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The semiconductor industry is on the path to recovery, but it may take another year or two before revenue reaches pre-recession levels. So says iSuppli, at least. The market research firm has published its latest report with growth forecasts for the next few quarters.
Compared to the fourth quarter of last year, iSuppli expects global semiconductor revenue to rise 10.6% this quarter, finally ending a streak of worrisome year-over-year drops—33.3% in the first quarter, 22.1% in the second, and 16% in the third. If that prediction comes to be, it will signal "the start of the industry recovery."
iSuppli expects revenue for the first half of 2010 to be "slightly down" compared to the first half of this year. However, things should pick up in the second half, leading to 13.8% overall growth for 2010. For a frame of reference, semiconductor revenue went down 5.4% in 2008, and it's expected to plummet 16.5% overall this year.
Looking further ahead, iSuppli predicts 2011 and later years will see "a return to single-digit percentage growth in the semiconductor industry as conditions stabilize." Semiconductor firms should start seeing the same kinds of sales as before the recession some time around 2011-2012, as well.
|Gigabyte has two A320 boards for bread-and-butter Ryzen builds||19|
|MSI GTX 1080 Ti Armor 11G is the first custom card on e-tail shelves||8|
|Google points deep-learning machines at audio effect subtitles||5|
|Throw a Quadro card on Gigabyte's Z270X-Designare||11|
|Deals of the week: an RX 480 4GB for $150 and more||26|
|Dell UltraSharp 32 8K embarrasses 4K monitors||69|
|EVGA readies a Hybrid Waterblock for Nvidia GP102 cards||10|
|Elgato Stream Deck lets streamers play news desk||7|
|Puppy Day Shortbread||27|
|Well, so much for Common Courtesy Day...||+31|


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The businessmen Àngel Riudalbàs and Jorge Tornini, partners in multiple businesses such as B
The operation, articulated through Cartonajes Cosmos, allows the continuity of 30 of the more than 50 workers that the firm had before filing bankruptcy. The commercial court 5 of Barcelona decided the award of the only offer presented, which reached a value of one million euros.
"With four reactors and the pilot impregnation line, the Coveright team has developed its own technology for the production of melamine resins for the board, furniture, food and construction sectors," the company explained in a statement. This year it expects to process more than 45 million m² and bill close to 23 million euros, which represents a growth of 15% compared to the previous year, with an export level of 75%. "The potential is enormous," concludes its new owner.

domain: news


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EA’s Marketing Plan Backfires
Marketing is an integral part of any game release but sometimes it doesn’t always go the way you plan…
According to the Benjamin Burnley — frontman of rock band Breaking Benjamin — EA wanted to pay him to post on his social media accounts that he “like[s] this piece of shit game.” Burnley accompanies this statement with a picture of a now broken disc of Star Wars Battlefront on his Instagram account. Asking celebrities to market products for a fee is nothing new, and I have no problem with that. I do however take issue if someone is asked to blindly give a positive review for a product. I’m sure no one was on the edge of their seat waiting for Burnley’s opinion on DICE‘s latest shooter, but these kind of marketing tactics are exactly why you should always seek the reviews of industry professionals, like us! 🙂
Let’s move onto some more positive news, and Sony has announced that the PS4 version of Gravity Rush will release on February 2nd, one week earlier than originally expected. The vita title is currently being given the HD treatment from Bluepoint Games — the same studio that brought us Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection to the PS4. Gravity Rush still remains one of the best games on the Vita, and will provide a good opportunity for PS4 owners to get a taste of the action-platformer ahead of Gravity Rush 2‘s release later on in 2016.
Last week we got the release of the sixth and final episode in Telltale Games‘ Game Of Thrones. Now, in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, CEO Kevin Bruner confirmed that a second series will be coming.
“I’m pleased to officially confirm that there will be a second season of Telltale’s Game of Thrones series, and that it’s currently in development.”
We literally just discussed this on The Game Of The Week Show today, and it doesn’t come as a huge surprise considering the success of the Game Of Thrones universe. Bruner went on to explain that it was always the plan to have a second season and, while details of what we can expect were not revealed, “things rarely go well in the Game of Thrones universe.” It will be interesting to see if Telltale can build on the fairly mixed reception that the first series got.
By now most of you should have the updated experience for your Xbox One and commenced playing some of your favourite Xbox 360 titles — I know I already have South Park: The Stick Of Truth and the Gears Of War collection added to my library. Well, following the announcement that Burnout Paradise will be coming to the program we now have some sad news for fans of the Burnout franchise. Criterion Games has advised a fan, via Twitter, that they currently have “no plans” to bring Burnout Revenge to the Xbox One. While this doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of playing the best Burnout game on Microsoft‘s latest console, it definitely reduces the likelihood of it happening. I guess we can’t win them all…
That’s it for today.


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With fresh air a commodity during the pandemic, Spokane County restaurants expand outdoor seating options
There are few things better than eating a great meal while soaking in the heat, enjoying the city and breathing in the fresh air out on a restaurant’s patio. Often, however, restaurants don’t have space for outdoor seating, or they were prohibited from adding it.
That has started to change due to the novel coronavirus. Restaurants and bars are adding or expanding outdoor seating options as customers demand more fresh air and the city of Spokane relaxes rules on patios. It’s been crucial in helping some restaurants survive despite limited capacity due to COVID-19.
Chase Van Cotthem, co-owner and manager of SHAWN O’DONNELL’S AMERICAN GRILL AND IRISH PUB, says they applied for a permit to expand into the sidewalk on Broadway, since the city of Spokane temporarily allowed restaurants to apply for permits to expand into public areas like sidewalks.
“We had a few people saying, ‘Oh, I wish you had a patio,’” Van Cotthem says. “It’s part of what played into us trying to find the funds to buy a table and fence and chairs.”
By early September, he says they finally gathered up enough money to set up outside seating. He adds that “the process with the city is extremely easy.” Around a dozen other restaurants have applied for the permit.
PERRY STREET BREWING has wanted to add a sidewalk patio before, but didn’t qualify until restrictions were eased because of the pandemic, says owner Ben Lukes. This summer, they’ve added seven more tables outside. The brewery and restaurant immediately started seeing the payoff.
“It’s been a huge, huge boon to the business and totally saved what we’re doing,” he says.
HI NEIGHBOR TAVERN, on North Monroe, never had a patio before this year, but applied for a permit to add a couple tables and four chairs on the sidewalk. Manager Courtney Jones says she’s noticed a difference: Not only do people like to be outdoors during the pandemic, but they stay there longer and enjoy the scenery.
“It gives us a little bit of an outdoor look from the street. It catches people’s eye. And people like to sit outside because it’s nice instead of sitting in a dark bar,” Jones says.
As the weather starts to get colder, it will get harder to keep the patios attractive to customers. Lukes says they have invested “heavily” in patio heaters, hoping that can bring in business well into the fall.
But he hopes the expanded patio access will last past the pandemic.
“We’re hoping to work on that and figure it out in the future,” Lukes says. “The whole neighborhood has rallied around it and loves it.”
Surround yourself with greenery and flowers on the South Hill while enjoying a delicious meal.
Saranac Public House
Enjoy the sights and sounds of one of Spokane’s most popular downtown strips on Main Ave.
The Park Inn
Now with outdoor seating, head to the PI for some of the best pizza in town and a tall glass of beer.
Beautiful outdoor seating off of Highway 195 whether you’re eating some delicious baked goods, breakfast or brunch.
A stunning view of the Spokane River, above the Centennial Trail.


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Otto may be the smallest smart lock out there — and the most expensive
If you want a smart lock, you have to be willing to stick a big, ugly hunk of metal on your door — it’s pretty much unavoidable: be it upstarts like August and Latch or traditional lockmakers like Kwikset and Schlage. Every smart lock is huge.
But today, a startup called Otto is debuting its first product, the Otto Lock, and it’s really, really small — about the size of a standard, non-smart lock. It’s the first one that looks like something a less techy homeowner would actually want.
Unfortunately, it’s also the most expensive smart lock you can buy.
Otto isn’t necessarily smarter than any of its competitors, but it stands out for being by far the best looking. It’s about the size of a standard lock, and yet it still has all the smart…


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KPS has emerged ahead of an earlier bid by Oaktree Capital Management that Furniture Brands had endorsed, according to industry trade newspaper Furniture Today.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Sontchi also approved KPS as a replacement for debtor-in-possession financing in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, according to Furniture Today.
KPS’ $280 million offer is $20 million higher than a revised offer from Oaktree Capital Management, according to Furniture Today.
KPS manages a family of private equity funds with over $6 billion of assets under management. Its portfolio of companies have combined annual revenue of more than $7.6 billion, operate 90 manufacturing facilities in 25 countries, and employ about 31,000. KPS, based in New York City, is led by Co-founders and Managing Partners Michael Psaros and David Shapiro.
Other bidders can still submit offers for Furniture Brands’ assets; bids are due by Dec. 5, according to Furniture Today.
Furniture Brands, led by CEO Ralph Scozzafava, filed for bankruptcy in September. It listed $547 million in assets and $550 million in debt.


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TORONTO, April 2 /CNW/ - Both gold and silver started 2007 in a positive
manner building on strong gains seen during the fourth quarter of 2006,
according to the Precious Metals Quarterly released today by ScotiaMocatta,
the precious metals division of Scotiabank. However the recovery was quick to
show signs of strain among traditional sectors.
"The theme is repeated throughout most of the traditional physical
markets around the world, with positive sentiment at the beginning of the year
replaced by rejection of higher prices and aversion to resultant price
volatility," says Bernard Hunter, Director, ScotiaMocatta.
Western Jewellery markets continue to struggle
After a positive start to 2007, negative sentiment seems to have returned
to the Italian jewellery market. January's trend setting Vicenza Jewellery
Fair was considered a success, and many Italian manufacturers expressed
optimism about the prospects for recovery after years of structural problems.
The fair was well attended and confirmed the return to fashion of yellow gold
items. There were also a number of partnerships formed between fashion houses
and jewellery manufacturers, but despite the apparent success of the event
this year it appears that a number of orders have yet to be confirmed, and
further declines in jewellery production have been reported during January and
In France the market is also experiencing a decline in the volume of gold
consumed in response to higher prices, while production of jewellery continues
to migrate to Asia where labour costs remain more competitive.
India launches its first gold ETF
The first gold Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) in India was listed on the
National Stock Exchange (NSE) on March 19, 2007 and currently holds around one
ton of gold. A second ETF, intending to list on the NSE in the first week of
April, has reportedly collected about two billion rupees in investment funds
to date, sufficient to purchase two tons of gold at the current market price.
"The combined total of three tons is considered disappointing, especially
considering India's dominance in the consumption of physical metal each year,
and points to the ongoing importance of more traditional vehicles for purchase
and sale in that country," says Mr. Hunter.
Overall demand in India for the 3-month period between October and
December 2006 was more than double that of the same period in 2005, and this
continued into January 2007 with demand for jewellery and medallions/bars at
satisfactory levels. Higher prices throughout February have seen lower levels
of consumption in recent weeks; however robust demand is still expected below
US$650.00 per ounce.
Outlook for the precious metals market
Market prospects for gold and silver are mixed for the next three months
although bias remains in favour of a continuation of the long-term uptrend.
"The market has been generally quiet during March but this is expected to
change as the second wedding season in India picks up and merchants there
build up inventories," says Mr. Hunter. "Likewise there is expected to be
better demand from the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC), and particularly from
the Dubai Jewellery market, from April to June."
ScotiaMocatta Client Sentiment Survey:
Looking past the inherent volatility of the market, respondents in this
quarter's survey are forecasting a continuation of modest price increases for
gold, and some consolidation of recent gains in silver over the next 3-months.
The twelve-month forecast for gold has been largely static over recent
surveys, and this period's forecast continues that theme, perhaps allowing for
the three-month market to catch up. Both short and long term forecasts for
silver show signs of peaking, with respondents calling for lower prices in
each period compared to December's forecast levels. Respondents forecast an
average three-month and 12-month gold price target (respectively), of
US$672.59 per ounce and US$693.36 per ounce, and a three-month and 12-month
silver price target of US$13.84 per ounce and US$14.28 per ounce
For the current survey, three-month forecasts for gold and silver range
from US$575.00 - US$759.00 and US$10.00 - US$16.30 respectively, while
12-month gold and silver forecasts range from US$500.00 - US$875.00, and
US$9.50 - US$20.00. It is worth noting that the 12-month forecast highs for
gold and silver are at 25 per cent and 40 per cent premiums (respectively) to
the implied forward curves, which is markedly lower than previous outlier
About the survey:
The ScotiaMocatta client sentiment survey was conducted during the period
March 8th - 23rd 2007 among a cross-section of ScotiaMocatta's clients
worldwide. Survey participants were asked to forecast prices for gold and
silver 3-months from the date of the survey and 12-months from the date of the
survey. Participants were also asked to rank in order of importance the three
factors they felt would most impact the precious metals markets over the same
ScotiaMocatta is the precious metals division of Scotiabank and is a
global leader in precious metals trading and finance with roots dating back to
1671. ScotiaMocatta is a leading market-maker with operations worldwide
serving a diverse clientele of producers and consumers of bullion across a
variety of industries.
Scotiabank is one of North America's premier financial institutions and
Canada's most international bank. With over 57,000 employees, Scotiabank Group
and its affiliates serve approximately 12 million customers in some 50
countries around the world. Scotiabank offers a diverse range of products and
services including personal, commercial, corporate and investment banking.
With $396 billion in assets (as at January 31, 2007), Scotiabank trades on the
Toronto (BNS) and New York Exchanges (BNS). For more information please visit
For further information:
For further information: Bernard Hunter, ScotiaMocatta, (416) 866-7572,
firstname.lastname@example.org; Paula Cufre, Scotiabank Public Affairs,
(416) 933-1093, email@example.com


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Major Dubai dairy supplier, Koita Foods, is set to launch a full range of dairy-free milks in the UAE this summer.
The organic dairy brand, which is known for selling organic cow's milk, has recently launched a Koita brand soy milk - which will be followed with oat, rice, and almond milk over coming months.
Some of the plant milks will be fortified, and the made-in-Italy range will even include a soy milk specially formulated 'for coffee lovers'.
Koita Foods - which is already a major supplier for companies such as The Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton, and stocks major retail outlets such as Waitrose and Carrefour - aims to keep up with consumer demand with its plant-based offerings.
CEO Mustafa Koita said: "Everyone's specific nutrition requirements are different and we don't believe in a black or white solution for milk; plus, we are consumer driven, not farmer driven."
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are prepared in the author's capacity and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Plant Based News itself.Reuse this content
Emily Court is a passionate ethical vegan from Eastern Canada. She is a Challenge 22 Mentor, Digital Writer, and experienced animal advocate driven by issues of animal liberation and social justice. She studied at Dalhousie University, where her thesis highlighted intercultural and gender relations. She is an established public speaker, writer, and world traveller with a drive to provide a voice to those who might not otherwise have one. You can follow her on Instagram @emily.j.court or on Twitter @_EmilyJCourt_.
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Senior Identity Theft – FTC — WPF Executive Director Pam Dixon will be speaking at the Federal Trade Commission Tuesday on the issue of Senior ID theft, and specifically, about medical forms of the crime. Dixon, who wrote the first report on medical ID theft and coined the term for the crime, will be presenting new research at the panel.
In 2012, the US Federal Trade Commission brought a remarkable case against Equifax for selling consumer financial information — which included credit scores and late mortgage payment information– to companies offering services to consumers in financial distress. The World Privacy Forum commented to the FTC on this case, which was important for a number of reasons.
Privacy in India and Developing Economies — World Privacy Forum Executive Director Pam Dixon will present WPF’s research and India privacy videos at the FTC – IAPP Global Privacy Conference workshop Wednesday, March 7. The session, Global Perspectives on Consumer Privacy, is the first session of its kind at IAPP or the FTC focused on privacy in developing economies. WPF has researched privacy extensively in India, and has documented a number of key privacy issues in a video series. So far, 5 videos in the series have been released. All of the videos were shot on location in India and feature Pam Dixon, with videographer Blake Hamilton. These videos offer a rare and early glimpse into privacy interactions and issues in India. WPF will be releasing one more video on biometric ID cards in India.
FTC | Mobile privacy – Pam Dixon spoke at the FTC’s May 30 mobile disclosures workshop. The panel focused on exploring privacy in the mobile applications and mobile wireless space. Some of the privacy topics Dixon covered at the workshop included the role and use of unique identifiers in wireless technologies.
Data Broker opt out — WPF, in 2011 comments to the FTC, urged the FTC to create a centralized place for consumers to opt-out of data broker tracking. This is a long-standing issue WPF has worked on. Previously, WPF filed a petition in 2009 to the FTC regarding mail-in data broker opt outs, which resulted in an FTC action and improvements for consumers. In its new report published today, the FTC has picked up WPF’s centralized opt out recommendation, specifically citing WPF’s comments. From its report: “The Commission recommends that the data broker industry explore the idea of creating a centralized website where data brokers that compile and sell data for marketing could identify themselves to consumers and describe how they collect consumer data and disclose the types of companies to which they sell the information.” The WPF strongly supports this idea and views assistance to consumers in this area as vital.


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Brandon Honda's sheltering customers can now research, buy and service vehicles online
By: Brandon Honda
"At a time when people the world over are sheltering in place, we've made it easy, safe and convenient to either come into our clean, sanitized showroom to work with one of our customer specialists … or get our best prices and all the information they need to research and complete the entire purchase without the trip into the store," said the Brandon Honda's Managing Partner John Marazzi. "And when service is required, we pick-up and redeliver a sanitized vehicle so that customers can remain sheltered and safe."
Brandon Honda prioritizes its customers' health and safety, exceeding the CDC guidelines for cleanliness, sanitizing and social distancing. Explore its all-new, home-based, vehicle shopping, buying, and servicing options online to see just how much the world of auto ownership has changed. Brandon Honda is a Morgan Auto Group dealership www.morganautogroup.com known for its keen focus on impeccable customer service and engagement.
It is located just west of I-75 at 9209 E. Adamo Drive in Tampa, FL 33619 and is open seven days a week. Sales hours are Mon.-Fri., 9-9; Sat., 9-8; and Sun., 10-6. Service/Parts hours are Mon.-Fri., 7-8; Sat., 7-5; and Sun., 9-3. For more information, call 813-664-1234 or visit www.BrandonHonda.com/


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LONDON — The luxury sector might be breathing easier as a bullish Burberry, undaunted by slower demand in Mainland China, said Thursday it will continue to open as many as 10 stores there each year, in line with its original strategy.
The optimism comes on the heels of a warning last month of a slowdown in the company’s retail sales, which shook luxury sector stocks and sent Burberry’s plummeting nearly 21 percent. The brand did in fact report a slowdown in revenue growth in the second quarter, due partly to declining footfall in China, but said the country’s underpinnings were solid.
"You start one way as a baby, but why shouldn't you be able to choose your own path as opposed to culturally people telling you which way to go?" - Thom Browne at his men's spring 2018 show, where he celebrated gender fluidity. #pfw #wwdmens (📷: @delphineachard)
"I think that all anyone really wants in life is to have people understand us for who we actually are, despite everything," says Ruth Negga. The actress talks "Preachers" season 2 and more on WWD.com. #wwdeye (📷: Dan Doperalski)


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Microsoft is currently working on an update for the collaboration platforms Teams, which should assist in taking some of the stress out of the virtual presentations.
In a brand new addition (opens in a new tab) to its roadmap for products, The company announced it would be launching Microsoft Teams users will soon benefit from the introduction of Cameo to PowerPoint Live, which is the integrated service presentation tool.
It will further enhance the current offering by allowing presenters to incorporate the camera feed into their slide decks, resulting in an appealing and polished presentation.
Cameo in PowerPoint Live
Since the onset of the pandemic, Microsoft has been testing different ways to enhance the user experience through virtual presentations to help users get the most of this universal medium.
The idea was to protect against the threat of video conference competitors such as Zoom in addition to the development of advanced presentation software such as Prezi.
Microsoft first announced the Cameo feature of PowerPoint Live in September 2021. The quality was later showcased to users who are part of the Office Insider program earlier this year. Microsoft has now disclosed that the feature is available for all users at the end of August.
According to the Microsoft blog article (opens on a new page), Cameo “enables users to embed live camera feeds into your slides effortlessly to enhance your presentation. This feature can provide a more immersive experience to your viewers. It will also allow you to get better prepared to present your presentation live.”
“Cameo provides you with full control over live camera feeds within PowerPoint. As with the other images, you can alter the size, position, or move and apply transitions or styles to your camera feed.”
The launch of Cameo for PowerPoint Live will build upon the foundation laid by other presentations-focused enhancements to Microsoft Teams.
For instance, Microsoft recently announced a new ” collaborative annotation” feature designed to bring a higher degree of interaction and an update that provides users with more specific video control.
Although virtual presentations will continue to be an issue in the eyes of many users, Microsoft will hope that the most recent Teams features will, at a minimum, reduce some of the paint off the job.


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Elon Musk combined a disclosure that he has disposed of more Tesla stock with a joke tweet about quitting his jobs.
Tesla’s chief executive offloaded shares worth $963 million to pay taxes on the exercise of an additional 2.2 million options, according to regulatory filings. He has now disposed of stock worth about $11.8 billion over five weeks.
A couple of hours after the filings were posted, the world’s richest man quipped that he had found a new calling.
“Thinking of quitting my jobs & becoming an influencer full-time,” Mr Musk wrote, asking his almost 66 million followers what they thought of the idea. He followed this up with several laughing-emoji replies.
Shareholders and regulators have not always appreciated the humour in Mr Musk’s Twitter high jinks. Tesla shares plunged after a post in jest on April Fools’ Day in 2018 said that the company had gone bankrupt.
Later that year, the US Securities and Exchange Commission sued him over tweets about taking Tesla private at a price significant in marijuana culture, which he thought would amuse his girlfriend at the time.
Tesla fell 2 per cent to $983.90 before the start of regular trading on Friday. The stock has fallen 18 per cent from a peak on November 4 as Mr Musk offloaded shares.
He told his Twitter followers last month that he would abide by a poll he took on whether he should sell 10 per cent of his stake in the carmaker. He has disposed of more than 11 million shares since then.
Mr Musk is now about two thirds of the way through trimming 10 per cent of his direct share ownership. If the threshold he has referred to includes exercisable options, he will need to get rid of approximately another six million shares.
The chief executive of Tesla and Space Exploration Technologies is the world’s richest man, with a $266 billion fortune that has grown by $110bn this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.


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|| Print ||
|Wednesday, March 21, 2012|
BY LINDA BAKER
I’m not sure how much meaning to give the following, but in the past month I’ve encountered two 32-year old female presidents of Portland companies—both who worked their way up the corporate ladder for 8 years before assuming their executive positions in 2010. The first was Icebreaker USA president Lisa Thompson, the subject of a profile in our upcoming April issue. The second, and the subject of this blog post, was Margo Yohner, president of Bridgetown Printing, whom I met the other night at a Portland Female Executives dinner.
I sat at a table with Yohner, Rachel O’Neal, a medical malpractice lawyer, Colleen Bourassa, a skin care representative and Kathy Frederick, a customer sales rep for a packaging company. Toward the end of the evening, Frederick—who is also president and founder of Row for the Cure--asked me a question about the future of print media. I delivered the requisite print journalist's response about its death being greatly exaggerated, the blossoming of innovation online, etc. etc.
Later I chatted with Yohner, the evening’s featured speaker, about the impact of digital communications on her own industry—commercial printing. Bridgetown's growth rate is startling. The 100-year old Portland company, which was acquired by Houston-based Consolidated Graphics in 1996, grossed $12.6 million last year, almost double the $7 million earned two years ago—when Yohner came on board. Operational margins have quadrupled.
“We’ve had to understand how print has transformed, take advantage of technology solutions, increase our talent pool and invest in the right things to stay relevant for our customers,” Yohner said. Bridgetown's investments range from relocating to a $8.5 million, 48,000 square foot facility on Swan Island in 2007 to the purchase of new digital presses, binding and mailing equipment. To stay relevant for one of their customers, Adidas, Bridgetown created print on demand custom catalogs for individual retail accounts, helping the company eliminate wasted pages and reduce shipping costs.
Leveraging CGX’ network of 70 sister companies has also helped the Portland printer boost sales, said Yohner, citing as examples "sister facilities that can assist us with translation needs, that specialize in dye-sublimation, promotional products, and large and grand format printing.”
As for Yohner, her story unfolds as that of a young woman rising to the top in a male-dominated industry. She's the only woman on Bridgetown's executive team--of the 70 presidents overseeing CGX' subsidiaries, only 8 are women. Three of those female presidents were hired in the past couple of years, says Yohner, adding, “Women are beginning to make a mark on this industry.”
An Ohio native, Yohner moved to Portland in 2002. After a serendipitous encounter with a sales manager at a Tualatin pub, the 22 year-old entered the Leadership Development Program at Bridgetown, which immersed Yohner in pre press operations, binding and sales. “Everything the company touches, I was part of that.” She eventually became a sales associate, vice president for strategic sales at CGX, and then president of Bridgetown.
No one could fault Yohner for lack of energy. A founding member of the dance group, Polaris, she rehearses 10 hours a week—the company is currently preparing Dis Cooperire, to be performed during its X-Posed Series in June.
Running a multi-million dollar printing operation by day, dancing by night: not bad for work life balance.
Linda Baker is managing editor of Oregon Business.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
BY KLINT FINLEY
Treehouse CEO Ryan Carson builds a 21st-century trade school.
Thursday, July 03, 2014
BY TED AUSTIN & MIKE BAELE | GUEST CONTRIBUTORS
The Office of Economic Analysis announced that Oregon is currently enjoying the strongest job growth since 2006. While this resurgence has been welcome, the lingering effects of the 2008 “Great Recession” continues to affect Oregon businesses, especially with regard to estate planning and business succession.
Thursday, August 28, 2014
OB Research Editor Kim Moore shares some pointers about the 100 Best Companies to Work For survey.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
BY DEBRA RINGOLD | OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
Why has six years become an acceptable investment in public undergraduate education that over-promises and underperforms?
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
BY LINDA BAKER
Dr. Chong Fang isn’t God. But the assistant professor of chemistry at Oregon State University is getting closer to figuring out how he put everything together.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
BY MARY SPILDE | OB GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
Faced with the aftermath of the “great recession,” increasing concern about the environment and dwindling family wage jobs, we have some very important choices to make about our future.
Monday, July 07, 2014
BY TOM COX | OB BLOGGER
Named after the 2010 experiment by Thomas Ryan, "Robin Sages" are fake social media profiles designed to encourage linking and divulging valuable information.
|The Private 150: Bigger But Leaner|
|The Perfect Food|
|Powerlist: Staffing Firms|
|Taxis Uber Alles?|
|Google tests drone deliveries|
|Abercrombie to remove logos from most clothing|
|FBI investigates JPMorgan 'cyber-attack'|
|GoPro launches camera dog harnesses|
|Snapchat now worth $10B|
|Tomatoes may lower prostate cancer risk|
|WHO: Ban e-cigarette use indoors|
Vigilant enters a New Year with a new president.
How George Fox has become one of Oregon's largest private universities.
Forest Grove sees growth in the burgeoning food and beverage scene.
Lane Powell Shareholder William T. Patton has been appointed to the board of directors for Cascade AIDS Project, an organization that provides educational services and outreach to thousands of Oregonians living with HIV/AIDS.
Fifty-one Lane Powell lawyers were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (Best Lawyers) 2015; of those selected, 23 lawyers are from the Firm’s office in Portland, Oregon.
Barran Liebman is proud to announce that Andrew Schpak, a Partner of the firm, has been named Chair of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division for the 2014-2015 bar year.


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Nissan Signs On as ‘The Voice’ Sponsor
Monday was a busy, busy day in the world of television. Gotham made its hotly anticipated debut; The Big Bang Theory and Sleepy Hollow returned for new seasons; The Blacklist and Dancing with the Stars rolled on as usual; the Bears played the Jets on Monday Night Football (LOLJETS); and John Cena had to address his loss to WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar in the main event of Sunday’s Night of Champions on WWE Monday Night Raw. (We know you were all particularly excited about that last one.)
Because people still love shows about people singing for their supper (and record contracts), the second-highest rated show of the night was the premiere of the latest season of NBC’s The Voice, which means that Nissan’s newly-inked three-season sponsorship deal was money well spent.
First Delivery: Check out the first 2016 Nissan Titan delivered to customers
Nissan signed a deal to be the exclusive auto sponsor of The Voice, ensuring that ads featuring the Rogue and Altima among others air during the vast majority of commercial breaks and that the Nissan brand gets name-dropped on a consistent basis. As far as we can tell, the deal does not include dropping the Nissan logo on Pharrell’s hat.
Nissan will also sponsor “The Voice Tailgate,” a pre-show social media event that allows fans to interact with one another and view exclusive photos and videos. Nissan will also present the official The Voice app, which viewers can use to vote for their favorite contestants.
“This new three-year partnership with NBC is another way that Nissan is going beyond traditional sponsorships to provide innovation to our consumers with exciting experiences,” Fred Diaz, senior VP, Nissan sales & marketing and operations, Nissan North America, said in a statement. “Between the on-air broadcast, The Voice Official App and ‘The Voice Tailgate,’ we’re adding a new dimension to big cultural experiences like The Voice – far beyond what has been available in previous seasons.”
We’ve got a good marketing idea for Nissan: hire Bette and Dot—both played by Sarah Paulson—as the official spokes-conjoined-twins on American Horror Story: Freak Show. Have one sister love the practicality of the Maxima, and the other adore the performance of the GT-R. Watch all of that sweet, sweet Ryan Murphy money roll in.
Go Wireless: Nissan continues researching wireless EV charging


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Perhaps it’s no surprise that Amazon has featured a host of one-day-only deals on personal improvement in the wake of New Year’s. The online commerce giant knows you made New Year’s resolutions, and it wants to help you achieve them.
Earlier today, we told you about a deal on Under Armour workout clothes. But what workouts are you going to be doing while wearing your new outfit? With the giant discount offered here, you might as well invest in a pair of dumbbells. A pair of Bowflex dumbbells, plus a dumbbell stand, can be yours today for just $300. That is over $400 less than the typical price of all of that.
Have a suggestion for a cool product or great deal that you think Daily Caller readers need to know about? Email the Daily Dealer at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Mintel Research has found that celebrity fragrances need revamping in order to appeal to consumers.
With consumers wanting more variety in their favorite bars and restaurants, new flavor trends, like vanilla gin and botanical teas emerge this year to keep even the pickiest of customers happy.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Mondelez International, the maker of Oreo cookies and Cadbury chocolates, has made a takeover bid for Hershey.
A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that consumption of seafood and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of dying from heart attacks.
Danone and the shareholders of Michel et Augustin have entered into exclusive negotiations to allow Danone to acquire a minority interest in Michel et Augustin, alongside Artémis and Michel et Augustin’s founders.
Perdue Foods has announced a renewed focus on animal care, which includes a four-part plan that will accelerate its progress in animal care, strengthen relationships with farmers, build trust with multiple stakeholder groups, and create an animal care culture for continued improvement.
Scientists from Agricultural Research Organization in Israel have developed transgenic banana plants with longer shelf life by reducing expression of two transcription factors.
Bob Musial has been promoted to controller for Vigon International.
Ginkgo Bioworks and Amyris announced a new partnership where the two will be able to jointly develop products more efficiently and cost effectively.
On June 28, Maria Andrade, Robert Mwanga, Jan Low, and Howarth Bouis were announced as the 2016 World Food Prize Laureates during a ceremony at the U.S. State Dept.
Nestlé has announced that Peter Brabeck-Letmathe will not stand for reelection as chairman of the board due to reaching the mandatory age retirement.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that a 30% rebate on fruits and vegetables may increase their daily consumption in households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
On June 23, 52% of Britons voted in favor of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. Given that no country has ever left the EU and that the United Kingdom has been a member for 43 years, the Brexit, as it is been termed, has left the country and global markets in a state of uncertainty.
The days of skimping and saving to fit that amber note into your fragrance price point could be long gone. Inventors from Symrise appear to have a new answer to amber, as this patent application explains.
Bell Flavors & Fragrances’ Flavorology event introduced several new trends with products from its Spark trend program.
Givaudan announces new collaboration with Amyris in the research, development and production areas of active cosmetic ingredients.
With the ban of pan masala and chewing tobacco, the ittar industry is losing nearly 80% of its sales.
Flavorchem is now hiring for a flavorist of junior flavorist with at least three years of experience creating or duplicating flavors.
Fruitcrown Products, is seeking a flavorist with 5+ years’ experience in the flavor industry in its Long Island, NY office.
Mondelez International measures the progress of its Call for Well-Being program along with the entirety of its sustainability report.


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The food processing industry converts raw agricultural products (i.e. grains) into edible items such as crackers or cereal. It also cuts and trims meat and poultry, turns milk into cheese, bakes bread and so forth. The demand for processed foods such as snacks and frozen meals has grown dramatically over the past ten years as the number of two-income families has increased. Recently, some individuals and organizations have criticized the processed food industry. These critics argue that the industry has contributed to the obesity epidemic in the United States and elsewhere.
According to Food Processing, the largest American companies in the sector during 2007 were Kraft Foods, Tyson Foods, PepsiCo, Nestl Anheuser-Busch, General Mills, Dean Foods, Smithfield Foods, Cadbury Schweppes and ConAgra Foods. The largest of these firms is Kraft, which employs more than 100,000 people. Working in food processing can be dangerous. Compared to other industries, food processing has a high incidence of injuries and illnesses that lead to workers' compensation claims. During 2006, there were 7.4 cases of work-related injury or sickness for every 100 full-time food manufacturing employees. Animal slaughtering plants were the most dangerous place to work in the industry, and bakeries were the safest.
Many people in the food processing industry have little or no experience in the field before they are hired. The Retail Bakers of America has a certification program with four levels: certified journey baker, certified baker, certified decorator and certified master baker. Processed food companies also hire managers and executive-level staff. Typically, these individuals hold advanced degrees.
During recent years, the food processing industry has struggled due to rising commodity prices. For example, small firms such as bagel companies and bakeries have been forced to raise prices or lay off employees due to the higher cost of wheat. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects overall employment in the food processing occupations to grow 8 percent between 2006 and 2016.


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The world’s largest blockchain and cryptocurrency platform Binance is organising store in New Zealand.
The corporate needs us to purchase right into a digital world it claims would assist our economic system broaden.
However tech consultants are warning concerning the dangers of investing in one thing that does not really exist.
Cryptocurrency, blockchain and Web3 do not exist bodily besides in a digital world.
“This can be a new know-how for cash. If [the] web was a brand new know-how for transferring data, blockchain, Web3, crypto is a brand new know-how for transferring worth,” Changpeng Zhao, the founding father of Binance, stated.
It means you can purchase not simply cryptocurrency, however with blockchain and Web3, however the ‘digital’ equal of something on-line – from a ticket stub to paintings, to a metropolis like Auckland, then commerce it.
“Crypto Web3 know-how will energy the economic system to be ten or 100 instances than the economic system we’ve at the moment,” Zhao advised Newshub.
“I feel this know-how will enhance any economic system 10-folds simply over the following 10 [to] 20 years.”
This foray into New Zealand can be sure by our regulatory framework.
“We’re absolutely compliant with New Zealand native laws, native legal guidelines and oversight by the New Zealand regulators,” Zhao stated.


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Last year, U.S. tech companies spent time making sure their policies and platforms comply with Europe’s GDPR data privacy law. Now, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) has become the first comprehensive data privacy law in this country.
Coming January 1, 2020, businesses that might service California residents — including mobile apps, software products, bloggers, or e-commerce stores, regardless of their physical location — will be required to comply with the CCPA.
The CCPA addresses the sale of consumer data and restricts how companies can monetize this data. Under the CCPA, a “sale” is defined pretty broadly and could even include a company’s digital marketing activities.
And it’s not a law to ignore: the California Attorney General can levy fines of up to $2500 for each violation per California resident affected ($7500 each for repeat offenders.)
Just to put this in perspective, a single incident that affects 1,000 California residents could incur a potential fine of up to $2.5 million dollars — even if it’s a first-time violation. To say the least, non-compliance can be quite costly.
Not based in California? You still have to read this
The CCPA applies to any business doing business in California who collects, or has collected on its behalf, personal information of California residents and who falls into one of the following categories: the business makes over $25 million annually; it receives, buys, shares or sells personal information of 50,000 or more California residents, households or devices; or at least 50 percent of its income comes from selling data of California residents.
The second criteria is the one that will most likely affect non-California small businesses with a significant online presence — for example, e-commerce operations or B2C mobile apps. Under the CCPA, the definition of “personal information” is quite broad — collecting just the IP addresses of California consumers may be enough to cause the CCPA to apply.
Basically, a business could hit the 50,000 threshold by having just 137 Californians visit their website each day for a year.
What the law really says
The fundamental purpose of the CCPA is to give California residents certain rights over their own data, especially when companies gain benefits or make money off that data. Businesses who fall under the CCPA must provide:
- Right to Know and Right of Access: Upon request and for free, a business must disclose to a California resident the categories and specific pieces of data it has collected on the individual, where the data came from, the purpose for collecting the data, and the categories of third parties with whom the business shares the consumer’s data with.
- Right of Deletion: Unless an exception applies, a business must delete a California resident’s data when requested by the individual, and instruct its vendors to do the same.
- Right to Opt-out of Data Monetization: California residents can opt out of their data being ‘sold,’ which is defined very broadly under the law and includes the transfer of personal data in any way for monetary gain or any other benefit. A business who ‘sells’ data in this way is required to disclose these practices and have a Do Not Sell My Personal Information button on its website homepage.
- Child Opt-in: Before monetizing personal data of a minor, a business with knowledge of a child’s age is required to get affirmative authorization from minors ages 13 through 16 and from the parents or guardians of those under 13.
- Right to equal service: A business cannot discriminate against or penalize consumers who exercised their CCPA rights by denying them services or goods or charging different prices. But, although it seems contradictory, a business can reward consumers who allow their personal data to be used.
- Data Security: Businesses are required to implement and maintain reasonable security practices. Notably, the law now provides California residents a right to sue businesses for data breaches caused by security failures.
So… what does a small biz owner need to do?
The short answer is: a lot. But by breaking it down into small steps and recruiting the help of a legal expert, you should have plenty of time to get everything accomplished within the next three months.
- Know your data landscape: Gain a thorough understanding of all the data you collect, store and transfer, and map the flow of that data throughout your business. Create a data map, inventory and a GDPR-like records of processing document. Also identify the data of California residents, households and devices in your possession.
- Develop your processes for providing California rights: Remember, California residents now have a host of rights they can ask for any time. You’ll need to implement a toll-free number and website address for Californians to use.
- Implement Technology – Put the “Do Not Sell My Information” button on website if required. Implement technology need to facilitate compliance.
- Get help before you need it: Seek out a competent data privacy lawyer to address whether the CCPA applies to your company. And then have a gap analysis done which will analyze your current state and provide recommendations on what to do moving forward.
If the CCPA applies to your company, the biggest key is to get started as soon as possible — and that may mean now.
AdoLisa Ezeagu, Esq., CIPP/US is the managing attorney of Ezeagu Law Firm LLC, a boutique data privacy and cyber risk law firm. She helps companies comply with privacy and cybersecurity laws and build legally-defensible programs.
Note: The contents of this article are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be, nor should it be, interpreted as legal advice.


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Can the Nokia deal save Microsoft?
- 26 February, 2011 07:23
Microsoft's recent deal with Nokia will put Windows Phone 7 on millions of Nokia mobile phones around the world. Microsoft in turn will shower billions of dollars on Nokia in marketing, engineering and other costs. The companies hope that together, they can make inroads into the mobile market that has increasingly become dominated by Apple's iPhone and Google's Android.
Some people have argued that combining the forces of two companies that have been failing in the mobile market will add up to little more than failure times two. But the deal may well save Microsoft from a slow-growth future. The partnership is one of the most important that Microsoft has made in recent years -- so important, in fact, that the billions of dollars it's spending may well save the company and ensure that its technology remains relevant, and its products stay viable, well into the fast-changing mobile future.
You could easily argue, of course, that Microsoft doesn't really need saving. After all, in its most recent earnings statement, for the second quarter of its fiscal year, Microsoft reported that it took in $19.95 billion -- the highest revenue ever for that quarter. Net income was a healthy $6.63 billion. That doesn't sound like a company in need of saving.
But a closer look at the numbers shows that the revenue was bolstered primarily by yesterday's technologies, not tomorrow's. Leading the way was Office, with revenue growth of 24%, "a huge quarter, exceeding everyone's expectations" according to Kevin Turner, Microsoft 's chief operating officer. Sales for mobile and Windows Phone 7 weren't even broken out, a clear sign they were lagging. And reports that came out after the earnings report confirmed Windows Phone 7's problems with gaining traction -- only 500,000 Windows Phone 7 devices were shipped for the entire month of December , and those were to retail stores, not to consumers. By way of contrast, Google says it activates 300,000 Android devices every day.
It's true that without having a successful mobile operating system, Microsoft will still survive. Windows isn't going away anytime soon. Nor is Microsoft Office, server technologies and other successful core products.
But none of those technologies are high-growth. If Microsoft relies solely on them, it will eventually become the tech equivalent of a utility company, reaping profits primarily by providing underlying infrastructure. The best engineers, designers, marketers and other creative professionals will look elsewhere for work, leading to a further spiral downward.
In a future that belongs to mobile, Microsoft would not be able to maintain high growth without Windows Phone 7 becoming a success. That's why the Nokia deal is so important to Microsoft. With a single contract, Microsoft ensures that it will become an important mobile player, not the afterthought it is now. Although Nokia no longer holds a dominant presence in the mobile market -- where it once had more than 50% market share -- even in its weakened state, it has a 29% market share, according to Gartner.
Without the Nokia deal, it was unlikely that Windows Phone 7 would ever gain traction. Even after its well-publicized launch this fall, it didn't make up any ground against the iPhone or Android. Every week, it's been falling further behind.
Several billion dollars may sound like a sizable bet for a company to make on a single contract, but in Microsoft's case, it was justified -- it's not just betting on a technology, but on its own future. By itself, Microsoft has shown it can't survive in mobile. With Nokia, it at least has a chance of success. The deal may be the best several billion dollars the company ever spent.
Preston Gralla is a contributing editor for Computerworld.com and the author of more than 35 books, including How the Internet Works (Que, 2006).
Read more about mobile and wireless in Computerworld's Mobile and Wireless Topic Center.
Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.
- Microsoft Q2 financials buoyed by gaming, office software - Computerworld
- Microsoft Update: Latest news, features, reviews, opinions and more - Computerworld
- New sales figures show Windows Phone 7 sales go from bad to worse - Computerworld Blogs
- Google Update - Computerworld
- Android news, reviews & more - Computerworld
- Nokia to Use Microsoft’s Cellphone Operating System - NYTimes.com
- Continuing coverage: Apple's iPhone - Computerworld
- Mobile and Wireless Topic Center - Computerworld
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- 3:49 pm Tuesday, December 17th, 2013 by Robert Janjigian
Board members of the Worth Avenue Association took a gander at the holiday window displays of several Avenue retailers Monday night to determine the winner of the organization’s annual prize for the best windows of 2013.
Tuesday morning, Gregg Beletsky, Worth Avenue Association president, and Robin Miller, administrator of the merchant group, presented the $500 prize to Saks Fifth Avenue.
The theme of the Saks windows, which feature mannequins dressed in a variety of glamorous designer clothes for women and men, is the architecture of a snowflake.
Peter Schuette, general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue Palm Beach, said the $500 will go to the team who created [More]
- 9:11 pm Monday, July 8th, 2013 by Robert Janjigian
If you’re landing at Palm Beach International Airport now through the next several months, don’t just keep your eyes on that device as you’re heading toward baggage claim.
In each of the two major concourses at the gateway to Palm Beach, the Worth Avenue Association as placed a backlit advertisement to entice visitors (and locals, one supposes) to head to Worth Avenue during their stay in the Palm Beach area.
The ads will be up for a year, said Robin Miller, administrator of the Worth Avenue Association. “They reflect our current brand message and depending on their effectiveness, we will consider changing [More]
- 6:38 pm Thursday, May 9th, 2013 by Robert Janjigian
A.B. Levy’s May 5 auction at 211 Worth Ave. brought in a grand total of $1,141,369 of sales, including buyer premiums charged.
That is well under what Albert Levy, the proprietor of the auction house and a longtime island art and antiques dealer, had anticipated taking in at last Sunday’s Palm Beach Discovery Auction.
He told the Palm Beach Daily News prior to the sale that he expected a total take in the neighborhood of $2 million and $3 million.
Levy called the sales results “interesting,” noting that many mid-range lots went unsold, but that high-end and lower-priced lots were snapped up by buyers this [More]
- 8:15 pm Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 by Robert Janjigian
If you happened to stroll down Worth Avenue this sunny, kinda chilly afternoon, past the Letarte swimwear boutique, you couldn’t miss I Can Make You Hot author Kelly Killoren Bensimon, above right, who was hanging out in front of the shop with Connecticut-based swimwear designer Michele Letarte Ross, at left, for a few hours.
Both wore new silk tie-dyed pieces from Letarte’s latest collection.
The New York-based Bensimon, a former model and former “Real Housewife,” has authored several books, including one about bikinis published a few years back.
Thus, the connection to Ross, whom she met randomly about six years ago after seeing and coveting a particular Letarte Popcorn coverup and got in touch initially with the [More]
- 10:54 pm Friday, March 15th, 2013 by Robert Janjigian
L.A.-based designer David Meister has been to Palm Beach before, but his visit Friday to Neiman Marcus’ Worth Avenue store was his first “official” island appearance.
That’s the Cincinnati-born designer above, striking a pose with model Amanda Lewis at Neiman’s this afternoon.
Meister, who has had his own label for almost 15 years, may not have the name-recognition of other ready-to-wear designers, but local women who buy his clothes find them to be stylish, well made and not over-the-top in the price department.
We’ve seen a few Meister creations on the black-tie-gala circuit over the years, holding their own amid the more frequently donned [More]
- 10:15 pm Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 by Robert Janjigian
Through the month of February, Palm Beach jewelry aficionados have a chance to check out a vintage 1965 Jean Schlumberger clip brooch that was a gift to the late screen goddess Elizabeth Taylor from none other than the gentleman who married her twice, the late great actor Richard Burton.
The Fleur de Mer clip, as it is called by Tiffany & Co., at top, is a “dimensional design of diamonds and sapphires in platinum and 18-karat gold.
The piece was purchased by Burton in 1965, which Taylor recalled receiving in her 2002 book, My Love Affair with Jewelry.
“Richard gave me this … clip because he [More]
- 4:50 pm Thursday, December 13th, 2012 by Robert Janjigian
Terron Schaefer, Saks Fifth Avenue executive vice president and creative director, above, visited the store’s Worth Avenue branch Wednesday as part of a whirlwind tour of three south Florida Saks stores.
I met briefly with Schaefer, who comes across like a better-groomed version of that Dos XX’s guy, “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” prior to a Saks in-store fashion event in honor of The Society of the Four Arts, which featured a runway show of current-season cocktail and evening clothes for men and women.
Schaefer may be a familiar face to those who caught the first season of NBC’s “Fashion Star” reality competition series. [More]
- 7:24 pm Friday, December 7th, 2012 by Robert Janjigian
Though daytime highs in Palm Beach are in the low 80s, it will be snowing in one spot along Worth Avenue every afternoon.
Thanks to the “magic” of the Yeti, Saks Fifth Avenue’s mascot for the holiday season, flurries fall from 5 to 5:30 p.m. in front the store at 172 Worth Ave.
The snow is ”completely environmentally friendly to people, plants and pets,” said Kelly Gurwitz, spokeswoman for the Saks branch, the only store in the carraige-trade chain that’s creating a little harmless climate change of its own to put a wintry spin on the palmy and balmy Palm Beach holiday shopping experience.
The South Florida snowstorm and the friendly [More]
- 8:39 pm Monday, September 10th, 2012 by Robert Janjigian
Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale student Cabrina Hughes, above, was chosen as the People’s Choice in the Fashion’s Night Out voting for the shopping bag dress competition.
Voting took place last Thursday evening during the Fashion’s Night Out event on Worth Avenue.
There were 23 entries in the competition, with a panel of jurors selecting Diana Ziegler, another Art Institute student, as the winner of a $2,000 scholarship awarded Thursday.
Hughes’s creation, above, was for Marley’s Palm Beach Collection, 256 Worth Ave., in the Via Amore (formerly the Gucci Courtyard).
She was announced as the winner at a luncheon today at Cha Cha’s in [More]
- 5:51 pm Friday, September 7th, 2012 by Robert Janjigian
Last night, to kick off the Worth Avenue celebration of Fashion’s Night Out, the Worth Avenue Association and event producer The Fashion Doctors announced the winner of the Shopping Bag Dress Student Competition.
The judges selected Diana Ziegler’s design comprised of Alex & Ani shopping bags, which will be on display at the 150 Worth Avenue jewelry emporium at least through Monday.
Ziegler, from Caracas, Venezuela and in her junior year pursuing a degree in fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, was surprised to hear of her victory, and very excited about the $2,000 prize money she’ll be receiving from the Worth [More]


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NEW YORK (
) -- Here's a look at retail stocks in focus Monday afternoon.
gained 4.1% to hit $239.39 after reaching a deal with Paramount Pictures, a unit of
, to expand its streaming content in Canada.
It was also reported that the movie rental firm is nearing a $100 million contract with Miramax.
rose 5.7% to $15.11 after the electronics retailer said it will carry
iPad 2 starting on Tuesday.
announced it is acquiring
for $2.4 billion. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
Shares of eBay fell 3.7% to $30.54 following the announcement.
was one of the day's biggest gainers after its CEO Dov Charney upped his stake in the company. Charney purchased 1.8 million shares, bringing his stake to 51%.
Shares of the t-shirt retailer surged 10.9% to $1.01 in midday trading.
Other notable gainers included
, which jumped 8.9% to $85.63, and
Barnes & Noble
, which climbed 7.1% to $9.87.
--Written by Jeanine Poggi in New York.
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(The Center Square) – Recent laws filed by State Representative La Shawn Ford suggest helping resolve issues in the marijuana growing application process and receiving responses to more than 800 applicants.
A craft grower is an establishment operated by a company licensed by the Department of Agriculture and the state to grow, dry, and package cannabis for dispensing organizations.
To apply for a crafting license, growers require a $ 5,000 security deposit and a place of business to operate from. The majority of applicants who paid the application fee and secured a place of business were abandoned because the state of Illinois failed to uphold its end of the deal, Ford said.
“These applicants had to buy permanent establishments, hire team members, and all of this came at a cost to applicants, and the state has not yet honored the end of the agreement and approved more licenses.” said Ford.
Pamela Althoff, executive director of the Cannabis Business Association of Illinois, said one of the reasons the low number of applications approved was based on experiences of other states with overgrowth.
“One of the big concerns among the people who are drafting the legislation is that they have looked at other states where cannabis was overgrown and unrelated and had nowhere to sell, causing some to take the product and trying to sell it on the gray market, “Althoff said. “Illinois didn’t want that to happen.”
Fords House bill 4097 was submitted on June 2nd and has yet to be added to the reading plan.
Another section of the bill requires that any adult grow center or holder of a license for an early licensing grow center producing THC oil extract, a portion of its total monthly production of THC oil extract for sale to infuser organizations Provides infuser organizations with an adequate supply for their infusion processes.
It would also prohibit pharmacies from promoting cannabis products as “craft” unless they were made by an artisanal breeder. And the bill gives growers a two-year grace period from paying taxes under the Cannabis Cultivation Privilege Tax Act. According to the draft law, they would have to start paying the tax two years after receiving the license.
Illinois lawmakers passed a recreational cannabis bill that was signed by Governor JB Pritzker in 2019. Lawmakers had tried to make the industry the fairest in the country. It included options for those convicted of possession of small quantities of marijuana to overturn their convictions. Critics, however, criticize the implementation of the law, which has largely excluded minorities and other groups from participating in the industry. The special craft licenses are specifically designed to allow people with less access to capital to participate in the industry.


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The Christmas shopping season is upon us!
Typically, that would mean busy days for brick and mortar retailers, with heavy foot traffic and a significant increase in sales activity. However, as we have seen throughout 2020, the “typical” is almost always atypical this year, and while shopping at neighborhood stores will certainly factor into many shoppers’ plans, there is no doubt that some will instead turn to online shopping to tackle their Christmas shopping.
This change in shopping habits opens the door for retailers to reinforce the message that, whether their customers choose to make a purchase online or in their store or, they can always expect to receive the superior customer service they deserve.
What to expect this holiday season
Online shopping has been steadily on the rise ever since ecommerce platforms entered the world of retail marketing. Trust in this new technological based shopping method took a while to catch on with customers, but during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic the trend accelerated exponentially. More shoppers than ever before began using ecommerce platforms as a healthy alternative to in store shopping and quickly found that it is a viable option for shopping any time they need to find good quality products.
In a study conducted in September 2020 by BlackFriday.com and Survey Gizmo, they found that “30% of respondents plan to shop during Cyber Monday sales, but only 24% plan to shop during Black Friday sales.” Along with that, the way customers receive their purchases has also changed. Half of the survey’s respondents were counting on arranging for curbside or contactless pickup during the holiday season as a safe and easy alternative to entering a streetside store.
It’s time to think about your “buy online, pick up in store” strategies.
Benefits for customers
While health concerns are top of mind for some ecommerce shoppers, the benefits of buying online and picking up in store go far beyond accommodating safety recommendations.
Let’s show you how it works for your business.
1. More choices for customers
Shoppers expect to be the in the driver’s seat when they make a purchase at a retail store. By giving them more options in how they receive their purchases, you are proving that their needs are an important part of your business model.
2. No shipping costs
Customers want to get the most out of their money. Offering a buy online, pick up in store option eliminates the costs associated with shipping and delivery that can add a significant amount to the final cost. This frees up your customer to purchase even more products from your store.
3. Shorter shipping times
Individual purchases shipped directly to a customer’s home could add several extra days to the trip from the warehouse to the scheduled address. By offering a buy online, pick up in store option, customers can speed up the time it takes to receive the product by adding it to a prescheduled shipment that is already being packed to go to their neighborhood store. A quick stop at their favorite neighborhood location, and they’ve potentially shaved off weeks of waiting for the product they ordered.
4. Fewer returns
It’s a fact that not every purchase works out perfectly for the customer. When customers choose to buy online and pick up in store, they have the opportunity to look the item over prior to taking it home. It’s a convenience that reinforces the message that you take care of your customers, resulting in stronger brand loyalty.
5. Quick service
Customer loyalty is largely based on how responsive they feel the retailer has been to their needs. By providing on-the-spot, friendly service at a in store pick up, you can fulfill your promise of outstanding customer service every time they stop into your streetside store to pick up their online purchase.
6. Greater system integration
When a customer purchases a product online, they are providing key information that will result in a closer relationship with the retailer. Loyalty programs and advanced sales can be extended to them during their next visit to the store or online, and all their payment information is already part of the system for a quick and easy check out process.
Benefits for retailers
Not only does the buy online, pick up in store policy benefit the customer; it also benefits the retailer.
1. Increase sales opportunities
When you offer a buy online, pick up in store option, you are creating a multi-layered, cross-channel selling opportunity. First customers complete their purchase online, then, when they visit your streetside store to pick up their purchase, they have the potential to add even more things to their shopping cart when they see your products in person, attaching even more revenue to the original sale.
2. Lower shipping costs
Free shipping is a great way to encourage more sales from customers, but the added cost to the retailer can be prohibitive. By offering a buy online, pick up in store alternative, retailers can assuage that extra burden of having individual shipments going through major residential carriers and instead add the product to a truck that is already scheduled to go to the store at no extra cost to the retailer.
3. Better inventory management
Retailers often find that inventory management is more easily achieved when the customer can come into the store to pick up their online purchase. Most retailers process their orders out of one warehouse, but the products are sold both online and in the store. Without a customizable integration tool that connects their POS system and ecommerce platform’s sales activity, their shared inventory count has the potential to be vastly incorrect.
4. Increased impulse buys
The holiday season is also the season for impulse buying. Stuffing those stockings means a lot of little purchases the customer hadn’t expected to make, but that type of buying activity doesn’t typically happen online. By offering a pick up in store option you’ll be bringing those customers into your store where those impulse buys typically happen.
The buy online, pick up in store strategy
When mapping out your buy online, pick up in store strategy pay close attention to the customer experience. Provide adequate storage space for the customer-facing activity as well as product storage, make sure your store carries the same or similar products that can be found online, and provide the signage and guidance needed to move a crowd through the process efficiently during especially busy times in the store.
The buy online, pick up in store alternative
Make it as simple as possible for your customers to take advantage of the buy online, pick up in store option. Create a plan for your brick and mortar store that accommodates the online customers, with a designated area devoted just to them. Make impulse buy products readily available along the way and create an easy to use website or buying app that is seamlessly connected through the highly customizable Retail Dimensions RD-Ice Integration Engine to ensure all the information needed to complete the fulfillment order is accurate and up to date. Do this, and your customer will return to your online and streetside store for years to come!


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Tim Grube writes "Electronic Arts has released the very first image of Madden NFL running on the next-generation consoles. This Saturday, on April 23rd, the NFL Draft begins on TV and EA has already scored a promotional commercial to unveil Madden Next-Gen. It will air on ESPN."
... when fits of creativity run strong, more than one programmer or writer
has been known to abandon the desktop for the more spacious floor.
-- Fred Brooks


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India’s marine product exports crossed the $3.5-billion mark in 2011-12, surpassing previous records in quantity, rupee value and dollar terms.
Exports aggregated to 8,62,021 tonnes valued at Rs 16,597.23 crore ($3,508.45 million).
Compared with the previous year, seafood exports recorded a growth of 6.02 per cent in quantity and 28.65 per cent in rupee and 22.81 per cent in dollar terms.
Leena Nair, Chairman, Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), said that the figures must be viewed in the light of the continuing recession in the international markets, debt crisis in the European Union, continuing anti-dumping duty in the US, sluggish growth in the US economy, and the political instability in West Asia.
Higher production of Vannamei shrimp, increased productivity of Black tiger shrimp and better realisation of major items such as shrimp, squid and cuttlefish helped MPEDA gain such an export turnover, she told reporters here on Friday.
MPEDA has set an ambitious target of $4.5 billion for 2012-13.
Increased production of L.vannamei shrimp and increase in infrastructure facilities for production of value-added items are factors that will help to achieve this target, she said.
Exports of Vannamei shrimp to the US market surged by 212 per cent in quantity and 209 per cent in dollar.
However, exports to China declined by 46.89 per cent in quantity and 40.17 per cent in dollar.
Frozen shrimp continued to be the major export value item accounting for 49.63 per cent of the total dollar earnings. Shrimp exports increased by 24.86 per cent, 42.97 per cent and 37.99 per cent in quantity and rupee and dollar value respectively.


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A new report has come from IDC (International Data Corporation) that Apple will make significant strides in the smartphone industry before unveiling the iPhone 13 series in September. In this report of IDC, an increase of 7.4 percent is expected in Android smartphone shipments for 2021; says that this rate can be as high as 13.8 percent for iPhones.
Last June, the news that Apple sold 100 million iPhone 12s took the world by surprise. Now, with the new introduction expected in September, the US technology giant, which will start selling the iPhone 13 series, says that even though the pandemic process has not lost its effect all over the world, India, Japan, the Middle East and Africa markets help increase sales.
According to IDC, the whole world will need a few more years to complete the 5G infrastructure. In this process, the costs of 5G chip production are not expected to decrease. On the contrary, many companies suffering from chip problems due to the pandemic will reflect this invoice to their users.
The average sales amount of devices using 5G, which does not decrease in production costs, is expected to remain stable at $ 632. On the other hand, the average selling price of 4G devices, which had an average selling price of $277 last year, is expected to drop to $206.
As a result, the total 5G shipment volume is planned to increase by 123.4 percent compared to last year, to 570 million units. Apple, which has India, Japan, the Middle East and Africa behind it, plans to increase its share of the cake.
How will Apple achieve this?
Apple, which is expected to use the LEO satellite communication system in the upcoming iPhone 13 series, will allow users to make voice calls and messaging directly over satellite without mobile data.
It is starting to become standard in 5G after 4.5G all over the world. However, most of the world still remains outside the coverage area. Moreover, we did not include the oceans.
Apple, which will use a special chip in its devices, is said to be working with the American satellite company Globalstar. It is said that the company aims to implement only low-speed data communication for now, support these new communication infrastructure systems and develop them over time.
Although the company, which plans to use the specially developed Qualcomm X60 chipset in its devices, will initially only support voice calls and message sending features, we will be able to meet all our communication needs without the need for 4.5G and 5G, thanks to this technology in the future.
This may be Apple’s final plan, which we know has been working on its own satellite communications for a long time. If it aims to give its users the opportunity to use 6GHz and 5G features without the need for an agreement with any operator, we can say that it aims to make its own cake, not to take a large share of the cake.
In our news, we shared with you the smartphone market that is expected to grow next year and how Apple plans to increase its market share in this market. Do not forget to share your views on the subject with us in the comments.


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Mattress Sales Up 11 Percent in April
June 2, 2010,
ALEXANDRIA, Va.-U.S. sales of mattresses jumped 11.3 percent on a dollar basis year over year in April, totaling $273.1 million, according to the latest Bedding Barometer report from the International Sleep Products Association.
The most recent report is another indication that the mattress industry has turned in a positive direction, after spending much of the past two years in the doldrums. On a unit basis, mattress sales reached 944,585 in April, up 8.7 percent from April of last year. The average unit selling price for the mattresses sold was $289.12, a 2.4 percent increase over the prior year.


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But one thing is certain. If you want the latest CDs by the artist formerly known as a symbol, you’ll have to shop at the store with the bull’s eye on the door.
That’s because, like other bands and artists striking exclusive deals with retailers, Target will be the only place to buy a new, three-disc set. Two discs – LOtUSFLOW3R and MPLSoUND – are Prince CDs while the third is a new CD by his new artist, Bria Valente.
The price? A budget-friendly $11.98 for the three-CD set.
This is hardly the first time Prince has followed his own beat. Fans purchasing tickets for his unprecedented 21-night stand at London’s O2 Arena also got CDs with their purchases. Prince was also one of the first major artists to sell music directly to fans online.
What’s more, Prince also released a coffee table book of photos taken at his O2 gigs that also included a CD of live performances.
When you think of it, Target may be the best place for Prince’s new CD package. The store chain is known for low prices and good values, and getting two new Prince CDs, as well as a CD by one of the Funkmeister’s new artists, for only $11.98 sounds like a heckuva deal.
And Target likes it too.
“Prince has long been renowned as one of the world’s most original and iconic musical artists,” said the chain’s senior VP of merchandising, Mark Schindele. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to share his most recent work with our Target guests.”
The CD set goes on sale in Target stores and the chain’s Web site on March 29.


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The 'hit 'em where it hurts' tactic is starting to affect the Apex Legends Steam review scores.
Apex Legends has grown into one of the best battle royale games to emerge in the last few years. With a strong community, the game's popularity has been echoed by its consistently positive Steam reviews. Lately, though, they've taken a bit of a dip in a bid to bring Respawn's attention to the growing unrest.
Like most online multiplayer games out there, Apex Legends has seen its fair share of bugs and issues. In the last few weeks alone, more and more issues seem to have stacked up. Coupled with server problems and game crashes, fans have recently been reporting instances where audio cuts out completely. All of these issues bundled together has been wearing thin on the Apex community, who have made numerous pleas to Respawn to fix the issues for good.
Fans Are Review Bombing Apex Legends to Get Respawn to Fix Issues
The latest actions have seen players review bombing the game on Steam in order to bring Respawn's attention to the mounting issues. Apex Legends has mostly sat on 'positive' reviews, but in recent weeks the rating has dipped to 'mixed.' The overall rating still remains within the 'very positive' tag on Steam but the recent influx of negative reviews has clearly made a dent on game's score.
Fans are hoping that this tactic will force Respawn to take action but, with developers hard at work preparing for the next season, it's likely we won't see any changes until then. It's a fickle situation; with so many battle royales on the market, retaining a player base can be particularly critical. At the same time, almost all of the similar online multiplayers have their own issues occuring which means players are hard-pressed to find a fully 'clean' game. By fixing up the game fully, though, Respawn could be in a great position to make Apex one of the best. In the meantime, fans will have likely have to wait until the start of the next season before we see any major changes.
Apex Legends Season 11 is set to go live early November.


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Join Hope Seeds is one of several companies helping the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region boost commercial ties with neighboring countries.
Giant turbines of a four-story seed-drying machine roar into life, processing more than 1 metric ton of seeds per minute. This machine is one of the most productive of its kind in China.
The company, founded in Changji in 2003, is also a major producer of corn, wheat and cotton seeds, mainly meeting the demands of the domestic market. But it also has an eye on the increasingly lucrative Central Asia market.
"We have teamed up with Kazak research institutions to develop seeds suitable for the soil and climate conditions (in Kazakhstan)," CEO Hu Baomin said.
Join Hope Seeds recently set up a subsidiary in Kazakhstan and built a 133.3-hectare agricultural research center — larger than its own domestic facility.
Xinjiang, China's northwest doorway to Central Asia, sits at the center of the historic Silk Road. Local businesses are eyeing greater opportunities as China works to revive the ancient trade route.
Xinjiang saw a 24.2 percent year-on-year increase in foreign trade in the first two months of this year, with the trade volume with Kazakhstan hitting $1.4 billion, a surge of 47.7 percent, according to customs statistics.
Like Join Hope Seeds, other companies have broken into markets in neighboring countries that have a similar climate, culture and customs, while firms from other regions of China have set up Xinjiang branches for easier access to Central Asia.
"This year, we shifted our focus from the domestic market to the international market," said Kerim Memetniyaz, owner of Xinjiang Parlak Carpet Factory, adding that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are their main export destinations.
"Exports already generate 30 percent of our revenue, and we expect it to grow further," Memetniyaz said.
The history of carpet exports from Xinjiang dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24 AD). Delicate, handmade carpets from the region were popular products on the ancient Silk Road.
"Carpets are symbols of wealth in Uygur culture," Memetniyaz said. "Uygurs cover their floors with carpets and wealthier families also drape them on all the walls. The custom is shared by many countries in Central Asia and the Middle East."
To meet demand, the types of carpets produced in the factory have been extended from traditional Uygur to a combination of Uygur, Persian and Kazak styles, he said.
His company plans to invest 600 million yuan ($94.7 million) to expand its factory and upgrade equipment.
Just kilometers away from the carpet factory is the Xinjiang subsidiary of China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co, a leading heavy equipment maker based in Hunan province. The subsidiary was set up in 2015.
Machinery and appliances were the second-biggest contributors to export growth in the provincial capital Urumqi last year, and have been increasingly transported on the China-Europe rail freight routes, according to Urumqi customs.
"As orders from Central Asia and the Middle East increased, the company deemed it necessary to set up the subsidiary," said Zhang Shimin, head of China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co's Xinjiang branch.
Transporting a tunnel boring machine, the company's main product, from Hunan to Xinjiang costs about 3 million yuan.
"That accounts for 5 to 8 percent of the price of the machine," Zhang said.
Since its establishment, the branch has helped China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Co save more than 60 million yuan.
"We're now bidding for another project in Kazakhstan," Zhang said. "The Central Asia market is full of potential."


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Tuesday, 15 April 2014
200 million people used Tencent's QQ messenger and network simultaneously
"Last Friday, Tencent’s 15-year-old QQ messenger and social network might have hit it’s final major milestone – 200 million people used the service simultaneously. That’s more than the entire population of Brazil all concurrently using a single application. While Tencent’s mobile messaging app WeChat is renowned for having 355 million monthly active users, that number is still dwarfed by its desktop-first predecessor. In it’s latest quarterly report, Tencent reported 808 million monthly active users on QQ and a peak of 180 million simultaneous users. But those growth figures have started to slow as QQ reaches saturation in its home market and the country shifts to mobile. QQ active users decreased by one percent in Q4 2013. While the number of PC users fell, QQ usage on mobile devices grew 74 percent in the past year. QQ now stands at 426 million active mobile accounts."
Source: Tech in Asia, 14th April 2014


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Miami Beach's Curfew Has Unintended Impact on Local Businesses
The new curfew in Miami Beach will last a few weeks from Thursday evenings to Monday mornings to keep people out of what’s called the entertainment district. While officials say it helps with public safety, businesses say they’re grappling with losses. Inside the Alma Mexicana restaurant on 13th and Washington you can hear soft music and nothing else. Manager Edmundo Tarin says the curfew is hurting them. "Afectadisimos." Hurting them a lot. "A todos les están avisando que no pueden salir del hotel, que se metan, que no pueden andar a tales horas. Así que no hay negocio prácticamente. De un 100 se bajo un 40 porciento." He says tourists are being told to stay inside their hotels at a certain hour, so basically there’s no business. He says they have roughly 40 percent of their regular sales. Sydney Austin manages a bike and Segway shop near Ocean Drive. He says two or three groups of at least 10 people have either canceled their reservations or suggested they might. "They don’t want to come to the city because they’ve heard so much bad press and they’re actually scared to come. So it has negatively impacted our business a lot. I can see the writing on the wall." Ronisha Lightfoot is a tourist from Houston. Last Saturday because of the curfew, she wasn't able to celebrate her birthday at a club. "But that’s OK. We made it good. We made it worthwhile of coming out here from Texas. So hey, girl, look. I will come back. I will come back." Last Friday, things got too crazy and the popular Clevelander venue on Ocean Drive closed down. But it’s reopening to customers today. In a statement, the management wrote it will offer low-key events so people aren’t gathering on the streets.


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J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. has been serving the Charleston lowcountry for almost 150 years. But despite their history, they were struggling to leverage their long-standing legacy of personal service as a differentiator from their many competitors. After conducting an in-depth analysis of their existing brand and marketing efforts, as well as their competitors and industry in general, SLANT Media undertook a brand redesign, now visible throughout its business collateral and the new www.jhenrystuhr.com
“We felt strongly about drawing inspiration from Stuhr’s roots, while also conveying their modern approach in providing services beyond those of a traditional funeral home.” said Christopher Cecil, SLANT’s Creative Director.
The new logo updates the crest that has long been a part of Stuhr’s identity. And instead of putting the company name in script font, SLANT utilized an original J. Henry Stuhr signature that was found during research. “This combination of logo elements conveys the century-old identity of the company and illustrates their personal touch,” said SLANT’s Will Bullock, the branding project design lead. “Then, from a design standpoint, we use these traditional elements in more modern ways - for example, extending beyond the edge of a business card, on a surreal peaceful backdrop on their website.”
In addition to providing information about burials, cremation, aftercare and advance planning, the website also has an obituary section with personalized pages so family and friends can access information about the deceased, the services and convey condolences to the family via an online guestbook.
“We feel fortunate our business’s heritage has had a place within the history of Charleston. And while being extremely proud of our history, as a business we need to convey our leadership as a forward-looking provider of funeral services,” says Catherine Stuhr, Vice President of J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. “We are thrilled with our updated identity and the additional services and information we can provide on our new website.”


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In 2014, the United States' Government Accountability Office released a report that seemed to confirm what some food safety groups had claimed for years. The Food and Drug Administration, the GAO said, failed to test our food supply for residues of certain pesticides, including the most heavily used pesticide in the world.
The GAO, the nonpartisan government agency that investigates how taxpayer dollars are spent, wrote in its report that the FDA’s testing was inadequate, and that less than 1 percent of imported food shipments ever get tested for pesticide residue.
Singled out in the report is glyphosate, the primary ingredient of Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller and the world's most commonly used pesticide. Whether or not glyphosate is a carcinogen has been the subject of fierce controversy between experts and government agencies, and the GAO report, for its part, does not address those health concerns.
But GAO does note that it is the FDA's job to to enforce regulations and test food for pesticide residue, a job it was apparently not doing. "Limitations in FDA's methodology hamper its ability to determine the national incidence and level of pesticide residues in the foods it regulates, one of its stated objectives,” the GAO said.
“This is the most heavily used pesticide in the world. If anything we should definitely be testing for this. We need to know how much of these residues are in the food supply,” Bill Freese, science policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety, tells ConsumerAffairs.
FDA launches then suspends program
The FDA in February appeared to take heed. The agency announced earlier this year that it was launching its own "special assignment" program to test food for glyphosate residue. But on November 12, the site Eco-Watch reported that the program had been suspended, citing FDA sources.
An FDA spokesman confirms to ConsumerAffairs that the special assignment is "currently on hold." Spokesman Megan McSeveney says that an FDA chemist already tested soybeans, corn, milk, and eggs for glyphosate and presented the preliminary results, which she said showed "no pesticide residue for violations for glyphosate....However, the special assignment is ongoing and all results must go through the FDA’s quality control process to be verified." When that will happen remains unclear. "We cannot speculate on timing at this point," she says.
“I think its pretty outrageous that they have decided to stop the testing program,” Freese says.
New report raises questions
This week, shortly after the FDA’s testing program was suspended, two nonprofits published their own report on glyphosate residue in food.
According to a report from the groups Food Democracy Now and The Detox Project, testing conducted by a laboratory they had contracted with shows "extremely high levels of the pesticide glyphosate in some of America’s most popular food products." The data they used comes from testing conducted by Anresco Laboratories, an FDA-registered lab that has conducted food safety testing since 1943, according to the report.
A number of popular snack food and cereal products are studied in their report. Topping the list is Cheerios, with glyphosate levels reaching over 1100 parts per billion, according to the report. A General Mills spokesman does not dispute the figures but notes that the amount of glyphosate apparently found in Cheerios is still well below the levels that the Environmental Protection Agency has deemed safe to consume.
“This study shows that our products without question meet or exceed regulatory safety levels and are safe,” General Mills says in a statement to ConsumerAffairs. “The EPA has researched this issue and they set the rules that we follow and that farmers follow who grow crops such as wheat and corn.”
For food safety advocates like Freese, the issue is not about a single food product. Rather, it is the exposure to multiple potential sources of glyphosate that they say could pose health risks, which is why the Center for Food Safety has been pushing federal regulators to lower the level of glyphosate deemed acceptable for American consumers to eat.
“The EPA used to set an even lower level than Europe does today,” Freese says. The recent report, Freese says, is a good start to investigating the issue, and a sign, he says, that more government testing into pesticide residue must be conducted.
The health consequences of consuming food with glyphosate residue are still a matter of intense debate. In March, a panel conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer for the World Health Organization concluded that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
However, a report conducted for the World Health Organization this past May by separate panels, the Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the WHO’s Core Assessment Group on Pesticide Residues said that glyphosate is “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet.”
Monsanto has not yet returned a request for comment from ConsumerAffairs. But the company fiercely contests the earlier WHO findings, writing on its website: “Based on the overwhelming weight of evidence, Monsanto strongly disagrees with IARC’s classification of glyphosate.”
More recently, the New York Times published a story showing that pesticide use has steadily increased in the United States as farmers depend more on genetically modified seeds and Monsanto's Roundup, a report that the company also disputed.