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End the coronavirus lockdowns, skeptical experts tell Congress

Billed as a roundtable of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Wednesday's hearing included some of the nation’s most prominent dissenters on mainstream measures like business closures, stay-at-home orders and calls for widespread testing.





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Document reveals Secret Service has 11 current virus cases, as concerns about Trump’s staff grow

This report comes as a pair of cases among White House staffers close to Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have put the West Wing’s coronavirus security procedures in the spotlight.





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Covid lockdown: With eating out in containment, home come the indulgences

“While during the early days of lockdown basic essentials got sold, with time some discretionary sales are coming back,” said Devendra Chawla, MD at Nature’s Basket and Spencer’s Retail that saw 30-60% growth in sales for cold cuts, exotic vegetables, assorted breads and cakes, cookies, international sauces, organic range of staples in last ten days.




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Restaurants ready to take back control, go digital to serve customers directly

Expressing the sentiments of the industry, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) said the 'logout' movement cemented the belief that the industry needed to take back control.




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Consumer plea to ban baby powder

Taking up a hearing on the petition filed by an advocate on Friday, the forum posted the matter to December 19, asking the company to file a counter. Citing several research studies and lawsuits filed against J&J globally




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Arizona coronavirus update: 67 additional deaths counted, some from mid-April; 10,526 confirmed cases

Arizona cases of COVID-19 now exceed 10,500, with 517 known deaths, according to numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services on Friday.

       




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Federal judge says Arizona's stay-at-home order does not violate Constitution

Joseph McGhee, a former Flagstaff restaurant worker, filed the challenge last month, saying he was laid off after Ducey prohibited in-house dining

       




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Arizona coronavirus update: 10,960 confirmed cases; 15 additional deaths bring total to 532

Arizona cases of COVID-19 now exceed 10,900, with 532 known deaths, according to numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services on Saturday.

       




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BookMark: "Sophia Of Silicon Valley" By Anna Yen

At first, all Sophia Young wanted was to find a job until she could find a husband. Instead, she finds herself working for Scott Kraft, a notoriously unpredictable and demanding tech mogul. She soon becomes more interested in her work in investor relations than in getting married, which she never planned on. She is quickly promoted and becomes an asset at Kraft’s new business, an animation company called Treehouse that’s set to disrupt the movie industry. Fans of Pixar, Apple and Steve Jobs will enjoy the parallels between Jobs and the fictional Kraft. Kraft, who founded a revolutionary technology company called Quince before taking over Treehouse, also creates the first wave of smart phones, known as “Q-phones.” Similarly, author Anna Yen pays homage to Pixar, where she herself worked in investor relations. In the book, Treehouse creates movies like “The Amazings,” and “Treasures,” which seem to be a nod to Pixar’s real-life movies “The Incredibles” and “Toy Story.” As Sophia becomes




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Berger Paints to acquire Kolkata-based construction materials maker

In a filing with the stock exchanges, the company said it is buying 95.53% stake of STPL. Balance 4.47% stake will remain with STPL’s existing shareholders.




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Asian Paints announces Rs 35 crores contribution to combat Coronavirus outbreak

“As a socially responsible company, Asian Paints is committed to providing necessary support towards various relief measures announced by the government to combat Covid-19” said K.B.S. Anand, Managing Director & CEO, Asian Paints Limited.




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IKEA in UAE recalls 'Made in India' travel mugs that may contain harmful chemicals

"To ensure the safety of our customers, we are recalling all TROLIGTVIS travel mugs marked "Made in India". We urge customers to return the product to any of our stores for a full refund. We apologise for any inconvenience this recall may cause," the world's largest furniture retailer said.




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Take Note: Author Of 'Anti/Vax' On What We Can Learn From Past Vaccine Controversies

Bernice Hausman is chair of the Department of Humanities in the Penn State College of Medicine. She’s recognized for her research on vaccines and breastfeeding, including why both can be controversial in the United States. She has written several books, most recently "Anti/Vax: Reframing the Vaccination Controversy," which was published last year. WPSU's Anne Danahy spoke with Hausman about what we can learn from past vaccine controversies about the COVID-19 epidemic.




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Fort Macon Reopens Saturday, Record Number Of Visitors Expected

As Governor Roy Cooper’s order to ease restrictions takes effect later this week, 29 state parks will reopen to the public on Saturday, May 9th. That includes Fort Macon, which is one of the most visited state parks each year. “Our main goal is to give people access to the park without it getting too crowded,” said Katie Hall, the Public Information Officer for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. Fort Macon State Park closed almost seven weeks ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Saturday, beach areas, trails, and restrooms will reopen to the public. However, the visitors center and the exhibit will remain closed. Hall said park rangers are expecting a record number of visitors this weekend, surpassing park visitation numbers during the Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Independence Day holidays. “We’re not really opening the park for people to hang out. The idea is to get to the park, get some fresh air, get some exercise, run on the beach, whatever you like to do, and




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WNIJ Presents "Context: Medical Marijuana And Illinois," A Public Forum on Medical Cannabis

Thursday, June 25, 2015, at 7 p.m. This "Context" public affairs event takes a closer look at Illinois' medical cannabis pilot program approved by state lawmakers. There have been a few delays getting the project started, and tens of thousands of patients who’ve qualified for medical marijuana cards are waiting to get their prescriptions filled. However, before that happens, there are some regulatory hurdles marijuana growers and dispensaries have to cross before the drug can be sold in Illinois. Learn more about the “debilitating” diseases that qualify for marijuana treatment, grow centers, dispensaries, and the legal rights protecting patients. Four experts in the field brought us up to date on the program and answered questions on June 25 at 7 p.m. in Studio A, in the Northern Public Radio studios in the NIU Broadcast Center, 801 N. First Street in DeKalb. The guest panelists included: Dan Linn: Executive Director, Illinois chapter of National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws,




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WNIJ Presents "Context - Safe Neighborhoods, Safe City: Changing Roles of Police and Community"

There’s been a lot of news about strained relationships between police officers and the citizens they serve. Police officials say they’re making changes to improve relations and build trust within the community but critics claim not enough is being done. WNIJ's public forum, “Context - Safe Neighborhoods, Safe City: Changing Roles of Police and Community,” was held Thursday, August 27, 2015, at the Kresge Hall in the Riverfront Museum Park, in Rockford. WNIJ Reporter Sue Stephens moderated the Context panel. Guests were: Rockford Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey Rockford Police Chief Chet Epperson State Representative Litesa Wallace United Way Community Impact Manager Matthew Simpson For more information about WNIJ's Context series, please contact Maria Boynton, Director of Community Engagement, at mboynton@niu.edu or at (815) 753-9000.




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Perspective: How Do We Connect Now?

When unprecedented change happens, its repercussions seem to overpower anything worth smiling about in the world. But at the same time, with this huge change in society, comes the effort by so many to heal and reconnect, to positively respond to adversity in the best way we know how. This past week, my choir teacher reached out to our small choir group, one that had just recently been through the trauma of losing one of our own to a car crash. He spoke of the importance of connections and the realness that comes with being involved in a deeply connected group. He spoke of the power of music in sharing emotions, in bringing joy to even the most distraught. He then requested that each of us share a song that has been especially impactful during this unexpected extended quarantine. The shared clips were more than songs...they were deep feelings. Sadness, confusion, a small flutter of hope. With music we can see the raw emotions of our souls. We can see the small rays of sunshine that come




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States should consider home delivery of liquor during lockdown, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court refused to pass any orders to this effect, but suggested that it could be a better alternative than the chaos which has followed the government decision to open liquor shops during the lockdown.




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Consumption would be the alpha generator in next 5 years: Siddharth Parekh, Paragon Partners

There is a lot of deal activity because businesses are looking for capital.




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Decathlon's 'contact-details' demand sparks row

French retailer Decathlon’s refusal to do business with customers who refuse to share their contact details has sparked a wave of protests on social media.




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Tie-up with Virat Kohli's One8 contributes 10% of Puma India sales

According to the company, Puma's collaboration with the Indian cricket captain saw a massive rise in sales in FY2019 with sales through One8 accounting for almost 10 per cent of its overall sales, and cementing the leadership position by a wider margin.




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Puma sees worse second quarter but growth in 2021

Puma said it expected all markets to recover by the end of the year and for growth to return in 2021, noting that the crisis has made many people do more sports than before and has strengthened the trend towards more casual dressing.




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Muted consumer sentiment will continue for many months: CK Venkataraman, Titan

“We certainly expect FY21 to better than FY20, because we are going to work smarter and harder on many things that we need to do. But at the same time, we are prepared for a situation which is going to be very-very tough.”




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CBI has quizzed six officials of Bank of Baroda in connection bank fraud involving Rotomac case

The total outstanding amount, according to the agency, is approximately Rs 3695 crores. The agency had sealed the office and house of Vikram Kothari’s residence, in New Delhi.




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An inside view of India's pencil business and the four families that control it

Complicated manufacturing and investment needs may have a role in keeping new players out of the business.




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Reader connect, eclectic collections help bookstores flourish in online times

Though the business is a precarious one, bookstores are here to stay as long as there are readers driven by a compulsion to read, say leading booksellers in the capital.




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Lacasa store concept will grow our business 2 times by 2020: Manish Bhatia, HSIL

We will be investing approximately Rs 2-3 crore each in setting up 10 Lacasa stores covering around 40,000-50,000 sq. ft. area till 2020.




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HSIL eyes Rs 700 crore sales from consumer biz in 4-5 years

The company is present in built-in kitchen appliances and claims to be the number three brand in the country.




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Consumer electronics industry sales may fall 50% in Q1 due to lockdown: Panasonic

Having suffered an unprecedented sales decline of 6-7 per cent in 2019-20, the industry will be up against challenges in both supply and demand sides due to the coronavirus pandemic, Panasonic India and South Asia President and CEO Manish Sharma said.




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Appliance, consumer electronics makers look at production resumption post lockdown

Companies like Panasonic India, Godrej Appliances, Dixon Technologies and Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd said with retail outlets shut there is no point to start production as there is existing unsold inventory of March at warehouses and dealers.




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Consumer durables Q4 earnings preview: Profits may fall up to 40% on erratic sales

Most consumer durables companies in India rely on imported components. Poor input supplies since January and later closure of factories, malls, shops and offices due to the lockdown hit consumer demand badly.




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Iconic toy maker Lego in talks with the Indian government to prioritise play

Rohan Mathur, senior regional sales manager - South Asia for The Lego Group spoke to ET about the toy industry, company’s India plans and its recent event in Delhi engaging the Indian government to prioritise play.




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Gold demand falls 36% in January-March due to volatile prices, economic uncertainties: WGC

According to the World Gold Council's (WGC) Q1 Gold Demand Trends report, in terms of value India's the first quarter gold demand fell 20 per cent to Rs 37,580 crore, compared to Rs 47,000 crore in the same period of 2019.




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Khazana Jewellery to contribute ₹10 crore towards fighting the COVID-19 pandemic

Brand Content Initiative




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Pepe Jeans, Tom Ford & Max Mara are least transparent fashion brands, likely to have poor working conditions in factories

The annual index by advocacy group Fashion Revolution - now in its fifth year - ranked 250 of the world's biggest brands according to how much information they disclose about their social and environmental policies, practices and outcomes.




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Toonz Retail sets to start 10 new stores, considering 5 cr investments

Toonz is also launching new collection of its home brand Wowmom, Superyoung and Superyoung Celebration.




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Sistema forms joint venture to bring Russian kids' brand Concept Group to India

Concept Group, one of Russia’s leading fashion retailers, creates collections and sells women’s clothing, accessories as well as children’s wear through its own retail stores.




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COVID-19: Amazon to deliver essential items in containment zones in Mumbai

Under the initiative, Amazon will deliver orders to a designated delivery point in the vicinity of the containment zone, from where volunteers will further deliver the packages to customers' doorstep, the company said in a statement.




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LA fashion and beauty retailers take steps to contain coronavirus spread

A shopping mall in LA called 'The Grove and Beverly Center' has added more hand sanitizing stations, while Glossier, a cosmetic store, is closing all stores: "We are ready to put public health before our results.".




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SJM’s Ashwani Mahajan raises concern over foreign funded e-pharmacies

SJM national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan tweeted on this issue, tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to flag his concern. . Mahajan had shared screenshots that said Aarogya Setu now brings to you online medical consultations (call and video), home lab tests and e-pharmacy.




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Consignments of sports goods from Pakistan unclaimed at the border post after high import duty

With 200% duty, Indian importers aren’t taking delivery of sports goods and other consignments.




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What Recent College Graduates Are Going Through During The Pandemic, Continued

NPR's education reporter talks about what graduating seniors are going through right now as the colleges are closed due to the pandemic and answers their questions.




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How The Approval Of The Birth Control Pill 60 Years Ago Helped Change Lives

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




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Conversation Between The Keys: Víkingur Ólafsson Meets Debussy And Rameau

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




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Business Codes Help Decipher Economic Development Challenges

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




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Listen to Rory Block in concert from World Cafe Live

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.




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Listen to the Homemade Jamz Blues Band live in concert

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 […]




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Listen to Super Chikan and the Fighting Cocks live in concert

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 […]




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Watch James Cotton live in concert from the TLA in Philadelphia

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 […]




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Illinois Church Continues Court Fight Against Covid-19 Limits On Religious Gatherings

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