Take a penny, leave a penny… just don't pay with one. As Americans' cash usage declines, more shops are refusing to accept physical currency. With no federal law saying a business must accept cash, cities that want to keep cash flowing have to pass legislation. This month, lawmakers in LA proposed a ban on cashless businesses, arguing they exclude people with low incomes, older adults, and unbanked communities.

• Cashless-biz bans have already passed in cities like San Francisco, NYC, Philly, and DC.

• Cash made up only 20% of all US payments in 2021, a steep drop from 31% in 2017. As of last October, 4 in 10 Americans weren't using cash at all in a typical week. Square said that in the first year of the pandemic US cashless businesses more than doubled.

• Paper or plastic: Cashless businesses say the lack of paper currency discourages theft and is more efficient (picture: no cash transport and storage costs). 

Cashless has other biz perks… Studies show that customers paying with a card tend to spend more. Credit-card companies, which earn a transaction fee on every swipe, have (unsurprisingly) encouraged no-cash trends: in 2018 Visa held a cashless contest, paying $10K to 50 businesses that stopped accepting real currency. Card and digital payments (like Apple Pay) also give merchants data on consumers, which can be used for targeting your latte habits.

Fast change can leave some short-changed… As cashless transactions take over, large populations could be excluded. Some groups still rely heavily on cash, like unbanked populations (7% of CA), older people who haven't transitioned to digital payments, and kids or teens who aren't old enough to get a credit card.

Pinot Au Revoir…. The French government is paying farmers about $215M to destroy this season's surplus wine — enough vino to fill 100 Olympic-size pools. The wine won't just be dumped, though: it'll be distilled into ethanol that can be used in cleaning supplies and perfumes. Separately, France is paying farmers to destroy their vineyards to avoid a future glut. Through the program, Bordeaux farmers have applied to rip out 8% of the region's vines.

• Getting crushed. Contributing to this year's surplus: increased global wine competition and a sales dip in China. But the industry's also prepping for a longer-term trend: people drinking less alcohol.

Sober-curious generation… The French sipped 32% less red wine last year than they did a decade ago, and the drinking decline's steeper among the country's youth. While some of their drinking preferences have shifted to beer and spirits, many are simply drinking less. That's true in the US too: 62% of those aged 18 to 34 said they drink alcohol in a recent Gallup poll, down from 72% two decades ago. Young people have also cut back on how much they drink. 

• Hangover-free: Non-alcoholic beverage sales (including n.a. wine) grew 21% last year, and mocktails like non-boozy botanical spritzes are being added to trendy menus.

• Treat yourself: When people do imbibe, they may be opting for more premium wines and Champagne — which have seen demand jump — as well as rosé.

Adapt or shrivel up… Wine and spirits are among France's top exports, and the government's hoping this short-term pruning will prep the market to flourish. The cash incentive to dump wine is intended to keep prices from crashing while winemakers seek new revenue sources — like growing olives. French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau said farmers need to "adapt to changes in consumption and adjust production to the demand of tomorrow."