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Consumers Ring Up a Cure for Cabin Fever
News from the retail sector could not have been better for the economy.
While data was sparse this week, news out of the retail sector was truly stunning with 8.7% same-store sales growth in March. Pending home sales also showed a surprising gain. Meanwhile, initial unemployment claims became unintelligible yet again because of a California holiday and funky seasonal adjustment factors.
Given my belief that consumer spending drives the rest of the economy, the news from the retail sector could not have been better. It simply dwarfed all other reports this week.
On the lighter side, Morningstar.com site editor Jason Stipp and I also posted a video this week on some of the less-obvious indicators of economic recovery, including sales of pick-up trucks.
Year-Over-Year Same-Store Sales Grow 8.7%
I erred last week when I said there would be no economic news of note this week. More correctly, I didn't think that same-store sales reported by major retailers could jump nearly as high as they did. Retail Metric, an organization that totals up the monthly individual retailer sales reports, announced that same-store sales in March were up 8.7% from the prior year. Just a couple of weeks ago, the general thinking was that sales would come in at between 3% and 5%, a truly massive discrepancy. The number was also the largest monthly increase since Retail Metrics began collecting the data in 2000.
I believe the results are part of a continuing trend of improving consumer spending that began in early 2009, and really began to kick into high gear with the start of the holiday selling season in 2009. To give the bears their due, there was a perfect storm of good news in March, and the exceptionally strong results will be nearly impossible to duplicate in April. Weather was fantastic in some parts of the country, with temperatures more than 20 degrees above average. Easter came a week earlier in the year, pushing more sales into March, whereas last year the economy was approaching its nadir in March. Even stripping out these non-repeatable events, I believe the data is consistent with consumer spending growth well in excess of 3%. That should be more than enough to power overall GDP growth of 4.5% growth or more for the full year 2010.
April Sales Might Slow, But the Consumer Is Just Getting Going
While April retail sales are likely to look slow relative to March, I think the consumer is just now warming up. The psychologically important March jobs reports, showing six-digit job growth, could provide an important lift in consumer spending during the months ahead. The positive jobs report was announced after the March retail sales book was already closed. Stock market gains could also continue to fuel consumer spending during the months ahead.
Retail Sales Improvement Is Broad-Based
The March retail sales improvement was extremely broad-based, with improvement ranging from as high as 22.5% at Kohl's (KSS) to a low of 5% at Costco (COST). For a change, some luxury and clothing purveyors such as Nordstrom (JWN), American Eagle (AEO), and the previously mentioned Kohl's managed to beat value players like TJX Companies (TJX) and Ross Stores (ROST), which have led the charts for months.
Sure, the naysayers pick at the earlier Easter and easy comparisons. Still, these factors didn't require a crystal ball, just a great rearview mirror to see last year's sales data, and a decent calendar. An early Easter and poor results last year don't really explain how very smart analysts (who own both rearview mirrors and calendars) were estimating March same-store sales growth of just 12% for Kohl's, which ended up posting growth in excess of 22%.
Stock analysts were not the only ones to miss this boat. The International Council of Shopping centers had been predicting same-store sales growth in March of 3%-4% on their website and mysteriously raised their forecast to 8%-10% on Tuesday of this week.
Real Estate Data Getting a Typical Spring Boost
The pending home sales report for February was also surprisingly strong, registering an increase of 8.2% versus expectations for flat sales. Sales that turn up in this report generally show up in the more influential existing home sales report a month or two later. Given the poor weather conditions in February, I was surprised by the magnitude of the gain. Our housing analyst, Eric Landry offered the following analysis:
Last week's pending homes report from the National Association of Realtors, which tracks contracts signed in the large markets, was quite strong. Overall contract activity increased 8.2% sequentially in February, after a 7.8% sequential drop in the prior month. The Midwest was the strongest region, with a 21.8% sequential gain. Both the Northeast and South posted roughly 9% sequential gains, while the West posted a 4.8% sequential decline. Pending sales, which generally lead existing sales by one to two months, indicate there's likely to be another spike in activity as buyers ramp up activity in anticipation of the expiration of the federal tax credit at the end of April. Investors should expect robust contract activity in March and April, followed by a lull in May and into the summer months.
Initial Unemployment Claims Gyrate Up One More Time
Of course after many weeks of ignoring the weekly gyrations in the initial unemployment claims, last week I mentioned that maybe some of the extraneous variables--such as weather, holidays, and adequate personnel to process the claims--would finally make the numbers more dependable again in the near future. Then this week, the number of new claims jumped from 442,000 back up to 460,000. A state holiday in California and difficulties in calibrating adjustments for holidays that float to different weeks each year were part of the reason for the jump. In any case, the steadier average of four weeks of claims barely moved this week (up from 448,000 to 450,250 claims) and was well down from the 2009 high of 658,750.
After the first year or so of improvement in unemployment claims, improvement in this metric comes much slower. The slowing improvement in past recoveries has not been an indicator that the economy was about to dip back into a recession. In other words, initial unemployment claims lose some of their predictive power once we are well past the bottom and into the recovery.
ISM Non-Manufacturing Index Shows Signs of Life
While I usually stress the strength of the Institute of Supply Management Purchasing Managers' Report for Manufacturers, the slower moving reports for non-manufacturers managed to show its third consecutive month of growth. I view this as strong corroborating evidence of the manufacturing index, which entered its growth mode in the middle of 2009.
Qualitatively, the report mentioned that new budget money to spend since the beginning of the year has been a big help in improving business. Inventories that were artificially low, and a new sense of general optimism, were other reasons cited for an improving report. The new orders component of the report, one of the most important components in my view, jumped to 62.3 during March from 55.0, boding well for the months ahead when those services are used and billed.
Both last week's ISM manufacturing report and this week's non-manufacturing reports showed strong growth in the exports component. On the services side, this jumped from 47.0 to 57.5. Strength in the rest of the world economy and strong U.S. competitiveness are probably behind the recent display of strength. The import statistics weren't nearly as robust, potentially indicating that net exports could be another contributor to GDP growth during the first quarter.
Manufacturing Data Leads the Charge Next Week
Next week will bring a flood of additional manufacturing data, including industrial production and several regional purchasing manager reports for April, as well as inventories. Weather and various issues at Toyota (TM) slowed the growth of industrial production in February, but I expect a rebound of close to 1% in March.
Recall in my thesis that we have a lot of room for industrial growth ahead as end-user demand approaches pre-recession levels, while production has recovered just a third of its losses.
What Will Be Under the Covers of the Consumer Price Index Report?
The Consumer Price Index is also due next week. I expect muted overall growth of just 0.2%, with housing-related components keeping a lid on the index. More important than the top-line number is a determination of how many of the underlying components showed a meaningful increase. I still believe that inflation will accelerate in a meaningful way by the end of the year.
Housing Starts Better at Last?
With weather improving and the federal housing credit approaching expiration, I am expecting housing starts to look a little better in March. February starts were just 575,000 units. I'm expecting 620,000 or more starts in March. Recall that starts peaked at close to 2.2 million units and natural annual demand runs about 1.5 million units.
Robert Johnson, CFA does not own (actual or beneficial) shares in any of the securities mentioned above. Find out about Morningstar’s editorial policies.


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PD Ports, statutory harbour authority for the River Tees and owner and operator of Teesport, have thrown their weight behind a new event to showcase the region’s up-and-coming businesses.
Rising stars of the region’s business sector will go head-to-head with the launch of the Best New Tees Business Awards.
PD Ports will be the headline sponsor for the inaugural event, to be held in November.
CEO Frans Calje – pictured (above) with the firm’s head of PR, marketing and communications Kirsten Donkin alongside Tees Business executive editors Dave Allan (left) and Martin Walker – said: “We are honoured to be the headline sponsors at the inaugural Best New Business Awards.
“Recognising the immense contribution SMEs make to our region is something we should all be proud of and these awards will provide a platform through which we can recognise, celebrate and reward these great businesses and talented people.
“As the region’s largest private employer and a key business in the regional economy, SMEs make up for a large proportion of our supply chain and we are delighted to be able to show our support at these awards.”
The Best New Tees Business Awards have a wide range of categories for young businesses and individuals starting out in business.
The awards are being organised by Tees Business owners Resolution Media and Publishing, adding to an awards event stable that already includes the established Tees Businesswomen Awards and the Tees Tech Awards, which took place for the first time in August last year.
There are awards for the best business in services, creative, manufacturing, retail and hospitality, as well as categories for the Most Original New Business, Best New Community Champions and overall Best New Business.
There’s also individual categories for Best New Entrepreneur, Best New Apprentice and an Against All Odds award for someone who has overcome great hurdles to launch into business.
The categories are open to all businesses based in Teesside or Tees Valley founded since November 1, 2018.
Entries will open later in the year but sponsorship opportunities are available now, including category sponsorships for £3,000 + vat and opportunities to sponsor the drinks, films and programme from £995.
Tees Business executive editor Dave Allan, co-owner of Resolution Media and Publishing with Martin Walker, said the Best New Tees Business Awards will give a welcome boost to young businesses who’ve survived the tough test of the Covid pandemic.
“This is a chance to shine a light on the many rising stars and amazing new businesses across the widest range of sectors in the Tees region,” he said.
“At Tees Business, we pride ourselves in not just talking up the region and the businesses but giving them a helping hand wherever we can – and these awards will definitely provide a huge boost to the finalists and winners, putting their names up in lights for all to see.
“The Tees Businesswomen Awards have become a beacon for the female business stars of our region, we launched the Tees Tech Awards at the height of the pandemic, providing a new platform for our thriving local digital sector, and now we can’t wait to launch the Best New Tees Business Awards.”
To enquire about other sponsorship opportunities, call Chris Garbutt on 01642 450255 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.

domain: news


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On Monday, 1 October at the National Museum in Belgrade, the conference "Towards a Paperless Administration" presented the new regulatory framework for the development of electronic business and e-government, and marked the beginning of implementation of the Company Law which finally abolished the use of stamps for businesses.
The new Company Law prescribes that businesses can no longer be imposed the need to use stamps by any sectorial laws. The Law abolished the provisions of even 10 laws and 107 by-law mentioning stamps. This means that businesses and entrepreneurs registered after 1 October will no longer need to create their stamp, while the existing ones will be able to gradually eliminate them from use.
Starting from 1 October, businesses will be able to report institutions that require the use of stamp on any document, via e-mail email@example.com, while starting from 1 November, the Government's Office for IT an E-Government in cooperation will NALED will launch a Call center providing support to public officers, citizens and businesses regarding the use of electronic services and electronic exchange of data.


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Visual Arts/Key's planetarian Visual Novel Gets Anime Adaptation
posted on by Karen Ressler
Visual novel developer Key announced on Friday that its planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~ visual novel will get an anime adaptation in 2016. The announcement did not specify the length or format of the anime.
The project's website lists david production (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Level E) in charge of animation production.
The website also announces an April 15 "production presentation event" in Akihabara. The event will be free and will also stream live on Niconico.
Key made several false announcements on Friday for April Fool's Day, but renewed the planetarian anime project announcement page on April 2.
Visual Art's/Key (Clannad, Rewrite, Angel Beats!) originally released the planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~ "kinetic novel" in Japan on personal computers in 2004 before porting it to the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable consoles. The story takes place 30 years after a world war put a halt to space development. The protagonist, simply known as "the Junk Hunter," attempts to restore a planetarium's projector after meeting a robot.
Sekai Project licensed the PC version of the game and released it on Steam. Visual Arts also released an English version for iOS.
Thanks to Kougeru for the news tip.


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Popular fruits and vegetables listed on
“Top Dirtiest” due to pesticide contamination
ECB Publishing, Inc.
You choose to eat a healthy lunch one afternoon. Instead of settling in with a burger or fries or some other fried delight, you fix or order a hearty spinach salad. “Spinach is full of vitamins,” you think, and you aren't wrong.
Spinach is an extremely nutrient-packed leafy green that is full of Vitamins B6, B9 and Vitamin E, K and C, as well as iron, folic acid and calcium.
What you don't realize, however, is that spinach has also been named in a report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that lists the top 12, or “Dirty Dozen” fruits and vegetables that have the highest pesticide contamination.
For the past three years, the EWG has published an annual report listing the current top Dirtiest Dozen produce that has been contaminated with pesticides during its growth and production.
This list includes non-organic produce that is sold in grocery stores around the United States by several big-name brands.
“Nearly 70 percent of the produce sold in the United States comes with pesticide residues,” declares the EWG in their analysis.
Through data obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the EWG found traces of 225 different pesticides on popular fruits and vegetables that Americans purchase and eat every day – including some leafy greens that have been dubbed as the “power food” of healthy diets, such as kale and spinach.
According to the EWG report, each of the 12 fruits and vegetables listed on their report tested positive for a number of different pesticides.
More than 90 percent of strawberry, apple, cherry, spinach, kale and nectarine samples tested positive for at least two varieties of pesticides.
While outside researchers claim that the amount of pesticides discovered on fresh produce is within levels that are “tolerable for human consumption,” the EWG reminds that any amount of pesticide consumption could still be dangerous.
“A French study published in December in JAMA Internal Medicine, a journal from the American Medical Association, found that among nearly 69,000 participants, those with the highest frequency of organic food consumption had 25 percent fewer cancers than individuals who did not eat organic food,” writes the EWG before providing further data from the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health Environment and Reproductive Health. The Harvard data found that consumption of pesticides decreased fertility rates in the test participants who took part in the study.
“These findings raise important questions about the safety of pesticide mixtures found on produce and suggest that people should focus on eating fruits and vegetables with the fewest pesticide residues,” continues the EWG. “An organic diet can reduce the levels of chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxic pesticide that can harm the brain of the developing fetus; malathion, a pesticide classified as a probable human carcinogen; and clothianidin, a neonicotinoid pesticide that can harm bees.”
While strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, cherries, peaches, pears, tomatoes, celery and potatoes are all on the Dirtiest Dozen list, the EWG also provides a “Clean Fifteen” list, in which they recognize the top 15 fruits and veggies that cleared tests with lesser amounts of pesticide contamination.
Lovers of avocado toast can rejoice – the avocado (which is actually a large berry) was recognized by the EWG as the cleanest, least-contaminated of all the tested produce.
Avocados are followed quickly by sweet corn, but while it is incredibly low in pesticide contamination, the EWG warns that some of the sweet corn produced and sold in the United States are produced from genetically modified seeds.
“Buy organic varieties if you want to avoid genetically modified produce,” advises the EWG.
At the conclusion of their report, the EWG issues a call for action within the United States federal government when it comes to pesticide regulation and American health.
“The federal government’s role in protecting our health, farm workers and the environment from harmful pesticides is in urgent need of reform,” writes the EWG.
According to the EWG, the USDA's Pesticide Data Program began in 1991, which included annual tests of food products in search of pesticide residues. “But we continue to be concerned about pesticide regulation in the U.S.,” advises the EWG.
While the USDA has stated that a goal of their tests is to provide data on pesticide residues in the food that makes its way to American marketplaces, the EWG reports that several food products are not tested annually at all. Such products include food items that are consumed by infants, such as baby food, oats and baby formula.
“This is troubling,” states the EWG. “Tests commissioned by EWG found almost three-fourths of samples of popular oat-based foods, including many that are consumed by children, had pesticide residue levels higher than what EWG scientists consider protective of children’s health.”
Currently, the United States' pesticide registration process requires companies to submit information pertaining to safety data, proposed uses and product labels to be approved by the EPA.
“However, the EPA does not conduct its own independent testing of pesticides. Neither does its review fully capture the risks posed by pesticides,” claims the EWG's report. “This is concerning because scientists have found that the combination of two or more pesticides can be more potent than the use of the pesticides individually.”
The EWG report also claims that the current pesticide laws – the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, otherwise known as FIFRA – are “far less health protective” than laws that pertain to the safety and quality of the air, water and environment in the United States.
“Not all pesticides registered under FIFRA adequately protect human health,” declares the EWG.
While the EWG requests action from the federal government in protecting human health and providing better regulations when it comes to pesticides, the EWG does offer a few tips for consumers when it comes to avoiding pesticides in their food.
Their best advice? Buy organic.
“People who eat organic produce consumer fewer pesticides,” says the EWG in the conclusion of their report.
• Wash your produce after purchasing it. While washing your fruits and veggies under the kitchen sink helps brush off any dirt, a soak under warm (not hot) water can also remove pesticide residue as well as any protective wax that your food is coated in. Always dry your produce well before eating it and avoid washing it with soap – water is enough.
• Grow your own. It's not always possible to grow a massive garden and some fruits and veggies aren't suited for our Florida temperatures. But if your family eats a lot of berries, potatoes or tomatoes, it is very easy to grow some producing plants in limited space. Tomato plants thrive in pots, potatoes can be grown in barrels and many berries require minimal work in order to produce. Be sure to use organic bug and weed repellents in your own garden.
• Peel your produce. Even after washing your produce, some experts advice peeling the produce in order to ensure there is no remaining pesticides. Strip away the outsides of leafy greens and peel cucumbers, potatoes, or other thick-skinned produce.
• Shop locally. Don't have the time to grow your own produce? Look around locally for farmers and gardeners who are selling excess fruits and vegetables. Many are already employing practical and organic gardening ethics. Not only are you eating healthy, but you are also supporting a local farm family!
To read the complete report issued by the EWG, visit ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php to access their annual analysis.


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Revanche Cognac has announced its distribution expansion into North American retail markets, as well as new business endeavors in e-commerce and product sizing.
Since October 2022, Revanche has expanded into five new U.S. markets, including Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, Texas, and Washington, DC., with potential expansion continuing to across the U.S. in 2023. Revanche has also opened Vietnam as a major global market and has plans to expand into other Asian and European markets this year.
In additional efforts to continue its global distribution expansion, Revanche Cognac moved into the Global Duty-Free Travel Retail Channel. Revanche is currently available in several national duty-free markets, including New Orleans, Louisiana, Austin, Texas, Melbourne, Florida, and the St. Thomas Airport in the United States Virgin Islands, as well as global reach in St Kitts & Navis, Saint Maarten, Detroit Crossing, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and London Supply. Expansion into Africa and the Middle East through this channel will take place in 2023.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to expand into additional markets and widen our reach with new industry channels and product developments,” said Gigi Olah, Managing Partner for Revanche Cognac. “As Cognac continues to push boundaries in the industry, we look forward to introducing Revanche to new markets, retail spaces and cognac enthusiasts in 2023.”
Revanche is also launching a new e-commerce platform with Bevstack.


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I noticed in walking around The District in Tustin last week how
deserted the place was. No, not the Costco part or the part where Target
and Whole Foods continue to snarl up traffic; but the area around the
theater. After the failure of Borders and Chaparosa Grill
a few months ago, the quiet subset of The District called The Promenade
could use a few tumbleweeds to complete the effect. Though the eateries
on the outer edges of it, like JT Schmid's and Bluewater Grill are doing fine, go closer to the center of the plaza and you encounter empty shop after empty shop. It's eerie.
It is because of this that when Paigean–the Vietnamese restaurant that replaced Asian Mint–went
belly up about three months ago, no one noticed. Word is that the
original family that opened Asian Mint is already back at work at La Pho in Quail Hill.
And last week, when I got closer to the AMC, I noticed that Red Brick Pizza is also gone, with a sign outside heralding a new store coming soon called Mob Town Pizza. Perhaps the employment of an ethnic stereotype might change its luck?
Also earlier today, the Orange County Register noticed that Pablo's Cantina
closed last Friday. This comes not as a shock. Honestly I thought
they called it quits when they changed their logo from one font to another. But
it is now obvious that what I saw was perhaps merely a last ditch effort
to re-brand itself. Now that it's closed, it follows Pablo's Cantina's flagship store in Hawaii into
the abyss. That restaurant, located in a touristy mall in Honolulu, closed in early June.
Follow Stick a Fork In It on Twitter @ocweeklyfood or on Facebook!


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TripAdvisor Presents at Morgan Stanley Conference
Seeking Alpha has published the transcript of the TripAdvisor presentation at the Morgan Stanley Conference on Feb. 26. While Julie Bradley, the CFO of TripAdvisor, shared the success of metasearch and the end of pop-up ads, the company was recently downgraded by Morgan Stanley to equal weight from overweight.
As consumers continue to question the reliability of online review sites, TripAdvisor hopes the changes it is making will help it compete with other popular destination websites such as Yelp, Priceline, Orbitz and others. CFP Julie Bradley has revealed at the Morgan Stanley Conference on Feb. 26 that the company plans on focusing on user experience to remain relevant. It is planning to complete the meta display rollout beyond mobile this year.
TripAdvisor still boasts that it attracts 74 million visitors a month to 19 different websites. More than 50,000 hotels have joined its business listings, and the company mentions that large chains such as Best Western are getting more bookings. However, it is not just large hotels or resorts that are benefiting or being hurt by the company. From an inn in Australia that proudly displays its number one rank from TripAdvisor on its website to a hotel in Columbia that hides it is one of the worst ranked hotels on its website, smaller businesses are also being influenced.
TripAdvisor is currently focusing on upgrading its user experience, but should it be concentrating on something else? More people are turning to social media to get information on possible trips, and the company’s plans for social integration may not be enough in the long-term. It is becoming more common for people to turn to a hotel’s Facebook or Twitter page to check for complaints or reviews, and the ones that block comments or delete negative feedback are jeopardizing potential bookings. Some businesses have already realized the potential power of social media and are using their social media accounts to give consumers incentives instead of offering them on TripAdvisor or other websites.


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Fornite is easily the most popular video game in years, attracting millions and millions of users to the game on a variety of platforms for battle royale-style gaming. A mobile version of the game rolled out for iPhone earlier this year, with the developer monetizing on March 15. Since then, it’s been a video game gold rush for Epic Games, with Fortnite players spending millions over the past few weeks via the popular Fortnite shop. According to data from Sensor Tower, that makes it more lucrative than Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, and Pokemon GO:
Earlier this week, Epic Games threw open the gates to its previously invite-only mobile version of Fortnite, allowing all iOS users to not only download, but actually play the game—and, most importantly, start spending money in its item shop. Sensor Tower Store Intelligence data shows that lifting the invite requirement resulted in a 197 percent, or approximately three times increase in player expenditure on Monday, April 2, versus the $620,000 average across all previous days, totaling more than $1.8 million for the day.
Meanwhile, total worldwide mobile revenue for Fortnite has surpassed $15 million gross, with about $10.5 million paid to Epic Games, in just 20 days since the game began monetizing on March 15. Global installs of the game have topped 11 million since launch.
Here’s the crazy thing: This data is from iPhone users alone. Fortnite has yet to roll out for Android users, which will surely bring in even more revenue for the game. It’s a good time to be Epic Games.


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/8/2013 (1427 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
THE takedown of the New York Times website for nearly two days this week exposed how easily computer hackers can exploit the Internet's Achilles heel.
As the website was being restored Wednesday, the tech industry scurried to assess the high-profile cyber-attack and weigh what measures could be taken to prevent a similar breach.
In the past two years, a growing number of companies with a significant presence on the web have had to bolster their defences to make up for security gaps that were not considered a problem when the Internet was created.
But as online attacks escalate in severity and visibility, high-profile targets whose digital presences often span the globe have struggled to spot and repair every vulnerability.
The latest cyber-attack on the nation's second-largest newspaper highlighted two well-known problems: a reliance on user names and passwords that can be easily stolen; and reliance on an unsecure directory that's crucial to delivering the right content after a user enters a web address in an Internet browser.
Hackers, in the New York Times case, got their hands on a user name and password that allowed them to edit the directory information for the newspaper's web address. As a result of the edits, readers who typed in "nytimes.com" were directed to the hacker group's website before it was shut down. Readers saw an error message.
Though the newspaper re-edited the directory late Tuesday, several hours after the hack, readers continued to see error messages.
That's because it took just as long for the fix to start restoring the site as the amount of time it was down.
The master copy of the directory with the newspaper's information is held by a company based in Australia. Internet service providers such as Time Warner, Comcast and AT&;T use temporary copies of the directories to make websites load faster, because accessing the master copies, typically in far-flung data centres, takes time. Their copies took hours to be updated with the fix.
Computer security experts warned that as these attacks grow more common, Internet users should keep away from websites experiencing technical difficulties until an all-clear is issued. The New York Times, for example, said on Facebook and Twitter that users seeing error messages should visit http://news.nytco.com instead.
"If you see something busy or unavailable, close your browser and wait a bit," said H.D. Moore, chief research officer for cyber-security firm Rapid7. "Really, it should be a wake-up call that things are still fragile on the Internet."
Still, Moore said the response by the technology community to resolve Tuesday's issues offered a bit of relief.
-- Los Angeles Times


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Lidl UK has announced outline plans to bring a new ‘Lidl of the Future’ store to Dale Street, Radcliffe.
The proposals are part of Lidl’s ongoing expansion ambitions within the UK which will see the company’s store portfolio increase from 630 to 1,500.
The public are invited to provide their feedback on Lidl’s proposals that will regenerate the former bus station site, turning it into a sustainable 1424m² foodstore, and create 40 new jobs when opened. The supermarket will boast state-of-the-art facilities including an instore bakery, longer-style tills with dual packing facilities, customer toilets and ample parking for both cars and bicycles.
Information leaflets with tear-off freepost feedback forms will be distributed to properties in the local area. Lidl hopes to submit a planning application in the coming weeks and those who wish to share any feedback on the plans, or would like information leaflets for family and friends can do so by calling 0800 089 0361.
Lidl UK’s Regional Head of Property, Nick Harvey, commented: “We are extremely excited about the prospect of opening a Lidl in Radcliffe and serving our fresh, quality and incredibly good value produce which shoppers across the country have come to love.”
Councillor Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, said: “Attracting a retailer of Lidl’s quality is a direct result of our commitment to and investment in Radcliffe town centre.
“This will bring new and a much needed retail offer and help to ‘knit together’ the town centre with a high quality design, not forgetting the employment opportunities that such a major development brings.
“We promised the people of Radcliffe that they would see real improvements to the town centre and this, combined with all of our other recent investments, is proof that we’ve kept our promises.
“It’s the latest stage of the town centre’s regeneration, following the new bus station and the £1 million refurbishment of the Market Hall, which we hope this new development will complement and rejuvenate.”
The supermarket, which was crowned ‘Best Supermarket 2016’ by readers of Good Housekeeping, has experienced continued growth over the years, as consumers flock to the shop to discover products ranging from quality British fruit and vegetables to premium wines from its much coveted Wine Cellar collections. Lidl’s success shows no signs of slowing, as the latest Kantar Worldpanel results outline its continued growth and market share high of 4.6%.
Press release issued: 1 November 2016.
Notes to editors:
Since establishing itself in the UK in 1994, Lidl has grown consistently and today has over 630 stores in Eng-land, Scotland and Wales. Lidl has experienced continue growth with over 6 million British shoppers now flocking to the supermarket each week, half a million more, per week, than in 2015.
The family supermarket takes pride in providing top quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout the country from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Regular world food themes give customers a chance to excite their taste buds with a range of produce from all over the world including the South of France, Italy, Poland and Cornwall and in re-cent years Lidl’s seasonal wine collection has been embraced by the British public, enabling households up and down the country to buy premium wines at incredible value.
Whilst its roots may be in Germany, Lidl UK is passionate about working with British producers and two thirds of its products are sourced from the UK. In addition to food, Lidl also has bi-weekly special offer promotions on products ranging from cycling gear to hiking accessories, kitchen gadgets to BBQs. These offers change on a Thursday and a Sunday and are subject to availability. For more information and a convenient store locator, please visit www.lidl.co.uk


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A fireball lit up the forecourt of a filling station when an arsonist poured petrol onto the ground next to a pump and set it alight.
A stray firework narrowly missed a pedestrian before setting a £3 million South Kensington mews house on fire.
Mary Portas says former Tesco boss' take on the high street is 'absolute crap'
Published: 30 April 2013
TV presenter and high street tsar Mary Portas has hit out at the former boss of Tesco after he said the dominance of supermarkets over small stores was "progress".
Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco between 1997 and 2011, described the rise of supermarkets and the closure of small shops across the country as "part of progress" in an interview with Radio 4's Desert Island Discs earlier this year.
Answering critics accuse the supermarket giant of driving independent shops out of business and turning town centres into ghost towns, Sir Terry said some high streets were "medieval" and the way people lived their lives had changed.
TV shopping queen Portas, who was brought in by the Prime Minister to help breathe life into struggling high streets, dismissed Sir Terry's claims in an interview with the Radio Times.
She told the magazine: "When Sir Terry Leahy, the former chief executive of Tesco, was on Desert Island Discs recently, (presenter) Kirsty Young suggested to him that Tesco was putting the small butcher out of business.
"And Leahy said if the butcher was good enough, people would still be shopping there. That's absolutely crap."
She told the magazine: "Fifty pence of every pound is spent on food. If you take that off the high street and put it into an... out-of-town store, and you provide free parking and everything under one roof, then you start to take away not only the food shops, but also the chemist, the fashion shops, the butcher... you start to displace the whole high street.
"Even if the butcher at that supermarket isn't good, it's so convenient."
Portas, who recently became a parent to a baby boy with her civil partner Melanie Rickey, said the high street was not doomed but needs "to be multifunctional".
She said: "As well as having shops, it should be where you go for your doctor or your dentist. There might be a youth club, creche or yoga studio to act as 'anchors' to attract people in.
"But I think in the future our high streets will probably have about a third of the number of shops than at present."
The Mary: Queen Of The High Street presenter added: "I do all my Government work for nothing. I've spent hours going all over the country and I really care about it.
"But I go to bed with a clear conscience: we're doing what's right for this country and trying our best."
Top stories in Business
Top stories in Business
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Bringing its fresh Parisian style to Marylebone High Street, find out more about the CP Autumn/Winter collection.
As winter takes hold in Britain, sunny days and warm nights await in the Cuba.
Inmidtown in collaboration with The School of Life, designed to inspire and encourage businesses to interact and learn from each other, share business knowledge and discuss important themes relating to work and life.
How they made it: The entrepreneurs behind an interior design revolution had a fantastic idea: cut out the middle man
How mobile technology has changed the instant trading game
Multitasking Andy McRobbie – teacher, musician, promoter and tour guide – is a big fan of this extraordinary city. “I find something new to excite me every day,” he says, “which is what makes London so special.”
KOOZA is an electrifying return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil combining two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.
Seasons come and go, it’s an annual cycle of varying temperatures, traditions and activities. When winter comes to Austria it is distinctly special and all embracing.


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Off Life is a street press comic distributed free in Bristol and London. Initially funded by Kickstarter, editor Daniel Humphry and art director Steve Leard run live drawing events to support the publication. Last month they launched Yellow, an online project recording weekly news – a different artist will respond to a news story each week. We look ahead at Daniel’s week as the third of this ambitious series – by Takayo Akiyama – is published.
At the beginning of 2014 I promised to keep a tally of all new independent magazine launches, but it’s proved impossible to keep up with the numbers so I’ll be trying a little harder to keep it next year. I mention this here because as the numbers increase it’s harder to post everything here, and the threshold for a mention gets higher – there are that many well-designed, well-executed magazines being made. All deserve recognition, but what still excites me most is the magazine that tries something a little different, that finds new ways to do things. And Benji Knewman from Latvia is a good example of just that.
The magCulture shop is busy stocking up for this weekend’s Monocle Christmas Fayre. Come and grab a warming cup of Allpress coffee, say hi to Santa and his reindeer and get going with the Christmas Shopping. A full list of stalls is above– click on image for a larger version.
We’ll have copies of our new launch Fiera, the very latest issues of titles including Anorak, Another Escape, Cereal, The Gourmand, The Happy Reader, Hole&Corner, Noble Rot and Riposte among many other goodies.
Condé Nast Traveller gets a new serif logo.
Next Monday, 8 December, London, sees the second Stack night featuring Andrea Kurland, editor of Huck…
…and Steve from Stack has a nice video review of new favourite mag The Happy Reader.
The second ‘season’ from digital magazine The Long+Short has just launched, feeling tighter.
Could editor-in-chief Scott Dadich be planning to buy Wired?
Ex-Little White Lies team launch new movie newsletter Delve: ‘It’s not only our return to the world of cinema, but the rejuvenation of our mission to inspire more people to fall more deeply in love with film’.
Good to see a strong customer magazine highlighted on the SPD blog – Andy Cowles looks at N, the magazine for Norwegian Airlines.
Looks like Adobe might finally be working out what its customers need from DPS.
Issue five of The Gourmand hits shops this week, coinciding with the launch of their new website. The cover is a new direction for the magazine, leaving behind the inset image on colour field and going for a full-bleed image. The picture is from a film by Lisa Rovner.
Creative director David Lane has been working with Monotype to resurrect early versions of their Monotype Grotesque typeface; you can see elements of this on the website – that ampersand in ‘On Paper & Screen’ for instance.
We’ll have copies of the new issue at our shop at this weekend’s Monocle Christmas Fayre.
While in London, editor/producer Adrian Craddock helped develop Monocle24’s programme about magazines, The Stack. Now back in Australia, he was recently appointed editor of Smith Journal, the Melbourne-based men’s counterpart to women’s title frankie. We look ahead at his week as his first edition of Smith Journal is published.
November 28, 2014
Offscreen has a rather fine Christmas competition. Nothing to do with Black Friday.
Congratulations to all the winners at this weeks Digital Magazine Awards, especially Ernest, winner of best launch…
Buy your ticket to QVED2015 this weekend and take advantage of super earlybird rates.
Next weekend the magCulture shop sets up at this years Monocle Christmas Fayre. Come say hello! 6–7 December.
On Tuesday night Steve Watson and I hosted the final Printout of 2014, a special night looking back at the best magazines of the year. It was an experiment – not least in holding a Printout without announcing the speaker line-up – but one that worked well, with a full room gathering to vote on our four categories: Story, Cover, Launch and Magazine. The video takes you through the categories and confirms the audience favourites.


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- 4 min read
Indian startups raised $7.8 billion in first four months of 2021
Startup funding party continues amid second wave of Covid-19
Startups raised total investments of $7.8 billion in the first four months of this calendar year, which is almost 70% of the overall corpus of $12.1 billion raised in entire 2020 and more than 50% of $14.2 billion raised in 2019, data from US-based research firm PitchBook shows.
The average funding size has increased to $25.21 million so far in 2021, up from $14.94 million in 2020 and $18.41 million in 2019, as per data exclusively sourced by ET. There have been 402 funding rounds during January-April against 1,114 deals in 2020 and 1,036 in 2019.
This is one of the highest average deal sizes in the last five years. An increasing number of companies are raising larger rounds on the back of positive sentiments around the digital economy as the pandemic has forced companies and institutions across the world to speed up digital adoption. Increased global liquidity has further accelerated the pace of investments.
Investors and founders said the increase in deal flow is primarily led by significant liquidity in the venture capital space and overall bullishness in the technology sector across private and public markets, globally.
“It is a heady market and 3Vs of a bubble are at play – value, volume and velocity,” said Vikram Vaidyanathan, managing director of private equity firm Matrix Partners India that has backed companies such as ride-hailing major Ola and online payments firm Razorpay.
“We all know some correction is coming, but like after each correction in the past, things are likely to settle at a new high driven by deepening markets and founders getting better each year,” he said. “What’s different this time is businesses have meaningful scale in revenue with crisis-tested economics.”
IPOs, exits on anvil
With market leaders now considering public listing either through initial public offerings (IPOs) or special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), investors are getting attractive exit routes, which in turn is attracting even more investors both local and global.
Zomato, PolicyBazaar, CarTrade, Nykaa, Flipkart, and Delhivery are among startups headed for listing.
“Upcoming IPOs will be the final piece of the puzzle and most important milestone in the India digital story,” Vaidyanathan said. “So, we are long-term believers and super excited.”
New kinds of investors are looking to take advantage of potential IPOs likely to take place in the coming year or so. Funds like Falcon Edge have made record investments of $800 million to $1 billion, as ET reported in its May 19 edition. Others like D1 Capital and Dragoneer Investment Group are backing more local startups across growth and late stage.
This year has been phenomenal not only in terms of how global investors have scooped up deals and backed winning ideas, but also in terms of valuation bump-up seen by mature businesses, leading to many unicorns being created.
Since January, India has seen around 13 companies attain the unicorn status, that is, being a company with more than $1 billion in valuation. These include Digit Insurance, Innovaccer, Five Star Business Finance, Meesho, Infra.Market, CRED, Pharmeasy, Groww, Gupshup, ShareChat, Chargebee, Urban Company, and Moglix.
“There is huge capital chasing a smaller number of startups,” said Souvik Sengupta, cofounder of Infra.Market, a business-to-business startup for construction material. “Valuations are also high because investors are recognising companies that have handled a crisis like the first wave of Covid-19 last year, survived it, and also managed to grow at the same time. When you come out of crisis like that, these startups are seen favourably and investors are more confident about any future crisis, like the ongoing second wave. This separates the market leaders and others a bit, more and thus comes the premium (on valuation).”
Infra.Market became a unicorn earlier this year after Tiger Global, which first invested in it in December 2019, led a $100-million funding round with a jump of four times in valuation since its previous fund-raise.
The new bunch of unicorns are from a diverse set of sectors like B2B, social media, insurance, business-to-consumer (B2C), and fintech.
“Many factors like improved unit economics, better organic customer acquisitions have helped startups reduce their cash burn and create a roadmap to profitability,” said Ankur Pahwa, partner and national leader for ecommerce and consumer internet sectors at EY India. “Some of these companies are justified in quadrupling their valuations, especially for late-stage funding rounds as the potential and addressable market size continue to be massive.”
Sengupta of Infra.Market said B2B space is less risky than B2C, which has duopoly in sub-segments like ecommerce and food delivery. “These companies (B2B) have better unit economics, can become profitable faster (than B2C startups), and go public sooner,” he said. “Companies like ours, Zetwerk, Moglix and others, we are not taking away from each other, but rather the broader market.”
Moglix became a unicorn just last week.


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By James Atkinson
Woolworths has condemned Western Australia’s “confusing, inconsistent, cumbersome and time consuming” liquor licensing regime in a submission to a state government inquiry.
Woolworths government relations manager Michael Samara said it takes the retailer more than 18 months on average to secure a liquor licence in WA, “up to four times longer than the average in Victoria and New South Wales”.
“Holding on to commercial property for such extended periods incurs substantial holding costs,” he wrote to the Inquiry into Microeconomic Reform in Western Australia.
“This is in addition to the costs of the liquor licence application process itself which are extremely high compared to other states, with legal fees costing nine times the NSW average and 49 times the Victorian average.”
Samaras said the delays mean that prospective landlords are reluctant to be involved in a process so uncertain and fraught with regulatory risk.
“This results in applicants being forced to pay holding rent for lengthy periods with no guarantee of a favourable outcome,” he said.
“These delays and costs are compounded by a lack of transparency and certainty in the decision-making process.”
Samaras said that currently WA’s Director General of Racing, Gaming and Liquor has the power to either determine the application or refer the decision to the Liquor Commission.
“To date, all new licence applications for Dan Murphy stores have resulted in the Director General referring the application to the Liquor Commission,” he said.
“This has occurred despite the applications involved being for significantly different locations, varying socio-demographics and different levels of community objection.“
Samaras said the application for a Dan Murphy store at Cannington did not draw a single objection from a member of the public, yet the matter was still referred to the Liquor Commission for determination, a process that took almost two years.
“Woolworths’ view is that there should be a fundamental review of the liquor licensing application process with the aim of streamlining the system,” he said.
Woolworths also called for WA’s non-metropolitan liquor stores to be allowed to trade on Sundays.
Currently only hotel licence holders are allowed to make packaged liquor sales in regional areas of the state.
“This is a clearly an anti-competitive provision. In the same regional town, a hotel licence holder can sell packaged liquor but a liquor store is prevented from selling the identical packaged liquor,” Samaras said.


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Bendy bananas back on the shelves thanks to change in strict EU laws
Fruit and veg on supermarket shelves will be governed by less strict guidelines
Bendy cucumbers and misshapen bananas are to make a comeback on supermarket shelves thanks to a change in EU laws.
Brussels bureaucrats have decided to ease strict guidelines governing the appearance of fruit and vegetables.
It is hoped the move will encourage shops to stock less-than-perfect-looking produce and cut down on the amount of food going to waste.
Under current rules, fruit and vegetables are classified into two grades, with 'class one' goods meeting strict criteria on size, shape and appearance.
It means apples are often rejected for being 'too red' or carrots for being 'too wide'.
Although supermarkets can stock cheaper 'class two' produce, many choose not to because they believe their customers would not buy it.
Around 26 of the EU's 36 directives will be abolished, although minimum standards will remain on goods including apples, lettuces and peaches.
Michael Mann, spokesman for the European Commission, said: 'People are saying prices are too high; it makes no sense to chuck food away.
'It's been rather silly. We are criticised for being too complicated and this could be a real improvement.'
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Moroccan Finance Minister Nadia Fattah Al-Alawi said today, Monday, that Morocco does not intend, at the present time, to make any changes to the range in which currencies are traded.
Morocco began gradual reforms to the currency market in 2018, but it has not made any major changes since 2020, when it expanded the dirham’s trading range against hard currencies to 5% up and down from a reference price, compared to a previous rate of 2.5%.
However, many currency markets in developing countries, including Tunisia and Egypt, have been under great pressure over the past 14 months. Egypt conducted 3 major devaluations of the Egyptian pound.
“Despite all the volatility (in the markets) that we witnessed in 2022, the currency remained in the 5% range, so I think we will not change this range,” Alawi told Reuters on the sidelines of the annual City Week financial conference.
“There are some issues around the world and so far I think the 5% range is quite sufficient to move smoothly towards a more flexible regime” when conditions allow.
She said that the support provided by the Moroccan government helped reduce inflationary pressures.
Data this month showed that the consumer price index in the country rose in March by 8.2% from a year earlier, due to the increase in food prices, which jumped 16.1% on an annual basis.
The rise in food prices prompted the authorities to impose restrictions on the export of some vegetables to European and other African markets in an attempt to reduce prices at home, while the government last week abolished the value-added tax on agricultural “inputs”.
“We chose certain measures… I would say it (caused) us to avoid three additional points of inflation that could have affected the population,” Alawi said.


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May 11, 2017
Lower sales drag down Macy's profit, results miss forecast
Lower sales dragged Macy's profit down for the first quarter, highlighting the challenge for retailers as customers shift to ...
February 21, 2017
Macy's profit falls nearly 13 percent as sales drop
Macy's, the nation's largest department store chain, says its earnings for the quarter that includes the holiday period ...
January 05, 2017
Macy's to close stores, cut jobs amid weak sales
Macy's says it is eliminating more than 10,000 jobs and plans to move forward with 68 store closures after a disappointing ...


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Since it first became commercially available in 1974 as the active ingredient in Monsanto’s RoundUp, glyphosate has proven to be an extremely effective weed killer. It’s been in wide use across the lawns of American homes, businesses, public spaces, and other locations, but glyphosate has come under scrutiny in recent years because of a potential link to certain types of cancer. According to a March 2015 publication from the World Health Organization, the chemical glyphosate was listed as “probably carcinogenic to humans” – a claim Monsanto denies.
However, the proof is mounting that such a link exists. Injured victims throughout the US are experiencing some success in litigation alleging the connection between glyphosate and cancer, so you may have legal options. An Atlanta, GA product liability attorney can explain in more detail, but it’s important to know the cancers that have been shown to be caused by glyphosate.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL): When the human body develops trouble with its immune system, it can lead to this type of cancer that originates in the lymphatic system. Medically speaking, NHL is what happens when you produce too many white blood cells called lymphocytes. As it relates to glyphosate exposure, NHL is a cancer that can affect:
- B Cells, which fight infection; and,
- T Cells that fight foreign invaders.
Breast Cancer: Glyphosate is also linked to breast cancer because it’s been defined as an endocrine disruptor, a phenomenon associated with adverse medical conditions. Researchers have noted that this chemical stimulates the growth of cancer cells in some prolonged exposure situations, yet manufacturers still fail to place warnings on the label of products containing glyphosate.
Your Rights as the Victim of Glyphosate Exposure: There are multiple lawsuits proceeding in courts throughout the US, filed by victims who developed these and other cancers linked to glyphosate. Many are based upon laws like Georgia’s strict product liability statute, which doesn’t require proof of fault. Manufacturers can be held accountable regardless of whether they knew their product was dangerous.
Other product liability cases involving glyphosate involve proving the elements of negligence. A victim must show that the manufacturer was negligent in allowing a potentially unsafe product to enter the consumer marketplace.
Under both strict liability and negligence theories for product liability, Georgia has a statute of limitations. You must file a lawsuit in court within two years after you were diagnosed with a glyphosate-related cancer, or should have discovered you suffered from such a condition. If you don’t initiate litigation before the statute of limitations expires, you’re forever barred from seeking compensation for your losses.
Speak with an Atlanta, GA Product Liability Lawyer About Your Options
If you contracted cancer or lost a family member due to exposure to glyphosate, time is of the essence to consult with an attorney about your legal remedies. Products liability claims are extremely complicated, especially when companies like Monsanto are on the other side. Our team is prepared to aggressively fight on your behalf, so please contact the Law Offices of Julie A. Rice to schedule a free consultation today.


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Owners! Update your contact info at the register this weekend and enter to win a goodie basket!
Here’s a UNC-TV piece about Randy Lewis and his struggle to save his family dairy farm, Ran-Lew Dairy. Randy started bottling his own milk rather than sell it to the big milk producers. His cows live on pasture, and their milk tastes great. http://wunc.org/post/video-alamance-county-dairy-farmer-has-innovative-idea-might-save-farm


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Costa Coffee honours King Charles’ coronation with new toastie offering - what’s in it
and live on Freeview channel 276
In celebration of the King’s upcoming coronation, Costa Coffee has released a new menu item. The popular coffee shop will be offering a coronation-themed toastie in honour of the royal festivities.
Costa’s new grilled sandwich will showcase the familiar coronation chicken flavours, which was a signature dish upon the late Queen Elizabeth II’s crowning in 1953. The coffee chain’s coronation offering sees the classic creamy chicken sandwich filling transformed into a toastie as it features spiced bechamel sauce, mango chutney, apricots and sultanas in a cheese-topped bread.
The new coronation menu item comes after the chosen recipe for King Charles’ big day was revealed. On Monday, April 17, it was confirmed that a quiche would be the official food of the upcoming coronation.
Costa’s royal-themed toastie will be available in its stores nationwide. Customers can find their nearest spot using the store locator on the coffee chain’s website.
The limited edition coronation chicken toastie is available in stores from April 20 and will be on Costa’s toastie menu for over a month until May 31.


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Last week was the official launch of breaking dawn in Brazil. The Brazilian version called "Amanhecer" sold more than 215.000 books in a week. It's like 21 books sold per minute!
Stephenie Meyer has four books in the top five more sold books in Brazil.
This is a note [in portuguese] of one of the biggest magazines in Brazil


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General Motors (GM), through its Customer Care and Aftersales division (CCA), announced that it will implement an Electronic Minimum Resale Price (eMRP) Policy in the U.S. for certain products, effective Jan. 1, 2020.
Research conducted by AAA this year found that most vehicle escape tools can break tempered side windows, but none were able to break laminated glass.
CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC) and BMW of North America (BMW) announce that the automaker will leverage the CCC Promote technology to provide dealers with a powerful new marketing solution to price and promote parts to collision repair facilities while estimates are being written.
One of the benefits of driving a "connected" car is the ability to receive warnings of hazardous weather conditions on the road ahead.
Some 20 years ago, the world of collision repair was one where the major partners operated in silos, with limited communication between them.
See below for a list of regional automotive association events coming up in November.


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By Vincent Teoh • Wednesday, 27 June 2012, 5:32 pm BST
Samsung and LG Electronics’ plans for OLED TV domination have been dealt a major blow, as it transpired that some of their confidential technologies have been stolen and smuggled out of their manufacturing plants by employees of a subcontracted firm. It is likely that these pieces of top-secret information have got into the hands of rival TV makers, wiping out any advantage Samsung and LG had hoped to gain through their RD investment in OLED television technology.
Six South Korean workers at Orbotech – an Israeli-based company which manufactures and supplies display inspection equipments – have been charged by prosecutors in Seoul for leaking key technologies used in the production of Samsung’s AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) and LG’s WOLED (white OLED) displays. These technologies are categorised as core national industrial technology under South Korean law.
According to a prosecuting official, the suspects took photographs of circuit diagrams of the then-unannounced 55-inch OLED TVs on several occasions between November 2011 and January 2012 when they were given access to Samsung’s and LG’s premises for testing of Orbotech-supplied inspection equipments. The stolen images were saved on USB memory sticks which were then hidden in wallets, shoes and belts, and subsequently smuggled out.
Prosecutors believe that these classified material have made their way into the hands of TV-making competitors in China and Taiwan through Orbotech’s branches in these regions. The chief accused in the case, a 36-year-old man surnamed Kim, had previously worked at BOE Technology Group, a Chinese display manufacturer.
OLED is widely regarded as the next-generation of flat-panel HDTV technology that will eventually replace LCD televisions, due to its emissive display characteristic which is capable of supremely deep blacks, vibrant colours, super-slim design, wide viewing angles and low power consumption. Samsung and LG have been embroiled in a race against each other to bring the first large-screen OLED TV to market, but they may soon have to contend with overseas manufacturers who have obtained their technologies illegally.
Source: Korea Times


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Research organization Pew Internet & American Life Project conducted a survey on U.S. adult tablet ownership. The survey itself reveals some very surprising information. According to Pew – Android tablet ownership rose from 15 percent in 2011 to 48 percent in 2012. This increase in Android ownership is attributed to reduced pricing for Android tablets (Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7 helping to set this trend) as well as panning interest for the higher-priced models of Apple’s iPad.
The study found that Android-based devices are now at 48 percent overall: approximately 21 percent own the Android-inspired Kindle Fire, 8 percent own the Samsung Galaxy, and the remaining is a mix. It is worth noting Android would only hold 27 percent without the $199 Kindle Fire. This might be a bit alarming however for Google, as Amazon has made it very clear they are trying to distance themselves from Android by creating their own vision and brand. Please keep in mind, the survey did not include Google’s Nexus 7 or Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD as they were not yet introduced. How these 2 devices could alter these numbers is not known but both have certainly had solid sales performances. The final numbers also reflect world-wide sales data, which according to Pew, place the iPad at 61 percent and Android at 31 percent. Certainly with the new launch of Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7 in these markets the numbers may start to reflect their U.S. counterpart at some point.
An excerpt from Pew’s study and analysis:
Over the last year, tablet ownership has steadily increased from 11% of U.S. adults in July of 2011 to 18% in January of 2012, according to PEJ data. Currently, 22% own a tablet and another 3% regularly use a tablet owned by someone else in the home. This number is very close to new data, released here for the first time, conducted in a separate survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project on July 16 through August 7 2012 that found 25% of all U.S. adults have a tablet computer.
The growth in tablet adoption is likely related to the advent of the lower-priced tablets in late 2011. Overall, about two-thirds of tablet-owning adults, 68%, got their tablet in the last year, including 32% in 2012 alone. That has lessened Apple’s dominance in the market. Now, just over half, 52%, of tablet owners report owning an iPad, compared with 81% in the survey a year ago.


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Spotting a multibillion dollar opportunity and a way to shore up declining revenue, leading beverage manufacturers, including Coca Cola, Molson-Coors, and Heineken are banking on new non-alcoholic cannabis drinks. This will position them well to meet consumer demand in the future — according to a survey by AT Kearney, more than half of U.S. and Canadian consumers would be willing to try cannabis-infused food and drinks if it were legal.
While the survey results suggest that cannabis-infused snacks are likely to be a much bigger market than drinks in the long run, beverage companies are leading the charge for now. Falling sales of beer and soda are a big incentive for them to jump into this market, a situation that may be related to the fact that in states where marijuana use is legal, people drink less alcohol.
Active substances in cannabis: CBD and THC
Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two main active cannabinoids extracted from marijuana plants today. They are consumed both medicinally and recreationally, and research into their health effects is ongoing.
The two compounds are classified differently by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency):
- In September, the DEA reclassified an FDA approved CBD-based medicine, Epidiolex, as a Schedule V drug, downgraded from Schedule I. Schedule V drugs (Robitussin is another example) have a low potential for abuse and are among the least restricted medicines. According to the National Law Review, this is the first time that any marijuana-based drug has been approved by a federal agency for lawful medical use.
- THC is still classified by the DEA as a Schedule I drug (along with heroin and ecstasy). However, THC’s classification has been downgraded in several states. THC-infused non-alcoholic beer and wine are already available, mainly at licensed cannabis dispensaries.
A patchwork of confusing regulations…with relief in sight
Food and drink manufacturers will need to accept a little uncertainty in the not-yet-legal U.S. market for recreational cannabis-derived consumables. State and federal agencies have conflicting regulations that apply to different parts of the cannabis plant and to different uses and products.
Cannabis drinks and edibles are already legal – under various restrictions – in nine states including Washington, Colorado, California, and Oregon. A farm bill on the ballot in the upcoming midterm elections is expected to pass and make CBD legal throughout the country, though there will still be restrictions and likely slow adoption. Several states also have midterm ballot measures on the recreational use of cannabis.
Opportunities in Canada and some states
Meanwhile, Canada legalized recreational marijuana on October 17 and is expected to legalize recreational cannabis-infused drinks and foods in 2019. To meet the anticipated demand, many beverage giants are teaming with legal pot growers in areas where it’s legal to create new products:
- In August, Constellation, manufacturer of Corona beer and Sveda vodka, made an unprecedented $4 billion investment in Canada-based marijuana grower, Canopy Growth Co.
- Heineken-owned Lagunitas Brewing Co., in partnership with AbsoluteXtracts, released a non-alcoholic THC-infused sparkling water in July. It’s currently available at licensed cannabis dispensaries in California.
- Coca Cola is reportedly in talks with marijuana grower Aurora Cannabis to make CBD-infused drinks as part of a joint venture. (Pepsi, on the other hand, currently has no plans to enter the cannabis market.)
- Molson Coors entered into a joint venture with marijuana grower Hydropothecary to develop non-alcoholic cannabis-infused beverages.
- Walmart Canada may be the first major retailer to sell CBD products.
With Canada legalizing marijuana and the U.S. expected to do so as well, forward-looking food and beverage manufacturers are making moves to create new lines cannabis-infused products, including candy, savory snacks, coffees, bottled waters, energy drinks, specialty teas, and non-alcoholic wines and beers.
There are still a lot of questions unanswered on the regulatory front, but the potential is huge. For now, competitors in this multibillion dollar market will need to proceed with caution, a tolerance for messy and ambiguous regulations, and a willingness to experiment.


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Xiaomi 12 Receives BIS Certification in India, Likely to be Launched Soon
Xiaomi 12 is believed to be in the works and will be released soon. The Xiaomi 12 is claimed to Xiaomi 12 is believed to be in the works and will be released soon.
The Indian models of the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro+ have obtained approval from India's BIS and TUV certification bodies, indicating that they will be released soon. The latest Redmi Note series was released in China this week, and it comes with a strong set of features at an affordable price.
Xiaomi 12 is believed to be in the works and will be released soon. The Xiaomi 12 is claimed to have model number 2201122G, which has now been certified by BIS. The "G" in the model number indicates that it is a worldwide variation. The BIS certification indicates that the phone would be released in India. Instead of constructing the phone, it appears that the corporation will import it directly to the country.
Alleged Specifications of Xiaomi 12
The phone could be one of the first to employ Qualcomm's upcoming flagship processor, the Snapdragon 898, which is expected to be released later this year. The previous leaks have given much information about the Xiaomi 12. It will most likely get a new LTPO display with an adjustable refresh rate depending on the content on the display. It could have up to 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage that isn't extendable any further. It will most likely come pre-installed with Android 12 and the MIUI overlay on top. The phone has a 5,000mAh battery with wired fast charging of 120W and wireless charging of 50W.
The flagship is expected to have a triple rear camera arrangement, led by a 50MP primary camera, as well as an ultra-large bottom solution capable of filming slow-motion videos at 1920 frames per second. A 50MP periscope telephoto lens with up to 5X optical magnification and a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens might be used with the primary sensor. Optical picture stabilisation will be available. The Xiaomi 12 may sport a ceramic body, according to a previously released render image. On the front, it looks to have curving edges and a punch-hole cutout in the centre.
Xiaomi 12 Launch and Availability
The brand is expected to stick to the same launch schedule as the Mi 11 series. That suggests the next flagship series from Xiaomi will be released by the end of this year or early next year.
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The first official trailer for Treyarch's First Person Shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops has been officially unveiled on CallOfDuty.com and Youtube.com following a TV-Spot during the NBA Play-off finals. Black Ops became the highest selling title in the US, UK and EU upon it's release, and so it's no surprise that a sequel has been eagerly anticipated by fans for some time.
For now imaginatively titled 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2', the action is set in the early to mid 21st Century rather than during the Cold War. At the very least Los Angeles appears to be a location within the single player campaign, though the stated setting of a '21st Century Cold War' certainly implies that it'll be going a little further afield than West-Coast USA.
CoD: Black Ops 2 is due for release on the 13th November 2012, in what's looking set to be a packed November release schedule also including Halo 4. The game will be released on PC, XBox 360 and PS3. Additional screenshots can be found at AllGamesBeta.com, with more official content due to be released soon on the official site.
Sources: C&VG, Official Site


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Apple’s pride is still likely stinging just a bit from the Great Map Debacle Of 2012, but nevertheless, a new version of Google Maps is now available as an app for iPhone users on iOS 6. Google announced yesterday that the revised map had finally been approved by Apple and will now be listed in the company’s app store.
“People around the world have been asking for Google Maps on iPhone,” wrote Daniel Graf, Director of Google Maps for Mobile, in the company blog. “It’s designed from the ground up.”
This newest version of the app will who more of the map on the screen than the one Google had planned earlier for iPhone, and it “loads more quickly and provides smooth tilting and rotating of 2D and 3D views,” Graf says.
Included as well are voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation, live traffic conditions, public transportation information, Street View and Business Photos that show photos of inside places.
The Google Maps app used to come pre-loaded on every iPhone, as it was one of the more popular apps with its users. But when Apple rolled out iOS 6 in September along with the iPhone 5, the company decided not to keep Google Maps in favor of its own map app. That move quickly proved to be the wrong one, as users experienced a slew of problems like maps that were wrong, cities where they shouldn’t be and no public transportation information.
Australian police even recently warned travelers not to use Apple Maps, claiming it had lead people astray into the wilderness instead of to their destination in a city.
Google Maps is now available for iPhone [Google Blog]


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Relief Pest Control Partners with Riverdale Community to Promote Sustainable Pest Control Solutions
Relief Pest Control, a leading pest control company in Riverdale, is partnering with the local community to promote sustainable pest control solutions.
By: Relief Pest Control
The partnership with the Riverdale community is an exciting development for Relief Pest Control. By working with local businesses and community organizations, the company hopes to raise awareness about sustainable pest control practices and promote environmentally friendly pest removal methods.
"We are thrilled to partner with the Riverdale community to promote sustainable pest control solutions," said John Smith, owner of Relief Pest Control. "As a local business, we understand the importance of creating a sustainable and pest-free community, and we are committed to providing our customers with safe and effective pest control services."
The partnership will involve a range of activities, including educational workshops and seminars, community outreach programs, and partnerships with local businesses. Relief Pest Control will offer workshops and seminars on eco-friendly pest control methods, including natural remedies and chemical-free treatments. The company will also work with community organizations to promote sustainable practices and provide pest control services to those in need.
"We believe that education is key to promoting sustainable pest control practices," said Smith. "By working with the Riverdale community, we hope to raise awareness about the impact of pest control on the environment and promote eco-friendly pest control solutions."
In addition to educational programs, Relief Pest Control will partner with local businesses to promote sustainable pest control practices. The company will work with businesses to create pest control plans that are safe, effective, and environmentally friendly. By partnering with businesses, Relief Pest Control hopes to create a more sustainable and pest-free community in Riverdale.
"We are excited to work with local businesses to promote sustainable pest control practices," said Smith. "By creating pest control plans that are safe and effective, we can help businesses reduce their environmental impact and create a more sustainable community."
The partnership with the Riverdale community is just the latest initiative from Relief Pest Control to promote sustainable pest control practices. The company is committed to using eco-friendly and safe pest control methods and is constantly exploring new ways to reduce its environmental impact.
For more information on Relief Pest Control and its sustainable pest control services, visit: https://reliefpestcontrol.ca/
Relief Pest Control


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Study: New Services To Spur Handset Growth
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Next-generation wireless services such as multimedia messaging will spur solid growth in sales of wireless devices in the coming years, a study released late last week by The Strategis Group contends.
The study predicts that 483 million handsets will be sold next year, a 17 percent sales increase worldwide. Much of those sales will be for devices that replace existing devices rather than first-time purchases, the report says.
"We're projecting that handset replacement rates will rebound dramatically in 2002, fueled by end-users who are increasingly ready to migrate to next-generation devices," said Ozgur Aytar, a wireless market analyst with The Strategis Group. "Next-generation services, such as multimedia messaging (MMS), will drive this consumer demand at least into 2003."
Asian markets, including China, will grow by nearly 40 percent next year, the study finds. Overall, one-third of the world's population will own a wireless device by 2008, the report contends.
The findings are part of the report: Global Wireless Devices.


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AIBA unveils 2014 collaborator brew ‘Land of Plenty’
This year the Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) has for the first time invited three Australian Champion Breweries to create its collaborator brew.
The 2013 winners of the AIBA Australian Champion Breweries – CUB (Champion Large Brewery), Feral Brewing Company (Champion Medium Brewery) and 2 Brothers Brewery (Champion Small Brewery) – have joined together to create ‘Land of Plenty’, an unfiltered lager, brewed using Victorian hops and single origin Western Australian malt.
For the first time in 2014 the exclusive collaborator brew will also be available to purchase via selected retailers at the conclusion of Good Beer Week.
AIBA Chief Judge Brad Rogers said the collaborator brew unveiling is now a firm fixture in the AIBA program.
“The annual debut of the AIBA collaborator brew has become a much anticipated event. This is the third year an AIBA collaboration brew has been created but the first time we have brought three expert brewers into the mix, I can’t wait to try it,” said Mr Rogers.
Winners of the 2014 AIBA will be announced on Thursday, 22 May as part of Good Beer Week, with highly prized trophies from a variety of categories on offer, including Champion Australian and International Beer and Champion Large, Medium and Small Brewery.
The AIBA judging will take place in Melbourne, from Monday, 28 April to Friday, 2 May and will include the inaugural AIBA Media Award, sponsored by Crafty Pint, to recognise Australia’s top media talent specialising in beer and brewing.
Now in its 22nd year, the AIBA is presented annually by the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) in conjunction with Federation University Australia, awarding beer and brewing excellence.


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MARIN CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- In the North Bay, there is anger and anxiety over the imminent closure of a longtime CVS store in Marin City, just days before Christmas.
Local advocates say the store has been a lifeline, and its demise is the last thing their underserved community needs.
From the moment our cameras arrived, we heard strong reaction from shoppers about the pending closure of the CVS store near Marin City.
"I've been here 20 years, the store's been here since I moved in, it's convenient and we don't have much here in Marin City, this will be a loss to the community," said Natalie Broomfield.
The CVS has been a lifeline to Hattie Cook who has no car, only her scooter.
"I feel bad and I don't want it closing, it's the only thing left from when they rebuilt this place," said Cook.
The CVS store is located inside the Marin Gateway Shopping Center.
"A lot of people come to this store, I don't understand. A lot of seniors get medication here," said Nathaniel Coleman.
CVS wouldn't say why its closing the store but in a statement to ABC7 News, a representative said:
"We have made the difficult business decision to close.. the closure of this store is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our employees.. in fact, our colleagues will be given the opportunity to transition into comparable roles at other CVS locations nearby."
Store officials say prescriptions will be transferred to the CVS Pharmacy inside a nearby Target store, but community advocates say, it's not the same.
"It's just pitiful, it's another one gone down, look how desolate it looks," said Royce McLemore, director of local outreach center, Women Helping All People.
Mclemore believes her underserved community deserves better, now with fewer shopping options.
"This community deserves our help, not everyone has cars.. it's a shame this is happening," said Jo Cooper.
Marin County Supervisor Stephanie Moulton-Peters told us in a statement:
'The loss of CVS in the Marin Gateway shopping center is a loss to the community. But I am glad that Marin City residents will continue to be able to fill prescriptions and shop locally at Target."
"Something new is going to come out from all of this, I have faith," said McLemore.
The CVS store is slated for closure on December 22.


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At Brickell City Centre, an Italian food hall under construction will be unlike anything seen before in Miami, Swire Properties is promising.
The food hall will span three levels anchoring Brickell City Centre’s north block, and will include a wide variety of eateries and market fare.
As of last week, interior buildout of the massive 38,000 square foot space appeared to be underway.
At the west block, there will be a separate Northern Italian food hall within the Saks department store run by Casa Tua.
Casa Tua Cucina Northern Italian food hall coming soon inside Saks, along with wine bar:


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Life after Solyndra: Fremont pumps its cleantech agenda
Fremont is trying to shake its Solyndra hangover once and for all.
The East Bay city is looking to expand its cleantech and biotech sectors – currently bolstered by tenants like Tesla Motors and Thermo Fisher – after the high-profile combustion of Fremont-based solar provider Solyndra last year. The cleantech focus is on top of a push for new residential, retail and office development in the area around the Warm Springs BART station slated for completion in 2015.
Look for new Requests For Proposals from the city in the coming months and a focus on public-private partnerships to make that happen.
“We are growing our innovation economy,” said Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison at a legislative brunch held Thursday at Tesla’s manufacturing facility in the city.
To make his plan a reality, the city will have to keep forward momentum going after big recent real estate transactions. Seagate bought Solyndra’s former 411,600-square-foot building last fall, and Thermo Fisher is expanding there with a new 200,000-square-foot R&D and manufacturing facility.
The city aims to keep building the 800-acre South Fremont/Warm Springs area that houses both of those properties, as well as Tesla's factory, by designating the area an innovation district.
To help with that effort, the city hired a consultant focused on identifying opportunities in smart grid technology.
"Fremont has a unique opportunity," said Christine Herzog, the city's smart grid consultant and managing director of the Smart Grid Library. She said that if the city keeps growing its cleantech operations, it could be situated to set up "incubators" for experimental technology in the industry.
Lauren Hepler is the economic development reporter at the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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This week Apple announced a new universal TV app that brings all of your video content into one place for easy access; however, one major streaming service was missing…Netflix.
Now it sounds as though Netflix is the reason they are not in Apple’s new TV app. As for why Netflix does not want their content in Apple’s new TV app, it is fairly straightforward.
Netflix has been working for years now spending a lot of money to keep you in the Netflix app and to have you watch more Netflix. Now that Netflix is a publicly traded company and numbers such as hours viewed—right next to number of subscribers—are important for keeping a high stock price.
From our understanding Netflix seems to fear that having their content indistinguishable from others such as Hulu will mean less hours on Netflix. When everything is right next to each other you may be less likely to stay inside the Netflix ecosystem.
But why Netflix is worried is why smaller services such as Hulu are excited to join. They hope that you will jump from watching “Stranger Things” on Netflix to “The Mindy Project” or “The Simpsons” on Hulu before you even realize you left Netflix.
It will be interesting to see if Netflix will change their mind later. Or if their bet on people making a special trip to Netflix will pay off.
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Entertainment retailer HMV has warned that tough trading conditions mean its annual profits are set to come in at the bottom end of forecasts.
While store sales have fallen, HMV's online operations have improved
It added that while efforts to improve sales are "working effectively", group like-for-like sales fell 1.3% in the 12 weeks to 28 September.
Like-for-like sales - which exclude new stores - at its bookseller Waterstone's also fell 3.7% during the period.
HMV warned that conditions would remain "difficult" for the rest of the year.
"We now expect full year profits to be towards the bottom of the range of market expectations," HMV said in a statement.
The group blamed a decline in the overall value of the UK DVD and music markets for some of its current troubles.
According to HMV, the total value of the UK music market, including digital downloading, fell 14% between October and November.
The company said its international businesses had increased market share in both music and DVD, but added that like-for-like sales at HMV Asia fell 3.8% while HMV Canada's sales dropped 3.4%.
"We recognise that we face very tough and rapidly-changing markets and have to work hard to offset this," said chief executive Simon Fox.
However, the group's online businesses did offer some more positive news.
Sales at hmv.co.uk were up 200% on the same period on last year while waterstones.com had made "good progress" since its launch on 28 September.


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Legend has it that Dwight Manley, a mild-mannered coin collector from Orange, Calif., met National Basketball Association bad boy Dennis Rodman at a craps tables in Las Vegas in 1993. It was a fitting meeting place for an ad icon who has become a risky gamble for marketers.
Dropping coin collecting for marketing "The Worm," Mr. Manley has reversed Mr. Rodman's endorsement fortunes. Mr. Rodman reportedly had been netting $100,000 from marketing at the time the two met; in 1996, the tattooed rebounder snared $6 million.
Mr. Rodman's marketing success comes from the cultivation of an outrageous persona, which contrasts sharply against both the NBA establishment and teammate Michael Jordan's squeaky clean image.
Hence, Delacorte Press pictured Mr. Rodman in the buff, straddling his motorcycle, on his controversial autobiography, "Bad As I Wanna Be."
CKE Restaurants' Carl's Jr. outlets, noted for tangy ads to sell their messy burgers, featured the star's tattoos in a memorable TV*spot. Eastman Kodak Co. cast him hilariously as a nice guy in holiday ads.
Mr. Manley's marketing instincts also have saved Mr. Rodman's endorsement career after the athlete's misconduct.
Suspended for 11 games after kicking a cameraman earlier this year, Mr. Rodman settled with the shutterbug and donated his salary from his first 11 games back to charity. Thanks to the reconciliation, Carl's Jr. resumed running its Mr. Rodman ads and Converse closed a $2 million shoe-endorsement deal.
But Mr. Manley's biggest challenges may lie ahead. Offensive comments about Mormons made during the recent NBA Finals drove Carl's Jr. away for good and cast a pall over Converse's marketing push for its new Rodmanendorsed All-Star 91 basketball shoe.
And, the sequel to Mr. Rodman's book was panned by Oprah Winfrey.
"They say that if life slices you lemons, you should make lemonade," Mr. Manley told Sports Illustrated in April, shortly after the cameraman incident. "We made lemon meringue pie."


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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West Bring North West Front-Row at Paris Fashion Week
By Antoinette Bueno
Baby North West gets to count Balenciaga as her first-ever fashion show.
... And she's only a year old.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West brought their adorable baby girl to sit with them front-row at Balenciaga's spring 2015 show as part of Paris Fashion Week Wednesday, where she stole the show sitting on Kim's lap.
Rocking leather leggings, a Yeezus tour tee and black Timberland boots, North West looked perfectly comfortable in her front-row seat at one of the most hard-to-get-into fashion shows of the season.


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September 4, 2020
52% of young adults in the U.S. lived with at least one of their parents in July, according to new research from Pew.
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Drinking coffee may be healthier than you think!
Medical reports are starting to show that coffee is indeed a healthy addition to your daily routine, both for your daily well being as well as your overall life expectancy.
Most of us wouldn't classify a caffeinated drink every day with a healthy diet. However consider these facts:
The Journal of Alzheimers Disease says that drinking caffeinated coffee every day lowers the risk of having dimension later in life.
Harvard School of Public Health recently determined that women who drink coffee are less prone to depression (and let’s face it men…that’s in your best interest too).
University of Illinois’s sports medicine journal reports that drinking coffee is a great start to a workout as it opens airways, decreases pain, and increases endurance.
While there are many pros and cons to drinking coffee, it's not likely that we're going to kick the habit any time soon. Most of us are too reliant on our morning cup o' Joe. The good news? It looks like it may not be as detrimental to our health as we've been led to believe.
Journal Of Alzheimer's Disease: Pages 89-91
Harvard School of Public Health News
University of Illinoise: International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism


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When all the dust settles watch carefully as Wal-Mart opens factory after factory. N. Korea will become the next major supplier to Wal-Mart as production costs in China rise.
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More than 60 people killed in suicide bombings in northern Nigeria, officials say (Reuters)
from the article: U.S.: North Korea agrees to suspend nuclear activities