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<keyword id="320433" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shivani-Hegde">Shivani Hegde</keyword>, who made Maggi a household name in India, is back to rescue it. As brand Maggi is going through troubled times, Nestle Global CEO Paul Bulcke has called Hegde back from Sri Lanka temporarily for damage control.<br />
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Hegde is a member of the parent company's global marketing leadership council and took over as head of Nestle in Sri Lanka four months back.<br />
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She will come to India with a mission, to re-build brand Maggi.<br />
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Economic Times reported earlier that the country's longest-serving custodian for any brand and a Nestle veteran of three decades, Hegde took Maggi through brand extensions into new categories and variants, shifted the advertising angle from taste to health and widened distribution. This made Maggi available across the country, even its remote corners, leading to a 70%-plus share of the noodle market.<br />
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Hegde is an economics graduate and holds a master's degree holder from Faculty of Management Studies.<br />
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She joined Nestle as management trainee and was elevated as managing director of Nestle's Sri Lanka business in January.<br />
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She's married to Arun Hegde, former managing director of Wrigley's, who quit the confectionery maker in 2007 to start his own consultancy.<br />
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"She made Maggi a household name and brought in a bottom-of-the pyramid connect to the brand without alienating upmarket consumers —that's been her X factor," a top executive of a food company who knows her closely but declined to be identified told ET, adding “but she remains extremely low-profile in the public space and somewhat risk averse."<br />
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On this news, Hegde didn't comment anything beyond helping out by reading a question.<br />
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Hedge is expected to meet government officials and regulators along with the parent company's executives and she will be looking to overhaul consumer engagement in print, television and social media.<br />
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“Hegde is precise about what she wants,” Emmanuel Upputuru, national creative director at ad agency Publicis in 2007-12 told ET.<br />
 <br /> Hegde could not be reached for comment. One of her rare interviews was to ET five years ago. What she told ET then helps explain why Bulcke and <keyword id="6356830" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nestle-India">Nestle India</keyword> CEO Etienne Benet needed to bring her back for this operation.<br />
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"Maggi has worked hard to create and grow the market in the past 25 years, and what it has achieved is not easy — it's a tough job," she'd told the financial caily in 2010. She had said that the connect with the consumer was a very strong asset that is not easy to replicate.<br />
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(Image: Indiatimes)<br />

Shivani Hegde comes back to rescue her baby-Maggi

<br /> Finding itself dipped in soup, <keyword id="75190" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nestle">Nestle</keyword>’s brand of noodle, Maggi has switched on it’s 2-minute damage control mode. The social media storm over unsafe consumption of Maggi due to high content of controversial ingredient monosodium glutamate (MSG) seemed to have no ending.<br />
Nestle defended it saying, the batch was manufactured in February 2014 and had reached the best-before date in November. One batch contains about 200,000 packs. As per a news report in The Economic Times the company has said its practice is to collect stock near the expiry date from distributors and retailers.<br />
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A huge furore on media broke out on April 30 when the food authorities in Lucknow asked Nestle to recall one batch of Maggi noodles after tests showed it contained seven times higher levels of lead than permissible and traces of MSG.<br />
<br /> On being asked by the financial daily, a Nestle <keyword id="6357308" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="spokesperson">spokesperson</keyword> said over email, “"We are confident that these packs are no longer in the market. The company does not agree with the order and is filing the requisite representations with the authorities.”<br />
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There are no other orders to recall Maggi noodles in the market, the company said. "We have in place strict food safety and quality controls including thorough quality checks at each stage of our raw material sourcing and manufacturing process. This includes comprehensive testing to ensure that Maggi noodles comply with all applicable food safety laws," the statement added.<br />
<br /> While many <keyword id="2863866" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tweeteratti">Tweeteratti</keyword> felt nostalgic learning about the ban on their saviour of midnight hunger Maggi, Nestle said that it regularly checks its quality as part of quality control process.<br />
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The company told the ET, it doesn't add MSG to Maggi noodles sold in India and this is stated on the product. "However, we use hydrolysed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour to make Maggi noodles sold in India, which all contain glutamate. We believe that the authorities' tests may have detected glutamate, which occurs naturally in many foods," the company said.<br />
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 (Image: India Times)<br />

Maggi took 2 minutes to turn on its damage control mode. Says they don’t use MSG at all

<br /> Alike it’s delicious variant of soupy noodles, <keyword id="6369404" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Maggi">Maggi</keyword> noodles is in a concentrated soup and there seems no 2 minute respite anytime soon. A week later after reports detecting high content of lead in one batch of Maggi has stirred up a controversy, <keyword id="6356830" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nestle-India">Nestle India</keyword> has initiated a quick damage control. Asking the retailers not to panic, Maggi has been putting up logics to defend its move, a news report by The Economic Times has claimed.<br />
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 <br /> “The order to recall the Maggi batch is for February 2014, which anyway would have got expired in November 2014," <keyword id="75190" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nestle">Nestle</keyword> wrote to retailers. "This is an order from the state agency and no central agency has passed any orders," it said. reviewed a copy of the communication. <br />
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The ET reviewed a copy of the communication where it has been further said, "This is an order from the state agency and no central agency has passed any orders.”<br />
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 <br /> "The news of lead is yet to be verified in the second test. The amount of any such substance is so small in any food product that even the slightest of error in test results might give incorrect results," the note said. In an email response to the ET, a Nestle India <keyword id="6357308" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="spokesperson">spokesperson</keyword> said, "Some recent reports in the media about Maggi noodles are confusing people and we are working to clear the confusion as soon as possible. We are confident of our product and are sharing this confidence with our consumers and trade. It is too early to assess any impact on sales."<br /> However, insiders’ report to the financial daily has shown a significant drop in the sales of Maggi ranging from 10-40% since last week. Sales at stores in metros and bigger cities have been specially impacted because a lot of the current controversy has escalated on social media like <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> and <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword>," sources have confirmed the ET.<br />
 <br /> The brand accounts for close to 30% of Nestle's sales in the country. National food regulator <keyword id="109212" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Food-Safety">Food Safety</keyword> and <keyword id="179673" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Standards-Authority-of-India">Standards Authority of India</keyword> (FSSAI) has initiated sample tests of Maggi noodles across other parts of the country, including <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> and Mumbai and Nagpur. <br />
<br /> Defending its flagship brand strongly, Nestle said Maggi noodles comply with applicable food and safety laws as well as the company's own standards of quality and safety before they reach consumers. Its <keyword id="122238" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Spokesman">spokesman</keyword> said Nestle has made a representation to the Uttar Pradesh authorities and has submitted large number of product samples to an independent accredited laboratory to independently evaluate the product. <br />
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"We will share the initial results soon and will continue to update as new results are received," the spokesperson told ET. In its communication to retailers, Nestle urged them not to be defensive if any customer talks about the controversy. "Nestle is a big enough company and will come clean out of it. Please don't get into any sort of communication or opinion without legal guidance," it said. <br />
<br /> Industry experts, however, say the controversy could have a severe long-term impact on brand trust. "In a case of this magnitude, both parties should make their reports public. In case the authorities have <keyword id="6370579" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="proof">proof</keyword> that the product in the market is tainted and unsafe, then they will likely initiate a public recall and initiate a probe in the matter," said <keyword id="2867937" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashwin-Bhadri">Ashwin Bhadri</keyword>, <keyword id="2867416" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-auditor">food auditor</keyword> and business relations head at <keyword id="1459500" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Equinox-Labs">Equinox Labs</keyword>, which works closely with the FSSAI, on compliance issues. <br />
 <br /> (Image: <keyword id="-101" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Times">India Times</keyword>)<br />

Maggi is in a soup. But it won’t give up without a fight

<br /> The Friday morning <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> had ‘MaggiBan’ trending in a different way. While till date it was the state governments taking decision to ban the instant noodles, it is the first time when <keyword id="75190" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nestle">Nestle</keyword>, the makers of Maggi have officially decided to put their products off the shelves. Having created a lot of hullabaloo over usage of lead in the Maggi Masala above prescribed limit, Nestle’s decision to keep Maggi out of the market is being assumed as an emergency damage control measure.<br />
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"The trust of our consumers and the safety of our products is our first priority," the group said in a press statement.<br />
<br /> "Unfortunately, recent developments and unfounded concerns about the product have led to an <keyword id="6356826" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="environment">environment</keyword> of confusion for the consumer, to such an extent that we have decided to withdraw the product off the shelves, despite the product being safe." <br />
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Putting Maggi off the market isn’t enough for Nestle. The Swiss company has asked the local executives in India not to talk publicly about developments. Sources have confirmed The Economic Times, They have been told not to engage directly with stakeholders, trade partners, dealers and distributors without approval. "Any engagement needs to be approved and vetted by the company's legal team only," said one of the officials mentioned above.<br /> <keyword id="6356830" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nestle-India">Nestle India</keyword>'s contribution to the Swiss firm's global revenues is barely 1.8%. The Maggi brand contributes about a third of the Indian unit's annual sales of Rs 9,500 crore. <br /> "India is an emotional country... the reaction to this issue can't be clinical or detached, which is how it is coming across so far," <keyword id="5645" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="CEO">CEO</keyword> of a top multinational consumer goods firm told the ET. The financial daily couldn’t reach Nestle for immediate comment. <br />
<br /> "This was the fastest growing segment for Nestle over the past few years and was reporting positive volume growth compared to the decline reported by the company's other business segments," Abneesh Roy, <keyword id="150418" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="associate-director">associate director</keyword> at <keyword id="6375566" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Edelweiss-Securities">Edelweiss Securities</keyword> told the ET. "Hence, in the light of the recent news we downgrade the stock to 'reduce' from 'hold' and rate it sector 'sector underperformer'." <br />
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Reviving the brand will involve investing heavily in communications. "Legal costs/promotions will also inch up, which will take a toll on margins," Roy added. <br />
<br /> (Image: <keyword id="-101" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Times">India Times</keyword>)<br />

#MaggiBan: Nestle discontinues Maggi from the market. Nestle employees keeping mum

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Fox <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword></span></p><p class="caption">Donald Trump Jr. on Fox News.</p></div><p></p></div></div>There's one outlier who could derail attempts to regulate President Donald Trump's media diet and his name is Donald Trump, Jr.</p><p>That was the assertion of an anonymous source close to the Trump administration who was <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/amphtml/adriancarrasquillo/pro-trump-media-bristles-as-john-kelly-limits-what-gets-to">cited in a BuzzFeed News report</a> on Thursday evening.</p><p>Trump's chief of staff, John Kelly, is set on regulating the types of news stories the president consumes, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/24/john-kelly-trump-control-241967">Politico first reported</a> earlier Thursday. It's part of Kelly's effort to whip into shape what has largely been an unruly White House, and an undisciplined West Wing, where sometimes-unvetted information from questionable sources has reached Trump's desk.</p><p>Regulating the flow of information is a gargantuan task, considering Trump has a documented history of side-stepping advisers and going his own way, The New York Times' Maggie Haberman <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/24/us/politics/trump-white-house-kelly-memos.html?smid=tw-share&amp;_r=1">wrote</a> on Thursday.</p><p>While speaking to BuzzFeed about the effort, the unnamed source close to the administration said "Don Jr is a huge problem," suggesting the president's eldest son is still capable of getting information into the Oval Office.</p><p>"He needs to be a galaxy away from that place," the source said.</p><p>Trump Jr. has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mike-cernovich-kellyanne-conway-donald-trump-jr-2017-4">praised some conspiracy theorists</a> in the past, and has echoed his father's criticisms of stalwart news outlets like The New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN, who he believes are biased against Trump.</p><p>Trump Jr. has been mired in scandal in recent months, following revelations that he - along with Jared Kushner, former campaign manager Paul Manafort and several others - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/who-else-was-in-the-room-when-trump-jr-met-with-the-russian-lawyer-2017-7">met with a Kremlin-linked Russian lawyer</a> in June 2016 on the belief that they would receive information that was damaging to Hillary Clinton.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-blames-both-sides-charlottesville-press-conference-neo-nazis-protest-2017-8">'What about the alt-left?': Trump melts down and blames both sides for Charlottesville</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

There's one 'huge problem' in the quest to control Trump's media diet

<ul class="summary-list"><li>GOP leaders are seeking out wealthy Senate candidates to counter Democratic fundraising successes.</li><li>As Republicans look to 2024, they could face another cycle where Democrats vastly outraise them.</li></ul><p>Republicans thought 2022 would be their year.</p><p>With a cascade of polling that <a href="https://morningconsult.com/2022/10/13/bidens-net-approval-rating-is-underwater-in-45-states/">showed</a> President Joe Biden's approval ratings largely mired in the 40s and voters <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/07/13/bidens-job-rating-slumps-as-publics-view-of-economy-turns-more-negative/">dissatisfied</a> with the direction of the country, most observers felt a "red wave" was imminent.</p><p>But it didn't materialize.</p><p>While Republicans flipped the House of Representatives — albeit narrowly — they came up short in the Senate, losing key races in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.</p><p>But as the GOP looks to 2024, party leaders are seeking out wealthy, self-funding candidates who can go up against the robust fundraising operation that helped Democrats win control of the upper chamber in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/22/national-republicans-senate-candidates-rich-00088199">according to Politico</a>.</p><p>Per the Politico report, at least ten GOP candidates are weighing launching self-funded Senate candidacies in competitive swing states after being encouraged to do so by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.</p><p>Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines, the chairman of the NRSC, is putting a focus on potential candidates who can either spend money on their own campaigns or possess strong fundraising abilities, according to a source with knowledge of the senator's thinking who spoke to Politico.</p><p>"It's helpful," Daines told the news outlet. "We've got some work to do to catch up."</p><p>Scouting for self-funding candidates is not a new phenomenon for either Democrats or Republicans. But high-profile Democratic candidates like Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan easily outpaced their opponents in fundraising, which helped them define their own candidacies and buttressed them against Biden's less-than-stellar approval ratings.</p><p>Warnock raised $180.9 million in his successful reelection bid, while his GOP opponent, former NFL star Herschel Walker, took in $73.2 million, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2022&amp;id=GAS2">according to OpenSecrets</a>. Hassan <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2022&amp;id=NHS1">raised</a> $41.6 million for her winning campaign, while Republican Don Bolduc only raked in $4.2 million.</p><p>Last year, Democratic Senate nominees in the six most competitive races outraised their GOP counterparts by $288 million, per Politico.</p><p>And Republicans, who have come to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/17/politics/senate-republican-super-pac-ad-spending/index.html">rely heavily</a> on super PACs in recent years, are adjusting accordingly to recruit candidates in states where they'll need to knock off vulnerable Democratic incumbents to win back the Senate.</p><div type="image" title="David McCormick" height="683" width="1024" msid="98999588" hostid="261" sizebytes="69858"></div><h2>'Won't be solved overnight'</h2><p>In Montana, Republican leaders want Bridger Aerospace chief executive Tim Sheehy — a former Navy SEAL and multimillionaire who could self-fund his own campaign — to challenge three-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester next year, Politico reported. And the outlet reported that GOP officials are also hoping to convince wealthy West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice to run against Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.</p><p>Manchin, a moderate who sometimes breaks with the Biden administration on energy and environmental issues, recently <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/3884985-manchin-says-hell-decide-his-political-future-in-december/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that he won't announce any reelection plans until December.</p><p>Republican leaders are also interested in former hedge fund chief executive <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mccormick-oz-casey-pennsylvania-republicans-2024-senate-campaign-2022-6">David McCormick</a> potentially running for the Senate in Pennsylvania again after he narrowly lost the 2022 GOP nomination to Dr. Mehmet Oz, Politico reported. (The incumbent Democrat, Sen. Bob Casey Jr., has not yet announced if he will seek a fourth term in office.)</p><p>Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and former talk show host, appealed to many GOP donors last year due to his ability to self-fund his campaign. The well-known doctor poured $26.8 million of his own funds into his unsuccessful Senate campaign, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/02/top-self-funding-congressional-candidates-were-among-the-2022-midterm-election-cycles-biggest-losers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to OpenSecrets</a>.</p><p>But in the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/results-john-fetterman-mehmet-oz-pennsylvania-us-senate-election-2022-11">general election</a>, Oz was still unable to beat now-Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who ran a populist campaign and performed strongly in cities and suburban areas across the state.</p><p>And in Ohio, state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-senate-races-2024-election-landscape-democrats-republicans-2023-1">entered the GOP Senate primary </a>after losing last year's party primary to now-Sen. JD Vance. Dolan, who put more than $10.5 million into his 2022 Senate bid, could face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.</p><p>Other names the outlet reported being floated as potential candidates in other states include: <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/07/12/karrin-taylor-robson-arizona-governors-office-primary-election-2022/7500211001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karrin Taylor Robson</a>, an Arizona attorney who lost the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nomination to former journalist Kari Lake, and Eric Hovde, a Wisconsin real estate executive.</p><p>Republicans know they'll likely face a well-oiled Democratic fundraising juggernaut in 2024, which could be amplified by Biden's potential reelection campaign, and are seeking quality candidates across the board. And with the possibility of former President Donald Trump once again heading the Republican ticket in 2024, GOP candidates may also have to navigate the former president's conduct on the campaign trail with their own campaign messages.</p><p>Democratic politicians like Sens. Brown, Tester and Casey, along with Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, were all <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/races/summary?cycle=2018&amp;id=PAS2">solid fundraisers</a> during the 2018 cycle, with each lawmaker raising at least $21 million in their respective races, according to campaign finance data. Still, Brown and Tester will face electorates that have a decidedly conservative bent; Casey and Baldwin, if they run in 2024, would run in states that have been more hospitable to electing Democrats statewide in recent years.</p><p>During a recent <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2024-race-is-on/id1535384390?i=1000605522057" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on the conservative podcast "Ruthless," Sen. Daines <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-senate-minority-rest-decade-nrsc-chair-steve-daines-2023-3">warned</a> that Republicans would need to win the Senate contests in Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia or the party would be "in the minority" through the rest of the decade. The Montana lawmaker reiterated the importance of nominating candidates who can win primaries and appeal to the broader electorate.</p><p>Other Republicans are also echoing Daines' calls for the GOP to put forward more viable candidates.</p><p>"Republicans face an existential crisis that won't be solved overnight, but we still need to figure out how to mitigate the damage in the short term," former NRSC executive director Kevin McLaughlin told Politico. "Recruiting strong candidates who can both self-fund and win general elections is a great first step."</p>

Republicans are seeking wealthy, self-funding candidates to help the party win a Senate majority in 2024, report says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg spoke with Insider about the first half of the season and what's next.</li><li>Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "Fear <keyword id="952399" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="The-Walking-Dead">the Walking Dead</keyword>," season six, episode seven, "Damage from the Inside."</li><li>The episode's title is a hint at why Strand (Colman Domingo) doesn't go with Morgan (Lennie James) and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) by the end of Sunday's episode.</li><li>We will learn who saved Morgan in the episodes to come and they may have an agenda against Ginny (Colbie Minifie).</li><li>Chambliss said the latter half of season six will continue to explore Sherry's PTSD.</li></ul><p>"<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/fear-twd">Fear the Walking Dead</a>" ended a pretty stellar half-season run on Sunday night with Morgan (Lennie James) reuniting most of his group and fans finally knowing that Grace (Karen David) is alive and well.</p><p>But it wasn't supposed to be the mid-season finale. "Fear" was in the process of filming the original finale back in March when <a href="https://deadline.com/2020/03/coronavirus-norman-reedus-walking-dead-shutdown-spinoff-kevin-can-f-himself-amc-1202882946/">production on the show came to a halt</a>.</p><p>"We were a couple of days shy of finishing production on 608 when the pandemic shut us down," coshowrunner and executive producer Andrew Chambliss told Insider. </p><p>Insider caught up with Chambliss and coshowrunner and executive producer Ian Goldberg to get real about why the show feels completely different this season and how the title of Sunday's episode connects to Strand's (Colman Domingo) difficult decision by the end of the mid-season finale. </p><p>The duo also told us we'll finally learn who saved Morgan later this season, weighed in on our dream for a "<keyword id="10243932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fear-twd">Fear TWD</keyword>" and "Walking Dead" merger, and told us how the latter half of the season — which is currently filming — was tweaked in light of the pandemic.</p><h2><strong>The showrunners said </strong><strong>'Fear TWD' is good again because in season six they reinvented the series.</strong></h2><div type="image" title="feartwd 607 alicia" height="4047" width="6072" msid="79361567" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Insider: I don't know what changed, but holy cow. This first half of season six is the best "Fear" has been since season three. If you recall, I was <a href="https://www.insider.com/fear-twd-showunners-discuss-cliffhanger-season-5-finale-2019-9">giving you guys a bit of a hard time at the end of season five</a>. What changed? And don't say it was just turning it into an anthology.</strong></p><p><strong>Andrew Chambliss:</strong> Our intention at the end of season five was to bring our characters to kind of their most optimistic place and then tear the rug out from under them and test them in ways that we had never seen them tested before and take everyone to kind of the depths of who they are. Then [you] see who breaks down in those situations, who thrives, who can rise above it.</p><p>So I think just by virtue of the fact that we separated everyone and we took away their control and their agency, it really forced us to dig down deep with these characters and really examine who they are, who they want to be, who they think they can become. That I think is what has been so exciting about the storytelling and has led to some really interesting stuff coming out of these characters.</p><p><strong>I heard that maybe some people on the show were a little frustrated with their character directions and how they were acting a bit out of character. I'm not going to name names, but maybe that feedback helped guide and inspire a revitalization in the show because, guys, it's fricking good. It's like I'm watching an entirely different show. Characters are acting in ways that they should be. Strand is back to being Strand. Alicia's not painting trees. Is there anything else that you guys can can say there? </strong></p><p><strong>Ian Goldberg:</strong> We're obviously constantly talking to the cast and we say this every season, but it really is true: Every eight episodes we try and reinvent the show, with every season, with every half season. And I think the re-invention with season six, maybe it's just more pronounced than it has been between seasons before because it is such a total shift from season five and the brightness and optimism that the characters were going through.</p><p>Like Andrew said, that's been exciting for us because it's about taking the characters from their highest highs to their lowest lows and seeing how they react when they've all been kicked in the teeth, which I think has been super exciting. And it's been fun to have those conversations with the cast as well because they're getting to play entirely different shades of these characters. </p><h2><strong>Sunday night's episode wasn't supposed to be the mid-season finale. </strong></h2><div type="image" title="grace feartwd 607" height="727" width="1211" msid="79361569" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>I forgot that [this episode], 607, was going to be the mid-season finale because we're so used to having eight. Are you guys a bit bummed that this is where we ended the half? Or are you guys happy with the end point? I'm not sure if 608 would have felt more like a true mid-season finale, but I think that this works. </strong></p><p><strong>Chambliss: </strong>The plan had been for 608 to be the mid-season finale and then, of course, the world decided that wasn't going to happen. We were a couple of days shy of finishing production on 608 when the pandemic shut us down. I think in looking at the storytelling, it is a very good place to leave on a cliffhanger because we have some open questions about what these characters are going to do.</p><p>It really seems like we're at the precipice of Virginia backed into a corner where she's got to act. And then the next couple of episodes when we return are going to answer a lot of those questions and those episodes kind of stand as their own little kind of anthology story within the greater whole. </p><h2><strong>The pandemic changed the next nine episodes of 'Fear TWD,' but not too much. Expect to see less extras, though.</strong></h2><div type="image" title="fear twd 607 walkers" height="759" width="1341" msid="79361571" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>You guys have been killing it in terms of quality. My fear was that filming during COVID-19 may impact the storytelling. Did you have to rethink how you're filming these upcoming nine episodes? Do they feel a little bit different? Did you rewrite things at all? </strong></p><p><strong>Goldberg:</strong> What's interesting is that because we had been writing them in the anthology model before COVID hit, the scripts did not need to be retooled as much as they would have been if they were all big ensemble episodes. So, in a strange way, we were writing COVID-friendly episodes before COVID.</p><p>That's not to say we haven't had to make some adjustments here and there for safety. There's still issues of how many extras we can use in a scene or how many walkers, things like that. But the stories really remained pretty much unchanged, which has been a blessing. </p><h2><strong>We'll see more of Sherry's personal trauma play out.</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="feartwd sherry dwight 603" height="1333" width="2000" msid="79361573" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p><strong>Something that was unexpected that I loved, and that a lot of fans were receptive to this half season, was <a href="https://www.insider.com/fear-twd-christine-evanglista-talks-sherry-ptsd-negan">diving into Sherry's PTSD from her time with Negan</a>. I was shocked, but happy that you guys broached this. It's such a timely story. How did you guys decide to tackle this and how much deeper can we expect you guys to explore Sherry's PTSD?</strong></p><p><strong>Chambliss:</strong> It just seemed like the story that needed to be told for her. We got to see Dwight deal with so much of that on screen, both on "The Walking Dead" and his journey to "Fear," that it seemed like we would really be leaving out a big part of her story if we found Sherry in a much better place — if we saw her already past all that trauma. It's definitely something that we're going to continue as the season goes on.</p><h2><strong>Goldberg admits the reason why Strand didn't go with Morgan and Alicia is because he's walking a 'constant tightrope.'</strong></h2><div type="image" title="strand fear twd 607" height="772" width="1363" msid="79361574" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>On Sunday's episode, is Strand making the wrong call by not going with Morgan and Alicia? Why doesn't he go? I have two theories because Strand is a complicated man: He's being selfish and he believes Ginny is his best chance of survival or maybe Strand wants to be the man on the inside and is playing the long game.</strong></p><p><strong>Goldberg:</strong> I think both those theories are valid and to speak to the second one, Strand has been talking about doing damage from the inside since the end of season five. That's what the title of this episode is all about. It's why he separated himself from Alicia at the end of episode 602. It's ultimately also why he killed Sanjay in that episode because he needed to curry favor with Virginia.</p><p>I think the constant tightrope that Strand is walking is while he's doing this damage from the inside, is he destroying his relationships with the people he cares about the most and is he going down a path he can't walk back from? So that's the really fascinating thing about Strand this season.</p><h2>We will learn who saved Morgan by the end of season six.</h2><div type="image" title="feartwd 601 morgan jones letter" height="814" width="1447" msid="79361575" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>In the back half of the season, will we learn who saved Morgan? Yes or no answer here is fine.</strong><strong> And the person who saved Morgan — Is there a chance it may be someone who has an agenda against Ginny, as in, someone who maybe had a reason to keep Morgan alive?</strong></p><p><strong>Chambliss:</strong> I think the answer to both those questions is yes.</p><p><strong>Insider: Very succinct, Andrew.</strong></p><h2><strong>Are we heading towards a merger between 'TWD' and 'Fear TWD?' Well, maybe.</strong></h2><div type="image" title="twd 1016 maggie" height="2000" width="3000" msid="79361578" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>With "The Walking Dead" ending in 2022, are we heading towards an inevitable merger between "Fear" and "TWD"? This key to the future stuff on "TWD" with Maggie's group is certainly starting to feel like it could be part of Ginny's group. Here's what I see: I see Ginny getting taken out, Morgan and Strand taking over, and then working with Georgie and Maggie. That's my dream right there.</strong></p><p><strong>Goldberg: </strong>You just gave us a great roadmap for the rest of it [<em>Laughs</em>]. We should be writing this down.</p><p><strong>It's recorded. [<em>Laughs</em>] I'll send it to you.</strong></p><h2><strong>What's next for 'Fear TWD?' A Ginny and Morgan confrontation and more of the 'end is the beginning' folks.</strong></h2><p><strong><div type="image" title="morgan ginny feartwd 601" height="600" width="1200" msid="79361579" hostid="261"></div></strong></p><p><strong>What can you tease for the nine episodes ahead? The gang's almost all back together. Are we gearing up for — excuse my "Walking Dead" pun — but "All Out War" on "Fear of the Walking Dead?" I'm getting some season eight "TWD" vibes.</strong></p><p><strong>Goldberg:</strong> Well, we're certainly gearing up for a confrontation between Morgan and Virginia. They haven't spoken since 601. Morgan told Ginny over the walkie that she was dealing with somebody else now and we are going to get the bookend to that moment coming up in the next few episodes.</p><p><strong>Chambliss:</strong> The other element that we've hinted at, and Virginia's been worried about, is this group who remains mysterious now, but has been leaving these messages — "The end is the beginning" — all around the apocalyptic landscape. They will definitely be rearing their heads. </p><p><em>"Fear TWD" will return to <keyword id="6358378" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="amc">AMC</keyword> next year. You can <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/the-walking-dead">follow our "TWD" coverage here</a>.</em></p>

'Fear TWD' showrunners tease we'll finally learn who saved Morgan, how the rest of the season changed due to the pandemic, and what changed to make the show good again

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is on thin ice after admitting last week that President <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-donald-trump-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> held up Ukraine military aid because he wanted a politically motivated investigation into Democrats.</li><li>The White House has been doing damage control since then, but one Republican strategist in frequent contact with the White House told Insider its efforts were like "trying to put toothpaste back in the tube."</li><li>Still, Mulvaney is unlikely to be axed any time soon for two main reasons.</li><li>First, the White House is reportedly struggling to find people to replace Mulvaney. Second, Trump is likely aware that he's better off having Mulvaney on the inside rather than the outside.</li><li>"The calculus right now for the White House is they want to be on the outs with as few people as possible," the GOP strategist said. "A couple of days of negative press is preferable to handing the Democrats another cooperating witness."</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Mick Mulvaney is on thin ice.</p><p>The acting White House chief of staff sparked a public firestorm when he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mick-mulvaney-confirms-trump-held-ukraine-aid-for-investigation-2019-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged last week</a> that President <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-donald-trump-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> held up nearly $400 million of taxpayer-funded military aid for Ukraine in part because he wanted the Ukrainian government to launch a politically motivated investigation into Democrats<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-joe-biden-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3"></a>.</p><p>The admission sent shockwaves through the White House and among the president's allies on Capitol Hill, who for weeks had claimed that Trump did nothing wrong by pressing for the investigation because there was no quid-pro-quo involved.</p><p>Mulvaney's acknowledgment explicitly tying the aid to Trump's demand for investigations - and his defiant command that the public "get over it" - threw a wrench into every defense that had been trotted out in the wake of the controversy. It resulted in a hasty walkback from Mulvaney during the Sunday talk shows, and it also prompted the Justice Department and Trump's lawyer to release rare statements distancing themselves from Mulvaney's claims.</p><p>The White House has been in damage control mode since then, but one Republican strategist in frequent contact with the White House told Insider its efforts were like "trying to put toothpaste back in the tube."</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-officials-reveal-state-department-ukraine-impeachment-2019-10" data-analytics-position="1">8 Trump officials made stunning revelations about how the president and Giuliani weaponized the State Department</a></em></p><h2>'What is Mulvaney even talking about?'</h2><p>Mulvaney's job was in peril even before his disastrous press briefing. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/10/mick-mulvaney-impeachment/600313/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Atlantic reported</a> that the president had been souring on Mulvaney for weeks since the Ukraine controversy erupted, and his unforced error only exacerbated his situation.</p><p>Indeed, the acting chief of staff's confession threw White House insiders into a frenzy, the Associated Press' Jonathan Lemire <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ynD8OSVuxg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on MSNBC</a> Monday morning.</p><p>Lemire said people in Trump's inner circle were unhappy with the way Mulvaney was handling the impeachment inquiry, and his comments about the quid pro quo "threw gasoline on that fire" and left them wondering whether Mulvaney would be the next official to be shown the door.</p><p>At the heart of the scandal is a July 25 phone call Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which the US president repeatedly pressed his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate former Vice President <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-joe-biden-bio-age-family-key-positions-2019-3">Joe Biden</a>and his son, as well as help look into a debunked conspiracy theory involving a "DNC server" that would help discredit the FBI's Russia probe.</p><p>Trump ordered a hold on the military aid days before that phone call. And while he never directly mentioned the aid during his conversation with Zelensky, the president noted that the US "does a lot for Ukraine," and then asked Zelensky to "do us a favor, though," and look into the Bidens and the DNC server.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rudy-giuliani-weak-link-trump-ukraine-scandal-2019-10" data-analytics-position="1">3 big reasons why Rudy Giuliani is the weakest link in Trump's inner circle as the Ukraine scandal widens</a></em></p><p>"Did he also mention to me in the past the corruption related to the DNC server?" Mulvaney said last week, referring to Trump's reasons for withholding aid. "Absolutely. No question about that. But that's it. And that's why we held up the money."</p><p>ABC <keyword id="6355005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news">News</keyword>' Jonathan Karl immediately followed up and asked Mulvaney to confirm that "the demand for an investigation into the Democrats was part of the reason that he ordered to withhold funding to Ukraine."</p><p>Mulvaney replied affirmatively, saying that "the look back to what happened in 2016 certainly was part of the thing that he was worried about in corruption with that nation."</p><p>Mulvaney's statements landed with such a bang that they even drew a rare rebuke from the Fox News host and Trump loyalist Sean Hannity.</p><p>"What is Mulvaney even talking about?" Hannity wondered on his radio show shortly after the press briefing. "I just think he's dumb, I really do. I don't even think he knows what he's talking about. That's my take on it."</p><h2>'A couple of days of negative press is preferable to handing the Democrats another cooperating witness'</h2><p>But <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/us/politics/defiant-mulvaney-ukraine.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fmaggie-haberman&amp;action=click&amp;contentCollection=undefined&amp;region=stream&amp;module=stream_unit&amp;version=latest&amp;contentPlacement=3&amp;pgtype=collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The New York Times</a>, despite the negative press coverage, Trump wasn't angry enough to axe Mulvaney, a sentiment that shocked White House aides and prompted some to think the president wasn't fully grasping the gravity of the situation.</p><p>Mulvaney, meanwhile, also went about his business as usual in the chaotic aftermath of the press briefing. That might be because despite growing concerns about Mulvaney's usefulness, he's unlikely to lose his job any time soon for two reasons.</p><p>First, according to media reports, the White House is having a hard time finding candidates who could replace Mulvaney, who has held the "acting" title for nearly a year now.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mick-mulvaney-confirms-trump-held-ukraine-aid-for-investigation-2019-10" data-analytics-position="3">Mick Mulvaney publicly confirms Trump held up Ukraine aid for political gain</a></em></p><p>Second, and perhaps more importantly, the president and his confidants are likely aware that they're better off having Mulvaney on the inside rather than the outside.</p><p>Mulvaney has in recent weeks emerged as a central figure in the Ukraine controversy. In addition to being privy to the president's thinking and speaking directly with Trump about issues at the heart of the impeachment inquiry, Mulvaney has also been named by several witnesses as being <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/john-bolton-fiona-hill-white-house-lawyers-giuliani-ukraine-2019-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intricately involved</a> in the president's and Rudy Giuliani's pressure campaign on Ukraine.</p><p>If he were to start working with Congress, the ramifications could be hugely damaging for the White House.</p><p>"The calculus right now for the White House is they want to be on the outs with as few people as possible," the Republican strategist, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, told Insider. "A couple of days of negative press is preferable to handing the Democrats another cooperating witness."</p><p>A former White House official echoed that sentiment, telling The Atlantic that Trump "will be feeling the pain of having pushed out [former national security adviser John] Bolton at a very inopportune time."</p><p>"He won't make the same mistake with Mulvaney, however frustrated he may be with him," the official added. "Now, their interests are aligned. They sink or swim together."</p><p>That mindset appears to have permeated through to staffers in recent days as well; according to The Times' Maggie Haberman, Mulvaney got significant support from a number of people at the White House senior staff meeting on Monday, including a round of applause.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/escape-sinking-car-survival-skills-2017-4">Here's how to escape a flooding vehicle</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

The White House is 'trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube' after Mick Mulvaney's disastrous press conference

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Kathy Willens</span></p><p class="caption">A crowd waves rainbow flags during the Heritage Pride March in New York, Sunday, June 28, 2015. Large turnouts were expected for gay pride parades across the U.S. following the landmark Supreme Court ruling that said gay couples can marry anywhere in the country.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Georgia lawmakers passed a contentious "religious liberty" bill Wednesday that critics maintain will open the door to anti-gay discrimination.</p><p>The bill, which underwent <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-senate-passes-anti-gay-bill-2016-2">months of debate and revisions</a>, permits faith-based organizations to deny social, educational and charitable services based on a "sincerely held religious belief" relating to marriage.</p><p>It also permits them to cite religious beliefs when making employment decisions. The bill defines faith-based organizations as churches, religious schools and mission groups, but critics fear the broad language of the bill could cover businesses, hospitals, adoption centers and homeless shelters as well.</p><p>The Republican-backed legislation was passed by the Georgia House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon, and quickly passed through the Senate just hours later. Both votes fell along party lines.</p><p></p><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The bill now goes to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal for approval. Deal <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nathan-deal-blasts-georgia-anti-gay-bill-2016-3">stated earlier this month</a> he would veto a bill that sanctions discrimination, leading many to believe the House would not act on the bill before its legislative session expires March 24.</p><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Following the bill's passage by the House, his office released a statement saying Deal<span> "has been </span>clear on the issue <span>and will review the legislation in April during bill review," <a href="http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2016/03/16/your-copy-of-tonights-rewrite-of-hb-757-the-religious-liberty-bill/">according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>.</span></p><p>Republican State Sen. Greg Kirk, one of the architects of the bill, cited last year's Supreme Court decision to grant same-sex couples the right to marriage as the motivation for the bill.</p><p>"When the Supreme Court changed the definition of marriage, there was a need for this law," Kirk said on the Senate floor. "And it took Georgia to lead the way for the rest of the country to put this law together."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table center"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty/Davis Turner</span></p><p class="caption">Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal.</p></div><p></p></div></div>However, a number of Democratic lawmakers urged the Senate to reconsider.</p><p>"The Supreme Court has decided that marriage is a fundamental right, and we're debating infringing on that fundamental right," Democratic State Sen. Harold Jones said. "We're not debating about your point of view or my point of view. We're having a debate about what the Supreme Court of this country has said is a fundamental right."</p><p>Business leaders across the state have warned the legislature of the potential financial impact the bill could have, with some studies pinning losses as high as $2 billion. A number of high-profile businesses, including Google, Twitter and Microsoft, have joined the <a href="http://www.georgiaprospers.org/">Georgia Prospers</a> coalition to oppose the bill.</p><p><span>"The calls for a boycott and economic damages are just beginning," Atlanta gay-rights activist Robbie Medwed told Business Insider in a statement. "<span>Over 480 Georgia businesses oppose this bill, but its supporters are so dead-set on keeping LGBT people second-class they're willing to damage Georgia's economy and reputation." </span></span></p><p><span><span>"I am ashamed to be from Georgia tonight. I am ashamed that my legislature is so against LGBT equality they had to enact special legislation to fight it."</span></span></p><h3>Read the full bill below:</h3><p></p><p> n</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/out-of-control-candidates-at-gop-debate-donald-trump-ted-cruz-marco-rubio-2016-2">'You're the basket case' - here is the moment things spiraled out of control at the GOP debate </a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="U1cDhkMTE6tooTEC0jL3ULpT3BScHsre" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Georgia lawmakers just passed a religious freedom bill that could allow anti-gay discrimination

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Brazilian federal police on Friday launched "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-police-launch-biggest-ever-raid-in-food-fraud-probe-2017-3" target="_blank">Operation Flesh Is Weak</a>," targeting food processors accused of bribing government officials in order to loosen regulations.</p><p>With more than 1,100 officers deployed on 194 raids with as many as 38 detention orders, it was the agency's "largest search-and-raid operation ever," according to police.</p><p>Already, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-brazil-president-calls-emergency-meeting-over-tainted-meat-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">33 officials</a> have been dismissed.</p><p>Bribes reportedly <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/6212-brazil-s-rotten-meat-scandal-threatens-billions-in-annual-exports" target="_blank">ranged from hams</a> to political-party donations (including to the president's party.)</p><p>In some instances, investigators <a href="https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/6212-brazil-s-rotten-meat-scandal-threatens-billions-in-annual-exports" target="_blank">said</a> inspectors allowed employees to use government computers to issue their own export licenses.</p><p>Among the more than <a href="http://www.france24.com/en/20170320-business-brazil-rotten-tainted-meat-scandal-exports-champagne-sales" target="_blank">30 companies</a> implicated are JBS, the world's largest beef exporter, and BRF, the world's largest poultry exporter. They are both accused of using chemicals or mixing in healthy meat to obscure poor quality meat.</p><p>Additives like potato, water, or cardboard are believed to have been added in to chicken in some cases to boost profits. Police also said <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/brazil-government-seeks-to-contain-fallout-from-meat-scandal-1490020988" target="_blank">filler like pigs' heads</a> had been used in sausages, though the agriculture minister said doing that was legal in Brazil.</p><p>Some of the meat was sold domestically for school meals or retail sale, though no one has been <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-19/brazil-tainted-meat-probe-widens-as-trade-partners-study-impact" target="_blank">reported sick</a> from it.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>"We go to the supermarket, we buy meat for our family's consumption, and what do we expect? That it is in good condition," <span>Silvia Farias, a professor who shops in a Rio supermarket,</span> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-brazil-president-calls-emergency-meeting-over-tainted-meat-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">told AFP</a>. "I would never imagine that the meat could be mixed with cardboard."</span></p><p>The scope of that operation appears to be more than matched by the fallout from its execution.</p><p>Brazil is the world's second-largest producer of chicken and beef, sending them to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-brazil-president-calls-emergency-meeting-over-tainted-meat-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">150 countries</a>, and meat in general is among the country's top exports. Brazil was relying largely on agriculture to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e87e556c-0da9-11e7-b030-768954394623" target="_blank">pull it out</a> of what has been its worst recession in over 100 years.</p><p>The head of Brazil's ABPA beef producers associate said on Monday that the scandal had put the Brazilian meat industry in a grave situation. It had "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-brazil-agriculture-ministry-confirms-china-beef-suspension-2017-3" target="_blank">destroyed</a>" the industry's hard-earned image of quality products, he added.</p><p>"At face value, the developing scandal over Brazil's meat exports could plausibly derail the country's economy recovery," Capital Economics wrote <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e87e556c-0da9-11e7-b030-768954394623" target="_blank">in a note</a> cited by the Financial Times. The final consequences, however, hinge on how "events will play out."</p><p>Should the scandal deepen and buyers turn away from Brazilian meat, global <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-brazil-beef-scandal-leaves-fewer-options-for-global-buyers-2017-3" target="_blank">beef prices could rise</a>. Already, some of Brazil's largest meat customers have started scrutinizing or pausing their imports.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>China has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-brazil-agriculture-ministry-confirms-china-beef-suspension-2017-3" target="_blank">temporarily banned</a> beef imports. China, along with Hong Kong, accounted for more than one-third of Brazil's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-brazil-beef-scandal-leaves-fewer-options-for-global-buyers-2017-3" target="_blank">$13.9 billion</a> in meat-packing exports in 2016.</p><p>In the US, which <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-brazil-president-calls-emergency-meeting-over-tainted-meat-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">only started</a> accepting raw-beef imports from Brazil last year, the Department of Agriculture has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-usda-tests-brazilian-beef-for-pathogens-amid-meatpacking-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">started testing</a> all raw beef and ready-t0-eat products from Brazil for pathogens. Official Brazilian data indicated that the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-19/brazil-tainted-meat-probe-widens-as-trade-partners-study-impact" target="_blank">US bought $297.8 million</a> worth of red meat from Brazil in 2016 - a fraction of the about $200 billion of meat Americans typically eat in a year.</p><p>South Korea, which got <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-skorea-bars-sales-of-brazils-brf-chicken-steps-up-inspections-2017-3" target="_blank">80% of its chicken</a> from Brazil last year, will tighten inspections of chicken meat and ban sales of meat from one of the Brazilian companies implicated in the scandal.</p><p>Chile has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-usda-tests-brazilian-beef-for-pathogens-amid-meatpacking-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">curtailed</a> Brazilian meat imports, and the EU has said it would monitor meat imports from Brazil and that any companies involved the scandal would be <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-brazilian-meatpackers-slump-as-china-south-korea-suspend-imports-2017-3" target="_blank">denied access</a> to the EU market. The scandal breaks ahead of <a href="http://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/brazils-rotten-meat-scandal-worries-eu-ahead-of-fresh-trade-talks/" target="_blank">scheduled trade talks</a> between the EU and the Mercosur trade bloc, of which Brazil is a major member, though the European Commission has said it would <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-brazilian-meatpackers-slump-as-china-south-korea-suspend-imports-2017-3" target="_blank">have no impact</a> on the discussions.</p><p>The UK has also said it was stepping up checks <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e87e556c-0da9-11e7-b030-768954394623" target="_blank">on the hygiene</a> of meat shipments from Brazil. Irish agriculture groups have called for <a href="http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/farm-organisations-unite-in-calls-for-restrictions-on-sub-standard-brazilian-beef/" target="_blank">an immediate ban</a> on Brazilian beef exports.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Brazilian officials and the companies involved have all started doing damage control, attempting to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/e87e556c-0da9-11e7-b030-768954394623" target="_blank">downplay</a> the breadth of the scandal and reassure jittery consumers at home and abroad.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-skorea-bars-sales-of-brazils-brf-chicken-steps-up-inspections-2017-3" target="_blank">BRF</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-brazil-president-calls-emergency-meeting-over-tainted-meat-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">JBS</a> both strongly denied any wrongdoing, and some companies have taken out full-page ads in Brazilian newspapers and bought ads on TV stations.</p><p>President Michel Temer, who called an emergency ministerial <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-brazil-president-calls-emergency-meeting-over-tainted-meat-scandal-2017-3" target="_blank">meeting</a> on Sunday, <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/brazil-tries-to-contain-damage-from-meat-scandal/a-38018293?maca=en-tco-dw" target="_blank">told ambassadors</a> later that night that the scandal was a "major concern," but that tainted meat had come from "only a very few businesses."</p><p>To back up his assurances, Temer invited the ambassadors to dinner at a <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-19/brazil-tainted-meat-probe-widens-as-trade-partners-study-impact" target="_blank">$39 all-you-can eat steakhouse</a>, where he sat between the Chinese and Angolan ambassadors.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The presidency has also said that only <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-19/brazil-tainted-meat-probe-widens-as-trade-partners-study-impact" target="_blank">21 of 4,000 plants</a> in the country were involved, and that just 33 of the industry's 11,000 workers were being investigated.</p><p>The Brazilian agriculture ministry has also sought to sooth nerves, with minister Blairo Maggi saying that the issues uncovered were not widespread.</p><p>"Brazil's industry is robust and strong but it isn't infallible," <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-19/brazil-tainted-meat-probe-widens-as-trade-partners-study-impact" target="_blank">he said</a>. "We're making sure that what's being produced is now getting the proper inspection."</p><p>The tainted-meat scandal, however extensive it may be within the meat industry, is limited to that industry.</p><p>But it comes amid the ever widening scandal over allegations that have come out of Operation Car Wash, a massive anti-corruption investigation that has become the <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/brazil-judge-systemic-corruption-generates-enormous-costs" target="_blank">biggest political graft case</a> in the country's history.</p><p>Sergio Moro, the judge handing the case, <a href="http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/brazil-judge-systemic-corruption-generates-enormous-costs" target="_blank">said last summer</a> that bribery had become "a rule of the game" in Brazil, where "systemic corruption" has created "enormous" costs for the country.</p><p><span>"Though corruption fatigue may be setting in for some, this isn't 'just another corruption scandal' in Brazil. Most of the recent scandals in Brazil have involved briberies and illegal uncompetitive coordination around public contracting," regional analyst <a href="http://www.bloggingsbyboz.com/2017/03/food-corruption-in-brazil.html" target="_blank">James Bosworth wrote on Monday</a>. </span></p><p><span>But, Bosworth said, "<span>this scandal involving some of Brazil's biggest companies will cause everyone doing business with the country to question whether the products they are importing don't meet the standards required."</span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-footage-rio-olympic-maracana-stadium-ghost-town-brazil-fifa-soccer-2017-1">Watch drone footage of Rio's Olympic stadium that's now become a ghost town</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="N3eHJ1ODE60w9DCshI-b5vPTT621rWZc" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Brazil's latest corruption scandal appears to be rotting one of its major exports

<br /> On Sunday, Indians woke up to yet another ban by the <keyword id="6387077" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi-government">Narendra Modi government</keyword>. As if the beef ban in Maharashtra and the Maggi ban in India weren’t enough, the government blocked 857 adult websites on the grounds of ‘morality’ and ‘decency’.<br />
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The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) directed Internet service providers to block certain websites.<br />
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However, the matter came to light late Saturday night when a lot of users took to Reddit and Twitter to complain against these sites being inaccessible. What aided the furore on the government trying to curb personal liberties was the fact that sketch comedy sites such as College Humour were also featured on the list of porn websites which were blocked.<br />
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After the list of blocked websites started doing the rounds on Twitter on Tuesday and led to strong criticism on social media, the government did some damage control and on Tuesday lifted the blanket ban on websites which did not feature child pornographic content.<br />
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Though what triggered the decision behind the ban remains uncertain, one can’t help but wonder what is really the thought process of the Indian government?<br />
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When there exists glaring things standing out as a sore thumb in front of India functioning as a well-oiled machinery, which the government should ideally prioritize doing away with, it goes ahead and blocks hundreds of websites.<br />
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To help the ban-friendly government decide on what should face the axe next, we at Business Insider draw up a list of six things they should have banned instead of porn websites.<br />
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Mr. Prime Minister, we hope you’re reading.<br />
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1.  Auto-rickshaws that refuse to go by meter: In India, auto-<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-uber-launches-autorickshaw-service-in-indian-capital-2015-4?IR=T">rickshaws</a> are what the subway is to New York. The fact that we face more rejection from auto-rickshaw drivers who refuse to go to any location be it Chandni Chowk or China than our crushes doesn’t help at all. Add to that, when they do agree to extend us a favour by agreeing to ferry us to our preferred location, they loot us off all the money we possess by quoting exorbitant amounts and refusing to follow the meter. Thus, <keyword id="2986577" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dear-Government">dear government</keyword>, it’s time you ban these auto drivers who refuse to acknowledge the existence and purpose of meters in rickshaws and choose to have them as a mere ornamental piece in the museum that is the rickshaw. Our wallets will be forever indebted.<br />
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2. Dowry: At a time when we’re proclaiming our lungs out in favour of gender equality, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/One-Man-Demanded-An-iPhone-6-As-Dowry-For-His-Sisters-Hand-In-Marriage/articleshow/42652355.cms">dowry</a> stands out as a regressive tradition that we desperately need to get rid of. In the Indian context, dowry is the transfer of parental property from the bride’s side to that of the groom’s. Or, in other words, a way of giving the groom a pedestal from where he can make any number of demands he wants. Though we do have a Dowry Prohibition Act, it’s very rarely implemented. Beloved government, are you listening<br />
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3. Unpaid internships: While in college, every student dreams of landing up the perfect <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/The-15-Best-Internships-In-America/articleshow/25462909.cms">internship</a> replete with an encouraging boss, flexible work hours, immense exposure and some pocket money? However, the last criteria is almost always never met, with employers taking advantage of students by paying them close to nothing. To nurture the youth to be efficient employees of tomorrow, it is imperative companies start doing away with the concept of unpaid internships. <br />
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4. KRK's Twitter account: It is bad enough that we cannot ban the existence of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/10-Indian-Actors-Who-Fought-IT-Out-On-Twitter/Kapil-Sharma-Vs-Kamaal-R-Khan-KRK/slideshow/42366546.cms">Kamal Rashid Khan</a> who identifies himself as Actor, Film Producer and Critic and whose films make Uday Chopra seem worthy of a National Award. Thus the least our elected government can do for us is save us from the onslaught of his terrible, thoughtless and too frequent to be true tweets which make every Indian citizen want to facepalm themselves. Repeatedly. Put this no. 1 on your list, dear government.<br />
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5. Politicians who pass sexist remarks: In India, politicians do everything except what they are elected to do. They ensure that both houses of the Parliament are adjourned daily, partake in scams, get involved in fake-degree controversies and last but not the least, pass sexist comments. Just yesterday, AAP leader  <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Somnath-Bhartis-wife-wanted-Kejriwal-to-listen-to-her-grievance/articleshow/47687459.cms">Somnath Bharti</a> while addressing the Assembly on women security claimed that ‘beautiful women’ would be able to go out at midnight in the capital if AAP came to power. This insulting comment is just one of the several great insights provided by ministers who seem to have acquired a Masters in Sexism and Objectification of Women. <br />
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6. Bans which are enforced without any debate: Last but not the least; it’s time we keep in mind that an elected government is ‘by the people, for the people and of the people’. Thus, before enforcing any ban- be it on liquor, tobacco, Maggi or porn websites, a public debate and discourse is essential in order to hear the citizens the government is governing. It’d be a shame if India is identified as a dictatorship rather than a democracy, dear government.<br />
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Image Credit: Indiatimes, Reuters<br />

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