A sign is posted in front of a McDonald's restaurant on April 28, 2022 in San Leandro, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
The head of McDonald's U.S. on Wednesday publicly criticized a landmark California bill that would give the state more control over pay for fast-food workers, saying it unfairly targets big chains.
The remarks by Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald's U.S., come after the California state Senate earlier this week passed a bill that would give a 10-person council the authority to raise the industry's minimum wage to up to $22 an hour for chains with more than 100 locations nationally. California's current wage floor is $15.50 an hour. The council would also have the authority to establish safety conditions.
Proponents of the bill say it will empower fast-food workers and help solve industry problems such as unsafe working conditions and wage theft, which can include not paying employees for overtime. But the FAST Act faces strong opposition from the restaurant industry, which fears the impact on California restaurants and the example it sets for other states.
"It imposes higher costs on one type of restaurant, while sparing another. That's true even if those two restaurants have the same revenues and the same number of employees," Erlinger wrote in a letter posted to the company's site Wednesday.
For example, Erlinger said a McDonald's franchisee with two locations would be subject to the bill, since it's part of a large national chain. But he said the owner of 20 restaurants that aren't part of a chain would be exempt.
"Aggressive wage increases are not bad. ... But if it's essential to increase restaurant workers' wages and protect their welfare – and it is – shouldn't all restaurant workers benefit?" Erlinger wrote.
It's rare for McDonald's to speak out publicly against state legislation, although the chain was reportedly pushing its franchisees to lobby against the California bill. Nearly 10% of McDonald's U.S. restaurants are located in California, according to Citi Research.
McDonald's only operates about 5% of its more than 13,000 U.S. locations. Its franchisees own the rest, but the chain often lobbies on their behalf. In 2019, McDonald's told the National Restaurant Association it would no longer oppose federal, state or local minimum wage hikes.
Other restaurant companies have been fighting the bill as well. State records show that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chick-fil-A, Yum Brands and Restaurant Brands International are among the chains that have been spending money to lobby California lawmakers to oppose the legislation.
The National Restaurant Association, an industry group, has also spent at least $140,000 to fight the bill, according to California records. The organization's president, Michelle Korsmo, said in a statement that 45% of California restaurant operators report that business conditions are worse today than they were three months ago.
"The FAST Act isn't going to achieve its objective of providing a better environment for the workforce, it's going to force the outcomes our communities don't want to see," she said.
A stricter version of the FAST Act that would make franchisors like McDonald's liable for their franchisees' labor violations passed the California state Assembly. But the number of changes made to the Senate version mean the bill will have be voted on again in the Assembly or reconciled before it can make its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk.
Newsom hasn't indicated whether he'll sign or veto the bill, although his Department of Finance opposed the initial version of the legislation.
The omicron-specific booster shots set to arrive within the next week are being fast-tracked, and just got approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration before being fully tested in humans.
There's a good reason why, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
"If we wait for those data to emerge in human data, not just mice data, we will be using what I would consider to be a potentially outdated vaccine," Walenksy said on the "Conversations on Health Care" radio show last week. That could have severe consequences for the nation ahead of a projected Covid surge in the fall and winter, she added.
The FDA authorized new boosters from Pfizer and Moderna on Wednesday, for most Americans who have completed their primary vaccination series. The agency approved Pfizer's updated booster for people ages 12 or older, and Moderna's updated shot for people ages 18 and older. Shots will be available once the CDC provides guidelines for their use, which is expected in the coming days.
Both shots have yet to complete human trials. The FDA based its decision off real-world evidence of existing Covid vaccine safety, plus clinical trial data of earlier bivalent vaccines targeting older forms of omicron and current lab data on the BA.5 shot in mice.
The approach is nothing new: The agency already uses a similar strategy with flu shots, which are safely updated each year without human testing to keep up with mutating flu viruses.
"The FDA has extensive experience with reviewing strain changes in vaccines, as is done with the annual flu vaccine," FDA commissioner Robert Califf wrote on Twitterlast week.
The agency's approval strategy has stirred debate among scientists, with some suggesting that people wait for human test results before getting one of the boosters themselves.
"For the FDA to rely on mouse data is just bizarre, in my opinion," John Moore, an immunologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, told NPR earlier this month. "Mouse data are not going to be predictive in any way of what you would see in humans."
But the country urgently needs the updated shots' targeted layer of protection against BA.5, which currently accounts for nearly 88% of confirmed U.S. cases, Walensky said: The fast-tracked approval could help people get those doses before the virus potentially gives way to new variants, rendering the BA.5-specific shots "outdated."
"I believe it is best to use a vaccine that's tailored for the variant that we have right now," Walensky said, noting that the updates to the boosters' components are "very, very small," and aren't expected to affect the safety of the shots.
Califf emphasized the same point on Twitter last week, writing: "Real world evidence from the current mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, which have been administered to millions of individuals, show us that the vaccines are safe. As we know from prior experience, strain changes can be made without affecting safety."
Approving the new boosters as soon as possible should be a priority heading into the fall and winter, when BA.5 could wreak more havoc on the U.S., Walensky emphasized: "I really would love to be ahead of the variant this season."
Update: This story has been updated to reflect the FDA's approval of bivalent Covid booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna.
LOS ALTOS, Calif., Aug. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fast Simon, the leader in AI-powered shopping optimization, today announced an integration with Attentive, boosting top-class mobile marketing with optimized AI eCommerce personalization. This partnership empowers innovative brands to create meaningful interactions through personalized text and email messaging.
Fast Simon’s AI eCommerce optimization and advanced data collection enrich Attentive’s top-class short messaging service (SMS) and email marketing. With this integration, retailers can create search and browse abandonment journeys and tailor segments according to subscribers’ intent in their search and browsing activities.
Since SMS requires people to opt-in, they can control the access to their favorite brands — whether for customer support or member-only offers or to track order status. Fast Simon’s personalization expertise creates relevant marketing messages brands can send using Attentive, resulting in better outcomes for shoppers.
"Reducing abandoned search journeys is a big goal for retailers. Fast Simon has created an optimized experience for Attentive merchants, using critical metrics to send shoppers timely, personalized messages through shopping and purchase behavior," said Greg Bauman, director of partnerships at Attentive.
The Fast Simon and Attentive integration enables the following features and benefits:
Highly Targeted Outreach Campaigns
Merchants can create and target customer segments using a search query of viewed collections. Personalized recommendations for retargeting SMS campaigns are based on:
Shoppers’ behavior in search and collections pages
Smart recommendations for semantic and visual product data
Smart AI personalization engine
SMS Marketing That Stands Out
By targeting customers according to their individual needs, and in unique ways, merchants can grow business engagement and customer loyalty by:
Retargeting based on a shopper’s last session
Creating customer groups according to interest and personal details
Delivering catchy and accurate message content
Customized and Relevant Recommendations and Events
As subscribed shoppers search or click on collections or products, merchants can apply this data to automatically generate AI-based recommendations used in Attentive journeys or segments.
“SMS marketing keeps communication simple, in one place, and is measurable for merchants. Notifications can reach customers at peak times and during optimal trigger moments,” said Zohar Gilad, co-founder and CEO, Fast Simon. “Our integration with Attentive brings out the power of AI optimization to align with shopper intent, reduce cart abandonment and boost conversions.”
About Fast Simon Fast Simon delivers optimized eCommerce experiences that dramatically increase conversions and average order value (AoV). Its revolutionary platform uniquely integrates shopper, behavioral, and store signals for strategic merchandising, search and personalization. Fast Simon powers shopping optimization for thousands of fast-growing and sophisticated brands, including Steve Madden, Princess Polly and Motherhood. The company integrates seamlessly with all major eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, Microsoft Dynamics, and WooCommerce.
Media Contact:
Davida Dinerman
Look Left Marketing
fastsimon@lookleftmarketing.com
A panel established by the bill would set hourly wages of up to $22 for fast food workers starting next year.
Photo: Leonard Ortiz/Zuma Press
California’s Legislature passed a bill Monday to create a government panel that would set wages for an estimated half-million fast food workers in the state, a first-in-the-U.S. approach to workplace regulation that labor union backers hope will spread nationally.
The bill, known as the Fast Act, would establish a panel with members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders composed of workers, union representatives, employers and business advocates. They would set hourly wages of up to $22 for fast food workers starting next year and can increase them annually by the same rate as the consumer-price index, up to a maximum of 3.5%.
A previous version of the bill passed by the state Assembly in January also allowed the council to oversee workplace conditions such as scheduling and made restaurant chains joint employers of their franchise’s employers, potentially opening them to liability for labor violations.
Representatives for companies including McDonald’sCorp. , Yum BrandsInc. and Chipotle Mexican GrillInc. succeeded in having those provisions removed in the state Senate via amendments over the past week, though they still oppose the bill.
“This is the biggest lobbying fight that the franchise sector has ever been in,” said Matthew Haller, president of the International Franchise Association, a trade group whose members own many fast food restaurants.
A University of California, Riverside School of Business study commissioned by the franchisee association found that setting minimum wages between $22 and $43 would generate a 60% increase in labor costs and raise fast-food prices by about 20%.
California’s current minimum wage is $15 and is set to increase by 50 cents on Jan. 1.
The final version of the Fast Act passed both houses of the Democratic-controlled state Legislature on Monday. In both the Assembly and the Senate, all of the “yes” votes came from Democrats and every Republican who voted opposed the bill.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom now has until Sept. 30 to decide whether to sign or veto the bill.
Mr. Newsom hasn’t taken a public stance on the current version of the bill, but his Department of Finance opposed the original version.
Labor unions backing the measure have long struggled to organize fast food workers, in part because the industry’s franchise model means there are so many different employers.
California lawmakers first floated the bill last year, with proponents arguing that tighter regulations were needed to protect fast food workers, who are overwhelmingly Black or Latino and who they say experience unpaid overtime and other labor violations.
Despite the recent changes, proponents said the bill is still a significant step forward. Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, a former Democratic legislator who introduced the bill when she was in the Assembly, said it moves California closer to a labor model used in Europe where unions negotiate for wages and work conditions in an entire sector, rather than company-by-company.
“It’s still a big bold idea. And just the notion of giving workers a voice at the table will be fundamentally different for those workers,” said Ms. Gonzalez Fletcher, who now leads the California Labor Federation, the state’s largest union umbrella group.
The recent amendments call for the council to shut down in 2028 unless it is renewed, though inflation-adjusted wage increases for workers would continue.
The bill covers fast food restaurants that are part of a chain, that have limited or no table service and where customers order their food and pay before eating. The chain must have 100 or more locations nationally, up from 30 in a previous bill version.
California accounts for around 14% of total U.S. restaurant sales, and policy in the state tends to affect the rest of the sector, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. analysts wrote in a client note earlier this month.
Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry said she hoped the bill would be a catalyst for similar movements across the country.
Investors have begun to ask about the act’s potential implications for restaurant chains at a time when companies are struggling with high food and labor costs, Wall Street analysts said.
“Obviously, we think it’s problematic on many, many fronts,” said Paul Brown, chief executive of Dunkin’ and Arby’s owner Inspire Brands Inc., in an interview. “I think it’s actually trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.”
Chipotle, Yum Brands, Chick-fil-A Inc., In-N-Out Burgers, Jack in the BoxInc., and Burger King parent Restaurant Brands InternationalInc. have together spent more than $1 million to lobby lawmakers between 2021 and June 30 of this year, primarily on the Fast Act, state records show.
The International Franchise Association, which represents some 1,200 franchise brands, has spent $615,000 lobbying against the Fast Act and other legislation in that time.
Disclosures for lobbying spending since July 1 aren’t due until later this year, but industry advocacy against the bill has ramped up considerably during that time, people familiar with the effort said.
Labor unions have collectively spent more than $5 million to lobby the Legislature since the beginning of 2021, mostly on the Fast Act, state records show.
McDonald’s has encouraged franchisees around the country to email California lawmakers urging them to vote against the bill, according to a message viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
State Sen. Shannon Grove, a Republican, said on the Senate floor Monday that McDonald’s representatives told her that if the Fast Act becomes law, the company could stop expanding in California or leave altogether.
“Could we really survive without the golden arches?” Ms. Grove said.
It’s sort of amazing how The Fast and the Furious, a movie about street racers who were also small time crooks, has transformed into a massive franchise where those former street racers are now also globe trotting secret agents, and yet, here we are. All the members of theFast & Furiousfamily have been through a lot over the course of nine films. When Fast X arrives next year, Nathalie Emmanuel says her own character, the computer expert Ramsey, will also have evolved in some big ways.
Ramsey is a reasonably new addition to the “family” as she first appeared in Furious 7 as the creator of the God’s Eye, the MacGuffin from that film. Since then, Ramsey has continued to be part of the team, usually behind a computer. In F9, we discover that Ramsey doesn’t even know how to drive, but Nathalie Emmanuel, who plays Ramsey, tells THR that by the time we get to Fast X, Ramsey will be a better driver and a more important part of the team. The actress explains…
Yes, she’s definitely much more open to driving than she was before, but in [Fast X], we see Ramsey taking lead a bit more and continuing to affirm her place in the group and her necessity within the group, which is always really fun.
There are so many members of the team in the Fast & Furious movies that it’s likely difficult to balance them all and give them all their due on screen. Ramsey is certainly a character that seems to have fallen into the back of the pack since her importance in Furious 7. It’s great to hear that she’s going to be more important in Fast X, not only possibly doing a bit more driving, but also taking more of a lead role in the story. The new found confidence of Ramsey likely mirrors Emmanuel herself who admitted she was very nervous when she first joined the franchise.
This gives us at glimpse into what at least one member of Fast & Furious crew will be doing in the new film. Beyond that, we don’t really know what the new film has to offer. Jason Momoa will be playing the film’s new villain, one assumes he’ll be working alongside Charlize Theron’s Cipher who has continued to be a thorn in the side Dom and company for the last couple films. Brie Larson has also joined the franchise, though her role is unknown. We do know the “family” will be getting larger as Rita Morena is set to play Grandma Toretto.
Fast X is set to open next May, and will be the first of what is expected to be a two-part finale to the Fast & Furious franchise. Louis Leterrier has taken over as director following Justin Lin’s decision to depart the production in that role. He remains an executive producer.
The presence of DLL4 and VCAM1 during the endothelial to hematopoietic transition supports development of HSPC with robust T cell potential.(A) Schematic overview of chemically defined platform for producing multipotent hematopoietic progenitors and T cell progenitors from pluripotent stem cells. (B) Flow cytometry analysis of progenitor T cell output after transitioning cells from 7 days in each EHT coating condition into a common defined thymic niche for an additional 7 days. (C) Quantification of the frequency and yield of CD7+ lymphoid progenitors and CD7+, CD5+ T cell progenitors after 7 days in the thymic niche (mean ± SD, n = 6). Indicated P values reflect result of Mann-Whitney test. (D) Experimental design to assess the effect of adding or omitting the EHT culture phase before transferring cells into the thymic niche. (E) Immunophenotype of cells generated with or without the EHT culture stage. Numerals in (E) correspond to the schematic in (D). (F) Results of limiting dilution analysis to assess the frequency of cells with CD7+ NK/T lymphoid potential within the CD34+ population with or without an EHT step. Indicated cell numbers were seeded in 96-well plates and cultured for a total of 14 days (either 7 days EHT + 7 days pro-T differentiation medium or 14 days pro-T differentiation medium). Wells were scored as positive if they contained >25 viable CD7+ cells. Frequencies were modeled as the number of cells required to achieve a failure rate of 0.37. (G) Quantification of the yield and frequency of T cell progenitors generated with or without an EHT culture phase. Indicated P value is for the effect of EHT on CD5+, CD7+ yield, two-way ANOVA. Credit: Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn5522
A University of British Columbia research team has developed a new, fast, efficient process for producing cancer-fighting immune cells in the lab. The discovery could help transform the field of immune cell therapy from an expensive, niche endeavor to something easily scalable and broadly applicable.
"We've figured out the minimal necessary steps to efficiently guide pluripotent stem cells to develop in the dish into immune cells, in particular, T cells," said Dr. Yale Michaels, referring to the most essential cells of the human immune system. "One of the next steps we're working on is to scale this up and make it work more efficiently so that we can make enough cells to treat patients."
The breakthrough paper, published last week in Science Advances by Dr. Michaels, Ph.D. student John Edgar, and a team from Dr. Peter Zandstra's lab at UBC's Michael Smith Laboratories and School of Biomedical Engineering, describes a novel method that is now the fastest known way to produce T cells in the lab.
T cells are instrumental in CAR T therapy, a well-known and successful cancer treatment that involves obtaining immune cells from the patient, genetically modifying them to fight against the patient's cancer and infusing them back into the patient's body to fight the disease. Although this type of therapy has an efficacy rate of close to 50 percent for some cancers, a new batch of medicine needs to be created for each treatment, costing roughly half a million dollars each round.
"Because the main cost associated with these treatments is the fact that they're made individually, a more cost-effective strategy could be figuring out how to manufacture those immune cells in the lab using stem cells, instead of taking them directly from a patient," explains Michaels.
Pluripotent stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any type of cell in the human body and can endlessly renew themselves. Using PSCs to create immune cells in the lab for therapeutic treatments means hundreds of doses of a medicine could be derived from a single cell.
Building on a large body of previous work in the area, Michaels, Edgar and a team from the Zandstra lab discovered that providing two proteins to stem cells during a key window of development improved the efficiency of immune cell production by 80 times. By working strictly with the proteins DLL4 and VCAM1, instead of the animal cells and serums that complicated previous methods, the production process becomes a carefully controlled pipeline that is easy to replicate.
The improvement of this production pipeline is one step among many towards solving a variety of human health challenges. How to scale up a cell differentiation process, how to make cells good at killing cancer and fighting against other immune diseases, and how to deliver them to patients in a safe way are all important questions being explored simultaneously by the Zandstra lab and other research groups.
Dr. Michaels acknowledged that the collective work of thousands of people, each making important contributions, enabled this project to succeed.
"People have made tremendous progress over the last 20 years and this breakthrough is an exciting continuum," he said.
The team hopes their new findings and ongoing work in the lab will contribute to future clinical pipelines.
More information: Yale S. Michaels et al, DLL4 and VCAM1 enhance the emergence of T cell–competent hematopoietic progenitors from human pluripotent stem cells, Science Advances (2022). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn5522
Citation: A breakthrough for fast, efficient production of human immune cells (2022, August 30) retrieved 30 August 2022 from https://ift.tt/r0McHbk
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Monday advanced a nation-leading measure that would give more than a half-million fast food workers more power and protections, over the objections of restaurant owners who warn it would drive up consumers’ costs.
The bill would create a new 10-member Fast Food Council with equal numbers of workers’ delegates and employers’ representatives, along with two state officials, empowered to set minimum standards for wages, hours and working conditions in California.
A late amendment would cap any minimum wage increase for fast food workers at chains with more than 100 restaurants at $22 an hour next year, compared to the statewide minimum of $15.50 an hour, with cost of living increases thereafter.
“We made history today,” said Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry, calling it “a watershed moment.”
“This legislation is a huge step forward for workers in California and all across the country,” she said as advocates offered it as a model for other states.
The Senate approved the measure on a 21-12 vote, with no votes to spare and over bipartisan opposition. That sends it to the Assembly for final action before lawmakers adjourn on Wednesday. Assembly members previously narrowly passed a broader version of the bill.
Debate split along party lines, with Republicans opposed, although three Democrats voted against the measure and several did not vote.
“It’s innovative, it’s bringing industry and workers together at the table,” said Democratic Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, who carried the bill in the Senate. She called it a “very, very well-balanced method of addressing both the employers, the franchisees, as well as the workers.”
Almost every Republican senator spoke in opposition, including Sen. Brian Dahle, who also is the Republican nominee for governor in November.
“This is a steppingstone to unionize all these workers. At the end of the day, it’s going to drive up the cost of the products that they serve,” Dahle said. He added later: “There are no slaves that work for California businesses, period. You can quit any day you want and you can go get a job someplace else if you don’t like your employer.”
Restaurant owners and franchisers cited an analysis they commissioned by the UC Riverside Center for Economic Forecast and Development saying that the legislation would increase consumers’ costs. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration also fears the measure would create “a fragmented regulatory and legal environment.”
The debate has drawn attention nationwide, including on Capitol Hill where Democratic U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna has expressed hope it will trigger similar efforts elsewhere.
It’s “one of the most significant pieces of employment legislation passed in a generation,” said Columbia Law School labor law expert Kate Andrias. She called it “a huge step forward for some of the most vulnerable workers in the country, giving them a collective voice in their working conditions.”
The bill grew out of a union movement to boost the minimum wage and Andrias said it would “work in conjunction with traditional union organizing to give more workers a voice in their working conditions.”
International Franchise Association President and CEO Matthew Haller countered that the legislation “is a discriminatory measure aimed to target the franchise business model to bolster union ranks.”
Organizations representing Asian, Black and LGBTQ businesses sent a letter to senators Monday arguing that the measure would harm minority owners and workers.
Time is running out for Americans to get their allotment of free COVID-19 tests from the government.
The program is set to be suspended Sept. 2 — or earlier, if supplies run out — because Congress has not provided additional funding to replenish the government’s stockpile, according to a message on the COVID test website.
Earlier this summer, the Biden administration said it planned to phase out the program, and shift the cost of COVID tests to health insurers. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the Department of Health and Human Services has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday to discuss the transition and the next steps to take.
Every U.S. household is eligible for eight free rapid antigen tests per order, for a total of 16 free tests. The program started in January, offering four tests per household, then later expanded in March and May.
Anyone who has not used their allotment can still order them in the coming days by signing up online at https://special.usps.com/testkits, or by calling 1-800-232-0233. The tests are free and there are no shipping costs.
If you’re not sure if you’ve reached your allotment, you can fill out the online order form online; if you’re no longer eligible, a message will tell you that you’re reached the current limit.
Given the option, a golfer will always choose a big finish over a fast start.
For Brooke Henderson, that wasn’t in the cards in Thursday’s opening round of the CP Women’s Open. The headliner of the tournament that’s being played for the first time in three years made birdies on her first three holes, but slowed up coming home with bogeys on two of her last three.
It added up to a mediocre score of 69 that leaves her seven shots off the lead held by South African Paula Reto, who shot a sizzling 62. That score broke the course record set by Henderson the last time the tournament was held at the Ottawa Hunt and Country Club in 2017.
“Hot start, which was a lot of fun,” said Henderson. “Definitely disappointed with how I finished the day on a birdie or eagle-able par-5, making bogey.”
After a massive buildup and with her image plastered all over the nation’s capital, Henderson looked calm and relaxed as she stepped on to the 10th tee to begin her day, waving and smiling to the massive gallery that extended the length of the hole. She seemed to be at ease as the fans cheered her every step and every swing throughout the day.
“It was so cool to have that much love and support,” she said. “You know they’re happy even when I bogeyed the last hole. They were still cheering for me. It’s just an amazing feeling and I can’t wait for hopefully a better day tomorrow, and just can’t wait to hear some bigger roars.”
The pride of Smiths Falls, Ont., drove the ball well, missing just two fairways and blasting it past her playing partners Lydia Ko and Jennifer Kupcho on most holes. She also found the majority of the greens, failing to land on just two in regulation.
With the greens still soft from rain earlier in the week, she also went on attack mode with her approach shots and often was putting for birdie from inside 15 feet as she flew her ball at the flag time after time.
On the putting surfaces, however, is where her round stalled. Henderson used 32 strokes to get around and while that may seem high, she still seemed to have some control with the club that has confounded her most of her career, burning edges and leaving putts a half-revolution short of dropping. It wasn’t necessarily a great putting round but it was very close to being exceptional.
“I feel like I hit the ball really close today,” she stated. “Maybe the putter wasn’t as hot on the back nine. I feel like I could have gone really low, so it’s a little disappointing. At the same time, under par and I feel like things are OK and I’ll play better tomorrow.”
Henderson will need to play catch up on Friday as 50 players in the field recorded lower scores than hers as the course set-up was favourable for low scores. In her last two starts in this tournament, she opened with rounds of 66 and went on to win and finish tied for third. This year, in her two victories, she jumped out to fast starts with opening-round scores of 64 and 67.
In some ways, with the course setup, it may have been a missed opportunity for a low round.
“For the most part, they gave us an opportunity to score,” Henderson said. “Moved a couple of tees up, which was nice. I wasn’t really surprised though. They like to see us make some birdies. I’m sure it’ll be a little bit tougher moving forward though.”
Among the low scores were three Canadians representing a wide range of experience. Veteran Alena Sharp, 41, who is playing with limited status this year due to a poor 2021 campaign, fired a four-under 67 that included six birdies and a double. She attributed her success to her putter, a club that has given her trouble in the past but shined on Thursday.
“Struggled with my putting last year all year,” she said, “and came out and changed my grip, changed putter, I'm aiming it better, and I made a lot of putts today. Some of those putts that I would've been scared to putt last year, I stood up and was very assertive and made a good stroke. Nice to see them go in.”
Sharp was joined at four under by LPGA rookie Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., who carded a bogey-free round, and a shot behind them was amateur Lauren Zaretsky who had a wild day that included four birdies, a double a bogey and a hole-in-one.
Selena Costabile, who competes on the Epson Tour, was tied with Henderson at 2 under.
A candidate for mayor of Windsor wants to fast track elements of the City of Windsor's Vision Zero Action Plan.
Ward 4 Councillor Chris Holt wants to implement all the recommendations from the Vision Zero Task Force into how streets are constructed and how the rules of the road are enforced.
Vision Zero describes the goal of zero road crash fatalities and serious injuries on Windsor streets. An action plan to achieve this goal is currently being developed that encourages changes in the way roads work and are designed to ensure all fatalities and life-altering injuries caused by auto collisions are eliminated.
Some of the elements Holt wants to fast track include increasing winter roadway maintenance, review yellow and all red intervals for traffic signals, implement fatal collision response teams, target speed requirements for new construction and roadway projects, and speed limit reductions.
Holt says the most immediate and simple start is to reduce speed limits across the city.
"This mayor has avoided that simple act and continues to stall any initiatives tied to Vision Zero," he says. "These initiatives cost very little and can be easily implemented simply by directing administration to make those changes, but this mayor has never seriously prioritized road safety."
Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens calls Holt's comments, that he continues to stall any traffic safety recommendations, "sheer nonsense."
"I think what Chris Holt is saying is that he would do it all at once and he's not thinking about the budget impact of that, and that's why he's too risky," he says.
Holt wants to see a 10-kilometer an hour residential speed limit reduction across the city, which is what the Vision Zero Task Force is recommending.
"It means nothing when it comes to inter-city travel. Lowering the speed limit, the default speed limit from 50 to 40 kilometers and hour drastically increases the chances you're going to survive a collision," he says.
But Dilkens says earlier in this term, Councillor Gary Kaschak brought forward a motion to reduce speed limits to 40 km/ on residential streets.
"That was problematic because it was going to cost $1-million and there was no framework to put that under, so we said let's do this under Vision Zero and let's wait for that process to happen," he says. "That process has been underway, we have a full committee that council approved and that work will be back before City Council by the end of the year."
Dilkens calls Holt's comments "political shenanigans" on projects they're already moving forward on.
"I think the takeaway here is that we've been doing this sensibly, we've been trying to do it methodically to make an impact. What Chris Holt is talking about is doing everything all at once, which would have a significant budget impact and cost taxpayers a lot of money," he adds.
A draft version of the Vision Zero Action Plan is expected to be finalized by the Winter of 2022, with the plan going to City Council shortly after for final approval.
Holt is running for mayor against Benjamin Danyluk, Ernie Lamont, Aaron Day and incumbent mayor, Drew Dilkens.
Municipal elections across Ontario are set for Oct. 24.
This page contains information on how to find and unlock fast travel points in Saints Row. Unlike other open world games, you’ll have limited fast travel options when exploring Santo Ileso. Luckily, other spots can be located and unlocked both as places to travel to, and places to respawn when you are killed.
When you first begin Saints Row, you’ll have only your apartment as a temporary headquarters, but by progressing through the story, you’ll form The Saints and take ownership of the large church that becomes both an HQ and a fast travel point. This will also be the main location you will respawn at or load into the game at.
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Note: You cannot fast travel to any point once you have started a mission. If you know where a mission is likely to take place (like the Saints HQ), it is advised you fast travel before bringing up your missions list to select a mission!
The good news is that there are more fast travel spots to unlock, but they won’t automatically appear on your map. You’ll have to drive or explore near large landmarks across the city for a marker to appear on your map. They are technically marked as a “Discovery” on your map, and look like a yellow train car symbol. Investigating this map point will note it as a “Fast Travel Photo”.
In order to unlock the Fast Travel Point, you’ll need to reach the marker on your map (as close to the point as possible), and bring up your camera either in the app or by pressing up on the D-Pad. Aim your camera at the large landmark depicted in the map point, and center it until you are given the indication to take the photo. Doing so will turn the Discovery map marker into a purple Fast Travel point that will not disappear from the map, and instead become a location you can fast travel to. This will also serve as a spot to respawn if you are killed nearby - as it will choose the fast travel point you are closest to.
Witness the birth of the Saints in this wild new take on the Saints Row universe. Experience the biggest and best Saints Row playground ever created; the unique sprawling world of Santo Ileso is the backdrop for a wild, larger than life sandbox of thrilling side hustles, criminal ventures and blockbuster missions.
Despite the growing popularity of electric vehicles, many consumers still hesitate to make the switch. One reason is that it takes so much longer to power up an electric car than it does to gas up a conventional one. But speeding up the charging process can damage the battery and reduce its lifespan. Now, scientists report that they've designed superfast charging methods tailored to power different types of electric vehicle batteries in 10 minutes or less without harm.
The researchers will present their results today at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
"Fast charging is the key to increasing consumer confidence and overall adoption of electric vehicles," says Eric Dufek, Ph.D., who is presenting this work at the meeting. "It would allow vehicle charging to be very similar to filling up at a gas station." Such an advance could help the U.S. reach President Biden's goal that by 2030, half of all vehicles sold should be electric or hybrid.
Charging the lithium-ion batteries that fuel electric vehicles is a delicate balancing act. Ideally, drivers want to power up as quickly as possible to get back on the highway, but with current technology, speeding up the process can cause damage. When a lithium-ion battery is being charged, lithium ions migrate from one side of the device, the cathode, to the other, the anode. By making the lithium ions migrate faster, the battery is charged more quickly, but sometimes the lithium ions don't fully move into the anode. In this situation, lithium metal can build up, and this can trigger early battery failure. It can also cause the cathode to wear and crack. All of these issues will reduce the lifetime of the battery and the effective range of the vehicle -- expensive and frustrating consequences for drivers.
One solution to this conundrum is to tailor the charging protocol in a way that optimizes speed while avoiding damage for the many different types of battery designs currently used in vehicles. But developing optimal protocols requires a huge amount of data on how various methods affect these devices' lifetimes, efficiencies and safety. The design and condition of batteries, as well as the feasibility of applying a given charging protocol with the current electric grid infrastructure, are also key variables.
To address these challenges, Dufek and his research team at Idaho National Laboratory now report the use of machine learning techniques that incorporate charging data to create unique charging protocols. By inputting information about the condition of many lithium-ion batteries during their charging and discharging cycles, the scientists trained the machine learning analysis to predict lifetimes and the ways that different designs would eventually fail. The team then fed that data back into the analysis to identify and optimize new protocols that they then tested on real batteries.
"We've significantly increased the amount of energy that can go into a battery cell in a short amount of time," says Dufek. "Currently, we're seeing batteries charge to over 90% in 10 minutes without lithium plating or cathode cracking."
Going from a nearly dead battery to one at 90% power in only 10 minutes is a far cry from current methods, which, at best, can get an electric vehicle to full charge in about half an hour. While many researchers are looking for methods to achieve this sort of super-fast charging, Dufek says that one advantage of their machine learning model is that it ties the protocols to the physics of what is actually happening in a battery.
The researchers plan to use their model to develop even better methods and to help design new lithium-ion batteries that are optimized to undergo fast charging. Dufek says that the ultimate goal is for electric vehicles to be able to "tell" charging stations how to power up their specific batteries quickly and safely.
The researchers acknowledge support and funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Office.
Xerox moved up its climate goals by 10 years and joined the growing club of net zero 2040 pledges.
One of the most well-known copier brand names, Xerox believes it can control its impact on the planet. And fast-tracking its net zero goals by 10 years is one way of doing that.
In its most recent Corporate Social Responsibility Report, Xerox CEO John Visentin stated that:
“Our roadmap covers our full value chain and focuses on improving processes and energy efficiency… as well as designing environmentally responsible products and clean technologies that extend beyond print.”
Why Xerox Fast-Tracks its Net Zero Goal
Since establishing its first climate targets in 2003, Xerox has achieved a significant reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The firm’s first baseline year was between 2002 and 2016. Within that period, Xerox eliminated 320,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).
In 2016, the copier aimed to cut 25% more greenhouse gases by 2025. But it achieved that goal much earlier by 2019.
So now Xerox wants to cut the same scope 1 (direct) and 2 (indirect) emissions by 60% by 2030 against its 2016 baseline. If it occurs on track, that will be an 85% reduction since 2002.
The following are the copier’s GHG emissions from 2016 up to 2020 involving its Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
In 2020, Xerox achieved a 50% reduction from the 2016 baseline for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (97,456 metric tons of CO2e).
About 69% were direct emissions from the combustion of natural gas, gasoline, and diesel fuel. The remaining 31% of the emissions total were indirect emissions from purchased electricity and steam.
For Scope 3 emissions, the company has a 35% reduction goal by 2030. It has laid out a roadmap to help guide its efforts to achieve its net zero emissions goals.
Xerox Roadmap to Net Zero 2040
Xerox plans to reach its climate goals in three major pathways as shown in the figure below.
Xerox invests in solutions that conserve natural resources and reduce the energy intensity of its operations.
For instance, it has replaced chillers, boilers, and compressors at manufacturing and office sites with high-efficiency equipment to minimize energy use. Such efforts allowed the copier to decrease its energy consumption by 15.9% in 2020.
The reduction has been steady since the 2016 baseline.
Beyond energy reduction, Xerox will further cut its emissions by employing low- and no-carbon alternatives. These include alternative fuels for fleet vehicles and renewable energy for operations.
Contributions to circular economy
Xerox also strives to eliminate and reduce its waste as part of its net zero goals. To do so, it develops recyclable packaging whenever possible.
Since 2014, Xerox has launched products that gained the environmental certification known as EPEAT Silver or Gold. It stands for Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool reflecting several categories of environmental attributes that span the life cycle of electronic products.
For the last 20 years, the firm has been aiming to keep toner cartridges out of landfills. Its take-back and remanufacturing program contributes significantly to this mission.
In fact, over 1.5 million Xerox toner cartridges were manufactured using recovered cartridges in 2020. That represents as much as 50% of toner cartridge production.
Recycled waste toner makes up a quarter of the cartridge and does not affect print quality.
In 2021, Xerox introduced printers and multi-function devices with 10–16% post-consumer recycled plastic content. Then 21% is for the associated toner cartridges.
When it comes to compensating its emissions, Xerox plans to buy carbon credits to offset its unavoidable footprint. As to how much it will invest, the firm doesn’t specify yet.
But it will seek to invest in carbon capture and sequestration as well as supporting reforestation projects.
Brampton and Oakville will soon be home to new Odd Burger locations. The new vegan fast-food chain looks to create "guilt-free" fast food. FACEBOOK PHOTO
Vegan burger lovers in Brampton and Oakville will soon have another option when it comes to breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Odd Burger, a chain of company-owned and franchised vegan fast-food restaurants that offers plant-based protein and dairy alternatives on the menu, is opening up in both locations.
The vegan fast-food chain recently announced the addition of new locations in Surrey, BC and Regina, SK, as well as Brampton and Oakville.
It currently has seven other restaurants operating in Ontario.
“We are seeing a rapid acceleration of our franchising operations all across Canada,” says James McInnes, co-founder and CEO of Odd Burger.
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“The strategic partnerships with our area representatives are proving to be extremely effective as they have brought in incredibly passionate franchisees that believe in our mission and will help make Odd Burger the world leader in vegan fast food.”
The new Brampton restaurant is nearing the end of construction and will be located at 9055 Airport Rd.
Franchisees Jayant Ahluwalia and Divneet Kaur will run the location which is expected to open this September pending approval from local municipal authorities.
A date for the grand opening of the new Brampton restaurant will soon be announced on Odd Burger’s social media accounts.
The new Oakville location will be run by franchisees Vijaykumar and Trupti Mehta. It will be located at the Dorval Crossing West, which was previously secured by Odd Burger and will be subleased to them pending approval from the landlord.
Construction is set to begin on the Oakville location once permits are approved.
Odd Burger is looking to revolutionize the fast-food industry by creating “guilt-free” fast food.
As well as a variety of vegan burgers, Odd Burger’s menu includes a vegan sausage breakfast sandwich, a pulled “pork” sandwich, ChickUn Pretenders and Wingalings.
The vegan chain is set have an additional 76 locations open in the next eight years in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.
At a time of significant growth in the free ad-supported television (FAST) space, Roku has announced the addition of 14 linear channels available through its Live TV Guide.
The news comes after the company added local news to The Roku Channel for the first time with the launch of eight NBC Local news channelsin June, with this latest announcement also adding NBC San Diego News, NBC Boston News and NBC San Francisco Bay Area News. A further news channel, LX News, which focuses on technology and the environment, also comes to The Roku Channel.
The full range of channels coming to The Roku Channel includes: BBC Kids; Bounce XL; Cheaters; Cine EstrellaTV; Court TV’ Grit Xtra; Ion; Ion Mystery; Ion Plus; NBC Boston News; LX News; NBC San Diego News; NBC San Francisco Bay Area News; and Roku Channel Westerns.
While Roku continues to expand its FAST offering, the company is currentlyrecovering from lower-than-expected Q2 2022 results. The company saw viewing hours decrease by 200 million, but added 1.8 million users to a total of 63.1 million active accounts.
Roku alsolast week announcedpartnerships with three CTV makers to expand its footprint in Mexico.
Every day, it seems there’s another viral hack making its rounds that promises to transform your quality of life for the better. In the realm of sleep, one such hack that’s been trending on TikTok all summer long is the Navy SEAL Sleep Technique — initially shared by author, podcaster, and former Navy SEAL officer Jocko Willink(opens in new tab), and made even more popular by lifestyle coach Nick Vitello(opens in new tab).
To get a better sense of this napping strategy—including what it involves, how effective it is, and how it compares to other popular sleeping techniques like the 4 7 8 Sleep Method and the Military Sleep Method—we spoke to Po-Chang Hsu, MD, a medical content expert for Sleeping Ocean and graduate of the Tufts University School of Medicine.
Before we dive in, remember that sleep hacks can only get you so far. To give yourself a greater chance of better sleep, it’s worth investing in the best mattress for your body type and preferred sleeping position.
“The Navy SEAL Sleep Technique involves laying the back on the floor at the edge of the bed and then putting the legs on the bed,” Dr. Hsu begins. “This puts the sleeper in a position similar to the letter Z, but with the laps stretching a bit onto the bed. The legs are elevated at a 90-degree to 120-degree angle.”
In addition, it’s important to highlight that the Navy SEAL Sleep Technique is actually geared for a short, restorative nap of eight to 10 minutes (rather than a full night’s rest) to stay alert when you’re short on sleep and crunched for time. “In a military sleep manual, special forces are advised to use breaks in combat for an afternoon nap,” he explains.
Does the Navy SEAL Sleep Technique work?
While countless TikTok hacks don’t get green-lit by experts, this one gets Dr. Hsu’s official stamp of approval. “This hack can help most people sleep in less than eight minutes,” he says. According to Dr. Hsu, this unique resting position inhibits venous pressure, “which would have been an issue when lying down [flat, but isn’t] in this position.”
He continues, “Raising the legs above the heart makes pumping blood to the legs more difficult, lowering the blood pressure in the legs.” This redistribution of blood flow from your feet and legs to other parts of the body—like the heart and brain—can boost relaxation and comfort, helping you to nod off for a quick nap.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
How to use the Navy SEAL Sleep Technique
“Using this technique is best when there's too little time to sleep,” Dr. Hsu shares. “By practicing this technique for an eight-minute sleep, many people have said they feel sufficiently rested and that it feels like 6 hours’ [worth of] sleep.”
Better yet, this sleep technique is simple enough to put into practice yourself. Here’s how to do it:
Lay down in a position that permits you to elevate your feet above your heart. (You can lay on the floor and rest your feet at the foot of your bed, or on a couch or chair.)
Set your alarm clock for eight to 10 minutes.
Close your eyes and wake up feeling more alert than before.
Navy SEAL Sleep Technique vs 4 7 8 Sleep Method
Dr Andrew Weil, Founder and Director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, developed the 4 7 8 Sleep Method, which he described as “a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.” It involves a deep, rhythmic pattern of breathing that activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which leads into “rest and digest”(opens in new tab) mode (versus the “fight or flight” stress response of the sympathetic nervous system).
“While the 4 7 8 Sleep Method focuses on breathing exercises and tension release, the Navy SEAL sleep technique does more,” Dr. Hsu says, “It helps the body have better circulation and makes it possible for a short sleep or nap.” Again, he reiterates that the Navy SEAL sleeping hack is geared for naps, while the 4 7 8 method is ideal for nighttime use and helps you fall into slumber faster.
It is also worth noting that the 4 7 8 Sleep Method requires a longer time commitment. You'll need to repeat the breathing cycle three to four times, twice daily—and it may take up to four to six weeks of regular practice before you notice any major changes. On the other hand, some people may find it easier to benefit from the Navy SEAL nap hack on the first few tries.
Navy SEAL Sleep Technique vs Military Sleep Method
The Military Sleep Method is another hack that made its rounds on TikTok before the Navy SEAL Sleep Technique took off. “The Military Sleep Method focuses on muscle relaxation,” according to Dr. Hsu, and involves conscious tension release in the body, calming visualizations, and internal repetition of the words “‘don’t think” if your mind wanders.
The Military Sleep Method is similar to the 4 7 8 Sleep Method as both are meant to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Each is also geared for falling asleep more quickly and soundly at night. On the other hand, the Navy SEAL Sleep Technique is a quick fix if you feel like you need to recharge in the daytime with a quick nap.
“The Navy SEAL Sleep Technique is a perfect hack for those without time to sleep, but it should not be used to replace a full night's sleep,” Dr. Hsu explains. He also warns that you shouldn’t rely on it too often, or as a replacement for a full night’s rest.
“It's like fast charging a battery built to slow charge. In the long run, the battery's lifespan will be greatly affected,” Dr. Hsu says. In other words, while quick and intermittent charges may help in the short term, you’re much better off investing in a longer, more sustainable charge in the form of quality nighttime rest.
“Most sleep benefits are not achieved when the body is charged quickly with the Navy SEAL technique,” he adds. “The brain and immune system don't get rejuvenated fully,” that is, compared to gaining consistent, high-quality rest overnight.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
How to sleep better at night: quick tips
While the Navy SEAL Sleep Technique may help you recharge quickly if you feel sluggish throughout the day, it’s still essential to prioritize getting better sleep at night. With that in mind, Dr. Hsu shares a few parting tips to sleep more soundly:
Practice healthy stress management. Dr. Hsu says one of the best ways to encourage quality sleep is to be aware of how you respond to stress, which is a common sleep disruptor. "It’s always a good idea to try mindfulness practices, breathing exercises, gentle yoga, journaling, or listening to relaxing sounds—especially before bed,” he says, “No working in bed or late hours if you want to sleep well.”
Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. When you go to bed each night and wake up every day is crucial if you want to sleep better at night. “Stick to a consistent sleep schedule to help your circadian clock run smoothly,” Dr. Hsu advises.
Optimize your bedroom environment. Your bedroom environment also influences how well you’ll be able to sleep. Dr. Hsu recommends keeping your bedroom "comfortably cool (around 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit), dark, and quiet.” Other measures you can take, according to Dr. Hsu, are to block outside noises with a white noise machine or earplugs – or limit disruptive noises and light by investing in a soft eye mask with built-in Bluetooth earphones.
Another way to optimize your bedroom environment for better sleep is to give your existing mattress a refresh with one of the best mattress toppers for added comfort and support. Also, make sure you're sleeping on the best pillow for your preferences and body type — otherwise, you'll be burdened by aches and pains, or night sweats if you're prone to sleeping hot.
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