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Instacart Is on the Wrong Path

March 12, 2016 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

The grocery delivery service Instacart is not doing so well

STATES CHRONICLE – Instacart is like the Uber of groceries. The startup has become popular almost instantly because it can be used to buy and get delivered products at home in just one hour using an app and a network of “shoppers”.

The company has a partnership with Whole Foods. Shoppers receive an order through the app and by order we mean a shopping least, they get everything and bring it to the given address in one hour tops.

Everything sounds great so far, except the company has started to ask a bit too much from its network of shoppers and drivers and the business seems to be steadily going down.

First of all, Instacart increased its customers’ fees. Then, they suspended the one-hour delivery service in New York, which was obviously one of their top “features”. But most important, they are imposing some strict policies to their shoppers, including what they have to wear or when they are allowed to listen to music.

If shoppers happen to breach the rules, they are on probation for a whole month. If they breach other rules after that, they pretty much risk getting fired. Therefore, the business doesn’t seem to be very friendly with its employees, which might bring it a lot of criticism even from customers.

In their endeavor to standardize operations, they convened a series of meetings in which they presented the new policies. Some of the new regulations include terms of delivery such as not providing one-hour deliveries anymore or only delivering in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, but not Long Island, Staten Island or Bronx.

Employees are thinking the company is in trouble as they don’t understand why suddenly they’re imposed such strict regulations. Plus, in December 2015, Instacart increased delivery fees by 50% and announced hiring fewer people in 2016.

However, until these announcements were made, everything seemed to go well with the groceries delivery company. At the beginning of 2015, the company reached $220 million growth in series C funding. Plus it was reported that they had secured an investment from Whole Foods only last month.

Although Instacart might have been a successful business, it seems that it is struggling now just as many other start-ups are doing. According to economists, many startups are having trouble because people have invested based on momentum and not considering what is now happening with the economy.

Image source: www.bing.com

How Oysters Could Have Saved New York

March 11, 2016 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

Between 1600 and 1800 the oyster consumption was incredibly high in N.Y.

STATES CHRONICLE – When Hurricane Sandy caused massive flooding, and huge waves came crashing into the harbor back in 2012, the natural protection New York had left was completely destroyed. But it seems that a big part of this natural shield was already long gone, which is why the hurricane managed to do so much damage in the first place.

According to a new study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Massachusetts, starting with the 16^th century, European settlers picked up oysters from their reefs until by the beginning of the 20^th century, the reef covering 350 square miles was completely gone.

Although it was clear that colonists had done something to increase the number of storm-induced flooding, the researchers were having troubling figuring out what was they did exactly. But when taking into consideration the massive oyster consumption which decimated oyster beds in the New York Harbor, something clicked.

The natural barrier existing in the ocean just off the coast of New York disappeared because people were either eating it or using it for their crops, or using it as mortar in constructions. The worst part is that this natural barrier could have actually stopped most of the flooding happening in time. The damage caused costs over $40 billion in repairs.

Being all in one place and forming a strong barrier, the oysters could stop wave energy and also represent a filter for water pollution, feeding on microorganisms. The researchers simulated a storm with an oyster bed and without to see the impact it can have on the city. They found that the wave energy hitting the shore was up to 200 percent higher than it was when the reef was present.

When officials finally enforced a law against oyster trade, it was already too late for the New York reef. New Yorkers have then started to import oysters from Maryland. And now, Maryland is in danger of becoming “oysterless”. This is why, authorities decided to build ten reefs, each one of them having over 1 billion oysters which will be protected from fishing. In this way, the oyster population will thrive again, and the coast will also be more protected.

Image source: nypost.com

Hatchet NYPD Attacker Acted Alone, Police Says

October 25, 2014 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

The man who attacked a group of New York Police Department officers is believed to have acted alone, Police Commissioner assured. The man was shot dead by officers.

“We at this time believe that he acted alone. We would describe him as self-radicalized. We would describe him as self-directed in his activities.”

Bill Bratton, Police Commissioner said in a Friday statement.

The police commissioner was then asked by reporters if Zale Thompson, the man in question, could be considered a homegrown terrorist or what reporters called “a lone wolf”. At this point, investigators replied, it seems that terror was Thompson’s only intent. However, police highlighted the fact that the investigation is still in its preliminary stages.

Two officers were injured in Thursday’s assault in Queens. Officer Kenneth Healy is in critical (yet stable) condition after having suffered a head injury, while Officer Joseph Meeker is being treated for his wounded arm.

In light of the attack, Police obtained a search warrant so that further clues could be sought on Thompson’s computer. According to his social media activity, Thompson was a convert to Islam. Many comments included rants about injustices occurring in the American society as well as oppression abroad. However, there was nothing that indicated a direct connection to any of the known terror groups, investigators said.

“The common thread going through those conversations are anti-western, anti-government, and in some cases anti-white,”

John Miller, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counter-terrorism said.

Miller added that in recent days, Thompson had visited:

“websites that are focused on designated terrorist groups — al-Qaida, ISIS and al-Shabaab — as well as looking at different acts of violence.”

Thursday’s attack involved Thompson charging towards the four officers with an 18-inch hatchet. The officers had been posing for a photograph by a freelance artist. One of the officers was struck in the head and another in the arm. Immediately, the two other officers opened fire, killing the attacker. Everything happened in less than 10 seconds, Bratton claims.

“Those officers exhibited extraordinary bravery and skill in not only taking down an individual who was intent on killing them but also rendering first aid immediately to their fallen comrade,”

he added.

The attack, was described by Mayor de Blasio as a vicious act by a troubled individual.

During the crossfire, a 29-year-old woman was hit by police and is now also recovering at the hospital. Her condition: critical, but stable.

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