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Here is our Hospitality News Roundup from around the country for week commencing 28th March. If we’ve missed anything please add in the comments below:
Leicestermercury.co.uk: Dolce & Verde cafe set to open in Belvoir Street in June: The owner of a successful Rothley cafe is planning to open a second coffee shop in the centre of Leicester. Harry Murphy is feverishly working to get his Dolce & Verde cafe, in Belvoir Street, ready for its grand opening on June 1. It will be his second business, which will see his brand grow. The Leicester branch will be four times the size of its sister shop, in Woodgate, Rothley, which opened in 2014,but will offer much of the same in the way of food and drink – such as California style breakfasts (sourdough toast with avocado and poached eggs), wraps, paninis, patisserie and bagels. “We are a Leicestershire business and genuinely believe the county and city can do great things,” said Harry. “If you look at the influx of new businesses and restaurants in the city in the past few years it’s exciting. “It’s our time to stand out as a city that is really growing and improving. We felt particularly lucky to get the Belvoir street location because for us it’s a ‘famous’ road socially – it’s where we all used to go out – and so the leap from small village coffee house to city centre seemed less daunting.” Harry said he is not concerned about the number of rival coffee shops and cafes in the city, with which he will have to compete. “Naturally there is always a healthy amount of competition when you take the jump in to the city,” he said. “But in the coffee business – on the speciality side – there is a network, a kind of kinship in caffeine, whereby we all strive to raise the standards of coffee for the whole city. “That’s our mission with the Leicester store, to show people what coffee and food can be when the person serving you loves what they do, and cares about your experience.”
Propelinfonews.com: Prezzo opens new restaurant in Grantham: Prezzo has opened a new site in Grantham, Lincolnshire. The company has launched the site in St Peter’s Hill having refurbished two adjoining empty units next to Costa Coffee. The restaurant, which has created 16 jobs, has seating for 137 diners, including a dedicated party table adjacent to the bar that seats eight. It has a contemporary look of mainly light oak and marble and also features silver mirrors. Guests can see their pizzas being prepared and cooked by the chefs. Manager Karina Rucka told the Grantham Journal: “I am confident that it will prove popular and be a great addition to the social and eating out scene in Grantham.”
Propelinfonews.com: Multi-siters add boutique bedrooms with support from Star Pubs & Bars: Multi-site operators Jo and Justin Chad have added five boutique bedrooms to their historic pub in Harlaxton, Lincolnshire. The alterations to the 18th century Gregory Pub and Dining Rooms, in Harlaxton Road, will allow it to open up a new area of growth for the already successful business. The dining pub will also soon be open to the public for breakfast and all day for coffees, teas and snacks, in addition to lunches and dinners. Jo Chad, who also runs the Chequers Inn at Woolsthorpe by Belvoir, said: “We’ve grown our business every year since 2003 throughout the recession. Now seemed the ideal time to invest in the pub and the local economy as we feel confident about the area’s future and are picking up on a positive feel-good factor from the many business people who dine at The Gregory. We’re always being asked if we can add bedrooms by people who are dining at the pub, especially business people staying nearby.” The investment has been made jointly by the Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars and the licensees. Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs & Bars, said: “Heineken is a passionate supporter of the great British pub, of which The Gregory Pub and Dining Rooms is a great example, thanks to Jo and Justin’s hard work.”
Bighospitality.co.uk: Close restaurants with no disabled access, says House of Lords
By Sophie Witts, 29-Mar-2016
Restaurants and pubs which fail to provide facilities for disabled customers should be closed down, a House of Lords Select Committee has claimed. Read More
By Emma Eversham+, 29-Mar-2016
Restaurants and hotels have been criticised for taking too long to reply to Tweets sent by customers and giving a poor quality response when they do.
Propelinfonews.com: Old Northampton Group acquires fifth site: Old Northampton Group has acquired its fifth site in Northampton. The company has taken over the former Fat Cats bar in Bridge Street, which was gutted by fire in 2012. It aims to remove scaffolding around the building this summer and begin refurbishing the property later this year. The company’s plans for the grade II-listed property are “top secret”, but a spokesman said up to three proposals had been put forward. He told the Northampton Herald & Post: “We are working very hard with the council on some ideas and sharing thoughts with them, but I can’t say what we are going to do at the moment – it’s too early. There are two or three ideas, but it’s highly unlikely it is going to be any form of a bar (like it used to be). As a group, we have got enough sites (restaurants) in Northampton and we are happy with them. We want to work on an idea that is beneficial to everybody and to get the best of the building.” The blaze at the former Fat Cats bar is believed to have been accidentally caused by workmen using hot tools while repairing the roof. Old Northampton Group owns the Department of Meat and Social Affairs, Sazerac, The Old House Pub and Kitchen and is also launching pub restaurant The Lighthouse.
Propelinfonews.com: Suffolk country pub freehold on market for £580,000: The freehold of the Three Blackbirds country pub in Woodditton, west Suffolk, has been put on the market for £580,000, inclusive of trade fixtures and fittings. The 17th century, detached, grade II-listed dining pub with thatched roof is being marketed by agent Fleurets. The 100-cover venue features exposed ceiling beams with inglenook hearths, and is about four miles from Newmarket and 14 miles from Cambridge. The property also has enclosed beer gardens and a car park to the rear. In 2014, outline planning permission was granted for an annexe at the back to provide nine en-suite letting bedrooms. The property’s owners are selling up to concentrate on other core business interests. Simon Jackaman, divisional director for Fleurets’ East Anglia office, said: “This is an exceptional dining pub which has come to the market in one of the most appealing areas of west Suffolk. The property is an ideal acquisition for an existing pub company or chef proprietor.”
Propelinfonews.com: JD Wetherspoon seeks to expand Norwich pub: JD Wetherspoon has asked Norwich City Council for permission to extend The Bell Hotel, in Orford Hill, in the city centre. The company is seeking approval to extend the floor space for drinkers into empty offices above the Santander bank. Eddie Gershon, spokesman for JD Wetherspoon, said: “The Bell Hotel is one of our most long established pubs in the UK and one of the most popular in Norwich and Norfolk. We are always keen to add value for our customers and as a result, we have put in for planning permission to extend. That is a decision to be made by the city council, but we are very keen to extend and create an even better pub for our customers.”
By Nicholas Robinson+, 29-Mar-2016
Brakes, the foodservice supplier, will distribute bottled beers and ciders for the first time, it has announced. Read More
Lynnnews.co.uk: King’s Lynn’s Lattice House to have new owners from May: Jobs will be retained and pints will still be pulled after it was announced this week that new owners have been found for an historic Lynn town centre pub. After months of uncertainty, regulars at the Lattice House in Chapel Street will still enjoy a drink. The venue, a Grade II listed building, was put up for sale by the JD Wetherspoon chain last November and has been purchased by Hawthorn Leisure. It was one of 34 Wetherspoon pubs across the country to be put on the market. At the time, the pub chain said they would be sold together. But a spokeswoman for Hawthorn Leisure said yesterday that the Lattice House was a ‘sole purchase’. Wetherspoon’s, who first bought the popular venue back in November 1988, last day of trading will be on May 7. Staff at the Lattice House were informed of Hawthorn Leisure’s purchase on Tuesday. Hawthorn Leisure chief executive, Gerry Carroll said: “We are delighted to welcome management and staff into the Hawthorn team as they transfer across with the pub. “It will be business as usual from completion and our relentless focus on people, quality and delivering great value will ensure that we continue to offer a fantastic proposition for our customers.” According to its website, Hawthorn Leisure is a new company which was formed in 2013 to acquire, invest in and support pubs across the UK. It owns a diverse range of more than 350 pubs across the country.
Propelinfonews.com: Freehold of former JD Wetherspoon site in Luton sells at auction for £900,000: The freehold of a former JD Wetherspoon pub in Luton has been bought at auction for £900,000. The London Hatter in Park Street closed its doors in February for “commercial reasons” with staff re-employed at other company sites. The freehold has been bought by a family-run private investment firm based in Elstree, near Borehamwood, reports the Luton News. Although JD Wetherspoon no longer operates from the site it still leases the property for £61,000 a year. The agreement will expire in 2041 – although the company has a break clause it can exercise in 2026 with six months’ notice. It is understood JD Wetherspoon is looking to sub-let the property in order to negate the cost of the lease. The freehold included the site’s ground floor, five parking spaces and one upper floor. The former pub is part of a larger building, the remainder of which was not up for sale. The London Hatter first opened in July 2011 after a £960,000 refurbishment of the building, which used to operate as Legends nightclub.
Peterboroughtoday.co.uk: Lease signing a significant step forward for Peterborough micro pub: What could become Peterborough’s first micro pub has moved a step closer. Tom Beran, landlord at the popular Coalheavers Arms in Woodston, has taken on a 10-year lease at a former pharmacy in Westgate for a venture which will be known as The Bimble Inn. Micro pubs – a “stripped-back” version of a real-ale pub – have been springing up in disused retail units in towns and cities in the past decade aimed at discerning drinkers out for a quiet pint or two. Edward Gee, associate in the business space team at Savills Peterborough, said: “46 Westgate is the ideal location for The Bimble Inn, which will look to target city centre drinkers. “Micro pubs are proving a popular trend and we are very pleased to have let this space on behalf of our client.” Tom Beran added: “We are delighted to be opening Peterborough’s first Micro Pub. This property is ideal for Peterborough real ale fans and adds another venue to the town’s real ale and craft beer scene.” Renovation of the premises is under way, and Tom has previously said TheBimble Inn will serve 4-5real ales, British wines,real cider, craft keg and a range of interesting premium bottles and cans. “Micro pubs are the new boom in hospitality and leisure – they harken back to a simpler time when pubs were just about good beer, and good conversation- no TV, no music, work-friendly hours,” he adds. A second micro pub and bottle shop – The Stone Works – is on schedule to open this summer in a former betting office in Church Street, in the city centre,with work there underway too.
GolfClubManagement.net: Controversial youth-friendly dress code initiative launches: An R&A campaign that’s set to get more teenagers into golf clubs could result in older golfers feeling pressurised into dressing down on the course and in the clubhouse, an industry figure has warned. Starting today, The R&A’s #BootDaSuit campaign will see grants of up to £30,000 awarded to every golf club that enforces a ‘teenage-friendly’ dress code for at least two days a week for the next 12 months. Members and visitors of participating clubs on the set days, of which one must be a weekend day, will not be allowed to wear smart clothing such as jackets, shirts or ties in the clubhouse. Instead casual dress such as sportswear, tracksuits, football strips and hooded tops will be encouraged. “The idea is to create a less intimidating environment for youths, who, at the end of the day are the future of this sport,” said R&A spokesman Terry Jenkins. In a further change with traditional golf attire, members will be advised to wear casual trainers rather than smart shoes, although spiked golf shoes will be permitted. The initiative follows market research which found that 45 percent of young people feel dress codes and smart clothing intimidate them and put them off taking up the sport. In addition, the research found that golf has not benefitted from the huge growth of hen and stag parties, an industry now worth in excess of £750 million a year. Guests will also be encouraged to play in fancy dress for events such as Christmas, St Patrick’s Day and Halloween, and clubs are being advised to be more tolerant when it comes to the ‘three S’s’: swearing, smoking and spitting. Read More
Propelinfonews.com: Oakman Inns awarded three stars for sustainability: Oakman Inns & Restaurants, led by Peter Borg-Neal, has been awarded the highest possible status of three stars from The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) in the Food Made Good awards. Oakman is only the second pub group to achieve three-star status and join the ranks of restaurateurs such as Raymond Blanc (the SRA president), Rick Stein, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Thomasina Miers, and Antonio Carluccio, all of whose restaurant companies have achieved the accolade. The rating is based on a holistic assessment of each business, covering 14 key areas that consider best sustainability practice under the headings (or pillars) of society, sourcing and environment – it has an overall score of 98%. The judges commented on the comprehensive employee induction and training programmes that include developing skills in, for example, wine and cellar management, as well as graduate and management training programmes. They also praised Oakman Inns for providing customers with healthier options by offering smaller portion sizes at a reduced cost and healthier cooking methods, such as steaming. Oakman Inns also received a score of 98% for its community engagement programme where it continues to support local charities and work closely with the Springboard Charity. In addition, the company organises networking breakfasts for local businesses and invites schoolchildren to come and learn about how food is produced. Borg-Neal said: “2016 will be our fourth year of membership and everyone working with and for us has joined our efforts to make each and every one of the Oakman Inns a sustainably beneficial part of the local area and community. Obviously we are committed to improving our scores in other areas, such as energy efficiency and in our use of recycled materials, and I believe our future bars and restaurants will reflect that in many ways.”
Propelinfonews.com: Food & Fuel achieves two-star rating from Sustainable Restaurant Association: Food & Fuel, the 13-strong gastro-pub and cafe bar group, has been awarded a two-star Food Made Good rating by the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA) in recognition of its performance in its annual sustainability rating. A number of new initiatives across all aspects of the business helped Food & Fuel’s London sites improve on their previous one star rating. Monthly changing menus to incorporate seasonality featuring almost exclusively fresh British ingredients and a selection of British wines and UK craft beers, helped boost the score in the sourcing section of the Food Made Good rating. An increased focus on healthy eating means customers can now order dishes in two sizes and there are more vegetarian dishes on offer. All of the sites host at least one charity event every year as well as supporting local community initiatives and participate in events such as Race for Life. The restaurants have implemented a number of positive initiatives to help them reduce their environmental footprint – including upping their recycling and installing smart meters and energy reduction targets. Peter Myers, commercial director of Food & Fuel, said: “Over the past two years, we have worked closely with the SRA to achieve our community and sustainability goals which are core to Food & Fuel’s values. We’re absolutely delighted to receive a two-star Food Made Good rating and it is testimony to the continued focus of our team and our suppliers to meet our customers’ increasing desire for a sustainable dining experience.”
Propelinfonews.com: Batemans increases sales team as it forecasts 10% rise in trade: Batemans, the family brewer based in Lincolnshire, has increased its sales team to develop its free trade accounts while forecasting a 10% increase in trade. The team has grown from five to nine, with seven area sales managers and a trainee working alongside managing director Stuart Bateman. Batemans will now be able to cover free trade accounts across Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, East Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Batemans has also increased its free trade product portfolio to include more craft beer varieties and premium soft drinks. Bateman said: “Developing our free trade accounts is a key part of our 2016 strategy, and the growth of our sales team will be essential to achieving this. Our sales team has now increased by nearly 100%, which will ensure each member is able to concentrate on providing exceptional service to our free trade pubs and utilising our expert knowledge to support them and their businesses.” Batemans has more than 60 pubs in its estate. In February, the company bought its third managed pub, The Fairways in Brinsworth, South Yorkshire, which forms a key part of its 2016 acquisition strategy to focus on acquiring main road pubs with strong food offerings and letting rooms.


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Ferry operators interested in carrying cargo and passengers to Cuba have opened discussions with officials at several Florida ports.
Such service has not yet begun because the Cuban government has not approved a U.S. ferry to use one of its ports, but ferries are expected to be a popular way to travel and ship cargo from Florida to the Caribbean island.
Jorge Fernandez, CEO of Havana Ferry Partners of Fort Lauderdale, tells The Tampa Tribune that the company recently met with Cuban government officials and is optimistic it will receive permission to set sail as early as June.
Fernandez is interested in sailing from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Key West, but he also has been exploring ports in the Tampa Bay area. Port Manatee would be preferred over ports in Tampa and St. Petersburg, he said, while in Cuba a landing in Havana would be preferred over the port in Santiago.
A ferry from Port Manatee would take roughly eight hours to reach Havana. That's 90 minutes closer than St. Petersburg and three hours closer than Tampa.
Ferry service would be cheaper than baggage fees for a flight for passengers bringing bulk goods to family in Cuba, said Phil Richards, president of Havana Ferry Partners. Tickets would cost roughly $290, and the first 40 to 60 pounds of baggage would be free, he said.
Havana Ferry Partners owns one ferry, a 40-meter, high-speed, wind-piercing Catamaran that can transport as many as 400 passengers but no bulk cargo. It likely would leave from Key West, Richards said.
The company is exploring options for vessels that can carry cargo from other ports.
``A ferry operation makes profits on the cargo and not on the passengers,'' said Port Manatee Executive Director Carlos Buqueras. ``It would be a real convenience not just for our area but every county south to Collier.''
The Tampa Bay area is home to the third-largest Cuban-American population in the U.S. but it currently has no regularly scheduled cargo lines serving Cuba. Neither does the Port of Miami, though Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and the Port of Jacksonville do have regular cargo service to Cuba.
Port Tampa Bay is talking with ferries looking to connect the area to Cuba, said spokesman Andy Fobes.
``We have the terminals and the appropriate on-site regulatory agencies and facilities already in place to handle passengers,'' Fobes said, ``and one day, once the embargo is lifted, cargo.''
Port St. Petersburg, owned by the city and marketed as a luxury yacht center under the name ``Port St. Pete,'' would likely host ferries carrying mainly passengers with limited cargo space, said executive director Walt Miller.
The infrastructure at Cuba's ports will be tested when U.S. cruise ships begin sailing there from Miami next month.
``The port facilities, cargo handling, security, customs, immigration _ all of it will be under duress due to the cruises,'' said John Kavulich, president of the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council. ``I don't see Cuba moving forward on ferries until they are comfortable with the cruise ship operations.''

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Junk to Funk’s theme this year’s “Trashion Edutainment for the Masses,” with the goal to “restore our earth by creatively transforming our engagement with stuff.” Get your eco-educational fashion submission in by Oct. 17! You can enter two separate contests: A new Textile Challenge for upcycled fabrics diverted from the landfill, and the ever popular Trash Couture contest for fashions made from more unconventional trashy materials.
If your fashion design’s selected, you’ll win up to $500 plus a chance to show your eco-costume on the runway at the Junk to Funk show, happening at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland on Nov. 14.– and potential eco-designer fame.
Watch the runway show from last year to see what eco-trashions were in vogue in 2008 — then design something even better for this year’s show. Good luck –
Image courtesy of junktofunk.org
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.


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Indigenous Innovation Brewing in Every Cup
- Local Journalism Initiative - Campbell Stevenson | November 20, 2023
The first coffee company in Canada with a fully Indigenous supply chain aims to revolutionize the Canadian coffee scene.
Solstice Coffee, a business partnership between the Des Nedhe Group and Road Coffee, is deeply rooted in social justice and sustainability.
Alisha Esmail, founder of Road Coffee, a unique fair-trade roastery based out of Saskatoon, wanted to further her work of ethical sourcing and production within the coffee industry.
“We wanted to create a brand that made sense for the impact we’re doing, and really represented the connection from farm to cup, the connection from Indigenous farmer to Indigenous people here at home,” said Esmail. “We’re working towards economic Reconciliation.”
Her drive to address the inequalities in developing nations eventually brought her attention to the growing industries here in Saskatchewan; specifically, the Indigenous communities thriving around Saskatoon.
“We’re not just impacting coffee farmers overseas, but we have a specific footprint back here in our own backyard,” said Esmail.
She recognized her unique position, and the opportunity she possessed to help create solutions that could empower Indigenous entrepreneurs.
This journey led her to collaborate with The Des Nedhe Group.
Born from an entrepreneurial spirit, Sean Willy, President and CEO of The Des Nedhe group, a business corporation 100% owned by English River First Nation, saw great potential in what Esmail and Road Coffee were doing for the industry.
“We were introduced to Alisha through a mutual friend…and we just hit it off,”’ said Willy. “We saw what she was doing with Indigenous farmers in central America, and just with my connections and with my experience we saw that we could work with Alisha and amplify what she is currently doing.”
Esmail’s involvement and passion for Solstice Coffee brought her to reserve land, in order to work closely with the Indigenous community.
“She moved out here on reserve land, [with that] we can start employing Indigenous people where we would create one of the first Indigenous complete supply chains in the coffee industry,” said Willy.
“We can create a whole new entity called Solstice to tap into corporate Canada, to put more money into reconciliation, to put more money into procurement channels to support indigenous entrepreneurs.”
The Solstice Coffee facility is built on the English River Urban Reserve, which will help to provide more jobs to the people who call the community home.
Cups of Solstice coffee can be purchased at the Petro-Canada and the Liquor store located in the Indigenous-owned business park, located directly east of Saskatoon.
“We’re always a big believer that, First Nations need their own source of revenue to actually path their journey towards self-determination, you can’t rely on government funding for that.” Said Willy,
“The whole goal is about growing that business to create more employment and create more revenues for us.”
Starting from Indigenous farmers, every cup of Solstice Coffee will embody the spirit of renewal and positive change.
What Differs Solstice Coffee from others companies is their sourcing model and their impact,
“Right now, around the world, coffee production is going down due to of climate change and farms being abandoned because parents want their kids to go get an education and have a better life and not suffer like they have for generations,” said Esmail.
“So, unless we change how the supply chain works your morning cup of coffee is not going to exist the way it does in 10 to 15 years from now.”
Beyond offering a genuine coffee experience, Solstice Coffee will wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to support the growth and prosperity of Indigenous communities throughout Canada and beyond.


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Jakarta, Gizmologi – Indonesia, through the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, has brought 10 startup companies to the SXSW 2022 (South By South West) event. The hybrid event in Austin, United States of America from March 11 to 20 will showcase startups in the creative industry.
“I congratulate the 10 selected startups that have passed based on the assessment of the cross-agency selection committee team,” said Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno in the virtual event, Tuesday (8/3/2022).
The 10 startup companies that will appear at the largest creative industry exhibition in the fields of music, film, digital content, and pop culture in the United States were selected from the results of a selection carried out by a cross-agency team, consisting of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. , BRIN, and Bali Startup.
The 10 selected startups are PeduliLindungi, Sahabat Gemarikan, Ruang Guru, Ruang Halal, Tiga Digital Token, Eresto, Lokapoin, UMG Idealab, Omni Hotelier, and Everidea Interactive.
Sandiaga said the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy’s support for startups that will appear at SXSW 2022 is in line with the issues raised at the G20 Presidential forum, especially related to digital transformation and global health awareness.
“Hopefully in the future, Indonesia will have a bigger share in creating world orders that are more inclusive for all people, not only the government but also you startups who are the mainstay of Indonesia,” said Sandiaga.
Indonesia Participation at SXSW 2022
On that occasion, the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy also appreciated the start-up companies who were persistent in fighting and surviving in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. He reminded them to always carry out the principles of hard work, smart work, thorough work, and sincere work in every effort to achieve success and fulfill their potential.
Sandiaga hopes that startups that will appear at SXSW 2022 can benefit from business transactions and lessons that are useful for business continuity, revitalizing the economy, driving job creation, and planning the transition to a new economy.
Meanwhile, the Deputy for Strategic Policy at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Nia Niscaya, said that the theme that Indonesia raised for participating in the SXSW 2022 event was “Exploring Digital Wonders of Indonesia. “This theme implies an invitation and hope for the world to know more about the potential of Indonesia’s creative economy sector, especially the application sub-sector,” he said.
Indonesia’s participation in the event SXSW 2022 will be done virtually, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic situation which is still not over. For this reason, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has prepared a virtual exhibition platform called the “Indonesian Pavilion” which can be accessed through the sxsw.indonesia.travel page.
“This virtual exhibition platform of the Indonesian Pavilion is designed as an optimal packaging effort for startup companies so that it can open up opportunities to build networks and wider exposure both nationally and internationally,” said Nia.
Nia further added that Indonesia’s participation in this international exhibition is very important to show that the domestic creative industry has high readiness and competitiveness to create a more advanced digital ecosystem.
“We all hope that the government’s efforts to bring Indonesian startups into the global market will be successful and lead to a business deal,” he said.
Hendra Arazzi, Everidea Interactive CEO, hopes that his startup’s participation in the SXSW 2022 event can further increase exposure, obtain funding, and get potential partners to work with to develop products.
The Indonesian version of this article can be read in Gizmologi.ID


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A University of Oregon economist says the recession could end during the second half of this year, earlier than other experts have suggested.
Tim Duy, Oregon Economic Forum director, bases his observation on some encouraging numbers in an index he assembles each month tracking state and national data. "The pace of economic deterioration has slowed markedly," Duy said in his report released today.
But Duy cautions that even after the recession ends, "economic growth is likely to be anemic for an extended period of time as activity continues to adjust to a reversion to more traditional credit underwriting standards."
Duy's more favorable view is significant coming from someone whose forecasts have generally been more negative than prognostications by other economists. The author of the UO Index of Economic Indicators reports that new orders for core manufactured goods jumped in May, suggesting that companies are no longer cutting investment spending.
"If this trend is sustained," Duy wrote, "it would feed through to stabilizing and eventually stronger manufacturing activity in Oregon in the months ahead."
But Duy noted that his index of seven economic indicators, while stabilizing over the past three months, had yet to turn upward, meaning that "caution is warranted" over predictions that economic growth would firm later this year.


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Harley-Davidson dealers outscored dealers from other brands to take the top spot in the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study for the second consecutive year. The annual study measures the effectiveness of motorcycle dealerships, rating them on how they perform in different categories, such as inviting customers to sit on a floor […]
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BMW Puts New Spin on Old Trick [video]
The S1000RR shows its magic
The video in question shows the Beemer attempting the old tablecloth trick. Somebody put together a meticulously decorated table and decided the tablecloth just didn’t look right. Fortunately, an S1000RR was on standby for just such an emergency.
Check out the video below the jump to see what happens. So far more than two million people have done just that. Now that’s good viral marketing.
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BMW unveiled a new, more track-oriented sportbike based on its highly-successful S1000RR. The new BMW HP4 is an evolution of BMW’s HP2 series with the S1000RR’s inline-four engine. Like the S1000RR, the HP4 claims 190 hp at 13,000 rpm and 83 ft-lb. at 9750 rpm. The HP4 however has been tuned to offer more torque […]


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Drugstore chain helps build Orlando electric vehicle charging infrastructure with the addition of eight stations expected by the end of October.
Walgreens is set to unveil its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station in Orlando at its International Drive and Sand Lake Road location with a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Eastern time, as City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer makes the inaugural charge.
The drugstore chain is working with Car Charging Group, an owner and provider of EV charging stations, to offer convenient and accessible charging sites at eight locations throughout the area by the end of October. The charging stations will feature two level 2 chargers that are compatible with every EV produced in North America.
Walgreens is helping to build Orlando’s EV charging infrastructure by becoming the area’s largest retail host of charging stations.
“These charging stations in neighborhoods and along major commuter routes will offer quick accessibility for EV drivers who may be worried about where to charge up next,” said Walgreens market vice president Marlin Hutchens. “We’re pleased to bring this clean and green energy alternative to Orlando. These charging stations will continue to set us apart as a retailer as more people choose greener lifestyles.”
“Walgreens initiative to install EV charging stations across Orlando and the U.S. is a major step forward for EV drivers and the EV charging station industry as a whole,” said Michael Farkas, CEO of Miami, Fla.-based Car Charging Group.
In July, Walgreens announced plans to offer EV charging stations at approximately 800 locations across the country by the end of the year. Major markets to host these sites include Boston, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Select locations in Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington will also receive EV charging stations. Walgreens has installations under way across Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
In Orlando, Car Charging Group will install, manage and maintain EV charging stations on Walgreens properties. The company will provide flexible payment options, the ability to make reservations, and tracking of customer usage patterns, energy use, costs and revenues, all via the ChargePoint Network’s cloud-based software service plans for managing EV charging operations. Car Charging Group’s EV services installation will also provide Walgreens customers with access to ChargePoint Network’s 24/7 driver support and mobile phone applications, which include station location and real-time availability, turn-by-turn navigation and charging status.
Walgreens has a long-standing commitment to reducing energy usage and expanding its renewable energy initiatives. The company became the nation’s first drugstore chain to install a geothermal energy system at one of its stores in Oak Park, Ill., last November. The company’s Mira Mesa, Calif., location became the first drugstore to receive LEED gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Walgreens also plans to have more than 130 rooftop solar installations at stores and distribution centers by the end of the year. In addition, the company utilizes an energy management system that monitors electricity, water, heating and cooling and waste management at more than 3,000 stores to help reduce energy usage and maintenance costs while extending equipment life.


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From this Monday (01.08.) onwards, shoppers at the Port Łódź shopping center will have even easier access to transport to and from the center as the public bicycle network in Łódź will open its 101st station at the center.
The rental station at the Port Łódź shopping center will be the first sponsored station, with its patrons being the shopping center itself and furniture store IKEA. It will also be the first station outside of the Łódź central district networks of stations.
The new station, with 10 docks for bicycles, will be open to the public from Monday (01.08.2016) 10:00. The same rules as with all other stations apply. The first 20 minutes of rental are free of charge. First hour – 1 PLN, second hour – 3 PLN and third and every subsequent hour is charged at 5 PLN.
Since their launch at the end of April this year, Łódź public bicycles have proven to be popular among residents and visitors. As Nextbike Polska reported this week, within the first three month, the rental system recorded over 55,000 user registrations and 900,000 rentals.
Source: Nextbike Polska


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American company Adobe is buying online interface development service Figma. The takeover of the startup will be the largest deal in the history of the software market.
Here's What We Know
Adobe will pay $20 billion for Figma. The American giant will partially finance the deal in cash and stock (50/50). Interestingly, the price of Adobe stock fell by 13% after information about the purchase. Bloomberg Intelligence attributes this to the high price of the deal.
But Adobe stock hasn't been doing well all of 2022. Since January, the securities have fallen more than 33%. That's due to a drop in investor confidence in the cloudless future of the line of software for professional designers, which generates more than half of Adobe's revenue.
As for Figma, the startup was founded a decade ago. In 2021, the company was valued at $10 billion. Because of that, analysts call the value of $20 billion grossly overstated. Figma will continue to develop further and gain access to the developments of Adobe. And the buyer promises that Figma will exist as an independent product.
Dylan Field, the startup's founder, will continue to manage operations. In addition, he will receive 6 million additional restricted shares for four years. The closing of the deal between Adobe and Figma is expected in 2023.


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Letting your child play with their food may help them become a less picky eater.
British researchers asked a group of kids to search for buried toys in mashed potatoes and jelly.
They found children who were comfortable getting their hands dirty at the table were less likely to have a fear of tasting new things.
Pediatricians say it's fairly normal for young children to go through a phase where they refuse to consume more than a handful of different items as long as they maintain a healthy weight.
But they add previous research has linked this behavior to limited fruit and vegetable consumption while this study only provides an association and does not prove playing with your food will cut back on picky eating.
Study authors say their findings are good news for parents on how a little play at the table may go a long way in helping their kids eat healthy.
Findings appear in the "Journal of the Academy of Nutrition And Dietetics."


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SEASIDE — Businesses in the idyllic South Walton County town of Seaside will be closing temporarily in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
The pending closure of dozens of retail stores and services was undertaken "with the intention to save lives," according to Kerri Parker, the SCDC’s executive director of communications, in a Monday announcement from the Seaside Community Development Corporation (SCDC).
RELATED: CORONAVIRUS: Okaloosa and Walton spring breakers crowd beaches, take some precautions
RELATED: CLOSURES BAY AREA- Events, services, schools, canceled due to coronavirus concerns
Parker was not immediately available Monday for comment.
The town’s pastel colored homes, made famous in "The Truman Show," are built around a town square, which is filled with businesses and shops. Everything in the community, including the beach, is within walking distance of all of the homes.
The announcement was released shortly after the Walton County Board of Commissioners declared a local state of emergency due to the pandemic.
Private beach accesses along County Road 30A at Seaside were closed at 5 p.m. Monday, and the town has suspended all of its spring event programming.
"Over the past few days," the SCDC letter continues, "additional information about the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in professional consultations with multiple infectious disease experts among your SCDC leadership team. You surely recognize that the guests and visitors of our holiday town have grown to believe Seaside is a refuge; everything we hoped it would be, but not logical under the current conditions."
The SCDC letter goes on to note that Seaside’ "founders and leadership team believe the only decision that makes health and safety a top priority is to close Seaside until April 30, 2020."
Businesses in the town have the option of waiting until noon Saturday to close. After that time, Seaside’s food and beverage merchants will be allowed to stay open, but "for to-go service only, unless otherwise directed by the state or federal government," according to the SCDC announcement.
Among the businesses attempting to hang on until noon Saturday, as vacationers have already started to leave the town, is Sundog Books.
"We’ll try to keep shorter hours until then," said Laney Blanchard, a Sundog Books bookseller.
It wasn’t clear Monday afternoon how vacation rental homes in Seaside would be affected by the SCDC decision to effectively close down the town for six weeks. Very few of Seaside’s residents live there year-round.
Officials with Cottage Rental Agency, which handles a large number of Seaside rentals, were in a meeting Monday afternoon discussing the shutdown.
In the meantime, according to Blanchard, vacationers are already clearing out, apparently in hopes of avoiding major traffic issues as more and more Seaside renters decide to leave.
"People are leaving town," she said late Monday afternoon.
People at two other Seaside businesses, Modica Market and Duckies Shop of Fun, either did not have time to talk Monday, or were still trying to assess the impact of the SCDC announcement.
RELATED: CORONAVIRUS NWF - What’s open & what’s not? - A list of closures and what is still open
In the announcement, the SCDC thanks the town’s restaurants and shops "for your perseverance through these unprecedented times." Blanchard said Monday that business at Sundog Books had, in fact, been slow, but she also noted that it is just now the beginning of tourist season.
"These past few days we have made every effort to stay focused on making our decision based on one purpose: health and safety," the SCDC also tells Seaside business owners in its announcement. "We are all in this together."
The SCDC announcement includes one bit of advice apparently directed to Seaside vacationers, noting, "If you have questions about vacation rentals, please contact your rental vacation property management team."


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Google Tablet Priced at $199 Wants to Challenge iPad’s Dominance
The supremacy of Apple in the segment of table computers wants to be challenged by a newcomer.
Tech-giant Google is going to launch a tablet this week with a price of $199; way much cheaper than Apple’s iPad which is currently priced at $399.
According to tech news reports, Google is set to unveil this tablet in their upcoming Google I/O conference that will be starting on Wednesday.
Speculations are gathering steam about this tablet for weeks, which tech writers say may be smaller than the iPad with its 7-inch screen. Google is said to be developing this Nexus tablet with Asus and will be running the Android 4.1 “Jelly Bean” operating system. It will also have a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and boasts of a screen with different viewing angles.
Expected to be integrated in this tablet is the availability of Google applications like Google wallet and Google Plus, aside from the thousands of available apps from Android.
The $199 price tag for the tablet is for the 8GB model while an added $100 is for the 16GB.
Aside from challenging the iPad, this new gadget also wants to get a share of the lucrative table market, cutting on Samsung’s runner-up status with its Galaxy Tab.
As of this writing, Google officials are not yet issuing any statement as regards this tech rumor.Get free updates directly to your e-mail from Showbiz Renegade. Just enter your e-mail below and confirm your subscription by clicking the link that will be sent to your e-mail.


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ONE of Coventry's best known hotels - the Leofric - has been bought by Iranian entrepreneur Robert Tchenguiz.
The multimillionaire has teamed up with a property investment group to buy the Menzies hotel chain for £180 million.
The chain includes the Menzies Leofric Hotel, Broadgate, and Menzies Welcombe Hotel Spa, in Stratford.
Mr Tchenguiz joined with financial groups AIM and R20 to form a joint venture company called Piccadilly Hotels.
Headquartered in Derby, with hotels across the region, the chain is currently run by Nick Menzies, who will continue as CEO of Menzies Hotels.
Mr Menzies said: "I am excited to work with Piccadilly Hotels.
"They are deep pocketed investors who have strong knowledge of the hotel market, real estate and innovative financial structuring."
PricewaterhouseCoopers facilitated the deal.
Matt Waddell, head of the Midlands' corporate finance team at PricewaterhouseCoopers said: "This transaction marks a significant move forward for a strong regional hotel brand."
Piccadilly Hotels plans to buy more top hotels.


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This may seem like an odd thing to write about, especially for those who are reading this who do not reside in Brazil. The Nintendo Switch has been out worldwide since March 2017 but it only now that Nintendo America has announced that it will begin to sell the Nintendo Switch officially in Brazil. For those that didn’t know, Nintendo pulled out of selling their hardware and games in Brazil back in 2015. This was due to the very high import costs and taxes on electronics in Brazil.
For the last five years, hardcore Nintendo fans in Brazil have had to import the Nintendo Switch and its games from the likes of North America and other regions, However, it seems like Nintendo is going to return to support Nintendo gamers in Brazil, meaning they will no longer need to rely on purchasing their games overseas.
Here is the announcement Tweet from Nintendo America.
Greetings to all the Brazilian Nintendo fans out there! We’re excited to announce that #NintendoSwitch will be coming soon to Brazil!
Stay tuned to these channels for more info:
Instagram: https://t.co/Sp4HJFQA63 pic.twitter.com/0Ri5a8Vj6l
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 19, 2020
Source: Nintendo America (Twitter)


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Dollar pairs in the forex trading market were mostly in consolidation last Friday, as data from the US economy came in mixed. The UoM consumer sentiment figure for April was revised higher to reflect more optimism in the economy while the flash services PMI for the same month fell short of expectations and showed a slower expansion in the sector. Only the pending home sales report is due today and a 1.0% rebound is eyed to follow the previous 0.8% decline.
The euro edged slightly higher to the dollar on Friday but opened weaker this week. There were no reports released from the euro zone then but the risk-off environment spurred the worsening tension in Russia and Ukraine led to a poor showing for the higher-yielders. German import prices data is due today but this might not have such a huge impact on euro movement.
The pound was unable to sustain its rallies in the forex trading market past the 1.6800 major psychological level against the dollar, as traders booked profits off the key resistance area. UK retail sales were stronger than expected at 0.1% versus the estimated 0.4% decline but the previous month’s reading was revised lower to 1.3%. Mortgage approvals were also lower than expected, according to the BBA. No reports are due from the UK today.
Forex Trading Market Fundamentals
The comdolls were unable to extend their gains in Friday’s forex trading market as traders eased off their riskier holdings. There were no reports released from Australia, New Zealand and Canada then. Only the New Zealand trade balance report is lined up for today and it might print a higher surplus of 919 million NZD versus the previous 818 million NZD.
The franc gave in to dollar strength last Friday as risk aversion took hold of the markets ahead of the weekend. SNB Thomas Jordan also reiterated their pledge to maintain the franc peg in his speech last week, lending more weakness to the currency. There are no reports lined up from Switzerland today.
The yen got a bit of a boost from the stronger than expected rise in retail sales. The figure showed a 11.0% annualized increase, stronger than the estimated 10.9% growth and the previous 3.6% rise. This eased fears of further easing from the BOJ this week, as many thought that the recently implemented sales tax hike could hurt spending.
To contact the reporter of the story: James Brennan at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Serving up something fresh
A FRESH new dining option is headed to Rose City Shoppingworld.
Subway franchisee Vivek Mehta is bringing the healthy fast food favourite to life in the new-look food court.
Mr Mehta, who has owned the existing store on the corner of Albion and Fitzroy Sts since 2013, said he was excited to be bringing the brand to the shopping centre.
"We're really looking forward to opening by early December,” he said.
"The fit out is on track and we're using a local shop fitter for all the work in store; if you use someone locally it helps the community.
"As a franchise it will be the exact same menu and pricing but we're hoping to hire 12 - 16 new locals for the store.”
With the success of the Fitzroy St store, Mr Mehta said he held no concerns for the new shop taking away business.
"They're two very different locations; I don't think it would detract from business at all,” he said.
"We're on a highway here so we would get different customers than in the food court.
"We haven't decided on opening hours just yet but we may be open for the full seven days a week.”
Every local customer who visits the Fitzroy St store on Friday has the opportunity to buy a sandwich, salad or wrap and get one free (of equal or lesser value) for a friend as well as help Subway give a meal to someone in need through Foodbank Australia.
Mr Mehta urged hungry customers to come in and give generously.
"We're really looking forward to the day and thank the local community for supporting us with the cause,” he said.


text: One of our trends to watch in 2015 is the continued growth of Chinese smartphone makers like Xiaomi and Huawei, which are huge in their home market but which also have strong global ambitions. Here are some Xiaomi numbers to fuel that: the company sold 61.1m smartphones in 2014 according to its chief executive Lei Jun, which is more than triple the 18.7m that it sold in 2013. The company is now the third largest smartphone maker in the world by shipments, behind only Samsung and Apple. TechCrunch’s writeup of the Xiaomi figures is worth a read too: it includes the company’s predictions that it’ll ship 100m smartphones in 2015, including its strong start in India, where it has sold 1m devices in five months despite a patent-related sales ban. Xiaomi is also investing in other hardware companies, including wearable fitness firm Misfit, as it tries to build an ecosystem around its devices to take on Samsung and Apple.


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Three Western Cape wine companies are on a mission to increase the volumes of the South African wine exports to Mozambique. Thandi Wines, La Rid Mal and Bayede Marketing are part of the 25 businesses that will be showcasing their products and services at the the Maputo International Trade Fair, commonly known as FACIM, which is currently taking place (from 29 August – 4 September 2016.)
FACIM is a popular international multi-sectoral trade fair held annually to showcase Mozambique as an attractive destination for trade and investment.Last year the trade fair attracted 680 foreign companies from 31 countries.
The participation of the companies in the exhibition is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance Scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to assist local companies to contribute in increasing exports of the South African manufactured goods to various parts of the world.
“We are looking forward to the exhibition as we are confident that Mozambicans and other exhibitors and visitors will be impressed with our range of wines and place orders. This will enable us to export wines to Mozambique, thereby creating a new market for our products resulting in our company increasing its production and the number of employees,” says Malcolm Green, the Managing Director of the Paarl-based La Ric Mal where ten people are currently employed.
He reckons that finding a market for the SA wines in Mozambique will not be a difficult mission as wine consumption in the country is good and the SA wines are popular there.
The Chief Executive Officer of Bayede Marketing, Antoinette Vermooten says participating in FACIM is in line with her company’s strategy of focussing on the African continent in their search for export markets.
“I believe our brand is resonating very well with the African continent due to its history and the quality of wines that we produce. We are already exporting to Angola, Zambia, Ghana, Mauritius and Uganda. We have used platforms provided by the dti to promote our brand, showcase our products and to penetrate these markets. We are confident that FACIM will also yield positive results for us in our quest to conquer the African continent with our brand,” says Vermooten whose company has eight full-time and more than sixty part-time employees.
The Managing Director of Thandi Wines, Vernon Henn says his main objective of travelling to Mozambique is to find partners in the form of importers, retailers or wholesalers who will be prepared to import his company’s wines and sell them in Mozambique.
“We would like to start penetrating the Mozambique market on a small scale by finding a company that is already importing wines from South Africa and work with them to export our wines to that country. We are satisfied about our expansion into the African continent as our wines are already being sold in Cameroon, Gabon and Zimbabwe,” says Henn whose Stellenbosch-based company has a full-time staff complement of six people.
According to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, one of the dti’s strategic goals is to grow the SA manufacturing sector in order to promote industrial development, job creation, investment and exports.
“In order to achieve this objective, the department embarks on international missions and participate in targeted international trade exhibitions in order to promote exports of South African value-added goods and services to increase market share in markets in various regions of the world. This will enable South African businesses to access global markets which will lead to them increasing their production, thereby growing the SA economy and creating employment,” says Davies.


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Sony Ericsson has put its $200m global media planning and buying account out for pitch.
MEC has handled the Sony Ericsson business for 10 years and is expected to re-pitch for the account along with a number of other agencies.
According to a statement released by Sony Ericsson, the review was called as “part of its global procurement guidelines” and “is not a reflection on our relationship with MEC, who has been our trusted partner for 10 years.”
Sony Ericsson recently teamed up with Orange to launch a new entertainment agreement. In March, the mobile manufacturer strengthened its marketing team with the appointment of Steve Walker as global head of marketing.


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Acura announced that its first all-new full-electric SUV coming to market in 2024 will be named the Acura ZDX. Acura will also launch with a ZDX Type S variant, as the brand continues to focus on putting the driver experience first. The ZDX will be the first production model to feature many of the styling themes of the new Acura design direction introduced during Monterey Car Week in the form of the Acura Precision EV Concept. (Earlier post.)
The ZDX is being co-developed with GM utilizing the highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries. Acura then will launch additional EV models starting in 2026 based on the company’s own global e:Architecture.
The Acura ZDX represents the start to what will be an accelerated path toward electrification by the end of the decade and the key role the Acura brand will play in our company’s global goal to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050. Acura will remain focused on performance in the electrified era and Type S will continue to represent the pinnacle of this direction.—Emile Korkor, assistant vice president of Acura National Sales
The ZDX name pays homage to a previous Acura model of the same name, which was the first vehicle styled from the ground up in the Acura Design Studio which opened in Los Angeles in 2007. The new ZDX is now being styled in the same Acura Design Studio.
2011 Acura ZDX
In April 2021, Honda global CEO Toshihiro Mibe outlined the company’s vision for global sales of electrified vehicles as part of Honda’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality for its products and corporate activities by 2050. This vision called for 100% of the company’s North American sales to be battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles by 2040.


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ZTE has been hit by a seven-year US sales ban in punishment, according to the US Department of Commerce, for breaking the terms of a settlement over sanctions busting. The ban bars US companies from...
Atos and Google will help global enterprises utilise emerging technology
A large majority of businesses is still unprepared for GDPR, says study
Africa has the potential to be a leader in open source distributed computing, says Standard Bank Hadoop expert
But it's held back by a lack of available skills
Microsoft's latest Windows 10 build comes with new mobile broadband capabilities and UI improvements


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As the old saying goes, “If you can’t beat ‘em, just make ‘em bigger.” Oh, that’s not the old saying? Somebody needs to tell Toshiba, who has just announced a new line of Android 4.0-based Excite tablets in a trio of sizes, including a massive 13.3 inches.
I had an interesting conversation the other day that might interest you--one that will certainly interest Intel, the maker of the chips that power your iMac, MacBook, Mac Pro, and Mac mini. Lucian Shifren of SuVolta told me about a new type of transistor that his company has introduced. While the deep-geek details on the low-power, low-cost chips that can be built from it are fascinating, one non-techy thing he said stuck in my mind: “The market’s now moving to a point where you’re really going to be driven by the $10 chip and not the $200 chip.”
It's the Halloween weekend and while some people we know will be out waiting for the Great Pumpkin, we'll be inside gaming our scared little butts off, shooting zombies and trying to escape the minions of evil. And we'll be sitting down with a nice cup of steaming hot apple cider because this week was full of hot Apple stories. And there was tons of scoring hot game news this week. See ya on the flipside.
An AMD-led team has set a new Guinness World Record for the “Highest Frequency of a Computer Processor” by cranking up a soon-to-be-released chip to 8.429GHz. Pause for a nanosecond to let that number sink in: that’s eight billion, four hundred twenty-nine million cycles per second.
What is it about guys? Give them something fast and their immediate impulse is to make it faster.
Chalk one up for the rumor mill yet again: As widely predicted over the last week or so, Apple has slipped a few stealth updates into the MacBook Pro line, including upgraded processors, graphics and storage updates. Here’s a look at what’s news.
On November 15, pause to raise a pint to the 40th birthday of the original microprocessor. On that day in 1971, Electronic News carried an ad for the Intel 4004, the precursor of all processors, including the ones running your Mac and your iPhone -- and, for that matter, your car and your coffeemaker.
Given that the iPad 2 was released earlier this year with a newer A5 processor, it probably won’t come as a surprise if and when Apple announces a similar move for the next iPhone -- and judging from a recent leaked photo of an unassembled handset, that’s just about exactly what you should expect.
Recent benchmarks of five smartphone models and two tablets reveal some interesting stats -- while the current iPhone 4 ranks at the bottom when compared to newer Android handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S 2, Apple’s iPad 2 is the clear winner when it comes to mobile devices.
If you’re Apple Inc. and you’re unhappy with how much power your notebook processors are using, what can you do about it? Apparently, threaten to cut off your supplier and move on, which is exactly what Cupertino did with Intel -- but don’t worry, they’re not going anywhere (for now).
Apple has been on quite a tear lately, introducing Intel Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt I/O ports across (almost) all of its computers, including the newly refreshed 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models introduced last week. But is it the computer of your dreams? We examined the specs against the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro to find out.


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Image by Julia Teichmann from Pixabay
The controversy surrounding legal medical marijuana has effectively turned it into the most popular topic across the country. Continuous efforts are being advocated towards legalizing CBD in more states of the USA.
Virtually every American is curiously keeping up with the news about it and looking for the answers to questions such as: “Which state would be the next to fully legalize marijuana? Who will be the latest politician to introduce the bill for legalization?
The U.S. is inundated with these politically debatable questions.
The politics in the U.S. may be rightly said to have been centered on the legislation of marijuana as some states were won over based on this premise. This scenario could have played out in the 2016 election, which proved not to be the best of elections for many reasons but was probably the reason for the victory (legalization of recreational weed) in the four states of Maine, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts.
Before this time, Colorado and Washington had legalized it in 2012. And they were later, in 2014, joined by Alaska and Oregon to become a part of the group of legalized weed states. Vermont was to follow on their heels in 2018, while Michigan also came on board in the midterms of 2018.
It should not come as a surprise that the weed industry has had a huge year of growth. After it gained popularity, the demand for the products has astronomically increased and this is due to the fact that it’s a major constituent chemical compound-CBD.
CBD or Cannabidiol is one of the naturally occurring chemical compounds found in Cannabis or Hemp plant. Research says it has the potential of serving various benefits for several health syndromes such as seizures, anxiety, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, and many more.
All these factors have made it a natural fit for both recreational and medicinal weed.
Federally, is CBD Oil Legal?
CBD is federally legal based on the 2018 Farm Bill that opened the doors for farmers to grow industrial Hemp and also, CBD infused products can be purchased throughout the nation. Prior to this, CBD had only got a legal status 47 states, now, however, it has become legal at the federal level.
Although marijuana-derived CBD was fully legal in some states, it is not the case in all the states in the U.S. Finally, in 2019, CBD derived from Hemp and its products are completely legal to use across 50 states nationwide.
Despite the fact that many states have legalized some forms of Marijuana, still, the U.S. DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) still classifies CBD as a Schedule I drug, which is defined as “drugs that are not currently accepted for medicinal use” the entire Cannabis plant is classified under this.
Legal marijuana is still going through a difficult transitional period because of its potential exceptions. A good example is that the Food and Drug Administration has approved “Epidiolex”- a medicine containing CBD – as helpful in alleviating pediatric epilepsy.
The DEA classified this as a Schedule 5 drug, which indicates the lowest potential for abuse and addiction.
The legal status of CBD Oil across the nation
Since legal cannabis has got the much-needed push which has given it a boost, there are currently only three states where any sort of CBD is completely illegal. If you’re an American native but not a native of these three states, then you’re lucky since you access to legal CBD oil.
These 3 states are:
● South Dakota
If you are in any of these three states, you opt for hemp-based CBD products that are available at Hempeli, CBD store, USA. Before buying, however, you must endeavor to find out which CBD extract is used in the products.
You can make use of CBD products without bothering about the legal status of the CBD extract (hemp or marijuana) if you are a native of any the following 10 states where Cannabis has been fully legalized for recreational and medicinal purposes.
The 10 states are:
In the remaining 37 states, Hemp-derived CBD is completely legal since the inception of the 2018 Farm-Bill. However, as per jurisdiction, specific-states have some sort of legislation surrounding Marijuana derived products.
The complete list of 37 States are:
● New Hampshire
● New Jersey
● New Mexico
● North Dakota
● New York
● Rhode Island
● North Carolina
● South Carolina
● West Virginia
Now that Hemp has practically become legal, it has created a huge base for expanding the CBD industry. So if you are consuming hemp-based CBD products, you have no reason to be concerned.
However, the case for marijuana-based CBD products still has a lot of inroads to be made and you need to be conversant with the relevant legislation at the state level. A great deal of work is ongoing with the view of fully legalizing marijuana, research work is still going on at full blast on the different types of CBD as well as the entire subject of cannabis and to a large extent the marijuana plant holistically.
Where to buy CBD Legally?
Nowadays, the popularity of CBD is growing exponentially. This has lead to a vast range of CBD products like CBD edibles, lotions, crystals, vape, and many more, some of them have been legalized for buying and selling.
Having a broad range of products coupled with the popularity, businesses are trying to capitalize on the boom.
Now you can get CBD products in all 50 states as well as outside the U.S. too, you can find them online or in nearby health stores, pet stores, retail stores and more. Its accessibility in all the states of the USA has rendered it easy to come by for anyone who is willing to use it.
In the state dispensaries, CBD oil can be found with recreational and medical cannabis. You need to understand that the CBD products can be produced from either the Hemp plant or the Marijuana plant, hence the need for caution.
They may have a high percentage of THC, which could cause intoxication and also might fail you in a blood test.
Why CBD is becoming Legal?
CBD or cannabidiol is a naturally occurring chemical compound from the cannabinoid family in the cannabis plant. Scientists and researches have isolated 108 different types of cannabinoids in cannabis.
While Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a cannabinoid best known for its psychoactive properties, unlike CBD, THC gets you “high” or creates a mind-altering effect. Due to CBD’s potential therapeutic benefits, it is quickly gaining ground.
The foremost reason for CBD’s legality is that CBD is derived from the Hemp plant with a maximum concentration of CBD of up to 60-70% and a trace amount of THC (0.3%). Due to CBD’s non-psychoactive properties and its beneficial medicinal uses without getting you high, it has become legal and it’s a general prediction that in the years to come, CBD will be the only name for any ailment.
1 thought on “Is CBD Oil Legal in 50 States of the USA? – 2020”


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Recently, MRC Data and Billboard jointly released the “2021 Mid-year Report”, which elaborated on the latest global music development and changes in the first half of July 1st, and pointed out the strong growth of global music streaming; and MIDiA also released the “2021 No. The report “Global Music Streaming Media Subscribers Market Share in the First Quarter” provides a detailed analysis of global subscribers.
After nearly 16 months of stagnation caused by the epidemic, the music industry has finally ushered in a recovery, and consumers have begun to return to their favorite music activities. The record-breaking concert ticket sales of Bad Bunny, Garth Brooks, Travis Scott and others all illustrate the huge demand for music in the market.
According to PwC ‘s forecast, in the next five years, driven by the rapid recovery of live performances and the rapid growth of digital streaming media, the compound annual growth rate of the entire music industry is expected to remain around 12.8%.
Changes in global music development
Statistics from MRC Data show that from January 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021, the global audio streaming media playback volume reached 1.3 trillion, an increase of 27.5% year-on-year, showing a rapid increase. Among them, the US music streaming media (including audio and video formats) played 555.3 billion in the first half of 2021, a year-on-year increase of 10.8%.
Despite the rapid growth of streaming media, the global sales of digital music decreased by 12.5% year-on-year to US$191 million. This shows that streaming media users have reduced their listening to new songs and are more inclined to listen to the songs in the existing music library.
In addition, in the first half of 2021, the sales of vinyl records in the United States increased by 108.2% year-on-year, reaching 19.2 million. 2020 is already the 15th consecutive year of growth for vinyl records. In the first half of 2021, the sales of vinyl records surpassed the sales of CD records for the first time (18.9 million CD records).
This has led many musicians to release vinyl versions of their albums. Ariana Grande launched her own album “Positions” on the streaming platform in October 2020. The vinyl version of the album was only released in April this year, but it is still highly sought after, selling 32,000 records in just one week.
The US market as a reference, the music industry appear for a few words of streaming media and real vinyl album parallel trends.
Global streaming media market
In the context of the rapid development of music streaming media, MIDiA analyzed the streaming media market. According to its statistics, music streaming media added 100 million subscribers in 2020, and this data will only add 83 million subscribers in 2019. . In the first quarter of 2021, 19.5 million new subscribers were added, bringing the total to 487 million.
However, subscription revenue has not been able to keep up with the rapid growth-ARPU in 2020 has fallen by 9%. The growth rate of subscription revenue is not satisfactory, which has affected the revenue prospects of the global music streaming media market. But global music subscription users are growing faster than ever before, balancing this negative trend.
△2021Q1 global music streaming media platform subscriber market share (data source: MIDiA)
Focusing on streaming media platforms, Spotify still maintains a dominant global position. From the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, its subscribers increased by 27 million, which is more than any other platform. However, due to the decline in growth rate, Spotify’s global market share fell by two percentage points year-on-year to 32%, squeezed by competitors.
YouTube Music is the fastest-growing music streaming platform for subscribers in 2020, with an increase of 60%; followed by Tencent (TME), with an increase of 40%; Amazon continues to maintain its steady trend, with an increase of 27%; Apple only An increase of 12%.
In the past few years, Google ’s YouTube Music has always been a leader in the music subscription user market and has aroused resonance among young users in many emerging markets and around the world. Early signs indicate that YouTube Music is becoming the representative of Generation Z, just as Spotify represented the millennial generation 5 years ago.
According to MIDiA’s forecast, by the end of 2021, global music subscription users will exceed 500 million, and the developed markets are close to saturation. The industry focus has shifted to the next market with 1 billion potential.
Emerging markets are now at the core of the music subscription user market. Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region and the rest of the world account for 60% of all new subscription users in 2020. Of course, this is also a key reason for the decline in global ARPU. However, some emerging markets have a huge user base.
In addition to TME’s 61 million new users, NetEase Cloud Music added 18 million new users in the first quarter of 2020, and Russia’s Yandex has 8 million new users.
The growth of streaming media is also increasingly dependent on the development of emerging markets. For international streaming media platforms, understanding local habits and values and providing localized services and content can help them better cater to different emerging markets. The global music streaming market is evolving into a series of regional economies with local characteristics.
《Global music subscriber market shares Q1 2021》
《MRC Data Midyear Report U.S. 2021》
Posted by:CoinYuppie，Reprinted with attribution to:https://coinyuppie.com/streaming-media-subscribers-in-developed-markets-are-almost-saturated-and-youtube-music-has-become-the-new-favorite-of-young-people/
Coinyuppie is an open information publishing platform, all information provided is not related to the views and positions of coinyuppie, and does not constitute any investment and financial advice. Users are expected to carefully screen and prevent risks.


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When EA and BioWare attempted to continue the Mass Effect franchise with new titles after the original trilogy, let’s just say that things did not exactly go as they had hoped. We suppose in a way it’s a good thing as it showed how well developed in terms of gameplay and story the original games were.
Last year, EA confirmed that they will be launching a new Battlefield game in 2021. Not much is known about the game except that it will be released this year, but we might now have some additional info thanks to prolific Battlefield and Call of Duty leakster Tom Henderson, who shared some details about the game.
The initial release of BioWare’s Anthem did not go as well as the company would have liked. However, in 2020, they announced that they would be trying to rectify the problems by giving the game a redesign and overhaul. If you were hoping to see this game launched anytime soon, you should probably give up.
A new Battlefield game from EA is expected to be released later this year. Not much is known about the game at the moment, but thanks to a video by Tom Henderson, also known as LongSensation who has leaked Call of Duty and Battlefield game details in the past, we might have an idea of what to expect.
With every console generation, companies tend to make changes to the design and features of its gaming controllers, and the Sony PS5’s DualSense controllers are no exception. They come with adaptive triggers which EA is taking advantage of with its FIFA 21 game, where the controls will actually “tighten” as the players in the game get fatigued.
While developers have been relying on microtransactions in games to help them generate more revenue, the model has come under fire in the recent years where some feel that this is a “bad” model as it encourages unnecessary or even impulsive spending. This is something that EA is hoping to address in a recent update to FIFA 21.
The last time a major Battlefield title was released was back in 2018 which came in the form of Battlefield V. Unlike Activision’s Call of Duty, EA’s Battlefield series typically does not follow an annual release. With 2020 drawing to an end, it looks like we won’t be getting a new title this year, but that won’t be true for 2021.
The original Mass Effect trilogy was one of the more highly-rated RPGs in recent years, with the company’s newer take on the Mass Effect franchise kind of falling flat. If you are wondering what the big deal is regarding the original games, then you might have to wait until 2021 because that’s when Mass Effect: Legendary Edition will launch.
Many of you might be familiar with EA’s The Sims. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s basically a game where you create characters in a virtual world, control them, and live out your fantasy life, sort of. It is a fun game, but for whatever reason, it seems that EA has deemed that it might actually be worth launching a TV show around it.
With all the popularity and hype surrounding battle royale style games like Fortnite, it didn’t really come as a surprise when EA eventually announced their own game, Apex Legends. The game has been out for a while now and has been available on platforms like the Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Last year, EA confirmed that for 2020, they will not be releasing a new Battlefield game. However, for those who have been hungering for some new Battlefield content, you could be in luck because according to the rumors, it seems that there could be a remastered version of Battlefield 3 in development.
The last time EA released a Battlefield game was back in 2018 with Battlefield V. This means that it is about time that the company prepare for a new Battlefield title, and as such, it doesn’t come as a surprise to learn that EA will be winding down on the major updates made to the game.
These days, one of the popular things for developers and publishers to do is release remasters of older titles. In a way this is not a bad thing, especially since there are many of us who have played games from back in the day that we wouldn’t mind playing again, especially with updated visuals and improvements.
We’ve heard of companies who ban players from playing their games due to them violating their terms of service. This is usually due to cheating, hacking, or other types of violations. However, these bans are typically limited to that particular game itself, but it seems that EA is taking things to the next level.
BioWare’s Anthem was not a great success as everyone expected it to be.Even though the game was visually good, the looting system and the overall gameplay wasn’t appealing enough as a game to play in the long run.At least, the players had a lot of expectations from BioWare while considering Anthem as an online multiplayer game.No matter how much players enjoyed it – fundamentally, it did not turn out to […]
If you were a fan of the official Tetris mobile games (Tetris & Tetris Blitz) by EA for smartphones.It is indeed a sad news that EA will be ending the support for its Tetris games in April. You might have also observed the game as “Tetris 2011” at the Play Store / App Store.As per the exact details, the support should end on April 21st, 2020. However, you may not […]
When it comes to RPGs, Mass Effect is one of the more popular franchises in recent years. However, when the original trilogy ended and EA released Mass Effect: Andromeda, it kind of fell flat which led to the publisher eventually putting the series on hold while they focused on other franchises.
Unlike Activision’s Call of Duty, EA’s Battlefield series isn’t necessarily released on an annual basis. For example, Battlefield V was released back in 2018 and in 2019, there were no new titles announced. However, if you were hoping that EA might announce a new Battlefield title next year, prepare to be disappointed.
As we previously mentioned the possibility of EA Games making a comeback to the Steam platform. Now, it has been confirmed with the official announcement by EA for its return to Steam with its much-anticipated game ‘Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order‘.The modern-age Star Wars game was the only reason EA Games got into trouble due to the microtransactions involved. To fix the player base figure and reach out to more […]
When it comes to game distribution platforms, Steam is more or less the default one. However, in recent years, we’ve started to see more companies launch their own platforms, like EA launching Origins and Epic launching the Epic Game Store. Typically in these cases, these companies tend to make their games exclusive to their own platforms.


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New research conducted by Tourism New Zealand shows preference for New Zealand as a holiday destination is at an all-time high in Indonesia as arrivals continue to grow.
Preference has grown to a record 84 percent – an increase of six per cent since the last round of research six months ago.
More importantly this strong preference is also converting into arrival growth.
In the year ending November 2017 more than 16,000 Indonesians visited New Zealand for a holiday, a 25 per cent increase on last year. Significantly, the market delivered a 17 per cent year on year increase during the combined September, October and November spring months.
Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Manager South and South East Asia, Steven Dixon said the new research, combined with the increase in arrivals, shows that Tourism New Zealand’s activity is having impact and highlights the continued potential of the market to deliver value to New Zealand.
“Seeing both preference and arrivals reach a record high is incredibly satisfying as it indicates the work we have been delivering is making a difference.
“Indonesia is a priority emerging market for New Zealand. The value of the market is enhanced by the tendency for Indonesian travellers to travel during our shoulder seasons, peaking during the Lebaran (Ramadan) holiday period; and impressive growth and interest from the high spending corporate incentive sector.”


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The opportunities for Travel & Tourism in NigeriaÂ are extraordinary. So, the call by the Minister for Culture & Tourism, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, on the private sector to work with the government to develop plans for sustainable and profitable growth in the sector is commendable.
In recent years, the organised private sector associations in the tourism sector in the country have tended to see themselves as rival to the apex tourism body in the country, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).
When the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN)was created in 1996. It was formed as anÂ umbrella organisation defending the interests of all the stakeholdersÂ involved in the tourism industry.
It has in its fold representatives of associations like that ofÂ hoteliers, airlines, travel agents,Â tour operators,Â ground members operators, among others.
FTAN is recognised by the Federal Government of Nigeria as one of the key players in shaping theÂ future of the tourismÂ industry in Nigeria.
But it is disheartening that the body which ought to sanitize the private sector and galvanize them for profitability is now more interested in creating parallel activities in the industry.
It is strange to find the federation setting up committees onÂ Tourism Fairs and Marketing Services, Manpower Development, Legislation and Standards. The question one is tempted to ask is what are the function of these committeesâ€™ members.
Is FTAN saying it has power to legislate on who organises travel and tourism fairs in the country or who operates in the industry in Nigeria? It has none of these power, the body can only work with the government on these issues.
So, the visit of the body to the Minister of Culture & Tourism recently is a welcome development which afforded the body to make its positions known to the government and for the government to point out what is expected from them.
Samuel Alabi, FTAN National President, who led the delegation to the Minister disclosed the willingness of FTAN to continue to serve as the apex body that will provide leadership, direction and control for the travel and tourism private sector, to interact with government on behalf of the private sector, represent the private sectorâ€™s interest in the sector with the view to harnessing the abundant tourism potentials in the country. The federation also urged the minister to revive the Presidential Committee on Tourism [PCT], established by the Olusegun Obasanjoâ€™s Administration.
The umbrella body for the tourism private sector further requested that the federation to be included or represented on the boards of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation [NTDC], and that of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Study [NIHOTOUR], two tourism parastatals out of the eight parastatals under the ministry, and the full implementation of the Tourism Master Plan.
The Minister of Culture & Tourism, Abubakar Mohammed, in his responseÂ stressed the need for the body to work with government as the ministry is poised to take a retrospective review of all endorsements granted in the past.
In the words of the minister, â€œa lot of people are doing things that are not right in the sectorâ€, a development he assured would be corrected soonest with the strengthening of legislation guiding the sector to ensure only genuine practitioners were allowed to do tourism business.
To this end, the Minister told the practitionersâ€you have to be subservient to NTDC as government is the one that takes responsibility for actions of practitionersâ€
He further said; â€œgovernment is reviewing the processes of giving endorsements to people, as there are some people out there doing all kinds of things in the name of tourism.
According to the chief tourism officer of the federation, â€œthere may be some information we have that FTAN may not have about individuals and groups that may have been given endorsements,â€ he said


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Tip Top launches low-calorie bread alternative
Tip Top is now selling a low-calorie alternative to bread in Australia called ‘Sandwich Thins’.
Sandwich Thins contain 99 calories per serving and are described as “a lighter way to enjoy the pleasure and softness of bread”.
The product comes pre-sliced and makes six sandwiches. Three varieties are available – original, wholemeal and lightly seeded.
The wholemeal option has received a 4.5 health star rating and the original and lightly seeded varities have 4 star ratings.
Tip Top Senior Brand Manager, Susan Tahmasian, said the new range was developed in response to growing consumer demand for varied and lighter lunch foods.
“Sandwiches will always be Australia’s go-to lunch option, but there are occasions where we want to experiment or enjoy something different,” she said.
Sandwich Thins are already sold in the United Kingdom where Tip Top says they “are an important part of the bakery market and one of the biggest drivers of growth in the sandwich alternatives category.”
Tip Top is owned by George Weston Foods which is also responsible for numerous other food brands including Don, Jasol and KR Castlemaine.
Sandwich Thins have a recommended retail price of AUD $3.50 and are available next to the wraps in the bakery section of Coles, Woolworths and independent supermarkets. Tip Top Sandwich Thins have a shelf-life of six days.
Late last week Woolworths announced the results for its 2016 financial year which included its first...
A study into seafood fraud has found, on average, one in five pieces of seafood tested worldwide wer...
A new Roy Morgan Research study has found Australians have a growing taste for butter.
The dramatic 16.7 per cent fall in the share price of Bega Cheese has generated much comment.
Australian research has found that children with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to develop ast...
The 2017 Product of the Year winners have been announced.
Murray Goulburn (MG) dairy co-operative says it will still pay a southern milk region farmgate milk ...
PEOPLE are increasingly snacking to manage their mood but the lolly jar is out as middle-class consu...


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STAMFORDHAM JUMBLE SALE
Many people donated Jumble to be sold at the Stamfordham Jumble Sale on 28th March. Sadly the event could not go ahead because of the Coronavirus pandemic lock-down that was imposed on 23rd March.
However, during August we were able to have a Jumble Sale of sorts, allowing only 5 people at a time into the hall and ensuring they wore masks and gloves during their visit. As many items as possible were laid out for viewing. There was also a raffle which helped to raise a few extra pounds.
Volunteers from the Stamfordham Playing Field & Village Hall committee gave up many hours of their time to sort through all the items that had been donated and set up the hall to work in a way that adhered to the Government COVID 19 guidelines. The committee managed to raise a little more money through selling off items that were left after the sale.
Thank you to everyone who donated items for the sale.


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Foreign direct investment in China continues to climb, reaching $20.52 billion in the first eight months of the year, up 55% on the same period a year ago, the official China Daily reports.
The paper said the rise had come despite a dip in the number of new projects. Tighter government curbs on real estate speculation have deterred property investment, particularly from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macanese companies.
Instead, more money flowed from Japan, Europe and the United States into China's machinery, electronics and chemical sectors, matching the government's industry development plans, the paper said.
The average investment per project in the first eight months of the year was $1.7 million compared with $1.3 million for the same period in 1993.
The latest investment figures from the trade ministry show the inflow of foreign cash from abroad has maintained the pace of the first half of the year, despite increasing signs that the economy may be overheating again.
Recent economic statistics indicate the economy is gathering steam, with industrial output, inflation and retail sales on the rise after showing signs of easing in the first and second quarters of the year.
The report said China is on course to reach $30 billion in foreign investment this year, up from the $26 billion recorded in 1993. Last year, only the United States, with $32 billion, attracted more investment from abroad.
The report was not entirely praiseworthy of foreign investors, however, noting that China had revoked the business licenses of some 7,000 joint ventures for poor performance or wrongdoing.
It said that some investors had come to China will the sole purpose of taking advantage of tax breaks and had abandoned the country when their breaks expired.
A separate report in the China Daily last weekend said that as much as 51% of all joint ventures in China will lose money this year. It blamed the losses on the initial costs of setting up operations in China, but also said many companies make "artificial" losses to avoid paying tax.


text: After the S&P reached a new high in April (Dow came within a few points), the stock market got a little twitchy in May. From April 30th to May 13th the Dow dropped 1268 points or almost 5%, and then dropped another 510 points to end the month at 24815, a 6.7% loss for the month. Turning to politics, many blame the stock market decline on the impasse that President Trump has with China over the issue of trade, as well as his threat to impose a tariff on Mexico unless they help us curb the illegal migration across their country from Central America. I sent out quick emails last month having to do with the trade talks and their effect on the markets. I tend to look at things through what I like to believe is a common sense lens. You see, in the past, all the negotiators for America have been politicians. Politicians see an agreement with a foreign entity as a win and a lack of an agreement as a loss. So what if they gave the farm away, they got a signed agreement. That, they think, is a feather in their cap. Those foreign countries have always been able to take advantage of our seemingly desperate need to reach an agreement, any agreement. Now they’re flummoxed over the stance America is taking today. Our current negotiators are demanding that the agreements be, above all else, fair to the American people. The Chinese negotiators initially agreed to a fair deal, and sent it back to the Chinese Politburo. The old guys there, not used to having to play fair, balked at the deal and refused to agree to it. The President was ready and responded with tariffs on the goods they send here that were equal to the tariffs on the goods we send there. The Chinese ‘retaliated’ by placing more tariffs on farm products we sell them. That’s an obvious calculated move by the Chinese to hurt one of the strong support bases of the president. The American news media breathlessly reported that our farmers will be mortally wounded by the Trump Administration. What they fail to report, though, is that America exports only 5.9 billion dollars of farm products to China. China, in the meantime, exports 186.5 billion dollars of electronics to us. In total we export 120.3 billion dollars of goods to them (less than 1% of our output), whereas they export 539 billion dollars of goods to us (almost 7% of their output). In addition, the US economy is doing well at this time. The Chinese economy is starting to falter. In that scenario, just looking at these facts with a bit of common sense, who do you think will blink first? Personally, knowing these facts, I’m not too worried that the trade deal (or lack of one) will lead to a long-term downturn in the stock market. In the overall scheme of things it’s noise and the subject is good for a few headlines for a few days. My concern is more the exploding federal deficit and debt. The more debt we accumulate the more interest we have to pay on it. When George W. Bush left office in 2009 the federal debt was just over 10 trillion dollars, now it’s over 22 trillion. Deficit spending in a bad economy is one thing, deficit spending in a really good economy is something else. This bull market we’re in is the longest in history. There are many predictions for a 1929-like crash. But in most cases, the people calling for that kind of crash have something to sell you that will ‘save’ you ‘when’ it happens. That’s why I take their predictions with a healthy dose of salt. As we continue to manage our portfolios and make the trades called for by our research, we continue to tweak our models to try to eliminate or at least reduce any allocations that were invested wrong in the past. Our research partner uses three indicators to help us decide which strategy we should have our models in at any one time. We call them our short, medium and long-term indicators. If they’re all positive we will be invested in the “Bull” strategy. If one or two are negative we will go to the “Neutral” strategy. And if all three point negative, we will employ the “Bear” strategy. At the end of the year in 2018 our indicators were all stuck on positive when one of them should have turned negative. At the beginning of 2019, one of the indicators was stuck on negative, when it should have turned positive before the end of the quarter. We have adjusted our research so that shouldn’t happen anymore. And there is a new indicator coming that looks good for making our models even more responsive to what the market is telling us. I’m very excited about this and look forward to sharing it with you once I know more about it and how it works. As always, we seek your input so that we can continually improve our service to you.