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BURGERS and sausages play a huge part in diets that cause Alzheimer’s, scientists warn.
Processed meats are often eaten with other unhealthy nosh, combining to damage the brain, they say.
The junk foods contain harmful preservatives and lead to greater consumption of other grub bad for grey matter.
These include starchy products such as spuds, bread, rice, pasta, biscuits and cakes.
The findings are based on a study of more than 600 over-65s in south-western France, around a third of whom had dementia.
Lead author Dr Cecilia Samieri, of the University of Bordeaux, said: “People who developed dementia were more likely to combine highly processed meats such as sausages, cured meats and pâté with starchy foods like potatoes, alcohol and snacks like cookies and cakes.
“People without dementia were more likely to accompany meat with more diverse foods, including fruit and veg and seafood.”
It has been known for years that a healthy diet rich in unprocessed foods can boost mental powers.
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The latest study suggests it is the way foods are eaten together that is linked to dementia risk.
In the UK, there are 850,000 people with dementia, set to rise to two million by 2050 because of the ageing population.
Dr Samieri added: “How foods are consumed — and not only the quantity consumed — may be important for dementia prevention.”
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LOCAL bus company Axe Valley Mini Travel has confirmed that it will be launching a service between Lyme Regis and Seaton, as Stagecoach’s 9A service is scrapped.
Residents and visitors have expressed their huge dismay after it was announced that Stagecoach would be withdrawing its 9A service between Lyme Regis and Seaton as of July 31.
Stagecoach said there was “insufficient passenger demand for this section of the route to continue on a commercial basis”, but the withdrawal has been described as a major blow to both residents living along the route and visitors to the two towns.
Now, Seaton-based Axe Valley Mini Travel (AVMT) – an independent family business – has confirmed it will be launching a service between the two resorts as of August 1.
It is not yet known how regular the service will be, with timetables to be released shortly.

domain: news


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Lenovo's recovery media will have no traces of Superfish, providing laptop users with a clean OS image.
Acer plans to release new gaming products every two to three months
Acer Aspire Switch 10 is an ordinary low-cost Windows tablet but may merit consideration for its unique keyboard dock
Acer made some compromises to bring its 15.6-inch Chromebook 15 down to the $200 price range
The wearable bands can also measure heart rates and count steps.
Acer announces $199 Chromebook 15 and slightly more expensive Windows-based Aspire hybrids and laptops
Intel could start using new materials and a new transistor structure in upcoming chips
Smartphones could have more features and battery as Qualcomm looks to Samsung to make the Snapdragon 820 using the 14-nanometer process.
Owners of new MacBook will have other options in addition to Apple's cables.
Handpose could take virtual reality and robotics control to new levels
Even after the prediction dies, there may be ways to make devices smaller, faster and power efficient, analysts say
Moore's Law took us from room-sized servers to computers on a stick, and the law itself may shrink to nothing soon--though new chip technologies could change everything.
The 31-inch LG 31MU97Z will end your search for a Thunderbolt-compatible 4K monitor.
Microsoft says with Surface 3, customers wanted a "little sibling" to the Surface Pro 3
Crowds swarmed online to order Apple's first smartwatch, creating an order backlog that stretches to June for some models.


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On Aug. 19, Hewlett-Packard
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory from the skull of defeat
In the course of doing so -- entirely by accident and not at all to his credit -- Apotheker stumbled upon a discovery: People loved the TouchPad at the new price. By some reports, the company moved 350,000 units within just a few hours.
Which brings us to Netflix
As you've probably heard by now, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made an HP-sized error when he announced a split into two companies last month: a streaming business under the old moniker, and a comically -- nay, pathetically -- named DVD rental operation called Qwikster. Outcry against the move was immediate, and not at all complimentary. More importantly, though, it was noticed. This morning, Hastings transmitted a "10-4" to his customers, promising to reverse his mistake and keep the DVD business in-house. "This means no change: one website, one account, one password … in other words, no Qwikster," Hastings said.
What H-P can learn from Netflix
Having recently joined the diaspora of Netflix refugees who canceled our accounts in protest against Hastings' split-the-baby business decision, I now find myself reconsidering. Clearly, Hastings is the kind of CEO who listens to his customers. Clearly, he's not afraid to admit a mistake -- and fix it. Can HP do likewise?
Two months ago, hundreds of thousands of HP fans rushed to buy the new TouchPad at $99 a pop. One month ago, they swarmed the ramparts again, when a small cache of TouchPads was discovered at Office Depot
Take a page from the Netflix playbook, HP. Don't cancel the TouchPad. Build more! If you build it, we will come.
Fool contributor Rich Smith owns no shares of any company named above. You can find him on CAPS, publicly pontificating under the handle TMFDitty, where he's currently ranked No. 302 out of more than 180,000 members. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Dell, Netflix, eBay, and Apple, creating a bull call spread position in Apple, and creating a bear put spread position in Netflix. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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YouTuber Daniel ‘KEEMSTAR’ Keem has claimed that fellow YouTubers Bryan ‘RiceGum’ Le and Jake Paul are set to be embroiled in a controversy involving a scam gambling website.
KEEMSTAR stated on December 30 that he had been offered $100,000 from a website in return for promoting them on his social channels, but turned the offer down.
He also said that Jake Paul, younger brother of Logan Paul, had accepted the deal and had begun “promoting a gambling site where you pay money for a chance to win Hype Beast stuff.”
KEEMSTAR has now claimed that the website is fraudulent, calling it a “scam”, and says that he didn’t know this until January 1.
In addition to Jake Paul, RiceGum also promoted this same gambling website, and KEEMSTAR expects the pair to be “called out” in the coming days.
I think most of the videos will be exposing the site for being a scam. Which I didn’t know until right now was the case. No amount of money would be worth me promoting a scam to you guys. Unlesss it’s like $10m then sorry I’m going to have to BetterHelp you all!
— KEEM (@KEEMSTAR) January 2, 2019
The website is not a traditional gambling experience, offering ‘mystery boxes’ rather than cash. Users can pay a set amount of money to receive a box, which could include valuable items, such as name-brand clothing, electronics or even luxury vehicles.
Both Jake Paul and RiceGum made a video supposedly showing them using the website and winning big. For example, RiceGum buys a $99 box of ‘hype shoes’, and opens shoes worth over $1,000, and can immediately sell them back for a profit.
Commenters on both videos are critical of the YouTubers, with one user claiming that they were scammed, saying: “I tried this website and I completely got scammed out of a large amount of money.”
Both RiceGum and Jake Paul have so far remained silent on the issue, while their videos promoting the site are approaching 2 million views.


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- Stop & Shop will add three new warerooms and bring pickup service to at least 50 more locations in 2020 to keep up with elevated e-commerce demand, the company announced in a press release.
- The retailer currently operates 21 warerooms, which are e-commerce fulfillment spaces that are typically attached to brick-and-mortar stores and feature manual order picking and packing, according to a Stop & Shop spokesperson. Grocery pickup, which Stop & Shop launched last summer, is currently available at 212 stores, and orders are available for customers to collect in as little as four hours.
- The grocer also recently expanded its partnership with Instacart, which now offers same-day delivery service from 321 Stop & Shop stores. Stop & Shop first partnered with Instacart in 2017.
Stop & Shop’s latest moves will simplify online grocery access, support growth in e-commerce and add capacity for pickup and delivery as more people choose to shop both in-store and online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Company president Gordon Reid said in a statement that a seamless omnichannel experience was a strategic priority for Stop & Shop before the pandemic, and with rapid adoption of online grocery the retailer will continue to improve its digital infrastructure.
Stop & Shop has quickly accelerated the availability of grocery pickup. When it was introduced last June, same-day pickup was available from just 20 stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York. The rapid growth of pickup over the last year and the addition of more warerooms suggests the retailer is seeing a positive response from customers.
Stop & Shop’s e-commerce growth is also creating a need for additional workers. The company said it has hired more than 750 new employees since March to support online operations. Last fall, Stop & Shop made a push to hire 250 people to staff warerooms, where employees manually pick orders.
The expansion with Instacart is also a major step forward for Stop & Shop’s delivery capabilities. It brings the number of Stop & Shop locations where Instacart offers service to 321, meaning same-day contactless delivery is now available from about 75% of Stop & Shop's stores.


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As of March 21, 2017, the U.S. Mint’s authorized purchasers (APs) have bought 7,607,500 American Eagle silver bullion coins. This includes a reported 765,000 coins sold during the past week—a significant increase from the previous week’s sales total of 220,000 coins.
This is the third consecutive week for which the Mint has reported no sales of the 2017 America the Beautiful Effigy Mounds National Monument 5-ounce bullion coins. The number sold remains at 19,500, for a total of 97,500 ounces of silver.
|Past Week||Year to Date|
|American Eagle 1-oz. silver coins||765,000||765,000||7,607,500||7,607,500|
|America the Beautiful 5-oz. silver coins (all)||0||0||19,500||97,500|
|Effigy Mounds National Monument||0||0||19,500||97,500|
The value of an ounce of silver is up by 21 cents since Tuesday of last week, ending the day at $17.21 according to the London Bullion Market Association. Silver’s average last week, Monday through Friday, was $17.16 per ounce, down just a bit from the previous week’s average of $17.39.
Reported sales figures for gold bullion coins are well up from the prior report. For the last week the Mint reports sales of 7,000 ounces of American Eagle gold bullion coins—twice the previous week’s figure of 3,500 ounces. This includes 500 ounces’ worth of 1/4-ounce AGE coins (the first time any figure for this fractional size has been reported this month). All told, American Gold Eagles have sold 160,000 ounces in 2017.
Actual sales of American Buffalo 1-ounce gold bullion coins are a bit tricky to calculate from the Mint’s recent reports. The previous two March reports showed adjustments to the final February sales figures, but no March sales. The year-to-date total as of last week’s report was 49,000 of the 1-ounce coins. On the current report, the Mint has once again adjusted the final February figure, this time lowering it by 500, and has credited 5,000 sales to the March total. Skipping over the up-and-down weekly adjustments, the net increase in AGB sales since last week’s report is 3,000 ounces.
|Past Week||Year to Date|
|American Eagle gold coins (all)||26,500||7,000||375,000||160,000|
|American Buffalo 1-oz. gold coins||3,000||3,000||52,000||52,000|
The value of an ounce of gold is up a bit from last Tuesday, having risen by $37.00 to $1,241.60. Gold’s average last week, Monday through Friday, was $1,213.31, just 11 cents off the previous week’s average of $1,213.20.
The sales total for the 2017 American Eagle one-ounce platinum bullion coins is 20,000 units. The value of an ounce of platinum is up $25.00 compared to this time last week, and is now at $962.00. The metal’s average last week, Monday through Friday, was $944.60, a bit down from $957.80 the previous week.
In anticipation of the U.S. Mint’s first-ever palladium bullion coin, the design for which was discussed in today’s Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) meeting in Washington, D.C., Coin Update will begin to track palladium values in this report. The metal is currently at $777.00 per ounce according to the London Bullion Market Association, up $27.00 from last week’s value of $750.00. The average value of an ounce of palladium last week was $757.60, five dollars down from the previous week’s average of $762.60. ❑


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India’s dairy industry takes positive action to protect dairy animals
World Animal Protection is moving India’s dairy industry to implement the National Code of Practices for the Welfare of Dairy Animals - to improve the living conditions of dairy animals nationwide.
Our work promoting the dairy code of practices, attending key industry events and engaging directly with stakeholders and farmers, has now resulted in the director of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), recommending the roll out the dairy codes to key decision makers across India.
The President of the Veterinary Council of India, the Commissioner of the Animal Husbandry Department, the Director General of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, and all animal husbandry departments, are now considering implementing the codes.
This move to embrace the code of practices will improve the welfare of dairy animals, while also helping to increase productivity and profitability for dairy farmers.
This positive step follows our attendance at the 43rd Indian Dairy Conference in February, where we called on India’s dairy industry to continue to make positive change to protect dairy animals.
Invited to speak by the Indian Dairy Association, we addressed a key audience of dairy farmers, milk producers and those involved in the dairy business, including DeLaval, Sudha and Amul, encouraging them to use the dairy codes of practice, and improve the living conditions of animals.
Many participants from the conference are now seeking our support to help them adopt and promote good welfare practices in line with the dairy codes.
Showcasing animas welfare to farmers at the National Dairy Mela
In February, we attended the National Dairy Mela, hosted by the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI). Here we met with regional farmers to encourage good animal husbandry practices: showcasing the dairy code of practices, and hosting interactive sessions with farmers on all aspects of dairy farming, including the welfare and needs of dairy animals.
Gajender Sharma, Country Director for World Animal Protection India, says: “we are greatly encouraged by the director of the NDRI, personally recommending the implementation of the codes of practice to those in key influencing positions in India’s dairy industry.
“This will give a huge boost to our work to encourage high welfare practices in the dairy industry. We hope to see more institutions, academics and farmers become involved in our work - to help protect millions of farm animals in India”.
We are helping the dairy industry to help their animals. So more animals in India experience a better quality of life, which in turn can help them live longer and produce more milk. You can help us to achieve this by promoting animal friendly practices, and spreading the word about the importance of the India dairy code of practices.
To purchase a copy of National Code of Practices for the Welfare of Dairy Animals or for a soft copy , write to Khushboo Gupta


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Summary List Placement
Automakers are preparing for a major expansion of electric-vehicle production as regulators push them to phase out gas-powered models. The dozens of new EVs set to hit the market this decade will create a big opportunity for battery companies — if they can make enough cells to supply them.
The battery industry is small compared to the auto industry, Celina Mikolajczak, the vice president of battery technology at Panasonic Energy of North America, said on Tuesday during the Digital Days online battery conference, and boosting production to meet the auto industry’s growing demand is the biggest challenge Panasonic’s EV-battery division faces today.
“To supply an EV market, you need to be making millions of cells a day, and that only supplies a small number of vehicles,” she said.
Increasing production capacity requires more than an expanded workforce or new factories. You also need your suppliers to extract and process more of the raw materials that go into EV batteries, like aluminum and nickel. But the supply chain for some battery components is concentrated in a small handful of companies that can deliver the quality and quantity Panasonic needs.
“There’s a lot of work to be done in the supply chain,” Mikolajczak said.
Ramping cell production will also require more automated machines that can work quickly without sacrificing quality, she said.
Panasonic is the world’s third-largest EV-battery supplier, behind LG Chem and CATL. The electronics firm makes cells for Tesla at a factory in Nevada and earlier this year formed a joint venture to do the same for Toyota. Tesla has at times expressed frustration with the pace at which Panasonic has increased battery production at their so-called Gigafactory 1, saying it has held back vehicle output. Panasonic has expanded its capacity at Gigafactory 1 over time and plans to continue doing so.
2 Tesla battery-cell suppliers are poised to dominate a $129 billion EV battery market — leaving Panasonic, Samsung, and others in the dust
Wall Street analysts tore down 7 competing electric-vehicle batteries — and say Tesla is once again leading the pack
Elon Musk’s former right-hand man, JB Straubel, is building a company to chase the big money in recycling old EV batteries as demand for lithium skyrockets
Elon Musk is betting on silicon batteries to produce a $25,000 Tesla. Here’s why the material is notoriously difficult to work with
SEE ALSO: We’re looking for the rising stars of the autonomous-vehicle industry — here’s how to nominate yourself or someone you know
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: What it takes to become a backup dancer for Beyoncé
Source:: Businessinsider – Tech


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CHICAGO (CBS.MW) -- With more than a little help from the Olympics and the elections, advertising spending grew at a healthy 10 percent-plus pace in the first nine months of the year, one leading industry tracker reported Monday.
According to TNS Media Intelligence/CMR, total U.S. ad expenditures came in at $102.4 billion through the end of September, a 10.3 percent gain over the same period in 2003 with spending tied to the Olympics and the elections adding some $2.3 billion.
When CMR reported first half numbers in late August, the year-to-date growth rate was running at just over 9 percent.
With the exception of national spot radio, where ad spending declined nearly 3 percent, all 17 of the media categories tracked by CMR posted growth. The Internet had the strongest growth, rising nearly 26 percent to $5.6 billion. Local newspapers kept the biggest single piece of the pie, gaining 6.6 percent to $17.8 billion with network TV nipping at their heels, up 14 percent to $16.5 billion.
The top 10 advertisers increased their outlays at a slightly slower pace -- 6.8 percent -- than the overall marketplace.
Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble
CMR estimated that TV ad spending on the Olympics reached $1.55 billion as 160 advertisers bought into General Electric
Also in the first nine months of 2004, $767 million was spent on political and issue advocacy TV time, with CMR noting that "the new campaign finance laws, which some said would hinder the advertising industry, have actually increased the total spent and allowed for a significant increase in early political ad spending."
On November 1, CMR estimated that total political spending could top $1.45 billion.


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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Sunday expressed regret over eating at Chick-fil-A because of the chicken company’s CEO’s personal views on gay marriage.
Dorsey tweeted a screenshot from his phone that showed a purchase he had made at Chick-fil-A using a mobile application. After a liberal backlash, however, Dorsey apologized for eating at the popular fast-food restaurant.
At issue was Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy’s 2012 support for defining marriage as between a man and a woman, which he described as “the biblical definition of a family.”
Former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien was among those to call out Dorsey for eating at the self-described home of the original chicken sandwich.
O’Brien indicated that Dorsey had sinned by publicly eating at Chick-fil-A during gay pride month.
“You’re right,” Dorsey conceded. “Completely forgot about their background.”


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You might be forgiven for thinking that the Apple Watch is the only smartwatch worth buying. But watches running Android Wear are alive, kicking, and getting better.
With the Apple Watch seeing better-than-expected sales and tons of media exposure, Google is trying to keep pace with upgrades for Android Wear, which powers watches from Motorola, LG, Sony, and others.
The most recent May update adds apps that are always on, they remain visible even when you drop your arm. The update also features quick access to apps by swiping, a new flick-of-the-wrist gesture to scroll between cards (snippets of information), as well as the ability to draw emojis as responses. There are also new heads-up notifications, like text messages that appear on screen even if you’re looking at something else.
The LG Watch Urbane ($350) was the first to get the update, while the Motorola Moto 360 ($250) is getting the update now. Both the LG Watch Urbane and the Moto 360 have been praised for their elegant round designs compared to the rectangular Apple Watch.
The Urbane is the Android Wear watch of the moment, though, because it’s new and boasts a classic fully-round look replete with a gorgeous OLED display. Also, thanks to an Android Wear update, it allows you to connect, via Wi-Fi, to your phone remotely. Theoretically, you can be very remote, but note that being too remote can be problematic in the “real world.”
The Apple Watch’s Wi-Fi, on the other hand, only works when connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone.
What else sets Android Wear apart from the Apple Watch experience? Android watches are more aware of what you’re doing at any given moment (thanks to Google’s cloud services) than Apple’s offering and Android Wear is more aggressive at trying to predict what you need based on your Google searches, Gmail, and calendar.
“Android Wear does have the edge over Apple Watch when it comes to context,” Ramon Llamas, research manager of wearables and mobile phones at market researcher IDC, wrote in an email to Foxnews.com.
“Understanding context is a function of how both Google Now and [Apple’s] Siri are set up. Siri is very good at ‘fetch and bring back to me’ while Google Now will provide just about everything under the sun, but also serves up information proactively before you need it,” he added.
Llamas wrote that Siri is getting an upgrade this year, and that users should “expect an improved contextual experience” that could come to the Apple Watch eventually.
But there can also be a downside to Google Wear’s contextual awareness. Some reviews point out that too much information can come in randomly, ultimately marring the user experience.
As for other areas where Android Wear excels, Llamas wrote that Android has more watch faces, lower price points, different watch styles.
“Let’s not forget the 4000 apps,” he added. “In short, right now you get more choice with Android Wear. With Apple, you get what Apple offers and controls … there are pluses and minuses to both.”
by Brooke Crothers
More from FoxNews.com Tech:


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In 2013, Nintendo skipped hosting it’s traditional E3 press conference at Nokia Theater in favor of a Nintendo Direct. This year, Nintendo will build upon that with a “Nintendo Digital Event.”
Details as to how it will differ from last year’a Direct are slim, but Nintendo describes it as “new kind of video program that will reveal and provide further detail about the gaming experiences on the way for Nintendo platforms in 2014 and beyond.”
The Nintendo Digital Event will be held at 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday, June 10.
Nintendo also has a series of other E3 events planned, all unified under the banner title of “Play Nintendo.” These include:
Super Smash Bros. Invitational
2014 will see the arrival of not one, but two new Super Smash Bros. games: Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. To commemorate this occasion, Nintendo is inviting 16 highly skilled Super Smash Bros. players to the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles to compete in a Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournament. Thousands of fans in the audience and countless more watching a live stream online will see new Super Smash Bros. characters clash with existing favorites in action for the first time. More important than declaring a winner, however, this event is a celebration of all things Super Smash Bros., and a great way for new and veteran fans to take part in a tribute to this legendary franchise. More information about the 16 invited participants in the tournament, the identity of the announcers, and how fans of the franchise can view the tournament in person and via webcast, will be communicated shortly.
Nintendo Treehouse: Live @ E3
This year, Nintendo will offer fans a deeper look at Nintendo’s biggest games of E3, with information directly from the source. The “Treehouse,” the Product Development department at Nintendo of America, will provide in-depth game demos live and unscripted from Nintendo’s booth. This new program will be live streamed during all hours of the E3 show. Fans can get settled in, open their browsers and experience the Nintendo games at E3 like never before.
Super Smash Bros. Smash Fest @ Best Buy
In 2013, Nintendo broke new ground by expanding its E3 activities outside of the walls of the Los Angeles Convention Center and letting fans play some of the games being played on the show floor at participating Best Buy stores. The partnership between Nintendo and Best Buy continues in 2014 and will mark the first time around the world that fans have had the opportunity to get their hands on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Watch a promo for Play Nintendo below.
E3 runs from June 10 to 12.


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Latest Health News
Beauty Products and Mercury
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning about using beauty products that contain mercury.
Can You Trust Online Health Message Boards?
Medical advice on message boards may not be as accurate as you think.
Choosing the Right Allergy Medication
With hundreds of allergy medications available for purchase, it's no surprise that many consumers are confused when they try to choose the right medication for their allergies.
Going Gluten-Free: What You Need to Know
Gluten-free diets, considered a medical treatment to manage celiac disease, are becoming more and more popular. But do you know what going gluten-free is really all about?
Managing Blood Pressure
To treat high blood pressure, many people in a recent survey said they would rather drink tea than exercise.


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Will vaccine reluctant Americans slow the retail comeback from COVID-19?
Getting back to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy in the U.S. is entirely dependent on the nation’s ability to get a handle on the coronavirus. Medical professionals and public policy experts have been pointing to individual and business safety measures as a means to tamp down the spread of the virus, but achieving herd immunity is the only currently viable path to that happening.
In order for the nation to reach herd immunity without the death toll stretching into the millions, the vast majority of the population will need to get vaccinated. The reality on the ground is that a large percentage of Americans, for a variety of reasons, are either reluctant, unwilling or, in a small percentage of cases, unable to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
An online poll of 5,537 Americans taken last month by Invisibly found that 47 percent were unlikely or very unlikely to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The biggest factor in the choice to be vaccinated or not was trustworthiness. Eighty percent who thought of the immunization as very untrustworthy were very unlikely to receive the vaccine.
Results from a CNN poll released last week paint a slightly more promising picture. Sixty-six percent of people it surveyed are now planning to get immunized as more pharmaceutical companies introduce vaccines. The most recent number is an improvement over the results from a previous poll that found only 51 percent were planning to get vaccinated.
Another survey from First Insight released yesterday finds that about a third of Americans are unsure as to whether they will be vaccinated or not, but that even with vaccines many people are not planning to suddenly go flocking to stores.
Forty-five percent of beauty product shoppers said they would either go to stores less or the same after being vaccinated. The same holds true for 44 percent looking to buy footwear, 43 percent of consumer electronics purchasers and 40 percent shopping for apparel.
If the vaccine does not prove to be the medicine that retailers are counting on to help them bring their businesses back, there is clearly more pain ahead for the industry. CNBC reports that Coresight Research is forecasting that up to 10,000 stores will be closed this year.
“The rollout of vaccination programs should result in a partial recovery in store-based sales,” Coresight CEO Deborah Weinswig said. “However, these programs may take many months to reach a wide base of consumers.”
- Covid Vaccine Canvas – Invisibly
- CNN Poll: Americans’ willingness to get the coronavirus vaccine is on the rise – CNN
- A Third of Americans Not Comfortable Getting Vaccinated – First Insight
- 10,000 stores are expected to close in 2021, as pandemic continues to pummel retailers – CNBC
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Do you think currently reluctant Americans will get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is made available or will they continue to hold out, keeping the nation from reaching herd immunity? Are retailers prepared for a future in which the virus may remain a year-round fact of life because herd immunity is not reached?


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It goes without saying, but we're going to go ahead and say it anyway: Crossovers are so hot right now. According to data compiled by Ford, the CUV industry has expanded 220 percent since 2006, which is the year the Blue Oval introduced the world to the Edge, its main player in the hotly contested market.
Ford also contends that the over 400,000 Edge CUVs have sold since late 2006, making it the best-selling mid-size crossover over that period of time. Don't expect that growth to slow down any time soon, either, as Ford projects the CUV segment will increase another few percentage points in 2011. In fact, the market for CUVs will grow to be as large as that of full-size pickup trucks.
In order to meet the increased demand it expects for CUVs, Ford has sharpened its Edge (sorry, couldn't resist) for the 2011 model year. Of special note are the two new drivetrain choices that join the standard 3.5-liter V6 engine, a 2.0-liter EcoBoost with 285 horsepower and a 3.5-horsepower 3.7 Ti-VCT V6 in the newly beefed-up Edge Sport.
The House that Henry Built is also quick to point out that its next-gen Edge will come with a full suite of technology options, including Sync and MyFord Touch. So, will all of this added goodness equal a worthwhile improvement to the hot-selling previous-generation Edge? Stay tuned for a First Ride report, and feel free to click past the break for Ford's official press release.
FORD EDGE REACHES 400,000 SALES SINCE INTRODUCTION, MORE THAN ANY OTHER MIDSIZE CROSSOVER
- Ford Edge sales this weekend hit 400,000, more than any midsize crossover since its introduction in late 2006
- The crossover segment is one of the most fiercely contested in the industry, expanding 220 percent since 2006 – and expected to grow another 20 percent this year
- The new 2011 Ford Edge began shipping this weekend from Oakville Assembly Complex and is arriving in dealership showrooms
- 2011 Ford Edge introduces America to the revolutionary MyFord Touch™ driver connect technology and offers unbeatable fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway
DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 17, 2010 – Sales of Ford Edge, which arrived on the market in late 2006, hit 400,000 this weekend – more than any midsize crossover vehicle during the same period.
Also this past weekend, the new 2011 Ford Edge began shipping from Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario to dealerships across the United States and Canada.
"Edge competes in one of the fastest-growing and most fiercely competitive segments in the industry," said Amy Marentic, Ford's Crossover Group Marketing Manager. "Still, Edge is growing sales at an incredible rate."
As of July, Edge sales for the year were up 33 percent over last year – more than double the overall industry sales.
In 2006 when Edge was introduced, the midsize crossover segment accounted for 4.3 percent of the retail industry. Last year, that number grew to 9.5 percent. And this year, it's expected to top 11 percent, making the segment the same size as full-size pickups and more than sports cars.
Now comes the new 2011 Ford Edge with three new powertrains, bold new styling, improved driving dynamics and industry-leading MyFord Touch technology.
"Edge defined the crossover segment when it was launched in 2006. Ford has taken a great vehicle and made it even better," Marentic said. "The new Edge promises to take the segment to an all-new level."
The 2011 Ford Edge SEL and Limited, which account for about 80 percent of all Edge sales, have EPA-estimated fuel economy of 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway (front-wheel drive), which is unsurpassed in each category among V6 competitors.
The new Edge is now 1 mpg better city and 2 mpg better highway – with even greater power. The standard 3.5-liter V6 engine produces 285 horsepower, best-in-class among V6 competitors and 20 more horsepower than the outgoing Edge.
MyFord Touch, standard on the 2011 Edge Limited, 2011 Edge Sport and available on the 2011 Edge SEL, defines an all-new in-car experience. It takes vehicle interior design into the realm of popular personal electronics devices such as laptop computers, mobile phones and MP3 players.
# # #
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.ford.com.


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In Susanne Provstgaard, the transport centre by the Danish-German border has got a highly experienced new chairman of the board. Her extensive experience from the transport industry, i.a. as partner of the transport and logistics company DTK Group ApS, will greatly benefit Padborg Transport Centre.
Susanne Provstgaard is the new chairman of the board at Padborg Transport Centre, which currently has just under 100 active member companies. Due to her membership of the Aabenraa City Council, Susanne Provstgaard is already a familiar face.
She replaces Peter Therkelsen, who has chaired the board at Padborg Transport Centre the past seven years. Peter Therkelsen will continue as a common member of the board and thus contribute to the development of the centre.
As a member of the board since the establishment of the association, Susanne Provstgaard has detailed knowledge of Padborg Transport Centre – as well as great experience from similar companies within the transport industry.
Together with her husband, she created the Padborg-based transport and logistics company DTK Group ApS from the ground up. Today, the company has a turnover in the order of billions. In 2021, she retired from the day-to-day running of the company, but continues to be chairman of Dansk Transport Kompagni A/S and a member of the board at DTK Group ApS.
Previously, Susanne Provstgaard was a member of the board at Business Aabenraa as well as a member of the board of representatives at Jyske Bank.
As chairman of the board at Padborg Transport Centre, Susanne Provstgaard will continue the positive development the centre has seen since its establishment in 2015, which has made it a central player in Danish and international transport and logistics.
For more information, please contact Susanne Provstgaard at +45 20 92 22 76.
For more information about Padborg Transport Centre, please contact Director Jesper Schimann Hansen at +45 61 44 24 04.
Board of Padborg Transport Centre with Chairman Susanne Provstgaard.
From the left: Jesper Schimann Hansen, Michael Justesen, Grethe Harmuth (new), Thomas Henriksen, Birgit Thomsen (retiring), Jan Knudsen, Peter Therkelsen, Allan Kjær Van der Sterren, Susanne Provstgaard, Henrik Thykjær.


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“In my view,” said Michelle Taylor (pictured above). “One of the challenges for the marine insurance sector is to determine whether, as an industry, it wishes to be the mere arbiter of balance of laws or the forger of model behaviours when it comes to ship sourced pollution and the creation of new laws.”
Brisbane-based Taylor is partner and newly appointed board member at Sparke Helmore Lawyers. She described her work as involving “almost every legal problem” connected to ships.
With Christmas looming, 100s of container vessels have already crossed the high seas to supply Australia’s online and bricks and mortar stores with hundreds of tons of merchandise.
A rising tide of container pollution risks
According to many P&I Clubs, said Taylor, container losses are the most expensive casualties.
“The container trade now accounts for approximately 18% of the total seaborne task,” she said. “As vessel sizes increase and container stacks grow higher, the risk of container maritime casualties continues to intensify.”
Last year, the largest container ship in the world completed her first maiden voyage. The 400-metre long Ever Alot, according to marine industry news reports, is the first ever ship to have a capacity of more than 24,000 standard 20 foot containers. The ship was built in China and is owned by Taiwanese operator Evergreen Marine.
Its sister ship, Ever Given, made news headlines in early 2021 when it became grounded and blocked the Suez Canal. The six-day blockage threw global supply chains into chaos with some estimates putting losses at US$1 billion.
Taylor said changing global weather patterns and increased pressure on supply chains has focused the industry’s attention on overboard container events.
“Specifically – the recognition of environmental harm, the identification of the responsible party, prevention measures and liabilities,” she said. “Legal developments in this evolving area of law are becoming a priority.”
The plastic goods within containers, according to marine conservation groups, are a major cause of pollution at sea.
Can the marine insurance industry help end ocean pollution?
“One of the greatest challenges for the shipping industry and our world more generally is responsibility for plastic pollution, particularly ship-sourced plastic pollution,” said Taylor.
In 2019, said Taylor, the first global insurance industry study was published on managing risks of plastic pollution and microplastics, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme.
“Currently, there are no international laws that adequately deal with this problem,” she said. “Keystone species are important because they define an entire ecosystem and, in my view, pollution protection regimes for our oceans are the keystone laws of our future.
According to National Geographic, keystone species are critical to the survival of the other species in an ecosystem. Taylor’s support for similar laws to protect the oceans underscores the urgency of the plastics threat. She said plastic pollution from ships is on the increase and “the epidemic of containers overboard” is becoming difficult to ignore.
“There has been a notable spike in such incidents,” said Taylor. “Whether containers wash ashore or are lost at sea, the environmental impact is tangible.”
In 1992, she said, a container holding 29,000 plastic ducks, frogs and turtles was lost in the Pacific. Thousands of those items washed ashore on beaches worldwide and many were still arriving on European coastlines 15 years later.
In 2019, The Ocean Cleanup’s purpose-built Maersk Launcher started removing plastics from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This area of sea has the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world, covering an area three times the size of France. The charity, The Ocean Cleanup, was founded by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat at the age of 18.
“Unlike oil, plastics do not dissipate into the sea,” she said. “Plastics are becoming a high-profile threat to the sustainability of our oceans and there is continuing research into the environmental harm caused by plastics breaking down into microplastics.”
Read next: Who should be liable for shipwrecks?
The recent flooding across Australia’s east coast also generated work for Taylor. While much of the focus for insurance companies and brokers during these events is around inundated homes and businesses, the maritime law expert was solving other issues.
“I recently acted for a number of marine insurers on claims related to the 2022 Brisbane floods,” she said. “This included collisions between vessels and marinas and pontoons that had dislodged during the flood event.”


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Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
In the contentious debate over what Americans should eat, there's one thing that everyone from vegans to policymakers to Atkins dieters agree on: The Food Pyramid isn't working.
After that, it's a free-for-all. As the government prepares to update the pyramid for the first time since its 1992 creation, the gloves are coming off.
The chance to shape what Americans eat, and how much, has inspired testimonials from consumers, nutritionists, evangelical low-carb dieters and representatives of the $500 billion food industry worried about losing market share. A public comment period wraps up Friday.
"It makes sense to feature Americans' favorite vegetable, the potato, in communication examples," wrote the U.S. Potato Board.
"We hope that revisions to the guidelines include recommendations that recognize the benefits of adequate protein consumption . . . and teach carbohydrate awareness," said Stuart Trager, medical director of Atkins Nutritionals.
"Balance is more important," wrote Beth Nelson of Wisconsin, who took a swipe at low-carb diets in her four-page letter. "You might mention this to people: 'Chips aren't fruit. Get the picture?' Show a fat slobby guy eating chips next to a skinny babe with an apple."
"Until the [U.S. Department of Agriculture] and the Congress stop catering to the politically powerful meat and dairy industries, it is unlikely the food guide will represent appropriate dietary choices or that the information will be adequately communicated to the public," wrote Farm Sanctuary President Gene Bauston. That group advocates a plant-based, vegan diet.
The pyramid redesign comes as the government is also reworking in-depth advice about what Americans should eat. The pyramid is a visual reference to that advice, called the dietary guidelines. The scientific committee revising the guidelines is expected to issue a report this week to the secretaries of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. The effects will influence everything from government-funded school lunches to consumer beliefs about healthy food.
Barring any revisions, the report will recommend eating more whole grains, fruit, vegetables and low-fat milk than guidelines issued four years ago, and less salt, refined grains and total calories. A final version of the guidelines and the food pyramid (the Food Guidance System, technically speaking) are due next winter. Before they're released, public relations firm Porter Novelli International will test the pyramid with consumers.
Like the dietary guidelines, the revised food pyramid will take aim at the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight. When the government first started giving advice on what to eat, it emphasized adequate nutrition. That's not the top priority anymore, said Eric Hentges, director of the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Overeating is a bigger threat to health.
"Emphasis on energy balance and monitoring your calories, monitoring your weight, will be the biggest point," Hentges said.
The USDA is considering changing the shape of the pyramid, as well as how to make it more useful in educating consumers. Changing serving sizes and recommended number of servings are other possibilities, to make it clear that advice to eat 6 to 11 servings daily from the grain category, for example, doesn't mean it's OK to down 11 doughnuts.
A public hearing last week drew scores of food industry representatives trying to preserve or increase their representation in the pyramid. So far, the USDA has received hundreds of written comments, from scrawled notes to multi-page proposals. Proposed new shapes include hourglasses, hands, plates and inverted pyramids.
Although many consumers who wrote the USDA suggested changing the shape, many nutrition associations, diet plans, trade groups and others want to keep the pyramid --- albeit with a few tweaks. Atkins Nutritionals proposed an Atkins pyramid with protein at the base. Weight Watchers International suggested incorporating the mixed foods that don't fit neatly into any category, like spaghetti with meat sauce, to help consumers plan better. The Minority Affairs Committee of the American Medical Association encouraged including ethnic foods like nan, bok choy, okra and tortillas in any new pyramid to reflect the country's diverse population.
The Grocery Manufacturers of America, which represents the major processed food and beverage companies, argued against discarding a brand that consumers recognize. That group recommends making small changes that would give its members time to reformulate their products and let consumers gradually try to revamp their diets. Few Americans follow the pyramid's advice in its current form.
"If the message is, 'You completely need to rehaul your entire diet and eat like you've never eaten before,' you're going to get a big wide-eyed look and, alas, be irrelevant for another five years," said GMA spokeswoman Stephanie Childs.
But, based on USDA proposals for what Americans should eat, that's exactly what the message is going to be. Americans need to eat half as much added sugar and solid fats, such as the trans-fatty acids found in shortening and the saturated fats in meat and butter, according to the USDA. Men need to increase their consumption of dark-green vegetables like spinach and broccoli by more than 400 percent above current levels to meet nutritional recommendations. Women need to eat 330 percent more of those vegetables. (That's about 2 cups a week.) Americans need to eat more whole grains, legumes and orange vegetables, too, and fewer enriched grains and starchy vegetables like potatoes.
"These are doable changes," Hentges said.
The GMA is urging the government to go slow, urging caution about steering consumers to whole grains rather than the enriched grains in many processed foods, warning of a possible rise in birth defects if women consume less of the folic acid in refined grains.
Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, is among the overwhelming majority who favor more whole grains. In written comments, he recommends an alternate pyramid based on years of Harvard studies on diet and health. That pyramid puts daily exercise and weight control at the base, followed by whole grain foods and plant oils.
Red meat, butter, potatoes, sweets and refined grains like pasta, white rice and white bread would go at the top, to be eaten rarely.
In a handwritten note, Mary P. Bolton of Prouts Neck, Maine, makes the guidance even simpler. Her suggested slogan:
"Sweets and sugar, no, no.
"All the good things less, yes.
"You wish to be thinner? Diminish your dinner!"
Copyright 2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


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Tickets are $35/$ Rescheduled from August 25th. Entertainment Getaway packages are available: stargameshotline.win Casino Rama regrets to announce that. Tutte le informazioni sul concerto di a Orillia del giorno. Italian Divas: Iva Zanicchi & Gigliola Cinquetti at Casino Rama Resort in Rama, Ontario on Sun Sep 29, PM EDT.
Casino rama iva zanicchi - diesen
Crowdfund InsiderCompanisto Shares Characteristics of Crowdfunding InvestorsCrowdfund InsiderCompanisto, a leading investment crowdfunding platform based in Berlin, has shared data captured by a survey of their investors. Sunday, October 6, at 8: Sheryl Crow Be Myself Tour Sat 8: Idaho Kombucha launches crowdfunding campaignIdaho Business ReviewThe Idaho fermented tea brewery Idaho Kombucha has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help it purchase new production equipment. Trump changes cuba policy lnkd. Nouvelle reconnaissance pour Findynamics. Tue 21 Nov Le Bataclan Paris, France. Here's my latest update on fintech and P2P from The National Press Club. Terri and Mike Landa opened Idaho Kombucha in after sampling kombucha that a visitor [ HEADLINE NEWS Easy Money? The concert has been rescheduled for Sunday, September 29th, 8pm.


text: Fortnite is an extremely popular video game that people of all ages play. Epic Games had said earlier this year that they were going to release their own app for Android users rather than make it available via the Google Play Store. Researchers warned Epic Games of the dangers that this could have for Android users because users would have to disable certain security features. Epic Games did not listen and the researchers ended up being correct. A dangerous flaw was discovered in the Fortnite installer for Android that could allow other apps that are installed on the targeted devices to manipulate the installation process and install malware rather than the APK. Fortnite for Android was vulnerable to a man-in-the-disk attack. In order for Android users to install Fortnite on their mobile device, the user needs to install a “helper” app which installs Fortnite to the device’s storage. Any app on the device with the “WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE” permission can intercept the installation and replace the installation file with a malicious APK. This includes one with full permissions granted which could allow attackers to access SMS, GPS, camera, or call history without knowledge to the user. According to researchers, “on Samsung devices, the Fortnite Installer performs the APK install silently via a private Galaxy Apps API. This API checks that the APK being installed has the package name com.epicgames.fortnite. Consequently, the fake APK with a matching package name can be silently installed.” A patch was released on August 15th for version 2.1.0 of the Fortnite installer. Users are urged to update as soon as possible.


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Reliance Jio increased the last date for taking a prime subscription on Friday for 15 days. Users troubled by deadline of March 31 will now be able to get live prime subscription by April 15. Mukesh Ambani, chief of Reliance Industries, said that so far around 7.20 crore customers have received live prime subscriptions. Ambani also announced the new Summer Surprise Offer. All JioPrime users will be able to avail the free service till July.
Table of Contents
Reliance Jio Prime Offer Extended till 15th Aprill 2017
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani issued the statement and said that the customers who had not been able to enroll in Geo Prime by March 31, they have a chance till April 15. They can buy GeoKee 303 plan SIM for Rs 99.
Reliance Jio Summer Surprise Offer
Jio Summer Surprise is for exclusively prime customers. Primetime customers who will first recharge 303 rupees or more before April 15, they will get complimentary services for the first three months.
Ambani said that by giving an extension till April 15, users who go to free paid service will not have trouble.
How strong is Jio 4G LTE network ?
Ambani said that Jio has the largest 4G LTE wireless broadband network in the world. It has more than one lakh mobile towers. The company will add one lakh towers in the coming months. In this, the company will invest Rs 2 lakh crore. This will be the largest investment in any wireless network in the world.
Watch Vedio :


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Quote, unquote: soundbites from FMCG conference CAGNY
A selection of quotes from this week's CAGNY conference
A selection of quotes from this year's Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference.
"While this might not be where we want to be longer term, we believe it is a step in the right direction. We are innovating" - Andy Jones, VP of Kellogg's businesses in central and eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa says the company is "making progress" in Europe where it has made "sequential improvements" in each of its four quarters in 2012.
"Clearly we're handicapped because as you all know the birth rate in the US has fallen quite dramatically, albeit not in the Hispanic section, but in the US as a whole" - Nestle's head of investor relations Roddy Child-Villiers says the company is eyeing a resurgence in infant nutrition.
"Focus on our core US business is a top priority and fundamental to our success. We see the US as an attractive growth market" - Hershey CEO John Bilbrey says it views the mature US confentionery market as a "growth opportunity".
"We may occasionally choose to do a tuck-in acquisition, and we have talked about those in the past" - PepsiCo CFO Hugh Johnston said the company might consider M&A, but "tuck-in" deals as a way of ensuring developing markets continue to contribute to profit growth going forward.
"We remain focused on... strengthening our strong brands with leading innovation and marketing support" - Hillshire CEO Sean Connolly said the company is ramping up investment in innovation while "sharpening" marketing tools.
"We have identified other categories in China that we'd like to participate in, either through acquisitions, joint ventures or importing some of our current product offerings" - JM Smucker CEO Richard Smucker said the company had earmarked other sectors in which to invest and was set to act.
"We know there are no silver bullets so we will continue to nurture our brands with product innovation" - Campbell CEO Denise Morrison talks about how the company will invest to develop new opportunities for expansion.
"Although our top-line growth was disappointing in the back half last year, the quality of underlying revenue and earnings growth provides strong momentum as we enter 2013" - Mondelez chief executive Irene Rosenefeld said she anticipates Mondelez will see sales come in at the lower end of its target range in 2013, with growth accelerating down the line.
"The expectations we have to grow the peanuts and nut butter businesses require us to further expand capacity in Lexington while adding a third facility" - JM Smucker director Mark Smucker said its plant in Lexington had been sufficient but the company needed more capacity if it is to meet its forecasts for growth in sales of nut butter products.
"We compete in great categories, we are increasing scale in developed and emerging markets, we see great scope for cost savings ahead" - Chris O'Leary, who leads General Mills' international businesses, said its operations outside the US were well-positioned to drive sustained growth.
"The balance of consumer brands, private brands and commercial businesses provides strength in many different sectors and positions us for stronger growth with customers" - ConAgra Foods chief Gary Rodkin insists its mix of consumer brands, own label and B2B businesses offered the company "significant growth opportunities".
"A big part of becoming really good at innovation has been facing the brutal facts and getting better. We were worst at innovation by almost any measure, qualitative, quantitative, outsider, insider, any way we looked at it" - Kraft's VP for breakthrough innovation Barry Calpino admits Kraft has, in the past, not succeeded in innovating well.
Sectors: Advertising & labelling, Baby food, Bakery, Canned food, Cereal, Chilled foods, Commodities & ingredients, Condiments, dressings & sauces, Confectionery, Dairy, Dried foods, Emerging markets, Financials, Food safety, Fresh produce, Frozen, Health & wellness, Ice cream, Meat & poultry, Mergers & acquisitions, Natural & organic, NPD & innovation, Private label, Retailers, Seafood, Snacks, Sustainability & the environment, World foods
Chinese infant formula maker Beingmate has announced plans to invest a total of CNY155m (US$25.4m) in the construction of a large-scale dairy farm....
- Why personalisation will take-off in US food
- General Mills sales woes continue - analysis
- US food next wave on display at Winter Fancy Food
- Comment: Meal kits in US - don't believe the hype
- Column: Kraft Heinz, Unilever and sustainability
- Unilever 'lining up spreads sale'
- UK own-label firm Park Cakes sold in MBO
- Immigration crackdown "risk" for US dairy industry
- BRF plant suspended amid bribery allegations
- Fonterra cuts earnings forecast


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Imagine you could register the www.url.anything domain name.
This week the US House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and Internet held a hearing on the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) proposal to launch at least 200 and, potentially, an infinite number of new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) (.COM and .NET suffixes are examples of gLTDs).
Setting impressive acronyms aside, what this means is that potential internet url suffixes are about to increase from 21 currently approved gTLDs to a potentially infinite number of truly “generic” Top Level Domains.
Now Congress wants to know how ICANN, the private entity responsible for governing the internet, intends to prevent the inevitable flood of trademark infringement. Business owners, who stand to see their valuable .COM addresses diluted with new .XYZ and other suffixes or, even worse, directly infringing suffixes (think www.google.google) should want some answers too.
Currently, trademark owners have two remedies against users who register confusingly similar domain names which could potentially divert consumers to online “knock-off” websites of major trademarked brands:
1) Sue infringers in Federal Court, per the Anticybersquating Consumer Protection Act, for money and an injunction forcing the infringer to turn over the registered domain to its rightful owners (e.g., America Online, Inc. v. AOL.org); or
2) take the infringers to arbitration via ICANN’s uniform domain-name dispute resolution policy where, after a short and relatively inexpensive process, ICANN’s arbitrators would force the domain name registrar to re-register the domain to the rightful trademark owner.
Even with the less expensive option #2 — relative to the expense of full-fledged federal litigation — business owners must spend a few thousand dollars to prevent internet infringers from free riding on their brands.
Fortunately, under the current gTLD system, there are only one or two popular alternatives to the .COM suffix that business owners need worry about policing because suffixes other than .NET and .ORG do not carry much credibility with the fairly sophisticated internet crowd. ICANN’s proposal to expand the gTLD could change that.
A virtually infinite variation of url suffixes may, and probably will, alter internet culture with regard to suffix legitimacy. Imagine companies starting to use suffixes as well as prefixes to point to their most popular services (e.g., local.google.places or instant.netflix.movies). Such novel customizability could easily end the virtual street cred associated with .COM and .NET suffixes, making it that much easier for infringers to convince unsuspecting consumers that my.facebook.bestfriend points to a legitimate Facebook service rather than some infringing knockoff or, worse, an adware/malware den.
Hoping to allay such fears, ICANN Senior Vice President Kurt Pritz testified that new gTLDs will have significant, robust rights protection mechanisms that do not presently exist in current gTLDs. Specifically, “mark holders will have the opportunity to register their marks in a single repository that will serve all new gTLDs, the Trademark Clearinghouse.”
Under the Clearinghouse plan, new gTLD registries would have to offer a pre-launch period during which registered trademark rights holders will have the opportunity to register their existing names in the new gTLD prior to general registration. Pritz added that “a Trademark Claims service will notify rights holders of domain name registrations that match marks in the Clearinghouse for a period of time at the beginning of general registration.”
While ICANN’s protection mechanisms seem reasonable for wealthy companies (read: Google and Facebook), smaller business would worry about their financial capacity to buy new domain registrations whenever a new, potentially infringing gLTD is offered by the registries.
But Pritz notes that economic studies do not support this fear. According to a study conducted by economists Michael Katz and Gregory Rosston of more than 200 top brands, current brand holders do not register names in all available TLDs, instead choosing to focus their investment on the .COM and .NET suffixes.
In other words, says Pritz, “abusive registrations do not occur at the same rates in newer gTLDs because they do not return value to the abuser.” So business owners need not worry about buying “defensive registrations” in every new gTLDs because abusers are unlikely to register those names anyway.
Unfortunately, ICANN’s diminishing returns theory is based on today’s culture where .COM and .NET suffixes maintain credibility as gTLDs for official existing brands. As discussed above, introduction of a virtually infinite number of new suffixes could very well change that culture, thereby leaving businesses with the same old litigation/arbitration options for protecting their trademarks plus an added bonus of having to police against hundreds if not thousands of brand infringing url variations.
ICANN’s proposals will be ready for final approval on June 20, 2011.
For more articles on internet business and intellectual property law, subscribe to the Handal & Morofsky blog, “Marks & Secrets” at www.handalglobal.com.


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Man wears baby T-shirt as mask during 7-Eleven robbery in Virginiahttps://t.co/NKs8rS8FlM pic.twitter.com/m0hWthUbRa — THV11 (@THV11) August 14, 2019read more
Ross Ford’s Stuff
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KILO’s Morning Show: Strongman lifts world’s largest potato, internet has a field day with the photo
International Strongman, who annoyingly isn’t Irish, Dimitar Savatinov made news recently after successfully lifting the world’s largest potato off the ground, and then putting it back on the ground....read more


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The entities that operate as Suddenlink Communications have been sued in Oklahoma over their “ever-changing” customer contracts, which the lawsuit says allow Suddenlink to continue to provide persistently shoddy service while leaving consumers with no options to hold the company accountable.
The 56-page proposed class action says that Suddenlink’s enforcement of its “unconscionable self-contradicting adhesion contract” has prevented Oklahoma residents from enjoying the personal, educational and business benefits that come with reliable internet service.
“The same problems that plague West Virginia Suddenlink customers also plague Oklahoma Suddenlink customers,” the complaint claims, referencing a $2.4 million fine levied by the Public Service Commission of West Virginia against Suddenlink for its apparent failure to provide reliable service to subscribers.
According to the filing, the Public Service Commission of West Virginia found in February 2022 that although defendant Altice USA, when it acquired Suddenlink in 2015, painted a “rosy picture” with regard to its ability to provide consumers in the state with cable, telephone and high-speed broadband internet services, the company prioritized cutting costs and ramping-up profit over providing satisfactory service. Despite what Altice shared with the commission, the suit says, the company, according to the analysts, was aiming to save $215 million per year at Suddenlink.
By 2017, this goal was mostly achieved, yet the consequences for Oklahomans and West Virginians were “significant,” the case says, noting a sharp uptick in customer complaints that continued into at least 2021. Per the lawsuit, once Altice took over Suddenlink, it intentionally cut maintenance work and its maintenance budget, reduced staff, changed how it communicated with subscribers and “ignored” thousands of resulting customer complaints, among myriad other measures, to the detriment of consumers.
According to the case, the findings of the Public Service Commission of West Virginia apply to the problems experienced by Oklahoma Suddenlink customers.
More broadly, the lawsuit alleges Altice’s strategy is to purchase providers who operate in regions where there are few, if any, viable alternatives for phone, cable and internet service, and then “engage in severe cost-cutting that significantly reduces the quality of services offered.”
The suit goes on to say that although Suddenlink claims online to offer services “without a contract,” the company simultaneously locks customers into a one-sided and “unsigned, internet-posted, ever-changing, take-it-or-leave-it ‘agreement’” accessible through a “Terms & Policies” link on its website.
Per the case, Suddenlink’s “adhesion” contract imposes no liability on the company—including to provide the services and channels that customers have paid for—other than to issue refunds or credits at its own discretion.
“Suddenlink therefore has no liability under the Suddenlink adhesion contract, even if Suddenlink burned down a customer’s house,” the suit says.
The lawsuit looks to represent all consumers who were Suddenlink customers in Oklahoma at any time from January 1, 2016 to the present.
Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.
Camp Lejeune residents may soon have the opportunity to claim compensation for harm suffered from contaminated water.


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Latest annual results show positive signs for Scottish wholesaler
Series debuts with session on how JW Filshill supports its employees' wellbeing
Wholesalers reveal what they’re doing to reduce their operation’s carbon footprint
New regional development manager to cover Edinburgh, the Lothians and Borders to aid wholesaler's growth
Diversity movement aims to keep key inclusivity issues at front of priorities as sector emerges from Covid crisis
Purchase of popular tonic wine brand "sets the scene for future brand acquisitions"
Glasgow-based wholesaler chalked up a “stable” performance in the year ending 31 January 2020 and has announced plans to expand its KeyStore symbol group
Glasgow-based wholesaler rolls out health and safety measures across KeyStore estate


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Latest Blog Posts - Bharath Autos
- Bajaj Pulsar 180 AS coming soon!
- Yamaha to launch the YZF-R3 in India on August 11th
- New Honda CBR250R (Facelift) might launch at RevFest on 4th Auguston Jul 28, 2015 in Honda Motorcycle News Spyshots Upcoming Bikes 2015 honda cbr250r 250cc honda bike Auto news CBR250R CBR250R FACELIFT engine facelifted cbr250r bike FEATURES GALLERY honda 250cc motorcycle Honda Cars images LAUNCH DATE new cbr250r 2015 new cbr250r motorcycle new honda cbr250r Photos pics pictures price snaps specificationWe have just the piece of news to cheer Honda fans up – the new CBR250R (facelift) is expected to launch at RevFest on 4th August, alongside the confirmed model which will be the CBR650F. Almost every bike manufacturer has one or more bikes in the...
- Suzuki Gixxer 250 Magazine rendering portrays a lot of sense in India
- Yamaha MT-320 patent images leaked; Indian launch next year!
- Royal Enfield Himalayan spotted – “very, very close” to production model
- KTM Duke 390 custom kits launched for Rs 49,390 by Yuvraj Singh
- New Bajaj Avenger launch by October-December, 2015on Jul 27, 2015 in Bajaj Auto News Upcoming Bikes 2015 bajaj avenger Auto news avenger facelift Bajaj Avenger bajaj cruiser cruiser motorcycle engine facelifted avenger motorcycle FEATURES GALLERY images LAUNCH DATE new avenger 2015 new avenger bike new bajaj avenger Photos pics pictures price snaps specification third-gen avengerMr. Rajiv Bajaj, managing director and CEO of Bajaj Auto, speaking to the company shareholders last week, confirmed the launch of new Bajaj Avenger in the third quarter this financial year probably between October and December period this year. If ea...
- Royal Enfield Motorcycles may get ABS as standard in future
- Here’s official statement by Bajaj Auto on the Pulsar RS200 Alloy Wheel Breakage


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Despite assurances that the iPhone will not be impacted by U.S. import tariffs against Chinese goods, Apple may still be affected, with the Apple Watch listed alongside fitness trackers and other accessories assembled in the country under new proposals.
New government rulings on a new round of tariffs the United States intends to apply on Chinese produce names the Apple Watch, as well as a number of Fitbit trackers and Sonos speakers, Reuters reports. The named products, and others, are goods that are assembled in China before being imported to the United States, causing them to be subject to potential tariffs.
The devices are singled out because they are classed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials under a subheading of "data transmission machines," within a list of U.S. tariff codes. Approximately 6,000 codes are included in tariff proposals announced earlier this month, expected to affect $200 billion worth of imports.
If the list passes through the current public comment period unscathed and is implemented this fall, the Apple Watch and other named hardware could be subject to a 10-percent tariff.
Neither Apple, Fitbit, nor Sonos has publicly commented on the potential tariffs, but Sonos did advise it could affect prices paid by consumers. In a filing earlier in July, Sonos claimed "the imposition of tariffs and other trade barriers, as well as retaliatory trade measures, could require us to raise the prices of our products and harm our sales."
It is possible that the products may not ultimately be affected by the tariff, as trade experts advised to the report that the codes for specific products are only public knowledge due to regulators being asked by manufacturers to properly classify them. As codes can apply to specific models of device, it is possible they do not apply to currently-sold versions of devices.
Companies can also attempt to get around the issue by asking for the code to be dropped during the comment period, to apply for an exclusion for their products, or attempt to have the devices reclassified under a different code that is not subject to the tariff.
While the Apple Watch stands to be hit with the tariff, it is thought the iPhone will not be subjected to similar treatment. In June, it was reported Apple CEO Tim Cook was informed by White House officials that, even though tariffs against Chinese goods will proceed, the U.S. government will not extend the same restrictions to iPhone.


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Where did baby food come from and where has it been?
One pet owner made a promise when her toy poodle fell ill and its vision started to dim. If her dog lived, she would help it overcome any disabilities and give a paw up to other pooches in the process
Many U.S. cities charge a damage deposit as well as a monthly fee
Wolf in the Fog took top honours while Ayden in Saskatoon, opened by Top Chef Canada Season 1 winner Dale MacKay, was the people’s choice winner in an online poll at eatandvote.com.
It may cost a bit, but the right elements can help you "buy another season"
The Michelin Guide’s latest roster of top New York City restaurants says Brooklyn and Queens are hot, but Daniel Boulud is not
When the economy tanks, women have fewer babies. But what happens in the following years, when conditions improve?
All kinds of goodies — pools, TVs and snacks — helps, but there's more
A few simple fixes — mainly in the bedroom — can help alleviate breathing issues caused by their feces
Fall is a good time to plan for reduced water usage next year
U.S. President Barack Obama is such a BlackBerry Ltd. fan that he reportedly walked off a helicopter before take-off and ran back into the White House to retrieve his trusty smartphone
The N1, which runs on Google’s Android Lollipop operating software, is due to be in stores in China in the first quarter of next year for an estimated price of US$249 before taxes
Spurned by innovations that have made it easier to offer virtual reality to consumers, companies such as Facebook Inc., Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. are all clamouring to make their own mark in this space


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We first reported on Symantec Endpoint Management Suite 1.0 last week, when I found that Symantec had prematurely posted product details on its website. But today marks the suite’s official launch, which means I can finally give even more details that Symantec provided last week in an embargoed interview.
Murray also stressed the up-sell opportunities that come with Endpoint Management Suite. In the most likely scenario, he said, an existing Symantec Antivirus customer is looking to upgrade to Symantec Endpoint Protection. Instead of selling only SEP — which is free for qualified existing customers, anyway — partners can offer the entire Endpoint Management Suite at a discounted price.
The suite also gives Symantec partners the chance to sell something from the Altiris product line and vice versa, Murray said. Symantec had kept Altiris as a separate business unit after its acquisition last year but recently brought Altiris directly into the fold. Endpoint Management Suite is the first integration of Symantec products into what was known as the Altiris platform, Murray said.
Symantec Endpoint Management Suite is available now at a price of $200 per managed endpoint. For more information, check out coverage from our sister site, SearchSecurity.com.


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Death Row Records has launched the ‘Death Row Experience’ a virtual retrospective gallery that celebrates the 30th anniversary of the iconic label this year. The Los Angeles-based company now owned ...
DeathRowOfficial.com, where fans can purchase music, merchandise, NFTs and much more. A special 30th Anniversary limited edition merch line will launch in late April. Death Row ...
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This morning the National Retail Federation (NRF) had great news for the nation’s retailers (online and in-store). The NRF projects holiday retail sales will grow 6% to 8% over 2021 to between $942.6 billion and $960.4 billion. And remember, last year’s holiday sales grew 13.5% over 2020, totaling $889.3 billion. In fact, holiday retail sales have averaged an increase of 4.9% over the past 10 years.
And while consumers are shifting back to more in-store shopping, the NRF expects online and other non-store sales to increase between 10% to 12% to between $262.8 billion and $267.6 billion. That’s up from 2021’s $238.9 billion, which, the NRF says, “saw extraordinary growth in digital channels as consumers turned to online shopping to meet their holiday needs during the pandemic.” This increase is included in the total holiday spending forecast.
NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay notes that despite “consumers feeling the pressure of inflation and higher prices,” consumers continue to spend. And NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz adds that while “this holiday season cycle is anything but typical, the overall outlook is generally positive as consumer fundamentals continue to support economic activity.”
As we’ve told you, the NRF confirms, “The holiday shopping season kicked off earlier this year as shoppers are concerned about inflation and availability of products.”
In other good news for the economy, the NRF expects retailers will hire between 450,000 and 600,000 seasonal workers.
Due to the uncertain economy and inflationary pressure, value-minded consumers will be browsing before buying, on the hunt for discounts, deals, and promotions. But still, they plan to spend an average of $832.84 on gifts and holiday items this year.
You can find more information on the NRF’s Winter Holidays web page.


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Russia has decided to ban imports of U.S. pork and beef due to a growth stimulant called ractopamine.
Farmers use ractopamine to make their livestock more lean, but multiple countries including the European Union, China, and Taiwan have now banned U.S. products that use ractopamine because they say it's not safe.
Some food experts, such as those with "Consumer Reports" magazine, say "that no drugs should be used routinely in healthy animals to promote growth".
Former Iowa Pork Producers Association President Leon Sheets runs a hog operation in Chickasaw County.
Sheets doesn't use the growth hormone on his farm because of the genetics of his pigs, but he insists that ractopamine is safe.
"In the U.S. … our regulatory agencies that tested the product have determine that it's safe," Sheets said.
An article in the January edition of "Consumer Reports" magazine says that about one-fifth of the 240 pork products they tested harbored low levels of the drug ractopamine. These levels were well below the FDA's limit and the international limit.
Leon Sheets says this is a political issue, not a safety concern.
"It's more of a market access [issue]…and that's a way to keep out U.S. pork," Sheets said. "If they can reduce the amount [of pork in their country]… they can bolster up the price of their locally domestic grown pork."
Sheets says that in 2011, Russia bought $230 million in U.S. pork products, making Russia the sixth largest consumer base, but Sheets doesn't see it as permanent.
"They bring it up as a barrier, but as soon as their prices adjust my guess is that you'll see pork products rolling in as they need the products," Sheets said.
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Forbes just released its latest list of the world’s 100 Most Powerful Women, and Queen Rania, the Palestinian wife of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, ranks in the middle. That’s ahead of J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, Margaret Chan, the director-general of the World Health Organization, and Lubna Olayan, the only other Arab woman on the read »Zina Moukheiber, Contributor
Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned
- 2011 Power Women List: Dropoff
- Doha, Qatar
- Marital Status
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It seemed like a pretty cut-and-dry idea. Walt Disney has Star Wars: The Force Awakens out on December 18th, and their next mega-blockbuster after that is Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War on May 6th of next year. So, as made sense, the announcement went out that the trailer for the read »Scott Mendelson, Contributor
We’ve all heard the Andrew Carnegie story—his literal rise from rags to riches is the stuff of legend.
But is that dream dead? The entrepreneurial ideal has long been under attack, but it seems the mortar shells are heavier than ever. If you need proof that ingenuity is still alive and kicking, check out these inspiring tales from the read »Mike Templeman, Contributor
The extent of the financial disaster facing Volkswagen is still not known, but investors are going to be disappointed if they think this self-induced body-blow will shame the company into reforming the system that inspired “dieselgate”.
Because of the lack of control at the top, another debilitating scandal will probably rock the company read »Neil Winton, Contributor
Today on Black Friday, shoppers will have a pretty significant choice on their hands when figuring out whether to pick up a PS4, Xbox One or Wii U for the holiday season. There are steep discounts on each, and based on the bundles you pick, the effective price of any of the systems is now somewhere between $150 and $250, depending read »Paul Tassi, Contributor
The following post was published on the Knowledge@Wharton website on November 10, 2015.
It’s the ultimate financial conundrum for entrepreneurs: They need money in order to make money. Investment is key to growing a fledgling business, but it can also be one of the toughest components to secure. In read »Knowledge @Wharton, Contributor
It’s finally over. The October 15th tax deadline is behind us, which means tax practitioners have mercifully finished their filings for the year. Unless of course, you chose to make your career in the not-for-profit world, in which case you deserve the extra month of misery.
On October 19th, thousands of tax advisors read »Tony Nitti, Contributor
Superstar residencies in Las Vegas are certainly nothing new, but that doesn’t mean the industry isn’t changing. In fact, the idea of what a musical residency in Sin City has been turned on its head, and the medium is experiencing something of a renaissance, and it’s all thanks to Britney Spears. Before Britney and her Piece Of Me show read »Hugh McIntyre, Contributor


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VIVAMAX Heralds Significant Achievements Six Months After Its Launch
The local streaming platform celebrates milestones achieved within six months of operations.
VIVAMAX is surely making its impact in shaping and being part of the Filipino viewing habit. Launched on January 29, 2021, the local streaming platform is committed to providing viewers with a variety of content. From home-grown to foreign-made films and shows, VIVAMAX ensures there is something that would cater to your entertainment needs.
Half a year since it started and with fierce competition in the market, VIVAMAX now has 600,000 subscribers to date. The 500 titles in its initial catalogue, which comprises of Filipino, Tagalized Hollywood and Asian contents, including blockbuster movies from South Korea, has now grown.
Among the Korean titles available for streaming are Seobok starring Gong Yoo and Park Bo Gum, Shin Min Ah’s Diva, Ha Jung Woo and Kim Nam Gil’s horror movie The Closet, plus a lot more.
VIVAMAX Embraces the new normal
Vincent del Rosario, President and COO of Viva Communications Inc. said that the company behind the platform continues to find ways to provide viewers with a source of entertainment. Through their partnership with other production companies they are able to produce shows as well as bring contents from overseas. Despite of the pandemic, they promise to keep doing so.
VIVAMAX pledges to add 15 new titles every week which will be a mix of originals, premieres, exclusives, and all-time favorites.
For a monthly payment of PHP149, subscribers can enjoy unlimited viewing experience. There are also different plans to choose from and a number of payment methods available. You can download the app and subscribe via Google Play, Apple App Store, and Huawei AppGallery. Viewers can also go to VIVAMAX website to subscribe and watch.
Apart from the Philippines, Filipinos and subscribers overseas can have access to VIVAMAX. The platform is now available in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Middle East, and Europe. It has plans to expand its reach in Australia, New Zealand, and North America in the succeeding months.
VIVAMAX is definitely establishing itself as a global brand with its commitment to bring local and international entertainment contents closer to its subscribers in the Philippines and abroad.
How does this story make you feel?


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How to safely open pools amid chlorine tablet shortage
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Amid reports of a nationwide chlorine tablet shortage, some local pool experts aren’t exactly worried just yet.
“We did check in with a few of our distributors and reps. They’ve indicated they’ve heard [about a chlorine tablet shortage], and while inventory is a question, they are expecting to see a price increase this summer,” said John Martinez, Director of Facilities and Grounds for the City of South Bend’s Venues, Parks, and Arts Department.
Martinez added the city has enough chlorine tablets to sustain them through half of the public pool season, which begins in June. But they are making efforts to add more inventory.
Gary Rogel, general manager of Michiana Swimming Pool Company in Goshen, attributed the shortage partly to an August fire at a Louisiana chemical factory.
“It’s offline now for about two years. And when it comes back online, it will be okay. But right now, other companies have to fill in the gap and increase overtime and stuff like that, which causes the cost to go up,” explained Rogel.
While his business won’t price gouge, the company reports seeing the shortage firsthand.
“The tablets we’ve received in already, may, may be the entire year’s allotment. So we don’t know what it’s gonna be doing,” Rogel said.
Rogel says liquid chlorine can also be used.
Copyright 2021 WNDU. All rights reserved.


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Duffy's Grill an Example Of Knowing Your Customers
South Florida restaurant chain serves a profit in tough times.
FORT LAUDERDALE | In today's slow economy, restaurant chains are folding across America, but Duffy's Sports Grill keeps expanding.
The South Florida casual-dining chain just opened in Deerfield Beach, its 17th outlet, and soon will debut in Delray Beach. Restaurants are reaping profits and adding jobs, with staff topping 1,200 employees, said chief executive Paul Emmett.
What makes Duffy's thrive while Steak & Ale, Bennigan's and others are shutting down?
Buying failed locales at bargain rates. Negotiating hard with suppliers for low prices. And focusing on value for clients, especially through its frequent-diner program, restaurant experts say.
"They've got a great management team who knows what they're doing," said Richard Lackey of Lackey Cos., a restaurant consultancy in Palm Beach Gardens. "The restaurant industry had become bloated. You've got a lot of people who were riding the tide of good fortune and did not keep up to date with new trends. Duffy's is cutting-edge."
Perhaps the chain's greatest innovation is borrowing tools from airlines to adjust prices for peak and slow times and to reward loyal clients.
For example, Duffy's offers 40 percent off all food weekdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., when tables tend to be empty. To qualify, diners must sign up for its MVP frequent-diner card. Cardholders also get a $10 credit for every $100 of purchases, among other rewards and benefits.
About 70 percent of sales come from more than 200,000 MVP cardholders, who mainly live or work near Duffy's outlets.
Many retirees come in weekdays just before 4 p.m. to order cut-rate dinners and then, buy "2 for 1" drinks at happy hour that starts at 4 p.m.
"For people living on fixed incomes, it's all about value," said Emmett. "And we're fanatical about value."
Keeping costs down starts with buying good locales at discounts, including many outlets from the defunct Roadhouse Grill of West Palm Beach.
"There's no restaurant we've ever opened that hasn't been someone else's failure," said Emmett, who spent 25 years with New York heavyweight Restaurant Associates before investing in Duffy's in 2001.
Duffy's also negotiates prices directly with manufacturers and suppliers, the way mega-chains do, rather than buying through wholesalers who tend to charge more.
Smart purchasing is key, because food and beverages make up about one-third of costs for restaurants. Food prices are surging posting their largest spike in 27 years in 2007, said the National Restaurant Association.
Duffy's then changes its menu at least twice a year, partly to offer those items it can buy at favorable rates and still turn a decent profit. That might mean adding a new kind of seafood that is not rising in price as fast as another, Emmett said.


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HARARE – A Zimbabwean business delegation is today expected to meet with counterparts from South Africa at a forum to be held in Pretoria to explore trade and investment opportunities.
The delegation is part of President Robert Mugabe’s official three-day state visit to neighbouring South Africa focusing on bilateral and economic cooperation as well as regional and continental matters.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president, Charles Msipa, yesterday confirmed to businessdaily that the business-to-business meeting is expected to create the ground for potential investment deals between South African and Zimbabwean companies.
“Fifty (50) members from Zimbabwe’s business community including members of CZI have confirmed their attendance while about 50 South Africa-based Zimbabwe business executives are also expected at the forum,” he said.
Msipa noted that the business forum is expected to kick off with a plenary session with focus on presentations of business and investment opportunities between the two countries.
“The Zimbabwe Investment Authority (Zia) will also present investment opportunities available in various sectors of our economy.
“Sector specific workshops will also be conducted and both sides will be able to seize opportunities in new areas,” said Msipa.
South Africa and Zimbabwe have a strong trade relationship, with South African companies commanding a heavy presence in sectors of the Zimbabwean economy such as mining, manufacturing and agro-processing.
“The whole idea is to ensure facilitation of investments into Zimbabwe. We anticipate fruitful opportunities,” said Msipa.
This comes as South Africa remains Zimbabwe’s largest trading partner accounting for 43,1 percent of total imports for the 11 months to November 2014.
According to latest figures from the Zimbabwe Statistical Office, Zimbabwe imported $2,5 billion worth of goods from South Africa, and exported goods worth about $170 million to Africa’s second largest economy.
In total, the country imported goods worth $5,8 billion.
Analysts say Zimbabwe — whose trade with South Africa was evenly balanced a few years ago — will remain a net importer of goods for as long as industries are closing down.
The country is currently experiencing massive decline in manufacturing output due to persistent challenges affecting the sector, which include antiquated plant and machinery, inflexible labour laws, influx of cheap imports, high cost of production, weak effective demand, as well as persistent liquidity constraints.
Economic experts assert that Zimbabwe needs to restore investor confidence to grow its dying economy.
According to a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) 2014 report Zimbabwe’s foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows remain stagnant, with the country receiving $400 million in 2013, unchanged from 2012.
The $400 million received by Zimbabwe represents just three percent of total FDI into southern Africa last year.
This exposes investment-starved Zimbabwe’s incapacity to attract meaningful FDI, it desperately needs to jump-start its faltering economy.


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It’s not often you find a too-good-to-be-true deal on an 4K HDR OLED TV, but Google Express is coming through on Amazon Prime Day, per Android Central. The 55-inch LG C8 OLED is $948 right now, the lowest price that we’ve seen.
To get this discount price, simply click the “add to cart” button at Google Express. Doing so will knock $548 off of the total, then enter the code FOHTTK at checkout to save another $100 off of the original price. This deal ends tomorrow, or sooner if supply runs dry.
Compared to a backlit LED or LCD television, an OLED TV has per-pixel control for unparalleled color contrast, and it can display true blacks for a more accurate picture. The C8 debuted in early 2018, and, unlike the usually-cheaper B8 OLED, it has an a9 processor for reduced noise and smoother gradation in the picture. LG’s OLEDs have been going on sale more frequently in recent months, but this might be the significant price drop that you’ve been waiting for.
We’ve been collecting other anti-Prime Day 2019 deals, and we’ve got you covered whether you’re avoiding shopping at Amazon, or just looking for more options.
Verge Deals on Twitter /
Keep up with our best tech deals daily on Twitter with @vergedeals


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Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Valve’s Steam Deck handheld will start shipping to Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan on December 17th. Reservations for the handheld PC-meets-console opened up through Komodo in August, and customers who preordered will start receiving requests to finalize orders starting December 1st.
The first Steam Deck units in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan will start shipping on December 17th, and Valve says delivery times are expected “to vary from a few days to a couple of weeks.”
We’re happy to announce that Steam Decks will start shipping in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on December 17th via Komodo, our official Steam Deck distributor in these regions.
Customers in these regions can reserve the Steam Deck here: h…