Its no secret: Landing a job in todays economy can feel overwhelmingly difficult. Qualified candidates regularly apply to hundredssometimes even thousandsof positions before receiving that one coveted offer. In fact, over half of unemployed job seekers have been searching for four months or longer, highlighting how competitive the market has become.And its not just the job market itself thats challenging. Were living through one of the most turbulent periods in modern history:The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 4.1%, the highest in over two years.23,000+ tech layoffs occurred in the first three months of 2025 alone.Nearly 50% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.Consumer debt hit an all-time high of $18.04 trillion, with credit card delinquencies increasing sharply.University degrees are no longer a guarantee of success. Even government jobs, once considered safe, are under threat. Its no wonder many job seekers feel anxious or fearful about asking for more.Negotiation expert and career coach Ted Leonhardt notes that the fear of asking for higher pay has always been an obstacle. And in todays volatile environment, that fear can feel even more paralyzing. But he emphasizes: Workers at any level are more vulnerable today than any time in memory, perhaps since the Great Depression. This makes knowing your worth and advocating for yourself all the more essential.Here are six essential tips for confidently negotiating your salary in todays tough economy.1.Hide your desperationA Pew Research Center survey found that most U.S. workers did not ask for higher pay the last time they were hired, with men slightly more likely than women to negotiate (32% vs. 28%).Even if youre surviving on ramen and desperately need the job, dont let it show. Employers often interpret eagerness as desperation, leading to lower initial offers. Take your time to respondusually 24 to 48 hoursand subtly indicate youre considering multiple opportunities. This helps maintain your negotiating power.Leonhard further advises: Always be developing a new opportunity for yourself. A side gig. A better job elsewhere. Having other options in progress or appearing to can drastically reduce that sense of desperation.2. Know your worth and back it up with dataBefore negotiating, gather salary benchmarks from sites like Glassdoor, Payscale, and LinkedIn Salary. Present clear, data-backed reasons for your requested salary based on your experience, skills, and current market rates.Leonhardt succinctly puts it: Know your value and use it as leverage. Leverage is always your superpower. Staying true to your worth can provide dividends. Annie Papp, executive vice president at Career Group Companies, advises that: In any job market, applicants should be prepared to come right out and ask for a raise or negotiate higher compensation. While it may seem obvious, most people dont do this, assuming their employer will offer a raise without promptingwhich is rarely the case.3. Quantify your valueMake a detailed list of your accomplishments and quantify your impact whenever possible. For example: Increased sales by 300% within one year or Managed projects that increased revenue by $X amount. Even before the negotiation, review this to remind yourself of your accomplishments and the value you bring, boosting your confidence.4. Bet on yourself and plan for the futureIf the job offer isnt quite where you want it to be, focus on creating a clear path to get there over the next year. Jason Giagrande, CEO of Hospitality Farm, suggests: Bet on yourself. Propose a lucrative bonus structure with aggressive milestones or KPIs that your boss would be happy to pay if accomplished. Everyone wins, and it will motivate your growth individually as well as help your company grow. Not only does this show initiative, but it also aligns your compensation with company goals, making it easier for employers to say yes.5. Be willing to walk away (if you truly are)One key to negotiation success is the willingness to walk away. Listen carefully, remain composed, and always take time to consider the offer before responding.6. Consider negotiating benefits, not just salaryIf salary negotiations stall, consider other forms of compensation. Diversify your requests to reach a deal that satisfies both sides. Signing bonuses, professional development funds, flexible work arrangements, or extra vacation days can all hold significant value.This market is different because employers are being more cautious when it comes to hiring and budgeting. A few years ago, on the heels of the pandemic, applicants could negotiate higher salaries much more easily because every employer was in a desperate race to retain talent. Now, thats not the case. The frenzy has slowed, and employers are taking their time.While inflated salary increases may no longer be the norm, advocating for growth is still crucial. Losing strong talent can ultimately have a far greater cost than providing a reasonable raise, Papp says. If higher compensation isnt immediately feasible, ask for a timeline to revisit the conversation.Finally, Leonhardt offers a lasting piece of advice: Always be developing your connections and community both online and off. Connections with those you help are always the best opportunity for your continuously evolving future.Negotiation can feel intimidating, especially in a fragile, uncertain world. But by advocating for yourself thoughtfully and strategically, youre not just setting yourself up for immediate successyoure safeguarding your long-term career stability.

An outbreak of extreme weather has roiled the country with deadly dust storms in the plains and hundreds of tornadoes across the eastern U.S. over the past few weeks.Now, heavy rainfall across parts of the South and Midwest is prompting comparisons with some of the worst flooding on record for the region.Very moist air from the record-warm Gulf of Mexico is being drawn northward into a stalled frontal system creating a perfect recipe for torrential rains. Parts of the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys received more than 15 inches of rain over the past four days.High water swept away buildings, forced water rescues in river towns, and cut off rural areas when roads flooded. More than 18 people have died, just days after damaging tornadoes swept through some of the same locations.The rains prompted dire wording from the National Weather Service including warnings of a potentially historic, prolonged flash flood event and serious concern of catastrophic, life-threatening consequences from generational rainfall.This isnt routine. This is a rare, high-impact, and potentially devastating event, said a social media post from the Memphis office of the National Weather Service.This weeks floods are set to reach a mark set only a handful of times over the past 200 years. The regions last floods of this magnitude were in 1997 and 2011. In 1997, parts of western Kentucky received more than 10 inches of rain in a single day, which created turbulent currents on the Ohio River strong enough to flood the lock-and-dam infrastructure that allows barge traffic to operate. In 2011, water rose so rapidly that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had to blast a hole in levees along Mississippi River farmland in rural southern Missouri in a last-ditch effort to avoid an uncontrolled breach of the levees further downstream in Memphis, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans.The worst-case scenario for the Ohio River was the flood of 1937in which the river peaked about 10 feet higher than current forecasts. Although that magnitude isnt expected this time, a similar amount of rain felljust about 100 miles further north than this weeks storms, enough so nearly all runoff went into the Ohio River. More than a million people were homeless after the 1937 flood, and only one bridge was left intact between Pittsburgh and Memphis. The flood struck during the middle of the Dust Bowl and at the end of the Great Depression, and it paved the way for the modern system of flood control through levees and dams.Although weather forecasts for the rains have been reliable, the National Weather Service continues to be stretched thin due to Trumps budget cuts.A staffing assessment gathered by NWS employees and published by the Associated Press on Friday found that nearly half of all local forecast offices are now critically understaffed, reducing meteorologists ability to interface with the public and local emergency management.Detailed vacancy data for all 122 weather field offices show eight offices are missing more than 35% of their staffincluding those in Arkansas and Kentucky where tornadoes and torrential rain hit this week, said the report.A four-day total rainfall of 15 inches is more than Memphis, Tennessee, typically receives in April, May, and June combined. According to NWS data, in a stable climate, that kind of rainstorm is only expected to recur approximately once every 500 to 1,000 years.This is exactly the sort of extreme weather event that our infrastructure isnt built to handle. According to the Corps of Engineers, many of the locks and dams along the Ohio River are beyond their 50-year lifespan. Climate change increases the risk of extreme rainfall events, and the Corps is in the process of updating its flood maps to account for those changes nationwide.This weeks rains have already created major flash flooding in cities and smaller rivers from Texas to Ohio. Near the confluence with the Mississippi River, the Ohio River is expected to crest by mid-April at its highest level since 2011just a few feet below the tops of the levees there.All that water will gradually make its way into the Mississippi and out to the Gulf of Mexico through Louisiana. In addition to physical damages, the flooding could bring weeks of shipping delays for companies that rely on the roads and river barges that form the backbone of the Midwests economy. This weeks flooding could add to supply chain chaos as Trumps latest tariffs go into effect.The governors of Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee have asked the federal government for help, and Kentucky has also activated its National Guard to help respond to the floods. The governors have also declared states of emergency as waters continue to rise.

Chances are, you or someone you know has been the target of a scam. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), reported scams cost Americans more than $12.5 billion in 2024a 25% increase from the previous year. But as scams grow more sophisticated, so do their opponents.A growing number of online vigilantes are flipping the script, turning the scam on the scammersand racking up millions of views in the process. Mashables Chris Taylor recently spoke to a few whove turned scambaiting into full-time work.Rosie Okumura got into scambaiting after her mother was tricked out of $500 by a pop-up on her computer. Now, she channels her acting skillsmimicking well-known voices like Britney Spears and Kim Kardashianto waste scammers time while entertaining her audience. Her YouTube channel, IRLrosie, boasts most than 1.6 million subscribers, with another 1.2 million followers on TikTok.I feel like teaching people how to avoid scams is better than helping someone whos lost a ton of money, or putting myself in a dangerous situation, Okumura said.Ashton Bingham and Art Kulik, the duo behind the YouTube channel Trilogy Media, also have 1.6 million subscribersbut they take their scambaiting offline. Their most-watched video, Hunting a Scammer with Cops, has amassed more than 5.6 million views since its 2022 release. In it, Bingham and Kulik team up with law enforcement to confront a refund scammer in person, armed with $40,000 in fake cash and a camera crew. With a subscription platform, Trilogy+, and a freshly signed deal for an unscripted TV show, scambaiting has become a profitable venture.Some scambaiters argue that by wasting a scammers time, theyre preventing real victims from being defrauded. But whether this tactic actually reduces online fraud is still debated. Research has also flagged ethical concerns, as some early scambaiters used racist, extreme, or even violent methods when confronting scammers.Still, for Okumura, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The best part is getting recognized at restaurants, she told Mashable. They will comp my bill!

Smartphone cameras are still getting bigger and better by the year, particularly if you look at high-end phones coming out of China with huge sensors and protruding bumps to match. These phones can deliver awesome results, and Im happy to use them in several situations where I would previously have had to rely on a dedicated camera. Just this week I used the Xiaomi 15 Ultra to shoot a Formula One event in Tokyo.But for all the advances that have been made, the laws of physics remain undefeated, and youre still going to get better results from a camera setup thats able to make use of larger lenses and sensors. Phones do need to be able to fit into our pockets, after all, so theres a limit to what can be achieved in that regard.At Mobile World Congress this year, some concept announcements showed that companies are thinking about this reality, coming up with ideas to move mobile photography beyond the constraints of the phone. The question is whether peripheral camera products can ever really be more than a niche curiosity.Xiaomis concept is called the Modular Optical System, and it involves self-contained camera modules that magnetically and wirelessly attach to your phone. While the company doesnt have concrete plans to sell them commercially, working models do exist I used one.The demonstration unit had a Micro Four Thirds-size sensor with a 17.5mm f/1.4 lens, which comes out to 35mm-equivalent when accounting for the sensors crop factor. It could attach to a Xiaomi 15 phone that had been outfitted with magnets and a window for laser data transfer but otherwise looked normal.The connection felt very secure, and there wasnt any need to fiddle with Bluetooth pairing or any special software once connected, the feed from the camera simply appears in the regular camera app. You can focus the lens by turning its ring or tapping the phones screen.Because the camera mounts to the middle of the phone, the resulting combination feels well-balanced and similar to a regular mirrorless camera. It did make me wish the phone had a dedicated shutter button on the edge, though; using the touchscreen with your hands in that position takes some getting used to.The results, at least as far as I could tell on the phone screen, were excellent. Micro Four Thirds is one of the smaller mirrorless formats, but its still a huge leap over even the 1-inch sensors found in the highest end phone cameras, and pairing one with a fast 35mm-equivalent lens makes for a really useful combination. I was taking pictures of friends in a dark restaurant that clearly could not have been captured on a phone.Realme, a sister brand to Oppo, took another approach. Its Ultra concept phone has a couple of traditional smartphone cameras as well as a third 1-inch sensor thats exposed behind the glass; you can attach a Leica M-mount adapter and a lens of your choice to use with that sensor.This feels somewhat less useful in practice. Theres no electrical connection between the lens and the phone, so adjusting the aperture ring isnt going to be reflected in software; the experience is more like adapting a manual lens to a digital camera.M-mount lenses are all manual focus, however, so there isnt a need for anything like the touchscreen AF solution like Xiaomi came up with. But the sensors 2.7x crop factor means that actual Leica M lenses will have a zoomed-in field of view even a wide-angle 28mm becomes a 75mm-equivalent portrait lens.These arent necessarily new ideas. Realmes is very similar to a Leica M-mount concept Xiaomi put out a few years ago, while Xiaomis own idea of wireless camera modules has been tried before.And Sony made a go of it in 2013 with the quirky QX line, a range of all-in-one cameras that connected over Wi-Fi and clipped onto the back of your phone; one model even featured an APS-C sensor and could work with any E-mount mirrorless lens. Olympus tried something similar in 2014 with the Air A01, a wireless Micro Four Thirds sensor and mount.There have been two big problems with these kinds of products in the past.The first was that they were a hassle to use, forcing you to deal with attachment mechanisms, wireless pairing, and slow connectivity. The appeal of mobile photography is its convenience, and these detracted from that.The second, arguably bigger hurdle is simply that they were separate devices that you had to carry alongside your phone. Thats a big ask for most people. Sonys QX100 had the same sensor and lens as its excellent RX100 compact camera, but it cost almost as much why not just carry the actual camera instead?Sony discontinued the QX line pretty quickly, suggesting it didnt take off with consumers. Things could be different today Xiaomis magnetic mount solution is certainly more convenient but its still hard to see the idea becoming mainstream.Personally, I would be interested in buying something like the Xiaomi concept I used. Id still have several questions, like how much itd cost and how long the magnetic mount would be supported on future handsets, but even in prototype form the idea worked well enough that I could see the extra lens being worth tossing into a tote bag.But for most people, my sense is that it will still be worth paying more attention to built-in phone camera quality for the foreseeable future. Thats the camera youll actually find yourself using.

Walton Goggins has had an incredible run recently. Last year, he anchored Amazons Fallout TV show and this year is starring in Season 3 of The White Lotus and the 4th and final season of The Righteous Gemstones. These roles are feathers in the cap of the character actor whos had star turns in The Shield, Justified, and Vice Principals.But hes not just an actorhes also a small business owner. As part of his partnership with GoDaddy, hes teamed up with the company to use its suite of AI tools to design the website for and manage his new ventureWalton Goggins Goggle Glasses. He worked with GoDaddy to create the line of glasses that resemble ski goggles and retail for $150 each, and he starred in the companys Super Bowl ad in February. The spot highlights AiroGoDaddys suite of AI-powered tools that help small business owners with everything from website creation and copywriting to inventory management.In the latest episode of the Most Innovative Companies podcast, Goggins and GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani talked with host Yasmin Gagne about how the company helps small businesses use AI to grow. And after a bit of prodding, Goggins offered some hints about the last episode of The White Lotus Sunday night.In 2020, you said to Garden and Gun, speaking about your whiskey brand, Mulholland Distilling: Well, Im not going to sell toothpaste. Im not really good at selling anything. I would argue youre pretty good at selling things. Why partner with GoDaddy?Walton Goggins: Im a big believer in small business owners and what they do for their families and for communities. The opportunity arose when GoDaddy was looking to promote its product GoDaddy Airo. They approached me about starting a business, asking me if theres something that I really wanted to do. I wanted to work with this company, which Ive been a fan of for a very long time. In the past, they hosted a website for Mulholland Distilling. Part of our portfolio was already in GoDaddy when we started, so when the opportunity arose to work, I just jumped at it.Why did you decide to partner with Walton for the Super Bowl ad?Aman Bhutani: Our mission is to make opportunity more inclusive for all, and we want somebody who feels it themselves and who cares. And Walton, from the first moment we met him, cared. The glasses are awesome.What is the brand identity youre trying to build for GoDaddy? I remember some pretty sexual ads back in the day.AB: When people think about small business, theyre sometimes talking about people that have 50 employees or 30 employees. If you go through GoDaddys over-20-million customer base, youll start with companies that have one employee. By the time you get to 10, you will have traversed 90% of our customers. They want to connect with somebody like Walton who is doing what they are doing. Hes starting a business, and it doesnt matter how big a celebrity he is or how successful he is, its still hard for him to start a business. Every person watching the Super Bowl ad feels like an imposter when they start their business. The ad makes people see themselves in him.Walton, tell me about the concept of the glasses and how you built the business with GoDaddy.WG: I wear the most fashion-forward accessory you can put on the body. Ive been collecting sunglasses for a very long time, for upwards of 28 years. I bought my first pair of sunglasses that were of real value when I was 22 years old. I saved up my money with tips. I had a valet parking business because I refused to wait tablesI was not the kind of guy that would ever get someone a glass of iced tea. I saved up my tips to buy this pair of Oliver Peoples sunglasses. They cost $250 in 1993. It was a lot of money to me. I still own that pair of sunglasses.There was a time when I was sitting in this new place where I moved with my family. We have a little ski resort not too far from our home. I was sitting around a fire, having a beer, and with ski goggles on, thinking, I dont want to take these off! I made that mental note, and this just stayed in the back of my mind. No ones really done this in a functional way that also brought fashion into the conversation. I pitched GoDaddy this idea. GoDaddy Airo does the things I dont know how to doto build a website, to procure all of these domain names, to regulate your inventory. Once they began to show me this product, I was blown away thinking, had this existed when I was 19 years old and I had my first business, I probably wouldnt be an actor right now.What was your first business when you were 19?WG: The first thing I did was valet parking. The second thing I did was become a personal trainer.Thats how you got the abs.WG: Yeah, thats exactly right. But if Id had a website then, I wouldve had more clients. However, it did allow me to sustain myself as an artist and work only 10 or 15 hours a week. Then I started a whiskey spirits brand, Mulholland Distilling, and now, Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses.The name, Goggins Goggle Glasses: Is that a play on your character, Uncle Baby Billy, from The Righteous Gemstones and his show, Baby Billys Bible Bonkers?WG: Of course. It just kind of makes sense. And it was already out in the public. It just rolls off the tongue.How does Airo work with small businesses?AB: Many micro business owners or small business owners are good at what they know, but theyre not good at technology, building websites, or purchasing domain names. Instead of needing to know the domain name you want, you just describe your business, and Airo looks at millions and millions of available domains and gives five or 10 that people would remember. As soon as you buy that domain, it builds out a one-page website for you. You dont have to pay anything for that. You can customize it a little bit. So within a few minutes, youve got a presence online. People can find you, you can post it to social media, and people now know who you are. You have branding; Airo can create a logo for you in a few seconds. Airo can create a social calendar for you, create posts, and upload them. Once they have a website, once [they have] inventory online and they start to use the tools, their reach increases exponentially.At what point did Generative AI change things for you?AB: Airo uses the power of Generative AI to create content. Airo does three big things: It automates a lot of tasks so our customer doesnt have to do it. It generates content using Generative AI. Our customer might say, How do I respond to my customer? Well, Airo will generate a message for them, and then they just have to say, Yes, send it.What portion of the GoDaddy business is Airo leading?AB: Were a decent-size business and we talk to [Wall Street] about Airo all the time. But Im always talking about why Airo is first and foremost about discovery and engagement. The monetization should come over time. Weve had Airo for about 14 months. The first cohort of customers are just finishing their first year, and were seeing high retention rates because the customer is discovering and engaging with multiple products.Walton, whats been the most useful feature for your business?WG: Ive used them all, right? I like writing copy. I like writing texts and emails. But when it comes to communicating with an audience that youre trying to reach for a product, its hard to formulate those thoughts in a vacuum. Theres also an element to this experience that allows you to capture some images and then repurpose those images. All of a sudden, that social pressure of producing things that are outside of your product is taken off the table for you. You dont have to think about it.How did you all come up with the concept for the Super Bowl ad?AB: GoDaddy hadnt been in the Super Bowl for eight years. We really wanted to come back and remind the world that GoDaddy is so much more than what they might remember; so many folks remember GoDaddy as a domains company, but we do so much more.What was your creative input in that ad?WG: We talked about different scenarios and whats the best way to explain the fact that many small business owners can feel like imposters and how can we mine comedy but then land it someplace that is real and that can move you.Can you tell us what happens in The White Lotus finale?WG: Ill give you a fake ending. Everyone on The White Lotus dies, everyone. Including the staff. Its food poisoning. Not from the Four Seasons, mind you. Its nothing to do with our corporate sponsors. Its from a delivery, an off-site delivery. Somebody ordered some bad pizza.How did you prepare for the Super Bowl commercial?WG: I eat one meal a day, and I may augment that with a couple boiled eggs for lunch or something like that. I like being lean, not just lean physically, but mentally. I like being a little hungry. I feel more creative when I have an appetite.And weve seen you in so many shirtless photo shoots lately. I cant believe you didnt take your shirt off in this GoDaddy ad.WG: Yes. Theres more to come, Im afraid. Im so sorry. My apologies now.

Over the past few years, experts have been sounding the alarm over how much time Americans spend alone.Statistics show that were choosing to be solitary for more of our waking hours than ever before, tucked away at home rather than mingling in public. Increasing numbers of us are dining alone and traveling solo, and rates of living alone have nearly doubled in the past 50 years.These trends coincided with the surgeon generals 2023 declaration of a loneliness epidemic, leading to recent claims that the U.S. is living in an anti-social century.Loneliness and isolation are indeed social problems that warrant serious attention, especially since chronic states of loneliness are linked with poor outcomes such as depression and a shortened life span.But there is another side to this story, one that deserves a closer look. For some people, the shift toward aloneness represents a desire for what researchers call positive solitude, a state that is associated with well-being, not loneliness.As a psychologist, Ive spent the past decade researching why people like to be aloneand spending a fair amount of time there myselfso Im deeply familiar with the joys of solitude. My findings join a host of others that have documented a long list of benefits gained when we choose to spend time by ourselves, ranging from opportunities to recharge our batteries and experience personal growth to making time to connect with our emotions and our creativity.So it makes sense to me why people live alone as soon as their financial circumstances allow, and when asked why they prefer to dine solo, people say simply, I want more me time.Its also why Im not surprised that a 2024 national survey found that 56% of Americans considered alone time essential for their mental health. Or that Costco is now selling solitude sheds where for around $2,000 you can buy yourself some peace and quiet.Its clear there is a desire, and a market, for solitude right now in American culture. But why does this side of the story often get lost amid the warnings about social isolation?I suspect it has to do with a collective anxiety about being alone.The stigma of solitudeThis anxiety stems in large part from our cultures deficit view of solitude. In this type of thinking, the desire to be alone is seen as unnatural and unhealthy, something to be pitied or feared rather than valued or encouraged.This isnt just my own observation. A study published in February 2025 found that U.S. news headlines are 10 times more likely to frame being alone negatively than positively. This type of bias shapes peoples beliefs, with studies showing that adults and children alike have clear judgments about when it isand, importantly, when it is notacceptable for their peers to be alone.This makes sense given that American culture holds up extroversion as the ideal, indeed as the basis for whats normal. The hallmarks of extraversion include being sociable and assertive, as well as expressing more positive emotions and seeking more stimulation than the opposite personalitythe more reserved and risk-averse introverts. Even though not all Americans are extroverts, most of us have been conditioned to cultivate that trait, and those who do reap social and professional rewards. In this cultural milieu, preferring to be alone carries stigma.But the desire for solitude is not pathological, and its not just for introverts. Nor does it automatically spell social isolation and a lonely life. In fact, the data doesnt fully support current fears of a loneliness epidemic, something scholars and journalists have recently acknowledged.In other words, although Americans are indeed spending more time alone than previous generations did, its not clear that we are actually getting lonelier. And despite our fears for the eldest members of our society, research shows that older adults are happier in solitude than the loneliness narrative would lead us to believe.Social media disrupts our solitudeHowever, solitudes benefits dont automatically appear whenever we take a break from the social world. They arrive when we are truly alonewhen we intentionally carve out the time and space to connect with ourselvesnot when we are alone on our devices.My research has found that solitudes positive effects on well-being are far less likely to materialize if the majority of our alone time is spent staring at our screens, especially when were passively scrolling social media.This is where I believe the collective anxiety is well placed, especially the focus on young adults who are increasingly forgoing face-to-face social interaction in favor of a virtual life, and who may face significant distress as a result.Social media is by definition social. Its in the name. We cannot be truly alone when were on it. Whats more, its not the type of nourishing me time I suspect many people are longing for.True solitude turns attention inward. Its a time to slow down and reflect. A time to do as we please, not to please anyone else. A time to be emotionally available to ourselves, rather than to others. When we spend our solitude in these ways, the benefits accrue: We feel rested and rejuvenated, we gain clarity and emotional balance, we feel freer and more connected to ourselves.But if were addicted to being busy, it can be hard to slow down. If were used to looking at a screen, it can be scary to look inside. And if we dont have the skills to validate being alone as a normal and healthy human need, then we waste our alone time feeling guilty, weird, or selfish.The importance of reframing solitudeAmericans choosing to spend more time alone is indeed a challenge to the cultural script, and the stigmatization of solitude can be difficult to change. Nevertheless, a small but growing body of research indicates that it is possible, and effective, to reframe the way we think about solitude.For example, viewing solitude as a beneficial experience rather than a lonely one has been shown to help alleviate negative feelings about being alone, even for the participants who were severely lonely. People who perceive their time alone as full rather than empty are more likely to experience their alone time as meaningful, using it for growth-oriented purposes such as self-reflection or spiritual connection.Even something as simple as a linguistic shiftreplacing isolation with me timecauses people to view their alone time more positively and likely affects how their friends and family view it as well.It is true that if we dont have a community of close relationships to return to after being alone, solitude can lead to social isolation. But its also true that too much social interaction is taxing, and such overload negatively affects the quality of our relationships. The countrys recent gravitational pull toward more alone time may partially reflect a desire for more balance in a life that is too busy, too scheduled, and, yes, too social.Just as connection with others is essential for our well-being, so is connection with ourselves.Virginia Thomas is an assistant professor of psychology at Middlebury.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is known for responding to extreme weather like hurricanes and wildfiresthe kinds of disasters that are becoming more intense and more common as climate change gets worse. The agency also has a program that sends billions of dollars proactively to communities, municipalities, and states so that they can prepare for these events before they hit.In an internal FEMA memorandum obtained and first reported by Grist, the Trump administration announced its plans to dismantle that programthe biggest climate adaptation initiative the federal government has ever fundedeven as disasters incur hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damages across the United States. The decision comes as at least seven people were killed this week as tornadoes and catastrophic flooding descended on the Central United States in what meteorologists called a once-in-a-generation event.The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, or BRIC, was established in 2018 during President Donald Trumps first term, replacing a similar FEMA initiative. BRICs first round of funding was launched in 2020, when Trump was still in office, and in 2023, the program awarded close to a billion dollars to scores of communities, states, and tribal nations across the country. In January, before Trump began his second term, the agency opened its fiscal year 2024 notice of funding, with $750 million in matching grants made available to applicants from areas that received a major disaster declaration within the past seven years.But FEMA now aims to cancel those grants and any other BRIC grants that have not been paid out yet by the federal government, according to the pre-decisional memo dated April 2 from Cameron Hamilton, a Trump administration official who is serving as FEMA administrator until the president appoints a permanent head of the agency.BRIC was yet another example of a wasteful and ineffective FEMA program, a FEMA spokesperson told Grist. It was more concerned with climate change than helping Americans affected by natural disasters.BRIC generally shoulders 75% of the cost of a given resilience project, and up to 90% of the cost of projects in disadvantaged communities. The programs emphasis on equity is what may have marked it for demolitionthe Trump administration has been systematically dismantling Biden-era efforts to infuse equity into governmental programs and direct more climate spending toward underrepresented groups.FEMA employees disputed Hamiltons argument in the memo that BRIC grants have not enhanced the level of hazard mitigation as much as desired.I dont know where that came from, said one agency employee who preferred to stay anonymous.According to a source within the agency, the Trump administration asked BRIC staffers to offer justification for the program and its Direct Technical Assistance sister initiative, which offers nonfinancial support to help communities navigate the BRIC funding process and identify the hazards they face. The request was made on Tuesday this week with a Wednesday deadline.With a tight turnaround, staffers offered success stories from across the country. BRIC awards have helped communities bury power lines, build culverts, protect wastewater facilities from being inundated by flooding, and upgrade power stations. If BRIC is frozen, communities will no longer be able to apply for the grants for fiscal year 2024 made available in January. Projects that have been selected in past years but not yet disbursed funds will no longer receive payment. Partially completed projects will be scrutinized and reviewed, the memo said.The administration now has one of FEMAs most effective grant programs on the chopping block, said Shana Udvardy, a senior climate resilience policy analyst with the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Its oversubscribed almost every single year. In fiscal year 2023, FEMA received more than 1,200 subapplications across all 50 states, 35 tribes, five territories, and Washington, D.C., totaling more than $5.6 billion in requests. It was able to provide less than a fifth of the money requested.A looming question is whether FEMA can yank grants that are being funded with money appropriated by Congress. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the bipartisan infrastructure law, allocated approximately $6.8 billion to FEMA for community-wide mitigation efforts, with a portion of this funding directed to the BRIC program. If this administration does away with the program, it goes against a law that Congress passed, Udvardy said, so theres a concern there to be raised.This article originally appeared in Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for its newsletter here.

To San Francisco chef and restaurateur Thomas McNaughton, QR codes are an efficient way to serve a crowd. Sure, the codesand restaurants that use themhave endured much loathing. And, yes, people still love to criticize them. But at the newest location of McNaughtons Flour + Water Pizzeria, set to open later this month, QR codes are the star.Theres good reason. The 1,800-square-foot restaurant sits a few blocks from Oracle Park, where the San Francisco Giants just opened the baseball season. It needs to handle serious spikes in business from game-day crowds and pump out pizzas fast.We envision a scenario where, for two hours, its completely gangbusters before the game. How can we help manage those crowds? McNaughton says.The team, with the help of a local design agency, got creative. Inside the restaurant, guests cant miss the large, stylized poster featuring a Giants player with a QR code for a face. Scan to place a takeout order, it reads, & pick up around the corner.The restaurant also printed baseball-style trading cards with the same image, for fast QR ordering (for pickup or delivery) from afar. Smaller codes dot a handful of tables. If youre lucky enough to snag one, orders placed digitally are delivered right to your seat.Research from the National Restaurant Association shows that about half of diners are keen to order via QR code at a quick-service restaurant like this onebut you might not know it based on very loud grumblings everywhere you look.The QR backlash has won, declared a headline in the Wall Street Journal last year. A year earlier, I was quoted as an industry expert in a New York Times piece titled, The QR-code menu is being shown the door. About twice a month, someone sends me an Instagram post where a celeb or influencer or random stranger complainsstillabout using the tech.[Source Photo: Flour + Water]For all the whining, the codes are . . . really useful. When deployed thoughtfully, theyre downright hospitable. The skepticism, McNaughton thinks, has to do with negative emotions associated with themoment that QR codes rocketed to restaurant infamy during the earliest days of the pandemic.I think the pushback that you heard was partly because everything was so different, he says. Every restaurant was just trying to stay afloat and trying to be accessible while still being safe.Its true. Clunky QR-code menus promised to keep shared surfaces touch-free, an almost quaint, if completely misguided effort from a challenging time. Since then, the codes have evolved with utility in mind. Major restaurant technology companies like point-of-sale and payments giant Toast built QR ordering into their products. Now, customer orders go straight into the system, bypassing human servers and their potential human mistakes.Digital orders also shorten the distance between diner and kitchen, McNaughton explains, a shortcut that allows the pizzeria to pump out orders much faster and keep crowds happier. (People placing digital orders get to skip the presumably long line.)Its a model specific to this location, which McNaughton calls a fast-casual offshoot of his restaurant groups original, much larger pizzeria. Plenty of fast-casual and fast-food restaurants (or quick service, in restaurant lingo) are chasing digital orders. Last month, Taco Bell parent company Yum Brands tapped AI powerhouse Nvidia to coax more orders online, in an effort to one day digitize every order.Flour + Water Pizzeria isnt planning to push all of its orders online; it employs humans who can take orders on countertop tablets, or, if necessary, flip them over to become self-service touch-screen ordering kiosks. The guest chooses based on how, and how fast, they want to get their order.You can talk to somebody, you can use a kiosk, or you can just skip that line completely, McNaughton says. Its about efficiency.

If youre finding yourself contemplating whether you can get an extension on this years tax return, youre not alone. Forty percent of Americans still havent filed.Theres something almost perverse about the IRS placing tax day smack-dab in the middle of the loveliest month of the year. Want to enjoy the warm weather, cherry blossoms, and the sunshine reflecting off the pasty white skin of everyone venturing outside for the first time since last fall? Too bad! You have to excavate all of your financial decisions from the previous year while simultaneously trying to remember your math skillsor risk the wrath of an IRS agent named Spike.Thats why its something of a relief that every American taxpayer can get an automatic six-month extension on filing their federal income taxes. But, since this is the IRS were dealing with, there is a catch: You still have to pay what you owe by Tax Day.If filing your 2024 taxes has crept up on you this year (when did it get to be April already?), heres what you need to know about getting an extension while staying on Spike the Auditors good side.File for an extension with Form 4868While all taxpayers are eligible for an automatic tax return extension, you still need to request one. Thats where Form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return comes in.Anyone who fills out and turns in Form 4868 (which can be filed electronically using IRS Free File) by the tax filing deadline of April 15, 2025, automatically receives a six-month extension for filing their 2024 taxes. This pushes the tax filing deadline back to October 15, 2025.Unlike your 1040 and other required tax forms, Form 4868 does not require a great deal of information from you. All you need to provide on this form is the followingYour nameCurrent addressSocial Security numberEstimated tax liability for 2024Amount of 2024 tax you have already paidThe form also asks you to subtract your total 2024 payments from your estimated liability to calculate your balance due.Once you have completed and filed the form, you will automatically receive the filing extension. Just remember that youve only extended the deadline for filing your tax paperwork. You still have to hand over your estimated tax liability by April 15.Estimate your tax liabilityIf you, like me, have never once figured out your tax liability (or overpayment, in the years you get a return) without actually filing your taxes, you might be wondering how youre supposed to calculate your estimated tax liability for Form 4868. It doesnt help that the IRS offers this not-at-all ominous warning on Form 4868:Make your estimate as accurate as you can with the information you have. If we later find that the estimate wasnt reasonable, the extension will be null and void.Just in case you werent already stressed about tax season.Thankfully for those seeking a tax return extension, there are some guidelines for making a reasonable estimate of your tax liability.Knowing whats reasonableSince one taxpayers reasonable is anothers gross negligence, the IRS helpfully defines a reasonable estimate as being 90% of the total tax you owe. If your estimate is at least 90% of the real number, and if you pay the remaining 10% or less balance when you file your tax return by the end of the six-month extension period, the IRS considers you all good.W-2 employeesTraditionally employed taxpayers will typically have the easiest time estimating their liability. If you remained in the same job in 2023 and 2024 and your income didnt change a great deal, youll just need to look back at your total tax liability for 2023. Go back to your 2023 tax return and check line 24, labeled your total tax.When youve found your 2023 total tax number, subtract the following from it:Any taxes you have already paid in 2024, includingmoney withheld from your paychecks by your employerany estimated tax payments you madeAny 2024 tax credits you qualify for, includingthe child tax creditthe child and dependent care creditthe earned income tax creditTaking your 2023 total tax liability and subtracting any 2024 taxes paid and 2024 tax credits from it should give you a reasonable approximation of your current liability.Self-employed taxpayersFreelancers, gig workers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners seeking a tax return extension have a tougher task ahead of them when estimating their tax liability. Instead of a handy-dandy W-2, these taxpayers have to rely on their own records to know their income and estimate their taxes.For these taxpayers, start with your total profits and losses from 2024 to get a back-of-the-envelope estimate of your income for the year. Plug that income estimate into a marginal tax rate calculator like this one from Bankrate to calculate your tax liability. Once you have that number, you can subtract any quarterly estimated taxes you paid in 2024, as well as any tax credits you qualify for. This should give you a reasonable estimate of your liability.Job-hopping taxpayersIf you had more than one job in 2024, had an extreme change in your income, or otherwise had kind of a weird year money-wise, its probably best to calculate your tax liability with the IRS 1040-ES Estimated Tax Worksheet.This is a 12-page form, which means it will take more work than filling out Form 4868. (It may even be the IRSs Machiavellian scheme to encourage procrastinating taxpayers to just file their taxes already, since this requires almost as much work). But using the 1040-ES will give you the most accurate method of calculating your tax liability if you need to file for the extension.Pay what you oweor else pay even moreIf you dont cough up the taxes you owe by April 15, there will be consequencesof the financial variety.The first consequence is a late payment penalty. This penalty charges you 0.5% of the unpaid taxes per month or partial month that the taxes remain unpaid. For example, lets you owe Uncle Sam $5,000 for your 2024 taxes. Instead of making the $5,000 on April 15, you wait to pay until you file your tax return on October 15. You will face a 3.0% penalty or $150 because you made your payment six months after the April 15 deadline.The second penalty youll face will be interest charged on your unpaid taxes, which can really be a pain in your bank account. The IRS sets its interest rate at the federal short-term rate, plus 3%, and it changes the rate on a quarterly basis. As of April 2025, the IRS currently charges an interest rate of 7% per year, compounded daily, for underpayment of individual taxes.That means waiting until October 15 to pay your $5,000 in taxes would mean owing $178 in interest (provided the rate does not change). And that interest will continue to accrue until you pay what you owe.Dont forget about state taxesIf you live in a state with income tax, you probably need an extension for your state tax filing deadline, too. The good news is that many states automatically grant an extension for state taxes when you apply for a federal tax extension. But thats not true of all statessome require a separate form to receive a state-level extension. You can find out what your state requires here.Just remember that you also have to pay your state income tax by the spring tax deadline, even when you apply for a state-level extension. Theres no avoiding the spring tax payment.Give yourself some breathing roomIf tax season snuck up on you, an automatic extension can give you more time to file your taxes. Just remember that Uncle Sam still expects the money you owe him on April 15.

Roughly half a mile behind the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Ariels Grotto in Walt Disney World sits a nondescript cement warehouse with the words the can-do people written on the outside. Should tourists somehow get lost in that corner, located just outside the Magic Kingdom, its a place they would never pay attention to. What they might never imagine, however, is that generic building is the lynchpin of the Disney experience.Welcome to Central Shops, a rarely spoken part of Disney thats off-limits to visitors and most of the companys cast members (Disneys term for its employees). Its ground zero for Disney Worlds ride safety and an essential part of park operations around the world.With 417 employees spanning 15 trades, from electricians to carpenters to painters, Central Shops is where every ride in the four Orlando theme parks is regularly inspected to ensure theyre safe to ride. At the same time, its also the corner of Disney where character heads for in-park meet-and-greets and parades in all global parks are manufactured. (Put another way, every Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, and Donald you see at the parks had their noggins made here.)[Photo: Disney]Ripping apart Disney World ridesRide inspection is, arguably, the most important job of Central Shops. Every ride vehicle in the four Orlando theme parks ends up here on a recurring basis for inspectionand its far from a quick one. Ride vehicles are torn apart, down to their components. Every panel, bolt, etc. is inspected individually, a process that generally takes between 12 and 18 weeks from start to finish, says Fred Cox, director of manufacturing.For dark rides, like a Haunted Mansion Doom Buggy, a log flume from Tianas Bayou Adventure, or a horse on Prince Charmings Carousel, thats done on a calendar basis, scheduled breaks when select cars are taken out of commission and inspected. For thrill rides, like Space Mountain, its meter-based, meaning vehicles are taken off the line after theyve been ridden a predetermined number of times.On a recent press trip through Central Shops, we saw a number of rides in various states of inspection. A collection of parts on one side was barely identifiable as a ride car from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. A few steps away, a honey pot from The Many Adventure of Winnie the Pooh gleamed, following a touch-up to its fiberglass. Sitting off to the side was a disassembled teacup from the Mad Tea Party.And scattered throughout the shop were parts of Astro Orbiter, a ride that has been completely (and temporarily) removed from the Magic Kingdom. Every 10 years, explained Rich Votava, manager of manufacturing, the bearing at the bottom of the ride (which sits atop the People Mover in Tomorrowland) needs to be replaced. Imagineers remove it completely, giving Central Shops a chance to inspect all the ride elements, from the boom arms on the decorative planets on the ride to the ride cars. (The Disney World ride is expected to be back in the park this summer, likely in May or June.)After ride cars are dismantled, each part is carefully inspected, some under X-ray to look for microscopic cracks in the metal. Once each part has been examined and refurbished (if needed), the components of vehicles are put back together, while the shells are repainted or refreshed. Once they are reassembled, cars are then returned to the park, where they run without riders for another two weeks to ensure everything is working properly. After that, visitors begin to pile in once again. (The maintenance schedule of most ride vehicles is staggered so that rides arent forced to close completely, like Astro Orbiter has.)We break it down to the blueprints, says Votava.Safety inspections go beyond ride vehicles, of course. Workers from Central Shops are in the parks nightly once visitors leave to make any necessary repairs and safety inspections for rides. Sometimes, thats done with drones, which inspect areas humans cant easily reachsuch as atop Spaceship Earth in Epcot or under the water at one of the resorts boat piers. And a tool called the Resistograph is used to check the density of wood throughout the park to alert Imagineers if theres rot inside and a piece needs to be replaced.[Photo: Disney]More than machinesWhile theres a lot of engineering work that goes on at Central Shops, theres also a surprising amount of detail touch-up.In addition to creating character heads (in a top-secret room that Disney did not allow members of our press tour to view), the facility also handles repairs to character costumes at the Florida parks. Shoes get scuffed and details torn as Mickey and Buzz Lightyear interact with visitors. The stormtroopers are also getting a glow-up as Star Wars Day (May 4) approaches. Costumes are bought here, where theyre refurbished (a process that can take a week or two).Meanwhile, horses on the Magic Kingdoms carousel are getting a touch-up. They have a lot of sentimental value, as they were purchased by Walt Disney himself, so the hand-carved maple stallions are treated with an especially delicate touch, with touch-ups done by artists and old layers of paint carefully sanded off so as to not hurt the detail of the carving.Some small elements that guests might not even notice are handled in Central Shops as well, such as adding details like the small trunk hairs on a baby elephant from The Jungle Cruise, which have to be inserted one at a time by hand.Its detail-oriented work thats done well out of view, so guests can stay in the Disney bubble. But with more than 115 attractions at the parks (along with more than 50 character experiences), Central Shops is essential to keeping the rides running smoothly and maintaining the parks reputation as the so-called happiest place on earth.

InAbbey RoadsStudio One, even a lick of paint could ruin everything.Famous for hosting Adele, Harry Styles, and U2, its where the scores of Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Wicked were recorded, as well as the soundtracks of blockbuster games like Call of Duty, Halo, and Final Fantasy. Its also where Ryan Gosling delivered his memorable Im Just Kenfor Barbie.Nearly a century after its opening, Studio One underwent a six-month, multimillion-pound refurbishment, with the main priority being the preservation of one very important thing: the sound.What we dont want to do is change the acoustics, so every minute detail in the room has been conserved and preserved, so the sound doesnt shift, said Sally Davies, managing director of Abbey Road Studios.The reverb of the 4,844-square-foot room has been maintained at 2.3 seconds, the same as it was in the 1970s. Theres been no redecorating or style makeover, leaving the originalart deco wall panelsuntouched.We have simply washed down the walls to preserve that sound, said Davies, adding that the floor was re-sanded and oiled, but not varnished. Most of the upgrades, she explained, are technological upgrades in the control room. This room is just about preserving that magic.A pilgrimage for music fansOpened in 1931, this hallowed hallonce a nine-bedroom house on a grand suburban street in Londons St. Johns Wood neighborhoodbecame the worlds first recording studio. Its where stereo was invented and its visited every day by music fans from around the world, who are happy just to stand on the street outside.Davies says that more than a million people a year make a pilgrimage to the crossing outside, many to recreate the cover ofthe Beatles Abbey Road albumand that number could increase afterSam Mendess upcoming biopicsstarring Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson, and Joseph Quinn as the Fab Four.And while John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are famously known for using Studio Two, they also made history in the larger Studio One, which they used for the worlds first global live performance, a rendition of All You Need Is Love beamed to television sets around the world in 1967.Before the Beatles, Studio One had already cemented its place in music history, when it was opened by British composer Sir Edward Elgar, who recorded his Land of Hope and Glory with the London Symphony Orchestra. Its also hosted other music greats like Maria Callas, Igor Stravinsky, Daniel Barenboim, Fats Waller, and Glenn Miller.Due to its huge size, more than double Studio Two, it can fit a 100-piece orchestra and 100-member choir at the same timewhich is perfect for recording film soundtracks, and explains why 6 to 7 out of every 10 Hollywood films are scored at Abbey Road, according to the studio.History being madeStanding on the balcony, overlooking the 40-foot-high room, Davies points out the original screen that was used to show Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) while musicians played along to record the soundtrack.Since then, everything from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to Marvels Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy to Barbie were scored in Studio One. For the last, all the musicians came in with something pink, whether a pink instrument or piece of clothing.Oscar-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton has been recording in Studio One since 2009 and calls his creative home a spectacular space.Outside, it just looks like a normal house. And then you come in and you find this space in it thats like almost the size of a football pitch. In fact, I have played football in there once, he laughs.Pemberton is known for scoring Spider-Man: Across the Spider Verse, Ferrari, and The Trial of the Chicago 7, and creating the Slow Horses theme song and Strange Game, withMick Jagger.Whats so exciting about a room like Studio One is what happens on the day is what happens for the rest of time, he says. Its like history is being made, whether its good history or bad history or whatever, youre making a moment then.Pemberton notes the stories, whether personal or musical, that have unfolded within the walls of Studio One.The ghosts are insane in there, he said.Davies agrees that the history adds to the enchantment.You walk into this room and you can feel it. ... There is a magic in the sound. It sounds phenomenal. There is a spirituality in who has been here, who has performed here, she says. So when we see artists come through, you know that immediate reaction of, Oh my gosh. Im in Studio One.To celebrate the reopening this week, Abbey Road Studios showcased an unusual art form for the space: dance, which incorporated Pembertons scores, remixed by resident artist Jordan Rakei and choreographed by Joseph Toonga.It kind of like threw me back a bit like, wow, it really is big, said Toonga of the first time he saw the studio. He then incorporated that feeling into a dance which spanned hip-hop, krumping, and ballet.Up next, the first client to record in Studio One since the refurbishment is a hush-hush Hollywood franchise.But there are lots of secrets at Abbey Road. One of them is Pembertons plan to record the unique rattling sound of the new railings for a movie soundtrack.There was concern that the hollow, art deco-style bars would upset the acoustics of the room, and a backup plan was made to fill them with sand if they messed with the reverb.Luckily, the empty bars were allowed to stay because Pemberton is delighted by the noise they make when you run past them with keysits another dramatic sound that can only be created in Studio One and will make its way into theaters around the world, via a film score.By Hilary Fox, Associated Press

Over the past few years, the job market has remained relatively strong despite rising inflation and other economic headwinds. Even amid ongoing cuts to the federal workforce, the jobs report released today offered a more optimistic outlook than many economists had anticipated: In March, employers added about 228,000 jobs, far exceeding the monthly average of 158,000 jobs over the last year. The number of hours worked each week also remained steady last month, as did hourly wage growth.President Trump was quick to take credit for the job growth captured by the report. But the celebratory mood has been dampened as the administrations long-awaited (and unprecedentedly high) global tariffs take effectand financial markets are already feeling the impact. Many experts have already noted that the latest jobs numbers may have little bearing on how the market will actually fare in the coming monthsand what the effect could be on employers and workers. As one economist told the New York Times: What we are really seeing is the calm before the storm.The impact of tariffs alreadyThe fallout from Trumps tariffs is already well underway. Global markets have taken a significant hit, dropping to levels that havent been seen since the height of the pandemic in 2020. Economists have warned that the tariffs are more extreme than those imposed by the famed 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which is believed to have exacerbated the Great Depression.Today was the worst stock market experience in five years, renowned economist and former treasury secretary Lawrence Summers wrote on Thursday, as part of a series of posts on X. Usually when you have a terrible stock market experience, its because a bank fails, a pandemic, a hurricane, or because some other country does something. We dont have these kinds of stock market responses in response to policies that the president of the United States is proud of. That is something that is entirely without precedent. It is extremely dangerous.How higher prices might affect hiringWhile tariffs are usually intended to be a source of revenue for the federal government, research shows that the effects are typically shouldered by consumers and businesses. As the tariffs lead to higher prices for both parties, experts say companies will likely pull back on hiring and eventually resort to layoffs to cut costs.The Trump administration has argued that while tariffs may drive up prices, they will also help fuel job creation stateside, particularly across manufacturing. While that could be true to some extent, those gains could be outweighed by other job lossesor the increased use of automation to mitigate costs for companies. When analyzing the impact of tariffs levied during Trumps first term, some economists found that manufacturing employment remained more or less unchanged; in other industries like agriculture, however, tariffs catalyzed job losses. Others have argued that manufacturing employment actually dropped overall, despite modest gains in job creation across the steel industry.How business leaders are preparingStill, economists of all stripes seem concerned about the potential repercussions of the sweeping new tariffs introduced by the Trump administration. Theres already evidence that companies are being more cautious: In March, a survey of chief financial officers found that one in four companies were cutting back on hiring and making changes to their capital spending plans for 2025, in anticipation of Trumps tariffs. Nearly a third of the 400 companies who were surveyed had cited trade policy and tariffsas well as the uncertainty around themas a source of anxiety. The tariffs were also the number-one business concern among chief financial officers in the first quarter of 2025.Even industries that are not directly impacted by the tariffs could take a financial hit if consumers are spending less overall, which in turn could trickle down to workers. The uncertainty associated with tariffs could lead more companies to pause hiring. While the labor market has largely been stable, it has still cooled over the past few yearsmaking it less resilient to unpredictable forces like the tariffs. Employers have, for the most part, wrested control from workers in the aftermath of the pandemic, especially as they have imposed strict return to work mandates and tightened their budgets.Layoffs might have plateaued to some extent, but companies have also not been adding as many jobs. Many workers have reported finding it more difficult to land a new job. In January, data from the Labor Department indicated that it was taking longer for people who were unemployed or laid off to find new work. As Trumps tariffs continue to send shock waves across the business world, workers likely need to brace themselves for yet another period of upheaval in the job market.

President Donald Trump announced extensive tariffs on April 2, with the possibility to dramatically change costs of essential everyday items for American consumers. He has unveiled tariffs for 60 countries including Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and the European Union, which he deemed the worst offenders when it comes to trade imbalances.Here are five types of items that may see price increases over the next few months as a result.GasThe U.S.s primary source of natural gas imports is Canada, and though Trump announced a lower tariff of 10% for Canadian energy imports, consumers are likely to still feel the effects. In 2022, 99% of the U.S.s total natural gas imports were from Canada.These tariffs may lead to increased heating costs and gas-pump prices. Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and trade at the Cato Institute, predicted that consumers will see an increase of 10 to 20 cents per gallon with the 10% tariff on Canadian crude oil, according to NPR.ElectronicsIt might not be the best time to invest in that new smartphone. In 2024, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam were the top three exporters of laptops and tablets to the U.S. Now, theyre some of the countries most taxed by the new tariff. Almost all consumer electronics are likely to see price hikes as a result.These impacted products also include lithium-ion batteries and video game consoles. A Nintendo representative told CNBC that preorders for the widely-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 would be delayed to an indeterminate date due to tariff concerns.ToysThe increase in costs are not limited to smartphones and tablets. Ed Brzytwa, vice president for international trade at the Consumer Technology Association, estimates that toys made in China will likely cost consumers at least 30% more than their current price, according to CNN. These toys account for close to 77% of all toys sold in the U.S., and they are all about to face the upcoming 54% tariff.CarsA 25% tariff on finished cars took effect on April 3, and a 25% tariff on car parts is set to take effect by May 3, latest. Mexico is the seventh-largest passenger-vehicle manufacturer in the world, and close to 76% of its exports go to the U.S.In a 21-page analysis obtained by the AP, economist Art Laffer estimates that fully implemented tariffs could increase per-vehicle costs by close to $4,711.A 25% tariff would not only shrink, or possibly eliminate, profit margins for U.S. manufacturers, but also weaken their ability to compete with international rivals, Laffer writes in the analysis.ApparelChina and Vietnam, two of the countries most impacted by the tariffs, are also two of the top sources of foreign-made clothes for U.S. consumers, shipping close to $14 billion worth of clothing to the U.S. in 2024.Even customers of fast fashion and internet-famous online retailers such as Shein, Temu, and AliExpress will take a hit. Beginning on May 2, the 54% tariff will apply to packages worth less than $800 coming from China and Hong Kong, which will include packages from these online retailers.These five categories make up only a portion of imported goods. Tariffs will continue to take effect over the next few months, possibly triggering an economic slowdown and increasing prices for American consumers as a whole.

Wall Streets worst crisis since COVID slammed into a higher gear Friday.The S&P 500 lost 6% afterChina matchedPresident Donald Trumpsbig raisein tariffs announced earlier this week. The move increased the stakes ina trade warthat could end with a recession that hurts everyone. Not even abetter-than-expected reporton the U.S. job market, which is usually the economic highlight of each month, was enough to stop the slide.The drop closed the worst week for the S&P 500 since March 2020, when the pandemic ripped through the global economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2,231 points, or 5.5% Friday, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 5.8% to pull more than 20% below its record set in December.So far, there have been few, if any, winners in financial markets from the trade war. Stocks for all but 14 of the 500 companies within the S&P 500 index fell Friday. The price of crude oil tumbled to its lowest level since 2021. Other basic building blocks for economic growth, such as copper, also saw prices slide on worries the trade war will weaken the global economy.Chinas response to U.S. tariffs caused an immediate acceleration of losses in markets worldwide. The Commerce Ministry in Beijing said it would respond to the 34% tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from China with its own 34% tariff on imports of all U.S. products beginning April 10. The United States and China are the worlds two largest economies.Markets briefly recovered some of their losses after the release of Friday mornings U.S. jobs report, which said employers accelerated their hiring by more last month than economists expected. Its the latest signal that the U.S. job market has remained relatively solid through the start of 2025, and its been a linchpin keeping the U.S. economy out of a recession.But that jobs data was backward looking, and the fear hitting financial markets is about whats to come.The world has changed, and the economic conditions have changed, said Rick Rieder, chief investment officer of global fixed income at BlackRock.The central question looking ahead is: Will the trade war cause a global recession? If it does, stock prices may need to come down even more than they have already. The S&P 500 is down 17.4% from its record set in February.Trumpseemed unfazed. From Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida, he headed to his golf course a few miles away after writing on social media that THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH.The Federal Reserve could cushion the blow of tariffs on the economy by cutting interest rates, which can encourage companies and households to borrow and spend. But the Fed may have less freedom to move than it would like.Fed Chair Jerome Powellsaid Friday that tariffs could drive up expectations for inflation. That could prove more damaging than high inflation itself, because it can drive a vicious cycle of behavior that only worsens inflation. U.S.households have already saidtheyre bracing for sharp increases to their bills.Our obligation is to keep longer-term inflation expectations well anchored and to make certain that a one-time increase in the price level does not become an ongoing inflation problem, Powell said.That could indicate a hesitance to cut rates because lower rates can give inflation more fuel.Much will depend on how long Trumps tariffs stick and what kind of retaliations other countries deliver. Some of Wall Street is holding onto hope that Trump will lower the tariffs after prying wins from other countries following negotiations.Trump has given mixed signals on that. On Friday, he said Vietnam wants to cut their Tariffs down to ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S. Trump also criticized Chinas retaliation, saying on his Truth Social platform that CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!Trump has said Americans may feelsome painbecause of tariffs, but he has also said the long-term goals, including getting more manufacturing jobs back to the United States, are worth it. On Thursday, helikened the situation to a medical operation, where the U.S. economy is the patient.For investors looking at their portfolios, it could have felt like an operation performed without anesthesia, said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management.But Jacobsen also said the next surprise for investors could be how quickly tariffs get negotiated down. The speed of recovery will depend on how, and how quickly, officials negotiate, he said.On Wall Street, stocks of companies that do lots of business in China fell to some of the sharpest losses.DuPont dropped 12.7% after China said its regulators are launching an anti-trust investigation into DuPont China group, a subsidiary of the chemical giant. Its one of several measures targeting American companies and in retaliation for the U.S. tariffs.GE Healthcare got 12% of its revenue last year from the China region, and it fell 16%.All told, the S&P 500 fell 322.44 points to 5,074.08. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2,231.07 to 38,314.86, and the Nasdaq composite fell 962.82 to 15,587.79.In stock markets abroad, Germanys DAX lost 5%, Frances CAC 40 dropped 4.3% and Japans Nikkei 225 fell 2.8%.In the bond market, Treasury yields fell, but they pared their drops following Powells cautious statements about inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.01% from 4.06% late Thursday and from roughly 4.80% early this year. It had gone below 3.90% in the morning.Stan Choe, Associated Press business writerAP Writers Jiang Junzhe, Huizhong Wu, and Matt Ott contributed.

Ever since the United States governments unfulfilled promise of giving every newly freed Black American 40 acres and a mule after the Civil War, descendants of the enslaved have repeatedly proposed the idea of redistributing land to redress the nations legacies of slavery. Land-based reparations are also a form of redress for the territorial theft of colonialism.Around the world, politicians tend to dismiss calls for such initiatives as wishful thinking at best and discrimination at worst. Or else, they are swatted away as too complex to implement, legally and practically.Yet our research shows a growing number of municipalities and communities across the U.S. are quietly taking up the charge.We are geographers who since 2021 have been documenting and analyzing more than 225 examples of reparative programs underway in U.S. cities, states, and regions. Notably, over half of them center land return.These efforts show how working locally to grapple with the complexity of land-based reparations is a necessary and feasible part of the nations healing process.The Evanston effectEvanston, Illinois, launched the countrys first publicly funded housing reparations program in 2019.In its current form, Evanstons Restorative Housing Program has provided disbursements to more than 200 recipients. All are Black residents of Evanston or direct descendants of residents who experienced housing discrimination between 1919 and 1969. Benefits include down payment assistance and mortgage assistance as well as funds to make home repairs and improvements.The goal is to redress the harm Evanston caused during these 50-plus years of racial discrimination in public schools, hospitals, buses, and segregated residential zoning. During that same period, banks in Evanston, as in other U.S. cities, also refused to give Black residents mortgages, credit, or insurance for homes in white neighborhoods.I always said you can keep the mule, program beneficiary Ron Butler told NBC News in 2024. Give me the 40 acres in Evanston.Reparations that focus on land, housing, and property are about more than making amends for centuries of racial discrimination. They help to restore peoples self-determination, autonomy, and freedom.Following Evanstons lead, in 2021 a group of 11 U.S. mayors created Mayors Organized for Reparations and Equity, a coalition committed to developing pilot reparations programs. Members include Los Angeles; Austin; and Asheville, North Carolina.The cities act as sites to generate ideas about how reparation initiatives could be scaled up nationally. Each mayor is advised by committees made up of representatives from local Black-led organizations.Colonial reparationsIn recent years the city of Eureka, in Northern California, has been returning some territory to its Native inhabitants.Indigenous people often call this process rematriation; its part of a broader effort to restore sovereignty and sacred relationships to their ancestral lands.In 2019, after years of petitioning by members of the Wiyot people, the Eureka City Council returned 200 acres of Tuluwat Island, a 280-acre island in Humboldt Bay where European settlers in 1860 massacred about 200 Wiyot women and children.Its a sovereignty issue, a self-governance issue, said Wiyot tribal administrator Michelle Vassel in a November 2023 radio interview.Minneapoliss sale of city lots to the Red Lake Nation for $1 in 2023 is another example of how city governments can make amends for past Indigenous displacement and removal. Plans to develop the low-cost lots include a cultural center for Red Lake people, an opioid treatment center, and potentially housing.The Red Lake Reservation once included 3.3 million acres. The 1889 Dawes Act forced the Red Lake Band to cede all but 300,000 acres. The federal government later returned some land, but today the reservation is still only a quarter of its original size.Reparations are critical to racial equityThese initiatives may sound like a drop in the bucket considering the vast harms committed over centuries of slavery and colonization. Yet they prove that governments can craft targeted, achievable, and meaningful policies to address colonialism and enslavement.They also tackle a frequent critique of reparations, which is that slavery and colonialism happened centuries ago. Yet their effects continue to harm Black and Native communities generations later. Today, white households in the U.S. have roughly nine times the wealth of typical Black households.One explanation for this racial disparity is that Black households earn 20% less than their white counterparts. But a more meaningful driver is what scholars call the intergenerational transmission chainthat is, the role that gifts and inheritance play in wealth generation.Thats why reparations, with both land and money, are so critical to creating racial equity.Still, reparations programs do raise a host of complex, practical questions. Which kinds of historic racial injustice take priority, and what form should repair take? Who qualifies for the benefits?The state of Minnesota transferred Upper Sioux Agency State Park back to the Dakota people in 2023 in an effort to make amends for a war and historic slaughter there. [Photo: Tony Webster/Flickr]Community-based land reparationsReparations dont have to come from the government.In recent years, more than a hundred community-based organizations across the U.S. have introduced their own initiatives to redistribute land and wealth to make amends for past injustices.Makoce Ikikcupi, in the Minnesota River Valley, is a community reparations program led by Dakota peoples. Since 2009, the group has been collecting funds to buy back portions of the Dakota homeland. One revenue source is voluntary contributions from descendants of Europeans who colonized that land. This fundraising strategy is sometimes called real rent or back rent.The group purchased its first 21-acre parcel of land in 2019, where it is building traditional earth lodges, with plans for several self-sustaining Dakota villages.We consider our donation ... back rent, reads the testimony of one monthly contributor, Josina Manu, on the groups web page. He calls the reclamation of Dakota land a vital step towards creating a just world.Fair compensation for eminent domainMany communities are also working together to repair the legacies of anti-Black racism.In the 1960s, the city of Athens, Georgia, used eminent domain to build dormitories for the University of Georgia. Paying below market value, it demolished an entire Black neighborhood called Linnentown.In early 2021, following petitioning from former Linnentown residents whod lost their homes, the City Council unanimously passed a resolution recognizing their neighborhoods destruction as an act of institutionalized white racism and terrorism resulting in intergenerational Black poverty.Because Georgia law prohibits government entities from making payments to individuals, a community group stepped in to organize compensation.The result is Athens Reparations Action, a coalition of churches and community organizations. Formed in 2021, it had raised $120,000 by 2024 to distribute among the 10 families who are Linnentown survivors and descendants.BacklashOur research also tracks legal challenges to the reparations initiatives we are studying.Conservative groups such as Judicial Watch have filed dozens of retaliatory lawsuits against several of them, including Evanstons Restorative Housing Program. A 2024 class action complaint alleges that the program discriminates based on race, violating the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.These legal challenges are part of the broader front of conservative-led assaults on voting rights, affirmative action, and critical race theory. Like reparations, all are efforts to grapple with the U.S.s historical mistreatment of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.Attacking those initiatives is an attempt to preserve what scholar Laura Pulido calls white innocence. We expect more of them under a second Trump term already defined by its assault on antidiscrimination policies and programs.So far, none of President Donald Trumps decrees has targeted reparations specifically. For now, reparations are still legal and constitutionaland possible.Sara Safransky is an associate professor at the Department of Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt University. Elsa Noterman is a senior lecturer in human geography at Queen Mary University of London.Madeleine Lewis is a doctoral student at the Department of Human and Organizational Development at Vanderbilt University.This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Keeping our inboxes organized often feels like an overwhelming task. If youre fortunate, yours contains only messages from people you wish to communicate with. Realistically, though, most are cluttered with newsletters, receipts, social media digests, and more. These emails arent necessarily spam, but they complicate the process of quickly sifting through to find the messages we want to see.This week, Apple introduced a feature to the Mac that aims to help cut through inbox clutter by automatically organizing messages into smart categories. The feature is new in the Mail app in macOS 15.4 and comes several months after Apple debuted the feature on the iPhone in iOS 18.2. Heres how to use it.As of this week, the new Mail categories features are available on all Macs, iPhones, and iPads that are capable of running the latest operating systems. Thats macOS 15.4, iOS 18.2, and iPadOS 18.2 and later.The central concept behind Mail categories is that it uses on-device processingmeaning Apple is not reading anythingto sort your emails into five categories:Primary: Signified by a blue banner, this category displays personal messages to you as well as any messages with time-sensitive information (like a flight change notice).Transactions: Signified by a green banner, this category displays emails that contain receipts, such as from Amazon, shipping notices, and confirmations.Updates: Signified by a purple banner, this category contains all your newsletters, social media roundup digests, and more.Promotions: Signified by a pink banner, this category contains emails that relate to advertisements, such as an email from Target drawing your attention to its upcoming sale.All Mail: Signified by a black banner, this category shows you every email in your inbox in chronological order, including those from the categories above.By clicking or tapping on any of the category banners, you will quickly see all the emails that fit into that category displayed in your inbox. This can help decrease the time it takes you to find the email youre looking for and eliminate the need to sort your emails yourself.As excited as many people are about Apples new Mail categories feature, its worth noting that Apple isnt exactly innovating here. Googles Gmail has offered automatic email categorization for years.How to use Apples new Mail category featureThe best thing about Apples new Mail category feature on Mac, iPhone, and iPad is that its pretty much automatic. Once you have the email app set up to display categories, Apples email client will do everything.The new categories feature is part of the Macs built-in email client, Mail.To make sure your Mail app is set up to display categories, do the following:On your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, select the inbox you want to display categories for.Now select the three-dots button ().On Mac, tap Show Mail Categories; and on iPhone and/or iPad, tap Categories.You will now see a new button bar above your inbox with five buttons, each featuring a unique icon: a person (Primary), a shopping cart (Transactions), a word balloon (Updates), a megaphone (Promotions), and a drawer (All Mail).Select any of the buttons to quickly see the emails that are sorted into the respective categories.Easily reassign emails into other categories Apple also knows that some people may prefer to have emails from certain senders appear in a category other than the one Mail has assigned. Thats why the company also allows users to manually change the category designation for emails from the same sender.The feature is also available on the iPhone and iPad.For example, if you would prefer that the emails you receive from your local movie theater be sorted into the Promotions category instead of the Updates category, you can automatically reassign it. Heres how:On Mac, right-click on the email, select Categorize Sender, and then select the category you desire.On iPhone and iPad, tap on the email and then tap the three dots () at the top of the email. Select Categorize Sender from the dropdown menu, and then select the category you desire.One nice thing about the new Mail category feature is that it is not part of Apple Intelligence, which means it is not limited to Macs, iPhones, and iPads that can run Apple Intelligence. As long as your Mac can run macOS Sequoia and your iPhone and iPad can run iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, respectively, you can take advantage of the new Mail categorization features right now.Of course, its worth noting that not everyone may like the new Mail categorization feature. And if youre one of them, theres an easy way to turn it off. Simply go to your inbox and select the three dots button (). On Mac, click Show Mail Categories so the checkmark next to it disappears. On iPhone and iPad, tap List View and the Categories feature will be hidden.

Ive written before about my love for the Social Security Administrationfrom its origin as a response to senior poverty during the Great Depression, to its elegant design as a direct transfer from current workers to current beneficiaries, to its regular adjustments that have preserved its future.All of which to say, Im pretty darn attached to the SSA for someone ineligible to receive benefits before the year 2041.So the recent news about Social Security, from reports of widespread customer service disruptions to Elon Musks claim that only fraudsters complain about delayed benefits, made me worried, angry, and more likely to stress eat all the pretzels and hummus in the house.As upsetting as all this is, there is still plenty we can do. Whether youre a beneficiary, the child of a beneficiary, or just someone who likes efficiency experts to wield scalpels rather than chainsaws, heres what you need to know about protecting Social Security.Fraud is not a problem with Social SecurityThe Trump administration has claimed over and over that there is a rampant fraud problem in the Social Security system. The most recent example (as of this writing) was Musks claim during a tele-rally for a Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate that someone would be arrested the next day for stealing 400,000 Social Security numbers in order to fraudulently claim benefits.There are many things wrong with that previous sentenceincluding the fact that its really stupid to announce a potential arrest before it has happenedbut lets focus on the fraud claim.Fraudulently claiming Social Security benefits simply isnt a thing.Social Security is a remarkably accurate government program, enjoying a payment accuracy rate of 99.7%. Only 0.3% of Social Security benefits are improper payments (which includes both overpayment and underpayment), and the majority of these improper payments are caused by delays or mistakes. The SSA has a 47% recovery rate for overpaymentsand the government aggregates annual improper payment datasets so that any American citizen can take a look at how accurate the SSAs benefit payments are.The SSA also has rigorous safeguards and protocols in place to stop payments to beneficiaries who have died, including collecting death data, checking that the oldest beneficiaries are using their benefits, and terminating benefits at age 115.Finally, non-citizens who are eligible to work in the United States receive a Social Security numberand they pay into the Social Security systembut they are not eligible for benefits. This makes non-citizens with Social Security numbers a net financial benefit to the SSA.When someone claims that Social Security needs an overhaul because of widespread fraud, they dont know what they are talking about.The Social Security computer system needs to be updatedAs much as I love the SSA, I am not blind to its flaws. Specifically, Social Securitys computer systems are written in COBOL, a computer language that was developed in the 1950s and gained widespread use in the 1970s. However, COBOL is now an obsolete computer languagebut the SSA maintains 60 million lines of code in this language to this day. The SSA also relies on COBOL for the code responsible for issuing social security numbers, calculating benefits, and managing payments, according to a report from Wired.This is clearly unsustainable, as anyone who has ever asked a software engineer about their profession can attest. Computer systems are notoriously flimsy, held together by chewing gum and hope, and every day the SSA continues to hum along on an obsolete coding language is kind of miraculous.The plan to rewrite this code to modernize the SSAs computer system is a good onebut DOGE wants to accomplish this migration in an irresponsibly short timeframe. A complete migration from COBOL to Java would take several years, but the Department of Government Efficiency is proposing a timeframe of a few months.While it may be more efficient to burn the current computer system to the ground and build a new one on its ashes, the increased efficiency would be little comfort to the beneficiaries who dont receive payments, receive the wrong payments, or have to wait months for benefits they are entitled to.Recognize the propagandaFor years, Social Security has been known as the third rail of American politics, since it enjoys bipartisan popularity. No one wants the government to cut payments to Nana and Pop-Pop. (They have the good cookies at their house!)The only way to touch an untouchable program is to convince the populace that its riddled with problems. Pointing out the real or fabricated problems within a beloved program allows the people in power to dismantle the program in the name of improvement.This is why we are hearing so much about Social Securitys supposed faults. Musk and his minions claim rampant fraud, dead beneficiaries, and non-citizens receiving fat benefit checks, despite the SSAs incredible 99.7% payment accuracy. The Department of Government Efficiency is correct that the SSAs computer system is based on archaic code and needs updatingbut the most efficient way of handling the update would imperil the benefits of millions of Americans.What can you do to protect Social Security?We the people have more power than any politician (or random South African billionaire). In the case of Social Security, pushback from beneficiaries has already delayed a deeply unpopular new identity-proofing requirement. Further complaints about this requirement could delay it even moreor perhaps eliminate it entirely.With that in mind, contacting your representatives by phone and email is a great way to remind our government of how painful it is to touch the third rail.Sharing the facts about Social Security (possibly by forwarding this article, ahem) is also an important protective measure, because it helps build immunity to misinformation and propaganda.To protect your personal Social Security benefits, sign up for a my Social Security account if you havent already. From that account, save and print your Social Security Statement, which includes your earnings record. This will ensure you have the correct information about your Social Security earning record and potential benefits in the (unlikely!) event that DOGE actually tries to rewrite the SSA code during a single caffeine-soaked weekend.Worth fighting forThe Social Security Administration represents the best of American government policy. We wont let it be dissected, dismantled, or demolished without a fight.

Of all the modern parenting paradoxes, navigating screen time usage might be one of the most complexand divisive. Critics of screen time claim it can negatively impact social skills, behavior, and sleep. Proponents say it can help kids learn about living in a digital world, improve cultural awareness, and serve as a means of communication. Parents say sometimes they just need a break.The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the messy middle of it all; like so many aspects of parenting, its all about finding the balance thats right for you and your child(ren).Screen time is just one of many topics explored in Poems of Parenting, a new collection of poetry out April 8 from author and artist Loryn Brantz, a consulting creative director for the beloved kids educational program Ms. Rachel who has won two Emmy Awards for her work on Sesame Street. The mom of two children (one of whom has a disability) offers short, snappy, honest, and often irreverent reflections on everything from trimming tiny fingernails to watching war and famine play out on TV.Its exactly the type of content moms need in todays world. So what about screen time? Here, Brantz shares some insight behind her poem on itplus, an important and powerful reminder that applies to many aspects of parenthood.This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Loryn Brantz (@lorynbrantz)Youve worked on two beloved kids shows and youve struggled with navigating screen time for your own kids. What insights can you offer parents trying to find the right balance?It comes down to what works best for your family. I would never say, This or that is the right thing to do, because it never accounts for kids with disabilities who may rely more on screen time than others for various reasons.That said, I believe there is such a thing as quality screen time, and I would encourage people to be cognizant of what they put on. Also, when possible, co-watching together, asking questions, or interacting while watching the show is ideal.In our household, there was a lot of pressure to pack in as much early intervention therapy as we could during the first years of my daughters life because of all her developmental delays, so we were very strict with screen time. She was only allowed an hour or so per day in tandem with physical therapy, or as much as needed to distract from medical treatments. It was as stressful as it sounds. Now shes older (and doing amazingly), and her neurotypical little-potato brother watches with her, and were not worried about it at all.Sometimes, after a long day of work and school, spending time on the couch cuddling and watching a movie can be the best thing for everyone. I often think, Wow, I cant believe I popped these sweet little people out of my body, and now theyre watching TV with me! Life is pretty magical, isnt it?Every kid is different, and every kids needs are different.How has your work in kids educational programming influenced your own parenting style and strategies?When I was working on Sesame Street at the Jim Henson Co., it was well before I had my own children and I was mostly tapping into my own inner child as far as things I enjoy including The Muppets, Disney World, and picture books.I was making what I enjoy. I figured thats also what a kid would enjoy, too. Nowadays, with my work for Ms. Rachel, I have learned an extraordinary amount about childhood development, not only from the show but through my own experience with early intervention (EI) for my daughter.EI works best when the parent takes on what they learn during sessions and incorporates it into their childrens day-to-day lives. I more or less became a full-time speech, occupational, physical, and special-instruction therapist for the first three years of her life. So now, my work comes from not only a place of genuinely enjoying childrens media, but also thinking about what I would want my own childrenand really, all childrento be watching. Childrens media is so important and needs to be treated as such.Youve said you feel like youve been working toward Poems of Parenting your whole life.Its been quite a journey. This will essentially be my 12th book. So many things set it apart. For one, its the first book that feels like it has a real energy behind it from readers. When I started writing these poems, I immediately began getting messages like, When is the book coming out? or Will you be making a book? And I was just blown away because no one had ever asked me for a book before. Its just a dream come true. ... After over a decade of pushing and pushing to get books made and in front of people, having people come to me asking for a book is a real pinch-me moment. After starting this book, I also decided it was finally time to take the leap to being a full-time artist and writer, primarily for my own projectswhich has been a lifelong goal.Read more with Loryn Brantz on Two Truths.

Kodiak Brush doesnt mince words when it comes to the state of football helmet design. Most helmets today are designed to win lab tests, not protect players on the field, he tells me over email. Brush, an MIT-trained mechanical engineer and former middle linebacker, is a production engineering manager who leads helmet design at Carlsbad, California-based Light Helmets. His latest creation is the Apache helmet, which, at just 3.5 pounds, is the lightest on the marketand yet it has achieved the highest safety score ever recorded by Virginia Techs independent helmet testing lab.The Apache is a direct challenge to decades of conventional wisdom about what makes a football helmet safe. Its not just lighter, Brush claims, its smarterleveraging advanced materials, 3D printing, and a player-first philosophy that prioritizes real-world performance over outdated assumptions. And, while the number of total concussions in the NFL decreased 17% in 2024, theres still a lot of work to be done.[Photo: Light Helmets]Brushs journey to revolutionize helmet design connects directly with his very core. As a middle linebacker at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he was never the biggest or fastest player on the field, he tells me. I would very rarely get out-leveraged. One of my favorite things to do was meet a pulling guard in the gap, put him on the ground, and ask him, How are you going to let a little guy like me do that to you? His helmet was an extension of his bodya tool he relied on for protection and performance. But it wasnt perfect. The pain points I had with helmets are personal, he says.After graduating from MIT and working in accident reconstruction and product design, Brush joined Light Helmets with a mission to create a helmet that addressed those pain points while pushing the boundaries of safety technology.The weight mythThe Apaches most striking feature is its weightor lack thereof. At 3.5 pounds, its up to 40% lighter than many competing helmets. This isnt just about comfort; its about physics. Lower helmet mass means less energy that needs to be mitigated, Brush says. It also reduces neck fatigue, allowing players to control their heads better and for longer. While people think SUVs beat sedans in crashes, he tells me, your head isnt a car. Its 10% of your body mass, tethered by a neck thatmuststay engaged. So adding weight to it is never a good idea. Less is better.[Photo: Light Helmets]This philosophy runs counter to an industry trend of adding weight to helmets to improve performance in lab tests. Standardized testing protocols like those used by Virginia Tech and the NFL involve striking static head forms with pendulums or pneumatic rams. Heavier helmets tend to score better in these tests because they absorb more energy due to their mass. [Its] lab test gaming, he tells me.But on the field, where players are dynamic rather than static, heavier helmets can do more harm than good. Increased helmet mass leads to higher energy impacts, Brush says. It makes the game less safe for everyone.[Photo: Light Helmets]How it worksAesthetically, the helmet looks familiar, but certain details make it very different from its typical predecessor. It appears much leaner, and its lines are reminiscent of a trial bike helmetmore aggressive and angled. It also offers a wider field of view. The front of traditional helmets tends to be small and make players feel boxed-in, as if theyre medieval soldiers on the battlefield, but the Apache front is surprisingly open and airy. This is the result of the shock-absorption technologies Brush used.First, there is its flexible outer shell, made from impact-modified nylon, a material more commonly found in racing helmets than football gear. Unlike traditional rigid shells, it flexes on impact, spreading forces across a larger area and reducing pressure peaks on the skull by nearly 20%.Inside the shell there is a 3D-printed liner, a thermoplastic polyurethane network of many cylindrical pods with variable stiffness. This means they buckle under impact to absorb energy before returning to their original shape. This design dissipates energy more efficiently than traditional foam liners, which compress linearly and struggle to recover after heavy impacts.It was developed with K3D, a 3D design and printing technology developed by Kollide, a company that develops impact-resistance technologies through 3D printing to protect humans in motion. Light Helmets simulated thousands of impact scenarios using K3D and rapidly iterated designs in ways that traditional manufacturing cant match. We broke 47 prototypes before we got the liners buckling pattern right, Brush says. But every failure taught us something new.The company claims that its titanium alloy maskwhich is available only for professional teams at this pointallows it to shave about 40% of the weight of a comparable traditional face mask, which is usually made with steel. And yet, it has the same hardness and durability of steel.The helmet comes in two models: the Apache, designed for NFL and college football teams, and the Apache Lightning, designed for youth programs. The key difference between the models is in the interior liner material. The 3.5-pound Apache uses impact-absorbing TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), a durable material thats engineered to absorb impacts and return to its original state after shocks, maintaining flexibility through time, Light Helmets says.The Apache Lightning uses EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam, an aerospace-grade material known for its ability to efficiently dissipate impact energy, the company claims. Its also lighter, configurable to less than 3 pounds. All the helmets can be custom made, allowing players to choose colors and different mask designs. The Apache is priced from $649 to $849; the Lightning variant sells for $449 to $649.[Photo: Light Helmets]Testing realitiesDespite its lightweight designwhich Brush admits puts it at a disadvantage in standardized testingthe Apache scored an unprecedented 0.46 on Virginia Techs STAR rating system (lower scores indicate better performance). The testing protocol involves striking helmets at multiple locations and speeds with a pendulum system, then calculating a severity score based on how likely those impacts would result in traumatic brain injuries. Virginia Tech has become the Consumer Reports of helmet testing, Brush says. Their public results drive innovation by holding manufacturers accountable.Still, he believes theres room for improvement in how helmets are evaluated. Both Virginia Tech and NFL protocols reward heavier helmets without consequence, he says. Light has proposed updates that would normalize scoring for weight or incorporate drop-tower tests where impact energy is proportional to massa change that could fundamentally shift how helmets are designed across the industry.But the real test of any helmet isnt in the lab. Its on the field, according to Brush. Feedback from players at every level has been overwhelmingly positive. NFL players using the Apache report feeling quicker and more agile compared to when they wore heavier helmets from competitors like Riddell or Vicis. High school athletes have praised its comfort and visibility, noting that it feels more like wearing a cap than carrying extra weight on their heads.One linebacker told Brush that wearing the Apache was like removing blinders: I can actually see my targets now. Another player described finishing games without the usual neck strain hed come to expect from heavier helmetsa small but significant change that could extend careers over time.The futureBrush tells me the Apache design is the future of football helmets. He believes that flexible shells like those used in the Apache will become standard within the next decade, as evidence mounts that they mitigate impact energy more effectively than rigid designs. He also predicts greater adoption of additive manufacturing for position-specific liners tailored to individual needsdenser padding for linemen who take head-on hits versus lighter configurations for quarterbacks who need mobility and peripheral vision.Further down the line, he envisions helmets integrating technologies like impact sensors, communication devices, and even camerasthough he insists these features must not come at the expense of weight reduction or safety.For now, the Apache seems to already be the future of football helmets. Light Helmets sold 5,000 units in 2024, and its projecting sales of 50,000 helmets with increased production and word spreading across the community.As one AFC North coach remarked: Its not a helmet. Its an unfair advantage.But for Brush, success isnt measured by sales figures or accoladesits about changing how people think about football safety and avoid traumatic brain injuries. We didnt set out to revolutionize anything, he says simply. We just stopped lying to ourselves about what works.

March might be over but the madness continues into April. The NCAAs 68 Division I mens college basketball teams have battled it out on the courts in single-elimination play, leaving four teams standing. This year the Final Four have something in common: They all were granted No. 1 seeds on Selection Sunday. Duke, Florida, Auburn, and Houston were all safe bets when filling out a bracket, and they delivered on that promise. Heres what you need to know heading into the remaining competition, and how to tune in.Do the No. 1 seed teams always make it to the end?The short answer is no. This is only the second time in history this has happened. The last time was 2008. Oftentimes there are surprise victories in the tournament or an underdog who comes from behind. That was not the case this year.When and where is the Final Four?Saturday, April 5, is the big day. First Auburn will face Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Then Duke and Houston will battle it out at 8:49 p.m ET in the same location. This is the first time a Texas team has made the Final Four when the games were being hosted in the Lone Star State. One can speculate that the hometown crowd will be cheering extra hard for the University of Houston.Players to watchThe Auburn Tigers are counting on forward Johni Broome to help them win their first NCAA mens basketball title. The forward scared fans after exiting the qualifying game versus Michigan State with an arm injury. He returned to appreciative applause from the crowd and paid them back by making an impressive 3-pointer.Floridas Walter Clayton Jr. also knows a thing or two about 3-pointers. He made two of them to secure the Gators victory over Texas Tech. His team has not seen a Final Four in 11 years, so they have something to prove.In contrast, 2025 will mark Dukes 18th appearance in Final Four play. Freshman Cooper Flagg wants to continue the Blue Devils legacy before potentially heading to the NBA. Houston forward Joseph Tugler knows the best offense is a good defense. He may average just 5.5 points a game but thats because he is too busy making sure the other team doesnt score.How to tune inCBS is broadcasting the Final Four. The network did so from 1982 to 2015. Beginning in 2016, it shared the responsibility with TBS, switching off every other year. 2025 belongs to CBS.This means traditional cable subscribers and those with an over-the-air antenna are covered. Those who cut the cord can look to live TV subscriptions such as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo. Additionally, Paramount+ subscribers with the Showtime add-on can livestream the local CBS station.

When Trump unveiled his sweeping tariffs last week, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut made the case that they werent about economic policy. Instead, he says, theyre a tool to force businesses (and countries) to pledge loyalty to Trump. We talked to Murphy about Trumps motivations, what Congress should be doing in this moment, and how citizens can make sense of the chaos and make their voices heard. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)Can you briefly explain what you think is the real motivation behind the tariffs?I think there are a lot of signs that point to this as political, not economic policy. First, it makes no sense as economic policy. Economists cannot understand the formula. They cant understand the strategy. It applies to countries with trade deficits and with trade surpluses. It applies to our friends and our enemies. It doesnt make sense if youre trying to read it as economic policy.Second, Trump has been pretty consistent in using whatever power he has through taxation or spending in order to compel loyalty from institutions that matter to democracies. Hes threatened to cut off funding for higher education and law firms unless they cut deals with him. Hes trying to destroy journalists by denying them access to government buildings unless they use the words that he picks. And so, it would make sense in that context that he is just using a different tooltariffsto force industries and companies to come bend the knee to him and cut deals with him that benefit him politically. So at some point, I think you have to sort of understand what the central story is. And the central story is not improving peoples lives, its not helping the economy, its converting our democracy to autocracy.Do you think its possible that he somehow does actually believe that the tariffs are good economic policy, and the fact that he can use them as a tool to pressure businesses and others is a side benefit?I dont think he has ever done a hot second of economic analysis on anything. I think everything to him is either a chance at good political messaging or a chance to wield more power. He does not care about good policy. He cares about a good message and power.So, for a while, the tariffs were a way to message how much he hated China. He was able to outflank Democrats in 2016 (and to a lesser extent in 2020) on the issue of fighting outsourcing. And the tariffs were the way that he communicated his commitment to fighting the Chinese economically. But he never spent any time trying to understand how to implement tariffs or how tariffs work and dont work. It was all a message, and now its also a political tool.Even before the tariffs, companies have been hesitant to criticize him, though some were more outspoken in the first Trump administration. What is the role that you think companies should be playing right now?I dont think that industry is as essential to democracy as journalists, lawyers, or universities. History is replete with moments where industry pretty quickly cowed to emerging autocrats. But there are always heroes in private industry. There are always companies that view economic freedom that comes with democracy as essential to their well-being. So theres always an opportunity for industry to stand up and play a role when were sliding away from democratic norms. Thats less likely if they are all forced to show up at the White House and cut some form of loyalty deal in order to get tariff relief.Obviously, theres a lot more going on now than just tariffs. How can Americansnot just businessesgenerally deal with the barrage of attacks on the environment, health agencies, education, and everything else, when so much is happening simultaneously?I think its important to understand that its not 10 different narratives. Its one narrative. It can be hard to understand how everything is connected when the daily blizzard feels overwhelming. But the story is consistent. Trump is trying to create a kleptocratic oligarchy where the very-rich few use government to steal from us. And hes trying to destroy our democracy because he cant get away with that thievery if theres an accountability structure in place. So thats why I really believe that the tariffs are not about economics but about politics. Because I dont think Donald Trump wakes up every day thinking about how to make the economy work better for anybody other than his Mar-a-Lago friends. To me, everything that he is proposing is part of that central storyline.Youve said that the moment were in requires us to break norms and take risks. What more do you think Congress should be doing right now to take back power from Trump?Historically, when elected leaders try to destroy democracy and become permanent rulers, its mass mobilization and courts that stand in their way. Im not a judge, I dont command an army. So Ive got to understand the role that I play. The role that I play is to try to stop as much bad legislation as I can, but also to act in a way that inspires people outside of the building to stand up in a substantive way. So thats why Ive committed to traveling the country and trying to help mobilize people. Thats why I think, internally, we need to take tactical risks on a regular basis, like Cory Booker did the other night with his [record-breaking speech], because that kind of bravery does translate to the public and causes a lot of people to engage in individual acts of political bravery. I argue that we need to be taking exceptional risks and engaging in exceptional tactics inside the building because that translates the kind of urgency to the American public thats necessary at this moment.There are a lot of protests happening this weekend. Do you think theres more that citizens can be doing than going out in the streets?I think right now our job is to show that those of us who oppose the billionaire takeover and oppose the destruction of our democracy are a majoritarian movement. And once it becomes clear that there is true popular opposition to whats happening, the space gets more and more limited for Trump to operate in. The Supreme Court, whether we like it or not, is a political body. And Roberts and Kavanaugh and Barrett do look to the public to see if their rulings are going to be in step or far out of step with where the public is.If we ultimately need to engage in much more serious public action, like civil disobedience, in the case that Trump prompts a five-alarm constitutional crisis, that kind of more risky, specific behavior is easier if everybody knows that they are part of a movement that commands a big majority. I think right now, its traditional forms of protest and political action that matter most. It may be that later on down the line, we have to engage in different kinds of action. But the first project is to show that the people are on our side, not on Trumps side.

On Tuesday, Brad Schimel, the Trump-backed candidate in the race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, lost in decisive fashion to his liberal opponent, Susan Crawford. Other than the candidate himself, the elections biggest loser is Elon Musk, who spent $25 million on Schimels blowout loss, and whose future in bankrolling the Make America Great Again movement is suddenly up in the air.Musk is not used to this sort of uncertainty. He spent more than a quarter-billion dollars on the 2024 presidential election, a savvy investment that bought him both a de facto Cabinet seat and the obedient silence of Republican politicians who fear that Musk will use his astronomical fortune to finance primary challenges against them the moment they step out of line. Musk saw the Wisconsin Supreme Court as his next conquesta chance to prove his kingmaker bona fides in an important election for the Republican Party, which he framed in startlingly apocalyptic terms, especially for an off-cycle judicial race in a state where he doesnt live: The result, Musk warned on March 30, could decide the future of America and Western Civilization.Wisconsin voters, however, did not see things Musks way. (Or, if they did, they did not share his vision for the future.) Crawford won by 10 points, and Schimel called her to concede a few hours after polls closed. A closer look at the numbers reveals the scale of his defeat: Every county shifted in Democrats favor relative to the 2024 election, when Donald Trump won the state by a bit less than one point. Even in deep-red areas where Schimel beat Crawford by margins in the 20s, 30s, and 40s, Crawford still outpaced Vice President Kamala Harriss performance just four months ago, and sometimes by double digits.Musk has no one to blame but himself. Since November, his antics at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have made him one of the most polarizing political figures in the country: 60% of people have an unfavorable view of Musk, including 46% who say they view him very unfavorably, according to a recent Marquette poll. As it turns out, if you are an unelected plutocrat dismantling the federal government and trying to put hundreds of thousands of people out of a job, and then show up in a new state imploring people to do what you say or else, an appreciable number of them are going to use their votes to tell you to go to hell instead.Musks carpetbagging in Wisconsin was equal parts confident and cringe. He promoted a Schimel campaign event on X, and tweeted a weird caricature of the candidate dressed as Superman, urging his followers to vote for Superjudge. His PAC hosted a pro-Schimel town hall in Green Bay during which Musk spent more time defending DOGE than he did stumping for Schimel, who opted to campaign elsewhere that night. Musk kicked off the event by bounding onto the stage wearing a bright yellow Packers cheesehead hat, which he promptly autographed and then threw out into the crowd in the style of a band lead singer pandering to concertgoers in a city he can barely remember the name of and never intends to visit again.Perhaps most audaciously, Musk dusted off a strategy he employed in Pennsylvania during the closing weeks of the 2024 election, which basically involved turning voter registration into something resembling a sweepstakes. This time, he promised to pay Wisconsin voters who signed an online petition condemning activist judges, and to hand out million-dollar checks to a few lucky winners who had cast their ballots early. Musk modified the terms of his offer shortly after making it, perhaps after learning of a state law that makes it illegal to pay people for voting. Instead, he explained, the million-dollar checks would merely go to spokesmen whod agreed to promote his petition.In a wild coincidence, one recipient, Ekaterina Diestler, works at a company led by well-connected Republicans in the state; the other, Nicholas Jacobs, is the chair of the Wisconsin College Republicans. After Diestler cut a soft-lit promo video in which she explained that she did exactly what Elon Musk told everyone to do: Sign the petition, refer friends and family, vote, and now I have a million dollars, Musks PAC quickly pulled the clip and replaced it with an edited version that omits the word vote.Thanks largely to Musk, overall spending on Tuesdays election cracked $90 million, which makes it the most expensive state judicial election in U.S. history, roughly doubling the record set in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election two years ago. Musk loomed so large over the race that Crawford was happy to treat it as a referendum on him, earning laughs on the campaign trail by referring to Musk, rather than Schimel, as my opponent.This strategy paid off: Turnout was nearly 40% higher than it was in 2023, and Schimel underperformed the other Republican on this years ballotBrittany Kinser, who lost the statewide race for school superintendentby 2 points. In other words, Schimel didnt lose this badly just because Democrats showed up to the polls en masse. Schimel lost this badly because people associate him with Elon Musk, and even some voters who are otherwise inclined to vote for Republicans decided they wanted nothing to do with him.As Crawford celebrated her victory, Musk does what he always does when hes upset: Post. I expected to lose, but there is value to losing a piece for a positional gain, he wrote, which is also how I grieve when my 7-year-old niece hits me with two straight Draw 4 cards to beat me in Uno. Hes since promoted a video from (of course) conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and Trump-adjacent gadfly Roger Stone suggesting that the election was stolen, a time-honored Republican response to election results they do not like.The open question is whether Musks diminishing influence with voters threatens his positions of power within the Trump administration, and within the Republican Party as the 2026 midterm elections approach. Candidates will want his moneybecause candidates always want moneybut the more they clock him as ballot-box poison, the more likely they are to conclude that taking his money isnt worth the trouble of sharing the stage with him. It is probably not a coincidence that the morning after Schimels loss, Politico was ready with a report that Musk and Trump, in the proud tradition of amenable breakups everywhere, have mutually decided that hell soon leave the White House and take on a supporting role instead.The story frames the decision as driven by the statutory 130-day limit on Musks tenure as a special government employee, and acknowledges that hes likely to continue in some sort of informal adviser role. But it also notes a growing number of administration figures who see Musk as a political liability who has served as a rallying point for fractured Democrats. The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board similarly worried that Musks failure in Wisconsin shows that the Trump-Musk governing style is stirring a backlash that could cost them control of Congress next year. Basically, watching Musk write novelty checks was all fun and games until he became one of the most repellent people on earth.Schimels loss does not mean that Musks career in politics is all the way over. The first elections after presidential elections often cut against the party in power, and thanks to the U.S. Supreme Courts enduring passion for money in politics, as soon as Musk overcomes the humiliation of blowing $25 million for a double-digit loss, he is as free as ever to throw himself into the next election that piques his interest. But at the very least, Tuesday showed that there are limits to what his money can buyand that if he keeps coming up empty, he could find himself out of political power just as quickly as he bought his way into it.

A notice to customers dazzled by the low-priced products on Chinese shopping apps: The days of getting trendy clothing, tools, and gag gifts that cost less than lunch delivered to your door in 10 days are probably numbered.President Donald Trump is ending a little-known butwidely used exemptionthat has allowed as many as 4 million low-value parcelsmost of them originating in Chinato arrive in the U.S. every day tax-free.An executive order the president signed Wednesday will eliminate the de minimis provision for goodsfrom China and Hong Kongon May 2. The tax exemption, which applies to packages valued at $800 or less, has helped China-founded e-commerce companies like Shein and Temu thrive whilecutting intothe U.S. retail market.Shoppers had a full array of product and options of timing, Marshal Cohen, chief retail adviser at market research firm Circana, said. Now theyre going to have a limited array of options and timing: So you can still buy this product, but you may have to wait three or four weeks.U.S. politicians, law enforcement agencies, and business groups have described the long-standing policy as a trade loophole that gave inexpensive Chinese goods an advantage and served as a portal for illicit drugs and counterfeits to enter the country.The sweeping tariffs Trump announced on Wednesday also aim to end the duty-free exception for all imported goods worth less than $800, but only when the U.S. government has the personnel in place to process parcels from every country.What will be the effect on prices and shipping times?A White House fact sheet said small packages of Chinese products sent through the international postal network will be subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item, an amount that will increase to $50 per item after June 1.Commercial carriers such as FedEx and UPS will be required to report shipment details and remit the appropriate duties to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to the White House. After Trumps latest round of tariffs, the tariff rate for Chinese products will be at least 54%.Supporters of the de minimis exception have argued that its elimination would drive up costs and hurt low-income consumers and small businesses.The tariff costs threaten to deal a blow to the U.S. operations of companies like Shein and Temu, which rapidly expanded in the U.S. using the de minimis provision to deliver ultra-cheap fast-fashion items from China.However, its unclear what impact the loss of the tax exemption will have on the two online retailers, as well as on American companies like Amazon and Walmart, whose platforms include virtual marketplaces where international sellers offer products.Shein and Temu already have been building warehouses in the U.S. so they could get orders to U.S. shoppers more quickly. Shein recently opened a fulfillment and logistics hub in the Seattle area. Neither company could be reached for comment Thursday.Ram Ben Tzion, chief executive officer of the digital vetting platform Publican, said he expected the companies to be forced to rethink their business strategy and possibly explore opting out of the U.S. market.In an emailed statement to AP, FedEx said it would support its customers to adapt to the new regulatory requirements and said it would be important for shippers to have paperwork completed correctly ahead of pick-up for shipments to move smoothly.Hilton Beckham, an assistant commissioner of the U.S. CBP, said the federal agency was ready to implement the latest tariffs.Our automated systems are fully updated to capture, assess, and administer all new duties, and clear guidance will be provided to support uniform enforcement across the nation, Beckham said.Ben Tzion, of Publican, said he would highly doubt the U.S. government was ready to process the huge number of low-value shipments to be taxed starting next month.The Hong Kong government said the Hongkong Post would temporarily maintain postal services to the U.S through May 2 but will not collect any so-called tariffs on behalf of the U.S. authorities.What is the de minimis provision?Introduced in 1938, the de minimis exception was intended to facilitate the flow of small packages valued at no more than $5, the equivalent of about $109 today. The threshold increased to $200 in 1994 and $800 in 2016. But the rapid rise of cross-border e-commerce, driven by China, has challenged the intent of the decades-old customs exception rule.Chinese exports of low-value packages soared to $66 billion in 2023, up from $5.3 billion in 2018, according to a February report by the Congressional Research Service. And the U.S. market has been a major destination.The Chinese government, which sees cross-border e-commerce as a critical part of its foreign trade, has introduced favorable policies, including financial support and infrastructure building, to foster its growth.Former President Joe Biden proposed a rule last year that said foreign companies cant avoid tariffs simply by shipping goods that they claim to be worth $800 or less. Trump tried in February to end the exception but his initial order was called off within days when it appeared the U.S. was not prepared to process and collect tariffs on the millions of parcels.U.S. Representative Rosa L. DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, said she was pleased Trump acted a second time to eliminate the rule.For too long, this customs loophole has let foreign exporters flood our market with cheap goods and helped drug traffickers move fentanyl past our bordersresulting in factory closures, job losses, and deaths, DeLauro said.An explosion of cheap goodsIn 2023, for the first time, more than 1 billion such packages came through U.S. customs, up from 134 million in 2015. By the end of last year, CBP said it was processing about 4 million small shipments a day.The cheap prices and increasing popularity of Shein and Temu squeezed fast-fashion retailers like Forever 21 and H&M. Forever 21 blamed the tax exemption in part for its decision to file for bankruptcy last month and close its U.S. stores.We have been unable to find a sustainable path forward, given competition from foreign fast-fashion companies, which have been able to take advantage of the de minimis exemption to undercut our brand on pricing and margin, CFO Brad Sell said in a statement.Meanwhile, Amazon launched late last year a low-cost online storefront featuring electronics, apparel, and other products priced under $20, in an apparent effort to compete with Temu and Shein. Amazon shipped the products to U.S. customers from a warehouse it operates in China, according to documentation the company provided to sellers.By Anne DInnocenzio and Didi Tang

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.The way we produce and consume food is changing. Not only is the current food system a threat to our health, its also a threat to our planet. As a food producer, the challenge is clear: How do we transition toward more nutrient-dense, environmentally responsible food choices without compromising taste or accessibility?Modern food production has often emphasized convenience, leading to highly processed products that lack substance and sustenance. However, traditional diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, offer a time-tested solution. Rooted in whole, plant-based ingredients, these diets highlight a variety of grains, legumes, and plant-based proteins that provide essential nutrients while reducing the environmental footprint of food production. By returning to these principles, we can create a more sustainable and nutritious future.Learn from traditional dietsFor centuries, Mediterranean communities have thrived on ingredients that not only support long-term health but also align with sustainable farming practices. Unlike modern industrial agriculture, which prioritizes monoculture crops and mass production, traditional food systems accentuate biodiversity and soil regeneration.Ancient grains like buckwheat are regaining popularity for their rich nutrient profiles and minimal environmental impact. Legumes, such as chickpeas and lentils, are packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and essential minerals while also playing a crucial role in the rise of sustainable practices in modern agriculture. We need to take inspiration from these traditional approaches and champion minimally processed ingredients for the sake of human health and ecological stability.Interestingly, many Americans report that while traveling in Italy, they experience fewer food intolerances and improved digestiondespite indulging more during their vacations. This may be attributed to Italian cuisines deep-rooted tradition and propensity toward whole, minimally processed foods and traditional dishes made with simple, high-quality ingredients.Innovation to address modern challengesTraditional food systems are not the sole answer to todays complex issues of food security, climate change, and health. We must also leverage technology, research, innovation, and a little bit of creativity.The use of spirulina is the perfect example of how innovation can build on traditional principles to create more sustainable and nutrient-dense food options. Called the food of the future by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, spirulina is a blue-green algae with superfood benefits which has been consumed for centuries, providing a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. What makes it especially promising for the future of food is its minimal environmental footprintit requires very little water, land, and energy to produce. It also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gasesproduction can be carbon neutral or even carbon negative, as the growing cells sequester CO2.Many brands are now incorporating ingredients like spirulina into their product offerings, from snacks to beverages and even in more unexpected areas like pasta. For example, at Felicia we source Italian Apulia Kundi spirulina directly from our spirulina park at the Italian headquarters, a facility dedicated to growing these precious microalgae by using the water resulting from the pasta-making process. The water is purified and reused to make the pasta, fostering a virtuous circular economy.This type of sustainable production is a crucial step in our shared journey toward a healthier planet and population. But for innovation like this to really make an impact, it needs to happen at every stage, from food production to product design and consumer education. Creating variety in ones diet doesnt have to be complicatedit can be as simple as incorporating diverse grains, legumes, and vegetables into daily meals and building a colorful plate to delight the senses, without compromising on taste. As brands, we hold a responsibility to our consumers to create the products that make this possible.By embracing both traditional wisdom and modern innovation, with renewed passion, creativity and care, we can reach a thriving future.Carlo Stocco is managing director, North America at Felicia and Andriani.

The breakout star of this season of The White Lotus? Aimee Lou Woodand her distinctive real-life smile. I mean, I cant believe the impact my teeth are having, the English actress told Jonathan Ross last month on Rosss eponymous British chat show. I hope that people dont start, like, filing their teeth so they have gaps.Too late.Unfortunately, Wood may have unintentionally reignited a troubling DIY dentistry trend. On TikTok, users are once again taking nail files to their own teeth, with hashtags like #teethfiling and #teethfile, racking up more than 130 posts, according to Screenshot Media. @nikkysixxbxtch Couldve ended very poorly original sound elaina While Woods smile may be the most recent inspiration, this isnt a new phenomenon. Teeth-filing videos have been circulating online for years. Im going to file my teeth down with a nail file because they are not perfect, one TikTok user said in a since-deleted video posted back in 2020. I have some ridges, and were ballin on a budget.But what might seem like a quick cosmetic fix can cause lasting harm. When you file your nails, your nails grow back, but your teeth dont, Detroit-based dentist Zainab Mackie told the Washington Posts Allyson Chiu, who originally reported on the trend. That outer enamel layer doesnt grow back. ... Once its gone, thats it.Dental professionals on TikTok have long warned users to step away from the emery boards and see a professional instead. Dont get mad at me when your teeth are more sensitive than a two-year-old crying over spilled milk, because I aint going to help you, orthodontist Benjamin Winters (aka the Bentist) said to his 5.5 million TikTok followers in a video that went viral. @thebentist @cheneltiara why you do dis to me! PSA: I dont recommend doing this have your dentist check to make sure its safe first! #teeth #braces original sound The Bentist / Orthodontist Wood herself has opened up about her struggle to embrace her teeth when she was growing up. The Americans cant believe [my teeth], but theyre all being lovely, she said on the popular chat show. It feels so lovely. A real full-circle moment after being bullied for my teeth, forever.Maybe theres a lesson in that.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.The famous computer scientist Bill Joy once said, No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else. If you want to build something on the bleeding edge, you must have an open ecosystem that can pull in as many ideas as possible, skills and talents that exist beyond the four walls of your office building. This is the ethos of open source, the idea that the world is open for collaboration and that diverse people working together can create something beyond themselves.Sadly, weve lost much of this ethos over the past 30 to 40 years. Even though the digital world is built upon open source, almost none of it is open for collaboration today.Recently, open-source providers have come under fire for charging for certain open-source features. Accusations have ranged from spoiling the spirit of open source to offering loss leaders (free solutions that lock customers into APIs or networking effects that are essentially bait for higher-cost features).To explain why this is false, I must explain how weve strayed from the original open-source ethos and why charging large enterprises for certain features is imperative to creating a sustainable path forward.How we lost the open-source ethosBefore open source, the term free software was used. It had a sort of anti-capitalist, anti-economic bent. In the 90s, a contingent of people came in and rebranded that as open source, forming an institute called the Open Source Initiative, opening the doors to the masses.When the internet began connecting people of all stripes and backgrounds, the open-source movement exploded. The fundamentals were simple: Anyone, anywhere could take source code, tweak it, and contribute back to the community.Today, the notion that the computational infrastructure for the world should be open for collaborative remixing and the idea that people, whether theyre startup founders or garage coders looking to tinker and customize, can work together has been largely lost.To prove it, simply try customizing your email or web browser. Even though these solutions are largely built using open-source code and operating systems, the second you make any change, all the DRM encryption protocols break down, rendering you unable to listen to music on Spotify or watch videos on YouTube.The spirit of collaboration is goneHow did we lose this spirit of collaboration? Part of this shift is simply the evolving nature of software. It used to be you either uploaded or downloaded a program to your computer, and you could inspect the source code. Now, software is hosted and rendered via web browsers and user interfaces, meaning major cloud service providers can use all kinds of open-source code, but they never have to reveal it or share it with the community if they dont want to.This isnt to finger wag. Many cloud providers contribute amazing things to the open-source community. Indeed, their solutions are open in the sense that theyre free to the public. Theyre not open in that they dont accept community contributions, and they certainly wouldnt tolerate someone taking their source code and remixing it, aka forking.Finally, theres an existential clash between enterprises and maintainers, the volunteers responsible for overseeing open-source projects. When enterprise IT departments need something fixed, they call their vendor and work through the kinks.You cant do that with an open-source community. Demanding work from volunteers doesnt go over well. And besides, community maintainers dont understand enterprise needsnot in the intimate way businesses need. Thats because the open-source community wasnt born in a corporate office. It was a grassroots movement of coders wanting to create powerful, novel things.Maintaining the open-source movement requires understanding the needs of this community and the enterprises that now rely on these solutions. The solution providers that can understand both sides and thread the needle between their different needs and motivations will be the foundations of a sustainable path forward.Protect the innovation commonsThe term commons originates from economicsa kind of open resource thats shared and managed by the community. You can think of it as an Alpine pasture or a vibrant lake sustaining a village. Its precious but vulnerable.The innovation commons is the open-source community. If someone overfishes, overgrazes, or pollutes the commons, it harms everyone else. So, its in everyones interest to protect the commons.Open source has become increasingly expensive to sustain. For any provider, the path of least resistance is to close down the commons and sell anything valuable as a proprietary artifact. But its much more abundant to keep the commons open to as many people as possible, allowing them to benefit and contribute.As stewards of the innovation commons, rather than trying to sell every single tree, its much better if we pick some fruit and bring it to a storefronta stand at the side of the community garden. If enterprises roll up with two-ton trucks and want to take their fill of fruit and vegetables, we can absolutely give it to them and charge money to invest back into the commons to nurse a sick tree or restore fallow ground.From the outside, charging enterprises for certain open-source features may look like the same thing as selling loss leaders. However, there are a million unsexy but fundamental things required to maintain an open-source ecosystem. Bridging the gap between what the volunteer community can provide and what enterprises desperately need fuels these essential components of future innovations.Asking enterprises to pay for much-needed benefits like security, optimization, and real-time notifications is not equivalent to selling them open-source solutions with bells and whistles. Its a mutually beneficial relationship that grows the innovation commons while providing targeted solutions to companies core needs.For example, many enterprises work with older versions of Python. Tech enablers can use our expertise to apply bug fixes and security patches to these older versions, capabilities that wouldnt be possible otherwise. In turn, using those enterprise resources, we can continue shipping thousands of pieces of open source to people for free, maintaining the original spirit of open source and protecting the innovation commons.Today, less than 1% of the worlds population can write any kind of code, but AI will bring the rest of the world along. Can you imagine the potential when the other 99% can collaborate in an open environment by simply using natural language or modular tools? I can. And, Im infinitely excited for what the future holds.Peter Wang is the chief AI and innovation officer and cofounder of Anaconda.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.As someone deeply invested in sustainable mass transit and supply chain automation, Im also invested in an idea that could change the world of freight transport for us all.The global supply chain is in flux. Even before new tariffs, the nearshoring trend in North America has created an urgent demand for more innovative and efficient freight solutions.However, despite automotive advances, transport logistics are riddled with inefficienciesbottlenecks at congested ports, trucks idling for hours at border crossings, and outdated infrastructure struggling to meet modern demands.But what if we could change that? What if freight could move continuously, seamlessly, and autonomously away from public roads? Thats precisely the vision behind Green Corridors, an emerging technology company tackling some of the most congested trade routes in North America.A new era for freight mobilityLed by president and CEO Mitch Carlson, Green Corridors is pioneering a transformative approach to freight logistics, combining industrial automation with intelligent infrastructure. Their pilot projects under development include a 60-mile autonomous freight corridor between the Port of Houston and an inland terminal currently in feasibility stage, and a 165-mile corridor between Laredo, Texas, and Monterrey, Mexico in predevelopment stage. These projects will redefine the way goods progress across these critical trade arteries.The core of the new system is an elevated guideway system where autonomous freight shuttles traverse a dedicated track to transport cargo seamlessly over these highly congested routes. Beyond incremental improvements to trucking or rail, the solution is an entirely new paradigm for freight transport. The implications are massive:Eliminate congestion: By shifting freight movement away from roadways and onto dedicated guideways running autonomous shuttles, these corridors substantially increase safety, reduce road maintenance costs, and alleviate traffic jams that cost billions of dollars in lost productivity.Strengthen national security: The system integrates directly with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ensuring that every shipment is pre-scanned and approved before it crosses the U.S./Mexico border. Compared to todays manual methods, in which only about 5% of cargo is fully scanned, this would mark a monumental shift in security and efficiency.Reduce emissions: Freight shuttles vastly reduce emissions from semi-trucks. Likewise, the shuttles run at 30 mph versus 60 and run on rails versus rubber tires, using clean diesel fuel and electric propulsion. A single corridor could cut emissions by up to 75% while maintaining 24/7 operations.Productivity: The trade routes Green Corridors are targeting are money-losing scenarios for traditional transport. In the proposed new model, truckers are more productive, have a higher quality of life, and able to make more trips per day.Tailor-made for nearshoringAs nearshoring increases in North American markets, Mexico has overtaken China as the leading U.S. trade partner. This trend is a positive development in many respects; however, the infrastructure challenges of ground transport continue to hinder efficiency.Laredo, the nations No. 1 port of entry, sees 18,500 trucks cross the border daily, often waiting up to eight hours. The high growth of this route, particularly as the U.S. moves further away from reliance on factories in Asia, has made it challenging for Laredo to meet the increasingly higher pressure to remain profitable and predictable for ground transport. Green Corridors removes these inefficiencies and sets a new standard for freight logistics in an era where predictability, security, and efficiency are paramount.A national and global visionWhile the Laredo-Monterrey and Houston projects are first in line, Green Corridors is eyeing a much larger transformation. As it scales, the company plans to target intelligent freight transportation corridors in major port cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York. Ultimately, the solution could scale to anywhere congested corridors are throttling economic productivity.In its next phase, the company would like to play a primary role in reshaping shipping routes worldwide. For example, Mexicos proposed Interoceanic Corridor, a 188-mile rail project meant to compete with the Panama Canal, could potentially use the Green Corridors intelligent freight transportation system to create a more efficient alternative instead. Instead of waiting weeks for ships to queue through the canal, companies could seamlessly transport freight from the Pacific to the Gulf of Mexico in hours.The road aheadClearly infrastructure projects of this scale dont occur overnight, but momentum is building. Green Corridors has already submitted its presidential permit application for the Laredo-Monterrey corridor. If approved, the project could be operational by 2030, according to my interview with Carlson. The company has aligned itself with leading engineering firms (including my own organization, Chang Robotics), financial institutions, and multiple government agencies to ensure a smooth execution.This type of development is the future of freighta system that operates 24/7, doesnt clog our highways, and enhances security, while reducing environmental impact. For businesses navigating the complexities of modern supply chains, it offers the path to a more efficient and sustainable future. In an era where logistics disruptions can mean the difference between profit and loss, that future cant come soon enough.Matthew Chang is the founder and principal engineer of Chang Robotics.

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.For years, the real estate industry had lacked the data necessary to drive informed business decisions. Data is often fragmented, incomplete, or nonexistent, making it difficult for landlords and real estate professionals to analyze trends, forecast market shifts, and optimize their operations. Our research at RentRedi showed us that 90% of our landlords previously used pen and paper or spreadsheets to manage their rental properties before adopting our software, giving them little access to helpful data.With the adoption of centralized platforms like ours and other real estate technologies, data collection is skyrocketing. Investors, real estate agents, and property managers are adopting technologies that streamline operations, and in the process, those platforms are generating vast amounts of data that can be used to provide deep insights into market behaviors that benefit the landlords providing it. This data revolution presents an unprecedented opportunity for real estate businesses to make smarter, data-driven decisions, reduce risk, and drive growth.By understanding where real estate data comes from, overcoming data overload, and strategically harnessing information, real estate agents and investors can significantly improve operations and drive business growth.How to harness data and use it to your advantageWhether you sell, buy, or manage real estate, data plays a crucial role in providing opportunities for you to make more informed decisions. Effectively utilizing real estate data can lead to improved business operations and increased profitability.Rental property owners, for instance, can leverage data insights to increase on-time rent collection, get better tenants, minimize evictions, reduce vacancies, and streamline property maintenance. Insights can also help establish better operating procedures, such as utilizing 5-pronged tenant screening processes (comprehensive background checks, credit reports, criminal reports, eviction reports, and income and asset verification) to identify high-risk tenants or adjusting lease terms to encourage on-time payments.Running surveys to gather customer feedback can help owners improve understanding of renters needs and what matters most to them. Real estate agents can use the feedback to enhance their communication skills, property showing process, and negotiation strategies, leading to an upgraded overall client experience, more referrals, and repeat business. Likewise, gathering tenant feedback helps property owners understand what matters most to their customers, allowing them to enhance tenant satisfaction and retention.Finally, using a property management system that consolidates, categorizes, and analyzes data will streamline processes, and ensure easy access to critical information, so focus can remain on the most relevant metrics and trends.Specific applications of real estate dataRental property investors can leverage property management software to implement innovative solutions that benefit themselves and their tenants. For example, we analyze data to identify trends, providing it back in usable formats to improve real estate businesses.Turning data from insight into actionable guidance is key. If data reveals that renters using autopay pay rent on time 99% of the timeas opposed to an 88% on-time payment rate for those who dontyou know to offer your tenants (and advise them to set up) automatic payments to avoid missed or late payments and resulting late fees and penalties.Likewise, data may show that landlords are likely to see a 13% jump in on-time rent payments when using a credit boost feature to report on-time payments to credit bureaus, which also helps renters establish credit and raise their existing credit scores. With this information, landlords can consider offering that service to tenants. These actionable insights strengthen the landlord-tenant relationship.Where to find data sourcesTo leverage data to improve your real estate business, you need to know where to find it. Real estate data comes from a wide variety of sources: from public records and market reports to proprietary databases and tenant interactions.To effectively mine real estate data, professionals should start by identifying key data sources relevant to their operations. For example, public records, MLS listings, and property tax assessments provide valuable market insights, while customer surveys and online reviews reveal tenant and investor sentiment.Property listings and market transactions provide data on property sales prices, listing durations, vacancy rates, and location-based demand, as well as demographic data such as neighborhood trends, population growth, and urban development. This type of data provides valuable insights into property valuation and investment opportunities.In the rental industry, tenant applications and tenant screening provide data on income, employment history, credit scores, and rental behavior, which aids in risk assessment. Meanwhile, tracking rent payments reveals payment patterns that help landlords and property managers optimize rent collection strategies.Building performance and maintenance logs also provide helpful data, especially IoT sensors and smart building technologies that track energy usage, maintenance needs, and occupancy trends, allowing for sustainability and cost reduction planning.The challenges of too much dataSimply having access to this data isnt enoughits crucial to know how to extract meaningful insights from it. Data can be a powerful tool, but the sheer volume of information available can be overwhelming, particularly while simultaneously managing properties and/or growing your portfolios.Too much data can slow decision making. Organizing, interpreting, and applying the data in beneficial ways for your businesses takes time, is difficult, and can lead to analysis paralysis if done manually. Besides, raw data is not always actionable. Thats why its important to utilize analytical tools and dashboards to translate complex datasets into visual reports that make patterns and trends easily digestible and understandable.Final wordsThe growing availability of real estate data presents both challenges and opportunities. Collecting and analyzing data from diverse sources provides professionals across the real estate industryfrom landlords to large-scale developerswith the ability to make better decisions regarding investment, property improvements, and customer satisfaction.Adopting data-driven solutions can lead to greater efficiency, improved business relationships, and increased profitability. By centralizing information, leveraging analytics, and implementing smart policies, real estate investors can harness the power of data to transform their businesses in an increasingly digital world.Ryan Barone is cofounder and CEO of RentRedi.

PresidentDonald Trumphas abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency, according to U.S. officials and members of Congress, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no reasons for the move.Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air ForceGen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagons Cyber Command, the officials said. They received no advance notice about the decision to remove a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and cyber operations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions.The move has triggered sharp criticism from members of Congress and demands for an immediate explanation. And it marks the latest dismissal of national security officials by Trump at a time when his Republican administration faces criticism over his failure to take any action against other key leadersuse of an unclassified Signal messaging chatthat included The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss plans for a military strike.Its unclear who now is in charge of the NSA and the Cyber Command.Also fired was Haughs civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble.The NSA notified congressional leadership and top lawmakers of the national security committees of the firing late Wednesday but did not give reasons, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter. The person said Noble has been reassigned to the office of the defense undersecretary for intelligence.The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment. The NSA referred questions about Haugh to the Defense Department, which had no comment Friday.Far-right activist andcommentator Laura Loomerappeared to take credit Friday in a post on X, saying she raised concerns to Trump about Haughs ties toGen. Mark Milleyand the Biden administration and questioned the NSA chiefs loyalty to the president. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trumps first term but has since become an outspoken critic.Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position, Loomer wrote. Thank you, President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers.Loomer, who has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an inside job, had discussed staff loyalty with Trump in an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel manner. A day later, Trump said he fired some White HouseNational Security Councilofficials.Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding to know why Haugh and Noble were fired.Public reporting suggests that your removal of these officials was driven by a fringe social media personality, which represents a deeply troubling breach of the norms that safeguard our national security apparatus from political pressure and conspiracy theories, Himes, D-Conn., wrote.Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said Friday that he has long warned about the dangers of firing military officers as a political loyalty test.In addition to the other military leaders and national security officials Trump has fired, he is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: dont give your best military advice, or you may face consequences, Reed said in a statement.He added that Trump has given a priceless gift to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea by purging competence from our national security leadership.Another Democrat, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the U.S. was facing unprecedented cyber threats and asked how firing Haugh, who has served in the military for more than 30 years, makes America safer.Haughs firing sets off a 60-day process. Unless he is moved to another three- or four-star job in 60 days he would automatically revert to a two-star.Any new high-level job would be unlikely since that would require a nomination from Trump, who just fired him. As a result, Haugh, who was confirmed for the NSA job in a unanimous Senate vote in December 2023, would likely retire.Trump hasnt commented on Haugh or Noble, but on Thursday he dismissed the National Security Council firings as normal.Always were letting go of people, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he made his way to Miami on Thursday afternoon. People that we dont like or people that we dont think can do the job or people that may have loyalties to somebody else.The firings come as Trumps national security adviser, Mike Waltz, fightscalls for his ousterafter using the publicly available encryptedSignal appto discuss planning for a sensitive March 15 military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen.Warner called it astonishing that Trump would fire the nonpartisan, experienced leader of the National Security Agency while still failing to hold any member of his team accountable for leaking classified information on a commercial messaging app even as he apparently takes staffing direction on national security from a discredited conspiracy theorist in the Oval Office.Haugh met last month withElon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency has roiled the federal government by slashing personnel and budgets at dozens of agencies. In a statement, the NSA said the meeting was intended to ensure both organizations are aligned with the new administrations priorities.Haugh had led both the NSA and Cyber Command since 2023. Both departments play leading roles in the nations cybersecurity. The NSA also supports the military and other national security agencies by collecting and analyzing a vast amount of data and information globally.Cyber Command is known as Americas first line of defense in cyberspace and also plans offensive cyberoperations for potential use against adversaries.Lolita C. Baldor and Lisa Mascaro, Associated PressAssociated Press writers Matthew Lee, Aamer Madhani, Zeke Miller, David Klepper, and Lou Kesten contributed to this report.

After Trump administrationjob cuts, nearly half of National Weather Service forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates twice that of just a decade ago as severe weather chugs across the nations heartland, according to data obtained by The Associated Press.Detailed vacancy data for all 122 weather field offices show eight offices are missing more than 35% of their staff including those in Arkansas and Kentucky where tornadoes and torrential rain hit this week according to statistics crowd-sourced by more than a dozen National Weather Service employees. Experts said vacancy rates of 20% or higher amount to critical understaffing, and 55 of the 122 sites reach that level.The weather offices issue routine daily forecasts, but also urgent up-to-the-minute warnings during dangerous storm outbreaks such as the tornadoes thatkilled seven peoplethis week and catastrophic flooding thats continuing through the weekend. The weather service this week has logged at least 75 tornado and 1,277 severe weatherpreliminary reports.Because of staffing shortages and continued severe weather, meteorologists at the Louisville office were unable to survey tornado damage Thursday, which is traditionally done immediately to help improve future forecasts and warnings, the local weather office told local media in Kentucky. Meteorologists there had to chose between gathering information that will help in the future and warning about immediate danger.Its a crisis situation, said Brad Coleman, a past president of the American Meteorological Society who used to be the meteorologist in charge of the weather services Seattle office and is now a private meteorologist. I am deeply concerned that we will inevitably lose lives as a result of the added risk due to this short-staffing.Former National Weather Service chief Louis Uccellini said if the numbers are right, its trouble.No one can predict when any office gets stretched so thin that it will break, but these numbers would indicate that several of them are there or getting close, especially when you factor that large segments of the country are facing oncoming threats of severe weather, flooding rains while others are facing ominous significant fire risks, Uccellini said in an email.The vacancy numbers were compiled in an informal but comprehensive effort by weather service workers after the cuts spearheaded by Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency. They checked on individual office staffing levels and looked at how they compared to the past. Staffing levels, including vacancies, are detailed and cross-referenced by offices, regions, positions and past trends, with special notes on whether efforts are being made to fill them.The AP, after obtaining the list from a source outside the weather service, sought to verify the numbers by calling individual weather offices, checking online staff lists and interviewing other employees not involved in the data-gathering effort. The workers data sometimes varied slightly from data shown on weather service websites, though employees said those could be out of date.Rep. Eric Sorensen, an Illinois Democrat and the only meteorologist in Congress, said his office independently obtained the data and he verified parts of it with weather professionals he knows in Midwestern weather service offices, which are called WFOs. The Davenport-Quad Cities office near his home has a 37.5% vacancy rate.Theyre doing heroic effort. Just with what happened the other day with the tornado outbreak, the killer tornado outbreak, I saw incredible work being done by the WFOs down around Memphis and up to Louisville. Incredible work that saved peoples lives, Sorensen told the AP on Friday. Going forward with these types of cuts, we cant guarantee that people are going to be as safe as they were.Im incredibly concerned because this affects everyone in every part of the country, Sorensen said, noting the potential for severe storms Friday in House Speaker Mike Johnsons home district near Shreveport, Louisiana, where the data shows a 13% vacancy rate, well below the average for the south and the rest of the country.The employees data, which goes back to 2015, showed that in March 2015 the overall vacancy rate was 9.3%. Ten years later, as of March 21, it was 19%.The weather service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Some northern and central stations such as Rapid City, South Dakota, with a 41.7% vacancy rate, Albany, New York, at 25%, Portland, Maine, at 26.1% and Omaha, Nebraska at 34.8% have been so short-staffed that theyvecurtailed weather balloon launchesthat said provide vital observations for accurate forecasts.The vacancies go beyond meteorologists who do forecasts. Twenty-three offices are without the meteorologist-in-charge who oversees the office. Sixteen have vacancies in the crucial warning coordination meteorologist job which makes sure emergency officials and the public prepare for oncoming weather disasters. The Houston office, with a 30% vacancy rate, is missing both those top positions, according to the data and the offices own website.Houston has so much damage from flooding, hurricanes and even a derecho that their (damage) numbers are through the roof, said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist for Climate Central and a former television meteorologist.The National Weather Service employees are still going to do everything they can to keep people safe and prepared. Its just that much harder and it puts lives at risk, Placky said. This time of the year and in this situation, this is when severe weather season peaks and were heading into the season of the biggest extremes with wildfires, with hurricanes, with extreme heat, which is our deadliest of all of extreme weathers.One weather service field office chief, who asked not to be identified because of fears of job loss, said the lack of technicians to fix radar and other needed equipment could be critically dangerous.People are bending over backwards to cope with the lack of staffing, the chief meteorologist said. The burden is going to kill us.Northern Illinois atmospheric sciences professor Victor Gensini and others compared being stretched thin to cracks in aviation safety.The question becomes, what falls through the cracks because theyre busy doing other things or theyre short-staffed, Gensini said. Maybe they cant answer the phone to take a critical weather report thats coming in. Maybe theres so many storms in the counties that theyre responsible for that they cant physically issue warnings for every single storm because they dont have enough people working on the radar.These are all theoretical concerns, but its sort of like when you read about aircraft disasters and how they occur, Gensini said. Its the cascading of risk, right? Its the compounding, like the pilot was tired. The pilot missed the cue.The Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APsstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.Seth Borenstein, AP science writer