UPDATE The smelly, murky water putting off tourists from swimming in the sea at Maenam Beach in Koh Samui , southern Thailand , is not an oil spill but caused by a plankton bloom , which is a natural phenomenon, according to the Director of Koh Samui Harbour Authority, Arun Buppako. The photos circulating of green murky water at the beach show dead plankton floating on the surface of the water, said the director. Officials inspected the area and found no oil spills, he added. According to NaewNa , the director said… “Plankton blooms are a natural phenomena that happen every year. One main contributing factor is that when wastewater from the community is released into the sea, it acts as nutrients for plankton, causing them to multiply quickly. When the oxygen in the water depletes, the plankton dies, turning the seawater green. Related news Three mpox cases found in Thailand 4 hours ago Strikes in Germany force Thai Airways to … [Read more...] about Murky water at Koh Samui beach caused by plankton bloom, not oil spill: officials
Soybean oil growth
Obtuse: The Fed & Treasury View Of Banking Issues
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Despite ongoing silent runs on the Regional and Community Banks, it appears that both Fed Chair Powell and Treasury Secretary Yellen view the events of the recent past (SVB VB , Signature Bank, First Republic, Credit Suisse, and now Deutsche Bank) as one-off events and not symptomatic of stress in the world’s financial system. The dictionary defines “obtuse” as “annoyingly insensitive or slow to understand.” We can’t think of anything more precise! The chart at the top shows the continued decline in the value of S&P’s Regional Banking ETF through the close of business on Friday (March 24 th ). On Wednesday, the Fed raised interest rates 25 basis points despite liquidity issues in the banking system and the apparent loss of confidence in that system by a significant portion of the public. During his press conference, Powell acknowledged some FOMC concerns over banking issues, said that they had considered a "pause,” … [Read more...] about Obtuse: The Fed & Treasury View Of Banking Issues
The Greatest Show on Earth gets a second chance
When the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—back after a six-year absence—begins its 50-city tour of North America this September, it will include 75 highly trained performers and a litany of extravagant acts. Tightrope walkers will flit across a triangular rope, 30 feet in the air. Acrobats will launch themselves between four spinning wheels suspended from stadium ceilings. BMX bikers will spring off a giant trampoline. And a 360-degree set studded with massive video screens and enhanced with sonic spatial technology will envelop audiences in the spectacle. There won’t, however, be any lions, tigers, or bears. Oh my! “When you have a brand called ‘The Greatest Show on Earth,’ you can’t downscale,” says Juliette Feld Grossman, chief operating officer at Feld Entertainment, which acquired the iconic circus in 1984. “You really have to reimagine and reinvent.” Founded in 1871, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus delighted American families … [Read more...] about The Greatest Show on Earth gets a second chance
The 10 most innovative companies in beauty of 2023
Explore the full 2023 list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies , 540 organizations that are reshaping industries and culture. We’ve selected the firms making the biggest impact across 54 categories, including advertising , architecture , design , and more. Nature has typically been the first place that beauty companies turn to for solutions to aging and skin imperfections. Now there’s a new source—biotech—and it takes its inspiration from the pharmaceutical industry. The move toward lab-generated ingredients that promise to improve on what scientists would find in nature dovetails with society’s larger embrace of personalized medicine, including cell and gene therapy, says Sarah Broyd, a partner at Durham, North Carolina–based Clarkston Consulting who specializes in consumer healthcare and pharmaceuticals. “Even the mRNA technology used in some of the COVID vaccines has contributed to a greater general understanding of how biotechnology works, which has … [Read more...] about The 10 most innovative companies in beauty of 2023
The lie of the hustle
One of the ways that gig companies have been able for years to define their workers as independent contractors is by exploiting the allure of individualism. The contractor has their freedom, the thinking goes, so why would they exchange that for a full-time job with benefits? “These words have gained a strange kind of prestige from downwardly mobile, college-educated tech workers,” said John Patrick Leary, the author of Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism . It was part of what Reddit’s founder, Alexis Ohanian, has called “hustle porn,” cheerleading multiple jobs and their backbreaking exertions, giving a cheerful spin to the full 30% of Americans who do something else for pay in addition to their full-time jobs, according to an NPR/Marist survey. Hustling and nimbleness and the like implied, however, that there is a slinky joy in picking up gear at a studio and dropping it off across town or selling CBD oil part time. Once called drably “another job,” these … [Read more...] about The lie of the hustle
How Gen Z favorite E.l.f. cosmetics became an entertainment powerhouse
E.l.f. is No. 26 on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2023 . Explore the full list of companies that are reshaping industries and culture. E.l.f. (which stands for “eyes, lips, face”) may sit beside L’Oréal and Revlon on shelves at Walgreens, Ulta, and Target, but its leaders also view it as an entertainment company, servicing a huge audience of followers across its social platforms. “When you have 14 million people showing up on your doorstep every day,” says CMO Kory Marchisotto, “you can’t just sell them a product, you have to entertain them.” Known for its affordable, fair-trade products and beloved “dupes” of high-end items, E.l.f. began partnering three years ago with marketer Movers+Shakers on inventive digital work that went viral. Its 2019 #eyeslipsface campaign, with original music by Grammy-winning producer Ill Wayno and featuring Holla FyeSixWun, garnered 7 billion views. It attracted the most user-generated videos ever at the … [Read more...] about How Gen Z favorite E.l.f. cosmetics became an entertainment powerhouse
This pharma giant is making sure new medicine works for more people
Bristol Myers Squibb is No. 18 on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2023 . Explore the full list of companies that are reshaping industries and culture. In 2022, Bristol Myers Squibb found itself on the cutting edge of drug development—reflected not only in groundbreaking products but in a sweeping diversity agenda. The New York City–based company, which reported 2022 revenue of $46.2 billion, had three drugs approved by the FDA last year: Opdualag, a first-line treatment for advanced melanoma, in March; Camzyos, a first-in-class cardiac drug for symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in April; and, in September, Sotyktu, the first new oral treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in nearly 10 years, discovered by BMS scientists. In 2022, these three new drugs had $284 million in combined sales. For most other pharma companies, that would be sufficient to appease investors and grow the business, but alongside its work … [Read more...] about This pharma giant is making sure new medicine works for more people
US to Take Years to Refill Its Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Refilling the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve may take years, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said this week, reversing plans the Biden administration announced late last year to repurchase at lower prices oil it sold from the reserve in 2022. However, the relatively limited size of the planned repurchases in proportion to global oil demand makes assessing the impact on U.S. crude oil markets somewhat difficult—especially amid current global economic trends and geopolitical challenges. KEY TAKEAWAYS U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said this week it may take years for the government to replenish its Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It's a reversal of plans the government announced last year to repurchase oil it sold from the reserve at lower prices. Current global economic concerns and geopolitical conditions, however, present challenges in assessing the market impact of the decision. Granholm told a House panel Thursday that the U.S. likely would not … [Read more...] about US to Take Years to Refill Its Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Eat well during Ramadan
BEFORE AND AFTER FASTING Early in the morning and after sunset meal options during Ramadan. —Margaux Salcedo On Thursday, March 23, Muslims around the world began fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, considered one of the holiest months for Muslims. It falls on a different date every year, depending on the cycles of the moon. This year, Ramadan started on the evening of March 22 and will end on the evening of April 21. This holy month is marked by a period of fasting or sawm, which is considered a pillar of Islam, alongside faith or shahada, prayer or salah, charity or zakat, and making the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca or hajj. The fast is from sunrise to sunset, when you cannot eat or drink anything, not even water! But before sunrise and after sunset, there are eating rituals. The early morning meal is called suhoor while the meal after sunset is called iftar . That is why the fast is only done by people … [Read more...] about Eat well during Ramadan
Top Private School Applications Surge Amidst South Florida’s Real Estate Boom
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Enrollment at top private schools in South Florida is booming, as many out-of-state families have moved to South Florida in the years since the pandemic, seeking sunny weather, and escaping state income tax. For families in the region and those moving South, increasingly competitive enrollment trends can make choosing the right school particularly difficult and necessitate strategy and forethought. The resources and experiences that students gain during their high school years will position them for success in the college admissions process and equip them to excel in higher education and beyond—but not every school is right for every student. An excellent high school will prioritize individual growth and development and provide opportunities for students to hone their interests both in and out of the classroom. While South Florida has many top-notch public and magnet schools, the influx of new residents in the region … [Read more...] about Top Private School Applications Surge Amidst South Florida’s Real Estate Boom