Inventory Market Information: Reside Updates

The American bailout, passed by the Senate and now back, before the House of Representatives pumped $ 1.9 trillion into the economy.

The New York Times’ personal finance experts Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard went through the bill to explain to real people what it really means. Here are some of the questions they answer:

Recognition…Dustin Chambers / Reuters

As Georgia Republicans enforce measures that critics say will limit the voting rights of black citizens, opponents of the effort urge large state-based corporations to step up their defenses of civil liberties. The House has already passed one of these bills, while another could be put to the vote in the Senate this week.

Corporate giants have informed DealBook of the proposed voting restrictions:

  • Coke called the vote a “fundamental right” and said it supported the efforts of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Georgia Chamber of Commerce to “enable a balanced approach to electoral law.”

  • Home Depot said that “elections should be accessible, fair, and safe, and encourage broad turnout.” It referred to an internal voting initiative and donation of 9,200 plexiglass partitions across the state to improve polling station security.

  • UPS said it “believes in the importance of the democratic process and supports facilitating the ability of all eligible voters to exercise their civic duty.” It added that it was working with the Atlanta and Georgia Chambers of Commerce “to ensure fair access to elections and the integrity of the electoral process across the state.”

  • Delta Air Lines described the vote as “an integral part” of the company’s values. “Ensuring an electoral system that promotes broad turnout, equal access to elections and fair, safe electoral processes is critical to voter confidence and creates an environment in which all votes are counted.”

  • Inspire Brands, the owner of Dunkin ‘Donuts and Arby’s and one of the largest restaurant companies in the United States, had no comment.

These statements are not enough, say activists. “Just saying that we support elections – free, fair, and accessible elections – without actually addressing the issues we are facing right now, has no teeth,” Rev. James Woodall, president of the Georgia NAACP, told DealBook.

Corporations have previously played a role in the civil rights struggle in Georgia. In 2015, companies like Coca-Cola, Delta, Home Depot, and UPS rejected “religious freedom” legislation to provide legal protections to businesses to avoid hiring LGBTQ employees, referring not only to corporate values, but also potential damage to Georgia’s reputation. Many large corporations have also made public commitments to work for racial justice following the murder of George Floyd and others last summer.

Mr. Woodall said Georgia-based corporations are now finding it harder to both promote moderate social policies and target local politicians who are pushing voting restrictions laws. “Georgia celebrates being the best state to do business,” he said. “But that will change when people feel that companies are not supporting them or that their lives are literally at stake.”

The port of Los Angeles, the main port of entry for goods from Asia, was badly affected by the pandemic.Recognition…Coley Brown for the New York Times

Since their first use in 1956, the box-shaped shipping containers that are stacked on top of one another on board giant ships have revolutionized world trade. They make it possible to pack goods in standard containers and use cranes to lift them from boats onto rail vehicles and trucks.

Containers describe how flat screens made in South Korea are relocated to factories in China where smartphones and laptops are assembled, and how these finished devices are shipped across the Pacific to the United States.

Over the past year, the pandemic has profoundly disrupted every part of these trips and international trade, driving up the cost of shipping goods, and challenging the global economy to recover. The coronavirus has discarded the choreography of moving cargo from one continent to another.

Nobody knows how long the upheaval will take, although some experts believe containers will remain scarce by the end of the year as the factories where they – almost all of them in China – have to catch up with demand.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Lars Mikael Jensen, head of the Global Ocean Network at AP Moller-Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company. “All the links in the supply chain are tense. The ships, the trucks, the warehouses. “

“We're not just competing with the gym on the street.  Titans like Peloton and SoulCycle are real beneficiaries of this pandemic, ”said Amina Daniels, owner of a bike and yoga studio.Recognition…Nick Hagen for the New York Times

E-commerce saved many retail businesses over the past year as online shopping became a lifeline after stores closed, city centers stood empty and customers stayed at home.

For small businesses, however, the benefits have been very uneven, said Andrew Lipsman, principal analyst at eMarketer, told Amy Haimerl of the New York Times. There were winning sectors like groceries, health and fitness, and direct selling brands, but clothing boutiques and other specialty retailers – especially those with no existing e-commerce platforms – struggled.

The experience of Amina Daniels, the owner of the Live Cycle Delight fitness studio in Detroit, underscores the logistical challenges small businesses face in building and competing online.

To produce on-demand video courses, she built a mini production studio in her spin room and invested thousands in microphones, lights, and a film crew. Still, it’s difficult to compete against Peloton, where entire teams produce their digital classes.

About 30 customers left Live Cycle Delight for Peloton, Ms. Daniels said, but she found support in other ways. With the move to support black-owned companies, people donated for them, and there was good demand for the studio’s branded items like pilates balls, t-shirts, and booty bands, the stretchy bands that add resistance to a workout.

Between the products, summer outdoor courses and memberships, she was able to keep the three-year deal open. The move to e-commerce wasn’t perfect, she said, but it was worth it. She remembers why she started the studio: to make fitness more accessible and inclusive.

“Peloton is just one type of experience,” she said. “We’re still here to give our customers the opportunity to join us on the path for the better.”

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