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The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Rampant abuse of subsidised cooking oil
PETALING JAYA: Subsidised cooking oil meant for household usage has been sold in bulk to restaurants and caterers, with over 50 tonnes of the product diverted. The Auditor-General's report series 2/2025 revealed that as much as 55,167kg of subsidised cooking oil was sold to these quarters, in breach of official guidelines. In the report published yesterday, it said this did not align with the standard operating procedures of the Cooking Oil Price Stabilisation Scheme (COSS) guidelines issued by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry. An audit at a Kelantan-based retailer last July found a business, which operated as a restaurant, had stored up to 204kg of subsidised cooking oil. In 2024, the company had purchased 11,390kg of subsidised oil from five manufacturers. CLICK TO ENLARGE An unrecorded sale of 561kg between the retailer and a manufacturer was also flagged. In Terengganu, a wholesaler was found to have sold cooking oil to multiple caterers between January 2023 and June 2024. Audit checks revealed 189 cash transactions worth RM77,657.50 involving subsidised oil. A separate case in Miri, Sarawak, found that a supplier had distributed RM5,700 worth of subsidised cooking oil to unlicensed individuals for free between April and July last year. The supplier claimed to represent an NGO. Following these findings, the ministry confirmed that the Kelantan company's controlled goods licence had been revoked and its eCOSS account deactivated to prevent further supply. The unrecorded transaction will meanwhile be referred to the ministry's enforcement division. The wholesaler's account in Terengganu has also been deactivated pending investigations. The report also revealed cases of retailers selling more than three packets of subsidised oil per customer. This includes a case in Selangor where a retailer sold 170 packets worth RM425 to a catering company, and a separate case in Terengganu where a trader made two transactions of subsidised cooking oil totalling RM57.50. The report also revealed discrepancies in how subsidised cooking oil stocks were recorded and kept in the inventory. 'Lack of effective enforcement will open opportunities for companies to manipulate sales in their stock books,' the Auditor-General's report said. It also said there were no clear guidelines for managing spoiled cooking oil nor its sale, resulting in two companies storing 942kg of the product for sale to used cooking oil collectors. The report said a total of 16 companies were involved in this. To this, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry said its COSS guidelines would be reviewed to include a procedure for this. To plug leakages, the Auditor-General recommended that the COSS scheme be overhauled. 'There must also be targeted distribution schemes to ensure only eligible households can purchase the subsidised product, and limit it from being sold to foreigners and commercial entities. 'The purchase limit should also be reviewed,' it stated. It said the COSS system must be used holistically to prevent any leakages. The A-G's report also proposed that targeted initiatives such as the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) programme be expanded.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
One of Colorado's Top Wealth Advisors, Robert C. Smith, Co-Author's New Book To Help Retirees Save
CENTENNIAL, CO / ACCESS Newswire / July 16, 2025 / Retirees face a myriad of obstacles to retiring successfully. Retire On Your Terms is a new book for successful professionals, business owners, widows and other retirees who want to take full control of their financial future and retire with confidence. It was written to expose the myths, mistakes, and blind spots that can derail even the most diligent retirees. Drawing on decades of real-world experience, the book offers readers a clear, personalized roadmap to reduce taxes, protect their wealth, and create a reliable income plan that supports their unique retirement lifestyle. "Retirement should be about freedom, not fear," says financial educator, author and wealth advisor, Robert Smith. "This book is about helping retirees reclaim control - on their terms - by exposing industry myths and offering real solutions that most advisors never talk about." The book includes real life client stories, including how affluent retirees unknowingly fall victim to outdated advice, overly complex financial products, and tax traps that erode their wealth. Readers will discover proactive strategies to optimize retirement income, reduce future tax liabilities, and achieve clarity through comprehensive, coordinated planning. Retire On Your Terms is more than a traditional retirement planning book. It offers:
CBS News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
The Naked Gun Advance Screening Contest
Enter for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the advance screening of The Naked Gun on Monday, July 28 at AMC 9+ CO 10. This contest ends on July 23.
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Troops, terror and tears in Los Angeles as Ice raids show no sign of slowing
It was an extraordinary show of force, displayed in a mostly empty public park. On Monday, a convoy of federal agents descended upon Los Angeles's MacArthur Park – in the heart of a predominantly immigrant neighborhood. Chaperones from a summer camp hurried children indoors, as protesters and media rushed to the scene. It was unclear whether immigration officials actually arrested anyone that morning. City leaders denounced the spectacle as a 'political stunt' designed to terrorize Angelenos who have been reckoning with a relentless onslaught of immigration raids that began in early June. The ubiquitous presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents, and the threat of arrest, have become a part of daily life for immigrants across the city and broader region. The raids have also taken an economic toll on neighborhoods like MacArthur Park, where business owners say trade has slowed to a crawl as people choose to stay home. Right across from the park, B&Z Osorio Restaurant has seen business cut in half since the Trump administration ramped up enforcement in the city. CO, who asked to be identified only by initials for safety reasons, is an employee at the restaurant known for its pupusas and sopa de gallina. He said that when the troops showed up earlier this week, a security guard ran into stores to warn everyone. Customers who were dining dashed outside to their cars. CO and his uncle slid a metal gate to close the entryway. Since the onset of raids, CO said, his uncle, the owner and founder, has cut back on restaurant hours and produce orders to save money due to the drop-off in customers. At 10am on Thursday, when the restaurant would usually be full of families eating breakfast, there was only one booth occupied. CO says that they have tried calling their local customers to offer them special deals, but many families have refused. 'They're either too scared or they haven't gone to work because of Ice. They say they'd rather cook at home. It's better and safer,' CO said. Monday's 'stunt and show of power', CO said, does little to help improve the current situation: 'Our customer base is mainly Hispanic. They are targeted the most.' It's been nearly a month since immigration raids in LA and the surrounding region sparked massive protests. But as the weeks wear on and the demonstrations die down, the Trump administration's enforcement operations showed no sign of slowing. Lawyers and advocates say that those arrested, including some US citizens, have been targeted for arrest at random – and likely because of how they look. In a legal complaint, legal aid and immigrant rights groups have accused the DHS of engaging 'in an extraordinary campaign of targeting people based on nothing more than the color of their skin, and in some cases, where they live or work'. On Friday, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the government's aggressive immigration sweeps, barring federal agents from stopping people in the district unless there is 'reasonable suspicion' that a person is violating immigration law. The order stops agents from using factors including 'apparent race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or English with an accent, presence at a particular location (eg bus stop, car wash, tow yard, day laborer pick up site, agricultural site, ect)' as reasons to stop someone. The ruling could have major implications –disrupting the federal government's relentless raids in the region. For weeks, armed and masked agents have made arrests outside car washes, Home Depot stores, churches and schools. Immigrants have been wrested away from their tamale carts and fruit stalls. On Thursday, agents targeted farms in Ventura county, east of LA, and arrested 200 people. One farmworker died, after a 30ft fall from a building during the raid. Since 6 June, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has said that it has arrested nearly 2,800 immigrants across the region. Limited publicly available arrest data from the DHS shows that most of those who were arrested had no criminal convictions. Some have already been swiftly deported to their home countries. Others have been sent to immigration detention centers in California's high deserts or to facilities out of state, where they have been without medications and adequate food. Families and lawyers have had trouble finding and speaking to loved ones who've been arrested. MacArthur Park, about 2 miles (3km) west of the city's downtown, has been known since the 1980s as the Ellis Island of the west for its diverse population, a home for many Mexican and Central American immigrants who speak Indigenous languages. The park has also been a central area for free meal distributions for those in need and a summer camp for kids run by Los Angeles's parks and recreation department. Jerica Medina, a cosmetician from Honduras, says that business has slowed down at her two MacArthur Park hair and nail salons – and that even the Covid-19 pandemic was busier than what's going on now with the Ice presence. 'I'm sad and angry for this community. It's impossible for us [the Latino community] to win,' Medina said, with tears falling slowly down her face. 'You know what Hitler did? That's what I feel right now. Except there are a lot of cellphones to record what happens.' At the Home Depot up on Wilshire Boulevard, a dozen jornaleros (day labourers) stand outside the parking lot. The dozens of vehicles and horses seen on Monday are no longer here, but two volunteers wearing sunhats still look at the cars passing by through binoculars to ensure that they are not Ice vehicles. Fernando Isaí, a volunteer organizer with the Los Angeles Tenants Union who was on patrol, said that since the first Ice raids at this store in June, community members have come together in shifts to help protect the area. The focus is on building consent with the workers and a 'network of care'. 'There was a very low turnout among jornaleros that week after the first raids,' Isaí said. Although people are on high alert, he said, workers have come back even this week. The tenants' union and other community organizations have focused on sharing information about immigrant rights and how to verify any sightings. Violet, who declined to give her last name for privacy concerns, said that fewer clients are coming into her supplement and naturalistic healing shop. However, more people are calling in and reporting that they can't sleep and experience more anxiety and depression. Despite everything that is going on, she and the other doctors tell clients to stay positive. 'When something bad happens, we retain it. We have the capacity of quickly forgetting everything good that has happened to us and everything that we have achieved,' she said, trying to strike a note of optimism. 'This will pass.'
Associated Press
13-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Top Empowerment Coach of the Year Awarded to Jamie McKinney by the IAOTP
Jamie McKinney Top coach and keynote speaker available for television, podcast, and media interviews on empowerment, executive presence, and career advancement DENVER, CO, UNITED STATES, July 13, 2025 / / -- The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) has named Jamie McKinney, best-selling author of Speak Up, Sister! and founder of the 3 Pillars of Leadership Course, as the 2025 Top Empowerment Coach of the Year in Career Development. This prestigious honor recognizes McKinney's transformative impact as a women's leadership coach, her innovative executive coaching programs, and her unwavering commitment to advancing confidence and career growth for women in male-dominated industries. With nearly three decades of experience, Jamie McKinney has redefined what it means to empower women at work. Through her signature programs—including the 3 Pillars of Leadership and Speak UP to Level UP® —she has equipped women from global organizations including Owens Corning, Liberty Energy, Precision Castparts, SLB, Xcel Energy, and Colorado School of Mines with skills to command the room, earn promotions, and access new opportunities. 'Over 80% of my clients receive promotions or expanded responsibilities within a year of completing the 3 Pillars of Leadership Course, and many with commensurate increases in compensation,' says McKinney. 'YTD, women participating in my programs have collectively increased their compensation by more than half a million dollars.' 'It's a privilege and a rush to help women unlock their confidence, step into their power, and achieve the careers they've always envisioned. Watching my clients thrive and lead with authenticity, especially in male-dominated industries, excites me every day.' Her coaching and leadership development programs have reached over 30,000 professionals worldwide, with participants spanning six continents and including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, France, Finland, India, and Australia. Participants consistently report increased self-confidence and self-awareness. McKinney's impact is evident in her 100% corporate client retention rate, as organizations consistently choose to work with her again for additional coaching and leadership engagements Jamie McKinney offers a dynamic range of services designed to elevate executive presence and authentic leadership, including executive coaching for both women and men, keynote speaking, and leadership workshops. She holds certifications in Neuroscience Coaching, Positive Intelligence, and Situational Leadership, ensuring her programs are grounded in the latest research on brain science, mindset, and adaptive leadership. Her numerous accolades include Training Magazine's Emerging Leader honor, the Denver Business Journal's Top Women in Energy, and the CREA Global Award from Brainz Magazine. This fall, McKinney will launch a new community, The Leadership Laboratory, a safe and welcoming space where you can experiment with your leadership style, create a plan, and execute it. The Leadership Laboratory will provide ambitious women with a hands-on, interactive space to refine their leadership style, build a promotion-ready plan, and access an empowering community of peers and mentors. Details and a waitlist are available at Reflecting on her journey, McKinney credits her success to values-based leadership, a passion for empowerment, and the mentors who shaped her path. As she looks ahead, her mission remains clear: to help women silence self-doubt, speak up confidently, and build the careers they deserve. Jamie McKinney will be honored at the IAOTP annual awards gala at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas this December. Media and Booking Information Jamie McKinney is available for television, radio, and podcast interviews, as well as expert commentary on women's leadership, executive presence, mental fitness, and overcoming self-doubt in the workplace. Suggested Interview Topics: • How Women Can Build Confidence and Command the Room • Overcoming Self-Doubt in the Workplace • Leadership Strategies for Women in Male-Dominated Industries • The Science of Mental Fitness and Career Success Contact: Jamie McKinney [email protected] | 347-927-4376 LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter About Jamie McKinney, Inc. Jamie McKinney, Inc. empowers professionals to lead with confidence and authenticity through executive coaching, keynote speaking, and leadership development programs. Learn more at About IAOTP The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is a boutique networking organization that recognizes and connects the world's leading professionals across industries. Honorees are selected for their achievements, leadership, and impact on their fields. For more information, to schedule an interview, or to request a speaking engagement, please contact Jamie McKinney at [email protected] or 347-927-4376. Stephanie Cirami IAOTP +1 212-634-4427 email us here Visit us on social media: Instagram Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
