Comment on Tobacco and tech drag on Wall Street; yields boost banks

A quick guide to achieving your New Year’s resolution of getting offline. There are certain social media rules we can all agree on: Ghosting a conversation is impolite, and replying “k” to a text is the equivalent of a backhand slap (violent, wrong, and rude). But what about the rest of the rules?

From relying more heavily on employee resource groups to shifting focus to belonging, these are four of the ways diversity, equity, and inclusion will change in the next year. As we head into 2025, we will see more companies reevaluate their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Boeing Co, Ford Motor, Harley Davidson, Lowe’s Cos, Walmart, and more, have shared that they are eliminating or pivoting their DEI efforts.

Americans are increasingly using apps like Venmo and Apple Pay for purchases, but a new study makes a strong case for going back to cash money. Never in history has grocery shopping been easier for people prone to forgetting their wallets at home. Whenever you approach the cashier and realize this common mistake, third-party apps like Google Pay and Apple Pay are there to save the day.

Flora, a new café, cocktail and wine bar, opened for business in the Golden Triangle neighborhood Saturday morning. Created by Daniel Masters, who opened Denver’s Hello Darling back in 2022, Flora will serve specialty coffee, artisanal pastries and fresh breakfast options during the day. By night, the business will transform into an intimate wine bar, offering a curated selection of fine wines and light bites. “Flora was created to bring a sense of connection and vibrancy to the Golden Triangle,” said Flora founder Daniel Masters, in a December news release. “Whether you’re grabbing a coffee to go, savoring a quiet breakfast, or enjoying a glass of wine with friends, Flora offers a little something for everyone, all day long.” Flora founder Daniel Masters poses for a photo.

By LINLEY SANDERS, TOM MURPHY and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX Associated Press WASHINGTON — Most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials share responsibility for the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO — although not as much as the person who pulled the trigger, according to a new poll. In the survey from NORC at the University of Chicago, about 8 in 10 U.

Americans still dreaming of a really big Christmas present can keep that dream alive during Friday’s Mega Millions drawing for a jackpot worth an estimated $1.15 billion. Friday’s jackpot will potentially be the fifth largest in the game’s history. Mega Millions tickets are $2 a piece. But the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 302,575,350, and the odds of winning any Mega Millions prize are 1 in 24, according to lottery officials.