Blog, YouTube & Content Monetization

In a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday that would extend expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as 17 renegade GOP lawmakers joined every Democrat in support. The tally, 230-196, signified growing political concern over Americans’ health care costs. Forcing the issue to a vote came about after a handful of Republicans signed on to a so-called “discharge petition” to unlock debate, bypassing objections from House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now goes to the Senate, where pressure is building for a bipartisan compromise. Together, the rare political coalitions are rushing t…

Democrats believe health care is an issue that resonates with a majority of Americans as they demand an extension of subsidies in exchange for their votes to reopen the shuttered U.S. government. But it is also one of the most intractable issues in Congress — and a real compromise amid the government shutdown will not likely be easy, or quick. There are some Republicans in Congress who want to extend the higher subsidies, which were first put in place in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as millions of people who receive their insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are set to receive notices that their premiums will increase at the beginning of the year. B…

We’ve been told that the future of work is all about freedom. Companies offer unlimited PTO, flexible hours, and asynchronous communication channels that we can access anytime. The promise is that fewer constraints will make us more empowered, more creative, and more connected. Sounds great in theory, but in practice, that kind of freedom without structure often leads to chaos. Without clear boundaries, work becomes a blur. Expectations go unspoken, resentment builds, and ultimately, trust erodes. And the very flexibility meant to liberate us begins to wear us down. The healthiest organizations aren’t boundaryless; they’re boundary-wise. Why Boundaries Matter Mor…

According to the National Association of Corporate Directors, boardrooms today face a dizzying list of risks: economic volatility, geopolitical tensions, cybersecurity threats, technological disruption, and a tightening labor market. But the one risk too often overlooked? That businesses rely on healthy people and healthy communities. Despite spending more on healthcare than any other nation, the U.S. is falling behind on nearly every major health indicator. Life expectancy is declining, chronic illness is rising, and access to care remains uncertain for one in four Americans. These aren’t just public health issues. They’re economic issues. They weaken our workforce, str…

The EAT-Lancet Commission gives us a clear roadmap: If we want to feed 10 billion people without destroying the planet, we need to radically transform our diets by eating more whole grains, more legumes, and fewer ultra-processed foods. The problem? We’re asking consumers to overhaul their eating habits while competing against an entire industry that has spent decades—and billions of dollars—engineering products to be scientifically irresistible. Whole foods don’t stand a chance against ultra-processed alternatives optimized for addictive taste and shelf stability, unless they can deliver on both flavor and texture. SUSTAINABLE FOOD NEEDS TO BE DELICIOUS Consumers shoul…

The teaching profession requires a certain degree of patience. Particularly when students discover a new trend to latch onto and repeat at every given opportunity. The latest so-called “brain rot” phrase to flood the classroom: “6-7.” If you don’t have any Gen Alphas in your life and have no idea what I’m talking about, count yourself lucky. Some teachers have taken to social media to share their exasperation with the trend that has recently overrun classrooms, with schools outright banning it in some instances. “Say 6-7 one more time,” one teacher posted on TikTok, pretending to address a student in her class. “We’re gonna call your mom in about 6-7 minutes, let …

Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday for incoming severe solar storms that could produce colorful northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications. In the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that could reach Earth Tuesday night and early Wednesday. The potential severe geomagnetic storms could disrupt radio and GPS communications, according to forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. How bright the auroras are and how far south they are visible will depend on when the solar bursts get here and how they interact with Earth’s atmosphere. The vibrant displays could b…

Stress is built into every leader’s work life. But sometimes it’s even more intense. Just as airlines say to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others, executives need to take care of their physical and mental health to effectively lead the team and the company. There’s no one way to do it right, and solutions are as individual as the leaders themselves. That said, there are some buckets that well-being solutions fall into, such as exercise, sleep, and healthful eating. But how those are carried out can vary. We asked our Fast Company Impact Council members what they do to maintain physical and mental health, especially during a crunch time. What they shared can …

When AI wearable company Friend blanketed New York City with ads last month, there was significant backlash. Many of the company’s ads (which included rage-baiting copy like, “I’ll never bail on our dinner plans”) ended up defaced with graffiti that called the product “AI trash,” “surveillance capitalism,” and a tool to “profit off of loneliness.” Despite the campaign running in New York, it struck a national nerve as it became a lightening rod for people’s feelings around AI. It was only a matter of time before the brands got in on the debate. A couple weeks after the campaign’s debut, beer giant Heineken joined the chat, posting on Instagram: “The best way to ma…

The average adult spends five hours and 48 minutes each day looking at their phones. Heineken thinks that’s way too much time and has launched a new campaign encouraging people to put their devices down and socialize more in person. Ideally, with a beer of course. With consumers spending 88 days per year scrolling on their phones, the Dutch brewer this week is kicking off a “Social Off Socials” marketing blitz that’s built around the premise that adults acknowledge they spend too much time online, but also feel trapped in a vicious cycle of social media addiction. Heineken commissioned a study of 17,000 adults of legal drinking in the U.S., U.K., and seven ot…

Each year after Thanksgiving, people flock to TikTok to show off the elaborate sandwiches they build out of their holiday meal leftovers. The ritual, going strong for at least four years now, is often paired with a viral audio clip from the quintessential ’90s sitcom Friends describing the perfect sandwich made out of holiday leftovers. The sandwich, starring an extra slice of gravy-soaked bread in the middle, is known as “the moist maker.” This Thanksgiving, Heinz—maker of ubiquitous and inoffensive condiments like ketchup and mustard—is escalating matters considerably by introducing a squeeze bottle gravy designed to engineer the “ultimate Thanksgiving leftovers san…

Heinz’s newest product isn’t a ketchup, or a mayo, or some Frankenstein combination of the two. It’s a box—and it’s solving a problem that’s plagued lovers of french fries for decades. The patent-pending “Heinz Dipper,” unveiled on January 13, is an innovation the company is describing as a “first-of-its-kind fry box.” At first glance, it looks like a classic french fry box that you’d get at any run-of-the-mill fast-food joint, but a closer examination reveals a pullout compartment (shaped like Heinz’s keystone logo) that can hold two packets of whatever condiment you prefer. The Heinz Dipper is debuting at more than 33 restaurant and sports stadium partners arou…

Welcome to Pressing Questions, Fast Company’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of The New Way We Work podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions. Q: Help! None of my coworkers have kids and don’t understand what it’s like. A: No two people’s lives are the same and people with all kinds of family structures have issues that pull their time and attention away from work. That said, few things in life are as schedule-disrupting as being a parent. In an ideal world, your boss and coworkers wouldn’t need to be parents themselves to understand things like needing to miss work when you have a sick kid or having…

The bill that brought the government back online last month ended the shutdown with an unexpected catch that could crush an entire industry. A hidden provision slipped into the bill just before it passed has nothing to do with the federal shutdown and everything to do with hemp—the version of cannabis that’s grown as a food, a fiber, and, in recent years, as the active ingredient in an array of sodas, gummies, and snacks crafted to give people an alcohol-free buzz. Hemp is legally defined as a variety of the plant Cannabis sativa L. that contains less than .3 percent of the most common form of THC, the psychoactive compound from marijuana that gets people high. In…

Being the great-grandson of the French artist Henri Matisse can be complicated. Alex Matisse grew up in the Northeastern United States, and being a Matisse meant being immersed in art. It’s what his family talked about at the dinner table; the walls of his home were full of paintings usually seen only in museums. By the time he was in elementary school, Alex could recite his great-grandfather’s most notable works, like La Danse and the Nu Bleu series. Like many of the Matisse children, Alex had artistic inclinations. Throughout his school years, he thrived in art classes, and in fourth grade he fell in love with pottery in an after-school program. But when Alex began to…

Raising your prices takes courage, but it’s often the only way to grow revenue when you’re a freelancer, solopreneur, or running a small service business. But it’s possible to do it without losing your clients–here’s exactly how. View the full article

You promised yourself this was the year you’d finally launch–and sustain–some sort of side project, be it picking up a few freelance clients, launching a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel, or setting up an e-commerce shop. One day in the hopefully not-too-distant future, your side hustle might even grow into a full-time business. View the full article

Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit said last week hackers had stolen digital tokens worth around $1.5 billion, in what researchers called the biggest crypto heist of all time. Bybit CEO Ben Zhou said the crypto was taken from a “cold wallet” – a digital wallet usually stored offline and so supposedly more secure – that was used for ether tokens. Blockchain research firm Elliptic said the hack was more than double the last-biggest crypto heist and “is almost certainly the single largest known theft of any kind in all time.” The crypto industry has suffered a series of thefts, prompting questions about the security of customer funds, with hacking hauls totalling more…

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. Not everything creative needs a prompt. The Web is increasingly flooded with AI-generated images and videos, much of it aimed at kids. Sometimes it’s nice to break free of that synthetic media. As a dad of 10 and 12-year-old daughters, I appreciate resources for kids and families that celebrate human imagination, curiosity, and hands-on exploration. I had a fruitful recent conversation about resources for kids with a fellow dad, Kevin Maguire, who writes the great newsletter The New Fatherhood. If you’re a dad looking…

In the world of tax law, truly “free” lunches are rare. Usually, a tax break in one area requires a sacrifice in another. However, if you know where to look, the tax code contains several freebies—legal provisions that allow you to increase wealth, generate income, and gift money without the IRS taking a single penny. Here are five of the most powerful financial freebies available to investors today. 1) The 0% capital gains rate Most investors assume that selling a winning stock always triggers a tax bill. However, for those in the lower income brackets (up to $50,400 for individuals or $100,800 for married couples in 2026), the long-term capital gains tax rate is exactl…

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. I love apps like Metronaut and Tomplay, which let me carry a collection of classical (sheet) music on my phone. They also provide piano or orchestral accompaniment for any violin piece I want to play. Today’s post shares 10 other recommended tools for music lovers from my fellow writer and friend, Chris Dalla Riva, who writes Can’t Get Much Higher, a popular Substack focused on the intersection of music and data. I invited Chris to share with you his favorite resources for discovering, learning, and creating music. By day, Chris work…

Here’s a guide to the most notable features of the top AI chat apps. ChatGPT: Your Conversationalist 🗣️ iOS & Android Advanced Voice Mode is the ChatGPT app’s most distinctive feature. Ask it to play a tough interviewer or a skeptical client as you prepare for a difficult conversation. Or have it ask questions to help you make a decision. Most of what you can do on your laptop you can do in the ChatGPT mobile app. Create an image. Ask for an infographic, a cartoon, or a photo illustration. See examples of seven ways I use these images. Ask for deep research. Get a detailed analysis with dozens of sources. See examples of nine ways I use this researc…