocols, they will be allowed to work,” Duterte said on Tuesday.
They will help decongest the public markets as they can help deliver food and other goods from household to household. However, she said these ambulant vendors must sell basic commodities, such as rice, meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits.
“This will also help these warik-warik vendors to have a work and cope with their income loss,” she said.
However, street food vendors will not be allowed to operate.
“You do not go to the public market to buy fishballs or kwek-kweks. They are not allowed to work,” she said.
Duterte bared that three rolling trucks are expected to start operating within the week.
These rolling trucks will serve as a mobile wet market that will also sell those products in the market. The rolling trucks were proposed by a group of businessmen so that people won’t be forced to risk their health in the crowded wet markets.
But Duterte said that the rolling markets should also follow the strict protocols on social distancing and proper hygiene. Any violation of the agreement will result in the revocation of their permit.
Finally. sari-sari (sundry) stores will also be allowed to operate but only before the curfew hours, which starts from nine o’clock in the evening. (With Samantha Burgos)
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Data General Corporation, Federal Express, Apple Computer -- all are thriving corporations nurtured in their infancy by early investors who made a bundle when these companies went public. The individual investor rarely has the opportunity to invest in young companies bound for glory unless the investor can afford to put aside a minimum of $250,000 for at least four years and forget about it.
There are, however, a small number of public investment companies that invest in young, unproven companies and can serve as appropriate vehicles for a small investor to benefit from venture capital gains.
The funds, which are closed-end and bought and sold as stocks on either the American Stock Exchange or in over-the-counter trading, provide the opportunity for both appreciation of stock price plus capital gains distribution -- if they invest wisely. (Unlike mutual funds, a closed-end fund does not buy back its own shares; therefore the price of its shares, though influenced by a rise or fall in its net asset value, is set by demand and supply for the shares.)
The underlying philosophies of these companies vary widely. Rand Capital Corporation, for example, tries to invest in start-up firms in the vicinity of its hometown of Buffalo, N.Y. Allied Capital in Washington seeks franchisees to back, among other things.
One of the best performing funds last year was the Nautilus Fund, formed only in February 1979 and managed by Eaton & Howard, Vance Sanders Inc. in Boston. Much of the net asset gains of the fund are directly attributable to a single investment -- 360,000 shares of Apple Computer, bought at a cost of $585,000. When Apple went public in December at $22 a share, Nautilus's Apple holdings were valued at $7.9 million. Net asset value per share of Nautilus jumped from of Nautilus.
Because of its Apple shares, the price of Nautilus stock resembled a roller-coaster ride last year. Investors were so eager to get an early bite of Apple that they bid up the price of Nautilus from $20 in August to as high as $ 54 in November. When Apple went public in December and gained only seven points over the offering price, the price of Nautilus plummeted to the mid-30s, and it has been trading at $28 bid recently.
"Investors bid [our stock] up to where Apple would have had to sell at $50 or
He points out that his portfolio, now valued at about $26.5 million, has had other winners, such as Boston Digital, whose shares were bought at $25,000 and are now worth $215,000 in the public market. In addition, Mr. Toney expects that a 25,000-share holding of Boschert Inc., the makers of a low-powered switching device for computers, will be bought by a British company to bring the fund $250,000 in gains.
Despite its reputation as a venture capital fund, Nautilus is willing to invest only up to 10 percent of its assets in true venture situations and prefers technology companies with a proven product. "We come along about halfway through the company's life before it goes public, when it is at the young adolescent stage," says Mr. Toney. Last year, Nautilus paid out 36 cents a share of capital gains and an annual dividend of 48 cents.
Another top-performing public venture fund last year was Capital Southwest Corporation of Dallas, but the company its gains among its shareholders.
"Our emphasis has been on capital appreciation," says William R. Thomas, president of Capital Southwest. "Our investors are in this for long-term gains." The fund has made only one capital gains distribution of 61.8 cents a share in 1979 since the early 1970s, but its net asset value per share as jumped from $21.83 at the end of 1979 to $26.77 on Sept. 30, 1980, the latest figure available. The price of its stock has risen from $15.25 on March 31, 1980, to $ 23.25 bid just recently.
Capital Southwest has invested a full 72 percent of its approximately $40 million in assets in restricted (nonpublic) securities, with a heavy emphasis on energy production and supply companies. Its strategy seems to work; Mr. Thomas points to an early investment in American Public Energy, a production company based in Dallas, which cost Capital Southwest $750,000, or $2.50 a share; the company went public last fall at $7 and currently is trading at about $7.25.
Narragansett Capital Corporation of Providence, R.I., was another top performer last year. With about $40 million in assets, Narragansett is the largest publicly traded small business investment company (SBIC) in the country. As an SBIC, Narragansett can leverage its capital base by borrowing from the Small Business Administration at reduced interest rates.
THe fund was started in the late 1950s by Royal Little, the founder of Textron, and now is headed by his son, Arthur D. Little (he's a nephew of Arthur D. Little of consulting fame). "We follow a very basic investment," says Mr. Little. "we invest in people. We're opportunistic when we see the right people at our doorstep, no matter what industry they're in."
With about 80 percent of its portfolio held in restricted stocks, Narragansett is invested in a wide variety of businesses. In the past year, for example, the firm helped finance a $2.7 million management buy-out of Spectrum Fabrics Corporation, a fabric design house from Consolidated Foods; a second-round $1 million financing of Selecterm, a seller and leaser of computer terminals; and a $3.3 million management buy-out of Chas. Gilman & Sons Inc., a Boston liquor distributorship.
Last year Narragansett realized a $6.2 million capital gain from a 1975 investment in Airborne Manufacturing, makers of aviation products. Airborne was bought by Parker Hanifin Corporation in 1979, and Airborne shareholders received shares of Parker in this stock-for-stock transaction. Narragansett sold some of that stock last year. "We've made more money from a deal before," notes Mr. Little, "but never as quickly."
The price of a share of Narragansett, traded over the counter, has risen from share increased to $34.97 as of June 30, 1980, (latest available figure) from $ 29.35 the year before. last year its 1,162 shareholders received dividends of $ 2.75 per share and a $1.75 stock dividend, which gave shareholders an additional three-quarters of a share of each share owned


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Leaked images of what’s said to be the upcoming Sony Xperia 2 smartphone has seemingly revealed the design language of the Japanese tech giant’s next flagship smartphone ahead of its expected unveiling at the IFA trade show in Berlin next week. The specs, however, were unfortunately not leaked alongside the images, so we’ll still have to wait somewhat longer to get all that info.
Believed to have originated on the Xperia Blog, the images show that the device looks typically Sony, thanks to the clean-cut industrial design language followed by the Japanese tech giant. The device also looks a bit on the elongated side, which suggests that it will retain the oh-so-modern 21:9 aspect ratio of the Xperia 1. Another feature it seemingly retained from its predecessor is the triple-camera setup at the back, although its location has shifted from the center to the left.
As for the rest of the design cues, it also has what looks like Sony’s distinctive camera shutter button at the bottom right, as well as a side-mounted fingerprint sensor above that, which means Sony isn’t moving to an in-display scanner just yet. Overall, it doesn’t look like a massive upgrade from its predecessor in terms of design, but it will be interesting to see if it will bring some significant hardware changes compared to the Xperia 1.
As mentioned already, we don’t have any info on the phone’s tech specs at this point in time, but with the official unveiling scheduled for next week, it hopefully shouldn’t be long before we get some concrete info on it.
Images Courtesy: Xperia Blog


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Memes have become a trend and are largely shared by web and mobile phone users. There are a number of applications that already help the users to build fun memes. The NPE (Non-person entity) team of Facebook has launched a third party app that creates memes and is known as the Whale. The NPE is a division inside Facebook that will help to build apps which are consumer friendly. At present the application allow the users to decorate the pictures with the help of stickers and photos and creates memes that can be shared on the social media and can also be sent as a text message to friends.
The concept of the application is now new as there are a number of applications which are available on the App Store and has similar features. But the only advantage it has that it is free to use and does not have any in-app purchases or any subscriptions. Users who are using the Whale, can take a picture o can also select a picture from their picture gallery or take out from the stock images that the app has to create a meme. The canvas layouts that the app offers includes blank, 4-grid, 3-grid and 2-grid. The images can then be give a personal touch by the users by adding emojis, text, effects, filters like laser eyes, vortex or bulge.
The users can make the memes more personalized by using their own image stickers with the help of the tools like crop and cut. People who have an artistic hand can use the freeform drawing tool also. The bad news here is that the Whale app is not available for download in the US and is only available in Canada for the time being. Canada has been the home market for other NPE apps like Aux and Bump.
The actual goal of the NPE team is to experiment with new ideas.
Photo Credits: The next web


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ARTICLES ABOUT EBAY INC.
In an interview, the activist investor discusses his reasons for backing down on his fight to force eBay’s hand on PayPal.April 10, 2014, Thursday
In his monthslong battle with eBay, Carl C. Icahn accused the company of failing to generate bigger returns for shareholders. But since the day before eBay announced that Mr. Icahn had acquired a stake, its stock has risen about 2 percent.April 10, 2014, Thursday
EBay has not ruled out a spinoff forever. More talk from Carl Icahn and heightened scrutiny could bring the day closer, Robert Cyran of Reuters Breakingviews writes.April 10, 2014, Thursday
Under the terms of their deal, Carl C. Icahn will withdraw his bid for two seats on the company’s board and end his demand that it sell a minority stake in its PayPal unit to shareholders.April 10, 2014, Thursday
A poll of mergers bankers and lawyers finds that deal makers remain hopeful that acquisitions will continue, but they remain wary that dissident shareholders will still do their best to stir things up.March 26, 2014, Wednesday
The activist investor’s proposal, a retreat from his previous demand that the payment processor be spun out completely from its parent, still calls for a separation of the two businesses.March 19, 2014, Wednesday
Carl C. Icahn, the activist investor, is in a battle with Marc Andreessen, the entrepreneur turned technology investor.March 11, 2014, Tuesday
Carl C. Icahn, the activist investor, is in a battle with Marc Andreessen, the entrepreneur turned technology investor.March 10, 2014, Monday
The company said that it had rejected Carl C. Icahn’s two nominees for its board and instead chose to renominate every director up for re-election this year.March 10, 2014, Monday
Reid Hoffman criticized Carl C. Icahn’s campaign against eBay, arguing that the assault is rooted in short-term thinking that runs counter to Silicon Valley’s focus on long-term growth.March 05, 2014, Wednesday
SEARCH 808 ARTICLES ABOUT EBAY INC.:
A business reporter for The Times tests eBay’s new same-day delivery service.
Some Internet companies have become global behemoths. Others have traced the trajectories of shooting stars — going from concept to scrap heap in only a few years.
Eloisa Sanchez and Phil Winkler live in a cul-de-sac in Moreno Valley, Calif. Lately, they've had to find an inventive way to make money to pay for their daughter's braces.
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Back in March, when Covid hit, orders at my company skyrocketed over 100 percent compared to the year earlier. Panic buying I figured. Then every month that followed beat the prior year by at least 10 percent, mainly higher. I kept waiting for cancellations that never came.
Most of what Emerald Packaging, Inc. makes ends up in the grocery store produce section. Printed baby carrot and salad flexible packaging, iceberg lettuce and romaine heart bags. Consumers, no longer eating out, shopped to eat in. They bought packaged produce thinking it safer than unpackaged. And because it helped what they bought stay fresh longer.
Suddenly our Union City, Ca. company, like the plastics industry, no longer found itself a pariah. Especially pleasing since the previous months had been spent wrangling over language with the authors of California Senate Bill 54, which would ban flexible packaging by 2030 if it isn’t recycled.
My worries over sustainable packaging issues took a back seat to getting production out and protecting employees from Covid. But I knew, as did almost everyone in our industry, that sustainability would re-emerge from its hiding place. Even if the pandemic had created appreciation for single-use plastics, stakeholders still demanded solutions to its challenges.
Well, sustainability has come roaring back onto the agenda. If anyone doubts that legislators have forgotten, last week the sponsors of SB-54 began a campaign to get it passed before the close of the legislative session on August 31. They have a solid chance.
Meanwhile U.S. Senator Tom Udall and U.S. Representative Alan Lowenthal announced they’ll introduce legislation this fall to reduce litter and increase recycling rates. We know it will involve fees on plastic manufacturers and a widening of material covered under container deposits to finance beefed up recycling.
The issues driving sustainability didn’t change during Covid. We still have landfill problem and marine debris, still have antiquated recycling systems and we still have litter. The virus itself worked against the industry in some ways, since thanks to consumers, plastics waste grew at an alarming rate.
So now what? I wish I had easy answers. I don’t. My mind reels around the issue as it has for many years. I do know, as I did before Covid arrived, that any solution must be scalable and affordable within reason. All roads still point towards recycling.
I would love compostable packaging to quickly make a major dent in conventional plastics — but it won’t. The production facilities needed aren’t even a gimlet-eyed dream, let alone real, and would take years to build with uncertainty about the financial return as packaging faces bans. Which means they won’t get financed, let alone built.
I’m not saying compostable material won’t play a role. More recent films lend themselves to robust packaging. Charter/Next have created a sheet that looks, feel and acts like regular polyethylene. NatureFlex has material in development that will compost faster than required under the ASTM D6400 standard, which will help match material to the faster turn rate of many industrial composts.
Pyrolysis would work if humanity didn’t need to reduce fossil fuel use, thanks to global warming. Scaling it would be very hard to do fast anyway. Waste-to-energy makes abundant sense but environmentalists oppose it, bans would still pass, and no one wants an oxidizer near their community.
Which leaves actual recycling, the onramp to the “circular economy”. This has its own challenges. Flexible packaging hasn’t been recycled by consumers in any appreciable way, current recycling systems can’t handle it, and the end-market for recycled materials hasn’t developed though post-consumer recycled resin, which we offer in some packaging, has already found a healthy niche.
Recycling remains the easiest solution to scale. The money could be scraped together in a nation-wide recycling program with proper funding and investment incentives. And consumers know how to recycle, most do it already.
It makes the most sense for the industry to put its chips on recycling. We should follow the lead of Oroville, Ca-based Roplast Industries and join the Association of Plastics Recyclers to get the conversation going. Only if we engage the recyclers will progress get made. Otherwise we’ll be dodging sons and daughters of SB-54 for years to come.
We don’t want to do that. No one has the time. What I can say, thanks to Covid, is that consumers have awoken to the benefits of plastics usefulness. We’ve made it possible for people to eat during a tragic time and helped cut food waste. We need to capitalize on this and make an aggressive case for our industry. And still work sustainability as well.
Kevin Kelly is the CEO of Emerald Packaging in Union City, Ca. He has been active in plastic political issues for over two decades.
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The global shortage of semiconductors, or computer chips, will remain an issue well into 2022, says Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa (DTBSA) CEO Michael Dietz.
He confirms that the local truck and bus maker is especially affected by the shortage, as it is a premium brand with sophisticated on-board systems.
A single Mercedes-Benz truck may feature up to 50 semiconductors.
The worldwide chip shortage is driven by soaring demand, as well as Covid-19-related production stoppages, among other reasons.
DTBSA sales and marketing VP Maretha Gerber says the company is working as closely as possible with its customers who are affected by limited product availability.
“We are finding solutions for them to keep mobile.
“We are not getting no inventory, but we are not getting enough inventory.”
Gerber says DTBSA’s 2021 and 2022 sales numbers are unlikely to be impacted by the chip shortage, as sales are not cancelled, but the arrival of new trucks merely delayed.


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GREENVILLE, N.C. – Grady-White Boats has made significant changes in its leadership structure, effective October 1, the company reported in a statement yesterday.
Doug Gomes has been promoted to senior vice president of Grady-White Boats. He formerly was vice president of sales and marketing. A key role of his new duties as senior vice president is working with Grady-White President Kris Carroll to develop and promote strategic corporate projects that further the company’s vision and values. Gomes will continue to oversee the company’s overall sales and marketing efforts.
Joey Weller has been promoted to director of sales and marketing with responsibilities for sales, marketing, advertising, media and media relations as well as customer and dealer relations. Weller joined Grady-White in 1988 as a production supervisor. He previously served in various manufacturing leadership positions involving fiberglass fabrication, assembly and quality assurance; as customer relations manager; and most recently as marketing manager.
Shelley Tubaugh, most recently customer and dealer relations manager and acting
purchasing manager, has been promoted to director of human resources.


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The funds will be used to expand to other African countries, improve its asset-light technology and build out a proprietary global shipping infrastructure.
Dream VC, an investor-accelerator, has launched Launch into Venture Capital and Investor Accelerator to train more than 50 future investors for Africa.
Susu has raised €2 million ($2.2 million) pre-seed, comprising €1 million in equity financing, €800,000 in debt, and €200,000 in grants.
In this edition of Zero To Scale, Future Africa’s co-founder and operations partner Damilola Fasawe-Aderinto talks about how startups can attract investors and the growth levers African startups should focus on.
Moove Africa has received a $10 million financing facility from NBK Capital Partners Mezzanine Fund II, bringing its total funding raised to $78.2 million.
OZÉ, a Ghana-based fintech startup that focuses on scaling small African businesses through digitized operations and affordable capital has raised a $3 million pre-Series A round.
SeamlessHR has raised $10 million in a Series A round led by TLcom Capital. It will use the funding to launch a new embedded finance product and add other product functionalities.


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ICYMI: Biden-Harris Administration Building Electric Vehicles, Batteries, and Good Jobs Across America
President Biden continues ushering in an American manufacturing boom. Today, President Biden announced $2.8 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 20 companies across 12 states to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles. These investments will lower costs for consumers, create good-paying construction and manufacturing jobs, bolster our domestic supply chains, and increase energy security.
The Administration also announced the American Battery Materials Initiative, a new effort to mobilize the entire government in securing a reliable and sustainably-sourced supply of critical minerals used for power, batteries, and electric vehicles.
Together, these efforts will further America's manufacturing boom and bring us closer to President Biden's goal of making 50 percent of all new vehicle sales are electric by 2030 – all while creating jobs, lowering costs, and making more in America.
Read below for national coverage of the battery announcement:
Associated Press: US awards $2.8B in grants for EV batteries in 12 states
The announcement comes as the administration seeks to boost production and sales of electric vehicles as a key part of President Joe Biden's strategy to slow climate change and build up U.S. manufacturing. Biden has vowed to boost U.S. production of lithium and other critical minerals, and the sweeping climate and health-care law passed in August includes several provisions to boost electric vehicles, including tax credits for EV buyers worth up to $7,500.
CNBC: Biden awards $2.8 billion for projects to boost electric vehicle battery manufacturing
"Producing advanced batteries and components here at home will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels to meet the strong demand for electric vehicles, creating more good-paying jobs across the country," Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. The projects will support developing enough lithium to supply about 2 million EVs per year, developing enough graphite to supply about 1.2 million EVs per year and producing enough nickel to supply about 400,000 EVs per year, according to the Energy Department.
Reuters: Biden awards $2.8 billion to boost U.S. minerals output for EV batteries
Talon Metals Corp (TLO.TO) will receive $114.8 million to build a processing plant in North Dakota in a strategy shift for the company, which has a nickel supply deal with Tesla Inc (TSLA.O). Talon now aims to extract rock from its planned underground mine in Minnesota and ship it to a North Dakota processing facility that will be funded in part by the grant. Talon said the grants are "a clear recognition that production of domestic nickel and other battery minerals is a national priority."
CNN: Biden announces $2.8 billion in grants for US battery supply chains
Another senior administration official pressed that the funding will move US away from dependence China for these minerals, suggesting the effort builds more broadly on building supply chains resilient from autocracies… The official continued, "As the world transitions from a fossil fuel to a clean energy-powered economy, we cannot trade dependence on oil from autocrats like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to dependence on critical minerals from China."
Wall Street Journal: Biden Administration's Battery Bets Boost Startup Stocks
Shares of battery materials startups like Microvast and Piedmont Lithium are rising Wednesday after the Biden administration said it is putting $2.8 billion into 21 projects to kickstart U.S. manufacturing of vital components that power electric cars.
Bloomberg Law: Energy Department Awards $2.8 Billion to EV Battery Suppliers
The Biden administration on Wednesday rolled out $2.8 billion in grants for 20 manufacturing and processing companies with projects in 12 states to bolster the U.S. battery supply chain—an initiative to wean off imports of minerals and components from countries deemed as having unreliable supply chains. The round of funding is the first phase of a larger $7 billion Energy Department battery supply chain program established by the bipartisan infrastructure law
Yahoo Finance/Newsfile Corp: Talon Metals Battery Minerals Processing Facility Selected by US Department of Energy for $114 Million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding
Talon Metals Corp [...] has been informed that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Talon Nickel (USA) LLC, has been selected as a recipient of the first set of projects funded by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles (EVs) and the electrical grid and for materials and components currently imported from other countries. Responsible and sustainable domestic sourcing and processing of the critical materials used to make lithium-ion batteries will strengthen American supply chains, accelerate battery production to meet increased demand, and secure the nation's economic competitiveness, energy independence, and national security.
Benzinga: Cirba Solutions Receives $75 Million Grant Funded by Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Boost Recycling Capacity of Lithium-ion Batteries
Cirba Solutions will receive approximately $75 million in federal funds to expand critical mineral upgrading assets at its lithium-ion processing facility in Lancaster, Ohio. At full operation, the estimated 150,000-square-foot facility will produce enough battery-grade critical minerals used in cathode production to power more than 200,000 new electric vehicles (EVs) annually. It will also create and additional estimated 150 jobs to the greater Lancaster area.
Washington Examiner: Biden rolls out nearly $3 billion in new electric vehicle grants ahead of election
This tranche of funds, allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be awarded to 20 battery manufacturing and processing plants in 12 different states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington. Michigan, where the president has repeatedly traveled to and touted as the center of the EV revolution, was not awarded new grants Wednesday.
Tech Crunch: DOE awards $2.8B to battery companies to boost domestic production
This is the first phase of $7 billion in total from President Biden's Infrastructure Law that aims to strengthen domestic battery supply chains and reduce reliance on China for battery supply and production as more vehicles become electrified. The companies getting funds will work to extract and process lithium, graphite and other battery materials, manufacture components and demonstrate new ways of acquiring critical materials, including battery recycling, domestically or within free trade agreement countries, the DOE said.
Read below for local coverage:
AL.com: Alabama among 12 states sharing $2.8 billion for electric vehicle batteries
Alabama is one of 12 states receiving $2.8 billion in grants in a new Biden Administration program to support the making of batteries for electric vehicles… The program is in line with a goal set by President Joe Biden of electric vehicles comprising half of all new vehicles sold being electric by the year 2030, and recent string of executive initiatives to speed charging stations and improve America's supply of materials for batteries.
The Augusta Chronicle: Augusta polymers plant wins $178 million grant to build electric-vehicle battery parts
An Augusta polymers plant has received a $178 million federal grant to build a companion facility to produce battery components for electric vehicles. The proposed new plant could bring as many as 500 construction jobs and 100 manufacturing jobs to the Augusta area, U.S. Sen Raphael Warnock's office announced in a statement Wednesday… "Georgia is open for business, and today's announcement is good news for both Georgia's growing clean energy economy and Augusta workers," Warnock said in a statement Wednesday.
Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana EV battery industry footprint expanding with infrastructure bill funding
Louisiana has secured $320 million from the 2021 Infrastructure Act to boost lithium-ion battery related production at the Syrah Technologies facility in Vidalia and the Koura facility in St. Gabriel that will elevate the state's footprint in the electric vehicle supply chain as well as other consumer electronics, the White House announced Wednesday..."It's a big, big deal," Republican Louisiana U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy said in an interview with USA Today Network. "We've got to create an economy that positions Louisiana for the next three decades. "While we remain a leader in the oil and gas energy sector, these kind of investments position us for the emerging energy economies of the future."
KTVI (Fox St. Louis, MO): $430M factory in south St. Louis will produce component of lithium batteries
St. Louis will be at the forefront of a $2.8 billion expansion of domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and the nation's electrical grid. A multinational chemical, fertilizer, and mineral manufacturer is making a big investment in south St. Louis, spurred on by federal investment. ICL, formerly Israel Chemicals Ltd., will build the first lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode plant in the United States in the Carondelet neighborhood. The company is investing more than $232 million, with an additional $197 million coming from the U.S. Department of Energy, via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: New $400M plant to support EV battery production slated for St. Louis' Cardondelet area
A new $400 million plant to support production of electric vehicle batteries will be built in the city's Carondelet neighborhood as part of a $2.8-billion nationwide initiative announced Wednesday by the Biden administration. ICL-IP America Inc. is getting a $197 million Department of Energy grant to help pay for the 120,000-square-foot facility at the company's existing campus at Germania Street and Primm Avenue. About 150 professional and union jobs will be added, the company said in a news release.
KOLO (ABC Reno, NV): Biden admin invests $57 million into northern Nevada for green energy
The Biden administration has announced a $57 million investment into northern Nevada and more than $100 million into Nevada as a whole for bolstering domestic manufacturing of lithium batteries.
Barrons: Lithium Miner Albemarle Is Getting Cash From U.S. in Push for Battery Materials
The Biden administration want to bring the production and processing of critical materials in the electric- vehicle supply chain back to the U.S. It's starting to spend money to make that happen. Wednesday, the lithium mining company Albemarle (ticker: ALB) said it is getting $150 million from the Energy Department. That is part of the money from President Joe Biden's recently passed infrastructure law. Albemarle will use the money to build a lithium concentrator at its Kings Mountain, North Carolina, mine.
The Dakotan: Battery Minerals Processing Facility for Mercer County
"We've worked hard in North Dakota to create a stable tax and regulatory environment that attracts capital and talent, and today's announcement that Talon Metals plans to create 150 jobs and invest more than $400 million in a battery minerals processing facility sends a strong signal that North Dakota is open for business," [Governor] Burgum said. "By increasing domestic production of nickel and other battery minerals and reducing our reliance on foreign sources, we can strengthen our economy, our communities and our national security while continuing to grow North Dakota's status as a powerhouse for the nation. We appreciate the U.S. Department of Energy selecting Talon's proposed facility for a $114 million cost-share grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the project, as well as Talon's commitment to working with local communities to ensure the project has broad support."
Forum News Service (Also in Jamestown Sun): Biden awards $115M to build North Dakota plant to process minerals for electric car batteries
Federal and state officials unveiled a plan on Wednesday, Oct. 19, to create a mineral processing plant in central North Dakota that would supply car brand Tesla with materials needed to create electric vehicle batteries. The proposed facility slated for Mercer County is one of 21 projects announced Wednesday to be awarded federal funding by President Joe Biden's administration. The plant would be operated by Minnesota-based Talon Metals, but funds from a massive federal infrastructure package passed last year would cover about $115 million of the $433 million needed to build the project.
Grand Forks Herald: Biden awards $115M to build North Dakota plant to process minerals for electric car batteries
Federal and state officials unveiled a plan on Wednesday, Oct. 19, to create a mineral processing plant in central North Dakota that would supply car brand Tesla with materials needed to create electric vehicle batteries. The proposed facility slated for Mercer County is one of 21 projects announced Wednesday to be awarded federal funding by President Joe Biden's administration.
The Jamestown Sun: Proposed North Dakota plant to process ingredients for Tesla electric car batteries
The proposed facility slated for Mercer County is one of 21 projects announced Wednesday to be awarded federal funding by President Joe Biden's administration. The plant would be operated by Minnesota-based Talon Metals, but funds from a massive federal infrastructure package passed last year would cover about $115 million of the $433 million needed to build the project. The facility would create an estimated 150 jobs, and the company has inked an agreement with the United Steelworkers Union to provide labor, according to a news release.
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Biden administration awards $2.8B in grants for EV batteries in 12 states
he Biden administration on Wednesday awarded $2.8 billion in grants to boost domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles in 12 states. A total of 20 companies will receive grants for projects to extract and process lithium, graphite and other battery materials, manufacture components and strengthen U.S. supply of critical minerals, officials said. The announcement came as the administration seeks to boost production and sales of electric vehicles as a key part of President Joe Biden's strategy to slow climate change and build up U.S. manufacturing.
WTVC (ABC Chattanooga, TN): Chattanooga EV battery company to get $150M in federal grants
A Chattanooga electric vehicle (EV) battery production facility is one of several across the country to be awarded millions of dollars in grants, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. NOVONIX, which opened a facility on Chattanooga's Riverfront Parkway last year, is one of 20 companies that will receive grants for projects to extract and process lithium, graphite and other battery materials, manufacture components and strengthen U.S. supply of critical minerals, officials said.
KHQ (NBC Spokane, WA): President Biden to award grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to manufacturing companies in Moses Lake
Today, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced its awarding $2.8 billion in grants to 20 manufacturing and processing companies in 12 states, including Washington. Our Right Now reporter Bradley Warren sat down with the White House to discuss the grants given to manufacturing and processing companies across the nation.Two manufacturing and processing companies in Moses lake, Sila and Group14 Technologies, will each receive $100 million.
The Seattle Times: Feds award WA companies $200 million for new EV battery facilities in Moses Lake
As the Biden administration doles out federal funding for the development of electric vehicles, two companies have been granted a hefty sum for their pursuit of cutting-edge battery technology in Moses Lake. The U.S. Department of Energy announced Wednesday it would provide $100 million each to Group14 Technologies and Sila Nanotechnologies for their ongoing development of silicon anodes, which could serve as a cheaper, more efficient and domestically sourced alternative to the graphite anodes typically used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Both companies have plans to build new manufacturing facilities in Moses Lake, the largest city in Grant County, within the next decade.
Joseph R. Biden, ICYMI: Biden-Harris Administration Building Electric Vehicles, Batteries, and Good Jobs Across America Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/358463


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HUNTINGTON, BEACH, CA, April 03, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ — Pew Charitable Trusts conducted a study of the 12 largest credit card issuers, which account for more than eight eight percent of outstanding credit card debt in the United States. The study involved reviewing four hundred credit cards, discussions with over twenty issuers and consumer groups and economic analysis of issuer practices and revenues. Pew released the study findings along with policy recommendations for protecting cardholders and promoting a functional marketplace.
The study found that ninety three percent of cards allowed the issuer to raise any interest rate at any time by changing the account agreement and eighty seven percent of cards allowed the issuer to impose penalty interest rate increases even for the most minor infraction. Seventy two percent of cards included offers of low promotional rates which issuers could revoke after a single late payment.
We are in the worst recession since the Great Depression, with the unemployment rate headed toward ten percent,” said Mike Smith, a certified debt negotiator with Credit Rx USA. “Millions of debt-ridden Americans are having difficulty paying off debt and credit card companies continue to increase interest rates and fees with no remorse.”
The study concluded that current credit card practices place cardholders at risk of sudden, potentially drastic price increases which can seriously impair a household’s stability and spending power. Credit cards have evolved into complex products which can surprise consumers with unexpectedly high costs. Though federal regulators have labeled many common practices in the credit card industry as unfair and deceptive, they will not stop those practices until the middle of 2010. Meanwhile, millions of American families with pay hundreds or thousands of dollars each in unanticipated fees and charges as a result of these unfair practices.
Debt settlement is a bankruptcy alternative that helps consumers out of unsecured debt by letting them repay less than what they owe. Credit RX USA clients get out of debt faster because they can settle each account for forty to sixty percent of there current unsecured credit card debt, and creditors benefit from collecting accounts that may otherwise get discharged in bankruptcy and go unpaid and written off.


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Cinco de snow: Ski resort marks longest season on record
While many restaurants and bars celebrate Cinco de Mayo a few ski resorts will be celebrating on the slopes.
Whiteface Mountain Ski Area announced Wednesday it will open its slopes for one more day on Saturday, breaking its record for the longest season on record.
Saturday will mark ski day No. 155 for the Wilmington resort making it the only resort in New York offering skiing and riding.
Whiteface will offer lift service on the Facelift and Little Whiteface with terrain off of Little Whiteface. Lift tickets will be $15.
In Vermont, Killington Resort and Jay Peak are continuing to offer skiing and riding through the week and into the weekend. Many resorts called it a season last weekend.
Killington will shift to a weekend only schedule starting May 12.
— Adam Colver


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Faced with nearly 20,000 lawsuits involving talcum powder cancer claims, Johnson & Johnson announced this week that it will no longer sell talc-based Baby Powder, a product that has been a hallmark of the company for more than a century. Since 1894, Johnson & Johnson has marketed its talcum powder products as safe, pure and gentle enough for babies, a claim that resulted in Baby Powder becoming a household staple for generations of families in the United States and worldwide. According to a press release issued by the company on May 19, however, Johnson & Johnson will no longer sell its talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder in the United States, where thousands of people – mostly women diagnosed with ovarian cancer – claim that the company failed to warn them about the potential link between the product and cancer. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer or mesothelioma allegedly caused by exposure to talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder, contact a knowledgeable talcum powder cancer attorney for legal help.
Asbestos Contamination in Talcum Powder Products
For decades, the main ingredient in Johnson’s Baby Powder was talc, a soft mineral known for its ability to absorb moisture, eliminate odors and cut down on friction. Talc is widely used in cosmetic products, including baby powder and blush, as well as other consumer products, and while the FDA says that talc in makeup is generally recognized as safe for such uses, the agency has issued several warnings over the past year about the presence of a cancer-causing substance called asbestos in popular tac-based cosmetic products. In its final report of talc-containing cosmetic products tested for asbestos, released in March 2020, the FDA indicates that nine product samples tested positive for asbestos contamination.
It wasn’t until 1980 that Johnson & Johnson developed an alternative to its talc-based powder made with cornstarch, after consumer advocates raised concerns about the potential for talc to be contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogen. Since the 1970s, talc used in consumer products has been required to be free from asbestos. However, reports indicate that asbestos contamination can occur inadvertently when talc is mined, because the minerals naturally occur close to one another in the earth. Inhaling asbestos fibers is known to cause a type of cancer called mesothelioma and the American Cancer Society says that “talcum powder might cause cancer in the ovaries if the powder particles (applied to the genital area or on sanitary napkins, diaphragms, or condoms) were to travel through the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes to the ovary.”
J&J Knew for Decades that its Talcum Powder Contained Asbestos
Plaintiffs involved in the growing talcum powder litigation allege that Johnson & Johnson was aware that its talcum powder products sometimes contained asbestos, a known carcinogen, and chose to keep this information from the public. In fact, a Reuters investigation published in December 2018 revealed internal documents from Johnson & Johnson showing that the company knew for decades about the potential link between its talcum powder products and cancer. According to the investigation, “from at least 1971 to the early 2000s, the company’s raw talc and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos” and Johnson & Johnson executives not only knew about the ongoing problem, but deliberated about how to address it, all the while keeping the information from federal regulators and the public.
Risks of Using Talcum Powder for Feminine Hygiene Purposes
Although Johnson’s Baby Powder has long been advertised for infants, the main users of talcum powder have been adult women who routinely applied the powder to their perineum and to prevent chafing between their legs. Johnson & Johnson marketed its talc-based Baby Powder and Shower-to-Shower body powder products as a kind of “hygiene extra” for women for years, advertising that “just a sprinkle a day keeps odor away.” As of late March 2020, Johnson & Johnson faced 19,400 lawsuits related to its talc-based powder products, most involving women who developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder for decades as part of their feminine hygiene routine. However, a growing number of talcum powder lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson involve plaintiffs who developed mesothelioma, a cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart, allegedly due to inhaling asbestos fibers in tainted talc-based Baby Powder.
J&J Denies Talcum Powder Cancer Link
In the face of thousands of talcum powder cancer lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson remains adamant about the safety of its talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder, claiming last October that years of testing show that its talc-based Baby Powder products do not contain asbestos. Despite these claims, Johnson & Johnson was forced to recall about 33,000 bottles of Baby Powder last year, after the FDA found trace amounts of asbestos in a bottle of the talcum powder purchased from an online retailer. In fact, Johnson & Johnson’s claim that “Thousands of tests over the past 40 years repeatedly confirm that our consumer talc products do not contain asbestos” was taken directly from the FDA’s Johnson’s Baby Powder recall announcement.
Even in announcing the removal of its talc-based Baby Powder from the market this week, Johnson & Johnson refused to acknowledge the potential safety risks posed by its signature product, which defined the company’s notoriously wholesome image for more than 125 years. Instead, the company blamed decreased demand for the product “due in large part to changes in consumer habits and fueled by misinformation around the safety of the product and a constant barrage of litigation advertising.” Cornstarch-based Johnson’s Baby Powder will remain available in the United States and Canada and talc-based Baby Powder will continue to be sold in other parts of the world, where as Johnson & Johnson puts it, “there is significantly higher consumer demand for the product.”


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After a brief period of fluctuating prices, analysts breathed a sigh of relief after Bitcoin appeared to be holding steady for now. The coin’s stable price, however, played a spoilsport for memecoins Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB), both of which witnessed a pullback.&
According to market experts, the recent events might be linked to the rising popularity of spot crypto funds which were launched in the US. After a long regulatory tussle over ETF acceptance criteria, these financial products finally saw the light of day and have attracted huge volumes of investment since January.
Among altcoins, experts are seeing bullish indications for both InQubeta (QUBE) and EOS (EOS). The two cryptocurrencies have drawn experts’ attention with their consistent growth. While Eos is a developer-friendly platform, InQuebeta is a crowdfunding portal for AI startups.&
What’s helping InQubeta generate global interest is its ICO gains, which recently crossed $12 million. The development has earned the token a place in some leading analysts’ list of recommended presales.&
InQubeta: Helping AI startups power through
InQubeta is a platform created to help startups leverage DeFI for business excellence. The platform facilitates investments through an NFT marketplace where startups pitch their projects and NFTs are minted from their proposals. The assets are purchased with InQubeta’s native cryptocurrency known as the QUBE token.&
With features like a deflationary model and a staking mechanism, it could be a good crypto to buy if people are interested in long-term holdings.&
Even after funds are raised, there’s a lot to do to ensure that a startup grows to scale. Given that future growth might not always be easy, startups can leverage InQubeta’s range of business development services to strive ahead.& The platform can connect with innovators from a diverse range of fields who can mentor startup teams or guide them through various challenges of the AI industry.&
The network can help startups market their projects well and ramp up their reach. For a better online presence, enterprises can leverage the platform’s social media communities.&
There is also a team of advisors ready to guide startups in case of a finance or accounting-related problem.
Shiba Inu whale accumulates 332.42 billion tokens
Shiba Inu is a dog-themed meme coin that’s steadily expanding its platform into a full-fledged DeFi ecosystem. Apart from a crypto exchange, the platform has also rolled out Layer 2 blockchain ‘Shibarium’ which is currently in the beta phase.&
All transactions on the platform are in terms of its native token, SHIB. For governance and rewarding its loyal supporters, the platform has launched two separate tokens &-& BONE and LEASH, respectively.&
In a recent development, an anonymous crypto user is said to have accumulated SHIB tokens worth $10.85 billion. The development was reported by Whale Alert, which claimed that the wallet held 332.42 billion tokens.
Elon Musk backs use of Dogecoin for Tesla payments
Dogecoin is a leading meme coin that’s inspired by a Japanese dog breed. Its native token DOGE is used for settling all kinds of payments on the network.&
Its fans include Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is known for his penchant for dog-themed meme coins. At Tesla’s Giga Berlin last week, he backed the case for using Dogecoin as a mode of payment for the company’s cars.&
EOS rides high ahead of Leap 6 upgrade
EOS is a public blockchain network that enables developers to create scalable and high-performance dApps. The open-source network has a native cryptocurrency, called EOS, which is the official mode of payment within the network.&
Considered as one of the best crypto investments of 2024, the token hit the headlines with its Leap 6 upgrade.&
The final release of the protocol is slated for July. Developers are looking forward to the upgrade as it will feature the integration of the Savanna consensus algorithm with the EOS network. The development will allow transactions to be irreversible and be validated around 100 times faster.&
Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, EOS, and InQubeta are top crypto coins that are recommended by many experts due to their cutting-edge code architecture and growth-oriented models.&
These coins have been blazing a trail with new initiatives and leveraging DeFi to drive financial inclusion. While both Dogecoin and Shiba Inu have been posting major whale activity, for EOS the Leap 6 upgrade has opened up new avenues for the platform.
In InQubeta’s case, its utility-dense and AI-centric model has impressed startups across the world. Its presale gains have confirmed analysts’ views, some of whom have argued it could be one of the best altcoins to buy now.&
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European gaming studios, developers and researchers will soon have access to advanced gaming technology resources and state-of-the-art knowledge to develop Applied Games eas-ier, faster and more cost-effectively thanks to RAGE (Realising an Applied Gaming Eco-system), a Horizon 2020 research and innovation project on gamification technologies to be launched on February 1st.
The EU based industry for non-leisure games – Applied Games – is an emerging business with multiple uses in industry, education, health and the public administration sectors. As such, it is still fragmented and needs critical mass to compete globally. Nevertheless its growth potential is widely recognised and even suggested to exceed the growth potential of the leisure games market.
To take advantage of the fruitful opportunities of this growing industry, the RAGE project will deliver a collection of self-contained gaming assets that support game studios at developing applied games more efficiently and making them better suited for their purpose. RAGE will make these assets available along with a large volume of high quality knowledge resources through an online portal and social space that will connect research, gaming industries, inter-mediaries, education providers, policy makers and end-users.
RAGE will help to seize these opportunities and advance industrial leadership and innovation by delivering to Applied Games studios:
- An interoperable set of advanced technology assets tuned to applied gaming,
- Proven practices of using asset-based applied games in various real-world contexts,
- An online social space that facilitates collaboration that underlie progress and innovation,
- Workshops and online training opportunities for both developers and educators,
- Assets-based business cases supporting industry at seizing new opportunities, and
- A business model and launch plan for exploiting RAGE results beyond project´s duration.
The gaming technology assets gathered along the project lifecycle will be tested and evaluated by gaming companies integrated in the RAGE consortium. These companies will be creating games that will be empirically validated in real world pilots in different application scenarios representing different markets and target groups for the Applied Games industry.
RAGE’s results will generate direct impact on the competitive positioning of thousands of European SMEs in the Applied Games market. Impacts from RAGE will be visible in terms of fulfilling new client needs by quicker and more challenging methods of skills acquisition, enabling new business models based on the usage of the assets repository, contribute to secure direct skilled jobs and further job creation, and strengthening collaboration across the entire Applied Games value chain.Posts are written and signed by its authors. RAGE Project does not responsabilize for the opinions and comments published in them.


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Chicago-based third-party logistics provider Redwood Logistics has launched a parcel service to address customers' rising e-commerce business and resulting growth in parcel shipments, the company said this week.
The service complements Redwood's multimodal brokerage, freight management, warehousing and dedicated distribution services, as well as its expertise in transportation management system (TMS) implementation and integration, the company said.
Redwood's parcel service combines initial benchmarking and consulting, procurement strategy and execution, as well as ongoing analytics and reporting, the company said. Company leaders said the service is in response to customers' growing demand for parcel shipping strategies and solutions.
"E-commerce continues to emerge as a vital growth channel for many of our customers," Redwood Logistics' CEO Mark Yeager said in a statement announcing the service. "Parcel continues to grow for most shippers, but this mode is largely underserved by third-party logistics providers. Customers need help with strategy, expertise and execution in parcel. We are excited to be able to offer this solution as a key benefit to them."


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Karen Vega Becomes The First Oaxacan Model To Grace Pages Of Vogue Mexico
According to the National Commission for the Development of the Indigenous Peoples, Oaxaca has the greatest percentage of indigenous people in Mexico. Making up 48% of the population in Oaxaca, Mexico the indigenous group continues to flourish and influence Mexican culture to this day.one of them is the model Karen Vega. And yet, despite their prevalence and contributions, Oaxacans remain sorely underrepresented in Mexico and Latin America. Only recently, with the rising attention towards actress Yalitza Aparicio, have most mainstream outlets featured the indigenous people of Oaxaca on their screens and magazine pages.
Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
Karen Vega broke barriers recently after becoming the first Oaxacan model to be featured in Vogue Mexico.
Just 18 years old, the model, Karen Vega graced the magazine’s pages and spoke out about the importance of seeing more diversity in the world of fashion. “It is time for new generations to have media that show them expressions of equality and educate them about the differences that make us all beautiful,” Karen Vega told the outlet. “My grain of sand would be to put the focus on the southern woman, our stories, where we come from so that more than just photo models, we can also be an inspiration of another kind.”
According to Vogue Mexico,vega’s journey began at the age of 14 when she helped her abuelo’s wife with her business as a seamstress.
At the time, Karen Vega helped her measure out the dresses that she made for a local fashion form. According to Vega, she quickly fell in love with the world of fashion and began to dream about modeling as a profession. Using social media sites as her instruction guide, she began to obtain an understanding of what fashion meant. She flipped through the pages of magazines and began connecting with models to understand how to break into the world of modeling. Soon enough, after receiving an invite from the designer Pompi García and the photographer Enrique Leyva to model for part of the production “Magical Realism” in the city of Oaxaca she found herself on the path to a professional career in modeling.
Karen Vega went on to join García and Leyva’s modeling agency, Talento Espina. The agency strives to represent Oaxacan models and ultimately helped Vega receive an invite to participate in an Autumn-Winter show in Mexico City.
“At first there was a lot of doubt about my participation, because although it was a very nice opportunity, the move and my parents’ confidence to leave was difficult, since it was the first time I was leaving Oaxaca,” Vega told Vogue. Fortunately, Vega’s agency was able to help her older brother come along with her.
Now she’s modeling for big brands like Vogue and says its thanks to her agency which taught her to never tolerate abuse from people who hired her and to speak up. According to Vega, working with her agency has taught her that while pursuing her dreams of modeling will come with its struggles because of her Indigenous origins it’s not at all impossible.


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2011 The last car Karmann become Mercedes CLK-Cabrio: Since the conveyor manufacturer convertibles "Karmann" in Osnabrück came last gig - "Mercedes CLK-Cabrio" in black. C 1949, the company "Karmann", declared bankruptcy in April of this year, released by order of the largest automakers Germany 3.3 million vehicles.
Another production site "Karmann", in Ryan, ceased to issue convertibles at the end of February this year. But what happened does not mean cessation of all activities of the company - told the press secretary of Ike Christian (Christian Eick).
Last weekend the production board and the interim manager of the company reached an agreement that reduced the size of its staff to 513 people does not, as previously planned, but on the 300. There are currently discussing the possibility of preserving the factory in Osnabrück, in particular the shift towards production of electric vehicles.


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NEVS looking for new owners, company owns Saab assets
It’s been a few years since the Saab brand hit the headlines, although real estate issues in China tend to spread around the world and shake things up. One of these things is Saab, the now defunct Swedish car brand whose assets have been transferred to various googly-eyed corporations and businesses since General Motors sold it to Spyker Cars in 2010. It could have another new owner soon enough.
Automotive news Europe reports that the China Evergrande group, which owns the assets of Saab, is looking to US and European investors for new owners of National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) as it potentially sails in default on more than $ 300 billion in debts. NEVS is one of the automotive divisions of the group and the company that acquired the assets of Saab in 2012. NEVS stopped using the Saab brand in 2016.
NEVS CEO Stefan Tilk told the publication the company has funds to last a bit, although he did not specify a timeline. NEVS is open for sale or other funding, and is considering U.S. and European investors, including industry partners and venture capitalists, who are expressing interest in the brand, according to the report. However, the sale is far from being frozen as China Evergrande Group grapples with its precarious financial situation.
The company hopes to find new investors while retaining control of the company’s assets. According to the report, Evergrande would like to keep a foothold in Europe, which NEVS provides through its automotive facilities. Unfortunately, neither a sale nor an investment is likely to revive the Saab brand anytime soon. The brand lost much of its dynamism in the late 2000s when the 2008 financial crisis shredded the global economy, pushing two American automakers into bankruptcy and the sale of the Saab.


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The United States’ announcement of a “significant” package of sanctions against Russia marks a pivotal moment for the global aluminum market. President Joe Biden’s administration, aiming to target Russia’s defense, industrial base, and economic revenue sources, leaves a cloud of uncertainty over one of the world’s largest aluminum producers, Rusal.
Aluminum, known for its lightweight, durability, and conductivity, is indispensable across various industries, from automotive to packaging. Russia’s dominant role, particularly through Rusal, in the global aluminum supply chain, underscores the potential global repercussions of these sanctions.
Impact of Sanctions on Russian Aluminum Industry
The imposition of a 200% tariff on aluminum imports from Russia by the United States, alongside the EU’s sanctions and the confiscation of assets, has put Rusal in a precarious position. According to Rusal’s 2023 semi-annual report, there was a notable decline in operating income and net profit, with slight fluctuations in production output. These financial strains reflect the broader challenges facing the Russian aluminum industry under the weight of international sanctions.
Global Market Reactions and Adjustments
The sanctions have catalyzed a significant shift in global aluminum trade flows. As sanctions constrict Rusal’s access to European and American markets, there’s a noticeable pivot towards Asia, potentially leading to an oversupply in the region. This realignment raises concerns about supply shortages in the West, further complicating the global aluminum supply chain.
Strategic Responses by Industry Players
In response to these market shifts, companies and countries are exploring strategic alternatives. Diversification of supply sources, investment in domestic production, and the pursuit of sustainable and innovative aluminum production methods are among the strategies being considered to navigate the sanctions’ impact.
The sanctions against Russia have undeniably sent ripples through the global aluminum market, affecting everything from production to trade flows. As the industry grapples with these challenges, the resilience and adaptability of market players will be critical in shaping the future landscape of global aluminum trade.
This analysis offers a glimpse into the complexities of the global aluminum market amidst geopolitical tensions, highlighting the need for strategic foresight and collaboration among industry stakeholders to ensure stability and growth in uncertain times.


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- SwissCommunity news
Secure the future of the “Review”
The online edition of the “Review” is being improved as part of an upgrade of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad’s web presence. That is good news all round, even for those who prefer the “Review” on paper.
The “Swiss Review” is published in hard copy as well as online, and that will not change. However, as an exception, there will only be five printed editions of the “Review” in 2020. A sixth edition – scheduled for July 2020 – will only appear online. It will also be available to all readers of the printed edition who want to see what the electronic version is like, whether online, via our “Swiss Review” app or as a classical ePaper.
The one-off omission of the printed edition, approved by the OSA Executive Board, is not a cost-cutting measure. On the contrary, it is an expansionary measure as it frees up funds for a key modernisation of the organisation’s entire online presence. The current OSA, Swisscommunity and “Swiss Review” websites will be merged and aligned closely with the requirements of the Swiss community living abroad. This is a highly challenging technical and financial project that we aim to implement by spring 2021.
It will also make a material contribution to securing the future of the “Review” by enhancing the appeal of its online presence. That will benefit everyone who enjoys using online media. The improved online edition should also ensure no further increase in the print run of the “Review”, which is currently about 200,000 copies. This stabilisation will be key to retaining the printed version over the long term. That is the stated aim of the OSA directors and the “Review” editor-in-chief.
The absence of the “Review” from your postbox in June 2020 is thus ultimately a good thing for those who value the printed word. Moreover, this edition of “Swiss Review” shows that the OSA has no intention of diluting the scope of its reporting mandate, as it contains 40 pages as opposed to the usual 32. That is because there were so many topics that the editorial team wanted to report to the “Fifth Switzerland”.