We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.This holiday season, give the gift of relaxationbut do not just pick up some lotion for someone and call it a day. Not to be ungrateful, but is there anything more boring than receiving another gift basket with a lotion and a loofah in it? There really isnt. There are better ways to give relaxing, self-care-focused gifts that are actually useful and cool. Please consider the following.The best gifts for skincareIn the parlance of social media, self care and skincare are nearly interchangeable a lot of the time. The good news is there are all kinds of little tools and doodads that can be used for skincare, and these make superb gifts. Depuffing gifts are nice stocking stuffers, and theyre not very pricey. I've been on a wild depuffing kick in my own life lately and use these three things consistently: Try these globes that you freeze and rub on your face ($12.98), a gua sha tool ($7.99), and a gel mask that can be frozen ($8.59). The NuFace MINI+ ($175) remains a covetable, popular present. It uses microcurrents to smooth and lift the skin, plus it's fun and high-tech.However, I've had better results with a competitor, which is even $5 cheaper: The MyoLift QT Plus ($170). It also uses microcurrent technology, but has some added perks: It uses a phone app to analyze your face and give you guidance during microcurrent sessions and comes with pads you can plug into the device and stick on your face so you don't even have to do the work of delivering the currents to yourself. I've noticed slight tightening and a little extra glowiness in my skin with consistent use.Getting someone actual chemical skincare products is difficult, since you might imply you see some kind of flaw in their face they should fix. Avoid this drama with a variety pack of sheet masks, like the Tony Moly All You Need set ($25). I have been a Tony Moly loyalist for 10 years and find their masks and other products to work much better than competitors, for what it's worth. I am especially fond of the caffeinated one foryou guessed itdepuffing.Sheet masks are simple to use, but you know whats simpler? Under-eye patches. In the last year, I switched to the Peauamie multipack, which gives you 30 pairs for $12.99. The pack comes with different varieties that address different concerns, and I use them religiously. A slam-dunk gift. Like I said, getting someone actual chemical skincare products can get dicy. But one kind is always appreciated: Products that provide hydration and improve skin texture and glowiness. I always have a COSRX Favorites set ($36) on hand. It's cleanser, toner, snail mucin (gross but effective!), and moisturizer. Nothing offensive there. Also, a tip: I usually see this set at Marshalls for about $16, so it's definitely possible to get it cheaper if you're going shopping in-store. The best gifts for relaxingWhen its time to relax, you need no less than four products to make it perfect. These are just the rules. We live in a very materialistic society and unwinding from the capitalist grind often paradoxically requires stuff.Shower steamers are cool because they serve no purpose other than to relax you. Theyre like bath bombs, but they release scents in the shower. Its pretty straightforward and they make a nice stocking stuffer. You can get seven for $9.99 at Target.I run through these quickly.A random candle from that gimmicky aisle at the checkout of TJMaxx only shows you put no thought into your gift. But a trendy candle? Thats different. Homesick candles ($28.50 and up) are big, as are birthdate candles ($48.99) and the ever-popular Maison Margiela Replica candles ($70). Win the holidays outright with a Diptyque candle ($45 or $74, depending on size).Everyone loves the Comfy ($49.99), a truly gigantic oversized sweatshirt made of blanket material that is ideal for shuffling around the house in a relaxed daze.One tried-and-true option here is a massage gun, but you should go big or go home: Homedics has a heated one available for $49.99.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.The holidays are a time for big emotions. The weather can get extreme, theres too much to do, and family gatherings offer up wild swings of intense feeling: joy, excitement, apprehension, annoyance, exhaustion. The movies (and life) teach us that any holiday meal with a sufficient number of guests must involve drama of some sort: Somebodys pregnant, somebodys getting married or divorced, someones coming out of the closet, someones dying. The season truly has it all.Movies offer us the opportunity to escape from all that by watching other people deal with their dramaand were not so much interested in subtlety and nuance, because thats not whats in the air. Is it even a Christmas movie if youre not bawling into your eggnog? Many of the saddest Christmas movies share very similar plot beats (its Dickens world; were just living in it), but its in the execution that they rise or fall. The most successful of them take big swings and hit us right where we live.Its a Wonderful Life (1946) Obviously. Its easy to dismiss Its a Wonderful Life as over-played holiday schmaltz; constant public-domain airings resurrected it from near-obscurity, but also turned it into seasonal wallpaper. Its always playing in the background, but nobodys paying all that much attentionwhich is too bad, given that its a much weirder and more nuanced film than the bit about angels and bell-ringing would suggest. We can only watch as George Bailey compromise his dreams over and over again, only to find that what little he has built rests on a house of cards. America, amirite? Theres real emotion in Georges breakdown, and a (mostly) satisfying catharsis in the ending, which is harder won than in many other gentler, cozier Christmas classics. You can stream It's a Wonderful Life on Prime Video and The Roku Channel. Its a Wonderful Life (1946) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Carol (2015) The chemistry between Rooney Maras Therese and Cate Blanchetts Carol is palpable from the moment their eyes meet across a crowded department storebut its the 1950s, and theirs is a love that dare not speak its name, even to one another. Queerphobia was, as we all know, entirely eradicated decades ago, so it might seem odd that a gay romance would raise eyebrows, but thats just how things were back then. The women suffer for their love, but the tears come less when things are going bad as when it starts to feel like they might just possibly start to go a little right. You can stream Carol on Paramount+ and Netflix or rent it from Prime Video. Carol (2015) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ The Best Man Holiday (2013) The sequel to 2013's The Best Man, this one quickly updates us on the fallout from that earlier film before moving into new territory (its not strictly necessary to have seen the original if youre looking to dive straight into the holiday festivities). Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and Sanaa Lathan lead the sequel, which offers a bold blend of off-color humor, hot shirtless guys, sincere religious themes, and shamelessly heartbreaking plot twists. It all somehow mostly holds together. Its a well-acted soap opera with over-the-top moments of comedy, family drama, and tragedy, hitting every emotional beat youd want from a holiday movie. You can stream The Best Man Holiday on Prime Video. The Best Man Holiday (2013) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Joyeux Nol (2005) A fictionalized version of a true story, this Academy Award nominee deals with an unusual moment during the first year of World War I, when, at several points along the front lines, French, German, and British soldiers called a series of informal truces, often mingling to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The German Crown Prince even sent the lead singer of the Berlin opera to perform along the front lines, entertaining both sides. In dramatizing the event, the filmmakers understand that the truce was both glorious and absurd. Those complicated feelings, and the knowledge that what were seeing represents a momentary lull in a war that would continue for years, make for powerful emotional moments. You can stream Joyeux Nol on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video. Joyeux Nol (2005) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ A Midnight Clear (1992) A different war, and a different Christmas truce (after a fashion) feature in Keith Gordon's A Midnight Clear, set during the Battle of the Bulge near the end of World War II. A small, inexperienced intelligence squad is sent to occupy an abandoned chateau to gather information on German movements. The Germans quickly have them dead to rights, but step away and, instead, begin to send signals (Christmas carols; a snowball fight) that they're not interested in fighting anymore. They realize that the war is coming to an end, and they hope to make a deal with the Americans: a mock fight and a quick surrender to avoid bloodshed. Of course, what sounds reasonable to soldiers on the frontline is completely anathema to the ones giving the orders. You can stream A Midnight Clear on Prime Video, Peacock, and Tubi. A Midnight Clear (1992) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Stepmom (1998) The ingredients for a fairly typical seasonal comedy (or dramedy, anyway) are all here: Chris Columbus (Home Alone, Mrs. Doubtfire) directs Susan Sarandon as Jackie, a woman forced to spend the holidays with her ex-husband's girlfriend (played by Julia Roberts). The reason for this meeting, however, is less the stuff of rom-coms: Jackie has lymphoma, and neither she nor we are given any false optimism. She's dying, and this younger woman will likely become a stepmother to her children. Both the relationship between the two, and Jackie's illness, come to a head at Christmas time.You can rent Stepmom from Prime Video. Stepmom (1998) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Christmas Tree (1969) Terence Young, best known for his early James Bond films, directs William Holden as Laurent Sgur, a wealthy Frenchman on the verge of a new romance who learns that his 10-year-old son Pascal is dying following exposure to radiation. Determined to make his son's last days as special as possible, the three embark on a series of small adventures. The tone isn't overtly tearjerking, but there's no escaping the poignance of the central message about appreciating what you while you have it. You can stream The Christmas Tree on Tubi. The Christmas Tree (1969) at Tubi Learn More Learn More at Tubi Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) For a musical thats perhaps best known for Judy Garlands epic ode to old-timey streetcars, theres a surprising bit of emotional depth here. Following the upper-class Smith family for a year starting in the summer of 1903, the movie tracks changing times and changing circumstancesnothing excessively dramatic, unless youre Margaret OBriens joyfully morbid Tootie, who suddenly finds that the things that she expected never to change are more precarious than she thought possible. The key moment is Judy Garlands heartbreaking performance of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a song that was later brightened up for radio but that, here, implores us to enjoy what we have while we have itbecause the future is uncertain. You can stream Meet Me in St. Louis on Max and Tubi. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Full-Court Miracle (2003) Blending inspirational sports-movie stuff with a bit of holiday magic, this seasonal staple finds the young teens at Philadelphia Hebrew Academy struggling build up their basketball team in spite of their truly awful coach. A struggling outsider enters the picture, and might be the one who can put them on the right trackif only the students and faculty will put their trust in him. The moment when the local rabbi relates the story of Hanukkah in relation to the kids basketball game is honestly pretty darned effective. You can stream Full-Court Miracle on Disney+. Full-Court Miracle (2003) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) Writer/director Kenneth Branaghs indie isnt nearly as dour (or bleak) as its title might suggest, being more of a black comedy about a depressed, out-of-work actor who gets talked into staging a Christmas production of Hamlet (very Branagh, that) in an effort to save his sisters church from greedy land developers (arent they always). The lets-put-on-a-show-to-save-whatever premise has been done, but sharp performances and the directors clear affection for Shakespeare lend the film added emotional resonance, even if youre not a sucker for stories about finding the true spirit of the season in connecting with othersbut who isnt, really? You can stream In the Bleak Midwinter (a.k.a. A Midwinter's Tale) on Hoopla. In the Bleak Midwinter (1995) at Hoopla Learn More Learn More at Hoopla One Magic Christmas (1985) The Grainger family could be forgiven for giving up on the holiday spirit entirely: Jack is out of work, and Ginnies job at the grocery store isnt enough to save the family homewhich doesnt matter much, as shes about to lose that gig too. Thats all before a botched bank robbery leaves their two kids with only one parent. Fortunately, theres an angel waiting in the wings, but hes played by Harry Dean Stanton, so definitely not the cheerful sort. Daughter Abbie winds up being the familys only hope for something resembling a happy ending, but there are a lot of reasons to shed tears before the final act. You can stream One Magic Christmas on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video. One Magic Christmas (1985) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ The Family Man (2000) We cant get enough of alternate timelines and glimpses into roads not taken, and Family Man represents a slightly more modern, fully Nicolas Cage-ized, and therefore more extreme, version of the trope. Here, a boring (but successful) corporate drudge gets sucked into an alternate timeline where he married Tea Leoni (the one who got away in his native timeline) but is also jobless and stressed by his inability to provide for his family. No life is ever perfect, I guess. When returned to his own timeline, he takes the opportunity to reconnect with the old girlfriend who might have become his wifeexcept that, even with lessons learned, theres no way to get back the time they lost or the children they had in the other timeline. (Its all very that-one-episode-of-Star Trek: The Next Generation.) You can stream The Family Man on Netflix and Peacock. The Family Man (2000) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Remember the Night (1940) With a bit of the ol Christmas spirit, otherwise tough New York District Attorney John Sargent (Fred MacMurray) agrees to let shoplifter Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck) out on bail, and even offers her a ride to her mothers house in Indiana on the way to his own family gathering. The trip naturally includes moments of comedy and hints of romance, but its the ambiguous, not entirely happy ending that really packs a punchsuggesting that the manipulative Lee might have been genuinely moved by her time with John. You can stream Remember the Night on Plex. Remember the Night (1940) at Plex Learn More Learn More at Plex Last Christmas (2019) Emilia Clarke and Americas sweetheart Henry Golding have tremendous chemistry as a down-on-her-luck aspiring singer and the slightly mysterious man with whom she shares a lovely and inspiring holiday season. The twist ending here will either work for you, or it really wont (either way, its hilarious on paper). I was prepared to chuckle, but it still got me in the end. You can stream Last Christmas on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Last Christmas (2019) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) I have yet to find a Muppet movie that wont leave me in a puddle, so this ones an easy addition. Its more true now than ever, thoughDisney+ has finally made available a musical segment that was cut shortly after release and that, while sporadically available in various home releases, hasnt been part of the movie for quite some time. Its a moment between Scrooge (both present and past), and Belle, whose love he cast aside before giving in to a life focused on money. The Muppet goofiness stops for just a few moments that make the emotional stakes for Scrooge clear, and gives Sir Michael Caine an opportunity to warble a tune. You can stream The Muppet Christmas Carol on Disney+. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ A Christmas Tale (2008) A Christmas Tale plays with some of the same ideas as does The Family Stone, even to the point of casting a legendary lead actressin this case, Catherine Deneuve as the matriarch recently diagnosed with leukemia. This French comedy-drama goes a bit deeper and darker in its exploration of family dynamics around the holidays, but also approaches its central family with more empathy, acknowledging that, as we change, so do even our most stable relationships. You can stream A Christmas Tale on AMC+. A Christmas Tale (2008) at AMC+ Learn More Learn More at AMC+ Christmas, Again (2014) A face familiar (and welcome) to American indie movie fans, Kentucker Audley stars as a Christmas-tree salesman returning home to New York, an act which only exacerbates the downward spiral of depression and a sense of failure hes been mired in for years. Hes living in a trailer and just barely getting by before a mysterious woman enters his life, alongside some weird and eclectic customers who help him fight his self-destructive impulses. There are familiar beats here, but filmed with more realism and restraint (writer-director Charles Poekel partially financed the film with money from his own depressing Christmas-tree salesman job), so the darker moments hit a bit harder, while the moments of light feel very well earned. You can stream Christmas, Again on The Roku Channel. Christmas, Again (2014) at The Roku Channel Get Deal Get Deal at The Roku Channel Klaus (2019) A charming, bespoke Santa origin story based on nothing in particular, Klaus finds the lazy son of a postmaster general in 19th-century Norway forced to a distant island town where hes tasked with delivering 6,000 letters within a year, otherwise hell be cut off from the family fortune. Arriving there, he discovers the two primary feuding families cant be bothered to send letters for him to deliver, but that an elderly widower might be able to help him in a scheme hes concocted to convince the towns children to write letters in the hopes of receiving toys in returntoys crafted by old Klaus in hope of a family that never materialized. Its all beautifully hand-animated, and the genuine emotion wrings tears with Pixar-like efficiency. I defy you not to cry during the final act. You can stream Klaus on Netflix. Klaus (2019) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Collateral Beauty (2018) Will Smith plays an advertising executive who retreats from life following the death of his daughter. His friends and loved ones arent able to connect, and he tries to cope by writing letters to his conceptions of Love, Time, and Deathall of whom respond. Its all a bit silly, but Smith leads a fabulous cast who very nearly sell the fantastical premise, and offer some genuinely weepy moments. You can rent Collateral Beauty from Apple TV. Collateral Beauty (2018) at Apple TV Learn More Learn More at Apple TV Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) Less an outright tearjerker than a quietly emotional coming-of-age story, this Qubec-set story sees young Benot helping his undertaker uncle on the day before Christmas in their rural town. The two bond, and fall out, while transporting the body of a teenager whod died unexpectedly. Once Benots hero, Antoine reveals, over the course of the day, that he hates his job and his life, and that drink has become his only escape. As a picture of growing up during troubling times, its an all-around great movie. You can stream Mon Oncle Antoine (a.k.a. My Uncle Antoine) on The Criterion Channel. Mon Oncle Antoine (1971) at The Criterion Channel Learn More Learn More at The Criterion Channel Jack Frost (1998) Though, at moments, it looks a bit like a horror movie, the Michael Keaton-starring Jack Frost is surprisingly affecting, especially for a generation of kids who saw it at just the right age. A year after the Christmas-day death of his often-absent father, his young son Charlie finds that hes been magically restored to life as a snowman on the lawn. On paper, the idea of a snowman possessed by the ghost of your dead dad mustve been a tough sell, but as a story about the deep-rooted desire for just one more day with a lost loved one, it works. You can stream Jack Frost on Hulu. Jack Frost (1998) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Prancer (1989) This grim seasonal drama is already depressing on its facethe plot follows a young girl who determinedly maintains her holiday spirit despite the recent death of her mother, her fathers depression, and the failure of the family businessbut is somehow made all the worse for the stark realism with which director John Hancock treats the material; the movie is slowly paced, nearlu colorless, and nakedly unsentimental even when the girl rescues a wounded reindeer she is convinced fell off of Santas sleigh. The ending refuses to be too happy; the most it can offer is a reconciliation between the girl and her depressed dad, who offers that even if their whole lives continue going to shit, at least theyll still have each other. Merry Christmas! You can stream Prancer on AMC+ and MGM+. Prancer (1989) at AMC+ Learn More Learn More at AMC+ The Snowman (1982) The beautiful Oscar-nominated short film finds a young boy having a series of adventures with an especially well-crafted snowman. Suffice it to say that snow-people have all too short a season, and the lesson here winds up being a deeply poignant one about the bittersweet beauty of impermanence and change. You can stream The Snowman on Vudu and Pluto TV or watch it on YouTube, above. The Snowman (1982) at Pluto TV Learn More Learn More at Pluto TV

The pornographic website PornHub is adding Florida to its list of states to block starting next year. Gizmodo reported that Floridians who visited the porn website recently were greeted with a warning that says You will lose access to PornHub in 14 days thanks to a new state law that requires an ID to visit the website.PornHub has already blocked a number of states from accessing its wealth of sexually explicit content because of new state laws that require visitors to provide a valid government ID to verify their age for access. Floridas legislature passed its porn ID law and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law on March 25 as part of a series of regulations intended to protect minors from explicit materials. The adult entertainment trade association The Free Speech Coalition is fighting Floridas law in federal court, according to The Florida Times-Union.Florida will become the 13th state to institute an age verification law for adult websites. Florida follows Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Virginia, Montana, North Carolina, Mississippi, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Nebraska that all have ID verification laws on its books.Not only does this impinge on the rights of adults to access protected speech, it fails strict scrutiny by employing the least effective and yet also most restrictive means of accomplishing [the states] stated purpose of allegedly protecting minors, according to the official PornHub blogThe PornHub blog also states that the company is concerned about the safety and welfare of children but the idea of using identification creates more risks with users safety and privacy. The Louisiana law in particular has no state regulator overseeing the new laws implementation which results in a flawed enforcement regime, the PornHub blog states.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/pornhub-is-breaking-up-with-florida-202650152.html?src=rss

PlayStation Lead Architect Mark Cerny is back again to explain the nitty-gritty details of how the PlayStation 5 Pro achieves its various graphical improvements. Cerny first introduced the PS5 Pro in September and in a new 37-minute video, he gets into how the Pros improved GPU uses tech from AMD and announces a deeper collaboration between Sony and the chip maker.The PS5 uses AMDs RDNA 2 GPU architecture originally released in 2020, while the PS5 Pro uses what Cerny refers to in the video as RDNA 2.X. The new GPU is a mixture of what was already offered on the PS5, with some cherry-picked features from the more advanced RDNA 3 architecture AMD introduced in 2022. Thats paired with ray tracing techniques that Cerny says are from future RDNA tech on AMDs roadmap, and custom machine learning features created for the PS5 Pro. Those machine learning components are also apparently a key part of AMD and Sonys future work together.AMD has been a fantastic partner for SIE for many years now, Cerny says. And Im honored to announce that we have begun a deeper collaboration with a focus on machine learning-based technology for graphics and gameplay.Amethyst, the name the companies chose for their new project together, is primarily concerned with creating a more ideal architecture for machine learning, according to Cerny. The new hardware architectures the companies are developing could benefit future consoles and AMDs own GPUs, but theyre just one part of the plan. Sony and AMD are also working towards the democratization of machine learning, which sounds like possible software tools to make it easier for developers to implement AI in gameplay and graphics.The whole video is jam-packed with information on the thinking and engineering that went into the PS5 Pro and worth a watch if youre looking for more detail on what Pro means in this case. It might not convince you to upgrade to the new $700 console, but it certainly makes the case that Sony didnt take designing it lightly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstations-mark-cerny-did-a-deep-dive-on-the-ps5-pro-and-sonys-new-partnership-with-amd-193613727.html?src=rss

Latest Nintendo Switch 2 leak could have finally revealed the upcoming console's name.

Rapido was apparently exposing a feedback archive online, which included emails and phone numbers.

You can get yourself some exclusive content and some discount deals on your Samsung phone right now.

This holiday season, the last thing my coworkers and I wanted to do was go on strikebut this week Starbucks has left us no other choice.As baristas, we make Starbucks run. Were the reason the company hit record-breaking salesin its fourth quarter last yearand yet Starbucks continues to fail to invest in us, choosing to cut our hours rather than give us more support on the floor as we struggle to fulfill thousands of ever-more-complicated drink orders every day.When I started working as a barista at Starbucks almost 18 years ago, I was drawn in by the companys warm atmosphere and commitment to building community. As a barista, I loved being able to connect with our customers, along with the dozens of amazing baristas Ive been honored to work alongside. But lately that connection has been strained by the impossible workload my colleagues and I have been saddled with due to understaffing across stores.Working at a drive-through store where there are a maximum of four baristas on the floor at one time, each of us is expected to do the job of multiple people. And the work multiplies when the holidays bring in a flood of customers, making things far from merry for the skeleton crew often tasked to handle the chaos with a smile on our faces. Its no wonder customersespecially younger customersare turning away from Starbucks, finding other options, and spending their hard-earned money elsewhere.On top of dealing with the stress of understaffing at my store, I wake up every day fearing that my hours are going to be cut. I make just a little over $18 an hourthats far from a livable wage in Urbana, Illinois, where an average one-bedroom apartment costs $1,125 a month to rent. Thats especially true when I have to beg my manager to ensure Im scheduled for at least 20 hours of work a week. If I dont meet those 20 hours every week, I could lose my benefits and the health insurance I rely on to care for my three children, including my 10-year-old daughter, who has type 1 diabetes. For me, ensuring Im able to get enough hours is literally a life-or-death situation. My daughter needs her insulin.Starbucks Workers United members picket outside a Starbucks store in Chicago on December 20, 2024. [Photo: Vincent Alban/Bloomberg/Getty Images]When the opportunity came around to organize my store last year, I immediately jumped at it. I was proud to join the thousands of Starbucks workers organizing with the union to win a voice on the job, living wages, and the protections and staffing we need to be able to make Starbucks the great place it used to be.And Im just as proud to be joining baristas across the country this week as we go on strike to protest the companys unfair labor practices and show executives that their behavior at the bargaining table wont fly and that weand our customersdeserve better. Its great the company has invested in leadership at the topnow its time for Starbucks to pay us what were worth, and to move toward resolving the hundreds of outstanding unfair labor practice charges its still facing for violating labor law during the unions national organizing campaign.After union partners put forth a bargaining proposal last month to double parental leave for retail employees, the company declared just weeks later it is expanding leave to all baristasshowing that when our union organizes and speaks out together, we can deliver results for all baristas. But our work is far from over, and isolated policies alone cant fix our workplaces. (Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.)How did we get here? Less than two weeks before the companys end-of-year deadline to bargain a foundational framework for contracts with our unionone that would transform the lives of more than 11,000 Starbucks baristas across the countryit proposed an economic package this month with no new wage increases for union baristas now and a guarantee of only 1.5% in future years.Just think about that. Starbucks CEO Brian Niccols pay package is worth $57,000 an houron top of his salarya shocking 10,000 times what the median barista makes. In the same year that Starbucks gave Niccol a $113 million golden greeting, the company had the audacity to tell usthe very baristas who fuel its profitsthat theres no money to invest in our raises.We entered an agreement back in February to bargain a foundational frameworkthe company said repeatedly that it wanted one finalized by December 2024. A part of that framework included resolving outstanding legal issues with union baristas. Yet Starbucks has failed to fully resolve hundreds of unfair labor practice charges. And it has not brought a viable economic proposal to the table. Starbucks did not put forth a real raise for baristas over the past three months of bargaining meetings.These walkouts, over unresolved unfair labor practice charges and the companys failure to offer a serious economic package, are just the beginning. Starbucks cant turn its business around without baristas like us. We want to partner with the company to return Starbucks to its storied past. Were ready to consider proposals that include meaningful raises for union workers and resolve the outstanding unfair labor practices. Starbucks, its your move.

Alex Morgan doesnt like the word retirement. Ive been saying post-playing career, she said, because retirement makes it sound like Im old. Its definitely more of a transition.Morgan, 35, announced her retirement in September, along with the news that shes pregnant with her second child. In her 15-year career, Morgan was prolific on the pitch, scoring 123 goals for the U.S. Womens National Team (fifth-most all-time) and winning two World Cups, an Olympic gold medal, four Concacaf Player of the Year awards, and many more accolades along the way.Perhaps more importantly, her career spanned a period of meteoric growth in womens sports that saw breakthroughs in gender equality, with Morgan at the fore of some of the most crucial efforts. In 2016, she was part of a group of USWNT players who filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over inequality in pay and treatment in U.S. womens soccer. In 2022, the results of that filing required men and women to be paid an equal rate for all friendlies and tournaments, including the World Cup. She also fought for anti-harassment policies in the National Womens Soccer League, helping transform team-player relations for a league that eventually grew to set valuation and attendance records in 2024.Morgan recently talked to Fast Company about her retirementwhat it looks like for her, how shes navigated the process, and how shes continuing to support current and future generations of female athletes, on and off the pitch.Fast Company: Its been nearly four months since you announced your retirement. What has life been like, and what does retirement look like for you?Alex Morgan: For me, its been about getting into venture capitaldoing a lot more investing and building my personal portfolio. Ive been doing that quietly for the last four or five years. I have about 15 companies that Ive invested in spanning sports, health tech, and consumer goods. Now, I have my own fund alongside my husband, which has been really exciting, and its something that Ive been able to dedicate a lot more time to.FAST COMPANY: You mentioned you were investing in sports. As an investor, where do you see the most opportunity right now?AM: I think were seeing an incredible opportunity in the WNBA and the NWSL. The valuations of these teams and leagues are continuing to increase. And were seeing it not only here, but in womens sports overseas as well. So what excites me most about my next chapter is that even though Im not able to be on the field, Im able to uplift and support womens sports leagues and teams around the world.FAST COMPANY: You say youre able to support womens sports around the world. How so? What are you doing personally to support these teams and leagues in the U.S. and abroad?AM: I think its an all-around approach. Through my media company, TOGETXER, were working to uplift these women and give them opportunities to share their stories, whether thats through podcasts or short or long-form content. Then theres the investing side and the mentorship and advising roles, which Im still refining to figure out how I can have the biggest impact. Im also continuing to support the NWSL and looking for ways to be most impactful, whether thats with my former team, the San Diego Wave, or the league as a whole. Ive been a big advocate of the NWSL, playing in every season since its inception in 2013.FAST COMPANY: Whats it been like for you to witness the NWSLs tremendous growth over the last 12 years?AM: Its incredible to witness, and to have been part of it. Things really started to turn when we forced the league to be more professional with their standards in 2020 and 2021, pushing the league to adopt anti-harassment policies and regulations that really, at their core, protected players. There was sometimes a power imbalance between coaches or higher-ups and the players, so we wanted players to feel safe and protected and to have control over where they wanted to gowhat city and market they wanted to play in. We wanted them to feel like their contracts were safe for that year and that they couldnt be waived tomorrow and have their contract cut and their [team-provided] housing taken away. I think professionalizing things like that took the league to a whole new level.Now, with the return on investment being so much larger, were seeing all these owners and funds coming in that I never would have imaginedlike Sixth Street [investing $125 million] with Bay FC and Bob Iger and Willow Bay with Angel City FC [valued at $250 million]. Its incredible to see these people not only wanting a piece of the upside in womens soccer but also believing in its trajectory. The players have put in so much to make this work, and seeing it actually successful now is really excitingand validating.FAST COMPANY: You say this is more of a transition than a retirement. Having navigated the process, what advice would you give someone who is going through a similar process of retirement or career transition?AM: The biggest thing Ive learned is that nothing is a steady incline. There were peaks and valleys in my soccer career, and I have them post-career. Getting into venture involves a lot of learning, difficult days, and questioning yourself. Then you get a small win and you celebrate that, and that gives you the motivation to do the next thing. So you celebrate the small wins when you can, but you keep pushing forward and stay on track.The most important thing is dedicating yourself to what youre putting your time and effort into and not giving up when things get hard, because they absolutely will.FAST COMPANY: The landscape of womens sports has changed drastically during your career. How do you think the conversation around mental health has changed?AM: I think athletes want to feel supported. Period. I fought for pay equity, maternity leave, and support for moms as professional athletes. Those are specific needs. But taking care of your overall mental well-being is just as important.Just look at what Powerade is doing now with The Athletes Code, announcing that theyre going to have it written into every athletes contract that they can pause their partnerships to prioritize their mental healthwith continued pay and support, no questions asked. I think its extremely important in the landscape of professional sports. Because athletes do need that support. Every sport is as much mental as it is physical, and taking care of the mental sideeven though you cant see itis just as important as the physical.Its something that I have absolutely needed to do in my career. When I came back after having my first child, it was really mentally drainingnot getting a full nights sleep and having a full-time job while playing for the National Team and Orlando and just trying to do it all at once. It was a lot. And I applaud Powerade for providing the kind of support athletes in those kinds of situations, and in general, require.Having the ability to take a pause without retribution, without consequence, is extremely important because every athlete goes through periods where their sport becomes their identityits how theyre validated in the community, how they value themselves or how others value them. That alone can be mentally draining. So I can see what Powerade is doing having a ripple effect in the sports community.FAST COMPANY: Why is it especially important for female athletes to have this kind of support from their sponsors and partners?AM: From my personal experience, soccer opens a lot of doors to these brand partnerships, but these partnerships actually account for more of my annual compensation than my sport alone. And I think thats the case for a lot of female athletes and athletes who compete on the Olympic stage. A lot of their brand partnerships actually support them financially more than their sport can. So they disproportionately rely on their brand partners.FAST COMPANY: So you think athletes have more support now than ever before?AM: I think the evolution of everything outside of the physical aspect of sport has done a complete 180 from when I entered the game. And I think athletes perform at their best when theyre completely supported. Thats all athletes want. That involves pay equity. It involves accepting and embracing female athletes who want to become moms while staying at the top of their game. And it involves talking about mental health within sports.I feel like we went through a dark time with athletes being vulnerable and then being shamed just because people couldnt see their suffering. But I think were in a good place now, and Im really proud of the work that Ive put inthe work that a lot of my teammates and other athletes have put in, and now the work that the brands are putting into change that.To see that now after playing professionally for 15 years, it feels good to be able to leave the sportat least in a playing senseknowing that not only do I walk away as a world champion and an Olympic champion, but I walk away actually leaving the sport better, and having athletes come into the sport where they feel supported enough to just play and be the best at it. Thats the best feeling for me.

Andrew Ng came up with a theory almost 15 years ago: What if Google, the internet giant, thought of machines like the brain and trained neural networks on mass amounts of data using computational power in an attempt to lead to artificial general intelligence?Google bit on Ngs line of thinking, and in 2011 he helped launch Google Brain, one of the most ambitious artificial intelligence programs at the time. Flash forward: Ng has cemented his status as one of the most respected figures in computer science.Earlier this year, Ngs AI Fund, which backs small teams of experts using AI to solve key problems, said it planned to raise over $120 million for its second fund. A June filing with the SEC showed that the fund had amassed $69.75 million from 13 partners.Ng launched the AI Fund in 2018 with $175 million, and initial backers included Sequoia and Softbank Group. Its made 43 investments to date, according to Crunchbase data.In April, Amazon also named Ng to its corporate board of directors, a further sign the tech giant wants to advance its profile in the space. In addition to his time at Google, Ng helped build out Baidus AI development.Part of Ngs efforts have been getting more people to understand the field of artificial intelligence.Ng has been working for years to democratize deep learning by teaching more than 8 million students through online courses through projects like Coursera and DeepLearning.AI. (More than one in 1,000 persons on the planet have taken an AI course from me, Ng tells Fast Company.)Ngs name has come up again and again in the past year as Ive spoken with people in the tech world. He is not only, as Fast Company put it in 2017, one of the most important people in AI but an AI superstar.This is all to say, Ng can be considered central to AIs future. Now, Ngs thinking about how agentic AI could shift the intelligence space.Earlier this year, Ng put out a prediction through DeepLearning.AI saying that agentic AIessentially, AI-powered agents that can autonomously solve taskswas going to be a big focus in the tech space in the coming years as it would contribute even more to progress in AI than scaling up large language models would.It was a slightly controversial prediction, he says. To be sure, agentic workflows are starting to cement their status as the next keyword.Google, for example, recently announced a slew of agentic prototypes. Microsoft has Copilots to help businesses automate tasks. Anthropics Claude released a feature that lets users create their own AI assistant.Agentic workflows have really taken off and are driving meaningful business results, Ng says. What Im seeing is that it feels like an early and accelerating phase of development of agentic workflows where more and more technology companies are trying to build platforms to better support agentic workflows and more and more applications are also being built using it.This story is part ofAI 20, our monthlong series of profiles spotlighting the most interesting technologists, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and creative thinkers shaping the world of artificial intelligence.