text:
Varying Feedstock Cost Pressures the n-Butanol Prices in Asia
- 27-Dec-2022 6:03 PM
- Journalist: Motoki Sasaki
The n-Butanol market witnessed a fluctuating price trend in the APAC region, owing to the elevation in the domestic offers and escalating feedstock Propylene prices in India. Besides, in late December, n-Butanol prices dipped due to sluggish buying sentiments in the Chinese domestic market. Prices have fallen in the fourth week of December owing to the ease in the feedstock Propylene prices and sufficient inventories. Meanwhile, upstream crude oil price volatility impacted the pricing dynamics of the commodity during the week ending 23 December 2022 in Asia.
In India, the n-Butanol market has been supported by the crippled availability of stocks in the week ending 23 December 2022. The bulk purchases and increasing downstream output led to crippled availability for the product impacting the prices. Meanwhile, domestic producers raised the prices amid improving buying momentum in the downstream automotive and coating industry to sustain strong margins. In addition, feedstock Propylene elevating prices supported the upward trend for the product amid decreasing availability. Thus, the spot price of n-Butanol showed a significant increase of nearly 7% in the week ending 23 December 2022 in the Indian market.
Contrary to India, the n-Butanol prices in the Chinese market experienced a sharp drop in the fourth week of December 2022 due to lowered feedstock Propylene costs and inadequate demand in the market. According to the sources, the sanctions on Russian energy supplies have substantially affected China's commodity value chain. On the supply side, the production of n-Butanol was sufficient in China this week, and adequate stock availability led to bearish sentiment for the n-Butanol in the Chinese market. The overseas trading activity of China slumped due to persisting COVID curbs. Additionally, n-Butanol market players were seeking to destock the inventories, prompting price competitiveness among the producers. Therefore, the n-Butanol spot price hovered around USD 1123/tonne Ex-Shandong (China) with a weekly dip of 1% in the week ending 23 December 2022.
As per ChemAnalyst, prices of n-Butanol may further strengthen in the first quarter of 2023, owing to the improving downstream coating and automotive demand in the APAC region. In addition, expected fluctuation in the feedstock Propylene prices is anticipated to impact the costs of the commodity. As per the latest insights, the domestic market will likely get more positive on supply and demand in January 2023. Meanwhile, US WTI crude oil market fluctuations may significantly affect commodity manufacturing costs in the Asian market.


text:
Mehwish Hayat Louds Using Truck Art for the Rights of the Girl Child
5 Top Trends that keep popping on our fashion-gram
Coke Studio Announces the Launch of Season 12!
Condensing the best Dressed at PLBW’19
Mahira Khan Pioneering at the Paris Fashion Week 2019 and Making us Proud!
We sat down with Zahra Shaheen who has recently come back from Bahrain after learning some exceptional makeup techniques and Voila!! we got to know so...

domain: news


text:
KOZAKI, Japan - A small community near Tokyo, one of the traditional homes to myriad brewed products such as sake and soy sauce, is doing its best to ride the recent wave of interest in fermented foods to make its name.
The "fermentation town" of Kozaki in Chiba Prefecture, approximately 60 kilometers east of Tokyo, has hosted annual festivals each March since 2009 featuring its sake breweries, and opened a flagship fermentation store in 2015 to spread the word about the health benefits of fermented foods, hopefully boosting tourism along the way.
The facility, a roadside rest stop, sells some 500 different fermented foods from across Japan, including miso, fish sauce, dairy products and tea, and offers lessons to promote the "culture of fermentation."
Fermented foods are produced or preserved through the activity of microorganisms, with the processes usually involving yeast or bacteria, often allowing products to be kept for a long time. Fermented foodstuffs and beverages are said to improve digestion and enhance the immune system.
The most prominent and popular Japanese fermented foods include "natto" sticky soybeans and "tsukemono" pickled vegetables, while "kimchi" Korean pickled vegetables and "sauerkraut" German fermented raw cabbage are well-known examples from other cultures.
Kozaki, with its population of some 6,500, once flourished with its sake and soy sauce breweries taking advantage of locally produced rice and soybeans and its proximity to the Tone River, through which goods were carried to Edo, as current-day Tokyo was known.
In the Edo and Meiji periods from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, the river transportation route had an advantage because it was much faster than conventional trails traveled by foot.
With the development of roads, however, the town lost its edge and competition with other areas intensified, resulting in the disappearance of many local producers. Only a handful of larger businesses survived, according to Kozaki town officials.
In a bid to revitalize the town, the municipality made an effort to rediscover its history and opened an office in May dedicated to the promotion of fermentation's features.
"It's now been almost 10 years since we started," Yoshito Ikegami, head of the newly created town department, said of the local sake festivals. "We're grateful that people are paying attention." The latest event this March drew some 55,000 visitors.
The lessons offered at the facility are called "Puku Puku" courses, an onomatopoeic reference to the bubbling fermentation process. They vary from how to make your own mozzarella cheese to dyeing cloths with indigo, which also involves fermentation methods.
According to Ikegami, to create the dye the dried leaves of the indigo plant are combined with water, and sometimes sake, which then undergo a process of natural fermentation.
(Illustrated flyers inform locals and visitors of bimonthly fermentation courses at the rest stop.)
"We wanted to provide courses for people to be able to create and experience fermented foods at their own homes, instead of just purchasing the goods," said Satomi Sawada, a colleague of Ikegami.
Born and raised in Kozaki, Sawada, helps organize the classes and is an expert in fermented goods herself. Her grandmother was an indigo dyer, whose house had pots to dye the threads and rooms that were used to weave the threads, she says.
"Fermentation is quite similar to human society," Sawada said. "You need a whole range of microorganisms to support and collaborate in order for the process to work."
The town office invites experts from around the country to offer lessons on topics that also include cooking of miso, soy sauce, "umeboshi" Japanese salted plum and kimchi.
In one class held in July, participants learned how to make their own "nukazuke," a Japanese preserved food made by fermenting vegetables in a bed of "nuka" rice bran.
At the beginning of the lesson, participants were each handed a plastic bag of the fermented rice bran, in which cucumbers, avocados, radishes, tomatoes and carrots, as well as the more unusual ingredients -- boiled eggs and fruits -- were buried to ferment.
The organizers then provided ready-made nukazuke pickles for the day's students to taste, alongside other fermented foods such as miso soup and bonito flakes, to enjoy and learn about the vast range of possibilities.
According to that day's specialist, Hajime Yanai, president of a company specializing in health food products, the fermented rice bran offers health benefits for its abundance in vitamin B1 and natural fibers.
With its generous amount of plant-based lactic acid bacteria, nukazuke pickles are also beneficial for gut flora, increasing immunity and also improving blood circulation, according to Yanai and Sawada.
The town of Kozaki is also home to a time-honored soy sauce maker Fujihan Shoyu, which was founded in 1877.
The company's brewery has been officially certified by the government as a part of Japan's industrial modernization heritage with much of the equipment left in its original state from the time of founding, despite the soy sauce-making method being much modernized now, according to its owner and president Hanji Takahashi.
The single-story facility retains its traditional Japanese architecture and in the back are several large more than 100-year-old wooden barrels that can store approximately 3,000 liters of the soy sauce, although they are no longer in use.
"Local residents have a personal attachment to a certain type of soy sauce because the taste differs depending on the region and brewer," he says.
Although Chiba Prefecture is the largest manufacturer of the condiment in Japan, many local soy sauce makers have gone out of business due to the monopoly of leading brands, Takahashi said.
Fujihan Shoyu temporarily stopped brewing soy sauce using its original facilities 40 years ago due to the aging Meiji-era building and machinery, as well as difficulty in securing investment and shortage in labor.
The company, however, has been working on reviving the Fujihan brand over the past four years using locally sourced ingredients and Edo-period processing methods as opposed to modern techniques, in hopes of starting the traditional soy sauce making again within the next couple of years.
"People have come to feel traditionally made soy sauce is more reassuring and safer in recent years," he says.
Takahashi also regularly holds homemade soy sauce lessons at the Puku Puku courses, as well as in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, where participants can make sauce using plastic bottles.
In one class held in July, the sixth-generation soy sauce maker explained to his students about the significance of soy sauce in Chiba, which supplies the most soy sauce in Japan.
He then provided the main ingredients -- soy beans, wheat, water and salt -- explaining how the fermentation process can last from months to years.
The powdered soy beans, wheat and the yeast were first poured into a 1-liter plastic bottle, after which the students slowly decanted salt water into the mixture.
(Soy sauce brewer Hanji Takahashi poses for a photo with students during his homemade soy sauce class.)
According to Takahashi, the water must have a 22 percent solution of salt -- if any higher, the fermentation process stalls, while unwanted bacteria can contaminate the condiment if it's any lower.
The bottles are then shaken at least 30 times to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. They will have to be shaken every day for another week and kept in a refrigerator to ensure the process of fermentation continues in a cool environment.
Students have to wait at least until next spring to taste their homemade soy sauce.
"I would like to lead a healthier life (eating) fermented foods," said Erika Watanabe, a 35-year-old mother at the soy sauce class held in Kashiwa. "I want to learn more, and hope the people around me learn about its benefits as well."


text:
LG G7 was originally expected to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), but the Korean company pushed back its release date because the prototypes lacked attractive selling points. LG Electronics had asked its R&D team to design the smartphone from scratch. It looks like the G7 is now ready for launch. However, it would debut as LG G7 ThinQ rather than LG G7.
ValueWalk has reported in the past that LG was considering changing the naming pattern with G7 in an attempt to revive its flagship line. Reliable tipster Evan Blass has learned from sources that the device would be called LG G7 ThinQ to highlight its AI capabilities. At MWC, the Korean company launched an upgraded LG V30S ThinQ that came loaded with AI features. The same features will find their way into the G7 ThinQ.
Goodbye, LG G7. Hello, LG G7 ThinQ.[Exclusive] DG Value Underperforms In H1, Sees Growing Number Of Distressed Opportunities
Dov Gertzulin's DG Capital has had a rough start to the year. According to a copy of the firm's second-quarter investor update, which highlights the performance figures for its two main strategies, the flagship value strategy and the concentrated strategy, during the first half of 2022, both funds have underperformed their benchmarks this year. The Read More
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 3, 2018


text:
Canada Goose Holdings (GOOS 1.15%) shares jumped 12% this morning, before settling back to remain up 8% as of 11:20 a.m. EDT.
The luxury outerwear company received an upgrade to outperform from Cowen analyst Oliver Chen, along with a more than 50% jump in price target. Chen identified several tailwinds for the retailer, including the belief that it could benefit from the pandemic going forward.
Like most retailers, Canada Goose has initially been impacted negatively by the COVID-19 pandemic. In its most recently reported fiscal quarter ending June 28, the company said its revenue dropped 63% compared with the previous-year period.
Analyst Chen said his firm's research found continued "strong brand equity and momentum" leading into the cold weather season. He also believes that a pandemic-influenced move toward outdoor activities leaves Canada Goose "well-positioned."
The economic recovery in China is also benefiting the company. Canada Goose said in its earnings report that it will focus new store openings on mainland China this year, as the "recovery of traffic remains ahead of other markets" there. The company said the first of four new stores it opened in June in Chengdu "has consistently performed ahead of expectations."
Though Canada Goose didn't provide fiscal guidance due to the remaining economic uncertainties, it said that 21 of its 22 global retail locations were open as of the end of June. Chen's new price target of $36 per share is based on the expectation that retail store growth will more than double to near 70 direct-to-consumer stores in the next 10 years.


text:
Eyeing for a stronger brand presence in North America, Maplejet’s CEO, Homayoun Shahrestani, discussed Hx Nitro’s leading production strategies with major key players in coding and marking during the third day at Pack Expo 2018 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The simplicity of design and use of 3D printer in the production has raised interest of North American coding and marking players on Maplejet’s simple and flexible printer – Hx Nitro. This 3D printing method has significantly reduced Maplejet’s production costs from the previous standard product moulding. Maplejet plans, through the help of this 3D printer, to bring its complete Hx range production in North America.
ABOUT PACK EXPO INTERNATIONAL
Pack Expo International is one of the biggest exhibitions on Packaging Industry across the globe. It is graced by more that 50,000 visitors with 2,500 exhibitors showcasing their company’s cutting-edge technology on packaging and printing industry. This year’s Pack Expo International was held at McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois from October 14-17, 2018.


text:
The Federal Communciations Commission (FCC) should not finalize this proposed rule.
Despite the admirable name, this rule neither protects nor promotes an open internet. Rather, the rule grants internet service providers additional undue advantage in a system already crippled by monopoly power.
The vast majority of consumers have one or fewer options for broadband internet. When Comcast decides to increase the cost of my basic internet package from $35.99 to $49.99 and finally in excess of $60 per month* over the course of 8 months, I have no recourse. To access the internet at home, the most affordable option is to subscribe with Comcast. This will remain true up until their prices exceed that of the already exorbitant ones charged by mobile telecommunications providers, like Verizon.
In return for my monthly payments, Comcast offers spotty service that is frequently slow when processing high-definition video streaming. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered that Comcast deliberately decreases download speeds during hours of peak use. The kicker is that this decision comes far in advance of demand reaching–let alone exceeding, the existing capacity on the Comcast infrastructure.
The implications are clear. When internet service providers do not have any meaningful competition for broadband cable internet access, they can charge consumers rates that are disconnected from reality and offer service that fluctuates in quality at a whim. This does not have to be the case.
Let’s consider the example of the United Kingdom, as highlighted in a recent NPR Planet Money episode titled, “The Last Mile.” In that program, the Planet Money team discussed the change that UK regulators promulgated in response to the very same issues that we are experiencing today. Rather than permit internet service providers to charge content producers for access to so-called high-speed lanes, the UK introduced a model similar to landline telephones. Instead of a single company monopolizing the cable line, many companies sell internet access to consumers over the same wires.
The UK experience has led to a dramatic uptick in both the number of high-speed, broadband internet providers and the quality of service. Consumers in the UK also pay dramatically less.
I understand why Comcast and other internet service providers would prefer the fast-lane approach that you are proposing. Many are also cable television providers. These providers receive subscription payments from consumers, and then pay content producers for the privilege to include their channel in the cable bundle. That flow from consumer to cable provider and finally content producer is long established. Your proposal would upend the model from that industry and have both consumers and content producers pay broadband cable internet providers for the privilege to interact with each other online. That creates windfalls for Comcast, but offers no guarantee to either party that they will see investment in the infrastructure and service that we believe our dollars should afford.
Unfortunately, overpriced service for subpar quality is commonplace in America–just look at healthcare. But let’s not treat this reality as an inviolable part of the American Dream. Instead, the FCC should promulgate rules that can imbue this industry with meaningful competition to truly protect and promote the open internet.
*Update: After speaking with the Customer Retention Department at Comcast, I was able to decrease my bill $10 to $56.95 per month (for 12 months). That is a nearly 63% increase from the starting price of $34.99 per month, but at least better than the over 91% increase that would have occurred.
No comments yet.


text:
By now it has become a familiar refrain: Amazon is taking another step to extend its reach in the $4 trillion health care sector. Late last month [January], the company launched RxPass, a benefit that gives Amazon Prime members access to some 50 generic medications, used to treat 80 common health problems, for a flat monthly fee of $5.
In touting the new initiative, John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy, stressed reduced costs and convenience for Prime members. He pointed out that a person who currently pays as little as $10 a month for eligible prescriptions would save 50% or more with RxPass. The program, which is available to Prime members in most parts of the country, also includes free delivery.
Supported by Amazon pharmacists round the clock, RxPass joins the company’s other prescription savings benefit program available to Prime members. Available at no additional cost, it provides discounts of up to 80% for generics and 40% for branded products at Amazon Pharmacy, PillPack and more than 60,000 participating brick-and-mortar pharmacies.
Discount programs for generic medications are nothing new. Walmart began selling a 30-day supply of almost 300 generics for $4 back in 2006, prompting other pharmacy operators to heighten their efforts to help customers cope with the high cost of prescription drugs. Sixteen years later, the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. was founded to improve access to care by helping protect consumers from what executives characterize as inflated pharmaceutical prices.
Viewed from that perspective, the introduction of RxPass isn’t a game-changer. It does, however, indicate Amazon’s determination to apply the principles of customer obsession and passion for innovation to pharmacy and health care. The company entered the prescription drug business three years ago, paying $1 billion for PillPack, an online pharmacy operator. In July 2022, Amazon took the leap into primary care with the purchase of One Medical — a technology-driven provider that promises a seamless combination of in-person (it operates some 180 brick-and-mortar clinics in 25 cities across the U.S.), digital and virtual care services — for $3.9 billion. Last November the company unveiled Amazon Clinic, a platform designed to connect patients seeking treatment for a variety of routine health problems with telehealth providers.
Amazon has also had some highly publicized failures in the health care sector, most notably the demise of Haven, a joint venture with JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway. Not easily deterred by such setbacks, Amazon has demonstrated a propensity to learn from mistakes and go back at a problem until it finds a workable solution.
In this instance, it is hard to see how RxPass will, in and of itself, make much money. But the new low-cost generics program is only a building block in an emerging health care ecosystem that Amazon hopes will represent a compelling value proposition for consumers. The company is likely to consider the question of RxPass’ worth — including such factors as convenience and savings that help cement customer loyalty — within the context of its overall contributions to the health care experience.
As has been noted in this space previously, other pharmacy operators — CVS Health, Walmart and Walgreens Boots Alliance among them — have similar ambitions, as do such entities as UnitedHealth Group of Kaiser Permanente. With its deep pockets, technological prowess and track record of innovation, Amazon is a formidable challenger for established health care companies. Amazon has the added advantage of surrounding its growing array of offerings in the sector with an extensive suite of other products and services.
Like Alibaba in China, the so-called everything store is constructing a digital gateway where people can satisfy most of their basic daily living needs. For an annual fee of $139, Amazon Prime members have access to such benefits as fast delivery of millions of items at no additional charge; grocery delivery from Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods; and unlimited streaming of video and audio files.
If Amazon succeeds in building a comprehensive health care offering that rivals those of other major providers, its broader network of consumer-centric assets, along with its expertise in technology, will give it a leg up. The appeal of one-stop shopping has long been recognized and leveraged by brick-and-mortar retailers. Amazon is trying to take the concept to a new level. Other aspirants to be the health care provider of choice will have to redouble their efforts to find new ways to elevate patient care.
Comments are closed.


text:
LONDON — The second Digital Fashion Week Singapore, which runs from Nov. 1 to 4 in the Southeast Asian country, will collaborate with the British Council and have a British theme, as organizers seek to celebrate connection between the British fashion industry and Singapore.
The British Council is the U.K.’s cultural relations organization, whose global projects center around the arts. “We’re very pleased to support Digital Fashion Week in their efforts to encourage and nurture home-grown designers, many of whom studied or took up internships in the U.K. before launching their own brands in Singapore,” Antony Phillipson, British High Commissioner to Singapore, said. “This event is, therefore, both a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the strength of the U.K./Singapore fashion partnership and a fabulous stage for some of the most exciting designers in the world to show off their talent.” He added, “Fashion is one of the U.K.’s most vibrant and creative industries, contributing more than 21 billion pounds a year to the U.K. economy.”
RELATED STORY: Bloomingdale’s Launching ‘Brit Style’ >>
The interactive event is partnered with technology giants including Google+, YouTube and Twitter, and works with Asos.com, through which consumers around the world can make instant purchases straight from the runway via Asos Marketplace as they watch the live-streamed runway shows. Daily interviews live from backstage will be streamed on Google+, with viewers invited to interact across the event’s social platforms.
“Dressing the Screen: The Rise of Fashion film,” billed as the first fashion film exhibition in Singapore, has been curated by filmmaker Kathryn Ferguson as a fringe event and will run in the lead-up to Digital Fashion Week. More than 20 films from the last 75 years are to be featured, including ones by Nick Knight, Quentin Jones, Vivienne Westwood, Henry Holland and Sølve Sundsbø.


text:
Posted Monday, Jun 19, 2023
Used car prices in the United States have recently shown signs of relief, declining for the second consecutive month. Amidst soaring prices for both new and used vehicles due to heightened demand and supply shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this downward trend offers a glimmer of hope for those seeking an affordable ride. In this blog post, we delve into the latest market data, explore expert insights, and examine the broader implications for consumers.
The Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, a widely recognized industry benchmark, recorded a 2.7% drop in May, with the index falling to 224.5 from April's reading of 230.8. This decline represents a 7.6% decrease compared to the same period last year. For individuals looking to purchase a vehicle, this news comes as a modest relief.
Chris Frey, senior manager of economic and industry insights for Cox Automotive, advises caution when interpreting the current trend. While the year-over-year decline in May accelerated from previous months, Frey emphasizes that the rate of decline may slow in the upcoming months as prices encountered in auctions from May through November of the previous year could influence the market.
Although the recent decline in used car prices is promising, it's important to maintain realistic expectations. Frey highlights that two consecutive drops in the index do not necessarily indicate a substantial long-term trend. One factor contributing to sustained prices is the shortage of used retail inventory, which keeps buyers engaged in auctions and supports price levels.
As new car prices reach all-time highs and interest rates begin to rise, Americans are holding onto their vehicles for longer periods. According to S&P Global Mobility, the average age of cars on U.S. roads has reached a record-breaking 12.5 years. This trend reflects drivers' reluctance to bear the expense of replacing their vehicles and highlights the importance of affordability in the current market.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, used vehicle prices have surged by approximately 40%, resulting in an average price close to $29,000. Combined with an average auto loan rate of 11%, the typical monthly payment for a used car has now reached $563. These figures underscore the financial strain faced by buyers and the need for more accessible options.
The recent decline in used car prices offers a glimmer of hope to those searching for more affordable options in the midst of a challenging market. While the downward trend is promising, it is important to approach the situation with cautious optimism. Factors such as limited used retail inventory and potential market fluctuations warrant careful consideration. As new car prices remain high and interest rates increase, the longevity of vehicles on the road continues to rise. Understanding the dynamics of the market and exploring alternatives, such as EZ AUTO, can help individuals navigate the evolving landscape and make informed decisions that align with their financial goals.
The information provided in this blog post is based on available data and expert opinions at the time of writing. Market conditions may change rapidly, and it is recommended to consult with industry professionals for the most up-to-date information and personalized advice.


text:
Only with a strong law can European consumers be confident that the production of the food they eat does not fuel the horrendous fires we witness every year in the Amazon, writes Ester Asin.
Ester Asin is director of the WWF’s EU office in Brussels.
The world’s attention is diverted, but the Amazon is burning with a fury not seen for decades. In July, Brazil’s space institute INPE registered 6,803 fire hotspots in the Amazon – 1,500 more than 2019 – most of which were started deliberately, betting on long-term demand for key commodities like soy.
Europe is thousands of kilometers away from Brazil, but millions of its farm animals – which provide meat and dairy for our daily diet – are fed on imported soy.
This cheap source of protein is often grown on land that was once Amazon rainforest. The EU single market, with its huge demand for soy and beef, is causing long-term destruction
to the Amazon and other natural ecosystems. It doesn’t directly strike the match to start the fires, but Europe does hold sway over how many matches are in the box.
Now, under the European Green Deal, there is an opportunity to remove forest destruction from the EU’s supply chains.
Rainforests are not meant to burn; fire is not part of their natural process. Once the rage is over, they do not recover, but need to grow back from scratch over centuries. The WWF team in Brazil has seen how forest vegetation is cut down across a huge area, left to dry then set alight intentionally during the dry season when winds fan the flames, spreading permanent annihilation.
These acts of arson have far-reaching consequences for our planet’s irreplaceable biodiversity, the people who lose their homes and sometimes their lives, the water supply in the region and the entire world as the fires fuel climate change. With so much at stake, the EU has to take responsibility for its role in the destruction of the Amazon.
To understand the EU’s role we need to view it over a period of 5-10 years. Those who set the Amazon alight today are betting on huge profits in the years to come. First they clear then burn the forest, often with an incredibly high human cost. Amnesty International recently reported that land seizures in the Amazon are forcing indigneous peoples and traditional communities from their lands, while afro-descendant local communities “fear being hurt or killed”.
After burning, cattle are often moved in. This eventually gives the land user the right to claim tenure, usually some five years later. Then they can legally sell the land, potentially opening the doors to big agribusinesses who can convert land to soy production – one of Brazil’s most profitable exports.
Today, there is an Amazon ‘soy moratorium’ in place, which means that soy grown on these new farms cannot legally access markets. However, the Brazilian government openly favours the end of the moratorium and the renewed expansion of Amazon soy farms, fuelled in part by EU market demand. This is a major concern: before 2006 (when the moratorium began) the Amazon burnt and the soy producers moved in within the space of months.
Burning natural habitats for future profit is a problem that extends to other vital ecosystems like Brazil’s Cerrado, a woody, grassland savannah which covers 20% of Brazil and is home to many unique plant and animal species. Yet, the Cerrado is one of the most threatened natural areas in the world, and under huge pressure from agricultural expansion. Here, no soy moratorium is in place and it continues to be cleared both directly for soy that is currently exported in vast quantities to the EU, and for future speculation.
The EU must take its responsibility for the destruction of both the Amazon and Cerrado
seriously. Indeed, according to recent research it is the second-largest export market for forest- risk commodities after China, and as much of one fifth of the soy imports from these regions may be ‘contaminated’ with illegal deforestation, says a recent study.
With the lure of its market, the EU has the power to stop land evictions, human rights abuses, biodiversity destruction and the massive release of CO2 caused by forest fires, deforestation and ecosystem conversion across the world. It can do this by passing a new law that would exclude commodities and products linked to the destruction of nature from the EU market.
Under the European Green Deal, the EU has made clear intentions to draw up a new law on removing deforestation from its supply chains, with a public consultation expected this
September. However, to ensure EU lawmakers are not barking up the wrong tree it must protect forests and other ecosystems (such as savannahs, grasslands and wetlands around the world), from which the EU imports commodities including soy, palm oil, cocoa, beef, coffee and rubber, while also guaranteeing human rights.
Only with a strong law can European consumers be confident that the production of the food they eat does not fuel the horrendous fires we witness every year, destroying some of our planet’s most precious natural areas irrevocably, with disastrous consequences for the wildlife and people they are home to, and our climate. Europe can and must stop being part of this problem.


text:
The Current, delivered daily.
Welcome to On the Move. Every week, The Current is rounding up the coming and goings of leaders at brands and retailers across the ecommerce, retail and CPG landscape.
This week, adidas hired Puma’s CEO, while Levi’s tapped Kohl’s CEO to become its next leader. Plus, check out new C-level appointments at Mondelez, Rothy’s, LTK and Cotopaxi.
Bjørn Gulden was tapped to be the next CEO of adidas, and will take the helm at the beginning of 2023. He will succeed Kasper Rorsted in the top job at the German sportswear giant, following an announcement over the summer that Rorsted would step down after six years at the helm. Gulden has served as CEO of Puma since 2013, where he is credited with leading a turnaround effort. He also has previous experience with adidas as SVP of apparel and accessories from 1992-1999, and has held senior roles at jewelry brand Pandora and Rack Room Shoes.
Arne Freundt, in turn, was promoted to the role of CEO of Puma, succeeding Gulden after he resigned to take on the adidas CEO role. Freundt has been at Puma for more than a decade. He will begin in the CEO role on Jan. 1, 2023, Puma said in a brief statement.
Michelle Gass was appointed to the role of president at Levi Strauss & Co., and is set to become CEO of the apparel company within the next 18 months. In turn, Gass is resigning from the CEO role at Kohl’s, which she has held since 2013. As president at Levi Strauss, Gass will oversee the Levi’s brand, as well as the company’s digital and commercial operations. A news release cited her “exceptional direct-to-consumer experience,” and leadership of a turnaround effort at Kohl’s that included expansion of the department store chain’s digital business. Gass will succeed current Levi Strauss CEO Chip Bergh following a transition. At Kohl’s, Tom Kingsbury will serve as interim CEO until a permanent successor is named.
Gina Boswell was hired as CEO of Bath & Body Works. She brings more than 30 years of experience to the leading role at the beauty and personal care retailer, having worked at Unilever, Alberto Culver Company and The Estee Lauder Companies. At Unilever, Boswell served as EVP of personal care for North America, head of UK & Ireland and president of customer development for Unilever USA. Boswell succeeds Sarah Nash, who has served as interim CEO since May.
Tuesday Morning announced a series of leadership changes that will reshape its C-suite. This comes after Pier 1 and Dressbarn owner Retail Ecommerce Ventures acquired a majority interest in the offprice home goods retailer in September. The moves are as follows:
- Andrew T. Berger, the former CEO of Cosi and Autoscope Technologies Corporation, was named CEO at Tuesday Morning. He will succeed Fred Hand, who is retiring.
- Bill Baumann, who is currently the company’s chief information and marketing officer, will become COO, interim CFO and assume chief merchant responsibilities.
- Current COO and interim CFO Mark Katz is retiring.
- Current Chief Merchant Paul Metcalf is retiring.
Rafeh Masood is stepping down as chief customer and technology officer at Bed Bath & Beyond. “Mr. Masood’s resignation was not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies or practices or financial statements,” the company stated in a regulatory filing. It comes after a wave of executive departures this year at the home retailer, including former CEO Mark Tritton in June. The company is now being led by Sue Gove, who was named to the permanent CEO role after a stint as interim leader.
Mondelez International, the snacks company that oversees Ritz and Oreo, announced a series of personnel moves on its third quarter earnings call:
- Sandra MacQuillan will retire as chief supply chain officer after three years with the company.
- Frank Cervi will become chief supply chain operations officer, bringing more than 30 years of experience to the role.
- Rob Hargrove will be retiring as chief R&D officer after 34 years.
- Daniel Ramos is the new chief R&D officer, bringing experience from The Estée Lauder Companies, where he put a strong focus on sustainable packaging.
Rothy’s, the brand that makes shoes, handbags and accessories from recycled materials, announced a pair of executive hires, and shared a pair of leadership updates.
- Heather Archibald was named chief product and merchandising officer, bringing experience from Title Nine, Restoration Hardware and Gap, Inc.
- Jamie Gersch was appointed chief marketing officer, bringing 20 years of experience from Gap, Inc., most recently as SVP and CMO of Old Navy.
- Dayna Quanbeck, who is CFO, will take on the additional role of COO, overseeing the deployment of growth capital.
- Heather Howard will become chief supply chain officer, extending a focus on operations that has been honed over five years with the brand.
Apple will see a pair of executive-level departures, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar. They are as follows:
- Anna Matthiasson is set to depart the tech company as VP of online retail.
- Mary Demby is retiring from the role of chief information officer after three decades with the company.
Nicole Sokol joined Haus Labs by Lady Gaga as VP of product development, Happi reported. Sokol brings more than 15 years of experience at brands such as Makeup by Mario, MAC, Revlon, Avon and Alamay.
Rachel Jones was promoted to the role of SVP, chief product innovation and science officer at GNC. Jones joined the nutrition retailer in 2004. She will now oversee product development, product brand strategy, scientific affairs and innovation.
Nicola Formichetti is partnering with Claire’s to become creative director in residence. The fashion director and futurist will collaborate on content, a partnership with V Magazine and the opening of a new Paris store with the accessories and jewelry retailer. All of these collaborations are aimed at deepening ties between Claire’s and Gen Zalpha.
Jeremy Paterson is joiningLTK, the creator-guided shopping platform, as general manager of international, leading growth in Europe, South America and Asia-Pacific. It comes as LTK recently expanded to Italy, Spain, The Netherlands and New Zealand. Paterson previously led international operations from Groupon, and held operational roles at Amazon and eBay.
Trending in Careers
Labor disputes on the West Coast could cause further disruption heading into peak season.
When the first half of 2023 is complete, imports are expected to dip 22% below last year.
That’s according to new data from the Global Port Tracker, which is compiled monthly by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
The decline has been building over the entire year, as imports dipped in the winter. With the spring, volume started to rebound. In April, the major ports handled 1.78 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units. That was an increase of 9.6% from March. Still it was a decline of 21.3% year over year – reflecting the record cargo hauled in over the spike in consumer demand of 2021 and the inventory glut 2022.
In 2023, consumer spending is remaining resilient with in a strong job market, despite the collision of inflation and interest rates. The economy remains different from pre-pandemic days, but shipping volumes are beginning to once again resemble the time before COVID-19.
“Economists and shipping lines increasingly wonder why the decline in container import demand is so much at odds with continuous growth in consumer demand,” said Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett, in a statement. “Import container shipments have returned the pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019 and appear likely to stay there for a while.”
Retailers and logistics professionals alike are looking to the second half of the year for a potential upswing. Peak shipping season occurs in the summer, which is in preparation for peak shopping season over the holidays.
Yet disruption could occur on the West Coast if labor issues can’t be settled. This week, ports from Los Angeles to Seattle reported closures and slowdowns as ongoing union disputes boil over, CNBC reported. NRF called on the Biden administration to intervene.
“Cargo volume is lower than last year but retailers are entering the busiest shipping season of the year bringing in holiday merchandise. The last thing retailers and other shippers need is ongoing disruption at the ports,” aid NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “If labor and management can’t reach agreement and operate smoothly and efficiently, retailers will have no choice but to continue to take their cargo to East Coast and Gulf Coast gateways. We continue to urge the administration to step in and help the parties reach an agreement and end the disruptions so operations can return to normal. We’ve had enough unavoidable supply chain issues the past two years. This is not the time for one that can be avoided.”


text:
Did you miss a session from GamesBeat Summit 2022? All sessions are available to stream now. Watch now.
Phil Schiller thinks Android and Samsung have got smartphones all wrong — and he really, really, wants you to know it.
As a part of his anti-Samsung, pre-Galaxy S IV launch media tour, the Apple marketing chief is making clear his preemptive distaste for what Samsung is cooking up. His first jab? The Galaxy S IV may be the latest-and-greatest-thing, but it’s running a year-old OS — and that’s a problem with Android itself.
“With their own data, only 16 percent of Android users are on a year-old version of the operating system. Over 50 percent are still on software that is two years old. A really big difference,” he told Reuters.
Apple’s numbers, in comparison, look a lot better: More than half of iOS users are using the latest version of the software, he says.
More defensive, somewhat, are Schiller’s views on Android device sales, which recently overtook those of the iPhone, according to data from Kantar. Schiller doesn’t seem to be fazed by this reality.
“At Apple we know that it’s not just enough to have products pumped out in large numbers. You have to love and use them. There is a lot of data showing a big disparity there,” he said.
Basically, lots of people are buying Android phones, but not too many people are actually using Android phones, Schiller says.
While it’s a rare move for Apple, Schiller’s anti-Samsung media tour isn’t the biggest surprise. The Galaxy S IV launch will be the global Galaxy launch on American soil. Samsung, it seems, is putting lots more of its ad dollars into targeting Apple’s audience, and Apple’s taking note.
Samsung, for its part, hasn’t responded to Schiller’s remarks, and it will probably just let the Galaxy S IV do the talking later today.
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Learn more about membership.


text:
The next-generation Volvo XC90 is a little over a year out from its on sale date.
Volvo's next-generation XC90 will make its United States debut later this year at the Los Angeles auto show before hitting showrooms during the spring of 2015, the company's North American CEO has revealed.
"You'll start seeing the [next-generation] XC90 very soon," Tony Nicolosi, Volvo Cars North America's president and CEO, told Car and Driver. "We will probably bring it to the LA auto show, but the actual U.S. sales start for the XC90 late March 2015."
Nicolosi didn't explain, however, if the LA show would be the XC90's global unveiling or simply its North American introduction.
Volvo has previewed the styling the direct of the next XC90 with two design concepts, with a third expected to bow before the production version of the crossover is unveiled. It's possible that Volvo's third XC90 show car could be revealed at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
Whatever the case, the second-generation XC90 - which will likely be tagged as a 2016 model - will ride on Volvo's new SPA architecture. The big crossover will be powered by Volvo's latest Drive-E engine range, with a plug-in hybrid to be offered from launch.


text:
NEW DELHI: The playing field in India’s rapidly expanding market for digital payments is poised to get more crowded as the country races to catch up with China in squeezing out the use of cash, according to the head of the South Asian nation’s payments network.
That means Indians will continue to face a bewildering array of payments apps provided by Facebook
, Amazon.com Inc and others, in contrast to China where two home-grown technology giants dominate the market.
“India will remain a multiple-player model where the consumer has a choice to continue to use his bank account, and for the last mile can use any app which he sees fit,” said Dilip Asbe, the chief executive officer of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). “We give equal opportunities to both small and large players, unlike China,” he added in a recent interview.
Asbe is confident that his country’s open payments platform will eventually allow it to catch up with China, where Ant Financial’s Alipay and Tencent
Pay are omnipresent and have sharply reduced the use of cash for payments in the past five years or so. “China is a target where we have to reach as far as digital payments are concerned,” said Asbe.
The so-called Unified Payments Interface
(UPI) managed by NPCI allows any firm to use an infrastructure linking all the nation’s banks to create new digital payments services quickly and cheaply. It was created three years ago as part of a drive to reduce the use of cash and bring more Indians into the financial system.
It currently houses 87 apps offered by Google, Paytm
and other third parties, as well as many of the nation’s lenders. Facebook’s WhatsApp payment service remains in beta mode, pending government approvals.
Despite its open model and the multitude of competitors, India has a long way to go. Some 72% of India’s consumer transactions take place in cash, double the rate in China, according to a March report by Credit Suisse Group AG.
Many merchants, especially in rural areas, remain unable or unwilling to accept digital transactions
due to network connectivity issues and a reluctance to pay charges for what are often low-value transactions.
“As a consumer I do not have the confidence to not withdraw cash, because 70% or 80% of places where I need to spend the money, digital payments are not accepted,” said Navtej Singh, the CEO of digital business at Hitachi Payment Services Ltd, which supplies automated teller machines and point-of-sale machines across the country.
In India, digital payments have climbed more than five times since 2015 to 22.4 transactions per person in the year ended March, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) figures show. That’s still way below China, where cashless transactions per capita totaled 96.7 in 2017, according to an RBI report based on Bank for International Settlements data.
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s shock decision to abolish high-value notes in 2016, cash as a proportion of gross domestic product has actually been rising in the past two years, hitting a three-year high of 11.3% in the year to March 2019.
As it seeks to reverse this and move toward its Chinese target, the NPCI is focused on the volume of transactions, rather than the value, Asbe said. That’s because the key challenge is how to spread digital payments to rural India, where more than half of the country’s 1.3 billion people live and where the value of individual transactions is lower.
Asbe wants to expand the UPI’s user base five-fold over the coming five years, to 500 million people from 100 million at present, or less than 8% of the population. The target would raise the proportion to about 38%, and bring the country closer to China, where WeChat Pay alone has 800 million users.
The wide choice of payments systems and the ease with which Indians can switch between providers should allow the country to move relatively fast toward the goal, said Singh at Hitachi.
But it also makes Asbe’s task more complicated. “The challenges in addressing issues regarding awareness and infrastructure are going to be like fixing a moving train,” he said.


text:
None of which is to suggest that Cartoon has turned its back on animation. Along with returning series like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the Turner net is prepping a brace of fresh 'toons for 2010-11. Joining newcomers Generator Rex, Adventure Time and Sym-Bionic Titan are a few familiar faces (Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and The Looney Tunes Show).
Cartoon Network closed out Q1 2010 ranked third in total day among kids 2-11 and 6-11, behind Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. Perhaps more importantly, scatter has been improving steadily over the last three quarters, and O'Hara expects a much stronger upfront market this time around. (Industry sources pegged last year's kids upfront haul at around $825 million, down 18 percent from the '08 take.)
"This is a very different market from last year," O'Hara says. "Scatter is certainly stronger than it was 12 months ago and some of the food brands that reduced their marketing activity last year are coming back. So we anticipate significant demand for the back-to-school period straight through the hard ten."
Cartoon physics tells us also that gravity is often negated by fear, especially in felines. The approach of a marauding bulldog or an amorous skunk is enough to propel a body straight into the ether, coming to rest usually in the crook of a chandelier. Substitute blood pressure for altitude and you have a pretty clear picture of the impact last year's food flap had on the kids marketplace. "The good news is, we don't expect to see further cuts from the food guys," says Dan Barnathan, president of 4Kids ad sales. "I'd estimate that $100 million came out of the market last year, but if anything, the food marketers are coming back. They're reapportioning their spend back into TV."
While 4Kids doesn't compete on the same playing field as the Big Three, the program block does reach a unique audience of some 15 million TV households that don't subscribe to a multichannel service.
The five-hour Saturday morning CW 4Kids block runs on The CW each week from 7 a.m. to noon. Heading into the 2010-11 upfront, 4Kids will begin walking clients through its upcoming rebranding effort, in which it will adopt a new handle, tentatively called Toonzai, and add a selection of edgier Japanese animé strips to its lineup of familiar offerings like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spider-Man and Sonic X.
Along with a healthier outlook for food-related business, the kids market should get a lift from a strong toys and entertainment base. Per market research firm NPD Group, U.S. retail toy sales totaled $21.47 billion in 2009, more or less flat from the previous year. "Last year was remarkably uneventful for the toy industry, but in a good way," says NPD Group analyst Anita Frazier. "The uptick in unit sales in the fourth quarter is a very positive sign."
Barnathan is encouraged by the slate of kid- and family-friendly theatricals set to unspool in 2010. "The biggest thing that will positively impact the kids marketplace is Hollywood," he says. "Based on my analysis, the number of titles geared toward families is up 20-30 percent this year, and attached to each movie [is] a video game tie-in, or a QSR promotion."
If the kids space is generally perceived as a three-way battle among Viacom, Turner and Disney, no one is discounting the market's newest entity. The Hub, a double-barreled network backed by Discovery and Hasbro, bows Oct. 10, and while details about the content remain sketchy, the channel is expected to feature shows based on the toy brands Transformers and My Little Pony, as well as Discovery Kids franchises like Adventure Camp and Flight 29 Down.
Along with the legacy brands, The Hub enjoys a storied pedigree courtesy of CEO Margaret Loesch. The founder of Fox Kids Network also served as an evp at Hanna-Barbera Productions. The Hub will target kids 2-12, a demo that Loesch believes has been underserved, such has been the rush to reach older children and 'tweens.
"Our competition has carved out the space for us," explains Loesch. "In the case of Nickelodeon and Disney, they've bifurcated their appeal. There's some very good programming out there for very young children and 'tweens, but less and less suitable for kids 6-12 or 8-12. So we see a big opportunity there."
If The Hub remains something of an enigma -- Discovery did not showcase the network's wares during its April 8 upfront presentation -- buyers are always happy to have more options. "We always love to see more variety," says one national TV buyer. "We welcome the development of more places to spread our dollars out, because it gives us a little more leverage. It's not ideal that three places control 95 percent of the market."


text:
Gatorade Fierce launched
Pepsi Co Australia and New Zealand has launched a new Gatorade range called ‘Gatorade Fierce’.
The range consists of a new strawberry flavour, alongside traditional Gatorade flavours, blue, grape and green apple.
PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand’s Senior Director Beverages, Brad Van Dijk, said the range has already been launched successfully in the US.
“Gatorade Fierce has been a recognised success in the US and we are excited to introduce the new Strawberry flavour into the Australian market,” Van Dijk said.
The Australian launch will be supported by a new advertisement featuring AFL players Gary Ablett and Scott Pendlebury.
Bulla Dairy is offering two desserts in one this summer, creating an ice cream inspired by custard t...
Brumby’s Bakery has launched a new winter sourdough bread range.
Lion Dairy and Drinks has launched a new marketing campaign encouraging Australians to drink milk ag...
Sunny Queen Meal Solutions is now selling a new range of finger food.
Woolworths is now the official supermarket and fresh food partner of Netball Australia.
Warrnambool Cheese & Butter has released its new Heritage Flavours range of cheeses.
Chris’ Dips is now selling cracker and dip snack packs through Woolworths supermarkets.
Vegan cheese is now a permanent menu item on Domino’s menu across its entire Australian network.


text:
Bloatware, crapware, shovelware: No matter what you call it, the junk that PC makers dump onto new PCs is nothing short of a mess. The situation was thrust into the spotlight last week when it was revealed that several Lenovo PCs were preloaded with "Superfish" adware that actively left users vulnerable to attack. The software compromised secure HTTPS web connections in a quest to inject ads on the sites you visit... and make Lenovo a few nickels.
There's no doubt about it: Even though the root vulnerability came from Superfish, Lenovo messed up. Hard. This shouldn't have happened, period. But Lenovo didn't toss its users to the wolves out of malice — instead, the Superfish debacle is a natural extension of the entire bloatware epidemic.
Why do hardware vendors knowingly stuff new PCs with junk that makes your experience worse? And what can you do about it? Let's dig in.
Dolla dolla bills y'all
Bloatware exists because we're all cheap bastards, and rightfully so.
Money's tight, and even the cheapest PCs are a major, multi-hundred dollar investment. But good news! Prices are plummeting in the wake of dirt-cheap Chromebooks and Microsoft's resulting counter-attack. The NPD group says that the average selling price of Windows computers fluctuated between just $415 and $430 in October 2014 — 10 percent lower than prices a year earlier, and a new low watermark for PCs.
While that sounds good on paper, deep down it's actually troubling news for the PC industry. Mainstream personal computers are a cut-throat business; prices have been racing to the bottom for years now. PC vendors make little to no money on such slim margins, which is a core part of the reason HP is splitting off its PC division (again) , Dell took itself private, and Sony and Samsung have bowed out of the PC industry to varying degrees. There's simply no real money to be made on dirt-cheap hardware.
PC makers don't really believe that short-lived antivirus trialware is the best security solution for you, or that adding browser toolbars will make your life easier, or that a "visual discovery tool" like Superfish truly adds to the user experience. The developers of bloatware pay hardware makers cold, hard cash to pump your PC full of this crap and get in front of your eyeballs. That extra revenue often makes all the difference for vendors between taking a bath on competitively priced PCs, or eking out a small profit. (There's a reason pricier premium laptops often contain far less bloatware than budget PCs.)
It's a nasty, symbiotic relationship for bloatware developers, PC makers, and everyday users. Bloatware effectively subsidizes PC prices. If it weren't for all that crud, you'd pay more — perhaps much more — for your computer.
Sign up for CIO Asia eNewsletters.


text:
Android Auto is one of the biggest software that is used in cars, and almost all the vehicles in the world have this operating software. This is very convenient to the users as it is very user-friendly and provides many useful features to the driver as well as to the passengers that are within the vehicle.
Android Auto is a direct competitor to Apple CarPlay, which is yet another operating system that is used by only iPhone users. This delivers as many features as Android Auto but is widely considered better to use.
With this, people can play music, get help in navigation, check the weather, and tons of other features. Now, Android Auto has stepped up its game even more as a new update for it has launched for all the vehicles that have it.
Some of the applications that are now present are audio-only Webex and the infamous Zoom app that is used by many people for conference calls and virtual meetings. It can now be used on the road or just to chat with your friends or colleagues to pass the time while eating in the car, waiting for it to charge, or other things.
Android Auto Now Prime Video Series And In-car Web-browsing
This new Prime Video app will be available on Volvo and Polestar brand vehicles and overseas in Renault cars. It will allow the users to stream shows and movies, and there is also the new Vivaldi, which is the internet browser application that will be useful for browsing the internet.
There is also the weather app that can be downloaded, which will allow the Honda cars to give accurate forecast updates while driving. Furthermore, this app will even act as an onboard weather radar map.
The application will have a lot of uses, and it will help many people who are adventurers who make plans before heading to an expedition. The new Video Prime app is also a revolutionary feature that will make each of the trips more memorable with the shows they see.
One of The Most Interesting Features Is The Digital Vehicle Keys
Google is playing to roll out the digital vehicle keys, which will allow the owner to unlock and start their vehicles with just their phone. This feature is only available with Pixel or Samsung phones. It will be available in European markets for select cars like Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles.
Furthermore, this digital key can be sent to other phones if you want to lend someone your car. These features are currently only available in a select few cars, but Google has promised that apps will soon be more common.


text:
JD Sports boss attacks ‘flawed’ competition ruling against Footasylum bid
The boss of JD Sports has lambasted the competition watchdog for “a complete misunderstanding of our market” after the authority warned that it could force the retailer to sell off Footasylum.
JD Sports, which has 375 stores in Britain, bought its smaller rival, which has 70 shops, for £90 million last year.
In May the Competition and Markets Authority blocked the retailers from integrating their operations and began a six-month investigation. It said yesterday that it was minded to reverse the deal after finding that shoppers could receive fewer discounts, a worse service and less choice in stores and online.
Peter Cowgill, JD Sports’ executive chairman, immediately hit back, saying that the watchdog’s analysis was “fundamentally flawed” and that “in its findings the CMA has


text:
Palletline member Browns Distribution is planning to move just 300 metres from its current headquarters in Stoke-on-Trent to a new £8m facility next year after experiencing rocketing demand. The new facility will boast a 75,000 sq ft warehouse, offices spanning two stories and a new 100-space park area. The relocation to the new site, which will create another 15 jobs, is a result of strong growth at the family firm which reports “sky rocketing” demand for palletised collections and deliveries […]
Pall-Ex France has officially gone live, becoming the business’s fourth active network on the Continent.
Hermes has acquired two new depots in the north of England to meet rising demand driven by a surge in online shopping during the Covid-19 pandemic.
BOC and Calor Gas’ decision to quit the UK LNG market is a sign of market consolidation in the UK which will only benefit operators in the long term, according to Gasrec chief commercial officer James Westcott.


text:
Google+ Local, Paid Inclusion, Facebook Ads & More: This Week’s Webby Wonders
Sayonara May, Hola June! Here’s a quick roundup of what you might have missed this week, in case you’ve been stuck in Memorial-Day-beach-mode.
Say Hello to Google+ Local
Google is shelving Google Places in exchange for new Google+ Local pages. The new Google+ Local pages are integrated with Zagat reviews (now that Zagat acquisition finally makes sense), and will allow businesses to connect better with customers. SEL has a great comprehensive guide about what to expect when you’re expecting Google+ Local.
Haters Gonna Hate
In lieu of the new Google+ Local business pages, Socialnomics published a great blog post about how to deal with negative reviews. Here’s a hint: Don’t flip out! I will say though, I’ve seen some businesses use those “People Hate Us On Yelp” stickers and pull it off with a we-don’t-give-a-flying-monkey attitude. That won’t work for everyone though.
Facebook Says No to GM’s Request for Page Takeovers
At the risk of beating a dead horse with the Facebook/GM news, AdAge reported this week that, shortly before GM pulled their Facebook advertising dollars, Facebook refused to allow GM page takeovers; another puzzle piece enters the mix!
New FB Advertising: Promoted Posts
Facebook, no doubt responding to worldwide criticism of their adverting setup (partly our fault), released a new advertising option called “Promoted Posts.” It is what it sounds like—you pay some extra green stuff to promote one of your posts so that it reaches the news feed of more Facebook users than usual. Nothing revolutionary, but it’ll be interested to see the effects of this. It certainly shows that Facebook is willing to re-think their advertising position.
Google Embracing Paid Inclusion? Say It Ain’t So!
Despite condemning the practice paid inclusion in the past, Google is tinkering with the Dark Side as it begins implementing paid inclusion in its Google Shopping service. Paid Inclusion is when advertisers pay to be included in search results, although paying does not guarantee you’ll necessarily rank better for certain terms. Danny Sullivan of SEL explains Google’s transition from Google Product Search to Google Shopping, and how paid inclusion will affect advertisers.
Did we miss anything exciting you want to add? Comment below and let us know!
And what do you think of Facebook’s promoted posts? Will Facebook totally revamp their advertising setup? Should we expect businesses to start paying for Facebook pages? We want to know—what do you think?
And lastly, because this is just plain adorable:


text:
Wal-Mart of Superior opened its doors Oct. 1, 1991. Twenty of the associates who greeted customers that first day are still working at the business.
They've weathered a megastorm, benzene spill, seven managers and the upheaval of moving to a new superstore. After 25 years, the core group of workers still is going strong.
"I'm sure everybody could agree with me, where has this 25 years gone?" said Laurie Dahl. "It's gone by really fast. We've seen our kids grow up, we've seen grandkids and great-grandkids amongst us; it's kinda cool."
Not only that, said Diane Blaylock, they've seen their customers' children grow along the way.
"And they remind you how old you are," said Betts VanHolbeck.
The Wal-Mart originals gathered last month for a quick picture and a look back.
"We got hired in August," said Colleen Basinski. "We pretty much had to build every one of the floors from the ground up."
"When we walked in they were just putting the carpeting in," VanHolbeck said. "I looked at Marsha (Leaf) and said 'What the heck did we get ourselves into now? Where's the store?'"
They pieced together one store, then a second, as they rolled with the times.
"One thing they told us was be flexible, because Wal-Mart is always change," ValHolbeck said, and that was no fib.
The biggest change took place in 2005, when the Wal-Mart Superstore opened. Constructed while the original store was in operation, the new building is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It employs 320 associates and welcomes about 13,000 customers a day.
The Superior Wal-Mart was the first to open in the Twin Ports, and the third in the Northland. It followed Wal-Marts that opened in Grand Rapids in January 1991 and Ashland in July 1991. The Hermantown Wal-Mart opened in February 1992, with the Cloquet location opening in 1993.
Technological advances ranked as the second biggest change the longtime Superior employees have adapted to. When the store opened its doors, everything was manual.
"We didn't have printers to start with," said Valerie Sweeney.
Registers were balanced by hand, and they couldn't go home until every paper void slip had been found and accounted for. Now, everything is computerized.
Other big adjustments have included department and schedule changes as the main customer base has shifted to shopping later in the day.
Less than a month after Wal-Mart opened, the Halloween megastorm hit. The associates who did make it to work were quickly sent home as Wal-Mart, along with hundreds of other area businesses, closed for the blizzard.
Less than a year later, the benzene spill along the Nemadji River caused disruption as thousands of people in the Twin Ports were evacuated. Once again, employees who got to the store were told to go home.
Since Day One, associates said, Wal-Mart has been giving back to the community.
They remembered events and fundraisers that were held in the old building, from Halloween parties for children to dunk tanks, bicycle races and even a country music concert.
Today, the Superior store donates about $15,000 a year in large donations of about $2,000 apiece and another $200 to $400 a month in smaller donations to community groups, according to co-manager Troy Foucault. These include supplying food for spaghetti dinner benefits and dollars for local causes. Through the Volunteerism Always Pays program, if an associate volunteers 25 hours or more per year to a nonprofit, Wal-Mart will match that with a $250 donation - $10 per hour.
In 1991, the store didn't compost or reclaim food. That, too, has changed. In 2015, the Superior store donated 135,000 pounds of food to Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, enough food to provide 107,278 meals.
"It's just amazing how just one store can take this product and give it to somebody that's in need and it can be put to good use instead of throwing it away," Dahl said.
The Wal-Mart originals keep track of where they ranked in the hiring list. Shirley Brown was one of the first three hires. Others called off their numbers - 10, 28, 19, 29.
Some have tried nearly every job in the store; others found their niche early. And when frontage road construction near the store slowed the flow of customers, associates and managers pitched in together to turn it around.
Dahl didn't even know what a Wal-Mart was when she stood in the hiring line along Tower Avenue.
"I knew it was a retail store. I hadn't heard about it; I knew nothing about it," she said. "And I didn't start the job planning on staying here for 25 years, and here we are."
They said they've stayed because the wages and benefits are good. At this stage in their lives, Leaf said, they'd be crazy to leave.
"And we're a close-knit group," Basinski said.
"We're family," said Irene Conklin.


text:
BOSTON: US businesses need to talk more to consumers about corporate social responsibility or they risk losing customers, according to a new corporate citizenship survey done by strategic marketing firm Cone.
Indeed, Americans consider matters of good corporate citizenship when making buying decision more today than anytime in recent history, the survey suggests.
Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed with the statement: "I'm very/somewhat likely to switch from one brand to another that is about the same in price and quality if the other brand is associated with a cause."
Eighty-five percent of respondents said a company's commitment to social issues is important when they consider which companies they want to see doing business in their local communities.
In addition, 81% said social commitment is important when they consider where to work, and 74% said it is important in deciding which products they recommend to others.
Respondents generally want companies to do cause-based marketing.
When asked, "Is it acceptable for companies to involve a cause or issue in their marketing?" 72% said yes, compared with 70% in a 2001 study and 66% in 1993, the first year Cone did such a survey.
When asked to name a socially involved firm, 12% said Wal-Mart, followed by about 7% who said McDonald's.
While Wal-Mart is regularly the subject of negative press coverage, it has been advertising a great deal about its social involvement in local communities, and those messages apparently are connecting with consumers, said Carol Cone, agency CEO.
McDonald's publicizes its involvement with Ronald McDonald House, a reason it consistently has been named as an involved corporate citizen in surveys, she added.
"People want companies to get involved, but they want them to get involved in a credible way, and they want to hear about it," Cone said.
When asked to name a firm they considered a strong corporate citizen, 80% of respondents were able to do so, compared with only 49% in 2001 and 26% in 1993, Cone said.
Asked whom they consider credible sources of information on company social responsibility efforts, 59% said family and friends, 38% said government agencies, 37% said news organizations, and only 23% said the company itself.
This answer means companies must use grassroots PR and nonprofit groups with which they work to help deliver their social responsibility messages, Cone said.
The study polled 1,033 adults by phone October 22 to 25 and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.


text:
Lots of leaks and rumors related to Samsung’s next flagship smartphone ‘Samsung Galaxy S11‘ have been revealed. Leaks and reports have definitely given an idea about this device to be launched in the first quarter of 2020 next year. Now it has been revealed that Samsung can offer a new feature in this device for the first time, with the help of which the rear camera will be able to click better pictures. Samsung can offer ‘laser autofocus’ feature in this series of devices, with the help of which the camera of the phone will perform better.
This information has been shared by Tipster Ice Universe. Two pictures of the new smartphone’s camera setup have also been shared by Tipster on Twitter. Tipster claims that the shared photos are of the most powerful device of the series, the Galaxy S11 Plus and that there will be four camera sensors on its rear panel as well as a laser autofocus sensor. At the same time, in the standard variant of this series, users will get a camera setup with three camera sensors and a laser autofocus sensor.
Better portrait shots: Samsung may introduce laser sensor for the first time in its Galaxy S11 series. The photos showed that the laser autofocus system found in the new device will be given in the bottom right corner in the camera setup of both the devices of this series. However, other details related to the phone’s camera specifications and sensors have not been revealed. With the introduction of new details, it can definitely be said that with the help of Samsung Galaxy S11, users will be able to take better portrait shots as the laser autofocus system will be able to click sharp images with better depth.
The affordable model of Samsung’s new Galaxy S11 series can be launched under the name Galaxy S11e and it is believed that it will be launched to compete with the Apple iPhone 11. Earlier, it was said by Tipster Onleaks (via PriceBaba) that triple camera setup and punch hole display users can be found in this handset. Some rumors have said that the Samsung Galaxy S11 can get a 120Hz refresh rate display, 8K video recording support, up to 12GB of RAM and 25W fast charging support. It is being speculated that Samsung 108MP camera sensor can be given in this phone.
This is the Laser focusing module added by the Galaxy S11 series. pic.twitter.com/44fDYvFz4F
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) November 25, 2019
- Samsung Galaxy S11 to have a 120 Hz display
- Samsung Galaxy S11 to support 8K video recording
- Samsung Galaxy S11 Plus: Release date, Screen Size; More
- Samsung patents SAMOLED brand for screens ahead of Galaxy S11 launch
- Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite Complete Specifications Leaked
- Samsung Galaxy S11 5G get certified in China
- Samsung Galaxy S11 series leak reveals camera configurations and launch date


text:
While beef generates 70 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions for every kilogram produced, while also causing widespread deforestation, Air Protein founder Lisa Dyson claims that its protein production emits far less carbon and doesn’t require land or animals.
“We look at the analysis from cradle to gate, prior to when the product is consumed,” she told Dezeen. “On this basis, our vision is to build the first carbon-negative meat company.”https://www-dezeen-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.dezeen.com/2022/04/14/air-protein-meat-alternative-recycled-carbon-dioxide/amp/
Current marketplace trends suggest that many consumers are seeking products that are local, are manufactured by real people, and traditional or at least remind customers of their childhood.
This is a breakfast staple that, even as it scrambles to keep ever-stricter tabs on supplies, seems to catch a lot of political flak.
Nutella is only one of many reminders that multinational supply chains are at the heart of global struggles like the fight against climate change and the drive to stamp out human-rights abuses. And yet this responsibility still seems to be catching firms by surprise.
In hindsight, we were lucky. Many creatures of this Earth didn’t live to see 2030. Humans could not save the animals we’d damned, but at least you and I are still here, right? Some people, though, couldn’t live with the destruction and chaos around them. Others had little choice when death came knocking. I remember the last time I saw you; we sat on your new deck, thinking of the world your sweet, curly haired boy was entering. A world plagued with death—deaths that lie at the feet of elected officials who ignored and denied the many crises we faced, and who took every penny the fossil fuel industry gave them. Read more (Patagonia)


text:
Cherries have retained their mantle as China’s largest imported fruit by value, with Chile continuing to dominate the trade.
A recent USDA Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report valued China’s cherry import trade at US$1.3bn over the 2018/19 market year (12 months to 31 March 2019), with over 180,000 tonnes of the fruit shipped to the Asian nation over this time period.
Imports are expected to increase to 190,000 tonnes over the 2019/20 market year, according to the report.
With import volumes peaking around Chinese New Year celebrations, Southen Hemisphere suppliers account for a large percentage of overall sales.
Chile remains the single largest cherry supplier to China, with import volumes expected to rise over the next few years as cherry production in the Latin American nation continues to increase.
China Customs data cited in the USDA report put Chilean cherry shipments to China at 163,475 tonnes over the 2018 calendar year (12 months to 31 December 2018).
The China Customs data ranked the US second on the list of import origins over 2018 at 14,398 tonnes, ahead of Canada (5,482 tonnes), Australia (1,597 tonnes) and New Zealand (1,043 tonnes).
The report highlighted that import volume from the US fell sharply over the quoted 2018/19 market year, due to ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.
China’s domestic cherry production is forecast at 420,000 tonnes for the 2019/20 market year, up 23 per cent from 2018/19 due to an increased number of bearing trees.
In the absence of widespread post-harvest treatment, the USDA report concluded China exports a very limited volume of cherries to neighbouring countries such as Russia and Thailand.


text:
Progressive AFT Welcomes Fans Back into the Paddock at OKC
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 8, 2021) – Progressive American Flat Track announced today the long-awaited return of its open paddock sessions at all remaining races of the 2021 season. With the changes to CDC guidelines and local regulations on outdoor events, Progressive AFT will bring back its Rider Autograph session beginning with its fifth and sixth rounds at Remington Park.
It has been nearly two years since race fans and riders have intermingled at the racetrack, so the return of the fan walk at the Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile Doubleheader presented by KICKER will be a treat for fans and racers alike.
“I’m excited to interact with the fans again in OKC,” said Briar Bauman, reigning two-time Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Champion. “We as racers get as much joy talking and catching up with fans as they do us. The small interaction we had with fans in Chicago reminded me of the reasons I became a racer in the first place and why fan support means the world.”
The stars of Progressive AFT will test the upper limits of speed, bravery, and excitement when the series unleashes the first Mile action of the season doubleheader style. The Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I & II presented by KICKER at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, will take place on Friday, June 18, and Saturday, June 19. Tickets are available for purchase now at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3323/#selectTickets. For those viewing from home, live coverage will be available on any device for only $1.99 a month via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
About Progressive American Flat Track
Progressive American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.
Born from the desire to inspire and create adventure and community, SUPER73 is an American lifestyle adventure brand fusing motorcycle heritage and youth culture. Founded in 2016 and based in Southern California, SUPER73 has led the charge in pioneering a new approach to help redefine the electric motorbike industry. By emphasizing thoughtful design, responsible manufacturing techniques, and local community engagement, the brand continually strives to grow and expand into a true industry leader. For more information, please visit super73.com


text:
A Hacker from the United Kingdom will spend the next 10 years in prison. He was found guilty of 63,000 credit and debit cards stolen. During a search the officers also found a considerable amount of Bitcoin, cash and Cannabis.
Blockchain, Bitcoin and the “underworld” are a thing. While currencies in the Crypto and the surrounding industry still struggling to emerge from the dark corner, there are always incidents, pushing your Image there. The speech is from hackers, criminal activity, and the apparent anonymity that is made time and again for such occurrences (co-)responsible.
A Hacker, believed to know in the protection of anonymity, was caught by the British judicial system. At the age of 26, he had managed to steal via Hacking, a total of 63,000 credit and debit cards. He used a Phishing scheme with the he ausspähte according to the BBC, England is the data of 165,000 people. According to the authorities, he was captured in order of 180,000 British pounds and this in convert Bitcoin.
Data-fishing against Bitcoin
His method is that of the current EOS-Scams resembled. He sent E-Mails from the Online-delivery-Eat service of the Just, and asked the users to their data online. He put on the original page, he copied them, he was able to deceive so many users and so your data is coming from. He lured with vouchers as a reward for the users to enter their data. The captured credit card data he sold, among other things, on the Darknet markets. After he had stood before the court, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In addition to Just-Eat, he should also have Sainsbury’s, Asda,, Argos, and other companies attacked, to come to data.
The police were able to ultimately ensure, 25,000 British pounds (about € 28,500) in cash and 500,000 British pounds (about 573.000 Euro) in Bitcoin, and half a Kilo of Cannabis. In addition, the authorities found the Laptop of his girlfriend, the Hacker used, and information of more than 100,000 people had saved.


text:
· Dental work in Costa Rica
It's a pity that Joan Rivers vowed to never visit Costa Rica again after a ticket snafu at the airport. The face-lift queen will miss out treatments in the country that cost 30 to 40 percent less than those in the U.S., according to the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.
Costa Rica is a popular medical tourism destination for Americans because of its proximity to the States and U.S. citizens don't need a visa to enter. And though many travel there for plastic surgery, a growing number go to the Central American country for dental work. According to Biotech Business Week, 45 percent of Americans don't have dental insurance. While most people will avoid sitting in a dentist's chair, these uninsured Americans make the trek to Costa Rica, where they'd only pay around $500 for a crown, while they'd have to cough up $650 to $1,200 to get one at home, the publication reported.
Thinking about getting some work done while in Costa Rica? Check out the Clinica Biblica Hospital in San Jose. It was the first facility in the region to receive Joint Commission International accreditation, a set of standards set forth by a group of global health-care experts, and is only one of three places with the distinction. Plus the private hospital has the approval of Patients Beyond Borders, an authority on medical tourism. Heck the place even has an "international department," where you'll get VIP Concierge services to handle lodging and sightseeing tours and transportation to and from airport as well as assistance through immigration.
Tourists head to South Africa to be wrinkle-free, unlike this guy.
· Face-lifts in South Africa
Jet-setters book South African safaris in hopes of spotting wild animals, but on scalpel safaris, tourists hope to only see taut skin and perky ta-tas. On a scalpel safari, people head to the country to get some cosmetic surgery done and then spend the rest of their vacation hanging out in the sun. But the warm weather and elephants aren't the only reason that people travel to South Africa; medical procedures cost 30 to 40 percent less than in the U.S., the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions reported.
Lorraine Melvill, who's worked in the South African medical tourism industry for 11 years, says one of the most popular cosmetic procedures is the face-lift. In the U.S., the national average for face-lift physician fees is about $6,700, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported in 2008, but that figure doesn't include the additional charges for the surgical facility, anesthesia, medical tests, prescriptions and medical garments. The cost for a younger looking face can easily reach $20,000. In South Africa, a face-lift will cost $9,900, all-inclusive, she says.
Melvill's the founder and owner of Surgeon & Safari, a company that not only will handle all of the deets for your treatment and your accommodations afterward, but will also arrange for a bush safari or a shopping excursion to Cape Town, where you can buy some new clothing to match the new you.
South African plastic surgeons have been working to place the country on the map as the go-to spot for medical tourists. During the country's first Health Tourism Congress in July, event organizer Cawe Mahlati said that the nation can accommodate up to 1 million health tourists each year and is ideally placed to the become the destination of choice for medical and cosmetic surgical procedures, South African publication Business Day said.
A dip in Friedrichsbad is supposed to help your immune system.
· An immune system boost in Baden-Baden
We highlighted some of the more serious procedures that medical tourists undergo, so we figure we'd offer an option that's not so invasive. Some medical tourists look for natural ways to cure what ails them. Those in the know head to the historic German spa town of Baden-Baden, about 50 miles from Strasbourg, France. But these aren't any ordinary baths. Baden-Baden, which translates to "Bath-Bath," is known for its medicinal waters.
Two thousand years ago, Roman emperor Caracalla found relief soaking his arthritic bones in the town's thermal spring water and it's been a spa town ever since. The water is supposed to help with ailments like spinal disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory tract disorders and circulatory problems.
Stay at Brenner's Park-Hotel & Spa and you won't need to leave the grounds for any treatments. The hotel has its own medical spa manned by a team of doctors, dentists, dermatologists and nutritionists. There's also a beauty spa component with an indoor Roman pool filled with mineral water.
But if you venture into town, go spa-ing at Friedrichsbad, which sits atop where the old Roman baths used to be. Friedrichsbad is serious about its Roman-Irish bath experience, a 17-step process that takes three and half hours. The treatment is supposed to boost your circulation, strengthen your immune system, help your skin and relax you. Hey, if it worked for a Roman emperor, why not?
· Soujourn at the Spa of Spas [New York Times]
· South Korea Promotes Itself As The Spot For Eyelid Surgery [Jaunted]
· Medical Tourism Travel [Jaunted]


text:
Jamyn Edis, the CEO and cofounder of the driving startup Dash, told Business Insider that he likes to describe the company as the "Nest for cars."
Like the smart thermostat company that Google recently acquired, Dash helps users save money while being more environmentally friendly while they drive.
The idea is that you plug a dongle into your car's diagnostics board. That dongle, along with Dash's app, then tracks 300 data points about your driving, including how often you hard-break or speed. It uses that data to grade your driving.
Dash just hit a milestone — its users logged 5 million driving miles — and the startup used that data to discover some interesting statistics about where the best and worst drivers live.


text:
NBCU Launches Peacock Premium Service
Updated: Dec 22, 2020
The new Peacock service starts its launch on Comcast. It will then expand to Cox.
NBCU is going all the way! They’re going to launch Peacock Premium for only Comcast subscribers today. That’s if you’re unlucky enough to be a Comcast subscriber. The new Peacock channel is set to launch on Cox on July 15th. Boy that sounded dirty! The new service has already been screwed with the Summer Olympics getting pushed back to next year. But have no fear, the original series Brave New World and the Psych movie should drop in July. But you may have to wait a bit longer for your Punky Brewster and Saved By The Bell reboots. NBCU says Peacock will launch with 15,000 hours of content. That’s about 500 episodes of 30 Rock in case you were wondering. So how much is it going to cost? It ranges from free to about ten bucks per month depending where you get it from and if you want commercials or not. Peacock says it’s only have about five minutes of commercials or less per hour. So I guess we get to watch a screen that says “we’ll be right back” for the rest of the time they need to fill in between episodes of Two and a Half Men.
This article was written by Christopher Michael McHugh. Mr. McHugh is a producer, media analyst and marketer. He is the owner of McQ Marketing Group. He can be reached via email at firstname.lastname@example.org or by phone at 203-689-3419.
© 2020 McQ Marketing Group


text:
AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.
Apple will commemorate National Parks in the U.S. with its annual Apple Watch Activity Challenge on Aug. 27.
The 2022 National Parks challenge will ask users to complete a hike, walk, run, or wheelchair workout of at least a mile on Saturday, Aug. 27.
"Let's celebrate the beauty of national parks everywhere. On August 27, earn this award by recording a hike, walk, run, or wheelchair workout of a mile (1.6K) or more with any app that adds workouts to Health," the company wrote of the challenge.
As a reward for completing the activity, users will gain access to a special Activity Challenge badge. Users will also win animated stickers that can be used in the Messages app.


text:
- For Immediate Release:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- The FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to three sellers of fraudulent COVID-19 products, as part of the agency’s effort to protect both people and pets. With these warning letters, the FDA is exercising its authority to protect consumers and animals from companies selling unapproved products with false or misleading claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are currently no approved preventatives or treatments for COVID-19. Consumers should not purchase or take any product to prevent or treat COVID-19 unless it is prescribed by a health care provider and acquired from a legitimate source.
- The first seller warned, Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, sells fraudulent and dangerous chlorine dioxide products known as "Miracle Mineral Solution" for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The FDA has previously warned consumers not to purchase or drink chlorine dioxide products sold online as medical treatments, as the agency is not aware of any scientific evidence supporting their safety or effectiveness and they pose significant risks to patient health.
- The second seller warned, Savvy Holistic Health dba Holistic Healthy Pet, sells fraudulent products with misleading claims about the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 in people and pets.
- The third seller warned, CBD Online Store, offers unapproved and misbranded CBD products with misleading claims the products are safe and/or effective for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 in people.
- Today, the FDA issued guidance to provide recommendations to health care providers and investigators on the administration and study of convalescent plasma to patients currently seriously ill with COVID-19. Convalescent plasma is plasma collected from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, and is referred to as COVID-19 convalescent plasma. The agency’s guidance provides recommendations on pathways available to health care providers for use of investigational COVID-19 convalescent plasma; patient eligibility; collection of COVID-19 convalescent plasma, including donor eligibility and donor qualifications; and labeling and recordkeeping. The recommendations included in the guidance are intended to supplement information that FDA previously made available on its web site.
- Diagnostics update to date:
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked with more than 270 test developers who have said they will be submitting emergency use authorizations (EUA) requests to FDA for tests that detect the virus.
- To date, 31 emergency use authorizations have been issued for diagnostic tests.
- The FDA has been notified that more than 150 laboratories have begun testing under the policies set forth in our COVID-19 Policy for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease-2019 during the Public Health Emergency Guidance.
- The FDA also continues to keep its COVID-19 Diagnostics FAQ up to date.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
- Molly Block