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Integrated oil and gas company OMV has completed a transaction with Abu Dhabi-based strategic investment company Mubadala to acquire an additional 39% stake in global chemical company Borealis.
The agreement was initially signed in March this year. It has been completed as per the expected deadline and in accordance with all regulatory requirements. The deal is valued at $4.68bn.
With the completion of this deal, OMV now holds a 75% interest in Borealis while Mubadala retains the remaining 25% interest in the company.
OMV executive board chairman and CEO Rainer Seele said: “This transaction is another milestone in the implementation of our strategy. We are thus establishing an integrated and sustainable business model extending OMV’s value chain towards higher value chemical products and recycling, thereby repositioning the group for a lower carbon future.”
Currently, Borealis operates across 120 countries and has more than 6,800 employees.
Mubadala Investment Company Petroleum & Petrochemicals CEO Musabbeh Al Kaabi said: “This transaction is well-aligned with our strategy as a responsible investor and we are confident in the value this partnership will create for all three companies.
“Both OMV and Borealis are champions of the Mubadala portfolio, and this decision is consistent with our asset management model and our commitment to partner with like-minded players.”
In July last year, OMV said it will invest €64m in the construction of an ISO C4 plant at the Burghausen refinery in Germany.
BASF increased sales by €2.6 billion compared with the first quarter of 2020 to €19.4 billion. This was mainly due to higher prices and volume growth.
Air Products acquired General Electric’s gasification business in 2018 which included the 50% stake in a syngas joint venture with China Shenhua Coal to Liquid and Chemical, a subsidiary of China Energy Group.
Tove Andersen, currently EVP Yara Europe, has been appointed President and CEO of Tomra Systems ASA. She will take up the new position latest 1 November 2021.


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A Street Sense colt brought $210,000 early in the afternoon during the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale Oct. 1.
A daughter of Malibu Moon brought $300,000 just after noon at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale in Timonium, Md. She is the highest-priced horse sold so far during the auction.
The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale, which will be held Oct. 1 in Timonium, Md., is in a prime location, especially this season.
The positive trends from the opening session of the Tattersalls Ireland September yearling sale continued into day two. The auction ended Sept. 26 with increases in its gross, average price, and median price.
K C's Songofprayer topped the Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana's yearling auction, bringing $85,000 Sept. 25. The sale was held at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe, La.
Even though the weather did its best to dampen spirits, bloodstock agents and owners, breeze-up buyers, and British and Irish trainers, turned out in force for the opening of the Tattersalls Ireland September yearling sale.
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged a record 1,254 for its Kentucky fall yearling sale, which will be held Oct. 22-24 in Lexington. The number is up 24.5% from last year's total of 1,007.
A Big Brown -- Cool Ghoul colt that was the most expensive 2-year-old in training sold this year at public auction has been named Darwin.
The first week of Keeneland's September yearling sale in Lexington has been completed. Read about what people had to say about the market prior to Sept. 16.
A daughter of Yankee Gentleman brought $70,000 to top Equine Sales of Louisiana's inaugural yearling auction, which was held Sept. 5 in Opelousas, La.
A.P. Indy's last offspring have been sold at the Keeneland September yearling auction, ending an era in the Thoroughbred marketplace.
Market is stable during books one and two of the auction's catalog even without great support from John Ferguson and the absence Besilu Stables.
- By Ron Mitchell
Catherine Parke of Valkyre Stud, agent for Mr. and Mrs. William Currin, on the sale of hip #469, a Bernardini colt out of Wilshewed during the 2012 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. watch
The Keeneland September auction completed its first four days - books one and two of the sale's catalog - with more seven-figure horses than in 2011's entire auction.
Boosted by a $1.55 million son of Bernardini, the Keeneland September yearling sale in Lexington enjoyed an upbeat third session. The gross, average price, and median price all rose.
A $700,000 Tapit colt topped the session, which marked the beginning of book two of the Keeneland auction's catalog following an opening select session.
The select portion of Keeneland's September yearling sale had fewer horses and was shorter this year, but it generated some impressive financial fireworks. Five horses commanded seven-figure prices.
Here is a list of horses in the Keeneland September sale's select session that could command the big bucks.
Marking the end of an era in the Thoroughbred marketplace, the final yearlings by A.P. Indy are being offered at public auction.
Keep the select portion of the Keeneland September sale or do away with it? Read what auction participants had to say.
As the start of the Keeneland September yearling sale approached, people expressed more anticipation than trepidation about the market's prospects. Read what they had to say.
Gross and average plunge at CTHS Canadian-bred preferred yearling sale Sept. 8.
The Keeneland September yearling sale will test the strength of the Thoroughbred marketplace's recovery with both quantity and quality during its 10-session run that begins Sept. 10 in Lexington.
Fasig-Tipton has cataloged 375 yearlings for its Eastern fall yearling sale. The number is down 29.9% from last year's total of 535.
Barretts has cataloged 236 horses for its October yearling sale. The number is down 6.7% from last year's total of 253.
A Kipling colt brought $28,500 to top the Oklahoma City summer yearling sale. Carter Sales Co. conducted the auction Aug. 21 at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds.
The Breeders Sales Company of Louisiana has cataloged 156 horses for its yearling sale. The auction will be held Sept. 25, beginning at 10 a.m. (CDT), at the Ike Hamilton Center in West Monroe, La.
A yearling son of Holy Bull topped the Minnesota Thoroughbred Association's yearling and mixed sale, bringing $56,000 Aug. 11 at Canterbury Park. The price was a record for the auction.
Explosively Fast, a son of Ghostly Moves, brought the top price for a Thoroughbred of $59,500 during the New Mexico-bred Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred yearling sale Aug. 18 at Ruidoso Downs.
A strong storm system that swept across Central Florida Aug. 21 failed to dampen the enthusiasm of buyers attending the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s August yearling auction in Central Florida.
The Arqana Deauville yearling sale ended its four-session run in France Aug. 21 with a 2.2% increase in average price from a year ago. The gross revenue declined 9.6% and the median price remained the same.
Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. officials are cautiously optimistic that the August yearling sale can pick up right where the sales company's juvenile sale season ended: on a high note.
A son of Sea The Stars topped Part 1 of the Arqana Deauville August yearling sale in France by bringing 1.2 million euros ($1,479,740 in U.S. funds) during the second and final session.
A daughter of Galileo commanded the top price of 1.1 million euros ($1,357,800 in U.S. funds) during the opening session of Arqana's Deauville August yearling sale in France.
Commercial breeders and pinhookers found the going tougher at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale as prices and profits declined from a year ago.
Interview with John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale, about their Street Cry colt, who sold for $1.2 million on August 6 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale. Watch Video
It's a good time to own a horse from the Empire State. That's what everyone is saying heading into the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling Sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Aug. 11-12.
After suffering significant setbacks in prices on its opening night, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale experienced a welcome surge in business during its second and final session Aug. 7 in upstate New York.
Based on pre-sale expectations, the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale fizzled more than it sizzled in its opening session Aug. 6 in upstate New York.
The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling auction could close out its two-night run Aug. 7 in New York with a bang, based on the positive reviews for many of the horses on offer.
- By Vic Zast
The rains began about 30 minutes before the first race and then ended after the second race finished. read blog
Sheikh Mohammed and other top buyers are ready to shop at the yearling auction in upstate New York.
The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale will be first test in 2012 of the top of the market for yearlings. Here's what people had to say about their expectations and other thoughts about the auction.
These Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select sale yearlings could sparkle in the auction ring during the first session Aug. 6.
Well-known trainer Dale Romans has expanded his involvement in the horse business to include selling.
Fasig-Tipton's Saratoga auction, scheduled for Aug. 6 and 7 in New York, has a number of half brothers and half sisters to racing royalty in its catalog.
The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale in New York Aug. 6 and 7 has seven young horses that were acquired previously at public auction for $200,000 or more apiece.
The Keeneland September yearling sale is smaller and shorter this year, but it's still the largest auction of its kind in the world. There are 3,604 horses in the catalog.
Because of an increase in the number of horses entered, Tattersalls has made changes in its schedule for the October yearling sale in England.
Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital will host an educational forum on sale yearlings Aug. 16 at the Embassy Suites hotel in Lexington.
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Trucking company J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. JBHT, -3.32% said Friday it has made reservations to buy "multiple" Tesla Semi trucks, giving Tesla Inc.'s stock TSLA, -2.94% an extra boost in premarket trade. "We believe electric trucks will be most beneficial on local and dray routes, and we look forward to utilizing this new, sustainable technology," said J.B. Hunt Chief Executive John Roberts. Tesla unveiled the electric Semi big rig trucks late Thursday. Tesla's stock surged 3.7% ahead of the open. It was up 2.1% before J.B. Hunt's announcement. Tesla's stock had lost 11.2% over the past three months through Thursday, while J.B. Hunt shares have gained 6.3%, the Dow Jones Transportation Average DJT, -1.64% had gained 4.8% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -2.02% had rallied 7.9%.
Tesla Inc. shares rose on Friday, a day after the Silicon Valley car maker unveiled its promised electric commercial truck and surprised observers by showing off a new version of the Roadster, the costly sports car that kicked off its electric-vehicle production.
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Workers are calling for boycott lines in front of 25 fast food restaurants, calling the effort "Boycott McPoverty."
Burger King, McDonald's and Wendy's are all targets. Organizers cite Seattle's high cost of living as the prime need for a higher minimum wage. They want the minimum wage raised to $15 an hour.
"Fifteen dollars an hour, I really think that it will help the community. I really think that it will help the society and all that, you know," said Junior Jackson.
On Wednesday, one worker said he needs the higher wage "to pay the bills and the rent and everything. It's hard for nine dollars an hour."
But others, such as restaurant customer Charles Delano, see a downside.
"The companies won't be able to pay for it because it'll cut into their profits," Delano said. "So, they'll have to raise the prices on their stuff and what they'll do is cut them down to thirty hours a week and they don't have to give them medical coverage or anything like that."
Organizers plan to boycott during all meal times at various restaurants.


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When an organisation is accused of racism – even if it was inadvertent – the risk to reputation is fierce, and the rational options are few.
Some recent cases highlight that such accusations generally offer the target company zero upside, and the only realistic strategy is damage limitation. The question is: how best can that be achieved?
Swedish fashion brand H&M found itself in hot water after having a black child model a hooded top with the slogan “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” The ensuing outcry was predictable and protesters in South Africa even ransacked H&M stores. Although the offending image was withdrawn, it took the company three separate attempts at an apology before managing to avoid the qualifications and excuses which so often undermine sincerity.
How much cleaner and simpler was the response when an American writer tweeted about the artwork on Kellogg’s Corn Pop cereal boxes. Saladin Ahmed pointed out that of all the cartoon characters on the box, only one had a brown skin, and he was a janitor polishing the floor. Within five hours Kellogg’s had tweeted a sincere apology, and also agreed to redesign the packaging.
Contrast this with a University of Sydney advertisement, which was officially found to be racially discriminatory. An independent reviewer who argued in its favour remarked (among other things) that: “The complaint against the advertisement was made by only one person.” The ad has just been rejected for a second time by the Advertising Standards Bureau.
A more contentious case was the Facebook ad for Dove body wash, where a black woman peels off a dark shirt and is transformed into a white woman in a beige shirt. Here too the company quickly withdrew the ad and apologised that it had “missed the mark.” But as Time magazine commented: “For many the apology did not suffice, with consumers dumbfounded as to how the ad ever got the go-ahead.”
That’s a really good question, which was partly answered by the model herself, Lola Ogunyemi, who wrote a newspaper article and recorded a video message about the controversy. “I can see how the snapshots circulating the Web have been misinterpreted,” she wrote. “I can also see a lot has been left out. The narrative has been written without giving consumers the context on which to base an informed opinion.”
It’s not clear whether the model’s decision to speak out was encouraged by Dove or was her own initiative. But it does seem clear that her intervention – however well intentioned – had no discernible impact on the spread and impact of the negative publicity. And this comes just two years after Dove was involved in another racism controversy for promoting a skin lotion for “normal to dark” skin.
The latest Dove case is a timely reminder that denial or explanation in the face of an accusation of racism is seldom useful and sometimes makes the situation even worse. In fact what the accused organisation thinks is probably the least important opinion.
Perhaps the best advice comes from Sherry Holladay and Tim Coombs, the contemporary power couple of public relations: “If stakeholders think there is a risk or crisis, there is one.”
In other words, recognise it and deal with it, own up and genuinely apologise, put plans in place to avoid a repeat . . . and learn from the experience.


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Kickstarter is headed to Great Britain.
The über-popular crowdfunding platform announced on Monday that residents of the United Kingdom will be able to use the site to launch projects beginning this autumn.
Kickstarter announced the news via Twitter, so details of the development were limited to 140 characters. What's more, the company chose to use six of those characters to make three of the popular "<3" hearts, but it's likely that Kickstarter's decision has something to do with Amazon Payments' 2011 expansion into the U.K.
In a 2009 blog post, Kickstarter cofounder Yancey Strickler wrote that the site couldn't cater to international projects because Amazon Payments, Kickstarter's longtime payment processor, only worked with U.S. bank accounts.
There's no word on the exact date in which Kickstarter will become available to U.K. residents, and the company's been mum on its plans to expand to other countries in Europe. The company has not returned the Daily Dot's request for comment.
Kickstarter's expansion means that U.S. backers will be able to pledge money towards the British iteration of an inspirational Tom Hanks statue. How many backers would it take to build a monument to Colin Firth?
Are you looking forward to Kickstarter being launched in the U.K.? Tell us in the comments.
- Liberals proudly announce they dislike George W. Bush after Ben Shapiro column
- Trump’s statement about Khashoggi killing baffles everybody
- The murders of Tamara O’Neal, Aisha Fraser show domestic violence still isn’t taken seriously
- Facebook left a child bride auction up for 15 days
This article originally published at The Daily Dot here


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A new study has thrown doubt over the effect of Diet Coke.
It’s one of the most popular soft drinks in the world, but a new report claims it might not be the best thing for your gut.
Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev claim artificial sweeteners found in the drink were toxic to digestive gut microbes, reports The Mirror .
Diet drinks account for a quarter of the sweetened beverages market but there is growing evidence they are not as healthy as previously thought.
The researchers found aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, neotame, advantame, and acesulfame potassium-k - are toxic to bacteria found in the digestive system.
Professor Ariel Kushmaro, who worked on the study, said: “This is further evidence that consumption of artificial sweeteners adversely affects gut microbial activity which can cause a wide range of health issues.”
Beyond Diet Coke, artificial sweeteners are used in a range of food products - including sports supplements and sugar-free condiments.
And worryingly, these artificial sweeteners have also been identified as potential environment pollutants.
Professor Kushmaro added: “The results of this study might help in understanding the relative toxicity of artificial sweeteners and the potential of negative effects on the gut microbial community as well as the environment.”
BirminghamLive was unable to reach anyone at Coca-Cola's UK office.


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Swedish companies that provide services for which tax deduction on household services can be received employ many women that are foreign born. However, relatively few of them have a refugee background. These are the main conclusines of the SNS report “Women with refugee backgrund in tax-subsidized companies” (in Swedish) Johanna Rickne, Professor of Economics.
In 2016, the Swedish government had recently appointed a new investigation that will offer proposals on how to expand tax deductions on household services, abbreviated RUT in Swedish. In this SNS report economist Johanna Rickne analyses to what extent companies that benefit from RUT employ women with a refugee background. The study uses Swedish administrative data. Rickne concludes that RUT has created a new demand for so called simple jobs, i.e. jobs with low requirements on education and language skills. After the introduction of RUT, the price on household services fell with almost the same amount as the tax deduction and has thereafter increased at the level of inflation. This indicates that the reform has had full effect.
The majority of those employed by companies subsidized by RUT, including both employees and self-employed, are women. A large part of the them are foreign born. Howeber, most of them, over 98 per cent, have a Swedish personal identity number. Hence, temporary labour immigrants from Europe seem to constitute a modest share. Moreover, only 3.0–3.3 per cent of the women have a refugee background. This is half the share compared with cleaning companies that are not specialised in the services covered by the tax deduction, for example cleaning of commersial spaces.
The study also looks at what labour market status the persons had prior to their employment in the RUT-subsidized sector. The results show that about 15 per cent found themselves in so called economic exclusion. That is a lower share than for the rest of cleaning industry as well as for the food service industry, but similar to what is found in home care services. Regarding previously unemployed, the RUT-subsidized companies had approximately the same share as the rest of the cleaning industry as well as food services, about 10 per cent, which is above the share in home care services.
– Companies specialising in tax deductible services recruit from weak groups in the labour market to a relatively large extent. However, these companies do not distinguish themselves by employing people in economic exclusion, compared with similar industries, says Johanna Rickne, Professor of Economics at Stockholm University.
Facts about the tax deduction on households services, RUT
The tax deduction on household services, RUT, was introduced in 2007, and constitutes a tax deduction amounting to 50 per cent of the labour cost on a selection of services carried out in private households, such as cleaning, cooking, snow clearance, various gardening services and baby sitting. According to the Swedish Tax Agency 95 per cent of the RUT tax deduction was used for cleaning services in 2015. In that year 660 000 persons made tax deductions with RUT, and 3 billion Swedish krona were disbursed through RUT.
Johanna Rickne, Professor of Economics, Stockholm University


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Thailand legalized cannabis in 2022 - before that, it was subject to draconian penalties. Now the country is the cannabis paradise for marijuana fans. But the final law is missing. Here are the rules for tourists.
A half-dozen varieties of weed are carefully arranged on a fancy metal counter. The marijuana varieties have such promising names as "Painkiller," "Gorilla Burger" or "Mango Sunset Haze." Whether locals, tourists or expats living in Thailand, enthusiasm for the cannabis stores that have mushroomed across the country in the past six months knows no bounds.
Since the government surprisingly legalized cannabis last June, old Siam has become the new mecca for marijuana fans from all over the world. The names of the countless stores are innovative: "Cannabangka", "Cannabis Twins", "The Chillax", "Ministry of High" and "Fat Buds Weed Shop", to name just a few. They range from rather seedy establishments to classy specialty stores. The new pop-up trucks with pot are also popular.
Thailand is the first country in Asia to permit the sale of cannabis. Whereas previously anyone taking a drag on a joint in Thailand risked jail time, it is now legal to smoke freely. In other countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore, however, possession of weed can lead to long imprisonment or even the death penalty.
The current legal situation supports tourism, which has been slow to recover after the Corona pandemic. The sudden opening shows how unique Thailand is. In Europe and the U.S., cannabis has been debated for decades, while here the law can change overnight - in this case in a more liberal way.
As the rules continue to be adjusted and a law to that effect is still being controversially debated in parliament, the Ministry of Health has now published a cannabis guide. The guide is titled "Ten Things Tourists Need to Know About Cannabis in Thailand." Tourism offices in each province have been instructed to distribute it. The guide is intended to help vacationers navigate the scene - and understand what is allowed and what remains illegal.
Perhaps the most important rule is that cannabis products may not be consumed by people under the age of 20. In Germany, experts caution that regular consumption poses significant health risks to young people in particular. The products are also banned for pregnant or breastfeeding women - unless under the care of medical professionals. And transporting seeds or parts of the cannabis plant to or from Thailand for personal use is not permitted.
Business Is Booming
Because marijuana is allowed in the country, customers can basically buy as much of it as they like. Smoking the joint right on the spot, however, is not allowed - that's also in the government's guidelines. Smoking cannabis in public places, including schools and shopping centers, is illegal. As a result, many store owners have set up private smoking corners nearby.
The architect behind the decriminalization of cannabis is Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand's public health minister. The government even gave away one million cannabis plants to private households last year to boost production - and thus help the pandemic-weakened economy. Officially, cannabis has only been released for medical and industrial use - but since it has been removed from the list of illegal drugs, recreational use is no longer prohibited.
But until legalization is finally enshrined in law by Parliament, concerns continue to waft through the balmy tropical air with the marijuana quagmire. Most store owners, however, don't believe a complete ban will happen again - the economic benefits are too great for that, they say. There are conservative voices loudly insisting on making the use of cannabis illegal again. But that probably has more to do with politics than morality or health in the kingdom.
An editorial in the Bangkok Post recently stated that it would be impossible to turn back the clock and punish marijuana use with prison sentences again. That is simply unrealistic, it said. "The use of cannabis just needs to be properly regulated - especially to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands."


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G4 Powerbook and Apple PDA - more?
MacOS Rumors has posted remarkably similar news stories about the new Powerbook G4 and the Apple PDA.
Their Powerbook G4 story talks of some new manufacturing process for upcoming G4 Powerbooks (see As the Apple Turns story). While the Apple PDA item indicates that the pda will be announced at WWDC, and released at NYC (see previous stories) This is according to "Apple documents" found on their doorstep.
Confirmation or simply of rehash of other news stories?


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The DoubleTree by Hilton Zagreb hotel is set to open its doors in the Croatian capital this autumn. The news was announced by the hotel’s General Director Karin van den Berg at the press conference in Zagreb on Wednesday (June 4).
The new hotel will be a part of the office and shopping complex Green Gold Business Centre located in a prominent position within Zagreb's central business district at the intersection of Zagreb’s Radnicka Cesta and Vukovarska streets.
Hilton Worldwide announced the signing of a management agreement with Croatian company B.P Pluto d.o.o. for a DoubleTree by Hilton Zagreb in September last year. The worldwide hotel chain has been represented in Croatia since 2005 with the upscale Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik and Hilton Marjan Split, the later being under development.
The new hotel will have 152 rooms, a restaurant, spa and wellness centre, swimming pool and business centre. More than 800 square metres of conference space also will be available for guests to host a variety of business meetings, executive board sessions and social events. The hotel will employ around 70 people, mainly locals.
The exact date for the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton Zagreb has not been set yet, and reservations will be possible once the date is known. It is, however, possible to make the reservations for next year through Hilton’s global booking system. The room rates are expected to be between 120 and 200 Euros per night.


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Kenora’s business elite will be crowned tonight.
The Kenora and District of Commerce is holding it’s 2024 business awards.
Over 50 business, agencies, business owners and managers were nominated in 10 different categories.
The business awards will be held in the event center at Seven Generations starting tonight at 5:00.
Prior to the awards, the Chamber will hold it’s AGM and elect a new executive.


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Report: Owners to sell Co-op Bookstore
BATON ROUGE – The owners of the Co-op Bookstore are planning to sell the store after several years in business.
According to The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, the owner, Bob Prescott, and his brother are selling the store due to declining book sales and wanting to retire.
Co-op opened in 1933 and was formerly located on Chimes Street. The owners moved into its current location on Burbank in 2004.
A specific closing date has not yet been released.
Read the full story from the Business Report here.
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After receiving hundreds of consumer complaints over unexpectedly high bills, the Maine Public Utilities Commission will decide next week whether to open a full investigation of Central Maine Power Co.’s billing, metering and customer service operations. The PUC is in the midst of a preliminary inquiry that could lead…
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News on Cheese continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
2 hrs ago | Twin Cities Daily Planet
The owner of the new Longfellow Market on Minneapolis' Lake Street hopes offer neighborhood shoppers an anti-Cub Foods experience.
Trending on the Topix Network
A cheese factory in eastern France may seem a world away from the bleak, oppressive regime of North Korea.
Bleats, clucks, moos and the sounds of happy kids are filling the campus of The Hartsbrook School in Hadley this week during their vacation farm camp.
Port Angeles, WA – Nine wineries located between Chimacum and Port Angeles will partner with local cheese-makers to create unique pairings that exemplify the flavors of the region Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wine specials will be available throughout the weekend.
A French school has turned down the rare chance to train North Koreans in the proud Gallic art of cheese-making.
April is National Grilled Cheese Month - 30 days of homage to fromage. And Vermont , home to more artisan cheese makers per capita than any other state, is widely known for the quality and variety of its cheese.
Cheesemakers and their suppliers will be bidding on award-winning cheeses April 23 in Milwaukee.
On April 14, 2014 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit handed down an opinion, International Customs Products, Inc. v.
KRAFT took home three medals, including two gold and one bronze. The international panel of expert judges awarded CRACKER BARREL Sharp Cheddar the gold medal in the Medium Cheddar category, defined as three to six months of aging.
Owners Bruce and Wendy Reinemann raise mostly Katahdin sheep, a meat sheep that has hair instead of wool.
North Korea is to send a team of food production experts to France to learn the art of cheese making and improve the quality of dairy products back home, it has been reported.
Kraft Foods has issued a recall of 96,000 pounds of hot dogs because they may actually be cheese dogs.
Bleu D'Elizabeth cheese is an award-winning, mellow, semi-soft blue cheese from Fromagerie du Presbytere in Sainte-Elisabeth-de-Warwick, Que.
The culinary gentrification of Crown Heights has largely been confined to the well-trod thoroughfares, spreading east, one artisanal ice-cream cone and third-wave cortado at a time, from Prospect Heights's Vanderbilt Avenue to Washington Avenue and Franklin Avenue, where it's now possible to find such basic necessities of 21st-century gourmet life ... (more)
Participants learn how to make mozzarella , chevre, feta, paneer, ricotta and cheddar cheese, as well as butter and yogurt.


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Handycam HDR-GW77V | Sony
Sony HDR-GW77V Handycam is waterproof up to 16 feet and coming to the US this month
Sony's HDR-GW77V is on its way to the US, offering waterproof video recording for up to 16 feet.
Sony HandyCam HDR-GW77V press photos
Here are some official photos of the Sony HandyCam HDR-GW77V
Sony Handycam HDR-GW77V hands on pictures
Here are some photos of the Sony Handycam HDR-GW77V camcorder.
First waterproof Sony Handycam coming to Japan on May 25th
Sony has announced a waterproof and dustproof Handycam camcorder for the Japanese market.


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Android 5.1.1 is the last major iteration of Google’s mobile platform prior to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and while OEMs and carriers take their sweet time in putting together this update, at least one device on the nation’s second largest carrier is making the jump from Android 5.0 to Android 5.1.1. AT&T is now rolling out Android 5.1.1 for the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active.
AT&T has long been Samsung’s carrier of choice to launch the Active variants of its flagship smartphone, they’re more or less the same as the regular variants, aside from the fact that the Active variants are dust and water resistant, they can also take a solid hit and shrug it off like nothing happened.
Starting today Galaxy S5 Active owners can jump to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on their devices, they have been on Android 5.0 for some time now, build number MY47X.G870AUCU2COJ3 brings them up to the latest version of Lollipop.
The update weighs in at 640MB which means you’re definitely going to need a Wi-Fi connection in order to download it. It brings several important bug fixes for the handset and adds Android for Work, the update also applies a fix to Ultra Power Saving mode for devices that are using On Device Encryption.
AT&T is rolling out Android 5.1.1 for Galaxy S5 Active right now, it should go live for everybody in a few hours.


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The investment firm, Gold Coast Fund Management has put in place another payment plan for its investors.
Known as the asset swap, customers of the investment company would have to either opt for new vehicles, television sets, fridges, land along with other assets.
This was made known through a Facebook of Group Chairman of Groupe Nduom, Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.
In addition, asset swaps – land, vehicles, televisions, fridges, motorcycles, buildings are also happening. Anyone interested in swapping their investments for new vehicles, TVs, Fridges, etc. should contact the Call Centre:
Open Hours: 8 am – 5 pm
Phone: +233 (0) 302 211411 and +233 (0) 302 211410
WhatsApp: +233 (0) 50 538 3028
Email email@example.com OR firstname.lastname@example.org
When we get payments from Government Agencies on infrastructure project receivables, we will make payments to those with higher value investments (i.e. more than 10,000).
Once again, this is NOT a promise. The payments are happenings” it said.
The firm had in the past struggle to pay clients due to what they said was the government’s inability to pay debts owed contractors for work executed.
But contrary to claims that the company has failed to pay its customers, Dr. Nduom has disclosed over GHc200 million has been paid to investors.
He further noted payment was still ongoing and all customers of the firm would be paid by the end of the year.
His post read: “a number of people keep asking about payments of GCFM Structured Finance (SF) investments. The fact of the matter is that payments have been ongoing. So far, over 200 million Ghana Cedis have been given back to investors. Currently, payments are being made every day to those who made investments with less than 2,000 Ghana Cedis. Every day, by MOMO and bank transfers.
When those are done, we will move to investments less, than 5,000 and then those less than 10,000. All of these, about 25,000 accounts will be done by the end of the year. These payments are being made with investments we are redeeming from individuals and companies.
The names of those being paid now have been published in the Today newspaper and others. There is no need for anyone to spend money to go to any office. Calls are being made to confirm the MOMO and bank account details every day, “it added.


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Electric cars won’t do much to reduce CO2 emissions if most people can’t afford them. And even if every car became electric overnight, we’d still have to contend with our worsening problem of road congestion.
But what if you could regularly use an electric car to get around without having to buy one? What if, in addition to promoting EV sales as it does now, the federal government were to fund electric-car-sharing programs?
Nonprofits in several US cities are modeling this idea, in the form of city-assisted pilot programs priced to compete with private-sector car-sharing services such as Zipcar. In Boston, a new service called Good2Go offers EV sharing on an income-tiered price scale.
Founded and initially funded by a Framingham-based clean energy nonprofit, E4TheFuture — with the help of a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center — Good2Go will soon have four Nissan Leafs and four Chevy Bolts available at charging stations in Roxbury and Jamaica Plain. If you receive any social safety net services like SNAP or Medicaid, you’re automatically eligible for $5 per hour pricing. Otherwise, the rate for car use is $10 per hour. (By contrast, Zipcar rates start at $8.50 an hour, but you also have to pay a membership fee of $7 a month or $70 a year.)
Drivers use a smartphone app to book one of the cars for a time slot and then pick up the car, run their errands, and plug it back into the charging station. All drivers are protected by insurance that’s tied to the vehicle they rent and drive.
West Roxbury resident Zoraida Gonzalez is one of the pioneering users of Good2Go. “A few months ago, someone rear-ended me and totaled my vehicle,” Gonzalez explains. She had run into delays being approved for a Zipcar membership. So after learning about Good2Go through Union Capital Boston, a community-engagement organization, Gonzalez decided to try EV sharing for local trips like grocery shopping and taking her dog to the vet.
“I do like the fact that it is electric. That’s pretty cool,” Gonzalez says. Even when she eventually buys a new car — which she says will be a hybrid, ideally — Gonzalez says she will still use Good2Go regularly for local errands, saving her car for longer trips or emergencies.
After talking to Gonzalez, I decided to take one of the Good2Go EVs on a midday, midweek mission to the Stoughton IKEA, just beyond the reach of the MBTA. I booked 24 hours in advance, and on the appointed day and time I found two white Nissan Leafs with the Good2Go logo splashed across the doors plugged into a charging terminal at 737 Centre Street, a short walk from my apartment. I unlocked one of them with the mobile app, and within a couple of minutes, I was cruising down Blue Hill Avenue toward I-93.
Every turn of the wheel was smooth. Other than a stray crumb and dust bunny, the vehicle interior looked as clean as any mainstream rental. The cars are washed and vacuumed by a fleet associate, who also monitors the Good2Go stations to ensure that the vehicles have been plugged into the charger. After procuring a contoured memory foam pillow and some pickled herring from IKEA, I drove back to JP. The Leaf battery had dipped from 100 percent to 78 percent. I had driven 37 miles and had the car for two hours. All told, the rental cost me $20.
If I wanted to buy my own Leaf for such trips, I’d be looking at $32,620, although federal tax credits would reduce that by $7,500.
If demand for Good2Go EVs grows, E4TheFuture will have to scale up by offering more vehicles in more locations. This would test the fiscal limits of the nonprofit, which is subsidizing the rentals in order to offer EV sharing at an affordable price. Susan Buchan, director of energy projects at E4TheFuture, believes that a public-private partnership would allow EV sharing services like Good2Go to reach their potential.
“To make this viable for not just low-income communities but also for people who live in the city and don’t want a car, or who only need a car occasionally, it’s probably going to take a broader state program,” Buchan says.
Cities mindful of emissions and congestion could take ownership of this concept and replicate the Good2Go model on a much larger scale. Congress could grease the wheels by offering grants to states that are game for establishing their own EV-sharing programs. With sufficient investment, this would mean a bigger, more widely distributed fleet of EVs and a better user experience for people like Gonzalez, who would no longer have to find a way to commute to Good2Go EVs in neighborhoods beyond her own. As Buchan points out, apartment complexes and business districts are logical places to put more EVs.
A public EV-sharing program would also be better positioned to offer long-term prices low enough to persuade some Americans to forgo owning a second car — or even a first one. It’s one thing to embrace EV sharing as a stopgap for people who can’t afford to buy their own EV. But it would be more audacious and progressive to make EV sharing affordable and easy enough to inspire people to question car ownership as the default. Because today, we’re suffering from the logical conclusion of that idea. The proof is on the interstate, local roads, and in the atmosphere.
Good2Go will have four Nissan Leafs and four Chevy Bolts, not eight Nissan Leafs as previously reported.
Miles Howard is a freelance journalist in Boston. Follow him on Twitter @milesperhoward.


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Are you looking for a stock?
Try one of these
FedEx Corp. (FDX-N), the world's No. 2 package delivery company, cut its outlook for the full year, citing fuel prices and sluggish global economic growth, sending its shares down 11 percent to a two-year low.
The sour mood of consumers, marked by a reluctance to open their wallets, is the biggest drag on improvement and needs to change for FedEx to benefit from economic expansion, company executives said Thursday.
Businesses continue to keep a lean inventory based on consumer sentiment, heightening the focus on cost controls as well as rate increases to boost profits.
"We expect sluggish economic growth will continue, largely due to a lack of confidence that U.S. and European policy makers will effectively address current economic challenges," Chief Executive Fred Smith told analysts on a conference call.
"While there's been considerable speculation that the economy has or will soon enter a recession, this is not our view at present," he said.
Analysts had expected the company to lower its earnings guidance based on a tepid domestic economy and international trade that remains slow.
"It's a cheap stock, and if this is a slowdown it's probably an opportunity to buy, but if it's more an indication of recession then I would say you wouldn't want to own it," said Donald Porter at Dalton, Greiner, Hartman, Maher & Co, which holds United Parcel Service shares.
FedEx said its strong ground and freight results offset the impact of slowing economic growth, which stifled volumes, and announced more rate increases.
At FedEx Express, the largest division representing more than 60 percent of revenue, domestic revenue per package rose 13 percent on higher fuel surcharges, yield management and increased weight per package even as average daily package volume dropped 3 percent.
FedEx's International Priority revenue per package grew 16 percent for the same reasons as well as the favorable impact of exchange rates, though average daily package volume fell 4 percent driven by declines from Asia.
Given concerns about flows from Asia, and "the macro environment we're in, the stock is going to be more sensitive than UPS, which has a lot more ground and less air," said Fred Labatt, director of equity research at South Texas Money Management. The firm holds FedEx shares and sees some economic pickup in the second half of the year.
"On the other hand, the yields were better pretty much across the board in all the segments, which means they're getting pricing and the company's doing a really good job of managing their costs," Labatt added. "Also, they're still now forecasting a double dip."
HAIR NOT ON FIRE
Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx reiterated its multiyear plan to spend $4.2 billion US, which analysts expect will largely go toward updating its fleet to more fuel efficient aircraft such as the Boeing 777 freighter.
FedEx expects to benefit, particularly during peak season, if orders increase and retailers need more expedited transportation.
"Our customers' hair is not on fire," said FedEx Chief Financial Officer Alan Graf. "They're just saying, you know, we're going to be steady as she goes, so it just feels completely different than it did back in 2008."
The sheer volume of goods moved by FedEx makes its shipment trends a bellwether for consumer demand and economic growth.
FedEx's trucks and planes handle packages equivalent to about 4 percent of U.S. gross domestic product and 1.5 percent of global GDP.
The company runs the world's largest cargo airline. It is considering buying about 50 wide-body freighters from Boeing Co and Airbus to update its fleet.
FedEx, which like UPS has been able to pass along rate increases with limited customer , dragged by high gasoline prices and supply chain disruptions after Japan's March earthquake and tsunami.
The Federal Reserve Wednesday ramped up aid to the U.S. economy, warning of "significant" downside economic risks including global financial markets strains.
FedEx's revenue rose 11 percent to $10.52 billion in the quarter that ended Aug. 31, from $9.46 billion a year earlier. That was above the $10.32 billion forecast on average by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
FedEx shares were down 9.4 percent at $65.70 at midday, putting them down about 30 percent so far this year. The shares fell as much as 11 percent earlier in the day.
With share prices depressed, FedEx said it plans to buy back 5.7 million shares under its existing repurchase authorization.
The Dow Jones Transportation average has dropped about 19 percent and UPS shares have fallen about 14 percent this year.
UPS, the No. 1 package delivery company, in an investor meeting last week affirmed its call for record 2011 earnings, downplaying the likelihood of a double-dip recession. .


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Installed in Honduras capital, First Bitcoin ATM.
BTM comes when the number of crypto adoptions in Hondura increases.
Country mulling the legal tender of Bitcoin.
In South America, Honduras, with a surge in crypto-asset interests, has installed its first ever Bitcoin ATM in Tegucigalpa.
The Honduran TGU Consulting Group has set up a Bitcoin ATM, reports Reuters. Hondurans can buy both Bitcoin and Ethereum with this machine, using Lempira local currency.
Users must scan only official identification documents and input personal information such as ATM phone numbers.
The Bitcoin ATM company in Honduras said that the aim is to provide residents with a better education via digital currencies. The machine instals.
It should be noted that Hondura is also being tipped to follow El Salvador’s footstep that Bitcoin recently passed as a lawyer in the country.
Bitcoin ATM Lunch in Honduras at the right time
The Bitcoin ATM in South American countries is at a time when people, particularly computer gurus and software developers, are increasingly used in encryption.
The machine would make Bitcoin more popular in the country, because the speculation about legalisation of the digital asset is still growing. Bitcoin ATM is now also adding to the growing worldwide installation of BTM in Honduras.
According to the previous report, this month (in August 2021), 1,200 new Bitcoin ATMs, representing approximately 47 machines every day, were installed. The new Cryptocurrency Compliance Cooperative (CCC) was created by Bitcoin ATM operators and Blockchain industry leaders, to fight money laundering by using BTM.
More American countries consider Bitcoin as their currency
In several other countries of the Continent, interest has increased since El Salvador with Bitcoin.
Argentina’s most recent President, Alberto Fernandez, said his country had been open to crypto currency adoption. He did not talk much about the subject however, but was optimistic about the idea.
Similarly, it has not been confirmed that Paraguay, Mexico and Panama also consider Bitcoin as their official currency.
In most countries of America high inflation has plunged and local currency devaluation has forced the public to hedge on cryptocurrencies.


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BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has fined financial service group Mastercard €570.6 million ($647 million) for breaching antitrust rules.
The commission said Tuesday in a statement that Purchase, New York-headquartered Mastercard limits retailers from taking advantage of offers from other providers.
"By preventing merchants from shopping around for better conditions offered by banks in the other member states, Mastercard's rules artificially raised the costs of card payments, harming consumers and retailers in the EU," Margrethe Vestager, a commissioner responsible for EC competition policy, said Tuesday.
Mastercard is the second largest credit card and payment solution company operating in the European Economic Area (EEA), whic includes all clountries in the European Union together with Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
"Mastercard's rules obliged acquiring banks to apply the interchange fees of the country where the retailer was located. Prior to Dec. 9, 2015, when the Interchange Fee Regulation introduced caps, interchange fees varied considerably from one country to another in the EEA," the commission's statement said.
"As a result, retailers in high-interchange fee countries could not benefit from lower interchange fees offered by an acquiring bank located in another Member State," it added.
"The Commission investigation found that because of Mastercard's cross-border acquiring rules retailers paid more in bank services to receive card payments than if they had been free to shop around for lower-priced services."


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Date: 10th -20th August, 2017
Place: Indonesia Convention Exhibition（ICE）BSD
The GAIKINDO Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS 2017), Indonesia's premiere international automotive event, concluded on 20 August at Indonesia Convention Exhibition in BSD City, near Jakarta. In the August 10th -20th, Launch Indonesia distributor participated in 2017 GAIKINDO Indonesia International AUTO SHOW in Indonesia Jakarta Exhibition. Launch Malaysia Mr. Chia also attends this exhibition to give them the full support.
"This year's achievements topped those of last year. The number of new car launches at GIIAS 2017 with the addition of three world premieres marked a certain milestone for this year's event" said by Rizwan Alamsjah, Chairman of GAIKINDO Exhibition. Besides Launch products, 32 automobile brands participated in this exhibition, consisting of 24 brands of passenger car and 8 brands of commercial vehicles.
It’s the first time for Launch to attend this exhibition. We mainly showed the Launch new products scanner X-431 PRO, X-431 PRO3, X-431 PADII and also exhibited part of the maintenance products CNC injector cleaner&tester, CAT-501S auto transmission Fluid Exchanger, X631 +Wheel Aligner.
In this exhibition, Launch also prepared live promotions for customers, attracting a lot of repair shop customers to visit.
Through this exhibition, more and more local customers better understand the Launch products and its powerful diagnostic functions.In consideration of Launch innovation, new products and technology, Launch products are very popular in Indonesia. The global automotive after the market, will enjoy more advanced and preferential products.
About GAIKINDO Indonesia International AUTO SHOW (GIIAS)
GAIKINDO hosted the first Indonesian Auto show in 1986. In 5, the exhibition reached a new level, becoming an international-scale exhibition endorsed by OICA (Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles), and changing its name to Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS), and in 2009 moved to a larger venue in Jakarta International Expo - Kemayoran.


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It's been a few days now since Gamescom 2012 finished in Cologne, Germany. However, a new set of screenshots for https://www.trueachievements.com/Omerta-City-of-Gangste....htm
, which were featured at the event by Kalypso Media, have only just crawled out of hiding. They were obviously looking over their shoulder, afraid someone was after them!
In a very similar fashion to the first bunch of screenshots
which were released in June, the latest images (and there's no less than sixteen!) concentrate on indoor and outdoor environments, as well as in-game characters and combat mechanics.
Ahead of its scheduled release this coming Fall, Omerta: City of Gangsters
is being developed by the team at Haemimont Games to recreate 1920's Atlantic City in a turn-based strategy and RPG style.


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People love freebies—and many love to win.
Throngs of consumers grabbed a complimentary ice cream or Italian ice to celebrate the firstday of spring, and that same clamoring can be seen online as consumers share branded posts on their social media feeds in the hopes of winning swag.
Hootsuite wrote in a blog post:
According to a poll conducted by the Content Marketing Institute and ion interactive, 81 percent of content marketers say interactive content (like polls, contests, quizzes, and so on) grabs readers’ attention more effectively than static content. It’s not surprising, then, that half of content marketers are using contests as a component of their marketing strategy.
Thinking of launching a contest to breathe life into your PR and marketing efforts? Consider these takeaways:
1. Outline your goals.


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“If you asked us four years ago if we had a billion dollar company, I don’t think we would have said yes,” Clooney told media.
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at email@example.com.
“This reflects Diageo’s belief in our company and our belief in Diageo. But we’re not going anywhere. We’ll still be very much a part of Casamigos. Starting with a shot tonight. Maybe two.”
Diageo said it will initially pay $700 million, with the potential for another $300 million based on the tequila’s performance over 10 years reflecting the brand’s exceptional growth trajectory and upside potential,” reads the release. The transaction is expected to close during the second half of 2017.
The idea was born in 2013, by accident, when Clooney and Gerber bought vacation properties in Mexico. They would drink a lot of tequila but not the one they really loved. At one point George turned to Gerber and said, ‘Why don’t we create one that’s perfect for us?'”
The BFF spent two years meeting with distillers and tried 700 samples of tequila until they found the one they could say: this spirit is super smooth, we could drink all day long, we didn’t have a burning aftertaste or leave us feeling hungover. Perfect.
Since they produced the best tequila only for their consumption, the company started when they ordered about 1,000 bottles a year. The distillery told them that they would need to have the drink licensed. At this point, Meldman joined the team. The rest is short history.
Within four years Casamigos is sold in 20 countries including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica.
“George doesn’t need the money. I didn’t need it. Mike didn’t need it,” he told Business Insider. “It wasn’t the reason behind launching a tequila. We wanted everyone to be able to drink it.” Gerber says he and Clooney still taste every batch.
Rande Gerber is a Jewish-American businessman. He founded nightlife companies Midnight Oil and the Gerber Group with restaurants, bars, and lounges worldwide. In 2014, he founded Gerber Spirits.
Gerber married to model Cindy Crawford. They have two children, son, and a daughter both are professional models.
Michael (Mike) Meldman is a Jewish Real Estate tycoon and is a fun guy and considers as a Party Boy.
He founded Discovery Land Co., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., with 18 private resorts in exclusive vacation destinations including The Yellowstone Club, a 13,600 acres (55 km) private residential community in Big Sky, Montana. According to the company, sales in 2015 exceeded $1 billion.


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Having bought rival Voltaire, Mellanox Technologies has pretty much ruled the InfiniBand adapter and switching roost for the past several years. But this week Intel shelled out $125m to acquire the InfiniBand chip, adapter, and switch businesses from QLogic, and the big question now is: what does this mean for Mellanox?
Speaking in a conference call with Wall Street analysts to go over his company's fourth quarter 2011 financial results, Mellanox president, CEO, and chairman Eyal Waldman shrugged off Intel's InfiniBand move, which follows Chipzilla's purchase of Ethernet switch ASIC maker Fulcrum Microsystems last July.
Mellanox sells hybrid Ethernet-InfiniBand ConnectX adapter cards and chips for server links, and has also created the SwitchX switch-hitting ASIC, which can do Ethernet or InfiniBand today and eventually both at the same time.
Mellanox wants to expand its share of the networking racket that's focused on high performance computing, cloud, database clustering, and business analytics, and it bought Voltaire to move into Ethernet so it could tag-team data centers with both network protocols on one set of iron. The idea is to cut development and manufacturing costs, and drop prices – as Mellanox did this week on the same day that Intel bought the QLogic InfiniBand biz – and make it up in volume.
There's nothing stopping Intel from pulling the same maneuver, of course, now that it will have plenty of switch engineers on the payroll with deep expertise in Ethernet and InfiniBand. Intel has given no indication of what its networking aspirations are, and this thought did not occur to the Wall Street moneymen on the earnings call – and Waldman did not go there by himself.
But Wall Street did ask about Intel now being a competitor as well as a partner. Waldman put the best face forward on the situation, as you might expect.
"We like this," Waldman told Wall Street. "We think this is important to the market. I don't think QLogic was very successful with their InfiniBand business, and it is important to have more than one vendor in this market. We think Intel is doing the right thing in terms of supporting InfiniBand and understanding that the market is embracing this technology not just for high performance computing, but for virtualized data centers, clouds, Web 2.0, and so on."
Waldman said that Mellanox believes that 40 per cent or more of the x86 server business in data centers could potentially be using top-speed InfiniBand or Ethernet protocols in the coming years, and added that the company believes that there are something on the order of 11 to 12 million of these high-speed ports on both servers and their matching switches up for grabs.
Mellanox doesn't think the addressable market for ports in the data center will grow that much, but that its ConnectX and SwitchX silicon could get a bigger slice of those ports over time. Hence their price cuts this week on 10GbE adapters and switches.
"We look forward to working closely with Intel to continue to drive InfiniBand and RDMA over converged Ethernet into the market," said Waldman, adding that he believed that Mellanox had a lead of between one and two years over the QLogic technology that Intel has acquired. (QLogic would no doubt dispute this, and did when talking to El Reg earlier this month.
Mellanox has been in the driver's seat with InfiniBand for years, and has made a credible expansion into Ethernet switching thanks to the Voltaire buy and the SwitchX chips. But it may not take long for Intel to be in the driver's seat unless Mellanox gets some big allies or is acquired, perhaps by Chipzilla rival AMD. IBM, HP, and Oracle, the three biggest buyers of Mellanox' wares, could also be interested.
But in the wake of decent Q4 numbers, a relatively sunny outlook for 2012, and Intel's acquisition of the QLogic InfiniBand biz for maybe five times revenues, the stock of Mellanox shot up to a level that gave the company a market capitalization of $1.26bn. That would be perhaps too pricey given its modest revenue and profit stream, even for such big potential suitors.
By the numbers
In the quarter ended in December, Mellanox posted sales of $72.7m, up 78.6 per cent thanks in large part to the Voltaire acquisition, but also boosted by old-fashioned organic growth. More significantly, Mellanox swing from a $352,000 loss in Q4 2010 to a gain of $4.1m this time around. For the full year, revenues at Mellanox reached $259.3m, up 67.6 per cent. But for the full year, earnings were actually down by 24.9 per cent to just under $10m.
Mellanox CFO Michael Gray said on the call that integrated circuits and adapter boards accounted for 57 per cent of the company's sales in the fourth quarter, with switches accounting for 30 per cent. Software and services made up the remaining revenue streams.
By protocol across IC, adapter, switch, software, and services, 40Gb/sec InfiniBand products (also known as Quad Data Rate or QDR) pushed 50 per cent of the company's overall revenues, down from 53 per cent of sales in the third quarter. Double Data Rate, or DDR InfiniBand products, which run at 20Gb/sec, had a 12 per cent slice of Mellanox sales in the third quarter, but this dropped to 8 per cent in the fourth quarter. 56Gb/sec InfiniBand, also known as Fourteen Data Rate (FDR), were a mere 4 per cent of sales in Q3, but jumped to 14 per cent of total revenues in Q4 as Mellanox took down some big supercomputer cluster deals.
Ethernet products, which are just getting rolling at Mellanox, saw a 52 per cent revenue spike in Q4 and now account for 14 per cent of overall sales. It is not clear how Mellanox is reckoning revenue for devices that can run both protocols, but this gives you an idea of what's growing and what's shrinking.
During Q4, Mellanox had two customers that accounted for more than 10 per cent of its sales – and when that happens, the US Securities and Exchange Commission says you have to tell investors. Combined, these two vendors accounted for 39 per cent of total revenues booked by Mellanox. And no, it was not Oracle, which holds a 10.2 per cent stake in Mellanox. HP accounted for 20 per cent of total sales at Mellanox, and IBM made up 19 per cent.
Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2012, Gray said that Mellanox had two big supercomputer deals – one in the US and one in Europe – that would contribute $10m to sales. Both deals are based on InfiniBand, and presumably running at FDR speeds, but Mellanox would not say.
Because of these deals, Mellanox will not experience the traditional first quarter swoon that most IT suppliers deal with every year, and instead expects for sales to rise sequentially to between $81m and $82m. And, perhaps more importantly, Waldman told Wall Street that the company would be able to grow sequentially through the year from there.
That's one reason why Mellanox's share price was up by 16.75 per cent as the market neared Thursday's closing bell. ®


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The first snooker title of this generation of consoles is releasing in just a couple of weeks, Snooker 19, developed by Leamington Spa based Lab42, will feature 128 of the world’s top players including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Ding Junhui as they take to the table at iconic venues including The Crucible and Alexandra Palace in countries across the world including China, and Germany. Players will be able to compete in every major tournament culminating with the World Championship in Sheffield, either in the single-player mode, local or online multiplayer.
Player likenesses have been meticulously created using 3D facial scanning technology while the subtle yet detailed wood grain of the cues and tables is rendered impeccably. With the glare of the spotlights reflecting accurately off the polished balls, Snooker 19 looks like it could be a great game for fans.
Snooker 19 will be published on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on April 17th, 2019. Players can pre-order the game on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One via their respective digital stores for £29.99. Snooker 19 will launch on Nintendo Switch later this spring.


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- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Google's eye-catching updates
- Todd Bishop
Not to be outdone by Microsoft's latest wave of Bing enhancements, Google announced a big set of updates today for its widely used search engine -- including a feature that incorporates streaming, real-time results from Twitter and other sources into results pages. The Official Google Blog has details on those and other features.
The additions to the index will include information from Facebook users who have set their profiles to "public," as detailed by Marshall Kirkpatrick of ReadWriteWeb. Microsoft has struck similar deals with Twitter and Facebook to index content for Bing.
"If Facebook is able to prod more users into sharing more content publicly, then it could rival Twitter in importance among real-time sources," Kirkpatrick writes. "Facebook has approximately 10 times as many users as Twitter today but the fact that its default privacy setting is private means far less content is available for indexing there."
Google also showed a new Google Labs project, Google Goggles, that recognizes items that people photograph with their phones, starting with Android devices, and then searches for related information.
Among other features, the company showed a translation feature that will let people speak one language into a phone and have it automatically translated into another language. "Looking ahead, we dream of combining voice recognition with our language translation infrastructure to provide in-conversation translation ... a UN interpreter for everyone!" writes the company on the Google Mobile Blog.
Another new initiative: A "Favorite Places on Google" decal in store windows will let people scan a QR code in a window of a store to go to its Google "Place Page." As noted by Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft earlier this year unveiled an initiative called Microsoft Tag that has similar objectives, putting scannable bar codes on products.
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Devon based clothing brand ‘Old Guys Rule’, have teamed up with personal trainer Benjamin Stead, to offer free virtual fitness classes for the over 50’s.
For those wish to join the class can do so for free, or if they choose, donate to the NHS using the link on the online booking form.
100% of any donations made will go the NHS.
A spokesperson for Old Guys Rule said: “Over the last few months we have seen our routines dramatically change and we are all now spending a lot more time at home than we might like, which is why getting as physically fit and active as possible is more important than ever.”
Old Guys Rule UK Director, Jim Wilson said: “We all know how beneficial exercise is on both mental and physical health, as is personal interaction, so we think Benjamin’s classes are going to be a tremendous help to a lot of people.
“Benjamin has worked with many complete beginners, talented athletes and people with a whole range of medical considerations and he delivers a 35+ session a week all year round, so we know the attendees are going to be comfortable in his expert hands.
The classes are live-streamed at 11am on Monday and Thursdays and last around 35 minutes.
The workouts will also be available on the Old Guys Rule social media channels.
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Benjamin said: “It’s a lot easier to be motivated when you are guided by another human when it comes to working out.
“I think people keep coming back to my classes because not only do they love the music, but they feel the sense of community and the shared experience.
“I see people motivating and celebrating each other’s accomplishments and it all feeds into the overall energy of the class.”
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As many people prepare to go back to the office and start working in person once again, researchers are encouraging people to make sure pets are well-prepared.
The pandemic brought stress and anxiety to many, but many pets had the opposite experience since their owners were home all the time.
"If the pet is a new dog that they got over the course of the pandemic, all they know is their owner being home every single day," Pablo Cazares, a Charlotte dog walker, said.
Cazares said as he goes to pick up his four-legged clients, they seem to be having trouble with their owners’ transition back to work.
“When their owners are gone, they're looking for them like, 'Where's my mom, where's my dad?' There's some that they’ll just sleep right next to the front door until somebody walks in and they're waiting for their owner to be there," Cazares said.
Duke professor Brian Hare, who researches dog psychology, says pets may have developed separation anxiety, and younger puppies raised during the pandemic tend to struggle with it the most.
“Maybe from 18 to 24 weeks, that’s kind of a critical time for dogs to learn to be alone," Hare said.
With people staying home and limiting exposure for over a year, Hare says it’s a lesson they may never have received and don’t always know how to cope.
“The way they express that anxiety is often damaging furniture or doors as they're being anxious and scratching, chewing things, maybe they go to the bathroom, maybe they whine, cry howl," Hare said.
He said you can help ease the transition back to work by slowly increasing the amount of time you’re away from your dog each day, signaling that you’re leaving by jingling keys, and taking them on long walks before you go somewhere.
“As you're leaving, don’t make a big ceremony out of it -- and as you return don’t make a big ceremony out of it," Hare said.
Signs of stress for dogs can include licking their lips, yawning as you're leaving, or whining. Hare says doggie daycares or dog walkers could help ease that anxiety while you’re at work.
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CNN said it has made its eight-part original series, Soundtracks: Songs that Defined History, available on its CNNgo app without the need for a pay TV subscription.
Unauthenticated access means that anyone with the app can view the series, which was exec produced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson along with Dany Garcia (Seven Bucks Productions) and Emmy and Peabody Award winners Maro Chermayeff and Jeff Dupre (Show of Force).
Soundtracks: Songs that Defined History are available via CNNgo on multiple platforms, including web browsers (CNN.com/go) and apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung smart TVs, Android TVs and iOS and Android mobile devices.
CNN is also making the series available via VOD from cable and satellite pay TV partners and is also being sold on iTunes.
CNN’s Soundtracks series features rare archival footage and interviews with musicians, journalists, historians and other notable figures that include Billy Joel, Smokey Robinson, Andra Day, Pat Benatar, Patti LaBelle, Ben Harper, Paul Simon, Melissa Etheridge, Master P, George Clinton, Anderson Cooper, Van Jones, Dan Rather, Billie Jean King, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and Reverend Al Sharpton, among others.
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- Last Updated: 6:43 AM, October 9, 2010
- Posted: 12:37 AM, October 9, 2010
Brett Favre's pants are under fire.
The former Jet quarterback -- ensnared in an embarrassing sex scandal -- has multimillion-dollar endorsement deals on products like Wrangler jeans that hinge on his keeping his family-man persona.
"You are talking about family-friendly brands that partnered with Brett and who believe he was the all-American, great family guy and country boy," said Matt Delzell, group account director of Davie-Brown Talent, part of The Marketing Arm, which ranks celebrities' appeal and influence.
Favre, 40, took in an estimated $7 million last year in endorsements. He is ranked No. 301 out of 2,599 celebrities on the Davie-Brown Index.
In addition to being the posterior of Wrangler's Five Star jeans, he pitches Snapper's line of lawnmowers and plugs his Remington Model 700 hunting rifle.
He's appeared in Nike, Starter, Smart Car, Prilosec and MasterCard commercials, in which he plays off his southern "good ol' boy" persona.
"Family-oriented sponsors don't like this stuff. They are hoping it passes and is gone by the weekend," said Mike Paul, president of MGP & Associates, a reputation-management firm.
"If it continues into next week, I think they will have some discussions."


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BOISE, ID. – For channel partners looking to boost sales among their customers, Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) has launched a new line of printers and accessories leveraging mobile printing.
And if anyone’s questioning the future of printing, here’s something to consider – paper may be declining in offices in mature markets, but developing markets and consumers still use it regularly, said Todd Gregory, director of managed print services for HP’s marketing team. And that leaves the field wide open for channel partners, he added.
“Managed print services aren’t as simple as just charging for printing per page and basic services. It’s now about managing all their needs around printing,” Gregory said, adding that includes hardware, software, and services all bundled into one.
In February of 2012, HP CEO Meg Whitman spoke at the global partner conference in Las Vegas. She assured the channel that HP would be focusing on its relationship with channel partners – and Gregory didn’t deviate from that message on his talk on managed print services, held during a media tour on Nov. 12 at HP’s campus in Boise, Idaho.
He added HP cherishes its relationship with the channel – and with that in mind, many of HP’s new releases for the fall were centred around hardware, with printers and accessories for both small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprise organization, presenting opportunities for the channel.
One of its big releases is the HP 1200W, an accessory geared towards SMBs. It plugs into older printers that aren’t currently mobile-compatible. Launching Feb. 1 and promotionally priced at around $50, the accessory allows for near field communication (NFC) printing on older HP LaserJet or Officejet mobile printer.
By tapping an NFC-enabled mobile device against the 1200W, users can print out any document stored on the device. They can also use the accessory for wireless direct printing, if they are carrying non-NFC-enabled devices, like Apple iPhones or iPads. The accessory will send data to HP’s cloud, Flow CM, or to other cloud storage services like Google Docs or Box.net.
While the 1200W isn’t truly aimed towards enterprise, as it doesn’t satisfy enterprise organizations’ desire for security, there were still other products on offer – and these still take advantage of mobile printing.
For example, HP also unveiled the LaserJet Enterprise M800 series, an enterprise-grade multifunction printer with a touch screen for printing and the ability to print directly through wireless technology. By tapping a near field communication (NFC) –enabled mobile device to the printer, users can start printing documents.
They can also choose to do that securely, something that’s key for enterprise customers who may not want to send their data to the cloud. For those customers, they can keep their data on the corporate network or send it to their Microsoft Sharepoint, balancing ease of use with security. That will come in handy for an IT-managed environment with hundreds of users.
Within the M800 series, the monochrome M830 became available Oct. 1. The M880, which prints in colour, was released Nov. 1.
With all the new products available, Gregory said the channel has an opportunity to move in and help its customers. Typically, businesses are divided into three categories – one group which is already using managed print services, another that has no interest in finding a managed print services provider, and finally a group of businesses that is considering managed print services for its printing needs.
“I don’t think there is rocket science here,” he said. “It’s about realizing technology revolves around a fundamental framework … In solving customers’ problems, the principles still apply. So how do we fill out that continuum?”
Customers save money by going through managed print services when they don’t have extra, unnecessary equipment sitting in their offices, Gregory said. He added they also benefit from the transparency provided by managed print services, as they are finally able to figure out how many devices and users they have, plus the issues that come along with that.
Using managed print services becomes especially helpful for organizations in verticals like the public sector, healthcare, financial services and insurance, manufacturing, and communications, media, and entertainment, Gregory said.
And for channel partners dealing with customers who are still on the fence, he added HP also offers an online managed print assessment tool, which can help them decide if managed print services is the right fit for them. The tool is available here.


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The week’s news included; Lidl wins trademark lawsuit against Tesco over Clubcard logo, CBI in meltdown after sexual misconduct scandal, Fox to pay $787m to Dominion in defamation lawsuit.
Below are our top 10 stories that you need to know about. Be sure to check our twitter page, Facebook page and Instagram Page, for regular posts of important headlines. Get all the important stories and insights straight into your inbox by subscribing to our mailing list here.
Opinion articles of the week:
- City A.M – Stop pitting home ownership against the rental market, we need both for Londoners
- CNBC – How HBO and Netflix have evolved away from each other in the past decade
- BBC News – What counts as workplace bullying?
- Sky News – Inflation rate rises – and why we’re still paying more on our mortgages
- City A.M. – In a global tech downturn, startups have a mountain to climb
1. LIDL WINS TRADEMARK LAWSUIT AGAINST TESCO
Lidl has won its trademark lawsuit against Tesco over its Clubcard logo. The discount retailer had claimed Tesco’s use of a yellow circle on a blue square background for its Clubcard infringed upon their trademark of this design. Lidl argued that Tesco intentionally used this design to give customers the impression that Tesco’s discounted Clubcard prices were comparable with Lidl’s. The High Court agreed with Lidl and found Tesco had taken unfair advantage of Lidl’s distinctive design, specifically regarding low prices. Judge Joanna Smith stopped short of agreeing with Lidl that Tesco used the design in bad faith. Lidl will now demand that Tesco changes its Clubcard logo. Tesco has said it will appeal the decision and request court permission to continue using the logo while the appeal is ongoing.
2. CBI MELTDOWN
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is in crisis and has suspended all its activities until June. The highly influential business lobby group is responsible for representing the interests of businesses in the UK on the political stage. Multiple allegations of rape and sexual misconduct at the organisation have surfaced exposing an endemic cultural problem at the organisation. The CBI had recently dismissed its former director-general, Tony Danker, over allegations of misconduct. After the most recent stories broke, a series of huge companies either suspended or terminated their CBI membership. Asda, AstraZeneca, BT, BMW, ITV, Meta, Mastercard and Natwest amongst others all announced their withdrawal.
The CBI has now suspended all activity and will hold an extraordinary general meeting to discuss plans to restructure the organisation. This scandal could prove costly for the CBI as it relies entirely on the trust of its members. This has been severely damaged, if not broken altogther. Whether the restructure will restore trust remains to be seen.
3. FOX PAYS $787M TO DOMINION IN DEFAMATION CASE
Rupert Murdoch’s Fox corp is set to pay a huge $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle a defamation case. Dominion sells voting machines and related software. Fox falsely accused Dominion of swaying the 2020 US election results in favour of Joe Biden with it’s voting machines. This was proven to be materially false and Dominion initially demanded $1.6 billion in damages. They argue their company and reputation suffered “enormous damage” due to Fox’s lies. Fox acknowledged that the claims made were false and is pleased to have reached a settlement. Fox broadcasters aren’t expected to make an on-air announcement or apology regarding the case. The settlement also means Rupert Murdoch avoids facing public questioning over the matter.
4. UK INFLATION
The rate of inflation in the UK was 10.1%, falling by 0.3% compared to last month. Food and drink costs have been soaring and are the driving force behind the sustained high inflation. Average inflation of food and drink prices hit a whopping 19.1% last month compared to the same month last year. This is the highest rate since August 1977. Some products such as olive oil and milk have risen by 49% and 34%, respectively. The Bank of England’s target rate is 2% so there is concern high interest rates will accompany high prices for an extended period to help settle inflation rates. There is hope however, as wholesale food prices have fallen in recent months so retailers expect this to translate into cheaper prices soon.
5. MAGAZINE SUED FOR AI GENERATED SCHUMACHER INTERVIEW
The moral and legal challenges of AI are beginning to come to light. An AI generated “interview” featuring the voice of Michael Schumacher was published in a German magazine, Die Aktuelle. Schumacher is a 7-time F1 champion but suffered severe brain damage in a skiing accident. He has not been seen in public since 2014. Die Aktuelle published a front cover with a picture of Schumacher and the headline: “Michael Schumacher, the first interview.” A brief strapline beneath then mentions that the quotes in the interview sound “deceptively real” as it becomes apparent they had been produced by AI. The family of Schumacher are now suing the publishing for the use of his likeness in this way. Die Aktuelle has issued a public apology to Schumacher’s family over the matter and has sacked its editor.
6. ROYAL MAIL PAY DEAL AGREED
A breakthrough seems to have been reached regarding the dispute between Royal Mail and its unionised workers. Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) are being recommended to accept a 10% pay rise over three years. The package also includes a one-off lump sum of £500. Furthermore, Royal Mail agreed not to impose compulsory redundancies. Changes to working conditions for new starters have also been agreed. The 115,000 CWU union members will be balloted on the deal in the coming weeks but the CWU believe this is a good deal. This would mark an end to the dispute that has been running for 12 months which saw a series of walkouts last year.
7. MUSK THREATENS TO SUE MICROSOFT
Elon Musk is threatening to sue Microsoft over its alleged use of Twitter data in its AI data training without authorization. This follows Microsoft’s decision to remove Twitter from its corporate advertising platform after Musk changed Twitter’s policies. Twitter now charged companies at least $100 per month for collecting user data through APIs. APIs (application programming interface) allow businesses to collect data, track user activity and provide targeted ads to users. Microsoft’s AI system helps businesses who advertise on their platform collect that data. With Microsoft unwilling to pay for this service, Musk claims their AI training on Twitter’s data was unlawful and tweeted “Lawsuit time” regarding the issue.
8. BUZZFEED & META CUT JOBS
The job cut cycle is continuing in the tech and media space. Meta and Buzzfeed both announced huge numbers of job cuts. Buzzfeed is shutting down its news department entirely as the company plans to make mass redundancies across the business. A slump in advertising revenue, user traffic and the wider economy has created a cocktail of disasters for Buzzfeed.
Buzzfeed rose to prominence during the early 2010’s and produced articles and quizzes which went viral on Twitter and Facebook. It was valued at almost $1 billion in 2014 and won a Pulitzer prize for its reporting. As social media shifted towards video-focused content on TikTok and Instagram, Buzzfeed lost much of its appeal. When it listed on the stock exchange in 2021, it was worth just $100 million. Now, 180 redundancies will be made across Buzzfeed alongside the closure of Buzzfeed news.
Meta also announced that 10% of its UK workforce will be axed. This forms part of its wider plan to cut over 10,000 jobs. The tech giant is attempting to stabilise itself as the wider economy weakens.
9. ACCOUNTING JOB CUTS
Both Deloitte and EY are slashing thousands of jobs in the US. EY will cut 3000 jobs as part of a strategic review of the business. This amounts to roughly 5% of its workforce. No cuts are expected in the UK. This follows the decision to scrap proposals to separate their consulting and audit businesses globally (see previous top 10). EY has stressed that this decision was not linked to the job cuts.
Deloitte will also cut 1200 staff in the US, amounting to 1.5% of its workforce. Many of these cuts will fall in the financial advisory division. Client demand has sunk due to concerns about the wider economic outlook. Merger and acquisition activities enjoyed a boom over the past few years but this is now dwindling.
10. ASDA TRIALS DRIVERLESS DELIVERY
Asda is trialling the use of driverless delivery vehicles in West London. The supermarket will randomly select customers ordering from its Park Royal store to have their goods delivered by self-driving cars. The scheme is in conjunction with autonomous vehicle tech firm Wayve. Each delivery will see an Asda worker and Wayve expert on board. Goods will still be unloaded by the Asda staff members. In the long term, driverless cars could reduce the need for highly trained drivers to carry out deliveries or at least provide easier deliveries for drivers. The trial will last 12 months and cover a 72,000 household catchment area in West London.


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U.S. public relations—HomeAwaySessions:
Melanie Fish leads U.S. public relations for HomeAway. She is also their travel expert, speaking to journalists daily about the fastest growing segment in the travel industry. Fish has presented at The New York Times Travel Show, introduced the HomeAway Eiffel Tower Apartment in a worldwide Facebook live event, worked on live “Today Show” broadcasts in Italy and Scotland, and traipsed across the U.S. happily talking travel on local morning shows and to national travel writers alike. Prior to HomeAway, Fish worked in local TV news, consulted with Abu Dhabi TV, set PR strategies for marketing firm EnviroMedia and created “The 5 Minute Connection,” a program that brought media and nonprofits together in a revolutionary new way.


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Local family-run pharmacies are hopeful the United States Supreme Court will soon side with them an effort to support the rights of states to impose regulations on the Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) industry.
That after the nation’s highest court heard the opening arguments on the case, Rutledge v. the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association,, local family-run pharmacies.
“This case is about the legal mechanism that for too long has allowed pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to corrupt and degrade our prescription drug distribution system with impunity. We are hopeful the United States Supreme Court will restore the right of states across the country to protect patients, taxpayers and pharmacies by reining in these corrupt, unregulated corporations,” said Tom D’Angelo president of the Pharmacists Society of the State of New York (PSSNY).
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified long-standing challenges for pharmacists due to prescription drug middleman known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which reimburses pharmacies for the prescriptions they fill and claim to save the average consumer more money on their health plans.
“PBMs are the prescription drug middlemen who take prescription claims, and they’re under scrutiny because they rig the prices. They eliminate patient choice and they rip off the taxpayers quite honestly,” said Marta Giammarino works at Kings Specialty Pharmacy in Park Slope. “They’re really destroying the independent pharmacy and they’ve cut the reimbursement so much that– a lot of times we’re filling prescriptions and losing money.”
Giammarino said the money made doesn’t always cover the pharmacists time and customer service, overhead, rent, and other insurances, especially during difficult COVID-19 times. “There’s been a lot of issues with the mail, so a lot of these patients get mail-order medications. So they don’t get it on time and then we can’t fill it because they’re limited to a 3-day supply,” said Giammarino.
In 2018, CVS, which already owned one of the three largest PBM in the country, merged with insurance giant Aetna for $69 billion. Another major health insurer, Cigna, acquired PBM Express Scripts, which services large employers as well as Medicare and Medicaid, a few months later. They reported that in the first full quarter as a combined company they made $37.9 billion in total revenues.
At the same time in 2018, 21 states passed bills to crack down on vague PBM business practices through tighter regulations.
Jose Caseres is a Cuban immigrant who grew up in Washington Heights and became a pharmacist. He now has the City Drug & Surgical chain that includes six stores in his neighborhood, and primarily works out of the store located on 161st Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
“Their point of saving tremendous amounts of money to the patient is really a fallacy because in some cases what they do, especially with Medicare Part D claims, the prices they reimburse generic drugs are at a higher level of costs,” said Caseres. “There are generic drugs that come onto the market and we’re able to dispense them, but then you have PBMs, they will keep the generic drug off their formulary and mandate that we continue dispensing the brand which is a higher cost.”
Caseres, who is also a PSSNY member, said he’s been working with local officials to make PBMs more transparent.
Governor Andrew Cuomo unexpectedly vetoed a bill on the middlemen after it passed the New York State Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2019. The decision reportedly had mixed reactions. The bill is expected to be reintroduced when the legislature resumes its fall session this year.
“We still have hope in the profession,” said Giammarino. “I can’t urge how much we need this bill passed.”


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Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com has recently begun to undergo a new round of organizational restructuring. Jingxi Business Group under JD Retail will be broken up within this month, and the original business lines are expected to be integrated into other business groups, 36Kr reported on Friday.
Specifically, Jingxi, Jingxitong and Jingxi Pinpin will be merged into JD Retail. Before the merger, Jingxi Business Group will carry out personnel layoffs.
The adjustment of the Jingxi Business Group will be carried out in batches. At present, the business adjustment of Jingxi Pinpin has been completed by only reserving businesses in Beijing and Zhengzhou. At most, there are more than 20 provinces in China covered by Jingxi Pinpin. Its business scope has also been contracted to Beijing, Shandong, Henan and Hubei in March of this year.
According to sources, the purpose of this business optimization is to increase profit capacity, and the future of each department will be closely related to the profitability during the 618 Shopping Festival. One source said, “Before the end of June, projects in JD Health, JD Industry and JD Retail, which did not make profits or reduce loss to reasonable level, have the possibility of being cut.”
According to the firm’s financial report, the operating loss of JD.com‘s new business in 2021 reached 10.6 billion yuan ($1.58 billion), including JD Production and Development, Jingxi, overseas business and technological innovation.
Jingxi Pinpin under Jingxi has attracted much attention in the past two years. According to sources, the reason why Jingxi Pinpin’s business in Beijing was kept is that it has achieved profits in the city. Although its business in Zhengzhou is in a state of losses, it is testing a new distribution model in the city. Whether the business in the two places will continue in the future still depends on profits and losses.
The establishment of the Jingxi Business Group in 2020 shows JD.com‘s various explorations of the small-town and rural markets in recent years. In April 2017, JD.com‘s founder Richard Liu made a high-profile announcement on Weibo that in the next five years, JD.com will open 1 million convenience stores nationwide, half of which will be in rural areas. However, after setting this target, Jingxi did not disclose the number of stores it has renovated in rural areas.


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The driver of a stolen vehicle from Hutchinson was arrested in Salina on Friday. Police took 56-year-old Ronald Pierson into custody after a digital license plate reader pinged inside the police cruiser – alerting the officer to a reported stolen pickup truck. The owner told authorities that Pierson did not have permission to drive the 2004 Ford F250 which is valued at $5,000.
Police arrested 56-year-old Renee Bingham of Salina after an investigation revealed that she used another person EBT card to purchase items at Wal-Mart, 2900 S. 9th. Police allege she used a man’s card who had been evicted from a property in the 2200 block of S. Ohio to buy $286 worth of merchandise back in November. The case could lead to charges of welfare fraud with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office