сряда, 31 август 2011 г.
NASA Sets Space Station Status Update Briefing For Monday
Tropical Storm Jose (Atlantic Ocean)
While the remnants of Irene drench Quebec and Newfoundland, satellites are keeping tabs on two other tropical cyclones in the Atlantic.
Space Station Commercial Cargo Carrier Arriving at Wallops
ND0831112
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. ? The mayor of Pembroke Pines wants to stop underage drinking by training the front-line employees who could potentially sell alcohol to minors, The Star reports.
Mayor Frank Ortis is pushing an ordinance that would require any retailer selling alcohol between 11 pm and 3 am or 4 am to have its workers take a class about the dangers of underage drinking.
?We?ve learned there is a lot of underage drinking going on in the hours of 11 pm. until 3 or 4 am,? said Ortis. ?If a convenience store, gas station or restaurant is open until 4 am, we want to educate their employees on the consequences of underage drinking.?
Employees completing the course will receive a certificate. The class will cover how to decipher fake ID cards. Retailers participating in the course will have the option of selling alcohol for longer hours, such as beginning sales at 11 am, and extending the cut off time of 3 am for stores and 4 am for bars and clubs.
While Ortis said he doesn?t have statistics on how many minors in Pembroke Pines drink, he thinks enough teens do it to justify the change. Ortis wants input from area businesses before taking the proposal to the town council.
Oakland Park, Fla., approved a similar measure three years ago, which lowered the incidences of selling alcohol to minors from 90 percent to 60 percent, according to the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.
ND0829114
RAS LANUF, Libya�? Libya's battered oil towns are struggling to get back to work after months of clashes between rebels and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, Reuters reports. Oil production in the OPEC country has been at a virtual standstill for months.
The news source writes that Libya plans to restart production at two eastern oil fields in mid-September and resume shipping oil from Tobruk by the end of September. Global economies have been paying more than $100 a barrel for Brent crude since the civil war began in February, driving up import costs for major buyers such as Italy, Germany and France.
"Operations will start on September 15 and by the end of the month we will have the capability to export from Tobruk," Abdeljalil Mayuf, spokesman for Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) told Reuters, referring to the Sarir and Mesla fields deep in the Libyan desert. Initial production will be 60,000-100,000 barrels per day.
Libya produced 1.6 million barrels of oil a day before an uprising against Gaddafi's 42-year-rule erupted in February.
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ND0831114
MADRID ? Looking for ways to combat fizzling sales, European brewers are exploring non-alcohol brews and modeling themselves after Spain?s success with such beverages, the Wall Street Journal reports. Spain leads the world in nonalcoholic beer sales.
Since 2008, Heineken NV has debuted 10 nonalcoholic brewskies in the Netherlands, Italy and other countries. Carlsberg A/S launched non-alcohol beer in Finland and Norway, among other nations. In 2011, Anheuser-Busch InBev NV started offering a non-alcohol Hoegaarden beer in Belgium, in addition to debuting Jupiler Force non-alcohol beer.
With beer sales plummeting overseas, the brewers are hoping these new lines will capture the interest of women and health-conscious drinkers. Profit margins on nonalcoholic beer can be better, too, because of reduced alcohol taxes.
?It is quite a natural move when you see that the overall beer markets [in Western Europe] are going down. So, of course, we're battling for market share,? said Lene Dyrby Anderson, who works on new products for Carlsberg.
Currently, non-alcohol beer has less than 2 percent of all beer consumption in most Western markets. However, around 13 percent of all beer consumed in Spain doesn?t have alcohol. Spain?s growth took off in the 1980s when the government and brewing companies began marketing nonalcoholic beers to reduce drunk driving. Spanish restaurants and bars have non-alcohol beer on tap, and the subcategory usually takes up a third of beer segment in convenience and grocery stores.
NASA Hurricane Updates on Twitter
Check NASA's Hurricane Twitter feed for a daily behind the scenes look at storms in the tropics.
UK gaffe reveals position on Afghanistan
ND0829114
RAS LANUF, Libya�? Libya's battered oil towns are struggling to get back to work after months of clashes between rebels and forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, Reuters reports. Oil production in the OPEC country has been at a virtual standstill for months.
The news source writes that Libya plans to restart production at two eastern oil fields in mid-September and resume shipping oil from Tobruk by the end of September. Global economies have been paying more than $100 a barrel for Brent crude since the civil war began in February, driving up import costs for major buyers such as Italy, Germany and France.
"Operations will start on September 15 and by the end of the month we will have the capability to export from Tobruk," Abdeljalil Mayuf, spokesman for Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) told Reuters, referring to the Sarir and Mesla fields deep in the Libyan desert. Initial production will be 60,000-100,000 barrels per day.
Libya produced 1.6 million barrels of oil a day before an uprising against Gaddafi's 42-year-rule erupted in February.
Stoner wins in Brno to extend title lead
Britain's hidden bowling obsession
ND0831113
MINNEAPOLIS ? General Mills Convenience has launched a new website, generalmillsconvenience.com, designed to help convenience store retailers and distributors tap into the power of category management to make the best decisions for their business. The new site offers a multitude of short video tutorials on category management principles and allows retailers to download regional rank reports and planograms or request custom reports using their unique product-level sales data.
?At its simplest, category management is managing each product category as its own business, ensuring you have the right product mix in the right place,? said Drew Helmey, associate channel marketing manager for General Mills Convenience, in a press release. ?Retailers may be looking at many pieces of the category management puzzle to make decisions about their categories. With the expertise of our CategoryFirst category management consultants, we?re able to provide them the training and the tools they need to put these pieces together and maximize their categories.?
The videos provide an in-depth look at how to effectively use the rank reports and planograms available through the site to make informed decisions for their categories. Topics include an overview on the data used to create rank reports and planograms, how to use these tools to select the best items for the shelf, and how to best merchandise those products to maximize shopability.
The new site also allows convenience store retailers and distributors to obtain customized rank reports based on a store?s unique sales performance data. Retailers and distributors can upload their own store specific product-level sales data through the site to receive custom rank reports for the bar, warehouse salty, cookie/cracker and breakfast-on-the-go categories.
?The custom rank reports allow retailers to best leverage the information specific to their business, to maximize shelf space and make sure they are not leaving any potential profit on the table,? said Helmey. ?If retailers and distributors are able to successfully grow their overall categories then the entire convenience channel will benefit.?
ND0824111
NAGUA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ? Hurricane Irene stormed off the Dominican Republic?s northern coast earlier this week, gathering force as it heads toward the U.S. Southeast by the end of the week, the Associated Press reports.
As of late Monday, Irene was a Category 2 hurricane and the U.S. National Hurricane Centre in Miami said it could become a Category 4 storm by late Thursday.
"We didn't anticipate it gaining this much strength this early," said center meteorologist Chris Landsea.
Forecasters predicted the storm would land in Florida, Georgia, or South Carolina. As a result, residents were urged to ensure they had batteries, food, water, and emergency supplies.
"We must prepare for the worst and hope for the best," said Joe Martinez, chairperson of the Miami-Dade County Commission.
NACS Hurricane Resource
NACS recently added a Hurricanes and Retail Fuel Prices primer to its Annual Fuels Report to explain why a Gulf Coast storm can have far-reaching effects on the retail fuel market. The document helps explain how the market works as well as the importance of the region to the fuels market in general:
- 44 percent of U.S. imports enter the country via the Gulf Coast.
- 29 percent of domestic oil is produced in the Gulf Coast.
- 42 percent of the U.S. refining capacity is located in the Gulf Coast.
- 11 percent of the finished motor fuels in the United States are distributed from this region to other parts of the country.
The primer also explains the low margin nature of the fuel retailing industry and the relationship between wholesale and retail prices. And finally, it presents a short summary of the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the fuels market in 2005.
Suicide bomber kills 11 in Pakistan
England women win Euro bronze
ND0830111
INDIANAPOLIS, IN ? The rising cost of cigarettes has prompted a number of new roll-your-own cigarette shops to open in the Indianapolis area, the Indianapolis Star reports.
"I haven't bought a carton [of cigarettes] in months because they are too darn expensive," said local resident Tina Ward, who recently rolled her own cigarettes at Indy?s Smoke Station for less than $25, roughly half the price of brand name cigarettes.
"I think I've found me a new cigarette," she said.
Ward is not alone in Indy, and as a result, commercial brands are losing sales to bags of tobacco and rolling paper, staples of the do-it-yourself set.
"My over-the-counter, regular cigarette business has just kind of died," said Randy Biggs, owner of Randy's Tobacco Shop on Lafayette Road, who now offers roll-it-yourself options for $15 to $20.
Four Smoke Stations have opened in the past eight months, with owner Kelly McKasson saying he plans to operate as many as 12 within the city.
"With today's economy, it's a big, big savings for people," said McKasson.
The lure of roll-it-your-own cigarettes, of course, is the absence of taxes, McKasson explains.
?Because we are just selling raw material, we are not a manufacturer, and we don't have to abide by the state minimum prices," he said.
As a result, gas station and convenience store say that whenever the cigarette tax increases, their cigarette sales decrease as they lose out to the roll-your-own stores.
"The first thing that happens when taxes go up is that people seek out low-tax and no-tax alternatives," said Jeff Lenard,�vice president�of communications for NACS. "Until everything is equal for everyone, you will see people exploit loopholes."
"It's really, really taken off," said Dave Kepler, owner of Smoker's Choice, which has seven locations, adding that even if taxes are imposed on the rolled cigarettes, consumer consumption shouldn?t vary.
"It's still going to be a better value than commercial," he said.
Seattle Students Chat With Space Station Astronauts On Monday
Hurricane Irene threatens the East Coast
NFL franchise 'realistic' in UK
Vettel secures ninth pole of season at Spa
вторник, 30 август 2011 г.
U.N. warns on mutant strain of bird flu virus
ND0829112
ALEXANDRIA, VA ? NACS introduced version 2.0 of its mobile app today, which will improve and enhance the attendee experience at this year?s NACS Show in Chicago, October 1 to 4.� Version 2.0 is free to download and delivers�compelling benefits.
The NACS mobile app is available in native and web-based forms and includes detailed event information, speaker bios for general sessions and workshops, comprehensive listings of the 1,300-plus exhibitors, an interactive expo map with routing to booths and integration of social media and trending of the #nacsshow twitter feed.�
?We listened to the feedback from users and looked to incorporate that into an improved user interface this year. We added more networking capability for users to exchange contact information directly through the app by employing Bluetooth technology. We?re using the app to highlight daily NACS Show deals, and developed custom content to delight our mobile app users even more this year,? said NACS Vice President of Marketing Derek Gaskins.�
The mobile app also offers NACS Show exhibitors dynamic marketing opportunities including video, banner ads and opportunities to provide coupons to increase booth traffic.
?The world-class connections that the NACS Show provides are greatly enhanced with the NACS mobile app,? said Gaskins. ?It provides an efficient platform to leverage technology and create more robust NACS Show experiences, as well as more opportunities for year-round engagement. The strength of the native mobile app version is that most functionality will be accessible, even when there is no Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G or web connection.?
The NACS mobile app is compatible with the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, iPad, iPod Touch and other smartphones. It can be downloaded ? free of charge ? by accessing the iTunes library and Android market. Compatible smartphones can also download the app at nacsshow.com/mobileapp.
Registration for the NACS Show is available at nacsshow.com.
Legendary newsman Tom Brokaw will serve as a NACS Show Closing General Session speaker on October 4 and Bert Jacobs, co-founder and CEO (chief executive optimist) of The Life is good Co., will serve as an Opening General Session speaker on October 2.�
Overall, 21,983 attendees were at the NACS Show in 2010, including 1,328 international attendees. The NACS Show featured a 370,000-plus net-square-foot expo with 1,300 exhibiting companies ? including 330 companies new to the NACS Show.�
Syria opposition open to Libya-style intervention?
Hurricane Irene threatens the East Coast
Talas (Northwest Pacific Ocean)
Infrared images from NASA's Aqua satellite have been keeping track of two tropical storms in the western North Pacific Ocean: Talas and Nanmadol.
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US Open plans unaffected by storm
ND0825114
WASHINGTON ? Delivering its mid-year economic forecast earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said it doesn?t foresee a recession but that slow growth will keep unemployment above 8% until 2014, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Assessing economic data through early July, the CBO projected that inflation-adjusted GDP will rise only 2.3% this year and 2.7% next year, with the U.S. economy failing to operate at its potential ? meaning that labor and capital are fully employed ? until 2017.
In the interim, the CBO said to expect a weak job market, with unemployment to fall from 9.1% today to 8.5% in the fourth quarter of 2012, remaining above 8% until 2014.
?Weakness in the demand for goods and services is the principal restraint on hiring, but structural impediments in the labor market ? such as a mismatch between the requirements of existing job openings and the characteristics of job seekers (including their skills and geographic location)?appear to be hindering hiring as well,? the CBO said.
The CBO also said that inflation, which increased in the first half of this year, will decrease in the second half of the year and then stay below 2% over the next several years.
Wozniacki wins opener at US Open
Libyan rebels set deadline for loyalist towns
ND0829115
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. ? The number of people on food stamps in South Dakota has jumped 75 percent in the past five years, meaning one of every eight South Dakotans now participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
From 2005 to 2010, the number of vendors certified by the United States Department of Agriculture to take food stamps in South Dakota rose 19 percent to 622 vendors, reports the Argus Leader.
Although the USDA does not track which types of foods are purchased using SNAP benefits, this issue could come under fire when Congress takes up the farm bill next year, a bill that provides funding for SNAP and other nutrition programs. Because food stamps can be used to purchase products such as energy drinks, soft drinks and candy, some health advocates suggest that the government should provide more scrutiny over the foods people are allowed to purchase. For example, SNAP participants cannot use their benefits to buy fresh salad bar items or hot prepared foods.
"It doesn't seem to me that government should buy things that make people sick and then clean up the mess later," Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, Jeff Lenard, spokesman for NACS, added that most convenience stores, which accept SNAP benefits,�offer far more than just soft drinks and candy, noting that for 50-plus years the industry has sold milk, breads and other healthy staples.
The USDA also disputes that there is a link between obesity and food stamps, noting that the data does not exist to support the notion. The agency, according to the newspaper, has sent a request to companies for assistance with compiling hard data on what foods people are buying with food stamps.
"Concern is frequently expressed that SNAP benefits are spent on unhealthy foods," the request said. "However, no data exists that identifies the types of foods SNAP recipients purchase with their benefits."
Deadly casino fire 'got out of control'
Morita injury puts Robson through
ND0823111
CARSON CITY, NV ? Nevadans will soon be able to renew car registrations and extend their drivers licenses at grocery stores, as the state Board of Examiners approved last week a 10-year contract to install Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) kiosks in grocery stores throughout Nevada, the Nevada News Bureau reports.
The $27.6 million contract will be offset by user fees for the kiosks, which will cost $1 for all transactions except car registration renewal, which will run $3, according to Bruce Breslow, director of the DMV.
The purpose of the initiative is to provide convenience for customers while simultaneously reducing the need for staff at the state?s multiple DMV offices. While state-run DMVs close at 5 p.m., the new kiosks will remain open and accessible 24 hours a day, Breslow said.
"Let's say you live out in Summerlin," he said. "By the time you get in your car, take the freeway, find the DMV office, wait in line at the DMV, get back in your car and negotiate the traffic to get back there, that's two hours of your life plus a couple of gallons of gas. So certainly a dollar is a better alternative than that."
The state expects to install 40 kiosks at stores beginning next spring, mostly in Southern Nevada locations where DMV wait times are highest.
AIK striker Bangura joins Celtic
GB lose Euro Eventing crown
5 suspects arrested in Mexican casino torching
Death toll rises in blast at U.N. building in Nigeria
Indian activist ends fast after 12 days
Indian activist ends fast after 12 days
Vettel secures ninth pole of season at Spa
Vettel edges closer to world title after victory in Belgium
Death toll rises in blast at U.N. building in Nigeria
Wozniacki ends losing run in US
понеделник, 29 август 2011 г.
NASA'S Exploration Associate Administrator Doug Cooke To Retire
GB lose Euro Eventing crown
GB team grab three world silvers
ND0825114
WASHINGTON ? Delivering its mid-year economic forecast earlier this week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said it doesn?t foresee a recession but that slow growth will keep unemployment above 8% until 2014, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Assessing economic data through early July, the CBO projected that inflation-adjusted GDP will rise only 2.3% this year and 2.7% next year, with the U.S. economy failing to operate at its potential ? meaning that labor and capital are fully employed ? until 2017.
In the interim, the CBO said to expect a weak job market, with unemployment to fall from 9.1% today to 8.5% in the fourth quarter of 2012, remaining above 8% until 2014.
?Weakness in the demand for goods and services is the principal restraint on hiring, but structural impediments in the labor market ? such as a mismatch between the requirements of existing job openings and the characteristics of job seekers (including their skills and geographic location)?appear to be hindering hiring as well,? the CBO said.
The CBO also said that inflation, which increased in the first half of this year, will decrease in the second half of the year and then stay below 2% over the next several years.
ND0822114
DEERFIELD, Ill. ? Walgreens is banking that customers who want some really nice prices will love its new Nice! stores, 24/7 Wall Street reports. The drugstore chain has plans to open about 400 Nice! locations that will stock its private-label household and grocery products.
Nice! products retail for 30 percent under other national brands, the company claims. The private-label products will hit store shelves by early next year.
Walgreens said initially, Nice! labels will be on bakery products, sauces and soups, with more products added continually. Currently, Walgreens store brands were on dry grocery goods, such as dried fruit, mac-and-cheese, rice and tea, under the banners W, Deerfield Farms and Caf� W, but those products will be converted to the Nice! label.
Next year, Walgreens will commence a national promotional drive to increase recognition of the products. The company pointed to recent research that ?shows 75 percent of Walgreen shoppers purchase store brands in Walgreens,? according to Nielsen. Walgreens tested the new line on consumers to favorable results.
ND0822114
DEERFIELD, Ill. ? Walgreens is banking that customers who want some really nice prices will love its new Nice! stores, 24/7 Wall Street reports. The drugstore chain has plans to open about 400 Nice! locations that will stock its private-label household and grocery products.
Nice! products retail for 30 percent under other national brands, the company claims. The private-label products will hit store shelves by early next year.
Walgreens said initially, Nice! labels will be on bakery products, sauces and soups, with more products added continually. Currently, Walgreens store brands were on dry grocery goods, such as dried fruit, mac-and-cheese, rice and tea, under the banners W, Deerfield Farms and Caf� W, but those products will be converted to the Nice! label.
Next year, Walgreens will commence a national promotional drive to increase recognition of the products. The company pointed to recent research that ?shows 75 percent of Walgreen shoppers purchase store brands in Walgreens,? according to Nielsen. Walgreens tested the new line on consumers to favorable results.
Tropical Storm Jose (Atlantic Ocean)
While the remnants of Irene drench Quebec and Newfoundland, satellites are keeping tabs on two other tropical cyclones in the Atlantic.
England men take European bronze
China day care attack injures 8 kids
Froome snatches Vuelta red jersey
Jones gets first England call-up
ND0824113
NEW YORK ? An article in the Washington Post earlier this week focused on New York City?s rejected proposal to ban the use of food stamps to purchase soda.
The USDA rejected the proposal last week, explaining that the move would have required a waiver from the Agriculture Department, and as such, ?[T]he waiver the city sought was denied because of the logistical difficulty of sorting out which beverages could or could not be purchased with food stamps??
The article moved past the news item and focused on whether the proposal would have actually worked. That is, ?Does banning the use of food stamps to purchase soft drinks actually reduce consumption of soft drinks, thereby lowering obesity rates??
The answer, according to recent food policy research, suggests that it would not have made much of an impact.
A 2007 USDA report revealed that financial barriers to soda do lower consumption, but not significantly.
?[A] 10-percent reduction in milk price would result in a 14-percent increase in the consumption of reduced-fat milk, and a 10-percent increase in soft drink price would lead to an 8-percent reduction in soft drink consumption.? The report concluded that ?price manipulation may have varying effects on food purchases across different foods.? That is, consumption for fruits and vegetables would be more profoundly affected than it would for soda and junk food.
Also, if food stamps couldn?t be used to purchase soda, consumption would fall in lower income areas and the prices would subsequently decrease, thereby stimulating higher soda consumption ? the opposite effect as desired.
The authors of the USDA report concluded that changes to what food stamps cover would ?likely be an ineffective and inefficient instrument for bringing about desired nutritional outcomes.?
The Washington Post noted that the article?s research is theoretical, and that no states have yet to test what would actually happen in practice.
ND0829113
MADISON, Wis. ? GreenBiz blogger Gregg Hoffmann wrote in WisPolitics.com that if you stop to gas up and get something to eat at a Kwik Trip store, ?pause to look around for a moment.?
?The signs might be somewhat inconspicuous, but you very likely could be standing in one of the ?green? stores that is making La Crosse-based Kwik Trip a national leader in sustainable energy convenience stores,? he writes, adding that roughly half of the convenience stores in the country that have qualified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification are owned and operated by Kwik Trip.
David Ring, community relations coordinator for Kwik Trip, commented that most customers probably don?t notice the green initiatives that have taken place, ?but we believe they and the community as a whole are benefiting from them.? Ring also emphasizes that going green is the right thing to do and makes business sense.��
According to Leah Nicklaus Berlin, development coordinator for Kwik Trip, most of the green initiatives have payback periods of five years or less. ?Anything under five years is a no-brainer,? she told the new source.
Those initiatives include LED lighting, skylights and additional windows, using more concrete than asphalt, recycling efforts, low-flow toilets and sinks, water reclamation at the car wash, an energy management systems, more efficient motors for coolers and other in-store equipment to help cut costs and save energy.
Discussions on greening of the chain started about three to five years ago, according to Berlin. ?We felt it was the right approach for our customers and the community as a whole,? she told the news source, adding, ?But, we also felt it has to make sense from a business standpoint. It has to be cost effective.?
Ring commented that other initiatives are in very early stages, including electric vehicle re-charging stations, and offering more ethanol blends, biodiesel and natural gas at some stores. ?As the market for those alternative sources develop, we plan on adapting,? Ring commented.
Kwik Trip also operates its own commissary, which allows the retailer to prepare and package most of its own food. Under the Nature?s Touch brand, Kwik Trip sells bagged milk and orange juice with a free pitcher. ?The result is a 95 percent reduction in compacted volume in landfills and a 75 percent reduction in package weight,? notes the news source.
The retailer also sells potatoes, onions, carrots and dairy products as much as possible from local farmers. ?We see the local food movement very much as part of the overall sustainability initiatives we have undertaken,? Ring noted.
Be among the first to learn more about Kwik Trip during the NACS ?Ideas 2 Go? General Session on October 3 at the NACS Show.
Space Station Commercial Cargo Carrier Arriving At NASA Wallops
Clijsters withdraws from US Open
U.S. official: Al Qaeda's No. 2 has been killed
ND0822112
CLEARWATER, Fla. ? Bruce Mitchell, president of Rally Stores Inc., is hoping that Gov. Rick Scott will reform Florida?s regulations, especially because one change would result in a $500,000 annual savings for his company, the Gulf Coast Business Review reports.
If Florida rescinds an unnecessary Department of Environmental Protection regulation, the state?s 7,000 gasoline stations could save between $210 million and $280 million collectively, or around $30,000 to $40,000 per station, Mitchell said.
The redundant rule involves yearly testing of gasoline tanker trucks for leaks ? something the federal government already does. Florida is reviewing more than 11,000 rules that are set to expire, and the leak-testing regulation is one of around 1,500 the state is likely to revoke.
?Presently, each time a tank truck connects to the loading rack it is monitored for leaks, and if a leak is found the loading system will shut down, so this is redundant to have an annual test,? said Mitchell, who also chairs the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association. Repealing this rule will save the industry money and time.
Rescinding the law would also nix the obligation for retailers to put in vapor recovery systems at the pump. Mitchell said since tanker trucks also recover vapors when dispensing fuel into underground receptacles, there?s no need for such recovery systems at the pump.
ND0826111
HARRISBURG, PA ? In a letter last week sent to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), Walmart said it plans to pull out of a deal to install 23 state-controlled wine vending machines in its Pennsylvania stores, the Associated Press reports.
A company statement released this week attributed the change of plans to ?mechanical concerns? over the 10-foot high machines, which are part of a program that some had touted as a way to add customer convenience to the state?s antiquated liquor laws.
"Walmart will continue to work with PLCB officials to look at ways to modernize the state's liquor and wine distribution system and provide Pennsylvanians with a convenient shopping experience," the company said.
Alan Fellheimer, a lawyer representing the contractor for the machines, said mechanical problems affected less than 0.5 percent of transactions. ?They never installed them, so I don't know what they base that on," he said.
Earlier this year, Wegmans Food Markets Inc. pulled out of an agreement with the PLCB to sell wine through machines at 10 of its stores, citing problems with the machines and customer complaints.
Irene (Atlantic Ocean)
A new NASA satellite image highlights Irene's intense precipitation as it moved into New England on Aug. 28.
ND0824112
YORK, PA ? Rutter?s Holding?s, Inc. announced earlier this week that it has reached spot number two on the Central Penn Business Journal?s 2011 list of the Top 100 Private Companies.
Generating sales of $585 million last year, a 17% lift over 2009, Rutter?s rose from number three on the list from a year ago (and from number five from 2006), attaining the number one ranking among privately held companies in York County.
Contributing to Rutter?s lofty position atop the list of 100 local companies is its ability to increase revenue despite a weak economy. Over the past three years, it has posted nearly 33% growth.
Webber tops timesheets in Spa practice
GB team grab three world silvers
неделя, 28 август 2011 г.
ND0822113
DENVER ? Tobacco mints, strips and toothpicks that melt in your mouth are considered the new frontier for tobacco companies, but some state and federal regulatory agencies are not sure how to classify the products, Time reports.
Last week, the Colorado Department of Public Health held a hearing on dissolvable tobacco products to talk about how the products could appeal to teenagers and children. Stephanie Walton, with the state?s health department, said that youth could be attracted to the price points and packaging of Camel Orbs, Sticks and Strips, which are being tested in Colorado and North Carolina by R.J. Reynolds. Dissolvable tobacco is not subject to regular tobacco taxes.
Marlboro and Skoal have been piloting dissolvable tobacco sticks in Kansas. Star Scientific has had dissolvable products Ariva and Stonewall on the market for 10 years, but the company has kept a lower profile in marketing the products.
Camel?s dissolvables are minty, small and easy to hide, detractors point out. R.J. Reynolds countered by saying the products are sold in convenience stores and other places next to tobacco products with the same health warnings and age restrictions.
Opponents also object to the appearance of dissolvables, saying they look like treats. ?Those who keep referring to these tobacco products as 'candy' or 'mints' are irresponsibly perpetuating false and misleading information,? said Richard Smith, spokesman for R.J. Reynolds.
R.J. Reynolds developed its line of dissolvables to help smokers in an era of increased smoking bans. ?They meet societal expectations,? said Smith. ?There's no second-hand smoke, there's no spitting, and with dissovables, there's no cigarette-butt litter.?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently looking into marketing and health effects of dissolvable tobacco products for a report due March 2012.
ND0822113
DENVER ? Tobacco mints, strips and toothpicks that melt in your mouth are considered the new frontier for tobacco companies, but some state and federal regulatory agencies are not sure how to classify the products, Time reports.
Last week, the Colorado Department of Public Health held a hearing on dissolvable tobacco products to talk about how the products could appeal to teenagers and children. Stephanie Walton, with the state?s health department, said that youth could be attracted to the price points and packaging of Camel Orbs, Sticks and Strips, which are being tested in Colorado and North Carolina by R.J. Reynolds. Dissolvable tobacco is not subject to regular tobacco taxes.
Marlboro and Skoal have been piloting dissolvable tobacco sticks in Kansas. Star Scientific has had dissolvable products Ariva and Stonewall on the market for 10 years, but the company has kept a lower profile in marketing the products.
Camel?s dissolvables are minty, small and easy to hide, detractors point out. R.J. Reynolds countered by saying the products are sold in convenience stores and other places next to tobacco products with the same health warnings and age restrictions.
Opponents also object to the appearance of dissolvables, saying they look like treats. ?Those who keep referring to these tobacco products as 'candy' or 'mints' are irresponsibly perpetuating false and misleading information,? said Richard Smith, spokesman for R.J. Reynolds.
R.J. Reynolds developed its line of dissolvables to help smokers in an era of increased smoking bans. ?They meet societal expectations,? said Smith. ?There's no second-hand smoke, there's no spitting, and with dissovables, there's no cigarette-butt litter.?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently looking into marketing and health effects of dissolvable tobacco products for a report due March 2012.
U.S. official: Al Qaeda's No. 2 has been killed
Jones gets first England call-up
Tropical Depression 10 (Atlantic Ocean)
The tenth Tropical depression of the Atlantic Ocean season is struggling in the eastern part of that ocean basin, and the GOES-13 satellite revealed that it didn't change much in the last 24 hours.
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NEW YORK ? MSNBC featured the efforts of QSRs to introduce healthier fare, with Burger King promoting fresh vegetables and oatmeal, McDonald?s selling ?real fruit smoothies? and Wendy?s pushing ?natural? lemonade and salads.
Following the success of Subway and Chipotle, which earned prominence with their fresh, customized offerings, QSRs are shifting to fresh as the competition tightens in the foodservice industry.
?It?s going to be a real battle for market share,? said Bonnie Riggs, restaurant industry analyst with NPD Group, adding that the U.S. foodservice market is likely to grow less than one percent a year over the next decade.
Last week, Burger King revamped its advertising strategy, focusing on fresh vegetables while dismissing its longtime King mascot. And this past week, it added oatmeal to its menus.
McDonald?s said it has been working for years on providing healthier fare, reducing sodium in its McNuggets and phasing out super-size options. Additionally, it has pledged to offer a healthier version of its Happy Meal, too.
Burger King?s new ?food-centric? advertising coincided with the launch of its new oatmeal, an attempt to help revive same-store sales that fell 5.3 percent in the most recent quarter.
Other QSRs developing healthier food items include Jack in the Box, which will begin including apple bites as an option with its kids meals, and Carl?s Jr. and Hardee?s, which are now offering turkey burgers.
Murray faces Devvarman at US Open
ND0824113
NEW YORK ? An article in the Washington Post earlier this week focused on New York City?s rejected proposal to ban the use of food stamps to purchase soda.
The USDA rejected the proposal last week, explaining that the move would have required a waiver from the Agriculture Department, and as such, ?[T]he waiver the city sought was denied because of the logistical difficulty of sorting out which beverages could or could not be purchased with food stamps??
The article moved past the news item and focused on whether the proposal would have actually worked. That is, ?Does banning the use of food stamps to purchase soft drinks actually reduce consumption of soft drinks, thereby lowering obesity rates??
The answer, according to recent food policy research, suggests that it would not have made much of an impact.
A 2007 USDA report revealed that financial barriers to soda do lower consumption, but not significantly.
?[A] 10-percent reduction in milk price would result in a 14-percent increase in the consumption of reduced-fat milk, and a 10-percent increase in soft drink price would lead to an 8-percent reduction in soft drink consumption.? The report concluded that ?price manipulation may have varying effects on food purchases across different foods.? That is, consumption for fruits and vegetables would be more profoundly affected than it would for soda and junk food.
Also, if food stamps couldn?t be used to purchase soda, consumption would fall in lower income areas and the prices would subsequently decrease, thereby stimulating higher soda consumption ? the opposite effect as desired.
The authors of the USDA report concluded that changes to what food stamps cover would ?likely be an ineffective and inefficient instrument for bringing about desired nutritional outcomes.?
The Washington Post noted that the article?s research is theoretical, and that no states have yet to test what would actually happen in practice.
ND0822112
CLEARWATER, Fla. ? Bruce Mitchell, president of Rally Stores Inc., is hoping that Gov. Rick Scott will reform Florida?s regulations, especially because one change would result in a $500,000 annual savings for his company, the Gulf Coast Business Review reports.
If Florida rescinds an unnecessary Department of Environmental Protection regulation, the state?s 7,000 gasoline stations could save between $210 million and $280 million collectively, or around $30,000 to $40,000 per station, Mitchell said.
The redundant rule involves yearly testing of gasoline tanker trucks for leaks ? something the federal government already does. Florida is reviewing more than 11,000 rules that are set to expire, and the leak-testing regulation is one of around 1,500 the state is likely to revoke.
?Presently, each time a tank truck connects to the loading rack it is monitored for leaks, and if a leak is found the loading system will shut down, so this is redundant to have an annual test,? said Mitchell, who also chairs the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association. Repealing this rule will save the industry money and time.
Rescinding the law would also nix the obligation for retailers to put in vapor recovery systems at the pump. Mitchell said since tanker trucks also recover vapors when dispensing fuel into underground receptacles, there?s no need for such recovery systems at the pump.
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In early August 2005, "Katrina" was just a name. By September, it had become synonymous with the costliest tropical cyclone in U.S. history.
ND0822114
DEERFIELD, Ill. ? Walgreens is banking that customers who want some really nice prices will love its new Nice! stores, 24/7 Wall Street reports. The drugstore chain has plans to open about 400 Nice! locations that will stock its private-label household and grocery products.
Nice! products retail for 30 percent under other national brands, the company claims. The private-label products will hit store shelves by early next year.
Walgreens said initially, Nice! labels will be on bakery products, sauces and soups, with more products added continually. Currently, Walgreens store brands were on dry grocery goods, such as dried fruit, mac-and-cheese, rice and tea, under the banners W, Deerfield Farms and Caf� W, but those products will be converted to the Nice! label.
Next year, Walgreens will commence a national promotional drive to increase recognition of the products. The company pointed to recent research that ?shows 75 percent of Walgreen shoppers purchase store brands in Walgreens,? according to Nielsen. Walgreens tested the new line on consumers to favorable results.
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ND0819112
NEW YORK ? This week Wells Fargo & Co. joined a ?growing number of banks? that are implementing or testing a monthly fee for consumers to use their debit cards, a move that Dow Jones Newswires reports as a way to offset lost revenue due to the Durbin Amendment.
According to the news source, Wells Fargo and other banks have ?stripped debit cards of reward points because bankers said they will lose hundreds of millions in revenue after the Federal Reserve decided to lower the fee that banks can charge merchants for debit-card transactions.?
Wells Fargo will begin charging a $3 monthly fee for debit cards used for making purchases on October 14 in several states, notes the news source. J.P. Morgan Chase has been testing a similar fee in Wisconsin since February, while other banks, such as Regions Financial Corp. and SunTrust decided that debit cards for some of their checking-account customers will carry a $4 and $5 monthly fee, respectively. TCF Financial Corp. is also considering monthly debit card fees for customers.
Wells Fargo and other banks have already removed rewards points from their debit cards ?because bankers said they will lose hundreds of millions in revenue after the Federal Reserve decided to lower the fee that banks can charge merchants for debit-card transactions,? notes the news source, which is required under the Durbin Amendment.
On June 29, the Federal Reserve ruled that banks can charge retailers 21 cents each time consumers swipe a debit card, beginning Oct. 1. The average swipe fee is currently 44 cents.
The banks, furious about the new restrictions, warned that they would be seeking new ways to offset lost revenue, with one bank considering calling a new fee the ?Durbin fee,? notes the news source.
A Wells Fargo spokeswoman wouldn't comment to Dow Jones on how long Wells Fargo plans to test the new monthly fee in Washington, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada and Oregon. Meanwhile, some banks are either resisting adding a new fee, including U.S. Bancorp and Capital One.
A July Associated Press-GfK poll found that about two-thirds of consumers use debit cards more frequently than credit cards, reports the Winston-Salem Journal. When consumers were asked how they?d react to a new $3 monthly fee for their debit card, 61 percent said they'd ?find another way to pay.?
Jeff Lenard, spokesman for NACS, told the newspaper that "simply are not credible on the issue,? noting that if reducing swipe fees results in higher fees to bank customers, then the tripling in swipe-fee charges over the past decade should have led to lower customer fee.
"That has not happened," Lenard said. "If they do pass on fees, it's really because they want to."
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ND0825113
WASHINGTON ? The National Retail Federation (NRF) filed formal comments earlier this week urging the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to reject a proposal to accelerate the timeframe to hold union organizing elections.
The proposal, which would shorten the timeframe to as little as 10 days, would deny employers the right to argue against unionization and would shortchange workers from hearing a balanced argument, the NRF maintains.
?The current labor system fairly balances the interests of retailers and employees in a system that has worked efficiently for many decades,? NRF said. ?The NLRB?s proposals, however, would eviscerate that balance. The proposals would raise costs for retailers and ultimately consumers, and harm employees in a myriad of ways, such as by denying them necessary information and threatening their right to privacy.?
NRF?s remarks come in response to NLRB regulations proposed earlier this year. Insofar as the ?quickie elections,? the NRF said there is no need for the change because elections already occur an average of 31 days after a petition is filed and within 56 days for 95 percent of elections, an efficient timeframe.
The 10-day period would ?severely undercut? the ability for retailers to make their arguments against unionization, the NRF said, leaving workers ?to vote without being fully informed and with unanswered questions concerning the bargaining unit they will be joining.?
The NRF also said the 10-day period would make it difficult to determine who is eligible to vote in a union election, especially because more than one-third of retail workers are part-time and many others are seasonal.
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ND0824112
YORK, PA ? Rutter?s Holding?s, Inc. announced earlier this week that it has reached spot number two on the Central Penn Business Journal?s 2011 list of the Top 100 Private Companies.
Generating sales of $585 million last year, a 17% lift over 2009, Rutter?s rose from number three on the list from a year ago (and from number five from 2006), attaining the number one ranking among privately held companies in York County.
Contributing to Rutter?s lofty position atop the list of 100 local companies is its ability to increase revenue despite a weak economy. Over the past three years, it has posted nearly 33% growth.
