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A warm Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field is usually a tough ticket. But a chance to see Kris Bryant debut with the first-place Cubs? Priceless.
Several online ticket brokers, including StubHub, are sold out. The ones who do have tickets are offering premium seats at twice face-value. The Cubs are still showing some single tickets available in the upper deck.
Craigslist and eBay have some ticket offers for today but, again, prices are well over face.
When word came last night that Bryant would debut today, tickets were quickly gobbled up, and it seems few are willing to part with a chance to see the much-ballyhooed prospect’s first game.
If you do happen to score tickets, remember to get one of these on your way in:


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New surveys by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers and the Equipment Dealers Association show modest satisfaction with the current North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), but a suggestion that there is room for improvement. Survey results revealed that 36 percent of equipment dealers and 59 percent of manufacturers are largely satisfied with the existing terms of NAFTA, but that some small changes were needed. Equipment dealers expressed concern that the U.S. was shouldering too much of the cost under NAFTA and that Mexico was benefiting from more favorable terms. The two groups also analyzed the differences in data collected from their U.S. and Canadian members. Both dealers and manufacturers in Canada had more positive views of trade than their U.S. counterparts. For example, 80 percent of Canadian equipment dealers and over 50 percent of Canadian manufacturers surveyed were satisfied with the terms of NAFTA.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.
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By Romita Majumdar
Mumbai: Telecom companies across the world are setting smaller go-to-market milestones - ranging from a few days to six weeks - even as they sign multi-year deals to transform their businesses, a senior executive at Tata Consultancy Services
) told ET.
Around 40 telecom customers use TCS’ telecom-focused platform solutions.
TCS is exploring use cases in smart manufacturing, agriculture and logistics with its combination of telecom solutions, tapping 5G technology, said Kamal Bhadada, business group head, communications, media, and information services, TCS.
While every market is building its initial 5G use cases in its dominant industries, clients using TCS’ telecom solutions usually start with sales and marketing offerings to help improve customer experience and traction, Bhadada added.
Many are choosing to adopt outcome- and KPI-linked revenue models for these initiatives.
“Today, enterprises are looking for asset-light services-based approaches where companies will not invest $200-$500 million for solutions. They will invest up to $10 million if they don’t know whether the solution will be adopted. These are long-term, multi-year engagements but we encourage our clients to implement this in clear milestones that are measurable in the range of six weeks,” he said.
Though there were other telecom-specific IT solutions providers in the market, TCS’ enterprise-focused solutions have helped it win major telecom engagements globally, including fibre projects across Australia and the UK because these solutions are focused on outcomes and are not dependent on underlying telecom technology, he said.
TCS said on Monday that it had won a deal from Celcom Axiata Bhd (Celcom) to transform the Malaysian telecommunications provider’s core business support systems (BSS) using its platform solutions - TCS HOBS and TCS TwinX - hosted on the Microsoft Azure
cloud platform. The company did not disclose the deal value.
With the new core platforms transformation project, TCS will enable Celcom to further enhance its digital and platform positioning through advanced digital capabilities like AI/ML-driven business simulations, an enterprise product catalogue, and partner ecosystem enablement.
“Already, within five months, we have helped them go-live with a concept to their customers. The solution will help them ideate and experiment with a digital TWIN and go-to market within 2-3 days, instead of six months earlier,” Bhadada said.
TCS will help Celcom adopt and integrate a microservices-enabled modular digital BSS core based on cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, business intelligence, machine learning and cloud technologies.
This also enables Celcom to have access to real-time data and customer insights, enhancing business simulations for improved revenue, costs, and optimized operations.
TCS HOBS is a plug-and-play digital business platform for subscription, device, and data management, offered in a Software as a Service (SaaS) model.
TCS TwinX is an AI and digital twin-based simulator to construct hypotheses, model entities and test business decision outcomes in a virtual testing mode. Bharti Airtel
in India also uses TCS’ telecom solutions for its customised user plans and Airtel Black app launched earlier this year.
Airtel said on Monday that it was working on use cases like Smart Factory, Smart Healthcare, 5G-powered quality inspection, digital twin, connected frontline workforce and AR/VR based use cases with the likes of Accenture
, AWS, Cisco, Ericsson
, Google Cloud and Nokia
, apart from TCS.
Communication and media comprise 6.5% of TCS’ revenue stream.
In addition to HOBS and TwinX, TCS is building a third solution called Contextify as a complete package for telecom and media clients.
“From a telco perspective, these will be the three foundational pillars for clients,” said Bhadada.


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Banpresto has another Alolan Vulpix plush in store for us, this time a large 24cm arcade prize, along with regular Vulpix as well!
They will be in arcades across Japan beginning the last week in April. Like all Banpresto prizes, they can only be won in arcade crane games, and will not be available for direct sale.
I’ve gotten pretty decent at winning smaller arcade prize plush, but have yet to successfully win many larger ones — I’ll have to brush up my skills before April!!


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. LL, -0.31% on Tuesday released the agenda for a conference call with investors scheduled for Thursday, saying it will provide an update on the safety of its products. The U.S. hardwood floor retailer, which has seen its shares pummeled in the last two weeks after a "60 Minutes" report alleged that laminate sourced from China contains higher-than-acceptable levels of a carcinogen, said it will also provide an update on its sales mix and laminate sourcing, the outlook for the first quarter, and its liquidity. A third section of the call, entitled "next steps", will focus on its customer. Shares rose 2.4% in premarket trade, but are down 46% in the month so far, while the S&P 500 has dipped 1.2%. The stock fell about 15% on Monday.
Lumber Liquidators releases agenda for Thursday investor call


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Consumer prices in Taiwan registered the third consecutive month of fall in April, declining 0.45% year-on-year, after a 0.15% drop in March, the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics said Tuesday. Economists expected consumer prices to rise 0.48%.
At the same time, consumer prices increased 0.78% month-on-month in April, following a 0.11% rise in the preceding month.
Meanwhile, the wholesale price index or WPI dropped 10.99% year-on-year in April compared to 9.2% fall in March. On a monthly basis, the WPI slipped 0.54% in April, following a 0.12% decline in the previous month.
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Over the past decade, tier 2 production countries1 have played an important role in the global auto industry.
The share of cars made within this group jumped from 9% of global production in 2005 to 14% in 2016, with the growth rate being as high as 8% annually. Among these tier 2 production countries, Mexico and India stand out as they had a combined production level of over 8 million units in 2016, more than half of the production within the group.
Other countries like Indonesia, Czech Republic, and Slovakia have also increased their production levels rapidly, growing 8%, 8%, and 15% per year, respectively.
Additionally, South Africa has transformed from being a net importer of cars to becoming a major exporter, with 9% of total car production being exported in 2016.
On the other hand, the Thai auto industry, which was once in the lead, is now in decline, with the growth rate of only 5% annually.
The Thai auto industry has also lost market shares to competitors like Indonesia and South Africa.
Since 2010, the value of passenger car exports from Thailand grew only 8% per year. During the same period, Indonesia’s passenger car exports expanded at an annual rate of 17%, taking away from Thailand’s market share in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines.
In addition, Thailand is losing market share of pick-up trucks in the UK to South Africa. In 2016, South Africa was able to increase its car export value to the UK by more than 10 times; while Thai exports to the same market has stabilized since 2015. Overall, Thai exports of cars grew only 5% in 2016, down from 12% in 2015.
In the future, the Thai auto industry will face many other challenges especially the increasing use and complexity of electronics parts in car production.
The use of electronics parts in a car has not only been increasing, but also becoming more complicated. For example, new cars now use advanced sensors and cameras as a part of an automatic brake system and lane-keeping system.
Today, however, Thai players still lack the technology needed to produce such parts and can only handle a simpler system such as airbag and anti-lock braking system. Furthermore, a modular platform that allows different models of cars to share parts and structure is being pursued by several major auto makers to create economies of scale. This trend will dictate the future of part distribution across the globe.
For instance, the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) project has begun manufacturing New Prius (2015) and CH-R (2016) that share common powertrain, chassis, and transmission parts. In the past, these parts were only produced in Japan. But, Toyota has expanded production to Turkey; while the Prius production base in Thailand was shut down in 2015, causing Thailand to lose an opportunity to be a part of the TNGA production bases.
Furthermore, FDI in the Thai auto industry may barely expand compared to competitors like Indonesia and Mexico. Major car makers, such as Mitsubishi and Nissan, who are Thailand’s key exporters, are forming strategic partnership to share basic car parts production.
This collaboration leads to zoning of passenger car and pick-up truck production lines by country. More specifically, Indonesia is likely to become a production hub for passenger cars; while Thailand will only be left with…
Author: Sopit Aimpichaimongkol , Nantapong Pantaweesak
Thai fruit exports to FTA markets up 107 percent
China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia and Chile are top importers of Thai fruits, especially fresh durian, mangosteen, longan and mango. Thai exporters are able to benefit from FTA privileges.
BANGKOK (NNT) – Thailand’s fruit exports continue to increase, despite the sluggish global economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with key trade partners being countries that have free trade agreements (FTAs) with the kingdom.
The Future of Asia: greener but with a public and private debt hangover
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a perfect storm, destroying jobs, worsening poverty and inequality, and creating a public and private debt problem—especially for countries and firms already in fragile financial health beforehand
50:50 campaign may not get immediate extension
BANGKOK (NNT) – The government’s 50:50 co-pay campaign expiring on 31st March may not be getting an immediate campaign extension. The Minister of Finance says campaign evaluation is needed to improve future campaigns.
The Minister of Finance Arkhom Termpittayapaisith today announced the government may not be able to reach a conclusion on the extension of the 50:50 co-pay campaign in time for the current 31st March campaign end date, as evaluations are needed to better improve the campaign.
Originally introduced last year, the 50:50 campaign is a financial aid campaign for people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the government subsidizes up to half the price of purchases at participating stores, with a daily cap on the subsidy amount of 150 baht, and a 3,500 baht per person subsidy limit over the entire campaign.
The campaign has already been extended once, with the current end date set for 31st March.
The Finance Minister said that payout campaigns for the general public are still valid in this period, allowing time for the 50:50 campaign to be assessed, and to address reports of fraud at some participating stores.
The Fiscal Police Office Director General and the Ministry of Finance Spokesperson Kulaya Tantitemit, said today that a bigger quota could be offered in Phase 3 of the 50:50 campaign beyond the 15 million people enrolled in the first two phases, while existing participants will need to confirm their identity if they want to participate in Phase 3, without the need to fill out the registration form.
Mrs Kulaya said the campaign will still be funded by emergency loan credit allocated for pandemic compensation, which still has about 200 billion baht available as of today.
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Thai fruit exports to FTA markets up 107 percent
China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia and Chile are top importers of Thai fruits, especially fresh durian,...
Digital Revolution and Repression in Myanmar and Thailand
Activists have also proactively published social media content in multiple languages using the hashtags #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar and #WhatsHappeningInThailand to boost coverage...
3 Reasons to Be Optimistic About the Baht Right Now
Probably one of the most important factors for the rise of the Baht is the continued weakness of the US...
Will Thailand’s plan for quarantine-free tourism set a global trend?
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the quarantine-exemption measures implemented in Phuket will be extended to five other key...
Thailand Approves Latest Economic Relief Package for Businesses
Some 250 billion baht (US$8 billion) was allocated for soft loans while the remaining 100 billion baht (US$3.2 billion) will...
Southeast Asia remains a hot spot for plastic pollution
The use of plastics is deeply embedded in our daily lives, in everything from grocery bags and cutlery to water...


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General Motors (NYSE: GM ) has been solidly profitable for a while, but its profits are still far behind those of its two main global rivals, Toyota (NYSE: TM ) and Volkswagen (NASDAQOTH: VLKAY ) . CEO Dan Akerson has made no secret of the fact that closing that gap is a huge priority for GM.
Surprisingly, the key to Akerson's profit push turns out to be Cadillac, GM's old luxury brand. In this video, Fool.com contributor John Rosevear looks at the state of the effort to turn Cadillac into a global luxury-car powerhouse -- and at why it's so important to GM right now.
Few companies lead to such strong feelings as General Motors. Ignoring emotions to make good investing decisions is hard, but the Fool's premium GM research service can help. Get a better understanding of the real risks facing General Motors, and the real opportunities to come. Just click here to get started now.


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Profits warning takes wind out of Halfords’ sails
A gloomy outlook from management punctured the Halfords’ share price this morning.
Bosses at the car parts and bikes retailer set out three possible scenarios for the coming year, all of which suggest that a sharp drop in profits awaits investors.
In the worst case, Halfords would rack up an underlying loss of £10 million over the next 12 months, while the best outcome would be a profit of £20 million. Those predictions compare with an underlying pre-tax profit of £55.9 million for the year just gone.
Halfords has been able to stay open during lockdown, although a jump in lower-margin bike sales hasn’t been enough to offset a slump in business in its more lucrative motoring arm. The stock fell 10p, or 5.7 per


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Amid the hustling and bustling of China's semiconductor market, punctuated by M&As and groundbreaking for new factories, the DRAM market has stood out, as numerous parties scramble to step into the field, to tape its huge potential. Since 2016, the global market has gone a long way, in both supply and demand sides, offering handsome opportunities but also posing grave challenge to newcomers, especially Chinese ones. Observers are watching closely the impact of the launch of Chinese latecomers' capacities, beginning in 2018 as scheduled, on the DRAM and NAND Flash markets. After extensive study of Chinese DRAM suppliers, DRAMeXchange offers analysis of their potential impact on the market from various aspects.
2017-10-24Membership: China's Semiconductor Development Report


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This is, as far as the publishing industry is concerned, the dark side of digitisation made plain. With Facebook and Google swallowing OVER 90% of new ad revenue online, and print circulation in freefall, publishers might hope that success through Facebook or Apple News views ('impressions') would balance out this dramatic loss of revenue.
Check out the article below for a stark statistic on how 54k views on an ezine, Slate, bring them more money than 54 MILLION views on Apple News, which is now a bigger platform for publishers material than Facebook.
That should ring some bells with the fierce debate raging over the music industry, especially Google-owned YouTube's controversially low payments.
So, here we see both disruption and convergence (Apple now becoming a key distribution channel for news and entertainment content, consumed on phones, tablets, phablets..., ripping up industry practices in the process).


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21 local time, U.S. President Donald Trump at a press conference again talked about the U.S. outbreak, said the U.S. outbreak has not reached an inflection point, before the improvement will get worse. It is worth noting thatmedia reports did not find that he was talking about the epidemic and dumped China. “Some parts of our country are doing well, others are not so good.” Trump said. “There is a good chance that, unfortunately, it will get worse before it gets better.” There are some things I don’t want to say, but that’s what it is.”
“You look at the world, (the epidemic) is everywhere in the world,” CNN said at a news conference, but in fact, the number of confirmed cases in many countries has fallen sharply. The president has always been deliberately optimistic about the situation, and, to be honest, the virus “will go away.”
Notably, at the press conference, Mr. Trump explicitly and strongly urged Americans to wear masks, but he still did not.
CNN said Mr. Trump has been downplaying wearing masks for the past few months, but today he said, “We ask everyone, if you can’t keep your social distance, wear masks.” Whether you like it or not, it’s very important.”
For Mr. Trump, being able to say that was a major shift, CNN noted that Mr. Trump was not wearing a mask when he said it.
At the news conference, Mr. Trump was also asked if he could lead the way for Americans, and Mr. Trump, who took out his navy-blue mask from his pocket, proved he was “ready.”
“I got it, I’m wearing it,” Trump said, wearing a mask as he walked into the elevator with the Secret Service.
“I like to wear a mask, think of patriotism. It will help, yes.” Trump said. A day earlier, Mr. Trump had tweeted, “A lot of people say it’s patriotic to wear a mask when you can’t keep your social distance.” No one is more patriotic than me. “


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Roughly 100,000 Ford and Mercury minivans might be added to a recall announced earlier this year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) is watching vehicles sold outside states included in the initial recall.
The campaign targeted about 230,000 Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey North American minivans in March because rust in the wheel wells can let the third-row seats come loose. The affected vans range from the 2004 to 2007 model year and were sold in cold-weather states where road salt is used.
SEE ALSO: Ford Recalling 230,000 Minivans
NHTSA said problems are rare and is only aware of one problem reported by an owner outside the area affected by the recall. The investigation is closed, but owners not covered by the recall may still contact Ford for repairs if their van shows signs of rust.
The rusting area can weaken the mounting brackets that attach the seats to the floor. A new bracket will be installed away from the rusting area and a panel will be installed to prevent further water entry on affected units.


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Bank of America working on yet another settlement?
Bank of America Corp. is said to be wrangling with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to come up with terms that would settle allegations that the Charlotte-based lender deceived its customers in the sale of certain credit-card add-on products, according to a Bloomberg report.
However, a deal doesn't appear to be imminent, sources told Bloomberg. Among the sticking points: How much BofA (NYSE:BAC) would have to pay in restitution to customers who were charged for the products, which include credit-monitoring and debt-cancellation services.
The bank is certainly no stranger to legal battles and costly settlements, though much of its recent trouble has been tied to mortgages. Tony Plath, a finance professor at UNC Charlotte, recently said the perpetual string of lawsuits and payouts is actually harmful the financial system.
Jen Wilson coordinates the Charlotte Business Journal's online operations and social-media efforts, chronicles local events for CBJ Seen and takes photographs.
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Dell’s memo to employees working from home: After the Corona period, the trend of working from home has increased significantly. Employees are given work from home for many reasons. On this, the well-known company ‘Dell’ has given a big shock to its employees. Dell has announced not to give promotions to employees working from home.
In an official letter, Dell told the employees that they can work from home if they want, but they will not be given job advancement or promotion. Let us tell you that there was a hybrid work culture in Dell company for a long time before the arrival of Corona. This rule is being followed in the company for more than 10 years but now the company is taking action on this and is strictly enforcing the rule of returning to office.
US-based technology company Dell has reportedly informed its remote employees that they can continue to work from home, but they will not be eligible for promotions and changing roles within the company.
According to a Business Insider report, the decision was communicated in a… pic.twitter.com/NChRdX5eTS
— Indian Startup News (@indstartupnews) March 18, 2024
It was written in Dell’s document that ‘It is important for people working from home to understand the advantages and disadvantages.’ In other words, if you want to get promotion or want to apply for another post in the company. If so, you will have to come to the office and work. This is a big change for Dell company.


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Poundland has unveiled a major transformation programme.
The budget retailer has announced it's piloting a home delivery service next year and accelerating the rollout of frozen food.
Poundland's makeover includes refreshing and refurbishing stores, as well as investment in technology, stores and re-sites.
The company says it's Poundland's biggest transformation programme in its history.
New stores are being opened in Ingoldmells in Lincolnshire and expansion is being planned in existing towns such as Stockton-on-Tees and Country Durham.
Poundland is also making wi-fi available in every store and extending ranges at prices above and below £1 across every category in autumn.
Other changes include accelerating the rollout of chilled and frozen food to 60 stores and extending it to more later in the year and extending Poundland’s PEP&CO fashion brand by opening six additional compact shop-in-shops.
Poundland has said it will also pilot a poundland.co.uk home delivery service early next year from a new online fulfilment centre in Cannock.
Poundland managing director, Barry Williams, said: "We’re stepping up to support high streets after the impact of the coronavirus by being customer-focused, people-led and tech-enabled.
"This is the biggest transformation in our history as we look to secure our future for another thirty years."


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General Motors' Chinese subsidiary - SAIC-GM - has officially launched its first fully electric vehicle, the Baojun E100
The electric car market could soon open up to even more consumers, after General Motors' Chinese subsidiary unveiled its first fully-electric vehicle with an asking price of just £5,000. Officially...
BEIS is planning to re-jig public energy and climate change surveys to bring it up to speed with government priorities
BT has found a business trigger point capable of delivering exponential carbon savings
Environment Agency launches Flood Action Campaign in bid to encourage residents and businesses to prepare for potentially devastating floods
Masdar confirms flagship floating turbine project off the coast of Scotland has been operating at 65 per cent capacity


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Produce Deliveries, Electrified
Meet Brady Matoian, CEO of OK Produce and Sustainability pioneer
Brady Matoian comes from a farming family. When his grandfather, Charlie, immigrated to the United States from Armenia in the early 1900s, he settled in California’s San Joaquin Valley and began farming. In the 1930s, he began delivering produce out of his flatbed truck. He eventually founded OK Produce in 1950 to deliver fruits and vegetables throughout the entire valley. In 1979, Matoian’s father took over the business, and in 2000, the younger Matoian joined the team. “Each generation has tried to make a mark,” he says. “I came in with a very different angle. I have been interested in and committed to environmentalism since I was in the fourth grade, and always wanted to make an impact.”
In 2001, Brady started a sustainability program and installed one of the biggest solar projects in the western states at that time, a 231 kilowatt (kW) solar system that has since expanded to 3.8 megawatts (MW), and that powers 90 percent of OK Produce’s facilities. This marked the start of a full-blown commitment to do business in the most Earth-friendly way possible.
One day in early 2001, as he was in the parking lot of the facility, the smell of diesel was overwhelming to him. “There was a serious cloud of emissions coming out of this little bunch of trucks,” he says. “It was an eye-opening moment for me.” Matoian made the connection that they had a delicious, nutritious product — fruits and vegetables — and were delivering it in trucks that polluted.
For the next 20 years, OK Produce tried everything possible to reduce pollution, including buying new trucks, adding side skirts to improve efficiency, transitioning to super single tires to boost mileage, and becoming a very early user of biodiesel. These did make positive impacts, but not to the scale Matoian desired. Starting in 2020, the company began to experiment with electric trucks. Today their fleet includes 10 electric trucks, three electric terminal tractors, and 12 electric cars. And an additional seven electric trucks are in the works. OK Produce also installed additional solar to cover the power needed for these new EVs to make them fully zero emissions.
“Being in a business where you can’t fail on deliveries — everyone wants to see a produce department that is fresh and full — means that investing in new technology is risky,” says Matoian, who took over operation of the family business with his brother in 2008. “But for me, being proud of how and what we do, and having our team be proud of how and what we do, has been worth that risk.”
The fact is, Mother Nature provides all the beautiful fruits and vegetables that we distribute, so doing whatever it takes to lower our impact on the environment just makes perfect sense. Tweet
And the company was surprised at how well the trucks have performed and how far they were able to travel. “Also, the drivers absolutely love them,” he adds. “It’s such a better experience than hearing all day long the roar of the pistons firing. Our team members are driving trucks now that purr like kittens and create far less pollution not only in the communities we service but also for our drivers and customers.”
OK Produce’s sustainability ambitions are growing by the day. Matoian’s dream is to eventually have a fully electric fleet, and his team agrees. “Now everyone’s thinking about what is possible rather than concentrating on the challenges. We understand that this is not easy, but progress is exciting, and we are proud to lead the way,” Matoian explains. “We are now setting our sights at much higher goals and new ways of doing business and that will mean 40, 50, 60 trucks. The idea is to lower our emissions as quickly as possible.”
In late 2023, OK Produce took part in NACFE and RMI’s Run on Less – Electric Depot, an event featuring 10 electric truck fleets operating in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The event focuses on scaling electric trucks across a variety of market segments. “This event will help us share information on charging infrastructure, engagement with utilities, total cost of ownership management, truck performance, driver and technician training, charge management, and more to help the entire industry move to a cleaner freight future,” says Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director. “OK Produce plays a big part in moving the industry forward.”
“We are very excited to be participating in NACFE and RMI’s Run on Less – Electric DEPOT to share what we have learned to help others in their electrification journey,” says Matoian. “It’s so important for us to move fast as the collective impact on the environment from the trucking industry is significant. It will take teamwork throughout the industry to make positive change happen.”


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America is a nation of germaphobes, if the ubiquity of alcohol-based disinfectants like Purell is any indication. But the FDA is now wondering if your favorite pathogen-busting product is actually safe and effective.
The agency on Wednesday proposed a new regulatory rule that would require antiseptic rub manufacturers to provide more data proving the safety and efficacy of certain active ingredients in their over-the-counter products. The ingredients in question are ethanol or ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, and benzalkonium chloride, which are used in more than 90% of antiseptic rubs.
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“These products provide a convenient alternative when hand washing with plain soap and water is unavailable, but it’s our responsibility to determine whether these products are safe and effective so that consumers can be confident when using them on themselves and their families multiple times a day,” said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in a statement.
“To do that, we must fill the gaps in scientific data on certain active ingredients,” she added.
The FDA’s proposed rule is part of a broader review of antiseptic products, including wipes and washes, and was spurred by concerns in the medical community that rising daily use of such sanitizers hadn’t been proven irrevocably to be safe and effective. In its statement, the agency pointed to some recent evidence that heavy use could increase the presence of sanitizing chemicals in the bloodstream, which may be harmful for children, pregnant women, and other consumers.
No products would have to be pulled from the market under the new guidance. But if the rule is finalized, companies like the privately-held Gojo Industries (maker of Purell) would have to conduct more research into the possible consequences of extended use of their products.


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Broadridge Monetary Options, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a worldwide Fintech chief, is happy to announce the appointment of Martin Koopman as Chief Product Officer, efficient January 1, 2023.
On this position, Martin will lead the Product Administration workforce working throughout all enterprise items to collectively drive Broadridge’s supply of world-class SaaS and different service choices to main monetary providers shoppers. He might be answerable for Broadridge’s enterprise product imaginative and prescient and technique, constructing enterprise-wide platforms to profit Broadridge shoppers, empowering product administration groups, and accelerating innovation in partnership with our know-how groups.
“Martin has a confirmed file of driving product innovation each at Broadridge and at earlier firms,” mentioned Tim Gokey, Chief Government of Broadridge. “His imaginative and prescient and confirmed skill to execute might be invaluable as we turn out to be the foremost SaaS supplier to the monetary providers trade.”
“I’m excited to steer our efforts as we scale to turn out to be the main world FinTech serving Governance, Capital Markets, and Wealth and Funding Administration,” mentioned Martin Koopman, Chief Product Officer of Broadridge. “I look ahead to working with our shoppers and our gifted product administration and know-how associates to make sure that we proceed to ship world-class options for our shoppers.”
In his new position, Martin will report on to CEO Tim Gokey. Martin joined Broadridge in 2014 as Head of Technique for Broadridge’s Investor Communication Providers enterprise. In 2017, he was named President, Financial institution Dealer-Vendor (BBD), the place he helped steer that enterprise via a interval of double-digit development and innovation. Martin oversaw the profitable launch of 70+ product initiatives, together with the Shareholder Rights Directive answer in Europe with 300+ new shoppers; retail shareholder instruments, together with the ProxyVote app, proxyvote.com and exterior APIs. Martin has 23 years of trade expertise throughout each investor communications and capital markets/institutional buying and selling, and he has held positions at NYSE Euronext, Boston Consulting Group, and Itiviti/Orc Software program after its acquisition of Cameron Techniques, which he co-founded.


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*It should come as no surprise that Sade has a smash on her hands with the release of “Soldier of Love.” After all, it’s been 10 years since her fans had new music from her
According to industry trade magazine Hits Daily Double, based off of her debut sales effort on Feb 9, it’s predicted that “Soldier” will sell anywhere from, 400,000 to 425,000 copies within the first week.
Keep in mind that those numbers are an estimate that could be more or less affected depending on the recent winter blizzards occurring in the Mid-Atlantic region and thyis weekend’s bad weather in nthe South. No matter what, it looks like Sade will come out on top. BTW, vying for second place is Jaheim’s latest release “Another Round.”
Even the hip hop community can’t resist the charms of the now still gorgeous 50-year-old smooth operator. 24hiphop.com pointed out that Sade is getting mad love from hard head Busta Ryhmes and even Kanye West.
“This is why I still have a blog…,” West wrote. To be a part of moments like this … New Sade … How much better this than everything else?”
Busta to to Twitter to show his love for Sade:
“Sade is unbelievably incredible … Soldier of Love in-stores Feb.9th…Watch what happens…”


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Fonolo is excited to return as a sponsor for this year’s Contact Center Demo & Conference, happening September 25-27th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Contact Center Demo & Conference is produced by ICMI – a trusted advisor in the contact center industry – and is an independent, forward-thinking program focused on future contact center trends.
Attendees will have the opportunity to solve new challenges facing the call center space, chat with industry recognized thought leaders, and speak to vendors about the latest solutions.
At this year’s event, Fonolo will be showcasing its brand new feature-rich customer portal, equipped with scheduled call-backs, improved call-back metrics, and a more simplified way for international contact centers to deploy call-backs. Continue reading


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Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN) (“Mullen” or the “Company”), an emerging electric vehicle (“EV”) manufacturer, closed on the acquisition of Electric Last Mile Solutions’ (“ELMS”) assets on Nov. 30, 2022, in an all cash purchase valued at $105 million.
The ELMS asset acquisition of all IP and inventory will allow Mullen to launch into the commercial market much earlier than previously planned. Upon the completion of final certification, it is anticipated that Mullen will be delivering Class 1 product in Q1 2023, followed by its Class 3 vehicles in Q2.
The ELMS Mishawaka, Indiana, factory, which previously produced General Motors’ Hummer H2 and the Mercedes-Benz R-Class vehicle, is a perfect fit for production of the Mullen FIVE SUV and the Bollinger B1 and B2 platforms. Taking possession of this plant in its current condition will allow both vehicles to be launched with significantly less capital than previously anticipated and bring forward their respective launch dates.
“I have been working on this plan for many years, putting in place the strategic and critical enablers to be a dominant competitor in the EV market,” said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen. “Successfully completing this asset acquisition moves Mullen into an all-new position with IP, plants and product platforms that no other competitor can offer to both retail and commercial customers. We have everything we need to launch the Mullen and Bollinger EVs product lineup.”
Mullen Automotive is a Southern California-based automotive company building the next generation of premium electric vehicles (EVs) that are affordable and built entirely in the United States. With an end-to-end ecosystem that supports owners from test driving to financing and servicing through a unique hybrid dealership model, customers are supported through every aspect of EV ownership. The Mullen FIVE, the company’s first electric crossover, is slated for delivery in 2024 and features an award-winning design and its patented PERSONA technology that utilizes facial recognition to personalize the driving experience for every individual. To learn more about the Company, visit


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Security Industry Association
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Applications are now being accepted for the 2012 SIA New Product Showcase (NPS) at ISC West, which will be held March 27-30 at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The application deadline is February 10, 2012.
Since 1979, the NPS has been the premier awards-based marketing program in the security industry. The 2012 category list has been updated to reflect changes in electronic security technology, including a new “Green Solutions” category. The new structure helps NPS participants to more easily determine the best category for their products. Judging panels composed of industry experts will select winners in each of these categories and will present the Judges' Choice Award and the event's highest honor -- the Best New Product Award. In addition, a special display area will be set up at ISC West where buyers can personally see the latest in security products.
“Surveys from previous years tell us that 95% of ISC West attendees want to see new products,” said Security Industry Association CEO Don Erickson. “The NPS at ISC West is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for vendors to show their customers the latest innovations at the most important security event of the year supported by SIA members, who are the industry’s technology leaders.”
For designers, engineers and innovators of electronic security equipment and services, the NPS is an established, proven channel to launch new products and technologies. For less than the price of a half-page advertisement in one of the industry trade publications, NPS speeds the time to market by promoting new products and services in an integrated marketing communications campaign that brings buyers to NPS participants’ booths. It is a unique opportunity to gain valuable exposure among key decision makers within vertical commercial segments, as well as the government and institutional markets.
Fred Kreusch, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for DITEK Corporation, said. “Participating in the SIA New Product Showcase was an easy decision for DITEK. ISC West is the premier security tradeshow and the New Product Showcase award is the most coveted award in the industry. DITEK’s entry in the NPS provided show floor and marketing exposure to tens of thousands of ISC West attendees, the type of publicity not available through other organizations participating at the show.” DITEK won the "Best in Video Surveillance Hardware and Accessories” award at ISC West in 2011.
For the buying community – consultants, specifiers, integrators and security professionals (corporate or government) – NPS is a trusted and valued source for information on the latest products and technologies available.
The 2012 SIA New Product Showcase at ISC West is scheduled for March 27-30 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas. SIA members save $1,000 off the registration fee.
For more information, or to download an NPS entry form, visit the NPS website.
The Security Industry Association (www.siaonline.org) is the leading trade group for businesses in the electronic and physical security market. SIA protects and advances its members' interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation on Capitol Hill and throughout the 50 states; producing cutting-edge global market research; creating open industry standards that enable integration; advancing industry professionalism through education and training; opening global market opportunities; and providing sole sponsorship of the ISC Expos, the world's largest security trade shows and conferences.


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In this episodevonThe McKinsey PodcastMcKinsey senior partner Achim Berg talks to editor-in-chief Roberta Fusaro about insights from McKinsey'sThe state of fashion 2022Report. They cover the simultaneous impact of the many challenges facing both suppliers and brands, including the war in Ukraine, the pandemic and inflation.
After: Anxiety tends to get a bad rap. But in our second segment, Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tivary, author and professor of psychology and neuroscience at Hunter College, shares why anxious feelings deserve respect.
The following transcript has been edited for clarity and length.
The McKinsey Podcastwill be moderated by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly.
Back to normal? Not yet
Roberta Fusaro:Achim, the world has changed since our publicationThe state of fashion 2022Report. What changes have most impacted the fashion and textile industry?
Achim Berg:The invasion of Ukraine is one of those issues that isn't fully on our radar in November or December.
But that's not the only change that has occurred since the report was published. Little did we know that Omicron would be the dominant variant in the first half of 2022.
Nor did we anticipate that inflation would be a lasting challenge. Like many governments, we expected this to be a temporary problem. We expected the supply chain to normalize after two years of pandemic. That didn't come true either.
We didn't expect an energy crisis.
We also didn't expect COVID-19 to become a big issue again in China because China looked like the big winner of the whole pandemic late last year. That's the challenge of writing a report that tries to somehow predict or shape the future: things often turn out a little differently. But overall, our forecasts provided reliable insights and included themes we identified to drive the industry forward in 2022.
Roberta Fusaro:From the multitude of problems you mentioned, which challenges are suppliers currently facing?
Achim Berg:There are many different challenges. It depends on which country we are looking at. Some are quite challenging.
The supply side has a practical problem of delivering what is expected. But they also face the problem of making the right forecast because we don't know exactly how consumer behavior will develop.
The industry is always a few months ahead of the consumer, so they have some bets to make. In this environment, which is much more volatile than what we have seen over the last 20 years, making the right bets is very difficult.
Roberta Fusaro:Given the heightened risk, how should companies respond? And what can companies do to hopefully end up on the right side of those big bets?
Achim Berg:You should look for real partnerships and closer exchanges with brands as this would give companies access to data and therefore make things more predictable.
On the other hand, it's worth thinking about how to flex the system to the maximum, because demand patterns aren't as stable as they used to be. Brands and retailers will be forced to react more flexibly to these challenges. And the suppliers are by definition on the receiving side, so they need to increase their flexibility even further.
Cost pressures will continue so they will likely need to work on the cost side as well and also on their Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers throughout the system.
Different regions, different challenges
Roberta Fusaro:What were some of the more interesting data that came out from different regions?
Achim Berg:Globally, we have seen a faster recovery than we expected 18 months ago. We had expected that the entire fashion industry would not return to the level of 2019 until the end of 2022. And on a global level, we already achieved that by the end of 2021.
We had expected that the entire fashion industry would not return to the level of 2019 until the end of 2022. And we already achieved that by the end of 2021.Achim Berg
One could argue that the fashion industry has shown more resilience and a faster ability to meet challenges than we anticipated. Maybe we were too conservative in the eye of the storm. That could be another explanation.
The recovery also varied greatly from region to region. Asia, with China's very strong leadership, was the engine of the recovery right from the start. They had a very brief slump and then were just fine.
Europe faced the toughest challenge due to a lack of international travellers. Nor was the recovery as quick or as strong, given the fragmentation of markets.
North America was remarkable. We've seen a V-shaped recovery that we've seen after some of the financial crises before. But we didn't expect that here in the pandemic. Looking ahead, as we have discussed, it is difficult to make predictions.
China is currently quite challenged with its zero-COVID-19 policy, but we don't know how long it will take for a recovery to start here. Let's hope for the best because that's going to be very important, especially for the luxury end of the industry. Europe is doing better right now because we are seeing travel coming back. North America is still strong.
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It will depend heavily on how long the war in Ukraine lasts, how long that will affect energy costs, and how much stimulus various governments can provide after two years of continuous anti-pandemic stimulus.
So the jury is out. We should prepare accordingly for some challenges we might face.
Think technology from start to finish
Roberta Fusaro:During the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, we've talked a lot about companies accelerating their use of technology. Has this dynamic continued?
Achim Berg:Technology plays a very important role. We also just released the new oneState of Fashion Technology Report 2022, which highlights an important point: that we really need to think technology from start to finish.
We used to focus more on the front end - anything that was more consumer-centric, through e-commerce, through loyalty systems. But we are now realizing that the backend also needs to be digitized for many reasons.
Traceability from a sustainability point of view has become more important and will become even more important in the future. Therefore, the digitization of the entire supply chain end-to-end is a big topic for many of our customers. And that is also why technology investment for the fashion industry is expected to increase.
The importance of consumer demand for brands
Roberta Fusaro:When you think about the current challenges for brands, what obstacles do these companies face?
Achim Berg:It all comes down to consumer demand. And like I said, we were hoping that 2022 would mark the end of the pandemic, that a certain freedom would return that would allow people to party and entertain. And the fashion industry was very willing to dress consumers to do just that. And to some degree we see that happening. Some of the categories that have been hammered during the pandemic, like dresses, heels and even suits, have seen a strong return in the first five or six months of this year.
We also expect people to travel a lot. Europe is clearly returning to the whole holiday industry; I think Americans will do the same, and so will Asia except for China. That will boost consumption.
In a way, despite a looming recession and rates of inflation, we see that consumers have some kind of pent-up demand and desire to spend on fashion. The problem is that energy bills will continue to rise and we don't know how long the conflict between Russia and the western world will last.
The conflict is expected to continue to negatively impact energy and living costs. Realistically, we could see many consumers returning from vacation and a great summer to find that everything has gotten much more expensive. That could hit larger parts of the fashion industry -- particularly the discount, value, and mid-market segments. The jury is still out on how luxury will play out in this setting.
We were all surprised at how quickly luxury has returned from the pandemic lows. This return was mainly driven by China, but also by a very strong recovery and a quick recovery in the United States. Demand for luxury is very strong at this time of year. I'm more concerned with the Christmas business and especially the outlook for 2023.
Renew plans, adjust systems and manage costs
Roberta Fusaro:If you think about it, Achim, what should brands do?
Achim Berg:Brands should prepare for a likely recession. If the recession doesn't happen, we will all be pleasantly surprised.
But -- given current rates of inflation around the world, driven by rising energy costs, and the fact that interest rates are rising around the world -- it's going to affect a lot of things. It will have an impact on consumer behavior. It will affect companies' refinancing behavior and cost structures. What we discuss with many customers is how we can prepare for this.
On the one hand, this means having a solid plan for the demand side and how you can adapt your systems to different requirements, similar to the suppliers. The industry has been quite innovative in this regard over the last two years of the pandemic. This has to go on somehow.
On the other hand, industry has to manage costs. Many of the leading players have started to address this by reviewing their capital expenditure budgets and cost structures and preparing for a challenging 2023. This is what brands need to focus on in the coming months.
The winners and losers of 2022
Roberta Fusaro:Most companies in this industry have been challenged for several years. How do they react to these disturbances? And how do they find ways to invest in new technologies?
Achim Berg:2020 was the worst year from an economic profit perspective since we collected data on this industry - probably dating back to the Great Depression.
2021 was a year of recovery for many. And in that regard, a tougher 2022 and an even tougher 2023 could have some devastating effects on the industry. Our report also shows that profitability in the industry is becoming increasingly polarized.
In 2020, less than a third of companies were value-creating, while two-thirds were value-destroying. So a longer recession and a more challenging environment will definitely lead to a shakeout in the industry. We also see that there are some companies that we call the "super winners," the top 20 performers in the industry. But you could extend that to the top 20 percent of the industry, which is pretty healthy. These companies have already started investing in technology and digitization. They've invested in sustainability, they've invested in talent — all the things you want to invest in. They also have a more balanced, global business. So they will likely get better in the coming months.
There is no question that companies will have to make this transformation away from physical shops and towards a more digital business model. You need to find ways to redirect budgets into these areas. This will be more difficult for some than others, likely leading to even more polarization in the industry.
The importance of sustainability
Roberta Fusaro:Is sustainability one of those factors when considering how companies will change?
Achim Berg:Sustainability is the big issue in the industry. It was the big issue before the pandemic and it continues to be the big issue.
I always say that we go through different stages. It took us a few years to really create awareness and the industry to accept that sustainability is a big issue - not just in terms of CO2, but also on workers' rights, working conditions and environmental pollution more broadly. The industry has finally accepted the challenge.
Many companies have now committed, most of them by 2030. COP26 was a big event in that regard. We are now entering a phase in which the industry must deliver on these promises. And that now coincides with a period where we're likely to have tight budgets and more stress on the demand side. So without a doubt it would have been much better in the end, and for the planet too, if we had had a stronger recovery from the pandemic. But unfortunately that's not what we're in for.
On the other hand, the planet cannot afford an industry that does not progress. With that in mind, companies need to do all of this. You have to face up to the ambitions of digitalization, but also to the demands of sustainability.
Consumers have become more demanding in this regard. Many people have been at home during the pandemic. They had more time to think about their consumption behavior. We've seen a major shift - particularly in Western Europe and North America - in the way consumers think about sustainability and what they expect from brands. Therefore, brands must do everything. Things won't get any easier for brands across the industry over the next 18 to 24 months.
Roberta Fusaro:In the report you talked about the use of digital 'product passports', which contain data on how products are created and their impact on the environment. Do you think digital product passports are a good tool to help brands meet their sustainability commitments?
Achim Berg:Product passports and traceability are the two big issues when it comes to sustainability. Digitization will be a key lever here: on the one hand, to create the necessary transparency along the entire value chain, and on the other hand, to make this information available to an increasingly demanding consumer who wants this transparency. Let's not forget that there is a regulator out there that demands this transparency. And the supply chains are very complex.
There are different stages. It's happening in emerging markets. In most cases, it is transported at least halfway around the world. So all of this requires the use of technology to provide the transparency and reliability you need to drive the business forward.
Learn from the top 20 in fashion
Roberta Fusaro:What lessons can companies learn from some of the top companies in our study?
Achim Berg:Super Winners have outperformed the industry for many, many years. That has led to the polarization that we have at the moment. We also expect the top players to get stronger given the resources they have built and the brands and business systems they have built due to the next crisis we are facing.
You are a constant inspiration to the rest of the industry. Not everything they do can be replicated; Many low-performing players have trouble funding some of the things that the high-performers do.
You need to be active in different geographic regions to balance risks. It also helps to operate across different product categories - higher digital content and more consistent use of data are clearly beneficial for performance.
And finally, it's the fashion industry. Of course, if you're betting your chips on the right trend and if you've got the branded warmth you desire, you'll do better. And you can be like a phoenix rising from the ashes in the next few seasons. That's the beauty of the industry.
We're also seeing some strong brands now that weren't as strong before the crisis. Unfortunately, for many, it's a sliding scale. But there is always some renewal and innovation and hope. We will undoubtedly see some surprises over the next 24 months.
Roberta Fusaro:Thank you, Achim, for being with us today.
Achim Berg:Thank you Roberta for having me.
Lucia Rahilly:And now we hear from Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tivary from oursSeries of author talksabout her new bookFuture tense: why fear is good for you (even if it feels bad).
Tracy Dennis-Tivary:The essence of the book is that we mental health professionals have inadvertently given people some harmful information related to anxiety. And we basically spread some misconceptions about fear.
First, fear is always a debilitating experience, it is dangerous and we should even consider it a disease.
This means that the solution is to prevent and eradicate them and destroy them at all costs, as we do with any disease. The problem with anxiety is that it's literally a prescription for making anxiety worse.
There is a paradox of fear: the more we avoid it, the more it tends to get out of control. So not only do we have more intense fear because we avoid it, but we also lose the opportunity to look at fear and its potentially helpful parts.
There is a paradox of fear: the more we avoid it, the more it tends to get out of control.Tracy Dennis-Tivary
Fear is an emotion we have developed to anchor ourselves in the future tense. This ability to think into the future not only protects us, but also makes us more persistent, innovative, creative and socially connected.
So this story that we all believe about fear is really starting to really get in our way, especially at a time like the pandemic when we can't escape fear.
And that's the second misconception that we, psychologists, have inadvertently propagated, that every experience of fear is a malfunction and a failure.
So what do we do? We start trying to fix it all the time. And we miss those opportunities to see how it can actually be a strength and a source of resilience. Anxiety can be very intense, even very extreme, but that doesn't mean it's an anxiety disorder.
A healthy way of thinking about fear is one in which we look at it in a very different way than we are used to. We see fear as a problem to be solved, but fear is a trait of being human. And if you look at the difference between fear and anxiety, it helps us understand that.
Fear is the present certainty. We are absolutely certain that we are in danger right now. But that's not fear. Fear is the fear of the uncertain future. That means we know something is coming around the corner. It could be bad, but it could also be good. Fear helps prepare us to make those good things happen.
A second healthy way of thinking about fear involves this perspective on fear that it is information that tells us something is going to happen in the future and we really care enough about that happening.
When we start seeing fear not as something dangerous but as something helpful, it changes everything about how we face anxious moments, whether they are controllable or uncontrollable - it helps us to deal with them in the best way possible.
And a third aspect of a healthy attitude toward anxiety is that we don't see it as something that overwhelms us as we face the uncertain world around us, but rather as something that helps us deal with the uncertainty. Because fear is an emotion that evolved to help us translate and navigate the uncertain world.
How does fear help you?
What seeing helps you is that it helps you see possibilities because you are in the future tense and you care about the good things happening in the future. It can make us more persistent. It can make us more fluid to think outside the box to innovate when needed because we see that there is a possibility that something good can happen.
When we're anxious, we also focus more on rewards. We have higher levels of dopamine in our brain when we are anxious. Normally, we associate dopamine with a reward neurotransmitter that we feel when we experience something pleasurable. Well, fear triggers dopamine. Why? Because dopamine helps us achieve positive results.
It also triggers our social bonding hormone, oxytocin, to surge when we're with someone we love. It's one of the ways we biologically bond to one another. And when we're anxious, this hormone shoots up. Why? Because social connections, social bonds, are one of the best ways to deal with our anxiety.
Also in the book I talk about a three part framework for doing something with fear to work with. One is that we remember that fear is information and we need to listen to it.
Second, fear is sometimes not useful information. We can learn to tell the difference, and when we know it is sonotuseful fear we can use these great tools out there to let go and dive into the present moment, get help through therapy, do things that help us get out of future tense. The third guideline is really overcoming that fear, that information that we're getting about what we want in the future, what's important to us, what gives meaning to your life.


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Tags » The Politics Of Drinking
Yesterday, Budweiser released the commercial below. In it, the marketing giant who also happens to sell beer successfully continues their new advertising strategy, which is seemingly an effort to troll hipsters; a strategy that they unofficially launched with their… 1,041 more words
The Beer Store often claims they don’t make a profit. Given that they enjoy a monopoly in this province when it comes to retail beer sales, lately a lot of people seem to either be scoffing at the notion that the company doesn’t make a profit or going out of their way to prove that’s not true. 629 more words
In the craft beer world, opinions about the merits of contract brewing are pretty varied.
Without wading into the debate (again), I do want to discuss one thing that I think virtually everyone takes a disliking too, and that’s when a contract brewer or brewing company attempts to be dishonest about where it is that their beer is actually made. 436 more words
As part of a consultative approach they’re taking to shaping the provincial budget, the Ontario government has introduced Budget Talks 2015, an open forum wherein Ontarians can have their say and presumably, let the government know where our priorities lie in terms of provincial financing in the next year. 516 more words


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Hansa Market Darknet
Darknet discovery tools are playing a larger role in cybersecurity and In an effort to dismantle the marketplace Hansa, authorities are reported to have. Announcedthe shutting down of two of the three largest darknet markets. Alphabay and Hansa Seized, Dream Darknet Market Compromised. Dutch Police have seized and taken down AlphaBay and HANSA black markets. of two major dark web marketplaces, AlphaBay and Hansa. The two largest dark web marketplaces, AlphaBay and Hansa, have been shut down as a result of an international cooperative effort involving the. Aside from AlphaBay, another dark web market was also taken down by the authorities. Hansa Market was taken over by the authorities last. Hansa was an online darknet market which operated on a hidden service of the Tor network.
The Public Prosecutor demanded hansa market darknet years in prison against three men suspected of large-scale drug trafficking through the Hansa Market on. Like every free market, the Dark Net economy sees its many rises and National Police to run the Hansa marketplace and covertly monitor. The fall of AlphaBay pushed many eclectic shoppers to Hansa Market the dark web Walmart to AlphaBay's evil Amazon. But as of yesterday. Operation Bayonet also took down Hansa, the second-largest dark net Market after AlphaBay, in July 2022. Despite these seizures, dark web. After darknet market AlphaBay went offline on July 4, many of its users migrated darkmarket list to Hansa Market - and played right into the hands of an. In fact, the vendor-stats on Empire Market are a big hansa market darknet factor which help. Cannazon Darknet Market 2022-12-11, This onion links directory.
Unbeknownst to sellers and buyers, the Hansa market was under the control of darkmarket link law enforcement. As part of Operation Bayonet, authorities allowed. R/HANSA_Market: HANSA Darknet Market, Referral Links, Register, DNM, Referral, Hansa market is one of the most popular dark web markets existing. Darknet discovery tools are playing a larger role in cybersecurity and In an effort to dismantle the marketplace Hansa, authorities are reported to have. The US Department of Justice and Europol have closed two of the three largest dark web markets, AlphaBay and Hansa. The two dark web. Darknet markets (DNMs) source all types of goods, some legal, others less so, Reddit darknet market list 2022 Hansa market darknet. The Dutch National Police have located Hansa market and taken over products especially drugs on some other dark web marketplace.
Exploitation of the Darknet by transnational organized crime is a growing phenomenon Hansa Market, while smaller in size than Alpha Bay. HANSA Market is the third most popular dark web market this darkmarket 2022 year, according to data from SurfWatch Labs. It's a new and growing market. Used the Hansa Market, an online bazaar operating in the darknet, an anonymity-friendly internet netherworld used for illicit commerce. By TJ Nugent 2022 Cited by 4 While prosecutions of dark net marketplace operators with narcotics administrators-of-hansa-market-on-the-darknet/a-39804272. Takedown notices displayed on the Hansa and AlphaBay darknet marketplace homepages. At a Thursday news conference, the FBI and Europol announced that they've. Hansa market darknet., European Law Enforcement Take Down AlphaBay Dark Web Market The investigations into the AlphaBay and Hansa marketplaces have been.
Cannahome Market - Monopoly Market Darknet Products Markets Tools Where to Buy Another darknet marketplace, called Hansa, was shut down Thursday as. The darkfox market AlphaBay dark web marketplace has been inaccessible since 05 Jul products on other marketplaces, including Hansa and Dream Market. R/HANSA_Market: HANSA Darknet Market, Referral Links, Register, DNM, Referral, Hansa market is one of the most popular dark web markets existing. Operation Bayonet also took down Hansa, the second-largest dark net Market after AlphaBay, in July 2022. Despite these seizures, dark web. However, they say they collected reams of virtual data upon tens of thousands of transactions after driving AlphaBay's business to Hansa Market. This week, police announced the takedown of two of the dark web's largest marketplaces for illegal goods: AlphaBay and its substitute, Hansa.
If you see the ‘refund ready’ status on your order details it means you have to sign the transaction with your private key to release the funds out of escrow into the refund wallet you provided us with. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages hansa market darknet the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Secure Hash Algorithms (SHAs) are a family of cryptographic hash functions designed to keep data secure on different types of computer networks and computer infrastructure. It lets you collect direct listener support from across the globe easily. We're a new market with great features like ANONYMOUS ORDERS (you don't need an account to buy) and AUCTIONS. The wide variety of drugs available may additionally allow users and dealers access to substances they may not otherwise have access to. Since 2013, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has conducted online surveys to gain a greater understanding of identity crime and misuse in Australia. Credit cards are often sold in batches of 100 at prices as low as $17. Silk Road, it turns out, might have been that world. In fact, it is easy to understand from its name, IGtools is one website named igtools.
Raddle is a Reddit-like forum for people with strong political views. A DDoS, or distributed-denial-of-service attack, is when someone bombards a website with so many requests that it becomes hansa market darknet overwhelmed, and stops letting in its usual users. The "illegal economy" consists of the income produced by those economic activities pursued in violation of legal statutes defining the scope of legitimate forms of commerce.
- Dark Market
- Dark Markets Albania
- Dark Markets Andorra
- Dark Markets Argentina


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PALMER -- Sorry, locavores. Food from nearby fields is scarce at the Alaska State Fair.
Just a few of the nearly 70 food vendors at the fair this year build their menus around locally grown, fresh produce despite the Matanuska Valley's New Deal farm colony roots and a two-year Alaska Grown campaign to get more veggies from nearby fields and other local products into food booths.
Vendors tell state agriculture boosters that locally grown produce doesn't always come in the form they need -- shredded iceberg lettuce for tacos, say -- or supply enough volume to feed an estimated 300,000 people eating their way through the two-week fair.
But let's be honest here.
One of the reasons farm-fresh goodness doesn't dominate at the fair boils down to the deep-fried competition. The meat popsicles. Cream puffs and funnel cakes. Chocolate-dipped bacon.
"I think people go to the fair for a certain kind of fair food that doesn't always lend itself to our local fresh produce," said Amy Pettit, marketing Alaska Grown manager with the Alaska Division of Agriculture in Palmer.
Search for spinach
The Talkeetna Spinach Bread booth debuted at the fair this year and promptly won a second-place ribbon in the hotly contested food vendor competition.
Owners Karey Larson and husband Ross Benischek dish up Susitna Valley rhubarb in a juicy blueberry-rhubarb crisp topped with fresh whipped cream. The bread in their signature dish is derived from beer-brewing grains from Denali Brewing Co.
But the Talkeetna-based vendors can't get enough local spinach to whip up their roasted garlicky, cheese-laden namesake. A nearby farmer tries to grow lots of the green but it bolts, going bitter and sending up flowers too soon. And there just isn't enough to top the hundreds of pieces of spinach bread flying out of their vintage Airstream trailer on busy fair days.
"There's a guy that lives in Trapper Creek that really, really wants to sell me spinach but he has such a hard time doing it," Larson said, adding that the farmer has plenty of kale and chard if she can work it into a recipe: "If we had a source of local organic spinach, we would certainly use it."
Looking for local
State agriculture division staff audited every food booth in 2012, asking vendors if they sourced their food locally, Pettit said.
They came away "overwhelmingly disappointed," she said.
Since then, the state program has tried to ramp up the fair's local offerings. Vendors who use Alaska produce get that distinctive "Alaska Grown" sign at their booths. An approved vendor list circulates on Alaska Grown Day -- Thursday this year -- when fairgoers wearing T-shirts with the state logo get a $2 discount.
But honestly, Pettit said, the efforts haven't led to big changes yet even though vendors could qualify for a state program that allows restaurants to get a 20 percent reimbursement on any purchase of Alaska-grown specialty crops.
The fair has been a good partner in the state's efforts, adding a clause to the food vendor contract encouraging the use of Alaska-grown products, she said.
Fairgoers say they appreciate the fair's farm legacy -- even if they don't always eat that way.
Eagle River resident Cris Vrabel sat on a bench enjoying a pork chop on a stick this week.
The grilled meat was tasty but Vrabel said she still planned to hit the Bushes Bunches farm stand later, plus take a gander at the oversized rutabagas and jumbo kale in the Farm Exhibit.
"You come here to view all the super-duper veggies," she said. "Everything seems sweeter here."
According to an unofficial count by fair officials, coupled with a walk around the fair, at least a dozen vendors are serving Alaska-grown products but largely in the form of fish, meat and seafood: Indian Valley Meats, Salmon Express, Pristine Products oyster bar, the Patty Wagon, Fish On! Camp Grill and Seafood Alaska. Along with the rhubarb at Spinach Bread, Mr. Gyro's potato wedges are Alaska-grown and so are the zucchini at Friar Tucks.
Only a few vendors really emphasize local produce, including Bushes Bunches and Bistro Red Beet.
The mantra at Red Beet is "Eat Smart, Eat Local, Eat Clean," said owner Sally Koppenberg, who runs a restaurant near Wasilla along the Palmer-Wasilla Highway but has also served up fair food since 2009.
At the fair booth, the veggies in the veggie melts are local and the pickled products chopped into loaves are fermented in-house. Fresh raw beet raspberry juice? Say no more.
"We get our potatoes from four or five sources, our onions from a couple sources, our celery from another one," Koppenberg said. "We try to support little growers as well as the bigger guys."
The booth was quiet on Tuesday as hordes descended on the deep-fried cheese curds and pork chops on sticks at nearby Great Alaskan Food Adventure.
But John Wood from Eagle River headed straight for Red Beet. His wife tries to eat gluten-free and he tries to eat healthy, Wood said. She got a bowl of stew served with quinoa bread, and he got a sandwich.
"It's locally grown, and it's right inside the door," he said.
Contact Zaz Hollander at email@example.com.


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Food franchisors are yet again in the spotlight for their failings as the Australia Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) releases its latest review into the sector.
The watchdog found that franchisors in the food services sector are providing inadequate information to potential franchisees.
The report, Disclosure practices in food franchising, details how one in three franchisors are failing to consistently disclose useful contact details of former franchisees.
"One of the key steps in buying a franchise is to talk to someone who has been there before," says ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh.
"Our compliance review identified that some franchisors are making it difficult to contact former franchisees by failing to disclose basic information such as email addresses or mobile phone numbers."
"Our message to someone thinking about buying a franchise is to walk away if you can't easily contact former franchisees. You won't get a realistic picture of the business without talking to them."
Additionally, the ACCC found that nearly half of prospective franchisees did not get independent professional advice before buying the franchise. Keogh says this sets prospective franchisees up on the back foot from the get-go.
"The message for prospective franchisees is that the costs of setting up and running a food services franchise can amount to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars," says Keogh.
"If you aren't setting aside the time and money to do proper due diligence, then you should reconsider franchising altogether, as you risk investing in failure."
The review also uncovered how many franchisors did not clearly disclose what essential goods were subject to supply restrictions. While supply restrictions are a necessary component of most food franchise agreements, Keogh says clarity is necessary to enable the franchisor/franchisee relationship to operate.
"To comply with the Code, franchisors need to explain the detail of any supply restrictions. This ensures someone buying a franchised café, for example, knows whether they can shop around for coffee beans," says Keogh.
Other findings from the review include that one third of the franchisors did not adequately disclose key unavoidable ongoing costs, such as wages, rent or inventory.
"The poor disclosure by some franchisors of wages, rent and inventory costs is particularly concerning given how essential these are to running most businesses," Mr Keogh said.
The ACCC has taken a microscope to the operations of food franchisors specifically following its in-depth report into the industry released in March this year.
The Fairness in Franchising report detailed the failures of major Australian food franchisors, but paid particular attention to Brumby's, Donut King and Michel's Patisserie parent Retail Food Group.
The committee devoted a chapter in their Fairness in Franchising report released today to Retail Food Group (ASX: RFG) as an example of a franchisor who is taking advantage of an insufficient regulatory framework the report recommended serious consequences for RFG.
Just two months after the Fairness in Franchising report was released, RFG was exposed by the Sydney Morning Herald for extending the use-by dates on its food products.
As reported by The SMH Retail Food Group (ASX: RFG) instructed Michel's franchisees to ignore expiry dates on packaging and adopt new shelf-life dates, ranging from two and six months.
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Hertz is bankrupt. So why is everyone buying their stocks?
Investors are cramming in the stocks of bankrupt companies, betting against a legal process that regularly wipes out shareholders.
Car rental company Hertz Global Holdings Inc., oil driller Whiting Petroleum Corp. and retailer JC Penney Co. are among the companies that have seen their shares more than double in recent trading days despite their Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a process that keeps companies operating. while developing a creditors repayment plan.
“I’ve always thought that people have a psychological urge to buy stocks at a low price,” said Kirk Ruddy, a former bankruptcy claims trader. Retail investors can buy big names they recognize without realizing how rare it is for shareholders to get anything back in the event of bankruptcy, he said.
“If you look at the markets in general, people don’t know where to put their money. They’re like, “Hey, I’m going to try this $ 1 stock,” said Ruddy, who now works in sales for SC Lowy Financial HK Ltd.
On Tuesday, JC Penney shareholders will pressure a federal judge to appoint a court-approved committee to represent them in the bankruptcy case. Getting official status would mean forcing the retailer to pay lawyers and financial advisers who would work on behalf of shareholders. Judges rarely allow such requests for two reasons: legal fees can be high and under the so-called top priority rule all a company’s debt must be paid before shareholders can collect anything. .
Part of the rally in stocks of insolvent companies could be attributed to short hedging, when traders who bet against a company close their positions by buying back stocks, thus raising prices. But the rally could also be fueled by amateur traders, bored with foreclosure and looking for a quick buck, using platforms like Robinhood. The number of Robinhood users holding both Hertz and Whiting Petroleum shares increased after the companies filed for bankruptcy, according to Robintrack, a website not affiliated with the stock trading platform that uses data to show trends.
“No one ever loses equity in a bankruptcy case,” US bankruptcy judge David Jones said at a JC Penney status conference last month. “Equity is lost long before a case is filed.”
Under US bankruptcy law, shareholders are the last in line for any type of payment – behind lawyers, lenders and sellers – making an unusual share recovery. The size and scope of payments are usually determined by a so-called Chapter 11 plan, which creditors vote on and send to a federal judge for approval. These plans often leave even high-ranking creditors to get less than what they are owed.
Price gains among insolvents include:
- Hertz, which has climbed 95% since filing for bankruptcy on May 22
- JC Penney, up 167% since May 15
- Whiting Petroleum, up 835% since April 1
- Pier 1 Imports Inc., which has more than doubled in the last two trading days, although it is still down 97% since filing for bankruptcy on February 17
Companies that started preparing for bankruptcy also saw their shares rise on Monday, including:
- Chesapeake Energy Corp. jumped 181%
- GNC Holdings Inc. grew 106%
Representatives for Chesapeake, Hertz and Whiting did not respond to a request for comment. GNC and JC Penney declined to comment.
Meanwhile, corporate-linked debt securities continue to trade below par, implying expectations of a less than full recovery for creditors who rank well ahead of shareholders.
Whiting Petroleum has a plan on file that provides for payment to current shareholders in the form of new shares. But like most bankruptcies, the plan is subject to court approval and could be challenged by senior creditors.


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THE local trucking industry recorded a decline in sales for the fifth month in a row, according to the latest statistics released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors (AAD).
On a year-to-date basis, total truck sales were down by 2.64% to 11 928 units at the end of May. The Extra Heavy Commercial Vehicle (EHCV) segment also lost more traction over the first five months of the year, declining by 3.8% to 5 210 units.
Meanwhile, sales in the Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) segment continued its upward trend, growing by 6.68% so far this year to 2 171 sales. UD Trucks captured 25.64% of this market segment making it the top-selling brand once again, with year-to-date growth of 12.15%.
Medium Commercial Vehicles continued its slow recovery to record a 6.75% decline to reach 4 049 sales. Bus sales once again outperformed the market, growing 8.73% year-to-date to 498 units.
“The buying-down trend from Extra Heavy to Heavy Commercial Vehicles are continuing, leading to the further decrease in sales in that segment,” said Rory Schulz, Managing Director of UD Trucks Southern Africa. “This trend is a reflection of local fleet owners’ lack of confidence in the market, mostly as a result of continuing poor economic growth over the past five months.”
Schulz said that the outlook for the rest of the year remains moderate.
“We are expecting marginal growth in the local truck market, subject to a slight improvement in economic conditions and relative stability in interest rates and labour relations. However, if current conditions persist, 2015 sales would, at best, match last year’s sales performance,” concluded Schulz.
- Truck & Bus Magazine – Our LandLines are Down
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- CO2 targets ‘excessively aggressive’, say truck manufacturers
- HINO SETS NEW BENCHMARK
- Re-dressing illiteracy within rural areas
- SUNNY CONDITIONS CONTINUE IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SECTOR
- WABCO to Support Hyundai in New Medium-Duty Truck Launch in South Korea
- Serco full of good news for the new year
- Dangote Sinotruk expands Nigerian Operation
- LOCAL UD TRUCK DRIVERS PERFORM WELL IN JAPAN


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In keeping with Internet tradition, kodawarisan.com takes apart the new 15″ Aluminum PowerBook – recently launched at Apple Expo Paris – and posts a series of photos from the exercise.
Aluminum 15″ PowerBook disassembled
- Best Startup of CES 2018 — Presenting the Best of CES 2018 winners!https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/11/best-of-ces-2018-winners/Black Box VR is building the gym of the future. Using the HTC Vive, motion-tracking controllers and specially designed workout equipment, Black Box turns exercise into a video game. The plan is to set up a boutique gym in San Francisco this year, where members can strap into a [...]
- This is what a 50-qubit quantum compu... — This is what a 50-qubit quantum computer looks likehttps://www.engadget.com/2018/01/09/this-is-what-a-50-qubit-quantum-computer-looks-like/From afar, it looks like a steampunk chandelier. An intricate collection of tubes and wires that culminate in a small steel cylinder at the bottom. It is, in fact, one of the most sophisticated quantum computers ever built. The processor inside has 50 quantum bits, or qubits, [...]
- Why Black Mirror’s Most Controv... — https://www.wired.com/story/black-mirror-black-museum/?mbid=nl_010618_daily_list1_p3“Black Museum” gives us a catharsis that’s all too lacking for some. Akin to the show’s haunting holiday special, “White Christmas,” “Black Museum” plays out in a nightmarish triptych, massaging three seemingly disparate stories into a single narrative. It’s a victory, and an ending that defies the natural biology of the series—and in being so, [...]
- Designing for VR: A Beginners Guide — Designing for VR: A Beginners Guide – Marvel Bloghttps://blog.marvelapp.com/designing-vr-beginners-guide/?ref=donvy.comThe VR age is rapidly approaching. When the world’s largest tech companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple) are investing billions into the development of VR technologies, you know something big is on the horizon. Experts say that this VR revolution will be bigger than the advent of the [...]
- Time To Build Your Own Internet — Net Neutrality: Time to Use Mesh Networks to Build Your Own Internet? | Inversehttps://www.inverse.com/article/39507-mesh-networks-net-neutrality-fccLeave the big ISPs behind forever. Instead of depending on monopolistic corporations, internet users can take back the net by building their own community-supported internet networks. Mesh networks can help. [...]


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Affirm Shares Pop 20% on 71% Revenue Growth
September 10, 2021
Affirm Holdings, the payment network that empowers consumers and helps merchants drive growth, reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. The firm had revenue of $261.8 million vs. $225 million expected. Affirm had a loss per share: 48 cents per share, which is not comparable to estimates.
“Affirm’s strong results this quarter and fiscal year demonstrate the progress we are making in rapidly expanding our network,” said Max Levchin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Affirm. “More consumers and merchants are continuing to choose Affirm because of our ability to offer a variety of ways to pay, thanks to our unrivaled technology. During the fourth quarter, we increased the number of merchants on our platform by more than fivefold, more than doubled gross merchandise volume and grew active consumers by 97% year over year.”
Levchin continued, “The secular shift toward flexible and transparent financial products continues to accelerate. With our superior technology, Affirm is strongly positioned to build a more valuable two-sided network for consumers and merchants. We remain focused on extending our leadership position with our core products, while capitalizing on our vast opportunities to empower more people with the new ones we continue to launch.”
“We delivered another set of excellent results to close out our fiscal year with GMV and revenue growth continuing to accelerate,” said Michael Linford, CFO of Affirm. “During the fourth quarter, we delivered strong unit economics while driving even greater capital efficiency. The strategic progress we achieved in fiscal year 2021 sets us up for long-term growth. We have never been more confident and excited in Affirm's future.”


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Stratford-based Sikorsky has been awarded a major contract with the Department of Defense to build 200 helicopters.
The CH-53K “King Stallion” choppers will be used for field logistics for the U.S. Marine Corps and can lift 36,000 pounds.
Gov. Dannel Malloy praised the contract saying “The headline is that these state-of-the-art helicopters will be made in Connecticut. This is an exciting milestone for Sikorsky and for our state. Competition in today’s worldwide economic climate is fierce, and Connecticut has shown we remain a valued leader where businesses can access one of the most well educated, productive workforces and maintain a competitive edge well into the future. This isn’t only about Sikorsky – it’s also about the supply chain companies and the thousands of employees in every corner of our state who will benefit. That’s why we worked so hard to ensure the CH-53K King Stallion would be built right here in Connecticut.”
Copyright 2017 WFSB (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.


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A little over a year since the launch of the Taste Pure Nature country of origin brand in California, Beef + Lamb’s GM Market Development, Nick Beeby, is thrilled with the evolution of the programme.
At the start a small number of meat exporters were supportive of what Beeby concedes was initially seen as a B+LNZ initiative, but 15 months later success in targeting specific consumer groups and expansion of the scheme into China have brought increased industry commitment.
TPN is now viewed positively as a sector-led strategy and the meat exporters have injected huge momentum and drive in support.
Original participants included Lamb Company shareholders, Alliance, ANZCO and Silver Fern Farms, and Atkins Ranch and First Light, two exporters which stood to benefit from the tightly targeted digital strategy directed at the Conscious Foodie consumer segment in California. The initial strategy was to raise awareness and increase the preference for New Zealand grass fed, naturally raised and anti-biotic free red meat, and importantly to point consumers to where they can buy it. These strategic objectives remain the same.
Beeby says quarterly research tracking confirms the key indicators all show a significant lift with approximately half those surveyed now recognising the benefits claimed and the story resonating well with conscious foodies, achieved with a relatively small budget.
ANZCO’s Rick Walker is cautiously positive about what has been achieved in North America, but warns it has been difficult to launch a successful programme with limited resources, saying it sounds easier on paper than it is in reality. The most important factor being the importance of having New Zealand origin product available in store which has been slow to achieve. The Lamb Company, which has had its own ‘New Zealand Spring Lamb’ retail brand for 30 years, also struggled initially to see the value of superimposing the origin brand, but has now been able to make the necessary alignment between its new ‘Springvale’ beef brand and TPN, with Canada’s Metro supermarket chain stocking the grass fed beef range since March, enabling consumers to make the connection between the company and origin brands.
Rather than tangible sales volumes, the biggest value Walker sees in the Californian launch programme has been getting the meat exporters to work together for the common good instead of competing counterproductively against each other. SFF’s Group Marketing Manager, Nicola Johnston, agrees the major advantage of the programme has been the cooperation between meat exporters, rather than an instant surge in sales. SFF couldn’t take immediate advantage of the work on the West Coast because it had no branded products in stores there at the time, while alignment between TPN and The Lamb Company took time to resolve.
A prime example of collaboration was a week-long familiarisation trip arranged to bring one journalist and five social influencers from California to New Zealand to build a deeper understanding of this country’s unique attributes. Brand partners Atkins Ranch, SFF and First Light joined B+LNZ to host a comprehensive programme of farm visits, food and wine activities and unique experiences. The outcome has been 98 separate media content pieces, 126,500 social media engagements and a social reach of more than 40 million. The influencers were impressed by all aspects of farming here, praising “just how much care, effort and love (that) goes into every meal made with NZ grass fed meat.”
Exporter cooperation has also led to important progress in China, the second country TPN has been launched in, where Greenlea, ANZCO and SFF have worked with their mutual distributor Unifoods to introduce a pilot programme in Shandong province through two high-end butchers and a retailer just in time for Chinese New Year.
Since business restarted after the Covid-19 interruption, Unifoods has decided to expand the pilot to more than 200 stores in Shandong, a wealthy coastal region of nine million people eager to enjoy the natural benefits of New Zealand beef. The retail fit out is nearly complete and a digital platform is in development. Greenlea CEO Tony Egan sees China as the biggest opportunity following the success of the pilot programme, praising the willingness of competing companies to put aside their differences and work together. Walker agrees the China programme has much closer alignment between promotion and availability, while Johnston is pleased with the preliminary campaign in Shandong which will be able to be expanded into the Shanghai region on the back of work already done there.
Exporter participation in TPN has increased since its launch with the addition of Greenlea, Angus Pure and Coastal Spring Lamb to the five original companies. Until now AFFCO has remained outside the group, because the chosen launch areas were not compatible with its main sales target markets, but Mark de Lautour, GM Sales and Marketing, assures me AFFCO has been totally committed to the origin brand messaging from day one. In the post-Covid online world geographic boundaries tend to disappear and with collateral now available to support digital channels, AFFCO has signed up to participate in TPN which will align perfectly with its Natural Beef programme.
To the outside observer TPN may appear to have had a relatively quiet beginning, but in actual fact it represents an enormous change in meat industry dynamics. Achieving cooperation between the farmer levy funded B+LNZ and meat companies, let alone between individual companies, would have been unheard of even 10 years ago. But determination to find a way through this maze of protectiveness is a credit to all involved, and the ultimate prize of New Zealand red meat being successfully promoted to the world as a high value, healthy and sustainable protein is now a realistic prospect.
Current schedule and saleyard prices are available in the right-hand menu of the Rural section of this website.