Nathan’s Famous said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it will return a loan for over $1.2 million that the hot dog maker received under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

It’s just the latest large company to return money after receiving a loan that was intended to go to small businesses. Shake Shack, Ruth’s Chris and the Los Angeles Lakers are among the other companies that have returned loans 

Nathan’s Famous said it was granted the loan on April 21, according to the filing. The company explained that it applied for the funds before guidance from the federal government discouraged public companies from seeking the loans, CNBC reported.

ADVERTISEMENT

“The company has determined to repay and return the entire amount of the PPP loan to the lender,” due to the guidance, Nathan’s said in the filing, saying it was granted a loan for $1,224,645.   

The Trump administration last week advised large businesses with access to financial markets against applying for the emergency coronavirus relief loans created under the PPP. The Treasury Department in Thursday guidelines wrote that valuable, publicly traded companies cannot say in good faith that they qualify for the Small Business Administration loan program to prevent layoffs and bankruptcies.

Nathan’s said in the filing that the majority of its franchised operations have been temporarily closed “due to their locations in venues that are closed (such as shopping malls and movie theaters) or venues operating at significantly reduced traffic (such as airports and highway travel plazas).

Click Here: West Coast Eagles Guernsey

The company also predicted declines in sales from its other branded products and that only three of its four company-owned restaurants are open for take-out and delivery.

Three publicly traded hotel companies announced this week that they would not return a total of $69 million received through the PPP.

The program was created as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. It initially included $349 billion intended for businesses with fewer than 500 employees. President TrumpDonald John TrumpWest Virginia announces six-week reopening process Americans receive signed Trump letters in the mail explaining coronavirus stimulus checks Coronavirus warnings appeared repeatedly in classified presidential briefings in January, February: report MORE on Friday signed legislation including an additional $310 billion in funding for the PPP. 

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Welcome to Overnight Energy, The Hill’s roundup of the latest energy and environment news. Please send tips and comments to Rebecca Beitsch at rbeitsch@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @rebeccabeitsch. Reach Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com or follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to our newsletter.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

IT TAKES TWO: Two separate coalitions of environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, challenging a rollback of protections for the nation’s waterways.

The Navigable Waters Protection Rule finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in January limits federal protections for smaller bodies of water, a move critics say risks contamination of larger ones used for drinking water.

“Our nation’s majestic waterways depend for their health on the smaller streams and wetlands that filter pollution and protect against flooding, but the Trump administration wants to ignore the science demonstrating that,” the Natural Resources Defense Council, which filed a suit on behalf of eight of the groups, said in a statement Wednesday. “This regulation is plainly unlawful. It violates the simple but powerful mandate of the Clean Water Act to protect the integrity of our nation’s waters.”

The new rule is the final replacement of the Obama-era Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump says China ‘will do anything they can’ to keep him from being reelected Teachers union blasts Trump administration for ‘bluster and lies,’ and for suggesting schools should ‘open soon’ Top Trump policy adviser Joe Grogan to leave post MORE vowed to dismantle during the 2016 campaign.

WOTUS asserted that the interconnectivity of water required protecting small and even seasonal water bodies caused by snowmelt in order to prevent pollution and pesticides from flowing elsewhere.

Critics argue the new rule eviscerates the protections guaranteed by the decades-old Clean Water Act, not just reversing Obama-era protections but setting the U.S even further back.

So what’s the legal argument?

ADVERTISEMENT

Environmental groups plan to argue in court that the rule ignores scientific studies showing how the health of larger water bodies is dependent on smaller ones while denying protections guaranteed under the Clean Water Act.

“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that pollution dumped upstream flows downstream, but the agencies shut their eyes to science and common sense. That violation of the law is why we’re going to court to protect clean water,” the Southern Environmental Law Center wrote in a release to accompany a separate suit on behalf of 14 environmental groups.

That’s a view shared by some affiliated with the EPA. The agency’s independent Science Advisory Board reviewed the rule when it was first proposed, writing in a draft report that “aspects of the proposed rule are in conflict with established science … and the objectives of the Clean Water Act.”

The EPA wouldn’t comment on the suits directly, but argued the rule “will stand the test of time as it is securely grounded in the text of the Clean Water Act and is supported by legislative history and Supreme Court case law.”

Scrapping WOTUS was part of Trump’s effort to woo farmers, who argued the Obama-era protections subjected huge swaths of land to federal oversight.

Read more about the lawsuits here. 

 

SEC-KING CLIMATE INFO: Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Green groups sue over Trump rollback of Obama-era waterway protections | Warren calls for SEC to require climate risk disclosures Biden says he expects potential running mates to be vetted by July Warren calls for SEC to require climate risk disclosures MORE (D-Mass.) is calling on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require public companies to disclose climate risks posed by their activities. 

She wrote a letter to SEC Chairman Jay Clayton as the agency is proposing changes to financial disclosure requirements. The changes wouldn’t add any particular mandate to disclose climate risks. 

“The climate crisis will have a significant impact on our economy, and without meaningful requirements for companies to disclose their exposure to climate change risk, I am concerned that the proposed rule would not give investors and the public the information needed to make well-informed investment decisions,” Warren wrote on Tuesday.

An SEC spokesperson declined to comment on Warren’s letter. 

In January, Clayton said that the “issue of environmental and climate-related securities law disclosures has received increasing attention” and said SEC staff’s “focus on and work in this area will continue.”  He did not, however, commit to a specific policy change. 

Read more about the letter here. 

COMING SOON: 

-Oil help… President Trump said an aid package for the oil industry would be coming shortly, speaking alongside Treasury Secretary Steven MnuchinSteven Terner MnuchinTrump officials briefly limit coronavirus loan applications to smallest lenders Overnight Health Care: Fauci touts clinical trial of COVID drug as ‘quite good news’ | US surpasses 60,000 deaths due to coronavirus | White House risks backlash with coronavirus optimism OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Green groups sue over Trump rollback of Obama-era waterway protections | Warren calls for SEC to require climate risk disclosures MORE at a White House roundtable for industry. 

“Well we’re not gonna let our oil companies go and get in trouble. It’s not their fault that they got hit by 50 percent less volume in one day,” Trump said. “We just saved the airlines. The airlines were having the best year they’ve ever had, and then all of a sudden they’re like out of business. We can’t let that happen, so we saved the airlines, that’s done. We’re saving other companies and industries. And I would say Steve, maybe you can talk to it, but I think the oil industry is one of the top on the list.”

The administration has yet to reveal what forms that assistance may take, but several outlets have reported that emergency lending authority is under consideration, which would give the government a stake in U.S. oil companies, as well as bridge loans.

“We’re looking at a lot of different strategies, Mnuchin said. “I’ve said before, this is not going to be a bailout of shareholders, but this is going to be supporting the national security issue…. We’re also exploring potentially having the ability to store another several hundred million barrels.”

-EJ on the way…Former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump says China ‘will do anything they can’ to keep him from being reelected Bolton book release delayed — again — amid government review Trump lashed out at campaign manager over polling showing him trailing Biden: reports MORE’s campaign said Wednesday that it will later announce additions to the presumptive Democratic nominee’s environmental justice platform. 

“The vice president has directed his staff to pursue a process to deepen our engagement with the environmental justice community and come out with additional policies that build on the framework that he released at the beginning of the campaign,” policy director Stef Feldman said on a call with reporters. 

MAILBAG:

ADVERTISEMENT

-Keep it up… Lawmakers are pushing back against calls for FERC to impose a moratorium on new pipeline permits during coronavirus.

“A moratorium is both unnecessary and detrimental to the nation’s energy security.  During this period, FERC should move forward, as health and safety constraints may allow, with all applications for review of natural gas intrastate pipelines and LNG facilities while embracing new forms of public engagement,” a bipartisan group of five lawmakers wrote in a letter led by Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas).

-It can’t wait… Following a court decision that blocked the Trump administration from giving coronavirus stimulus funding to Alaska Native-owned corporations, Reps. Deb HaalandDebra HaalandOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Green groups sue over Trump rollback of Obama-era waterway protections | Warren calls for SEC to require climate risk disclosures Coronavirus is teaching us that we have a role to play to improve our environment Pressure mounts for national parks closure amid coronavirus MORE (D-N.M.) and Ruben GallegoRuben GallegoOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Green groups sue over Trump rollback of Obama-era waterway protections | Warren calls for SEC to require climate risk disclosures Democratic super PAC launches ad targeting Trump’s ‘alternative facts’ on coronavirus Overnight Defense: Trump ‘may look into’ dismissal of Navy captain | Acting Navy chief stands by speech calling ousted captain ‘stupid’ | Dems call for chief’s firing | Hospital ship to take coronavirus patients MORE (D-Ariz.) say the Treasury Department must now speedily disperse funds to tribes.

“The detrimental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have had a disproportionate health care and economic impact on federally recognized tribes due a chronic lack of essential resources,” the write.

“The Congressional intent behind the [Coronavirus Relief Fund] is to expedite relief funds to governments, including sovereign tribal governments, as part of the federal government’s larger initiative to provide emergency assistance throughout the country.”

-Yes, please… An industry group representing smaller oil producers penned a letter to the Treasury Department and the Department of Energy saying they would accept financial relief that might be offered to the industry. 

“Some press reports have questioned whether support exists within the oil and natural gas production industry for these actions. IPAA wants to assure you that it supports efforts that will allow for the recovery of America’s oil and natural gas industry,” the Independent Petroleum Association of American wrote to the two agencies.

ADVERTISEMENT

“IPAA requests that your organizations continue your actions to allow these companies access to the financial resources created by your prior efforts and the CARES Act.”

Other groups representing larger oil companies such as the American Petroleum Institute have said they are not seeking assistance for the industry. While the Trump administration and Republicans have pushed for a number of ways to help the industry, the ideas have been staunchly opposed by Democrats. 

-The Carbon Capture Coalition is eyeing the next stimulus package as a lifeline to further tax credits for the industry.

“We write to recommend targeted measures to provide immediate support for current carbon capture projects at risk of delay or cancellation due to the COVID-19 crisis and to increase the number of projects in the near-term development pipeline,” director Brad Crabtree wrote to congressional leaders. 

That assistance could include both direct payments and an extension of the 45Q tax credit that has languished at the Treasury Department. 

OUTSIDE THE BELTWAY:

Texas Railroad Commission rolls out proposed order for crude oil production cuts, the Houston Chronicle reports

Chesapeake Energy preparing bankruptcy filing, Reuters reports

Las Vegas and Phoenix forecast to experience most extreme April heat on record, The Washington Post reports

Africa Braces for a Record Wave of Locusts, The Wall Street Journal reports

FROM THE HILL’S OPINION PAGES: Pandemic highlights opportunity for timely utility company reinvestment in Arizona’s coalfield communities, opine Amanda Ormond, the former director of the Arizona Energy Office and principal of the Ormond Group and Karl Cates, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Click Here: st kilda saints guernsey 2019

The New York Police Department (NYPD) is looking into online scams that involve threatening to infect an individual’s family with COVID-19 if they refuse to pay those targeting them, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday. 

The scam, part of the tidal wave of malicious cyber activity during the coronavirus pandemic, involves the cyber criminals using phishing emails to play on fears of the virus to pressure individuals to give them money or cryptocurrency. 

The Daily Beast reviewed a sensitive NYPD document dated April 20 that warned that “threat actors around the world have flooded the internet with COVID-19 themed phishing scams in attempts to capitalize on fears of the virus for financial gain.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The NYPD did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the report. 

John Miller, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, told The Daily Beast in a statement that “the commercial scams, trying to defraud institutions out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, are complex and layered. These are of great concern because of the amounts of money involved and the fact that the person who pays needs these supplies to protect patients or customers.”

Miller said the scam had been “less successful” because it was “far-fetched,” but he warned that only a few needed to fall for the scam for the cyber criminals to make a profit.

“The bad guys buy the names and passwords in bulk from the dark web, so if you send out 300,000 of these emails you only need a few people to fall for it to make a nice profit for very little investment,” Miller said. 

The scam is part of an overall trend in attempted online scams, with malicious groups using the COVID-19 crisis to prey on individuals at a higher rate. 

Google announced earlier this month that it had tracked more than 18 million malware and phishing emails related to the the coronavirus pandemic per day, in addition to about 240 million daily coronavirus-themed spam emails. 

Scams have particularly targeted vulnerable hospitals seen as more likely to pay hackers, along with impersonating government websites in order to target stimulus checks and small business loans sent out by the federal government.

A Republican state senator from Illinois is advocating against federal funding for his state amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

State Sen. Jason Plummer said the federal government should not “bail out” his state, which he said is the “most corrupt” in the country. 

“My Democratic state Senate colleagues garnered national attention with a letter containing this audacious request. [Democratic] Gov. J.B. Pritzker has separately requested billions in federal funds. The message from Illinois’ elected leaders is crystal clear: no humility, no regrets, no acknowledgment of failures, and no strings attached. American Taxpayers – bail us out!” Plummer wrote in an op-ed published by Fox News Wednesday. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“Don’t let it happen. Federal dollars should not prop up Illinois’ failed system,” he added. 

Plummer said that Illinois’ fiscal problems are “not merely inherited, nor a failure to tax and spend enough,” but rather blamed Pritzker and said the state has “failed to aggressively pay down debt or plan for a rainy day.” 

He also said the state is “ethically bankrupt,” calling out scandals among its lawmakers. 

“Why should the fiscally prudent people of Wyoming, Missouri or elsewhere be responsible for the failed policies of Illinois? Federal dollars for Illinois, beyond anything directly connected to the pandemic, would set a terrible precedent and make Washington, D.C., complicit in our sad story,” Plummer wrote. 

Earlier this month Illinois’ state Senate President Don Harmon (D) wrote a letter to the members of Illinois’ Congressional delegation requesting more than $41 billion to help the state recover. 

Pritzker has also joined calls from governors of both parties requesting that the federal government fund state and local governments that are facing budgetary concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Illinois’ health department reported 50,355 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and 2,215 deaths as of Wednesday.

Click Here: essendon bombers guernsey 2019

Welcome to Friday’s Overnight Health Care.

The U.S. has surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths, and the numbers are continuing to climb. 

In Georgia, businesses reopened under Gov. Brian Kemp’s (R) executive order, which defied recommendations from public health experts, local mayors and even President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden vows to recognize Armenian genocide if elected president Nadler presses Barr over Trump using emergency powers during pandemic China dispatched team to North Korea to advise on Kim Jong Un: report MORE. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Nationally, Trump’s remarks about injecting disinfectants to combat the coronavirus drew alarm from doctors, even as the president attempted to downplay what he said, labeling it sarcasm.

We’ll start today with a new trend of where coronavirus cases are spreading:

 

Coronavirus spreads to Trump country

Coronavirus might have started in big, blue cities, but now it’s spreading to rural areas that support President Trump. 

Emerging areas include southern states like Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, as well as the Midwest, including Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

The stats: Up until late March, 80 percent of the counties with high prevalence of the coronavirus were home to large urban cores, according to an analysis by William Frey, a senior demographer at the Brookings Institution. 

ADVERTISEMENT

But over the last three weeks, the share of suburban, small metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas experiencing coronavirus prevalence has grown.

Now, more than half the counties showing signs of rapid growth are outside metro areas.

Read more here. 

Meanwhile, Trump has continued to give medical advice about the virus, which has not gone over well with actual health experts.

 

Trump remarks on injecting disinfectants draw blowback from doctors

On Thursday, Trump openly mused that people could inject disinfectants as a way to treat the coronavirus, and suggested doctors should be checking into the idea. His remarks prompted unusual warnings from public health experts, state officials, doctors and even the company that produces Lysol.

People are understandably looking for any ray of hope amid the pandemic – any indication that there is a way to fight the virus. But as former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden vows to recognize Armenian genocide if elected president Overnight Health Care: Coronavirus spreads to Trump country | Disinfectant remarks draw blowback | FDA issues warning about drugs touted by Trump Stacey Abrams makes case for VP: ‘I would put my capacity to win an election’ against anyone else’s MORE said today: “I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach.”

The public health officials: “I think we need to speak very clearly that there’s no circumstance under which you should take a disinfectant or inject a disinfectant for the treatment of anything, and certainly not for the treatment of coronavirus,” said Scott Gottlieb, Trump’s former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner.

The brands: “We must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route),” said Reckitt Benckiser, the company that makes Lysol. The company said it was responding to “recent speculation and social media activity.”

The states: Maryland’s Emergency Management Agency issued a warning on Twitter after receiving more than 100 calls to their COVID-19 hotline about disinfectant use and the disease. 

“This is a reminder that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route,” it said.

Read more here.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Related: Pelosi blasts Trump’s remarks about heat, light, disinfectant

Schumer on Trump briefing: We have a ‘quack medicine salesman’ on TV

 

It wasn’t just the remarks on disinfectants that could be dangerous. The FDA issued a warning about the use of the president’s favorite anti-malaria drugs as a cure for COVID-19.

Anti-malaria drugs touted by Trump trigger FDA warning over heart risks

Neither hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine should be taken outside a hospital or clinical trial because of the risk of severe heart problems, the Food and Drug Administration warned Friday.

The agency said it issued the warning because of numerous reports about serious cardiac events and death in patients with COVID-19 receiving the drugs, either alone or combined with the antibiotic azithromycin.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can cause abnormal heart rhythms … and a dangerously rapid heart rate called ventricular tachycardia,” the agency said.  “These risks may increase when these medicines are combined with other medicines … including the antibiotic azithromycin.”

The FDA emphasized that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are not approved for treating or preventing COVID-19. 

The Trump angle: President Trump has latched on to the use of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, as a potential “game changer” for COVID-19 patients. The drugs, “taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine,” Trump tweeted last month. 

Read more here.

 

Georgia records hundreds of cases as businesses begin to reopen

Georgia reported 635 new coronavirus cases and 20 more deaths in a 24-hour period ending at noon on Friday, the same day its governor has opted to let some businesses reopen.

ADVERTISEMENT

The state now has 22,147 cases and its death toll stands at 892, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

But despite the increase in new cases and additional deaths, businesses such as barbershops and nail salons are allowed to open Friday under an executive order signed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R). Dine-in service at restaurants will be allowed to resume on Monday.

Kemp has faced widespread backlash from leaders at all levels of government, including President Trump, and public health experts who warn that reopening businesses now could help spread the deadly virus. 

Read more here.

 

Related: Arizona has worst day of confirmed coronavirus cases yet

New Hampshire’s GOP governor slams McConnell over suggestion states declare bankruptcy: ‘Ridiculous’

 

Meanwhile, other states and cities are extending stay-at-home orders and taking slower steps toward reopening:

• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) extended the state’s stay-at-home order to May 15. Some businesses, including lawn service companies, landscapers and plant nurseries, will be allowed if they follow social distancing rules. 
• Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (D) extended the city’s stay-at-home order until May 8.
• Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) outlined a plan to restart the economy and begin lifting coronavirus restrictions, but stressed the state is not yet ready to start.

 

Trump signs $484 billion coronavirus relief package

President Trump on Friday signed the next round of coronavirus relief funding, which includes:

• $310 billion for small business funding through the Paycheck Protection Program
• $75 billion for hospitals
• $25 billion for testing

Looking ahead: Tough negotiations are coming on the next phase of relief. 

Democrats have pushed for more funding for state and local governments grappling with the virus. Trump tweeted this week that he envisioned the next package having fiscal relief for state and local governments, funding for infrastructure investments and a payroll tax cut. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOn The Money: Trump signs 4B coronavirus relief package | CBO projects 39.6 percent quarterly GDP drop, .7T deficit | IRS says it issued 8B in coronavirus payments through April 17 Overnight Health Care: Coronavirus spreads to Trump country | Disinfectant remarks draw blowback | FDA issues warning about drugs touted by Trump OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump criticizes banks withholding funds from certain fossil fuel projects | Treasury considers lending program for oil producers| White House uses Arbor Day to renew push for 1 trillion trees initiative MORE (R-Ky.) has expressed concern with the state and local funding.

Read more here.

 

Democrats roll out national plan to reopen America

House Democrats on Friday called for the federal government to take a more aggressive role in determining how to reopen American society, including schools and businesses, the same day Georgia pressed ahead with plans to reopen some nonessential businesses.

The Democrats warned that an individual state rushing to reopen before it has met key public-health benchmarks could result in more outbreaks of the deadly coronavirus in neighboring states.

The Reopen America Act would create a federal coronavirus reopening panel that would work with states on their reopening strategy. But the legislation encourages neighboring states — like South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, or New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — to work together on a regional reopening plan. 

Read more here.

 

What we’re reading

“really want to flood NY and NJ”: internal documents reveal Team Trump’s chloroquine master plan (Vanity Fair) 

The results of coronavirus ‘serosurveys’ are starting to be released. Here’s how to kick their tires (Stat News)

Anti-vaccine activists latch onto coronavirus to bolster their movement (Kaiser Health News)

A Stanford professor’s wife recruited people for his coronavirus study by claiming it would reveal if they could ‘return to work without fear’ (BuzzFeed News)

Bill Gates: ‘I wish I could say that we’re halfway through’ coronavirus pandemic (CNBC) 

 

State by state

New Jersey governor got off the table after cancer surgery to take on the virus (New York Times)

Georgia business owners are conflicted as the state reopens hair salons, gyms and bowling alleys (CNN.com)

New coronavirus relief bill doesn’t answer DC’s call for $750M (NBC Washington) 

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Same-sex marriage has been the law of the land for more than three years now, and many brands have revised their marketing techniques to be more reflective of the times. One that hasn’t — Barbie-maker Mattel — is taking a second look at the gentle nudging of a Colorado couple who wanted to get their niece a doll set that looked more like them.

Matt Jacobi and Nick Caprio, who plan to marry in May, had to get creative in coming up with the perfect birthday gift for 8-year-old Natalie. She will be a flower girl at their wedding, and they wanted a gift that would be wedding related. Natalie is like a jillion other children who love Barbie, but the toymaker’s Wedding Set came with a Barbie and a Ken.

So they bought two sets, and replaced one of the Barbies with a second tuxedo-clad Ken.

Natalie loved the gift so much that Jacobi posted a photo on Instagram showing her reaction on social media and tagged Mattel with the message, “I hope this inspires you.”

It did. Within two days, the couple had an invitation from Mattel asking them to come to Los Angeles in January to collaborate on a same-sex couple marriage doll set.

“For them to reach out and take to social media shows the power of your voice on social media,” Caprio told television station KPNX. “It was great to be able to contact them and we’re really excited to see where this goes and work with them.”

Natalie and her sister Coco, who will also be a flower girl, have never known a time when Jacobi and Caprio, who have been together for 11 years, weren’t a couple. They’ve never questioned that “Uncle Nick loves Uncle Matt and Uncle Matt loves Uncle Nick,” Jacobi said.

“We just want every family to be reflected within the toys,” Caprio told KPNX. “They’re a big part of our culture and it’s something that if kids are always exposed to this and they can see their own family, it gets rid of the question of what is this and this explanation and long story you have to go through, because it’s something that will just be what it is and it’s just people that are in love.”

Jacobi and Caprio met in Chicago, where Caprio lived at the time. “It was chemistry on a whole other level,” Jacobi told ABC News.

They dated long-distance for a time before Caprio moved to Los Angeles, where Jacobi was working for the E! Network. They moved to Scottsdale three years ago to be closer to their family, especially Natalie and Coco, who are the daughters of Jacobi’s sister.

Jacobi told ABC that Mattel has been “wonderful.” The couple’s meeting early next year will be with the head of Barbie design, Mattel’s design team and members of its marketing staff.

The couple’s goal is to “spread some goodness into the world,” hetold KPNX.

“We hope that other companies follow suit and continue to think not just of the social norm but of every family,” he said.

Mattel has been making Barbie and Ken couple sets since 1961 and has updated its dolls several times to more closely mirror society. Mattel expanded the number of skin tones, eye colors and hairstyles in 2015, and in 2016, introduced curvy, tall and petite Barbies. Last year, the first Barbie to wear a hijab appeared and more diverse Ken dolls were also introduced.

Here’s the Instagram post tagging Mattel:

And here is an Instagram post showing Jacobi and Caprio:

Photo via Shutterstock

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — It’s been a rough year. And the beating involves more than stock market fluctuations and political divisiveness. 2018 has been marked as a year filled with a breakdown in privacy protections, and with that, consumer confidence in the electronic tools that shape and run our digital world.

Bev Mo, Marriott, T-Mobile, Orbitz, Facebook, Cambridge Analytica and Google — it seemed on any given week, a large firm was having to report a vulnerability in its users’ accounts, profiles and other valuable information sometimes years after the fact.

“One optimistic thing to take away from this is the public is becoming more aware of these attacks when sharing on a platform,” Electronic Frontier Foundation spokeswoman Alexis Hancock told Patch. “The upside is people are paying attention.”

The San Jose-based nonprofit founded in 1990 thrives as a consumer watchdog in the digital world. EFF champions user privacy, free expression and innovation. It’s known to ensure rights and freedoms are enhanced and protected as the use of technology grows.

To Hancock, the unfortunate aspect of our breach-and-leach way of life is the mere idea that “a lot of people have resigned themselves” to thinking these bad actors already “know everything about us.” The concern among watchdog groups like EFF lies in whether computer users will become complacent, surrender to their surroundings and lack the due diligence to take action against the bottom feeders of the electronic world.

Hancock’s suggestion? Go public. This means turn to government to enact laws like the California Data Protection Act to legally force companies to protect our information.

“In 2019, there are more talks around legislation. We can’t just trust anymore these companies are going to protect us. Bills need to be presented,” she said.

For now, Hancock advises users on computer devices to forego the no-password-necessary wifi networks companies like Starbucks offer their patrons as a convenience benefit. The scary part is the nice-enough looking person sitting at the table next to you could be learning more about you than you’d care to share.

“At some point, consumers need to start asking for passwords,” she said.

Another stopgap measure Hancock recommends revolves around a revolving door of passwords.

“They need to make sure their passwords are not stale,” she said, emphasizing how hacking culprits can learn about people by paying attention to what they share.

This boils down to delaying vacation pictures on social media until one returns from a trip. The declaration of a fun time miles away from home is an open door for someone to do more than hack into a computer.

Many of these measures have been said before, and Hancock has seen a level of weariness from those hearing them over and over again. The defeatist in all of us is prompting some people to even downgrade to low-tech forms of communication.

It’s because the consequences of current trends can be quite serious.

Beyond Starwood Marriott’s 500 million guests who laid down their trust with the hotelier’s fire wall, a few companies responsible for Business Insiders’ 21 “scariest” breaches reside in the Silicon Valley.

Mountain View-based Google, Alphabet’s search engine division, discovered in November that 52.5 million users’ profiles on Google+ were compromised on such a large scale the behemoth decided to shut down the auxiliary service permanently by next April.

Often in the hot seat, Menlo Park-based Facebook was in and out of the news more times than it would ever want to be because of breaches in its social media system in which hackers exploited weaknesses in Facebook’s code to retrieve what are called “access tokens.” These measurements are essentially digital keys to sift through users’ accounts.

Facebook had even set up a “War Room” to protect the system from foreign entities known through intelligence agencies to have influenced the 2016 presidential election and were taking aim with 2018’s midterms. Pages upon pages were removed as illegitimate users were trying to pass off false information as factual.

Facebook’s public relations department told Patch that it upped the ante in 2018, doubling the number of people who work on security and safety issues to more than 30,000, including content reviewers, systems engineers and security experts.

Facebook released its own set of tips to make users’ data more secure:

–Image via Shutterstock

La chanteuse américaine Selena Gomez a lancé sa première collection pour Adidas NEO à Berlin, le 9 juillet. Intitulée “Rock chic“, elle comprend 53 pièces conçues pour les adolescentes.

A 20 ans, Selena Gomez signe une première collection  “Rock chic“ pour Adidas NEO.

Inspirée de son amour de la musique, la collection s’appuie sur le monde du rock’n’roll : gilet denim à col fantaisie, t-shirt portant la mention “Get Out There“ ou encore des baskets compensées cloutées. Un look urbain et tendance, “idéal pour un déjeuner entre amis“, selon Adidas.“J’adore m’amuser avec la mode et j’aime le confort, les tenues fun qui permettent de rester à l’aise“, explique Selena. “Ma collection est placée sous le signe du ‘rock chic’. Elle est pleine d’assurance, rebelle et fun“.La jeune femme ajoute : “Elle possède aussi un côté plus sérieux et encourage les filles à exprimer leur individualité, à s’affirmer à travers leurs tenues“.Fin 2012, à 20 ans, Selena devenait l’ambassadrice de la ligne junior NEO. À ce titre, elle apparaîtra dans les campagnes publicitaires multi-supports d’Adidas NEO jusqu’en 2015.Anne-Sophie SavenierSource : Relaxnews

Pavés, escaliers, bosses, descentes… Lyon est un parcours à taille géante idéal pour les fous de VTT. Les plus expérimentés, mais aussi les vététistes du dimanche, se réuniront dans la Ville lumière lors de la Lyon Free VTT les 7 et 8 septembre prochains.

Lyon se découvre en VTT à la rentrée

Près de 10.000 participants devraient enfourcher leur VTT pour arpenter les rues lyonnaises à toute allure. Cette onzième édition leur promet des nouveautés, et notamment la remontée jusqu’au quartier de la Duchère ainsi qu’un passage par la Friche artistique des Subsistances. Le départ sera donné depuis le parc de Gerland.

Plusieurs parcours sont proposés pour s’adapter au niveau des cyclistes. Les experts emprunteront un chemin long de 59 km, dans une formule rando-raid. Sinon, les autres sportifs peuvent opter pour un 35 km ou un parcours “découverte du patrimoine“. Les frais d’inscription s’élèvent respectivement à 30 euros, 26 euros et 15 euros. Une majoration de 3 euros (sauf pour le parcours découverte) est appliquée pour les inscriptions sur place.À noter qu’il est possible de louer un VTT et un casque pour 21 euros. Les démarches sont à effectuer sur le site

www.lyonfreevtt.com.Source : RelaxnewsClick Here: NRL Telstra Premiership

Le 16 octobre 2013 se déroulera la première journée nationale de lutte contre le gaspillage alimentaire. Le ministère de l’Agriculture appelle citoyens et collectivités à proposer des projets “anti-gaspi“ à cette occasion.

Chaque Français jette chaque année 20kg de nourriture encore consommable chaque année.

Et vous, vous faites quoi pour réduire le gaspillage de nourriture ? A l’occasion de la première journée nationale de lutte contre le gaspillage alimentaire qui se déroulera le 16 octobre 2013 dans toute la France, le ministère de l’Agriculture lance un vaste appel à projets. Le principe est simple : citoyens et professionnels de la chaîne alimentaire sont invités à se mobiliser et à faire connaître leurs idées “anti-gaspi“ en inscrivant leur projet au programme officiel de la journée du 16 octobre sur le site :

alimentation.gouv.fr/journee-antigaspi-appel-a-projetsRécupérations d’invendus, opérations “zéro gaspi“ dans les cantines et entreprises, événements festifs dans les quartiers, ateliers cuisine de restes, sensibilisation aux bonnes pratiques… La lutte ansi-gaspi peut se faire sur de multiples fronts. L’objectif est de diminuer le gaspillage des foyers et collectivités françaises. Chaque Français jette l’équivalent de 20 kg de nourriture  par an, dont 7 kg encore parfaitement emballée, soit une perte de 400 € par an et par foyer.La journée nationale de lutte contre le gaspillage alimentaire est l’une des mesures phares du

Pacte “anti-gaspi“ lancé en juin dernier par le ministre délégué à l’Agroalimentaire, Guillaume Garot.Violaine Badie
Sources :
1- Communiqué du ministère de l’Agriculture de l’Agroalimentaire et de la Forêt, 23 septembre 2013
2- Site internet du ministère de l’Agriculture :

Journée nationale de lutte contre le gaspillage alimentaireClick Here: cheap sydney roosters jersey