The Here For America initiative today released International Automakers in America: Building More Than Cars, a report detailing the significant effect international automakers and dealers have on the U.S. economy. The report shows the $73 billion cumulative investment in American jobs and manufacturing.
“The United States today is a great place to build and export cars,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO of Global Automakers and spokesman for Here For America. “International automakers accounted for nearly half of all U.S. auto production last year and exported over 750,000 of these vehicles to countries around the world.”
International Automakers in America was released at the 10th annual American International Automobile Dealers (AIADA) auto industry summit. Highlights from the 2016 report include the nearly 700,000 direct jobs generated by international automakers and dealers and the record 8.3 million vehicles sold in the U.S. last year.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7796651-global-automakers-impact-report/
Service members and their families stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, one of the largest training bases for the U.S. Army, received a special visit on May 3 from The First Lady, Dr. Biden and Astronaut Mark Kelly. They were joined by lifelong literacy advocate LeVar Burton, the host of Reading Rainbow®, for a story time event for students on-base at Thayer Elementary School. The event was part of the White House’s Joining Forces initiative. Celebrating its 5th anniversary, the initiative works to ensure that service members, veterans, and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives.
Burton, whose father was in the army and mother an English teacher said of the event, “I was truly honored to be asked to join the First Lady, Dr. Biden and Captain Kelly for the book reading to children of military families. I know from personal experience the sacrifices they and their families make every day on behalf of our nation.” Burton also added that the event was especially important as it focused on reading. “Literacy is the gateway to children reaching their full potential as human beings.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/74044512-reading-rainbow-skybrary-school/
https://youtu.be/dHE5O2GlGN8 British Telecom company TalkTalk’s October 2015 data breach was only one of many hitting consumers and the corporate world recently – Ashley Madison and Sony come to mind – but the lessons apply to every company, big and small. Here are three takeaways from the TalkTalk data breach – and the three big losses that affect any business after a cyber attack.
Clayton, one of America’s largest homebuilders, today announced it has acquired Gallatin, Tenn.-based Goodall Homes, a builder of new single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums since 1990. Goodall is the second site-built housing company to become part of Maryville-based Clayton, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. Clayton acquired Atlanta-area builder Chafin Communities last fall.
Clayton, through its site-building group, Clayton Properties, entered the site-built housing market to expand its portfolio of housing options to homebuyers. The acquisition of Goodall Homes includes approximately 3,600 lots and 180 homes under construction in a five-county area in Middle Tennessee. Goodall Homes closed 436 homes last year.
“Adding great builders like Goodall to our team is exciting,” stated Clayton home building group President, Keith Holdbrooks. “As we continue to grow and expand into the site-built market, it is important to partner with teams that share our culture of providing an excellent customer experience.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7716454-clayton-acquires-goodall-homes/
General Mills announced today that by the end of 2020, oat farms that supply oats for Honey Nut Cheerios will host approximately 3,300 total acres of dedicated flower-rich pollinator habitat. It takes about 60,000 acres of oats to make Honey Nut Cheerios products each year. More than two thirds of the crops used to feed people, accounting for 90 percent of the world’s nutrition, are pollinated by bees.1 Flower-rich habitat is critical in helping maintain the nutritional health of bees and the continued supply of crops that we depend on for food. Without bees and other pollinators, food as we know it would be forever changed.
Bees have experienced an unprecedented scale of habitat loss with more than 9 million acres of grass and prairie land converted to crop land since 2008.2 Although Honey Nut Cheerios famous spokesbee, Buzz Bee, and his honey bee friends may not be in danger of extinction like some other pollinators, in the interest of protecting our food supply, Honey Nut Cheerios is committed to helping all pollinators thrive through the planting of these habitats.
“Pollinator habitats are one of the most effective solutions in ensuring bees get the daily nutrition they need,” said Dr. Marla Spivak, a world-renowned bee scholar at the University of Minnesota who has been collaborating with General Mills on this initiative. “Every day, 4,000 species of North American bees are traveling from flower to flower, shopping for the variety of good nutrition they need in order to thrive. My hope is this partnership between farmers, the Xerces Society and General Mills will not only beautify the North American countryside with vibrant wildflowers, but also help the bees we all rely on so much get back on their own six feet!”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7803951-honey-nut-cheerios-pollinators/
Over 80% of Americans want to spend their last days at home, with friends and family. Yet, despite these desires, 75% of Americans will spend their last days in a hospital room. Many people will spend hours each day getting painful and often useless treatments and tests, and be asked to take dozens of debilitating drugs. For many, the cure is worse than the disease. This often has negative and lasting effects on family and friends who are often left with feelings of guilt and regret for years to come.
Hospice Support Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting end of life care at home rather than in a hospital so patients can spend their last days in dignity and peace, pain-free in familiar, comfortable surroundings with friends and family.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7785451-hospice-support-fund-end-of-life-care-psa/
WTF or WHAT THE FLUSH! The makers of the Stealth® ultra-high efficiency toilet and Bravo’s “Flipping Out” Star Jenni Pulos want to see more people saving both water and precious dollars when they flush.
On average, 27 percent of water consumption in the home comes from flushing it right down the toilet, which is completely avoidable – that’s not even mentioning the water lost by old or deteriorated flappers that leak. Niagara Conservation Corp. created the Stealth Toilet which uses less than one gallon of water per flush (0.8 gallons per flush to be exact) relative to the average toilet that uses 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush.
“As a California resident, I feel the gravity and importance of water conservation. That’s why I’m asking America to stop this invisible drain on our planet,” said Pulos. “With the Stealth Toilet we can do our part to save water and money with every flush. So join the cause for water conservation and say it with me – #WhatTheFlush!"
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7789051-niagara-conservation-whattheflush/
It’s a state capital, a center of Southern culture and the heart of the Research Triangle – and now, Raleigh, N.C., is also the setting for the HGTV® Smart Home 2016. Fans can visit HGTV.com/Smart to get a first look at the new home that, like its location, is a perfect blend of innovation and Carolina charm.
Constructed by locally owned builder, Homes by Dickerson, the home is part of a grand prize package valued at more than $1.2 million that will be awarded this summer. In addition to the home and all its furnishings, the grand prize package includes a 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC and $100,000 from national mortgage lender Quicken Loans®. The three-level traditional craftsman home is approximately 3,300-square-feet, with four bedrooms and five bathrooms, cleverly constructed with tech gadgets and smart solutions to enhance entertaining and everyday living.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7780251-hgtv-smart-home-virtual-tour/
Top Hybrids and Electric Cars Must Buy 2016 [ Buying Guide ]
Top Recommended Hybrids and Electric Cars
List Car you need to buy:
====== 2016 Tesla Model S ========
We owned a 2013 Tesla Model S for 18 months and despite numerous dealer visits and maintenance issues, we were ultimately sad to see it go. It's quick, comfortable, quiet, spacious, and can tote as much cargo as some crossover SUVs. The "85" version can go 265 miles on a charge, so range anxiety is a nonissue. We even drove ours from L.A. to New York in less than three days using Tesla's free Supercharger quick-charge network. We definitely have gripes, including some underwhelming interior trim pieces and a lack of small item storage. There's also the below-average reliability, although our dealer experiences were exceptional. So even though it's not perfect, the Model S remains our favorite electric car.
============2016 Kia Soul EV============
Kia's first real foray into the electric vehicle world is a success. In fact, the funky Soul is arguably more appealing when it swaps out its internal combustion engine for an electric motor. In our testing, the Soul EV went farther on a charge than its similarly sized and priced competitors, and then recharged quickly thereafter. It also doesn't suffer a reduction in cargo space versus the non-EV Soul, meaning it provides the utility of a small SUV rather than that of a small hatchback like its rivals. A long warranty and generous features are other benefits.
===============2015 BMW i3=============
BMW's i3 is a remarkable vehicle. Its main structure is made of light yet strong carbon fiber instead of the usual steel or aluminum. This helps reduce the i3's weight, which pays dividends for both electric range and performance. With its electric motor in back and the battery under the floor, the i3 boasts sporty acceleration and handling.
======= 2015 BMW i8 ===========
You want your plug-in hybrid to be a head-turning sports car? Look no further than the BMW i8, the two-door supercar for the environmentally conscious. Like the more attainable BMW i3, the i8 is built around a carbon-fiber passenger cell. But in the i8 an electric motor drives the front wheels and a turbocharged three-cylinder gasoline engine pushes from behind.
===== Luxury Hybrid 2016 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid =====
Porsche's flagship sedan is the Panamera, a low-slung four-door with a hatchback trunk. The 2016 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid is the plug-in hybrid version, and it offers 16 miles of pure electric driving before the supercharged 3.0-liter gasoline V6 engine takes over. Acceleration, handling and braking are pure Porsche, which is something of a trick for a car this large. It's perfect for those shoppers
======= Hybrid SUV 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid =========
No other automaker bothers to offer a hybrid version of its three-row SUV. But Toyota's Highlander Hybrid doesn't earn a spot in our Buying Guide purely by default. It continues to show just how well the hybrid formula can be applied to a big, family-friendly crossover SUV. The hybrid version earns a 28 mpg combined estimate, or 7-8 mpg better than the V6-powered Highlander. In addition to that, the Highlander Hybrid offers solid build quality, respectable acceleration, a sophisticated and quiet ride quality and plenty of standard and available features.
====== 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid 2016 Toyota Prius =====
Substantial changes last year vaulted the Toyota Camry Hybrid onto our top-recommended list. Although it doesn't quite match the fuel economy of some competitors, the real-world cost of that difference is negligible. Plus, dismissing the Camry simply because of an mpg or two would mean missing out on an otherwise compelling sedan. Comfort remains a Camry priority, but this latest Camry Hybrid also handles pretty well.
====== Hybrid Cars 2016 Ford Fusion Hybrid / Energi =====
The 2016 Ford Fusion Hybrid is a great choice for car shoppers who are new to hybrids. It's quiet, comfortable and feels very much like a normal family sedan, while delivering the fuel economy you expect from a hybrid. It's also a Ford Fusion, which means you also get impressive refinement, good road manners and plenty of standard and available high-tech features.
======= 2016 Volkswagen e-Golf =====
Among entry-level EVs, the Volkswagen e-Golf is our favorite. It handles well, has a handsome interior, delivers class-competitive range and has the optimal equipment for quick battery recharging. What's even better, cargo space is unchanged from the non-EV Golf because the batteries are located under the floor.
INRIX®, Inc., a global leader for transportation analytics, today released its 2015 Traffic Scorecard, a benchmark for governments and agencies in the U.S. and Europe to measure progress in improving urban mobility.
The report reveals the U.S. faces large challenges to solve congestion issues, fueled by continued economic and population growth, higher employment rates and declining gas prices. Cities that have experienced the most economic improvement during the past year are at highest risk for consequences related to worsened traffic conditions, including reduced productivity, higher emissions and increased stress levels. For example, Washington D.C., San Francisco, New York, Seattle and Boston all saw reduced unemployment rates bringing them below the national average of 5.3 percent for 2015.1 However, according to the INRIX Traffic Scorecard, congestion in those cities alone combined to waste 1.5 billion hours for daily car commuters last year. Nationwide, commuters spent a total of more than eight billion extra hours stuck in traffic, representing almost 50 hours per driver.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7775551-inrix-2015-traffic-scorecard/
I was inspired to write this song shortly after I had first watched a video by Danai Moraiti which was her performing a Greek song "i garsona (Panos Tountas)" on her electric piano. What really captured my heart was her most beautiful smile at the end of her performance. I have never seen such a smile in all of this world. From that moment on, I ordained her to be my QUEEN OF SMILES !!!! .... That was well over a year ago as I had encountered a problem after I had already sang the lyrics that I had written for this song. I didn't know then as I do not know now, how to pronounce her name in English .... A most embarrassing dilemma .... In English, the combination of "ai" creates a long vowel "A"sound but her name is in Greek. I spent over a month researching her name on Google and I asked people who were European but nobody knew for sure and so I abandoned this song. I didn't know Danai as well back then and I did not wish to mispronounce her name but we are such good friends now that I feel more comfortable in taking this risk. If I am wrong on the pronunciation of her name, I will then wear a tutu and dance the Nutcracker for DANAI as we go fishing.
You can see and hear more of Danai here https://www.youtube.com/user/danai2014
LYRICS
Queen of smiles. My Queen of Smiles. Danai is my Queen of smiles.
Queen of smiles. My Queen of smiles. Danai is my Queen of smiles.
Danai and me go fishing by the sea ... She and me ... "She and me."
We shall catch a fish or maybe 2 or 3 ... We'll see ... "We shall see."
I'll bring the poles and she'll bring the worms.
I'll bait the hooks and then we'll take turns
casting our lines out into the bay
where we shall fish onto the break of day.
Queen of smiles. My Queen of Smiles. Danai is my Queen of smiles.
Queen of smiles. My Queen of smiles. Danai is my Queen of smiles.
Big data, cloud and artificial intelligence - the digitalization trend is at the heart of all the exhibits and events at this year's CeBIT in Hannover, Germany. Featuring around 3,300 exhibitors from over 70 countries, CeBIT is the world's biggest trade show for the digitalization of business and society. And this year, it is back with a major lineup of highlights and innovations.
