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Americans now say they approve of free trade by 64%-27%, a margin of better than two to one. That's up from 57%-37% early in Trump's presidency, and 51%-41% near the end of...Politicsread more
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General Motors autonomous driving subsidiary Cruise Automation will begin testing self-driving cars in New York City in 2018, according to the New York State Governor's Office.
The plan for New York is to deploy the cars in a special geofenced area in Manhattan, the governor's office said Tuesday. Geofencing is a method of using GPS to create a virtual boundary around an area.
Every car will have an engineer in the driver's seat, and a second person in the passenger seat. Cruise also plans to expand its presence in New York and will establish a team of employees in the city.
New York City's dense population will allow the company to test its software in unusual situations, allowing the company to improve the software at a much faster rate, said GM Cruise Automation CEO Kyle Vogt said in a news release.
GM has been testing autonomous vehicles already in cities such as San Francisco, Phoenix and Detroit.
GM CEO Mary Barra has said its cars are already making significant progress in the "complex environments" of crowded cities such San Francisco. This has given her confidence the company is on a "very good path" on autonomous driving.
GM shares are up about 31 percent so far in 2017. Lately, some analysts have grown more bullish on GM's potential to compete with firms developing electric cars and autonomous driving technology.
Earlier in October, GM acquired Lidar manufacturer Strobe. Lidar is technology that draws a sort of picture of an environment by sending out laser pulses that determine the distances of various objects. Though currently remarkably expensive, it is considered by many engineers to be a crucial feature of any fully autonomous driving system.


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Apple cuts MacBook prices by up to $200
Apple cut the price on the base version of its 13-inch MacBook Pro laptop with “retina” display by $200 as it revamps its top-end laptops.
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Apple cut the price on the base version of its 13-inch MacBook Pro laptop with “retina” display by $200 U.S. as it revamps its top-end laptops, weeks after the company reported a steep decline in Mac sales in the holiday quarter.
Investors have worried that Apple's iPad is cannibalizing its Mac range, but Chief Executive Tim Cook has brushed aside these concerns.
The company sold 4.1 million Macs in the December quarter, down 21 per cent from a year earlier.
Apple also missed Wall Street's revenue forecast for the third straight quarter in January after iPhone sales came in below expectations, fanning fears that its dominance of consumer electronics is slipping.
The iPhone maker said on Wednesday the base version of the MacBook Pro with retina display will now be priced at $1,499, and introduced a new 2.6 gigahertz processor, 256 gigabytes flash memory version for $1,699.
Apple also lowered the price of its 13-inch MacBook Air laptop with 256 gigabytes of flash memory to $1,299 from $1,399.
The company upgraded its 15-inch MacBook Pro with a faster 2.4 gigahertz quad-core processor and the top-end 15-inch notebook with a new 2.7 gigahertz quad-core processor and 16GB of memory.
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Chris Ainesworth, an ImOn Communications OSP construction technician, splices two strands of fiber optic cable together in a splice trailer as ImOn expanded its fiber network in Cedar Rapids’ Bowman Woods area in 2019. The rapid expansion of fiber networks in recent years has helped internet providers handle the surge of data traffic during the pandemic. PHOTO IMON COMMUNICATIONS
By Dave DeWitte
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many things that were once considered unthinkable. Fortunately for house-bound community members, what hasn’t occurred is a breakdown in home broadband service.
Customers are relying on broadband to take online classes, work from home, make telehealth visits and even to sign up for unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, with few entertainment options available, they’re also accelerating their consumption of social media, entertainment download and online games.
Data traffic on the broadband networks operated by Iowa’s cable TV companies rose 31% between March 1 and April 4, according to the National Cable Television Association. That finding is based on a survey of the NCTA’s Iowa cable TV company members that provide internet service.
The Corridor’s big three internet service providers – Mediacom, ImOn Communications and South Slope Cooperative Communications – say their networks have been up to the task of handling all that data. Keeping their networks from bogging down has only been part of the challenge, however.
The ISPs have been signing up new internet customers, upgrading some customers to higher-speed data plans, and handling an unexpectedly high volume of orders for phone service.
At North Liberty-based South Slope, March brought an 80% jump in orders for fiber-optic installations, and a 256% jump in requests for service upgrades, according to CEO Chuck Deisbeck. Demand for the company’s managed Wi-Fi home network product doubled from February, and requests for telephone feature upgrades rose 75%.
Business has been great – or has it? Mr. Deisbeck has mixed feelings.
“It’s bittersweet,” he said, “because we do have our employees out there more exposed than people in other industries.”
ImOn, like South Slope, saw “a bit of a sales surge” in March as residential customers got set up to work from home, said Vice President of Marketing Lisa Rhatigan. Some business customers also upgraded their internet service because they plan to do more of their business online instead of face to face.
Demand for the fastest internet packages the ISPs are offering, such as the 1 Gbps speeds typically available for available for $130/month or more hasn’t soared, providers say. Most customers upgrading are going from basic to intermediate speed packages.
The daily pattern of data usage peaks and valleys has also changed at all three providers since the pandemic hit.
“Peak times for internet use are no longer occurring within a narrow band of evening hours,” said Mediacom spokeswoman Phyllis Peters. “They have shifted more toward mid-day, and smaller peaks at more times of the day – but that’s okay because our network is engineered for the peaks.”
For Mediacom, the work-from-home trend hasn’t really been the big driver of bandwidth that it might appear to be. Ms. Peters explained that Mediacom already serves many businesses, and its network is simply seeing that demand shift from business to household accounts. Mediacom does, however, see one significant new source of demand: Wi-Fi-originated cellular data traffic.
No longer using data on their phone at the ballpark or their child’s soccer game, people are instead at home, where their cell phones are linked into a home Wi-Fi network that sends the traffic onto Mediacom’s fiber optic network.
“So instead of internet traffic going to the cell phone tower before dropping onto a backbone network, Wi-Fi-connected devices are going directly into our Mediacom network,” Ms. Peters said. “Our network is supporting more devices because people are all doing things in their homes instead of out across the community and on campuses everywhere.”
But will they pay?
The increased reliance on broadband hasn’t been all gravy for internet service providers.
Those companies were recently asked by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to pledge that they will not disconnect customers for missed payments for a two-month period because of the critical need for broadband service during the pandemic.
More than 700 companies, including ImOn and Mediacom, have done so, many of them without promoting it, because they don’t want customers who actually could afford to pay their bills take advantage of the situation.
Mediacom has been among the companies promoting its outreach during the crisis. The New Jersey-based company announced on March 16 that it was lifting monthly data caps for internet service customers through May 15, and that new customers who sign for its Mediacom Access Internet 60 broadband service can do so for $19.99 per month, rather than $29.99. In addition, Mediacom raised the speeds for its budget-priced Connect2Compete service from 10Mbps downloads/1Mbps uploads, to 25Mbps down/3Mbps up. It also made all its Wi-Fi hotspots free to the public for 60 days.
Revenue shortfalls could be coming at a bad time for broadband providers, because many are facing extra expenses to meet the demand for bandwidth and keep services running in the face of health concerns.
“We’re in the same boat as everybody else,” said Ms. Rhatigan, noting that some businesses that have temporarily closed due to social distancing restrictions have cut back or canceled internet service to save money. She said ImOn is honoring its pledge not to disconnect customers, without fanfare. ImOn does not have data caps on its internet service, and so didn’t have any to lift, she added.
South Slope did not sign the pledge, Mr. Deisbeck said, but has suspended late charges and is working on an individual basis with customers who can’t pay their bills but have a genuine need to keep their service intact. It also does not cap internet data usage.
With schools, public facilities and retail outlets closed, there are more reasons than ever why Iowans feel they need good broadband service.
ImOn realizes this, Ms. Rhatigan said, and is promoting its free downtown Wi-Fi service in Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha and Iowa City as a communications lifeline for those who don’t have internet service at home, and now can’t get it through work or school.
Non-subscribers can go to specific locations to access the internet in their vehicle or outdoors on benches or picnic tables, Ms. Rhatigan said. The list of ImOn Wi-Fi spots was expanded on April 14 to include Greene Square in downtown Cedar Rapids and the Ladd Library at 3750 Williams Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids.
The new ImOn Wi-Fi spots were added to a list that already included the Ped Mall in Iowa City, McGrath Amphitheater and NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids, and Hiawatha’s Tucker, Clark and Tucker parks.
Data centers are humming
Corridor data center operators have also played a big role in connecting businesses and their customers during the pandemic. The data centers host servers that run cloud services used by the customers of its clients, and sometimes their employees.
Involta CEO Bruce Lehrman said the company has seen some growth in demand for data center capacity. It is expanding facilities in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, and hiring additional staff.
Much of Involta’s activity has been in helping to reconfigure customer networks to enable staff to work from home. The CIO of one large health care customer has just completed a three-week project to ensure that 90,000 employees can work remotely, Mr. Lehrman said.
Whether clients will invest in other projects for longer-term shifts in social and work connections is another question.
“It’s still a little early,” Mr. Lehrman said. “People are still getting used to this new environment, trying to figure out how they’re going to operate their business and the impact it will have.”
In the health care industry, for instance, non-essential IT projects are being reprioritized.
“They’re working on how to best staff their hospitals, technology-wise, to address the apex of the COVID-19 cases,” Mr. Lehrman said, mentioning telehealth services as one area of interest. “They’re not thinking about expanding into new services they were talking about a month ago. They’re asking us to help them with what their most urgent challenges are.”
Enseva, which has a fiber network and data center in Hiawatha, has been busy. Demand has increased for cloud resources that are being allocated toward virtual desktop environments that allow individuals to work from home. Chief Technology Officer Chris Sevey said more companies are putting resources for remote workers on the cloud because it avoids many of the security risks of using their personal PCs or complicated virtual private network (VPN) clients to access corporate IT resources.
“Enseva has witnessed a number of clients that have expedited installation of additional cloud capacity as a result of capacity constraints on their existing infrastructure,” Mr. Sevey said. Traffic on Enseva’s network during normal business hours has been nearly double what it was four weeks earlier, before the pandemic arrived.
Enseva placed orders for large quantities of servers and data storage equipment to expand its cloud capacity shortly after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States, he noted, partly because it was concerned about supply chain disruptions in Asia affecting equipment manufacturers.
All the equipment has arrived, and “thus far we have no issues accommodating the increased demands we are seeing from our cloud clients,” Mr. Sevey said.
Whether the COVID-19 pandemic creates a lasting change in business IT usage remains to be seen. Mr. Lehrman, among others, is betting on it.
“I personally believe there’s some percentage of the population that is now working from home that will remain working from home or will have the option of working from home,” he said. “There will be dramatic impacts from that.”
Moreover, Mr. Lehrman believes the crisis will cause a long-term shift in where organizations prioritize their investments. With limited resources and big challenges to face, the best answer for them in many cases will be to outsource what they don’t do well, he said, and that could be good for service providers like data centers. CBJ


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This is the shocking moment shoppers dive for cover when a motorcyclist roars into view.
CCTV footage has been uploaded on to YouTube which shows on a daredevil on a bike decided to go for a spin through a mall in British Columbia, Canada .
Seconds into the footage, the man, on what appears to be a high-powered motorbike, shoots down an escalator pursued by a security guard.
The footage then shows startled shoppers, including a woman with a small child, have to jump out of the way as the man continues his journey.
He manages to exit the shopping centre but presumably he does not make his escape as he is tracked by a police helicopter .
As the video ends it is not known why the man came to be in the centre or whether he was apprehended.


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Hotsy Totsy Beauty is a skin care blog that recently featured Leaf People products. Check out their write-up at https://hotsytotsybeauty.com/2019/04/04/its-all-about-medicinal-plants/
Julie Levin was invited to discuss which toxic ingredients to look out for and how nature’s botanicals can do a better job of maintaining radiant youthful skin. See the informative interview on Aspen Talks Health or watch below.
Julie was featured on The Native Influence where she speaks about her business, the industry, and some keys to her success. Get a sneak peak into her daily routine and some words she lives by.


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The Hyundai Creta is one car that has defined the SUV segment in the country. Since its launch in 2015, it has gone from strength to strength. Now Hyundai is looking to take the Creta to the next level by bringing its facelift. We have covered the facelift in detail and also about its launch timeline. But now we have a new update regarding a new feature. In today’s article, let’s talk about the Hyundai Creta ADAS.
Hyundai Creta ADAS?
As we all know, Hyundai is working on the Creta facelift. With the Creta facelift, Hyundai could give it ADAS. How are we so sure? Hyundai recently launched the all-new Verna with ADAS. So we expect Hyundai to add ADAS on Creta considering how important it is in the brand’s portfolio. Already Astor comes with ADAS and now Seltos is also rumoured to get ADAS. So it makes sense for Hyundai to add ADAS on Creta in the next update.
What else to expect?
The facelift coming to India will be different from the one launched in South East Asian countries. So we don’t expect a Tucson-like design, but rather more an evolution of the current design. What could change? Hyundai might tweak the headlamps and bumpers a bit. The side profile could remain the same, but the rear could get a connected taillamp design. In the interior, we could see new upholstery and new features like a 360-degree camera and a new digital instrument cluster.
Earlier the Hyundai Creta facelift was expected to be launched in 2023, but that has been postponed. According to reports, Hyundai has stated that it is working on a different facelifted model for India. Also, due to the pending booking backlogs and production constraints, Hyundai plans to launch the Creta facelift in 2024.
What are your expectations from the Creta facelift? Do let us know in the comments.
If you have car buying doubts click here to ask! Get the lowest price for car insurance here. For more such content stay subscribed to MotorOctane Youtube, Google News Facebook, and Twitter. Also, follow us on Flipboard and Reddit where we have a discussion community..


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SHANGHAI – A crowd gathers at a Shanghai hospital, queuing for remedies made with plant mixtures and animal parts including scorpions and freeze-dried millipedes — medicines that China hopes will find an audience overseas.
With a history going back 2,400 years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is deeply rooted in the country and remains popular despite access to Western pharmaceuticals. Now the authorities are hoping to modernize and export the remedies, but they face major obstacles.
A veritable forest of medicinal plants surrounds patients waiting at Yueyang Hospital’s pharmacy. Some leave with boxes of pills, others take away plastic sachets filled with herbal extracts.
Lin Hongguo, a 76-year-old pensioner, has bought herbal remedies that he will boil to make a tea to treat his “slow beating heart.”
“I prefer it to Western medicines. It’s not about the cost, it’s because it works well,” he said.
Another patient, pet fish-seller Wang Deyun, 51, is also a believer.
“Two months ago my skin had an allergic reaction to a modern medicine for high blood pressure,” she said from her hospital bed.
But after a treatment of face masks and plant infusions, she said she’s almost fully healed.
Traditional medicine is subsidized in China and is cheaper than Western medicine. It consistently makes up one quarter of the country’s pharmaceuticals market — even as China increasingly opens up to modern medicine.
The World Health Organization will next year include a chapter on traditional medicine in its “International Classification of Diseases” — a tome of reference for medical trends and global health statistics.
China hopes the WHO inclusion will spur global recognition of its traditional remedies as it seeks to export them.
But Beijing still faces significant hurdles, not least the fact that TCM focuses on tailoring treatment to each individual, which means different people with the same condition can be prescribed different medicines and dosages.
“It’s like a painting — it’s composed differently each time, while Western medicine is more similar to photography” with its standardised products, said Wang Zhenyi, a proctologist at Yueyang Hospital.
That is the crux of China’s challenge in gaining overseas acceptance: its traditional medicine is largely incompatible with modern clinical trials, which require an identical product to be tested on a large number of patients.
As these medicines typically contain dozens of ingredients, understanding how they work together and proving their effectiveness is a complex task.
Even within China there have been public skirmishes over the efficacy of TCM, pitting its proponents against doctors who advocate evidence-based, peer-reviewed medicine.
Conservationists also say growing demand for products such as rhino horn and pangolin scales — which are used by some practitioners even though they have no proven medical properties — have decimated vulnerable species.
China partially lifted a ban on trading tiger bones and rhino horns last month despite warnings from conservationists, though state media later quoted an official saying the change had been “postponed.”
Chinese experts say endangered animal parts are increasingly being replaced by synthetic versions, but TCM may still prove a tough sell abroad.
“I think the best potential is in the consumer market, such as nutritional supplements,” said Tony Ren, a pharma analyst with Kim Eng Securities in Hong Kong.
Few Western pharmaceutical companies are keen to try to untangle these difficulties.
But French biotech company Pharnext has taken on the challenge, partnering last year with Tasly, one of China’s biggest producers of traditional medicines.
Together, they are looking to transform the industry by streamlining “the procedures to have a more stable production of plants which have identical properties and understand why the mixture works,” said Daniel Cohen, founder and CEO of Pharnext. The two companies are using artificial intelligence to understand how the medicines work as they look to standardize them, he added.
They face an uphill battle.
In the United States, Tasly has been trying for more than 20 years to get approval for Dantonic, an angina medicine based on sage and ginseng that was legalized in China in 1993. Though the firm has completed medical trials, it has come up hard against U.S. law, which does not allow treatments composed of different plants.
But Chinese medical professionals still feel the quest for acceptance abroad is worth the effort.
“Medicine is still a very young science, with many unknowns. You increase your ability to heal if you know both Western and Chinese medicine,” said proctologist Wang of Yueyang hospital.
“It’s the result that counts.”


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Armature Works enhances its guest WiFi experience with Purple
Today Purple announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with mixed-use event space Armature Works.
Arena WiFi: Understand your fans and drive superior engagement
Easily managing online experiences has never been easier than with arena guest WiFi solutions - Boost incremental revenue and capture highly valuable feedback
Purple Sponsorship Program: How can brands advertise on guest WiFi access journeys?
The Purple Sponsorship Program is creating a new marketing channel for brands - see how you can reach your ideal audiences with Purple WiFi Advertising
Purple partners with discover.film and University Quarter Hull
This partnership will aim to offer students at UQH a free limited-time subscription to the discover.film platform.
Purple introduces customer Revenue Share Program
Purple’s new ‘Revenue Sharing Program’ is introducing a new way for customers to create additional revenue streams that come at no extra cost!
Purple named top performer in the Summer 2020 Enterprise WiFi Solutions Customer Success Report
Purple is a Top Performer in the Enterprise WiFi Solution category for the Summer 2020 Customer Success Report published by FeaturedCustomers
Target customers to the minute with LogicFlow’s new feature: Purple’s automated marketing tool
In June 2017 we released LogicFlow, a simple to use drag and drop builder that enables you to set up multi-staged marketing campaigns within minutes. With LogicFlow, you can automatically trigger an ‘action’, such as an e-shot, SMS message, splash page display or website redirect based on specific customer behavior,…
Why would 10,000 people want an umbrella that didn’t work in the rain?
10,000 people considered a WiFi enabled umbrella you couldn’t use in the rain just to stay connected to WiFi. Purple Rain was a phantom product introduced by the global leader of WiFi analytics, Purple, as part of a Black Friday experiment last November. The not really patented Connected Canopy –…
Barcelona’s public transport operator TMB appoints Purple and DelfyNet to provide WiFi to over 2 million passengers
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) has awarded a lucrative contract to Purple, the intelligent spaces company, and DelfyNet, a leading managed service provider, to deliver WiFi and analytics across its entire fleet of tourist buses. TMB, the main public transport operator in Barcelona, was keen to monetize their WiFi offering…
Purple partners with TitanHQ to provide secure Wi-Fi content filtering
Purple, the intelligent spaces company, has unveiled its latest partnership with TitanHQ, who is providing secure Wi-Fi content filtering to both new and existing customers worldwide. By partnering with TitanHQ, customers who have opted to include content filtering in their WiFi and analytics package from Purple will have complete peace…
CAE plans to unlock new global opportunities as a Purple Certified Partner
Purple, the intelligent spaces company, has today announced that CAE, a long-standing partner, is now certified and set to secure new contracts with brands and venues worldwide. Purple specialises in delivering a WiFi solution that generates real-time analytics and marketing for brands that want to engage with visitors and understand…
Richard Roberts, Vice President EMEA, explains how a free product can increase your profits
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Purple is now live at the holy burial site of King David
Purple, the intelligent spaces company, is connecting those who visit King David’s Tomb in Jerusalem following the installation of its WiFi and analytics solution by Boot Net Ltd, a Certified Purple Partner. King David’s Tomb is the burial place of the biblical King of Israel, and is also believed by…
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital treats patients to free WiFi
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Smart Wireless™ joins the ranks as a Purple Certified Partner
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Google announced that its gallery ads, introduced in May, are now available in beta in 11 languages globally.
Google announced its new gallery ads back in May at the Google Marketing Live conference, saying at the time that the new format would be available in beta later in the year. Now, the beta is out, and it’s available in 11 languages globally, as explained in a feature announcement earlier this week.
If you missed the conference announcement, gallery ads are “are a swipeable, image-based ad format that gives customers the information they need about your products and services” and appear at the top of the search results page. Gallery ads can be used in addition to text ads in your search campaigns, and you won’t need to create a new campaign (or one specifically) to house them.
They allow advertisers to showcase their brand with lifestyle imagery “and bring visual content forward to the results page.” Google says that this helps them connect with consumers before they even visit a website.
Gallery ads (beta) are now available in English, German, Japanese, French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Swedish, and Polish. Additionally, Google is also expanding the beta to more customers. All you need to do is check your Google Ads account to see if you’re now able to create gallery ads. Alternatively, you could also reach out to your account team (if you have one) for more information.
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FORT WORTH, Texas, July 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- American Airlines AAdvantage® members can now book award travel via AA.com on Qantas Airways, a oneworld® alliance carrier and joint business partner. On the heels of Qantas' recent expansion to daily service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Sydney, Australia, this new option offers customers added choice, convenience and flexibility when using AAdvantage miles to book award travel to Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific or beyond.
"We received very positive feedback when we launched online booking for Alaska Airlines, British Airways and Hawaiian Airlines – and the demand for Qantas has been high," said Suzanne Rubin, President – AAdvantage Loyalty Program. "Our AAdvantage members have been quite enthusiastic about the ability to book award travel on AA.com for AAdvantage participating airlines – and expanding to other carriers continues to be one of our main priorities."
The addition of Qantas to award booking on AA.com highlights American's ongoing commitment to offering enhanced benefits to its customers. American and Qantas are working together to offer customers more flights from more cities across the U.S. and Australia than any other airline partnership and are optimizing their schedules to improve connection times for customers when traveling between the two countries. For more information on how American and Qantas are enhancing the travel experience for customers, please visit http://www.AA.com/i18n/urls/qantas.jsp.
For more details about booking award flights on AAdvantage participating airlines, please visit www.AA.com/PartnerAwards. Customers who are not AAdvantage members can enroll for free at www.AA.com/Enroll.
About the AAdvantage Program
The AAdvantage® program was the first frequent flyer program. Established in 1981, the program now has more than 69 million members worldwide. Members can earn miles at more than 1,000 participating companies, which include 27 hotel chains representing more than 60 brands, more than 20 airlines, eight car rental companies, eight financial companies, and more than 500 brand name retailers. In addition, members can earn miles when making purchases with one of more than 100 affinity card products in more than 40 countries. In 2011, AAdvantage members redeemed more than 166 billion miles to claim more than 7.5 million awards for flights, upgrades and other rewards. For more information and a listing of AAdvantage program participating companies, visit www.aa.com/aadvantage.
About American Airlines
American Airlines, American Eagle® and the AmericanConnection® carrier serve 260 airports in more than 50 countries and territories with, on average, more than 3,500 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning website, AA.com®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members and members-elect serve more than 900 destinations with more than 9,000 daily flights to 150 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, and AAdvantage are trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. AMR Corporation common stock trades under the symbol "AAMRQ" on the OTCQB marketplace, operated by OTC Markets Group.
Current AMR Corp. news releases can be accessed at http://www.aa.com
SOURCE American Airlines


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£130m Hays waits for special delivery
HAYS is hoping for good news in the post as the Government prepares to allow private firms to compete for non-parcel post. The outsourcing-to-chemicals group claims to be the only 'substantial' private mail operator in Britain and is ready to compete in the first round of licences.
Hays posted pre-tax profits up 7% at £130m for the half-year to 31 December, before write-downs more than doubled to £9m.
Turnover from continuing operations rose 24% to £13bn, with operating profit from recruitment 38% ahead at £70m, but profit was held back by the chemicals division, hit by low caustic soda prices. Logistics also disappointed because of the fuel price row in Britain as well as slow delivery by French and Spanish mail acquisitions.
Hays also took a £12m hit in interest charges, up nearly three times over, from a cocktail of capital spending, acquisitions and tax rises. Earnings per share before amortisation were up 6% to 5.5p, while the dividend, at 1.32p, is 15% to the good.
Chairman Ronnie Frost said: 'I'm delighted with a 24% increase in turnover, two thirds of which is organic, and the results of investment will start to be seen in the second half.' Hays shares dropped 4p to 320p.
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LONDON | Last month Payza announced the launch of their Payza Merchant Gateway service in the U.S., followed by the announcement of an additional strategic European partnership that will launch in a few months. Now Payza expands to the Canadian ecommerce market.
Merchants to accept Credit Cards and INTERAC
Payza's platform will enable businesses to accept major credit cards and INTERAC Online, Canadian's domestic online payment method. INTERAC, basically an online bank transfer, is utilised by Canada's large network of financial institutions. "We're excited to be supporting INTERAC," said Ali Nizameddine, Executive VP of Product & Technology at Payza. "The INTERAC network is almost universally adopted in Canada and is supported by every major bank. Canadians are already very familiar and comfortable with this service, and will now be able to take advantage of the convenience of using INTERAC(R) from the Payza gateway."
Payza's expansion of merchant gateway service
"This partnership is significant in the international expansion of our merchant gateway service not only because we can provide more options to our Canadian merchants, but also because it will allow us to roll out this service into Australia and Brazil in the very near future," explains Firoz Patel, Payza's Global Executive Vice President.
Recurring billing service
Payza's online payment platform also offers a recurring billing service for subscription based billing cycles, at no additional charge. The recurring billing feature has a variety of intervals and billing terms, and is created at a product level which allows for additional products to be added to the basic subscription. Unlike other payment processors and merchant accounts that charge monthly, gateway and other service fees on top of transaction fees, the Payza Merchant Gateway only charges for the processed transactions. Furthermore, the platform includes numerous developer tools including integration code, advanced button generation, and instant payment notifications.
75,000 merchants use Payza's Payment Platform
Payza as a Platform is currently being used in nearly every country around the world by over 75,000 merchants. The service offers highly competitive pricing, a wide range of supported payment methods, built-in security and fraud protection, strong merchant support, and a host of tools, features, and reporting options.
Payza is a leading online payments technology platform used by licensed entities around the world. Payza's highly secure platform provides businesses and consumers with convenient and flexible solutions for sending and receiving payments worldwide. The company offers access to payment services in both traditional and emerging markets, as well as a host of tools and services including: fraud screening, dispute resolution, currency exchange, global payouts and disbursement services. With millions of members, Payza offers its services around the world in 21 currencies, and is proud to provide its merchants around the globe with a complete solution for accepting payments and managing their businesses. More information is available about Payza on its website, www.payza.com ,Facebook, Twitter and the company's blog.
Sourced from Payza, March 20th, 2014


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* Mall of Qatar welcomes guests, families and children for 'comfortable, safe shopping and dining experience'
Mall of Qatar (MoQ) has said that it is welcoming young guests to its premises while taking the "utmost precautionary measures to ensure the safety of youngsters and the community", in accordance with Phase 4 – stage 1 instructions of the gradual lifting of coronavirus restrictions in Qatar.
The coronavirus causes the Covid-19 respiratory disease.
With the reopening of Doha Metro with a limited capacity, guests can visit the mall on the Green Line again.
The mall has set up a checkpoint on the Metro bridge at the exit of the Metro, where visitors will undergo temperature checks via advanced thermal cameras and have to show their Ehteraz app “green” code to ensure safety.
"Reiterating its commitment to the safety of visitors of all ages, the nation’s mall took all the precautionary measures needed to provide a safe, enjoyable and comfortable visit.
“All food court outlets, dining areas and cinemas have undergone thorough sanitisation to welcome the returning visitors and serve them in a world-class hygienic and safe environment," the mall said in a statement.
“We are thrilled to welcome our young guests again in our mall. Our children are our blessings, and we have taken all the necessary measures to provide them joyful moments and safe shopping and dining experiences.
“Besides, other necessary procedures are put in place to maintain the highest levels of hygiene in the prayer rooms, theatres and at the Metro bridge leading to the mall, allowing all visitors to enjoy their time at their favourite, safe and comfortable destination,” Mall of Qatar general manager Emile Sarkis said.
“At this stage, life is gradually coming back to normal, thanks to the effort and precise plans of the authorities.
“We want to thank them for their dedication and excellence in dealing with this pandemic,” Sarkis added.
Children can enjoy the full dining and shopping experience along with their parents or guardians at the mall’s selection of restaurants and the food court.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, youngsters should be accompanied by their parents who must show the Ehteraz app “green” code, undergo temperature checking at the entrances, and wear preventative face masks during their visit to the mall.
Ensuring high levels of safety, the mall is adopting strict standards in the food court.
The court is open to diners with a maximum capacity of 30% with 2.5m distance between the tables to maintain social distancing requirements, undergo ongoing sanitising for the tables, trays after each use with designated cleaners at all times to keep continuous hygiene.
At the same time, security personnel arrange queues at the food court outlets to maintain a safe distance between people while waiting for their food.
According to the instructions, playgrounds and leisure centres will remain closed while cinemas are open to guests over 18 years with limited capacity.
In addition, the prayer rooms for both males and females are now reopened with a limited number of worshippers at one time.
The mall is providing worshippers with a single-use disposable prayer mat and conducting regular disinfection procedures at the prayer rooms after each session to secure the highest levels of hygiene.
Mall of Qatar has urged all visitors to follow the instructions at entrances to ensure the safety and health of visitors, employees and tenants.
Customers can also collect face masks and gloves from the customer services desks if required.
Throughout the mall corridor and hallways, more than 70 hand sanitation stations have been installed, allowing visitors to sanitise their hands regularly.
Besides, the mall has installed 80 handrail UV sanitisers to periodically sanitise the handrails of the escalators and protect customers while moving in the mall.
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France is running short of butter, with some supermarket shelves sitting vacant and the cost of croissants on the increase, creating a headache for the government as it attempts to create the food chain more powerful for farmers.
The shortage is caused by falling milk production and increasing butter demand internationally, with consumer attitudes towards the spread, once shunned as unhealthy, becoming more favorable.
As a consequence France has been caught short. Soaring costs and decreased dairy supplies have put strain on manufacturers and food companies, with some stopping deliveries and considering passing higher costs onto retailers and shoppers.
Makers of baked products like croissants, where butter makes up about a quarter of their material, have been grappling with a doubling of butter costs in the past year to record levels over 6 euros ($7.05) a kilo.
Talking in his traditional bakery in Paris, Samir Kichou stated he hadn’t yet increased his costs because of additional butter expenses but may need to soon.
“Since the year-end holidays are coming, with Christmas preparations and especially the ‘Galette des Rois’ cake that needs a good deal of butter, if there isn’t a substantial decline, we’ll be forced to pass on the purchase price increase,” he said.
European dairy processors and food industry groups have been warning of a squeeze, with Danish-based combined Arla Foods stating in August the continent could face shortages by year-end.
Supermarkets in the funds and others parts of France have left gaps in their own butter sections, with a few stores displaying signs describing a shortage for certain brands.
Dairy farmers complain that they get little benefit from soaring butter markets, arguing that what they’re paid is more often tied to cheaper raw milk and milk powder rates.
“The thing is that on the French market the perfect signal wasn’t given to dairy farmers, because prices weren’t adjusted in connection with the fall in dairy supply,” said Dominique Charge, president of France’s federation of milk cooperatives.
The butter-supply worries highlight the challenges faced by President Emmanuel Macron to honor an election pledge to change practices in the food chain so farmers get a better deal.
Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert played down the suggestion of acute shortages, but told parliament on Tuesday that retailers and providers should agree price adjustments to be able to maintain deliveries.
The dairy industry has shown signs of adjusting, with butter prices easing and milk output expected to pick up in the second half of the year, but the impacts of the crunch could linger before the peak holiday demand period at the end of the year.
Courtesy: The Globe And Mail


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The global innovator that offers live casino experiences for operators in regulated markets OnAir Entertainment has announced the launch of Lotus Speed Baccarat. The new game created by the studio founded in 2020 wishes to bring homage to one of the most beloved card games on the planet, with special emphasis on the game’s popularity record on the Asian continent. What does the new game have to offer? Let’s find out!
Swift Rounds, Live Predictions & Unlimited Players Speaking about the new release, the company’s commercial director Simon Field explained the degree to which the Asian culture has inspired them to generate the “fantastic studio environment” that enables customers to perfectly highlight their brands while creating a fully tailored experience that best matches the preferences of their local audiences. Field added that the company was “delighted” to add the new game to its growing portfolio while expressing its confidence in the game’s ability to turn into “another hit product.”
Lotus Speed Baccarat is described as a “soothing and elegant card game” with quick rounds meant to create a more exciting gameplay and atmosphere at the tables. The scalable game allows operators to fully customize the game to cater to the wants and expectations of domestic players in all markets where the game will be available.
Hosted by a game presenter, the game does not limit the number of players that can engage in the game at the same time. Operators can take advantage of the digital branding options in order to offer players the tailored experience they deserve. Offering configurable limits and side bets along with highlighted winning bets, the game invites interested players to predict whether the Banker or the Player could reach the highest score at the end of every new round. Packed with player and banker statistics, live game predictions, as well as percentages on Player/Banker bets offered in real-time, Lotus Speed Baccarat is expected to add plenty of excitement and charm to the already popular game.
Constantly on the Move The fresh release joins other games launched by OnAir Entertainment in celebration of their one-year anniversary in November. The list of releases included titles like 9 Pots of Gold, Auto Roulette, Card Matchup, and Eclipse Blackjack, along with a series of customizable table environments destined to reach the Netherlands and Denmark.
The company which is incorporated in Malta has also announced its plans to launch a number of studios in countries like Spain, Georgia, and Romania, while also working on its plan to expand its foothold in the US sometime next year. OnAir Entertainment’s network has received certifications in important regulated gaming markets worldwide. The list currently includes the UK, the Netherlands, Greece, the Isle of Man, Latvia, Denmark, Malta, Sweden, and Ontario here.


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In Putian City, Fujian province the construction of Ab InBev new project is in full speed. In the nearest future, one of the largest in Asia state of art breweries will be opened in Tianjin Binhai Industrial Park Hanjiang.
In 2006, Fujian Sedrin Company became wholly owned subsidiary of AB InBev. After the main brand output hit 2 mln tons in 2011, it was decided to expand the production. For this purpose, last year, the company started construction of a new project planned for three years. The net production capacity will reach 2.4 mln tons of beer per year. The province authorities intend the new brewery to bring 1.3 bln yuan of taxes annually.
As early as October, the first division of the brewery is planned to be opened, which will allow producing 1.5 mln tons of beer per year.
Besides, Fujian COFCO Can Co., Ltd. plans to invest 600 million yuan to build 2 production can filling lines.


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- 30 contestants from different regions of the country took part in the pageant
- Sidney Nabulya Kavuma from Buganda region tourism cluster emerged the winner
2022/23 Miss Tourism Beauty Pageant was won by Sidney Nabulya Kavuma from the Buganda region tourism cluster.
Among the 30 contestants from different tourism clusters that took part, Consolata Moru from the Karamoja region emerged as the first-runner up and Denis Ayebare from the Kigezi region was the second runner-up.
Fashion was at its best as contestants showcased all types of designs on the runway at the grand finale at the Kampala Serena Hotel on Friday /23rd /September.
The contestants exhibited fashion based on climate change and also advocated for tourism at large. Some dressed in recycled plastics, polythene bags, bark cloth, animal skins, and bird feathers, while others wore gorilla masks.


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They say it’s always good to have an angel on your side. Early stage companies in Ireland have secured a combined €55m from angel investors via 128 deals over the past six years. The Halo Business Angel Partnership (HBAP) said 60pc of this angel funding came from individual business angels who have invested ‘hard cash up-front’.
Syndicate groups are making up the remaining 40pc that has been invested in Irish start-ups that have received the €55m investment.
Welcome news for tech start-ups looking to generate finance
HBAP said the start-ups around Ireland it supports – helping them connect with business-angel networks and individual investors, and vice-versa – crossed the €55m total investment milestone since the organisation was founded six years ago.
While technology start-ups are the main players attracting and securing investment, the latest company to secure angel backing is Oriel Sea Salt Company.
Based in Clogherhead, Co Louth, Oriel Sea Salt Company received the investment from a private investor who was introduced by HBAP as part of a €1m round of funding.
The start-ups harvests from the sea to produce a sea salt that apparently has lower sodium levels. The company is starting to make an impact with artisan food producer sectors and the hospitality industry, especially as the EU has set regulations on salt levels.
John Delany, who heads up Oriel Sea Salt Company, said that generating traditional bank finance for start-ups is “challenging” right now.
“Our initial angel investment was huge in terms of boosting the interest and served as a catalyst in bringing in our other investors,” he said.
The Irish angel-investing scene in 2013
Other angel-backed companies this year include Mick’s Garage, Betapond and Decawave.
Between them, 18 Irish start-ups raised €10m investment in the first three quarters of 2013, of which the catalyst was €2.5m angel funding. Combined, these 18 companies are employing 200 people.
John Phelan, who heads up HBAP at the Dublin Business Innovation Centre (DBIC), explained that while €23m has been invested by angel investors brought to the table by the HBAP over the last six years, the balance of €32.5m was committed by seed funds, Enterprise Ireland and other private investors.
“The fact that angel investors have invested hard cash up front has played a key role in attracting further investment,” he said.
Apparently, Ireland is regarded in European circles as one of the best countries in Europe in terms of angel funding.
This year, HBAP was shortlisted by the European Business Angel Network in the category of Business Angel Network of the Year.
HBAP is managed by the Dublin Business Innovation Centre on behalf of the Association of EC Business Innovation Centres (BICs) in Ireland. Other such BICs include Cork BIC, West BIC, SEBIC and Dublin BIC. They work in partnership with Enterprise Ireland and InterTradeIreland.


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By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON, Apr 5 (Reuters) – A measure of U.S. service industry activity climbed to a record high in March amid robust new order growth, the latest sign that the economy is slowing down. being driven by an increase in vaccinations and a massive fiscal stimulus.
The optimistic survey released Monday by the Institute of Management and Supply (ISM) was added to Friday’s labor report, which showed the economy added 916,000 jobs last month, its highest number in seven months. Economic growth this year is expected to be the strongest in nearly four decades.
“The vigorous service activity in March paves the way for robust expansion in the second quarter,” said Oren Klachkin of Oxford Economics in New York. “All the right pieces for a faster recovery of services – expanded eligibility for vaccines, reopens and a historic fiscal expansion – are fitting.”
The ISM Non-Manufacturing Activity Index rebounded to a reading of 63.7 last month, also thanks to milder weather. It was the highest figure in the history of the poll and followed the 55.3 in February.
A reading above 50 indicates growth in the services sector, responsible for more than two-thirds of US economic activity. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the index to rise to 59.0 in March.
ISM said comments from service industries indicated that “the lifting of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed a pent-up demand for many.”
However, he highlighted that “limitations in production capacity, material shortages, weather and challenges in logistics and human resources continue to cause disruptions in the supply chain.”
The poll added to a series of reports, ranging from manufacturing to consumer confidence and employment, suggesting that the vastly improved public health situation and the White House’s $ 1.9 trillion bailout package due to the COVID-19 pandemic are providing a powerful boost to the economy.
Continue reading the story
ISM’s measure of new orders for the service industry rebounded to an all-time high of 67.2 in March, from a nine-month low of 51.9 hit in February.
Supply problems are driving up costs for businesses. The survey’s measure for prices paid by service industries jumped to 74 last month, its highest reading since July 2008, from 71.8 in February.
A separate Commerce Department report on Monday showed that new orders for US-made goods fell in February, likely downward pressure from the cold snap. Factory orders fell 0.8% after rising 2.7% in January.
Economists polled by Reuters expected a decline of 0.5% in February. Orders were up 1.0% on a year-over-year basis.
(Edited in Spanish by Carlos Serrano)


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During the 81st annual meeting in early December, the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation voiced support for several proposals looking to make it easier consumers to purchase meat directly from ranchers across the state. Lori Anne Lau President of Caribou County Farm Bureau, said one proposal that received traction encourages the state to develop a meat inspection system, using the federal model.
“This would create another avenue for us to have our meat processed. It does create the option for in state sales of inspected meat. States like Wyoming, Utah and many other states have this and they’ve found it to be quite beneficial to their ranchers, so we anticipate it would be for us as well.”
Lau added they are also looking at getting the support of the American Farm Bureau to support meat inspection systems not based on the federal model.
“Get the meat scientists together, but think outside the current box and look for a system that’s safe for consumers but doesn’t have some of the same constraints. Like under the current rule, the inspector has to have their own office and own bathroom and some other rules that seem kind of silly from a lay person’s point of view.”
This year’s IFBF meeting was held on-line, because of COVID-19 restrictions.
If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail [email protected]


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Marijuana helps many people fall asleep, but that short-term benefit doesn’t always translate to long-term use. A new study backs up the idea that you may not get a great night’s sleep if you use cannabis every day, according to Lifehacker.
Research at the University of Michigan found that people who used marijuana every day were more likely to have insomnia. People who used it occasionally had a lower rate of insomnia, similar to people who did not use the drug at all.
“While there are still many questions to be answered, existing research suggests that the effects of cannabis on sleep may depend on many factors, including individual differences, cannabis concentrations and frequency of use,” says author Deirdre Conroy.
Read the full story.


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By Justin Drabick It was a cool start to Easter Weekend with highs only reaching the low 50s on Friday. Today didn’t start off much better with rain and cool temperatures but we are now […]
A charitable effort by the Polish Philadelphia Police Association took place for the 40th year.
If you plan on giving a rabbit as an Easter gift, be ready to make a committment. Rabbits can live 6-12 years.
Holiday preparations are underway for Easter Sunday feasts. A butcher shop in the Italian Market in South Philadelphia has been a go-to for families in the region since 1920.
The New Jersey Department of Transportation says it is suspending all construction work that could affect traffic flow for the upcoming Easter holiday weekend.
Customers of Blasius Chocolate Factory in Kensington say that quality, variety and service keeps them coming back year after year for Easter candy.
A representative from the Springfield Mall stopped by the morning show on April 20th to display inexpensive, but yet fashionable children’s Easter fashions.


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London-based biotech VC Agronomics An impressive boasts Portfolio of venture-stage companies, primarily in cellular agriculture; Most of which will be familiar to vegans, such as Rebel Meals (plant-based chicken).; Formo (animal-free dairy); each (egg substitute); bluenalu (farmed seafood); Mosa meat (farmed meat); and Liberation Lab (Precision Fermentation), among many others.
Co-founder Anthony Chow graciously took the time to chat with us about the current and future position of the cellular agriculture space, providing some unique and extremely valuable insights.
Please introduce Agronomy, what does the company stand for?
Agronomics is a leading listed company, listed on the London Stock Exchange, focused on the field of cellular agriculture and the production of agricultural products directly from cell cultures that have historically evolved from traditional farming methods. Our investment focus is on the production of cultured meat directly from cells, as opposed to slaughtering an animal, as well as precision fermentation (primarily for dairy and egg protein) and enabling technologies to support these segments.
The food sector is known to be the largest contributor to biodiversity loss; Food production depends on agricultural practices, which use large amounts of water and land. Farming practices can be linked to deforestation and have had a negative impact on the environment, adding to the impact of climate change and continuing environmental concerns. The production of alternative food products is an important way to produce food without further burdening the planet.
Demand for alternative and environmentally friendly food sources has increased in recent years, with more and more people attracted to these products, however, many plant-based products do not meet consumer expectations in terms of price and taste, which has led us to invest in the field of cellular agriculture, where products are directly Can replicate farming options that consumers are used to.
How would you describe the progress and significance of cellular agriculture in 2023?
In 2022, several breakthrough changes took place, representing a shift in the sector as companies move from R&D validation to commercialization. The regulatory approval landscape in the USA is gaining momentum, in November 2022, the FDA issued a ‘no question’ letter to Upside Foods regarding their farmed chicken products, followed by another letter in March 2023 for good meat farmed chicken.
“Finding sustainable alternatives to agricultural products is fast becoming a top priority.”
In Upside’s no-questions-asked announcement, the FDA said it is working closely with the USDA on final approval, which would be the final step toward commercialization in the United States. It will likely be the first of many farmed meat companies to gain approval in the United States, and further, additional jurisdictions may follow suit by establishing their own regulatory pathways for farmed meat approvals.
Finding sustainable alternatives to agricultural products is fast becoming a key priority for major jurisdictions as they work towards achieving ambitious 2030 climate targets, as shown by the EU’s agreement in December 2022 to implement new restrictions to ensure products placed on the EU market are not forested. Not contributing. and forest degradation in the EU and elsewhere in the world.
Cellular agriculture is one of the only technologies with the potential to decarbonize the world’s protein production systems while meeting the protein demands of a growing world population, and its importance continues to grow as many companies move out of the research and development phase and into commercial production.
How many company holdings does Agronomics currently have?
Agronomics currently has more than 20 portfolio companies within the cellular agriculture sector. We have an established portfolio of venture-stage companies, with a global mandate but investing mainly in US and European companies. Most of the portfolio is currently in the Series A stage.
What are the agronomy requirements for investing in companies?
We invest in companies working in the field of cellular agriculture, which obtain conventional agricultural products directly from cell culture and fermentation without the involvement of animals. From 2022, we have put special emphasis on companies using precision fermentation technology or providing contract precision fermentation services.
We want to invest in companies that are developing technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, antibiotic requirements, land use, water use, energy use, improve animal welfare and mitigate climate change.
How do you think the alternative protein sector will evolve over the next few years?
The alternative protein sector is vast, from plant-based burgers to precision fermentation and cultured meats. We expect a significant differentiation between these markets in 2023 with the approval of precision fermentation and cultured meats in the US and larger commercial launches.
Plant-based proteins will not be able to recover the rapid sales growth and consumption levels they once assumed, until their sensory profile is improved, perhaps by refined fermentation-produced proteins and cultured meats, and their costs are further reduced.
“In the coming years, we will see a wave of additional product approvals in Singapore and the US”
Once the USDA gives final sign-off to the first two companies (Upside Foods and Good Meat) that received their respective “no questions asked” letters from the FDA, consumers will be able to taste these long-awaited products first hand, as the Agronomics team is already there. , and realized that they are just like conventionally produced proteins.
In the coming years, we will see a wave of additional product approvals in Singapore and the US And then beyond that, a number of additional jurisdictions have approved the sale of these proteins, with Japan and South Korea likely to follow quickly after the United States. Unfortunately, at this stage, it looks like Europe will lag behind in this revolution. It is worth noting that precision fermentation proteins are now approved in the US, Singapore, Australia and India.
“Unfortunately, at this stage, it looks like Europe will lag behind in this revolution.”
With this increased certainty around the end market, large-scale infrastructure will be built to drive cell ag proteins downstream through economies of scale and create an investable asset class for infrastructure investors with more defensible revenue and cash-generating assets. This, we believe, will lead to a multi-decade, multi-trillion dollar capital inflow into the sector, which at first will only help meet the growing protein needs of the global population, but will begin to be displaced over time (over decades). Conventional production methods. Ultimately this will reduce food price volatility and increase food security and reduce the suffering of billions of intensively farmed animals.
What are the plans for 2023?
In 2023, there is potential for further investment in our existing businesses and we are always looking for new investment opportunities. Agronomy currently has £29.8 million of cash on our balance sheet. Our current investment portfolio shows considerable promise for future growth, with near-term inflection points including regulatory approvals and technology scaling. We expect significant developments in several of our portfolio companies to positively impact their valuations in the coming months and look forward to market updates when appropriate.


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Girl Scouts to decide fate of 9-year-old who sold 300 boxes outside pot shop
Is she just very clever? Or should there be consequences for marketing to America’s most munchie-prone?
Attempts are being made to identify — and perhaps punish — the industrious Girl Scout who sold more than 300 boxes of cookies outside a San Diego marijuana dispensary within six hours. The San Diego Girl Scout council could ultimately make the 9-year-old return any awards she earned selling cookies, according to Time.
However, Girl Scout leaders say that’s unlikely to happen to the anonymous child smiling in her green vest adorned with badges and clutching an armful of cookie boxes in this Instagram photo.
Maryl Doyle, a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts San Diego council, told the San Diego Union-Tribune that Girl Scouts must obtain explicit permission from business owners before setting up booths on commercial establishments. Also, those business owners must be on an approved list; marijuana dispensary Urbn Leaf, which took the Instagram photo, was not on the list.
While Doyle said taking away awards is an option, she told both Timeand the “Today” show that until the girl is identified and some conversations take place, the assumption is that the parents didn’t understand the rules.
“As Girl Scouts, we assume good intent. Should we learn that a girl is in violation of a cookie program standard or guideline, we almost always discover that the parent was unaware of that rule.”
The San Diego girl wasn’t the first Girl Scout to get the bright idea to sell to customers known for needing a nibble. Girls Scouts in San Francisco and Phoenix made headlines for doing the same thing in 2014.
MORE GIRL SCOUT NEWS:


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Procter & Gamble Posts Biggest Yearly Sales Gain Since 2006
According to The Wall Street Journal, Procter & Gamble, “maker of household staples from Tide detergent to Charmin toilet paper, posted its strongest annual sales gain since 2006 as the pandemic kept the world’s consumers at home and vigilant about cleaning.”
US demand “for cleaning and paper products continued to surge through the spring and early summer, while the reopening of China, P&G’s second-biggest market, drove sales there,” wrote The Journal. “P&G executives said the company’s efforts in recent years to overhaul itself by shedding weaker brands and streamlining what they described as an often suffocating bureaucracy are paying off at a time of crisis.”
The “Cincinnati company’s organic sales were up 6% for the fiscal year ended June 30. For the latest quarter, organic sales also rose 6%,” the report said.
“On the whole, with health, hygiene and cleaning, consumers’ needs have changed forever,” Chief Financial Officer Jon Moeller said. “Maybe not to the degree that’s happened recently. But it’s hard to imagine we’ll snap back to the old world.”
The strongest growth was in P&G’s “fabric and home-care unit, which posted a 14% sales gain, its highest ever. The unit’s brands include Tide along with Mr. Clean, Dawn dish soap and Cascade dishwasher detergent,” The Journal reported.
P&G has “yet to show signs of being negatively affected by the recession, as consumers remain willing to pay higher prices for its products,” The Journal continued. “A question facing the company, given that its products are generally more expensive than rival brands, is whether it would fare better in an economic downturn than it did during the last recession, when sales growth plunged to anemic levels and took a decade to recover.”
“We expect that if this gets longer and deeper, people will have to make choices,” P&G Chief Executive David Taylor said. “The good news is that, unlike last time, we have a broader portfolio.”
Price increases continued to “help drive sales gains in the most recent quarter, with sales volumes also growing stronger in recent months. Before the pandemic, consumers proved willing to buy without discounts the more-expensive products it has developed,” the report stated. “Those price increases continued through the most recent quarter and helped offset losses due to currency moves.”
“P&G kept all its U.S. manufacturing operations running through the pandemic, and employees have since returned to work at product-development facilities and in offices, though at much reduced levels,” The Journal wrote.
Taylor said operating in the pandemic “demonstrated that the company had room to improve productivity even after a major restructuring, noting that some factories were at times able to operate at 90% capacity even with staffing levels cut in half,” the report added. “There’s more there,” Taylor said.


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Mr Smaele explained that his company’s new creation is free from taurine and caffeine and provides a range of vitamins and minerals. MI.AMI is the world’s first brand to adapt the Chinese jiaogulan plant for use in the energy drink market and the company is considering releasing a sport drink containing jiaogulan within the next year.
Based in Belgium, MI.AMI’s new creation is rich in antioxidants and features a lemon and pineapple flavour. According to the brand’s website, the new drink ‘keeps you looking young and fresh’ and offers canned ‘exclusive luxury’.
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Amazon stops selling some Penguin, Hachette e-books
- Eric Engleman
- Staff Writer
Just yesterday reports emerged that Amazon.com had signed new deals with two of the big publishing houses, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins, allowing them to set higher retail prices on electronic books — mirroring the terms that Apple is offering publishers for e-books on the new iPad. But some of the other major publishers are hitting some disruptions with Amazon.
Pearson plc's Penguin hasn't reached a deal with Amazon. Amazon is still selling Penguin e-books released prior to today, but has stopped selling new ones. The online retail giant has also — temporarily — removed the buy button from e-books from Lagardere SCA's Hachette Book Group. It's a sign that Amazon is continuing to wield its vast market power as the nation's largest online bookseller in its negotiations with publishers ahead of the iPad launch.
Here's more on the e-mail that Penguin sent to literary agents and authors about the situation, from Publishers Weekly:
In a letter to agents and authors, Penguin CEO David Shanks explained that Penguin has reached new terms of sale agreements with a number of e-booksellers, but not Amazon. "Our conversations with Amazon are ongoing and we do hope to continue our long-time relationship with them," Shanks said. Shanks noted that new Penguin e-books "are available through Barnes and Noble.com, Sony, Kobo, eBooks.com, reader applications on the iPhone and soon on the iBookstore for the iPad. Additionally, we're working with our digital delivery partners (Ingram, Overdrive, and Baker & Taylor) to make your eBooks even more widely available." He added the sales of print books are not affected by Amazon's actions regarding new e-books.
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China sees spurred business entities vitality in Q1-Q3
Statistics from State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) showed that in the first three quarters, the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises hit 46,586, exceeding the pre-pandemic level, while the number of newly established private enterprises was 7.065 million, indicating a year-on-year increase of 15.3 percent.
Economic Watch: China's Greater Bay Area emerges as promising growth engine
An investment promotion event for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) held on Nov. 8 in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, witnessed the signing of 859 investment and trade deals totaling about 2.24 trillion yuan (around 312 billion U.S. dollars).
(BRF2023) Xi unveils moves to support an open world economy
China will support an open world economy, with its total trade in goods and services expected to exceed 32 trillion U.S. dollars and 5 trillion U.S. dollars respectively in the 2024-2028 period, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Wednesday.
China to further ease foreign ownership restrictions: ministry
China will mull the feasibility of further removing or relaxing foreign ownership restrictions to draw more global investors, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.
China's negative lists for foreign investment shrink 80 pct over decade: official
China's negative lists for foreign investment have been reduced by more than 80 percent since 2013, when the negative list approach was first adopted in China's inaugural pilot free trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, according to an official from the Ministry of Commerce.
Services trade fair in Beijing highlights China's strong magnet for foreign investment
The 2023 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS), which is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive fairs for trade in services, kicked off in Beijing on September 2, highlighting China's endeavor to open the country's services sector wider and expand international cooperation in service trade.
Bustling int'l services trade fair attests to China's foreign investment magnetism
The ongoing 2023 CIFTIS has attracted over 500 Global Fortune 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises, and many of them are eyeing growing opportunities amid the country's innovation-driven development and opening-up endeavors.
China's Shaanxi sees surging foreign investment
The foreign direct investment (FDI) in actual use surged by 26.4 percent year on year to 880 million U.S. dollars in the first seven months of this year in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, authorities said Tuesday.
Interview: China's new measures offer broader opportunities for foreign investment
China considers it vital to attract and utilize foreign investment while advancing its economic development, and the guidelines the country unveiled lately aim at providing a more favorable business environment and broader market opportunities for foreign-invested companies, said an expert.
Economic Watch: China bolsters efforts to retain foreign investment magnetism
In a recent development, China has intensified its policy support aimed at attracting foreign investment and catering to the needs of international firms.
Update: China to promote, strengthen policy support for inbound investment
China will promote and strengthen policy support for inbound foreign investment, a Ministry of Commerce official told a press conference on Monday.
China's State Council stresses optimizing foreign investment environment
China's State Council has recently issued a statement outlining its guidelines regarding further optimizing the foreign investment environment and intensifying efforts to attract foreign investments.
More measures to attract, utilize foreign investment
The Chinese government is placing more emphasis on attracting foreign investment and continuously improving the business environment.
Foreign companies set up R&D centers amid China's innovation boom
In recent years, many foreign companies have chosen China as their ideal location to settle their research and development (R&D) centers to cater to the vast Chinese market demands and serve a larger global market.
German auto supplier ZF opens R&D center in China
German auto supplier ZF Group has opened a new R&D center in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, where it also kicked start construction of an auto electronics plant.
【Financial Str. Release】Economic Watch: China's capital market draws foreign investment amid opening up
China's capital market, boosted by cranked-up policies and measures on opening-up, will continue to attract foreign investment in the second half of this year, analysts from investment banks and securities companies predict.
Foreign-funded projects worth 11.7 bln USD inked in China's Jiangsu
Forty-five foreign-funded industrial projects with a total investment of 11.7 billion U.S. dollars have been inked in east China's Jiangsu Province, one of the country's economic powerhouses.
China's development zones attract over 30,000 foreign companies
China's state-level economic and technological development zones have attracted more than 30,000 foreign-funded companies, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.
By expanding investments, German, French companies remain confident in Chinese economy
Chinese Premier Li Qiang's trips to leading European economies encouraged business representatives from Germany and France, who noted that the visits boosted their confidence in the Chinese economy and plans to continue investing in China.
China to incentivize foreign investment
China will fully align with the international high-standard market regulation system, establish a new system for higher-level open economy, and steadily expand institutional opening-up with regard to rules regulations, management, and standards.
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In the three months since Spotify crested the 100 million Premium user mark, the company has added another 8 million paying customers. It's another sign of health from a music streaming service that continues to grow in the face of tough and well-heeled competition. In its second-quarter earnings, Spotify said that its overall membership grew from 217 million last quarter to 232 million now.
Spotify says that the growth in both free and paying customers is down to a number of initiatives, including "long-term retention" of users. In addition, new products, like the stripped-down Spotify Lite, designed for countries where data is at a premium, launched in 36 territories during the quarter. Spotify Stations, its Pandora-like experience, is also being tested in the US, and other experiments are apparently forthcoming.
108 million Premium users is nothing to sniff at, but Spotify is concerned that it's not quite close enough to its planned target of 110 million. The company says that its "winback" campaigns -- when people who don't continue paying for the product get offered a further three months at discount, are working. If there's a weak spot, it's the student plans, although Spotify says it was a failure of "execution," rather than of business.
The Swedish company pulled in $1.8 billion in revenue, of which $1.6 billion was premium subs, with the other $200 million coming from advertising. Spotify believes that its increased investment in podcasts and podcasting -- with the purchases of several studios -- is fostering a boom in podcast advertising. And the expectation is that podcast ads will become a bigger part of Spotify's overall product by the end of 2020.
Podcasts are clearly the biggest driver of growth for Spotify, and in three months, the company saw listener figures increase by more than 50 percent. And those figures can increase further after Spotify said it would team up with the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground, for exclusive audio content.
The company's net loss this quarter came to $84.7 million, close to half the loss it made in the previous period. Spotify has, once again, opted to throw its employees under the bus, attributing the losses to "social costs." That boils down to that, because Spotify's stock price rose, and its employees receive stock-related compensation, the company had to pay more tax to the Swedish government.
Spotify expects to see user numbers hit up to 245 million by the end of the next quarter, and 265 million by the end of the year. And, by the end of Q4, the company is hoping to have 125 million paying customers, although that still wouldn't see it making a decent profit. On the upside, Spotify has already reached a deal with two of the four major labels to keep their content on the platform, at least for the near future.


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Well, tech companies can often make mistakes and Apple is no exception. In a now-deleted video, Apple basically confirmed the existence of its own tracking tags, which would be a direct competitor to Tiles.
The tracking tag, now confirmed to be called ‘AirTag’, first saw leaks as early as October 2019. Now, with that recent video release, it seems that a release is imminent.
In the video, it displays an iPhone’s “Find My iPhone” menu but also revealed the AirTags will be capable of a sort of offline finding feature. That would mean that it can be tracked even without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
But how is that possible? That may suggest that it may have ultra-wideband radio technology, accurate to what rumours have speculated. It’ll be similar to what the iPhone 11 models use with their U1 chips for better location data.
That feature alone may put it slightly ahead of Tile, for most of their products rely on a Bluetooth connection up to 46m. Their app will show the last known location of the product, though.
As for design, the AirTags, it’s expected to be like circular discs, versus the usually square design of Tiles’ products (only their sticker product has a circular design).
If rumours are deemed true, it should feature Apple’s U1 cheap. It will work with both iPhones and iPads to offer an augmented reality (AR) interface to find missing items, based on code in previous iOS beta builds.
No word yet on just when AirTags will officially launch, but seeing as there’s a video made about it already, it should arrive soon.


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Kelly Hall, a 35-year-old working mother of three children — ages three, eight and 15 — admits that her family eats fast food three times a week.
Compared to her husband who gives into their children’s whining a little more often, she is a strict parent who understands that junk food causes dental and other health problems. But her full-time job as a personal shopper in Washington, D.C., and her husband’s job play a big role in making their children’s diet “not very healthy,” she says.
“It’s not easy to take the kids to a grocery store and pick the right things. They always want the sugary things,’” Hall said.
Ninety-seven percent of parents in the U.S. think that childhood eating habits determine children’s health for their lifetime, but only 17%say their child’s diet is very healthy, according to a recent national poll by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
The national survey, published on Feb. 20, was taken in October 2016 among 1,767 parents with at least one child age four to 18.
According to the survey:
- 73% rate their children’s diet as very or mostly healthy.
- 27% rate their children’s diet as somewhat or not healthy.
- 34% are confident they are shaping good eating habits of their children.
- 21% say it is somewhat or not important to cut down on junk food or fast food.
- 16% believe it is somewhat or not important to reduce sugary drinks.
- 13% say it is somewhat or not important that their child eats fruits and vegetables every day.
Sarah Clark, the survey’s co-director and associate research scientist at the University of Michigan, said there should be more understanding that it’s not easy for many parents to provide a regular, healthy diet for their children. She suggested parents take away this message: “You are not alone. For most of us, this feels like an unending battle.”
Clark said she was stumped by the result that one in five parents do not think it's important to limit unhealthy food, even though most of them know they should. But she realized after analyzing the data that such an attitude is prevalent among parents of teenagers.
“When my boys were teens, their appetites were boundless – and at a certain point, it almost didn’t matter what they were eating," she said. "So my guess is that other parents may be having the same feelings."
The survey results are positive in the sense that most parents recognize that healthy eating is the goal, Clark said. But there’s a problem if one in four parents in the country acknowledge that their kids’ diet is not the ideal, she said.
Parents face several day-to-day challenges, but the main problem (70%) behind an unhealthy diet is the high cost of healthy food. The next reason (60%) is children's preference for sugary and fatty food. Parents with a low-income level and low education have a hard time determining which foods are healthy (52%), or those food are unavailable where they shop (23%).
Research shows that frequent consumption of fast food leads to heart disease, obesity, headaches, acne, high blood pressure, dental problems and high cholesterol. Diet also affects mental health. People with a low-quality diet — processed meat, chocolates, sweet desserts, fried food, refined cereals and high-fat dairy products — are more likely to suffer from depression, according to Katherine Zeratsky, a certified dietitian in the American Dietetic Association.
Stephen Daniels, chief pediatrician at Children's Hospital Colorado, said the results are not surprising because it reflects the tensions parents face around their own diet and that of their kids. “Families and kids are busy, and they often want convenience as part of their choices,” Daniels said.
Buying healthy food takes more money and time for many, but especially for low-income parents. “As a society, we need to ensure that healthier food choices are the easier choices for families and children to make,” said Amy Moyer, vice president of field operations at Action for Healthy Kids, a Chicago-based non-profit organization.
Sasha Tenenbaum, a 42-year-old full-time communications consultant, is a mother of two young daughters. Raised by a health-advocate mother, she knows that she falls short of the ideal as a parent when it comes to her kids' diets. "The goal is the right mix of fruits, veggie and lean proteins. The reality is that it's hard when you're in a household with two working parents to provide quality meals," she said.
Going to a grocery store presents her with many competing needs. "You want affordability, but you also want things to be organic. Even if you have all the power and knowledge, even if you can afford it, it’s still a challenge," she said.
Daniels, Natalie Muth from the American Academy of Pediatrics, health and wellness counselor Rebecca Stritchfield, and Moyer, provide the following advice for parents to help their kids maintain more nutritious diets:


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SMS payments continue to dominate mobile payment transactions
SMS payments made up 72.1% of all mobile payment transactions in 2010. However, it is predicted that the share of SMS payments will fall to around 52% by 2015 as more retailers and users start to use NFC technology instead.
This is a global forecast, however it should be noted that in regions such as Africa, the Middle East, South America and some parts of Asia, SMS payments are expected to continue to be the main form of mobile payment used. This is because any mobile phone is capable of sending SMS messages and therefore of being used to send and receive SMS payments.


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- 2 min read
What Indian industries want from Union Budget 2021
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to unveil plans to boost economic growth when she presents the 2021/2022 Union Budget on February 1. Corporates and industry lobby groups expect the government to announce greater spending on healthcare and infrastructure, as well as tax breaks for the automotive, manufacturing and tourism industries, reeling from the coronavirus crisis.
Corporates and industry lobby groups expect the government to announce greater spending on healthcare and infrastructure, as well as tax breaks for the automotive, manufacturing and tourism industries, reeling from the coronavirus crisis.
Union Budget 2021-22: Complete coverage
Here is a wishlist from industry leaders:
Healthcare and pharmaceuticals
The drugs industry is hoping for incentives to spur more investment in research and development (R&D), via bigger tax deductions on R&D spending, said Sudarshan Jain, secretary general of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance.
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chief of Biocon Ltd, hopes the government will raise healthcare spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by fiscal 2025 from about 1% now.
Real estate and infrastructure
The real estate and construction sector, a bellwether for the Indian economy, is hoping for tax reliefs for home buyers and regulations curbing a rise in construction costs.
The automobile industry hopes for a roadmap for a recently announced production-linked incentive scheme and policy on scrapping of commercial vehicles.
Toyota Kirloskar, the Indian unit of Toyota Motor Corp, said it was looking forward to support measures for the manufacture of hybrid electric vehicles and parts.
The aviation industry is looking for lower taxes on aviation turbine fuel and levies such as airport charges, parking and landing and navigation charges, said Moody's India unit, ICRA.
Tourism and hospitality
The National Restaurant Association of India is hoping for more liquidity support, with low collateral, and a minimum moratorium of six months.
Personal tax breaks for domestic travel would also help, said Deep Kalra, founder and top official of online booking website MakeMyTrip Ltd.
Brick-and-mortar retail firms seek a national retail policy, to help combat the growing popularity of online sellers.
"Formulation of national retail policy, removing the distinction between e-commerce and physical retail under one policy has been spoken about and we hope that this happens in FY 21," said Preet Dhupar, chief financial officer of Ikea India.
The coronavirus brought a slump in lending by banks, and despite signs the economy is improving, the central bank has warned that the industry could see bad loans nearly double.
Some analysts expect the setting up of a so-called "bad bank", which the government will use to buy bad assets from state-owned banks. There are also expectations for moves to recapitalise state-owned banks.
Public sector banks may need a further Rs 43,000 crore ($5.9 billion) as capital requirement in the next financial year, ICRA said.


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The 3D laser printer is becoming increasingly popular among home users, with consumers increasingly willing to spend more for the convenience and ease of printing and sharing.
But while the cost of the 3D printers is dropping, the printer’s reliability and ease-of-use could still prove to be the biggest advantage, experts said.
It’s not just home users who will benefit from the technology, but also businesses, and those with more complex designs that require more sophisticated designs, said Brian O’Connell, senior director of design and manufacturing at Dyson, a maker of home automation and environmental control products.
A 3D printed model of a vacuum cleaner for sale on the internet.
Source: DysonSource: 3DSenseFor consumers, the price is already cheaper than its predecessor, the Ultima 7, which cost $499 in 2010.
The Ultima was also popular with the DIY crowd, which could be a big benefit, said O’Brien.
The Ultima’s print quality was poor, but with its cheap price tag, people would buy it if it was a high-end item, said Matthew Leggett, a senior design and production manager at 3DPrinting.
The 3D printing technology also has the potential to make it easier for people to design better designs, with more precise designs, better designs with more detail, said Leggitt.
For example, a home decorator might need a cleaner for the bathroom or kitchen, but the Ultimas can be used to print a better design.
For more information about the 3d printer, go to the US Department of Commerce website at 3dprintingus.gov or the European Union website at eurab.europa.eu/products/eurab_products/3d_printer.pdf, or go to https://www.usdoj.gov/consumer/content/consumer-protection/printing-materials/products.html.
Read more about 3D Laser Printers and 3D Printer Cost and Availability: