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Kim Kardashian left needing medical help after horror injuryDanielle Carre and her husband Brad started to think about exit strategies. The couple sat on the verge of retirement, but first needed to figure out the future of their Western Slope solar company, Empowered Energy Solutions. Carre thought back to college, when she read about worker cooperatives in Spain. “In the back of our minds, we always looked toward a way our employees could eventually become owners of the business,” she said. Carre and her husband are part of a wave of Colorado business owners turning to employee-ownership models. As the baby boomer generation ages out of the small business workforce — the so-called “ silver tsunami “ — legions of business owners like Carre must figure out succession plans. But the statistics are daunting: Only 15% of businesses nationwide are passed on to the next generation and only 20% of listed businesses sell, experts estimate. Colorado economic officials hope to convince aging business owners to take another path: Sell the company to your employees. It’s a win-win, they say. Owners get a payout for retirement, while employees get the opportunity to build wealth and shape the future of their company. The state is one of only three in the nation to have a dedicated employee-ownership office within the government, which provides technical support and tax incentives for companies transitioning to worker-owned businesses. Since Gov. Jared Polis stood up the office in 2020, 70 businesses have converted into employee-ownership structures. Colorado is now home to more than 230 employee-owned companies, and increasingly has become a model for other states looking to replicate its success. “Colorado is the leader across the country in the effectiveness of promotion, education and conversion of employee ownership,” said Steve Storkan, executive director for the Employee Ownership Expansion Network, a national nonprofit focused on expanding employee ownership across the United States. “Everyone is trying to replicate the Colorado model as much as they can.” Employee stock ownership plans Employee ownership comes in a few different forms. By far the most popular one is called an employee stock ownership plan, also known as an ESOP. In the simplest terms, ESOPs are retirement plans through which the ownership of a company is held in trust for the benefit of the company’s employees. This structure provides attractive tax benefits in exchange for sharing ownership broadly with employees. Employees accrue shares over time, and are paid out if they leave the company. There were 129 ESOPs headquartered in Colorado as of 2022, the latest available year for federal data. That figure represents a 17% increase from the 110 companies in 2014. In total, there are 6,533 ESOPs in the United States, holding total assets of over $2.1 trillion, according to the National Center for Employee Ownership. Mowa Haile, founder and CEO of Sky Blue Builders, a Denver contractor, converted his company to an ESOP in March. Haile came from a tech background, where stock ownership was much more common. But the practice hasn’t made a huge dent in construction. He felt it was important to give his employees the chance to build their wealth. The stock ownership plan wouldn’t only impact his 53 employees, Haile said, but would also ripple to their families. When Haile told staff late last year that he intended to convert the company to 100% employee-owned, he said they were ecstatic. “By exiting, I still benefit from getting a buyout, but, in this case, I benefited from that and employees benefit in the long term,” he said. Research shows ESOPs outperform standard companies on a variety of metrics. The Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations and the Employee Ownership Foundation found in a 2020 study that ESOPs outperformed other companies in job retention, pay and workplace health safety throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. ESOPs were three-to-four times more likely to retain staff and less likely by half to make pay cuts. A 2018 study by the National Center for Employee Ownership found ESOP participants have more than twice the average total retirement balance of Americans nationally. Haile, who stayed with Sky Blue Builders after the transition, said his company this year had its best financial return in 15 years. He’s also noticed a major difference in hiring, with the ESOP serving as a juicy incentive to join his firm. “From a hiring perspective, it’s made it a lot easier to recruit employees,” Haile said. Worker cooperatives Worker cooperatives represent another small but growing form of employee ownership in Colorado. In co-ops, workers own the business and adhere to the “one worker, one vote” democratic style of governance. Employees have representation on and vote for a board of directors. The workers share profits based on seniority, hours worked or other company-specific criteria. There are roughly 42 worker-owned cooperatives in Colorado, up from 30 in 2021, according to the Center for Community Wealth Building, a Denver organization that helps companies convert to employee-owned businesses. There are 465 worker cooperatives across the country, employing around 7,000 people and generating more than $550 million in annual revenue, according to the Democracy at Work Institute, which tracks worker co-ops. The Center for Community Wealth Building is one of two Denver organizations helping companies transition to employee-owned businesses, along with the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center. Sid Farber and two others started Moonshell Pizza Cooperative, a Denver catering business, last year after working in co-op development. “We didn’t believe in the traditional ownership structure where you have to work for someone else and they own the product of your labor,” he said. “We saw that as an inherently unequal structure. We wanted to get away from that and toward something that builds wealth for everyone.” The company now counts four employee-owners. Workers start as regular employees; after six months, they can become provisional members, where they get the rights and responsibilities of being an owner without the same $1,500 buy-in. Member meetings consist of business education, where employee-owners learn about how the company does the books. The kitchen gets hot and employees often encounter 12-hour work days. But it just feels different than other jobs, Farber said. “I wanted to be part of an organization that I actually had a democratic say in,” he said. “It’s probably the best employment experience I’ve ever had.” Employees say the opportunity to become a co-owner was daunting initially, but has been immensely rewarding. Kelly Moss didn’t know much about cooperatives when Carre told her of the owners’ succession plans for Empowered Energy Solutions. But now she has a seat at the decision-making table and a deeper investment in the company’s future. It’s hard to find career growth opportunities on Colorado’s Western Slope, Moss said, so locking in an ownership stake represented a huge win. “It’s exciting to be offered more ownership in something and have your opinion and your voice matter a bit more,” she said. There’s been a huge uptick in interest in employee-ownership models in recent years, said Minsun Ji, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center. “In 2012, no one had any idea why we exist,” she said. “We’re at a very exciting moment right now.” Experts pegged the rise in interest as a confluence of demographical and economic factors. One is the so-called “silver tsunami” of the baby boomer generation aging out of the workforce. Across the United States, an estimated six in 10 business owners plan to retire or sell their businesses within the next 10 years. In Colorado, nearly half of the state’s small business owners are 55 or older, according to state figures. Small businesses, meanwhile, account for about 99.5% of Colorado’s businesses. Then there’s the response to extreme corporate consolidation across myriad industries. “People are trying to respond to those power imbalances, those feelings of domination,” said Paul Bindel, cooperative development director at the Center for Community Wealth Building. “Co-ops are a way to take back some of that autonomy.” Colorado gets involved Polis, in particular, has shown significant interest over the years in employee-ownership models, driving Colorado to be a leader in this space. “It’s true that when employees succeed, businesses succeed, and when businesses succeed, so should employees,” the then-congressman wrote in a 2017 opinion article. “Employee-owned businesses are one way we can ensure more people have a fair shot at the American dream and increase overall productivity.” Soon after moving into the governor’s office in 2019, Polis established the Employee Ownership Commission, which he tasked with educating businesses and communities on the benefits of employee ownership; establishing a network of technical support for interested businesses; and removing barriers to development to advance employee-owned businesses. The following year, the governor created the Colorado Employee Ownership Office. The office provides a network of training, support, education and consulting for businesses considering employee-ownership structures. It also helps connect employee-owned businesses with attorneys and financial and accounting experts, as well as other employee-ownership organizations. “Employee-owned businesses promote a higher quality of life for employee-owners, including higher wages, less turnover, access to better benefits and job security,” the office states on its website. “For the business owner, they get the benefit of a more engaged workforce, a guaranteed succession plan and a way to attract and retain top talent.” The state also offers a selection of tax breaks to incentivize companies interested in converting to employee-owned. Businesses can receive tax credits of up to 50% of their conversion costs, up to $150,000 for ESOPs and $40,000 for worker-owned cooperatives and employee-ownership trusts. These tax credits were funded by a 2021 bill that allotted $50 million to fund professional service costs of conversion to employee ownership. Subsequent legislation has expanded the tax credits and eligibility criteria to help more businesses take advantage of the program. Colorado has seen 70 companies convert to employee-ownership models since 2021, according to state data, a significant uptick from the one-to-three conversions per year before the Employee Ownership Office came online. “We’re seeing big increases” in interest, said Nikki Maloney, director of business support for the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. “Colorado is a leader in this space and we hope to continue that way.” Twenty-four states operate some form of an employee-ownership center, though only Massachusetts, Washington and Colorado have permanent offices as part of state government. Other states rely on independent nonprofits or centers within universities to handle the work. Storkan, of the Employee Ownership Expansion Network, said Colorado leads the way due to effective outreach and education, as well as top-down leadership from the governor. “Colorado is definitely heads and tails above everyone else,” he said. To date, Colorado has issued employed ownership tax credits to 11 applicants — including to Haile and Carre’s businesses — with another 12 applications in the program queue, state officials said. Haile said the $150,000 in tax credits he received for converting to an ESOP made a huge difference when considering whether to sell to a private equity firm or another large contractor. Carre received state tax credits for half of the $20,000 in costs needed to convert her business into a worker-owned cooperative. She and her husband plan to stay on with the business for another two years or so to ensure the transition to worker co-op goes smoothly. “Employee ownership is really the wave of the future for businesses,” Carre said.
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 5:10 p.m. ESTNew Canadians, non-traditional demographics boost minor hockey uptake in B.C.OLD SAYBROOK, CT and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 27, 2024 / BluSky Carbon Inc. (CSE:BSKY)(OTCQB:BSKCF)(FWB:QE4/WKN A401NM) ("BluSky" or the "Company"), an innovative entry into the carbon removal clean technology sector is pleased to announce, further to its news release dated September 6th, 2024, that it has extended its strategic marketing agreement with Euro Digital Media LTD ("EDM") (71-75 Shelton Street. Covent Garden, London, UK WC2H 9JQ; email: info@eurodigitalmedia.co.uk ) for an additional term of approximately one month, commencing immediately, provided that the term of the marketing services may be extended or shortened at the discretion of management. EDM will continue to, as appropriate, create campaigns, ad groups, setup and manage remarketing campaigns, optimize keyword options, create landing pages for ad campaigns and generally bring attention to the business of the Company. The promotional activity will occur on a http://www.wallstinvest.co.uk/ landing page, and via Google ads and native advertising. The landing page(s) developed by Euro Digital Media Ltd have been reviewed and approved by the company and its legal team.
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Thirteen individuals, including two women, from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), were sent to jail for organising an event that critiqued and allegedly tried to burn a copy of Manusmriti on the university campus. On December 25, the students conducted the event at the arts faculty intersection on the BHU campus to commemorate Dr BR Ambedkar’s historic burning of the Manusmriti on the same date in 1927. However, they were promptly stopped by the university security personnel leading to an altercation and eventual police detention. According to the police, the BHU security guards in their complaint alleged that the students attacked them, vandalised properties and obstructed official duties. On the other hand, eyewitness accounts state that it was the security guards who misbehaved with the students, dragged and manhandled them; injuring many. The students were later detained in the university’s proctorial board office, Maktoob Media reported. Police imposed serious charges, including non-bailable section 132 (assault on a government servant) , 121(2) (causing grievous hurt to a government servant) , 196(1)(b) (disturbing public harmony) , 299 (insulting religion) , 110 (attempt to culpable homicide) , 191(1) (rioting) , and 115(2) (causing intentional hurt) . Apart from BHU students, the arrested also included alumni and activists of a left-wing student organisation Bhagat Singh Morcha (BSM). On December 26, they were produced before the court and sent to 14 days of judicial custody. A post shared by Students for People’s Democracy (SfPD) (@sfpd.bengaluru) A post shared by Campaign Against State Repression (@kis_kis_ko_qaid_karoge)Canadian Western Bank delays earnings release without saying why
Leo, Weekly Horoscope, December 29 to January 04, 2025: Essential to stay vigilant with healthWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday named Pam Bondi, the former attorney general of Florida, to be U.S. attorney general just hours after his other choice, Matt Gaetz , withdrew his name from consideration. Bondi is a longtime Trump ally and was one of his lawyers during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused — but not convicted — of abusing his power as he tried to condition U.S. military assistance to Ukraine on that country investigating then-former Vice President Joe Biden. Bondi was among a group of Republicans who showed up to support Trump at his hush money criminal trial in New York that ended in May with a conviction on 34 felony counts. She's been a chair at the America First Policy Institute, a think tank set up by former Trump administration staffers. “For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans - Not anymore,” Trump said in a social media post. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.” Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. told Fox Business on Sunday that the transition team had backups in mind for his controversial nominees should they fail to get confirmed. The swift selection of Bondi came about six hours after Gaetz withdrew. Gaetz stepped aside amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. That announcement capped a turbulent eight-day period in which Trump sought to capitalize on his decisive election win to force Senate Republicans to accept provocative selections like Gaetz, who had been investigated by the Justice Department before being tapped last week to lead it. The decision could heighten scrutiny on other controversial Trump nominees, including Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth , who faces sexual assault allegations that he denies. “While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition,” Gaetz, a Florida Republican who one day earlier met with senators in an effort to win their support, said in a statement. “There is no time to waste on a needlessly protracted Washington scuffle, thus I’ll be withdrawing my name from consideration to serve as Attorney General. Trump’s DOJ must be in place and ready on Day 1," he added. Hours later, Gaetz posted on social media that he looks “forward to continuing the fight to save our country,” adding, “Just maybe from a different post.” Trump, in a social media post, said: “I greatly appreciate the recent efforts of Matt Gaetz in seeking approval to be Attorney General. He was doing very well but, at the same time, did not want to be a distraction for the Administration, for which he has much respect. Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do!” Last week, Trump named personal lawyers Todd Blanche, Emil Bove and D. John Sauer to senior roles in the department. Another possible attorney general contender, Matt Whitaker, was announced Wednesday as the U.S. ambassador to NATO. Bondi, too, is a longtime loyalist. She has been a vocal critic of the criminal cases against Trump as well as Jack Smith, the special counsel who charged Trump in two federal cases. In one radio appearance, she blasted Smith and other prosecutors who have charged Trump as “horrible” people she said were trying to make names for themselves by “going after Donald Trump and weaponizing our legal system.” If confirmed by the Republican-led Senate, Bondi would instantly become one of the most closely watched members of Trump’s Cabinet given the Republican’s threat to pursue retribution against perceived adversaries and concern among Democrats that he will look to bend the Justice Department to his will. A recent Supreme Court opinion not only conferred broad immunity on former presidents but also affirmed a president’s exclusive authority over the Justice Department’s investigative functions. Bondi would inherit a Justice Department expected to pivot sharply on civil rights, corporate enforcement and the prosecutions of hundreds of Trump supporters charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol — defendants whom Trump has pledged to pardon . It’s unlikely that Bondi would be confirmed in time to overlap with Smith, who brought two federal indictments against Trump that are both expected to wind down before the incoming president takes office. Special counsels are expected to produce reports on their work that historically are made public, but it remains unclear when such a document might be released. In 2013, while serving as Florida attorney general, Bondi publicly apologized for asking that the execution of a man convicted of murder be delayed because it conflicted with a campaign fundraiser. Bondi said she was wrong and sorry for requesting then-Gov. Rick Scott push back the execution of Marshall Lee Gore by three weeks. Before she ran for state attorney general in 2010, Bondi worked for the Hillsborough County state attorney. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, Mary Clare Jalonick and Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report.
Separated from their kids, this Dakelh couple journeyed across ‘B.C.’ for justiceIsrael ‘risks reviving Hamas’ by exchanging terrorists like my father for hostages
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Mark Goldbridge is eager for Manchester United to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha, who gave the Red Devils a torrid time on Boxing Day. The Brazilian forward is enjoying a stellar season, which has seen him bag 10 goals and four assists in 19 games across competitions. Cunha, 25, opened the scoring at Molineux with a goal straight from a corner which left Andre Onana dumbfounded. He then set Hwang Hee-chan up at the death as Wolves beat United 2-0 to pile the pressure on their new head coach, Ruben Amorim . It was perhaps an audition for Cunha against a club desperate for more firepower and creativity in attack. Marcus Rashford looks increasingly likely to leave Old Trafford . At the same time, Bruno Fernandes was sent off against Wolves, and Alejandro Garnacho struggled to impress on the left of Amorim's three-man attack. Goldbridge Wants Matheus Cunha at Man United Goldbridge watched United stumble against Wolves and Cunha was the star of the show. He not only grabbed a goal and assist but also ran the visitors ragged with his quick feet and instinctive movement on the counter-attack. The YouTuber wishes he was a Red Devil, posting on X: Cunha would (be) absolutely amazing for United Matheus Cunha vs Manchester United Goals 1 Assists 1 Shots On Target 2 Dribble Attempts (Successful) 6 (4) Touches 93 Accurate Passes 50/58 (86%) Key Passes 1 Crosses (Accurate) 2 (1) Long Balls (Accurate) 6 (4) Big Chances Created 1 Ground Duels (Won) 22 (13) Aerial Duels (Won) 1 (1) Amorim has reportedly requested Manchester United swoop for Cunha in the January transfer window. Interestingly, the Portuguese coach was seen speaking to the Wolves forward after his side's loss to Vitor Perreria's men. Cunha's versatility could be a massive benefit for the Red Devils, who head into January sitting 14th in the Premier League table. They are anticipated to be active in next month's window with a left-back and a midfielder on their radar . Arsenal could be United's main competition for the ex-Atletico Madrid man. The 26-year-old has just over two years left on his contract, and Wolves may be under no pressure to sell, but he recently liked a social media post saying 'Manchester United soon'. However, speculation continues to grow over Rashford, who said he was 'ready for a new challenge' after Amorim dropped him for a 2-1 win against Manchester City in the Manchester Derby (December 15). He's been absent from the squad since his interview. Wolves reportedly have no plans to part ways with the 26-year-old next month. All statistics courtesy of SofaScore - correct as of 28/12/2024.Maharashtra local bodies polls likely by April 2025 if SC decides on OBC quota BawankuleDodgers shortstop Jose Hernandez suspended for 2025 ACL season under minor league drug programKazakh Startup Attracts $150,000 with AI Barista
At least 90 people have been killed in Mozambique amid clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces sparked by October’s disputed presidential elections, civil society group Plataforma Decide said Friday. Unrest has rocked the southern African nation since an October 9 polls, which was won by the ruling Frelimo party, in power since 1975, but denounced as fraudulent by opposition parties. In a post on social media Plataforma Decide said 90 people had been killed between October 21 and December 5 and nearly 3500 people detained. A fresh wave of protests launched Wednesday turned deadly, with police confirming at least five people were killed and three others wounded. “Among the fatalities, some were run over and beaten. None of the victims were police officers,” national police spokesman Orlando Modumane said. In the northern city of Nampula, protesters who “tried to invade the governor’s residence” were stopped “by police firing live ammunition”, a civil society activist Ivaldo Naza told AFP, counting five dead. The Constitutional Council is due to confirm the results at least two weeks ahead of the January inauguration of Daniel Chapo, 47, Frelimo’s candidate succeeding the outgoing President Filipe Nyusi.Iran-China strategic partnership 'ironclad,' says Iran's foreign minister
Trump's withdrawn attorney general pick will not return to Congress
