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Samsung Electronics said on Friday that Lee Sang-hoon, the chairman of its board, had offered to resign.
The company said in a statement the board planned to appoint a new chairman in the near future.
In December, a South Korean court had sentenced Lee to 18 months in jail for sabotaging legitimate union activities.
A Seoul court ruled that Lee, who served as Samsung Electronics' chief financial officer before becoming chairman of the board two years ago, had violated labor laws by disrupting union activities at Samsung in recent years.
Some 24 current and former Samsung officials and others involved in the case were also found guilty on similar charges.
The case largely focused on efforts by Samsung officials, including Lee, to dismantle the labor union at the company's customer-service unit.
The court convicted Samsung officials on multiple charges, including gathering personal information on some union members, such as their marital status, personal finances and mental-health histories.


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Selling a business or passing it on to the next generation can be the most important financial event in an entrepreneur’s lifetime. But Canadian small business owners are not succeeding when it comes to succession planning, reveals a new IPC Private Wealth poll.
According to a poll of 300 business owners with 50 or fewer full-time employees, 42 per cent are uncertain about their retirement and almost half – 48 per cent – have no plans to seek the help of a financial advisor regarding business succession planning.
The good news is that the poll’s two most startling findings: uncertainties around retirement and financial advice – are linked and, fortunately, quite solvable.
DOWNLOAD EBOOK Business Succession Planning 101 to understand what you should know before you sell or wind down your business.

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Mark Zuckerberg is now the sixth-richest person on Earth and the fourth-richest in the US. His net worth has surpassed the politically influential Koch brothers, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The company has reported a quarter of record revenue, with the sales up by 52 percent and the net income is more than double since last year. Facebook CEO's wealth rose by $6 Billion (approx Rs. 40609.67 crores) and the 31-year-old is now worth $47.5 billion (approx Rs. 322284.88 crores).
According to the report, the only people wealthier than Zuckerberg are Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates with $78 billion, Zara founder Amancio Ortega holding $69.7 billion, the Oracle of Omaha Warren Buffett with $59.4 billion, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos at 55.8 billion and telecom magnate Carlos Slim Helu holding $47.5 billion.
The report further states that out of 100 richest people, Zuckerberg is one of the only seven billionaires to see an increase in their net worth this year. While, the top five richest people in the world have seen their wealth decrease over the past year.
The success to Facebook came in large part as it figured out how to make money from the smartphones that we use every day. Here are the three key takeaways from Facebook's earning report.
$5.6 Billion From Advertising
Facebook makes nearly all of its revenue by selling space to advertisers. Many big-spending brands think having their products and services on Facebook News Feed makes great changes.
80 Percent Of Revenue Came From Mobile Advertisement
People are increasingly shifting from desktops to smartphones. A full 80 percent of advertising revenue comes from mobile devices, as users scroll their News Feed have no choice to encounter ads along the way.
Facebook's Mobile User-Base Growing
With 1 billion daily active Facebook users only, a milestone will likely cross this year. More than half of Facebook's users only access the site or the app on a mobile device. The company has not released the geographic figures for this data, but it is likely that mobile-only users live in countries where smartphones are the primary internet access point.
Source 1 | Source 2


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[Taklimakan Blog] Could Bitcoin Ever Reach Zero?
While this is highly unlikely (in the near future), it is technically possible for the price of bitcoin to drop to zero. Bitcoin has largely moved up and to the right for most of its existence, with its price rising from virtually zero to $60,000 in less than ten years. The original cryptocurrency is now one of the largest currencies in the world and has become one of the most profitable assets of all time in its short time.
Despite this growth, bitcoin’s detractors have long argued that it is only a matter of time before it drops to zero again. Former Bitcoin Cash supporter Calvin Eyre stated in July 2020 that Bitcoin is useless, and Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett told CNBC that he considers all cryptocurrencies (including Bitcoin) to be useless. Buffett’s business partner Charlie Munger called Bitcoin “rat poison” and “poop.”
But there has been a flood of institutional investment in Bitcoin in recent months, with companies like MicroStrategy, Tesla, Square, and Aker ASA buying BTC for their corporate treasuries.
Meanwhile, bitcoin exchange products have boomed with the launch of the Canadian Purpose Bitcoin ETF, the first such product to be created in North America. These institutional investments are believed to have triggered Bitcoin’s current bullish rally, and this is seen as proof that the coin, which now has a market capitalization of more than a trillion dollars, is not going anywhere. But what does it actually take for Bitcoin to lose 100% of its value? It turns out a lot.


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Two giants of the technology hardware world, Micron Technology (MU 3.07%) and Intel (INTC -0.41%), find themselves out of favor with investors today, with each tech stalwart currently trading at a bargain-basement valuation.
This may seem counterintuitive, as the technology sector is booming right now. And with the advent of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, 5G, and the Internet of Things, it seems unlikely that these large semiconductor companies, both of which play into these big trends, could be such bargains today.
For contrarian value investors looking for cheap stocks in an otherwise frothy market, both companies should be at the top of your watchlist. But to discern which is the better buy, investors need to understand the reasons for their recent declines, and whether a turnaround may be in fact be in the cards.
Intel and Micron have each traded lower for different reasons this year. For Micron, it is by and large a "price-taker" for its DRAM memory and NAND flash storage products, which are commodity-like components found in all electronic devices. Thus, no matter how much demand there is, if the major memory producers all over-produce, prices can crash and Micron's earnings can be hurt.
Micron has actually been in a downturn ever since the U.S.-China trade war broke out in mid-2018. That oversupply looked like it was turning around to a more balanced market earlier in 2019, when COVID-19 hit. While Micron then experienced a demand surge in the first half of the year, management has recently noted that its November quarter could come in a bit lighter than expected, as customers digest their big first-half purchases.
Thus, Micron's up-cycle looks to have been delayed for a couple of quarters as investors grapple with the prospect of another fall in memory prices.
Though Intel's processor sales are somewhat sensitive to the same elements as Micron's memory chips, Intel's processors contain more proprietary chip design, and thus are not as vulnerable to severe average selling price swings. That has traditionally made Intel's earnings much more stable, enabling Intel to pay out a dividend that now yields 2.7%.
Like Micron, Intel had a strong first half of the year, but it also guided to some incremental weakness in the second half as buyers digest big first-half chip purchases.
However, the reason for Intel's 20%-plus drop during July wasn't merely the weaker second-half guidance but rather the announcement that its upcoming 7nm chip would be delayed by about 12 months relative to the company's initial target. Intel now envisions its first 7nm chip production shipments by late 2022 or early 2023.
Intel had already surrendered the leading-edge in CPUs to Advanced Micro Devices (AMD 2.42%) in late 2018, when it and manufacturing partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM 2.91%) were able to get ahead of Intel, which has its own internal manufacturing fabs, in the race to its 7nm chip (equivalent to Intel's 10nm). Now, it looks as if AMD/TSM's lead over Intel will be widening in the next couple of years. Taiwan Semi already expects to be producing 5nm chips (equivalent to Intel's 7nm) before the end of this year, two years ahead of Intel's new schedule.
Both are trading at bargain-basement valuations
As both Intel and Micron have lagged the overall market and tech sector this year, it isn't because they were expensive heading in. In fact, both companies are trading at extremely low valuations.
Though Micron is cheaper than Intel on a price-to-book value basis, Intel is cheaper on an earnings basis based on this year's and next year's average expectations. On the other hand, Micron is forecast to improve upon this year as the memory cycle improves next year, whereas Intel's earnings power is forecast to erode next year.
Leaning toward Micron
The trick between picking value stock opportunities and avoiding value traps is to figure out if a business is in a cyclical (short-term) or secular (long-term) decline. For Intel, I'm just not sure if it can pivot quickly enough to catch up to AMD over the next few years. If not, Intel could lose a lot of market share not only in PCs but also in the all-important data center, where Intel currently has a massive 90%-plus market share. Thus, if AMD can maintain its lead, Intel could see that share of the data center processor market plunge, and its revenue and profits along with it.
On the other hand, I expect Micron's current minimal earnings to improve over the next few years. In reaction to the second-half air-pocket in demand, it was recently reported that the large DRAM manufacturers are all pulling back on capital expenditures in 2020 -- the second year in a row that's happened.
As suppliers pull back on new production and demand rebounds due to DRAM-heavy 5G phones, AI servers, and increased industrial and automotive chip content, I expect 2021 to be a better year for Micron than it will be for Intel, as the latter struggles to regain its footing against AMD. Since Micron is dealing with a cyclical problem and Intel could be dealing with a secular one, Micron seems like the better bounce-back candidate to me right now.


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Bharti Airtel today announced the launch of ‘Airtel IoT’, an integrated 5G ready platform enabling enterprises to harness the power of Internet of Things (IoT) and get ready for the emerging era of connected things.
The end-to-end platform comes with the capability to connect and manage billions of devices and applications in a highly secure and seamless fashion. Airtel’s 5G ready network is at the core that comes with the option to deploy NB-IoT, 4G or 2G connectivity using Airtel’s e-SIM technology.
The platform also has a flexible set of APIs to eliminate cumbersome integration journeys and allows enterprises to streamline the process of connecting, collecting, and analysing data through their exisiting workflow tools.
“Enterprises have three key requirements for IoT. First, connectivity solutions that future proof their device and application investments. Second, the security of their data. And third, seamless integration with existing IT systems to make the IoT data actionable. Airtel IoT is built on these insights to massively simplify the IoT journeys of enterprises.”
Ajay Chitkara, Director & CEO – Airtel Business
Airtel’s teleco grade security further helps enterprises ensure that their IoT data is safe and available in real time for analytics and service delivery. MG Motor, Pine Labs, PayTM, Kirloskar, BSES, Genus, and Kent have signed up with Airtel’s IoT solutions across Manufacturing, Logistics, Automobiles, BFSI and Utilities.


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MIFF, the largest export-oriented furniture trade show in Southeast Asia
The Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) is experiencing a significant surge in international demand, marking its 30th-anniversary celebration with an even more spectacular event.
Scheduled from March 1 to 4, the milestone edition of MIFF (Malaysian International Furniture Fair) will once again be held at two fully booked venues, the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) and the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL).
Organized by Informa Markets Malaysia, the event is gearing up for another dynamic season, highlighting the show’s enduring impact on the global furniture trade over the decades, solidifying its status as a must-attend event.
With a record-breaking 19% increase in orders, reaching US$1.21 billion, and featuring 673 exhibitors in 2023, the four-day MIFF 2024 anticipates welcoming over 20,000 visitors from as many as 140 countries and regions. Spanning 17 halls and covering 100,000 sqm, the event will showcase exhibitors from various countries, offering an array of products and innovative designs. This business gathering also stands as the largest export showroom for Malaysian solid wood furniture and office furniture in Southeast Asia.
The upcoming MIFF promises a new level of experience, featuring a brand-new app, limited edition MIFF gold coins for pre-registered overseas visitors, customer loyalty perks, and a virtual tree planting program aimed at promoting sustainability. The MIFF Furniverse App will be an indispensable tool for attendees, allowing them to personalize their experience in meeting suppliers and exploring thousands of products across the two venues.
Overseas buyers who register can continue to access the special business event lane at immigration checkpoints upon arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, receive limousine vouchers at the MIFF Courtesy Counters, and first-time trade visitors may enjoy complimentary hotel stays as part of the Valued Visitor Privilege (VVP) Programme.
In celebration of the event’s 30th anniversary, exhibitors and buyers will participate in a virtual tree planting initiative to raise awareness about the industry’s commitment to a more sustainable future, recognizing wood as an environmentally friendly raw material. Attendees can also look forward to multiple networking events such as Buyers’ Night and Event Industry Seminars to build connections and gain insights.
“We want everyone to feel exceptional when they walk through the fair’s door. We have been in the industry for 30 years and we are still growing with better content and better experience for attendees. This year, we have expanded to 17 halls, the MIFF Furniverse App will enable buyers to make the most of the four days and have an enjoyable and seamless time to experience new products, designs, trends for new generation consumers and make important business connections,” said Ms Kelie Lim, General Manager of MIFF.
The MIFF Furniture Design Competition, themed “Chair-Volution: Celebrating 30 Years of Innovation and Design,” invites participants to create a statement piece that carries forward the trade-show legacy, inspiring young designers in the industry. The winners will be announced on the third day of the show, alongside exhibitor awards for Best Presentation and Furniture Excellence.
The Event continues to receive strong support from the Malaysian furniture industry and its Strategic Partner, the Muar Furniture Association (MFA). Mr. Steve Ong, MFA President, emphasizes the influx of buyers with significant purchasing power, making MIFF an essential platform for business growth.
As the Furniture City of Malaysia, Muar stands as home to the country’s largest furniture makers and exporters, poised to showcase a wide variety of products to international buyers and explore emerging markets.
Since 1995, it has achieved cumulative sales of US$18.4 billion and welcomed 182,000 buyers from 140 countries and regions. It also stands as the largest export-oriented furniture trade show in Southeast Asia, presenting an extensive collection of Made-in-Malaysia wooden furniture, home furniture, and office furniture.


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Developers at Solana Labs, the tech firm behind the Solana (SOL) community, are constructing a blockchain-powered Android telephone known as Saga.
The new gadget, an OSOM telephone (developed by the identical firm) modified with particular cryptocurrency pockets features and the “Solana Mobile Stack (SMS)” software program improvement package for Web 3.0 purposes, was introduced at an occasion on Thursday (23). New york. It will price about $1,000 and might be delivered as early as 2023, Solana Labs CEO Anatoly Yakovenko stated.
The telephone represents Solana’s largest wager within the cell gadget market. The gadget could have a Web 3.0 decentralized utility retailer (dApps), a cell pockets adapter and a “seed vault” for passwords, built-in with “Solana Pay” to facilitate QR-code-based on-line funds) that retailer private information. keys.
“Everything is turning into cell. In many nations, the vast majority of entry is by way of cell phones,” stated Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of cryptocurrency change FTX and considered one of Solana’s most important backers. “But ‘cell crypto’ is late,” he stated, noting how tough it’s to entry dApps on cell gadgets.
“The greatest answer to that is to put in an precise pockets on your telephone,” Bankman-Fried stated.
Solana Labs stated it can work with different firms to leverage the ecosystem to construct the telephone, together with Magic Eden, a number one marketplace for non-trivable tokens (NFTs), Phantom, the biggest supplier of blockchain wallets, and non-leader Orca. The fungible token (NFT) market is a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform. Leaders from all three teams attended the occasion to debate the upcoming cell expertise.
Executives in contrast Solana’s telephone app retailer to Google and Apple’s marketplaces, which take a share of gross sales. “There shall be no extraction charges,” Yakovenko stated of the shop, which runs on the Solana Mobile Stack (SMS).
The Solana Foundation has pledged $10 million to encourage the event of cell purposes in SMS.
“We reside our lives on cell gadgets – aside from Web 3.0, as a result of there hasn’t been a mobile-centric strategy to personal key administration,” Solana co-founder Yakovenko stated in a press launch. “The Solana Mobile Stack represents a brand new manner for Solana to be open supply, safe, Web 3.0 optimized and straightforward to make use of.”
This is not the primary Web 3.0 smartphone wager. Sirin Labs tried to carry a home blockchain telephone to market in 2018, however was fired and confronted lawsuits after the product failed to realize traction.
When requested in regards to the pitfalls of efforts to carry crypto-compatible telephones to market, Yakovenko, a former Qualcomm engineer, stated Solana’s telephone is healthier positioned for achievement than in 2018 as a result of there are extra cryptocurrency builders.
How far will cryptocurrencies go? What is one of the best ways to purchase them? We have ready a step-by-step free lesson. Click right here to view and obtain the InfoMoney cryptocurrency e-newsletter


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Edge On The Clock: ‘Jersey Shore’ Star Gets Liposuction
‘Jersey Shore’ star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro goes under the knife to keep his washboard abs.
He just revealed he got liposuction.
Ronnie documented his procedure for the daytime talk show ‘The Doctors.’
He says his new baby makes it harder to hit the gym for 2 or 3 hours a day like he used to, so he decided to ‘try something new’ to maintain his 6 pack.
Plus, Gucci is under fire for selling a product called the ‘Full Indy Turban’ and a man is being called out online for proposing with an engagement ring made from his own hair.


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South African Precious Moloi-Motsepe, one of the richest women in Africa, is a staunch promoter of fashion designers from the young, vibrant and culturally diverse continent.
Style has passed through her years since she was a young girl growing up in Soweto township, and for her, the time is ripe for “African designers to shine” on the international platform.
A decade and a half ago, she founded the Johannesburg and Cape Town fashion weeks that bring together designers from across the continent with the aim of putting them on the global stage.
Her goal is now beginning to bear fruit, she told AFP with a confident smile, at a brand new luxury store in an affluent district of Johannesburg, South Africa’s financial capital.
“Now, more than ever, African designers are getting recognition here at home,” said the 58-year-old, elegantly wearing make-up and flowing black trousers with a silk blouse.
“At major events on the continent, musical awards, football events, you will find celebrities wearing local designers,” said the wife of the president of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe. “They have definitely become household names”.
With her husband, Africa’s 9th richest man according to Forbes, they are South Africa’s most prominent “power couple”.
Elsewhere, “celebrities, Michelle Obama or Beyonce, … now wear African brands,” she said, adding that the Wakanda phenomenon, linked to the Black Panther movie, has “spread our culture, our heritage, to the world. It has an impact on driving fashion too”.
Moloi-Motsepe grew up in Soweto, a poor township that was a hotbed of resistance to the apartheid regime. It was there that she gained a sense of style.
“My grandmother made her own clothes and she was so elegant,” she said. Soweto “people loved to dress up”, albeit closely shaped by and following American trends and brands.
Later, she got the opportunity to travel and attended a fashion show in Paris by the talented designer John Galliano.
It was a shocking eye-opener, realizing that designers “get inspiration from history, heritage, culture, which I thought Africa had enough of”.
Africa seemed to be a source of inspiration for Western designers, “but I didn’t see many African designers on the runways,” she said.
It was the trigger to create a space to “drive the best of African creators to global recognition” a project that the medical doctor turned philanthropist and creative arts financier energetically launched.
“First I had to make sure they were well recognized here at home, that we changed mindsets, made people appreciate and value African fashion designers,” not just as tailors, but as respected designers.
It was an ambitious challenge, not yet realized, but well under way.
“African consumers now recognize that their own designers are just as valuable as any of the brands they buy globally,” she said.
One of those who showed at Johannesburg Fashion Week last week was Cameroonian fashion designer Anna Ngann Yonn, whose label Kreyann is making a name for itself in Africa and beyond.
The fashion weeks she launched in South Africa, featuring supermodels such as South Sudanese Alek Wek and prestigious guests from New York, Milan and Paris, have enabled designers to “showcase their work, network with other designers and gain media attention”.
The next stage of the mission is to take them to “international platforms” to ensure the presence of Africa in the global fashion dialogue. Africans in the diaspora serve key roles as ambassadors.
The entrepreneur recalls bringing some African designers to exhibit in Paris on the sidelines of fashion shows a few years back.
Some of the feedback was “positive, some not so positive,” she said, laughing softly. But “we took it as a step in the right direction”.
“What was important to the young designers and what we thought were established designers then, and still now, is the voice,” Moloi-Motsepe said.
Africans are still underrepresented among the major global brands. And in many parts of Africa, sporting foreign brands is still a symbol of social success, she agreed.
“We have a lot of work to do,” she said, but the African fashion advocate is not discouraged. (AFP)


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With so many subtle, light-colored manicure trends happening right now — glazed donut nails, peaches and cream nails, angel nails, milk bath nails — it almost seems like nail art is kinda over. But Emma Chamberlain just proved that you can turn today’s subtle manicures of the moment into absolutely adorable nail art. She seems to have turns the milky-nails trend into what we’re calling a milk bubble manicure.
Chamberlain attended the Thom Browne haute couture show during Paris Fashion Week on Monday, July 3, wearing a white and off-white ensemble with red accents and accessories. Her retro beauty look included middle-parted curtain bangs that swooped out seemingly parallel to her winged eyeliner.
But while everything about her look was eye-catching, we couldn’t help but eagerly zoom in on her absolutely delightful manicure. Remember when you were a kid (or last weekend — no judgment) when you used to blow bubbles in your milk? That’s exactly what her nail art reminds us of.
On the peachy-beige base of each oval, not-too-long nail are curves made up different-size white dots. But that’s not the only bubbly thing about this manicure. A few select nails also have pretty pearls, creating a three-dimensional effect.


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WHEN 5-year-old Isabelle Weber of Evanston, Ill., started kindergarten last week, she toted along something her mother, Anne, dreamed up to revolutionize school meals: a Green Bag Lunch.
These healthy, eco-friendly lunch bags come filled with freshly made sandwiches, whole-grain muffins, lean protein, organic fruits, yogurts and vegetables and bite-size treats that deliver a lesson on portion control.
And because a healthy child depends on a healthy planet — and the average American child produces 67 pounds of trash just from school lunch each year — the bags are waste-free; only recyclable, reusable or biodegradable materials are included in the packaging.
Parents simply go online to order or set up a prepaid account to allow young children to select their own food.
The $5 lunches — which include a main course, two sides of fresh fruit or vegetables plus a dessert — are delivered directly to schools or camps along Chicago’s North Shore by Green Bag Lunch, which has partnered with The Corner Chef in Evanston.
“I want parents to feel good about themselves,” said Weber, who launched Green Bag Lunch with business partner Dave Feinberg after struggling to find time to make healthy meals for her two children.
“I want kids to learn how to make good choices. And I want schools, parents, students and camps to see that being environmentally responsible just isn’t as hard as they think.”
So far, the fledgling program has been tested at St. Athanasius in Evanston and at eight summer camps in the greater Chicago region.
This fall, it also will deliver lunches to Rogers Park Montessori in Chicago and St. Francis in Wilmette, Ill., and they’re talking to a dozen other schools. The minimum for delivery is 20 lunches.
Weber acknowledges that a $5 lunch isn’t for everyone, every day. But she says parents would probably spend $4 if they packed a similar lunch themselves, and the environmentally friendly packaging costs a little more than standard fast-food containers. She also hopes to get the price down to $3 per meal as the idea catches on. The federal subsidy for school lunch is $2.47.
One way to help expand the program would be to include Green Bag Lunch on special lunch days that many schools hold as fundraisers. But even though the company gives back 10 percent of its profits, it hasn’t been able to compete with Pizza Day or Hot Dog Day, which tend to be bigger fundraisers. The question parents need to ask is: Which is a better investment in our children’s future?
If you have a child with celiac disease or allergies, don’t count on the school lunch program, advises LuEllen Joy Giera, founder of the Near West Suburban Celiac Group.
Instead, pack a lunch that resembles what the other kids are eating. Include fresh fruits, vegetables, a sandwich made from gluten-free bread or corn tortillas, or soup.
Don’t forget to include a paper towel to use as a place mat so their gluten-free food isn’t contaminated from crumbs left on the table, Giera said.
No more swapping
Imagine if every school followed the lead of Spring Avenue Elementary School in La Grange, Ill., which allows just three things for snack time: fresh fruits, vegetables and cheese.
The simple policy, instituted last year, eliminates all processed junk food including Lunchables and soda, and has helped solve problems with food allergies, nutrition and peer pressure.
Breakfast boosts brain
To give your children an edge in school, feed them complex carbohydrates like oatmeal or a whole wheat muffin so their blood sugar doesn’t dip and they can stay focused, says Geneva, Ill., naturopath Melody Hart, a Chicagohealers.com practitioner.
You can also help their memory and mental alertness by giving them proteins, including eggs, meat and nuts. (Try French toast or a trail mix snack.)
To boost energy levels, give them water before and after school.
“Fruits such as oranges, strawberries, watermelon and grapes are beneficial water replacement options because they contain vitamins A, B and C,” Hart said. “Most fruits are high in water, but plain water is always the best source of hydration.”


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Billionaire Peter Thiel has been caught in a series of controversies, thanks to how he is using his wealth in politics and other issues. It has emerged that Thiel is no longer connected to tech incubator Y Combinator. He also reportedly gave money to the official that started a probe against Google, and he turned out to be funding an “unethical” herpes research.
Peter Thiel, who co-founded PayPal in 1998 and led it as a CEO, has a net worth of $2.6 billion. He ranked at No. 315 in Forbes 400 list of billionaires this year and at No. 12 in The Midas List: Top Tech Investors in 2017. He is a self-made billionaire whose sources of wealth include Facebook and Palantir. Thiel is one of the early investors of Facebook and still a member of the social network’s board. He co-founded Palantir in 2004, a software firm that helps analyze big data in industries such as national security and global finance. Thiel has a 10 percent stake in Palantir, which accounts for more than half of his wealth.
Thiel has provided early investments in several tech companies, including LinkedIn and Yelp. He is a partner at venture capital firm Founders Fund, which provided funding for companies including SpaceX and Airbnb. However, while his tech investments are helping startups in succeeding, his use of his wealth has also led him to several controversies.
Y Combinator cuts ties with Peter Thiel
The 50-year-old venture capitalist joined Y Combinator in 2015 as part of the tech incubator’s “part-time partner” program. While the program already ended, Y Combinator President Sam Altman said they felt they needed to make an exception and retain Thiel.
Things began to turn sour when Thiel became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump during the presidential election and made a large contribution to his campaign. Y Combinator faced criticisms for its connection with Thiel, but Altman maintained they would not fire someone over his political beliefs. Last year, it was also revealed that Thiel gave Hulk Hogan financial support in his successful lawsuit against Gawker Media, which led to the media outlet’s bankruptcy. It was deemed as a retaliation after Gawker outed Thiel as gay in 2007.
Over the weekend, an update to Altman’s 2015 blog revealed that Thiel is no longer connected to Y Combinator. It is not clear when the termination happened, but according to Buzzfeed, it might have happened towards the end of October.
Attorney General that Thiel supported opens antitrust probe against Google
After helping Gawker Media go bankrupt, reports now suggest that Thiel might have found his next target. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley this week opened an investigation into Google for controlling its search results in favor of its products. It turned out that Thiel contributed $300,000 to Hawley’s political campaign in 2015 and 2016. He has been an open critic of Google, saying that the tech giant’s search engine is a monopoly.
When asked about the possibility of Thiel influencing Hawley’s probe, the attorney general’s office said, “General Hawley’s job is to protect the interests of the people of Missouri and no company or organization is exempt from that if they are violating anti-trust laws or violating people’s privacy. Our office is investigating Google because we refuse to allow industry giants to exploit and jeopardize Missouri consumers and businesses.”
Thiel supports ‘unethical’ herpes research
Another latest controversy that drags Peter Thiel’s name is his investment in a research on a genital herpes vaccine that does not completely adhere to federal regulations on patient safety. The company, Rational Vaccines, uses a weakened virus in its research, which is considered risky to patients. It also conducts its research without the supervision of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or an institutional review board.
Jonathan Zenilman, chief of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Diseases, said Rational Vaccines’ research is patently unethical and people can die, per Inverse.
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NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 28 – Unga Group has posted a net profit of Sh783 million for the period ended June 30, 2018, from a net loss of Sh7 million same period 2017.
The performance was boosted by the discontinuation of operations at the Ugandan subsidiary as well as growth in feed volumes in the animal nutrition and health business.
The firm says feed volumes increased significantly with most categories recording positive growth attributable to a sustained supply of competitively priced and high-quality products.
Group sales revenue went up by 2 percent to Sh19.9 billion compared to Sh19.5 billion same period last year even as the government introduced a subsidy program in the first half of the year, enabling the firm to sell its Jogoo and Hodari products at the same price as competition.
However, the company was not allowed to sell Hostess its premium Maize meal brand, during the first half of the year.
“The group continues to roll out the new strategy for Ennsvalley bakery business to recover its revenue base following closure of all in-store operations with Nakumatt of which one element is opening new in-store counters in partnership with leading supermarket chains,” the firm said.
The board has recommended a first and final dividend of Sh1 per share.
In February, New York Stock Exchange-listed Seaboard Corporation Limited announced plans to acquire Unga Group Holdings subject to regulatory approvals.
The firm, which currently has 2.29 percent stake in Unga Group, proposed a cash offer for ordinary shares in Unga Group that are currently not owned by the corporation or its affiliates.
The corporation gave Sh40 per ordinary share offer, valuing the deal at Sh3.03 billion.
Sea Board is one of the largest United States companies engaging in pork production and processing and ocean transportation.
In Africa, the company has operations in a number of companies that are engaged in commodity merchandising, grain processing and sugar production.
Seaboard Corporation’s subsidiaries and affiliates employ more than 23,000 people in more than 45 different countries, mostly in the U.S., Latin America and Africa.
With net sales of approximately $6.67 billion annually, Seaboard Corporation is listed 387 on the 2014 Fortune 500 list.
The corporation hopes the completion of the acquisition to be not later than September 30, 2018.


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Slashdot: Ambidextrous Linux/Windows Virus. Lam1969 writes “Kaspersky Labs has reported a new proof-of-concept virus that can infect both Windows and Linux systems. It’s called Virus.Linux.Bi.a/Virus.Win32.Bi.a and affects ELF binaries and .exe’s from windows. SANS has a brief item on the cross-platform virus as well, but no information about a patch or signature yet.”
Archive | April 7, 2006
Computerworld News reports . “Microsoft is set to release five security patches for its products Tuesday, including an Internet Explorer fix that will address a bug that hackers have been exploiting over the past two weeks.”
Gee, is it that time again already?


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EU tax probe turns screw on Amazon
AMAZON is set to be dragged into the European Commission’s probe into alleged “sweetheart” tax deals.
The online retail giant is thought to be one of the targets of an inquiry into whether multinationals have secured preferential rates of corporation tax.
The EU’s competition authority has written to Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Ireland, seeking details of agreements struck with foreign companies. Although EU members are allowed to set their own corporation tax rates, they must offer equal treatment to all companies.
The commission is in an “information-gathering phase” and will launch a full-blown investigation if it suspects that any deals with individual companies broke anti-trust rules, sources said.
If the three countries were found guilty, they would have to claw back the lost revenues from


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A new study has suggested that the high-speed 4G mobile network could boost the British retail sector by an estimated £1.8 billion in a year.
The faster service is expected to reduce the frustration caused by slow or unreliable internet access which can put off consumers from making purchases on smartphones.
Retail analysts believe the national 4G roll-out could prompt a 113% surge in mobile shopping.
More top news
Firefighters are at the scene this morning
Tony Blair has called for Remain voters to persuade Brexit supporters that the UK is better off in the EU.
The 29-year-old victim, Manmeet Alisher, was described as a much-loved member of Brisbane's Punjabi community.


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Anna Wintour, chief content officer at Condé Nast and global editorial director at Vogue, sees the anniversary “as a celebration of not just the past, but the future.” It’s what we’re going to hold at Vogue World. It’s the first live fashion show event of its kind.
“This is a true testament to how New York fashion is making a comeback, how New York City is making a comeback, and what Vogue and Condé Nast can do to support is all very important to us. I think it’s going to be a symbol of that.” Co-host Gail King.
The global fashion show event features work by renowned designers such as Balenciaga, Dior, Gucci and Valentino, and is streamed live from New York Fashion Week.
According to Vogue, more than 200 people will be on the runway, including Adut Akechi, Emily Ratajkowski, Gigi Hadid and Lil Nas X.
“We were very anxious to celebrate New York Fashion Week and the city itself. “We decided to hold a large street fair and fashion show.”
The magazine made headlines with its September cover story about tennis star Serena Williams.She will depart from professional tennis. According to Winter, planning for the story took “over a year.”
“I think she came to Vogue because we’ve worked together for so many years,” Winter said. I think you felt it.”
Winter said Williams’ decision was “extremely difficult for someone in her position with incredible achievements.”
“She worked with one of our writers to find out how she came to that decision, how she wanted another child, how she might have an extraordinary business venture in the future. I really talked about what was going on.
She endorsed Williams in herAt last week’s US Open, her signature bob haircut and dark sunglasses stood out in the crowd. I have.
“I know it’s hard to change at this point, but glasses can be very helpful sometimes,” she said.
As for others, the fashion icon said she likes “personal style.”
“I like it when people dress themselves and look amazing or obviously enjoy fashion, but mostly I’m more interested in them and what they have to say.


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Gamescom is this week and a lot of announcements are coming at all time of the event. Capcom has taken this opportunity to show off another trailer for Devil May Cry 5, which was revealed at Microsoft’s E3 press conference, only this one focuses more on gameplay.
The gameplay is definitely a throwback to the chaotic experiences of the older titles but it seems you will have more freedom of techniques and abilities. In several sections, the van and new character Nico are showcased and could be a hint of them being readily available within the levels, perhaps to provide upgrades and purchases.
Two of the biggest take away from the trailer is that gameplay of Dante was shown off and, of course, he uses a motorcycle as a weapon. Yes, you read that correctly. The motorcycle splits in two and acts like something that words cannot due justice in description. The other large piece of news is that Devil May Cry 5 has an official release date of March 8th 2019 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
What do you think about all of this? Excited for the new Devil May Cry? What are your thoughts on Nero returning? Comment down below and remember to follow The Loot Gaming for all your gaming news and reviews and on everything from Gamescom!


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BETSSON shows profit growth in early 2021
- BETSSON's revenue increased by 16% to $ 191.3 million.
- At the same time, Sportsbook's profit also increased by 2%, and the margin was 7.2% (8.5%).
- Operating profit showed figures of $33.05 million.
- The success of the company is also an increase in active customers by 39%, so there are now about 948, 109 of them.
The CEO noted that such growth is provided due to the geographical distribution of the company's work.
The growth was noticed from the very beginning of the quarter and it did not stop until the last month. If we compare this quarter with the same one last year, we can definitely say that this year has started better. Moreover, the increase in indicators is still continuing in the markets of the Baltic States, Peru, Chile, and Italy. In these regions, the company increases its profit. However, the company's executives are not completely satisfied with the results of the quarter, as the company experienced difficulties in several markets.
As it was noted, the German market declined significantly due to the new restrictions, so several of the company's brands were closed. No more efficient solutions with payment systems have been found in Norway, so Betsson is currently using its own system in the country. In the Netherlands, the company is awaiting licensing from the authorities, as it is a foreign operator.
With a large diversified product portfolio that contains a large number of brands in many markets, the company was able to achieve growth.
Lower operating margins are associated with continued strategic investments. The company invests for long-term growth and to create shareholder value.
Betsson has been actively expanding in various markets with acquisitions and new gaming licenses in the past quarter. At the moment, all the attention of the company's management is focused on the markets of Croatia, which is showing good results. Contract signings continue in Latin America, and soon an office will open in Bogota (Colubmia), which will be the first regulated market in the region. Betsson is also strengthening its position in Brazil and is preparing for regulation, which is planned very soon.
Sportsbook is currently adapting for the American market. First, they want to offer it in the state of Colorado. Betssons sportsbook in the US is going to be integrated into TG Lab's PAM before the launch.


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Lenovo has pulled the wraps off its second device in the Moto Z2 line at an event in New York City. It’s called the Moto Z2 Force, and it improves on its predecessor in a number of key areas, while retaining the company’s trademark Moto Mods functionality. The Z2 Force is Motorola’s flagship for 2017, and it follows the launch of the Z2 Play last month. The Z2 Force is a more expensive and well-equipped device than the Z2 Play, thanks to a more powerful chipset, more RAM, a new dual-camera setup, and a higher-resolution display. It also benefits from the company’s proprietary ShatterShield screen-protection technology, which appeared last year on the Verizon-exclusive Moto Z Force Droid.
We’ve had a chance to play around with it, and you can read our Moto Z2 Force review to see how it stacks up against the competition.
Pricing and availability
While the original Moto Z appeared on multiple carriers, the Z Force Droid was a Verizon exclusive last time around. That will not be the case with the Z2 Force. The new phone is available for purchase in the U.S. from AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile, and Best Buy, in addition to Motorola’s own website. It starts at $30 per month depending on the carrier, and for a limited time you’ll also get a free Moto Insta-Share Projector Mod when you purchase the device.
Motorola originally made the Z2 Force available for $800 — but it has been quietly reduced since then. On Motorola’s website, the smartphone is now listed for $720. That price decrease now brings it below what carriers are charging.
Verizon has listed the full price for the Z2 Force at $756. However, customers who enroll in a two-year contract with the carrier will be able to snag one for less, at $15 per month over 24 months. Meanwhile, Sprint’s Z2 Force runs $792, with the option of $33 over 18 months. While T-Mobile was originally charging $750 outright, or $30 per month over 24 months, it has now dropped the price to $20 down and $20 a month for subsequent months. That means that T-Mobile is now charging just $500 for the phone.
In terms of look and feel, the Z2 Force follows the example of last year’s Moto Z line, as well as the Z2 Play. The device was deigned to be compatible with the slew of Moto Mods on the market, so its dimensions don’t deviate too much from Moto’s last flagship.
A similar mix of materials are used all around, a blend of 7000-series aluminum and glass that creates a two-tone affect around the back, where the glass circles the metal. This has presumably been done to improve antenna connectivity. The other significant change at the rear is the presence of dual cameras inside that circular bezeled housing. You’ll find the standard Moto Mod connector pins near the bottom of the device.
Over to the front, the Z2 Force bears an even stronger resemblance to its predecessors. There’s a 5.5-inch display with a front-facing fingerprint sensor mounted in the bottom bezel. Last year, the sensor was square, but this year it’s been given an oval shape, and also looks a bit bigger. At the top, there’s an LED flash opposite a wide-angle 5-megapixel selfie camera.
The Z2 Force is spectacularly svelte. Lenovo sliced 2 millimeters off the thickness of the Z Force Droid, making it 13 percent thinner and 12 percent lighter.
Like the Samsung Galaxy S8, HTC U11, and OnePlus 5, the Z2 Force benefits from Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line silicon — the Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip. Alongside that, there’s 4GB of
Here's the #MotoZ2Force with the 360 camera mod! #hellomotoworld @DigitalTrends pic.twitter.com/PYjSPVBeLe
— Julian Chokkattu (@JulianChokkattu) July 25, 2017
Next up is the battery life, and it looks like Lenovo has shaved off some of the battery in favor of keeping the device slim. The Z2 Force features a 2,730mAh battery — much smaller than the 3,500mAh battery found in the original Z Force. Durability is also a slight concern, as the phone does not feature any official IP rating — though it does have a water-repellent “nano-coating,” which should help with some splashes and rain.
Just like the outgoing model, the Z2 Force boasts a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. That translates to 535 pixels per inch, and means the Z2 Force has a superior screen to the Z2 Play’s 1080p panel. With Shattershield — which Lenovo bills as “the world’s first shatterproof
When it comes to the camera, while the 2016 Moto Z Force featured a 21-megapixel sensor, the new device features a smaller 12-megapixel sensor — though it is a dual camera and will likely take much better photos regardless of the number of megapixels. The cameras each have an aperture of f/2.0, but lack optical image stabilization.
Lenovo’s approach to the dual camera in the Z2 Force is similar to Huawei’s implementation, in so far as one of the cameras exclusively shoots in monochrome. The Z2 Force has the ability to capture shots entirely with this camera, allowing you to get true black-and-white images — not color simply converted to black-and-white via software, as most phones typically provide.
Moto Mods and 360-degree camera
Moto’s Z devices are all about the accessories, and the Z2 Force is no different. The device is compatible with a range of Moto Mods — modular components that snap onto the back of the handset with different capabilities. There are mods add wireless charging, extra battery life, louder audio, optical zoom, and even a tiny projector.
The newest Mod is Moto’s new 360-degree camera. Android startup Essential revealed its own 360-degree camera that attaches to the top of its PH-1
Moto devices are known for their light, restrained take on Google’s
We’ll update this article with more information as it becomes available.
Update: The Motorola Z2 Force is now available for $500 from T-Mobile.
- If you like cheap phones, you’ll love these 2 new Moto G options
- Trio of new Moto Edge 20 phones get 108MP cameras, 6.7-inch OLED screens, and 5G
- Big Moto Edge Plus software update adds Android 11 and mobile desktop feature
- Huawei Mate X2 foldable mimics the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s look … and sky-high price
- New Moto G 5G Plus does phones in 2020 right, delivering specs and value


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The move comes just three days after the president detailed an initial $50 billion in imports that would be taxed an additional 25 percent, which he said was punishment for the theft of intellectual property from USA companies, as well as the trade gap between the two countries. With Trump's latest salvo, he has now threatened tariffs on up to $450 billion in China's exports, out of a total of just over $500 billion in goods sold to the United States.
The US dollar fell 0.75 percent to ￥109.715 following Trump's tariff comments. Most of those entities are legally based in China because that is where most electronics are built, and that explains why Intel booked $14.8 billion in China revenue in 2017.But it is Intel´s $12.5 billion revenue from the United States that is at risk.
"China apparently has no intention of changing its unfair practices related to the acquisition of American intellectual property and technology", MR Trump said in a statement announcing the new action.
"Rather than altering those practices, it is now threatening United States companies, workers, and farmers who have done nothing wrong".
Portugal 'lost control of the game' in win vs. Morocco - Fernando Santos
Neither of these teams can afford to walk away from this game with zero points if they hope to advance. Morocco and represent United States of America at the world's biggest sporting event.
A trade spat between the top two economies of the world began in April with Trump imposing tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the USA from China, which also retaliated by imposing additional tariffs worth about three billion United States dollars on 128 U.S. products. All told, Trump is now threatening to penalize up to $450 billion of Chinese goods - a value representing about 90 per cent of Chinese imports past year.
"If the USA loses its senses and publishes a new list", the statement said, "China will be forced to take comprehensive measures that are both strong in quantity and gravity and will fight back".
"If China increases its tariffs yet again, we will meet that action by pursuing additional tariffs on another $200 billion of goods".
Washington's dispute with China is part of broader USA complaints about global trading conditions that have prompted Trump to raise duties on steel, aluminum, washing machines or solar panels from Canada, Europe, Japan and South Korea.
Mr. Navarro said China is seeking by 2025 to control 70 percent of USA industries such as aerospace, agricultural machinery, artificial intelligence, biotech, business application software, electronics, new generation IT, precision farming, robotics, and satellite communications.
"None of these efforts by the president and his team have resulted in any progress on the two core issues facing the U.S".
Sessions: harsh migrant policy aims to end 'lawlessness'
And it breaks my heart", she wrote. "We are taking care of these children; they are not being abused", Sessions added. Meanwhile, their children are taken away to separate holding facilities, to be reunited sometime later.
The tit-for-tat moves could start to meaningfully slow USA growth, economists warn.
Stock markets across the region fell Tuesday, with Shanghai closing down 3.78 percent, its biggest drop in two years, and Shenzhen down 5.31 percent.
Tariffs are already raising costs for some goods.
Trudeau has been one of the most vocal objectors and gone on American news shows to try and persuade the president to change his mind. He did not say when the new target list would be unveiled. -Chinese trade means Beijing doesn't import enough American goods to match Trump's latest threat.
Beijing also drew up a second list of $16 billion in chemical and energy products to hit with new tariffs, though it did not announce a date for imposing them. They include electric cars, whiskey and soybeans - a politically and economically vital export of America's heartland, where Trump enjoys support. That response prompted President Trump to threaten an additional $200 billion of tariffs.
Set to an unflattering picture of Mr Trump with his hair flying in the wind, the WeChat account of the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily said China had the confidence and the ability to win the trade battle. The yield on the US 10-year Treasury fell to 2.89 percent from 2.92 percent.
Phil Mickelson Hits Moving Ball Out of Frustration at U.S. Open
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -Phil Mickelson, who's known for playing by the rules, stepped out of character on his birthday at the U.S. Mickelson has had a frustrating weekend at Shinnecock Hills , one of the more reviled major courses among pros.


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Will a “Bad Food” Tax Change the Way People Eat?
“What will it take to get Americans to change our eating habits?” Mark Bittman a food columnist for The New York Times asked on Saturday. He recommends taxing bad food and subsidizing good food and although I’d like to agree with this, I think Mark Bittman’s suggestions render his argument trifle, even harebrained.
Bittman suggests making healthy food “more affordable and widely available.” Certainly, this I advocate. After all one of the frustrating — and infuriating — mentalities surrounding eating healthy is that it is only for the wealthy. Unfortunately, Bittman myopically suggests that “drugstores, street corners, convenience stores, bodegas, supermarkets, liquor stores, even school, libraries and other community centers” sell staples for 50 cents a pound. Advocating a move that would “of course, upset the processed food industry.”
It will not upset the processed food industry. It would upset the drugstores, street corners, convenience stores, bodegas, supermarkets, liquor stores, even school, libraries and other community centers due to the nature of these foods; they are highly perishable. One of the secondary reasons people do not buy these foods is that they spoil — quickly.
The primary reason
Human beings buy “bad” food for two reasons: 1) they like it and 2) it is cheap. No tax, penalty, scary statistic, diet study, fat relative who died of heart disease or financial windfall will change this. Bad food makes people “feel” happy — fast. I can say this with conviction as I’ve been there. Taxing soda will do nothing to alleviate this problem. It didn’t do it for smoking and it certainly won’t do it for fatty, sugar-filled foods, which have been proven to contain addictive, satiety-inducing attributes. These are studies that do more to changing the industry than “research on beverage taxes from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale.”
Just as taxing cigarettes did not curb smoking, posting horrific photos of what happens to you when you smoke will not change the elation people supposedly experience when they smoke a cigarette. It is a disgusting habit that people CHOSE TO LEARN. Just the same, eating bad food is a choice. We form habits based on repetition surrounding convenience and comfort.
So, Mr. Bittman, no, it is not harder for people to buy fruit than it is to buy Fruit Loops. An apple costs fifty nine cents at Trader Joe’s. Fruit Loops cost more than fifty nine cents.
Campaigns that align healthy eating with fun — at a young age — will go much further than any tax or subsidy ever could. Habits are formed early. Just as I was influenced by a frighteningly, over zealous, red-headed clown and his hamburger stealing cohorts as a child, I could’ve been influenced by healthy characters.
The only industry that any type of tax policy, be it excise or sales, would have an affect on would be the manufacturers of the so-called bad food; the Coca Cola Company makes Dasani Water. Pepsi owns Tropicana. It will level itself out. A tax will only change the strategy of how Coke and Pepsi is marketed.
I am happy that Mark Bittman advocates changing the industry. And yes, the rate of diabetes is soaring just as health care bills are “on the verge of becoming truly insurmountable,” but a mindset is what needs to be changed — across the board. Has Mr. Bittman seen what hospital vending machines sell? How ironic is it that they very places people go to, to cure a disease they got from eating bad food, serves and sells bad food?
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That tiny company in Great Lakes, Virginia is re-launching its attack on eBay’s Buy-It-Now button.
Four years after a federal jury found that eBay had infringed on its patent, MercExchange LLC has asked the court to shutdown Buy-It-Now, a service that allows eBayers to purchase items at set prices, without bidding at auction. U.S. District Court Judge Jerome B. Friedman has not said when he will rule on the case, the Associated Press reports.
In 2003, the jury awarded MercExchange $35 million in damages - later reduced to $25 million - but last year, the case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, and the court ruled that a finding of patent infringement may or may not result in an injunction.
"Historically, the federal circuit said that if infringement is found, an injunction is almost automatic," says Ethan Horwitz, an intellectual property lawyer with the international firm King & Spalding. “But now the Supreme Court has said that an injunction is dependent on all sorts of factors."
The case had slowed as both parties waited for the U.S. Patent Office to re-examine the patent, but MercExchange has now decided to request an injunction before the review is complete. According to Horwitz, a patent reexamination can take upwards of seven years.
MercExchange lawyers have also requested that the judge increase the awarded damages to reflect eBay’s continued use of Buy-It-Now over the last four years. "Even if an injunction isn’t issued, there has to be some sort of damages paid," Horwitz continues. "eBay will likely have to pay over and above what the jury laid out."
Judge Friedman’s decision could go a long ways towards shaping American patent law. With last year’s ruling, the Supreme Court made a clear distinction between patent suits brought by companies that are actively competing in the marketplace and those brought by so-called “trolls” that aren’t active market participants. Injunctions make sense in the first instance, the court ruled, but not the other.
MercExchange falls into a gray area in between. Though eBay argues otherwise, MercExchange claims it's trying to build a business around its patent. “The federal court doesn’t really have clear instructions on how to proceed,” says Horwitz. “There is a hint of competition between these two companies, but no real competition.”®


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Today’s Nintendo Direct June 2023 Leak guide reveals the most exciting facts about a conference that will live stream shortly.
Did Nintendo organization declare an immediate gathering? An Immediate meeting by Nintendo’s firm will begin on June 21, 2023, at 03:00 p.m. UK time. After the organization declared its meeting, Nintendo clients from the US and different spots were energized.
The meeting will give an instructions about it game send-offs of the year and other invigorating designs for the next few months. Along these lines, get more subtleties on Nintendo Direct June 2023 Leak in this aide underneath.
Disclaimer: We reference genuine occasions that happen all over the planet without supporting a specific program or movement.
Is Nentendo’s Immediate gathering spilled?
Allow us to take a gander at the many holes and bits of hearsay around this event, whether or not proper affirmation has been given concerning the expansion of information concerning Pikmin 4.
The extended forty-minute preparation will feature games for the Nintendo Change turning out before very long, like Pikmin 4, sent off on July 21, 2023. You might see the Nintendo Direct occasion broadcast at three o’clock UK BST.
Nintendo imparted the data on Twitter to a mystery for the impending system. The enthusiastically anticipated gathering showing the most famous approaching Nintendo Switch titles has uncovered an extra Nintendo Direct, and spills have begun to course.
About Nintendo Direct Expectations:
Gamers the whole way across the globe are prepared to realize what they might anticipate, seeing as the fervor for this coming declaration rises. On June 21, 2023, at 07:00 a.m. PT, 10:00 a.m. ET, and at three o’clock BST, Nintendo of American district will stream an exhibition giving roughly forty minutes of content.
A couple of the games guessed for the Nintendo Direct occasion in June 2023 incorporate a new 2D Super Mario Brothers title and a refreshed variant of Chrono Trigger.
What did Nintendo’s organization proclaim about its most recent occasion?
You might participate for a live transmission that will endure roughly forty minutes and fundamentally covers Nintendo Switch games coming out this year, as per a Nintendo statement including late news on Pikmin 4.
Oatchi, the Space Canine, who might obliterate hindrances, move enormous things, and transport Pikmin on his shoulders, is one of the new game parts in Pikmin 4. The Wave 5 Lift Track Pass would include eight extra courses to the interactivity, for the most part from past Mario Kart 8 titles. Allies will anticipate Nintendo Direct June 2023 Break news about Metroid Prime 4, Empty Knight Silksong, and, surprisingly, the Tears of the Realm DLC.
About Super Mario Siblings 2D:
The impending Direct meeting might declare an original 2D Super Mario Brothers title. As indicated by reports, the Destroying Group’s Foreman Spike series and the recently distributed Super Mario Brothers. Narrative will return in the following 2D Mario game.
The underlying bother was tweeted by the dependable Nark, who posted an image of Mario with the remark, “Nintendo continually does its issue,” which might be generally deciphered. Moreover, Pyoro expressed that they anticipated reporting a 2D Mario ongoing interaction, yet they added an explanation that the game’s name wouldn’t contain the expression “New.”
Different tales guarantee that Nintendo will deliver a Chrono Trigger variant for the Nintendo Switch. Chrono Trigger, considered among the best RPGs made, is a time-traveling venture where gamers ought to go to the future, the past, and the present.
Where to Watch Nintendo Coordinate?
The Nintendo channel on YouTube will have the Nintendo Direct program in June 2023. Contrasted with other Direct exhibitions, you’re not committed to see this progressively in light of the fact that the recording will be transformed into an ordinary video on YouTube whenever it has closed. You won’t be worried about avoiding the live transmission when you can’t go to it.
You might set up YouTube alarms to get cautions once the live stream begins, and Nintendo is now planning to communicate it on YouTube.
Which other well known games are added to Nintendo Coordinate Expectations?
- Yet again new Criminal investigator Pikachu-Pyoro has uncovered another title for the Direct. They shared a clasp of the Investigator Pikachu highlight highlighting Pikachu moving that started reports that one more portion in the establishment may be uncovered on the Switch. The energized picture might not have anything to do with a disclosure made inside the Direct, albeit Criminal investigator Pikachu 2 has been supposedly “approaching send off” for quite a while.
- SNES exemplary The Immediate will incorporate a refreshed form of a SNES exemplary, as indicated by sources, despite the fact that they weren’t certain of its title. A few people guess it very well may be Chrono Trigger 2D-HD or Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
- Persona 3 Reload-The Nintendo Switch form of Persona 3 Reload is expected to be declared at the Nintendo Direct. A Play Asia page for the impending ongoing interaction for the Nintendo Switch seemed to go up half a month prior, demonstrating that you will presumably hear something without further ado.
The Nintendo Direct will incorporate various extra disclosures. Since the partnership has not yet declared its vacation arrangement, this moment is the best opportunity to uncover its 2023 plans.
Virtual entertainment joins:
Finally, Nintendo uncovered that an Immediate show would occur on June 21, 2023, following a long time of holes and bits of hearsay. The business used to hold a Nintendo Direct occasion with E3; albeit the E3 has passed, that schedule has changed marginally.
Do you intend to watch Nintendo Coordinate? Share which games you play on Nintendo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. When will Nintendo’s immediate meeting start?
On June 21, 2023, a live stream of the Nintendo Direct for June 2023 will start at ten o’clock Eastern.
Q2. What did Nintendo report about the Mario game?
According to various bits of gossip, Nintendo Direct will highlight the declaration of a forthcoming 2D Super Mario title.
Q3. How long will Nintendo’s immediate meeting endure?
Nintendo expressed that the show would endure around forty minutes.
Q4. What is the show’s goal?
Nintendo’s most recent show will fixate on Switch games going on special this year.
Q5. What might Nintendo meeting highlight?
The Nintendo Direct gathering for June 2023 will highlight Pikmin 4.
Q6. What game is ensured from the Nintendo Direct in June 2023?
Pikmin 4, which will send off ultimately throughout the late spring, is the sole computer game ensured to show up during the Nintendo Direct.


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Tuesday Mug Shot - December 31, 2019
(12/31/19) - As we're about to enter a new month and year, you have the opportunity to give back with this Mug Shot.
The entire month of January, the non-profit 'Snuggle Snacks,'started by three young girls, is holding a collection drive to make homeless survival kits.
The group has partnered with the Captain's Club at Woodfield in Grand Blanc to collect hats, gloves, blankets and socks, as well as non-perishable food, and travel-sized toiletry items.
You can drop the items off at the golf course off Woodfield Drive.
You can call (810) 695-5555 x 109 for more information.


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Surprise rippled across the U.S. last month as a new wave of consumers discovered that hamburgers often contained ammonia-treated beef, or what critics call “pink slime.”
What they may not have known is that ammonia – often associated with cleaning products – was cleared by U.S. health officials nearly 40 years ago and is used in making many foods, including cheese, baked goods and even chocolate products.
“Ammonia’s not an unusual product to find added to food,” Gary Acuff, director of Texas A&M University’s Center for Food Safety, told a recent press conference hosted by Beef Products Inc. “We use ammonia in all kinds of foods in the food industry.”
Kraft Foods Inc., whose brands include Chips Ahoy cookies and Velveeta cheese, is one company that uses very small amounts of ammonium compounds in some of its products. It declined to specify which products.
The “pink slime” controversy has touched a nerve in the school food community as well and underscored how little parents know about what their children eat at school.
And the USDA, which sanctioned use of LFTB (lean finely textured beef) in schools in 1993, said it would allow school districts to select ground beef that doesn’t include the beef product next school year.
The USDA, which runs the national school lunch program, and the beef industry continue to say LFTB is a safe product. It is made with an assortment of beef trimmings whose fat is separated through heat and the use of a centrifuge. The lean meat is then treated with ammonium hydroxide or citric acid to kill bacteria.
School districts in Illinois and across the country commonly serve processed beef patties that contain either LFTB or a soy protein. These extenders, which can make up as much as 15 percent of the patty, are also often used in taco meat and meat sauce for pasta. They are used to lower both fat content and price.
“Since the 1970s, LFTB has created affordable nutrition for kids,” said Eric Johnson, spokesman for the Illinois Beef Association. “With rising food costs and school budgets going up, having beef (in a student’s) diet is maybe the best well-balanced meal they’re liable to get that day. It is 100 percent beef.”
The USDA estimated that LFTB constituted about 6 percent of the 117 million pounds of beef ordered for the nation’s school lunch program last year. Eliminating that beef blend from school lunches would significantly raise costs and waste beef that could otherwise be eaten, Johnson said.
AFA Foods, based in King of Prussia, Pa., processes more than 500 million pounds of ground beef products a year. It distributes to retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Safeway Inc. and BJ’s Wholesale Club. Fast-food chain customers include Burger King, Jack in the Box and Wendy’s. AFA also sells products under the brand names Moran’s, Stone River Ranch and Miller Quality Meats.
The King of Prussia, Pa., which is owned by affiliates of private equity firm Yucaipa Cos. LLC, filed for Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware in Wilmington with eight affiliates, including main unit AFA Foods Inc.
In the affidavit filed as part of the bankruptcy, interim CEO Ron Allen noted that the company has struggled for the past two years in a competitive industry marked by overcapacity and thin profit margins. He said AFA’s profits have suffered because of decreasing retail demand, costly customer demands for product testing and growing competition from different types of meat.
AFA Foods had had been pursuing a turnaround strategy to increase sales to retail customers, but Allen said that the efforts were strained by the “unfounded public outcry” over the use of pink slime.
In an online video of an April episode of Oliver’s “Food Revolution” television program, with more than 1.3 million views and 1,100 comments, he floods meat scraps with ammonia and water to illustrate his take on the processing — which actually uses a mist of ammonium hydroxide to kill pathogens on the product, according to the beef industry.
The Jamie Oliver Enterprises sponsors a website, stoppinkslime.org, that says “Stop pink slime because we deserve real food.”
The USDA announced last week it would give schools the choice of using ground beef with or without the product as part of that move to transparency.


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ACE issues response to the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy
ACE (The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) welcomes the Farm to Fork Strategy, an essential initiative that supports the EU’s transition to a climate neutral economy by relying on sustainable food systems.
“Food systems contribute to roughly 25%-30% of the EU greenhouse emissions. The use of food packaging made from renewable materials, such as beverage cartons, contributes towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions across food supply chains and a circular economy,” said Annick Carpentier, Director General of ACE.
“The role of packaging is essential in protecting food along the value chain as it contributes to ensuring food safety, minimalising food waste as well as spoilage by allowing for a longer shelf-life. Adopting sustainable practices in food distribution amongst food supply chains players is also an enabler to reduce food losses along production. Finally, ACE calls for incentives that support the use of safe, circular and sustainable packaging,” continued Ms. Carpentier.
ACE also calls for further harmonisation of rules on food contact materials, including specific measures for those materials that are not covered yet, such as paper and board, inks, etc. “This will ensure that the same rules apply all over Europe, strengthen the internal market and improve the competitiveness of the European industry that will have to comply with a unified legal framework, instead of a patchwork of national legislations,” concluded Ms. Carpentier.
By continuing to invest in innovation for new recycling projects, and by using recognised science-based targets on reduction of greenhouse gases and sustainably sourced materials based on internationally recognised standards, the members of ACE remain committed to contributing to a low carbon circular economy.
ACE provides a European platform for beverage carton manufacturers and their paperboard suppliers to benchmark and profile cartons as renewable, recyclable and low carbon packaging solutions. Engaging with stakeholders and partners seeking high environmental stewardship, it contributes expertise to EU policy, legislation and standard‐setting.
ACE members include beverage carton producers Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc and Elopak, who develop, manufacture and market systems for the packaging and distribution of food and produce packaging material at 20 plants in Europe. Most of the paperboard used by ACE members in beverage cartons in Europe is produced by Stora Enso in Skoghall (Sweden), Imatra (Finland), and BillerudKorsnäs in Gävle and Frövi (Sweden), who are also members of ACE.
Follow us on Twitter @Beveragecartons
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acesecretariat/about
For further information or media inquiries please contact: ANDREW GELSTON; MOB +32 (0)4 77830984; EMAIL firstname.lastname@example.org


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Many businesses have been implementing mobile payment systems to make the transaction process easier for consumers, many of whom own smartphones. However, according to a recent report from IDC Financial Insights, corporations are not doing enough to ensure that the system is secure for users.
In its “Enterprise Mobile Device Security: Development Guidance to Tackle the Mobile Security Minefield,” the firm said that more arrangements needed to be made to ensure that mobile financial processes weren’t subject to stolen data.
“By 2012, the Asia/Pacific region will command 47% of the global smartphone pie, which is equivalent to 541 million units,” said Li-May Chew, associate director for IDC Financial Insights Asia/Pacific Financial Advisory Service in a statement. “With the rise of smartphones, IDC expects malicious mobile software… to increase exponentially as we move into the future and this will in return amplify demand for mobile security solutions in Asia/Pacific.”
Some of the biggest names in the sector recently came together for the NEBA Client Conference in Tampa, Florida. Those in attendance were able to learn about ways to make payment processing more secure and hear from experts about the future of the industry.Back To Blog


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A mobile physician support tool was introduced last week by startup Nurep that helps providers with surgical scheduling by allowing them to conduct secure video consultations with medical device company representatives through their iPads. Nurep co-founder Paul Schultz said customer service and support reps are often in the operating room with surgeons to answer device questions, and surgeries often have to be scheduled around the reps' availability. "We bring a live, remote medical device rep into the operating room. It seamlessly integrates into the physician's workflow," he said.
Published in Brief:


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Starbucks recently announced ambitious plans to cut its waste, water use and carbon emissions in half during the next decade.
That’s great news! But a Seattle coffee place that cares about sustainability? That’s old news. Just ask our client Mighty-O Donuts.
Ever since they sold their first donuts at the U-District Street Fair way back in 2000, Mighty-O has been mindful of the environment and their impact. Twenty years ago, selling an organic and dairy-free product wasn’t as popular as it is now but Mighty-O has grown to be a staple for those with a sweet tooth and care for the environment and has five Seattle shops. Their delicious donuts are made with no chemicals, no genetically modified organisms and no animal products. But better ingredients are just the start. Mighty-O is committed to using sustainable products and creating zero waste by composting and recycling. No donuts are thrown away: instead they donate what they don’t sell to nonprofit organizations and compost all food waste.
The good news is that a global corporation and local business are both showing that you can be successful when you put sustainability first. More and more, consumers are making their decisions based on these kinds of environmental factors and are expecting—and demanding—more from the brands they choose to support.


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Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop propel vaginal steaming to top spot as most popular beauty trend of 2019
According to a new report put forth by Yelp, vaginal steaming or V-steaming, which as the name suggests involves squatting or sitting over steaming water containing herbs is one of the most popular beauty trends of 2019.
It looks like the world is following the trend set by Goop! According to a new report by Yelp, vaginal steaming or V-steaming, which as the name suggests involves squatting or sitting over steaming water containing herbs is one of the most popular beauty trends of 2019. Fans of the treatment say it can get rid of the funky smell down there as well as relieve cramps.
The treatment has been criticized for being unsafe with allegations that it can result in vaginal burns and that there is no scientific proof that it relieves cramps. The vagina has also been scientifically proven to be self-cleansing. Some scientists also say that vaginal steaming in women who have recently given birth raises the chance of an infection and could also increase postpartum bleeding.
Celebrities have been fans of the treatment, however, with model Chrissy Teigan posting a photo of her getting the treatment last year. Gwyneth Paltrow, founder of Goop is also known to be a huge fan of V-steaming. "At Yelp, we’re seeing that people are going for beauty treatments that are reflective of a more natural look ditching the fake tans and permanent makeup," Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis told Elle, adding, "People are] opting for treatments like dermaplaning and microneedling that improve the texture and appearance of skin, so they can let their glowy complexion steal the show."
The report also found that people are moving away from treatments like bikini waxes and lash tinting and going in for treatments like hydrafacials and microneedling. The report said that hydrafacials have seen a "meteoric" rise in the last five years while Keratin, lash extensions and Brazilian waxing have seen a gradual decline. Among the most popular trends is also Kybella and Collagen treatments among others. Kybella is an injection that "destroys fat cells in the treatment area under the chin to improve your profile". The treatment is done using deoxycholic acid.


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The National, TRAVTALK and Crème de la Créme are writing about us
Here is an outtake of The National Business article from the March issue 2016:
Luxury travel is expected to remain strong in the region despite the economic slowdown, say analysts and travel agents.
The luxury tour operator Magnificent expects tourists from the Gulf to make up 20 per cent of clientele for the Greek island of Mykonos this year. That portion is 10 per cent higher than last year, said Ioannis Kalesakis, the founder of Magnificent.
Screenshots of the article of The National 06 March 2016 issue and online article 05 March 2016
Copy writer: Sananda Sahoo from The National
Crème de la Crème reviewed us. Here are a few outtakes of what they said.
Luxury lifestyle management and concierge service organization, Magnificent, excels in creating personalized experiences. The Mykonos based company is all set to cater to the demands of clients from the GCC.
Screenshots of the article of the Crème de la Crème March 2016 Issue
Our Founder Ioannis Kalesakis was interviewed in their May issue 2016:
“At Magnificent we are always working towards tourism development and have currently targeted the Middle East specifically to increase the brand awareness.”
Screenshots of the article of the TRAVTALK May 2016 Issue
Copy writer: Shehara Rizly from TRAVTALK


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Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting
A trade group representing some of America's biggest baked goods companies is urging the Biden administration to ratchet back its biofuel ambitions, arguing that using fuel made from crops could raise the cost of donuts, bread and other foods. The American Bakers Association, which represents companies like the grocer Kroger, donut maker Krispy Kreme and Tastykake parent company Flower Foods, told Reuters it met with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week to urge reduced blending mandates, particularly for biodiesel. The EPA administers the nation's biofuels laws.
Simone Biles will compete in her last event final in Tokyo, poor air quality hampers the Western U.S. and more news to start your Tuesday.
LONDON, August 03, 2021-- FundsDate
India have lost their last three Test series in England, but they are eager to script a new future.
Historic sites aren’t limited to battlefields or stately homes. They can also restaurants. And these eateries are destinations unto themselves.
The fictional account draws on Sarah’s own life and incorporates research into her ancestry.
The Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021 seeks to replace the ordinance promulgated in June 2021 and allows the Central government to prohibit strikes, lock-outs, and lay-offs in units engaged in essential defence services
Wi Ha Joon's performance is absolutely chilling and convincing in this thriller.
Dublin, Aug. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Knee Replacement Market Global Forecast Industry Trends, Growth, Opportunity By Products, Regions, Company Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Global Knee Replacement Market is expected to value more than US$ 12.87 Billion by the end of the year 2027 from US$ 8.02 Billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of 6.99 % from 2020-2027. Knee replacement is a surgical procedure that minimizes pain and enhances the quality of life
More than 1,300 coronavirus-related hospitalizations were reported on Monday.
The Indian men's team won the last of their eight Olympic gold medals in Moscow in 1980.
The New Zealand and Australian dollar were the biggest gainers among major currencies on Tuesday, helped by talk from their central banks, while the U.S. dollar took a backseat to the yen and Swiss franc amid some risk aversion in markets. The Kiwi dollar rose 0.6% to $0.7007 - the biggest gainer among G10 currencies on the day - after New Zealand's central bank said on Tuesday it would soon begin consulting on ways to tighten mortgage lending standards, as it tries to control an inflated housing market and protect home buyers. The Australian dollar spiked higher after the Reserve Bank of Australia stuck with its plan to taper its bond-buying programme, shrugging off concerns about the economic impact from rising coronavirus cases.
Discovery, Inc. has reached 18 million total paid streaming subscribers as of today, seven months since the Jan. 4 debut of Discovery+, the David Zaslav-led company revealed in its Q2 earnings reported Tuesday. That number encompassed the company’s entire portfolio, including international direct-to-consumer products, like Eurosport Player and GolfTV, but the vast majority of the tally are paying Discovery+ customers. “We continued to steadily execute in our emerging next generation businesses,
DENVER, August 03, 2021--HempFusion Wellness Inc. (TSX:CBD.U) (OTCQX:CBDHF) (FWB:8OO) ("HempFusion" or the "Company"), a leading health and wellness Company offering premium probiotic supplements and products containing CBD, is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of APCNA Holdings LLC ("Apothecanna") (the "Transaction").
RADNOR, Pa., August 03, 2021--Marinus Pharmaceuticals Submits New Drug Application to FDA for Ganaxolone for the Treatment of Seizures Associated with CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder
WESTBOROUGH, Mass., August 03, 2021--Kopin® Corporation (Nasdaq: KOPN), a leading provider of high-resolution microdisplays and subsystems for defense, enterprise and consumer augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) systems, today provided an update on its business initiatives and reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 26, 2021.
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN), a leader in genetic testing and precision medicine, today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2021 and provided an update on recent business performance and strategic transformation plans. “This was another solid quarter for Myriad Genetics as we delivered strong revenue growth and grew earnings ahead of our initial expectations, an important step towards demonstrating our abilit
San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2021) - Tryp Therapeutics (CSE: TRYP) (OTCQB: TRYPF) ("Tryp"), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing psilocybin-based compounds for diseases with unmet medical needs through accelerated regulatory pathways, announced today that it will present at the Canaccord Genuity Virtual Growth Conference.The conference will be held virtually on August 10-12, 2021. Greg McKee, Chairman and CEO of Tryp, will provide an overview of the business and i
Experienced automotive sales and operations leader to expand EV charging footprintNEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 3, 2021 / Charge Enterprises Inc. (OTC PINK:CRGE), ("Charge" or "the Company"), connecting people everywhere with communications, infrastructure and charging, announced today that it has named automotive sales operations leader Mark Buzzell to the post of VP OEM, Dealer and Commercial Development, effective August 2, 2021.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, August 03, 2021--SoftServe has opened a new office in Dubai as part of its initiative to support the rapidly expanding user base in the Middle East.


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The last couple of weeks, the United States is doing something we rarely do: we’re thinking in more or less practical terms about the future of our democracy, boiling our values and our needs down into numbers on a balance sheet.
President Barack Obama has laid out his budget and it’s drawing serious fire. Republicans have countered with their own spending proposals, which have also been roundly panned.
One unavoidable conclusion, looking at the mounting debt that both sides see continuing into the future, is that our current approach is unsustainable.
Put simply, our economy is no longer big or robust enough to fund through taxes all the programs and services that we want our government to provide.
Whether your particular wish-list includes an assertive global military or well-funded social welfare and education programs, the time is near when we’ll be getting big lumps of coal instead of goodies.
Yes, we can stave off the inevitable for awhile by raising taxes, but our aging population and the growth rate of health and senior care programs — not to mention the rising cost of interest on our debt — makes that a temporary solution.
The obvious solution here is to grow America’s economy as rapidly as possible, expanding tax revenues while also reducing the number of our citizens who rely on government programs. It’s a win-win.
The problem is that none of the economic plans floating around Washington DC confront the biggest single problem crippling our prosperity: protectionism and unfair trade by China.
Here’s something that might surprise you.
The United States is still the biggest manufacturing nation on earth. In 2007, we produced $1.8 trillion in manufactured goods, compared with China’s $1.1 trillion. Our goods also tend to be higher quality and higher tech.
Our workers are more efficient, better educated, and far more productive per capita.
Everyone knows, of course, that the Chinese are rapidly catching up. But the dirty secret of our looming economic crisis is that the Chinese aren’t playing fair even by the generally crooked standards of global trade.
For decades, the Chinese have competed with US firms while paying their workers brutally low wages. Even jobs that involve heavy labor and dangerous working conditions pay only around $200 a month.
In some factories, pay still hovers at less than $1 an hour.
It simply doesn’t make sense to grouse about greedy unionized workers in America when in order to compete they would have to accept wages that are literally Dickensian.
The Chinese have also failed to implement reasonable environmental protections, a huge savings in the cost of doing business, and an unfair advantage over nations that want to preserve a decent standard of living.
The Chinese have also refused to implement reasonable copyright and intellectual property rules, meaning that the “idea work” and innovation that fuels American prosperity is often simply stolen or bootlegged.
Their nation has also placed heavy-handed restrictions on foreign investment and trade, meaning that Chinese firms are free to compete in the US and Europe without fears of facing competition at home.
All of these hurdles would be enough to tilt the playing field dangerously, pushing manufacturing regions of the US — including the North Country — to the brink.
But the biggest factor crippling fair trade is the Chinese leadership’s refusal to allow its currency to float in value.
The dollar, the Euro and other major currencies rise and fall in value, a process that acts as a perfect breaking mechanism.
If one country’s economy is overheating, its currency rises in value so that its exports become more expensive, giving companies in other nations a chance to get back in the game.
But China has fixed its currency artificially at bargain-basement levels, even as their economy booms with double-digit GDP growth.
A company trying to export widgets from the depressed North Country will find that the value of the dollar alone makes it nearly impossible to compete with regions of China that are wildly prosperous.
Various studies of these unfair practices find that they cost Americans between 350,000 and 3.5 million jobs. You can do the math. Even if we take the low-end figure, New York state’s share of that would be at least 7,000 jobs.
Let me say again that I have no problem with the Chinese beating us fair-and-square. If they out-educate, out-innovate, and out-efficiency us, that will spark American firms to be more creative and resourceful.
But that’s not the true story of Chinese prosperity, which is based on protectionism, the lack of a rule of law, and brutal labor and environmental conditions.
Yes, the idea of confronting China on these unfair practices is nerve-wracking. And if the Chinese had shown the least flexibility on any of these points, it would be foolish to consider this kind of brinksmanship.
A trade war could result in impacts on our lifestyle very nearly as profound as restrictions on the oil flowing from the Middle East.
From the cheap products we buy at Wal-Mart to the municipal bonds that Chinese investors purchase, we are deeply intertwined with their economy.
Opposition to a more aggressive trade stance would also be fierce from American corporations, which have gleefully taken advantage of China’s trade policies to boost their profits.
But the time is approaching when American policy-makers simply won’t have a choice.
If our companies — especially those that provide crucial blue collar jobs — can’t compete and build prosperity on an even footing with China, then our country will surely fall into second-place status, beginning with our manufacturing sector.
In time, other parts of our economy will be exported, eroding prosperity and tax revenues even further. If that’s allowed to happen, the budget woes we face today will look like child’s play.
Put simply, we all expect our government to be the government of a rich and robust nation. But if we allow China to take away that prosperity unfairly, the downward spiral will be irreversible.


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One of our favorite three-row SUVs adds features and technology for 2023.
This is the refreshed 2023 Kia Telluride.
This three-row SUV has lightly tweaked front and rear fascias.
The 2023 Telluride debuts at the New York Auto show.
The interior gets a slight update, too.
A 12.3-inch touchscreen now handles infotainment duties.
There are new X-Line and X-Pro trims.
Kia's new logo makes an appearance, too.
Inside, there's seating for seven or eight depending on trim.
This is a super nice cabin.
Keep scrolling for more photos.


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Google insists that its voluntary agreement to alter some search-engine practices contains legally enforceable measures — even as the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission said the agency is largely at the mercy of the company’s willingness to behave itself.
“I don’t think they want to go through this again,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “If they do, we’ll be back where we started and I don’t think we want to do that.”
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Leibowitz and Google Chief Legal Officer David Drummond insisted there will be a means of monitoring th agreement, but critics of the deal insist those amount to little more than window dressing.
In closing its nearly two-year probe into whether Google violated antitrust and anti-competitive laws, the FTC voted 5-0 on Thursday to be satisfied with a letter from the Mountain View, Calif.-based company promising to tweak a couple of its controversial behaviors in search and advertising.
Once implemented, Google vows to let companies manage their Google ad campaigns with the same software they use to manage ad campaigns elsewhere on the Web. Furthermore, websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor will be able to opt out of having snippets of their reviews included in Google’s own shopping and restaurant sites, a practice known as “scraping.”
In both of those cases, it will be fairly easy to see whether Google complies because the outcomes will appear publicly on the Web. But infractions of another promise — that Google will not penalize companies that opt out of scraping by demoting them in search — will be harder to detect without Google allowing the FTC access to its secret search algorithms.
“I don’t care whether the chairman says this is enforceable or not, it is not enforceable,” groused angry Commissioner Tom Rosch, who wrote a scathing dissent of the decision and wanted the FTC to file an antitrust lawsuit against Google. “I don’t care if it’s monitored or not. It makes no difference to me.”
It does matter to Leibowitz, though. Google’s letter declares that not following through on these promises would be a violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act barring “unfair methods of competition.” The letter also indicates Google will file annual reports during the monitoring period showing its compliance and, if accused of wrongdoing, will “address the commission’s concerns or explain to the commission why it believes that it has acted in a manner consistent with its commitments.”
Further, Google said it would grant the FTC access to documents and to corporate leaders to clear up the accusation.
Leibowitz said during his news conference that there was “no reason to think” that Google would fail to uphold its end of the bargain that averted litigation. Yet when asked about the $22.5 million fine the FTC hit Google with last year for violating terms of a settlement surrounding online privacy, Leibowitz conceded the agency would “have to wait and see.”