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Baidu face is not a technical problem, but the company has no values, all look at short-term returns, can not afford the scale commensurate with its responsibility. Original title: Baidu because of the medical scandal hit the ceiling, which is more than ten years of accumulation of the outbreak of the problem (
before the lunar new year in 2017, Baidu ushered in the establishment of 17 years, the biggest change in management.
Baidu announced Lu Gang served as the group’s chief operating officer, is fully responsible for all of Baidu’s business technology, products, operations, marketing and sales services. This is a new position inside Baidu, Baidu business executives will report to Lu Qi.
this is a big change for Baidu, Baidu China land means that the next actual person in charge.
in fact, Baidu is also in urgent need of major changes.
Baidu advertising business fell for the first time in the third quarter of 2016, down by 6.7%. This is the first time since Baidu listed in 2005, the first decline in advertising. While Baidu’s total revenue, more than 90% from advertising.
at the same time, Baidu in 2015 the focus of investment Baidu Nuomi and Iqiyi did not reverse the loss.
led Baidu market capitalization slumped in 2016, hovering around $Wuliubaiyi. Has often been used as Baidu and China’s Internet giant Alibaba and Tencent, their respective market capitalization of about $240 billion. "BAT" argument has no meaning.
Baidu often dig from foreign companies, but Lu Qi is Baidu’s most experienced managers.
Lu Qi from 2008 to join Microsoft to leave in 2016, are in charge of a division, reporting directly to the Microsoft CEO.
Microsoft’s total number of business has not been more than 10, each of which is equivalent to a small company, has a complete engineering, marketing, finance, to provide independent revenue statements. They are also responsible for a small CEO, managing the size of more than the vast majority of independent business.
in 2013 after the reorganization of Microsoft, land management business is responsible for Office, Bing, Skype and other services. Office is Microsoft’s highest profit business.
Baidu has such a familiar engineering, search and management of the company’s overall business, it sounds like a bad thing.
but you open the portal reports on the matter under review, are talking about Baidu search results without honesty, only money, fake ads kill people……
throughout the 2016, Baidu’s scandal revolves around healthcare. From the beginning of last year to sell hemophilia bar to the middle of May, "Wei Zexi" incident. This directly triggered the Baidu advertising business >


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Chào mừng bạn đến với Vòng quanh Blockchain, bản tóm tắt hàng ngày của Huobi Learn về thị trường tiền điện tử.
Gucci will start accepting crypto payments in over 10 currencies (including BTC, ETH, SHIB and DOGE) at some of its stores in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta and Las Vegas at the end of the month. The luxury brand also plans to extend the pilot to all its directly operated North American stores this summer. Any in-store customer who wishes to pay using crypto will be emailed a link containing a QR code that allows them to use their crypto wallet to make payment. The fashion house has already adopted early Web3 technologies like blockchain and launched NFT projects, and president and CEO Marco Bizzarri said crypto payments were “a natural evolution” for the brand.
Bankoff, a platform offering virtual cards that can be topped up with crypto, has announced that its cards are no longer supported by Visa and Stripe. Some Bankoff users have also reportedly complained of being unable to withdraw deposited crypto from their accounts. The suspension was due to an increase in the number of active users and transactions from Russia, after Visa and Mastercard stopped operations in Russia in accordance with sanctions. This caused Russian-issued cards supported by leading payment processors to become useless for purchases outside Russia, leading to Russian residents ordering Bankoff’s virtual cards, which allowed them to make overseas payments.
Cboe Global Markets has completed its acquisition of institutional crypto exchange ErisX, with the newly joint firm’s executives saying quick integration was necessary while the digital asset markets were still hot. To be rebranded as Cboe Digital, the business will function as a subsidiary run by ErisX CEO Thomas Chippas. ErisX COO Matt Trudeau said it would prioritize adding margin capability to its clearinghouse in the near term, while the soon-to-be Cboe Digital would seek to expand its spot offerings beyond BTC, BTC cash, LTC and ETH.
France’s markets regulator AMF has registered Binance France as a digital asset service provider (DASP), with French banking regulator ACPR approving the registration. This makes France the first major European country to explicitly permit Binance to operate in its jurisdiction, and makes Binance the first major crypto exchange to be licensed as a DASP in France. This is a significant milestone for the exchange, especially as it has not had much luck in other European countries: Italy’s securities regulator said in July that Binance was “not authorized to provide investment services and activities in the country, while the Dutch central bank said in Aug that it lacked “the required legal registration” provide such services in the Netherlands.
Coinbase and Brazilian firm 2TM — Mercado Bitcoin’s parent company — have reportedly ended discussions on the former purchasing the latter. The reason for this has not been revealed, with both companies remaining tight-lipped. After announcing its acquisition of blockchain infrastructure platform Bison Trails, as well as the Routefire platform in Jan last year, Coinbase is said to have been making offers to buy other crypto and blockchain firms internationally. Last month, the exchange was reported to be planning a purchase of Turkey-based crypto firm BtcTurk for $3.2 billion.
Cho tôi xem tiền
Over the past 24 hours, BTC rose 1.54% to $39,509.33, while ETH was up 3.15% to $2,927.54. Other major altcoins witnessed mixed price movements: ADA was up 8.09% and SOL 5.66%, while LUNA was down 0.77%. Meme tokens SHIB and DOGE saw a respective increase of 2.36% and 2.26% within the same period.
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domain: news


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Slym's hefty challenge at Tata Motors
Jan 30, 2013 By Rajiv Rao
Ex-head of General Motors (GM) India Karl Slym may not have realised this, but he has a few things in common with Alan Mulally, the global head of his former arch rival, Ford Motor Co.
Tata Motors launches passenger cars in Bangladesh
Nov 28, 2012 By Press Trust of India
Introduces two sedans and a hatchback, will cover four cities by 2013
BSM Which Car - July Edition IV
Jul 30, 2011 By BSM Team
Team BSM answers all your car buying queries!
Sedan Decisions - Making the sedan choice
Aug 17, 2016 By BSM
Buying a sedan? Then you certainly need to see this!
Surge in car demand means waiting weeks for many models
Apr 01, 2010 By Yogima Seth Sharma & Swaraj Baggonkar
Waiting periods for cars now ranges from two weeks to nearly four months
Auto Expo 2010 Expo-sure!
Jan 02, 2010 By BSM
All the hot metal you will be seeing at the 2010 Auto Expo!
Tata Indigo Manza - It’s a Manza world
Nov 24, 2009 By Bijoy Kumar Y
Tata is set to challenge the Suzuki Dzire with the Manza.
Tata launches Indigo Manza sedan
Oct 14, 2009 By BSM desk
Prices start at a jaw-dropping Rs 4.8 lakh!


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Researchers at Wake Forest University have developed a lighting material that could rival the king of lighting, LEDs. Using nanotechnology, the researchers created a plastic material that glows when an electric current runs through it. It's just as energy efficient as LEDs and twice as efficient as compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, but it has one major advantage over both of those. Because it's made with plastic, it can be made into any shape.
The material creates a soft white light similar to sunlight and could be shaped into anything from bulbs that fit into household lamps to large, flat ceiling panels that could replace the awful fluorescent lighting in many office buildings."People often complain that fluorescent lights bother their eyes and the hum from the fluorescent tubes irritates anyone sitting at a desk underneath them," said David Carroll, the light's lead researcher. "The new lights we have created can cure both of those problems and more."
LED lighting tends to have a bluish tint, while fluorescents can be yellow. The plastic material gives off a light close to sunlight, which our eyes prefer, but it could be made to emit any color.
“If you wanted blue lights, discos would still be popular. You want lights that have a spectral content that is appealing to us inside of a building,” Carroll said. “You want a light that won’t shatter and create a hazmat situation while your children are around.”
The technology builds off of a decade of research in field-induced polymer electroluminescence. The Wake Forest researchers added multi-walled carbon nanotubes to three layers of moldable white-emitting polymer, which they say "effectively doped the polymer" and led to a five-fold increase in the light emitted by the device compared to the polymer without the nanotubes.
The material could also be used for larger light installations like light displays, marquee lighting, bus and subway signs. The researchers have already partnered with a company to bring a product to market by next year.


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The great thing about social media – like Twitter and Facebook – is that it provides a megaphone for farmers, a group of people who have struggled for decades to be heard by consumers. The flipside is, of course, that technology doesn’t discriminate; a megaphone for farmers is a megaphone for everybody else, too. Which makes the initial vegan-activist backlash to the #farm365 movement somewhat expected, but it still caught many off-guard.
Calgary-based Rocky Mountain Equipment, through a subsidiary, has entered an agreement to purchase all the shares in Manitoba agricultural equipment dealer Chabot Implements for $6.8 million.
A family-owned business started in 1935, Chabot sells Case IH and other brands through locations in Portage la Prairie, Steinbach and Elie. Chabot also handles Kubota, Buhler and various shortlines through its site at Neepawa, Manitoba.
Hot on the heels of the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville last month, three of the big equipment manufacturers rolled out spiffy new certified pre-owned equipment programs – what’s all the fuss about? And is the extra shine and gloss of a certified sticker worth heading to the dealer vs. hanging out at auction (our guess is the coffee is better at the dealership).
You could say the day when tractors “talk” to each other in the field has arrived, as John Deere has expanded its field automation system to include coverage map and guidance line sharing between machines.
New Machine Sync features unveiled last month build on the application’s ability to link a combine with a grain cart to allow the combine operator to control tractor speed and cart location.
Created March 13, 2015 | Category: Agronomy


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There's going to be a balance between opening up borders and Covid-19 testing procedures. In these early stages, governments will understandably be cautious and anyone wanting to fly will probably have to pay the price, until the science says otherwise.
The head of global airline industry body the International Air Transport Association has hit out at the high cost of Covid-19 testing, accusing providers of profiteering from travel, and calling for the industry to challenge whether PCR tests are necessary.
European airlines are counting on a travel rebound this summer after months of Covid-19 restrictions left them struggling with minimal revenues and huge new debts taken on to survive the pandemic.
But any demand for PCR tests that can cost more than the short flights themselves threatens the recovery.
“We’re clearly seeing evidence of profiteering by people who have jumped on the testing bandwagon,” Willie Walsh, IATA’s new director general, said at a virtual industry conference on Tuesday.
He said that governments had mandated PCR tests and were then charging value added tax on the cost of the testing, a scenario which he said needed to be challenged.
“The cost of testing should be significantly lower than it is. I think we’ve got to challenge whether PCR testing is necessary,” he said.
PCR tests, the so-called gold standard test, can cost around $140 in Britain.
Airline bosses, led by easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren, say PCR tests will make travel too expensive for many and are calling for authorities to instead allow travellers to use lateral flow or antigen tests which are much cheaper and give results more quickly.
“We can’t have a situation where only the wealthy are able to travel. That would be a shame and a disgrace and everyone in the industry should be pushing back,” Walsh said.
Walsh said that lateral flow and rapid antigen tests are “just as effective” in the context where there are other measures in place to help manage risk.
(Reporting by Laurence Frost and Sarah Young; editing by Michael Holden and Kate Holton)
The Daily Newsletter
Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.
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Photo credit: Most countries offer free testing, such as the Federal Senate of Brazil, but many private companies charge for tests. Senado Federal/Leopoldo Silva/Agencia Senado / Flickr


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Yangzijiang Shipbuilding inks US$78m container feeders contract
CHINA's Yangzijiang Shipbuilding has signed a shipbuilding contract for four 1,000TEU container feeders worth a total of UD$77
31 May 2020 - 19:00
According to a company statement, the container feeders measure 139.9 metres in length, 25 metres in width and eight metres in draft, which is said to take into consideration the water and shape conditions of several major ports in Zhejiang Province.
The company said that compared to ocean liners, the design of these feeders will give priority to loading capacity over speed. With a maximum loading capacity of 15,000 tonnes, the 1,000TEU feeder significantly reduces fuel consumption per unit, reports Singapore Business Review.
This news 294 hits received.


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Tech companies have developed new systems and solutions to assist venues with reopening according to the government's Covid-19 guidance
Earlier this week, the UK government released its guidelines to allow bars, pubs and restaurants to reopen on 4 July. These instructions stated that at least ‘one metre plus’ of social distance must be maintained between staff and customers alike at all times, and outlined, to some degree, how venues can ensure the social distancing requirements are met.
Several of the recommendations involved the use of technology to reduce contact and collect information, including encouraging contactless ordering from tables, using booking systems to streamline and limit reservations, and recording customer details for the NHS Test and Trace system.
In response, tech businesses – from small start-ups to well-known giants – have already begun to showcase new solutions that address the needs of the on-trade. Here are some of the latest apps and systems designed to aid the reopening and recovery of the hospitality industry.
Customer data management platform Airship has launched a visitor registration and check-in solution to assist venues in gathering customer details for NHS Test and Trace.
Government guidelines require pubs, bars and restaurants to store these details for 21 days. Airship’s new system automatically deletes customer data after 21 days, though it gives customers the opportunity to sign up for the venue’s database during the registration process.
To collect the data, Airship asks customers to register their details and authenticate them through a reply SMS with a code. If a customer returns to the outlet within 21 days, they do not need to re-register – they simply scan a QR code displayed in the venue. After 21 days, returning customers will need to register again.
Nightlife and dining guide app Dusk has set up its own system for collecting customer details.
Dusk provides venues with a PDF poster that features a unique QR code, which should be displayed in the bar, pub or restaurant. Customers scan the QR code with their phone and are taken to a form to give their contact details and consent for Covid-19 tracing.
Customers will receive an email with instructions on how to contact Dusk should they test positive for the virus, and Dusk will contact its database of affected customers only in the event of an outbreak. As with Airship, data is deleted after 21 days.
Launching 1 July, Glug is a new app that allows for contactless ordering and payment.
The platform was developed over the course of three years by Joshua Burke, co-founder of immersive experience Bongo’s Bingo, with Carl Whiteside and Lewis Allbones.
To use Glug, customers download the app, which lets them view the outlet’s full menu, place their orders and pay for their food and drink without the need for cash or cards.
Ultimately, Glug aims to list thousands of venues, helping users to plan their dining experiences while giving venues the tools to reduce contact as much as possible.
Retail platform Ubamarket has tailored its mobile technology to the needs of the hospitality industry in a new app called UBarmarket.
UBarmarket has already been adopted by the grocery sector, providing retailers such as Budgens and Londis with white-label solutions for in-store shopping. The new UBarmarket project expands these capabilities for on-trade venues, offering contactless payments, the ability to order through the app and loyalty schemes for customers.
‘Ubarmarket’s features represent a key solution to a number of the challenges posed by increased safety and hygiene measures, by enabling features such as in-app payments and remote ordering which can dramatically cut down on person-to-person contact, overcrowding, and potentially dangerous interactions in the venue,’ commented Will Broome, CEO of Ubamarket.
Brewing company Heineken UK has partnered with online booking system Togo to develop Swifty, a payment and loyalty app.
Swifty was designed specifically to help on-trade operators reduce contact in their venues as they reopen after lockdown. It allows customers to make bookings, view menus, place orders and pay from their phones.
The app also ‘seamlessly integrates with existing EPOS systems’, letting business owners monitor their sales and their customers’ buying preferences so they can use these insights to aid their recovery.
Matt Rix, Heineken UK’s head of data-driven commerce for the on-trade, believes that the app is ideally positioned among the solutions available to venues: ‘While Swifty is a technology solution, it has the benefit of being backed by Heineken’s wealth of experience in the hospitality industry,’ he commented. ‘By combining our expertise as brewers, retailers and suppliers with an industry-leading mobile solution, we’re able to uniquely provide our customers with the means to kickstart their operations once lockdown has been lifted.’


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Paris-based ad holding company Publicis Groupe and one of its clients, France Telecom-Orange (FTO), confirmed they are teaming with Iris Capital Management to manage a series of funds that will invest nearly $400 million in European and global digital startups. Under the plan, the holding company and FTO will acquire nearly half of Iris.
Publicis first confirmed plans to launch the investment funds last fall, but at the time said it was still talking to potential administrators, with Iris among them.
Publicis and FTO have confirmed they will invest an initial $200 million in the startups. A group of other investors are also anteing up, including the European Investment Fund and French investment company CDC Entreprises, part of Groupe Caisse des Dépôts.
To start, Iris will manage three separate funds, including a ventures growth vehicle that will target established companies in France and Europe, providing up to roughly $20 million per project. There will also be a global investment fund for startups outside Europe that will provide up to $20 million per project. Both the growth and global funds are commencing operations immediately, Publicis said.
A third fund -- for early-stage investment of up to $4 million per project -- will kick off in the second quarter of 2012. All investment decisions will be made by an independent investment committee.
Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Levy said the plan is “to get funds flowing to businesses as fast as possible so they can flourish.”
Under the funding agreement, both Publicis and FTO will acquire 24.5% stakes in Paris-based Iris. Iris management will retain a controlling 51% interest, and the company will continue to be run by Pierre de Fouquet and Antoine Garrigues.
With their investment stakes Publicis’ Levy becomes chairman of Iris’ supervisory board and Gevais Pellissier, deputy CEO of FTO, has been named deputy chairman of the board. Iris, formed in 1986, has invested more than $1.1 billion in more than 200 companies since its launch. Recent investments include the French company Mediastay, an online games platform and Berlin-based search engine optimization company Searchmetrics.


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Stratasys Demonstrating New Metal 3D Printing Platform for Short-Run Production at formnext
At RAPID + TCT in April, Stratasys introduced its multi-color J735 3D printer; at September’s TCT Show, the company showed off its advanced 3D printed carbon fiber parts. Now, during formnext 2018 this week in Frankfurt, Stratasys is helping to usher in a new era of production-grade metal parts 3D printing. The company is releasing more details on a new additive platform it’s developing for short-run metal applications.
“We note that current approaches to 3D printing metal parts leave a lot to be desired – including slow post-processing, painstakingly intricate support removal, and hours of matching and grinding,” said Rafie Grinvald, the Director of Product Marketing and Management for Stratasys. “Combined with the high cost of AM powders, this means each part is expensive, with a total cost of ownership that is too hard to justify. Our new platform is being designed to transform the current metals additive manufacturing landscape – presenting a viable alternative to typical production methods – and helping customers dramatically reduce the costs of creating reliable, consistent production-grade, metal parts for short-run applications.”
Developed internally over the last several years and unveiled earlier in 2018, this platform is based on the company’s innovative Layered Powder Metallurgy (LPM) technology, which was specifically designed to make it easier, faster, and more cost-effective to produce metal parts for low-to-mid volumes.
Stratasys intends for its new advanced platform, which combines short-run metal parts production with the value of 3D printing, to “disrupt conventional manufacturing approaches” and use standard Powder Metallurgy (PM) alloys, with their controlled shrinkage, fast throughput, and high accuracy, to drive cost savings and make 3D printing more efficient.
The LPM platform’s three-step 3D printing process combines commonly-used powder metallurgy with the company’s own PolyJet 3D printing. This process consists of using proprietary thermal ink to print boundaries, and is followed by powder dispensing and spreading, and finally compacting the layer of powder for high density, controllable shrinkage.
Stratasys’ new system, which is ideal for use in markets like aerospace, defense, and automotive, works to address the 3D printing needs of customers in need of small-batch manufacturing during times of product ramp-up and end-of-life, customized, lightweight, complex parts, and pilot-series parts production. Once it’s complete, the platform will offer very high part quality and easily implemented post-processing, and should also be, as Stratasys puts it, “economically competitive vis-à-vis cost-per-part and throughput.”
Currently, the company is in closed-loop feedback discussions about its new 3D printing metals platform with OEMs and Tier-1s. While product specs and launch timelines for the LPM-based platform are not available just yet, Stratasys will be discussing its new solution, and demonstrating production parts, at formnext this weeky. At its booth G40 in Hall 3.1, the company will be providing detailed customer use-cases, exclusive hands-on demonstrations, and presentations.
To see the LPM 3D printing process for yourself, take a look at the video below:
Discuss this news and other 3D printing topics at 3DPrintBoard.com or share your thoughts in the Facebook comments below.
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Two government reports released Friday point to a weakening in demand for apparel, as retail sales fell and prices declined.
Clothing and accessory store sales dropped 0.2 percent in September compared with August to $18.1 billion and department store sales declined 0.1 percent to $15.5 billion, the U.S. Commerce Department said. General merchandise stores, a category that includes discounters and department stores, saw flat sales in September of $50.9 billion.
In yearly comparisons, specialty store sales were up 3.2 percent, but department store sales were off 0.8 percent. General merchandise stores saw a 2.6 increase in sales year-over-year.
Meanwhile, economic pressures drove retail apparel prices down a seasonally adjusted 0.6 percent in September, and decreased 1.2 percent compared with a year earlier, the Labor Department said in its Consumer Price Index.
Taken together, the two reports suggest “sluggishness, and perhaps early and deep markdowns,” said Charles McMillion, president and chief economist with MBG Information Services.
In the overall economy, retail sales eked out a 0.6 percent increase over a month earlier to $367.7 billion, slightly higher than expected and the third monthly increase in a row. Sales spiked 7.3 percent compared with September 2009, when the recession was in full swing.
“There’s no question that the industry is in a much better state than this time last year; however, consumers are still very reliant on sales and promotions,” said Matthew Shay, president and chief executive officer of the National Retail Federation.
The economy has not yet fully dug itself out of the hole created by the recession, with unemployment and underemployment rates still relatively high, and any gains in retail sales are likely to be “sluggish and hard-won,” said Sandy Kennedy, president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association.
Women’s apparel prices fell 1.4 percent compared with a month earlier and dropped 0.8 percent year-to-year. Prices for men’s apparel were down 0.3 percent in September and declined 0.2 percent in 12-month comparisons.
The overall CPI rose 0.1 percent in September compared with August and increased 1.1 percent compared with a year earlier. The so-called “core index,” which excludes the volatile food and energy sectors, was flat month-to-month and rose 0.8 percent in 12-month comparisons.
Consumers appear to be holding out and waiting for prices to come down before committing to purchases, said Kevin Regan, senior managing director and retail industry expert with FTI Consulting.
“We’re seeing signs of a gradual comeback, a gradual loosening up, but it’s still a cautionary environment because the economy is unsure of itself,” Regan said. “If you look at the consumer mood as reflected in consumer confidence measures, they’re still grim.”
Retail stocks did well Friday, but the broader market was slightly down.
The S&P Retail Index pushed up 1.5 percent, or 6.77 points, to 466.90 for the day, lifting the sector to a 0.7 percent gain for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.3 percent, or 31.79 points, to 11,062.78 Friday and rose 0.5 percent for the week.
Of the 171 stocks tracked by WWD, 107 increased last week, while four held steady and 60 declined.
International markets largely outperformed the U.S. for the week, with the Hang Seng Index running up 3.6 percent in Hong Kong and the DAX gaining 3.2 percent in Frankfurt.


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Gucci is one of the most popular fashion brands in the world and has already enjoyed a 49 per cent sales growth in the first quarter of this year as a result.
Now, Creative Director Alessandro Michele‘s latest Pre-Fall ’18 collection (which will be available at Gucci’s newest flagship address at The Dubai Mall), is highlighted in the maison’s latest campaign, shot by British photographer, Glen Luchford.
Titled ‘Gucci Dans Les Rues’ (which translates to ‘Gucci in the streets’), the new campaign showcases the eclectic co-ed collection, fronted by young rebels roaming the streets. Inspired by the spring of student awakening in Paris in 1968, Alessandro’s new athletic-inspired ready-to-wear pieces, crystal embellished leather jackets and leather RE(BELLE) backpacks are captured in a series of achingly cool images that boast “optimism, idealism and passion”.
Browse through Gucci’s Pre-Fall ’18 campaign here…
Now, read more about how Gucci collaborated with 15 female artists on its new fragrance campaign.


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Kiana Gamulo and Aaron Block, both of Vallejo, and Ron Byas of Fairfield bagged kiwi in small mesh sacks at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano in Fairfield. Nearby, several others packed potatoes as employees zipped around in forklifts and a semitractor-trailer pulled in and out of the parking lot.
It was Giving Tuesday which, by all accounts, is a global generosity event.
Officials at the 100,000-square-foot, hangar-sized facility said they served 275,000 people this month. That’s a 60% increase over pre-pandemic levels, noting those numbers are coming in when the hunger-relief program is paying more for food that it buys to distribute while donations are down 20% this year over last.
As it has for everyone, inflation has taken its toll, said Cassidie Bates, government and public affairs manager at the Fairfield branch of the two-county food bank. She said in recent months inflation has boosted the cost of food by 10% to 20%, and the most inflated items are also those that supply great amounts of protein: meat and dairy products.
“At the same time, we’re serving more people,” she said. “It costs us more as we continue to serve more.”
The need to relieve hunger, especially among the most economically strapped, “is greater than ever,” said Bates, a Reno, Nevada native and University of California, Berkeley, graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in law and public policy.
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that Solano in 2021 had 451,716 residents, while Contra Costa had slightly more than 1.16 million. Of those, Bates said, 1 in 6 — or nearly 17%, some 274,000 people — turn to the food bank monthly for emergency and supplemental food, up from 1 in 8 — or a little more than 12% — since the pandemic began in early 2020.
“And a quarter of those are children,” she said.
Families typically need eggs, dairy products and fresh produce, the latter accounting for 50% of a box or bag of every distribution, said Bates, adding that the food bank also tries to be sensitive to distributing “culturally relevant meals” in a state and region with diverse and rapidly changing demographics.
The best way to help the food bank meet its needs is to donate cash, because it increases the food bank’s purchasing power as every donated dollar provides two meals, she said.
Food insecurity, Bates explained, is “the set of circumstances,” among them reliable access to and being able to afford food, while hunger is the physical sensation of craving for food when someone is unable to meet that need.
Food insecurity, she added, is on a spectrum, meaning it can be daily to less frequently, say, to once weekly or once or twice monthly.
Can communities end one or both?
“That’s the mission,” said Bates. “It takes a lot of partnerships.” They include, among many, Loaves & Fishes, Catholic Charities, Meals on Wheels and the Vacaville Storehouse.
In a land of plenty, the demand on the food bank, which a group of community members started 47 years ago, cannot be explained by a specific answer, she said.
Some fall below the poverty level, others face the high cost of housing in the Bay Area, so “it’s harder to meet financial demands,” when, in some cases, people make the difficult choice between paying the rent or mortgage “or putting food on the table,” she said.
During a brief tour of the food bank, Kathy Abraham, a volunteer coordinator, was a fount of information for a visitor:
- The organization needs 5,000 volunteers every month for a variety of shifts;
- The bank serves 75 distribution locations in the two counties;
- It has 45 senior food locations and five drive-through sites, created as a result of the pandemic;
- Families receive 35 to 40 pounds of food, the equivalent of a $60 grocery bill; and
- Food bank volunteers make thousands of boxes, filled with food, each week, including what Abraham called “kitchen-free bags,” ready-to-eat food that does not require refrigeration, preparation or cooking.
The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is part of Feeding America, the nonprofit network of 200 food banks and the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, she said, and supports other hunger-fighting groups in 18 Northern California counties, including during disaster relief operations.
Sources of food, perishable and nonperishable, include manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, brokers, food drives, farmers and individuals. Regular donations of fresh, local and seasonal fruits and vegetables come from the produce industry in a partnership with the California Association of Food Banks. Government-funded programs pay for some of the food and operating costs.
Last year, through partnerships, said Abraham, the food bank recovered some 6 million pounds of food from grocery stores and other retailers, such as Costco, Target and Safeway, food that ended up on a table rather than in a landfill.
While it was a cool day outside, the food bank’s cold storage unit, 8,600 square feet in all, with room for 700 pallets, was keeping perishable food at a safe, chilly temperature until ready for distribution.
The dry goods room, which appeared to account for half the food banks total square footage, is a site to behold, nearly five stories high, filled with pallets and boxes canned and jarred goods, dry pasta and beans. Drivers of two forklifts shuttled about removing pallets or unloading them from trucks.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Those wishing to volunteer can sign up to help package food in the warehouse or to help at a distribution site can find out more by visiting volunteer.foodbankccs.org or by calling 855-309-3663, then press 6.
Information on how to donate cash or food can be found at foodbankccs.org/give-help/donate or at foodbankccs.org/give-help/give-food.


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We are on the cusp of a golden age of hypercars. The introduction of a new Le Mans hypercar class, the shift to electrified performance, and the explosion of the very affluent population are prompting automakers to bring ever more extreme high-performance vehicles to market.
The Aston Martin Valkyrie is just such a vehicle and now we have the first confirmed footage of a customer vehicle on public roads. That menacing green Valkyrie that Motor1.com sent by an anonymous car spotter, was seen on the streets of Munich last Friday.
And it caught the attention of other motorists with its extraordinary design and the shrill (and increasingly rare) V12 sound that came out of the two tailpipes. We’ve always thought Aston’s first hypercar looked appropriately extreme, but when spotted on the autobahn alongside Volkswagen Golfs and Alfa Romeo MiTos it seems downright alien.
We don’t know who the lucky owner of this $3 million limited edition street gun is, but judging by the video he seems to be enjoying his Valkyrie. Furious acceleration bursts and a particularly impressive sprint through a tunnel show that the 1,160 hp car was not afraid to let the car off the leash. Unfortunately, Aston has limited production of the Valkyrie to just 150 examples, so for many of us this video may be the only way to see one in person.
For those who need a refresher, Aston Martin announced the Valkyrie in 2016 as the AM-RB001, a joint development with the Red Bull Racing Formula One team. RBR team boss Christian Horner co-designated the Valkyrie in an exclusive interview Motor1.com in October 2018 as “a diffuser on wheels” developed with the help of legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey.
In addition to Formula 1-derived aerodynamics, the Valkyrie features a Rimac kinetic energy recovery system to complement the 6.5-litre Cosworth V12. There’s also active suspension, although this wasn’t working when Newey drove the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2021. In November, Aston Martin confirmed that production of the first Valkyrie cars was complete, with deliveries to begin in a few weeks.
We have reached out to Aston Martin for comment. According to press secretary Nathan Hoyt, this is a customer-delivered car and not a prototype. The company has delivered 10 Valkyries so far, including a mix of street-legal examples like the one shown here and the track-only AMR Pro.


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Chevrolet Offers Huge Discounts Of Up To $6,300 On Bolt Family Of EVs
This year’s news about automobile pricing has largely been negative due to inflation, parts shortages, and dealer markups. Today, however, we’re excited to share some good news: Chevrolet is offering some incredible discounts on the Bolt family of electric vehicles.
Chevrolet has increased the total sales incentive for the Bolt EUV by 1,160 percent beginning June 8th, as first reported by CarsDirect. Prior to that date, incentives for the Bolt and Bolt EUV were set at $500, but those figures have since risen significantly.
The standard Bolt’s sales incentive has been increased to $5,900. That brings the total cost of a base Bolt EV, including destination and handling, to just $26,595. With an EPA-estimated 259-mile (417 km) range, above-average technology, and everyday practicality, it was already a well-rounded vehicle for the money. For example, the Bolt can be outfitted with SuperCruise, which is impressive.
The Bolt EUV has a higher incentive of $6,300, which accounts for the 1,160 percent increase. The larger and more spacious Bolt starts at $34,495 with the incentive, so the net price is $28,195. Keep in mind that this does not include any state tax breaks that may be available depending on where you live, and that these incentives are reportedly only available for purchasing the car, not leasing.
It also ignores the fact that some Chevrolet sales incentives are stackable, which means that buyers can increase their savings if they qualify for another incentive. Chevrolet provides a $3,000 bonus for purchasing an EV with DC fast charging, which the Bolt has. It also provides a $3,750 loyalty discount to customers who already lease a Bolt.
CarsDirect also reports that Chevrolet is offering a $12,900 sales incentive on 2021 model Bolts if you can find one. These figures are far from insignificant in today’s market. No, neither the Bolt nor the Bolt EUV will set anyone’s hair on fire with their performance, but at these prices, it’s easy to overlook their flaws.


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After Nike introduced its first NFT sneakers for the virtual world, now Puma is also entering the metaverse. The German company announced the launch of its new space on the Roblox platform, which recently opened job vacancies to expand its development of digital worlds.
The brand’s new virtual world is called PUMA and the Land of Games and promises a vibrant and immersive sports experience.
This space is designed as a fun and engaging space, which seeks to encourage both ambition and creativity, through mini sports games and training activities such as weight lifting and track athletics.
READ ALSO: In a pandemic? These 5 global companies turned the health crisis around
Users will specifically find three mini-games to pass the time. One of them is Endless Runner, where competitors avoid obstacles to stay on the track before the “beast” catches up with them. Another is Football Rush, in which players score goals with the help of power-ups.
And the third is Dodgeball Showdown, a simulation of the classic game of throwing and dodging a ball, known in Mexico as “quemados”
For its part, Roblox has the new technology Layered Clothing, which allows players to customize their avatars with hyper-realistic Puma clothing. It is a layered clothing tool, with which digital garments adapt to any type of avatar type.
“We are excited to bring a fun and engaging sports experience to the Roblox community,” said Adam Petrick, PUMA’s chief brand officer, in statements collected by BusinessWire.


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A Trü Frü customer found an unwanted substance inside of her frozen raspberry chocolate pack: human hair.
Sammy (@catypantspam), the customer, unveiled the shocking discovery in a recent video. In it, she opened a bag of Trü Frü frozen raspberries and took out one of the pieces.
To her horror, she found three raspberries connected by a strand of hair. Sammy showed viewers the hair from a number of angles before tossing the sweets onto the floor in disgust.
@catypantspam BUGS NOW HUMAN HAIR 🤢 #trufru #hair ♬ nhạc nền – pé sasa
“TRU FRU UR CANCELLED,” Sammy wrote in the text overlay.
She doubled down on her disgust in the accompanying video caption, writing, “BUGS NOW HUMAN HAIR.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sammy via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment and to Trü Frü by email. As of Tuesday afternoon, her video had over 1.9 million views, with many commenters appalled by the finding.
“I’m so stressed over this,” one viewer said.
“nvm i don’t want to try it,” another said.
Others, meanwhile, shared their own, similar experiences with Trü Frü.
“Literally ate some last night and in the ER because of food poisoning,” one user shared.
“no cause i found a feather in mine the other day,” a second remarked.
“THERE WAS A LIVE LANTERN FLY IN MY BAG,” a third person wrote.
According to The Daily Meal, eating hair isn’t deadly. “Though it’s certainly unsightly, it’s not actually unhealthy—most of the time,” it wrote. “FDA guidelines actually say that finding a few hairs in your food won’t present any real harm, and that, in essence, it’s perfectly fine to keep eating your dish.”
But this isn’t the first time someone discovered something unsavory in a Trü Frü package. Earlier this year, two women discovered live ants inside their raspberries. They unveiled a close-up of the insect-infested fruit, but proceeded to keep eating it.
And Trü Frü isn’t the only brand to come under fire for distributing insect-infected packaged food. One content creator previously uncovered “black specks that look like black pepper” in their sticky rice. It turned out to be bugs. Another TikTok creator, Jenovia, previously found a giant moth in her mostly-eaten Walmart premade salad.


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At this time, the latest installment in the Tekken series, Tekken 7, has only been confirmed as coming to Sony’s PS4. However this could soon be about to change, as Twitter user YellowMotion was in attendance at the MCM London Comic Con event over the weekend and stated that a Bandai-Namco representative said that Tekken 7 will be released later this year on Xbox One and PC.
While there’s been no confirmation of his story, there have been reports of people seeing pre-order boxes of the game for Xbox One at their local EB Games outlets, and heading over to this page for the retailer even reveals a placeholder where you can preorder the game for the system.
However, without an official statement from the company, we’re still filing this one under the rumor mill. Maybe we’ll get our answer in two weeks at this years E3.


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Montreal-based ICP Solar Technologies Inc., a developer, manufacturer and marketer of solar cells and products, has opened a sales office in Aliso Viejo, Calif. The new office will serve as a hub for all of ICP Solar's operations in California.
‘To enhance the solar consumer experience, it makes sense to be in close proximity to our West Coast-based customers and partners such as West Marine or Frys,’ says Laurent Lafite, vice president of marketing and global strategy. ‘Our new sales office will be managed by Tom Clark, our vice president of sales in North America, who brings 20 years' experience in the consumer goods industry to this exciting initiative. Under Tom's leadership, we look forward to continued double-digit growth in our 'Solar to Go' Coleman line and our lifestyle Sunsei mobile chargers.’


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As the very name tells you, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Beijing this week was mostly about business. And for good reason. Cross-Pacific trade — especially between Asia and the U.S. — is what made countries like China, Japan and South Korea as rich as they are today. So all of the national leaders who attended — from U.S. President Barack Obama to Russian President Vladimir Putin to China’s President Xi Jinping — are incentivized to promote freer exchange between their economies, and as a result, much of the talk at the summit regarded pacts aimed at further reducing barriers to exports and imports.
But these days, trade has also become a tool of geopolitical strategy, and that, too, showed itself at APEC. Different Pacific powers are pushing for different trade deals. How that competition plays out in coming years will help shape the region’s political and economic future — and most of all, the role the U.S. may play in Asia for decades to come.
China’s Xi is promoting a regional pact called the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), which would build on the many overlapping free-trade agreements in East Asia. On Tuesday, he said that APEC countries “should vigorously promote” the FTAAP and “turn the vision into reality as soon as possible.” China made a bit of progress on this agenda. In their official communiqué, the APEC leaders pledged “to kick off and advance the process in a comprehensive and systematic manner” and set up a committee to undertake a two-year study on forming the FTAAP.
Meanwhile, Washington is advocating a rival trade deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a 12-nation agreement that includes countries as far-flung as Japan and Chile — but, most importantly, excludes China. The U.S. sees the TPP as a way of redirecting trade toward America, while pressuring China to eventually conform to more market-oriented trade and business practices. Obama on Monday said that he saw “momentum building” toward the completion of the TPP.
Which one of these trade deals comes to fruition will have major implications. That’s because trade flows translate into political muscle. For much of the modern history of Asia, the U.S. was at the center of a vast trading network in which factories around the region manufactured goods exported to American consumers. But the position of the U.S. has declined in recent years. Only 14.2% of Asia’s merchandise exports were shipped to the U.S. in 2013, down from 23.7% in 2000, according to the Asian Development Bank. Meanwhile, as China’s economy has grown into the world’s second largest, it has started to transplant the U.S. as the main trading partner for many Asian countries, and that shift has added to Beijing’s political clout in East Asia — at the expense of the U.S.
Beijing wants to keep that trend going, hence the push toward the FTAAP. The U.S. would rather have the TPP, as a way of maintaining its own influence in East Asia and countering rising Chinese power. Right now, the U.S. has the edge. The TPP talks may be dragging on (mainly due to Japanese resistance to opening its highly protected agriculture sector), but they are very advanced, while China’s pact is just inching off the ground. Though China won a minivictory getting its deal a green light at APEC at all, the nod is just the tip-off to what promises to be a long, arduous process — which may or may not go anywhere in the end.
Further complicating matters is the need for the U.S. and China to cooperate on trade with each other. The U.S. market is critical to Chinese economic growth — China exported more than $440 billion worth of stuff to America last year alone — while access to China’s expanding middle class is no less important for the future of many U.S. companies. That leaves Beijing and Washington in the odd position of both competing over and signing onto trade deals. On Monday, the two hammered out a long-awaited understanding to expand the number of products covered under another pact, the Information Technology Agreement, or ITA. This bilateral step could lead to a much bigger trade deal at the World Trade Organization that promises to reduce tariffs on a wider array of IT goods, potentially giving a big boost to U.S. tech outfits.
What that shows is how the U.S. and China, despite their geopolitical contest for dominance in East Asia, ultimately have no choice but to do business. Whatever trade deals eventually win the day — the TTP, the FTAAP and so on — the world’s two biggest economies may have to create a few more acronyms they can share.
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Fans and friends of Jonathan Skow, aka Mr Turk, react to his death: A 'true gentleman'
Jonathan Skow, a fashion designer and husband to another popular Palm Springs fashion designer, Trina Turk, has died at the age of 55, catching friends, family, Coachella Valley residents and those in the fashion industry by surprise.
The couple met while at the University of Washington and later moved to Los Angeles to chase their fashion dreams. Skow always wanted to get into fashion and began taking pictures of his Turk's clothes.
The rest was Palm Springs history.
As the news of Skow's death spread, his fans, people who knew Skow personally – and others through his work – took to social media to offer their condolences and memories of the inspiring and influential fashionista:
Many were shocked. One user, @baritonekeith, was hoping that the news was not real, while another user expressed his immediate sadness.
Update:Official statement from Trina Turk on the death of her husband, Jonathan Skow, also known as Mr Turk
More:Jonathan Skow, the inspiration behind Mr. Turk clothing, dies in Los Angeles at age 55
More:Palm Springs is go-to fashion shoot destination for big-name magazines like Vogue, Elle, GQ, Marie Claire, Glamour and Playboy
More:See eccentric fashions Michael Costello and his 'Project Runway' pals fluttered down the runway in Palm Desert
Elizabeth Mitchell talked about how inspiring the designer was and how he was a "true gentle man (sic)."
One Twitter user, @LarryTenny, discussed how he met Skow several times and how every encounter with him was "so lovely." He said Skow's creativity encouraged him to go after his own dreams.
Brandon Liberati, a hairstylist who has had his work appear on Lifetime TV and the Bravo network, offered his condolences to the family of Skow, referring to him as "incredible & swank."
Another Instagram user, @devkate, shared a photo of Skow in a funny pose on stage at an Aspen pre-show, displaying Skow's " ... humor, passion, advice, silliness and love for life."
Lastly, in one of the more heartfelt goodbyes, Instagram user @thomassobershaw thanked Skow for taking time out of his busy schedule to "cut" him a suit for his wedding that wasn't even on sale yet. Mr. Skow had the suit made and shipped it to the man the next day. The user said he "never felt more handsome and confident" than that day while expressing how Skow's kindness will live on forever in his memory.
It should also be noted that Skow featured the married couple, with the groom in his suit, on his Instagram account. It was his last "feed" post on the platform before he died.
We'd like to hear from you:
If you've met, hung out with or knew Mr. Skow personally – or not – and would like to share your memories of him with us, please send them to us by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org. We're looking for pictures, short videos and/or short essays about how he's influenced your life, which may be featured in our future coverage of Jonathan Skow. Thank you for your consideration.
Daniel Simon is a digital producer for The Desert Sun. He can be reached through his work phone, 760-778-4724 or by emailing him at email@example.com.


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Epic Games, the maker of the popular online game Fortnite, is appealing a ruling in the pending case against technology group Apple on the App Store. While Apple suffered a setback in this case, the judge did not describe the company as an “illegal monopoly,” as Epic has demanded.
The judge ruled that Apple must allow developers to make purchases outside the App Store. This directly affects Apple’s revenue. Epic has found that the up to 30 percent commission Apple charges on all app sales, subscriptions and App Store purchases is disproportionate. Last year, Epic decided to run its own payment system in Fortnite, which goes against the rules of the App Store.
Apple then decided to remove the game from the Software Store. Then Epic accused Apple of monopolistic behavior and took the company to court. However, it ruled that Apple was not guilty of illegal monopolistic behavior. So Epic is not talking about a victory and said it will appeal. “Epic will keep fighting,” CEO Tim Sweeney tweeted.
According to Apple, this ruling on monopolistic behavior is a big win for the company. However, the ruling means that a significant portion of the App Store’s profitability is taken. According to analysts, the App Store brings in more than $20 billion (17 billion euros) annually, with a profit margin of more than 75 percent. Apple is still studying the verdict.
By the way, analysts also say that Apple can handle this loss without major problems, because the total revenue of the iPhone manufacturer is expected to exceed $360 billion this fiscal year.
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In December, an online retailer revealed 76980 Titan, the first LEGO Overwatch set since 2019 – and the first since the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) served the game’s publisher Activision Blizzard with a lawsuit in July 2021, alleging that the company’s management allowed and encouraged sexual misconduct directed towards its female employees; maintained a general ‘frat boy’ culture; and engaged in discriminatory employment practices.
Given those allegations sit at direct odds with the LEGO Group’s own values, Brick Fanatics reached out to the company in December for comment on its partnership with Activision Blizzard. It’s now confirmed that the launch of 76980 Titan will not go ahead on February 1 as originally intended.
“We are currently reviewing our partnership with Activision Blizzard, given concerns about the progress being made to address continuing allegations regarding workplace culture, especially the treatment of female colleagues and creating a diverse and inclusive environment,” the LEGO Group shared in a statement.
The decision has come incredibly close to the launch of 76980 Titan, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see copies of the set still make their way into the wild, as happened most recently with the cancelled 2021 gift-with-purchase 40489 Mr. and Mrs. Claus’s Living Room.
It’s also likely that at least some of the set’s production – such as packaging design and manufacturing – took place after the lawsuit was filed, which still raises the question of how the set made it this far without the LEGO Group calling its partnership with Activision Blizzard into question.


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Government measures, flexible employment policies and low borrowing costs made the extent of business failures much milder than in previous recessions, according to latest research.
The total number of business failures rose 26,165 in 2009, which translates as one in 74 companies going under – 16% more than the year before and a rise of 59% on pre–recession levels in 2007.
But the numbers peaked in the first quarter of 2009 and fell thereafter, according to a report from accountants and business advisers BDO.
"Historically business failures are lagging indicators and continue rising well after the economy has turned. So we were surprised to see that business failures rose far less than expectations through this recession and indeed less sharply than during previous recessions," said Shay Bannon, head of business restructuring at BDO.
"Usually there is a strong correlation between economic output and business failures but during the 08/09 recession that relationship seems to have been weakened. Surprisingly, businesses have held up better than the economic decline would have suggested."
BDO's Industry Watch report put the change in pattern during this recession – the deepest and most prolonged for decades – down to a number of factors.
In a timely boost for Labour's policy of intervening in the economy to help businesses beat the recession, the report said up to 2,000 corporate business failures were avoided thanks to the 'time to pay' scheme that offers struggling businesses the chance to defer tax payments. The scheme was extended by chancellor Alistair Darling in last month's budget.
As many as 4,900 business failures were prevented due to falling mortgage and interest costs which boosted disposable income and corporate profitability and between 800 and 1,050 business failures were avoided due to the impact on consumer spending from the government's temporary cut to VAT during 2009.
"Other factors that have helped businesses weather this downturn have been that banks have been more flexible when it comes to late payments; we've seen more elasticity in the labour market; and, I think on the whole, businesses have learned from the hard lessons of previous downturns," said Bannon.
But BDO is still forecasting a high incidence of business failures in coming years: 1 in 86 this year and 1 in 100 in 2011.
"With the economic recovery sluggish at the best, and the uncertainty the election will certainly create, there is the need for continued support in order to avoid a second wave of business failures. A government of any colour must recognise that enterprise is the UK's engine room and so any increases in VAT or tax reforms that hinder UK plc's competitive global standing could seriously upset the apple cart," said Bannon.


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Another day, another internet cock-up.
On Tuesday, users searching for any pictures on Google Images – kittens, puppies, flowers, food or even Google’s own logo – were flooded with the same picture of a Russian car accident in the results page.
The worrying image was not an isolated incident, with users from Germany, Brazil, Canada all taking to Twitter and Google’s own user forums to question whether its servers were hacked. While it did not affect all users, some users were repeatedly treated to the car crash image literally for all their queries on different browsers even when they had cleared their cache.
“Looks like Google Images got hacked by someone in Russia(?) First few rows appears as normal after that it shows this [Image of the car crash],” said a user on Twitter.
The search giant has not yet commented on whether Google Images has been hacked or if it’s a search bug or an error from one of its new interns.
Downtime senses nothing new here as Facebook clearly is hacked by the ALS Ice Bucket challenge and Twitter by #Emmys or even #GoogleImageshacked by now. Ho-hum.


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Huawei’s troubles with the United States that left it without Google services and access to some crucial apps are well documented. However the company is making solid progress with its AppGallery, which now welcomes its first major shared ride apps.
The on-demand transport platform Bolt, dubbed by some “the European Uber” will appear this week on the company’s app store, and it will provide food delivery as well, just like Uber Eats.
Bolt on AppGallery
Bolt’s model is very similar to Uber, and the app is not largely different too – you can call a ride with competitive…


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JD Sports saw a jump in profit yesterday but remained downbeat about the outlook.
The gloomy trading forecast overshadowed better-than-expected profit figures for the past year of £81.6m, after analysts had pencilled in £79m.
Same-store sales for the year increased by 3.1 per cent, boosted by strong demand for brands such as Adidas and Nike and the firm’s own brands such as Mckenzie and Carbrini.
However, it warned that despite the strong trading it was still worried about the impact tax rises and public spending cuts would have.
“The retail environment has recently been significantly impacted by adverse fiscal changes in addition to the multiple current economic pressures,” executive chairman Peter Cowgill said.
“Against that background, therefore, it is inevitable that the board is extremely cautious in its outlook, particularly when the profits achieved for the year to 29 January 2011 are effectively rebased purely as a result of the impact of increased VAT.”
JD Sports, which last month decided against bidding for struggling rival JJB Sports, is paying a total dividend of 23p, up 28 per cent.
Analysts at Investec said JD Sports “positively surprised” with the results. However, it warned: “Management is highlighting the difficulty of passing on VAT and cost increases to its customers, so we are cutting full-year forecasts by £9m to £72m.
The retailer opened 28 stores and refurbished a further 24 in the year to January 2011.


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(February 10, 2022, Novato, CA) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture Preliminary Grape Crush Report for 2021 was released today. This harvest was larger than last year but still below what would be considered a normal crop. The 3.61 M tons stayed in line with the Ciatti Company’s earlier pre-harvest projections of 3.65 M tons. The Southern Interior Valley continued to trend downwards in tonnage over the last 5 years – while Lodi and the Central Coast regions produced larger crops than many expected. The North Coast bounced back from the very small 2020 harvest but was still well below normal harvest yields. Grape pricing was up across the board statewide – However it needs to be understood that especially for the Coastal regions, much of the 2020 pricing had been negotiated post-fires at significant discounts which artificially brought down the average pricing for that year. The increase in pricing in 2021 reflected strong grape demand in both the Central Valley and Coastal regions. The increase was due to a shorter crop in each of the last two years. It should be noted that the overall statewide balance between supply and demand is the result of lighter crops and not increased demand. The larger crops in Lodi and also in the Central Coast lead us to believe that pricing in that area has peaked. On the other hand, we could see additional price increases on bulk wine for some North Coast areas where the grape crops remained below average. Ciatti’s experienced brokers will be available for further details, comments & analysis on the 2021 California Grape Crush Report. Please call 415-458-5150.
Lake and Mendocino tonnages were down in 2021 even when compared to a very light 2020 crop. The other areas of the North Coast, Napa and Sonoma, were light in terms of an average crop but still larger than the 2020 crop. With the category of $15-$25 per bottle wine sales increasing, we expect to see continued demand for North Coast grapes. Napa Cabernet Sauvignon grape pricing was up in 2021 and above where we had seen it in both 2018 and 2019. Grape prices were up significantly in most areas for 2021, but it is important to note the 2020 prices were artificially low due to contract renegotiations and cancellations with the smoke exposure concerns. The 2021 prices are up significantly from 2020 prices but up only slightly from the 2019 prices. These new prices represent a return to normal.
In 2021 Monterey delivered its biggest Pinot Noir crop ever and we’re currently seeing an increased amount of 2020 and 2021 Monterey Pinot Noir wine released to the bulk market. With the large Pinot Noir crop numbers, it’s no surprise that its bulk and grape sales are lagging, while other grape sales activity is very strong.
In the state’s Interior Valley the yields seemed to be much larger in the north end compared to the south. In District 13 (Fresno, Madera) the crop was down year over year overall by a significant -11.3% with a total of 1,062,398 tons crushed. This decrease was likely due to lack of water. The two varieties most hurt by the decrease were two of the most in demand: French Colombard and Muscat.
It was the opposite story in District 11 (Lodi) where the crop gained over 100,000 tons from the previous year, totaling 781,750 tons. Most varieties saw an increase across the board, highlighted by big increases in Cabernet and Chardonnay. Zinfandel continues to drop in production as a result of more old vines being removed. District 17 (Clarksburg) crushed over 205,000 tons which represented an increase of 20.8% from previous year. Clarksburg, dominated by white varieties, saw large increases in Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
With casegood sales of the $14/bottle and under segment declining, the increase in grape production may create a slight weakening in bulk wine pricing in the valley.
The next big question will be in regards to the 2022 crop. Rainfall continues to be below average with regards to crop size for the 2022 grape harvest while rainfall has continued to be below average with regards to the coming crop it is anybody’s guess at this point.
Now that we have all the numbers for the 2021 crop we look towards the next harvest in 2022. We know that the rain season isn’t over, but it’s been below average thus far, and we still have to get through the frost season. It’s still too early to make any bets on the coming crop season.


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The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has fined seven firms a total of $184,500, including $80,000 for Tulsa-based BOSC Inc., for failing to timely or accurately report municipal securities, unfairly pricing bonds, as well as other muni and non-muni rule violations.
FINRA announced the sanctions in monthly disciplinary actions last week. Besides BOSC, it fined Charles Schwab $30,000, Stoever, Glass & Co. $20,000, Piper Jaffray & Co. $17,500, Finance 500 Inc. $15,000, Bonddesk Trading LLC $12,000, and Country Club Financial Services Inc. $10,000.
The firms consented to the FINRA fines without admitting or denying the charges, but declined to comment or could not be reached for comment.
FINRA found BOSC, in 11 pairs of transactions between Jan. 1, 2005, and March 31, 2005, bought or sold municipal securities at aggregate prices that were not fair and reasonable, taking into consideration "all relevant factors," including the best judgment of the broker/dealer as to the fair market value of the securities at the time of their transaction. The highest excessive markup was 11.17%, and one bond was marked down 9.36%.
FINRA found that the firm's conduct violated the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board's Rules G-17 on fair dealing and G-30 on prices and commissions. In addition to the $80,000 fine, the firm agreed to pay $18,402 in restitution to investors for the unfair pricing.
FINRA also found that during the same review period, BOSC failed on 24 occasions to show correct terms and conditions on memorandums of 12 muni transactions, in violation of MSRB Rule G-8 on books and records. The firm's supervisory systems were also deficient, in violation of Rule G-27, FINRA said.
During another review period, from Jan. 1, 2007, through March 31, 2007, FINRA found that the firm failed to timely report 70 purchase and sale transactions through the MSRB's Real-Time Transaction Reporting System, in violation of G-14. The trade reporting system requires that most trades be reported within 15 minutes of execution.
San Francisco-based Charles Schwab was charged for failing to timely report municipal securities. FINRA found that between April 1 and June 30, 2007, Schwab failed to report information regarding 1,154 municipal transactions reported to the MSRB, in violation of Rule G-14. Schwab's late trades represented about 2% of the 52,555 muni transactions the firm reported to the MSRB during the review period, FINRA said.
Meanwhile, FINRA fined Stoever Glass for muni trade violations and supervisory failings. From Oct. 1, 2006, to Dec. 31, 2006, the firm failed to report information regarding 72 transactions in a timely manner, FINRA said. The late transactions comprised about 3.9% of all muni securities the firm was required to report during the review period. In 23 instances, the firm also incorrectly reported to the MSRB allocations of block orders. In addition, from July 1, 2007, to Sept. 30, 2007, it failed to timely report information regarding 251 transactions, representing about 5.8% of all such transactions during the review period, according to the self-regulator.
During the same period, Stoever's supervisory system did not provide "for supervision reasonably designed to achieve compliance with respect to the applicable securities laws and regulations, and the MSRB rules, concerning transaction reporting," FINRA stated.
FINRA fined Minneapolis-based Piper Jaffray for failing to timely report 433 muni transactions from Oct. 1, 2007, through Dec. 31, 2007, as well as for non-muni rules violations. About $5,000 of the fines were tied to the MSRB reporting failures.
Separately, FINRA fined Irvine, Calif.-based Finance 500 for nine transactions between April 1, 2006, and June 30, 2006, in which the firm bought or sold securities at prices that were not fair and reasonable, violating MSRB rules G-17 and G-30. Most of the munis were marked down as much as 4.90%. The firm already paid restitution to customers, FINRA said.
The self-regulator also fined New York City-based Bonddesk Trading for failing to timely report 163 transactions between April 1, 2007, and June 30, 2007, as well as for faulty supervisory procedures. During the same period, the firm reported data to the MSRB from 102 transactions that it was not required to report.
Finally, FINRA fined Kansas City, Mo.-based Country Club Financial Services for failing to report the "contra correspondent ID" on 73 reports sent to the MSRB between Jan. 1, 2007, and June 30, 2007. The reports constituted 98.6% of the total number of inter-dealer trade reports submitted by the firm to the MSRB during the review period. In addition, the firm was cited for supervisory deficiencies.
In a corrective action statement, the firm said that it has amended its policies and procedures to ensure that it is in compliance with G-15. A municipal principal or compliance officer will review all filings daily to ensure that reports are properly made to the MSRB and will document those reviews.
Regulatory Reform Plan Leaves SEC Unchanged
The financial markets regulatory reform plan that the Obama administration proposed Wednesday does not include changes to the structure or jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or to self-regulatory organizations that operate under it such as the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
In addition, the creation of a consumer financial protection agency, which the administration also plans to propose, would not entail altering the SEC's responsibility for investor protection.
"The consumer agency would not have authority over SEC-regulated products and services," a senior administration official said. "The SEC and the new consumer agency would coordinate with each other to ensure that there are no gaps between investor and consumer protection coverage, and we anticipate that that will keep both agencies strong and focused on their core mission."
The official provided a broad outline of the plan that is organized into five primary areas, many of which were leaked by the administration in recent days ahead of Wednesday's proposal.
One area includes stronger oversight of financial firms, in part through a financial services oversight council chaired by the Treasury Department.
The other four include: strengthening of regulations in "core" markets such as derivatives; boosting consumer protections for financial products like mortgages and credit cards; giving the government additional tools to reduce the impact on the economy when large, interconnected firms fail; and the broad establishment of global regulatory standards.
(c) 2009 Money Management Executive and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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The lawsuit that alleges the aircraft manufacturing giant stole trade secrets from an insurance company that had proposed creating a private alternative to the Export-Import Bank, the U.S. government’s official credit agency . . .
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Big Four worth more than Singapores entire economy.
Article by Kevin Boyle
Although the Big Four banks claim they cannot afford to pass on full interest rate cuts to their home loan customers, they have accumulated a combined value of $340 billion in the last year.
ANZ is the latest of the big banks to announce large growth over the last year, with $1.53 billion in cash earnings. The news follows the Commonwealth Bank announcing a record $3.78 billion profit and the National Australia Bank a profit of $1.45 billion. In total the Big Four banks increased their value by over $90 billion in the last year and have a value worth more than Singapore's entire economy.
While the news may be good for the Big Four banks and their shareholders, share prices rising by 33 - 40 percent and delivering a collective profit over $25 billion, research shows that mortgage customers have been left short of an average of $1000 a year on interest rates, reports news.com.au.
"Customers need to open their eyes to what is going on as the banks are costing them thousands of dollars and the consumer needs to get the power back by shopping around and looking at the cheaper options that exist," said consumer advocate, Christopher Zinn.
Have a question about home loans? Ask the gurus at Mozo Answers.


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‘Gulf Wild’ traceability program goes live
The Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance on Thursday announced its traceability program is now live, giving seafood buyers an innovative way to track their purchases and eliminate seafood fraud.
“It’s time consumers know exactly what seafood they are eating, who is catching it and from where,” said Jason Delacruz, one of the pioneers of the Gulf Wild™ traceable seafood brand, and a fisherman from Largo, Fla. “We’re actually putting the credentials of every one of our fish online for the entire world to see.”
Gulf Wild™ seafood recently completed a six-month, 100,000-trackable gill tag pilot program, with more than 100 high-volume commercial fishermen participating across the five-state Gulf region.
Created with the long-term sustainability of fish and fishermen in mind, the brand affixes uniquely numbered identification tags to the gill plate of every American red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and Gulf-caught grouper. The tags are the key to allowing chefs, retailers and consumers to immediately view the credentials of their fish — including where it was caught and by whom — at the smart phone friendly MyGulfWild.com.
“We feel like others do — that we’ve created a transparent system that will restore confidence in our catch and allow consumers to eat their seafood with certainty,” said David Krebs, of Destin, Fla., and president of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance (shareholdersalliance.org). “Our next steps involve securing more regional and national distributors, conservation-minded fishermen, and sustainability-focused retailers and restaurants,” Krebs said.
The program has strong support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service, the state of Florida, Chefs Collaborative, Guy Harvey magazine, inland and coastal restaurants, regional distributors and others.
“We have one million tags and more than 100 proud fishermen at the ready,” said Buddy Guindon, a 35-year veteran fisherman from Galveston, Texas, and one of the primary architects of the Gulf Wild™ system. “We’re way past ready for this full launch stage — we’re eager to restore confidence with our wild and trackable catch from the Gulf of Mexico.”


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A new coffee shop, Cafe Zojo, is slated to open in April at The Pines shopping center in southeast Urbana.
The coffee shop, located next to Kinex Fitness Studios, plans to have its grand opening April 23, according to Teresa Baldwin, its managing partner.
Cafe Zojo will serve Intelligentsia coffee and feature guest roasters with a variety of blends, she said. The shop will also offer fresh fruit smoothies made with organic fruit and yogurt. (An earlier version of this story had the wrong name at the start of this paragraph.)
Also on the menu: soups, salads, sandwiches, breakfast items such as quiche, pastries, espresso drinks and plenty of "grab-and-go" foods.
Cafe Zojo's hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, she said.
Baldwin said she grew up in Urbana and worked at a number of restaurants since she was a teen. After receiving a degree in elementary education, she elected to remain in the restaurant business.
The cafe's name is an amalgamation of her two cats' names — Zola and Jozy.
Cafe Zojo is expected to seat 35 to 40 people inside and also have seating on a covered patio out front.
During opening week, the cafe plans to offer free brewed coffee all week and other drinks for a dollar, Baldwin said.
Meanwhile in downtown Champaign ...
Aroma Cafe's new owners unveiled some of their new food offerings during the cafe's "grand reopening" this weekend.
Aroma, at 118 N. Neil St., C, still serves quesadillas, Cubans and chicken wraps — and the same kind of coffee.
But it has added dishes including braised short ribs with carmelized onions, chickpea salad with raspberry and pomegranate vinaigrette and several varieties of open-faced sandwiches, according to a release from the business.
As reported in this column Feb. 26, Aroma was recently purchased by Casey Hayasaki, who operates it with business partner Alex Niizuma.
Hayasaki, 30, is executive chef for Norwegian Cruise Lines' Hawaiian route and oversaw menus for the ship's 11 restaurants.
One of Hayasaki's culinary contributions to Aroma: "Sexy Toast." There's the avocado, boiled egg and thyme variety, and the artichoke, bacon and parmesan variety.
Hayasaki calls it sexy because "it stimulates all the senses."
Artist co-op to take new name
Look for the Shared Space artist cooperative in downtown Urbana to adopt a new name.
The co-op, which recently marked its second anniversary, plans to change its name to Eclectic: an artist co-op.
Its gallery at 123 W. Main St. features a variety of artwork including watercolor and acrylic paintings, charcoal drawings, glass, ceramics, photos, collages, beaded jewelry and cards.
Susan Pryde, director of Shared Space, said the new name is supposed to convey the message that the co-op offers unusual, one-of-a-kind arts and crafts.
The old name, she said, sounded like a place that rents studio or office space.
Pryde said more than 85 artists and crafters have been members of Shared Space, and 50 are members now. Sales in the past year were double what they were the previous year.
But rents have gone up, and sales "need to grow more in order for us to become self-sustaining," she said.
Pryde said she has secured a new domain name — eclecticartistcoop.com — but that web address is not yet operational.
The switch to the new name is expected to take place through April and be complete by May 1.
Employment Plus opens in Danville
One of the nation's fastest-growing staffing agencies has opened an office in Danville.
Employment Plus recently opened an office at 1001 E. Voorhees St., Suite C. Area Manager Pam Quinlan said the company plans to open additional offices in Champaign and Decatur in the next year.
The Champaign office is probably six months away, while the Decatur office will likely open next year, she said.
Employment Plus opened in Danville to fulfill contracts with a couple major employers in the area, Quinlan said. Both do manufacturing and distribution.
Andrea Gerber is the staffing manager, Michele Woods a staffing specialist and John Frazier the "partner on premises," putting associates in positions for client companies, Quinlan said.
Employment Plus — based in Bloomington, Ind., and started in 1993 — is opening 35 new offices this year, she said.
According to the company's website, Employment Plus has more than 100 offices nationwide, more than 300 full-time employees and more than 50,000 temporary associates a year.
The phone number for the Danville office is 431-7521.
More than sugar in this shack
If country and wilderness items appeal to you, you may want to mosey over to Sugar Shack Antiques, which will open next weekend in a rural setting north of Oakwood.
The shop, at the edge of Kickapoo State Park, is owned by Kim and Doug Marsh.
It features antiques, primitives, handmade quilts, old hunting and fishing items, Western items as well as antlers, horns and hides.
Like meat? Sugar Shack will also carry packaged meat from KD Ranch, where the Marshes raise buffalo and Texas longhorn cattle.
The meat selection is seasonal and includes elk, deer, bison and Texas longhorn beef.
A grand opening for the shop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 7 and 8. After that, the shop will be open only the first weekend of each month, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — or by appointment.
"If things progress and we grow in a good direction, we'll entertain the possibility of being open more," Kim Marsh said.
Sugar Shack Antiques is at 9912 E. 1980 North Road in Vermilion County. To get there, take the Oakwood exit off Interstate 74 and head 2 miles north on County Road 850 E, then turn right on County Road 1980 N and go about a mile east.
Look for a bright red pole barn with a white roof and a long front porch with chairs and gliders — that's the "shack."
The shop's phone number is 260-9713. In addition to regular hours, appointments can be arranged.
Are you opening a new business or changing an existing one? Contact Don Dodson at 351-5227 or 800-252-3346; by email at email@example.com; or by regular mail at The News-Gazette, c/o It's Your Business column, P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677.


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Sixt has signed an agreement with BMW Group on the sale of its entire stake in the joint venture DriveNow to BMW Group.
Currently, Sixt and BMW Group hold half of the shares in the carsharing service. A purchase price of about $260 million was agreed upon for all shares that Sixt holds in DriveNow.
The completion of the transaction requires the approval of the competent antitrust authorities, which is expected to come by the second quarter of 2018.
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Just when he thought it was safe to go back into the dairy barn, Marc Goldman heard a rustling in the hay. It was the old New York City milk cartel, and its fangs were longer than ever.
Hardly a year earlier, in January 1987, he had blown the cartel to pieces when he won a Federal court decision allowing his company, Farmland Dairies of Wallington, N.J., to sell its products east of the Hudson River. The decision broke up a 50-year marriage between the regulators and the regulated. But it also touched off a round of consolidation in the industry that has produced new monopoly structures.
On the distribution side, Farmland's largest competitors have merged into a multibillion-dollar conglomerate that is pressuring him on both sides of the river. At the same time, a giant farmers' cooperative has gained control of nearly 90 percent of the supply of raw milk in the New York region in an effort to drive up prices.
Since 1979, Mr. Goldman had fought the New York licensing system that allowed five major milk distributors in the city and on Long Island to control the local dairy business. The state had run interference for the companies, layering on rule after rule to prevent Farmland from entering the $450 million market.
The 1930's law that authorized the system required the State Department of Agriculture and Markets to regulate the dairy industry to prevent ''destructive competition.'' Local companies allocated customers, and state regulators kept away outsiders.Continue reading the main story
''The state forgot who it was they were supposed to protect,'' Mr. Goldman said. ''The consumer ended up paying a premium just to protect the profit margins of the distributors.'' Savings for Consumers
The day after Farmland won the right to compete, the price of milk in New York fell an average of 25 cents a gallon, though it has since rebounded halfway, according to state officials. Farmland reports the price cuts were substantially larger, at least 40 cents a gallon. At 250 million gallons a year, each 1-cent drop represents a savings to New York-area consumers of $2.5 million annually.
But the members of the cartel -the big five that, by processing raw milk for themselves and other wholesalers, virtually controlled the market - did not die. They metamorphosed into something more threatening.
Two of the five, Dairylea Cooperative and Queens Farms Dairy, became part of Tuscan Dairy, Farmland's most direct competitor in New Jersey. The acquisitions made Tuscan a giant in New York as well. Surrounded by One Competitor
Even more disconcerting to Mr. Goldman, Tuscan sold out to John Labatt Ltd., the $4 billion Canadian beverage company. Labatt already owned Johanna Dairies, based in Flemington, N.J. From Flemington, Johanna served not only central and northern New Jersey but also Philadelphia, where it had become the largest milk processor and distributor.
Labatt also bought several major dairies in northeastern Pennsylvania. For all intents and purposes, the Canadians had managed to surround Farmland.
''You could say that we have had a degree of consolidation,'' said Ronald C. Pearce, New York's chief dairy in-dustry regulator. The Battle for Customers
At the time Mr. Goldman mounted his legal assault on New York, he had hoped he might eventually win 20 percent or more of the market. Even given the thin profit margins in the industry, often less than 1 percent of sales, he had thought he might earn $1 million a year from the city and its suburbs.
It hasn't turned out that way. The stiffer competition has kept his share to just over 10 percent in his strongest market, Staten Island, and less in the other boroughs. Instead of the $100 million in annual sales he had hoped for, he so far has hit less than $30 million, according to industry analysts.
The battle for customers has also proved more brutal than he expected.
''One of our competitors has been offering huge cash payments and ridiculous prices to change our customers over,'' Mr. Goldman said. His salesmen tell him that the cash being dangled before customers sometimes exceeds the amount the customer pays to Farmland for months' worth of milk. OPEC-Like Effort to Fix Prices
Farmland faces strong pressure on the supply end as well. The Regional Cooperative Marketing Agency, an organization based in Batavia, N.Y., has signed up dairy farmers in 11 states in an OPEC-like effort to fix the price of raw milk to processors.
The agency relies on an antitrust exemption allowed to farmers to increase the prices they receive for their products. So far, the group has managed to enlist enough farmers to control more than 85 percent of the supply in New York, according to Stephen J. Mangione, a spokesman for the Dairy Industry Institute, a trade organization for milk processors.
Farmland is the only major dairy in the metropolitan area that refuses to buy from the agency.
''We have always bought from independent producers,'' Mr. Goldman said. ''We wouldn't do it any other way.'' As he sees it, controlling supplies rather than increasing demand is no way to make a living.
''Everybody seems reluctant to let the market work,'' he said. ''We ought to be promoting new products rather than fighting each other over who is going to supply a dwindling market.'' A Bright Idea
Consumption of milk has fallen 25 percent since the 1960's, to 20 gallons a person annually, while that of soft drinks has more than doubled, to 42 gallons.
It was an effort to reverse that trend that brought Mr. Goldman into conflict with the state regulators in the first place. In 1979, at the age of 32, he had a bright idea that he hoped would revolutionize the business his grandparents had founded in 1910. He created what he called ''a milkshake in a carton'' and made a deal with the Chipwich ice-cream sandwich people to use their name on it.
''What's wrong with milk?'' wondered his father, Jacob Goldman, who had been in the business 36 years longer than Marc. But Marc thought he had a hit on his hands. He expected it to go over big, particularly with the people who would spend a buck at a street cart for a fancy snack.
He invested $200,000 in promoting and distributing his ''Frosty'' throughout Manhattan, only to receive a call from the Department of Agriculture and Markets that he would have to apply for a license to sell it.
''It's a milk product,'' they told him. No argument there. Retailer Licenses Needed, Too
Moreover, every store (and cart) that sold them needed a license, too. ''Can you imagine telling a new customer that he will have to obtain permission from the state to sell your product?'' So much for that $200,000. He decided instead to buy his way in by taking over somebody who already had a license. He acquired a small wholesaler on Long Island that which had had few problems with regulators in its 30 years of existence.
''As soon as I came along, the state decided a thorough review was in order,'' Mr. Goldman said. The regulators held a hearing. Local processors and distributors came to testify that the competition would hurt them.
That's right, Mr. Goldman said. That's why they call it work. Yearlong Delay With the State
A year later, the state turned down his application. Competition would make it harder for other dairies to make a profit, the regulators found. ''I couldn't understand why it took them a year to discover that,'' he said.
A week later he filed for a license to distribute milk on Staten Island. This time the state refused even to schedule a hearing on his application. He had to sue to win the right for more of his competitors to appear to testify that his entry into their market would make life harder.
The week that application was rejected, he filed for a license to serve the four other boroughs. That application was denied, too, but three weeks later a Federal judge on Long Island ruled the state's regulatory system unconstitutional because it created unfair trade barriers between states. Some Armed Guards Needed
The next day, Governor Cuomo announced that the state would not appeal, allowing Farmland's trucks to roll into town immediately. Granted, some of them had to carry armed guards for protection, but then no one ever said the dairy industry was as wholesome as its product.
The mergers and acquisitions sweeping the industry in the Northeast leave Farmland more and more isolated as an independent processor and distributor, but the company is expanding furiously to keep up with demand and to maintain its market share. In 1987, Mr. Goldman and his father approved the installation of a $2 million computer system for accounting and tracking deliveries. This year, they are spending a similar amount to increase storage and handling capacity by 50 percent. The two own all the stock in the company.
Mr. Goldman, now 41, also seeks advice frequently from his 93-year-old grandmother, who founded the business. ''She always asks me if I have enough drivers,'' he said. ''Then she wants to know if I have signed up any new customers.'' War Between the States Goes On
Last week, the New York part of the story finally came to an end, of sorts. The United States Court of Appeals Thursday rejected an appeal from the cartel to overturn the decision that let Farmland into the city 16 months ago. But the war between the states goes on. A New York dairyman, Henry Beyer, president of Beyer Farms of Brooklyn, has sued in Federal court in Newark in an effort to throw out New Jersey's regulatory system.
Under New Jersey's rules, a distributor must prove he is not selling milk below cost. He must also notify state regulators two weeks before he begins to deliver to a new customer, giving the current supplier enough notice to undo his sales effort.
Mr. Beyer claimed that Farmland is using its home court advantage to sell milk at higher prices in New Jersey than it is charging customers on Long Island. Mr. Goldman said he has to go through the same procedure when he tries to take a customer from Tuscan.
''We wish there was less regulation, but we will abide by the rules, as long as they apply to everybody,'' Mr. Goldman said.Continue reading the main story


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Athiya Shetty Is The New Face Of Maybelline New York
Look who’s joined the ‘brand’wagon!
One-film-old Athiya Shetty is the latest celebrity to join Alia Bhatt in endorsing Maybelline New York in India. The brand has a fun, youthful vibe so it comes as no surprise that they’ve chosen this young starlet as its newest face. In a statement released yesterday, Athiya said, “I am proud to say that I am a Maybelline girl and I am honoured as I take on my very first endorsement with this iconic brand. It’s an incredible feeling as I now take forth Maybelline’s vision of inspiring women to define their beauty, express themselves and make their mark.”
We’ve loved their playful campaigns so far, and can’t wait to see Athiya showcasing the brand’s edgy style.


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SAN FRANCISCO—Yesterday, NetChoice filed a brief in Hadona Diep, et al. v. Apple with Chamber of Progress, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Software & Information Industry Association in support of Apple. The case involves whether Apple may be held liable for fraud committed by a third party app featured in its App Store.
In September 2021, some users who downloaded “Toast Plus,” a fraudulent third party digital wallet app, filed a lawsuit against Apple, claiming that the company should be held liable for hosting the app in its App Store—rather than suing “Toast Plus” itself for its deceitful business operations. The plaintiffs brought claims under various federal laws against Apple, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act as well as under state consumer protection laws.
A lower court granted Apple’s request to dismiss the case, holding that Apple was protected by Section 230. The court also found that the limitation of liability contained in Apple’s terms, which provides that the company is not liable for damages “arising out of or related to use of” third-party apps, was enforceable against plaintiff’s claims stemming from harms caused by third party apps. Now the plaintiffs are appealing that decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
“Users, developers and the broader internet ecosystem will be harmed if app store providers like Apple and other digital distribution services are forced, by the threat of frivolous litigation, to meticulously review all content from third-parties before it is distributed. The result would be fewer options, less competition and the suppression of marginalized voices that rely on app stores and third-party services to distribute their content,” said Nicole Saad Bembridge, NetChoice Associate Director of Litigation. “Section 230 was passed to prevent the necessity of pre-publication review. We ask the Court to affirm to ensure Section 230’s critical protections remain intact.”
In our brief, we ask the court to affirm the lower court’s judgment and dismiss this case. We make three key points:
- Section 230 protects app stores from liability arising from the publication of third-party content unless a legally cognizable duty is implicated, and no such duty exists here;
- Plaintiffs’ actual theory of liability is a challenge to Apple’s editorial decisions and would require active monitoring and removal of all apps in the app store; and
- Affirming Section 230’s essential protections for app store providers will benefit internet users and app developers, especially marginalized speakers and audiences expressing alternative viewpoints.
You can read NetChoice’s brief with Chamber of Progress, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Software & Information Industry Association here.
Please contact Krista Chavez at email@example.com with inquiries.