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Head of the NHTSA to Resign Amid the Trump Administration's Push to Rollback Fuel Economy Standards
【Summary】The acting administrator of the National highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Heidi King will resign from her role on Aug 31, as the Trump administration looks to rollback fuel economy standards in the U.S.
The acting administrator of the National highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Heidi King will resign from her role on Aug 31, as the Trump administration looks to rollback fuel economy standards in the U.S.
The NHTSA, which is part of the Transportation Department (DOT), oversees auto safety recalls and fuel efficiency regulations.
Heidi King was nominated by Trump to head the agency on a permanent basis but was never actually confirmed by the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans. King was appointed as deputy NHTSA administrator in 2017.
King will be replaced as deputy administrator and acting head of the agency by James Owens, the department's deputy general counsel, the department said. Owens has been involved in the fuel efficiency regulatory effort as well. Owens joined the Department in January 2017, and served as the Department's Acting General Counsel between August and November 2017.
Reports of King's impending departure began surfacing last week, athough she denied she was leaving. In a social media post last week, King wrote, "How do you know when you are working too hard? When your vacation is reported as a career change!"
King was instrumental in the administration's initiative to draft new fuel efficiency rules through 2026. The rules were put in place by former President Barack Obama and called for a fleetwide fuel-efficiency average of 46.7 miles per gallon by 2026, compared with 37 mpg under the Trump administration's preferred option.
The Trump administration claims that Obama's fuel economy stands are too strict and unattainable by 2025, adding that relaxing the rules would save automakers billions in development costs. The administration also argued that the tougher Obama rules would make newer cars unaffordable.
The current administration also announced that its suspending regulations that would double fines for automakers that fail to meet U.S. fuel efficiency requirements.
King sided with the Trump administration in June, saying that the plan would "discourage consumers from replacing their older car with a newer car that is safer, cleaner and more fuel efficient."
NHTSA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week submitted the second part of the final regulation to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. The final rule is expected to be finalized within months.
Last month, four of the world's biggest automakers, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen and Honda have rebuffed the fuel economy rollback and struck a deal with California to more closely adhere to the Obama era mandate of achieving 46.7 mpg by 2025. The original mandate preserved the legal authorities of the DOT, EPA and the state of California to set it own standards.
The final rule however is expected to bar California, the nation's most populous state and a trend-setter on environmental protection initiatives, from establishing its own vehicle emissions rules. California also leads the U.S. in electric vehicle sales.
resource from: Reuters
Originally from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley. Eric has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology. Outside of work, Eric likes to travel to new places, play guitar, and explore the outdoors.
World's Largest EV Battery Producer CATL Expects up to 50% Growth This Year as Demand Soars
Ford is Launching the Largest EV Charging Network in the U.S.
Continental AG Powertrain Arm Rebrands as Vitesco Technologies, Supplying Electric Drive Units to Hyundai and Groupe PSA
Volvo Unveils the XC40 Recharge, its First Fully-Electric SUV
Motiv Power Systems Raises $60 Million, Company is Converting Ford Trucks to Zero Emission EVs
Founder of EV Startup Faraday Future Files for Bankruptcy Protection
HAAS Alert Seeks to Improve Road Safety by Notifying Drivers When Emergency Vehicles Are Nearby
Toyota to Debut it Next-Gen Mirai Fuel Cell Concept at the Tokyo Auto Show
- Audi’s Latest PPE Platform Is Part of a Four-Pronged EV Approach
- Autolist Survey Reveals Price, Range, and Lack of Charging Holding EVs Back
- Tesla Autopilot Was Engaged in 2018 California Crash; Driver's Hands Off Wheel: NTSB
- Waymo CEO Says it Might Deploy its Self-Driving Technology in the Trucking Industry
- UPS Buys Stake in Self-Driving Truck Startup TuSimple, Testing Deliveries Since May
- Tesla Reveals Specs of its New AI-Powered Full Self-Driving Computer
- Porsche Officially Debuts its Electric Taycan, its Competitor to the Tesla Model S
- Electric Scooter Startup Bird Raises $275 Million in Latest Funding Round
- Rumor Mill: The BMW M140e Hatchback to Feature a 400 HP Electrified Powertrain
- Peloton Technology Develops Tech to Give One Truck Driver Control Over Multiple Vehicles


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Consumer confidence dropped slightly last week but its "holding pattern" could be disrupted by the Reserve Bank's decision on interest rates.
The ANZ-Roy Morgan Australian Consumer Confidence index remains above average despite a drop of 0.3 per cent from the previous week, with the dip linked to a lack of local economic news in the build up to the federal election.
"It seems consumer sentiment is in a holding pattern for now," ANZ head of Australian economics David Plank said on Tuesday.
"This pattern is likely to be disrupted on Tuesday afternoon, with the RBA expected to either cut the cash rate for the first time since August 2016 or clearly signal that a rate cut is on the cards."
Confidence about current finances compared to a year ago was up 0.2 per cent while confidence about their financial situation next year fell 1.2 per cent.
Confidence about the economic conditions over the next year was up 4.0 per cent, although, for the next five years confidence was down 3.6 per cent.
The 'time to buy a household item' fell 0.3 per cent, compared to a rise of 4.0 per cent last week. Inflation expectations for the two years ahead fell by 4.0 per cent.

domain: news


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Marvell's New Wi-Fi Chip Goes 'MIMO'
Feb 10, 2011, 8:52 AM by Eric M. Zeman
Marvell today announced a new Wi-Fi radio that takes advantage of the multiple-in, multiple-out (MIMO) antenna array design used by WiMax and LTE networking equipment. The Avastar 88W8797 module is a system on a chip and includes Wi-Fi transmission beamforming, Bluetooth 4.0 low energy, and FM transmit/receive. Using the MIMO antenna design allows the chip to deliver Wi-Fi at up to 300Mbps, says Marvell. Marvell believes the new Wi-Fi radio is ideal for devices such as smartphones and tablets.
Mar 10, 2021
Asus today announced the ROG Phone 5, its newest flagship gaming phone, following the ROG Phone 3. The ROG Phone 5 brings the ROG Phone series up to date for 2021 with a Snapdragon 888 chip, Android 11, and 65-watt fast charging for its huge 6,000 mAh battery.
Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.
Sep 7, 2022
Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 series, with new features, improved specs, and new size options. In place of a Mini option, the iPhone 14 will come in the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen size options as the Pro models.
Sep 7, 2022
Apple has refreshed its Apple Watch lineup with Series 8, a new Watch SE, and added a larger, more rugged Apple Watch Ultra for athletes and extreme adventurers. Apple Watch Series 8 has two main upgrades over Series 7: temperature sensors and Crash Detection.
Marvell has created the Super WiFi!


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Though most companies have a written cybersecurity policy, it often remains unclear to the leadership team whether employees are actually adhering to the policy’s guidelines. A quick glimpse of the headlines will highlight daily instances of fallout from lax cybersecurity practices by employees. Researchers at Clutch, a company that helps businesses make better buying decisions, […]
Cybersecurity is a top concern of businesses today. While often thought of as an IT issue, cyberdefense tactics often have surprising overlaps with business strategies inherent to the finance department. As a result, more chief financial officers (CFOs) are becoming cybersecurity custodians.
The results of a new study from identity solution company HID Global appear to confirm a shift that many have suspected was coming. More and more, the management of physical access control solutions is coming under the control of information technology (IT) or information security. Researchers with HID Global collected survey results from more than […]
Most companies understand the need for a knowledge base—it’s essentially a virtual warehouse that stores important information, lessons, and tips your company has gathered over the years. However, just as important as it is to have a public, online knowledge base software, keeping a private, internal knowledge base is equally important.
Nearly half (46%) of entry-level employees don’t know if their company has a cybersecurity policy, according to new research from Clutch, a B2B research firm. The study also suggests that more communication and training on cybersecurity policies is needed for employees.


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'AXI' dropped from NYC taxis
According to The New York Times, besides their "axi," cabs will also be losing their passenger door fare panel - the information will be displayed on the cab's video screen instead. The subtle shift in design is the result of New York's Taxi of Tomorrow program, in which the Nissan NV200 was picked to become the city's exclusive taxi vehicle, starting next year. The t-in-a-circle logo was created by Smart Design.
David S. Yassky, the Taxi and Limousine Commission Chairman, responded to questions about whether people would be able to identify the new cabs by saying, "Even the greenest of greenhorns will know that it's a taxicab," according to the report.
- Biggest automotive sales disappointments
- Fastest-depreciating cars in the United States
- Find and compare 2017 Models


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Covid-19’s Positive Impact on the
In a way it seems strange that the global pandemic, which shut down so many sports events and gyms, would cause a dramatic upturn in the e-sports industry. And yet, that is exactly what happened since the last half of 2020.
Let’s explore the current state of e-sports, and examine the reasons why Covid-19 had such a positive impact on the e-sports industry.
E-sport industry overview in 2021
To be clear on the definition, most of the industry considers ‘e-sport’ to be any competitive video game that can support a tournament scene. Over the past year, the number of games that fit that definition has grown dramatically.
One look at streaming services like Twitch tells us that there is room for a lot of different kinds of fans and players. Money tournaments take place on a daily basis, ranging from online Blitz Chess, to games like Escape from Tarkov that haven’t even left the beta testing stage. Deloitte’s EU-wide breakdown1 from 2020 shows a very even distribution of viewership in the e-sport industry, with the top four categories (shooters, racing, sports simulations, and multiplay online battle arenas) ranking within 2% of each other.
This universal appeal explains some of the recent trends seen in the e-sports market across the globe. As “Business Insider” reports2, the e-sports audience is due to double over the course of the next six years. With the U.S. market alone collecting an estimated $226 million worth of ad revenue in 2021, expect continued, steady ad growth over the next few years.
But in a lot of ways, ads are just the tip of the iceberg. More e-sports franchises have been getting into product marketing as a major source of revenue. This can manifest as branded products such as team clothing, gaming chairs, and hardware. Or it can drift more in the direction of affiliate marketing, as e-sports team members use product placement and hardware promotion to sell everything from mice, to keyboards, to computer furniture, to entire gaming PCs.
But this revenue model begs the question: Why didn’t the loss of big arena events hurt the e-sports industry as much as one might imagine?
How Corona Affected the Success of e-Sports
Some of the biggest corporate sponsorships in the e-sports industry simply did not happen in 2020 and early 2021 as their arena events were cancelled due to the pandemic. So the likes of Monster, Red Bull, Intel, and half a dozen major betting firms didn’t have the chance to make their huge ad spends at live events.
That should have caused revenues to plummet. Instead, they grew. In fact, according to Newzoo’s predictions3, e-sports will generate more revenue than rugby in 2021.
This was due in part to a shift in the way people get their entertainment. More and more folks open up a web browser to watch streaming content, rather than sitting in front of a television. And with so many people staying home due to the virus, the likes of Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and YouTube Gaming became the big winners in the e-sports industry.
Just how big? Well, according to StreamLabs4: Streaming platforms saw 7.46 billion viewing hours recorded in Q3 of 2020, compared to 3.89 billion hours in Q3 2019. In a single year, the consumption of streamed content nearly doubled. And a huge chunk of those streams were e-sports-oriented.
The e-sports industry quickly adapted to quarantine in ways that traditional sports could not. They made all of their events online rather than in person. They shifted from arena ad sponsorship to streaming advertiser revenue.
Investors took notice. One popular e-sports team, Fnatic, raised $17 million in new investments in May 2021 alone. That effort was led by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation. In March, Nuverse spent $4 billion to acquire Moonton for their game ‘Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’, the hottest mobile e-sports product on the market.
People in the know are not shouting about e-sports from the rooftops. They are quietly acquiring everything they can get their hands on before the gold rush really gets started.
The Future of e-sports After Covid-19
In lots of ways, the e-sports genie is already out of the bottle and there is no forcing him back inside. Hundreds of millions of new fans have contributed an extra three and a half billion viewing hours in the last year alone. Entertainment habits, once formed, are not easily reversed.
Newzoo expects the industry to be worth $1.6 billion by 2023. That kind of growth in the e-sports business is only achievable if the big hitters in media get involved. Which they currently are. Comcast Spectacor, ESPN, Disney XD, and Netflix Esports have all secured franchise deals with various major e-sports leagues and tournament series. Expect them to leverage the transition of post-Covid consumers from the computer room to televisions in the family living room.
And the living room is where the cross section between older demographics and younger ones meet. Younger generations follow their favourite influencers, who have been sitting at home streaming games for the past year and a half. When teens become breadwinners over the next five to ten years, their entertainment habits will not be formed by last century’s media trends. They will be streaming their content, and a good percentage of that content is likely to be e-sports.


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Latest news about Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies. Your daily crypto news habit.
This week has seen a historic crash of the cryptocurrencies triggered by Terra’s stablecoin volatility. We at TheCoinRise summarize this crypto market week, ranging from regulatory involvement to urging adoption.
Regulatory involvement in the crypto industry
Following approximately three years of talks about forming a task force to oversee blockchain and crypto operations, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill establishing the Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force.
Despite China’s total ban on crypto transactions and foreign exchanges last year, data from website traffic metric provider Similarweb shows that Deribit and OKX receive a significant amount of traffic from the country.
According to Reuters, the Bank of Israel summarised the findings of the public comment period on its CBDC proposals. It received 33 responses from diverse industries, 50% of which came from outside the country and 17 from within the country’s fintech community.
Partnerships, launches, fundings, and future plans
Recently, Google Cloud announced the formation of an internal team to provide services to blockchain developers and those who own blockchain-based apps. This comes as traditional economic sectors exhibit increased interest in, activity with, and use of crypto and Web3 tools.
According to SBI Motor Japan, a subsidiary of SBI Africa Co., Ltd., customers can now pay for used automobiles using Bitcoin (BTC) and XRP. This is the first time the XRP crypto has been used on a cross-border e-commerce platform in Japan.
The PayPal-backed company Talos recently announced a Series B fundraising round of $105 million. The leading institutional technology supplier for digital asset trading has reached a valuation of $1.25 billion and has earned unicorn status thanks to the current round headed by General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm.
Sorare has signed a deal with MLB or Major League Baseball to develop NFT-powered fantasy baseball games. Players will be able to design their dream team from the players, enter tournaments, and earn incentives based on how their teams do in real life as part of the agreement, which also includes MLB players.
Latin America’s premier digital bank, Nubank, has added trading capability for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) to its app. Paxos, a licensed crypto infrastructure service provider, will act as both the custodian and the broker for the trading service.
In the East African region, MARA, a new crypto trading platform, has been launched. Coinbase Ventures, Alameda Research, and Huobi Ventures, among other renowned venture capital firms, are among the company’s backers.
In its Series F round of fundraising, Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics business, raised $170 million. The new funding eclipsed the company’s previous $100 million financing in June 2021, bringing its valuation to $8.6 billion from $4.2 billion.
The second iteration of PancakeSwap’s tokenomics roadmap features a governance proposal. A supply cap on PancakeSwap was proposed in the most recent version of the light paper’s centerpiece (CAKE). Based on quantitative data certified by CoinMarketCap, the research estimated a maximum figure of 750 million.
Crypto exchange news
Binance TR, the Turkish arm of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, has issued a warning to investors in the region about a fraud involving bogus Binance-branded billboards and advertisements.
KuCoin said on May 10 that it had raised $150 million in a pre-Series B funding round, valuing the company at $10 billion. KuCoin, with new funding from Circle Ventures, intends to move beyond centralized trading services and focus on Web3.
FTX.US, the subsidiary of the FTX Derivatives Exchange in the United States, has announced the opening of its new headquarters in Chicago, which will house approximately 70 staff.
Gate.io has released a new product aimed at institutional investors, specifically Market Makers and Brokers. The new offering, named ‘Gate Institutional’ by the trading platform, would provide the proper tools to help corporate entities enhance their exposure to the young crypto sector.
NFT and Metaverse
As more large collections are hit, the floor price for Yuga Labs’ Otherside metaverse project’s controversial Otherdeed NFT collection has dropped below its mint price to 2.45 Ether (ETH).
Beeple, the queen of pop and record-breaking artist, has created a series of NFTs called Mother of Creation. Mother of Technology, Mother of Nature, and Mother of Evolution are three NFT arts included. The NFTs show Madonna giving birth to robot centipedes, butterflies, and trees in three dimensions.
LUNA/UST disaster and market crash
As TheCoinRise reported, the LUNA price fell significantly due to a huge selloff, causing a significant drop in the value of Terra’s stablecoin UST, which fell below the expected $1.00 price point. To continue pegging UST, the company increased the supply of LUNA, which led to the investors losing their money to the ashes.
A recent proposal calls for burning the remaining UST in the community pool, as well as staking up to 240 million LUNA coins to help defend the network against governance attacks.
Binance suspended withdrawals for LUNA and UST as the crypto community tries to figure out what is causing Terra’s pegging-de-pegging dilemma with its stablecoin TerraUSD (UST).
The implications of excessive crypto market volatility, according to Celsius Network’s leadership, have had little impact on the project. According to reports, Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky replied to a now-deleted tweet from Twitter user David Belle, who claimed the platform had been “completely wiped out.”
Following the enormous price drop triggered by the crises shaking Terra (LUNA) and TerraUSD, the cryptocurrency sector saw a solid comeback (UST) on May 13.
Allegations on centralized exchanges for selling users’ Bitcoin
Security breaches and attacks routinely highlight the risks of keeping Bitcoin (BTC) on centralized exchanges. Keeping Bitcoin on centralized exchanges, according to Rufas Kamau, a research and markets analyst at Scope Markets Kenya, is also a factor in price decreases.
Exclusive reviews and announcements
Meta World: It was created under the license of the well-known Japanese 3D MMO “Elemental Knights Online,” and it has a 14-year history with over 8 million downloads globally.
DeCartel: It is a new sort of alliance comprised of numerous promising DeFi dApps, led by Starlay Finance, Polkadot’s No. 1 TVL, and ArthSwap, Astar Network’s No. 2 TVL.
Tezro: It is a payment network that transforms chats with friends, family, coworkers, and clients into a digital bank where users can perform fiat and crypto transactions from anywhere.
MoveZ: Powered by BlueZilla, it debuted with a number of innovative features that solve the shortcomings of previous alternatives. For example, “boost zones” allow users to participate in social fitness events while also earning increased prizes.
TRON DAO and BitTorrent Chain (BTTC) are preparing for Season 2 of the TRON Grand Hackathon 2022, which will open for registration on Monday, May 16. TRON DAO’s long-term initiatives to encourage the mass adoption of blockchain technology and innovative cross-chain ideas include the Hackathon.
TheCoinRise will be back with another week of crypto roundup next Weekend.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Bitcoin Insider. Every investment and trading move involves risk - this is especially true for cryptocurrencies given their volatility. We strongly advise our readers to conduct their own research when making a decision.


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Navistar, at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta Monday, announced the launch a new business unit assembled to deliver a customized electrification solution to International’s truck and school bus markets.
The goal of International’s NEXT eMobility Solutions, Navistar Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Persio Lisboa said, is to answer some of the uncertainly surrounding the deployment of electric trucks.
“Companies interested in operating electric trucks have more questions than answers. They are looking for a partner who also brings clarity,” he said. “The economics of electric trucks get better every day, [but] early adopters are finding there’s no one-size fits all approach.”
Through NEXT, Lisboa said Navistar will take a comprehensive “four Cs” approach to developing eMobility solutions:
- Consulting: using experts in commercial truck engineering, charging infrastructure, telematics and more to craft a custom implementation plan for each customer’s business, while optimizing each product for its usage and duty cycle.
- Constructing: the vehicle, taking advantage of Navistar’s commercial vehicle manufacturing capability. Vehicles developed by NEXT will be offered under the International Truck and IC Bus nameplates and will be sold by their dealership networks.
- Charging: with solutions designed and delivered to each customer through new partnerships.
- Connecting: using advanced solutions including Navistar’s OnCommand Connection telematics and remote diagnostics platform, to monitor vehicle performance and provide support through the International and IC Bus service networks.
“This enterprise approach to electric mobility is an attempt to better understand the specific needs of customers,” said Gary Horvat, Navistar’s vice president for eMobility, who will lead the Detroit-area based team.
Understanding and meeting customer needs, Lisboa says, will be key in making electrification mainstream versus it languishing as green energy novelty.
“When grant money goes away, adoption stops,” he noted.
Using NEXT as a springboard for implementation, Navistar plans to introduce International medium-duty electric trucks in early 2021.
International eMV concept
Coinciding with the debut of NEXT eMobility Solutions, International on Monday also showcased a prototype electric version of its MV Series medium-duty vehicle.
The eMV concept is based on the production version of the diesel-powered International MV Series, but is powered by a Navistar-exclusive electric motor that features peak power of more than or 645 HP (474 kW), “allowing it to be able to pull any load,” Libosa said, thanks to continuous power of more than 402 HP (300 kW). The truck makes 2,102 lb-ft of peak torque and 1,549 lb-ft of continuous torque.
The eMVs powerful motor came via Navistar’s partnership with Volkswagen subsidiary Traton, who also owns nearly 17% of the Lisle, Ill. truck maker. Traton CEO Andreas Renschler said his company intends to spend $1 billion on electro-mobility by 2025, and another $1 billion on autonomous driving.
“I’m convinced that over the next 15 years, one-third of trucks and busses will have an alternative drive train, and most of those will be fully electric,” he said.
The vehicle was designed to accommodate three battery capacity options that range from 107 to 321 kilowatt hours, enabling a range of up to 250 miles depending on duty cycle and load.


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Square Enix has already released some of the best Nintendo Switch titles to date, including the likes of Octopath Traveller and Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition. In 2020, the publisher is coming back for round 3, with a brand new sequel to Bravely Default. Bravely Default II was announced back at The Game Awards and now just a few months later, we can play it for ourselves thanks to a new demo.
Bravely Default II highlights four new heroes that embark on a mission guided by the elemental crystals. If that sounds like a premise ripped straight out of Final Fantasy, that's because it is. The original Bravely Default started off as a Final Fantasy project for the 3DS before pivoting into its own franchise. Two games have already been released on the 3DS: Bravely Default and Bravely Second: End Layer.
Bravely Default II is an entirely new, standalone game, so you don't need to have played the previous games to follow along. Your new party will consist of the following characters:
- Seth- The Young Sailor
- Gloria- Princess of a Lost Kingdom
- Adelle- The Mercenary
- Elvis- The Travelling Scholar
Graphically, Bravely Default looks more like a Tokyo RPG Factory title rather than following a similar style to Octopath Traveller. There is still no release date for Bravely Default II but it is supposed to be releasing this year. Based on feedback from the new demo, a final release date could be a little sooner, or pushed back towards later in the year. The demo is downloadable through the Nintendo Switch eShop.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: I was a huge fan of the original Bravely Default, so this is already one of my most anticipated Switch exclusives. Have any of you tried the demo version yet? What do you think of it?


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GM says Cadillac dealers will spruce up buildings
More than 200 Cadillac dealerships nationwide will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each to spruce up their showrooms in an effort to better compete with Lexus, Mercedes and other luxury brands.
The makeovers, to be completed within the next two years, include oak walls, limestone exterior tiles, modern lighting and leather chairs, all specified by General Motors, the company said Thursday.
The changes are part of an effort by GM and other automakers to prod dealers to renovate buildings in an effort to change their image with car shoppers. GM, Chrysler and Ford, which generally have older showrooms than Japanese competitors, all have plans and requirements for dealership upgrades, including both mainstream and luxury brands.
The work can cost anywhere from $200,000 to over $1 million per dealer depending on the age and condition of buildings. Dealers say GM will help pay for the improvements in a program tied to how many cars a dealer orders.
There are about 950 Cadillac franchises nationwide, many of which are combined with other brands. Some of the renovated Cadillac dealers will have separate entrances and showrooms from other brands.
GM expects that the majority of its 4,500 U.S. Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet and GMC dealers will be signed up for renovations by the end of next year, spokeswoman Ryndee Carney said.
Ed Williamson, owner of two Buick-Cadillac-GMC dealerships in the Miami area, said he spent $225,000 recently to upgrade the interior of a former Hummer dealership to GM standards.
The renovations, he said, are necessary so dealers have a consistent look and can better compete with Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand that was started in 1989. Many Lexus dealers have renovated their showrooms since opening, he said.
“We want to make sure that when that prospect walks into our showroom, they have at least as good of an experience, if not better,” Williamson said. “Included in the experience is what the place looks like.”


text: Do you get frustrated whenever you want to watch a YouTube video but have to wait for the commercial to play at the beginning? The good news is that YouTube is about to offer an “advertisement free” version. But wait, there is a catch. It will be a subscription version, which means you will have to pay a price each month to avoid the commercials. What will it cost? Google (owners of YouTube) have not stated the price yet, but it is rumored to be around $10 a month.


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A number of Xiaomi and Redmi devices have been facing a rather strange issue as several issues have complained of facing an issue which has forced their phones to go on a continuous rebooting loop. It has led to the company facing a lot of flak on social media and the company is still not ready with any fix.
Airtel, the telecom operators whose users also appear to be facing problems because of this issue, has spoken about the issue in which they have confirmed the issue. Taking to Twitter, Harmeen Mehta, the company’s Global CIO, has informed that the company is working in tandem with Mi India to fix crashing and other issues that a number of Airtel India users have been experience with their Xiaomi phones.
She went on to say that while they are still awaiting a fix, the telecom operator has put out a small tweak in the Airtel Thanks app which will help the users. She elucidated in a further tweet which said that the issue is from Xiaomi’s end, and it will be fixed as soon as the company releases a new update for Airtel users.
Now, even as the Airtel executives have not explained the issue, a number of Airtel users have taken to the web where they have reported that their devices are stuck in a boot loop after encountering a “Find Device Closed Unexpectedly” error. This has made their devices unusable, and has been giving them a lot of strife and discomfort.
Mi India had earlier released a statement in which they acknowledged the issue and also confirmed that it had observed certain Mi and Redmi devices encountering the issue of continuous rebooting. After soaking in all the customer feedback, the company also confirmed that the team has been working on getting a fix of the problem.
“It has come to our notice that Mi & Redmi devices are showing an error, causing unwanted rebooting of the device. It has been observed that certain lines of code are misbehaving during an app update. While we are working on fixing the issue with the App developer and rolling out a permanent update by early next week, we have put temporary containment measures in place, over the last 36 hours,” the company said in a statement.


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The event took place on June 7, 2023, from 10 am to 2 pm, creating an intimate and exclusive environment for our esteemed media partners. The carefully curated guest list included notable publications such as Xtra, Remaja, Thebeautydesk, TV3 Nightline, Majalah Hijabista, Majoriti 7, KLHYPE.COM, Diva.my, Majalah Impiana, and EH!.
Held at the exquisite Tropicana Gardens Mall Venusde and Curvena outlets, the event was a success! The brands achieved what it aimed to do, which was to provide journalists with an immersive encounter to gain a deeper understanding of our brands and products, just ahead of our highly anticipated new outlet launch in Pavilion Bukit Jalil.
The activation concept revolved around pampering our valued guests with a range of luxurious treatments, carefully selected to showcase the excellence and diversity of our offerings. Split into two groups, the journalists were treated to a delightful array of experiences tailored to their preferences.
The Venusde brand presented three journalists with the opportunity to indulge in our renowned facial treatments, allowing them to experience the transformative effects of our specialized skincare regimen. Simultaneously, two journalists had the privilege of undergoing our scalp treatments, a rejuvenating experience that leaves hair lustrous and revitalized.
In parallel, Curvena took center stage, captivating the attention of three journalists with our revolutionary 360 Curve+ Slim Fit treatment. This slimming treatment, our main highlight, demonstrated our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions for slimming and shaping. Additionally, two journalists had the chance to experience EMShape, another remarkable offering from Curvena that combines advanced technology and scientific expertise to deliver exceptional results.
"Pamper the Press” allowed us to foster closer relationships with journalists, enabling them to experience firsthand the quality and efficacy of our services. We are confident that the journalists' firsthand encounters will further solidify their understanding and appreciation of our brands, positioning Venusde and Curvena as leaders in the beauty and slimming industry.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the journalists who attended the event, as well as our dedicated team for making this activation a resounding success. As we look forward to the upcoming launch of our new outlet, we remain committed to providing unparalleled experiences and setting new benchmarks for excellence in the beauty and wellness landscape.
Stay tuned for more exciting updates from Venusde and Curvena as we continue to redefine beauty and well-being.


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Viterra’s Bordertown site has broken its own receival record just a year after recording its previous best.
The Bordertown site this year took on 37,700 tonnes of wheat, canola and faba beans from growers all over the region in what can only be described as a challenging harvest for the region.
This year’s record beat the previous season record set last year 2016/17, which was also a record year across the state.
As harvest comes to a close, Viterra’s total receivals for 2017/18 reached 5.6 million tonnes which is down on last year’s 8.55 million tonnes of grain delivered.
This can be put down to the ongoing weather events across the entire state.
Jo Klitscher, Viterra’s operations manager for the eastern region, was thrilled with the results despite the trying conditions.
“This is an exceptional effort by employees, growers and carriers in what has been a challenging harvest with ongoing weather events,” Ms Klitscher said.
“We had quite a lot of beans coming into Bordertown this year with acreage up in the region and growers achieving good yields.
The Bordertown site also received a gearbox upgrade to the main bean block prior to harvest which helped increase elevation and improve turnaround times for growers.
“Our aim is to get growers and carriers in and out of our sites as quickly as possible and we wish to thank all our grower customers for their support this harvest,” said Ms Klitscher.
As harvest has now come to a close, Viterra has released its annual post harvest survey to seek feedback from growers on harvest operations.
Viterra conducts the survey after each harvest to seek growers’ views about their operations, customer service and communication.
“We encourage growers to share their views about our harvest operations, customer service and communication. The feedback is important to help us improve our services for future harvests,” Ms Klitscher said.
Growers can visit the Viterra website to access the survey, which will remain open until February 18.


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CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - Two men have pleaded guilty to passing counterfeit money in several counties of southeast Missouri.
According to the US attorney's office, eastern district, Darius A. Lankford, 29, of Huntsville, Alabama pleaded guilty to four felony counts of passing counterfeit currency.
Terry D. Hester, Jr., 28, of Poplar Bluff pleaded guilty to five felony counts of passing counterfeit currency.
Both appeared before US District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. on Wednesday.
According to the US attorney's office the following purchases were made using counterfeit bills:
-On October 5, 2011, Hester used 20 counterfeit $20 bills at the Champs Store in the West Park Mall at Cape Girardeau.
-That same day, Hester and Lankford passed $100 in counterfeit money, consisting of five counterfeit $20 bills at the Goody's store in Sikeston.
-On October 6, 2011, Hester and Lankford used eight counterfeit $10 bills at the Wal-Mart Store in Poplar Bluff.
-At 1:30 a.m. seven counterfeit $10 bills were used by Hester and Lankford. They bought $141.94 in merchandise and paid with two $20 bills and the rest with $10 bills, including the seven counterfeit $10 FRNs.
-On that same day, four counterfeit $20 bills were used by Hester and Lankford at the Save-A-Lot in Dexter.
-Again, on October 6, seven counterfeit $20 bills were passed by the two at the Buffalo Wild Wings Restaurant in Sikeston.
The maximum punishment for each defendant is 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each count.
Sentencing has been set for June 27, 2012.
Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.


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Netflix’s (NFLX) Buy Rating Reiterated at RBC Capital Markets
Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. MKM Partners set a $145.00 price objective on Netflix and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, May 26th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a buy rating on shares of Netflix in a research note on Tuesday, May 24th. Vetr cut Netflix from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating and set a $106.10 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, May 23rd. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a buy rating on shares of Netflix in a research note on Sunday, May 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated a buy rating and issued a $125.00 price objective on shares of Netflix in a research note on Monday, June 6th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have issued a hold rating and twenty-seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. The stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $110.46.
Shares of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) opened at 98.25 on Thursday. Netflix has a 1-year low of $79.95 and a 1-year high of $133.27. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $96.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $96.20. The stock has a market cap of $42.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 307.03 and a beta of 1.71.
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 18th. The Internet television network reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.02 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $2.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.11 billion. Netflix had a return on equity of 5.59% and a net margin of 1.85%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.06 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Netflix will post $0.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
In other news, Director Richard N. Barton sold 1,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.63, for a total value of $133,882.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 15,562 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,488,194.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Richard N. Barton sold 700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $95.00, for a total transaction of $66,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 15,562 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,478,390. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 4.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Cornerstone Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Netflix by 25.6% in the second quarter. Cornerstone Advisors Inc. now owns 1,118 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $102,000 after buying an additional 228 shares during the period. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Netflix during the second quarter valued at $124,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its stake in Netflix by 15.1% in the second quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,475 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $126,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the period. Coconut Grove Bank raised its stake in Netflix by 1.7% in the second quarter. Coconut Grove Bank now owns 1,526 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $140,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the period. Finally, Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. raised its stake in Netflix by 15.3% in the second quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 1,690 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $155,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.43% of the company’s stock.
Netflix Company Profile
Netflix, Inc (Netflix) is a provider of Internet television network. The Company’s members can watch original series, documentaries and feature films in Internet-connected screen. The Company has three operating segments: Domestic streaming, International streaming and Domestic DVD. The Domestic and International streaming segments derive revenues from monthly membership fees for services consisting of streaming content.
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The solution for the battery technology needed may be on tap:
"The Nikkei newspaper (subs. req’d) says that a Japanese company has built a quick charge system that can take a battery from zero charge to 50% full in about 3 minutes.
JFE Engineering Corp, based in Yokohama, says that the system will go on sale later this year and has the capability to charge 5 times faster than other such quick charge products. Even though one station costs about $63,000, that’s roughly 40% less than the competition."
I think the standards issue mentioned in the article can easily be resolved if this technology proves it's potential.
Hat tip: Instapundit


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Previously set to launch this winter, Warframe’s next expansion, The Duviri Paradox has been delayed to 2023. Meanwhile, fans can take part in Lua’s Prey, a “slight prequel” to the expansion that will go live for all platforms this winter.
It adds two new Survival missions with Necramech components, new Void Shell and Deluxe skins, and a new Warframe called Voruna. Part of a collaboration with Joe Mad of Airship Syndicate, Voruna is a wolf-like frame described as “a relentless hunter of divine prey and shadow of the night.” Like previous frames, she can be unlocked via Platinum or by editing her respective components and blueprint.
In terms of new cosmetics, there is a new Lotus skin; Void Shell skins will be available for Grendel, Mag and Frost; and a new Deluxe skin for the Xaku. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more details on Lua’s Prey, including an announcement of a release date.
Warframe is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Nintendo Switch.


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Google launches first product development center in Africa. We hire
Google today announced its first product development center in Africa, which will be located in Nairobi.
The new Google Product Development Center will help create transformative products and services for people in Africa and around the world and will hire visionary engineers, product managers, UX designers and researchers to lay the foundation for a significant growth in the years to come.
The center is looking for talented and creative people who can help solve difficult and important technical challenges, such as improving the smartphone experience for people in Africa or building more reliable internet infrastructure.
Last October, at a Google for Africa event, CEO Sundar Pichai announced a $1 billion investment plan over the next 5 years to support Africa’s digital transformation. This investment aims to bring fast and affordable internet access to more Africans, create useful products, support entrepreneurs and small businesses, and help nonprofit organizations improve lives across Africa. In 2018, Google also opened an AI research center in Accra, Ghana to help generate useful innovations.
The new product development center is a continuation of this commitment and will work to build for Africa and the world.
Vice President of Products, Suzanne Frey, said: “Google’s mission in Africa is to make the Internet work for Africans and to partner with African governments, policymakers, educators, entrepreneurs and businesses to shape the next wave of innovation in Africa. Today, I am delighted to welcome all Africans who are passionate about improving the digital experience of African users by creating better products to apply for vacancies in our first Product Development Center in Africa.
Nitin Gajria, Managing Director of Google Africa, added: “There are 300 million internet users in Africa who are young, mobile first and have similar patterns to mobile youth globally. By 2030, Africa will have 800 million internet users and a third of the world’s population under 35. Africa’s potential to become a leading digital economy is looming on the horizon and Google is committed to accelerating Africa’s digital transformation through human capital and enabling “African solutions to African problems and worlds” with better products. »
All of the roles announced today regarding construction for Africa and the world can be viewed at careers.google.com website.


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In the wake of AMD Vega launch
Nvidia has released its newest Geforce 385.12 Beta driver which should supposedly bring up to three times more performance to Titan Xp in professional applications.
Custom RX Vega 64 Strix coming in September
Asus has been one of the first partners that has announced its own Radeon RX Vega 64 graphics cards, including two reference versions, as well as two RX Vega 64 Strix graphics cards that will be available in early September.
With white sleeved cables
Corsair has added a new version, or rather a new white color option, for its well known RMx PSU line.
Coming at Unpacked event on August 23rd
Samsung has officially sent out invites for its next Unpacked event scheduled for August 23rd in New York City, where it will announce its new Galaxy Note 8 smartphone.
Helio X30 10nm debut
MediaTek has been quieter than usual but it seems that its Helio X30 high end chipset will debut with the Meizu 7 Pro phone.
Nvidia - who else?
Audi has unveiled its new flagship A8 2018 car in Barcelona, which features plenty of high-tech additions powered by Nvidia, which also makes it the world's first Level 3 autonomous card that will go into production.
Viper 4, Viper Elite and Signature Line DDR4
Patriot has announced that it has now finalized its compatibility list for AMD Ryzen and AM4 platform and its key memory kits and modules.
Gets reviewed as well
Although not officially announced by Corsair, the Neutron NX500 series PCIe NVMe 800GB and 400GB SSDs have appeared at Newegg.com as well as being reviewed.
One to have for new mining graphics cards
AMD has released its newest Radeon Software Crimson ReLive Edition drivers, version 17.7.1 Beta, which bring support for a couple of recently launched mining and standard graphics cards as well as a couple of fixed bugs.


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Where is Vivek Wadhwa when you need him?
More proof the armies of Indian tech workers who have filled up US companeis are not innovating, and not contributing to the US economy in any big way.
He’s wrong about Apple – at least in terms of employment. Apple employs over 100,000 people – almost as many as Sony worldwide (140,000). No comparison to Twitter or Google in terms of numbers.
But of course most of Apple was built prior to Steve’s death in 2011. Now the company too has filled up with H-1B Indians.
20 years ago we were told these armies of Indians taking over our company would be a boon for America.
The opposite has happened. Google is no longer an innovator, and Apple won’t be one soon.


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BATTLE GROUND — Nineteen kids spent the morning of Dec. 4 at the Battle Ground Walmart shopping for gifts for their families and items for themselves. Ten Battle Ground police officers who volunteer for this special Shop with a Cop assignment accompanied them.
Participating children were nominated for the Shop with a Cop program for their exemplary citizenship and academic efforts by staff from Battle Ground Public Schools and Rocksolid Teen Center, according to a news release from the city of Battle Ground.
Each child was given a $130 gift card, as much time as they needed to shop with their cop and assistance from a Walmart store associate.
One of the department’s newest officers, Luke James, participated in the Shop with a Cop program with another agency when he was just 8 years old. Officer James cited his experience as one of his earliest memories inspiring him toward a career in law enforcement.
Battle Ground’s annual Shop with a Cop would not be possible without the ongoing support of the Walmart Foundation that, this year alone, provided a $2,500 Walmart Community Grant to fund the program. This is Walmart’s seventh year of supporting Battle Ground’s Shop with a Cop program.
Several shoppers who witnessed and were touched by the event gave $160 in donations for next year’s program – enough to sponsor another child.
“We are so grateful for the support of Walmart and from the community,” Police Chief Mike Fort said. “These kids are absolutely deserving of this special day, and our officers appreciate the opportunity to further build relationships with the community we serve. Officer James’ story is a great example of how even one positive connection in a child’s life may carry a lasting impact.”


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Shares of American Home Mortgage
rose 8% after the Melville, N.Y., company reported adjusted earnings for the first quarter of $54 million, or $1.24 per share, on revenue of $164 million. In the same period a year earlier, the company earned $21.2 million, or 70 cents per share, on revenue of $84.1 million. The company also increased its quarterly dividend to 76 cents per share and lifted its outlook for the full year to earnings of $4.15 to $4.35 per share.
tacked on 2% after the Tewksbury, Mass., digital media creation technology company received an upgrade to "overweight" from JP Morgan due to valuation.
Bank of America
shares added more than 1% after the Dow component reported first-quarter net income of $4.7 billion, or $1.14 a share, up from $2.68 billion, or 91 cents, earned in the same period in 2004. The Charlotte, N.C.-based financial-services giant's quarterly revenue reached $14.02 billion from $9.53 billion. Analysts were looking for earnings of 97 cents a share on revenue of $13.83 billion, on average. Merger-related restructuring charges subtracted 2 cents from the latest quarter's profit. See full story.
shares added 3% after the company delayed the filing of its 2004 Form 10-K on Friday. The Columbus, Ohio-based off-price retailer said it needs more time to assess its financial results in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
shares rose 3% after the Israeli company said it's received an order worth about $5.2 million to provide a number of its automatic optical inspection systems for an undisclosed Taiwanese maker of printed circuit boards. The company expects to deliver the boards in the second quarter.
shares leapt about 6% after Prudential Equity Group lifted its assessment of the Fort Myers, Fla., women's clothing retailer to "overweight," saying the recent weakness in the stock has created an attractive entry point. The firm also raised its price target on the shares to $30 from $26.
shares added 4% after the company increased its quarterly dividend 23%, or 3 cents a share, to 16 cents a share. The higher dividend is payable on May 30 to shareholders as of May 13, the New York-based company said.
gained almost 5% after the company said first-quarter results would exceed expectations due to higher-than-anticipated demand for hardware and equipment products, strength at its Dow Corning unit and a lower-than-projected corporate tax rate. The specialty class, ceramic and fiber-optic company now expects earnings of 16 to 17 cents a share on revenue of $1.04 billion to $1.05 billion, vs. its prior earnings estimate of 11 to 13 cents a share and revenue forecast of $980 million to $1.03 billion.
shares added almost 1% after the company said its drug Ranexa met the primary endpoint of reducing weekly angina frequency in a study conducted under the Food and Drug Administration's special protocol assessment process. CV Therapeutics expects to submit an amendment to the Ranexa new drug application to the FDA by the end of the third quarter. It said a six-month review could enable the potential launch of Ranexa in a restricted patient population in the first half of 2006.
Shares of Downey Financial
gained 6% after the Newport Beach, Calif., financial services company posted earnings of $51.7 million, or $1.86 per share, for the first quarter. The average estimate of two analysts polled by Thomson First Call was for a profit of $1.19 per share in the March period. The company attributed the strong results to increases in net interest income and gains from the sale of loans. In the same period a year earlier, Downey earned $8.9 million, or 32 cents per share.
rallied more than 9% after the company agreed to acquire Electronics Boutique
for $1.44 billion in cash and stock. Under terms of the deal, each Electronics Boutique share will be exchanged for $38.15 in cash and 0.78795 GameStop shares. Based on Friday's closing prices, Electronics Boutique shares are being valued at $55.18 each, a 34% premium. GameStop expects the acquisition to begin adding to earnings in the second half of 2005. Electronics Boutique shares soared almost 35%. See full story.
shares rose almost 1% after its GE Commercial Finance unit agreed to buy Bombardier Capital's inventory finance division for $2.4 billion, which includes the assumption of $1 billion in liabilities. Bombardier Capital's inventory finance division is part of the financing division of Canadian aerospace company Bombardier. The deal is expected to close during the second quarter of 2005.
rose about 1% after the toy maker reported a first-quarter loss of $3.7 million, or 2 cents a share, a reversal from the prior year's profit of $6.5 million, or 3 cents a share. Revenue for the quarter came in at $454.9 million, down 4% from $474.2 million a year ago. Toy segment revenue increased 9%, reflecting initial shipments ahead of the May 19 debut of the latest installment of "Star Wars." Analysts were looking for a quarterly profit of 4 cents a share on revenue of $488 million. Hasbro turned an operating profit of $1.5 million, down from $14.7 million in the 2004 first quarter. See full story.
shares surged 2% after the Dow component received an upgrade to "buy" from Banc of America citing an improved risk/reward profile for the stock.
shares jumped 31% after the Hauppauge, N.Y., maker of display technology products agreed to be acquired by Caxton-Iseman Capital, a private New York City-based investment firm, for roughly $56 million. The deal values Manchester Technologies' shares at $6.40 each in cash. Upon the deal's completion, Manchester will become a private company called Electrograph Systems Inc.
shares rose 2% after the company received a financing commitment from GE Commercial Finance for $165 million. The publisher of home entertainment products such as software and DVDs, said it will enter into a senior secured credit facility comprised of a six-year $140 million Term Loan B facility and a five-year revolver for up to $25 million. Navarre expects to draw the entire amount of Term Loan B facility upon the closing to fund part of its previously announced acquisition of FUNimation.
shares added more than 5% after the company agreed to purchase the assets of Marion Steel Co. for $113 million. The company said the bar products mill it's purchasing is located in Marion, Ohio, and it has an annual capacity of about 400,000 tons.
advanced 3% after the Cleveland-based maker of motion and control technology products reported third-quarter earnings from continuing operations of $142.2 million, or $1.18 per share, up from its year-ago equivalent profit of $105.7 million, or 88 cents per share. Sales rose in the latest three months to $2.14 billion from $1.88 billion in the same period a year earlier. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson First Call was for a profit of $1.09 per share in the third quarter on sales of $2.1 billion. Looking ahead, the company lifted its outlook for the full year to earnings of $4.72 to $4.92 per share.
shares gained 5% after Merrill Lynch raised its rating on the company to "neutral" citing a good product assortment for spring.
shares fell almost 7% after the Dow component reported first-quarter earnings of $809 million, or $1.03 a share, up from $722 million, or 90 cents a share in the same period a year ago, and above the average analyst estimate compiled by Thomson First Call of $1.01 a share. Revenue rose 4.6% to $5.17 billion from last year's $4.94 billion, just shy of analyst forecasts of $5.26 billion. The diversified technology and industrial company said improved efficiency, sales growth and pricing helped overcome slow economic growth in Western Europe and Japan and continued high raw material prices. See full story.
shares dropped nearly 10% after the document publishing software company agreed to acquire Macromedia
an Internet and media content software company, for $3.4 billion in stock. Macromedia's stock jumped 7% on the news. See full story.
Shares of Amarin Corp.
slumped about 4% after the U.K. drug maker said its fiscal 2004 Form 20-F includes a going concern line from its independent auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers.
shares lost 2% after Ryan Beck downgraded the stock to "market perform," citing evidence that the company's snowmobile inventory is higher. The firm also lowered its price target on the stock to $27 from $31.
shares tumbled 5% after the company said Chief Financial Officer John Chiste resigned April 15 to pursue other interests. The Boca Raton, Fla. vacation club company said Chief Accounting Officer Anthony Puleo will serve as CFO on an interim basis.
shares lost 12% after the Colorado Springs, Colo., casino operator posted earnings of $1.5 million, or 11 cents per share, for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31. For the year, the company earned $4.7 million, or 35 cents per share. The figure for the year was a penny lower than the estimate the company provided on April 1. Century Casinos attributed this difference to the accounting treatment of the recovery of receivables in South Africa and the sale of the South African unit involved in the Gauteng project. In the same period a year earlier, the company earned $826,000, or 6 cents per share. Century Casinos also said casino, depreciation and general administrative expenses rose in the latest quarter, while revenue from its Womacks operations fell year-over-year due to competition.
The Children's Place
dipped almost 2% after the Secaucus, N.J., children's apparel retailer named Hiten Patel chief financial officer. Patel succeeds Seth Udasin, who resigned to pursue other interests on Friday. Patel has served as a consultant to Children's Place for the past six months.
Shares of Instinet Group
fell 8% following a published report that the firm is near a deal to sell itself for less that many observers expected.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts'
shares sank 5% after the company filed an application with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for a restructuring of KremeKo Inc. Krispy Kreme has a 40.6% interest in KremeCo. In connection with the application, Krispy Kreme said it agreed to provide debtor-in-possession financing to provide funds for KremeKo's operations during the restructuring process.
shares plunged 28% after the company said results from a Phase II/III study of its investigational treatment of renal failure, Fibrillex, did not meet their primary endpoint, which included the call for a 20% absolute difference in the number of patients stabilized and/or improved between Fibrillex and placebo groups. The study showed at 13.4% more patients whose condition remained stable or improved on Fibrillex as compared to the placebo group.
shares dropped 19% after the company warned that fiscal third-quarter results will fall short of expectations amid weakness in its consulting and marketing services business as a result of project delays and the delay of contract signatures by a key client. The company now expects earnings of 15 to 17 cents a share and revenue of $136 million, vs. prior projections for earnings of 25 to 27 cents a share and revenue of $145 million to $150 million.
shares fell almost 1% after the company reported a fourth-quarter loss of $3.2 million, or 78 cents a share. Last year, the Birmingham, Ala.-based company reported earnings of $3.2 million, or 72 cents a share. Revenue was $59.5 million in the quarter, down from $63.4 million a year earlier.
shares dropped 17% after the company reported a quarterly loss of $2.9 million, or 24 cents a share. Last year, it earned $665,217, or 5 cents a share, in the period. Revenue fell to $8.7 million in the quarter vs. $10.1 million last year, said the Grand Prairie, Texas-based healthcare membership marketing company.


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Japanese bitcoin and cryptographic money trade BitFlyer has ventured into Europe after it handled an installment permit to work over the EU.
Information from Coinmarketcap.com demonstrates that BitFlyer is the world’s fourteenth biggest trade in view of volume, with more than $294 million exchanging the most recent 24 hours at the season of composing. Bitcoin is the prevailing decision for BitFlyer clients, having represent $287 million of that 24-hour exchanging. That is around a similar sum exchanged on Coinbase.
Not at all like a few trades which offer a range of altcoins, BitFlyer has adhered to standard crypto by offering its clients the opportunity to purchase Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic and well known Japanese alternative Monacoin. At first, it intends to stick to Bitcoin in Europe — which it will exchange with Euros — yet the organization said it plans to offer “other virtual monetary forms, for example, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic and Bitcoin Cash later in the year.”
The trade’s European nearness will be tied down in Luxembourg, which is the place it was conceded its installment permit.
Japan is one of the world’s crypto exchanging center points, nearby Korea and obviously the U.S., yet those in the business say Europe can possibly develop fundamentally. Binance CEO Zhao Changpeng told TechCrunch in a current meeting that Italy, France, Germany, the UK and Turkey are among his trade’s quickest rising markets. BitFlyer will trust its initial arrival can give it an essential favorable position over the opposition that will without a doubt take after its way to Europe.


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One kilo onions priced at eye-watering Rs 150
Kathmandu, November 5
The price of onions, commonly used in most Nepali dishes, surged to Rs 150 per kilogram in the local market today, as the supply of the vegetable has dropped significantly after India halted its export.
According to the price list of Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market, onion price has surged 50 per cent compared to its retail price of approximately Rs 100 per kg before Tihar.
Price of onions had started to surge in October after India banned its export citing sharp reduction in onion production due to heavy rainfall. Before the ban, onions were available in the domestic market for Rs 70 per kg. Since India is the largest supplier of onions to Nepal, the export ban pushed up its prices here.
After the Indian ban, Nepal started to import onions from China.
But Nepalis do not prefer Chinese onions because of their taste and quality, said Bharat Aryal, a vegetables trader at Kalimati market. “Although the Chinese onions are bigger, Indian and Nepali onions taste better. The Chinese produce is not popular even with hotels and restaurants that purchase large quantities of the vegetable,” he said.
This has resulted in the rise of illegal import of Indian onions, he added.
According to Tejendra Prasad Poudel, executive director of Kalimati Fruits and Vegetables Market Development Board, the onion supply declined significantly after the Indian ban.
As per the board’s record, the weekly supply of onions to the Kalimati market dropped to 330,430 kg from 466,816 kg before the ban.
“The supply slightly recovered between Dashain and Tihar, resulting in a dip in price of onions,” said Poudel, adding the supply has dropped again resulting in the surge in price.
Indian media has quoted analysts as saying that onion prices will not stabilise until February when the next batch of harvest hits the market.
This means onion prices will remain high in Nepal as well, Aryal said. “As Nepal is dependent on India for onions, the price will drop only after India increases onion supply after the new harvest,” he added.
Residents of Kathmandu valley consume around 10 tonnes of onions a day.


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Peloton has grown tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic, but now that things are opening up, it’s struggling to sustain its growth. Today, the company is shaking things up by replacing its CEO, reshuffling the board and laying off about 20% of its workforce, according to the Wall Street Journal.
CEO and co-founder John Foley is stepping down as CEO to become executive chairman and will be replaced by former Spotify chief operating officer Barry McCarthy, the company told the WSJ. McCarthy would bring his understanding of content-driven subscription models to Peloton. “I always thought there had to be a better CEO for Peloton than me,” Foley said. “Barry is more perfectly suited than anyone I could have imagined.” On top of that, the company is cutting around 2,800 positions.
In addition to its financial struggles, Peloton has been hit with bad press regarding equipment safety, unpaid employees, and even not-so-positive mentions on recent TV shows. As the company’s value fell from a high of $50 billion to around $8 billion last week, it has been the subject of takeover rumors from Amazon, Nike and even from Apple.
Peloton will discuss its plans for dealing with the crisis in more detail when it releases its second quarter results later today. It is expected to cut costs by $800 million and halt development of its $400 million factory in Ohio, among other changes.
the company reported $1.14 billion in revenue in January, preliminary to the second quarter and said it had 2.77 million subscribers. Its earnings call is set for 5:00 p.m. GMT today.
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The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Grant Thornton (GT) have undertaken a survey of Indian companies’ state-by-state operations in the United States to discern their growing presence.
The CII-GT report, “Indian Roots, American Soil,” seeks to capture a state-by-state breakdown of tangible investments made and jobs created by 100 Indian companies doing business in the United States. The study highlights that New Jersey, California, Texas, Illinois and New York are home to the most Americans directly employed by Indian companies. Further, Texas, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New York, and New Jersey have the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) from Indian companies.
The report was released by CII at Capitol Hill on 14 July, 2015 during an event that highlighted the contributions of Indian companies to the U.S. economy.
According to the report, 100 Indian companies employ more than 91,000 people across 35 states and the District of Columbia. The total value of tangible investments made by these 100 companies exceeds $15.3 billion.
The CII-GT survey respondents represent diverse sectors including pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, financial services, health care, materials and manufacturing, media and entertainment, tourism and hospitality, engineering and construction, automotive, food and agriculture, energy, and information technology.


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Senior leadership from PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division was joined last week by California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.; Matt Rodriquez, secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency; and Gregory Winterbottom, chairman of the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, to announce the growth of Frito-Lay’s California electric truck fleet.
Once all of the vehicles are deployed by the end of 2012, California will be home to 105 all-electric delivery trucks, the largest deployment in any state. By the end of this year, Frito-Lay will have more than 275 electric trucks deployed in the United States, making Frito-Lay the largest commercial fleet of all-electric trucks in the country. In May of this year, Frito-Lay reached a milestone of one million all-electric miles driven.
Frito-Lay said the initial rollout of all-electric trucks in California already has eliminated the need for an estimated 50,000 gallons of fuel and 1 million pounds of greenhouse gases. When all 105 trucks are deployed by the end of this year, Frito-Lay expects to eliminate 200,000 gallons of fuel and nearly 4.5 million pounds of greenhouse gases annually in the state of California. The new all-electric trucks will operate from distribution centers located throughout California: Alameda, City of Industry, La Mirada, Manteca, San Diego, San Jose and Torrance.
“With the continued introduction of electric vehicles into our fleet, Frito-Lay continues to assert its commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Leslie Starr Keating, senior vice president, supply chain for Frito-Lay North America. “Nearly 20 percent of our medium-heavy-duty delivery trucks in the state of California are slated to be transitioned to all-electric vehicles. We have seen the accelerated growth and acquisition of this innovative technology because of the support from California. It’s these private and public partnerships that create the momentum that alternative fuel vehicles need to become even more competitive.”
To support the introduction of all-electric vehicles to the state of California, Frito-Lay received a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee, specifically in the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The company also received funding from the California Energy Commission and the Hybrid Truck Bus Voucher Incentive Project from California Air Resources Board, administered by CalStart.
In the U.S., Frito-Lay hopes to reduce its total fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2020, compared to 2007 baseline. This effort supports PepsiCo’s commitments to environmental sustainability, particularly in fuel and greenhouse gas reduction. Across PepsiCo, in addition to electric trucks, the company has introduced 267 hybrid-electric trucks and 67 compressed natural gas tractors; 176 hybrid-electric vehicles and 14 CNG tractors are scheduled to operate in California.
“Frito-Lay’s investment in cleaner, more sustainable transportation serves as an excellent example of a major U.S. corporation making a significant public commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gases and reduced energy consumption,” said Winterbottom. “The Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee applauds Frito-Lay’s leadership in this area.”
Once all of the electric trucks are fully deployed across the United States, Frito-Lay said it will eliminate the need for 500,000 gallons of fuel annually. According to the company, the all-electric delivery trucks:
• Can run up to 80 miles on a single charge;
• Have zero tailpipe emissions;
• Emit 75 percent less greenhouse gases than diesel;
• Operate virtually silent, eliminating noise pollution; and
• Provide a long-term economically viable solution to traditional fuel sources.


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Vodafone to Supply Services to Internet-Learning Organisation
Published on: 12th May 2014
Note -- this news article is more than a year old.
Vodafone has announced a support agreement with the Tinder Foundation, a not for profit organisation that teaches people to use the internet.
The partnership will see Vodafone provide Tinder Foundation with smartphones, tablets, SIMs and Mobile Wifi hotspots to 20 Tinder centres across the UK
A Vodafone sponsored course will also be launched to the public via Tinder Foundation's Learn My Way.com website to promote the benefits of using mobile devices and how to use them to access the internet.
Vodafone added that it will release a second report detailing the consumer experience of triallists at UK online centres towards the end of the year.
The partnership with Tinder Foundation coincides with the publication of an independent report, funded by Vodafone UK, called "Mobile : A powerful tool for Digital Inclusion" which highlights:
- 6.7 million people across the UK (13.8% of the population) have never used the internet
- Another 4 million of those notionally online may lack the basic digital skills to make the most of their internet access
- Almost 60% of those offline say that they are not interested or do not need to be online which suggest that current pc-related inclusion programmes are only converting the willing
- Approximately two-thirds of non-users said that lack of a computer or lack of skills were also reasons.
Jeroen Hoencamp, Chief Executive Officer, Vodafone UK, commented: "This report highlights that the digital world can seem quite daunting to those who don't use it on a regular basis. So we are delighted to be partnering Tinder Foundation in their efforts to help people get online and live bolder lives. We look forward to working with their teams across the country to show the benefits mobile brings in bridging the digital divide, in terms of ease, cost and availability."


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Sad news for fans of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, as Rockstar Games has confirmed that the upcoming Grand Theft Auto V title won't be presented at Gamescom 2012.
GTA V was showed to the world at the end of 2011, when Rockstar revealed the first trailer of the title.
Since then, there have been plenty of rumors and speculation but Rockstar mentioned time and time again that it won't be sharing any more details until the time is right.
Thanks to a presentation video for Gamescom 2012
, which featured footage of the original GTA V trailer, fans started hoping that Rockstar would show off the game, or at least more details about it at the expo in Germany.
Sadly, that won't happen, as a Gamescom representative has told CVG that Rockstar isn't scheduled to attend the 2012 edition of the expo.
According to him, the GTA V footage from the video was included due to an error, so fans shouldn't get excited about finally hearing more news concerning the open world game.


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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — On Wednesday, a St. Pete business owner will ask the city to change its zoning laws so she can keep working out of her home.
“I've worked for this for five years. I love my job, I love what I do, and I've worked so hard to get here. I can't quit,” said Emily Hedrick, a permanent makeup artist.
Hedrick owns a permanent makeup business, tattooing lips, brows and more. She also offers nipple tattooing for breast cancer survivors after reconstruction surgery.
Hedrick says she bought her home two years ago, specifically because it was zoned for mixed-use.
Her home business was cleared as a "beauty and makeup service," but recently, a different zoning officer classified the business as a tattoo parlor, which technically means she's operating illegally.
Hedrick says she feels the city's zoning laws are outdated and don’t reflect the growth of the beauty industry. She also says this impacts about a dozen other St. Pete businesses like hers.
“So if this interpretation of the code does not get changed, we'll all have to close our doors unfortunately and relocate,” said Hedrick.
We wanted to go in-depth on this issue, so we spoke to a local attorney. He told us he feels the zoning laws may not reflect the current state of the beauty industry and don't distinguish between permanent makeup and tattoo parlors.
“You want to distinguish what's being done for the underlying safety of the consumers and that's the whole underlying basis for these zoning laws, having these codes for cities to enforce,” said Charles Gallagher, an attorney at Gallagher and Associates Law Firm.
Hedrick says the city's zoning laws surrounding tattooing haven't been updated since 1977.
Hedrick has three hearings with the city. On Wednesday, the development review board passed the zoning law. The next hearing is set for May 13 with the city council.
We’ll update you once we get word of how those hearings go.


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Bloomberg L.P. named marketing veteran Deirdre Bigley as Global Chief Marketing Officer.
Bigley joined Bloomberg in 2009 as head of global marketing communications. She worked with her predecessor, Maureen McGuire, to create an international marketing department. McGuire will remain in a part-time capacity, focusing on special projects.
During her 25-year career, Bigley has focused on high tech and the financial-services industries.
Commenting on her new post, she stated: “We have a world-class team in place, and we are poised to see, seize and create new opportunities for Bloomberg’s business leaders with ideas and programs that drive difference in the marketplace.”
She reports to Bloomberg’s CEO and President Dan Doctoroff, helming worldwide marketing strategy for the company.
Before Bloomberg, Bigley worked at IBM managing a variety of advertising initiatives and serving her final years as vice president of worldwide advertising and interactive and vice president of worldwide brand. She managed global teams and was responsible for all television, events, print and digital media.
However, she launched her career at agencies such Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide in New York, and various others in Boston and Dallas. Jumping to the corporate side, she spent 13 years at IBM.
Bigley was named one of the top 50 women in advertising by AWNY.
Last week, Bloomberg reported two initiatives. First, its enterprise information management service, Bloomberg Vault, announced its File Analytics product. The cloud service lets firms locate and manage information the company calls “dark data,” defined as unstructured data difficult to identify, track and manage.
Also, InfoMoney, a big Brazilian financial news site, partnered with Bloomberg to provide global business content in Portuguese. The new digital platform infomoney.com.br will provide news, photos and videos from Bloomberg throughout the site.
Two weeks ago, Jacki Kelley was named Chief Operating Officer for Media, responsible for leading the business ops of Bloomberg’s worldwide multiplatform media.


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London, March 14 Men do far more household work than they are given credit for, reveals a new study.
Nearly 60 percent of the 1,000 men surveyed said their efforts went unnoticed by the women.
The respondents said they spent 13 hours a week on household chores including cleaning the lavatory, taking out the rubbish and changing the bed linen.
Almost half said they felt women were more prone to showing off about the amount of housework they take on.
Eighty five percent of men said they took out rubbish, while 80 percent claimed the credit for carrying shopping bags in a bid to take the weight off their wife’s shoulders.
Food shopping came third – with 78 percent saying they are responsible for restocking the fridge each week, reports telegraph.co.uk.
The survey conducted by Dove, the beauty brand, showed that men spend 4.7 hours a week on housework and 6.9 hours on childcare.
“Our research shows that modern men are becoming more vocal about the contribution they make in the home, and the popular stereotype of men doing nothing around the house is no longer accurate,” said Paul Connell, brand manager of Dove Men Care.


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A partnership between India and Singapore to open up cross-border data flows and digital customer due diligence could serve as the foundation of a pan-Asian digital identity check system, the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) fintech chief said on Tuesday.
Digital payment firms have mushroomed amid Asia’s mix of rigid legacy banks, patchy financial inclusion and high mobile phone penetration, but those with international ambitions have chafed against the regulatory and market fragmentation in a region home to roughly half the world’s population.
Sopnendu Mohanty, chief fintech officer at MAS, said the work being done by his authority and counterparts in India on digital identities and know your customer (KYC) checks could be expanded to other markets in Asia and serve as the basis for customer onboarding across jurisdictions.
“My best case is in two to three years, Asia will see identity become a national infrastructure, Asia will see e-KYC as a core infrastructure and Asia will see some kind of data portability happening,” Mohanty told the Money 20/20 conference in Singapore.
The ex-Citibank banker spoke of creating a pan-Asian “stack” that would allow cross-border connectivity between banks and fintechs, initially for KYC checks.
He said the inspiration for Singapore’s move in that direction was the equivalent Indian stack, which he said demonstrates that such systems should be a public good.
“For us in Singapore, we caught onto that and we started exploring within the financial sector,” he said, adding that the city-state and India “will definitely come together”.
He said the pan-Asia stack “should be open-source; it should have an ability to collaborate with different countries, different standards and different ways of giving solutions”.
“Is there a future in which an Indian citizen will open a bank account in Singapore, and the bank in Singapore can call on an API from Aadhaar and get the details to open a bank account?” asked Sopnendu Mohanty, chief fintech officer at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
“Because as sectors are connected, we’ve got to find a greater common good across different jurisdictions, and that’s the genesis of thinking about a pan-Asia stack, as a way of connecting different financial sectors from different markets to a common rail.
“Is there a future in which an Indian citizen will open a bank account in Singapore, and the bank in Singapore can call on an API from Aadhaar [India’s digital identity] and get the details to open a bank account?”
Mohanty also reacted positively when asked if the development of a regulatory stack was also on the table, saying it was something regulators have discussed.
Danielle Szetho, an advisory board member of the Emerging Payments Association Asia (EPAA) and former FinTech Australia chief, said a long road remained ahead “to bring industry, regulators and policymakers onto the same page, and take further steps toward having a common basic set of principles so regulation may be harmonised across a number of vital areas”.
“It’s great to see regulators are seeking to share more with each other toward this goal, but industry must also play its part.”
A Regulatory Archipelago
Uneven regulations around licensing and data privacy trouble payments firms looking at expansion in Asia, as well as those growing in the emerging economies in the region.
A survey of industry professionals by the EPAA “indicated that over 60 percent of respondents saw data sharing and privacy as the biggest challenge facing their business”, Szetho told PaymentsCompliance.
“However in some markets, data sharing regulation was only recently established to govern peer-to-peer mobile payments or lending in the absence of traditional banking networks, while in others there is almost no regulation over data privacy for cultural or political reasons,” she said.
Many of those companies with pan-Asian ambitions are following the model pioneered by the Chinese payments giants, in which legacy banks and card providers are leapfrogged by guarangutan “super apps” that combine payments, e-commerce, credit, messaging and ride-sharing.
Many have visions of financial empires stretching across the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, and are only now emerging from the shadows cast by the Chinese duopoly of Tencent and Ant Financial.
Tony Fernandes, founder of low-cost aviation juggernaut AirAsia, told Money 20/20 that he wants to build an ASEAN-wide payments platform through his remittance and money transfer arm BigPay.
Singaporean ride-hailing start-up Grab rapidly expanded the footprint of its financial services component across south east Asia during 2018. It will soon include point of sale terminals, micro-loans and buy-now-pay-later products.
But Grab’s experience also highlighted the disparate regulatory regimes in the region. It had to secure six separate e-money licences across the jurisdictions it is targeting, and chose in some cases to buddy up with a local partner rather than attempt it alone.
“It was really hard work getting access to six e-money licences,” Grab Financial chief operating officer Reuben Lai said in response to a question from PaymentsCompliance. “It was a very long process.”
Asked how much the effort cost the company, Lai said: “Really for us it was about the human capital cost, really just the cost of doing all the paperwork and working directly with the regulators in order to piece it together.”
Outside Singapore, Grab is currently offering some financial services through partners while the company begins further licence applications for credit and insurance.
Grab, which acquired Uber’s south east Asian operations in 2018 and was valued in January at $10bn, faces stiff competition in giant markets such as Indonesia from the likes of Go-Jek, another ride-hailing service that has quickly evolved into a financial services player.
Whether China’s Ant or Tencent will begin to throw their vast resources at trying to secure organic footholds in the southeastern reaches of Asia is an open question.
Aside from a handful of investments in existing financial services businesses, both have so far hewed growth under their own brands close to the flows of Chinese tourists.
Tencent executive Wendy Sun, speaking at the conference in Singapore on Tuesday about the company’s growth outside China, gave no hint of a change in strategy despite a push into Malaysia, which has a large ethnically Chinese minority.


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Let me make it clear about pay day loans: Can Washington make them less predatory?
As you of Chicago's elevated trains clatters overhead, Gilbert Walker strides to the Payday Loan shop which will make their last $165 re re re payment for a $600 loan he'd applied for at Christmas time.
The interest price ended up being high. Mr. Walker, who had previously been let go after significantly more than three decades aided by the Chicago college region, could not keep in mind just how much he'd paid back to date. Nevertheless, it overcome spending the lender a fee that is overdraft had been fast and simple to get for a crisis, like a huge heating bill, that their $2,000-a-month retirement can not quite protect.
вЂњIt's much cheaper compared to bank,вЂќ he claims. вЂњIt would be toughвЂќ if the shops went away.
But that's exactly the possibility that lies ahead under brand brand brand brand new federal guidelines proposed Thursday. The cash advance industry is dealing with a dramatic consolidation.
The aim is to suppress predatory financing. Pay day loan stores charge annualized prices of 400 % or maybe more for short-term loans, and states that are many stepped in to cap the prices the shops may charge.
Trump, a Texas lawsuit, and democracy's future
But rather of capping rates of interest, the brand new pair of proposed rules because of the customer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is designed to hit a stability, enabling payday loan providers to carry on making loans but and then individuals who have the wherewithal to cover them right straight back.
вЂњPayday financing will continue to exist following this proposal,вЂќ says Alex Horowitz, a researcher on little loans during the Pew Charitable Trusts.


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Ever since Modi government launched his demonetisation drive, the nation has been facing a severe cash crunch. Following relentless complaints from citizens, Opposition, and bankers too, the government introduced a series of measures to ensure people can withdraw money, and one such measure is micro ATMs.
“Micro ATMs would particularly help address the problems that people are facing in rural and semi-urban areas, where the ATM network is not as strong currently”, Department of Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das.
There are about 201861 ATMs in India, according to RBI data. Of these, 1,03,282 are onsite and 98,579 offsite. But for the cash starved citizens, this is not enough. Filling up ATMs has been affected because bank staff are under pressure . It is taking far longer to get money for loading and carrying to ATMs. Technical changes for recalibration involved software as well as hardware work. More than 1,000 professionals are on the job.
The government’s announcement of Micro ATM has instantly created a buzz. People are asking questions like what Micro ATMs are, how do they function, etc. ATMs are card swipe machines through which banks can remotely connect to their core banking system. This machine comes with a fingerprint scanner attached to it. In other words, micro ATMs are handheld point of sale terminals used to disburse cash in remote locations where bank branches cannot reach. Micro ATMs are similar to point of sale (PoS) terminals and are a doorstep mobile banking arrangement cum-mobile ATM device.


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For more than a decade, there's been a push for greater transparency of providers' cost and quality data. Policymakers at the state and federal level continue advocate for the public reporting, suggesting that consumers, when armed with relevant data, will make more informed decisions. Or, as the authors of a recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality study note, "The goal of cost data is to reduce waste and unnecessary care without sacrificing quality of care." But, the researchers also point out that "little is known about how consumers will respond to, interpret, or apply data on health care costs and resource use."
So, the researchers set out to understand, at least on a limited scale, how consumers react to quality and cost information. The study, published in the March issue of Health Affairs, studied the reactions of 1,400 people to different presentations of cost and quality data. Researchers used combinations of symbols — dollar signs and stars — specific information such as dollar amounts and percentages, and labels such as "appropriate use" or "better." Not surprisingly, consumers selected high-value providers when shown "strong, unambiguous quality and cost information." However, when limited quality data was shown, respondents were more likely to select the high-cost provider, equating big dollar signs with better quality, as we do in so many other areas of the economy.
What does this mean for public policy? Well, the researchers are quick to point out that their study was "experimental" and has limitations. That said, they contend, "Reporting strategies that will get consumers' attention and help them use the data are those that interpret the data and help consumers see that a doctor who provides higher-quality care than other doctors does not necessarily cost more."
The study is available in the March issue of Health Affairs.