Latest news with #Cocoa
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida students go back to school in less than a month. Is social media banned for minors?
The summer season is rapidly coming to a close for Florida's students. The 2025-2026 school year begins on Aug. 11 for most of Florida's counties; will social media be a part of it? Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 3 into law last year, barring minors under 16 from social media platforms, unless they're 14- or 15-year-olds who get a parent's permission. Is that law actually in effect now? When does school start in Florida 2025? See county-by-county list What is the new social media law in Florida? Math and Science coach Kristi Shorts watches students use the 3D doodler. On Friday morning Endeavour Elementary in Cocoa unveiled their new innovative STEM classroom equipped with 3D printers, iPads, microscopes and STEM tools. The school was one of only five Florida schools to win FPL's $50,000 STEM Classroom Makeover Grant for the 2023-24 school year. House Bill 3, also known as the "Online Protections for Minors" bill, sought to prohibit Floridians under the age of 14 from having a social media account. Social media platforms would have been required to terminate any accounts suspected of belonging to someone under 14, giving account owners 90 days to dispute it. Anyone 14 or 15 years old whose account is targeted would have 90 days to provide consent from a parent or guardian. The law would add hefty fines and civil liabilities for any social media sites that knowingly violate the law. The law also required any website with "materials harmful to minors," such as sexual content, that is visible in Florida to add age verification to prevent access by anyone under 18 years old. Again, hefty fines will be levied against sites that do not comply. Adult megasite PornHub blocked all Florida users on Jan. 1 of this year. When does Florida social media law go into effect? Will it impact students during the 2025-2026 school year? As of July 2025, this will not be the case. The law, passed in 2024, was scheduled to take effect on January 1 of this year; however, the state attorney general's office agreed not to enforce it until the judge ruled on a request for a preliminary injunction. Such orders are issued early in a lawsuit to temporarily halt an action, such as enforcement of a law, until the case is fully decided. Where is HB 3 at now? Judge blocks part of law On June 3, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker temporarily blocked part of the law, finding it "likely unconstitutional." Walker said he recognized First Amendment protections to prevent the state from "substantially burdening speech unless (it) can show that doing so is necessary to achieve its significant interests." NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association — trade associations representing social media platforms like Meta, Google, YouTube and Snapchat — first filed suit against the law in October, citing First Amendment concerns. The judge's 58-page order only blocks the portion of the state law that the associations that filed the lawsuit are focused on. It prohibits anyone under 16 from using some social media platforms, excluding 14- and 15-year-olds who obtain their parents' permission. Walker also wrote that he "does not doubt that parents and legislators in the state have sincere concerns about the effects that social media use may have on youth, nor does it render parents or the state powerless to address those concerns." TikTok already banned on school-issued devices in Florida Florida students are already unable to access the popular video-sharing app, TikTok, on specific devices. DeSantis signed HB 379 in 2023 to prohibit students and teachers from using TikTok on district-owned devices in public schools, as well as block anyone from using the app as a means of promoting school activities. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Schools start soon in Florida. Is social media banned for minors?
Bloomberg
6 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Cocoa Trims Weekly Loss as Traders Assess Demand Outlook
Cocoa futures rebounded from an eight-month low amid profit taking and as traders assessed the variations in weak grindings data across key consuming regions. The most-active contract in New York rose as much as 5.8% to $7,735 a ton, helping pare the weekly drop to about 7%. Futures have been under pressure this week as the market mulls the extent of demand destruction following historically high cocoa prices.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hershey's Stock: A Recovery From Cocoa Catastrophe
Throughout a volatile stretch Hersheys has faced significant pressures marked by geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions and factors related to the production of Cocoa, input costs have risen to multi-decade highs for the very goods the company specializes in. Despite these headwinds, market forces and the initial signs of a turnaround are in view, with elevated prices and improving supply conditions starting to ease cost pressures. Hershey's may be entering the beginning of an earnings recovery. While the stock has long been battered by a dramatic increase in these costs with a collective decline of 41% to 162 a share from its all time high of 272 a share in May 2023, the company's, resilient brand equity, diversification/acquisition efforts suggest a favorable risk reward setup towards improving financials in the interim. Do not mistake Hersheys as being only a brand related to chocolate bars, the company lays claim to an impressive suite of brands, including its crown jewel, the most popular candy in the entire United States: Reese's peanut butter cups as well as an expanding portfolio of non-chocolate snacks. Cocoa trees typically take 57 years to mature, and the prices for both delivery and futures of cocoa have skyrocketed due to a sharp decline in output from the Ivory Coast and especially Ghana (which represented historically 15-18% of global cocoa production). The sharp decline comes in from a range of factors hitting local farmers especially hard and the ability to grow, specifically within Ghana, the Ghanan Cocoa Board- a government agency monopolizing the external trade of cocoa has an unsustainable and rapidly growing debt crisis while facing the consequences of its past failures and corruption. Farmers were not paid enough relative to the work being done, and it has been cheaper to allow mining encroachment on land historically used for growing cocoa. The failure of the Ghanan Cocoa Board in supporting the farmers and actual producers of cocoa while recklessly financing expenditure through irresponsible use of contracts is hitting production incredibly hard and is likely to have lasting damage (as seen in cocoa prices). The weak production numbers being attributed to seasonal rains is not fully to blame as the true cause and effects are much more nuanced. While the Ghana situation would seem to be a disaster, the worst of the production gap seems to be priced in. Futures prices have already factored in significant disruption and the massive increases in cocoa prices have made planting the cacao tree a much more economically feasible outlay in other regions of cocoa production such as Indonesia and South America, do not mistake this as a short term turnaround although global markets are fairly efficient and are allocating towards profitable ventures such as farming cocoa at such elevated prices. Not an overnight fix although the drivers and capacity are there. As new trees planted during the crisis begin to reach maturity, the supply shock is expected to ease over the next several years. Hershey's, which hedges its cocoa input costs far in advance, will likely see lagged but accretive margin expansion as prices stabilize or retrace from record highs. The dramatic shock realized by a chocolate/confectionary company facing higher cocoa prices would seem to have already hit, with a nearly 100 a share/41% decline from its share price highs in 2023. Prior to the production issues faced in West Africa ravaging Cocoa production, Hershey's was earning nearly 11 a share in eps (based on current prices this would represent a 15 earnings multiple), for the patient investor, this would seem to be a setup for future EPS normalization as the output of cocoa returns to historical levels over the next few years. The current CEO and 20 year veteran of the company recently announced a surprise departure and is stepping down from the role, while Kirk Tanner the unproven Wendy's executive is now at the helm, given the performance and direction of the company being related to external shocks and cost drivers rather than positioning, this would not seem to have any bearing on the operations of the company. The real driver of Hersheys and its earnings will ultimately be the growth of salty snacks, and the costs of input related to cocoa and sugar sourcing, something unchanged by an executive shakeup as operations are already in place. *Investopedia Cocoa Futures History Meanwhile, sugar a critical secondary input for confectionery which initially exploded during the same time frame of cocoa prices hitting Hersheys with a second catastrophe, sugar prices have quietly seen a dramatic pullback. From recent highs around 27 cents per pound, sugar futures have corrected to the 16-cent range. For a company like Hershey's with major exposure to sugary snacks and beverages, this decline is highly accretive to gross margin. Even modest operating leverage here would create a meaningful tailwind to EPS in the coming quarters albeit at a delay. *Investopedia Sugar Futures History Hershey's growth isn't confined to cocoa. The company's strategic investment in salty snacks and better-for-you categories, products such as Pirate's Booty, SkinnyPop, Dot's Pretzels has quietly transformed the earnings profile. Through its 1.6 billion dollar 2021 acquisition of Dots Pretzels, the segment has seen significant growth and expansion, with new product releases and pretzel flavors and continued revenue increases even in times of distress. As salty snacks is the only segment that saw growth in the most recent quarter (isolated from Cocoa issues) this acquisition is not only a clear success, helping offset stagnation in traditional chocolate but also a prudent M&A execution. The product mix shift adds resilience to the brand and allows management to refocus marketing and distribution on higher-margin, diversified lines. The explosive growth of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Wegovyand Ozempic has sparked fears that demand for indulgent foods chocolate,snacks, soda could structurally decline. Hershey's, in particular, has beenflagged as vulnerable. But those concerns are overblown. First, GLP-1 users are still a small fraction of thepopulation. Even if adoption expands, these drugs are primarily prescribed topatients with severe obesity or diabetes this is hardly the core customer basefor an occasional chocolate bar. Hershey's isn't selling candy to peoplelooking to replace their meals; it's selling to people looking for a treat orsnack, also bolstered by spending in holidays such as Halloween, valentines andEaster which realistically would not see impacts of weight loss drugs. Second, consumption isn't always rational. Food is cultural,social, and emotional. People don't eat Hershey's because they're hungry, theyeat it as a comfort. GLP-1s may suppress appetite, but they don't eliminatecravings, nostalgia, or impulse buying. Studies even show many users continueto snack; they just eat less overall, not less of everything. Third, Hershey's is diversifying. Its salty snack portfolio Dot'sPretzels, SkinnyPop, Pirate's Booty is growing faster than traditional candy,and better aligns with evolving consumer preferences. These are products withpermissible indulgence appeal and strong brand power, regardless of whetherthe buyer is on said drugs. Finally, even if there's modest volume pressure ahead, thepricing power and premium brand equity Hershey's holds gives it room tomaneuver. It's not a volume play, it's a brand play with staples such as Reese's which have survived over a century. Admittedly, price-to-earnings multiples look elevated (25 earnings multiple) due to depressed trailing earnings. But this is a textbook case where a rearview mirror approach misleads. If earnings normalize even back to 2022 levels current multiples would compress meaningfully. The setup is not unlike other staples stocks in recent history: an earnings trough masked by mid term cost inflation. Long-term pricing power, brand strength, and improving cost structure should support a return to historical EPS growth trends, while the EPS will likely not show immediate improvement, over time as the cocoa crisis fades, a return to the 2024 level of 11 eps is possible on cost/input prices reduction alone (assuming no business expansion) and would set the company at a deeply discounted 15 price to earnings. Hershey's isn't exciting, but it's set for a return to normalcy, with the worst of cocoa inflation likely to be behind us in the near future, sugar costs plunging, and supply chains healing, HSY offers an underappreciated recovery story. Add in growing success in non-chocolate categories, and this boring consumer staple could be set for a comeback. The business world is bound by reality and if you are expecting it to be a smooth ride or a rapid recovery, this stock is likely not for you, for those who can be patient, the stock is set up for a solid return. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Express Tribune
10-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Why does US chocolate have a vomit-like aftertaste?
Chocolate is popular almost everywhere. But tastes vary depending on the continent. While some regions like their chocolate sugary sweet, others prefer more fruity or nutty notes, reports DW. Chocolate fans can attest to the vast range of flavours that this sweet treat has to offer, not only from brand to brand, but also from country to country. Consumer preferences are just as diverse. Overly sweet Cocoa arrived in the North American colonies as a drink from Latin America in the 17th century. The dense, sweet chocolate that is popular today, however, was brought to the New World by Swiss chocolatiers in the second half of the 19th century. Despite their common origins, Swiss and US chocolate taste very different. In the United States, the most successful brands prioritise a long shelf life and a flavour that many European palates take some getting used to. This is partly due to the use of butyric acid, which gives US chocolate a slightly sour note - which is often unsettling to European palates. But the high sugar content and additives such as corn syrup or vegetable fats are also typical of the flavour of American chocolate. "What is also very popular there are large, thick bars with filling," explains German chocolate sommelier Julia Moser. Traditional recipes In Western Europe — especially in Switzerland, Belgium, France, and Germany — the focus is on fine taste and high quality. Chocolate recipes in the EU, for example, are more strictly regulated than in the US: Milk chocolate must contain at least 25 per cent cocoa solids, and cocoa butter is required as the main fat. Manufacturers rely on traditional processes such as conching, which gives chocolate its fine, creamy texture. "The appreciation for good chocolate is growing here, even though milk chocolate is still the most widely consumed, because that's what most of us are used to from childhood," says Moser. "Dark chocolate only starts to become more popular in adulthood." Growing markets In India and other parts of Asia, chocolate is a relatively new delicacy. Industrial production only began here in the mid-20th century. However, the market is now growing rapidly and is replacing traditional sweets, especially among younger people. "Indian chocolate is considered an insider tip at the moment," says Julia Moser, "The cocoa beans there have a very distinctive fruitiness with a nutty note." Africa, especially West Africa, is the world's largest producer of cocoa. However, chocolate consumption there accounted for only around 4 per cent of the global market in 2018. This is also due to the heat, which makes it very difficult to produce chocolate bars, explains Julia Moser: "People there typically enjoy the fresh pulp of the cocoa beans or make a paste from roasted beans, which they then use to make chocolate drinks." In countries such as Ghana, however, the world's largest cocoa producer after Cote d'Ivoire, interest in locally produced chocolate is growing. In Japan, KitKat bars which come in flavours such as matcha, soy sauce and wasabi have been cult favorites for years. The dark side Despite all the pleasure we derive from delicious and special types of chocolate, we should not forget the dark side of its history: Cocoa's triumphant journey from Latin America to the rest of the world is inextricably linked to colonial exploitation. It was the European colonial powers that deliberately introduced the cocoa plant to their tropical colonies in order to meet growing demand in Europe. Cultivation and harvesting were carried out with the help of the local population — usually under inhumane conditions. And even today, many cocoa farmers are still at the mercy of the power mechanisms of the global market. Despite their hard work, many live in extreme poverty because they are not adequately compensated due to the low prices paid by trading companies.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Air Force exploring infrastructure options for proposed SpaceX operations
U.S. Air Force officials are looking at the potential environmental impacts associated with SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy operations at the Cape Canaveral. Local space analyst Ken Kremer said a preliminary environmental report released in recent weeks identifies Space Launch Complex 37 as the 'most acceptable' option for SpaceX's Starship program. 'And in that report, they claimed that there wouldn't be an excessive environmental impact,' said Kremer. The current proposal would allow SpaceX to reconstruct and upgrade existing infrastructure at SLC-37 to support up to 76 Starship/Super Heavy launches and landings annually. An alternative plan would involve building brand-new launch infrastructure at SLC-50, an undeveloped site nearby. 'I like rockets a lot but that is a lot of rockets and it's a lot of sonic booms and that could be very disruptive to the local population, but also very importantly to airplanes coming into the area because it has to be clear. So there we have to have massive coordination with all the airliners and the cruise liners and things like that,' Kremer said. The Starship system — designed for deep space missions and planetary transport — has seen multiple explosive test flights. Just last month, a Starship vehicle preparing for its 10th test flight experienced an anomaly while on a test stand in Texas. The next public meeting will be held Thursday at the Dr. Joe Lee Smith Recreation Center in Cocoa. The meeting will be held from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
