Video Credit: Reuters - Politics - Duration: 02:16s - Published
Florists face a Valentine’s Day like no other
With Valentine's Day approaching, florists say they are seeing strong demand due to the holiday and an unprecedented number of funerals tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Florists in Los Angeles, California have never experienced a February like this one: while some customers buy bouquets for their significant other ahead of Valentine's Day on Sunday, others order flowers for a different occasion.
Fatima Padilla: "Honestly, it is a little busy because there are many more orders for funeral arrangements.
A lot of death because of what's going on.
So right now it's very busy." The $35 billion floral industry is perhaps more involved in family joy, grief and milestones than any other.
And as flower sellers across the U.S. approach Valentine’s Day, the nation is still in the grip of a pandemic.
And in some states, death rates are hitting record highs.
It's been especially hard in Los Angeles, says flower stylist Nelly Botello: "It's a little sad to see that many people come to ask for funerals arrangement when it should be all about love." Mark Chatoff, CEO of the California Flower Mall, one of the country's largest markets in downtown Los Angeles, said that when the state imposed its first lockdown in March, some florists closed down because big events ended almost overnight.
Then came the pandemic.
"Now we're looking at, you know, there is still demand for floral products, but it just looks a little bit differently.
It might be, sadly, a funeral, you know, also to brighten someone's home because you're under a stay-at-home order, and so there is a lot of that too." The surge in demand for flowers in recent months has strained the supply chain.
Fatima Padilla: "They come from Mexico, from Ecuador, it depends on where we order them.
Right now, we have hardly received any flowers." The crunch, felt by seller Fatima Padilla, has led to a rise in prices, funeral wreaths, for example, have gone from about $85 to $120 in just a few weeks.
One Los Angeles seller told Reuters that with prices so high it's been tough to tell grieving people how much funeral flowers cost.
And said that her store managers have even been forced to turn away families asking for funeral flowers because of the Valentine's Day demand.
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Red Lobster Announces, Nearly 100 Locations , Will Be Shut Down.
NBC reports that approximately 99 Red Lobster locations
will be auctioned off as the seafood chain faces
questions regarding the company's long-term future.
Founder and CEO of the liquidation firm TAGeX Brands,
Neal Sherman, said he would lead the closure of over
50 locations in a May 13 LinkedIn post.
Sherman said equipment from the
locations will be auctioned off.
Locations will reportedly be closed across
the United States, including Denver,
Indianapolis, California and New York.
On May 14, Restaurant Business Magazine reported
a total of 99 locations would close, representing
about 15% of the company's 700 locations. .
NBC reports that the largest seafood
restaurant in the U.S. has struggled with debt,
unfavorable leases and executive turnover.
The chain's troubles also stem from ill-advised
strategies like an all-you-can-eat-shrimp promotion
in 2023 that resulted in a significant loss.
Earlier in 2024, the chain's largest investor,
Thai Union, announced that it would
seek to exit its position. .
The combination of Covid-19 pandemic,
sustained industry headwinds, higher
interest rates and rising material and
labor costs have impacted Red Lobster,
resulting in prolonged negative
financial contributions to
Thai Union and its shareholders, Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union Group’s CEO, via NBC.
After detailed analysis, we have
determined that Red Lobster’s
ongoing financial requirements
no longer align with our capital
allocation priorities and
therefore are pursuing an exit
of our minority investment, Thiraphong Chansiri, Thai Union Group’s CEO, via NBC
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
Harry and Meghan’s Archewell , Delinquent Over Unpaid Fees.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's charity is currently prohibited from raising money in California because it's
been found delinquent in the state, NBC News reports. .
California Attorney General Rob Bonta was responsible for issuing the delinquency notice. .
According to the state of California,
Archewell has yet to pay its yearly
registration fees or submit an annual report.
A source familiar with the situation said that the foundation's check was lost in the mail, but another one has been sent out. .
The issue will likely be resolved in a
matter of days, according to the source.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have been in Nigeria supporting causes such as wounded veterans.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have been in Nigeria supporting causes such as wounded veterans.
The Archewell Foundation was launched in 2020 after the couple stepped away from the royal family.
The foundation's mission is, "Show up, do good.".
We consciously partner with
key organizations and leaders
to identify immediate needs,
build meaningful initiatives,
and drive long-term change, Via the Archewell Foundation's website
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
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Negotiations on Global Treaty , to End Plastic Pollution , Reach Critical Phase .
'The Independent' reports that negotiators from around
the world have met to discuss what could become
a global treaty meant to end plastic pollution. .
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on
Plastic Pollution has begun agreeing on treaty language
at their fourth of five scheduled plastics summits.
The most ambitious and contentious
idea revolves around limiting how much
plastic can be manufactured globally.
As most plastics are made from fossil fuels
and chemicals, oil and gas exporters
have strongly objected to the limitations, along
with plastic-producing countries and companies.
According to Stewart Harris, an industry spokesperson
with the International Council of Chemical Associations,
the treaty also focuses on recycling and reuse. .
We want to see the treaty
completed. We want to work
with the governments on
implementing it. The private
sector has a role to play, Stewart Harris, an industry spokesperson
with the International Council of Chemical
Associations, via 'The Independent'.
'The Independent' reports that the Scientists’
Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty provided
scientific evidence on plastic pollution at
the negotiations.
I heard yesterday that there’s
no data on microplastics,
which is verifiably false:
21,000 publications on micro and
nanoplastics have been published, Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden's University of Gothenburg who co-leads the coalition, via 'The Independent'.
Ecuador's chief negotiator, Walter Schuldt stressed that
countries present at the negotiation share a common
vision of moving forward in the treaty process.
Because at the end of the day,
we’re talking about the survival
of the future of life, not only
of human life but all sorts
of life on this planet, Walter Schuldt, Ecuador's chief
negotiator, via 'The Independent'
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published
United States President Joe Biden says he is “considering” a request from Australia to drop the prosecution of Julian Assange. The WikiLeaks founder has been indicted on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of classified U.S. documents relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars almost 15 years ago. The Australian national was taken to Belmarsh prison in London five years ago, after being dragged out of the Ecuadorian embassy, where he stayed while fighting against being taken to the US. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
Plenty of Sacramentans were burning a hole in their pocket to celebrate their burning love for each other on Valentine’s Day, which led to a welcome boom in business for local restaurants.
Credit: CBS 13 Sacramento Duration: 02:37Published