Attorney General Maura Healey, lawmakers file e-cig regulations

Attorney General Maura Healey yesterday took the first step toward regulating e-cigarettes to keep them out of the hands of children as other lawmakers vowed to push ahead with more rules for the nicotine delivery devices.

"It's very important that we be ahead of this issue here in Massachusetts, and that we take the necessary steps to protect our young people," Healey said. "There are significant and well-documented concerns about the common effects of nicotine."

Healey filed proposed regulations that would ban the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under 18, prohibit free giveaways and promotions, and require them to be kept behind the counter in stores.

State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez (D-Boston), who has filed a bill to ban smoking e-cigarettes on school grounds, in public spaces or in workplaces, said more needs to be done.

"We need to consider the impacts of smoking e-cigarettes in public and the workplace and in schools, we need to continue to set an example for our children," Sanchez said.

There are no federal or state regulations on e-cigarettes, but 152 communities, including Boston, have passed their own rules, according to the AG's office.

Jen Borucki, who uses e-cigarettes, said she supports age restrictions and other safeguards.

"What we don't support is classifying e-cigarettes as tobacco products," she said. "Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals ... this is more on par with nicotine-replacement therapy."

The AG's office will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules April 23 and will accept public comment until April 24.

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China announces audit of state company assets abroad

BEIJING — The Cabinet agency that oversees China's biggest banks, oil producers and other government companies has announced plans to have outside auditors examine their foreign assets in a new move to tighten control over state industry.

The announcement comes amid a spreading anti-corruption crackdown led by President Xi Jinping in which executives of companies including PetroChina Ltd. and China Mobile Ltd. have been detained.

The State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission announced Monday it was soliciting tenders from outside auditors for contracts to examine the companies. It said the firms chosen must be incorporated in China and local branch offices are ineligible, which would rule out the use of foreign firms.

State-owned banks and oil, mining and other companies are quickly expanding their investments abroad, especially in buying resource assets in Africa, the Americas and Australia.

The audit is intended to "address growing concerns about lack of transparency" about the assets of state companies, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The foreign assets of the 110 state companies directly controlled by the Cabinet were estimated at 4.3 trillion yuan ($700 billion) at the end of 2013, according to Xinhua.

This week, the party announced the vice chairman of PetroChina, Asia's biggest oil and gas producer, was under investigation for what the company was a possible discipline violation, the party's term for corruption.

The company and its parent, China National Petroleum Corp., are among China's biggest foreign investors. At least four other executives of PetroChina or CNPC have been detained.

Beijing has encouraged state companies to expand abroad and has eased controls on their activities as part of efforts to diversify the Chinese economy.

That has led to complaints managers of politically influential state companies might be misusing their assets.

Among other things, Chinese economists believe a big share of foreign investment into China really comes from units of state companies abroad that are improperly trying to take advantage of tax breaks and other incentives.

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Massport boss: No hotel bid info for now

The head of Massport told the Herald yesterday he has no intention of publicly releasing the six bids to build an $800 million "headquarters hotel" on 
authority-owned land as part of the $1 billion Boston Convention & Exhibition Center expansion — at least until after the developer is selected later this summer.

"Should the bids be made public at this early stage, it would undercut the public sector's ability to negotiate a good deal," Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn said in an interview after his authority, citing state law, turned down a Herald public records request seeking copies of the bids. "If each of the bidders knew what the other had bid … you would lose leverage."

Glynn, however, left open the possibility of releasing the names of equity partners and other silent investors hidden behind limited liability corporations that are among those vying to build the 1,000- to 1,200-room hotel across from the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

"I certainly have not ruled it out," said Glynn, calling the Boston Redevelopment Authority's new policy of forcing developers to disclose investors in a project a "good idea. We have not requested that information from the bidders. We don't have a fact base to have an opinion on that yet."

The Herald reported yesterday that two former members of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority's board, former U.S. Sen. William "Mo" Cowan and Congress Group founder Dean Stratouly, are part of a development team behind an Omni Hotel and Resorts-backed bid.

Cowan, former Gov. Deval Patrick's chief of staff and chief legal counsel, served on the MCCA board for two years, until 2010. Stratouly served on it for 12 years. State law provides for a one-year cooling off period before investing in a project that fell under their official purview — both Cowan and Stratouly have passed that period.

"When high-ranking officials leave office and return seeking contracts and approvals from the agencies they led, it creates a genuine vulnerability to unfair influence and skepticism in the minds of the general public and business competitors," said Gregory W. Sullivan, former state Inspector General and now at the Pioneer Institute. "The Legislature should toughen the anti-revolving door laws."

Sullivan, whose testimony last June at a state Senate hearing helped lead to the stripping of $110 million he alleged was a hidden state subsidy to build the hotel as part of the $1 billion convention center expansion bill, said MCCA deals need "to be free of any political influence."

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First direct flights between New York and Cuba taking off

NEW YORK — The first direct charter flights between New York City and Cuba are now taking off.

Cuba Travel Services has started offering a weekly Tuesday charter between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Havana. The flights are operated by Sun County Airlines, and cost $849 round-trip. The price includes airfare, Cuban medical insurance and U.S. departure taxes.

In January, the Obama administration announced it would be easing travel restrictions.

Despite improving relations, tourism is still banned. Travelers must still declare a purpose that fits into one of the 12 approved categories, including family visits, government work and journalism. But most visitors no longer need to apply for a special license and wait for U.S. government approval.

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Report: Apple set to launch 25-channel online TV service

Apple is set to launch a 25-channel TV service this fall from broadcasters including ABC, CBS and Fox.

The slimmed-down bundle will stream channels live to Apple TV, iPhones, iPads and devices using Apple's iOS, according to the Wall Street Journal. It is expected to also include ESPN and FX, but leave out smaller channels.

The service will reportedly be available from September and cost $30 to $40 per month.

WSJ had previously reported that Apple was teaming up with Comcast on a set-top box that would take advantage of priority Internet traffic, but talks between the two are said to have broken down so the service at present won't include channels from Comcast-owned NBCUniversal.

Earlier this month, Apple struck an exclusive deal to carry HBO's standalone streaming service HBO Now. The new service, which will launch in time for the upcoming fifth season of HBO's dragons-and-swords hit "Game of Thrones," will offer more than 2,000 titles online. For $14.99 people who don't have cable or satellite service will still be able to get HBO programs.

Apple has also cut the price of Apple TV from $99 to $69.

2015 TheWrap news inc. All rights reserved.

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Business Protocol: Make ‘Madness’ work at work

The phenomenon known as "March Madness" has officially launched, and it's predicted that more than 60 million Americans will participate in some way.

The question is: Will any work get done?

Employees across the nation are sure to take time out of their workdays this week to research matchups, make selections and complete their brackets.

If you're a manager, brace for the chaos. The cost of lost wages paid to preoccupied and unproductive workers could reach 
$1.9 billion, according to outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas Inc.

Sports has long been renowned for its inherent ability to bring people together. Capitalize on it.

Companies have an opportunity to use the legendary NCAA college basketball tournament as a team-building experience.

The tourney can be used to help bolster morale and encourage interactions among co-workers and clients who may not normally cross paths. Astute managers will respond to the call.

The reality is, anyone with an iPhone or tablet can access March Madness updates on company time. As long as people are clearly going to engage, a manager can acknowledge the tradition and set some rules.

Managers should have a plan. Establish rules early, roll them out and be bold. Mandate any NCAA activity be done on an employee's own time — during lunch, on their break or after work.

Or, try to be more creative. Designate "bracket breaks" to help build camaraderie, using this to your firm's advantage. Build 15-minute "bracket updates" into the day.

Create a company-wide office pool (free to enter) and offer a free lunch or gift card for the winner and post results on office pools.

Note: If money is on the table, this could get dicey and out-of-hand.

Employees should honor management's initiative in opening this up, respect rules and boundaries established and use this as an opportunity to schmooze clients!

Above all, especially after the long, hard, record-breaking winter, enjoy the activity, the camaraderie and the winnings. Have fun with March Madness … especially if you have a sales force!

Judith Bowman is president and founder of Protocol Consultants International and author of "Don't Take the Last Donut: New rules of Business Etiquette" and "How to Stand Apart @ Work … Transforming 'Fine' to Fabulous!" Email her at Judith@protocolconsultants.com.

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Anti-graft probe targets PetroChina vice chairman

BEIJING — The vice chairman of China's biggest state-owned energy company has become the latest prominent executive targeted by Communist Party investigators in a spreading anti-corruption campaign.

Liao Yongyuan, vice chairman of PetroChina Ltd., is under investigation for possible "serious violation of the law," the ruling party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced late Monday. Its one-sentence statement gave no details but a separate statement by PetroChina said Liao was suspected of violating discipline, the party's term for corruption.

PetroChina is a key target of an anti-corruption campaign led by President Xi Jinping that appears to be aimed at tightening the party leadership's control over politically influential and often independent-minded state industries.

The state-owned oil and gas industry was a power base for Zhou Yongkang, the ruling party's former security chief who was arrested in December on charges including bribery and leaking state secrets. Control over state companies can provide political figures with jobs to reward supporters and money to promote their own careers.

PetroChina is Asia's biggest oil and gas producer by volume but is regarded by executives at other companies as bloated and inefficient.

Its vast cash flow and the complexity of its heavily regulated and politically sensitive industry create ample opportunities to divert money or assets to private use.

At least four present and former executives of PetroChina and its parent, China National Petroleum Corp., have been detained. A former CNPC chairman was fired in September as head of the Cabinet body that oversees China's biggest state-owned companies.

Zhou, who stepped down in 2012 as a member of the party's ruling inner circle, the Standing Committee, would be the highest-ranking Chinese political figure to be prosecuted since the early 1980s. He is a former CNPC general manager.

Liao spent most of his career at PetroChina, working in Gansu province in the northwest and Sichuan in the southwest before becoming its vice president in 2005, according to the company website.

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Asia stocks jump, Europe muted ahead of Fed policy meeting

SEOUL, South Korea — Asian stocks markets jumped Tuesday while Europe got off to a lackluster start as investors cheered the prospect of stimulus in China and second guessed what signals the Federal Reserve will give on interest rates at its policy meeting this week.

KEEPING SCORE: In early European trading, Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.4 percent to 6,832.90 while Germany's DAX fell 0.3 percent to 12,129.19. France's CAC 40 was flat at 5,057.65. Wall Street was set for a tepid start, with S&P 500 futures down 0.2 percent to 2,065.50.

FED WATCH: Whether the Fed will drop the word "patient" in describing its timetable for raising interest rates from a record low is a focal point for investors this week. Most economists expect the word to be removed from the statement the Fed will issue on Wednesday. But estimates of when the first rate hike will come are swinging between mid-year and later in the year. Weak U.S. economic data Monday pushed expectations toward later in the year. Last week, strong U.S. jobs had many picking mid-year. Stock markets have been boosted for several years by low interest rates.

CHINA CHEER: Chinese stocks extended gains a day after the market's key index surged to its highest level in more than five years. The rally was driven by hopes the government will announce new economic stimulus after Premier Li Keqiang said on the weekend it has plenty of room and options for boosting growth. China's economy, the world's second-largest, expanded at its slowest pace in nearly a quarter century last year.

THE QUOTE: "Equities across the globe seem to be gathering momentum yet again with expectations of policymakers supporting global growth remaining the key theme," IG strategist Stan Shamu said in a commentary. "The biggest source of uncertainty at the moment is what will happen with the U.S. and rates liftoff, given the country is faced with a different set of fundamentals to the rest of the world," he said. "Comments by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang over the weekend gave equities in China a put and this has resonated elsewhere in the region."

ASIA'S DAY: Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 1 percent to 19,437.00 and South Korea's Kospi jumped 2.1 percent to 2,029.91. Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.2 percent to 23,901.49 and China's Shanghai Composite added 1.6 percent to 3,502.85, extending its gain from the previous session. Stocks in Australia and Southeast Asia were also higher.

US DATA: Industrial production growth last month was lower than expected while factory output fell for a third month, casting doubt on the strength of the U.S. recovery. Industrial production edged up slightly in February as a big surge by utilities offset a third straight decline in factory output. The Federal Reserve also reported that output at U.S. factories fell 0.2 percent last month following a decline of a 0.3 percent in January, in part due to a stronger dollar.

ENERGY: Oil continued its decline after hitting a six-year low on supplies outpacing demand. Benchmark U.S. crude was down 52 cents to $43.36 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 96 cents to close at $43.88 a barrel on Monday. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, lost 10 cents to $53.84 in London.

CURRENCIES: In currency trading, the euro strengthened to $1.0604 from $1.0578. The dollar inched down to 121.29 yen from 121.37 yen.

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Booting Up: Chang’s embrace of technology intrigues

Tommy Chang, Boston's incoming superintendent of schools, wants to talk about something called the three-screen day — where students are focused on learning content, producing content and sharing content on a computer, tablet and smartphone — nearly all day long.

"I'm not saying this is what Boston Public Schools is moving toward," said Chang, 39, a top Los Angeles administrator with a background in charter school innovation, 
recently chosen for the top job in Boston. "I'm saying this is something we should be discussing: How do we create an education system that leverages technology?"

I called Chang on Friday wanting to chat about the three-screen day concept, and I had my arguments at the ready. Chang got back to me almost immediately. But he didn't just make his case: He cited books, education researchers and a specific institution in Los Angeles, the Incubator School, that embodies his philosophy. And I realized something: The three-screen day idea is meant to be provocative. It's Chang's way of getting people talking about innovation in education.

I went in fearing that Chang wanted to shove tablets and smartphones in the hands of kindergarteners, and came out believing that Boston's incoming school chief wants schools to be more like incubators, and each classroom like a startup, where students are the entrepreneurs of their own education, tinkering and testing as they would in a laboratory.

"The mayor has called on all of us to drive innovation," Chang said. "And to ask how we reinvent our schools to be vastly different, and how does Boston become a model for what public education looks like."

Technology has a leading role at the Incubator School that Chang mentioned. But it's equally about making learning relevant to students' lives. They develop prototypes and create their own little businesses. And in online testimonials, they talk about finding friends and acceptance.

If you're a luddite — the type of person who thinks that wooden toys were good enough for Thomas Jefferson, so why not our kids? — then Chang won't be your favorite superintendent.

But if you think technology must be woven though all aspects of education so that our classrooms are laboratories that nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs, then Chang is your man.

And if you're wrestling between those two extremes, like most people — if you know Boston Public Schools need to change and you know that innovation must play a central role — then you'll find Chang's ideas bold, thought-provoking, and you'll want to continue the conversation with him.

"Twenty years from now, should learning exist with a kid going to school at 8 a.m. and going to school six periods a day and going home and doing work?" asked Chang. "Is that really what learning should look like? I don't think so. And I think Boston can lead that conversation."

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Fish fraud program unveiled

In an effort to eradicate illegal fishing and seafood fraud, the Obama Administration is launching a fish tracking system that would eventually tell consumers where their fish was caught, processed and stored.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews announced the initiative at the Seafood Expo conference in Boston yesterday, describing an action plan to stamp out imports of illegally caught fish.

"The steps the United States has taken to be a leader in environmental stewardship are paying off," he said. "However, our nation's fisheries remain threatened by illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and seafood fraud, which negatively affects our markets."

While seafood industry groups are skeptical about potentially onerous and expensive tracking mandates in some fisheries where there are no problems, environmental organizations lauded the new rules that will roll out over the next few years.

"Today's announcement is proof that the Obama administration is committed to stopping seafood fraud and ending global illegal fishing," said Beth Lowell, a senior campaign director of nonprofit Oceana.

An Oceana study found between 20 to 32 percent of wild-caught seafood imported to the U.S. comes from illegal fishing, either fishing in closed areas, catching threatened or endangered species or using banned gear, that damages marine ecosystems. The illegal takes cost an estimated $32 billion a year.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration administrator Kathleen Sullivan told U.S. seafood industry leaders the Administration does not want to add an additional burden to industry, and said they plan to work with the Department of Homeland Security to create a trusted trader program.

Ninety percent of seafood in the U.S. is imported, and about 1 percent of seafood imports are inspected, according to NOAA.

The new strategy does not require changes in legislation, but instead will involve interagency and international collaboration. Sullivan said they will also tighten enforcement of existing laws that already ban importing 
illegally caught seafood.

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