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SANRIO and Macy’s are pleased to announce that signature brand Hello Kitty will participate in the 81st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. On November 22nd at 9:00am, the world famous pop icon will make her debut as a giant helium balloon soaring down Broadway in the unique entertainment extravaganza that serves as the official start of the holiday season.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is such a great holiday tradition. We are so excited that Hello Kitty will be part of it,” says Andrea Sobel VP of Marketing for Sanrio Inc. “We can’t wait to see her flying over New York City!”
The Hello Kitty balloon, designed by the magicians of the Macy’s Parade Studio, will be in the “Hello Kitty Super Cute” design — a contemporary combination of superhero & Japan-esque graphics, in primary pop art colors. Complete with cape & tiara, “Hello Kitty Super Cute” will join the legendary line-up of giant helium character balloons, amazing floats, America’s best marching bands, performance groups, clowns, celebrity performers and the one and only Santa Claus. The Macy?s Parade marks the start of the Holiday season and is seen live by over 3.5 million spectators, and over 50 million television viewers nationwide. To mark this momentous occasion, SANRIO will produce a limited edition commemorative “Hello Kitty Super Cute” plush, that will be available to collector’s at select SANRIO stores and at the newly re-vamped www.sanrio.com.
“Hello Kitty is an international superstar, and this balloon has been on my personal wish list for as long as I’ve run the Parade,” says Robin Hall, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “I can tell you that everyone at Macy’s is as excited as I am to welcome Sanrio to the Macy’s Parade family.”
Before her big debut on Thanksgiving Day, the new Hello Kitty balloon will be officially unveiled, inflated and test flown at Macy’s Balloonfest on Saturday, November 3rd. All new balloons in the Parade line-up earn their flying credentials at this final test before their first flight down Broadway. Keep an eye on www.sanrio.com for additional events & www.macysparade.com for updated Parade information.


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J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) Tuesday said its first-quarter earnings decreased to $0.98 per share, despite a 9% growth in revenues to $2.3 billion. Earnings missed the consensus estimates, while revenues surpassed the forecast.
The bottom-line was negatively impacted by a marked increase in operating expenses, reflecting the uptick in wages and acquisition-related costs. Of late, the performance of the company’s truck division has been negatively impacted by the general slump in freight services.
Shares of the logistics company closed the day’s trading higher and continued to gain during the extended session.
Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) reported second quarter 2021 earnings results today. Revenues increased 116% year-over-year to $982 million. Net loss amounted to $151.6 million, or $0.10 per share, compared to
Microblogging platform Twitter, Inc. (NYSE: TWTR) Thursday reported a profit for the second quarter of fiscal 2021, compared to a loss last year. Both earnings and revenue came in above
Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) Thursday reported financial results for the second quarter of 2021. The revenue was reported at $19.6 billion compared to $19.7 billion in the previous year's second

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Pub-goers in Ashby are in for a winter treat on Friday 16th November, when high-street pub The Bulls Head reopens, following a £300,000 investment.
With six new HDTVs around the venue, the pub is sure to be a hit with sports and games fans alike. Offering a welcoming and relaxed environment to spend time with friends and loved-ones, the pub will also provide a wide range of food and drinks, including craft ales, Doombar, 61 Deep and Bass. The outdoor area has been upgraded to be available all year round for lovely dinners, drinks and sports watching on the new garden screen.
The menu at The Bulls Head comes with pub classics as well as vegan and veggie specials and children’s meals, all served until 9pm. Every day of the week will see a new food and drink offer: discounted big plates on ‘Monday Club’; a burger and a drink on Tuesdays; Pie and a pint on Wednesdays; a grilled dish and a drink on Thursdays; any classic dish and a drink on Fridays; pick ‘n’ mix sharing dishes on Saturdays and the best Sunday Roasts to finish the week.
The pubs is also set to be a true hub for the local community, offering coffee and cake mornings every Tuesday, quiz nights on Thursdays and Open Mic on Sundays to keep everyone entertained.
General Manager, Nathan Chadderton will be celebrating the opening with a launch party from 5pm – 7pm on Friday 16th November, where new and existing customers will be welcomed with live acoustic acts and tasting canapes to show-off the new menu.
Nathan says: “We are incredibly excited to relaunch our pub to the people of Ashby. The new look is amazing and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in to try the great range of gins, rums and whiskeys and our well-priced food.”
67 Market Street
9am – 11pm, Sunday – Thursday; 9am – 1am, Friday; and 9am – 2am, Saturday.


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As 00s fever takes the world of fashion by storm, there’s one style star of the scene that is proving a perennial inspiration.
As the brands which have long been the gatekeepers of the fashion industry grapple with how to evolve their labels in the digital age, it would appear that there’s one style stalwart of the 00s scene that’s proving a perennial inspiration: Bronx-born multi-hyphenate and entrepreneur, Jennifer Lopez.
In line with the rapid ascent of 00s fashion into the arena of desire this year – searches are up – Lopez, one of the original purveyors of the oughts’ love-in with all things flesh-flashing, midriff-baring and hip-slinging, is proving that 22 years after her debut EP was released, her star hasn’t even remotely begun to wane.
Indeed, at their 00s-inspired spring/summer 2022 show in Milan this weekend, Dolce & Gabbana presented an ode to the star in the form of diamante-encrusted ‘Jennifer Lopez’ T-shirts, chainmail micro minis and her once-staple camouflage cargo trousers. “The Dolce & Gabbana spring/summer 2022 look is a tribute to JLo,” the brand wrote on its Instagram, noting that the collection “pushes the boundaries of joy and optimism in a celebration of the 2000s.”
Not only is her chainmail-filled sartorial line-up of yesteryear providing renewed inspiration for Dolce & Gabbana, but Lopez’s clout has also been tapped in recent years by her longtime collaborator and matron of fellow Italian brand, Donatella Versace. Twenty years after she wore that jungle-print Versace dress to the 42nd annual Grammy Awards in 2000 (an outfit which initiated so many internet searches for “JLO” and “Versace” that the powers-that-be built Google Images to fix the problem), Lopez was asked by the designer to sport a replica of what is now referred to simply as The Dress to close the brand’s spring/summer 2020 show. Needless to say, the moment went viral, which, according to Lyst, generated $9.4 million in media mentions and online engagement.
Even her recent appearance at this year’s Met Gala proved Lopez’s unwavering influence. The star, who wore a rodeo-inspired get-up by Ralph Lauren, instigated a 8800% spike in internet searches for fedora hats after she sported one to the event.
Lopez is also the face of Coach, a role she first assumed in 2018, and has fronted campaigns for Guess and Versace too. While the JLo effect is no great surprise, owing to her just shy of 200 million Instagram followers, for brands to bet on a star that isn’t plucked from the elite handful of supermodels that currently supersede all others – Gigi, Bella et al – proves that Lopez’s cache of cool is as relevant today as it was a couple of decades ago. In fact, when Coach announced that the JLo Beauty founder would be the face of the brand in 2019, searches for the label spiked by 67%.
Let’s Get Loud for Jenny From The Block; long may the JLo effect reign supreme.
Images: courtesy of Getty.


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Employee steals almost 9 thousand smartphones from Samsung to pay gambling debtHe is physically impaired person and walk in wheelchairs. The mobility limitations were no impediment so that it should make an theft for two years.
A story somewhat unusual came to the public in South Korea this week, where an employee of Samsung was arrested after stealing $ 711 thousand in the company's products. According says the site The Investor, the intention of the subject was pay off a debt of about US $ 800 thousand contracted in gambling.
To make the story even more curious, the official in question is physically impaired person and uses a wheelchair. Even their mobility limitations were no bar to steal it exactly 8.747 Samsung smartphones the company's headquarters located in Suwon.
Hired by Samsung 2010, the man identified only as Lee was part of a sector responsible for providing maintenance on equipment used by developers to test system upgrades offered by the company. It was precisely these devices he swiped unnoticed for nearly two years, between December 2014 and November 2016.
However, Lee scheme came to light after several fittings for developers, that can not be sold to the public, They have been distributed in Vietnam. That was the warning sign for Samsung, warned that the Asian country authorities. Like this, after police investigations, the practice of official South Korean manufacturer was revealed and he is arrested.


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Cashless establishments may be safer and more convenient, but are they more popular with the public at large?
After yet another break-in at south London pub the Crown and Anchor, Arber Rozhaja decided enough was enough.
Burglars were after cash lying around after lock-up, but what if there was never any cash on site at all?
Mr Rozhaja, operations director at the pub’s parent firm, London Village Inns, calculated the volume of cash transactions and was bowled over.
“Somewhere in the region of 10-13% of the total revenue would be cash and the rest was card,” he says.
So in October, the Crown and Anchor went fully cashless.
Customers can use debit cards, credit cards and contactless payments including Android Pay and Apple Pay. But a fiver will get you nowhere
Signs dotted around the pub announced the move to customers: “Apologies, but it is the digital age.”
Four of the firm’s pubs now refuse cash, with the remaining two set to turn their backs on notes and coins in the New Year.
What began as a move to deter thieves has turned out to be a timely business decision, according to Mr Rozhaja.
For staff at London Village Inns’ businesses, the benefits of working in a cashless public house include not having to count up endless piles of coins at the end of the night. And managers no longer need to travel across town with bags of cash to be lodged at the bank.
There are even additional charges to processing cash transactions versus digital ones, says Mr Rozhaja.
He adds that while he’s had a few complaints from customers, the response has generally been positive. There has been no discernible fall in business.
“It’s a short time for me to have a proper analysis but if it was bad you would see straight away,” he says.
But is cash dying out in the UK? And what about the rest of the world?
- Why Sweden is close to becoming a cashless economy
- Who loses from a cashless society?
- BBC Capital – Does a cashless society benefit everyone?
It was only in September that a pub in Suffolk claimed to be the first in the UK to go cashless. A string of “cashless cafés” has cropped up in Britain, too.
And establishments that turn down “hard” currency are becoming more common all over the world.
Take the trendy eateries in New York, for example, which say “no” to readies. Or the new supermarket in Singapore where robots pack your bags and banknotes are futile. Even Ikea in Sweden has experimented with a cashless outlet.
Cash, as Mr Rozhaja found, is often a hassle. And if it accounts for a negligible fraction of turnover, why not drop it?
Ikea found that so few people – 1.2 in every 1,000 – insisted on paying in cash that it was financially justifiable to offer them free food in the shop cafeteria instead.
“It’s slightly surprising to me that there aren’t more of these cashless places already,” says Dave Birch, director of payments at Consult Hyperion, a research consultancy.
He feels that some societies are embracing the cashless revolution more quickly than others.
“I was in Australia last week where the use of contactless is near ubiquitous. In fact, if you don’t tap to pay for something it’s regarded as rather strange already,” he explains.
Getting rid of cash frees up retail staff so they can spend more time with customers, adds Mr Birch. And tills stuffed with grotty banknotes don’t clutter up serving space.
UK Finance, a trade association, projects that in Britain cash will be used in just one fifth of all sales by 2026. In the last year alone, 4,735 cash machines have disappeared, according to research by Paymentsense
Taking all the above into account with a stronger looking cashless society, backed by an award winning support, it makes sense to choose Costa Systems going forward in a key decision for your business.


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SWIFT – a standard format for business identifier codes (BICs) used to identify banks and financial institutions globally – has announced a trial integration with R3’s Corda blockchain platform in the hopes of creating a transparent system that can be used to monitor payment flows and support application programming interfaces (APIs). Initially, the trial will be limited to R3’s trade ecosystem but – if successful – could be extended to support other distributed ledgers, non-distributed ledgers and e-commerce platforms. Companies using the R3 platform will authorise payments from their banks using global payments innovation (GPI) links. Payments will be settled and confirmations – once completed – reported back to trade platforms using those same links.
The growth of Blockchain-based solutions indicates that the technology is here to stay, becoming the basis for highly efficient, transparent systems.


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The AJ is pleased to announce the launch of its new weekly iPhone edition, now available in the app store
The iPhone edition, designed by the same team which creates the weekly print edition and iPad magazine, features news, comment, building studies and interactive drawings in a handy pocket edition.
The app is free to download and contains two free issues of the magazine. A new issue of the AJ will be published to the app every Friday, and issues are available for single purchase, or by subscription.
AJ editor Christine Murray said: ‘After the launch of the AJ iPad edition, a lot of our readers asked if we could create an AJ for iPhone. I hope our readers like it, and will let us know what they think, so we can continue to innovate for them.’


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Tom: Think of the things that you need nowadays: food, shelter and, well, the internet. Today, two-and-a-half billion people worldwide use the internet everyday. But there is a big fight to protect free and open access to the internet, and it is called net neutrality. Maggie Rulli has the story.
Maggie: What if your internet service was more like your cable service. You would have a basic package that would get you some websites, but in order to get your favorite websites you would have to pay extra. Or what if it was like your cell phone service, and if you streamed too much video or other content, you could face overage charges.
Well, that is all part of a big debate going on right now about net neutrality, whether the internet should remain open, or net neutral, to everyone as it has been since it was first created. Or if internet companies have the right to regulate or restrict the flow of information on the internet as they see fit.
In December of 2010, the Federal Communications Commission came up with the Open Internet Order. It was the first set of rules ever created to regulate the internet. The Open Internet Order said that companies, which provide access to the internet, could not block or discriminate against any content on the internet, meaning they must treat all websites equally. But those rules didn’t stand up to a challenge in court. However, the court did find that the FCC has the right to make rules for the internet.
Maggie Reardon: The victory that the FCC had in all of this is that the court agreed that, yes, this is something that citizens should be concerned about. It’s something that the regulatory body who’s overseeing this should be concerned about it.
Maggie: And so the FCC set out to create a new set of rules. But what they came up with has a lot of people worried. The new proposal, which was announced last week, would allow internet companies, like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon, to charge content providers, like Netflix or YouTube, more money so their customers could get faster access to their websites. But critics of the proposal worry that small or startup companies won’t be able to pay to compete with bigger companies, or that the internet providers who also provide their own content will be more likely to suppress access to competitors.
Reardon: So, are they going to discriminate against that traffic? Are they going to try to make it so that I can’t get to Netflix? Or are they going to try to degrade the service? And that’s really the fear there.
Maggie: But the FCC’s chairman, Tom Wheeler, explained in a recent blog post that the new proposal would empower the agency to crack down against internet service providers that are discriminating against content providers.
Reardon: Businesses like to make money, and so if they have a little too much power that is what the government is there for and they need to look out for that. But at the same time, you don’t want rules that are in place that are going to stifle innovation and are going to make people not want to invest in new businesses and new ideas.
Maggie: Maggie Rulli, Channel One news.
Tom: Now we want to hear what you think. Should internet providers be allowed to charge companies for faster access to their websites? Head on over to our website at ChannelOne.com and let us know.


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Manufacturers cut their prices last month despite an increase in raw materials costs, according to figures yesterday that fuelled hopes of a new year cut in interest rates.
Prices of goods leaving UK factories fell 0.1 per cent in October, taking the annual rate to a four-month low of 2.6 per cent. Stripping out volatile components such as petrol prices, the core rate - which central banks watch for signs of inflationary pressure - fell 0.3 per cent on the month, the steepest drop for more than six years. "The Bank of England should be pleased with this data," Howard Archer, at Global Insight, said. "They keep the door open for a rate cut early in 2006 if the economy fails to show sustained significant signs of improvement."
The price cuts were imposed despite a 0.3 per cent rise in the raw materials bill, which was higher than expected. The annual rate slowed to 7.7 per cent from September's 10.2 per cent. Analysts said the figures indicated the worst impact of the rise in commodity prices had passed without a surge in inflation that many observers - including the Bank's Governor, Mervin King - had feared.
Jonathan Loynes, at Capital Economics, said the build-up of cost pressures in industry over the past two years was coming to an end. "The figures brought encouraging evidence that pipeline inflation pressures in the UK are easing," he said. "The very competitive conditions evident in the high street are forcing producers, just like retailers, to keep a tight lid on prices."
The British Chambers of Commerce said it expected a quarter-point rate cut early in 2006, although it acknowledged the size of the public deficit would prevent the Bank from cutting rates too far. It cuts its forecast for growth this year to 1.6 per cent, down from 2 per cent in August and half the 3.2 per cent achieved in 2004. The Treasury forecasts growth of 3 to 3.5 per cent.
"The slowdown is mainly being driven by sharply lower growth in household consumption, as the cooling housing market and the higher personal debt burden dampen spending," David Kern, its chief economic adviser, said. "There is a distinct risk of manufacturing recession."
The London Retail Consortium said sales fell at stores in the heart of the capital for a fourth month in a row in October as consumers continued to avoid the city after July's terrorist bombings. Like-for-like sales dropped 2.3 per cent, repeating September's fall.
In contrast, there was upbeat news from the housing market. The August rate cut triggered the sharpest increase in new buyers registering at estate agents for almost two years, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said.But Jeremy Leaf, a spokesman for Rics, warned: "A return to boom conditions is not at all evident."


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Why Iowa's relationship with Japan still matters, 60 years after pigs flew | The Spokesman Speaks Podcast, Episode 62
Welcome to Episode 62 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. This episode celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Japan Hog Lift, an act of Iowa kindness that has created a lasting relationship between Iowa and Japan (and one that has played a meaningful role in the United States' strong trade relationship with Japan).
In this episode, we talk with Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill about Iowa's unique, ongoing relationship Japan, and we talk with U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom about the current demand for U.S. meat in Japan and in other parts of the world.
Listen to The Spokesman Speaks Podcast in your favorite podcast app
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Iowa Farm Bureau's Annual Meeting webinar series
- Vote in Iowa Farm Bureau's "Grow Your Future Award" competition
- Click here to view the transcript +
Narrator: Welcome to the Spokesman Speaks. A podcast for farmers and ag professionals by the Iowa Farm Bureau, bringing you the news, experts, and educational insights that matter most now, here's your host.
Zach Bader: Welcome to our December 14th edition of the Spokesman Speaks podcast. I'm Zach Bader and today's episode celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Japan hog lift, an act of Iowa kindness that helped create a lasting relationship between our state and Japan. And of course, that relationship also means a lot to U.S. agriculture as a whole with Japan becoming such a strong market for U.S. Ag exports. So today we'll talk with Iowa Farm Bureau, president Craig Hill about the importance of Iowa's unique and ongoing relationship with Japan, which is something that he got to see firsthand during a Farm Bureau trip to Japan back in 2016. And then we'll bring on Dan Halstrom, who is the president and CEO of U.S. Meat Export Federation. And we'll talk about how things currently stand with one of America's most important trade partners. We'll start with President Hill Spokesman editor Dirck Steimel takes it from here.
Dirck Steimel: Today, we're visiting with Iowa Farm Bureau, president Craig Hill to discuss the 60th anniversary of the Japan hog lift in late 1960 Iowa farmers and ag leaders arranged to transport 36 breeding hogs along with a hundred thousand bushels of corn to the Japanese province of Yamanashi after its agriculture was devastated by two typhoons. Craig, why was it Japan hog lifts so important. And why does it still resonate today in Japan and in Iowa after six decades?
New Speaker: Well, Dirck the single act of kindness and generosity from compassionate Iowa farmers helped halfway around the world, a desperate population that had been ravaged by natural disaster. It was very meaningful. It was a major impact on our two countries relationship and the beginning of a friendship most specifically in Iowa for Iowa and the Yamanashi prefecture.
Dirck Steimel: What does the hog lifts say about people in agriculture helping one another after weather tragedies or any other tragedies, whether they are in Iowa or in Japan or anywhere else in the world?
President Craig Hill: I believe that people with rural roots farmers, producers, and agriculture from around the world share a common bond. We know that people must eat. We as farmers can't fail, we feel a sense of responsibility despite whatever mother nature may throw at you when something so devastating is two typhoons destroys, years of work farmers know that we need to come together to help. And we do.
Dirck Steimel: So in 2016, Craig, you joined a group of Iowa Farm Bureau leaders to visit Japan and spend a few days in Yamanashi. How were the Farm Bureau leaders received in Japan and particularly in Yamanashi?
President Craig Hill: We were welcomed with open arms, both by government officials there but also the population in general, while we learned while we were there is those 36 breeding animals that were delivered from Iowa's farms had grown to 500 breeding animals and just a few years, but in less than a decade of those 36 had become greater than 500,000 a head of swine in Yamanashi prefecture. And today the vast majority of the pigs and Yamanashi are progeny from Iowa farms. That's a remarkable story.
Dirck Steimel: During the trip. How did the people in Yamanashi commemorate the hog lift? President Craig Hill: Well, we had, you know, an embassy visit in which the U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy actually visited with U.S. about this event and how the relationships have been built over the years as a result of that. We had a number of conversations with folks that had read or heard about and were reminiscing about that event and what impact it had to their population.
Dirck Steimel: The 1960 hog lift helped spark the first sister state relationship between an American state and a Japanese province or prefecture as they're often called. Why are relations like that so important?
President Craig Hill: Well, it's just an amazing thing that a single act of kindness what it can do to create enduring and lasting relationships between two countries. Our family has hosted numerous. Japanese farmers to our farm. Countless exchanges and delegations have traveled back and forth. Over the many years, the story of the hog lift is shared in books. Seeds of kindness can bear fruit for a lifetime. And it's an incredible story.
Dirck Steimel: Today, Japan is a very important customer for Iora is pork for corn, for beef and other products. Do you think the ties built by the Japan hog lift are partly responsible for that?
President Craig Hill: I believe that to be true Japan over the many years has become either our number one, number two, or number three market for pork and beef and corn as a very strong, reliable market for us. In Japan, there's 126 million folks that have very limited natural resources within that. Country's geography a country, just the size of California. So I think for centuries to come this relationship will bear fruit.
Zach Bader: You know, it's really incredible to think that we started with just 36 Iowa hogs in the Yamanashi prefecture 60 years ago. And now as Craig said, we know that the vast majority of hogs in Yamanashi have a lineage that traces back to Iowa. It's really just incredible. And of course, that's just one example of the ripple effect that can come from a small act of kindness. Another example is the trade relationship that has been built between the U.S. and Japan over time for that, we send it back to Dirck. Who's now with U.S. Meat Export Federation, president and CEO, Dan Halstrom,
Dirck Steimel: Today with Dan Halstrom, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, a native of Cherokee in Northwest Iowa. Dan joined USMEF in 2010, after nearly three decades in the meat industry. Dan we're celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Japan hog lift here in Iowa. It was in late 1960 when farmers and ag leaders arranged for 36 breeding hogs and a hundred thousand bushels of corn to be shipped to Japan, to help that country recover from two terrible typhoons. That generosity helped to build a strong relationship between Japan and the United States. And particularly between Japan and Iowa. Why are those kinds of relationships so valuable as we work to market U.S. meat products around the world?
Dan Halstrom: You hit on it anytime you have a business relationship you know; relationships are the key. And it's really the case when you're dealing with Asia. And more specifically with Japan. I mean, we've been dealing in Japan as an industry on beef and pork for, for decades for probably better than 50 years. And it's that buyer and seller relationship that's so important, but it really goes deeper. I mean, it's about country relationships and in the case of Iowa state relationship, that's been developed over the years. So, you know, having a comfort level with who you're dealing with and an understanding of the products that they produce, the safety and integrity and quality of those products are all key attributes that, you know, something like the hog lift, you know, years ago, the 60th anniversary was really a great way to get this relationship started. And we're seeing the fruits of it in the, in the results today.
Dirck Steimel: So as you mentioned, Japan's a good market for U.S. pork, beef, and other ag products. Why is U.S. pork and beef so popular in Japan?
Dan Halstrom: I think there's several reasons. I think number one, safety and integrity. I think the Japanese market understands the over the years has really come to understand our production processes and a high level of quality integrity comes with it. So that's kind of the foundation of your house, so to speak if you don't have that, you don't do business in Japan. Then from there, it becomes more of a comfort level with the people you're dealing with. And, and the state of Iowa, you know, is one of the best in doing that. And one of the largest suppliers of pork in particular, but beef as well. And over the years, there's different programs that have gotten established and you know, like I said, 60 years and running that's how long it's taken to really develop this business. And in Japan until this year has been the largest market for U.S. beef and pork. Pork will be number two this year in 2020, because of the situation in China, which is a bit of an anomaly with African Swine Fever. But I would say consistently the largest destination for U.S. beef and pork exports has been Japan. And we, we can, we expect that to continue.
Dirck Steimel: Earlier this year, the United States and Japan entered a trade agreement. How has that trade agreement effected U.S. red meat exports to Japan?
Dan Halstrom: I'm the biggest fan of that? U.S. Japan ag agreement if it's not the biggest deal ever for U.S. beef and pork producers, I would say it's definitely the biggest deal since BSE hit in 2003 in the U.S. we were at a severe disadvantage prior to that in 2018 and 19 severe disadvantage because a lot of our competitors entered the TPP agreement, the Trans Pacific Partnership, and the U.S. opted not to join that. And instead to work a bilateral agreement, which ended up working out just fine, but it took some time. And the implementation date was January one, 2020 for the U.S. Japan ag agreement. And this was our replacement for what we thought was going to be the TPP. This, this was huge. We had a 13% duty disadvantage for U.S. beef going into Japan in 2019. And when we hit January one earlier this year in 2020, we were on the same playing field as Australia, as Canada, as Mexico on the beef side. And the pork side had a similar issue, maybe not as big of a duty disadvantage, but two different sections of pork had a disadvantage. One was ground seasoned pork, where we were at about a 7% duty disadvantage. We became equal to our major competitors, which was European Union, Canada and Mexico. And then also on fresh pork the variable levy, a duty implication, we were about a 2% duty disadvantage for fresh and frozen pork. So on both species this was just a huge positive impact for the U.S. beef and pork industries. And I'm happy to report that 11 or 10 months into the year, as far as our export stats are concerned. January through October export stats this year would indicate that we have about a 3% gain in market share and beef, mainly at the expense of Australia. And we have about a two, two and a half percent market share increase on total pork mainly at the expense of, of Europe and on the ground season pork side, the increase is even more dramatic. We're up about 25% year on year. Just because of those changes on the duties and getting U.S. on a level playing field. So very, very big deal, a very, very important deal for the U.S. and an Iowan beef and pork producers.
Dirck Steimel: Well, let's talk about pork exports in general. They've been very strong in 2020, despite the global pandemic. What factors are behind that strong demand for U.S. pork?
Dan Halstrom: I think it starts with a couple of things. Number one is that the country of Japan is 50% self-sufficient at best for pork production. So their demand is far outstripping their supply. This, this is nothing new. This has been the case for decades. Although I think that that gap is widening and the dependence on imports continues to increase as their demand increases. So that's a very, a very base level of, of driver. But I think if you look at the higher level of demand on pork specifically they're wanting safety, they're wanting quality. And the U.S. is one of the highest standards on both. So I think you combine all this together. Part of the reason their consumption and their business is growing over there is because of their ability to import. The other key thing that drives our business is that traditionally a lot of the imports are frozen the European Union being our largest competitor on the frozen pork side. But the, one of the real drivers in growth has been the chilled market vacuum pack chill, never frozen product. That's sent from the U.S. over to Japan. And a lot of this goes directly into what we call the table meat market or into the consumer ready market at retail. And this particular segment is, is growing by leaps and bounds. And you know, our competitors they're of course our main competitor is Japan, domestic pork, but the imported would be primarily Canada and Mexico and European Union's not able to ship chilled pork by vessel. So these are the drivers and play. These are the aspects that are really where the majority of the growth is. If you look at it from a very high level.
Dirck Steimel: And then when you look around the world, what factors are supporting pork exports worldwide?
Dan Halstrom: I think pork is a very versatile protein. So we're seeing per capita consumption growth rates around the world grow and far outstripping. The supply. Japan is one example, but you've got other places you've got Korea, Mexico, Central and South America. One of the largest percentage growth rate countries in the world for U.S. court is Columbia. And they have, they have their own domestic pork industry, but once again their demand far outstrips their ability to supply themselves. So this is really the mantra across the world is you know, taking product from the countries that have the grain. I mean, the U.S. has a very ample supply of grain where we're able to use it as feed for livestock. And a lot of other parts of the world do not. Asia is a classic example. They, they have to import their grain are not nearly as efficient nor do they have the space for the production. So these are all advantages that the U.S. in particular can use to, to maximize the business opportunity globally with a lot of these markets. So I think you add that all up, and it's a really good story for the U.S. beef and pork industries.
Dirck Steimel: And why is export demand so important for livestock farmers here in Iowa and all over the country?
Dan Halstrom: Great. Well, it's about, it's about the math. It's about adding value. It's real basic in any business. It's always pretty much better to have more customers rather than less. So if you're a, a row crop farmer that has livestock you know, the, the ability to export corn is very important, but the ability to export meat from livestock that you're raising diversifies your portfolio. So, so I think in that aspect the ability to export livestock through meat is it's a growing area, and it's about maximizing that value per head. So if you look at, I'll give you the most recent numbers, the contribution of you look at the beef side, you're over $300 per head slaughtered value increase in value due to the exports of beef globally. On the pork side, it varies a bit, but it's right in that 50 to $60 range as well, year to date this year on the pork side, we're looking at real close to $50 per head for every animal, every pig, animal slaughtered. So, you know, it's about putting the right cut and a right market to maximize value. So I'll give you one pretty good example, pork and beef variety meats. There's some demand in the us, but, but for the most part, if you're looking at pork tongues or beef tripe, or pork intestines, not a real big demand item in the U.S., Well, there's a lot of markets around the world where that's a delicacy and much preferred. So you see the, the exporters' and the Packers, they're sending a lot of the beef and pork variety meats outside the U.S. to maximize the value of what they can get in the U.S. so this is really the beauty of it is to put the right cut and the right market to maximize that total carcus value.
Dirck Steimel: Looking ahead to 2021, what's the outlook for pork and beef and exports as we look forward?
Dan Halstrom: Well, let's start with beef this year in 2020, we're forecasting to be down just slightly from 2019, it's going to be in a neighborhood of probably 3% down. But the good news is that we're seeing the fourth quarter of this year, which we just got the October stats today. You know, we're up significantly year on year for the month of October on beef or up a couple percent. But our forecast is for the 2021 for a robust rebound. As we see a lot of these countries around the world emerge from the COVID-19 impacts, we're food service has been shut down. U.S. beef is a big item at food service globally. So we're, we're seeing we're seeing forecasts for rebounds in Mexico, Korea. Japan is already starting to show growth the fourth quarter of this year. So we see that extending into 2021. And our forecast for 2021 is about 10% growth on the beef side versus 2020 on the pork side this year 2020 is going to be a record by far. A lot of that is due to the large volumes going into China, where their African Swine Fever situation domestically. We do see the, the rate of growth slowing down in 2021 as they start to repopulate in China. So, our growth we're, we're still going to see, we think another new record in 2021 with growth of between two and 3% is our forecast right now. So China will drop down. They'll still be a big year, but not nearly as big as 2020, but we see other markets like Japan, like Mexico, like Korea, like Central America. We see other markets picking up the slack on the pork side in 2021.
Zach Bader: We definitely appreciate Dan making time to join us on the podcast. I know that 2020 has been an especially tough year on those of you who raised livestock. So it's good to hear Dan talk about the positive outlook for U.S. meat exports, as we look into 2021 and beyond, okay, as we start to wrap up this episode of the podcast, I want to bring your attention to a few unique opportunities. We're offering farmers and ag professionals over the next several weeks. The first opportunity is a series of webinars that we're offering Iowa Farm Bureau members in place of in-person experts that we typically bring to Iowa Farm Bureau's annual meeting. That series includes a look at lessons learned by restaurants, grocery stores, and livestock farmers, while responding to COVID-19 as well as future projections by economists and other ag experts. The series is going on right now, and you can learn more IowaFarmBureau.com. The second opportunity that's going on right now is a chance to show your support for 10 young ag entrepreneurs who are competing for cash prizes up to $7,500 in Iowa. Farm Bureau's Grow Your Future Award competition. December 17th is the deadline to go out and vote for your favorite ag entrepreneur. And again, you can head out to Iowa Farm Bureau.com to do that. Looking ahead, into early 2021, we're really excited to be offering an Economic Summit Webinar series for you. That series is going to begin in mid-January, and it's going to feature a wide range of national experts. You're going to hear a lot more about that and upcoming podcast episodes. And of course, check out those details on Iowa Farm Bureau.com. We also encourage you to stay tuned for our latest announcements regarding the updated plans for Iowa Farm Bureaus, 2021 young Farmer Conference. That's another topic we'll be talking about an upcoming podcast episodes. And as with everything else, you can find the very latest IowaFarmBureau.com. With that I'll wrap up this episode of the Spokesman Speaks podcast. Our next regularly scheduled episode is December 28th, and we hope that you'll join us for that. In the meantime, the Spokesman Speaks team and all of U.S. at the Iowa Farm Bureau would like to wish you and your families a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. Thanks for doing the work that inspires everything that we do here at the Iowa Farm Bureau. And thank you for listening to the Spokesman Speaks.
Narrator: Thank you for listening to the Spokesman Speaks a podcast by Iowa Farm Bureau. Check out more podcast episodes IowaFarmBureau.com/podcast. You can also find and subscribe to the Spokesman Speaks podcast in the Apple podcast app, Google podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and other popular podcast apps. We appreciate your ratings and reviews, and we welcome you to email us your feedback at email@example.com.
About The Spokesman Speaks PodcastSince 1934, The Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman has been Iowa’s leading agriculture news source, and today it has the largest readership of any ag newspaper in Iowa. While The Spokesman newspaper is available exclusively to Iowa Farm Bureau members, The Spokesman Speaks podcast is available publicly, providing the ag news and farmer education that matter most. You can find episodes of the podcast here or subscribe and listen in your favorite podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneInRadio, or Radio.com.
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Postmates Pop Comes to NYC
Will Postmates Pop succeed where UberEats Instant Delivery could not in NYC? The company has launched Pop, its 15-minutes-or-less food delivery service, in NYC last week, just two days after UberEATS shut down its Instant Delivery option.
For Uber, its 10 minutes or less promise was not feasible for its drivers, who were up against New York City traffic. “In order to bring you the most exciting selection, the highest quality food, and the fastest delivery time, we’ve decided to narrow our focus,” Uber told New York City customers. “Starting today, 4/18, we’ll no longer be offering a daily Instant Delivery lunch menu.”
Postmates hopes to get around the New York City traffic issues that plagued Uber by cutting out pick-up time. Instead of taking orders, picking up meals, and delivering them, drivers will start the day with an inventory of dishes in special heated food containers and will deliver orders until they run out of food, reports Eater. A Postmates spokesperson says, “Each driver carries a limited supply in order to guarantee freshness and speed.”
The service is available on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the company is not charging a delivery fee for Pop items at time of launch.
Check out our roundup of the best restaurants in NYC.


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Scripps Networks, part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP), will rebrand its popular and widely available network Court TV Mystery as ION Mystery starting today, Feb. 24.
“Mystery has added popular procedural dramas to its schedule and with the network’s programming now more connected with the hall of fame lineup of hit dramas on ION, aligning the two networks creates increased consumer recognition, expands brand affinity and cross-promotional strength, and facilitates the ability to naturally share content and more,” said Lisa Knutson, president of Scripps Networks
ION Mystery reaches adults 25-54 and is available in 120 million homes representing 98% of the United States.
The Scripps Networks reach nearly every American through the national news outlets Court TV and Newsy and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Defy TV, Grit, ION Mystery, Laff, and TrueReal.


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BETA, the specialist exclusive complete dry dog food range from Purina, is pleased to announce its fifth annual BETA Gundog Weekend on 29-30 April 2006.
Taking place for the first time at Cirencester Park, Gloucestershire, by kind permission of Lord Bathurst, the BETA Gundog Weekend is a unique event where Any Variety (AV) retrievers, English Springer spaniels, Cocker spaniels, Any Variety (AV) spaniels and HPRs are run at the same venue. The event will be supported through the launch of a new website www.purina-beta.co.uk, advertising in key country titles and a four month PR campaign.
This year BETA is championing the cause of endangered native gundog breeds, like the Curly Coat Retriever and Irish Red and White Setter. Visitors will have the chance to see these rare breeds in action in the ring and to learn more about their different personalities and suitability as either pets or working companions. The Discover Gundogs Exhibition, where all 34 Kennel Club registered gundog breeds will be on show, also offers the only chance to see the entire Gundog family altogether in one place.
The event welcomes gundogs and handlers at all levels and ages. As well as the main tests, there will be scurries, pick-ups, lottos, lost retrieves and launched retrieves on offer with over £1,000 worth of prizes up for grabs.
Ana Catton, BETA Brand Manager, comments: “The BETA Gundog Weekend is a flagship annual event for the brand, attracting over 3,000 people and is enjoyed by spectators and competitors alike. For us the event epitomizes the unique personality of our brand - active, adventurous, and aspirational - whilst also emphasising the partnership between dog and handler. The event is considered to be the ‘best of the tests’ gundog weekend in the UK and is a demonstration of BETA’s continued commitment to gundogs and pets alike.”
Leading training advisors and nutrition experts will also be on hand over the two days to offer helpful hints and tips. For further sales information call Nestlé Purina 0208 336 3770 /3779* or visit www.purina-beta.co.uk for more information on the event.


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After the transaction, Zavasky Michael S's stake was reported as 501 shares of Erie Indemnity Co stock.
As noted on September 17, 2012, Zavasky Michael S's sale was done directly over 2 transactions from September 14, 2012 to September 17, 2012. The share price ranged from $63.34 to $63.99 according to the regulatory filing detailing the transactions.
If we look over the past 12 months, Zavasky Michael S has sold a total of 21,372 shares of Erie Indemnity Co, proceeds from the sale totaled $1,360,914. Over the same time period, Zavasky Michael S has purchased no shares of Erie Indemnity Co stock. Zavasky Michael S has also performed other transactions including gifts .
Let's take a quick, high-level look at insider trading at Erie Indemnity Co over the past 12 months. A total of 22,072 shares of Erie Indemnity Co stock was sold by insiders, totaling $1,410,033. Over the same time 12 month time period, 5,915 shares of Erie Indemnity Co, for a total value of $421,789 were purchased by company insiders.
To view the complete SEC Filing: Erie Indemnity Co Form 4 (Insider Trading) SEC Filing


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Itanagar, Nov 2 (IANS) Aimed at promoting the untapped tourism opportunities in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday announced the launch of the states tourist police spreading across seven different districts.
The concept of tourist police is a first in the northeast and 15th overall in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Khandu expressed his government’s commitment to turn the hill state into a tourist hub and create more employment opportunities for the state’s youth.
“Arunachal Pradesh is popular among tourists for its splendid beauty and serene landscapes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in February this year steered us to work more seriously on making Arunachal one of the best tourist destinations, not only in India but worldwide,” Khandu said after the launch.
“Our Himalayan mountain ranges stretching across the entire state offer one-of-its-kind experiential road trip options.”
“Our government is committed to promote tourism in the state including adventure tourism as we understand the role that the sector plays in generating employment and attracting investment,” he added.
The Tourist Police with its distinctive vehicles, uniform and specialised training in soft skills, languages, rules and regulations and most importantly people friendly attitude aims to dispel any inhibitions a tourist may have while approaching them.
Tourist police personnel will be specially trained about crime against women and how to professionally respond to various situations concerning tourists.
They will also be educated about the local tourist attractions and modes of transportation, accommodation, hospitals etc.
On the occasion the tourist police’s mobile app Arunachal Suraksha was also launched.


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Food & Beverage Manufacturing Experiencing a ‘Global Boom’
Aug 28, 2017
According to a recent report from PMMI (Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute), meat, poultry, and seafood manufacturing is experiencing a period of tremendous global growth. The primary driver of this growth is a steadily increasing global population that simply needs more food. In turn, this creates new opportunities for food service providers and opens up new markets for export.
In particular, contract manufacturers within the food manufacturing space have seen a significant uptick in their business opportunities over the last decade. Part of this trend stems from mergers and acquisitions by larger food companies seeking stronger brands in complimentary categories. They essentially buy the box and shutter the associated production assets in favor of lower-cost contract manufacturers.
In other instances, greater efficiencies can be realized by outsourcing production to a facility that, for example, specializes in cheese. These facilities’ ability to source raw ingredients at better prices and produce in greater quantities helps larger companies realize a better margin.
However, while there are plenty of new opportunities, traditional challenges persist. They include sanitation concerns, labor costs, complex regulations, and a shortage of skilled workers. In particular, the report cited that 82 percent of manufacturers are specifying machines with better cleaning capabilities.
This can mean more stainless steel construction for easier wash-down processes or integrated clean-in-place (CIP) or sterilize-in-place (SIP) capabilities. An inability to properly clean food production equipment can not only lead to extensive regulatory actions and fines, but is a leading cause of contaminated food and resource-sapping recalls.
These concerns are reflected by a reported 96 percent of food manufacturers who plan to increase their use of automation over the next three to five years. These types of investments will not only increase throughput, but help with quicker cleaning processes and reign in labor costs.
The report also notes that consumers in developing markets are incorporating more meat into their diets. As one of the largest and most efficient meat and poultry producers, U.S. exports of meat and poultry are up almost three percent, with a total value of more than $228 billion. As new technology allows for preserving meat, seafood, and poultry more effectively and for longer periods of time, U.S. exports are expected to grow even more in the coming years.
Don't miss the latest news!


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Tate & Lyle pays £55m damages
SUGAR and sweeteners group Tate & Lyle is paying $100m (£55m) in damages to settle a long-running civil case in the United States. The UK company was one of several firms accused of fixing prices for high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener used in fizzy drinks.
Tate & Lyle said it was settling the action to avoid the uncertainty of a jury trial and denied any wrongdoing. The payment would be booked as an exceptional charge, it said.
The company, whose products range from cane sugar in Vietnam to Lyle's Golden Syrup in Britain, said without giving any figures that its first-quarter profits had beaten expectations and the improved trend was likely to be maintained for the full year, helped by a decline in wheat prices in Europe and strong demand for zero calorie sweetener sucralose, which is sold under the Splenda brand.
In a trading update, T&L said profit before tax and exceptional items for the year to March 2005 will be higher than forecast at the time of the preliminary announcement of last year's results in June.
Analysts had been expecting a full-year profit before tax and exceptionals of about £207m in the current year, down from £227mn the year to March 2004.
Analysts at Citigroup said the $100 million settlement was higher than expected, but mitigated by the positive outlook statement.
'There is some scope for increasing underlying earnings estimates for the year to March 2005,' they wrote in a research note, keeping a 'hold' investment rating on Tate & Lyle shares.
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Recently, the G20 summit acknowledged Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma for promoting free trade for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In order to brace digital trade, the recommendation of business leaders was entertained by the G20 Leaders Communique under Business 20 (B20) on Monday. It also paid attention to its program on an Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP). eWTP is a concept that lets nations employ free and fair trade for their SME constituents.
The B20 SME Development Taskforce had Mr. Ma as their chairman and had 107 members from global business. It was the SME Development Taskforce to release recommendations for SME development to the G20, which included support for eWTP too.
Soon after the completion of the G20 Summit, Roberto Azevêdo, World Trade Organization Director-General, and Mr. Ma had a meeting at Alibaba’s headquarters to discuss Mr. Azevêdo’s vision for a highly inclusive WTO. They also discussed how they could reach the goal together.
It is WTO and eWTP’s collective effort to enable global trade. It is deemed that SMEs can still increase their competencies and footprint across the world by promoting public-private dialogue that helps protect e-trade rules and encourage more resourceful policy and business environment.
Mr. Ma affirmed, “The G20 leaders have acknowledged the importance of freer, more inclusive and innovation-driven trade to extend the benefits of globalization to those that have been left behind in the current model. The eWTP will benefit small and medium-sized businesses and consumers. It is about the people, not big business.”
The G20 also allowed many representative trade and commercial firms in different countries to sign deals and talk about cooperation with Alibaba in access areas to the Chinese travel and tourism, investment, and consumer market. These include companies from Italy, Canada, Russia, and Australia.
According to Mr. Azevêdo, “Trade has been at the top of the agenda here in Hangzhou – at both the G20 and B20 summits – with leaders calling for the trade to be at the heart of efforts towards global growth. As part of this, we must trade more inclusively–allowing everyone to take part and feel the benefits. That means trade must work for SMEs.”
Adding to it, he said, “One vital element will be to ensure that SMEs can access online commercial platforms. That’s why the discussion on digital trade is so important, including the proposal for an Electronic World Trade Platform–or eWTP. I look forward to working with Jack.”


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For the third consecutive year, GSC has partnered with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS to provide EAA members free access to the SOLIDWORKS Student Design Kit – EAA Maker Edition.
As the official SOLIDWORKS partner of the EAA, GSC’s technical experts will be on-hand in the Homebuilder’s Hangar at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, July 23-29, to discuss the member benefit and answer questions to help EAA members get started with this powerful computer-aided design (CAD) software.
EAA members are also encouraged to stop by the new EAA computer lab, located in the Innovation Tent, to get hands-on experience with SOLIDWORKS. The new EAA computer lab is equipped with 14 fully-loaded computers, donated by GSC, with the goal to give EAA members more exposure to SOLIDWORKS 3D design software.
In addition, GSC will be offering EAA members exclusive SOLIDWORKS training webinars throughout the year and discounts on products and services including training seminars, 3D printers, and 3D printing services.
Meet the Author


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If investors have learned one thing about Elon Musk, it’s that he rarely gives up. The Tesla chief executive is never so determined as when you doubt him.
He takes pleasure in showing his detractors that they were wrong and seems to take equal pleasure in soaking up the adoration and admiration that his fans have for him.
Both of those points have been at work since the electric-car tycoon was asked by the Ukrainian authorities to help the country stay on the internet after Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of the country.
Not only did Musk respond favorably to the request, but he went on to actively support the Ukrainians.
“Hold Strong Ukraine,” he tweeted on March 4.
Musk also spoke by video with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and made promises for the post-war period, according to a post by Zelenskyy.
“Talked to @elonmusk. I’m grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter on March 5. “Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities. Discussed possible space projects. But I’ll talk about this after the war.”
A Big Surprise for Ukrainians
Zelenskyy, who was referring to the Starlink satellite internet service offered by Musk’s SpaceX, didn’t provide more details.
The top diplomats from Ukraine and Russia on Thursday failed to reach agreement on a cease-fire or even to ease the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. That dashed any hope that Russia might soon pull back from the two-week-old conflict, which has killed hundreds and displaced millions.
It is an understatement to say that Musk has become something of a hero for Ukrainians. And he just made two new announcements that will no doubt reinforce that status.
To Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — who on Wednesday thanked Musk for sending additional Starlink terminals to enable remote and damaged Ukrainian cities to keep access to the Internet — the Tesla CEO made an unexpected announcement.
“Received the second shipment of Starlink stations! @elonmusk keeps his word!’ Fedorov wrote. “Thank you for supporting Ukraine and peace in the entire world!”
To which Musk replied that:
“You’re welcome.” And he went on to say that: “We have also sent power adapters for car cigarette lighters, solar/battery packs and generators for places where electricity is not available.”
Tesla to Pay Conscripted Ukrainian Employees
Starlink, the first consumer product from Musk’s SpaceX company, is high-speed internet powered by a network of thousands of small low-orbit satellites.
It enables residents of areas poorly served by the fixed and mobile networks of telecom operators to access the Internet. The thousands of small satellites circulate in low orbit — mainly 342 miles or 550 kilometers above Earth.
The system also needs ground stations all around the globe communicating with the satellites.
Musk did not stop there. Tesla and he just made an equally important move.
Tesla has undertaken to pay its Ukrainian employees for as long as three months if they are conscripted to fight the Russians.
Ukrainian employees of the electric-vehicle maker based in the Europe-Mideast-Africa region will receive at least three months’ salary if called upon to defend their country, according to an email sent by the company to employees on Monday.
After three months, Tesla intends to reassess the situation with the employees in question to determine what their needs are.
“For any Tesla employees who is a Ukrainian national and has been asked to return to Ukraine for active duty as a reservist, we will maintain their employment and salary for 3 months, with a view to assessing after this period as needed,” wrote Mariam Khalifa, director of people for the EMEA region, and Joe Ward Sr, director for EMEA.
If Tesla does not have a presence in Ukraine, the company says 5,000 Tesla car owners are there.
“Tesla emailed local owners announcing that several supercharger stations near Ukraine could be used by Tesla and non-Tesla electric vehicles, free of charge,” the company said.
“Although Tesla does not officially operate within Ukraine, any of the country’s estimated 5,000 Tesla owners can access free supercharging at select stations in Poland, Hungary [and] Slovakia.”


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His goal in the coming quarter and year is “raising market awareness and educating the market about the opportunity that exists to buy TV in a people-centric way,” Zimbalist said.
“They’ve learned from digital that advertising can be audience-targeted and accountable, measurable and deliver ROI,” Zimbalist said.
If Simulmedia has its way, digital and TV buying in the near future will look similar.
OTT devices, connected TV and addressable TV are already disrupting buying practices. And even if (and because) TV budgets shift to digital video, Simulmedia thinks it will benefit from that switch.
“TV being a separate beast is exactly what it doesn’t have to be anymore, “ Zimbalist said.
Zimbalist will report to Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan.


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The government noted that the South Korean economy faced increasing downside risks in the first quarter with major economic indicators remaining weak.
The Ministry of Economy and Finance stated in its monthly economic assessment report published on Friday that downside risks expanded in the first quarter due to the global economic slowdown as well as the sluggish semiconductor market.
It also said that amid the lingering uncertainties over Britain's planned departure from the European Union, the trade war between the U.S. and China has emerged as a factor in slowing down the global economy while increasing the volatility of the financial market.
South Korea's economy saw an estimated point-three percent contraction in the first quarter of the year from three months earlier, marking the worst performance in a decade.
The report noted that major indicators rebounded in March due to a base effect from the previous month.
The ministry stressed risk management as well as the passage of the supplementary budget bill at the National Assembly in order to prop up the economy. It also emphasized the importance of promoting investment and start-ups coupled with deregulation.


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Quickbit appoints Head of Brand and Marketing
Quickbit has appointed Nina Amjadi as Head of Brand & Marketing. In the newly created role, Nina Amjadi will build and lead all brand marketing efforts for Quickbit.
Nina Amjadi has worked on the agency side for about fifteen years. In recent years, Nina has run the agency North Kingdom in Los Angeles, where she has worked with some of the company's largest customers such as Google, Disney, Riot Games and IBM. Prior to that, she was at Your Majesty in New York where she helped the company grow for five years and be prepared for a sale to the tech giant Square.
“It will be exciting to be part of and contribute to Quickbit's journey to enable and simplify trading in cryptocurrencies. Digital currencies are an obvious part of our future, but despite the fact that we are seeing a strong increase in the number of people who want to invest in cryptocurrencies, Quickbit has an important job to do when it comes to general education about cryptocurrencies and what role they will play in our lives.”, says Nina Amjadi.
“Despite stable growth over the past two years, we realize the stage we are in today and the need to recruit the best talent available to lead us forward. With Nina's experience in international brand building, I am convinced that we will be able to realize the potential that exists at Quickbit.", says Serod Nasrat, CEO.
Nina Amjadi took up the position as Head of Branding & Marketing on May 31, 2021
For further information, please contact:
Serod Nasrat, CEO, Quickbit eu AB (publ)
Phone: +46 73 157 63 33
Quickbit is a Swedish fintech company, which was founded in 2016 with the goal that more people and companies should use cryptocurrency on an everyday basis. Today Quickbit offer solutions for e-merchants to be paid in cryptocurrency and will launch solutions for people to easily use cryptocurrency on an everyday basis. Our more than 40 employees are based in four locations – Stockholm, Gibraltar, Tallinn and Lahore in Pakistan. Quickbit has been listed on NGM Nordic SME since July 2019. Read more at https://quickbit.com


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We may not be Niagara Falls just yet, but Golden is gaining ground.
In the past decade, and the last few years especially, Golden has skyrocketed as a premier wedding destination. Couples from all over Canada bring their friends and family to our little mountain community for their special day.
“Each year it’s more and more. I used to be excited if I did 10 weddings in a whole calendar year,” said Mike Pecora, owner of Elite Sound and Light and wedding DJ. Pecora has been DJing most of his life, and has grown his career as a wedding DJ particularly in the past 10 to 15 years.
“In the last three or four years it’s gotten huge. In 2011 I did 42 weddings in the Golden area… Out of those 42 only one was local.”
Pecora’s 2013 season has been equally busy. This summer alone he had to turn down 30 weddings because he was already booked.
“Nobody realizes how busy it gets. Ten years ago if you called me on Wednesday to DJ on Saturday, I could probably do it. Now I’m booking two years in advance. I already have two weddings booked for 2015,” he said. By the end of the year he predicts that he will be completely booked for the 2014 season.
When Pecora DJed his first wedding, at the age of 13, there were very few venues in town. It was primarily the Civic Centre. Today, Golden has a wide range of venues to offer including mountain tops, secluded lodges, downtown halls, and cozy restaurants.
The variety of venues means that a large variety of vendors are required to complete the wedding experience. Local photographers, DJs, caterers, bakers, co-ordinators, florists and mobile bartenders have all been growing their businesses in the past few years, and there’s still plenty of room for growth.
The ripple effect has also hit other local industry including recreation and food services businesses who have helped entertain the large number of visitors to the community while they are in town for a wedding.
“There’s enough to go around for everybody, but if everybody doesn’t get involved we’re going to be left behind,” said Pecora
“There is the potential for this industry to keep growing by leaps and bounds. It’s definitely on the uprise, and it’s a great market to step into,” said Karen Christakos, owner of Sips N Giggles, a mobile bartending and event co-ordination business.
Sips N Giggles is newer to the wedding industry, having only been around for the past year, but has already gained tremendously from the trend.
Christakos will have worked 14 weddings by the end of the year, and already has two booked for next season. She spoke about her experience in the industry so far as she set up a wedding at the Golden Civic Centre this past weekend.
“They come to Golden because it’s beautiful. That is the number one reason. And a lot of people were proposed to here, or had skied here, and just want to come back,” she said.
Her business has grown mainly through word of mouth, and she often finds herself promoting other vendors and local businesses while working a wedding.
“The bride’s wedding party is going out for lunch right now, and I always send them to the liquor store. All the weddings buy their alcohol here.”
According to Interior Health’s wedding statistics, by the end of July Golden had already played host to 72 weddings. Pecora predicts that by the end of the calendar year that number will be close to 200.
“Just going with Interior Health’s stats for weddings, and averaging 100 to 150 people per wedding, the people coming into town is coming close to what the rafting industry brings in. We’re looking at 20,000 people per year coming in just for weddings, and it’s only getting busier,” said Pecora.
Tourism Golden is also getting on board, and will be putting extra focus on marketing Golden as a wedding destination in the coming year. In their 2014 Travel Planner, expected out this December, there will be at least six pages dedicated specifically to the wedding industry.
“We have so many special and unique places for weddings in Golden,” said Joanne Sweeting, manager of Tourism Golden. “And there’s an untapped awareness about just how much we have to offer.”


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A new hair salon will open this month in Susquehanna Twp.
Weaves Etc. has leased space at Dauphin Plaza. Weaves Etc. is a full service salon that specializes in hair weaves. The company also offers makeup and hair for weddings, proms and other special occasions. The salon will open seven days a week. Appointments are requested but, not required.
Weaves Etc. leased 1,200-square-feet of retail space from WP Realty. Chad Stine, Brad Rohrbaugh and Abe Khan of Bennett Williams represented both the landlord and the tenant in the transaction.
Weaves Etc. will open its new salon at 3830 Union Deposit Road and can be reached at 717-508-4382. Weaves Etc. has stores in five states. More information about the company can be found at www.weavesetc.com.
Follow Business Buzz on Twitter @BusinessBuzzPL


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The two-week Middlesex University study, commissioned by the British Cheese Board, saw 25 students consume 30g portions of five popular British cheeses - Mature Cheddar, Blue Stilton, Red Leicester, Wensleydale with Cranberries, and Somerset Brie - and a non-dairy placebo on alternate nights an hour before going to bed.
A questionnaire, devised in cooperation with sleep expert Professor Ian Hindmarch from the University of Surrey, was then used to gauge the effect of each cheese sample on sleep quality and dream content.
Just six dreams out of a possible 156 were reported as "being disturbing or violent", while four people confessed to having erotic dreams.
On the whole, dreams were reported to be "more lifelike or realistic, with the most popular themes being work, family or friends," said the British Cheese Board.
“We’re pleased that our cheese and dreams study has set straight the age-old belief that eating cheese before bed provokes nightmares," said Nigel White, secretary, British Cheese Board.
"We hope going forward that this will reassure the nation and encourage them to enjoy a cheesy bite before bed, with the added comfort that this is likely to lead to a good night’s sleep with enjoyable dreams, rather than a night terror.”
Inhibitive to dreams
The myth was popularized in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, in which Ebenezer Scrooge lays the blame on cheese during a ghostly visitation.
“You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of underdone potato. There’s more of gravy than of grave about you, whatever you are,” Scrooge tells the Ghost of Christmases Past in the 1843 novel.
Contradicting the myth, Middlesex University researchers discovered that participants experienced fewer dreams than normal after eating cheese.
Samples of Mature Cheddar proved particularly inhibitive to dreams, they reported.
Those who consumed the Somerset Brie before bed were found to be more likely to experience "abstract dreams about love and relationships", while those that ate Red Leicester an hour before going to sleep were more likely to report "colorful or vivid dreams."
Better night's sleep
The results of the two-week study also indicated that cheese may in fact give some people a better night's sleep.
The 25 student participants, who were urged to avoid large quantities of alcohol during the study, were asked to describe the quality of their sleep on a scale of one to 10, with one being "unenjoyable" and 10 "extremely enjoyable."
An average score of 5.9 was reported across the board. An average of 5 was reported by those that ate the non-dairy placebo.
This, the Middlesex University researchers claim, indicated that participants slept slightly better after consuming cheese.
Sleep expert Professor Hindmarch said that this finding could be attributed to a certain amino found in cheese.
“Tryptophan, one of the amino acids found in cheese, has many positive effects on mood and sleep," said Hindmarch.
"It could well be that the different effects of various cheeses on dreams and sleep found in this study are due directly to the effects of this substance. Overall, this study suggests that in changing the levels of tryptophan, cheese can assist in improving our mood and help to promote a good night’s sleep.”


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It seems like only yesterday that we learned the Tilt 2 (aka the HTC Touch Pro 2) is poised for a possible Oct. 18 launch on AT&T. And now we're seeing evidence of the phone in AT&T's inventory system, courtesy of the Boy Genius Report.
BGR points out that what we're looking at are several SKUs, including insurance options and phones without cameras.
Just a month to go, folks. (We hope.) Getting excited yet?
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Emerging technologies such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies are compelling subjects for Alex Tapscott. The author, public speaker and venture capital investor’s new book “Financial Services Revolution, How Blockchain is Transforming Money, Markets and Banking,” was co-authored with his father Don Tapscott. The Star spoke to the younger Tapscott recently about uses for blockchain, security concerns and possibility of the Bank of Canada introducing a digital loonie.
Can you explain what blockchain is?
Simply put, blockchain is the most important computer science innovation in a generation and it’s ushering in a new era for the internet — an internet of value. You see, when you use the internet to send information you’re sending a copy and retaining an original (think email). That works for information but not money, financial assets or anything that requires scarcity. So we still rely on middlemen. After all, when I send you money you need to know I don’t still have a copy. Historically we’ve needed an intermediary to establish trust. Blockchain solves this problem. For the first time in human history we have a digital medium for value that will enable individuals to transact and store value in virtually every kind of asset peer to peer in a private, secure and trustless way without the need for middlemen like banks.
What are the most promising uses of blockchain?
Blockchain will do for capital and assets what the internet did for newspapers, film, and TV. It will force us to rethink the deep structure and workings of many industries, starting with finance.
In this next shift, not only could the U.S. dollar be displaced by a synthetic alternative or a Chinese crypto-yuan, but virtually every marketplace — from securities like stocks and bonds, to insurance, accounting, audit and venture capital, as well as new assets like our identities, never before owned and monetized as assets by individuals — will be made virtually unrecognizable.
Do you think Facebook’s proposed currency Libra will materialize?
When Facebook announced its plan to create digital money called Libra, incumbents immediately pushed back. Even though Facebook has marketed Libra mainly as a way to bank the unbanked — a noble cause, to be sure — it wants to deploy this coin across its platform, for use in all forms of commerce online and off, which would position Facebook as a powerful new player in the global financial system. It could change how, where, and with whom billions of people spend and save, borrow and loan, and otherwise finance and insure their lives and livelihoods — and current legislators, regulators, and masters of the universe are having none of it. This is a watershed moment. Facebook is one of the largest landlords of our digital economy, and its actions are far-reaching.
First, Facebook is placing itself in the crosshairs of lawmakers and regulators as they wrestle for control over finance, money, and influence among citizen users. Second, by wading into the massive, complex world of financial services, Facebook is pitting itself against big banks as well as bit tech. Does anyone expect Jeff Bezos to allow Libra on Amazon, without launching an alternative? Finally, Libra, like bitcoin, could forever alter the traditional role of fiat money in the global economy. Just as cellular technology allowed billions to leapfrog land lines, Libra’s blockchain-based platform has the potential to leapfrog the traditional banking infrastructure of today.
In “Financial Services Revolution,” there’s much discussion of international transfer of funds being deliberately and unnecessarily slow. How hard will it be for existing financial institutions to be convinced to give up their profit margins on these?
With paradigm shifts, leaders of the old are often last to embrace the new, if they survive to embrace it at all. So why did Blockbuster not create Netflix, and why did Sears not create Amazon? One reason is the innovator’s dilemma, where disrupters of old paradigms have trouble disrupting themselves. But leaders of today’s banking giants need to understand that they’re standing on a burning platform where the risk of taking a leap into the unknown is actually lower than the risk of staying put — because eventually that platform will be engulfed and collapse.
Do recent major hacks on digital currencies that use blockchain, including Ethereum Classic last year, pose a confidence problem?
Blockchains are highly secure but they are not unhackable. If I say they’re unhackable I’ll surely get hacked tomorrow! However, large established blockchains such as bitcoin, Hyperledger and even Ethereum have proven highly resilient to attack. Certainly they are far more secure than traditional methods for storing data, which have proven very vulnerable — think Equifax, Target or the Democratic National Committee.
Do you think there will ever be a digital loonie, as the Bank of Canada recently speculated?
Yes. In fact the Bank of Canada has said if commercial currency initiatives like Facebook’s Libra become more popular they will have no choice but to launch them. They shouldn’t wait for someone else to do it first. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our central bank to show leadership in digital transformation.
Processing speed is important in financial transactions but Blockchain-based transactions are slow. Will this be problematic?
Not all blockchains are created equal. While it’s true that bitcoin is a heck of a lot slower than other payment systems like Visa or Mastercard, numerous new blockchains are stepping up to address these bottlenecks. The most promising one is Cosmos which allows different blockchains to interoperate, radically improving their scalability. (By the way, I should disclose that I’m an investor in Cosmos.)
Does the amount of energy usage required for mining bitcoin and other currencies using blockchain technology concern you?
For bitcoin it is a valid concern, though I would point out that according to a recent study 74 per cent of bitcoin mining is powered by renewable energy. However, we shouldn’t view this as some reason blockchain or cryptocurrencies are a bad idea, but rather as an implementation challenge to be overcome. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to harness a radically powerful new technology to transform the economy as we know it and usher in a financial industry that is more resilient, private, efficient and secure.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.


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LG is planning a high-end phone that outshines its flagship G series in design and polish.
A Korea Herald report says Cho Jun-ho, the head of LG's mobile business, told reporters at Mobile World Congress the company is planning "a product that stands above the G Series" for launch in the second half of 2015.
Cho didn't offer other details beyond that. The G3 is already a pretty solid device, with a 5.5-inch screen and 2560x1440 resolution. That's the same screen size as the iPhone 6 Plus, but it's much easier to hold thanks to its smaller bezel.
The G4 is expected next month, with some type of "mixed metal" body, the report says.
Part of this strategy may include using its own chipset for more control over the entire engineering and manufacturing process. According to The Korea Times, LG is going to "gradually" start adding its own processors into its phones.
It's not clear if the G4 or the mystery flagship would include Qualcomm chips or LG's own. It's not good news for Qualcomm, which already lost out when Samsung went with its own chips in the GS6, reportedly becausethe latest Snapdragon 810 overheated in testing.
Why this matters: We've seen what Samsung and HTC have to offer with their phone announcements from Mobile World Congress, so now it's LG's turn. Our LG G3 review found it to be a solid device, so it's intriguing to hear the company wants to significantly step up its design and build quality. We're not far off from a G4 unveiling, and we'll keep looking for clues to what this next flagship may look like.
This story, "LG's new flagship phone will be even more polished than the G series, says mobile head" was originally published by Greenbot.


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LOS ANGELES, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Qualcomm and Apple announced an agreement on Tuesday to dismiss all litigation between the two companies worldwide.
The settlement includes an unspecified payment from Apple to Qualcomm.
The two companies also have reached a six-year license agreement, effective as of April 1, 2019, including a two-year option to extend, and a multiyear chipset supply agreement.
All worldwide litigation will be dismissed and withdrawn, including claims involving Apple's contract manufacturers.
The two companies appeared in court on Monday in a multi-billion-U.S.-dollar patent trial, which was expected to last until mid-May in San Diego.
According to media reports, Apple previously accused Qualcomm of engaging in illegal patent licensing practices, and was seeking up to 27 billion dollars in damages. Qualcomm, for its part, argued Apple and its business partners had stopped paying royalties and was seeking up to 15 billion dollars in damages.
Qualcomm stock soared 23.21 percent following the settlement, and closed at 70.45 U.S. dollars apiece, boosting its market cap to exceed 85 billion dollars. The company had its biggest one-day gain since 1999. Meanwhile, Apple shares were up slightly to close 0.01 percent higher.
Over the past two years, the two companies have sued one another in courts around the world, and each has seen some victories along the way.


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‘Remittance’- the most specific and universally acknowledged known link between a migrant and development. The hard-earned money or goods that migrants send back to their friends and family in their origin countries.
Remittances have and always will be a savior for many countries around the globe. The micro-level impacts (individual and households) and macro-level impacts (country-level) are both countless.
These remittances play a vital role in households’ well-being and, on a greater level, countries’ development. They are a great source of revenue for them throughout the years.
During disasters or emergencies, remittances are a vital income source for people whose other livelihood forms get destroyed by conflict or natural disaster.
For years the traditional ways of sending money back home have ruled. According to the World Bank, In 2019, banks were declared the most expensive remittance channel, charging a high fee of 11 percent. Next in the order were post offices charging a fee of up to 7 percent.
Sending remittance is not free of cost, and sometimes it includes a premium where these national post offices have partnerships with money transfer operators.
Listed are the top ten recipient countries of remittances (in billions of US dollars):
According to the World Bank, among countries, the top remittance recipients were:
- India, with $79 billion,
- China, with $67 billion,
- Mexico, with $36 billion,
- The Philippines, with $34 billion,
- Egypt with $29 billion,
- Nigeria, with $24.3 billion,
- Pakistan, with $21 billion,
According to Dawn, remittances from Pakistani workers employed abroad exceeded $2 billion for the eighth straight month in January at $2.3 billion, up 19 percent from a year earlier.
Sharing the figures on Twitter, Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked overseas Pakistanis.
“This is a record for our country, and I thank our overseas Pakistanis,” he said.
- Bangladesh, with $15.4 billion,
- Vietnam, with $15.9 billion,
- Ukraine with $ 14.3 billion.
The globalization of financial markets and the development of information technology have moved funds across the globe more accessible; however, one thing common in all these countries, remitting billions of dollars back home, is that they suffer from misuse of money daily.
The top most critical problems recognized are:
There is no transparency in the traditional system; unverified and questionable vendors back the main reason migrants have started to find safe, prompt, and autonomous ways to send in their hard-earned money.
Complications that usually occur while dealing with vendors back home are:
1. Misuse of funds,
2. Money/goods not being delivered timely,
3. Inflated bills & invoices,
4. Ghosting by Business Vendors back home.
Due to these existing factors, migrants lose their time and money along with losing trust in traditional remittance. And so many have chosen to switch to different reliable models that do the job well. Here is where InstaKin comes in, connecting migrant communities with already operational, verified, and trusted vendors back home through a quick, accurate, and compliant financial platform.
Thanks to InstaKin, migrants now have:
1. Transparency on costs back home,
2. Zero dependencies on busy relatives of friends,
3. No leakages as all transactions are invoiced, and contracts get issued via InstaKin,
4. And most importantly, peace of mind as migrants do not have to run around.
Finding the right vendor to do the job can be a big challenge, especially when one is so far away from home. Due to busy friends and family and a lack of access to trustworthy and safe vendors, migrants have no choice but to work with any service provider they can find, resulting in an unsatisfactory delivery or no delivery at all.
Migrants have slowly realized that the traditional remittance model has become a black hole where there is no transparency on money spending.
Direct payments to business vendors imply that migrants only pay for the actual cost of the particular service that they use. They do not have to worry about facing any delays, misuse, or misplacement of funds.
According to a survey from CENFRI, 71% of migrants would prefer to make payments directly to a business vendor back home instead of sending money to a cousin or uncle and asking them to manage the transaction on their behalf.
Contact InstaKin – Work directly with verified business vendors in the home country.
The minute a query lands on the website, our expert Kin will reach out instantly and get the tasks managed as per preference. Customers will make direct payments with the help of the app for any services they have availed. Migrant communities living abroad need not fret as our team of experts at InstaKin will help them manage all their matters back at homeland, be it anything; InstaKin welcomes all to avail of our services. Post a request or become our partner today.


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Aug 4, 2016 4:42 PM
Ford recalls 830,000 vehicles because doors may swing open during turns
Ford is recalling about 830,000 vehicles because parts in the side door latches can break and the doors can open while the vehicles are moving.
The recall covers certain 2013 to 2015 Ford Escape SUVs and C-Max cars.
2014 to 2016 Ford transit connect vans, mustangs, and Lincoln MKC SUVs from 2015.
The recall will cost the company about 270 million dollars.


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) -- Let's just say that Monday, July 26 was "Explorer Day."
That is certainly the view of
, which introduced the new vehicle at events in nine cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington and Dearborn, Mich., as well as on
Video: New Explorer Bite Out of 'One Ford' Plan >>
"It was a huge, unorthodox rollout," said Rebecca Lindland, an analyst at IHS Automotive. Historically, new vehicles have been
. "Companies are looking for different, non-traditional ways -- tapping into social media can make a great splash."
In New York,
introduced the Explorer with a grand entrance, driving down a dirt hill that Ford had constructed at Midtown's Herald Square. As usual, reporters swarmed around him during a media conference.
Last week, Ford
, partially because America has embraced the story of how a smart leader can turn around an iconic company without bailouts.
Lindland noted that a second unorthodox element to the Explorer rollout is that the vehicle is not yet on sale -- it won't be until December. In fact, Ford is still selling the predecessor model. "It's unusual to roll out the new generation of an existing product while you are still selling the old one," said Lindland. "You run the risk of having people say 'I will wait for the new one.'"
Explorer is an important piece of Ford's legacy. In the peak year of 2000, Ford sold 445,157 Explorers. But the allure of the big, truck-based vehicles has lessened, so much so that 2009 sales slumped to 52,190. The new version, depending on engine selection, will have fuel efficiency that is as much as 30% better than the old model's and its base price of $28,190 will be $1,000 less.
Of course, it is not just Ford that has made new vehicles into media events. Today, GM is announcing pricing and ordering details for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt at a made-to-order event, the "Plug-In 2010 conference," in San Jose, Calif. Earlier this month, President Obama visited the Volt battery plant in Holland, Mich. Even more than the Explorer, the battery-powered Volt has the potential to change the automobile business.
"The exciting thing is that the products are there," Lindland said. "These are some of the best products Ford and GM have ever put out, and they really believe in them."
-- Written by Ted Reed in Charlotte, N.C. and Andrea Tse in New York.
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The value increased on Wednesday and passed $ 13,000 before it shed $ 1,000 in minutes. Around 6 pm ET, the currency was back to a value of $ 12,400. The reason why sudden dinner sales were not immediately clear. But crypto carts are known for price growth. A former bitcoin mania hit the fever height in 2017. Bitcoin increased from just a few hundred dollars in January 2017 to over $ 20,000. But it came down again. BItcoins value was still around the $ 3,000 brand four months ago.
Experts say a weakening US dollar and fresh discussions on the regulation of digital currencies are contributing to the recent increase in demand.
Libra can damage bitcoins value if it becomes the preferred choice for digital currency users. But the company's priority in the crypto-course industry also renewed discussions among top economic leaders to regulate the industry, which could help to legitimize alternative currencies in the eyes of consumers.
Jerome Powell, head of the US Federal Reserve and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney both indicated they were open and planned to work closely with Facebook on the Libra rollout.
"It is now top time leaders at the G20 summit caught up on regulating digital currencies," said Green, according to a copy of his comments sent to CNN Business. "Or do they seriously believe that traditional fiat currencies are the way forward?"
Bitcoin and other Cryptos from Ethereum to Dogecoin are not formally supported by financial institutions or governments. Each purchase and sale of bitcoin is instead registered on a decentralized digital store, using a technology called blockchain. Because transactions can be registered anonymously, crytpocurrencies have long been associated with shady web practices, such as buying and selling illegal goods on the dark network.
But supporters from Wall Street to Silicon Valley have claimed that cryptos is the future of money. They say it is more resistant to fraud and theft. Many advocates hope regulation and more involvement from traditional banks can help to win over skeptics and make cryptoverts part of everyday life.


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The idea is for customers to get creative, take a selfie in front of their favorite local store and share it on the Independent We Stand Facebook page using the hashtag #ShopSmallSelfie. The contest runs Nov. 4-Dec. 22 with one winner announced each week beginning Nov. 23.
The Independent We Stand Buy Local app is fine-tuned to enhance the user experience by helping them to find unique, locally owned shops, provide helpful reviews and uncover hidden gems while traveling. It filters out big box stores and delivers millions of locally owned listings nationwide.
The free Buy Local app is available for both Android and Apple Devices.
"Each year, Independent We Stand reaches out to both consumers and small business owners to help make the buy local experience convenient and easy," says Bill Brunelle, co-founder of Independent We Stand. "Our goal is for small business to win big this holiday shopping season but, it can't happen without community support during the holidays and year-round."
Independent We Stand recognizes the importance of supporting small businesses, the jobs they help create, and the culture they instill in local communities. As of 2014, small businesses nationwide accounted for 63 percent of net new private-sector jobs created and represented 99.7 percent of firms with paid employees, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Merchants and consumers can learn more about Small Business Saturday and how to get involved by visiting ShopSmall.com or IndependentWeStand.org.
About Independent We Stand
Independent We Stand is a movement of independent business owners across the country dedicated to informing their communities about the importance of "Buying Local" and how these efforts bolster their local economy. This movement supports all local and national causes committed to boosting local economic development projects. The Independent We Stand movement is co-sponsored by STIHL Inc. and FCA US LLC. Associate sponsors include PPG Pittsburgh Paints, Do it Best Corp. and Tire Pros.
About Small Business Saturday
November 26 marks the seventh annual Small Business Saturday, a day to support the small businesses that can create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 in response to small business owners' most pressing need: more customers.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/a-buy-local-app-and-selfie-contest-add-extra-fun-to-small-business-saturday-300362898.html
SOURCE Independent We Stand