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Two out of three ain't bad. The percent of new business start-ups since Katrina has exploded, far outpacing the national average, but the population has continued its shift out of Orleans Parish and government is still the highest job giver. This article examines where the jobs are in the 10 parish region, how we are more productive than the US as a whole, how jobs are leaving Orleans Parish and where they are going.
The New Orleans MSA ( Metropolitan Statistical Area) refers to the 7 parish area surrounding New Orleans. A MSA is an area exceeding 50,000 population with a high degree of similarity in social and economic traits. The 10 parish region includes St. James, Tangipahoa & Washington parishes since their economic traits are interwoven.
Since 2010, four sectors have lost jobs: manufacturing, oil, government and administration services, but government is still the major employer in the 10 parish region around New Orleans with 17% of the nonfarm jobs, followed by wholesale and retail trade at 15% and hospitality at 13%.
Most of the jobs in Orleans and Jefferson Parish fall into three areas: Downtown, Elmwood Shopping Center and Lakeside Shopping Center. Notice the blank area in New Orleans East.
Jobs have been leaving Orleans Parish since 1980. Neither Dutch, Sidney, Marc, C. Ray or Mitch could make any difference. The jobs went to Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany. Looking at the rate of change, Orleans Parish lost 39% of its market share, Jefferson Parish gained 31% of the market share, and St. Tammany gained 275% market share. Job growth is a strategic driver because it leads to housing booms, new demand for office space, new warehouses to store the goods that industry produces and new retailers to sell to the new consumers.
Gross metro product (GMP) measures the average value of goods & services produced by each job in the region. Since 1980, productivity in the New Orleans metro area rose 24%, but the US productivity during the same time period rose 57%. More recently though, the data show a change in trend: since the 2008 recession, productivity has increased far more than the national average.
New businesses fled the New Orleans metropolitan area for the decade prior to Hurricane Katrina, but then things changed: existing residents decided after Katrina to start their own businesses and the influx of new residents to the area to help rebuild it led lots to stay and open their own business. The percent of new businesses due to Katrina more than doubled, which far exceeded the national trend.
Sources: Bureau of Labor, The Data Center, GNO Inc, LED
For more information on demographics trends, see our article on Louisiana's Economic Drivers.


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bakpti.unisma.ac.id, 04/04/20. In March 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, to be a pandemic, due to the speed and scale of transmission. WHO and public health authorities around the world are taking action to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. Certain populations, such as those with disability, may be impacted more significantly by COVID-19. This impact can be mitigated if simple actions and protective measures are taken by key stakeholders.
People with disability can reduce can their potential exposure to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by :
1. Avoiding crowded environments
2. Disinfecting assistive products frequently
3. Working from home
4. Gathering urgent items such as food, cleaning suplies, medication or medical supplies

domain: news


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ALL INDIA COFFEE EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION
Economic alliance with India is important, says H.E. Mohd Sharaf,UAE
DUBAI - September 27, 2017: More investment flows between the UAE and India should be promoted, and the scope for investments should be widened to address ne...
What I Read This Week: Lifestyle over food & consumption boom minus income growth
This is only a sampling of some of the best content Ritesh ...
So, jugaad instinct spreads in the US?
A TOI report said that $100 million worth of garish Indian printed bedsheets were recently sold by Ama...
What changed your market while you were sleeping
The bulls struggled on Thursday but could not restrict Nifty50 from recording its third day of consecutive loss.
Lifting of ban on import of pepper and coffee from Vietnam: Indian exporters confused
The ban had put the pepper and instant coffee exporters in India in a fix.
How to eat and drink like a local in Hong Kong
Yum Cha, originally just tea in Cantonese but now connoting tea and dim sum, is Hong Kong’s favourite pastime.
Commerce Ministry for exempting exports from GST
Ministry officials argued the need for granting an "ab-initio" exemption from GST for exporters saying seeking tax refunds erodes working capital.
A look at how Indian consumers have been steadily changing their patterns of drinking coffee
Earlier, people were happy with something hot, frothy and bittersweet. Now most can discern the difference in taste among various coffee chains.
India - Vietnam: 45 years, partners in Peace
India is currently offering 50 ITEC slots every year to Vietnamese defence personnel. Indian ships regularly make friendly port calls to Vietnam.
Sluggish rain likely to lower coffee output by 8 per cent in 2016-17
The production fall is estimated in all coffee-growing districts in the state. Maximum fall is estimated to be in Kodagu, followed by Chikmagalur and Hassan.
need2know: Six things you must know to start day on Dalal Street
Bank credit growth has slipped to 4.32% in the fortnight to April 28, against 63-year low of 5.08% in FY17
India exports 4% less coffee, earns 6% more revenue
Out of total volume of coffee exports (3,01,243 tonnes), the shipment of robusta variety fell by over 16 per cent to 1,37,013 tonnes in 2014.
How gastronomical Melbourne is influenced by the artisanal food culture of nearby small towns
A comfortable three-hour drive from Melbourne, Beechworth is a tiny historical town, right in the middle of High Country, as this mountainous countryside is called.
Exports of 10 key agriculture products including coffee, rice in negative zone in July
In all, 10 out of 13 main agriculture products that are closely monitored by the Commerce Ministry, were in the negative zone in July.
An experience of wealth: Tales of the Kannadiga crorepatis
Nilekani is now also on the Niti Aayog panel on e-payments, working with chief ministers to promote the use of digital payment systems across the country.


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Photos featuring the component have been shared by Sonny Dickson, the same person who had shared pictures of the dummy models, and of iPhone 5S and 5C before their release. The pictures were first published by 9to5mac.
The pictures also feature a ruler used for taking the panel’s measurements. Diagonally, the panel measures 14cm or 5.5-inch, as seen on the pictures. It’s being rumoured that the 5.5-inch iPhone will be released after the 4.7-inch variant and will be in short supply.
Judging by his past, Dickson has a good record when it comes to iPhone leaks.
Going by previously leaked images, both models of the iPhone 6 appear to sport a similar design with a thinner profile compared to iPhone 5/5S, rounded edges and different antenna cut-outs, in addition to a non-glass, metal back. Both feature a TouchID sensor integrated with the Home button. The power button is placed on the right side.
Apple’s next-generation iPhone is expected to arrive in fall (September-October). It has been reported several times in the past that Apple will unveil two iPhones this year, one with a 4.7-inch screen and other with 5.5- or 5.7-inch display.
In February this year, the first set of leaked iPhone images surfaced on the internet. These images showed that the next-generation iPhone will sport a design similar to that of iPad Air and be much thinner than the iPhone 5S.
Other rumoured features of the next-generation iPhone include health-centred apps, 13MP camera, solar charging, scratch-resistant sapphire screen, better battery and faster Wi-Fi.- TOI


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It's Nexus season folks! That time of year where everyone else is getting excited for Christmas far too early but us Android fans, we have something more important to look forward to. The latest Nexus phone. This year however, has been a real treat for die-hard Android fans thanks to the constant rumors surrounding numerous Nexus phones hitting shelves this fall. Just recently we bought you word of the Optimus G becoming a Nexus before long, as well as changes to the program itself. It looks like that's coming true with word of Googlers testing the device right now.
Digitimes, the place where rumors are born, have bought us another doozy. The outfit is now claiming that LG, Sony, Samsung and HTC are all "potential partners" for the Nexus program. Whether or not that means we'll have phones from all of them is unconfirmed but, this is something we've been hearing all year long it feels like, it'd certainly be a big boost for stock Android. Digitimes had the following to say about the rumor:
"Google reportedly will allow branded vendors to set hardware specifications as well as looks of the forthcoming Nexus smartphones as long as the models are based on its latest native Android system, said the sources, adding that this approach seems to be acceptable to brand players, since Google apparently is keeping its promise of not offering preferential treatment to Motorola."
I know that I'd love to see Nexus phones from all of these manufacturers – especially to see HTC's effort as they did a pretty good job on the first one. When CNET had approached Motorola for comment on whether or not we'd be seeing a Moto Nexus they had this to say: "We will absolutely be one of the people considered the next time Google delivers its Nexus phone…but we're not going to receive special treatment." This certainly reminds me of a "firewall" a certain Andy Rubin has been talking about ever since the merger went through earlier in the year. It appears that Google staff have been given models of the LG Nexus to test and it might mean a certain appearance from the Korean phone maker.


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Disney's Mr. Potato Head with all of his parts!
The Wall Street Journal previously released a work-in-progress photo of the highly-advanced animatronic version of Mr. Potato Head that will be installed at the upcoming Toy Story Mania attraction at both Disney’s California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme parks. Now, Yahoo! has a view of what the spud, all put together, looks like.
This image provided by Walt Disney Imagineering shows comedian Don Rickles posing with his Toy Story alter ego, Mr. Potato Head, at Walt Disney Imagineering in Los Angeles, Feb. 23, 2008. Disney Imagineers have created a sophisticated Audio-Animatronics figure featuring the voice of Rickles for Toy Story Mania; an interactive ride-through attraction that combines 3-D technology and interaction with favorite Disney-Pixar stars. The new attraction is scheduled to open later in 2008 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California


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A few weeks ago, Short Order gave the new Burger King delivery service a test run and determined there may be a few kinks still left to work out. We did like the new packaging that keeps the fries and burgers crisp and warm, but the delivery took an hour during the middle of the day. Perhaps in an attempt to address the delay, Burger King recently announced plans to hire 100 new drivers for the delivery service. The service had its test run here in Miami and in Washington, DC starting in October.
This week, the Miami-based worldwide fast food eatery announced delivery expansion to Houston and New York City. Houston was selected due to its high demand for delivery service in a city that is spread out over 656.3 square miles. In expanding to NYC, Burger King is showing signs that it is very serious about succeeding in delivery in the United States as it already has in countries like Turkey, Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Brazil. The NYC delivery market is the most competitive in the country, with McDonald's already having years under its belt with its delivery service in Manhattan.
For the Miami delivery expansion, Burger King is looking for drivers who are at least 18 years of age, have a valid driver's license, car insurance and a "good" driving record. Those with a DUI on their record or those who are habitual traffic offenders (HTO) need not apply. Experience is preferred, but not necessary. Drivers will be expected to work between the hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., but will not have to deliver items like fountain drinks, shakes, soft serve desserts, coffee or breakfast items.
The test run here in Miami has uncovered a few key trends, according to a Burger King spokesman. Deliveries occur with about the same frequency for dinner and lunch customers in commercial locations. In residential locations, however, dinner deliveries are much more popular.
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The Prime Minister had announced the nationwide celebration of the Handloom Day on 7th August in the year 2015- it is also the day when the Swadeshi movement started in 1905 marking the movement where ordinary Indian’s reclaimed their sense of dignity and self-respect in the context of colonial oppression. What symbolic importance does this hold for our times?
Kavya Thomas | The New Leam
August 7th , 2017 is a day of great significance for the trajectory of India as a nation. It was on this date that in 1905 the Swadeshi Movement was launched. The movement which was part of the larger struggle for independence involved economic strategies that aimed at removing the British Empire from power in India.
What made the movement so distinctive and unique were the strategies that were adopted in it such as the total boycott of British made products and a revival of indigenously made products and methods of production. Thus is a very subtle yet important way the function that the first Swadeshi movement (the second came when Bengal was to be partitioned) served was to instill back among the Indians a sense of dignity and self-worth- a determination to break free from the hegemonic control of the oppressor and to find once again their lost identity and self –respect.
We are witnessing the same date once again but the times have changed considerably. Yes, from an erstwhile colonized country India has become an independent, democratic republic endowed constitutionally with the sovereign power of decision making but yet it seems that despite these mega structural changes there are some aspects that have remained unchanged.
We were oppressed by the colonial state and not allowed to evolve an independent economic structure for the nation then and even today despite our political freedom we are not strong enough in terms of the development of the indigenous economy, the production of local handicrafts that provide livelihoods to the last man, the self-reliance of village industry and even the strengthening of indigenous modes of production.
Post neo-liberalization and with the unprecedented opening up of the market, India has entered the global transactional space but this has certainly not meant equal exchange, mutual reciprocity but rather has transformed India into an obsessive consumer of foreign goods and services and a steady decline in its indigenous products and modes of production. Thus in many ways when the Prime Minister asks us to rejoice in the National Hand loom Day today it is ironic that at a time when farmers from the south are on a fast with their demands unheard in the capital, when the GST has meant unaffordability and difficulty for the common man, when gas subsidies for the poorest are soon to be withdrawn, when without an Aadhar card one is not allowed to even be ‘dead’ and moreover at a time when political scams and stories of mega corruption are part and parcel of our contemporary social life it is indeed a paradox that such slogan-ism can even be cognized.
The Handloom was in many ways the soul of India as it stood for the hand woven garment industry which was run by local artisans and village folks, it stood for the indigenous forms of art and weaving and contributed directly to feeding a large scale of Indian households in India’s remote rural belts. Today, the decline of the industry speaks in many ways of the changed priorities of the nation which thrives on a democracy where the poor are thought about only during election propaganda and are neglected during all other times. It speaks of the rhetoric that we have reduced leadership into. If there is anything that needs to be done at the moment for the Indian Handloom industry it is to give it back it’s deserved space and its artists their dignity and pride. Void of these preliminary steps we can celebrate endless days without ever touching a life.
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Moto G8 Fast leaked ahead of time; US release to follow soon
Motorola's flagships have been, for the most part, lackluster. Its mid-rangers, on the other hand, have been quite popular. That explains why the company has been releasing a barrage of them over the year. There is yet another one in the works, too, called the Moto G Fast.
Motorola 'accidentally' let information about the Moto G Fast slip via a YouTube video, which was graciously saved by a user before Motorola made the original private. While it doesn't mention any components by name, the video gives us a decent idea about what one can expect from the upcoming mid-ranger. For starters, we know that it will come with a triple-camera setup, with one of them confirmed to be a wide-angle sensor, and the other a macro lens. Up at the front, there's a punch-hole camera nestled at the top-left corner.
The Moto G fast will feature an 'octa-core Qualcomm CPU' coupled with 3GB of RAM. We're probably looking at a Snapdragon 6xx series chip, which has been standard across most Moto G phones. The rumor mill is abuzz with mentions of a 5G-ready Qualcomm 6xx chip. Whether or not Motorola chooses to use it on the phone remains to be seen.
Lastly, Motorola says that the Moto G Fast can provide up to 'two days of battery,' pegging its capacity at around the ~4,000mAh mark, which, once again, has been a standard feature of many Moto G phones. The phone could very well be a repackaged Moto G8 or Moto G8 Power intended for the US market. The phone is aesthetically similar to both and even shares the same camera configuration. If that is the case, it will likely cost around the $180 mark, making it an attractive buy for those on a tight budget.


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Student-run radio station KDVS 90.3 FM and local record store Armadillo Music will be co-hosting this year’s annual Vinyl and Music Fair. The fair will be held at the Davis Senior Center on Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The fair began around a decade ago with twelve record vendors and a small crowd of vinyl enthusiasts. In the past few years the fair has become increasingly popular and will be hosting 50 vendors this year.
Sellers will be traveling from the likes of Reno, Los Angeles and Portland and will be working alongside some of Davis’ local vendors. Along with a vinyl exchange, the event will also offer tables of collector CDs, DVDs, audio devices and concert memorabilia.
Armadillo Music Store Manager Paul Wilbur is one of the main organizers of the event and has a passion for vinyl himself. He believes the fair is great way to find rare merchandise.
“Vendors from all over California come to sell records; everything from cheap records fifty cents apiece to expensive hard to find collectables. There are people selling CDs and turn tables and audio equipment, but the major focus is vinyl,” Wilbur said.
The event attracts people of all ages and all different tastes in music. The offerings range from records dating back as early as the 1960s to albums released this year. The selections span across all genres of music, including rock, jazz, hip-hop, pop, classical and beyond.
Mike Wilson, who has sold concert memorabilia at the fair, has spent a lot of time interacting with customers and has noted the array of unique preferences the event draws in.
“It’s a good place to get like-minded people in the same area. You could go to one hundred record stores and not find what you want, which is why people who love music go here,” Wilson said.
Records were first created in the late 1870s and were originally played in phonograph machines. By the late 1940s Columbia Records released the common LP vinyl record we are familiar with today. Many of the records from this era have since been disposed of or lost in forgotten storage, leaving collectors to search for items at special vinyl fairs like this one.
The event has known to turn up rarities like Janis Joplin, The Doors and Led Zeppelin. The prices for these finds tend to be lower at the Vinyl and Music Fair than from private bidders, and this has been a big reason for spikes in attendance in the past few years.
Marvin Philips, past record store owner and vinyl tradesman, used the fair as a way to find and keep a variety of records in his shop.
“I love going to them because you never know what you’re going to find. You’ll find something you never knew existed,” Philips said. “If you’ve never been to one, it could be a real eye-opening experience.”
Philips expressed the belief that unlike many of its musical counterparts, vinyl records will stand the test of time, especially through events like this.
“The record is always going to be here, it’s never going to go away. Like tape records, I can see the CD being gone in five or 10 years, but the record will still be going,” Philips said.
For more information regarding the Vinyl and Music Fair you can visit kdvs.org/vinyl-and-music-fair or contact Armadillo Music at (530) 758-8058. Early entrance to the fair starts at 8:30 a.m. with a $5 fee and 9 a.m. entrance is free.
AKIRA OLIVIA KUMAMOTO can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Valve are pushing their award-winning franchise, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) in a slightly different direction. Having achieved a staggering global recognition over the past decade, CS:GO is now free to play, and it will feature a battle royale mode.
Counter-Strike GOes Free to Play, Adds Battle Royale
On December 6, Valve broke the news. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) was to become a free to play game. Woe is those of us who had actually spent money purchasing the game. The announcement stirred quite a bit of excitement with paying players lashing out in over 14,000 negative reviews while others welcomed the move and were soon seen playing the game in its entirety online.
CS:GO is now FREE TO PLAY!
Introducing Danger Zone – a fast-paced battle royale game mode built on CS:GO’s tactical gameplay where players use their wits, skill, and resources to fight to the finish. Play solo or work together as a squad of two or three!https://t.co/MI7NpPh7XV pic.twitter.com/XCOanWH47c
— Steam (@steam_games) December 7, 2018
Valve are actively seeking to re-establish a vibrant in-game player base, with the monthly user count dropping to sub-300,000 users as of April, 2018, a far cry from the nearly half a million playing in 2015.
As to the changes, understandably, not everyone is thrilled, specifically because all that existing users will get for having bought the game is a “loyalty badge”. While the move is not entirely popular, it seems to be a necessary ground-breaking change that the company has been planning for a while.
New CS:GO players will receive access to all game modes, matchmaking, and a limited set of item drops and weapon cases.
The company additionally confirmed the release of their own battle royale game, “Danger Zone,” advertised as a mode for the game. In a sense, this plays well with the known history of the game, which began as a modification of Half-Life and progressed to a stand-alone title with millions of people playing or having heard of the game.
Moving forward, players will be allowed to achieve a “prime status”, which will enable them to obtain a number of goodies, including “prime-exclusive souvenir items, item drops, and weapon cases.” To achieve the distinction, individuals will have to reach Rank 21 or pay $14.99, the current price tag of the game.
The announcement of the battle royale mode was equally significant as it signals that Valve wants to adapt to the fast-changing world of competitive gaming by offering adequate products. While CS:GO remains one of the defining esports games out there, others, such as Fortnite and Battle Royale are quickly gaining popularity while still offering competitive formats, or in the very least – the investment to host such events.
Danger Zone is a fast-paced battle royale game mode built on CS:GO’s tactical gameplay where players use their wits, skill, and resources to fight to the finish.
Even giants such as Activision/Blizzard have acknowledged the mounting competition from this new breed of shooters, enough to motivate the company to roll-out its own Call of Duty battle royale. Apparently, companies are becoming cognizant of the challenges poised by the innovative and visually-appealing products that share the simplicity of gameplay while providing for a depth of the experience.
Meanwhile, Valve could have broken the news to the community in a more considerate manner, but even then, CS:GO is likely to register a further downturn in its users base despite the negativity that has been swirling around in the past several days.


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Peugeot’s iOn is the winner of the 2010 Green Steering Wheel. This is an award given to the car with the lowest environmental impact. It is part of the famous German Golden Steering Wheel, given out every year by Axel Springer press for the past 34 years; the iOn is a totally electric vehicle,
The Green Steering Wheel award was instigated back in 2007 and the winner is chosen from a list developed by the readers of Bild am Sonntag, which is the number one selling Sunday paper in Europe, and readers of the magazine, Auto Bild.
The Peugeot had to fend off twenty other environmentally friendly contenders in order to win. This is the third German award the iOn has received. The final decision for the Green Steering Wheel award is made by a board composed of environmental and automotive experts chosen by Germany’s Environment Minister.
The panel has sole discretion to choose a winner among seven finalists.
It is quite a prestigious accolade for any low emissions vehicle manufacturer and certainly a viable marketing tool. Don’t be surprised if we soon begin seeing commercials for the iOn touting its 2010 Green Steering Wheel award, as well we should.


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A month after Apple delivered its new iPad, rumors are heating up about a new iteration of the tablet designed to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire.
The latest rumor to make the rounds is that Apple is planning to produce 6 million smaller iPads for sale some time in the third quarter. The report, from Chinese portal NetEase, was translated by Kotaku.
The NetEase report is based on "Taiwan media reports" and is said to be based on orders that Apple is placing to factories in the region, notably Honhai Precision (Foxconn) and Pegatron.
The report comes after The Korea Times wrote last month that Samsung was supplying Apple with "new PLS-based LCD technology for smaller iPads." An unnamed Samsung official also told the publication that Apple was "planning to release a smaller iPad, probably with a 7.86-inch screen," later this year. The current iPad has a 9.7-inch screen.
Despite the latest reports, though, there are reasons for skepticism. First, rumors of a smaller version of the iPad have circulated since Apple's initial introduction of the product in early 2010 and have not come to pass. Second, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was famously skeptical of 7-inch tablets, calling such devices "tweeners" that are too big to compete with smartphones and too small to vie with the iPad. Finally, Apple would likely cannibalize sales of its pricier iPads if it released a smaller, cheaper model.
Since Windows 8-based tablets set to hit the market later this year will be more in the price range of the current iPads, the real competition for Apple on the low end will be from Amazon's Kindle Fire. However, Apple's first-quarter results revealed that Amazon's entry had a minimal impact on iPad sales.


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Sacred Citadel News (PC)
Posted: 25.08.2012 by JonahFalconComments: 1
Deep Silver has announced that Dead Island: Riptide, Sacred 3, and Sacred Citadel will be at PAX Prime next week, making their first public appearance.
Posted: 06.08.2012 by JonahFalconComments: 1
Deep Silver has revealed a sidescrolling beat'em up spinoff to their popular action RPG Sacred series. The spinoff, Sacred Citadel, can best be described as a class-based variation of Castle Crashers, in which each character has their own role, such as melee, magic and archery.


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Nigeria-based flour and pasta supplier Dangote Flour Mills has attracted takeover interest from Singapore-based Olam International, one of the world’s largest agri-food businesses.
Olam has submitted an offer to buy Dangote Flour Mills for NGN130bn (US$361.6m). The bid, if accepted by Dangote Flour Mills’ shareholders and approved by regulators, would be the latest in a series of acquisitions Olam has made in Nigeria. The company’s most recent move came three years ago when it snapped up another business in the flour and pasta sectors in Nigeria, Amber Foods.
A deal would see Olam attain Dangote Flour Mills’ five manufacturing facilities. K.C. Suresh, managing director and CEO of Olam’s grains and animal feed operations, said the acquisition would double the company’s wheat-milling capacity in Nigeria.
“The acquisition of DFM supports the strategy of the Grain and Animal Feed business, one of Olam’s prioritised platforms for growth, to expand our wheat-milling capacity in high-growth markets, such as Nigeria,” Suresh said. “Since 2010, when we first acquired Crown Flour Mills in Nigeria, Olam has invested in and grown a world-class wheat milling franchise with a strong regional footprint across four countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Bringing together Olam and DFM would provide enhanced manufacturing capacity and create synergies with our existing business to deliver improved products to meet customers’ needs in the market.”
In a statement announcing the bid, Olam said demand for “high-quality flour is expected to continue to grow” in Nigeria, driven, it asserted, “by increased consumption of convenient and affordable wheat-based products, such as bakery, snacks and pasta”.
The company added: “Olam’s and DFM’s complementary manufacturing footprint would allow a broader reach across the Nigerian population. Olam will further leverage its strengths and scale in global sourcing, freight, risk management and operational excellence to deliver operational and cost efficiencies which in turn would deliver higher value to the Nigerian consumers by supplying them food staples manufactured in Nigeria, at a lower cost.”
In its own statement, Dangote Flour Mills, which is listed on The Nigerian Stock Exchange, confirmed it had received the bid. “The board will review the offer in the best interest of shareholders,” Dangote Flour Mills said. “The board will keep both the capital markets and the public updated on tangible development [sic] in this regard, in line with the applicable regulatory requirements.”
In 2018, Dangote Flour Mills generated revenue of NGN112.34bn, down from NGN124.69bn in 2017.
The company made a total comprehensive loss of NGN1.14bn, versus a profit of NGN15.13bn a year earlier – or a profit of NGN9.31bn from continuing operations.
Dangote Flour Mills started operations in 1999, as a division of Nigerian conglomerate Dangote Industries. In 2006, the conglomerate decided to unbundle its various operations and Dangote Flour Mills was set up as a separate company.
In 2012, South Africa-based FMCG group Tiger Brands acquired a majority stake in Dangote Flour Mills. It sold the shares three years later.


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On Tap: Mad Buffalo Distillery Becomes Coulter & Payne Farm Distillery, Ferguson Brewing Co. Reopens After Brief Closure
Mad Buffalo Distillery is now Coulter & Payne Farm Distillery. The distillery started production in 2012 with an un-aged white whiskey “moonshine” based on a family recipe, and their moonshine, vodka and bourbon are bottled under the Thunderbeast label. Their products are made from 100 percent non-GMO Missouri corn that’s grown, milled, malted, cooked, mashed, fermented, and distilled on site at their family farm, Shawnee Bend Farms, in Union.
“Prior to Prohibition, whiskey was a staple of farmers and homesteaders throughout the United States,” Chris Burnette, Distillery President and CEO, said in a release. “My own family history includes many farmers that distilled grain as a means of survival. To better reflect this, we’ve decided to change our name to something that depicts our dedication to our family and to the Family Farm. Our spirits are Estate-Grown, meaning that every step, from planting to bottling, takes place on our own farm. Every bottle has been handcrafted, from field to glass, by myself or a member of my family.”
Ferguson Brewing Co. has re-opened after closing briefly due to the unrest in Ferguson. “Thank you all for your support and understanding over the past two days,” the company wrote in a Facebook post. “The violence and actions you’ve seen on TV is not reflective of the community we live in. This is a wonderful city with wonderful people and we intend to keep it that way.” 418 S. Florissant Rd., Ferguson, 314.521.2220
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company has announced that the third annual Craftoberfest, a nighttime celebration of local craft beer and indie craft goods, will be held in their Midtown Alley beer garden on Thursday, Oct. 16. The event features more than 30 of St. Louis’ best local indie crafters, artists, and vintage sellers in a lantern-lit night market setting with live bango music. Lulu’s Local Eatery will be on-site, slinging their popular vegetarian fare. 3229 Washington Ave., Midtown, 314.222.0143


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In November, prices of most major kharif crops crashed below their respective minimum support prices (MSPs), triggering farm distress. One of the many reasons behind this situation is that planting decisions of our farmers are based on last year’s prices, rather than the prices expected at the time of harvest. Signals indicating future prices are largely absent as agri-futures have been decimated by excessive controls and regulation. It is time to think afresh and resurrect agri-futures in India.
In 2003, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government’s decisions to allow futures markets in India — after a long gap — was hailed as a big and bold step towards better price discovery for farmers. This, in turn, was supposed to help farmers take informed planting decisions. In the initial years — 2003-2007 — agri-futures did show promising growth. But around 2007-2008, they were hit by the global food price crisis. Agri-futures picked up momentum again and peaked in 2011-2012. However, since then, there has been heavy government intervention in agri-futures with higher margin requirements as well as absolute suspensions, resulting in their near collapse.
Chinese agri-futures have had a contrasting trajectory. The agri-futures market was introduced in the early 1990s in China. It struggled for a decade, but thereafter Chinese agri-futures had such a robust growth that by 2016, it was at the top of global chart, crossing the 1,000 million mark, dwarfing India’s 20 million contracts in the process.
What lessons can India learn from China in order to promote its agri-futures and help its farmers in better price discovery? Very briefly, China experimented with several things, including inviting experts from the Chicago Board of Trade in the US, rationalising commodities and exchanges by closing down trade in many items and focusing on a few farm products, especially the less sensitive ones. However, to understand India’s story better, we need to look at the perceptions and actions of three key stakeholders: Policy-makers, regulators (FMC/SEBI), and commodity exchanges. A pre-requisite for the development of a agri-futures market is to have a stable policy environment.
The government, including the regulator, should provide a favourable environment for the futures trade to flourish. Commodity exchanges have to invest in designing appropriate contracts for business development. Abrupt interventions, with frequent changes in stocking restrictions on private trade, have reduced the prospects of agri-futures in India. We collated information about various interventions related to margins and suspensions since 2003 and found that suspensions of agri-futures, as well as high margins, have been targeted more towards commodities that are perceived as sensitive in the common man’s food basket (See graph). For example, tur, urad, rice have been suspended for more than a decade now. High margins for sensitive commodities, for example, 100 per cent for potato (August 2014), 95 per cent for chana (June 2016) and 70 per cent for sugar (September 2016) reflect the government’s intention of blocking their futures trade.
So, if one has to develop agri-futures in India, the first lesson is to stay away from sensitive commodities (for example, common rice, wheat, most pulses, and even sugar), at least for some time, till futures gain momentum and some depth. It would be prudent to focus on less sensitive commodities like oilseed complex (oilseeds, meals, and oils), feed (maize), cotton, basmati rice and spices. Once markets are developed and the regulator has a higher degree of comfort, the country can diversify to other commodities in the agri-futures portfolio. This is what China also seems to have done. The largest volumes in agri-futures have come from oilseeds. This points to the significance of the regulator’s role: Giving a clear direction in terms of the choice of commodities, and then staying the course by adopting a stable policy with minimal interventions.
Second, for the government to be assured that speculators are not rigging markets, the regulator should allow only delivery-based contracts, at least till markets deepen. This is another lesson from the Chinese experience: All agri-commodities traded at the Dalian Commodity Exchange are physical-delivery based.
Third, like its Chinese counterpart, the government of India should encourage state trading enterprises (STEs) to trade on the agri-futures platform. This will boost the government’s confidence in agri-futures as it will have ample information from its STEs. In China, STEs, the China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) for example, have a major presence in the agri-futures’ markets. COFCO is directly administered by China’s State Council and is the largest food processor, manufacturer and largest exporter and importer in the country. It trades in agri-commodities like soybean oil and meal, palm oil, cotton and sugar in the futures market. India’s STEs like the MMTC, STC, PEC or even the FCI can participate on the agri-futures platform in a similar manner, helping it to deepen.
Lastly, it has to be recognised that developing agri-futures is as much the responsibility of the regulator as that of commodity exchanges, and both need to work in harmony for the benefit of various stakeholders, especially farmers who need useful information about future prices for their products while they are planting those crops. Can the Narendra Modi government take bold decisions to revive the legacy of the Vajpayee government and scale new heights in agri-futures, say 200 million contracts by 2022? Remember, China crossed the billion mark in 2015.
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Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) is now offering Prime, its premium shipping service that also bundles unlimited streaming, for $7.99 a month. A reader at the news site Hacking Netflix first reported the find yesterday:
With the change, what had been a $79-per-year membership is now being sold at the same price Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) charges for its streaming service here in the U.S. Hulu Plus, the premium streaming service cooperatively operated by Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), News Corp. (NASDAQ:FOX), and Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS), also charges $7.99 monthly .
Paying $7.99 a month for a year would cost $95.88. TechCrunch reports that it appears those who pay $79 annually for Prime now, or new members who wish to sign up for a year's subscription and save $16.88, may continue to do so.


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New research from the ACMA has found that more than one in 10 (11%) Australians have reported participating in online gambling at some stage in the previous 6 months, up from 8% in 2020.
The Online gambling in Australia snapshot, undertaken in June 2021, also showed an increase in sports betting, with 8% of Australians betting on sports or racing over the last 6 months, compared to 5% in 2020.
The research provides insight into the impact of COVID-19 on online gambling habits, with 16% of Australians who gamble online reporting an increase in their gambling frequency compared to before the pandemic.
Also released was a desktop study into affiliate marketing services that promote and facilitate access to online gambling services.
The study found commissions for affiliate marketing sites for online gambling are substantially higher than other industries. The study also notes that social media and streaming services such as Twitch are becoming popular ways for affiliates to target gamblers.
The ACMA has a role protecting Australians from harms associated with online gambling. In 2017, the ACMA started enforcing new illegal offshore gambling rules under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001, which prohibit online gambling services such as casinos from being provided or advertised to Australians. Since then the ACMA has facilitated the blocking of 354 illegal gambling websites and 21 affiliate marketing sites.
Both research reports will contribute to ACMA decision-making by providing up-to-date market developments and insights into consumer trends.


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Square Inc Update
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Settlement firm Square has signed an agreement to buy Australia’s “buy now, pay later” provider Afterpay for $ 29 billion in all-stock transactions, Australia’s largest acquisition in history.
Square, whose CEO Jack Dorsey is also Twitter CEO, offers Afterpay shareholders 0.375 shares of Square per share. This is a 30% premium based on the latest closing prices of both companies.
Based in Melbourne Afterpay Retailers can offer their customers the option of paying their products in four installments without interest if payments are made on time.
The size of the transaction will exceed the record set by Acquisition of Unibail-Rodamco Shopping center group Westfield with a corporate value of $ 24.7 billion in 2017.
The transaction, announced in a joint statement by the two companies on Monday, is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.
According to Afterpay, 16 million users consider the service to be a more responsible debit than using a credit card. The merchant pays Afterpay a fixed fee and a percentage of each order.
The deal underscores the great desire to buy now and pay the provider later. Has grown rapidly During the coronavirus pandemic.
“Square and afterpay have a common purpose,” Dorsey said. “We built our business to make our financial system fairer, more accessible and more comprehensive. Afterpay has built a credible brand that follows these principles.”
Recruitment Buy now and pay for service later By the beginning of the year, it had tripled in volume compared to pre-pandemic data, especially popular with young consumers, according to Adobe Analytics data.
Rival afterpay is from Sweden ClarnaDoubled its valuation to $ 45.6 billion in three months after receiving an investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2 in June. PayPal offers its own service, Payin 4, but last month it was reported that Apple was partnering with Goldman Sachs to buy now and later pay Apple Pay users.
Afterpay investor Ophir Asset Management’s portfolio manager Steven Ng said the deal could validate the acquisition, pay for a later business model and trigger a merger in the sector. rice field. “Given our partnership with Square, we could start a round of integration with other payment providers, where buying now and paying later would be another payment method offered to our customers,” he said. Told.
Over the past two years, afterpay has grown rapidly in the United States and Europe, now accounting for more than three-quarters of 16.3 million active customers and one-third of merchants on the platform. According to Afterpay, the service is used in more than 100,000 merchants in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain, known as Clearpay.
Square will provide this feature to merchants and users of Cash App, a fast money transfer service popular with small businesses and PayPal’s Venmo competitors.
“This is a high-priced purchase, but the market for buying now and paying later is growing very rapidly, and it makes a lot of sense for Square to invest firmly,” said retail analyst Neil.・ Sanders says.
“For some, especially the younger generation, buying now and paying later is a good form of credit. Afterpay has already had some success with its expansion in the United States, but Square is a platform. It can be accelerated by integrating it into the payment infrastructure, which is probably one of the relatively high price justifications for this transaction. “
Square processed $ 42.8 billion in payments in the second quarter, with Cash App transactions accounting for about 10%, according to figures released on Sunday. The company made $ 204 million in revenue with $ 4.7 billion in revenue.
Afterpay’s shareholders will own approximately 18.5 percent of Square when the acquisition is complete, the two companies said. The transaction was approved by the boards of directors of both companies, but it also requires the support of Afterpay shareholders.
As part of the transaction, Square will establish a secondary listing on the Australian Stock Exchange, giving Afterpay shareholders the option to receive Square shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange or ASX. Square may choose to pay 1% of the purchase price in cash.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter for the latest news and insights on FinTech from FT’s correspondent network around the world. #fintechFT
Square buys Afterpay for $ 29 billion as a “buy now, pay later” boom
Source link Square buys Afterpay for $ 29 billion as a “buy now, pay later” boom


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Peatreekers aims to shine light on centuries-old tale of illicit whisky
A WHISKY which pays tribute to some of Scotland’s 18th century illicit distillers has been released into the on-trade.
The ‘peatreekers’, who are reputed to have defied Royal decree in the 1700s to produce illegal whisky via illicit stills in secluded woodland and hills, were careful to avoid raising suspicion – with the only indication of their presence said to be the blackening of nearby trees.
Inspired by these whisky ‘rebels’, as well as the blackened trees, the Peatreekers brand aims to emulate the qualities of these illicit whisky producers.
The first release, Peatreekers Double Standard, is said to be a nod to those “who chose to operate the double standard and unwittingly helped the whisky industry mature into what it is today”.
Bottled at 40% ABV, the Islay blended malt has an antique brass colour and is described as containing a “nose of wood shavings, fresh honeysuckle, leather and salty smoke”, which gives way to a palate of “sweet peat smoke, vanilla pods and chocolate digestive biscuits”, with a long, warming peat smoke finish.
Founder Calum Leslie, a law graduate who set up a whisky subscription company before going on to launch the Peatreekers brand, told SLTN that the eventual aim is to build a portfolio of blended malts which “showcase the darker side of whisky”.
Having launched Double Standard in November last year, Leslie said a recent tasting event at the Swan Inn in Eaglesham (a stockist of Peatreekers) on Burns Night was “great fun”, and afforded him the opportunity to tell the story behind the brand.
Beyond the Swan Inn, Peatreekers Double Standard is currently stocked in Edinburgh venues Tigerlily and Rabble, as well as various wholesalers and retailers, including Inverarity Morton, Master of Malt, Good Spirits Co and the Whisky Exchange.
Eyeing further growth, Leslie said the focus this year is on establishing the brand across the country.
“We have a focus on Scotland right now and want to build new and existing relationships,” he said.
“We will release a limited edition bottling of Double Standard later in the year and hope to have a series of releases next year and beyond.
“Then, internationalisation, but we’re not there yet.”


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WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Warren Family Mission is gearing up for its annual coat giveaway, starting Friday.
The organization plans to give out around 400 coats, hats, scarves and mittens to the community.
Staying warm this winter is a necessity for all people, and by saving money on cold-weather gear, families can use their income for other things that they need, according to the Mission. Those at the Warren Family Mission understand that kids grow quickly and need new coats each year, said Dominic Mararri, director of public relations.
“Our clothing room last year has seen the largest influx, so we had a 105-percent increase when it comes to people utilizing our clothing service, so gently used clothes are always welcome here at the Warren Family Mission,” he said.
The coat giveaway starts at 11 a.m. Friday at the Warren Family Mission building. Coats are available for men, women, children and infants. Attendees should bring photo IDs, birth certificates or medical cards for children and have only one pick-up person per household.


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Big news for map lovers today! Google Maps has announced that it will be mapping out the bikelanes of 8 Canadian Cities (including Toronto): The online information giant announced Monday that it is introducing a Bike Directions feature to its popular Google Maps site, allowing users to highlight bike-friendly trails and roads across most major [...]
I Bike T.O. Shirts!!Our super-popular shirts are available online via our online store where you can have them shipped right to your door.
I Bike T.O. Shirts are now available in a few places in Toronto!
Outer Layer - 577 Queen St. W. (map)
Grapefruit Moon - 968 Bathurst St. (map)


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Arby’s is adding a new kind of meat to its menu.
The fast food chain – best known for its roast beef sandwiches – recently revealed that it will be offering a burger for the first time in its history.
On Monday, the new Wagyu Steakhouse Burger patty was available online on Arby’s Limited Time menu on two new menu items: the Deluxe Wagyu Steakhouse Burger and the Bacon Ranch Wagyu Steakhouse Burger.
Both menu items can be ordered on their own, or as part of a combo meal.
The deluxe burger is made with a Wagyu steakhouse burger patty, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, red onion, tomato and burger sauce on a toasted brioche bun, according to the Arby’s website.
Meanwhile, the bacon ranch version is made with the same Wagyu patty, along with bacon, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, red onion, tomato and Parmesan peppercorn ranch on a brioche bun, the website said.
According to the Arby’s website, the patties are made with a blend of Wagyu and ground beef.
"Instead of focusing on making billions of mediocre burgers, we’re taking a stance on high-quality meat that deserves to be cooked properly," Patrick Schwing, Arby's chief marketing officer said in a statement.
"As the meat experts, we’ve spent over two years of dedicated research and development to deliver a premium burger that redefines what’s possible from a drive thru," Schwing added.
The new burgers are available from May 23 through July 31 while supplies last, according to a press release provided to FOX Business. Prices start at $5.99 and vary based on location, the release said.
"There are too many bad burgers out there," a description of the new burger says on the Arby’s website. "That's why Arby's created THIS burger with wagyu beef, cooked medium-well with a hint of pink."


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Mirgor, an Argentinian manufacturing company, first opened in 1983 as a producer of automobile air conditioning units and quickly grew, diversifying into the production of household appliances and cellular phones. In recent years, the company expanded its market share in Argentina to manufacturing products for worldwide brands such as SAMSUNG, LG, Nokia, and Microsoft; General Motors, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota; and expanded its line of products, developing high-tech gadgets as infotainment for the automotive industry.
In 2012, Mirgor set out to replace its legacy ERP system to introduce analytics and replace tools within the information systems that support the lines of business. “We began to analyze all of the business processes, and then we needed to decide what would be the new set of tools for the company,” explains Daniel Cerdeira, CIO and Business Process Director at Mirgor.
For the next year, the company evaluated potential solutions and eventually elected to implement SAP solutions as the global suite. The business first utilized the basic functionality of SAP ERP, and after several technical analyses and comparisons, decided to run its new SAP ERP system on SAP HANA.
“After that, we had to decide where we should run this new architecture, and at the same time, we decided to outsource all our data centers and not have the hardware as proprietary equipment inside the company,” says Cerdeira.
Because there had previously been some communication challenges between the satellite data center and the factory plants located on Tierra del Fuego (the main island where the city of Río Grande resides), the business had to consider either physically relocating the data center to its headquarters in Buenos Aires province or moving the ERP system to the cloud.
“When we thought about having a data center devoted to our SAP systems on the island, we realized that it was not technically or economically feasible because we wouldn’t have all the human resources established on the island to attend to this kind of installation,” says Cerdeira.
In the end, the business opted to run the SAP system on SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, which now supports Mirgor’s entire business operations. “We are supporting the movement of the raw materials in our warehouses to their production lines and the production of the final goods as well as the movement of those final goods to the clients or warehouses that work with our representative brands,” says Cerdeira. “The idea is to sustain the entirety of operations running on SAP ERP: all the commercial cycles, all the technical specifications of the raw materials and final goods, and all the back-office operations.”
In addition to SAP ERP and SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, Mirgor also implemented SAP SuccessFactors solutions for all aspects related to its human resources as well as a non-SAP foreign exchange suite to manage all the imports and exports that run or are related to SAP ERP.
Production Continues Throughout Implementation
The evaluation phase was completed in late 2013, and Mirgor settled on its decision to run SAP ERP during the first quarter of 2014. Implementation began in August 2014 and after developing the new system and all the processes, Mirgor went live with SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud.
Erasing the old way of doing things and thinking in a new way is a challenge for this kind of project. Fortunately, SAP ERP running on SAP HANA gives the possibility to see the real results of the new way of doing things very quickly.
Cerdeira explains that the company took just over three months to prepare its existing legacy systems for the move to the cloud. “We had to prepare not only the integration of the information in the system, but the operation itself,” he says. “You have to coordinate the right moment to move the systems with the production processes of the different plants.”
Mirgor produces a variety of goods in half a dozen plants in the south of Argentina and was able to cutover to the new system on the same day for all the factories. Because of this, coordination was critical as well as a challenge — it was important to avoid any disruption in the production process. “We had to shut down the legacy system and simultaneously start the new system without any kind of stop in operations,” he explains.
Production was sustained in all factories with practically no disturbance. “It was not easy,” Cerdeira recalls. “Today, we are in the middle of the post-implementation process, trying to sustain all the operations. We have some challenges that are persisting in the coordination of the systems and the operations, but the company didn’t stop because of the change of the systems.”
The project remained largely on target in terms of timeline and was only delayed by two to three weeks while the implementation team ensured all the testing and data integration was complete. The implementation was managed with the help of several consulting companies, both from within SAP as well as from private partners, and each was devoted to a very specialized area of the project — from business processes to change management.
“We have a company helping with the SAP SuccessFactors solutions because we have installed SAP ERP Human Capital Management (SAP ERP HCM) and SAP SuccessFactors to sustain all the human resources processes,” Cerdeira adds. Prior to SAP SuccessFactors, Mirgor did not have any system to sustain all the normal processes of its human resources. “All those processes were sustained by hand,” he says. “We have now implemented all the functionalities of SAP ERP HCM. For us, SAP SuccessFactors works as an enabler of the rest of the project.”
Change management was a critical piece as well in terms of coordinating training and communicating the changes to Mirgor employees. “SAP is a very sophisticated, very good set of tools,” Cerdeira says. “Erasing the old way of doing things and thinking in a new way is a challenge for this kind of project. Fortunately, SAP ERP running on SAP HANA gives the possibility to see the real results of the new way of doing things very quickly. This is our most important challenge: trying to get employees accustomed to think in a completely new way.”
The Road to Realizing Benefits
It has only been a few months since going live with SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud, therefore, Cerdeira feels that the company cannot currently measure the range of benefits that it expects. “Today, we are still trying to get used to the new systems with the new processes,” he says.
While there are around 300 different users now in the SAP system, this project has touched the entire Mirgor population of 2,500 employees. “We know that we have to spend the next six months to one year getting used to the new system and the new functionalities with the idea that we will eventually have all the operations tracked by the new system,” Cerdeira says. “We are not yet touching the real benefits of this kind of change. We are working on this and demanding the rest of the organization to be patient and believe that we will see benefits in the next six to eight months.”
The most important benefit Cerdeira anticipates is improved communication, not only internally, but also between its clients and suppliers. For example, this means the company will be able to receive a piece of information that can be traced across all the operations, from the arrival of the raw materials to the delivery of the final goods. “This kind of information was completely unknown with the legacy system,” he says. While some information exists today in terms of production volumes and quality settings, with the new system, Mirgor employees will be able to track in real time the serial number of each product from production to delivery to the client. This real-time tracking will also open the door for employees to run analysis on the information as well, which will lead to various benefits in quality assurance and overall production.
Another key benefit the company anticipates in the coming months is in the real-time access to information with SAP HANA. Production employees will have the ability to track the final production of goods in real time. “This new information at employees’ fingertips will give us a lot of advantages that we didn’t have in the past,” says Cerdeira.
Mirgor is currently working to set up and coordinate the expectations for the benefits, establishing power users, and embarking on several initiatives, from product lifecycle management and materials administration to plant maintenance, finance operations, automation of the planning process, and consolidation of processes.
“For us, it’s very important how we manage each new product in the line,” Cerdeira says. “Time to market is very important. With cellular phones, a new model appears every two or three months. We are working on trying to expand the information and the capabilities of the system devoted to this kind of process.”


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According to one of the nation’s top pot recruiting agencies, the US cannabis industry needs new workers amid the coronavirus-induced economic crisis.
Vangst, which connects job seekers with positions in the cannabis industry, lists roughly 600 job openings per week across states where weed is legal. That’s good news considering there are now at least 30 million unemployed Americans, the highest unemployment rate in US history since the Great Depression.
“We’ve seen a huge uptick in candidates, and we’re seeing a large number of candidates coming from hospitality and retail,” Karson Humiston, Vangst’s founder and CEO, told Bloomberg. “When our clients do pick up hiring again, they’re going to have access to a really strong talent pool.”
From March to April, when all but eight US states entered lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Vangst saw a 300 percent “surge” of new applicants on its network. At the start of 2020, the legal cannabis industry employed 243,700 people, mostly in full-time positions that paid at least $12 to $16 an hour. That’s double the number of employees from 2017, indicating that the legal weed industry has shown minimal signs of slowing down despite being outlawed at the federal level.
In fact, Colorado recently rolled out a new program to help furloughed casino workers transition easily into the state’s burgeoning marijuana industry. However, Colorado and Nevada, two states heavily dependent on tourism, have seen weed sales slump amid the coronavirus crisis.
But as of last week, several US states began loosening state-ordered lockdowns. Converting from stay-at-home orders to safer-at-home orders are intended to boost the nation’s economy, which took a nosedive in March as financial activity and consumer spending came to a virtual standstill.
Only a handful of industries proved to be “pandemic-proof” over the past couple of months. While grocery stores and hospitals continued to pull in business while restaurants, bars, and nightclubs remained closed, pot shops did surprisingly well, too. Eight US states deemed marijuana businesses as “essential” or “critical” during the lockdowns, so retailers and dispensaries could stay open as non-essential businesses were forced to close.
The federal government should take note: The War on Drugs is over, and the prohibitionists lost. There’s a lot more money to be made in legalizing weed than keeping it illegal.


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Thursday, March 22, 2018
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Monday, March 19, 2018
10 hrs ·
PLEASE SHARE! The primary election is Tuesday, March 20, 2018, from 6 AM to 7 PM. I would appreciate your vote of support by filling in the oval and writing in my name. Please know that you are allowed to VOTE FOR JUST ONE CANDIDATE if you so choose. Thank you. William Randall
Saturday, March 17, 2018
Bon-Ton Stores: More Store Closures Coming Soon
Struggling department store operator Bon-Ton Stores (NASDAQ: BONT) filed for bankruptcy last month, after a desperate attempt to organize a voluntary debt restructuring failed. Since then, management has continued to pursue a turnaround plan that could keep most of the company intact.
However, Bon-Ton is running out of options for keeping the lights on. Its best chance of survival now appears to be a bid by a group of vendors for a portion of the company's stores. This would entail a significant number of additional store closures. The alternative is an outright liquidation of the company.
Sharp sales declines forced Bon-Ton Stores to file for bankruptcy last month. Image source: Bon-Ton Stores.
Either way, it's good news for rivals like Macy's (NYSE: M), J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP), and Kohl's (NYSE: KSS), which are poised to capture some of Bon-Ton's lost revenue.
Dreadful results force downsizing
During the first three quarters of fiscal 2017, Bon-Ton's revenue plunged by more than 7%, as mall traffic continued to decline.
Macy's, Kohl's, and (to a lesser extent) J.C. Penney have been able to offset some of the recent weakness in store traffic with strong e-commerce sales growth. By contrast, Bon-Ton is a laggard in e-commerce, largely because it has had a meager investment budget for years.
Not surprisingly, the big sales declines at Bon-Ton caused a sharp erosion in profitability, despite aggressive cost cuts. As a result, in conjunction with the Q3 earnings report, management announced plans to close at least 40 of the company's 260 stores during 2018.
In late January, Bon-Ton Stores published a list of 42 locations that will close in April. It has also closed six other stores since the beginning of the calendar year. This will leave Bon-Ton with 212 stores by the end of next month.
Bon-Ton is closing about a dozen stores under the Carson's banner. Image source: Bon-Ton Stores.
Additional store closures are inevitable
In recent months, Bon-Ton has been seeking a capital infusion -- potentially from a private equity firm -- to finance a comeback attempt. This effort appears to have failed.
However, a number of vendors are considering banding together to bid for roughly 150-175 of the company's stores. Their interest makes sense, as Bon-Ton serves a lot of smaller markets where it is the only high-quality department store. If it disappears, brands that don't want to sell to the likes of Kohl's and J.C. Penney will lose visibility in some parts of the country.
A successful vendor-led bid would salvage the majority of Bon-Ton's stores. Still, if the endgame is to keep 150-175 stores operational, roughly 50 additional locations would need to be closed, aside from the 48 already announced.
Yet even this rescue plan may be unrealistic. With Bon-Ton's sales and earnings in free fall, stores that are profitable today could be losing money within a year or two. Furthermore, for Bon-Ton to be a viable stand-alone business, the remaining stores would have to generate enough profit to cover corporate overhead costs and fund investments in e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities.
A windfall for rivals?
Despite its steep sales decline in 2017, Bon-Ton Stores still brought in roughly $2.5 billion of revenue last year. At least a third of that revenue will be up for grabs in 2018, assuming that vendors manage to save 150-175 stores. There's also a good chance that liquidators will end up winning the bankruptcy auction, in which case all of the stores would be closed.
Rivals like Macy's, J.C. Penney, and Kohl's are all likely to pick up a slice of Bon-Ton's revenue. Kohl's could get the biggest piece, because it has a broad store footprint and very few of these locations are in malls, where they might suffer from traffic declines as Bon-Ton shutters stores.
J.C. Penney has the most stores in malls where Bon-Ton Stores also operates. This should drive solid market-share gains, particularly where mall owners are able to find good substitute tenants for Bon-Ton. Meanwhile, Macy's doesn't have much physical overlap with Bon-Ton anymore, but the two companies carry many of the same brands. Thus, Macy's e-commerce business is likely to gain sales from some former Bon-Ton customers.
The bankruptcy auction is set for April 9, so we will learn soon enough whether Bon-Ton Stores will be radically downsizing in 2018 -- or if it will disappear entirely.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaBon Ton.
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.
1898 (120 years ago)
Number of locations
267 (Q3 2016)
Bon-Ton Branded locations = 59 (2018)
William Tracy President & CEO
Nancy Walsh EVP & CFO
Clothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares
$2.834 billion (FY 2016)
Number of employees
The Bon-Ton is a department store chain headquartered in York, Pennsylvania, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are 267 stores, which includes nine furniture galleries and four clearance centers, in 26 states. Other brands operated by The Bon-Ton include Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's, and Younkers.
Dems meddle against Illinois governor ahead of GOcP primary
By Reid Wilson - 03/17/18 12:34 PM EDT 23
© Getty Images
CHICAGO –– A conservative state representative mounting a longshot bid against Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) is getting some unexpected help from Democrats.
Just days before Illinois voters head to the polls in next week's primary election, the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) launched a new advertisement labeling state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R) as "too conservative for Illinois."
"Meet Jeanne Ives. She's been rated as one of the most conservative in the state," the DGA advertisement says. The ad ties Ives to President Trump on immigration, cites her high ratings with the National Rifle Association and her opposition to abortion rights.
The advertisement has all the appearances of a negative spot, but coming right before a Republican primary, it might as well be a positive spot meant to introduce Ives to GOP voters fed up with Rauner.
The DGA is spending $337,000 on the advertisement, according to Advertising Analytics, an independent firm that tracks the ad market. That's not much compared with the nearly $12 million Rauner has already spent on advertising, though it could make a difference with some Republican voters.
The DGA also rolled out a new ad against Rauner, though they are spending far less on that spot than they are on the spot meant to introduce Ives to Republican voters.
The tactic is reminiscent of those of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who used paid advertising in the days and weeks ahead of the 2012 primary to effectively pick her own opponent that year.
McCaskill's campaign rolled out three late advertisements attacking each of the three main Republican candidates -- businessman John Brunner, former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman and Rep. Todd Akin. The ads against Brunner and Steelman barely aired, but the spot highlighting Akin's conservatism, a thinly veiled effort to help his underfunded campaign reach conservative voters, ran in heavy rotation.
Akin, by far the weakest general election candidate, won the Republican primary by about 37,000 votes. He later made comments about "legitimate rape" during a television interview. McCaskill won reelection by 15 points.
This year, Democrats would much rather face Ives than Rauner, a wealthy businessman who has underwritten his own campaign to the tune of more than $50 million.
There are signs that the incumbent governor isn't running away with the race for renomination. He angered conservatives by signing a bill to allow the state Medicaid program to cover abortions, then made a public show last week of vetoing a gun control bill.
And on Friday, Rauner's campaign launched an ad highlighting the DGA's advertising.
"Liberals are hijacking the Republican primary in Illinois," the new Rauner spot says.
Sam Salustro, a DGA spokesman, said of the Democratic ads: "Jeanne Ives and Bruce Rauner's failed policies are a disaster for middle-class Illinois families." Jared Leopold, the chief DGA spokesman, declined to comment on the strategy behind the anti-Ives advertising.
Democrats have their own competitive primary, though the front-runner is another wealthy businessman, J.B. Pritzker. Pritzker has dumped more than $60 million into his campaign so far, a jaw-dropping sum that sets the race on pace to become the most expensive ever.
Jon Thompson, a spokesman for the Republican Governors Association, said the Democratic ad was tantamount to admitting Rauner is the favorite in November.
"The DGA's efforts to meddle in GOP primaries failed in 2014 and 2016, leading to historic losses, and it appears that the DGA still hasn't learned from their mistakes," Thompson said in an email Saturday.
Rauner's campaign said the advertising was a transparent attempt by Democrats to interfere in the Republican primary. In a statement, campaign spokesman Will Allison tied Ives to Assembly Speaker Mike Madigan (D), a common Rauner foe and the most powerful politician in the state.
"Washington Democrats have teamed up with Mike Madigan's favorite Republican Jeanne Ives because they know they can't beat Gov. Rauner in November," Allison said in a statement. "Gov. Rauner's message of growing jobs, cutting taxes and rooting out corruption in Illinois has Democrats running scared."
Kathleen Murphy, a spokeswoman for Ives's campaign, tied Democrats to Rauner.
"Jeanne Ives wears attacks from the radical left as badges of honor whether they come from leftists at the DGA or the leftist, fake Republican Bruce Rauner," Murphy said. "The DGA is correct that Illinois is worse off than we were when Rauner was elected, but that's because Rauner pursued the big-government, tax-borrow-and-spend policies combined with extreme leftist social policies that the DGA otherwise supports."
Here Is Andrew McCabe’s Full Statement. Everyone Should Read It.
Mar. 17, 2018 3:19 AM
Donald Trump fired former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe today. Technically, of course, it was Jeff Sessions who did the firing, but I don’t think anyone believes that it was anybody but Trump who was really at the controls. After all, it’s Trump who made up the inane conspiracy theory that McCabe was a Hillary Clinton mole during the 2016 campaign. It was Trump who panicked when McCabe testified that he could corroborate James Comey’s incriminating account of his conversations with Trump. And firing McCabe two days before his retirement in order to attack his pension—well, that kind of petty vengefulness has Trump written all over it, doesn’t it?
This whole affair has been contemptible from the start. Trump knows perfectly well that he won the election solely because of the FBI’s interference. This is something he finds intolerable, so he has invented a fantasy in which that never happened. In fact, he’s spent the entire past year spreading the preposterous lie that the FBI actually helped Hillary. Then he went about defaming and firing all the people whose very existence was a continuing rebuke to his election triumph. McCabe is one of them.
It’s possible, of course, that McCabe actually did something wrong and deserved to be fired for it. But the rushed nature of the whole thing, combined with the default assumption that Trump lies about everything, suggests otherwise. Speaking for myself, I don’t believe it for a second. This is a plain old Trump vendetta, pure and simple.
Under the circumstances, it’s worth giving McCabe’s full statement wide and prominent publication. Here it is.
I have been an FBI Special Agent for over 21 years. I spent half of that time investigating Russian Organized Crime as a street agent and Supervisor in New York City. I have spent the second half of my career focusing on national security issues and protecting this country from terrorism. I served in some of the most challenging, demanding investigative and leadership roles in the FBI. And I was privileged to serve as Deputy Director during a particularly tough time.
For the last year and a half, my family and I have been the targets of an unrelenting assault on our reputation and my service to this country. Articles too numerous to count have leveled every sort of false, defamatory and degrading allegation against us. The president’s tweets have amplified and exacerbated it all. He called for my firing. He called for me to be stripped of my pension after more than 20 years of service. And all along we have said nothing, never wanting to distract from the mission of the FBI by addressing the lies told and repeated about it.
The investigation by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has to be understood in the context of the attacks on my credibility. The investigation flows from my attempt to explain the FBI’s involvement and my supervision of investigations involving Hillary Clinton. I was being portrayed in the media over and over as a political partisan, accused of closing down investigations under political pressure. The FBI was portrayed as caving under that pressure, and making decisions for political rather than law enforcement purposes. Nothing was further from the truth. In fact, this entire investigation stems from my efforts, fully authorized under FBI rules, to set the record straight on behalf of the Bureau and to make it clear that we were continuing an investigation that people in DOJ opposed.
The OIG investigation has focused on information I chose to share with a reporter through my public affairs officer and a legal counselor. As Deputy Director, I was one of only a few people who had the authority to do that. It was not a secret, it took place over several days, and others, including the Director, were aware of the interaction with the reporter. It was the same type of exchange with the media that the Deputy Director oversees several times per week. In fact it was the same type of work that I continued to do under Director Wray, at his request. The investigation subsequently focused on who I talked to, when I talked to them, and so forth. During these inquiries, I answered questions truthfully and as accurately as I could amidst the chaos that surrounded me. And when I thought my answers were misunderstood, I contacted investigators to correct them.
But looking at that in isolation completely misses the big picture. The big picture is a tale of what can happen when law enforcement is politicized, public servants are attacked, and people who are supposed to cherish and protect our institutions become instruments for damaging those institutions and people.
Here is the reality: I am being singled out and treated this way because of the role I played, the actions I took, and the events I witnessed in the aftermath of the firing of James Comey. The release of this report was accelerated only after my testimony to the House Intelligence Committee revealed that I would corroborate former Director Comey’s accounts of his discussions with the President. The OIG’s focus on me and this report became a part of an unprecedented effort by the Administration, driven by the President himself, to remove me from my position, destroy my reputation, and possibly strip me of a pension that I worked 21 years to earn. The accelerated release of the report, and the punitive actions taken in response, make sense only when viewed through this lens. Thursday’s comments from the White House are just the latest example of this.
This attack on my credibility is one part of a larger effort not just to slander me personally, but to taint the FBI, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals more generally. It is part of this Administration’s ongoing war on the FBI and the efforts of the Special Counsel investigation, which continue to this day. Their persistence in this campaign only highlights the importance of the Special Counsel’s work.
I have always prided myself on serving my country with distinction and integrity, and I have always encouraged those around me to do the same. Just ask them. To have my career end in this way, and to be accused of lacking candor when at worst I was distracted in the misty fo chaotic events, is incredibly disappointing and unfair. But it will not erase the important work I was prevailed to be a part of, the results of which will in the end be revealed for the country to see.
I have unfailing faith in the men and women of the FBI and I am confident that their efforts to seek justice will not be deterred.


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Apple’s crop of recent hires includes Richard DeVaul, founder and president of AWare Technologies. Mr. DeVaul is known for his work in wearable technology, and will be taking on the title of Senior Prototype Engineer at Apple, according to Computerworld.
Mr. DeVaul has been involved in developing personal heads up display technology, using wearable technology to stimulate memory, and MIT’s wearable computing program. At AWare Technologies, he has worked on high-performance personnel monitoring equipment for the military and Olympic sports groups, and technologies to improve overall fitness.
Apple isn’t saying what projects Mr. DeVaul is involved in, but based on his prior experience, he may be helping the company expand its fitness-based products beyond Nike+iPod.


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New Delhi: Ashok Leyland, India’s second-biggest truck-maker, is betting on rural infrastructure to help build demand for cargo carriers, sales of which declined over the past one year ahead of the adoption of new emission norms. The lockdown has hurt demand further, causing shrinkage in the industry.
“One of our recommendations to the government is to allocate a sizable sum from national infrastructure pipeline projects in rural India. That will get the industry into a virtuous cycle,” CEO Vipin Sondhi told ET. “We are seeing utilisation going up. How long would it take for things to revive, we will have to wait and watch. Things will improve quarter by quarter.”
To be sure, tractor sales for May have already matched the levels of May 2019 levels and bumper kharif crops have ensured stronger rural cash flows than in the cities. Foodgrains production is at a record high and urea sales have also been very strong, indicating traction in the rural economy.
Ashok Leyland said that there are no green shoots as yet, but there is some movement of construction equipment in the rural areas, indicating resumption in activities. Plus, the E-Commerce business presents a great opportunity in this ‘new normal’
Despite zero sales for almost 45-60 days, Ashok Leyland last week introduced its new-generation products based on a modular platform aimed at offering higher value to the consumers.
“The importance is to be there, with the right product at the right time, so that when the demand is triggered, we are right there," added Sondhi.
The company has used this period of 75 days to engage with dealers and customers.
Ashok Leyland saw its medium and heavy truck sales almost halve to 71,421 units in FY-20, a decent show in the LCV, where the company posted a relatively modest decline of 15% in dispatches, cushioned the overall shock on numbers, which were down 37%.
The company did not carry any stocks of BS IV vehicles and very limited despatches of BS VI stock ensured the pressure on dealers was much less. The service centers have already started witnessing 40-45% of their monthly average load already ensuring some kind of cash flows for the dealers.
Ashok Leyland on its part has retained its permanent employees. Sondhi said, the company has paid to all the MSME vendors before time and has extended financial assistance to some dealers where needed.
With a plan to invest over USD 1 billion in electric vehicle ambition, Mahindra in July raised INR 1,925 crores (USD 250 million) at a valuation of up to INR 70,070 crores (USD 9.1 billion) from British International Investment into its electric four wheeler business. The first of the five new electric SUVs will be launched in December 2024 starting with the India market.
The company will stop producing Jazz after October 2022 while the crossover WR-V will not be produced beyond March 2023. The carmaker will also stop the production and sale of the 4th Generation Honda City by December 2022 in the country. However, the 5th generation of the sedan will continue to be available in the market, a source in the know of things told ETAuto.


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NEW DELHI: In a bid to promote new age Indian brands across segments such as food, consumer durables, electronics, fashion, FMCG and more, industry body IAMAI
has set up a founders’ community of direct to consumer Indian brands. The unifying features of the brands are digital-first, innovative, competitive, and manufacture or produce in India, Internet and Mobile Association of India
At present, there are nearly 100 such brands in the market, aiming to cater towards a younger and often first-time shoppers.
"The brands are digital-first catering to the internet using socio-economic segments and taking advantage of the digital infrastructure that has been created in India. Finally, they invariably manufacture or produce goods in India," IAMAI said in a statement.
The body also said that the industry at present running with the "founders' fuel" needs a collective identity to help it charter through complicated government policies and regulations; buy-in from stakeholders such as e-commerce platforms, logistics and payments industry; and also earn lasting customer trust. And, IAMAI is best suited to execute this three-pronged strategy, it added.
With the help of 35 such brands, it is a small beginning of organising this potentially powerful business segment by formalising a committee. The committee is chaired by Aman Gupta, co-founder and CMO of boAt audio and co-chaired by Manish Chowdhary
, co-founder of WOW Skin Science
“To ensure a brand continues to do well, it is almost imperative for businesses to enhance their Direct to Customer (D2C) channel. The model enables a brand to listen to the unfiltered voice of their customer and is a natural progression from shifting the online shoppers to buy from the brand's website and own the experience, data, and lifetime value of the customer,” said Aman Gupta, chairman of the IAMAI D2C committee.
Co-chairman, Manish Chowdhary said that the committee will jointly look towards building the consumers’ trust by engaging in better customer communication and other similar initiatives by D2C entities.


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Do you really have a strategy? Here's what P&G's A.G. Lafley thinks
In other words, he told me in an interview this week, they aren’t playing to win.
“I’m sure if we asked them, they would say they are,” said Lafley, who retired from P&G (NYSE: PG) in 2010. “But too many managers and companies are playing to play.”
Lafley is promoting his new book, “Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works,” with coauthor Roger Martin. It’s a February release from Harvard Business Review Press.
Lafley and Martin, who is dean of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, provide rich examples from their decades in the corporate world. Cincinnati-based P&G brands such as Olay, Bounty and Tide figure prominently. Lafley said they wrote the book, however, for leaders at organizations both large and small, corporate and nonprofit.
Managers often think strategy is about analysis and planning – and, in many companies, bringing in consultants and creating 250-page documents that get filed away, Lafley says. What strategy really amounts to is choice – a few key decisions about where to play and what winning would mean.
It’s harder than it sounds. Jobs, reputations and sometimes stock prices are on the line.
“If you watch human behavior, it’s hard for people to make choices, and particularly hard to make choices in the face of uncertainty,” Lafley told me. “That’s, frankly, the daily condition of business, especially in a more globally competitive economy.”
Who’s getting strategy right? Lafley likes the Malvern, Pa.-based investment management firm Vanguard Group and Peoria, Ill.-based Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT), which makes machinery and engines. Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) has clearly been a winner, but he wonders whether its strategy will see it through coming years.
Ritchie covers Procter & Gamble Co. and health care.
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After credit card skimmer found at James City bank, police warn residents to check bank statements
By Steve Roberts Jr
Aug 16, 2019 at 1:45 PM
JAMES CITY COUNTY — An increasingly potent criminal trend has made its way to Williamsburg.
A device used to steal credit card information, called a skimmer, was found at the BayPort Credit Union in New Town on Aug. 10, according to James City County Police Department spokeswoman Stephanie Williams.
Skimmers are used to capture debit and credit card data and personal identification numbers, according to the FBI.
The devices often encase the normal card slot on ATMs, gas pumps and other machines. They are retrieved by scammers who then use the data to drain bank accounts and purchase or sell things on the Internet, according to the FBI.
In some instances, banks and their patrons have been bilked out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to an FBI news release.
Skimmers generally need to be physically retrieved to collect the data, so scammers will return to an ATM to collect their devices, according to the FBI.
That’s what happened at BayPort, according to Williams. Bank staff called police after a customer reported the ATM wouldn’t accept their debit card, according to the bank’s fraud and security supervisor Pearl King.
“We are continuing our investigation and conducting inspections on all our ATMs twice a day,” King said. No customers have reported to the bank that they have been impacted as of Friday afternoon.


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Motion Picture Association of America blames Victorian market for selling pirated movies
One of America's most strident voices against movie piracy has labelled a temporary-market in Melbourne as notorious for selling pirated films. The Caribbean Gardens and Markets in outer suburban Melbourne has been placed second on a long list of suspected counterfeit retailers by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Source: PM | Duration: 3min 59sec
DAVID MARK: One of America's most strident voices against movie piracy has labelled a temporary market in Melbourne as notorious for selling pirated films.
The Caribbean Gardens and Markets has been placed second on a long list of suspected counterfeit retailers by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Will Ockenden reports.
(Theme from film Pirates of the Caribbean)
WILL OCKENDEN: The fictional Hollywood-created Pirates of the Caribbean have finally met their real life counterparts. It's not on the high seas, it's not in Tortuga, or on the deck of the Black Pearl. Instead they're to be found in, of all places, suburban Melbourne.
(Theme continues playing)
America's powerful film industry lobby group, the Motion Picture Association of America, has released its latest report into movie copyright infringement.
It features what it calls a "detailed listing of the world's most notorious marketplaces for the distribution of illegal film and television shows".
Second on the list of "notorious physical markets" are individual stallholders selling at Victoria's Caribbean Gardens and Markets.
Vanessa Hutley is the general manager with copyright lobby group, Music Rights Australia.
VANESSA HUTLEY: That name has become known to us, and we regularly go and do market surveys at a variety of markets, and that happens to be one of them, yeah.
WILL OCKENDEN: What kind of issues do you have there?
VANESSA HUTLEY: People are selling counterfeit CDs, people are loading things onto little mp3 players and flogging thousands of songs for just $20. They think we don't know about it. We do. We write to them, we work with the police, the police do regular sweeps.
We're still onto that stuff and so they need to know we're still looking at them and we still think this is an issue.
WILL OCKENDEN: No one at the Caribbean Gardens and Markets was available to talk to PM, despite numerous attempts. However, operations manager Robbie Ager reportedly told Fairfax the information in the report is outdated, and everything sold by stallholders now is the "real McCoy".
The rest of the MPAA report reads like a digital pirate's internet favourites list, listing the hottest and biggest websites where movies can be obtained for free. They include extratorrent.com, kickass.to, rutracker.org and the forever popular thepiratebay.sx
VANESSA HUTLEY: If people really want to do this, they're going to find a way, Will. I think the real interest here is that most people want to do the right thing. Giving people the information about where they can source genuine stuff, where they can go and make sure that they're supporting artists by going to online stores, is a really important tool for people to have.
WILL OCKENDEN: The Motion Picture Association of America report is also somewhat ironic, as only last month the group released a study taking a swipe at Google for linking to pirate sites in its search results.
The group also points the finger at the Victorian and federal police forces for failing to crack down on stallholders selling pirated goods, despite repeated requests.
But the Australian Federal Police say only one complaint has been received about sellers at the market in the last two years.
AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE STATEMENT: In April 2013, the AFP received one referral from the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft alleging copyright infringements at the Caribbean Gardens and Markets. This referral was rejected in accordance with the AFP Case Categorisation Prioritisation Model.
WILL OCKENDEN: It all comes as reports surface in Australia that the new Government wants to make copyright piracy a priority.
Vanessa Hutley from Music Rights Australia.
VANESSA HUTLEY: We have been very vocal. Music Rights Australia and the music industry in general has been very vocal about the need to address the online issues.
People who are selling this counterfeit stuff are giving nothing back to the creators who actually made the great entertainment, the music, the songs, the films, the TV shows. These people are just flogging that stuff to make money for themselves.
DAVID MARK: Vanessa Hutley, from Music Rights Australia, ending Will Ockenden's report.


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The first, special edition of Commercial Drone Professional is now online and available to read as a free digital edition.
This first edition, which can be downloaded HERE, is packed with the latest insight and comment on commercial trends including coverage of the 2018 DJI AirWorks conference and how Yorkshire Water has taken to the skies.
CDP attended the event in Dallas, Texas, and has reported on the new partnerships, product releases and the manufacturer’s future plans in the magazine.
Elsewhere in the edition we take a look at the current state of the drone insurance industry in the UK and hear from leaders in the sector on their thoughts in how insurance is managing to keep up with a fast-changing market.
We also catch up with Elena Buenrostro, CEO and co-founder of WomenWhoDrone, a group based in the United States which wants to change the gender gap among professional pilots.
Additionally, we gain an exclusive insight into how Lincolnshire Police has been using drones for good and in one particular case, save a life.
You can also read an in-depth analysis on finance in the drone industry and how the PwC has predicted the drone industry in the UK could add an extra $42bn to the national GDP.