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Green Climate Fund to invest $1bn in Egyptian green energy plan
 In its largest investment to date, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is teaming up with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to contribute $1 billion to the Egyptian Government’s Sustainable Energy Strategy.

Under the sustainable energy strategy, Egypt has set a goal to get 20% of its energy from low emissions renewable by 2022 and 37% by 2035. Currently, only 3% of the nation’s energy is supplied by renewable sources. “Utilising renewable energy is part of a national plan to diversify electricity generation sources to meet growing demand and secure the continuity of the electricity supply. … Egypt has a great, untapped potential to turn into an international renewable energy hub,” Ayman Hamza, a spokesman for Egypt’s Ministry of Electricity, told the United Nations’ Climate Action publication in May 2017.

The GCF funding, called the Egypt Renewable Energy Financing Framework, will “launch the first wave of private renewable energy projects in Egypt, overcoming financial barriers due to uncertainty and high transaction costs, as well as the macroeconomic situation which has resulted in increased cost of capital and limited availability of debt,” according to a GCF fact sheet.

The GCF was developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010 to act as the financial mechanism through which UNFCCC member nations help developing nations fund climate mitigation and adaptation projects. It is the largest global fund aimed at leveraging the private sector in tackling climate change, according to the release.

Under the UNFCCC, developed nations agreed to jointly mobilize $100 billion per year through the GCF by 2020. As of August 2017, the GCF has raised $10.3 billion in pledges from 43 governments. However, this total includes the $3 billion pledge made by the U.S. under the Obama administration. Thus far, the U.S. has paid $1 billion into the fund, but President Trump has made it clear that the U.S. will not be making any payments to the GCF as long as his administration is in power.

To date, the GCF has funded 43 projects, benefiting an estimated 125 million people around the world. Twenty of the projects funded are in Africa, 17 are in the Asia-Pacific region, eight are in Latin America or the Caribbean, and three are in Eastern Europe (some projects are in multiple regions). Projects funded by the GCF fall into three categories: 41% of the funding provided thus far has gone to mitigation-based projects; 27% has been awarded to adaptation-based projects; 32% is funding cross-cutting initiatives.

The new funding in Egypt is the fourth project that the GCF and the EBRD are partnering on. In October 2016, the two announced a co-financed project to scale up private sector climate finance in Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Jordan, the Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Tunisia. Additionally, the GCF and EBRD are partnering on a water conservation project in Morocco and a hydropower project in Tajikistan.

Funding for the initiative will be provided under a Funded Activity Agreement (FAA) signed by the GCF and EBRD in late August. Under the FAA, the EBRD will provide $352.3 million, GCF will contribute $154.7 million, and funding from additional sponsors and co-financiers will bring the total funding to $1 billion. “This FAA is just the beginning of the potential GCF and EBRD have in combining their financial forces to drive climate action across various parts of the planet,” GCF Executive Director Howard Bamsey said in a release.

The renewable energy financing framework consisted of two components, a technical assistance program, and an effort to scale up investments in the development and construction of renewable energy projects. “This will be done by blending GCF and EBRD financing to leverage debt financing from international and development financial institutions, and at a later stage from commercial banks and private sector investments,” according to the fact sheet.

It is estimated that the once all supported projects are operational, they will generate about 1,400 GWh of electricity each year, avoiding roughly 800,000 tons of CO 2 equivalent annually.

The EBRD is one of 54 entities accredited under the GCF. The GCF operates by working through these entities to channel its resources to projects and programs. Accredited entities can be public or private, non-governmental, sub-national, national, regional or international. “Accredited Entities carry out a range of activities that usually include the development of funding proposals and the management and monitoring of projects and programmes,” the GCF explains.

—Abby L. Harvey is a POWER reporter.

Output: The UN's Green Climate Fund (GCF) is set to pump $1bn into the Egyptian government's green energy plan, marking its largest investment yet. The GCF, set up to help countries tackle climate change, is establishing the Egypt Renewable Energy Financing Framework to supply the investment, which includes $155m of its own funds and £352m from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The remainder of the $1bn total will come from other sponsors and co-financiers. Egypt will use the funding to launch a wave of private renewable energy projects.


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Indian Energy Exchange IPO to see sale of over six million shares
 New Delhi: Indian Energy Exchange Ltd’s (IEX’s) initial public offering will be open for subscription from 9 to 11 October, according to a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) dated 26 September.

The IPO will see a sale of 6,065,009 equity shares by existing shareholders including Tata Power Co. Ltd, Aditya Birla Group’s private equity arm , Madison India Capital and Multiples Alternate Asset Management Pvt Ltd. The shares are proposed to be listed on the BSE and National Stock Exchange.

The New Delhi-based company filed draft papers with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on 20 June. Axis Capital Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Capital Co. Ltd and IIFL Holdings Ltd are the managers for the IPO.

Established in 2008, IEX is India’s first power exchange providing automated trading platform for electricity(for physical delivery) and renewable energy certificates.

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Output: Indian Energy Exchange will open its initial public offering (IPO) on 9 October, according to drafted documents. The company, based in New Delhi, was founded in 2008 as the country's first exchange for the trade of electricity and renewable power certificates. As part of the IPO, over six million shares will be sold by existing shareholders, including Tata Power and a number of private equity companies. Shares are likely to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.


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Greenko places $2.15bn bid for Mumbai power business
 MUMBAI: Greenko, backed by Singapore’s GIC and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, has sought to acquire Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure ’s flagship Mumbai electricity business for an enterprise value of Rs 13,000-14,000 crore ($2.15 billion), said people aware of the matter.Torrent and Adani Group as well as Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Group are believed to be circling the same target, long considered an infrastructure crown jewel.The offer is higher than the Rs 12,223.78 crore market cap of Reliance Infrastructure (R-Infra).India’s largest renewables company Greenko submitted a “timebound, non-binding offer” recently and is awaiting a response from Reliance to enter into exclusive negotiations.Meanwhile, Gujarat-based Torrent Power and Adani Group have also begun evaluating the target, backed by commitments from lenders such as State Bank of India and Standard Chartered Bank. Feelers have also gone out to Fairfax, and even to the Tata Group , executives said.Greenko’s offer will lapse this week unless both parties agree to exclusivity. But with multiple potential candidates, the situation could soon turn more competitive.“The sellers would try to get the maximum value through a competitive auction-like scenario, but that may also see pullouts by some of the strategic players,” said one of the senior executives mentioned above.The Mumbai business caters to 3 million customers, making it the country’s largest private sector integrated power utility, entailing 1800 mw of distribution along with generation facilities, besides an underground network of over 1,000 km. The distribution franchise is nine decades old with the licence valid till August 2036. Spokespersons for Reliance Infrastructure, Greenko and Fairfax declined comment on what they said was speculation.There was no response to emails, calls and text messages to Torrent Power vice-chairman Samir Mehta on Saturday. A Tata Power spokesperson said the company was not aware of any overture while Adanis did not respond to ET’s detailed questionnaire. ET was the first to report on August 29 about Greenko’s talks with Ambani.In a notification to the exchanges after ET’s report, R-Infra said: “The company is engaged on various initiatives to unlock value in its existing businesses including inter alia the Mumbai power business, roads and transmission and to thereby reduce its overall leverage.”In November 2015, R-Infra entered into a non-binding pact to sell 49% stake in the business to Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) of Canada. Those exclusive negotiations lapsed, following which the company engaged with other potential suitors. PSP is said to have made a brief reappearance later on in the talks.Hong Kong-headquartered CLP also held discussions with Reliance to explore a merger of operations, said a company official on condition of anonymity, but later pulled out.The Mumbai circle licence, along with the generation, transmission and distribution assets, is to be carved out from RInfra’s electrical division and transferred to a subsidiary before being sold, said executives briefed on the matter.For most suitors such as Adani and Greenko, the foray into transmission and distribution is seen as a move to derisk portfolio and control the entire value chain.Adani has a listed power transmission arm, which is one of the largest private sector players, but is not into distribution.Its city gas distribution joint venture operates in Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Thiruvananthapuram and Chandigarh. Privately held Greenko is India’s largest green energy company with an operational wind, hydro and solar portfolio of close to 3 gw. In the past 12 months, it has raised $2 billion in equity and debt.Torrent Power, backed by the Rs 18,500-crore eponymous group, supplies to over 3 million customers in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Dahej SEZ, Bhiwandi and Agra. Its generation portfolio includes 3334 mw of gas-based capacity and 338 mw of underconstruction wind power plants.Watsa’s Fairfax has been investing in marquee infrastructure projects in the country of late, having bought out GVK from the Bengaluru airport.The Tata Group competes with Reliance in power distribution in Mumbai and Delhi, and caters to 2.6 million customers.“This is not an easy asset to digest. The Greenko bid will set a benchmark and assures big-ticket FDI (foreign direct investment), but domestic players will seriously evaluate the prospects before losing out on such a prized asset,” said an investment banking official involved in the matter.

Output: India's largest renewable energy company Greenko has offered $2.15bn for Reliance Infrastructure's Mumbai power business. The proposed acquisition is backed by Singapore investment firm GIC and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The Mumbai business is the country's largest private sector-integrated power utility, with 1800 MW of distribution serving three million customers. Greenko's offer is reported to be time-limited, lapsing if Reliance do not agree to exclusivity in negotiations. A number of other companies are thought to be considering their own bids for the company.


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India's Power Grid Corp enters pact with ICICI Bank
 NEW DELHI: State-run Power Grid Corp today said it has entered into a term loan facility agreement with ICICI Bank for Rs 3,270 crore.Power Grid Corp, the central power transmission utility, has an ambitious investment plan and has budgeted capital expenditure (CAPEX) including investment in joint venture and subsidiaries of more than Rs 25,000 crore during 2017-18, Power Grid said in a statement today.During the current fiscal, it has mobilised Rs 6,130 crore through issue of bonds under private placement, term loans from domestic commercial banks and has also entered into two long term loan agreements with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for $725 million for financing CAPEX.

Output: India's state-run power grid operator, Power Grid Corp, has entered a INR3,270 crore ($500m) loan agreement with ICICI Bank to help fund its capital investment programme. The utility company has budgeted for INR25,000 crore ($3.8bn) of investment between 2017 and 2018, and has issued bonds to help finance it. Power Grid Corp has also secured two other long-term loan agreements with Asian Development Bank, totalling $725m.


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ESB considers £400m refinancing of Carrington power facility
 Accounts show that operating profit at the ESB's retail Electric Ireland arm tumbled 19.3pc to €46m during the first half of 2017 as it cut prices and lost customers. Stock image

The ESB could refinance as much as £400m (€453m) of debt attached to its Carrington power station in the UK before Christmas if market conditions present an opportunity to do so, according to group finance director Pat Fenlon.

The ESB has about €1bn of debt that matures over the next two years, but is not under time pressure to do any refinancing.

It issued a €500m worth of bonds in January to refinance more expensive debt, and had received more than €1bn in orders for the 12-year bonds. The bonds secured a coupon, or interest rate, of 1.75pc, and were used to retire €300m of debt that fell due this month and which carried a 6.25pc rate.

Mr Fenlon was speaking to the Irish Independent as the ESB reported a 3.5pc fall in operating profit, to €287m, in the first half of the year. The ESB also paid a €60m dividend to the State in the first half of the year.

But the accounts show that operating profit at the ESB’s retail Electric Ireland arm tumbled 19.3pc to €46m during the first half of 2017 as it cut prices and lost customers. The ESB officially opened its €820m gas-powered power plant at Carrington near Manchester earlier this year. There’s about £400m in project finance attached to it.

“The market conditions are still favourable. We have things like Carrington with project finance debt,” said Mr Fenlon. “We are examining opportunities to see, if market conditions are good, could we refinance that earlier.”

He said the refinancing could happen this side of Christmas, or early in the New Year, if conditions are right. The ESB saw profit after tax jump to €173m in the first half of 2017 from €109m in the first six months of 2016. It benefited from the non-recurrence of negative, non-cash fair value of movements of inflation-linked interest rate swaps. Revenue was flat at €1.69bn.

Figures from the Commission for Energy Regulation show that Electric Ireland lost a net 3,913 electricity customers in the first half of 2017. SSE Airtricity lost 1,238 electricity customers while Energia gained 2,594. Bord Gáis Energy, owned by Centrica, gained 982 electricity customers. Mr Fenlon insisted that the market here remains competitive, with another new entrant, Canadian firm Just Energy, having just entered it.

The ESB has also entered the UK retail power market. Mr Fenlon said a full launch there won’t take place until early next year. A ‘soft-launch’ will happen in coming weeks, he added.

The ESB accounts note that it faces challenges in meeting the increase in infrastructure demand in Dublin, with data centres forming a significant part of that. However, Mr Fenlon said no data centre operators have been asked to delay projects because of any infrastructure deficit. ESB said that it invested €303m in energy infrastructure during the first half of the year, which was down from €332m in the first half of 2016.

This week, the broadband joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, called Siro, announced that it had pulled out of the tender process for the Government’s National Broadband Plan. Mr Fenlon declined to comment on what capital expenditure figure the venture had determined would have been required to meet targets under the plan.

Output: The Republic of Ireland's state-owned utility, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) is mulling a possible £400m ($533m) refinancing of its UK power station in Carrington, near Manchester, toward the end of the year if market conditions permit. Group finance director Pat Fenlon said ESB was "examining opportunities" and added the company was making a soft launch into the UK market. ESB revenues were up to €173m during H1 2017, compared to €109m during the same period last year.


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US DOE reaches agreement with Georgia Power over $1.67bn loan
 ATLANTA, Sept. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today that it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for a conditional commitment of approximately $1.67 billion in additional loan guarantees for the Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project near Waynesboro, Ga.

Georgia Power had previously secured loan guarantees of $3.46 billion for the construction of Vogtle units 3 and 4, the first to be built in the United States in more than 30 years.

With a total of more than $5 billion in anticipated DOE loan guarantees, Georgia Power expects to be able to provide more than $500 million in present-value benefits to its customers.

"We thank the DOE for their support and commitment to the Vogtle 3 and 4 project," said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "From the outset, Georgia Power and the project co-owners have worked to minimize the impact of the project on our customers' bills and these additional loan guarantees will help us continue to reduce our financing costs."

"Today's announcement reflects the wide-ranging governmental support for nuclear energy in America," said Bowers. "The administration, Secretary Rick Perry, the entire cabinet and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have been exceedingly helpful with the construction of the Vogtle 3 and 4 project."

Georgia Power owns 45.7 percent of the new units, with the project's other Georgia-based co-owners including Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities. On August 31, Georgia Power filed a recommendation with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) to continue construction of the Vogtle nuclear expansion supported by all of the project's other co-owners. The recommendation was based on the results of a comprehensive schedule, cost-to-complete and cancellation assessment launched following the bankruptcy of Westinghouse in March. The Georgia PSC is expected to review the recommendation and make a decision regarding the future of the Vogtle 3 and 4 project as part of the 17th Vogtle Construction Monitoring (VCM) proceeding. Read more here.

Final approval and issuance of these additional loan guarantees by the DOE cannot be assured and are subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, completion of due diligence by the DOE, receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other conditions.

About Georgia Power

Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this communication is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning future actions related to Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and the expected benefit of the DOE loan guarantees. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the impact of any inability or other failure of Toshiba to perform its obligations under its guarantee; the impact of any failure to extend the in-service deadline for federal production tax credits; the impact of any failure to amend the DOE loan guarantee to allow for additional borrowings; state and federal rate regulations and the impact of pending and future rate cases and negotiations; the impact of recent and future federal and state regulatory changes, as well as changes in application of existing laws and regulations; current and future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings, or inquiries; available sources and costs of fuels; effects of inflation; the ability to control costs and avoid cost overruns during the development construction and operation of facilities, which include the development and construction of generating facilities with designs that have not been finalized or previously constructed; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses, to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; advances in technology; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, including Georgia Public Service Commission approvals and Nuclear Regulatory Commission actions; interest rate fluctuations and financial market conditions and the results of financing efforts; changes in The Southern Company's or Georgia Power's credit ratings, including impacts on interest rates, access to capital markets, and collateral requirements; the impacts of any sovereign financial issues, including impacts on interest rates, access to capital markets, impacts on foreign currency exchange rates, counterparty performance, and the economy in general, as well as potential impacts on the benefits of DOE loan guarantees; and the effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by standard setting bodies. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking information.

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/georgia-power-receives-additional-loan-guarantee-commitments-for-new-vogtle-units-300528332.html

SOURCE Georgia Power

Output: US utility Georgia Power has taken a step closer to securing the expansion of its Vogtle site in Waynesboro, after being granted a conditional loan agreement for $1.67bn by the Department of Energy. The funds will be used to develop Vogtle's nuclear units 3 and 4, the first to be built in the US for over 30 years. The state's public services commission is set to make a final decision regarding the facility's expansion as part of the 17th Vogtle Construction Monitoring proceeding, while the loan is subject to regulatory approval and completion of due diligence.


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EVs the fastest-selling used cars in US this year
 Electric vehicles now account for six of the ten fastest selling used car models in the US. Compared to the 33.4 days that conventional cars sit on the market, electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles now sell within 24.6 days on average, or 27% faster than gasoline cousins, reports automotive research company iSeeCars.com. The firm analyzed the sales of 2.1 million one- to three-year old cars sold between January and August of 2017 to rank the models.

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Although EVs accounts for just 1% of total US new car sales, their low price and rising reputation is leading to a brisk business. The FIAT 500e was the fastest selling used EV this year, in part due to its low average selling price of $9,055 (down from $21,000 before incentives on the lot). At the other end of the spectrum, the price of a used Tesla Model S rose 3.5% to $70,372 from $67,992 last year.

What’s driving all this? First, incentives of $7,500 or more on electrics means used EV prices are quite low relative to their new sticker price, and conventional cars more generally. With federal and state tax credits built in, used EVs are even better deals than new models, explains Electrek. Many new EV models are also hitting the market after the expiration of their three-year leases. Buyers now have their pick of low-mileage, luxury cars at low prices built by the likes of BMW and Tesla.

Output: Second-hand electric vehicles (EVs) spent an average of 24.6 days on showroom forecourts, making them the fastest-selling used cars in the US. EVs spent 27% less time on sale than their gas-fuelled counterparts, which took an average of 33.4 days to sell, according to data from iSeeCars.com based on 2.1 million one- to three-year old cars sold between January and August. Six of the 10 fastest-selling used-car models in the US were EVs, thanks to government incentives and tax credits making them "even better deals than new models".


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Russian companies partner on heterojunction solar tech
 A joint venture of two Russian companies has built a solar power project in southern Siberia based on heterojunction technology (HJT), which is touted as a high-efficiency solar cell concept. Researchers have said photovoltaic (PV) systems using HJT solar modules provide higher energy output than other PV systems, lowering the cost of producing solar power.

Hevel Group, a joint venture of GK Renova and Rusnano, is in charge of the new solar park (Figure 1), located in Gorno-Altaysk in the Republic of Altai. GK Renova is a private business group that includes management companies that invest in energy, mining, metals, chemical, and other sectors in Russia and globally. Rusnano is a government-owned, Moscow-based company that finances commercial developments in nanotechnology.

1. A highly efficient solar array. The solar installation built by Hevel Group in Gorno-Altaysk, capital of the Republic of Altai in Russia, is designed with heterojunction technology, which works well in lower light conditions. Courtesy: Hevel Group

Anastasiya Berdnikova, a spokesperson for Hevel Group, told POWER in late August that construction of the Maima solar power plant began in May 2017, and the plant was placed into service on September 19, 2017. Solar modules for the 20-MW project were produced at Hevel’s manufacturing facility in Novocheboksarsk, about 600 kilometers east of Moscow, in Chuvash Republic.

“Earlier in March this year Hevel Group completed upgrade of its thin-film Fab line and converted it to heterojunction technology production. This technology guarantees efficient operation of solar modules at high and low temperatures, as well as under shading and diffused light, thereby significantly expanding the geographical potential of solar power installations,” Berdnikova said.

Hevel Group Director General Igor Shakhrai in late August told Russian media the project’s cost is estimated at 2 billion rubles ($33.9 million).

According to Meyer Burger, a German global technology company specializing in solar, HJT “combines the advantages of mono crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells with the good absorption and the superior passivation characteristics of amorphous silicon (a-Si) known from a-Si thin film technology using readily available materials.” HJT was first mass produced by Sanyo (now Panasonic) more than a decade ago, but the basic technology patent was discontinued in 2010, opening the systems to more widespread research.

Heterojunction solar modules perform better than other PV technologies in low and dispersed light conditions, and also do well in both high and low air temperature environments.

Hevel already operates three networked solar power stations in the region, each with a 5-MW capacity. It plans to increase its total regional solar generating capacity to 90 MW over the next two years. Hevel earlier put a 100-kW solar diesel hybrid power station in service in the area in 2013, providing electricity to Yaylyu in the Altai Republic, on Lake Teletskoye.

Hevel Group has doubled the annual production capacity of its plant in Novocheboksarsk in Chuvash Republic to 160 MW of solar modules, which it says is enough to cover half of the annual demand in the Russian solar energy market. Shakhrai told media the company’s production ramp-up is “opening up broad prospects in terms of large-scale projects in Russia and abroad.”

—Darrell Proctor is a POWER associate editor.

Output: Hevel Group, a joint venture between Russian private investment firm GK Renova and state-backed nanotech company Rusano, is set to complete development of a solar power plant in Siberia this month. The 20 MW Maima solar park uses photovoltaic systems, including high-efficiency heterojunction technology, which allows efficient power generation in sub-optimal conditions. Maima is part of Hevel's push to boost its capacity in the area to 90 MW over the next two years.


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EU pledges $1bn to marine conservation
 EU leads the way with ambitious action for cleaner and safer seas

The international Our Ocean Conference, co-hosted by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini and Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, is currently taking place in Malta, on 5 and 6 October. This morning, High Representative Mogherini on behalf of the European Union, announced an ambitious package of 36 EU-initiatives to foster healthier, cleaner, safer and more secure seas.

In her opening speech, High Representative Mogherini said: "The sea is a global common. It is Our Ocean because it belongs to humanity, to each and every human being. We all have a responsibility to preserve what's common – to preserve it as a treasure and avoid that it turns into a threat." She added: "The European Union believes that a globalised world needs a more cooperative global governance. We believe in the power of diplomacy, we invest in it, we believe and invest in the power of common rules and international institutions. And it is difficult, actually impossible, to imagine a global governance without a cooperative oceans' governance." Amounting to over €550 million and launching complementary activities worldwide, the announcement underscores the EU's determination to improve the situation of the seas. At the same time, as hosts, the EU seeks from the outset of the conference to set an example and send a strong message of encouragement to the rest of the world to step up and take action in the face of growing ocean challenges such as plastic pollution, protection of marine life, impact of climate change and criminal activities at sea. Over the comings days, the international community – governments and private sector alike - will come together to deliver on this objective. A live stream of the Our Ocean Conference and the press conference (at 12:00 CET) are available here. High Representative Mogherini's speech and Commissioner Vella's speech are available online.

List of 36 EU commitments

Other language versions of the 36 commitments available here.

Output: The European Union is set to pledge €1bn ($1.18bn) towards the protection of marine life. The announcement will be made during this year’s Our Ocean conference in Malta. The conference, which was launched in 2014 and which brings together policy makers and environmental experts in order to tackle issues including climate change and plastic pollution, has accumulated $10.2bn since its inception.


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Apple to bring augmented reality to Major League Baseball
 During Apple's iPhone launch two weeks ago, I spotted a 10-second augmented reality demo that could potentially change the way we watch baseball.

"What the [expletive] is that?" I said, as Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller teased a new AR feature in Major League Baseball's popular At Bat mobile app. He demonstrated how fans at a game could see special stats, including how hard a ball was hit, how far it was thrown or how fast a player runs in real time, simply by pointing their iPhone toward the action on the field.

Also watching the demo, my colleague Claudia Cruz yelled my name across the office to make sure we both saw the same thing. I emailed MLB spokesman Matthew Gould. "Let me get back to you," he replied.

A week later, Claudia and I found ourselves jockeying with other reporters in a crowded suite at AT&T Park in San Francisco, about a 45-minute drive north of Apple's spaceship campus in Silicon Valley. We were promised a peek at the new AR capabilities during an actual game between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies. What we saw was an internal prototype. The goal is to debut the updated app in 2018.

It's no secret Apple wants its augmented reality developer kit, announced in May, to be used to create apps for the iPhone and iPad that will prove more enduring than last year's Pokemon Go phenomenon. Now the tech giant is experimenting with At Bat, the most popular sports league app, to give diehard baseball fans like Claudia and me more data than we probably can consume. The AR feature may also get MLB teams looking to cheat -- er, um, gain an advantage -- to use their iPads during games.

Enlarge Image Apple's Phil Schiller teases the company's plans to add an AR feature to Major League Baseball's At Bat app. Apple

"We want this to be fun for fans in the stands, to tell them something new about the game they can't see on the scoreboard or have to search hard for," said Chad Evans, a mobile product executive with MLB Advanced Media, baseball's interactive arm. "Everything is in play."

For non-sports fans, Claudia and I compare this AR feature to those Omnioculars used to watch Quidditch matches in the Harry Potter movies. "They will provide the user with a play-by-play breakdown if desired, showing the names of the manoeuvres performed by players," according to the Harry Potter Wiki page.

And that's sort of what the AR feature in the MLB At Bat app does. On Wednesday, Evans and Greg Cain, MLBAM's senior data director, pulled out iPad Pros and showed us how, by clicking on a player's augmented image, you can get his data from Statcast. The Statcast tool uses HD cameras, a Doppler radar and machine learning to track every move on the field.

Statcast gives teams, broadcasters and fans an array of metrics and trivia, including that New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge's 495-foot home run is the longest this season. Or how his teammate, Aroldis Chapman, has thrown the season's fastest pitch at 105 miles per hour, with the ball spinning a dizzying 2,600 times after it left his hand.

During the Giants-Rockies game, we grilled Evans and Cain on what stats are available. Could they tell us how hard Rockies star and National League MVP candidate Charlie Blackmon hits a baseball? It's around 86 mph (his exit velocity), compared with Judge's shots, which can reach around 117 mph. We also learned that Rockies catcher Jonathan Lucroy has a 28 "sprint speed," which means he's too slow to steal a base.

Too inside baseball? Developers are trying to strike a balance with the data: They don't want to overwhelm casual fans, but they also don't want to bore stats freaks.

"We're going to try to create the right information at the right time. We just need to figure out how to do it," Evans said. "There's all of these data stories we are going to try to tell."

The demo left us hankering for more. Claudia wants to see instant replays in AR, as well as the weight, height and strength comparisons of players on the field. She also wants the app to anticipate when a record could be broken.

I'd like the feature to show me what a hitter's batting average is when he has two strikes and the bases are loaded. Maybe it could also tell me the probability of him hitting either a triple or a double in that same situation.

We could be asking too much, but they tell us being able to marry data with the world is the promise of AR.

"This is not a static product," Cain said. "We will continue to grow and build it out over time."

Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about "women in tech."

Special Reports: All of CNET's most in-depth features in one easy spot.

Output: Apple is developing an app that blends augmented reality and one of the most watched sports in the US: baseball. The tech giant is tinkering with Major League Baseball's hugely popular At Bat app, enabling it to offer users a wealth of additional information – from player stats to play-by-play breakdowns – all by simply holding up their mobile or tablet in front of a live game. It is understood the updated app will be launched next year.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Ireland's AI sector is booming, finds survey
 Tech Ireland said there are at least 66 companies working in the AI sector, employing almost 2,500 people. Photograph: iStock/Askold Romanov, Mlenny & Tricia Seibold

Plans are afoot to establish the first dedicated masters in artificial intelligence (AI) programme in the country as IDA Ireland continues with moves to establish the Republic as a leading hub for the technology.

The news comes as figures provided by TechIreland show there are at least 66 companies working in the space locally, employing almost 2,500 people.

The Ibec-affiliated Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet recently issued a request for tender notice for the development and delivery of the masters programme, following discussions with IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and industry bodies.

The MSc, which is to be fully funded and managed by Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet, is intended to be an industry-led programme to be collaboratively created by ICT-related companies and higher-education institutions.

READ MORE

The masters will initially be targeted at those working in software engineering, data science, electronics engineering and business intelligence and will cover topics such as analytics, and machine and deep learning.

Vibrant

The objective is to begin recruitment of participants later this year with the first full-time one-year programme commencing in 2018. A two-year part-time masters is also envisaged.

Newly published figures from TechIreland, the public database aimed at providing a detailed portrait of Ireland’s start-up scene, shows the Republic is home to a vibrant open AI ecosystem.

The sector is also seen to be growing strongly with 61 per cent of companies working in the space having received funding, while 86 per cent have a live product.

The snapshot shows Irish AI companies, which include the likes of Artomatix, Voysis, Nuritas, SoapBox Labs, Movidius and Aylien, have raised €354 million in total. Seven Irish companies have achieved funding of more than €10 million apiece.

The majority of firms in the space are working in the area of enterprise solutions with health/medical, travel and industrial solutions also popular.

AI revolution

IDA Ireland has been at the forefront of moves to place Ireland at the centre of the AI revolution in recent years. Its chief technology officer Ken Finnegan told The Irish Times that the latest figures show a thriving community.

"It is really important to look to the past to understand where we are now. The pedigree that Ireland has from a technology perspective has derived over a long time and has its origins in the impact that companies such as Microsoft, Intel, IBM and Dell have had on the country. Many of these companies might not have been focusing on cutting-edge technology initially but over the years this has changed and so as a country we are well prepared in terms of core competencies," said Mr Finnegan.

“This is really an evolution. We have an opportunity to do exceptionally well in artificial intelligence and the proposed masters programme will definitely help us in terms of adding to our credentials,” he added.

Output: The Republic of Ireland has a burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) industry, with more than 65 firms operating, 86% of which have a live product, according to figures from TechIreland, a database relating to the country's start-up sector. The data revealed nearly 2,500 people are employed in the AI sector, while seven home-grown firms had raised more than €10m ($13m) each in funding. "The pedigree that Ireland has from a technology perspective has… its origins in the impact that companies such as Microsoft, Intel, IBM and Dell have had on the country," said Ken Finnegan, the CTO of inward investment promotion agency IDA Ireland.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Facebook, Google criticised for fake news covering Vegas shooting
 Facebook and Google promoted false news stories claiming that the shooter who killed more than 50 people in Las Vegas was a Democrat who opposed Donald Trump. The misidentification spread rapidly from dark corners of the internet to mainstream platforms just hours after hundreds were injured at a festival near the Mandalay Bay casino, the latest example of fake news polluting social media amid a breaking news story.

The flow of misinformation on Monday illustrated a particularly grim trend that has increasingly dominated viral online propaganda during US mass shootings – hyper-partisan trolls battling to blame the tragedy on opposing political ideologies.

Police have identified Stephen Paddock as the suspect who opened fire from a high-rise hotel room, killing scores and injuring hundreds more. But before authorities named the 64-year-old Nevada man, some on the far right falsely identified the man behind the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history as Geary Danley. It’s unclear where exactly the hoax originated, but rightwing users aggressively promoted his name, seizing on evidence that he was a liberal.

On 4chan, the anonymous message board and a favorite platform of the “alt-right”, some noted that Danley was a registered Democrat. Soon after, Gateway Pundit, a conspiracy-laden blog that earned White House credentials under Trump, published an evidence-free story headlined, “Las Vegas Shooter Reportedly a Democrat Who Liked Rachel Maddow, MoveOn.org and Associated with Anti-Trump Army”. The piece was based on a review of Facebook “likes”.

01:55 ‘People started dropping around us’: Las Vegas shooting told by witnesses - video report

Despite the fact that the claims were unproven and coming from non-credible sources, Facebook’s “Safety Check” page, which is supposed to help people connect with loved ones during the crisis, ended up briefly promoting a story that said the shooter had “Trump-hating” views, along with links to a number of other hoaxes and scams, according to screenshots. At the same time, Google users who searched Geary Danley’s name were at one point directed to the 4chan thread filled with false claims.

The rightwing users’ successful manipulation of social media algorithms to politicize a tragedy speaks to a relatively new pattern of online abuse. While users of Twitter and Reddit memorably misidentified the suspect behind the Boston marathon bombing in 2013, fake news during global tragedies and terrorist attacks over the last year has increasingly gone beyond careless reporting and retweeting to overt exploitation and targeted disinformation campaigns.

“It’s getting more polarized. There’s this mad scramble to paint the guy as a Democrat or a Republican, so they can cheer,” Brooke Binkowski, managing editor of fact-checking website Snopes.com, said in an interview. “A lot of this is pushed by trolls deliberately to muddy the conversation.”

False content can quickly move from social media to legitimate news sources, she added: “People are putting out crap information on purpose … It’s really easy to get shit into the news cycle by being on Twitter.”

While authorities have struggled to identify the possible motives of Paddock, the suspect who police believe killed himself, some far-right users and conspiracy theorists have, without any proof, attempted to link him to anti-fascist groups and the leftist Antifa movement. Infowars, the hyper-partisan site known for propaganda, claimed on Monday that Paddock was found with “antifa literature”. At the same time, a sham Facebook page pretending to be Antifa claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the goal of the shooter was to murder “Trump supporting fascist dogs”.

A YouTube user also pushed an unsubstantiated rumor that the suspect was a Hillary Clinton supporter.

On the flipside, some conservatives on Twitter have theorized that leftwing social media users have attempted to falsely paint Paddock as a rightwing individual. Some have speculated that liberals are posing as white nationalists and Trump supporters and following a Twitter account that has the same name as the suspect, in hopes of proving he is a conservative.

In reality, the suspect had no known “affiliations” that could explain the massacre, according to one of his brothers, who spoke out on Monday.

Donald Trump makes remarks at the White House on the mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock

Google, Facebook and Twitter have faced repeated accusations that they allow propaganda to spread on their sites and reach large audiences, and in the wake of embarrassing stories of promoting fake news and offensive content, the tech corporations have typically blamed their algorithms and offered vague pledges of improvement.

The Mandalay Bay shooting was no exception. Google said in a statement: “Unfortunately, early this morning we were briefly surfacing an inaccurate 4chan website in our Search results for a small number of queries. Within hours, the 4chan story was algorithmically replaced by relevant results. This should not have appeared for any queries, and we’ll continue to make algorithmic improvements to prevent this from happening in the future.”

Facebook attempted to downplay its role in promoting false stories, saying in a statement: “Our Global Security Operations Center spotted these posts this morning and we have removed them. However, their removal was delayed, allowing them to be screen captured and circulated online. We are working to fix the issue that allowed this to happen in the first place and deeply regret the confusion this caused.”

Binkowski noted that the online debates about possible political affiliations of the suspect distract from meaningful policy discussions about gun control.

“People would rather debate whether the mass shooter is a Republican or Democrat … than address structural issues,” she said.

Beyond the politically charged fake news, a wide range of hoaxes and irresponsible reporting clouded social media on Monday. A number of viral tweets posted fake accounts of missing victims, according to BuzzFeed.

Some celebrities were also quick to spread unverified claims before police had offered any official confirmation of the basic facts of the shooting. Sia, a pop singer and songwriter with 3.2 million followers on Twitter, posted that 20 people were dead before police had released details on the number of casualties, adding, “take cover there are multiple shooters on the loose”.

Police have said there were no other suspects.

Output: Facebook and Google have been accused of promoting fraudulent news stories about the gunman who killed over 50 people in Las Vegas on Sunday. Stories claiming the shooter was a Democrat, opposed to President Trump, initially appeared on right-wing message board 4chan and conspiracy blog Gateway Pundit. Facebook’s “Safety Check”, designed to help people make contact with loved ones during crises, widely promoted one such story, while Google users were directed to the false claims on 4chan. Meanwhile, conservative Twitter users speculated that left-wing social media accounts falsely represented the gunman, Stephen Paddock, as right-wing.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
US tax changes could boost oil production
 Leaders’ Statement: The Pittsburgh Summit (G20, 2009); https://www.g20.org/Content/DE/StatischeSeiten/Breg/G7G20/Anlagen/G20-erklaerungpittsburgh-2009-en.pdf?blob=publicationFile

United States Self-Review of Fossil Fuel Subsidies (US Government, 2015); http://www.oecd.org/site/tadffss/publication

G7 Ise-Shima Leaders’ Declaration (G7, 2016); http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000160266.pdf

Inventory of Estimated Budgetary Support and Tax Expenditures for Fossil Fuels 2013 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2013).

World Trade Report: Exploring the links between subsidies, trade and the WTO (World Trade Organization, 2006).

Ellis, J. The Effects of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform: A Review of Modelling and Empirical Studies (International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), 2010).

Burniaux, J.-M. & Chateau, J. Greenhouse gases mitigation potential and economic efficiency of phasing-out fossil fuel subsidies. Int. Econom. 140, 71–88 (2014).

Schwanitz, V. J., Piontek, F., Bertram, C. & Luderer, G. Long-term climate policy implications of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. Energy Policy 67, 882–894 (2014).

Allaire, M. & Brown, S. P. A. U.S. Energy Subsidies: Effects on Energy Markets and Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Resources for the Future, 2012).

Ross, M. L., Hazlett, C. & Mahdavi, P. Global progress and backsliding on gasoline taxes and subsidies. Nat. Energy 2, 16201 (2017).

Grossman, G. M. Promoting New Industrial Activities: A Survey of Recent Arguments and Evidence (OECD Growth Studies Division, 1989).

Krueger, A. B. Statement of Alan B. Krueger Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy and Chief Economist, US Department of Treasury, to Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure, United States Senate (US Department of the Treasury, 2009).

Aldy, J. in 15 Ways to Rethink the Federal Budget (eds Greenstone, M. et al.) (Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC, 2013).

McCollum, D. L. et al. Quantifying uncertainties influencing the long-term impacts of oil prices on energy markets and carbon emissions. Nat. Energy 1, 16077 (2016).

Decision 1/CP.21: Adoption of the Paris Agreement (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 2015).

McGlade, C. & Ekins, P. The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2 °C. Nature 517, 187–190 (2015).

BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2016 (BP, 2016).

OECD Companion to the Inventory of Support Measures for Fossil Fuels 2015 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2015).

IPCC 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) on behalf of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2006).

U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves, 2014 (US Energy Information Administration, 2015).

Boyd, J. Financial Responsibility for Environmental Obligations: Are Bonding and Assurance Rules Fulfilling Their Promise? (Resources for the Future, 2001).

Mitchell, A. L. & Casman, E. A. Economic incentives and regulatory framework for shale gas well site reclamation in Pennsylvania. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45, 9506–9514 (2011).

Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (World Trade Organization, 1994).

Mead, W. J., Muraoka, D. D. & Sorensen, P. The effect of taxes on the profitability of U.S. oil and gas production: a case study of the OCS record. Natl Tax J. 35, 21–29 (1982).

Bailey, W., Couët, B., Lamb, F., Simpson, G. & Rose, P. Taking a calculated risk. Oilfield Rev. 12, 20–35 (2000).

Cube Browser v. 1.18 (Rystad Energy, 2016); https://www.rystadenergy.com/Products/EnP-Solutions/UCube/Default

Impacts of Delaying IDC Deductibility (2014-2025) (Wood Mackenzie, 2013).

Metcalf, G. The Impact of Removing Tax Preferences for U.S. Oil and Gas Production (Council on Foreign Relations, 2016).

Clarke, L. et al. in Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change (eds Edenhofer, O. et al.) 413–510 (IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 2014).

IPCC: Summary for Policymakers. In Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis (eds Stocker, T. F. et al.) (IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 2013).

CO 2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion: Highlights 2016 (International Energy Agency, 2016).

World Energy Outlook 2015 (International Energy Agency, 2015).

Kartha, S., Lazarus, M. & Tempest, K. Fossil Fuel Production in a 2°C World: The Equity Implications of a Diminishing Carbon Budget (Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016).

Bast, E., Doukas, A., Pickard, S., van der Burg, L. & Whitley, S. Empty Promises: G20 Subsidies to Oil, Gas and Coal Production (Overseas Development Institute, London, and Oil Change International, Washington DC, 2015).

World Energy Outlook 2016 (International Energy Agency, 2016); http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/publications/weo-2016

Faucon, B. & Amon, M. OPEC Oil deal faces test as cartel tries to pin down Russia on details of cuts. The Wall Street Journal (9 December 2016); https://www.wsj.com/articles/opec-output-deal-faces-its-first-test-1481279581

Wingfield, B., Dodge, S. & Sam, C. OPEC Hits a Summer Slump on Its Oil-Cut Goals. Bloomberg.com (17 August 2017); https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2017-opec-production-targets

Copenhagen Economics The Future of Fossil Fuels: How to Steer Fossil Fuel Use in a Transition to a Low-Carbon Energy System (Energy Transitions Commission, 2017); http://energy-transitions.org

Erickson, P. & Lazarus, M. Impact of the Keystone XL pipeline on global oil markets and greenhouse gas emissions. Nat. Clim. Change 4, 778–781 (2014).

Shogren, E. A brief guide to Donald Trump’s America First energy plan. Newsweek (31 January 2017); http://www.newsweek.com/trump-energy-oil-environmental-plan-547642

Statement by President Trump on the Paris Climate Accord (The White House, 2017); https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/06/01/statement-president-trump-paris-climate-accord

World Energy Investment Outlook (International Energy Agency, 2014).

Jahn, F., Cook, M. & Graham, M. in Developments in Petroleum Science Ch. 1, 1–7 (Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Vol. 55, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2008).

Analytical Perspectives: Budget of the U.S. Government Fiscal Year 2017 (Office of Management and Budget, 2016).

Estimates of Federal Tax Expenditures for Fiscal Years 2015-2019 (Joint Committee on Taxation, 2015).

U.S. DOT. Hazardous materials: Enhanced tank car standards and operational controls for high-hazard flammable trains: Final rule. Fed. Reg. 80, 26644–26750 (2015).

Kendall, M. BLM and MMS Beneficial Use Deductions (US Department of the Interior, Office of Inspector General, 2010).

Task Force on Texas’ Energy Sector Roadway Needs: Report to the Texas Transportation Commission (Texas Department of Transportation, 2012).

Jahn, F., Cook, M. & Graham, M. in Developments in Petroleum Science Ch. 8, 191–200 (Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Vol. 55, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2008).

Passone, S. & McRae, G. J. Probabilistic field development in presence of uncertainty. In International Petroleum Technology Conference (OnePetro, 2007); https://doi.org/10.2523/IPTC-11294-MS

A Primer on Domestic Oil and Gas, Part II: Intangible Drilling and Development Costs (KPMG LLP, 2012).

How to Depreciate Property 114 (US Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 2015).

Business Expenses 52 (US Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 2015).

Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2013 (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2014).

Output: Tax changes outlined by the US Republican Party last week could undermine climate change targets, according to research by the Stockholm Environment Institute. The study found that, of the 800 newly discovered US oil fields not yet in operation, half would never go into production without existing subsidies. The proposals, which would lower the corporate tax rate to 20%, give no indication that a 2009 G20 commitment to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies will be maintained. Current subsidies would see new wells producing up to 17 billion barrels of oil, generating six gigatons of CO2, within decades.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Coral’s reproductive capacity used to repair damaged reefs
 International Day of the Midwife on 5 May celebrates the critical work of midwives around the world, but stress in the profession is an ongoing challenge, says Southern Cross Midwifery graduate Georgina Haver. Thanks to a scholarship, Georgina is now researching stress and burnout in the profession as part of an Honours degree. She believes that formal support networks could help retain skilled and resilient midwives.

Output: Damaged coral reefs in the Philippines have been successfully repaired by scientists utilising the marine invertebrates' reproductive potential. Researchers from Australia’s Southern Cross University grew millions of coral larvae in tanks, then transferred them to reefs that had been degraded by blast fishing. The experiment, the first of its kind in the world, proved that the larvae could settle and reach sexual maturity within three years. Coral reefs are central to the survival of approximately one million marine species and hundreds of millions of people who rely on them for food and survival.


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Input:
Over 50% of leading US fast food chains reduce antibiotic use
 NRDC and our allies—Consumer Reports, Food Animal Concerns Trust, U.S. Public Research Interest Group Education Fund, Antibiotic Resistance Action Center at the George Washington University School of Public Health, and the Center for Food Safety—annually review and grade the largest fast-food and -casual U.S. restaurant chains on their policies regarding the use of antibiotics in the meat they serve. We also look at how these policies are being implemented and whether companies are transparent about their progress in reducing antibiotic use. The results are published in a report called Chain Reaction.

When top restaurant chains voluntarily commit to ending the routine use of antibiotics in their supply networks, they can ignite broader change in practices across the meat industry. Ending routine antibiotics use can help slow the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and keep these critical medicines working to treat infections in people and animals. Restaurant chains were instrumental in helping to transform antibiotic use practices in the chicken industry in recent years. Unfortunately, when it comes to beef and pork, we’ve seen little in the way of meaningful change.

The 2021 Chain Reaction report focuses specifically on how top restaurant chains are or are not addressing antibiotic use in their beef supplies, highlighting the need for action in this sector.

Commitments from companies are a critical part of the solution to the antibiotics resistance crisis. But the market alone will not solve the problem. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration must also regulate antibiotics across the livestock sector by banning the routine use of these drugs for disease prevention—not just growth promotion—and by setting a national goal for concrete reductions in livestock antibiotics use.

Output: Over 50% of the 25 largest US fast food chains have adopted policies that limit or eliminate the use of antibiotics in the meat and poultry they use, according to the latest version of an annual report by groups including Friends of the Earth and the Natural Resources Defense Council. This year’s list includes 14 restaurants, representing two-thirds of all fast food sector revenue, that have pledged to reduce antibiotic use. All improvements this year arose from changes to chicken policies. “No-antibiotic” beef and pork in fast food chains remains extremely limited. Panera Bread and Chipotle topped the list.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Over 50% of leading US fast food chains reduce antibiotic use
 David Silverman/Getty Images

Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

More than half of the largest 25 fast food and fast casual restaurant chains in the U.S. now have policies in place that either limit or eliminate the use of antibiotics in the production of the meat and/or poultry they serve, according to a new report out today.

“Chain Reaction III: How Top Restaurants Rate on Reducing Use of Antibiotics in Their Meat Supply” (PDF) was produced by Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Food Safety, Food Animal Concerns Trust, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and Consumers Union, the policy and mobilization arm of Consumer Reports.

“Fast food restaurants are major purchasers of meat and poultry,” says Jean Halloran, director of Food Policy Initiatives at Consumers Union. “When they switch to meat and poultry raised without antibiotics, it can affect the entire supply chain.”

The 14 restaurants on this year’s list that have made commitments to reduce antibiotic use represent two-thirds of all fast food industry revenue.

Among the restaurants that made improvements this year, changes in chicken policies were responsible for all of the progress. The availability of “no-antibiotic” beef and pork at fast food chains is still very limited, according to the report.

Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

For decades, antibiotics have been given to healthy food animals to help prevent the diseases they might contract in crowded, unsanitary factory conditions. This practice significantly contributes to antibiotic resistance, in which the bacteria that can cause illness don’t respond to drugs, rendering them ineffective.

Nearly two-thirds of consumers report being extremely or very concerned that giving antibiotics to animals raised for food can create new bacteria that cause illnesses that antibiotics can’t cure, according to a 2016 CR nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 people.

“In the U.S., more than 70 percent of antibiotics that are important for human medicine are sold for use on animals, not people; and most of those are routinely given to animals that aren’t sick,” says Lena Brook, M.E.S., a food policy advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, one of the co-authors of the report. “When you use antibiotics in this routine way, resistance happens, and that resistant bacteria can then escape from farms and find their way into communities.”

“Consumers have enormous influence over the behavior of companies,” says Brad Spellberg, M.D., chief medical officer at the Los Angeles County and University of Southern California Medical Center. “If consumers demand 'no-antibiotic' meat, this will lead to reduced antibiotic usage in agricultural settings, which will slow the spread of antibiotic resistance.”

How the restaurants scored

The six consumer, environmental, and health organizations mentioned above have produced the Chain Reaction Report as well as the accompanying Scorecard on Antibiotic Policies and Practices (see below) annually since 2015. The goal of the report is to encourage companies to adopt good policies that prohibit routine antibiotic use in healthy animals across all the meats they serve.

The 25 companies were sent a survey, and their responses—along with public statements by the companies either in the press or on their websites—were used to calculate the grade on the scorecard.

Several factors are part of the grade. Forty percent of the score is based on a company’s antibiotic use policy and having a timeline for implementing it. Implementation accounts for 32 percent of the grade. The remaining 28 percent of the score is based on transparency (using outside inspectors to verify that they’re using and adhering to their policy and keeping consumers regularly apprised of progress) and responding to the survey, which 16 of the 25 companies did this year.

The number of fast food and casual chains that received passing grades this year was triple the number in 2015, the first year of the report.

Panera Bread and Chipotle lead the pack with A grades, for the third year in a row. Nearly all their meat and poultry are raised without any antibiotics. Subway upped last year’s B to a B+ after converting all chicken it serves to “no antibiotic.” It plans to do the same for turkey by 2019 and beef and pork by 2025.

Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s earned B’s and C’s for their strong antibiotic policies in chicken. McDonald’s recently announced that it wouldn’t serve chicken raised with antibiotics most valuable to human medicine in restaurants worldwide by 2027. (It currently does not sell chicken raised on antibiotics important in human medicine in the U.S.)

KFC notably upped last year’s score from an F to a B- after committing to only serve chicken raised without medically important antibiotics by the end of 2018.

Some smaller chains not represented on the scorecard are also making progress. For example, all of the chicken served at Dickey’s BBQ is no-antibiotic, as is all of the beef, pork, and poultry served at Cheesecake Factory.

Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Jack in the Box, and Starbucks were upgraded from last year’s F to a D, joining the likes of Papa Johns and Pizza Hut. These chains received a “D” grade for having limited policies on antibiotics, or for not fully implementing them yet.

Applebee’s, Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili’s, Cracker Barrel, Dairy Queen, Domino’s Pizza, IHOP, Little Caesars, Olive Garden, and Sonic earned “F” grades for having absolutely no antibiotics policies in place at all.

We reached out to the National Restaurant Association for comment and will update this story with any response.

Charging ahead on chicken

Techniques for raising chickens without antibiotics are better developed than those for beef or pork, says Halloran, and the chicken industry has made great strides toward eliminating the routine use of the drugs. According to the report, half of the chicken in the U.S. today is either produced under an antibiotics stewardship program or will be before 2020.

Panera Bread and Chipotle are the only chains to limit antibiotic in beef and pork as well as chicken. Subway is the only other company that has made a public commitment to source “no antibiotic” beef and pork. McDonald’s recently said it plans to reduce antibiotics in beef and pork worldwide but didn’t provide details or set a timeline for achieving this goal.

“We know that when big buyers like the McDonald’s, Subways, and even the KFCs of the world step up, it sends a really clear message to producers that not only is the demand for responsibly producing meat and poultry there,” says Brook, “but also that the changes are meaningful to health.”

If being able to more easily purchase meat and poultry raised without antibiotics is important to you, Halloran has this advice: “Wherever you eat, ask restaurant managers about their meat sourcing policies and practices and make sure they know that you’re looking for options that are healthier not only for you but for the animals and the environment, too—including meat produced without the routine use of antibiotics.”

Output: Over 50% of the 25 largest US fast food chains have adopted policies that limit or eliminate the use of antibiotics in the meat and poultry they use, according to the latest version of an annual report by groups including Friends of the Earth and the Natural Resources Defense Council. This year’s list includes 14 restaurants, representing two-thirds of all fast food sector revenue, that have pledged to reduce antibiotic use. All improvements this year arose from changes to chicken policies. “No-antibiotic” beef and pork in fast food chains remains extremely limited. Panera Bread and Chipotle topped the list.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
EasyJet to increase drone inspections across UK airports in 2018
 London Gatwick airport could in 2018 see a flurry of drone activity, with both the facility's operator and low-cost carrier EasyJet looking to employ unmanned air vehicles for inspection tasks.

EasyJet has for several years been trialling the use of UAVs, in conjunction with UK firm Blue Bear Systems, to perform aircraft inspections to check for damage following events such as lightning strikes.

Gary Smith, head of engineering at the UK carrier, says the technology has been "successfully tested".

In 2018 it will roll out the system to its two UK maintenance hangars at London airports Gatwick and Luton, he says, following initial trials conducted with the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

"Ultimately this may well become a service that is scalable worldwide," he says. "We are pushing it forward."

If the roll-out in the UK proves successful, it will look to adopt the system at its three other in-house facilities at Geneva, Milan Malpensa and Berlin Schoenefeld.

Lufthansa Technik carries out heavy maintenance tasks for EasyJet at sites in Malta in Budapest, and, notes Smith "it is in our interest that it is adopted by suppliers as well".

EasyJet has also been using 3D-scanning technology to permit more accurate damage assessments, and it hopes to be able to this capability to the UAVs as well, says Smith.

Meanwhile, London Gatwick's operator is to begin trials of UAVs designed to perform runway inspections in the first half of 2018.

Cathal Corcoran, the airport's chief information officer, says the drones will replace manual inspections for damage or foreign object debris.

"They can perform inspections better than any human eye," he says. "Drones are exciting for us."

Gatwick will use the tests, which will take place on a private road, to determine whether UAVs or autonomous ground vehicles provide the most accurate images, he says.

He stresses that any future drone operations would only take place at night when the runway is not in use.

The airport operator also will investigate the use of UAVs to secure the site's perimeter.

Source: Cirium Dashboard

Output: Budget airline easyJet will use drones to carry out safety inspections of its planes at Luton and London Gatwick airports from next year. The launch follows trials with the Civil Aviation Authority, and if all goes well in the UK, easyJet said the drone system could be expanded to cover its bases at airports in Berlin, Geneva and Milan. Additionally, London Gatwick's operator expects to roll out its own drone-backed runway inspections initiative during H1 2018.


Instruction: create a high quality summary of the given input

Input:
Shares in video-streamer Roku soar after its IPO raises $219m
 NEW YORK -- Shares of Roku, an early player in streaming-video gadgets, soared Thursday after its initial public offering of stock raised US$219 million.

The shares priced at $14 each, the top of the company's expected range, suggesting strong demand from investors and valuing the company at $1.3 billion. The shares rocketed to more than $21 in Thursday afternoon trading, a gain of over 50 per cent.

The Los Gatos, California, company is known for its boxes and sticks that let users watch Netflix, Hulu and the growing universe of streaming-video options on their TVs. It has the biggest share of the streaming-gadget market, but has deep-pocketed competitors in Amazon, Google and Apple.

Most of Roku's revenue comes from sales of its streaming players, but it's seeking to capitalize on its "platform" by building its business of showing ads to users, whether on its home screen or inside video apps.

The company is unprofitable and has amassed $244 million in losses since it was founded in 2002.

Output: Shares in Roku rocketed last Thursday after the company's initial public offering raised $219m. The California firm makes sticks and boxes that enable users to watch Netflix, Hulu and other streaming-video options on their TVs. Roku has the biggest share of the streaming-gadget market, despite competition from Amazon, Google and Apple. Shares were initially priced at $14 – the top of the company's expected range – valuing it at $1.3bn but rose to over $21 in afternoon trading. The company makes most of its revenue from selling streaming players; however, it is not profitable, having made $244m of losses since 2002.


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Drone flying banned near US landmarks such as Statue of Liberty
 Nailing awesome drone shots of your favorite U.S. landmarks is set to become more difficult as new flight bans come into effect soon at several locations across the country.

On Thursday, September 28, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced new regulations banning drone flights within 400 feet of a number of famous tourist sites, among them the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, and the Hoover Dam.

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The FAA said it was introducing the new restrictions “at the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies.” The regulations will come into force on October 5, 2017.

Here’s the full list of sites:

• Statue of Liberty National Monument; New York

• Boston National Historical Park (U.S.S. Constitution); Boston

• Independence National Historical Park; Philadelphia

• Folsom Dam; Folsom, California

• Glen Canyon Dam; Lake Powell, Arizona

• Grand Coulee Dam; Grand Coulee, Washington

• Hoover Dam; Boulder City, Nevada

• Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, Missouri

• Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Keystone, South Dakota

• Shasta Dam; Shasta Lake, California

“Operators who violate the airspace restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges,” the FAA said in a statement on its website.

The agency added that information on the new measures will be included in its free B4UFly app (iOS and Android), which offers drone pilots tips on safe flying, as well as information on restrictions and requirements relating to drone flights in the specific area they want to operate.

The FAA noted that the new regulations mark the first time that it has taken such measures over Department of the Interior landmarks, though it’s true to say that some of these locations are already included in a ban on drone flights in national parks that was introduced by the National Park Service in 2014.

Other out-of-bounds sites for drone pilots include airports, government buildings, prisons, and sports stadiums.

Best not to fly your drone near army bases, too. In August, the Pentagon greenlit a policy that allows the U.S. military to blow your bird out of the sky if it spots it flying close to one of 133 military installations across the country. You could also be hit with jail time for your efforts.

And be sure to keep your flying machine well away from wildfires, as it could make flying conditions hazardous for manned aircraft tackling the blaze.

For more information on drone flight restrictions in the U.S., take a moment to check out the FAA’s webpage on the subject or explore the aforementioned B4UFly app.

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Output: Drone flights within 400 feet of major US landmarks are to be banned "at the request of national security and law enforcement agencies", the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said. The FAA will enforce the new regulation from 5 October at sites such as Mount Rushmore, the Statue of Liberty and the Hoover Dam. Drones are already banned near airports, government buildings, sport stadiums, prisons and army bases.


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Toshiba to sell NAND chip unit in $18bn deal
 Missed the GamesBeat Summit excitement? Don't worry! Tune in now to catch all of the live and virtual sessions here.

(Reuters) — Japan’s Toshiba said on Thursday it had signed an $18 billion deal to sell its chip unit to a consortium led by Bain Capital LP, overcoming a key — albeit not its last — hurdle as it scrambles for funds to stave off a potential delisting.

The sale of the unit — the world’s second biggest producer of NAND chips — was agreed last week after a tortuous auction process but the signing was delayed because consortium member Apple demanded new terms on chip supply, sources familiar with the matter have said.

The deal will see Toshiba reinvest in the unit and together with Hoya, a medical technology firm that also makes parts for chip devices, Japanese firms will hold more than 50 percent of the business — a keen wish of the Japanese government.

A Japanese state-backed fund and bank have also expressed their interest in investing in the future subject to certain conditions, Toshiba said in a statement.

“With this deal, a lot of risks for Toshiba have disappeared. It can go back to being a normal company,” said Hideki Yasuda at Ace Research Institute.

Pressure from the Japanese government, changing alliances among suitors and a slew of revised bids has drawn out the auction over nine months — heightening the risk that the deal may not close before the end of Japan’s financial year in March as regulatory reviews usually take at least six months.

If the deal does not close before then, Toshiba — hurt by liabilities at its now bankrupt nuclear unit Westinghouse — is likely to end a second consecutive year in negative net worth, putting pressure on the Tokyo Stock Exchange to strip it of its listing status.

The sale also faces legal challenges from Western Digital, Toshiba’s chip venture partner and rejected suitor, which is seeking an injunction to block any deal that does not have its consent.

Western Digital, one of world’s leading makers of hard disk drives, paid some $16 billion last year to acquire SanDisk, Toshiba’s chip joint venture partner since 2000. It sees chips as a key pillar of growth and is desperate to keep the business out of the hands of rival chipmakers.

In addition to Apple, Bain’s consortium includes South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix, as well as Dell, Seagate Technology, and Kingston Technology.

Under the deal, Toshiba will hold 40.2 percent of voting rights in the chip unit and Hoya will own 9.9 percent, while other members will hold a combined 49.9 percent, according to SK Hynix.

In a move to address anti-trust concerns that may come up in a regulatory review. Toshiba said SK Hynix would be firewalled from accessing proprietary information that belonged to the chip unit and would not be permitted to own more than 15 percent of voting rights for 10 years.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Additional reporting by Kentaro Hamada and Taro Fuse; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Output: Toshiba has signed an $18bn agreement to sell its NAND chip unit in a bid to raise funds. The unit was auctioned off after a nine-month process to a consortium led by Bain Capital and including Apple. The unit is the second largest producer of NAND chips globally. Toshiba is also reinvesting in the unit, alongside medical tech firm Hoya. Japanese firms in the consortium will own over 50% of the business. The company hopes to close the deal before the end of the Japanese financial year in March, and so end the year with positive net worth.


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Advertisers now have ability to target Facebook Messenger ads
 Retargeting is largely associated with product ads that stalk users across the internet.

But Facebook sees retargeting as a tactic that can open the door to ongoing engagement within Messenger.

Ted Helwick, the Facebook product manager leading monetization efforts on Messenger, told AdExchanger that “the KPI advertisers tell us they care about most right now is getting users to reply and engage in messages.”

Starting this week, advertisers have the ability to target Messenger ads, which Facebook began testing in July, to optimize for replies and conversations.

Targeting by objective fits with Facebook’s plan to insinuate Messenger into more of the customer journey, from awareness and acquisition to customer service and re-engagement.

In addition to Messenger ads that click directly into conversations, Messenger’s expanding suite of advertising products includes sponsored messages that retarget users and bring them back into existing chats.

But brands also are starting to look at Messenger as a channel for transactions.

American Eagle Outfitters, which created two bots to drum up awareness and sales during the back-to-school and holiday seasons, for example, was mostly focused on generating engagement within Messenger.

The hope now is to move on from the “softer sell” and start driving actual sales, said Kristen D’Arcy, head of performance digital marketing at American Eagle Outfitters.

That’s why the Messenger monetization team is particularly “bullish” on sponsored messages, Helwick said. Brands like American Eagle can start to capitalize on the equity and engagement they’ve built with their audience on Messenger over time.

When brands make the effort to build relationships with their customers and provide helpful customer service within Messenger, it gives them “the right to actually push new products,” said David Marcus, Facebook’s VP of messaging products.

Because it’s one thing to open a conversation with consumers on Messenger, and it’s another thing to keep that conversation going, Marcus said.

Which is where retargeting comes in.

Retargeting is “a way to get your business objective delivered to you,” Marcus said. “You can talk to your customer until you get to the finish line.”

Output: As part of Facebook’s plans to give retargeting ads a makeover, advertisers will now have the ability to target Messenger ads to optimise for replies and conversations, opening the door to ongoing engagement with customers. The new advertising products will include ads that click directly into Messenger conversations and sponsored messages that retarget users and bring them back into existing chats. David Marcus, Facebook’s VP of messaging products, commented that when brands make the effort to build relationships with their customers and provide helpful customer service within Messenger, it gives them “the right to actually push new products”.


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Central Bank of Nigeria changes view of cryptocurrencies
 Following cautious considerations, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has commenced arrangement to introduce a digital currency in a move to key into the global adoption of Crypto currency initiative.

The Deputy Director/Head, Payments System Policy and Oversight, CBN, Musa Jimoh, disclosed this at the Crypto currency conference recently held in Lagos.

Crypto currency is a digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency, and verify the transfer of funds, operating independently of a central bank.

Jimoh said the Apex bank “cannot stop the tide of waves generated by the blockchain technology and its derivatives. Currently, we have taken measures to create four departments in the institution that are looking forward to harmonise the white paper on Crypto currency.”

Before now, the CBN had been wary to adopting digital currency until it had concluded assessment on its transaction methodology, especially as it has been said that “decentralised crypto currencies such as bitcoin now provide an outlet for personal wealth that is beyond restriction and confiscation.”

Speaking on the development, the President, Information Security Society of Nigeria (ISSAN), Dr. David Isiawe, said: “The reality that is before us today, particularly in Nigeria, is that the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), blockchain and Crypto currency are facts that we must face, whether we like it or not. We cannot wish this reality away. It is made worse when we realise that we are still grappling with current challenges of e-commerce and other electronic payment systems but technology development and advancements are not waiting.

“The impact of the emergence of blockchain and Crypto currency will be felt in the nation just as in the global community. Nigerian must be proactive rather than reactive by considering how these technologies would affect and influence our lifestyles and business operations and channel, and thus fashion our rules of engagement for their adoption.”

Isiawe also admonished prospective investors to be careful investing in Crypto currencies, as every investment has its share of risks.The conference tagged: “Learning to Glow with the Flow,” also served as the debut of a new coin, Corion.

Highlighting the coin, the President, Corion Platform, Ida Frauda, said: “Crypto currency is a currency that allows parties to exchange value. Unlike gold, paper money and other means of payments, Crypto currency is digital and decentralised granting transactions to be made without intermediaries and giving the transactors control over their money.

“With the Corion, users have daily payments and value storage with a staple price, fair distribution of benefits, keys to the challenges to engage the majority in using Crypto currency on a daily basis, an ecosystem to get the financial benefits from merely being a user. They make transaction in multiple currencies, peer-to-peer exchange in a limitless market in the global market; make money from the daily coin release from the increasing number of users instead of speculation.”

For the conference organiser, Chimezie Chuta, Nigeria should create learning institutions to educate and engage the youths and make them relevant in this space.

He urged the youths to equip themselves with learning blockchain, as it is the technology of the future. “Any sector can be on it like the Internet, which will lead to a skill shortage. People should read online, and research as many firms are going to be requiring blockchain experts in their sphere. The blockchain technology can be used across boards like smart contract, e-voting, identity management, healthcare. We should not be sole users rather; we should harness our numerical strength in his space,” said.

The Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Digital Encode, Oluseyi Akindeinde, said crypto currency is the currency of the future. “This currency cannot be monopolized by any government or company. It allows transparency; the velocity of transactions can be monitored with the blockchain, as it cuts across borders of accounts with the use of Applications.”

Highlighting the use of blockchain for transactions, Akindeinde said: “The technology is not only used for Crypto currency, although, the naira can be on the blockchain just like some other countries, so instead of spending bitcoin, everyone can spend the naira and transfer from peer to peer without going to financial institutions. Nonetheless, it can be used for land registration, stock exchange. Everything that has value can be used on the blockchain.”

Speaking on the security of the blockchain, he said: “If the CBN places the naira on it, then they are securing it with the hashing power of the blockchain. Presently based on the design which has been in existence since 2009, the blockchain is hack-proof due to the encryption and cryptography technology.

“The reasons banks are prone to hack is because they are centralised. Blockchain is decentralised. It is located everywhere there is Internet, so except someone hacks the entire Internet, then they can hack the blockchain system.”

Output: The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said it is considering introducing a cryptocurrency. The bank's head of payments, Musa Jimoh, has said the CBN "cannot stop the tide of waves generated by the blockchain technology and its derivatives". The CBN has been wary of cryptocurrencies so far, given its previous findings found "decentralised cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin now provide an outlet for personal wealth that is beyond restriction and confiscation". However, the bank now acknowledges the security advantages conferred by blockchain technology and also recognises it can be used for land registration and on a stock exchange.


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Whole Foods hack may have exposed payment details
 Shopping at Whole Foods might have cost customers more than just overpriced avocados.

The popular grocery chain, which Amazon bought for $13.7 billion in June, warned customers Thursday that thieves stole payment card information at several of its stores. The cyberattack hit Whole Foods' taprooms and restaurants, not stores' primary checkout lines, the company said.

These in-store taprooms and restaurants use a different payments system than the regular Whole Foods checkout. The hack didn't spread to Amazon's payment servers because they're not connected to Whole Foods' stores, the company said.

Point-of-sales attacks often target popular chains. Fast food joints like Chipotle and Wendy's have been hit in the past, with hackers stealing customer credit card information. Cybercriminals often look for easy targets to make quick cash, and restaurants have shown they're simple to hack.

Whole Foods has 449 stores in the US and more than 40 sell beer on tap. It's unclear how many restaurants Whole Foods has.

Watch this: How Amazon tech can be tied into Whole Foods 01:55

"While most Whole Foods Market stores do not have these taprooms and restaurants, Whole Foods Market encourages its customers to closely monitor their payment card statements and report any unauthorized charges to the issuing bank," the company said in a statement.

Whole Foods declined to comment on how many people are affected and which stores were hacked.

The grocery chain said it's working with a cybersecurity forensics firm and law enforcement to investigate who is behind the attack.

First published Sept. 29, 6:25 a.m. PT.

Update at 8:14 a.m. PT: With Whole Foods declining to comment.

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Output: Amazon-owned grocery chain Whole Foods has warned customers who frequented one of its bars or restaurants recently to "closely monitor their payment card statements and report any unauthorised charges to the issuing bank" following a cyber attack. The company said the hack did not affect its main checkout lines as Amazon's payment system is separate from that used in its bars and restaurants. It is not clear how many outlets were affected and Whole Foods declined to provide figures on the potential number of customers at risk or which locations were affected, but said it was investigating the attack.


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Disney Digital Network goes after bigger slice of ad budgets
 Disney owns some of the most premium online content to advertise on, but it hasn’t tried to fully capitalize on it until now. After restructuring its sales team, trimming its Maker Studios influencer business and launching its own ad network in recent months, the media conglomerate is making its biggest push yet for digital ad budgets.

Disney’s commercial executives are pitching advertisers and agencies the Disney Digital Network, a combination of all its online assets that can be bought either on its own ad network, influencer partnerships or branded-content deals. Meetings have happened since DDN launched in May, as the company looks to grow a small but lucrative part of its consumer products and interactive business. Advertising accounted for just 2 percent — $130 million — of the division’s total revenues last year.

The creation of Disney’s own ad network is arguably the clearest indicator of how the company will attempt to win ad budgets. Similar to publisher alliances like Pangaea, Disney wants marketers to see it as a premium, more transparent alternative to the scale of Google and Facebook.

By running its own ad network, Disney can control its own data and reduce its reliance on third parties and, more important, third-party fees. It functions like a traditional ad network, handling the placement, optimization and reporting on ads once Disney and the buyer have negotiated a fee. Much of what is sold via the network is ads on its apps and pre-roll video before its content on social networks, particularly on YouTube. The Google-owned video site represents a sizable part of the 400 million monetizable video views that Robbie Douek, vp of digital partnerships for Disney in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the DDN can generate for brands. Display, however, is a “small portion” of what gets sold, he added.

Targeting audiences online will be “contextual” rather than hypertargeted for Disney’s advertisers, said Douek, meaning the ads Disney sells, at least initially, will be targeted based on relevancy to page content. Douek said he could revisit sharper targeting at a later stage, however. Some media observers say the company has been too cautious, which they feel its lack of data targeting underscores. For now, Douek said the commercial team is focused on “looking at specific audiences that are associated with specific franchises” when helping advertisers plan campaigns.

In-house technology, however, is not always a panacea for transparency, said Bill Swanson, vp for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at PubMatic, a company that makes money from working with publishers that can’t afford to build their own in-house technology. “[Marketers] may relieve their anxieties about appearing next to inappropriate content, but what about fraud?” he said. “Even the most premium publishers today are victims of domain spoofing, something that can be alleviated by using verification technologies.”

Disney also expects its influencers to woo advertisers, though Douek acknowledged the difficulties of building an influencer business in a crowded market. The company has struggled to grow Maker Studios since acquiring it in 2014 for more than $500 million. Earlier this year, Disney streamlined Maker Studios, then pulled it into its consumer products and interactive division. Turning Maker Studios from a standalone unit into part of a broader pitch for digital budgets is expected to help Disney recoup some of the money it undoubtedly lost. In addition to pitching those influencers to brands, Disney will offer opportunities for Maker Studios creators to appear in its TV shows, as well as join the rebooted online version of its “Mickey Mouse Club” series.

Disney’s move into online advertising has been a long time coming. After struggling to get its online business started since acquiring Maker Studios, the media outlet is hopeful the brand-safety crisis can help cement its position as a trusted publisher.

“Brand safety comes up a lot when we’re talking to advertisers,” Douek said. “That’s why in the world we’re living in today, the players that are going to shine through are those who sit on the content.”

Output: Disney is seeking to improve low advertising revenues at its consumer products and interactive division with a concerted push into digital. Advertising accounted for just 2% of the division's revenues in 2016. Using its Disney Digital Network, an ad network that combines all Disney's online assets, the firm aims to position itself as a trusted, premium alternative to Facebook and Google. Robbie Douek, vice-president of digital partnerships in EMEA, said initial campaigns would be "contextual" and that the company was looking at "specific audiences that are associated with specific franchises".