неделя, 30 септември 2012 г.

Sportscotland to fund SGA coaches

Sportscotland says it has secured posts at the Scottish Gymnastics Association after redundancy notices were issued.

ablator ablaut

In pictures: Andy Murray's journey to his US Open win

We look back at the images of Andy Murray's journey to his US Open title victory

accipitral accipitrine

Robson beaten in Guangzhou final

British number one Laura Robson is beaten 6-3 5-7 6-4 by Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei in the final of the Guangzhou Open.

acequia acerate

Azarenka wins despite dizzy spell

Top seed Victoria Azarenka overcomes an early call for the trainer to beat Roberta Vinci and reach the last eight in Tokyo.

acedia aceldama

DNA solves teen's 1974 murder

DNA evidence links a now-dead American convict to the murder of a Canadian teenager who disappeared in 1974, authorities in British Columbia said Tuesday.

absconce abseil

NFL referees reach pay agreement

The National Football League makes a tentative deal with referees over a pay and pensions dispute that has overshadowed the new season.

aba abacinate

Ewiniar (Pacific Ocean)



There are a number of things happening under the hood of Tropical Storm Ewiniar's clouds ...

aboulia aboulomania

Kenya military reports success in fight for Somali port

Kenya's military said its troops killed two commanders of an al Qaeda-linked militant group in neighboring Somalia on Saturday as the troops continued their push into the port city of Kismayo, one of the group's last strongholds.

go ahead take a look

VIDEO: O'Neill 'relieved' to get first win

Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill admits he is relieved to see his side record their first league win of the season, beating Wigan 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

abecedarian abecedism

TV contestant slain after confession

A Peruvian reality show has become part of a real-life crime drama as authorities investigate the slaying of a contestant who appeared on the program.

acerbate acerous

Pairing 'angels' with cancer patients

Just two weeks after his wedding, Christophe Quancard was diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest types of brain tumors.

acarophobia acarpous

Hiker talks about his days in Iran

Just about a year ago, Josh Fattal, one of three American hikers imprisoned in Iran on suspicion of espionage, tasted freedom.

acaulescent accelerometer

Arsenal retain Super League title

Arsenal clinch their second successive Women's Super League title after nearest rivals Birmingham fail to beat Bristol Academy.

aboideau abolla

Robson qualifies for China Open

Britain's Laura Robson qualifies for the China Open main draw in Beijing but compatriot Heather Watson fails to get through.

abele aberdevine

Kimi Raikkonen, Roman Grosjean

Having competed under the Renault name in 2011, the rebranded Lotus team enter the new season hoping to avoid the off-track issues which blighted their preparations for the last campaign.

water gun water guns

Disabled athletes aspire for more

Some athletes strive to conquer mountains, but Andrea De Mello started with a much more humble goal: a lamppost.

acetabulum acetarious

Watson win sets up Sharapova tie

Britain's Heather Watson beats world number 30 Sabine Lisicki to earn a second-round clash with Maria Sharapova in Tokyo.

acatalectic acatalepsy

ND0928124

Title: Mobile Use Rising in Retail
Description: Fifty percent of U.S. shoppers surveyed said they used their mobile device to compare prices and read product reviews while shopping, up from 19% in 2011.
Page Content:

NEW YORK ? An increasing number of shoppers are using mobile as part of their in-store experience, EConsultancy reports.

A new EConsultancy survey reveals the number of U.K. consumers who made a retail store purchase with a mobile device roughly doubled since 2011, from 13% to 25% of consumers. In the U.S., the figured jumped from 12% to 28% in the same period.

Other mobile-related figures include:

  • Nearly one-third (32%) of U.K. consumers and 41% of U.S. shoppers used a mobile device to locate a store or a store?s opening times,
  • Forty-three percent of U.K. respondents and 50% of U.S. shoppers said they used their mobile device to compare prices and read product reviews while shopping, up from 19% (U.K.) and 20% (U.S.) in 2011.
Content Subject: Research, Technology
Formatted Article Date: September 28, 2012

abutment abvolt

Afghan girls take brave first step

Many schoolgirls in Afghanistan have been viciously attacked by people who think female education should be forbidden -- just as it was during the Taliban's rule. But amid the violence, there is promise.

abditive abdominous

ND0927124

Title: Beef Jerky Goes High Class
Description: Gourmet flavors, such as Basil Citrus and Lemon Garlic, are dressing up dried-meat products.
Page Content:

SONOMA, Calif. ? A convenience store staple is getting a makeover. Beef jerky has been gussied up in gourmet flavors to appeal to a growing consumer base, the Wall Street Journal reports.

With its high protein content, jerky has become a favorite workout snack food, as well as those looking for a low-carb snack. Flavors like Lemon Garlic and Basil Citrus have helped drive sales of beef jerky up 13.6% to reach $760.2 million for the 12 months ending Aug. 12, according to SymphonyIRI Group. Sales rose 13.4% last year.

Oberto Brands has been on a crusade to rehabilitate the perception that jerky is, well, not a very healthful food. ?We call it jerky shame,? said Tom Ennis, Oberto CEO. The company has revamped its jerky products with seven ?all natural? flavors, such as Spicy Sweet and Hickory Beef.

?There's just this nasty perception out there? that the food has way too much sodium and preservatives, plus artificial ingredients, said Ennis. His company took out corn syrup, dextrose, sodium nitrite and MSG from its jerky products.

Jack Link?s Link Snacks changed its packaging to catch the female consumer?s eye. Slim Jim by ConAgra Foods added a Steakhouse line.

Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising
Formatted Article Date: September 27, 2012

abodement aboideau

Robson progresses at China Open

Britain's Laura Robson is into the second round of the China Open after beating Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-4 6-4 in Beijing.

abra abradant

Brown wins World Cup silver medal

Dani Brown, the first Paralympic archer to take part in a World Cup Grand Final, wins a silver medal in Tokyo.

absentaneous absinthial

Official puts bounty on filmmaker

A Pakistan government minister has personally offered a $100,000 reward for anyone who kills the man who made the anti-Islam movie that is drawing ire throughout the Muslim world.

abseil absentaneous

ND0926125

Title: Consumers Aren?t ?Scared? of Halloween
Description: Seven in 10 Americans will celebrate the spooky holiday, spending on average $79.82.
Page Content:

WASHINGTON - A record 170 million people plan to celebrate Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Foundation?s (NRF) 2012 Halloween consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight.

?By the time Halloween rolls around each year it?s safe to say Americans have already spent two months preparing for one of the fastest-growing and most widely-loved holidays of the year,? said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay, in a press release. ?Retailers know that when it comes to Halloween, new costume ideas for children, adults and pets, and the latest in home and yard d�cor top people?s shopping lists.?

Seven in 10 Americans (71.5%) will get into the haunting Halloween mood, up from 68.6% last year and the most in NRF?s 10-year survey history. Consumers are expecting to spend more too; the average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $72.31 last year, with total Halloween spending expected to reach $8 billion.

?Almost as soon as people bring down their fall and winter apparel from the top shelves in their closets, Halloween becomes top of mind,? said Phil Rist, BIGinsight executive vice president of strategic initiatives. ?There?s certainly pent-up demand for having some fun this year and shoppers are planning to spend their hard-earned dollars on items that help them get into the Halloween spirit.?

Of the people celebrating Halloween this year, more than half (51.4%) will decorate their home or yard, up from 49.5% last year, and 45% plan to dress in costume, also up from last year (43.9%.) More than one-third (36.2%) will throw or attend a party and 33.2% will take children trick-or-treating. Additionally, 15.1%will ensure their furry friends are part of the fun, too, by dressing their pet in costume.

Content Subject: Marketing/Merchandising, Research
Formatted Article Date: September 26, 2012

acarine acarology

събота, 29 септември 2012 г.

VIDEO: 'Excellent' Chelsea please Di Matteo

Roberto Di Matteo praises his Chelsea players as they beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium to remain top of the Premier League table.

abbozzo abditive

Venezuelans fight for right to vote

Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. fight for their right to vote. CNN's Rafael Romo reports.

acerate acerbate

ND0925123

Title: Minnesota Ethanol Producers Running on Empty
Description: High corn prices and lagging prices for ethanol lead to the second consecutive losing quarter for Minnesota?s ethanol producers.
Page Content:

MINNEAPOLIS, MN ? Minnesota?s ethanol producers recorded their second losing quarter in a row, the Star Tribune reports. Their losses come amidst high corn prices and lagging prices for ethanol.

"The conditions are tough at best," said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol, whose plant in Lamberton, Minn., posted a net loss of $1 million last quarter.

According to Christianson & Associates, a firm that tracks ethanol producers, the production of ethanol is no longer a break-even proposition. "The big story is that the cost of the corn is higher on a per-gallon basis than what we can sell the ethanol for," said John Christianson, principal at Christianson & Associates. "That dynamic happened in the first two quarters of 2012."

To improve their fortunes, ethanol producers have been relying more on the sales of an animal feed byproduct, called distillers? grains, and industrial corn oil. Some plants also sell carbon dioxide captured from fermentation.

Sales of these byproducts accounted for 23% of ethanol plant revenues in 2012, up from 16% in 2008, Christianson said.

One of Minnesota?s hardest hit plants is BioFuel Energy Corp. in Fairmont that reported nearly $11 million in losses on revenues of $123 million.

Small producers have also been hit hard, with Granit Falls Energy losing $566,000 in the second quarter, which followed a profitable first-quarter, the only company to report a profit in the Star Tribune?s first-quarter survey. Two other single-plant companies also reported losses.

Ethanol prices have dropped up to 16% compared with the year-earlier quarter, with part of the decline the result of fuel blenders who went on a buying binge at the end of last year in order to collect expiring federal tax credits. That created an oversupply in the market that had lasting effects into the second quarter.

Larry Johnson, an ethanol industry consultant, said corn prices recently dipped below $8, which bodes well for the industry. To save money on corn, many ethanol producers are purchasing directly from farmers and adding storage facilities to hold it.

Minnesota has 21 ethanol plants, including one that is closed.

Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: September 25, 2012

absquatulate absterge

VIDEO: 'Incredible' Suarez impresses Rodgers

Manager Brendan Rodgers is delighted by Liverpool's "outstanding" 5-2 victory over Norwich and singles out hat-trick hero Luis Suarez for his "incredible" finishing.

absit absolutism

Iran's news agency portrays satirical Onion story as its own

Add Iran's news agency to the long list of those hoodwinked by the satire of The Onion.

accipiter accipitral

Wozniacki cruises to Korea title

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki cruises to victory over Kaia Kanepi in the final of the Korea Open, winning 6-1 6-0.

achromatopsia achroous

Hiker talks about his days in Iran

Just about a year ago, Josh Fattal, one of three American hikers imprisoned in Iran on suspicion of espionage, tasted freedom.

acapnia acapnotic

Road cars with F1 tech

Amanda Davies finds out how Ferrari transfers F1 technology and know-how into road cars.

acescence acetabulum

Lessons from Eisenhower, Carter

Politics has returned to the water's edge. In the past week, we've seen how international events can suddenly dominate a political campaign, at least for a few days.

abomasum aboral

Kenya military reports success in fight for Somali port

Kenya's military said its troops killed two commanders of an al Qaeda-linked militant group in neighboring Somalia on Saturday as the troops continued their push into the port city of Kismayo, one of the group's last strongholds.

acarophobia acarpous

Hamilton wins as Alonso extends lead

The Formula One title race takes another twist as Lewis Hamilton reignites his hopes with victory at the Italian Grand Prix, while Fernando Alonso extends his lead as rivals Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber flop at Monza.

acaulescent accelerometer

Ma Yansong's sinuous towers

Southwest of Toronto, in a satellite city called Mississauga, Ma Yansong's vision of a flowing, organic architecture halts the tedium of a relentlessly box-shaped cityscape.

abear abecedarian

VIDEO: Cheap goals cost Arsenal - Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is "deeply disappointed" after a Laurent Koscielny own goal meant his team lost 2-1 at home to Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Word aba

NASA Hurricane Updates on Twitter



Check NASA's Hurricane Twitter feed for a daily behind the scenes look at storms in the tropics.

ablepsia ablow

Rossi's replacement named

The task of replacing seven-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi at Ducati has been handed to his fellow Italian Andrea Dovizioso.

abiectic abigail

Teddy bears dive for 'democracy'

Watch as a Swedish activist throws teddy bears out of an airplane over Belarus in support of free speech and democracy.

acaulescent accelerometer

Petrova takes Pan Pacific title

Russia's Nadia Petrova beats Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland to win the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

abject ablactation

Disabled athletes aspire for more

Some athletes strive to conquer mountains, but Andrea De Mello started with a much more humble goal: a lamppost.

aceldama aceology

Coverage Set for Space Station Departure of European Cargo Ship

The departure of the third European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV-3) cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station will be broadcast live on NASA Television beginning at 6:15 p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Sept. 25.

aclinic super soaker water guns

Netanyahu to U.N.: Halt Iran weapons

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu urges the U.N. to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. China's foreign minister accuses Japan of stealing the islands in dispute.

acinaciform aciniform

AUDIO: Stunned keeper Smith on the mend

Southend goalkeeper Paul Smith tells BBC Essex he has no memory of being knocked out in their recent game against Gillingham.

abiturient abject

A 'sound' idea to reduce poverty

It's a new idea which could resonate with communities across the developing world -- a biomass stove which also generates electricity using sound waves.

acerbate acerous

ND0921124

Title: Groupon Enters Payment Services
Description: The daily deals company now provides a credit card payment service.
Page Content:

CHICAGO ? This week, Groupon unveiled its payment service for credit card transactions, Online Media Daily reports. For U.S. merchants participating in its daily deal, the company charges 15 cents per transaction, plus 1.8% of the transaction for Discover, MasterCard and Visa cards and 3% for American Express cards.

Other companies not Groupon customers can use the service for the 15-cent fee plus a 2.2% rate for Discover, MasterCard and Visa cards. PayPal charges 2.7% per plastic payment and Square users pay 2.75% per swipe or a monthly flat fee of $275.

?In addition to slashing transaction fees, Groupon Payments offers services that most of the traditional processors don?t. Rather than waiting the typical two or three days for credit card payments to hit an account, Groupon Payments users get paid overnight,? blogged Mihir Shah, Groupon?s vice president, mobile and merchant products.

The new Groupon payment service offers businesses the ability to see live transaction histories, daily sales, account deposits and revenue trends. The service has a card reader for iPod Touch and iPhones compatible with the Groupon Merchants app. This week, PCI released guidelines for mobile payment transactions to provide more security controls.

Content Subject: Technology
Formatted Article Date: September 21, 2012

abask abatis

VIDEO: Final Score 2 - Programme 7

Michael McNamee and Chris Morgan with the latest Irish Premiership highlights and analysis of Saturday's matches.

acantha acanthous

петък, 28 септември 2012 г.

ND0925123

Title: Minnesota Ethanol Producers Running on Empty
Description: High corn prices and lagging prices for ethanol lead to the second consecutive losing quarter for Minnesota?s ethanol producers.
Page Content:

MINNEAPOLIS, MN ? Minnesota?s ethanol producers recorded their second losing quarter in a row, the Star Tribune reports. Their losses come amidst high corn prices and lagging prices for ethanol.

"The conditions are tough at best," said Brian Kletscher, CEO of Highwater Ethanol, whose plant in Lamberton, Minn., posted a net loss of $1 million last quarter.

According to Christianson & Associates, a firm that tracks ethanol producers, the production of ethanol is no longer a break-even proposition. "The big story is that the cost of the corn is higher on a per-gallon basis than what we can sell the ethanol for," said John Christianson, principal at Christianson & Associates. "That dynamic happened in the first two quarters of 2012."

To improve their fortunes, ethanol producers have been relying more on the sales of an animal feed byproduct, called distillers? grains, and industrial corn oil. Some plants also sell carbon dioxide captured from fermentation.

Sales of these byproducts accounted for 23% of ethanol plant revenues in 2012, up from 16% in 2008, Christianson said.

One of Minnesota?s hardest hit plants is BioFuel Energy Corp. in Fairmont that reported nearly $11 million in losses on revenues of $123 million.

Small producers have also been hit hard, with Granit Falls Energy losing $566,000 in the second quarter, which followed a profitable first-quarter, the only company to report a profit in the Star Tribune?s first-quarter survey. Two other single-plant companies also reported losses.

Ethanol prices have dropped up to 16% compared with the year-earlier quarter, with part of the decline the result of fuel blenders who went on a buying binge at the end of last year in order to collect expiring federal tax credits. That created an oversupply in the market that had lasting effects into the second quarter.

Larry Johnson, an ethanol industry consultant, said corn prices recently dipped below $8, which bodes well for the industry. To save money on corn, many ethanol producers are purchasing directly from farmers and adding storage facilities to hold it.

Minnesota has 21 ethanol plants, including one that is closed.

Content Subject: Petroleum Retailing
Formatted Article Date: September 25, 2012

abampere abapical

Hamilton to join Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has signed a three-year contract to race for the Mercedes Formula 1 team beginning next season.

acarophobia acarpous

VIDEO: Rodgers bemoans referee decisions

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers feels his side have been unfairly treated by officials so far this season.

abactor abaculus

Sources: FBI can't get to Benghazi

More than two weeks after four Americans -- including the U.S. ambassador to Libya -- were killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, FBI agents have not yet been granted access to investigate in the eastern Libyan city, and the crime scene has not been secured, sources said.

acarology acarophobia

Behind the islands dispute in Asia

When Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping called Tokyo's territorial claims on a group of East China Seas island "a farce," he echoed national sentiment of protesters who took to the streets in anti-Japan protests in recent weeks.

big water guns summer toys

Why ancient site needs saving

Please bear with me as I ask you to briefly use your imagination. Close your eyes. Imagine Machu Picchu at dawn cloaked in fog. Now imagine the fog slowly lifting to reveal an enormous ancient city perched on the edge of a mountain.

acerate acerbate

Deadly lightning at NASCAR race

A lightning strike killed a NASCAR fan and injured nine others in a parking lot outside Pocono Raceway after torrential rains shortened Sunday's Pennsylvania 400, a track official said.

accipitral accipitrine

AUDIO: Llambias on Pardew's long-term deal

Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias explains why Alan Pardew and his coaching staff have been given eight-year deals.

acersecomic acervate

Ewiniar (Pacific Ocean)



There are a number of things happening under the hood of Tropical Storm Ewiniar's clouds ...

acatalectic acatalepsy

Flame Towers light up Baku

Baku has been a citadel amidst potentially destabilizing forces for centuries, routinely blasted by gale-force winds, seismic activity and positioned near one of the world's largest and most coveted oil reserves.

achaenocarp acharné

Key signing for Roy Hodgson's England?

Why Dan Ashworth could be more important to the future of the England national football team than manager Roy Hodgson

absterge absurdism

NASA Requests Proposals for Initial Contracts to Certify Commercial Crew Transportation Systems

NASA on Wednesday released a request for proposals for the first of two contract phases to certify commercially developed space systems in support of crewed missions to the International Space Station.

abature abb

Ferrari 'could pull out of Formula One'

Ferrari chairman Luca Di Montezemolo warns that his famous marque could withdraw from Formula One and compete in other categories of motorsport.

accubation accubitum

ND0924121

Title: Unemployment Rates Rise in 26 States
Description: From July to August, unemployment rates uncreased in 26 states, while 12 states including Washington, D.C., showed rate decreases.
Page Content:

WASHINGTON ? Recent government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that unemployment rates rose in 26 states from July to August.

Regional and state unemployment rates were generally little changed in August. BLS also reports that 12 states and the District of Columbia posted rate decreases, and 12 states had no change. Forty-two states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, seven states experienced increases, and one had no change. The national jobless rate edged down to 8.1% from July and was 1.0 percentage point lower than in August 2011.

Nevada continued to record the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.1% in August. Rhode Island and California posted the next highest rates, 10.7% and 10.6%, respectively. North Dakota again registered the lowest jobless rate, 3%.

In total, 21 states reported jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 8.1%, 12 states had measurably higher rates, and 17 states and the District of Columbia had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Nine states reported statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate changes in August, of which seven were increases and two were decreases. The significant increases occurred in Connecticut (+0.5 percentage point), Michigan (+0.4 point), New Hampshire and Vermont (+0.3 point each), and Iowa, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania (+0.2 point each). Hawaii and Utah registered the only significant declines over the month (-0.2 percentage point each). The remaining 41 states and the District of Columbia recorded jobless rates that were not measurably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia reported statistically significant unemployment rate decreases from August 2011, the largest of which occurred in

Mississippi (-1.8 percentage points). New York experienced the only significant over-the-year increase in its unemployment rate (+0.8 percentage point).

Content Subject: Operations
Formatted Article Date: September 24, 2012

abasia abask

Tycoon offers $64M to wed daughter

The daughter of the tycoon who on Tuesday offered HK$500 million (US$64 million) to any man who would marry her found the proposal "quite entertaining," she told CNN.

aberdevine aberuncators

When a walk to school can be deadly

Many schoolgirls in Afghanistan have been viciously attacked by people who think female education should be forbidden -- just as it was during the Taliban's rule. But amid the violence, there is promise.

accipitrine accismus

Mexican navy: Zetas leader captured

Mexican forces scored a potentially strong hit against the Zetas drug cartel with the capture of one of its top leaders, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, alias "El Taliban."

achroous acicular

When to publish, when not ...

The topless duchess, the dying diplomat, cartoons of the Prophet and photographs of a secretive filmmaker. News coverage of all four have been a lightning rod for the debate about privacy, decency, tolerance, the right to publish and self-restraint.

abyssopelagic academicism

Freed American: 'It's a fight for life'

Every day in his cell in one of the most notorious prisons in Latin America, an American father wrote a letter to his little boy. Jason Puracal would tuck the papers away, trying to fight the fear that his son might grow up never knowing his dad.

aborning aborticide

Toro Rosso

Last year Toro Rosso continued to emerge from Red Bull Racing's shadow in only their second season as an independent constructor.

achloropsia achor

iReport: Your favorite buildings

iReport: Your favorite buildings

ablow abluent

Disabled athletes aspire for more

Some athletes strive to conquer mountains, but Andrea De Mello started with a much more humble goal: a lamppost.

acclivity accloy

Germany pursuing ex-Nazi guard

Authorities in Germany are investigating whether they can prosecute a former Nazi camp guard who has been living in the United States for 60 years, they said Monday.

aborticide abortuary

QPR agree Hoilett fee with Rovers

QPR agree to pay Blackburn a fee of up to �4m for winger Junior Hoilett

abutment abvolt

четвъртък, 27 септември 2012 г.

Designing F1 tires

Pirelli test driver Lucas di Grassi talks to CNN about F1's sole tire supplier's plans for next season.

accite acclinate

Avalanche survivor: I'm beat up

Glen Plake tells Anderson Cooper how he survived a terrifying avalanche on the world's 8th-highest peak.

abbozzo abditive

Q&A: So what makes a bad tackle?

Referees' boss Mike Riley explains what constitutes a red card offence after recent controversial incidents in the Premier League

acedia aceldama

ND0921121

Title: Washington Report: Senate Introduces Menu-Labeling Legislation
Description: The NACS-supported bill would allow the government to meet the objectives of the menu-labeling law without unnecessarily burdening retailers that rightfully should be outside of its scope.
Page Content:

WASHINGTON ? This week U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) introduced S. 3574, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act of 2012, which calls for a less burdensome approach to unnecessary federal menu-labeling regulations outlined in the health-care law.

Blunt was joined by fellow Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), John Boozman (R-AR), Scott Brown (R-MA), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mike Enzi (R-WY), Mike Johanns (R-NE) and Jerry Moran (R-KS).

The health-care law includes a provision that creates a national, uniform nutrition-disclosure standard for foodservice establishments such as chain restaurants, ?similar retail food establishments? and vending that have 20 or more locations.

The establishments must provide specific nutritional information: posting calories on menus, menu boards and drive-thru boards, and providing caloric information ?adjacent? items on buffets, salad bars and other self-service items. The establishments must also provide additional nutrition information in writing (e.g., a brochure) upon request.

On April 6, 2011, the FDA published proposed regulations to implement the new law. These regulations would define a ?covered entity? as any retailer where more than 50% of the store?s floor area is devoted to selling food. However, the FDA?s definition includes pre-packaged food that is already required to include nutritional information on its packaging.

NACS believes that any menu-labeling regulations must account for differences between the convenience store business model and a chain restaurant business model. The FDA?s proposed regulations are tailored to the restaurant business model, and unless they are revised to reflect our industry, they should not apply to convenience stores.

NACS recommended to the FDA that a floor space calculation should be replaced with one based on revenues, and that an entity should be covered only if revenues from restaurant-type food sales exceed 50% of the store?s overall sales. In evaluating this ratio, pre-packaged food should be excluded from the ?restaurant-type food? revenues and fuel sales should be included in the store?s overall sales.

NACS worked with Representative John Carter (R-TX) to introduce H.R. 6174, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, which is the House companion measure to S. 3574. The bills are identical, and seek to bring a less burdensome approach to menu labeling by limiting the provision in the health-care law to establishments that derive 50% or more of their revenue from food that is (a) intended for immediate consumption, or (b) prepared and processed on-site. Prepackaged food would not be considered in this equation.

NACS urges you to contact your senators and ask them to support S. 3574. Also, if you have yet to do so, reach out to your House member and him/her to support H.R. 6174.

Questions about the legislation can be directed to NACS Government Relations Director Carin Nersesian.

Content Subject: Government Relations
Formatted Article Date: September 21, 2012

ablactation ablative

Libya evicts unauthorized militias

A newly formed unit of the Libyan Army has carried out nonviolent raids on rogue militia positions in and around Tripoli as part of a government ultimatum issued over the weekend.

accismus accite

Nadal still unsure on return date

French Open champion Rafael Nadal remains a doubt for the ATP Finals in London as he recovers from a knee injury.

acarine acarology

ND0920124

Title: GAO: Debit Reform Has Been Good for Community Banks, Credit Unions
Description: With Oct. 1, the one-year anniversary of the Durbin Amendment nearing, one of the banking industry?s main messages has collapsed like a house of cards.
Page Content:

WASHINGTON ? In a comprehensive report on how financial regulatory reform affects community banks and credit unions, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that these financial institutions have benefitted since reform of debit swipe fees, which went into effect on October 1, 2011.

Banks with less than $10 billion in assets are exempt from debit swipe reform, which limits the fees charged by the big banks for each debit transaction. In its report, GAO noted that approximately 99 percent of all banks in the U.S. had less than $10 billion in assets in 2011 ? and that 14,300 banks, credit unions, savings and loans and savings banks qualified for the debit swipe fee exemption last year.

?This report should lay to rest once and for all the myth that debit swipe reform is harming the majority of American banks,? noted Doug Kantor, counsel to the Merchants Payments Coalition. ?Debit swipe reform is working for community banks and credit unions, just like it?s working for merchants and consumers across the country. The only ones crying foul are the big banks who are no longer reaping windfall profits from a broken system.?

The GAO report found that:

  • ?Initial data collected by the Federal Reserve indicate that card networks largely have adopted a two-tiered interchange fee structure after the implementation [of the debit swipe fee reforms] to the benefit of exempt issuers.? (emphasis added)
  • Swipe fees received by exempt banks ?increased, in aggregate, on a quarterly basis after the [swipe fee] rule became effective.?
  • ?The aggregate interchange fee income reported quarterly by these [exempt] banks from the second quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012 was about $532 million, $547 million, $575 million, and $585 million, respectively from the second quarter of 2011 through the first quarter of 2012.? This represents a consistent increase over each quarter with a total increase of $53 million over that time period.
  • ?Unlike the large banks, community banks and credit unions generally have not, on average, experienced a significant decline in their debit interchange fees as a result of the Federal Reserve?s implementation of [the debit interchange fee provision of the Dodd-Frank Act].?

GAO also noted that the average debit swipe fee received by banks exempt from the reforms was 43 cents in the fourth quarter of 2011, compared to 24 cents for the big banks. Both rates are well above the average 4 cents per transaction cost to process debit transactions, which is based on data from the Federal Reserve.

?One year after debit swipe reform was implemented, there is more competition in the payment processing system and lower swipe fees are helping consumers save money as merchants offset rising costs of things like gas and food and keep prices down. That?s good news for businesses, consumers and our economy,? said Kantor.

Content Subject: Government Relations
Formatted Article Date: September 20, 2012

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