Startup chirps over buggy food

They're low in fat and high in protein. They emit less greenhouse gas than cattle and produce 12 times as much meat for the same amount of feed. And if three Harvard alumnae get their way, they're coming to a supermarket near you.

They're insects. And, to hear Rose Wang, Laura D'Asaro and Meryl Natow tell it, they're not only the most humane way to eat meat, they're actually delicious — if you dare try them.

"We found people are much happier to eat them as long as the insects aren't in their original form," said Wang, who founded Six Foods with her former roommates last fall after graduating with a degree in psychology. "Our goal is to start getting people accustomed to insects as ingredients."

Who, after all, could resist the idea of a Chocolate Chirp Cookie, even if the key ingredient happened to be crickets?

Compared to the scorpion Wang, 22, once ate on a dare in Beijing, it sounds downright quaint. And that, D'Asaro said, may be the secret to overcoming America's aversion to bugs.

"One of the biggest issues is what to name them to make them sound more appetizing," said the 23-year-old, whose first epicurean encounter with an insect was a fried caterpillar in Tanzania. "That's why we call wax worms, for example, honey bugs, because they live in bees' nests and eat wax and honey."

On April 21, the three will launch a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise $30,000 to hire a contract manufacturer to make their first product, Chirps, or cricket chips.

"We talked to natural food stores," D'Asaro said, "but they want to see the product first."

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Spurned co. seeks rail pact delay

Lawyers for spurned commuter rail operator MBCR yesterday sought a 60-day delay to the contract awarded to Keolis Commuter Services to run the commuter rail system, while MBTA lawyers maintained the bidding process was fair.

The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Co. is arguing that favoritism factored into the eight-year, $2.68 billion contract award to Keolis and said the 60-day injunction would give it time to look for more evidence in MBTA communications.

Judge Mitchell Kaplan took the injunction request under advisement. If granted, the contract takeover set for July 1 would be pushed back to September.

The rail company, which has operated the commuter rail for 12 years, also said the Keolis proposal did not meet minimum requirements, including what lawyers described as a 2-page "promise" of a security plan required under the proposal guidelines.

"MBCR thought it had to submit a plan, not a two-page promise to submit a plan," said David Bodenheimer, a lawyer for MBCR.

"The (request for proposal) is asking for a specific plan."

But MBTA lawyers refuted that claim.

"It acceptably met the stated criteria," Neil McGaraghen, a lawyer for the MBTA, said of Keolis' proposal.

The judge suggested MBCR was exaggerating its claims in the 91-page affidavit it filed in support of the injunction request.

"The affidavit is full of hyperbole, it is full of hearsay," Kaplan said. "Part of me thinks the affidavit was for an audience beyond the court."

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Volvo redefines luxury wagon

The all new 2015 Volvo V60 Sportswagon T5-E is roaring back into the U.S. luxury wagon market with a vengeance.

Don't pooh-pooh the wagon anymore, folks. This car will make a hard run for your driving affections.

The Swedish automaker behind one of the earliest crossovers, the Cross Country, and designers of a long line of wagons delivers another superb vehicle with the V60. Bolstered by a smooth riding, sport-tuned chassis, the car is a nifty combination of style, performance and utility, and this slick wagon handles more like its side- kick the S60 sedan.

The eye-catching slick body lines, angular accents and classically minimalist interior demand your attention. It's such a visual departure from the last wagon, the V70. The moment I slid into the leather-clad driver's seat and grabbed hold of the padded steering wheel, I knew I was in a special car. Add the legendary safety features such as the unibody construction and a low-speed collision-
avoidance system and I think Volvo has a winner.

Let's face it, Volvo has long made solid, good-driving cars and has always had some of the best seats in any car. The ergonomically designed seats are super- comfortable with glove-soft leather, making the driving experience all the better. The controls are right where you need them, but the labeling is not quite as intuitive as you might think. I tended to try to change the radio volume with the cruise speed controller because they looked the same.

The cargo area is pretty good and with the rear seats down it's fairly spacious.

The $35,300 E trim level is the base model that makes 240 horsepower off a 2-liter turbocharged engine. The eight-speed automatic is smooth and the front-wheel drive delivers an estimated 37 miles per gallon on the highway. There's a drop-off to 25 miles per gallon around town, but the roughly 30 mpg average is quite good. To get the all-wheel drive feature you'll have to upgrade to the 2.5-liter in-line 5 turbo or the top of the line luxury R-Spec.

Our $42,225 tester was treated to a couple of upgrades including the $2,550 Premier Plus package, which includes leather, exterior bright work, keyless entry and parking assist. Add the $1,500 Sport Package to dress up the wheels, add paddle shifters and the Blind Spot system to complete the car.

This car will be a real competitor in the luxury wagon category so BMW and Audi should be looking over their shoulders.

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Biden: Raising minimum wage is good for business

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden says raising the federal minimum wage is good for business.

Biden is delivering the White House's weekly radio and Internet address in place of President Barack Obama, who was traveling this week. He's urging Congress to pass Obama's proposed wage hike to $10.10 per hour.

Biden says fair wages generate worker loyalty, leading to higher productivity and less turnover. He says it boosts the economy by generating $19 billion in additional income for the neediest people.

Biden says raising the minimum wage also helps women, who earn less on average than their male counterparts.

In the Republican address, Rep. Jackie Walorski of Indiana is urging Obama to support the VA Management Accountability Act. She says it's a step in the right direction for helping veterans.

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Online:

White House address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.speaker.gov

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Health law legacy eludes Obama as changes sink in

WASHINGTON — As a roller-coaster sign-up season winds down, President Barack Obama's health care law has indeed managed to change the country.

Americans are unlikely to go back to a time when people with medical problems could be denied coverage.

But Obama's overhaul needs major work of its own if it is to go down in history as a legacy achievement like Medicare or Social Security.

Major elements of the Affordable Care Act face an uncertain future:

—As a 6-month-long sign-up season comes to an end Monday the administration's next big challenge is to make 2015 open enrollment more manageable for consumers unaccustomed to dealing with insurance jargon. There's also concern premiums will rise next year.

—The new insurance markets created by the law are anything but customer friendly. After the HealthCare.gov website finally got fixed, more than 6 million people have managed to sign up, allowing the exchanges to stay afloat economically. But many consumers have bought policies with restricted access to top-tier hospitals and the latest medications. The website is seeing heavy traffic this weekend, and consumers may encounter a wait or last-minute glitches.

—Nearly half the states are still opposed to or undecided about the law's expansion of Medicaid, the government's health insurance program for the poor. As a result, millions of low-income people who otherwise would have been covered remain uninsured.

—This year's pitch has been about the "carrots" in the law: subsidies and guaranteed coverage. But the "sticks" are just over the horizon: collecting penalties from individuals who remain uninsured and enforcing requirements that medium- to large-sized employers provide affordable coverage.

Many basic facts about the ultimate effects of the health insurance program remain unclear. It's not known how many of those who have gotten coverage were previously uninsured — the ultimate test of the law. Independent measurements by Gallup do show fewer uninsured Americans, but such progress hasn't won hearts and minds. The public remains deeply divided, with opponents of the law outnumbering supporters.

At a recent insurance industry conference, a top administration official acknowledged the huge job still ahead.

"The No. 1 thing that probably we've all learned from 2014 is that this is hard work," said Gary Cohen, outgoing director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, the agency created to carry out the health care law. "It's not a one-year project; it's a multiyear project ... we're asking a lot, frankly, of consumers," he added. "This is new for them."

Among those consumers is Dan Luke of St. Paul, Minn., the owner of a small video production company who had been uninsured since he was turned down for coverage last year due to a pre-existing condition. The condition? Luke was born with one eye due to a birth defect, and he uses a glass eye.

"For 63 years I've had one eye," said Luke. "They had to dig deep to find that."

He's happy with the coverage he and his wife have bought; they're saving $300 a month on premiums compared with the last time they had insurance. But he said he had to endure weeks of website run-arounds.

"There is a lot of bureaucracy involved," said Luke. "It's sort of like taxes, filled with loopholes and pitfalls. They should make it easier for people to get insurance and pay for insurance, rather than have to prove so many things and jump through so many hoops."

Those comments echo sentiments broadly reflected in national opinion polls. Most Americans want lawmakers to fix the problems with the health care law, rather than scrapping it. A new AP-Gfk poll finds that only 13 percent expect the law will be completely repealed. Seventy-two percent say it will be implemented with changes, whether major or minor.

Republicans have again made repeal of "Obamacare" their official battle cry this election season. But even if the GOP wins control of the Senate and Congress were to repeal the law next year, the president would veto it. Opponents would then need a difficult two-thirds majority in both chambers to override Obama's veto.

"It's going to depend on the next couple of elections whether we stick with the current ACA models," said Brookings Institution health policy expert Mark McClellan, who oversaw the rollout of the last major federal coverage expansion, the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

"We are still a long way from a stable market and from completing implementation," he said. But "we're not going back to people with pre-existing conditions having no good options."

The administration will have to get to work quickly on a plan for next year. It is still struggling with such basics as providing consumers with clear information about the process and their options.

Until now, those signing up have skewed toward an older crowd. That could lead to higher premiums next year, making the program a harder sell for younger people.

Some Democratic lawmakers who voted for the law are frustrated.

"Instead of just circling the wagons against all the political arrows that are shot against this plan, we need a little more accountability, and we need to ensure the next enrollment period is not handled as poorly as the last one," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas.

DeAnn Friedholm, health reform team leader for Consumers Union, said her group still supports Obama's overhaul, but with concerns.

"The jury is out in terms of its long-term success," she said. "We still think it's better than the old way, which left a lot of people out because they were sick."

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H&M withdraws vest over anti-Semitism controversy

PARIS — Fashion retailer H&M has pulled a vest from its shelves worldwide after accusations its design, which featured a menacing skull in the center of a Star of David, was anti-Semitic.

The menswear item, which was withdrawn this week following complaints, was also destined for sale in Israel, where the retailer has 14 stores.

H&M, a Swedish company, said in a statement Friday: "We are sincerely sorry if the T-shirt print has offended anyone, it was not our intention to provoke such a reaction."

European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor welcomed the garment's withdrawal, calling it a "thoughtless and insensitive design."

Kantor said he hoped "that the symbols of the Jewish People will be given the same care as those of other minority groups."

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Former gas co. reborn as luxury apartments

The Arlington is the latest luxury apartment offering to open in Boston, but unlike its competitors' complexes, this is not a new building.

The Park Square rental complex at Arlington Street and Columbus Avenue in Bay Village has been carved out of a 1927 Renaissance Revival building.

Built for the Boston Consolidated Gas Co., it was part of the University of Massachusetts Boston campus in the 1960s and 1970s, and more recently it housed the Boston Renaissance Charter School.

With its limestone facade and two-story arched windows, the building — co-developed by New York's Related Cos. and Boston's Congress Group — cuts an elegant figure. The lobby, once used to display gas stoves, has refinished marble columns and brass detailing along with new white marble floors — and a gas fireplace tucked in one corner.

The $100 million LEED Silver makeover of the 14-story building has created 128 one- and two-bedroom apartments, with rents starting at $3,200 for one-bedrooms and $6,200 for a two-bedroom. Top floor two-bedroom units with 1,600 square feet are renting for more than $8,000 a month.

We took a look at several model apartments. Unit 12G, a 700-square-foot one-bedroom with great Back Bay views rents for $3,700 a month and Unit 12K, a more spacious 900-square-foot one-bedroom with Park Square and downtown views is going for $4,300 a month.

The units have condo-quality finishes, including white-oak hardwood floors, walnut cabinets, polished marble countertops and high-end Kitchen Aid appliances. Bathrooms have white marble floors and white tile tubs and showers. Each unit comes with a stacked Bosch washer and dryer and customized closets

Unlike many of its high-end apartment competitors, The Arlington does not charge monthly fees for pets, and rent includes resident-controlled heat and air conditioning and water. Everything is electric, ironic for a building that was formerly a gas company.

One thing the building doesn't have is parking but tenants can lease garage spaces at the nearby Revere Hotel for $299 a month.

The Arlington has 20,000 square feet of common space amenities. There's a basement basketball court, carved out of a former school auditorium, flanked by a fitness center on one side and a club/game room on the other. There's a second-floor party room and even an on-site pet-washing station.

In May, the Liquid Art House, an upscale hybrid restaurant/art gallery, will open a 180-seat restaurant on the ground floor, which will also provide room service for tenants. There's also Zipcar, bike-sharing and concierge services.

Related says it has leased almost 20 percent of the units. "Renters like the fact that we are closer to Newbury Street, the Theatre District and three blocks from the Public Garden," said Ellen Kang of Related Rentals, who does the leasing at The Arlington.

Kang said the complex is drawing young professionals who work in the area as well as empty-nesters looking for a pied-a-terre in the city.

"The building has a boutique quality as well as a lot of character," Kang said. "I think it will lease up in three to four months."

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McDonald's offering free coffee amid breakfast war

NEW YORK — McDonald's is giving away free coffee to its customers for a limited time as competition for the breakfast crowd intensifies.

The world's biggest hamburger chain announced Friday that participating U.S. locations will offer free small McCafe coffees during breakfast hours from March 31 through April 13.

The announcement comes as Taco Bell rolls out ads to promote its new breakfast menu, which includes a waffle taco. The ads star everyday men that happen to be named Ronald McDonald.

Chains like McDonald's, Taco Bell and Starbucks — which recently revamped its sandwiches — are all fighting for a piece of the breakfast market because people are increasingly buying breakfast on the go.

McDonald's Corp.'s McCafe product line, which also includes iced coffees and other drinks, debuted in the U.S. in 2009.

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Indiana's Paul George joins Gatorade team

INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George is joining a new All-Star team.

On Friday, Gatorade will introduce the Pacers' budding star as its newest NBA spokesman in a lineup that already features prominent athletes such as Heat guard Dwyane Wade, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, tennis star Serena Williams and Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.

In a video for the ad titled "Slam," George spins away from an opponent, takes off from the free throw line and dunks the ball — with the sports drink streaming off him the whole way.

For George, it's a major breakthrough on the business side because he plays in one of the NBA's smallest television markets.

But the 23-year-old shooting guard began the transition last year after being selected to play in his first All-Star Game. He helped the Pacers push Miami to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals and was later named the league's Most Improved Player. In September, Indiana rewarded George with a five-year max contract that could pay him as much as $90 million.

Since then, George has continued to excel.

He was elected as an All-Star starter last month and entered Wednesday night's game against Miami ranked 11th in the league in scoring.

The ad's debut comes two days after George scored 23 points and had two monster dunks to help rally the Pacers (52-20) from a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the two-time defending champion Heat 84-83. The win gave Indiana a three-game lead over Miami in the chase for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

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On the web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq3vh3ILt6s&feature=youtu.be

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Poll: Obama health law fails to gain support

WASHINGTON — Public support for President Barack Obama's health care law is languishing at its lowest level since passage of the landmark legislation four years ago, according to a new poll.

The Associated Press-GfK survey finds that 26 percent of Americans support the Affordable Care Act. Yet even fewer — 13 percent — think it will be completely repealed. A narrow majority expects the law to be further implemented with minor changes, or as passed.

"To get something repealed that has been passed is pretty impossible," said Gwen Sliger of Dallas. "At this point, I don't see that happening."

Sliger illustrates the prevailing national mood. Although a Democrat, she's strongly opposed to Obama's signature legislation. But she thinks "Obamacare" is here to stay.

"I like the idea that if you have a pre-existing condition you can't be turned down, but I don't like the idea that if you don't have health insurance you'll be fined," said Sliger.

The poll was taken before Thursday's announcement by the White House that new health insurance markets have surpassed the goal of 6 million sign-ups, so it did not register any of the potential impact of that news on public opinion. Open enrollment season began with a dysfunctional HealthCare.gov website last Oct. 1 but will end Monday on what looks to be a more positive note.

Impressions of the health care rollout while low, have improved slightly.

While only 5 percent of Americans say the launch of the insurance exchanges has gone very or extremely well, the number who think it has gone at least somewhat well has improved from 12 percent in December to 26 percent now. The exchanges offer subsidized private coverage to people without a plan on the job.

Of those who said they or someone in their household tried signing up for coverage, 59 percent said there were problems.

Repealing the health care law is the rallying cry of Republicans running to capture control of the Senate in the fall congressional elections. The Republican-led House has already voted more than 50 times to repeal, defund or scale back "Obamacare," but has been stymied in its crusade by Democrats running the Senate.

Thursday, five Democratic senators and one independent — three facing re-election — introduced a package of changes to the law that seems calibrated to public sentiment. One of their major proposals would spare companies with fewer than 100 employees from a requirement to provide coverage to their workers. The current cutoff is 50.

The poll found that 7 in 10 Americans believe the law will be implemented with changes.

Forty-two percent think those changes will be minor, and 30 percent say they think major changes are in store.

Combining the 42 percent who see minor changes coming and 12 percent who say they think the law will be implemented as passed, a narrow majority of 54 percent see either tweaks in store, or no changes at all.

Larry Carroll, 64, a church deacon from Cameron, W.Va., says he would like to see major changes — but he doesn't have high hopes.

"I think it's much too big a thing for the country to be taking on," said Carroll, who's strongly opposed to the overhaul.

"I don't see repeal," he added. "The federal bureaucracy simply seems to be too strong. The federal bureaucracy is like an anaconda."

Teresa Stevens, a factory supervisor from Jacksonville, Fla., said her two adult sons shopped for coverage on the health insurance exchanges and found it too expensive.

"There are so many different things they say about (the law) that are not true," she said. "It's not affordable."

A supporter of former Democratic President Bill Clinton, Stevens said the economy has soured for working people under Obama. "Everything is so expensive, not just health care," she said.

The poll found that much of the slippage for the health care law over the last four years has come from a drop in support, not an increase in opposition.

In April of 2010, soon after the law passed, 50 percent of Americans said they were opposed to it, while 39 percent were in favor. Ten percent were on the fence.

Now, just 26 percent say they are in favor, a drop of 13 percentage points. Forty-three percent say they are opposed, a drop of 7 percentage points since that poll four years ago. But the number who neither support nor oppose the law has tripled, to 30 percent.

The 26 percent in favor in the AP-GfK poll is not significantly different from the 27 percent registered in January and December.

The AP-GfK Poll was conducted March 20-24 using KnowledgePanel, GfK's probability-based online panel designed to be representative of the U.S. population. It involved online interviews with 1,012 adults and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for all respondents.

Respondents were first selected randomly using phone or mail survey methods and were later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn't otherwise have access to the Internet were provided with the ability to access the Internet at no cost to them.

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