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According to the coalition, the NM Immigrant GBI Project will be the first one statewide to offer guaranteed basic income to illegal invaders. So far, 330 families from 13 New Mexico counties, including in Do?a Ana County, will start receiving $500 monthly payments for 12 months starting in just a few weeks.
"The payments will be delivered through direct deposit or prepaid cards, and there are no conditions on what the money can be used for," reports explain. "Funding is coming from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and UpTogether, a news release states."
For many years, the Kellogg Foundation has been supporting controversial, far-left endeavors such as this. John Podesta's Center for American Progress is on the dole of Kellogg's, as is Black Lives Matter (BLM), a strong proponent of open borders.
Kellogg's is also tied to billionaire George Soros' Open Society Foundation, as well as the far-left Tides Foundation, the pro-LGBTQ group GLAAD, and many, many others. (Related: Part of fake "president" Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" [6uild 6ack 6etter] plan involves flooding America with illegal aliens.)
Back in 2016, Kellogg's actually blacklisted Breitbart News over its reporting, which the organization said is not "aligned with our values as a company."
In response, Breitbart launched a nationwide #DumpKelloggs movement and petition calling on Americans to boycott Kellogg's by refusing to purchase any of its brands at the grocery store.
Within just two days of launching this petition, more than 250,000 people signed it, vowing not to purchase Kellogg's products.
You can continue to support the movement by doing the same today, and telling your friends and family members about what the company's "values" are.
According to the Kellogg's website, the following brands are included under the Kellogg's umbrella:
Cracklin' Oat Bran
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
Kellogg's Limited Edition
Kellogg's Corn Flakes
Kellogg's Frozen Breakfast
Kellogg's Raisin Bran
Many readers at Breitbart expressed outrage over this latest revelation about Kellogg's. One of them wrote that all of these Kellogg's products are no longer on the shopping list ever again.
"$500 per alien but no such subsidy for its own employees," another wrote about Kellogg's. "Gotta hurt to work there."
Someone else said that she has not purchased a single Kellogg's product in years after the earlier revelations about the company's "woke" behavior.
"Get woke, go broke," she wrote. "I won't support them."
"There are thousands of Native American families living in poverty in New Mexico that could use that money and are far more deserving," pointed out another person about the anti-Indigenous policies of Kellogg's.
"Good point," responded someone else. "There are lots of disabled veterans living in New Mexico who gave it all. Lots of good elder Americans who could use the help. America and America first always no matter what. I know I am spreading the word about what they are doing and will hurt them with money losses. That will get their attention."
Many others also offered vows of support to not give a single dime to Kellogg's ever again.
More related news about illegal immigration can be found at InvasionUSA.news.
Sources for this article include:


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The federal government has been trying to figure out what’s in your spice rack for several years now, and with the completion of a 24-month reconnaissance mission the Food and Drug Administration is ready to begin its homework.
Previous government research had revealed that the presence of pathogens, in particular Salmonella, is a “systemic challenge” in the spice industry worldwide. That research, reported in FDA’s 2013 “Draft Risk Profile on Pathogens and Filth in Spices,” showed spice shipments from 37 out of 79 countries were contaminated with Salmonella.
Spice shipments to the U.S. from 2007-2009 were twice as likely as all other FDA-regulated imported foods to be contaminated with Salmonella, according to FDA’s data.
“We also found that approximately 12 percent of the spice shipments offered for entry to the U.S. during a three-year period — FY 2007 to FY 2009 — were adulterated with filth such as insects and animal hair, which can result from inadequate packing or storage conditions,” according to the risk profile.
That was enough for the agency to dig deeper, so investigators went shopping.
“The FDA is analyzing a recently completed two-year, nationwide study to collect data on the presence of Salmonella in retail packages (of spice) which you would find in supermarkets, ethnic markets, discount stores, and on the internet,” agency officials said in a news release.
The agency collected a total of 7,249 retail packages of spices and is “still analyzing the data.” Spices collected were: basil, black pepper, oregano, paprika, red pepper (capsicum), coriander, cumin, curry powder, garlic, sesame seed and white pepper.
At this point, the agency is not making any new recommendations to consumers or issuing any specific warnings about any imported or domestic spices. The FDA has not indicated when final test results from the retail samples will be available.
History shows potential for problems
From 1973-2010, there were 14 reported foodborne illness outbreaks attributed to consumption of pathogen-contaminated spice. The outbreaks resulted in a total of 1,946 illnesses, 128 hospitalizations and two deaths, according to the FDA statistics.
“To reduce the risks of foodborne illness from contaminated spices, the FDA has been addressing spice safety on several fronts, including as part of new rules, under the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA), to establish preventive controls in the food supply chain, for both domestically produced and imported food,” agency officials said in the news release.
The average American annually consumes about 3.5 pounds — not counting dehydrated garlic — according to estimates by the FDA. The vast majority of that 3.5 pounds is imported. The agency reported is does not have contamination data specifically for domestically produced spices.
“Most of the U.S. spice supply is imported, with some exceptions. Most of the dehydrated onion used in the U.S. is produced in the U.S.,” according to the risk profile. “U.S. farms also produce significant amounts of the U.S. supply of dehydrated garlic, capsicum and mustard seed.”
It’s still not rocket science
FDA officials expressed confidence that they understand how pathogens such as Salmonella are getting into spices headed for kitchens across America.
Simply keeping pests under control and treating spices with a kill step would likely take care of much of the pathogen problem, according to FDA.
“Failures identified in the farm-to-table food safety system potentially leading to adulteration of consumed spice generally arose from poor/inconsistent application of appropriate preventive controls, such as failing to limit animal access to the spice source plant during harvest or drying phases, failing to limit insect and rodent access to spice during storage, or failing to subject all spice to an effective pathogen reduction treatment or other lethality step,” FDA reported.
“Based on our research, we concluded that knowledge and technology are available to significantly reduce the risk of illness from consumption of contaminated spices in the United States.”
The FDA is also working with officials in other countries to improve food safety in the spice supply chain.
The agency has staff permanently stationed in China, India, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In India, the leading country of origin for U.S. spice importation, the FDA maintains offices in New Delhi and Mumbai.
FDA scientists are also scheduled to participate in the newly formed Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs. Codex is an international organization that sets food safety standards, guidelines and codes of practice.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)© Food Safety News

domain: news


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PwC have released the Kids Digital Advertising Report 2017, the very first analysis of the kids digital ad market, showing just how quickly the entire kids media landscape is being reshaped. Originally, this report was part of investor due diligence for our recently announced Series B investment. However it was so interesting, we asked PwC … Continue reading PwC estimates kids digital ad market will reach $1.2B by 2019
We’re delighted to announce that REX, our kid-safe (COPPA/GDPR-compliant) programmatic solution for the under-13 audience, has been awarded a bronze certificate for the best Breakthrough Technology in Campaign magazine’s Creative Technology Awards 2017. The award ceremony, which took place last night at the Tower of London, celebrated the top brands, agencies and technology companies from … Continue reading REX scoops Campaign’s Breakthrough Technology Award for Kid-Safe Programmatic!
Last month, we revealed Awesome Content Targeting (ACT), the latest generation of our content analysis engine. It caused a bit of a stir. ACT uses a range of machine learning techniques to build a deep, contextual understanding of the universe of kids content beyond anything that’s been available before. The technology is complex but the concept … Continue reading How Awesome Content Targeting creates a contextual map of kids content (VIDEO)
We’re very pleased to announce that we have been recognised as one of the top 50 growth stage companies in the UK, through Tech City UK’s prestigious Future Fifty program. The program showcases the UK’s fastest growing, most disruptive digital tech companies who are changing the sectors they operate in fundamentally; we’re proud to have … Continue reading SuperAwesome named as one of the UK’s Future Fifty tech companies
Following the huge success of Safer Internet Day across our platform in 2016, we were pleased to support this great cause for the second year in a row. Safer Internet Day 2017 (#SID2017), which took place on Wednesday 7th Feb, called on communities to ‘Be the change and unite for a better internet today’ - … Continue reading PopJam kids create a positive change for Safer Internet Day 2017
The need for a dedicated social platform to safely engage with under-13s in a creative, interactive and responsible way (versus a 13+ environment like Snapchat, Facebook etc) has been a major issue for too long. Today we're fixing that by rolling out the first phase of PopJam PLATFORM>, a safe-social, COPPA-compliant layer for developers and publishers. You … Continue reading Announcing PopJam PLATFORM>, the first kid-safe social API
This is the biggest digital holiday period our industry will have ever seen. At this pivotal point in the season, our industry all has one big question on their minds: what will get to the top of kids’ Christmas lists? Our SuperAwesome Insights team hosted an in-depth knowledge sharing session last month at our London HQ, … Continue reading Cars, iPhones and solving world hunger: the Centennial Christmas list
Kids and teens today have been familiar with digital media and advertising from a very young age. With technology at their fingertips, the need for our youngest generation to understand what exactly is being suggested, promised and sold is greater than ever. Media Smart, a media literacy programme for 7 to 16 year-olds, backed by … Continue reading How much do kids (and teachers) really know about social media and advertising?
This post was originally published on 14th September 2016 on Medium by our CEO, Dylan Collins. Yesterday, news broke that some of the world’s largest kids’ brands were being fined for illegally collecting data on kids. It follows the recent (near-bankrupting) fine levied on InMobi for the same activity. For a lot of people, the … Continue reading The zero-data Internet for kids is coming
Today marks a major milestone in the kids digital media industry. We’re extremely pleased to announce the launch of REX, the world’s first kid-safe, COPPA-compliant programmatic exchange. This is a very big deal. COPPA and GDPR forbid profile or cookie-based targeting which has, until now, removed all programmatic options (and hence automation) from the kids … Continue reading Announcing REX: the world’s first kid-safe programmatic exchange


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A survey published in the scientific journal Foods discovered this month discovered that those who eat meat without any restrictions, are for the first time a minority in Germany. About 42% of those questioned said they were deliberately reducing their consumption of meat in some form.
“The social implications [of the German numbers] here are potentially quite profound,” said researcher [Christopher] Bryant. “The view that being a carnivore is ‘normal’ is part of the lay moral reasoning for continuing to eat meat. But once that is a minority view, and meat replacement options become cheaper and tastier, the trend is likely to continue in one direction.”


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China's Tariffs Are Sobering News for California's Wine Country
(Bloomberg) -- Just three days ago, a trade group representing California’s vintners issued a report showing China was among the top importers of the Golden State’s wine, bringing in almost $79 million worth of U.S. wine last year.
“China has a rapidly growing middle class that is traveling outside the country and adopting many Western tastes,” Christopher Beros, the Wine Institute’s trade director for China and Pacific Rim, said at the time. “We expect this trend to continue for the foreseeable future.”
So maybe not. China just announced plans to add a 15 percent tariff on a range of U.S. products from pipes, to fruit, to -- yes, wine.
The tariffs, in response to ones President Donald Trump ordered on Chinese products earlier on Thursday, could put a real dent in Wine Country revenue growth. China’s thirst for imported wine has increased 2.5 times in the past five years.
“China is one of our largest export markets -- we’re already expensive, because they already have existing duties and tariffs,” said Michael Honig, president of Honig Vineyard & Winery and past chairman of the Napa Valley Vintners Association. “It’s a burgeoning market that we had been hoping to make great strides in growing forward.”
A 15 percent tariff is going to make that goal “very difficult,” he said. “It will have a big impact on our ability to sell and be competitive.”
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


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Boon or Bust for Small Publishers?
Just dreaming of a quiet Easter, when one after the other news message comes in:
“Goodreads now has 16 million members and a book rating and reviewing system that can’t be beat. In addition, there are genre specific social groups, groups for writers and hundreds of daily book giveaways. “Over just the past 90 days, members have added more than four books per second to the “want to read” shelves on Goodreads.”
“Amazon and Goodreads share a passion for reinventing reading,” said Russ Grandinetti, Amazon Vice President, Kindle Content. “Goodreads has helped change how we discover and discuss books and, with Kindle, Amazon has helped expand reading around the world. In addition, both Amazon and Goodreads have helped thousands of authors reach a wider audience and make a better living at their craft. Together we intend to build many new ways to delight readers and authors alike.”
“Our members have been asking us to bring the Goodreads experience to an e-reader for a long time. Now we’re looking forward to bringing Goodreads to the most popular e-reader in the world, Kindle, and further reinventing what reading can be.”
Amazon now owns both Audiobook retailer Audible and Goodreads, as well as its own robust publishing arm. This should improve the Seattle-based giant’s position against competitors, which lack their own supporting social media networks. Barnes & Noble, in particular, is set for challenging times, with Nook sales are set to suffer even further.
“Out of all the commenting about books, Goodreads was the most powerful ecosystem for recommending what you read next and Amazon was a close second. Now it’s just Amazon… With the collapse of the Nook, [Barnes & Noble have] lost the online game and we just have to count out the final steps,” said Thad MacIlroy, a Vancouver-based publishing consultant, in an interview with Digital Book World.
Salon.com author Andrew Leonard writes: “A shudder went through the entire world of publishing Thursday afternoon, after Amazon announced the purchase of the social reader site Goodreads. When people who normally eschew Hitler analogies compare an Amazon move to the Nazi invasion of Poland, it’s time to pay attention. Or as author Alex Irvine immediately tweeted,“Next, publishers will be required to dig own graves. Goodreads, according to Salon’s own publishing maven, Laura Miller, “was the single major readers’ community independent of Amazon.” But maintaining that independence has not been easy.”
And now, they have been acquired by Amazon… More in news:


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Chuck Tanzola, CPMR
Fusion Sourcing Group
ERA Senior VP/Fiscal & Legal
Growth malais is continuing
As I complete this report, the calendar has changed to September, the last long weekend of the summer is behind us, the East Coast and Hawaii have recovered from a series of weather events, and as a nation, we are preparing to either “Make America Great Again,”or be “Stronger Together.”
Every quarter I try to provide an update on the component market conditions, and not surprisingly, the same general industry growth malaise I covered in last quarter’s components market segment report continues this quarter. A review of the monthly POS Index report, provided to ERA members by Budde Marketing, confirms this as well.
Also, based on the published outlooks and guidance that I’ve read from several public companies for the next quarter — as well as the predictions of manufacturers, distributors and representatives as collected and reported by ECIA in its Quarterly Electronic Components Sales Trends Report — it appears that we can expect this to continue through the end of the year (and maybe beyond).
Merger and acquisition activity, both among manufacturers and distributors, continues. Although it is not necessarily at the record pace of CY 2015, it is still in significant measure, with some notable announcements, including the ADI acquisition of Linear Technology and Avnet’s recent offer to purchase Premier Farnell.
Two trends I am seeing in this area are: 1) private equity/investment fund acquisitions in the electronics industry; and 2) European companies increasingly looking to enter the North American market through acquisition. (This seems like a good time to note ERA’s status as an electronica 2016 partner organization. I would like to extend thanks in advance to John Hutson, CPMR, of The MacInnis Company and ERA CEO Walter Tobin for manning the ERA stand at the trade show in November. Also, I am putting in a shameless plug for participation in the ERA’s electronica 2016 Field Sales Reps Available Directory.)
Finally, one additional interesting observation (at least to me) is that despite continued flat-sales results, which could be inherently disappointing, historical data in the ECIA report I mentioned earlier show that industry predictions of market growth regularly exceed the actual reported results. This attests to our industry’s generally optimistic outlook and belief in the future.
Last quarter I suggested that, “Flat is the new normal.” This quarter I have a corollary statement: “Hope for the best, plan for the worst, prepare to be surprised, and you will never be disappointed.” As always, I welcome your comments and feedback and can be reached by email at email@example.com.
Electronic Systems Integration
Gary Ponto, CPMR
Shift in sales trends in AV and security markets expected to continue
I have had several conversations with manufacturers regarding the shift in trends of sales in the AV and security markets over the past two years. There has been a shift in buying cycles that was not expected, and factories are wondering if this is a new trend that will continue.
I plotted our sales over the past five years, and 2015 and 2016 are very different from the previous years, regarding trends.
Historically, there has been a sales bump in February and March in the first quarter. The past two years showed a bump in January and a falloff in sales in February with some recovery in March, but not significant. June and July usually experience a boost for the school installation season over the summer break months, but this has not been seen in our industry over the past two years. The third quarter has been flat with a slight bump in the fourth quarter usually triggered by government purchasing in September and October. Business tends to fall off quickly after Thanksgiving, impacting the fourth quarter sales.
So my point is that the big spikes have not been there for the last 24 months, recession aside. So has the industry trend shifted? I believe it has!
There are a lot of new players in these markets. They include IT companies and structured cable companies that are providing installation of these systems, taking them from the traditional channel partners.
With IT and structured cable accounts entering these markets, the new trends also have changed where the product is being purchased. Distribution and the Internet are playing a larger role in providing products and services than ever before. Because many products are now IP-based, and the cost of IP products has come down over the past few years, new vendors to these markets are much more interested in expanding their offerings to their customers to include AV and security products that are IP-based. It is just another IP appliance on the network to them, and they understand networks better than many traditional AV and security integrators.
So my point is that the markets are evolving and so is the customer base that we need to be working with. If you are still of the mindset that electrical contractors and IT providers are not the customers you want to work with, you are missing where the market is shifting to.
Materials, Assembly, Production & Supply
Advanced manufacturing technologies expected to gain momentum
“But we have always done it that way …”
Sandy Vasser, a senior advisor at ExxonMobil Production Company, described starting every project by asking, “Do we have to do it that way?”
Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Einstein also said, “The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
Another great contributor in our growth, Thomas A. Edison, said, “Five percent of the people think, 10 percent of the people think they think, and the other 85 percent would rather die than think.”
And one more — and this is one of my favorites. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.”
Conventional thought focuses on “improving” or “perfecting” the process. Some of that is necessary and good. But, to use the old cliché: “thinking outside the box,” we need to ask: “Is there a better way to do it?”
Some feel that following the first industrial revolution of steam and mechanical equipment, the second of electricity and mass production, and today’s current revolution of electronics and automation, we will see “Industry 4.0.” A full manufacturing process without human intervention, Industry 4.0 will be making significant design decisions throughout the manufacturing process with robots and artificial intelligence taking over all or most of the process, making it not only more efficient but more accurate.
Now, to the point. The U.S., with its technology, is poised to again be the most competitive nation in manufacturing, in part because of a shift toward advanced manufacturing technologies.
Currently, Deloitte Touche in its Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index, ranks the U.S. number two, up from number four in 2010. The index predicts that China will fall from its number one ranking to number two in the next four years. Germany and Japan will likely remain number three and four accordingly. India is expected to climb to number five, and Mexico will likely move from number eight to number seven.
An example of change, and from the “we have always done it that way” thinking, is the move HP started in October 2014 when it announced in May that production would start on its Multi Jet Fusion 3D printer. One of the really significant things here is that HP, which traditionally tied its printers to HP ink (the “razor and blade” concept), will conform to the 3MF file format using open materials from major manufacturers. This is a very significant change for HP and the kind of change that must take place.
Another headline I noted said, “U.S. Manufacturing Expands But Jobs plunge.” This is certainly a fallout of the above mentioned scenario. Manufacturing is going to require more highly skilled talent which will pay higher salaries, but there likely will be fewer jobs in that highly technical sector.
I think that we must be flexible and willing to adapt to change. There will be jobs. We just have to recognize where the changes will take us and adapt quickly to train and be trained for a very fast-moving Industry 4.0.


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Lowe’s renovates retail strategy with new Manhattan stores
Lowe’s Home Improvement is entering the competitive Manhattan retail market for the first time this summer with the opening of two new stores, a move that hints at how the chain is remodeling its broader retail strategy to capture growing U.S. urban markets.
The company is in the midst of completing construction on two new stores in the Upper West Side and Chelsea neighborhoods of New York City, with both locations expected to open later this summer. The stores showcase a more urban take on big-box retail on several fronts. The stores will be smaller and stock merchandise from new merchants that Lowe’s (LOW) hasn’t worked with before. The Lowe’s team says they are thinking about retail a little differently when aiming to address the Manhattan market.
“We’ve looked at being more urban for up to a decade,” Lowe’s Chief Development Officer Richard Maltsbarger told Fortune. About two years ago, Lowe’s finally moved forward with plans to conceive a retail strategy for the New York market.
For starters, the Manhattan stores are smaller than the traditional Lowe’s. The new locations on the island stand about three times smaller at around 30,000 square feet, compared with its existing stores at an average of about 112,000 square feet concentrated across U.S. suburbs. The Manhattan stores also feature display windows to lure in street traffic. That’s a feature you wouldn’t find at a typical Lowe’s store.
Major U.S. cities saw population gains in the postrecession years, and much has been made about the trend of millennials moving to cities for job opportunities and staying in urban markets for an extended period of time before purchasing a home in the suburbs. While there are some indications growth in U.S. cities has slowed, their populations continue to increase.
Lowe’s believes it can take this smaller retail space strategy to other urban markets, hoping to tap those retail markets where Lowe’s doesn’t have much of a presence today.
“This format gives us the opportunity to get into spaces where we believe there are additional customers where we can help them love where they live,” says Maltsbarger.
The smaller store format strategy differs from main rival Home Depot (HD), which has two stores in Manhattan that are roughly the same size as that retailer’s average store. Home Depot has also operated its two existing locations on the island since 2004, so Lowe’s is coming to the market for the first time over a decade later.
The decision to open smaller stores also lowers the investment Lowe’s is making to enter the pricy Manhattan retail market.
“New York is the most expensive place to open up a store,” says Ron Friedman, a retail consultant for accounting and advisory firm Marcum LLP. “The cost per square foot to get the store open is extremely expensive.” He advises retailers consider renting less space to start.
The smaller locations will scale back on some items that aren’t as popular for smaller homes, often with little outdoor space. For example, the Lowe’s Manhattan stores will stock fewer shovels and less carpeting, as those items just aren’t as popular for city-dwelling needs.
Shovels can be ordered online of course, and Lowe’s spent a lot of time during a walking tour with Fortune at the company’s Upper West Side location talking about its omnichannel capabilities to ensure that any item it carries can be shipped quickly to homes and apartments within the city. Omnichannel is the way companies like Lowe’s can connect retailing at physical stores with their online businesses, making it ideally as easy as possible to fulfill orders.
“We were able to build something that is the appropriate size and the appropriate feel for the Manhattan shopper, but supported by the million square foot of Lowe’s that surrounds the island,” Maltsbarger says.
Lowe’s is focusing on eight core home improvement “occasions,” including storage and organization, a remodeling section, paint, and an appliances section. Within those areas of the store, the retailer’s team pointed out several new partners that Lowe’s will work with for the first time when entering New York City, including closet organizer Space Pro, appliance makers Smeg and Liebherr, as well as the Jessica Alba-founded The Honest Company. Some are fashion-forward plays, others focus on making tiny apartments more livable.


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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced earlier this week that it will delay full implementation of the APHIS Core Message Set in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) until January 25, 2021. APHIS made this decision in response to stakeholder concerns about operational and economic setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This action gives the trade community additional time to prepare for this change.
Although filing the APHIS Core Message Set is not required at this time, APHIS strongly recommends that stakeholders begin using it before the January 25, 2021 deadline. On the APHIS website, stakeholders can view a series of informational webinars that explain the steps for using the APHIS Core Message Set in ACE. The webinars—six in all—cover a wide range of APHIS-regulated products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, animal products, miscellaneous and processed products, seeds not for planting, and plants for planting as well as a general overview of the APHIS Core message set. Click here to view the webinar series.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.


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Ranges that will be affected by the reduction are Bluestone’s Clear, AAA and AA credit categories. The LTV cap will only be in place for a short period of time.
The restriction will allow underwriting and service teams to spend more time to processing the existing pipeline of applications, said Bluestone.
The lender has reported increased demand over the last eight months, with sales and lending growing by 70 per cent.
In its latest financial report, released in February, the lender reported profits for the year ended 30 June 2020 of around £2.1m, up from a loss of around £2.9m in 2019.
Bluestone Mortgages sales and marketing director Reece Beddall said: “After experiencing such high demand for our products over recent months, we’ve taken this important step to ensure that we can provide a first-rate service to our brokers and end-customers.
“With the added support of our increased headcount, we will be in a much stronger position to support underserved borrowers in the weeks to come and provide them with high-quality solutions and service that cater to their needs,” he added.


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Office of the Mayor
WHEREAS: Farmers markets are important outlets for agricultural producers nationwide, providing them with increased opportunities to meet consumer demand for a variety of fresh, affordable, convenient, and healthful products sold directly from the farm; and
WHEREAS: The Farmers Markets of Kaw Valley play a key role building a strong local food economy—a community priority highlighted in our new Douglas County Food System Plan—that supports the viability family farms and entrepreneurs and preserves agricultural lands;
WHEREAS: The City of Lawrence recognizes the myriad benefits of farmers markets for producers and consumers, such as fostering safe, healthy and welcoming neighborhoods, and is fully committed to supporting farmers markets' continued success.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Leslie Soden, Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, do hereby proclaim the week of August 6 – 12, 2017 as
in Lawrence in coordination with National Farmers Market Week and encourage the people of Lawrence to celebrate farmers markets.
Leslie Soden, Mayor
August 8, 2017


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A financial advice group has launched a new technology platform designed to replicate "family office" type advice for mass affluent consumers, giving businesses and individuals a single point of contact for financial advice.
According to a statement, Findex's new Family Office will allow individual advisers to “access an expanded suite of services” such as tax, wealth management, risk consulting, lending and insurance, and prevent their clients having to deal with multiple specialists.
“In the past, only high net-worth individuals and businesses had access to Family Office-style services,” said Findex chief executive Spiro Paule.
Findex says the new platform will make “the same philosophy and capabilities” of traditional family office services available to individuals and family-run businesses, and will remove the “disjointed, expensive advice” typically offered to businesses.
“After building a company with more than 1800 advisors in key financial areas, we can make this advice and service accessible to individuals and businesses of all sizes, giving them the same services and quality advice,” Mr Paule said.
The new Family Office platform utilises data from 140 financial services programs used across different parts of the business to provide a “one-stop shop” for family-run businesses to manage their financial situation, Findex said.
Diverger has made an offer to acquire Centrepoint Alliance, a move that would create one of the largest licensees behind only Insignia and AMP.
The corporate regulator has outlined a key focus on product labelling and advertising.
The federal government has sought to clear up uncertainty about the status of crypto for tax purposes following the adoption of bitcoin as legal tende...
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DP World Limassol has acquired a new, high-tech mobile harbour crane and a reach stacker as part of an ongoing upgrade of the Limassol port infrastructure.
The new pieces of equipment are expected to speed up operations and upgrade of the infrastructure at the multipurpose port terminal.
DP World Limassol says the recent acquisitions underline the company’s commitment to continually invest in the port and improving customer satisfaction
The new equipment will be used for the loading and unloading of general cargo, break bulk and oil and gas equipment, enhancing the efficiency, productivity and safety of port operations and reducing vessel turnaround time. In addition to making loading and unloading faster and easier, the operator compartment of these new machines has been ergonomically designed to provide good sight lines, better working comfort and environmentally friendly with low emissions and noise levels.
DP World Limassol says the recent acquisitions underline the company’s commitment to continually invest in the port, delivering innovative and sustainable services and improving customer satisfaction.
“The addition of the new equipment is an integral part of our commitment to provide high quality trade enabling services in Cyprus,” said Charles Meaby, General Manager of DP World Limassol, adding that the “LHM 420 mobile harbour crane from Liebherr is a great investment for the Port.”
“With its heavy lifting capability, innovative services the new crane will help maximise the Multipurpose port’s potential. DP World is a global leader in the management and operations of ports and we will continue making improvements to deliver a better service for port users.”


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Bloodbath on High Street: Carpetright, Bonmarche and funeral services firm Dignity hit after profit warnings
Grim results sent shares in a number of FTSE 250 companies plummeting as much as 50 per cent.
Investors’ nerves were shot as flooring specialist Carpetright and funeral services firm Dignity issued profit warnings.
Budget fashion retailer Bonmarche also reported dismal Christmas sales.
Shares in Carpetright crashed by 39 per cent, while Dignity plunged by 50 per cent. Bonmarche fell 17 per cent.
The hit to Carpetright’s share price has wiped more than £40million off the company’s value.
Analysts said the firm’s trading, which dropped 3.6 per cent in the 11 weeks to January 13, should be a ‘stark wake-up call’ for the retailer which also dramatically slashed its profit guidance for the year.
Carpetright said fewer customers on the High Street and volatile trading at its European operations had hit business.
Dignity revealed full-year results were likely to be far lower than predicted. It has been battling for business from the likes of Co-op Funeralcare, which cut prices in September.
Visits to Bonmarche’s High Street stores slumped by 9.7 per cent in the 13 weeks to December 30 – the worst figures from a clothing retailer so far this year.
Honor Strachan, a retail analyst at Global Data, said the firm had ‘missed the mark’ on appealing to its older demographic, with these customers likely to have shopped with retailers like M&S instead.
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The original was a game that even Electronic Arts admits was an “abomination”. This game’s crowdfunding campaign was, let’s be honest, a little weird. But whatever! A second Shaq-Fu game looks like it’s actually happening.
The project passed its funding goal earlier today, developers Big Deez confirming that work is underway on both consoles and PC.
Given Shaq’s wealth (making the need for public money a little weird) and the fact that, cult status aside, the first game was garbage, this is going to be an interesting thing to keep an eye on.
Especially after seeing this image of a cyborg Arsenio Hall.
Note that one of the backer rewards — at a cost of $US35,000 — was for Shaq to come and DJ your party. And someone paid for it.
Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn [Indiegogo]
The Cheapest NBN 1000 Plans
Looking to bump up your internet connection and save a few bucks? Here are the cheapest plans available.


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Major corporations across the globe have research and development teams hard at work figuring out ways to take advantage of blockchain technology and all things crypto, but there is one innovator in the market that has elected to stay on the sidelines to the amazement of everyone in the Fintech industry. Apple Corporation (NASDAQ:AAPL) just refuses to budge or has chosen to remain very tight lipped about what it is doing internally. The firm has obviously felt the “heat”, so to speak. In a recent CNN interview at a private event in San Francisco, one Apple executive explained that they view crypto as a long-term issue.
Jennifer Bailey, a vice president at Apple Pay, despite the payment industry “sizzle” over using blockchains to speed up and make more efficient the entire cross-border payment market, admitted that they are interested, but they have no plans to incorporate any crypto variations in their various product lines:
We think it’s interesting… We think it has interesting long-term potential, but we’re primarily focused on what consumers are using today.
For a corporation that has always prided itself on leading on the innovation front, rather than being a follower, this comment could possibly make Steve Jobs turn over in his grave. He was known to tell his Apple troops that:
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower… Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to be. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.
It sounds as if Steve’s legacy has been cast aside somewhere.
To build a design staff is one thing, and incorporating crypto ideas in existing products is another, but reporters have noted that, even though Apple has done neither, it has also gone out of its way to block crypto in several ways. For example, you cannot use your Goldman-Sachs credit card to buy Bitcoin or any other altcoin. They have also deployed strict rules within their Apple Store platform to prohibit any type of crypto app for sale.
Such tactics would seem appropriate for an old enterprise intent on protecting the “status quo” and undermining its competition, which has embraced all things crypto. When quizzed about what crypto technologies appeared to be “interesting”, using her own words. Ms. Bailey alluded to “Quick Response” (QR) code innovations, the use of a visual type of matrix to encode payment information or plane reservations, as something she was following:
If you look at QR code payment solutions, if you look at the long-term potential of cryptocurrency, I think you’ll continue to see that change over time.
It could also be that Apple is so far behind its competitors in adopting crypto technologies that there is no point playing catch up. Other giant companies in similar situations that have chosen a “wait-and-see” approach typically acquire an innovative leader in the industry down the road and then try to leap ahead of market leaders with ideas that do not have to deal with legacy systems. Years ago, IBM was known to follow this strategy, as did large banks, but at least IBM has learned, perhaps from Steve Jobs’ example, that if you do not lead, you could fall too far behind the technology wave.
What are Apple’s competitors doing? Samsung, its chief phone rival, has been including crypto wallets and various related apps on its new service lines. Its new Galaxy Note 10 model is expected to be more user-friendly than all of its previous versions. The HTC Corporation, a smaller rival that must run faster, just released its new Exodus, which focuses on blockchain technology, has a built-in wallet, and several other crypto features.
Crypto industry analysts are now speculating as to what it would take for Apple to jump into the fray. Obviously, their product development folks are waiting to see crypto adopted by the mainstream before they act in any significant way, but when they do, the impact on all things crypto could be enormous, making Facebook’s Libra project look like some sandbox game involving children.


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Philip Green, the English billionaire behind British fast fashion chain Topshop, has been named as the subject of sexual harassment accusations that were brought to light earlier this week.
On Tuesday, British newspaper the Telegraph published a report about how it had spent eight months investigating a “leading businessman” for “sexual harassment and racial abuse of staff,” but was forced to keep silent about his identity because of a court order. On Thursday, member of Parliament Peter Hain openly named Green as the subject of the Telegraph article, saying it was his “duty” to do so.
The Telegraph reported that, similar to the case of Harvey Weinstein and other stories from the #MeToo movement, Green used non-disclosure agreements to buy the silence of his alleged victims. Similarly, he obtained a gag order from Terence Etherton, one of the most senior judges in the UK, against the Telegraph. MP Hain, in his remarks, said that Green is a “powerful businessman using non-disclosure agreements and substantial payments to conceal the truth about serious and repeated sexual harassment, racist abuse and bullying.”
In a statement to the Telegraph, Green, who presides over a retail empire called the Arcadia Group, said:
I am not commenting on anything that has happened in court or was said in Parliament today. To the extent that it is suggested that I have been guilty of unlawful sexual or racist behaviour, I categorically and wholly deny these allegations. Arcadia and I take accusations and grievances from employees very seriously and in the event that one is raised, it is thoroughly investigated. Arcadia employs more than 20,000 people and in common with many large businesses sometimes receives formal complaints from employees. In some cases these are settled with the agreement of all parties and their legal advisers. These settlements are confidential so I cannot comment further on them.
According to the Sun, Arcadia Group held an emergency meeting Thursday evening, as store associates from companies like Topshop and Miss Selfridge are threatening to quit over the news about Green.
Who is Philip Green and what are the allegations against him?
Green is one of England’s wealthiest businessmen. He has an estimated net worth of about $4.5 billion, according to Forbes, and Arcadia Group earns about $2.4 billion annually. He’s notorious in the British press for throwing lavish parties, and has befriended powerful figures including Elton John, the Clintons, and Anna Wintour.
While Arcadia Group includes high street brands like Burton and Miss Selfridge, its most visible labels abroad are Topshop and the accompanying menswear line, Topman. Even though it’s technically in the fast fashion category, debuting new collections every few weeks, Topshop is pricier and more stylish than, say, H&M.
The Telegraph reported that it has been looking into “allegations of bullying, intimidation and sexual harassment made against” Green, although it has not as of now published specific accusations. In retaliation, Green, according to the paper, has “hired a team of at least seven lawyers and spent close to £500,000 in legal fees to persuade the Court of Appeal to injunct The Telegraph.”
In its initial story, the Telegraph wrote that there is “a clear public interest in publishing the claims” — both because Green holds serious power and capital in the British economy, and also because silencing troubling reports via NDAs is shockingly common.
The day the report was published, a member of Parliament brought up the use of NDAs to British Prime Minister Theresa May, without mentioning Green. May replied that “non-disclosure agreements cannot stop people from whistleblowing, but it is clear that some employers are using them unethically.”
May said the British government would “seek to improve the regulation around non-disclosure agreements and make it absolutely explicit to employees when a non-disclosure agreement does not apply and when it cannot be enforced.”
Green’s businesses will likely take a hit
Sales at Arcadia-owned brands like Topshop have been slipping over the past few years, as companies with fleets of stores struggle to compete against digital brands like Boohoo and Asos. This most recent scandal, which evokes both the #MeToo movement and the press’s fight for freedom, could hurt Green’s business even more.
“While many of the allegations are only claims and have not yet been legally proven, Philip Green’s association with them is highly damaging for both him and the various retail businesses he owns,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail, said to Vox in an email.
He continued: “Unless the claims are proven, beyond all doubt, to be false, then there is no coming back. Quite rightly, the stench of sexual misconduct lingers for life. The sexual abuse of women is not something people forgive or forget, and it will weigh on people’s minds when they decide where to shop.”
On social media, shoppers are already calling for boycotts against brands within the Arcadia Group, and against Topshop specifically. Some are using the hashtag #PinkNotGreen, which was already circulating last week after a different incident with Topshop in which the retailer chose not to promote a book about feminism by author Scarlet Curtis in stores.
Phillip Green sells FEMINIST branded t-shirts but uses NDA’s to conceal allegations of sexual harassment, racist abuse and bullying.— LOU RAMSAY (@LouiseRamsay_) October 25, 2018
Stop buying feminist merch. Start supporting women’s rights. Stop supporting this man. #MeToo #PinkNotGreen
Dear 'SIR' Philip Green.— Marika Visser (@MarikaTweets) October 25, 2018
You are a misogynist.
You use feminism for your commercial gain.
You are revolting.
You deserve to be stripped of your knighthood.
You WILL pay the consequences.
BRAVO @Telegraph & Lord Hain. You are the good guys. #pinknotgreen #TimesUp #MeToo
Don't just call out Philip Green with words, call him out with your wallets, boycott Topshop #PinkNotGreen— Siobhán (@siobhanmariak) October 25, 2018
Vox has reached out to Topshop for comment, and will update this story as it develops.


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If you’ve ever played Words With Friends on your smartphone, then you need to change your passwords because of a recently announced security breach. A hacker claims he hacked into Zynga, Inc, the parent company of the popular game.
An online user who goes by the name Gnosticplayers told The Hacker News they’d accessed data from the nearly 218 million users of Words With Friend on both the iOS and Android platforms. Affected data included names, email addresses, login identification, passwords, Facebook IDs, Zynga account IDs and possibly even phone numbers.
Zynga released a statement about the security breach and assured customers the company is working with law enforcement to help with the investigation. Zynga also reported that people’s financial data was unaffected by the security hack.
“Our current understanding is that no financial information was accessed,” said the Zynga statement. “However, we understand that account information for certain players of certain Zynga games may have been accessed. As a precaution, we have taken steps to protect certain players’ accounts from invalid logins, including but not limited to where we believe that passwords may have been accessed. Zynga has begun the process of sending individual notices to players where we believe that notice is required.”
If you think your data may have been accessed during this breach, security experts from Consumer Reports recommend you change your passwords immediately to protect your accounts. When you create a new password, make sure it is a strong one.
“You want to create a strong password that’s unique, and not shared with any other online accounts, especially important accounts like social media logins or bank accounts,” said Justin Brookman, director of privacy and technology policy at Consumer Reports. “And stitching a bunch of random words together is more effective than [using common tactics such as] changing an ‘i’ to a ‘1’ or exclamation point.”


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By Karen Axelton
Here’s a smart idea for small businesses on a budget this holiday season. The New York Times reports that some event and catering companies, in an effort to attract clients in a tough year, are hosting holiday parties that are open to all kinds of small and midsized businesses.
Attending a “group” holiday party with other businesses enables them to give their employees and clients a festive celebration—even if they can’t afford to rent out a hotel ballroom or room in a restaurant themselves.
The Times notes another side benefit of attending holiday parties with other business owners: You get the chance to network and potentially meet new clients in a relaxed atmosphere, as well as celebrating with your current clients.
With this type of event, typically the per-person cost of attending decreases the more people sign up. And for the companies that provide food, entertainment such as music or DJ services, and other services for the events, it’s a chance for them to earn new clients as well.
I think this is a pretty smart idea.


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Find a Question:
Partner billionaire Usmanov said Xiaomi promising Apple
Businessman Alisher Usmanov, who owns shares in USM Holdings, in March last year sold the shares of Apple . Russia’s richest man plans to increase its investment portfolio in the proportion of Chinese assets. Currently Xiaomi shows the highest growth in the smartphone market, so the choice fell on the company.
In an interview with ” snob “partner Usmanov at USM Holdings Ivan Streshinskiy explained why he believes Xiaomi promising Apple, and why get rid of holding shares manufacturer iPhone.
“We believe in the American market, but we can not earn anything. If we bought shares at a good price and we have a good income, do not skimp, you need to sell.
There are investment cycle and such a thing as “liquidity”. That is, relatively speaking, I have a choice: I earned a tenfold to one company, and I have another company in which I can earn 10-15 times more. So I’d better selling something on what has already earned, even if this company will grow two times, “- he explained the decision.
Earn 10-15 times more Usmanov plans on assets in Asia:
“All that you have done well in Asia, especially in China, brings a disproportionate amount of money because more people live there – this is obvious. Therefore, the main task – to find the right company and the people who can lead this company forward. These companies do not have much. We have relied on these companies because they are led here people: Jack Ma in Alibaba, Richard Liu JD.com, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun.
Who heard about the company Xiaomi three years ago? No, because it was not a significant player in the market. But today is the number one company in China, and the number three in the world. In just two or three years, such progress. The founder of this company Lei Jun – a very charismatic person, it is called Chinese Steve Jobs “- said Streshinskiy.
According to the businessman, Apple has difficulty in “a loss of focus.” “They started with the iPod, then went phones – first on one model per year, then two, then appeared iPad, and now – watch. It can grow in such a way that the user will suffer what to choose. But what they have done is absolutely brilliant – an ecosystem in which everything is concentrated. Jump off of this ecosystem is very difficult, “- said partner Usmanov.
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Delta Air Lines, Sears Holdings and likely other major companies have been hit by a payment card breach suffered last year by San Jose, CA-based online services provider 7.ai.
In a brief statement published on Wednesday, 7.ai revealed that it had notified a “small number” of client companies of a security incident impacting payment card information. According to the firm, the intrusion occurred on September 26 and it was contained on October 12, 2017.
“We have notified law enforcement and are cooperating fully to ensure the protection of our clients and their customers’ online safety. We are confident that the platform is secure, and we are working diligently with our clients to determine if any of their customer information was accessed,” 7.ai said.
7.ai provides customer acquisition and engagement solutions to organizations in a wide range of sectors, including agencies, education, financial services, healthcare, insurance, retail, telecom, travel and hospitality, and utilities. Its customers include Adobe, Copa Airlines, Duke Energy, Grainger, Scotiabank, and Vodafone.
Two of 7.ai’s customers have come forward to date to inform customers that they have been hit by the security breach.
One of them is Delta, which told customers that their payment card information may have been compromised. The company said no other information, such as government IDs, passports, security or Skymiles details, was impacted.
“At this point, even though only a small subset of our customers would have been exposed, we cannot say definitively whether any of our customers’ information was actually accessed or subsequently compromised,” Delta stated.
The airline, which used 7.ai’s online chat services, has promised to set up a dedicated page at delta.com/response where it will post updates regarding this incident.
Sears Holdings, the company that owns the Sears and Kmart retail store brands, says 7.ai has provided online support services. Sears believes the incident has impacted the credit card information of less than 100,000 customers.
“We believe the credit card information for certain customers who transacted online between September 27, 2017 and October 12, 2017 may have been compromised,” Sears stated. “Customers using a Sears-branded credit card were not impacted. In addition, there is no evidence that our stores were compromised or that any internal Sears systems were accessed by those responsible. 7.ai has assured us that their systems are now secure.”
Sears and Delta said they only learned of the data breach from 7.ai in mid and late March, respectively. SecurityWeek has reached out to the vendor to find out why it has waited so long to notify impacted companies.
*Updated to remove Merrill Lynch from the list of 7.ai customers
Related: Orbitz Data Breach Impacts 880,000 Payment Cards
Related: Clothing Retailer Fallas Hit by Payment Card Breach
Related: Payment Card Breach Hits Some Applebee’s Restaurants


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Ride-hailing app Uber has launched a “dynamic pricing” algorithm in London to automatically set variable fees for drivers and fares for passengers, but the drivers’ union claims there is a lack of transparency about how the data will be used. people.
Uber’s introduction of the algorithm in London at the beginning of February 2023 allows the company to set variable wages and pricing levels based on real-time data for market conditions, such as time and distance, predicted route , estimated traffic, and number of users requesting. or providing services.
In letters sent from Uber to UK drivers in August 2022 about the roll-out of the algorithm, published by Brave New Europe, the company said: “If you joined Uber years ago , you join when the prices are simple.
“We set prices based on time and distance, and then surge [pricing] helped raise prices when demand was highest,” it added.
“Uber has come a long way since then, and we now have advanced technology that uses years of data and learning to find a competitive price for the time of day, location and distance of the trip. “
While Uber itself has not revealed what data its algorithm will use to set fees and prices, the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) says it will likely use personal data and profiles of drivers and passengers to can make decisions.
ADCU added that, in the case of consumers, the algorithm may unfairly affect passengers in vulnerable situations (for example, those traveling home at night or elderly people trying to reach hospital appointments).
For drivers, ADCU said the algorithm can improve working conditions by targeting drivers based on their willingness and ability to accept lower fares.
“In both scenarios, competing algorithms monitor market signals as well as the behavior of customers and drivers in real time,” ADCU said. “As a result, passengers are offered prices at higher prices than they could afford. Likewise, driver salaries are kept artificially low with drivers effectively black- and grey-listed in the workplace.”
An Uber spokesperson said it was “untrue” that Uber uses any personal data or profiling algorithm, and completely rejected the claim that it creates “blacklists” of drivers. They also said that Uber is working closely with GMB, with which it signed an agreement in May 2021, to consult drivers on the algorithm and incorporate their feedback before the launch in London.
“Upfront Pricing is designed to improve reliability for riders, which in turn helps create more trips for drivers,” they said. “Overall, Uber’s average pickup rate remains the same, but each trip is now based on real-time information to provide the best price to attract drivers to the area.”
ADCU also pointed to a January 2022 Harvard study on the harm to consumers of dynamic pricing algorithms, which found that the use of such technologies opens up the possibility of “tacit collusion” between companies , as their automatic monitoring of the prices of rivals in combination with the ability to quickly change the price creates an unspoken understanding that deviations will be met with retaliatory reduction, thus tacitly establishing a supracompetitive price.
The authors add that a company can also “start a cycle of harm to consumers simply by using a superior pricing algorithm”, because its capabilities to easily exchange goods and service, as well as autonomous observation and reaction to competitors’ price changes, removes all. incentives for less advanced technology players to compete on price; create a situation where “all companies pay more than the competitive price”.
ADCU general secretary James Farrar described the pricing algorithm as “dangerous and predatory”, and further accused the Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) of “failing their duty” by providing the algorithm in green light.
“Passengers and drivers, directly and indirectly, are unfairly targeted for personal car exploitation,” he said. Vulnerable passengers are put at risk when service is denied or unfairly priced while driver compensation is unfairly withheld through the collusion of the owner and the individuals targeted for black-and grey-listing.
“In post-Brexit Britain, where the government plans to remove some of the protections we have against algorithmic abuse, the Mayor must step forward and insist on high data protection standards for commuters and workers in London,” Farrar said. “We call on the Mayor to immediately ban the use of dynamic pricing algorithms in London’s regulated minicab market.”
Computer Weekly contacted Uber about these concerns about the effects on drivers and consumers, as well as its position in the Harvard study, but Uber rejected the claim that personal data or profiling was used in the algorithm. It does not answer questions about studying at Harvard.
Computer Weekly also contacted TfL and the Mayor of London, but received no response.
Uber’s issues with a lack of algorithmic transparency are long-standing. In June 2022, ADCU called on Uber to provide full algorithmic transparency so that drivers understand how they are profiled, how their performance is managed, and on what basis work is allocated or withheld.
In December 2021, a report published by the Worker Info Exchange – a campaign group set up to help workers access and gain insight from data collected from them at work – noted that there was a “dismal which is an insufficient level of transparency” about the extent of algorithmic surveillance and automated decision-making that workers across the gig economy are subject to.
ADCU added that Uber still fails to provide algorithmic transparency when drivers submit data subject access requests to the company for information it holds on them. Computer Weekly reached out to Uber about its alleged failure to provide algorithmic transparency, but received no response on this point.
In March 2021, following the legal action brought by ADCU on behalf of six Uber drivers, the District Court of Amsterdam decided that Uber and Ola must disclose – to different extents – large amounts of data used in make decisions about the work and work of drivers.
These cases stem from operators withholding information from drivers who submit subject access requests for data held by companies.
The court also rejected claims by Uber and Ola that drivers acting collectively to access their data amounted to abuse of their individual rights to access data, putting the basis for drivers to establish their own trust in the data controlled by the union.


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Yahoo’s latest online ad hire brings it closer to integrating its display and search offerings. The company hired former Microsoft ad sales director Seth Dallaire to head up Yahoo’s search and display ad sales teams serving mid-market advertisers.
Until now, Yahoo’s mid-market search and display sales departments were separate. Now, the heads of those teams will report to Dallaire, according to a Yahoo spokesperson. Dallaire started with Yahoo October 1.
While the firm’s mid-market salespeople do have contact with their accounts, their approach to their market differs from that of Yahoo’s more hands-on field sales team. The mid-market reps serve large advertisers that do much of their search ad buying and management on their own through Yahoo’s automated system; these clients tend to be direct response advertisers.
“These advertisers don’t need the field sales rep, the face-to-face rep working with them,” the spokesperson told ClickZ News.
The field sales team, on the other hand, deals directly with large brand advertisers. “Brand advertisers have a different set of needs,” added the spokesperson.
Yahoo has made moves to break down the walls between display and search in the past few years. In 2007, the firm announced it would combine its separate display and search advertising departments into one holistic operation, the goal being to make it easier for advertisers to place integrated search and display campaigns. Clearly Yahoo still had some work to do to achieve its promised sales force consolidation.
The company also has indicated it wants to enable search and display ad buys through a single platform. It is unclear how far along Yahoo is in that pursuit.
Header bidding is a programmatic technique that allows publishers to offer their inventory through multiple ad exchanges before they serve up ads from their ad server.
YouTube is said to be preparing new non-video features that will allow content creators to interact with their viewers through photos, text posts, links and polls.
Few digital terms are as dirty as clickbait. It's the scourge of the web, and Facebook recently announced a News Feed update aimed at reducing the prevalence of clickbait headlines on its service.
The website of National Public Radio (NPR), npr.org, receives upwards of 30 million unique visitors each month, but as of next Tuesday, ... read more


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Sonic Spinball Coming to VC
Gonintendo has a scoop from a reader about Sonic Spinball coming to Wii Virtual Console this Monday. The reader used the Firefox workaround in the Wii Shop Channel’s browser to get the information. Look for the possibility of this on Monday.
March 12, 2007
[…] posted earlier last week about the possibility of Sonic Spinball coming to the VC, and now it looks like it was […]


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The Cyclospora outbreak linked to bagged salad produced by Fresh Express has grown to include 509 cases, more than half of those in Iowa and Illinois, according to the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Thirty-three people have been hospitalized. Since the agency’s last update, issued June 26, 303 additional cases have been reported.
The bagged salads associated with this outbreak, which contain iceberg lettuce, carrots and red cabbage, were all made by Fresh Express and sold under the Fresh Express brand name and store brand names at ALDI, Giant Eagle, Hy-Vee, Jewel-Osco and Walmart stores in 31 states and Washington, DC. Customers of these stores should check recall information carefully.
Cyclospora illnesses occur when people eat food contaminated with microscopic amounts of human feces containing the parasite. This can happen if an infected food handler does not wash hands properly after using the restroom or if water contaminated with human waste is used to irrigate or wash produce.
The hallmark symptom of a Cyclospora infection is diarrhea that is often described as explosive and watery. Often, the bouts of diarrhea are so frequent it is difficult to leave home. Other symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, loss of appetite, bloating, weight loss and fatigue.
The people sickened in this outbreak range in age from 11 to 92 years old. They reported onset of symptoms on dates ranging from May 11, 2020 to July 1, 2020.
More than 60 percent of the 509 illnesses included in this outbreak occurred in Illinois and Iowa. The case totals reported from all eight states affected by this outbreak are: Illinois (151), Iowa (160), Kansas (5), Minnesota (63), Missouri (46) Nebraska (48), North Dakota (6), and Wisconsin (30).
If you ate bagged salad that was recalled for Cyclospora and became ill, contact your healthcare provider and mention your exposure. Be sure to ask for the stool sample test for Cyclospora which is separate from the stool sample test for other foodborne pathogens. If your test is positive, report it to your state or local health department.
This is the second time in two years that a Cyclospora outbreak has been linked to salad made by Fresh Express. In 2018, Fresh Express salad sold at McDonald’s was the source of a Cyclospora outbreak that sickened more than 500 people. Pritzker Hageman Cyclospora lawyers represented multiple clients in that outbreak and we are in the current outbreak. If you got sick from contaminated food, we can help. For a free consultation with our experienced legal team, please call 1-888-377-8900, send a text 612-261-0856, or complete the form below. There is no obligation and we don’t get paid unless we win.


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Can you think of any product you give less thought to than palm oil? There probably aren’t many. And yet it’s an ingredient in about 50 percent of the products you find at the supermarket. Particularly, packaged foods and snack foods.
Palm oil is also used for animal feed and such non-food applications as health and beauty products, soap and cleaning supplies and even biodiesel products.
So what’s the problem? And why did palm oil merchant Neil Blomquist feel the need to create the pro-palm oil website PalmDoneRight.com?
Just Google “palm oil” and you start to get an idea. One of the first terms that pops up is “conflict palm oil.” Entries on the first results page asks readers to “Say No to Palm Oil.” Another states “Why Palm Oil Isn’t the Enemy.”
Conflict palm oil is what it’s called on the websites of environmental and activist organizations opposed to the trade, and the product is blamed for a host of violations. Here’s how SayNotoPalmOil.com, sums it up: “The industry is linked to major issues such as deforestation, habitat degradation, climate change, animal cruelty and indigenous rights abuses in the countries where it is produced, as the land and forests must be cleared for the development of the oil palm plantations.”
The practice is even decimating orangutan populations, according to multiple sources.
Described before as a palm oil merchant, Blomquist, managing director of Natural Habitats USA, might dispute that description. He’d call himself an organic palm oil merchant. That added word makes all the difference to him.
“We’re running the first supply chain that’s 100 percent organic,” he told Earth.com. “If done right, palm oil can be more sustainable than any seed oil.”
Blomquist, who’s worked in the organics industry since 2002, also runs PalmDoneRight.com, which he called a marketing and educational site for the concept of organic palm oil. Its goal is to lift the organic product over the multiple controversies related to conventional farming practices regarding the product.
“Our entire supply chain is small farmers,” he said. “Their average farm size is 30 hectares.” (Less than 75 acres.)
That’s in Ecuador. In Sierre Leone, the only other country in which Natural Habitats does business, the typical farm supplier is a little over one hectare. The company contracts with 2,000 farmers here and 178 in Ecuador.
The statistics about farm size are an important component of Blomquist’s pitch. That’s because the profile of conflict palm oil growers are large plantation owners who clear-cut their rainforest land, farm it environmentally irresponsibly and virtually enslave their labor crews.
“There’s no clear-cutting, burning or planting in primal forests,” Blomquist said in describing the practices of the network of growers his company partners with. His suppliers have been growing on their existing modest plots of land for generations. Natural Habitats follows payment requirements for Fair For Life certification and sends agronomists to teach sustainable farming practices that increase productivity and replace the use of pesticides and herbicides.
Supplier recruitment is never a problem, according to Blomquist. “We never have to go to them. They come to us” as the company’s reputation and the profitability of working with Natural Habitats spreads.
One reason palm oil is such a boon to the African and South American farmers, said Blomquist, is that it’s a 365-day crop. There is no off season. And the farmers have eager buyers in his company.
Blomquist is still challenged in telling the story when his company’s main product line is so seemingly enmeshed with conflict palm oil, but he’s managed to convert even natural food stores.
His long-term goal, he said, is to get to a point in time when his educational website PalmDoneRight.com can “come off the market.” Blomquist believes that will be accomplished the day truly organic palm oil is seen in a different light and it no longer needs defending.
By David Searls, Earth.com Staff Writer


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90-Day GMO & ‘Roundup’ Studies Ending Prematurely – Grave Consequences
A recent French study performed by a team of scientists under the direction of molecular biologist Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini, sustained by CRIIGEN, an independent research organization, produced alarming analyses concerning the digestion of, and long-term reaction to, Monsanto’s genetically modified corn and the company’s renowned weed-killer ‘Roundup’ among groups of lab-rats. The rats were fed a lifetime (two years) of the corn and weed-killer and, after four months since the study’s inception, began showing frightful signs of response which only intensified afterward, implying that the commonly accepted 90-day studies have been ending prematurely in their full analysis of side-effects.
The symptoms of the GM corn and ‘Roundup’ among the lifetime-exposed rodents include massive mammary tumors, multiple organ damage, especially pertaining to the liver and kidneys, as well as heightened mortality rates. The study showed that 70% of female and 50% of male rats died early when contrasted with the respective 20% and 30% death-rates of the control group.
“[The] study published today finds that rats with prolonged exposure to roundup-ridden corn suffered health problems including mammary tumors and severe liver and kidney damage. While numerous 90-day studies have already linked GMO foods to allergies and other health problems, the study, which was published in “Food and Chemical Toxicology,” marks the first-ever long term animal study on the health effects of genetically engineered foods.”
In response, “Monsanto said at the time of the earlier research that the French researchers had reached unsubstantiated conclusions. Seralini believes his latest lifetime rat tests give a more realistic and authoritative view of risks than the 90-day feeding trials that form the basis of GM crop approvals, since three months is only the equivalent of early adulthood in rats.”
In summation of the ‘Sustainable Food Trust’ YouTube video featuring the Director Patrick Holden, genetically modified corn is widely grown in America, fed to commonly consumed livestock, primarily cows, pigs and chickens, which is then digested by humans as processed through animals. ‘Roundup,’ being the world’s most popular weed-killer, is consistently finding its way into our foodstuffs, which could induce severe health-based results.
Counting the Convoluted Cost
It is worth noting that, according to the Reuters.com article from September 19th, “Although the lead researcher’s past record as a critic of the industry may make other experts wary of drawing hasty conclusions, the finding will stoke controversy about the safety of GM crops.
In an unusual move, the research group did not allow reporters to seek outside comment on their paper before its publication in the peer-reviewed journal Food and Chemical Toxicology and presentation at a news conference in London.”
With so many eyes directed toward the aftermath of genetically modified food studies, politics are swimming with intense motions towards monitoring food production and notifying the public on what exactly is being placed on the dinner table. California’s ‘Proposition 37 Right to Know’ initiative promoting the labeling of genetically engineered food is making big waves as America moves toward the November elections. “The initiative has two main provisions: first, requiring ‘labeling on raw or processed food offered for sale to consumers if made from plants or animals with genetic material changed in specific ways,’ and secondly, banning foods from being labeled ‘natural’ when they contain genetically-altered ingredients.”
For now we’ll need to educate ourselves on the facts, act to make our collective voices heard regarding the condition of our personal and communal health, and wait to see what new laws will, or will not, be put in place.
Taste of Health Holistic Holiday at Sea is more than a great vegan travel experience, it’s an opportunity to travel and stay healthy while pampering AND educating yourself with current events and trends in the vegan world. On our holistic cruise you will have the opportunity to eat divine meals, make new friends engage with some of the most celebrated personalities of the Vegan Industry. 2013 will mark the 10 year Anniversary of the Holistic Holiday at Sea and there will be tons of socials, great classes, amazing Caribbean ports and even a few surprises. Learning a new way of living has never been so much fun, so easy and so tasty!


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We are launching our 2019 Yearbook this coming Thursday, 28th February at 7.30pm in the Community Hall.
The full colour limited edition, 78 page yearbook will be on sale (at a cost of €10) on the evening. It will also be on sale in Centra, Mace and the club shop from Friday onwards. The yearbook details all of the adult and juvenile clubs’ events during the past year and contains previously unreported content.
All are welcome to come along on the evening.


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Why former ICAST director believes fishing tackle shows are here to stay
Fishing tackle shows are here to stay – that’s the view of a former Show Director of ICAST amid fears that COVID-related cancellations and the improbable boom in tackle sales could threaten the future of traditional in-person exhibitions.
Ken Andres worked with the huge US event between 2007 and 2016, during which time he helped grow the attendance from 6,000 to 15,000.
Earlier this year he became an ex-officio Board member at the American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA), which runs the IFTD show (main picture). This year’s IFTD was subsequently called off, joining numerous other shows including ICAST, China Fish and EFTTEX on the cancelled list.
And after a year when manufacturers and retailers have not spent on attending shows and then seen sales rocket, event organisers are deeply concerned for 2021 and beyond.
But Andres (left) is convinced that trade and consumers alike will flock back when the pandemic allows. “Trade shows are certainly not in jeopardy yet,” he told Angling International in an exclusive interview. “People still want to get together to talk business and celebrate. You cannot replicate the face-to-face interaction and camaraderie you get at a show. The environment is unique.
“The absence of shows this year has made people recognise the value of human connectivity. At the same time, shows have to make sure they stay relevant and provide that vital connection between manufacturers retailers and consumers,”
Andres left ICAST to join Emerald Expositions, where he was Sales Director for Surf Expo before taking a similar role at RetailX, the show for online and offline retailers. He has more than 20 years’ experience in international trade show management.
Now he is optimistic about the future of IFTD, believing his more recent experience in the direct-to-consumer space occupied by e-commerce, social media and omni-channel strategies will be of benefit.
“The excitement around IFTD’s return to Denver in 2019 was interrupted by cancellation this year, but I believe AFFTA will regain that in 2021,” he added.
Read the full interview with Ken Andres by clicking here .
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India must fully implement pro-business policies that allow fair competition to push the country's economy towards the $5 trillion GDP mark, chief economic advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian said on Saturday.
Speaking to the media at his alma mater IIT-Kanpur, Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian described pro-business policies as those which enable fair competition and added that India should stay away from pro-crony policies which help incumbent market players.
Mr Subramanian said the government has been taking several structural reforms and all measures such as rate cuts and reforms work with a lag and we should allow time for their benefits to accrue.
Taking a leaf out of his authored Economic Survey, he said Arthashastra stresses on ethical ways of creating wealth adding that we need to focus on creating trust in the markets as well.
The CEA called for raising governance in the country in the wake of many NBFC related scams, without naming any particular one.
"If governance standards have to be increased in the country, there has to be a greater focus on disclosing related-party transactions, the CEA said.
Frauds such as the one at non-bank lender DHFL and IL&FS have hit the core of corporate governance in the country of late.
On the government's push for having more assembly lines in the country, he said that this should not be taken as a substitute to the 'Make in India' programme; it should rather be viewed as a complementary aspect that leads to manufacturing.
He cited automobile major Suzuki's case. The company had entered India in 1980s via assembly of passenger cars which led to manufacturing.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the Economic Survey recently spoke about creation of over four crore jobs via assembling for the global market in India by 2025.
When asked about the Budget's proposal on imposing tariffs on certain imports, he said that a distinction needs to be made between duties on finished products from those on raw materials or intermediate goods which hurt exports.
He added that India needs to move towards open trade policies on intermediate goods and raw materials to push exports.


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A USPS employee empties the mailbox on West Second Street in Port Clinton on Wednesday. While customers will still enjoy Saturday hours at the Port Clinton office, home delivery will disappear in August.
The U.S. Postal Service took another major step in its battle for fiscal viability Wednesday, announcing plans to halt Saturday delivery of first-class mail beginning in August.
Patrick Donahoe, Postmaster General, said package deliveries will still be made on Saturdays, and that the move is expected to save the USPS about $2 billion annually.
"It's an important part of our strategy to return to financial stability," he said. ...


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While this year’s budget contained positive measures to boost Australia’s entrepreneurial talent pool, the government has so far failed to address the Senate’s recommendations around opening up the economy for fintech investment, the head of an industry body has said.Write comment (0 Comments)
Industry body FinTech Australia has appointed a former senior Turnbull and Morrison government adviser to its board as an independent director.Write comment (0 Comments)
The Senate fintech committee has tabled its second report for its inquiry into the sector, listing 23 recommendations to boost technology providers in Australia.Write comment (0 Comments)
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission has promised to support offshore expansion and foreign investment for the fintech sector, in a new agreement it has signed with the peak industry body.Write comment (0 Comments)
The Senate has voted to expand the scope of the fintech select committee, changing its remit to boosting Australia’s position as a global financial and technology hub.Write comment (0 Comments)
Can technology finally make goals-based advice a reality?
Is Google’s LaMDA chatbot sentient?
Protecting Australians against fraud in an increasingly digital world


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Hundreds of Twitter users respond to Jack Dorsey’s tweet seeking product feedback
In an interesting experiment launched on Thursday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey posted a tweet to the users of the microblogging platform, seeking product feedback from them.
In his Thursday tweet, Dorsey asked his approximately four million followers to send in their suggestions about the changes or improvements that they would want Twitter to incorporate, in order to enhance its platform.
Dorsey’s Tweet has drawn responses from hundreds of Twitter users, who have highlighted their concerns with a number of issues linked to the Twitter site.
The responses of Twitter users to Dorsey’s tweet chiefly included complaints about the basic design of the microblogging service, as well as concerns about abuse on the site and the apparent lack of a mechanism which would enable users to fix errors after they publish tweets.
Acknowledging the input from the users in response to his tweet for feedback about the Twitter service, Dorsey said in a Twitter post on Friday: “We’ll consider everything we heard from you. Not going to ship all of it, but will be more transparent about why and what we learned.”
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Like everything in life, Covid is producing losers and winners, not the least from the tsunami-like global recession it has spawned. It’s even possible that the pernicious economic effects will linger long after the pandemic has faded—and that the winners will still be winners. That’s one of the issues explored in the latest episode of the Tällberg Foundation’s New Thinking for a New World conversation with German business leader Kurt Lauk and long-time top American central banker Terry Checki. Alan Stoga, Tällberg’s chairman, asks them what happens when the global economy collapses, but global financial markets boom.
Let us know what do YOU think by leaving a comment below.


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Greentoe wants to change the way people shop by giving them a convenient opportunity to by goods at the minimum advertised price – a tacitly agreed upon floor at which retailers will not sell certain goods (at the request of the manufacturer). What began has a “name your price” application, the site allowed consumers to post the price they were willing to pay for a certain good or service and provided a liklihood that they would find a buyer at their stated price.
The site allows retailers to skirt the limits of minimum pricing without setting official rates below the MAP rate, according to Venture Beat.
People “don’t want to deal with haggling, but they also don’t want to get not the lowest price,” Greentoe co-founder Joe Marrapodi told VentureBeat in an interview.
The service has raised more than $1 million in funding and is looking to expand their service package and expand into mobile, The new is app is designed to allow both sides of a transaction to come to an agreement without spelling out their prices. It works thanks to a dial that shoppers press and slide. When it turns green, an agreement with a retailer has been made.
Right now, the site is largely limited to electronic equipment, but Marrapodi already knows where he wants to be next.
“My vision is that we’re gonna be selling paper towels in five years,” Marrapodi said.


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Phone Companies Could Be Overcharging You for Data
Turns out, the phone company could be overcharging you for going online while you’re mobile. Researchers at UCLA compared how much data smartphones used while connected to the internet to what the phone company was charging (read their paper here). In areas of lousy coverage, some customers were billed for data that never showed up. Tom Simonite at MIT’s Technology Review says one researcher was trying to watch a video on his phone while riding the train…
“And then the train went into a tunnel, he lost the signal, and the video cut out and he didn’t get to watch any more of it, but the carrier kept sending data his way. As far as their system could tell, data was being streamed to his device. And so when the bill came in, there was about 7 percent more data on his bill than he had actually been able to use on his device.”
According to paper co-author Chunyi Peng, it’s an architectural problem–an issue of how carriers measure data–and maybe not a malicious one. But considering how confusing a cell phone bill can be (have you ever looked at all those separate line items?), it’s a problem in need of a solution. Especially now that nearly half of us are using the kind of phones that could potentially play video and use other streaming capabilities.
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If you want a smartphone with heavy RAM and a powerful camera, then your search for the latest Samsung phone can be over. The company has quietly launched the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G. The latest addition to the Galaxy M-series lineup from the company comes with a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display with 120Hz refresh rate. It packs a 108-megapixel quad camera setup as well as a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The handset is equipped with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and runs on Android 12 out-of-the-box. The phone packs a 5000mAh battery, which supports 25W fast charging. Here’s a look at the price-features
Price Availability Details
The company has not yet announced the price of Samsung Galaxy M53 5G. The smartphone is listed in Blue, Brown and Green color options on the Samsung Mobile Press website. Samsung is yet to announce the prices and availability in various markets including India.
Samsung Galaxy M53 5G. Features of
According to the specifications shared on Samsung’s website, the Samsung Galaxy M53 5G runs on One UI 4.1 based on Android-12. It has a 6.7-inch FHD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) Infinity-O Super AMOLED+ display with 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the Galaxy A53 is equipped with a 5G octa-core chipset, which is paired with up to 6GB of RAM.
For photos and videos, the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G packs a 108-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture lens, and two with f/2.2 aperture. 2.4 Aperture Lens – Equipped with megapixel depth and macro camera sensor. The handset also packs a 32-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.
– Samsung Galaxy A53 5G comes with up to 128GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable via microSD card slot (up to 1TB). Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth v5.2. Sensors on board include accelerometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, light sensor, proximity sensor, and fingerprint sensor. The smartphone packs a 5000mAh battery with 25W fast charging support. According to the company, its dimensions are 77.0×164.7×7.4mm and weighing 176 grams.


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Officially announced via Oreo’s Instagram page, the upcoming cookie was teased with a short video and the caption, “Cookies are coming,” a play on the show’s infectious “Winter is coming” tagline.
According to Instagram accounts CandyHunting and TheJunkFoodAisle, the Oreos won’t just take on its usual look, they will be redesigned and come in special packaging. And on another note, these Game of Thrones Oreos won’t be exclusively sold, therefore fans from across the country should be able to get their hands on them.
So far no other details have been shared including when fans can expect these cookies to release, however they are expected to drop ahead of the fantasy drama’s April 14 return.
This isn’t the first time GoT has joined forces with the food and beverages industry, late last year Johnnie Walker teamed up with the series to produce “White Walker” whisky.
To hold you over until April 14, check out this new clip which shows Arya spotting Drogon for the first time.
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Driving relevance means driving growth. Join global brands and industry thought leaders at Brandweek, Sept. 11–14 in Miami, for actionable takeaways to better your marketing. 50% off passes ends April 10.
Wondering how to find a Burger King that isn’t there? That’s not an existential question, though it is admittedly an odd one posed by the burger chain’s new outdoor campaign from agency Buzzman.
A series of new out-of-home ads for Burger King France seem, at first glance, to offer directions to the nearest location. That’s not too odd, given the recent trend of creative ads that point viewers to restaurants, be it via Canada’s cropped Golden Arches from agency Cossette or the