CNN politics | Smoking weed is now more popular than smoking tobacco

(CNN) – “It’s the economy, stupid,” Democratic operative James Carville once famously noted. Usually, that assertion holds when it comes to elections. But as we have seen from the changing political tides since Roe v. Wade was overturned, sometimes the economy takes a back seat to social issues.

Abortion, though, won’t be the only major social issue on voters’ minds this year. Marijuana legalization is on the ballot in a number of states, including Arkansas, Maryland and Missouri.

The chance for voters to decide whether weed should be legal comes at a time when newly released polling suggests cannabis is more popular than ever.  –read more–  

CNN BUSINESS | Target just went from great to bad to ugly. But the worst may be over

New York (CNN Business) – Target just demonstrated how quickly things can change in the world of retail, posting a terrible quarter after nearly two years of soaring profits and record revenue growth. But the big box retailer is promising things will change in the other direction just as fast.

Target was widely seen as one of the winners of the pandemic, gaining new customers as shoppers not wanting to go into brick-and-mortar stores were drawn to its growing curbside pickup and home delivery.

But after a disappointing fiscal first quarter when profits fell 40%, Target just had an even worse second quarter. Profits plunged 90% compared to a year earlier.  –read more–  

CNN health Fitness | What you need to know about your low back pain

(CNN) – If you’re suffering from low back pain or have grappled with it in the past, you’re not alone.

As many as 577 million people globally experienced low back pain in 2017, a 2020 study cited by the International Association for the Study of Pain revealed. In fact, low back pain causes more disability worldwide than any other condition, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the US, it’s estimated that 80% of Americans suffer at least one episode of low back pain in their lifetime, with an additional 50% chance of recurrence within one year.  –read more–  

CNN US | Body camera video obtained exclusively by CNN shows moments that led to police shooting an unarmed 13-year-old

(CNN) – An investigation is underway after a 13-year-old boy was shot by a Chicago Police Department officer, according to the city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

The teen’s lawyers, and witnesses, contend his hands were up when police opened fire. He is now paralyzed from being shot in the back, the attorneys said.  –read more– 

CNN BUSINESS | Google becomes the latest tech giant to slow hiring

(CNN Business) – Google plans to slow its pace of hiring for the remainder of the year in the latest sign of tech companies rethinking staffing amid a market downturn that has hit Silicon Valley particularly hard.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and parent company Alphabet, announced the news on Tuesday in an internal memo, noting “the uncertain global economic outlook.” Google confirmed the authenticity of the letter to CNN Business, but declined to comment further.  –read more– 

CNN BUSINESS | The couple behind the bag that sold out in 2 minutes

New York (CNNBusiness) – In 2020, when the pandemic brought all nonessential travel to a grinding halt, Ami and Jason Richter had to think fast. They were running a flourishing business called Lug that sold fun travel bags and accessories and had a growing legion of fans, which included Oprah.

But as travel bans went into effect, households succumbed to lockdowns and work from home quickly become the norm, buying backpacks and shoulder bags was the furthest thing from people’s minds.  –read more–

Formula 1 | Hamilton fastest on disrupted final day of pre-season running in Barcelona

Hamilton lit the sectors purple with a very late effort of 1m 19.138s to put Mercedes at the top on Day 3. Team mate George Russell was fastest in the morning, amid five stoppages. The first red flag was for Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, thick smoke pouring out of his A522. The team soon stated that they would call an early end to their pre-season programme in Spain due to that hydraulic issue.  –read more–

HGTV | 21 Different Ways to Add Color Into Your Kitchen

Paint on the walls? Sure, that’s easy enough. But here are 21 alternatives to pack color and panache into your kitchen design.  —view gallery—  

CNN BUSINESS | Google expands in New York with $2.1 billion office purchase

New York (CNN Business) – Google is dramatically expanding its office presence in New York City with a $2.1 billion purchase on Manhattan’s West Side. 
 
The move comes even as the company embracing a hybrid work model because of the pandemic. 
 
Google said Tuesday that the new office will be an “anchor” of its sprawling city campus that houses much of its 12,000-strong regional workforce. It’s scheduled to open in mid-2023. 
 
The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, wrote that the deal is the most expensive sale of a single US office building since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ranks as one of the priciest ever in US history.  —read more—