Netflix has proved for numerous times that it doesn’t like to stay within limits. On the contrary, the company encourages its creators to come up with as many wacky ideas as possible. One of the recent innovative projects came with an interactive method to involve the viewer in the movie which is inspired by the world of gaming. Netflix appointed The Adventures of Puss in Boots series to be the show that turns kids into story makers.

Netflix Is Always Looking to Innovate the Video Industry

Since its beginnings, the television has always offered a passive alternative to a hobby. People stare at the screens and let the characters, anchormen or hosts to lead them towards the end of the visual session. However, Netflix intends to transport the way we watch TV into a more compelling future.

The web video giant is enabling kids to watch one of their favorite TV shows and take part in the adventures as well. The new programming offers at certain points in the story two story lines, and kids can choose only one of them.

This way, they get a customized viewing experience where they get to watch only what they would like to see. This could be a love story or an adventurous experience for instance.

Netflix director of product innovation, Carla Fisher, admitted that they are always looking at the most obscure parts of their work. They don’t want to take the safe direction and replicate what appears to be successful for other companies. On the contrary, they want to go off books and do television experiments. Another example of their industrious work is a TV adaptation of the world renowned game The Witcher.

“And it’s another way for us to put control into the members’ hands.”

Kids Need a Remote Control to Become Story Makers

The new style is called “branching narratives.” It works only with gadgets that have an internet connection and a remote control (even a gamepad does the trick). Once the story unfolds, viewers become story makers as they use left or right buttons to decide what Puss in Boots should do next.

Even though there is one episode that works on this new concept, there might be more such TV shows in the future. If customers make it a success, Netflix will build new stories around this interactive concept that involves people in the process of story-making.

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The Paris Airshow is the most important event of the year that finds itself at the 52nd edition. It dedicates seven days to the world of aviation. This edition had its two stars, Boeing and Airbus, in the center of attention as usual. However, there were other new topics opened that are ardent for the year of 2017. One of them is enabling the air traffic control privatization.

The Air Traffic Control Privatization Is One Congressional Vote Away

On Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao claimed that this long-awaited transition is going to take place slowly yet under safest conditions for all passengers. Chao was the official representative who was invited to the Paris Airshow to open the U.S. Pavillion. During her visit, she also mentioned the continuous efforts to support trading collaboration between the United States and France. This year, there were 387 companies from U.S. that registered their projects for exhibition.

One of the most sensitive topics that Chao debated during this event was the future of the U.S. air traffic control. According to her, there is going to be a transition of such responsibilities to a third non-profit party. This privatization process would not, however, affect the safety of this industry. On the contrary, the reason why authorities planned for this mobilization is to secure all passengers an improved flying experience.

“We want to do this in a deliberative and thoughtful way.”

U.S. Officials Visited Canadian Air Control Systems for Inspiration

The whole project is now waiting for the vote of the U.S. Congress. Once this proposal receives the needed approval, authorities will be ready to start works. They have three years at their disposal to ensure a successful air traffic control privatization. However, if this timeframe is not enough, they can still request a prolonged deadline.

This project together with infrastructure investments represents top priorities for Trump administration. An adviser to Chao, Michael Britt, claimed that 30 U.S. lawmakers visited the Canadian air traffic control providers. This visit might give away the fact that they are taking the Canadian system as a model for their plans.

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Since the beginning of 2017, Time Inc. was weighing in the idea of being sold to Meredith Corp. However, things changed on April 28 when the board of executives decided to turn the offer down. Instead, they focused on finding as many methods as possible to grow their company once again. Nonetheless, this goal asks for its sacrifices. The company will go through a restructuring period where around 300 worldwide colleagues will leave Time Inc.

Almost 40% of Worldwide Colleagues Accepted Their Resignation Voluntarily

Chief Executive Officer Rich Batista announced the board’s decision through an internal message. The text explained that the current situation could not lead to growth without a turnaround strategy. They need to redirect most resources towards business expansion and nothing else.

“Today we took a difficult but necessary step in that plan.”

According to the latest annual report, the company has a total of 7,450 global employees. This means that the job cuts are going to represent 4% of the total Time workforce. On the other hand, it remains unknown which sectors within the organization are going to feel most of the impact of this reduction strategy. However, there are signs that IPC magazine group, the Tampa, and editorial sector in New York are going to suffer most of the hits.

Almost 40% of the job eliminations have been done voluntarily. This batch of worldwide colleagues accepted the buyout packages on their own accord. However, the other necessary job cuts will have no other choice than to resort to layoff announcements.

Time Inc. Is Activating in a Dying Industry

The company is one of the large group of businesses that are struggling for survival in a dying industry of the printing press. Much of the company’s budget heads towards Google Adwords and Facebook online advertising channels. The changes Time had to make didn’t affect low-tier employees. On the contrary, the organization decided replacements at the level of senior management in recent months. Time Inc. hopes a fresh leadership will sync it to modern trends.

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Back in 2015, the future president of the United States, Donald Trump, was announcing his candidacy earlier than everyone else. One of the first election promises was to change or dismiss the North American Free Trade Agreement altogether. To his view, this act represented one of the few errors of the American people. Fast-forward to present day, Trump administration has invited Mexico and Canada to renegotiate NAFTA later this year.

USTR Has to Investigate the Matter in Order to Renegotiate NAFTA

However, this process is more complex than some simple meeting between representatives. Before commencing negotiations, the United States has the obligation to get informed on the matter. First of all, the United States Trade Representative or USTR is going to commence an investigation. The Administration has to take public input and both chambers of Congress into consideration for this research.

Therefore, USRT has already started to ask for comments on negotiating themes for Canada and Mexico regarding general but also product-specific targets. Moreover, the representative is also compiling a list of measures that should act as guiding points in meetings. Some of these are related to trade and customs facilitation, changes in rules of procedure, limitations on trade, and government procurement.

The 25-Year-Old Act Doesn’t Benefit Employees as Well as It Should

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is going to have a leading role in this historic event of changing the 25-year-old trade act. He suggested that America, Canada, and Mexico are to renegotiate NAFTA later this year. However, first things first, Ross is looking for a public participation process to offer feedback on changes to the act.

The main complaints NAFTA drew on itself are targeting the common workers. While this trade act was supposed to come as a beneficial opportunity for all citizens of the three countries, what it actually did was to propel only large companies forward. As a result of its influence, 2 million farm households in Mexico had to leave their land behind and forced to come to U.S. to provide for their families.

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Symphony of the Seas has the ambition to become the greatest cruise ship of all times. It will be a technological marvel with a tonnage of 230,000 GT. For the moment, the construction was landed on water in its first real testing outside the French shipyard.

The Cruise Ship Will Perform Its First Voyage on April 2018

The Symphony of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean luxury that is prepared ever since October 29, 2015. The project will end in April 2018 when the ship will take its first passengers off to a marvelous cruise experience around Europe. This first test of hers in the water is going to check the luxury liner for any leakages or brakes in the case. As long as the construction can perfectly float on the surface of the water, it is going to get ready for the next milestone.

The next step implies employees are getting ready its interior structure and design. This liner in the Royal Caribbean class series is going to top all of its predecessors. This is because it will feature more cabins and extra options than all the others, including the largest at this hour, namely the Harmony of the Seas.

The Symphony of the Seas Will Take Advantage of Top-Notch Technology and Entertaining Sources

The company behind this ambitious project is already claiming that they will operate “The Best New Ship in 2018” even before the first passengers get to see this cruise ship. This is because the Symphony of the Seas will feature numerous novelties that are innovative for these times.

One of its main strong points will be the design of each room. Each chamber will be adorned with spectacular virtual balconies to adorn them with an extra boost of visual experiences. Those rooms without balconies will have flat screens upholstering an entire wall. This part of the chamber will display everything that goes on outside the ship in real time.

The new Symphony will also host all kinds of sources of entertainment. From Broadway productions to ice skating arena, patrons will not be short of fun. On top of that, a large array of bars and restaurants will provide them with flavors and palates for any tastes.

Image source: RoyalCaribbean

The music streaming service Pandora admitted earlier this week that it was weighing in an idea for a minority stake purchase. The interested party in this transaction remained anonymous until multiple negotiations between Pandora and Sirius XM gave the deal away. Last meetings opened up the subject of a $150 million investment from KKR. However, Pandora asked for an extension of the deal deadline.

Pandora Postponed Minority Stake Acquisition Presumably to Explore a Sirius XM Negotiation

On Thursday morning, Pandora announced that it is going to postpone the $150 million transaction for a minority stake. The explanation that accompanied the statement referred to the company’s wish to consider better the implications of such a major business decision. Last month, Pandora agreed on a KKR investment. However, the private equity fund gave the streaming service only 30 days at its disposal to explore the opportunity.

While all evidence points at Sirius XM as being the sole interested party in this event, CFO David Frear denied these claims. As of recently, he informed his stakeholders that there are low chances for such a transaction to take place. Nonetheless, the recent postponing of Pandora’s KKR investment might hide a different story.

If Pandora Refuses KKR Proposition, the Company Will Pay $15 Million

Sirius XM might not have come up with a clear offer, yet media agencies reported that the company was looking into a private equity investment in Pandora. There are no official numbers to confirm the real value of such a proposition. However, Sirius might consider offering a similar or even equal investment to that coming from KKR.

On the other hand, Pandora might not have such a free saying in this situation. If the deal between the music streaming service and KKR falls, the company will be obliged to pay KKR $15 million as compensation. However, analysts are considering the pairing between Pandora and Sirius XM a fortunate one. The two of them can greatly benefit from each other. Pandora would receive a much-needed support for its subscriber base while Sirius will gain entrance to a new influential market.

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The University of Louisville ordered a forensic audit for the institution on September 26, 2016. The investigation focused on the activities that the Louisville Foundation Inc. enrolled in. The results portrayed a concerning picture of the charity establishment. Under the control of former University of Louisville President James Ramsey, the nonprofit institution wasted the funds at its disposal on trivial ends leading to a corrupted culture.

The Corrupted Culture Led to Numerous Lost Documents and Emails

On Thursday, audit specialists released their report regarding the activities that took place under the Louisville Foundation roof. One of the most disturbing details revealed Kathleen Smith, former chief of staff of James Ramsey, attempting to hide evidence. The official intended to keep funds valued at $20 million away from audit professionals that work for Chicago company Alvarez & Marsal.

Most findings uncover a corrupted culture as the system was ill prepared and presented many financial and data leaks. For instance, the report found that the foundation had a weak collection of policies for information technology.

As a result, the institution couldn’t keep track and lost many crucial documents and emails. On top of that, IT employees managed to erase the contents of a hard drive before the audit proceedings. The property was once in the possession of former President Ramsey.

Previous Administration Kept the Board of Directors in the Dark

The audit also discovered that the board of directors of the foundation was not up to date with all important transactions. When interviewed, these members couldn’t answer correctly to any question related to financial activities.

Moreover, the officers of the foundation failed to provide the board the necessary information to do their job. For instance, new directors received no training to align them with the culture and activities of the foundation. On top of that, the meetings were a formality where discussions were scripted, and nobody dared to question the agenda.

In light of these findings, the Interim President Greg Postel took upon himself the mission to change the foundation and create a transparent apparatus. The previous administration adopted a corrupted culture that Postel hopes to reverse.

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The news domain received yet another attack from a beef producer this time. ABC News was called for trial after its reportages from 2012 are suspected to have influenced the fall of Beef Products Inc. The main allegations revolve around the pink slime defamation to refer to Lean Finely Textured Beef. While the agency protected itself by claiming that the controversial collocation was by far not an in-house term, a meat expert testified in court Wednesday.

A Meat Expert Testified and Defined What LFTB Is

Mindy Brashears was called in front of a jury to testify on Wednesday. The meat expert talked about what truly LFTB is. The facts are that while the processed result loses its meaty shape, its content is 100% beef.

Slime is not beef. It does not meet any of the definitions of beef. It is false to call LFTB ‘pink slime.’

Mindy Brashears is a public health and food safety professor at Texas Tech University. The controversial pink slime defamation constitutes the main point of interest in the lawsuit that Beef Products Inc. opened against ABC News. The official documents in the trial stipulate that the term was used 350 times between March and April 2012 during ABC stories only. The main employee who referred to LFTB in such a manner was correspondent Jim Avila.

The LFTB content is mostly sold across America and used to complete ground beef mostly. However, once the news agency spoke about this business in such a manner, the company faced a massive backlash. In the end, they had to close three of their four plants.

Pink Slime Defamation Had Also Mixed up the Filler Parts

On top of that, Brashears also explained the ingredients that make LFTB which are different from the ones that ABC News reported. Besides beef, the product also has a filler that keeps the meat together. However, news stories told the world that this filler is actually made of trimmings of low quality. Not only that, but they reported that this element is mostly used in dog food and cooking oils.

However, there is a different reality to it. Brashears claimed in court that a filler is actually a non-meat element such as flour. This ingredient is then added to the processed meat.

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On May 9^th, President Donald Trump fired James Comey. The letter accompanying this decision informed the former FBI director that Trump received three assurances from him that he was not under investigation. Nonetheless, federal agents were already pursuing an inquiry on Trump presidential campaign and his ties with Russian government. Since his departure as a federal employee, Comey kept silence. However, he was summoned to testify on Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee about what really happened.

Former FBI Director Might Reveal Potential Espionage, Treason or Obstruction of Justice

On Thursday, the major event of the day will be Comey testimony. He is the former FBI director and might have undisclosed intel about Trump’s presidential campaign. His appearance in front of this official committee might trigger some compelling allegations. There might be put into the discussion a potential espionage, treason or obstruction of justice.

The Senate Intelligence Committee was created to focus on Russian influence in the 2016 U.S. election fully. A particular chapter in this investigation concerns any possible links between President Trump and Moscow. Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California stated that officials are going to ask Comey directly about his dialogues with the president and his pressures on Comey for eliminating General Flynn from his position.

Comey Did Investigate Trump Presidential Campaign

President Donald Trump fired Comey on May 9^th. His main explanation for this event was that the professional wasn’t up to his job anymore due to a poor work performance. However, the letter that announced Comey’s resignation alluded to three occasions when Comey assured Trump that he was present in no FBI investigation.

On the other hand, Comey delivered a testimony in front of the Congress on March 20^th. With this occasion, the former FBI director declared that his agency was searching any evidence that associate Trump campaign with Russian officials. He also stated that there was no evidence to attest Trump’s allegations of former President Barack Obama had his phone tapped during his campaign.

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Over the past two years, the background for oil industry was dissuaded by the recession. Numerous small cities whose entire welfare depended on oil production reached a point of bankruptcy. Once producers hit dead ends, they would drag the town economy down with them. On the other hand, some small U.S. cities managed to withstand these hardships. Occidental Petroleum Corp. together with other such businesses resorted to traditional oil production for a simple yet effective solution.

The Traditional Oil Production Technique Recycles Carbon Emissions

Occidental Petroleum Corp together with other oil wells near the border of New Mexico managed to survive the two-year-old recession. Their strategy was based mostly on a traditional oil production technique. This way, they were able to keep carbon emissions at low levels while improving the production at the same time.

This business saving drilling method relies on recycling the carbon dioxide that power plants emit. Such emissions are then redirected back to the fields. Besides rendering the environment cleaner nearby oil wells, this move puts more pressure underground. In the end, there is more oil than usual rising to the surface.

This traditional oil production technique would work perfectly with all oilfields in the United States. However, the Congress has to give its consent for this measure to take national proportions. Nonetheless, this method aligns with the ambitions of Trump administration to improve coal industry.

This work method is part of the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) collection of strategies. These efficient strategies have the goal to extend the lifespan of oil wells as much as possible. At the same time, they can boost output by 450,000 extra barrels per day. It was an energy consultancy, Advanced Resources International, which measured this spectacular production supplement.

EOR Strategies Can Improve Production as Much as 60%

Usually, a company can extract around 10% from a reservoir based on fact checks conducted by the Department of Energy. On the other hand, the ideas that are introduced in EOR collection can leverage the production between 30% and 60% of a reservoir.

Therefore, Occidental Petroleum Corp managed to take advantage of this production boost and overcome the last downturn. Moreover, executives invested the profits from carbon business into shale business. These two areas work hand in hand, which saves executives from difficult business transitions.

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