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Thailand’s rapidly expanding smartphone market in the first quarter of this year recorded nearly 70 percent growth since a year ago, according to GfK Thailand’s retail audit findings comparing smartphones quarter on quarter revenue performances. The heightened consumer demand has brought about a surge in sales volume of this popular gadget by over 80 percent to reach 758,000 smartphones sold in the first three months of 2012.
Overall, consumers in Thailand bought 3.8 million mobile phones in the opening quarter this year, of which only 20 percent were smartphones. Even though feature phones are still largely used by the Thais, its popularity has been waning in correspondence to smartphones’ rise. Latest first quarter results of feature phone volume sales registered a decline of 12 percent over the same quarter a year ago.
"Feature phones are still dominating Thailand’s mobile phones market in sheer volume terms, but when it comes to revenue sales, smartphones’ contribution to the overall value of the industry has surpassed feature phones," commented Dr Wichit Purepong, General Manager of GfK Thailand. "Takings for smartphones had already overtaken that of feature phones in the last quarter of 2011 when it reached 53 percent of total sales contribution, and the latest quarter one report showed that it has escalated further to hit 60 percent."
Retail audit findings revealed that the average price of feature phones in the country has been dwindling in the last five consecutive quarters to reach a low of USD52. On the other hand, the average pricing of smartphones has remained generally consistent, hovering between USD300–329 during this same period of time.
Although smartphones in the least expensive range of USD150-250 are the most saleable with over one in two smartphones in the country sold coming from this segment, the pricier models above USD500 have managed to maintain their market share of 18 percent in the latest quarter, translating to an overall contribution of almost 40 percent in the country’s smartphone sales.
Another apparent smartphone trend in Thailand is the increasing penchant towards Android smartphones. As with most of the other markets in the region, popularity of such phones has been on an upswing. From its market share of 16 percent in quarter one last year, volume sales of Android smartphones have skyrocketed to reach 59 percent in the latest quarter.
"Smartphone penetration level in Thailand is considered low when compared with some of the other markets in the region like Singapore and Malaysia where the larger proportion of the population have already converted from their feature phones," observed Dr Wichit.
"This presents a huge potential to smartphone manufacturers and we can expect the rate of adoption to accelerate when telecom operators in the country fully roll out their 3G services in the very near future. It is predicted that the Thai smartphone market will more than double in value and volume size in 2012," he concluded.


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Trees provide so many benefits to our everyday lives. They filter clean air, provide fresh drinking water, help curb climate change, and create homes for thousands of species of plants and animals.
The U.S. is home to some of the world's oldest and tallest trees. But today, things like deforestation, catastrophic fire, and invasive pests threaten these trees – and the health of U.S. forests. TNC’s Plant a Billion Trees program (PBT) is a major reforestation effort, working to mitigate these risks and restore our forests, one tree at a time.
Supporting TNC's Plant a Billion Trees program for healthy communities in the U.S.
Committed to advancing human health while protecting our environment, J&J Consumer Health Brands: AVEENO®, BAND-AID®, JOHNSON & JOHNSON®, BAND-AID FIRST AID KIT, JOHNSON’S®, LISTERINE®, NEUTROGENA®, ZARBEE’S® and ZYRTEC® are teaming up with TNC to support its Plant a Billion Trees program and to educate consumers about the powerful role trees play in our lives.
TNC's Plant a Billion Trees program is restoring forests across the United States
Planting up to 200,000 trees in the U.S. with the help of J&J customers at Walmart
During April and May 2023, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. will help TNC's Plant a Billion Trees program plant one tree in the U.S., each time a customer validates the purchase of any 2 participating products, purchased at participating Walmart retail and online stores within the fifty U.S. states and D.C. Promotion has a minimum contribution of $150,000 and a maximum of $300,000.

domain: news


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Bakery halts king cake retail delivery amid demand spike
NEW ORLEANS- A Vietnamese bakery in Louisiana has suspended deliveries to other retailers until Mardi Gras, amid increasing demand and rumors of price gouging.
The Advocate of New Orleans reports Dong Phuong ended the delivery Thursday.
Dong Phuong President Linh Garza, says the company will now be prioritizing customers who come to the bakery by only selling the cakes there. Garza says the bakery has heard about people buying their cakes for up to $60 from scalpers when the bakery's king cake prices start at $14.
Dong Phuong makes about 1,000 cakes a day with about 400 being ready and sold out by 10 a.m. They open at 8 a.m. The bakery now rations the cakes to two per person.
Another area bakery has also suspended retail deliveries until Mardi Gras.
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Overtuned 18-wheeler shuts down I-10 in Henderson
$25 million lawsuit filed against LSU in last year's frat hazing death
Bernard doesn't attend school board meeting, group calls for resignation
Mayor stumped over asphalt found in sewer station
Despite busy week, police chief says violent crime down in Baton Rouge


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FoodCo Expands Footprint With New Outlet
As part of its expansion in the Nigerian market, leading omnichannel retailer, FoodCo Nigeria Limited, has unveiled a new store in Ajah Lagos.
FoodCo latest store makes it the 13th brand outlet in the south-western region, where FoodCo currently operates.
The launch of the Ajah outlet followed the unveiling of FoodCo’s Ologuneru Plaza in Ibadan, Oyo State, two weeks ago.
Chief Executive Officer of FoodCo, Ade Sun-Basorun, stated that the development was stirred by the company’s vision to build new structures for growth in Nigerian retail, in addition to making modern retail more accessible to customers.
He said that the new store houses general merchandise, grocery, quick service resturant and entertainment centre.
He said: “Rolling out two stores in two weeks is simply a continuum in what has been a consistent and successful expansion that has seen FoodCo double its foot print in two years.
“The business has equally been commited to bringing affordable great products to customers both offline and online, leading to its investment in creating Nigeria’s first true online supermarket which affords residents of Ibadan and Lagos to get access to full assortment of modern retail from the comfort of their homes”.
Sun Basorun added that the company’s investment in customers service has sustained the business over time.
“As a brand, we are deeply commited to helping our customers save money and there is no time they need to do that more than during the challenging economic cycle. And having been around for 38 years, the FoodCo brand is wrapped around a rich legacy of outstading customer service driven by innovation.
“Sun Basorun further added that the choice of Ajah is in line with the brand’s strategic approach to deepen retail penetration particularly among emerging communities who prefer the convenience and comfort that modern retail offers.
“We are optimistic that investments such as these will translate to a win-win outcome for all stakeholders within the ecosystem as well as re-inforce confidence in the Nigerian market amid the current global economic challenge and unique circumstance of the local environment,” he added.
Founded 38 years ago in Ibadan, Oyo State, FoodCo is the oldest among the ten top retailers in Nigeria and operates the largest supermarket chain brand in the south-west, outside Lagos.


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The debate between Apple’s iOS and Android can get heated pretty quickly. I (in some cases) would rank someone’s mobile OS preference right up there with their political views. It can get that serious.
But whether you prefer Google’s open platform, or Apple’s more fenced-off approach, you have to agree with one thing: Both OSes are killing it. The proof is in the numbers, as 9to5Mac points out in Millennial Media’s Mobile Mix report…
In August, the mobile advertising firm tracked which mobile operating systems folks were using. And out of Millennial Media’s 15,000 users, 54% were using Android, 28% were using iOS, and only 13% were using RIM’s BlackBerry OS.
Perhaps the most surprising number was that only 1% of users were sporting Windows Phone OS, which a lot of folks believed to be gaining traction in the market. Obviously this research doesn’t cover every mobile user, but it is indicative.
When it comes to hardware, Apple topped the other manufacturers. Of those tracked in last month’s Mobile Mix report, 23.19% were using Apple devices, followed by HTC at 16.33% and Samsung at 14.55%. Palm came in last at 0.22%.
With the Cupertino company rumored to be announcing multiple new devices this Fall, on multiple new carriers, it’ll be interesting to see what these results look like in 6 months. How much will Android’s share decrease? How much will Apple’s share increase?
What do you think?


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Producer prices jumped 0.6 percent in January, its fastest monthly pace of growth since September 2012. For manufacturers, producer prices for final demand goods accelerated in the latest report, up 1.0 percent and increasing for the fifth straight month. This largely reflected a significant rise in energy costs, up 4.7 percent. In particular, gasoline prices were up 14.5 percent for producers in January, which was also coincidently the year-over-year growth rate. At the same time, food prices were unchanged in January. Higher costs for dairy products, eggs, grains, pork and shortening and cooking oils were offset by lower prices for beef and veal, chickens, confectionary end products, fish and pasta products, among others. Despite the flat month, food prices have dropped 2.2 percent since January 2016. Read More
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in December, rising for the fifth straight month. The increase in the latest release stemmed largely from higher energy costs, up 1.5 percent, with gasoline prices up 3.0 percent. Indeed, the average price of regular conventional gasoline was $2.25 per gallon on December 26, up from $2.08 on November 28, according to the Energy Information Administration. Over the past 12 months, energy prices have risen 5.4 percent. At the same time, food prices were unchanged for the sixth consecutive month, with a decline of 0.2 percent since December 2015. Overall, the consumer price index increased 2.1 percent year-over-year in October, up from 0.9 percent in July and the highest level since May 2014.
Core consumer prices were up 0.2 percent in December, mirroring the pace seen in November. There were higher prices for medical care, new and used vehicles, transportation services and shelter, but lower costs for apparel and household furnishings. Excluding food and energy costs, consumer prices have increased 2.2 percent over the past 12 months, which was the average for 2016. Even though core consumer price inflation has exceeded the Federal Reserve’s stated goal of 2 percent for 14 consecutive months, overall prices pressures remain modest and under control for now.
Producer prices increased 0.3 percent in December, extending the 0.4 percent gain seen in November. More importantly for manufacturers, producer prices for final demand goods accelerated in the latest report, up 0.7 percent in December. This reflected large monthly jumps in both energy and foods costs, up 2.6 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. There were higher prices for beef, chicken, dairy products, eggs, fish and shellfish, pork and vegetables for the month. Still, food costs have been on a downward trend over the past two years, down 6.1 percent over the past 24 months. On the other hand, rising natural gas and gasoline prices helped push energy costs higher in December. Since December 2015, final demand energy prices have risen 6.1 percent, but to be fair, they have fallen 23.3 percent from levels seen three years ago. Excluding food and energy, final demand goods prices for producers increased by 0.3 percent in December. Read More
The Dallas Federal Reserve Bank said that manufacturing activity in its Texas district has now contracted for 18 straight months. The composite index of general business conditions edged somewhat higher, up from -20.8 in May to -18.3 in June, but with sentiment remaining sufficiently negative for the month. Still-low crude oil prices and a strong U.S. dollar continue to hamper economic growth in the region, as noted in the sample comments. Indeed, in a special question, 46.2 percent of respondents said that lower energy prices have had a negative impact on their business, with one-third noting a positive impact and 20.8 percent suggesting no impact.
Looking more specifically at the June data, key indicators were negative across-the-board, even with some of them easing a bit in this report. That included new orders (up from -14.9 to -14.2), production (up from -13.1 to -7.0), shipments (up from -11.5 to -8.6), capacity utilization (up from -11.0 to -9.3), employment (down from -6.7 to -11.5) and capital expenditures (up from -6.6 to -2.1). Just over 34 percent of those completing the survey said that new orders had declined in June, with 19.9 percent stating increased sales and 45.9 percent noting no change. Read More
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that consumer prices were unchanged in January. Energy prices fell 2.8 percent for the month, but core inflation – which exclude food and energy prices – picked up, rising 0.3 percent. Food prices were flat. On the energy front, gasoline prices were off 4.8 percent, declining sharply for the second straight month. Along those lines, the average price of regular conventional gasoline decreased from decreased from $1.933 at the end of December to $1.752 a gallon at the end of January, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Gasoline prices have continued to fall since then, averaging $1.638 per gallon on February 15, its lowest level since December 29, 2008. Meanwhile, higher prices for fruits and vegetables were offset by reduced costs in other categories.
Core consumer prices accelerated to their fastest monthly pace since August 2011, boosted by strong gains for apparel, medical care, new vehicles, shelter expenses and transportation services. On a year-over-year basis, core inflation was 2.2 percent, up from 1.8 percent six months ago. This was the highest year-over-year level for core inflation since June 2012. Yet, overall pricing pressures continue to remain in control for now, providing the Federal Reserve some flexibility even as it decides when to raise short-term interest rates once more.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia said that manufacturing activity contracted for the fifth straight month in January. The composite index of general business activity rose from -10.2 in December to -3.5 in January, and yet, the headline figure has now been in negative territory since September. (Note that prior data reflect an annual revision for seasonal adjustments.) The underlying data were mixed. The pace of decline for new orders (up from -11.1 to -1.4) slowed in this latest report. In contrast, labor market data worsened for the month, including hiring (down from 2.2 to -1.9) and the average workweek (down from 0.6 to -2.2). On the positive side, shipments (up from -2.1 to 9.6) picked up at a decent rate, expanding after three consecutive months of declines. Read More
The Bureau of Economic Analysis said that personal spending increased by 0.4 percent in August, mirroring the gain seen in July. It has not been positive for six consecutive months, after essentially stagnating in February. Durable and nondurable goods spending were both higher for the month, up 1.2 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively. Motor vehicles and parts helped to buoy the durable goods purchasing numbers in each of the past two months, up 1.6 percent and 2.1 percent in July and August, respectively, and rebounding from the 3.4 percent decline in June. On a year-over-year basis, personal spending has increased by 3.5 percent, down from 3.7 percent in the prior report. In general, this suggests that Americans are increasing their spending modestly, but it also indicates a slower rate of purchasing than the more-robust pace seen in late 2014. For instance, the year-over-year rate peaked at 5.0 percent in 2014 in August. Read More
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that producer prices for final demand goods and services rose 0.4 percent in June, extending the 0.5 percent increase seen in May. The gains for the goods sector were even stronger. Indeed, producer prices for final demand goods jumped 1.3 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, in May and June, with each month spurred higher by rising energy and food costs. On the energy front, energy goods were 5.9 percent and 2.4 percent more expensive in those two months, respectively. This was consistent with the rise in West Texas intermediate crude oil prices, up from an average of $54.45 per barrel in April to $59.82 a barrel in June. At the same time, final demand energy goods costs remain 17.9 percent lower today than 12 months ago. Read More
The Bureau of Labor Statistics said that consumer prices rose 0.1 percent in April, slightly lower than the 0.2 percent gains observed in both February and March. Lower energy prices helped to reduce the pace of the headline number, with energy costs down 1.3 percent for the month. Gasoline prices declined 1.9 percent in April, easing a bit after 2.4 percent and 3.9 percent increases observed in February and March, respectively. On a year-over-year basis, gasoline sells for 31.7 percent less today than in April 2014. Note that the average price of gasoline has risen a little since then, with the Energy Information Administration reporting that the average price of regular gasoline was $2.604 per gallon on May 18, up from $2.315 on April 6. This is still more than one dollar lower than seen 12 months ago. Read More
Here is the summary for this week’s Monday Economic Report:
The U.S. economy grew 2.4 percent in 2014, just barely edging out the 2.2 percent gain in 2013. Yet, that somewhat understates the strength of the economy since the winter-related weaknesses seen at this point last year. Indeed, real GDP increased by an annualized 4.1 percent during the last three quarters of 2014, and in the fourth quarter, Americans spent at a healthy 4.3 percent annual pace, the fastest rate since the first quarter of 2006. Still, the 2.6 percent growth rate in real GDP in the fourth quarter also had some red flags. Weaker growth abroad, a strengthening U.S. dollar and worries about dramatically lower energy prices have impacted capital spending and international demand negatively. Therefore, while manufacturers remain mostly upbeat about orders and production in 2015, these developments serve as a reminder of the challenges in the global marketplace right now. Read More


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UK client spending warmed up together with the climate in July as folks purchased extra takeaway meals and visited native retailers.
“Staycationing” Britons boosted gross sales at newly reopened pubs and eating places, in line with a report by Barclays printed Tuesday. That helped general spending in contrast with a 12 months earlier decline the least since March, when lockdown measures had been first put in place to manage coronavirus.
Whereas the figures verify the economic system is rebounding from the worst crash in centuries, the concern of an infection in addition to mounting uncertainty over job safety is holding a lid on households’ willingness to spend.
Staycations, or vacationing near dwelling, have been a theme of this summer time. Though this has elevated gross sales for the hospitality trade, general journey spending remained 60% decrease than final 12 months, Barclays stated.
Spending could also be additional boosted this month by the federal government’s Eat Out to Assist Out program which picks up a part of the tab on meals. A 3rd of individuals plan on forking out extra in eating places and pubs, the report stated.
Important objects are nonetheless exhibiting the strongest gross sales, led by grocery store items. Furnishings shops reported 46.4% year-on-year development.
Retail gross sales elevated 4.3% in July on a like-for-like foundation from final 12 months, in line with a separate report by the British Retail Consortium and KPMG.
Though the summer time up to now has warmed up properly for the British retailers, unsure occasions lie forward.
“With the furlough scheme unwinding and wider financial uncertainty set for the autumn, client nervousness will doubtless rise together with it,” wrote Paul Martin, the U.Ok. head of retail for KPMG. “It will place extra scrutiny on disposable earnings and make life even harder for retailers.”


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Energy-drink maker Red Bull says it has dropped an advertisement in South Africa after an outcry from Christians for its portrayal of Jesus Christ walking on water.
PepsiCo, Inc. has announced that its global "Banner Sun" potato chip portfolio has grown to more than $10 billion in annual retail sales.
With the 20 best tasting teas, the North American Tea Championship (NATC) is shining the spotlight on the most notable, high-quality teas that are commercially available in the North American marketplace.
Dooky Chase Restaurant is one of the few civil rights landmarks remaining in New Orleans.
South Dakota regulators decided Tuesday to seek the assets of a sunflower seed company that may owe farmers in South Dakota and North Dakota more than $4 million.
Opposition from some residents will not stop a Wyoming company from building a plant in southwest Missouri to slaughter horses and process the meat for human consumption, the company said.
Over the five-year term, the WCF African Cocoa Initiative will train 100,000 cocoa farmers and support their improved well-being and livelihoods.
The Maryland Department of the Environment has lifted shellfish harvesting restrictions in portions of three waterways following a decline in bacteria levels.
Coca-Cola Co. is putting a sweetener made with stevia into Sprite in France, in its first move to use the natural zero-calorie ingredient in one of its major soft drink brands.
Clearwater Seafoods Inc. rose to profitability in the fourth quarter as pricing and supply contributed to improved results.
In an expanding “foodie” culture, people go to great lengths to get the best ingredients, seek out the most aesthetic desserts, and buy organic. Less noted, though, is the forager movement: people who “eat wild” on a regular basis, supplemented by naturally growing, edible plants for which they search in their local communities, whether urban or rural.
With 2012 declared “The Year of the Potato” by foodservice pundits, chefs across the country are dishing up Idaho® Potatoes in extraordinarily delectable ways.
As Evolution Craft Brewing Co. prepares for its final days in Delmar, Md., the owners and brewers are experiencing bittersweet emotions — one the one hand, they are excited to expand into a larger facility, but on the other will be leaving their first home.
Nitrate contamination of drinking water is a pervasive problem in California's agricultural heartland and is bound to intensify in the coming years, according to a University of California, Davis study released Tuesday.
Seed giant Monsanto Co. plans large-scale tests this year of the first government-approved biotech crop developed to deal with drought.
The American Beverage Association responds to "Sweetened Beverage Consumption, Incident Coronary Heart Disease and Biomarkers of Risk in Men," a paper published in the journal of the American Heart Association.
A group of South Dakota dairy manufacturers have voiced to Senator John Thune (R-SD) their opposition to a proposed milk supply management program expected to be included in the draft Farm Bill.
Orange juice drinkers can relax. Fears of a spike in the price of the breakfast favorite appear overblown.
PepsiCo Inc. revamped its management structure Monday in a move intended to strengthen its lineup of potential successors to CEO Indra Nooyi and leverage its scale as a global company.
Earthworks announced Monday that for the first time ever, the nation's largest group of food retail companies has spoken out on behalf of protecting Alaska's Bristol Bay fishery - the world's largest wild sockeye salmon fishery.


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The U.S. soccer star will be one of three athletes appearing in bodypaint bikinis.
Ten models will reveal the cover on David Letterman's show Monday, but here's a sneak peek.
Lexus isn't the only car brand hoping the glitz and sex appeal of the 2011 'Sports Illustrated' swimsuit issue will rub off on the brand. Nissan is promoting its Juke by sponsoring the Sports Illustrated Model Search.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Here she is. ... The 2011 'Sports Illustrated' swimsuit issue cover girl. She's the first Russian cover model ever to be featured in the magazine.
Although Jennifer Aniston has been doing a lot of press for Just Go With It, opening tomorrow, Brooklyn Decker knows that her bikini scene is getting noticed.
Subscribe to an RSS feed about Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue


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NFC mobile payments are to be available to consumers across the United States from “later this year” following successful pilots in Austin, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah, the Isis joint venture between carriers AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless has announced.
“Over the past nine months, we have proven the power of an open platform, creating an ecosystem of literally hundreds of partners dedicated to making mobile commerce a reality,” said Michael Abbott, CEO of Isis.
The national launch will feature an updated version of Isis’ technology, Abbott added. “As part of our commitment to consumers, we are incorporating feedback from our pilots into the next generation of the Isis Mobile Wallet as we prepare for national availability later this year.”
Next: Visit the NFCW Expo to find new suppliers and solutions
One comment on this article
“Over the past nine months, we have proven the power of an open platform…,” – is blocking google wallet your definition OPEN. ISIS is more concerned with carving out a piece for the carriers, rather than providing value to the customers. It’s a recipe for failure just read their reviews in the play store.
Comments are closed.


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Soaring prices of vegetables like potatoes and onions pushed the annual rate of inflation for food articles to 19.05 per cent for the week ended November 28.
Food inflation was 17.47 per cent for the previous week ended November 21.
Data released on Thursday showed prices of essential commodities like cereals went up by 12.7 per cent, rice by 11.75 per cent, wheat 12.6 per cent and pulses rose by 42 per cent.
At the same time, fruits were expensive by 13 per cent while milk became costly by 11.36 per cent.
For the month ended October, the wholesale price inflation stood at 1.34 per cent against 11.06 per cent in the corresponding month a year ago.


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In a Top 50 Gastropubs first, this year the organisation has highlighted 100 pubs to showcase the outstanding businesses in the sector.
Each year the Top 50 list and awards are revealed to a small group of owners and chefs, but this year in another Top 50 first, the event will be streamed to the world.
In celebration, more than half the list has also offered special takeaway menus including dishes designed by last year's Top 50 Gastropubs Chef of the Year Sally Abé, formally of the Harwood Arms.
Top 50 Gastropubs editor Nicholas Robinson said: "We have released a 100 list for the first time because we know there are hundreds of outstanding pubs out there that deserve to be recognised.
"Where you place on this list does not matter, it's about being recognised as this is all voted for by hundreds of food experts, critics, writers, chefs and other industry experts. It is a phenomenal achievement.
"I'd also like to say that every pub in the UK that is ready to open its doors after the worst 12 months in living history is a winner. You are all winners to me and the team at Top 50 Gastropubs and The Morning Advertiser."
Tonight we will also be revealing the winners of our specialist awards sponsored by Yorkshire Tea, Pernod Ricard and Bibendum.
These special awards are Newcomer of the Year, Front of House Team of the Year, One to Watch, Highest Climber and Highest New Entry.
The winner of the newly launched Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Foodies' Favourite Award was announced this week on social media, with the award going to the deserved Miller of Mansfield.
The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs, along with all of the event's sponsors, would like to congratulate every pub on this year's Top 100 list.


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Small businesses in need of help
Most economists will agree that small businesses are the backbone of the nation’s economy. They create more news jobs, provide goods and services that bigger businesses may see as not worth their while, and support their local communities.
But small businesses have been struggling since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when the government mandated lock-downs and shutdowns, limited their capacity for service and created more regulations for them to deal with.
Now small businesses are being hit by another factor. Economic inflation is driving up the cost of doing business — the cost of utilities, of transportation, of goods they order and sell.
What can be done for small businesses? A Missouri task force, the Show Me Strong Recovery Task Force, on Monday released a report following a yearlong study, with recommendations that include improving child care availability and affordability; expanding hospitality industry apprenticeships; creating a single business portal to streamline interaction with state agencies; and promoting existing state programs to support small, women- and minority-owned businesses.
States like Minnesota should study this report and see what ideas we can adapt to meet the needs of our own small businesses. We’d suspect the needs of Missouri small businesses are not much different from the needs of small businesses elsewhere.


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Love it or hate it: Ottawa restaurants grapple with pros and cons of food delivery apps
Despite the havoc the COVID-19 crisis has wrought on Ottawa’s restaurant scene, the Oat Couture Cafe in Old Ottawa South has extended its hours to fit in orders from more customers.
Of course, we’re not talking about visitors looking to spend some time eating inside the unique oatmeal-based eatery. Since the pandemic crisis forced restaurants across the city to close their dining rooms in mid-March, the Oat Couture Cafe, like every restaurant that has chosen to remain open, relies solely on takeout and delivery orders via Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes.
But while Oat Couture’s walk-in business is down roughly 60 per cent, it has seen its pickup and delivery business rise by about 400 per cent, says its owner Brian Montgomery.
“Prior to COVID-19, we were doing a pretty good delivery service, but it took off thereafter,” says Montgomery, adding that overall, the cafe’s revenues are still down about 40 per cent compared to before the novel coronavirus struck.
If only all of Ottawa’s restaurants were as upbeat about their delivery business. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, many of those eateries looked at delivery apps such as Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes as a necessary evil. The most common complaint was that the services charged such hefty commissions that restaurants lost money by serving customers who wanted deliveries.
COVID-19 has rendered deliveries an even more essential evil, sharpening the debate between two visions. Are deliveries destined to become a new normal for a restaurant industry drastically altered by shutdowns and physical distancing, or are they another nail in the coffin for too many restaurants, with Uber Eats gouging those eateries while they’re barely surviving?
In Ottawa, one of the biggest naysayers against Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes is Donna Chevrier, the owner of Ola Cocina Taqueria in Vanier. She even helped found an Ottawa-based delivery service that effectively replaces them.
Love Local Delivery was born after a conversation between its creators almost 10 weeks ago — near the start of the pandemic — at Chevrier’s cosy taco restaurant. Now, almost 60 restaurants use Love Local Delivery to send their food to customers. It charges restaurants $2 on each delivery (which costs customers $5) rather than the typical 25 to 30 per cent of the bill.
“It’s transparent to our customers. There are no hidden costs. And it brings back the idea of making responsible choices,” Chevrier says of Love Local Delivery.
Ola Cocina stopped using SkipTheDishes “quite some time ago as they were not reliable whatsoever,” Chevrier says. She used Uber Eats until Love Local Delivery was developed.
The big delivery services “price delivery at 30 per cent of the bill. Their rates would put me under in a matter of months,” Chevrier says.
Chevrier, a food service industry veteran, says restaurants usually allot 30 per cent of revenue to pay staff and another 30 per cent to buy food and supplies. “There just isn’t room for another 30 per cent for delivery,” she says.
Karen Wood, another co-founder of Love Local Delivery, says that for many of Ottawa’s chef-run “neighbourhood gems,” the big delivery apps made no sense because their costs were too high.
“That’s part of the reason you rarely see a city’s top restaurants featured on the app platforms,” Wood says.
But Oat Couture’s Montgomery says of the fees charged by the big services: “While we think they are a little heavy, we don’t have a great issue with them.”
He contends that delivery programs broaden his brand and reach customers that can’t come to his cafe to pick up their orders.
Pre-COVID, complaints abounded about the established delivery services. Among them were gripes that orders could be late in arriving, while stressed-out drivers could be surly to restaurateurs.
But Montgomery suggests that during the pandemic, delivery is a sunnier experience for all concerned.
That said, Montgomery acknowledges that Love Local Delivery is the cheapest service as far as restaurants go, and Oat Couture has joined its roster, too.
Some argue that the right response to the charges that Uber Eats and SkipTheDishes demand of restaurants is to pass more of those costs on to the consumer.
In a self-published article at medium.com, Joelle Parenteau, owner of Wolf Down in Centretown, wrote that sandwiches that were $11 at her fast-food eatery were $13 if delivered by Uber Eats.
“I’ll admit I expected a lot of pushback on this. I was ready for it,” Parenteau wrote. “They never came. We’ve literally received zero complaints about our pricing on Uber Eats.”
However, one rejoinder to raising prices for delivered food is that the hikes are capped by the services.
Karla Briones, owner of the Freshii location in Westboro, wrote on her Facebook page: “For the people who think: ‘Why don’t you just increase your menu prices by 30 per cent?’ to match what Uber Eats and the like charge us, here’s the scoop. Each platform caps the menu inflation we are allowed.” Uber Eats and DoorDash allow 20 per cent hikes, while SkipTheDishes limits the price increase to 10 per cent, Briones wrote.
Wood acknowledges that Love Local Delivery is “small potatoes” compared to its larger rivals. A bit more than two months in, it makes nearly 100 deliveries on its busiest nights, which are Fridays, she says.
However, the fledgling service has room to grow, says Wood, citing plans to launch an app that will make ordering more seamless for customers who now use the business’s website and then phone the restaurants to place orders.
Wood calls Love Local Delivery “the ethical choice. Its restaurants and drivers are keeping the lion’s share of their hard-earned revenue.”
Wood also stresses the “local” aspect that is in her business’s name. Through a T-shirt sales campaign, Love Local Delivery and its restaurants are raising funds for the Shepherds of Good Hope and Carefor Health & Community Services. This week, another campaign will see some member restaurants prepare about 300 meals for front-line personal care workers in Ottawa and their clients, Wood adds.


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Successful initial public offerings this week from network management company SolarWinds and Web-based restaurant reservation company OpenTable were offset by disappointing results from Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo, which said they face a tough sales climate for the rest of the year.
SolarWinds had a successful IPO on the New York Stock exchange Wednesday. The IPO priced at $12.50 a share, above the expected range of $9.50 to $11.50 a share, raising $151.5 million in gross proceeds.
On Thursday, OpenTable launched its IPO on the Nasdaq. The stock was originally set to price between $12 and $14, and then was pushed to a $16 to $18 price range. However, it opened at $24.50 and closed at $31.89.
The other stocks this year with IPOs that ended up pricing higher than expectations were also tech-related: geospatial information purveyor DigitalGlobe and language software maker Rosetta Stone.
Over the past two months, tech stocks have bounced back from their yearly low on March 8, when the tech-heavy Nasdaq hit 1268.64, its lowest close in about nine years.
But despite the successful IPOs this week, stocks have been volatile lately, as the latest unemployment numbers and a credit warning on the U.K. had investors concerned that the economic recovery won’t be as quick as previously thought. The Nasdaq fell 46 points to 1681 Thursday.
HP’s quarterly financial report Wednesday did not help the case for tech stocks, in particular. The report was one of most anticipated of the season, since the company is the world’s biggest IT vendor and has received kudos for managing costs during the recession. Though HP’s profit of US$1.7 billion for the quarter ending April 30 was in line with expectations, revenue declined by 3 percent to $27.4 billion. In a conference call, HP Chairman and CEO Mark Hurd said that from what he has been hearing from customers, it is unlikely that corporate IT purchasing patterns will change much for the rest of the year.
On Thursday, PC maker Lenovo issued results that were a drastic fall from a year ago. For the quarter through March, Lenovo suffered a loss of $264 million, plunging from a profit of $140 million a year earlier. Revenue was $2.8 billion, down from $3.7 billion. In a sign of how the PC market has been faring, Lenovo’s quarterly loss more than doubled from the prior quarter.
In the mobile phone market, several surveys this week showed plunging sales and shipments. Mobile phone shipments declined 8.6 percent worldwide to 269.1 million units during the first quarter, according to a Gartner report Wednesday. For its part, market researcher Ovum issued a report Monday that said that the economic downturn will have a significant impact on mobile phone shipments. Ovum said shipments would be down by 9.1 percent for the year.
The one bright spot is smartphones, where Gartner said shipments actually increased by 12.7 percent during the first quarter.
This year has witnessed the collapse of the market for mid-tier handsets, Ovum said in its report.
“This has had a polarizing effect on the handset market, with vendors and mobile operators focusing on two types of handset: those targeting the low-end and high-end segments,” said Adam Leach, devices principal analyst at Ovum.
In a sign that the recession has not stopped large strategic acquisitions, storage company NetApp Wednesday announced it will acquire backup-device maker Data Domain for about US$1.5 billion. The storage market is one area that has not been affected as much as others by the recession.


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Bethlehem: Corner store zoning amended
An amendment to the zoning code that would create more restrictions on what is allowed to occupy a corner store was unanimously approved to be sent to the planning committee at the Oct. 2 Bethlehem City Council meeting.
The zoning code that was passed in early August allowed use corner homes in residential neighborhoods to be used as businesses. The proposed amendment would exempt tattoo parlors and pawn shops from operating out of these corner stores.
The amendment comes after city residents such as Bruce Haines voiced complaints about the new zoning codes.
"I think it's important for this body to set the ground rules for what can and can't be in a corner store instead of allowing the decision to be left up to the zoning hearing board," Haines said. "There's already a provision that doesn't allow for a pawn shop within a mile of a casino, it seems only fair not to have a pawn shop next door to a residence."
Haines also asked that the council put in a residential component that would require the store owner to live on the second floor of the building, as in the mom and pop shops of old.
"I propose that it should be owner-occupied," Haines said. "That tended to be what a corner store was if we go back to the original concept. At the very least there should be someone residing at the facility. There are already provisions now for bed and breakfasts, for example, that do require the owner or operator to live there, so there are precedents in the zoning to require something like that."
A residential component was not part of council's proposed amendment, however.
The amendment was referred to the planning commission, which is scheduled to meet Oct. 11.
The council also unanimously approved the expansion of the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program, as well as changing the renewal period for the program from two years to five years.
"I think that this is the right thing for the city and I think we need to do everything we can as far as encouraging investment in these areas," councilman William Reynolds said.
LERTA's expansion will be along the eastern gateway of the city, which includes Daly Avenue, Lynn Avenue, Fifth Street and Edward Street. Third and Fourth streets from Hayes Street to the business district, as well as Wyandotte Street will be part of the expansion on the western side of the city.
The LERTA program allows companies to forgo paying property tax in the first year of new construction and then pay 10 percent more each year until they return to paying full property tax after a decade.


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• Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength has been unveiled • The new cask strength Jameson finishes its maturation in Dublin’s only live Maturation House at Bow Street
Jameson Irish whiskey, which is produced by Irish Distillers in Midleton Distillery, has today announced the launch of Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength; the first cask strength Jameson to be available globally, which finishes its maturation in Dublin’s only live Maturation House in the Jameson Distillery Bow Street. A reinterpretation of the revered Jameson 18 Years, the new expression celebrates Jameson’s Dublin heritage by returning part of the production process to the brand’s original home in Smithfield for the first time since 1975.
Distilled and matured at the Midleton Distillery, Co. Cork, Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength is the new head of the Jameson family. After spending 18 years in a collection of bourbon and sherry casks, the blend of pot still and grain Irish whiskeys has been married together and re-casked in first-fill ex-bourbon American oak barrels for a final six to 12 months in the Maturation House at the Jameson Distillery Bow Street.
‘Marrying’ is a traditional method of re-casking batches of vatted whiskey and re-warehousing it to ensure infusion before bottling. The first batch is presented at 55.3% ABV without the use of chill filtration and will be available in 20 markets from July 2018 at the RRP of €240.
Billy Leighton, Master Blender at Midleton Distillery, commented: “I’ve long had the unique luxury of being able to taste Jameson straight from the barrel at cask strength. With this first ever global launch of a cask strength Jameson, I’m thrilled that Irish whiskey fans around the world can now experience the full intensity of our whiskey or add a few drops of water to enjoy it at their own preferred strength.
“As a tribute to John Jameson’s distilling legacy in Smithfield, we’ve introduced some methods that would have been employed in days past. The final maturation period in Bow Street is our nod to the traditional “marrying” method. We’ve put our own Jameson stamp on it by using first-fill bourbon barrels, whereas the traditional approach would be to use casks multiple times. I like to think of the whiskey getting engaged in Midleton and then “married” in Dublin!”
Simon Fay, International Marketing Director at Irish Distillers, added: “While Jameson’s approachability has been key to its success, we had an opportunity with Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength to reinforce the more serious whiskey side of the brand’s heritage. For years, Jameson fans have been asking for a permanent cask strength expression of Jameson 18 Years. Consumers are looking for increased choice in style and quality in Irish whiskey and Jameson, as the category leader, is committed to satisfying this appetite.
“On top of that, our research shows that consumers are increasingly looking for brand experiences. Now, for the first time ever, consumers will be able to experience the sounds, smells and aura of a functioning maturation room, in the heart of Dublin, at Jameson Distillery Bow St. Our doors are open and we look forward to welcoming whiskey fans to taste a piece of whiskey history.”
Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength is presented in a premium bottle design that truly reflects the quality and rarity of the liquid within. The bottle features 18 facets, one for each year of maturation, and the wooden presentation box celebrates the traditional pot stills used during the production process. In addition, a unique copper coin located underneath Jameson Bow Street 18 Years Cask Strength bottles provides Jameson fans with access to an exclusive online portal where they can delve deeper into the story of the whiskey which bears the Bow Street name.
Jameson 18 Years, presented at 40% ABV and first released 15 years ago, has become one of the world’s most respected and awarded Irish whiskeys and will remain in the Jameson family, maintaining a vital link to Jameson’s history and providing further choice to prestige whiskey enthusiasts.


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Understanding Indian Consumers and Secondhand Clothing: Report Launch
India’s textile and apparel sector is economically and socially significant, contributing to the country’s GDP, exports, and employment. In 2018–19, it contributed 2 percent to the GDP and employed more than 45 million people (IBEF 2020). Currently, India is in a unique position of being both an apparel-producing hub as well as a major consumption market. While India’s per capita consumption of apparel has been lower than other countries, it is steadily rising, and India is poised to be the world’s sixth largest apparel market by 2022.
The textile and apparel sector requires large amounts of non-renewable resource inputs. Clothing reuse business models – like repair, rental, and second-hand/pre-owned - are a way to cater to growing consumer demands while reducing reliance on virgin resources and also reducing waste.
This requires a good understanding of consumer motivations, attitudes and behaviour towards reuse models, but most of our current consumer research comes from western countries. To bridge this gap, WRI India, as part of its joint initiative with WRI and WRAP, supported by Laudes Foundation – Clothing Reuse Market Makers Project – engaged with India’s leading apparel brands, manufacturers, and start-ups to increase the uptake of clothing reuse business models.
WRI India’s new report titled “Second-hand Shopping: Understanding Consumer Behaviour toward Pre-owned Clothing in India” will be launched by Ms Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Railways & Textiles and Lok Sabha MP, Surat. Report findings will be shared throwing light upon key questions around consumer motivation and behavior toward shopping secondhand clothing in India. This will be followed by panel discussion. The event will convene relevant stakeholders in the fashion and apparel industry such as brands, manufacturers, start-ups, and ecosystem enablers.
- Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Railways & Textiles and Lok Sabha MP, Surat
- Dr OP Agarwal, CEO, WRI India
- Dr Rachna Arora, Team Leader, European Union-Resource Efficiency Initiative (EU-REI)
- Somatish Banerji, Associate Vice President, Intellecap
- Nohar Nath, Founder & CEO, Kiabza
- Ranjeeb Sarma, Head of Compliance, CSR, Plan A India & Sri Lanka region, Marks & Spencer India Pvt Ltd.
- Butool Jamal, Fashion Editor, Tata CLiQ (Moderator)


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http://riwps.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Screen-Shot-2018-07-03-at-10.28.43-AM.png 657 423 Mary /wp-content/uploads/2014/11/riwps-logo.jpg Mary2018-09-05 10:50:362018-09-05 10:54:15RIWPS Fall Plant Sale -- And another 600 more native plants in the landscape!
Saturday August 25th was a great day for our public sale at Pawtuxet Village Farmer’s Market in Cranston giving more people opportunity to add native plants to their gardens as cooler weather approaches. And they did come! Not only our members and Cranston area shoppers but also from CT and MA. Thank you to the […]


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Dede's Green Scene - Celebrities Say "I'm Hatin' It" to McDonalds by Dede Tabak, January 30 2012, 0 Comments
Photo courtesy of Lisa Beattie via Flickr.
What do Ryan Gosling, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Deschanel, Alicia Silverstone and Ed Begley Jr. all have in common? No, they aren’t starring in a new movie together. They all sent a letter to the CEO of McDonald's, Jim Skinner, asking the company to establish a 100 percent cage-free purchasing policy for their egg suppliers.
These celebrities sent the “I’m Hatin’ It” letter after an undercover video aired depicting the mistreatment of egg-laying hens in several locations of Sparboe Farms, the egg supplier McDonald’s uses. The video shows hens being crammed into cages, dead hens left rotting in cages with live hens, and workers burning off baby hen beaks without painkillers. McDonald's stopped using Sparboe Farms after the video aired, but Mercy for Animals, the animal rights organization behind the “I’m Hatin’ It” letter campaign, believes that the fast food chain needs to do more than terminate business with Sparboe Farms; McDonalds has a moral responsibility to make significant changes to their egg-buying policy. Instead of switching egg suppliers, the organization is urging McDonald's to use its fame and power to change the inhumane way egg-laying hens are treated.
“On behalf of compassionate people everywhere, we implore you to help end the needless suffering of these animals by adopting strict and meaningful animal welfare policies worldwide, including the commitment to prohibit the purchase of eggs produced by hens who spend their miserable lives crammed into tiny wire cages," states the organization.
These celebrities aren't the only ones to speak out against factory farming. Martha Stewart partnered with the organization Farm Sanctuary and recently aired a PSA urging viewers to end the cruelty towards these animals. “On animal farms, these sensitive animals are unable to engage in their natural behaviors and are treated like unfeeling machines," says Stewart in the PSA.
Since McDonald's is the largest egg buyer in the United States, these celebrities, along with others, believe that if McDonald's changes its policy, that not only will other corporations take their lead, but that egg-suppliers will also change their policies and prioritize animal safety. Now, isn’t that a happy meal?


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Škoda Auto India has recorded over 1,000 bookings for the new
Octavia within 3 weeks of its launch. The Indian arm of the Czech carmaker had
launched its all-new Octavia sedan with prices starting at around Rs. 13.95
lakh for 1.4 TSI Active (ex-showroom New Delhi). Available in three engine
options- 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI and
2.0 TDI and three trim levels i.e. Active, Ambition
and Elegance, the D-Segment sedan is positioned between the Rapid and the Laura
in its current portfolio. Based on Volkswagen’s MQB (Modular Quer
Baukasten) platform, the car is assembled at the company’s existing facility at
Pawel Szuflak, Director, Sales & Marketing, Škoda Auto India says,
“We are delighted with the wonderful response that the Octavia has got
from the market. It further substantiates our belief in the product and the
customer’s loyalty towards the brand. The overwhelming response has been
encouraging and will push us to bring in more such products which allow
consumers to express themselves.”
Uno Minda, a leading Tier 1 supplier of proprietary automotive solutions to original equipment manufacturers, has launched its new premium range of alloy wheels in the Indian aftermarket in collaborat...
Greaves Retail, India's leading fuel-agnostic mobility solutions provider and a unit of Greaves Cotton Limited, has announced the launch of its complete range of e-rickshaw batteries under the brand '...
Kia India is now offering an electric sunroof in its Sonet Smartstream G1.2 HTK+ variant. The model will be available at Rs 9.76 lakh. Sonet has already more than 3.3 lakh customers in last three year...


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Here's some excellent news from India's green brigade! The government is going to make efforts to go absolutely electric where vehicles are concerned and they're starting this with the two and three-wheeler vehicles.
The government has decided to make electric vehicles a mandate in certain categories, and judging by the alarming pollution levels in the country, there couldn't be a better decision made than that. Right now, though, the transitional categories include three and two-wheeler vehicles with the engine capacity up to 150cc.
The decision was made by a recent government panel which was set up and with effect to April 2023, a mandate of sale of only of electric two and three-wheelers, with an engine capacity of 150cc will be put into place and by 2025, it will be made mandatory.
The basic mandate is to convert two of the highest selling automotive segments in India to electric, to reduce any form of carbon emissions and, of course, encourage the usage for electric vehicles more prominently in the country.
A similar mandate might take place for school and city buses soon as well, but for now, the focus remains on smaller vehicles, that will be up for change. For now, the government has made the vehicles in this category BS-VI compliant, by taking the current expenditure on the vehicles in this category. The makers are rightfully getting about 4-6 years of transitioning their vehicles in order for them to gain profit from such compliant vehicles.
The efforts to increase the usage of electric vehicles in the future comes with another aspect to it. While converting most 2 and 3-wheeler vehicles to EV, the government will also put effective fuel efficiency norms for petrol and diesel vehicles, increasing their price and hence making it a less viable option for the consumers to purchase, in order to have them on the road lesser.
To make this work, the power ministry will be creating a framework for carbon credit trading mechanism, as an addition to Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms. The idea is to encourage automakers to produce more and more electric vehicles. The transport ministry is working alongside this project as well and they propose to make a step-wise transition for all the vehicles to electric, by 2030, which will be a great step to curb pollution in India, particularly in Delhi.
Obviously the auto industry has a mixed reaction to this and they're asking for more incentives to transform their vehicles to electric, while many have started bringing their EV car offerings to India and there are already EV launches of major car makers in the country.
One major blimp though is the present infrastructure to set up charging stations for these upcoming electric vehicles. The firms looking to establish these charging stations need to procure their licence from Japan, China and other nations. But recently, the Bureau of India Standards (BIS) and the Department of Science and Technology said they are working on an indigenous charging standard for India, making it easier to establish charging stations all over. Once these stations are in place, the costing of these stations will definitely come down, enabling more such setups, for a lesser cost, across the country.
India's taking a big step toward a greener initiative and we hope the transition happens as smoothly as possible.


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A COMPANY which repairs and refurbishes electronic products is to create 60 new jobs in Swansea.
Trojan Electronics plans to create the jobs over the next 18 months after leasing a new 33,381 sq ft site.
Managing Director Clive Murphy said the new Swansea Vale site will become the company’s e-tail sales and distribution centre, providing space to build this rapidly expanding part of the business.
The company’s core business is the repair, refurbishment and recycling of consumer electronics products, servicing some of the world’s largest manufacturers and retailers.
Trojan handles customer returns, product recalls, trade in schemes and upgrades and as an Authorised Approved Treatment facility for WEEE it recycles products when beyond repair.
The company has more recently expanded into the e-tail sector, managing the complete eBay operations for a number of customers, maximising assets through selling end of line or excess stock and refurbished electronic goods.
Its online retail or 'e-tail' operations will now be concentrated at Swansea Vale which will be equipped with pick, pack and dispatch facilities along with customer service, enabling Trojan to offer a full service provision for any on-line business.
Mr Murphy said the availability of the Olympus B building the company has taken up at Swansea Vale meant Trojan were able to expand to meet the growing demand.
“We provide an e-tail service for businesses which is proving to be particularly popular,” he said. “It provides them with a route to reach mass markets and we are currently in discussions about offering this service to a number of companies in the Far East.”
Since the business started eight years ago it has grown rapidly. It operates 24 hours a day, can handle or processes up to 80,000 items a month and plans to launch its own direct e-tail platform.
The company currently employs more than 100 people.
The Olympus B building was developed by the Welsh Industrial Partnership (WIP), a joint venture between Royal Bank of Scotland and the Welsh Assembly Government.
It is located on the Swansea Vale site which was developed by the Assembly Government in a joint venture with Swansea Council.
Councillor Chris Holley, Swansea Council’s Leader, said: “It’s very gratifying to see a local company growing and particularly during difficult economic times.
“Swansea Vale is a fantastic resource that offers businesses the infrastructure they need to flourish and expand and I wish Trojan Electronics every success.”
Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport, said the Welsh Industrial Partnership was established to ensure the provision of high quality speculative industrial buildings to support the growth of local businesses.
“The importance of modern sustainable infrastructure to underpin economic growth was highlighted in our Economic Renewal strategy,” he said.
“This Assembly Government is committed to supporting business and ensuring the infrastructure is available to facilitate the growth of companies and it is good news to hear of a local business expanding with the potential to create a significant number of new jobs.”
The letting was negotiated by commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), on a five year lease at headline rent of £4.50 per sq ft.
The Olympus B block was constructed following the successful pre-let of the 38,000 sq ft Block A to City Link in 2009.
Jason Thorne, Director at LSH’s Swansea office, said they are now seeking interest in the second phase of the Olympus development which can provide up to 41,230 sq ft of space, if a suitable pre-let can be secured.


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When he was running, briefly, for president in 2012, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty received a $340,000 advance for his book, “Courage to Stand.”
Unfortunately for the publisher, only about 12,000 copies were sold, meaning Pawlenty did fine, but the publisher took a bath.
Writer McKay Coppins uses the TPaw book as one example in a story for BuzzFeed about the end of the conservative book craze.
The conservative book business has seen better days. Ten years ago, the genre was a major source of intellectual energy on the right, and the site of a publishing boom, with conservative imprints popping up at industry giants like Random House and Penguin.
But after a decade of disruption, uneven sales, and fierce competition, many leading figures in the conservative literati fear the market has devolved into an echo of cable news, where an overcrowded field of preachers feverishly contends for the attention of the same choir.
As for Pawlenty’s book, he notes:
For example, Tim Pawlenty, a short-lived presidential candidate in 2012, received an advance of around $340,000 for his 2010 book Courage to Stand. But the book went on to sell only 11,689 copies, according to Nielsen Bookscan, which tracks most, but not all, bookstore sales. What’s more, Pawlenty’s political action committee bought at least 5,000 of those copies itself in a failed attempt to get it on the New York Times best-seller list, according to one person with knowledge of the strategy.


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Sen. Inouye to ask for antitrust review of Star-Bulletin sale
BY Rick Daysog
Advertiser Staff Writer
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye plans to send a letter to the U.S. Justice Department urging a careful review of the sale of the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Star-Bulletin owner David Black is selling the state's No. 2 newspaper to satisfy Justice Department's review of his purchase of the larger Advertiser.
Peter Boylan, spokesman for Inouye, said the senator wants to ensure that the Justice Department's scrutiny of the sale of the newspaper deals is in accord with antitrust laws.
"The sale of these properties could leave hundreds of workers and their families without a job and every effort needs to be made to ensure the transaction is above board," Boylan said in an e-mail.
Star-Bulletin Publisher Dennis Francis could not be reached for comment today.
Inouye agreed to send the letter to Justice officials after meeting recently with Wayne Cahill, administrative officer of the Hawaii Newspaper Guild, and Suzanne Roig, the Guild's president.
Cahill said today that the union is worried that Black's purchase of the 115,000-circulation Advertiser and its nondaily publications, combined with his ownership of MidWeek, which reaches more than 270,000 readers a week, will give him a monopoly in the newspaper advertising business.
The guild also is concerned by the short amount of time in which Black is offering to sell the Star-Bulletin.
Under the sales procedure approved by the Justice Department, Black agreed to list the newspaper for sale for 14 days.
The process allows bidders another 21 days to provide an initial nonbinding bid and a final bid for the Star-Bulletin.
At least two bidders — Texas private equity investor Brian Ferguson and state Sen. Sam Slom and Internet publisher Malia Zimmerman — have submitted bids for the Star-Bulletin.
"You can't even sell a car in two weeks," said Cahill.
"How can you sell a newspaper in two weeks?"


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GS Yuasa has launched a social media search for the longest lasting Yuasa motorcycle batteries still in service.
Yuasa has unveiled the new livery for British Rally Champion Matt Edwards’ 2021 title challenger inside a computer game and launched a corresponding E-Sports rally championship.
GS Yuasa is one of the world’s leading battery manufacturers and a global leader for quality and innovation. The company manufactures and supplies GS, Yuasa and GS Yuasa branded batteries.
The GS Automotive Battery range from GS Yuasa is increasingly popular with Irish Motor Factors, according to Serfac Limited, Irish distributor for GS Yuasa.
There are high expectations for 2021, but for Gary Larkin, Managing Director, Monbatt Ltd the year is already looking promising as it sees his hugely
GS Yuasa is to finish its long-term sponsorship of Team Dynamics and Honda in the British Touring Car Championship.
With the days getting brighter and spring (supposedly) here, it’s time to get the lawn mower out.
The first GS Yuasa Academy graduates are beginning to receive IMI membership and certification as the battery training platform continues to go from strength to strength.
Serfac Limited recently launched the latest Version 3.0 series of battery chargers and jump starters from Noco, one of the world’s leading designers and manufacturers of battery and power products.


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Inside the Stream Podcast: Disney+ Restarts Growth As Bundling Helps Drive GainsFriday, February 11, 2022, 11:19 AM ET|Posted by Will Richmond
Welcome to this week’s edition of Inside the Stream, the podcast where nScreenMedia’s Chief Analyst Colin Dixon and I take listeners inside the world of streaming video.
Disney+ added nearly 12 million subscribers in the recent holiday quarter, an encouraging sign that bundling Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ is a highly effective strategy. Disney+ also had strong gains in the US and Canada market, adding 6.6 million subscribers in the quarter, while Netflix by comparison added only 1.2 million. Colin and I dig into all the Disney+ numbers and discuss what might be next.
Listen to the podcast (24 minutes, 47 seconds)
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There is a pricetag on owning a cat — but many feline families say their pet is “priceless” no matter what.
The average American spends $25,304 on their furball during its life, according to a poll of 2,000 cat owners. For two in three, it’s led to the belief that their cats are truly the queens and kings of their home.
Based on an average 15-year lifespan for cats, the costs really stack up — in a cat’s lifetime, $764 alone is spent just replacing or repairing scratched-up furniture.
Per visit, vet appointments were found to cost $111 out of pocket on average — twice to four times as much as the copay from a human doctor visit.
And these costs don’t even include food or toys, which can run up an average $109 per month and $108 per year.
Aside from being royalty, owners found their cats tend to take on one of five major personality types.
Commissioned by Solid Gold and conducted by OnePoll, respondents were encouraged to find the personality types of their cats. Six in 10 said they own little “graffiti artists”, prone to kneading their paws on everything or scratching every surface they can.
Over half (53%) said their cats were true “revenge seekers” when they hunt down their toys or hiss at the outside world. Nearly as many (52%) own “tornadoes” infamous for knocking items off of counters and causing a mess of mischief wherever they go.
Cat owners also have a near 50/50 shot of ending up with a “climber (51%) clawing their way up to the highest points of the home, or a “cuddler” (49%) who shamelessly lay across keyboards or piles of clean laundry.
The study also found that 65% swear their cats act like they’re from a completely different planet. A good portion of that sentiment comes from the strange things owners have caught their cats in the middle of.
For instance, 73% of “revenge seeker” owners have witnessed their cats doing something completely, unexpectedly wild.
Meanwhile, 76% of “tornadoes” are practically predictable: have been caught red-handed breaking and tearing things around the home — especially where clothing (44%), sofas (42%) or rugs (42%) are concerned.
Nearly four in five “cuddlers” (78%) are seen as complete angels by their owners when they’re not causing any trouble and 71% of “graffiti artists” are anything but angels when the havoc they bring has to be repaired or replaced by distressed owners.
Many shared the wildest behaviors they’ve witnessed from their felines: gifting owners with their “kills” in the form of cat toys and pinecones, begging for bananas or learning to turn door knobs to get into rooms.
“We love our cats because of how unique their personalities can be,” said Steve Ball, CEO at Solid Gold. “No matter what kinds of chaos they bring, there’s no denying the things we would do for our furry friends. At the end of the day, pet parents want to make sure their cats are able to be their unique selves for as long as possible.”
Despite all the drama they cause, 70% of cat owners said there’s “nothing” they would change about their cat.
It seems all the frustration caused can be cured when cats turn cute, which according to those polled, is wherever they’re playing (50%), eating (40%), purring (37%) or sleeping (37%).
More than three in five (63%) said nothing is more exciting to them than mealtime for their cat. At feeding time, cats are most likely to let their humans know they’re ready when they meow (49%), paw (37%) or headbutt (34%).
“Mealtime is a universal ‘stop-destroying-the-home-and-come-eat’ moment for cats,” continued Ball. “It’s so important to make sure your cat is getting the proper holistic nutrition they need in order to get back to doing what they do best.”
TOP 10 THINGS LIKELY TAKEN OVER BY CATS
- Clothing - 39%
- Rugs/carpets - 38%
- My sofa - 37%
- Drinking glasses - 35%
- Chairs - 34%
- Table legs - 31%
- Power cables - 30%
- Drapes - 29%
- Phones - 27%
- Hardwood floors - 24%
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Newly discovered type of ice could hold key to finding alien life
"This could be the starting point for finally explaining liquid water."
Electric cars really do reduce air pollution and boost public health: study
Scientists said asthma attacks and other respiratory problems fall as more electric cars are on the road.
Texas cold snap creates roads fit for ice skating
The wintry conditions have left much of the state dealing with the fallout of the unusually low temperatures.
Study finds a ‘gay glass ceiling’
"This is an example of internalized homophobia among the gay community and it impacts opportunities for these gay men.”
Psychic mom who connects celebrities with deceased loved ones
“I had a lot of dreams from people telling me to use my gift - and that's what I did.”
- Money6 days ago
A third of adults admit their parents still pay one of their bills
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Sci-fi-style electric vehicle entirely powered by the sun launches


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After the tease and the official announcement of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, we might be getting the opportunity to experience the game earlier than later. The incentive for participating in the first beta would be pre-ordering the game, which is already live and available on Battle.Net and Steam. Long talk short, a new hint has been given by an Amazon Listing, claiming the start of the beta might be closer than we think.
According to the new Amazon Listings, as spotted by @impulsegrenades on Twitter, the first Modern Warfare 2 Beta might release on August 15. Shortly after, the Amazon Listings of the new MW2 have been removed, so verification of the same cannot be performed. Nevertheless, you can find the first tweet below.
The Beta Code Offer Qualifier segment on the website indicates an August 15 Open Beta event.
Breaking News: https://t.co/8R3pzBACCu May have just leaked the Modern Warfare 2 Beta date's/week. 2 days ago this message was different and now it says Codes will be Sent by August 15th? #ModernWarfare2
. @charlieINTEL @_Tom_Henderson_ @TheMW2Ghost @TheGhostOfHope @Okami13_ pic.twitter.com/avbVyTyJva
— Shotzz (@impulsegrenades) June 14, 2022


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Complete three days of activity a week for four weeks. Minimum 15 minutes per activity. Qualifying Activities: Crossfit, Weight Training, Workout, Yoga. Athletes who complete the challenge will receive a digital finisher's badge in their Trophy Case.
Apple states that iPhones, iPads and iPod touch models are compatible with the AirTag, however, they require iOS 14.5 or later.
Instead, Apple releases in April are going to be a handful of Apple TV+ series and films, the launch of the big Friday Night Baseball initiative, and a few Apple Arcade games.
National Look Alike Day on April 20th celebrates those who look like another person. National Look Alike Day each year on April 20th celebrates those who much like look like another person.
The First Earth Day Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
The Activity Challenge will show up on the Apple Watch as a notification in the days leading up to the event. To get the International Dance DayInternational Dance DayInternational Dance Day is a global celebration of dance, created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI), the main partner for the performing arts of UNESCO. award, Apple will ask Apple Watch users to do a dance workout of 20 minutes or more on April 29. Time to groove!
Apple hosted its first event of 2021. Apple unveiled its long-awaited AirTag, a refreshed iPad Pro, a new iMac, podcast subscriptions and a new color for the iPhone 12: purple.
School bombings target Afghanistan Shiite community. Back-to-back bombings at schools in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, killed at least six people and injured at least 11 others on Tuesday.
April 20th is the 110th day in the Gregorian calendar; it marks the anniversary of Apollo 16 landing on the moon and Danica Patrick becoming the first woman to win an Indy car race.
But why did 4/20 become so important? What is 4/20? Basically a day that celebrates all things Mary Jane. In more than a dozen US states where weed is legal, big rallies will take place in public spaces, with participants lighting up everything from regular spliffs to bongs to joints the size of a baby's arm.
To get the International Dance Day award, Apple will ask Apple Watch users to do a dance workout of 20 minutes or more on April 29. Time to groove! Earn this award by recording a Dance workout of 20 minutes or more on International Dance Day, April 29.
Apple Event April 20, 2021 Introducing the new iMac, iPad Pro, iPhone 12 in purple, AirTag, and Apple TV 4K.
Apple's event will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, like most events.
Apple Event Happening Now Apple is planning to hold its first media event of 2021 tomorrow on Tuesday, April 20, at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time through a live stream.


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Two U.S. agencies have seized 686 websites accused of selling counterfeit and illegal medicines as part of an international crackdown on online sales of fake drugs.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations division, along with the U.S. Department of Justice, seized the websites in the past week, ICE said in a press release. The U.S. operation, nicknamed Bitter Pill, was part of an Interpol operation aimed at disrupting organized crime networks allegedly behind illegal online drug sales.
The new seizures by ICE and the DOJ nearly double the number of websites shut down by the agencies in the name of copyright enforcement. As of July, the agencies had seized 839 websites for alleged copyright infringement over the past two years.
Civil liberties groups have criticized the seizure efforts, saying they lack due process for the website owners. In August, the DOJ dropped chargesagainst two sports streaming websites after shutting them down for 17 months.
The new worldwide effort, involving 100 countries, resulted in 79 arrests and the seizure of 3.7 million doses of counterfeit medicines worth an estimated US$10.5 million, ICE said. Worldwide, about 18,000 websites were shuttered during the weeklong operation, which ended Tuesday.
"These international partnerships are essential in the global fight against the trafficking of counterfeit drugs," ICE Director John Morton said in a statement. "Instead of taking potentially life-saving medicines, customers are duped into purchasing drugs that are fake or untested and could ultimately do them more harm than good."
During the operation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted packages that were believed to contain fake or illicit drugs. Payment processing companies supported the operation by identifying and blocking payments connected to illicit online pharmacies, identifying individuals responsible for sending spam emails and identifying abuse of electronic payment systems, ICE said.
During the operation, ICE special agents made undercover purchases of counterfeit drugs from multiple websites. The counterfeit drugs seized during Bitter Pill included anti-cancer medication, antibiotics and erectile dysfunction pills as well as weight loss and food supplements.
The new effort is part of Operation in Our Sites, a two-year-old effort by ICE and the DOJ to target the sale of counterfeit merchandise on the Internet. The agencies shut down the seized websites and took custody of their domain names.
Grant Gross covers technology and telecom policy in the U.S. government for The IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. Grant's e-mail address is email@example.com.
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People participate in movements when that particular movement
(1) meets their concrete and tangible needs, (2) offers individuals real experiences in the movement's outcome (3) provides a sense of community, (4) makes available ongoing education and skills training and (5) shows direct and effective ways for people to take further action.
A loose interpretation of a message sent on Sunday, October 4th, 2009 by the Program on Corporations, Law & Democracy
A worker walks out of a factory building outfitted with nets, installed to prevent workers from jumping to their deaths, at a Foxconn factory, in Langfang, Hebei Province August 3, 2010. There have been nearly a dozen suicides at Foxconn plants around China this year alone, prompting calls for investigations into poor working conditions at the plants that make parts for customers such as Apple, HP and Dell. (REUTERS/Jason Lee) #
Portland 9/11 Truth Meetup Group and the Smell of Bacon
You can't have peace for the sake of peace. Peace is a consequence of an equitable arrangement.


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2014 saw a return of the Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche after a nearly ten year abscence. Featuring displays and demonstrations of both classic and contemporary Porsche sports cars, the event brought to life the fascinating story of the iconic German marque.
Organised by MSVR in conjunction with circuit owner MSV, in association with Porsche Club GB and supported by Porsche Cars GB, the Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche was the Club's premier national event for 2014. In addition to a variety of on-track action, the venue was surrounded by all types and ages of Porsche, from the 356 of the 1950s to the very latest plug-in hybrid 918 Spyder super sportscar. A special appearance by Dr. Wolfgang Porsche was undoubtedly a highlight of the day.
Festival of Porsche returns to Brands Hatch in 2020 for a special celebration of Germany’s most iconic sports car manufacturer, complete with racing, demonstrations and displays.
On-track action will be organised by MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR) and headlined by Porsche Club GB’s very own Porsche Club Championship, starring a wide range of the manufacturer’s race-prepared cars across a number of classes. Further race content will be announced in the coming weeks and months, with a heavy Porsche influence.
The racing will be accompanied by a wealth of other attractions on and off the circuit, including demonstrations and displays of Porsche cars throughout the years, and a marquee timeline of hand-picked Porsches from the past seven decades.
Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of MSV, said: “I’m delighted that a major Porsche-themed event is returning to the Brands Hatch calendar this year. One of my favourite motorsport memories was winning the Brands Hatch 1000km in 1984 driving a Porsche 956, a car I spent a great deal of time behind the wheel of. The Porsche brand is one that I have a great deal of affection for, and I look forward to hosting this special meeting in the manufacturer’s 70th anniversary year.”
Chris Seaward, General Manager at Porsche Club said: “Porsche Club is excited to be returning to Brands Hatch in 2018 to continue the tradition of successful Porsche Festivals at the Circuit. The event will bring together many of the Club’s most dynamic activities including a superb on-track programme for enthusiasts to enjoy. Since the last event in 2014 Porsche Club has grown significantly and we’re expecting a substantial turnout as we celebrate Porsche’s 70th year.”
Ragnar Schulte, General Manager, Marketing and Motorsport for Porsche Great Britain, said: “As part of the celebrations of the 70th year of Porsche, we are delighted that the Porsche Club GB and Brands Hatch will dedicate a great show in honour of our anniversary. We will be celebrating the road and race car legends over our seven decades, alongside the latest achievements of today. We look forward to welcoming enthusiasts, customers and our Centre network and jointly sharing our passion for Porsche.”
Brands Hatch Festival of Porsche will return in 2020, more information will be available at www.brandshatch.co.uk


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Supply Chain Matters has featured previous commentaries concerning GT Advanced Technologies, an advanced technology sapphire glass supplier that experienced some of the perils in being a supplier to Apple, particularly in a new product development phase.
In October of 2014, this advanced technology supplier was unexpectedly forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection when Apple suspended its supply contract. The news reportedly wiped out in upwards of $1 billion in equity value when the news broke. A further casualty was a 1.3 million square foot advanced sapphire glass production facility near Mesa Arizona that included more sophisticated glass fabrication furnaces and was supposed to ramp-up to supply sapphire glass requirements for various Apple products including the iPhone.
Since that time, information leaked from bankruptcy court filings pointed to a tense supplier relationship that GT Advanced described as “an onerous and massively one-sided deal. “The supply agreement eventually ended when Apple withheld a product development process payment. GT was forced to lay off in excess of 700 employees at the Arizona production facility, which Apple has since announced will be converted into a world-class global command data center. Apple itself invested the sum of $439 million in the GT Advanced relationship.
On Monday of this week, after exiting Chapter 11 protection, the supplier has now announced that it will be reducing its workforce by an additional 40 percent in order to “right size” its cost structure. According to a published report by The Wall Street Journal, GT Advanced had about 1000 employees when it filed for bankruptcy.
As we observed in prior commentaries, product innovation involves time sensitive collaboration for product design and test changes as well as supply chain production ramp-up needs. That is why product design process information is quickly becoming the new requirement for inclusion within end-to-end supply chain business and collaboration networks.
The perils of being an Apple supplier include a high risk-reward ratio. That includes having the capability of high agility in the wake of what others would view as rather difficult obstacles. That tendency dates back to the era of Steve Jobs who instilled a perfectionist culture for design engineering. Also with Apple come huge scale and the potential for financial reward. In the case of GT Advanced Technologies, the risk-reward strategy continues to have an apparent far different outcome.


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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today ordered Bank of America to pay a $12 million penalty for submitting false mortgage lending information to the federal government under a long-standing federal law.
CFPB and 11 States Order Prehired to Provide Students More than $30 Million in Relief for Illegal Student Lending Practices
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and 11 states announced today that student lender Prehired will provide more than $30 million in relief to student borrowers for making false promises of job placement, trapping students with “income share” loans that violated the law, and resorting to abusive debt collection practices when borrowers could not pay.
CFPB Orders Toyota Motor Credit to Pay $60 Million for Illegal Lending and Credit Reporting Misconduct
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today ordered Toyota Motor Credit Corporation to pay $60 million in consumer redress and penalties for operating an illegal scheme to prevent borrowers from cancelling product bundles that increased their monthly car loan payments.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a report highlighting medical debt collections and challenges faced by American families.
CFPB Fines Repeat Offender Enova $15 Million for Violating Order, Deceiving Customers, and Withdrawing Funds Without Consent
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today ordered online lender Enova International Inc. to pay a $15 million penalty for widespread illegal conduct including withdrawing funds from customers’ bank accounts without their permission, making deceptive statements about loans, and cancelling loan extensions.
Agencies Announce Dollar Thresholds for Applicability of Truth in Lending and Consumer Leasing Rules for Consumer Credit and Lease Transactions
The Federal Reserve Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau today announced the dollar thresholds used to determine whether certain consumer credit and lease transactions in 2024 are subject to certain Regulation Z (Truth in Lending) and Regulation M (Consumer Leasing) requirements.
Agencies Announce Dollar Thresholds for Smaller Loan Exemption from Appraisal Requirements for Higher-priced Mortgage Loans
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve Board, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency today announced that the 2024 threshold for whether higher-priced mortgage loans are subject to special appraisal requirements will increase from $31,000 to $32,400.
CFPB Orders Citi to Pay $25.9 Million for Intentional, Illegal Discrimination Against Armenian Americans
Citi singled out for discrimination applicants for certain credit card products whom it suspected of being of Armenian descent.
CFPB Proposes New Federal Oversight of Big Tech Companies and Other Providers of Digital Wallets and Payment Apps
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is proposing to supervise larger nonbank companies that offer services like digital wallets and payment apps.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published a new analysis on state Community Reinvestment Act laws, highlighting how states ensure financial institutions' lending, services, and investment activities meet the credit needs of their communities
CFPB Report Finds Credit Card Companies Charged Consumers Record-High $130 Billion in Interest and Fees in 2022
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today released its biennial report to Congress on the consumer credit card market.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a rule that would accelerate a shift toward open banking, where consumers would have control over data about their financial lives and would gain new protections against companies misusing their data.
CFPB Takes Action Against Operator of Sendwave App for Illegally Cheating People on International Money Transfers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today took action against Chime Inc. for deceiving consumers about the speed and cost of remittance transfers through its mobile app, Sendwave.
La CFPB y el Departamento de Justicia han Emitido una Declaración Conjunta afirmando que las Instituciones No Podrían Usar el Estatus Migratorio para Ilegalmente Discriminar Contra Solicitantes de Crédito
La CFPB y el DOJ emiten declaración conjunta afirmando que las instituciones no podrían usar estatus migratorio para discriminar a solicitantes de crédito.
CFPB and Justice Department Issue Joint Statement Cautioning that Financial Institutions May Not Use Immigration Status to Illegally Discriminate Against Credit Applicants
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Justice Department today issued a joint statement that reminds financial institutions that all credit applicants are protected from discrimination on the basis of their national origin, race, and other characteristics covered by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, regardless of their immigration status.
Joint Statement on Fair Lending and Credit Opportunities for Noncitizen Borrowers under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Department of Justice (collectively, the agencies) jointly issue this statement to assist creditors and borrowers in understanding the potential civil rights implications of a creditor’s consideration of an individual’s immigration status under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).
CFPB and FTC Take Actions Against TransUnion for Illegal Rental Background Check and Credit Reporting Practices
The CFPB and Federal Trade Commission took action against a rental screening subsidiary of the TransUnion conglomerate.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued an advisory opinion regarding a provision enacted by Congress which generally prohibits large banks and credit unions from imposing unreasonable obstacles on customers, such as charging excessive fees, for basic information about their own accounts.
CFPB Exams Return $140 Million to Consumers Hit by Illegal Junk Fees in Banking, Auto Loans, and Remittances
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a special edition of its Supervisory Highlights focused on the agency’s efforts to shutdown junk fees.
CFPB Sues Repeat Offender Freedom Mortgage Corporation for Providing False Information to Federal Regulators
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit in federal court today, alleging that Freedom Mortgage Corporation submitted legally-required mortgage loan data that was riddled with errors.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced the appointment of new members to the Consumer Advisory Board, Community Bank Advisory Council, Credit Union Advisory Council, and Academic Research Council.
CFPB Mortgage Report Finds Jumps in Closing Costs and Denials for Insufficient Income, Growing Proportion of Cash-Out Refinances
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its annual report on residential mortgage lending activity and trends.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced it is beginning a rulemaking process to remove medical bills from Americans’ credit reports.
Today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued guidance about certain legal requirements that lenders must adhere to when using artificial intelligence and other complex models.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a new report finding that students face risk when entering into agreements with colleges to spread the upfront cost of tuition into several, interest-free loan payments


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Well, it looks like it is official. Forza is coming to smartphones. I speculated on this last month when it became clear that there is a very large chance that E3 2019 could be the first in a while in which we wouldn’t see a new Forza console game revealed.
I thought a mobile game (which was accidentally leaked) would likely serve as the replacement announcement. However, we are still two months out from E3 and Microsoft decided to go ahead and announce Forza Street now which I definitely did not see coming.
Even more surprising is that not only was Forza Street announced today, it is available to play right now. Although it is only available for Windows 10 devices. That basically narrows down the list to Surface tablets and Windows 10 PCs.
Forza Street will come to iOS and Android but that won’t be until “later” this year. My suspicion is that those versions will launch at E3 2019. Likely during the Xbox Press event.
In the meantime, you can check it out right now on your PC or Windows 10 tablet. I’ve only played it for a few minutes so I can’t give a full review but so far its interesting.
The first thing I noticed is that this is unlike a traditional racing game, Forza Street is all about timing and “quick time” events. The player essentially has to hold down and release the throttle at precise times to get through corners correctly. I know something like this will instantly turn off a lot of hard core Forza fans but I am willing to give this a chance.
Stay tuned for a review. To check out the launch trailer and press release, scroll below.
Forza Street announcement trailer:
Today, Turn 10 Studios is proud to announce Forza Street, an all-new Forza experience designed to be played anytime, anywhere, and excite anyone who loves cars.
Available today for free on Windows 10 devices, and rolling out to iOS and Android starting this year, Forza Street was designed for racing on the go with streamlined controls that focus on timing of gas, brake, and boost as the keys to victory.
In Forza Street, new Forza fans and seasoned drivers alike can collect and assemble a legendary lineup of cars to compete in intense, cinematic races. Whether players want to squeeze in a quick one-minute race or get immersed in a story campaign, every race is a chance to earn a performance icon from an ever-growing list of incredible cars, turning your garage into a trophy case.
With the game available today on Windows 10 devices, we will continue to add features and actively engage with and listen to our community to make Forza Street the game our fans will want to take with them everywhere.
See you on the streets!


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It’s Still A Long Way To Go Before Gold Sees Its Rally — Capital Economics
(Kitco News) - There won’t be enough consumer demand to drive gold prices higher this year, according to Capital Economics, which projects gold to end the year at the $1,200 an ounce level.
“We doubt that consumer demand for gold from India and China will provide much support to prices in the coming months. Our end-2018 forecast for the price of gold is $1,200 per ounce, broadly unchanged from today’s level of $1,209,” Capital Economics commodities economist Simona Gambarini said in a note published on Tuesday.
Gold saw a positive momentum forming at the end of last week, which managed to carry though untill Tuesday afternoon, but then prices dropped once again to slightly above the $1,200 an ounce level.
December Comex gold was last seen at $1,207.00, down 0.74% on the day after touching a two-week high overnight of $1,220.
Kitco’s senior technical analyst Jim Wyckoff blamed the decline on traders simply taking advantage of recent gains.
“Some normal profit-taking from the shorter-term futures traders was featured today, following decent gains the past few sessions that do suggest the yellow metal has put in a near-term market bottom,” Wyckoff said in his PM Roundup.
But, Capital Economics remains conservative in their near-term outlook, pointing to gold not going anywhere until next year.
“Looking ahead, we expect consumer demand from both [India and China] to decline, which is one reason why we forecast that gold prices will remain low,” Gambarini said.
The note added that while China’s gold imports declined in July, India showed renewed interest, but the recovery fell short of erasing all of the previous damage.
“Data released from the Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department, yesterday, and by the Swiss Federal Customs Administration, last week, revealed that China’s combined imports of gold via the two hubs slumped by 53% m/m and 25% y/y in July to 68 tonnes,” Gambarini said.
Capital Economics raised concerns over lack of consumer confidence in the state of the economy as one of the reasons for lower demand. “Given that we expect the Chinese economy to continue to slow over the coming quarters, jewelry sales could fall further,” Gambarini wrote.
In India, things are slightly looking up, with the country’s Commerce Ministry reporting that India’s imports of gold were up by 29% on a monthly basis and up by 41% on an annual basis in June, reaching $2.96 billion.
But, these numbers are not enough to bring consumer demand back to where it was a few years prior, Gambarini pointed out, citing India’s new regulations and weather factors as the main elements weighing on gold demand.
“The bigger picture is that imports are still down by over 20% y/y since the start of 2018 and we think that increased regulation and a below-average monsoon will weigh on India’s gold demand in the remainder of the year, even in the face of strong economic growth,” she added.