Twilio shares had their sharpest rally since 2020 on Friday after the company issued an uplifting forecast for the coming years at an investor event.

Its no secret that 2024 was a tough year for many retailers. From home goods stores like LL Flooring, to pharmacy chains like Walgreens, to automotive parts providers like Advance Auto Parts, numerous retailers announced store closures last year.Yet as bad as 2024 was when it came to retailer closures, 2025 is expected to be much, much worse, according to a report out from Coresight Research. How bad, you ask? Last year saw the most U.S. retail store closures7,325 of themsince the first year of the pandemic. In 2025, the number of closures is expected to double.Retail store closures could reach 15,000 in 2025According to a January 22 report from Coresight Research that tracks the openings and closings of U.S. retail stores in 2024 and 2025, this year could see as many as 15,000 U.S. retail locations close.In the first 10 days of the new year, retail store closures announcements have already hit almost two thousand, at 1,925 stores announced to be closing. Nearly 30 retailers have announced store closures for 2025. Many of those, including Nordstrom, Kohls, Anthropologie, and Best Buy, have announced just one store closure, and others, including Foot Locker and Joann, fewer than 10.But five retail giants have announced dozens or hundreds of closures, which account for a majority of the 1,925 announced closures in 2025. Those retailers include:Party City: 738 closuresBig Lots: 601 closuresWalgreens Boots Alliance: 333 closures7-Eleven (Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd.): 148 closuresMacys: 51 closuresThe reports total 15,000 expected closures represents a 50% increase from the 10,000 retail store closures experienced in 2020, when the pandemic wreaked havoc on retail foot traffic as worried consumers opted to shift their spending to online retailers.2024 was the worst year for retail store closures since the pandemicWhile Coresights 2025 numbers are estimates, firm figures are in for the calendar year 2024. It was a year that saw the highest number of U.S. retail store closures since the pandemic.In total, in 2024, major retailers closed 7,325 locations across the country, reducing their retail footprint by a staggering 120 million square feet.In 2024, discount store retailers were the overwhelming contributor to U.S. retail store closures, accounting for 23.9% of all store closures. Three retailers accounted for the majority of that slice of the pie, including Family Dollar at 718 stores closed, Big Lots at 517 stores closed, and 99 Cents Only Stores at 371 stores closed.Overall, the list of top U.S. retailers with closures in 2024 includes:Family Dollar: 718 closuresCVS Health: 586 closuresConns: 553 closuresrue21: 543 closuresBig Lots: 517 closuresOther major retail chains also saw a significant number of store closures in 2024, including 7-Eleven (492), Rite Aid (408), American Freight (353), and Walgreens Boots Alliance (259).Shein and Temu represent an increasing threat to U.S. retailersSo, whats behind the high number of store closures in 2024 and expected closures in 2025? There are several factors, according to Coresight Research CEO Deborah Weinswig.Inflation and a growing preference among consumers to shop online to find the cheapest deals took a toll on brick-and-mortar retailers in 2024, Weinswig said. Last year we saw the highest number of closures since the pandemic. Retailers that were unable to adapt supply chains and implement technology to cut costs were significantly impacted, and we continue to see a trend of consumers opting for the path of least resistance. Not only do they want the best prices, but they also have no patience for stores that are constantly disorganized, out of stock, and that deliver poor customer service.Yet its not just inflation-weary consumers looking for the best deals for their discretionary spending, or a displeasure with the brick-and-mortar shopping experience. Coresight says that retailers are also experiencing pressure from new online entrantsnot just e-commerce giant Amazon.The firm sees Shein and Temu (combined) as a $100+ billion juggernaut pressuring incumbent retailers and marketplaces across a number of global markets, including the US, the report states. We expect general-merchandise retailers across a wide range of categories, from automotive to home and pet, to be threatened by the further growth of Temu and the scaling of Sheins non-clothing offering.It should be noted, however, that while 2024 saw the most store closures since the pandemic, it also saw a number of openings. In 2024, major U.S. retailers opened 5,970 locations, dropping the net loss of stores to 1,355 locations.The bad news for 2025 is that store closures are not only expected to double, but store openings are expected to come in lower than they did in 2024. For 2025, Coresight Research expects approximately 5,800 major retail locations to open. Thats fewer than the number of locations that opened last year, and leaves an expected 2025 net loss of approximately 9,200 retail locations.That being said, Coresight expects a 3.3% rise in retail sales in America for 2025 (excluding automobiles and gasoline). However, that growth pales in comparison to online retail sales, which are expected to grow at almost triple that rate at 8.3%.Additionally, the report notes, we expect competition from e-commerce players to be Shein and Temu, as well as alternative channels such as TikTok (should it continue to operate in the US) and social commerce more widely.

Sooner or later, the politicians who most admire Donald Trump begin to emulate him. They adopt his populist rhetoric, specific diction, or aggressive tone. If they happen to be men, they might stuff their closets with navy suits and red ties. Some of them even start to stand like him. Its not just politicians, though. A lot of the tech billionaires who have recently become more open to Trump (who have been dubbed the broligarchy), have to varying degrees also come to resemble him in one way or another.Earlier this week, for instance, the long-running feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altmanboth once members of OpenAIs board before Musk departed in 2018veered into the realm of Trumpian spectacle. After Trump trumpeted a $500 billion joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank on Tuesday, Musk threw cold water on the idea. He responded to OpenAIs X post officially unveiling the Stargate project, bluntly concluding: They dont have the money.Altman wasted no time firing back. He invited Musk to visit the first Stargate site purportedly in development, and took a jab at Musks patriotism. ([I] realize what is great for the country isnt always whats optimal for your companies, he wrote, but in your new role [I] hope youll mostly put [America] first.) Later, the OpenAI CEO attempted to de-escalate the spat, adding: [I] genuinely respect your accomplishments and think you are the most inspiring entrepreneur of our time. But its hard to put billionaire-war toothpaste back in the tube.These two have sparred before, in company blog posts and goofy Musk tweets, but this X activity is something new. Its the most publicly pugnacious Altman has gotten yet, even if he did try to soften it afterward with a compliment.Its also the closest hes come to the Trump tactic of airing out adversaries on social media.Perhaps donating $1 million to Trumps inauguration has pulled him into Trumps gravitational orbit, floating alongside the rest of the broligarchy.Musk was the first of the heavy-hitter tech CEOs to start imitating Trump. Even before his May 2022 announcement that hed be voting Republican going forward, Musk had already reinvented himself. It seemed his primary takeaway from Trumps first term was that he, too, should become the main character online (and in reality) as often as possible. Trump had led like a P. T. Barnum-esque ringmaster, turning the office of the presidency into a reality TV show. Perhaps Musk recognized that even though Trump lost his bid for reelection, there was power in providing the general public with spectacleeven if it meant being hated as much as admired.While Musk had long been a public figure, and sparked his fair share of controversies, at the dawn of the 2020s, he started generating headlines practically every day. Whether it was through complaining about gender pronouns, hyping up crypto, hosting SNL, or berating rival billionaire Jeff Bezos over the aesthetics of his Blue Origin rocket. He also began to antagonize journalists he disagreed with, and to use one of Trumps favorite terms: fake news.It should not be surprising that the pair are now close allies, locked in a symbiotic relationship.Bezos eventually followed his foe Musk into Trump Country, squashing a Kamala Harris endorsement from running in his troubled news outlet, The Washington Post, last October. Also like Musk, Bezos had seemingly already internalized the Trump trait of showmanship.After his divorce from Mackenzie Scott in 2019, Bezos quickly became more of a fixture in headlineswhether he was showing off his Blue Origin rocket, dressing in skin-tight art deco, or popping up at Coachella with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez. He also purchased a $500 million superyacht and shot down rumors of an even more expensive wedding. The divorced-guy version of Bezos seemed comfortable in the spotlight, ever-ready to give America something to talk about. When he was seen smiling in the VIP row at Trumps inauguration earlier this weekthe nexus of the worlds attention that dayhe could hardly have looked more at home.Like Bezos, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also had a glow-up recently, ditching his signature hoodies for loose T-shirts and a neck chain, and perming his hair into the Gen Z broccoli cut. The new look also accompanies a fresh pivot into Trumpism, complete with financial support and hostility toward MAGA bugaboos like fact-checking and DEI. According to a New York Times report, this pivot is more than a cover-your-ass initiative to keep Meta protected, but public proof that the billionaires personal politics have shifted sharply to the right since 2020.The CEO may have also dropped some hints of his evolution along the way.Zuckerbergs Trumpiest moment may not have come across that way in real time. In many respects, it was probably the best press hed gotten since his wunderkind era. Either way, during the summer of 2023, as Meta was about to launch its Twitter-killer Threads, Musk joked about the possibility of a cage match with Zuckerberg. He probably didnt expect what happened next. Zuckerberg contacted Ultimate Fight Championship CEO and close Trump ally Dana Whitenow a member of Metas boardand asked him to broker the fight.If the matchup between Mr. Musk, 52, and Mr. Zuckerberg, 39, goes ahead, it would be a rare spectacle, even in the braggadocio-filled universe of the tech industry, the Times reported.Just the fact that a cage match was potentially in the offing was a spectacle all on its own. It drew attention to Zuckerbergs recent transformation into a Jiu-Jitsu badasswhich he demonstrated on the Lex Fridman podcastnot to mention the launch of Threads. Musk may have started the cage match conversation, but it was Zuckerbergs newfound showman instincts that recognized it as an incredible opportunity for self-promotion.Before calling the fight off six weeks later, Zuckerberg got to look cool by calling Musks bluff. He seemed to codify the sides of the social media playing field. Musk represented the one tilting far-right and fringe beliefs, while Zuckerbergs side was distancing itself from politics and instead going hydrofoiling. The hypothetical fight between the two seemed like a proxy war for the future of social media. Looking back now, though, it just seems like blatant self-promotion, with the soap opera drama of WWE and the reality-show flair of Trumps entire political career.In 2023, it was easy, maybe even fun to revel in the hype of a dumb CEO fight and choose sides. Now, the whole broligarchy is clearly all on the same sideduking it out amongst each other to see who can be most like Trump at any given time.

International studios Morq, GOMA Taller, Studio Andrew Trotter and Taller Hector Barroso have been selected to design Pala Zion, a series of luxury residences in the Utah desert.Pala Zion is a collection of 22 residences in the Utah desert, sited to complement the forthcoming Para landscape hotel, which will be designed by Spain-based Studio Andrew Trotter.Studio Andrew Trotter is also among the architectural firms selected for the Pala Zion residences, a collection of desert-oriented homes designed for use as short and long-term rentals in the state's Kolob Canyons outside of Zion National Park.Four architecture studios have been selected to design residences by Zion National Park. Above and top image: Studio Andrew Trotter's design by Francis RudmanThe landscape of Kolob Canyons is truly incredible, especially at sunset, when the colors become vivid and surreal, said studio founder Andrew Trotter.Pala Zion is a place where architecture harmonizes with this splendor a realization of a dream.Trotter's designs consist of five dwellings of various sizes, all rendered in a rich brown plaster to meld with the arid landscape.The low-lying structures were designed to embody quiet luxury", according to the team, and will have pools as well as deep overhangs to account for the climate.Goma has designed homes with large roofs and plentiful glassMexican studio GOMA Taller will contribute six houses to the development.Renderings show low-lying structures with a blocky, hollow roof capping a program of floor-to-ceiling glass to provide "panoramic" views of the landscape.The studio described the design as "balancing a rock in the desert" and said that because of the harshness of the climate, it "approached the house as a modern shelter or shell house".Taller Hector Barroso took a staggered approachAnother Mexican studio, Taller Hector Barroso, took a more segmented approach to its design, creating a series of houses with staggered facades.The studio said that it plans on using "natural materials" when possible and that it wanted the design to be in dialogue with the other studios' designs.The project arrived firstly, through friendship," said founder Hector Barroso."I believe that all of the studios admire one another's work and ideas. It could be said that we share a common ground.Read: Studio Andrew Trotter transforms 19th-century school into family home in PugliaFinally, Australia-based studio Morq designed a bunker-like house with a long concrete form. Glass-window walls are interspersed by structural walls, creating a series of vantage points for inhabitants to enjoy the surroundings.The studio described the design as a "device" for enjoying the landscape.Morq's design features a long concrete volume with a structure that frames the viewsThe whole of the development will sit on a 35-acre plot and the owners plan to wrap up construction by 2027.Other luxury projects sited in desert landscapes include studio Malek Alqadi's recent series of architectural follies in California and an upcoming resort with tent-like structures in Saudi Arabia by French studio AW2.The post Studio Andrew Trotter and Taller Hector Barroso among studios to design Utah desert homes appeared first on Dezeen.

Here's what we looked at this week:L.A. fires claim Gregory Ain's Park Planned Homes, one of America's first Modernist neighborhoods.Telo Trucks' micro EV pickup truck will offer solar charging options. (Just don't get too excited about the range.) Why a Tacoma and certain houses survived the L.A. fires.Aquor Water Systems' good-looking, award-winning hose reel.A wildly different take on cabinetry, by artist/designer Elliat Rich.IDEO is offering an "AI x Design Thinking Workshop Series" online.Clever design: The Boss Magnetic Cap speeds nailing for homebuilders.Caran d'Ache's luxury pencil sharpener.These beautiful Dune suspension lamps, by product/architecture firm Mayice, are hand-blown by glass artisan Eduardo Garuti.Beretta has made an elaborate luxury shotgun, designed to honor Marco Polo.The Smart Shissel is a unique spill-proof bowl design by Kosher Innovations.A dramatic design for dispensing cigarettes (or pencils).Festool's spirit level has a nifty storage feature.Industrial design case study: Mighty Studios tackles solar roof shingles.

Very few people probably have problems thinking about what to use a drinking glass for after the partys over. Most will probably just put them away in some cupboard or closet until the next social gathering requires their use. Its definitely not a big deal, but maybe you have, at one point in time, stopped to wonder if thats really all there is to drinkware. As it turns out, it isnt.Trying to redefine drinking glass design by giving it a second job, these simple-looking vessels serve different functions depending on whether its right side up or upside down. A drinkware when upright and a candle holder when flipped, the design gives the glass something to do when its not in use. And no, that doesnt mean putting a tealight candle inside the glass, making it unhygienic and potentially damaging.Designer: TragaThere are probably some instances when candles are indeed placed inside these small drinking glasses, which can actually look enchanting and romantic to some extent. That, however, also means the end of the glass life as a drinking glass, which unnecessarily limits its function to one or the other. You can have both, as proven by this rather unusual drinkware. And the solution isnt even that complicated.At first glance, the Podio Cup looks nothing out of the ordinary, just a small drinking glass with an uncharacteristically tall base. That base, however, turns out to be hollow, so that when you flip the glass over, it becomes a vessel of its own. Its a small container, of course, but just the perfect size for a tealight candle. Simple and elegant, it gives the glasses added value even when you dont have guests over.These glasses also have another somewhat hidden talent. You can stack the glasses together while upside down, and the sides will never touch each other because of the small gap between each glass. This prevents them from scratching each other while also creating an eye-catching totem-like arrangement that will surely get your guests talking. You never have to keep and hide these glasses away ever again.The glasses are crafted using borosilicate, which makes them perfect for both cold juices and espresso shots as well. The bodies are clear and completely transparent, but the bases have different tinted color options. The latter gives an even more interesting visual with a flame, as the candlelight gets mixed with the colors, setting a different mood depending on which glass is used.The post Bifunctional drinking glass flips over to be a tealight candle holder first appeared on Yanko Design.

Talk of omni-directional bikes and James Bruton is the first name that comes to mind. The genius DIYer goes to insane lengths to make sure each of his creations is highly functional. Omni-directional Screw Bike makes our jaws drop, and the Star Wars Speeder Bike made out of hoverboard parts simply made us appreciate James craft skills.The ingenious engineer is back again with another omni-directional bike that self-balances and is capable of driving sideways. Getting started with circus balance balls, he fitted the 2kW ODrive brushless motors (two on each wheel) onto them and complex engineering to make possible a Segway-like balancing act even when driving at acute angles. Therefore, making it the ideal drift bike that anyone even with zero skills can drive sideways!Designer: James BrutonHe calls it the Omni-Directional Ball-Wheeled Bike, virtually employing a self-built power system to actuate the directional movement of the wheels for seamless traction in any direction without any jolts or abrupt directional changes. There is a spirit level to be aware at all times of the angle of motion, especially at higher speeds. A Start button initiates the O drives and an emergency switch freezes the thing in place if you think its getting out of control. The balls are free to spin around and a mechanism ensures they move in unison for maximum traction and control. Some parts of the unique two-wheeler are 3D-printed to keep the weight down and maintain structural integrity.The left-hand twist grip is the steering input to make the wheels spin in either direction, while the right-hand twist grip makes the bike go forward or backward. Tweaking the whole system for a smooth movement without any unnecessary wheel spin, based on the input is something that James handled with maximum conviction. Since there are metal plates on this bike, he made sure to ground the mechanism properly to avoid any shocks when accidentally touching them. After testing the Omni-Directional Ball-Wheeled Bike in his home, he then took it to a large indoor court and immediately found out that at high speeds the plastic balls pop out of their housing.Riding the bike is going to be a comfortable affair as there is a cushioned saddle on it, and the footpegs provide respite from any building strain in the legs and tights. The centrifugal force wants to push the rider outwards, so the solution is to lean into the turns. That said the omni-directional bike is a creation that would pique the interest of moviemakers.The post DIYers ingenious omnidirectional bike glides in any direction for performing fun drifts first appeared on Yanko Design.

Get 1TB of storage and $800 off with this mega deal from Best Buy.

An executive order designating cartels as terrorist organizations will expand prosecutors' jurisdictions, affect relations with Mexico, and risk blowback for which the US is unprepared.

MacworldFor over a year, Apples CarPlay site has teased the arrival of the next generation in 2024. Now that its 2025, Apple finally admits thats not happening.When it was announced at WWDC in 2022, next-gen CarPlay was an exciting peek at the future of in-dash navigation systems. Instead of a rectangular screen, the next-gen CarPlay takes over the entire instrument panel, including car functions such as air conditioning and gauges. Apple says next-gen CarPlay ensures a cohesive design experience that is the very best of your car and your iPhonewith designs for each automaker that express your vehicles character and brand.While it was originally supposed to arrive in 2023, only two automakers, Porsche and Aston Martin, have announced actual support for the system and neither has produced a car or even a real-world concept shoring off the interface. In late 2023, Porsche and Aston Martin showed off images of their respective systems, with a series of digital gauges and a background wallpaper that mimics the brands distinct houndstooth (or Pepita in Porsche-speak) seat pattern and a central information screen bookended by a circular speedometer and tachometer, the latter of which integrates Hand built in Great Britain wraparound text.Theres a lot about next-gen CarPlay that we dont know yet, including whether it will require an iPhone to work. At the time of its announcement, Apple was still rumored to be working on its own vehicle, and next-gen CarPlay appeared to be something of a test for running a vehicles instrument cluster. But now that the project appears to be dead, its unclear how CarPlay fits into Apples ecosystem.Apple finally removed the coming in 2024 text from the CarPlay website but hasnt replaced it with any new estimate. In a statement to the media, Apple said: The next generation of CarPlay builds on years of success and insights gained from CarPlay, delivering the best of Apple and the automaker in a deeply integrated and customizable experience. We continue to work closely with several automakers, enabling them to showcase their unique brand and visual design philosophies in the next generation of CarPlay. Each car brand will share more details as they near the announcements of their models that will support the next generation of CarPlay.Thats much less specific than coming in 2024 and implies that the project is much less far along than Apple previously implied. We might get our next peek at CarPlay at WWDC in June but for now, its anyones guess as to when the first cars might show up.