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Mark Harris has won the Republican nomination for a U.S. House seat in North Carolina, giving the pastor a second chance to go to Washington after a 2018 absentee ballot scandal. Harris will face Democrat Justin Dues in November in a district running from Charlotte east to Lumberton that was drawn to heavily favor Republicans. While the investigation led to charges against several people and some convictions, Harris wasn’t charged, cooperated with investigators and called for a new election. Harris did not run again, however, and the seat was won by Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Bishop. In addition, Republicans Bishop and U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry decided not to run again, opening their Republican-dominated districts to new representation.

Persons: Mark Harris, Harris, Allan Baucom, Justin, Harris wasn’t, Dan Bishop, Bishop, ”, Kelly Daughtry, Brad Knott, Daughtry, Addison McDowell, Mark Walker, Patrick McHenry Organizations: Republican, U.S, Union, U.S . House, State Board, Republican U.S . Rep, Blue Shield, U.S . Rep, Democratic, Republicans, Assembly, Republicans Bishop Locations: North Carolina, Washington, state's, Union County, Charlotte, Lumberton, District, Smithfield, Raleigh, 6th, North Carolina's

☆ I tried Sonic's 3 new barbecue-themed menu items, and they're proof that more national chains need to offer Southern-inspired flavors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Erin Mcdowell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

During that time, I fell in love with North Carolina-style barbecue, mostly from local restaurants, but I'd also often order it from regional fast-food chains. Now, Sonic Drive-In, which is headquartered in Oklahoma City but has locations in 47 states, is stepping up to the plate with its trio of barbecue-inspired menu items: its pulled-pork BBQ cheeseburger, pulled-pork BBQ "totchos," and pulled-pork BBQ sandwich. "These new items are a harmony of BBQ's best flavors, proving BBQ really does make everything better," Gibson added. While the signature meat in Texas-style barbecue is usually beef and Kansas-style is a mixture of both beef and pork, North Carolina-style and Memphis-style barbecue particularly focuses on pulled pork and pork ribs. I tried all three new items on Sonic's menu to see how they stacked up to the chain's regular offerings, and to determine if more national chains should follow its lead and bring home the barbecue.

Persons: —, I'd, Sonic, Mackenzie Gibson, Gibson, Cook, McDonald's, Burger Organizations: Service, Business, Smithsonian Magazine Locations: North Carolina, Oklahoma City, Southern, Virginia, Texas , Kansas City, Carolina, Memphis, Texas, Kansas

☆ China's big pig breeders dig in as losses and debts mount
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dominique Patton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

BEIJING, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The biggest pig breeders in China, consumer of fully half the world's pork, seem to have bitten off more than they can chew. More huge losses are expected next year, putting China's pig enterprises under pressure to slim down their breeding herds and sell off farms, many of which are sitting empty. But now, especially given the companies' high debt levels, the analyst said: "It's hard for them to borrow any money from the banks." That follows a 17% surge in the first nine months of this year at China's 15 big market-listed breeders even as they reported 200 billion yuan in combined net losses. China's agriculture ministry has warned of heavier losses for the sector in early 2024 than a year ago and urged pig producers to cut output.

Persons: Lyle Jones, Hope Liuhe, they're, Flora Zhu, Dominique Patton, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Inc, Dalian Commodity Exchange, Tech - Bank, Jiangxi Zhengbang Technology, Analysts, Muyuan Foods, Foodstuff, WH, HK, Smithfield Foods, Hua'an Securities, China Corporate Research, Fitch, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Fujian Aonong, Jiangxi, Beijing

Smithfield supplies hams and other fresh pork products to grocers. Photo: jim lo scalzo/EPA/ShutterstockThe Chinese parent of pork giant Smithfield Foods is working with banks to take the 87-year-old business public again in the U.S.Smithfield, the largest U.S. pork producer, could list its shares as early as next year, according to people familiar with the matter. Deliberations are ongoing and the timing could change, the people said.

Persons: jim lo scalzo Locations: Smithfield, U.S

☆ Chinese-owned pork producer Smithfield prepares for US listing -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A painted pig stands on the lawn of Smithfield Foods executive offices in Smithfield, Virginia May 30, 2013. REUTERS/Rich-Joseph Facun/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 18 (Reuters) - Smithfield Foods' Chinese owner WH Group (0288.HK) is working with banks to take the U.S.-based pork producer public again in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Smithfield could list its shares as early as next year, the WSJ reported, adding the deliberations are ongoing and the timing could change. Smithfield and WH Group did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. WH Group bought Smithfield in 2013 in a $4.7-billion deal aimed at tapping the massive supplies of U.S. meat for export to China.

Persons: Joseph Facun, Rishabh, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Smithfield Foods, REUTERS, WH, Wall Street, WSJ, WH Group, Missouri Worker, Thomson Locations: Smithfield , Virginia, HK, U.S, United States, Smithfield, China . Virginia, Missouri, Bengaluru

[1/3] The word "justice" is seen engraved at the headquarters of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. "Agri Stats operates its information exchanges to promote total industry profits at the expense of competition," said the DOJ's complaint. Attorney Justin Bernick of law firm Hogan Lovells, which is representing Agri Stats in the DOJ case, said the company denies the allegations. "Agri Stats provides vital benchmarking services that help keep production costs and prices low for consumers," Bernick said in an email. Tyson did not respond to questions about whether the company uses Agri Stats reports or provide comment on the lawsuit.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Justin Bernick, Hogan Lovells, Bernick, Tyson, Leah Douglas, Barbara Lewis, Leslie Adler Organizations: United States Department of Justice, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, U.S . Department of Justice, Agri, Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, DOJ, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: AstraZeneca, Wayfair, Alibaba and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

AstraZeneca — Shares of the British pharmaceutical company gained more than 2.7% in premarket trading after the company reported positive results for its drug Dato-DXd in a trial for treating a common type of breast cancer. Wayfair — Shares gained more than 2% after Bernstein upgraded home merchandiser to market perform from underperform. Chinese e-commerce stocks — U.S. listed shares of Alibaba and PDD Holdings added nearly 4% in premarket trading, while JD.com rose 3.3%. Arm Holdings — Shares of the chip designer added 1.3% during premarket trading. Yeti — Shares gained about 3% in the premarket.

Persons: Bernstein, Canaccord Genuity, Wells, Ralph Lauren —, Raymond James, Rick Patel, Jefferies, — CNBC's Pia Singh, Sarah Min, Samantha Subin, Tanaya Macheel, Brian Evans, Michelle Fox Organizations: AstraZeneca, AstraZeneca —, U.S, PDD Holdings, Bloomberg, Seagen, Deere, Susquehanna, Communications Locations: COVID, Smithfield, Sydney, DXd, Alibaba, China, drinkware

☆ Experts identify the first witness to the Great Fire of London
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The Great Fire of London in 1666, which razed 436 acres of the mostly-timber city and lasted for four days, was so devastating it secured its place in the history books. Now, experts say they have identified the first person to witness the fire and raise the alarm as Thomas Dagger, a journeyman baker in Thomas Farriner’s bakery on Pudding Lane. This woodcut, later colorized, shows the Great Fire of London in 1666 by English School. Museum of London, UK“It was fascinating to find out more about what happened on that famous night. The new discoveries will be included in the Museum of London new site in Smithfield, which will open in 2026.

Persons: Thomas Dagger, ”, Farriner’s, Kate Loveman, –, Thomas Dagger’s, didn’t, ” Loveman, “ Organizations: London CNN, Research, Museum of London, CNN, University of Leicester, English School . Museum of London, Museum of Locations: London, Thomas Farriner’s, Pudding Lane, St, Paul’s, Museum of London, Smithfield

☆ Is China really buying up U.S. farmland? Here’s what we found
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Laura Strickler | Nicole Moeder | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In fact, the total amount of U.S. agricultural land owned by Chinese interests is less than three-hundredths of 1%. NBC News was able to review filings on foreign purchases and leases of agricultural land, meaning both farm and forestry land, from 35 states since Jan. 1, 2022. The vast majority of the transactions were European wind power companies leasing land from U.S. farmers to build wind turbines. One Italian wind company disclosed 40 new leases of farmland in just one rural Illinois county. "Ownership of U.S. agricultural land is not one of them."

Persons: Jim Monroe, Syngenta, Saswato Das Organizations: NBC, U.S . Department of Agriculture, NBC News, Smithfield Foods, U.S, Syngenta Locations: U.S, Italian, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, China, Iowa, Florida, California, Swiss

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), the pork industry trade group, supports the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, a bill introduced by U.S. Animal welfare groups say Proposition 12 is necessary because some sows and hens are housed in cages so small they cannot turn around. "We ultimately don’t believe the EATS Act is aligned with progress in animal welfare," Carey said. Hormel Foods <HRL.N> and Tyson Foods (TSN.N) did not respond to questions about the EATS Act. All of its 750 ranchers are in compliance with Proposition 12, said vice president of communications Kerri McClimen.

Persons: Randy Hutton Jr, Leah Millis, Roger Marshall, Ashley Hinson, Clemens, Tyson, Bryan Humphreys, Chris Carey, Carey, Jim Monroe, Brian Moscogiuri, Galina Hale, Chris Green, Randy Hutton, Jr, Hutton Jr, Perdue, Kerri McClimen, Leah Douglas, David Gregorio, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, U.S ., Pork Producers Council, U.S, Clemens Food Group, Supreme, Reuters, Smithfield Foods, Tyson Foods, University of California, Harvard Law School's Animal Law, Niman, Thomson Locations: Chestertown , Maryland, U.S, California, U.S . Congress, Smithfield, Santa Cruz, Shore

☆ Feds vote to reduce bottlenecks in connecting new power sources to the energy grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Also, power generators will have to meet certain requirements to keep their place in the queue, including a financial deposit. Deadlines and penalties for transmission providers: Transmission providers will have strict deadlines to to respond to power generators waiting in the queue, and will face penalties if they miss those deadlines. Also, power generators will be able to add a source of power to a single interconnection request. It can be so expensive to build new transmission, sometimes power generators can't afford the cost and have to cancel their power generation plans completely. Also, power generators wait for an average of five years in these queues because grid operators are flooded with interconnection queue applications.

Persons: Jeffrey Lamb, LADWP, Al Seib, George Rose, Rob Gramlich, Gramlich, Joseph Rand, Rand, Gregory Wetstone Organizations: Sylmar, Pacific DC, Los Angeles Department of Water, Los Angeles Times, Getty, Aera Energy, CNBC, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, FERC, Vw, American, Renewable Energy Locations: Columbia, Oregon, California, Southern California, Angeles, Los Angeles , CA, CA, San Joaquin Valley, McKittrick , California, North, Lost, Kern County, Bakersfield, United States, Milford , Utah, Milford, Smithfield, ACORE

☆ 'Real' meat maker Cargill may emerge big winner in plant-based food as buzzy startup boom fades
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

Additionally, Cargill began marketing several plant-based protein ingredients, made from soy, pea and wheat, to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide. What to expect for plant-based meat in next decade Cargill's calculated approach to plant-based meats coincides with the nascent industry's trajectory. And then there's the consumer's appetite to pay a premium price for plant-based meat. So Cargill's biggest competition will be the established plant-based meat companies, like Beyond and Impossible, he said. The future of plant-based meat might be analogous to the ongoing transition to electric vehicles.

Persons: Florian Schattenmann, Cargill Cargill, Cargill, Schattenmann, it's, John Baumgartner, Baumgartner, Caroline Bushnell, Bushnell, that's, Seth Goldstein, Goldstein, Tyson's Organizations: Cargill, Foods, Tyson Foods, Hormel Foods, Smithfield Foods, Cargill Inc, The, Bloomberg, Getty, Foods Cargill, Mizuho Securities USA, Good Food Institute, Cubiq Foods, FDA, North, Food and Drug Administration, Morningstar Research Services, Nielsen, annualized Nielsen, Nestle, Tesla, tiptoed, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Volkswagen Locations: U.S, Minneapolis, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Spanish, Berkeley , California, Puris, North American, Netherlands, Bflike, Belgian, North America

☆ If Supreme Court affirms Biden student loan forgiveness plan, some college 'stopouts' may reenroll
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"The reality is that today's students work, they may have children or parents to support — there's an opportunity cost." watch nowStruggles for those with student debt, no degreeAt the very least, the Supreme Court's pending decision on Biden's student loan forgiveness plan will shed more light on the financial burden of college. Increasingly, borrowers are struggling under the weight of ballooning student debt balances. Forgiveness could prompt reenrollmentOn the flip side, loan forgiveness would reduce that burden, making it more likely that previously enrolled students would reenroll, according to Brown. "Loan forgiveness could be a key strategy to bring students who have some college, but no degree, back to finish their coursework," she said.

Federal worker safety inspections have alleged poor maintenance or a lack of safety training at some Tyson plants where ammonia leaks injured workers. CNN interviewed eleven current or former Tyson workers across three different plants who experienced ammonia leaks. !”A safety sign hangs on a fence at a Tyson plant in Hope, Arkansas, in March 2023. Still, some Tyson workers who lived through ammonia leaks said they wished more had been done to protect them. That means that the data doesn’t necessarily cover Tyson plants or other meat facilities that hold smaller amounts of ammonia.

April 12 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday approved a $75 million settlement between Smithfield Foods Inc and a class of consumers who accused the pork producer of conspiring to restrict supply in order to keep prices artificially high. Pork consumers last year settled with Smithfield rival JBS SA for $20 million. The judge in a separate order on Tuesday awarded nearly $25 million in legal fees to the plaintiffs firms representing the consumer class. The consumer class attorneys said in a court filing in January that they'd spent more than 37,000 hours pursuing antitrust claims over four years. The case is In re Pork Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, No.

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - Meat companies should examine their supply chains for evidence of child labor, the Biden administration said in a letter sent to top meatpacking companies on Wednesday. The letter is part of an effort by several agencies, led by the Department of Labor, to curb the use of illegal child labor across sectors. In February, the Labor Department found that more than 100 children had been illegally employed by Packers Sanitation Services Inc, a company that contracts with meat-packers to clean slaughterhouses. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack asked meat and poultry companies in the letter to determine whether illegal child labor is being used in their supply chains and to adopt stronger child labor standards for subcontractors. The Department of Agriculture is exploring enforcement mechanisms that would allow stronger oversight of child labor use in food supply chains and plans to take future steps on the issue, an agency spokesperson said.

☆ First Citizens Bank, the buyer of SVB's assets, is run by a billionaire North Carolina family that's bought over 20 failed banks since 2008
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

First Citizens Bank, the company that bought the assets of SVB, is run by a family with a wealth of experience buying failed banks. Forbes looked at the billionaire family that's guided First Citizens' purchase of more than 20 small banks since 2008. First Citizens will be among the largest 20 banks in the US with the SVB deal. Its purchases of failed banks include First Regional Bank and Temecula Valley Bank in California and Denver-based United Western Bank. Its assets jumped from $109 billion just before the SVB deal and have increased from $16.7 billion at the end of 2008.

☆ Factbox: First Citizens BancShares, buyer of troubled rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 27 (Reuters) - First Citizens BancShares Inc (FCNCA.O), a regional bank that has built a reputation of buying troubled rivals, is in the spotlight after it agreed to buy failed Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O). The deal comes after several attempts to sell the bank by the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation did not succeed. First Citizens shares soared on the news of the deal, surging more than 50%. * In 2020, it bought peer CIT Group Inc in a deal valued at $2.2 billion, making it a bigger regional player in the United States. * First Citizens was founded in 1898 as the Bank of Smithfield with just $10,000 of capital.

☆ Smithfield Foods CEO Defends Pork Producer’s Chinese Ownership
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Patrick Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Smithfield’s ownership has become a focus of criticism in Washington, D.C.SMITHFIELD, Va.—Smithfield Foods Inc., the country’s largest pork producer, is defending its turf against growing concerns from lawmakers over Chinese control of U.S. agriculture. The Virginia company, which was acquired in 2013 by Chinese pork company WH Group Ltd., said its ownership has helped fuel steady growth over the past decade and export more of its products to China, the world’s biggest pork market. Shane Smith , Smithfield’s chief executive, said WH’s backing has helped the company increase its sales, hire more U.S. workers and expand its plants’ processing capabilities.

☆ Northerners flocked to the South for cheap homes and abundant jobs. Now some are ready to pack up and leave.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Emily Cataneo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Hauser is originally from Wisconsin and moved to North Carolina seven years ago for work. And questions over abortion rights are fueling concerns about the future of access to birth control and gender-affirming care. The North Carolina Business Council, for one, declined to comment because this is "not an area of focus" for the group. Chuck Bryan is an IT professional who moved to North Carolina from Florida five years ago. He cited Kansas' referendum to preserve abortion rights as an example of what can happen when people use their voice in politics.

☆ The Black Death permanently altered the human immune system, study says, leaving a vulnerability that persists 670 years later
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Black Death which ravaged Europe 670 years ago may still be harming humans today a study found. A scientist holds up a tooth from human remains buried in the 1300s. The Black Death, one of the greater killers in human history, was the perfect model to look at, Lee said. In just five years between 1346 and 1350, the Black Death, a pandemic caused by the bacteria Yersinia Pestis, killed tens to hundreds of millions of people, many before they were old enough to have children. Human remains being excavated from the plague pit in East Smithfield.

The pork industry has defended the size of the cages used at pig farms as humane and necessary for animal safety. A legal doctrine called the "dormant" Commerce Clause bars states from passing laws discriminating against commerce in other states. "If you're looking for an example of an unconstitutional law, this is it," said Michael Formica, chief legal strategist for the pork producers. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's decision to throw out the lawsuit, finding no Commerce Clause violation. 'DRAMATIC EXPANSION'A ruling by the Supreme Court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, favoring the pork industry would have major implications for Commerce Clause interpretation, according to some legal experts.

☆ Smithfield Foods to pay $75 mln in pork price-fixing settlement
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jonathan Stempel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 27 (Reuters) - Smithfield Foods Inc has agreed to pay $75 million to settle a lawsuit by consumers who accused the meat producer and several competitors of conspiring to inflate prices in the $20 billion-a-year U.S. pork market by limiting supply. The accord follows the judge's Sept. 14 approval of a similar $20 million settlement between consumers and JBS SA (JBSS3.SA), one of Smithfield's largest rivals. The Smithfield, Virginia-based company, a unit of WH Group Ltd (0288.HK), denied liability but settled to avoid the uncertainty, risk and cost of litigation, settlement papers show. In the pork litigation, Smithfield previously reached settlements of $83 million with so-called "direct" purchasers such as Maplevale Farms and $42 million with commercial purchasers, a group that includes restaurants. The case is In re Pork Antitrust Litigation, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, No.

☆ Opinion: The tyranny of Idi Amin -- and limits of a British welcome
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-18 | by ( Opinion Lucy Fulford | Lucy Fulford | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

She is the author of a forthcoming book, "The Exiled: Empire, Immigration and How Ugandan Asians Changed Britain." In early August 1972, Uganda's brutal military dictator Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of the country's entire Asian population -- including my grandparents. And a British welcomeBut when Amin gave his expulsion order, the British government didn't leap into action. Prince Philip meets Ugandan Asians at a British reception center in Kent, November 1972. Lucy FulfordFormer Prime Minister David Cameron has referred to Ugandan Asians as "one of the most successful groups of immigrants anywhere in the history of the world," a legacy many British Ugandan Asians are rightly proud of.

☆ o jurnalistă, păcălită în direct. Credea că face interviu cu directorul unei mari companii, dar vorbea cu altcineva
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-25 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +1 min

Johnson a răspuns că personalul e „dedicat și rezistent” și a vorbit despre angajamentul companiei de a furniza angajaților „echipamente de protecție individuală”. Acesta s-a lansat apoiîntr-o critică a industriei alimentare și a vorbit despre modul în care aceasta ar putea contribui la o altă pandemie. Fermele sunt „locuri de experiment” pentru boli infecțioase, a spus el, înainte ca interviul să fie oprit. Bartiromo a spus apoi că postul de televiziune a fost păcălit și că persoana intervievată era de fapt altcineva. „Vrem să ne cerem scuze față de Dennis Organ, Smithfield Foods și față de publicul nostru pentru că am făcut această greșeală.

Persons: Maria, Dennis, Matt Johnson, Johnson, Bartiromo Organizations: Fox Business, Smithfield Locations: Foods, Dakota de Sud, Smithfield Foods

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