It's Melissa

MAHA's Bets on Beets: The Rush To Ditch Petroleum Food Dyes Consumer packaged food and beverage brands are scrambling to find manufacturers specializing in alternatives to synthetic dyes.

Synthetic dyes have colored the U.S. food supply for decades, but Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s HHS says: No more. If you're a CPG brand, it's time to turn to beets, black carrots, & algae for those perfect hues.

Easier said than done. I dig in for my latest in @inc.com www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

Looking to connect with investors, academics, policymakers, & others to discuss Trump's proposal to stop quarterly earnings / revert to a semi-annual reporting basis for a piece in
@inc.com #journorequest

How Bitcoin ATMs Are Helping Scammers Steal Millions As Bitcoin ATMs spread unchecked, gas station employees are becoming the unlikely the last line of defense against crypto fraud.

NEW: Bitcoin ATMs are facilitating scams across the country. In Idaho, where there are no laws regulating the machines, I spoke to store clerks who have been stopping scams as a last line of defense.

www.inc.com/sam-blum/cry...

How De’Longhi Dodged Tariffs by Labeling Its Coffee Machine as a Computer It's a bold strategy to take when considering the high penalties companies face if they get caught knowingly underpaying a duty.

No one enjoys paying tariffs. Maybe you don’t have to. I wrote about an Italian company that makes high-end coffee machines, and how it’s dodging tariffs by getting into the…computer business. Well, sort of. Up now in @inc.com www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

How CoreWeave Bought and Borrowed Its Way to AI Domination One of the AI boom’s big winners, CoreWeave borrowed billions, struck deals with Nvidia and OpenAI, and went public. Can it stay ahead of the pack?

My first big mag feature on #CoreWeave is out and I'm thrilled to share that this story really does have it all: crypto winter, burning down skyscrapers, a 1:1 call with Jensen Huang, Velveeta cheese, and a...seven-foot ostrich? (You'll see.) @inc.com
www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

saw a tweet (gross, i know) about how we're closer to 2050 than we are 2000 and i would like to throw up now

national weather service coming in clutch with the fact check here

As U.S. Sizzles, Business Groups Push Back on OSHA's Heat Safety Law Business groups argue that requiring companies to offer mandatory breaks every two hours when it's 90 degrees or hotter would be a burden to small businesses.

wrote about this last week for @inc.com, but still is timely as ever as temps ratchet up. the dog days of summer **officially** start tomorrow, folks
www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

The SBA Is Moving Offices From So-Called Sanctuary Cities. That Could Harm Millions of Founders Given how densely populated these areas are, the agency's decision to relocate its offices over immigration concerns will likely sever in-person services for millions.

more SBA coverage up now in @inc.com from moi www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

Donald Trump considers order to open US retirement plans to private equity Move would pave the way for savers to access funds focused on corporate buyouts and other high-octane deals

what could go wrong
www.ft.com/content/aeda...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren also referenced some of my reporting (!) in her letter to Long here. www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

Trump's IRS Pick Billy Long Is Sweet on the Fraud-Plagued Employee Retention Tax Credit Some lawmakers say Trump's new pick to lead the Internal Revenue Service is "a bizarre choice."

Trump's pick to lead the IRS, Billy Long, is facing his confirmation hearing today. I wrote about his record supporting the fraud-ridden employee retention tax credit in December for @inc.com

Senator Ed Markey Calls Trump's Tariffs a Small Business ‘Extermination Event’ The Massachusetts senator recently unveiled legislation that would exempt small businesses from tariffs.

I sat down with Sen. Ed Markey to discuss Small Business Week, tariffs, and how the SBA might handle the student loan portfolio for @inc.com
www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

This Free Tool Makes It Easier to Do Your Taxes. Trump Wants to Write It Off Once and For All We’re from the government and we’re not here to help.

Complaining about your taxes is as popular an American pastime as baseball and apple pie. But it’s been a thorn in the side of the U.S. government, which has long struggled to offer a consumer-friendly filing option for the nation’s taxpayers. @inc.com
www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

How to Get (or Keep) a Federal Contract in the Era of Trump In the name of cutbacks some federal contracts have been eliminated, so you may be wondering whether Uncle Sam is still a good customer.

Concocted this guide for @inc.com to answer some of your most pressing questions as businesses navigate a procurement landscape steeped in volatility.
www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

Liberation Day or Inflation Day? Merriam-Webster has named "polarization" its Word of the Year for 2024; this year’s top contender might very well be "tariff."

Merriam-Webster has named “polarization” its Word of the Year for 2024; this year’s top contender might very well be “tariff.” (📝: @melisskawrites.bsky.social)

The fact that we're facing a government shutdown on what also coincides as the Ides of March simply...writes itself

Derivatives Trading: The Ultimate Tariff Hedge? Some business owners are opting for an investment tool Warren Buffett once called “financial instruments of mass destruction.” But lawmakers want to make it easier for entrepreneurs to access this mar...

With more of President Trump's tariffs hurtling toward Canada and Mexico, I was curious how American entrepreneurs are looking to insulate their bottom lines ahead of expected cost increases. One unusual hedge that emerged? Derivatives trading. For @inc.com www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

I'm looking to get in touch with current or former employees at the Small Business Administration to discuss what's going on at the agency amid DOGE. Anonymity guaranteed. This would be for a piece I'm looking into for @inc.com. I can be reached at mangell@inc.com or on Signal @melisskawrites.

guess I’ll starve

House Dems Raise Alarm Over DOGE's Access to SBA Systems, Fearing Musk Could ‘Target Entrepreneurs’ The Small Business Administration is the latest agency to be targeted. But the Democrats are pushing back. Could key business programs be at stake?

House Dems are demanding answers after Elon Musk's DOGE purportedly gained access to SBA systems. The lawmakers argue that axing key SBA services could harbor an "anticompetitive environment" for the nation's SMBs. For @inc.com www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

Welcome to the Era of Premium Eggs As egg suppliers scramble to cope with surging costs spurred on by a particularly devastating strain of bird flu, the alternative markets for plant-based and premium eggs are having a moment.

As some businesses scramble to cope with high egg prices, others are cracking open new opportunities...my latest for @inc.com takes a look at the premium egg market and other alternatives to see how companies are coping.
www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

Trump Freezing Federal Funds Amplifies Threat of Impoundment The Trump administration’s decision to temporarily pause federal grants and loans is throttling Capitol Hill, with some lawmakers describing the measure as “senseless chaos.”

Wrote about impoundment and how the Trump White House is one that is open to testing how far its presidential powers can go. For @inc.com
inc.com/melissa-ange...

Markey Calls to Halt SBA Loeffler Hearing After Trump Fires Agency Watchdog President Donald Trump fired more than a dozen inspector generals over the weekend, including the SBA’s top watchdog who was also a Trump appointee.

The latest firing of Inspector Generals very well underscores how Trump plans to run the government: with as few checks and balances as possible. For @inc.com www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

I’m working on a story for @inc.com about how ICE raids are affecting small business owners. If you're an entrepreneur with concerns/experiences to share, please DM or e-mail mangell@inc.com. Your privacy will be respected—I'm open to keeping your identity/business anonymous. #journorequest

EXCLUSIVE: Outgoing SBA Boss Isabel Guzman Says the Agency Should Remain Independent In an exclusive interview with Inc., the administrator says it would be a mistake to downsize a billion-dollar agency that has become more efficient at lending.

I have the exclusive exit interview with outgoing SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman live now in
@inc.com. Guzman tells me that electing to downsize the SBA, a billion-dollar agency, would be a mistake.
www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

Currently sitting in on the Russell Vought hearing and the Department of Government Efficiency has come up. Video just panned out....to this:

Nutrition-Focused Founders, Unlike Most Doctors, Are On Board With RFK Jr. America is struggling with chronic diseases and a food system larded with chemicals and additives. But is Trump's anti-vax nominee the best guy to fix it?

The harsh truth is that America’s health report card is one filled with failing grades. And some health-conscious founders see an opportunity within RFK Jr.'s mantra of Making America Healthy Again. For @inc.com www.inc.com/melissa-ange...

she cooked

Behind the Spike in Contract Bundling and How It’s Hitting Small Businesses the Hardest Contract bundling soared more than 2,000 percent under the Trump administration, displacing hundreds of businesses. Then it reached a 10-year-high under Biden.

Contract bundling soared more than 2,000 percent under the Trump administration, displacing hundreds of businesses. Then it reached a 10-year-high under Biden. (📝: @melisskawrites.bsky.social)