Amazon Fresh to open one of its first stores in Long Beach in December - Long Beach Press Telegram

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One of the country’s first Amazon Fresh grocery stores is coming to Long Beach.

City Councilmember Stacy Mungo, who represents Long Beach’s Fifth District, announced late Monday, Sept. 28, that Amazon Fresh will occupy the former site of Haggen Food & Pharmacy, 6235 E. Spring St.

The store is expected to open in December, Mungo wrote in her newsletter.

A spokesperson for Amazon confirmed the new store but declined to share further details.

The first Amazon Fresh grocery store opened to the public earlier this month in Woodland Hills. The stores feature decent prices (like 15-cent bananas) and Dash Carts, which use inward-facing cameras to track what’s in the basket and allow customers to skip the traditional checkout line; shoppers also have the choice to use a conventional cart and cashier.

The store will also offer free same-day delivery and pick-up for Amazon Prime members.

Mungo wrote that, according to Amazon, the store is expected to create “hundreds of high-quality local jobs.”

The Spring Street lot has been empty since 2015, when Haggen filed for bankruptcy and closed less than a year after it moved into the property.

But it appears Amazon Fresh is just beginning its journey into the brick-and-mortar business. The brand has opened stores in North Hollywood, Irvine, Northridge and Naperville, Illinois, on an online-only basis for the time being; an Amazon spokesperson did not have details about their in-store openings.

In addition to those and the Long Beach location, Amazon Fresh stores will also come soon to Whittier; Oak Lawn, Illinois; and Schaumburg, Illinois.

“It’s been a long time coming and our residents and neighbors have been waiting patiently,” Mungo wrote. “I’m excited to see a new grocery concept serving our community and providing essential jobs right when we need them most.”

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The Link Lonk


September 30, 2020 at 03:26AM
https://www.presstelegram.com/amazon-fresh-to-open-one-of-its-first-stores-in-long-beach-in-december

Amazon Fresh to open one of its first stores in Long Beach in December - Long Beach Press Telegram

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Simon Property Group Declares Fresh Dividend; Yield is 8.1% - Motley Fool

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A severe downturn in shopping mall traffic isn't deterring Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) from maintaining its dividend. On Tuesday, the company -- which is the top mall real estate investment trust (REIT) in the U.S. -- said its board of directors has declared a common stock distribution of $1.30 per share. This is to be handed out on Oct. 23 to investors of record as of Oct. 9.

The amount matches the previous dividend, which was dispensed in late July. Previous to that, however, Simon was more generous, with a $2.10 per share disbursement.

It almost goes without saying that the company's major challenge is surviving and thriving inside the coronavirus pandemic. Mandatory shutdowns of retail stores earlier in the pandemic have badly affected their operations, and fresh closures could be looming given the recent upturn in cases in many locations.

Image source: Getty Images.

That said, Simon hasn't done too badly considering its far-from-ideal circumstances. It's still well in the black in terms of funds from operations (FFO, considered the most important profitability metric for REITs), and it has done better than many peer landlords in collecting rent from tenants. And for the moment, tenants in the vast majority of stores the company owns had resumed operations.

Meanwhile, Simon has taken the fairly unorthodox step of investing into some of its larger tenants. It was part of a consortium of investors acquiring the bankrupt Forever 21, among other notable retail fashion brands, and is participating in another retailer rehabilitation project, J.C. Penney.

On Tuesday, Simon's share price dipped by 2.7%, exceeding the declines of the broader stock market on the day.

The Link Lonk


September 30, 2020 at 08:19AM
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/09/29/simon-property-group-declares-fresh-dividend-yield/

Simon Property Group Declares Fresh Dividend; Yield is 8.1% - Motley Fool

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Will Smith reunites with ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ cast to tour the show's mansion for 30th anniversary - Fox News

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Will Smith and some of his cast members on “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reunited earlier this month to tour the famous mansion for the 30th anniversary of the sitcom.

Smith, 52, was joined by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Daphne Maxwell Reid and Joseph Marcell.

For fans lucky enough to snag the Airbnb deal once booking started on Tuesday, the home is available to rent for only five dates next month for $30.

On Monday, a video tour of the mansion aired.

WILL SMITH, ‘FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR’ CAST TO REUNITE ON HBO MAX

Smith and Jeff, 55, who played onscreen best friends, met up before the rest of the cast to take photos and shoot videos.

“This was the first time @djjazzyjeff got to spend time in the @freshprince mansion without gettin tossed!” the “I Am Legend” star joked in a caption of him and the DJ referring to their troublemaker characters.

Prior to entering the mansion, the duo did their characters’ signature handshake.

MANSION SEEN ON 'FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR' WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE ON AIRBNB

“Alright I’ll stay. I know this is supposed to be for other people but I need this for myself,” the “Bad Boys” star joked when they got inside.

Memorabilia was scattered throughout the home.

Some of the rooms replicated the set where the stars actually filmed the indoor scenes. Only the facade of the building was used on the sitcom.

The mansion is also in the Los Angeles, Calif., neighborhood Brentwood, although it was marketed to be in Bel Air.

'FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR' TO BE REBOOTED AS A DRAMA WITH WILL SMITH ON BOARD TO PRODUCE

Castmates Alfonso Ribeiro and Janet Hubert-Whitten, who played the original Aunt Vivian Banks character, were not in attendance although they will appear on the HBO Max reunion special airing in November.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The late actor James Avery who played Uncle Phil was memorialized with a photo inside the mansion.

The Link Lonk


September 30, 2020 at 01:55AM
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/will-smith-reunites-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-cast-mansion-tour

Will Smith reunites with ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ cast to tour the show's mansion for 30th anniversary - Fox News

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

Exclusive: Google, Fitbit deal set to win EU okay after fresh concessions - sources - Reuters

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By Foo Yun Chee

3 Min Read

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Alphabet’s Google is set to win EU antitrust approval for its $2.1 billion purchase of fitness tracker maker Fitbit to take on Apple and Samsung in the wearable technology market, people familiar with the matter said.

The world’s most popular internet search engine on Tuesday offered fresh concessions to the European Commission in a bid to address concerns the deal could entrench Google’s power in online advertising and boost its trove of data.

Google said it had offered to restrict the use of Fitbit data for Google ads and would also tighten the monitoring of that process, confirming a Reuters report. The offer is based on a July proposal.

“We’re also formalizing our longstanding commitment to supporting other wearable manufacturers on Android and to continue to allow Fitbit users to connect to third party services via APIs (application programming interfaces) if they want to,” Google said in a statement.

Third parties will also continue to have access to Fitbit users’ data, with users’ consent.

The concessions, reported earlier by Reuters, are set to clear the way for the deal to be approved, the people said.

The Commission, which is scheduled to decide on the deal by Dec. 23, declined to comment. Its decision could come earlier than the deadline.

The EU competition enforcer will now seek feedback from rivals and customers before deciding whether to accept Google’s concessions, demand more, or either clear or block the detail.

Last month, it rejected Google’s pledge not to use the fitness tracker’s data for advertising purposes in a bid to address competition concerns, saying that it was insufficient.

The deal has drawn criticism from healthcare providers, wearables rivals and privacy advocates.

Fitbit, once the leader in the wearable devices market, had a 3% share of the global wearables market as of the first quarter of 2020, lagging behind Apple’s 29.3% share, as well as Xiaomi, Samsung and Huawei, data from market research firm International Data Corp showed.

The Commission recently asked Google’s rivals and customers about interoperability issues, what technical steps Google could take to foreclose competition to Fitbit to increase its sales, and what could prompt it to do so, according to a person familiar with the matter.

It also asked about issues related to digital healthcare and the kind of data Google needs, and where the U.S. company could acquire it, the person said, suggesting concessions may be needed in these two areas.

Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Mark Potter

The Link Lonk


September 29, 2020 at 05:20PM
https://www.reuters.com/article/fitbit-m-a-alphabet-eu/exclusive-google-fitbit-deal-set-to-win-eu-okay-after-fresh-concessions-sources-idUSKBN26K1XJ

Exclusive: Google, Fitbit deal set to win EU okay after fresh concessions - sources - Reuters

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

United Fresh to continue fall programming on LIVE! 365 platform - Produce Blue Book

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – United Fresh BB #:145458 has announced its slate of new programming taking place this fall on the LIVE! 365 platform.

United Fresh LIVE! 365 is the industry’s year-round community platform, providing new business opportunities, personal connections and access to education every day.

“We are committed to continue to provide the industry with ways to stay engaged and advance their businesses during this time,” said Amanda Griffin, Vice President of Education & Program Management, United Fresh. “Our LIVE! 365 is proving time and again to be a successful and significant community platform for gathering the industry.”

Beginning in October, United Fresh will host more than 20 webinars, workshops, meet-ups and trainings on the heels of the successful Washington Conference also hosted on the platform.

October Events

• Understanding Root Cause Analysis
• New Crate Technology Brought to You by Ecolab and IFCO
• Produce GAPs Harmonized Standard Auditor Training
• 2020 Election Forecast with Political Expert Charlie Cook
• Meet Up with Partners in the Produce Marketplace
• Navigating Emerging Issues in the Fresh Produce Industry – A Cornell Certificate Program
• Improving Traceability in Produce (Part 1)
• Women in Produce Meet Up
• Meet Up With Friends Working To Keep Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in School Meals During COVID-19
• Meet Up with Food Safety Professionals Focused on Traceability

November Events

• Meet Up with Produce Marketing Professionals
• Improving Traceability in Produce (Part 2)
• Membership Webinar – Food Safety
• Analyzing the 2020 Election Results
• Meet Up with Young Produce Professionals
• Meet Up with Partners in the Produce Marketplace
• Advanced Sales Training
• Foreign Supplier Verification Program Training
• Meet Up With Food Safety Professionals
• Preventive Controls for Qualified Individuals Training

December Events

• Produce Industry Leadership Program Alumni Meet Up
• Meet Up with the United Fresh International Community
• Meet Up with Partners in the Produce Marketplace
• And more!

“Whether you find yourself on the platform to attend one of these new events, to explore the Produce Marketplace or connect with more than 10,000 users, LIVE! 365 meets business needs across the supply chain,” said Tom Stenzel, President & CEO, United Fresh. “Engage with your peers in the fresh produce industry, and advance your career through new certificate programs, trainings and more.”

For details and to register for United Fresh’s new Learn & Engage events, visit www.unitedfresh.org.

For more information, contact Amanda Griffin, United Fresh’s Vice President, Education & Program Management, at agriffin@unitedfresh.org or 202-303-3412.

About United Fresh Produce Association

Founded in 1904, the United Fresh Produce Association brings together companies across every segment of the fresh produce supply chain, including growers, shippers, fresh cut processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, industry suppliers and allied associations. We empower industry leaders to shape sound government policy. We deliver the resources and expertise companies need to succeed in managing complex business and technical issues. We provide the training and development individuals need to advance their careers in produce. Through these endeavors, we unite our industry with a common purpose – to build long-term value for our members and grow produce consumption.

The Link Lonk


September 29, 2020 at 07:43PM
https://www.producebluebook.com/2020/09/29/united-fresh-to-continue-fall-programming-on-live-365-platform/

United Fresh to continue fall programming on LIVE! 365 platform - Produce Blue Book

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

New Evacuations Ordered as Two Wildfires Erupt in Northern California - The New York Times

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LOS ANGELES — California’s famed wine country, already suffering an economic blow brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and covered in smoke for weeks, is on fire again.

The state’s losses were mounting on Monday as two new wildfires burned out of control, killing three people in Shasta County, the sheriff said. And in wine country, the famous Chateau Boswell winery was gone, a community of tiny homes for homeless people has burned, and an untold number of houses were feared lost.

For residents, still haunted by fires that tore through the area three years ago, destroying thousands of homes and killing dozens of people, the wildfires that exploded on Sunday were as familiar as they were terrifying.

“We’ve evacuated and we are watching the news and watching my district burn again,” Susan Gorin, a Sonoma County supervisor, said Monday morning from a hotel in Novato where she had evacuated to. “I fear that it’s heading into those areas that lost homes and were rebuilt, and I fear they will burn again.”

The two fast-moving blazes, the Zogg Fire in Shasta County and the Glass Fire in Napa and Sonoma Counties, are uncontained and had burned more than 67,000 acres by Monday night, prompting new evacuation orders for thousands of people as the year’s grueling wildfire season wore on.

Image

Battling a blaze at the Meadowood resort in Napa Valley on Monday.Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

The new burst of fires comes as the West Coast struggles to recover from one of the worst seasons on record, even with months to go until the rainy season. Wildfires this year have left at least 40 people dead, destroyed more than 7,000 structures and scorched more than five million acres in California, Oregon and Washington. Experts have linked the devastating fire season to climate change, saying it is part of a long-term trend of more frequent and disastrous blazes in the West.

“As of right now there’s zero containment,” Jimmy Zanotelli, a public information officer with the Shasta County Sheriff’s Department, said of the fatal Zogg Fire, whose cause was unknown. “We’re still seeing some fire growth and some critical fire rates of spread, so it’s been a challenge.”

In a news conference on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said a “substantial” number of structures, including wineries, had been damaged. Speaking of the history of fires in the area, he said there was “a lot of consternation in and around that region that has been hit over and over and over again.”

In wine country, residents spoke of terrifying nighttime evacuations on Sunday as the flames bore down.

The Glass Fire burned several homes in the Skyhawk neighborhood of Santa Rosa.Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

In the Oakmont area of Santa Rosa, residents of Los Guilicos Village, a community of tiny homes for formerly homeless people and those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse disorders, were forced to evacuate at about 9 p.m.

Among them was Carmen Almejo, 53, who fled with her dog, a Chihuahua named Carmencita. All she brought was a sweatshirt for herself, a sweatshirt for her dog, some dog food and water.

“I was very scared,” she said from an evacuation center. “When we were going in the van, we could see the flames and it was scary. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

Residents of the Oakmont Gardens community evacuated on a bus as wildfire approached in Santa Rosa.Credit...Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

As day broke on Monday, residents learned that much of the village had burned to the ground. Ms. Almejo said she spent the morning taking long walks with Carmencita to calm her nerves.

Across the street from Los Guilicos Village on Sunday night, Oakmont Gardens, a senior assisted living center, was evacuating hundreds of residents, some in wheelchairs and others using walkers. “That was amazing that they got everyone out of there,” said Chris Grabill, who runs Los Guilicos Village. “There were vans and city buses filled with elderly, vulnerable people.”

At the CrossWalk Community Church in Napa, which was designated as an evacuation center, the line stretched out the door on Monday afternoon, as evacuees gathered under tents to seek shade from the near triple-digit temperatures.

For many residents, it was not even the first time they had to flee a fire this year. Kristi Horn, who works at Pacific Union College in Angwin, had to evacuate in August after a lightning siege sparked several fast-moving fires. This time, she had to pack up and leave around 5 a.m. Sunday.

“I keep joking I want to move to Florida because you still get coastal access to the beach and you have several days to plan for a hurricane,” Ms. Horn said. “For fires, you’re woken up in the middle of the night.”

Jennifer Rhodes, 68, said she left her home in Deer Park early Sunday morning after a neighbor knocked on her door.

“I never unpacked from the last fire because they said the next three months was fire season,” said Ms. Rhodes, a retiree. She does not yet know if her home is still standing.

California’s famed wine country, already suffering an economic blow brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and covered in smoke for weeks, is on fire again.Credit...Stephen Lam/Reuters

A spokeswoman for Cal Fire, the state’s firefighting agency, said the cause of the Glass Fire in wine country had not been determined. But some residents reported hearing explosions just as the fire ignited, suggesting that the cause may have been propane tanks, said Michael Mann, chief executive of WineCountry Media, a tourism and e-commerce company.

Everyone in his industry, he said, was scrambling on Monday to find out how much damage the fires had inflicted. “Most winery owners are trying to figure out if their properties are still there,” he said.

Meteorologists warned of more fire-prone conditions this week, after repeated heat waves and weeks of windy weather this summer. Over the weekend, the National Weather Service placed the greater Bay Area under a “red flag warning” because of dry and windy conditions and low humidity; the service extended the warning into Monday evening.

Lynne Tolmachoff, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, said that about 8,500 homes, or 12,000 people, were under evacuation orders, and that about 1,500 firefighters were battling the blazes.

The causes of the newest wildfires have not been determined.Credit...Jim Wilson/The New York Times

As a precaution, the utility company Pacific Gas and Electric said it had shut off power on Sunday in portions of the North Valley and Northern and Central Sierra regions, affecting about 65,000 customers. Power was expected to be restored by the end of the day Monday for the majority of customers.

Ms. Gorin, the county supervisor, was among those living in the areas under evacuation orders. But on Sunday night, well before the orders were issued, she saw the fire burning and started packing.

“I brought every photograph I could get my hands on,” she said, adding that she also brought with her jewelry and her computer.

“In general, people are exhausted,” said Ms. Gorin, who lives in Santa Rosa’s Oakmont neighborhood and lost her home in the 2017 fires. “They are tired of smoke. We’ve had smoke overlaying us for the last three weeks, and the skies are just beginning to clear.”

Firefighters contended with the Glass Fire as it encroached a vineyard in Deer Park.Credit...Adrees Latif/Reuters

She said she has been living in a rented house while her home was being rebuilt, and she feared she might lose it again. She also feared for her constituents, and said many probably lost their homes on Sunday night. But it will likely be days until officials will be able to reach the area and survey the damage, she said.

Historically, fire seasons in California began around June and July and lasted into October. But the seasons have been growing longer.

“The last several years with the drought and lack of rainfall, we have had a very dry vegetation which is extremely receptive to burning, so we have not been having that closure that we normally would have in early fall,” Cheryl Buliavac, a spokeswoman at Cal Fire, said. “It’s been a year-round fire season.’

In wine country, officials have improved their alert system for residents in danger, and have positioned cameras on mountaintops to detect fires earlier.

“The information flow is better, but the sense of dread is not,” Lynda Hopkins, a Sonoma County supervisor, said.

On Monday, she said, a familiar sense of anxiety had set in. “It’s just numbing at this point, the number of fires up here. What’s eerie about this is it feels so much like 2017.”

Tim Arango reported from Los Angeles, Johnny Diaz from Miami, and Carly Stern from Napa, Calif. Concepción de León contributed reporting from New York.

The Link Lonk


September 29, 2020 at 10:41AM
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/28/us/california-glass-zogg-fires.html

New Evacuations Ordered as Two Wildfires Erupt in Northern California - The New York Times

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en

White Sox get ‘a fresh start’ with postseason - Chicago Sun-Times

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The White Sox are backing into their first postseason in 12 years, having lost nine of their last 12 games, along with some of the thump that made them baseball’s darlings for much of the pandemic-shortened season.

They have two reliable starting pitchers and a manager, Rick Renteria, who’s making his first postseason appearance and leading at least 20 players who haven’t been there, either.

How Renteria manages his young bullpen may well determine the outcome of each game, and he’ll be opposed by the Athletics’ Bob Melvin, a three-time American League Manager of the Year.

But Melvin’s A’s lost one-and-out wild-card games with 97-win teams each of the last two seasons, lost another one in 2014 and lost best-of-five division series in 2012 and ’13, which goes to show the playoffs truly are a new season and short series are always up for grabs.

From a mindset standpoint, the Sox say they know this — and that they’ve turned the page on a successful 35-25 season that didn’t end well as they look to the first game of the best-of-three wild-card series Tuesday in Oakland (2 p.m., ESPN).

“It’s a fresh start,” said shortstop Tim Anderson, who was in a neck-and-neck battle with the Yankees’ DJ LeMeheiu trying to defend his 2019 batting title but had three hits and 14 strikeouts in his last 33 at-bats. “[Sunday] ended the regular season, so now it’s time to really dig in and work, keep rallying around one another.”

“We played well enough to be in this position,” Game 1 starter Lucas Giolito said Monday after the Sox’ workout at the Oakland Coliseum. “Now that we’re here, it’s kind of starting over.”

That stretch of .250 ball since clinching a playoff berth?

“That’s not even a blip on their memory scale,” Renteria said.

Said Anderson: “It’s do or die, so that’s going to play a huge role in guys’ heads. Every pitch matters. Everything matters, every out, every inning. So it’s time to definitely lock it in.”

Anderson brushed off the AL West champion Athletics’ status as the No. 2 seed and the Sox’ No. 7 placement in this new 16-team playoff format. The A’s lost five of their last eight and ranked 10th in the AL in OPS at .718 (the Sox were second at .779). What’s more, the A’s are starting 22-year-old left-hander Jesus Luzardo (3-2, 4.12 ERA), and the Sox are 14-0 against lefty starters with a .276/.351/.522 hitting line vs. lefty starters compared to .256/.318/.432 vs. righties this season.

“It’s a lefty, so we’ll take it,” Anderson said. “Nothing against him, but we have been doing good against lefties. I guess they haven’t done their homework, so hopefully we can go out and do what we’ve been doing against lefties and come out with a win.”

Luzardo pitched three scoreless innings in the wild-card game against the Rays last year.

“He looked like a veteran on the mound — he pitched really well,” Melvin said. “He’s composed, he’s got great stuff, he’s one of those guys who relishes these type of games. At a young age, that’s rare to see.”

A righty, and a tough one at that, awaits in Game 2. Former Sox Chris Bassitt is 3-0 with a 0.34 ERA and 25 strikeouts over his last four starts. He’ll be opposed by Sox lefty Dallas Keuchel (1.99 ERA).

After Keuchel, the Sox have no clear-cut choice to start a possible Game 3. There’s a sense they might have to wrap the series up in two games — a tall order against a fundamentally sound team with a bullpen featuring the lowest ERA in the major leagues.

“I don’t know if the game changes much,” Renteria said of managing for the first time in the postseason. “Maybe the importance of the moment, as there’s no tomorrow. Every pitch and everything that happens during a ballgame matters. Every position you put yourself in will be scrutinized, whether it’s a good or a bad move.

“Those things, you don’t think about.”

Like the last 12 games.

Let the new season begin.

Daryl Van Schouwen’s prediction: Athletics in 3.

The Link Lonk


September 29, 2020 at 06:55AM
https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2020/9/28/21492694/white-sox-playoffs-fresh-start-wild-card-athletics

White Sox get ‘a fresh start’ with postseason - Chicago Sun-Times

https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en