What Qin Gang’s disappearance means for U.S.-China relations

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets with State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang in Beijing, China on June 19, 2023.

Foreign Ministry of China | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

BEIJING — The flurry over Qin Gang’s disappearance and removal from the position of foreign minister has little impact on U.S.-China relations, analysts said.

Qin had only held the position for about six months before he disappeared from public view in late June — with little explanation. China officially announced his dismissal from the foreign minister role on Tuesday.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is reassuming the foreign minister role, a position he held for two terms before his promotion late last year within the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He has met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken twice in the last two months.

“China’s foreign minister is an implementer of decisions made by [Chinese President] Xi Jinping and his close circle; their role in actual policy formulation is relatively limited,” said Nick Marro, global trade leader at The Economist Intelligence Unit.

“We don’t expect the recent events to have a significant impact on China’s diplomatic relations,” he said. “That said, the opacity attached to all of this drama will complicate some of the logistics underpinning foreign engagement.”

China’s foreign ministry has declined to shared why Qin had to leave his position.

While Wang’s return to the foreign minister role is unusual, his promotion to top diplomat had also come contrary to expectations of retirement.

Xi meanwhile has broken precedent by taking a third term as president in March, and installing loyalists in top positions without the same government experience as their predecessors.

“In returning Wang to the helm at the foreign ministry, Xi appears to have opted for a steady pair of hands over any of the younger crop of candidates, buying time for potential successors to be fully vetted and groomed,” said Eurasia Group’s Jeremy Chan, consultant for China and Northeast Asia, and Anna Ashton, director for China corporate affairs and U.S.-China.

“Wang’s oversight of policy implementation is therefore likely to strengthen the consistency of Beijing’s diplomatic messaging and actions, while further cementing the party’s already strong guidance of foreign affairs,” the Eurasia Group analysts said in a note.

While pressuring China has become an area of rare bipartisan agreement in the U.S., critics say the Biden administration has not had a comprehensive China strategy.

What happened to Qin?

Qin was one of the few younger officials to move up quickly in the latest leadership reshuffle. A career diplomat, he was China’s ambassador to the U.S. for less than two years before becoming foreign minister.

“The issue is Qin was elevated really very rapidly within a very short time,” said Dali Yang, political science professor at The University of Chicago. “That also meant that he needed to be seen as truly up and coming and rising — but he needs to be exemplary.”

“That fact becomes a major consideration when it’s harder for Xi to protect him,” Yang said.

The Chinese foreign ministry’s website has mostly deleted references to Qin and his speeches, leaving the bio page for the foreign minister and records of his activities as blank — with only the words “updating.”

Earlier this month, the ministry said Wang would attend a diplomatic gathering instead of Qin due to the latter’s health issues, Reuters said.

“Clearly in the U.S. and so on there would be lots of reports on what happened,” Yang said.

“What’s remarkable is there’s so many rumors and in fact a lot of the rumors are allowed to circulate to such an extent yet the authorities totally avoided referring to the rumors. By doing so they give a lot of space to the rumors to circulate.”

Officially, Qin retains his position of state councilor and is a member of the Chinese Communist Party’s central committee, the third-highest circle of power.

In May, Xie Feng became China’s ambassador to the U.S., filling a role that was left open for months after Qin’s departure.

Communication between the U.S. and China has picked up, with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and John Kerry, special presidential envoy for climate, visiting Beijing this summer.

“At this point there is a desire to at least not try to be confrontational on every respect,” Yang said. “This is a real meaningful relationship, not simply a relationship between two rivals in all respects.”

“The challenge is the election season in the U.S. is coming up, and the rhetoric can become hotter.”

Lady Will get 51 Months In Jail For Stealing $2.8M From 87YO

A 36-year-old woman will spend the next four years in prison for swindling over $2.8 million from an 87-year-old man. A judge sentenced Peaches Stergo on Thursday (Jul. 27)–months after she pleaded guilty to wire fraud in April.

The Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office says Stergo ran a “romance scam” on the elderly Holocaust survivor. She cleared his life savings.

RELATED: Black Georgia Homebuyers Allegedly Scammed With Fake Deeds, Bogus Land Purchases Speak Out | TSR Investigates

The victim’s name was not released, but his parents reportedly died in the Holocaust. In their sentencing request, prosecutors included an excerpt of the victim’s impact statement, per NBC News. He relocated to the United States during his 20s in search of a better life. Now, he believes his life will end with nothing to his name.

“Over the next 60 years, I worked tirelessly to establish a successful business, family, and home in New York. I am now 88 years old, and the last thing I expected was to finish my days in the same manner that I started them–penniless and betrayed,” the Holocaust survivor said.

Q&A: Inner City Press interviewed Ann Fitz, lawyer for Peaches Stergo after she got 51 months for defrauding an 87 year old Holocaust survivor out of his life savings. Q: Why didn’t the defense mention the Holocaust? A: She didn’t target him for that. But she knew pic.twitter.com/FAMzfljO0A

— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) July 27, 2023

How Peaches Stergo Scammed Over $2.8 Million From A Holocaust Survivor

Police arrested Peaches Stergo in January after the victim’s son became aware of the financially-draining situation.

Peaches first met the victim on a dating website seven years ago. By May 2017, she had requested his financial help to allegedly pay a lawyer. Her story was that she won an injury settlement, but her lawyer was withholding it, awaiting his fee payment.

After the victim abided by her request, Stergo claimed her settlement coins were available in her TD Bank account. Citing bank records, prosecutors uncovered that she never received any injury settlement money.

RELATED: Prosecutors: ‘Worst Boyfriend On The Upper East Side’ Scammed At Least Five Women Out Of $1.8 Million

Over the next four years, the victim wrote 62 checks to Peaches. She frequently demanded he deposit money into her accounts, lying about them being frozen if he didn’t.

She kept up her fraudulent charade with accessories like fake invoices, “a fake email account intended to appear as if it belonged to a TD Bank employee,” and “fake letters from a TD Bank employee.”

Peaches Stergo Spent Victim’s Life Savings On A Home, Trips & Luxury Items

Stergo drained the victim’s funds to the point that he was forced to give up his apartment. Meanwhile, she used that $2.8 million to live a luxurious lifestyle with a real lover. The district attorney’s office statement revealed Peaches purchased a home in a gated community, a condo, and a boat. She also bought several cars, including a Corvette and Suburban.

The scheming jet-setter also “took expensive trips,” stayed in luxury hotels like the Ritz Carlton, and spent “tens of thousands of dollars on expensive meals, gold coins, and bars, jewelry, and Rolex watches. Stergo even upgraded her wardrobe with pieces from Tiffany, Ralph Lauren,  Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes.

When the Holocaust survivor finally stopped sending her money, Peaches was upset–sentiments she revealed in a text, per prosecutors.

“I am just aggravated, hurt, frustrated that I haven’t made money….I don’t want to work…it’s too hard,” Stergo wrote.

To the outside world, Stergo described her elaborate romance scam as her “business.” Meanwhile, her real lover seemed privy to her scheme. According to uncovered text messages, Peaches made fun of the Holocaust survivor after he told her he loved her. She also joked about him being “broke” with nothing else “to pawn.”

On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:

“Peaches Stergo callously defrauded an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who was simply looking for companionship. She used the millions of dollars in fraud proceeds to live a life of luxury at the victim’s expense. But she did not get away with it. As today’s sentence demonstrates, perpetrators of romance scams will be held to account for their crimes.”

The sentencing official, Judge Edgardo Ramos, agreed with Williams, saying Peaches’ conduct was “unspeakably cruel” and motivated by “greed.”

In addition to 51 months in prison, Stergo got three years of supervised release. She also has to forfeit and pay $2,830,775 in restitution. Stergo also has to forfeit her gated community home and over 100 luxury items.

A Deranged Sounding Kari Lake Claims Trump Is Outsmarting The DOJ

Kari Lake called Trump a giant who is playing chess while the DOJ is playing checkers.

Kari Lake said on Newsmax:

Well every single thing they’ve thrown at him. He’s turned it right back in their face, and he’s proven to be right. They’re wrong. They’re just they’re just trying to bring him down. And you can’t bring down a giant like Donald J. Trump and I’ll be honest. I think he would welcome that indictment. He would welcome a trial.

I think you said it would be the trial of the century. I don’t think that when they thought of all of that, and maybe during those meetings with his attorney, the attorneys brought it up and said, Do you really want this Because it’s going to come right back in your face. They’re playing checkers and President Trump is playing, you know chess at the highest level, so I don’t think they want to pick a fight with him. 

Video:

Kari Lake’s comments demonstrate why the Trump faithful are never going to leave him. It doesn’t matter how often the former president is indicted or what evidence is presented against him. People like Kari Lake will stick with Trump until he is hauled off to prison in handcuffed.

The problem for the Republican Party is that Trump’s true believers, like Lake only make up about 30% of the country. A political party can’t win elections with 30% support.

Trump is apparently outsmarting Jack Smith by allegedly committing lots of crimes and leaving plenty of evidence for investigators to find.

Donald Trump’s only plan is to win back the White House and make the federal criminal prosecutions disappear.

The former president has no grand legal strategy. He and his supporters are deflecting and embracing conspiracy theories about the Bidens because there is no logical explanation for his crimes. As long as his supporters keep believing, Trump will remain in control of the Republican Party.

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

New invoice goals to assist low-income folks with disabilities get monetary savings

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty Images

The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law 33 years ago to protect people with disabilities from discrimination.

But disabled people still face major hurdles when it comes to building wealth.

To help make it easier for disabled individuals with lower incomes to save, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who serves as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, is introducing a new proposal, called the ABLE MATCH Act. The legislation would create a federal dollar-for-dollar match of up to $2,000 for new and existing ABLE accounts for individuals who earn $28,000 or less per year.

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ABLE accounts, which were established with federal legislation in 2014, allow qualifying individuals to set money aside for disability-related expenses without losing eligibility for federal programs such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income. The tax-advantaged accounts allow for tax-free withdrawals for qualifying expenses, while investment gains may grow on a tax-deferred basis.

The ABLE program has been a “lifeline for thousands of people with disabilities across the nation,” Casey said in a statement.

“However, there are still too many people whose lives would be made easier by the program, but don’t have sufficient funds to open an account,” Casey added.

Proposal would add a federal match

The ABLE MATCH Act would create a federal dollar-for-dollar match of up to $2,000 for individuals who make $28,000 or less, which would taper off for each dollar earned over that threshold.

That threshold would be adjusted for inflation and for heads of household and married couples.

The bill’s goal is to help boost enrollment in ABLE accounts for people with lower incomes who have disabilities.

The introduction of the proposal is a “really exciting development,” said Thomas Foley, executive director at the National Disability Institute.

There are still too many people whose lives would be made easier by the program, but don’t have sufficient funds to open an account.

Sen. Bob Casey

Democratic senator from Pennsylvania

“This is providing an incentive to a group of people who haven’t been incentivized, and in fact have been dis-incentivized to save for decades,” Foley said.

People with disabilities are twice as likely to live in poverty compared with people without disabilities, Foley said.

The National Disability Institute’s research has found that people with disabilities need to spend about $28,000 more per year to live lifestyles equivalent to those of people without disabilities, he said.

Those extra costs come from needs such as accessible transportation, living closer to work, or the maintenance of a service dog, for example.

Disabled individuals, particularly those who are younger, may find it difficult to save in an ABLE account due to a lack of disposable income, Foley said.

New legislation passed last year raised the age limit from 26 to 46 for the onset of a disability in order to participate in an ABLE account starting in 2026.

With that change, as many as 14 million people may be eligible to participate in ABLE accounts, Foley said.

McDonald’s (MCD) Q2 2023 earnings

In an aerial view, a sign is posted in front of a McDonald’s restaurant on April 03, 2023 in San Pablo, California.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

McDonald’s is expected to report its second-quarter earnings before the bell Thursday.

Here’s what Wall Street analysts surveyed by Refinitiv are expecting:

  • Earnings per share: $2.79 expected
  • Revenue: $6.27 billion expected

The fast-food giant is often seen as a bellwether for the restaurant industry and the broader consumer environment, and investors have high expectations for its second quarter. McDonald’s is expected to report same-store sales growth of 9.2%, according to StreetAccount estimates.

The chain will likely report a sales boost from its Grimace Birthday Meal at the tail end of the quarter. The meal combo, which included a photo-friendly purple milkshake, went viral on social media, fueled by nostalgia for the McDonaldland character.

But McDonald’s executives have taken a more conservative outlook for the burger chain. Last quarter, CEO Chris Kempczinski said some customers have pushed back on price increases. He also warned about potential recessions hitting the U.S. and Europe later this year.

Shares of McDonald’s have risen 10% this year, trailing the S&P 500‘s rise of 18% in the same period. McDonald’s has a market value of $213 billion.

Elections in Spain finish with out a clear majority, plunging the nation into political limbo

The leader and candidate of the conservative Partido Popular (People’s Party) Alberto Nunez Feijoo.

Oscar Del Pozo | Afp | Getty Images

Election Sunday in Spain ended with no clear majority for either major party, throwing Europe’s fourth largest economy into political limbo.

After all the votes were counted, Spain’s conservative Partido Popular party secured 136 seats in Parliament, followed by the incumbent socialist party PSOE with 122 seats. Far-right party Vox took third place with 33 seats, while left-wing Sumar party got 31.

All parties fell short of the 176 seats required for an absolute majority.

In the run-up to the election, there was speculation that PP could join forces with Vox – potentially marking the far right’s first return to power since Francisco Franco’s dictatorship in 1975. PP and Vox have already merged in some regions, but never at national level.

However, their combined 169 seats fall short of the 176 needed to form a coalition majority.

On the other hand, incumbent leader Pedro Sanchez’s PSOE could potentially work with Sumar, but again their 153 seats are not enough.

Alberto Feijóo, leader of the PP, took responsibility for forming the government as his party won the most seats.

“I will start a dialogue with the rest of the parties,” he said on Twitter. “I ask for responsibility so that Spain does not suffer blockades.” He added that he hoped other parties would not join forces and prevent him from forming a government.

Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Prime Minister and leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

However, it is not that simple.

Sanchez’s ruling party did win seats in Sunday’s election, and he has experience negotiating deals with smaller parties to form a government.

“Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will have a chance to remain in power by negotiating a deal with the far-left Sumar and smaller parties, although a repeat of the elections is also a possibility,” said Antonio Barroso, deputy director of research at Teneo, in a note. He assigned a 45% chance to each scenario.

The background of the vote

Members of Feijóo’s conservative party had raised concerns about Vox’s anti-LGBT rights and anti-immigration policies. Vox had also been criticized by mainstream politicians for speaking out against abortion rights and denying climate change.

The decisive factor in the early elections was the clear defeat of the socialist PSOE in regional and municipal elections in May. Parliamentary elections were originally scheduled for the end of this year.

Sunday’s vote was the first ever to be held in summer, and the extreme heat that has been felt in various parts of the country in recent weeks has led to renewed focus on climate policy in the run-up to the vote.

Prime Minister Sánchez has been Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has been criticized for pardoning politicians who support regional independence, and also faced backlash after the “Only Yes Means Yes” sexual consent law loopholed the jail terms of many convicted rapists.

However, Sanchez’s economic record has proven strong. According to the International Monetary Fund, Spain’s economy grew by more than 5% in 2022 and is expected to grow by around 1.5% this year.

Inflation in the large European economy is also among the lowest in the region. In June, Spain became the first country in Europe to report an inflation rate below 2%, well below the historic highs of 2022.

Despite a narrow victory for the People's Party, no clear majority could be achieved in the Spanish elections

“We wish oil costs to go down,” says the US Secretary of Power

Volatility is still weighing on oil markets, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Saturday, reiterating calls for additional supplies.

When asked to comment on the state of oil markets, she told CNBC’s Sri Jegarajah that “there is no doubt that there is a volatile environment” — a situation the White House is monitoring.

“There is a lot of excitement in these markets and as such we are deeply concerned about the way things are going,” added the energy secretary.

Granholm requested additional production to lower prices.

“We want to see more supply … It gets dangerous when the prices are that high,” she said. “I think the prudent way is to make sure transportation is affordable for people, and of course that means the supply is stable.”

Some members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and their allies — collectively known as OPEC+ — are voluntarily cutting production by a total of 1.66 million barrels per day through the end of 2024. In addition, coalition heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Russia announced further voluntary cuts in July and August, each including 1 million barrels per day in production and 500,000 barrels per day in exports.

High crude oil prices continue to pose a challenge for the Biden administration, and cutting costs remains a priority.

“We want the prices to go down. The President is really focused on the impact on real people who have to go to work and can’t afford that bounty,” Granholm said.

The US has historically been vocal about lower prices at the pump to ease consumer budgets and curb inflation. Washington has repeatedly asked OPEC+ producers to help those efforts by increasing their output — culminating in a brief war of troughs with Saudi Arabia last October.

The US is now facing lower inflation, with the CPI showing a 3% yoy increase in June.

Renewable energy

Granholm also discussed the importance of the transition to renewable energy – a key theme of this year’s energy summit.

“China and the United States are the world’s largest emitters… Their citizens are feeling the effects of these extreme weather events,” Granholm said, adding that the US is interested in “finding an oasis” by working with China on clean energy deployment.

“We have to do everything, everywhere and at once. Provide, provide, provide clean energy. Because if we don’t do that, our planet will be on fire and we have to do something about it.”

Correction: This story has been updated to accurately reflect a quote from US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm regarding supply and production.

Why Most Customers Ignore Well being Warnings

Warning labels are intended to inform consumers of potential risks when using a product, but they are too widespread to be of any use.

“Warning labels were actually pretty rare up until the 1960s,” said W. Kip Viscusi, a distinguished professor of law, economics, and management at Vanderbilt University. “From the mid-1960s, cigarettes were labeled with a warning. Since then, other products have followed suit and tried to emulate the cigarette experience.”

Health warnings generally come in two forms: those warning the consumer not to purchase the product, such as: For example, a label on a packet of cigarettes that says “This product may cause oral cancer” and those warning of the risks of using a product improperly, perhaps saying “To prevent this piece of furniture from tipping over, it must be permanently attached to the wall.”

One of the problems that researchers have pointed out is that people are desensitized to warning labels because they seem to be everywhere.

“One of my main complaints about warnings is that they have become ubiquitous,” Viscusi said. “There’s a tendency to say things are risky [and] Put a warning on it, and that tends to weaken the impact of the other warnings that are out there. So when everything is labeled as dangerous in the supermarket, you don’t know what to buy.”

Viscusi has developed two criteria for effective health warnings: 1) they must provide consumers with new information and 2) the consumer must believe the information is credible.

“If companies make statements against their financial interests, that would usually be credible,” Viscusi said.

There has been opposition to placing health warnings on certain products. In December 2022, a federal judge ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cannot require tobacco companies to place graphic health warnings on cigarettes.

When it comes to ensuring people use products safely, consumer advocates believe warning labels should be the last resort.

“Generally, warnings are in and of themselves.” [are] just not effective,” said Oriene Shin, policy adviser at Consumer Reports. “They really need to be coupled with safe design.”

This is where the security hierarchy of product design comes into play. This is a multi-stage process that aims to eliminate risks for the consumer and, if this is not possible, to minimize them through protective measures.

An example of a protective measure, according to Shin, would be that a potentially dangerous product like a lawn mower should only be started when the user pulls a lever and presses a button, and not just one of those procedures.

The final level of the security hierarchy is a warning sign.

“I’ve probably seen hundreds of warnings in the last week and we probably don’t remember any of them,” Shin said. “And that’s the problem with just relying on warning labels. [They’re] the icing on the cake and not the end of it all.”

watch the video Above you can read more about why warning signs are not working and what we can do about it.

Nordstrom clears out the shop on the final day of purchasing: Get swimsuits for simply $3

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How Amazon Native Supply Companions Can Earn $27,000 Revenue

Main Street shops beware: Amazon wants you.

One of AmazonAmong its latest growth plans is recruiting 2,500 small businesses in 23 states to help deliver packages. Amazon says the initiative, dubbed “Amazon Hub Delivery,” could help Main Street businesses — like florists, coffee shops, hair salons and gas stations — generate up to $27,000 in additional revenue per year.

The Hub Delivery program is in some ways similar to Amazon Flex, which launched a few years ago and offered everyday people the ability to deliver packages for the business using their own vehicle. According to Amazon, this initiative is now in over 100 cities and communities in the United States. The new program is currently open to businesses in 23 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota , Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington and Wisconsin. Amazon said it expects to expand into more states and cities in the future.

The new delivery partnership model could prove viable for Amazon as it offers the potential for faster deliveries and greater customer satisfaction. “There are also significant benefits for companies selected to participate, namely the opportunity to expand and grow through an additional revenue stream,” said Shanton Wilcox, partner at PA Consulting, a strategy and operations firm. But companies also need to understand the potential cost of the obligation.

“It’s not a random decision where the company’s van is parked and not used a few days a week and we’ll see how it goes. It’s a business decision,” Wilcox said.

Here’s what small business owners need to know about the new Amazon program:

It doesn’t just apply to existing Amazon sellers

Amazon strives to work with all types of companies that are able to deliver packages on the company’s behalf. Amazon Hub Delivery partners selected through the application receive packages every morning and have the flexibility to make daily deliveries at their convenience, using existing staff when needed.

According to Amazon, companies deliver 20 to 50 packages per day, with an average of 30 per day. Deliveries are made seven days a week, excluding five major holidays. The program is available in very rural areas as well as in densely populated urban areas such as New York City and college towns. According to Amazon on its website, no delivery experience is required and there is no long-term contract. Amazon says it will provide training and guide companies through the process.

Small businesses must meet several criteria

The program only works if a small business meets Amazon’s criteria. For one thing, there must be a secure space to keep the packages. Small businesses wishing to apply must also have copies of relevant documents such as a state business registration number, sales tax permit, or registration or tax identification number.

You must also be able to meet Amazon’s delivery commitments. Businesses that are not open for seven days may also be eligible as long as they are able to receive and deliver Amazon packages on all required days.

Partners and drivers (if applicable) must have a criminal history, pass motor vehicle, OSHA, and Department of Labor exam verification. You must also have appropriate insurance. This means general liability insurance and, if required, workers’ compensation insurance. Businesses can learn more about insurance requirements through a webinar.

The economic advantages of an Amazon delivery partner

Becoming a supply partner isn’t attractive or applicable to every small business, but prospects should ask a series of questions to determine if it’s worth pursuing, said Santosh Sankar, co-founder and managing partner at Dynamo Ventures in Chattanooga, Tennessee , which invests in early-stage supply chain startups.

Companies need to run through the bill to figure out if a partnership makes sense for them, Sankar said. Amazon didn’t specify exactly how much it pays per package; but based on its earnings estimates of $27,000 per year, the price would be $2.50 per package, assuming 30 packages per day for 360 days. In this scenario, a company could make $75 a day.

The question then arises as to whether existing personnel can be used for the new endeavor or whether additional capacity is required and the labor and equipment costs will be incurred. This might make sense, for example, if a company is already paying a high school or college student $15 an hour and the worker has three additional hours of capacity and an available delivery vehicle. It might even be beneficial to hire an extra worker at that rate, Sankar said. However, if a business needs to purchase a company vehicle for deliveries or undertake major renovations to create a safe space, the extra investment may not be worth it.

Companies should also consider the long-term growth potential. “It’s not just about utilizing your existing capacities. It’s the potential for expansion that many companies are looking for, but it needs to become part of the decision-making process,” Wilcox said.

Where to get more information

There are local and virtual events for small businesses to learn more about the program. The next event is scheduled for September 6th in California. Owners can also contact Amazon directly to arrange a face-to-face meeting.