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Firms like Paul Weiss have hired star lawyers to expand in dealmaking. Fear of losing business has made them less willing to have a fight with the governmentView the full article

Republicans retain US House seats in Florida special elections but Democratic vote risesView the full article

Fiverr has introduced a new Freelancer Equity Program aimed at providing top-performing U.S.-based freelancers on its platform with a financial stake in the company. The initiative offers eligible freelancers up to $10,000 in Fiverr shares, with equity grants distributed over four years based on annual eligibility requirements. The program arrives as the freelance economy continues its rapid growth, with projections indicating that freelancers could make up half of the U.S. workforce by 2027. Fiverr describes the program as a way to deliver additional financial value to freelancers beyond their regular earnings. “Freelancers are the backbone of today’s economy and the heart of Fiverr’s success,” said Micha Kaufman, Founder & CEO of Fiverr. “With this initiative, they’re not just shaping the future of work—we’re actually giving them a piece of it, making Fiverr not just a platform for work, but a place where equity can also be earned.” Freelancers who qualify for the program will be notified in the coming days. Fiverr states that the equity grants are structured to recognize and encourage continued excellence among high-performing freelancers while serving as motivation for emerging talent on the platform. “This is something we’ve long wanted to offer, and after careful development and extensive work, we’ve created a program around how we can build success together with our talent,” added Kaufman. “This initiative demonstrates our commitment to innovation not just in technology, but in how we value and invest in our talent community.” The Freelancer Equity Program is part of Fiverr’s broader effort to deepen engagement with its freelancer community and reward those who contribute most significantly to the platform’s growth. The company emphasized that participation is subject to eligibility requirements and applicable laws, including U.S. securities regulations. According to Fiverr, the program can serve both as a recognition for current top contributors and an aspirational goal for other freelancers using the platform. This article, "Fiverr Launches Freelancer Equity Program for Top U.S. Talent" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Fiverr has introduced a new Freelancer Equity Program aimed at providing top-performing U.S.-based freelancers on its platform with a financial stake in the company. The initiative offers eligible freelancers up to $10,000 in Fiverr shares, with equity grants distributed over four years based on annual eligibility requirements. The program arrives as the freelance economy continues its rapid growth, with projections indicating that freelancers could make up half of the U.S. workforce by 2027. Fiverr describes the program as a way to deliver additional financial value to freelancers beyond their regular earnings. “Freelancers are the backbone of today’s economy and the heart of Fiverr’s success,” said Micha Kaufman, Founder & CEO of Fiverr. “With this initiative, they’re not just shaping the future of work—we’re actually giving them a piece of it, making Fiverr not just a platform for work, but a place where equity can also be earned.” Freelancers who qualify for the program will be notified in the coming days. Fiverr states that the equity grants are structured to recognize and encourage continued excellence among high-performing freelancers while serving as motivation for emerging talent on the platform. “This is something we’ve long wanted to offer, and after careful development and extensive work, we’ve created a program around how we can build success together with our talent,” added Kaufman. “This initiative demonstrates our commitment to innovation not just in technology, but in how we value and invest in our talent community.” The Freelancer Equity Program is part of Fiverr’s broader effort to deepen engagement with its freelancer community and reward those who contribute most significantly to the platform’s growth. The company emphasized that participation is subject to eligibility requirements and applicable laws, including U.S. securities regulations. According to Fiverr, the program can serve both as a recognition for current top contributors and an aspirational goal for other freelancers using the platform. This article, "Fiverr Launches Freelancer Equity Program for Top U.S. Talent" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Stripe announced a new partnership with CLEAR, the identity verification platform trusted by over 30 million customers, to power its billing and payment infrastructure. As of March 24, 2025, CLEAR has officially migrated its online and in-person payments to Stripe, adopting the platform’s suite of tools including Stripe Billing, Stripe Terminal, and Stripe Radar. CLEAR, widely recognized for its CLEAR Plus membership that uses biometrics to streamline airport identity verification, has expanded its reach into industries such as healthcare and financial services. Now, with Stripe handling its payment processing, the company aims to provide the same seamless experience for customer transactions. “Just as CLEAR makes confirming your identity seamless and secure, Stripe is helping us make billing and payments effortless—allowing us to focus on delivering frictionless experiences for our members,” said Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR. With Stripe Billing, CLEAR now manages millions of customer subscriptions through a flexible and modern billing system. The integration allows for support of digital wallets and multiple payment methods, aiming to increase convenience and improve conversion rates. CLEAR has also introduced new offerings powered by Stripe. Through the CLEAR app, non-members can purchase a QR code for one-time expedited verification at airport security checkpoints via the new CLEAR Mobile option. Stripe also processes in-app enrollments for CLEAR Plus, further simplifying the sign-up process for new customers. To support in-person transactions, CLEAR uses Stripe Terminal at its new facial recognition pods installed at airports in November 2024. The use of Stripe Radar helps CLEAR combat fraud and reduce false declines during checkout. Stripe’s payment tools—such as card account updater and network tokenization—enable CLEAR to maintain consistent revenue flow, reduce churn due to credit card changes, and increase authorization rates. With this migration, Stripe now powers all payments for CLEAR, offering a comprehensive infrastructure for one-time and recurring transactions. The partnership aims to elevate both the operational efficiency and user experience for CLEAR’s growing customer base. Image: Stripe This article, "CLEAR Moves Payments and Billing to Stripe to Enhance Customer Experience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Stripe announced a new partnership with CLEAR, the identity verification platform trusted by over 30 million customers, to power its billing and payment infrastructure. As of March 24, 2025, CLEAR has officially migrated its online and in-person payments to Stripe, adopting the platform’s suite of tools including Stripe Billing, Stripe Terminal, and Stripe Radar. CLEAR, widely recognized for its CLEAR Plus membership that uses biometrics to streamline airport identity verification, has expanded its reach into industries such as healthcare and financial services. Now, with Stripe handling its payment processing, the company aims to provide the same seamless experience for customer transactions. “Just as CLEAR makes confirming your identity seamless and secure, Stripe is helping us make billing and payments effortless—allowing us to focus on delivering frictionless experiences for our members,” said Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR. With Stripe Billing, CLEAR now manages millions of customer subscriptions through a flexible and modern billing system. The integration allows for support of digital wallets and multiple payment methods, aiming to increase convenience and improve conversion rates. CLEAR has also introduced new offerings powered by Stripe. Through the CLEAR app, non-members can purchase a QR code for one-time expedited verification at airport security checkpoints via the new CLEAR Mobile option. Stripe also processes in-app enrollments for CLEAR Plus, further simplifying the sign-up process for new customers. To support in-person transactions, CLEAR uses Stripe Terminal at its new facial recognition pods installed at airports in November 2024. The use of Stripe Radar helps CLEAR combat fraud and reduce false declines during checkout. Stripe’s payment tools—such as card account updater and network tokenization—enable CLEAR to maintain consistent revenue flow, reduce churn due to credit card changes, and increase authorization rates. With this migration, Stripe now powers all payments for CLEAR, offering a comprehensive infrastructure for one-time and recurring transactions. The partnership aims to elevate both the operational efficiency and user experience for CLEAR’s growing customer base. Image: Stripe This article, "CLEAR Moves Payments and Billing to Stripe to Enhance Customer Experience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

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. What do David Beckham, Shaquille O’Neal, and Serena Williams have in common—aside from their standout sports careers? They’ve all built thriving businesses. Sure, having capital and global name recognition helps. But reducing their business success to just fame only tells half the story. The other half is that top athletes spend years honing discipline, resilience, and the ability to think strategically under pressure. Those same qualities happen to make great entrepreneurs. Sports have been a big part of my life for over a decade, and my favorite workout is the one I haven’t tried before. The more I move, the more I see how it shapes the way I work and think in business. What entrepreneurs can learn from elite athletes Here are six things you, as an entrepreneur or business leader, can take from top athletes. 1. Break down goals like a training plan No Olympic athlete trains at full intensity and on the same goal every single day. Instead, they follow a long-term training cycle—preparation, pre-competition, performance, and recovery. Applying this structured approach to business helps ramp up to peak performance gradually and sustainably. Try this: Break down big goals into smaller, doable milestones. Track what works and what doesn’t: The strategy that got your startup off the ground won’t be enough when it’s time to scale. Show up every day with small actions. 2. Design a pre-game routine for peak performance Every athlete follows a routine to get in the right headspace and physical shape before game day. I like to treat each workday like a game day. A morning routine gives me a sense of control and sets the tone for a productive day ahead. Rather than rolling out of bed and headfirst into work mode, I make time for things that fill my energy tank. That might be: A glass of water and a nutrient-rich breakfast A quick mindfulness practice, like mantra chanting or Pranayama breathwork Writing down 1–3 priorities for the day to stay intentional 1-hour workout A walk outdoors with an audiobook 3. Don’t be afraid to fall Athletes fall. A lot. And then they get back up. When I tried skiing for the first time, I quickly realized that falling is part of learning. The more I feared making mistakes, the worse my performance became. Navigating life as an entrepreneur is not like riding down a well-groomed, Aspen-style slope. It’s more like skiing at your local city park—ice and grass patches, hidden stones, and annoyed pedestrians getting in the way. Falls are inevitable. Instead of hesitating to take risks or avoiding failure, focus on learning to recover quickly. 4. Develop a growth-oriented mindset This quote often pops up in motivational posts attributed to everyone from the Italian football player and manager Gianluca Vialli to Nelson Mandela: “You win or you learn…you never lose.” Cheesy, but true. Top athletes treat losses as data. Every game teaches them something new about their strengths and weaknesses. Entrepreneurs can benefit from the same mentality. See setbacks as learning experiences—analyze what went wrong, make adjustments, and move forward. Compete with yourself first, your rivals second. The point of analyzing your performance is to make sure you’re better than you were in the last game. 5. Stand on the shoulders of your support network Entrepreneurs often try to do everything solo, inspired by self-made success stories from books and podcasts. But very few things in life are a one-person endeavor. Even in individual Olympic events, there is a team behind every gold medal—coaches, nutritionists, mentors, and teammates. I started BetterMe in 2017 with a handful of people, and most of them are still with me today in C-level positions. From the very beginning, I focused on surrounding myself with people who guided and challenged me, held me accountable, and pushed me to grow. The strongest players in the boardroom and on the field are the ones who know how to build—and lean on—a great team. 6. The biggest lesson: prioritize recovery LeBron James never confirmed the rumor that he spends $1.5 million a year on recovery. But the fact that such numbers even circulate shows that rest goes hand in hand with peak performance. Yet, in business, we glorify constant hustle. We wear our bloodshot eyes from late nights at the screen like a badge of honor and exhaustion as a testament to success. Our bodies are excellent communicators and usually find a way to let us know when it’s time to slow down. Instead of dismissing sore muscles or sluggish thoughts as a sign of weakness, listen and integrate sustainable rest into your routine. Schedule recovery like work, blocking time in your calendar for exercise, meditation, or simply relaxing with a book. Fill the time between high-priority tasks with active breaks like short walks, quick workouts, or any movement to reset your brain. Protect your sleep. I stick to a 10 p.m. bedtime and aim for 7–8 hours of sleep because I know a well-rested mind is a high-performing one. The final thought: Move your body to fuel your mind If you shoot for big goals, thinking like a pro athlete can help open the right doors. But there’s more to take from their playbook: a love for sports. And unlike athletes, who dedicate their lives to one discipline, we have the luxury of exploring. In Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein talks about how some of the most groundbreaking leaders pulled ideas from different fields, experimented, and innovated because of their broad experiences. Broad exposure makes you more creative, agile, and able to make connections others miss. So grab a tennis racket or skiing poles. Step onto a Reformer or sign up for a 5K. Be adventurous. Try new things. The more you explore, the more skills, insights, and connections you’ll gain. Victoria Repa is the founder and CEO of BetterMe. View the full article

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. Here’s a question for business leaders: When was the last time you or someone on your team had a frustrating experience as a customer? Perhaps you were shuffled between departments, asked to repeat information multiple times, left feeling like no one grasped your specific needs, or that the information changed depending on who you talked to. Now flip the scenario. How many of your customers might be experiencing that same frustration with your company right now? Most well-intended, talented teams can have blind spots with their own customer service. It’s like sleeping in the guest room at your house to truly understand what your visitors experience. Even the most gracious hosts might not realize just how lumpy that mattress is, or how loud the dining room chairs are overhead. The truth is that delivering a seamless customer experience is one of the most significant challenges for B2B companies. Despite our obsession with customer satisfaction metrics, most organizations still prioritize internal structures over customer needs. I see it constantly—the customer lifecycle journey fractured across marketing, sales, customer success, and renewals, with each department guarding its own territory and creating an inconsistent customer experience. The hidden cost of fragmentation This fragmentation is more than a customer annoyance. It’s also a business liability. When departments operate in isolation, several things happen—none of them good: Decision making becomes slower and more reactive Customers waste countless hours repeating themselves to different teams Valuable context gets lost in departmental handoffs Inconsistent messaging and experiences create confusion and erode trust Opportunities to anticipate customer needs vanish into the gaps between teams When departments operate in silos, the silos have a real and substantial impact on customer trust and loyalty. By flipping the traditional marketing structure on its head, you’ll gain a new and valuable perspective. You and your team will have the advantage of seeing things from the outside-in, and reap the benefit of turning customers into partners and champions. Let’s discuss how to do it. Build bridges, not silos The shift toward a unified customer lifecycle can’t be done at a surface, optics-only level. A cross-department meeting or two to share ideas isn’t going to cut it here. True unification means ripping off the Band-Aid and totally rethinking how we structure, measure, and reward our organizations. It sounds intimidating, but it’s possible. I’ve lived this shift. I’ve spearheaded this shift. And it is so, so worth it. Here are three key practices that make the biggest difference: 1. Establish cross-functional ownership Breaking down silos starts with shared accountability. Consider experimenting with creating cross-functional teams responsible for specific segments of the customer base. These teams might include representatives from marketing, sales, customer success, and technical support who each own a specific part of the customer experience. This approach ensures no customer falls through the cracks during handoffs between departments. It also creates natural collaboration points where team members develop a deeper understanding of the entire customer journey and can identify common pain points more quickly. 2. Align metrics that matter Disconnected metrics breed disconnected experiences. Marketing teams traditionally focus on lead volume and pipeline contribution, while customer success teams track retention rates and satisfaction scores. These separate scorecards create invisible walls. The shift requires developing shared, customer-centric metrics that every department contributes to. Net retention rates, customer satisfaction scores, and customer lifetime value provide more holistic views of success than departmental vanity metrics. This enhances accuracy and reduces overlap and rework, while eliminating dangerous knowledge gaps. 3. Leverage integrated technology Metrics are critical, but you also have to inform those metrics with the right data. This might sound like the same thing as number two, but metrics are about asking the right questions, and data is about getting the right answers. A unified customer experience requires unified data. Without a single source of truth about customer interactions, teams operate with incomplete information and fail to make data-driven decisions. This doesn’t have to be done manually, and probably shouldn’t be. Integrated technology with a high-powered platform is critical to making this unification streamlined and accurate. If you continue using individual, specialized tools, they must share data seamlessly. When marketing automation, CRM, support ticketing, and product usage analytics feed into a comprehensive customer database, everyone gains visibility into the complete customer picture. Make the change real I know the kinds of results that can happen when an organization commits to unifying the customer experience: Reduced time-to-resolution for customer issues Increased customer retention rates and enhance customer trust Higher expansion revenue from existing accounts More accurate prediction of renewal outcomes Improved employee satisfaction across customer-facing teams By breaking down silos and ensuring smooth handoffs between departments, unification can eliminate friction points that often lead to customer frustration and attrition. Who doesn’t want to see positive results in key performance indicators like these? Lead the change This won’t happen on its own. As executives, we must champion this approach from the top. The process starts with: Modeling collaborative behaviors across your leadership team Creating clear customer journey maps that span departmental boundaries Redesigning incentive structures to reward collaboration Investing in technologies that enable seamless information sharing Measuring success through the customer’s eyes, not internal metrics The first step is often the hardest—acknowledging that our existing structures may be optimized for our convenience rather than our customers’ success. The competitive advantage Ready to figure this out? Ready to spot opportunities earlier, solve problems faster, and build deeper customer relationships that competitors struggle to displace? One of the biggest reasons for making this shift is creating an environment where employees can focus on delivering value rather than navigating internal complexity. Teams become energized when they see the direct impact of their work on customer success. And happy employees = happy customers. The trust and loyalty you cultivate with your teams has a direct impact on the trust and loyalty your organization benefits from with your customers. When customers trust their vendors, they become more aligned, viewing you as a partner, not an adversary. I believe the business landscape is quickly moving toward prioritizing unified customer experiences. Clinging to fragmented approaches will put organizations at a disadvantage as customer expectations continue to rise. Why not start now? Melissa Puls is chief marketing officer and SVP of customer success at Ivanti. View the full article

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. Regardless of whether your company has a strict in-office policy or supports a flexible schedule, the reality is that office attendance is at its highest levels in five years, according to Bisnow. Nobody would argue the need for a healthy office, especially one with more people in it. And if you ask what makes a healthy office, most would say it is one that supports physical health and safety, well-being, collaboration, productivity, and social connection. This is why so many businesses focus on factors such as air quality, ventilation, security, and employee wellness programs, for example. While these environmental and social indicators of health are important, they overlook one critical element: the ways that humans interact in a space and use the office. Don’t make assumptions about in-office productivity Employers make a lot of assumptions about how productive employees are in the office. Anecdotally, many employees say they look forward to spending time in the office to collaborate with colleagues. Yet top organizations want more than opinions and anecdotes. They want data showing the frequency of casual, impromptu brainstorming in the office and aligning that with productivity and efficiency. Data on how teams collaborate is crucial in improving organizational productivity, as I’ve seen through numerous conversations with workplace leaders at Fortune 1000 companies. With the opportunity for more in-person collaboration, decision makers want to measure and understand the frequency of casual, impromptu discussions and brainstorming and how to foster more of it by creating the right office environment. Not long ago, meeting and huddle data was based on how much time employees spent using online collaboration tools and video platforms. Today, with employees spending more time in physical spaces, understanding how and where employees collaborate is critical to improving the experience and eliminating silos. For example, compare the needs of an ad agency with a research think tank. We assume the agency needs more space for collaboration and client meetings, setting up the office layout to feature open desks, soft seating, and large, impressive conference rooms with high-end audio-visual capabilities. At the think tank, we assume their employees need dedicated areas for individual, focused work. As a result, the office layout consists of rows of gray cubicles and a handful of different sized conference rooms. Over time, an interesting shift happens at both companies. The ad agency employees come into the office in the morning, meet with their teams or participate in a larger company meeting, eat lunch in the break room, and then leave for the day. The think tank employees squat in a conference room by themselves or in small clusters, participating in video conferences with colleagues and clients, spending little time at their desks. After a while, fewer employees come into the office, citing the ability to be more productive working remotely. Business as usual, right? Yes, except for the long-term issues of these work arrangements. Along with having to heat and cool unoccupied spaces, negatively impacting the building’s carbon footprint, there is also the cost of cleaning areas based on scheduling, not usage. Safety also plays a factor should an emergency occur in the office, and nobody is available to respond. Add to this the expense of office leasing and the potential of squandered investments in an office redesign. Not to mention the critical, yet less measurable, missed opportunities of face-to-face interactions. Healthy buildings should encompass the entire human experience When we think of healthy buildings, we should consider the entire human experience in them. Instead of making assumptions of how employees want to work, employers are starting to look more closely at how the office plays a role in the health, well-being, and productivity of employees. Consider the idea that every business is a system unto itself, designed to produce outcomes. In that system, the office can be viewed as a product, one that is continuously refined to meet the needs of its “customers.” In this instance, customers are the people using the office. Today, that product is improved by using AI in the digital space; the next era is improving it in the physical space by combining infrastructure data and intelligence on real-world spaces. Through a combination of AI and body heat sensing technology that ensures privacy, you can get a better sense of how the workforce uses the office. It is like having a touchscreen interface on a digital app, except in this instance, the office is the product. For example, a sensor that understands movement in a space can lead to insight about one-on-one and group interactions, frequency of impromptu meetings, and if large spaces are being used by an individual. This can show the subsequent impact on energy efficiency. This isn’t about tracking attendance or keystrokes. Instead, by ensuring privacy and understanding how the workforce naturally moves throughout the office, employers can make better decisions about how to make the most of an employee’s time in the office. They may learn that the best open desks are quickly taken, forcing most employees to work in darker spaces, and that the volume of chatter makes it difficult to be productive. This is why conference rooms are being squatted, and employees are working remotely. These insights can lead to better management decisions about in-office work policies, layouts, leases, and even cleaning contracts. Employers that have amassed insights about office usage are feeding the data into GPTs to come up with office layouts and designs that more closely reflect their corporate cultures. Instead of having employees conform to the office, there is a way to have the office conform to the needs of employees. As a result, the office can become a place, or “product,” employees look forward to going to, providing a healthy work environment. Honghao Deng is CEO and cofounder of Butlr. View the full article

Billionaire backs case brought by Coinbase client whose data was surrendered to authoritiesView the full article

Rightwing media mogul makes windfall on paper as stock in lossmaking conservative cable TV channel soarView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Bose Smart Soundbar wasn't very well received by reviewers when it came out last fall, citing small improvements for a larger price tag. But now with a $100 discount, we can have a serious conversation about who it's good for. You can get the Bose Smart Soundbar for $399 (originally $499), the lowest price it has been, according to price-tracking tools. Bose Smart Soundbar Channels: 3.0.2, Physical Connections: HDMI, optical, IR, subwoofer, USB. $399.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $499.00 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $399.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $499.00 Save $100.00 The Bose Smart Soundbar is the successor to the Bose Smart Soundbar 600, which was already a very good soundbar, so needless to say, standards were high. Bose essentially made a new soundbar with more modern features, but didn't upgrade the hardware, bringing into question the steep price increase, according to PCMag's and many other reviews. If you already have a 600, it's not worth upgrading even with the discount. However, if you're looking for a modern premium soundbar that has enough bass to not need a subwoofer, then consider the new Bose Smart Soundbar. Like most premium speakers, the soundbar doesn't need a subwoofer, because it creates its own bass, but the output will never match that of a dedicated subwoofer. This works well for bedrooms or small apartments. But keep in mind you can always add a subwoofer and/or rear speakers. Speaking of which, if you own Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, you can connect them to the soundbar to work as rear satellite speakers, creating a pseudo-surround-sound system (only for you, though). As the name implies, this is a "smart" soundbar, with wifi, meaning as long as you're in the same wifi network, you can stream your media to it with AirPlay or Chromecast. They also work as a smart speaker since it comes with built-in Alexa. The instrument separation is what makes this soundbar shine, which goes hand-in-hand with the AI Dialogue Mode feature for dialogue enhancement. But, if you can afford to spend a bit more, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is the best stand-alone soundbar you can buy. View the full article

A Colorado regulator earlier this year revoked the license of the appraiser responsible for the 2021 evaluation at the center of the government's suit. View the full article

The average American must earn almost $117,000 a year in order to afford a median priced property as prices keep rising, a Bankrate analysis found. View the full article

A Jesuit priest says he prefers going to prison than paying a 500-euro ($541) fine for participating in a climate activists’ street blockade in the southern German city of Nuremberg. The Rev. Jörg Alt started serving his nearly month-long prison sentence on Tuesday in Nuremberg. “Today, I am starting my 25-day alternative custodial sentence in Nuremberg prison,” he said before entering the prison. “I don’t like doing this, especially as my health is no longer the best at the age of 63. But I see no alternative, because it’s the last form of protest I have left in this specific case to draw attention to important issues” such as climate change. In November, Alt said that “as a priest, I have no income and no bank account due to my vow of poverty and that I do not want to harm the order and my fellow brothers by paying my fine,” German news agency dpa reported. His remarks came after a Bavarian Higher Regional Court rejected his appeal to a lower court’s decision and confirmed Alt’s conviction for coercion for participating in a sit-in blockade. After the court’s decision, authorities repeatedly asked Alt to pay the 500 euros, before the fine was eventually commuted to the 25-day prison sentence. The court ruling in November was in connection with a street blockade in August 2022, when the Jesuit priest and about 40 other activists blocked traffic in Nuremberg by gluing their hands to a street in front of the city’s train station to draw attention to climate change. Numerous similar protests have taken place across Germany and other countries in recent years, as activists try to draw attention to the urgency of tackling climate change. The public and political response to such road blockades has been mixed. While some Germans have said they support the protesters’ cause, if not their means, activists have also faced violence from enraged motorists and calls for tough punishment from conservative politicians. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has sharply criticized climate activists as “ nutty” for drastic protests such as blocking streets or gluing themselves to famous paintings in museums. Last year, activists belonging to one of the main protest groups, the Last Generation, announced that they would abandon the tactic and move on to holding what they call “disobedient assemblies.” Alt has said that he had also decided to serve the prison sentence instead of paying the fine “in solidarity with those climate activists who are treated similarly by the administration and the judiciary — it may all be lawful, but it is unjust.” It’s not the first time, that Alt was convicted for his activism. In May 2023, a court also convicted him of coercion after he participated in a road blockade in Munich and ordered him to pay a small fine. —Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press View the full article

A lot of small business owners feel shame when their company fails because they link who they are so much with their business. This is compounded when they lose money from people they know. What do we do with this shame? On The Small Business Radio show this week, I interviewed Dr. Abbie Maroño who has a new book called “Work in Progress: The Road to Empowerment, The Journey Through Shame” which offers a fresh perspective on the often-overlooked role of shame in personal growth. She explains that shame is a powerful emotion tied to our sense of self. For entrepreneurs, the line between personal identity and business success is often blurred, making failures feel deeply personal. Dr. Marono distinguishes between two types of shame: Healthy Shame: Acts as a motivator for self-improvement and growth. Toxic Shame: Leads to feelings of inadequacy and a diminished sense of self-worth. Recognizing and Addressing Shame To navigate feelings of shame, Dr. Marono suggests the following steps: Acknowledge the Shame: Recognize that feeling shame is a natural response to setbacks. Reflect on the Source: Understand why you feel shame and whether it stems from unrealistic expectations or external pressures. Avoid Distractions: Resist the urge to escape these feelings through overworking or unhealthy habits. Reframe Negative Thoughts: Shift your perspective to see failures as learning opportunities rather than personal shortcomings. The Impact of Social Media Social media can exacerbate feelings of shame by presenting an unrealistic picture of success. Entrepreneurs often compare themselves to others, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Dr. Marono advises: Limit Social Media Use: Be mindful of the time spent on social platforms. Focus on Your Journey: Remember that social media highlights successes, not the struggles behind them. Separating Identity from Business Outcomes Entrepreneurs need to cultivate a sense of self that is independent of their business achievements. Dr. Marono recommends: Explore Personal Values and Interests: Engage in activities outside of work that bring joy and fulfillment. Build a Support Network: Seek support from mentors, friends, and professionals who can provide perspective and encouragement. Practical Steps to Move Forward For those feeling overwhelmed by shame, Dr. Marono suggests: Set a Time Limit for Grieving: Allow yourself to feel the emotions but set a time limit, such as 48 hours, to process them. Take Actionable Steps: Focus on practical steps to move forward, such as developing a new business plan or seeking professional advice. Listen to the entire episode on The Small Business Radio Show. This article, "How to Move Past Shame When Your Small Business Fails" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A lot of small business owners feel shame when their company fails because they link who they are so much with their business. This is compounded when they lose money from people they know. What do we do with this shame? On The Small Business Radio show this week, I interviewed Dr. Abbie Maroño who has a new book called “Work in Progress: The Road to Empowerment, The Journey Through Shame” which offers a fresh perspective on the often-overlooked role of shame in personal growth. She explains that shame is a powerful emotion tied to our sense of self. For entrepreneurs, the line between personal identity and business success is often blurred, making failures feel deeply personal. Dr. Marono distinguishes between two types of shame: Healthy Shame: Acts as a motivator for self-improvement and growth. Toxic Shame: Leads to feelings of inadequacy and a diminished sense of self-worth. Recognizing and Addressing Shame To navigate feelings of shame, Dr. Marono suggests the following steps: Acknowledge the Shame: Recognize that feeling shame is a natural response to setbacks. Reflect on the Source: Understand why you feel shame and whether it stems from unrealistic expectations or external pressures. Avoid Distractions: Resist the urge to escape these feelings through overworking or unhealthy habits. Reframe Negative Thoughts: Shift your perspective to see failures as learning opportunities rather than personal shortcomings. The Impact of Social Media Social media can exacerbate feelings of shame by presenting an unrealistic picture of success. Entrepreneurs often compare themselves to others, leading to feelings of inadequacy. Dr. Marono advises: Limit Social Media Use: Be mindful of the time spent on social platforms. Focus on Your Journey: Remember that social media highlights successes, not the struggles behind them. Separating Identity from Business Outcomes Entrepreneurs need to cultivate a sense of self that is independent of their business achievements. Dr. Marono recommends: Explore Personal Values and Interests: Engage in activities outside of work that bring joy and fulfillment. Build a Support Network: Seek support from mentors, friends, and professionals who can provide perspective and encouragement. Practical Steps to Move Forward For those feeling overwhelmed by shame, Dr. Marono suggests: Set a Time Limit for Grieving: Allow yourself to feel the emotions but set a time limit, such as 48 hours, to process them. Take Actionable Steps: Focus on practical steps to move forward, such as developing a new business plan or seeking professional advice. Listen to the entire episode on The Small Business Radio Show. This article, "How to Move Past Shame When Your Small Business Fails" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Think you’ve got game? Time to put it to the test with Tinder’s latest launch in collaboration with OpenAI. On Tuesday, Tinder rolled out The Game Game—a new experience designed to help users practice their flirting skills by chatting with an AI voice, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model. Players are dealt a stack of virtual cards, each introducing a different AI persona and a hilariously exaggerated rom-com scenario (think: a luggage mix-up at the airport or accidentally crushing someone’s sunglasses on the beach). Your challenge? Charm your way through it. The bot makes the first move, and users respond in real time—earning feedback on their game as they go. Nail the convo, land a “date,” and you win. But don’t get too cozy with your digital crush: Each session is capped at three minutes, and users are limited to five plays per day—just in case you forget Tinder is still about connecting with real people. While The Game Game’s April 1 launch date might raise eyebrows, it’s no prank—it’s just not that serious. Using speech-to-speech AI, the game delivers absurdly funny scenarios designed to make you laugh more than sweat. “Our Future of Dating report found that 64% of young singles are totally fine with a little cringe if it leads to a real connection,” Hillary Paine, Tinder’s VP of product, growth, and revenue, tells Fast Company. “We didn’t want it to feel overly polished or intense. Instead, we leaned into humor, awkwardness, and low-pressure moments to help users practice flirting in a fun, playful, and judgment-free way.” Tinder has built in safeguards to ensure that conversations stay appropriate and follow community guidelines. And no, they’re not trying to create an AI companion (this isn’t Her). The goal is to blur the line between the digital and the real world—something Tinder has been exploring with events like the Single Summer Series, Chaotic Singles Party, and Swipe Off. According to a Forbes Health survey, 79% of Gen Z reported feeling dating-app burnout in 2023. Tinder is betting that a little fun might just reignite the spark. “Our mission has always been to spark real connections by making dating feel less like a chore and more like something to look forward to,” Paine says. At a launch event hosted at OpenAI’s New York City office, I got to try The Game Game myself. Let’s just say my gym meet-cute didn’t exactly end in a rom-com-style kiss in the rain. Humbling, to say the least. The Game Game is now live for U.S. Tinder users on iOS for a limited time. View the full article

Apple just released iOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4 for the iPhone and Mac, respectively. Once you complete the update, you'll see a prompt informing you that, as part of the update, the company has enabled automatic updates on your device, even if you had previously switched them off. This means that, unless you do something, Apple will start downloading and installing future software updates to your devices on its own. To test this out, I disabled automatic updates on my iPhone and on my Mac, and then began updating to iOS 18.4 and macOS 15.4. Sure enough, once the updates were complete, Apple duly informed me that it had gone ahead and enabled automatic updates on my devices. Now, I generally don't mind having the OS download updates automatically in the background while I go about my day, but enabling automatic installation without explicit consent is the kind of overreach that I absolutely don't want to see. On macOS, once an update is downloaded, you'll see a notification that says the Mac will restart within 60 seconds to complete the update. If you're away from your computer for a bit and miss this, you risk losing unsaved data. On my main work machine, I cannot have that happen. To Apple's credit, you can select Only Download Automatically on the update notification to stop automatic installation (the update's data will download to your machine but won't install), but the button can be a bit hard to notice, and you need to go into your settings to disable getting any future updates altogether. How to disable automatic updates (if you absolutely don't want it)I generally don't recommend disabling automatic downloads for new operating system software, since these updates can also close vulnerabilities, but it's the only option for people who wish to retain total control over their update schedule. This may be useful for those who rely on these devices for critical work, such as app developers, designers, or anyone who doesn't have enough free space on their phone or laptop. To disable automatic updates on your iPhone and Mac, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates. On your iPhone, disable all three checkboxes on this page (or pick and choose for a more granular experience). On macOS, disable Download new updates when available and Install macOS updates (or, again, pick and choose). View the full article

When it comes to chickpeas and aquafaba, the liquid and the legume are two very different residents of the same can. Just because you used garbanzo beans in your salad doesn’t mean that you’re craving these fluffy pancakes on the same day—but you might on Saturday. In the event that you have leftover aquafaba—or really, any time you’re eating chickpeas and find yourself about to drain out the liquid—stop your hand. It freezes incredibly well. How to use aquafaba Aquafaba has gained a lot of traction since it was discovered in 2014 as being a surprisingly effective replacement for making a fluffy and silky meringue (read more about the history here). However, it has more applications than being a pavlova party trick. It’s an excellent vegan ingredient that can thicken soups or replace eggs as a binder or aerating ingredient for baking. Use it as-is in muffins, whip it for fluffy pancakes, or try these other ways. I’m not vegan, and I use eggs in most of my baking, but I do often use aquafaba to thicken soups and sauces. It has some similar components to eggs, like albumins and globulins, and its starches give soup stocks added viscosity. It took some practice for me to stop draining my chickpeas, but I’ve built up a habit of freezing the leftover aquafaba. Whenever my soup could use a little somethin’, now I can easily turn to my freezer. Should you store aquafaba in the fridge or freezer?It's tempting to pop leftovers into the fridge. But if you're like me, containers get pushed to the back and then you discover it three months later and realize you probably should have frozen said item. You can store aquafaba in the fridge, but only for up to five days. After that, the liquid can get a little funky and it's not worth trying to use it. Aquafaba is easy to thaw so the best storage method is almost always going to be freezing it. How to freeze aquafabaAmerica’s Test Kitchen suggests freezing the stuff in ice cube trays, but I usually only freeze one can’s worth at a time, and slightly less than half a cup is not enough to command a whole tray. Instead, I freeze the aquafaba in a small plastic container (approximately a 4-ounce square), and then I tap out the brick into a freezer bag for long-term storage. A quarter cup brick is a great size for adding to soups and sauces. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Sometimes I’ll have two or three cubes in there at a time, ready for my next soup or sauce. If you decide to divide it up into an ice cube tray, be sure to whisk or lightly shake the chickpea liquid before pouring. Aquafaba is not naturally homogenous, so this helps to evenly distribute those albumins and globulin particles before freezing. Aquafaba keeps in the freezer for up to four months. If you’re worried about the aquafaba not performing as well after it’s had some time in the ice chest, put your fears to rest. Freezing does not destroy or impair the starches that are responsible for its excellent whipping abilities, and according to America’s Test Kitchen, the frozen and thawed version works just as well as before. How to thaw aquafabaThaw aquafaba by putting the cubes in a bowl, covered, in the fridge overnight. If you need the viscous liquid sooner, simply microwave it for a minute or two, depending on how large the cube is. If you’re using it in a soup or sauce, just throw a frozen slab directly in the pot with everything else. View the full article

NFL games are slow. They’re 11 minutes of actual action, spread across a 3 hour and 12 minute broadcast. You can blame that pace of the game on penalties, injuries, and, of course, commercials. But now, the NFL is teaming up with Sony to fix one of the game’s biggest time sinks: measurements. Beginning in the 2025 NFL season, all 30 teams will switch from human measurements to computer automation. Each stadium will be equipped with six, 8K Sony Hawk-Eye cameras that track the position of the ball on the field. It’s a significant upgrade to century-old technology. Chains have been used to measure the position of the football since they were first introduced in 1898, when rules mandated the ideal tool for measuring progress down the field was “two light poles about six feet in length and connected at the lower ends by a stout cord or chain exactly five yards long.” By 1906, the five-yard standard in football switched to its current ten-yard mandate, and the chain has gone relatively changed since. Now, Sony cameras will replace the chain operators—what can frankly feel like an antiquated tool in the days of slow-motion replays and 3D recreations of the field. While the cameras are installed at stadiums locally, all of the footage will be sent to New York, where digital calls are coordinated by the NFL’s Art McNally GameDay Central Officiating Center. Whereas it took as long as 70 seconds for chains to measure the position of the ball, Sony’s cameras do the job in 30. When that 40 seconds of savings is multiplayed across the 153 average plays in a football game, that’s a wild 102 minutes in savings. The game length appears to be cut in half. Of course, all sorts of other things happen during those lengthy chain measurements. Every NFL broadcast is a masterclass in managing these logistics, juggling elements of the game’s narrative (wait, what penalty just happened?) and commercial cutaways (billionaire owners don’t do this for charity). And so it’s unclear how much time these new automated measurements might actually save you on a Sunday afternoon this year. While we’ve reached out to the NFL to clarify this point, is it too soon to bring up another sore point of fandom? Because in the face of so much amazing automation technology, the MLB is facing its own reckoning with the home plate umpire. This evolution certainly makes sense: I can see those strikes and balls better from my couch than they can from behind the batter! But at the same time, professional sports imbued with automated visual processing will face a tricky balance. While automation may improve the flow and accuracy of calls on the field, robots offer little in terms of suspenseful drama. View the full article

National Labor Relations Board freezes pair of disputes after Crystal Carey nominated as agency’s general counselView the full article

Baby boomers made up the largest share of home purchasers in 2024, as the percentage of millennial buyers declined, the National Association of Realtors found. View the full article

On Wednesday, April 2, Nintendo will finally host its first Direct entirely dedicated to Nintendo Switch 2. While we all know what the console looks like by now, there are still plenty of questions left for Nintendo to answer (and I'm expecting answers.) Here's what I'm looking out for, and where you can watch the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. The truth is, we really don't know what Nintendo is going to share during Wednesday's Direct. What we know for sure is this: The presentation itself is going to run about 60 minutes. That's a long time for a Nintendo Direct. The company's last presentation on March 27, for example, was just under 37 minutes, which means Nintendo must have quite a bit to share about the Switch 2. But aside from that, Nintendo is tight-lipped about the actual content of its upcoming Direct. What we know about the Switch 2 That said, Nintendo has already shown off quite a bit about the Switch 2. In its original announcement earlier this year, the company unveiled the new hardware, revealing a larger display and console, and a redesigned kickstand that offers steeper angles to play in handheld mode. It also sports two USB-C ports instead of one (the new one is on the top of the console), and the dock now sports a "2," so you know you're playing on the latest Switch. The most noticeable change in the announcement video, perhaps, was the Joy-Cons: These Switch 2 controllers are beefier, with larger shoulder buttons and an adjusted shape. In case you didn't notice those adjustments, you could probably tell these Joy-Cons have a different color design than the originals, as these new controllers are mostly black, with color accents under the joysticks and along the rails. (The Switch 1 Joy-Cons, of course, are the opposite: very colorful, with black rails and accents.) These Joy-Cons connect to the Switch 2 magnetically, as opposed to the slide-rail mechanism of the original console. I'm sure Nintendo will show off more about this functionality tomorrow. The video did confirm a rumor that Nintendo would add a new "C" button to the console, but Nintendo did not elaborate further. What does it do? We simply don't know. We also know that Switch 2 will be backwards-compatible with Switch 1, which gives players a lot of flexibility. Of course, Switch 1 players likely won't be able to play Switch 2 games (though you never know), so the new Mario Kart that Nintendo teased in its announcement might just be a new-console exclusive. What we've learned since the announcementWhile Nintendo confirmed many of the leaks and rumors that had been circulating online for some time, there were still many questions left unanswered. While there are still plenty of unknowns here, we have learned more in the months since the official Switch 2 announcement. In February, a Nintendo patent surfaced showing off a feature that lets you use your Joy-Con as a computer mouse. It seems to track with the Switch 2 announcement video, which shows the new Joy-Cons dragging along a surface—like a mouse. While Nintendo hasn't publicly acknowledged this functionality yet, it could open up different kinds of gameplay mechanics. (Perhaps we'll have touchscreen-based DS and 3DS game support on Switch 2.) Then, last month, Nintendo submitted a number of filings with the FCC, which revealed three key things about the Switch 2: The new console supports NFC, Wi-Fi 6, and charging via both USB-C ports. What's left to learnIn all, we know a lot here: We know what the console looks like, many of its features, and that there's at least one new game in the works. But there's still plenty to learn. We don't know, for example, the console's true specs yet, nor do we know how powerful it really is. While analysts think the Switch 2 could be significantly more powerful than the original Switch, it's all speculation until Nintendo demos the games the console can run. Will we finally get a Nintendo console to run at 4K (preferably at 60fps)? Speaking of games, what will we actually be able to play on Nintendo's shiny new console? Rumors suggest third-party developers are planning titles including Assassin's Creed, Halo, and Microsoft Flight Simulator, while previously announced first-party Nintendo titles that haven't released yet, like Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 will likely have a Switch 2 debut. We also don't know about the price. Rumors had suggested a $399 MSRP, which would seem reasonable when compared to the Switch's $299 price tag, but Nintendo hasn't confirmed one way or another. We also don't have an official release date. Hopefully, we will learn all these details tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo has some wild-card announcements to generate buzz for the Switch 2. Could there be a 3D Zelda announcement? Will the company announce high-performance modes for older Switch titles? It's really a guessing game at this point. But it won't be for long. How to watch the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct Nintendo is going to stream live starting at 9 a.m. ET (6 a.m. PT) on Wednesday, April 2. You can catch the show from Nintendo's official YouTube page. View the full article

Pacific Residential Mortgage discovered the ransomware incident just weeks after the successful completion of its merger with an Ohio-based lender. View the full article