Karl Lagerfeld's death could signal the beginning of the end of the ultra-hands-on designer as a high-profile face of a brand, as the star-driven model gives way to more collaborative efforts, industry insiders said. "Most people could not name the CEOs of the big brands, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a truly wildly successful brand now that isn't a partnership of the designer and the CEO," fashion writer Christina Binkley said.
Toyota continues to expand its use of the Toyota Production System and is likely to incorporate agile principles, says Toyota Connected agile chief Nigel Thurlow. "One of the key values from the agile manifesto is responding to change over following a plan," he says.
A Minnesota school district has expanded STEM teaching strategies -- problem solving, critical thinking and inquiry-based learning -- to all three of its elementary schools. The district has a three-year professional development plan to incorporate the instructional style that includes staff development meetings and guidance from teacher leaders.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed allowing a wider range of companies to use the "test-the-waters" process, which lets prospective stock issuers discuss offerings with likely investors before bringing a deal to market. The process bars companies with more than $1 billion in yearly revenue.
Kroger will add robot-equipped Ocado warehouses in central Florida and the mid-Atlantic region in addition to its planned facility in Ohio, the company announced. Kroger plans to develop 20 of the "sheds," designed with Britain's Ocado, to offer high-speed fulfillment.
The World Health Organization reported that the number of measles cases worldwide totaled 229,068 in 2018, nearly two times more than in 2017, and that figure is expected to rise as final reports from the year trickle in. The organization said vaccine coverage has stalled at 85%, well below the 95% threshold required to prevent outbreaks, and second-dose coverage is 67%.
Some 83% of American adults say they know that brands "actively track their location data," and 63% say they're aware that their personal data is used by marketers, Blis has found in a survey. One-third of respondents say they have blocked location tracking, 38% say they sometimes enable it, and 29% say they allow their locations to be permanently tracked.
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There is no doubt trade restrictions and tariffs would force change within supply chains, but the uncertainty they've created thus far will alter global supply chains going forward, writes Willy Shih. Concerns from the US regarding overdependence on China, emerging manufacturing in China and regional focus on goods-producing supply chains will change the way supply chains operate, Shih adds.
Sony may release the PlayStation 5 by the end of 2020, based on company release history, which has the longest gap between new consoles being seven years, writes Sam Byford. Sony may choose to release the new console when the PS4's profitability starts to fall, which Sony estimates will occur by March 2021, Byford adds.
An analysis of claims data and FDA documents from 2012 to 2017 found that the FDA, physicians and drugmakers mishandled the distribution of the powerful opioid painkiller fentanyl and allowed the drug to be inappropriately prescribed to thousands of patients despite agreeing to special measures and monitoring to safeguard its use. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that 34.6% to 55.4% of patients who received the painkiller should not have gotten it.
Verizon has tapped CEO Hans Vestberg to become its board chairman as of March 8, replacing Lowell McAdam, who will retire after having served seven years in the position but will stay on the board until the May 2 shareholders' meeting. The company also named former Darden Restaurants CEO Clarence Otis as lead director.
US homebuilder sentiment reached its highest point in four months during February, according to the National Association of Home Builders. One of the biggest challenges facing the home construction and remodeling businesses right now is a lack of young labor entering the industry, said National Kitchen & Bath Association CEO Bill Darcy.
The Interior Department leased over 1.5 million acres for drilling in 2018 with a new high of $1.1 billion in lease sales, but President Donald Trump's rush to open up more land for oil and natural gas projects has drawn the ire of environmentalists and some lawmakers. Bobby McEnaney of the Natural Resources Defense Council says government officials' efforts "to lease as much as they can as fast as they can" risk the integrity of areas that are "too sensitive to drill."
Opportunity, one of NASA's Mars rovers, has been silent since June, and after sending one last call to the robot Tuesday with no response, NASA says Opportunity is dead. The rover had been working on Mars since 2004, even though its original mission was intended to last three months.
American Airlines launched six new domestic routes between Feb. 14 and 16, including daily service between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Texas' San Antonio International Airport; twice daily service between New York's La Guardia Airport and Tennessee's McGhee Tyson Airport near Knoxville; and daily service between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in the D.C. suburb of Arlington, Virginia, and Oklahoma's Will Rogers World Airport.