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Halo Dev Working on Another Game
The flagship Halo team, 343 Industries, have confirmed they are working on another game.
Here are some shots of the new armour set to arrive in the Halo 4 Champions Bundle of DLC.
Here is some new Halo 4 concept art from the recently announced Champions DLC bundle that offers players new maps and new in-game items. The DLC can be bought in three different tiers, each offering players different content. The full details can be found here.
The teaser we’ve all been waiting for. A new Halo FPS on Xbox One…
With some simple URL tweaking, the NeoGAF user Wifiplayer13 managed to get these screenshots of the upcoming Majestic map pack for Halo 4. The pack is due out on the 25th of February and will cost 800 MS points for three new maps.
Halo 4 Breaks Entertainment Records
The Halo franchise has entered the record books once again as Halo 4 brings in $220m in 24 hours.
We do not currently have any plans to port Halo 4 to PC.
Everyone stepped in to this knowing how big a challenge it was going to be.
Most people look at a franchise like Halo, and automatically assume it’s run by a guy. People are surprised to learn that it’s a woman who’s running the Halo 4 show.


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Harvard Business School Enters Online Learning
Harvard Business School has announced the official launch of HBX, an innovative digital platform to support the delivery of online business-focused offerings, including HBX CORe, a primer on the fundamentals of business.
“The HBX launch marks an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to educate leaders who make a difference in the world,” says HBS Dean Nitin Nohria. “Moreover, HBX will provide a powerful channel for communicating ideas to and engaging with new and wider audiences, complementing the work we do through Harvard Business Publishing.”
The initial HBX offering, CORe (Credential of Readiness), comprises three interlinked courses: Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting. HBS Professor Bharat Anand, Faculty Chair of HBX, says that CORe will be a rigorous program designed for serious and committed learners.
“The HBX faculty team has thought carefully about how to create an online offering that mirrors the energy you find in an HBS classroom and that allows students to benefit from the diversity and experiences of other students,” Anand explains.
Consistent with the Harvard Business School case method of teaching and participant-centered learning, CORe requires students to be active learners, thinking through and solving real-world problems.
HBX aims to complement the school’s existing programs. Notes HBS Professor Youngme Moon, Senior Associate Dean and Chair of the MBA program, “CORe is designed to provide basic business fundamentals to segments of the population we’ve never directly addressed before: undergraduates, graduate students in non-business fields, and people who have just begun their first jobs in business but want a better foundation so they can thrive earlier in their career.”
CORe will launch in June, initially with a limited cohort of students drawn from the greater Massachusetts region of colleges and universities; applications will be available in April on the HBX website (hbx.hbs.edu).
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Tizen OS is already powering various Samsung products but so far the company has not been aggressively pushing it in the mobile arena, it has only released a couple of handsets and that too in very few markets. It’s expected that the upcoming Samsung Z3 is going to make it to Europe and North America but we’ll have to wait and see whether that happens or not. There is word though that Tizen smartphones will be coming to a whole new market by next year.
Speaking at a press conference called for the release of the Galaxy Tab S2 IT and Mobile Product Manager for Samsung Egypt Raafat Khalil said that the first Tizen smartphone will be released in Egypt early next year. Khalil didn’t go into much detail about the device itself so it’s unclear at this point in time whether Egypt will get the Samsung Z1 or if it will be among the markets which receive the Samsung Z3. We’ve reported exclusively that the Z3′s launch markets include India, Bangladesh and Nepal so perhaps it may be released in Egypt some time after the initial launch.


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The refined English atmosphere of the nineteenth century, mixed with Asian elements, pop art, expressionism, cubism, Picasso and David Hockney – Piave Maitex will introduce its new Autumn/Winter 2015-2016 collection of new fashion and high-tech fabrics in Paris next month.
The competitiveness of the Chinese clothing industry is set to weaken over the next few years as costs rise. As a result, export growth could falter, according to according to a new report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence – Prospects for the textile and clothing industry in China.
The beachwear fashion trade fair Mare D’Amare that is going to host more than 200 European 2015 summer collections next month in Florence is reinventing itself as part of the ambitious internationalisation project, resulting from a collaboration with another underwear and lingerie trade fair, which is usually held in February in Fortezza da Basso.
Nowadays, the textile industry is feeling the pressure to meet the criteria for high productivity combined with efficiency, cost savings, flexibility, lead time and low energy consumption for each garment.
Santoni, the Italian seamless machine manufacturer, believes both brands and factories need to come up with innovative development and production ideas in order to address these problems. With its new Ever in Knit concept, the company is planning to demonstrate the company’s ability to stimulate the growth of the knitting industry at the ITMA ASIA show that is taking place in Shanghai next month...
According to the World Trade Organisation, the revenue from the world textile and clothing exports more than doubled between the year 2000 and 2012.
Euratex, the European Apparel and Textile Confederation, believes the establishment of new global rules of trade between nations had a great effect on the EU. The Confederation is hosting an international conference in Brussels to evaluate the real impact of the FTAs on the companies and SMEs in textile and clothing sector.
Travelling between the past and the future, where the virtual and human worlds meet and elegance and femininity are celebrated, Sensitive Fabrics introduces the new Autumn/Winter 2015-16 pattern palette that represents four different themes that will give you an insight into the latest lingerie season trends.
Groz-Beckert is relaunching its myGrozBeckert industry App at next month's ITMA ASIA + CITME in Shanghai with a new design and extra functions, which is now also available on Android.
Karl Mayer will unveil its Multibar Lace series in India at one of its customers, Tee Pee Textiles, part of Zenith Silk Mills PVT Ltd., in Surat, on 26th May.
Febratex is due to be held in Blumenau, Brazil from 12 to 15 August 2014 and the international trade fair which covers all sectors of the textile industry can already look back at more than twenty editions. On display will be the latest machinery, materials and technologies and Groz-Beckert will be presenting its latest products and services on a one hundred square metre booth in sector 2, road 9, booth 89-91.
This July's editions of Interfilière and Mode City Paris will share a common entrance bringing the two shows closer together. Visitors will see expanded offerings to buyers across the value chain for the intimates, home wear and beachwear sectors.


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MEATPACKING DISTRICT — After being ordered last week to halt construction on a new outdoor market, the company behind the Union Square Holiday Market received the green light from the city Thursday to move forward with the open-air bazaar — only two days before it was set to open, officials said.
Momofuku Milk Bar, Red Hook Lobster Pound and Roberta's Pizza will have outposts at the UrbanSpace Meatpacking market at West 13th and Washington streets starting Saturday, when the 60-vendor space will debut next to The Standard Hotel.
The DOB hit the company with a stop-work order last Friday because the tents and decking that will house more than 60 trendy food vendors and retailers were being built without a permit, city records show.
It was not immediately clear if the company will face fines for the illegal work, the DOB spokeswoman said.
UrbanSpace president Eldon Scott said the company is looking forward to bringing popular vendors to the tourist-heavy neighborhood.
“We are thrilled to be able to open a market in the Meatpacking District," he said in a statement. “We have an amazing and eclectic mix of vendors, from food to fashion, that will complement the high-energy vibe of the area.”
Vendors at the market next to the High Line will include Mexican-style barbecue spot Mexicue, empanada maker La Sonrisa, Bushwick rice ball purveyors Arancini Bros. and the designer clothing company Humble Chic.
UrbanSpace Meatpacking will open every day at 11 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 p.m. Sunday.


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There's been a lot of news recently regarding China, and we have another important release scheduled for later today in the form of China consumer price data.
Inflation Report to Help Determine If PBOC's Actions to Stem Inflation are Working
Release: Consumer Price Index y/y
Time: 9:30PM ET (00:30 GMT, Oct 14th)
Forecast: 6.1% , Previous: 6.2%
As know the Chinese government has made it a priority to stamp out inflation, which rose to uncomfortably high levels earlier this year.
The central bank in China - the People's Bank of China (or PBOC) - has responded by raising interest rates (to 6.56% for the one-year lending rate) as well as increasing the bank reserve ratio requirement to 21.5% - the largest on record.
The strategy seems to have succeeded in that inflation has peaked in July at a 6.5% annual rate, alongside a slide in commodities which accompanied the financial turmoil we saw in August and September. However, we still remain in sight of those of those 3-year highs set in July, and inflation remains far above the central bank's target of 4%.
This inflation report from September therefore will tell us whether Chinese authorities will continue to act aggressively to temper down inflation expectations, or if the previous tightening campaign by the central bank has worked enough for authorities to consider the slowing global economic picture.
If inflation comes in stronger than expected it could mean the PBOC is not done yet tightening rates, which would be tough considering the economy seems to be slowing as well. Prospect of higher inflation in China is negative for risk sentiment.
If inflation cools, then it gives the PBOC scope to keep rates steady, if not lower them if needed to changing conditions with the economy.
Here's an article from Reuters from today: China's inflation data on Friday may show price pressures fading at a time when its economy is shuddering from softer demand abroad, giving Beijing room to keep monetary policy on hold for now. Cooling price pressures would also assure investors already unnerved by Europe's debt crisis that the world's No. 2 economy has scope to slightly relax monetary conditions to support growth if need be.
Twenty one economists polled by Reuters showed a median forecast for inflation to ease a touch to 6.1 percent in September from 6.2 percent in August. Factory inflation is also seen cooling to 6.8 percent, from August's 7.3 percent.
Chinese Trade Balance Data Softens in September
We had another important macro release from China overnight which was the September trade balance report. There we saw a sharp drop-off in exports, especially from Europe.
From Bloomberg: Exports rose a less-than-forecast 17.1 percent in September from a year earlier, the bureau's data showed in Beijing. The trade surplus was $14.51 billion, the smallest since May. Growth in shipments to Europe, China's biggest export market, slumped to 9.8 percent, from 22 percent, amid the sovereign-debt crisis in euro-region nations. Export growth compared with a median forecast of 20.5 percent and a rise of 24.5 percent in August.
A weakening export picture makes Chinese authorities less willing to allow the Chinese yuan to appreciate against the US dollar and other currencies.
Here's a look at the yuan over the last 5 years and we see that China is letting the yuan appreciate, though at a gradual rate. We see that as the global economy stalled in the middle of 2007 and turned to recession in 2008, the Chinese intervened to keep their currency steady against the dollar. In the middle of 2009 we do see the authorities allowing the yuan to strengthen yet again. Overall, China's currency has risen 3.25% in value against the dollar this year and more than 20% since Beijing started loosening its tight peg to the U.S. dollar in 2005.
China Currency Bill Passes Senate, China Responds that it Could Spark Trade War
While the softer trade data from China is a sign that the higher yuan is weakening Chinese exports amid a new global slowdown that is weighing on demand, in the US, the Chinese currency has taken up more importance in Washington.
The pressure on China to allow its currency to appreciate has increased as the U.S. Senate voted this week for legislation aimed at forcing a faster appreciation of the yuan, not in those words of course. This has recently created a lot of talk and fear that if this bill passes it could ignite a trade war between the #1 and #2 economies in the world.
From Xinhau: Arguing that the RMB yuan's exchange rate is not the cause of China- U.S. trade imbalance, China expressed its strong oppositions hours after the U.S. Senate passed a controversial bill that would slap tariffs on Chinese goods for the so-called currency manipulation, warning the U.S. politicians against politicizing the issue of China's currency and resorting to trade protectionism.
China's Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai on Monday warned that the bill could trigger a trade war and hold back global economic recovery, and it might have an adverse impact on the development of the relations between the two countries. Should the proposed legislation become law, the only result would be a trade war between China and the US and that would be a lose-lose situation for both sides, Cui said.
Despite the tougher talk, the news did herald a response from the Chinese, as the PBOC let the yuan strengthen against the dollar.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) first lowered the band at which the yuan is allowed to trade against the dollar just hours after the U.S. Senate approved a bill that pressures China to allow its currency to rise faster.
With such important consequences, how will this bill do now that its cleared one chamber of Congress?
Pelosi Calls for Vote in the House, but Republicans and White House On Same Side in Disagreeing
Nancy Pelosi has called for a vote on the bill in the House, but the Republican leadership is opposed and the White House has voiced its reservations with such a bill.
From the Hill: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday said the House should vote on a bill punishing China for its currency manipulation before members consider three free-trade agreements (FTAs), although the House was scheduled to approve the FTAs in just a few hours' time.
On the House floor, Pelosi argued that the Colombia FTA is only expected to help create a few thousand jobs, while other estimates say China's manipulation of its currency is costing the United States more than 1 million jobs each year.
It's not often you see the House Republicans and the Obama administration in agreement, but from the administration's position it may not be possible to enforce the legislation if it violates WTO treaties.
The fate of this bill in the House will be an interesting one, and could have big ramifications for the global economy. Let's see how events unfold over the next few weeks, and what chance this bill has of passing the House. We should also watch to see how Chinese authorities respond via the pace of yuan appreciation.
We therefore have our eye on the inflation report to help us guage what the PBOC may do regarding rates, and we'll follow the progress of this China currency bill and monitor the pace of yuan appreciation in the medium term.


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Li Jiacheng, with investment bitcoin platform, support BitPay
Founded in May 2011, BitPlay is a bitcoin payment business, similar to the PayPal, business across 200 countries around the world 1.4 companies, half of which are located in the United States, 25% in europe.
According to the “South China Morning Post” reported that Li Jiacheng has been through its Vc firm harbor investment (Horizons Ventures) BitPay bitcoin payment platform to increase investment, the total investment is not public, but the outside world that will reach billions of dollars.
Previously, BitPay has passed the A round of financing to raise $30 million, eight investors including Li Jiacheng harbor investment, the virgin Richard Branson?, YAHOO founder Yang Zhiyuan and PayPal founder Peter? “.
Inspired by investing a large amount of Li Jiacheng, BitPay co-founder and executive chairman Toni? Gary skin said in a statement: “bitcoin is a borderless and frictionless payment system, the acceptance of the business community, bitcoin is approaching the critical point.”
Gary skin said: “other existing payment technologies, such as credit cards, high fees, the risk of fraud and other issues, and bitcoin Internet era came into being, providing alternative low cost and low risk for the enterprise.”
Li Jiacheng’s investment seems to the confusion in the bitcoin investors direction.
The South China Morning Post quoted INVESCO Cci Capital Ltd (Invesco) chief economist Qilian (John Greenwood) said, in the bitcoin investment in the right choice is to bypass the virtual currency itself, like Li Jiacheng, investment to provide services for the bitcoin users of the company. “In the gold rush, the sale of the spade people earn more than gold from gold, Li Jiacheng is bitcoin investment brought about by the surrounding areas.”
In the last six months, bitcoin prices have lost 3/4, the price of each bitcoin is far less than the peak of $1242. The people’s Bank of Chinese had repeatedly issued a notice to strengthen the management of bitcoin. A U.S. government report released on Monday showed that if China continue to strengthen bitcoin restrictions, bitcoin prices will fall, its legitimacy will also be in jeopardy.
The harbor investment spokeswoman said: “we will not comment on rumors or any transaction.” Previously, the harbor investment to invest in technology start-ups in performance excellence and success stories include the social networking giant Facebook and voice service provider Skype. According to Bloomberg data, control of the harbor investment Li Jiacheng’s current net worth of $32 billion.


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3:50 a.m. Sept. 22, 2015
- By Tomi Kilgore
Ashland's stock surges after plan revealed to split into two companies Ashland Inc.'s stock surged 5.9% in premarket trade Tuesday, after the company announced plans to separate into two independent, publicly-traded companies, one focused on specialty chemicals and the other on high-performance lubricants. The company said the move represents the completion of its transformation from an oil refiner to a chemicals company. Current Chief Executive William Wulfsohn will become CEO of the new Ashland, which will focus on specialty chemicals used in consumer and industrial markets, which generated $3.6 billion in sales for the 12 months ending June 30. Sam Mitchell, the current president of the Valvoline business, will serve as CEO of the new Valvoline, focused on lubricants, which generated sales of $2 billion in the year ending June 30. "We believe that separating into two industry-leading public companies...will generate significant value for shareholders by enabling each company to focus on its specific business and strategic priorities," Wulfsohn said. The stock has tumbled 17% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has lost 7.3%.
7:21 a.m. June 17, 2015
- By Elliot Blair Smith
The free advice of activist investors is worth plenty to shareholdersActivist investing is a business that polarizes supporters and detractors, and produces some unusual alliances.


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A big capital expenditure programme at its London store held back profits at Selfridges last year even as sales surged.
The luxury retailer said that sales had risen by 5% to £1.4bn last year, but operating profits dropped by 1.9% per cent to £152 million as a result of “unprecedented levels of investments aimed at building the business for sustainable growth”. Profits slipped as Selfridges continued to work on a £300 million refurbishment programme on its grade II listed store in Oxford Street. (The Times £)
Sales growth remained elusive over at Mondelez International during the third quarter. The snack maker behind Oreo cookies and Cadbury’s chocolate reported a 6.6% drop in net revenues to $6.4bn for the three months to end of September, as the strong dollar crimped the value of its overseas sales and demand struggles to recover in its key North American and European markets. (The Financial Times £)
Coca-Cola’s sales lost their pop in the third quarter as the strong dollar hit the top line and as it executes a plan to sell off the majority of its bottling operations. But the company kept its full-year earnings outlook unchanged. (The Financial Times £)
Third quarter GDP figures due out later are expected to show the UK has managed to avoid a major economic slowdown following the Brexit vote. Experts are predicting growth of 0.3% and possibly 0.4% for the three months from July to September. (Sky News)
The head of the World Trade Organisation has vowed to ensure Britain will not face a trade “vacuum or a disruption”, however tough its exit from the European Union. Roberto Azevedo said that he did not believe the Brexit vote was “anti-trade” and dismissed fears that Britain could suffer a sudden seizure of trade during or after its negotiations with the EU. (Sky News)
The European commission has dropped plans to legally limit a pervasive but naturally occurring chemical found in food, that is linked to cancer, just days after lobbying by industry, according to The Guardian.
Strong demand for Heineken’s beers in Asia helped the Dutch brewer report a small, but better than expected, rise in quarterly sales on Wednesday, although the group warned that the impact of currency movements would dent full-year profit. (The Financial Times £)
The Financial Times (£) also looks at the craft brewing phenomenon – “a bright spot in an otherwise stagnant sector” – and asks if we’ve “already reached peak craft as Anheuser-Busch InBev, Molson Coors and Constellation Brands have all spent billions buying up smaller craft brewers in the US and Europe in recent years.
The government is considering extending the powers of the Pensions Regulator in the light of the BHS scandal, it has emerged. In a letter responding to a parliamentary report into the demise of the department store chain, the business minister Margot James said the government was determined the regulator had the power it needed to “deter and tackle misbehaviour”. (The Guardian)
An official probe into the collapse of BHS has grown so complex that it is consuming one-tenth of the investigative capacity of an agency charged with disciplining rogue directors, a minister has claimed. Investigators at the Insolvency Service began looking into BHS shortly after the company filed for protection from creditors in April. (The Financial Times £)
The boss of pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare giant GlaxoSmithKline unveiled an ‘expectation-busting’ set of results as he prepares to bow out of the top post. Sir Andrew Witty, who will be replaced by Emma Walmsley, the consumer healthcare chief, when he steps down in March, has been under pressure to improve the group’s fortunes following years of declining sales and profits. (The Daily Mail)


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MEDINA, Ohio, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- RPM International Inc.
(NYSE: RPM) announced today that P. Kelly Tompkins, executive vice president
and chief administrative officer, and Ernest Thomas, senior vice president and
chief financial officer, will present at the Credit Suisse 16th Annual
Chemical Conference on Tuesday, September 25 at 1 p.m. EDT in New York City.
The presentation will focus on RPM's corporate strategy, financial
performance, operations and acquisition program.
A live, listen-only webcast will be available via RPM's web site,
www.rpminc.com, under Investor Information/Webcasts and Presentations.
Listeners who wish to view the accompanying slide presentation during the
audio webcast are advised to download it from the RPM web site in advance.
For those who cannot listen to the live webcast, an archived replay will be
available approximately 24 hours after the presentation concludes and will be
accessible for 30 days.
RPM International Inc., a holding company, owns subsidiaries that are
world leaders in specialty coatings and sealants serving both industrial and
consumer markets. RPM's industrial products include roofing systems, sealants,
corrosion control coatings, flooring coatings and specialty chemicals.
Industrial brands include Stonhard, Tremco, illbruck, Carboline, Day-Glo, Euco
and Dryvit. RPM's consumer products are used by professionals and do-it-
yourselfers for home maintenance and improvement, automotive and boat repair
and maintenance, and by hobbyists. Consumer brands include Zinsser, Rust-
Oleum, DAP, Varathane, Bondo and Testors.
For more information, contact P. Kelly Tompkins, executive vice president
and chief administrative officer, at 330-273-5090 or email@example.com.
SOURCE RPM International Inc.
CONTACT: P. Kelly Tompkins, executive vice president and chief
administrative officer, RPM International Inc., 1-330-273-5090,
Web site: http://www.rpminc.com


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Honda has announced new initiatives as part of its “Green Path” approach to reducing the total life-cycle environmental impact of its products and operations in North America, including a $210 million investment in a new, more environmentally responsible auto-body painting facility at its Marysville, Ohio auto plant.
The Marysville facility is the largest of Honda’s eight auto plants in North America.
Honda says in 2006 it was the first auto company to voluntarily and publicly announce carbon reduction targets for its products and operations globally. The automaker has pledged to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2050, compared to 2000 levels.
In 2012 Honda became the world’s first “mobility company” to disclose estimates of all GHGs related to the firm, stating total Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions of 225.06 million tons CO2e for the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2012.
The company’s new initiatives come as fellow carmaker Volkswagen is under fire for using software to cheat air emissions rules in the US.
Honda’s Green Path approach seeks to reduce or eliminate the use of substances of concern (SOCs) and scarce natural resources in the design of its vehicles, significantly reduce the CO2 intensity and water use of its manufacturing operations, continue to decrease CO2 emissions from the transportation of vehicles from its plants to dealers, and expand the involvement of US Honda and Acura dealers in its Green Dealer program.
New Green Path initiatives in North America include:
The Marysville Auto Plant will invest $210 million in a paint facility that will reduce the environmental impact of the auto-body painting process. When complete, the new paint shop will be one of the most advanced automobile painting facilities in the world.
Use of a higher efficiency paint-curing process, a new waterborne two component primer material and “dry-booth” paint over spray technology, will eliminate water used to capture paint particulates, which is one of the few remaining landfill waste streams in the manufacturing process. The new paint line will cut CO2 emissions in the painting process by 18 percent (12,000 metric tons annually) and reduce volatile organic compounds (VOC) by 66 percent.
Honda has installed a 1-megawatt rooftop solar array at its 400,000 square foot parts distribution center in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. When operational, the array of nearly 5,000 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels, generating 1.4 gigawatt-hours of energy annually, is anticipated to meet more than half of the site’s total electricity needs and offset an estimated 576 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
The project is an early result of an ongoing companywide evaluation aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy to meet its power needs. Another example of this effort is Honda’s Russells Point, Ohio, transmission plant, which is the first auto plant in America to utilize on-site wind power for a substantial portion of its energy use.
The most recent data shows that the turbines are not only consistently reaching their targets, but in nine of the 12 months have outperformed projections. In the last calendar year, the turbines out-produced initial estimates by more than 60 percent, while generating more than 10,000 MWh of power.
After a successful rollout in 2012 of the Honda and Acura Environmental Leadership Green Dealer Program to more than 1,300 Honda and Acura automobile dealers in the US, the program is now being expanded to include Honda’s extensive network of powersports and power equipment dealers throughout the US. The program rewards dealers who measurably reduce the environmental impact of their operations.
Honda has also issued a Green Dealer guide that provides a roadmap for dealers and other businesses interested in going green to quantifiably reduce their energy and water consumption while cutting operating costs. Honda’s Green Dealer guide is viewable and available for download at greendealer.honda.com.


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The federal government, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has put in place procedures to prevent Nigeria from becoming a rice dumping ground. This was disclosed by the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono at the sixth Feed Nigeria Summit.
According to the minister, the prohibition has benefited the country by fostering the growth of local companies and empowering local farmers. He said “We are not opposed to the importation of rice but protecting the country from being a dumping ground of rice. Togo, Niger and Benin do not produce rice but the products are from China, India and Thailand. At the onset of the directive, people were shouting that we are going to put Nigerians in hunger but if we are serious, four states can produce what we eat. Not only that, in Kano, there are no less than 40 rice milling companies with a capacity of 100 to 400 tons per day which has led to employment.”
He stated, “Through the National Agricultural Transformation and Innovation Plan, the federal government has continued to implement innovative measures to aid the development of the agricultural sector and improve the value chain.”


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Tomorrow, June 7, Sony will be adding 50 games to PlayStation Now's already impressive library, according to a PlayStation blog.
Most of the new additions comes from 2K's vast catalog of action, strategy, and RPG titles. Duke Nukem Forever, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, The Darkness II, and XCOM: Enemy Within are just some of the games included in tomorrow's big drop.
"In addition to these new additions, you can also play some of 2K’s other top hits, including Borderlands, Borderlands 2, BioShock, BioShock 2, BioShock Infinite, XCOM: Enemy Within and NBA 2K14," Sony wrote.
After tomorrow's 50 games join the catalog, PlayStation Now will have a library of over 400 titles. If you haven't sampled Sony's digital subscription library yet, another bit of news might be the incentive you need to take the plunge. "We’re announcing a special discount on the 3-Month Subscription (a savings of 33%) that will be available in the U.S. and Canada starting tomorrow and ending July 11, 2016."
Factoring in the discount, PlayStation Now's three-month subscription comes to $30.t


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Contractors who fleeced homeowners out of thousands of dollars, not completing work, doing substandard construction or in some cases, never starting the jobs.
Travel gurus who swindled consumers, stealing their money instead of delivering promised discount trips to far-away lands.
The founder of an opioid company who allegedly paid kickbacks and bribes to doctors to boost sales of its drugs.
New Jersey is owed nearly $104 million in unpaid fines, restitution and fees from successful prosecutions of consumer fraud cases and settlements by the Division of Consumer Affairs.
Over nearly 10 years, from 2012 through the end of July 2021, Consumer Affairs won or was awarded more than $260 million across more than 2,300 cases.
The defendants paid more than $156 million on the debts, leaving nearly $104 million, or some 40%, uncollected.
The 10 biggest debtors collectively owe nearly three-quarters of that amount, or more than $75.7 million.
Of the top 10, eight are home improvement contractors.
NJ Advance Media requested Consumer Affairs supply the records so we could see how much the state has been unable to collect on court orders and settlement agreements.
We reached out for comment to everyone on this list, but received no responses. In some cases, the numbers for companies and individuals were out of service.
Here’s who owes the most money, and how much, to the taxpayers of New Jersey.
No. 10: Daruwe Corp./ Majestic Home Remodeling
The Marlton-based home improvement…


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Why are businesses so reluctant to invest? Is it because of an antibusiness climate? Yes, but the climate wasn't created by the Obama administration. The people who directly or indirectly blew up the financial system -- something that happened before Obama took office -- are the ones responsible for the discouraging climate that is making firms so unwilling to expand their operations. There is a political attempt to place the blame for the lack of investment on the administration, but there's nothing of substance to support -- and plenty to refute -- the claims being made by the lobbyists behind this effort:
Pity the Poor C.E.O.’s, by Paul Krugman, Commentary, NY Times: Job creation has been disappointing, but first-quarter corporate profits were up 44 percent from a year earlier. Consumers are nervous, but the Dow, which was below 8,000 on the day President Obama was inaugurated, is now over 10,000. In a rational universe, American business would be very happy with Mr. Obama.
But no. All the buzz lately is that the Obama administration is “antibusiness.” And there are widespread claims that fears about taxes, regulation and budget deficits are holding down business spending and blocking economic recovery.
How much truth is there to these claims? None. Business spending is indeed low, but no lower than one would have expected given widespread overcapacity and weak consumer spending. ... After all, why should businesses expand ... when they’re not selling enough to use the capacity they already have? And in case you haven’t noticed, we still have a deeply depressed economy.
Historically, there has been a close relationship between ... business investment and the “output gap”... — ... there’s nothing surprising about low investment now, given ... that the output gap is hugely negative. If anything, it’s surprising how well business investment has been holding up.
Alternatively, we can look directly at measures of unused business capacity. Capacity utilization ... is ... still far below historical norms. Vacancy rates at industrial and retail properties are at historic highs. Again, given that businesses have plenty of idle structures and machines, why should they be building or buying even more? ...
The ... Obama’s-socialist-policies-are-wrecking-the-economy chorus isn’t coming from businesses; it’s coming from business lobbyists... Read the report on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in the latest Washington Monthly: peddling scare stories about ... Democrats ... is a large part of what organizations like the chamber do for a living.
Or read through the latest survey of small business trends by the National Federation for Independent Business, an advocacy group. The commentary at the front of the report is largely a diatribe against government — “Washington is applying leeches and performing blood-letting as a cure” — and you might naïvely imagine that this diatribe reflects what the surveyed businesses said. But while a few businesses declared that the political climate was deterring expansion, they were vastly outnumbered by those citing a poor economy.
The charts at the back of the report ... are even more revealing. It turns out that business is less concerned about taxes and regulation than during the 1990s, an era of booming investment. Concerns about poor sales, on the other hand, have surged. The weak economy, not fear about government actions, is what’s holding investment down.
So why are we hearing so much about the alleged harm being inflicted by an antibusiness climate? For the most part it’s the same old, same old: lobbyists trying to bully Washington into cutting taxes and dismantling regulations, while extracting bigger fees from their clients along the way.
Beyond that, business leaders are ... feeling unloved: the financial crisis, health insurance scandals, and the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico have taken a toll on their reputation. Somehow, however, rather than blaming their peers for bad behavior, C.E.O.’s blame Mr. Obama for “demonizing” business — by which they apparently mean speaking frankly about the culpability of the guilty parties.
Well, C.E.O.’s are people, too — but soothing their hurt feelings isn’t a priority right now, and it has nothing at all to do with promoting economic recovery. If we want stronger business spending, we need to give businesses a reason to spend. And to do that, the government needs to start doing more, not less, to promote overall economic recovery.


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SILVER CITY >> Looking for something special to do in downtown Silver City this weekend? The Silver City/Grant County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery's grand opening 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The fun will continue until midnight.
"They've made a very large investment opening a new business in the downtown," Silver City/Grant County Chamber of Commerce President Scott Terry said. "This is our thank you and our way of saying we appreciate the money they're putting into the economy here."
Little Toad Creek has been attracting patrons.
"New Year's Eve was packed," Co-owner Teresa Dahl-Bredine said. "We had about 400 people come through here."
Dahl-Bredine said they have been so successful in the two-and-a-half weeks they have been unofficially open, she and her partner and co-owner, David Crosley, have had to change their facilities to produce more alcohol. They are busy building a new copper still to increase their distillery production and they are investing in more tanks in the brewery so they can enlarge their output.
"Downtown Little Toad is what's driving this," Dahl-Bredine said.
Dahl-Bredine and Crosley also own and operate Little Toad Creek Inn & Tavern at Lake Roberts, but that restaurant and inn is closed for the winter season.
According to Dahl-Bredine, Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery in downtown Silver City has been averaging a couple hundred people a day. Their weekday lunches have grown pretty popular in the short time they have been unofficially open.
Little Toad Creek began serving patrons Dec. 18 and had a soft opening Dec. 20. But now Dahl-Bredine and Crosley have had time to work out staffing and the menu and are ready for Terry to cut the ribbon, Dahl-Bredine said.
"We were in a big rush to open before the holidays, but now we've had more time to get things together," Dahl-Bredine said.
Little Toad plans to celebrate its grand opening by providing live music from the Greenwood Misses starting at 4 p.m. Beginning at 8 p.m. the Fullshine Band, a Las Cruces group that plays rock and blues, will take over and continue until midnight.
The new downtown restaurant and bar also plans to serve beer brats, which is bratwurst cooked in a beer batter, and green chili chicken stew for their specials Saturday. The regular menu will have lots of discounted prices and there will be giveaways. Expect to have the opportunity to take home beenies, shot glasses, T-shirts and pint glasses if you go. And there's another reason to go to the ribbon cutting Saturday.
"We brought in a lot of New Mexican beer and spirits for this weekend," Dahl-Bredine said. "We're featuring some news beers we haven't carried before." Another feature of the grand opening Saturday involves Little Toad making a new room available in the restaurant that has so far been closed to the public. In addition to the pool table, the outdoor patio and the bar, patrons will be now be able to have drinks in a room called the library starting Saturday.
"It's furnished as a sort of lounging area for people to have a quieter place to drink and where they can have appetizers in a setting that feels Victorian in a playful way," Dahl-Bredine said.
But for those who want to feel the beat of the music and dance the night away, you will not be disappointed. Dahl-Bredine anticipates lots of dancing Saturday night.
To recover from your hangover Sunday, Little Toad is hosting Eddy and Dane at noon with a bloody Mary special.
Saturday's event is going to be so much fun Terry said he may have to stick around after he cuts the ribbon to try the food and even sample the beer himself.
"It's looking really nice, what they're doing," Terry said. "It was an empty space and now it's a place folks can enjoy."


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A recent discussion paper by the Reserve Bank of India sought feedback on the idea of levying charges on digital payments, including on UPI. The ministry of finance on Sunday rejected the idea, calling UPI a “digital public good”. The ministry’s clear stance is telling: since its launch in 2016, the UPI-based payment system has become one of the most popular modes of payments due to its ease of use, reliability and security. So much so that three in every four digital financial transactions in the country are now UPI-based.
Also Read : ‘In BAF, over 80% of debt portfolio will be in AAA securities’
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Sales in the U.S. hemp market are growing, and new laws point to the possibility of a future of increased legalization and guidance. Just a few months ago, HR 841, the “Law on consumer protection and market stabilization of hemp and hemp-derived CBD from 2021Was presented to the US Congress. If passed, the law would make hemp and ingredients derived from hemp legal food ingredients that can be used in dietary supplements. HR 841 already had bipartisan support from 23 co-sponsors, including representatives from hemp-producing states such as Oregon, California and Kentucky, at the time of this writing. Soon after the introduction of HR 841, Congress passed that SAFE Banking Act To legitimize hemp transactions by providing banking service providers with regulatory clarity.
While this new legislation may bode well for a future market for hemp cannabinoid ingredients, much uncertainty remains and the FDA’s stance on the safety of hemp cannabinoid ingredients is limited. Currently, the agency ensures the safety of hemp seeds, hemp seed oil, and hemp seed protein as they contain negligible amounts of the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In 2018, companies received positive responses to these Generally Accepted Safe (GRAS) petitions for these ingredients, but products that are standardized for significant levels of CBD and that are of the greatest interest to consumers have not received formal approval from the FDA. Until then, some companies are still selling these products in the dietary supplement market.
Various players in the hemp ingredients market are hoping for further leverage in the market by making calculated estimates of what the legalization path will look like and how best to prepare for it.
Hemp extracts vs. CBD
Since CBD is already being marketed as a drug (Epidiolex for seizures in children), US law stipulates that the ingredient cannot be sold as usual. For this reason, some nutritional supplement companies in the United States market full and broad spectrum hemp extracts. These extracts contain CBD as well as numerous other ingredients that are naturally found in hemp. They are not pure isolated CBD like the drug. It is important to note this distinction so as not to confuse hemp extracts with pure CBD. Unfortunately, the media and consumers often confuse terminology.
As long as the FDA does not grant an exemption for CBD, the isolated compound cannot theoretically be sold as a stand-alone product due to its pre-existing drug status. Nevertheless, there is a clear need for the FDA to clarify the differences through appropriate guidelines for doing business with CBD versus full- and broad-spectrum extracts. “A full-spectrum hemp extract is not a drug,” says John Endres, chief scientist at AIBMR Life Sciences (Seattle). “It’s like saying willow bark is the same thing as aspirin because it contains the compound that aspirin is made of, salicylic acid. And that’s kind of a ridiculous argument. “
With the health products industry fully focused on selling hemp extracts, some companies are volunteering to improve the safety of their products. Klersun (Portland, OR), a B2B hemp extract supplier, has obtained GRAS self-determination status for its broad-spectrum hemp extracts in partnership with hemp retail products company Manitoba Harvest (Winnipeg, Canada) and fragrance maker Robertet (Paris). GRAS self-determination does not require an official filing with the FDA. Achieving GRAS status can ensure the market for the safety of ingredients intended for use in food and beverages, but has also been used in the past as an alternative route to dietary supplements. The other route to dietary supplements is through a new Dietary Ingredient Notification (NDIN) notification that requires information to be submitted to the FDA about an ingredient’s reasonable safety expectations.
Later this year, Klersun expects to complete the work required for an NDIN in relation to its broad-spectrum hemp extracts. With this, Klersun is making another significant financial investment on the existing GRAS status.
Reed Doyle, the company’s director of sales and business development, believes an NDIN increases the likelihood that his company will meet future safety expectations from the FDA and major retailers, whatever they ultimately may be. To advance its approach, Klersun is focusing on broad spectrum hemp extracts for retail. In contrast to full-spectrum hemp extracts, which may not contain more than 0.03% THC, broad-spectrum extracts are specially formulated so that they contain even lower THC levels.
Even with Klersun’s plans to finalize an NDIN later this year, there’s no telling whether the company will officially file its NDIN before the FDA first clarifies the law and guidelines. Numerous players in the industry have speculated that filing NDINs at this point could result in automatic refusals by the FDA due to the current ambiguity of regulations.
It’s a wait and see situation with hemp extracts, CBD, and NDINs. In the meantime, the industry can only wait and use its diligence to certify the safety of its ingredients on its own.


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For the first time ever, the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode said it would stage an online version of Paris Couture Week from July 6 to 8.
“Each house will be represented in the form of a creative film or video,” the federation stated, adding “Additional content will be included in an editorialized section of the platform. All of this will be widely shared on the main international media networks.”
It has not yet been confirmed which designers will take part in the new digital concept, but the week typically features design talent from the region, including Lebanese fashion houses Elie Saab, Zuhair Murad and Maison Rabih Kayrouz, among others.
Meanwhile, a few of the fashion houses that have been granted the official haute couture designation have opted out from showing this season.
Jean Paul Gaultier, who handed over the reins of his couture business to Sacai’s Chitose Abe as the first in a series of rotating guest designers, announced the couture show would be postponed until January. Italian designer Giorgio Armani did the same for his Armani Privé collection, while Balenciaga, which was set to debut its first couture collection in over 50 years, has also postponed.


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SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Electric vehicle car sharing could be the future of transportation for some: today, DENSO International America, Inc., a global automotive supplier, announced the results of MDrive, the first study to focus on car sharing for people who live, work or frequent one location. In partnership with the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Detroit-based NextEnergy, an energy and technology accelerator, the study identified the potential impact electric vehicle car sharing could have on the future of mobility, personal transportation, and vehicle design.
The study involved 30 University of Michigan-Dearborn students living at The Union at Dearborn, who shared three Ford Focus Electric vehicles for a six-month period. The students used a custom app to reserve, access, share, and drive the vehicles anywhere within the continental United States, in exchange for their detailed feedback on the experience. Onboard diagnostics equipment gathered real-time data, while dashboard cameras captured video of the user experience. Students also provided feedback and suggestions for technologies most needed in future car share vehicles via short surveys and online forums. DENSO researchers then identified common benefits and challenges experienced by users to inform design of future car sharing technologies.
“Our study reinforced the idea that Electric Vehicle Car Sharing is an increasingly viable personal transportation alternative, and groups who share common interests stand to benefit the most,” said Michael Bima, a lead engineer in the North American Research and Engineering Center at DENSO International America. “For car sharing to reach its full potential, manufacturers and car share service providers need to address the efficiency and convenience for the end user– drivers should be able to quickly and easily access the vehicle, adjust their settings, and be on their way. Vehicle range and charging become areas of focus when you add electric vehicles, as well.”
DENSO will present the study results at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ World Congress Experience 17. In addition to showcasing one of the study’s cars in DENSO’s booth (#3002), participants including Matt Felice – a new DENSO employee who drove to his interview using the shared vehicle – will be on-hand to discuss the experience.
“Mobility continues to change and reshape the automotive industry,” said Pat Bassett, vice president of engineering and research at DENSO International America. “While there’s a lot of excitement about new technology in the space, we recognize the importance of getting it right in addition to getting it done quickly. To DENSO, that means hiring the best engineers, and sharing knowledge with other leaders in the space. MDrive is exactly the type of research we need to bring us into a new era of mobility in a safe, smart way.”
About DENSO in North America
DENSO is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. With its North American headquarters located in Southfield, Michigan, DENSO employs more than 23,000 people at 30 consolidated companies and affiliates across the North American region. Of these, 28 are manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs more than 15,000 people in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. DENSO’s North American consolidated sales totaled US$9.9 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. For more information, go to www.densocorp-na.com. Connect with DENSO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DENSOinNorthAmerica
DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan has more than 200 subsidiaries and affiliates in 38 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, totaled US$40.2 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 8.8 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.denso.com, or visit our media website at www.denso.com/global/en/news/media-center/
Source: DENSO Corporation


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With the PlayStation 5 launching this month, a new console era has begun. Sony is driving that point home by revealing that it will no longer service launch PS4s in Japan.
Via Twitter, Sony announced that on December 25, service for PS4 CUH-1000/CUH-1100 series of consoles would end in Japan, and individuals needing their consoles serviced should officially request service prior to that date. (Note: Sony will then accept consoles shipped by January 8, 2021 for repair.)
The PlayStation 4 originally launched in Jet Black on February 22, 2014 in Japan, which was after its November 2013 release in North America. Later, the console would see a Slim and Pro series. Sony will continue to service these later iterations.
Kotaku reached out to Sony to see if this impacts hardware service internationally but did not receive a reply prior to publication.


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Google’s third-party is (finally) crumbling. At the same time, the way shoppers search for information has expanded beyond Google, into TikTok, Amazon and other retail platforms. It’s made for a booming retail media networks business that brands like Tropicana are increasingly relying on to target shoppers.
For the last five years or so, the juice brand has been steadily shifting its media spend away from broadcast television commercials to follow cord-cutting shoppers where they are online. To home in on said shoppers, customer insights from a mix of retail partners is becoming increasingly more crucial, according to James Spalding, vp and general manager of Tropicana at Tropicana Brands Group. (He declined to detail Tropicana’s ad spend or retail partners.)
“While we can’t share specifics, there is strong return on investment in terms of the wealth of insights we’re able to gather,” he said in an email. “And as retailer platforms become more robust, there is an increased opportunity to use the data throughout the [marketing] funnel.”
WIth more than 75 years in business, Tropicana’s current priority is driving broader awareness and affinity for the next generation of shoppers, especially in the crowded marketplace of food and beverage. Meaning, data-informed, targeted digital advertising in places, whether it be TikTok or streaming ads, is a key part of the brand’s media mix, per Spalding.
From January through October of last year, Tropicana spent nearly $29 million on advertising, according to Vivvix, including paid social data from Pathmatics. That figure is significantly higher than the nearly $17 million the brand spent that same time frame in 2022. In total, Tropicana spent about $26 million on media in 2022.
As Google’s cookie deprecation gets underway, retailers stand to profit from peddling their own first-party data to brands like Tropicana. (A look at how agencies are handling the smorgasbord of retail media networks here.) True, Google and other tech companies have historically been known for their data capabilities. But when it comes to food and beverage industries, retailers like Kroger, Walmart, Target and Costco “have the amount of data that would make your head spin,” Spalding said.
Retail media has been growing its share of total U.S. ad spend, raking in 13% of digital ad spend last year and expected to increase to 15.2% this year, according to Insider Intelligence.
Leveraging data from retailers to inform marketing strategy isn’t necessarily a new industry trend. But as the proliferation of retail media networks continues, there’s an increased opportunity to collect enough shopper data to inform marketing strategy more holistically, according to Kristen Hogan, founder and CEO of REX Collective, marketing consultancy.
“The difference now is advertisers have the ability to hyper-target with better data and iterative creative, reaching a customer as down-funnel as it gets,” Hogan said in an email.
Maturation within retail media has allowed the Tropicana brand to better understand consumer shopping behavior, improve targeting and get to product-specific insights, like other things they’re shopping for in addition to Tropicana. “This helps us identify potential partners, home in on our messaging, and glean unique insights to further distinguish Tropicana in the oversaturated juice category,” Spalding said in an email.
Google’s cookie deprivation has been a long time coming. And while brands aren’t now scrambling to recoup consumer data, they are taking a second look at the weight and value that the first-party data they and their retail partners have, agency execs say.
“Third-party cookie deprecation is forcing advertisers to re-think how they gather and leverage both customer and prospect data to fuel their audience management, personalization, journey orchestration, and advanced measurement efforts while respecting consumers’ privacy rights,” said David Fontanez, svp of integrated media and strategy at Response Media digital agency.
As data privacy measures continue to mount and shoppers expect hyper-personalized ads, retail media network ad spend is expected to grow from the aforementioned 13% of digital ad spend last year to 21.8% by 2027, rivaling social’s 22% of ad spend, per Insider Insights reporting.
“Retail media is projected to grow significantly in the short-term, and you have probably seen its presence grow as a consumer even in the last six months,” said Hogan. “Retail media is effective because of the use of first-party data and because you’re reaching the customer incredibly close to the point of sale.”
As much as the industry has feared a cookie-less future, Spalding said Google’s cookie depreciation is just another shift in the way the world of marketing and advertising works. “Now what we’re seeing is everyone else has great data and we just need to use it smartly,” he said. “A lot of these folks have had the data for a significant amount of time, and now they’re just realizing the true value of it. Which is fascinating when you think about how savvy a lot of these retailers are.”
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With the success of last weekend’s Six Invitational competition, video game publisher Ubisoft may have finally cracked the code to make esports a genuinely profitable venture for all involved.
It’s been a debate for years: How can performance and brand marketing co-exist to push sales and boost brand awareness or affinity simultaneously? It’s a question that Orangetheory Fitness is now asking itself after 14 years in business.
Blast’s expansion is an encouraging sign for the broader competitive gaming industry, particularly given the ongoing “esports winter.”


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Video of the Day: Hennessey’s 2017 Camaro ZL1 Exorcist Tops Out at 217 MPH
It’s been almost a year since Hennessey Performance debuted its Exorcist package for the 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Originally billed as the ultimate competitor to the then-new 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, the Exorcist was designed to out-power the 840-horse monster of a Mopar.
While the pair hasn’t officially met on the drag strip yet, Hennessey has just proved the Exorcist’s top speed on the mile-long straight at Continental Tire’s Uvalde Proving Grounds. Turns out, the extra 350 horsepower delivers more top-end speed. Who knew?
Continue reading for more information on the Camaro ZL1.
The 2019 Chevy Camaro Won’t get a Seven-Speed Manual; Will Be Offered with 10-Speed Auto
Chevrolet is preparing a mid-cycle refresh for its sixth-generation Camaro for 2019, but there appears to be confusion regarding its transmission options. In January 2018, a California Air Resource Board document was discovered by Auto Guide showing the presence of M6, M7, and SA8 transmission codes available for the upcoming Camaro. That indicated both a six-speed and seven-speed manual transmission as being offered, along with the familiar eight-speed automatic.
However, Chevrolet apparently rescinded the document in recent days and filed new paperwork that dropped the M7 code and added the SA10 designation.
That means Chevy is apparently foregoing the seven-speed manual for its new 10-speed automatic already used in the Camaro ZL1. That means a few things: One, this concerns only the Camaro SS, V-6, and turbo-four; two, that the six-speed manual will remain as the only manual gearbox option; and three, that Chevy is dropping the idea of the seven-speed manual for Camaro use.
Of course, we already had our doubts about the seven-speed working with the Camaro. See, Chevy’s seven-speed manual is exclusively used in the C7 Corvette Stingray – a vehicle that uses a torque tube and a rear-mounted transaxle. That means the Corvette’s transmission doesn’t bolt to the engine, but rather sits nearly between the rear tires and connects to the rear differential. Corvette does this for improved weight distribution. The Camaro, on the other hand, uses a more traditional driveline configuration with the gearbox mounted to the engine block. Reconfiguring the M7 for Camaro duty would involve extra engineering hours.
The 10-speed automatic, however, is already used on the Camaro and would easily work with the Camaro SS’ naturally aspirated 6.2-liter LT1 V-8, along with the 3.6-liter V-6 and 2.0-liter turbo-four, as well.
So, while there was a glimmer of possibility for the Corvette’s seven-speed manual transmission in the 2019 Camaro, that hope is now gone. Its replacement, though, is far better. The 10-speed auto is a far smoother transmission than the eight-speed currently used in the Camaro. Combine that with the current six-speed manual that comes standard, and the 2019 Camaro will have two solid transmission choices that everyone should be happy with.
2018 Chevrolet Traverse RS
Introduced for the 2018 model year, the second-generation Chevrolet Traverse is a significant departure from its predecessor, boasting a sportier look, state-of-the-art technology, and offering best-in-class maximum cargo room. The old 3.6-liter V-6 was also replaced with a brand-new unit, but Chevy also announced plans to fit a turbocharged four-cylinder in the SUV. The new engine was unveiled at the 2018 Chicago Motor Show in the Traverse RS, the first-ever Traverse to sport a turbocharged powerplant.
Alongside forced induction, this model also gets a few visual upgrades inside and out. It’s pretty much the SUV version of the Sonic RS. It also gets quite a few extra standard features. It’s not the fanciest trim available, but it’s very similar to the Premier model in terms of equipment and price. You can always go with the High Country model if you’re into a more luxurious cabin, but if you’re looking for a sporty appearance, the new RS is the best choice you have. Let’s see what set it apart in the review below.
Continue reading for the full story.
Chevy Traverse RS Looks Like The Better Daily Driver In Chicago
The 2018 Chicago Auto Show is now in full swing, bringing with it a fresh batch of debuts to ogle and pick apart. Chevrolet is showing up to the party with a new RS version of its Traverse mid-size SUV, and as you might have guessed from the addition of the two letters to the tail, it’s a more aggressive iteration of the high-riding utility vehicle. However, despite the sporty connotations, the Traverse RS isn’t really all that impressive when it comes to its performance. Rather, we think the extra torque, new styling bits, and fancy tech in the cabin make it better suited for the rigors of daily driving.
Continue reading for the full story.
The 2018 Chevy Traverse RS Gets Ready for Chicago
Chevrolet pulled the covers off the all-new second-generation 2018 Traverse crossover at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show. Now, a year later, Chevy is finally making the Traverse RS available to customers. The news happens as Chevy officially pulls the covers off the sporterized SUV at the 2018 Chicago Auto Show.
The Traverse RS takes cues off other Chevy RS models by adding blacked-out styling cues, larger 20-inch gray wheels, and those red RS badges. The Traverse RS even gets blacked-out Chevy bowties. The overall look isn’t terribly different than the Traverse’s other trim levels, but it’s just enough to justify the special badging.
But the outward appearance is only half the story. The big news is what’s under the RS’ hood.
Chevy has dropped in its familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. This marks the first time the Traverse has used forced induction since its introduction in 2009. The engine uses direct fuel injection and variable valve timing on its dual overhead cams to deliver 257 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, 90 percent of which is available at only 2,100 rpm. The engine pairs exclusively with GM’s nine-speed automatic transmission that powers the front wheels. Unlike the V-6 Traverse, AWD is not available.
Continue reading for more information on the 2018 Chevy Traverse RS.
Video: New Corvette ZR1 Proves Its Worth With New Lap Record At VIR
The ZR1 is a beast of a car, one which carries a reputation as a full-fledged track tool capable of slaying much more expensive machinery. Now, Chevy has the lap times to prove it thanks to a new fastest lap record at the Virginia International Raceway.
Continue reading for the full story.
Chevy Taking Aim at the Porsche 911 GT2 RS; Thinks Camaro Can Make Sub-7:00 Nurburgring Lap Time
The Porsche 911 GT2 RS remains the only rear-wheel drive car to post a sub-seven-minute lap time around the Nurburgring. It could soon have company, though, if the Chevrolet Camaro has something to do about it. Chevrolet is setting lofty goals for future variations of its resident car, including becoming only the second rear-wheel-drive car to break the seven-minute barrier around the Nordschleife.
First-Production Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Fetches $925,000 at Barrett-Jackson Auction
The first-production Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, a.k.a. the fastest and most powerful Corvette in history, went up for auction at the Barrett-Jackson event over the weekend. Based on how much previous first-production Corvettes fetched in similar auction settings — the first-production Corvette Z06, for example, sold for $800,000 — we expected the ‘Vette ZR1 to sell in the neighborhood of $1 million. It never reached that amount, but we were still pretty close because the first-production ZR1 sold for a whopping $925,000.
Get Your Tracks Ready: Chevy Camaro Hot Wheels Goes on Sale Feb 1st
The 2018 Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels 50th Anniversary Edition first came into our lives in October 2017 when the special edition muscle car made its debut at the 2017 SEMA Auto Show in Las Vegas. Fast forward three months and we’re sitting here today, reporting that Chevrolet has announced details on how you can get the Hot Wheels package on your Camaro. Only 2,500 units of the package will be available, each coming at a price of $4,995. Prepare those credit cards because orders open on February 1 at Chevrolet dealerships all over the country.
Video of the Day: Watch Hennessey Turn a Stock 2018 Chevy Camaro ZL1 into the Exorcist!
The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Exorcist came into our lives in April 2017. It packed ungodly amounts of power under its hood, allowing it to hit speeds that the devil himself would be proud of. The sinful beast comes to us by way of Hennessey. To give us an idea of how it came to life, the American tuner has released a time-lapse video chronicling the creation of the Exorcist from its not-so-humble Camaro ZL1 roots.
To be clear, the Camaro ZL1 is potent in it of itself. It comes with a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine that pumps out 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a tick over three seconds before hitting a top speed of 186 mph. Impressive, right?
Apparently, Hennessey shrugged its shoulders at the Camaro ZL1’s capabilities. Knowing it had something better to offer, the tuner decided to swap in a bigger supercharger compared to the stock unit. On top of that, Hennessey also installed a new camshaft, added long-tube headers, freed up the flow of air through the engine, and recalibrate the engine with some fancy computer work. The result is a car that saw its output increase to a demented 1,000 horsepower.
Turning a Camaro ZL1 into the Exorcist obviously takes time. That doesn’t appear to be the case in the time-lapse video, but judging by how many people came in and out of the shot and how many times the car was lifted, brought back to the ground, lifted again, and brought back down again, it’s safe to assume that the engineers over at Hennessey had their work cut out for them.
It all ends well, though, because the Camaro ZL1 Exorcist is madness personified.
The Chevrolet Traverse is all-new for 2018, and it’s a big improvement over its predecessor.
It sports an all-new design inside and out, and it offers more space for up to eight passengers and their stuff. Going nose-to-nose with the new VW Atlas and other midsize, three-row crossovers, it makes a pretty solid case for itself.
That was the main impression the new Chevrolet Traverse gave me during a week-long test drive. Is this the right crossover for your family? Read on.
Genovation GXE, the Electric Corvette, Gets More Power for its Pre-Production Debut at CES
Will wonders ever cease? It certainly doesn’t seem like it. Remember that electric Corvette from Genovation Cars that hit 200 mph in 2016 before being show off at Pebble Beach? Well, it will make another public appearance at the 2018 CES show in January, but this time with 800 horsepower and more than 700 pound-feet of torque on tap – figures that promise to push it to the 220-mph mark and all without the use of any dino juice… Oh, what a time to be alive.
Based on the C7 Corvette that’s about to be retired to make way for a new generation, the GXE was originally rated at just 492 kilowatts or around 660 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of twist. Those aren’t bad figures for an electric beast, that’s for sure. We’re not sure how Genovation did it, but it’s managed to provide the world with updated specs that now include an extra 140 ponies and at least 100 more pound-feet of torque. Those figures are pretty staggering, but even more so, when you consider the Corvette ZR1 delivers just 755 ponies and 715 pound-feet. Of course, this news also comes with more goodies too, including an updated specs sheet that promises a 60-mph sprint in less than three seconds and a top speed that peaks more than 220 mph.
There is a downfall, however, as that GXE Electric Vette won’t get you very far and you better not expect a fun day at the track. Despite the fact that battery technology is on the up and up, this baby only gets 130 miles or so from its 60-kWh battery pack, and there’s no word on charging time, either. So, when you shell out the $750,000 for one of those 75 models being created don’t expect to do a whole lot with it outside of some occasional playing or trotting back and forth around town.
More CAD Images Show the Mid-Engined, C8 Corvette’s Twin-Turbo, DOHC, LT7 in All its Digital Glory
The last time we saw CAD images for the mid-engined, C8 Corvette, Chevy lost its mind, sending out letters that asked publications to remove the images and it even used the digital copyrights act to have the images removed from another publication’s Facebook page. What Chevy doesn’t realize is that the mid-engined beast we’ve all been waiting for is the world’s worst-kept secret and, as evidence, we’re looking at more CAD images right now. The thing is, however, that we’re looking at a completely different engine setup this time around. Keep reading to learn more about it.
Remember the Crazy Chevy SSR? Doug Does
Chevrolet has made some interesting things over its 100 years, but none compete with the 2003-2006 SSR. This contraption defied classification and spawned during a troubled time during “Old GM’s” heyday and right before its collapse in 2009. The SSR is a hardtop convertible pickup with a semi-permanent tonneau cover over its composite bed, powered by a small-block V-8 and wrapped in retro styling that harks back to the late 1940s Advance design pickups. Oh, and it shares its hydro-formed ladder frame and suspension system with the Chevy Trailblazer.
On the inside, the SSR was a hodgepodge of mid-2000s GM infamy. Green digital readouts, a chunky steering wheel, a hundred-button stereo face, and odd proportion everywhere. But for all its weirdness, the SSR’s interior had some redeeming qualities. The center console and door panels featured body-colored paint; there were aluminum bits to brighten things up, and heated seats.
The small-block V-8 was the third-generation 5.3-liter making 300 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque. A four-speed automatic was the only choice. Then for its final year in 2006, Chevy dropped in the 390-horsepower 6.0-liter V-8 with 405 pound-feet of torque. The extra power really woke up the SSR, but the best improvement was the available six-speed manual transmission. Power was only sent to the rear wheels.
Despite its quirks, the SSR’s greatest downfall was its price. In 2003 it started at $41,995 and could be optioned up to $47,000. By 2006, the base price had grown to $43,180 and its topped out around $50,000. That was rather expensive for the time, especially considering the competition that shared that price bracket.
Still, the Chevy SSR was a unicorn that will forever lurk in the halls of GM oddities. Give it 40 years, and these things will command big money on the auction block. For now, you’ll just catch glares and stares as you drive the SSR down the road.
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 By Hennessey
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the fastest and most powerful Corvette ever created. It has 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque on tap, and when used to its potential, it’s capable of sprinting from 0 to 60 mph in a staggering 2.6 seconds. These numbers are more than enough to leave people breathless, but one tuning company isn’t impressed. Not one bit, actually. Welcome, then, to the world of Hennessey, where 755-horsepower cars are shrugged off in favor of tuned versions of the same car, dialed up to as much as 1,200 horsepower.
There’s nothing surprising or shocking about this because we’re talking about Hennessey. This is the same outfit that gave birth to the mental Venom GT. It’s also the same company that served up an even more monstrous follow-up in the Venom F5. Oh, and we can’t forget about its tuning programs. There’s been a lot of them. But now, it’s the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s turn in the spotlight, and in true Hennessey fashion, it doesn’t disappoint. Not by a long shot.
2018 Chevrolet Equinox Turbodiesel – Driven
The Chevrolet Equinox underwent a complete transformation for the 2018 model year. It received a handsome new exterior, a vastly improve and more tech-savvy interior, and a few new choices under the hood. The most surprising engine inclusion is GM’s 1.6-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder. It’s the same turbodiesel available in the Chevy Cruze sedan and comes with the same 137 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. In the Cruze, the engine returns an impressive 47 mpg highway when mated to the nine-speed automatic transmission. The question now, though, is how well the turbodiesel performs in the larger Equinox.
To find out, I spent a week behind the wheel of a 2018 Equinox in the mid-range LT trim and the standard front-wheel drive.
Now, I’ve already tested the new 2018 Equinox in its range-topping Premier trim and found it to be a fantastic two-row crossover with plenty of room for four people and their belongings. Its swanky interior offered features like an 8.0-inch MyLink infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotpot. Dual zone climate controls with heated and vented front seats kept me comfortable while its large greenhouse provided great views outside. All told, the Equinox was great, but I still wondered how it would behave with the turbodiesel. Thankfully, I don’t have to wonder any longer. Here are my thoughts on the turbodiesel-equipped 2018 Chevy Equinox.
Continue reading for more information.
Leaked CAD Images Show Off Parts of the Mid-Engined Corvette
At first glance, they look like colorful spaceship renderings done by someone with far too much time on his hands. They’re not spaceships, though, because they’re actually CAD renderings of the next-generation engine that will be used on the new Chevrolet Corvette. I know, right? It’s not exactly the cleanest of presentations, but thanks to some expert sleuthing from members of Corvetteforum.com, they’ve uncovered what they believe to be the bones of the new powertrain.
Hennessey is Ready to Tune the Hell Out of Your 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1
There’s something to be said for a Chevrolet Corvette that’s considered the fastest and most powerful of its kind that has ever been created. That’s the distinction the new Corvette ZR1 comes with. It has 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, allowing it to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. Those are impressive numbers, but not quite good enough for a company like Hennessey. The American tuning shop that’s responsible for some of the most extreme tuning programs in the business has developed not one, not two, but three programs for the Corvette ZR1, topping out with the HPE1200 kit. Care to venture a guess what the “1200” in that kit’s name means?
His Angel Was Riding Shotgun: Chevy Corvette Z06 Crashes into a House
Turned on its side, a wheel missing, various engine items thrown about, and the passenger seat ejected. How any person could walk away from such a horrific crash is mindboggling, but that’s exactly how things went for the unknown driver of the Chevy Corvette Z06 that you see above. As of now, details are scant, but a handful of pictures posted by Thomas Minnear on Facebook show the aftermath of a crash that was likely facilitated not only by speed but by excessively worn tires as easily noticed by shots taken of the tire that came off during the accident. Even without an official police report, it’s pretty easy to see that the driver of this car was quite lucky to have walked away.
Mr. Minnear posted what has to be the most relevant comment of the year along with the photos: “I’d say his angel was riding shotgun.” That’s pretty much an understatement considering the fact that the driver has reportedly walked away and, had there been a passenger (other than a guardian angel, of course,) they probably wouldn’t have been so lucky. In the end, the driver’s ego is tarnished, his car destroyed, his angel scared shitless, but in the end, he and those in the house still have their life, so you could say things managed to work out. Keep reading to hear our thoughts and see a full gallery from the accident.
The 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 Was An Unplanned Baby Created by Curiosity
Recently revealed in successive events in Dubai and Los Angeles, the ZR1 Coupe and Convertible are absolute beasts, rocking the most power and highest top speed of any production ‘Vette ever created. But this synthesis of all-American muscle and race-bred performance wasn’t the culmination of some drawn-out development process. Rather, it was more of a spur-of-the-moment kinda thing, as confirmed by Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter in a recent interview with GM Authority.
Continue reading for the full story.
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Convertible: Old vs New - Almost 50 Years Apart
First introduced in 1969, the Corvette ZR1 has been offered for all generations since the C3, except for the C5 model. This pretty much makes it a constant presence in the Corvette lineup. However, when Chevy revised the ZR1 for the first time in 1990 after a 21-year absence, it didn’t offer a convertible version. The drop-top was ignored with the C6 model, produced between 2009 to 2013, too. Chevrolet finally took the roof of the ZR1 at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, unveiled the convertible model only weeks after it launched the beefed-up coupe. This makes the C7-gen Corvette ZR1 Convertible the first topless ZR1 in 48 years, and the event requires a bit of celebration with a proper comparison between the two.
The ZR1 nameplate has come a long way all these years, and this comparison’s purpose is to showcase just that. Now a full-fledged, stand-alone performance model with radical changes compared to the standard car, the ZR1 actually started life as a package for a trim that wasn’t even the most powerful in the lineup. But let’s find out more about that in the comparison below.
Continue reading for the full story.
First Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Will Be Auctioned for Charity in January
Unveiled in mid-November 2017, the C7-gen Corvette ZR1 is the quickest, most powerful, and most aerodynamic Corvette ever built. At the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, Chevrolet also unveiled a convertible version, only the second such body style to be offered since the original ZR1 was introduced back in 1969. While launching the ZR1 Convertible, Chevrolet announced that the first production unit of the ZR1 will be auctioned for charity in January 2018. Specifically, a coupe example will go under the hammer at the Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale, Arizona on January 20.
All proceeds collected by the 755-horsepower, 715-pound-foot supercar will benefit the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which builds mortgage-free smart homes for severely injured firefighters through its Building for America’s Bravest program. The foundation is named for a New York City firefighter and first responder who died during the World Trade Center terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The Corvette ZR1 joins an impressive lineup of first-production models that were auctioned for charity by Chevrolet in recent years, like the Corvette Z06 and several Camaro models, including the drag-spec COPO. Given that the Corvette Z06 was auctioned for $1 million back in 2015, it’s safe to assume that the ZR1 will also raise a seven-digit sum for the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. We will be back with the result in January.


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Burberry opened the doors today to its largest store in southeast Asia–an 8,700-square-foot space on Singapore’s Orchard Road, complete with WiFi and a video wall. The store will carry the Burberry Prorsum and Burberry London lines, as well as children’s wear, fragrances, and accessories. Exclusive leather pieces will be sold to celebrate the grand opening. This will be Burberry’s sixth store in Singapore, a 263.6-square-mile nation, one of the smallest in Asia.
Why is the Plaid One growing this aggressively in this economy? Frankly, it’s smart strategy for a company that wants to be a successful global brand. According to research from brand consulting firm Wolff Olins for the Financial Times, the next global brands may not come from the west. “It used to be possible to be a global brand by dominating the U.S. market,” Wolff Olins strategist Melanie McShane told the Financial Times. “Now you have to be number one in Asia.”
The research also named five Asian brands to watch as the next global brands, including ChangYu, China’s largest wine producer, and United Spirits, India’s largest liquor company. Some global brands have decided to grow in Asia by acquisition rather than create its own presence like Burberry. PepsiCo bought Russian juice giant Lebedyansky, and Unilever acquired Russian ice-cream company Inmarko. But Coca-Cola’s attempt to buy Chinese juice company Huiyan were blocked under the country’s Anti-Monopoly Law.
Global wealth has already been shifting, with Asian spending on the rise. Over the past year, China’s retail sales were up 15%, and Haier and Lenovo have dominant global presences. In the future, we’ll be looking to the east, not the west, as drivers of global economic growth and creators of the next great brands.
[Photos Courtesy of Burberry]


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To mark the opening of Canton's new Bamboo Grill, Canton Wines & Spirits will have a Saturday tasting of wines that complement Vietnamese food.
The wines are: '92 Trimbach Pinot Blanc from Alsace; '92 Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc; and '93 Alderbrook Gewurztraminer. The free tasting runs from noon to 8 p.m. at the store, 167 Albany Ave. (Route 44), Canton.
* West Side Wines of West Hartford will pour a sampling of '93 Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais at a free Saturday tasting. The wines are DuBoeuf's Julienas; Moulin-a-Vent; and Morgon. The tasting runs from noon to 5 p.m. at the store, 10 Raymond Road, West Hartford.
* Spiritus Wines of Hartford and West Hartford will pour three wines in a free Saturday tasting. They are: '90 Johnson- Turnbull Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa); '93 DuBoeuf Viognier; and '92 Saint Veran Domaine Faiveley. The tasting will take place Saturday between noon and 5 p.m. at both stores, 367 Main St., Hartford; and 984-B Farmington Ave., West Hartford.
* In preparation for the upcoming Connecticut Wine and Food Festival at the Durham Fairgrounds Aug. 20 and 21, Manouso's Wines & Liquors of Wethersfield will sponsor an informal tasting of Connecticut chardonnays on Saturday, Aug. 13. Wines to be sampled include: '92 Chamard Estate Reserve Chardonay; '92 Hopkins Chardonnay; and '92 Stonington Vineyards Estate Bottled Chardonnay. The free tasting runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at the store, 398 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield.
* The Connecticut Beverage Mart of Newington will hold a Saturday tasting featuring Reserve St. Martin wines from France. The free tasting runs from noon to 4 p.m. at the store, 3127 Berlin Turnpike, Newington.


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In the midst of stagnant sales and more than 300 stores closing, Sears is attempting a month-long Black Friday event to get shoppers through the door.
Every item in the store is on sale between 10 to 50 percent off through Thanksgiving weekend, according to Business Insider. In Kmart, a Sears subsidiary, every item is 10 to 40 percent off. In a statement, Sears said the early sale would help shoppers get a head start on Christmas shopping and avoid the rush of Black Friday itself.
The company also announced that it would bring back the historical Wish Book catalogue for the first time in six years, according to CNBC. Kelly Cook, Sears and Kmart chief marketing officer, said in a statement, “Our members told us they missed the Wish Book, so we had to bring it back, but in a special way that lets you share more joy wherever you are.”
The 120-page book will include all the traditional positive quotes and gift ideas found in previous editions, including everything from clothes to holiday decorations to games for children. In addition, the company will release a digital version available on the Sears website.
The Wish Book was first printed in 1933, and remained a highlight of Americana until its decline in the 80s and 90s, according to the Los Angeles Times. For decades, the book was credited with connecting rural Americans, who didn’t have access to department stores or malls, to the most recent trends and technologies. Sears discontinued printing the catalogue in 2011 after costs became too prohibitive.
Sears has been experiencing steep financial losses in recent months. In October, the company had to turn to CEO Eddie Lampert’s hedge fund for a cash injection three times, according to CNBC. Over the past two years, his hedge fund has been used to provide the company with more than $2 billion in funding. Business analysts say the company is in a death spiral, according to the Chicago Tribune. Also in October, the company announced that it would no longer sell Whirpool appliances, including Maytag and Kitchen Aid products.
In August, after posting double-digit losses for its third quarter, the company announced that it would close nearly 30 Kmart stores in addition to the 330 stores that have closed or are slated to close this year.


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Before social distancing, Ron Geris would see 50-60 customers wander through his AutoWorld car lot on S.C. 90 each day.
Now he gets three to five. His service department is in the same situation. A steady, daily stream of 30-40 vehicles had dwindled to six cars on Thursday.
The sudden slowdown forced Geris to reduce his staff to one-third of what it normally would be. He also recently received more unwelcome news — his business license fee increased.
“Just add one other nail as I’m trying to cut expenses,” he said. “To have a business license [fee hike], it’s like, ‘Man, you guys are kidding me.’”
As Horry County business owners find themselves grappling with the economic woes of the coronavirus crisis, many are also learning their business license will be more expensive, and the fees are due in just a few weeks.
Last summer, Horry County Council raised those fees to avoid a more severe tax hike. They were projecting shortfalls in their recreation and waste management programs. Since they had already planned a tax hike to improve public safety services, they assumed raising the business license fees — which are historically lower than the area’s cities — would be more palatable than closing recreation centers or making steeper tax increases. The fee hikes were projected to generate an additional $4 million for the county.
But council members never envisioned the country’s economy being strangled by a global pandemic. And because business license renewal payments are due May 1, the timing is brutal. Some business owners also didn’t realize how much their fees had jumped.
“It was substantially shocking,” said Jasmine Gale-Bazinet, whose family runs Myrtle Beach Chrysler Jeep and Myrtle Beach Kia.
When Gale-Bazinet went over the revenues for the two dealerships at the end of 2019, everything looked normal. As a controller, she’s paid county business license fees for more than a decade. She said the county rates have always been consistent and affordable.
But when another dealer pointed out what county council did last year, Gale-Bazinet crunched the new rates — for her Chrysler Jeep store, they were nearly nine times what she paid the previous year. As someone who budgets carefully, she was suddenly looking at tens of thousands of dollars in unplanned expenses.
“We are selling high ticket items and it’s based off the sale,” she said, referring to the way the rates are calculated. “If I was selling hot dogs, it would be completely different, but I sell high dollar items and it’s the second most expensive thing that people buy. They buy a home and they buy a vehicle.”
A company needs a county license to do business in unincorporated Horry. Under the system approved last year, high-grossing businesses like car dealerships pay the steepest fees. For example, a car dealership that generated $100 million in revenues in 2018 paid a business license fee of $4,750 in 2019. This year, that fee jumped to $53,038.
Gale-Bazinet said some locals dealers have recently been in talks with Horry County Council members Johnny Vaught and Cam Crawford about changing the fees. While she’s thankful the topic is being considered and some leaders have acknowledged the rates are a problem, the uncertainty is difficult, particularly in the midst of the coronavirus slowdown.
“We understand an increase,” she said. “That was just a really incredibly large punch in the gut increase for it to not have been well communicated.”
Although the new rates hit car dealers particularly hard, other small businesses also felt the hike.
Jamie Graham, who runs Absolute Pest Control in the Conway area, said his business license fee tripled.
“It’s not enough break me,” he said. “With me, there’s a principle factor here. … It’s enough to truly irritate you.”
Graham said he’s frustrated with the county’s decision to balance the budget on the backs of business owners. For the 21 years he’s been operating, the county’s business license fees have always been more reasonable than the area’s municipalities. He was surprised when he learned how much his license would cost.
For Graham, business has been difficult in recent years. Between hurricanes and an ice storm, he missed months of work. Hurricane Florence was the worst. Flooding from the Little Pee Dee River claimed the home he’d lived in since 1969. It took his shop, too. He finally sold his property, built another home and started over.
“I couldn’t afford to take any more losses,” he said. “Of course, now we’re dealing with the coronavirus. You talk about five years straight [of] impact. … Oh, and by the way the county’s going to go out here and tag you again.”
As more companies have realized the higher cost of renewing their county business licenses, they have contacted county council members.
“Business people … are just outraged that the tax for the business license went up,” Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner said. “They want to know if there’s any way that they can get it reduced somehow.”
County officials insist they are trying to find a way to relieve some of the financial stress. They don’t plan to extend the May 1 deadline, but Horry County Treasurer Angie Jones said her office does have the authority to waive late penalties.
“We’re not trying to beat these people up and we’re not going to,” said Jones, who oversees the county’s business license and hospitality fee collections. “We’re going to help them.”
She’s encouraging business owners to contact the Business License and Hospitality Fee Office and explain their situations. If the office determines there’s a hardship, the late penalty could be waived, giving businesses more time to pay for their licenses (To contact the Business License and Hospitality Fee Office, call 843-915-5620 or email firstname.lastname@example.org).
“We’re going to work with people,” she said. “We’re going to make sure our business community stays in business.”
The treasurer’s office is taking the same approach with hospitality fees, which are due on the 20th of each month. Those are the fees collected in the unincorporated areas on hotel stays, prepared food and admission tickets.
“Just call us and give us a chance to work with you on whatever your problems are,” Vaught, the county councilman, said. “We’re going to handle it on a case by case basis. … We’re trying to keep the hardship off of everybody we can.”
Apart from the looming fee deadlines, Vaught said he’s trying to address the concerns raised by the car dealers who are struggling with the impact of higher business license fees. County staffers are crafting a proposal for restructuring the fees. Vaught said the existing system disproportionately impacts businesses in the highest tier.
“That’s just not right,” he said.
For many local businesses, the higher county fees aren’t their top concern amid this crisis, but they are yet another blow in a difficult time that doesn’t have an end on the horizon.
The Grand Strand’s job losses are already staggering. Consider that for the first week in March, 99 people filed claims for unemployment benefits in Horry County. The next week, 112 did. Last week, that number soared to 5,258 — the most of any county in South Carolina.
Gale-Bazinet said her family’s stores have avoided layoffs so far. They’ve cut TV ads and other expenses to tighten the belt, but she’s grown concerned as she’s watched the local economy grind to a halt.
Her family's two dealerships employ about 80 workers.
“I don’t want to part with anyone,” she said. “I don’t have 80 employees. I have 80 families. And 80 families, how are they going to make it to the next day?”