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Known as the first-stop-shop for anyone new to the diet or new to town, Lifestyle Markets offers the most comprehensive selection of gluten-free flours and baking ingredients in British Columbia. Enjoy carefree shopping in Victoria’s first – and largest – dedicated gluten-free department, take in a complimentary Gluten-Free Tasting or visit Lifestyle Markets’ sister stores on Cook Street or Lifestyle Select in Sidney
Wish you could try before you buy pricey gluten-free food? Here’s your chance! Join Ellen Bayens of The Celiac Scene for a fun and informative taste extravaganza! Second and fourth Saturday of every month Lifestyle Markets on Douglas Street between 12 and 2 pm. Look for Ellen’s smile in the Gluten-Free Department. No diagnosis or RSVP required.
Sep 23 2015 by CARLA WILSON Times Colonist Lifestyle Markets’ healthy niche remains vital after two decades © 2015 TC Publication Limited Partnership. All rights reserved.
When the first Lifestyle Markets opened on Douglas Street 20 years ago this month, the aim was to fill a niche in the marketplace by offering a grocery store featuring natural and organic items, nutritional supplements and vitamins, and body care products, along with a deli.
That one-stop shopping formula is still working two decades later. “The whole reason was to offer customers the one place where they could get everything,” said general manager Carmine Sparanese.
In the past, shoppers would normally go to different stores for groceries, supplements and other related products, he said. When it came to deli and grocery items, Sparanese said “it really was about better food.”
Today, sales continue to grow, he said.
The original Lifestyle, at 2950 Douglas St., has two offshoots. In 1996, a store opened in Sidney, which is partly owned by Sparanese.
The most recent store opened in Cook Street Village in 2001.
Lifestyle’s main owner and founder is Lorraine Peterson, of the Lower Mainland, who frequently travels to Victoria to work on the business. Sparanese helped put together the first Lifestyle Market on Douglas Street. It covers more than 10,000 square feet and was transformed from a carpet outlet. Some of the shelves that Sparanese built for the store are still being used.
The Cook Street is 2,400 square feet, and the Sidney store is smaller, at just over 1,200 square feet.
Lifestyle’s timing has paralleled society’s rising demand for healthy and organic products. Virtually all grocery stores have since followed a similar pursuit, carrying organic food, vitamins and healthy products.
Construction is underway for Vancouver Island’s first Whole Foods store to open in fall 2016 at the Uptown Centre on north Douglas Street. The Texas-based company is a major player in the natural and organic supermarket sector. Despite Whole Foods’ looming presence in the market, Lifestyle believes its customers will remain loyal and committed to supporting a local business, Sparanese said.
Lifestyle is celebrating its anniversary starting Friday with special events and prices for 20 days.
Reflecting the growing support for organic food, the province of B.C. announced Monday it is introducing new rules requiring all food and beverages marketed as “organic” be certified under either a provincial or federal program starting in 2018.
Lifestyle customers cover a wide demographic, Sparanese said. A young mother, seniors, and athletes were among shoppers in the stores this week. Many customers order online.
Some patrons come in because of their allergies or food sensitivities, requiring them to be cautious about what they consume. “There have been people here reading labels all of their lives,” Sparanese said.
Training and education plays a major role at Lifestyle, he said.
Staff numbers have increased from 20 when the business first opened to about 75 full and part-time employees, he said.
Lifestyle aims to promote local products, Sparanese said, reeling off a list of Saanich Peninsula farms. “To us, they are rock stars.” The majority of produce is organic, he said, adding he personally visits farms to get to know the farmers and their methods.


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Mahindra's KUV100 NXT K6 took top honours in the A1 class, the category for smaller vehicles which have become very popular in South Africa due to consistently rising fuel prices.
The upcoming vehicle is expected to feature a 1.2-litre petrol engine.
Nissan Motor Indonesia has announced to hold the world premiere of the production version of the Go Cross concept in Jakarta on January 18. The upcoming crossover model will be called 'Cross' instead of the 'Go Cross' and it will be showcased in India at the 2018 Auto Expo, starting February 7.
M&M has made some significant changes in the front grill and bumper to give it a more aggressive look. The company has come up with new sporty headlamps, too.
For the financial year 2016-2017, Mahindra KUV100 sold 35,698 units as against 14,210 units during fiscal 2016, thereby registering growth of 151 percent, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
The Ignis is the third car to be marketed through Maruti Suzuki’s premium Nexa outlets after the S-Crossover and the Baleno hatchback.
According to data, the only big volume segments where diesel is less than 30% of the market is the entry level mini car market comprising popular models like Maruti Alto, Tata Tiago, Renault Kwid, Maruti WagonR, among others.
The company, along with its suppliers, has invested over Rs 950 crore towards development of Ignis, Ignis now comes with 98.5 percent localisation, claims Maruti Suzuki.
Caught in the middle of a raging storm against bigger diesel sports utility vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra launched an all new micro-SUV, the KUV 100 for Rs 4.42 lakh - Rs 6.76 lakh (ex showroom Pune). Mahindra KUV100's sales stand at 38,208 units. *All sales figures, in the list, are till November 2016
The new sporty KUV100, available in petrol and diesel, is the smallest vehicle in Mahindra South Africa's product range.
India is estimated to become the 3rd largest automobile market in 2016, expected to be worth US$145 billion. It is already the 2nd largest two-wheeler market in the world. Automobile exports from India grew at a CAGR of 14.65 percent between 2010-2015.
"Since its launch last month, the KUV100 has been received well in the market. We have crossed 21,000 bookings and 1.75 lakh inquiries," M&M President & Chief Executive (Automotive) Pravin Shah said.
The company is banking on the KUV100, which has crossed 21,000 bookings a month after launch, and its another new model TUV300, to gain additional volumes.
The key rationale for the renewed interest in M&M’s stock is that its volume growth may turn positive (albeit in low single digits) in current fiscal year after two years of continuous decline.
While conceptualising the product we got three insights from the youth of India - desire to be different from the crowd, desire to want everything now and desire for an outdoor life, says Pawan Goenka.
While the highest variant of the petrol version will cost Rs 5.91 lakh, the top most diesel version is priced at Rs 6.76 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).
While Mahindra calls it a compact SUV, KUV100 is expected to compete with the heavyweights in the hatchback segment.
Bookings for Mahindra KUV100 or the S101 (as it was codenamed) will open at all dealerships across India from December 19, while it will be offcially launched on January 15, 2016.

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Hong Kong (CNN) – With China now the world’s second largest economy and increasing its influence all the time, it’s no surprise that Mandarin is becoming the language to master.
Just look at the case of the American lawyer who left his job, upped sticks and moved his family to Western China to study the language, the recent launch of the New York Times’ Chinese language site, or even Bloomberg’s ranking of Confucius’ tongue as top business language, excluding English – they all point to the importance of communicating with this economic superpower on its terms. FULL POST
(CNN) – If the Chinese economy is slowing down, why is the country buying so much copper?
China has posted a weaker economic growth of 9.1% in the third quarter, in line with the "soft landing" of the white-hot economy Beijing touts.
Also, China missed its expected oil consumption targets according to a report by Platts, an energy consultancy.
According to the report, the estimated oil demand for the third quarter of the year has been this year's lowest, at 8.99 million barrels a day. A decrease compared with 9.33 million during the first three months of this year.
Hong Kong (CNN) - Global economic uncertainty is bringing some good news for U.S. exporters, as traders in Latin America have seen a reduction in buys from China in favor of closer-to-home suppliers.
"There are signals of an economic slowdown," Mario Nigrinis, Principal Economist at BBVA Bank Hong Kong told CNN, "we expect a slight deceleration."
Mexico, the largest Latin American importers of Chinese goods with US$46 billion in 2010, has seen purchase growth rates diminish, from 20.5% year-on-year in the first half of 2011, to 18.5% in the third quarter, to 13% in August, according to data compiled by BBVA.
Brazil followed a similar path, with growth rates contracting from 37% in the first half of this year to 26% in the third quarter.
Hong Kong (CNN) - As mainland Chinese discover expensive wines and luxury cars from the west, so too grows the demand for illegal drugs such as cocaine.
And this booming trade uses Hong Kong as a conduit between Latin American producers and the burgeoning mainland China market. On September 18, local police arrested eight individuals, one of them a U.S. citizen, in connection with a 567-kilogram seizure worth around US$77 million in the local market.
“Historically, Hong Kong has been the center of drug trafficking in this region,” said Simon Young, Director of the Center for Comparative Law at the University of Hong Kong.
Amounts found by authorities have been increasingly large in the territory over the last years. A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes said they expect consumption in Mainland China to continue its rise.
Hong Kong (CNN) – Colombia’s free trade agreement with the U.S. creates opportunities for Chinese businesses getting squeezed out of the North American market by the ongoing trade disputes between the world’s two largest economies.
For China, this is the opportunity to get goods relabeled as Colombian and enter the U.S. with zero tariffs. And as businessmen think about the new possibilities, many are rushing to rewrite business plans.
“The Chinese have their eyes on Colombia because it is the bridge they need to reach the U.S.,” José Antonio Mutis, Colombian Consul General in Hong Kong, told CNN.
There are still few details on how a final product can be considered South American. For now, officials only have a rough idea.
“With around 35 to 40% of the value of a product added in Colombia, it may be considered Colombian and enter the U.S. tax free,” an official at the trade office of the Colombian Embassy in China told CNN.
Hong Kong (CNN) - Chile and Venezuela, two countries in the opposite of the South American political spectrum, have something in common: both are interested in the Chinese yuan, or renminbi.
With the growing clout of the world’s second largest economy and the slow but constant strengthening of its currency, the yuan is an increasingly attractive choice for reserve currency. While there currently are restrictions in its transactions, the two South American countries lead the flight from the U.S. dollar in the region.
In its latest monetary policy report, the Chilean central bank introduced a new item in its balance sheet with the appearance of $91 million of the country's reserves in yuan. It's a first exploratory step, according to high-level officials from the country. "It's about 0.3% of the international reserves," bank officials said in an e-mail to CNN. Still, plans are afoot in Chile to increase its Chinese currency holdings, bank officials said. FULL POST
About Business 360
CNN International's business anchors and correspondents get to grips with the issues affecting world business, and they want your questions and feedback.


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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Labor Day weekend for many is the unofficial end of summer and start to fall, but as things start to cool down, what will happen to restaurants relying on outdoor dining?
Restaurants told 22News they’ll probably focus more on delivery and curbside pickup once the temperature drops.
“People aren’t going to want to eat outside when it’s negative 20 in Massachusetts,” said Peter Cardoz.
Nowadays, outdoor dining is almost everywhere you look. But not everyone is on board with going inside once the temperature drops, especially during a pandemic.
Cardoz added, “If you are potentially infected and don’t know it you could spread it through indoor dining. Unfortunately, you have to take your mask off to eat. I don’t think these restaurants are currently equipped with the HVAC system to properly ventilate out the virus if someone is infected.”
Back in June, the state allowed restaurants to resume indoor dining but many places expanded to outdoor seating to serve customers who might not be comfortable with eating inside during a pandemic.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank, more than a third of restaurants sales in Massachusetts this summer came from outdoor dining. Despite the fact that fewer than 20 percent of restaurants even had outdoor dining as an option before the pandemic.
“I think it’s going to be challenging getting the people in here but I think what’s gonna happen is the patio is going to be replaced with more of a take-out, and I think that’s going to make up the loss of the patio,” said Nadim Kashouh, owner of Nadim’s in downtown Springfield.
Nadim’s hopes that people will still come out for the final three or four weeks of outdoor dining while the weather gets cooler, just maybe bring a light jacket.
Capacity in restaurants right now is 25 percent and Governor Charlie Baker has not commented on if he will expand that as the season changes.


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AirAsia CEO and Chairman Step Back, by Travel Radar Correspondent David Hopwood
- CEO and Chairman of AirAsia Group ‘step aside’ for two months, perhaps longer
- Improper payments as sponsorship of sports team alleged by UK Serious Fraud Office
AirAsia share price falls further in Tuesday trade
We reported yesterday on the allegations of ‘improper payments and the offer of further improper payments’ against the Malaysian AirAsia Group arising out of the investigations by the British Serious Fraud Office.
The allegations centre around a sum of $50 million being paid by Airbus as sponsorship to a ‘sports team’ owned by two executives in order to secure orders for Airbus aircraft. The shares of AirAsia and AirAsia x fell sharply on Monday trading due to the allegations, but also as a result of the reduction in traffic to China. AirAsia has strenuously denied the linkage between the sponsorship and aircraft orders. Airbus declines to comment. The AirAsia share price has fallen a further 5% today, Tuesday.
It is now reported that the two executives under a cloud are the group CEO Tony Fernandes and Chairman Kamarudin Meranun who have both agreed with immediate effect to ‘step aside’ for at least two months in order to ‘facilitate a full and independent inquiry’. The pair will remain in an ‘advisory role’ with the group. The two owned the now-defunct Caterham Formula One racing team which had Airbus as a sponsor, and they are also current majority owners of the London Queens Park Rangers football club.
Fernandes and Meranun bought AirAsia in 2001 from the Malaysian government for less than a dollar and transformed it into one of the largest budget carriers in Asia with a market valuation of more than $1 billion.
In enormous potential purchases such as the AirAsia order, there’s always the temptation to push the boundaries of ethical conduct, both by suppliers and purchasers. In this case, and as with other current investigations into purchases of Airbus products, it seems as it the European manufacturer and the buyers may have gone too far.
Caveat emptor; let the buyer beware


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- Prachi Singh |
For the fourth quarter, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. net sales of 1.18 billion dollars increased 3 percent on both a reported and constant currency basis as compared to last year, while comparable sales rose 1 percent. Full year net sales of 3.62 billion dollars increased 1 percent on a reported basis and 2 percent on a constant currency basis, while comparable sales rose 1 percent. The company’s GAAP EPS were 1.29 dollars for the fourth quarter and 60 cents for the full year, respectively, while adjusted non-GAAP EPS at constant currency were 1.31 dollars for the fourth quarter and 73 cents for the full year.
Commenting on the results, Fran Horowitz, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement: “We finished the year on a strong note, with record Black Friday week results contributing to net sales growth and positive comparable sales for the fourth quarter, and for the third consecutive year. Over the past two years we have delivered a combined 157 new store experiences, reduced gross square footage by 6 percent, accelerated the rationalization of our flagship fleet and introduced local customer and product-facing teams in the EMEA and APAC regions.”
Abercrombie & Fitch expects impact of COVID-19 on H1 results
As a result of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, the company has temporarily closed its Shanghai regional home office and of stores in mainland China and in and around Milan, Italy as well as global travel restrictions. The company said, APAC region contributed less than 10 percent of fiscal 2019 net sales, with mainland China and China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region combined representing roughly half of this contribution. Total company manufacturing exposure to China was 22 percent, down from 36 percent in fiscal 2018, and is planned in the low-teens for fiscal 2020. The company has seen, and expects to continue to see, a direct impact to sales and margin from lost sales in the APAC region and in locations across Europe and North America. The company also anticipates impacts from potential disruption of product deliveries across the global supply chain.
The company currently expects the majority of the impact from COVID-19 to occur in the first half. For fiscal 2020, the company expects net sales to be flat to up 2 percent, reflecting the estimated adverse impact of COVID-19 in the range of 60 million dollars to 80 million dollars and the adverse impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates of approximately 10 million dollars. Comparable sales are expected to be down low-single digits, reflecting the estimated adverse impact of COVID-19 of approximately 200 basis points compared to positive comparable sales of 1 percent last year, gross profit rate is estimated to be down in the range of 50 basis points to 70 basis points as compared to the fiscal 2019 rate of 59.4 percent, reflecting an estimated adverse impact from COVID-19 in the range of 50 basis points to 70 basis points and the adverse impact from changes in foreign currency exchange rates of approximately 30 basis points.
For the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the company expects net sales to be down mid-single digits, reflecting the estimated adverse impact of COVID-19 in the range of 40 million dollars to 50 million dollars and the adverse impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates of approximately 5 million dollars and comparable sales to be down mid-single digits, reflecting the estimated adverse impact from COVID-19 of approximately 600 basis points compared to positive comparable sales of 1 percent last year and gross profit rate to be down in the range of 100 basis points to 150 basis points as compared to the fiscal 2019 rate of 60.5 percent, reflecting an estimated adverse impact from COVID-19 of approximately 100 basis points and the combined adverse impact from changes in foreign currency exchange rates and anticipated China tariffs of approximately 50 basis points.
On February 21, 2020 the company’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 20 cents per share on the Class A Common Stock of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., payable on March 16, 2020 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 6, 2020.
Picture:Abercrombie & Fitch media gallery


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The Galaxy S8 leaks keep coming in, and this time around we’re looking at a photo of what might be a fully functional prototype. Earlier on Tuesday, a video based on leaked CAD designs gave us our best look at the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 so far. However, the video showed 3D renders not actual devices.
A new image found on Weibo by Android Pure features what seems to be an actual Galaxy S8. Only the bottom half of the phone is shown in the following image:
While there’s no way of telling whether this is the real thing, certain design features do match previous leaks and rumors.
On the bottom, we can easily spot a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and speaker. The bottom bezel is incredibly thin and lacks a physical home button and a Samsung logo. Antenna lines are also present on the bottom side. Finally, the screen has no side bezels at all and appears to be curved on both sides.
Given that the Galaxy S8 is still going to run Android, it’s expected to sport the same navigation buttons found on any Android handset. It’s unclear how they’re supposed to be activated, but they do not appear in this particular image. The opened app takes over the entire display of the phone — and that’s certainly not a bad thing.
Earlier this year we saw this leaked image that supposedly shows a functional Galaxy S8. It was somewhat contested at the time, but the image showed a phone that’s similar to this fresh Galaxy S8 photo leak.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus in late March, although the company might show a brief video of it during its MWC event this month. If this leak is indeed accurate, it’s likely we’re going to see other similar images pop up in the coming weeks.


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This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.
Uber (NYSE:UBER) rattled the food delivery segment when reports emerged on Tuesday that it was exploring a potential buyout of Grubhub (NYSE:GRUB) – an online food ordering and delivery service that competes with Uber Eats. Although CNBC’s reporting on the matter yesterday appeared to imply that the deal was far from certain, a fresh development today seems to indicate that the negotiations may have graduated to an advanced stage.
Uber has now proposed the offering of senior notes, bearing a principal amount of $750 million and maturing in 2025. According to the company’s press release, the notes will be offered to qualified institutional investors. In a crucial caveat, the press release states:
“Uber intends to use the net proceeds from this offering primarily for working capital and other general corporate purposes, which may include potential acquisitions and strategic transactions.”
Given that Uber has chosen to explicitly mention “potential acquisitions” as an impetus for this fresh funding, it seems that the buyout negotiations with Grubhub may now have advanced to the ‘home stretch’ phase.
As a refresher, CNBC reported yesterday that Uber and Grubhub have held buyout negotiations recently and that the latest all-stock proposal offered 2.15 shares in Uber for every Grubhub share. However, according to CNBC’s sources, Grubhub has rejected this proposal. Bear in mind that the two companies have held intermittent talks on this matter for about a year now. Nonetheless, today’s development seems to imply that a potential deal may be close at hand.
From a financial perspective, it makes economic sense for the two companies to contemplate a merger. As an illustration, Uber and Grubhub currently rank as the second and the third largest meal delivery services, respectively, in the U.S. based on market share. Moreover, Wedbush Securities has estimated that the merged entity will command 55 percent of the U.S. food delivery segment, with DoorDash reversing to a distant second place based on its current market share of around 35 percent.
Although the food delivery business is much more competitive than the ridesharing segment – where Uber commands a 70 percent market share followed by Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) at 30 percent – in the United States, Uber’s acquisition of Grubhub will create islands of monopolistic market shares. For example, Uber’s presence in New York city will swell to almost 80 percent from the current 17 percent, as per the research by the analytics firm Second Measure.
It is, therefore, hardly surprising that some lawmakers in the U.S. have taken a dim view of this development. For instance, David Cicilline – who leads the U.S. Congress antitrust subcommittee currently investigating the tech sector – said regarding Uber’s acquisition ambitions:
“Uber is a notoriously predatory company that has long denied its drivers a living wage.”
He went on to note that Grubhub “has a history of exploiting local restaurants through deceptive tactics and extortionate fees”.
Given that the merger will propel Uber to a dominant position in places such as New York City, the New York State may seek an injunction to block the merger. On the other hand, Uber and Grubhub may employ the failing firm argument – one that highlights the inability of a struggling business to survive on its own. Bear in mind that this argument was successfully used by Amazon recently to justify its takeover of the besieged delivery service Deliveroo.
As an illustration of the market euphoria surrounding this development, Grubhub shares rose 29 percent yesterday, corresponding to a market capitalization of $5.5 billion. Similarly, Uber’s shares climbed 2.9 percent yesterday to $32.37. Year to date, Uber has generated a gain of 8.94 percent.


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Bread price goes up again
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
BAKERS have increased the price of bread by 36 percent for a standard loaf, citing increased production costs and challenges in the procurement of flour, the Daily News reports.
“We spoke with the National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe and they have indicated that the price of flour has gone up. GMB recently indicated that it was no longer able to supply subsidised wheat to millers.
“As such the flour is now being imported predominantly in US dollars.
“As we know, the Zimbabwe dollar is fast losing value against the US dollar on the black market and as such bakers and retailers are forced to increase their prices in order to meet production costs and to be able to restock,” Mutashu said.


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Posted by OnMarket 10 April 2018 @ 12:00AM
OnMarket was very proud to be awarded the 2018 ‘Crowdfunding Innovator of the Year’ at the recent FinTech Business Awards held in Sydney.
The FinTech Business Awards recognise outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship in the Australian financial technology sector. The 2018 ‘Crowdfunding Innovator of the Year’ award recognises a company that assists retail or institutional investors to access investment opportunities via the internet.
The award was assessed on 4 key criteria:
OnMarket continues to make investing and capital raising an efficient, simple, and transparent process that is accessible to everyday investors and businesses making a change in the world.
In addition to revolutionising the way IPOs are made available to retail investors, by providing the world’s first free-access portal and app for capital raisings, OnMarket has become one of the first crowdfunding platforms to be granted an Equity Crowdfunding Licence in Australia. The Licence was granted to OnMarket in January 2018, since then, we have closed two of the first three equity crowdfunding deals in Australia.
Members of the OnMarket team accepting the ‘Crowdfunding Innovator of the Year’ award at the FinTech Business Awards 2018
Equity crowdfunding brings entrepreneurs and investors together for the first time, and that is what OnMarket was able to achieve with Revvies, the first equity crowdfunding deal to close in Australia. Revvies has developed an innovative, fast dissolving mouth strip that delivers 40 mg of caffeine. It provides athletes, students and busy people with the ability to have a faster, sugar-free, safe and consistent caffeine boost. Revvies successfully raised close to $300,000 from over 250 investors via the OnMarket platform.
The second equity crowdfunding deal completed by OnMarket was DC Power Co., which has become the world’s most popular equity crowdfunding offer by number of investors. DC Power Co. has given close to 15,000 Aussie investors a piece of Australia’s first solar-focused energy retailer which offers to optimise household solar systems to use less energy and earn more money.
Amassing the largest ever crowd to participate in an equity crowdfunding raise, really shows what we at OnMarket believe to be the true essence of equity crowdfunding, that is, to bring together the community to invest in companies making a difference. This seed raising provides DC Power with 15,000 people that have bought into their investment thesis. While the $2.2m that they have raised is huge for a seed funding round, what is even more important is that they have amassed 15,000 people to be a ready-made engaged customer base.
We are extremely happy to be the winners of the 2018 FinTech Business Award for ‘Crowdfunding Innovator of the Year’. OnMarket looks forward to continuing to innovative our capital raising platform, and bringing our 45,000 investors access to the most innovative and growing Australian companies seeking capital.
OnMarket’s CEO Ben Bucknell speaking at the FinTech Business Awards 2018


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"The [inflation] data was really positive and it turned us off of the concerns over Wal-Mart and Home Depot," said Kevin Kruszenski, head of trading at KeyBanc Capital. "There's also a thesis that there's now this shortage of stocks with all the corporate buy-backs and the private buyouts we're seeing."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 114 points at 13,461, just off a new record high of 13,481. The Dow was lifted by shares of General Motors Corp , Alcoa Inc. , 3M Co. and McDonald's Corp. .
Home Depot also recovered from early selling pressure. It was down 0.3% after earlier falling nearly 3%. The home-improvement retailer said profits fell 30% in the first-quarter, coming below expectations. It also said annual earnings would be at the low end of guidance amid a challenging housing market.
Wal-Mart Stores also recovered from early weakness. The retail giant's first-quarter earnings met lowered forecasts but its second-quarter outlook came at the lower end of Wall Street expectations.
Meanwhile, deal news and other corporate news continued to feed investor appetite on Tuesday.
Ingersoll Rand Co. surged 7.3% and was among the most actively traded stocks on the New York Stock Exchange. The company said it is exploring the sale of spin-off of its Bobcat and construction-related businesses. Its board also doubled the manufacturing company's share repurchase program to $4 billion from $2 billion.
The broad S&P 500 index gained 8.5 points to 1,511, while the Nasdaq Composite reversed early weakness. The tech-heavy index was up 2.6 points at 2,549.
Trading volumes showed 914 million shares exchanging hands on the NYSE and 1.2 billion on the Nasdaq stock market. Advancing issues topped decliners by 19 to 12 on the NYSE and by 15 to 14 on the Nasdaq.
Agilent Technologies jumped 6% after its current quarter earnings per share and revenue outlook topped analyst estimates.
Yahoo! Inc. fell 0.7% after after it announced that Blake Jorgensen, a founder of Thomas Weisel Partners, will become the company's chief financial officer on June 4.
Slow growth, slow inflation
Stock futures reversed early weakness after news that the consumer price index rose 0.4% in April, below the 0.5% expected by Wall Street economists.
Excluding food and energy prices, the so-called core CPI rose 0.2%, in line with expectations, and cutting the annual gain in the core down to a one-year low of 2.3%.
"The market is relieved that the core rate of inflation hasn't edged up," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners. "It's bringing us closer to where the Fed would like the core rate to be. The next thing the market will want to know is that a Fed cut is coming."
Even with inflation out of the way, the key remains whether the slumping housing market eventually hits employment and consumption, economists believe.
Also on Tuesday, the National Association of Home Builders said that tightening lending standards further shook homebuilders confidence. The NAHB's housing market index fell back to a 16-year low.
Still, the shares of homebuilders were only mildly affected by the report, with KB Home falling 0.8%, while Hovnanian Enterprises rose 0.9%.
Meanwhile, news that conditions for New York area manufacturers improved slightly in May, in line with expectations, had little impact on trade.
The dollar fell against major rivals after the CPI data.
Treasury bonds advanced, with the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond up 5/32 at 98 19/32 in price, wile its yield, which moves inversely, fell to 4.680%.
Oil futures turned higher, adding 61 cents to $63.07 a barrel. Traders weighed worries about tight U.S. gasoline inventories ahead of tomorrow's data releases, along with concerns over oil supply disruptions in Nigeria.
Gold futures rose $1.70 to $671.80 an ounce.
More deal news
The market continued to be fed with more deal news on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Dow industrials gained while the rest of the market struggled. News that DaimlerChrysler AG agreed to sell 80% of Chrysler to a private equity firm had helped buoy the auto sector, including rivals General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. .
On Tuesday, Reuters backed a $17.2 billion offer from Thomson Corp. that valued the financial news and data provider at $82.23 per share. Importantly, a foundation designed to preserve Reuters news integrity which holds blocking power opted to back the deal as well.
American International Group agreed to pay $813 million, or $22 a share, for the roughly 40% it doesn't already own in 21st Century Insurance Group .
Germany's HeidelbergCement agreed to buy Britain's Hanson in a $15.8 billion deal in the building materials business.
Beckman Coulter won't lift its $90-a-share bid for Biosite , which has backed a $92.50 a share offer from Inverness Medical .
By Nick Godt


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By, Melissa Sklar
As spring started coming around this year, I noticed lots of Facebook posts about the sharp decline of the bee population and the related overuse of pesticides, especially Neonic or nicotine based pesticides and Glyphosate based herbicides, and most specifically Roundup. As Earth Day approached, I made a commitment to step outside my comfort zone and voice my concerns about what was happening to our pollinators and how we could individually do our part to address the situation.
As I tried to find out just exactly what the cause was for the bees drastic decline, it became clearer and clearer to me that what was really happening to the bees and other pollinators could not be separated from what was happening to our food, our health, our wildlife and the earth itself.
If we think catastrophic climate change is a wake up call to the devastation the industrial age has wrought, the devastating loss of one third of our bee population globally over the last few years and the disappearance of our monarch butterfly population over the same time is no less a clarion call for what is to come if we do not put the brakes on our reliance and subsequent parasitical destruction of the ecosystem in ways it’s hard to conceive.
It has become more and more certain that Roundup herbicide is not the harmless weed killer we thought but an extremely toxic, even deadly substance to humans, suspected in a long list of health disorders including chronic kidney failure, endocrine disruption, liver atrophy, autism, Parkinson’s Disease and Muscular Sclerosis to name a few. President Obama released a statement this June regarding his own concern about the loss of the honeybee and the pollinator population in general in the US calling for a 180 day period of research and reassessment regarding the use of Neonics and other chemicals used in weed and pest control that might be the underlying cause of colony collapse disorder. Be aware that these chemicals are often what so many of us allow sprayed on our lawns by companies like True Green and remain toxic to us, our children and our pets for long after they are applied and also find their way into our aquifers, our food and our air, killing not just bees but birds, amphibians and other wild life.
Research over the last twenty years or so makes it clear the Roundup and Neonics as well as Organophosphates do not just disappear from our food once treated, but are actually systemic and remain in every molecule of the plant and the soil. Our intake of these substances is high and it has been widely reported that the herbicide Roundup has been found in alarmingly high levels in the breast milk of nursing mothers.
Now we are beginning to see what’s been called a “global resistance” to the deadly triumvirate of GMO, Roundup and Neonic pesticides. Conversely, there is also a spike in the interest and subsequent increase in small and large organic farming as well as the adoption of permaculture as a new paradigm which helps us envision our environment in completely different and eco-loving way allowing us to understand the natural checks and balances of our ecosystem that can support, nourish and increase our farm and garden yields without the use of synthetic poisons.
I truly believe we can heal the earth through a new paradigm that re-perceives our role as being co-gardeners with this planet of ours. In fact, I think the generations to come will take this up as one of their main tasks. Our earth needs our time and love and we need the same from the earth. Together we heal each other…and in doing so save our bees!
So if you are wondering, right here and right now, what can I do that would make a huge difference for the bees and other pollinators, here is a list of five important ways you can make a difference:
Five things you can do to save the bees:
1. Plant organic friendly plants and flowers, preferably home grown from heirloom seeds. The Organic Consumers Association shares the importance of buying organic seeds, especially in light of drastic decrease in the variety of seeds available. Beyond Pesticides has a Pollinator-Friendly Seeds and Nursery Directory and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is a great source for organic seed purchases.
2. Don’t use toxic herbicides or pesticides in your home or garden. Integrated pest management practices, composting and mulch can all help grow your garden naturally. The Garden Guides site has suggestions on alternatives to pesticides for garden plants.
3. Support local sustainable agriculture which houses up to 50 % more healthy bees. A recent Harvard study has linked the widespread colony collapse of bees to the use of certain kinds of pesticides.
4. Purchase raw organic honey from local sustainable apiaries. Tests show that most mass produced honey sold in stores doesn’t even contain pollen – most mass produced honey sold in stores doesn’t even contain pollen. For more information on what to look for when purchasing honey, The Benefits of Honey website breaks it down.
5. Tell your local garden store to stop selling bee killing insecticides, pesticides and chemicals. Consumer demand is key to effectuating change. You can also sign a petition to tell Lowes and Home Depot to stop selling plants treated with pesticides that are toxic to bees.
Melissa Sklar is the founder of the community based awareness raising group Bee Aware. (www.facebook.com/beeawares) and can be found manning her information booth every Tuesday through the summer and fall (barring inclement weather) at the Cobblestone Farmers Market from 4-7 located off Packard Road in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her email is firstname.lastname@example.org


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The first sod is turned on Woolworths supply chain arm Primary Connect’s new Heathwood Distribution Centre (DC) in southeast Queensland.
The 42,000-square-metre temperature controlled facility, which it describes as equivalent to three Suncorp Stadium playing fields – is to allow for more efficient deliveries of around 4,000 frozen and chilled products to more than 260 stores across Queensland and northern New South Wales.
The DC is set to open in the first half of 2022 and will be co-located with Woolworths’ meat supplier Hilton Foods Australia’s production facility, reducing up to 390 truck movements each week by consolidating delivery loads to stores, it claims.
The $184m investment is majority funded by real estate firm Logos, with Vaughan Constructions chosen as the builder, and Woolworths signing an initial 15-year lease on the site.
At full capacity, more than two million cartons a week from more than 400 suppliers will move through the Heathwood DC.
“We’re proud to be investing in our Queensland supply chain network for the benefit of our customers and store teams,” Primary Connect general manager for Queensland Dale Acton says.
“This development will help us deliver better service and fresher food to our stores, take trucks off Brisbane’s roads, and create exciting new career opportunities for Queenslanders.
“The extra delivery capacity enabled through the Heathwood DC will be key to supporting our continued growth in Queensland for many years to come.
“Over the next five years we plan to inject a total of $500 million into the Queensland economy across our store network and supply chain, e-commerce and shopping centre developments – creating more than 5,000 new jobs.”
The project has drummed up local government enthusiasm.
“In these uncertain times, we need major job-creating projects that will create certainty in job opportunities and economic growth – that’s what the Heathwood Distribution Centre will bring to Brisbane by securing around 200 jobs during construction and sustaining around 300 jobs after,” Brisbane mayor Adrian Schrinner says.
“Working alongside Hilton Foods Australia, this new facility will help boost consumer confidence while positioning Brisbane as the hub for a local, reliable food supply chain for Queensland.”
The Heathwood DC is also targeting a Five Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia, with a major solar panel system on the roof and charge points for electric trucks.
“We’re pleased to be commencing construction of the third facility at our $500m Heathwood Logistics Estate with our long-term partner Woolworths,” Logos head of Australia and New Zealand Darren Searle says.
“The 42,000sqm facility will complete the 25 hectare Estate as a world class food distribution hub servicing Brisbane and the greater region alongside Asahi Beverages and Hilton Foods.
“We look forward to working with Woolworths, Brisbane City Council and Vaughan Constructions to deliver this Five Star Green Star facility.”
It comes after Woolworths unveiled a $12m upgrade of its Townsville Regional DC in October 2020, more than doubling its original footprint.
It also operates the 92,000 sq m Brisbane Regional Distribution Centre at Larapinta.


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March 5, 2018
“I think what women have learned – certainly in this year – is that they have a voice like they’ve never had before,” the CEO of the Women’s Conference of Florida, Inc. told an elite gathering of Florida business leaders brought together by HSN and the University of Tampa in late January.
Arlene DiBenigno, who runs the Women’s Conference, is the Managing Partner of Conversa Co, a minority-certified, public affairs, public relations, and public research firm. The thoughts she shared at the symposium echoed sentiments from many of her fellow business leaders: There is an unprecedented opportunity to boost female and minority entrepreneurship if women (and men) are willing to support one another and offer mentorship and guidance.
DiBenigno appealed to her fellow leaders to reach out to one another rather than “just staying in your own bubble and sort of protecting your space.”
At the same time, there was also recognition amongst the business leaders at the HSN and University of Tampa-hosted gathering, that as a country we still have a ways to go.
“Only 8% of patents in the U.S. list a female as the lead inventor, said Lissa Regets of Quirky, which sponsored the symposium. “This has to change.”
The discussion was part of HSN and the University of Tampa’s second American Dreams Symposium. Held in Florida, it followed a similar symposim that HSN and the University of Tampa hosted in Washington, D.C. this past November to coincide with National Entrepreneurs Month.
The American Dreams Symposium is part of HSN’s American Dreams Initiative, a program designed to tap into the joy and excitement of discovering new entrepreneurs, while collaborating with strategic partners to find, educate and train inventors as they bring their products to market.
Empowering more women and minority entrepreneurs was one of the major topics of conversation among the business leaders in attendance from the private sector, non-profits, universities, government and business advocacy groups throughout Florida.
The number of women-owned businesses grew by 74% between 1997 and 2015 in the United States. Meanwhile, the number of businesses owned by African-American women more than tripled, leading Fortune magazine to declare in 2015 that “black females [are] the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S.”
At the same time, women are on average half as likely than men to start a new business. Meanwhile, according to research by the Kauffman Foundation, “women’s businesses tend to be smaller on average, are financed at a lower rate, generate less profit, [and] grow more slowly …”
As symposium participants discussed the most effective ways to address these disparities, two common themes that emerged were mentorship and partnership. “We need to collaborate with each other and reach out to ask for help,” said DiBenigno. “We also need to give back and mentor the next generation.”
There was also a sense that more work needs to be done to unlock venture funding for minority and women-run businesses. “What I’d like to see is more women come along in the next decade or so who are the funders and venture capitalists in this,” said Tonya Elmore, CEO of the Tampa Bay Innovation Center and President/CEO of STAR-TEC Enterprises, Inc.
Ann Madsen, Executive Director of the Centre for Women agreed. “there needs to be more women who are mentors in the venture capital side,” she said.
“I think the goal is eventually to help as many women as we possibly can,” said DiBenigno. “And I think the other portion of it is giving back to that next generation.”
Following the symposium, nearly 100 entrepreneurs attended a two-day American Dreams Academy, an interactive, educational and experiential scholarship-supported summit for emerging entrepreneurs looking to launch or expand their businesses.
HSN and the University of Tampa’s John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center, Sykes College of Business are hosting similar academies on a quarterly basis across the United States. They consist of two full days of instructional, informational and educational programming, designed to help entrepreneurs understand important lessons in the areas of manufacturing, legal, quality assurance, branding, marketing, pitching/presenting concepts, and social media. To be eligible, applicants must have a product or business concept either in development or already established.
Like the American Dreams Symposium, the academies are sponsored by Quirky, a free community-led invention platform that brings real people’s ideas to life.


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the doctor has been reading a lot of “think tank” and “thought leader” articles lately that are completely off the mark. Some are so bad that he’s wondering if the publications are paying interns who know nothing about the space to use “chat j’ai pété” (Chat-GPT) to hallucinate content for them. (And, as you’ve seen, some are so bad and/or make him so angry that he just has to rant about them. Our space don’t get no regard at all as it is. The last thing we should be doing is providing anyone who takes the time to read about it with misleading or wrong information).
All that being said, Supply Chain Brain recently published an article on 2024 Predictions: A New Era of Strategic Supply Chain Design by Donald Hicks, the CEO of Optilogic. In it, he makes six predictions for the new era of strategic supply chain design in 2024.
The first five predictions were good.
1. A shift from short-term to strategic thinking.
COVID demonstrated that we’ve reached the end of short-term JIT thinking, and the recent geopolitical turmoil since has only heightened that reality. Any company that wants to survive has to go back to focus on mid-to-long term strategic thinking that will help it mitigate the plethora of risks it is being hit with and assure supply.
2. An end of the age of unlimited cheap suppliers.
Especially since the majority of these were based in China. As the author notes, China-US relations are deteriorating fast and the Chinese economy is underperforming. Moreover, as a result of COVID, logistics are uncertain and considerably more expensive from China (due to less carrier space, as many ships were scrapped during COVID for insurance settlements, and the need to sail around the capes, due to the Red Sea situation and the prolonged Panamanian drought). So, companies need to start looking elsewhere, and since they let their best suppliers in Mexico and South America wither and die, there aren’t many good options at the moment.
3. Demand for vendor transparency.
In addition to customers becoming more discerning, as the author notes, there are more supply chain regulations that need to be adhered to globally, more sustainability regulations, more denied party regulations, and so on. Companies need to know who they’re dealing with; that all supply chain, sustainability, and regulatory requirements are met; and that any desires of its customers can be met.
4. Market turmoil and the rise of new leaders.
This year is projected to witness down rounds, market turmoil, and a reassessment of strategies. Most definitely. VC went too hot and heavy before COVID trying to force unicorns where the foals weren’t even breeding stock, and then lost heavy in the SVB failure; and PE, trying to get a piece of the payments, online collaboration, and/or FinTech market during COVID paid ridiculous multiples for rather basic offerings that weren’t even complete — and that would never demand the price tag the investors expected. As a result, these PE firms are now looking at payback timeframes of a decade or more, if they’re lucky. This means that cash is sparse, investments will be sparser, and some companies (that overspent and can’t get the valuation) will not survive.
5. Digital Twin Skepticism.
Every supply chain technology vendor is clamouring to tell you about their digital twin capability, but the term “digital twin” is a marketing creation that can’t live up to its ambitious name. Companies don’t always have all the data (or quality data) relating to supplier orders and timelines, inventory levels and factory production in separate operational systems, much less a single location.
There’s no digital twin without complete data, and there’s no complete data. Modern manufacturing companies and direct buyers are figuring this out and not falling for outlandish claims anymore.
The sixth prediction was absolutely fantastic!
6. Artificial intelligence exhaustion, and a return to old-school evaluation.
Hear, hear! Smart companies are getting fed up of the ridiculous claims made by new Open/Gen-AI companies and the paltry results that were delivered, if any. They’re also fed up of the high-price tags relative to the limited value they’re received from “AI” so far.
Thus, rather than relying on the mere claim of being AI-enabled, companies should be expected to showcase their capabilities, substantiate their claims with proof, and provide clear reasons for belief, signalling the return to a more traditional approach to purchasing decisions.


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Peru gains access to South Korean mango market
In a release, Peru's National Agricultural Health Service (Senasa) said the South Korean government approved a phytosanitary protocol for the fruit today.
Agriculture Minister Juan Manuel Benites said a diversity of destinations motivated growers to produce more fruit and led to job creation.
"In a short time Asia will become one of the regions that brings more income thanks to agri-exports," the minister said.
He said the sector's growth rate mean total agricultural exports would surpass US$6 billion next year, driven by coffee, quinoa, asparagus, avocados, mangoes, grapes and other crops.
Peruvian Association of Agricultural Producer Unions (AGAP) president Enrique Camet welcomed the South Korean market opening for Peruvian mangoes, saying it would lead to increased exports of the fruit.
"We are ready to start exports. We have experience with hot water treatment and we meet all the phytosanitary requirements that Senasa and technical organizations from other importing countries demand," Camet said.
Peruvian Mango Grower Association (APEM) head Joaquín Balarezo said South Korea would be a "valuable market for the growth of our production", and thanked the Ministry of Agriculture and Senasa for their efforts in opening new markets.
He estimated around 600-700 metric tons (MT) of mangoes would be exported to South Korea in the upcoming season, highlighting the country imported 70% of its food and agricultural products at a value of US$21 billion.
The opening brings more positive news to Peruvian farmers, who this year have had China and Japan open for their Hass avocados; India for quinoa; Chile for fresh corn; Canada for blueberries; and the U.S. for peppers and citrus fruit.


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TONY HETHERINGTON: Number plate firm Click4Reg took eight months to shell out my £150
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.
Driven to distraction: Click4Reg went at the speed of a tranquillised tortoise
A.M. writes: I have had the misfortune to deal with Click4Reg Ltd. I put my car number plate up for sale with them, and last May they advised me it had been sold for £150. Since then, they have failed to pay me.
They blamed the DVLA until I discovered the plate had been transferred on to a car months ago.
Then they said they had problems with their phones. Finally, they said their payment system had failed.
Tony Hetherington replies: On May 10 last year, Click4Reg wrote from its offices in St Leonards-on-Sea, in East Sussex, congratulating you on the sale of your licence plate.
There was a transfer form for you to complete, and the assurance that, 'Shortly upon successful transfer of ownership, a member of our team will contact you to confirm that your payment cheque has been sent.'
You sent back the completed form, and weeks later in July, Click4Reg told you the transfer was 'still going through with the DVLA'. It added that as soon as the transfer was confirmed, it would 'release' your £150 – suggesting that Click4Reg had already been paid by the buyer.
In November, you reminded the company that you were still waiting for your payment. It replied that 'our telephone line is down due to maintenance'. Shortly after that, Click4Reg wrote that 'our whole payments system is down'. It added: 'Please rest assured we have our whole team working around the clock to get this sorted as soon as possible.'
And days before Christmas, an email told you that 'we are currently waiting for a further response from our providers'.
But here's a funny thing. An online review from another customer who was expecting a payment from Click4Reg says: 'Latest excuse is that their system is down!' And that was last May, so does this mean the company has suffered the same failure for six months?
And here is another online review: 'Just got a call (November 22) to tell me systems down since this morning'. This morning? So did the round-the-clock team get things going again, only for them to collapse once more? So what is the problem with Click4Reg? Well, one problem is that its most recent accounts say that it is owed more than £1 million. Who owes all this cash? Unnamed 'associates' of Click4Reg, that's who. In a nutshell, Click4Reg has lent loads of cash to people or companies – all connected to it – while failing to pay its own customers.
A bit more digging showed that Click4Reg is run by Elie Fakhoury. He also ran a separate company called The Sussex Exchange Limited, until it went bust last July, owing £1.85 million. And among that huge debt, there is £830,462 owed to Click4Reg. And this is not his only troubled business. He also runs another Sussex company, Fakhoury Group Limited, which has an unsatisfied court judgment against it for £714.
I put all this to Mr Fakhoury and invited his comments. He did not reply, but one of his staff told me: 'Unfortunately, during the upgrade of our server security measures, we experienced some loss and errors in classification data. As a result, we are required to manually match each order with its corresponding transaction ID and payments. This process has inevitably caused delays.'
Your own wait is over though. After the string of excuses going back eight months, Click4Reg told me payment was on its way, and a few days ago you confirmed you had received your £150.
Nobody could accuse Click4Reg of hogging the fast lane, but going at the speed of a tranquillised tortoise deserves more than an apology, so it has added £50 on top.
If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email firstname.lastname@example.org. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.


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Posts tagged “Twitter”
Pope Benedict XVI's new Twitter account is attracting a surge in followers after the Vatican announced that the pontiff will make his first post next week.
One in three people using Twitter in June sent messages at some point about the content of television shows, an increase of 27 percent from only five months earlier. And that was before the Olympics, which was probably the first big event to illustrate the extent of second screen usage.
Facebook, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide, and Twitter, with more than 140 million, usually see increased traffic around storms and major news events, including Hurricane Irene in 2011, the presidential debates and the London Olympics. The rise of social media is giving users more information and points of view than television news, where Americans have typically turned during such events, an analyst says.
Twitter blocks Germans' access to neo-Nazi group; FTC offers $50,000 reward for a cure to robocalls; Yelp to alert consumers on fake reviews; Google, Samsung to sell Chrome laptop for $249; Low broadband speeds are holding gaming industry back.
Ellison vs. IBM; GSK foam OK'd; Instagram tops Twitter; IE 9 best malware blocker; S.C. in 'Next Big Thing'
Inside the Bulldog Blog: Oracle's Larry Ellison throws barbs at IBM; a treatment from Steifel wins FDA approval; Instagram mobile now outnumbers Twitter; Internet Explorer 9 tops malware blocking survey; South Carolina has connection to WSJ's "Next Big Thing" list.
The New York case will determine whether Twitter faces the burden of responding to subpoenas for its users, the company says. The outcome is significant throughout the U.S. as law enforcement becomes more aggressive in seeking information about what people do and say on the Internet, according to the ACLU.
The two firms held talks in recent months about Apple making an investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the New York Times reported last week. The deal would have valued Twitter at more than $10 billion, the Times said.
Google+ ties Wikipedia for No. 1 in a customer service index report while Facebook's score falls due to changes in format, excess of ads and privacy concerns.
'Occupy Wall Street' case will determine whether Twitter faces the burden of responding to subpoenas for its users, the San Francisco-based company has said. The outcome is significant throughout the U.S. as law enforcement becomes more aggressive in seeking information about what people do and say on the Internet, the American Civil Liberties Union says.
The first phase of the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative is complete. To celebrate this achievement, MCNC will host a live Twitter Town Hall on Friday to answer questions about the project and the state of broadband connectivity in North Carolina.
Seeking to capitalize on the social media boom and Twitter mania, Durham-based Spring Metrics is rolling out "Smart Twitter offers" for merchants wanting a different spin on daily deals.
Cisco eyes iPad opportunity; Facebook personalized news; Twitter ads; AT&T selling a Yellow Pages stake?; South by Southwest changes gears
Inside the Bulldog blog: Cisco sees opportunity in new iPad; Facebook is personalizing news; Twitter making branding changes; AT&T reportedly mulls selling part of Yellow Pages; South by Southwest conference shifts away from social media.
The popular social media messaging service is unveiling a long-awaited automated system that will enable advertisers to manage their marketing campaigns and budgets without having to deal with sales representatives.
Ad agency McKinney and social media data firm EvoApp tracked and are now analyzing tons of social media data "buzz" generated by Super Bowl-related advertising campaigns. The early analysis shows brands that paid their fans with contest offers harvested the most benefit.
iContact tracks the Giants and Patriots in use of Twitter ahead of the Super Bowl and declares the AFC champs are No. 1.


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Silsden’s mayor has heavily criticised a second supermarket bid for the town.
Two weeks ago, Tesco announced plans to build a 20,000 sq ft store in Keighley Road, next to Silsden AFC and close to the proposed site of a new Aldi store.
A consultation event was held last week in Silsden ahead of an application being submitted to Bradford Council later this year.
Mayor, Councillor Chris Atkinson, said the consultation had little detail, and appeared to involve a direct contrast between Tesco and Aldi and what they could offer.
“I think they were just fishing – they were very detrimental about Aldi, but the feeling I got from people there was Tesco would decimate the town,” he added.
Meanwhile, Aldi’s scheme, made in conjunction with Silsden conveyor and transmissions manufacturer, Habasit, would involve a 1,535 sq m store – about three quarters of the size of the planned Tesco – on land next to Habasit’s existing Keighley Road premises.
Habasit hopes to use the money from the sale of the land to modernise its factory and allow it to remain competitive, safeguarding the 80 jobs at the plant.
An application has been submitted to Bradford Council and is due to be decided by its regulatory and appeals committee, at a date to be fixed, a council spokesman this week confirmed.
Coun Atkinson said he had asked for a letter to be written to Bradford Council from Silsden Town Council urging planners to get on with the Aldi application and deal with it as soon as possible.
“An Aldi store would complement what we’ve already got in Silsden, and it would safeguard the 80 jobs we already have at Habasit,” he added.
“I’ve asked the clerk to write to Bradford asking them to deal with the Aldi application as soon as possible. It seems just because someone has said Tesco, everyone has panicked.”
Ward councillor, Adrian Naylor, agreed the consultation event – held by planning consultants Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP) – had thrown up few additional details, other than the distributed leaflet.
“When I asked about the entry and exit to the site, I was told a traffic survey had not been done yet, and that it would form part of the application itself,” he said.
“There were no detailed plans whatsoever, and the indication I got was it would be several months before an application was submitted.”
NLP said it was not in a position to comment further at this stage.


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Did you know, according to a PR Newswire article, that the global car-sharing industry is projected to reach a staggering $17.75 billion by 2032? The rise of car sharing has been greatly influenced by technology, transforming the way we think about ownership and mobility.
The Rise of Car Sharing in Singapore
We Singaporeans are known for our tech-savvy nature, and it comes as no surprise that the lion city is at the forefront of embracing technological advancements in the automotive industry. Car sharing platforms like Drive lah have revolutionized the way people access and utilize cars.
Connectivity at Your Fingertips: DL Go and Beyond
As one of the key players in the Singaporean car-sharing scene, Drive lah, are changing the game with our Drive lah Go technology. Imagine a world where you can unlock a car without fumbling for keys – that's the reality Drive lah Go brings to car sharing.
Drive lah Go utilizes cutting-edge technology, allowing car owners to grant access to renters without the need for physical key handovers. With just a smartphone, renters can unlock and start the car, streamlining the entire process. This not only adds a layer of convenience but also enhances the security of the transaction. No more waiting in lines to fill up papers in car rental offices, no more key handovers – just a seamless, tech-driven process that puts the power in the hands of both car owners and renters.
Browse Drive lah go cars
Seamless Connection Between Car Owners and Renters
The heart of car sharing lies in the connection between car owners and renters, and technology serves as the bridge that brings them together. Apps and websites designed for car sharing, including Drive lah's platform, create a seamless experience for both parties.
Through user-friendly interfaces, car owners can list their vehicles, set availability, and specify terms. On the other side, renters can easily browse through available cars, choose the one that suits their needs, and make bookings with just a few taps on their smartphones.
One of the most important factors is how we build our community on trust, to ensure this conduct thorough verifications of hosts and their listings, and our transparent review system fosters a trustworthy environment.
Both parties, the host and car renter have peace of mind thanks to our technologies that make this sharing economy thrive.
We have full Insurance Coverage throughout every trip to ensure peace of mind for everyone.
We also have a robust local support network: In collaboration with over 100 specialized car repair centers across Singapore and Malaysia, selected for their quality, speed, and service.
Efficiency and Sustainability in our City-State
In a city where efficiency is prized, car sharing becomes more than just a convenience – it's a step towards sustainable urban living. Car Sharing enables optimal utilization of vehicles, reducing the overall number of cars on the road. This not only alleviates traffic congestion but also contributes to Singapore's commitment to environmental sustainability.
Drive lah, with its user-friendly interface and advanced features, aligns with Singapore's vision of a smart city, where technology is harnessed to improve the quality of life for its residents.
Also read - Top 15 Fuel-Efficient Cars you Must Rent in Singapore
Real-time GPS Tracking: Ensuring Safety and Security
Safety is paramount in any car-sharing arrangement, and technology plays a crucial role in ensuring a secure experience for both parties involved. Drive lah incorporates real-time GPS tracking, providing a constant connection between the rented vehicle and our platform.
For renters, this means peace of mind knowing that the location of the car can be monitored throughout the rental period. On the flip side, car owners can rest easy, confident that their valuable asset is being used responsibly and within agreed-upon boundaries.
Also read - How Drive lah is championing sustainable travel in the Lion City
The Future of Car Sharing
As we look ahead, the role of technology in car sharing is poised to grow even further not only in Singapore but across the world. The integration of artificial intelligence, smart sensors, and autonomous driving technologies will likely reshape the landscape of shared mobility. Imagine a future where cars can be summoned with a simple voice command or a gesture, making the entire process even more seamless. As technology continues to evolve, car sharing platforms like Drive lah will play a pivotal role in embracing these advancements and offering users a taste of the future of transportation.
Driving into the Future with Drive lah Car Sharing
When it comes to car rentals in Singapore, Drive lah is on the forefront when it comes to leveraging technology to make car sharing not just a practical alternative but a delightful experience.
Whether you're a thrifty traveler looking for cheap car rental options or a car owner wanting to make the most of your vehicle, Drive lah's innovative approach ensures a win-win situation for all involved. We are not just about sharing cars; we are about sharing a vision of a connected, efficient, and sustainable future.
So, as technology continues to steer us towards the future of shared mobility in Singapore – a future where cars are shared, experiences are enhanced, and the journey is as exciting as the destination, Drive lah is the place to be, join our growing community today!


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Laurence Graff has spared no expense in celebrating his 60th anniversary as a Diamond jeweler Recreating his iconic Hair and Jewel image from the Seventies — which featured a model wearing an ornate coiffure decorated with $1million of diamonds and precious gems this time, the 75-year-old used $500 million worth of precious jewels Model Dalia Gunther had her chignon outfitted with 22 rare jewels created at Graff’s headquarters in London, inlcuding a 52.73-carat vivid yellow emerald cut diamond ring.The new hairdo also holds the Graff Diamonds Sweethearts earrings, featuring 51.53-carat and 50.76-carat heart shape diamonds; a 10.47-carat vivid blue internally flawless briolette diamond pendant; a 6.51-carat intense pink internally flawless oval cut diamond ring; and a selection of jewelry crafted from the 550-carat Letšeng Star, the 14th largest white rough diamond ever discovered The original image, the idea of which originated from Mr Graff’s travels around the world carrying a suitcase of Graff diamond jewelry, received international attention and became a landmark promotion for Graff Diamonds, founded in 1960.I recognized the importance of establishing the Graff Diamonds brand globally,’ he said at the time. ‘Until this time, images showing fine jewelry were typically modeled in a more conservative style. This image broke the mold by using a younger model and created the idea of diamonds being aspirational to younger women.
Model Dalia Gunther had her chignon outfitted with 22 rare jewels created at Graff¿s headquarters in London, inlcuding a 52.73-carat vivid yellow emerald cut diamond ring Hair & Jewel created an interest and excitement for the jewelry crafted by Graff, which continues to this day.
Continuing to push the luxury envelop, Graff also unveiled a $100million Peacock Brooch, featuring a collection of colored diamonds totally 120.81 carats with a 20.02-carat blue pear shape diamond centerpieceHe was also awarded a Most Excellent Order of the british Empire for Services in jewelry, one of the highest honors awarded by the British monarchy.


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Every metric for monitoring remodeling activity indicates that it's on the rise, but why?
Home remodeling spending is expected to increase 8.6 percent by the end of this year before accelerating even further to 9.7 percent by the first quarter of 2017, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. So where is all of this spending coming from? In short: baby boomers.
According to the 2016 Houzz & Home report, the majority of homeowners who are renovating their homes are between the ages of 45 and 64. To be more specific, one-third of renovating homeowners are between the ages of 55 and 64 (baby boomers), and another 26 percent are between the ages of 45 and 54 (Generation X). Most of these homeowners have lived in their current homes for more than six years, and they don’t plan to move out anytime soon. In fact, according to the survey, they don’t expect to move for at least six years. They’ve found a location that they love, and they don’t intend to leave it. Instead, they’ll just renovate!
Baby boomers are spending an average of $73,300 on home renovations, which is triple the amount that millennials (between the ages of 25 and 34) are spending. And the reason they’re doing so might surprise you.
We’ve heard a lot about “aging in place,” which results in remodeling a home in order to make it easier to live in as the homeowner ages. This includes things like walk-in showers and counter-height microwaves. You might expect this kind of remodeling to be a driver for baby boomers to remodel their homes now; however, the main reason they — and homeowners of all ages — have decided to renovate is actually because they finally have the time and money to do so.
This may indicate that homeowners are finally comfortable enough with the economy and the housing market to invest in their homes. However, the rise of the housing market is also driving more people to renovate rather than buy a new home.
“Ongoing gains in home prices and sales are encouraging more homeowners to pursue larger-scale improvement projects this year compared to last with permitted projects climbing at a good pace,” said Chris Herbert, Managing Director of the Joint Center. “On the strength of these gains, the level of annual spending for remodeling and repairs is expected to reach nearly $325 billion nationally by early next year.”
Homeowners realize they can usually get a better return on their investment if they update their home instead of buying new. According to the Houzz & Home survey, 32 percent of respondents believe that renovation is more affordable than buying a new home. Even more so, 34 percent chose to remodel instead of move so that they could personalize the home. This particularly applies to millennials, who are nearly twice as likely as boomers to find renovating more affordable or a better return on investment, according to the survey. And although they make up a smaller piece of the homeowner-pie, millennials are just as likely to renovate their homes as other generations.
In general, most homeowners are putting their renovation dollars into an updated kitchen, bathroom or living room, the survey notes.
More than half of Houzz homeowners plan to start or continue renovations in 2016, with more than 80 percent of them planning to hire a professional for their projects. Whether you’re a homeowner or professional, there is plenty of work to be done this year!
For more information about the 2016 Houzz & Home report, visit http://info.houzz.com/HH2016.html.


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GM Has a Buyer for Hummer Brand
General Motors has lined up a buyer for its Hummer SUV brand, the Detroit automaker announced Tuesday.
The sale is expected to close by the end of September, and requires regulatory approval. Neither the buyer nor the selling price was identified.
Selling off the off-road brand is part of GM's restructuring plan. The company is refocusing itself on four key U.S. brands. It also hopes to sell off Saab and spin off Saturn. Pontiac is being phased out.
The announcement comes one day after GM filed for bankruptcy reorganization, a process the company hopes will allow it to quickly spin off its good parts into a new GM and leave behind bad parts in the bankruptcy process.
As part of the Hummer deal, GM has agreed to provide contract manufacturing and business services for a transitional period. It will continue building the H3 SUV at its Shreveport assembly plant through at least 2010.
"Hummer is a strong brand," Troy Clarke, GM North America president, said in a statement. "I'm confident that Hummer will thrive globally under its new ownership. And for GM, this sale continues to accelerate the reinvention of GM into a leaner, more focused, and more cost-competitive automaker."
GM said the deal is expected to save 3,000 U.S. manufacturing, engineering and dealership jobs.
The buyer is expected to "aggressively fund future Hummer product programs," the company added.
Citi was GM's financial adviser on the deal.


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Published 8 years ago.
About a 6 minute read.
As evidenced by the unprecedented private-sector engagement in COP21 earlier this month, businesses globally get that they need to innovate (and improve!) their products, services and business models to combat climate change, resource scarcity and unpredictable futures. Aside from the alignment of 195 nations on a climate-action agreement, what did all the talk at COP21 amount to from a business perspective? A lot of initiatives that push forward change and collaboration. But is it all smoke and mirrors, and toothless pledges, or is there real action brewing?
It looks like it’s a solid mix of both. Ultimately we’ll need get to the point where coalitions, collaborations and partnerships develop after such summits, and vague pledges and statements are a thing of the past. For now, let’s highlight those collaborative, multi-stakeholder initiatives that have arisen from COP21, particularly in five industries that, because of their massive economic and carbon impacts, have perhaps the most opportunity and potential to change our global economy: agriculture, finance, the built environment, transportation and consumer goods.
Danone and environmental solutions provider Veolia formed an alliance to harness the power of collaboration to combat the challenges of climate change and work toward a circular economy. Through the partnership, the companies say they will actively work to exchange information on water cycles, waste-management technologies, sustainable agriculture and energy-efficiency measures.
Meanwhile, leading agri-business companies PepsiCo, Monsanto, Olam and Kellogg signed a Climate Smart Agriculture statement to indicate their intent to make 50 percent more food available and strengthen the climate resilience of farming communities whilst reducing agricultural and land-use change emissions by at least 50 percent. Similarly, the Sustainable Coffee Challenge was launched at COP21, involving NGO Conservation International and Starbucks, along with other industry leaders. This group is pledging to make their coffee the “first sustainably sourced agricultural product” in the world. While the sentiment behind these two initiatives is admirable, it would be better to see some action items outlined.
Hear the latest case studies, partnerships, innovations and educational initiatives fostering the continued growth, scale and impacts of regenerative agriculture throughout the world - Thurs, May 9, at Brand-Led Culture Change.
To bolster the case for action, the World Bank Group and partners formally launched the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition in Paris. This public-private mix of government, business and civil society leaders was created last year after the U.N. Climate Summit. However at COP21, the coalition solidified plans to expand the use of carbon-pricing policies to create jobs, encourage innovation, and achieve meaningful emissions reductions.
Another multi-stakeholder group - comprised of investors, industry and government players - initiated the Paris Green Bonds Statement. The Statement aims to increase investment in and support policies that drive the development of sustainable infrastructure and - as Climate Bonds CEO Sean Kidney pointed out - support “emerging markets and economies that will be building new energy and urban networks in the coming years.”
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) announced a new five-year partnership that will help businesses address global challenges, such as climate change and ecosystem degradation, by valuing nature. Similarly, the WBCSD launched the Natural Infrastructure for Business online platform to increase corporate investment in ecosystem services that are key to their continued operations. In this way, they invest in reversing resource degradation and generate benefits for their operations, the economy, the environment and society. These two initiatives are crucial steps forward in accounting for the externalities that businesses typically don’t count in their operational expenses such as usage and degradation of water and soil, and air pollution.
The built environment – buildings and construction – is responsible for more than 30 percent of global CO2 emissions. To tackle that, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction was formed at COP21. The alliance includes both government participants responsible for setting building codes and regulations, and private and non-governmental organizations with a vested interest in green construction. Importantly, the alliance includes big players such as the World Green Building Council, which represents over 27,000 companies involved in green building worldwide. Actions include: raising awareness of progress made and new opportunities, facilitating new partnerships, knowledge sharing, access to funding and the implementation support offered by Alliance partners.
The EU Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) initiative was also launched at COP21. It entails a dozen major companies’ intention to prioritizenZEB designs for new facilities, with signatories committing to the delivery of new build properties by 2020 and nZEB refurbished buildings by 2030. The coalition features 16 companies from across the building and property sector and supply chain, including British Land, Hammerson, Interface, JLL, Kingfisher, Land Securities, Lloyd's Banking Group, Philips, Skanska and Tesco.
As part of WBCSD’s already existing Low Carbon Technology Partnerships initiative (LCTPi), a group of established freight companies have initiated a new partnership to reduce emissions from road freight transport. The new partnership aims to demonstrate the unmapped potential of collaboration in road freight transport to help meet the science-based target of 48 percent reduction in absolute emissions between 2010 and 2050.
Two initiatives that sound promising but as of now seem short on solid deliverables are the “electro-mobility” call to action led by Tesla Motors and Michelin Nissan-Renault, and the Global Green Freight Action Plan. The first aims to have electric vehicles to account for 20 percent of all cars on the road in any country by 2030. The latter involves dozens of countries – as well as companies such as Deutsche Post DHL, Hewlett Packard, IKEA and Volvo – that have agreed to pursue a global framework to dramatically reduce emissions of CO2, soot, particulate matter and other pollutants from freight vehicles by 2025.
At COP21 the consumer goods sector mostly stuck to announcing pledges rather than forming coalitions and collaborative future working arrangements. Under the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Initiative, Marks & Spencer and Unilever signed a new pledge committing to prioritize the development of sustainable palm oil, beef, paper and other commodities, as part of a major public-private partnership aimed at tackling deforestation. Through the We Mean Business Coalition, 42 major companies working have pledged to remove commodity-driven deforestation from all supply chains by 2020, 10 years ahead of the global goal announced last year to phase out net deforestation by 2030.
Let’s hope that these initiatives are the first of countless more, and represent a dramatic, decisive shift from talk to action on tackling climate change.
Published Dec 17, 2015 3pm EST / 12pm PST / 8pm GMT / 9pm CET


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Take precautions yourself
The survey was conducted among more than 1,000 Dutch people by research agency Multiscope on behalf of Manhattan Associates. More than half of the Dutch (53%) have more often or exclusively used self-scanning and contactless payment in order to have as little physical contact with people as possible. In addition, nearly 60 percent (59%) themselves take precautions such as wearing a mouth mask and using disinfectant hand gel or gloves while shopping during the lockdown earlier this year. Consumers will continue to visit the supermarket, but only if they themselves take measures to continue to do so safely.
Online shopping is becoming more popular, but for now physical shopping is still winning
Although, according to the survey, the majority of Dutch people prefer physical shopping, the popularity of online shopping is steadily increasing. Before the pandemic, less than one-tenth of Dutch consumers did their shopping online (8%) and this number increased to 13 percent during the lockdown – a significant increase of over 60 percent.
Go to the supermarket less often
Another measure that the Dutch are taking to continue shopping in the supermarket is to reduce the number of visits per week in order to limit contact moments as much as possible. Normally, the Dutch went to the supermarket almost three times a week (2.9 times). This number decreased during the peak of the corona crisis to an average of just twice a week (2.3 times). It is striking that consumers expect to go to the supermarket less often than before, even after the corona crisis.
“With the exception of healthcare, no other industry has been more visible during the corona spike than the food industry,” said Pieter Van den Broecke, managing director Benelux and Germany at Manhattan Associates. “Not surprising, then, that it looks different today than it did before corona. To meet consumer demand, consider wider aisles where possible, greater use of contactless payments, and being able to get inventory where it is needed most, regardless of channel. “
According to Van den Broecke, the supply chain will evolve and adapt. According to him, these uncertain times are undoubtedly challenging, at the same time they offer opportunities to be distinctive and demonstrate future-proofness. “After all, new technologies are just as flexible, agile and innovative as the changing needs of your customers. Anticipating and responding quickly to the situation ensures that from distribution center to delivery to the consumer it is possible to act quickly and above all safely. And that’s what it’s all about now. “


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International Briefs; Ford Motor in Vietnam
Published: October 5, 1995
The Ford Motor Company has broken ground for its first assembly plant in Vietnam, the company said yesterday. Ford is building the factory with a joint venture partner, Song Cong Diesel, in Hai Hung Province, 35 miles east of Hanoi.
Ford plans to assemble cars and trucks at the plant, which is expected to cost $102 million. Construction is to begin within three months, and the first Fords are to roll off the assembly line in late 1997.


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The Richmond Heights Police Department reported these recent incidents at the Galleria Mall on its webpage.
Sunday, Nov. 23
- A juvenile stole $158 worth of clothing from the Buckle store. Officers took the juvenile to the County Juvenile Detention Center.
- A trespasser was arrested and additionally charged with false information and possession of a theft device. She had a felony warrant, and was released pending a municipal warrant application.
- A vehicle was reported stolen from the second level of the parking garage during shopping hours. It was later recovered in S. Louis City.
- The Hollister store manager reported that a subject attempted to pass counterfeit $20 bills. The Secret Service is investigating further.
Monday, Nov. 24
- Two subjects were accused of stealing $257 worth of clothing from Macy's. One was arrested and held pending a municipal warrant application. The other, a juvenile, was arrested and transferred to the County Juvenile Detention Center.
- A subject was arrested on suspicion of stealing $154 in clothing from H and M. The subject was held pending a municipal warrant application.
- A subject was arrested on suspicion of stealing $163 in clothing from Dillard's. The subject was released on a municipal court summons.
- A subject was arrested on suspicion of stealing $205 in clothing from Love Culture. The subject was held on a municipal warrant application.


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(Actualis with comments)
January 31 (Reuters) – Amazon has supported Thursday in
exchanges after closing Wall Street
publishing traffic forecasts on the first
lower than analysts' expectations.
E-commerce gloves are for sale
between $ 56 and $ 60 billion in the first
quarter, a range smaller than the average consensus of 60.77
billions of dollars, according to IBES data from Refiniti.
Sales in the fourth quarter increased
19.7% $ 72.38 billion, a figure higher than
an average consensus of 71.87 billion, thanks to strong sales
during the holidays including Black Friday.
The share was up to 2.5% in transactions after
closure before loss reduction.
Amazon continues to grow and intentionally invest,
especially in the field of data, computing
dmaticalise (& cloud; & # 39;) and artificial intelligence, but
they face difficulties, especially in some markets outside
from the United States.
So the group started pulling the whole series on Thursday
products from its location in India to bend new ones
regulation of this country, which enters into force on Friday and. t
prohibits distributors from selling the company's products
in which they have stocks.
"There is currently some uncertainty," he said.
Chief Financial Officer Brian Olsavsky in a
coping with journalists.
"India still offers good prospects
the term, "he added.
The Amazon forecast takes two points into account
the percentage of negative effects of the exchange rate, he said.
Amazon's net profit rose 3.03 billion
$ 6.04 per share for the quarter ended December 31
December, compared to $ 1.86 billion ($ 3.75)
action) a year earlier.
Alibaba, the great Chinese rival of the Amazon, has announced
On Wednesday, net profit was in the third quarter of the fiscal year
better than expected
sales growth since 2016,
due to the slowdown in the Chinese economy
trade tensions between Beijing and Washington.
(Arjun Panchadar Bangalore and Jeffrey Dastin San Francisco;
Patrick Vignal for French Service)


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A timeline of important events in the salmonella outbreak linked to tainted peanuts at a Blakely, Ga., plant.
–2006 – Four inspections by the Georgia Department of Agriculture cite numerous, repeated violations at the Blakely, Ga., plant of the Peanut Corp. of America, a peanut processing company and maker of peanut butter for bulk distribution to institutions, food service industries, and private label food companies. The violations include food residue buildup, storage on floors and the improper use of duct tape.
–Aug. 2007 – Three samples taken at PCA by the Georgia Department of Agriculture test negative for salmonella and pesticides.
–2008 – Seven tests performed for the company are positive for salmonella. In each case, after a retest is negative, the product is shipped.
–Sept. 8, 2008 – The first reported illnesses begin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
–Nov. 25, 2008 – The CDC, working with state and local partners, begins an epidemiological assessment of a cluster of salmonella cases reported from 12 different states.
–Dec. 21, 2008 – Shirley Mae Almer, 72, dies in a nursing home in Brainerd, Minn. On. Jan. 26, 2009, her relatives file suit against the operators of PCA and distributor King Nut Cos. saying their negligence caused her death. The complaint says her death was a direct result of eating peanut butter infected by a salmonella strain linked to the nationwide outbreak.
–Jan. 8, 2009 – The Food and Drug Administration visits an Ohio distributor for Peanut Corp. of America.
–Jan. 9, 2009 – The FDA and the Georgia Department of Agriculture initiate an environmental investigation at the PCA plant.
–– PCA voluntarily stops production of peanut butter and peanut paste at the Blakely, Ga., plant.
–Jan. 10, 2009 – King Nut announces a recall of peanut butter manufactured by PCA and distributed under the King Nut label.
–– The Minnesota Departments of Agriculture and Health confirm that laboratory analyses show a genetic match between the strains of salmonella bacteria found in a container of King Nut brand creamy peanut butter and the strains of bacteria associated with 30 illnesses in Minnesota and nearly 400 illnesses around the country.
–Jan. 13, 2009 – PCA announces a voluntary recall of peanut butter produced in its Blakely, Ga., processing plant on or after July 1, 2008, because of possible salmonella contamination.
–Jan. 16, 2009 – Food inspectors confirm the presence of salmonella bacteria in an unopened five-pound tub of peanut butter found at a Connecticut food distributor.
–– PCA announces an expanded recall of peanut butter produced on or after Aug. 8, 2008, in its Blakely, Ga., processing plant as well as the voluntary recall of peanut paste produced in the same plant on or after Sept. 26, 2008, because of possible salmonella contamination.
–Jan. 18, 2009 – PCA expands the recall of peanut butter and voluntarily recalls peanut paste made at its Blakely, Ga., plant on or after July 1, 2008.
–Jan. 27, 2009 – The FDA finishes its investigation of the PCA plant and reports on its inspection. A list of problems observed by FDA investigators during their inspection is available at this link: http://www.fda.gov/ora/frequent/default.htm
–– Federal officials say PCA failed to tell inspectors that after samples sent to a contract lab for testing in 2007 and 2008 tested positive for salmonella, the company got a second opinion from another lab and sold the food after the secondary tests came back negative.
–Jan. 28, 2009 – PCA voluntarily recalls all peanuts and peanut products processed in its Blakely, Ga., plant since Jan. 1, 2007. The expanded recall includes all dry- and oil-roasted peanuts, granulated peanuts, peanut meal, peanut butter and peanut paste. The company stops producing all peanut products at the Blakely plant.
–– As of 9 p.m. EDT, 529 persons infected with salmonella typhimurium are reported from 43 states, according to the CDC. Additionally, one ill person is reported from Canada.
–– At least 431 peanut butter-containing products are recalled by 54 companies using ingredients produced by the PCA facility after July 1, 2008.
–Jan. 29, 2009 – A combination of epidemiological analysis and laboratory testing by state officials in Minnesota and Connecticut, the FDA, and the CDC enable the FDA to confirm that the sources of the salmonella outbreak are peanut butter and peanut paste produced by the PCA at its Blakely, Ga., processing plant.
–– The Ohio Department of Health says two containers of peanut butter taken from a central Ohio nursing home have tested positive for salmonella.
–Jan. 30, 2009 – Stephen Sundlof, head of the FDA's food safety center, says the Justice Department will investigate possible criminal violations by the PCA processing plant, assisted by FDA investigators.
–Feb. 2, 2009 – President Barack Obama promises a comprehensive review of the FDA.
–– The salmonella outbreak prompts voluntary recalls by makers of more than 800 products. The recalls reach into Canada and Europe.
–– According to the CDC, 550 cases in 43 states are tallied, with the most recent reported illness beginning on Jan. 17, 2009.
–Feb. 3, 2009 – The Associated Press learns that a peanut processing plant in Plainview, Texas, run by the PCA has operated for years uninspected and unlicensed by government health officials.
–Feb. 5, 2009 – The U.S. Agriculture Department suspends PCA from participating in government contract programs for at least a year. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack removes Stewart Parnell, PCA president, from the USDA's Peanut Standards Board.
–– Federal officials say that nearly 168,000 emergency meal kits sent to Kentucky after an ice storm were recalled more than two weeks earlier.
–– According to the CDC, 575 cases are counted in 43 states with the most recent reported illness beginning on Jan. 22, 2009.
–Feb. 6, 2009 – The Agriculture Department says that it shipped possibly contaminated peanut butter and other foods to free school-lunch programs in California, Minnesota and Idaho in 2007 under a contract with PCA.
–– Corpus Christi Catholic School in Colorado Springs, Colo., closes early after a student is diagnosed with salmonella poisoning.
Sources: FDA, CDC, Associated Press articles
Edited by AP Researcher Julie Reed
On the Net:
FDA's main peanut butter product recalls page: http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/salmonellatyph.html
FDA's list of peanut butter product recalls: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm
CDC Investigation Update: Outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium Infections, 2008-2009: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/typhimurium/
CDC: About Salmonella: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/


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Congratulations to the 2015 Extra Award winners!
Newspapers Canada is pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 Extra Awards. The awards celebrate outstanding advertising in newspaper media: print, online, tablet, mobile and more.
New this year, our judges decided to simply award “Winners”, to honour the outstanding creative, rather than the traditional Gold, Silver and Bronze awards that have been given out in the past.
Rethink won the most prizes with three wins for their outstanding work on Splashdown Waterpark, United MMA and Canadian Fair Trade Network. While Leo Burnett Toronto, FCB Toronto, Cossette and LG2 each won one a piece.
Newspapers Canada would like to thank all of the participants and our esteemed judges who participated in this year’s Extra Awards.
For more information, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact Tina Ongkeko, at firstname.lastname@example.org or 416-923-3567 ext. 3333.