Monday, December 23
Indian E-Commerce Firm Flipkart Announces Another $700 million in Investments
National News

Indian E-Commerce Firm Flipkart Announces Another $700 million in Investments

The most current e-commerce statistics from Statista.com state that 40% of internet users worldwide have purchased products or goods online, and that number is only expected to grow. Although it may seem like world e-commerce leader Amazon is poised to take over the rest of the market, a newbie company from India may give it a run for its money. Sachin and Binny Bansal (who are not related) started their careers in e-commerce in 2007 as Amazon.com engineers, assisting the U.S.-based company with its expansion into India, where the two men are from. Now, the Bansals' post-Amazon small business venture is set to oust Amazon as the top online retailer in India. India's young e-commerce market is currently being dominated by Flipkart, the brainchild of the two Bansals, and they recently anno...
Great News for Small Town Americans: Affordable Care Act Has More Options for 2015
National News

Great News for Small Town Americans: Affordable Care Act Has More Options for 2015

Even though Monday, Dec. 15 was the deadline for a Jan. 1, 2015, healthcare plan start date, there is still time to sign up under the Affordable Care Act, according to officials. Enrollees have until Jan. 15 to sign up if they want coverage to start on Feb. 1. Open enrollment will last until Feb. 15 for coverage that will begin on March 1. Even those who signed up in 2014 are still encouraged to take a look at their health insurance options this time around. Some premiums have changed, and all who bought insurance get subsidies on their incomes, so it's important to check that personal information is accurate on www.healthcare.gov. In 2014, the penalty for not having insurance was 1% of a person's income or $95 per person -- whichever amount was higher. That amount goes up to 2% o...
Tennessee Town Attempts to Ban Negative Social Media Comments
Local News

Tennessee Town Attempts to Ban Negative Social Media Comments

South Pittsburg is a small town in Tennessee with a population of 2,992. Perhaps best known as the site of the National Cornbread Festival, the town is typically devoid of any scandal or excitement that might attract national attention. However, thanks to an ill-advised ruling, South Pittsburg is now drawing ire from social media enthusiasts around the country: the city council recently voted to ban negative comments about the town from appearing online. South Pittsburg's town commissioners recently voted 4-1 in favor of an "all-inclusive" social networking policy. This policy would prohibit all elected officials, appointed board members, employees, volunteers, and contractors from making comments about the town's boards, officials, and organizations on social media sites. City employees ...
2014 Small Business Saturday Significantly Less Profitable Than Expected
National News

2014 Small Business Saturday Significantly Less Profitable Than Expected

In what may have been one of the most unknown and unexpectedly successful marketing ploy in recent years, the tradition of "Small Business Saturday" recently took place on Main Streets across the country. The event was started by American Express in 2010, and in the past four years, it has become a "nationally recognized day," according to Boston Globe correspondent Jennifer Smith. Small Business Saturday has created a sense of community and has fostered the growth of many small businesses, which might otherwise have gone unrecognized in their respective communities. But as Forbes contributor Gene Marks notes, a study published at the beginning of December by The National Federation of Independent Business and American Express, shows that this year's Small Business Saturday (which was hel...
U.S. Forest Service Developing Strategy to Accommodate Nationwide Demand for Outdoor Recreation
National News

U.S. Forest Service Developing Strategy to Accommodate Nationwide Demand for Outdoor Recreation

When it comes to the idea of the "great American pastime," forget baseball -- because it seems that camping is now the go-to activity for American families. In the last year alone, about 43 million Americans went on a camping trip. And with the number projected to grow even higher in the future, the U.S. Forest Service is now developing a strategy to meet this demand and give Americans more room to enjoy the great outdoors. According to a December 13 Ravalli Republic article, a few Forest Service officials recently met with trail crew foremen, landscape architects, wildlife biologists and more to construct a plan to sustainably expand the amount of public recreation area that is available to Americans. The Forest Service is also grappling with ways to fund upkeep for these lands, accord...
Two Moving Scams in Arizona Face Lawsuits from State Attorney General
Local News

Two Moving Scams in Arizona Face Lawsuits from State Attorney General

Two Arizona-based moving companies are facing consumer-fraud lawsuits from the state's Attorney General, Tom Horne. The lawsuits allege that 3 Gorillas Moving and Storage LLC in Tuscon, and Allstars Movers and Storage Inc. in Phoenix, engaged in practices that were deceptive, misleading, and just plain false. Both companies are charged with falsely representing the costs of their services, demanding payment when reaching a destination, and refusing to unload trucks unless customers paid up. Both companies also provided unfair claims processes for items that were lost or damaged. The defendants in each lawsuit will have to pay restitution for customers if they are charged, in addition to fines of $10,000, per violation of the Consumer Fraud Act. Allstars Movers go by several nam...
New Survey Finds Work Time and Personal Time Bleeding Together, And That’s a Good Thing
National News

New Survey Finds Work Time and Personal Time Bleeding Together, And That’s a Good Thing

The thin veneer separating work time and personal time has seemingly disappeared. Mobile devices, like smartphones and tablet computers, now allow professionals to get to work as quickly as it takes to unlock their home screens. They can respond to emails, field phone calls, answer texts, edit presentations, and more, all on their mobile devices. Plus, they're the dominant way for people to get online now, too. Consumers spend about 60% of their time online on mobile devices, as opposed to laptops or desktops. Perhaps surprisingly, many business professionals think that this is a good thing. According to a new survey from Entrepreneur, about 80% of surveyed professionals felt positively about being tethered to their offices via their mobile devices, while nearly three in 10 thought it w...
Small Business Saturday Aims to Promote Local Holiday Shopping
Local News

Small Business Saturday Aims to Promote Local Holiday Shopping

Black Friday has long been one of the busiest shopping days of the year, but the businesses that typically stand to benefit from it are usually behemoth retail stores, which draw a huge portion of revenue away from small businesses. What's more, is the corresponding internet shopping event, Cyber Monday, cuts into the retail dollars that might be otherwise spent at small businesses as well. Small Business Saturday, which falls on Saturday, November 29th, aims to change that. According to The Missoulian, Small Business Saturday was created in 2010 by financial services company American Express to help encourage people to do some of their holiday shopping at local small businesses. The Missoulian also reports that studies have shown that both Black Friday and Cyber Monday pose a threat to...
LAPD Makes Decision About Body Cameras For Officers
Local News

LAPD Makes Decision About Body Cameras For Officers

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed on Tuesday that it will begin equipping its officers with body cameras, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. They have chosen to go with body cameras supplied by Taser, the company best known for producing stun guns that are used by officers to subdue potentially dangerous suspects. Officers from the LAPD tested two different body camera brands in the field over the last three months, choosing the Taser brand cameras due to their ease of use and storage, and other features that make the cameras and video footage more accessible. It also took officers very little time to adjust to evidence.com, Taser's storage site for video footage collected by on-duty police officers. One officer compared the cloud-based storage system to Apple's iPhon...
Arizona Navajo High School Defends Use of Redskins Mascot Amidst Controversy
Local News

Arizona Navajo High School Defends Use of Redskins Mascot Amidst Controversy

As the heated national debate continues over the use of the Washington Redskins mascot name, with many citing the term as racist and derogatory, a Navajo high school on the nation's largest Native American reservation, in Arizona, continues to defend the mascot's use despite growing controversy. The high school has emerged as a symbol, and continues to inspire those supporting the NFL franchise's right to use it. Both students and teachers at Red Mesa High School have shown overwhelming support of keeping their football team's nickname as the Redskins. A recent poll conducted by the school revealed that over 88% of students and 70% of faculty are in favor of keeping and honoring the use of their traditional mascot. Furthermore, over half of students -- 60% -- did not feel that the term "R...