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If one were to consider the upward transfer of wealth and market share to Big Business since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, one would think such economic changes were intended. After all, it’s no secret that the interests of politicians and the corporate elite align more often than not.
America’s small businesses currently face an attack on all fronts.
As we near a year of lockdowns and sheltering in place, the long-term effects of pandemic policy on the economy are becoming clearer. Almost every piece of legislation ostensibly designed to curb the spread of the coronavirus and protect workers has wreaked devastation on small businesses—while benefiting the largest corporations. Roughly 100,000 small businesses have permanently closed due to COVID-19, while big-box retailers, tech giants, and pharmaceutical manufacturers have seen record profits.
America’s small businesses currently face an attack on all fronts. First, there are the more visible policies (e.g., lockdowns, mask mandates, and social distancing requirements) that strongly discourage people from patronizing brick-and-mortar retailers and restaurants. These policies impact small businesses more than large chains and corporations. Small retailers, for example, may not have the space to effectively implement social distancing policies, and often lack an online infrastructure to support curbside pickups of retail goods.
Second, the cost of complying with health and safety guidelines, and the corresponding fines if businesses don’t comply, have forced businesses to incur additional expenses while their revenue declines. According to the Small Business Administration, the cost of compliance disproportionately impacts small businesses, who lack the funds and infrastructure of large corporations to adapt to new regulation. Overhauling a business to accommodate remote work, for example, requires a flexibility and an investment of resources that many small businesses simply do not have. For dine-in restaurants, the vast majority of which are small businesses, switching to outdoor dining is often not even possible given the business’s location.
Lastly, there are ever-evolving COVID-19 employment regulations that disproportionately expose small businesses to lawsuits and the subsequent legal expenses and damages that may result. The conspicuous absence of liability protection also disadvantages small businesses, as the largest corporations can spare the capital required to fight lawsuits and painlessly pay out any damages. For example, Publix, a large supermarket chain, has so far managed to avoid paying damages to the family of an employee who died of COVID-19 due to the fact that he wasn’t allowed to wear a mask at work.
Despite the fact that these policies are explicitly harmful to small businesses, they can be justified on the basis of “public health” and thereby shielded from criticism. Practically unlimited regulation (that always seems to benefit the corporate elite) can be defended, because such policies are said to be designed to ensure the health and safety of the public. Opposition to these onerous restrictions can therefore be conveniently characterized as “anti-science,” or worse, reckless and/or malicious endangerment of one’s community. As a consequence, policies that explicitly disadvantage small businesses, such as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), can be passed under the guise of public health and worker protection without raising any alarm bells.
When considering the cumulative effects of pandemic policy, a clear pattern begins to emerge. Every substantial piece of COVID-19 legislation enacted at the federal level has harmed small businesses while benefiting large corporations. This indicates, at the very least, a willful indifference on the part of lawmakers to the plight of small businesses, but more likely, a conscious effort to disadvantage small businesses for the advantage of Big Business.
[caption id="attachment_184278" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Closed business.[/caption]
THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 LEGISLATION
The FFCRA, passed in March of this year, requires businesses to provide two weeks of paid sick leave for quarantined employees and/or employees experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms. It also requires two weeks of paid sick leave at two-thirds the regular rate of pay for employees who need to care for quarantined individuals, such as elderly relatives or spouses. Furthermore, employers must also provide ten weeks of extended leave, also at two-thirds the regular rate of pay, for employees caring for their children due to school closures.
While the actual cost of paid leave is reimbursed through tax credits, there is no reimbursement for lost labor and productivity, and the subsequent disadvantage compared to large, FFCRA-exempt competitors.
The FFCRA only applies to employers with fewer than 500 employees.
It sounds absurd, but it’s correct; the businesses most capable of providing these benefits are under no legal obligation to do so, while those most affected by the pandemic are expected to incur the FFCRA’s additional expenses. While the actual cost of paid leave is reimbursed through tax credits, there is no reimbursement for lost labor and productivity, and the subsequent disadvantage compared to large, FFCRA-exempt competitors. This is not to say that businesses should or should not provide these benefits—only to point out how the policy singles out and targets small businesses.
And as small businesses shut down in droves, it’s difficult to justify this competitive disadvantage. 58% of small business owners say they’re worried about closing, while 100,000 small businesses have already closed. The smallest businesses are the hardest hit: 48% of businesses with 1-4 employees claim to have been severely impacted by the new COVID-era regulations.
Furthermore, the financial burden of the FFCRA extends beyond the simple cost of compliance. As a result of the FFCRA, small businesses have been sued over violations of employment regulations at a substantially higher rate than big businesses. Despite employing 52% of the nation’s workforce, private employers with less than 500 employees (those forced to comply with the FFCRA) were the defendants in 65% of COVID-19 related employment lawsuits; employers with less than 50 employees were the defendants in 38% of lawsuits. That means the businesses least capable of contesting an employment lawsuit, much less incurring the financial burden of liability damages and legal fees, are the businesses most often sued.
Thus, the FFCRA has imposed financial obligations on small businesses while exempting big businesses. Small businesses are forced to pay the cost of complying with the FFCRA, while big businesses are not. Small businesses are at risk of FFCRA-related lawsuits; big businesses are not. The FFCRA clearly disadvantages small businesses, and expecting small businesses to incur the cost of the FFCRA while their revenue plummets, and their corporate competition profits, is a recipe for widespread small business bankruptcy.
And that is exactly what’s happening.
This is a feature, not a bug, and calls into question the true purpose of the FFCRA. There is no good-faith reason for big businesses to be exempt from the FFCRA that would also not apply to small businesses. Furthermore, if the FFCRA really was designed to protect workers, why only cover half the workforce? Why exempt the largest employers? Are Walmart employees privy to some germ-repelling magic elixir, thereby absolving Walmart of the same responsibilities demanded of small businesses? The fact of the matter is that the FFCRA is more interested in transferring the market share of small businesses to giant corporations than protecting workers.
Federal relief, or lack thereof, reinforces this claim. The CARES Act, the 2.2 trillion dollar federal stimulus bill passed in March, offers a lifeline to small businesses in the form of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a loan issued at a 1% interest rate. Yet the loan only covers roughly ten weeks of payroll expenses, and applications closed in early August. It is now early December, and further financial aid to small businesses has yet to be legislated. Moreover, while the CARES Act offers $349 billion in aid to small businesses, it provides upwards of $500 billion to large businesses, in effect rewarding the businesses already profiting off the pandemic, to the detriment of the small businesses suffering the most.
Relief in the form of liability protection is also not forthcoming. The HEALS Act, a stimulus bill which would include COVID-19 liability shields for all employers, has been tied up in the Senate since July, with much of its delay attributable to opposition to its liability protections. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is among the more vocal opponents of liability shields, arguing that businesses would be “off the hook” if an employee or customer were to contract COVID-19 at a business establishment, thereby permitting businesses to neglect health precautions. “Without any ability to hold an employer [liable],” Gillibrand argues, “then you're putting a lot of workers and a lot of Americans across the country at grave risk.”
[caption id="attachment_184279" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Empty restaurant.[/caption]
Even though big businesses are actively lobbying for and would benefit from liability shields, it’s clear that withholding liability protections disproportionately impacts small businesses while favoring corporations with the most capital and access to quality legal representation. A retail giant such as Target, which has unsurprisingly profited off the pandemic, can easily afford to pay out any liability damages. Moreover, Target has the resources to contest the claim in court. But a family-owned consignment store? A single lawsuit may well bankrupt the business. And as small businesses are the defendants in a significantly larger portion of COVID-19 related lawsuits, the absence of liability shields contributes to their demise.
This continued inaction as small business bankruptcies and lawsuits pile up is at the very least tantamount to indifference, and therefore tacit approval.
Though the lack of liability protection legislation can partly be attributed to garden-variety legislative sclerosis and inefficiency, its absence disproportionately affects small businesses. The degree to which this is intentional is unclear. What is clear, however, is that Congress is well aware of the difficulties facing small businesses given the fact that small business stimulus legislation has been discussed since July, and that the lack of liability protection exacerbates these difficulties, but it has done nothing. This continued inaction as small business bankruptcies and lawsuits pile up is at the very least tantamount to indifference, and therefore tacit approval.
Unless our policymakers are woefully incompetent, the intent of policy cannot be divorced from its effect. And the effect of COVID-19 policy on small businesses has been devastating. Relief is nonexistent, as is the case with liability shields, or inadequate, in the case of the PPP. Public health and worker/customer protection legislation is explicitly harmful to America’s small businesses in the cases of the FFCRA, lockdowns, and onerous restrictions.
If one were extremely charitable, the lack of liability protections can be attributed to callous indifference, and the inadequacy of the PPP can be chalked up to sclerosis and bad policy. Lockdowns and health and safety obligations have public health justifications. But the FFCRA’s targeting of small businesses is indefensible. There is no reasonable explanation for the FFCRA to not apply to Big Business other than to disadvantage small businesses.
When considered together, these policies have demonstrably harmed small businesses while favoring big businesses. The systematic transfer of wealth and market space from small businesses to large corporations is entirely the result of government policy. Again, intent cannot be separated from effect, and the lack of persuasive arguments justifying the targeting of small businesses by policymakers can be explained in simple terms: pandemic policy was an intentional effort by policymakers to facilitate an upward transfer of wealth to Big Business at the expense of small business.


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The names of the five nominees for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 title, under the AfrAsia Tecoma Awards, were made public this week at the Labourdonnais Hotel in Port Louis.
The grand winner will be revealed at the AfrAsia Tecoma Award to be held on October 17 at the Vivéa Business Park.
The five nominees are: Aisha Allee, Managing Director at Blast Communications; Vincent d’Unienville, Managing Director at Keystone Project Management; Ravi Jetshan, Creative Director at Ravior; Christian Regnard, Managing Director at Associated Textiles; and finally, Lawrence Wong, Managing Director at La Trobe.
Mauritius is well known for innovating at a macro-economic level, having successfully transitioned from a sugar-led island economy to a service-based nation, and it can look to diversifying its economic portfolio even further, based on its dynamic entrepreneurs.
Incidentally, each of the five business leaders nominated for the award represent spheres of activities from diverse sectors – project management, communications, jewellery, textile and commerce – which are all displaying robust growth.
This year sees the launch of the AfrAsia Tecoma Espoir under which each nominee will sponsor a young entrepreneur of his or her choice whose entrepreneurial venture must at least have been in existence for a year, but no more than four years.
The nominee must make a firm commitment to meet the sponsored entrepreneur at least once a semester to guide him on business development, strategy and networking.
James Benoit, CEO at AfrAsia Bank – which is into its third year of sponsoring the awards – noted that entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of the sustainability and the prosperity of the island business community.
The selection of the entrepreneur of the year is done by TNS analysis, also an event partner, through a survey of directors of 200 Mauritian companies which have at least six employees or more.
The selection criteria are growth of turnover, innovation, external dynamism, and commitment to citizenship.
The surveyed directors then award votes to the nominees on each of these criteria, which results in four different classifications, and the entrepreneur of the year is the one who notches up the maximum votes across all criteria.
In this context, Aisha Allee emphasized the humble beginnings of her public relations agency as a start-up and today, the communications major generates a turnover of over one million euros (around Rs 40 million).
As for Vincent d’Unienville, he opened a project management office in Rwanda, operating within the limited framework of a construction site for a school and extension of residential projects to start with. His company’s turnover is around one million euros (around Rs 40 million) today.
Ravi Jetshan dedicated the nomination to his employees, whom he considers as being an integral part of his family, and as date, his jewellery brand Ravior has managed a turnover of Rs 17.4 million.
As for Christian Regnard, his textile business turnover reached Rs 133 million, after overcoming several challenges such as the end of trade barriers, by being innovative and conquering new markets.
Finally, Lawrence Wong who leveraged the innovative agri-food sector to his advantage, beginning with trading before diversifying into production, now boasts a turnover of Rs 400 million for his venture, La Trobe.
The AfrAsia Tecoma Award is a recognition ranking high in the economic world, which aims at promoting entrepreneurship in Mauritius.
Since the launch of the awards, now into its twelfth edition, more than 170 business leaders from different sectors and across all categories of companies, have been highlighted and shown as examples of success across the three Indian Ocean islands of Madagascar, Reunion and Mauritius.
Image (File Photo from AfrAsia Tecoma Awards, 2013): The 2013 edition of the AfrAsia Tecoma Entrepreneur of the Year awards was a huge success and, following on its heels, this year sees the launch of the AfrAsia Tecoma Espoir under which each nominee will sponsor a young entrepreneur of his or her choice.

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All-inclusive hotel deals are up by 14 per cent, with the set cost a big draw for holidaymakers. This way, no one need worry about totting up the spending during their holiday. Free drinks are often a big lure for holidaymakers. Things can go wrong with these holiday, as with any, however, holiday-makers pay up huge sums of cash up front for these trips. Britons lost out on almost £7 million last year due to online holiday booking scams, and experts warn you should never pay by bank transfer for any holiday.
However, the hotel was not what they expected, and Gayle said: “There were aerial shots with a hotel building and trees, it looked everything we wanted it to be.”
When they got there, things were not like the images they saw.
“We noticed broken things and dirty things, and it was unkempt.”
They claimed there was mould on the shower curtains, and they didn’t even unpack.
Gayle contacted the holiday rep to ask to be moved, but they said there was no where better
“I have complained, and they alway reply by saying ‘this a Cuban four star’ and ‘it’s a third world country what did (we) expect?’
Holidays: Risk of all-inclusives revealed - don’t fall victim to these holiday SCAMS
“Their final offer was £800 back off the price of the holiday,” she said.
John, who once worked in the all-inclusive hotel trade, claimed that hotels often work with preferential doctors and clinics.
He said: “They gladly get a doctor you to see you because they get paid.
“The hotel had signed a contract with a clinic or doctor.”
Holidaymaker Chris caught cyclospora cayetanensis, a parasite, from his holiday, which left him throwing up blood.


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Online shooter Overwatch has raced straight to the top of the UK games chart, knocking Uncharted 4: A Thief's End off the top spot.
A massive 47 per cent of launch week sales came from the PS4 version of the game, while Xbox One accounted for 36 per cent of sales and PC gamers made up just 18 per cent of the total.
It is likely that many PC gamers will have bought the game as a download, which wouldn't be counted in the charts.
Blizzard Entertainment is not widely known for its console games and is typically considered to be a PC developer.
However, the U.S.-based developer - famous for World of Warcraft - has previously brought some of its franchise to consoles with releases such as Diablo 3.
As well as snatching the number one spot from Uncharted, Overwatch has pushed Doom down to number 3 and dropped Homefront: The Revolution from third place down to fourth in the second week since its release.


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Marriott, the hotel group giant, has announced that a new data breach could affect up to 5.2 million of its guests. This is the second major data breach to affect the company in less than two years.
On Tuesday 31st March 2020, Marriott announced that 5.2 million guests worldwide could have been affected by a data hack on their app. They said the intruders had access to Marriott Bonvoy loyalty data, and information that may have been taken includes names, addresses, phone numbers, birthdays, loyalty information, and room preferences. They also said they don’t believe any credit card information, passport numbers or driver’s license information was accessed, but they are still investigating.
What happened in this breach?
According to a data breach notification on their website, Marriott said it noticed at the end of February that an ‘unexpected amount’ of guest information was accessed using the login credentials of two employees at one of their franchised properties. Marriott said in a statement it believes the activity started in mid-January and that they have now disabled these logins and are assisting authorities with their investigations.
They said they had notified guests of the new data breach and are offering free enrolment in a personal information monitoring service for up to one year. The company also said in a statement, “Marriott remains committed to further strengthening its protections to detect and remediate incidents such as this in the future.”
The previous Marriott Hotels Data Breach
This is the second data breach the company has disclosed in recent years. Back in November 2018, the hotel group announced that it had been subject to a huge data breach in which hackers had gained access to the Starwood Hotels reservation system, where they stole the personal details of over 340 million hotel guests. In this data breach customer data stolen included card payment details including CVV numbers and expiry dates, full names, addresses, passport details, telephone numbers, reservation dates and other personal information. This was one of the biggest and most serious data breaches of its kind.
Claiming compensation for the Marriott Hotels Data Breach
If you have been affected by the Marriott Hotels Data Breach, either back in November 2018, or this year, you could be entitled to claim compensation. Data breaches can cause emotional and financial suffering to those affected and claiming compensation can help you to get your life back on track and recover any losses that may have become of it.
You have the legal right to have your personal information kept private. In accordance with GDPR companies who control your data have a duty to secure and retain this information lawfully. If your data has been breached as a result of a company not abiding by these regulations, you can claim compensation, even if you haven’t suffered as a result.
HNK Solicitors can help
If you have been affected by a data breach HNK Solicitors can help. We have a team of expert data protection solicitors who have years of experience in dealing with data breach claims. Over the years we have successfully secured compensation for clients who have been affected by data breaches against a wide variety of defendants. We offer a no-win, no-fee service so it costs you nothing upfront to make a claim. We currently have an ongoing group litigation case against Marriott Hotels for their first data breach.


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Shervin Pishevar, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Sherpa Capital, took to Twitter in February with a variety of concerns. Tens of thousands of followers were shocked because he had been radio silence for months prior. Then, Shervin decided to send out 50 tweets over the next 24 hours.
Shervin Pishevar wanted to voice the concerns he has about the US economy, cryptocurrency, and even the monopolies that might be taking over the world.
It all started with a tweet that said he wanted to make some predictions, which included a considerable drop in aggregate points in the stock market.
He also decided to identify five monopolies that have entirely too much power: Amazon, Alphabet (the parent company for Google), Microsoft, Apple, and Facebook. Shervin Pishevar said that if they aren’t taken down, it may be years before another startup is able to gain any real traction. Much of this has to do with the fact that so many startups are being bought by the monopolies before they have a chance to provide any real competition.
1/ Some thoughts on financial storms I seeing brewing ahead. I expect 6000 point drop in aggregate in months ahead. Here's why.
— Shervin Pishevar (@shervin) February 6, 2018
What We Can Do About the Problems
Some of the problems aren’t ones that anyone can act on. For example, the concern about cryptocurrency is more of a “wait and see” than anything else. Although Shervin Pishevar sees it dropping, he also sees it going back up and then stabilizing.
Many people are more worried about the economy because his prediction about it dropping has already led to market instability. 2018 gains are gone and 2017 losses are slipping away quickly.
All of the tweets that Shervin Pishevar sent were numbered, making it easy for people to follow along with his train of thought. Reading his tweets can help to understand more about what’s going on in the economy as well as help with any investments that are in place.


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Blog: ConAgra, Cargill milling JV cleared - but plants must be sold
Dean Best | 21 May 2014
ConAgra Foods has secured clearance for its move to join its flour milling business with a venture run by Cargill and CHS - but after the parties agreed to sell off four plants.
The US Justice Department had argued the new venture - Ardent Mills - would hit competition, pushing up costs for the bakery industry and foodservice companies.
The Justice Department has now given the green light after the companies agreed to offload facilities.
ConAgra will sell mills in California, Minnesota and Texas. The existing venture between Cargill and CHS - Horizon Milling - will offload a site in California.
All mills will be sold to Miller Milling Co. – a US subsidiary of Japan's Nisshin Flour Milling.
"This joint venture positions Ardent Mills to deliver greater value and innovation to customers and consumers while enhancing customer and consumer choice," Cargill corporate vice president Scott Portnoy said.
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Google has turned Google Maps into a fully playable game of Pac-Man you can tackle right now. Amazing.
The search giant pulls an about-face and the wireless carrier puts on a dog-and-pony show for April Fools' Day. Also: Microsoft's MS-DOS Mobile, Motorola's premium selfie stick and Samsung's smart knife.
Samsung has a dizzying array of flagship smartphones. CNET's Marguerite Reardon helps you break down your options.
These two top flagship smartphones both pack high-end designs and features to boot. Here's how they stack up against each other.
The carrier says its new map of network coverage uses real-time data and will be updated every two weeks.
Samsung's striking, high-end Galaxy S6 Edge has the beauty, brains and brawn to take down the iPhone 6 and all the Android competition.
A French maker who creates incredible "Star Wars" drones is back with another. This time, he flies a modded Imperial Star Destroyer sure to strike fear into the heart of any Rebel in its path.
Walk-in customers won't be able to walk out with Apple's new smartwatch. But there will be pampering of those shopping for the 18-karat gold Edition gadget.
When you mute your phone before you go to sleep, you might also be muting your alarm. Whoops!
The rapper mogul's celebrity-packed unveiling touted Tidal as the first artist-owned streaming music service of its kind, but it was scant on details about what that means.


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Earlier this week, a report from Dutch website Webwereld accused Apple of doctoring a picture of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to make the size and aspect ratio look more like that of an iPad. The image in question was submitted as evidence in an intellectual property suit filed in a German court. Now, the company is accused of altering more than one image.
What you see below is a picture that was submitted as part of an IP suit in the Netherlands. It shows the iPhone and Galaxy S (far left and middle, respectively) looking almost exactly the same size. However, in reality, the Galaxy S is both taller and wider than the iPhone, as evidenced by the phone on the right. The Galaxy S measures 122.4 x 64.2 mm, while the iPhone 3G measures in at 115.5 x 62.1 mm.
Cupertino has not yet commented on the photo (nor has it said anything about the photo earlier in the week, which actually altered the aspect ratio of the Galaxy Tab, not just the size). Apple and Samsung have been caught up in this IP litigation for months now, but this latest revelation, along with the photo from earlier in the week, reflects extremely poorly on Apple. Especially when you consider the fact that the company has not even denied accusations that it altered the images. The company suffered another setback earlier this week when the injunction it had been granted to prevent Samsung importing Galaxy Tab 10.1 units into the country was lifted. Read more about that here.


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CDC advises consumers to throw out all romaine lettuce
The Centers for Disease Control's Wednesday update on the romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak says the sick count has added 18 people since Friday, for a total of 53 in 16 states. And there's a high hospitalization rate.
Eric Foner, Columbia University historian, talks about why Beaufort is the best site for the Reconstruction Era National Monument. Foner is considered the nation's preeminent historian on Reconstruction.


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2012-06-27 — (China Military News by china-defense-mashup.com) In its newest 2011 “Social Responsibility Report”, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) unleashes a new family of future “Long-March” rocket, including CZ-11, CZ-6, CZ-7, CZ-5, CZ-5B and CZ-9.
CZ-6 is a new generation of small launch vehicle. Rocket has full length 29.237m, take-off mass of 103.217t, takeoff thrust to weight ratio of 1.20, the maximum dynamic pressure 22.3kPa, the maximum axial overload 5.0g; 700km SSO orbit with 1080kg carrying capacity to meet the domestic demand.
According to Mr. Liang Xiaohong, the party chief of CASC, China has now started a project developed by the load of 10 tons to 20 tons of medium-sized launch vehicle Long March-7 (CZ-7).
CZ-9 is a giant rocket design of CSAC. According to a interview held in June, 2012, Liang Xiaohong says the CZ-9 giant rocket has 8m diameter core-level, 3.35m diameter of the booster, 8 engines and 3000 tons take-off weight. It is estimated that CZ-9 has two semi-constitutive low-Earth orbit carrying capacity of more than 100 t, and the three semi-configuration of the Earth-Moon transfer orbit over 50 tons.
Detailed information about CZ-11 and CZ-5B are still unavailible. Some Chinese analysers believe design number CZ-8 and CZ-10 will be pointed to China’s future reusable launch system, such as space shuttle or space plane.


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Stadium vs. Man Cave: Why more people watch NFL games at home
Updated 8:21 am, Monday, October 15, 2012
For those who love the energy of the crowd, the smell of the grass, the swish of the net and the taste of a real ballpark hot dog, there's nothing like heading to the arena. But for those who just want to watch the game, have a beer and grab a snack, the lure of the stadium is waning. In fact, even though a 2011 Ad Week/Harris Poll survey showed that 64% of Americans watch football, we aren't, apparently, watching the games in person.
According to the survey, 60% of U.S. adults say that they watch NFL games on TV, while 8% of those polled watch the games on their desktop or laptop computers, 3% view the games on their smartphones, 2% watch on their tablet devices and just 6% actually attend the games in person.
And this isn't just an NFL problem. In fact, most major sports franchises have been struggling with sinking attendance for years – but why?
The economy, the high cost of tickets, bloated player salaries and unsportsmanlike behavior may be easy to blame, but one theory suggests that we're moving away from the actual stadium and into our "man caves" simply because we can. The fact that it allows us to save money is, of course, a bonus. A few of the innovations that have made the move possible – and more economical for many – include:
-- TV Technology. Now that ultra-sharp TVs, theater-quality surround sound systems and HD TV channels are the norm, and less expensive than ever before, people can enjoy a better viewing experience at home than they've had in years past. And with 3D technology making strides every year, early adopters can truly immerse themselves in the action without buying a seat at the stadium.
-- Specialty Channels. With the proliferation of sports-specific cable and satellite TV channels and packages, like the Golf Channel, NFL Sunday Ticket, MLB Network, NBA League Pass and the Tennis Channel, fans are able to get their fix for free – or for a nominal fee, which makes the sometimes astronomical price of individual and season tickets seem wasteful.
-- Food Culture & Craft Beers. With the explosion of America's foodie society, ballpark-quality hot dogs, flavorful bratwurst and craft beer are available in virtually every city. Plus, because you can now find recipes for crispy nachos with grass-fed beef, rich, thick chili and even caramel corn with peanuts (like Cracker Jacks, only homemade) on dozens of websites, it's easier than ever to make tastier, and usually healthier, versions of your favorite stadium food at home.
All of this said, it's unlikely that stadium crowds will dwindle so drastically that teams move from large arenas to smaller venues, but if fans continue to opt for home theaters and man caves rather than individual and season tickets, they may well prove a powerful point to the league and inspire some changes to their pricing structures, as well as their players' attitudes.


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La Paz, June 6 (RHC)-- Bolivian President Evo Morales has criticized the government of neighbor Chile due to an increase in export rates in the port of Antofagasta, through which all Bolivian imports enter paying lower taxes.
The reaction came after executives of the Port of Antofagasta told Bolivian exporters they would increased tariffs and other measures that limit trade of Bolivian cargo through the Chilean port.
The Bolivian president said it was an "unfair and discriminatory decision," since Chile is violating a 1904 treaty that was signed to lower the costs of Bolivian imports.
Bolivian Deputy Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Alurralde said it was "a flagrant violation of international law, imposing requirements for advance payments and even require bank guarantees to provide services."
Bolivia has presented several legal arguments to the International Court of Justice over its bid to recuperate sovereign access to its former Pacific coast, which was lost to neighboring Chile in the 1879 War of the Pacific.
The Bolivian government hopes to gain sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, in order to import and export goods and raw materials without paying costly tariffs to neighboring Chile and Peru.
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Post Steve Jobs: Apple’s next chapter begins
TECH 24 – Apple embarks on a new chapter in its storied history as its founder and chief creative visionary Steve Jobs formally stepped aside due to his declining health. Although long expected, the announcement still came as a surprise to many, especially on Wall Street where the company’s stock lost over 5% of its value. Now, a week later, Tech 24 looks ahead to Apple’s future without Steve Jobs.
Video Rating: 4 / 5


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Investors were optimistic to kick off the final trading session of the holiday-shortened week. Heping boost sentiment, a report showed that the variant of concern has a lower risk of hospitalization than past variants. Reopening trades were in the green in early trading.
With so much looming uncertainty for the market, investors have been seeking shelter among so-called “safety trades.” Stocks with relatively low volatility that come along with a dependable payout can bring peace of mind during uncertain times. Today we’ll focus on one such ticker.
Jeff Bezos Just Poured $10 Billion Into This…
Not many people know this story… But in 1998, Bezos invested $250,000 of his own money in Google, when the company was just getting started out of a garage in California. When Google went public in 2004, that $250,000 investment translated into 3.3 million shares of Google stock. Nobody knows if Bezos has sold any shares. If he hasn’t, today they’re worth more than $5.6 billion.Jeff Bezos is betting big on a new trend. This time he’s planning to invest $10 billion of his own money in this exciting new trend. That’s 40,000 times more money than what he invested in Google. That’s how big he thinks this could be. [Full Story…]
Boston-based, Information management services company Iron Mountain Inc. (IRM) provides information destruction, records management, and data backup and recovery services to more than 220,000 customers in 58 countries. The company has around 1,500 leased warehouse spaces and underground storage facilities worldwide.
As a testament to Iron Mountain’s leadership in its core storage business, the company serves 225,000 customers, which includes about 95% of the Fortune 1000 companies. As for what the company stores, the wills of Princess Di and Charles Darwin housed in their facilities, as well as the original recordings of Frank Sinatra and Bill Gates’ Corbis photographic collection.
The need for Iron Mountain’s physical facilities will likely never disappear. Still, as digital storage becomes more widely adopted, the company should continue to grow along with its global data-center business, which contributed 8% of adjusted earnings through the first three quarters of 2021. The company and analyst community alike see the data center as a driver of steady growth in the coming years.
During its Q3 earnings call, Iron Mountain blew past consensus expectations of $0.70 FFO (funds from offering) per share, reporting $0.90. “Our Q3 performance demonstrates the continued strength of the business throughout the year, driven by our broad offerings, deep customer relationships, resilient business model, and strength of our team,” said CEO William Meaney. “Our Mountaineers have been executing well despite what continues to be a challenging environment, and we are pleased to continue to drive accelerated growth with continued strong uptake in our digital and SITAD offerings resulting in 19% year over year growth, strong storage growth of 3.2% with positive organic volume, and continued momentum in our Data Center business, which is well on track to deliver bookings in excess of 30 megawatts for the year.”
Iron Mountain forecasts that revenue this year will increase 7.5% from 2020 to about $4.47 billion. And the company also believes that its AFFO per share for this year will surge 10% from the previous year to about $3.39. Based on that projection, the payout ratio for its 5% dividend yield will be around 73% which allows the company to retain the capital necessary to expand its data-center business even as it rewards shareholders.
Where to invest $1,000 right now...
Before you consider buying Iron Mountain, you'll want to see this.
Investing legend, Keith Kohl just revealed his #1 stock for 2022...
And it's not Iron Mountain.
Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, and the Rockefellers are betting a colossal nine figures on this tiny company that trades publicly for $5.
Keith say’s he thinks investors will be able to turn a small $50 stake into $150,000.
Find that to be extraordinary?
But you have to act now, because a catalyst coming in a few weeks is set to take this company mainstream... And by then, it could be too late.
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Announcement from Krissah Thompson, Managing Editor for Diversity and Inclusion:
In addition, she will write in the moment as she did recently with her incisive pieces during the political conventions and also spend time diving more deeply as she did this year with analytical Magazine pieces on diversity in the fashion industry and White allyship. Robin will tackle other big issues in reported essays and also profile some of the figures we are all talking about or should be. Her expert eye introduced Washington Post readers to Edward Enninful years before Time magazine featured him on its cover. She has also written penetratingly about Diana Taylor, Gayle King and Sen. Kamala Harris, among others.
Robin is one of the world’s most recognized critics in the realm of fashion, which she has viewed as a business, as a cultural institution and as pure pleasure. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2006, the first time the award was given to a fashion writer. She is also author of “The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History.”
As she moves into this new role, other subjects will benefit from her expert eye and thoughtful criticism. In addition to her groundbreaking fashion criticism, Robin covered Michelle Obama during the first year of the administration. She first joined The Post in 1995 and left in 2010 to become the fashion critic and fashion correspondent for The Daily Beast/Newsweek. She returned to The Post in 2014. She has also worked for Vogue magazine and the Detroit Free Press.
She will report to me and looks forward to collaborating with editors across the newsroom as she expands her portfolio.
Please congratulate Robin on her new role.


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Frankfurt (January 26th, 2018) – On Friday 26 January 2018, Deutsche Börse launched a Market Consultation regarding potential rule change of MDAX/SDAX/TecDAX. The Market Consultation and detailed information on the proposed rule changes can be found here.
Deutsche Börse invites market participants to submit responses via email.
Andreas von Brevern
+49 (0) 69 211 14284
The Market Consultation remains open for submission until 30 March 2018.
Deutsche Börse intends to publish the results of the market consultation, as well as an announcement about the potential changes to the index methodology, on or around 20 April 2018.


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BBH founder Sir John Hegarty wants fashion brands to loosen up.
“Humor is such an incredibly powerful force, and fashion doesn’t use it. It’s always intrigued me how serious everyone in fashion ads are,” he told an audience at Decoded Fashion’s London summit Wednesday.
Hegarty has worked with a wide range of fashion brands over the years, including for Levi Strauss, Burberry, Selfridges and Pretty Polly. He’s seen what’s gone right — and what has been “monumentally” wrong. “The fashion industry is being driven by people who don’t understand brands,” he said. “Brands are collections of ideas and thoughts that create a difference, and how you create that difference in a market when you both have to be the same but also stand out is the great conundrum.”
At one particular meeting with a fashion designer, for example, he asked for a big idea. The answer came back: blue. “That’s not an idea, it’s a color,” he scoffed, before adding, “Many in the fashion industry wouldn’t understand an idea if it smacked them in the face.”
He said this is exactly what’s plaguing British retailer Marks & Spencer, which received some uncomfortable headlines in the press last month for clothing sales that have failed to grow over the last five years. To Hegarty, this suggests it hasn’t figured out a way to project what it stands for.
“I guarantee M&S will constantly fail because there is no philosophy behind what they do,” he said. “I’ve no idea what they’re trying to do. They’ve not established what they believe in, and that means they haven’t understood the principles of what drives a brand.”
He did reserve praise for one fashion brand: Paul Smith. “One of the reasons Paul has succeeded is because he has a point of view. He calls it fashion with a twist. But everything he does he expresses with a sense of humor.”
Establishing that core idea and brand philosophy is also crucial if fashion brands (or any brand) is to stand out on platforms like Instagram, where stand-out is already tough.
“Technology enables opportunity, and creativity creates value,” he said. “That’s fundamentally important. When people come to me and say, ‘Hey, we’re going on Instagram,’ I say, ‘OK — what are you going to say?’ It’s like walking into a room and saying, ‘I’m going to write a book.’ We’ve become obsessed with technology but not about what we’re actually going to say.”
Square wants to reach Hispanic consumers with new Spanish-language marketing push
As Hispanic entrepreneurs and consumers become an increasingly influential part of the U.S. economy, Square — the San Francisco-based fintech company — hopes its new Spanish-language marketing efforts will resonate with small business owners and the communities they serve.
Fireball taps into streaming, Instagram to reach Gen Z of drinking age
To drive reach and awareness with Gen Z, spirits brand Fireball last month increased its digital video output on Instagram and streaming sites like ESPN, Peacock and Hulu with 15-20 second ads. It is the cinnamon whiskey’s first creative campaign to market to Gen Z, as many are now of legal drinking age. (The demographic […]
Why regulators are still at odds over ad tech data privacy standards
The problem with attempts to bring order to online advertising’s data industrial complex is how loosely written the rules are.
SponsoredHow marketers are tailoring data-driven creative to engage audiences on CTV
Gabriela Maestre, vice president of creative solutions, Tremor International As the end of the year approaches and marketing teams look to finalize their 2023 budgets, many are wondering how to ensure their ads are set up for success in the months ahead, appealing to unique audiences whose media consumption habits continue to evolve. Advances in […]
Member ExclusiveDigiday+ Research: Amazon holds untapped marketing potential for brands, agencies
Digiday's survey revealed a huge difference between how brands and agencies are spending on Amazon and other retail marketing sites compared with how confident they are that those channels drive marketing success.
How brands like Pepsi and American Eagle are investing in original sound marketing on TikTok
Pepsi announced a partnership with singer and actress Chlöe Bailey on Tuesday to release a new version of the song “Footloose,” encouraging TikTok users to join a dance challenge using the sound.


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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the new restrictions for seven Greek islands. Mykonos and Santorini among islands from which travellers will have to isolate for two weeks.
Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos are being removed from England’s list of locations exempt from 14-day Covid-19 quarantine.
Similar rules are in place for Wales, for the islands of Mykonos, Zante, Lesvos, Paros, Antiparos and Crete, where the quarantine restrictions are already in place.
Shapps, announced that arrivals from the Greek islands will have to isolate for two weeks on their return to England from Wednesday at 4am, but not those arriving from the rest of the country.
Since the announcement, tourists have had to scramble to make alternative plans, with many frantically booking last-minute flights so they don’t have to self-isolate for two weeks once back in Britain. But holidaymakers are reporting huge price hikes for their journeys back, with some having to pay out three times more than they planned, according to Daily Mail.
Andrew Flintham, managing director of TUI UK and Ireland announced that with little notice TUI had to cancel holidays to Crete, Santorini, Zakynthos and Mykonos just hours before customers are due to travel due to the change in travel advice. Any customers due to travel to these four islands before Tuesday 22 September will be able to amend for free to another holiday on sale or request a full cash refund.
British travelers can still choose to travel to Turkey as the country is exempt from 14-day Covid-19 quarantine. However, holidaymakers on those Greek islands can’t travel to Turkey since Greece keeps extending its travel ban and restrictions for Turkey.


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HANGZHOU • Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak visited the headquarters of the Alibaba Group in Hangzhou yesterday, voicing his eagerness to tap the expertise of the world's largest retailer.
Datuk Seri Najib, who is on a five-day visit to China, later flew to Beijing for meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. He will also be attending the two-day Belt and Road Forum that starts tomorrow.
In Hangzhou, Mr Najib also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Malaysia Digital Economy Corp, the Hangzhou municipal government and Alibaba to kick-start the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) project in Kuala Lumpur.
The DFTZ, which will be located beside Kuala Lumpur International Airport, will provide physical and virtual facilities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to conduct cross-border e-commerce activities.
Its promoters see the creation of warehousing facilities, offices and services involving cashless payments to help Malaysian SMEs expand e-commerce in South-east Asia. Malaysia's central bank has already approved the use of Alipay, Alibaba's payment system, by six major banks. No investment value of the DFTZ has been announced.
Mr Najib's visit to Alibaba's headquarters was at the invitation of its founder and executive chairman Jack Ma, who launched the DFTZ in Kuala Lumpur in March.
The Prime Minister was given a personal tour of the sprawling Alibaba complex by Mr Ma, who is also the digital economy adviser to the Malaysian government.
In a post on his Facebook page, Mr Najib said the DFTZ could definitely learn from China's e-trade and Alibaba's achievements.
"I am impressed with Alibaba's achievements. In just 13 years, the company's transactions have reached three trillion yuan or close to RM1.9 trillion (S$615 billion). During the Global Shopping Festival last year, Alibaba processed a peak of 175,000 orders per second."
He also said that with the DFTZ, "the ecosystem of SMEs and entrepreneurship will change and be more inclusive".
The DFTZ will have a satellite hub known as Kuala Lumpur Internet City (KLIC), where regional Internet-related shops are located.
KLIC will be located in Bandar Malaysia - a new township on the outskirts of downtown Kuala Lumpur that will house the terminus of the planned high-speed rail link between Singapore and Malaysia.
The Bandar Malaysia project is another big item on Mr Najib's agenda in China. He is expected to discuss the project with top Chinese officials, after Putrajaya last week aborted a deal involving Malaysia's Iskandar Waterfront Holdings and China Railway Engineering Corp. Mr Najib is expected to discuss his plan to bring a new player, the Dalian Wanda Group, from China into the Bandar Malaysia development.


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“Investment bank Oppenheimer on Friday lowered its revenue and earnings estimates for Apple in fiscal 2017 on reduced expectations for iPhone and Apple Watch sales,” Patrick Seitz reports for Investor’s Business Daily.
“Oppenheimer analyst Andrew Uerkwitz maintained his perform rating on Apple stock, citing a ‘cautious view for the iPhone 7,'” Seitz reports. “‘We expect the iPhone 7 product cycle to be weak due to lack of major improvements,’ Uerkwitz said in a research report. ‘We maintain that more dramatic changes will come to the iPhone in 2017.'”
“For fiscal 2017, which starts Sept. 25, Uerkwitz now expects Apple to earn $8.18 a share on sales of $209 billion. That’s down from his prior forecast for $9.04 EPS on $222 billion in sales,” Seitz reports. “He lowered his forecast for iPhone shipments in fiscal 2017 to 197 million units from 213 million. ‘We believe incremental design changes this year will not be compelling enough to drive an upgrade cycle and continue to believe the 7 cycle will undersell the 6S cycle,’ Uerkwitz said.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Oppenheimer analyst Andrew Uerkwitz believes the iPhone 7 cycle will undersell the 6s cycle? Seriously?


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Tickets will forever change ticket
sales for the mass event industry.
To change ticket
processes - and there is a review of this which is part of the fan forums and fans will be fully engaged in - that can't happen overnight.
It's probably too late to change ticket
prices this year, he said, though the school will review the prices at the end of the season.
But Wrexham council, who run 20% of the town's car parks, said they had no money to give to change ticket
machines with an estimated cost of PS13,000.
A DfT spokesman said: "We consider each request from train operators to change ticket
office opening hours on a case-by-case basis, in line with wellestablished industry rules.
You can put the change ticket
number in the comment field, so that the rule will have a hyperlink back to the change ticket
to simplify looking up the audit trail.
DiMasi involving a $13 million computer software contract, as well as alleged illegal lobbying and conflicts of interest involving legislation backed by the speaker to change ticket
However, Paisley's Dean Robertson, Monty's partner in November's World Cup, called on organisers to change ticket
distribution for the Ryder Cup - to prevent thugs from getting in.
Disney reserves the right to change ticket
entitlements at any time without prior notice.


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Android founder Andy Rubin may be working on an iPhone-Pixel killer phone
Andy Rubin, one of the co-creators of the Android operating system, may be about to announce his next big project following his departure from Google two years ago. A new report claims he plans to reveal his new company, Essential, in the very near future. Essential is rumored to be launching a high-end bezel-less smartphone to compete with Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus and Google’s own Pixel XL.
The story comes from Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources. It says that Rubin will serve as CEO of Essential, which will at first have a 40-person team that is made up of former Apple and Google team members. The story claims that the company is actually working on a number of different hardware devices, for both mobile and smart home markets, with the idea of linking them all together in a single platform.
The story claims the flagship product of Essential will be a high-end smartphone with an edge-to-edge display, similar to the Xiaomi Mi MIX concept phone. The report also claims it will be able to gain new hardware features over time. The story says this support will come from the phone’s magnetic proprietary connector that will serve both as a battery charging port as well as a way for first and third-party hardware accessories to connect to this phone. This sounds similar to the Moto Mods made for the the Moto Z family of smartphones.
The report claims this phone might launch some time in the middle of 2017 and it will be priced around the same as the iPhone 7. Ironically, the report did not state if Rubin’s phone will use Android.
Rubin co-founded Android in 2003 and Google acquired the company in 2005 before officially launching the first version of the OS in 2008. Rubin remained with Google in its Android division until 2013, when he moved over to its robotics unit. In 2014, Rubin departed Google entirely and in 2015 he formed his own tech hardware incubator called Playground Global. Bloomberg said today that the incubator has raised a total of $300 million so far from a number of investors, including Google, HP and Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), which might manufacture the new phone from Essential.


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But the ease of uploading video and the overwhelming numbers of online clips present huge problems for schools since offensive and even grossly pornographic content can get online before site owners have a chance to isolate or delete such films.
Channel Bee's partnership with Move Networks is a key differentiator for it in the Internet television market, as Lovejoy personally demonstrates in one of its viral online clips being used to promote the launch of Channel Bee.
AlwaysOn will use Critical Media's Syndicaster as the video platform to generate and distribute online clips from the organization's conferences starting with OnMedia NYC 2010 taking place February 1-3.
The ubiquitous Flash video player will soon support the same technology behind next-generation, high-definition DVDs - but don't expect online clips to look great on giant television screens for some time.
The online clips, under the username "mrchimp2007", included taking Class A drugs, being driven in a car at 140mph, leaving a garage apparently without paying, trespassing, shouting abuse and setting off fireworks.


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Zeeman's 30 euro wedding dress stunt a huge success, 9 Feb 2016 (Photo: @zeemantextiel/Twitter) - Credit: Zeeman's 30 euro wedding dress stunt a huge success, 9 Feb 2016 (Photo: @zeemantextiel/Twitter)
Wednesday, 10 February 2016 - 09:15
30 euro wedding dresses quickly sell out in Zeeman stunt
Retailer Zeeman's stunt of selling wedding dresses for only 30 euros each is a huge success. The first 400 dresses put up for sale on Tuesday morning, sold out in no time, NOS reports. "There is a lot of attention on this action. In fact, more than we initially hoped for" a spokesperson for Zeeman said to the broadcaster. Another 500 dresses was made available for sale on Tuesday afternoon. The store will eventually sell 1,500 wedding dresses at 30 euros each. "The other dresses we are only offering next week, so that everyone gets the chance to purchase one." A number of people already placed their cheaply purchased wedding dress on classifieds site Marktplaats. The Zeeman spokesperson called this "crazy". "For the people do not even have the dresses in house yet. They are delivered within 48 hours." On Tuesday Zeeman CEO Bart Karis announced the chains intention to open about a hundred stores in new markets this year in an interview with Flemish business paper De Tijd. The company already has 1,230 stores, mostly in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and Germany. Karis also stated that Zeeman is very busy renewing its current store. A total of 280 stores were renovated over the past year and in the coming year another 100 will be renewed.


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You've created an innovative product. Customers love it and pay you quite well for it. You plow your profits back into R&D, making your product ever better, more powerful, and more useful to your customers.
Equally impressive, at least to me, is the speed with which we integrate new technologies and discard old ones. Someone told me recently that he loves his new Apple Watch because he doesn't have to reach
Blockchain, the company behind the world’s most popular bitcoin wallet, has been quietly working on an interesting project called Thunder. The Thunder network is an alternative network of nodes that lets
RBS lost a colossal £2 billion and this massive set of legal issues is threatening to wreck the bank
And in the group's 2015 results statement, the bank didn't sugarcoat the fallout. RBS is embroiled in a number of investigations and is potentially subject to government actions. The bank also warned the
The company is looking at adding other networks, including TV and movie channels, to its offering, which it will bundle and sell to customers alongside Prime. The move, which is still far from complete,
It would set a dangerous precedent for the card networks if Apple builds a new payment product that routes money around their pipes. When Apple launched Apple Pay last year, the more progressively minded
Even you Starting soon, Uber drivers looking to earn some extra money on their commutes to and from home — especially those who drive part-time — will be able to with the ride-hailing app's new "destinations"
You don't have to leave an app to start a new search Smartphones keep getting better. That's a fact. They get nicer displays, cameras that put point-and-shoots to shame and, hopefully, better battery But


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Of course, when a concept catches on, it can be a little more difficult to stand out from the crowd and make sure you’re offering people something more than just a place to eat.
But Dr Murphy’s Food Hall in Chicago, Illinois – which opened on 3 August – is doing just that. With a vision to create somewhere that truly brings people together and helps builds community, its focus is not on getting in big brands, but on championing local small and independent businesses – many of which were founded by female and ethnic-minority owners.
Situated in the medical district of Cook County, Dr Murphy’s Food Hall caters to a wide array of customers, from local residents to the doctors, nurses and healthcare staff who work in the nearby medical centers and the families of hospital patients.
This location was an obvious choice for Hospitality HQ’s newest location, according to co-founder Akhtar Nawab, who says the varied demographic of the area makes it the perfect spot for such a diverse concept.
“We felt as though the very busy medical district was in need of some positive news and at the same time some nourishing food,” he says. “It’s obviously been a challenging time for many, but the area remains busy regardless of what we’re dealing with.”
In fact, while the impact of Covid-19 did delay the launch of the project by a couple of weeks, Nawab says they were determined to push forward and wanted to get the food hall up and running as soon as possible.
Backing local business
As well as making sure Dr Murphy’s Food Hall provides a delicious and exciting menu for customers, it also prioritizes giving opportunities to small businesses who may otherwise have struggled to set up on their own.
“We’ve opened this food hall with the hopes and anticipation of feeding the community with nourishing, artisanal, non-franchised based individuals and companies,” says Nawab.
The food hall features 12 concepts, from Mexican to Vietnamese, and each of its vendors are first and second time operators that were looking for a chance to either start or grow business their business.
“As you can imagine, in major cities in the US, it’s extremely expensive open a restaurant and the rate of return on your investment is often very slow,” explains Nawab. “And in these particular times, I don’t think it’s even really possible for people starting out to venture off and get a loan approved, nor have the willingness to put your life savings at risk like that – it’s a really difficult position to be in.”
The nature of a food hall means the investment required from the business is that much smaller, and Hospitality HQ gives eligible vendors the opportunity to enter at a low threshold of $15,000-25,000. “We’re not really asking for a financial commitment as much as a time commitment,” Nawab explains.
And he’s has taken this one step further during the pandemic. After meeting with various people in the planning stages of the food hall, Nawab realised that the current economic situation meant even fewer people were able to access funding.
“I really started seeing a pattern of economically injured people through the crisis. So we created a vendor grant program, through the enquiry section of our website, and we vetted those submissions and actually awarded a couple of people who had compelling cases the opportunity to open for essentially no cost.”
One business that has benefitted from this approach is The Classic Cobbler, run by Bran’Arla Johnson. “Bran’Arla had a store front for several years and just prior the pandemic had to close it. So, she was looking for an opportunity to grow her business but didn’t have the liquidity to do so with a brick-and-mortar store,” says Nawab.
Hospitality HQ also awarded some special consideration to minority business owners, recognizing that it can be more challenging for some to find investors.
“We understand that and we‘re also in a demographic that I think is particularly sensitive to it. A lot of the support from the local alderman and the president of Cook County were very interested in seeing the success of this food hall and it being truly versatile,” Nawab says. And it’s an issue he takes seriously.
“It’s the responsibility of anyone who’s able to make the decisions that we are to pay attention to underrepresented groups in business. Everyone deserves a fair, even ground opportunity, and I think we’re very conscious of that. We have a very diverse group – my business partner is Filipino, I’m Indian and we have another partner who is part Latin-American. And I think it really provides us with a lense that not all hospitality companies have.”
Truly American food
When deciding on the mix of flavors to bring to Dr Murphy’s Food Hall, there were a few must-haves, however.
“We did find it important to have pizza,” he says. “Chicago is an interesting place for pizza – they definitely have their own style. But it’s also a very adoptive cuisine. I’ve seen Detroit pizza, New York pizza, Sicilian pizza, Napoli pizza.” The food hall settled on a vendor, originally from Iowa, specializing in American/Italian style-pizza.
“At the same time, we recognize that dumplings are always a good seller, so we have a Nepalese vendor who does Nepalese dumplings. These are a blend of South-east Asia and Chinese style dumplings, which we found very interesting,” he adds.
This mixing of cuisines from different cultures is what Nawab says makes food halls so popular.
“America is a place of all different cultures. Indian, Japanese, Italian – you name it. Those people that came here all those years ago really paved the way for the diversity that should be totally accepted in all forms of dining. America has no food of its own – it’s based upon all of these different cultures. My mother’s adaptation of Indian cooking in America is American food. And that’s why I think these food halls are so interesting to me, is that they give America a roof to take all of these flavors and blend them together in a way that is truly American.”
Creating space for community
But it’s not just about the food. Nawab wants to create a space where the local community can gather together and have shared experiences.
“Food halls need to be very experiential. I think we can achieve that, not just with the food, but we also have the space for other pop-up style events, like maybe an art gallery showing for local artists,” he explains. “We’re trying to create a community center, in a way, where we can do movie nights or a bingo night, or team-oriented outdoor events.”
Nawab and the team at Dr Murphy’s Food Hall are exploring the different ways in which they can encourage that kind of community spirit, working with local businesses and the Hyatt Place hotel, with which it shares the building.
“Obviously we can’t be together at this particular time like we used to, but everyone needs a place where they can gather that also allows for everyone to be distanced, which we can fortunately satisfy with the size of the food hall.”
Ensuring safety for vendors and customers
Creating a safe space for customers, with appropriate social distancing and safety measures, is of particular importance right now.
“A lot of restaurants have very little ability to offer a socially-distant floorplan the way a food hall can. We’re dealing with 10,500 sqft inside and about 1,500 sqft outside, so that allows us the ability to spread out in a way that a typical restaurant is not able to,” Nawab explains. And the group has learned a lot from its other venues.
“We had one food hall that was already open before the pandemic, in Omaha, Nebraska. We closed there for about two months, which gave us an opportunity to regroup and think about what we could do to make this as safe as possible when we reopened.”
Hospitality HQ worked with the local departments of health in Omaha, Chicago and New York City to create a manual on how to manage large venues through Covid, to help inform best practice.
“We figured that clear management is really key to navigating this as best we can. So now we’ve created logbooks and checklists, and we have our management team physically go through each vendor’s stall every day and make sure they’re compliant. We also have a consumer-facing checklists that demonstrate the levels of sanitation that we are meeting and we added and implemented sanitation specialists that walk through the food hall and sanitize tables after every usage.”
High-touch areas commonly understood to carry bacteria and viruses are now attended to more aggressively than they would have in the past, flexi-glass screens have been installed to separate the cashier and the customer, and an online payment system has been set up so people can order and pay ahead of time.
In a landscape where many are still cautious about eating out, safety is the new measure of success. “In the past I would have said, ‘I hope they have a great time and it was delicious’, but right now it’s really about making people feel comfortable and safe,” admits Nawab.
“Hospitality has taken a real different direction than it has in the past. Taking care of the customer meant something different before this. Now it means making them feel safe and secure.”


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Raleigh, N.C. — A new food truck is making its debut this weekend. Dump Pho King, a dumpling and pho food truck based in Raleigh, is holding a launch party at Noir from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $20.
More food truck news: Sweet Traditions by LeAne is opening a kiosk at the Triangle Town Center mall in north Raleigh today (Friday). They will be open each weekend outside the food court serving up her famous cupcakes. The hours are: Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays noon to 6 p.m.
The Fresh Market at Cameron Village in Raleigh plans to expand into The Underground/Village Subway space, which used to be a hub for nightclubs and restaurants in the 1970s and 1980s. Triangle Business Journal reports that Fresh Market has signed a lease to move all of its food prep work into the basement area. The area will not be open to the public and there aren't plans to add any more tenants underground. The move will give the market more space on the ground level, where they plan to add an exterior dining area. Renovations are expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.
One of our favorite restaurants in downtown Raleigh - Five Star - will start serving lunch on May 1, according to New Raleigh. The menu will include salads and sandwiches. Humble Pie is also looking to add a lunch menu, but no start date has been announced yet.
In Durham, Gregoria's Cuban Steakhouse, which had a soft opening at its new location in January, will be holding its grand opening celebration tonight (Friday). From 6-8 p.m., enjoy free food, festive music from a nine-piece salsa tribute band and all day $2 mojito, sangria and draft beer specials. Make sure to RSVP to Gregorias@boltpr.com if you want to attend the grand opening party. Gregoria's closed at its previous location last year after a fire.
Pitmaster Ed Mitchell's new barbecue restaurant 'Que is expected to open by the end of the month in the new Diamond View III building at American Tobacco Campus.
Also moving into the Diamond View III building: Basan, a new sushi restaurant from Eschelon Hospitality, TBJ reports. It is expected to open in November.
Straw Valley Food and Drink in Durham will open its wine and raw bar on Friday, April 11. They are holding a grand opening celebration with Bordeaux wines and fresh oysters form Locals Seafood from 6-11 p.m.
Fuquay-Varina has a new restaurant. Wingin' It Bar and Grille has opened on North Main Street.
Isaac Hunter's Oak City Tavern closed on Sunday in downtown Raleigh. Owners say that as their lease began to wind down at 112 Fayetteville St., their landlord, Pete Gillis, decided to go in a different direction, striking a deal with the owner of 606 Nightclub and Myst in Glenwood South to replace the tavern with a new concept.
Fat Daddy's on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh closed on Monday.
Clyde Cooper's BBQ are moving around the corner to 313 S. Wilmington St. They hope to be open by April 9.


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Highland Ridge RV will be equipping its entire towable line with the Dometic Blizzard NXT air conditioner and Quiet Zone ducted return air system.
According to a press release, the Blizzard NXT provides an industry leading 350 CFM and features EPP foam housing for improved insulation and maximum air flow around the evaporator coils, creating better cooling performance. It is a key component of Dometic’s residential-style Quiet Zone system which keeps noise and vibration away from the living space for quiet, cool comfort.
“Camping is meant to be an enjoyable experience with family and friends, but how can it be if you can’t have a conversation over the noise of the air conditioner?” said Ben Johnson, director of product development and national sales manager at Highland Ridge RV. “This is one of the top complaints we’ve heard from our customers. For several years we’ve offered Quiet Cool air conditioners in our higher end products. This year we thought, let’s give all customers what they asked for and offer it on the entire line of products.”


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Avalara’s Strategic Partnerships Continue to Grow
- Avalara News
- February 8, 2012 | Avalara
AvaTax for TRAVERSE Now Available
Bainbridge Island, WA – February 08, 2012 – Avalara (https://www.avalara.com), the leader and visionary in sales tax automation for businesses of all sizes, today announced Open Systems, Inc., a leading provider of TRAVERSE, has joined Avalara’s growing list of certified Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) partners.
Avalara’s web-based offering, AvaTax, now integrates with TRAVERSE to simplify the indirect tax management process for its customers and, in the process, make compliance easy to achieve.
"We’re always on the lookout for meaningful tools that help people manage their online business,” said Linda Shillingburg, director of business development at Open Systems, Inc. “Our integration with Avalara will provide an opportunity for our customers to easily manage and remain up-to-date on increasingly complicated tax regulations.”
Avalara CEO and founder Scott McFarlane said, “By joining forces, TRAVERSE customers are now able to spend more time on what matters most: delighting their customers and growing the business. As one of America’s fastest-growing companies, Avalara is proud to welcome TRAVERSE into our ever-expanding community.”
Avalara is the leader and visionary in sales tax automation for businesses of all sizes. It simplifies the complexity associated with sales and use tax and – in the process – makes compliance achievable by all.
Avalara partners with more than 145 of the world’s leading accounting and commercial software publishers to accomplish this. Its web-based offering provides the most complete set of transactional tax compliance services available, including tax calculation, exemption certificate management and returns processing. It also offers 1099 filing and reporting.
Avalara serves thousands of customers worldwide, files and remits almost $10 billion in sales and use tax collections per year, and delivers more than 750 million transactions annually.
Established in 2004, Avalara is a founding member and Certified Service Provider of the Streamlined Sales Tax initiative and one of the fastest-growing companies in America. It employs more than 250 professionals at its headquarters on Bainbridge Island, WA and offices in Seattle; Irvine, San Diego and Rocklin, CA; Falls Church, VA and Pune, India.
About Open Systems, Inc.
Open Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of business, accounting, CRM, and e-business software solutions for organizations in many industries, including distribution, manufacturing, and not-for-profit. Founded in 1976, Open Systems celebrates 35 years of using advanced technologies to provide adaptable business solutions. Products offered include Microsoft .NET- and SQL Server-based TRAVERSE for the Microsoft platform, and Java-based OSAS for Windows, Mac, Linux, and users. For more information on Open Systems products, call 800-328-2276 or visit http://www.osas.com.
For press inquiries regarding TRAVERSE please call Linda Shillingburg or email Lindas(at)osas(dot)com. To set up an interview with Linda, please contact 800-328-2276X5713.


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E-commerce Record Set On Cyber Monday 2016
Cyber Monday 2016 saw consumers spend an incredible $3.45 billion online, 12.1% more than the previous year and 2.6% more than what Adobe Digital insights had initially predicted, setting an e-commerce record on the busiest day of the year for internet shopping. After Black Friday hit a new sales record of $3.34 billion, shoppers clearly did not slow down, instead they continued to take advantage of the steep discounts that retailers had to offer come Cyber Monday.
This was indeed enough to counter the slowdown in spending that was experienced in the days surrounding the U.S presidential election, thus maintaining the forecast initially put out by Adobe of a predicted $91.6 Billion in sales during this holiday season. Adobe collects data by measuring 80% of total transactions from the top 100 U.S retailers.
These results also nullified the fear that the decision to spread out deals earlier in the weekend would hurt Cyber Monday sales. Walmart started Cyber Monday (which they now call Cyber week) on Friday. Target made its deals available on Sunday, and clearly none of them is disappointed with this decision.
These numbers, however remarkable are not surprising at all, considering the improvements in online shopping, increase in the ‘buy on-line pick up in store’ options, coupled with the discounted prices, it is no wonder the surge. People are also able to shop in more situations than they would otherwise be able to do in the past, on a variety of devices; PCs, smartphones and tablets.
Stores like Walmart and Kohl’s were smart to make significant improvements to their shopping apps as well as launch their mobile payment apps this year. Doing so did pay off. Retailers recognize the need for a multi-channel shopping wheel, and investing in a solid mobile application platform is nothing short of smart. Walmart saw a 150% increase in purchases made from the Walmart app. Mobile shopping alone accounted for 31% of the total sales on Cyber Monday 2016.
According to data released by Adobe, some of the best sellers on Cyber Monday were Pie Face Game, Barbie, Nerf , Shopkins and Lego sets in the toys category. As for electronics: Sony Play Station 4, Samsung 4k TVs and Microsoft Xbox, Amazon Fire and Apple iPhone were at the top.
A very big take away, particularly from Cyber Monday sales this year, is the need for, and fast paced shift not just towards e-commerce, but effective and convenient e-commerce, right from purchase through to delivery.
Did you splurge in this year’s Cyber Monday? Let us know in the comments!
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Li-Ion batteries have come a long way in powering portable electronics devices. From having unstable and highly explosive electrodes to more stable and less volatile elctrodes, these compact devices are paving way for new technologies that is set to revolutionise the entire electronics industry.
In order to come up with a solution for the world’s increasing energy problems, the Li-Ion battery was created. While the battery proved to be highly beneficial for powering portable electronics devices, its electrodes had to go undergo a lot of changes before the present ones (made from lithium cobalt-oxide/lithium iron phosphate and graphite), were deemed safe for usage.
Li-ion batteries have a high energy density, which enables them to store a large amount of electric charge in a small volume. This comes helpful for miniature devices, such as smartwatches, smartphones and so on. With further reduction in size becoming quite challenging for researchers nowadays, a new approach for manufacturing these batteries is required.
Now, scientists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia have gone one step ahead and developed a technology – for printing the electrodes using an inkjet printer. To print electrodes that have all the essential characteristics of a conventionally produced Li-Ion battery, one needs to carefully select the composition and viscosity of the printing solution for the electrodes. Although it was quite challenging, the scientists were able to create a special, stable colloidal solution that had a different flow characteristic, which enabled the printing of the cathode using an inkjet printer.
By studying the electrochemical properties of the printed electrodes and the composition of the cathode material, scientists have come to a conclusion that this technology will help to power biosensors, wearable electronics and other miniature devices.
“To reduce the difference in energy density, we propose to use promising compounds based on lithium and manganese-enriched cathode material with an increased capacity,” said Maxim Maximov, researcher in the National Technological Initiative center of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. “We demonstrated the possibility of electrodes manufacturing with this material by inkjet printing. We have also found that the energy intensity of the material in the printed electrode and the electrode made by traditional technology are close”.
As compared to electrodes manufactured by conventional methodology, inkjet-printed electrodes have a low high energy density. This can be caused because of the differences in active layer density, active material proportion etc. Aware of this shortcoming, scientists plan to further conduct research on increasing the energy intensity of the printed electrodes and the prototype of the Li-Ion battery.
The results of the study are published in the journal Energy Technology.


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Bloomberg :Alcatel-Lucent SA (ALU) reached a 1.6 billion-euro ($2.1 billion) financing deal, gaining time to overhaul the French phone-equipment maker and try to sell as much as 1.5 billion euros of assets.
Sounds like a waste.
wow I would feed millions of families around the world, pay $50,000 to play half life 3 demo, buy some real estate investments(and a huge hotel) and buy a gaming pc & a ps4 with the rest of the cash. And maybe some food.
It shouldn't have be detonations of dollars. that would practically be like giving it back to them. US dollars are notes Notes are in layman's terms IOU's Those IOU are in turn collected by... Well lets just say you won't like who's getting paid.
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Wielding a collection of renowned brands such as Laura Ashley and Metrojaya in the retail sector, Corus Hotels in the hospitality sector, Kandos and Tudor in the food sector, and Bandar Springhill in the property development sector, could asset-rich Malaysian conglomerate Malayan United Industries prove to be a diamond in the rough?
Malayan United Industries (KLSE:MUIIND) once a corporate powerhouse has under-performed over the past several years and has consequently lost its charm among investors. However, with MUI founder Tan Sri Khoo Kay Peng relinquishing his role as Chief Executive Officer in December last year, and paving the way for his son Andew Khoo Boo Yeow to take over the reins, changes are already underway with the new CEO spearheading a restructuring exercise aimed at building a sustainable business in the long run. Key restructuring initiatives include corporate restructuring, business transformation (which involves transforming MUI’s key brands such as Laura Ashley into a lifestyle brand) and deleveraging (which will see the company’s debt burden being reduced through divestitures among other options). With such measures to unlock shareholder value being implemented, can the asset-rich long-time laggard turn its fortunes around, and regain its former glory?
Laura Ashley (LON:ALY)
Plans are underway to transform Britain’s iconic Laura Ashley brand (and one of MUI’s crown jewels) into a lifestyle concept by expanding from the current fashion, accessories and home furnishings business into other areas such as hotels (currently the company owns two hotels – Laura Ashley The Manor, and Laura Ashley The Belsfield – both located in the UK) and cafés (the company’s opened its first café – Laura Ashley The Tea Room – in June 2017). Future plans will see the brand expand into the spa business as well. The idea of transforming a brand into a lifestyle concept is nothing new and while some brands such as Missoni and Moschino have fallen off the runway (the fashion houses checked out of the hotel business a few years ago) a number of others, such as Bulgari, Mercedes Benz, Armani, Fendi, and Versace are still continuing the show. Buglari extended their famous jewelry brand into the now famous Bulgari Hotels and Resorts; Mercedes Benz steered their automobile brand into perfumes; Armani elevated the fashion brand towards luxury hotels and luxury furnishings; Versace strutted their fashion brand into fashion hotels; Jaguar took the auto brand up a notch with its lifestyle products ranging from clothing to accessories; Godiva sweetened their chocolate brand with its chain of lifestyle chocolatier cafés; and Fendi took the fashion brand to new heights with their hotel venture.
So can ailing Laura Ashley, which is struggling financially (profits have been falling over the past few years) as well on the stock market (its languishing share price has been a long time under-performer and is currently trading at a fraction of its value during its heyday decades ago in the mid-1990s), get back in vogue with a similar push?
While much would depend on strategy and execution, fundamentally, the idea holds potential. And if history is any guide, Laura Ashley appears to have had a reasonably fair track record in extending the brand beyond its core products. Starting out as a clothing brand, famous for its floral, billowy dresses typical of English fashion in the 1970s, which were in vogue up until the 1990s, Laura Ashley subsequently stumbled due to a combination of factors such as an ill-executed overseas expansion and a failure to adapt appropriately to changing fashions. The failed expansion dented the company’s finances while the failure to evolve meant the brand’s classic style gradually became more and more classic, which later on ended up looking completely outdated altogether. And although years later Laura Ashley made an effort to update its chintzy image, customer perceptions are hard to change, contributing to flagging financials.
Despite these setbacks, it is noteworthy that the company successfully made great strides in transforming the brand’s product offering from one limited to just clothing to one spanning furniture, decorating items and home accessories. A few years ago clothing accounted for 50% of sales, but now it accounts for just 15% and is the smallest revenue generator of all of Laura Ashley’s four business segments according to its latest annual report. The biggest revenue earner, Home Accessories (which includes products such as lighting, gifts, bed linen, rugs, cushions, and children’s accessories), accounts for 33% of sales followed by the Furniture segment (cabinets, beds, and mirrors) which accounts for 30%. The balance 22% comes from the Decorating segment (fabric, curtains, wallpaper, paint and decorative accessories).
So could the new hotel venture be the key to unlock the brand’s value and reverse the company’s sagging financials?
Laura Ashley is an upscale brand synonymous with British heritage and the company’s new hotel and café brands are clearly positioned in similar fashion with all three Laura Ashley hotels (Laura Ashley The Manor Elstree, Laura Ashley Belsfield Hotel, and the upcoming Laura Ashley Burnham Beeches) and its two cafés (Laura Ashley The Tea Room in Solihull and Buckinghamshire) offering quintessentially British experiences to their well-heeled guests.
Britain has no shortage of hotels offering “quintessentially British” experiences such as as The Savoy and The Langham London. However, Laura Ashley hotels differentiated themselves by offering their upscale iconic British-style getaways in some of England’s endeared countryside locations. Laura Ashley Hotel The Belsfield for instance, is located along Lake Windermere in Lake District which is a World Heritage Site in North West England. Although plenty of travellers visit to enjoy the lake’s shimmering water and picturesque surroundings, there is little traveller spend in the area. Sensing an opportunity, in 2014 Laura Ashley acquired a Victorian-era mansion (it was built in 1845) overlooking Lake Windermere, and spent millions of pounds on refurbishment (with décor and furnishings from Laura Ashley of course) to offer a classic English-style countryside retreat, ideal for corporate events and weddings (in fact winter weddings bookings were reportedly up 75% during 2017). The strategy seems to be working with revenues and operating profits at the hotel reportedly increasing three-fold since being converted to a Laura Ashley hotel.
Yet, with Laura Ashley’s hotel segment accounting for just a fraction of group revenue (revenues from Laura Ashley’s hotel segment made up about 1% of total group sales according to Laura Ashley’s latest annual report), the rosy numbers may not be enough to move the needle at Laura Ashley in the near term.
The long view seems more promising. With Laura Ashley hotels being located in England’s countryside which tend to draw local travellers (as opposed to locations such as London, Manchester and Birmingham which are among UK’s most popular tourist destinations), the company is positioned to tap the UK’s domestic travel market which accounted for 80% of the UK visitor economy according to data from VisitBritain’s 2016/2017 annual review. In 2017, Brits took 59 million domestic holidays in Great Britain, a 6% increase from the previous year, spending £14.1billion on domestic holidays in Great Britain, also a 6% increase over the previous year according to VisitEngland’s Trip-Tracker Survey.
Furthermore, there is considerable potential for the Laura Ashley hotel brand to expand internationally, and the management seems keen to exploit this opportunity having announced plans to increase the number of domestic and international hotels to 100 over the next five years through licensing agreements.
There exists clear demand for British heritage brands outside the UK, particularly in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, South Asia and Southeast Asia with British-style brands Burberry, Church’s and Harrod’s cashing in on enthusiastic customers in these regions. This market could be an opportunity for Laura Ashley and with the brand’s planned hotels serving as a showcase for Laura Ashley products, they could potentially draw shoppers to Laura Ashley’s product offering.
Towards this end, Laura Ashley is taking steps to export the brand worldwide; Laura Ashley derives much of its sales from the UK and with international sales making up just 7.4% of group revenue according to the company’s latest annual report, the Laura Ashley brand is strongest among UK customers and appears to have relatively little recognition outside the UK. Laura Ashley has expanded into India with a signing of a licensing deal with India’s leading fashion retailer, Future Group. The company has also tied up with a partner in Thailand to tackle the Southeast Asian market.
Growing its international customer base could help the brand reduce reliance on sales from the UK, its primary market, insulating its financials from geographical shocks and thereby smoothening out revenues over the longer term. According to the company’s latest financial data, all business segments except Fashion suffered revenue declines, partly due to the impact of Brexit which saw UK consumers reigning in on big-ticket purchases. And with UK consumer spending not expected to recover as the uncertainty of Brexit’s impact on jobs and income hit hard on consumer confidence, British brands with a heavy reliance on the UK market such as Laura Ashley may find themselves in challenging conditions in the coming years. Keeping a long term view in mind, an international expansion could Laura Ashley minimize such geographical risks.
Since Laura Ashley was thrown a lifeline by MUI about two decades ago, MUI has yet to see a return on its investment, with Laura Ashley trading at just a fraction of its market value in the mid-1990s when it was looking its prettiest. Will this time be different? Only time will tell, but the company could be worth watching.
Part 2 of this series (Corus Hotels) will be coming soon. Sign up for the newsletter to get the article delivered to your inbox.


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Café Mozaki Open
The new Café Mozaki in the lobby of the Columbia Public Library is now open for business. The Patel family of Columbia, who also operate Daylight Donuts, are excited to open this weekend, selling tea, coffee, smoothies, donuts and more. They offered a surprise preview of their services Friday afternoon, serving free coffee and donuts to staff and patrons while supplies lasted.
Espresso drinks will be available soon, too, after a slight delay for new machinery to come in.
The cafe will be open every day during library business hours* and menu options may expand. (*9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and 1-4:30 p.m. Sunday)


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- The largest bank in Argentina has added the option to trade cryptocurrency on its platform.
- Bitcoin dropped just slightly overnight to reach US$38,400. Meanwhile, Ethereum also fell slightly to US$2,835.
- While the last several months have been tough for all crypto prices, Solana has been experiencing very bearish conditions.
The largest bank in Argentina has added the option to trade cryptocurrency on its platform.
The Banco Galicia announced on Monday that it had added a feature in its app for customers to acquire bitcoin, ether, USDC and XRP.
While the bank now allows its users to buy and sell crypto, it dos not allow them to withdraw or send crypto.
The move from the major Argentinian bank marks a further shift to push crypto more into the mainstream.
Last week The Central Republic of Africa became the second country in the world to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender. In September last year, El Salvador became the first country to achieve this feat.
Banco Galicia plans to roll out the service to all its customers by mid-May.
Bitcoin dropped just slightly overnight to reach US$38,400. Meanwhile, Ethereum also fell slightly to US$2,835.
While the last several months have been tough for all crypto prices, Solana has been experiencing very bearish conditions.
According to analytics, while Solana’s price is currently US$87.44, Solana’s price downslide slope has a projected target of US$63.
If the bulls can establish price action in this zone, this could result in a countertrend rally, resulting in a 30 per cent increase from the current SOL price of US$87.44.
Winners and Losers
Image Source @ 2022 Kalkine Media®
Data Source: CoinMarketCap.com, based on top 100 cryptos.
Note: Growth from the 24 hours prior to 12:30pm AEDT
Risk Disclosure: Trading in cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory, or political events. The laws that apply to crypto products (and how a particular crypto product is regulated) may change. Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading in the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed. Kalkine Media cannot and does not represent or guarantee that any of the information/data available here is accurate, reliable, current, complete or appropriate for your needs. Kalkine Media will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading or your reliance on the information shared on this website.