Latest news with #230
Associated Press
20-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Nebraska Passes Kratom Consumer Protection Act, Setting a State Standard for Kratom Regulation
LOS ANGELES, CA, May 19, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- The Global Kratom Coalition (GKC) applauds the Nebraska Legislature for the successful passage of Legislative Bill 230, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, introduced by State Senator Bob Hallstrom (District 1, Syracuse, NE). This critical legislation establishes common-sense regulations that enhances consumer safety and promotes the responsible manufacturing, marketing, and sale of kratom products in Nebraska. GKC has been actively engaged with Nebraska lawmakers since early 2024, advocating for evidence-based standards that preserve access to natural kratom while shielding the public from dangerous synthetic products that falsely claim to be kratom. LB 230 includes robust protections for consumers, such as prohibiting the marketing of kratom products to children, banning sales to individuals under 21 years old, and requiring product labeling that discourages use by pregnant or breastfeeding women. 'The Nebraska legislature should be commended for leading the way in creating common sense regulations for kratom, keeping it safe and accessible for consumers,' said Matthew Lowe, Executive Director of the Global Kratom Coalition. 'Nebraska lawmakers have created a model for other states to pursue by including provisions in the legislation with some real teeth.' One of the most impactful provisions of the bill restricts the level of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7OH) in kratom products to no more than 2% of the total alkaloid composition. This critical safeguard eliminates the threat posed by highly concentrated 7OH synthetic products — commonly referred to as '7'— which have been proliferating across the country. Unlike natural-leaf kratom, these synthetically altered products contain eight unknown compounds and levels of 7OH up to 100 times higher than naturally occurring kratom. These untested products lack scientific backing for claims of treating chronic pain and opioid use disorder. Despite mounting scientific consensus and public health concern, groups like the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART) have actively sought to undermine the bill or strip out key consumer protections. HART continues to promote synthetic '7' products without offering credible data, directly contradicting the views of leading U.S. kratom researchers who assert that '7' products should not be considered kratom. During a press event in October 2024, HART panelists advocated for regulating 7OH products as though they were natural kratom, making unapproved drug claims without FDA authorization. 'When organizations like HART are advocating for products that are unapproved drugs that have not gone through the FDA approval process,' said Lowe. 'Without FDA approval, selling those products is unlawful and puts consumers at risk.' Since the introduction of LB 230 on January 14, 2025, GKC has worked closely with stakeholders to ensure the legislation balances access to safe, natural kratom with strong protections against dangerous synthetic alternatives. 'Our goal has always been to support legislation that empowers consumers to make informed choices and preserves access to responsibly manufactured kratom products,' said Lowe. 'With the passage of Nebraska's Kratom Consumer Protection Act, we've made a significant leap toward that vision.' The Global Kratom Coalition thanks the Nebraska Legislature for standing up for consumer safety and urges other states to follow Nebraska's lead by adopting meaningful, science-based kratom regulation. About Global Kratom Coalition The Global Kratom Coalition is an alliance of kratom consumers, experts, and industry leaders dedicated to protecting access to kratom while advancing scientific research, driving consumer education, and developing robust regulations to protect consumers. For more information, visit Media Contact Patrick George +1 916-202-1982 [email protected] ### SOURCE: Global Kratom Coalition Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire
TimesLIVE
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Nissan abandons plan for $1.1bn EV battery plant in southern Japan
Nissan Motor said on Friday it would abandon a plan to build a $1.1bn (R20,069,224,230) factory for electric vehicle batteries on Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu, marking the latest change of plans for the troubled carmaker. Japan's third-biggest carmaker had announced in January the plan for a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery plant in the city of Kitakyushu that was set to create about 500 jobs with an investment of ¥153.3bn (R19,153,837,500). "Nissan is taking immediate turnaround actions and exploring all options to recover its performance," the company said about the decision, indicating a willingness at Nissan to scale back its domestic market ambitions. "After careful consideration of the investment efficiency, we have decided to cancel the construction of a new LFP battery plant in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture." The Japanese government had earmarked a subsidy of up to ¥55.7bn (R6,983,632,580) for the project. The plant was supposed to start supply in July 2028 or later and have an annual production capacity of 5GWh, materials posted on Japan's industry ministry's website showed. New CEO Ivan Espinosa, who took over from Makoto Uchida last month, is restructuring Nissan's operations. The company is shedding employees, reducing production capacity and closing plants. Nissan said last month it expects a record net loss of ¥700bn (R12,764,640,000,000) to ¥750bn (R94,042,200,000) for the financial year that ended in March due to impairment charges. The company is set to provide its outlook for the financial year and update on its recovery actions when it announces full-year financial results on Tuesday.
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Rakuten Trade revises fee structure for retail investors to make equity trading more affordable
PETALING JAYA: Rakuten Trade Sdn Bhd, Malaysia's first fully digital broker, launched a newly revised brokerage fee structure, setting a new benchmark for affordability and accessibility for retail traders. With the new structure, clients can enjoy the lowest brokerage fees for trades valued up to RM9,999.99 when trading in ringgit and up to US$990 (RM4,230) for US market trades when trading in US dollar. 'We believe every Malaysian should be able to participate in the stock market without worrying about high fees,' said Rakuten Trade CEO Kazumasa Mise. 'As a digital broker, our role is to remove friction for investors, especially in today's volatile market environment, it's crucial that traders and new investors alike can manage their portfolios without being burdened by brokerage fees. This new brokerage revision reflects our continued focus on putting our customers first and making trading stocks more accessible.' As global markets continue to grapple with persistent volatility and shifting investor sentiment, Malaysian retail investors are seeking smarter, more cost-efficient ways to manage their portfolios. With the local stock market showing mixed signals amid external uncertainties – from the United States' global implementation of reciprocal tariffs to existing geopolitical tensions – retail participation has remained cautious. However, Rakuten Trade equity sales head, Vincent Lau opines that the local stock benchmark index is not expected to see new lows, unless the tariff war between the United States and China escalates further. 'There is not much negative news for Malaysia now, so the FBM KLCI should remain stable or trade sideways. The index is unlikely to see another sharp drop unless new catalysts emerge,' Lau said. He added that selected initial public offering (IPO) stocks that have dipped below their listing prices could present some opportunities, 'As we know, the IPO market is currently quite depressed, with many recent listings trading below their IPO prices. It may be worth looking into some of these names that are now undervalued.' The new brokerage rates, together with the recently launched amalgamated trades for the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, are expected to significantly lower trading costs for Rakuten Trade clients and solidify the company as the ideal choice for a wide variety of investors, from day-traders to new investors. Rakuten Trade's dedication to uplifting retail investors extends beyond lower fees, by providing services ranging from educational resources and licensed analysts' trading calls from their equity sales team and research team to daily reports for market opportunities and webinars for exclusive insights into local companies.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
It's official — ‘Utahn' (not ‘Utahan') is now the state's name for its citizens
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill Tuesday to make 'Utahn' the official designation for a citizen of the Beehive State. H.B. 230 — or Utah Resident Terminology Amendments — was passed during the 2025 General Session. The bill designates the term 'Utahn' as the official name of citizens of Utah, and codifies that the term isn't spelled 'Utahan.' 'There is no need to include the 'A,'' bill sponsor Sen. Dan McCay (R – Salt Lake County) said on the Senate Floor on Feb. 19. 'It's improper … a demonym is how locals like to refer to themselves, and now we are creating a state demonym should S.B. 230 pass.' Gov. Cox signs bill addressing Alpine School District split, signs three others Rep. Jordan Teuscher (R – Salt Lake County), the bill's House sponsor, echoed this sentiment during floor debate, quoting Confucius and saying that things must be called by their proper names. 'U-T-A-H-N is the common way that Utahns would spell it, ' Teuscher said during floor debate. 'But there are those misfits out there who spell it with an '-an,' and so we want to make sure that it's consistent in government documents, media, and education materials. This reflects our historical and local usage and aligns with our state's identity and heritage.' Utah is one of two states that has enshrined an official designation for citizens within state code. The other is Massachusetts, which officially calls its citizens 'Bay Staters' in official government documents. The Federal Government uses a publishing guide for citizen designations as well. The bill was the only one signed by the governor during the March 18 bill review session, bringing the total number of bills he has signed so far to 40. There are 542 bills left for Cox to act on before the Mar. 27 deadline. If a bill is not acted upon before that deadline, it becomes law without needing the Governor's signature. According to the governor's office, Cox will be reviewing bills for the rest of the week, which means there will likely be more bills that will be signed or vetoed throughout the week. The governor has not indicated if there are any specific bills he plans to veto, but he has said he might veto some. For more legislative updates, visit Inside Utah Politics. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
