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DETECTIVES investigating two robberies at convenience stores in Kinmel Bay and St Asaph have issued CCTV footage of individuals they want to trace.
Two men armed with a hammer raided City News + Video, Chester Street, St Asaph at 10.30pm on Friday, January 31.
The shop assistant, who was left “hysterical” after the raid, was ordered to empty the tills before the raiders escaped towards Gemig Street.
On February 3 cash was taken from the Lifestyle Express store, Towyn Road, Kinmel Bay.
Police are also appealing for information following a robbery at Lifestyle Express store, Gadlas Lane, Llysfaen on February 6.
Just after 9.30pm police received a report of a robbery at the store where an individual entered and demanded money from the till. The shop assistant managed to run out of the store and the man fled empty handed.
Detectives investigating continue to keep an open mind as to whether the three incidents are linked.
DI Sion Williams said: "Our inquiries are very much on-going into the incidents.
"As well as continuing to appeal for witnesses and information, we hope that releasing the CCTV will assist in identifying the individuals we want to trace.
"It's important to keep in perspective that offences of this nature are still uncommon in our communities and although three have taken place in a relatively short time period there has not been an overall increase over the last 12 months.
"Together with our partners and the community we have made some positive strides over this period of time in reducing crime and with their continued support and assistance I'm sure we can identify those responsible and bring them to justice."
Patrols around retail premises have increased and officers have been liaising with shop owners and staff providing advice which includes encouraging them to report immediately any suspicious activity they may see in or around their premises to police, give consideration to the number of staff on duty at key times and ensure that all security systems are in full working order.
DI Williams added: "We urge anyone who may know the identity of those in the images released today to contact us immediately at St Asaph CID on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."


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BoatUS Foundation and Berkley Celebrate Breakthrough Concepts in Fishing Line and Soft Bait Recycling: ‘Recast and Recycle’ Contest Winners Announced
ANNAPOLIS, Md., October 7, 2021 – Recycling old fishing line and soft baits into new products is labor-intensive, inefficient and simply, for many anglers, not easy to do. This hampers the ability to grow the volume of line and soft bait recycling in the U.S. However, three BoatUS Foundation and Berkley Recast and Recycle Contest winners aim to change that. The prizewinners – a recent college grad, an outsdoorsman and 3D printing hobbyist, and a team of four college friends also took home a total of $30,000 in prize money donated by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the fishing products manufacturer.
“Today’s fishing line and soft bait recycling remains labor-intensive and costly,” said BoatUS Foundation Director of Outreach Alanna Keating. “Working with Berkley, our Recast and Recycle Contest sought out new and innovative ideas to improve the recycling process, increase the amount of recycled material, or offer a technology breakthrough in the way line is recycled and reused. We believe these winning entries, which range from a concept to prototype, have the ability to give nearly every angler the opportunity to easily recycle.”
The Recast and Recycle Contest’s panel of judges included: NOAA Marine Debris Program Southeast Regional Coordinator, Sarah Latshaw; American Sportfish Association Social Media Manager, Allen Luck; California Coastal Commission Environmental Boating Program Manager, Vivian Matuk; Two-time Bassmaster Classic Champion and outdoor television host Hank Parker; BoatU.S. Magazine Contributing Editor and Angler in Chief of FishTalk Magazine, Lenny Rudow; host of “Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show” and “The Bassmasters,” Mark Zona; and BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water President Chris Edmonston.
Askew’s theoretical design repurposes an idea from old: colorful, eye-catching 1960s-style plastic souvenir machines. The “Berkley Recycling Machine” brings line and bait recycling out into the open, instead of throwing discarded line into a beat-up cardboard box under the counter at your local retailer. The injection-molding machine also has appeal for kids, who, while watching discarded soft baits get a second life, also learn the importance of keeping our waters clean. The young designer, who earned her B.F.A. in Industrial Design, offers that machines could be located in retailers and at launch sites, becoming a popular novelty.
This allows anglers to quickly and efficiently manage the despool/respool process. Once the old line is removed and stored on the small spool by way of a special chuck (included) and electric drill, it’s snapped neatly back into the standard size spool where the new line awaits easy spooling to your reel – functioning the same as it does normally.
Locking in the old line on the small spool also makes it easier to recycle and reduces the chances of snagging wildlife. This recycling solution can also be incorporated into existing packaging and turned into pellets to create new spools, offering benefits to manufacturers.
The app also offers the ability to track your recycling progress, includes a map to see what friends are catching, offers a journal to save photos of fish caught and important fishing information such as lures and location, and makes it easy to post on social media.
The BoatUS Foundation and Berkley hope to raise awareness of these prizewinning concepts to help support further research and development. A video of the winning entries and more can be found at the Recast and Recycle website, BoatUS.org/Contest.
Grenada Lake News Article

domain: news


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Ring, founded in 2012, has raised more than $400 million in debt and equity sales, according to PitchBook data. Its most recent outside investment round, in October, raised $160 million and valued the company at $760 million.
Amazon’s Alexa Fund was among the company’s backers.
The Santa Monica, Calif., company is the second connected home security startup that Amazon acquired recently. The company in December acquired Blink, a Massachusetts-based maker of doorbells and cameras.


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As of next year, John Lewis and Waitrose will no longer sell Christmas crackers with plastic toys inside as they continue their bid to cut down on single use plastic products.
John Lewis and sister company Waitrose announced that this year will be the last, as going forward for Christmas 2020, crackers will be filled with toys made from recyclable materials such as metal and paper games, and decorated with techniques such as embossing, rather than plastic glitter.
This year, John Lewis is selling three own-brand designs of 'fill your own' crackers, which the retailer claims is so far 'proving to be the most popular crackers, accounting for one in every three packets of crackers sold'.
While the banning of plastic toys in crackers won't be implemented until next year, John Lewis has managed to reduce the amount of plastic glitter on its own brand range by two-thirds. This can currently be seen across its Christmas wrapping paper, gift bags and tags, advent calendars and cracker ranges. But John Lewis has now confirmed that from next Christmas, these particular ranges will not contain any plastic glitter.
Additionally, the retailer has removed plastic wrapping from the vast majority of the individual cards it sells. It's estimated that this alone will save eight tonnes of plastic each year.
'Reducing the amount of single use plastic in products and packaging is really important to us and our customers,' says Dan Cooper, Partner and Head Christmas Buyer at John Lewis. 'One of the challenges I face as a buyer is that we plan 18 months ahead so it takes time for changes to become a reality.
'I’m always searching for new, more sustainable products which will make Christmas sparkle but won’t end up spoiling our environment.'
Waitrose has already confirmed that by Christmas 2020, its own label cards, wraps, crackers, tags, flowers and plants will either be glitter-free or an environmentally friendly alternative.
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As the global sales director for Moussy Vintage, Peter Russell’s connections stretched far and wide throughout the industry — a network he knew he could tap into when the 40-year-old fashion executive decided to start a movement to thank nurses across the country for their work during the coronavirus pandemic.
It was a cause close to his heart because his own niece is a nurse, and he started out by donating needed PPE to her and her colleagues in the nursing profession. But then he decided to go bigger: to find a way to donate not just PPE but designer clothing and accessories to these crucial frontline workers.
Russell’s outreach began with friends and colleagues at about 50 stores, expecting most to donate maybe an item or two to a nurse. As stores began to respond to Russell’s call, the outpouring of support was a massive wave, “At one point I was getting 20-30 large boxes of clothing a day that I would separate by size and gift medical personnel. Two of my bedrooms were full floor to ceiling with boxes.” Russell recently told Vogue.
Now, Russell’s gesture of appreciation has turned into a project that has donated over a million dollars worth of fashionable pieces to nurses across the country, from brands like MOTHER Denim to local boutiques like Tags Boutique in Los Angeles and Gypsy in Nantucket. Nurses can be nominated to Russell through his Instagram, or large donations are made to hospitals across the country.
Vogue spoke to Russell on outreach and partnerships for this project, his own personal takeaways (as well as his impending fatherhood), and how everyone can get involved during this time.
How and did you initially organize this project?
I started with 50 pairs of jeans that I gifted nurses. I posted about it on Instagram and within 24 hours I had hundreds of messages from people nominating mostly nurses. I would have them send me a picture of their badge with jean size and address. I realized I couldn’t do it on my own because just the shipping alone was taking so much time to package and ship,
It really just snowballed, I never expected I would be able to give so many people but these stores really wanted to give back to those risking their lives for us. I shipped boxes of designer clothing, shoes, sunglasses and purses to hotels in New York where medical personnel were staying because it was unsafe to return home to their families. As I started to gift more and more I reached out to another 300 stores, many willing to help. We shipped clothing to almost every state as well as gift cards that could be used for virtual shopping sprees.


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STURGIS, S.D. – The West River Foundation for Economic & Community Development (WRFECD) recently closed its very first loan with the newly funded Meat & Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP) grant. Sturgis Meats, LLC was the recipient of the loan which helped fund an extensive equipment upgrade at the facility.
Sturgis Meats has been in operation for nearly 60 years processing beef, bison, pork, and now yak. The company created the famous Sturgis Beef Jerky secret recipe in its early days, and the brand has grown to include other flavors and a variety of products. With this expansion, jerky production will become more efficient to produce more product in a shorter amount of time.
The expansion will also benefit customers with the facility’s new capacity for direct-to-consumer product fulfillment. Increased cooling space will allow more capacity for product and the operation to offer this time and money savings to customers. “This expansion is going to be a big benefit to our customers due to this direct-to-consumer advantage that other shops can’t offer,” said Sturgis Meats owner Cindy Tolle.
In 2023, WRFECD received a grant from USDA-RD to create a new Meat and Poultry Revolving Loan Fund. The funds will be used specifically to increase the meat and poultry processing capacity in South Dakota. This loan to Sturgis Meats is the first such loan in western South Dakota.
WRFECD manages other revolving loan funds geared toward supporting new and expanding businesses in Western South Dakota. WRFECD is part of the West River Business Service Center in Rapid City. For more information head to www.wrbsc.com.


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A new leak points to the 2020 Meizu flagship's zesty new colorway
Meizu normally makes flagship phones with minimal bezels rather than new-fangled contrivances like notches or punch-holes. However, the latest leak associated with this OEM suggests that it is finally going to break this tradition with an upcoming flagship phone called the 17th Plus.
It comes in the form of 2 new images that purport to show the looks and some of the specs of this device. However, despite the fact that they appear in the same report, they contradict themselves slightly. The first of them purports to show a live shot of the "17th Plus" with its (completely edge-to-edge and apparently selfie camera-less) screen on and showing its "About phone" page.
It describes the Plus as a Snapdragon 865-powered device and 2 storage options: 64GB and 512GB. (Oddly, judging by the icons in question, it suggests the former is for SD cards and the latter is internal). The screen also asserts that this upcoming Meizu is a triple-camera device, with 20+100+20MP sensors.
However, the second image in this leak begs to differ. It shows a phone with a round rear camera module that distinctly holds 4 lenses. The rest of the panel is finished in an extra-bright lemon-lime gradient, whereas the corresponding front view shows a central punch-hole in a curved display. There is no getting away from its resemblance to those of the new Galaxy S20 series...which calls the entire leak into further doubt.
In addition, the 'settings-screen' gives a more than slight impression of having been superimposed onto the rest of its image. It can only be hoped that the next Meizu launch event might shed some light on these confusing indications; however, this OEM may experience the same delays in manufacture and release as OPPO now faces due to the spread of the 2019 coronavirus and the concomitant effect on the ability of factories and other aspects of the smartphone business to function as normal.


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IWD2021: Australia India Business Council Women in Business & Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry FLO MoU to boost bilateral trade & business
10 March 2021
Sydney, Australia – The Women in Business (WIB) Chapter of Australia India Business Council Ltd (AIBC), the peak body facilitating bilateral trade and investment between the two nations, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies Organisation (FICCI FLO) for the two organisations to collaborate to boost bilateral trade and business. The MoU was signed by Sheba Nandkeolyar, National Chair of AIBC WIB and Jahnabi Phookan, National President of FICCI FLO on International Women’s Day 2021 at a Consul General of India Sydney boardroom luncheon in the presence of His Excellency Gitesh Sarma, High Commissioner of India (virtual); Mr Manish Gupta, Consul General of India Sydney; Ms Rowan Ainsworth, Consul General of Australia Kolkata (virtual); and Ms Jodi McKay MP, Leader of the Opposition NSW among other high-profile attendees. The MoU aims to:
- Increase demand for goods and services supplied by women entrepreneurs in the bilateral Australia – India corridor
- Create platforms for increasing trade
- Support, initiate or improve integration of women vendors into Australia-India value chains
- Build the capacity of trade support institutions to provide better services to women clients,
- Increase awareness among policy makers of the potential of women entrepreneurs and raise awareness of barriers that hamper their participation in bilateral trade
- Partner the two organisations for Women of 7 Continents, FICCI FLO’s forum for the exchange of information, experience, visibility, and connectivity among women business owners
His Excellency High Commissioner of India to Australia, Sri Gitesh Sarma said: “Women have broken through and touched all frontiers that can be conquered. Today, as we recognise the contributions of women, I offer congratulations to Australia India Business Council Women in Business and FICCI FLO. It is great to see women in both countries are joining together to take our great bilateral ties even further – and what a timely initiative too. This will inevitably bring to life the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Scott Morrison began when they last met.”
Mr Manish Gupta, Consul General of India – Sydney said: “In the Australia India corridor, women have left an indelible imprint. Congratulations to AIBC WIB and FICCI FLO. This MoU will be key to supporting the women-centric chambers that are operating here in Australia as well as in India.”
Ms Jodi McKay MP, Leader of the Opposition NSW presented Sheba Nandkeolyar with a Certificate from NSW Parliament recognising the role that women play in business. McKay said: “On International Women’s Day, we recognise how far we have come, and how far we have to go. FICCI FLO and AIBC WIB are showing that women have a great role to play in the bilateral relationship.”
Sheba Nandkeolyar, National Chair of Australia India Business Council Women in Business Chapter and CEO of MultiConnexions Group said: “I am confident and optimistic about the remarkable potential of this new MoU between AIBC WIB and FICCI FLO to fast-track bilateral trade and business between the two countries. Empowering women could lift the GDP of any country by 1- 2 per cent.
“AIBC WIB vision is 50-50 involvement of women in bilateral business and trade, and I am pleased to see this reflected in the gender diversity of the AIBC National Leadership team, where the board composition is fifty per cent women,” added Nandkeolyar.
Jahnabi Phookan, National President of FICCI FLO said: “I am delighted to sign this MOU today on behalf of FICCI FLO with AIBC WIB. The trade possibilities and potential between Australia and India are endless. Australia and India’s ambitions are possible, with women business leaders playing a strong role. The digitisation of the world post COVID has made it even easier to take advantage of the opportunities and FICCI FLO’s Women of 7 Regions (W7) initiative is working hard to take women into the value chain to make these opportunities easy to grasp.”
Sanushka Seomangal, National Vice Chair of AIBC representing AIBC National Chair Jim Varghese said: “This MOU between Australia India Business Council Women in Business Chapter and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies’ Organisation will further cement the strong bilateral business and trade relationship between the two countries, and provide women entrepreneurs in the bilateral space with solid resources to fast track their plans. Australia India Business Council is committed to promoting and facilitating initiatives that increase trade and business between the two countries, and I am confident today marks a solid step in the right direction with the support of government and business leaders.”
The boardroom session was extremely insightful, with attendees sharing experiences of doing business with India, attendees’ experience of Brand India and business and trade possibilities that India represents.
Other high profile virtual and in-person attendees included Dianne Tipping, Chair of Export Council of Australia; Rose Kerlin, Group Executive Membership, AustralianSuper; Nick Hockley, Interim CEO, Cricket Australia; Sonia Gandhi, AIBC NSW WIB Chair; Julia Niblett, NSW Director of DFAT; Vik Singh, Digital Education Director at Austrade; Helen Hamilton Jones, Managing Partner at Deloitte; Harriet Diana Richards, ANZ Head of Corporate Affairs at TCS; Kavita Singh, Chief Executive, Bank of Baroda; Nimeesha Gupta, Educator and Linguist; Debra Singh, Board Member; Prof. Veena Sahajwalla of UNSW Research; Mala Mehta of IABBV Hindi School; Prof. Neena Mitter of QAAFI Centre for Horticultural Science; Dr Meena Scindia Chavan of Macquarie University; Deputy Consul General of India Sydney Mr Sanjay Muluka; and AIBC WIB leadership Reet Phulwani, Tamanna Monem, and Preeti Daga.
– Ends –
About Australia India Business Council:
AIBC was founded in 1986 and is the only national body representing bi-lateral trade and investment relations between Australia and India. The AIBC is a national membership organisation with active chapters in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra and maintains close relationships with federal and state government agencies, the diplomatic corps and industry bodies, and showcases opportunities to the Australian business community through an active program of events throughout Australia. For further information, please visit www.aibc.org.au
AIBC Media Contact: AIBC National Secretariat firstname.lastname@example.org


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getting fresh: Staying vigilant
When I saw the headline, “Overeating Survey: Chocolate May Be a Gateway Drug,” I knew the article required further reading. To summarize, the press release details a survey conducted by Sharon Livingston, a consultant to the weight-loss industry who has a degree in humanistic psychology.
According to Livingston, of the 2,400 people polled, 54.2% of those who had trouble resisting chocolate were more likely to have trouble with at least nine other foods. As the learned psychologist points out, “Participants who couldn’t resist chocolate were MUCH (Capital letters are her emphasis) more likely to report a multitude of food difficulties.”
She then goes on to elaborate that this was particularly true for women over the age of 40 or for those who lived alone.
I don’t want to make light of people who have food disorders; there’s nothing funny about not being able to control caloric intake. But to pinpoint chocolate as a “gateway drug” to overeating is sensational headline writing at its worst.
At the risk of sounding disco, “Let’s get real!” Is chocolate addictive? I hope so. Is it a “gateway drug” to overeating? No. Last time I checked you didn’t need a prescription for it. And, yes, it has a standard of identity, which is a good thing.
Is it a gateway to overeating? I suppose anything can precipitate overeating. But I just don’t see anyone enjoying a piece of chocolate as opening the flood gates to a Monty Python experience, i.e. as in Mr. Creosote exploding in the “Meaning of Life.”
Do folks seek out chocolate because it makes them feel better? Yes, but so does chicken soup!
How many more food nannies do we need? There’s something called personal responsibility. Is coffee served hot? Yes, I would hope so. Be careful. If it spills, you may burn yourself.
Does chocolate contain sugar? Certainly, but it depends on the kind you purchase. Is it bad for you? Actually, it can be good for you, containing a good dose of antioxidants, which help the body. Will it make you obese? NO! I don’t often use capital letters for emphasis since it really irks me. But Livingston’s survey and use of capitalization prompted me to do so.
I’ll stop with the capitalization, but there was another headline that caught my eye and prompted a similar response, “Chocolate + Child Labor Do Not Make for a Holiday.”
In this instance, Greenamericatoday called out Hershey for it’s “I Love Reese’s Day” promotion, saying that “the marriage of chocolate and peanut butter is hardly reason to celebrate when Hershey’s sources chocolate from western Africa, where some of the poorest cocoa plantations are plagued with forced and child labor.”
The press release cites three sources, one of them being Tulane University’s Payson Center for International Development, the U.S. Department of Labor and a 2008 Fortune magazine article. What bothers me is that by linking a harmless Reese’s promotion to child labor really trivializes the seriousness of forced child labor in West Africa and other countries. Second, it downplays the ongoing efforts of the International Cocoa Initiative.
Having been to Ghana, which often is cited by many observers as one of the most progressive and stable nations involved in cocoa, I know that child labor issues remain. There are cultural, economic and infrastructure challenges making instant eradication of child labor incidents impossible.
Nevertheless, from what I saw, there’s a bona fide push to wipe this scourge from the country. And let’s not forget that there’s been a civil war in Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast); thus, making headway into this issue extremely difficult. People will do just about anything to survive when there are trigger-happy militias running to and fro.
As for Hershey, specifically, when I was in Ghana several years ago, I had the pleasure of getting to know John Long, one of Hershey’s representatives on trip. If there was anyone more earnest than Long about doing what’s right to improve the lot of cocoa farmers as well as their families and children, it was him.
Obviously, there’s more work to do on this. Abuses of children in cocoa-growing areas continue. But at least the chocolate and cocoa industries have made great strides in defining the extent of the problem and addressing it on a nation-by-nation approach.
Badmouthing a chocolate promotion to simply bring attention to child labor and then plugging Fair Trade chocolates as an alternative doesn’t promote good dialogue or progress in this matter.
So to all of you sourcing, producing and selling chocolate, I urge you to be vigilant. There are many groups out there that have hidden agendas and no qualms of using chocolate as road kill.
Anthony-Thomas Candy Co. mourns loss of family member
Agnes Squeo Zanetos, wife of Tom Zanetos, co-founder and owner of the Anthony-Thomas Candy Co., of Upper Arlington, Ohio, passed away on Saturday, May 15, after suffering a stroke in September. She was 89.
Agnes and Tom were high school sweethearts who worked together in the confectionery business for some 47 years. She started out as a candy dipper, then worked in the retail store and had secretarial duties as her husband and father-in-law, Anthony Zanetos, built their new business. Agnes later served as an officer of the company, secretary-treasurer, retiring from that position in 2001 at the age of 80.
Agnes was a member of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, Philoptochos Society and Daughters of Penelope. She also was a member and served on the advisory board of the Christopher Columbus Education Foundation and received the Christopher Columbus Educational Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
Agnes is survived by her husband of 68 years; four sons: Anthony, of Hilliard, Joseph (Carol), of Upper Arlington, Gregory, of Columbus, and Timothy, of Dublin. She also is survived by four grandchildren: Carla (Steve) Scully, Candi (Michael) Trifelos, Thomas and Michael Zanetos; seven great-grandchildren, John, Sam, Joseph and Michael Scully, and Nicholas, Mark and Alex Trifelos; sisters-in-law, Kathryn Squeo, Beulah (Jack) Trotter, Frankie Collaros of Steubenville, and Nicki Zanetos of Delaware; as well as many aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers Joseph Squeo and Jean (Louella) Cupoli.
Services were held on Monday and Tuesday, May 17 and 18. Condolences may be sent via www.johnquint.com.
Mars partners with 'Diddy' to announce America's favorite M&M
For the past month, visitors to www.MMS.com have been casting votes for their favorite M&M’S character – Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue or Ms. Green. Now, Mars chocolate North America, Hackettstown, N.J., has announced a new partnership that gives consumers another reason to participate in the chocolatey election.
To celebrate the character voted America’s favorite, music superstar and business mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will produce a special M&M’S Color Party in New York City. This will be the first time consumers will be able to choose the color of one of Diddy’s legendary events. One lucky voter and 20 friends will get to attend per the “Party Like Diddy Sweepstakes.” The winner also will get to meet with Diddy in advance to help plan his first-ever Red or Green or Yellow or Orange or Blue Party.
“This year, I’m touring North America and Europe to promote my new album, “Last Train to Paris,” so, unfortunately, I can’t throw my annual White Party,” Diddy says. “But I wanted to make sure there was at least one colorful affair on the calendar this summer, so I’ll be producing the M&M’S Color Party, in honor of America’s favorite M&M’S character.”
Eligible U.S. residents can enter for their chance to win the M&M’S Color Party produced by Diddy by registering for the “Party Like Diddy Sweepstakes” at www.MMS.com, now through July 6. In addition to the once-in-a-lifetime party experience, the winner will receive travel and accommodations for him or herself and a guest to meet with Diddy as well as travel and accommodations for 20 of their friends for the party.
Fans also can register to win other amazing prizes, including a $50,000 cash prize, a special M&M’S branded guitar and a $25 M&M’S Discover debit card.
Butterfinger & G4 search for fourth member of BFDL
Butterfinger has partnered with the G4 TV network to announce a search for the fourth member of the Butterfinger Defense League (BFDL). Two semifinalists will meet current members of the BFDL – Erik Estrada (“CHiPS”), Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk”) and Charisma Carpenter (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”) – and G4’s “Attack of the Show!” hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira at Comic-Con in July, when G4 will broadcast the winner live.
Butterfinger is looking for those who best demonstrate an ability to ensure the Butterfinger tagline “Nobody’s Gonna Lay A Finger On My Butterfinger!” Audition videos must show a unique ability that would make the candidate a great defender of Butterfinger and, thus, a perfect fit for the BFDL.
Two finalists will win a VIP trip to Comic-Con in San Diego, where one will be named honorary member of the BFDL and receive the $20,000 grand prize. Entries are being accepted through June 24.
To learn more, visit www.ButterfingerDefenseLeague.com.
Blommer announces cocoa sustainability partnership for Ivory Coast farmers
East Greenville, Pa.-based Blommer Chocolate, North America’s largest processor of cocoa beans and ingredient chocolate products, today announced a new $3-million cocoa sustainability partnership supporting farmers in the Ivory Coast. The joint venture, called the Processors Alliance for Cocoa Traceability and Sustainability (PACTS), is being developed in conjunction with Cemoi Chocolatier of France and Petra Foods of Southeast Asia.
The PACTS mission is to improve the supply of high quality, fermented cocoa beans from the Ivory Coast while improving the livelihoods of the local cocoa farming community. The program was introduced today at the World Cocoa Foundation meeting in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The PACTS program trains farmers in modern techniques and provides them with skills to improve crop yield and quality, and to give them a better understanding of the marketplace. The program focuses on the establishment of fermentation centers that help the farmer improve post-harvest processing and improve bean quality. The fermentation centers also act as a hub from which farmers can improve their agronomy skills and understanding, with a goal of increasing crop yields and, ultimately, farmer incomes.
Over a three-year period, the joint venture will establish up to 30 fermentation centers that will support approximately 10,000 farmers. It is expected that the program will expand as the cocoa farming community reaps the benefits of better prices and consistent, high-quality crops. The Ivory Coast is the largest cocoa producing country in the world and approximately 90 percent of its cocoa is grown on small family farms.
For more information about Blommer, visit www.blommer.com.
Sweet of the week: Breath Mints with Antioxidants
Suntak-Pharma Manufacturing Co., Ltd. of Guangdong, China, has launched sugar-free Breath Mints with Antioxidants. The compressed tablet mints are available in black currant flavor and contain Vitamins A, C and E, bilberry extracts, selenium and zinc.
For more information, call +86-13923989797 or visit www.h4uconfectionery.com.


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Market records break yet again, cannabis inched up and more in Thursday’s Closing Bell on Money and Markets.
It was a record day for U.S. markets as the Dow and the S&P 500 both hit record highs Thursday.
The market jump was led by tech stocks like Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: APPL), which rose nearly 2% in afternoon trading after hitting a high of $310.43 just before noon. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Nasdaq: AMD) also climbed more than 2% to lead the tech-backed rally.
Money and Markets: Closing Bell*
S&P 500: 3,274 (+21 points, +0.6%)
DOW: 28,956 (+211 points, +0.7%)
NASDAQ: 9,203 (+74 points, +0.8%)
GOLD: $1,550.60 (-5.40, -0.3%)
BITCOIN: $7,825.65 (-163.64, -2%)
U.S. 10-YEAR YIELD: 1.86%
*as of 3:15 p.m. EST
A Big Win
This morning’s Wall Street Wake-Up told you about a possible dip in Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBY) stock. Well, the dip happened to the tune of a nearly 20% drop through afternoon trading Thursday following news of weak quarterly earnings.
Additionally, we told you about Voya Financial Inc. (NYSE: VOYA) shopping for potential buyers. That shot the shares up 5.75% on Thursday afternoon trading.
Proctor & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) is acquiring female body care company Billie Inc. for an undisclosed amount. Shares of PG were up 0.9% in Thursday afternoon trading.
Private equity company Insight Partners is purchasing Veeam Software — a cloud data company — for $5 billion. Insight already invested $500 million in Veeam in 2018.
A cooling of tensions between the U.S. and Iran sent gold and silver prices down Thursday afternoon.
The price of gold dropped to $1,554.60 an ounce while silver was down 0.21 to $17.86 — after spending days over $18 an ounce.
Cannabis stocks enjoyed a rally Thursday following a longstanding downward trend.
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NYSE: ACB) — which had been in freefall — jumped nearly 3.5% in afternoon trading while fellow cannabis giant Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC) was up almost 2% after strong earnings reported by investor and Corona maker Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ).
The two primary cannabis ETFs — Advisorshares Pure Cannabis ETF (NYSE: YOLO) and Innovative Industrial Properties (NYSE: IIPR) — were also up Thursday afternoon.
Stock Market Update
The S&P 500 closed up 0.6% at 3,274 points, which is a new high.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 211 points, or 0.7%, to 28,956, also a record. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.8%.
Today’s Big Winners:
(as of 3:15 p.m. EST)
Align Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: ALGN) +3.8%
Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (Nasdaq: BMRN) +5.8%
Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Nasdaq: AMD) +2.3%
Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL) +3.4%
L Brands Inc. (NYSE: LB) +3.3%
Today’s Big Losers:
(as of 3:15 p.m. EST)
Kohl’s Corp. (NYSE: KSS) -7%
Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) -3.6%
Henry Schein Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) -2.3%
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA) -1.9%
Tesla Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) -1.5%
Check back for the most important news and numbers each day after the Closing Bell, only on Money and Markets.
Don’t forget about “Marijuana Markets: a POTcast,” featuring the biggest cannabis news and investment notes from Banyan Hill’s Anthony Planas, here on Money and Markets each Saturday morning.


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Immigration reform is the supply-side liberalism we need
Record-high inflation has wreaked havoc on an economy already struggling to recover from COVID-19. The Federal Reserve is aggressively hiking interest rates, but it’s too little, too late. When too much money chases too few goods, rising prices are inevitable. Since the start of the pandemic, the monetary base has risen 60 percent and the M2 money supply 40 percent, outpacing the uncertainty-induced spike in liquidity demand. If we want to tame inflation, we need to stop running the printing presses. But we also need bold supply-side reforms.
It’s time to liberalize immigration policy. Making it easier for people to come here and work increases the availability of labor. That would boost the goods supply relative to the money supply. While it’s not a panacea, immigration can ease pricing pressures. Making green cards, visas and even citizenship easier to obtain makes economic sense, and it offers humanitarian benefits as well.
In the long run, living standards depend on supply-side factors. These include the amount of labor and capital, technological progress and a supportive regulatory environment. The White House, Congress and the Federal Reserve have focused too much on the demand side. While demand stimulus can temporarily cushion falling incomes and wealth, it isn’t sustainable. Policymakers quickly run into the fundamental constraint: how much the economy can produce.
Augmenting demand leads to higher prices, but augmenting supply leads to lower prices. The secret to broad-based prosperity is making goods and services more abundant, and therefore cheaper. “Supply-side economics” isn’t fundamentally about tax cuts, and there’s no reason conservatives should have a monopoly on it. Liberals can profit from this agenda, too. Immigration reform is the place to start.
Many people worry that increased immigration will lower current workers’ wages, already eroding because of inflation. While it’s true prices are rising faster than wages, immigration won’t make things worse. In fact, it could make things better. Most studies find no effect on wages for current workers. Some find wages increasing as a result of immigration. After all, immigrant labor complements existing domestic labor, raising everyone’s productivity. When productivity goes up, so do wages.
If more immigration won’t lower wages, and might even raise them, how can it help whip inflation? Material abundance is the key. Wages are an important price – the price of rented labor – but still just one price. Curbing inflation means slowing down price growth across the whole economy. If liberalizing immigration policy results in a temporary surge of workers, that will stabilize the bottom-out point of dollar depreciation. We could even get a durable inflation slowdown if the worker boost is long-lived, buttressing productivity over many years. Whether we get a one-time benefit or a flow of benefits depends on immigrants’ decisions to live and work here. Either result is welcome. With prices rising 9 percent per year, we shouldn’t be picky.
Despite falling production and rising prices, the unemployment rate is still very low at about 3.6 percent. Employers consistently report having great difficulty finding workers to fill vacant openings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in May, there were 11.25 million job openings and a total of 5.95 million people unemployed. There are almost 1.9 job openings for every unemployed person, up from 1.7 in March, when Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell described labor markets as “tight to an unhealthy level.” Burnout afflicts many workers. Streamlining the immigration process so that new workers could quickly fill vacancies would reduce the degree to which current laborers are overworked.
Finally, increased immigration comes with humanitarian benefits. Many millions of intelligent, hardworking people around the world are struggling to make ends meet under oppressive regimes and severely dysfunctional economies. In fact, as Branko Milanovic describes, over 80 percent of global income inequality is determined by a person’s country of origin. Granting these people easier access to American labor markets would remove them from the immediate dangers they face while also alleviating extreme poverty. Apart from economic considerations, basic human dignity impels us to welcome those seeking better lives.
Handing out green pieces of paper can make us wealthier, so long as they’re permanent resident cards and not dollars. Taming inflation means giving supply every possible chance to outpace demand. If we’re serious about restoring an inclusive and prosperous economy, we should welcome more immigrants.
David James Hebert is an associate professor at Aquinas College. Alexander William Salter is an associate professor in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, a research fellow at TTU’s Free Market Institut, and a senior fellow at AIER’s Sound Money Project.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Norwell man charged with theft from Hingham company must pay restitution
Using a company credit card to buy personal items and essentially hiring himself as a consultant, police said Sherman R. Homan swiped more than $50,000 from his former employer in Hingham.
A Hingham District Court judge has ordered that he pay it all back.
Homan, 48, of 265 High St., Norwell, a former employee of Saint Consulting Group in Hingham, admitted to sufficient facts on two charges of larceny over $250 in Hingham District Court this week.
Judge Patrick Hurley continued the case without a finding for a year – if Homan stays out of trouble, the charges may be dismissed – but said Homan must immediately pay Saint Consulting $51,499.92.
The charges were brought last October.
Homan was fired from Saint Consulting last August for unrelated reasons, but soon after, Hingham police said, the company hired a private investigator to check into Homan’s use of a company credit card.
The investigator found Homan made more than 100 unauthorized transactions with the card, including buying a washer and dryer, totaling more than $34,000.
It was also discovered that the company paid more than $16,000 to G.P. Solutions Inc., a company registered at Homan’s home address. Homan’s girlfriend was listed as its president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and director.
Police and the investigator believed Homan would receive invoices from G.P. Solutions and approve payments from Saint Consulting, turning a personal profit for work he performed under the guise of bringing in an outside company.
Karen Goulart may be reached at email@example.com.


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The blockchain way to intellectual property management
The patent system and defensive publication solutions are inadequate to support and safeguard today innovators. Bernstein allows anyone to register inventions and proofs of use by creating a trail of records on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Distributed Technologies Research Ltd. (DTR), an Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) based company, today announced its launch in the UAE and the licensing of its …
A new report indicated Bitcoin ETFs could release $600 billion in new demand — double Bitcoin's current market cap. Here's some math behind the estimates.
A new report indicated Bitcoin ETFs could release $600 billion in new demand — double Bitcoin’s current market cap. Here’s some math behind the estimates.


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Sun, sea and sand or staycation
Research from M&S Money has revealed that a London staycation is 25 per cent more expensive than the average beach holiday abroad. However, out of the half of Brits (54 per cent) choosing to stay in the UK this summer, 26 per cent are doing so as they felt it would be less expensive.
The cost of a week in London, for those wanting to celebrate the Jubilee and the Olympics in the capital, will set Brits back £1,631, compared to an average £1,298 for a sun, sea and sand holiday overseas.
The research, which compared the cost of a week in nine popular beach holiday destinations against a week in London, found that Alicante in Spain offers the best value at £927 for a week. All other locations making up the top five were also within Europe.
The ten destinations in order of descending value
1. Alicante, Spain - £927
2. Marseille, France - £1,059
3. Gouves, Crete - £1,061
4. Bodrum, Turkey - £1,102
5. Faro, Portugal - £1,104
6. Split, Croatia - £1,133
7. Hua Hin, Thailand - £1,422
8. London, UK - £1,631
9. Bridgetown, Barbados - £1,836
10. Daytona Beach, Florida, USA - £2,034
Of those destinations researched, Daytona Beach in Florida, USA, is the most expensive beach trip at £2,034, with flights, accommodation and spending money all higher than the other seaside locations. Split in Croatia and Hua Hin in Thailand are also among the more expensive holidays, but require the least spending money to cover eating out and activities at £299 and £320 per person per week respectively.
A UK holiday is eighth on the list, at £1,631, due to relatively high accommodation costs and the large amount of spending money needed; just under £600 (£596) for a week, which accounts for 37 per cent of the entire cost of this holiday.
An M&S survey, of over 2,000 adults taking a holiday this summer, shows holidaymakers are budgeting an average of £41 spending money per person per day, or £287 per week. However, for the ten holidays studied, people are underestimating the amount of spending money needed per person by an average of £50, with holidaymakers budgeting £318 per week, compared to the £368 required.
Just over half (54 per cent) of Brits have chosen to stay in the UK this summer, with 21 per cent opting for a seaside holiday, 17 per cent staying at home and taking day trips and 16 per cent taking a non-beach UK holiday. A quarter of those (26 per cent) staying in the UK are doing so because they felt it would be more affordable and eight per cent said they wanted to stay in the country because of the Jubilee and Olympics.
Twenty eight per cent of people are going on a foreign beach holiday this year (25 per cent Europe vs. five per cent other continents). Almost a fifth (18 per cent) chose to go abroad because of the general affordability of this option, with 15 per cent citing inexpensive accommodation as a key driver, one in ten the affordable local costs, and seven per cent the favourable foreign exchange rates. Seventeen per cent of people have decided to go abroad because of the pleasant weather.
Jane Lawson, Head of Travel Money at M&S Money, said: "Staycations are clearly popular this year, particularly as people look forward to celebrating the Jubilee and Olympics, in what will be a British summer to remember. However, with the cost of activities and eating out in the UK relatively high and favourable foreign exchange rates helping to make your money go further abroad, a holiday at home is not always the most affordable option.
"To get the most from your holiday budget, no matter what the destination, it's important to plan ahead. As well as looking for good deals on travel and accommodation, thinking about exchange rates, local costs and the kind of extras you will need to spend your money on will help to ensure you have the best possible holiday experience."
Follow Jane's top tips to get the most out of your holiday money:
Plan your holiday budget so you know how much your holiday is going to cost and how much foreign currency you need
Do some research to find out whether tickets for the activities you are planning are cheaper if bought in advance
If you're getting your currency on the high street choose a provider with a large number of currencies on demand
Don't rely on internet rates if buying in-store - many providers have different rates online and some change their rate throughout the day
Don't leave your holiday money until the last minute - airport bureaux often offer less competitive rates and may not have a wide variety of note denominations


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‘Emotion regulation and young children’s consumer behaviour ’ Young Consumers, Volume 17, Issue 2, June 2016 Researchers explore how children’s growing ability to effectively regulate their emotions influences their consumer behaviour. The authors use direct observations of children and a survey of parents about their child’s emotional development to give predictions of consumer behaviour. They explore […]
Unilever admits marketing industry has been gripped by “inertia” in how it portrays men, women and families and is still succumbing to outdated stereotypes that are negatively impacting both society and business results.
Twitter has introduced a new lower standard for the viewability of digital ads on its platform following requests from advertisers. The move comes despite widespread industry calls for 100% viewability and raises questions over it is really as effective as some marketers think.
At the end of every week we look at the key stories, offering our view on what they mean for you and the industry. From Moonpig’s focus on payback to the growth of Ella’s Kitchen, it’s been a busy week. Here is my take.
Advertising groups still believe the proposed ban on pre-watershed junk food ads will do nothing to tackle the root cause.
Taking on challenges and making strategic moves has helped Paws Group CMO Richard Clark forge a career from Boohoo and Feel Unique to Nationwide and IBM.
Can ChatGPT use its AI-driven natural language processing to revolutionise marketing automation?


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A new bid to lure Spanish holidaymakers away from their sun-kissed beaches in favour of a trip to Tyneside has been launched.
The popularity of easyJet's new routes from Newcastle to Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona has already produced an increase of Spanish visitors to the region, according to the NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI).
Now the organisation, which looks to boost tourism in the area, will be taking part in a major travel exhibition in Madrid next month.
Kathie Wilcox, of the NGI marketing team, said: "NewcastleGateshead is proving popular with the Spanish market.
"The cultural attractions, cosmopolitan nightlife and great restaurants are attracting Spanish people to the city for weekends and short city breaks.
"As well as advertising and public relations, activity overseas is important.
"We need to have a strong presence at the main travel exhibitions in Europe so that we can competitively sell the city to travel agents, tour operators, the media and the public overseas."
To ensure there is no language barrier, the NGI team has been hard at work brushing up on Spanish ahead of the show.
NGI already markets the region in countries including Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway.


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“With daily headlines about cyber attacks on business, no one should feel their business is safe.” That’s the message from security expert Wynn Jones from Praetorian Security.
“There are many myths surrounding the issue of cyber crimes with most SMEs believing that hackers are only interested in credit card details and attacks on big corporations. All companies are vulnerable, but understanding the mindset of hackers can highlight where the weaknesses are in your business.”
It is thought that over 30,000 websites are hacked per day. Understanding the tactics used by hackers and what they are after means that companies can identify what they need to do to protect themselves better. Providing practical advice and information on how to do it is the theme of the free workshop in Glenrothes on 9th November, the first day of Fife Business Week.
“Precautions don’t have to be expensive either and there will be suggestions and advice for companies to take away with them.” Jones said.
To reserve a free place on Cyber Crime: Threats, Consequences and Counter Measures contact Craig Rutherford on 01592 858333 or firstname.lastname@example.org
For more information on all events during Fife Business Week log on to www.fifebusinessweek.co.uk or follow @BGFife on twitter with #FBWeek
Tagged with: Cyber CrimeFife Business WeekSecurityHacking


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Virat Kohli investing in the International Premier Tennis League team UAE Royals is not the first time the cricketer has put his money in another sport. The Indian Test captain is also co-owner of Indian Super League team FC Goa. India's ODI skipper MS Dhoni has also invested in other sports -- he is the co-owner of ISL side Chennaiyin FC and Hockey India League (HIL) team Ranchi Rays.
The World Cup winning wicket-keeper batsman is bike-crazy and has a Motor Racing Team called Mahi Racing Team India which now competes in the FIM Supersport World Championship.
But it's not just the superstars who, as Robin Uthappa says, "are blessed with a few excesses". Cricket is a rewarding sport and with the advent of the Indian Premier League, even a one-season wonder can earn money which can be smartly invested.
Here, we take a look at some of them who have already set the stepping stones to turn into businessmen in the future.
Before Dhoni and Kohli, there was Sachin Tendulkar. International cricket's highest run-scorer also has his money in other sports (ISL side Kerala Blasters and IPTL's Indian Aces) and other varied business interests like travel portal Musafir, celebrity merchandise firm Universal Collectabilia and gaming and entertainment venture Smaaash. His restaurants 'Tendulkar's' shut down a few years ago.
Dhoni has his money in three sports apart from cricket — football (where he keeps his Chennai Super Kings connection) with Chennaiyin FC, hockey with Ranchi Rays (his hometown) and of course the motor racing team. The fact that he makes Forbes' richest sportspersons list year on year helps.
Kohli follows his skipper — but he's chosen tennis as a sport to invest in. The IPTL goes around the world holding matches and this global presence is an attractive proposition. That, and having Roger Federer on your roster.
"I have always followed tennis with great interest and today I am glad to be part of a professional tennis league team. I am a huge fan of Roger Federer and with him joining the UAE Royals, my decision to be on board with the team was firm," Kohli said.
Sourav Ganguly hired an IIM-C graduate last year to help him grow his business enterprise. The former India captain struck gold by collaborating with Spanish powerhouses Atletico Madrid to help set up his ISL side Atletico de Kolkata. This he juggles with his duties in the IPL governing council and the Cricket Association of Bengal.
Zaheer has set up ProSport Fitness & Services along with popular trainers Adrian Le Roux and Andrew Leipus. Unlike Sachin's restaurant venture, Zaheer's seems to be doing quite well. His sports lounge - TOSS - set up in Pune in a couple of years ago, is still going strong.
The stunning amount of money Yuvraj makes from the IPL has gone into setting up more business ventures. A Business Standard report says: "YouWeCan Ventures, a company floated by Yuvraj, is helping young entrepreneurs to tap into new opportunities to build new brands. Its diverse portfolio includes Vyomo, an app for booking beauty services; Cartisan, an automotive service marketplace; Healthians, a marketplace for diagnostic labs; and EduKart, one of India’s leading education marketplaces. The latest addition to its basket is Cybiz BrightStar Restaurants, the restaurant chain that has been entrusted with running US-based burger chain Carl’s Jr in India."
Robin Uthappa invested in startup firm iTiffin and apart from delivering/providing food to office-goers, also tied up with a school in Bangalore to provides food to 800 children. Uthappa may not be in the running for the India team, but collects a lot of moolah from the IPL and Karnataka Premier League.
India pacer Umesh Yadav has become one of the mainstays for India and has smartly invested in a fashion portal called Fashionove. With e-commerce websites creating a lot of buzz, it makes complete sense to do so.
Your guide to the latest cricket World Cup stories, analysis, reports, opinions, live updates and scores on https://www.firstpost.com/firstcricket/series/icc-cricket-world-cup-2019.html. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram or like our Facebook page for updates throughout the ongoing event in England and Wales.
Updated Date: Sep 12, 2015 09:20:28 IST


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CHICAGO - Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Community Coffee Company unveiled two new iced tea flavors at the 2012 National Restaurant Association Show earlier this week.
Community Green Tea with Lemon includes a splash of lemon and naturally occurring antioxidants, while Skinny Sweet includes orange pekoe and cut black teas, along with half the calories of traditional sweet tea. Both will be available for distribution later this month.
"For 93 years, our company has prided itself on only serving the freshest, quality coffee," said Mike Bourgeois, vice president of coffee service division at Community Coffee Company. "Weï¿½ï¿½re pleased to be able to expand our iced tea line to provide a full array of tea and coffee beverages to Americaï¿½ï¿½s restaurants, hotels, offices and more."
Community Coffee Companyï¿½ï¿½s foodservice customers responded enthusiastically to the new offerings.
"For more than 15 years, Another Broken Egg has been proud to serve Community Southern Sweet and Unsweet iced teas at our restaurants from coast-to-coast," said Ron Green, president and founder of Another Broken Egg Cafe. "Our customers love Communityï¿½ï¿½s quality iced teas, and weï¿½ï¿½re eager to try these new refreshing flavors."
For more on ready-to-drink tea and other beverage performance in 2011, check out the NACS State of the Industry Report of 2011 Data. Discover which categories rose and fell last year and where to place your focus this year.


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During times of crisis, we are relying on essential retailers to remain open and provide critical supplies. That’s exactly what The Home Depot is doing. And good news for job seekers! The world’s largest home improvement retailer is building its workforce – adding hundreds of jobs in our area to help meet critical supply needs.
Posted at 10:49 AM, May 29, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-29 11:49:38-04
Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Google Web Accelerator Speeds Into Firefox and IE
Google has launched the first steps in compiling every little bit of web behavior information they can get their hands on for their emerging ad network and also a preview of what a Google browser can do by introducing the Google Web Accelerator. Web Accelerator. What is this? A Dennis Miller NetZero commercial? No folks, Google has released a nifty piece of a browser add on companion which speeds up web searchs and web surfing for web users – especially broadband connections.
The Google Web Accelerator is a tool for both Firefox and Internet Explorer which is designed to shave web time by saving specific site information in a cache. After installing the software about 30 minutes ago I have already saved 23.9 seconds in web surf time. Gary Price did a nice write up for the Search Engine Watch blog about the new accelerator and how it works “What we do know is that GWA uses a number of techniques to speed up web browsing. Marissa Mayer (Google Product Manager) told me that some Googlers who have been testing the product internally have saved over an hour a month waiting for material to download. She added Google Web accelerator includes a clock that shows the user how much time they’re saving. Note to Google: More info about how you’re computing this time savings would be not only useful but also very interesting.”
Google beware, this is going to set off some bells and whistles with privacy advocates. Imagine this, according to the Google “Google Web Accelerator receives much of the same kind of information you currently send to your ISP when you surf the Web.” Do you know how much information your ISP knows about your web surfing behavior? Just about everything possible.
The only difference between your ISP and Google knowing everything about your web surfing behavior and surfing history is that you’ve signed a privacy and non-disclosure agreement with one company and the other is the Internet’s largest online advertising empire. Not to point fingers at Google and privacy problems, but every piece of web software has privacy concerns and it is par for the course to address them. We’ll follow up some more on the privacy concerns of Google Web Accelerator in the future and I’ll continue to test and see how much time I can shave off my web surfing. Thanks for another tool Google! Let’s see what Yahoo comes up with next.


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“It takes a lot of financial management for one to establish a business, you can have the world’s greatest ideas but if you don’t know how to manage your finances then you are going to make mistakes.” These are the words of Mahlatse Masimini, founder and managing director of Moshate Media. Masimini established Moshate Media in 2009. The company is a 100% black women-owned media company, focusing on events management, publishing and advertising.
Moshate Media made R1 million in the first year of the company opening its doors with Masimini, aged 25 at the time, at the helm. Much of the first year’s turnover came from one of the company’s early projects.
“In our first year at Moshate Media, we raised a million through a project called Rural Women Empowerment. This was a roadshow event in nine provinces focusing on women in business.”
The project was a collaborative effort between government, private organisations and banks assisting rural women with financial advice. “We also held a mini expo as part of the roadshow to reach rural women in business,” she says.
Masimini, whose company is celebrating five years of existence, says she did not consider herself an entrepreneur until she recognised her ability to create concepts and ideas that could make money.
Big risks, big rewards
Masimini, who previously worked for a media company in the Western Cape, says starting a business was a difficult journey. She saved up enough funds to sustain the business for the first two years and her experience in the media industry played a critical role in her business expertise.
Although it wasn’t always smooth sailing. She says was skeptical at first of leaping because of the possible risks. “In the first year, I felt like I made the biggest mistake of my life, but now the company is well-known and the business has grown,” Masmini says.
The company continues to enjoy year-on-year revenue growth, and achieving 70% of its target revenue.
Building a solid base
Masimini says that many businesses fail because of ignorance. “A lot of small businesses mistake turnover and working capital for profit; there is a big difference.” She adds that the lessons she learnt in the first two years of running her company were invaluable, as she avoided some of the pitfalls that she encountered early in business.
Masimini believes in the stability of her business, saying if she had to leave the company for two weeks, business would carry on usual and money would still be made.” She runs a tight ship and believes a leader should lead from the front rather than the back. “I am a democratic person, I like the roundtable leadership style.”


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LatAm List – Bancolombia recently announced a partnership with Vlipco at the General Shareholders Assembly in Medellín, Colombia. The commercial alliance with the Colombian fintech startup will strengthen e-Commerce transactions and digital payments made through Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram.
In the next few months, Vlipco will provide its services and support to launch Bancolombia’s new digital payment platform. Customers can use a Bancolombia savings or checking account, or a Nequi account, to use their platform, which can be activated in as little as ten minutes,
David Peláez, Vlipco’s CEO, says that the alliance will help provide better services to SMEs and users that seek to buy products and services in a faster and more efficient way.
“It’s an undertaking that will change the relationship between banks and fintechs, and will contribute significantly to the country’s development, since it not only responds to the needs of new businesses and users, but also to the challenges faced by these companies that need institutions like Bancolombia to believe in their potential for growth,” said Juan Carlos Mora, Grupo Bancolombia’s President.


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The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), which produces the largest annual tech event CES, partnered with digital news platform Techlicious for a Lunch & Learn in Atlanta that showcased augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications for tech reporters and top techie influencers.
Taking place last week at downtown’s The Piedmont Room, attendees got to demo the very best in immersive AR/VR hands-on experiences that are transforming the way we experience the world. Exhibitors included CTA members such as Bose, Lenovo, and Amazon, at the invite-only event.
If a family purchases a headset for their home, we want the mom to consider how she can use it too, said Danielle Cassagnol of CTA speaking on the hand-selected offerings.
One such platform is Healium, a wellness app that’s said to reduce moderate anxiety and increase feelings of positivity in as little as four minutes. With subscription starting at $29 a month after a $500 hardware kit purchase, users can access a number of story-driven escapes such as beach relax, cherry blossoms, magic snow globe, and light the sun. The scenes are incredibly tranquilizing, using the power of neurofeedback sent through wearables to boost your mind.
“To me, AR and VR is above your head for a lot of people, a lot of moms, wondering how does it impact my life? But when you break it down to a pair of sunglasses that you can wear that have audio Bluetooth speakers so that you can run and still hear somebody behind you or traffic crossing, it adds safety to your life,” said Desiree Miller, one of the organizers of the event.
“If you can wear a headset that instantly transports you to the beach because of the VR technology and you have mental wellness in an instant, those things are life-changing. That’s what I love about an event like this. I get to find out about these really amazing new products that I probably wasn’t going to go shop for in a store.”
Guests were also entertained with a more familiar wearable accessory like Bose audio-enabled sunglasses. The retailer known for selling speakers and headphones says with this latest launch they have created their smallest, slimmest speaker.
The AR/VR lifestyle event had both styles of Bose Frames Alto and Frames Rondo to try out. They may have looked like a regular pair of fashionable specs but by design, the patented acoustic chambers sit towards, not on, the ears to deliver top-notch sound quality. They retail for $199.95.
While the audio is obviously Bluetooth powered, this is another introduction to Bose AR, its first-of-its-kind audio augmented reality platform and Bose AR-enhanced Apps. Other devices that use the Bose AR are QC35 headphones II and Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700. The latter, which was also on display, boasts the impressive ability to answer calls and access voice assistants. The headphones retail for $399.
The Amazon Shopping App was yet another astonishing display of advances in technology. It’s for the buyer who wants to take the guesswork out of purchases and curb the dreaded act of having to make a return. Using augmented reality, consumers can test out purchases such as large furniture, right in the comfort of their home or office. This allows for better feasibility of space, decor coordination, and much more. The downloadable app is free of charge.
Other demos included the L’Oreal ModiFace, Froggipedia, and Lenovo Star Wars Jedi Challenges.
During a special presentation, Cassagnol and Suzanne Kantra, Founder and Editor of Techlicious, shared how AR/VR is progressing many of the markets that were present, such as retail, health care, and education, and ones outside the home, including construction, real estate, and training. Cassagnol even mentioned that in virtual reality training for surgeons the success rates are increasing their accuracy.
Each year many of these companies convene in Las Vegas for CES. In the 2020 edition, they are expecting more than 4,000 exhibitors along with the customary major brands and startups.
Kantra articulated the nuances of consumer electronics as they get more advanced. She gave an overview of how fundamentally AR/VR is changing the way we live. For instance, think about how a decade ago we didn’t have Google Maps. When we needed to know where we were going, we had to look at physical maps. Now, with applications like this enhanced with virtual reality, users can have the best possible experience without worrying.
While many AR/VR conversations might go over most people’s heads, entities like CTA and Techlicious are breaking down any barriers to understanding. These products are indeed meant to make people’s lives better. Without a doubt, newbies will appreciate the practicability factors in their own homes and lives.


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Tax Revenue For November Grew At A Rate Of 7%, Partially Boosted By Sales Tax Collected On Online Purchases Which Accounted For 3% Of The Growth.
The Center Square [By Vivian Jones]-
Tennessee tax revenue exceeded the state’s budget estimate by $129.5 million in November, continuing a four-month streak of positive revenue after declines in April, May and June.
The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration said overall state revenue in November was $1.1 billion – nearly 2% more than a year ago. In the first four months of the fiscal year, tax revenue collections exceeded budgeted estimates by $576 million.
“The good news is that we are in a positive position relative to the state’s budget and we intend to keep our spending in line with revenue collections while continuing to maintain citizen services,” Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley said in a statement Monday. “We will continue to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”
Sales tax revenue grew at a rate of 7% in November, boosted by the first collection of state sales tax on online purchases.
Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation earlier his year allowing the state to collect sales tax on online purchases – a tax that already was levied by law but had not previously been collected. The state started collecting sales tax Oct. 1 on online purchases through marketplace facilitators such as Etsy and Amazon that make more than $100,000 in sales to Tennessee customers.
November collections included the first revenue from the now-collected tax, accounting for about 3% of sales tax growth, according to the department.
Revenue from the Hall income tax on interest and dividends in November came in $600,000 less than the budgeted estimate. The Hall income tax is set to be eliminated completely at the end of the year.


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Eidos have announced that Battlestations: Midway, set for release on PC and Xbox 360 has been shifted back for a 2007 release despite being due this Autumn originally.
This game has looked real bad since day one and I'm not surprised they're going to have to spend a bit more time polishing it up.
All flying games are rubbish anyway. Over G Fighters was such a lazy next-gen title.
N4G is a community of gamers posting and discussing the latest game news. It’s part of NewsBoiler, a network of social news sites covering today’s pop culture.


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Attorney General William Sorrell says drug companies spent nearly $2.5 million to market their products in Vermont in a one-year period. The report is a result of Vermont’s 2001 drug marketing disclosure law.
A new Vermont law requires companies to disclose many of their marketing expenditures. The report listed 44 drug companies that were covered by the new law. The five leaders were GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, Forest Pharmaceuticals, and AstraZeneca.


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Plans to introduce yet another broadband-wireless-technology standard hit a major snag with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers announcing that it temporarily suspended a working group, citing procedural irregularities.
The proposed 802.20 standard is based on a technology owned by Qualcomm. Originally developed by Flarion Technologies -- which Qualcomm acquired -- the Internet-protocol-based mobile-wireless scheme offers high-speed-data connections similar to those of WiMAX.
The decision to suspend the working group until November came after three appeals were filed by technology participants challenging the group’s direction. More important, a preliminary investigation into the group’s operation revealed a “lack of transparency, possible ‘dominance’ and other irregularities in the working group,” according to the IEEE.
ABI Research analyst Philip Solis said the IEEE’s decision is an indication of the political storm now brewing within the 802.20 working group.
Qualcomm has faced accusations that it stacked the working group with members loyal to its cause, and Intel and Motorola members have filed appeals alleging that a number of consultants in the working group have been improperly voting as a block in favor of Qualcomm. In addition, the group’s chairman, Jerry Upton, acknowledged that he is a Qualcomm consultant, Solis noted.
The fate of the standards working group is uncertain. During the temporary suspension period, the IEEE standards board will consider the appeals and seek opinions from participants to clear up the questions. It will then review the results at a September meeting.
While the suspension is a setback for Qualcomm, it is perhaps a plus for developers of the mobile WiMAX technology, including Motorola and Navini Networks.
"This development removes -- at least for the time being -- one potential competitor to mobile WiMAX, whose backers can concentrate more on competing with 3G [third-generation] cellular technologies," Solis said.
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First, the news. VAG sold 5.73 million vehicles last year, solidifying its position as the world's number four automaker. Second, a bit of analysis. A guy named Erich Merkle is claiming that VeeDub's sales were temporarily boosted this year because of new model drops like the Jetta and Passat. He says, "I don't know if it is really sustainable." Jalopnik says, "The Jetta is unbuttered white toast on wheels, but that R36 Passat is indeed the hotness." Most remarkable though, once puny Audi managed to sell 950,000 vehicles last year, which is a truly staggering number for (yet another) German luxury make. That is until you realize that a lot of those sales were crap 1.9L diesel 3-door A3s, which are nothing more than Golfs. We mean Rabbits. We mean Porsche's scheme to spin Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti off into their own uber-luxo group isn't such an indefensible, PAG-like idea. We mean congratulations guys! Way to be precise and cast a wide-ass net.
Volkswagen 2006 sales hit record 5.73 million [Automotive News Europe]


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CeBIT Strives to Break the IT Industry Trade Show Curse
NEWS ANALYSIS: The CeBIT trade show, held annually in Hannover, Germany, has changed course and in the process has given itself a new chance for long-term survival.Over the years that I've been covering computer technology, a lot of trade shows have come and gone. The greatest of the bunch eventually collapsed under their own weight and then vanished. The biggest of these, Comdex, was the flagship computer industry trade show of the '80s and early '90s that was held every fall in Las Vegas. PC Expo was nearly as big. Those were the days when the PC reigned supreme. Smartphones and cloud computing were just distant dreams. But now they're gone, existing only as memories, with copies of old exhibitor catalogs and name tags in the back of drawers. The memories themselves are fading as those of us who regularly attended those long-extinct big shows steadily fade away into retirement and beyond. But there's the obvious question: If they were so big and important in those days, why are they gone? The answer to why CeBIT survives and the other big shows are gone is simple on the surface. The other big shows were afraid to change course from what they were originally founded for. They got big by showing what was once very hot technology. Then they kept adding more of the same. But when that technology stopped being hot, they lost their reason for existence and they didn't make a determined effort to change.
The difference is that CeBIT changed. A decade ago, CeBIT was Western Europe's big technology show. It didn't matter much what technology it might be. Video games, washing machines and laptop computers could all be found jumbled together on massive CeBIT show floors. And it paid off, as hundreds of thousands of people eager to see what was new lined up, paid admission and flooded the fairgrounds.


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US - general: Chinese e-cigarette manufacturer JWEI has announced that it has submitted a premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) to the US Food and
Switzerland: In a joint campaign with five other cantons, the Basel cantonal laboratory examined e-liquids for their nicotine content, prohibited ingredients and health warnings. After
Jordan: The House of Representatives has referred a government-drafted bill of child rights to a joint committee of the Women and Family
US - federal: US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Robert Califf has ordered an external review of the Center for Tobacco Products
US - general: Myblu vaping products will not be allowed to be sold in the US market while the court reviews a marketing
Israel: Health minister Nitzan Horowitz is considering further restricting the marketing of disposable e-cigarettes and raising the excise duty on them, due to
Malaysia: A poll of 40 members of Malaysia’s lower parliamentary chamber the Dewan Rakyat found only 12 said they would vote in favour of
Russia: The bill setting future tax rates has been adopted and published, increasing excise rates for e-liquids and e-cigarette devices in 2025
Czech Republic: The Ministry of Health has updated the publicly available list of notified herbal products for smoking, e-cigarettes and refill containers.
US - California: Attorney general Rob Bonta yesterday announced $22m in state funding for local government agencies to tackle the illegal sale of tobacco
US - general: Triton Distribution and Vapetasia, two manufacturers of flavoured e-liquids, were denied a review of the FDA’s marketing denial order (MDO)
Ireland: The Oireachtas (parliament) Joint Health Committee is pushing for a flavour ban and age restrictions on e-cigarette sales. The committee has published
19th July 2022 - Europe |
EU: Tomorrow, 20th July, is the last day to submit feedback on the initiative to review the Council of the European Union’s 2009
US - General: The anti-tobacco, anti-vaping Truth Initiative is calling on the FDA “to immediately remove all synthetic nicotine products now on the
US - California: Millbrae City Council intends to prepare an ordinance that would prohibit the sale of flavoured tobacco products within the city, which
US - Hawaii: House Bill (HB) 1570 has been vetoed by the governor. The version as it currently stands would ban the sale
Armenia: Yesterday, 14th July, the government approved the plan to combat the use of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes for 2022-2026, media
US - federal: New warning letters have been issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Among them is the warning: “Please
US - general: The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce the congressionally mandated deadline and clear
Malaysia: The Cabinet yesterday approved the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill that sets out to ban the sale of vaping products to anyone born
US- general: Today, 13th July, is the final date for synthetic nicotine products to be marketed in the US without a premarket tobacco
US - federal: The American Vapor Manufacturers Association has formally asked the inspector general of the US Department of Health and Human Services to
Mexico: The Federal Commission for Protection Against Public Health Risks (Cofepris) has closed down more than 179 shops and vending machines and seized almost
Uruguay: The Ministry of Education and Culture has approved the setting-up of the Association of Vapers of Uruguay (Asovape), which seeks to reduce smoking
Spain: The Ministry of Health has decided not to continue with its planned amendment to the Tobacco Act, press reports. The government has decided
US - federal: Tomorrow, 13th July, is the last day synthetic nicotine products can be marketed in the US without a premarket tobacco
Philippines: The Presidential Office has confirmed to ECigIntelligence that it received the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Bill, which will further regulate vaping products, on
Hungary: The Supervisory Authority for Regulatory Activities (SZFTH) has provided ECigIntelligence with figures showing that sales of e-liquids grew steadily in 2017, 2018 and
Saudi Arabia: The National Committee for Tobacco Control has tweeted that the Islamic pilgrimage season, the Hajj, is an opportunity to quit
France: Senator Françoise Férat of the Centrist Union Group has submitted a parliamentary question to the minister for ecological transition asking whether he is considering banning disposable
US - General: President and CEO of Truth Initiative, Robin Koval, has issued a statement expressing both confusion and disappointment that “after
Malaysia: The minister of health said today, 8th July, that the bill banning the sale of vaping products to all those born after
US - Federal: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued another batch of warning letters to manufacturers and distributors of e-liquid products that it
Brazil: The board of the National Public Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) decided unanimously at an extraordinary meeting yesterday, 6th July, to maintain the
Sweden: The Public Health Agency has updated the public list of notified e-cigarettes and refill containers, containing 12,054 vapour products.
Italy: The Custom and Monopoly Agency (ADM) has updated the lists of notified nicotine-containing and nicotine-free e-cigarette products, now containing a total of 21,341 products.
Philippines: Presidential spokesperson Trixie Cruz-Angeles has told reporters that the new president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has given no indication of whether or
Romania: The Ministry of Finance has introduced a bill to progressively increase the excise duty on e-cigarettes and e-liquids. It proposes duty on
US - Federal: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has administratively stayed its marketing denial order (MDO) against Juul Labs, says “there are scientific
Brazil: The National Public Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) was to discuss the regulation of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in an extraordinary meeting today,
France: The National Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) has published an updated list of notified e-cigarettes, which includes 81,809 products.
US - Michigan: Senate Bill 1109 has been introduced. This bill would prohibit the sale of vapour products with any heating element not made of
Luxembourg: In answer to a parliamentary question about whether the increased use by teenagers of flavoured disposable e-cigarettes, as seen in France, was also
US - general: The Smoke-Free Alternatives Trade Association (SFATA) met up with the FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) to discuss the future
4th July 2022 - Europe |
EU: EU law requires certain large companies to disclose information on the way they operate and manage social and environmental challenges. The European Council and


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The United States and India are working to “tailor” the Predator B armed drone for export to New Delhi for all three services, a US-based defense publication reported on Wednesday.
"The modifications for the India-specific drones would revolve around weapon systems, the avionics suite, the communications suite—they all need to be tailored to India’s needs, so it works with their other equipment," Ben Schwartz of the Chamber of Commerce’s US-India Business Council, was quoted as saying by Breaking Defense.
Indian and US officials have been talking about the sale of drones to India for several years, though an order is yet to be announced. While earlier announcements centred around sales of drones for surveillance, since 2018, the US has indicated its willingness to sell India armed UAVs.
The MQ-9 Reaper (sometimes called Predator B) is a UAV capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is the first hunter-killer drone designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance. Predator B has an endurance of over 27 hours, a speed of 240 knots true airspeed, can operate at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1,746 kg) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of external stores.


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28 October 2011
New Zealand’s newest mobile phone company has opened a new branch underneath the new Formule 1 hotel at 2 Leonard Issit Drive, providing those who work and visit the area an easy way to sign up for their increasing range of products and plans.
When 2degrees arrived on the scene in 2009, they were determined to give Kiwis the mobile phone company they deserved, offering simple products with fair pricing.
Based around the new mandate of 2degrees of closeness, rather than six degrees of separation, the company strives to be 2degrees smarter every day, setting Kiwis free to communicate with everyone for less.
The company was named TUANZ (Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand) Telecommunications Carrier of the Year in 2010.


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The administrators and representatives from enterprises attended also the meeting.
The chairman of Dong Cao Cooperative said farmers started to plant turnip in November and December in 80 hectare; normally, the veggie will be sold on Tet holiday ( the Lunar New Year) yet this year, the veggie had not been sold out though the holiday passed one month.
Farmers said good veggie is sold at the farm at VND3,000 per kilogram while overripe kind fetches VND1,500 a kilogram. Despite its dirty cheap, farmers can not sell it because it has been a bumper harvest.
As usual, farmers will face empty profits even with this bonanza as prices have slumped to a dirt cheap rate. Plus, this year, farmers grow big Japanese seedlings; however, traders refused to buy because consumers thought the veggie is Chinese-grown kind, said a farmer.
At the meeting, the chairman informed that farmers are harvesting 1,200 tons of turnip in 20 hectare; worse, the veggie in 20 hectare is going to be ripped.
Chairman of Me Linh District Doan Van Trong proposed enterprises beefing up their efforts to rescue farmers at a fair price. However, firm representatives fretted because the quantity of turnip is so large that they can not purchase all. They asked the government to call for more enterprises jumping in the rescue.
Meanwhile Vietnamese farmers are throwing away veggies, as per a report on February 2, 2018, Vietnam still bought 3,000 tons of vegetables from China.
After media released articles that farmers in northern and central regions throw away vegetables because vegetable prices plunge drastically, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent its document to the Department of Plantation, the Department of Plant Protection and the Department of Agro Processing and Market Development to investigate the situation and to have support farmers.
Reports must be sent to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development no later than March 19, 2018.


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Business mergers and acquisitions gain steam in 2011
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- Ginger Christ, DBJ Reporter
Business brokers say the business-for-sale market is strengthening.
A recent survey by BizBuySell.com — an online business-for-sale marketplace — showed business merger and acquisition activity during the second quarter was the highest since the fourth quarter of 2008.
The number of mergers and acquisitions nationwide rose 8 percent in the past year. During the second quarter, there were 1,200 closed transactions, compared to 1,100 deals during the same quarter in 2010.
“We’ve been anticipating an upward trend in the business-for-sale market as more profitable businesses start to become available for sale,” said Mike Handelsman, group general manager of San Francisco, Ca.-based BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com.
Handelsman attributes the increase to latent sellers waiting for the improvement in business performance before putting their company on the market.
The same is true in the Dayton market, said Jim Sachs, president of Moraine-based Battelle Capital Advisors.
“Owners had waited to put their businesses up for sale until the recession was over and we think many owners are tired of fighting the many battles of global competition, economy, taxes, regulation,” Sachs said.
Battelle Capital Advisors has closed four transactions this year and is working on several others, Sachs said. In 2011, the firm already has facilitated the sale of the Greene Country Club, completed two divestitures for a medical equipment manager and sold a large industrial distribution company.
Last year, Battelle closed three transactions.
In the Dayton area, a number of companies are on the lookout for business opportunities, including Springfield-based AdCare Health Systems Inc., which this month announced its plans to take ownership of 15 facilities in the south.
Likewise, Dayton-based Standard Register Co. closed a deal this month to purchase Atlanta-based medical documentation company Dialog Medical. On the other side of the table, YSI Inc., one of the largest private companies in the Dayton area, this week was acquired by ITT Corp., a global engineering and manufacturing firm, for an undisclosed sum of money.
During the second quarter, businesses in the Dayton area on average had a median revenue of $608,500, up 3.4 percent from the same quarter in 2010. Median cash flow was relatively unchanged, down 1.7 percent year-over-year to $113,500 during that period.
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Layaway programs offer convenience for shoppers
With pricey toys and expensive electronics on Christmas wish lists, layaway has been a popular tool in the toolbox for shoppers who don't want to drop a lot of money at one time.
For the first time in a few years, layaway is back at Wal-Mart, and at its East Albany location the lines were long in the morning on its first day at the discount megastore.
"That's why I told my son, let's come out while we can before it's picked over because it's going to go fast," says shopper Diedra Lewis, who says Wal-Mart's layaway program is hassle free.
For Wal-Mart's layaway program, customers pay a 10 percent down payment along with a $5 service fee on a total purchase that is $50 or more. Each item must be more than $15. Final payment and pick up is on Dec. 16.
Sears is offering eight week layaway contracts with a $20 or 20 percent down payment along with a $5 service fee. K-Mart also does layaway for an eight to 12 week contract for purchases over $300. Big ticket items are available for layaway at Toys R Us.
"It's convenient," says Shopper Lawanda Hines. "Pay a little here and the rest later."
Layaway isn't just convenient for Christmas shoppers; it's also convenient for those who can't afford to spend a large sum of money all at once.
"It helps us out a lot, especially with the economy being the way it is, we don't have all of the money to get what we want to get right now, so we put a little down payment and keep paying along as we go. We'll have it by Christmas," says Lewis.
Lewis is taking advantage of layaway programs for more than just Christmas presents.
"My grandson's second birthday is coming up so they helped me out with that. I did his layaway for his birthday and I'll be back tomorrow to do his layaway for Christmas," she says.


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Report: Microsoft Manager Says Windows Phone Already Supports NFC
Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 operating system, released in the fall, already supports NFC, a product manager for Microsoft UK has told a UK-based technology Website.
Will Coleman, a so-called developer evangelist and product manager at Microsoft UK, reportedly told TechRadar that no handset maker using the Windows Phone platform had yet chosen to introduce an NFC phone, with an NFC chip inside, but the operating system support is there.
“Think it's just about timing; in the not too distant future there are some exciting things that will be coming through with NFC from Microsoft,” reported the site.
Update: But Microsoft has reportedly repudiated the earlier report, with a spokesperson saying: “While NFC is not currently supported on Windows 7.5, it is coming. We expect NFC-enabled Windows Phone devices to ship within the next year.” End update.
In October, Andy Lees, president of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division, confirmed in an interview that the mobile platform will support NFC and reportedly that it would support payments. But it was unclear at the time whether Windows Phone 7.5, nicknamed Mango, or the follow-up version expected next year, Windows Phone 8, would first support NFC.
As NFC Times reported earlier, Microsoft is developing wallet software to work with NFC applications. And the first Windows Phone devices from Nokia are expected next year, probably on Windows Phone 8. In addition, a Samsung mobile executive indicated the phone maker would offer NFC with its Windows Phone handsets.
Nokia didn’t include NFC on its first couple of Windows Phone devices released this fall, including the Lumia 800, but TechRadar cited Keith Varty, head of apps and partnerships for Nokia, as suggesting that it is only a matter of the development time needed to incorporate NFC into Windows handsets that is holding back the first NFC-enabled Windows Phone devices from Nokia.
“NFC isn't an if, it's a when it will happen,” TechRadar quoted Varty as saying. “Obviously, there's no NFC on our launch devices, so it's difficult to comment too much on that, but the main divisions between secure and nonsecure (NFC) mean there are bags of opportunity for the technology (on our phones), especially with so many operators launching services.
“We need to get a (Windows Phone) device into the marketplace with NFC capabilities, and when we do, we can really start to showcase our services.”
Nokia has been an early backer of NFC, and has put the technology into seven of its smartphones, most of them based on Symbian. But so far it has emphasized nonsecure NFC applications–those that don’t require the support of a secure element.


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TrawlerFest is returning to Stuart, Fla., for the first time since 2009, partnering with Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina.
The dates are Feb. 28-March 4. Registration begins in December.
Organizers said the choice of a Marriott resort will mark a huge improvement from other Florida TrawlerFest sites in the recent past, most recently Riviera Beach Municipal Marina, which was under construction during TrawlerFest this year and last.
Attendee feedback, though positive about seminars and the boat show in general, lamented the conditions at the venue, organizers said.
Organizers said business travelers and resort-goers hold the Marriott chain in high regard because of its high standards and consistency throughout its properties.
The Stuart resort offers large climate- and lighting-controlled halls for seminars and modern, well-maintained docks for the in-water show, which will run from March 2-4 (Thursday to Saturday), organizers said.
Besides signature seminars such as “Everything You Need To Know About Diesel Engines,” “Hands-On Boat Handling,” “Cruising Cuba” and “Boatbuyer’s Survival Guide,” some all-new topics and new instructors will freshen the mix, organizers said.
Seminars will be held from Feb. 28 to March 4 and the in-water boat show will be held March 2-4.