The U.S. tax reform pushed by the Trump Administration has prompted many corporations to announce bonuses and wage hikes for their employees. Starbucks is one of the latest to boost its compensation and benefits package in light of the recent changes in U.S. tax law. Ron Crawford, VP of Benefits at Starbucks, was with us to discuss the company's investment in benefits.
Starbucks said the U.S. tax reform accelerated its latest investment in paid leave and wages. Had there not been tax reform, Crawford said Starbucks still would have made investments in compensation, but the timing and the extent of it may have been different. The offerings will total more than $250 million for more than 150,000 workers.
Digital apps and emerging technologies are driving more coffee runs to Starbucks, says Crawford. He believes digitization has brought more customers to its stores and boosted interactions between customers and employees. Starbucks is pumping in $7 billion of capital to build and renovate stores, manufacturing plants and technology platforms in the U.S. over the next five years.
Caleb Silver, editor-in-chief of Investopedia, joined Cheddar News to discuss the rising credit card debt that Americans hold as high-interest rates and continued inflation affect households.
For the first time on the unofficial cannabis holiday 420, cannabis enthusiasts in New York State can purchase their products legally. One of the first licensed adult-use dispensaries across the state was buzzing with business early in the day.
Eric Lynch, managing director of Scharf Investments, joined Cheddar News to discuss Thursday's market session as stocks closed lower, dragged down by Tesla's earnings miss, amid economic fears.
This time it’s for real. Many of Twitter’s high-profile users are have lost the blue check marks that helped verify their identity and distinguish them from impostors on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform.
Lauren Forsch, founder of Popped.nyc, stopped by the Cheddar News studio on 4/20 — a date known to many as Cannabis Day — to discuss the health and wellness benefits of CBD-based products.