🐤 Let the music play

Markets: Investors were clearly focused on the election yesterday, but most of the short-term moves on Wall Street were tied to technology rather than politics. All three major indexes received a boost throughout the day, led by particularly strong gains in the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite.

Trading of Trump Media & Technology Group shares, which have seen some sharp increases and dips throughout the election season, was briefly halted multiple times yesterday due to volatility.

Bears to Bengals: Khalil Herbert will soon be suiting up in different colors. The Chicago Bears running back was named in a trade with the Bengals that will see him playing for Cincinnati for the remainder of the season. In return, the Bears get a seventh-round draft pick ahead of next season. Although Herbert’s stats this season leave a little something to be desired, strong numbers during his first three seasons in Chicago could make him a beneficial acquisition. The Bengals need a backup RB now that Zack Moss is out indefinitely due to a neck injury.

Rafael’s rise: Hurricane season extends through the remainder of this month in the Atlantic Ocean, and there’s going to be at least one more threat to the Gulf Coast before then. Meteorologists warn that Tropical Storm Rafael is currently gaining strength in the Caribbean and could get more powerful as it approaches Cuba. The storm could make landfall today as a Category 1 hurricane before approaching Florida later this week. Current forecasts suggest Rafael will lose momentum before approaching the Gulf Coast, but a storm watch is in place.

Escape to Canada: Officials from the U.S. Department of Justice requested the extradition of Alexander “Connor” Moucka, who is accused of staging a massive hacking operation that gave him access to sensitive information from roughly 165 different companies. Moucka has been hiding out north of the U.S. border and American authorities want to see him returned to the States to face justice. He was arrested in Canada last week and the latest court date in the case was set for yesterday. Live Nation and AT&T were among the companies targeted.

Ballot measures: The presidential race got most of the media attention, but there was a lot more to vote for yesterday in elections across the U.S. In 10 states, for example, voters were presented with measures that could determine the extent of abortion access granted to residents. Activists on both sides of the abortion issue have been presenting their arguments, including anecdotes from pro-choice advocates about the potential risk of miscarriage or other health problems that could result from abortion restrictions enacted recently by several states.

If you know much about the history of Nintendo, you already know it hasn’t always been in the video gaming business. And now it is diversifying further by offering a digital music app.

The gaming connection

Unlike apps like Spotify or Pandora, the Nintendo Music app piggybacks on the brand’s huge catalog of video games. It’s simple to find a particular melody from your favorite games or create a new playlist based on your tastes.

Among the features the new app boasts is an option to eliminate any potential spoilers from games users haven’t yet played. It’s also possible to stretch a track’s playing time to as long as an hour for situations when a little background noise is needed.

Anyone who subscribes to Switch Online can download Nintendo Music on either iOS or Android devices.

The reviews are mixed

If you’re like many Nintendo fans, this app at least sounds intriguing. But is it really as nifty as the company claims?

To answer that question, let’s take a look at some of the strengths and weaknesses from early reviews.

In addition to the extended loop feature, another positive point is the layout, which users say makes finding specific games and tracks easy.

But there are some aspects critics say need some attention, including:

• Limited selection: There are just 25 games to choose from, and that list doesn’t even include the iconic “Super Mario World” or “Zelda.”
• Age discrimination: Another complaint is that almost all of the music comes from recent releases for the Nintendo Switch.
• Taking credit: Instead of recognizing the contribution of actual composers, the game opts to include fictitious musicians in its credits.

For Nintendo fans who can live with a few shortcomings, this app might be just the daily diversion they need.

For most Americans, food safety isn’t a persistent concern. Aside from the occasional recall or report about unsanitary conditions at a factory, we generally just assume that the items stocked in grocery stores are safe to eat. But should we?

The U.S. vs. the world

Although the Food and Drug Administration handles many regulations at the federal level, many others are determined at the state and local level. That results in a patchwork of rules across the nation and varying standards depending on jurisdiction.

California has banned several chemicals permitted by federal regulators.

In comparing and contrasting U.S. regulations with those across Europe and elsewhere around the globe, however, we’ll be focusing primarily on the FDA’s role.

That federal agency operates according to the standard that food safety maintains a “reasonable certainty of no harm.”

Meanwhile, regulators across the European Union often opt to prohibit the use of potentially harmful food additives and chemicals even before there’s any definitive proof.

Which approach is best?

The FDA’s current approval process dates back to the 1950s, which on one hand might be a testament of its strength but on the other gives rise to concerns that it’s no longer up to the task of addressing modern food safety issues.

Specifically, the agency maintains a “Generally Recognized As Safe” designation that allows many newer food additives to be included in the U.S. food supply even without an official FDA review.

U.S. regulators are also underfunded, leading to concerns that the FDA isn’t up to the task of ensuring the highest level of food safety.

On the other hand, the more hardline approach of European regulators has earned high marks for safety but some critics believe it needlessly bans certain ingredients that don’t pose a risk to the public.

While convenient for shoppers, drive-up and curbside orders can become headaches for the employees tasked with fulfilling them. And at Target, an added nuisance has come in the form of something known as the “double tap.”

Coining the term

Target employees have been flummoxed by the behavior of a relatively small number of shoppers who use the chain’s mobile app to arrange a parking lot pickup. These folks either don’t bother or forget to select the “I’m on the way” option before heading to the store. Instead, they wait until they arrive at the designated pickup location and tap both that button and the “I’m here” option.

This action has become so common and caused so much frustration among workers that it’s earned an official designation. And now the Target app is capable of addressing the “double tap” before it becomes a problem.

Finding a solution

Instead of forcing workers to rush through an order because of a double-tapping customer, the app now offers a kind but firm reminder to those who engage in the problematic behavior.

Anyone who attempts to click the “I’m here” icon within one minute of tapping “I’m on the way” will encounter this message: “We need some extra time. Next time, avoid this delay by letting us know you’re on the way before going to the store.”

As it stands, Target employees are expected to load all of a customer’s items onto a cart and take it out to the waiting vehicle within three minutes of receiving the “I’m here” alert.

One New York Target worker said her store receives as many as 1,500 drive-up orders each day with as many as 1 in 4 resulting in double taps, adding: “We are hoping that this new change alleviates that issue.”