Wall Street Is Down on the Dollar as Trade Unease Lingers
In a week that saw an epic rally in US stocks and recession calls cast aside, currency traders are just as bearish as ever on the American dollar.
Strategists at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Deutsche Bank AG say the currency will keep weakening, and sentiment among options traders is the most negative in five years. The dollar index is still close to its April lows, evidence that investors are wary of returning despite the easing of China trade tensions that lifted other markets.
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Forbes
19 minutes ago
- Forbes
Tariffs Either Can't, Won't, Or Shouldn't Re-shore Manufacturing Jobs
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During the 2023-24 growing season, Hawaii produced about 17 million pounds of coffee, which is down 26% compared to the 2022-23 growing season. This may sound like a lot, but we consume 1.62 billion pounds of coffee every year. Therefore, the U.S. can domestically produce only about 1 percent of our annual coffee consumption. Tariffs or not, we will have to continue importing 99% of our desired coffee if we want to continue enjoying our daily cup of Joe (actually, for the average person, it's 3 cups). Much of the coffee we consume is from Latin America, which would face a 10% tariff, but imports from Vietnam (the 2nd largest global grower) face a potential 46% tariff and imports from Indonesia (the 4th largest grower) face a 32% duty. Even if all imports were subject to the 10% tariff minimum, the imposition of Trump's tariffs equate to an additional $820 million cost that all coffee drinkers will have to pay. Coffee is far from the only example. 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CBS News
27 minutes ago
- CBS News
Former Los Angeles attorney Tom Girardi sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for embezzling millions from clients
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Forbes
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Titan Plus Luxe Mattress Review: Firm Support And Soft Pressure Relief
In recent mattress testing conducted by the Forbes Vetted sleep team, the Titan Plus Luxe rose to the top and was dubbed a 'fan favorite,' particularly among testers in the 250-pounds-and-up category. While I'm not technically in that range, my husband's weight, as a six-foot-five 'big and tall' guy, is usually right around there. In this Titan Plus Luxe Mattress review, I'll share why it works for him, and also for me, sharing the bed with him. I've been sleeping on the Titan Plus Luxe for over a month to test its support, motion isolation and ... More more. I've been working with product testing and reviews for five years, and have tested more than my fair share of bedding and sleep products. Despite this expertise, a mattress is still a very personal item that needs to cater to many individual sleep preferences, as well as body type and size and any aches and pains. And when couples share a bed, a mattress has to please them both. To provide the most information possible, in this Titan Plus Luxe review, I'll do a deep dive into the mattress itself and its construction. I'll also share the opinions of me and my husband, bolstered by the insights of several other plus-size testers who tried this mattress. Titan Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. Type: Hybrid | Titan's firmness rating: Medium (6) | Trial period: 120 nights | Warranty: Lifetime | Height: 13 inches Best for: Skip if: The Titan Plus Luxe is a 13-inch hybrid designed for plus-size sleepers that can support up to 1,000 pounds. It's composed of six layers, including one of 8-inch coils, with four different varieties of CertiPUR-US-certified foams, as explained below. The six layers of the Titan Plus Luxe. The Titan Plus Luxe is rated by the company as a 6 out of 10 on the firmness scale, a medium firmness. But in my experience and that of most of our testers, it skews a little firmer-feeling than that. When I lie on it, my whole body feels uniformly and strongly supported, with no give or sagging as I change position. And even with his larger size and heavier weight, my husband feels the same, and says, 'I don't perceive much bounce; it feels like the internal build is substantial.' Despite being so supportive, the mattress' quilted top has a lot of soft cushioning that lets pressure point areas like the hips and shoulders sink in. My husband is primarily a side sleeper, and hasn't experienced any discomfort in that position. I'm a combination sleeper, mostly switching between stomach sleeping and side sleeping, and the Titan Plus Luxe has been comfortable for me, with no pain points. Our group of seven testers, who all weigh more than 250 pounds, scored it a 9 out of 10 for side sleeping and an 8.5 out of 10 for back and stomach sleeping. The Titan Plus Luxe Mattress is 13 inches tall, which my tall husband appreciates. As a taller person, another thing my husband prefers about the Titan Plus Luxe is its 13-inch height, which is noticeably more than our previous memory foam mattress. Of course the full height of your bed is also dependent on the frame or base, but the extra few inches of the Plus Luxe make getting in and out of bed more comfortable for him. The Titan Plus Luxe is a bed-in-a-box mattress, so it's delivered magically folded in half and rolled up, wrapped in plastic, in a manageable-size package. While the size is convenient and easy to get through hallways and upstairs, it is still quite heavy and may need two people to carry and maneuver it. (The brand says it weighs between 80 to 150 pounds depending on the size you choose.) The packaging and delivery did leave a little to be desired, though. It showed up on my porch with the cardboard box completely falling apart. There was nothing protecting the mattress inside the box aside from plastic wrap, and it was exposed in multiple areas. I'm actually shocked the mattress wasn't damaged at all during shipping. It was easy to unpack and it basically unrolled itself once the plastic was removed. It had to sit to expand and off-gas for 24 hours, and it did have a bit of a chemical odor while doing so. The Titan Plus Luxe Mattress after unboxing and unrolling. As a big-and-tall side sleeper, my husband was pleasantly surprised at the plush cushioning of the Plus Luxe, as it effectively cradles all pressure points. And as a sometimes side sleeper, I have to agree—I haven't experienced any aches and pains from sleeping on this mattress. Another one of our testers reports that the Titan Plus Luxe 'felt comfortable' and that she 'didn't feel any discomfort in the target areas.' 'You slightly sink in without misalignment,' she says. Our testers scored it a 9 out of 10 for overall pressure relief. While the brand notes that the mattress' cover contains an infusion of cooling gel, neither my husband nor I have found it particularly cooling. The mattress itself is not cool to the touch, and we've both had nights during which we've felt sweaty or had to kick covers off while we sleep. I should note that during testing, we've been sleeping with cooling bamboo sheets and a silk-filled comforter that is made to be cooling for hot sleepers. If you're naturally a hot sleeper and are more comfortable with specifically cooling products, I recommend upgrading to the optional GlacioTex cooling cover (for a little over $100) that uses PE fibers that absorb body heat and wick moisture away from your skin. Having slept on memory foam for years before trying the Titan Plus Luxe, we feared that the mattress wouldn't isolate motion as well as our previous one. This is the first hybrid mattress we've owned, and we're pleasantly surprised by how well it performs. We both tend to be restless sleepers, tossing and turning throughout the night. We have both managed to sleep through any movement from each other, to wake up feeling rested. I'm a lighter sleeper than my husband, though, so I still usually wake up if he gets out of bed and back into it during the night. The Titan Plus Luxe is specifically designed to be supportive for heavy sleepers—the 'big, tall and powerfully strong,' according to the company. The layer of 900 coils offers plus-size support, while the comfort layers make sure there is still a little sink and body contouring. As a mostly stomach sleeper, I haven't noticed any sagging or lack of support for my spine, and our group of testers agree. One tester commented that while the mattress itself is firm and supportive enough for stomach sleeping, the soft, pillowy cover has enough give that his stomach was comfortable pressing into it. My husband, who sometimes sleeps on his back, says that the mattress has 'a great balance of firmness and give.' He adds, 'Your hips sink into the surface batting while the rest of your body floats. This is a great mattress for back sleepers.' As for edge support, the sides are nice and strong, so you can roll around on the mattress and not feel as if you might fall off. One tester says, 'There was no sinking feeling when I shifted. And as I changed positions, I did not feel any change in support. The center of the bed felt as supportive as the edge.' The Titan Plus Luxe Mattress offers a medium feel and sturdy edge support. Maybe because our last mattress was memory foam, we haven't felt any issues with movement on the Plus Luxe. Unlike memory foam, where you can sometimes feel sunk in or stuck, we both feel firmly 'on top' of this mattress. The majority of our testers scored its edge support at least an 8 out of 10, with one noting, 'I found it quite easy to move in, but not a complete ease that you would get with a solid firm mattress.' Testers agreed that although it's easy to shift around on, the Titan Plus Luxe is not a bouncy mattress where it's completely effortless. Titan is owned by Brooklyn Bedding, which was founded by two brothers, John and Rob Merwin. John Merwin is the CEO of 3Z Brands, which is the parent company of not only Brooklyn Bedding, but also Helix Sleep, Nolah, Birch, Leesa and Bear Mattress. If buying a mattress made in the U.S. is important to you, you'll be happy to learn that all of these mattresses are designed and assembled in Phoenix, Arizona. The whole line of Titan mattresses is designed for the plus-size sleeper. Titan offers a 5% discount to people in certain professions, particularly those in the medical field, the military, first responders, educators, as well as students. Titan ships all orders via FedEx, for no extra fee. The mattresses are delivered folded and rolled, in a box. Note that once you remove the plastic and the mattress unrolls and decompresses, it can take 24 hours to be fully ready to use. Once your mattress is ready for you, you have plenty of time to decide if you made the right purchase. Titan offers a trial period of 120 nights, although you can't return the Plus Luxe until you've given it a chance for at least 30 nights. But if you do decide you're unhappy with your mattress, all you have to do is email the company to get it picked up and removed, and your return processed. Note that there is a $99 return fee. Every mattress purchase from Titan comes with a limited lifetime warranty, providing you bought it directly from the company or from an authorized retailer. Note: You must have your receipt for proof of purchase. The warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship for as long as you own the mattress. For the first ten years of ownership, the company replaces your mattress at no charge after a warranty claim. During years 11 to 15, a replacement costs 50% of the then-current retail price of the mattress. A warranty claim during years 16 to 20 costs you 60% of the then-current price. And if you submit a warranty claim after 20 years, you're responsible for 75% of the then-current retail price. Titan offers two mattress models in addition to the Titan Plus Luxe. Titan Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. This is the basic hybrid model from Titan and is rated a 9 out of 10 firmness by the brand. We found it to feel extra firm, and named it the best extra-firm mattress for heavy people. It features five layers of construction to provide comfort and support, and is also available with the optional GlacioTex cooling cover. Titan Forbes Vetted Forbes Vetted ratings are based on thorough evaluations by our editorial team to help you choose the best products with confidence. The Titan Plus Elite is the top of the line of Titan mattresses. It has a medium-firm feel and Forbes Vetted editors picked it as the best mattress for heavy people with shoulder pain. It's super supportive and features an extra layer of microcoils to provide extra pressure relief for sore joints. Unlike the other two mattress models from Titan, the GlacioTex cooling cover comes standard with the Plus Elite. Although the Titan Plus Luxe is marketed specifically toward plus-size sleepers who weigh more than 250 pounds, I think its appeal is broader than that. Anyone who shares a bed with a larger or heavier person—or even who co-sleeps with a brood of larger-size dogs—can benefit from the support, motion isolation and durability provided by a Titan mattress. Over the month we've been testing the Plus Luxe, we haven't experienced any major sleep disturbances or any discomfort or pain from the mattress. I've even noticed a decrease in tossing and turning, personally. Some mornings, I've felt like I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in. However, we do wish that we'd gotten the optional GlacioTex cover, since we've both felt hot during the night and woken up perspiring or having to kick off the covers. So if you're a hot sleeper or share the bed with someone who overheats easily or experiences night sweats, we highly recommend the cooling cover. My husband and I have been sleeping on the Titan Plus Luxe for a little longer than a month. Where we live, the season has been changing from late winter to early spring, and our climate-control settings and bedding changes have reflected that. We've taken note of how supported we feel, whether we felt hot or cold, if our movement wakes each other up, whether the edge support assists with getting up or sitting on the edge, and the pressure relief we experience. I'm a commerce editor at Forbes Vetted, where I cover the mattress and sleep category as well as home and kitchen, tech and gear. I've been testing and reviewing sleep and bedding products for about four years. I've recently covered the best comforters for hot sleepers, air quality and sleep and the best firm mattress toppers for Forbes Vetted. What Is The Difference Between The Titan Plus, The Titan Plus Luxe And The Titan Plus Elite? All three Titan mattresses are hybrids and are specifically constructed for heavier, plus-size sleepers. The Titan Plus is the firmest of the three and is constructed with four layers and is just over 11 inches thick. The Plus Luxe is made with five layers, has a medium feel and is 13 inches thick. The Plus Elite features six layers of support and comfort (including a layer of microcoils the other two mattresses lack), a medium-firm feel, is 14.5 inches thick, and comes with a plush pillow top and a GlacioTex cooling cover. Do Heavier People Need A Firmer Mattress? Yes, generally, people who weigh over 250 pounds should sleep on a firmer mattress built with extra support. A more supportive mattress can keep the bed from sagging prematurely and ensure proper support and spinal alignment throughout the life of the mattress. What Is The Weight Limit For A Mattress? Not every mattress has the same weight limit. Check with the manufacturer to learn the recommended weight limit for a specific mattress. Sleepers weighing over 250 pounds should seek out mattresses made for larger bodies.
