Although a large proportion of American companies have incredibly high valuations, they’re not actually contributing to growth. Even though there’s more profit (and therefore, capital) to go around, many American companies are increasingly hesitant to invest it into innovative ventures, supposedly out of fear of the high risk, low reward profile. Instead, they would much rather restructure and divest in order to preserve their high return rate; “(e)liminating profit streams can actually increase shareholder returns when the remaining company trades at a higher valuation”. Read full article here
Societal Issues
To curb drug deaths, communities turn to Reddit, texts and wastewater
With drug overdose deaths on the rise, authorities are attempting to curb the epidemic by tracking and sharing information in real time. In one unique effort, a nonprofit in New York City is using drug-testing equipment and stamping or marking habits of dealers to identify drug batches that may endanger users. Other approaches are also being used, such as monitoring drug-related chatter on Reddit and analyzing local wastewater for opioid and other drug levels. With the combination of these efforts, researchers hope to put a dent in the opioid crisis and reduce overdose deaths. Read full article here
Merv
June 1, 2023
