Dave will report directly to Osman Ayaz, Managing Director of the Emerging Markets adidas Group, the company said in a statement.

Hero Cycles picked up majority stake in UK-based Avocet Sports to mark entry into high-end bicycle market in Europe for an undisclosed sum.

We have more than 25% market share in the Indian golf market, which is pegged at around $11 million.

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh promoted investment fund YouWeCan Ventures has invested in Mumbai-based brand licensing start-up Black White Orange Brands for an undisclosed amount.

With 70 large, warehouse-like stores, Decathlon's product pricing is about 30-40% lower than competing products.

Jim Tees should check his facts before jumping in with both feet and looking foolish.

THE brainless idiot scumbags who did this must be caught as soon as and thrown in jail for a very long time (Popular West End restaurant trashed by vandals in overnight raid, Glasgow Times online).

INTERESTING to hear that the level of traffic is steadily increasing despite the restrictions.

AS someone who has lived in Castlemilk for many years and indeed written to the Glasgow Evening Times (in the past) outlining the very lack of decent shops here, I truly hope that Stefan King’s G1 Group (which has taken over the Braes shopping centre) is committed to its regeneration.

IT’S a scandal! (South Side residents rage as dirty masks and gloves dumped in street, Glasgow Times online).

This is part of a series looking at pressing coronavirus questions of the week. We'd like to hear what you're curious about. Email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions." More than 76,000 people in the U.S. have died because of COVID-19, and there have been 1.27 million confirmed cases across the country — and nearly 4 million worldwide. Though the virus continues to spread and sicken people, some states and countries are starting to reopen businesses and lift stay-at-home requirements. This week, we look at some of your questions as summer nears and restrictions are eased. Is it safe to swim in pools or lakes? Does the virus spread through the water? People are asking whether they should be concerned about being exposed to the coronavirus while swimming. Experts say water needn't be a cause for concern. The CDC says there is no evidence the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas or water

Magician and animal trainer Roy Horn, of the legendary Las Vegas duo Siegfied and Roy, died Friday from complications related to COVID-19. Horn tested positive last week. He was 75. "The world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend," Siegfried Fischbacher said of his partner in a statement. "Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy's life." Roy Horn was born in Germany in 1944. He and Siegfried began their act in Las Vegas in 1967. In 1989 they began a 14-year run at the Mirage Resort performing illusions with exotic animals, making tigers, lions, even elephants vanish and reappear. In October of 2003, Roy Horn was performing with a 400-pound white tiger named Mantecore when the great cat grabbed him by the throat before a stunned audience and dragged him

Protests over stay-at-home orders because of COVID-19 have become more common around the country. In California, a surprising group is behind some of them: those who oppose mandatory vaccinations. On Thursday, a mash-up of people mingled on the sidewalk in front of California's state Capitol in Sacramento. There were Trump supporters wearing MAGA hats and waving American flags. There were Christians, singing along to religious rock songs and raising their hands in prayer. The event's MC. urged Gov. Gavin Newsom to tune into their event. "Everybody up at the Capitol, tell Gavin Newsom [to tune in to] 107.9 FM, if he wants to hear what we have to say," the MC told the crowd over loudspeakers. "It could be kind of good for him!" There were also mothers with their children at the rally. Many people were not wearing face masks or observing social distancing protocols. They'd all come out to protest California's stay-at-home order, put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. This week's

President Trump wants states to begin relaxing stay-at-home orders and reopen businesses after the spread of the coronavirus pummeled the global economy and killed millions of jobs. The White House coronavirus task force released guidelines on April 16 to encourage state governors to adopt a phased approach to lifting restrictions across the country. Some states have moved ahead without meeting the criteria . The task force rejected a set of additional detailed draft recommendations for schools, restaurants, churches and mass transit systems from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that it considered " overly prescriptive ." A number of states have already begun to lift restrictions, allowing for businesses including hair salons, diners and tattoo parlors to once again begin accepting customers. Health experts have warned that reopening too quickly could result in a potential rebound in cases. States are supposed to wait to begin lifting any restrictions until they have a 14

For the first time in its 231-year history, the Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments remotely by phone and made the audio available live. The new setup went off largely without difficulties, but produced some memorable moments, including one justice forgetting to unmute and an ill-timed bathroom break. Here are the top five can't-miss moments from this week's history-making oral arguments. A second week of arguments begin on Monday at 10 a.m. ET. Here's a rundown of the cases and how to listen. 1. Justice Clarence Thomas speaks ... a lot Supreme Court oral arguments are verbal jousting matches. The justices pepper the lawyers with questions, interrupting counsel repeatedly and sometimes even interrupting each other. Justice Clarence Thomas, who has sat on the bench for nearly 30 years, has made his dislike of the chaotic process well known, at one point not asking a question for a full decade. But with no line of sight, the telephone arguments have to be rigidly organized, and

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to pick up in Alaska, Dr. Anne Zink, the state's chief medical officer, faced a difficult choice. Should she continue in-person meetings and nightly briefings with Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy? Or should she opt for a more socially distant form of engagement? Zink chose the latter, saying she wanted to model the behavior that she has been appealing to residents to follow. She now appears at Dunleavy's briefings by video. And over the past two months, she has become a trusted voice as she urges Alaskans to follow the strict social distancing and other public health guidelines adopted by the state administration — which doctors groups have credited with keeping the state's COVID-19 numbers among the lowest in the country. Zink, who has a Facebook fan club and a #ThinkLikeZink hashtag , isn't the only public health official to acquire a cultlike following during the pandemic: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal infectious disease expert, has inspired a Saturday

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Very briefly, at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020, there were slightly more women on American nonfarm payrolls than men. That's no longer true. The historically disastrous April jobs report shows that the brunt of job losses fell on women. Women now account for around just under half — 49% — of American workers, and they accounted for 55% of the increase in job losses last month. One way of looking at why that matters that is to look at the gap that opened up between women's and men's unemployment last month. The below chart shows women's unemployment rate minus men's unemployment rate since 2007. Usually, the line bumps around near or just below zero — meaning men's unemployment is usually near or slightly higher than women's. But that spike on the far right shows how women's unemployment leapt to be 2.7 points higher than men's in April. Women had an unemployment rate of 16.2% to men's 13.5% last month. That's uncommon for a recession. The below chart is a longer view, and the

Updated at 9:44 a.m. ET As a young woman growing up in a poor farming community in Virginia in the 1940 and '50s, with little information about sex or contraception, sexuality was a frightening thing for Carole Cato and her female friends. "We lived in constant fear, I mean all of us," she said. "It was like a tightrope. always wondering, is this going to be the time [I get pregnant]?" Cato, 78, now lives in Columbia, S.C. She grew up in the years before the birth control pill was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, on May 9, 1960. She said teenage girls in her community were told very little about how their bodies worked. "I was very fortunate; I did not get pregnant, but a lot of my friends did. And of course, they just got married and went into their little farmhouses," she said. "But I just felt I just had to get out." At 23, Cato married a widower who already had seven children. They decided seven was enough. By that time, Cato said, the pill allowed the couple to

Airlines and airport operators in the United Kingdom are not waiting for the British government to publicly confirm their fears. Already, the groups representing major players in the U.K.'s air travel industry are pushing back on a proposal that would require travelers to quarantine after arriving from outside the country. A spokesperson for Airlines UK — a trade body with British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair as members — says the group understands from government officials that plans for a quarantine are in the works, but that details remain scarce at the moment. "We need to see the detail of what they are proposing. Public health must of course be the priority and we will continue to be guided by Sage advice," the group said in a statement emailed to NPR, noting that support measures will be necessary to ensure "that we still have a UK aviation sector once the quarantine period is lifted." "We will be asking for assurances that this decision has been led by the science and that

In the latest Maschine update (version 2.8.6) NI added the ability to change the color of your pads as well as move your pads and groups around directly from the controller. This may seem small, but for those who like to stay focused on the hardware it’s one less thing you have to go to […]

The post Maschine MK3 – Change Pad Color & Move Pads from the Hardware appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Hey what’s good MT Fam! Just wanted to share a quick tip on how to erase events directly from the controller. There are multiple ways to erase notes, but if you quickly just want to get rid of all the notes for a specific pad this short cut is one to remember. It is one […]

The post How to Quickly Erase Events & Note Data appeared first on Maschine Tutorials.

Host Jill Spears and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen chat about fall gardening chores and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen chat about late fall gardening chores and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Guest host Amber Kleinman and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen chat about the advent of winter weather and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart are staying home & staying safe, and calling in for this special Pledge Drive Edition of As the Worm Turns. They're discussing spring gardening topics and taking questions via text message and email.

Join us for the music of Crystal Gravy, of DeKalb, IL. They are a love-struck duo who even spent their first date writing their first song. We'll hear their performance in Studio A and talk with Crystal Gravy about their writing process, their relationship, and much more. We will even learn what "Hotel Stew" is. Keep up with Crystal Gravy by following their Facebook page. Find more of their music streaming on Spotify and available for download on Bandcamp! Crystal Gravy performing "Krug" live in WNIJ's Studio A Crystal Gravy performing "First Blood" live in WNIJ's Studio A Crystal Gravy performing "One More Storm" live in WNIJ's Studio A

When Víkingur Ólafsson was about 5 years old, he already knew what he wanted to be. "It sounds crazy, but I always saw myself as a concert pianist," he says. "Even if I wasn't a good pianist." The Icelandic musician, who turned 36 last month, has become a very good pianist indeed. Whether playing baroque or contemporary music, Ólafsson's technique is formidable, but it's transparency combined with warmth that has defined his singular sound. He is sought after by the world's top orchestras and concert venues and has signed on with the swanky Deutsche Grammophon record label. After well-received albums of Philip Glass and J.S. Bach , his latest album, Debussy – Rameau , was released March 27. The recording unfolds almost like a classical mixtape, with Ólafsson juxtaposing tracks by two French composers, born almost two centuries apart, who both broke new ground in music. The pianist says he tried to create a conversation between Jean-Philippe Rameau , the baroque master who literally

The Rockford Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau (RACVB) wants you to stay home and write songs. "Stay Home Songs" is a community song writing contest that is open to all ages and all types of musicians. There is no fee to enter and all genres of music are welcome. Musicians who live in Winnebago County and may enter one original song that is less than three minutes long. Nick Povalitis is the vice president of marketing and sports development for the RACVB. He believes this contest creates an engaging way for people to stay together during Governor J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order. "We want to do our part to tell stories and connect people," Povalitis said. "Musicians are some of our best creators and there are a lot of talented musicians within Winnebago County and the Rockford region." This includes the contest judges. Jodi Beach, Vince Chiarelli, Duntai Mathews, Miles Nielsen, and Antonio Ramirez will select the winning songwriter. The winner will receive a $200 gift card to a

Art fairs are common around springtime but for a lot of vendors this year, it’s not business as usual. That’s due to COVID-19 and social distancing. Two Fox Valley Area artists found a way to help bring in revenue, despite what's going on. Kelsey Rankin is the founder of Hemp Club Jewelry . She worked with her friend Laura Lynne to create a Virtual Artisan Market. “We kind of handpicked our vendors that we wanted to participate. It was an invite only, artisan handmade is what we wanted to stick with,” she said. “Because there’s a ton of people that we know out there but we wanted to keep it small in manageable for this first one.” Rankin said she understands that people are hesitant about receiving packages in the mail. She refers to advice from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. “So just wash your hands. Make sure you are being careful with any foreign object coming into the house. And if you feel like you need to wipe it down, do so. Just follow the

COVID-19 has caused uncertainty in the lives of many. During hard times, in the past, people found relief by attending comedy shows. But what do you do when comedy clubs are closed and the comics are left to find humor for themselves? A few northern Illinois comedians share how they are making it through this pandemic. Rudy Ruiz is a comedian from Aurora. He said he misses the stage. “Now that we’re not allowed into comedy clubs or open mics or even writing groups, it’s like a withdrawal,” he said. He said making people laugh is like a superpower and the pandemic is the enemy. “It’s like kryptonite right now. It’s like we can’t do anything and a lot of us are going crazy,” Ruiz explained. He said he knows some comics have tried to do virtual comedy shows but he doesn’t understand that concept. “We need the audience. You know we have that immediate response like, 'This joke did well,'” he said. He said he can’t capture key things like that without the live interaction. He also said

A northern Illinois economic development group is working on what’s being called a “code of ethics” for its member communities. They’re not alone. In this WNIJ Friday Forum, Guy Stephens looks at codes that are being created and what they can mean to economic development. Striking a balance between competing local interests to achieve a benefit of all long has been a mantra of regional economic development. No one involved seems to disagree. Still, it has been deemed necessary to “get it in writing.” The Region 1 Planning Council is an economic development alliance that comprises the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning (RMAP) and the Economic Development District of Northern Illinois (EDDNI). It includes the City of Rochelle along with governments in Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone and McHenry Counties. The Council has been working on its so-called “code of ethics” with the aim of having something in place this year. It would, among other things, prohibit local governments from

A vehicle produced in Belvidere has topped a new list of cars with the most American content. Fiat Chrysler ’s Jeep Cherokee came in at number one on the list created by Cars.com . The website looked at which cars were manufactured in America, had the most American parts, and support the most American factory jobs. Four of the top ten cars on the list are made by foreign-based companies. But Cars.com’s executive director, Joe Wiesenfelder, said, these days, all manufacturers are global. “And even what you consider an American brand might import vehicles from across the border," he said. "Whereas what might at one time been considered an import brand is building the cars here in the U.S.” Wiesenfelder sees the list as a service for someone who’s looking at what car to buy. “If they’re interested in contributing to the U.S. economy," he said, "they might see that it’s on the American-Made Index and say, ‘well, that’s one more count in its favor.’” Two other cars produced in Illinois made

A storage safe manufacturer is closing two Chicago-area factories and moving operations to Mexico to counteract the effects of metal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration. The Chicago Tribune reports Stack-On Products will lay off about 150 people at its Wauconda and McHenry plants when they close Oct. 12. Human resources director Al Fletcher said Tuesday the decision to relocate operations to Juarez, Mexico, was made about two months ago. That's when Trump announced tariffs on numerous goods and materials from China as well as other countries. Stack-On makes products ranging from tool boxes to gun vaults. Fletcher says the company has a plant in China and another in Mexico, and its only U.S. factories were the two in the Chicago area.

Rochelle has leveraged its location, and resources like its municipal railroad, to spur a lot of business activity in its corner of Ogle County . Now it’s set to move into neighboring Lee County in a big way. You don’t have to go far anywhere in Rochelle to hear the sound of a train. Tracks belonging to the country’s two largest railroads, BNSF and Union Pacific, intersect here. Union Pacific also has an intermodal facility in Rochelle to move cargo between trains and trucks, taking advantage of the city’s proximity to Interstates 88 and 39. Moving around Rochelle’s business parks, there’s another sound you might hear: a switch engine, a small locomotive used in railyards, releasing cars loaded with material for use in one of the many businesses served by the city’s municipal railroad . That city line links those companies with the big railroads, providing a direct connection to and from markets across North America, and eventually the world. Jason Anderson is Rochelle’s Economic

Every fall, northern Illinois farmers set up roadside shops to get their crops to market, as well as get visitors to check out their farms. You can find several of these along a stretch of Lincoln Highway east of DeKalb. One of the largest is Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park. It has a pumpkin farm and apple orchard, plus a lot of family attractions. These range from train rides and corn mazes to climbing walls and a "bouncing pillow." Co-owner Kimberly Kuipers says these were inspired by taking their own kids to nearby farms. "They were very nice, but there was just a lot of stuff to look at and our kids wanted to climb over everything, and were constantly getting in trouble so we thought, 'Why don't we take what we want to see for our kids, and see if we can duplicate it at our own farm?'" she said. That's what attracted Michelle Barton and her children. "I love it, and we have a great time, so we enjoy running around and doing all the activities." Kuipers says her biggest source of

For some people, going to the dentist can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, regular dental treatment keeps teeth healthy. But at the same time, the sights, sounds and smells of a dental office can be unsettling for some. But which dentists you can access, and even afford, often depends on where you live. Dionne Haney is Director of Professional Services for the Illinois State Dental Society, a professional group affiliated with the American Dental Association. Haney says membership records can provide a tally of dental specialists. "We believe there's currently about 11,000 dentists licensed in the state," she said. "Approximately 8,500 of them actually practice. But with regards to membership in ISDS, they can be practicing or retired." That may seem like a lot of dentists, but Haney says they're spread across a state that has more than 12 million residents. About two-thirds of practicing Illinois dentists are based in and around Chicago. This doesn't mean people have no access to

Unemployment can happen to anyone, and state government and colleges have resources to help those who are looking to increase skills while they are between jobs. The state's latest jobs numbers indicate that unemployment was at 4.7% in February. However, this rate was higher in many of the state's metro areas. The highest was Kankakee, at 6.7%, followed by Rockford at 6.4. Illinois Department of Employment Security spokesman Bob Gough says jobless people can sign up for unemployment insurance to stay afloat. "You also have to, of course, be looking for work, available for work, and ready for work during that period," he said. "You have to check in regularly online, call in, in order to ensure that you are indeed out there trying to find work while you're out." This state program provides benefits for up to 26 weeks. Gough says people stay on the program for an average 16 weeks. To link these people with jobs, IDES runs regional employment centers. Here, clients can submit their resumes

Illinois raised its per-gallon gasoline tax at the beginning of July and it’s already having an effect on state prices. AAA reports the current state average is around $3.14 per gallon, and may be driving some border residents to get their fuel in other states. GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan says the change came quickly. “Average prices shot up noticeably within the first 24 hours but it took almost 48-72 hours for stations to fully pass along the state’s 19 cent per gallon increase in gasoline tax,” he said. DeHaan says prices also remain high because of increased oil costs. This, he says, is due to tensions between Iran and the West in the Persian Gulf.

People are doing what they can to stay healthy, but what about their pets? Dr. Phyllis Sill is a veterinarian at Roscoe Veterinary Clinic. She says if you want to keep your dogs safe, there are certain things you shouldn't do: " Don’t let your dog suddenly go on a long run or a long walk if it hasn’t been conditioned to do so," she said. "They are probably going to end up with lameness issues or injuries." She continued, "Don’t get a group of dogs together, they might fight." Sill said it is important to think about things your dog can eat or swallow, like chocolate or the sugar substitute xylitol. "Try to keep them up and away," she warned, "because if dogs get into sugar-free gum, it can kill them." The Roscoe Veterinary Clinic is considered an essential business; therefore it remains open amid Governor J.B. Pritzker's "stay-at-home" order. But, Sill said, even though they are open, they are only admitting patients with serious conditions. "We are looking at patients who have growths

Rory Block performed a special concert at World Cafe Live during the XPN Music Film Festival on Saturday, April 13th. Listen to the concert here.

Last Thursday during XPN’s Non-COMMvention, the Tupelo, Mississippi brothers and sister trio, the Homemade Jamz Blues Band, performed in concert with Super Chikan for the final Mississippi Blues Porject concert series. The band performed songs from its new album, Mississippi […]

Award winning Blues guitarist and singer Super Chikan and the Fighting Cocks made the trip from his home in Clarksdale, Mississippi to Philadelphia last Thursday, May 16 in a double header Mississippi Blues Project concert as part of WXPN’s Non-COMMvention […]

Listen to this special Mississippi Blues Project session with David Bromberg here. David Bromberg dropped by the studios at WXPN in Philadelphia in April to talk about, and play, Mississippi Blues. Bromberg cited the influences of players such as Muddy […]

Rory Block, who performed a concert for the Mississippi Blues Project, has released Avalon: A Tribute To Mississippi John Hurt on Stony Plain Records. The album is the fourth CD in her “Mentor Series.” Previous tribute have been to Rev. […]

Below, listen to a Spotify playlist of Mississippi Blues artists. Listen to the first volume of the Mississippi Blues Project playlist here.

Below, from our session with David Bromberg, watch him perform “Kind-Hearted Woman,” and “Wee Midnight Hours.” You can listen to the full session

The legendary James Cotton is playing a free show at the TLA on South Street in Philadelphia on Friday, September 6. It’s the finale concert of the year long Mississippi Blues Project and will be hosted by Jonny Meister, host […]

The legendary James Cotton played the TLA on Friday, September 6th for the final concert of XPN’s Mississippi Blues Project. The 78 year old blues man performed with the energy of a twenty-something to a sold out crowd, playing songs […]

An Illinois church is appealing a decision that upholds Governor J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order for religious gatherings. Pastor Stephen Cassell with the Beloved Church of Lena sought a temporary restraining order so it could hold in-person services. Over the weekend, a judge ruled the governor’s order is constitutional in order to prevent mass infections and death. Senior Counsel Peter Breen is with the Thomas More Society, which is representing the church. He said the current limit on attendees in the coronavirus executive order violates religious freedom. “There’s no other essential business or operation in the state that has to follow a 10-person hard cap," he said. "We want to have that reversed so that Pastor Steve and the Beloved Church are able to have their services unmolested by local law enforcement or state law enforcement.” Breen said he also has qualms about the governor's recent comments. “Governor Pritzker in his most recent press conferences is saying that people