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The Avengers will once again assemble in digital pinball format on the PlayStation Network next week. Steel ball wizards Zen Studios has announced that the eagerly awaited Marvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles expansion will launch on Sony’s digital storefront on 19th June in North America. We’re guessing it’ll spin onto the European store the following day.
The pack itself will include four new tables, including The Infinity Gauntlet which is featured in the brand new trailer below. All of the new layouts will be compatible with the upcoming Zen Pinball 2, which is set to release on PS3 and Vita later this year.


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Rockville – The worldwide hemp-based products market is projected to reach US$ 1.8 Billion in 2023, registering growth at a CAGR of 24.5% from 2023 to 2033. The use of hemp in numerous products and applications such as personal care products and pharmaceutical has increased significantly over the years.
The medicinal benefits of hemp products are immense and this aspect is expected to dominate the global hemp based merchandises market during the period 2023-2033.
The legalization of cultivation of hemp in several countries such as Canada, Germany, and the U.S. states is the key factor projected to drive the demand for hemp-based products. New rules and standards introduced by governments in various countries will decisively regulate the future demand for hemp-based products.
These products are used in dietary supplements, as per the study. Hence, increased consumption by the elderly is propelling the demand for hemp-based products over the forecast period. The growing tendency of younger generations to consume hemp-based products and favorable regulatory standards will boost the sales.
As per Fact.MR, Japan is expected to be the most remunerative market in East Asia. Growth in the country is attributed to the favorable regulatory standards and awareness regarding CBD products. Further, as government in Japan focus on legalizing the use and consumption of hemp, the demand in the market is predicted to rise.
- Europe and North America, collectively, are expected to contribute 70% of revenue in the global market.
- Legalizing cannabis in Germany is predicted to pave the way for consumption of hemp-based edibles, creating remunerative opportunities for the market.
- Japan is anticipated to be the second largest hemp-based product market in Asia by 2023.
- Several states in the U.S. have legalized the use of cannabis and other hemp-based products, creating opportunities for domestic hemp-based product suppliers.
- China is projected to maintain its top spot in hemp-based product market for the next few years.
- Increasing application areas in the food & beverage industry is projected to contribute to the growth in the market.
- With the legalization of marijuana in some countries around the world, demand for hemp-based personal products is likely to grow rapidly in the coming years.
- Medicinal benefits of hemp-based products in reducing cholesterol and improving heart health will bolster the sales in pharmaceutical industry.
Leading hemp-based businesses are looking to expand their hemp merchandise portfolios to gain a competitive advantage over other market players. They are also likely to expand their offerings to diverse regions where hemp and marijuana are legal.
- In November 2022, HSTI and Hempacco announced the launch of a new company in Nevada called Organipure, Inc. HSTI has developed and patented technology to create low-odor consumer products made from cannabis and hemp.
- In 2022, Royal Emerald Pharmaceuticals partnered with BioHarvest Sciences to provide disruptive cannabis solutions to companies conducting FDA-approved medical research.
- In October 2022, Germany revealed that it had plans to legalize cannabis, and should this happen it would make it the first country in Europe to legalize cannabis. The legalization of cannabis would pave the way for the consumption of hemp-based food products and create around 27,000 jobs in the country and save around US$ 4.7 billion.
Key Companies Profiled by Fact.MR
- Hempro International
- Tilray Inc.
- GFR Ingredients
- Blue Sky Hemp Ventures Ltd.
- Hemp Foods Australia Pty Ltd.
- Aurora Cannabis Inc.
- Marijuana Company of America Inc.
- Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd.
- Isodiol International Inc.
- Green Source Organics
- Hempfoods Ltd.
- Navitas LLC
- T12 Holdings Pty Ltd.
More Valuable Insights on Hemp-based Products Market
In its latest research, Fact.MR reveals factors estimated to boost the development of the hemp-based products market over the forecast period (2023-2033). The study provides an in-depth study of the opportunities and drivers expected to boost sales of hemp-based products market through segmentation as follows:
- Health Care
- Cosmetics, Personal & Skin Care
- North America
- Latin America
Further, growing awareness of the benefits of consuming CBD (cannabidiol) products, surging use of hemp, and rising interest in eco-friendly products, especially among vegan population will drive the sales in the market. Further, medicinal effects of hemp-based products such as reducing cholesterol and improving heart condition will improve the demand in pharmaceutical industry.
Key Questions Covered in the Hemp-based Products Market Report
- What will be the demand outlook for the hemp-based products market during the forecast period?
- Which are the challenges faced in the hemp-based products market?
- Which region will lead the growth in the hemp-based products market during 2023-2033?
- What is the projected market valuation of the hemp-based products market in 2033?
- Which are the factors driving the hemp-based products market during 2023-2033?
(This information is primarily sourced from FACT.MR. Highly Capitalized has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Read our Disclaimer here).

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Table the new social grants deal in parliament for interrogation: DA
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the Inter-ministerial Committee on social grants as well as SA Social Security Agency to table the new grants distribution system in Parliament for MPs to interrogate the feasibility of the proposed timelines and cost estimates.
DA shadow minister of social development Bridget Masango said there could be no more delays and obstruction by Sassa and Social Development officials.
"Parliament has an obligation to ensure that any agreement reached between Sassa and Sapo (SA Post Office) is feasible and will not inconvenience millions of South Africans who depend on social grants. Minister (of social development) Bathabile Dlamini’s attempts to stonewall the negotiations between Sapo and Sassa have yet again exposed her inability to effectively lead the Department of Social Development‚” Masango said.
The party welcomed the signing of the services agreement between Sassa and Sapo announced on Sunday by chairperson of the inter-ministerial committee on social grants Jeff Radebe that will facilitate the implementation of a new social grants payment system from 1 April 2018.
Masango said it was very encouraging that the proposed hybrid model would also involve the use of payment platforms incorporating banks‚ commercial retailers and small businesses.
“We welcome the phasing out of cash payments and the building of an inclusive financial system‚” she said in a statement moments after the unveiling of the agreement on Sunday.
Masango said the deal would have been set up far sooner were it not for Dlamini dragging her feet‚ prioritising political campaigning while putting the livelihoods of millions at risk‚ in all likelihood for her own personal gain.
“This suspicion is enforced by the fact that she did not attend this morning’s landmark announcement. The DA will ensure that Parliament plays an effective oversight role over the implementation of the deal. Social grant beneficiaries must continue to receive their grants without any disruption‚” she added.
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Foxcroft Wine Co., which currently operates two locations in the Charlotte area, confirmed plans to open a new wine venue in the Upstate.
According to the Charlotte Agenda, Foxcroft Wine Co. is opening a third location on Main Street where Brazwell's was located before its closure in October.
The company currently operates bars in the Dilworth and Southpark neighborhoods of Charlotte where they offer wine-by-the glass and local, small plate dining.
Owner Conrad Hunter told Charlotte Agenda he would eventually like to see Foxcroft Wine Co. expand to other cities in the region, including Asheville and Charleston.
Foxcroft Wine Co. Greenville announced via Facebook Wednesday that the wine bar at 631 South Main Street will open on Friday, September 21. Opening day hours will be 5 to 11 p.m.
Copyright 2018 FOX Carolina (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved


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NORWALK — Police said they have charged five local businesses for either selling alcohol, cigarettes or vape products to minors over the past month.
Three of the businesses — Tropical Grocery at 79 Cedar St., World of Beverages at 295 Main Ave. and Cibao at 39 Harbor Ave. — were charged with selling alcohol to a minor. All three were referred to the Connecticut Liquor Commission.
A manager at World of Beverages declined to comment. Representatives of Tropical Grocery and Cibao could also not be reached for comment.
Two local smoke shops — Vapewise at 203 Liberty Square and Mohegan Smoke Shop at 82-84 North Main St. — each had an employee charged with selling vape cartridges to minors.
The offending Vapewise employee was fined $500, since it was the business’ fourth time being cited in less than 30 days. A Mohegan Smoke Shop employee was fined $250 for his second violation over that same period.
Adnan Modib, the owner of Vapewise, said the employee accused of selling to a minor has since been fired. In the employee’s defense, Modib said, the sale was more of a misunderstanding than anything.
“The problem is that he doesn’t understand English very well and has never worked in a smoke shop before,” he said.
The owner of Mohegan Smoke Shop could not be reached for comment.
Sgt. Sofia Gulino said the department has received numerous reports from parents regarding the sale of vape and nicotine products to their children in recent months. This is the second time in less than a month that officers have collaborated with cooperating minors to conduct compliance checks at several locations, Gulino said.
Earlier this month, Vapewise and Mohegan were written up by police for similar violations. The Citgo gas station on East Avenue was also cited for selling nicotine to a minor.
Police said the department will continue doing compliance checks in 2021 as part of the ongoing investigation.


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Samsung has announced its own plans for foundry tech ramp-ups and rollouts, beginning immediately and stretching over the next four years. From EUV and fully-depleted silicon to HBM2 and new packaging techniques, the company is aggressively planning to grow its share of the foundry market.
AMD’s Lisa Su spoke at the JP Morgan Technology conference this week and shared new details on the company’s plans for data center expansion, Vega launch dates, and future iterations of its new Zen microprocessor family.
Intel may be considering pulling in its upcoming HEDT and desktop refreshes. Current rumors suggest next-generation high-end desktop chips will be demoed at Computex, with Coffee Lake launching six months earlier than previously expected.
There are reports going around of end users successfully flashing RX 480 boards with RX 580 BIOSes and picking up extra performance in the process. While it’s an interesting idea, this is one project we’d recommend you not take on.


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Tuk tuks are a kind of taxi made out of a cart and a scooter, and they operate somewhere between a cab and an extortion racket. The important thing is to establish the price of your journey before you get in; be prepared to get out if once you are ensconced the driver quotes a new price, and expect another argument when you arrive. Stick to your guns a deal a deal..
I realized something when looking at the current NFC wholesale china jerseys standings. Just as the Packers need the Lions to lose two of their remaining three games, one of which being against the Packers, the Lions are looking up at the Cowboys at the exact same scenario for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
You can compare prices at brick and mortar stores and online retailers. HOLIDAY TRAVEL: SPEND LESS: Now that you have decided to stay home for the holidays to save money, cheap nhl jerseys it is suddenly cheap to travel, says The New York Times. Apparently, few people are traveling, clearing the way for vacation bargains, shorter minimum stay requirements and extra perks.
Other notable bargain cheap jerseys priced dishes at Yi Zhang include a splendid $2 plate of German style egg noodles inundated with a soy peanut sauce. Wonder how the topping is made? A crate of giant Skippy jars stands in the corner at the ready. Eight for $2 and shaped like jellyfish, the steamed pork and chive dumplings are also worth ordering.
The 2nd annual Earth Day Texoma observance, held at the Sherman cheap jerseys Municipal Building and Grounds, featured demonstrations of Earth friendly projects as well as health promoting practices. Musicians celebrated the day, the wind lifting sounds of guitars, dulcimers, flutes and voices throughout the day. Seventy one booths dotted the lawn around the Municipal Building..
The company also is closing a knit fabric plant in Forest City, which has 470 employees; a yarn plant in Gastonia, affecting 140; and a sheer hosiery warehouse in Rockingham, affecting 15. Production at the Forest City and Gastonia plants will end this week, the company said. The warehouse in Rockingham will shut down by Nov.
And they lived in a time when neither income tax nor sales tax was an issue. The combination of cheap land, little taxation, hard work and frugality resulted in success in early Kansas. And many families, in that period, were able to accumulate far more farmland than did the Rowlands, particularly in the western part of the state..
(He likes the term suspects. We seen cheap china jerseys this movie before. Drumming up resentment against the educated has been a time honored way to flatter and comfort struggling Americans and thus win their votes on the cheap.. Once upon a time, Americans would make major purchases Conestoga wagons, for instance using gold coins for payment. Then silver dollars appeared, and gold coins vanished from the marketplace. When I was a youngster, retail purchases were frequently made using silver dollars.


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Intel (s intc) has “been working with Google” (s goog) on the search giant’s planned Chrome OS, according to a report today in The Inquirer, which goes on to herald the end of the Wintel (Intel PCs running the Windows OS) hegemony. My feeling is that such a proclamation may be a little premature given that Chrome won’t be shipping on consumer netbooks for another year, but I’ve emailed Intel to ask about its involvement anyhow. The degree to which Intel is involved would indicate just how badly Microsoft is bungling this whole netbooks thing, despite the fact that most consumers really, really want their netbooks with Windows rather than Linux.
So what has Microsoft done to help such consumers embrace portable computing? It hasn’t ported the coming Windows 7 to ARM-based chips, which are expected to be in the next generation of netbooks (the really awesome Nvidia (s nvda) Tegra chips are tied to Windows CE — bleh). Microsoft’s pricing for Windows 7 will add at least $50 to the cost to a cheap netbook (Microsoft makes a less robust edition that sells for less). Meanwhile, plenty of other vendors are throwing netbook OSes into the ring while Microsoft dithers.
In other Chrome-related news, Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, apparently wasn’t keen on building an OS, according to the Financial Times. But now he gets it. “We benefit…when [consumers] put more of their life online,” he reportedly told a group of media types at a Sun Valley confab last night. “They do more searches, click on more ads. It’s a very straight-forward strategic initiative.” Google, it basically makes the gargantuan universe of the Internet relevant to you. All for the price of a few ads.


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Reebok Launches Campaign With Shahid Kapoor
Kapoor shows his physical energy in the campaign as he is seen in a rigorous building routine of hammer shots, rope lifting and boxing and also his humane side wherein he is seen as a family man.
Sharing details of the campaign, Silvia Tallon, Senior Marketing Director, Reebok India, said, “At Reebok, we have always believed in pushing oneself beyond limits and defining fitness that molds you physically, socially and mentally. The campaign echoes our belief that the pursuit of fitness lies in not just being fit physically but also represents the perfect harmony of the mind and the body that brand Reebok advocates very strongly. Through this campaign we celebrate the balance of dual roles; tough physical fitness and mental strength along with more human relationships that bring out a different side in us.”
Sharing his experience on being the face of the new brand campaign Shahid Kapoor, Brand Ambassador, Reebok India, said, “Being a man is not just about going to the gym and lifting heavy weights, it’s about really who you are, it’s about being strong and resilient, learning to deal with all aspects of life and I love the fact that Reebok is showcasing two different sides of my personality, one being who I am at home as a father, as a husband, as opposed to how I am in the gym where I’m just a boy hitting the weights and doing what I love.”


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It's just been a couple of days since the OnePlus 9R hit the racks, and the Chinese organization behind the effective brand has effectively begun to carry out refreshes for very good quality gadget. True to form, the most recent OxygenOS update for OnePlus 9R adds pack of upgrades and fixes, which probably improve client experience.
On the off chance that you've effectively requested one, you ought to have the option to download the OxygenOS 188.8.131.52 update, which brings the accompanying changes:
- Improved the charging soundness to give a superior client experience
- Improved charging soundness
- Improved the haptic input for Call of Duty Mobile
- Fixed the strange difference in approaching ringtone with double SIM cards
- Fixed the postponement in approaching considers when the gadget is in control
- General bug fixes
- Improved the stacking pace of the exhibition to accelerate the way toward reviewing pictures
- Improved the vibrating execution of caution tones
- Improved Wi-Fi Hotspot execution
The majority of the significant changes in the update are intended to improve the OnePlus 9R's dependability, yet two or three fixes included are ideal to have as well. We can securely accept the phone will get refreshes like this in the coming a long time as OnePlus keeps on aligning the product running on the OnePlus 9R.
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OnePlus has already launched the higher and Pro variants of the OnePlus 9 back in March 2021 and now the entire series is finally available in the market as of today. However, you can purchase the regular base model along with the slightly cheaper variant 9R as well online via Amazon. The devices are available through amazon, but will be limited for Prime users as a form of an early access sale. The devices will go for open sale officially from tomorrow 15 April 2021. You can also purchase the devices with bank offers for SBI card users that offer some additional discounts.
OnePlus 9 is the company's latest flagship smartphone and powered by the Snapdragon 888 Soc, paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage as well. The phone is powered by a massive 4,500mAh battery that also comes with 65W fast charging. The phone is 6.55-inches with 2400x1080 pixels with 402ppi and 20:9 aspect ratio. The display comes with features like reading mode, night mode, vibrant color effect, and ultra-high video resolution,
OnePlus 9 has a triple camera system with 48MP primary camera, 50MP ultrawide camera sensor, and a 2MP depth camera sensor. The device camera allows you to shoot up to 8K video at 30fps, 4K video at 30,60fps, and 1080p video at 30,60, and even 240fps. The selfie camera is of 16Mp and comes with auto-HDR feature and 1080p video at 30fps. The device is powered by a Li-Po 4,500mAh non-removable battery that comes with 65W fast charging and 15W wireless fast charging. The phone is available in winter mint, arctic sky, and astral black colors.
OnePlus 9R has a strong Gorilla Glass 5 build front and back with aluminum frame. The phone has a fluid AMOLED display with 120Hz and HDR10+. The device features a 6.55-inches screen with 1080x2400 pixels resolution and 20:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G and runs on Android 11 with OxygenOS 11 on the top. The OnePlus 9R doesn't have any external card slot but comes with 128GB/256GB internal storage and 8GB/12GB RAM configurations.
The device has a quad camera at the rear side with 48MP primary camera, a 16MP ultrawide, a 5MP macro, and a 2MP depth camera sensor. The phone allows you to shoot up to 4K video at 30,60 fps, 1080p at 20,60,240 fps. The selfie camera features a 16Mp camera sensor that allows video up to 1080p at 30fps. The device comes with stereo speakers but doesn't' have any 3.5mm jack. OnePlus 9R is powered by a 4,500mAh non-removable battery with 65W fast charging. The phone is available in carbon black and lake blue colors.
HarmonyOS is the latest innovation by Huawei but this time the company invested heavily to develop an operating system rather than working on its mobile hardware. The operating system is meant to replace Android, the most popular OS for mobile phones right now. Now the brand is working on the rollout of its new software to about 300 million devices this year.
According to a CNTechPost report, the Chinese tech giant is currently working to get beyond the limitations enforced by the Trump administration in the name of national security. Indeed, this was a difficult challenge but instead of staying behind, the company decided to make its version of the operating system.
According to the vice chairman of Huawei, Huawei is seeking to introduce HarmonyOs to 100 million additional devices this year. Another executive had revealed that around 20 hardware vendors and 280 application software companies have already contacted them to use its new operating system.
Wang Chenglu, president of Huawei's consumer business software division, has announced that the company is targeting about 300 million devices to be powered by HarmonyOS. Out of these 300 million devices, almost 100 million devices will run HarmonyOS out of the box. Meaning the company is planning to launch new products that will ship with HarmonyOS.
For those unaware, HarmonyOS is a built-in software with cross platform integration in mind. In other words, the software isn't limited to just smartphones and TV and may be able to unify different devices. It's more like a universal OS. Huawei has already launched the beta version of the OS for certain smartphones models.


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In inner correspondence, company administrators warned of “inadequate support concentrations,” “deficient processes” and units that are “prone to delay and error.”
The extent of the challenge puts in stark reduction how Amazon’s employees routinely took a again seat to prospects during the company’s meteoric increase to retail dominance. Amazon constructed chopping-edge offer processing services to cater to shoppers’ appetite for quick shipping, much outpacing opponents. But the company did not commit plenty of resources and notice to how it served personnel, according to several longtime employees.
“A lot of occasions, simply because we have optimized for the buyer expertise, we have been centered on that,” Bethany Reyes, who was just lately place in demand of repairing the depart technique, reported in an interview. She stressed that the enterprise was working really hard to rebalance people priorities.
The company’s cure of its enormous get the job done pressure — now far more than 1.3 million persons and increasing quickly — faces mounting scrutiny. Labor activists and some lawmakers say that the company does not adequately shield the basic safety of warehouse workforce, and that it unfairly punishes interior critics. This 12 months, workers in Alabama, upset about the company’s minute-by-moment monitoring of their efficiency, structured a critical, though ultimately failed, unionization danger against the firm.
In June, a Times investigation comprehensive how badly the leave method jammed throughout the pandemic, acquiring that it was one particular of quite a few work lapses in the course of the company’s biggest instant of financial achievement. Considering the fact that then, Amazon has emphasised a pledge to turn out to be “Earth’s most effective employer.” Andy Jassy, who replaced Mr. Bezos as chief government in July, not long ago singled out the leave technique as a put where by it can demonstrate its commitment to enhance. The approach “didn’t do the job the way we wished it to do the job,” he said at an party this month.
In reaction to the much more new findings on the troubles in its go away system, Amazon elaborated on its endeavours to take care of the system’s “pain points” and “pay problems,” as Ms. Reyes place it in the job interview. She named the faulty terminations “the most dire issue that you could have.” The company is hiring hundreds of staff, streamlining and connecting units, clarifying its communications and education human assets employees associates to be additional empathetic.
But many issues persist, leading to breakdowns that have proved devastating. This spring, a Tennessee warehouse worker abruptly stopped receiving incapacity payments, leaving his relatives struggling to fork out for meals, transportation or health care care.


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Receive complimentary Fishing market updates
We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest e-mail assembling the most recent Fishing market news every early morning.
Britain’s leading grocery stores have actually introduced an examination into claims of bad practice by a crucial UK fishing group after the Financial Times exposed the mistreatment of migrant team on numerous of its member boats.
The probe into the conduct of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (Anifpo) and regional boat owners will analyze issues over the work of abroad employees, according to the Seafood Ethics Action (Sea) Alliance, business group supervising the examination.
The examination, which is because of start next week, will likewise take a look at the requirement for “wider human rights reform” within the sector.
Anifpo is among the UK’s most popular fishing market groups. Alongside handling catch quotas and seafood sales, the organisation offers its members with administrative assistance for utilizing abroad team.
Many abroad team are utilized through what is extensively considered as a migration “loophole”, where if boats fish in global waters they are ruled out to be in UK work regardless of running out of UK ports on UK-registered vessels.
As part of an FT examination into the so-called “transit visa” plan last month, Filipino team dealing with some Anifpo member boats stated they had actually gone through numerous kinds of mistreatment, consisting of required labour and limited access to healthcare.
Seven grocery stores and seafood organization members of the Sea Alliance are moneying the probe into their Northern Irish supply chains. The alliance, that includes Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Whitby Seafoods, represents 95 percent of the UK seafood market.
“We’ve been working to ensure it’s a robust independent investigation,” stated Andy Hickman, head of the Sea Alliance, which was established with a required to enhance human rights in the sector. “The issues faced by the workers . . . aren’t unique to Northern Ireland.
“Alongside this investigation it’s critical that we work with the fishing industry on a wider programme of reform that addresses the root causes which contributed to the allegations.”
The federal government presently deals with a legal difficulty over the visa system that underpins this kind of work, which human rights organisations argue remains in breach of the state’s responsibility to avoid trafficking and modern-day slavery.
Industry professionals approximate that migrant fishers, usually from the Philippines, Ghana, Sri Lanka and India, represent majority of all deckhands in the UK fleet.
These employees reside on the boats all-year round and lots of are usually paid about £1,000 each month.
Stuart Rivers, president of the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, an umbrella organisation of 45 maritime charities, invited the examination.
“For those employed in the UK fishing industry to be treated this way is just atrocious and needs to be stamped out,” he stated. “Change is urgent and vital.”
The British Retail Consortium stated: “Retailers and seafood businesses are collaborating through the Seafood Ethics Action Alliance to respond to these serious allegations . . . We are working to ensure that a robust independent investigation into the allegations is completed as a matter of urgency.”
The Sea Alliance stated it would “support the sector to implement any improvement actions required”.
Brian Chambers, chair at Anifpo, stated the organisation is “proactively” co-operating with the probe.
“Everything is there for anyone that wants to come and investigate it. Our door is open. We have been at the forefront of doing what’s best for migrant crew and that’s always the stance we’ve taken.”


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GameStop shares soared again on Wednesday right after the troubled retailer said CFO Jim Bell is resigning right after much less than two yrs of striving to assistance manual it out of dire fiscal straits.
The announcement of Bell’s departure came about a thirty day period right after a trading frenzy fueled by retail investors despatched GameStop’s stock on a Wall Avenue rollercoaster journey.
Bell will step down on March 26 and GameStop has released a look for for a alternative with “the abilities and qualifications to assistance speed up GameStop’s transformation,” the company said in a information release.
Small business Insider noted, nevertheless, that Bell “was forced to resign by the board as aspect of a thrust by Ryan Cohen, an activist investor and new board member, to reshape the ailing retailer.”
A individual familiar with the choice advised Small business Insider that the board “lost faith” in Bell and started reexamining his purpose right after Cohen criticized GameStop’s govt crew, led by CEO George Sherman, in a letter to the board in November.
“We have described to Mr. Sherman and the board that GameStop has the capability to pivot toward turning into a technology-driven company that excels in the gaming and electronic knowledge worlds,” Cohen wrote. “But this pivot necessitates the kind of strategic eyesight that has not but taken hold in the C-suite or boardroom.”
In prolonged trading Wednesday, GameStop shares jumped eighty four.4% to $169.ten, adding to the 103.nine% achieve during the typical session.
“Investors are likely to fret when CFOs transfer on but that is an overblown problem right here,” The Motley Idiot said. “GameStop has finished practically nothing but place up unimpressive financials about the previous few yrs.”
In accordance to Small business Insider, “Bell oversaw GameStop’s financials during an specially weird period of time of the company’s long background: From traditionally minimal stock values in much of 2019 and 2020 to the explosive bubble of early 2021, and all through the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.”
GameStop unveiled a a few-level strategy in 2019 to revive a company battered by the increase of electronic gaming. “There’s nonetheless time for GameStop to reinvent by itself, but it is been burned in the previous by striving to embrace electronic supply,” The Motley Idiot said.


text: The Lakefront Residence has 629 apartments and it is a new lifestyle destination takes shape in Singapore’s western suburb. Combining the allure of Marina Bay, Orchard Road and East Coast Park, the upcoming Jurong Lake District will be an exciting commercial, leisure and residential hub. Keppel Land – the name behind landmark developments in Marina Bay and Keppel Bay – now brings its success in waterfront transformation to the Jurong Lake District. Set to be Singapore’s new business hub, the Jurong Gateway is well-connected via the Jurong East MRT interchange. Complementing the existing commercial hub of over 3,000 companies, Jurong Gateway will offer an additional 8.1 million square feet of office and retail space.


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"Cell phones should be banned in the workplace so employees can do what they're paid to do."
"It's not the gasoline retailer or wholesaler who is suffering during the price increase, it's the little guy who suffers. The guy who has to drive 20 to 30 miles a day in order to get to work suffers most."
"I'm so excited that Sandfly is getting a Sam's Club right next to the new Wal-Mart. If the service is anything like the new Wal-Mart, we probably won't have to worry about it too much. I spent 25 minutes shopping and 47 minutes trying to get out of the checkout line at Wal-Mart. Maybe things will be better at Sam's Club."
"Did anyone really believe Sam's Club would not be approved to build in Sandfly? Money, over people, will win every time."
"Someone is worried about money going into the space program? What about all the money and people going into Bush's war? That's where all the money is going."
"Thanks for the nice article in Wednesday's paper on the peanuts. But it seems the greed merchants have gotten in on the act. It must be related to gas. Now the price of peanuts is out of this world."
"When are they going to put a Wachovia branch in Rincon? We have to drive all the way to Garden City to use a Wachovia bank."
"To all the Savannah residents who are having problems finding jobs, just hang on. Shortly, there will be plenty of jobs in Savannah because all of the commuters won't be able to afford the high gas prices."
"If the employee-pricing program is such a good deal, then why are a lot of the dealership's employees driving other makes of cars?"


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Looks like master tipster Evan Blass is way ahead of others in leaking out details about the iPhone 7. A few days ago, he revealed that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will hit the store shelves on Friday, September 16. Blass has now tweeted out that Apple will start taking pre-orders for the upcoming phones on Friday, September 09. Since Apple announces new iPhones a couple of days before pre-orders kick off, September 6 is likely to be the day the unveiling event would take place.
iPhone 7 to be unveiled on Sept.6?
Last year, the Cupertino company unveiled the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus on Sept.9, started taking pre-orders on Sept.12, and released the phones on Sept.25. Blass had also reported recently that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were internally code named “Sonora” and “Dos Palos”, the names of cities in California. Previously, the rumor mill claimed that Apple would also launch a third variant called iPhone 7 Pro alongside the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. But there have been contradictory reports regarding the iPhone 7 Pro.
Confirmed: Pre-orders start on the 9th. You can extrapolate the launch event date from there. https://t.co/gwoPzIM1dIHere Are Bill Ackman’s Favorite Hedge Funds
Many of the most well-known hedge fund managers in the world engage in philanthropy, and in doing so, they often reveal their favorite hedge funds through a review of their foundation's public filings. Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Foundation invested in several hedge funds during the fiscal years that ended in September 2019 and September 2020.
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 28, 2016
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are not expected to bring a design overhaul as Apple is keeping significant design changes for the next year’s iPhone 8 to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. This year’s devices are said to get rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack. The iPhone 7 is likely to get an improved camera with OIS, while its 5.5-inch sibling will feature a dual-camera setup and 3GB RAM. Both devices will be powered by TSMC-made A10 processor.
Other expected features include a slightly larger battery, a faster LTE and WiFi. Apple is also increasing the base storage from 16GB to 32GB. Rumors indicate that the iPhone 7 will be available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options, while the iPhone 7 Plus will come in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB storage variants. There are also contradictory reports about whether the upcoming device will be called iPhone 7 or iPhone 6SE.
Earlier this week, two separate reports claimed that the iPhone 7 home button won’t click physically. Instead, it will simulate the feeling of a click with haptic feedback. It means the iPhone 7 home button would work pretty much like the Force Touch trackpad in the 12-inch MacBook. The change will help make the new iPhones more waterproof.


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The world is always one step ahead. We knew the illicit side of the world where Colombian peasants could pay for their shopping in the countryside in grams of local drugs. From now on, within the framework of the legal economy, insurance takes a step ahead.
Are bitcoin and its co-religionists taking a slice of the economic pie step by step?
East Assur challenges the world of insurance by proudly advocating the payment in cryptocurrency of car insurance premiums for individuals and professionals.
A way to develop your e-reputation by breaking free from the traditional framework
East Assur continues to develop its digital reputation by using finesse where no one wants certain members. Unfortunately, many insurers have not understood that to make a business profitable, you also have to accept the “dark bee” side of society.
Guys who have boxes all the time, there are some. France, which is getting into the CBD, is becoming widespread. And the dad who kicks himself in the nose by going to the PMU, once is not custom. East Assur differs from traditional insurance companies that seek excessive bonuses.
However, if no one wants to insure you for your discrepancies, it is certain that an insurance company that accepts this system risks amassing a huge customer portfolio. Stop charging more. Such is the practice of this peerless insurer.
By always rounding off the edges where no one wants to, this insurance company continues to create buzz. However, she does it smartly because resorting to cryptocurrency payment is not an idea that fell on deaf ears, according to her.
Insurance advisors trained on the job in cryptocurrency platforms
Is there any harm in paying in cryptocurrency for your insurance contract? Paying your dues annually is also a fact that suits everyone well. However, practice demonstrates one thing at the heart of stock market economics. The French are beginning to shun action portfolios step by step. The enthusiasm is such that cryptocurrencies are chomping at the bit with the Cac 40. A declining stock market that worries and is no longer safe in times of crisis.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are investments that can pay off big. This appeals to many virtual economy enthusiasts. Being able to pay in virtual currency is therefore not such a silly idea.
In the context of insurance, it thus makes it possible to diversify earnings where the economy is unstable. Ensuring that cryptocurrency can pay for everyday expenses is therefore a more than brilliant idea.
A bit like the idea of the myth of Grandma who hides gold Louis under her mattress, payment in Bitcoin is an opportunity to diversify the economy of its supporters. If the idea is scary, the bold decision proposed by East Assur seems well assumed.
Better to be first than last. Visionary, a whole team of advisers is now forming on cryptocurrency platforms to influence as many customers as possible. A not so bad idea that could influence more customers who enjoy cryptocurrency like we play poker on Friday night.


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Swedish Match AB, (SWMA) a maker of smokeless tobacco products, said a slow start to the year for some products in the U.S. and in Scandinavia contributed to a decline in first-quarter operating profit.
“Significant” spending on growth initiatives for pouches and value packs also affected earnings, which fell 8 percent to 832 million kronor ($126.7 million) excluding one-time items, the Stockholm-based company said in a statement today. Net income rose 11 percent to 740 million kronor, boosted by a gain on the sale of its former head office site.
Swedish Match reiterated that operating profit for its key products snus and snuff will likely drop this year, hurt by a fierce pricing battle in the company’s home market and weighed down by increased expansion spending in the U.S. Snus is a type of moist tobacco placed in pouches under the upper lip.
First-quarter sales increased to 2.98 billion kronor from 2.92 billion kronor, beating the 2.93 billion-kroner average estimate of 13 analysts compiled by Bloomberg.
“In the second quarter, Swedish Match has a very ambitious launch schedule, including products based on a new technology,” Chief Executive Officer Lars Dahlgren said in the statement. By the end of this year, Swedish Match expects to be in 17,000 to 20,000 stores in the U.S., up from 13,000 today.
To contact the reporter on this story: Katarina Gustafsson in Stockholm at email@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Celeste Perri at firstname.lastname@example.org


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In 2023, Pakistan’s local manufacturing industry witnessed a significant milestone as it produced 21.28 million mobile handsets. This achievement reflects the country’s growing capacity to meet domestic demand and contribute to the global mobile market.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite this positive development, there were several challenges faced by local manufacturers. Let’s delve into the details:
- Supply Chain Constraints: One of the primary reasons for the slight decline in local production was issues with importing components. The availability of essential parts became a bottleneck due to restrictions on opening letters of credit. As a result, local factories faced delays in assembling mobile phones.
- Commercial Imports: Interestingly, while local production dipped, commercial imports increased. Approximately 1.58 million mobile phones were brought into the country from other nations. This surge in imports highlights the demand for mobile devices in Pakistan.
Breakdown of Local Production
Out of the 21.28 million mobile phones assembled or manufactured locally:
- 13 million were older 2G phones.
- 8.28 million were smartphones.
Mobile Usage Trends
According to data from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA):
- Smartphones dominate the mobile landscape, constituting 59 percent of all devices used in Pakistan.
- Older 2G phones still hold a significant share, accounting for 41 percent of the market.
During the first half of the fiscal year 2023-24 (July-December), Pakistan spent a whopping $792.612 million on importing mobile phones. This represents a substantial increase of 118.45 percent compared to the same period last year. In December 2023 alone, the import expenditure surged by 20.16 percent compared to November, reaching $176.093 million. Compared to December 2022, the increase was a staggering 143.59 percent.
Overall, the amount spent on importing telecommunications equipment into the country rose by 78.64 percent from July to December 2023 compared to the previous year.
While local manufacturing faced challenges, the upward trend in mobile phone imports indicates a robust demand. As Pakistan continues to navigate supply chain complexities, it remains a key player in the global mobile industry.


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The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued its report comparing the costs of road, rail, and waterways freight shipments that are absorbed by the government and not passed on to consumers. The analysis shows that on average additional freight service provided by trucks generated significantly more costs that were not passed on to consumers than the same amount of freight service provided by either rail or water. The report estimates that freight trucking costs that were not passed on to consumers were at least six times greater than rail costs and at least nine times greater than waterways costs per million ton-miles of freight transport. GAO-11-134 (2/28/11). (Source: Bryant’s Maritime News)
Canada's Clarke Inc. doubled the size of its freight-management division with the purchase of four U.S.-based companies. Clarke, which has freight transportation and logistics services throughout North America, said it had bought Focus Carriers of Memphis, Tennessee; Kenley Trucking Inc of Atlanta, Georgia; and Creative Logistics of Ripon, California. Purchase prices were not disclosed. - (Reuters)
SeaBridge Freight, Inc. of Jacksonville, FL announced that it will launch its “marine highway” short sea transportation service on December 1, 2008. SeaBridge Freight will initiate its bluewater container-on-barge operation between the Port of Brownsville, TX and Port Manatee, FL. The Company’s 600 TEU capacity barge (approximately 300 truckloads) will link the large and growing Texas/Mexico and Southeastern U.S. markets.
PwC US today announced the addition of John Donahue as a director in the firm’s transportation and logistics sector within the larger Industrial Products practice. With more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of the transportation and logistics industry, Donahue will be responsible for leading the freight-related segments for the firm’s transportation and logistics engagements. According to PwC, Donahue will help freight transportation companies implement new business
Ingram Barge Company announced its participation in the new Barge Freight component of the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a public-private partnership between the U.S. Government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the country’s leading private industry freight carriers and freight users aimed at reducing carbon, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter emissions. Ingram has been involved with the EPA in helping to develop
Provider of electronic invoicing and settlement solutions for the shipping industry, PayCargo, LLC, says it has brought back its highly successful PayCargo Credit Program. PayCargo provides a global, online freight payment system that allows shippers, carriers and freight brokers of all sizes to settle accounts faster and more safely than ever before. Since being spun out of a major financial services company earlier this year
“Moving Goods: More, Better, Faster, Safer” is the theme for the American Association of Port Authorities’ 2007 Operations, Information Technology & Safety Seminar, slated for April 24-26 in Jacksonville, Fla. The seminar will focus on the integration and cooperation required today among those challenged with maintaining and improving freight-handling operations at public ports. Rapidly increasing trade volumes, heightened security requirements and changes in technology can compromise
Shares in Finnish shipping company Finnlines plunged on Wednesday after it said 2000 profit would be worse than expected due to tough competition, higher oil prices and strikes hindering business. On Wednesday shares were trading down 12.5 percent at 23.99 euros, under-performing already soft Helsinki shares. In February Finnlines posted a 1999 profit before extraordinary items of 67.3 million euros ($64.46 million) and said the outlook for 2000 was uncertain due to factors such as tighter
Funding Commission authorises state aid to a Franco-Spanish Motorways of the Sea project and includes it among the twenty-two selected projects for Marco Polo financing The European Commission gave its green light for the public financing from France and Spain to the Fres Mos project. It will link the French port of Nantes-Saint Nazaire with the Spanish port of Gijon, and will be operated by GLD Atlantique. This Motorways of the Sea project will also receive an EU grant in the framework of
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $7m is being awarded to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Virginia Port Authority and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority to support the transportation of marine cargo between U.S. ports. The announcement comes just five weeks after unveiling the America's Marine Highway program, a new initiative to move more cargo on U.S. waterways.
CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s leading supply chain management companies, today announced plans to expand its presence in the San Diego market with a new Freight Management and Logistics facility totaling 125,000 sq. ft. (11,612 sqm.) and 23 dock doors.
U.S. coal-burning power utilities are being forced to turn to barges and more expensive trucks to move coal, desperate to shore up stockpiles left dangerously low by the widespread bottlenecks on rail networks. The shift in how coal is being delivered to some power plants from mining regions
NewZealand's KiwiRail says that the Interislander ferry Arahura has left Wellington for her scheduled bi-annual dry-docking in Devonport, having last visited Auckland in July 2012. Docking is being undertaken at the Devonport Dockyard under the management of Babcock’s New Zealand
OAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group), Russia’s largest shipping company and a global leader in seaborne energy transportation and offshore services, has announced its financial and operating results for the six months ended 30 June 2014. Highlights:
Shipping freight rates for transporting containers from ports in Asia to Northern Europe fell by 10.7 percent to $1,198 per 20-foot container (TEU) in the week ended on Friday, a source with access to data from the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index told Reuters.
Dry Bulk Shipping: All eyes on Brazilian iron ore exports, as we await the long-anticipated lift in freight rates. Demand The freight market, which performed so well in Q1, has certainly not delivered in the past four months. BDI has dropped from 1,621 on March 20 to hit 747 on July 29
Ports of Auckland, Napier Port and Icepak today announced the formation of a joint-venture to develop a new inland port and intermodal freight hub at Longburn, Palmerston North and to target Growth in Manawatu-Whanganui Region. Located on the site of the old Longburn freezing works owned by
China's biggest energy firm PetroChina is reviewing its multi-billion-dollar push to produce liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel trucks and ships in place of diesel, shutting two major gas liquefaction plants, sources said. Seen just a year ago as a fast-growing profit engine
A container shipping organisation urged companies on Monday to raise Asia-U.S. freight rates by at least $600 per 40-foot container (FEU), corresponding to an increase of 14.2 percent from current levels, from Sept. 1. TSA (Transpacific Stabilization Agreement) said the planned increase follows
Team Niinivirta, a Finnish family-run transportation firm, turned 60 this year, but its third-generation managers now don't know if the business will see Christmas, because of Russia's new ban on European food imports. The firm based in Kotka, on the Gulf of Finland opposite Saint Petersburg
CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s leading supply chain management companies, today announced the expansion of its Los Angeles (LAX)/Torrance freight management operation. One of the largest operations in CEVA’s global network
Thousands of truck drivers went on strike over salary and haulage rates in the eastern Chinese port of Ningbo this week, and a logistics firm said on Friday the industrial action was disrupting operations at the world's sixth busiest port.
Today, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of industry professionals at the Finished Vehicle Logistics Conference, where the theme of the discussion was the import and export of new cars. I’m sure you’re wondering what vehicle logistics has to do with the Maritime
The world's biggest container shipping company Maersk Line, a unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk , said it plans to raise freight rates on routes from Asia to northern Europe by $400 per 20-foot container (TEU). The new rates will take effect from Sep
9487 Regency Square Boulevard Jacksonville, FL 32225 Tel: (800) 276-9539 Email: firstname.lastname@example.org Website: www.crowley.com Chairman & CEO: Thomas B. Crowley The Company: Crowley Maritime Corporation is a U.S.-owned and operated marine solutions


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Autochek Partners AMDON on Vehicle Financing
James Emejo in Abuja
Automotive technology company, Autochek Africa has announced a strategic partnership with the Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) to deliver a digitalised and enabling platform for vehicle dealers in the country.
Chief Executive of Autochek, Etop Ikpe, said the partnership will enable the company deploy its technology to create a more sustainable and structured marketplace for cars in Nigeria, working with AMDON.
Speaking at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both parties in Abuja, IIkpe said the deal would also expand the ecosystem available for sales for all dealers while also, “doing our part to reduce the fragmentation in the ecosystem as we bring finance partners and dealers together to provide consumer credit and drive automotive commerce.”
He expressed delight that though the automotive sector remained a highly traditional sector, “AMDON with this move is wholesomely adopting technology and preparing itself for the future. Our mantra is partner prosperity and partnering with AMDON allows us to drive this mantra at scale across all registered dealers in Nigeria,” he added.
National President of AMDON, Mr. Ajibola Adedoyin, pointed out that the collaboration offers members of AMDON the opportunity to drive more sales by taking advantage of the online marketplace which increases the visibility of their inventory to potential car buyers across Nigeria.
He said car buyers not only have access to select from a large pool of cars, but also get access to multiple car loan offers from finance partners on the Autochek platform thereby enhancing the ease of purchase and auto financing penetration in the country.
He said the agreement also provides value added services for customers as they can now access car loans through the Autochek platform to purchase cars.
Adedoyin said: “This increase in automotive commerce has cascading benefits all along the value chain with one of the major benefits being increased job opportunities as we see more dealer empowerment and liquidity in the ecosystem.
“In addition to this, this partnership introduces a standardised inspection and rating system for cars thus enhancing customer trust in completing the vehicle purchase process.
“Dealers can also continuously take advantage of diverse training programs on lead management, digital marketing, car loan application process and other advanced technologies to run their business.”
AMDON is the major representative of all registered professionals of auto dealers in the country with the sole aim of ensuring and fostering business development, rights advocacy and recognition for all our constituent members.
It has collaborated with the Nigerian Police Force, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other relevant agencies to further drive growth and structure in the auto industry.


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Wall Street analysts expect that Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBSH) will report earnings of $0.93 per share for the current fiscal quarter, Zacks reports. Five analysts have provided estimates for Commerce Bancshares’ earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $0.99 and the lowest estimate coming in at $0.89. Commerce Bancshares posted earnings of $0.96 per share in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a negative year-over-year growth rate of 3.1%. The firm is expected to announce its next earnings report on Thursday, July 11th.
On average, analysts expect that Commerce Bancshares will report full-year earnings of $3.76 per share for the current year, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.59 to $3.95. For the next financial year, analysts forecast that the firm will post earnings of $3.84 per share, with EPS estimates ranging from $3.55 to $4.12. Zacks’ earnings per share averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side research firms that cover Commerce Bancshares.
Commerce Bancshares (NASDAQ:CBSH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 11th. The financial services provider reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.91 by ($0.06). Commerce Bancshares had a return on equity of 15.95% and a net margin of 30.39%. The firm had revenue of $324.73 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $333.99 million.
NASDAQ:CBSH traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $59.15. The stock had a trading volume of 9,568 shares, compared to its average volume of 451,297. Commerce Bancshares has a 52 week low of $53.40 and a 52 week high of $72.55. The company has a market cap of $6.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.68, a PEG ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 0.74.
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th were issued a $0.26 dividend. This is a boost from Commerce Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.76%. Commerce Bancshares’s payout ratio is 27.51%.
In other news, Director David W. Kemper sold 20,000 shares of Commerce Bancshares stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $59.81, for a total value of $1,196,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 1,319,624 shares in the company, valued at approximately $78,926,711.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Patricia R. Kellerhals sold 851 shares of Commerce Bancshares stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $61.17, for a total value of $52,055.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 6,127 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $374,788.59. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 94,093 shares of company stock valued at $5,735,892. Company insiders own 3.60% of the company’s stock.
Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Clarus Wealth Advisors boosted its holdings in Commerce Bancshares by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Clarus Wealth Advisors now owns 3,516 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $198,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC boosted its holdings in Commerce Bancshares by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 3,573 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $201,000 after acquiring an additional 168 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its position in Commerce Bancshares by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 12,503 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $704,000 after purchasing an additional 169 shares in the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. raised its position in Commerce Bancshares by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 6,565 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $370,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Palisades Hudson Asset Management L.P. raised its position in Commerce Bancshares by 5.0% during the 4th quarter. Palisades Hudson Asset Management L.P. now owns 4,019 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.17% of the company’s stock.
About Commerce Bancshares
Commerce Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Commerce Bank that provides retail, mortgage banking, corporate, investment, trust, and asset management products and services to individuals and businesses. It operates through three segments: Consumer, Commercial, and Wealth. The Consumer segment offers various banking products and services, including consumer deposits; consumer loans, such as automobile, motorcycle, marine, tractor/trailer, recreational vehicle, fixed rate and revolving home equity, and other consumer loans; patient health care financing; real estate loans; indirect and other consumer financing; personal mortgage banking; consumer installment lending; and consumer debit and credit bank cards, as well as provides online banking services.
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Apple Inc's. debut of the newest iPhone on all four top U.S. carriers at the same time will test the loyalty of customers at AT&T. and Verizon.
The latest version, set to be unveiled tomorrow, will be the first to come out on T-Mobile simultaneously with its bigger rivals. Adding to the competition, Apple will introduce a cheaper iPhone along with an upgrade of the iPhone 5 tomorrow. AT&T had exclusive rights to the iPhone until 2011.


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APEX Public Relations Inc. has made some changes to their team as the public relations agency has promoted two key staff members and expanded their consumer practice team with a new hire.
Leanne James has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Human Resources. James joined APEX in 2002 and has overseen the company’s rapid growth to a team of more than 30 public relations practitioners. In her new role, James will continue to assist the company in the development of its public profile and branding.
Tanya Elliott-Briden has been promoted to the position of Vice President. Elliott-Briden previously served as an Account Director and played a significant role in growing the agency’s technology and corporate practices. In her new role, she will help to maintain and grow APEX’s strong reputation among existing clients, as well as focus on new business development.
In addition, Lauren Baswick has joined as a Senior Consultant in the consumer practice for APEX. Baswick’s role will include senior-level media relations, product launches, strategic program development and new business development in the consumer health and beauty areas.


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On July 26, Angiuli’s Farm Market posted a photo on its Facebook page of three generations of smiling family members braiding garlic to sell at the farm and its seven other farm market locations.
“A family tradition!” the post proclaims.
But it would take many days before the family could feel the joy they felt that day, as a fire late July 27 destroyed the farm’s main market building and packing shed. Firefighters from the Green Township Fire Department and eight other fire departments were called to the blaze, triggered when propane tanks exploded. There is still no word on what caused the explosion.
The Angiulis lost specialty vegetable equipment, coolers, produce, containers and storage items in the 50-by-200 foot building, with a loss estimate upwards of $500,000. Five greenhouses nearby were also damaged.
“Everything we ever had was inside there,” said Carl Angiuli, whose parents Rita and Mario bought the farm on state Route 46 in 1981 and still work as hard as the younger generation at the farm and market.
The family raises 200 acres of fruits and vegetables, selling seven days a week at the home farm market as well as seven farm stands in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, and three days a week at farmers markets in Steubenville, Beachwood and Youngstown.
With the first morning light, the word of the fire had spread, and the local community began to show its support to the Angiuli family — support that Carl simply calls “amazing.”
Every local farm, farm market, grower and even resellers stopped by, called or texted to see what the family needed.
Employees didn’t need to be called, Carl said. They just came and said, “What do we need to do?”
The immediate focus was on the crops in the field that had to be harvested. But where do you put them, and in what? And how do you wash and clean and sort and cool and store and sell the produce?
Local farm markets and produce growers — yes, competitors — immediately offered containers and cooler space, and in two days, the farm’s market reopened for business in a tent. Farms and area businesses have donated or loaned supplies, a vegetable washer and sorter, labor, a forklift, hand jack and other equipment.
Farmers and friends in construction were on the spot with trucks and larger equipment to clear the rubble, and volunteers through the Salem Mennonite Church in nearby Leetonia helped erect a temporary hoop building on July 30.
Longtime customers who had become family friends since buying from Rita Angiuli at the once-bustling Pyatt Street Market in Youngstown showed up. Strangers stopped at the farm with donations of bottled water and food. Someone even dropped off a new bicycle for one of the children whose bike was lost in the fire.
A friend created an online GoFundMe account to benefit the Angiuli family that raised $16,290 in 19 days, surpassing the $10,000 goal. Another friend is coordinating a benefit pierogi sale in Austintown Aug. 19.
The Angiulis are overwhelmed.
“They all have a connection to my mom and the market,” Carl said. “They were hurt, too, when it happened.”
Carl estimates there were 100 people a day who stopped to help with the cleanup or offer a supportive word.
“There was no place to park, so they’d just stop along the road to stop in.”
Carl’s wife, Melanie, crafted the #Angiulitough social media hashtag, and took to Facebook and Instagram to share the family’s appreciation and determination to persevere.
(Column continues below photo)
Harvesting, packing and selling will be the family’s priority for the next three months, Carl said, but “we are going to rebuild, for sure.” In the meantime, they are back in business and selling the quality produce they’re known for.
“It’s better every day,” said Carl, who admits he didn’t sleep at all the first three days after the fire. “It’s part of you, it’s part of your family, it’s our livelihood.”
But the devastation of the fire is soothed by the community’s support, he said, in ways that the family can never repay.
“You know you have that customer base, but you don’t realize it. They’ve helped us move along.”
“There are no words.”
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Amazon confirms 1,000-worker Pflugerville facility, to get $3.8M incentive deal
Amazon confirmed Wednesday that it plans to open a large distribution center in Pflugerville, a project that Pflugerville city officials said eventually could top 3.8 million square feet.
The Seattle-based company described the facility as 820,000 square feet in a written statement, saying it will be operational next year and employ 1,000 full-time workers, “with industry leading pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one.”
But Amy Madison, executive director of the Pflugerville Community Development Corporation, said she expects the center to be four times bigger than that.
The construction permit that was sought for the project — which is on a 94-acre tract along the north side of Pecan Street and south of Wilbarger Creek — is for more than 3.8 million square feet, she said.
The Pflugerville City Council this week approved a $3.8 million taxpayer-funded incentive agreement for the project to pay for nearby road improvements.
Madison said Amazon may have opted to publicly announce the project as smaller than city officials anticipate to provide the company with some flexibility amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Given (the pandemic) there is always changes that may have to happen,” Madison said. “But we fully anticipate that the full square footage will be built.”
She said Amazon’s description likely refers to the building’s ground-level “footprint,” instead of its overall size.
Work on the facility began in February, and Madison said its four-and-a-half stories are evidence that it will be much bigger than 820,000 square feet.
An Amazon representative didn’t immediately respond to questions from the American-Statesman about the discrepancy in the size of the project.
The Statesman and other news outlets reported months ago that Amazon was planning to open a distribution center in Pflugerville and was in discussions with city officials, but neither the city nor the company would confirm it. Prior to approval of the incentive agreement this week, the code name “Project Charm” was used to disguise the project in Pflugerville city documents, and officials wouldn’t acknowledge that it involved Amazon.
Still, Project Charm was expected to be much larger than the development announced by Amazon on Wednesday. In January, Pflugerville approved a rezoning request for Project Charm to allow for a 3.8 million-square-foot distribution and logistics facility.
Amazon’s official confirmation of the project Wednesday didn’t address the size difference.
“We’re appreciative of the people of Texas for so warmly embracing Amazon into the community,” Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment, said in a written statement. “There are now over 20,000 Texan Amazonians working for us in the state — and we’re excited to be creating an additional 1,000 full-time jobs in Pflugerville.”
The company said minimum starting pay at the center will be $15 an hour, and employees “will work alongside Amazon robotics to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys.”
The $3.8 million in incentives that Pflugerville has earmarked for the project will be used “for off-site road infrastructure improvements, and for the purpose of creating capital investment and primary jobs,” according to the city.
In exchange, Madison said, Amazon has committed to invest $250 million in the project, with a “minimum” footprint of 820,000 square feet and 1,000 full-time employees over 10 years.


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Russell Westbrook, an NBA All-Star and the creative director of his clothing brand Honor the Gift is helping empower aspiring designers. On Thursday, he marked the occasion by unveiling a new lounge with PepsiCo at Pensole Lewis College, the first and only HBCU dedicated to design.
Two students, Rodney Banks and Angel Buckens, designed the space after participating in the inaugural PepsiCo Design & Innovation program. Thursday kicked off the university’s fourth edition of the National Black Footwear Forum.
“All students deserve to feel seen and heard and to have their creative work valued,” Westbrook told Blavity in an exclusive statement. “Programs like this one with PepsiCo Design & Innovation and Pensole Lewis create opportunities like that for students. It’s an honor to be part of something that is giving the next generation of Black creatives the confidence and encouragement to continue their creative journeys.”
PepsiCo has also made a $25,000 donation to Diversity in Design, a nonprofit organization supporting Black creatives. It will provide 250 Detroit high school students with hands-on experience and knowledge of the design industry.
There was also a skill-building workshop hosted at Pensole Lewis College, welcoming around 20 students from seven high schools and organizations in Detroit.


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World Best Selling City Cars in the 2018 with a new leader, the Indian Maruti Alto followed by the Brazilian Ford Ka, and the Fiat 500. The Suzuki Spacia reported the best improvement of the year, up 54.3%. Renault Kwid advanced 8 spots and ranks in 6th.
Fiat Global performance is one of the worst globally and the over 25% sales fall reported in the period 2010-2017 is now followed by an additional lost of 6.7% in the first half 2018. Lack-ness of products strategy, alternative fuel vehicles and SUVs the reasons.
Fiat Global Performance 2017 was almost positive, up 7.5%, thanks to the recovery of key markets, like Russia, Turkey and Brazil. The 500 is again the best-selling model ahead of the Panda and the new Tipo.
World Best Selling City Cars 2017 with a new leader, the Japanese key-car Daihatsu Move ahead of the Indian Maruti Alto and the italian Fiat 500. However this last model is the only real global city car, sold in over 130 countries.
World Best Selling City Cars in 2015 ranking led by Kia Picanto/Morning. However, the best model sold under different brands is the Wagon R sold by Suzuki and Maruti. Ford Ka is the raising star and Fiat Panda led in Europe.
Europe best selling cars 2015 ranking. The top 100 models in the full year 2015 confirms Volkswagen Golf on top of the list followed by the Volkswagen Polo, Renault Clio and Ford Fiesta. BMW Series 2 the best new entrance.
Italy best selling cars ranking in 2015 reported with Fiat Panda leader again as in the last 9 years. The Volkswagen Golf advanced in 5th place as best imported vehicles while the new Fiat 500X arrived in 10th place.
According to data released by ACAP, the Portuguese Association of Car Producers, in November 2013 new cars car sold in Portugal were 8.781, up 23.1%, the 6th double digit increase in a string. Year to date sales were 97.123, up 9.2% from 2012.


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HP recently published a security bulletin stating that some of its ProCurve switches were recently shipped to customers with malware-infected flash cards.
"According to HP's Software Security Response Team, the potential threat exists on HP 5400 zl series switches purchased after April 30, 2011 with certain serial numbers listed in the security advisory," writes SecurityWeek's Mike Lennon.
"HP did not provide details on which piece of malware was included on the switches or what the program is capable of doing," writes Threatpost's Dennis Fisher. "However, the company is encouraging customers to address the issue immediately. They suggest that customers either use a software script that will remove the malware from the flash card or opt for a hardware replacement through which HP will ship out a new module to replace the infected one."
"While the malware couldn't do anything to the 10 Gbps-capable line of LAN switches, if the customer ever decided to re-use the card and insert it into a computer, that computer would likely be compromised," writes PCMag.com's Fahmida Y. Rashid. "It's not that unlikely a scenario. The switches ship with 1GB cards, and someone frantically looking for a flash card could conceivably borrow the card to perform a quick task."https://o1.qnsr.com/log/p.gif?;n=203;c=204660766;s=9477;x=7936;f=201812281312070;u=j;z=TIMESTAMP;a=20392931;e=i
"It's unclear how the unknown malware got onto the Flash cards that come bundled with the 10 Gbps-capable line of LAN switches, but an infected computer somewhere in the manufacturing process -- possible in a factory run by a third-party supplier -- is the most obvious suspect," writes The Register's John Leyden.
"While slightly embarrassing for HP, it is not the first tech company to accidentally ship malware to customers," notes TechWeekEurope's Jiten Karia. "In 2010, Dell had to contend with a similar issue when customers began reporting spyware infections after installing replacement server motherboards."


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The season ticket early bird discount period ends at midnight on Friday 31st March.
Season tickets for the 2017-2018 campaign went on sale at the beginning of March and the Early Bird discounted price is open until midnight on Friday 31st March.
The club have set up The Posh 12s website which has all the ticket information for the new season including how you can commit to the #theposh12s.
Season tickets can be bought online at www.theposhtickets.com with no booking or card fees and you can also apply online for finance to spread the cost over 4 or 10 months.
Current season ticket holders' seats will be reserved until 5pm on Friday 31st March.
On Thursday 30th March, the Ticket Office will be staying open until 7pm and from 5pm until 7pm, Captain Chris Forrester and fellow midfielder Anthony Grant will be on duty to pose for pictures, chat to supporters and give away signed photos to those commit for the new campaign. On Friday 31st March at the same time, Gwion Edwards and Jermaine Anderson will be working the shift.
If you have any questions or queries about season tickets, please email firstname.lastname@example.org
The Posh 12s: www.theposh12s.com
The Posh Tickets: www.theposhtickets.com


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Russ Dalbey Sued By FTC
Russ Dalbey is being sued by the Federal Trade Commission for defrauding consumers. Although consumers paid as little as $40 to get started, they were pressured into spending far more on worthless products, the FTC charged, with many consumers losing thousands of dollars.
'Winning in the Cash Flow Business' was a real loser for hundreds of thousands of consumers nationwide," David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement. The FTC and the state of Colorado are seeking a court order to stop Dalbey, his wife and their businesses from making misleading claims, as well as to recover money to refund their victims. Defendants include Russell T. Dalbey; DEI LLLP; Dalbey Education Institute LLC; IPME LLLP; Catherine L. Dalbey; and Marsha Kellogg, a consumer who provided a false testimonial for the service.
The complaint accuses Dalbey and his co-defendants of violating the FTC Act and Colorado law by making false and unsubstantiated claims about the "Winning in the Cash Flow Business" program, as well as their coaching programs, workshops, seminars and note holder leads.


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DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates plans to begin talks with Australia about a trade agreement, officials from the two countries said on Thursday, as the oil-rich Gulf nation seeks to bolster its role as a Middle East business hub.
A bilateral free trade agreement of this sort would be the first for Australia in the Middle East, Australia’s Trade Minister Dan Tehan said in a statement on his official website, adding that the UAE is his country’s largest trade and investment partner in the region.
“We are moving quickly to boost bilateral trade with our global allies as we embrace a fast-changing world,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani Al Zeyoudi said on Twitter.
In 2020, bilateral trade stood at $6.8 billion and two-way investments at $16 billion.
A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE would be “an important building block to a subsequent potential free trade agreement with the wider Gulf Cooperation Council,” Tehan said, referring to a six member oil-rich group that also gathers Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.
The UAE signed a CEPA with India, its second largest trade partner, in February, and officials expects to finalise soon bilateral negotiations with Israel and Indonesia.


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Since hitting the mass market about five years ago, electric vehicles have failed to take off, largely, experts say, because a robust network of public charging stations has not been built.
Car companies, retail chains and members of an infant charger industry have announced partnership after partnership to build the stations, but their number still falls well short of what is needed to nudge millions of drivers into making the switch, analysts say.
But now, if major electric utilities have their way, that could change.
In several regions, utilities — big companies experienced in financing, building and managing power infrastructure as well as selling electricity — are getting into the vehicle charging business.
Their goal is nothing less than making the electric car a viable alternative for millions of consumers and, in the process, helping shore up their own flattening business of supplying electricity.
In Kansas City, Mo., for example, the main utility is building a network with more than 1,000 charging stations for the metropolitan area.
And in California, Pacific Gas and Electric recently became the last of California’s three big utilities to file a proposal with regulators that would allow it to install 25,000 public chargers — costing $654 million — in a state that has about 6,300 public chargers, at about 2,000 stations. In all, three major utilities envision building as many as 60,000 chargers in California in the coming years.
Nationwide, there are about 9,000 public stations, with about 22,900 chargers, according to the Energy Department.
The electric vehicle industry has a long way to go to catch up to the availability of gas. In 2012, there were about 114,000 gas stations in the United States, according to the Census Bureau.
“We’re looking to really remove barriers to E.V. adoption, to really build to scale where all business models can work,” said James Ellis, director of electrification and electric vehicles at the utility.
Although California leads the nation in electric vehicle sales, with about 40 percent of the market, it is under pressure to meet aggressive goals that would require 100,000 chargers that are faster than traditional home outlets — enough to support one million vehicles — by 2020.
Beyond California, automakers face strict federal mandates to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. By 2025, their fleets must average at least 54.5 miles a gallon, more than double the current average of about 25 miles a gallon.
To reach that goal, analysts say, automakers have little choice but to expand the consumer market for vehicles that require a plug-in charge beyond the 120,000 sold last year. Over all, automakers sold about 16.5 million vehicles in the United States in 2014.
But developing that electric market has proved difficult, with charging companies struggling to figure out how to make money and even going bankrupt, despite generous federal support and, in some states, prohibitions on utilities entering the market for fear of stifling competition. California regulators had enacted one such ban but overturned it at the end of last year.
Mindful of what Dan Bowermaster, manager of electric transportation at the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit utility organization, called the speed-bumps of developing the network, regulators and the industry were beginning to turn to the electric companies. Some private companies, like Ecotality, went out of business — even after receiving generous taxpayer support — and had difficulty maintaining the stations.
“Everyone has different opinions about whether or not the utility model is the right one, but it is regulated and every stakeholder can get involved,” he said. “What the utilities can do is, they have scale, so they can drive costs down.”
For the utilities, whose revenue is being squeezed by slowing growth in electric demand and, especially in states like California, the explosion in residential solar power, the charging business represents a potential boon.
Utilities could benefit not only from increased electricity sales but also by investing in building the underlying infrastructure, on which they earn a set return recovered through customer rates. In addition to that, executives said, passenger cars sucking up power at public stations during the day could absorb excess electricity flowing from the solar farms that are increasingly coming online.
“There’s a significant opportunity to actually operate the grid more efficiently by managing electric vehicle charging,” said Jim Avery, senior vice president for power supply at San Diego Gas and Electric, whose proposal would install equipment that allows customers to manage their charging based on price, convenience or other factors through their smartphones.
Electric vehicle industry executives say they welcome the utilities into the market as powerful and important partners in building the charging network.
Still, the utilities’ push has met resistance, from competing companies and ratepayers themselves.
Some executives at charging companies said that the utilities should not use ratepayer money to compete directly with them, but should limit their role to building, owning and maintaining the electrical infrastructure, rather than the stations themselves, and in setting standards.
Pasquale Romano, chief executive of ChargePoint, developer of the nation’s largest charging station network, praised a proposal from Southern California Edison that the company helped influence, but cautioned that Pacific Gas and Electric — which plans to own the chargers but use contractors to develop and operate them — could end up stifling competition and innovation.
“Just like we have to add lanes to roads as population increases in areas and build subways, we need to make sure we can deliver enough energy to parking lots everywhere to be able to take advantage of new technology that allows us to drive on electrons,” he said. The private sector has already shown a willingness to begin investing in charging stations, he said, and if the utilities simply took on the cost of the electric infrastructure it would accelerate that process.
But Mark Toney, executive director of the Utility Reform Network, which advocates for ratepayers in California, questioned whether it was fair to burden the majority of California ratepayers with building the network at all.
“I have a lot of skepticism that E.V.s are even going to be successful — I just don’t know,” he said, adding that Toyota appeared to be betting on hydrogen vehicles over electric ones. “They’re not a fringe player. So that makes me wonder, ‘Is this the technology that at the end of the day takes off?’ ”


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Job Growth Hits Record, Cargo Moved by Ships to Trucks, Trains Has Strong 2021
Job Growth Hits Record
U.S. job growth finished 2021 on a mixed note in December but the full year set a record for hiring.
The Labor Department reported that payrolls expanded by 199,000, a number that was far blew expectations and the 807,000 reported payroll company reported on Wednesday. ADP includes any active company employee while the government report includes only employees paid during the month.
Still, the recovering economy brought nearly 6.5 million jobs back, the most ever in U.S.
The Labor Department’s numbers probably will show stronger hiring through revisions if the trend holds. Revisions between June and November added 767,000 to the total.
There’s still room for more growth. The 2021 number is roughly 2.9 million less than 2020’s loss from the pandemic induced recession.
While December’s number was lower than expected, the unemployment rate fell to 3.9% from 4.2% in November. Labor force participation rate held steady at 61.9% in December, 1.5% below pre-pandemic levels, means people still are sitting on the sidelines while businesses struggle to hire people.
Intermodal Cargo Posts Strong 2021
Despite supply chain challenges, cargo moved by ships to trucks and trains rose had its second-best year, confirming why industrial property has become a hot commodity.
Intermodal model traffic increased 4.9% over 2020 to 14.1 million units, according to the Association of American Railroads
John Gray, the organization’s senior vice president, said in a statement that the first half of the year started with record volume but slowed with persistent supply chain challenges, still having a strong year that was second only to the record in 2018.
Clogged ports combined with a shortage of truck drivers caused a major disruption in the supply chain as e-commerce grew a rapid pace during the pandemic. The issue is global.
A new barometer from economists with the New York Federal Reserve Bank shows that the struggles may be easing. The index based on a variety of factors, including shipping and air freight prices that have been easing from record highs during 2021.


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On Monday night, HBO will premiere its four-part documentary, “The Weight of the Nation: Confronting America’s Obesity Epidemic.” While the film is very good, the conversation around it leaves something to be desired.
First the documentary: The United States is in the midst of one of the greatest public-health crises in its history. While this isn’t news, we can’t afford to stop talking about the problem or potential solutions.
One of the film’s strongest features is that it finally takes on the food industry, especially the way it targets children. One on-camera expert goes so far as to say that food marketing to kids is “powerful, it’s pernicious and it’s predatory.”
These are bold words, not in their content, but because you rarely hear such a direct indictment of our food industry. As a premium cable channel, HBO doesn’t have to worry about blowback from advertisers. To its credit, HBO uses that independence to take a hard look at one of the prime drivers behind our “obesity” epidemic.
Of course, the issue is more complex than a bunch of food executives in black hats. It’s not realistic to go after a single scapegoat or a simple cause for our nation’s “obesity” problem. In fact, it may not even be productive to call it an “obesity” epidemic.
Both the documentary and our national dialogue frame the issue in terms of our “weight” and “obesity” problem. While that may be an obvious place to start, “obesity” is really a byproduct of a series of larger problems.
You could argue that we have a cultural problem, with our kids now spending an average of 7.5 hours per day (yikes!!!!) absorbed in electronic media.
You could also say we have an economic problem, with manufactured food (anything in boxes or bags) priced at a fraction of the cost of the fruits and vegetables that should make up half of our daily diet.
Or you might say we have a biological problem, since we’re literally built to eat food if it’s in front of us and to favor immediate gratification over long-term gain.
The truth is that the “obesity” epidemic is a perfect storm of all of these issues. And by stigmatizing fat and fat individuals, we run the risk of seeing the problem through lard-covered glasses.
In fact, this exact viewpoint has already made the problem worse. As “60 Minutes” recently reported, America’s obsession with fat has led food manufacturers to find ways to take natural fats out of foods. But that also removes most of the flavor. So manufacturers have replaced fat with artificial sweeteners, which ironically have proven to make us even fatter than the original fat might have.
As the old margarine commercial used to say: “You can’t fool Mother Nature.” Humans are biologically designed to use our bodies as much as our minds. This balance is out of whack in the modern world, but the keys to a relative wellness are not out of reach:
- Sleep more and eat less.
- Move around every day (at least 10,000 steps or an hour of moderate activity).
- Drink mostly water.
- Try to make half of what you eat be actual fruits and vegetables.
If Americans, and especially our children, would adopt these elements in their daily lives, we could eradicate the epidemic in one generation. Of course, that’s easier said than done.
That’s why we don’t have an “obesity” epidemic so much as a “lifestyle” or “wellness” epidemic. And that’s why we shouldn’t focus on getting thinner, but on adopting healthier lifestyles.
We don’t want our kids to grow up obsessing about their weight or their waist lines (like we do). We want them to develop good habits, so it becomes second nature to grab a glass of water instead of a soda. These types of small changes over a lifetime can have a huge impact on the overall wellness of our kids’ entire generation.
Centuries ago, when food was scarce, cultures fetishized the overweight. Today, we’ve gone to the other extreme, holding up unrealistically thin models and actors as our physical ideals. Neither alternative is healthy. And not measuring up to unrealistic ideals just plain doesn’t feel good.
What does feel good is setting a simple goal—adding one piece of fruit a day to your diet—and then accomplishing it. It feels so good that it might lead to the addition of another simple goal (add an extra veggie a day) and then another (walk an extra 100 steps every day). Over time… well, you get the picture.
We’ve built up enough evidence over the past few decades to realize that trying to lose weight is not going to solve the problem. So maybe it’s time to stop focusing on the negative byproduct—obesity—and turn our attention to the proactive solution—healthy habits.
In that regard, those extra pounds might turn out to be like the pesky kid next door. By ignoring them and just doing what we should in our day-to-day lives, we might find that they just go away on their own.


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The company, which posted details of the product on social media, asked its followers where it should bring the butter next.
The block follows the company’s organic vegan spreadable butter – which launched in Sainsbury’s across the UK earlier this year.
“In Denmark we’ve just released our new Vegan Block, 100 percent plant-based,100 percent organic, 100 percent alternative to butter,” said the post.
“What separates it from our original Spreadable is the firmness which we’ve accomplished by simply changing the proportions in the recipe.
“It’s perfect for baking, ideal for frosting and just like it’s softer cousin – it’s amazing on toast. What do you think? Should we bring the block to you?”
Vegan butter in the UK?
“When will this be available in the UK please?” one fan asked on social media. “Your spread is a game changer in the vegan butter alternative arena. It is amazing, thank you.”
The company hinted the product will hit shelves in the UK in the near future.
“We will work hard on expanding the distribution of the product to other markets, so hopefully you’ll find it soon in the UK,” wrote a spokesperson.


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The Journal Sentinel Editorial Board’s blog on the day’s happenings as they happen
Welcome delay on Milwaukee taxi ordinance
By delaying a final vote on an ordinance that would revamp how the city regulates passenger vehicles in Milwaukee, four aldermen on the Common Council are simply trying to make sure that the ordinance is done right.
There was a legitimate concern that the ordinance on the council floor Tuesday imposed too much regulation on the companies, Uber and Lyft, that use smartphone technology to provide rides to consumers. Specifically, we'd like to see the ordinance tweaked to allow for city-approved third-party vendors to do the background checks and vehicle inspections. We disagree on that issue with Ald. Bob Bauman, who argues that the city should be conducting them.
On pretty much everything else we agree with Bauman, who has pushed hard for the ordinance, which would lift the cap on taxi cab permits and open the door to companies like Uber and Lyft.
The ordinance was up for a final vote Tuesday, but four aldermen asked that it be held for some tweaking (it only takes three aldermen to hold an item). Ald. Ashanti Hamilton says he can make it better; we think he's right that it can be improved. Other changes might be necessary, too, beyond the third-party issue.
We also disagree with the suggestion at Tuesday's meeting that police start ticketing the companies, which are now operating illegally. These are thriving young businesses that deserve a chance to grow and provide the kind of competition that consumers say they want. Let them operate under the most optimum conditions while still ensuring consumer safety.


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- 1 update
Nearly a quarter of Britain's cats is overweight according to their owners.
Despite this nearly three quarters are given a special food treat every week by their doting owners, including a third who get one or more every day.
The figures released by Cats Protection suggest that the term 'puppy dog eyes' may need to be rephrased to 'kitty cat eyes' as even a quarter of felines described as being 'very overweight' somehow manage to waggle a special treat every day.
The study also showed that this Christmas was a bumper one for the UK's cats, as many got to enjoy their food as much as the rest of the family.
Nearly 1 in 10 fed their cats a special Christmas dinner consisting of all the things you'd expect to see on your own plate.
Others were treated to chocolate (2%) and stuffing (2%) and some even enjoyed dessert in the form of Christmas pudding.


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Local food fans, there’s no need to mourn the passing of the harvest season.Get your palates ready for some of the same strawberries, squash, and other fare you bought at farmers markets during the warmer months. This year, a dozen or so growers in Buncombe and surrounding counties contracted with nonprofit Blue Ridge Food Ventures to fresh-freeze their mostly organic foods, which will be offered on a share basis all winter. When you buy a $120 share in the venture, called Winter Sun Farms, you can pick up six to eight pounds of fruits and vegetables at an Asheville locale each month from December to March. There’ll even be purées for soups and dips. “You can open a bag, add three other ingredients, and have a meal in 20 minutes,” says Chris Reedy of BRFV. Think Community Supported Agriculture on ice.
Winter sun farms
The $120 share helps farmers buy seeds and begin planting for next year.