FDA, J&J Near Deal for Covid-19 Vaccine Production at Baltimore
WASHINGTON—The Food and Drug Administration and vaccine maker
expect to announce within days that contamination problems at a Covid-19 vaccine plant in Baltimore are resolved, clearing the way for millions more doses to become available.
Vaccine production at the plant run by contract manufacturer
was halted after unsanitary conditions led to contamination of J&J vaccines. The facility made vaccine substance and finished vaccine doses for J&J and
Emergent chief executive
Robert Kramer
Soaring assets and stocks in the past year have in some cases handed midlevel workers huge windfalls.
Those who have benefited from the market surge typically fall into one of three categories, said Sahil Vakil, founder of personal-finance tech company MYRA: They were given company shares as compensation and those same shares recently boomed; they caught last year’s retail investing frenzy and rode the market to new highs; or they invested early on in cryptocurrency, to great success.
The Nasdaq Composite rose nearly 47% over the past 12 months, and even after a recent pullback, a crypto investor who put $10,000 in
at the end of 2019 could have netted more than $50,000 in gains after bitcoin’s 2020-21 surge.
Last summer, millions of Americans took to the streets after the killing of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, taking part in what would become the largest protest movement in U.S. history. Many participated in marches and demonstrations for the first time in their lives. From eight first-time protesters, here are reflections on what they did last summer, how this has affected them in the year since and what lies ahead. Their interviews have been edited and condensed.
Kansas City
Last May, Ms. Akinmoladun, who had never attended a protest, decided to organize one. By the end of that weekend, she had led a demonstration of hundreds, shielded herself from pepper spray and been held for several hours in a jail cell.
I understood later on, this does take a toll on you. Like, this isn’t something you can achieve in one day. And you don’t…
People tend to think of “529” education-savings plans as a nifty way to save and invest tax-free for college or schooling costs, and they are. But accountants, estate lawyers, and financial planners say they also are flexible estate-planning tools that can have utility beyond education spending and cost almost nothing to set up.
They could become even more valuable as the White House is likely to seek higher taxes to fund expanded government programs. During his campaign, President Biden proposed chopping the estate tax exclusion from its current level of $11.7 million per person. If the exemption is lowered to $5 million or even $3.5 million, as some in Congress want and Biden has suggested, millions of American families suddenly could be looking for ways to reduce their estates.
People tend to think of “529” education-savings plans as a nifty way to save and invest tax-free for college or schooling costs, and they are. But accountants, estate lawyers, and financial planners say they also are flexible estate-planning tools that can have utility beyond education spending and cost almost nothing to set up.
They could become even more valuable as the White House is likely to seek higher taxes to fund expanded government programs. During his campaign, President Biden proposed chopping the estate tax exclusion from its current level of $11.7 million per person. If the exemption is lowered to $5 million or even $3.5 million, as some in Congress want and Biden has suggested, millions of American families suddenly could be looking for ways to reduce their estates.
The plans are funded with after-tax dollars, but all money taken out—including investment gains—is tax-free as long it is spent on qualified education expenses such as tuition, room and board, and books. If the money is used for noneducation purposes, you must pay income taxes on the growth plus a 10% penalty. You’re not taxed on money that is deemed to be part of your original contribution.
States have their own 529 plans, but you can use a plan from a state where you don’t live. There may be tax advantages in using your state’s plan, and different states have different limits on how much you can contribute.
The owner of each 529 account, usually parents or grandparents, must designate a single beneficiary. But they can easily move money between beneficiaries as long as they are in the same family.
“It is absolutely a loophole,” says Leo Marte, a Huntersville, N.C., financial advisor. “You can move money across generations without taxes as long as you don’t hit gift tax exclusions.”The owner of each 529 account, usually parents or grandparents, must designate a single beneficiary. But they can easily move money between beneficiaries as long as they are in the same family.
“It is absolutely a loophole,” says Leo Marte, a Huntersville, N.C., financial advisor. “You can move money across generations without taxes as long as you don’t hit gift tax exclusions.”