Bumble, a dating app that revolutionized the industry a decade ago by introducing the concept of women initiating talks, is now allowing males to engage in chats on its platform.

Bumble is introducing a new tool dubbed “opening moves” that allows female users to establish a prompt for male suitors to reply to to start a conversation. The function overturns the app’s long-standing mandate that women initiate the first message to their matches. Bumble claims this change empowers women by granting them greater control over their dating experiences.

Dating App Bumble Will No Longer Require Women To Make The First Move

Lidiane Jones, the new CEO of Bumble, unveiled the new feature on Tuesday as part of a comprehensive app redesign. Jones took over the reins from creator Whitney Wolfe Herd earlier this year. This decision comes at a time when dating apps are striving to maintain their relevance as some users are feeling fatigued from online dating and are craving more in-person interactions.

Jones perceives the Bumble redesign as an opportunity for the platform to respond effectively to the current situation.

“There is an increasing demand for genuine human connections,” Jones stated in an interview with CNN before to the launch. “I expect that the number of people using online dating will increase rather than decrease, but there is a higher standard…” Therefore, focusing our attention on our objective is a significant call to action.

According to Jones, adding the new “opening moves” feature is a means by which Bumble is progressing while remaining faithful to its initial objective of empowering women. Now, female users can either keep starting discussions with their matches or establish an initial move, such as asking a question about their match’s ideal dinner guest, to indicate that they prefer their match to make the first contact. (Non-binary users or those interested in same-gender pairings have the option for either person to initiate and reply to an initial action.)

Bumble’s makeover incorporates enhanced “dating intentions” badges that enable users to specify on their profiles whether they are seeking a “life partner” or simply “fun, casual dates.” Bumble has implemented a new policy mandating members to provide more photographs in their biographies.

Dating App Bumble Will No Longer Require Women To Make The First Move

The application will prioritize and emphasize shared interests at the beginning of potential matches’ profiles to facilitate connections between individuals and increasing the likelihood of finding compatible companions.

The modifications have the potential to be crucial in restoring Bumble’s profitability, as the company, which also possesses dating applications Badoo and Fruitz, recorded a net loss of $1.9 million in the previous year. The company’s stock price has experienced a significant decline of 86% since its first public offering in February 2021.

According to Wall Street experts, Bumble is projected to profit $12 million for the first quarter of this year when it releases its earnings on May 8. This is a significant improvement from the $2.3 million loss recorded during the same time last year. The company anticipates a 14% increase in paying consumers, reaching over 3.9 million.

Dating App Bumble Will No Longer Require Women To Make The First Move

“We are extremely fortunate to possess robust financials that enable us to invest in the company’s expansion while also ensuring profitability for our shareholders,” Jones stated. “We are currently at a significant turning point where we have achieved a substantial level of growth and have ample opportunities for further expansion. At this juncture, we can effectively pursue both objectives simultaneously.”

SOURCE – (CNN)

On Tuesday, Walmart, the biggest retailer in the United States, announced that it would shut down all 51 healthcare centers in six states and terminate its virtual healthcare services.

In the past several years, Walmart has significantly expanded its presence in the healthcare industry. The company has opened clinics adjacent to its superstores in several states, including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, and Texas.

These clinics provide a wide range of medical services, such as basic and urgent care, laboratory testing, X-rays, behavioral health services, and dental treatments. Walmart was confident that it could utilize its extensive financial resources and network of stores to provide convenient and affordable services to people in rural and underserved regions where access to primary healthcare was limited.

Walmart Will Close All Of Its Health Care Clinics

However, this statement signifies a sudden change in Walmart’s approach, which could result in a lack of access to healthcare, especially for economically disadvantaged individuals without insurance who depend on these clinics. Additionally, Walmart announced its decision to discontinue virtual healthcare services.

One distinctive aspect was their emphasis on stores situated in underprivileged communities. Ateev Mehrotra, a professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School who studies retail health clinics, expressed disappointment that Walmart was unable to succeed in providing care for individuals who have few options.

Walmart stated that its decision to discontinue its healthcare initiative was based on the lack of profitability due to the difficult reimbursement environment and increasing operating costs.

The organization stated that it has concluded that there is no viable and enduring business model for it to proceed with.

Mehrotra stated that Walmart’s closures indicate the difficulties faced by primary care professionals in the United States. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a potential deficit of up to 55,000 primary care physicians in the coming decade.

Walmart Will Close All Of Its Health Care Clinics

“This experience underscores the financial challenges that primary care faces as a whole.” “It truly reflects the challenges that primary clinics are encountering,” he stated.

Walmart has announced its intention to maintain the operation of its 4,600 pharmacies and over 3,000 optical facilities nationwide.

Walmart established clinics to address the needs of its customers who lack health insurance and those who have insurance plans with substantial deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses.

In 2020, Walmart CEO Doug McMillion indicated that the healthcare care field appeared to be a significant prospect shortly after the initial clinics were established.

High expenses and limited availability of primary healthcare services remain ongoing obstacles, particularly in rural regions. Walmart selected certain locations based on their higher prevalence of chronic diseases and lower number of primary care providers compared to the average towns in the United States.

In 2020, Marcus Osborne, the former vice president of health and wellness transformation at Walmart, informed CNN that those who frequently visited the clinics had not received medical attention from a primary care physician for two to three years or dental care for five years.

Walmart Will Close All Of Its Health Care Clinics

According to Robert Field, a professor of health administration and policy at Drexel University, Walmart encountered various difficulties with its health clinics, such as a scarcity of medical personnel.

According to him, the closures of Walmart demonstrate that success in the retail industry does not necessarily indicate success in the healthcare sector.

“Selling services is distinct from selling products such as toothpaste and breakfast cereal, and necessitates distinct expertise and management,” Field stated.

SOURCE – (CNN)

Ontario, Canada. Negotiators from most states are currently discussing the draft of a worldwide treaty aimed at eradicating plastic pollution, marking the first instance of such negotiations.

Delegates and observers at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution regarded it as a positive development, and discussions have transitioned from conceptualization to the formulation of a treaty at this fourth out of five planned plastics summits.

The concept of internationally restricting the production of plastic is highly controversial. The document continues to exist despite the vehement opposition from countries and companies involved in plastic production, as well as oil and gas exporters. The majority of plastic is derived from fossil fuels and chemical compounds.

The Ottawa session was set for late Monday or early Tuesday. During Monday night’s meeting, there was a heated debate about whether the working groups should prioritize the issue of plastic manufacture before the upcoming and final meeting.

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

According to Stewart Harris, a representative of the International Council of Chemical Associations, the members are advocating for a treaty that specifically addresses the recycling and reuse of plastic, sometimes known as “circularity.”

Harris expressed the desire for the deal to be finalized. “We desire to collaborate with the governments in order to execute it.” The private sector has a significant responsibility to fulfill.

Many scientists from the Scientists’ Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty attended the meeting to present scientific facts on plastic pollution to negotiators. Their objective was to counteract any misinformation that may be circulating.

Bethanie Carney Almroth, an ecotoxicology professor at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg and coalition co-leader, stated that yesterday’s claim about the lack of microplastic data is factually incorrect. In reality, there have been 21,000 published articles on micro and nanoplastics. “It resembles the game Whac-A-Mole.”

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

According to her, scientists have been subjected to harassment and intimidation by lobbyists. She informed the United Nations that a lobbyist shouted directly at her during a meeting.

Ecuador’s lead negotiator, Walter Schuldt, stated that despite their divergences, the countries represented have a shared objective of advancing in the treaty process.

“In the interview, he emphasized that we are discussing the preservation of life in the future, encompassing not only human life but also all forms of life on Earth,” he stated.

He expressed his pride in participating in and contributing his small but meaningful effort to the worldwide initiative to tackle an environmental issue.

The negotiators’ objective is to finalize a treaty by the conclusion 2024. The topics given to expert working groups by tonight will progress to the final stage of discussions in autumn in South Korea.

Without undertaking this preparatory work in between meetings, it would be intimidating to successfully conclude the negotiations within this year. Several nations expressed their dedication to collaborating during the intervals between talks on Sunday evening.

The treaty negotiations commenced in Uruguay in December 2022, and Rwanda and Peru’s subsequent submission of the resolution initiated the process in March 2022.

Progress was sluggish at the Paris discussions in May 2023 and the Nairobi talks in November as countries deliberated about the process’s regulations.

Upon the arrival of numerous negotiators and observers in Ottawa, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the committee chair from Ecuador, reminded them of their objective and urged them to exhibit ambition.

“We have a responsibility to create a new treaty that will stimulate and direct the necessary actions and global collaboration to achieve a future devoid of plastic pollution,” he stated. “We must not disappoint them.”

The delegates have discussed the treaty’s scope, chemicals of concern, problematic and avoidable plastics, product design, and financing and implementation.

Delegates also simplified the cumbersome assortment of choices from the previous meeting.

Many individuals journeyed to Ottawa from communities impacted by plastic manufacture and pollution. Residents residing near petrochemical plants and refineries in Louisiana and Texas distributed postcards to the U.S. State Department with the message, “We desire your presence.”

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

The members of the Break Free From Plastic movement journeyed collectively and urged negotiators to personally witness air and water contamination in their regions.

“This remains the most optimal choice we possess to witness transformation in our communities.” Corporations heavily influence them. Jo Banner, a St. John the Baptist Parish resident in Louisiana, expressed their inability to attend the local government. “It seems that this is my sole opportunity and source of optimism to assist my community in recovering and finding solace.”

Members of an Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus held a news conference on Saturday. They expressed concern that microplastics are polluting their food supply. They emphasized that this pollution threatens their communities and ways of life, which are guaranteed to them indefinitely. They perceived a lack of acknowledgment of their opinions.

“Our stakes are larger.” “These are our hereditary territories that are being contaminated with plastic,” Juressa Lee, a resident of New Zealand, expressed following the occurrence. “We are individuals or groups who possess legal rights, rather than individuals or groups with an interest or involvement in a particular issue.” We should be granted greater autonomy in expressing our opinions and judgments than individuals responsible for the issue.

Historically, plastic was not present, but currently, in the Bay of Plenty, the sediment and shellfish, which serve as their seafood supply, are contaminated with little plastic particles. Lee stated that they consider nature’s “resources” as valuable assets.

“Indigenous methods can serve as a guiding force,” Lee stated. “The current approach we are taking is evidently ineffective.”

Vi Waghiyi journeyed from Alaska to advocate for the rights and interests of Arctic Indigenous communities. She emphasizes to decision-makers the need to ensure that this pact provides long-term protection against plastic pollution for future generations.

She stated that their purpose in being here is to serve as the moral compass, ensuring that the decisions made are in the best interest of all individuals.

SOURCE – (AP)