Wall Street’s Sweetgreen Feast | Spanx Adds Star Investors | Instagram Under Investigation

Plus: Why The Legal Cannabis Industry Is High On The American South

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Wall Street showed a big appetite for salad chain Sweetgreen’s initial public offering. We’re also covering the latest high-profile investors backing Spanx and the states launching investigations into Instagram and its parent company, Meta. Don’t miss this story exploring why some of America's largest marijuana companies see the South as the "biggest frontier" in legal cannabis. 

In The News Today

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) delayed the passage of the Democrats’ $1.8 trillion social and climate spending plan with a record-breaking filibuster-style speech.

Austria is making vaccinations against Covid-19 compulsory starting February 1 as it imposes a nationwide temporary lockdown to stem the impact of coronavirus’ fourth wave in the European country.

Top Take-Aways

Shapewear brand Spanx announced a new roster of high-profile women investors as it completed a majority sale to investment firm Blackstone that returned founder Sara Blakely to the billionaire ranks.

Shares of trendy salad chain Sweetgreen surged 82% as the 14-year-old company floated on the New York Stock Exchange, minting the three cofounders—CEO Jonathan Neman, chief people officer Nicolas Jammet, and chief brand officer Nathaniel Ru—nine-figure fortunes.

Famed stock picker Cathie Wood of Ark Invest recently sold nearly all of the remaining Zillow shares in her main fund, warning that the digital real estate platform’s recent struggles could be a sign of trouble ahead in the housing market.

At least 11 states are investigating Instagram’s impact on children and teens, and whether Instagram’s parent company Meta (formerly Facebook) broke the law by promoting and providing the app to minors, despite being aware of its negative effects on them.

An online collective by the name Constitution DAO (DAO stands for Decentralized Autonomous Organization) said it failed in its bid to buy a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution at a Sotheby’s auction, defeated by an undisclosed buyer who bid $43.2 million.

Those who caught the 97.4% partial lunar eclipse that occurred in the past few hours should mark their 2022 calendars for the next total lunar eclipse to be visible from North America—one of two that will be visible during 2022. 

Today's Must Read

In Case You Missed It

The Finnish government is planning a new law that will allow workers, if they suspect discrimination, to find out what their colleagues earn in a bid to shrink the country’s gender pay gap. Pay transparency proposals in countries like the U.S., however, remain controversial.  

Tips You Can Trust

Mistakes happen, and they can provide useful sources of self-improvement. Here are three steps to take to learn from your mistakes.

Self-doubt can creep in unexpectedly and make you wonder if you’re good enough. Here’s four ways to tackle that odious question whenever it surfaces.

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