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    Online marketplace StockX hits back at Nike over claims of counterfeit shoe sales

    Nike has accused online marketplace StockX of allowing sales of counterfeit Nike sneakers.
    StockX defended its anti-counterfeiting measures and said Nike itself had previously praised them.
    StockX, which promises “Guaranteed Authenticity,” said 100% of the products on its marketplace are physically inspected and authenticated.

    Online resale marketplace StockX is hitting back at Nike’s claims that the site has been allowing sales of counterfeit versions of its sneakers.
    StockX, in a response to Nike’s allegations, defended its anti-counterfeiting measures and said Nike itself had previously praised them, according to a draft of a court filing seen by CNBC. The response is set to be filed in U.S. District Court in New York City on Monday.

    “In the past, Nike has sought to collaborate with StockX and has communicated confidence in the StockX authentication process,” the Detroit-based company said in the draft filing.
    Nike and an attorney who has represented Nike in this case did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
    The legal battle between Nike and StockX started over nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, which are unique digital assets that consumers can buy and sell. Nike sued StockX in February, saying the online marketplace’s NFTs of Nike shoes infringed on trademarks and could confuse customers. Nike, which had been preparing for its entry into the so-called metaverse for several months, started selling its own NFTs earlier this year, reaping huge sums.
    StockX has argued it uses NFTs to authenticate products as it seeks to boost efficiency and cut costs for customers.
    Nike, which has been beefing up its own online business, added to its lawsuit last month, saying in an amended complaint that it was able to purchase four pairs of counterfeit shoes from StockX that were verified as authentic. One of the pairs matched a StockX NFT, Nike claimed.

    Nike said in its amended complaint that it obtained the dubious shoes through StockX from December through the beginning of February, just before it filed its initial lawsuit against the company. In its draft filing, StockX questioned why Nike waited until May to include its claims about the counterfeit sneakers.
    “Nike’s recent allegations lack merit, demonstrate a lack of understanding of the modern marketplace, and display anticompetitive behavior that will stifle the secondary market and hurt consumers,” StockX CEO Scott Cutler said in a statement. “We look forward to defending our reputation and understanding why Nike, which once sought to collaborate in combatting counterfeits, now seeks to undermine StockX’s business model.”
    StockX, which promises “Guaranteed Authenticity,” says it’s different from other resale sites because all the products on its marketplace are physically inspected and authenticated before being delivered to buyers. The company has been valued at $3.8 billion and has several authentication sites across the globe. It claims in its draft response that its authenticators have inspected more than 30 million products and prevented $60 million worth of counterfeit sneakers from getting to buyers.
    StockX did, however, acknowledge the possibility that counterfeit products could slip past its vetting process. In its filing, the company noted its refund policy “for the rare case where a counterfeit product might find its way into a consumer’s hands.”
    “This fact alone undercuts any allegation that StockX is knowingly or intentionally dealing in such goods,” the filing said.

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    Starbucks is looking externally for its next CEO, Howard Schultz says

    Starbucks’ next CEO will come from outside the company, interim leader Howard Schultz told the Wall Street Journal.
    “For the future of the company, we need a domain of experience and expertise in a number of disciplines that we don’t have now,” Schultz told the newspaper.
    Despite speculation from analysts and investors, Schultz has publicly denied that he’s planning on staying in the top job past fall.

    Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz speaks at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Seattle, Washington on March 22, 2017.
    Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty Images

    Starbucks’ next CEO will come from outside the company, interim leader Howard Schultz told the Wall Street Journal.
    Schultz returned for his third stint in the top job in April after the departure of former CEO Kevin Johnson. Despite speculation from analysts and investors, he’s publicly denied that he’s planning on staying in the top job past autumn, when a new successor will be named. Schultz told the newspaper that he’s planning on leaving Starbucks’ C-suite entirely by the company’s next annual shareholder meeting in March.

    Whoever takes the reins will inherit a business that’s still recovering from the pandemic, particularly in China, and is facing a swelling effort by baristas to unionize in the U.S. The company is also upgrading its U.S. cafes to match how customers want to order and pick up their coffees and striving to meet ambitious sustainability goals.
    “For the future of the company, we need a domain of experience and expertise in a number of disciplines that we don’t have now,” Schultz told the Journal.
    Schultz has been waging an aggressive campaign against the union push, which has weighed on Starbucks’ stock. Shares have fallen 13% since he returned to the company.
    The union efforts could also be why the company is seeking fresh blood.
    “Unionization publicity could be a factor pushing the company to look externally for a corporate culture founded on benevolence by Mr. Schultz,” Cowen analyst Andrew Charles wrote to clients in March after the announcement of the CEO search.

    Union organizers and the National Labor Relations Board have accused Starbucks of illegal labor practices, which the company has denied. Workers United, the union that’s backing organizing efforts at Starbucks, said in a Friday filing that the coffee chain is violating federal labor law by permanently closing a unionized Ithaca, New York, store. A Starbucks spokesperson told CNBC that opening and closing stores is a regular part of its business.
    Read more of Schultz’s thoughts on Starbucks succession plans here.

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    'There is hope': Prince William in rallying cry for the environment

    “Together, if we harness the very best of humankind and restore our planet we will protect it for our children, for our grandchildren and for future generations to come,” William says.
    William has often spoken on issues related to the environment. In April 2021, the prince spoke about the “intrinsic link between nature and climate change.”
    His comments come at a time of immense concern about the environment, global warming and the continued use of fossil fuels.

    Prince William delivers a speech in London on June 4, 2022. In his speech, the Duke of Cambridge said “decades of making the case for taking better care of our world” meant environmental issues were “now at the top of the global agenda.”
    Daniel Leal | AFP | Getty Images

    Prince William issued a rallying cry for the environment over the weekend, with the second in line to the British throne saying there was a “pressing need to protect and restore our planet.”
    In a speech in London on Saturday during celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, William noted that his grandmother, who is 96, had been alive for almost a century.  

    “In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs,” he said. “And although those breakthroughs have increased our awareness of the impact humans have on our world, our planet has become more fragile.”
    “Today, in 2022, as the queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee, the pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent,” he said.
    The Duke of Cambridge added that “decades of making the case for taking better care of our world” meant environmental issues were “now at the top of the global agenda.”
    “More and more businesses and politicians are answering the call and, perhaps most inspiringly, the cause is now being spearheaded by an amazing and united generation of young people across the world,” he said.

    Read more about energy from CNBC Pro

    William has often spoken on issues related to the environment. In April 2021, the prince spoke about the “intrinsic link between nature and climate change.”

    In October, a few months later, he appeared to take a swipe at the space tourism espoused by some of the world’s most high-profile billionaires.
    Such remarks will be certain to raise eyebrows in some corners given the Royal Family’s extensive use of air travel — which the WWF has described as “currently the most carbon intensive activity an individual can make” — as well as their fondness for hunting animals.
    Huge concern, but optimism too
    William’s latest comments come at a time of immense concern about the environment, global warming and the continued use of fossil fuels.
    In March of this year, the International Energy Agency reported that 2021 saw energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rise to their highest level in history.
    The IEA found that energy-related global CO2 emissions increased by 6% in 2021 to reach 36.3 billion metric tons, a record high.
    The same month saw U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warn that the planet had emerged from last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow with “a certain naïve optimism” and was “sleepwalking to climate catastrophe.”
    Despite the challenging situation on the ground, William appeared to be confident that a meaningful shift was around the corner. “Tonight has been full of such optimism and joy, and there is hope,” he said.
    “Together, if we harness the very best of humankind and restore our planet we will protect it for our children, for our grandchildren and for future generations to come.”
    “They will be able to say with pride at what’s been achieved: ‘What a wonderful world.'” More

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    For Americans behind on saving for retirement, a bad stock market can be a good time to invest more

    SMALL BUSINESS PLAYBOOK 2022
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    Many Americans saved more than ever during the pandemic backed by multiple rounds of government stimulus and a bull market in stocks.
    Small business owners often struggle to fund their own retirements, and the need to invest more in inventory and wages in the past few years has further stressed their finances.
    Savings rates among business owners have held up better than expected, according to 401(k) plan data, though there is still an opportunity for these retirement saving laggards to catch up.

    Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., May 20, 2022. 
    Andrew Kelly | Reuters

    Small business owners are among the Americans most likely to fall behind on saving for retirement. Investing back into a business is more often a priority for entrepreneurs with any excess cash than investing in a long-term tax-deferred retirement plan. Covid didn’t help.
    Amid the pandemic, scores of America’s small business owners stopped or cut back on their retirement savings, according to investment professionals and retirement experts, squeezed by rising labor and raw material costs, or in the worst-case scenario, facing business closures.

    To be sure, the pandemic didn’t take a toll on every small business in terms of retirement planning. Thirty-seven percent of small business owners say they aren’t confident that they are saving enough for retirement, according to a March survey by ShareBuilder 401k of 500 small businesses. But that’s down somewhat from the 44% who said two years earlier they weren’t confident in their retirement savings ability.
    Some data shows that, at least on the margins, small business owner savings rates mirrored the bump across all Americans during the pandemic. In 2019, the average monthly amount that active participants contributed to their 401(k) plan with Guideline, a retirement platform for small businesses, was $646. That increased to $783 in 2021, according to the company. For its part, Vanguard saw participation rates among small businesses rise to 73% in 2020 from 72% a year earlier, and deferral rates — the portion of an employee’s wages contributed to retirement — increase to 7.3% in 2020, up from 7.1% in 2019.
    But these outcomes generally don’t reflect the experiences of many of the country’s smallest businesses — including those in particularly hard-hit industries. Many of these businesses have fallen further behind in their retirement savings goals in recent years for a variety of reasons and are in need of a kick start, according to financial professionals. Coupled with the fact that many owners were never saving for retirement, the recent market gyrations could make it a good time to consider socking away money, or more money, for retirement. 
    Here are a few ideas on how to close the gap.
    1. Put at least 10% of income into retirement if you can
    Generally, investing experts suggest saving 10% to 15% of your earnings annually over a 40-year-career — just to maintain the same standard of living at retirement, said Stuart Robertson, CEO of ShareBuilder 401k. Yet the March survey found that only 38% of businesses surveyed were saving 10% or more. Meanwhile, 24% said they were not currently contributing.

    2. Cut back on budget and redirect to savings
    David Peters, founder and owner of Peters Tax Preparation & Consulting in Richmond, Va., has been telling business owners to take a hard look at their budget, paying close attention to where they are spending their money and searching for ways to cut. For instance, they might be able to work at home and save on gas or cut unneeded luxury items. “A smart move would be to cut some of the current expenses so you can continue to save for the long-term goals,” he said.
    3. Increase investment portfolio risk
    Another option, for those already saving, could be to take on some more investment risk, while also cutting spending, as appropriate. “If you increase your allocation so you were getting two or three percentage points higher on a rate of return, and you reduce your spending by 2% to 3%, and add on the power of compounding, it can be very powerful for returns,” said Timothy Speiss, tax partner in the Personal Wealth Advisors Group at EisnerAmper LLP in New York.
    That may seem like a tough pill to swallow amid the recent market volatility, but for small business owners that have cash right now, they may be able to take advantage of some funds that could be underpriced. “People are apprehensive to save when they see the red numbers showing up every day,” Peters said, but because of the market swings, “there may be opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.”
    As Dan Wiener, who runs the Independent Adviser for Vanguard Investors, recently told CNBC’s Bob Pisani, when the S&P 500 falls more than 3.5% on a single day or series of days, they are more often than not buying opportunities. Between June 1983 and the end of March 2022, this occurred 65 times and produced average returns of 25.6% over the next year. “Buying on those big one-day price declines has been profitable more often than not if you’re willing to look out just one year,” he said.  
    4. Create a plan and stick to it
    While some small business owners may be concerned the market will fall further, retirement savings professionals said that things tend to even out over time when owners contribute regularly to their retirement. The underlying motivation shouldn’t be to pick the best days, but to create a plan to save for the long-term and stick to it.
    By just contributing regularly, investors get the benefits of dollar-cost-averaging, meaning you’re not always buying at a high or a low, said Kevin Busque, CEO and co-founder of Guideline. “When you set it and forget it, you don’t have to worry about timing the market.”
    Robertson offers the example of an investor who consistently buys a fund for $500, during a high market, low market, and recovering market. First, the investor buys five shares at $100 each. He then buys 10 shares at $50 each, and finally, he purchases 6.67 shares for $75 each. His total outlay is around $1,500, and the average share price for the fund is $75. Yet the total market value for his 21.67 shares is $1625.25, so he’s ahead even though he bought some shares at a market high and some at a market low.
    “They can save any way they want; the important thing is that they are doing it,” Robertson said. More

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    That socially responsible fund may not be as ‘green’ as you think. Here's how to pick one

    Investors poured $69.2 billion into environmental, social and governance funds (also known as sustainable or impact funds) in 2021, an annual record, according to Morningstar.
    But it’s not always easy to know if a specific fund aligns well with your values.
    ESG experts outline a few simple steps investors can take.

    Tetra Images – Erik Isakson | Brand X Pictures | Getty Images

    Investment funds that promote values like the environment and social good have become more popular.
    But trying to pick a so-called ESG fund — especially one that aligns well with your interests — may seem about as easy as drying a towel in a rainstorm.

    “I think it can be really hard to know where to start,” said Fabian Willskytt, associate director of public markets at Align Impact, a financial advice firm that specializes in values-based investing.
    Luckily, there are some simple steps investors can take to get started and invest with confidence.

    ESG funds

    Steve Cicero | Photographer’s Choice | Getty Images

    Funds that allocate investor money according to environmental, social and governance issues held $357 billion at the end of 2021 — more than four times the total three years earlier, according to Morningstar, which tracks data on mutual and exchange-traded funds.
    Investors poured $69.2 billion into ESG funds (also known as sustainable or impact funds) last year, an annual record, according to Morningstar.
    These funds come in a variety of flavors. Some may seek to promote gender or racial equality, invest in green-energy technology or avoid fossil-fuel, tobacco or gun companies, for example.

    Women and younger investors (under 40 years old) are most likely to be interested in ESG investments, according to Cerulli Associates survey data. About 34% of financial advisors used ESG funds with clients in 2021, up from 32% in 2020, according to the Financial Planning Association.
    There are now more than 550 ESG mutual and exchange-traded funds available to U.S. investors — more than double the universe five years ago, according to Morningstar.

    “An individual investor has a lot more [ESG options] and can build a portfolio in ways they couldn’t 10 years ago,” said Michael Young, manager of education programs at the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment. “Almost every [asset] category I can think of has a fund option, so we’ve come a long way.”
    But fund managers may use varying degrees of rigor when investing your money — meaning that environment-focused fund you bought isn’t necessarily as “green” as you think.
    Here’s an example: Some fund managers may “integrate” ESG values when picking where to invest money, but it may only play a supporting (and not a central) role. Conversely, other managers have an explicit ESG mandate that acts as the linchpin of their investment decisions.
    But investors may not know the difference.
    The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rules last week that would increase transparency for investors and help make it easier to select an ESG fund. The rules would also crack down on “greenwashing,” whereby money managers mislead investors over ESG fund holdings.

    ESG tips for investors

    Getty Images

    All this might leave you thinking: How can I get started? And how can I be confident my investments truly align with my values?
    There are some simple steps investors can take, according to ESG experts.
    One way to start is by examining the asset manager, which serves as a good “shorthand” for investors, according to Willskytt at Align Impact.
    Some firms are focused on ESG and have a long history of investing this way — both of which are encouraging signs for people serious about values-based investing, he said.

    If you have confidence in the manager, the funds will be more or less strong from an ESG perspective.

    Fabian Willskytt
    associate director of public markets at Align Impact

    Investors can get a sense of a firm’s commitment by looking at its website and whether it displays ESG as a major focus, he added. From there, investors can pick from that firm’s available funds.
    “It’s a definitely a red flag if you can only find the barest of [website] information,” said Jon Hale, director of sustainability research for the Americas at Sustainalytics, which is owned by Morningstar. “It suggests the commitment maybe isn’t as high as with other funds.”
    Examples of ESG-focused firms include Calvert Research and Management and Impax Asset Management, Willskytt said. Nuveen, which is owned by TIAA, also has a relatively long track record of ESG investing, he added.
    Morningstar rated Calvert and Pax, along with four others (Australian Ethical, Parnassus Investments, Robeco and Stewart Investors) as the ESG asset-management leaders, according to an ESG Commitment Level assessment issued in 2020. (However, not all cater to U.S. individual investors.) An additional six, including Nuveen/TIAA, ranked a tier below in the “advanced” ESG category.
    More from Personal Finance:How to pay for college after a financial setbackHow to choose between a pre-tax and Roth 401(k)Consumers spend an average $133 more a month on subscriptions than they realize
    “If you have confidence in the manager, the funds will be more or less strong from an ESG perspective,” Willskytt said. “Then it’s about finding the flavors that work for you.”
    There is a drawback, however. Despite ESG fund growth, investors may not yet be able to easily find a fund that corresponds with a specific issue, depending on the niche. There are plenty of climate-focused funds and broad ESG funds that account for many different value-based filters, for example, but something like a gun-free fund is harder to find, experts said.
    Most (70%) of sustainable funds are actively managed, according to Morningstar. They may carry a bigger annual fee than current funds in your portfolio (depending on your current holdings).
    Investors who want to learn a bit more about ESG before taking the plunge can review a free course on the basics from the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment.

    Another approach

    Thomas Barwick | DigitalVision | Getty Images

    Investors can also start by sifting through a few free databases of mutual funds and ETFs.
    The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment has one that lets investors sort ESG funds according to categories like asset class (stock, bond, and balanced funds, for example), issue type and investment minimum.
    This list isn’t exhaustive, though — it includes funds from Forum member firms. (However, the fact that the firm is a member may be a reliable screen for the asset manager’s ESG rigor, Young said.)
    As You Sow is another organization that can help investors find funds that are fossil-fuel-free, gender-equal, gun-free, prison-free, weapons-free and tobacco-free, for example. It maintains rankings of the top funds by category.

    An individual investor has a lot more [ESG options] and can build a portfolio in ways they couldn’t 10 years ago.

    Michael Young
    manager of education programs at the Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment

    Alternatively, investors can also use As You Sow’s website to gauge how well their current investments align with their values. They can type in a fund’s ticker symbol, which generates a fund score according to different value categories.
    Other firms also assign ESG ratings to specific funds. Morningstar, for example, assigns a certain number of “globes” (5 being the best score) so investors can assess the fund’s ESG scope. Morningstar has an ESG Screener that also lets investors filter for funds according to certain ESG parameters.  

    One caveat: The globe system and other third-party ratings don’t necessarily signal an asset manager’s ESG intent. In theory, a fund could have stellar ESG ratings by accident, not due to a manager’s focus.  
    Investors can use fund databases to identify ESG investments they might like, then research the asset-management firm to see how committed the firm is to ESG overall.
    For investors who aren’t as do-it-yourself oriented, working with a financial advisor well-versed in ESG may be the most surefire way to know your investments most align with your values and mesh with your overall portfolio and investment goals. Advisors may have more advanced screening tools at their disposal relative to a retail investor, for example.

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    Why the global soil shortage threatens food, medicine and the climate

    Soil can be considered black gold, and we’re running out it.
    The United Nations declared soil finite and predicted catastrophic loss within 60 years.

    “There are places that have already lost all of their topsoil,” Jo Handelsman, author of “A World Without Soil,” and a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told CNBC.
    The impact of soil degradation could total $23 trillion in losses of food, ecosystem services and income worldwide by 2050, according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
    “We have identified 10 soil threats in our global report … Soil erosion is number one because it’s taking place everywhere,” Ronald Vargas, the secretary of the Global Soil Partnership and Land and Water Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, told CNBC.
    According to the U.N., soil erosion may reduce up to 10% of crop yields by 2050, which is the equivalent of removing millions of acres of farmland.
    And when the world loses soil, food supply, clean drinking water and biodiversity are threatened.

    What’s more, soil plays an important role in mitigating climate change.
    Soil contains more than three times the amount of carbon in the earth’s atmosphere and four times as much in all living plants and animals combined, according to the Columbia Climate School.
     “Soil is the habitat for over a quarter of the planet’s biodiversity. Each gram of soil contains millions of cells of bacteria and fungi that play a very important role in all ecosystem services,” Reza Afshar, chief scientist at the regenerative agriculture research farm at the Rodale Institute, told CNBC.
    The Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, is known as the birthplace of modern organic agriculture. 
    “The projects we do here are centered around improving and rebuilding soil health. We have a farming system trial that’s been running for 42 years,” Afshar said. It is the longest-running side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional grain cropping systems in North America.
    The research has found regenerative, organic agriculture produces yields up to 40% higher during droughts, can earn farmers greater profits and releases 40% fewer carbon emissions than conventional agricultural practices.
    How’s that possible? The Rodale Institute says it all starts with the soil.
    “When we talk about healthy soil, we are talking about all aspects of the soil, chemical, physical and biological that should be in a perfect status to be able to produce healthy food for us,” Afshar said.
    It’s critical, of course, because the world relies on soil for 95% of our food production. But that’s just the beginning of its importance.
    “The good news is that we know enough to get to work,” Dianna Bagnall, a research soil scientist at the Soil Health Institute, told CNBC.
    Watch the video above to learn more about why we’re facing a silent soil crisis, how soil can be saved and what that means for the world.

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    Union claims Starbucks illegally closing cafe to retaliate, Bloomberg reports

    The workers union at Starbucks is claiming the coffee chain is shutting down a recently unionized cafe in retaliation for its activist efforts, Bloomberg News reported.
    It’s the latest escalation between a rapidly growing national labor movement and the coffee giant.
    Workers United reportedly said in a Friday filing with the National Labor Relations Board that Starbucks is violating federal labor law by permanently closing an Ithaca, New York, store.

    A pro-union poster is seen on a lamp pole outside Starbucks’ Broadway and Denny location in Seattle’s Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on March 22, 2022.
    Toby Scott | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

    The workers union at Starbucks is claiming the coffee chain is shutting down a recently unionized cafe in retaliation for its activist efforts.
    It’s the latest escalation between a rapidly growing national labor movement and the coffee giant.

    Workers United, the union that’s backing organizing efforts at Starbucks, said in a Friday filing with the National Labor Relations Board that Starbucks is violating federal labor law by permanently closing an Ithaca, New York, store. The group alleged it was in retaliation since employees at the location voted to unionize in April.
    The Ithica store employees say they originally went on strike for unsafe working conditions on Apr. 16. Workers walked out due to a waste emergency caused by the overflowing grease trap, according to the union’s statement. In an email to the union’s bargaining committee, Starbucks cited the grease trap as the reason for the store closure.
    The union committee alleges that Starbucks closed the store in retaliation for activity protected by federal labor law and to stop workers elsewhere from organizing. “It is a clear attempt to scare workers across the country by retaliating against its own employees,” the committee said in a statement.
    Starbucks said that it opens and closes stores “as a regular part” of its operations. “Our goal is to ensure that every partner is supported in their individual situation, and we have immediate opportunities available in the market,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in an email to CNBC.
    The union is asking the agency to seek a federal court injunction to quickly prevent or reverse the store closure.

    Around 100 Starbucks cafes have voted to unionize under Workers United, while only 14 locations have voted against unionizing. Workers United announced this week it was creating a $1 million fund to cover lost pay for baristas who go on strike.
    Workers United has filed at least 175 complaints against the coffee chain for unfair labor practices, CNBC previously reported. Starbucks has denied wrongdoing.
    The worker union claims were first reported by Bloomberg News.
    — CNBC’s Amelia Lucas contributed to this report.

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    Abbott Nutrition restarts baby formula production in reopened Michigan plant

    Abbott Nutrition has resumed baby formula production at its Sturgis, Michigan, plant, in a move to address a nationwide shortage.
    The company said it will restart the production of EleCare, a formula for children with digestive issues, aiming for an initial product release around June 20.

    Shelves normally meant for baby formula sit nearly empty at a store in downtown Washington, DC, on May 22, 2022.
    Samuel Corum | AFP | Getty Images

    Abbott Nutrition on Saturday resumed baby formula production at its Sturgis, Michigan, plant, a move toward addressing a nationwide shortage.The company has been given the green light from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after meeting “initial requirements” as part of a May 16 consent decree.
    The company said it will restart the production of EleCare, a formula for children who struggle to digest other products, along with other specialty and metabolic formulas.

    Abbott aims for an initial EleCare product release around June 20 and is working to meet guidelines to resume production of Similac and other formulas.
    “We understand the urgent need for formula and our top priority is getting high-quality, safe formula into the hands of families across America,” a spokesperson for Abbott said in a statement. “We will ramp production as quickly as we can while meeting all requirements.”While supply problems started early in the Covid-19 pandemic, issues worsened in part due to the February closure of the Michigan plant amid scrutiny over contamination.
    FDA investigations began after four infants were hospitalized with bacterial infections from drinking its powdered formula. Two of the babies died.
    “The FDA is continuing to work diligently to ensure the safe resumption of production of infant formula at Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan, facility,” the FDA said in a statement.
    “The agency expects that the measures and steps it is taking, and the potential for Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan, facility, to safely resume production in the near-term, will mean more and more infant formula is either on the way to or already on store shelves moving forward,” the FDA said.  
    Abbott Nutrition is the largest baby formula manufacturer in the U.S.

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