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☆ I tried the new Girl Scout cookies that are going for as much as $200 on eBay
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Nicolas Vega | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

When I first read about the new Girl Scout cookie flavor that was flying off digital shelves and selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay, I was skeptical. I like Girl Scout cookies as much as the next guy — my favorites are Trefoils and Lemon-Ups — but I couldn't imagine myself visiting the resale market to get my hands on a box. They're described as a "thin, crispy cookie infused with raspberry flavor, dipped in chocolaty coating." After tasting the Rallys for the first time, it was pretty evident why the Girl Scouts haven't been able to keep it in stock. The Girl Scouts organization itself has released a statement criticizing resellers for "looking to make a profit off of the name without supporting our mission and the largest girl-led entrepreneurship program in the world."

☆ Girl Scouts’ sold-out cookie is available on eBay. The Scouts are not pleased
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —The Raspberry Rally Girl Scouts cookie, a raspberry-flavored version of the beloved Thin Mint, was always supposed to be a limited edition item. The new Girl Scouts cookie sold out in hours. But profits from the resale market don’t go to Girl Scouts, which said it was “disappointed” that the products are now available through other vendors. “Girl Scouts of the USA, your local Girl Scout council, and our licensed cookie bakers cannot guarantee the freshness or integrity of cookies bought through unauthorized sites.” To buy cookies from Girl Scouts directly, customers should use the Cooke Finder on the Scouts’ website, Girl Scouts said. “We strongly support the entrepreneurial spirit of hardworking local Girl Scout troops and encourage cookie-seekers to also support their local Girl Scouts,” eBay said in a statement to CNN.

☆ Who is Matthew Kacsmaryk, the Trump-appointed Texas judge who could ban abortion pills?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Matthew Kacsmaryk is a Texas federal judge who was nominated by Donald Trump in 2017. Kacsmaryk graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1999 and received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 2003. The Post reported that it was during law school when Kacsmaryk focused on abortion rights. Kacsmaryk also served as the executive editor of the Texas Review of Law & Politics and received two Dean's Achievement Awards, according to the questionnaire. During his undergraduate years, studying political science, Kacsmaryk was outspoken about his conservative views and stances on abortion.

☆ Inside the small Ukrainian city where Russia is fighting a protracted battle for control
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jillian Kumagai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

After Sri Lanka raised electricity prices by 66% in a move to persuade the International Monetary Fund to bail out the country's economy, family-owned Wish Bakers decided not to increase prices for fear of losing business. Their costs, however, have tripled in the past year.

☆ Top photos of the day
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ A bakery in Sri Lanka faces electricity price hikes and food inflation amid national financial crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Jillian Kumagai | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A baker pours flour into the mixer to make cakes at Wish Bakers shop, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 17, 2023. "It's not just the ovens, most of our machines need power," managing director Sanjula Peiris said. "We're struggling to maintain our...moreA baker pours flour into the mixer to make cakes at Wish Bakers shop, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, February 17, 2023. "It's not just the ovens, most of our machines need power," managing director Sanjula Peiris said. "We're struggling to maintain our business."

☆ Best of London Fashion Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

☆ In pictures: Carnival in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

I’m rebranding the humble loaf, lavished with something simple and delicious, as the ultimate dinner-party luxury. My father’s family were bakers of bread, so I’ve always been a sucker for a handsome loaf. One of my most prized possessions is a Williams Bakery bread token my dad gave me before he died. If ever there was an indication of how vital bread is, that token is it. During the Great Depression in my native Australia, these coins were used in lieu of money to buy essentials.

☆ McDonald's has signed an agreement with the UK human rights watchdog to protect staff, as one former worker says sexual harassment left her 'terrified'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A former McDonald's worker in the UK said she was "terrified" after a manager sexually harassed her. McDonald's signed an agreement on Wednesday committing to protect UK workers against harassment. A spokesperson for McDonald's told Insider that the company does not comment on individual cases but said: "The experiences described by this individual are completely unacceptable and have no place in our restaurants." A spokesperson for the EHRC said that the agreement was drafted in response to concerns about the handling of sexual harassment complaints made by staff at its UK restaurants. McDonald's workers in the US have also complained about a "pattern of sexual harassment" against women at the company and planned a one-day strike in protest in 2021.

☆ French Union Cuts Power to Pressure Macron on Pensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Matthew Dalton | Noemie Bisserbe | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The CGT is gearing up for another round of protests against a proposed pension overhaul. PARIS—To fight President Emmanuel Macron’s pension overhaul, France’s most militant labor union is pursuing a radical strategy: cutting electricity to his political supporters and the wealthy while handing out discounted power and gas to the public. During a nationwide strike last week, members of the far-left CGT union who work in the energy sector cut power to the office of a lawmaker from Mr. Macron’s party for more than three hours. On Monday, CGT energy workers in Marseille manipulated electricity and gas meters to cut bills for bakers who were protesting in the French port city against high energy prices. CGT’s leadership called such moves a “Robin Hood” operation and said they would continue as the country prepares for another national protest on Tuesday.

☆ Egg shortage sends New Zealanders rushing to buy their own hens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In the United States, egg prices have far surpassed the increase in other grocery items, soaring nearly 60% in the 12 months to December compared to the year before. The trend has prompted animal welfare advocates to warn against making impulse buys. “Egg producers had the option to move to colony cages, barns and free-range systems,” added Hyde, the ministry’s acting national manager of animal welfare and national animal identification and tracing compliance. “It’s a significant change for the egg supply industry,” Emma Wooster, the company’s head of public relations, told CNN in a statement. New Zealand is currently undergoing a major egg shortage, squeezing businesses and sparking a rush in demand for pet chickens.

☆ Olive Garden, Wendy's, and Chick-fil-A are suddenly adding sesame to popular foods like bread sticks and buns, and people with allergies are furious
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nancy Luna | Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Restaurant bakers are adding in sesame flour since it makes it easier to avoid cross-contamination. Allergy-friendly foods like breadsticks at Olive Garden are now off-limits to allergic consumers. The changes have affected buns at Wendy's and Chick-fil-A and breadsticks at Olive Garden. Olive Garden now lists sesame as an ingredient in its bread sticks. Families locked out of their "allergen safe havens" say they have no recourse but to stop patronizing these chains.

☆ Inflation Threatens a French Institution: Baguettes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Nick Kostov | Sam Schechner | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The French tend to know the price they pay for their baguettes and if it goes up, everyone notices. PARIS—France is racing to save its emblematic baguettes from the ravages of inflation. French President Emmanuel Macron pledged Thursday before a group of bakers and pastry chefs gathered at the Élysée Palace that the French government would deliver additional aid as they confront rising costs for ingredients and energy that have led some bakers to say they can’t afford to run their ovens.

☆ French bakers allowed to renegotiate sky-high bills with the daily baguette under threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bakery owners have been struggling with higher crop and energy prices. Energy suppliers in France have agreed to allow bakeries to negotiate new payment plans for 2023 to avoid going out of business. It comes amid warnings that the country's iconic boulangeries face an existential threat due to the double hit of higher wheat and energy prices, with reports of some already shutting up shop. Contracts will be reviewed on a case by case basis depending on the owner's situation and financial assistance may be offered, he added. The government on Tuesday also announced plans to support the industry by allowing bakers to spread tax payments and suggested that further cash support for energy bills may follow.

☆ French energy suppliers will let struggling bakers renegotiate contracts - Le Maire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Dominique Vidalon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Jan 3 (Reuters) - France's energy suppliers have agreed to allow the country's trademark bakeries to renegotiate their contracts if they struggle to pay their bills, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Tuesday. Dominique Anract, the president of the French Bakers' Confederation, earlier told Reuters that getting rid of "rotten contracts" was one of the sector's main demands. Bakery power contracts can now be reviewed on a "case by case" basis depending on each bakers' situation, he said after the meeting with executives from suppliers including EDF (EDF.PA) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA). Le Maire earlier said power suppliers had so far not done enough to help the country's small and medium-sized businesses cope with rising power costs. Earlier in the day, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne confirmed plans to help French bakers cope with rising energy bills, allowing them to spread the payment of their taxes over time and possibly "the payment of their energy bills for the first months of the year".

☆ French PM: more confident about France's energy supplies for the coming weeks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Jan 3 (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Tuesday that she was more confident over the situation of French energy supplies for the next few weeks, citing lower consumption and an increase in nuclear output capacity. Borne confirmed plans to help French bakers cope with rising energy bills, allowing them to spread the payment of their taxes over time and possibly "the payment of their energy bills for the first months of the year". "I am more confident over the coming weeks," Borne told Franceinfo radio, when asked about energy supplies, adding that she had discussed the situation with energy company EDF (EDF.PA). Last week, the head of the country's CRE energy watchdog, Emmanuelle Wargon said there was no risk to power supplies until at least mid-January as French households and businesses had heeded calls to cut their energy consumption. French grid operator RTE said last week electricity consumption dropped by 8.7% over the past four weeks compared to an average of the same period in 2014-2019.

☆ The Tom Brady of Other Jobs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Francesca Paris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Meet them, and decide for yourself:The Tom Brady of Paramedics Jesse Izaguirre, 70Gardena, Calif.Jesse Izaguirre loves working with younger paramedics. Hopefully never.”The Tom Brady of Bakers Helen Fletcher, 83Clayton, Mo. Chalk it up to a great big fib.”The Tom Brady of Artists Lilian Thomas Burwell, 95Highland Beach, Md. “I should’ve signed them.”The Tom Brady of Biologists Maria Elena Zavala, 72Los AngelesProfessional longevity runs in Maria Elena Zavala’s family. It didn’t vanish when they crossed the border.”The Tom Brady of Loggers Earl Pollock, 82Hamburg, Ark.

☆ Meet a 27-year-old Four Seasons concierge in charge of the hotel's VIP guests paying up to $25,000 a night
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I shadowed a concierge in charge of high-paying guests at the Four Seasons in downtown New York. The queen ant in this metaphor is 27-year-old guest relations manager Jessica Waddy, whose job revolves around the hotel's high-profile guests and their countless needs. The cellar level of the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The Empire Suite at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, with rates starting at $25,000 a night. The needs of high-profile guests are listed on a "rider," a document that's typically multiple pages long and attached to their hospitality contract.

☆ December is the month for eating all the cookies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Casey Barber | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Food writer Casey Barber says December is the month for baking cookies. Freezing cookies can also help save time in the long run by allowing you to start your holiday baking early. Lin makes cookies weeks in advance of his parties and thaws them at room temperature up to two days before an event. If you are short on timeBar cookies are Lin’s secret weapon when it comes to holiday baking. Many cookies, such as Lin’s red velvet crackle cookies, require that the dough be chilled before portioning and rolling, so it’s key to take that into consideration.

☆ Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler are sweet on ‘Baking It’
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Rudolph told CNN that while she and Poehler aren’t frequent bakers, she trusts her former “Saturday Night Live” costar to “make something great if given the task.”“Thank you, I trust the same of you,” Poehler said in response. According to Rudolph and Poehler, the grannies are loving their new-found fame, even though they aren’t big on stars. “One of our favorite parts is we have like a celebrity special on NBC and then the rest of the season on Peacock,” Poehler told CNN. Poehler said salt, which caused Rudolph to quip, “I feel like you are little bit of a spicy salt, like a salt with herbs. You aren’t ordinary salt.”For the record, Rudolph fancies herself a spice like cinnamon, which “warms the belly.”Insert “sweater weather” joke here.

Pantone recently announced its 2023 Color of the Year: Viva Magenta. SKIP AHEAD Viva Magenta home products | Viva Magenta kitchen products | Viva Magenta beauty products | Viva Magenta apparel and accessoriesAs many sought to do with the 2022 Color of the Year, Very Peri, you may be interested in incorporating Viva Magenta into your wardrobe or home. Viva Magenta home productsThis expert-recommended rowing machine from Hydrow has a Viva Magenta option available for pre-order that is set to ship in February 2023, according to the brand. Pets can get in on the Viva Magenta trend with this plush bed, available in a color close to the new Pantone Color of the Year. Viva Magenta apparel and accessoriesPantone offers a handful of products in Viva Magenta, including this long keychain.

☆ 'Great British Bake Off' co-host Matt Lucas to leave the series
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —After three shows and 51 episodes of the delectable “Great British Bake Off” on BBC and Netflix, Matt Lucas is “cheerfully passing the baguette on” as co-host of the competition series. In a tweet on Tuesday, Lucas wrote that “Bake Off” has been “a delicious experience,” but that it’s become clear that he can no longer present on the show “alongside all my other projects.”He extended thanks to his co-host Noel Fielding and the crew, along with the “wonderful bakers for welcoming me into the tent.”He concluded by saying, “I wish whoever takes over all the very best and I can’t wait to tune in to the next series without already knowing who won!”The official account for the show tweeted in response to Lucas’ post, “We loved having Matt Lucas brighten up our Tent for the last three years, especially when laughter and smiles were so much in need. We appreciate everything he’s done for Bake Off, from working in Covid bubbles to supporting the bakers. It’s been a pleasure”. “Bake Off” personalities Paul Hollywood and Dame Prue also tweeted their appreciation for Lucas, who acted as co-host on “The Great British Baking Show” since 2020, as well as spinoff series “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays,” “The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice,” and “The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C.”No announcement has yet been made regarding who will replace Lucas in upcoming seasons in the “Bake Off” universe.

☆ Crunch time: U.N. puts baguette on cultural heritage list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

PARIS — The humble baguette — the crunchy ambassador for French baking around the world — is being added to the U.N.’s list of intangible cultural heritage as a cherished tradition to be preserved by humanity. With the bread’s new status, the French government said it planned to create an artisanal baguette day, called the “Open Bakehouse Day,” to connect the French better with their heritage. With the bread’s new status, the French government said it planned to create an artisanal baguette day. It’s the traditional baguette from the traditional bakery that’s in danger. The “artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread” was inscribed at the Morocco meeting among other global cultural heritage items, including Japan’s Furyu-odori ritual dances, and Cuba’s light rum masters.

☆ French baguette makes it onto World Cultural Heritage list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The humble baguette, France's staple bread, has made it onto the United Nation's cultural heritage list. Paris-based U.N. heritage body UNESCO on Wednesday voted to include the "artisanal know-how and culture of baguette bread" on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which already includes around 600 traditions from over 130 countries. This "celebrates the French way of life: the baguette is a daily ritual, a structuring element of the meal, synonymous with sharing and conviviality," said UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay. These days a baguette - which means "wand" or "baton" - is sold for around 1 euro ($1.04) each. ($1 = 0.9645 euros)Reporting by Geert De Clercq and Elizabeth Pineau; Editing by Ingrid Melander and Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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