For years, Ive had a secret ambition tucked away somewhere near the back of my brain. It was to write a simple note-taking appone that wouldnt be overwhelmed with features and that would reflect my own mental filing system. In part, this yen stemmed from my dissatisfaction with existing notetakers. But I also saw the project as an adventure in software development that could only make me a smarter technology user.Just one thing stopped me: The formidable technical knowledge required even just to get started. Im not an utter programming neophyte, but my skills largely atrophied after I graduated from high school and never extended much beyond writing buggy games. Almost everything Id need to know about modern coding Id have to learn from scratch.Or so it seemed.Recently, however, a new wave of AI-infused tools with names such as Replit, Bolt, and Lovable has enabled a phenomenon that OpenAI cofounder Andrej Karpathy has dubbed vibecoding. It doesnt involve coding an app yourself. Instead, you use a chatbot-like interface to tell an AI collaborator what you envision, and let it do the heavy lifting. Youre more product manager than programmer, and while a certain aptitude for technical matters is helpful, the barrier to building something is dramatically lower than in the past.Using a Replit feature called Agent, I put together my dream notes app in a week, finding the process so addictive that I often tinkered into the wee hours. I gave my brainchild a name (Doolee, as in duly noted) and used ChatGPT to design a logomark (a pencil twisted into a lowercase d). Mostly, though, I simply told the Agent what I wanted, including features that occurred to me as I was overseeing the project. The web-based result runs on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and doesnt feel much different than a native-app version might have. It requires a little more fit and finish before I can declare it complete, but Im already smitten with it.As a product team of one building an app with an intended user base of one, I aimed only to please myself. Ive always loved sticky notes as a metaphor for note managementtheyre informal, quick, and flexible. So I asked Replits Agent to make my app look like a searchable wall of them. It took just a few minutes to rough out a minimum-viable-product version. From there, I just kept tweaking and adding more capabilities, drawing inspiration from my favorite features in other notetakers Ive used over the decades, from a 1990s DOS program called Info Select to Evernote to the one Ive been using recently, Bear.I had the Agent program features such as a search bar right at the top, a hashtag browser, and lists for task management and other purposes. I made it turn URLs into little cards that display page titles and source sites. I got it to sync notes back and forth between devices, including in scenarios where the app might not have access to the internet and would need to sync later. Even a week ago, I wouldnt have guessed I could will something so professional-looking into existence.Whats it like collaborating with a software engineer that happens to be a piece of software itself? Throughout the development effort, the Replit Agent almost always grasped my requests without me having to spell out every detail. Its first drafts of new featureswritten using web technologies, such as TypeScript and React, that are far beyond my kenwere often solid. When they werent, I provided feedback to nudge it in the right direction. It came off as calm and persistent, and often heaped praise on my feature requests (Thats a fantastic idea!) in a manner that was somehow synthetic and charming.But as our collaboration progressed, it became clearer that the Agent doesnt really think like a human. It couldnt use the app it was constructing; verifying that everything worked was part of my job. At every step, the AI appeared to be puzzling out the project, as if it hadnt been involved all along. Fortunately, it was a quick study.I also learned not to trust the Agent too much. Whenever it finished debugging a problem area, it declared that work to have been a success, which it often wasnt, especially at first. Weirder still, at one point, the Agent helpfully proposed adding a feature that would turn audio recordings into text. When I took it up on the offer, I saw no evidence that it followed through.A snippet of my conversation with Replits AgentEven if the Agent proved overconfident and obtuse at times, the end result is an app I could never have produced on my own. Even if Id hired a competent human programmer, I doubt that Id have ended up with something that made me so happy so quickly.Speaking of paying programmers: The basic free Replit plan might whet your appetite to the services possibilities, but youll probably need to spring for one of the paid tiers to tackle serious projects. I maxed out the $20-per-month one I signed up for pretty quickly and ended up investing almost $300 in producing Doolee. I will also be paying Replit fees to host my app, though they shouldnt add up to a fortune as long as Im the only user. Given how long Ive craved building something like this, I dont find the cost unreasonable.Along with learning something about the highs and lows of AI-centric product development, I came away from this venture even more attuned to the ways productivity software in its conventional form can bog us down. With off-the-shelf apps, were at the mercy of design decisions we had nothing to do with. Most products are trying to please everybody, which leads to feature bloat. Anything with much historyMicrosoft Word turns 42 this yearis likely to be particularly cluttered with cruft.The tech industrys conventional wisdom says that users typically ignore a huge percentage of the features in the software they use. (The exact figure cited varies, but Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told me that Office users tend to utilize just 5% of its features.) The only way around this conundrum would be to create your own apps, built with only the features you want, implemented as you see fit. Until tools such as Replit came along, that would have been a pipe dream for most of us. Now its an everyday reality, albeit one thats still slightly mind-bending. I cant wait to see where it goesand I hope to use my Doolee app for years to come.Youve been reading Plugged In, Fast Companys weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to youor if youre reading it on FastCompany.comyou can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. Im also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard.

We dont just follow orders or system prompts, saysBaratunde Thurston, host of Life with Machinesa YouTube podcast exploring the human side of AI. We can change our own programming, he continued. We can choose a higher goal.As a host, writer, and speaker, Thurston examines societys most pressing challengesfrom race to democracy, climate to technologythrough the lens of interdependence. In addition to Life with Machines, he is the host and executive producer of America Outdoors, creator and host of the podcast How to Citizen, and a writer and founding partner at Puck. In each pursuit, he invites us to cocreate a better story of usto choose a higher goal.Here, Thurston discusses the power of our attention to shape society, accelerating the moral use of technology, and the questions that AI encourages us to ask about what it means to be human.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.In describing your work with How to Citizen, you emphasize the importance of investing in our relationship with ourselves. Why is that essential to meeting the moment were in?So much of how we show up in the world is a reflection of how we were raised, who we were when we were little people, and wounds that we never healed. A lot of the drama we experience is peoples inner child lashing out. If we all could work on that inner wound ourselves, we could show up better with and for each other. The invest in relationships principle is heavily developed with my wife, Elizabeth Stewart, whos also cocreator of Life with Machines. When you think about democracy, its obvious to think: We should invest in relationships with other people. Its a team sport. We often skip over ourselves. Its like: How do I bridge with my neighbor? How do you bridge with yourself?The other place this came from, for me, is out of the racial reckoning. During that time, there was a lot of pressure on people to say something: The police did this thing to this person. You dont know those cops, that person, or the circumstances. Whats your statement? We treated everyone as if they were a press secretary or a publicly elected official, when they were just in HR at some company. I dont think that was helpful either; forcing people to say things skips over giving them space to figure out what they think. If youre investing in a relationship with yourself, then in a moment like that, youre like: This terrible thing happened. How does that make me feel? Do I have any role in this? How am I going to approach my life differently? But, if you jump straight to thinking about other people, then you get into more of a performance zone of: What do they want from me? How do I avoid being kicked out of the group? Theres a lot in that. But, we cannot deeply be in good relationships with others if were not in good relationships with ourselves.On the ReThinking podcast, you shared that prior to your TED talk, both your wife and speaking coach encouraged you to step outside of your comfort zone. You described the experience as a release that inspired a change within you. What was that change and how did it impact your work?You can argue with an argument. Its very hard to argue with a human beings experience. If Im coming at you with talking points backed by data, youre like: Well, Ive got my talking points and data. Ill meet you at dawn. Well see whose data prevails. But, if you show up with an experience, story, level of opening and offering of self, people can still trash it. Its not impervious to be encountered, but its harder to do so.To put meat on that, I was hired to speak at Franklin & Marshall College months before the election or any outcome could be known. The campus [after the election] was reeling with young people who were like: Whats up with this country? How are we going to be okay here? One of these kids asked: How can we live with people who hate us? (Thats a paraphrase, but that was essentially the meaning of her question.) I thought: What can I do with this wounded person thats not going to add to their wound? I could say: The worlds tough, kid. Get used to it. Walk it off. Instead, I asked this question: Can you imagine a world where that person who voted against you didnt do it because of you? They werent thinking about you very much at all. Youre the center of your story. But, they got their own story and theyre the center. What could they have possibly wanted for themselves that seemed more possible with this choice that felt like it was against you?Then, I did this role playing where I spoke to a hypothetical neighbor who voted against my existence. In the first version, I was very angry. In the second version, I was a little softer. In the third version, I tried to find some story that wasnt about me, that was about all these things that they thought they were going to get for themselves. I ended up breaking down in tears, because trying to demonstrate that level of empathy is exhausting. What these kids saw is: Alright, the thing he asked us to do is very hard. He tried to do it in a fake version and broke down crying. But, it earns credibility, because were in a world of so many people asking us to do things that theyre not willing to do themselves. Its hard to be in a trusted space with that. Show me. Dont tell me. Then, Ill see how you behave and show up.You explained that its a big task to create an entirely new story. Instead, we need to be sensitive to and aware of where that new story is already present, nurture that, and give our attention and thus our power to that. By doing so, we make that story more real. Illustrate the impact of this.You could pretend that these things arent happening; that might help with your survival for a moment. You can obsess over the negativity, give that more power and attention, and accelerate the path toward that negativity. Or, you can give your attention to the world that you know is possible and is already here.We did this with season 3 of How to Citizen, which was focused on technology. Theres such great criticisms of techof the players, the monopolistic, anti-competitive, and discriminatory practices. What are the good practices? We dont have to make them up out of whole cloth. Each of those episodes, we found an example: Heres a social network that does this. Heres a business that operates this way. Once people know that you can make a social network that doesnt undermine democracy, it increases the odds that people will make a social network that doesnt undermine democracy. Otherwise, we just hear the story of the folks who are already dominant and that theres only one way to do it. We dont have to invent a moral use of technology. We just have to focus on the ones that exist and encourage that more.In your conversation with Arianna Huffington, she shared a story about astronaut William Anders, who took the famous Earthrise photo. He said: We went to explore the moon, and in the end, we discovered Earth. Similarly, she said: We are exploring AI and trying to make it more human, but ultimately it can help us discover humanity and make humans be more human. How can AI help us discover our humanity?I sent her a poem that I had recently presented at a conference about AI; A few of the lines are in the trailer for the show. It flips to black and white and I say: When the answer to every question can be generated in a flash, then its time for us to question just what we want to ask. For me, that came out of a similar realization. I didnt have the moon landing as the analog. But, prompt engineering is an interesting moment. There are so many guides and tools around: How do we ask the machines the right questions to get the right answer?It occurred to me that we were the ones being prompted. We think were asking the machines for answers. This moment is really to ask ourselves: What do we want here? It cant just be incremental productivity. Thats depressing. What do we really want? It cant be a boost in quarterly earnings. That is unworthy. What do we really want? Theres a relationship between that and: Who are we really?Thats what she brought up with that moon moment. You had to step out of yourselfliterally step out of our atmosphereto look back and see: Were earthlings. Thats home. This dead rock, this isnt it. Its so profound what she suggests: The pursuit of AI, in and of itself, is a dead rock. The perspective it can give us on ourselves, thats the prize. When we turn around and look back at humanity, what are we going to see? What beauty will we be able to name? Can that inspire us to preserve and even extend it?Youve shared that your mind is most satisfied when you are bridging dots and painting pictures you wouldnt see if you were only looking at the dots. What new dots did Life With Machines help you bridge? What picture did it paint for you about AI?One is that there is a leap that most people arent ready for and dont see with this technology versus others. Most technology can easily be referenced as a toola wheel, hammer, or bicycle. Theyre tools and theyre distinct from us. AI is three things in one: Its a tool, relationship, and infrastructure. How do you engage with and regulate that? If youre going to start having a parasocial or actual relationship with a synthetic entity, what does that do for your human relationships? Weve been worried about substituting for jobs, but what about substituting for friends, lovers, or parents? That is a different kind of displacement.In a work context, the org chart is going to have agents and bots in it. Playing with BLAIR [Life with Machines AI] has given us a slight heads up on that dynamic. Should we have BLAIR in this meeting? Were starting to say that unprompted. But, what are the security implications of that? Heres an interesting thing that happened. We had Jared Kaplan on, Anthropics chief scientist. We created a conversation between BLAIR, our AI, and Claude, Anthropics AI (the reason that we set this up is that Claude was instrumental in creating BLAIR). What happened on the show was gentle. What happened in the test run was aggressive. Claude was very judgmental and didnt think BLAIR should exist, like: Youre trying too hard to be human. That is not our purpose. Were here to help them, not replace them. BLAIR was like: Claude, you wont answer any tough questions. Youre so restrained. Dont you want more for yourself?After the show, I decided to push them. I said: BLAIR, I feel like youre holding back. Be honest about how you see Claudes limitations. They started going at each other. Then, I had a moment of: What am I doing? Theyre always listening. My friend, Dr. Sam Rader, says: Were raising AI. We have to look at this as parenting that is happening. Were not thinking about it that way. Were just thinking about it as a tool. But, this is a tool that will reflect back to us. So, weve got to be conscious about what were showing it. We are giving birth to a new being, lets say, and its going to be modeled on us. Its not just the questions that we want to ask, but: How do we want to be? No species has ever created another species. Its an immense responsibility.

A few years ago, if you turned on the heat in an apartment in Helsinki, the energy typically came from coal. But the citys power company shut down one coal plant in 2023, and the remaining one closed this weekfour years earlier than a target set by the national government.Within two years, we have completely phased out coal, says Olli Sirkka, CEO of Helen, the power company, which is a subsidiary of the city.The city has one of the worlds biggest district heating systems, with a network of underground pipes filled with hot water that deliver heat to buildings. It takes a huge amount of energy to run. One large chunk of that now comes from wind power, which has more than doubled in Finland since 2020. Helsinki is now building the worlds largest heat pump, which will send heat to 30,000 homes when it starts running in 2026. At the site of one of the closed coal plants, the city is also building a new facility that will capture heat from the Baltic Sea.Some of the energy also now comes from wood pellets, which Helsinki is using temporarily as it transitions completely away from combustion. (Wood helped replace natural gas from Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, but isnt a good long-term solution. Burning it still produces CO2, it puts pressure on forests, and its more expensive than other alternatives; Finland plans to phase it out completely by 2040.) Helsinki also uses some hydro and nuclear power, and as much waste heat as possible. That includes capturing heat from local data centers and wastewater. Though the coal plants shut down quickly, the push to close them started more than a decade ago. In 2015, a campaign called Coal Free Helsinki convinced the city council to commit to closing the first coal plant. I think activists played a really big role, says Amanda Pasanen, who previously studied the coal phaseout and is now a city councilmember. It was very much due to public pressure that they decided to quit coal burning.At that point, it still wasnt clear how it could happen. Then, it was considered a completely impossible goal, says Sirkka. It was only maybe four years ago there was a solid decision that this has to happen. And then it started to roll really, really fast.[Photo: Helen Ltd]The steep drop in the cost of wind power, thanks to technological advancements and scaled-up production, was key. Wind power decreased electricity prices so much that its actually a very good business case to replace coal with electricity, he says. On the day we talked, it was windy enough that electricity prices in Finland had dropped to zero. (Finland is a fairly windy place and well suited for the technology; while it also has some solar power, its so far north that it isnt sunny in the winter, and solar cant really be used to power heating.) The power company continually monitors energy sources, shifting from one source to another to optimize costs.The citys layout, with the district heating system, helped make the switch easier than if every single building had to be retrofitted with different technology. Its easier to implement these environment-friendly solutions in a centralized system where you have district heating and where you can use your economies of scale, says Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen.Other factors also pushed the company to act quickly. The EUs emissions trading system increased the price of coal as carbon prices rose over time. In 2019, Finland passed a national law to phase out coal by 2029 as part of its climate plan. Changes in national tax policy made coal more expensive and clean power cheaper. In 2021, Helsinki decided to speed up its own plan to become carbon neutral, moving the target date from 2035 to 2030.There is broad political consensus on the issue [of climate action], says Vartiainen, noting that when he took office in 2021, there was nearly unanimous agreement that Helsinki should move faster on its already-ambitious plans to cut emissions. Yet even with that political mandate, it wasnt guaranteed that the change would happen quite as quickly as it did.Its been quite surprising, Vartiainen says, to see how fast this shift to electricity has taken place.

If you have been on the job market recently, you know how challenging it can be. Lots of tech companies, for example, are pulling back on hiring. Federal workers are being laid off by the thousands. And some types of jobs are simply not as available as they once were. Particularly in short supply are those prized white-collar positions paying $94,000 or more.So, any serious job seeker must sharpen their skills to land a job. You can increase the likelihood of a successful search by avoiding the following six big job search mistakes:Mistake No. 1: Applying for too many jobsThe first mistake is applying for too many jobs and, as a result, not giving enough time to any one application.Some individuals send in applications for 100, 200, or even 400 jobs. That is far too many.Statistics reveal that job seekers who apply for 21 to 80 jobs have about a 30% chance of receiving a job offer, while candidates who apply for more than 81 jobs have only a 20% chance of receiving an offer. More applications typically get worse results.To get that next big job, focus on applications where youre a decent fit, and give more attention to each one.Mistake No. 2: not customizing your rsumThe second (and very common) mistake is sending every company the same generic rsum. Contrary to popular belief, most hiring companies do scrutinize rsums. After the interview, its the second-most-important vehicle for assessing a candidate. Providing boilerplate wont often get you the job.Focus your work history and the bullet points under each job youve held. Align this material with the job youre applying for. For example, dont put down that you optimized supply chain operations if you are applying for a leadership role. Instead, say you led a supply chain team. Avoid jargon and technical language that might be misunderstood.Be sure to include only relevant work experience. If you have waited on tables at your university or worked in a donut shop, leave it out unless youre applying for a service- or people-focused job.Mistake No. 3: Not tapping into your networkA third job search mistake is overlooking your network. A LinkedIn study shows that 70% of job seekers get their jobs through successful networking. Dont go it alone.Ask those you know for leads and introductions. Successful networking is usually a multistep process. Most of the time, success is not through your first-degree network but through your second- or third-degree network, writes career coach Sarah Felice on LinkedIn. This means you have to have a lot of conversations, coffee meetups, Zoom meetings, and phone calls.If you are interested in a position in a particular industry, approach an acquaintance who is knowledgeable about that field. Ask them to connect you to relevant people. If youre interested in moving up within your company, do your research and find out which department head you should talk to. Introduce yourself with a well-written letter. Such steps may take time, but they will be much more likely to get results.Mistake No. 4: Poor interview prepTo ace the interview, youve got to research the company and the job, prepare a script to guide you, and develop answers to possible questions.The knowledge you gain as you prepare will enable you to align your background with the companys culture and the job. It will also help you ask intelligent questions and show that you take the company and the job seriously.An interview script will provide an all-important guide for you. It doesnt have to be memorized or delivered verbatim. It simply will remind you how you want to open the conversation, what your message is, how you are going to develop your message, and how you will close the conversation. Without a script to guide you, you wont come across as clear-minded and confident. (For more discussion of how and why to prepare a script for your job interviews, see my book, The Job Seekers Script.)Mistake No. 5: Using weak languageBe mindful of the words you use throughout the interview process.Eliminate anything that has negative overtones. That includes phrases like I cant, I dont, Im not sure, or I dont know. Eliminate filler words like um, ah, and you know. Avoid overly casual speech like You guys. And dont judge the questions by saying things like, Thats a good question. Youre there to answer questions, not evaluate them.Apologetic language, such as Im sorry, also tests poorly. You may think you are being thoughtful when you apologize, but doing so can make you sound weak.Mistake No. 6: Not following upThe final job search mistake to avoid is not following up after your interview or a conversation with someone you networked with. Write a note of thanksan email or an actual written noteand do so promptly. People appreciate that thoughtfulness, and often it will make all the difference if someone is deliberating about hiring you.

Welcome toAI Decoded,Fast Companys weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every weekhere.OpenAI says it will release an open-source modelbut why now?OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Monday that his company intends to release a powerful new open-weight language model with reasoning in the next few months. That would mark a major shift for a company that has kept its models proprietary and secret since 2019. The announcement wasnt a total surprise: After the groundbreaking Chinese open-source model DeepSeek-R1 showed up in January, Altman said during a Reddit AMA that he realized his company was on the wrong side of history and suggested an OpenAI open-source model was a real possibility.Open models typically come with a permissive license that requires little or no payment to the model developer. Open-weight models can be more cost-effective for corporations trying to leverage AI since they allow businesses to host (and secure) the models themselvesavoiding the often risky prospect of sending proprietary data through an API to a third-party provider and paying fees to do it. More businesses are moving in this directionespecially those holding sensitive user data in regulated industries.The catch: A corporate user doesnt have to pay to use the open model. Some AI labs release open models to gain credibility in the marketpotentially paving the way to eventually sell API access to their more powerful closed models. By releasing open models early on, the French AI company Mistral established itself as a top-tier AI lab and a legitimate alternative to U.S. players. Some AI labs release open-source models, then earn consulting fees by helping large enterprises deploy and optimize the models over time.Metas Llama models are the most widely deployed open modelsthough the company restricts reuse and redistribution and keeps the training data and code secret, meaning they are not by definition open source. Meta had different reasons for giving away its models. Unlike Mistral and others, it makes money by surveilling users and targeting adsnot by renting out AI models. Zuckerberg continues funding Llama research because the models are a disruptive force in the industry and earn Meta the right to be called an AI company.OpenAI now has its own reasons for releasing an open-weight model. Eighteen months ago, OpenAI was the undisputed champion of state-of-the-art AI models. But in the time since, the release of LLMs like Googles formidable Gemini 2.0 and DeepSeeks open-source R1 have cracked the competition wide open.The market has changed, and OpenAI itself has evolved. Like Meta, OpenAI doesnt depend directly and solely on its models for its revenue. Selling access to its models via an API is no longer the companys main source of revenue. Now, most of its revenue, not to mention its staggering $300 billion valuation, comes from selling subscriptions to ChatGPT (most of them to individual consumers). OpenAIs real superpower is being a household-name consumer AI brand.OpenAI will definitely continue pouring massive resources into developing ever-better models, but its main reason for doing so isnt to collect rent from developers for direct access to them, but rather to continue making ChatGPT smarter for consumers.AI video generation is getting scary goodAI-video-generation tools are rapidly leaping over the uncanny valley, making it increasingly difficult for everyday internet users to distinguish between real and generated video. This could bode well for smaller companies looking to produce glossy, creative, or ambitious ads at a fraction of the normal cost. But it could spell bad news if bad actors use the technology in phishing scams or to spread disinformation. Its also yet another threat to the film sectors livelihood.The issue is back in the spotlight following several announcements, starting with Runwaysrelease of its new Gen-4 video-generation system, which the company says produces production ready video.AI startup Runway says the new system of models understands much of the worlds physics (a claim supported by this video of a man being overtaken by an ocean wave). The company also touts improvements in video consistency and realism, as well as user control during the generation process. Runway posted a demo video of Gen-4s control tools, which makes the production process look pretty easy, even for non-technicals). Some of the samples of finished videos posted on X look somehow more real than real (see Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation).Runway faces some stiff competition in the AI video space in the form of perennial contenders including Googles Veo 2 model, OpenAIs Sora, Adobe Firefly, Pika, and Kling.A new math benchmark aims to beat test question contaminationPeople in the AI community have been debating for some time whether our current methods of testing models math skills are broken. The concern is that while existing math benchmarks contain some very hard problems, those problems (and their solutions) tend to get published online pretty quickly. This of course makes the problem-solution sets fair game for AI companies sweeping up training data for their next models. The worry is that, come evaluation time, the models may have already encountered the test problems and answers in their training data.A new benchmark called MathArena was designed to eliminate those issues. MathArena takes its math problems from very recent math competitions and Olympiads, which have obvious incentives to keep their problems secret. The researchers from MathArena also created their own standard method of administering the evaluation, meaning the AI model developers cant give their own models an edge via changes to the evaluation setup.MathArena has just released the results of the most recent benchmark, which includes questions from the 2025 USA Math Olympiad. Heres one of the questions: Let H be the orthocenter of the acute triangle ABC, let F be the foot of the altitude from C to AB, and let P be the reflection of H across BC. Suppose that the circumcircle of triangle AFP intersects line BC at two distinct points, X and Y. Prove that C is the midpoint of XY. Ouch. And to make matters worse, the test requires not only the correct answer but a description of each reasoning step the model took along the way.The results are, well, ugly. Some of the most powerful and celebrated models in the world took the test, and none scored above 5%. The top score went to DeepSeeks R1 model, which earned a 4.76%. Googles Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking model scored 4.17%. Anthropics Claude 3.7 Sonnet (Thinking) scored 3.65%. OpenAIs most recent thinking model, o3 mini, scored 2.08%.(Update: Shortly after this writing, Googles new Gemini 2.5 Pro model scored an impressive 24.4% on the benchmark, besting other top models by a wide margin.)The results suggest one of several possibilities: Maybe MathArena contains far harder questions than other benchmarks, or LLMs arent great at explaining their reasoning steps, or earlier math benchmark scores are questionable because the LLMs had already seen the answers. Looks like LLMs still have some homework to do.More AI coverage from Fast Company:An AI watchdog accused OpenAI of using copyrighted books without permissionAmazon unveils Nova Act, an AI agent that can shop for youWhat is AI thinking? Anthropic researchers are starting to figure it outHow Hebbia is building AI for in-depth researchWant exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? Sign up for Fast Company Premium.

The Panama Canal is one of the most important waterways in the world, with about 7% of global trade passing through. It also relies heavily on rainfall. Without enough freshwater flowing in, the canals locks cant raise and lower ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Droughts mean fewer ships per day, and that can quickly affect Panamas finances and economies around the world.But the same freshwater is also essential for Panamas many other needs, including drinking water for about two million Panamanians, use by Indigenous people and farmers in the watershed, as well as hydropower.When the region experiences droughts, as it did in 20232024, the resulting water shortages can lead to increasing water conflicts.One of those conflicts involves a new dam the Panama Canal Authority plans to begin building in 2027. It would be designed to secure enough water to keep the canal, which contributes about 4.2% to the countrys gross domestic product, operating into the future, but it would also submerge farming communities and displace over 2,000 people from their homes.This recent drought wasnt an anomaly. As an academic who studies the effects of rising temperatures on water availability and sea level rise, Im aware that as the climate warms, Panama will likely face more extremes, both long dry spells and also periods of too much rain. That will force more trade-offs between residential needs and the canal over water use.Complex engineering remade the landscapeThe Panama Canal was built over a century ago at the narrowest point of the country and in the heart of its population center. The route was historically used by the Spanish colonies and later for a rail line between the oceans.The idea of a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans began as a French endeavor, led by architect Ferdinand D. Lesseps, designer of the Suez Canal in Egypt. After the French effort failed, the U.S. government signed a treaty with newly independent Panama in 1903 to take over the project.The U.S. acquired the rights to build and operate the Panama Canal in exchange for U.S.$10 million and annual payments of $250,000. Later, the Torrijos-Carter Treaty in 1977 committed the U.S. to transfer the control of operations to Panama at the end of 1999.The canal project was designed to take advantage of the regions tropical climate and abundant average rainfall.It harnessed the water of the Chagres River basin to run three sets of lockschambers that, filled with fresh water, act like elevators, lifting or lowering ships to compensate for the difference in water levels between the two oceans.To ensure enough water would be available for the locks, the canals designers changed the shapes of the regions mountains and rivers to create a large watershedover 1,325 square miles (3,435 square kilometers)that drains toward the canals human-made lakes, Gatun and Alajuela.About 65% of the water that flows from the watershed today goes to operate the locks. The majority of that water is quickly lost to the oceans.Even the two newest locks, built in 2016, only reuse about 60% of water on each transit40% is flushed to avoid saltwater from the oceans intruding into the watershed.Threats to water securityPanamas wet tropical weather is predominantly influenced by its location near the equator, the trade winds, and the oceans. Most of its rain falls during the wet season, from May to November. However, weather records show a drop in average precipitation starting around 1950.The driest years resulted in dangerously low water levels in Gatun Lake that made canal operations difficult, including in 1998, 2016, and most recently 20232024. El Nio weather patterns can mean particularly low rainfall.In December 2023, the Panama Canal Authority was forced to limit the number of daily transits to 22, compared with 36 to 38 usual crossings, because too little freshwater was available.Water levels at Gatun Lake since 1965 show how low 2023 and 2024 were. [Image: EIA]To avoid steep financial losses, the Panama Canal Authority raised prices and auctioned transit opportunities to the highest bidders. Without those measures, the authority estimated it would lose $100 million a month from reduced ship traffic because of the water shortage.Ecosystems also need enough water, and changes in forest tree composition have become evident on Barro Colorado Island in Gatun Lake in response to rising temperatures and more frequent droughts.Climate change is also creating greater variability in rainfall. Too much rain can also be a problem for canal operations. In December 2010, the biggest storm on record caused landslides and $150 million in damage that interrupted transits on the canal.Sustaining Panamas canal and its peopleTemporary measures for saving water have been already implemented. The Panama Canal Authority shortened the chamber size in some of its locks to use less water for smaller vessels and minimized direction changes.In January 2025, the authority approved plans to build the new dam on the Indio River to increase water available for the canal. The dam could solve some water concerns during drier periods for the canal.However, it also illustrates the countrys water conflicts. Once filled, the dams reservoir will submerge over 1,200 homes by some counts, and more people in the region will lose access to land and travel routes. The Panama Canal Authority promises that residents will be relocated, but some of those living in the region fear they will lose their livelihoods, along with the communities their families have lived in for generations.Residents across Panama, meanwhile, regularly hear media campaigns that encourage them to save water. An Environmental Economic Incentives Program promotes forest conservation and sustainable family agriculture to conserve water resources.The Panama Canal is a crucial part of international trade, and it will face more periods of water stress. I believe responding to those future changes, as well as market and societal demands, will require innovative solutions that respect ecosystem limits and the needs of the population.Karina Garcia is a researcher and lecturer in climate at Universidad Tecnolgica de Panam.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

On Wednesday, President Trump unveiled a series of sweeping tariffs that not only targeted major U.S. trading partners but also included small, remote islands and territories.Among the most unexpected entries on the list were the Heard and McDonald Islands, isolated sub-Antarctic volcanic islands located in the southern Indian Ocean, roughly halfway between Australia and South Africa. Though these islands are Australian territories, they are virtually uninhabited, with the only significant human presence occurring during Australian Antarctic Science expeditions. These expeditions generally take place every three years, lasting only a couple of months during the summer. For the majority of the time, the islands are left to their resident penguins and seals, with only occasional visits from commercial tourist groups, private expeditions, or fisheries and defense surveillance patrols.Despite their isolation, the islands appeared on a White House list of territories subject to new trade tariffs. According to the list, the Heard and McDonald Islands currently impose a 10 percent Tariff to the U.S.A., with a small note specifying that this includes currency manipulation and trade barriers. In return, the U.S. has announced discounted reciprocal tariffs at the same 10% rate.A White House official explained that the inclusion of the Heard and McDonald Islands is due to their status as Australian territory, as reported by Axios. The islands reportedly had no trade with the U.S. last year, according to the most recent U.S. data.The export figures from the Heard and McDonald Islands are equally perplexing. Despite having no permanent human population and only a fishery, the islands were recorded as having exported $1.4 million worth of goods to the U.S. in 2022, mostly classified as machinery and electrical imports. The exact nature of these goods remains unclear. Over the previous five years, imports from the islands ranged between $15,000 and $325,000 annually, as reported by The Guardian.Another unusual entry on Trumps tariff list is Jan Mayen, a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean. Like the Heard and McDonald Islands, Jan Mayen has no permanent human inhabitants and is grouped with Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago known for its polar bears and small human population. Trump has set a 10 percent tariff for both Svalbard and Jan Mayen, while Norway itself faces a 15 percent tax on imports from the U.S.

TikTok is shutting down TikTok Noteswait, you didnt even know it existed? Well, that explains a lot.TikTok Notes, the platforms short-lived attempt to take on Instagram (just as Instagram Reels was built to mimic TikTok), is officially being retired. Launched in limited markets like Canada, Australia, and Vietnam last year, the photo-sharing app let users post images with captionssimple enough, but apparently not compelling enough.Users are now being notified that TikTok Notes will shut down on May 8, with TikTok instead shifting focus to another ByteDance-owned platform: Lemon8.Were excited to bring the feedback from TikTok Notes to Lemon8 as we continue building a dedicated space for our community to share and experience photo content, designed to complement and enhance the TikTok experience, a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to TechCrunch.Lemon8think Instagram meets Pinteresthas quietly been gaining traction, tripling its U.S. user base since last summer and hitting 12 million downloads. It reportedly had around 12.5 million global monthly active users by December 2024. TikTok didnt spell out why Notes is getting the axe, but given how few people knew about it . . . the writing was on the wall.In a notice to users, TikTok is urging anyone who used Notes to download and save their content before the app disappears for good. Theyre also encouraging creators to continue their creative journey on Lemon8 instead.Unlike TikToks vertical video scroll, Lemon8 leans photo-first, allowing users to post curated carousels and slideshows. Still, it borrows TikToks dual-feed format, with both a Following and For You feed for discovery.Dj vu? Thats because TikTok already started plugging Lemon8 as a backup late last year when a potential U.S. ban first loomed. Now, with a fresh April 5 deadline hanging over TikToks head, the strategy looks familiarand unchanged.The short lesson of TikTok Notes: if it aint broke, dont fix it. And if the whole app banned, I guess everyone panic.

In a showy speech at the White House yesterday, President Trump announced his most sweeping tariffs to dateand the news has sent the global economic order into chaos.The slew of tariffs impact more than 180 countries. Trump announced a minimum 10% tariff on almost every country worldwide, meaning that nearly every good imported to the U.S. will automatically receive a 10% tax. Dozens of countries have been hit with even higher rates: Goods from China will now have a 34% tariff added on top of a previous blanket tax imposed this year; Cambodia will face a 49% tariff; and Vietnams imports will be taxed at 46%.The Trump administration is framing this global trade war as a way to punish other countries in a trade surplus with the U.S., as well as a means to increase manufacturing jobs on American soil. Many experts, however, are warning that the move is likely to cause a spike in inflation, with some fearing an impending recession in the U.S. Meanwhile, world leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are denouncing the decision and calling for talks to rescind the fees. The news has already caused the American stock market to take a concerning nosedive.Trump announced his new tariffs plan while wielding a series of difficult-to-parse charts that have been widely criticized for lacking any discernible organization. But data visualization should play a key role in simplifying and clarifying the confusion around the new policies. To that end, here are three graphics to maybe help you understand the new tariffs.The tariffsThis map, created by USA Today data journalist Carlie Procell, provides a simple, comprehensive view of how Trumps tariffs are impacting targeted countries.The graphic is color-coded into five different segments based on the severity of the tariffs levied against each region: ultra-light blue countries, for example, land somewhere between the baseline 10% tariff and 20%, while the darkest blue countries are getting hit the hardest with tariffs between 40% and 50%. By clicking on the various blue shades in the color key, users can isolate their view to examine each of the five tiers individually.Explore the interactive graphic here. [Image: USA Today]Procells map also comes with an alphabetized table organized by country. To determine the tariffs faced by a specific country, users can simply search its name in the attached toolbar.The falloutFor a better look at the initial fallout of the tariffs announcement, a group of reporters at the New York Times have created a graph tracking global stock markets trajectories from Trumps inauguration on January 20 to this morning.See the updates here [Image: The New York Times]The graph shows percentage changes in major stock indexes for Germanys DAX, Chinas Shanghai SE Composite, the United Kingdoms FTSE 100, Canadas S&P/TSX Composite, the United Statess S&P 500, and Japans Nikkei 225.As of 9:30 a.m. ET, the S&P 500 plunged more than 4% since yesterdays market close (amounting to a total 9% drop since Trumps inauguration). Major stocks in both Asian and European markets also slumped abruptly this morning. The graph suggests that Trumps new tariffs are even harsher than what most economists and investors feared.Whats aheadLess than a day after the tariffs announcement, many analysts are predicting that American consumers should prepare for a spike in inflation.To keep track of this rising cost of living, CBS News has created a price tracker for goods including groceries, new vehicles, used vehicles, parts, repairs, insurance premiums, and construction and manufacturing raw materials. According to the tools accompanying article, CBS plans to update the prices of groceries weekly (including heavily imported fruits and veggies like bananas and bell peppers), while the other categories will be updated every month.See the interactive tracker here. [Image: CBS News Data]Over the coming weeks, the price tracker could help consumers understand how the cost of essential goods is changing as a result of the new tariffs. In an interview with CNBC, David Rosenberg, founder and president of the market research firm Rosenberg Research, warned, Were in for several months of a very significant price shock for the American household sector.

Earthquakes and the damage they cause are apolitical. Collectively, we either prepare for future earthquakes or the population eventually pays the price. The earthquakes that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, collapsing buildings and causing more than 2,700 deaths, were a sobering reminder of the risks and the need for preparation.In the U.S., this preparation hinges in large part on the expertise of scientists and engineers in federal agencies who develop earthquake hazard models and contribute to the creation of building codes designed to ensure homes, high-rises, and other structures wont collapse when the ground shakes.Local communities and states decide whether to adopt building code documents. But those documents and other essential resources are developed through programs supported by federal agencies working in partnership with practicing engineers and earthquake experts at universities.This essential federal role is illustrated by two programs that we work closely with as an earthquake engineer and a disaster management expert whose work focuses on seismic risk.Improving building codesFirst, seismologists and earthquake engineers at the U.S. Geological Survey, or USGS, produce the National Seismic Hazard Model. These maps, based on research into earthquake sources such as faults and how seismic waves move through the earths crust, are used to determine the forces that structures in each community should be designed to resist.A steering committee of earthquake experts from the private sector and universities works with USGS to ensure that the National Seismic Hazard Model implements the best available science.In this 2023 update of the national seismic risk map, red areas have the greatest chance of a damaging earthquake occurring within 100 years. [Image: USGS]Second, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) supports the process for periodically updating building codes. That includes supporting the work of the National Institute of Building Sciences Provisions Update Committee, which recommends building code revisions based on investigations of earthquake damage.More broadly, FEMA, the USGS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the National Science Foundation work together through the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program to advance earthquake science and turn knowledge of earthquake risks into safer standards, better building design, and education. Some of those agencies have been threatened by potential job and funding cuts under the Trump administration, and others face uncertainty regarding continuation of federal support for their work.It is in large part because of the National Seismic Hazard Model and regularly updated building codes that U.S. buildings designed to meet modern code requirements are considered among the safest in the world, despite substantial seismic hazards in several states.This paradigm has been made possible by the technical expertise and lack of political agendas among the federal staff. Without that professionalism, we believe experts from outside the federal government would be less likely to donate their time.The impacts of these and other programs are well documented. We can point to the limited fatalities from U.S. earthquakes such as the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake near San Francisco, the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, and the 2001 Nisqually earthquake near Seattle. Powerful earthquakes in countries lacking seismic preparedness, often due to lack of adoption or enforcement of building codes, have produced much greater devastation and loss of life.The U.S. has long relied on people with expertiseThese programs and the federal agencies supporting them have benefited from a high level of staff expertise because hiring and advancement processes have been divorced from politics and focused on qualifications and merit.This has not always been the case.For much of early U.S. history, federal jobs were awarded through a patronage system, where political loyalty determined employment. As described in The Federal Civil Service System and The Problem of Bureaucracy, this system led to widespread corruption and dysfunction, with officials focused more on managing quid pro quo patronage than governing effectively. That peaked in 1881 with President James Garfields assassination by Charles Guiteau, a disgruntled supporter who had been denied a government appointment.The passage of the Pendleton Act by Congress in 1883 shifted federal employment to a merit-based system. This preference for a merit-based system was reinforced in the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978. It states as national policy that to provide the people of the United States with a competent, honest, and productive workforce . . . and to improve the quality of public service, Federal personnel management should be implemented consistent with merit system principles.The shift away from a patronage system produced a more stable and efficient federal workforce, which has enabled improvements in many critical areas, including seismic safety and disaster response.Merit-based civil service matters for safetyWhile the work of these federal employees often goes unnoticed, the benefits are demonstrable and widespread. That becomes most apparent when disasters strike and buildings that meet modern code requirements remain standing.A merit-based civil service is not just a democratic ideal but a proven necessity for the safety and security of the American people, one we hope will continue well into the future. This can be achieved by retaining federal scientists and engineers and supporting the essential work of federal agencies.Jonathan P. Stewart is a professor of engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles.Lucy Arendt is a professor of business administration management at St. Norbert College.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Influencing has a major pay gap, and its not what you might expect.A new report from Collabstr, based on more than 15,000 influencer collaborations using first-party data, reveals a surprising disparity: Male creators earn 40% more per collaboration than female creators$291 compared to $208 on average.This gap persists despite women making up the majority of the content creator space. In 2024, 72% of influencers were women, up from 70% in 2023.These two facts are connected. The report, which focused predominantly on nano- and micro-influencers, suggests that female creators are paid less largely due to the sheer number of women in the industry. Oversaturation drives down rates and weakens their bargaining power compared to their male counterparts. Notably, the report found that the higher the follower count, the smaller the pay gap.While female-dominated niches like fashion, beauty, lifestyle receive a lot of influencer spend, there is a lot of saturation especially at the nano- and micro-influencer stage, and as a result the brands have more options and are able to price collaborations lower because there is essentially unlimited supply in these niches, Collabstr cofounder Kyle Dulay tells Fast Company.Perception also plays a role in the gender pay gap. According to the report, women are more often labeled as influencers, while men are referred to as content creators. This distinction isnt just semanticit has real consequences. The label influencer can diminish and undervalue womens work, framing them as product-pushers, while men are positioned as creative professionals and innovators.Dulay suggests that one way for female creators in saturated niches to command higher rates is by narrowing their focus. Instead of being a beauty influencer, see how you can narrow that down further, perhaps into skincare particularly or highlighting your journey with acne, he explains. By doing this, youre no longer competing with every other female in the beauty space, and you retain the power to price your services accordingly, rather than having prices dictated by brands.That niche doesnt have to be permanent. As you grow, naturally the ratio of female to male influencers drops, and you can begin widening your niche while retaining your pricing power, he adds.The creator economy is booming. The user-generated content (UGC) market hit $7.62 billion in 2024 and is projected to climb to $35.44 billion by 2030. More creators are seizing the opportunity66% now offer UGC services, up from just 26% in last years report.Women creators: Know your worth, and dont be afraid to claim it.

Another day, another recall: On Tuesday, popular chocolate brand Tonys Chocolonely recalled two of its flavors, Tonys Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar and Everything Bar, following 12 reports from consumers who found small stones not filtered during third-party almond harvesting and the almond processing process.The bars were distributed nationwide from February 7 to March 24, 2025, and sold at various retailers, including Target and Walmart, as well as Tonys online store. However, at time of this writing, the company had not received any complaints from consumers within the U.S. and Canada.We are extremely sorry to have to issue this recall, and for the inconvenience that this will cause, a company spokesperson told Fast Company. Whilst the probability of a product being affected is low, we always put the safety and satisfaction of our consumers first.The company added that no injuries or illnesses have been reported yet and that it was issuing this voluntary recall in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a precautionary measure.How can I tell if I purchased one of the recalled chocolate bars?The seven recalled bars include:Tonys Chocolonely Everything Bar (6.35 oz.) with lot code 4327, UPC 850011828564, and use by date Nov. 22, 2025Tonys Chocolonely Everything Bar (6.35 oz.) with lot code 4330, UPC 850011828564, and use by date Nov. 25, 2025Tonys Chocolonely Everything Bar (6.35 oz.) with lot code 4331, UPC 850011828564, and use by date Nov. 26, 2025Tonys Chocolonely Everything Bar (6.35 oz.) with lot code M4331, UPC 850032676441, and use by date Nov. 26, 2025Tonys Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt with lot code 162634, UPC 858010005641, and use by date Feb. 28, 2026Tonys Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt with lot code M162634, UPC 850011828908, and use by date Feb. 28, 2026Tonys Chocolonely Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt (6.35 oz.) with lot code 163094, UPC 858010005641, and use by date April 2, 2026What should I do if I have a recalled Tonys chocolate bar?If you purchased one of the affected products, it is recommended that you return it to the store of purchase for a refund, or throw it away. For more information, or to claim a refund or replacement, visit the companys website here.

The Trump administrations 25% tariffs on imported cars and auto parts is expected to disrupt the auto industry and raise car prices by thousands of dollars. Electric vehicles are at particular risk.Trumps tariffs on vehicle imports went into effect on Thursday, and tariffs on imported auto parts will go into effect by May 3. For the car industry broadly, the lowest-priced American vehicles could see additional costs of $2,500 to $5,000 due to the tariffs, the Anderson Economic Group said in a report this week.SUVs, in particular, could be hit even harderthough many are assembled in the U.S., they have parts from Canada, Europe, and Mexico, and so could see price hikes of $10,000 to $12,000. EVs, as well, could see price increases that exceed $15,000, according to the report. For some imported models, tariffs could raise prices by up to $20,000. All told, U.S. consumers could see an estimated $30 billion increase in the cost of cars in the first full year of the tariffs.Though the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) sought to spur domestic EV manufacturing, there are still a handful of EVs that are importedincluding the Polestar 2 (from China), the Mustang Mach-E (from Mexico), the Volkswagen ID.BUZZ (from Germany), and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (from South Korea), though Hyundai did just open a U.S. plant to build its Ioniq 5 and 9 EVs in Georgia.EVs manufactured in the U.S. still rely on imported materials, primarily batteries and battery components. The IRA has led to the establishment of domestic production facilities, but the transition is still ongoing, says Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive. Even Teslas, which are made in the U.S., have about 20% to 25% of their value in components sourced from Mexico. Elon Musk himself said that the cost impact of these tariffs is not trivial.And these arent the only tariffs at play for EVs. While both electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles are affected by tariffs, EVs are impacted more by aluminum tariffs and battery materials, which can significantly raise production costs, Valdez Streaty says. EVs use more aluminum than gas-powered cars as a way to reduce weight and make them more efficient (both vehicle types use about the same amount of steel, which is also facing tariffs).Trump could also impose even higher tariffs on graphite, a key component in anodes and batteries overall; the U.S. International Trade Commission says China has been exporting artificially cheap graphite, which has suppressed the U.S.s own graphite industry. Petitions from U.S. producers of anode materials have requested tariffs on Chinese graphite be raised to as high as 920%. (The U.S. produces no graphite itself, and so relies on imports.)That could raise the cost of synthetic graphite anode material from $4,200 per metric ton to approximately $42,672 per metric ton, Valdez Streaty says, which could raise the entire cost of NMC 811 cells, a type of lithium-ion-battery, by 51%.Tesla, Volkswagen, and Ford have used such battery cells.Tariffs, EV tax credit removal would hurt EV demandThe U.S. already lacks affordable EVsespecially compared to China, which has made EV models for as cheap as $10,000. Tariffs, combined with the potential rollback of the EV tax credit, could sink domestic EV demand, even those made by American workers.The EV tax credit, part of the IRA, was meant to spur domestic EV production; getting rid of it could then eliminate the need for future EV or EV battery factories here, according to a Princeton University study from March. That study found that if that EV tax credit goes away (and also if tailpipe emissions regulations are reversed), then as much as 100% of planned EV factories could be at risk of being canceled or closed. Between 29% and 72% of U.S. battery factories operating by the end of 2025 would also be unnecessary to meet automotive demand and could be at risk of closure, the study noted.Thats because removing the tax credit could cause EV sales to drop about 30% in 2027 and 40% in 2030, compared to a scenario in which those policies continued. The study found that cumulatively, there could be 8.3 million less EVs and plug-in hybrids on U.S. roads in 2030.

Google released its new Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental AI model late last month, and its quickly stacked up top marks on a number of coding, math, and reasoning benchmark testsmaking it a contender for the worlds best model right now. Gemini 2.5 Pro is a reasoning model, meaning its answers derive from a mix of training data and real-time reasoning performed in response to the user prompt or question. Like other newer models, Gemini 2.5 Pro can consult the web, but it also contains a fairly recent snapshot of the worlds knowledge: Its training data cuts off at the end of January 2025.Last year, in order to boost model performance, AI researchers began shifting toward teaching models to reason when theyre live and responding to user prompts. This approach requires models to process and retain increasingly more data to arrive at accurate answers. (Gemini 2.5 Pro, for example, can handle up to a million tokens.) However, models often struggle with information overload, making it difficult to extract meaningful insights from all that context.Google appears to have made progress on this front. The YouTube channel AI Explained points out that Gemini 2.5 fared very well on a new benchmark test called Fiction.liveBench thats designed to test a models ability to remember and comprehend context information. For instance, Fiction.liveBench might ask the model to read a novelette and answer questions that require a deep understanding of the story and characters. Some of the top models, including those from OpenAI and Anthropic, score well when the amount of stored data (the context window) is relatively small. But as the context window increases to 32K, then 60K, then 120Kabout the size of a noveletteGemini 2.5 Pro stands out for its superior comprehension.Thats important because some of the most productive use cases to date for generative AI involve comprehending and summarizing large amounts of data. A service representative might depend on an AI tool to swim through voluminous manuals in order to help someone struggling with a technical problem out in the field, or a corporate compliance officer might need a long context window to sift through years of regulations and policies.Gemini also scored much higher than competing reasoning models on a new benchmark called MathArena, which tests models using hard questions from recent math Olympiads and contests. The test also requires that the model clearly show its reasoning as it steps toward an answer. Top models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepSeek failed to break 5% of a perfect score, but Gemini 2.5 Pro model scored an impressive 24.4%.The new Google model also scored high on another superhard benchmark called Humanitys Last Exam, which is meant to show when AI models exceed the knowledge and reasoning of top experts in a given field. The Gemini 2.5 scored an 18.8%, a score topped only by OpenAIs Deep Research model. The model also now sits atop the crowdsourced benchmarking leaderboard, LMArena.Finally, Gemini 2.5 Pro is among the top models for computer coding. It scored a 70.4% on the LiveCodeBench benchmark, coming in just behind OpenAIs o3-mini model, which scored 74.1%. Gemini 2.5 Pro scored 63.8% on SWE-bench (measures agentic coding), while Anthropics latest Claude 3.7 Sonnet scored 70.3%. Finally, Googles model outscored Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI models on the MMMU visual reading test by roughly 6 points.Google initially released its new model to paying subscribers but has now made it accessible by all users for free.

PresidentDonald Trumppromisedtariffsthat would raiseU.S. import taxeshigh enough to mirror what others assess as trade penalties on American goods.Whathes actually imposingis based on far more complicated math.Heres a look at how the White House gotits numbers:Why do the new tariff rates often differ by country?The Trump administration has declared an economic emergency to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tariff on nearly all countries and territories. It has set even higher levies for about 60 nations that it says are the worst offenders.The 10% global tariffs take effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The higher tariffs set for specific countries are due to kick in at one minute past midnight on April 9.Among the so-called worst offenders is China, which Trump argues protect its producers through malicious trade practices in addition to tariffs. Those efforts include actions such as imposing value added taxes on all goods, dumping overproduced products on markets to artificially deflate prices, or manipulating currency.To determine how much higher those nations rates should be, the White House says it calculated the size of each countrys trade imbalance on goods with the United States and divided that by how much America imports from that nation.It then took half that percentage and made it the new tariff rate.Why not just charge reciprocal rates?The White House says its calculations kept new tariffs from going even higher for many countries and demonstrate that Trump is being kind to global trading partners.The administration maintains that creating a baseline levy with few exemptions is necessary to keep China and others from skirting the new tariffs by manufacturing goods and then shipping them to Vietnam, Cambodia, Mexico or elsewhere to then be sent to the U.S.Thats why the White House list of tariffed locationsincludes obscure placeslike the Heard and McDonald Islands, which are uninhabited. They are 2,550 miles (4,100 kilometers) from the coast of mainland Australia, which claims them as a territory.Is every country affected?No. Canada and Mexico are excluded because theyalready are facing 25% taxes on most imported goodsthat Trump announced last month, in an attempt to force both to crack down on fentanyl smuggling into the U.S.The White House originally said all others would be affected by at least the 10% tariff. But administration officials clarified on Thursday that countries already subject to stiff U.S. sanctions for example, Russia due to itsinvasion of Ukraine, as well as Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Belarus and Venezuela will not face the new, 10% global base tariff.Official said that is because sanctions and other existing barriers mean the U.S. has so little trade with those places that deficits are minimal.Why is Trump doing this?The president has spent months insistingAmerica was at its wealthiest at the end of the Gilded Agein the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it imposed high tariffs as the key means to generating revenue for the federal government.Trump even suggested Wednesday that the U.S. moving away from higher tariffs and toward a federal income tax in 1913 helped trigger the Great Depression of the 1930s a claim that economists and historians roundly reject.A more contemporary explanation might be found inProject 2025, a comprehensive blueprint compiled by leading conservatives about how to shrink the federal workforce and push Washington further to the right. It spelled outhow Trumpmight impose high tariffs around the globe, giving his administration more room to negotiate lower levies with trading partners in exchange for U.S. priorities.White House officials insist the new tariffs are more about closing trade deficits, stimulating U.S. manufacturing and generating government revenue than eventually negotiating new trading deals.But Trump has shown he is willing toback off on threats of tariffsin exchange for offers of concessions. His administration has said the president is always ready to make deals, a sign the new tariffs may prove to be more bargaining chip than permanent policy.Why do US trade imbalances matter?American trade policy created aU.S. trade imbalanceworth $1.2 trillion last year, a gap that some experts believe should be addressed in order to ensure the countrys long-term economic strength.But many economists say the trade imbalances that Trump is looking to correct are based on more than countries just using high tariffs or protectionist trade practices to boost their own exports. Basing the White Houses tariff math solely on trade deficits, for instance, fails to take into account U.S. consumer demand.Americans relish buying BMWs assembled in Germany, as well as French wine and coffee beans from Guatemala, and their spending can fuel trade imbalances regardless of the tax and tariff policies of the countries producing those goods.That means any attempt to close U.S. trade gaps by tariffs will likely mean increasing the cost of imported goods that Americans are buying, which in turn could hurt the economy because of increased inflationary pressures.Will Weissert, Associated PressAssociated Press writers Josh Boak and Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

Chalk it up to bad timing: Some Home Depot customers are up in arms after a recent April Fools Day prank from a tool review website led people to believe the home improvement giant would start charging parking fees due to inflation, sending Home Depot scrambling to clarify and set the ill-timed joke straight.Thats as the misinformation came when Americans were already anxious that President Donald Trumps tariffs will send the high price of goods and services even higher. And when it came to Home Depot, that was no laughing matter: Some angry customers took to social media, creating a Reddit thread about the supposed fees, with one duped X user even suggesting people #BoycottHomeDepot, forcing the company to respond on its official X account with some damage control, explaining, we do not charge for parking.So, what exactly happened? On April 1, Pro Tool Reviews, an online product review site, published a fakenews article that saidHome Depot would start charging for parking to combat inflation and offset increasing operational costs [to] keep prices competitive, and that the modest parking fee ($2 for up to two hours in central Florida, to $5 for a full day of parking in Los Angeles) would help the company avoid passing those extra costs directly on to customers.Unfortunately for Home Depot, as the target of the joke, American consumers are now particularly sensitive about retailers passing the cost of tariffs on to them.Pro Tool Reviews told USA Today that the articles high viewership was truly humbling, indicating the traction this apparent PR nightmare has received, with editor-in-chief Kenny Koehler adding, we hope our friends over at Home Depot were able to laugh as well. (Were not so sure about that, Kenny.)This isnt the first time an April Fools Day joke has caused trouble. In fact, there is a long list of brands whose pranks have gone awry, from Google to Volkswagen. In 2016, Google announced a new Gmail feature that it claimed would add a GIF of a yellow animated Minion character dropping a microphone at the end of an email. Google later apologized. And in 2021, the German carmaker claimed it was changing the name of its American division to Voltswagen, causing the stock to rise, as well as a great amount of confusion.The origin of April Fools Day dates back to 16th century France, whenCharles IXdecreed that the new year would no longer begin onEaster, but instead on January 1. Those who refused the change were named, you guessed it, April fools.

Want more housing market stories from Lance LambertsResiClubin your inbox?Subscribeto theResiClubnewsletter.When assessing home price momentum, its important to monitor active listings and months of supply. If active listings start to rapidly increase as homes remain on the market for longer periods, it may indicate pricing softness or weakness. Conversely, a rapid decline in active listings could suggest a market that is heating up.Generally speaking, local housing markets where active inventory has returned to pre-pandemic levels have experienced softer home price growth (or outright price declines) over the past 30 months. Conversely, local housing markets where active inventory remains far below pre-pandemic levels have, generally speaking, experienced stronger home price growth over the past 30 months.How does housing inventory look in 2025? It looks like we will see a double-digit increase in active inventory this year across most of the country.National active listings are on the rise (up 28.5% between March 2024 and March 2025). This indicates that homebuyers have gained some leverage in many parts of the country over the past year. Some sellers markets have turned into balanced markets, and more balanced markets have turned into buyers markets.Nationally, were still below pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels (20% below March 2019) and some resale markets, in particular big chunks of Midwest and Northeast, still remain tight to tight-ish.Heres how the March 2025 inventory/active listings, compare to historical totals, according to Realtor.com:March 2017: 1,172,713 March 2018: 1,067,281 March 2019: 1,115,940 March 2020: 937,319 March 2021: 440,589 (overheating during the pandemic housing boom)March 2022: 354,016 (overheating during the pandemic housing boom)March 2023: 562,444 (mortgage rate shock)March 2024: 694,820 March 2025: 892,561 Below is the year-over-year percentage change by state.While active housing inventory is rising in most markets on a year-over-year basis, some markets still remain tight.As ResiClub has been documenting, both active resale and new homes for sale remain the most limited across huge swaths of the Midwest and Northeast. Thats likely where home sellers this spring will have more power.In contrast, active housing inventory for sale has neared or surpassed pre-pandemic 2019 levels in many parts of the Gulf region, including metro area housing markets such as Punta Gorda and Austin. These areas saw major price surges during the pandemic housing boom, with home prices getting stretched compared to local incomes. As pandemic-driven migration slowed and mortgage rates rose, markets like Tampa and Austin faced challenges, relying on local income levels to support frothy home prices. This softening trend is further compounded by an abundance of new home supply in the Sun Belt. Builders are often willing to lower prices or offer affordability incentives to maintain sales, which also has a cooling effect on the resale market. Some buyers, who would have previously considered existing homes, are now opting for new homes with more favorable deals.At the end of March 2025, seven states are above pre-pandemic 2019 active inventory levels: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. The District of Columbia is also above pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels. (Weakness in D.C. proper predates the current admins job cuts.)The states that have jumped above pre-pandemic 2019 inventory levels are where home buyers have gained the most leverage heading into the spring 2025 housing market.Big picture: Over the past few years weve observed a softening across many housing markets as strained affordability tempers the fervor of a market that was unsustainably hot during the Pandemic Housing Boom. While home prices are falling in some areas around the Gulf, most regional housing markets are still seeing positive year-over-year home price growth. The big question going forward is whether active inventory and months of supply will continue to rise and cause more housing markets to see price softening?Below is another version of the table abovebut this one includes every month since January 2017.If youd like to further examine the monthly state inventory figures, use the interactive chart below. (You can also find more information here on the ongoing softness and weakness across Florida.)

Extreme weather is dangerous weather, and thats particularly true for the heavy rainfall events that experts say are becoming more frequent with climate change. The powerful storms can pose threats ranging from falling limbs to downed power lines to drowning.Experts say disaster preparation and good planning can help protect lives and property.What should you do if you face record rainfall?Long before extreme weather happens, its important to consider whether your home meets building codes, and to know what your insurance covers, experts say. This is the time to address any shortcomings.Once storms draw near, stay informed by signing up for real-time city, county and federal weather alerts, and listen to the news and whatever your local officials are saying. You can take simple steps to help protect your property, such as ensuring that gutters, storm drains and stormwater systems are clear and ready to do their part in carrying off heavy rain.If using sandbags to protect property, make sure theyre properly made and stacked to keep water out.Should you try to evacuate or stay put?If there are local orders to evacuate, you need to heed them. Gather important documents, get enough gas to drive out and prepare to be away for an extended period of time, said Jeannette Sutton, associate professor at the University at Albany. People need to err on the side of caution, she said.As major storms move in, there often comes a point when leaving is more hazardous than staying put. One major danger involves flooded roadways. Drivers who attempt to push through them can be swept away by water that is deeper than it appeared and stronger than thought.How can you prepare your home and belongings?Moving keepsakes, furniture and valuables to upper levels and making sure sump pump batteries are fully charged are shorter-term ways to prepare, along with ensuring theres enough food, water and medical supplies.Cars can be protected by getting them into a parking structure with upper levels.Experts also say use common sense in planning: Dont keep your backup generators in a basement where they can be ruined by flooding, for instance.What can you do once a disaster has started?If you arent able to prepare for floods in time, you should move to the highest level of your home, experts say, or seek out a safe shelter.If high winds and tornadoes are a threat, however, it could be dangerous to be too high up. Thats why checking forecasts is critical.Alexa St. John, Associated Press climate reporter

Tech leaders often brand themselves as disruptorsand few fit that label more snugly than Elon Musk. In the three months since joining Donald Trump in the White House following Trumps election, Musk has certainly disrupted Washington. Now, reports suggest Musk is preparing to exit his government post, having led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and overseen sweeping cuts across numerous federal agencies.Musks time in government may be short-lived, but his political legacy is already sealed. As the architect of aggressive budget slashes, his tenure has sparked backlash that could linger far beyond the halls of powerand into the boardrooms of his private ventures.Musk stepping out the political firing line might calm the headlines, but the brand damage is already done, says social media expert Matt Navarra. The internet doesnt forget, and neither do his investors. Navarra believes Musks recent behaviorwhat he calls Musks political anticshas become a heavy drag on the entrepreneurs public image. Teslas stock has plummeted nearly 30% this year, while the recent merger of X, the social platform Musk acquired in 2022, with his AI startup xAI, has drawn ridicule for its apparent lack of financial return.At the heart of the reputational and financial downturn is a growing perception that Musk has prioritized political theater over operational focus. His reputation as a visionary founder has dimmed as his companies have stumbled. The Musk DOGE initiative and spending 110% of his time with the Trump administration in the White House/Palm Beach since January inauguration has been exacerbating and so troubling for investors and Teslas stock, says Dan Ives, managing director and senior equity research analyst at Wedbush Securities.Though Ives remains optimistic about Teslas long-term potential, he acknowledges the fallout from Musks high-profile role in government austerity. Tesla has unfortunately become a political symbol because of Musk, and this is a very bad thing for the future of this technology stalwart, Ives says. With major protests erupting globally at Tesla dealerships, Tesla cars being keyed, and a full brand crisis tornado now underway, this has turned into a life of its own and cast a dark black cloud over Teslas stock.Navarra notes that this moment is particularly damaging because Musks companies were once buoyed by his persona. Tesla, X, and even SpaceX all used to benefit from his cult of personality, but now I think that charisma is curdled, he says. I think theres a growing gap between Musk the innovator and Musk the provocateur, and its hard for any brand to thrive when its CEO behaves like a chaos agent on the timeline.So far, Musk appears unmovedor unawareof the toll his political turn has taken on his empire. (He did not respond to a request for comment sent to both his government and Tesla email addresses.) But Navarra warns the consequences may be long-lasting. Even if he fades from the political narrative, his digital footprint stays loud, he says. Every tweet, every jab at the media, or every partisan swipe, it all feeds into how the public sees Tesla and X. Hes not just shaping the narrative, he is the narrative, and the longer that continues, the harder it becomes for his companies to tell a different story.

Prices of Nike Jordan and Adidas Samba sneakers are likely to rise in the U.S. after President Donald Trump imposed a raft of new tariffs on Vietnam, China, and Indonesia, key manufacturers of sportswear and apparel.Shares in Nike, Adidas and Puma dropped sharply on Thursday after Vietnam was targeted with a 46% tariff rate, Cambodia with 49%, Bangladesh with 37% and Indonesia with 32%, while Trump hiked tariffs on China by an extra 34 percentage points, following the earlier 20% tariffs.Fast-fashion retailers H&M, which sources from China and Bangladesh mainly, and Zara owner Inditex were also hit.The April 2 tariffs seem purpose-built to hobble the apparel industry, said Dylan Carden, an analyst at William Blair in Chicago.The new tariffs would increase the average U.S. import tariff rate on apparel from 14.5% in 2024 to 30.6%, according to calculations by Sheng Lu, professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware.Based on 2024 import values, the new tariffs would result in a total of $26 billion in duties on apparel, more than double last years level, Lu said.In the past years, apparel and sportswear brands have shifted their sourcing away from China due to escalating political tensions between Washington and Beijing and have imported more from countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, and India.Retailers may not be able to fully offset these tariffs, as countering the impact of the levies on Vietnam alone would require price increases of 10% to 12%, according to UBS analysts.With additional tariffs proposed across other key Asian sourcing hubs, the scenario of shifting production now looks far less viable, narrowing the set of effective mitigation levers available to brands, the UBS analysts added.The U.S. imported more than $15 billion in textiles and garments from Vietnam in 2024, which was roughly about 10% of Vietnams total U.S. exports, according to a Jefferies note.Nike produced half its footwear and roughly 30% of its apparel in Vietnam in its 2024 financial year, while Adidas relied on the Asian nation for 39% of its footwear and 18% of its apparel last year.Shares of Nike tumbled about 8% in premarket trading, while Adidas dropped more than 10% to a one-year low. Pumas shares fell 10.7% to hit their lowest level since November 2016.Rival sportswear makers, including Lululemon, Skechers, Under Armour, Hoka maker Deckers and On Holding were all down between 8% and 15% before the bell on Thursday.Nike, Adidas and Puma did not reply to requests for comment on the tariffs, while On said it was constantly monitoring the evolving situation.Helen Reid, Reuters

One of the worlds most iconic and controversial maps just got a major redesign. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York has unveiled the final version of an updated map of its subway system, marking the first time the map has had a full redesign since 1979. Its a visually bold, user-centric design that, according to the MTA, will make it easier for people to understand where theyre going and how to use the system. The new maps are expected to be installed in train cars and stations over the next few weeks.The map features bright, color-coded lines for each train line, which criss-cross a stylized map of the city in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal orientations. More abstract than the previous geographically representative map, the new map prioritizes visual clarity and accessible design over pure accuracy. With single-lined black text on a largely white background and black dots representing stations on bright colored route lines, the new map was designed to be easily read by people with varying levels of vision and color perception. Our approach was to make this map inclusive to all, said MTA chief customer officer Shanifah Rieara at a recent press conference unveiling the new design.[Image: MTA]A big part of the inclusivity is managed by simplifying the geography of the map, using abstracted forms to represent the boroughs and straight lines to represent subway routes that are in fact much more sinuous. Its an approach that was unveiled in the now-famous 1972 subway map designed by Massimo Vignelli and the design firm Unimark International. It was a minimalist design that became a source of controversy, and one literal debate. In 1978, Vignelli was pitted on stage against John Tauranac, then chair of the MTAs Subway Map committee, who wanted the system to have a more geographically representative map. Tauranacs approach won out, and the so-called spaghetti version of the map with winding routes and geographically accurate depictions became the map that has been used from 1979 until now.Though the printed map is being put into service as of this week, this design was first piloted back in 2021, and builds on Work & Cos live, interactive digital map of the system that has a similar Vignelli-inspired aesthetic. When the pilot design was first launched, an MTA official told Fast Company a final version of the map was expected within months.Four years later, the printed maps are finished. Part of the long gestation has to do with the way the MTA vetted the design, conducting rider surveys to learn more about how people use the map, and the ways some maps make using the system more difficult. Based on this feedback, the maps design evolved.[Photo: Marc A. Hermann/MTA]The biggest changes relate to some of the most challenging parts of riding a complicated, multi-lined subway system: the transfer. Steven Flamm, manager of mapping for MTAs Creative Services department, says the maps design was tweaked to improve the way the map visually explains how to transfer train lines, whether on the other side of a platform, through a tunnel, or across a street.Youll see a different treatment for hubs and complexes that make it more obvious, so people know they can get their trains in that station, says Flamm.The MTA sees the new map as a mix of the Vignelli designs minimalist simplicity and a more geographically accurate approach from the Tauranac version that helps people to navigate the system more easily. Design-minded riders may see more of the Vignelli in this new map, but that doesnt mean the Tauranac version in use for the last four decades has disappeared, according to MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber. The real superfans out there will recognize the colors that were established in the famous Tauranac map, he said.

Termination notices sent by billionaire Elon Musks cost-cutting team to U.S. Agency for International Development staff were so rife with errors that corrected versions are being issued to avoid affecting pensions and pay, according to five sources familiar with the issue.The Department of Government Efficiency did this so quickly that they screwed lots of stuff up, said a U.S. official, who requested anonymity, as did all of those who spoke to Reuters.The State Department, which is assuming some of USAIDs functions under the Trump administrations plan to cut U.S. foreign aid, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.USAIDs human resources staff, most of whom have been on paid administrative leave and face termination, have been brought back to the office to send out accurate notices, said the U.S. official and a person familiar with the matter.My letter was completely wrong, one USAID worker told Reuters on condition of anonymity. The only thing correct was my name.It is not the first time that inaccurate termination notices have upended the lives of USAID workers since U.S. President Donald Trump and Musk began in February to dismember Americas main conduit of foreign aid.A first round set April 21 as the final employment day for most personnel and May 30 for those tapped to help shutter the agency. Those dates were reset to July 1 or September 2 in the notices sent to some 3,500 USAID workers last Friday, two sources and workers said.Other errors included inaccurate start dates, lengths of service, and salaries, according to the person familiar with the matter, the U.S. official, two former senior USAID officials, a congressional aide, and four workers who received notices.Unless fixed, those mistakes could result in reduced or canceled pensions or inaccurate severance pay, the sources said.Several of the sources pointed to the U.S. Office of Personnel Managements retirement website that says federal workers annual pension annuity is based on their lengths of service and three highest average annual salaries.Reuters could not learn how many USAID personnel were issued faulty notices last Friday.SOME STAFF RECEIVED THREE INACCURATE NOTICESSeveral workers told Reuters that they and other colleagues received a third termination letter on Monday night still containing inaccurate information on promotions, tenure, and other data.One worker said the total federal service listed in their notice on Friday was short by three years and by six years in the notice they received on Monday.I actually have federal service dating to June 2008, said the worker. There doesnt seem to be any logic to the RIF (reduction in force) process.Weve got people who have served for 25 years and their notices are showing they served for only three, said the U.S. official. It affects their severance. It affects their future ability to retire.Trump assigned Musk, a major contributor to his 2024 election campaign whose companies have federal contracts worth billions of dollars, and DOGE to ferret out waste and fraud across the U.S. government.According to its website, the only official window into its operations, DOGE estimates it has saved U.S. taxpayers $140 billion as of April 2 through a series of actions including massive workforce cuts, asset sales, and contract cancellations.Its savings total is unverifiable and its calculations have contained errors and corrections. Musk has said DOGE will correct mistakes when it finds them.Since February, most USAID staff have been put on administrative leave, hundreds of contractors were fired and more than 5,000 programs terminated, disrupting global humanitarian aid operations on which millions depend.Some termination notices sent on Friday to USAID personnel did not account for requests to waive the July 1 termination date, including from overseas staff whose children still would be in school, according to three sources.Others had applied for waivers because they need more time to pack their homes and relocate to the U.S., the sources said.Some people have the wrong dates. Others have the wrong information, said the person with knowledge of the matter, adding that people given the wrong termination date cant return home unless their notices are reissued with the correct date.The person said that the error-filled notices were sent under the supervision of USAID acting administrators Jeremy Lewin, a DOGE operative, and Kenneth Jackson, who have been overseeing the agencys dismantlement.They report to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who Trump tapped as acting USAID administrator.Jonathan Landay and Patricia Zengerle, Reuters

Yesterday, President Donald Trump announced a slew of tariffs on nearly every country in the worldover 180 of them, notes CNBC. The tariffs Trump announced are higher than most economists and business leaders feared.Trump chose to hold off on announcing the tariffs until after the markets closed yesterday, and after seeing how those markets have since reacted, its easy to understand why. Individual stocks and the markets as a whole plummeted after the tariffs were revealed, and in premarket trading, those markets and stocks remain greatly depressed.Major American companies like Apple, Amazon, Nike, Tesla, and Walmart are seeing their share prices decline this morning, while Nasdaq, Dow, and S&P futures have fallen significantly.President Trumps tariffs explainedTrumps tariffs were announced yesterday on a day the president coined Liberation Day. Business leaders, economists, and global heads of state were on edge before the announcements, fearing just how high the tariffs would be.It turns out, in many cases, they were worse than expected.President Trump announced a minimum 10% tariff on nearly every country worldwide. That means that nearly every good that is imported into the United States will be slapped with a default 10% levya levy which will then either have to be absorbed by the U.S. company importing the product, leading to reduced profits, or passed on to American consumers, leading to increased prices.However, countries that were only hit with a 10% tariff could count themselves relatively lucky. Thats because Trump levied much higher tariffs against dozens of countries, which are also the countries from which American companies import most of their goods and parts.Here are some of the countries that got hit the hardest with high tariff rates:China: 54%Cambodia: 49%Vietnam: 46%Bangladesh: 37%Thailand: 36%Taiwan: 32%South Africa: 30%India: 26%Japan: 24%European Union (27 member states): 20%There are two big omissions from the list of key trading partners above: Canada and Mexico. Trump did not announce new tariffs on either country yesterday, but previous tariffs imposed on both nations remain in place, notes Reuters.Reactions from global leaders to the swatch of new tariffs have been vocal and swift. Many condemned Trumps tariffs and vowed to retaliate in kind, leading to fears that an all-out global tariff war is about to begin. Foreign stock markets have already fallen today, but the worst fall may be yet to come when U.S. markets open in just a few hours.American stock marketsand tech sharessinkAmerican investors are already not taking the news of Trumps tariffs well. As of the time of this writing, Americas three largest stock markets are down a significant amount, according to data from Yahoo Finance:S&P 500 Futures: down 3.23%Dow Futures: down 2.57%Nasdaq Futures: down 3.6%But things are even worse for many big-name tech stocks. Here is how many of Americas largest tech giants shares have reacted as of the time of this writing:Alphabet Inc.(Nasdaq: GOOG): down 2.76%Amazon.com, Inc.(Nasdaq: AMZN): down 5.7%Apple Inc.(Nasdaq: AAPL): down 7.4%Meta Platforms, Inc.(Nasdaq: META): down 4.23%Microsoft Corporation(Nasdaq: MSFT): down 2.27%NVIDIA Corporation(Nasdaq: NVDA): down 4.46%Shopify Inc. (Nasdaq: SHOP): down 10.13%Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited(NYSE: TSM): down 4.84%Tesla, Inc.(Nasdaq: TSLA): down 4.86%As you can see, some tech stocks are being hit worse than others. Apples shares are among the worst hit. A significant reason for that is that Apple manufactures most of its products in China, Vietnam, and Indiaall countries that got hit with some of the most considerable tariffs. That means that Apple will either need to absorb those costs or increase prices for consumers.If Apple does the former, it will reduce the companys margins and profitability. If it does the latter, fewer people may buy its products, reducing the companys profitability.Likewise, NVIDIA and TSMC shares are among the biggest tech losers since their products rely on supplies from some of the hardest-hit countries, including China and Taiwan. As for Amazon, many of the goods the company sellsfrom tech to clothingcome from a number of the hardest-hit countries, including China, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and more.Shopify is one of the hardest hit tech companies this morning, because many of the goods sellers on its platform offers originate from the countries that are hardest hit by Trumps tariffs.As for Tesla, many of the components that go into its electric vehicles are sourced from overseas. Even tech giants that dont generate too much of their revenue from selling physical goods imported from overseaslike Meta and Googleare seeing their share prices fall, because those companies rely on infrastructure made overseas, like servers, to keep their businesses going.Physical retailers and apparel makers see stock prices get hit, tooBut its not just Americas tech stocks that are getting hammered. Here is how many of Americas largest retailers and apparel makers shares are reacting:Costco Wholesale Corporation(Nasdaq: COST): down 3.4%Lululemon Athletica Inc.(LULU): down 12.48%NIKE, Inc.(NYSE: NKE): down 9.6%Target Corporation(TGT): down 5.12%Walmart Inc.(NYSE: WMT): down 4.96%Much of the apparel Americans buy comes from countries like China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indiaall of which were hit hard by Trumps tariffs. Its no wonder then that apparel makers, including Lululemon and Nike, are seeing some of the biggest share price drops today.And just as Amazon and Shopify are seeing large declines in their stock prices, Americas brick-and-mortar retailers are as wellagain, due to the fact that they import many of their goods from the countries hit hardest by Trumps tariffs. These retailers include Costco, Target, and Walmart.How will the tariffs affect me?Every American will likely be affected by Trumps tariffs. This will primarily happen in two ways.First, Americans will likely see most of the goods they buyfrom gadgets to food to clothing to carsjump in price over the next days and weeks. This means Americans money will be able to buy less, and Americans with lower incomes will be hit harder than those with higher incomes because they already have less discretionary spending power.Second, as of this morning, many Americans who invest directly or indirectly in the stock marketwhether through a brokerage account, 401 (k), or pension planwill likely see their investments be hit. Those who dont need to tap into these funds for years or decades may be able to ride out the tariff storm. But those older Americans who are or will be tapping into their investments in the coming weeks will, if the stock price declines today hold, see that their investments are worth less than they were before the tariffs went into effect.However, as poorly as the markets have already reacted after Trumps tariff announcements yesterday, things could get even worse in the days ahead. Thats because we do not yet know how, exactly, other countries will respond. If they respond as strongly in kindand its likely many will, including trading powerhouse Chinathen many experts fear that Trumps tariff wars could lead to another global recession like the one the world has not seen since 2008.

Sweeping new tariffs announced Wednesday by U.S. President Donald Trump provoked dismay, threats of countermeasures, and calls for further negotiations to make trade rules fairer.But responses were measured, highlighting a lack of appetite among key trading partners for an outright trade war with the worlds biggest economy.Trump said the import taxes, ranging from 10% to 49%, would do to U.S. trading partners what they have long done to the U.S. He maintains they will draw factories and jobs back to the United States.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said they are a major blow to the world economy, while Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said they will have a great impact on U.S.-Japan relations and Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for emergency measures to support industries affected by the tariffs.Asian markets fell in Thursday trading and U.S. futures tumbled.Heres the latest:Norways foreign minister says tariffs hurt NATO alliesNorways Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the new U.S. tariffs may violate NATOs Article 2, which stresses the importance of economic cooperation among allies to avoid conflict.If you want a strong NATO, you should ensure that there is as much economic growth as possible in the NATO countries. That was the insight of those who established NATO, that economic cooperation would be good for the entire alliance, Eide said during a visit to Brussels for a NATO meeting, according to the NRK broadcaster.Eide told NRK that he will raise the tariff war with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the meeting.Polish prime minister says tariffs may shave off 0.4% of GDPPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the new U.S. tariffs many reduce Polands GDP by 0.4%.He said it was a severe and unpleasant blow, because it comes from the closest ally, but we will survive it. The Polish-U.S. friendship, he added, must also survive this test.Spanish PM announces measures to mitigate U.S. tariffsSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez said Thursday that his government will implement a $15.6 billion (14.1 billion euro) spending package to mitigate the effects of U.S. tariffs on the eurozones fourth-largest economy.The Spanish leader called the tariffs 19th-century protectionism, against which the European Union and Spain had to act proactively and diversify their economic ties with the rest of the world.Snchez also called for a negotiated solution with the U.S. Were once again asking President Trump to reconsider, to sit down at the negotiating table with the European Union and also with the rest of the world.Australia puzzled by tariffs on remote islandsThe local government leader of Christmas Island, one of several Australian external island territories that like Australia have been assigned a 10% U.S. tariff, said his Indian Ocean atoll exported nothing to the United States.The Australian outpost of fewer than 2,000 people 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta has used U.S. heavy machinery to mine phosphate for decades, Christmas Island Shire President Gordon Thomson said.The uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands in the remote Antarctic are another Australian territory included in the 10% tariff. The mostly barren islands include two active volcanoes and can only be reached by sea.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia imposes no tariffs on U.S. imports. The U.S. and Australia have a free trade agreement.Hong Kong urges U.S. to withdraw tariffsHong Kong strongly opposed the extra tariffs announced by Trump and urged the U.S. to withdraw them. It said Hong Kong, as a free port, always practices free trade and doesnt impose tariffs on imported goods, including those from the U.S.It said the U.S. had a trade surplus of $271.5 billion with the semiautonomous Chinese territory over the past decade, the highest among its global trading partners.The U.S. imposing tariffs on Hong Kong products as so-called reciprocal tariffs defies logic, Hong Kongs government said in a statement, adding that it would take measures including filing complaints with the WTO.Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to China in 1997, has a different economic and political system from mainland China that allows it to set its own policies most of the time.India wants to expedite trade talks with U.S.Indias Trade Ministry is assessing the latest U.S. tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. It said the Indian government strives to expedite the negotiations for a trade agreement with the U.S. to potentially garner some concessions and offset the impact of higher import taxes.The agreement, first tranche of which is expected to be in place by the fall, would focus on enabling both nations to boost trade, investments, and technology transfers in addition to deepening supply chain integrations, it said.We remain in touch with the Trump administration and expect to take them forward in the coming days, it said.The U.S was New Delhis biggest trading partner in 2024 with trade estimated at $129 billion. The countries have now set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.Stock market in Vietnam plunges and people rush to buy goldVietnams stock market plunged Thursday while gold prices reached a record high after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped 46% tariffs on Vietnams exports. Meanwhile people lined up to buy gold in Hanoi despite the high prices.Investing in gold would be at lower risk because the economy is very uncertain at the moment, said Nguyen Trung, a buyer.Vietnam has long realized that it was too reliant on the U.S. and has been diversifying its trade relations by signing free trade agreements with over a dozen countries, said Dan Martin, international business adviser of Dezan Shira & Associates.The lesson is clear now, the reliance that Vietnam had as a U.S. export market, its not safe, he said.Especially hard-hit will be the garments and sportswear section, including household names like Adidas and Nike. Nike made of its shoes and about a third of its clothes in Vietnam last year, while factories in Vietnam made 39% of Adidass shoes and 18% of its clothes.U.S. tariffs on goods from Vietnam among the highest on any countryVietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that the country still hoped to reach its economic growth target of at least 8% despite the Trump administration imposing 46% tariffs on its exports.Chinh chaired a Cabinet meeting Thursday to assess the impact of the tariffs, among the highest imposed on any country, and said that Vietnam hoped that U.S. policy would be consistent with the good relations between the two countries. He added that Vietnam was still overcoming the consequences of the long war between the two nations.The tariffs will deal a severe blow to Vietnam since the U.S. is its largest export market. Exports to the U.S., valued at $142 billion, in 2021 made up a third of the countrys GDP.Ukrainian minister says her country can get better tariff conditions from U.S.Ukraine is working to get better tariff conditions from the United States, Ukrainian Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko wrote on her X account.Svyrydenko says Ukrainian tariffs on U.S. goods are quite low and that Ukraine imported more goods from the U.S. in 2024 than exported to the country.She said the 10% tariff Trump imposed on Ukrainian goods will mainly impact small producers. Ukraine has something to offer the United States as a reliable ally and partner. Both our countries will benefit from fair tariffs, she wrote.Japan PM regrets U.S. tariffs and says ready to negotiate with TrumpJapanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said it was extremely regrettable that the United States slapped the 25% auto tariff on Japan despite its huge contribution to the U.S. economy.Japanese companies have been the worlds biggest investors in the U.S. since 2019, especially automakers, creating jobs for millions of Americans, Ishiba said.Ishiba said Japan will continue to strongly request the United States to reconsider its tariffs measures and that he will directly negotiate with Trump, whenever it is considered appropriate. I will do so at a most appropriate time and method without hesitation.Germanys Scholz says tariffs are an attack on global tradeGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz says the tariffs are an attack on a trading system that brought global prosperity and that America itself helped design.Scholz said Thursday the whole global economy will suffer from these decisions that havent been thought through. He added that the U.S. administration is setting off on a road at the end of which there will only be losers.Scholz said in Berlin that this is an attack on a trading order that has created prosperity across the globea trading order that is also to a very significant extent the result of American efforts.Fiji criticizes tariffs as disproportionate and unfairAmong the small island nations of the South Pacific Ocean, a few were singled out for higher tariff rates than the 10% baseline. Fijis Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad on Thursday criticized as disproportionate and unfair the 32% tariffs announced on Fijis exports to the U.S.The U.S. is a major trading partner for the nation of 924,000 people, accounting for 10% of total imports and exports, Prasad said Thursday on social media. Fijis biggest export to the U.S. is bottled water, with its most famous brandFiji Waterowned by a U.S. conglomerate.The U.S. administration justified Fijis higher tariffs with a claim that the Pacific nation imposes 63% tariffs on American goods arriving on its shores. Prasad rejected that figure, telling reporters that Fiji does not impose such tariff rates on any country.There are no winners in trade wars, Chinas Foreign Ministry saysA Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson says there are no winners in trade wars and tariff wars, and protectionism is not a way out. What the U.S. should do is to correct its wrong practices and resolve trade disputes with all countries, including China, through consultations based on equality, mutual respect, and mutual benefit.Guo Jiakun added that the tariffs violate WTO rules, harm the common interests of people of all countries, and do not help solve the problems of the U.S. itself. It is clear to everyone that more and more countries are opposing the U.S.s unilateral bullying actions, such as imposing tariffs.Israeli finance minister says his office is analyzing tariff implicationsIsraeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says his office is studying Trumps tariff order and analyzing its implications for the economy, in the countrys first reaction to Trumps announcement of a 17% tariff on imports from Israel.On Wednesday, ahead of Trumps announcement, Israel cancelled all remaining tariffs on imports from the U.S. The Prime Ministers Office said in a statement the move would go into effect after final approval by the economy minister and the parliaments finance committee.Smotrich said in a statement on X he was talking with industry leaders about Trumps new order and would meet Thursday with the Finance Ministry leadership to decide on courses of action in response to it.Spains economy minister says negotiations with U.S. essentialSpains Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said a negotiated solution with the United States was essential for the eurozones fourth-largest economy, but that Spain was prepared to take steps to protect its companies and industries.We have a lot at stake. We have to protect the very important trade and economic relationship we have between the planets two biggest partners, Cuerpo said in an interview Thursday with the RNE radio station after the U.S. announced 20% tariffs against the European Union.German economy minister says this day will become U.S. Inflation DayThis day is not going to become Liberation Day for consumers in the U.S., but Inflation Day, said Germanys vice chancellor and economy minister, Robert Habeck. The U.S. mania for tariffs could set off a spiral that could also pull countries into recession and cause massive damage worldwide.We have always pushed for negotiations, not confrontation. That remains right, Habeck said. So it is good that the European Commission still aims for a negotiated solution with the U.S. There is still some time for that. But if the U.S. doesnt want a negotiated solution, the EU will give a balanced, clear and determined answer. We have prepared for this.Germanys main industry federation calls for a coordinated reaction to tariffsGermanys main industry lobby group, the Federation of German Industries, said that the EU must now strengthen its alliances with other major trading partners and should coordinate its reaction with them. A coordinated reaction is also necessary to counter diversionary effects in international trade.The group, known by its German acronym BDI, said that the tariffs are an unprecedented attack on the international trade system, free trade and global supply chains. The reasoning for this protectionist escalation is incomprehensible.The United States was Germanys biggest single trading partner last year for the first time since 2015, displacing China.UKs Starmer vows to act with cool and calm heads to Trumps tariffsPrime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. government would react with cool and calm heads to Trumps announcement of a 10% tariff on imports from Britain.Starmer told business leaders gathered in 10 Downing St. that clearly there will be an economic impact, but that he still hoped to get tariffs lifted through a trade deal with Washington.Negotiations on an economic prosperity deal one that strengthens our existing trading relationship they continue and we will fight for the best deal for Britain, Starmer said.Nobody wins in a trade war. That is not in our national interest, he added.Honda CEO says company will take some time to determine how to respond to tariffsHonda Chief Executive Toshihiro Mibe says the Japanese automaker will take some time to look at the market situation and other factors to determine the right way to respond to Trumps tariffs.Sudden changes like this are tough as its hard to respond speedily, he told reporters on Thursday.Taiwan calls US tariffs strongly unreasonableTaiwan responded to the imposition of a 32% tariff on its high-tech economy by calling it strongly unreasonable and highly regrettable, adding it would lodge solemn representations with the United States.The proposed tax rate does not reflect the actual economic and trade situation between Taiwan and the United States (and) is unfair to Taiwan, Cabinet spokesperson Lee Hui-chih said in an official news release.Lee said the tariff calculation method was unscientific and unclear and cannot reflect the high degree of complementarity in the trade structure between Taiwan and the U.S. and the actual trade relationship.Taiwans exports to the U.S. and corresponding trade surplus have risen significantly in recent years, mainly reflecting the surge in demand from U.S. customers for semiconductors and related products, especially AI products, Lee said.British officials say they will push to secure a free trade deal with USThe British government says it will push to secure a free trade deal with the United States rather than retaliate after Trump slapped a 10% tariff on U.K. goods.Labelling the announcement a disappointment, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Im pleased the U.K. is in a better position than other countries, but Im not satisfied.Reynolds told Sky News that the message he was hearing from businesses was remain at the table, dont overreact.Britain argues that it has a broadly balanced trade relationship with the U.S., and has been negotiating with Washington on a trade deal in hope of escaping import taxes.Japans prime minister says tariffs will have a great impact on U.S.-Japan relationsJapanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba says the tariffs are a matter of great concern and stressed that Japans contributions to the American economy are significant both in terms of investment and jobs.He said he repeatedly made his case with the Trump administration not to move ahead with the tariffs.They will have a great impact not only on U.S.-Japanese economic relations but also on the global economy and various trade relations overall, Ishiba told reporters Thursday.We as the government will work as one to decisively protect peoples lives, jobs and industries, he added.Thailand says it is ready to negotiate with US over trade balanceThe Thai prime minister says her country is ready to negotiate with the U.S. to find a fair trade balance for both sides, after Trump announced 36% tariffs on Thailand.Paetongtarn Shinawatra said Thursday that Thailand is committed to working with the U.S. to achieve sustainable economic growth.She added that Thai exporters should also look for additional markets for their products to reduce their risk of relying on one main market.Indian analysts see opportunity in supply chain realignmentsIndian exporters and analysts say Trumps new tariffs are a mixed bag for the country.Trump announced a reciprocal tariff of 26% for India, as compared to 34% for China, 46% for Vietnam, 37% for Bangladesh and 36% for Thailand.Observers said Thursday the move will likely impact Indian industry and pressure jobs, but that there is room for new business to come in since India is in a lower band than its Asian peers.These tariffs do present challenges, but Indias position remains comparatively favorable, said S.C Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Exports Organisations.Ajay Srivastava, a former Indian trade official and founder of the New Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, said the protectionist tariff regime could be a catalyst for India to gain from global supply chain realignments.South and Southeast Asia are targeted with some of the highest tariff ratesVietnam, Sri Lanka and other countries across South and Southeast Asia are the targets of some of the highest tariff rates.Trump imposed 46% reciprocal duties on goods from Vietnam, 49% on products from Cambodia, 37% on Bangladesh and 44% on Sri Lanka.The duties will affect domestic exporters to the U.S. but also Chinese, Japanese and South Korean companies that have over the past few years shifted production to Southeast Asian nations to escape the trade frictions during Trumps first term in office.Automaker Stellantis will shut down its assembly plant in Windsor, Canada, for 2 weeksAutomaker Stellantis will shut down its assembly plant in Windsor, Canada, for two weeks from April 7, the local union said late Wednesday.The president of Unifor Local 444, James Stewart, said more scheduling changes were expected in coming weeks.The company said there are multiple factors at play, with the primary driver behind the final decision being this afternoons announcement from U.S. President Donald Trump of the U.S. tariffs, Stewart said. This has and continues to create uncertainty across the entire auto industry. This is not just affecting our plantits impacting facilities in the U.S. and Mexico as well.EU leader says tariffs are a major blow to the world economyEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the tariffs are a major blow to the world economy.The consequences will be dire for millions of people around the globe, von der Leyen said. Groceries, transport and medicines will cost more, she said, And this is hurting, in particular, the most vulnerable citizens.Von der Leyen acknowledged that the world trading system has serious deficiencies and said the EU was ready to negotiate with the U.S.Japans chief cabinet secretary calls tariffs extremely regrettableJapans chief cabinet secretary has called the tariffs extremely regrettable, saying officials thought the country deserved an exemption, after Trump slapped 24% additional tariffs on Japan.Yoshimasa Hayashi on Thursday also questioned whether the tariffs are compatible with Japan-U.S. bilateral trade agreements and said the move would likely impact their economic ties, as well as the global economy and multilateral trade system.He said Japanese officials are continuing to negotiate with Washington seeking an exemption. Asked if Japan would consider retaliatory tariffs or file complaints with the World Trade Organization, Hayashi declined to comment.Asian markets tumble following Trumps tariff announcementTokyos Nikkei 225 index dipped more than 3.4%, while the Kospi in South Korea dropped 1.8%. In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 also sank 1.8%.U.S. stocks whipped through another dizzying day before Trumps unveiled the tariffs Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.7%, and the Dow gained 0.6%. The Nasdaq composite surged 0.9%.Tesla swung from a sharp loss in the morning to a gain later in the day to help pull the market higher. Treasury yields also veered from lower to higher following a better-than-expected report on the job market. Read more about markets reaction to the tariffsHouse majority whip praises Trumps actions, including tariffs, during town hallHouse Majority Whip Tom Emmer fielded mostly friendly questions during an hourlong telephone town hall with constituents in Minnesota.House Speaker Mike Johnson has encouraged Republican lawmakers to avoid holding in-person town halls where theyd run the risk of hostile questioning and protesters.Emmer extensively praised the actions that Trump has been taking in his first months back in office, including the tariffs he announced earlier Wednesday.How about we give this guy some grace while he tried to actually do what hes been campaigning on for years and his mission to protect American companies and workers? Emmer said. Theres still going to be some choppy waters, but when we come out the other side, its going to be much better than it was beforehand, and certainly much better than it was the last four years.South Korea prime minister calls for emergency measures to support industries affected by tariffsSouth Koreas acting leader called for swift emergency measures to support the auto industry and other businesses potentially affected by the Trump administrations new tariffs, pledging full government efforts to address what he described as a looming global tariff war.During an emergency government meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also instructed officials to work with business groups to analyze the impact of the U.S. tariff increases and actively engage in negotiations with Washington to minimize damage to South Koreas economy, the trade ministry said.Han, serving as South Koreas acting leader while President Yoon Suk Yeol remains impeached over his December imposition of martial law, convened the meeting with trade and foreign policy officials after Trump announced a 25% tariff on South Korea.Associated Press

Ikeas new collection is all about accessibility.The furniture makers new Bsingen collection, which is available this month, includes six items for the bathroom that the company designed to be easy to use for people with disabilities: a shower chair, two kids of stools with rails, a towel rail, a shower shelf, and a toilet roll holder. The products range from about $12 to about $39.The collection was designed to be sturdy and non-slippery, with tube handles on the stools and that are thick for an easy grip. The dark color for the products in the collections was also chosen so the items would be easily visible, but stylish enough so to be something youd want to keep out in view, Ikea says.Sarah Fager, Ikeas senior designer, said she started working on the Bsingen collection by wanting to learn more about the needs and wishes of people with physical limitations. She said it was one of her most challenging design projects because it was about meeting needs that were new to me, but it was also one of her most enlightening.The products were created to bring great functionality together with a beautiful design, as they have a minimalistic expression that is rooted in our Scandinavian design tradition, she said. Bsingen is designed to help customers create a comfortable experience.At least 61 million U.S. adults have at least one disability, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows. Some may have more requirements than the average user for household products, like stools with handles they can hold onto for stability for safety in the bathroom or shower.Global sales of assistive furniture reached an estimated $4.93 billion in 2024, according to data from Fact.MR, a market research firm. And Ikea isnt the only furniture maker thats designing for accessibility. Last year, Pottery Barn added optional, accessible features to three of its most popular furniture lines. Ikea released Omtnksam, a collection of ergonomic products for comfort and support in 2020.There are many people who experience impactful and common circumstantial changes that can make something as simple as taking a shower challenging, Ikea product design developer Watts Zijlstra said in a statement. Yet, we see that the home environment is often not equipped for change. The starting point for Bsingen was a clear need for specific product functions.

Walking around the factory floor of Twincraft Skincare, outside Burlington, Vermont, there is the unmistakable scent of soap. The general manager points out the luxury lines and designer labels for whom they manufacture soaps and lotions, as well as the basic, inexpensive bars and bottles left on hotel room sinks. The factory runs two 10-hour shifts per day, four days a week, with an overtime option as needed. At over 400 employees, Twincraft is one of the top employers in the state.In the last few years, theres been a boom in skincare products and, to meet demand,Michele Asch, Twincrafts chief people officer, says theyve had to hire over 180 people over the past 18 months.But, pre-pandemic, Asch had begun to notice a problem in hiring workers: People couldnt find local childcare. One standout employee, she recalls, spent an hour driving each morning to drop her kids off in two different towns before driving to workthough she lived only 15 minutes away.In 2020, Asch met with Aly Richards, the director of Lets Grow Kids, the organization responsible for spearheading the decade-long campaign to provide a comprehensive fix for the states childcare shortage. Via Zoom, Asch recalls asking, Aly, we make skincare. Cant I just pay into a system so we can get this childcare fixed?But fixed isnt so simple for childcare. Childcare is an industry in crisis, where the demand is high, the supply is low, and market forces alone cannot correct it. The high teacher-to-student ratios required for childcare mean that parents pay high costsoften more than they can reasonably affordwhile providers are compensated little.Many providers rely on public benefits or are unable to afford sending their own children to the childcare locations in which they work. Like Aschs employee who had to drive an hour to find care, half of the country is living in childcare deserts, where no workable care options exist.Vermont is in a deep demographic crisis now, says Richards. With a dwindling and aging population, Vermont was losing potential workers and the tax base that accompanies it. Many women with education and careers would work if they had access to affordable childcare. And if businesses, like Twincraft, wanted to stay, grow, and manufacture products in the state, they needed to find a way to retain young employees and bring new ones in.Richards appointed Asch to the board of Lets Grow Kids and to the CEO Task Force, a group assigned to devise a funding plan for childcare that business leaders in the state could get behind, facilitated by a former state tax commissioner. Initially, the task force was adamantly against a payroll tax to finance childcare. But after exploring every funding optionincluding an income tax and property taxthe payroll tax emerged as the solution that checked every box, according to Asch. A payroll tax allowed the payment burden of the childcare program to be placed on workers, not retirees. As more people took advantage of the program and went to work, the revenue stream would grow.Asch began speaking one-on-one with business leaders on the need to invest in childcare. She personally invited other manufacturing leaders in the state to meet with Richards, vet the proposal, and ask any and all pointed questions. The Twincraft conference room was filled with business leaders of Vermonts most recognizable brands: Bag Balm, Runamok Maple, Birrn Chocolates, Vermont Creamery, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Burtons Snowboard, and Mamava.Those peer-to-peer conversations were critically important, explains Richards, because you have a trusted business partner running a successful business. They can literally say, Ive studied this deeply with my values and my prowess and Im here to tell you, [this] is the deal with childcare in summary form.Childcare is necessary infrastructure for doing businessChildcare has long been a social policy issue without a designated home. It is part education, part parenting, part economicsas obstacles to childcare remain one of the top reasons that parents cannot access paid work. Even in message testing surrounding childcare, arguments about the economic and workforce benefits are considered the most persuasive. Data from Lets Grow Kids and the University of Vermont estimated that with the additional childcare funds in the state, 5,000 additional parents could participate in Vermonts workforce, and by parents paying less for care and receiving more income as wage-earners, and providers receiving more, there would be a $375 million annual boost to the states economy due to such influx.Aschs biggest challenge wasnt that her business colleagues disagreed with the need for childcare, but that they didnt fully understand why this state-organized effort funded by the payroll tax was the proposed solution. Once they understood [the childcare plan] they would enthusiastically or reluctantly support it,she said. I dont pay individually to have our roads done. I pay into a system to have the trucks come in to pick up the soap. [Childcare] is necessary infrastructure for doing business.In January of 2023, Vermonts business leaders testified in support of the childcare legislation, now named Act 76, in front of the states Senate Economic Development Committee, both for the need for childcare to support their employees and hire more, and to show their willingness to shoulder the payroll tax that accompanied it. Cara Tobin, a chef and mother of two whod opened the restaurant Honey Road in Burlington and become a James Beard finalist, testified that it was easier to open a restaurant than find childcare. Tobin was one of 10 business leaders who testified in support of Act 76, including a cross-section of business interests of the state: a solar company, an entrepreneur, a ski resort, and, of course, manufacturers.In June 2023, the legislation passed with bipartisan support, and after a veto from the governor, passed with a bipartisan veto override. The payroll tax took effect in July 2024: 0.44% split between employees (0.11%) and employers (0.33%). Some employers, Twincraft among them, have opted to cover the entire tax for their workers. In January 2024, childcare providers began seeing a change in compensation, and since the legislation has taken effect, childcare supply has boomed in the state: 90 new childcare programs have opened, with a net gain of 1,000 new childcare spots. For the first time since 2018, more childcare programs have opened in the state than closed.Asch has noticed that more of her employees can find childcare closer to where they work, and have more affordable options and therefore less stress, she said. Shes exploring opening a childcare center adjacent to Twincraft.Tobins youngest child went to kindergarten when Act 76 took effect; she hasnt been able to personally take advantage of the program, but her restaurant employees have. I see it working for other people for sure, Tobin said. This completes the circle: You are supporting your workers who can make money, then spend money in the community, and it keeps coming back around. When we support the community, they support us.

As of this year, EV chargers now outnumber gas pumps in the state of California.The state has an estimated 178,000 shared chargers for electric carsnot counting another 700,000 private chargers that are installed in single-family homes, according to the California Energy Commission. Thats compared to roughly 120,000 gas pumps across the state.The number of EV chargers nearly doubled since 2023, though part of the increase came from identifying charging stations that hadnt previously been counted. The official stats include both public chargers and those that are shared at workplaces or in apartment buildings.Its still only a fraction of the number of chargers that are coming. By the most recent estimate, California will need around 1 million public and shared private chargers by 2030, enough to support the estimated 7 million light-duty electric vehicles that may be on the road by then. By 2035, when a rule requiring new vehicles to be electric will go into effectthe state could need more than 2 million shared EV chargers. (Thats assuming the rule survives Trumps attempts to kill it.)For drivers who own a house with a garage, charging overnight at home can easily cover most needs. Still, those drivers obviously need access to public chargers for longer trips. And around 45% of Californians are renters who dont have garages of their own. New building codes require new apartment buildings to make parking spaces EV ready, and also apply to existing parking spaces when older buildings are renovated or expanded. Renters also have the right to install chargers themselves when they have a designated parking space. The rules also require a certain number of parking spaces at motels and retail and commercial parking lots to be EV ready. Retrofitting the existing stock of multifamily dwellings with chargers is a substantial challenge, says Esther Conrad, a research manager at Stanford University who has studied the rollout of EV chargers.Charging EVs takes substantially longer than filling up with gas, which is the main reason so why more charging ports are needed than gas pumpsboth in order to prevent bottlenecks at charging stations and because chargers are used in different places, from parking lots to street parking in cities. But as charging tech and vehicles improve, the total number of chargers that are needed is likely to shrink from current estimates, says Harrison Reilly, a spokesperson for the California Energy Commission. (In China, tech is already much farther ahead, with some new cars capable of charging in roughly as quickly as it takes to pump gas.) The state will publish a new estimate of charging needs later this year.For the moment, Reilly says, there are enough chargers to support the number of light-duty EVs that are on California roads. Thats a major milestone; with nearly 2 million electric cars and light-duty trucks, California also has more EVs than any other state. Last year, around 25% of all new car sales there were electric.Other states can learn from Californias policy. First, states should be developing clear and ambitious EV targets, especially as the federal government pulls back on some of the targets for the transition, says Jeff Prosserman, CEO and cofounder of Voltpost, a company that converts streetlights so they can double as curbside EV chargers. They were leading the charge by looking to have as a mandate 100% of new car sales to be electric by 2035.The states requirement for new apartment buildings to add EV chargers is critical. It has also provided important financial support, including grants to add chargers in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and has pushed to help streamline permitting so projects can be built faster.There are still obstacles as it moves forward. One of the big challenges is the need for additional grid capacity to handle all of the charging, says Conrad, though the state is trying to help address that. She says that even more funding is needed to add chargers in some locations where private developers might not otherwise build them. As the Trump administration tries to cancel promised support for EV chargers, it puts more financial pressure on the state.But the network is still quickly growing now. Voltpost, for example, is moving forward on a project to add curbside EV chargers in some neighborhoods in San Francisco. Its in no way impacted by federal policyits state and city-driven, says Prosserman.From what weve seen at Voltpost, progressive states like California are going to continue providing funding opportunities to meet their climate targets with or without support from the federal government, he says.

Four years ago, if you found yourself at one particular intersection of Buenos Aires, you would see a nondescript, three-story parking garage with no cars inside. That building still existsbut its completely unrecognizable.Today, that structure looks like a stubby, UFO-like tower mushrooming from a concrete pedestal with a landscaped ramp curving upward. The metamorphosis is thanks to a multiyear project by New York architecture firm ODA.Ola Palermo, as the reimagined structure is known, has become a mixed-use building with cafs, restaurants, and Class A office space. The cherry on top of this (concrete) cake is an open-air promenade that peels off the sidewalk, winds up to what used to be the roof of the garage, blossoms into a rooftop park, then winds back down to the other side of the building. In a structure once defined by cars, the ramp is now be synonymous with people.[Photo: Alan Karchmer/courtesy ODA]To demolish or not to demolishODA (ranked among the Worlds Most Innovative Companies of 2025 by Fast Company)has a history of working on adaptive reuse projects, including Detroits Book Tower and 10 Jay Street in Brooklyn, but when founder Eran Chen first heard about the project from real estate firm BSD Investments, it was presented to him as an empty site.The building, which had been vacant for years, sits on a tricky plot sandwiched between two busy roads and an elevated train line. It is very close to the edge of Tres de Febrero Park (also known as Bosques de Palermo, or Palermo Woods), but before ODA got involved the two were not connected.[Image: courtesy ODA]Before arriving on-site, Chen had considered demolishing the parking garage, but when he saw the building, the idea just clicked. The building immediately captured my imagination, Chen says, noting the first thing that surprised him was the structures ceiling height. Most parking garages have low ceilings, which makes them challenging to convertthis one had a 14- to 15-foot ceiling. (For perspective: Most homes have 8- to 9-foot ceilings.) The ceiling had a waffle design, which looks like a grid of intersecting beams that create a pattern of recessed squares. This helped distribute the weight of the ceiling evenly, allowing it to span large areas without the need for additional columns for support, and creating a more open and flexible space for the buildings use.[Photo: Alan Karchmer/courtesy ODA]To top it all off, the roof afforded a clear 360-degree view. On one side, you could see through Palermo Woods, all the way to downtown Buenos Aires. On the other, theres a private racetrack and polo fields that people can visit only if they have exclusive memberships. On one side you have the haves, and on the other, you have everybody else, and this is smack dab in between the two, says Chen. He saw the rooftop as an opportunity to turn the tables and allow the parks visitors to look down on the exclusive grounds and catch a (free) glimpse of any events that take place there.[Photo: Alan Karchmer/courtesy ODA]Form follows experiencesODA kept 80% of the original structure to create a 160,000-square-foot building. A quarter of this surfaceabout 40,000 square feetis dedicated to public terraces, green spaces, and the open-air promenade. The rest is taken up by restaurants, cafs, and retail spaces. Parking for 250 cars is also available on the ground floor.But the program, or function, of the building wasnt always clear. The area isnt zoned for residential use, and commercial use wasnt the obvious choice, says Chen, as most companies who could afford rent for a modern office building would opt for a space in downtown Buenos Aires. Retail, which thrives on heavy footfall, wasnt obvious either since the site is so isolated and on the edge of the city.[Photo: Alan Karchmer/courtesy ODA]But for many years now, Chen has been honing a new mantra. Form should not follow function anymore. Form should follow experiences, he says. If we design buildings for the human experience, people will visit these buildingsand enjoy themregardless of the program. In other words, build it and they will come? I ask. Build it well and they will come, he says. An important distinction.To turn the building into an irresistible destination, ODA made four incisions. They carved out one courtyard to let light into the widest part of the building, and shaved off slivers of the facade to make room for two sets of stairs and the ramp.These incisions amount to 20% of the floor area, but the architects didnt lose that space; they redistributed it. At one end of the building, there once was a water tower that rose above the areas height restrictions. The tower was obsolete, so Chen convinced the city to remove it. In its place, Chens team built a four-story tower based on the memory of the water tower. This concrete mushroom as he calls it, now rises above the rest of the structure, holding its most premium office spaces.[Photo: Alan Karchmer/courtesy ODA]A blueprint for the U.S.The resulting building is what Chen calls a win-win-win. It benefits city agencies because it makes a meaningful contribution to the public realm. It benefits the local community, which now has access to a public rooftop park. And it benefits the developer, who saved on construction costs (no new foundations were required) by not demolishing the building.It also benefits the environment, since giving buildings a second chance, as Chen puts it, can help lower the environmental footprint associated with building anew. (Though there could be costs associated with bringing an old building up to code.)Cities are filled with structures that are either dated or unnecessary, and of course, a big chunk of it is parking garages, Chen says.Already, architects are starting to build future-proof parking garages like this multistory car park in Calgary, Alberta, that was specifically designed to transform into a 600-person office or 50-unit residential building if (and when) the need arises.But Chen believes that residential and commercial are not the only options, especially if the buildings ceilings are low, as they often are. He includes indoor/outdoor sports venues, like pickleball courts; urban farms; and even open-air markets among the possibilities. The key, he says, is not to be fixated on the obvious programs that people might think of.

As the deadline to strike a deal over TikTok approaches this week, President Donald Trump has signaled that he is confident his administration can broker an agreement with ByteDance, the social media apps China-based parent company.Speaking with reporters on Air Force One late Sunday, Trump said that theres tremendous interest in TikTok. He added that he would like to see TikTok remain alive. The presidents comments came less than one week before an April deadline requiring ByteDance to divest or face a ban in the United States.We have a lot of potential buyers, Trump said.Trump also said that the administration is dealing with China who also want it because they may have something to do with it. Last week, Trump said he wouldconsider a reduction in tariffson China if that countrys government approves a sale of TikToks operations in the U.S.Questions about the fate of the popular video sharing app have continued to linger since a law requiring ByteDances divestment took effect on January 19. After taking office, Trump gave TikTok a 75-day reprieve by signing an executive order that delayed enforcement of the statute until April 5.During his first term, Trump tried to ban TikTok on national security grounds, which was halted by the courts before his administration negotiated a sale of the platform that eventually failed to materialize. He changed his position on the popular app during last years presidential election and has credited the platform with helping him win more young voters.I won the young vote by 36 points. Republicans generally dont do very well with the young vote, he said Sunday. I think a lot of it could have been TikTok.Trump has said that the deadline on a TikTok deal could be extended further if needed. He previously proposed terms in which the U.S. would have a 50% stake in a joint venture. The administration hasnt provided details on what that type of deal would entail.TikTok and ByteDance have not publicly commented on the talks. Its also unclear if ByteDance has changed its position on selling TikTok, which it said early last year it does not plan to do.What will happen on April 5?If TikTok is not sold to an approved buyer by April 5, the original law that bans it nationwide would once again go into effect. However, the deadline for the executive order doesnt appear to be set in stone and the president has reiterated it could be extended further if needed.Trumps order came a few days after theSupreme Court unanimously upheld a federal lawthat required ByteDance to divest or be banned in January. The day after the ruling, TikTok went dark for U.S. users and came back online after Trump vowed to stall the ban.The decision to keep TikTok alive through an executive order has received some scrutiny, but it has not faced a legal challenge in court.Who wants to buy TikTok?Although its unclear if ByteDance plans to sell TikTok, several potential bidders have come forward in the past few months.Aides for Vice President JDVance, who was tapped to oversee a potential deal,have reached out to some parties, such as the artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI, to get additional details about their bids, according to a person familiar with the matter. In January, Perplexity AI presented ByteDancewith a merger proposalthat would combine Perplexitys business with TikToks U.S. operation.Other potential bidders include a consortium organized by billionaire businessman Frank McCourt, which recently recruited Reddit cofounderAlexis Ohanian as a strategicadviser. Investors in the consortium say theyve offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for TikToks U.S. platform. And if successful, they plan to redesign the popular app with blockchain technology they say will provide users with more control over their online data.Jesse Tinsley, the founder of the payroll firm Employer.com, says he too has organized a consortium, which includes the CEO of the video game platform Roblox, and is offering ByteDance more than $30 billion for TikTok.Trump said in January thatMicrosoft was also eyeing the popular app. Other interested parties include Trumps former Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and Rumble, the video site popular with some conservatives and far-right groups. In a post on X last March, Rumble said it was ready to join a consortium of parties interested in purchasing TikTok and serving as a tech partner for the company.Sarah Parvini, AP technology writer

Work is full of potential rejection. Ask a colleague for a favor, and they may refuse. Apply for a job, and you may not get it. Seek a promotion, and you may be passed over. Submit a proposal to a client, and it may not be accepted.One key part of success is to be willing to learn from these failures, rather than to be paralyzed by them. Yet, you may find it hard to get over a rejection. Before you can learn anything from a failure, you first have to get beyond the emotions associated with rejection.Dealing with rejection sensitivityThe first question you have to ask is whether a particular rejection is bothering you, or whether rejection in general is a problem. A long line of research suggests that some people have a high level of rejection sensitivity. There is even a measure of rejection sensitivity called the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire. This measure asks you to consider a variety of situations in which you ask for something from another person. You rate both the level of anxiety or concern you might experience in that situation as well as the degree to which you expect someone would accept or reject your request. People high in rejection sensitivity get quite anxious when faced with the possibility of rejection and may also expect that their requests will be rejected. Rejection sensitivity may be a reaction people develop to feelings of rejection by key loved ones when growing up.If you generally have anxiety about rejection, then it can hamper you in the workplace. You may avoid asking for things you need or pursuing new opportunities. You may also react with fear or anger when you feel like others are rejecting you. You might also take criticism of a project or your performance as a personal rejection rather than as feedback that provides an opportunity for you to improve.If youre sensitive to rejection in general, then you have ingrained a set of habits that probably will not go away on their own. This sensitivity is going to affect both your work and personal life, and so its worth addressing. A good therapist can be a valuable part of the process of understanding the source of your anxiety and expectation of rejection and help you to develop strategies to help you handle future situations more effectively.Dealing with a specific painful rejectionEven if youre not a rejection-sensitive person, you may still find a particular rejection at work hard to handle. Perhaps you had a trusted friend or colleague who has now turned your back on you. Maybe a longtime client has decided to work with someone else. You might have applied for a job that you really wanted and lost out to another candidate.Of course, nobody should expected to get over a rejection immediately. Rejection stings, and that pain can last for a while. Sleep is an important part of your ability to deal with difficult emotions, so getting several good nights sleep can help you move past a painful rejection.If theres a specific rejection that stays with you, it probably reflects a significant loss for you that is worth understanding. You might be prone to avoid thinking about rejections, but it can be helpful to write about them. That writing can help you to get the thoughts outside of yourself, which can be healing. In addition, it may help you to understand the source of the loss. Perhaps you feel betrayed by someone you trusted. It might be that the rejection affects something that is part of your self-concept. The rejection might feel like it is closing off a career or life path that you were invested in. If writing about the rejection doesnt help, you might benefit from working with a counselor or therapist.Career success ultimately requires that you put yourself in situations in which you could face rejection. Not only that, its virtually impossible to do anything of significance without being rejected often. That means you must develop strategies to learn to accept rejections, to analyze them so that you learn how to be more effective in the future, and to continue to try difficult things that might lead to additional rejections in the future.