DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Some are sentenced to hard labor and forced to work – or face punishment – and are sometimes paid pennies an hour or nothing at all. While prison labor seeps into the supply chains of some companies through third-party suppliers without them knowing, others buy direct. The AP reached out for comment to the companies it identified as having connections to prison labor, but most did not respond. Corrections officials and other proponents note that not all work is forced and that prison jobs save taxpayers money. They also aren’t learning skills that will help them when they are released,” said law professor Andrea Armstrong, an expert on prison labor at Loyola University New Orleans.

Persons: They’re, they’ve, Russell Stover, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Archer Daniels, Cargill, ” McDonald’s, Mills, ” Bunge, they’re, ”, David Farabough, don’t, Andrea Armstrong, Columbia University’s Ira A, Lipman Organizations: Associated Press, Kroger, Target, Aldi, U.S, Walmart, Costco –, Washington, American Civil Liberties Union, AP, Maine Foods, Taylor Farms, Archer Daniels Midland, Consolidated, Foods, Corrections, Loyola University New Orleans, Public Welfare Foundation, Columbia, Lipman Center for Journalism, Arnold Ventures Locations: U.S, Idaho, In Kansas, Cal, Arizona, Tennessee , Arkansas, Ohio, Arkansas, Investigative@ap.org

For instance, the U.S. has blocked shipments of cotton coming from China, a top manufacturer of popular clothing brands, because it was produced by forced or prison labor. While prison labor seeps into the supply chains of some companies through third-party suppliers without them knowing, others buy direct. Cargill acknowledged buying goods from prison farms in Tennessee, Arkansas and Ohio, saying they constituted only a small fraction of the company’s overall volume. For instance, about a dozen state prison farms, including operations in Texas, Virginia, Kentucky and Montana, have sold more than $60 million worth of cattle since 2018. “What for?”FOLLOWING THE MONEYThe business of prison labor is so vast and convoluted that tracing the money can be challenging.

Persons: it’s, Willie Ingram, “ They’d, billy clubs, they’d, ”, Ingram, didn’t, they’re, don’t, Andrea Armstrong, Frank Dwayne Ellington, Ellington, Koch, “ It’s, it’s somebody’s, Alishia Powell, Clark, “, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Archer Daniels, Cargill, ” McDonald’s, Mills, ” Bunge, Burger, Jermaine Hudson, ” Hudson, Calvin Thomas, Thomas, Ken Pastorick, Pastorick, Jennifer Turner, Faye Jacobs, Jacobs, ’ ” David Farabough, they’ve, Joshua Sbicca, Cliff Johnson, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, Tyson, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, that’s, ” Ivey, “ They’re, ’ ”, William “ Buck ” Saunders, Hickman’s, Brooke Counts, Counts, John’s, Jack Strain, Tammany Parish, Russell Stover, Curtis Davis, Robert Bumsted, Cody Jackson, Columbia University’s Ira A, Lipman Organizations: Louisiana State Penitentiary, The Associated Press, Walmart, Cargill, U.S, Kroger, Target, Aldi, Corrections, Loyola University New Orleans, Koch Foods, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Washington, Archer Daniels Midland, Consolidated, AP, Foods, Dairy Farmers of, Big, Sam’s, Tyson Foods, U.S ., Civilian, OSHA, Fair Labor, American Civil Liberties, Colorado State University, MacArthur Justice Center, University of Mississippi, PepsiCo, Brevard County Sheriff, Arizona . Companies, Costco, Correctional, Prisons, Nut, Maine Foods, Taylor Farms, Transitional, Associated Press, Public Welfare Foundation, Columbia, Lipman Center for Journalism, Arnold Ventures Locations: ANGOLA, La, Southern, Louisiana, Texas, In Louisiana, Angola, United States, “, Ashland, U.S, China, Tennessee , Arkansas, Ohio, Dairy Farmers of America, Texas , Virginia, Kentucky, Montana, Baton Rouge, Mississippi, Manhattan, America, Alabama, American, Arkansas , Texas, Florida , Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, In Alabama, Florida, Brevard County, Arizona, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, state’s St, Tammany, Idaho, In Kansas, Cal, St, Francisville , Louisiana, Feliciana, Investigative@ap.org

☆ Some brands are 'slack-filling' to cleverly disguise how much product you actually get
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There's a name for that empty part of the packaging: slack-fill. Dworsky suggested that some brands used slack-fill to deliberately mislead shoppers into thinking they're getting more product than they really are. The firm noted that these lawsuits are generally dismissed, in part because it's hard to prove that slack fill is nonfunctional. Halo Top and Mondelez have been unsuccessfully sued over slack-fill, too, lawsuits viewed by Insider show. But slack-fill lawsuits aren't always dismissed.

☆ Valentine's Day chocolate boxes look big, but have more plastic than ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Dworsky said his research shows the over-sized boxes deceive consumers into believing there’s more chocolate inside when there isn’t. Dworsky bought a 9.3-inches wide and 10-inches high Whitman's Sampler heart-shaped chocolate box, with 11 pieces of chocolate inside. Dworsky said a reader alerted him to the chocolate boxes a few days ago and sent him evidence of a heart-shaped Whitman’s chocolate sampler box. Swiss chocolate company Lindt & Sprüngli, which owns Russell Stover, Whitman’s and Ghirardelli brands, referred requests for comment to Russell Stover Chocolates. He said Dworsky had reached about to him about his most report looking at the Russell Stover and Whitman’s chocolate candy boxes.

☆ Overpacking, shrinkflation may mean you get less for your money for Valentine's Day gifts this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

That heart-shaped box of chocolates may be only half full this Valentine's Day. The issue was brought to Dworsky's attention this week when a reader who bought a box of chocolates wrote to express his outrage about the contents. Upon further investigation, Dworsky found Russell Stover and Whitman's Sampler chocolates, which sell for around $7.99, only contained between nine and 11 candy pieces, in the 9-inch-by-10-inch-size box. That leaves about two-thirds of the box seemingly empty, according to Dworsky. Whitman's and Russell Stover brands are sold by the Russell Stover Chocolates company, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ You might not find as many chocolates in that last-minute Valentine's Day gift box as you did last year — blame 'slack-filling'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Federal regulations prohibit slack filling, but some claim its happening with Valentine's Day candy, the Washington Post reported. Valentine's Day candy prices have gone up nearly 10%, according to the Post. Federal regulations prohibit companies from over-packaging goods, and even refer to the practice of slack-filling by name. Still, some consumers say the practice of slack-filling chocolates seems to continue unabated in the Valentine's Day candy aisles of grocery and convenience stores. "You used to get a box of candy and it was packed with the candy, one right next to the other."

☆ Review: The $23,000 Hyundai Venue Denim compact SUV is an absolute steal for the price
▼ + stars: | 2021-09-09 | by ( Alanis King | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

But when a 2021 Hyundai Venue Denim recently showed up at my door for a two-week test drive, I realized maybe the Denim wasn't the ugly one. The Hyundai Venue Denim. Hyundai Venue Denim ($22,050): adds LED headlights as well as "Denim" appearance package with blue body, white roof, and blue interior. Blue, blue, blue. The Hyundai Venue Denim.

Search resuls for: "Russell Stover"

7 mentions found