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Amazon.com shares fell on Wednesday after heavy spending on expansion led to a sharp drop in fourth-quarter profit, prompting the online retailer to warn of an impending quarterly loss.
The company posted fourth-quarter earnings excluding items of 38 cents per share, down from 91 cents in the year-earlier period.
Analysts had expected the Seattle-based company to report earnings excluding items of 17 cents per share on $18.25 billion in revenue.
Amazon has been growing at least twice as fast as the e-commerce sector in recent years. To keep that pace, the company is expanding into new categories and regions, spending heavily on growth, at the expense of profit margins.
According to Wall Street analysts, who cut their price target on the stock by as much as 16 percent, the company's shift to third-party sales is also hurting revenue growth.
Fourth quarter revenue was $17.43 billion, a 35-percentincrease from $12.95 billion a year ago.
"While we had suspected Amazon's first-quarter margin guidance would underscore its ongoing investment spend, we were surprised by its lower-than-expected first-quarter revenue guide," Barclays Capital analyst Anthony DiClemente wrote in a note.
The shift in sales toward third-party sellers has resulted in lower revenue as Amazon recognizes a 5-15 percent commission on these transactions rather than the retail price of the items, Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Graham wrote in a note.
Graham said third-party seller units doubled year-over-year and made up 36 percent of all paid units shipped during the quarter.
Of the 40 analysts covering the stock, 13 rate it a "strong buy," 12 a "buy," and 14 a "hold," with a mean price target of $233.90, according to Thomson Reuters's Starmine data. Only one analyst rates it a "strong sell."
Amazon shares, which closed at $194.44 on Tuesday on the Nasdaq, have fallen more than 20 percent since hitting a record high in October, partly on concern about how much the company is investing.


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As legalization legislation makes its way through the House of Commons, Canada’s provinces and territories are also working out how to manage and regulate cannabis distribution, sales, age limits, home grows, and more.
Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, is expected to finish debate at report stage and third reading in the House this week or next, and then make its way to the Senate. Along with this federal legislation, provinces and territories are working on or already formally debating their own bills to manage the responsibilities given to them under the Cannabis Act, once it is law.
So far, Ontario, Alberta and Quebec have announced their own legislation for managing these issues, while Manitoba has announced specifics about their intentions, but no formal legislation yet (Manitoba has put forward Bill 25, The Cannabis Harm Prevention Act to target drug-impaired driving).
Several other provinces have said they expect legislation later this fall or by next year. Yukon announced their plans on Monday, Nov 20 for a public/private retail mode. in place by July 2018.
Below is a brief rundown of each province and territory’s emerging intentions for managing legal cannabis by the federal government’s goal of July 2018.
On Nov 16, Alberta put forward Bill 26: An Act to Control and Regulate Cannabis, which proposes to allow private retail cannabis stores and province-run online sales, with the system overseen by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
Under the Bill, Albertans would be able to grow up to four cannabis plants per household, and anyone under 18 caught with under five grams of cannabis will face penalties similar to those for possession of alcohol or tobacco. There will be no cap on the amount of retail stores, which will not be allowed to sell anything other than cannabis, cannabis products, and accessories—no tobacco, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, or snacks.
Quebec tabled Bill 157 last Thursday, which would allow cannabis to be sold through the province's liquor board by the Société québécoise du cannabis, with plans for 15 stores by July 2018, as well as online sales. The bill seeks to ban home growing unless authorized by Health Canada for medical use, and proposes to limit Quebecers to 150 grams of dried cannabis in their own homes. The bill also leaves open the possibility for the Minister to implement a pilot project on the retail sale of cannabis.
Premier Brian Pallister announced Manitoba’s plans on November 7th for a model where the Liquor and Gaming Authority (LGA) is given an expanded mandate to regulate the purchase, storage, distribution and retail of cannabis. The Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation (MBLL) will secure and track supply of cannabis sold in Manitoba, while the private sector will operate all retail locations.
The province will be issuing a request for proposals from qualified applicants seeking the opportunity to operate one or more retail locations. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 22, with initial locations to open July 2, 2018.
Ontario was the first to announce their own plans for legalization on November 1st with Bill 174. The bill will have the LCBO manage about 40 retail cannabis locations expected 'from the outset', with 80 retail cannabis stores being run by the province in the first year, and 150 in total by 2020, as well as an LCBO-run online system that will be ready by July 1, 2018.
The province's Justice Minister, Mark Furey, recently said Nova Scotia will announce its plans for regulating cannabis by the end of this year.
New Brunswick’s Finance Minister Cathy Rogers announced the province’s plans to manage legal cannabis on October 25. NB Liquor will manage 20 retail stores in 15 communities as well as online sales. The province has also signed agreements with Organigram and Canopy Growth to be suppliers for the province’s retail stores. Organigram and Canopy both have facilities in the province.
Newfoundland and Labrador
BC still has not announced any specific plans for managing legal cannabis, but offered an intention to being open to both public and private retail stores in late September. In October, the BC government announced a joint provincial-local government committee that will consider policies related to cannabis legalization and regulation.
Justice Minister Don Morgan intimated last week that the province likely will allow private retail stores, although no specifics are yet available. Vaughn Solomon Schofield, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, said in her October throne speech that the government is still reviewing the results of its survey. Once the review is completed this fall, Solomon says the province will introduce legislation to govern the sale and distribution of marijuana and “outline measures to protect public health and safety and enhance public education.”
Prince Edward Island
PEI Lieutenant Governor Antoinette Perry said in a throne speech on November 14 that a bill to deal with legal cannabis will be tabled next spring.
No territories have yet announced their plans for how to manage legal cannabis, but on Oct 24, Louis Sebert, Minister for the Department of Justice with the Government of the Northwest Territories, announced the results of a public survey. Once legislation has been developed, it will be introduced in the Legislative Assembly and will be available for public review.
One feature of the survey was support for a government agency such as the Liquor Commission to control distribution, with a little more than half of respondents supporting the liquor commission model for retail stores, and others preferring private stores or dispensaries.
Nunavut opened a public consultation in August that ended in late September. As of yet, no other details have been released on the direction Nunavut will take.
Yukon Minister of Justice Tracy-Anne McPhee and Minister of Health and Social Services Pauline Frost announced on Monday, Nov 20 that the territory plans to introduce a public/private hybrid retail model, with distribution run by the territory. The government intends to have one government store in place by July 2018, most likely in Whitehorse, and an online retail model. Home growing cannabis up to four plants will be allowed and the minimum age of consumption under the proposed plan will be 19.
Yukon’s public survey ended on Sept 30. 70% of respondents supported the idea of the Government of Yukon overseeing or managing the distribution of cannabis. 51 per cent favoured allowing sales of cannabis using a mixture of government and private retail stores, with only 19% favouring only government stores and 24% favouring only private.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons.

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The Musgrave Group has made a number of changes to its board including the appointment of a managing director for its Budgens and Londis operations in the UK.
The Ireland-based retailer has appointed Donal Horgan, currently managing director of SuperValu and Centra in the Republic of Ireland to the role of managing director of Budgens and Londis based in the UK.
In addition, Musgrave Wholesale Partners managing director Martin Kelleher will become managing director of SuperValu and Centra in the Republic of Ireland. Noel Keeley, group human resources director will move into Kelleher’s role.
Separately, Sharon Buckley, group commercial director, will assume the additional responsibility for supply chain across the group, while Tim Kenny, group finance director will assume the additional responsibility of business development across the group.
Chris Martin CEO Musgrave Group said: “Throughout this recession we have continued to invest in our business and particularly our retail partners across Ireland, the UK and Spain. The success of that strategy has given us a platform to drive future growth in each of our markets and positions us to profitably grow the business for Musgrave and our retail partners in 2011.”


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A report last week that Microsoft is set to offer an Xbox 360 and Kinect bundle for $99 with an additional monthly subscription fee has been confirmed as the real deal.
As spotted by The Verge, a voucher for the deal has popped up on Microsoft's official site redeemable at any of the platform holder's official stores. Hand over $99 up front and put your name down for a $14.99 per month contract lasting two years, and you'll get a 4GB console, a Kinect unit and 24 months of Xbox Live Gold membership.
Microsoft has 22 stores across the US - there's a full list of locations here.
The deal will add up to a total of $458.76 - marginally more expensive than buying the console at full price and independently signing up for XBL.
There's no indication as to whether Microsoft plans to offer a similar deal in Europe.


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Legal & General inks its first fintech partnership
Legal & General (L&G), has announced a partnership with Manchester-based fintech, Raisin. The collaboration will provide L&G’s customers with access to cash savings accounts protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) through Raisin’s marketplace.
With the UK retail savings market worth an estimated £700 billion, L&G’s new partnership with the European deposit specialist will help diversify its product offering and answer growing calls from consumers looking for greater choice and more control when it comes to planning for their financial future.
The first phase of the partnership will allow L&G’s customers to compare and choose from a range of savings accounts offered by Raisin’s European partner banks – all managed from a single account and login: the Raisin UK Account. This will allow customers to invest and manage their savings portfolios from the comfort of their own home with full control at their fingertips.
It’s the first strategic partnership of its kind for L&G and for Raisin UK – its second major announcement this year following their first partnership announcement with ClearScore.
Discussing the importance of strategic partnerships, L&G’s Janine Menasakanian comments: “Through our partnership, we can offer the competitive rates that Raisin has negotiated while working collaboratively with a like-minded, forward-thinking business. Our relationship with Raisin is one of many we hope to commit to going forward”.
Discussing the launch Kevin Mountford, Raisin UK CEO, says: “Put simply, the UK savings market has become stale. With bottoming rates and a genuine outcry from consumers looking for greater choice and more control, our partnership with Legal & General is a big step in helping UK consumers actualise those demands.”
Since launching, Raisin has brokered €14.5 billion for more than 185,000 customers in 31 European countries and almost 80 partner banks.


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Supermarket chain Ahold Delhaize has unveiled plans to spin off its €5.5bn Dutch online retail business Bol.com in a subsidiary IPO.
The Dutch group said it would retain control over the business, which competes with Amazon in its domnestic market, and would only list an unspecified number of shares on Euronext Amsterdam at some point in the second half of 2022.
Ahold Delhaize said it expected sales at Bol.com to double by 2025 from the €5.5bn generated in 2021.
The group added the IPO would “fully activate the opportunities for Bol.com, to fuel its tremendous growth potential and to provide further funding for Ahold Delhaize to execute on its winning strategy”.
The news comes ahead of the company’s annual investor day, with Ahold Delhaize also announcing a €1bn share buyback programme.
It also outlined its plans and targets towards 2025, with revenues expected to continue to grow in 2022 and growth to accelerate in the 2023-2025 period, with the aim of adding €10bn in incremental sales by 2025.
The group added it expected online sales to double to €20bn and ecommerce to be profitable by 2025.
CEO Frans Muller said: “Our ’Leading Together’ strategy has proven to be strong in recent years, and is a great foundation as we head into the future.
“The Covid-19 pandemic put our people and our strategic choices to the test, and through it all we were able to always deliver for our customers, our communities and our associates in all the brands and support companies.
“I cannot stress enough how proud I am of our achievements. The pandemic has accelerated the pace of change in the retail industry. It has also changed consumer behavior permanently with people shopping more online, eating more at home and having a bigger interest in local and healthier food.”
Shares in the group have jumped 4.2% to €31.02 this morning.
Grocery tech firm Eagle Eye is working with Asda to develop a trial of the retailer’s new loyalty programme, Asda Rewards.
Following a successful trial with Asda employees in September 2021, the programme has been extended to 16 Asda stores across West Yorkshire and the West Midlands.
Asda Rewards is designed to provide customers with the best value when shopping and rewards them with money for buying the products they use regularly.
Customers using the Asda Rewards app can build up a ‘cash pot’ each time they purchase a ‘star product’ or complete an in-app ‘mission’ when shopping in one of the 16 trial stores.
Eagle Eye’s AIR platform powers the scheme including the offer and reward management within the app, the membership card, star products, missions and cash pot as well as the creation and redemption of vouchers through its integration with Asda’s point-of-sale systems.
As the trial develops, Asda aims to customise offers so customers can earn pounds for buying their favourite products, or rewards for buying products that are environmentally friendly.
Eagle Eye CEO Tim Mason said: “We are excited to be part of Asda’s loyalty programme trial and look forward to seeing the results. We have been working closely with Asda since 2014 and have seen first-hand the digital journey that they are taking customers on. Loyalty programmes such as these help retailers improve their business through data-driven insights generating personalised offers which increase customer satisfaction and improve their marketing effectiveness.”
Shares in the group leapt 5.3% higher this morning to 571p.
CBD health and wellness group Love Hemp has launched its first national media campaign today.
It includes a 30-second television advert airing on ITV, video on-demand platforms, including ITV Hub, All 4 and Sky, as well as print media in Metro nationwide and multiple outdoor advertising formats in London, Manchester, Liverpool and the North East.
The campaign stars the company’s investor and ambassador, two-time Heavyweight Boxing World Champion and Olympic gold medallist, Anthony Joshua.
CEO and co-founder Tony Calamita said: “We believe our mainstream national media campaign with a leading British role model brings CBD to the forefront of the health and wellness industry.
“Since Love Hemp was established six years ago, we have grown a loyal consumer base who have not only enjoyed the multiple benefits of our high-quality products but have also bought in to the philosophy, values, and authenticity of Love Hemp.
“Today’s launch marks the first significant step in leveraging our outstanding partnerships to deliver these key messages to a rapidly growing consumer base. We see strong partnerships coupled with powerful marketing as a crucial part of our growth strategy.”
The FTSE 100 made a solid start to the week, rising 0.2To 7,362pts in the early going.
Early movers included Glanbia, up 9.1% to €15, Nichols, up 3.3% to 1,312p, and McBride, up 3.3% to 69.6p.
B&M European Value Retail, Kerry Group, PZ Cussons and Finsbury Food Group are among the early fallers, down 4% to 575.6p, 1.1% to €114.25, 0.7% to 209.5p and 0.5% to 97p respectively.
This week in the City
After a busy week for the retail sector, things slow down a little this week.
Tomorrow kicks off with the latest monthly Nielsen grocery till roll figures, while Premier Foods unveils its half-year results and tobacco giant Imperial Brands reports full-year figures. In the US, former Asda owner WalMart issues its latest quarterly update.
Property firm British Lands reports interims on Wednesday, with the latest official inflation rate also released by the ONS.
DTC wine retailer Naked Wines releases its first-half numbers on Thursday
Finally, the latest GfK Consumer Confidence index and the ONS retail sales figures close out the week on Friday.


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It’s Thursday and once again, it's time for the latest free PC games from the Epic Games Store. This time around, we've got Innersloth's hit social deduction game Among Us, making quite the contrast from last week's pick, which saw NBA 2K21 free for a week.
That's available to download right now, having gone live at 8am PDT / 11am EDT / 4pm BST / 5pm CEST. As per usual, it's available for a full week and will be replaced by the next (currently unknown) freebie on June 3, going live at the same times. All you need to do is click "purchase", pay absolutely nothing, and it'll stay in your library.
Among Us Is This Week's Free Pick On Epic Games Store
Despite launching in 2018, Among Us gained significant popularity last year and since then, we've seen a steady stream of updates. With the recent Airship Map, official Twitch/Discord integration and upcoming PS4/PS5 edition, we've also seen a look at the next player color earlier today, Gray.
While Among Us' popularity has arguably dropped since peaking last Summer, there remains an active player base and Innersloth are keen to maintain that momentum. As always, we'll keep you posted with further news as/when it happens.


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According to a report recently released by Barclays, it appears that Apple is indeed already working on its new generation AirPods, and this time around, the latest models are said to come with noise cancelling capabilities (plus other enhancements).
According to a report recently published by Bloomberg, it seems that Apple has plans to launch new versions of its AirPods that come with some serious upgrades later this year, plus another refresh next year.
The iPhone maker is reportedly looking to introduce a next generation AirPods offering that makes full use of its latest addition to its W family of processors. The company had specifically designed its W chips not only to improve Bluetooth based connections between Apple devices, but also to better manage their capabilities.
When Apple had first made its iPhone X available for preordering back in October earlier this year, the device’s ship times had immediately extended to about five weeks or so. But it appears that shipping estimates have shortened significantly, with the tech giant’s US Apple Store website indicating free next day delivery, or even same day pick up. It should be noted, too, that the free next day delivery goes for all in-stock units that are bought before 3 PM local time this Friday, December 22nd.
Some may remember that back in December of last year, Apple had started to make its wireless AirPods available for ordering (for a price of $159). As listed in the tech giant’s official online store, the ship time indicated was six weeks. Fast forwarding to April of this year, the headphones are still listed with a ship time of six weeks, not only in the company’s online store, but also in other online retailers authorized by Apple, like Best Buy for instance.
Here is some good news for iOS mobile users, especially those who already own the headphone jack-less iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus and are looking to get hold of wireless earphones -- Apple’s AirPods are made available to order from the tech giant’s Online Store. One can also purchase AirPods from Apple and Best Buy, with shipping dates expected some time next year.
This may not be welcome news for Apple’s fans. It appears that the AirPods, the tech giant’s stylish headphones for its latest flagship devices (the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus), will not be ready for release in time for the busy holiday shopping season. The same goes for the BeatsX headphones, too. There is still some talk that the AirPods will launch before the start of the new year, but in very limited stocks. As for the BeatsX headphones, prospective buyers may have to wait three months before they can purchase a pair.
This should be welcome news to Apple fans. The tech giant’s might be releasing its wireless AirPods during the holiday shopping season after all -- at least, as suggested by an updated AirPod listing found in the website of Alza, an official Apple retailer based in the Czech Republic. The listing also mentioned an expected December ship date. Tech website Letem Svetem Applem was the first to get wind of the listing.
According to Apple, it needs a little more time in order to get its AirPod wireless headphones ready for general release. This means that we can not probably expect the headphones to become widely available within this month. As explained by a spokesperson for the iPhone maker, the initial demand for the AirPods has been remarkable (more on that later), and in order to meet that demand, the company will have to make sure that when the AirPods roll out, every interested customer will be able to purchase a pair.
Owners of iPhone devices apparently would rather buy Apple’s wireless headphones than go purchase the company’s smartwatch offering, at least according to a recent survey. Indeed, in conducting a poll in the United States, the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research found that 12 percent of those surveyed have plans to get Apple’s wireless AirPods, which cost $159. Taking this percentage into account, this could easily translate to up to $3 billion in sales for the iPhone maker, that is if these respondents make their plans come true.
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Nintendo Switch Pro Sarah announce to me September 2022. To say it was the same insider who previously revealed in the past few days that there is a special edition Nintendo Switch OLED dedicated to the Splatoon 3.
Confirming the quality of the leak on the model dedicated to the Switch OLED has also given strength to other indiscretion. With this we are not telling you that it is automatically correct, only that it received more credit than it was previously granted.
On the other hand, a well-known analyst also spoke about an announcement for this summer, so something will definitely move behind the scenes. If these disruptions translate to the Nintendo Switch Pro, it’s too soon to tell.
The overall impression is that, however, Nintendo should start thinking about a modern model of its hybrid console, which has no further to prove itself, but is technically very far behind.
As you know, Mario’s house is not very interested in participating in the race for the power of Sony and Microsoft, but there is no doubt that he should show some steps forward in this sense as well, if he does not want to fall too far behind.


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Indian neobanking company StashFin has secured $270 million in its Series C equity and debt round led by global investors including Uncorrelated Ventures, Fasanara Capital and Abstract Ventures.
Existing investors Altara Ventures, Kravis Investment Partners and Snow Leopard Ventures also chipped in. The round valued the company more than $700 million, StashFin said.
The six-year-old venture said it will use the funds to expand its footprint in Southeast and South Asia and upgrade its technology for new products.
The development comes 14 months after StashFin scooped up $40 million in its Series B round of funding from Altara Ventures, Uncorrelated Ventures, Integrated Capital, Kravis Investment Partners, Saison Capital and Tencent.
“The fundraise is a key milestone in this challenging macro environment. We are now at the cusp of transforming into a compound startup, offering multiple financial products for consumers with a wide spectrum of credit risks,” said Tushar Aggarwal, founder and CEO, StashFin.
Founded in 2016, StashFin claims it grew its monthly business 10 times in the last one year, and is currently close to hitting an annualised revenue run rate of $100 million.
“Digital retail lending in India is growing fast. StashFin’s underwriting platform is not only profitable, but scales with unit economics amid challenging market conditions,” said Salil Deshpande, founder and General Partner of Uncorrelated Ventures.
This is one of the largest venture funding rounds in the country in recent months even as VC funding in the Indian startup ecosystem has slowed down.
Earlier this month, fintech firm Cred raised around $140 million in its Series F round that included a secondary component.


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1) Alibaba IPO – $200-300 Billion Valuation
This Chinese ecommerce company will IPO in August or September of this year. When it does, it’s expected to have one of the largest valuations in IPO history. They own T-Mall, which is the “Amazon” of China. But like all things in China, multiply the scale by 10. Watch for other large Chinese companies to do IPO’s in the US. This isn’t one you can “technically” buy right now. They should be debuting in the fall.
2) Yahoo – Alternative Alibaba Play
It’s likely that Yahoo’s stock price is cheaper than what Alibaba will debut as. That is why many smaller investors may want to invest in Yahoo to leverage the hype around Alibaba. (Yahoo owns a considerable stake in Alibaba). But if you do that, you may want to use it as a short term play. The underlying business of Alibaba is very strong. But I can’t say the same for Yahoo. Yahoo may actually sell their stake and make acquisition plays with the cash. But Yahoo is unclear and really without clear vision. Just because they have cash to buy up companies doesn’t mean their pick the right ones or even leverage them properly. It seems likely that Yahoo will enjoy a boost from Alibaba’s IPO, but don’t count on it last long. And don’t think that Yahoo and Alibaba will track each other in stock performance.
3) Apple (AAPL) – I know, I know, everyone says you should invest in Apple. But there’s a real good reason for it. There is a ton of momentum in this company. There are millions of iPhone users waiting for the iPhone 6 release to upgrade. That’s going to mean massive orders for Apple when this new smartphone comes out. Watch for the price of this stock to skyrocket once that happens. Also, they took a dip when the announced their new iOS and they didn’t announce an iWatch. But when they announce new hardware, look for it to bounce back and rise. For a value investor, this is as “value” as Apple is going to get.
4) Fannie Mae (FNMA) – 1,000% Return
At the 19th Annual Sohn Conference, Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital, made a bold prediction that Fannie Mae would give a 1000% return. Fannie Mae is currently trading at around $4 a share. He sees $23-47 in the stock’s future betting on a housing recovery in the US.
Ackman is more recently famous for his attack/short on multi-level marketing company Herbalife.
5) Amazon (AMZN)
Ecommerce (the business of buying stuff online) is growing faster than the retail sector overall. This industry is growing at about 15% a year compared to 2-3% growth in the US economy as a whole.
Amazon’s sales is growing even faster than the general ecommerce industry. It doesn’t take a genius to know that more and more people are buying stuff online rather than going to traditional brick and mortar stores. That trend is only going to increase. And you’ve probably bought more stuff on Amazon this year and previous years. That’s only going to continue as well, making Amazon a great buy!
In addition, they are also in the cloud services business (Amazon Web Services) and continue to enter other high volume, low margin businesses. With Amazon Fresh they will become a world-class grocer. And with their sprawling distribution centers, they may eventually take over shipping as well, infringing on UPS’s and Fedex’s territories.
6) eBay (EBAY)
Many people don’t know, but eBay almost as large a marketplace as Amazon. They had over 112 million active buyers last year. That means over 100 million people bought something on eBay in the last 12 months. eBay is no longer the world’s garage sale. You can still find great deals there, but many brands are listing on eBay.
7) Walmart (WMT)
As retail grows, so goes Walmart. There are very smart people over there and they will make sure that they are a top retailer. They are even starting their own online thing to compete with Amazon. They already have the branding of finding cheap stuff. Now they just need leverage for ecommerce.


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Five years after recreational legalization, the state’s regulated market is beset by steep taxes, red tape, and criminal activity.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — At first glance, it looks like an ordinary ranch in the desert east of Los Angeles. There are horses, a pigpen, and a pack of dogs barking to signal the arrival of outsiders. The family here once farmed tomatillos, but tucked away in a corner of the property they’ve recently added three greenhouses with a more lucrative crop: illegal cannabis.
It’s harvest day and a half dozen workers cycle in and out, puffing joints and listening to music as they chop down the plants and hang the bud-laden branches out to dry. The proprietors say most of the product is headed out of state, where street wholesale prices are higher, but there’s still enough local demand that the top-quality stuff will stay in-state, undercutting a fledgling legal market beset by criminal activity.
California voters approved recreational marijuana five years ago, joining a club that has now grown to 18 states and Washington, D.C. The hope was legalization would eventually put illicit operations out of business. But instead, the opposite is happening: The underground market is booming, causing some to warn the regulated system is teetering toward collapse. There are many reasons why, but it mostly boils down to money—the new state-regulated system is expensive for everyone involved. Business owners face steep taxes and costly red tape, and consumers are finding better deals outside of licensed stores.
“We’ve been screaming from the rooftops that the system is broken and destined to implode, and here it is imploding,” said Jackie McGowan, founder of the cannabis lobbying firm Green Street Consulting. “We thought we could pop up a bunch of legal stores and charge twice as much as we did prior to legalization and think consumers were always going to fall in line. Well, they’re not anymore.”
National support for marijuana legalization remains at an all-time high, with over two-thirds of U.S. voters in favor of rolling back policies that for decades have disproportionately criminalized communities of color and fueled mass incarceration. It’s a rare bipartisan issue in Congress, with both Democrats and Republicans sponsoring legislation that could change federal law in 2022.
A DEPUTY WITH THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT PILES UP BAGS OF PROCESSED MARIJUANA SEIZED AT AN UNLICENSED GROW SITE. PHOTO BY VICE NEWS.
California is a cautionary tale about ignoring market realities and excluding the outlaw growers and dealers who helped build—and still largely supply—America’s weed economy.
Opening the floodgates
California’s illicit marijuana market is worth an estimated $8 billion, roughly double the total sales recorded in the state-regulated system. Besides dodging taxes, unlicensed growers are wreaking havoc on the environment and dividing communities that face water shortages during a historic drought. Authorities say Mexican cartels and other organized crime groups are behind some of the largest operations, but there are also mom-and-pop shops and small-scale farmers just trying to stay afloat in a hypercompetitive market.
Published: January 13, 2022
Founder & Interim Editor of L.A. Cannabis News


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Limbs International, an El Paso not-for-profit company that developed $85 plastic knees for poor people around the world, won the private company part of the Paso del Norte Venture Competition last week.
UTEP's American Water Recycling team, aimed at low-cost water-recycling products, won the student competition and now gets a shot at a $100,000 prize in the University of Texas' global venture competition.
Limbs International and the UTEP team each won $10,000 and a year of incubation services at The Hub of Human Innovation.
Ruskat Medical, an El Paso startup with a portable diagnostic unit trademarked as Hospital in a Box, was second in the company category, and won $3,000 and six months of Hub incubation. UTEP's Mobile Wellness Technologies team, aimed at health-management products, was second in the student category and won $5,500.
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guidelines and remission rates for export items, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu. The Home Textile Exporters’ Welfare Association had earlier approached Prabhu to urge Piyush Goyal and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to declare RoDTEP rates to support exporters and cater to the demand for their products in Europe and the US in the post-Covid period. The RoDTEP scheme, which had replaced the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) on January 1, 2021, was created for reimbursement of taxes, duties, and levies at the central, state, and local levels, which were earlier not refunded but incurred in the process of manufacture and distribution of exported products.The Department of Commerce and Finance is under active consultation for early finalization of the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) scheme
“I would like to inform you that a RoDTEP Committee was set up in CBIC for determining rates of remission under the scheme for export items. The report of the Committee along with recommended rates has been received in the Department of Commerce recently and is under examination,” Goyal said in a letter to Prabhu on April 30, 2021. He added that the Department of Commerce and Department of Revenue are under active consultation for early finalization of the RoDTEP scheme guidelines and notification of rates for items, including items from the Home Textiles sector, that are decided to be included for coverage and would depend on many factors including the budget available for the RoDTEP scheme.
In a letter to Sitharaman in January, Prabhu had noted that while the rates are yet to be decided, the government had already stopped the Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) from January 1, 2021. “Though the exporters were also assured that this will continue till its merger with RoDTEP or March 31, 2021,” the letter read. Last month, Financial Express reported that the government is holding back export benefits worth at least Rs 35,000 crore under MEIS, including sizeable funds traceable to FY20, according to trade sources. Under the scheme, which ceased to exist on January 1, the government had approved Rs 39,097 crore for FY20 and Rs 15,555 crore for the first three-quarters of FY21. However, exporters had said that a bulk of this amount is yet to be released, ostensibly due to the pandemic hitting the Centre’s resource mobilization.


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Sankyu builds first HR training centre outside Japan in Iskandar Puteri
18 Jan 2021
Japanese conglomerate Sankyu Group is set to build its first human resources training centre outside Japan at the Medini Central Business District (CBD) in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
Sankyu Group had over 30,000 employees globally from 41 overseas subsidiaries.
Medini would be among the group’s global centres for diverse personnel worldwide, being trained in Malaysia, Sankyu said in a statement today.
The centre is set to begin operations in 2022.
Sankyu Southeast Asia Holdings managing director Junichi Matsumura said Malaysia continued to be a strategic hub in the region.
“This is evident in our continuous investments and developments of critical infrastructure in the country,” he said in the statement.
The groundbreaking ceremony held today was remotely officiated by Iskandar Puteri mayor Datuk Salehuddin Hassan, Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MIMSB) chairman Datuk Ir Khairil Anwar Ahmad and MIMSB head Mohamad Zamani Razali.
The announcement came on the heels of Sankyu’s statement in last August to build a logistics centre off the Straits of Malacca.
The centre situated in Port Klang will also be the hub for shipments from Japan and East Asia transiting to the Middle East and Northern Europe.
Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chief executive officer Datuk Azman Mahmud welcomed Sankyu’s latest undertaking.
“Sankyu’s training centre in Malaysia will be its first in Southeast Asia. Our country continues to be the strategic choice selection of multinationals in the region, given our dynamic transition into high-end services to support and flourish our diversified economy,” he said.
MIDA is optimistic that the training centre would bring economic benefits in terms of job creation, transfer of technology and know-hows.
“This will ultimately create new opportunities for local businesses and vendors,” Azman said.
Sankyu practices unique business model that organically blends plant engineering, logistics and operational support.
In Malaysia, Sankyu serves a broad cross-section of businesses and industrial customers ranging from steel plants, petroleum refineries, automotive and power plants to electrical and electronics manufacturers.
Salehuddin said the centre would be the beginning of the many initiatives coming to fruition after years of perseverance by MIMSB, Iskandar Investment Bhd, the state government and its various agencies.
“The Sankyu Group has been a long-time investor in Malaysia since the 1960s with businesses all over Malaysia.
“We are sure that Sankyu Group will benefit from the state-of-the-art infrastructure and network of business ecosystem available in Medini,” he said.
The Medini CBD recently received recognition from the state government as Johor’s Hub for Digital Technology and Emerging Technologies.
During the 2021 state budget tabling last November, the CBD obtained funds to accelerate its strategic hub’s development.
Medini CBD initiatives include a Blockchain Village and Southeast Asia’s first drone and robotics zone (DRZ Iskandar).
Medini CBD also hosts prominent companies in the games design industry.
Among notable Japanese companies here are OK Blockchain Centre, a subsidiary of OK Wave Group, Deluxe Games and Okakichi.
Mohamad Zamani said the groundbreaking ceremony marked an important milestone for Medini as the master planner and master developer while continuing to attract many prominent and reputable tenants.
“Sankyu is the first of many developments we have been working hard on under the Iskandar NEXT initiative which focuses on the new economy, experience and talent.
“In addition to the recent relocation of Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Sdn Bhd and Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara, we are optimistic for the future vision for the Medini CBD as a strategic hub for Johor and Malaysia,” he added. NST


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Chrysler 300 SRT Will Be Discontinued in North America
Though Chrysler has announced nothing itself, Automotive News is currently reporting that the Chrysler 300 SRT will be discontinued in the North American market for 2015. This isn’t coming out of left field, however, as last month, Chrysler Group applied for a “Trackhawk” trademark, leading an industry source to report that Chrysler might possibly be using the Trackhawk name for the Grand Cherokee SRT going forward (since the SRT brand was re-absorbed by Dodge). That left nothing for the Chrysler 300, however, and rumors began to circulate that it would be nixed.
Vehicle Research: 2015 Dodge Challenger
This isn’t the complete end for the Chrysler 300 SRT model, however. Automotive News also reported that the 300 SRT will remain on sale in certain right-hand-drive countries across the pond, at least for 2015. Beyond that, the Chrysler 300 SRT’s global future is unknown.
Vehicle Research: 2015 Chrysler 200
While it isn’t hard to imagine that the Chrysler 300 SRT will be discontinued globally after 2015, it is hard to do the same for the Grand Cherokee SRT. The model fetches the highest price of any base Jeep model, and its popularity cannot go without mention. Let’s hope that following the 2015 model, Jeep does indeed append the Trackhawk title in the SRT’s place.
We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
News Source: Automotive News (sub. req.)
The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.


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Why whisky should no longer be seen as a man's drink
This is one that, until very recently, has been perpetuated in advertising, marketing and in popular culture. Many TV adverts of the past used misogyny – The Baron and White Horse to name a few – and taglines such as ‘The Drinking Man’s Whisky’.
While these days things are slowly changing – Glenmorangie’s Delicious and Wonderful campaign, which was launched to attract new whisky drinkers and recognises ‘those who have never felt visible before’, and
Diaego’s advert J&B, which went viral late last year spring to mind – there are still some that seem surprised when women drink whisky. And many wouldn’t think to suggest a bottle for gifts.
Being in my line of work, I get a lot of emails with suggestions for gift guides for events such as Mother’s Day, and it’s rare to see whisky at the forefront of these. Recently, whisky writer and journalist Becky Paskin noted women in TV programmes and films are seen reaching for whisky, but only when they’re in a tough spot or having a hard time. It’s rarely to relax or as a social drink, unlike the way men are portrayed drinking Scotch. Paskin also co-founded OurWhisky as a movement to champion inclusion and diversity among both whisky makers and drinkers.
Data in recent years shows 37 per cent of whisky customers in the US are female – as opposed to 15 per cent in 1990 – and almost a third of whisky drinkers in the UK are female. And, with the latest Scotch Whisky Association research showing a record number of whisky was exported (£6 billion) last year, more and more people are drinking it. Also, recent research from intelligence platform Vypr suggests those who aren’t whisky drinkers are keen to get involved via cocktails, and 39 per cent of those are women.
So, with Valentine’s (and Galentine’s) Day around the corner, now is as good a time as any to gift a bottle of whisky to your dram loving partner, or friends. Cheers!
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.


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Here's some news that will cheer up Miley Cyrus as she continues to recover from her health woes: her album's gone platinum.
Billboard reports that according to Nielsen SoundScan, Bangerz, which came out this past October, has now passed the one million mark in sales. It's Miley's sixth album overall to reach that sales milestone. Bangerz has also outsold Miley's previous disc, Can't Be Tamed, by a huge margin: Can't Be Tamed sold just over 350,000 copies to date, even though it was released in 2010. It's no surprise, though, that Bangerz has sold more, considering it features the huge hits "Wrecking Ball" and "We Can't Stop."
In her career, Miley's sold 15.9 million albums, including the Hannah Montana albums. Her career best-seller is the first Hannah Montana soundtrack, which has gone triple platinum since its release in 2006.
After rescheduling her entire U.S. tour following a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic she was prescribed to treat a sinus infection, Miley was recently forced to postpone two European concerts when the allergy symptoms returned.
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio


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Bake sale slated
Posted: Thursday, November 13, 2008 7:41 am
The Messenger. 11.12.08 South Fulton High School’s Future Business Leaders of America will hold a bake sale Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Wal-Mart in Fulton. “Please come support us in our effort to go to convention,” FBLA reporter Brooke Kane said. Teacher Norma Bailey is the FBLA organization’s sponsor.


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Armed with new funding, five Memphis medical startups ready to 'build a business'
Four companies in the just-completed Zero to 510 Medical Device Accelerator program have been selected to receive an additional round of $100,000 in funding. A fifth company, Restore Medical Solutions, received a term sheet to advance to a full round of Series A venture capital funding, which will be led by Innova Memphis and MB Venture Partners.
Restore Medical and its venture capital partners are still negotiating exact funding amounts; the company, which also was part of the Zero to 510 program, originally said it would need $2.5 million to ramp up.
The Zero to 510 program invested $50,000 in six companies and provided mentoring and other services over 90 days, while helping the companies prepare to apply for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 510(k) pre-market notification filing. The companies presented their products to a group of potential investors earlier this month, and four were selected to receive another $100,000 a piece.
The companies selected to receive the funding were: BioNanovations, which has developed a device that uses bionanotechnology for rapid diagnosis of bacterial infection; EcoSurg, a company that developed an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional foam patient positioners used in surgeries; Nanophthalmics, which is working on a nanotechnology-based surgical device to more effectively treat corneal abrasions; and Urova Medical, a company that is working on a minimally invasive treatment to address feminine stress urinary incontinence.
Restore Medical Solutions has created a modular surgical tray and method for the reprocessing of sterile surgical instruments.
Michael Sheffield covers bioscience and biotechnology; manufacturing; tourism and hospitality; and sports business. Contact him at email@example.com.
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Happy National Rum Day! The special day falls on August 16 every year when people get to gulp their favourite drink and cherish its distilled spirit in an undisturbed manner! Be it a pina colada, daiquiri or a rum punch, it’s the perfect day to try the very famous cocktails made from the classic drink. Meanwhile, as the US celebrates National Rum Day 2022, people pour in wishes, greetings, HD images, WhatsApp messages & quotes over the internet. Take a glance at the Happy National Rum Day 2022 messages and quotes to celebrate the day.
National Rum Day 2022 Wishes and Greetings
Today National Rum Day.
National Rum Day on August 16th as blended beverages and cocktails create a delicious celebration. Rum is a distilled clear alcoholic beverage which is a byproduct of sugar production. #NationalRumDay #sajaikumar pic.twitter.com/BLaZvnuDv5
— Sajai Kumar (@SajaiKumar9) August 16, 2022
Happy #NationalRumDay! ?
— anna (@cali82anna) August 16, 2022
Rum Day Celebrations!
Join National Rum Day on August 16th as blended beverages and cocktails create a delicious celebration. Rum is a distilled clear alcoholic beverage which is a byproduct of sugar production. It can also be made directly from sugar cane juice. #NationalRumDay pic.twitter.com/WoFX3xB0Lr
— Chris Rehm (@ChrisRehm11) August 16, 2022
Quotes for The Day!
National Rum Day Quotes (Photo Credits: File Image)
Messages for National Rum Day 2022
National Rum Day Quote (Photo Credits: File Image)
(Fresh Headline brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user’s social media account and Fresh Headline Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of Fresh Headline, also Fresh Headline does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)


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MADRID—Telecommunications firms know a lot of things about their customers, but typically can profit on just a fraction of that information because of privacy laws and other restrictions.
Enter Telefónica SA, the Madrid-based giant with operations in major markets on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, which thinks it has found a way to extract a bit more bang from the buck it invests in large mobile-telephony networks.
In late November or early December, Telefónica plans to launch a service called Smart Steps, which will sell data on how crowds move around at any point of the day. The information will be collected through the Telefónica networks to which people’s mobile phones connect as they go about their business.
This data, which will be offered to corporate customers ranging from small retailers to, potentially, transportation authorities, is already accessible to every major telecoms firm. What Telefónica is doing is simply to seek a way to profit from it.
Jeremy Green, an analyst with the London-based tech consultancy Ovum, said Smart Steps is similar to services being developed by Verizon in the U.S. The U.K.’s Vodafone , he added, has been selling similar data on the location of its subscribers to the Netherlands’ TomTom, one of the world’s largest providers of navigation services.
Still, Mr. Green noted that Telefónica’s push with Smart Steps places it among the vanguard of telecoms firms looking to take advantage of what he calls “data byproducts” to add revenue for an industry hit by falling voice tariffs and rising costs to develop new networks.
“What we’re doing is tapping into the world of information,” said Stephen Shurrock, Chief Commercial Officer of Telefónica Digital, the U.K.-based, tech-oriented unit of Telefónica.
First and foremost, Mr. Shurrock is careful to dispel any notion that Smart Steps, or any similar services that Telefónica Digital plans to develop around the concept in the future, is a threat to privacy.
Asked about those unavoidable Big Brother comparisons, he responds that the data gathered on subscribers is first aggregated and anonymized, so there’s no way to track individuals. Only then is the data treated, so it can be sold.
The idea is that many businesses can use this sort of real-time, precise data, in exchange for the clipboard surveys of potential and existing customers on which they currently rely.
Thus, Smart Steps can, for example, tell a high-street retailer selling handbags about the flow of people at a given stretch of a given street. It can tell whether the passersby are, on average and according to their contract data, females over 30 years old that spend over £100 ($160) on their mobile per month and linger in the area; or whether that particular stretch attracts males below the age of 20 who spend less than £10 and pass by on their way to a nearby club.
Telefónica isn’t yet releasing pricing details, and says it will work with Germany’s GfK, a global market-research company, on tailoring specific offerings for clients. In a testament to Telefónica’s reach, Smart Steps will be launched first in Germany, Brazil and the U.K. — a culturally, and economically, diverse enough group of countries, so that reactions to the new service by the providers and the buyers of data indicate whether it will fly.


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It's a great day to be Bill English.
Domino's and Wattie's have just announced a collaboration that will see Spaghetti Pizza added to the menu for a limited time.
You know the announcement is controversial because Domino's prefaced it on social media by saying: "This is no joke!"
"We've officially added Hawaiian spaghetti pizza to our menu for a limited time only, with help from our friends at Wattie's NZ," the company added.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
The "special" limited edition pizza costs $7.99 for pick-up.
Facebook users were divided on the announcement. While some look forward to trying Domino's version of Bill English's favourite pizza, others think spaghetti and pizza should never mix.
"How about officially un-adding it from the menu," a Facebook user commented.
"Spaghetti on a pizza is actually really nice. Should do one with beef mince and cheese. Spaghetti bolognese pizza," someone suggested.
The debate on wether or not spaghetti belongs on top of pizza was ignited in 2017, when former Prime Minister Bill English admitted that this was his favourite pizza topping.


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OELWEIN, Iowa (KCRG-TV9) -- For students in a special education class, sometimes real life experience is hard to get in a classroom setting. And at Oelwein High School, that’s the idea behind Big Dog’s Coffee Shop.
Oelwein student Ben Klingman is in the special education class. He rings up a customer at Big Dog's Coffee Shop. Students and instructors of that class run the shop and just opened a location for the general public on Monday.
It’s a coffee shop run by about a dozen students from that class, their instructors and volunteers, and it’s teaching those students real life lessons they can use once they leave class.
Since opening to just faculty, staff and other students in January, Big Dog’s has been a success with a steady-stream of in-school customers most mornings.
Tiffany Moses, a senior at Oelwein, was quick to point out one thing she’s learned working at the coffee shop.
“Patience,” Moses said.
After early success with a “school-only” business, the students and instructors decided to branch out an open a shop to the public. They went to sponsors to get funding for new equipment.
On Monday, Big Dog’s opened a second location at the high school that is now open to the public.
It’s in the concessions area by the high school gym and members of the public can use a special entrance there without having to go through normal school security. The coffee shop is open 7:40 a.m. until 8:20 a.m. on days that school is in session. Right now, the shop serves only coffee and other drinks like smoothies but there is talk of possibly adding some food items in the future.
Ben Klingman is another student who works the coffee shop either waiting on customers or fixing the drinks.
When asked what he liked about it, Klingman replied “I get to meet my friends and the nice people here.”
Kristi Druvenga, a school instructional coach, said the coffee shop business is actually a part of the curriculum for the special education students at Oelwein High School.
That’s because they’re learning how to be accountable at a business, how to deal with the public and how to handle money in the cash-only business. If the expansion to serving the public works out, she can see another long term idea taking shape—taking the plan out into the community.
“We would love to work with a community business in town to get a real life coffee shop open that is run by adults with special needs so these students, when they leave school, can transition to that job,” she said.


text: Can you remember a year more life-changing than 2020? It’s even Arizona’s favorite fast food chain! President Biden was the first candidate ever to raise $1 billion, while Trump raised $596 million. Chains with physical distancing options, such as drive-throughs, could also recover quicker. As one of the most popular fast food chains, KFC received low grades on the food quality, its value and the cleanliness of its dining area. Chiming in the second position is burger giant McDonald, trailing Subway by nearly 1000 fewer locations in the world. From the heavyweight names, to the up-and-coming chains, to the stalwarts of American pizza-making, these … The The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently named and shamed the highest-calorie menu items from American fast food chains. Our easy-to-use app shows you all the restaurants and … It was a long sledding downward for a pizza chain that once couldn’t do any wrong. The lettuce is the typical dried-out fast food nonsense -- there’s also way too much of it -- and it could use a thicker layer of cheese, but overall this is a fresh, solid fast food taco. Then followed Moderna, at 94.5% in mid-November. Sbarro. Their burgers, made with 100% real beef, are a bit greasy, but hey, the price won't leave a hole in your wallet. For the fourth year, Chick-fil-A has been named the nation's top fast-food restaurant. While the restaurant has plenty of yummy … These 20 charts, maps, and visualizations help capture what happened in a tumultuous year around the globe. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Front-Line Workers, Elderly Next for Vaccines: CDC Advisers, ‘Big Fight’ breaks out over which interest groups get vaccine first. Top Fast Food Franchises. The below graphic from Reddit helps show the latest surge in cases in the U.S.: In more recent news, Pfizer made waves when it announced it was rolling out a 95% effective COVID-19 vaccine. From burgers to pad thai, there’s a quick service restaurant that’ll satisfy almost any appetite. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. As one of the most popular fast food chains, KFC received low grades on the food quality, its value and the cleanliness of its dining area. Want to chow down on more juicy hamburgers? Meanwhile, India experienced one of the world’s tightest lockdowns and will see a large GDP drop in 2020. – Noah Diffenbaugh, professor and senior fellow at Stanford University. ... frequently uttered by city folk inundated with the fast food chain’s long-running commercials, featuring two moderately funny guys yukking it … When you think of grabbing a quick cup of frozen yogurt, there's a good chance TCBY comes to mind. 6. There's something about walking into this quick ice cream shop that brings on a wave of nostalgia, doesn't it? The next black swan is always just around the corner. As such, this list will countdown America's 20 most unhealthy fast food chains. This is an unprecedented event. The company is now worth more than the largest nine automakers combined, and is set to enter the S&P 500 officially on December 21, 2020. Consumer Reports' Grade: 65/100 Sbarro ranked low on this list because of its poor food quality and food freshness. About the QSR 50/ QSR 50 is an annual ranking of … The Colonel is still going strong! Whether you love the secret menu, photoshoots of babies covered in Spicy Ketchup, or the little trick everyone falls for, there's no denying that in 1950, the fast food game changed forever. With a plethora of crusts, cheesy toppings, and grilled veggies to choose from, it's no surprise pizza lovers keep coming back to the Hut. In our comprehensive fast-food companies list, we’ve ranked everything from Bojangles’ to McDonald’s in terms of franchise-wide sales and number of locations. The global pandemic has forced many fast food restaurants to adapt, and it’s also triggered a number of restaurant shutdowns. However, even with viable vaccines, challenges still exist. On November 8, the seven-day average of new daily cases hit 100,000 in America. Food The E! Information used in the projections, such as monetary and fiscal policies, is as of November 27, 2020. For the fourth year, Chick-fil-A has been named the nation's top fast-food restaurant. Baskin Robbins comes in the second-place spot. Our Definitive List of the Best and Worst Fast Food Chains, Ranked. By John Boone Aug 29, 2013 12:13 AM Tags. Starbucks is the most popular, followed by Dunkin’ and Dairy Queen respectively. Ratings orgnization Consumer Reports conducted a story of 32,000 people ranking 65 fast food chains from the best to the worst. As monthly users swelled, those who typically take to the skies also declined in a steep fashion. Jimmy John's slogan is "Freaky Fast, Freaky Fresh," and it looks like customers find this to be true! https://www.redbookmag.com/food-recipes/g31675174/fast-food-milkshakes 31. COVID-19 vaccinations have begun, and hope is on the horizon for a stronger economy going forward. That sounds like a winning combo to us! Perhaps the most significant lasting change from the COVID-19 pandemic might be the adoption of flexible work, even by firms that resisted the trend in the past. Which fast food restaurant can lay claim to superiority over the other? In the first half of the year, vaccine distribution will surely take center stage. 39 Fast-Food Restaurants Definitively Ranked From Grossest To Least Gross. For one, Big Tech’s market cap share of the S&P 500 soared. 1 for the fourth year in a row, according to ACSI, this year with a score of 86 out of 100. Whether you visit this smoothie chain on a trip to the mall or after a workout, nothing hits the spot like a smoothie from Orange Julius. Although loyal customers might not be able to satisfy their fried chicken cravings on Sunday, Chick-fil-A still is a top spot to go when you're in the mood for a chicken sandwich and some waffle fries. Rising unemployment and inflationary pressures have contributed to the decline. Tesla’s market valuation climbed over 375% since June 2019. Menus, Photos, Ratings and Reviews for Fast food joints in Edmonds - Fast food joints Zomato is the best way to discover great places to eat in your city. Our Definitive List of the Best and Worst Fast Food Chains, Ranked. With wings and yummy chocolate lava cakes to go alongside a pizza pie, Domino's is simply beloved. The influx of fast food places has taken a noticeable toll on the health of the American public. Food The E! Arrives Weekly. Here is how the economic forecasts break down for both OECD and non-OECD countries, sorted by projected real GDP growth in 2021: China started recovering earlier than most countries, and is projected to be the only country with positive GDP growth in 2020. The business only exists in 12 states, including Alabama, Maryland and Florida. ... frequently uttered by city folk inundated with the fast food chain’s long-running commercials, featuring two moderately funny guys yukking it up … There really is something for everyone at this smoothie shop—besides frozen drinks you can sip on, there are smoothie bowls and plenty of bites. Slowly, but surely, the virus began to spread beyond China’s borders. Strong growth will continue in 2021, when China will account for over one-third of global economic growth. From its house-made lemonade to that tasty mac and cheese to those fresh-baked bagels, Panera has it all. In June, it became the most valuable automaker in the world—surpassing the likes of Toyota, Volkswagen, and Honda. Bojangles' gets some praise for their food, but the company is still considered one of the worst fast food chains in the nation. The 25 best fast-food chains in America Emmie Martin , Tanza Loudenback , and Alexa Pipia 2016-05-09T15:00:00Z You can never go wrong with a hot dog and French fries combo, and what better place to order that than at Nathan's? DQ even sold more than 175 million Blizzards the first year they introduced them in 1985—who knew? In particular, policies should be directed towards the most vulnerable, such as low-skilled workers, small businesses, and children. If you're a Subway fan, you're not alone! Millions of Americans eat at fast food restaurants every day—and they now have more options at their disposal than ever before. RELATED: Sign up for our newsletter to get daily recipes and food news in your inbox! Panera Bread ranked No. Headed to Subway? List E! For those who happen to live by one, customers have plenty of options to dig into, from the outrageous animal-style fries to the celeb-favorite protein-style burgers. Whataburger is more than a Texas-born restaurant chain, it is a lifestyle. Some major chains even focus exclusively on providing healthy fast food. Here's Every Subway Sandwich—Ranked for Nutrition! Craving ice cream? While it may not be the most popular dining brand in the country, the King is still a top choice for many. From the affordably priced cups of caffeine to the hot-out-the-oven classic glazed doughnuts, it's easy to see why Krispy Kreme has such a devoted following. While debt-to-GDP ratios have risen substantially due to stimulus packages, the organization also recommends that governments maintain strong fiscal support. With $21 billion in sales, the Seattle-based coffee chain saw a 5% increase compared to its numbers in 2018. 3. Customers raved that the fast-food chain is "good quality," "never gets old," and is a "good value for money." The third wave of COVID-19 escalated in November, when cases began to surge. Sometimes, you just want one of Sonic's frozen drinks and a burger to go along with it. If many employees continue to work remotely, even part of the time, then that will have a big impact on everything from the commercial office market to the bottom line of SaaS companies that help facilitate remote collaboration among teams. As with many other fast food chains on this list, Dunkin’ Donuts has increased its prices throughout the years while making few positive improvements to the quality of its menu items. Using satellite data, NASA and NYT mapped the extent of the damage, which claimed 135 lives and affected 305,000 more. Here's What to Order at Chipotle. This regional joint is known for its menu's oversized meaty masterpieces and waiters' Southern hospitality. This explosion was the biggest accident of its kind in modern history, triggered by the exposure of combustible ammonium nitrate—a key ingredient in fertilizers—to an open flame due to poor storage. Dane Rivera ranks the best (and worst) in the game. As America falls deeper in love with chicken, the number of chicken chains seem to be growing by the day. One unintended positive consequence of these shutdowns? With thousands of locations across America, Panda Express is the top-ranking Asian dining brand in the country, according to The 2018 QSR 50 Ethnic Segment Report, which gathers the best restaurant brands in the country and segments them into categories. Precious Metal Production in the COVID-19 Era. There's a reason it's continually ranked as the best burger spot in the country. Harold and Kumar aren't the only loyal customers who keep coming back to White Castle for some of those iconic sliders, and now, there is even an Impossible Slider on the menu, too. Fast food is notoriously high-fat, high-calorie, and greasy—and burgers, a drive-thru staple, are no different. With that said, here are the Top 10 Fast Food Burgers Ranked Worst to Best. Snacks come in at second place, with a total of $36 billion in revenue. Chaos can breed opportunity, and even though unemployment spiked to record highs in the U.S., new business applications did as well. The Best Fast Food Cheeseburgers, Ranked. I tried breakfast burritos from five fast food chains and ranked them worst to best. Sbarro. At the same time, 10 years of technology advancements seemed to happen in mere months—and now vaccinations are rolling out at a record speed. When you're in the mood for a quick breakfast on the go (or even something sweet to start your day like a perfectly iced sugar cookie), Einstein Bros. Bagels is there for you. Speaking of pizza, do you know what the most popular pizza topping is in your state? Sbarro. To help make YouGov's data of dining brands more digestible, we combed through the list and isolated just the fast-food chains. The sister brand to Carl's Jr. is cherished a bit more by their customers! By Maria Cristina Lalonde / Oct. 22, 2018 4:50 pm EST / Updated: April 21, 2020 6:55 pm EST. Ahoy, matey! Subway may have many more locations than Jersey Mike's, but this sandwich shop still made its way into the top 50. The real question is, which flavor Frosty do you get: chocolate or vanilla? As daily life came to a standstill, commuter activity in major cities plummeted throughout the month. The easy way to make healthier comfort foods, The Best & Worst Menu Items at Boston Market, most popular pizza topping is in your state, chicken sandwich was truly worth all the hype, You'll Never Guess What Taco Bell Uses to Season Its Beef. As the global vaccination race intensifies, Bloomberg tracks the progress of nine vaccines and 80 publicly disclosed distribution deals representing 7.95 billion vaccination doses. Erin McDowell/Business Insider Business Insider When it comes to a delicious fast-food breakfast, what … Here’s a look at how burgers, pizza, chicken, and other food categories measure up: Burger joints remain the most popular fast food option among consumers—14 of the 50 chains on the list are classified as burger restaurants, with $80 billion in collective sales. A good pizza place should, as some matter of priority, serve good pizza. People surveyed described this sandwich shop as a "good value for money." Burgers are king. As of this date, McDonald has over 3,50,00 stores in more than 118 countries worldwide. 10 of the best fast-food taco chains across the US I tasted KFC's meatless fried 'chicken' dishes and even though they look like the real thing, they didn't taste like it I tried Marco's Pizza, which was named the 'best pizza chain in America,' and found that it mostly lived up to the hype. By contrast, the S&P 500 rose just 110%. For instance, McDonald’s is set to permanently close 200 of its 14,000 U.S. locations, and Dunkin’ will be closing 450 restaurants by the end of 2020. By the end of November, global cases soared to 60 million. Futures contracts for WTI oil fell to a stunning -$37.63 on April 20th, with producers actually paying traders to take oil off their hands. We ranked these fast food joints from least to most popular. A visit to Carl's Jr. might be where you end up! Here's where you can get The Absolute Best Burger in Every State. While some wildfires are caused by natural occurrences like lightning strikes, an overwhelming majority (85-90%) happen because of human causes such as discarded cigarettes and campfire debris. Their soft serve and hand-scooped menu options are filled with fun flavors, too—cotton candy or rainbow cream, anyone? While some of these stocks have since recovered, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 is still most widely being felt among companies in these types of industries. But are burgers, in general, the most popular fast food item? Precious Metals Production, Volatile Returns: Commodity Investing Through Miners and Explorers, The World’s Gold and Silver Coin Production vs. Money Creation, Visualizing U.S. Money Supply vs. The United States has a major problem with obesity and fast food consumption is one of the primary causes. List E! From toilet paper hoarding to limits on gatherings, the pandemic’s immediate effects on our surrounding environment became clear as early as March. McDonald’s – Big Mac & Quarter Pounder The best burger can … Let's face it, fast food is going downhill fast. 31. In the case of Whataburger versus In N’ Out, that battle has morphed from a friendly rivalry between two fast food behemoths, into a bitter battle over which state is the best. Since then, cases have trended upward, leading local governments worldwide to enforce social distancing requirements for the winter holiday season. Click here to learn about America’s 10 healthiest fast food chains slideshow. You can go for thin crust, deep dish, hand-tossed or New York-style crust—or you can even opt for one of their specialties: the four (or eight) corner pizza. Reddish-orange skies might seem otherworldly, but this fall, they were a common sight across the West Coast of North America, where air quality reached the “hazardous” category for long stretches of time. Below, we round up some of the year’s biggest news events with charts and visualizations. You’ll find all kinds of tasty tacos at Torchy’s Tacos, including one called the Trailer Park that’s … Quizno's offers up classic sandwiches, and who can resist the fresh pepper bar? Visualizing the Biggest Threats to Earth’s Biodiversity, Decoding U.S. Election Day in 9 Key Charts, Animated Map: U.S. Presidential Voting History by State (1976-2016), Charting America’s Debt: $27 Trillion and Counting. With all this choice, which fast food chains are the most popular among consumers? Why most fast-food companies feel the need to have a mascot remains uncertain. Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, headquartered in College Park, Georgia, has ranked as the best fast-food chain for customer satisfaction in the country for 2018-2019, according to American … Regional American fast-food chains, ranked ... Not historic battlefields or national parks or scenic routes, but the shiny deep-fried fast food joints that decorate those big blue signs along the interstate. Those Munchkins are rather irresistible. Within a month, 22 million in the U.S. had filed jobless claims. Reuters assessed the scale of the damage caused by bushfires across Australia. Oil has since recovered from this shock, cruising back to more typical price levels. It’s even Arizona’s favorite fast food chain! Reuters’ unique graphic explainer uncovers how just one typical day of multiple “normal” interactions had significant super-spreader effects. Sbarro is best known for its large pizza slices that happen to be in every mall court. A good pizza place should, as some matter of priority, serve good pizza. After the killing of George Floyd on May 25, by police, the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded over 7,750 BLM-linked demonstrations over a three month span. True fans know that guacamole is extra—and they'll happily fork over the extra cash. These are the 30 top fast-food companies by revenue. Over a million lives were lost in the pandemic, oil prices turned negative, and protests swept the streets. This was a very tough one to judge since Jet’s has a huge assortment of pizzas on the menu. Fancy McDonald's for its world-famous fries and Wendy's for the never-frozen cheeseburgers? 10. *Includes figures estimated by QSR. Yes, Firehouse Subs was actually started by two brothers who happened to be firefighters before getting into the sandwich business. Starbucks has also announced it’s planning to permanently shut down up to 400 locations by mid-2021. Shutterstock. You’ve heard of Patient Zero, but what about Patient 31? Given email address is already subscribed, thank you! Despite a scandal involving its former CEO, McDonald’s still managed to significantly outsell its peers—the company made almost double that of the second-largest fast food chain, Starbucks. For all the meat-lovers out there, Arby's is your place, especially if you're a fan of their staple, roast beef sandwiches. As tensions escalated, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to try and restrict President Trump’s use of military power against Iran without approval. The blast was broadcast around the world in real time as people filmed the fire on their devices. Oops. 1. Something went wrong. 1 spot is none other than Shake Shack. Air pollution, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) emissions also steeply dropped alongside these restrictions on movement. Here’s the damage done in the state of New South Wales alone, compared to previous years: While bushfires are common in Australia, this year, dry conditions fueled the flames. Unsurprisingly, McDonald’s comes in at number one with over $40 billion in sales. With online sales more important than ever, the chains with a strong digital presence may be in a better position to weather the storm. Take a look at the following 11 top fast food franchises to consider. Shake Shack. To put this in perspective, U.S. unemployment levels in 2020 were roughly 10 times higher than previous peak unemployment levels in absolute terms. How do these quick service giants stack up against each other? The dramatic shift to staying at home has resulted in a much higher reliance on technology for many people. While the world grappled with numerous biological and natural disasters, human-error led to a deadly explosion that rocked Beirut’s port. That’s what fast food wars can do … Most people just go to a fast-food chain for the specific food they sell and the fact that it’s fast and easy; has anyone ever gone ‘because they liked the gimmicky mascot so much?’ We think not. This is largely due to Chick-fil-A, which makes up more than a third of all chicken restaurant sales included in the ranking. In many ways, COVID-19 only accentuated differences in market share, earnings, and wealth. Every Subway Sandwich—Ranked for Nutrition. Nowhere were these trends exemplified more than the rise of video conferencing software Zoom—the platform was used for work, education, and socializing alike. The United States has a major problem with obesity and fast food consumption is one of the primary causes. As one of the most popular fast food chains, KFC received low grades on the food quality, its value and the cleanliness of its dining area. 30. In a stunning reversal, the bear market of 2020 ended on August 18 when the S&P 500 exceeded previous February highs. No mall trip is ever done without a pit stop at Cinnabon for a warm, gooey, perfectly sticky cinnamon bun. There’s nothing like digging into a tasty burger, so it’s a shame when it doesn’t live up to expectations. 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Beginning with Natalie Massenet and Net-a-Porter, mobile commerce has spawned a wave of startups. Now the search is on for digital tools that replicate the experience of sitting at the front of the catwalk
It was once considered extreme, but cosmetic surgery has become normalised. In fact, writes Karen Kay, refusing to ‘have work done’ has made her unusual in many social circles. But is a more perfect self always a happier one?


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As it turns out, the relationship between Apple and Palm is even less amicable than we already thought it to be. Bloomberg got their hands on communications between Ed Colligan, then-CEO of Palm, and Steve Jobs in which Jobs made a proposal in which the two companies would promise to refrain from hiring each other’s employees. Colligan, however, rejected the proposal, calling it wrong and “likely illegal”.
This proposal was offered by Jobs to Colligan in August 2007, when Jon Rubinstein, who lead the iPod devision when he left Apple in 2006 and who had worked with Jobs for over 15 years, joined Palm to help in reinventing the company. Jobs told Colligan that he was concerned Rubinstein would hire Apple employees. “We must do whatever we can to stop this,” Jobs said in the communications.
Exact details of the proposal are unknown, but Jobs did say that “Apple had patents and more money than Palm if the companies ended up in a legal fight”. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment, and Steve Jobs did not respond to an email from Bloomberg. Palm did not comment either.
According to the communications, Colligan stated he thought about “offering hiring concessions”, but in the end, he decided against it. “Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other’s employees, regardless of the individual’s desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal,” he told Jobs.
Agreements like the one proposed by Jobs are usually prohibited by antitrust laws, because they hinder competition. “It’s a form of competition that is usually protected by antitrust laws that prohibit agreements that restrict competition,” explains Donald Russell, an antritrust lawyer who worked at the Justice Department for more than twenty years.
A similar possible deal between Apple and Google is currently under investigation by the DOJ, and Daniel Rubinfeld, a former deputy assistant attorney general for antitrust, advises the DOJ to investigate this Palm-Apple issue as well, despite the fact it fell through. “If I were at DOJ, I would definitely be interested,” said Rubinfeld. The DOJ declined to comment.


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Retail Insider has noted Italian luxury brand Gucci is packing up its 710 Thurlow Street location in downtown Vancouver. The location in Vancouver's prestigious "Alberni Luxury Zone" was reported in September 2021 as being a temporary location while renovations were underway at...
An industry expert explains how Amazon and other players are shifting consumer expectations and while online is growing quickly, physical retail is still critical with AI set to provide more insights into retail trends.
The massive mixed-use commercial centre, located at the busiest pedestrian intersection in Canada, is making several spaces available for temporary retail activation as it addresses the rapidly growing trend being seen across Canada.
We interviewed experts about several recent activations in Canada, discussing how retailers can adopt practices from successful non-retail activations to attract consumers. During this time of disruption, getting it right is critical now more than ever.


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While sales reports from The NPD Group cast the game industry as somber over the holidays, December financial reports from two major retailers show that, for hardware at least, games are going strong.
According to reports at GameDAILY Biz, while both Circuit City and Best Buy showed a decline in game software sales in December (Best Buy reports a 3.6 percent decrease), in both cases game hardware sales were up. Circuit City reported double-digit hardware growth "led by strong sales in multiple hardware platforms."
Both companies saw significant increases in sales of flat-panel televisions -- perhaps driven in part by the Xbox 360, along with reduced prices. Sales of MP3 players and accessories were also up.
Best Buy saw a 12% increase in December sales over last year, from $5.1 billion to $5.7 billion. Circuit City reported an increase from $1.77 billion last year to $1.98 billion -- a 12% rise and a new record for the company.


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Sony and Microsoft both have announced the games coming to their respective monthly game subscription service in May 2021. While Microsoft has announced Red Dead Online, Just Cause 4: Reloaded, Outlast 2, FIFA 21, Steep, and a few more coming to the Xbox Game Pass in May.
Sony has now also announced the list of games coming to PlayStation Now in May 2021. PlayStation Now games for May 2021 start with Nioh, Jump Force, and Streets of Rage 4. All these games will be available to play on your PS5 or PS4 console starting tomorrow May 4.
Notably, Jump Force will be available on PlayStation Now until Monday, August 2, 2021. While the Streets of Rage 4 will be available on PlayStation Now until Monday, November 1, 2021.
To recall, PlayStation Now recently got support for streaming 1080p capable games (requires minimum internet speed of 15 mbps) on PC and PS4/PS5 consoles. Sony says that the support will be rolling out for next several weeks across Europe, US, Canada, Japan where PlayStation Now is available.