Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
If you love YouTube but hate the ads, you may soon be able to buy your way out of them. Google's (GOOG) (GOOGL) popular video-sharing site is gearing up to roll out a premium subscription model in the coming weeks, with sources telling tech blog The Verge that YouTube will charge $10 a month for a plan that eliminates the ads that play before, after, and sometimes during video clips. Premium subscribers will also supposedly receive access to exclusive content and be able to save videos that can be played offline.
YouTube has tried to get folks to pay up in the past with minimal success. It began offering premium movies and documentaries five years ago, but there weren't a lot of people willing to pay $3 or $4 to stream a flick.
It then went on to allow some of its more popular content creators the ability to create premium channels, in essence creating a paywall where fans could pay to see uploads that wouldn't be available to free users. That also met with a great deal of resistance.
Folks think of YouTube as a free site and mobile app. There are certainly perks of being a haven for freeloaders, and that means that YouTube now has more than a billion users worldwide. It serves up hundreds of millions of hours of content a day, generating billions of daily views.
The masses have scoffed at YouTube's plan to install tollbooths before, but it could be different this time.
A Primetime Move
The one thing we know for sure is that a premium subscription plan is in the works. YouTube has been notifying content creators that are part of the YouTube Partner program to check out the new terms of the revenue-sharing program. Channel owners that are part of the YouTube Partner program are being told that new terms including revenue-sharing plans for subscriptions will go into effect by mid-June.
The terms will be the same as the revenue-sharing deal that is currently in place with channel owners receiving 55 percent of the revenue. The difference here, of course, is that now they will be receiving that 55 percent out of the money collected in subscription revenue. It will be pooled together with each channel owner receiving a cut based on how much of their content was consumed.
The new plan will generate an additional revenue stream for the content creator, and it may inspire some of the more enterprising publishers to ramp up their uploads that are available only to premium subscribers. Unlike earlier efforts where the onus was on them to get folks to pay up for just their channel, now it's a group effort that should resonate with the potential premium subscriber.
The Marketplace Is Buffering
YouTube doesn't need most of its users to pay to make this a success. In fact, if less than 1 percent of its users decide to pay up we would be looking at 10 million premium subscribers. If YouTube can convince 6 percent of its user base to pay up it would rival Netflix (NFLX) as the world's largest premium streaming video platform.
Content consumers can get spoiled after enjoying a service for free, and if they've put up with the ads for years they may not be open to paying to remove the marketing missives. However, the success of premium streaming TV with the recent launches of HBO Now and Sling TV -- and the global success of Netflix -- is forcing consumers to accept the value proposition of paying for video.
You won't like paying for YouTube this summer, and you certainly won't have to if you don't feel that the premium benefits are worth it. However, it looks like this time YouTube will finally get video buffs to pay up, and you may be surprised to find that one of those premium users will be you.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends Google (C shares) and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google (C shares) and Netflix. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Check out our free report on one great stock to buy for 2015 and beyond.
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There were plenty of winners and losers this week, with some new companies going public with spectacular results and the leading distributor of flash memory chips coming up short in its latest quarter.
Shares of the leading premium digital video service hit all-time highs this week after posting another blowout quarter. Netflix closed out the the first quarter with 4.9 million more streaming subscribers than it had when the year began, topping its earlier forecast for both international and domestic growth.
Currency fluctuations, the costs of ramping up in new overseas markets, and the gradual slide of its DVD rentals business held profitability back, but Netflix still found a way to beat Wall Street's earnings estimates. The premium streaming video market is starting to get more competitive, but Netflix isn't having any problems attracting and retaining customers.
Sometimes it's Wall Street that misses the big picture. Arrowhead Research slipped after being downgraded by Jefferies (JEF). Stocks get downgraded all of the time, but this one's notable since the price target on Arrowhead is being shaved to $9 from $30.
That's a pretty big move, but the only mystery is why this $30 price target stuck around so long in the first place. Shares of Arrowhead have been trading in the single digits since September.
IPOs-- Winners
It was a good week to go public. Two of the more anticipated consumer-facing companies to hit the market this week were Party City (PRTY) and Etsy (ETSY).
Party City is a chain of more than 900 specialty retail party supply stores. It's a highly seasonal business, as you can imagine. The stores get mobbed in October as folks snap up Halloween costumes. The IPO itself was more treat than trick for investors. It priced at $17, closing 22 percent higher on its first day on the market. Arts and crafts marketplace Etsy fared even better. Underwriters priced the stock at $16 on Wednesday night, and it went on to nearly double when it closed Thursday at $30.
The two strong debuts come as welcome news to the many companies in the pipeline to go public later this year. Investor appetite is healthy, and it should remain that way unless there's a sharp market correction.
SanDisk may be the undisputed champ of flash memory chips and products, but it's hoping that investors don't have a long memory. The stock took a hit after SanDisk posted disappointing quarterly results. It missed Wall Street's profit target for the first time in more than a year, and its forecast paints a gloomy picture for its near-term performance.
SanDisk is also slightly trimming its headcount, a problematic indicator that things aren't likely to turn up anytime soon. At least four analysts downgraded the stock on the ho-hum report and troublesome outlook. Wall Street pros have a long memory.
Yahoo and Microsoft (MSFT) have adjusted a long-running partnership that will no longer find Yahoo relying solely on Microsoft's Bing to serve up all of its search and paid search results. Microsoft will continue to handle a majority of Yahoo's desktop search business, but now Yahoo will have broader flexibility to promote its own search solutions particularly in mobile where the real growth is taking place.
Yahoo signed the original deal with Bing in 2009 when it was desperate, but it's in a better place now. It has cashed in on valuable Asian assets, and it now has an aggressive CEO who's willing to think outside of the box. The Microsoft deal was holding it back, even if it helped provide a steady trickle of revenue. If Yahoo wants to be a major player in search -- and resume growth in its meandering display advertising business -- taking control of its namesake platform is a move that's long overdue.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends Netflix and Yahoo. The Motley Fool owns shares of Netflix and Yahoo. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Looking for a winner for your portfolio? Check out The Motley Fool's one great stock to buy for 2015 and beyond.
Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesOpponents of Comcast's planned merger with Time Warner Cable show their opposition to the deal at a Public Utilities Commission hearing Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Staff attorneys at the Justice Department's antitrust division are nearing a recommendation to block the proposed $45 billion merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Justice Department attorneys investigating the deal are citing concerns for consumers as they lean against it. A review could come as soon as next week, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
We have been working productively with both DOJ and FCC and believe that there is no basis for DoJ to block the deal.
Time Warner Cable (TWC) shares were trading down 5.1 percent at $150.08 on the New York Stock Exchange while Comcast (CMCSK) shares were down 2 percent at $58.46 on Nasdaq.
"We've had no indication from the DOJ that this is true," a spokesman for Time Warner Cable said. "We have been working productively with both DOJ and FCC and believe that there is no basis for DoJ to block the deal."
Comcast had reassessed the timing of the regulatory review of its proposed takeover of Time Warner Cable and expected the conclusion in the middle of this year, a company executive said in a previous blog post.
The Federal Communications Commission, which as well as the Justice Department is reviewing the deal, earlier this month paused the informal countdown toward its decision as it awaited a court ruling related to how it should handle disclosures of some documents.
"There is no basis for a lawsuit to block the transaction," a Comcast spokeswoman said in an emailed statement, saying that expected benefits to both consumers and businesses from the deal ... have been essentially unchallenged in the record -- and all can be achieved without any reduction of competition."
NEW YORK -- The S&P 500 posted its biggest percentage loss since March 25 on Friday as investors shunned risk amid new trading regulations in China, renewed worries about Greece running out of money, and tepid corporate earnings.
Selling followed sharp overseas stocks declines and was broad, with all 10 major S&P 500 sectors losing ground.
We saw selling overseas, and that spilled over into the U.S.
Among the biggest drags, the S&P financials index was down 1.3 percent, with shares of Dow component American Express (AXP) falling 4.4 percent to $77.32 after revenue missed analyst estimates, partly due to the currency impact.
The Dow and S&P 500 both snapped two weeks of gains. For the week, the Dow was down 1.3 percent, the S&P 500 down 1 percent and the Nasdaq down 1.3 percent.
Both Honeywell International and General Electric blamed the strong dollar for lower revenue. Shares of Honeywell (HON) were down 2.1 percent at $101.70, while GE (GE) shares were down 0.1 percent at $27.25.
China's securities regulator warned investors to be cautious as Chinese shares hit seven-year highs. China allowed fund managers to lend stocks for short-selling and expanded the number of stocks investors can short.
China H-Share index futures fell 3.4 percent. Global equities lost ground as the weakness in China carried through to European and U.S. markets.
"We saw selling overseas, and that spilled over into the U.S. We've had a nice rally over the last few weeks to the upper half of the trading range, and it's moving back over," said Adam Sarhan, chief executive of Sarhan Capital in New York.
"It's still too early to tell what earnings are going to be for the quarter, but there haven't been that many upside surprises. And that's what we need to see."
Big Losses
The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) fell 279.47 points, or 1.54 percent, to 17,826.3, the Standard & Poor's 500 index (^GSPC) lost 23.81 points, or 1.13 percent, to 2,081.18 and the Nasdaq composite (^IXIC) dropped 75.98 points, or 1.52 percent, to 4,931.81.
Market participants were also concerned Greece could leave the eurozone as it tries to reform its economy and deal with heavy debt. Greece dismissed reports it needed to tap remaining cash reserves to meet salary payments.
The U.S. earnings season has been mixed so far with more companies beating lowered expectations. The impact of the stronger dollar will be highlighted next week with quarterly reports from United Technologies (UTX), Boeing (BA) and other top companies.
Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by 2,458 to 596, for a 4.12-to-1 ratio; on the Nasdaq, 2,160 issues fell and 597 advanced, for a 3.62-to-1 ratio.
The S&P 500 posted two new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq composite recorded 37 new highs and 43 new lows.
About 7.1 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, above the 6.2 billion daily average for the month to date, according to BATS Global Markets.
-With additional reporting by Sinead Carew and Tanya Agrawal.
What to watch Monday:
Earnings Season
These selected companies are scheduled to release quarterly financial results:
If you're an avid deal hunter like me, there is no doubt that outlet shopping can be a great way to save money. To maximize your savings, you need to know these tricks.
1. Know Your "Outlet" Store
"Outlet" stores come in three flavors: factory stores, actual outlet stores, and conventional retail stores. Always ask an associate what type of store you are shopping in to quickly figure out the type of deals you might find.
Factory stores are locations that sell merchandise made specifically for the factory store. While the deals to be had can be quite good, be aware that often the merchandise is of lesser quality. I actually had a manager at an Eddie Bauer factory outlet tell me that the stitching is not as good compared to its regular stores and items typically won't last as long. In addition to Eddie Bauer, other examples include Gap, Banana Republic, and Gymboree.
Actual outlet stores are locations that sell merchandise originally stocked in regular retail stores. Often products are last season's overstocks or have a small blemish on them. You can typically score a much better deal at outlet stores compared to factory stores. It is important to always examine products carefully to ensure quality. Popular examples of real outlet stores include REI, Coldwater Creek and Lands' End.
Conventional retail locations dressed up as outlet stores are also prevalent. In an attempt to take advantage of popular locations and high foot-traffic, some retailers willingly buy space at outlet malls. The deals at these stores often match the deals found in their conventional retail counterparts. Examples include Old Navy, Merrell, Famous Footwear, Sunglass Hut and American Eagle Outfitters.
2. Find Hidden Clearance Deals
Walk past all of the full-priced merchandise to find the clearance section hidden in the rear of the store. If you can't find your size or color, ask an associate for clearance items that haven't been put out on the sales floor yet or were recently returned.
3. Practice Informed Couponing
Typically, coupons are created specifically for outlet or factory stores and regular in-store coupons won't be accepted. Check the coupon fine print to avoid the disappointment of a printable coupon being turned away at the register. Always do a Google search for "Store name outlet coupon" before you head out shopping.
4. Shop Holiday Weekends
Outlet stores are notorious for offering amazing sales on holiday weekends like Memorial Day, Labor Day, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. You'll often find entire outlet stores marked down 40 percent to 50 percent off original prices. The parking lot can be quite full on holiday weekends, so it's advantageous to get there when the stores open to avoid the crowd.
All too often, shoppers get caught up in the mystique of outlet malls and feel they need to buy just because they made the drive. Don't fall prey to this mindset. Instead, shop with a list and a budget and stick to it. If the deals simply aren't there, then leave the store knowing that they eventually will be, especially on big holiday weekends.
6. Go Social and Save
Most outlet centers have their own Facebook pages, where you can get exclusive sale and coupon information.
7. Scope the Nike Outlet Hash Wall
The Nike Outlet is a big favorite with many outlet regulars, and many contain a far back wall referred to as the "hash wall." There, they typically stock shoes that are marked down for a quick sale. What you see is what you get, so if you are not particular on style or color, it's a great place to score a deal.
8. Haggle the Price (When Appropriate)
You can absolutely haggle the price at a traditional outlet location where items are likely to have a blemish or be reconditioned. Politely point out the imperfection, ask for an extra 15 percent off and be prepared to settle for a 10 percent discount. The bigger the imperfection, the better chance of success; especially if you are making a substantial purchase. The same goes for damaged packaging as stores realize they will have a tough time selling items at the advertised price.
9. Shop for Next Season
A great way to save on outlet shopping is to stock up on apparel, shoes, and outerwear for the following year; especially when shopping for growing kids. When you stumble across an amazing deal, simply buy a size or two up and store for next year.
10. Be Aware of the Return Policy
The return policies at outlet shopping locations can often be kind of screwy, so always ask before they slide your credit card. Sometimes items are final sale with no refund available. Sometimes you can only return items to an outlet location, which, depending on how far you drove, can be a real pain. Always be aware of the store's return policy and shop accordingly.
Not all of today's billionaires grew up with silver spoons in their mouths -- many are self-made moguls who came from humble beginnings. See how these billionaires earned their first paychecks.
1. Ralph Lauren, Worth $7 billion
This American sportswear icon studied business at Baruch College in Manhattan. After a brief stint in the Army, Ralph Lauren took a sales job at Brooks Brothers. In 1967, Lauren started designing neckties, which became the cornerstone of his empire.
2. Nick Woodman, Worth $2 billion
Before he invented GoPro, Nick Woodman started a website called EmpowerAll.com, which sold electronics for no more than a $2 markup. The company failed to take off (surprise, surprise), but Woodman persevered.
3. Steven Spielberg, Worth $3.5 billion
In high school, Steven Spielberg produced his first feature film, "Firelight," which ended up grossing $100 when it was shown at a local theater. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach and got an unpaid internship at Universal Studios. He even found himself an office and just moved in. He reportedly said, "Everybody assumed I was related to someone working on the lot, or to an executive, and no one really threw me off the set."
4. Larry Page, Worth $31 billion
Larry Page has been surrounded by computers his entire life. This Google co-founder is the son of a former Michigan State professor of computer science, and Page received his first computer at age 6. After earning an undergraduate degree in engineering with a concentration in computer engineering, his first jobs were working for Advanced Management Systems in Washington, D.C., and CogniTek in Evanston, Illinois.
5. Oprah Winfrey, Worth $3 billion
Oprah Winfrey worked at the corner store next to her father's barbershop. At 16, she landed a job at radio station WVOL that would eventually help her become the queen of daytime television.
6. Steve Ballmer, Worth $21 billion
Before he became a Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer worked as an assistant product manager for Duncan Hines' Moist & Easy. His former cubicle mate was Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric.
7. Michael Kors, Worth $1 billion
After attending New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, Michael Kors' first job was merchandising and designing a collection for an upscale boutique. The experience inspired him to strike out on his own and create fashions for some of the world's most beautiful women, like Charlize Theron, Heidi Klum, Madonna and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
8. Tory Burch, Worth $1 billion
Tory Burch's mother inspired her career in fashion. She told Business of Fashion, "The prom dress that my mom got me was this light pink sequin and navy tulle Yves Saint Laurent dress. It was a big statement for Philadelphia." After high school, Burch worked for Zoran, a designer with clients that include Isabella Rossellini and Lauren Hutton. "I cold-called Zoran," said Burch. "Really interesting man and a beautiful designer. My mother wore his clothing. So a week after I graduated, I moved to New York and started a full induction into fashion."
9. Charles Schwab, Worth $6.5 billion
Charles Schwab's first few jobs included sacking walnuts and selling chickens and eggs. He learned early in life how to recognize a profitable business concept and the value of perseverance, which certainly came in handy when he started the first discount brokerage firm in America.
10. Elon Musk, Worth $12 billion
This Tesla Motors founder has always been an avid fan of technology. When he was just 12, he wrote code for his own video game called "Blastar," which he sold.
11. Bill Gates, Worth $79 billion
Bill Gates worked several odd jobs as a child growing up in Washington, but he didn't get his first "real" job until his senior year of high school -- as a computer programmer for aerospace firm TRW.
12. Mark Cuban, Worth $3 billion
At 12, Mark Cuban sold boxes of garbage bags to pay for a pair of basketball shoes. He told Bloomberg's Barry Ritholtz, "I would literally go door to door: 'Hi, does your family use garbage bags?' And who could say no? So, that's where I learned to sell. Literally."
13. Mark Zuckerberg, Worth $37 billion
Mark Zuckerberg developed Facebook while he was still in college, but he already had several other successes under his belt. While still in high school, he created an early version of the music streaming software Pandora, which was called Synapse. Several software companies, including Microsoft and AOL, showed interest in purchasing Synapse and offered Zuckerberg a job before he had even graduated.
14. Jan Koum, Woth $7 billion
The co-founder of WhatsApp emigrated from Ukraine to Mountain View, California, the heart of Silicon Valley. Jan Koum's mother worked as a babysitter, and he swept the floor of a grocery store to help her pay the bills.
15. Warren Buffett, Worth $71 billion
Investor Warren Buffet started as a newspaper delivery boy, and he applied that experience to his "invest in what you know" strategy when he purchased the Omaha World-Herald in 2011. That same year, Buffett also challenged Berkshire's annual meeting attendees to a paper toss.
16. Jerry Jones, Worth $4 billion
Jerry Jones got his start bagging groceries at his local store. He now owns the Dallas Cowboys, the second-most valuable sports team in the world, second only to Spanish soccer team Real Madrid.
17. George Lucas, Worth $5 billion
George Lucas enrolled in the University of Southern California film school thinking "film" meant "photography." Once he began his studies, he fell in love with the art, and his first job was working as a teaching assistant to train cameramen for the U.S. military. He went on to USC graduate school and won USC's annual scholarship to become a production apprentice at Warner Bros.
18. Larry Ellison, Worth $53 billion
Oracle founder Larry Ellison first worked as a programmer for a company called Amdahl.
19. Jeff Bezos, Worth $34 billion
Jeff Bezos has come a long way from his summer job flipping burgers at McDonald's. "My first week on the job, a five-gallon, wall-mounted ketchup dispenser got stuck open in the kitchen and dumped a prodigious quantity of ketchup onto ever hard-to-reach kitchen crevice," Bezos told author Cody Teets. "Since I was the new guy, they handed me the cleaning solution and said, 'Get going!'"
20. Donald Trump, Worth $4 billion
Donald Trump learned business tactics by watching and learning. He told Forbes, "I accompanied my father to his sites and would collect soda bottles with my brother for money. That was my first income. Later, I went around with rent collectors to see how that worked. I learned to stand out of the doorway to avoid being shot."
China and crystal may be traditional wedding gifts, but unless the happy couple lives at Downton Abbey, they probably won't have much use for such finery. Instead of sticking with what's traditional, consider a gift the couple can actually use. Or, better yet, one that will save them money.
Give the Gift of Good Eating
Everyone has to eat, and a food-centric gift can be both personal and practical at the same time. Consider the couple's age, dietary restrictions and preferences and then consider one of these good-eats gifts:
Membership to a wine, beer or fruit-of-the-month club.
Gourmet or specialty cooking classes.
A food storage system.
Membership to a warehouse club.
A share in a community supported agriculture program.
Gift cards to a local grocer.
Give the Gift of Saving Money
Many newlyweds are cash-strapped. They have just splurged on what is likely the biggest party of their lives, and now the bills are rolling in. Here are some gift ideas that may put a little money back in their pocket:
Amazon Prime membership for free shipping and free video streaming.
AAA membership.
Netflix subscription.
Coupon savings booklet.
Water filter for those who would otherwise drink bottled water.
Give the Gift of Cheap Utilities
Your favorite newlyweds would probably rather spend their money on more exciting things than electricity and natural gas. Help them out by giving gifts that will drop their utility bills. An appliance is pricey, we know, so consider combining resources with other guests to make the gift affordable.
Energy-efficient appliances.
LED or CFL lights.
Programmable thermostat.
Smart power strips.
Give the Gift of Adventure
The traveling doesn't stop just because the honeymoon ends. Help the couple get away on the cheap during the upcoming year. Here are some gift ideas that will get them out of the house without breaking the bank:
Gas cards.
Camping gear.
Gift certificate for a bed and breakfast.
Membership to a local museum, zoo or botanical garden.
Tickets to a local performance.
Give the Gift of Service
If you're cash-strapped, there are plenty of gifts you can give that have value but won't cost you a cent. If you're a professional, consider offering a gift that utilizes your experience. For everyone else, consider one of these gifts:
Baby-sitting if the couple have children.
House cleaning.
Yard work or landscaping.
Home-cooked meals delivered to their doorstep.
Give the Gift of Lifelong Learning
Finally, self-improvement may be the most valuable gift of all. Consider the couple's goals and give a gift that helps further their education. However, be careful in how you package and present the gift. You don't want to look tactless or arrogant, and these gifts might be best reserved for couples you know very well.
An investment account if you know college is on the horizon.
Professional development classes.
Sessions with a career coach.
Gift certificate to a resume writing service.
Books on finance, marriage or self-improvement.
Gift certificate to learn a new skill, whether it's yoga, knitting or learning a foreign language.
There you have it. Thirty unexpected, yet thoughtful, gift ideas for the weddings you'll be attending this year. These are gifts that are destined to be put to good use, rather than stored in a cupboard somewhere. Which one will you be giving?
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If money or the lack of it stresses you out, you are in a large club. In February, the American Psychological Association released a survey of 3,068 adults that found 72 percent of Americans reported feeling stressed about money at least sometime during the past month, and 22 percent polled said they had experienced extreme stress.
While some of that financial stress likely looms for good reason -- earning too little or being hit with a whopping medical bill -- conventional wisdom suggests that we could all be doing more to take our minds off money problems.
In that spirit, here are some suggestions for reducing money stress, with ballpark figures on how much each activity or hobby costs. After all, some hobbies aren't cheap, and participating in an expensive hobby to distract you from financial woes is probably not the path you want to take.
1. Try Yoga
"The average price for a yoga class is probably $15 to $20," said Kelly Wood, owner of Karuna Yoga, a yoga studio in Los Feliz, Caifornia. A private class will likely run about $80 for a 60- to 75-minute session. "When you come out of a class, you feel more grounded, less jumpy. You feel like you can listen a little bit better, focus a little better and your thoughts aren't jumping around so much," Wood said. It could be the perfect antidote for anyone suffering from bill fatigue -- and has $20 to spare.
2. Go to the Gym
According to StatisticBrain.com, the average monthly gym membership costs $58. But odds are, you can find a gym for less. Jim Dailakis, an actor-writer-comedian and voiceover artist in New York City, spends about $35 a month for his membership. "If there's one thing that keeps my mind off my finances, or any stressful situation for that matter in my life, it's working out at the gym," Dailakis said.
"Working the punching bag helps me take out my frustrations on whomever it was that shafted me and helps me overcome whatever difficulty I may be having," he said, adding that regardless, staying in shape won't just take your mind off your money troubles. It's also an investment in yourself. "Health is wealth."
3. Journal
As in, write down your thoughts. All you'll need to spend is the cost of a notebook, so, what, $2.50? Or type out your thoughts on your computer for free. "Everyone experiences negative thoughts. They stay around longer and get bigger when we allow them to circulate free-range in our minds, though. Putting them on paper stops them from going further. It's an outlet and a necessary one," said Jaime Pfeffer, a success and happiness coach in Franklin, Michigan, and author of the upcoming book, "Uplift: Amazingly Powerful Secrets to Conquer Stress, Boost Happiness and Create an Extraordinary Life."
4. Raise Chickens
This won't be for everyone, but raising chickens is a popular pastime. There are websites -- RaisingChickensForEggs.com is one -- and the "Dummies" series covers it in "Raising Chickens for Dummies."
Monique Prince, a social worker and parenting coach in Chester, New Hampshire, calls her laying hens, along with her pony, her "mental health outlet." Hens aren't a cheap hobby, although the Dummies book claims you can start a flock of four to 25 chickens for less than $50. But maintenance costs will start adding up.
Prince estimates she spends about $30 a week in hay during the winter (but she also has a pony to feed) and $7 a week during the summer, when the hens can forage for food in her forest and fields. But she says she'd rather pay that money than pay for a therapist. To her, the money is worth it "because they are fun to watch and pat and interact with." And "the eggs are the best."
5. Go Skydiving
This may sound crazy to those who've never done it, but Cybil Rose, a public relations executive in Chicago, says skydiving is her ultimate way to de-stress. "You have a 20-minute ride up in the plane, where you think of nothing else. Then you have two minutes of freefall, which is pure bliss. Then you get down on the ground and you have joy. You forget your stress."
Rose says she spends about $30 per jump, but that's only realistic for avid skydivers. She estimates her initial investment for gear and training was around $5,000. If you're a newbie, and have serious financial troubles, you may want to find a less-expensive hobby if you plan to make this routine. On the other hand, everyone's bank accounts are different, and spending several thousand as an investment may be no big deal to you. Or you might feel that it's worth the investment, if later you have a relatively inexpensive pastime that busts stress.
6. Read
You could take your mind off your problems by reading. "Any time I'm in a bad mood or feeling down, a good book will cheer me up," said Zina Kumok, a marketing professional in Indianapolis who launched DebtFreeAfterThree, a blog that chronicles how she paid off $28,000 in student loans -- in three years -- while making $30,000 a year, and covers her money-saving strategies. "I go to the library about once a week to check out a new book or ebook."
7. Watch TV
No, this isn't the most inspired idea, but it's cheap. Kumok says she once calculated that she watches enough TV episodes via her Netflix account that each one generally costs her about 10 cents. Moreover, watching television doesn't have to mean sitting alone in the dark while scarfing down a bag of chips and wishing you were doing something cool. You could share some favorites with family or friends.
"If you're watching movies and TV shows you love with close friends, you'll forget that maybe you can't afford to get dinner out or that you're trying to cut back," Kumok said. "Some of my happiest Friday nights have been spent watching romantic comedies with my friends while we drink a cheap bottle of wine."
Aaron and Susan von FrankAaron and Susan von Frank -- along with ducks Margaret Thrasher and Jackson -- live on a totally edible property.By Aaron von Frank as told to Alden Wicker
In its MoneyMicseries, LearnVest hands over the podium to people with controversial views about money.Today, one man shares how he went from being an organic grocery store shopper to a gardener who grows all of his own produce.
My wife, Susan, and I have always loved healthy food, especially the fresh, vine-ripened kind -- which is why we routinely spent upwards of $400 a week scouting organic grocers for the tastiest produce.
But it wasn't until we accepted a dinner invitation from our friend Eliza -- a master naturalist who grows all of her own food -- that we realized just how amazing organic eating could really be.
As Eliza gave us a tour of her garden, Susan and I spotted these odd little husked fruits called ground cherries under a small shrub. Once we tasted them, we were blown away by their delicious, pineapple-citrus flavor. That's when Eliza told us about the secret world of wacky and unusual heirloom foods most people don't know about -- unless you grow them yourself.
The Makings of Our Own 'Food Forest'
When we bought a house the following year on a three-quarter-acre lot in Greenville, South Carolina, Susan was excited to try our hand at gardening, just like Eliza.
I wasn't quite as gung-ho -- I was more worried about fitting in with the neighbors -- but Susan insisted. So we agreed to start by turning the far backyard, bordering a quarter-acre of forest, into a food-growing space.
Not wanting to spend too much on the setup, we got scrappy. When a developer was discarding some stones at a nearby construction site, we used them to make raised soil beds. We spent only a few bucks for each packet of organic, heirloom seeds. And since we were starting with a small space, we kept it fairly basic, planting carrots, tomatoes, ground cherries, peppers, eggplant and squash.
Eliza shared all of her hard-won knowledge for successfully growing plants. One of our favorites: To have the best yielding tomatoes, snap off all but the top leaf section on your seedlings, and then bury the stem in the soil up to about 2 inches below these leaves.
Trees, Shrubs, Plants and Fungi in the Landscape
It didn't take long before we were hooked -- and within three years, we'd turned a full half-acre of our property into our edible food forest. Today, we have fruit trees, nut trees, herbs, veggies and even fungi that we've integrated into a beautiful landscape.
During the warm-weather months, we grow grapes, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, potatoes, corn, tomatillos, and, of course, ground cherries. We also produce some more interesting varieties, like cape gooseberries, Native American corn in all colors and garden huckleberries, which make for great pies.
In the colder months our production decreases a bit, but we still grow lettuce, kale, arugula, cilantro, spinach and carrots under hoop houses, which are light frames covered in plastic that we can build in a couple of minutes. In an average year, we harvest thousands of pounds of food. Squash alone yields hundreds per week in the summertime.
Just $300 a Year for All We Can Eat
We also have five heritage breed ducks, which are better at producing eggs than chickens. If you've ever ordered crème brûlée at a high-end restaurant, you've probably eaten duck eggs -- chefs prefer them for their rich flavor. That's part of what we love about our gardening hobby: We have access to fine-dining ingredients right in our backyard.
All in all, our homegrown foods cost about $300 to produce each year, which includes the cost of seed-starting materials and liquid fertilizer. And as perennial plants get bigger -- berry bushes, fruit trees, asparagus, and sorrel -- they require less care and produce more food.
Most of the produce sold in stores is generic and relatively bland, so to put a number on how much money we save is like comparing apples to oranges -- no pun intended! But if we were to buy comparable food from an organic grocer, it would probably cost us $1,500 to $2,000 a month for the same quality, quantity, and variety of food.
That savings frees up money in our budget to spend on other foods we enjoy but don't grow ourselves, such as high-quality meat that we get from local farmers for about $100 a month, as well as milk, cheese and butter. We even purchase our coffee from a friend who has an organic microbrewery in Asheville, North Carolina.
You're probably thinking that tending to this massive food forest would require a lot of work -- but, surprisingly, we don't have to do much to maintain it.
Reaping What We Sow -- and Spreading the Love
We've developed a great understanding of natural ecology and the strategies that let the garden take care of itself. For instance, we use wood chip mulch, which prevents weeds, provides fertilizer and equalizes our soil moisture.
Aaron and Susan Von FrankAaron and Susan Von Frank tend to a bed of cilantro, arugula, kale, and garlic in their backyard garden.
Basically, this takes away all the tedious tasks people dislike about gardening, like weeding, plowing and watering. Even during last summer's drought, we had to only water twice.
Over the course of the year, we probably spend just one to two hours a week on garden tasks, like spreading mulch or pruning the fruit trees. During the summer and spring, when things are really growing, we'll spend more time harvesting. With so much food coming in, you have to pick it every day. But we view that time as an investment-in our health and our relationship. Working in the garden is a fun couples activity, plus it allows us to get in a bit of exercise.
Another amazing benefit is how good we feel as a result of eating such healthy foods. While many people eat meals and are lethargic for hours after, we feel an energetic boost and mental clarity throughout the day.
Medicinal Benefits, Too
We also produce a lot of plants that, when eaten regularly, have medicinal benefits. Elderberries -- clusters of blackberries grown on bushes -- are among our favorites, and have been shown to protect against the flu.
In a health food store, a bottle of elderberry syrup costs about $15. We harvested 30 pounds of berries last year, and made gallons of it that lasted us all winter. I haven't been sick in years.
A natural byproduct of growing our own food is that we have tons left over, so we're constantly handing it out to our neighbors, friends and families to make sure nothing gets wasted.
And whatever we don't eat or give away when it's fresh, we preserve. If we have extra raspberries, blackberries, elderberries or grapes, we throw them into a blender, lay them on dehydrating racks and ten make fruit jerky.
Hobby Turns Into a Business
Inspired by our desire to keep sharing the love, Susan and I decided to turn our hobby into a real source of income last June. In addition to our full-time jobs running a marketing company together, we started a monthly organic seed subscription box service that includes some of the more interesting heirloom varieties we love.
Since starting our business, we've been fielding a lot of questions from people about how to start food gardens of their own-and we always suggest starting small. Yes, our whole yard is edible now, but it wasn't always that way. You can break yourself in by starting a patio garden with just a few pots, and expand as time allows.
And don't be discouraged if you don't have a lot of land. There are plenty of options coming out now for apartment dwellers, including aquaponic systems, home garden systems and grow lights. Lastly, if you mess something up-don't worry! Even we didn't know what we were doing the first year. We overwatered, we underwatered, and a lot of our plants died that year, as a result. But that's normal -- growing your own food is like riding a bike. You fall over, get up and figure out how to do it better next time.
In the end, it's not just about saving money on food, or being healthier. It's about the happiness we get from eating something we grew, and the good we're putting out in the world by sharing our organic food and seeds with other people. You can't put a price on that.
AOLJawbone starts shipping its UP3 fitness tracker on Monday.
From the country's darling burrito roller offering up what should be another strong quarter of growth to the world's largest software company trying to breathe new life into its stagnant operating system stronghold, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.
Monday -- Tracking Fitness Trackers
The new trading week kicks off with Jawbone finally shipping the UP3 fitness-monitoring bracelet. It's probably not a coincidence that Jawbone's device is hitting the market just days ahead of the Apple Watch arrival. Jawbone began taking pre-orders for its latest fitness tracker late last year, but production delays as it beefed up its sensors and capabilities pushed the release out until this week.
It probably didn't want to hit the market after the Apple Watch, and that means that it had to forgo improving its water resistance as Jawbone had initially promised. The $179 device tracks movement as well as sleep patterns and biometric data.
Tuesday -- Let's Eat
Thriving eateries will be serving up fresh financials on Tuesday. Chili's parent Brinker International (EAT) reports in the morning. Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) follows in the afternoon.
Chili's has been bucking the uninspiring trend at many of its casual dining peers that have been suffering a slowdown in patrons. Chili's has been able to keep its concept fresh, and the addition last year of table-top tablets to expedite drink refills and bill payments have helped speed up the experience.
Chipotle remains the rock star in fast casual. It's on an impressive streak of delivering double-digit year-over-year growth in comparable-restaurants sales for four consecutive quarters. It will try to stretch that run to five quarters after Tuesday's market close, but it did warn earlier this year that it sees comps growing only in the single digits for all of 2015.
Wednesday -- EBay's Splitting Headache
There will be many companies announcing quarterly results on Wednesday, but one in particular that bears watching is eBay (EBAY). The leading online auctioneer and marketplace is breaking up into two companies.
The market's been excited about the prospects of buying directly into PayPal, the financial payments platform that's growing faster than eBay's namesake site. The dot-com giant should offer up some insight on how the process is coming along in Wednesday's conference call.
Thursday -- Closing Windows
Tech bellwether Microsoft (MSFT) checks in with its latest financials on Thursday. Things haven't been easy for the world's largest software company in recent years. PC sales have softened, with consumers flocking to smartphones and tablets that are primarily fueled by iOS or Android. Microsoft is a distant third in the market for mobile operating systems, and it may be fighting a losing battle.
Microsoft's pinning its hopes on the release of Windows 10 later this year, and it's a safe bet that Mr. Softy will discuss the upcoming update to its iconic operating system. The outlook will ideally be more uplifting than its performance through the past three months. Analysts see a sharp decline in profitability since the same quarter form the prior fiscal year with revenue inching a mere 3.5 percent higher.
Friday -- Watch Out
The week ends with all eyes turning to Apple (AAPL) as the Apple Watch finally hits the market. Demand has lived up to its end of the bargain. Market watchers estimate that the consumer tech giant has already sold more than 2 million of the devices since pre-rders kicked off earlier this month, and the initial supply sold out within minutes. Now we'll see if supply can live up to its end of the bargain.
There won't be the long lines that Apple usually sees at Apple Store locations during iPhone launches. Production delays have reportedly limited the number of devices that will be available on Friday to those who have been already spoken for through initial preorders. Even folks wanting to get their wrists fitted have been making appointments this month. General availability may not start until June. However, it's still a big moment as Apple enters the wearable computing market, hoping to legitimatize the smartwatch market in the process.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Chipotle Mexican Grill and eBay. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and eBay. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Is your portfolio ready for what 2015 has to offer? Click here to check out our free report for one great stock to buy for this year and beyond.
Matthew Busch/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesBy CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
WASHINGTON -- U.S. businesses expect their sales will rebound in the next three months after a sluggish first quarter, and they also plan to boost hiring and pay, according to a survey released Monday.
Just 49 percent of firms said their sales increased in the first three months of the year from last year's fourth quarter. That's down from 54 percent that reported higher sales in the last survey, in January.
Yet companies are much more bullish about the April through June quarter. Nearly three-quarters of companies forecast higher sales over the next three months, up from 68 percent in January and just 54 percent in October.
Growth in the first quarter appears to be an outlier within the broader economic outlook.
The results suggest that weak growth in the first three months of the year may prove temporary. Harsh winter weather, labor disputes at West Coast ports that slowed shipping and a jump in the value of the dollar likely held economic growth to a 1 percent annual pace, or below, from January through March. Yet most economists expect growth to accelerate in the second quarter.
"Growth in the first quarter appears to be an outlier within the broader economic outlook," said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo (WFC).
Silvia is also president of the National Association for Business Economics, which conducted the survey covering 77 companies in the second half of March. The companies surveyed represent a broad cross-section of industries -- including manufacturing, construction, finance, hotels and restaurants -- with nearly half having more than 1,000 employees and a quarter having fewer than 10.
Another sign of confidence in the economic outlook: The percentage of firms that said they raised pay in the January-March quarter soared to 45 percent, up from 31 percent in January and 35 percent a year earlier.
And 46 percent plan to boost pay in the second quarter, a sign that the weakness in the first quarter hasn't caused them to cut back on salaries. Still, the finding clashes with government measures of pay, which show that average hourly earnings have risen just 2.1 percent in the past 12 months. That's the same sluggish pace that has persisted since the recession ended in 2009.
Some Weak Spots
There is little sign of a hiring pullback either. Just over a third of firms said they added workers in the first quarter, similar to the percentage that did so in the previous four quarters. And 41 percent expect to hire more staff in the April-June quarter, up modestly from 36 percent in January.
The survey did find some weak spots. Companies were much less likely to step up spending on computers, industrial machinery, and communications gear in the first quarter. Just 38 percent did so, down from 51 percent in January and the weakest showing in a year.
And the dollar's rise in value has harmed some companies. The dollar is up about 28 percent against the euro in the past six months and 18 percent compared with Japan's yen. That makes U.S. exports to Europe and Japan more expensive, and also makes profits earned from U.S. companies' overseas operations worth less when translated into dollars.
Thirty percent of member companies said the stronger dollar has hurt their business, while 62 percent said it had no effect. But among manufacturing companies, two-thirds said it had a negative effect. Only 16 percent of services firms, which are much more focused on the U.S. economy, said the dollar has hurt their business.
NEW YORK -- The best time of life to get a credit card is when you're college-aged, but that's not how things are working.
According to CreditCards.com, the average American believes someone should get their first credit card at age -- a typical age for college graduates. Some see the issue with more of an open mind, with half of Hispanic respondents to a survey, for example, saying it's OK for people under 21 to own a credit card.
Yet 36 percent of Americans under 30 have never owned a credit card, in part because "Millennials' financial views were forged during the Great Recession and in the apocalyptic job market that they and their friends have faced," says Matt Schulz, CreditCards.com's senior analyst.
As their careers advance and the economy continues to improve, expect millennials to transition to credit cards in search of greater rewards and consumer protections.
That doesn't mean they're not carrying plastic, though. Schulz notes that "skittishness" has steered younger Americans away from credit cards and toward debit and prepaid cards -- but not for long. "As their careers advance and the economy continues to improve, expect millennials to transition to credit cards in search of greater rewards and consumer protections," he says.
The 2009 CARD Act built also some roadblocks designed to limit credit card use among young adults. As CreditCards.com notes, Americans 21 and under must show proof of income to repay card loans or have an adult co-signer if they want a credit card in their name.
But the best credit might come from far earlier experiences managed diligently.
"My parents got me a credit card when I was a sophomore in high school," says Phil Zepeda, director of communications at Chicago's Robert R. McCormick Foundation. "I had a $200 limit and the bill went to them."
"I never had a balance of more than $15 to $25 each month, and I could only buy what I knew I'd be able to pay off within one month," Zepeda says of the card, arranged through a program from a now-defunct bank.
Others say the biggest benefit of having a credit card early in life is the opportunity to build up credit. "Parents should be building up their children's credit as soon as possible, by either putting their names on bills or getting them a credit card," says Martin Frer, a 22-year-old social media marketing intern and card holder at FatWallet. "From the whole experience, I have also been able to realize how purchases have had an effect on my credit, and building a responsible spending habit."
That's how a parent sees it too: "When my daughter turned 18 we obtained a secured credit card for her at Bank of America," says Daniel Guerrero, a certified credit counselor at ClearPoint Credit Counseling Solutions. "I had her purchase something on the card every month, which we paid in full at the end of the month. She also agreed to leave the card at home when she went out with her friends." That disciplined use of the card has really paid off, Guerrero says. "About six to eight months after that, she obtained a line of credit, and six months ago she was approved though a credit union to finance about $3,000 for a used car." Today, Guerrero's daughter, 20, has a credit score of 780.
Young Americans attending college were particularly affected by The Credit Card Act of 2009. "This law significantly reduced credit card usage by college students, and many college students switched to using debit cards," says Mark Kantrowitz, senior vice president and publisher at Las Vegas-based Edvisors.com.
"Nevertheless, the best time to obtain a credit card is while you're a college student. Credit card issuers will waive income requirements, making it easier to get a credit card. It's also a good time to start building a good credit history by managing the debt responsibly and making all of the required payments on time," Kantrowitz says.
Marijuana may not be America's largest cash crop, as was long rumored, but it's still probably a $4 billion annual business.
As of last year, it's also legal to grow, own and use recreationally Colorado and Washington, with Alaska, the District of Columbia and Oregon soon to follow. It's approved for medical and other limited use in 18 more states. Entrepreneurs are racing to take advantage of the new laws and changing attitudes toward the drug. Here are the players and startups you need to watch:
Privateer and Its Connections
Privateer Holdings is a private equity firm that's making big investments in marijuana startups. Its CEO is 42-year-old Yale graduate Brendan Kennedy, and it counts Peter Thiel's Founders Fund among its investors.
Based out of Seattle, Leafly was one of the first new marijuana businesses, founded in 2010. It's like Yelp for reviewing strains of pot and dispensaries. Privateer bought the company in 2011.
Marley Natural, backed by reggae star Bob Marley's heirs and Privateer Holdings, aims to be the world's first global cannabis company, selling smokeable weed, topical oils and accessories. It's based in New York.
Tilray is a legal provider of medical marijuana in Canada. It's also received funding from Privateer.
Apps and Other Startups
Eaze is a mobile app that lets you get medical marijuana delivered to your door. You have to prove you have a medical card. It was founded by Keith McCarty, who was one of the first employees at Yammer, and it recently raised $10 million from several investors including rapper Snoop Dogg.
Weedmaps shows you the nearest pot dispensaries. It's based in Denver.
Meadow is another medical pot delivery service based in San Francisco. It recommends doctors who will issue a medical marijuana card, and its blog has helpful info like a video on how to roll a joint. It counts startup accelerator Y Combinator as an investor.
MassRoots is a "semi-anonymous" social network for pot users. It's raised over $1 million in funding, according to Crunchbase, and is based in Denver.
Getty Images
Plenty of stocks go up and down in any given week. The gainers inspire us to keep investing. The decliners keep greed in check while reminding us about the risks of the equity markets. Let's go over some of last week's best and worst performers.
Builders FirstSource (BLDR) -- Up 90 percent last week
The biggest gainer last week was Builders FirstSource, nearly doubling after announcing a shrewd acquisition. The building materials supplier will buy ProBuild in a $1.63 billion deal. Buyers don't often jump on buyout news, but the deal will result in a combined company that generated $6.1 billion in revenue last year. Builders FirstSource eventually aims to achieve as much as $200 million in annual costs savings.
Wall Street certainly is enamored with the prospects. Sterne Agee upgraded the shares, boosting its price target from $6 to $19. It's not often that a Wall Street pro will more than triple a stock's price target.
Shares of Travelzoo shot higher after posting better-than-expected quarterly results. This doesn't mean that it was a great report. The online travel deals publisher saw revenue decline 9 percent from a year earlier. Profitability took an even bigger hit, clocking in at 13 cents a share after earning $0.31 a share during the same quarter a year earlier.
That may not sound so great, but analysts were holding out for net income of just 8 cents a share. It's the first time in three quarters that the company behind the weekly Travelzoo Top 20 emails surpassed analyst expectations.
Despite cries for more gun control and prolific officer shootings leading many activists to call for less-than-lethal weaponry, firearm makers can't seem to be making their guns fast enough. Smith & Wesson soared after boosting its forecast for gun sales for its current fiscal quarter. Rival Sturm Ruger (RGR) didn't have any news to report, but it also posted a double-digit gain in sympathy.
Akebia Therapeutics (AKBA) -- Down 20 percent last week
Last week's biggest decliner was Akebia Therapeutics, shedding a fifth of its value after completing a secondary stock offering. Akebia is a biotech upstart tackling kidney disease. It has a product working its way through the regulatory approval cycle for the treatment of anemia related to chronic kidney disease in non-dialysis patients.
Akebia was able to raise $60 million in the dilutive secondary offering, but it had to price the new shares at $8.25 to smoke out enough buyers. That's not very encouraging for a company that kicked off the week trading in the double digits.
Pep Boys ran out of gas. The automotive service and products chain with 806 locations posted a slight increase in sales in its latest quarter, fueled mostly by an uptick in service revenue. However, it did post a quarterly loss as Pep Boys focused on high-growth areas with temporarily suppressed margins.
Pep Boys is going through a transition, but the market isn't always patient. Investors were holding out for a small quarterly profit. They didn't get it, so they drove away.
ServiceNow also posted quarterly results last week, and unlike Pep Boys it came through with better-than-expected results. The one thing that sank the shares of the cloud-based provider of enterprise software solutions was that its outlook for the current quarter was off the mark.
The stock has been a big winner since going public at $18 less than three years ago, but it's also trading at a lofty earnings multiple that's in the triple digits even if we look out to next year's projected profit. You can't offer guidance that falls short of forecasts in that scenario. Brean Capital reiterated its bullish rating on the stock, but lowered its price target from $97 to $90.
Kristoffer Tripplaar/AlamyThe headquarters of Uber in San Francisco, California.By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK -- Uber Technologies must defend against a lawsuit accusing the popular ride-sharing service of discriminating against blind people by refusing to transport guide dogs, a federal judge ruled.
In a decision late Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins in San Jose, California, said the plaintiffs could pursue a claim that Uber was a "travel service" subject to potential liability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The judge also rejected Uber's arguments that the plaintiffs, including the National Federation of the Blind of California, lacked standing to sue under the ADA and state laws protecting the disabled.
Uber was given 14 days to formally respond to the complaint. The company and its lawyers didn't immediately respond Monday to requests for comment. The NFB and lawyers for the plaintiffs didn't immediately respond to similar requests.
Worth an estimated $40 billion, Uber said it offers its mobile phone taxi-hailing service in more than 270 cities and geographic areas in 56 countries, and can charge varying prices based on demand.
But the San Francisco-based company has faced complaints around the world over how it pays drivers, treats passengers and ensures safety.
In the discrimination case, the plaintiffs said federal law requires operators of taxi services such as Uber to carry service animals for blind riders but that it knows of more than 40 instances in which Uber drivers refused.
They cited two instances in which Uber drivers allegedly yelled "no dogs" at riders, and another where an Uber driver allegedly refused a blind woman's plea to pull over once she realized he had locked her guide dog in the trunk of his car.
In seeking to dismiss the case, Uber said the individual plaintiffs were required to arbitrate their claims.
Uber also said it was "on the cutting edge of expanding accessibility" for the disabled, and that claims it failed to accommodate blind people with service animals had no merit.
The case is National Federation of the Blind of California et al. v. Uber Technologies Inc. et al., U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 14-04086.
JeepersMedia/Flickr
NEW YORK -- This is the last year that the original version of Kraft Mac & Cheese sold in the U.S. will contain artificial preservatives or synthetic colors.
Come January, Kraft (KRFT) says its macaroni and cheese will be colored using paprika, annatto and turmeric.
There has been a huge shift away from processed foods in the U.S. and larger food producers are trying to follow their customers in that direction.
We weren't ready to change the product until we were confident that Kraft Macaroni & Cheese tastes like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.
A Change.org petition that began in March 2013 asked Kraft to remove dyes from its macaroni and cheese. The petition garnered more than 365,000 signatures.
Already the company is selling a version in the U.S., called Kraft Mac & Cheese Boxed Shapes, which has no artificial flavors, preservatives or synthetic colors.
Kraft said that its other macaroni and cheese varieties sold in the U.S., such as Shapes Cups, Original Cups, Premium Flavors and Easy Mac will have no artificial flavors, preservatives or synthetic colors later next year.
The Canadian macaroni and cheese version, called Kraft Dinner Original, will also eliminate synthetic colors by 2016's end.
The company said that it has worked for some time to make the changes to the product, but had to ensure that customers would not notice a change in taste.
"We weren't ready to change the product until we were confident that Kraft Macaroni & Cheese tastes like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese," the company said.
Kraft Foods Group Inc. is based in Northfield, Illinois.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by the owner a Gilbert, Arizona, spa that ran afoul of Arizona state regulations that barred her from providing pedicures in which clients have their feet nibbled by small fish to remove dead skin.
The high court's action, made without comment by the justices, ends a years-long case over fish pedicures, which have become a popular alternative to exfoliation for some spa-goers in recent years but are banned in some U.S. states for health and safety reasons.
The procedure involves customers placing their feet in a water tank filled with toothless Garra rufa fish, also known as doctor fish, which suck the dead tissue off their feet to leave them feeling softer.
Years of Arguing
Cindy Vong, who has operated a nail salon in the Phoenix suburb since 2006, introduced the treatment in 2008. She imported fish from China and remodeled her business to create a separate fish spa area.
In 2009, Vong was told by the Arizona Board of Cosmetology that the treatment violated the agency's safety standards, and that she could face criminal charges. The board said any tool or equipment used in a pedicure must be stored and disinfected in a specific way, and that she could not disinfect the fish coming in contact with clients' skin.
Later that year, Vong closed the fish spa part of her salon, and the Phoenix-based conservative Goldwater Institute filed a lawsuit against the board in state superior court on her behalf. Vong's lawsuit argued that the board had exceeded its statutory authority by unconstitutionally applying regulations to her business and said it should have considered an alternative to banning the practice outright. It also accused the board of violating her constitutional rights to due process, equal protection and the privileges and immunities afforded to everyone to make a living.
After a lengthy legal fight, Judge Margaret Downie, writing for a unanimous panel of the Arizona Court of Appeals, ruled in May 2014 that the board acted within its powers. Downie wrote that the board made a "considered, deliberative decision about whether and how to regulate fish pedicures," and that its action did not put Vong out of business. The state's Supreme Court affirmed that ruling, and so Vong had taken her appeal to the justices of nation's top court.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for TargetTarget promoted the Lilly Pulitzer sale with a pop-up store last week in Manhattan.By Hayley Peterson
Target's latest designer collaboration with the preppy prints label Lilly Pulitzer was a smash hit. Within hours, the entire limited-time collection sold out.
Customers swarmed Target's stores and website early Sunday to get their hands on the patterned shift dresses, couch pillows, beach towels and more. Shoppers began lining up outside Target stores hours before they opened and the sheer amount of web traffic crashed the retailer's website multiple times.
The shopping event was so popular that it left many customers empty-handed, angry and vocal. Hundreds of people have vented their frustrations over the retailer's website failings and lack of inventory on social media, calling it "ridiculous," "pathetic" and an "epic fail."
Disappointed and Outspoken
"I am INCREDIBLY disappointed in Target," writes one customer on the company's Facebook page. "What a waste of time staying up all night for NOTHING. Why in the world you would make such a hype about this partnership and then not have the site prepared and have so little stock doesn't make any sense to me. Target, SHAME ON YOU."
Facebook user Lynne Gendernalik Schrage said she would no longer be shopping at Target after missing out on the sale, which included dresses for $40 by a designer whose clothes typically cost around $300. "I realize I am just one person, but this person walked out of your store at 8:10 this morning, absolutely and thoroughly disgusted, vowing to cancel my Target [card] that I haven't used in a year... and also vowing to never shop in your store again."
Yet, It's a Success
But overall, the Pulitzer line was a major victory for Target, which hasn't had such a successful designer partnership since the Missoni collaboration debuted in 2011. Like the Lilly for Target collection, the Missoni debut caused mass hysteria in stores, crashed the website, and sold out in a matter of hours.
But Target's designer collaborations since then haven't generated as much excitement. A Neiman Marcus partnership in 2013 famously bombed, even though it was launched during the holiday shopping season with Marc Jacobs, Oscar de la Renta, and Diane Von Furstenberg. The collection failed so miserably that Target eventually had to discount some of the merchandise by as much as 70%. The main problem with the collection was that designers offered items like yoga mats and dog bowls instead of clothes.
With the Lilly Pulitzer collaboration, Target has proved that it "still rules the roost when it comes to creating buzz with its designer collaborations," writes Phil Wahba in Fortune. "Designer collaborations like the Pulitzer line are important to Target, not because they add much to its $73 billion-a-year in sales - they barely make a dent in it - but because they are essential for the discount, mass merchandiser to be able to maintain its 'cheap/chic' cachet, and thereby attract affluent and middle-customers along with lower-income shoppers, and give them a reason to go visit Target instead of Walmart for everyday stuff," Wahba writes "In essence, those collections are what make Target Tar-zhay."
Target began debuting designer collaborations more than 15 years ago. Since then, the retailer has partnered with more than 150 designers. "People like the idea of designer fashion at an accessible price point," Allison Kaplan, senior editor of shopping and style for Mpls.St.Paul Magazine told MPR News. "It's democratizing something ... that seems out of reach."
Next Stop EBay
Of course, items are already being sold on eBay, CNBC reports. A Lilly Pulitzer for Target maxi dress in Nosie Posey sold for an original price of $34. One seller has placed that item on eBay with a starting bid set at $225, allowing consumers to "Buy It Now" for $325. While the "Buy It Now" price represents a markup more than nine times higher than the original tag, it's also nearly $140 more than a similar dress on LillyPulitzer.com, which sells for $188.
NEW YORK -- Wall Street ended sharply higher on Monday after China moved to stimulate its slowing economy while cautious optimism about U.S. earnings lured investors into technology stocks ahead of upcoming earnings reports. In the second industry-wide cut in two months, China's central bank on Sunday reduced the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves in a move to help spur lending and combat slowing growth.
A 2.28 percent rise in Apple (AAPL) led the U.S. market higher, along with a 3.42 percent jump in IBM (IBM). After the bell, IBM posted March-quarter results that exceeded expectations, sending its shares up an additional 2.4 percent in extended trade. The Information technology component of the S&P 500 (^GSPC) closed up 1.79 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average (^DJI) rose 208.63 points, or 1.17 percent, to end at 18,034.93, the S&P 500 gained 19.22 points, or 0.92 percent, to 2,100.4 and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC) added 62.79 points, or 1.27 percent, to 4,994.60.
Focus on Tech Stocks
Other corporations reporting earnings this week include major technology names Facebook (FB), Google (GOOG), Qualcomm (QCOM), Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon.com (AMZN). The outlook for technology companies' profits has brightened modestly following reports from Intel (INTC) and Netflix (NFLX) last week and Check Point Software's (CHKP) report on Monday, which beat expectations. Its shares jumped 5.05 percent.
"People are thinking we've had three major tech companies do well, so maybe the others will do well also," said Donald Selkin, chief market strategist at National Securities in New York. "The danger is that when stocks rally ahead of an event, the bar gets set higher and it sets things up for disappointments."
Nearly 76 percent of the S&P 500 components that have reported earnings above analyst expectations, topping the 70 percent average in the last four quarters. But just 47 percent beat on revenue, compared to the 58 percent average.
The quarterly results of U.S. multinationals have been hurt by unusual strength in the dollar, which was up 0.44 percent against a basket of major currencies on Monday and has gained 8 percent so far in 2015.
Hasbro, Halliburton Up; Royal Caribbean Down
Hasbro (HAS) jumped 12.55 percent after the toymaker reported a surprise increase in revenue. Oilfield services company Halliburton (HAL) also rose after beating analysts' estimates. Royal Caribbean (RCL) ended down 8 percent after it reported a fall in revenue, saying a strong dollar hurt spending on its cruise ships.
Despite lackluster U.S. economic data, a world grappling with slow growth, and concern that Greece and Ukraine could default on their debt, the U.S. stock market has been resilient -- making it hard for short sellers. Major indices are less than 2 percent below record highs.
Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the NYSE by 2,134 to 881, for a 2.42-to-1 ratio on the upside; on the Nasdaq, 1,882 issues rose and 877 fell for a 2.15-to-1 ratio favoring advancers.
The benchmark S&P 500 posted two new 52-week highs and one new low; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 37 new highs and 43 new lows. About 5.5 billion shares changed hands on U.S. exchanges, below the 6.3 billion daily average for the month to date, according to BATS Global Markets.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
What to watch Tuesday:
The Labor Department releases state unemployment data for March at 10 a.m. Eastern time.
Earnings Season
These selected companies are scheduled to release quarterly financial results
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If you thought last year's "Share a Coke" campaign was clever -- putting personal names on 20-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola (KO) products -- you're probably not surprised to learn that the soft drink giant has bigger plans in store the second time around that will bring more names and drink containers into the fold. "Share a Coke" will be back this summer, and AdAge is reporting that Coca-Cola plans to take things to a higher level.
Last summer's campaign found Coca-Cola targeting teens and millennials by placing 250 different first names on Coke bottles, promoting share-themed hashtags to make the "Share a Coke" campaign go viral. Instead of personal names, the advice on the cans was to share the beverage with colloquial friend terms like Buddy, BFF or Superstar.
It worked. U.S. sales of carbonated beverages rose 2 percent during last summer's promotion relative to the same period a year earlier. A 2 percent uptick may not seem like much, but it actually reversed a decade of declines at Coca-Cola.
Pop Life
We're not drinking as many soft drinks as we used to. We've eased back on sugary soft drinks -- whether we're talking about soda sweetened by actual cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup -- fearing the health risks.
It gets worse. Diet sodas that should have taken the baton have been falling even harder in recent years on concerns about the artificial sweeteners.
It's not just the potential long-term health issues that have kept consumption in check. SodaStream (SODA) marketed its machine as a maker of non-diet soda that packed just a third of the calories, carbs, sugar and sodium used in Coke or Pepsi. That didn't resonate with the public, and its stateside sales have been falling sharply for more than a year.
It's a bleak snapshot. It explains why Coca-Cola and PepsiCo (PEP) have spent the past few years either acquiring or introducing new non-carbonated beverage product lines. It also helps draw attention to the first marketing stunt at Coca-Cola in years that has actually worked.
Going From Flat to Fizz
There will be some changes when the new personalized bottles and cans roll out in June. For starters, that database of 250 names will at least triple this time around, according to AdAge. If your name was too obscure for the first round, hope may spring eternal this time around.
Coca-Cola also expects to expand the personalized sharing messages beyond the 20-ounce bottles. It remains to be seen if that means that the gimmick will spread to the 2-liter bottles or into the two different can sizes.
It should work with folks trying that much harder to seek out their names. There was a bit of a cottage industry last year as collectors sold off some of the more unique monikers, and that should repeat with the broader Rolodex this time around.
The ramifications will be huge if sales go the other way. It will suggest that the public has tired of the one marketing campaign that has actually worked at Coca-Cola over the past decade. The carbonated beverage industry has a big problem, but for at least one more summer it won't be afraid to take names.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of SodaStream. The Motley Fool recommends Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and SodaStream. The Motley Fool owns shares of PepsiCo and SodaStream and has the following options: long January 2016 $37 calls on Coca-Cola and short January 2016 $37 puts on Coca-Cola. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Check out our free report on one great stock to buy for 2015 and beyond.
