Latest news with #BPAs
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
You Might Not Want to Touch Receipts After Seeing This Horrifying Research
Think twice before saying yes to that receipt. According to new research from the Center for Environmental Health, the tiny paper documents used by major US retailers contain alarmingly high levels of Bisphenol S (BPS), an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacturing — high enough to be dangerous even in the brief period it takes you to stuff one into your pocket. "The concentrations were so high that touching only one receipt with BPS for 10 seconds resulted in exposure above the safe harbor level which requires a clear and reasonable warning to consumers," Mihir Vohra, science lead at CEH, said in a statement about the findings. Citing tests conducted by an independent lab and the latest literature on the subject, the CEH has taken legal action by sending violation notices to around 50 companies found to have BPS-laden receipts with concentrations violating California's Proposition 65 limits, The Guardian reports. Some of the most notable brands include Burger King, Walmart, Dollar General and AMC Theaters. "[The findings were] really eye-opening for us," Vohra told the Guardian. "They really speak to just how high the concentrations of BPS are in these receipts." Bisphenols are a group of chemicals used to manufacture commonplace consumer goods, ranging from food packaging to clothing to electronics. In recent decades, however, some research has suggested that exposure to a variant known as Bisphenol A (BPA) is linked to a number of troubling health outcomes, including breast and prostate cancer, heart disease, and even premature death. And virtually everyone may be exposed to a significant degree: a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2013 and 2014 found detectable levels of BPAs in 95.7 percent of urine samples. While the US Food and Drug and Administration still considers BPAs to be safe, European Union regulators have recently banned using BPA in products that come into contact with food. In response to the uncertainty around the safety of BPA, which many manufacturers are phasing out, BPS has been touted as its safer replacement — but that may not be the case. Emerging literature has linked BPS to similar toxic effects: it may increase the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cause damage to the reproductive system. In December 2023, California listed BPS as a substance that causes reproductive issues. Under Proposition 65, also known the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, the move forces businesses to either drop the chemical from their products or to provide a warning to customers about the presence of BPS within one year. That year has elapsed. By calling out the BPS levels in the receipts — where it's used as a coating for the thermal paper the documents are printed on — the CEH is pressuring businesses to comply with the demands within 60 days. If they don't play ball, the nonprofit can sue. In the meantime, the CEH advises customers to decline printed receipts. But the biggest danger, it notes, is for the cashiers that handle them daily. "Store workers who must handle receipts should wear gloves if possible or avoid using alcohol-based hand cleaners before handling a receipt because it can significantly increase the absorption of BPS," said Shakoora Azimi-Gaylon, senior director of the CEH's Toxic Exposures and Pollution Prevent Program, said in the statement. More on plastics: Doctors Say They've Found a Way to Clean the Microplastics Out of Your Body
Associated Press
01-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Black Box Intelligence Announces 2025 Best Practices Awards Nominees to Recognize Industry Leaders
/ -- Black Box Intelligence, the leader in data solutions for the restaurant industry, is proud to announce the nominees for its 2025 Best Practices Awards (BPAs). Now in their 21st year, the BPAs honor restaurant brands that excel in two critical areas proven to drive superior financial performance: workforce management and guest experience. Each year, Black Box Intelligence evaluates performance across hundreds of thousands of restaurant units, leveraging the industry's most comprehensive and best sourced data set. Brands are recognized in two categories—Employer of Choice and Voice of the Customer—across major industry segments from Quick Service to Fine Dining. Victor Fernandez, Chief Insights Officer at Black Box Intelligence. 'What makes these awards so meaningful is that the results are completely determined by what our data has consistently determined to be tenants of exceptional restaurant brands. These nominees represent the best of the best when it comes to creating strong workplace cultures and delivering experiences that resonate with guests. 'Our team analyzed extensive workforce and guest sentiment data to identify the brands truly leading the industry in these critical areas. We are delighted to recognize these top brands for their outstanding performance.' Winners will be announced in mid-April. Employer of Choice Recognizing brands that demonstrate excellence in workforce management based on turnover metrics and other key indicators tied to financial success. Quick Service: Pizza Hut Culver's Bagel Brands Fast Casual: Panda Express Torchy's Tacos City BBQ Family Dining: Eat n Park First Watch Silver Diner Casual Dining: LongHorn Steakhouse Olive Garden Lou Malnati's Pizza Upscale Casual: Seasons 52 The Cheesecake Factory Bahama Breeze Fine Dining: The Capital Grille Eddie V's Fleming's Voice of the Customer Honoring brands with the highest guest sentiment scores based on comprehensive online review data collected throughout 2024. Limited Service: In-N-Out Urbane Cafe Torchy's Tacos Velvet Taco Cava Full Service: Twin Peaks The Capital Grille Eddie V's Seasons 52 Willie's Grill & Icehouse International: Coco Bambu The Seafood Bar Urban Pubs and Bars Noble Restaurant Group Cannibale Royale Award Methodology Employer of Choice nominees are selected based on management, non-management, and general manager turnover rates—key metrics statistically linked to stronger financial performance. Voice of the Customer nominees achieve top guest sentiment scores, measured by average star ratings across major online review platforms. Visit the Black Box Intelligence website for more information on the BPAs and a list of previous winners. About Black Box Intelligence Black Box Intelligence is a data and technology company serving multi-unit restaurant businesses. With a history built on drawing on financial performance and workforce intelligence from a network of 120,000+ restaurant units, it now combines the best benchmarking in the industry with experience management and guest sentiment measurement technology to provide a clear and quantifiable roadmap for operational success. Andy Smith Black Box Intelligence +1 312-802-9846 Legal Disclaimer:
Associated Press
12-03-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Pierre Fabre Laboratories and RedRidge Bio Announce a Drug Discovery and Co-development Partnership
CASTRES, France, CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts and BASEL, Switzerland, March 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Pierre Fabre Laboratories and RedRidge Bio ('RedRidge') today announced an exclusive R&D collaboration and license agreement to identify and develop biparatopic antibody (BPA) drug candidates against multiple targets. In line with Pierre Fabre Laboratories' innovation strategy, the partnership's therapeutic focus will be on precision oncology as well as dermatology and rare diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, RedRidge will provide its capabilities to engineer, screen and characterize BPAs against an undisclosed portfolio of jointly nominated targets, while Pierre Fabre Laboratories will provide their drug development expertise to help drive two co-development programs through clinical development. RedRidge will hold exclusive commercial rights in the United States, Canada, and Japan for both programs, while Pierre Fabre Laboratories will hold exclusive rest-of-world rights. In addition, Pierre Fabre Laboratories will hold exclusive worldwide rights for a third program after a hand-off by RedRidge at a preclinical stage. Financial terms of the agreement are not disclosed but include investment participation by Pierre Fabre Laboratories in RedRidge's Series A financing that will be announced separately, as well as upfront, milestone and future sales royalty payments in addition to funded research payments for Pierre Fabre Laboratories' worldwide program. RedRidge and Pierre Fabre Laboratories will share R&D costs for the co-development programs. 'This strategic alliance attests to the RedRidge team's expertise in innovation and drug discovery for a wide variety of therapeutic targets. We are thrilled to join forces with Pierre Fabre Laboratories as a highly experienced development partner and look forward to building a long-term partnership that synergistically leverages the capabilities of each company,' said Alex Mayweg, PhD, chairperson of RedRidge's board and a managing director at Versant Ventures. 'Pierre Fabre Laboratories are excited to enter into this agreement with RedRidge, which confirms our commitment to collaborate with innovative biotechnology companies. This partnership will allow us to capitalize on RedRidge's cutting-edge expertise in biparatopic antibody drug discovery to deliver high quality clinical candidates on multiple targets addressing oncology, dermatology and rare diseases. It represents a significant milestone in the implementation of our strategy to enrich further our R&D pipeline,' stated Francesco Hofmann, PhD, Head of Research and Development for Medical Care at Pierre Fabre Laboratories.'
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE's bogus 'wall of receipts' reveal Elon Musk's real agenda
Mega-billionaire Elon Musk has posted a 'wall of receipts' online that he claims shows how much money he has saved taxpayers with his cost-slashing 'Department of Government Efficiency' operation. But it turns out that ledger is riddled with massive amounts of misinformation and inaccuracies that dramatically exaggerate — or, to put it less charitably, deceive — the public about how much money Musk's 'efficiency' initiative is saving. Musk said on his wall of receipts that DOGE saved $8 billion from a single canceled contract at the Department of Homeland Security. It turned out that contract was for just $8 million. A listed $1.9 billion cut at the Treasury Department actually took place under President Joe Biden. An Associated Press analysis found that 40% of contracts cut by DOGE aren't expected to save the government any money, according to the administration's own data. Musk is also quietly scrapping some of the false information that he posts, but without any kind of acknowledgment of inaccuracy. The New York Times points out that the original top five items listed on the 'wall of receipts' have been deleted after scrutiny from reporters revealed they were incorrect. Among other things, those items included three $655 million cuts at the U.S. Agency for International Development that was actually a single cut that was counted three times, and a $232 million cut at the Social Security Administration that turned out to actually be a much smaller $560,000 project. While these items have been removed from the list, the total listed savings have only grown — but without any clear explanation of how. Musk's wall of receipts also showcases yet another example of how farcical it is to say DOGE is about making the government run 'efficiently.' As NBC News reports, the wall of receipts lists dozens of blanket purchase agreements, or BPAs, on its list of canceled spending. But BPAs aren't actual orders; they're 'more like a catalog of things the government might buy,' as NBC News explains. Listing BPAs exaggerates canceled spending, because the money allocated for them wasn't necessarily going to be spent. And, just as important, listing BPAs obscures the fact that they exist for the precise purpose of keeping costs down. They involve negotiated rates from vetted vendors for likely purchases — they're arrangements for saving money and moving procurement more quickly. NBC News found that Musk listed at least $1 billion value in canceled contracts from BPAs. The BPA cancellations are a perverse two-for-one deal: they allow Musk to exaggerate savings and demonize the kinds of deals that would allow the government to save money. Some of this might seem somewhat counterintuitive. Every day there's news about how DOGE is wreaking havoc on the federal workforce and its ability to administer services through cutbacks and mass firings. On some level DOGE is having an extraordinary effect on the government. That's all true. At the same time, it's also true that Musk regularly peddles misinformation about what he's doing and how much money he's saving. In fact, even Musk's non-credible topline claim of having saved $65 billion so far through DOGE cuts amounts to only about 0.9% of the 2024 federal budget. In a way, Musk is being efficient, if one takes the view that he is more interested in destroying things than building things in the government. In a very short period of time with a very small team, he has done an extraordinary job of demoralizing and intimidating millions of federal workers and disabling the federal government's ability to administer social services — particularly those seen as liberal. He's also very quickly shrouded some of the most basic elements of governance in a cloud of unreliable information, making it harder to hold him accountable. But as far as making the government efficient or saving lots of money for taxpayers, this has the makings of a scam. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dozens of DOGE ‘receipts' saved no money and killed contracts meant to boost efficiency
Take a quick look at the Department of Government Efficiency's list of canceled contracts and you'd think the Agriculture Department spent $25 million on diversity trainings four separate times, while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau spent $600 million on management consultants. DOGE's 'wall of savings' and list of canceled contracts include many eye-popping 'receipts' like those. There's just one problem: Many of the so-called receipts aren't receipts at all. They're negotiated agreements with known government contractors, who might provide future services. 'This is a way to make it easier for the government to order, if it does order, and to set up good prices that they can order. It doesn't mean they buy it,' Steve Kelman, who ran the Office of Federal Procurement Policy in the Office of Management and Budget in the 1990s, said of the contracts. The agreements are known as blanket purchase agreements (BPAs), working more like a catalog of things the government might buy than a placed order. But listed alongside actual orders for goods and services on DOGE's 'wall of savings,' they create a wildly exaggerated and false impression of government spending. The wall of savings includes more than 60 listed 'contracts' that are clearly labeled as BPAs on the DOGE site, while many others are identified as BPAs in federal records — often easily spotted because of their high, round numbers. NBC News counted more than $1 billion value in DOGE's list of canceled contracts from BPAs. When asked for comment, Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, said in an email: 'The continued attempts to sow doubt in the massive accomplishments of this never-before-seen effort to make government more efficient speaks more about the illegitimacy of those peddling these falsehoods than good work of DOGE. The American public are in lockstep with the President's mission and will not be swayed by more lies coming from the legacy media.' DOGE's records are clear that canceling BPAs doesn't result in any immediate savings, but the records do not make clear that the government may not have spent any money on the BPAs at all. Somewhat ironically, the contracts are meant to improve government efficiency. BPAs are negotiated deals that allow agencies to purchase frequently needed goods and services from contractors who have been previously vetted and approved for a multiyear period. These deals have negotiated rates and regulations to improve purchasing for the period of the deal, and speed up the process significantly. The findings add to a growing list of issues that have been found with DOGE's claims of cutting government waste. The agency has struggled to back up lofty claims of fraud and appeared to have misinterpreted data from the Social Security Administration and a Department of Homeland Security contract. An Associated Press analysis found 40% of contracts cut by DOGE aren't expected to save the government any money. The New York Times reported Tuesday that DOGE had quietly removed five of its biggest listed savings from its website. As of Wednesday, DOGE's website claimed $65 billion in savings, equal to about 0.9% of the 2024 federal budget. Meanwhile, DOGE is embroiled in a wide variety of lawsuits questioning its legality, and questions remain about how the agency is operating and who is in charge. On Wednesday, the White House said Amy Gleason had been named acting administrator, though President Donald Trump has consistently said that Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is in charge. The BPA process was introduced in the '90s as a way of speeding up government ordering, Kelman said, and multiple BPAs for the same work are often arranged so the government can use competition to drive down prices. 'It took a long time to build all that stuff up and mere minutes or hours for all of that to come burning to the ground,' one current senior employee working in procurement for the federal government said of the Trump and DOGE mandated cuts. The federal database for government spending lists a contract value for BPAs that is referred to as the 'ceiling,' which DOGE appears to be using as the 'value' on its wall of receipts. That 'ceiling' can vastly exceed agencies' actual spending. DOGE lists six $100 million contracts from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on management agency wasn't planning to spend $600 million, however: all are BPAs for the same work, according to federal records, giving the bureau a list of vendors to choose from when it needs to outsource consulting services. The CFPB spends significantly less on all of its contracts every year; for fiscal year 2025, the contract budget was $230 million, according to an agency financial report dated February 2024. The year prior, it was $224 million. DOGE's wall of savings also includes four $25 million contracts for diversity trainings at the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service; federal records show they are all BPAs. The agency used one of the BPAs in 2023 to order — or 'call' on the BPA in government jargon — and approve $414,892 in diversity trainings. Much of the money has already been spent, but DOGE's cancellation prevents $121,770 from being spent. Terminating a 'call' for the direct purchase for goods or services early does stop the government from spending money or at least the possibility of spending money, but Kelman said canceling a BPA doesn't save money or even prevent future spending. Agencies could still spend money for these services, but it would possibly take longer and be more expensive to secure contracts outside the BPAs. The federal employee working in procurement said what it does is undermine months of work by government workers. While the employee was aware of federal workers unwinding a cancellation, the employee said that becomes impossible after 30 days or so. The federal employee expects that the spending needs won't all disappear, and that their office will be forced to redo some of the work they've spent the last week canceling. This article was originally published on
