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Avon Products Inc. (AVP) boosted sales in Russia, increasing its ranks by tens of thousands in the second half of last year as the plunging ruble prompted more people to seek additional income selling goods door-to-door.

Our sales have been growing both in volume and value, Avon country chief Elena Starkova said in an interview in Moscow. December was magnificent, exceeding our forecasts.

The additions swelled New York-based Avons labor pool in Russia by more than 10 percent, Starkova said, declining to give the exact number. Smaller competitors Oriflame Cosmetics SA (ORI) and Herbalife Ltd. (HLF) said they also added representatives in the country in 2014, without being specific.

The ruble weakened 43 percent against the U.S. dollar last year as falling prices for oil, Russias biggest export, compounded the effects of U.S. and European sanctions over President Vladimir Putins incursion into Ukraine. The economy contracted for the first time in five years in November, heralding a recession, while real incomes dropped 4.7 percent, according to the latest government data.

We are being joined by all the categories of people seeking additional income -- state employees whose living conditions have soured, students, pensioners, Starkova said. It was similar during the 1998 and 2009 economic crises.

About 4.3 million Russians are now involved in direct sales, a number that will keep growing as long as the economy and ruble remain weak, according to Tamara Shokareva, who heads an industry lobby group.

During economic crises, more people usually get involved in direct sales to earn additional money or buy consumer goods at lower prices, Shokareva said.

Direct-sales companies, which avoid the costs of running retail stores, generated the equivalent of about $4.4 billion in sales in Russia in 2013, led by Avon and Amway Corp., according to Shokarevas group.

Starkova said Avon started noticing problems in the economy in the first half of 2014 and reacted with an anti-crisis consumer basket. The product includes items women cant do without at the cheapest possible price, such as shampoo for 59 rubles (89 cents) and skin cream for 79 rubles, she said.

Avon produces about half of the cosmetics it sells in Russia at a factory near Moscow, which helps keep prices low even after the rubles decline, Starkova said. The company limited price increases on imported items to no more than 10 percent last year and may do the same this year, she said. While that doesnt cover the ruble depreciation in full, it helps the company maintain market share, she said.

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Avon Says Russia Magnificent as Ruble Drop Swells Sales Force

"Dee's going to be the disruptive one," Latos said.

Adding Gordon's game-changing speed in front of sluggers like Stanton and free-agent pickup Michael Morse gives the Marlins one of their most dynamic lineups in years. The club now has one of the fastest players in the game setting the table for one of the league's most imposing sluggers.

With the Dodgers last year, Gordon swiped a Major League-best 64 bases. The Marlins haven't had a player lead the Majors in steals since Juan Pierre posted his franchise-record total of 65 in 2003.

A lack of speed was a weakness of the 2014 Marlins, who stole just 58 bases -- fourth fewest in the Majors.

Marlins introduce Gordon, Latos and Morse

The Marlins introduce a trio of new stars with Dee Gordon, Mat Latos and Michael Morse, who are all ready to take Miami to the next level

Now with the projected lineup of Gordon at the top of the order and Christian Yelich hitting second, Miami has two running threats in front of Stanton and Morse. Along with stealing bases, they are capable of scoring from first on a double.

"Stanton and Morse, those are the guys who are going to knock Dee in," Latos said. "Those are going to be the guys you're scared of. Pitchers are scared of them, but they can always walk them. You don't want to walk Dee."

The question with Gordon is if he will get on base enough. He batted .289 with a .326 on-base percentage and 31 walks in 2014. Gordon also struck out 107 times. If he is struggling at the leadoff spot, the Marlins have versatility in their lineup to adjust. Yelich is experienced leading off, and Martin Prado can bat second.

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Speedy Gordon gives Marlins dynamic lineup

January 14, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS) Portland Timbers PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Timbers have added radio play-by-play broadcaster Jake Zivin in an expanded, full-time role with the club and Samantha Yarock as a versatile reporter who will feature on Timbers television broadcasts and online video content for the 2015 season presented by Simple, it was announced today.

Zivin enters his second season as the radio play-by-play announcer for Timbers broadcasts on 750 The Game and will assume a new, expanded role as web stream play-by-play broadcaster for the club's T2 USL PRO home games in 2015. Garnering extensive experience with Major League Soccer - interning in the league's broadcasting department and working for two years on the production staff for ABC/ESPN's MLS and U.S. National Team broadcasts - Zivin will be the main play-by-play broadcaster for T2. Zivin joins the Timbers after spending four years at KEZI-TV in Eugene, Ore., including three as the station's sports director. He began his career in Montana, where he was the sports director at KECI-TV in Missoula. A native of Evanston, Ill., Zivin graduated from Carleton College in 2007 with a degree in mathematics.

Yarock joins the Timbers as a reporter who will contribute to Timbers television broadcasts and online at Timbers.com following time as an on-air talent and content producer for MLSSoccer.com. Before working at MLS, Yarock, whose Timbers online coverage begins at the MLS SuperDraft on Thursday, earned a master's degree in multimedia communications from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where she reported and did play-by-play for the university's men's and women's NCAA basketball games. Yarock, who also holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin, hosted and produced segments for GoStanford.com and interned for the sports departments at KPIX-TV/CBS 5 and KTVU/FOX 2 while in the Bay Area.

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Timbers Announce Additions to Broadcast Team for 2015 Season

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