Tag: Business

TikTok is owned by a Chinese company. So why doesn’t it exist there? | CNN Business

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Beijing
CNN
—

TikTok is fighting to stay alive in the United States as pressure builds in Washington to ban the app if its Chinese owners don’t sell the company.

But the wildly popular platform, developed with homegrown Chinese technology, isn’t accessible in China. In fact, it’s never existed there. Instead, there’s a different version of TikTok — a sister app called Douyin.

Both are owned by Beijing-based parent company ByteDance, but Douyin launched before TikTok and became a viral sensation in China. Its powerful algorithm became the foundation for TikTok and is key to its global success.

But the two platforms, similar on the surface, play by starkly different rules.

Here’s what you need to know about Douyin and ByteDance:

Douyin has a whopping 600 million users a day. Like TikTok, it’s a short-form video app.

Launched in 2016, Douyin was the major money spinner for ByteDance years before TikTok, raking in revenue through in-app tipping and livestreaming.

ByteDance was founded by Zhang Yiming, a former Microsoft employee, and first became known for its news app Jinri Toutiao or “Today’s Headlines,” which debuted in 2012 soon after the company was founded.

Toutiao created customized news feeds for each user. People quickly got hooked, with users averaging more than 70 minutes a day on the platform.

ByteDance applied a similar formula to Douyin.

Then in 2017, the privately-owned tech company bought a US-based video startup and released TikTok as the overseas version of Douyin. It also bought popular lip syncing app musical.ly, and moved those users onto TikTok in 2018.

The app’s popularity has since gone global. In 2021, TikTok reached more than 1 billion monthly active users around the world.

The TikTok and Douyin interfaces look similar, but when users turn on their cameras, one difference becomes clear: Douyin has an automatic beauty filter, which smooths out skin and often changes the shape of a person’s face.

Women in China have long faced huge pressure to conform to beauty standards that emphasize a slim figure, large eyes, dewy skin and high cheekbones.

There is surging demand for plastic surgery. Between 2014 and 2017, the number of people getting plastic surgery in China more than doubled. Meanwhile, beauty apps compete to create filters that show users more beautiful versions of themselves.

While TikTok also has beauty filters, users can select them when filming. They do not launch automatically.

Another major difference between TikTok and Douyin is China’s massive online shopping market.

Livestreaming sales of products is a multibillion-dollar industry in mainland China, and was given a major boost during the pandemic.

As of June last year, there were more than 460 million livestreaming e-commerce users in mainland China, according to the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, a body affiliated with Beijing’s commerce ministry.

Douyin is a major platform for livestreamers, along with Taobao, Alibaba’s

(BABA) eBay-like online marketplace.

I
n-app shopping is made easy: Products and discounts are displayed on-screen during livestreams, with purchases just a swipe or a click away.

China has one of the world’s strictest censorship regimes, and Douyin must follow the rules.

Internet watchdogs crack down regularly on online dissent and block politically sensitive information.

When CNN searched “Tiananmen 1989” in Douyin, nothing came up.

The Tiananmen massacre, in which Chinese troops cracked down brutally on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, has been wiped from China’s history books. Any discussion of the event is strictly censored and controlled.

When CNN searched the same phrase in TikTok, it yielded many results including videos of users talking about what happened and a brief Wikipedia blurb summarizing the event.

“It’s so interesting to see this contradiction in this one company [ByteDance] with these two faces,” said Duncan Clark, chairman and founder of investment advisory BDA China.

Another key difference: Douyin takes a much stricter line on younger users.

Users under 14 can access only child-safe content and use the app for just 40 minutes a day and. They can’t use the app from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

For years, China has tried to curb video game addiction and other unhealthy online habits. It announced a curfew for online gaming for minors in 2019, before outright banning online gaming during weekdays for minors.

Even on most weekends, users under 18 are only allowed to play for three hours.

“There’s been very much a laissez-faire attitude in the US towards content, even content targeting teenagers and vulnerable people,” said Clark. “The Chinese government has been much more leaning into regulation at early stages in the growth of Douyin, particularly protecting younger people.”

TikTok took some similar steps earlier this month, announcing that every user under 18 will soon have their accounts default to a one-hour daily screen time limit, though teenage users will be able to turn off this new default setting.

TikTok is not the only Chinese-owned platform finding viral success in the United States.

Of the top 10 most popular free apps on Apple’s

(AAPL)US app store, four were developed with Chinese technology.

Besides TikTok, there’s also shopping app Temu, fast fashion retailer Shein and video editing app CapCut, which is also owned by ByteDance.

TikTok remains hugely popular in the United States, with more than 150 million monthly users — almost half of the country’s population.

It remains to be seen whether TikTok can convince US lawmakers that it poses no threat — but the showdown in Washington has highlighted larger questions about security and data privacy that could see other apps come under fire.

These apps could be next, said Clark. He said the US needs a “more sophisticated framework for regulating the big tech companies,” given the number of US investors and users on foreign platforms.

“They need to also think about how high they’re gonna raise the bar for Chinese investment in the US, and the consequences of completely excluding four of the top ten apps,” said Clark.

“What’s gonna replace them? And how is that going to play out? And how is that equitable to the investors in those apps versus US players?” he added. “It’s a mess.”

— CNN’s Riley Zhang contributed reporting.

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April 12, 2021
Biden’s student loan forgiveness program faces a new threat from Senate Republicans | CNN Politics

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Washington
CNN
—

President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program may face a new threat from Senate Republicans even before the US Supreme Court rules on whether it can be implemented.

Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Joni Ernst of Iowa and John Cornyn of Texas are planning to introduce a resolution to overturn Biden’s debt relief program, which promises up to $20,000 of debt relief for eligible borrowers, as soon as this week.

Biden would very likely veto the measure if it succeeds in both the Senate and House. But votes would force members of his own party, who have not all been in support of the student loan forgiveness program, to take a public stance.

The program is currently blocked. The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling in late June or early July.

“President Biden’s student loan scheme does not ‘forgive’ debt, it just transfers the burden from those who willingly took out loans to those who never went to college, or sacrificed to pay their loans off,” Cassidy said in a statement.

The Republican senators plan to introduce their resolution using the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to roll back regulations from the executive branch without needing to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate that is necessary for most legislation.

It was unclear whether the Congressional Review Act would apply to Biden’s student loan forgiveness program until the Government Accountability Office made a determination on the matter earlier this month.

Biden issued his first veto last week concerning a retirement investment resolution, which was also brought under the Congressional Review Act.

While many key Democratic lawmakers have urged Biden to cancel some federal student loan debt, not every member of the party has been supportive.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat from Nevada who won a competitive reelection race last year, has previously been critical of Biden’s forgiveness plan.

“I’ll review the full text of the CRA when it is released, but like I said before, I disagree with President Biden’s executive action on student loans because it doesn’t address the root problems that make college unaffordable,” she said in a statement sent to CNN.

Her statement was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has previously called Biden’s student loan forgiveness program “excessive.” His office did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

Biden’s one-time student debt forgiveness program is estimated to cost $400 billion over time.

Individual borrowers who made less than $125,000 in either 2020 or 2021 and married couples or heads of households who made less than $250,000 a year could see up to $10,000 of their federal student loan debt forgiven.

If a qualifying borrower also received a federal Pell grant while enrolled in college, the individual is eligible for up to $20,000 of debt forgiveness. Pell grants are awarded to students from very low-income families who are more likely to struggle paying back their student loans.

While the debt relief would help borrowers with student loans now, the program wouldn’t change the cost of college in the future – and some critics argue that it could even lead to an increase in tuition. A separate proposal from Biden, expected to take effect later this year, would create a new income-driven repayment plan that could lower monthly payments for both current and future borrowers.

The legal challengers to the student loan forgiveness program argue that the Biden administration is abusing its power and using the Covid-19 pandemic as a pretext for fulfilling the president’s campaign pledge to cancel student debt.

The White House has said that it received 26 million applications before a lower court in Texas put a nationwide block on the program in November, and that 16 million of those applications have been approved for relief – though no debt has been canceled yet. It’s possible the government moves quickly to forgive those debts if it gets the green light from the Supreme Court.

If the justices strike down Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, it could be possible for the administration to make some modifications to the policy and try again – though that process could take months.

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April 12, 2021
Japan joins the US and Europe in chipmaking curbs on China | CNN Business

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Hong Kong/Tokyo
CNN
—

Japan will restrict the overseas sale of chip manufacturing equipment, joining the United States and the Netherlands in curbing the export of key technology to China.

The country announced Friday it would tighten exports of 23 types of advanced semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The rules will take effect in July, according to Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry, Yasutoshi Nishimura.

The ministry said it would require stricter procedures to export to about 160 destinations such as China, while 42 territories — including the United States, South Korea and Taiwan — are recognized by Japan as having adequate export controls in place.

All exports to countries not formally recognized will now require approval from the Japanese trade ministry, it added.

At a press conference, Nishimura said the new measures were aimed at preventing the equipment from being diverted for military use.

“We will fulfill our responsibilities in the international community as a technology-owning country and contribute to maintaining international peace and security,” he told reporters.

The restrictions are not aimed at a specific country, the trade ministry told CNN on Friday.

But they follow a series of curbs enacted in recent months to clamp down on sales of chipmaking equipment to China as part of a coordinated international effort led by Washington.

In October, the United States banned Chinese companies from buying advanced chips and chipmaking equipment without a license. It also restricted the ability of American citizens to provide support for the development or production of chips at certain facilities in China.

Earlier this month, the Netherlands also unveiled new restrictions on overseas sales of semiconductor technology, citing the need to protect national security.

Japan has been involved in three-way discussions with both countries, a source familiar with the talks previously told CNN.

China has strongly criticized restrictions on tech exports, saying earlier this month that it “firmly opposes” such measures.

Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, also hit back at the latest move from Japan.

“Weaponizing economic, trade and technology issues to deliberately destabilize the global industry chain will only harm others and harm oneself,” she said at a Friday news briefing.

Japan is home to several chipmaking equipment producers, including Nikon

(NINOY) and Tokyo Electron. The companies’ shares in Tokyo were little changed on Friday.

Nikon and Tokyo Electron declined to comment.

In recent reports to clients, Jefferies analysts had assessed the potential consequences of Japanese export controls to China, noting that Nikon did “not anticipate a major impact.”

For Tokyo Electron, the tightening is also “unlikely to have much additional impact as long as they do not go further than the US sanctions,” they added.

— Mengchen Zhang contributed to this report.

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April 12, 2021
Lyft announces new CEO, says co-founders will step aside from management positions | CNN Business

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CNN
—

Lyft announced on Monday that Amazon veteran David Risher will join as chief executive next month, and that co-founders Logan Green and John Zimmer will step down from their management positions at the ride-hailing company.

Green, who is currently the CEO, will be succeeded by Risher effective April 17, the company said in a statement. Zimmer, Lyft’s president, will also step down from his role as of June 30, the company said. Both Green and Zimmer will stay on at Lyft in non-executive roles as chair and vice chair of the Lyft board, respectively. No replacement for Zimmer was named.

The leadership shakeup at the ride-hailing company comes as it has struggled to turn a profit over the years and after its stock has taken a beating in recent months, shedding more than 13% so far in 2023. Late last year the company said it was cutting 13% of its staff, or 700 employees, as part of a major effort to cut costs. Lyft’s stock rose about 4% in after-hours trading Monday on the news.

Lyft

(LYFT) emphasized Risher’s management experience at Amazon

(AMZN) and Microsoft

(MSFT), though he has not worked at either in two decades according to his LinkedIn profile. He was the 37th employee of Amazon

(AMZN), and went on to become the e-commerce giant’s first head of product and head of US retail, according to a statement from Lyft

(LYFT).

Risher has been a member of the Lyft board since July 2021, and has spent the past 13 years working at a nonprofit he co-founded aimed at getting children to read more.

“I am honored to step into the CEO role at such an important moment in the company’s history, and am prepared to take this business to new levels of success,” Risher said in a statement.

Green added in a separate statement that building the company over the past 16 years has “been the adventure of a lifetime.”

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April 12, 2021
Tim Cook and Bob Iger to meet with House China committee members | CNN Business

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Washington
CNN
—

Members of a House panel focused on US-China competition are set to meet with leaders from Silicon Valley and Hollywood during a multi-day tour of California beginning today, according to a source close to the committee.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party plan to meet with top execs from Google, Microsoft, Apple and Disney, among others, to discuss topics ranging from China’s investments in artificial intelligence to its cultural and human rights record; its impact on supply chains; and its goals for defense and other emerging technologies, the source said.

“We’re going to learn and share our concerns and views on the geopolitics at play here, and what we understand the CCP’s broader ambitions to be,” the source said.

The 10-member bipartisan congressional delegation led by Chairman Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican, will kick things off Wednesday in a meeting with Disney CEO Bob Iger, where lawmakers are expected to raise concerns about Disney’s compliance with China’s censorship regime.

Lawmakers will also dine with entertainment producers and screenwriters who have been critical of the industry’s approach to wooing Chinese viewers, the source said.

On Thursday, lawmakers will engage with officials from Big Tech and venture capital, the source said. Microsoft President Brad Smith will speak to members about China’s control of rare earth minerals, a key input in many modern computing technologies, while experts from Stanford University are set to discuss innovation in the defense field. The group is expected to lunch with Big Tech executives representing Google, Microsoft, Palantir and Scale AI.

On Friday, lawmakers will have conversations with former Defense Secretary James Mattis as well as Apple CEO Tim Cook. China is Apple’s third-largest geographic business segment after the Americas and Europe, accounting for more than $74 billion in company revenues last year. Apple’s revenue from China grew by 70% between 2020 and 2021, according to its financial reports.

The meetings will also include a session on China’s role in the digital currency space and talks with members of the cryptocurrency community based in California, the source added.

The breadth of subjects covered on the tour highlight the range of challenges the Chinese government poses to US leadership, the source said, adding that lawmakers will seek to deliver the message to business that excessive dependence on China — whether for supplies, or as a base of potential customers — exposes the US to risk.

“This committee was set up to build out the bipartisan consensus on the CCP and the actions we need to take to defend ourselves,” the source said. “[The goal is to] make them aware of what’s happening so they can equip themselves as appropriate.”

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April 12, 2021
Uber is funding an e-bike trade-in program to curb battery fires | CNN Business

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CNN
—

Uber is funding a new program that aims to get electric bikes with dangerous non-certified lithium-ion batteries off New York City streets.

The company said on Wednesday it will soon allow the thousands of New York City delivery workers who use e-bikes the ability to trade-in their bikes for newer, safer models.

The news follows a string of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which have been known to overheat when charging and cause massive explosions.

Earlier this week, the New York City police department said an e-bike’s lithium-ion battery was behind a fatal two-alarm fire in Queens. The FDNY’s Chief fire marshal John Hodgens said it was the 59th fire in the city this year caused by a lithium-ion battery.

Part of the issue is that not all lithium-ion batteries are created equal. UL-certified electric bikes and scooters come from reputable retailers and undergo extensive battery safety tests. But other online marketplaces, which some delivery workers may have turned to for more affordable options in the absence of company-provided options or subsidies, often make it hard to tell the origin of these products and the quality of their batteries.

To get more UL-certified e-bikes on roads, Uber is now partnering with e-bike company Zoomo to offer credit to delivery workers willing to swap their existing e-bikes for ones with higher-quality batteries. It will also offer rent-to-own pricing models and priority access to repairs and services.

Uber is also piloting a trade-in program with The Equitable Commute Project, a non-profit, to provide discounted UL-certified e-bikes in exchange for a “noncompliant device.”

“Delivery workers should not have to choose between making a living and safety,” said Josh Gold, Uber’s senior director for public policy, in a statement. “By providing discounts and exchange opportunities for new UL certified e-bikes and certified lithium-ion batteries, the expensive price tag that too often acts as a blocker to safety should no longer have to be a concern.”

Steve Kerber, vice president and executive director of UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute, previously told CNN the number of lithium-ion battery-based fires is growing with enormous frequency both in the United States and internationally, particularly when it comes to e-bikes and e-scooters. That’s due to an uptick in purchases of these products during the pandemic.

“People started to get overcharged for them and turned to manufacturers which happened to have lower quality control with the battery systems,” Kerber said. “The quality manufacturers are not having issues.”

Despite the concerns, lithium-ion batteries continue to be prevalent in today’s most popular gadgets, from smartphones and laptops to e-bikes and scooters. Some tech companies point to their abilities to charge faster, last longer and pack more power into a lighter package.

But Dylan Khoo, an analyst at tech intelligence firm ABI Research, previously told CNN that electric bikes and scooters use batteries which can be around 50 times larger than the one in a smartphone. “So when a fire does happen, it’s much more dangerous,” Khoo said.

All lithium-ion batteries use flammable materials, and incidents are likely the result of “thermal runaway,” a chain reaction which can lead to a fire or catastrophic explosion, according to Khoo.

“This process can be triggered by a battery overheating, being punctured, or an electrical fault like a short circuit,” Khoo said. “In cases where fires occur spontaneously while charging, it is likely due to manufacturing defects.”

Anyone with a lithium-ion battery should follow proper charging and battery usage guidelines, such as keeping them in a cool, dry place, and not leave it charging for too long or while you’re asleep. Batteries should also be routinely inspected to make sure there is no cracking, bulging or leaking, and people should always use the charger that came with the device or use one from a reputable supplier, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.

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April 12, 2021
No. 3 House Republican defends party’s debt ceiling bill | CNN Politics

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CNN
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House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said Sunday that President Joe Biden “doesn’t have to negotiate” over the debt ceiling, saying that “Republicans in the House, led by Kevin McCarthy, have passed the solution.”

House Republicans last week narrowly passed their bill to raise the nation’s $31.4 trillion debt limit by an additional $1.5 trillion. But the measure faces nearly impossible odds of passing in the Democratic-led Senate. Emmer disagreed with that contention in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”

“To say that it’s dead on arrival in the Senate, when you’ve got even Joe Manchin suggesting support for this type of approach, I think that’s not exactly accurate,” the Minnesota Republican said. “If you don’t like something in it, if you have ideas of your own, our speaker is more than willing, I’m sure, to listen to those.”

The House GOP measure was aimed at boosting Republicans’ efforts to negotiate with Democrats as the country approaches its default deadline as soon as this summer. But the White House has said it will not negotiate a debt ceiling increase and will accept only a clean proposal to raise the nation’s borrowing limit.

Following passage of the GOP bill, Biden told reporters Wednesday that he would be “happy to meet with McCarthy, but not on whether or not the debt limit gets extended. That’s not negotiable.”

Separately on Sunday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said Biden needs to come to the table to negotiate with Republicans on spending and the debt limit.

“The White House needs to ultimately get into this negotiation. The president has been in hiding for two months,” the Louisiana Republican said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“That’s not acceptable to Americans. They expect the president to sit in a room with Speaker McCarthy and start negotiating,” he added.

The US hit its debt ceiling in January and can’t continue to borrow to meet its obligations unless Congress raises or suspends it. The Treasury Department is avoiding default – which would happen this summer or early fall – by using cash on hand and “extraordinary measures,” which should last at least until early June, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in January.

A breach of the US debt ceiling could spark a 2008-style economic catastrophe, wiping out millions of jobs and setting America back for generations, Moody’s Analytics has warned.

Emmer, when asked by Bash if he could guarantee that the US government will not default on its debts, said, “I can, assuming that our president and the (Chuck) Schumer Senate recognize the gravity of the problem. This is no longer about politics.”

“House Republicans will not allow America to default on its debt,” he added. “We showed that last week.”

Emmer also disputed the characterization of some of the GOP bill’s provisions to reduce spending as “cuts.”

“These are spending reforms. And all we’re doing is going back to the Biden-Pelosi budget of last year,” he said, referring to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The debt ceiling legislation, dubbed the “Limit, Save, Grow Act,” proposes sizable cuts to domestic programs but would spare the Pentagon’s budget. It would return funding for federal agencies to 2022 levels while aiming to limit the growth in spending to 1% per year. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the bill would trim government deficits by $4.8 trillion over 10 years.

As part of the 320-page bill, the GOP is also proposing to block Biden’s plan to grant student loan forgiveness, repeal green energy tax credits and kill new Internal Revenue Service funding enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act last year. The plan would also expedite new oil drilling projects while rescinding funding enacted to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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April 12, 2021
This is Google’s new folding phone | CNN Business

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CNN
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Just a few days ahead of its product launch, Google unveiled an early look at its first foldable smartphone.

In a video posted to Twitter and YouTube, the company teased a Pixel phone with a vertical hinge that can be opened to reveal a tablet-like display.

The company will host its annual developer conference at its Mountain View, California, headquarters next week, where it’s rumored to also introduce a Pixel 7a budget phone, its latest Android operating system and advancements to its AI-powered Bard chatbot.

Although the company didn’t reveal specs for the Pixel Fold, it’s become increasingly common for companies to show off products leading up to their own events in an effort to drum up excitement and set expectations at a time when it’s difficult to surprise onlookers with something unexpected.

Despite great interest in foldable phones — and a resurgence in 90s-style flip phones among celebrities and TikTok influencers — the foldable market is relatively small; with Samsung dominating the category, followed by others including Motorola/Lenovo, Oppo, and Huawei. According to ABI Research, foldable and flexible displays made up about 0.7% of the smartphone market in 2021, and in 2022 expected to fall just shy of 2%.

High price points have limited consumer adoption, too. The Pixel Fold is rumored to start at $1,700.

It’s not surprising Google is dipping its toes into the world of foldables but it’s possible it waited to launch its own version until the technology became more advanced. Early versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, for example, had issues with the screen and most apps were not well optimized for the design.

“Google has been working on bringing better user experiences to foldable devices from a software perspective, so when coupled with improvements on the hardware side the market conditions are at a state now where it makes sense for a Pixel Fold,” said Michael Inouye, an analyst at ABI Research.

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April 12, 2021
Despite TikTok ban threat, influencers are flocking to a new app from its parent company | CNN Business

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New York
CNN
—

In the days after TikTok’s CEO was grilled by Congress for the first time, many TikTok users began posting about an alternative platform called Lemon8, sometimes with eerily similar language.

Multiple creators described the app as being like “if Pinterest and Instagram had a baby, with TikTok’s algorithm.” Some compared it to TikTok circa 2020 and encouraged other influencers to join the app before it grows. They also asked followers to share their Lemon8 usernames in the comments.

As it turned out, the app wasn’t just a random alternative to TikTok. Lemon8 is a social media platform launched in the United States earlier this year by TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance amid federal and state efforts to ban or restrict TikTok in the country over national security concerns.

The similarities in the videos comparing the new service to Instagram and Pinterest, which were posted by both English and Spanish-speaking creators, raised questions about whether people were being paid to promote the new app on TikTok. But despite that speculation — and the mounting scrutiny on TikTok and ByteDance — a growing number of US users and influencers are now eagerly touting Lemon8, with its focus on photos and highly curated, informational or “aspirational” content.

“We have to talk about TikTok’s new sister app,” a creator said in one such video.

“I’ve seen a lot of bigger content creators that I love on it and promoting it on their Instagram stories, so I thought, ‘okay, it’s my time to hop on this bandwagon,’” said Melanie Cruz, who got her start creating content as a YouTube vlogger in high school around 2018. “I like that it’s something simple, it’s nothing too in your face … it’s not overwhelming.”

Lemon8 has been downloaded just over one million times in the United States since it became available on US app stores in February, and had around half a million daily active US users last month, according to intelligence platform Apptopia.

The early traction for Lemon8 hints at the whack-a-mole challenge lawmakers could face in reining in TikTok and other social media platforms. It also carries some hints of TikTok’s own rise, which was reportedly fueled in part by ByteDance spending heavily to advertise the service on rival platforms Facebook and Snapchat. This time, however, the best place to promote the next TikTok may be on TikTok itself.

The New York Times reported last month that ByteDance had begun early marketing efforts for Lemon8 that included working with influencers. Now, some creators featured on Lemon8’s “for you” feed appear to be disclosing their work with the company using the hashtag #Lemon8Partner in their captions.

A ByteDance company source said that Lemon8 is still in its early days and testing how to work with creators. They said ByteDance has not launched any formal marketing efforts for Lemon8, but in some cases has made deals to pay creators to post on the platform. However, they denied rumors that ByteDance had paid creators to promote the new app on TikTok.

ByteDance has also recently listed open jobs for Lemon8 creator partnerships roles, according to postings viewed by CNN. “Lemon8 is a social media platform committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where people can discover new content and creators every day,” the job postings read.

Lemon8’s photo-heavy focus marks a stark shift away from most of the major social apps that, following TikTok’s lead, have gone all-in on endlessly scrollable short-form videos in recent years.

Lemon8’s homepage is a “for you” feed where users can scroll through content, similar to TikTok, but instead of videos, the feed is two columns of still images. When you click through to a post, it might be a single photo or a carousel of images. It’s also possible to post videos on the app, but they’re less popular.

The app is heavily centered on beauty and lifestyle content — the “for you” page can be sorted into six categories including fashion, home and travel. Many of the posts feature lengthy captions, and users can also edit images to include text overlays. On top of similarities to Instagram and Pinterest, Lemon8 looks nearly identical to the Chinese app Xiaohongshu.

Still, the app lacks some standard social platform features such as messaging and the option to tag other users in posts.

A recent scroll through Lemon8’s “for you” page showed before-and-after photos of a botox treatment, a “no restrictions” day-long eating plan, book recommendations, black tie wedding attire tips and “10 recent girly Amazon buys I do NOT regret.”

“It seems like people love it or hate it,” Madison Bravenec, a health coach and content creator, said of the app’s focus on aesthetics. But she added that the app’s targeted focus on certain types of content has made it easier to find a community that’s interested in the wellness content she likes to create, whereas the most popular posts on TikTok often have to appeal to a wider audience.

Some creators say Lemon8 is filling a hole in the social media ecosystem that was left when Instagram moved to prioritize short-form video content in order to better compete with TikTok, frustrating many creators who joined the app for its original focus on photos.

“We’re not videographers, we’re not the types of people who would like to change the ways we create content and communicate with others just because a platform is prioritizing one deliverable over the other,” said Can Ahtam, a professional photographer who joined Instagram more than a decade ago. “So all of us did feel the impact of reach being lower with the photos we were sharing [on Instagram].”

Ahtam added: “If we were to compare them side-by-side right now, Lemon8 would have the upper hand in photos being shared.”

Lemon8’s userbase remains a far cry from the 150 million users TikTok says it has in the United States.

Still, in videos reviewing Lemon8, some creators have pondered whether the app could ultimately function as a replacement if TikTok were to get banned in the United States, preserving the content recommendation algorithm that helped make TikTok one of the country’s most popular apps and launched the careers of countless influencers.

But if TikTok were to go down, Lemon8 would likely go with it, according to James Lewis, director of the strategic technologies program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“The concern is still the same, which is that ByteDance is a Chinese company subject to Chinese law,” Lewis said. “If it collects [users’ personal] information, then you’ve got the same problem.”

TikTok, for its part, has said that its app does not pose a risk to US users, and that the Chinese government has never asked for US user data.

The practical ramifications for creators of a TikTok (and, perhaps by extension, Lemon8) ban — if one were enacted — would still likely be months away, if not more. Lewis said he doesn’t expect any nationwide legislation to be passed before the end of this year, and it would almost certainly face legal challenges that could drag out its implementation if it did.

By launching a new app even with TikTok in the spotlight, “ByteDance clearly doesn’t feel like they’re at risk,” Lewis said. And many creators say they’re not necessarily worried either.

Even if TikTok and Lemon8 were banned, Cruz said, “I already have a following on all the other platforms.”

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April 12, 2021
Adobe is adding an AI-powered image generator to Photoshop | CNN Business

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New York
CNN
—

Photoshop is about to look a little different.

Adobe on Tuesday said it’s incorporating an AI-powered image generator into Photoshop, with the goal of “dramatically accelerating” how users edit their photos.

The tool, called Firefly, allows users to add or delete elements from images with just a text prompt, according to Adobe. It can also match the lighting and style of the existing images automatically, the company said.

It’s currently available in a new Photoshop beta app. The company plans to roll the product out to all Photoshop customers by the end of the year.

Adobe’s move comes after a recent crop of AI tools have launched that can generate compelling written work and images in response to user prompts, with the potential to change how people work, create and communicate with each other.

“[N]ow that we are entering a new era of AI, the advent of generative models presents a new opportunity to take our imaging capabilities to another level,” Pam Clark, vice president of Photoshop product management and product strategy, wrote in a blog post. “Over the last few months, we have integrated this exciting new technology into Photoshop in a major step toward a more natural, intuitive, and fun way to work.”

Firefly was launched in March at the Adobe Summit as a web-only beta. It was trained on Adobe’s own collection of stock images, as well as publicly available assets. Adobe has called the tool one of its most successful beta launches ever, with more than 70 million images created in the first month.

By relying on its own image collection and media available for public use, Adobe may be able to avoid the backlash that some other AI image generator tools have faced for using a vast trove of online content as training.

In January, Getty Images sued Stability AI, the company behind popular AI art tool Stable Diffusion, alleging the tech company committed copyright infringement. Getty said Stability AI copied and processed millions of its images without obtaining the proper licensing.

Stability filed a motion earlier this month to dismiss the suit.

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April 12, 2021
Biden to highlight climate commitments during West Coast swing | CNN Politics

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CNN
—

President Joe Biden will highlight climate commitments made by his administration and announce new federal funding for climate resilience projects as part of a three-day trip to the Bay Area in Northern California that begins Monday, according to a White House official.

Biden’s trip builds on several campaign-related stops over the past week at which he outlined key planks for his reelection bid, including touting stricter gun safety measures at a summit in Connecticut and underscoring his economic pitch in Philadelphia.

It also comes less than a week after four major environmental groups backed Biden’s campaign for a second term in a first-ever joint endorsement from the LCV Action Fund, NextGen PAC, the Sierra Club and the NRDC Action Fund. In a speech in Washington after the endorsement, Biden called climate change “the only truly existential threat,” adding, “If we don’t meet the requirements that we’re looking at, we’re in real trouble.”

Biden heavily courted climate and environmental justice groups during his 2020 campaign and has made combating climate change central to his governing agenda with announcements over the past few months on environmental justice initiatives and aggressive new rules to regulate planet-warming pollution from natural gas power plants.

Some environmental groups and activists have expressed frustration over his administration’s approval of a major Alaska oil project earlier this year and more recently over the White House pushing for the Mountain Valley pipeline to be included in the debt ceiling package enacted earlier this month.

On Monday, Biden will tour coastal wetland areas and discuss actions his administration has taken to alleviate the climate crisis and protect the environment during a visit to the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, California, according to the White House official.

As part of his remarks, which will be delivered alongside state, community and environmental justice leaders, the president will announce that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is launching a $575 million “Climate Resilience Regional Challenge,” which will help coastal and Great Lakes communities “become more resilient to extreme weather and other impacts of the climate crisis,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Biden issued an executive order prioritizing environmental justice in April, establishing the new Office of Environmental Justice within the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In a speech at the time ahead of Earth Day, Biden said that “environmental justice will be the mission of the entire government woven directly into how we work with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.”

The funding to be announced Monday, which is part of the president’s signature climate and health care law enacted last year, will support building natural infrastructure, protecting public access to coastal natural resources and other measures aimed at protecting communities for storm surge, flooding and rising sea levels, according to the White House.

Biden will also announce that he expects to host a White House Summit on Building Climate Resilient Communities later this year during which his administration will release a new National Climate Resilience Framework that will outline steps the federal government can take to promote climate resiliency, according to the fact sheet.

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April 12, 2021
New York State Legislature passes bill to protect doctors who prescribe abortion pills for out-of-state patients | CNN Politics

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CNN
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A bill that would legally protect doctors who prescribe and send abortion pills to patients in states where abortion services are outlawed or restricted is now headed to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk after the state legislature passed the legislation on Tuesday.

The bill ensures that doctors, medical providers and facilitators in the state will be able to provide telehealth services to patients out of state, according to a news release from the New York State Assembly.

The new legislation also protects New York health providers from out-of-state litigation, meaning the state will not cooperate with cases prosecuting doctors in New York who provide telehealth abortion or reproductive services to people in other states.

“This bill expands protections for telehealth providers by providing them the same protections afforded to doctors in other states with strong reproductive healthcare shield laws,” according to the news release.

The bill also ensures that New York medical providers, complying with their practice, who offer telehealth services are not subject to professional discipline, “solely for providing reproductive health services to patients residing in states where such services are illegal.”

CNN has reached out to the governor’s office to see if she will sign the legislation.

CNN previously reported Hochul has indicated support for a shield law protecting medical providers of out of state abortion and reproductive services.

Assemblymember Karines Reyes, a registered nurse who sponsored the bill, said she was “proud to sponsor this critical piece of legislation to fully protect abortion providers using telemedicine.”

According to the state assembly’s news release, the bill recognizes the common use of medication abortion drugs, stating that 54% of abortions across the country are now medication abortions.

Speaker of the New York State Assembly Carl Heastie said, “It is our moral obligation to help women across the country with their bodily autonomy by protecting New York doctors from litigation efforts from anti-choice extremists. Telehealth is the future of healthcare, and this bill is simply the next step in making sure our doctors are protected.”

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April 12, 2021
Latino Restaurant Association (LRA) to Officially Launch DINE LATINO Restaurant Week 2021

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The Latino Restaurant Association promotes DINE LATINO Restaurant Week in an effort to help draw customers to hard-hit Latino restaurants

Press Release
–

updated: Apr 6, 2021

LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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The Latino Restaurant Association (LRA), a national non-profit, introduces DINE LATINO Restaurant Week 2021, an initiative that showcases the depth and diversity of Latino restaurants in an effort to help draw customers to Latino restaurants. DINE LATINO Restaurant Week will be held two different weeks this year beginning Tuesday, April 6, through Sunday, April 11, 2021, and a second week during Latino Heritage Month, from Tuesday, Sept. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021.

“The DINE LATINO initiative helps raise awareness of inequality in the industry while promoting Latino restaurants,” states Lilly Rocha, CEO of the Latino Restaurant Association. “Latino restaurants have been hard hit. They haven’t received anywhere near the fair share of PPP money, so we are promoting the DINE LATINO Restaurant Week in an attempt to drive customers back to their favorite Latin restaurants,” Rocha continues. The aim is to highlight Latino restaurants to the general public during these two weeks. Participating restaurants will be offering a special “DINE LATINO” prix fixed menu for lunch, dinner, or both. Restaurants can register for free at the LRA website (https://latinorestaurantassociation.org/dinelatino). This is a national program, although the LRA is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Media is invited to the “Kick Off” event on April 5, 2020, at 11 a.m. at El Portal Restaurant in Pasadena at 695 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91101.

The DINE LATINO Restaurant Week program is free to all restaurants. Restaurants do not have to be members of the association to participate. Restaurants are asked to share fun photos and videos on their social media feeds to provide additional content and increase visibility. In addition to this FREE Program, the Latino Restaurant Association also offers other free resources helpful to all restaurants. Additional information can be found on the LRA website at www.latinorestaurantassociation.org and to follow the Latino Restaurant Association on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latinorestaurantassociation/.

WHAT: DINE LATINO Restaurant Week 2021

WHEN: Tuesday, April 6, through Sunday, April 11, 2021

WHERE: National Program based in Los Angeles, California

About the Latino Restaurant Association:

The 800+ member-based Latino Restaurant Association is dedicated to promoting and supporting all types of Latino restaurant businesses and their auxiliaries to ensure the equitable economic growth of the Latino restaurant sector. As a member association, we work to bring our member community together to advocate for critical issues impacting our industry. We provide resources and educational opportunities to support effective business practices. The LRA strives to create an all-inclusive Latino restaurant platform for the country.

MEDIA CONTACT
Robert Alaniz
On behalf of Latino Restaurant Association
(626) 437-3354
ralaniz@milagrosg.com

Source: Latino Restaurant Association

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April 6, 2021
Celina Nogueras Launches Season Four of Jefas y Jevas

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Press Release
–

updated: Mar 11, 2021

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, March 11, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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Jefas y Jevas, the critically acclaimed podcast by Celina Nogueras with a 4.9/5 star rating on Apple Podcasts has recently launched its fourth season on Feb. 5. To kick things off, Nogeras interviews Janesse Torres Rodriguez, Latina entrepreneur and Yo Quiero Dinero Podcast host who created the widely popular food blog Delish D’Lites.

Nogueras founded Jefas y Jevas out of the desire to grow the number of millionaire Latinas. Using the platform, she aims to build a network of a million millionaire Latinas primarily by making their stories visible. Research conducted by the National Women’s Business Council showed that there are over 1.9 million Hispanic women-owned businesses in the United States.

“As a Latina, I aim to inspire, support and give voice to more Latina business role- models. I interview women grossing more than a million in revenue in efforts to help bring forward their stories and lessons they’ve picked up along their journey–all in the name of guiding other women who aspire to pursue entrepreneurship and wealth,” Nogueras said.

Other millionaire Latinas joining Nogueras this season include: Ana Flores, owner of We all Grow; Rita Pinto, founder of elite nail salon-meets-art gallery, Vanity Project; Susie Jaramillo owner of award-winning edtech company, Encantos, and; Mabel Frias, owner of beauty and lifestyle brand, Lunamagic.

Nogueras releases a new episode every other Friday through March 26. You can listen to Jefas y Jevas on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart.com, Google Podcasts and YouTube.

About Celina Nogueras

Celina Nogueras is a founding partner of Muuaaa Design Studio with over ten years of experience conceptualizing and implementing efficient brand growth and recognition strategies for new or existing brands or companies. As a passionate brand growth strategist, she developed a proprietary traction methodology for companies to stay culturally relevant and be economically successful. Over its ten years of existence, Muuaaa Design has helped launch more than 300 brands.

Celina has a reputation as a goal-getter who can visualize a project or a business and create the strategies needed to make it happen and take it to the next level.

In 2019, she launched the Jefas y Jevas Podcast. As a Latina business owner and serial entrepreneur, she is interested in creating a network of million-dollar Latinx women business founders in growth or acceleration stages in order to share knowledge with other women and encourage their wealth and independence.

Contact:

Katie Cafiero

Publicity For Good

Katie.cafiero@publicityforgood.com

Source: Celina Nogueras

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March 11, 2021
Immigration Map is the Simplest, Fastest Path to a Green Card

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Press Release
–

updated: Feb 17, 2021

NEW YORK, February 17, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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During the coronavirus pandemic, everyone felt helpless. There was no basic information regarding safety and security, no clear rules to follow, and significant uncertainty about the future. But as successful New York City immigration attorneys, Min Chan and Sumaiya Khalique also know that immigrants feel that same helplessness every day. That’s why they created Immigration Map (IM), a simple way for immigrants and employers to navigate the dense bureaucracy that is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). IM assists and empowers its members to navigate the complex immigration process with confidence.

IM knows where its members want to go and how to get them there.

IM’s founders are both immigrants, and children of Asian immigrants, who remember their own parents being frightened of a system they didn’t understand. While moving to America remains a powerful draw for many seeking legal and economic stability, one false move and immigrants can lose everything. “The best advice we can give immigrants is to carefully analyze, build and complete your visa or Green Card application before you file with USCIS,” says Min Chan. And IM can help.

Analyze, Build, and Complete an Immigration Petition

IM takes an individual from start to finish and turns their American Dream into reality. The three-step Analyze, Build, and Complete process is as simple as ABC. Immigrants can analyze their situation, build their case, and then complete and submit their petition to USCIS confidently.

IM Puts Immigrants in the Driver’s Seat

How does it work? One hears from friends that they need an H-1B Visa…maybe. They visit immimap.com and read user-friendly articles such as “6 Reasons to Apply for an L-1 Visa over an H1-Visa if You Are Eligible for Both” or even “When You Must File an Amended H-1B Visa Petition Due to Changes in Work Site Locations and Travel.” Based on this, they decide they need the L-1 Visa, so they open the checklist section for a list of critical documents to answer easy to understand questions. IM is the guide to simplify the immigration journey for its members.

IM’s Experience, Transparency, and Efficiency

How is IM different from LegalZoom or Rocket Lawyer? With 30 years of combined experience, two attorneys provide more than downloadable forms members can struggle through; IM gives its members complete control over their immigration journey. IM is transparent with its services, where its information comes from, and what it offers in the monthly subscription and its legal help with attorneys. The DIY technology and three-step Analyze, Build, and Complete process with IM will clearly outline what its members need, what its member should prepare for, and what its members never even considered.

Sign up for a membership and get started today!

Media Contact:
Min Chan, Esq.
212.745.1388
Immigration Map, LLC
www.immimap.com

Source: Immigration Map LLC

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February 17, 2021
New DDI Study Reveals Minority Leaders Getting More Promotions, But More Likely to Switch Companies to Advance
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Part of the Global Leadership Forecast series, DDI’s new Diversity and Inclusion Report 2020 shows strong benefits of corporate inclusion efforts, as well as retention risks for minority leaders

Press Release
–

updated: Oct 28, 2020
PITTSBURGH, October 28, 2020 (Newswire.com)
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Senior minority executives plan to leave their current position at twice the normal rate of other executives. And this exodus could be coming within the next year, according to DDI’s Diversity and Inclusion Report 2020.

This is just one finding from the report, which is part of the Global Leadership Forecast series by DDI. The report includes data from 15,787 leaders and 2,102 human resources professionals. These leaders represent more than 1,740 organizations across more than 25 industries globally. The report delivers data on gender and racial/ethnic diversity among leaders, and its effect on companies’ financial results. Companies can use the data to help guide their diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as their talent strategy.

“While leaders from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds are finally advancing at a faster rate, our study showed that organizations face high retention risks for these leaders,” said Stephanie Neal, director of DDI’s Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research. “It’s likely that these leaders still face significant barriers as they move up the ladder, which may be why they feel like they have to leave the company to advance. Companies should be paying close attention to how inclusive their culture and talent practices are to ensure they retain these diverse and highly talented leaders.”

The study found that fewer than one in four leaders reported their organization consistently recruits and promotes from a diverse talent pool. Furthermore, only 27 percent of leaders believe inclusion is a strong part of their organizations’ culture and values.

The Diversity and Inclusion Report 2020 found that while organizations are working to build more diverse and inclusive workforces, there are still gaps that need to be addressed. The study also found:
- Diversity has a greater impact on financial performance than any other organizational demographic factor. Organizations with above-average gender, racial and ethnic diversity had at least 30 percent of women and 20 percent of leaders from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds in leadership roles. These organizations were eight times more likely to be in the top 10 percent of organizations for financial performance.
- Leaders from minority backgrounds are more likely to feel the need to change companies to progress their career across all leadership levels. Also, they were much more likely to say they plan to leave within the next year. This is especially true among senior-level minority leaders, who are more than twice as likely to leave as their non-minority peers.
- Diversity and inclusion efforts resonate across organizations’ entire workforce. More than one-third of leaders from companies that qualify as “Best Places to Work” reported that inclusion is a strong component of their work culture and value. This is in comparison to the 20 percent of leaders from other companies without the same label.
- Organizations with more diversity in high-potential pools typically see higher financial performance. Organizations in the top 10 percent of financial performance report that women make up 24 percent of their high-potential pool, and 19 percent are from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Organizations with below average financial performance report less diversity in their high-potential pools. Their pools include only 16 percent women and 12 percent from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
- Women continue to struggle to advance. At higher levels of leadership, women indicated an increasing need to switch companies to climb higher in their roles. In fact, 45 percent of women executives said they would likely need to switch companies to advance, compared to only 32 percent of male executives.
“There’s a clear bottom-line benefit to workplace diversity and inclusion, and organizations can only benefit from increasing these efforts,” Neal said. “It’s important that leaders take the time to assess the state of diversity and inclusion in their organization and employ best practices if they want to realize the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

For more information, including the full report, visit ddiworld.com/research/inclusion-report.

###

About DDI

DDI is a global leadership consulting firm that helps organizations hire, promote and develop exceptional leaders. From first-time managers to C-suite executives, DDI is by leaders’ sides, supporting them in every critical moment of leadership. Built on five decades of research and experience in the science of leadership, DDI’s evidence-based assessment and development solutions enable millions of leaders around the world to succeed, propelling their organizations to new heights. For more information, visit ddiworld.com.

Available for Interviews

Stephanie Neal, director of DDI’s Center for Analytics and Behavioral Research

Contact:
Brad Pedersen
PR Specialist, DDI
Brad.Pedersen@ddiworld.com
412-485-9767

Source: DDI
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October 28, 2020
Intercultural Dialogue in Dubai

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The interchange of common cultural knowledge in the wake of the historical UAE-Israel deal.

Press Release
–

updated: Sep 10, 2020

DUBAI, Arab Emirates, September 10, 2020 (Newswire.com)
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The Abrahamic Business Circle organized a visit to the cultural museum in Dubai to commensurate with the Abrahamic Accord by fostering tolerance and interchange of intercultural dialogue.

H.E. Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori, the founder of Crossroad of Civilizations Museum in Dubai, hosted on the 8th of September of this year a group of representatives of the Jewish Community and the founding members of The Abrahamic Business Circle. The Jewish group was led by the Rabbi of the Jewish Community of the UAE, R. Levi Duchman, while The Abrahamic Business Circle was represented by the Founder, Chairman Raphael Nagel, and the Co-Founder, Dr. Tillmann C. Lauk. H.E. Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori exclusively showcased the history and culture of the UAE and hosted the intercultural dialogue at the museum.

During the visit, the group had the opportunity to capture His Excellency’s profound knowledge of the history and cultural evolution of the UAE. Rich traditional culture and unique pieces of history were beautifully gathered in one place. Following the tour, there was an extensive exchange of common cultural knowledge that ended with a common prayer from all of the participants in all three major Abrahamic faith.

Together, everyone was praying accordingly to his own faith in unity—an unimaginable event with an overwhelming grip of emotions that proved Dubai is the capital of tolerance in the world.

###

About The Abrahamic Business Circle

The Abrahamic Business Circle (“The ABC”) aims to present an innovative global interfaith entrepreneurial dialogue forum. Our organization wants to boost long-standing relationships among goodwill people of all faiths within a high-level business environment. Accordingly, multi-faith business leaders come together under an umbrella that is made of tolerance, cooperation and reliance of one to another. The ABC’s initiatives will generate huge opportunities not only in culture but also in economic exchanges.

Contact:

Strawberry Fernandez

Executive Assistant

+971 54 445 1408

contact@theabrahamicbusinesscircle.com

Source: Abrahamic Business Circle

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September 10, 2020
Cedartree Hotels Will Open Its First US Property in Hillsboro, Oregon With Easy Access to the Entire Portland Metro Area
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Cedartree Hotel will offer guests an exquisite Japanese-style hotel experience featuring a variety of unique Japanese amenities, a full-service restaurant, state-of-the-art conference rooms and comfortable guest rooms.

Press Release
–

updated: Jan 15, 2020
HILLSBORO, Ore., January 15, 2020 (Newswire.com)
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Cedartree Hotels announced today it will open its 1st hotel in the U.S in early 2021. The 120 Room property will be located in Hillsboro, conveniently situated 15 minutes from Downtown Portland, and close to Intel, Nike, and many other innovative companies. Cedartree Hotel will provide guests with exceptional service, striving for the finest in functionality, convenience, and comfort to meet the needs of this rapidly developing area.

Our stunning property features a unique design, a ‘kindness in the details’ approach rooted in Japanese hospitality and culture. As guests experience our hotel, they will step from one new discovery to another. Whether it be in the guest room, the lobby, the fitness room, or the many other amenities, our guests will constantly find new spaces that help heal the body and mind after a hard day at work.

Unique hotel features and amenities include;
- Dining [Waterfalls] and Japanese Sake Bar [Kiyomizu]
Waterfalls, our 68 seat, full-service restaurant is the place to be for exciting, innovative cuisine open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. With a full bar and outdoor seating, guests can enjoy delicious food and drink with or without company. After dinner wind down in Kiyomizu, the Japanese Sake Bar, to savor a glass of the best imported sake in a sophisticated Japanese setting.

Only at Cedartree Hotel can guests enjoy a Japanese-style spa experience in the Portland area. Shower and bathe in the heated indoor pool, then move outdoors to the Onsen stone bath to enjoy a steamy soak under the stars in Japanese ambiance and leave your worries behind.
- Conference rooms [Matsu, Sakura, Tsubaki and Kaede]
Offering a total of 2,500 square feet of space with the latest audio-visual capabilities, Cedartree Hotel is the perfect venue for meetings, conferences, and events. The stunning Sakura room can host large business gatherings, accommodating over 100 people, as well as major cultural events such as Aikido classes and demonstrations.

Find peace and tranquility in the Japanese View Garden as you sit on the outdoor deck and watch the beauty of nature unfold in a thoughtful combination of colors, textures, and elements.

Culture comes alive in the Sado Room, a representation of a traditional tatami room, where Japanese tea ceremony, Japanese flower arrangement classes, and other cultural events will be held for guests and the local community alike.

About Cedartree Hotels, Inc.

Cedartree Hotels is a hospitality company based in Japan. It was established in 1992 in the center of the internationally recognized historical city of Kyoto. Now with 6 locations and over 25 years of experience providing the finest hospitality to visitors from around the world, Cedartree Hotels is primed to bring its unique brand of Japanese-style hotel to the US. Visit www.cedartreehotels.com

If you would like more information regarding this topic, please contact

Allen Chen
Phone: (310) 897-5358
Email allen.chen@cedartreehotels.com

Source: Cedartree Hotels, Inc.
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January 15, 2020
Acquire Singapore Permanent Residency via Global Investment Program (GIP), One Visa Immigration Consultant Shares Valuable Insights

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Global investors / entrepreneurs who want to take advantage of Singapore’s infrastructure, workforce and favorable immigration policies can apply for the Global Investor Program (GIP) which accords permanent residency to qualified investors.

Press Release
–

updated: Sep 30, 2019

SINGAPORE, September 30, 2019 (Newswire.com)
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As investors remain optimistic about Singapore’s equity market, the world’s most competitive economy continues to attract high-caliber entrepreneurs from around the globe through the Global Investor Program (GIP).

GIP is also known as the Singapore Investor Visa Scheme. It allows qualified investors to acquire permanent residency (PR) in Singapore through substantial investment to the local economy. Interested investors have two options both requiring at least S$2.5 million—invest in a start-up or in an expansion or invest in a GIP-approved fund that funds Singapore-based companies.

Aside from having sufficient funds to invest, investors must have an entrepreneurial track record showing a minimum of S$50 million annual business turnover on average in the last three years. This will be validated by submission of audited financial statements. If the company is privately owned, investors must at least own a minimum of 30% share in the company.

Approved industries for the GIP scheme include aerospace engineering, alternative energy, electronics, consumer business, healthcare, education, nanotechnology, medical technology and lifestyle products and services, among others.

According to One Visa Immigration Consultant Cheng King Heng, the GIP scheme is the only “guaranteed” way to secure permanent residency in Asia’s Lion City. However, it is also crucial to establish the investor’s entrepreneurial proficiency by showing a good track record and a viable business or investment plan.

“Many investors think that just because they have the money, it’s a guaranteed approval for them,” he said. “But it is more than the money, what the authorities really need to see is investors contributing to local job creation and business in Singapore. This can be challenging to prove, which is why we always recommend working with a professional who knows the requirements.”

He added, “Can you go through the process on your own? Certainly. But with an immigration consultant, you benefit from insider knowledge and expertise based on years of experience. Working with an expert is also an investment toward your future in Singapore.”

Qualified investors can extend the PR application to family members, specifically their spouses and children below 21 years old. Children over 21 years of age can apply for the renewable five-year Long-Term Social Visit Pass.

Once PR is formalized, qualified GIP scheme applicants will be issued a five-year Re-Entry Permit (REP) that will allow them to maintain their PR status even when they are out of Singapore. After the first five years, the REP will be renewed following the fulfillment of certain investment conditions, depending on the GIP option applied for.

Permanent residents in Singapore enjoy visa-free access to the country, subsidies, tax cuts and eventually, a chance to become a citizen and enjoy the full privileges of citizenship.

Source: One Visa Pte Ltd

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September 29, 2019
As Political Unrest Continues, HK-Based Businesses and Professionals Look to Singapore

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A veteran immigration consultant noted that there has been a sharp increase in interested entrepreneurs and professionals who are looking to move to Singapore as Hong Kong’s political future remains uncertain.

Press Release
–

updated: Sep 12, 2019

SINGAPORE, September 12, 2019 (Newswire.com)
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Amid a volatile political climate, Hong Kong-based entrepreneurs and professionals are looking to migrate their businesses and careers to another Asian powerhouse.

According to One Visa Immigration Consultant Cheng King Heng, there has been “200% increase” in inquiries about migrating to Singapore, mostly from workers and business owners who are currently based in Hong Kong. The heightened interest is driven by the uncertainty of Hong Kong’s current political situation, following months of pro-democracy protests that began over a proposed and now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed extradition to mainland China.

“As Asia’s Lion City, Singapore is a known business hub. This shift in interest is not at all unusual,” he said. “Both Hong Kong and Singapore are top destinations for entrepreneurs and professionals who want access to a global market from a strategic regional headquarters.”

Earlier this year, Singapore was named as the world’s most competitive economy because of its business-friendly landscape, favourable immigration policies, competitive labour market and advanced IT infrastructure. Hong Kong was ranked second in the report and former number one U.S. moved down two spots to third.

A World Bank list released last year also cited Singapore as the top country when it comes to “success in developing human capital.” The ranking was based on factors such as health, education, earning potential, future productivity as well as mortality and survivability rates.

And in another survey among expatriates, it was found that, even though expats earned more in Hong Kong, Singapore was still considered the “best place to live.”

For global companies and entrepreneurs, Singapore has always been a top choice because of tax benefits including tax-free dividends, world-class transport hubs particularly the Changi Airport which has been ranked as the World’s Best Airport since 2013, and a generally accommodating business environment.

Heng added, “As it is, employment and business applications to Singapore are competitive. With the current developments in Hong Kong and the influx of interested parties, it is best to stay ahead of the curve and get professional help when it comes to relocation plans. There are many ins and outs that must be navigated, and the insights of an immigration expert are invaluable to a successful outcome.”

Visit www.one-visa.com for more information.

***

One Visa is a Singapore-based global immigration agency specialising in visa solutions for corporate professionals, entrepreneurs and investors.

Media Contact:

Zac Wong
media@one-visa.com

Source: One Visa Pte Ltd

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September 11, 2019