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By Philip Ballentine
One of Mitt Romney’s top foreign policy planks is declaring China a “currency manipulator” and fighting back with across-the-board “countervailing duties” (taxes on all Chinese imports), policies introduced in his Sept. 2011 economic policy paper and reiterated since then. Today, his vice presidential pick Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) echoed Romney’s call:
They manipulate their currency… We’re not going to let that happen. Mitt Romney and I are going to crack down on China cheating and make sure trade works for Americans.
Watch the video:
Ryan’s position was right before his flip-flop: declaring China a currency manipulator would open the door to slapping a tax on every shoe, children’s toy, t-shirt, iPhone, and washing machine imported from China, raising prices for every American consumer. In addition to spiking the prices of Chinese imports (worth almost $400 billion in 2011), Romney’s duties would spark a trade war with America’s third largest export market. China would almost certainly react with duties of its own on American goods. That would be a job killer for the U.S.; America exported $103.9 billion in goods and services to China in 2011, up almost 50 percent from 2008.
In fact, Ryan wasn’t the only conservative who opposed China policies like Romney’s. Among the many conservative experts (including a campaign adviser) who side against Romney, here are two prominent Republicans, unlike Ryan, haven’t flip-flopped on the issue:
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) dismissed the importance of the exchange rate last month, saying, “Every administration for the last 15 years has worked with [China] to get them to revalue their currency “and “the value of their currency has continued to come up.” Boehner is right. The Chinese yuan has risen 30 percent against the dollar since 2005 and 7 percent since January 2009.
John Huntsman, former Republican presidential candidate, Utah Governor, and ambassador to China, blasted Romney’s countervailing duties in late 2011: “You’ve got a host of issues that are all part of the U.S.-China relationship. And a trade war would grind it all to a halt, all the while killing small business and exporters.” Huntsman said Romney’s China policies were “wrongheaded.”
Some local Chinese governments do embrace unfair trade practices. They provide cheap loans and materials to some Chinese companies and refuse to protect American intellectual property rights while erecting barriers for American firms. The yuan is still slightly undervalued, but Romney’s proposed solution isn’t the right approach, as these conservative politicians and experts point out.
We need to confront unfair Chinese trade practices as they occur and negotiate with China to ensure the yuan reaches its fair value. President Obama has been very successful in this effort, confronting China in the WTO and on its own with duties on specific Chinese goods that benefit from those unfair subsides. Romney’s across-the-board taxes on Chinese imports would punish American consumers with higher prices for everyday goods and American businesses with a futile trade war.
Romney’s ideas don’t make for sound policies. Perhaps that why Huntsman dismissed his China-bashing as “typical campaign rhetoric.” A purported wonk like Ryan apparently isn’t above it either.
Philip Ballentine is an intern with the Center for American Progress.


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Jewish World Review July 31, 2002 / 22 Menachem-Av , 5762
http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | Leave it to lawyers to combine the two favorite American pastimes: eating and suing. In various states, lawsuits have been filed or are being planned against the fast-food industry. Lawyers who recently received windfalls in fees from tobacco lawsuits are now eyeing fast food as the next opportunity for super-size awards.
With the exception of tobacco, there are few things that kill more people than overeating. Obesity caused more than 300,000 deaths in 2000. That same year, obesity resulted in $117 billion in health-care costs. In the last 10 years, obesity rates in the United States have increased 60%, and states like Iowa have populations with more than 20% obesity. Those figures are enough to make the most restrained personal injury lawyer salivate like Pavlov's dog.
Lawyers tend to hunt in packs, and the fast-food industry has begun to look like that slow, stumbling member of the herd--ripe for culling. Lawyers are now probing the fast-food industry in at least six different areas for potential liability.
Some theories have proved fast and easy kills. Various Hindus, Sikhs, Jews and vegetarians recently sued McDonald's over its use of animal fats in its French fries. This resulted in a relatively easy legal settlement for $12 million, including $2.5 million in legal fees, without a trial. Additional lawsuits are now being planned.
Lawyers, however, are looking for much bigger returns in linking fast food to widespread deaths and injuries in the same fashion as tobacco. This effort was given a boost recently by studies linking French fries and other potato products to cancer. It appears that a large serving of McDonald's fries includes 72 micrograms of acrylamide, a probable cancer-causing compound that the Environmental Protection Agency limits to 0.12 micrograms in an eight-ounce glass of water. While these studies are in their early stages, they put fast-food companies on notice and, if confirmed later, could result in liability.
Other possible theories may target advertising campaigns, particularly those directed to families. As a father of three boys under 4, I can attest to the almost hypnotic effect of the Happy Meal. There is hardly a need for a surgeon general's warning. I realize I am buying concentrated fat and acrylamides in a box, but they come with toys.
I am left with a choice of long-term cancer and obesity risks on the one hand and, on the other, the immediate benefit of strapping three children into restraints and rendering them semiconscious in a fat- and toy-induced trance. On some Saturday afternoons, I would pry McNuggets from the cold, dead fingers of Ronald McDonald, if necessary.
It is precisely the success of these campaigns that may attract lawyers under either product-liability theories or consumer protection statutes. To the extent that these meals are not wholesome as advertised, fast-food businesses are vulnerable to allegations of misrepresentation, fraud and negligence.
Lawyers are not the only ones who could benefit from targeting the fast-food industry. Politicians have already staked out their possible share in "fighting the fat."
Various states are considering adding "sin taxes" on junk food to make their citizens better aware of their dangers. This idea would also add billions in new taxes for legislatures that spent their way back into debt in the last few years.
Legislators have long relied on the profits of "sin." Such taxes on cigarettes make the federal and state governments the greatest beneficiaries of smoking. The tobacco settlements resulted in huge amounts of money going to the states, which led to a frenzy of spending. With this money gone, a new taxable sin would be most welcome.
Lawyers also will find an eager ally among nutritionists and dieticians who view dining out a bit differently from the rest of us.
Whereas a plate of fettuccine Alfredo is generally seen as a Northern Italian delight, experts have labeled it "a heart attack on a plate." Whereas most of us view a Starbucks white chocolate mocha as a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up, its 600-calorie load has been described as "drinking a Big Mac."
Of course, there remain some significant hurdles to holding the Cheesecake Factory liable for the fact that you ordered a slice of its carrot cake with more than 1,500 calories and enough fat to lubricate an infantry fighting vehicle. Our society is saturated by fats, and it is hard to isolate a single source.
Moreover, obesity has various potential causes, and the connection between repeated "Big Mac attacks" and one heart attack is difficult to establish. Finally, there is the question of personal responsibility, which seems often ignored in these massive lawsuits. We may soon see campaigns from the industry reminding us that "Twinkies don't kill people, people kill people."
Nevertheless, the idea of slimming down through litigation has a curious appeal today. Increasingly, we look to litigation to address our irresistible impulses and to correct our personal choices. Who cares if some lawyers get fatter if we get skinnier.
In some ways, it is a relief. I have informed my wife that my recent weight gain is nothing less than a long-term investment. As a potential plaintiff, I could well be eating myself into prosperity; carrying the kids' college fund around my midsection, safe from stock market fluctuations. Who needs Jenny Craig when you can have Johnnie Cochran?
It may be the ultimate American diet plan brought to you by your friends at
the American Bar Assn.
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07/22/02: The meaning of justice and the madness of Zacarias Moussauoi

domain: news


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THE summer months of June to August account for 22.3% of all take-home food and drink spend in Scotland, totalling £2.2bn, according to Kantar Worldpanel. Excluding ice cream, the top categories which over-index in the warmer months are prepared salad, chilled salad accompaniments and barbecue foods, with 30% of annual sales on all three achieved during the summer period.
Summer is when dining outdoors is in fashion and Spar has focused on that with a dedicated range. The Spar chilled summer range aims to be worth £5.5m in sales, and is intended to capitalise on barbecue, picnics and alfresco dining-related demand.
Susan Darbyshire, Spar UK brand director, said: “With multiple bank holidays, sporting events and warmer weather on the horizon, we are supporting our Spar retailers to make their stores a real destination for all things summer.”
• To make the most of picnic food it’s important to monitor the weather closely and order enough stock to cover increases in demand, says Kim Burgess, head of markets at Addo Food Group.
“Products such as the Pork Farms pork pies and Wall’s sausage rolls, Scotch eggs and slices, are particularly suitable for the summer months, due to their ease of transportation, pack sizes and the ability to be eaten cold,” she said.
“The recently launched Pork Farms Sweet Chilli Topped Mini Pork Pies are a perfect new addition for the summer alfresco eating occasions.”
• Unilever UK has launched its biggest ever summer campaign for Hellmann’s.
The £10m campaign, ‘Grilltopia’, supports its new range of barbecue and hot sauces, as well as its mayonnaise products.
Brand manager Hannah Webb said: “We can’t wait to galvanize the nation and make Hellmann’s not only the nation’s favourite mayonnaise, but a BBQ must-have for Grillmasters everywhere.”


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On the heels of opening Georgia’s first Kyuramen restaurant in Suwanee, Franchisee James Yang is already working on launching two new locations this year in the Atlanta metro area.
The City of Atlanta recently released plans for construction on an outpost of the Japanese-style ramen restaurant and bubble tea store in Berkeley Park’s The District at Howell Mill development, at 1801 Howell Mill Road.
Situated in suite 460, Kyuramen will open adjacent La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant in the Walmart-anchored shopping center, plans reviewed this week by What Now Atlanta show. According to a site map for The District, the space — which sits between La Parrilla and Nail Talk — has sat vacant for years.
Converting the 3,890 square-foot space into the ramen eatery could cost $382,000, according to the recently-issued building permit. An opening timeline for Georgia’s second Kyuramen is unclear. Yang on Wednesday did not respond to a request for comment.
Yang’s third Kyuramen is slated for Duluth, at 3780 Old Norcross Rd suite 108, in the Kroger-anchored Reynold’s Crossing shopping center. Permits for this location have not yet been released for construction, a source with intimate knowledge of the incoming location told What Now Atlanta.
The name “Kyuramen” comes from the Japanese word for “nine” or “Kyu” making nine ramen flavors the foundation of Kyuramen’s menu, the company wrote in a press release when they announced NYC expansion plans last year. In addition to its ramen, the restaurant offers omurice (Japanese-style omelet) and a rice burger.
“Every month we have new locations opening,” Founder Gary Lin said at the time. “We are trying to double the number of locations every year. We will go from 25, 50, 100, 200 to 400 locations.” The growing restaurant brand was established in 2014.


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On June 21st 2017, Berghs was awarded School of the Year in Cannes for the fourth year in a row and the sixth time in total. The award is given as part of the competition AKQA Future Lions where students from all over the world compete. Berghs’ students had the most entries that made it to the final amongst fierce competition by more than 2100 students from 400 schools in 64 countries. Check out all ten finalist entries below!
The brief was:
Connect an audience of your choosing to a product or service from a global brand in a way that wasn’t possible three years ago.
UPS By The Way
simon mikkelsson nolin


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by William White | July 3, 2013 1:03 pm
On July 4 many people will buy and eat hot dog, but sales still aren’t looking good.
Hot dog sales went down more than 3% in 2012 from 2011 making it the third consecutive year sales have declined.
Ronald Plain, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri, says America’s declining birth rate, along with changing immigration patterns and demographic profile may be to blame for the decrease in hot dog sales, reports Bloomberg.
Though some believe that other reasons are causing frankfurter sales to decline.
“Higher raw-material costs are leading to higher retail price points,” Janet Riley, president of the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council, told Bloomberg. “Consumers are very sensitive to that.”
Despite the declining sales hot dogs make a good addition to any July 4 cookout.
Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2013/07/the-desperate-state-of-the-american-hot-dog/
Short URL: http://invstplc.com/1nv6JgY
Copyright ©2017 InvestorPlace Media, LLC. All rights reserved. 700 Indian Springs Drive, Lancaster, PA 17601.


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Yesterday was a red-letter day for China Duty Free Group (CDFG) as it signed an exclusive ten-year duty-free retail contract for the new and much-anticipated Beijing Daxing International Airport.
The Chinese capital’s new airport is due to be completed on June 30 and opened by the end of September. As revealed by The Moodie Davitt Report, CDFG was officially confirmed on March 13 as the dual winner of the airport’s two ten-year duty-free concessions for liquor, tobacco and food/confectionery; and beauty and fashion.
Yesterday’s ceremony was attended by senior executives from the airport company, CDFG and its parent China International Travel Service Corporation (CITS). The event culminated with CDFG President Chen Guoqiang (Charles Chen) and Beijing Capital Airport Commercial & Trading Co General Manager Li Hong jointly signing the contract.
Attendants included Jun Xue, Deputy General Manager and Secretary of the Board of CITS; Charles Chen; Wang Xuan, CDFG Vice President; Gao Xujiang, CDFG Assistant General Manager; Yan Guang Wang of the Board of CITS; Li Hong; and senior leaders from Beijing Capital Airport Group and the Daxing Airport management company.
At the signing ceremony, Li Hong and Yang Xuebing, Deputy General Manager for Beijing Capital Airport Group Company’s Strategic Development Department, delivered speeches. Both said that as a global duty-free industry leader, CDFG ranks as “second to none” in China’s tourism-related retail industry.
CDFG is a highly compatible partner for Daxing International Airport, they emphasized. As state-owned enterprises, the two parties have always maintained a good cooperative relationship, Li and Yang noted.
Speaking on behalf of CDFG and CITS, Charles Chen and Jun Xue said that CDFG will leverage its operational expertise and heavy promotional investment to develop the Daxing Airport duty-free business. Preparation for the September opening is proceeding well, they said. CDFG will complete the preparatory work of the duty-free shops on schedule, Cheng pledged, while June Xue said that CITS will fully support its retail subsidiary and ensure an on-time, high-quality opening.
All parties agreed that the signing ceremony marks a starting point for a long-term cooperation between Beijing Capital Airport Group and CDFG. During the next ten years, the two parties will work together to improve consumer service and nurture the image of Beijing Daxing International Airport, they said. This “win-win cooperation” will create a “new benchmark in retailing,” Chen and Li promised.


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Austin man transforming California ghost town into luxury travel destination
Austin hostel owner Brent Underwood welcomed some unique residents upon his purchase of California’s Cerro Gordo town in 2018: ghosts. And they're not stopping him from aiming to transform the former mining spot into a luxury destination.
That should be a feat: the 300-acre, 22-building Death Valley-area settlement featured a single saloon with blood stains and bullet holes among other dilapidated structures in the Wild West setting, some of which was filled with junk, like out-of-tune pianos. Just three buildings offered running water and the closest town is Lone Pine, California, about 50 miles away.
HoustonChronicle.com: Best places to eat on a Texas road trip
But it shouldn't be too much of a challenge for Underwood who is no stranger to the hospitality industry. He owns HK Austin, a hostel housed in a 19th-century Victorian house, which has generated a loyal clientele.
Underwood purchased this property for $1.4 million last year and has already implemented more than $400,000 in renovations, according to CNBC. That outlet reports that it currently costs $10,000 per month to run as remodeling efforts are ongoing. The amount also includes loan payments and payroll.
He’s making progress now with the help of his business partner Jon Bier and various investors.
Fortunately, Underwood sees the positive aspect of isolation: “We might get quite a bit more done because there’s not too many distractions when you're up miles away from anybody else,” he told the New York Times in 2018.
GET CREATIVE: Best photo shoot locations in Texas
Once it's complete, it will offer folklore along with its rustic charm: Cerro Gordo, which is situated along the Inyo Mountains, has long been associated with hauntings, like one featuring the town’s former brothel owner. Another legendary ghost tells of a “card game gone wrong,” and the third “still remains a mystery.”
Only time and prospective guests might help unravel the stories and history of the unique space.


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Crysis Remastered Delayed After Fan Backlash (via The Verge)
Crysis Remastered has been a curious release, bringing back a game that has been used as a PC benchmark for years with supposedly improved assets and visuals. An upcoming trailer leaked, and many fans pointed out it looks like the PC version on low settings. In response, the game has been delayed and the developer is promising a more high-fidelity experience.
Tencent Establishes US Development Studio for AAA Games (via gamesindustry.biz)
Chinese corporate giant Tencent, which has shares in many popular game studios and owns major studios like Riot Games, has opened a new studio of its own. LightSpeed LA is opening up under Rockstar alum Steve Martin, and the studio is working on a AAA game for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Martin has stated the studio will be "crunch-free" and promote an "inclusive culture."
Sony's Shuhei Yoshida Introduces PlayStation Indies Branding (via PS Blog)
Indie games on consoles have a strong history going back to the Xbox 360, but the Nintendo Switch and the "Nindies" brand has really made smaller game support a keystone for console success. Shuhei Yoshida, who is heading up the indie department over at PlayStation, has revealed a new branding set to show a dedication to that space. PlayStation Indies has 9 games currently under its banner, and this initiative will include bringing more small games to PS5, and aid in their development in addition to publishing.


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As new developments continue to crop up College Park, Vigilante Coffee Company announced Thursday it will open a location along Route 1 before fall.
The new shop will be located at 8200 Baltimore Ave., formerly the location of #1 Liquors between The View and The Varsity student apartments, and will open sometime in late summer, said Ken Ulman, the chief strategy officer for economic development for the University of Maryland’s College Park Foundation. Vigilante Coffee opened its only other storefront in Hyattsville in 2014, though the store is also featured in markets and other pop-ups in the Washington area.
“Bottom line: great college towns have great coffee shops,” Ulman said. “We’re really excited about bringing a great and local coffee shop to a location here in College Park.”
The business specializes in serving unique coffee and providing coffee education, with its Hyattsville location hosting workshops ranging from brewing methods to latte art for those interested in learning more about the drink, said Chris Vigilante, the company’s owner and founder. The cheapest cup of coffee offered is $2.50, with the most expensive being a $16 cup of Panamanian coffee.
Although this city’s location will not host coffee workshops, Vigilante said the store will be creative with events and other sorts of educational opportunities.
“We saw this opportunity, and we’ve been looking for about two years in College Park and in the surrounding Maryland area for the right fit,” said Vigilante, adding that the area makes up “a community and audience that will get along very well with our brand and what we put out in our world.”
The shop will have 1,400 square feet of indoor space, Ulman said, but it will also feature outdoor seating. Vigilante said he also hopes to showcase artists from the university community to create art installations “to really invigorate [the] building and bring new life to it.”
The project goes along with this university’s Greater College Park initiative, which is a $2 billion public-private investment toward the revitalization and redevelopment of Route 1. The addition is an opportunity to renew the area, said Eric Olson, the College Park City-University Partnership’s executive director.
“I’m excited to have them here in College Park,” Olson said. “Making that site a nicer site with a coffee company and sprucing up the building and integrating it into the midtown area in a cool way — that’s a real benefit to our efforts to continue to improve College Park.”
Vigilante said he expects the new location to be very busy, adding that he’s thrilled to be a part of the city’s community and the legacy it holds.
“We hope that it’s open to everyone and anyone within the University of Maryland, College Park and the surrounding area,” Vigilante said. “We’re a shop that’s for everybody. We try to put a focus on our service and not cater[ing] to one clientele, but serving great coffee to anyone that wants it.”


text: AutoNation, Inc. a U.S. automotive retailer, has joined the Plug-In Partners campaign calling on automakers to manufacture plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. “The development of plug-in hybrids could reduce America’s addiction to oil,” said AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson. “These new hybrids would offer consumers a 50-mile all-electric range, get the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon, be fully recharged at night and deliver all the performance and comfort of traditional gasoline-powered vehicles without the damaging emissions. We believe Americans will buy these vehicles, which is why we want to sell them.” The Plug-In Partners campaign, launched in January 2006 by the City of Austin and Austin Energy, has attracted nearly 60 cities and counties, including Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Baltimore and Phoenix, as well as dozens of environmental, national security organizations, business and utility partners. The coalition is working with its partners to generate “soft” fleet orders to demonstrate the potential market for plug-in hybrid vehicles. It also has begun a nationwide petition drive for individual consumers to express their support and interest in buying a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Austin Mayor Will Wynn said: “AutoNation’s support of the Plug-In Partners campaign demonstrates the growing momentum for the manufacturing of plug-in hybrids. Mike Jackson certainly knows what type of vehicles that Americans will buy. We salute his commitment to help us reduce this country’s dependence on foreign oil and decrease greenhouse gas emission while also lowering fuel costs for consumers.” Contrasting plug-in hybrids to the limited range of earlier electric vehicles, Jackson added, “Next-generation batteries are significantly more powerful and can tolerate discharging and charging much more forgivingly than earlier versions. That opens up the possibility of creating a vehicle that will deliver genuine benefits to consumers and society.” AutoNation, Inc., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. AutoNation has approximately 27,000 full-time employees and owns and operates 333 new vehicle franchises in 16 states.


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Billionaire Kylie Jenner dropped big bucks on a birthday present for her babys father Travis Scott. MTO News has learned that Kylie bought Travis a $3 million Bugatti.
We spoke with a person EXTREMELY close with the Kardashians, and they told us that Kylie bought Travis the super car for his birthday. The insider claimed that it was a “thank you” gift, for being such a good dad to their daughter.
And what a thank you!! MTO News has EXCLUSIVE pics of Travis driving around in his gift car.
Here are some details about Travis’ new $3M ride. The CBugatti Chiron is a mid-engine two-seater sports car developed and manufactured in Molsheim, France by French automobile manufacturer Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S..
The Chiron is the successor to the Bugatti Veyron, which was a popular car among billionaires 5 years ago.
Travis is driving the fastest car in the world. The Chiron can accelerate from 0–62mph in 2.4 seconds according to the manufacturer, 0–124 mph in 6.5 seconds and 0–186 mph in just 13.6 seconds.
In a world-record-setting test at the time in 2017, the Chiron reached 249 mph in 32.6 seconds, after which it needed 9.4 seconds to brake to standstill.
Kylie recently sold her makeup line for $1.6 billion. So she’s got plenty of cash to blow.


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The acclaimed director, a winner of five Clios, a Cannes Grand Prix and numerous other awards, is the latest addition to the Bully roster.
Read the story in The Wire here.
Lilliputian Burger King workers, pandas in pirate suits and "magical" chocolate candies are featured in the latest work from Bully Pictures. Read the story on Creative Cow here. See "It's Good to Be King" on Adland here.
Bully Pictures' latest project was a collaboration with Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky on a glamorous new campaign for Revlon. Read the story on Shoot Publicity Wire here.
The multi-talented director, photographer, and graphic designer has signed with Bully Pictures for exclusive commercial representation. Read the story on AdLand here and another on Shoot here.
A man goes to superhuman lengths to take advantage of "the greatest sale ever" in a new spot directed by Fredrik Callinggard for Scandinavian retailer El Giganten. Read the story in Screen Magazine here.
Director/DP Dana Christiaansen has signed with Bully Pictures for exclusive national representation. Read the story in Shoot here and in Screen here.
Bully Pictures has hired an additional executive producer, assembled a new sales team and moved into new headquarters on Los Angeles' Westside. Read the story in Shoot here.
A hungry kid is blown away by the "full force flavor" of Tornados in a new commercial for the snack food directed by Daniel Kaufman of Bully Pictures. Read the story in Shoot Publicity Wire here.
Bully Pictures' Fredrik Callinggard recently traveled to Thailand to a new campaign for 7UP that rebrands the product for the Chinese market. Read the story in Digital Content Producer here.
Bully Pictures Director Craig Tanimoto has directed a new spot for Panda Express in which a bears pulls off a heist worthy of the gang from Ocean's Eleven. Read the story in Shoot Publicity Wire here.


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GM Airbag Recall Due to Defective Takata Inflators
GM announced a recall of 7 million pickups and SUVs with airbags made by Takata, the same manufacturer whose airbags are linked to several road deaths in the United States. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ordered the recall despite GM’s argument that the Takata airbags are safe for use. The GM airbag recall comes six years after an initial Takata investigation that turned into the biggest auto recall in history.
Takata airbags have been prone to failure and have exploded, sending shrapnel throughout vehicles when deployed. Motorists have been severely injured and killed by the alleged defect. To date, around 63 million Takata airbags have been replaced in the U.S. alone.
GM previously recalled almost 800,000 vehicles equipped with Takata airbags with a different kind of Takata inflator. GM insists the current airbags do not pose a threat, but the NHTSA had the final say, ordering the recall of 5.9 million vehicles registered in the United States.
Joe Lyon is an experienced product liability attorney, reviewing auto defect cases and investigating injuries related to the GM airbag recall.
NHTSA Orders GM Airbag Recall
The latest GM airbag recall will cost the automaker about $1.2 billion. GM will have to foot all costs with Takata now bankrupt. The safety agency released a statement, concluding “the GM inflators in question are at risk of the same type of explosion after long-term exposure to high heat and humidity as other recalled Takata inflators.”
The Takata airbags have an ammonium-nitrate-based propellant that has been known to deteriorate over time or when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. If a damaged airbag is deployed, they can shoot metal into the vehicle, posing serious injury risks and deaths.
GM has thirty days to provide the NHTSA with a plan on how the automaker will notify owners and fix recalled airbags. Airbag replacements are done at no cost to vehicle owners. The recall covers the following vehicles with model years 2007 to 2014:
- Cadillac Escalade
- Chevrolet Avalanche
- GMC Sierra


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Since Lydia’s Kitchen closed in Fairfax in July and relocated to Petaluma, the vegetarian and vegan residents of the town have been glancing wistfully at the space as they pass by, missing their raw kale soup and such.
But if a new restaurant comes through as promised, eaters could soon be back to eating their organic, vegan cuisine. Fairfax Diner is planned for the space on Bolinas Road, and it promises “locally sourced, always organically grown, GMO free” cuisine.
The menu outline looks familiar to the former Lydia’s, with raw foods, gluten-free and sugar-free recipes, and a variety of vegan desserts like cakes, pies and sugar-free ice cream.
For sipping pleasure, there will also be organic homemade fountain sodas, and organic, vegan beer and wine.
No news yet on when the debut will be, but a post from the Marin Vegans group earlier this month on the restaurant’s Facebook site sums up the desire from a hungry audience: “Open. Open. Open.”
Fairfax Diner: 31 Bolinas Rd., Fairfax; fairfaxdiner.com.


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UTICA, N.Y. - A new restaurant is coming to downtown Utica.
The new restaurant will be owned and managed by the same owners as Ocean Blue. The owners made the announcement Monday night at their New Year's Eve party.
The new space will hold bigger events and the owners say it wont be anything like Ocean Blue.
It is set to open this fall.
- New restaurant coming to downtown Utica
- Downtown foot patrol in Utica
- Downtown Utica Enjoys Free Concert
- Downtown Getdown underway in Utica
- Restaurant Week kicks off in Utica
- Chesterfield owners open new restaurant in Utica
- Area restaurants come to the rescue
- Hope Day comes to Utica
- Police investigate stabbing in downtown Utica apartment
- Minivan crashes into mosque in downtown Utica


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MINOT, N.D. – In a time when people are seeking emotional comfort, the demand for pets has skyrocketed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But as people are seeking to add a furry new friend to their families over the holiday season, the Better Business Bureau reports that online puppy and pet scams have also seen an increase during COVID-19.
Reports from the BBB said online scammers lure in potential pet owners with fake photos of pets.
They then request money before promising to ship an animal that doesn’t exist, or request additional fees after a payment is made.
The BBB reports consumers lost more than 3 million dollars, with the average consumer losing almost $800 through fraudulent purchases.
They said the best way to avoid pet scams is to purchase close to home.
“We ask you to think about some other sources or resources around in our local community where you might be able to see a pet or meet a vendor, a seller in person before you make a purchase,” said Bao Vang, Communications Director for BBB Minnesota and North Dakota.
The BBB suggests looking out for red flags including requests for wire transfers, grammatical and punctuation mistakes on websites, or flash deals that may seem to good to be true.
They also said more than 4,000 pet scam reports have been recorded since the start of 2020.
You can report and track scams in your area by going to the BBB’s Scam tracker website here.
Copyright 2020 KFYR. All rights reserved.


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June 21, 2013
Penticton council sours on winery expansion
A local winery hoping to expand its range of operations got a setback this week when Penticton city council decided not to endorse their application to create a winery lounge.
© 2014 Wine Communications Group - all rights reserved.
privacy & terms


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UPDATE 1-Canada to invest C$250 mln in auto industry
OAKVILLE, Ontario, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Canada will invest C$250 million ($253.69 million) in the country's auto industry, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Friday, as Ottawa tries to encourage private sector investment and create manufacturing jobs.
Harper announced a five-year extension to the Automotive Innovation Fund, which was set up in 2008 to provide government support to research and development projects in Canada's automotive sector.
"Our government remains focused on creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity and to keeping Canada's automotive manufacturing sector globally competitive and innovative," Harper said, speaking at an event at the Ford Motor Co. assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario.
Separately, Harper said the Canadian government does not intend to keep its stake in General Motors Corp over the long term, but it will not be influenced by the United States on when to sell.
"We are not bound by what the United States decides," Harper said. "We'll sell in a way that attempts to maximize the value for the Canadian taxpayer."
The announcement on the auto investment comes in the wake of General Motors' announcement in December that it will produce the next generation of its Chevrolet Camaro in Lansing, Michigan, instead of at GM's Canadian production hub in Oshawa, Ontario, where it currently produces the sports car.
Canadian Industry Minister Christian Paradis said last month that he was "concerned" about GM's decision to move the Camaro and that Ottawa would hold the Detroit automaker to the commitments it made in return for the Canadian government's investment in the company.
The Canadian government and the province of Ontario, the heartland of Canada's auto industry, pumped more than C$10 billion into GM in 2009 to bail out the struggling automaker.
In return, the Canadian governments required that GM maintain its share of production in Canada for several years moving forward.


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Car-sharing services are becoming an increasingly-popular alternative to car ownership, but Audi is redefining the concept with a new program in Stockholm.
Called Audi unite, it lets up to four people literally “share” a car for up to two years, using an app to manage access.
The list of available cars includes virtually every Audi model, from the tiny A1 hatchback to the Q7 SUV, and even the R8 supercar.
Just like a rental, insurance and maintenance are bundled into the monthly fee each driver pays, which cane be divided among group members evenly or based on how much each person drives. A “personalized fuel card” allows drivers to add fuel costs to that monthly bill as well.
Everything is coordinated through an app (iPhone only, for now) that works a lot like the apps used by Zipcar and other car-sharing services, allowing drivers to reserve the car and track its location.
Each driver also gets a beacon for his or her keychain that grants access to the vehicle and allows the system to track who has been using it, and for how long.
Audi unite was designed in collaboration with Swedish digital design studio Kram/Weisshar. Co-founder Clemens Weisshar told Co.Exist that it’s a natural fit for Stockholm because of Swedes’ reputation for sharing, tech-savviness, and love of design – including car design.
Audi reportedly plans to try out the scheme in other Swedish cities, but hasn’t discussed offering it outside the Scandinavian country.
Audi isn’t the first carmaker to break into the car-sharing game (BMW and Daimler operate services of their own) but the Audi unite model is obviously much closer to the existing relationship most people have with cars.
As cities look to lower traffic levels and consumers look to reduce the inconvenience of car ownership, it could help Audi keep pace with potential changes in driver habits.
- Audi ActiveSphere concept is part luxury sedan, part pickup truck
- Audi’s SkySphere electric roadster has shape-shifting superpowers
- Audi’s electric 2022 Q4 E-Tron packs big tech, lots of space in compact package
- Audi’s new A3 Sedan learns a few tech tricks from its bigger siblings
- Audi’s Q4 Sportback E-Tron will have customizable LED headlamps, 279-mile range


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New SMAC Board Members Include Savar, Feder
Big Fuel Founder/COO Avi Savar (pictured), Mashable COO Sharon Feder, Google/Google+ Global Marketing Director Rikard Steiber and Resolution Media President Alan Osetek are among the industry heavyweights to be added to the Social Media Advertising Consortium (SMAC) board of directors.
Among those re-elected to the SMAC board is Ian Schafer, founder and CEO of Deep Focus.
Other newcomers to the board are: Joe Burton, President & COO, SocialChorus; Reggie Bradford, CEO & Founder, ViTrue, Inc.; Sabrina Caluori, Vice President, Social Media & Performance Marketing, HBO; Mike Edelhart, CEO, Pivotcon; and Karen Robinovitz, Co-Founder & CCO, Digital Brand Architects.
Returning board members include: Stephanie Agresta, EVP & Managing Director of Social Media, Weber Shandwick; Stuart Bogaty, CMO, YouBeauty.com; Bonin Bough , Global Director of Digital & Social Media, PepsiCo; Tom Gerace, Founder, CEO & Director, Skyword; Nichole Goodyear, Strategic Advisor Social Media; Andy Markowitz, Director, Global Digital Strategy Group, GE; Scott Monty, Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager, Ford Motor Company; Leslie Reiser, Director of WW Digital Marketing, IBM General Business; and Shiv Singh, Head of Digital, PepsiCo
Comprising SMAC’s new leadership team are Markowitz as chairman of the board, Goodyear as executive director, Agresta as director of events; and Gina Garrubo of Hearst as director of membership.
The formal announcement of SMAC’s new slate is expected to be made on Aug. 30. The organization is set to holds its second Innovation Series event on Sept. 27 in San Francisco.
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In a Q4 report published this week, Shimano has reported a second concurrent record year of sales in its bicycle-product division for Financial Year 22 (FY22), totalling 517.4 billion yen (£3.2b / $3.8b).
However, although this number marks a 16.6% year-on-year growth, this is a significant slowing compared to FY21, which grew 44.6% over the prior year FY20. The report also predicts the downturn will continue, forecasting a significant decrease in 2023.
“Although the strong interest in bicycles during the COVID-19 pandemic showed signs of cooling down, demand for bicycles remained above the pre-COVID-19 levels,” Shimano reassured the market in its summary of the report.
According to the report, Shimano saw its combined operating income – including both its bicycle and fishing tackle businesses – grow from 148.3 billion yen (£920m / $1.1b) to 169.2 billion yen (£1.05b / $1.25b), a rise of 14.1%. Despite this, the forecasted figure for FY23 shows the same figure being at 105 billion yen (£652m / $778m), a 37.9% decrease year over year.
Focusing on its FY22 performance, Shimano states that in Europe, “consumer sentiment was sluggish against a backdrop of concerns about resource and energy supply, rising prices, the prolonged high inflation and other factors, which increased fears of an economic slowdown.” Despite this, it says “sales of bicycles and bicycle-related products remained firm, partly backed by strong interest in bicycles. Despite shortages in inventories of completed bicycles, especially ebikes and high-end class road bikes, market inventories remained somewhat high.”
In North America, the brand says that “while rises in policy rates to tame high inflation put downward pressure on economy, personal consumption remained firm backed by a solid employment environment,” and that “although demand for bicycles was firm, market inventories remained higher than appropriate levels due to the supply adjustment of completed bicycles.”
A similar picture is painted elsewhere too, with Shimano saying that interest in bicycles in Asia, and South and Central American markets waned due to high inflation, although it is seeing signs of growing interest in road cycling.
In the brand’s home nation of Japan, Shimano says the market remains strong, but that inventories of completed bicycles within the market remained at an elevated level.
Shimano also called out the strong performance of a couple of items, mentioning the ‘brisk’ order-taking of the new
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…


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Former Team USA bobsled break woman Seun Adigun, who also ran for Nigeria’s track and field team in the 2012 Olympics, has come together with Akuoma Omeoga and Ngozi Onwumere to form a three-person squad, taking on the challenge of qualifying to compete while establishing a bobsled federation not only for Nigeria, but for the entire African continent.
Last year, the three athletes set out to the hardware store to make history, and twelve months later it paid off because they did it! ESPN has reported that the US-based Nigerian sprinters–who started out with just a homemade wooden sled–are now the first African bobsled team to qualify for the Olympics.
“Our objective now is to be the best representation of Africa that the Winter Olympics have ever witnessed,” Adigun told the Washington Post. That is good enough for us.
It will be only fitting to dust off our Cool Runnings VHS and break into song—”we have a bobsled team“, to commemorate this achievement.
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Users of Apple mobile devices are being urged to upgrade their phones and tablets to the latest version of iOS 14.5 in order to mitigate the impact of a number of common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs), some of which appear to be being exploited by malicious actors.
The launch of iOS 14.5 had already been hailed as a pivotal moment by privacy advocates as it introduces long-awaited controls on how third-party apps – such as Facebook – can track iPhone users.
The new operating system (OS) fixes more than 40 CVEs – a full list is available from Apple – including an arbitrary content execution vulnerability in WebKit Storage, CVE-2021-30661, which Apple says may already have been taken advantage of.
At the same time, an update to macOS – Big Sur 11.3 – also fixes multiple CVEs, including one that appears to be being actively exploited to deliver the Shlayer malware, according to threat researchers. A list of these vulnerabilities, some of which are common to the mobile update, is available from Apple.
Meanwhile, the new privacy feature makes apps that use Apple’s ID for Advertisers (IDFA) identifier display a standardised warning and an opt-in option before installation. Users had previously only been able to opt out after installation.
This is expected to have a transformational effect on the online advertising market, and has been badly received by the likes of Facebook, which has based its entire business model on scraping and sharing as much of its users’ data as it can. It has said the change to IDFA could negatively impact small businesses’ ability to find new customers from adverts by 60%.
Ray Walsh of ProPrivacy described the privacy overhaul as a massive win for consumers: “Apple’s release of iOS 14.5 this week will finally give users the ability to prevent themselves from being tracked by app developers using the IDFA code,” he said.
“Preliminary figures appear to reveal that around 80% of Apple users intend to deny consent for apps to track their IDFA as they move around the internet, a significant number which demonstrates that privacy is something close to those users’ hearts.
“It is great to see Apple forging ahead with its plan to provide added transparency and privacy controls to its users, and we can only hope that consumers opt to improve their privacy by denying consent to IDFA tracking.”
Read more about online privacy and regulation
- Facebook faces growing government pressure to abandon its plans to offer users end-to-end encryption to secure the privacy of their messages as the NSPCC raises concerns about child protection.
- Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach.
- Researchers at VPN firm Surfshark have been analysing data on 533 million people leaked from Facebook.
In an updated blog post, Dan Levy, vice-president of ads and business products at Facebook, said Apple’s prompt discouraged people from giving their permission to have their web use tracked by Facebook and provided little detail as to what their decision ultimately means.
“We disagree with Apple’s approach but will be showing their prompt to ensure stability for the businesses and people who use our services,” he said.
“Apple’s new prompt suggests there is a trade-off between personalised advertising and privacy, when in fact we can and do provide both. The Apple prompt also provides no context about the benefits of personalised ads.”
Levy said Facebook would also now show a screen of its own, alongside Apple’s, which will provide more information about how the social media platform uses personalised ads “which support small businesses and keep apps free”. He claimed this would help users “make a more informed decision”.
Levy added: “If you accept the prompts for Facebook and Instagram, the ads you see on those apps won’t change. If you decline, you will still see ads, but they will be less relevant to you. Agreeing to these prompts doesn’t result in Facebook collecting new types of data. It just means that we can continue to give people better experiences. We feel that people deserve the additional context, and Apple has said that providing education is allowed.”


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We, recently reported about ASUS unveiling its latest tablet in the market. Now, this might seem to be the perfect case of a product being a winner on the web. When ASUS launched its Eee Pad Transformer, it did mention that it would release only a small number for sale in the US market, since it was saving up on its energy for a massive UK release. It, however, didn’t envision then that its tablet would get completely sold out. Yes, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer has been completely sold out on the online retail store, Best Buy.
Till yesterday, the tablet was up on the site for $399.99. The Transformer is touted as an economical tablet, and its sell-off doesn’t come as a big surprise. And, if you thought economical was equal to lacking in features, then these specifications should come as a surprise to you –
- 10.1-inch IPS Panel at 1280x800 resolution encased in Gorilla Glass
- NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU
- Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb
- 1GB RAM
- 5 megapixel rear camera, 1.2 megapixel front camera with autofocus
- WiFi b/g/n
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- Removable Keyboard dock with secondary battery
ASUS should now ideally begin pumping in more of its Transformers in the US market, since that side of its market has been showing some bright results.
Published Date: Apr 27, 2011 01:19 pm | Updated Date: Apr 27, 2011 01:19 pm


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Feline royalty and Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette Lagerfeld, graces a new special edition issue of Lucky focusing on famous pets. Grumpy Cat and Toast the dog also have their own cover. Besides being the pet of a Chanel creative director, Choupette reportedly made over 3 million euros last year according to a recent interview with… [Read More]
Karl Lagerfeld is a German designer and photographer. One of the most renowned fashion designers of today, he currently designs for Chanel, Fendi and his eponymous label. In addition to his design work, he often goes behind the lens as a photographer. He shot campaigns for Chanel, Fendi and his own brand. In addition, his work appears in magazines such as Vogue Paris, V Magazine, BAZAAR US, CR Fashion Book and BAZAAR UK.
For its annual Stylists issue where they rank the 25 Most Powerful Stylists in Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter tapped Lady Gaga as its cover star. Gaga posed alongside her stylist, Brandon Maxwell, in Coco Chanel’s apartment in Paris, lensed by Karl Lagerfeld. “Being on Coco’s couch and having champagne in her apartment — it should… [Read More]
After seeing Kristen Stewart’s 11.12 handbag advertisement, Chanel has released images with all three stars of its spring-summer 2015 handbag campaign photographed by Karl Lagerfeld. Stewart models the 11.12 bag which features the iconic double C fastening while Alice Dellal takes on the Boy Chanel handbag. French actress Vanessa Paradis poses with the all new… [Read More]
The spring-summer 2015 campaign from Fendi takes on penthouse style with models Lindsey Wixson and Binx Walton front and center. Creative director Karl Lagerfeld photographed the pair poolside in a luxurious penthouse while wearing the new season’s colorful prints, fur embellishments and ombre details. Pages: 1 2
As we previously reported, Chanel has enlisted supermodel Gisele Bundchen as the face of its spring-summer 2015 campaign. After appearing at the runway show and in a new Chanel No. 5 advertisement, Gisele captivates once again in the purely black and white images captured by creative director Karl Lagerfeld. Whether posing barefoot in a tweed… [Read More]


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Discount Flooring partners with Lions Club and Streets Department to hand out 1,000 boxes of produce
Discount Flooring, the Lions Club and the Trenton Street Department collaborated on Sep. 10 to hand out 1,000 boxes of produce to vehicles as they drove past First Street.
KWN News Now’s Evan Stone said during a live stream of the event that the produce was originally intended to be shipped overseas. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided that the public should be given the fruits and vegetables.
“This fruit would have gone to ruin,” Stone said. “It was supposed to go overseas from our farmers to other countries. Because of the President being able to put an alliance together, he has been able to work with community organizations all across the country to be able to distribute this.”
The boxes consisted of a single cantaloupe, zucchini, squash, onions, potatoes and apples.
Citizens could either walk up to the parking lot of Discount Flooring or simply drive up next to the store to receive a single box of produce without having to leave their vehicle. Street Commissioner Monda Wooten said that several citizens asked for more than one box, but the group wanted to stick to a single box per car to ensure that as many families as possible receive the produce.
“We [could] only do one per car because we really wanted it to go as far as it could go,” Wooten said.


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Bendigo Adelaide launches “all-in-app” digital bank
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has become the latest institution to launch a new pure play digital bank.
Dubbed ‘Up’, the separately branded neo play will come in the form of a dedicated and separately branded app, as Bendigo attempts to snatch younger customers disillusioned with the offerings of the Big Four.
Australia’s fifth largest retail institution claims the the new mobile-centric service, now in beta, will be Australia’s first fully licenced “all-in-app” mobile banking platform.
It will come with native phone payment and mobile wallet functionality in what is essentially a plastic-free play.
Global payments scheme mastercard has come along for the ride and gets to bolt its mobile debit card product onto Up, a move clearly aimed at enabling online purchases as much as physical point of sale.
The new service heavily pushes the “superpowered debit” component of the offer, a clear shift from the traditional approach of steering customers towards credit cards.
Currently in beta testing and slated for launch in October, ‘Up’ is squarely aimed at millenials and will feature a bunch of cash management and budgeting features.
To read more, please click on the link below…


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Arent Fox is the leading law firm for handling intellectual property issues for fashion and luxury goods clients. We have extensive experience protecting our clients’ brands and designs, and defending them from challenges to their marks and designs. Our attorneys have defended trademark, patent, and copyright lawsuits related to suits brought by competitors challenging our clients’ right to use their mark. We have also obtained groundbreaking court decisions in the area of counterfeit and grey market products such as when we successfully worked to essentially shut down Canal Street from selling one of our client’s products and won a decision against a large big box retailer from selling grey market goods.
What’s the News?
A recent case filed in US District Court for the Southern District of Florida charges A&E Television Networks, LLC (A&E), with willful trademark infringement and unfair competition stemming from merchandise for the hit reality show Duck Dynasty. The case is a cautionary (duck?) tale about the importance of clearing trademarks prior to use and a reminder about the steps companies can take to minimize their liability under intellectual property laws.
What Made News?
A group of merchants and restaurants, including Netflix Inc., California Pizza Kitchen Inc., and Ralph Lauren Corp., are fighting back in federal court against a Delaware lawsuit alleging that they have been withholding unclaimed gift card balances that are due to the state.
The French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. (LVMH) recently settled its long-running court battle with eBay, Inc. over the online auction website’s alleged distribution of counterfeit luxury goods. Although financial terms were not disclosed, the two companies announced that they would collaborate in implementing measures aimed at protecting intellectual property rights and preventing the sale of counterfeit goods online. “Thanks to our joint efforts, consumers will enjoy a safer digital environment globally,” the companies said in a joint statement.
Attention West Hollywood (WeHo) shoppers, new furs are no longer for sale in WeHo! A federal court recently dismissed constitutional challenges to the City of West Hollywood’s (WeHo) city-wide ban prohibiting the sale of fur products (Ordinance No. 11-877) brought by Mayfair House, Inc., a luxury retailer of clothing products including fur-lined parkas and shearling gloves and slippers.
Washington, DC – On June 24, Arent Fox LLP filed suit on behalf of Italian clothing company Diesel S.p.A. against 83 websites that are cybersquatting and selling counterfeit products appearing to carry the internationally recognized label. By using the company’s trademark in the domain name, the websites are creating the false impression they are authorized to sell genuine Diesel goods. Already, the sites have sold thousands of counterfeit reproductions of Diesel’s high quality products.
Yesterday, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) of the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) cancelled six registrations related to the Washington Redskins professional football team. The TTAB found the marks violated Section 2(a) of the Federal Lanham Act, which bars registration of trademarks that may disparage persons or bring them into contempt or disrepute.
Fashion retailers beware — that lovely textile sample catching your eye could contain a copyrighted design. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York recently awarded summary judgment against Defendants Urban Outfitters, Inc. (Urban Outfitters) and GMA Accessories, Inc. dba Capelli New York (Capelli) for infringement of copyrighted textile designs by producing and selling scarves containing two copyrighted star and stripe designs. MPD Accessories B.V. v. Urban Outfitters, Case 1:12-cv-06501-LTS-KNF.
Keds, LLC has filed suit against Vans, Inc. in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts for trademark infringement, unfair competition, trademark dilution, and breach of contract stemming from the two companies’ use of blue labels on the heels of their shoes.
Details of the Case
Keds owns two trademarks for the blue rectangular labels that it affixes to the heels of its shoes.
How to Navigate FIFA & IOC’s Extra IP Protection
In this episode of Fashion Counsel, Anthony Lupo talks with Intellectual Property partner Cristina Carvalho about legal concerns fashion brands should consider when developing advertising campaigns around the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
ABOUT ARENT FOX LLP
Arent Fox LLP, founded in 1942, is internationally recognized in core practice areas where business and government intersect. With more than 350 lawyers, the firm provides strategic legal counsel and multidisciplinary solutions to clients that range from Fortune 500 corporations to trade associations. The firm has offices in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.


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IF there’s one word we’ve all heard far too often in 2019, it’s probably Brexit.
And now it looks certain that the UK’s departure from the EU will finally happen, car manufacturers will be finalising their plans to make sure they’re not caught napping.
One carmaker that has declared itself fully prepared is Volvo, with UK sales director Matt Galvin telling Car Dealer: ‘We’re ready for whatever Brexit will throw at us.
‘We have employed a customs manager to help us navigate the complexities of bringing parts and other goods into the country – but because we don’t have any manufacturing in the UK, we’re less exposed than others.
‘We have factory production in Sweden, Belgium, China, and, more latterly, South Carolina – in Charleston – so we have the opportunity to move production around as we see fit, to maximise our sales ability and revenue.’
In an upbeat end-of-year assessment of Volvo’s current status in the UK, Galvin said: ‘From a sales perspective, we are having a really great time. We sold 50,000 new cars last year and we surpassed that number in November of this year. We’re one of the fastest-growing premium car brands in the market today.
‘We’re up 12 per cent against a market that’s back three per cent so we are certainly outperforming the market and our share has increased from two per cent last year to 2.4 per cent this year.
‘That’s definitely been helped by the product – no doubt about it. XC40 has been a big contributor to that performance. We’re going to sell 14-15,000 XC40s this year, contributing to our growth and we’ll end this year on around 56,000 new cars.
‘It’s been a really good year for us in terms of new car sales, despite a struggling marketplace and all of the challenges we know that have been out there in terms of the political and economic environment.’
Galvin is just starting his fifth year with the Swedish company and has experience working for other manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Mini and BMW.
He certainly knows what life is like as a car dealer, however, starting his working life as a sales executive before attaining the rank of general manager at a large VW showroom in Essex.
One thing he appreciates about Volvo is the sheer level of investment that has gone into the brand since Geely bought it from Ford almost 10 years ago – investment which, he says, has led to the arrival of some ‘truly fantastic and class-leading cars’.
‘Every model in the range has now been refreshed or relaunched which gives us one of the youngest line-ups in the industry today,’ Galvin said. ‘That’s a big help when it comes to growing our sales volumes.’
And drilling down into those numbers, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful. Galvin said: ‘Our private retail business forms 42 per cent of our volume now – one of the highest proportions in the industry which is fantastic.
‘We’ve also seen our fleet performance really accelerate this year – and one of the other interesting developments we have seen is the reduction in our diesel share. Seventy-four per cent of our sales in 2017 were diesel sales and that’s down to 46 per cent this year. We have seen quite a dramatic change and a big shift in consumer sentiment in terms of engine choices.
‘Our plug-in hybrid share is also developing with the final piece in the jigsaw enabling us to say that we have a plug-in hybrid powertrain in every one of our models. Our plug-in hybrid share is now around five per cent for the year – and we see that growing quite considerably next year.’
A particular area of focus for Galvin has been Volvo’s used car operation, Volvo Selekt – and the manufacturer’s efforts there were no doubt instrumental in the recent success it enjoyed at the Car Dealer Magazine Used Car Awards. Volvo was awarded the trophy for having the best manufacturer used car website for 2019.
‘We have managed to grow our Selekt used car sales by 50 per cent in three years which I’m incredibly proud of,’ Galvin told us. ‘We’ve still got more to do in that space but we’re now getting recognised for our used car programme and our used models too which is also really encouraging.’
Looking back to the earlier months of 2019, Volvo launched its online sales platform in April.
Galvin said: ‘We were probably a bit late to market compared to other manufacturers but we did that for a reason – to make sure that we would launch the most comprehensive online sales platform of any carmaker in the UK. I believe we achieved that because it does genuinely provide a full, online, end-to-end journey, up to and including signing the finance documents for the consumer’s new car.
‘It’s not a rigid consumer journey, though – it’s an omnichannel-type experience. People can dive in and out of that process; they can hit the pause button at any time.
‘Having configured a car, they can then go and speak to a retailer and I think it’s quite a unique offering in the UK marketplace. We’ve made all forms of purchase available on this platform. Key to this for me is that it is still a retailer-transacted sale.
‘We are absolutely committed to retailers and the retailer model but what this does provide is an online experience for consumers who want to transact in that way. Interestingly, we do see a high proportion of our customers hitting that pause button and speaking to a retailer.
‘They might want to test-drive a car, touch it, feel it and smell it. It really does emphasise to me that while there is a place for online sales, there is also a place for car retailers in the UK.’
That ‘requirement for retailers’ was also emphasised when Volvo launched its Test Drive+ platform recently. Galvin explained: ‘When we launched, a lot of observers we saying that people don’t want to go to dealers any more to test-drive cars but actually that’s not the case.
‘What this has reinforced for us is that customers do actually want to go to a retailer. For 60 per cent of bookings through the Test Drive+ Platform, the customer has opted to either go to their retailer or have the retailer bring the car to their house or workplace.
‘Even more encouraging for us is that 95 per cent of people purchasing after a Test Drive+ experience were conquest customers.
‘So we have managed to find a medium that not only taps into convenience for current customers but also taps into those customers who are currently driving competitor brands and delivering a Volvo retailer experience. It’s really great to see.’
And those dealers are changing almost as much as the cars, it would seem.
Galvin told us: ‘All of our retailers are investing in bringing their facilities up to our latest corporate identity and also investing in some of the processes that bring them into line with the Volvo Retail Experience.
‘By the end of this year, 40 per cent of our network will have invested and be up to the latest CI and by the end of 2020, 80 per cent of our network will have undergone that journey.
‘It’s not just about a bit of cladding and nice new sofas, it’s also about different processes in the retailers. We have something called VPS, Volvo Personal Service, and the idea behind that is to take away some of the unknowns when consumers go into a retailer to get their car serviced.
‘Part of the Volvo Retail Experience refurbishment is the installation of a large window from the showroom through to the workshop so customers can actually see what’s happening to their car.
‘Not only that, but they can actually meet the technicians who are working on their car who can fully explain everything they have been doing. It’s brilliant and really leads to increased trust between customer and retailer.’
Volvo’s UK network features 99 dealerships but around 30 other more points of representation in the form of authorised repairers or used car centres – and it’s at a size Galvin is perfectly happy with.
‘I don’t think it needs to be any bigger – it’s absolutely right for the volume of cars we are aiming to sell now and for the foreseeable future,’ he said. ‘The representation we have is fulfilling our requirements.’
And as 2020 looms large on the horizon, there are busy times ahead.
‘We’ve got some fantastic products in the pipeline which will help us bring our electrification credentials to life,’ Galvin said. ‘The plug-in hybrid XC40 will arrive with us early next year and we’ll have the first Volvo-branded battery electric vehicle arrive at the very end of next year. And we’ll be launching four more Volvo-branded electric vehicles over the coming four years.
‘There’s lots in the pipeline – a lot of exciting things to look forward to.’


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GMC Ventures into Fashion with Michael Bastian
“A well put together man is said to be…sharp.”
So states Detroit-based car manufacturer GMC as it looks to update and drive into the first New York Fashion Week Men’s in crisp, precise style. Launching this week in collaboration with American menswear designer Michael Bastian, GMC’s latest addition to their Precision campaign—the car manufacturer’s first foray into the world of high fashion—highlights the complete lineup of the ever-popular Denali sub-brand that supplements its greater collection. To do this, Bastian, who agreed to the project for the exciting opportunity to mix high-luxury brands with automotive culture, delves deep into what makes an American man “sharp” in a new short-film, “The Sharp American,” which supplements the just-released TV spot. Directed by the acclaimed Arnaud Boutin, the film features perspectives from Bastian, along with photographer Michael Avedon, and musician Twin Shadow, on how to create an American man that stands out using the precision of their craft. “As we put the finishing touches on our upcoming Spring 2016 runway show at the first dedicated New York Men’s Week,” Bastian states, “GMC gave us an invaluable perspective on how a premium brand outside of fashion explores cut, detail, and precision.”
“The Sharp American” will premiere during New York Fashion Week Men’s.


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Editor's Note: Today, a Canadian payment processor named PacNet Services, Ltd. became one of the many targets of an unprecedented crackdown on global mail fraud, which was announced today by Attorney General Loretta Lynch. CNNMoney, which exclusively broke the news of this action, has spent months digging into this little-known company and the shadowy world of global mail fraud. Our investigation is below:
The frauds rake in millions from the sick and elderly -- leaving them with nothing. This is a story about the little-known company that cashes the checks.
And it happens victim by victim.
Pat Wilson still doesn't know what prompted her mother to send that first check to one of these schemes -- whether it was dementia, the thought of winning money that she could leave for her four children, or just old age. In hindsight, there were clues that something was off -- like the growing stacks of mail her mother received each day or her offhand comments about winning the lottery.
But by the time Wilson pieced it all together, she was horrified to discover just how victimized her mother had become.
In a little more than a year, the 91-year-old widow had written 749 checks, adding up to more than $29,000. The vast majority of this money was sent in response to phony prize notices and personalized letters from psychics promising financial fortune.
When Wilson turned to the Iowa Attorney General for help in 2014, she says her mother had no money left in her checking or savings accounts and had racked up thousands of dollars in credit card debt.
She had even spent nearly $1,000 in a matter of months on the international stamps needed to mail in her payments, Wilson later determined.
"The con artists were reaching the widow through each day's mail in what had become a feeding frenzy, as scammers from all over the world descended upon this vulnerable woman," the Iowa Attorney General's Office told us.
And as state investigators scoured the piles of checks and letters looking for clues, they came across a surprising tie that connected many of these seemingly unrelated schemes.
Of the 749 checks from Wilson's mother, the Iowa Attorney General determined that 566 (or around 75%) were deposited by an obscure Canadian company named PacNet Services, Ltd. This added up to nearly $24,000, which went to at least 50 different mail fraud schemes (involving at least 18 separate companies), according to the agency.
And this is just a small fraction of the tens of millions of dollars in scam proceeds that have been deposited by PacNet, a new CNNMoney investigation has found.
Known as a payment processor, PacNet has profited from global mail fraud for years.
Over the months we spent digging into this shadowy world, we found an alarming number of unethical and flat-out criminal schemes that have used PacNet to process payments from their victims.
In this world, con artists perpetrate the fraud. PacNet deposits the checks.
And soon after we started investigating, we discovered that we weren't the only ones interested in this company. At the same time we were digging through government filings, consumer complaints, fraud lawsuits and other documents, the U.S. government was conducting its own investigation into PacNet. And we have learned that today, PacNet has become one of the targets of an unprecedented crackdown on global mail fraud. The government says PacNet is part of an international network that has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from millions of elderly victims.
Details of the various law enforcement actions are still developing, but CNNMoney has exclusively confirmed that a Canadian payment processor named PacNet is a key target in this crackdown.
In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Treasury Department has deemed PacNet a "significant transnational criminal organization" landing it on the same short list as some of the world's most notorious mobsters, drug cartels and murderers.
In another action, the U.S. government is seizing PacNet funds held at a U.S. bank, alleging that PacNet used the account to "facilitate money laundering" for illegal schemes -- noting that "a staggering quantity of mass mailing fraud has gone through PacNet accounts." The government found that one company alone, for example, was raking in more than $50 million a year from victims. And it was using PacNet to process these payments.
"PacNet is the payment processor of choice in many mass mail fraud schemes," a Postal Inspector wrote in a court filing Thursday.
On Friday, PacNet denied the allegations in a post on its Facebook page and said it has decided to stop processing payments for direct mail companies. "We absolutely and categorically reject the allegations made against us regarding our processing for direct mail campaigns. We will vigorously defend ourselves against these unproven allegations," the company wrote.
And when we asked the company months ago why it had processed payments for so many scams, the company responded by threatening to sue CNN.
"If PacNet is even named in a CNN article that purports to link (falsely) the Company's legitimate payment processing services with fraudulent direct mail activity, the mere association created by the article will be enough for banks and other financial institutions worldwide immediately to close the Company's financial accounts, and will make it impossible for the Company to establish new banking relationships," Tom Clare, an attorney representing PacNet, wrote in a letter to CNN's general counsel. "Any article regarding the misuse of payment processing services by fraudsters must not name or otherwise identify PacNet."
But even before our investigation began, the Iowa Attorney General had already connected PacNet to all kinds of scams. The agency told us that while PacNet had claimed to review the mailings sent by clients, the one mailing it obtained from PacNet's own files via subpoena was "a deceptive sweepstakes ruse, a further indicator that PacNet was aware of the key role it was playing in supporting mail fraud schemes that victimize the elderly."
PacNet's attorney said it had cooperated willingly with Iowa's investigation and that PacNet did not have copies of any of the mailings the agency was specifically investigating. And he was adamant that the company has never knowingly processed payments for scams.
"PacNet has consistently and unequivocally stated that it has never continued to process payments for any promotion that it knew to be deceptive," he said.
Inside the world of payment processing
Of course, not everyone using a payment processor is a scammer. There are perfectly legitimate reasons a company could turn to a payment processor, such as easier access to the banking system, lower fees and global reach.
But there are plenty of illicit reasons as well.
Here's how it works:
To help shield their operations from authorities, fraudsters need a way to process payments that won't easily link them to their scheme or raise red flags. That's because many banks will shut down an account or report them to authorities if they detect suspicious activity, like a high number of small deposits, complaints or refunds.
So con artists and other schemers instead turn to a payment processor like PacNet.
PacNet has relationships with banks around the world, and can set up accounts for clients in the countries they do business -- processing payments in currencies ranging from the British Pound to the Indonesian Rupiah. This gives fraudsters the key ability to access victims and bank accounts in countries far from their home base.
Say your grandmother who suffers from Alzheimer's gets a letter telling her she's won $1 million, and all she needs to do is send in $20 to claim this life-changing prize. The letter looks official, so she gets out her checkbook and mails that $20.
Payments like these often end up with PacNet.
PacNet then deposits the money into an account under its own name and takes a cut as a commission. It holds on to the rest of the funds, until they are eventually sent to the client's own bank account (typically through a wire transfer).
The common link
There are so many layers that victims typically have no idea that PacNet is involved, except in rare cases where frustrated family members have found fine print on the back of the canceled checks and traced the deposits back to PacNet.
California resident Jennifer Bell, for example, only recently noticed that a handful of checks (sent to three different schemes) that she saved from her elderly relative's digital bank records were all stamped with PacNet's name.
The 87-year-old woman, who Bell says was struggling with dementia at the time, had sent tens of thousands of dollars to all kinds of different scams.
Bell and other family members realized how bad the situation had gotten when they learned she had drained the entire $100,000 balance on the reverse mortgage she had taken out on her home -- forcing her family to give up the property.
"It's horrifying to think she was able to give that away in less than five years... of all of the things she didn't want... she didn't want to be in a nursing home," said Bell. "Because she gave all of her money away, her worst nightmare happened."
She passed away last year.
Dozens of complaints filed with various state attorneys general and the Federal Trade Commission about mailing scams like these echo what Bell found. Often, family members have filed these complaints after sorting through checks their loved ones had sent to different scams and realizing that the common thread was the "PacNet" stamp on the back.
One man told the Florida Attorney General's Office that his wife called PacNet to beg them to stop the solicitations that had been hounding his 84-year-old father in law who was suffering from Dementia. Yet the mailings kept coming.
While PacNet doesn't send out solicitations itself, victims of the scams it processes payments for often don't know where else to turn to get their money back or make the letters stop.
"What can be done about PacNet?," he wrote to the agency, saying his father-in-law recently went through bankruptcy and was living off Social Security and a small pension.
And just last year, another woman wrote several pages to the Florida Attorney General about her 84-year-old mother, Ruby Helms. She said Helms had been spending every cent of her Social Security and Veteran's benefits on scams -- ultimately losing more than $50,000 and cashing out retirement investments, pawning her jewelry and going into serious debt.
"I obtained copies of the checks and identified a pattern that fees from a significant number of these differently named sweepstakes were deposited in PACNET accounts," she wrote in the complaint. (The agency told us that it does not have any active investigations into PacNet.)
Scam after scam
We first heard about PacNet while digging into the network behind a $200 million mail scam centering on a French psychic named Maria Duval. This worldwide operation pumped out millions of letters promising victims that psychic readings and predictions from Duval were the secret to turning their lives around. All they needed to do was send in money.
The Duval scheme was shut down in the U.S. earlier this year and a criminal investigation is ongoing.
PacNet was the company that deposited many of these payments -- continuing to do so even after a "clear warning" from the North Dakota Attorney General, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
But what we didn't know at the time was that the Duval letters were just the beginning.
Founded more than 20 years ago, PacNet operates out of a nondescript highrise in downtown Vancouver and claims to be one of the industry's leading payment processors. In a letter from its attorney, it claimed its roster of clients includes universities, publishers and charities "as well as marketing companies that advertise and sell goods and services internationally through printed media, Internet commerce, and by mail."
But in the wake of our months-long investigation into the Duval empire, we found scam after scam that used PacNet to process payments.
Dominated by promises of huge winnings from clairvoyants and bogus prize and sweepstakes agencies, these schemes have drawn angry rants from consumers for years. Making matters more confusing for victims and their families, the solicitations would often direct consumers to make out checks to three-letter acronyms or generic first names. And the letters typically come from nondescript P.O. boxes and companies with ever-changing rosters of names -- making the schemes nearly impossible to trace.
Many schemes were not just lambasted by victims, but by scam alerts and warnings issued by government agencies. Others have had their mail seized to keep predatory solicitations out of the hands of victims.
And we found more than a dozen examples from court and government records where schemes using PacNet to process payments have been hit with government fraud lawsuits and shut down by law enforcement -- resulting in huge financial penalties, criminal charges and even time behind bars.
Even in the face of our findings, PacNet claims to do everything in its power to prevent fraud. And while it says this includes reviewing client marketing materials and cooperating with authorities as soon as wrongdoing is identified, it acknowledges that it does not "necessarily see every mailing piece in circulation, especially when, as is sometimes the case, a dishonest merchant takes affirmative steps to mislead" the company. PacNet's attorney said in a letter written to CNNMoney in June. He noted a recent plea deal where a former defendant in a mail fraud case said the operation misled PacNet and other service providers about the actual mailings being sent out.
"To the extent there have been isolated instances in which PacNet clients have, unbeknownst to the Company, misled PacNet and misused PacNet's legitimate payment processing services to support their own deceptive conduct directed at consumers, PacNet is no different than any bank, credit card company, or other financial institution," PacNet's attorney said in a letter written to CNNMoney in June.
Sin City scammer
Yet some of the schemes have come from serial con artists who have repeatedly had their operations shut down by authorities.
Take Las Vegas fraudster Glen Burke, who has been the target of law enforcement actions for two decades and was permanently barred from telemarketing in 1998. The Federal Trade Commission sued Burke in 2013 alleging that he ignored that ban, and the government says that PacNet was processing payments for his schemes as recently as a few years ago (only stopping after the FTC stepped in).
In a court declaration from the FTC case, PacNet founder Rosanne Day acknowledged in 2013 that PacNet had processed nearly $18 million "on behalf of Glen Burke" since 2007.
A PacNet financial statement filed as evidence shows that at one point PacNet charged a commission of 3.5%. If this was the case for all $18 million it processed, PacNet would have taken in around $600,000 in commissions.
In the FTC case, the agency shut down two different prize-winning schemes, allegedly run by Burke -- one perpetrated by mail, the other by phone. Court documents include emails where Burke and his associates discuss trying to avoid U.S. authorities and joke about jail time. And in letters seized from Burke's office, victims in dire financial straits beg for the money they'd been promised.
While Burke claims he was simply a consultant to the schemes, PacNet itself said it "disbursed funds in accordance with instructions" from Burke, and the federal government has found that Burke was the one calling the shots.
Burke was ultimately hit with $20 million in judgments for running these schemes. He is currently appealing one of these judgments. And his attorney is adamant that Burke is being wrongfully targeted by law enforcement and he was not always the one in charge like the government has said he was.
PacNet's attorney said the company has strengthened its compliance program in the wake of the Burke case by adding additional screening measures.
This week, Burke was hit with yet another action, when he and an alleged co-conspirator were indicted on 24 counts of mail fraud and other charges. He was arrested by U.S. Postal inspectors and taken in custody with U.S. Marshals on Tuesday.
The life blood
The Burke case isn't the only time PacNet's name has surfaced in government fraud filings as authorities have attempted to shut down schemes using the company to process payments.
All the way back in 2002, for example, U.S. government officials seized hundreds of thousands of dollars from PacNet accounts, claiming the funds were illegal proceeds from foreign lottery solicitations. In a settlement, which the government said did not constitute admission or proof of PacNet's wrongdoing, PacNet agreed to forfeit $360,000 of these proceeds to the U.S. government and pledged to never facilitate payments for this kind of scheme again.
Just five years later, Australian authorities discovered that PacNet had been the payment processor for 37 different sweepstakes and lottery scams. PacNet cooperated with the investigation and agreed to refund $300,000 (Australian dollars) to victims of these scams.
At the time, officials emphasized that none of these scams would have been possible without a way to transfer cash from the victims to the perpetrators.
"If all businesses providing cheque transfer services took appropriate steps to monitor their customers' activities for potential scams and then refused to provide services to the operators, the life blood of the scams would be cut off," the Australian consumer protection agency said.
For years, PacNet has provided this life blood.
Using its services, fraudsters have made their millions.
All while the victims -- little more than faceless names on envelopes to the scammers who descend upon them in their final years of life -- are left penniless.


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Sunderland-based telecoms and IT experts Rymote are confident a new product aimed at SMEs will significantly increase turnover.
The seven-month-old business, a spin off from larger IT outfit Affinity Systems, has launched ‘Trinity’, a product that allows SMEs remote access to its IT network and Voice-over-Internet Protocol telephone systems.
Venture capital-backed Rymote is aiming Trinity at companies with between five to 50 telephone users.
Previously the technology has only be available to larger corporates, but now the Sunderland Software Centre firm are hoping to create wealth amongst SMEs with Cisco technology.
Al Yong, Rymote managing director, said: “We’re bringing something unique to the market with Trinity. It’s giving SMEs a chance to get access networking that has been the preserve of much larger companies, until now.
“The Cisco market creates huge wealth worldwide and that’s why we’ve developed Trinity.
“I think the days of the old style IT company are gone, and that’s why Rymote has a chance to move into the space and gain market share.”
Rymote employs a team of five from its Sunderland base and has a turnover of £250k.
As well as providing a network, Trinity also includes a fully integrated telephone system, with calls running through the Internet rather than traditional telephone lines to deliver a better quality call, as well as increased security thanks to built-in encryption.
Other features include an instant messaging system, allowing employees to contact each other quickly and easily and a tracking system that highlights periods in which the network is coming under pressure, allowing companies to plan more effectively.
Al Yong, who is also chief executive officer of Affinity Systems, added: “Trinity is designed to significantly improve the flow of communication in small to medium sized businesses, making it easy for employees to access company files, share information with their colleagues and communicate outside of the business using a safe, secure collaboration suite.
“Previously, the price of a system like this would have been prohibitive to small businesses, so we developed this product to create an affordable, fully integrated solution that just works for small businesses.
“The interest we have had already in the product has been phenomenal, so we’re sure that it will be a big success.”
Rymote is one of only six North East businesses with Cisco Premier Partner status, meaning the company has met strict standards for networking competency, service, support and customer satisfaction set by Cisco.
Councillor Paul Watson, leader of Sunderland City Council, said that the business was a shining example of an innovative technology company, using its expertise in IT to make technology accessible to businesses in the city and beyond.
He said: “Rymote is one of a number of really innovative technology businesses that we have in the city, using their technical expertise to deliver cutting edge products and services to clients across the North East and beyond.
“Sunderland has built a national and international reputation as a hotbed of software and technology talent, and businesses like Rymote -based in our cutting edge new city centre hub, Sunderland Software Centre – are flying the flag for the area.”


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By Robin GOLDSWORTHY
The Montrose-Verdugo City, La Cañada Flintridge and Crescenta Valley chambers of commerce hosted the annual Foothills Community Business Expo at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital on Sept. 14.
“This year marked the 16th Annual Foothills Community Business Expo offered by our three local Chambers of Commerce. This year’s Expo was very well-attended with an estimated record number of visitors at about 400,” said Pat Anderson, president and CEO of the LCF Chamber of Commerce.
The event showcased local businesses, giving visitors the chance to learn of the different types of services provided in the area. The Expo featured 62 tables with representatives from various companies taking advantage of the opportunity to introduce their products and services to a large number of guests at one time.
“From our vendors’ perspective, this was a very successful event,” said Lisa Dupuy, executive director of the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“The vendor spaces, once again, sold out early,” added Anderson. “Our vendors are providing very positive feedback to all three Chambers and we are already receiving requests to reserve spaces for next year’s Expo!”
The businesses taking part in this Expo included party rental companies, insurance agents, credit unions and non-profits including Friends of Rockhaven, which is having its annual membership meeting and gala fundraising dinner on Saturday.
Perhaps most popular were the samples given by local restaurants and caterers. Folks were seen with tastes from Etc. Gourmet Kitchen and Frank’s Famous among others.
Another popular feature was document shredding offered in the lower parking lot of the hospital.
“The document shredding was managed by Dick Mader and Bob O’Brien of S.C.O.R.E. and sponsored by Republic Services, Rafael Garcia,” said Anderson. “Due to the increasing popularity of this event we had two trucks this year and fast, drive-up service. Nearly seven tons of documents from 150 customers were shredded on site.”
Guests weren’t the only benefactors of the Expo.
“The purpose of this event is to get our businesses of the foothills communicating and working together,” said Dupuy. “Many of the vendors said they enjoyed meeting the chamber boards and other businesses.”
Fees paid by the vendors to take part in the Expo were split among the three chambers.
The date for the 15th Annual Foothills Community Business Expo is Sept. 13, 2017.


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We all know how important health and wellness are, and there is an increasing focus on becoming healthier, more balanced, and ultimately, happier. It’s big business too, with the global wellness industry now valued at a huge $3.72 trillion and accounts for approximately five per cent of the global economic output. It seems that there are new trends and fads coming out every day, from spin classes and yoga to organic food, special drinks, guided meditation classes, and more. There is even a drive to feed our pets clean, healthy, natural food. With the wellness industry now being “one of the world’s fastest, most resilient markets,”outranking the pharmaceutical industry several times over, it’s easy to wonder, is it worth it? And if it is, is it something that is exclusively for high-earners and not for those on a budget?
Wellness can be defined as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing,”and it’s definitely something that is at the forefront of many people’s thoughts. Searches for ‘self-care’ on Google have increased by 25% in the last year, and people are paying for more and more wellness products and services. There are even wellness festivals popping up around the world. The Womad festival, for example, dedicates two acres of land to spa and wellness areas, including meditation led by Buddhist monks and shamanic healing. Likewise, Soul Circus in the UK focuses on wellness, with tickets costs around $260. Founder Ella Wroath explains that she “wanted to create a balanced event that left you feeling rejuvenated and inspired, rather than hungover and unhealthy”.


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INDIA: Nestlé India eyes fruit-based milk drink market
Food behemoth Nestlé India has launched Operation Som Ras to uncover the business potential of the relatively untapped chilled dairy drinks sector in India. Alongside the extensive market research, Nestlé is mulling entrance into the newly emerging market of fruit-based milk drinks.
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