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WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission weighed in on the issue of Internet privacy Wednesday, calling for development of a "do not track" system that would enable people to avoid having their actions monitored online—prompting immediate objections from the online-advertising industry.
"Self regulation of privacy has not worked adequately and is not working adequately for American consumers," said FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz. "We deserve far better."
The FTC endorsed a report by its staff that faulted the industry for not doing enough to protect consumer privacy online. Mr. Leibowitz said the FTC isn't calling for legislation yet but pointed to the report as a recommendation for lawmakers.
"A legislative solution will surely be needed if industry doesn't step up to the plate," Mr. Leibowitz said.
The FTC report comes amid other signs that regulators and lawmakers in Washington are concerned about the privacy issues raised by online tracking. A House subcommittee on consumer protection is holding a hearing on the matter Thursday. The U.S. Commerce Department is also planning to release a report containing online privacy recommendations soon.
At a separate panel on Wednesday, the Commerce Department official in charge of the privacy report, Daniel J. Weitzner, said the current tools for blocking online tracking are "blunt instruments."
"We're supportive of tools that give users more control," Mr. Weitzner said.
The FTC report suggests that the most practical method of providing a do-not-track system would be to include a setting in Web-browsing software that would broadcast people's desire not to be tracked.
Such a method would require Web browser makers to install a do-not-track feature and tracking companies to comply with do-not-track requests.
Major Web browser makers including Microsoft Corp. MSFT -0.59 % , Google Inc., Mozilla Corp. and Apple Inc. AAPL -2.25 % have experimented with do-not-track tools in their browsers, Mr. Leibowitz said.
"We're going to give these companies a little time but would like to see them work a lot faster," he said.
A spokesman for Microsoft declined to comment on whether the company was experimenting with do-not-track technology in its Internet Explorer browser. The software giant's chief privacy officer, Brendon Lynch, said in a prepared statement that the coming version of its browser will focus on "enabling our customers' choice and control with respect to their online privacy."
A Google spokesman said "the FTC raises some interesting ideas, and we look forward to learning more about what Do Not Track could look like."
Sid Stamm, an executive at Mozilla, developer of the Firefox browser, said the company wants "to help find a way for people to opt out of online tracking."
Apple declined to comment.
How to 'Fingerprint' a Computer
A typical computer broadcasts hundreds of details about itself when a Web browser connects to the Internet. Companies tracking people online can use those details to 'fingerprint' browsers and follow their users.
Privacy advocates cheered the report. "The FTC finally gets it— consumer privacy is seriously at risk online and off," said Jeffrey Chester, director of the Center for Digital Democracy.
However, the $23 billion online ad industry immediately rejected the FTC's proposal.
Mike Zaneis, senior vice president at the industry's lobbying group, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, said the industry already provides the "functional equivalent" of a do-not-track system with its website, Aboutads.info, which allows people to "opt out" of receiving targeted ads from nearly 60 companies. Mr. Zaneis said consumers wouldn't benefit from turning off tracking because "consumers depend on sharing of data ... to customize news sites, optimize Web services such as social networks, and provide relevant content and advertising across the Web."
Advertisers said restricting tracking could limit the ability of websites to offer free content that is paid for by advertising.
"FTC endorses 'do not track'; an emotional goodbye to free content so kindly funded by advertisers," tweeted Rob Norman, chief executive of WPP PLC's GroupM North America, which buys ads on behalf of corporate clients.
The FTC report also calls for companies to provide "just in time" notice to consumers if they plan to use people's data in a way that is "not commonly accepted" and for companies to give people "reasonable access" to data collected about them.
The report challenged the notion that data collected by tracking companies is benign because it doesn't include user's names.
The report says the distinction between data containing personally identifiable information and anonymous data is becoming less meaningful.
As a result, the FTC report says its recommendations apply to the collection of any data that can be "reasonably linked to a specific consumer, computer or other device."
The ad industry's current opt-out system prevents only the use of tracking data for advertising purposes, not the collection of tracking data.
The FTC supports being able to "opt out of data collection, not [just] out of targeted advertising," said Jessica Rich, the deputy director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The Wall Street Journal has been examining the online-tracking industry in its "What They Know" series.
The FTC is seeking comments on its privacy recommendations and will issue a final version of its report next year.
Mr. Leibowitz said the report "is not a template for enforcement." He added: "At this point I think we're making recommendations for best practices."
—Emily Steel contributed to this article
The What They Know Series
- A Web Pioneer Profiles Users by Name
- Web's New Goldmine: Your Secrets
- Personal Details Exposed Via Biggest Sites
- Microsoft Quashed Bid to Boost Web Privacy
- On Cutting Edge, Anonymity in Name Only
- Stalking by Cellphone
- Google Agonizes Over Privacy
- On the Web, Children Face Intensive Tracking
- 'Scrapers' Dig Deep for Data on Web
- Facebook in Privacy Breach
- Insurers Test Data Profiles to Identify Risky Clients
- Shunned Profiling Technology on the Verge of Comeback
- The Tracking Ecosystem
- Follow @whattheyknow on Twitter
- Complete Coverage: What They Know


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What you need to know
Speaking with Polygon, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer noted that he'd like to see PC gaming stores like the Epic Games Store on Xbox consoles.
Spencer explained that with the console market not growing overall, providing options for players has value.
There's nothing officially happening right now.
Imagine sitting down, turning on your Xbox console, and loading up your...Epic Games Store library? According to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, it's something he'd like to see.
In an interview with Polygon, Spencer talked about how the console market is flat overall (meaning that the same people are buying consoles, but the overall market isn't growing) and that one of the ways to provide more options for players would be to open consoles up. Hypothetically, this could mean allowing players using an Xbox console to buy games from the Xbox Store or from the Epic Games Store.
“[Consider] our history as the Windows company," Spencer said. "Nobody would blink twice if I said, ‘Hey, when you’re using a PC, you get to decide the type of experience you have [by picking where to buy games]. There’s real value in that.”
Spencer added that “if I want to play on a gaming PC, then I feel like I’m more a continuous part of a gaming ecosystem as a whole. As opposed to [on console], my gaming is kind of sharded — to use a gaming term — based on these different closed ecosystems that I have to play across.”
Microsoft is invested in PC gaming as well as Xbox
Microsoft is no stranger to PC gaming, and in recent years it has doubled-down, bringing every Xbox game to Steam and PC Game Pass at the same time as the console release. Players that purchase a first-party game digitally on Xbox are entitled to the Microsoft Store version for free, and vice-versa, via Xbox Play Anywhere.
The Xbox App for PC Game Pass, which has seen a fair bit of criticism over the past few years, has also garnered improvements recently for better functionality and ease of use. This support has also grown due to major acquisitions across the past couple of years, with Microsoft bringing ZeniMax Media and Activision Blizzard King in parts of the Xbox organization.
Spencer has also previously talked at length about the need for better cross-save support across the gaming industry, wanting players to have their saves and progress regardless of where they choose to play a game.
Analysis: An idyllic future that won't be easily attained?
The idea of getting PC gaming stores on Xbox consoles is fascinating. It's also something that would be a gargantuan undertaking. At bare minimum, I assume it would require some sort of Steam Deck-esque verification system, with PC games rated as optimized, playable, or nonfunctional with Xbox hardware.
It's a neat thought experiment, and I'll always applaud moves that provide more robust competition and benefits for players, but if this is the future, it's probably some years off at the earliest.

domain: news


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What differentiates an entrepreneur is their ability to spot an opportunity and make money from it. And it all starts with an idea.
Yet, in South Africa, too many entrepreneurs opt for tried and tested ideas such as Internet cafes, hair salons or cellphone shops, which leads to market saturation and inevitably contributes to the high failure rate of start-ups in the country. It’s a view strongly held by Mike Herrington, director of the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who believes South Africa’s poor schooling system is to blame for the high number of start-ups with copycat ideas.
The problem is spread across all the country’s race groups, he says, pointing out that the education system does nothing to encourage entrepreneurship and lateral thinking.
The danger of overtrading
The lack of original ideas leads to overtrading, and there’s already evidence of this in the construction sector, according to Charles Wyeth, chief operations officer of the government’s Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda). Here, the high number of entry-level enterprises in the sector has ultimately led to these firms destroying one other, he says.
The agency recently decided that it would only assist enterprises which approached its construction incubator in KwaZulu-Natal, if they were registered by the Construction Industry Development Board as Grade 2 and above. To help entrepreneurs make informed decisions on what business to start, Seda is also planning to develop opportunity fact sheets, similar to those produced by Wesgro and Invest North West, where business people are informed of opportunities that exist within their regions.
Thinking things through
Yet an idea alone is not sufficient, it has to be tested – especially if you stumbled across it while out at a bar with friends in the early hours of the morning. This makes solid market research crucial.
But business consultant, David Brien of Retail Dimensions, confides that he was close to giving up on mentoring start-ups as scores of those that approached him, or were referred to him by a government support agency, simply hadn’t thought through their business idea properly. Brien points out that many entrepreneurs didn’t bother conducting the necessary market research, beyond talking to friends and family, who weren’t much use in any case as they often held biased opinions.
He believes too many young entrepreneurs have been “spoon fed” by government support agencies which hand out cheap business vouchers, dissuading them from having to plough in a lot of their own sweat equity. Brien’s advice is that entrepreneurs be “passionate, but not emotional”, and that they are able to make trade-offs because they understand an idea may not be as perfect as they believe it to be.
Banks not keen
Business consultant Alec Ncube of AN3 Consulting points out that another serious problem is that banks aren’t big on funding original ideas.
Even Sibongiseni Ngundze, managing executive of Nedbank’s Small Business Services, admits that the bank will only fund two out of every 10 new and innovative ideas presented to it. In contrast the bank funds about half of the run-of-the-mill ideas that came across its desk. Furthermore, he says, only about 5% to 10% of all the applications the bank receives for finance, are for innovative ideas.
Ngundze says the bank’s lending is driven by the nature of the market, and the reality in South Africa is that there is a lack of innovation.
Our flawed education system aside, South African entrepreneurs need to think more carefully about doing things “differently”. As Allon Raiz, chief executive of business incubator Raizcorp puts it, just by looking at your resources differently, you can begin to generate new ideas. No longer does a cellphone have to be just a device to talk or send a message, or your car just a mode of transport. The possibilities are endless. Even your friends can serve as a marketing channel for your business. It all starts with one bold idea.
The Three Ts of Creativity
US author Richard Florida’s Global Creativity Index ranks countries according to what he calls the three “Ts” of Creativity: The first 20 countries on his ranking of Talents have a population in which 20% of the people dedicate themselves to economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information.
Technology is measured by the investments in research and development and the number of patents per one million inhabitants. In relation to patents, the US ranks first by far.
Tolerance measures a society’s acceptance of ethnic and religious minorities.
The Global Creativity Index ranks these countries in the first 10 positions.
- United States


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Transport Canada announced the completion of the Ports Modernization Review, which aims to advance the role of Canada Port Authorities and optimize their current and future roles.
Transport Canada also announced that the government intends to introduce legislative amendments in the coming months to update the way Canada’s ports are managed and operated based on the results of the Ports Modernization Review.
The proposed legislative changes will achieve several key policy objectives, including:
- Adjustments to port governance and financial management to provide ports with the tools to unlock greater performance, efficiency, and productivity in order to be effective instruments of public policy.
- Ports ensure their continued competitiveness and are positioned as strategic enablers of trade and traffic given their central role as intermodal hubs that support supply chain performance and economic growth.
- Strengthen relationships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities through structured engagement to foster alignment of port development and operations, and advance reconciliation
- Ports assume a leadership role in advancing the greening of the marine sector by promoting environmentally sustainable infrastructure and taking action on climate change.
- Port safety and security further protects the transportation system from threats while ensuring that goods move efficiently through the supply chain.
“Thanks to the feedback gathered from ports, industry stakeholders, provinces, territories, and municipalities, as well as local and Indigenous communities through the Ports Modernization Review, we can now move forward to strengthen our marine supply chain and help Canadians with the rising cost of living. We plan to advance our current port system to be even more adaptable and agile, helping to build a more resilient, reliable supply chain system for both Canadians and our economy,” said Omar Alghabra , Minister of Transport.
The proposed amendments will support the development of a new investment policy for Canada’s ports and port infrastructure to attract investment capital that is critical to the national transportation supply chain for decades to come.
The Government of Canada intends to update its approach to considering infrastructure investments of Canadian and international entities to ensure our ports continue to serve Canadians well into the future by remaining competitive and aligned with our economic prosperity and security.
Transport Canada will lead an examination of the complementarity of Canada Port Authorities with a view to supporting greater productivity of these key federal assets.
Featured image: (HOPA Ports)


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HTC keeps silent on Google's rumored acquisition plan
Taipei, Sept. 20 (CNA) HTC remained mum on Wednesday as rumors that Google will acquire its smartphone business continued to make headlines.
The Commercial Times, where the rumors originated, speculated that day that HTC is setting up the public space on the second floor of its headquarters to prepare for a meeting with all staff members or an announcement of a major strategic reform.
While HTC has refused to comment on speculation that the major change is Google's acquisition of its smartphone business, the acquisition rumors have since spread to international media outlets such as Business Insider.
According to the report, the two companies are in the final stages of acquisition talks, with a deal expected to take place at the end of this year.
EPA promotes new app that helps people find public drinking fountains08/12/2020 10:51 PM
Cultural vouchers focus on senior citizens, minors and the disabled08/12/2020 10:28 PM
KMT lawmaker's top aide detained in bribery case08/12/2020 10:24 PM
Education ministry unveils audio picture books on indigenous culture08/12/2020 09:49 PM
Taiwan's CTBC Ladies Open golf tournament to begin Thursday08/12/2020 09:32 PM


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The dimly lit ambience of The Ritz restaurant in Newport Beach turned Christmas into a fancy affair for the Women of Chapman's 27th annual Christmas at the Ritz party, the last one at the Newport Beach location before the space is turned into something new. It was a bittersweet change for many, including event chairwoman Karly Brown.
“I was here the very first time it opened,” Brown said.
Trendy Christmas songs – quite different from the traditional tunes heard at holiday parties – were the backdrop as attendees mingled in the intimate space, while carolers greeted guests at the door as they entered on the red carpet.
The cocktail hour before lunch proved to be the perfect time for old friends to catch up and mingle; some exchanged gifts. The event was a cozy affair – a perfect juxtaposition to the rainy weather outside.
The honorees of the afternoon were James and Catherine Emmi, longtime supporters of Chapman and its community, who donated more than $10 million to the university this holiday season. The money will go to Chapman University's Center for Science and Technology Campaign.
Chapman President Jim Doti spoke fondly about James Emmi, cracking jokes during his introduction.
“Anyone who is 97 and not only still sails but drives a Ferrari is my hero,” Doti said.
The luncheon wouldn't have been complete without some holiday fashion. Neiman Marcus' holiday resort collections and
a line of Eclat jewelry were
modeled by women from LA Models.
- DANIELLE EVANS, FOR THE REGISTER
- Who wanted John Donnelly dead? Seal Beach man's death in arson fire is a mystery
- 'I was surprised,' O.C. jail official says as 78 pages of undisclosed notes turn up in do
- Man convicted in Tustin gang murder
- Orange County’s mini Grand Canyon: New deck offers spectacular view of Limestone Ca
- Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf selling Corona del Mar house for $7.1 million after ditching


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just the round-up - The week in drinks
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:
Diageo has followed its formation of a joint venture in Japan with a realignment of its distribution in the country.
Pernod Ricard has said that it is considering making around 20 redundancies at its UK unit.
Bacardi director changes
Bacardi has elected two directorial changes on its board.
Foster's on the turn?
Merrill Lynch analyst David Errington has upgraded his assessment of Foster's Group to "buy" for the first time in four years.
Sunkist US promotion
Sunkist Growers has added a twist to its annual Sunkist Take a Stand programme by encouraging kids in the US to raise money for charity by creating their own lemonade stand.
Diageo job cut row rumbles on
Scotland's government will hold talks with trade unions, councillors and politicians from opposition parties to discuss ways of persuading Diageo not to cut more than 10% of its whisky workforce in the country.
Rosier future for Beam Global?
Beam Global Spirits & Wine has had a positive start to 2009 in its domestic market, with pressure from destocking easing off, the group's US president has told just-drinks.
Molson Coors and minimum pricing in UK
Molson Coors is in favour of setting minimum prices on alcoholic drinks as a way of cutting excess consumption, the company's UK marketing director has told Parliament's Health Select Committee.
Pernod, Absolut in lawsuit row
Pernod Ricard has dismissed a lawsuit in the US claiming it stole the concept for a cocktail-making competition from a charity organisation.
Anadolu Efes to buy up subsidiary
Anadolu Efes has said it plans to buy out all shares that it does not already own in Efes Breweries International for around US$140m in cash.
Pernod Ricard has reported a 3% drop in like-for-like sales for its fiscal half-year....
Diageo's growth model remains intact and the drinks giant is set for steady growth in 2010, according to one analyst....
Mergers and acquisitions on the UK food and drink sector are set to pick up in 2010 after a collapse in deals in 2009, sector analyst Grant Thornton LLP has predicted....
- Is Brown-Forman doing a Jack Daniel's in Ireland?
- Is Brown-Forman at the end of the SoCo road?
- Is time right for TWE to move for Diageo's wines?
- Are we kidding ourselves over craft spirits?
- Will a sexed-up SABMiller tempt AB InBev?
- Diageo secures Xerox Corp CFO as finance head
- Tesco pulls several Carlsberg SKUs in UK
- Diageo, Treasury Wine Estates quiet on wine sale
- Former Pernod Ricard exec joins Wakefield Wines
- Inver House Distillers posts FY profits leap
- The IWSR Duty Free/Travel Retail Summary Report 2015
- Future growth opportunities for global spirits
- Global gin insights - market data, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global non-Scotch whiskies insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Global Scotch whisky insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research


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USITC judge sets date for final ruling.
In October 2012, the International Trade Commission (ITC) said Apple infringed on four Samsung patents in several smartphones, but that decision is being reviewed following petitions by both companies.
Administrative Law Judge Thomas B. Pender entered a scheduling order setting Aug 1, as a target final decision date, according to Florian Mueller’s Foss Patents blog.
The case was filed by Apple with the ITC in July 2011, and is separate from the case filed by Samsung against Apple in August 2011. The South Korean consumer electronics giant initially alleged that Apple infringed 5 patents in its products, but has since withdrawn one.
The ITC has the power to impose an import ban on products. It is unknown what affect an ITC final ruling imposing a ban on infringing Samsung products would have, given that Samsung has already made modifications based on the ITC, and other, findings.


text: Backyard breeders beware, there are some new regulations aimed to make sure consumers and animals are protected."I think realistically people who got a puppy and wanted to breed it eventually are going to maybe think twice," said dog breeder and County Animal Control Commissioner Janice Anderson.That's because starting Feb. 12, County Animal Control will be enforcing some much stiffer regulations to crackdown on backyard breeding and irresponsible pet owners.According to the new ordinance, only one litter will be allowed per household per year versus the current ordinance of one litter per dog per year. If more than one litter is bred the owner must get a commercial animal facility permit because it will be considered a business.If advertising the sale of puppies or kittens, the license number of the breeding dog or cat must be printed in the ad. "Well, the purpose of that is, number one, we know people who license their animals are more responsible. It also allows person buying the animal to know maybe this guy is legitimate," said County Animal Control Official Guy Shaw.A printed license number can give buyers a chance to do a background check on the owner and animal and have the seller investigated is the puppies or kittens are in poor health."The whole point of breeding is to promote and preserve the best qualities of any breed and that's what we need to get back to," said Anderson.Also the seller must submit the name, address, and phone number of buyers to animal control within five days of sale.In 2009 County Animal Control took in more than 32,000 animals--up 11 percent from 2008. Shaw hopes the regulations will result in less strays, more space in their shelter and less euthanasia.He said, "We are going to be watching and enforcing we are going to be going through papers taking phone numbers down so people need to be aware."


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2016 Mitsubishi ASX - latest details
The second-generation Mitsubishi ASX is due to go on sale next year...
The second-generation Mitsubishi ASX will arrive in 2016.
What is it?
The ASX is Mitsubishi’s Nissan Qashqai-rival. It’s an important model for Mitsubishi because it aims to become the market leader when it comes to plug-in hybrid technology.
What engines does the ASX get?
Engines are yet to be confirmed but we expect there to be plug-in hybrid version which will arrive later in 2016 or early in 2017.
How much will the ASX cost?
It’s too early to say, but it is likely to stay close to the current model’s £15,000 starting price.
How good are its rivals?
The small SUV class is very competitive so the ASX has got its work cut out. The Nissan Qashqai is the current class-leader and will prove tough to beat. However, plug-in hybrid technology will set it apart from the rest of the class.


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"The majority of [the comments] are negative," Lyle Dennis, a New Jersey neurologist who runs the blog GM-Volt.com, said last week, before Tuesday's unveiling. "A lot of people are saying they're very disappointed and 'take me off the [waiting] list.' "
Since the car's official unveiling, and the release of new photos, opinions have been shifting to the positive, Dr. Dennis said later.
GM regularly uses the Volt concept car, introduced at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, in its advertising, identifying it as "future product."
That concept car's angular face wasn't aerodynamically efficient enough to make it to the final version as GM engineers and designers tried to extract every extra foot of "all electric" range from the car, GM designers have said.
Even though the car doesn't need very much cooling air, since the gas engine will only be used occasionally, the car maintains the appearance of a front grill. It is mostly closed, though.
The grill was important to maintain the car's design relationship to other Chevrolet products.
"This is in line with Chevrolet," Welburn said. "Maybe more modern than the others. That link is a very important link."
NEXT: Technology inside


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It’s that time of the year again! No, not Christmas, but it might as well be, as the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA) has opened up registration for the CheeseExpo Global Online 2021. And on top of that, the association’s Board of Directors has named nine individuals to be recognized at the event for their outstanding work in the dairy processing industry.
“CheeseExpo Global Online 2021 is a can’t-miss event, offering the same high-quality educational programming, industry recognition, and expansive show floor you’ve come to expect, but in a virtual format,” said Executive Director John Umhoefer.
WCMA has partnered with the Center for Dairy Research to develop the event, which features leading industry experts addressing key topics, according to a press release. With seminars in dairy policy and pricing, cheese quality, COVID, workforce solutions, and marketing, the expo caters to growing businesses in the cheese category.
“There’s something for everyone at CheeseExpo Global Online, from the CEO to the packaging supervisor,” said Events Director Judy Keller. “Make plans now to join us, and–with no travel or accommodations to arrange–consider inviting a broad cross-section of your valued staff.”
As members enjoy the event, they will also see dairy leaders honored for their dedication to the industry.
Mark Schleitwiler will receive the association’s highest honor: the WCMA Life Member Award, of which Schleitwiler will be the 90th recipient. The award recognizes people who have played a significant role in the success of WCMA through leadership, support, and service to the institution and its activities.
Schleitwiler now serves as an industry consultant, most recently having worked as Director for Wohlt Cheese, which is a division of Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery. Throughout his career in the industry, he has worked at BelGioioso Cheese, where he began as Operations Manager, eventually working his way up to Vice President of Operations, Vice President of Finance, and then Vice President of External Relations.
Schleitwiler is a longtime and active member of WCMA, having served several terms on WCMA’s Board of Directors, including as President from 2010–2012 and as Treasurer from 2009–10. He also participates in WCMA’s Technology and Policy Committees and continues to support WCMA outreach efforts.
The press release went on to note that John Jeter and Don Menzner will be recognized as the 2021 WCMA Cheese Industry Champions, awards that are given to industry leaders who have created tremendous opportunity for others in the industry.
John Jeter served as CEO of Hilmar Cheese Company for 31 years. He has grown Hilmar Cheese Company exponentially, focusing on research, technology, and staff excellence. Before his retirement in 2015, Jeter completed construction of a second production plant in Texas, and established Hilmar Cheese as a major dairy exporter.
Don Menzner joined Marathon Cheese Corporation in 1960 as a packaging line worker, later advancing to the position of Director of Purchasing. By the early 1980s, Menzner became Vice President of Operations. In 1990, he was named President, and in 1996 accepted the position of CEO. He also served as a Board Member for the National Cheese Institute and National Cheese Exchange. Before his retirement from Marathon Cheese Corporation in 2001, Menzner received the National Cheese Institute Laureate Award. Menzner is credited with innovative cheese shredding and packaging methods that transformed the way cheese was sold throughout the country.
Craig Linz and Jerry Lippert have been selected for the WCMA Distinguished Service Award, which is reserved for respected and highly valued supplier partners to the cheese manufacturing industry.
Prior to his passing in July 2020, Craig Linz was known and respected across the dairy industry for his service and integrity. Linz served the industry in numerous roles, while rising through the ranks at Tetra Pak, and its predecessors Carlisle Process Systems and Scherping Systems. Linz served four years as a member on the WCMA Board of Directors, and was active in the WCMA Recognition and Contest Committees. Linz earned the Eggebrecht Award in 2020 for his service to WCMA’s Championship Cheese Contests.
Jerry Lippert started his 17-year career in paper distribution with roles including sales and purchasing and general management with Great Northern Nekoosa Corporation and Georgia Pacific. Since 1992, Lippert has held several important roles with Nelson-Jameson before becoming President in 2002. Lippert continues to focus on growing Nelson-Jameson, and mentoring the next generation of leadership. He is an active member of the WCMA Recognition Committee.
Dr. Bob Cropp and Marianne Smukowski will receive the WCMA Babcock Award, which recognizes the contributions of those in education or affiliate organizations partnering with cheesemakers in the pursuit of dairy industry innovation and excellence.
Dr. Cropp is a Professor Emeritus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Prior to retirement, he was the Dairy Marketing and Policy Extension Specialist and Director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, and has been with the University of Wisconsin System since August 1966.
Smukowski worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Land O’Lakes before creating her own unique position at the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was Dairy Safety and Quality Coordinator. She is also the technical adviser for the Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker program, and the 2019-20 President of the American Cheese Society. Smukowski has also served as a judge for the WCMA World and U.S. Championship Cheese Contests.
Steve Buholzer and Ray Palubicki will receive the WCMA Vanguard Award is intended to recognize cheesemakers or cheese manufacturing employees whose work helped to blaze new trails in dairy operations.
Third-generation cheesemaker Steve Buholzer grew up at Klondike Cheese Company. Along with his brothers Ron and Dave, Buholzer took over the family business in 1972. Buholzer is a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, with certifications in feta and muenster. He is credited with bringing Klondike Cheese Company to new levels with state-of-the-art equipment, specially crafted recipes and by honoring the great traditions of cheesemaking.
Ray Palubicki started working in the cheese industry as a teenager in 1950. Less than a decade later, he became the head cheesemaker at the Outagamie Producers Cooperative. Palubicki served as Production Manager from 1967–1990, and as Plant Manager until his retirement in 1999. In addition to creating several award-winning cheese recipes, Palubicki led his plant through an acquisition by Alto Dairy, and transitioned it to fully automated cheddar cheese production, the first facility of its kind in the Midwest.
The CheeseExpo Global Online is currently offering $100 off its registration rates, for a limited time only. Dairy manufacturers and processors may access the event for free.
For more updates on the biggest events in the industry, keep a tab open for Deli Market News.


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Nintendo is considering pulling UK television advertising for its popular Wii console in the run up to Christmas because it is battling to meet demand.
The physical element of Wii gaming has helped make it popular
It said that holding back adverts until 2008 would be a "responsible" move.
It now expects to have sold 17.5 million of the consoles worldwide in the year to March 2008 - up from the 14 million it had earlier forecast.
Nintendo is likely to use its advertising slots to promote its handheld DS console, analysts say.
Globally, the firm is able to make about 1.8 million of the Wii consoles every month.
But it said that the demand had been "unprecedented and higher than Nintendo could ever have anticipated".
"We are doing everything possible to supply continued levels of stock and meet demand as quickly as possible," the spokesman added.
"As we are keen to act responsibly we are potentially looking at moving some advertising on some products into early 2008."
It is understood that because the television commercials do not have a festive flavour, they will be able to be used next year.
Demand for the Wii could mean disappointment for those putting it at the top of their Christmas list.
High Street retailers are struggling to keep up with demand and websites have been set up to help shoppers find out when stock becomes available.
Last month Sony said that it was taking advantage of Nintendo Wii shortages and a recent price cut of its PlayStation 3 console to double weekly sales of the PlayStation in the US.


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The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. Or is there? iPhone 8 is to be launched in the fall of this year. And as Apple lovers excitedly await the launch, they pacify their curiosity with renders of the phone.
Apple’s special event, the Worldwide Developers Conference is over. This conference showcased all the happening news at Apple. iOS 11 Beta 1, macOS 10.13 High Sierra, watch OS 4, HomePod, a 10.5 inch iPad and so much more were part of the unveiling. The WWDC has ended but has left us speculating about the various announcements made. The most exciting part is the new set of renders generated displaying the phone running on the iOS 11.
The updated renders reveal that Apple has discarded the bezel around the display leaving the iPhone 8 with a stunningly clean front visual. There had been rumors that even the camera and microphone will be embedded beneath the glass. However, the latest renders dispel such rumors. iPhone 8 is shown to have a cut-out at the top of the screen for the camera and mic.
Touch ID is still to be part of the new iPhone 8. It is how it is to be integrated into the phone that has caused some debate. The latest update on the matter is that the Touch ID will be integrated into the latest OLED panel. This would further highlight the clean seamless look giving an almost invisible biometric experience.
There are speculations adrift about Apple making use of laser and infrared sensors. Combined with the upgraded 3D iSight Camera system the sensors will give us facial recognition and iris detection.
It is also rumored that the iPhone 8 comes with a wireless charging device in the form of a pad. The launch of Apple’s ARKit in the iOS 11 SDK and the iPhone 8 having vertically aligned dual-lens all ascertains the fact that there is going to be augmented reality capabilities.
We don’t know what the end result of the iPhone 8 is going to be like. We don’t know how much of these renders are based on fact and how much on mere supposition. But it does dispel some boredom. It tweaks our imagination to create these amazing renders showing us iPhone 8 running on the iOS 11.


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A friend of mine posted that during these times the marijuana industry has done more to keep people safe, inside their homes than our leaders have. Without opining on the intelligence of our leaders or their decisions, it is clear that she is at least partly right. The cannabis industry is playing a large role in people’s decisions to remain inside. Many people have reported using cannabis to get through the long days, and that it is the only thing keeping them cooped up inside. The days of “Netflix and Chill” are truly upon us.
The numbers also confirm this notion. Dispensaries from Alaska to Colorado have reported lines around the block, similar to those seen at supermarkets and drugstores around the country. Some are seeing a spike in sales of 33%, while others are reporting a 159% jump from the same time last year. One San Francisco dispensary reported having the biggest day of business since recreational sales began there in January of 2018.
Most noteworthy, however, has been the official treatment of dispensaries in this time when nonessential businesses are being forced to close across the country. One state after another is announcing that cannabis businesses are to remain operational. Nevada and Colorado both issued advisories to dispensaries on how to observe social distancing. New York encouraged businesses to allow patients to schedule appointments in an effort to limit overcrowding. Illinois also exempted dispensaries from the list of non-essential businesses that must cease operations. In San Francisco, the city initially didn’t list cannabis businesses as essential, and its health department asked dispensaries to shut down. However, after an outcry from the community and patients across the city, they reversed course and allowed cannabis businesses to remain open. Ultimately California announced that cannabis business was deemed “essential”, allowing them to remain open statewide.
Because not all states have made similar moves, the Marijuana Policy Project, a cannabis legalization organization, penned a letter to all governors urging them to declare medical cannabis businesses “essential” and ensure that they remain open during this crisis. The letter is signed onto by several reputable organizations and can be found in its entirety here:
Think about what all of this means. States are not only declaring dispensaries to be essential businesses, but they are putting out guidelines as to how to expand remote services, maintain good business practices, and safely deliver cannabis to the consumer. Just a few years ago, this would have been unimaginable. The notion of deeming a dispensary to be an “essential business” would have seemed laughable from a governmental perspective. The thought of advising them on how to remain operational in a time of crisis seems even less likely.
In this time when everything seems chaotic, it is important that we take time to reflect on the good in our lives. It is important to remember the blessings we have and to appreciate the times we are living in. The cannabis industry remains young, but it seems to have established itself as a legitimate industry in the minds of our leaders. This is something that should not be taken for granted. I encourage all to take a moment to think about this and appreciate how far we’ve come.
Year 2019 was an up and down year for the cannabis industry. As the year comes to a close, let us take some time to reflect on what transpired during this transitional period for the cannabis industry. Hopefully, a detailed look at what happened may shed some light on what is ahead in 2020.
First, public opinion on cannabis has continued to rise. For the first time, poll results suggested that more than two-thirds of Americans support legalization. Such a pervasive, bipartisan, agreement for a fundamental change in the law is rare, and is a true reflection of the state of the industry now, and where the industry is headed.
Riding along with public opinion, Congress saw more movement towards full legalization than in any single year prior. The list of cannabis-related bills that were introduced in Congress this year tops 15, covering topics from banking to immigration. Most noteworthy among those bills are the MORE Act, a comprehensive legalization bill that passed its committee in the House, and the SAFE Banking Act, which passed the full House by a landmark 321-102 bipartisan vote. At the same time that these provide an optimistic outlook for the federal regime, no actual progress has been made in Congress, largely because the Republican-led Senate remains staunchly opposed to reform (google “Mitch marijuana machete” for an idea of Mitch McConnell’s recent activities relating to drug policy reform).
The executive branch has not been without movement either. President Trump does not have the traditional hard-lined anti-cannabis stance that some Republican leaders espouse. He campaigned on a platform of not interfering with states’ ability to manage their own medical and adult-use programs. He has publicly stated his support for the States’ Act, a bill that would essentially codify the same, leaving enforcement up to the states. Under Trump, the FinCEN continued its policy of allowing banks to do business with the cannabis industry, assuming that the Suspicious Activity Report (“SAR”) requirements were being followed. There are also no known examples of DEA or other federal law enforcement actions taken against operators lawfully operating under state law.
At the same time, the executive branch has made moves against the legalization movement. In 2018, then-AG Sessions rescinded the Cole Memorandum, signaling that the feds were looking into increasing enforcement against cannabis businesses (Thankfully Sessions is no longer a part of the administration, as his views are notoriously more anti-legalization than Trump’s). Just last week, as Trump signed the yearly spending bill into law, he attached a vague statement reserving the right to enforce federal law even in the face of full state-law compliance. Overall the federal government has progressed, albeit slowly, in the right direction.
Many states had significant progress towards legalization in 2019. Illinois became the 11th state to fully legalize adult-use, while Hawaii, New Mexico, and North Dakota decriminalized. We now stand with 33 states having passed a robust medical program, a full two-thirds of the union. Bills were proposed in more than two dozen states, some to expand existing frameworks, and others to create new ones. Just this week Alabama’s legislature’s commission recommended legalizing for medical purposes, a stark shift from the traditional views thought to be widely-held in the deep south. Overall the trend is clearly moving towards more states joining the legalization team, some quicker than others.
Though 2018 set a high bar for the hemp/CBD industry in terms of significant reform, Year 2019 arguably topped the significant progress of the 2018 Farm bill. In October, the USDA published its interim final rule, providing much-needed guidance to the hemp community. It created a federal framework for hemp farmers, creating registration, licensing, and testing requirements. It also allowed states to create their own systems, and many of the largest states for hemp farming are doing just that. FinCEN, the same treasury bureau that regulates banking for marijuana businesses, announced in December that banks may do business with the hemp industry without having to adhere to the SAR reporting requirements like those doing business with marijuana.
At the same time, the hemp/CBD industry skyrocketed in 2019. We saw an explosion of CBD products, and the industry is now estimated to be worth $4 billion. Tinctures, edibles, lotions, balms, you name it, someone has put CBD in it and made money this year. There remains so much uncertainty about the legalities of the market, and many have taken advantage of this “Wild West” atmosphere to quickly seize market shares, without guaranteed continuity once enforcement occurs. Year 2019 was not without foreshadowing of enforcement, however. In November, the FDA sent out warning labels to several companies that were selling CBD products. The letters go into detail regarding the various items being sold and analyzed how each company was violating various laws. Although the FDA hasn’t actually seized anyone’s assets or froze any bank accounts, they are clearly watching and thinking about doing it.
A really interesting piece of news swept the nation this year. At the beginning of November, the NYPD posted a picture of two officers posing with “106 pounds of marijuana that was destined for our city streets”, bragging about its success. Only one problem… it was all legal hemp, with certifying papers and all. The NYPD quickly dropped all the charges, and recently returned the hemp to the owner. This incident also highlights a significant issue with the hemp industry, in that it comes from and has all the outward appearance of marijuana, leading to confusion and enforcement problems. Until law enforcement agencies are properly trained, this type of incident is likely to repeat itself.
Year 2019 also took its toll on many cannabis companies. Large companies like Eaze and MedMen had to lay off many employees, as the actual returns were less than what their projections anticipated. Many stocks took big hits in 2019, for the same reasons. The projections for the industry have been huge, and are likely accurate, but are also likely skewed because of the nature of the industry. There is still a large “traditional” market in existence, which continues to dwarf the legal one. While some have come out of the shadows, progress remains slow because of the monumental taxes, regulations, and difficulties associated with being a fully-legal operating cannabis company.
WHAT ABOUT 2020?
The year 2020 is upon us. The cannabis industry is not going anywhere. It will continue to grow and mature as the year goes on. We aren’t going to see any reversal of the general trend towards legalization. At the federal level, I don’t believe that 2020 will see a single cannabis bill passed and enacted into law, and certainly nothing like full legalization. The country is not ready for it yet, as many of the industry leaders remain staunchly opposed for two reasons. First, there remains distrust and skepticism that is leftover from the reefer madness days. Many politicians still feel that marijuana is a gateway drug to other substances, and until they are convinced otherwise will stay opposed. Second, and more sinister perhaps, legalization denotes trouble for industries like alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceuticals, all of whom stand to lose significant market shares once cannabis replaces these vices as people’s substance of choice. Lobbyists for these industries continue to work tirelessly to oppose legalization, and members of Congress are still forced to follow. Until these issues change, we must wait for full legalization.
At the state level, change will happen, and rapidly. Already several states seem poised to have recreational programs on the ballot, in states where it is almost certain to pass. These include New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Minnesota, Vermont, and Pennsylvania, all of whom will pass legalization by years end. More states will join the medical bandwagon, leaving perhaps one or two states with absolutely no cannabis legalization framework.
Public opinion will continue to positively increase and have more of an impact on the industry. If in 2019 we finally hit 66%, I predict that Year 2020 will have us hit 75%. As the younger generation grows up, and as the older one retires and fades away, the numbers will continue to rise. At the same time, science continues to develop, as new studies are coming out nearly every week showing another beneficial use of the cannabis plant. At the same time, organizations like CED Foundation and The IJCA continue to run awareness campaigns and spread the word, adding to the number of people who are exposed to ideas and understanding of the plant’s many uses. More studies and more awareness, reaching even more people, means more backing for legalization.
Hemp is poised for a huge gain in 2020. With the federal regulations in place, the industry now has definitive guidance on the government’s position. While CBD as medicine remains a tricky subject, certainly hemp’s use as a tobacco alternative, a plastic alternative, textiles, fabric, and other industry uses will skyrocket. I also believe that 2020 will see the FDA, DEA and USDA will work out some of the kinks with using CBD as an active ingredient, providing helpful guidance to an industry running around like a headless chicken. Once that occurs, again, the industry will expand rapidly, as more certainty from the government will allow more companies to enter the market.
Lastly, I think 2019 brought some valuable lessons to the industry. The way the projections did not turn into reality, and the hits that many businesses had to take, give us some really important lessons. Caution is urged when investing in an industry plagued by burdensome regulations and strong financial incentives not to join the legal market. The “traditional” market remains the elephant in the room. The likelihood of real enforcement crackdown is low, because of limited resources, sheer numbers, and the probability that any enforcement would result in really bad press. Because investors have now been warned, the industry’s growth will slow. We will continue to see startups join the market, but perhaps on a smaller scale.
I hope that this discrepancy between projections and sales will also be a lesson for our legislatures. They need to come up with solutions that create subsidies for those coming out of the shadows so that states can see the actual revenues they hoped for. They may have to accept several billion in illegal sales as water under the bridge. They may have to lower tax rates to incentivize people to legitimize their operations. They may have to lessen the licensing requirements, making it easier and cheaper for those interested in joining to actually do so. The specific decisions are theirs to make, but they need to get creative about solving this problem.
Overall 2019 was a successful year for the industry. Even the downsizing and financial hits taken will prove to be valuable in the long run. Just like getting out of bed too fast can result in injury, an industry that expands too rapidly can result in harmful consequences.
Benjamin Caplan, MDWHAT 2019 HAS TAUGHT US ABOUT WHAT 2020 WILL LOOK LIKE: PROCEED WITH CAUTION
Starting with the 2014 Farm Bill, and continuing with the 2018 Farm Bill, we have seen a dramatic shift in the landscape governing hemp. Prior to 5 years ago, hemp production was entirely illegal, as the Federal government handled industrial hemp the same as it handled high-THC marijuana. It was an established Schedule 1 controlled substance, entirely illegal to grow, harvest, or possess.
As awareness has grown, and the true benefits of the hemp plant have become more widely understood, the federal government has passed legislation to decriminalize hemp. However, although it is no longer considered a controlled substance, the questions about the process and regulatory requirements abound. This is because all plants grown in the United States are highly regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture, or the USDA, which has a complex framework of licensing, reporting, and general requirements for every specific product grown in the country.
Last week, the USDA published the draft of its regulations
for the hemp industry. Since the 2018 farm bill, we have been living in the
“wild west” for hemp. As promised, the USDA released its rules in time for
farmers to get legal and licensed for the 2020 season. However, this
long-awaited release has been met with mixed results.
Many lawmakers and industry leaders are happy that the
federal government has finally put out regulations for hemp. First, they see
this as a dramatic shift from the era of prohibition, alone a cause for
celebration. Others see the certainty that we are going to have regulations put in place means that the industry will start to
grow and develop at a much faster pace. It is certainly true that the future is extremely
bright for hemp. But other farmers and individuals have expressed concerns with
some of the regulation’s details.
The “0.3% THC” limit, which delineates the difference
between legal “hemp” and illegal “marijuana”, may be too stringent for some
growers. They report that a mature hemp plant will have a THC content that will
vary from day to day, including some spikes over the 0.3% limit. The new
regulations require strict testing to be done prior to harvest, and if the
resulting THC content is too high, the entire crop must be destroyed. This may
cause farmers to harvest before true maturity, leading to a decrease in the
potency or effectiveness of the CBD derived from such a harvest.
The regulations also allow the states to develop their own plans
and submit them for approval. Some are concerned that some states may try to
infringe on the interstate commerce occurring there, which could cause all
kinds of problems and complications for the industry. Still others are worried that
the method for disposing of “hot crops” requires just a little too much DEA
involvement, which could also cause disruption or have a chilling effect on
It is clear that these regulations are a good step in the right direction. It’s also clear that this is just the beginning, and there is still plenty of room for improvement. The USDA announced a 60-day window for submitting public comments, and then they will consider any suggestions, and then publish a final rule in the future. I encourage you to read the regulations or a summary of them. I encourage you to think about how you would be affected by these rules, and what suggestions you may have. Speak to an expert about how you can do your part to improve the landscape of the industry for the future.
Last week, the Tax Court continued the line of cases denying tax deductions under Internal Revenue Code §280E. That section says that any business which is “trafficking in controlled substances” cannot receive many of the traditional deductions that a business may take. Otherwise put, this means that a company must pay taxes on all of its incoming revenue before it subtracts most of its expenses.
This law can be a severe punishment for a cannabis company
that may be operating entirely legally under state law. Unfortunately, the
federal government still considers them to be “drug-dealers” and holds this
punitive tax measure over their heads.
The case before the tax court involved a dispensary that filed taxes and took deductions for its business expenses. The IRS sent them a bill of $1.26 million, plus another 250K in fines. The company filed suit, asking the court to declare that it did not have to pay those bills.
A divided court rejected the company’s three arguments. In addition to the majority opinion, there were two concurring opinions and two dissenting opinions. Of particular interest is the Gustafson dissent, which opens up a new avenue for declaring §280E to be a Constitutional violation. Essentially, Gustafson argues, that the 16th Amendment allows Congress to tax income. Income is defined as “gain”, or net profits, minus costs, to get those profits. So for Congress to then disallow normal business expenses, it means that they are taxing more than actual income, which violates the 16th Amendment.
This argument was only agreed to by one other Judge on the
tax court, which ultimately ruled against the dispensary. However, in the
future, as the public opinion shifts, the policies behind these prohibitive
rules may fall away, and we may not be far away from a court coming to the
opposite conclusion. Legal Cannabis companies are working tirelessly to follow
the law, and they should be rewarded for doing so. Continuing the regime of
these prohibitive financial policies constitutes a “subsidy for the black market.”
The way to solve this problem is to shift the financial incentives in favor of
operating under a legal framework, and avoiding this severe tax problem is the
best way forward.
To explore related information, click the keywords below:
Benjamin Caplan, MDUS Tax Court denies deduction request under §280E, but leaves the door open for future challenges


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Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday inaugurated Bangladesh Post Office’s digital financial service, ‘Nagad’, to meet the growing demand of mobile banking among people, reports UNB.
At her official residence Ganobhaban in the afternoon, she also released a commemorative postage stamp of Tk 10, a first-day cover of Tk 10 and a data card of Tk 5, marking the 49th Independence and National Day.A special canceller was used on the occasion.
The stamp, first-day cover and data card are being sold from the Philatelic Bureau of Dhaka GPO from Tuesday and those will be available at other GPOs and head post offices across the country later.
There is also an arrangement for special canceller in four GPOs to be used for the first-day cover.
The Bangladesh Post Office has introduced ‘Nagad’ to reach the digital financial services to common people, particularly those deprived of the banking services.
The ‘Nagad’ service is the new version of the previously introduced ‘Postal Cash Card’ and ‘Electronic Money Transfer System (EMTS)’ of Bangladesh Post Office.
The new service is an extended digital financial service and it will be able to provide faster services through various digital channels and digital systems like digital apps, mobile phones, ATM, POS Terminals, NFC-enabled devices, electronically enabled cards, biometric devices and tablets.


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TORONTO — Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada has teamed up with Canadian-owned and operated restaurant chain Quesada Burritos & Tacos to raise funds for a unique program promoting physical activity and learning by encouraging young people to explore their community on foot.
A national fundraising event, Walk This Way Day will take place across Canada on Oct. 18 at more than 60 Quesada locations, with $1 from every burrito sold going to support the national expansion of Walk this Way.
“We are excited to bring this active-living program to clubs across the country,” says Owen Charters, president & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. “Thanks to the support of Quesada, we will now be able to ensure that even more young people get to know their cities while learning the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.”
In addition to purchasing a burrito, customers will also have the opportunity to make additional donations.
“We’re thrilled and honoured to support Boys and Girls Clubs and we feel Quesada customers will be equally as enthusiastic about supporting healthy, happy lifestyles among Canadian youth,” says Steve Gill, founder and CEO, Quesada Burritos & Tacos.
Follow the conversation on social media with #WalkThisWayDay.


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Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, sold 418,622 units in April 2022.
The company reported a double-digit growth of 12.4% over the corresponding month of the previous year (April 2021), when the company had sold 372,285 units.
With the economy gradually opening up and continued government policy support, April volumes indicate the continuously improving consumer sentiments.
Earlier this month, Hero MotoCorp partnered with Directorate of Indian Army Veterans and handed over Hero Destini 125 scooters to the soldiers who were disabled while in service. These retro-fitted Hero Destini 125 scooters are supported by two auxiliary wheels in the rear – which have been customised to provide a safe and convenient riding experience. The company has already handed over more than 100 such retro-fitted Destini scooters to the soldiers in various states across the country.
In the month of April, Hero MotoCorp collaborated with the Automotive Skill Development Council (ASDC) for “Project Jeevika”, to upskill and train two-wheeler market technicians across the country on BS-VI Technology. The company has already trained more than 6000 technicians through TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) ecosystem.
In keeping with its unwavering commitment towards the preservation of biological diversity under the Project Hero Green Drive, the company handed over 250 Hero Glamour Motorcycles to the Haryana Forest department and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning (CAMPA) authority to commemorate World Earth Day, this year.
Hero MotoCorp was honored with Self Certification Status for Indian Army Supplies by DGQA – Director General Quality Assurance, Ministry of Defence for its best quality procedures, process and products in the automobile industry.
You can add more to this story by commenting below.


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Think of everything that can be gleaned from your driving habits. The type of job you have, the schools your kids go to, how often you exercise, or eat out, are you an aggressive driver, or a docile one, do you listen to news radio or pop music; it’s a seemingly endless list. Now imagine that this information can be bound to your real identity using government databases.
This is what is happening in China, according to a Mercedes-Benz executive.
Speaking at The Future of Mobility Summit last week, Claus Ehlers, a director of strategy at the automaker, told a standing room only crowd that he was approached by a company in China offering to provide consumer behavior profiles of all of the drivers of Mercedes-Benz cars in China. The company was combining driving data with government data it also had access to, according to Ehlers.
Ehlers didn’t say specifically what the government data entailed, but the company was seemingly offering robust consumer profiles. Those could be valuable to automakers in a number of ways. It could be used to market a new car to a potential buyer just at the time when she is most likely to buy, or give insight into how much a certain customer is willing to spend on a vehicle. A driver with a penchant for fast driving might be targeted with a vehicle with a more powerful engine.
The Chinese firm—which Ehlers did not name—also offered to provide perhaps even more valuable data to the automaker: a list of Chinese drivers who had the same customer profile and driving habits as current Benz drivers, but owned other car brands. He said Mercedes declined the offer of the unnamed Chinese company, citing privacy concerns.
Ehlers was speaking Feb. 2, on a panel at The Future of Mobility Summit in Palo Alto, Calif., an event hosted by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Like mobile phones, cars can collect massive amounts of data. On top of diagnostic and basic driving information, some recently released cars can track a driver’s eye movements, the weight of people in the front seats, and how often a driver’s hands are on the wheel, according to the New York Times (paywall). Increasingly, cars are able to transmit this information back to automakers through cell and wifi connectivity.
Some of it is straightforwardly for the driver’s benefit. A mechanic could know what’s in need of repair even before a vehicle ends up in the shop. A automaker can see how the climate in different locales is affecting car performance.
Other information could be used to track drivers in uncomfortable ways, like using driving habits to target advertising to certain consumers or aiding law enforcement by sharing a list of cars known to habitually drive above the speed limit.


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Can Electrical Charges Really Stop Wrinkles?
By TERRY TRUCCO
Published: August 17, 1991
What, if anything, can a jolt of electricity do for scarred or aging skin, even if the current is so low it cannot be felt?
Proponents of electrical stimulators maintain that the right charge in the right dose from the right machine can accomplish a variety of tasks, like temporarily smoothing wrinkled or sagging skin, diminishing acne scars and improving the appearance of stretch marks. The technique is among the latest in the expanding arsenal of anti-aging treatments available at skin-care salons.
"There's no question that some harnessing of different electrical currents can have some beneficial effects on skin," said Dr. Stephen Bosniak, a Manhattan plastic surgeon who is developing an electrical device to aid healing after cosmetic surgery.
But electrical stimulators -- a varied collection of machines that use probes to apply mild currents to the skin, often as part of a cosmetic facial -- are being debated among skin-care and medical experts. Proponents and detractors agree for the most part that the currents are too gentle to be harmful, though pregnant women and people with pacemakers are advised not to use them. But many who have studied and used the machines doubt their effectiveness, particularly those that are said to tone muscles.
Critics also balk at the cost. Usually sold in series of 5 or 10, the 20-to-30-minute treatments can quickly run into hundreds of dollars and often require two or three weekly visits to a salon.
No industry figures are available on the number of skin-care salons using electrical stimulators. Priced from around $3,000 up, the devices usually cost too much for small salons, said Mary Atherton, the editor of Modern Salon, a trade publication.
Much skepticism about the stimulators centers on machines that are said to smooth wrinkles by toning facial muscles; they are often promoted as an alternative to plastic surgery. The theory is that a mild electrical charge can tighten muscles beneath the skin, smoothing wrinkles.
Dr. Peter Pugliese, a Bernville, Pa., physician who is a consultant in skin physiology, asserted that the process cannot work because wrinkles are in the skin and are not the result of loosened muscles. He compared facial skin to a mattress and underlying muscles to a box spring.
"If the mattress is lumpy, it doesn't matter how good the box spring is," he said. "The problem is on the top, and muscle stimulators really cannot work." Warnings by the F.D.A.
The use of mild muscle toners expanded in the 1980's after the Food and Drug Administration warned against stronger devices, electric muscle stimulators, for facial toning by cosmetologists. The direct currents in those stimulators, commonly used in physical therapy, can cause muscles to contract. At least two people died as the machines were being used on them for facial toning, an F.D.A. spokeswoman said. Last year the F.D.A. said electric muscle stimulators were both ineffective and unsafe for facial toning.
The F.D.A. has said nothing about electrical stimulators that do not make muscles contract. Makers of equipment using electricity are supposed to submit products to the F.D.A. voluntarily for efficacy tests before marketing them, but very few do, an F.D.A. spokeswoman said. Those that have been submitted, she said, were found to be ineffective.
A different set of machines are supposed to treat the skin instead of the muscles. Dr. Pugliese, who has tested stimulators under contract to several manufacturers, said he believes that machines using alternating current -- the kind that is standard in the United States -- enhance the skin's normal repair process.
In a study he conducted for the makers of the Electroderma machine, an Italian invention available in about 400 American skin-care salons, 20 women were given four months of treatments. Clients are fitted with a terry-cloth mask, with metal probes at the chin, cheeks and forehead.
The mild alternating current seems to affect enzyme and membrane characteristics, allowing cells to function better, Dr. Pugliese said. Results were best for those who took the 20-minute treatments three times a week as opposed to twice a week, he said, adding, "I think this is something that holds promise." The results of the study have not been submitted to any medical journals for review and publication; he said he planned to publish them in a textbook.
Catherine Atzen, who owns the Catherine Atzen Day Spa, an Upper East Side skin-care salon, said the machine can diminish stretch marks, but clients using it to smooth facial wrinkles need treatments every three weeks or so. "If you don't keep doing it," she said, "you revert back."
But Diane Young, the owner of the Diane Young Skin Care Center in midtown, said she does not actively promote treatments with the machine because it takes a long time for effects to show, numerous treatments are needed and treatments do not work equally well for everyone. "For 10 percent who try it, there will be no change," she said. Just a Way to 'Feel Good'
Another machine, used in about 3,000 American salons, is said to cleanse and tone skin, using a mild direct current, the kind that comes from batteries. The charge is supposed to promote blood circulation and make the skin more receptive to cosmetic materials. Vera Brown, who owns Vera's Retreat in the Glen, a salon in Bel Air, Calif., said people treated twice a week may see some softening of facial lines.
"If a woman has a treatment once a month, she'll feel real good, but there won't be any change," she said.
Machines that apply mild doses of electricity to the skin have long been a popular, if expensive, tool of the skin-care trade, particularly in Europe. At the height of the Depression, clients at the Elizabeth Arden salon in New York paid $200 for 32 treatments with the Vienna Youth Mask, a diathermy treatment that was said to promote cell renewal, though there was no medical evidence.
Not everyone likes the idea of electricity. A growing number of salons are spurning electric equipment in favor of all-natural skin care.
"Machines can frighten a client," said Susan Ciminelli, who uses only a steam machine in her midtown salon, the Susan Ciminelli Day Spa. "People are more comfortable with hands."
Photo: A customer being prepared for a facial treatment with an Electroderma machine at the Catherine Atzen Day Spa in Manhattan. (Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times)


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A group of scammers targeting lovestruck singles through China’s version of TikTok has been arrested by Shanghai police after one of its victims reported losing 13,000 yuan ($1,870) .
A woman identified by the last name Mai, south china morning post The article told police she found one of the “fortune tellers” on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, in October. I was told by a group that I could get my ex-boyfriend back.
A list of the group’s services was released by the Shanghai Police in December after Mai reported the fraud.
Police said the fortune teller had collected $115,000 in fraud before he was arrested.
Similar fortune-telling and horoscope services are very popular in China, and most people find their information through video-sharing platforms like Douyin and Bilibili, and horoscope-focused apps like Cece.
Cece founder Ren Yongliang said in an interview in 2018 that the app has grown by 3,000 new users every day since its launch. Zhang Jinyuan, CEO of Uncle Tongdao, an incredibly popular astrology account on WeChat, said: news china The internet is the best thing that has happened to the horoscope business.
In recent years, online fortune-telling has become a boom among young people in China. Divination has been ingrained in Chinese culture for centuries, but the pandemic has pushed younger generations to look to online apps for life and love answers.
In this context, however, it is clear that the group that tricked Mai and others out of their money was taking advantage of the growing popularity of online astrology and divination.
In The Know is now available on Apple News — follow us here!
The post-fortune teller first appeared on In The Know by scamming women out of nearly $2,000 after promising to help her get her ex-boyfriend back with magic.
Details from In The Know:
Woman catches ‘uneasy’ Minnie Mouse animation details at ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’: ‘Disney, why?’
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Goldman Sachs shares a lesson it's learned about Main Street
AUSTIN, Tex. — Goldman Sachs is finding there isn’t a specific type of customer using its digital-only bank Marcus, which features personal loans meant to refinance credit card debt at a lower interest rate, as well as high-yield savings accounts.
Marcus’ customers come from all walks of life and share a primary goal to reduce debt, according to Boe Hartman, the chief information officer of Goldman Sachs Bank.
“What’s really fascinating from what we learned when we were building Marcus in the early days is that everybody struggles with financial matters,” Hartman told an audience here at American Banker’s Digital Banking conference.
When Goldman launched Marcus in 2016, the product featured only personal loans. The brand was later integrated into Goldman’s retail deposit product.
As for how Hartman and Goldman positioned Marcus, he referenced a 2016 article from The Atlantic that highlighted the financial struggles of middle-class Americans. The piece was written by someone who couldn’t pay for his daughter’s wedding and had high credit card bills, all while he was making a six-figure salary. He couldn’t understand how he got to that point.
Hartman said the story struck a chord with him and with Harit Talwar, the head of Marcus.
“That completely impacted the way we were thinking about engaging with and providing a product to the market,” Hartman said.
Hartman said that initially, Marcus wasn’t thinking about a consumer’s complete financial picture, but rather the technology aspect of the platform.
“What we actually discovered was, how do we go about helping people with their debt,” he said. “I think that differentiated us in the early days when we were building this was that people are embarrassed to talk about their finances.”
Hartman said during a fireside chat that Marcus has enrolled more than 4 million customers, with $40 billion in deposits in the U.S. and the U.K.
Marcus in the U.S. also has originated over $6 billion in loans.
Hartman said Marcus is showing promise in the U.K., where one in five savings accounts opened in the last six months bore the brand, which was rolled out in September.


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Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County is pleased to announce our recent partnership with Woodlawn Trustees, Inc. around the redevelopment of its Woodlawn Flats, a 450-unit affordable housing development off North Union Street in Wilmington.
As part of the 10-year, $100-million project, Woodlawn Trustees is allowing our Prices Corner ReStore access to the units ahead of demolition to salvage appliances, fixtures and other material which will be resold.
“Our ReStore (Prices Corner) is having tremendous growth in sales and new customers due to the materials that are donated,” said Kevin Smith, CEO of Habitat NCC. “The Woodlawn Trustees salvage partnership at The Flats is a great example of two non-profits working together to form a “win-win” for our community.”
The ReStore receives donated materials from businesses, households and other non-profits like Woodlawn.


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The ball, featured in Metro Times last year, will be held at The Gaelic League, 2068 Michigan Ave., at 8 p.m. Going? Organizers say grab your dress that's been waiting on the hangar for a special event or put on your finest suit.
J.WALKER & THE CROSSGUARDS
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Record stores selling tickets include:
512 S. Washington, Royal Oak, MI. (248) 545-5955
LO & BEHOLD RECORDS
10022 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck, MI. (734) 664-1186
4100 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI. (313) 831-0864
MORE INFO AT: www.beehiverecording.com


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Valve has announced a number of new tweaks to Steam, which has made the game download service that little bit faster.
In a blog post, Valve explains that it was focusing on making the core of its service – which is downloads in case you have been living in a non-internet-enabled cave – speedier and a lot more effective.
Given the millions of people that use Steam, any improvement in its servers would be welcomed, especially if it meant that the whole download process was speeded up.
Streamline? Steamline more like
"The new content system is designed to do two things: deliver better download rates in more places around the world, and also to simply streamline the publishing process on Steam, ultimately making it possible to ship more games than we would have been able to with the old system," said the post.
"Over time, more and more of the content on Steam will be delivered using this new system," Valve explained.
"Soon, Dota 2 will be delivered using it. In the meantime, if you'd like to try out this new content system you can do so right now; if you download a 1280x720 (HD) trailer from the store, it will happen via the new content system."
Valve has also made downloading updates to games easier. Instead of having to download whole files for a game update, it will decipher what is the new part of the file and just update this.
It's the little things...


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Welcome to Mask Making 101.
Ellen DeGeneres hosted a hilarious tutorial on how to make DIY protective masks during Tuesday's at-home episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Joining viewers from her living room, the daytime host explained that wearing a mask comes highly recommended by medical professionals and that you can make your own using everyday items.
"You know, wearing a mask used to be optional but now the health experts are saying that everyone should wear them," she began. "So, today, I thought I would show you how to make a mask at home just in case you haven't figured it out yet. The good news is you don't need to know how to sew, You can make a mask with fabric and elastic bags…you can use hair ties," adding, "I'm using hair ties for the first time in my life."
After listing fabric and elastics, Ellen noted that viewers will also need a coffee filter and joked, "I've been stealing these from our office break room for the last 17 seasons. Finally, paying off."


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The eBook market, which already has many retailers and readers being offered by the likes of Amazon and Apple, is set to get a new, potentially gigantic player: Google. Starting this summer, Google Editions will offer the biggest single source of electronic books for download to a range of devices.
But unlike the stores of Amazon or Apple, Google’s offerings will not be associated with any particular device. You can transfer Google Books to a whole range of devices, and Google will also provide additional retail channels for smaller bookstores.
Google Books has been a major effort by Google to digitize a huge volume of books that are in print as well as out of print. To date they have accumulated approximately 12 million books, far more than anyone else. The project has not been without controversy, however, with lawsuits claiming Google is violating copyright while aiming to hold a monopoly over electronic books.
The market for eBooks is currently worth about a quarter billion US dollars, but projections foresee that value quadrupling in the next several years.


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Smartphone and tablet users may need to consider greater mobile security software, as a new report from comScore shows 32.5 million Americans accessed a banking account via the internet through the end of the second quarter of 2011. This is 13.9 percent of all mobile device users.
Sony's internet security may come under question after a data breach involving about 93,000 user names and passwords took place this week. The breach affects users looking to log onto PlayStation Network, Sony Online Entertainment and Sony Entertainment Network accounts.
Smartphone users beware, as a Toyko-based software company has been accused of phishing for user information through a mobile device program without getting permission, according to IStock Analyst's website. Mobile security software may be useful for users in cases such as this.
The University of San Diego is hosting it's eighth annual Cyber Security Awareness Month in an effort to remind students to protect their identity and computer with internet security and antivirus programs, according to The Vista, the schools' newspaper.


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Site redesign adds to Howarth's online offering
Published: 10 June, 2015
A new website has been unveiled as part of Howarth Timber Group's 175th anniversary celebrations.
Howarth-timber.co.uk now allows building professionals to purchase items online, and either collect them in branch or have them delivered to a construction site.
The site’s ‘Your Jobs’ section allows customers to add products individually or as a group to form quotes, which can then be easily ordered when their own end clients confirm they want to proceed with a project. It has a feature that adjusts prices during times of economic change, in order to keep customers informed about sudden price rises or drops.
The ‘Your Favourites’ section, meanwhile, will give customers the opportunity to easily access products they regularly buy.
The new ‘Click and Go’ service and already established ‘Click and Collect’ service have both been designed to speed up the purchasing and collecting service.
Howarth’s online Timber Training Academy was launched earlier this year to develop digital skills in the building industry.


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This Week in eCommerce Data: February 18th, 2022
- This Week in eCommerce Data
Welcome to the 85th Week in eCommerce Data, where Friday begins with a dose of ecommerce data. In this week’s roundup, we look at monthly inflation, European ecommerce leaders, and the significance of free shipping. Plus, other ecommerce news from elsewhere!
Key ecommerce data
20th consecutive month
that online prices have increased as inflation hits 13 of 18 categories in January.
the year that Germany is expected to overtake the UK as Europe’s leading ecommerce market. Along with Italy, the 3 countries make up 60% of Europe’s total ecommerce sales.
of ecommerce shoppers describe the absence of free shipping as a ‘significant source of friction’.
46% of consumers
will not buy a product if the retailer or shop doesn’t provide in-depth product details online.
the postings of Shopify for Q4, yet forecasts a slowdown in the first half of 2022 as the pandemic digital premium cools off.
the value of Japan’s ecommerce market from last year, as South Korea’s online market reached $121 billion.
55% in 2021
the increase in ecommerce sales for Gucci parent company Kering, with online a big driver of its overall upward sales trend.
the number of likes on Nordstrom’s TikTok account since it launched last year.


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Apple hosted one of year’s keenly-awaited tech-events on Tuesday. The tech giant launched the next generation of iPhones including iPhone 13 and 13 Mini, iPhone13 Pro and Pro Max, new iPad Mini, 9th Gen iPad and Apple Watch Series 7. The event started with the launch of new iPad which is powered by the A13 Bionic chipset. The new device is priced at $329 with 64GB storage. It features a 12.2MP front camera with Center Stage,. It’s pricing and availability in India has not been confirmed yet. Apple iPad mini was also unveiled.
In this new device, Apple’s moved the selfie camera to the top of the landscape orientation. It also has a 8.3-inch screen now. It’ll start at $499, more expensive than the $399 starting price for the previous generation. Apple Watch Series 7 was launched next. The new device features a larger display with 20% more screen area than the Series 6 and 50% more than Series 3. Apple iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 min are now official. The next generation of iPhone has a faster chip, 5G, better cameras and other features. Besides, iPhone 13 has longer battery life than its predecessor. The iPhone Pro and Pro Max models have the best graphics in a smartphone, ever. according to Apple. While iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen, the 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch screen.
The YouTube link for Apple September 2021 is given below:
Here are the major highlights of the virtual event
11:45 PM: Apple has priced iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max at $999 and $1099 respectively. Pre-orders in US and European countries open on September 17, and sale will begin on September 24. India prices are still awaited.
11:42 PM: The battery on iPhone 13 Pro will last 90 mins longer than the previous iPhone 12 Pro, while for the 13 Pro Max, it is two and a half hours longer.
11:40 PM: iPhone 13 Pro cameras
iPhone 13 Pro series cameras get Night Mode photography along with Dolby Vision HDR videography. The iPhone 13 Pro’s telephoto (77cm) with 3x optical zoom, ultra-wide camera and wide-angle camera all come with improvements on low-light
11:34 PM: Apple iPhone 13 Pro unveiled
iPhone 13 Pro comes in four new colours : silver, graphite, gold and “Sierra blue.” iPhone 13 Pro has a bigger battery, Apple added. And it includes a better GPU than the iPhone 13. The new device gets the 120 Hz ProMotion refresh rate on the display.
11:27 PM: Both Apple iPhone 13, iPhone 13 will be 5G ready. The iPhone 13 will start at $699. Apple is also promising a better battery life on the iPhone 13.
11:23 PM: Camera upgrades
As per Apple, the rear camera in the new device have gotten serious upgrades with the iPhone 13. The 12 megapixel camera can take in 47% more light, Apple says, with an F1.6 aperture. The ultrawide camera has an F 2.4 aperture. Additionally, Cinematic Mode will work automatically to shift focus between subjects.
11:20 PM: iPhones get new Bionic chip
The iPhone 13 runs on the A15 Bionic chipset. The device has six-core CPU with 2 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency cores. It also comes with a 4-core GPU. It has a 16-core Neural engine for machine learning tasks.
11:18 PM: The iPhone 13 comes with a bigger battery. Both the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini feature Super Retina XDR custom OLED displays.
11:15 PM: The main attraction of today’s event iPhone 13 arrives. The new smartphone features a familiar design. The camera lenses in the new device are arranged diagonally. The screen is now 28% brighter on both the iPhone 13 and 13 mini at 1200 nits. There is a pink colour option for the iPhone this time as well.
11:05 PM: Apple Fitness Plus gets into group workouts
Apple Fitness Plus is expanded to more countries. Apple’s always had hidden features to compete with friends in its motion and activity app, and now Apple’s adding group workouts too.
11:00PM: Apple Watch Series 7 rolled out:
The new watch comes with a completely revamped display. It has 20% more screen area than the Series 6 and 50% more than Series 3. It’s an industry first display, apparently, and it does look rather good. almost entirely display at the top, and Apple says it’s 70 percent brighter.
10:53 PM: Last year, Apple introduced 5G superfast wireless to the iPhone. This year, it’s adding the technology to its iPads.
10:50 PM: The price of the new is iPad $399 or $299 for schools. It has a 8.3-inch screen with Touch ID as part of the top button. The new iPad mini has a 12 megapixel back camera with improved quality. The inclusion of a USB-C port on the mini is also a new feature.
10:45 PM: Tim Cook unveils the new iPad Mini, which ditches the home button, and has thinner borders. It also comes in multiple colours including Purple, Pink, “Starlight” and Space Gray.
10:43 PM: Apple’s iPad 2021 runs the latest A13 Bionic chipset. The iPad has a 12MP ultra-wide camera with 122 degree point of view. The front camera is the focus with a new Centre-stage feature that will make calls more natural and automatically detects other users.
10: 40 PM: Cook says iPadOS has over a million apps designed to fit the iPad. And with that, we have with us the new generatioin iPad! Cook talks about how strong the iPad business has been growing, up 40% in the past year.
10:35 PM Tim Cook is one the stage And he is speaking about Apple TV+. The Foundation series is finally making its way. Season two of the Morning Show is also coming on September 17.


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Fedeen Games Reveals Forsaken World Mobile’s Fashion Clothing
Fedeen Games is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a “Top Developer” badge on the Google Play store.
Awarded by the Google Play editorial staff, the Top Developer badge recognizes “established, respected developers for their commitment to launching high-quality and innovative apps on Android.”
Showing, not telling is what it’s all about. So, in support of the recently obtained award, and with Forsaken World Mobile nearing 20,000 pre-registered players, Fedeen Games is set to reveal the next feature being added to the soon-to-be-released MMORPG. Players will be able to strut their stuff with a wide array of Fashion Clothing being added to the growing list of player customization options.
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Strong growth in its Radiopharma segment propelled isotope technology developer Eckert & Ziegler to an 8% increase in sales and earnings in the first nine months of 2019.
For the period, the company had sales of 133.2 million euros, up 8% from the 123.8 million euros reported in the first nine months of 2018. Eckert & Ziegler credited the Radiopharma segment as the main driver of its growth; the company's Isotope Products and Radiation Therapy segments essentially came in at the same level, according to the firm.
The vendor had profit of 18.8 million euros for the first nine months of 2019, compared with profit of 13 million euros in the same period last year. It also confirmed its profit forecast for 2019.
In other company news, Eckert & Ziegler said it will consolidate its Radiation Therapy and Radiopharma businesses under a new segment named Medical, effective January 1, 2020. The consolidation is intended to make better use of synergies and to achieve more efficiency.
Dr. Harald Hasselmann, an executive board member currently responsible for the Radiation Therapy segment, will be in charge of sales for the new Medical segment. In addition, Dr. Lutz Helmke, another executive board member who is currently responsible for the Radiopharma segment, will have overall responsibility for operational issues, Eckert & Ziegler said.


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Editor's note: This story has been updated to include comments from the Ax the Bev Tax coalition and a comment from the Mayor's Office related to sectors covered in the analysis.
Various components of the soda and retail industries in Greater Philadelphia have named the 1.5 cent per ounce sugary drinks tax as the culprit behind a revenue drop that resulted in pink slips and shorter shifts for the workers who remain. But a new report from the Mayor's Office suggests the companies' self-reported job loss claims are overblown.
A new assessment of unemployment filings made with the Pennsylvania's Labor Department – as reported by the city Wednesday – show new benefit claims made for beverage-related industries actually decreased by 10 percent in Philadelphia over the course of 2017. For those wondering if Big Beverage's reports of job losses were for employees based outside the city, the analysis shows a drop of 8 percent in new unemployment claims filed in 2017 for Delaware, Montgomery and Bucks counties. (The data review focused on counties bordering the city, therefore Chester County was not included.)
An updated analysis of Philadelphia's wage tax data also counters the layoff narrative – an argument the Kenney administration has used before.
"Unemployment claims and Wage Tax collections offer empirical proof that the sectors most directly affected by the tax are seeing steady employment if not growth," Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement issued Wednesday.
The first six months of 2017 saw the wage tax revenue for beverage-related industries grow by nearly 6 percent – a faster pace than seen across all sectors for that time period. The new report shows seasonal spikes in the last three years within those same industries – likely due to holiday hirings, but overall continued growth, albeit at a slower rate each year. Annual wage tax collections between 2015 and 2017 for PBT-affected industries went up 6.2 percent.
PBT critics have previously said the city casts too wide a net with this analysis because it includes several sectors that would see little change related to soda, like department stores and poultry or fish wholesalers. Few others, however, stand out from the two dozen sectors in the assessment. Each was pulled based on the North American Industry Classification System, a federal standard for businesses, that dropped them into the larger grocery, retail, soda manufacturing, food service, restaurants or bars industry categories.
Anthony Campisi, a spokesman for the Ax the Bev Tax coalition, added that a recent Oxford Economics study, which was backed by the soda industry-funded American Beverage Association, showed a loss of 1,192 jobs in the city in retail, bottling, and beverage trade and transport.
“We included every sector that is likely to be affected by the beverage tax. If we excluded some, the opponents would then argue we were being selective to skew the results," said Mike Dunn, a Mayor's Office spokesman.
Noting that much of the layoff talk has surrounded supermarkets, which account for less than half of beverage sales in the city, Dunn continued,"We are appropriately focused on the wide range of dealers, including restaurants, department stores, universities, and other institutional vendors that account for a substantial amount of beverage sales."
One caveat the Pennsylvania and city data fails to address is the impact felt in South Jersey. Bob Brockaway, COO of Canada Dry Delaware Valley in Pennsauken, N.J., told the Business Journal last year net sales for the entire business fell 25 percent since the soda tax went into effect on Jan. 1, 2017. Of the dozens of jobs lost at the South Jersey bottler and distributor, only those workers who live within Philadelphia would show up in wage tax collection data.
When homing in on grocery stores, the wage tax data shows supermarkets suffered the year before the PBT was implemented – collections dropped 6.9 percent from 2015 to 2016. From 2016 to 2017, grocery stores saw a turnaround with wage tax collections rising by 2.9 percent, though the figures are still below 2015 levels.
But those figures don't necessarily nick away at layoff reports, Campisi said. "There are a number of stores opening as a result of a bankruptcy that temporarily shuttered stores, so employment numbers were artificially low," he said.
Philadelphia's beverage tax yielded $79 million during 2017 and a report from the Controller's Office indicates January 2018 soda tax revenue is on pace with the city's revised fiscal year goal. The revenue has created 2,000 preK seats, 700 of which have already turned over, and 11 community schools.
The same report from Controller Rebecca Rhynhart also criticized the administration for holding the majority of the dollars in a reserve. About $20 million was spent by June 30, and another roughly $9 million is expected to be spent before fiscal year 2019 begins. The Mayor's Office has repeatedly said it is holding off on spending those funds until litigation that aims to overturn the tax is resolved. The money is earmarked for preK, community schools and Rebuild – the programs the PBT is supposed to support. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is slated to hear the soda industry-backed lawsuit in mid-May.