BENTONVILLE, Ark., Dec. 3 - Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. announced today that it will collaborate with FIFA's exclusive worldwide master licensee, Global Brands Group (GBG), to operate 2010 FIFA World Cup Official Event Stores in nearly all of its retail markets around the world. Walmart will feature FIFA event branded shops inside select stores that will offer exclusive FIFA World Cup(TM) official licensed products and host special events leading up to the games.
"We want soccer fans around the world to participate in the world's most spectacular sporting event by giving them access to exclusive FIFA World Cup merchandise at a great price," said John Aden, senior vice president, Walmart International. ''This is a unique opportunity for us to leverage our global scale, bringing the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa(TM) experience to Walmart stores for our local customers."
The FIFA World Cup will begin June 11, 2010 and finish July 11, 2010. More than 26 billion cumulative viewers watched the 64 matches of the 2006 FIFA World Cup(TM). Soccer is by far the biggest sport in Europe, South America, Africa and the majority of markets in Asia.
Jerome Valcke, FIFA Secretary General, said, "This is an important milestone in our goal to connect with fans around the world. Given Walmart's global leadership position in the retail industry, it is the ideal platform to showcase the world-class merchandise we have been developing specifically for the 2010 FIFA World Cup(TM)."
Mark Matheny, CEO and Co-Chairman of Global Brands Group, said, "We are delighted to work with Walmart for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the 105 year history of the association, this is the first time that such a coordinated retail presence with one retailer has been achieved."
All 2010 FIFA World Cup branded merchandise will be customized for the country where it will be sold. With everything from hats and bags, to soccer balls and T-shirts, fans who visit the shops will be able to support their team like never before. Walmart stores in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, United Kingdom and the United States are anticipated to participate.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Federal Court Shuts Down Kansas City Tax Preparer
Man Prepared 'Result-Based' Tax Returns in Kansas City Area Restaurant
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 - A federal court in Kansas City, Kan., has permanently barred Carlos Cruz, also known as Carlos Ruano-Cruz, from preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The court found that Cruz's business, Carlos Income Tax Services, prepared federal income tax returns for customers that unlawfully understated tax liabilities by under reporting income and claiming improper deductions for employee business expenses and nondeductible personal expenses. The court said Cruz ignored customers' documents and prepared "result-based" tax returns "where the goal is to maximize refunds rather than accurately report his customers' actual income...." According to the court, Cruz prepared returns at a local restaurant.
The court also found that Cruz, who prepared more than 13,000 returns in the past five years, advised one customer to fabricate a business with phony income in order to increase the customer's earned income tax credit. The customer had to pay back tax, interest and a penalty when the IRS detected the inaccuracies. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audited at least 81 returns prepared by Cruz and found that 95 percent of them needed corrections. The court said the tax losses from Cruz's misconduct between 2003 and 2007 may exceed $25 million.
John A. DiCicco, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division, thanked Thomas Curteman, the Justice Department trial attorney who handled the case, and Roland Wallestad, the IRS revenue agent who conducted the investigation.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27 - A federal court in Kansas City, Kan., has permanently barred Carlos Cruz, also known as Carlos Ruano-Cruz, from preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today. The court found that Cruz's business, Carlos Income Tax Services, prepared federal income tax returns for customers that unlawfully understated tax liabilities by under reporting income and claiming improper deductions for employee business expenses and nondeductible personal expenses. The court said Cruz ignored customers' documents and prepared "result-based" tax returns "where the goal is to maximize refunds rather than accurately report his customers' actual income...." According to the court, Cruz prepared returns at a local restaurant.
The court also found that Cruz, who prepared more than 13,000 returns in the past five years, advised one customer to fabricate a business with phony income in order to increase the customer's earned income tax credit. The customer had to pay back tax, interest and a penalty when the IRS detected the inaccuracies. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audited at least 81 returns prepared by Cruz and found that 95 percent of them needed corrections. The court said the tax losses from Cruz's misconduct between 2003 and 2007 may exceed $25 million.
John A. DiCicco, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Tax Division, thanked Thomas Curteman, the Justice Department trial attorney who handled the case, and Roland Wallestad, the IRS revenue agent who conducted the investigation.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wal-Mart Standards Fail in China, Worker Rights Abused, Report Shows
NEW YORK, Nov 25 - Workers making shoes, Christmas lights, tools, curtains and paper boxes sold at Wal-Mart stores labor in illegal and degrading conditions. China Labor Watch's latest investigation of five Wal-Mart supplier factories reveals that not a single factory has implemented Wal-Mart's basic standards, and a total of 10,000 workers included in the report suffer serious rights abuses.
"This is not about a single factory, but about Wal-Mart's inability to implement its standards," says CLW Executive Director, Li Qiang. In the report, CLW attributes this failure to ineffective auditing and a pricing structure that forces factories to sell goods at unsustainable prices. As the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart leverages its massive product orders to purchase goods at low prices, and workers suffer the financial burden.
As Wal-Mart gears up for holiday sales, workers at all five factories work at least 3 hours of overtime/day, for 100-140 total hours of overtime/month, and one factory routinely schedules overtime through the night. Two of the factories illegally underpay overtime wages at rates as low as $0.44/hour, and two withhold wages from workers who fail to meet production quotas. Workers' low wages are further undermined by excessive fines and unpaid days off or maternity leave, and some workers cannot even purchase social security!
Worker abuse extends beyond paychecks. Workers at two factories are denied gloves on the grounds that it will slow production. Dormitory conditions are so poor that at one factory, there is no running water in the bathrooms. Canteen meals are extremely poor and workers often complain of hunger pangs, and one factory forbids workers from leaving the factory to eat. Worst of all, two of the factories have rules forcing workers to lie to Wal-Mart auditors, forcing workers into silence as Wal-Mart turns a blind eye to sweatshop conditions.
Violations at these randomly selected factories represent poor conditions across Wal-Mart's supply chain in China. Wal-Mart has already pledged to remediate these five factories. But with tens of thousands of Wal-Mart supplier factories in China, CLW does not seek a piecemeal approach to factory remediation. Rather, CLW urges Wal-Mart to address its systematic failure to purchase goods made in legal conditions, according to its own basic standards.
"This is not about a single factory, but about Wal-Mart's inability to implement its standards," says CLW Executive Director, Li Qiang. In the report, CLW attributes this failure to ineffective auditing and a pricing structure that forces factories to sell goods at unsustainable prices. As the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart leverages its massive product orders to purchase goods at low prices, and workers suffer the financial burden.
As Wal-Mart gears up for holiday sales, workers at all five factories work at least 3 hours of overtime/day, for 100-140 total hours of overtime/month, and one factory routinely schedules overtime through the night. Two of the factories illegally underpay overtime wages at rates as low as $0.44/hour, and two withhold wages from workers who fail to meet production quotas. Workers' low wages are further undermined by excessive fines and unpaid days off or maternity leave, and some workers cannot even purchase social security!
Worker abuse extends beyond paychecks. Workers at two factories are denied gloves on the grounds that it will slow production. Dormitory conditions are so poor that at one factory, there is no running water in the bathrooms. Canteen meals are extremely poor and workers often complain of hunger pangs, and one factory forbids workers from leaving the factory to eat. Worst of all, two of the factories have rules forcing workers to lie to Wal-Mart auditors, forcing workers into silence as Wal-Mart turns a blind eye to sweatshop conditions.
Violations at these randomly selected factories represent poor conditions across Wal-Mart's supply chain in China. Wal-Mart has already pledged to remediate these five factories. But with tens of thousands of Wal-Mart supplier factories in China, CLW does not seek a piecemeal approach to factory remediation. Rather, CLW urges Wal-Mart to address its systematic failure to purchase goods made in legal conditions, according to its own basic standards.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Team General Tire Captures Multiple Podium Finishes During The 2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000
Plus: Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Return to Baja
ENSENADA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, Mexico, Nov. 24 - Battling one of the toughest courses to date, Team General Tire captured multiple podium finishes in Trophy Truck, Class 6, Class 7sx, Class 9 and Class 3, at the 2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, which hailed the return of Ivan "Ironman" Stewart to Baja racing.
Rick D. Johnson brought home a 3rd Place overall and class finish in the Trophy Truck class with a time of 15:02:36. The finish capped an outstanding 2009 season for Johnson, who also won the Baja 500 and the BITD Terrible's 250. He also took third place in the General Tire Mint 400.
"This is a banner day for Team General Tire. The Baja 1000 is the marquee event of the desert racing season, and to have multiple teams on the podium is a stellar accomplishment," said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. "What makes this an even sweeter victory is that this is just General Tire's second season since its return to desert competition, so Rick's results -- not just in this race, but all season long -- really validate everything we've been working toward the past two seasons. We are very proud of Team General Tire drivers and all they have accomplished this year!"
One of the highlights of the race was Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's return to the Baja 1000, to race the new Toyota 4Runner in Class 3. The Toyota 4Runner was equipped with the General Grabber Competition tires. Stewart and his team were able to grab the 2nd place finish in Class 3, igniting a media frenzy around their completion at the finish line.
Marc Burnett in Class 6 secured a 3rd place finish, which set the stage for his 2nd place SCORE Championship in Class 6. Burnett's determination to finish the race despite overcoming transmission and axle issues was a true testament to the heart and drive this team has, to take on Baja and any other race. Burnett won the Baja 1000 in 2008, San Felipe 250 in 2009 and took 3rd place at Vegas to Reno.
Brandt Anderson, always a solid contender in Class 7sx, was able to hold onto a 2nd place finish for Synergy Motorsports.
Team GT's 1st place finishers were Team Trophylite in Class 7.2 and Pancho Bio in Class 9. General Tire is the spec tire on Trophylite vehicles, and having the Trophylite compete and win in Class 7.2 is a stellar accomplishment. Team GT has been working with the Bio teams for a couple of years and they always seem to make their mark on Baja.
"This course was brutal; one of the toughest Baja 1000 courses I can remember," Rick D. Johnson said. "It was very tough -- I was fighting the wheel at times, and we lost our GPS communication for the majority of the race. The truck performed great, the tires kept us on course, and we just held on to the finish. We're stoked to be here -- we'll take third!"
"Our hat's off to all of the Team General Tire members for an awesome effort," Roffler added. "We couldn't do this without their skill and dedication. This is a grueling race, but they made us all look good today!"
General Tire is again 'unleashing the fury' in off-road performance for 2009, in the second year campaigning its Grabber competition tire. Designed with a tough, three-ply Duragen(TM)-reinforced body construction to stand up to the rigors of off-road conditions, the Grabber also features a newly-developed competition-specific tread compound. In addition, the Grabber name and General Tire logo are prominently featured on the sidewall in red and white letters. The Grabber competition tires are designed in size 37x12.50R17 for class 8 and trophy truck/trick truck and 35x12.50R17 for class 1, 6, 7, 7 S, stock mini and Protruck.
General Tire also has a complete line of Grabber tires for the passenger and light truck market, including the new Grabber DOT-approved off-road tire (to be released in 2010); the Grabber HTS, which delivers the perfect synergy of comfort, durability and performance; the Grabber UHP, which sets a whole new standard in performance and ride quality for SUVs, light trucks and crossover vehicles; and Grabber AT2, designed for aggressive all-terrain traction in all weather conditions.
ENSENADA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, Mexico, Nov. 24 - Battling one of the toughest courses to date, Team General Tire captured multiple podium finishes in Trophy Truck, Class 6, Class 7sx, Class 9 and Class 3, at the 2009 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, which hailed the return of Ivan "Ironman" Stewart to Baja racing.
Rick D. Johnson brought home a 3rd Place overall and class finish in the Trophy Truck class with a time of 15:02:36. The finish capped an outstanding 2009 season for Johnson, who also won the Baja 500 and the BITD Terrible's 250. He also took third place in the General Tire Mint 400.
"This is a banner day for Team General Tire. The Baja 1000 is the marquee event of the desert racing season, and to have multiple teams on the podium is a stellar accomplishment," said Travis Roffler, director of marketing, General Tire. "What makes this an even sweeter victory is that this is just General Tire's second season since its return to desert competition, so Rick's results -- not just in this race, but all season long -- really validate everything we've been working toward the past two seasons. We are very proud of Team General Tire drivers and all they have accomplished this year!"
One of the highlights of the race was Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's return to the Baja 1000, to race the new Toyota 4Runner in Class 3. The Toyota 4Runner was equipped with the General Grabber Competition tires. Stewart and his team were able to grab the 2nd place finish in Class 3, igniting a media frenzy around their completion at the finish line.
Marc Burnett in Class 6 secured a 3rd place finish, which set the stage for his 2nd place SCORE Championship in Class 6. Burnett's determination to finish the race despite overcoming transmission and axle issues was a true testament to the heart and drive this team has, to take on Baja and any other race. Burnett won the Baja 1000 in 2008, San Felipe 250 in 2009 and took 3rd place at Vegas to Reno.
Brandt Anderson, always a solid contender in Class 7sx, was able to hold onto a 2nd place finish for Synergy Motorsports.
Team GT's 1st place finishers were Team Trophylite in Class 7.2 and Pancho Bio in Class 9. General Tire is the spec tire on Trophylite vehicles, and having the Trophylite compete and win in Class 7.2 is a stellar accomplishment. Team GT has been working with the Bio teams for a couple of years and they always seem to make their mark on Baja.
"This course was brutal; one of the toughest Baja 1000 courses I can remember," Rick D. Johnson said. "It was very tough -- I was fighting the wheel at times, and we lost our GPS communication for the majority of the race. The truck performed great, the tires kept us on course, and we just held on to the finish. We're stoked to be here -- we'll take third!"
"Our hat's off to all of the Team General Tire members for an awesome effort," Roffler added. "We couldn't do this without their skill and dedication. This is a grueling race, but they made us all look good today!"
General Tire is again 'unleashing the fury' in off-road performance for 2009, in the second year campaigning its Grabber competition tire. Designed with a tough, three-ply Duragen(TM)-reinforced body construction to stand up to the rigors of off-road conditions, the Grabber also features a newly-developed competition-specific tread compound. In addition, the Grabber name and General Tire logo are prominently featured on the sidewall in red and white letters. The Grabber competition tires are designed in size 37x12.50R17 for class 8 and trophy truck/trick truck and 35x12.50R17 for class 1, 6, 7, 7 S, stock mini and Protruck.
General Tire also has a complete line of Grabber tires for the passenger and light truck market, including the new Grabber DOT-approved off-road tire (to be released in 2010); the Grabber HTS, which delivers the perfect synergy of comfort, durability and performance; the Grabber UHP, which sets a whole new standard in performance and ride quality for SUVs, light trucks and crossover vehicles; and Grabber AT2, designed for aggressive all-terrain traction in all weather conditions.
UL Warns of Foam Liquid Concentrates With Unauthorized UL Marks
NORTHBROOK, Ill., Nov. 24 - UL is notifying consumers, distributors, regulatory agencies and authorities having jurisdiction that the Foam Liquid Concentrates, identified below, bear an unauthorized UL Mark for the United States. This product has not been evaluated by UL to the appropriate standards for safety and is not authorized to bear the UL Mark. It is unknown if this product complies with the United States safety requirements.
This product, a foam liquid concentrate, is added to water and mechanically mixed with air within a foam discharge device to produce a foam solution for use on fires. The product may be distributed in five-gallon pails, 275-gallon totes or 55-gallon drums.
Name of Product:
U.S. First Strike 3% AFFF-MS Type: US-FC3MS U.S. First Strike 3% AFFF Type: US-FC3 U.S. First Strike 3%-6% ATC Type: US-FCAR36 U.S. First Strike A/B Type: US-FC-FS U.S. The "A-B" "Foam Solution" Type: US-FC-FS U.S. 6% AFFF Type: US-FC6 U.S. 3%-3% AFFF Type: US-FCAR33
Units: Unknown
Manufacturer: Unknown
Dates of Manufacture: Unknown
Identification: On the container: A surface marking displays the unauthorized UL Mark and the following:
US-FC3MS (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
68P6
US-FC3 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
86R6
US-FCAR36 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
86R6
US-FC-FS (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
86R6
US-FC6 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
879G
US-FCAR33 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
879G
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 64 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 98 countries.
This product, a foam liquid concentrate, is added to water and mechanically mixed with air within a foam discharge device to produce a foam solution for use on fires. The product may be distributed in five-gallon pails, 275-gallon totes or 55-gallon drums.
Name of Product:
U.S. First Strike 3% AFFF-MS Type: US-FC3MS U.S. First Strike 3% AFFF Type: US-FC3 U.S. First Strike 3%-6% ATC Type: US-FCAR36 U.S. First Strike A/B Type: US-FC-FS U.S. The "A-B" "Foam Solution" Type: US-FC-FS U.S. 6% AFFF Type: US-FC6 U.S. 3%-3% AFFF Type: US-FCAR33
Units: Unknown
Manufacturer: Unknown
Dates of Manufacture: Unknown
Identification: On the container: A surface marking displays the unauthorized UL Mark and the following:
US-FC3MS (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
68P6
US-FC3 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
86R6
US-FCAR36 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
86R6
US-FC-FS (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
86R6
US-FC6 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
879G
US-FCAR33 (UL) Listed
Foam
Liquid
Concentrate
879G
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 64 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 98 countries.
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