Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Forget roses or chocolates! According to a new study , a majority of American adults ages 21 and over are planning on gifting their sweethearts with cannabis on the upcoming Valentine’s Day (or at least, incorporating it into their plans). And here's a shocker: parents are more likely to use or gift cannabis than their peers without kids. Conducted by Wired Research and commissioned by multi-state cannabis operator Verano Holdings , the survey polled 961 Americans and was conducted between January 24, 2023, and January 29, 2023. The resulting data shows that attitudes and purchasing behaviors towards cannabis are shifting in the U.S., with more interest, acceptance and personal cannabis usage leading the way. Highlights of the study’s findings include: ● 19 million American adults will skip the champagne on Valentine’s Day in favor of cannabis; ● Nearly 1 in 4 American adults believe cannabis improves … [Read more...] about Majority Of Americans Plan To Use Or Gift Cannabis On Valentine’s Day, Says New Survey
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American Dream Mall—Touted As Retail’s Future—Now Seems More Like A Nightmare For Its Owner
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Owners don’t typically tell a public audience that they wish their sparkling new $5 billion shopping center had burned to the ground. But then you’d need a heart of stone not to empathize with the sentiment behind Kurt Hagen’s startling words when he addressed local council leaders last month. The American Dream mega-mall, tipped as the future of retail in America, is in danger of costing owner Triple Five Group dear, as its New Jersey complex rapidly descends into the stuff of nightmares. As a result, Triple Five has put up nearly half the ongoing profits of two of North America’s largest malls – Mall of America, Minn. and West Edmonton Mall, Canada – in order to appease circling creditors. Yet the question at the heart of this multi-billion-dollar story is how a scheme, just a 30-minute ride from Manhattan, that embodies real estate's futuristic vision of mixing retail, leisure, entertainment and dining within one … [Read more...] about American Dream Mall—Touted As Retail’s Future—Now Seems More Like A Nightmare For Its Owner
Series: Unwind The LIHTC, Create Tax Benefits For Builders And Families
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There is no doubt that over its 36-year life that the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) has housed many people. But how many? As my last post showed, there are many known unknowns about how and how well the LIHTC has functioned over those years. For example, a common number offered as an answer to the question, “how many units has LIHTC created over its 36 years?” the answer is often something like 29 million. Where does that figure come from? Column V in the LIHTC “database,” a column in the Excel spreadsheet that has 3,000 blanks and 1,500 cells with “0” as the answer. It is a challenge to reform a federal expenditure when no deep evaluation is possible for lack of good data. However, I’d like to close the LIHTC portion of the look back at Paul Ryan’s critique with some ideas for reform. I’ve concluded that the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program isn’t really a program at all. It is behemoth , a complex of … [Read more...] about Series: Unwind The LIHTC, Create Tax Benefits For Builders And Families
With $22.3 Million In Venture Capital, A Startup Is Transforming Maternity Care
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Oula's has raised $22.3 million in seed and Series A rounds to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum people. The U.S. has terrible maternity care outcomes. Compared to other developed countries, the U.S. has worse outcomes , poorer experiences, and higher costs. Women in the U.S. are 50% more likely to die in childbirth than their moms, writes Neel Shah, MD, MPP, FACOO in Harvard Health Blog. The risk to Black women is three to four times more than to white women. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable , according to the CDC, and including midwives can help , according to The Lancet. Three women—Adrianne Nickerson, Elaine Purcell, and Joanne Schneider—are changing that with their collaborative care model that brings together doctors and midwives, called Oula. The startup's patients have fewer cesareans and other preterm deliveries. Nickerson, cofounder and CEO, and Purcel, … [Read more...] about With $22.3 Million In Venture Capital, A Startup Is Transforming Maternity Care
Mega Backdoor Roth 401(k) Conversion: Overview and FAQ
What Is a Mega Backdoor Roth 401(k) Conversion? A mega backdoor Roth 401(k) conversion is a tax-shelter strategy available to employees whose employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plans allow them to make substantial after-tax contributions in addition to their pretax deferrals and to transfer their contributions to an employer-designated Roth 401(k). The Build Back Better Act, H.R. 5376, passed by the House of Representatives on Nov. 19, 2021, contains provisions that, if enacted, would limit the ability of high-income taxpayers to accumulate extremely high-value balances in Roth 401(k)s and would eliminate backdoor Roth conversions for high-income taxpayers after Dec. 31, 2031. As of spring 2022, the Build Back Better Act remains stalled in the Senate, and these provisions may not come to pass, at least not in their current form. But mega backdoor Roth conversions remain an important issue—and a notable route to wealth for higher-income taxpayers. Key Takeaways H.R. … [Read more...] about Mega Backdoor Roth 401(k) Conversion: Overview and FAQ
Oasis, a dawn-delivery success story, to list on Korea’s Kosdaq
Oasis's CEO Ahn Jun-hyung speaks during a press conference to announce the company's plans for its listing at Yeouido, western Seoul, on Wednesday. [OASIS] Oasis, a Korean e-commerce company that's actually profitable, is set to list on Kosdaq on Feb. 23 in an offering that could raise as much as 206.8 million, with some of the proceeds going to the largest shareholder. If the initial public offering (IPO) goes as planned, Oasis will be the first domestic e-commerce operator to go public. Other e-commerce companies, such as Kurly and SSG.com, have either postponed or canceled. Coupang, another major e-commerce operator, listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021. Founded in 2011, Oasis started off by focusing on developing and selling organic goods through it physical stores. It expanded its business to dawn deliveries and online sales with Oasis Market in 2018. The company plans to issue 3.66 million new shares and 1.57 million old shares priced between 30,500 won to … [Read more...] about Oasis, a dawn-delivery success story, to list on Korea’s Kosdaq
Navigating Economic Turbulence: 10 Strategies For Business Success In A Downturn
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Boyan Ivanov is the cofounder and Chief Executive Officer at StorPool since November 2011. An economic downturn can be a difficult time for any company. During a downturn, consumers tend to spend less money, resulting in downward pressure on prices, sales cycles getting longer and fiercer competition. All these developments can lead to a decrease in revenue and profitability as well as a higher risk of going out of business for many companies. However, with the right strategies in place, a company cannot only survive but flourish during such a period. Here are 10 tips that can help a company stay afloat and come out stronger on the other side. 1. Optimize your operations and P&L. One of the first things a company should do during an economic downturn is to take a hard look at its income statement and consider optimizing its operations. This can include reducing some expenses or freezing business lines … [Read more...] about Navigating Economic Turbulence: 10 Strategies For Business Success In A Downturn
For Country Artist Tolman – Gratitude Is Everything
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Jenny Tolman spent the past year making many of her biggest dreams come true. She released a new album, got married, organized the first all-female country festival in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, saw her music video celebrating women who’ve survived drug addiction and human trafficking go viral, and welcomed her first child, a beautiful baby boy named Bear. It seemed fitting the little guy would wrap up 2022 so perfectly, arriving on the very last day of the year, December 31 st . Tolman let fans know he was on his way with her song “It’s a Boy,” late last year, and People Magazine helped introduce him to the world in January. At 26, Tolman feels incredibly blessed. “I feel very, very grateful. The only two things I’ve ever wanted in my life is to be a singer and to be a mom,” she says. “And I’m like, oh my gosh, it makes me want to cry.” She’s a strong believer in expressing gratitude - consistently and … [Read more...] about For Country Artist Tolman – Gratitude Is Everything
Creativity Takes Courage: Counseling Outside The Box
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin For as long as I can remember, art has been an essential part of my life. Even at my kindergarten graduation, I announced on stage that “when I grow up, I am going to be an artist.” Sketching, painting, crafting, and music have always been my favorite ways to self-soothe as a teenager filled with angst to an adult weathering a pandemic world. While growing up, I found that along with art I had a passion for helping others. I remember at 19 years old struggling to decide on a new career path after my plan of becoming a fashion designer didn’t quite fit. My mom and I were riding in the car, and she said, “You have always been a helper, have you thought about being a counselor?” Well, like they say… Mothers know best. My brain was buzzing with ideas on how I could combine my two passions: art and helping. I understood art’s healing powers and wanted to use it to help others. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in … [Read more...] about Creativity Takes Courage: Counseling Outside The Box
Alphabet and Microsoft Push New AI Features
Artificial intelligence is making headlines again, with Google releasing a rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT called "Bard" to early testers. The company's new conversational AI service will be released to the public “in the coming weeks” after being tested by trusted testers for feedback, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said in a blog post . The technology aims to generate detailed answers when given simple prompts. Pichai also said Google plans to add AI-powered features to its search engine that synthesize information to answer complex queries like whether a guitar or the piano is easier to learn to play. Separately, Microsoft plans to hold an event today at its headquarters. The company didn’t disclose the content of the event, but speculation has centered on the company’s bets on artificial intelligence, including adding OpenAI’s ChatGPT bot into its Bing search engine. Bing currently has about a 9% share of the global search market. Last month, Microsoft said it was making a … [Read more...] about Alphabet and Microsoft Push New AI Features