Alexa, should I trust Amazon with my voice recordings? Everything you say to your Echo will be sent to Amazon starting on March 28 Amazon is killing a privacy feature to bolster Alexa+, the new subscription assistant. Scharon Harding Mar 14, 2025 4:59 pm | 31 Credit: Getty Credit: Getty Story textSizeSmallStandardLargeWidth *StandardWideLinksStandardOrange* Subscribers only Learn moreSince Amazon announced plans for a generative AI version of Alexa, we were concerned about user privacy. With Alexa+ rolling out to Amazon Echo devices in the coming weeks, were getting a clearer view at the privacy concessions people will have to make to maximize usage of the AI voice assistant and avoid bricking functionality of already-purchased devices.In an email sent to customers today, Amazon said that Echo users will no longer be able to set their devices to process Alexa requests locally and, therefore, avoid sending voice recordings to Amazons cloud. Amazon apparently sent the email to users with Do Not Send Voice Recordings enabled on their Echo. Starting on March 28, recordings of everything spoken to the Alexa living in Echo speakers and smart displays will automatically be sent to Amazon and processed in the cloud.Attempting to rationalize the change, Amazons email said:As we continue to expand Alexas capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazons secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature.One of the most marketed features of Alexa+ is its more advanced ability to recognize who is speaking to it, a feature known as Alexa Voice ID. To accommodate this feature, Amazon is eliminating a privacy-focused capability for all Echo users, even those who arent interested in the subscription-based version of Alexa or want to use Alexa+ but not its ability to recognize different voices.However, there are plenty of reasons why people wouldn't want Amazon to receive recordings of what they say to their personal device. For one, the idea of a conglomerate being able to listen to personal requests made in your home is, simply, unnerving.Further, Amazon has previously mismanaged Alexa voice recordings. In 2023, Amazon agreed to pay $25 million in civil penalties over the revelation that it stored recordings of childrens interactions with Alexa forever. Adults also didnt feel properly informed of Amazons inclination toward keeping Alexa recordings unless prompted not to until 2019five years after the first Echo came out.If that's not enough to deter you from sharing voice recordings with Amazon, note that the company allowed employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings. In 2019, Bloomberg reported that Amazon employees listened to as many as 1,000 audio samples during their nine-hour shifts. Amazon says it allows employees to listen to Alexa voice recordings to train its speech recognition and natural language understanding systems.Other reasons why people may be hesitant to trust Amazon with personal voice samples include the previous usage of Alexa voice recordings in criminal trials and Amazon paying a settlement in 2023 in relation to allegations that it allowed "thousands of employees and contractors to watch video recordings of customers' private spaces" taken from Ring cameras, per the Federal Trade Commission.Save recordings or lose functionalityLikely looking to get ahead of these concerns, Amazon said in its email today that by default, it will delete recordings of users Alexa requests after processing. However, anyone with their Echo device set to Dont save recordings will see their already-purchased devices Voice ID feature bricked. Voice ID enables Alexa to do things like share user-specified calendar events, reminders, music, and more. Previously, Amazon has said that "if you choose not to save any voice recordings, Voice ID may not work." As of March 28, broken Voice ID is a guarantee for people who don't let Amazon store their voice recordings.Amazon's email says:Alexa voice requests are always encrypted in transit to Amazons secure cloud, which was designed with layers of security protections to keep customer information safe. Customers can continue to choose from a robust set of controls by visiting the Alexa Privacy dashboard online or navigating to More > Alexa Privacy in the Alexa app.Amazon is forcing Echo users to make a couple of tough decisions: Grant Amazon access to recordings of everything you say to Alexa or stop using an Echo; let Amazon save voice recordings and have employees listen to them or lose a feature set to become more advanced and central to the next generation of Alexa.However, Amazon is betting big that Alexa+ can dig the voice assistant out of a financial pit. Amazon has publicly committed to keeping the free version of Alexa around, but Alexa+ is viewed as Amazon's last hope for keeping Alexa alive and making it profitable. Anything Amazon can do to get people to pay for Alexa takes precedence over other Alexa user demands, including, it seems, privacy.Scharon HardingSenior Technology ReporterScharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She's been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Toms Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK. 31 Comments

2025-03-14T23:32:40Z Read in app Grocery stores in Canada have been highlighting locally made products with tags and flyers in response to rising sentiments against US products. Carlos Osorio/REUTERS This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Canadian customers are telling US businesses they will stop buying US products.Grocery chains in Canada are sidelining American products and expecting their sales to drop.The boycott, in addition to retaliatory tariffs, could have an impact on the US agricultural industry.Canadian businesses large and small have been turning down American products, starting with non-essentials like alcohol, and spreading toward a wider variety of food products that economic experts say could hit different levels of the agriculture supply chain."Basically, overnight, everything changed, maybe irreparably," said Alisa Gorokhova, a resident of Quebec, as she recalled the morning after the tariff announcements came for the first time. "There's suddenly 'made in Canada' labels on things and American booze is gone from the shelves."Gorokhova said she now sees shoppers actively checking where everything is made, taking the task of boycotting US products seriously.The increasing animosity Canadians are showing toward American products comes after Trump repeatedly imposed and paused a 25% tariff on Canadian exports, and most recently slapped a 25% tax on Canadian steel and aluminum. Trump also talks often about his desire to make Canada the 51st state of the US and called Justin Trudeau, Canada's now-former prime minister, the "governor."As a result, American businesses are feeling the pinch. Ethan Frisch, CEO and founder of Burlap & Barrel, a public benefit corporation based in New York that specializes in fairly sourced single origin spices, said that he has been receiving emails from Canadian customers he had a long relationship with saying they will no longer purchase his products because of the boycott."We're not really sure how to handle this," said Frisch. "We as individuals at Burlap & Barrel did not vote to put Trump in office and we do import some spices from Canada as well, so our supply chain is very intertwined with the whole tariff situation.""All this could force us to buy less from our partners by introducing an extra level of risk, which really contradicts our mission of putting more money into the pockets of smaller farmers," he added.Large grocery chains across Canada are also spotlighting local products in response to patriotic sentiments.Take Sobeys Inc., Canada's second-largest national food retailer with approximately 1,600 stores across ten provinces. A spokesperson of its parent company,Metro Inc. with around 1,000 grocery stores in Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick, as well as Longo's, a family-owned grocery chain mainly operating across the Greater Toronto Area, both said they have rolled out an in-store program to label individual products with more salient Canadian identification. Local products are also being promoted on their websites and newsletters.The latest available data from the International Trade Administration shows that Canada is still the largest destination for US exports of high-value agricultural products.Downstream effectsEconomic and policy experts have told Business Insider that depending on the size of the target and the length of the boycott, the agriculture sector in the US"This is going to hurt the industries here, there's no doubt about it," said Larry Gerston, professor of public policy civic engagement at San Jose State University. "Whether it will hurt more than a counter tariff, that depends on if they can focus on a targeted set of products, how serious they are about it, and how much the Canadian government supports the boycott.""As I see it, the Canadians are a very proud people, and they are very offended this time," said Gerston.Trump's current tariff on China and the expected counter-tariffs could also intensify the pain on top of boycotts by Canadians.Jerry Nickelsburg, professor of economics at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, said that farmers received government subsidies during Trump's first term when they suffered from retaliatory tariffs from China, but they "should not expect that they'll receive a subsidy this time" under the new directive to cut government spending."We can expect that demands for US agriculture products would decline not only from Canada, but also from China," said Nickelsburg. "And if you have soft demand, that means this is going to impact both the price and farmers' income."

SalesforceSalesforce omitted language about diversity and inclusion as part of its core values in its annual financial disclosures filed Wednesday. Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images In its annual financial disclosures filed on March 5, Salesforce left out language describing diversity and inclusion as core values, a change from past filings. Language about some executive compensation being tied to employee diversity measures was also gone.The company said in the filing that it's still committed to equality, but it's "firmly rooted in compliance with federal law and other applicable laws and regulations in the regions in which we operate.""We value the equality of every individual at our company and in our communities and are dedicated to fostering a workplace that complies with these protections, creating an inclusive culture where every individual feels seen, heard and valued," Salesforce said in its filing.Salesforce's CEO Marc Benioff has previously shown support forLGBTQ+ employees, and spoken out about an Indiana bill that made it legal for individuals to use religious beliefs as a defense when sued by LGBTQ+ people. In aninterview with Axiosearlier this year, the CEO said the company would do "everything" possible to help employees if someone was targeting them.DeloitteDeloitte has scrapped DEI programs and asked some staff to delete pronouns from email signatures. J. David Ake/Getty Images Deloitte, the world's largest professional services firm, has scrapped some DEI programs and asked staff working in its Government & Public Services division to remove pronouns from their email signatures.The decision to change DEI policies followed "a detailed review of all pertinent government directives to ensure we comply with their requirements, both as a private enterprise and as a government contractor," Doug Beaudoin, Deloitte's chief people officer, told employees in an internal memo seen by BI.Deloitte receives $3.2 billion annually through its contracts with federal agencies.The firm's UK division has split with its US counterpart on DEI. The week of the changes, Deloitte's UK chief sent a memo to staff confirming that the firm remained "committed" to diversity goals in the UK.KPMGKPMG removed transparency reports from its website. Liam McBurney/PA Images via Getty Images Fellow Big Four firm KPMG has ended a DEI talent strategy that was set up amid the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and removed annual DEI transparency reports from its website.The consultancy's changes were announced via an internal memo sent to the US workforce on February 14."The legal landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts has been shifting, via executive orders and in the courts," Paul Knopp, chair and CEO of KPMG US, wrote in the memo.KPMG is ending its "Accelerate 2025" strategy, which aimed to achieve 50% of managing partners and managing directors coming from underrepresented backgrounds by 2025. KPMG typically tracks progress to the end of its financial year on September 30.In September 2023, 45.3% of US partners and managing directors came from under-represented groups such as women, racial minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals, according to a report still available on KPMG's website.AmazonAmazon renamed its DEI page to 'Inclusive Experiences and Technology.' Illustration by Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Amazon has changed its DEI language on some of its website pages and discontinued some programs.The company removed all mentions of diversity and inclusion from its 2024 annual report. As recently as January 24, Amazon's DEI page was titled "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," according to an archived page viewed by BI. That page is now called "Inclusive Experiences and Technology.""We update this page from time to time to ensure it reflects updates we've made to various programs and positions," an Amazon spokesperson told BI.In December, Candi Castleberry, Amazon's vice president of inclusive experiences and technology, said in a memo that the company was shutting down several "outdated" DEI programs to focus on initiatives with "proven outcomes," Bloomberg reported.Mai-Lan Tomsen Bukovec, the vice president of technology at Amazon Web Services, told employees in late January that the company was "not pulling back on DEI initiatives," adding, "there's no change to the commitment, but we didn't roll it out that well," according to a transcript obtained by BI.AccentureAccenture announced it was "sunsetting" some DEI programs in February. Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Global consulting firm Accenture has updated its diversity and inclusion goals, according to an internal memo sent by CEO Julie Sweet in February and seen by BI.The company is "sunsetting" its 2017 employee representation goals and career development programs for people of specific demographic groups.Accenture will also pause submissions to external diversity benchmarking surveys while it evaluates whether to continue participating in those surveys, the memo said.Sweet said the changes come as a result of the "evolving landscape in the United States, including recent Executive Orders with which we must comply," as well as the company's continual evaluation of internal policies.Sweet noted in the memo that Accenture had largely achieved its 2017 representation goals. She also wrote that the company would invest more in core career development programs and "put a greater focus on inclusion and a sense of belonging for all."GoogleGoogle is eliminating its hiring targets for representation. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images Google told employees in February that it will no longer have hiring goals tied to representation.It's also evaluating its DEI programs and initiatives, including "those that raise risk, or that aren't as impactful as we'd hoped," Google's chief people officer, Fiona Cicconi, wrote in a memo to staff."We're committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year we've been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there," a Google spokesperson told BI.The spokesperson said Google updated language in its annual 10-K report to reflect the change."As a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic," the spokesperson added.TargetAmid anti-DEI executive orders by President Trump, Target announced the rollback of multiple DEI initiatives. JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock Target sent a memo to its employees in January announcing the end of its three-year DEI goals.Written by Kiera Fernandez, Target's chief community impact and equity officer, the memo characterized the change as a way to remain "in step with the evolving external landscape."The memo also announced that Target would no longer participate in surveys that monitored diversity within the company, and would end a program to carry more products from minority-owned businesses.Target will also be changing the name of its "Supplier Diversity" team to "Supplier Engagement."MetaMeta slashed its DEI team in January. Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images Meta announced it was rolling back many of its DEI initiatives in January.In an internal memo, the company's vice president of human resources, Janelle Gale, said there would no longer be a team focused on DEI, adding that the term had become charged and that it suggested, to some, "preferential treatment of some groups over others.""The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing," she wrote. "The Supreme Court of the United States has recently made decisions signaling a shift in how courts will approach DEI."The changes affect diversity efforts across hiring, choosing suppliers, and training, the memo said.McDonald'sMcDonald's paused some of its DEI efforts in January. Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Fast food giant McDonald's joined the ranks of large American companies rolling back some DEI initiatives.The company announced in a press release on January 6 that it would stop setting representation goals, pause participating in external surveys related to DEI, and end a requirement for supply chain partners to adhere to DEI targets.McDonald's diversity team will also get a new name. It'll be called the "Global Inclusion Team" instead, the company said in its January announcement.Despite these changes, McDonald's says inclusion remains one of its "core values."Representatives of McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from BI sent outside regular working hours.Harley-DavidsonHarley-Davidson said that it would drop diversity-related programs following conservative backlash. Georg Wend/Getty Images In August, Harley-Davidson said on X that it would drop diversity-based spending goals from suppliers, halt socially motivated employee training, and withdraw from an annual LGBTQ acceptance rating by the Human Rights Campaign, Bloomberg reported.Harley told Bloomberg that the company was "saddened by the negativity on social media over the last few weeks, designed to divide the Harley-Davidson community," following Starbuck's calls on X for the company to apologize and change its policies.Bloem, from the Human Rights Campaign, said in the statement to BI that retreating from DEI hurts employees and customers."Harley-Davidson's choice to back away from the Corporate Equality Index is an impulsive decision fueled by fringe right-wing actors and MAGA extremists who believe they can bully their way into dismantling initiatives that help everyone thrive in the workplace," Bloem wrote.John DeereJohn Deere was the target of Starbuck's social media campaign in July. Rick Wilking/Reuters John Deere has pulled back on its DEI commitments, including no longer participating in cultural awareness events and abolishing the company's pronoun policy, BI reported in July.While John Deere did not publicly announce the reason for its decision, the shift came following online criticism from Starbuck in a video from X, which garnered over 5 million views in July.Tractor Supply CompanyTractor Supply was the target of a social media campaign that led to a pullback of DEI programs in June. Tractor Supply Co. Tractor Supply significantly scaled back its DEI programs, including eliminating diversity roles and withdrawing from Pride event sponsorship. The company also announced that it would no longer provide data to the Human Rights Campaign, and it would end its carbon emission goals. This came after Starbuck's criticized the company for promoting what he labeled as "woke" policies, NPR reported in June.PolarisPolaris was not a target of Starbuck, but chose to cut DEI efforts in a bid to abstain from political conversation. Bruce Bisping/Getty Images While Starbuck did not specifically target Polaris, the Harley competitor has reduced its DEI efforts, including removing any mention of the term from its web pages. In a statement to Bloomberg, the company emphasized its intention to abstain from political discussion.Lowe'sLowe's announced it would withdraw from surveys by the Human Rights Campaign and merge resource groups for minority employees Spencer Platt/Getty Images Home improvement retailer Lowe's said that it would scale back its DEI programs in an internal note viewed by Bloomberg.Per the memo, the company will stop participating in surveys run by the Human Rights Campaign, and it will merge resource groups for minority employees into one umbrella organization, Bloomberg reported on August 27.Starbuck said on X that he caused Lowe's policy shift. However, a Lowe's spokesperson told Bloomberg that they had already begun making changes prior to Starbuck's involvement.Lowe's has a consumer base largely consisting of rural baby boomers, according to data from the consumer analytics firm Numerator.. The company was labeled "best place to work for LGBTQ equality" by the Human Rights Campaign in Lowe's 2021 culture, diversity, and inclusion report.Orlando Gonzales, the senior vice president of programs of research and training at the Human Rights Campaign, told BI in a statement that scaling back from DEI policies would have negative consequences for companies in the long run."Companies should not cower to a random guy with zero business experience," Gonzales said, citing Starbuck's removal from the Tennessee GOP ballot in 2022.FordFord announced that it would withdraw from participation in HRC diversity rankings and restructure employee resource groups Matt Cardy/Getty Images In an internal email shared with Bloomberg by Starbuck, the carmaker said that it would pull out of certain diversity rankings, such as the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index.The company also said that it would reorient its employee resource groups to make them accessible to all staff. Ford also pledged to be less involved in political matters and changed some corporate sponsorships.Ford faced backlash after it saw quality issues and vehicle recalls.Starbuck wrote in a post on X that Ford's withdrawal from DEI initiatives came just as he was investigating Ford's "woke policies."Meanwhile, the HRC said that Ford "cowered" to Starbuck and that the company had "decades of commitment to inclusion and top ratings on the HRC Corporate Equality Index.""The Human Rights Campaign could not be more disappointed to see the company shirking its responsibility to its employees, consumers, and shareholders," said HRC president Kelley Robinson in a statement.Molson CoorsMolson Coors is pulling back on DEI policies, including supplier diversity quotas and DEI-based company training programs. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Beverage company Molson Coors is scrapping many of its DEI policies and initiatives, CNBC reported in September.In an internal memo obtained by BI, Molson Coors said it would remove quotas for supplier diversity. These quotas, which encourage sourcing supplies from minority or women-owned businesses, can be "complicated and influenced by factors outside" the company's control.Additionally, the brewer stated that it will shift company training away from DEI-based programs to focus more on key business objectives.The company said the decision to scale back, which was in the works since March, was made to ensure that executive compensation is solely based on business performance and does not include "aspirational representation goals," according to the memo.Molson Coors will also no longer participate in the HRC Equality Index or any other third-party company rankings, reported CNBC. The company has previously received a perfect 100-point score for 19 consecutive years.The memo added that the driving force behind the change was "the understanding that when all our people know they are welcome, they are more engaged, motivated, and committed to our company's collective success."Survey results published by the HRC in September found that more than 75% of adults from the LGBTQ+ community unfavorably view companies that rolled back DEI initiatives.The HRC's Gonzales said that the LGBTQ+ community holds over $1.4 trillion in spending power in the US and wants to "work for and support companies who support us."The companies did not respond to BI's requests for comment.WalmartWalmart is rolling back its DEI programs amid backlash from conservative activist Robby Starbuck. Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Walmart will end some of its DEI initiatives, including winding down its nonprofit Center for Racial Equity, which Walmart funded with $100 million in 2020 for five years, and discontinuing programs that assist minority-owned suppliers.The company will also stop using the phrase DEI in company documents, stop sharing the details of its LGBTQ+ corporate policies with the Human Rights Campaign and stop allowing third-party sellers to list items marketed toward the LGBTQ+ community."We are willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America. We've been on a journey and know we aren't perfect," Walmart said in a statement to BI.In aposton the social media platform X, conservative activist Robby Starbuck claimed credit for Walmart's policy change, calling it "the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America."NissanNissan said it was rolling back some DEI initiatives. Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images Nissan is rolling back some of its diversity initiatives, Starbuck announced on social media in December.In a statement provided to BI when asked about Starbuck's post, Nissan said, "Whether with employees, customers, business partners, or the communities we serve, we believe that Nissan is a company for everyone. For nearly four decades, our commitment to respect and inclusion has been rooted in our values, shaped an environment where each of our team members can contribute at work, and ultimately contributed to the success of our business."Starbuck said when he reached out to Nissan about their "woke policies" the company was receptive. He shared a letter that he said was sent to Nissan employees from company exec Jeremie Papin.The letter said the company would stop participating in third-party surveys with organizations "heavily focused on political activism." Starbuck said that meant the company would not participate in the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy group.The letter also said the company would align employee training with "core business objectives" that support "personal job performance and career advancement."Nissan told BI it was already working on its communications with employees due to questions received internally but acknowledged it had also spoken with Starbuck ahead of the announcement.Goldman SachsGoldman Sachs scrapped a policy requiring some clients to have diverse boards. Illustration by Valera Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Goldman Sachs significantly reduced language referencing DEI in its annual report.The bank's 2024 annual report referred to diversity in the context of human capital a total of three times, down significantly from the 14 times it was mentioned in the 2023 report and the 16 times it cropped up in 2022.The company also eliminated a category from the report titled "Diversity and Inclusion," which used to feature diverse hiring goals and a hiring breakdown by race and gender.Goldman's "aspirational hiring goals" also expire this year, and the bank hasn't yet disclosed whether they'll set new ones.Earlier this year, Goldman also ditched a policy that required IPO clients to have a minimum of two diverse board members. The change came after a December court ruling over a similar policy at the Nasdaq stock exchange.The investment bank first implemented a board diversity initiative in 2020, which mandated that IPO clients must have at least one diverse board member. A year later, Goldman raised the requirement to two members and stipulated that one must be a woman.Goldman initiated a legal review of its policy after the December court decision, according to a company spokesperson."As a result of legal developments related to board diversity requirements, we ended our formal board diversity policy," said Goldman spokesman Tony Fratto. "We continue to believe that successful boards benefit from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we will encourage them to take this approach."DisneyDisney told employees in a memo that it's moving away from DEI efforts to focus on business goals. Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images Disney told employees in a memo that it's refocusing its DEI efforts to business goals and company values. The changes will also affect content advisory notices that Disney started adding to movies in 2020, BI previously confirmed.The memo, which BI has verified, said that DEI will be less important in determining executive compensation and that Disney is ditching Reimagine Tomorrow, a digital hub it launched to focus on underrepresented voices.Disney also said in the memo that its Business Employee Resource Groups will rebrand as Belonging Employee Resource Groups.The company is no stranger to political controversy over social issues. CEO Bob Iger has criticized Trump in the past, but taken a more muted approach in the beginning of his second term.CitigroupCitigroup renamed its DEI team Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images Citigroup's CEO Jane Fraser sent a memo to staff in late February saying that the bank would rename its diversity, equity, and inclusion team to "talent management and engagement."The bank will also get rid of "aspirational representation goals except as required by local law," the memo said. It continued that job candidates and interview panels don't need to be diverse anymore.Warner Bros. DiscoveryWarner Bros. Discovery will no longer participate in third-party workplace surveys. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Discovery Warner Bros. Discovery is putting an end to its participation in third-party workplace surveys, according to a memo obtained by Business Insider.The company will "continue to gather internal data that allows us to understand how our employee base reflects the audience we serve."The memo was signed by Jennifer Remling and Asif Sadiq, WBD's Chief People and Culture Officer and Chief Inclusion Officer.It also detailed the adoption of a "uniform and consistent application process" across all WBD's "talent programs, including internships, mentoring, and other development programs."The company will retain its business resource groups, the memo said, and continue to "prioritize inclusive storytelling" and grow "an inclusive team."The company's overall work in the DEI space will now be referred to as "inclusion." The memo also stated that WBD would be correspondingly "updating the language" used on its website, as well as throughout its internal channels.Kohl'sKohl's changed the title of its chief DEI officer to chief inclusion and belonging officer. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images On March 14, The department store chain Kohl's changed the title of its chief DEI officer to chief inclusion and belonging officer.Bloomberg first reported the change, noting that the retail giant had removed all references to DEI on its website, instead replacing the phrase with the words "inclusion and belonging.""We have evolved our framework to focus on inclusion and belonging," Michelle Banks, who has held the role since it was created in 2021, said, Reuters reported.Banks, who has been with the company since 2010, told Reuters that Kohl's also broadened its supplier diversity program, adding qualified small businesses, including diverse small businesses.Representatives for Kohl's did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

When Jan Scott Wilkinson, frontman of the band formerly known as British Sea Power, was first asked to work on a video game soundtrack, he was sceptical. We didnt know much about the game, but our manager Dave seemed to think there was something interesting about this Robert guy who had been pleasantly hounding him, he says. That was Estonian novelist Robert Kurvitz, part of a team who had just started work on an esoteric video game about an alcoholic cop trying to solve a murder in an impoverished region of a war-torn country. The game was Disco Elysium, now regarded as one of the all-time great cerebral role-playing games: released in 2019, it sat atop PC Gamers top 100 list for four years in a row.Kurvitz is a Sea Power superfan. Pick a random scene from the game and therell be something a bit of dialogue, a location, a theme that has some sort of Sea Power reference in it. Wilkinson tells me that Kurvitz was captivating and full of a bubbling passion and that he knew an unsettling number of strange details about our music. Kurvitz had already embedded some of those very obscure Sea Power references in the world of Disco Elysium before they had even met. Whether the band liked it or not, they were already enmeshed in this eccentric Estonians world.[Disco Elysium] seemed both separate, and also sympathetic to, the bands identity, Wilkinson reflects. It was a strange, fucked up, sci-fi existence parallel to the one we were inhabiting Kurvitz seemed to mythologise the mundane.Mythologising the mundane Disco Elysium. Photograph: ZA/UMThe game is about the perennial pull between fascism and communism; police violence; the importance of community in the face of state oppression; alcoholism; homosexuality; the politics of poverty; and a tiny, pixel-sized hole in reality. It suited Sea Power down to the ground. The band, after all, had been writing music about the slow, perilous collapse of the planet as ice shelves slid into the ocean. There had been sombre, reflective, tracks about obscure bodies of water in Orkney. Theyd waxed lyrical about the virtues of being an EU citizen (pre-Brexit, naturally). The band have always embraced the miserable alongside the beautiful. Wilkinson is particularly complimentary of the games strange sense of humour, something he thinks resonated with the band and their fans.The initial meeting between took place in Birmingham. Birmingham is a strange place. Its own world. Very strong in character, reflects Wilkinson. Maybe [Kurvitz] had been to Alan Moore for a magical blessing? [To meet us] in the spiritual home of heavy metal and Tolkiens inspiration for the Shire it seems oddly fitting, I suppose, now that I look back. I had never thought about that until now.Sea Power, new to the world of video games, took direction from Kurvitz, caught in the tidal pool of his vision for most of the project. Wilkinson tells me that Kurvitz had a plan, and a fastidious knowledge of our albums and rare EPs and B-sides. As such, many of the songs in the game come from pre-existing Sea Power tracks, reworked, remixed, and re-recorded to coalesce with the watercolour weariness that defines Disco Elysiums fading world.The games thought cabinet cover art for Disco Elysiums soundtrack. Illustration: ZA/UMThinking about it, some of the tracks we used on the game continued their existence into our following album, Wilkinson says. So working on the game not only drew from our past but influenced our future, too.Disco Elysiums songs are stripped down, exposing the core melodies, and a little bit less dense than what youd hear on a standard Sea Power album. There are fewer vocal melodies and longer, dreamier sequences. Any explicit narrative is stripped away, and youre left with a soundscape, a Turner painting as a song. Generally, songs needed distilling down to a fundamental mood fitting the scene, doing away with anything which was in competition with that mood and usually adding a little dreamy liminal menace, Wilkinson says.There is so much dialogue, and the visuals do so much, so the music really just needed to reach into the subconscious and open the gates of the mind, allowing the brain to absorb the words and images and help them become totally immersive. And that was enjoyable, artistically, to do I love creating atmospheres and sonic textures as much as writing choruses or words. Maybe more, sometimes.Sea Power have also worked on film soundtracks, rescoring a 1934 Irish fictional documentary called Man of Aran an experience that helped Wilkinson know what to expect from creating a game soundtrack, even if there were some key differences.Games are a little more easygoing with regards to timing, he says. With film, its often important to hit cues and you know exactly when different moods need to change direction. It can be more mathematical. The game needed more general mood textures to sit behind scenes, and blend into and enhance the feeling of various parts of the world. I would definitely work on more games. I love games like Disco Elysium, although they are a very rare thing.This spring, Sea Power are embarking on a mini tour named Soundtracks Live. The set will feature various Disco Elysium songs, work from the Man of Aran soundtrack, and various tracks from another documentary feature film, From the Sea to the Land Beyond. Wilkinson is excited about the prospect of performing these tracks live especially for an audience of Disco Elysium fans.The game needed general mood textures to sit behind scenes Disco Elysium. Photograph: ZA/UMWe have had a noticeable growth in listeners since [the game was released], he says. They seem like a cool and thoughtful bunch, these Disco Elysium players. They are appreciated. The odd drunken detective has been sighted along the crash barrier at gigs.The relationship between Disco Elysium and Sea Power has been symbiotic; they have given new life to each other. Sea Power have seen a swell in listeners as a result of the game, and existing Sea Power fans discovered a new love for video games as a result of the collaboration. And the relationship is still evolving.On our first meeting, [Kurvitz] did tell me that he had worked very hard on re-ordering the track list to our album Valhalla Dancehall, smiles Wilkinson. Hmm, Valhalla Dancehall, Disco Elysium could there be a link of some kind? The band are now considering this revised track list for the albums anniversary reissue. He is very talented and intelligent. So are all the games core creators. I dont think many people notice all the little nods to the world of Sea Power through the game. It was strange when it became such a huge hit around the world, and we were proud to be a part of its story.And, of course, he nods, we got a Bafta out of it, too, which would have been unlikely to happen to us otherwise.

Its hard to believe that when I first saw Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday, we were both teenagersand now, with Freakier Friday out this summer, were both moms. Its so wild! The whiplash of oh my god, its happening hit super hard as I was watching the new Freakier Friday trailer today. Lohans character Anna is now a successful musician, and Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Tess, her therapist mom, in the sequel to a family fave I share with my own mother. I used to sing along to the Pink Slip (Annas band) songs, and when I recently rewatched the film surprised myself at how I still know all the lyrics to Take Me Away. So seeing that the sequels body-swap hijinks happen at the bands party (I clocked the logo immediately) makes me even more excited to see how it all unfolds. This time, the freakier part of Friday is that there are four characters involved: Anna and Tess swap bodies with Annas teenaged daughter and her teenaged soon-to-be-stepdaughter. The mom and daughter lesson gets passed on to Anna and her teen, which makes me feel old. Oddly Tess and stepdaughter swap too, which is weird, but we hope they pull that off because shes an outlier. It makes sense that it happens to Anna and her kid because last time around, Anna was super rebellious and a handful, at least according to Tess, who just didnt understand her. Its a timeless trope, as plenty of us have been there, and it seems like just yesterday too. I swear I had the same Hot Topic fishnet sleeves made from cut-up leggings, worn underneath a tee with that same studded belt and loop bracelets Lohan donned in the first movie. Even more unbelievable yet is how you can walk into a Hot Topic now and find all of those items as fashion has come full circle. I hope we get to see Annas daughter mirror her mom when she was a teen, but its pretty uncertain based off the trailer. We dont get too much of the mother-daughter dynamic here, but it will be interesting to see how the relationships evolve in a quad Freaky Friday situation. The opening has Anna and Tess being told their lifelines have intersected and are warned the lesson may return. In a blink or youll miss it moment, the first films fortune cookie-giving mother of the Chinese restaurant owner appears next to the DJ (who looks like she could be her granddaughter)so we wonder if shes behind the mystic hijinks once again. Having lived generational lessons with my own mom, who does like to meddle in the lives of those she cares about, Im so excited to see this with her. Disney While this trailer went for a more nostalgic tone, introducing whos back among the characterslike the band, the mean professor, and of course hot Jake from high school (Chad Michael Murray reprises the role)theres not much known about the story. Its also unclear if Jakes the baby daddy to Annas teen, but we also know Manny Jacinto is in the cast, and hes rumored to play Annas current beau. And yes were blessed with his gun show. Were so grateful for that shot of those biceps and it makes this movie feel even more aimed at millennial moms. I cant believe Im one nowI used to chase my annoying little brother out of the room when Id pretend to be in Pink Slip, and now hes an uncle who towers over me. Freaky indeed. Freakier Friday opens August 8 and Freaky Friday is currently streaming on Disney+.Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

March 2025 has turned into the unofficial Talk About Star Wars Underworld Month. Days after Star Wars producer Rick McCallum discussed the mythical, unproduced show, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and For All Mankind writer/producer Ronald D. Moore spoke about what it was like to be one of the shows writers. Appearing on The Sackhoff Show (hosted by Bo-Katan herself, Katee Sackhoff), Moore talked about being called by George Lucas to write on what Lucas thought a live-action Star Wars show could be. Heres the clip. Galactica was winding down. Caprica was starting right around that period. I got a call that George Lucas wants to meet with [me] about a possible series, Moore said. So I meet with George and producer Rick McCallum, and at that point George wanted to do a live-action Star Wars TV series What he wanted to do is he wanted to gather a group of writers together, kind of an international group of writers. So I was one of the Americans and there were some from the UK and from Australia [and] New Zealand, and he would bring us together up at Skywalker Ranch for like a long weekend We would go for these long weekends, or a week or something, at a time with George in a conference room at Skywalker Ranch and break these stories. Then we would go off for like another six weeks out by ourselves, write the scripts, then regather, talk about notes, do another group of scripts.This went on for like a year or two or something, Moore continued. We would just gather, break up, gather, break and we wrote something like, I think, 48 or 50 episodes Its definitely in the 40s And when we got to that point, George said, Okay, thats enough. And hes then he wanted to just take those scripts and he was just gonna go shoot them on his dime In Georges mind, it was, Once Ive produced it, Im just gonna then take it to a network and go Take it or leave it. This is what it is. I dont care what your notes are, I dont care what your thoughts are, its done. Do you want it?' This, however, is where McCallums part of the story came in. Lucas idea was a great idea in theory but the show was just so prohibitively expensive, Lucas never got around to making it. Then, of course, he sold Lucasfilm, and Star Wars, to Disney, and that was that.Still, Moore says he personally wrote two of the scripts and treasures the experience, especially getting to argue about Star Wars with the creator himself. At a certain point, you get over your awe and now youre just in a writers room and hes telling you something about Darth Vader that doesnt make sense, Moore said, before breaking into a spot-on Lucas impression. Youre just like Oh my God, what am I doing? Where am I? You just kind of forget and now youre just at story conference having an argument. Watch the full clip above and thanks to Jedi News for the heads up. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

Malhar Weekend Home / Deearth ArchitectsSave this picture! Yadu PradeepArchitects: Deearth ArchitectsAreaArea of this architecture projectArea:408 mYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Yadu Pradeep Lead Architects: Ar. Vivek PP, Ar. Nishan M. More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. Malhar is a weekend home set amidst a lush 6-acre farmland in Payyannur, Kannur, North Kerala. Designed as a retreat for Anoop and Swapna, the residence embodies their deep-rooted love for music and agriculture. Initially planned as a weekend home, Malhar will eventually transition into their permanent residence once they return from Bangalore. The house is envisioned as a welcoming space for guests and friends who share a passion for music, nature, and folk arts.Save this picture!The site is rich with Arecanut trees and features a seasonal canal running through its centre, with the terrain sloping towards it from all sides. Only a quarter of the total land was designated for development, ensuring minimal disturbance to the natural landscape. The design responds to the owners' desire to live amidst lush greenery, where they can enjoy the rhythm of rain and the sounds of music in harmony with nature.Save this picture!True to its name, inspired by the Malhar raga associated with rain and melody, the house is conceived as an open-plan design that seamlessly blends architecture with the environment. The program includes family living spaces, a kitchen, dining areas, two master bedrooms, a guest bedroom, a pool, and a dedicated music area. These spaces are designed to engage with natural elements rain, wind, sunlight, and the existing stream offering a serene and immersive experience.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Payyannur's tropical wet climate, characterized by heavy monsoons, high humidity, and dry summers, necessitated a climate-responsive architectural approach. The home is designed to maximize cross-ventilation and natural cooling, reducing dependence on artificial climate control. Key structural elements, including the roof, walls, windows, and overhangs, were carefully chosen to create a comfortable indoor environment. The sloping Mangalore-pattern tile roof complements the topography while allowing for effective rainwater drainage.Save this picture!The spatial experience is designed to be multisensory, guiding visitors through thresholds, varying levels, and a rich material palette. The house is integrated into the contours of the site, appearing as though it emerges naturally from the land. Exposed laterite walls, crafted from locally sourced stone, seamlessly connect built and unbuilt spaces. A carefully choreographed journey leads visitors through a series of laterite steps and green pockets, enhancing the tactile experience of movement through the site.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The entrance foyer and sit-out act as a visual frame, capturing the surrounding landscape. The transition into the home is designed to evoke a sense of wonder, blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. The foyer opens to a large courtyard, an infinity pool, and a music gazebo set against the backdrop of Arecanut trees. The home's L-shaped layout ensures openness, allowing light and ventilation to flow uninterrupted while maintaining strong visual connections to the landscape.Save this picture!The minimal use of concrete makes the structure appear light and grounded, reinforcing its organic connection to the site. Steel lintels and roofing with Mangalore tiles ensure structural efficiency while maintaining a delicate aesthetic. The material palette is dominated by grey tones, and Kota stone provides a calm and neutral backdrop, allowing the changing seasons, music, and human presence to animate the space. Malhar is not just a home; it is an evolving dialogue between architecture, music, and nature, an invitation to experience life through the rhythm of the environment. Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officeDeearth ArchitectsOfficePublished on March 14, 2025Cite: "Malhar Weekend Home / Deearth Architects" 14 Mar 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1027736/malhar-weekend-home-deearth-architects&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

As Earths surface continues to buckle from the burdens of climate change, its upper atmosphere faces different troubles altogether as greenhouse gases threaten space sustainability. A new study warns that the future could bring a sharp increase in space debris as satellites start to get stuck in Earths orbit because of climate change.The study, recently published in Nature Sustainability, cautions that greenhouse gases are causing the upper atmosphere to cool and shrink, leaving satellites unable to sink to lower altitudes where they should burn up. Instead, they are stuck orbiting in a less dense atmosphere, and they could now begin to collide more often. Projections from the study envision a dangerously crowded upper atmosphere in the years to come.A Crisis In the Upper AtmosphereGreenhouse gases like C02, trapped in the lower atmosphere, pull heat down from the upper atmosphere. The cooling effect on the upper atmosphere decreases density and, in turn, reduces atmospheric drag on satellites, which would normally pull them back down to Earth. As a result, the lifetime of satellites in low Earth orbit may be extended.The upper atmosphere can only carry so many satellites before things start to get dangerous. In the new study, researchers aimed to evaluate the satellite carrying capacity of certain altitudes of interest, or shells", in low Earth orbit by creating simulations of carbon emissions scenarios.Increased emissions over the next century, the researchers found, will likely contribute to reduced carrying capacity in low Earth orbit. Based on this scenario, they estimate that the carrying capacity or the amount of satellites that can safely exist within the altitudes of 200 and 1,000 kilometers could be reduced by 50 to 66 percent by the end of this century.Read More: What Is Space Junk And Why Is It A Problem?A Surge of Satellite LaunchesExceeding the carrying capacity would create unstable regions where collisions would create too much debris for satellites to safely operate there. The researchers say that some regions are already in danger of overcrowding due to waves of satellite launches over the past few years.More satellites have been launched in the last five years than in the preceding 60 years combined, said lead author William Parker, a graduate student at MITs AeroAstro department, in a statement. One of [the] key things were trying to understand is whether the path were on today is sustainable.Currently, there are over 10,000 satellites occupying low-Earth orbit, and this number is expected to skyrocket in the coming years. Mega-constellations, which are networks of hundreds or thousands of communication satellites being launched into space, could start to destabilize already congested areas in the upper atmosphere. Starlink, one such constellation headed by SpaceX, is looking to launch up to 42,000 satellites.Cleaning Up SpaceWhile missions arent being thwarted by space debris just yet, the risk of damage is still present. According to the European Space Agency, collisions with debris larger than 1 cm would disable a spacecraft, and collisions with millimeter-size debris could still cause local damage.The ESA plans to partner up with Swiss aerospace company ClearSpace to launch the first ever space debris removal project in 2025, sending a chaser spacecraft to retrieve a space debris target with its four robotic arms. However, the cost and potential for atmospheric pollution related to these types of projects have raised concerns.The new study offers another solution here on Earth: slashing greenhouse gas emissions. Doing so may help restore order to the upper atmosphere.We rely on the atmosphere to clean up our debris. And if the atmosphere is changing, then the debris environment will change too, Parker added in the statement. We show the long-term outlook on orbital debris is critically dependent on curbing our greenhouse gas emissions.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Scientific Reports. Satellite mega-constellations create risks in Low Earth Orbit, the atmosphere and on EarthJack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

Many lifestyle factors are already known to influence cancer development, prompting people to modify their habits. Well-established connections include smoking as a cause of lung cancer, excessive alcohol consumption leading to liver cancer, and poor dietary choices increasing the risk of stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers.A less conventional link between an unhealthy diet and lung cancer was recently identified by researchers at the University of Florida Health, in collaboration with the University of Kentucky's Markey Cancer Center and the UF Health Cancer Center. For the first time, they categorized lung cancer as a diet-related disease. Their findings, published in Nature Metabolism, highlight the influence of diet on health and may encourage more people to adopt healthier eating habits.Tumors Need Sugar, TooUnfortunately, many crave-worthy foods contain ingredients linked to increased cancer risk, including red meats, alcohol, saturated fats, ultra-processed foods, and sugary drinks.One major factor is sugar. When consumed in excess, it is stored in the body as glycogen for later use. Researchers have already established that high glycogen levels accumulate in various cancers and other diseases.A typical Western diet, rich in processed foods and sugars, can elevate glycogen levels, effectively fueling tumor growth. Cancer cells, like normal biological cells, require energy for their metabolic processes, and glycogen serves as a readily available resource to support their proliferation.More Glycogen, Bigger TumorsThe link between diet and lung cancer became apparent through high-throughput spatial analysis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) samples the most common form of lung cancer. The analysis revealed a correlation between glycogen accumulation and poorer tumor outcomes.To investigate further, the research team used a high-content spatial metabolomics platform developed by study lead Ramon Sun, associate professor and director of the UF Center for Advanced Spatial Biomolecule Research. This technology allows for rapid, large-scale data analysis while maintaining the spatial context of biological samples.This platform offered a new lens through which to visualize diseases, enabling researchers to discern previously undiscovered molecular patterns and interactions with striking detail and depth of insight, said Sun in a press release.The researchers then conducted experiments on mice to explore the relationship between glycogen levels and lung cancer progression. They implemented dietary interventions and genetically modified the activity of glycogen synthase an enzyme that converts excess glucose into glycogen to examine its role in tumor development.Their findings confirmed that higher glycogen levels in cancer cells were associated with larger, more aggressive tumor growth. Mice fed a high-fat, high-fructose Western diet developed larger lung tumors. Conversely, when glycogen levels were reduced, tumor growth declined. Further metabolic analysis revealed a direct link between elevated glycogen levels and increased central carbon metabolites, which are crucial for tumor progression.According to Sun, glycogen serves as an exceptionally good predictor of tumor growth and mortality in lung cancer patients.Everything Comes Down to Diet AgainThis study is among the first to establish a causal relationship between lung cancer and diet, further reinforcing the importance of maintaining a nutrient-rich, balanced diet, staying physically active, and limiting alcohol intake for long-term health.In the long term, our approach to cancer prevention should mirror the success of the anti-smoking campaign, Sun said in the release. Placing greater emphasis on public awareness and policy-driven strategies that promote healthier dietary choices as a fundamental component of disease prevention.Another promising aspect of targeting glycogen is the range of existing treatment options. Currently, three types of drugs regulate glycogen levels, including metformin, a widely used medication for type 2 diabetes. These findings open the door to potential new cancer treatment strategies that integrate glycogen-targeting therapies into existing regimens.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Nature Metabolisim. Glycogen drives tumour initiation and progression in lung adenocarcinomaHaving worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When shes not immersed in a popular science book, youll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.

Nature, Published online: 12 March 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08721-9In a model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, extrachromosomal DNAs are shown to be a source of high-level focal amplification driving MYC heterogeneity and phenotypic adaptation.