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The Republican Party is turning to old tactics to build a new coalition after losing control of the Senate and Presidency in the 2020 elections.

Politico’s national political correspondent Gabby Orr said Friday the GOP’s strategy to pass laws banning transgender female athletes from women’s sports teams was motivated by its goal of overcoming election failures and recovering local voters.

“My sources, who are going behind the scenes on this issue and who want Republicans to talk about it, think this could be something that resonates … not just with non-ideological voters – when labeled a justice issue – but also with the socially conservative grassroots voters that the Republican Party has to bring out, “Orr said.

Mississippi is poised to become the first state against transgender people this year after its legislature passed a law banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports in schools and universities. Republican Governor Tate Reeves tweeted Thursday night that he would sign the bill.

Orr warned, however, that the strategy could “absolutely” shut down moderates.

“We’ve seen some of the loudest voices talking about it in the GOP are Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia Congressman) and Ted Cruz (Senator from Texas). So they’re not exactly popular politicians with moderate voters, let alone suburbanites Women, “Orr told CNBC’s” The News with Shepard Smith. “” There is a risk that the GOP will backfire at a time when we really saw the country’s trend in support of anti-discrimination laws, including Republicans. ” “

Orr cited a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute that found that 61% of Republicans were in favor of non-discrimination protection for LGBTQ Americans in 2020. That was five percentage points more than in 2019.

Idaho passed a law last year banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports, but one federal district suspended the law and it wasn’t enacted. At least 26 states have introduced similar bills across the country.

A customer sets fire to a shop in Lowell Farms, America’s first official cannabis cafe serving farm-to-table dining and smoking cannabis on October 1, 2019 in West Hollywood, California.

Mike Blake | Reuters

Virginia is on the verge of becoming the first southern state to generate high tax revenues when it comes to legalizing recreational herbs.

A bill passed on Sunday Democratic Governor Ralph Northam’s signature awaits in both the State House of Representatives and the Senate.

Once signed, the Old Dominion would officially join 15 other states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana for recreational adult use. Under Virginia law, legal sales and ownership would not take effect until 2024.

States from Wisconsin to Kansas – many of them suffering from the Covid pandemic – are calling for similar measures as they struggle to balance their budgets. Governors also cite racial justice as a reason for legalizing marijuana, with black and Latin American men being incarcerated more often across the country than their white counterparts for the same offenses.

Support for marijuana legalization has grown steadily over the years. Recent Gallup polls found that 68% of adults in the US think marijuana should be legalized for recreational use, up from 66% last year. With Democratic President Joe Biden in the White House and the party currently holding a majority in both the House of Representatives and Senate, federal marijuana legalization could be closer than ever.

For now, however, it remains a state-to-state decision.

New Jersey is the youngest to join the party. Democratic Governor Phil Murphy signed a reform bill in late February after voters approved the measure in November. A report by the bipartisan think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective estimates the state could generate at least $ 300 million in tax revenue annually.

For Virginia, legalizing pots could bring in $ 698 million to $ 1.2 billion annually in economic activity and up to $ 274 million in tax revenue annually, according to a study by the governors’ office.

Northam also acknowledged racial differences in drug abuse convictions in his most recent State of the Commonwealth address. “Reforming our marijuana laws is one way to ensure Virginia is a fairer state that works better for everyone,” he said.

Not all constituents are happy with the pace of change. The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia said the legislation paid “lip service” but “does nothing to address the persistent racial gaps we see decriminalizing through 2024,” reported WWBT, an NBC partner in television Richmond, Virginia.

A governor’s spokesman told CNBC: “We have a lot of work to do, but this bill will help reinvest in our communities and reduce inequalities in our criminal justice system.” The spokesman said the governor’s top priority is making sure Virginia legalizes marijuana fairly.

Other governors are calling for legalization

In Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf again called for marijuana legalization in his state budget address, highlighting it as a priority for this year after neighboring states either approve or are considering legalization.

“I urge lawmakers to work with me to build a foundation to strengthen the Pennsylvania economy by legalizing adult cannabis,” the Democratic governor said in a message to lawmakers in September.

The governor also highlighted racial justice as a priority for legalization. “These are proceeds that can help criminal justice-affected Pennsylvanians gain access to restorative justice programs.”

Pennsylvania blacks are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, according to the state’s ACLU chapter. Wolf’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Highlight the cons

Washington, which was one of the first states to legalize recreational herbs in 2012, made a total of $ 395.5 million in legal marijuana tax revenue and royalties in fiscal 2019, according to the state’s annual report. The legal marijuana market in the state supports more than 18,500 jobs, according to a recent study by Washington State University.

But as with many good things, there are often downsides. A University of Washington study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine showed that the legalization of cannabis in the state and a general change in attitudes towards the plant began to slow the downward trend in cannabis use among teenagers.

Study lead author Jennifer Bailey said, “We really don’t want teenage consumption to increase,” but added that it will be several decades before the effects of legalization are fully understood, as is the case with post-alcohol alcohol Prohibition was the case. She also highlighted racial justice, tax issues, and cannabis research as important benefits of legalization.

Many states are incorporating the language into cannabis legislation, according to which communities affected by racial inequalities in criminal justice will benefit most from legalization. But even guidelines developed for the benefit of color communities sometimes fail.

In Illinois, for example, a year after the state legalized the plant, there are still no minority-owned cannabis stores, even though the legislation includes language to limit pharmacies to give minority communities an advantage. The Illinois governor’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.

“There is a small fraction of the people who have cash and control over the money. If you have an industry and an emerging market and you can only join when you have cash, you’ve already eliminated the blacks,” said the Democratic La Shawn Ford, a member of the state legislature’s Black Caucus, told Politico.

Government shared roadblocks

States that have split government like Wisconsin may find it more difficult to pass comprehensive cannabis reform. Democratic Governor Tony Evers recently said he would propose legalizing recreational marijuana in Wisconsin, citing potential tax revenues of more than $ 165 million a year for the state.

“The legalization and taxation of marijuana in Wisconsin – just like we already do with alcohol – ensures that a controlled market and a safe product are available for both recreational and medical users, and can open up myriad opportunities for us to be in our communities to invest and create more just state, “he said in a recent statement.

Given that Republican lawmakers currently control the Wisconsin legislature, it is unlikely to pass.

Many southern states share a similar fate. Legislators in the Mississippi House and Senate are currently fighting over the language for a medical marijuana bill after a measure mandating a state medical marijuana program was approved by Mississippi voters.

In Minnesota, HF 600 was recently the first adult recreational use bill to stand out of the state’s committee. Minnesota’s Senate is controlled by Republicans and the House is controlled by Democrats, diminishing the likelihood of the bill being passed. Democratic Governor Tim Walz recently urged lawmakers to consider legalizing marijuana to boost the state’s economy in a briefing focused on his budget proposal. Comments from Walz’s office were not immediately returned.

Even election initiatives approved by voters can go up in smoke. A Circuit Court judge appointed by Republican Governor Kristi Noem recently ruled that a constitutional amendment approved by South Dakota voters to legalize recreational marijuana was unconstitutional. The ruling said the change would have “far-reaching implications for the fundamental nature” of the state government.

Recently, Democrat Laura Kelly, Kansas governor, announced a proposal to legalize medical marijuana in the deep red state to increase the revenue needed to expand Kansas’s Medicaid program to nearly 200,000 residents, who currently lack coverage. The Republican-controlled legislature is expected to reject the proposal, but Majority Leader Dan Hawkins did not take medical marijuana off the table. In a statement to Politico, he acknowledged growing support for drug reform but said it was too early to predict how the debate would develop.

In total, around 12 countries are currently considering some kind of cannabis reform legislation. States like New York, Connecticut, New Mexico, and Hawaii could soon see laws covering governors’ desks.

“It’s not about whether a deal comes about,” New York State Senate Democratic Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins ​​told the New York Times in January. “It’s about how and when.”

JGI / Tom Grill | Tetra Pictures | Getty Images

Self-employed and gig workers who have been waiting for new rules that would mean bigger forgivable loans under the paycheck protection program can now continue processing their applications.

As of Friday, the Small Business Administration will be ready to accept and process updated PPP applications from sole proprietorships who want to benefit from a new credit calculation, the agency confirmed.

This means that sole proprietorships can finally submit their applications to lenders who can forward them to the SBA for processing according to the new credit calculation guidelines.

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The changes came after the Biden administration announced updates to PPP in late February, including revised loan calculation for sole proprietorships, as well as new eligibility rules for some non-citizens, those with certain criminal records, and those who were in default or defaulted on student loan debt were .

In addition, the administration announced a 14-day priority window for companies with fewer than 20 employees to apply to PPP. The period started on February 24th and ends on March 9th.

While the priority period’s focus was on giving the smallest, disproportionately female and minority-owned businesses a head start in funding, the timing of the new credit calculation rule created confusion for some. The SBA didn’t release guidelines on the new calculation to lenders until March 3, and wasn’t ready to process updated applications in their system until Friday.

What you should know before applying

Now that the SBA is ready to accept and process applications, small businesses should be able to apply for PPP and be subject to the new loan calculations.

To be sure, some lenders may still be working on uploading the new applications to their system. Therefore, business owners should confirm that they have the correct application forms.

The updated PPP applications for self-employed and sole proprietorships filing the IRS Form 1040 Schedule C now ask for the total gross income amount on line 7 of the tax form. Previously, Schedule C applicants applying for PPP loans were asked to report their net income from line 31 on the form to the SBA.

Those applying for a PPP loan for the first drawing should use Form 2483-C, and those applying for a loan for the second drawing should use Form 2483-SD-C, which contains the new calculation information.

The priority application window

Time is running out for small companies that are subject to the new rule and want to take advantage of the priority application deadline. The window will close on March 9th at 5:00 p.m. (CET). At this point, lenders will be able to process applications from small businesses of all sizes.

However, sole proprietorships can apply for and view processed loans from lenders after the priority window is closed. The deadline for the program as a whole is currently March 31, unless it is extended by Congress.

Additionally, lenders say they don’t believe the program will run out of money until the March deadline. That year, as of Feb. 28, the SBA had approved 2.2 million loans, representing more than $ 156 billion, just over half of the $ 284 billion the program had when it reopened in January.

“Given the rate at which the funds are being used up, it doesn’t seem like they’ll all be used until March 31,” said Alex Prombaum, president of Liberty SBF, a non-bank lender. “The priority window could expire, but it doesn’t mean people will be left out in the cold.”

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An Anthropologie on Fashion Island employee greets customers at the store in Newport Beach, CA on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

Paul Bersebach | MediaNews Group | Orange County Register via Getty Images

Some of us say “so long” about sweatpants.

In the last week of February, seven of the top ten best-selling items on the anthropology website were dresses, the company, a unit of Urban Outfitters, said during a conference call this week. Up until that point, it was lucky to have only included one or two dresses in the top 10 list.

Richard Hayne, CEO of Urban Outfitters, described the change as striking and very positive.

“Until recently, fashion was mostly … casual and homely,” said Hayne. “We’re starting to see what I call ‘go-out fashion’ is starting to catch on. The clothing business is going to change in terms of the categories we sell.”

Apparel sales fell 19% last year as Americans stayed at home and focused their spending on groceries and other household items, according to market researcher The NPD Group.

When shoppers were shopping for clothing, convenience was the issue: sweatpants sales rose 17% year over year and nightwear sales rose 6%, according to NPD. For fashion shoes, which fell 27% over the year, slipper sales rose 21% as consumers mixed From cooking in the kitchen to holding video conference calls from the bedroom to streaming the latest series from the living room sofa.

Retailers like Urban, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Macy’s and Nordstrom had to swiftly swivel their wares when lifestyle changed abruptly last spring. They pulled blazers, skirts, and slim-fitting pants from mannequins to replace them with stretchy joggers and roomy pajamas.

However, the adoption of Covid vaccines has increased rapidly in recent weeks. In the United States, an average of 2 million vaccine doses are currently administered each day. At the same time, the number of reported cases is falling. Encouraged by the positive trends, a wave of states has eased restrictions on Covid – opening up the possibility for people to venture into restaurants or spend a night at the movies. That means many Americans will be looking for something new in their closets.

It’s time for retailers to turn again. It won’t be easy, however. Businesses continue to face congested US ports and shortages of containers, leading to a backlog of goods, which makes warehouse shelves with fresh outfits all the more complicated. According to management teams, the shipping delays are between three and four weeks and are associated with higher transport costs.

“Historical volumes, social distancing measures for workers and the lack of drivers to unload goods lead to congestion and significant delays in processing times,” said Ike Boruchow, an analyst at Wells Fargo.

“Sick of equality”

Macy’s department store chain has announced it has a fast work and evening restocking plan as its customers resume more normal activities. Many analysts are counting on a rapid trend reversal in purchasing behavior.

“People have money in their pockets, they are tired of equality and there is going to be an explosion of feel-good shopping,” said Stacey Widlitz, president of SW Retail Advisors. “The weather is turning and people feel positive when they go out again – or even sit in the park in a dress.”

“The nature of people is that they want to feel good,” she added. “You want to feel fresh – especially for the younger generations. It’s your entrance fee to make new contacts.”

Retailers are already taking advantage of this news. Kohl’s website proclaims “The Great Refresh” while Banana Republic advertises “Spring Awakening”. Men’s suit maker Suit Supply’s new ad campaign, alluding to a “new normal”, went viral on social media this week.

However, others are still hedging their bets, Some consumers will likely want to stick to a more casual wardrobe that they have become accustomed to over the past 12 months. Corporations, in turn, might choose to relax the dress code in the office when their workforce returns.

Nordstrom continues to market “Work-from-Anywhere Style” on the home page of its website. Rent the Runway includes part of its mobile app for outfits for Entertaining at Home.

Tween-and-teen clothing retailer American Eagle announced earlier this week that its current quarter sales will be its strongest in three years. That depends on the growth of its Aerie brand, which sells work-from-home options like yoga pants. Sports bras, pajamas and lingerie.

Scott Baxter, CEO of Kontoor Brands, told CNBC that jeans are making a comeback as Americans look for a way to dress up, only slightly more than at home. Kontoor’s brands include denim labels Wrangler and Lee.

“Denim is casual, it’s just … you can wear it, you can wear it,” Baxter said in an interview earlier this week. “When people go back to the office, people think about how they’re going to dress and denim seems like the choice.”

Logistical headaches persist

Retailers don’t just have to worry about measuring demand for resuscitated garments, however. They had logistical headaches for much of the pandemic. And those don’t seem to be letting up, which makes planning for the spring, summer, and back-to-school seasons even more difficult.

Nordstrom found that shipping delays caused some of its vacation merchandise not to hit shelves and warehouses on time, which hurt fourth quarter results. Work is still in progress to sell this inventory, the company told analysts earlier this week and hopes to get back to normal inventory levels by the second quarter.

Gap noted on Thursday that ports congestion is expected to continue into the first half of the year, as mixed results were reported for the fourth quarter. This will lead to increased inventory levels in the second quarter, Gap said.

For Urban, the bigger problem today is getting access to containers for shipping goods, said Frank Conforti, chief operating officer, earlier this week.

“While the ports, especially on the west coast, are absolutely overloaded … and we are seeing two to seven days delay in the ports, the bigger challenge is actually with the arriving ships that have enough containers over in Asia to import products “said Conforti.

The limited availability of truck drivers to move goods from retailers across borders remains another problem, said Dana Telsey, CEO and chief research officer of the Telsey Advisory Group, in an interview with CNBC’s Sara Eisen on Thursday.

Companies are unlikely to sort their inventory until just before school starts to meet buyer demand, she said. But like Widlitz, Telsey doesn’t think this will buy into shoppers when they return to stores for a new look anytime soon.

“We haven’t had any apparel spending in over a year,” Telsey said. “I think [people] want to freshen up their wardrobes. “