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Buying a house is a stressful, expensive project—something most people understand. That's why they do their diligence. The research the property and the area, they hire a home inspector, they pay a lot of money for title insurance, and they ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. Most of those questions are common sense, concerning the history of the house, the age and condition of the roof or the HVAC system, and the neighborhood. But there are some not-so-common questions that are also worth asking. These eight questions might seem a bit random, but they can alert you to big problems before you sign your life away. Was the home ever used as a business?A lot of people use their homes for their livelihood. If that means a home office for telecommuting, it’s nothing to worry about. But if the previous owner ran any kind of physical business out of the house, you need to know, because it could impact your enjoyment of the property in a few ways: Old customers might show up unannounced, unaware that the house has been sold, as happened to this unhappy new homeowner. This could potentially include folks who are upset with their experience with the business, or to whom the business owes money. Shipments, bills, and other deliveries or correspondence might continue to arrive, forcing you to deal with someone else’s business—especially if the previous owner demands that you forward materials and mail to them. Has the house ever been hit by a car?This might seem like a crazy question to ask, but if the house you’re considering buying is located at an intersection, at the bottom of a hill, or around a blind corner, it's worth asking if it’s been hit by cars—and if so, how often. Homes being hit by cars isn’t common, but if the house has been hit once, there’s a good chance the conditions that caused the accident still exist, and it could be hit again. For example, this house in San Jose has been hit 23 times in 50 years. This house in Ohio has been hit three times (plus one near-miss). And this house in North Carolina was hit by cars six times over the course of a decade. The worst time to find out that a nearby highway exit ramp or dangerous curve slings cars into your home on a regular basis is after you’ve bought it. What exactly will I own?Most of the time you can safely assume that what you see in and around the house will be yours once the checks clear and the deed is transferred. That usually includes the outdoor spaces, like a backyard, the appliances, and, say, the finished basement. But you should never assume, because sometimes what you see is not at all what you get. This couple in Washington and bought a house only to discover that the back yard—starting at their back steps—was actually a separate lot. They only learned this when the lot was put up for auction, and they found themselves desperately trying to buy their own backyard. And if you want the appliances in the kitchen or laundry room, you should make sure their inclusion is specified in the contract, or you might be in for a few extra expenses when you move in to find the fridge missing. There’s even a story about a seller who literally removed an entire finished basement from the house, leveraging the fact that below-grade areas are usually not considered part of the living space. You might not need to worry about the basement in your dream home, but it underscores the wisdom of making sure you know everything that is included in the sale. Do all the outlets work?Older homes often don’t have enough power outlets. They were often designed and constructed in a different era, when people didn’t have TVs in their bedrooms or a dozen gadgets charging at all times. One of the easiest upgrades people put into older homes is additional outlets, often as part of an overall upgrade to the electrical wiring. But an unscrupulous homeowner might add nonfunctional outlets to give the appearance of such an upgrade, leaving it to you to actually connect them. Or, maybe the house has old wiring that only looks like it was upgraded and modernized. Either way, asking if the outlets all actually work—or, better yet, testing them with a volt meter yourself—is a good idea. Is it considered historic?If you’re buying an older home, it’s often a good idea to ask if it’s located in a historic district or designated a historic building, and if there are any restrictions that come along with that designation. Homes that are considered historic in some way often come with limitations to the kind of renovations you can do without explicit approval, and may come with extra expenses or responsibilities. You’d assume something like that would be disclosed before the sale, and it usually is if it’s the house itself that has officially been deemed historic. But if you move into an area considered historic, you might be subject to rules regarding how you can alter or update a home that haven't been previously disclosed to you, just like this unlucky homeowner. If your new house has old charm, it’s worth asking, or checking directly with the local government. Why exactly was the basement renovated?If you’re touring a house that obviously hasn’t had a major renovation in a while, you might be okay as long as the bones are good and you have a vision (and a budget) for renovations. But if you head down to the basement and discover a brand-new, just-finished renovation it’s time to ask one question: Was there a flood? While many homeowners tackle their home renovations in stages, if only the below-grade areas of the house that have been updated, it’s time to worry about significant water damage that’s been erased or hidden. If the basement flooded once, it will likely flood again—so you need to know why it was singled out for a rehab. Is there a buried tank on the premises?Old houses sometimes have ancient oil tanks buried underground. If a house had oil heat in the past, burying the tank hid it from view—no one wants an ugly, rusting tank sitting in their backyard. And if the tank was properly decommissioned—drained, filled with foam, and capped—it’s nothing to worry (at least until you decide to dig up the yard). But if the tank wasn’t decommissioned, it could be a huge problem. If it leaks, your health could be impacted, and if the leak spreads and poisons your neighbors’ property, you’ll be liable. And removing a tank can be expensive—around $10,000 if you’ve got an environmental disaster on your hands. Best to ask about it before you assume that responsibility. How are those trees doing?Trees are terrific, and offer a lot of benefits to a property. But trees can become a real hazard if they’re not cared for properly—they can fall and damage the house, become a home for insects and rodents that infiltrate the house, and can cause conflict between you and your neighbors. Taking care of trees can be expensive, so many homeowners prefer to just enjoy the shade and assume that nature will take care of itself. It pays to ask about the trees on your potential property—how often were they pruned and trimmed? Has an arborist inspected the trees for diseases, infestations, or damage? If the trees are old and haven’t been properly cared for, you might be buying a lot of work and problems instead of a beautiful, shady yard. View the full article

Early in their leadership journey, many leaders believe they need to have all the answers and be experts in every aspect of their team’s work. They assume that credibility comes from knowing every detail, every strategy, and every technical nuance. However, the most effective leaders soon realize that leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about knowing enough to ask the right questions, spot key trends, and guide their teams toward success. Rather than micromanaging or dictating processes, strong leaders focus on creating clarity through shared goals and measurable outcomes. By setting clear performance metrics, they establish a common language with their teams—one that ensures alignment, fosters trust, and allows experts to do what they do best. This approach empowers teams to take ownership of their expertise while enabling leaders to maintain strategic oversight without unnecessary interference. Ultimately, leadership isn’t about proving intelligence or control—it’s about fostering an environment where knowledge thrives, collaboration is seamless, and results speak for themselves. Establish Clear Metrics As a leader, I’ve learned that I don’t need to be the expert in every area my team works in, but I believe knowing enough to be dangerous is critical. This means understanding the core concepts, being able to ask sharp questions, and spotting potential red flags when performance or processes seem off. I see my role not as the person with all the answers, but as someone who can guide the team to ask the right questions and evaluate results critically. One specific strategy I actively follow to foster collaboration and mutual respect, especially when my team members have deeper expertise than I do, is establishing clear performance checklists and standardized metrics that we all align on upfront. These metrics have become our common language. This approach ensures that my team can apply their knowledge and creative ideas while I focus on ensuring we’re all steering toward the same outcomes. For example, I don’t try to dictate every ad copy or keyword with my PPC team. I know they have far more hands-on expertise than I do. What I focus on instead are the critical numbers: cost per lead, conversion rates, search query analysis, and quality scores. These metrics tell me whether campaigns are moving in the right direction or if we need to step back and reevaluate. This allows me to ask the right performance-based questions without interfering in their technical process, reinforcing their confidence and autonomy. This balance of freedom with accountability has helped me create a culture where my team members feel respected for their expertise and understand that outcomes matter. What I’ve also noticed is that this mutual respect encourages better communication. When I respect their deep technical knowledge, they’re more open to educating me about emerging trends or evolving challenges in their domain. At the same time, because I stay focused on the bigger picture, they appreciate my strategic insights that might otherwise get lost in day-to-day execution. Ultimately, I believe that a leader’s role is to create a framework where expertise thrives, not to compete with it. By respecting my team’s knowledge and adding value through clear direction and outcome monitoring, I’ve fostered collaboration, innovation, and a healthy sense of shared ownership across projects. Sangeeta Kumar, vice president, marketing, Healthcare DMS Facilitate Knowledge Sharing In my opinion, a good leader will be happy when their team members have more expertise in certain areas. It means they’ve hired well. The key is to create an environment where that expertise is shared and valued, not feared. One specific strategy I use is to regularly set up “knowledge-sharing sessions.” We make it clear that everyone, including myself, is there to learn. The goal is to encourage questions and create a space where everyone feels comfortable contributing. This approach does a few things: It shows the expert that their skills are appreciated, it spreads that knowledge throughout the team, and it builds respect because everyone sees the value that person brings. Shantanu Pandey, founder and CEO, Tenet Embrace Reverse Mentoring Leaders should embrace the expertise of their team members by shifting from a traditional top-down approach to a collaborative mentorship model, where learning flows both ways. One effective strategy is reverse mentoring, where experienced team members regularly share insights with leadership in structured sessions. Instead of positioning themselves as the ultimate authority, leaders can schedule monthly knowledge exchanges where subject-matter experts within the team lead discussions on industry trends, technical skills, or new strategies. This fosters a culture of shared learning and mutual respect, allowing leaders to stay informed while empowering their teams to take ownership of their expertise. By acknowledging and valuing specialized knowledge, leaders build trust and encourage open collaboration. This approach not only strengthens decision-making but also creates an environment where innovation thrives, as employees feel their insights are heard and acted upon. Chris Giannos, cofounder and CEO, Humaniz Practice Curiosity-Driven Leadership One of the most underrated yet powerful leadership strategies when managing a team with more expertise is Curiosity-Driven Leadership, a mindset that shifts a leader from “knowing” to “learning,” fostering an environment of psychological safety, collaboration, and mutual respect. Instead of feeling pressure to match their expertise, leaders should ask insightful questions, elevate the knowledge of their team, and integrate their expertise into strategic decisions. Here’s how: 1. Ask insightful questions Instead of pretending to know the answer, leaders can ask, “What would you do if you had full autonomy over this decision?” or “What are we not considering here?” This shifts the power dynamic from leader-to-expert to peer-to-peer, making the expert feel valued rather than managed. 2. Elevate expertise publicly A leader’s role is to shine a spotlight on expertise. A simple way to do this is by saying in meetings: “I defer to [Team Member] on this. It’s their area of mastery.” Giving credit and public recognition fosters mutual respect and trust. 3. Integrate expertise into strategic decisions The difference between a leader who listens and a leader who leverages expertise is action. Instead of collecting insights and making an isolated executive decision, involve the expert in shaping the outcome. This might look like saying, “Based on your recommendations, how do you think we should implement this?” Leaders who embrace curiosity over control gain the trust of their team, create an environment where expertise flourishes, and ultimately make better, more informed decisions. When leaders stop trying to be the smartest person in the room and instead become the most curious, they unlock the full potential of their team. Manuel Schlothauer, founder, HeyManuel.com Co-Create With Your Team Great leaders recognize that expertise isn’t a threat—it’s an asset. When managing a team with specialized knowledge, the key is to shift from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” One effective strategy is co-creation—involving experts on your team in decision-making rather than dictating solutions. By facilitating open discussions, asking insightful questions, and positioning themselves as a strategic guide rather than the smartest person in the room, leaders create an environment where innovation thrives. This approach not only fosters mutual respect but also ensures that the best ideas rise to the top, driving both team engagement and business success. A helpful mindset practice for leaders in this situation is intellectual humility—embracing the idea that you don’t need to have all the answers, but you do need to ask the right questions. Practicing this means shifting from feeling like you must prove your value to instead recognizing your value as a facilitator of expertise. A simple habit is to start meetings with curiosity-driven prompts, such as, “What’s a perspective I might not have considered?” or, “What are the potential risks or opportunities you see?” This keeps the focus on collective problem-solving rather than hierarchical decision-making, reinforcing trust and collaboration. Shannon Garcia-Lewis, chief people officer, Pella Windows & Doors, Rocky Mountain Encourage Your Team To Speak Up As a business leader, I don’t expect to be the expert across all areas of the business, and I embrace the situations when my ideas are challenged. Bringing in new ideas and approaches to solving problems is critical to our business growth. When interviewing candidates for open roles, we look for the personality types that will challenge the norm and don’t hesitate to speak their mind. We believe in this so much we layered it into the foundation of our team culture which we share on our careers page. Specifically, we ask our team to: “Mean it—share opinions honestly and respectfully. Don’t be afraid to pick a side and defend it.” Jared Brown, CEO, Hubstaff Lean Into Team Expertise In order to solve our most pressing and challenging business problems, sometimes we need someone with more expertise than us to carve a path forward. For some leaders, relying on someone with more expertise can lead to stress or worry that they’re losing control, unable to keep up with the latest industry trends, or worse yet, viewed by their colleagues and boss as out-of-their-league. But at the end of the day, we must always keep the big picture in view, and be willing to discover what we “know we don’t know” so we can take questions we have to our teams and lean into each person’s expertise to build trust across the team, and collectively drive our efforts forward to success. I lead an analytics department, and we recently migrated our HR organization’s data to a central hub from multiple SaaS vendors whose built-in reporting features weren’t cutting it. Pretty quickly, I realized I was in over my head. But by sharing with my team the bigger picture of what our collective success would look like when we finished this project, I was able to encourage an ongoing, open dialogue that allowed team members to volunteer new ideas and approaches, which in turn allowed me to ask better questions. By relying on everyone’s expertise and trusting them to drive their areas as they best saw fit, I had more time to clearly define my expectations of the team at each stage, and lean into their expertise to collaboratively craft an even better solution than any single one of us could have come up with alone. This also forced me to better learn the challenges each person faced through the project, and either remove obstacles in their path, or guide their efforts around roadblocks to keep progress moving forward. Knowing and acknowledging our limits as leaders is critical; we can better realize what we “know we don’t know,” and use those opportunities to build better solutions for our clients, while also building team trust along the way. Casey Meadows, head of talent acquisition analytics, Upstart View the full article

Growing seeds is a relatively simple process: Bury seeds in dirt, add water, heat, and light from the sun, and in most cases, something is going to sprout. The problem is, most of us conduct this process inside, because we’re trying to get a jump on the growing season. Inside, where there’s no sun, heat is hard to control, and the most your seedlings can stretch out their new little root legs is the size of the plastic cell they’re planted in. As such, it takes some practice to grow strong, resilient seedlings, and beginners make plenty of mistakes. The good news is, most of them are solvable. Not enough light This is how close lights should be to seedlings that haven't germinated yet or just have. Credit: Amanda Blum This is one of the easiest problems to diagnose, because it is also one of the most likely problems. Remember, when growing seeds inside, you have to try to replicate the sun. When people estimate how much light they need to reproduce the sun, they almost always underestimate. The tell is easy: Your seedlings will be “leggy" with long stems that aren’t strong enough to support the leaves of the plant. The stem is often curved, almost like the plant has scoliosis. The seedlings may bend towards the light, too. The solution is, of course, to add more light. I find too often people starting out seeding for the first time buy one growing lamp to arc over their entire shelf of seedlings, when each tray needs 2000-5000 lumens (that's a lot of lumens). It’s not just how strong the light is but also how long they’re on: Seedlings need 14-16 hours a day of sunlight. Those lights need to be much closer to your seedlings than you think, too. Six to eight inches above your seedlings is the right distance. If your seedlings are already too leggy, you can try a few things. First, if they’re tomatoes or peppers, you’ll be able to bury the stem deep into the soil when you pot up the seedling or plant it outside, and this will solve many problems. If it’s another kind of seedling, like cucumber, they don’t usually require the same strong stems, and will likely correct themself over time. It will help to run a fan in the room and run your hands over the seedlings a few times a day. Both will encourage the stems to strengthen. Too much light You can see how close the lights are to most seedlings, and how much light is applied. Credit: Amanda Blum With most plant diagnosis, it can be frustrating to hear, “it may be too much or too little.” This isn’t true with light. It’s really easy to tell if there’s not enough, as above, or too much. Like us, plants can get sunburned. They develop scorch marks with the leaves at the top bearing almost white or golden splotches. The splotches don’t have a pattern to them, either. Now, seedlings are susceptible to a lot of diseases, fungus, and virus, so you may find yourself concerned with knowing whether this is sunburn or something else. The good news is, it doesn’t matter because the solution is the same: Cut it off. The sunburned leaves can’t absorb light or nutrients and can’t recover, so cut them off entirely, and let the rest of the plant recover. Obviously, move the lights farther away, but don’t overcorrect. While seedlings can get closer to traditional lightbulbs, my experience is they burn easier with LEDs, so while traditional tube lights can be within inches of my seedlings with no issue, I keep LED lights six inches or more away. No germinationOf all the seeds you plant, some just aren’t going to germinate. There are a lot of reasons for that, but let's cover the most likely causes. First, you may have buried the seed too deep or not deep enough. On the back of each seed package are directions for how deep to plant seeds—and it’s not a loose recommendation. While the difference between a seed planted an inch deep or one and a half inches deep might not matter, there’s a huge difference between seeds that need to be lightly covered—like carrots and most flowers—and those that get buried, like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and sunflowers. Another tell is this: The bigger the seed, the deeper you bury it. Zinnia seeds barely get covered, but pea seeds need a depth of an inch or so, and large bean seeds need to be buried deep in the soil. This is, unfortunately, one of those problems you need to solve ahead of time. If a seed has been sitting in wet soil for too long, and it hasn’t germinated, it has likely gone rotten. You’d just need to start over; by the time you’ve figured out a seed isn’t germinating, it’s likely only a few weeks since you planted, so you haven’t lost too much time. Another reason might be that the seeds are simply expired. Every kind of seed has an expiration date. It can be very short, like alliums (onions), which are good for a year. Experienced gardeners will know that these are merely guidelines; you can always test your seeds by trying to germinate them to see if they’re still OK. The seed mat you’re using to heat up your seeds could also be too hot, cooking your seeds. You want the seeds and soil to remain between 70-80°F, but no more. Once your seeds are cooked, they’re goners, so start over with fresh seeds. Too much waterYou can over-love your plants. Too much water, even if your plant survives, discourages your seedlings from growing strong root systems. Under-watering is always the better solution, so long as the plants have enough to survive, since it causes the roots to reach out in search of more resources, forming stronger root systems. Watering methods for seedlings that allow them to only uptake as much water as they need are the most ideal, such as bottom watering, which leaves a little water in the tray for the soil to wick up. But even if you water from the top, you want soil that is lightly moist, but never soaking wet. Yellowing leaves or mushy plants are usually a sign of overwatering. If the plants start to smell bad, mold is likely developing in the water, which is another sign there’s too much water. In those cases, the solution is to go the other way and use less water. Your plants may or may not recover. If you trim away any root rot or squishy leaves and stems, it may recover. However, most seedlings will develop some green or white fungus on top of the soil, and that is not necessarily a bad sign. It just happens, and it won’t affect your seedling in any way. Not enough water If seedlings grow with the right amount of light, the stems will be strong enough to support a taller plant, even in a small pot. Strong root systems will develop with the right amount of water. Credit: Amanda Blum Droopy seedlings usually need water. Tomatoes, in particular, will start leaning over and will quite literally look sad. This can happen toward the end of the watering cycle, and if not left to fester, it's not a problem, but it's a sign that you should water them. You should see plants immediately perk up, within an hour or two of watering. If your soil block is really dry, that’s never a good sign. You want your soil to always be lightly moist, not dry. If you’re having trouble keeping your soil moist, you should consider bottom watering, as mentioned above, because it is a consistent method. The soil takes up what it needs. View the full article

Tech groups and financial institutions join forces in plans to build data centres and energy projects to underpin AI boom View the full article

Marriage: The sacred union of two hearts, two souls, and, less romantically, two tax returns. While poets and romantics wax lyrical about eternal love, accountants and financial advisors see matrimony through a different lens. After all, marriage is a significant economic transaction with its own balance sheet. Let's take a cold, calculating look at the institution that promises "for richer or poorer"—and find out which one you're more likely to experience. The financial pros of marriageFor the most part, there are plenty of ways in which "I do" means "we save." Tax benefits (sometimes)For some couples, marriage delivers an immediate return on investment through the "marriage bonus." Couples with disparate incomes often find themselves in a lower tax bracket together than they would be separately. However, the IRS doesn't send wedding gifts—this benefit typically favors traditional arrangements where one spouse significantly out-earns the other. Check out this calculator from the Tax Policy Center to see how much federal income tax two people might pay if they were to marry. It compares the taxes a married couple would pay filing a joint return with what they would pay if they were not married and each filed as single or head of household. Healthcare savingsNothing says romance like discounted health insurance premiums. Many employers offer family coverage that costs less than two individual plans. Plus, you'll only need to meet one family deductible instead of two individual ones when you both get sick from the same wedding buffet. Economies of scaleMarried or not, two can live almost as cheaply as one—especially when it comes to housing, utilities, and streaming subscriptions. Why maintain two half-empty refrigerators when you can maintain one completely full one? The shared-expense model makes everyday living more efficient, assuming you can agree on a thermostat setting. Social security advantagesMarriage offers a built-in retirement safety net. Surviving spouses can claim their deceased partner's Social Security benefits if they exceed their own. It's the government's way of saying, "Sorry for your loss—here's some money." The financial cons of marriageWhen "I do" becomes "I'm due...to pay." Hey, not all of my wordplay is perfect, OK? The marriage penaltyThis is the flip side of the marriage bonus. Some dual-income couples with similar earnings find themselves paying more in taxes together than separately—the infamous "marriage penalty." Nothing strengthens a relationship like realizing you're paying thousands more annually for the privilege of filing jointly. Here's that calculator again. Shared debtsWhen you marry someone, you don't just get their charming quirks—you might get their debt too. While premarital debt typically remains separate, any debt accumulated during the marriage can become shared responsibility, depending on your state's laws. Their student loan debt remains theirs, but their impulsive decision to finance a luxury boat "for weekend getaways" becomes your shared financial burden. Before you assume you’re on the hook for a debt, it’s usually worth it to take a breath and dig into whether you’re actually responsible. Divorce as a financial riskApproximately 40-50% of marriages end in divorce—a statistic that financial planners can't ignore. The average divorce costs between $15,000 and $30,000 in legal fees alone, not counting the financial aftermath of dividing assets, potential alimony, and the cost of establishing two separate households. No wedding DJ ever announces, "And now, let's factor in the statistical probability of spending $20,000 to undo this entire event!" Benefit complicationsSome income-based government benefits may decrease or disappear entirely when household income is calculated jointly. Marriage can inadvertently disqualify individuals from financial aid, assistance programs, or income-based repayment plans for student loans. Tips to protect yourself financiallyYou'll hear people say, "Sign a pre-nup," but what exactly does that entail? And what else can you do to protect your finances in your marriage? The prenuptial agreement conversationNothing says "romance" like discussing how to divide assets in case of divorce before you've even cut the wedding cake. Despite its unromantic reputation, a prenuptial agreement provides clarity and protection for both parties. Think of it as insurance—you don't buy home insurance because you expect your house to burn down, but because you recognize it could. Prioritize financial transparency Before marriage, schedule a judgment-free financial disclosure session. Reveal credit scores, debt loads, assets, spending habits, and financial goals. Finding out your spouse has $60,000 in credit card debt during your honeymoon makes those "for richer or poorer" vows feel a bit more literal than intended. Establish a financial frameworkDecide early how you'll handle money: Will you merge everything, keep separate accounts, or create a hybrid system? Determine who pays for what, how savings will be allocated, and how major purchases will be decided. This prevents the "I thought you were paying the electric bill" conversation in the dark. Create an exit strategy for your accountsConsider maintaining some financial independence, like a personal emergency fund or credit card in your own name. This isn't about planning for divorce—it's about maintaining financial identity and credit history, which becomes crucial if you face unexpected circumstances like a spouse's death or incapacitation. The bottom lineMarriage represents many things: a romantic milestone, a legal contract, and—whether we like to admit it or not—a financial partnership with significant economic implications. While love may be the reason you marry, money will likely be something you discuss daily for the rest of your lives together. The good news? Financial compatibility doesn't require identical views on money—just open communication, mutual respect, and occasionally, the willingness to compromise on whether a $7 daily latte habit constitutes "essential spending." After all, as the old saying goes: Love may be blind, but marriage is a long-term investment strategy with variable returns and significant tax implications. View the full article

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Palestinians who returned home during the ceasefire are forced to flee againView the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. On Tuesday, Zillow economists published their updated forecast model, projecting that U.S. home prices, as measured by the Zillow Home Value Index, will rise 0.8% between February 2025 and February 2026. That’s another downward revision. Last month, their 12-month forecast projected a 1.1% increase in U.S. home prices, and the month before that, they expected a 2.9% increase. “The rise in [active] listings is fueling softer price growth, as greater supply provides more options and more bargaining power for buyers,” wrote Zillow economists on Tuesday. “Potential buyers are opting to remain renters for longer as affordability challenges suppress demand for home purchases” Not only do Zillow economists predict soft national home price growth this year, but they’re also predicting that the housing market will only see 4.1 million U.S. existing home sales in 2025. That would mark the third straight year of suppressed sales of existing homes. For comparison, in pre-pandemic 2019, there were 5.3 million U.S. existing home sales. Zillow economists added that: “As the home-buying season nears, Zillow anticipates a temporary boost in sales during the spring, followed by a seasonal slowdown. However, with little relief expected from mortgage rates, existing home sales are likely to remain below pre-pandemic levels. Until mortgage rates fall—to improve housing affordability— some downward pressure on home sales is expected to persist.” Among the 300 largest U.S. housing markets, Zillow expects the strongest home price appreciation between February 2025 and February 2026 to occur in these 10 areas: Atlantic City, NJ: +5.1% Knoxville, TN: +4.7% Kingston, NY: +4.7% Torrington, CT: +4.6% Bangor, ME: +4.6% Rochester, NY: +4.4% Vineland, NJ: +4.4% Concord, NH: +4.2% Norwich, CT: +4.1% Fayetteville, AR: +3.9% And these are the 10 areas where Zillow expects the weakest home price appreciation between February 2025 and February 2026 to occur: Houma, LA: -7.3% Lake Charles, LA: -7.0% New Orleans, LA: -5.5% Lafayette, LA: -4.6% Shreveport, LA: -4.4% Odessa, TX: -4.1% Beaumont, TX: -3.7% Alexandria, LA : -3.3% Chico, CA: -3.0% Midland, TX: -3.0% While Zillow expects home prices across most of Florida to rise over the coming year, ResiClub remains skeptical. After all, Florida has experienced a significant increase in active inventory and months of supply over the past year, which could signal potential pricing weakness. Indeed, single-family and condo prices are currently declining in most Florida housing markets. View the full article

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: My coworkers are always complaining. What should I do? A: The world is made of all kinds of people, and so it follows that in any workplace you’ll also find a lot of personality types: The narcissist, the interrupter, the martyr, the workplace BFF (if you’re lucky), and the straight up jerk (if you’re unlucky). The office complainer is challenging in their own way. If you have one who is getting on your nerves, here are some ways to handle the situation. Consider the bigger picture Just as complaints from your partner are rarely actually about the dishes or the trash, it’s possible that your coworker’s complaints about the new software or the end of Bagel Fridays are actually about something bigger. Complaints about the loss of perks like free food might be masking fears about how the company is doing financially. Complaints about adjusting to a new software system could be a cover for fears about adapting to change or being pushed out because they are older. Consider the possible deeper context and, if you can, speak to management about these bigger concerns. If there’s nothing within your power that you can do to address the underlying larger concerns, at least the knowledge that it’s masking more legitimate gripes might make you feel more sympathetic. Just listen and let them vent Sometimes when someone has a complaint they just want someone to listen to them complain and validate that they are right to feel annoyed. Empowerment speaker Erica Latrice says: “If you are in an environment where you have to be around complainers a lot, just use the phrase, ‘If I were you, I would feel the same way.’” She says that a phrase like that allows them to feel heard and may stop them from feeling the need to keep repeating their complaint. Many people jump into problem-solving mode when they hear a complaint by either offering solutions to “fix” the complaint or reasons why it’s not as bad as the complainer says it is. Both of these approaches might be well-intentioned, but can feel dismissive to the person complaining (and could backfire by having them repeat their complaint until they feel heard). Ask for their ideas If offering unsolicited advice is the wrong approach, try asking the complainer for their thoughts on a solution. This is a great approach for those in management to address employee complaints, but also it also works for peers. The complaint might actually be the employee wanting to start a conversation about how to fix a problem. Simply asking, “what do you think we should do about it?” might open the floodgates. If not, dig a little deeper: “What would make the process easier?” “If we can’t change that, how do you think we should adapt?” “Do you think there’s a way to convince them to change their minds?” “Is there a better method you’ve seen work?” Beat them or join them If all else fails, you can decide to just live with the office Debbie Downer, or you can try to protect your peace and be honest with them. Saying something like: “Things are hard right now and I’m trying to stay positive. I’m not really in the headspace to handle so many workplace complaints right now.” That will likely not be well-received (and you may become the topic of their next batch of complaints), but it sends a clear message and they aren’t likely to share their thoughts with you anytime soon. Then there’s the “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach: Sometimes misery just wants company. So long as you trust the person you’re talking to (and you don’t take it too far and say something you’ll regret), you can join in with your own complaints. Want more advice on dealing with complainers at work? Here you go: The right (and wrong) way to complain at work What it’s like to go without complaining for a month 8 ways to deal with chronic complainers View the full article

Ukrainian president says Putin broke his promise to pause attacks on energy infrastructureView the full article

For decades, talk of UAPs—unidentified aerial phenomenon, for the uninitiated—was relegated to conspiracy forums and X-Files reruns. Not anymore. The Age of Disclosure, which premiered to a standing ovation at South by Southwest this month, reframes the conversation with journalistic clarity and a big assist from some of the most powerful people in government going on the record. With critics and audiences alike buzzing over the documentary, director Dan Farah is pushing the UAP conversation out of the shadows and into the mainstream. That momentum is owed in large part to the fact that Farah (who is otherwise best known as a producer on the 2018 adaptation of Ready Player One) didn’t just scrape the surface, he went straight to the top. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Mike Rounds, former National Intelligence Director Jim Clapper, and dozens of other government officials lend their voices to a film that’s less “little green men” and more national security urgency. If disclosure feels like a cultural inflection point, that’s because it just might be. Fast Company spoke with Farah about how he landed these interviews, what shook him the most, and what happens if the truth really is out there. What sparked your interest in UAPs? It’s not a subject you’ve really explored in your filmmaking before. I’ve been interested in this topic my whole life. I’m 45, so my childhood was the ’80s and ’90s, and I grew up watching movies like ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It’s just always been a lifelong interest. They made me curious about big questions: Are we alone in the universe? Does the U.S. government know more than they shared with the public? I was doing research on the topic a few years ago, and I started getting introduced, through some mutual friends, to people who have worked on this topic for the U.S. government. I started to realize that this is very serious and has incredible bipartisan support at the most senior levels of our government. At a time when Democrats and Republicans don’t agree on anything, Democratic and Republican leadership agree this is an extremely important topic and should be taken extremely seriously. The average person doesn’t know that Senator Schumer from the Democratic Party and Senator Rounds from the Republican Party co-sponsored the UAP Disclosure Act that attempted to bring this information out to the public. When you read the language of that act, it’s shocking. They’re talking about technology of nonhuman origin, they’re talking about all these things that seem very extraordinary but they’re taking it very seriously. The more I learned about it, and the more I became excited and motivated to make a credible, non-sensationalized documentary on the topic. When I started socializing my vision for it within intelligence, military, and government circles, I started to get a lot of support. Why do you think they offered that support? Why did they agree to sit down for an interview? I think I was presenting an opportunity that they hadn’t heard before. I was committed to making this independently so they didn’t have to worry about a studio or a network sensationalizing it. I gave the interview subjects strength in numbers: I was setting off to interview dozens of people and wasn’t asking any one person to go out on a limb. I had the support early on of a lot of people who were very influential in that space, including Luis Elizondo, Jay Stratton, Christopher Mellon. They all really believed in what I was trying to do, and not something to do in a “Hollywood” way. Now, something to keep in mind: Almost all the people I interviewed have knowledge on this topic at a classified level that they obviously cannot talk about. But there’s a lot of information that they can talk about, and historically they’ve just been discouraged from doing so, or they haven’t had a comfortable opportunity to share what they can lawfully disclose. To the best of your understanding, why has the government been so secretive? Historically, there have been understandable and valid reasons for secrecy. And there are also very valid reasons now for making some of the information more known to the public. For you, what was the most interesting discovery during this process? An interesting realization that came out of this is just a reminder of how our government works in general. Our elected officials largely pay attention to what their constituents tell them that they want them to pay attention to, right? So there’s a lot of very senior leadership in our country that knows this is a very serious situation, and they’re not really putting their bandwidth toward it because they’re worried about an historical stigma around the topic, and they’re not sure it’s one of the top issues for their constituents. I have great respect for the leaders of both parties right now who are taking it very seriously and putting themselves out there like Secretary Rubio, Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and on the House level people like you Representative Carson, Representative Garcia, Representative Luna—these people are really putting themselves out there. The film comes at a moment when our two major parties can’t seem to agree on much. I wonder what kind of political implications mutual acknowledging of the issue would have. This might be the one thing that could actually bring parties together—and maybe bring adversarial nations together: the acknowledgement that we’re not alone in the universe. But as the documentary points out, there’s also a lot of negative things that could come out of disclosure—it’s just another thing that nations could fight over. It’s really interesting to think about the fact that people who participated in the documentary share this extremely significant information that has extremely high stakes and impacts us all. And it’s very serious, yeah, but there’s still so much information they have that is informing their opinion that they can’t disclose, and you wonder what that is. View the full article

In an industrial park in North Las Vegas, near an Amazon warehouse and a waste storage facility, a new carbon removal plant is beginning to pull CO2 from the air and store it permanently. Called Project Juniper, it’s the first “integrated” plant of its kind in the U.S., meaning that it handles both carbon capture and storage in one place. (As a bonus, it also generates clean water.) Clairity Tech, the startup behind it, designed the new plant after raising a seed round of funding led by Initialized Capital and Lowercarbon Capital last year. After spending the last few months setting up the facility, it ran its full system for the first time last week. Founder Glen Meyerowitz, who previously worked on rocket and spacecraft propulsion testing at SpaceX, pivoted to carbon removal in 2022. “As I look at it, this is really the existential threat of our time and the most important problem that needs to be addressed,” he says. In order for the world to have any chance of meeting climate goals, CO2 needs to be captured from the air at a massive scale at the same time as the economy decarbonizes. As Meyerowitz researched the space, he saw an opportunity to take a slightly different approach than some other companies. The Clairity direct air capture reactor in Nevada [Photo: Clairity] First, Clairity uses a different material to capture CO2 from the air. “It’s in the same family as baking soda,” Meyerowitz says. “The materials are produced in millions of tons per year for a range of applications.” It’s abundant, cheap, and after it’s filled with CO2, it takes relatively little energy to remove it. Unlike some other chemicals used for direct air capture, it doesn’t degrade, so it can also be used longer. The plants are cheap enough to build that they don’t have to run continuously to make economic sense. That means that it’s also possible to run on cheap, intermittent solar power from the grid. (The caveat: The company will be competing with data centers that also want to run on renewable energy and may be willing to pay more.) Sorbent cartridge being inserted into adsorption station [Photo: Clairity] While many companies in the space plan to inject CO2 into underground wells, that system isn’t ready yet in the U.S. Clairity is starting with another direction: adding the CO2 to materials. For example, if it’s combined with fly ash—a byproduct from coal power plants—it can be used to make lower-carbon concrete. It won’t be the first direct air capture company to use CO2 in concrete: A startup called Heirloom previously partnered with a cement company. But Clairity is unique in that it handles both steps itself. The CO2 can also be injected into other waste materials to permanently store it. Building an underground storage well costs millions of dollars, and the process of getting regulatory approval is slow; building the company’s “ex-situ” mineralization equipment costs less than $70,000. It’s at a much smaller scale, but it allows the company to begin storage now. “We can actually deliver credits today and not from some future project,” Meyerowitz says. There’s also the potential to make more money by selling value-added products rather than only selling credits for storage. The company expects to be one of two facilities in the world to deliver certified credits for carbon stored this year. The other, 4,000-plus miles away in Iceland, is Climeworks, which partners with a company called CarbFix to inject its captured CO2 into Iceland’s deep rock formations and naturally turn the CO2 into stone. Clairity chose Vegas as its first location for a few reasons. First, the particular sorbent it uses to capture the CO2 works best in an arid climate (some others, like Climeworks’s, are better in humid climates). Nevada has abundant access to renewable power. The state has relatively little arable land, so there are more potential locations; the company plans to expand in Nevada and other parts of the Southwest. And because the company’s process generates clean water on the side, there’s also a potential market to sell that water to local utilities. (The water is produced when the company heats up its sorbent to release the captured CO2; water comes out at the same time and is separately stored.) “You can imagine that in water-stressed Las Vegas, that’s a really interesting side benefit,” Meyerowitz says. For now, it’s operating on a tiny scale. Project Juniper can capture 100 metric tons of CO2 a year; society generated more than 40 billion tons of CO2 last year. Clairity’s cost right now is around $700 per ton of captured CO2—which will need to dramatically decline to be feasible over the long term. (Federal tax credits currently help with the cost, and may be more likely to stay in place than some other climate-related incentives because of strong Republican support.) Despite the challenges, Meyerowitz believes it’s possible for the startup to scale up to an ambitious goal: 10 megatons of CO2 removal in the next decade, or 100,000 times more than its first project. View the full article

Stakeholders predict the future of homebuying will offer two distinct paths: an all-in-one bundle from companies like Rocket Mortgage and the traditional, local homebuying experience. View the full article

Potential investors are ‘hanging round the hoop’ with four parties said to be most committed to the processView the full article

Every year, American cars hit a staggering 1 million large animals like deer and elk. In California—a roadkill hot spot—vehicle collisions with animals cost more than $200 million every year. To address the problem, experts have long advocated for wildlife crossings that either span over high-speed freeways or burrow under them to help animals cross over safely. (The world’s largest wildlife crossing is set to open in 2026 in California, where it will help reconnect habitats bisected by the 10-lane 101 Freeway.) Other strategies involve reducing traffic or closing roads altogether at peak animal crossing times. Now, a new solution might be on the horizon, and it is mounted on the culprits themselves: cars. December 2024 marked the beginning of an ambitious experiment on the Japanese island of Amami Oshima. The island is known for its beautiful beaches, its handwoven silk, and a particularly dark-furred species of rabbit known as the Amami rabbit. Since 2004, the Amami rabbit has been an endangered species because logging and urban development have reduced its forest habitat, but also because the animals are often hit and killed by cars. According to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, incidents involving Amami rabbits have increased for seven consecutive years, culminating in 147 deaths in 2023 alone. Three years ago, a team comprised of designers, government officials, researchers from three different universities in Japan, plus one automaker, set out to find a solution. The automaker? Nissan. The solution? A high-frequency alarm that is mounted at the front of the car to warn animals of its presence. The project, which was funded by Nissan, has been dubbed Animalert, and it is the brainchild of Tokyo-based ad agency studio TBWA\Hakuhodo. [Image: Nissan]An alert is bornThe story began while TBWA\Hakuhodo was working on a marketing campaign to promote the sound that Nissan’s EV cars make to alert pedestrians. (Stripped of the loud engines that come with their fuel-powered counterparts, electric vehicles are twice as likely to hit pedestrians.) Back in 2010, Nissan was one of the first automakers to introduce this kind of alert, which is known as a Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians, or VSP. But as Shuichiro Tsuchiya, project lead at TBWA\Hakuhodo, notes, not many people know they exist (hence the marketing campaign). [Image: Nissan]The team was brainstorming ideas when the news came out that Amami rabbits were being killed by cars at unprecedented rates. Almost immediately, they thought: could the vehicle sound for pedestrians be adapted to warn not just humans but animals, too? To find the answer, the team embarked on a journey that would end up taking more than three years. If the experiment proves successful—and enough automakers jump on the bandwagon—the technology could be expanded to work on other animals, and help reduce roadkill worldwide. A double-whammy marketing campaignAccording to Japanʼs Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, more than 120,000 animals were killed on Japanese roads in 2022. The most commonly affected species were dogs and cats, closely followed by raccoon dogs, birds, and deer. Rabbits, in particularly those who live on Amami Oshima, were not on the list. Nonetheless, they were the perfect species for a pilot. Deer and other animals are scattered all over Japan, which would have made testing a new alarm with them difficult. “We would need devices for hundreds of thousands of cars,” Tsuchiya told me. The team only had one car at their disposal: a Nissan Sakura. Instead of launching a nationwide experiment, they narrowed down their focus on Amami Oshima, which covers about 275 square miles. The contained environment helped increase the team’s chances of encountering rabbits. And because—let’s not forget—the project still doubled as a marketing campaign, it helped them weave a compelling story. That of a conscientious automaker working to save rabbits lives. Fine-tuning the sound From the very beginning, TBWA\Hakuhodo partnered with the Ministry of Environment and the Amami City Government, which helped speed up government approvals. They also partnered with three universities, particularly Masachika Tsuji from Okayama University of Sciences, who has previously studied sound as an animal deterrent. (Most recently, his team helped install speakers at three major airports in Japan, where each speaker emits high-frequency waves designed to deter birds from flying near the runways.) Together, the team worked to find the right range of high-frequency sounds. The exact frequency remains undisclosed, but the resulting sound is one that rabbits have never heard before because it doesn’t exist in the natural world. “It’s almost like they encounter a ghost,” Tsuchiya says. The team performed two initial tests. First, they ran tests at Nissan’s R&D lab, to determine the most suitable position for the speaker that would emit the sound. Then, they traveled the island, where they placed a speaker in a field where rabbits are known to live to gauge their initial response. The first experiment worked and the rabbits that were there left the field almost immediately. So, the team installed the speaker on the car, and took to the roads. Amami rabbits are nocturnal, so the team ran tests at night. So far, they have tested the speaker over the course of five nights, driving the car at 6 miles per hour between 10 p.m. and midnight. Each time they drove, they recorded the view in front of the car with a drive recorder, so they could analyze it later. The ripple effect So far, they have encountered about 100 rabbits. Tsuji, the professor, explains that the team also tested the sound on other animals including deer, wild boars, and birds. He says that the car-mounted alarm only lasts for a fleeting moment (as long as it takes for a car to pass by). That time is long enough to deter animals, but not long enough to harm them. And since sound gets absorbed by trees and grass, it only affects animals on or near the road. So far, the results are promising, but more research is necessary before they can make concrete claims or publish a paper. The team is yet to identify the exact radius within which Animalert would be most effective. (In the artificial conditions of a lab, they say it can go as far as 160 to 200 feet.) Also, they are yet to test the technology while driving at the local speed limit, which is about three times the speed they used during testing. For an animal alert like this to be effective, critical mass is key. Eventually, the team is hoping to develop various high-frequency sounds that can force other animals, like deer, to flee the road as a car approaches. These sounds could be switched on by the driver based on the animals that live in the area. Or more aspirationally, they could be automatically adjusted by the car’s GPS. But for the technology to really make a dent and reduce roadkill worldwide, it would have to be implemented by as many automakers as possible. Like so many problems plaguing the world today, this is a problem that can only be addressed if competitors band together to solve the same goal. Still, Animalert is a promising start to a solution that could easily ripple across the industry. It would save many lives—and many dollars, too. View the full article

As shoppers have turned to cheaper alternatives to beat inflation, retailers from CVS to Target and Walmart have invested heavily in their private-label brands over the past year, wrapping store-branded products in new design-forward packaging. A new report finds that retailers’ efforts have paid off. Private-label goods accounted for one in every four food and nonfood grocery products purchased in the U.S. last year, according to a report from the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), which also found that sales of private-label products in the U.S. topped $270 billion in 2024, a record. Once purposefully packaged with no frills to convey their low price, retailers’ private-label products have gone from generic discount off-brands to colorfully packaged, beloved brands in their own right designed to appeal to a wider consumer base and higher-income shoppers. [Photo: Target] Target, a leader in the private-label space, recently updated its Up&Up brand to more colorful packaging courtesy of the design agency Collins. “It’s a brand that’s been around for a long time, has lots and lots of items, but it needed a refresh,” Rick Gomez, Target’s chief commercial officer, said on the company’s most recent earnings call. “And so we went in and invested in the brand, redesigned all the packaging graphics, took about 40% of the line and did product improvements, new fragrances, more sustainable packaging.” To Gomez, it was a no-brainer. “That’s what we think you need to do to keep brands contemporary and relevant,” he said. [Image: Walmart] Competitors have taken notice. Late last year Walmart introduced Bettergoods, a private-label brand with bright, color-on-color packaging; product offerings include plant-based, organic, and gluten-free food meant to appeal to the high-income shoppers who’ve increasingly turned to Walmart since inflation spiked. Walmart said last year that high-income shoppers represented the majority of its share gains, telling Fast Company that the Bettergoods brand had a high repurchase rate. CVS’s private-label brand, Well Market, also launched last year and showed the trend extends to pharmacies too. [Image: CVS] While national brands accounted for more sales overall in 2024—$1.3 trillion compared to more than $270 billion sold in store-brand products, according to the PLMA report—the growth of private-label products has proven key for retailers aiming to lure customers into their stores. Sales of store-brand products in the U.S. rose nearly 4% from 2023 to 2024, while sales of national brands grew just 1% in the same time period, according to the report. Once viewed as cheap knockoffs, private-label brands have become mainstays for consumers and retailers alike. View the full article

Online applications usually include an optional field where you can upload a cover letter. Think “optional” means you don’t have to include one? Think again. According to a recent survey of recruiters from the career services platform Zety, 89% expect a cover letter, and 87% say it’s a key factor when deciding whom to interview. “Job applications are super complicated today,” says Jasmine Escalera, Zety’s career expert. “You have to tailor your résumé to the job, and there are often so many moving parts to just submit one application. I understand when job seekers think, Does the cover letter actually add any value? Sometimes it can be equally as important as résumés when a recruiter is looking for a specific kind of individual to work within their company.” In other words, cover letters matter. More than 80% of recruiters have rejected applicants based solely on their cover letters, according to Zety. Here are four cover letter mistakes to avoid: 1. Repeating Your Résumé Your résumé is a keyword-rich document that lists your job experience, skills, and accomplishments. When writing a cover letter, candidates are often tempted to underscore their strengths by repeating them. Don’t, says Escalera. Zety’s survey found that the most important focus of the cover letter is to connect the dots between your experience and the demands of the role. “The cover letter is the place where you can talk about why this company or this position is the right fit for you, either now or moving forward in your career,” Escalera says. “It’s the place to inject some personality, some passion.” For example, if you’re applying to a nonprofit organization that has a mission that is close to your heart, explain why. If you’re applying for a leadership position, use the cover letter to share some additional information about your leadership style or philosophy, showcasing something that doesn’t come through on your résumé. If you’re making a career pivot or transition, use your cover letter to explain why the new industry or role is enticing to you. Or if you have a career gap because you got laid off or were a caretaker, address that in your cover letter. “The cover letter should complement and not regurgitate your résumé,” Escalera says. 2. Being Too Long When it comes to the letter’s length, Escalera says brief is better. Per Zety’s survey, 49% of recruiters think half a page is the right length, 26% prefer a full page, and 25% say a few sentences are sufficient. “We are in the age of the scroll,” says Escalera. “Recruiters want to hear how you’re connected to the role, and they want you to address questions or concerns the résumé might show. They don’t want your life story.” Make your letter easy to skim by not getting into too many details. “Give something high level that entices someone to say, ‘I want to get to know this person because they look like a great fit,’ or ‘Okay, I understand why they’re making this transition,’” Escalera says. 3. Addressing it ‘To Whom It May Concern’ Job ads rarely provide a hiring manager’s name, but that doesn’t mean you should send your letter without one. Escalera recommends addressing your letter to a real person instead of “To Whom It May Concern.” “It shows that you’re going the extra mile,” she says. “Personal touches make so much of a difference because, essentially, what you’re showcasing is, ‘I already know you. I know my potential manager. I’ve done my research.’” To find the information, Escalera says you need to do your homework. Sometimes the job description will give a title that the position reports to. For example, if you’re applying for a job as a project manager, it might say that you will report to the director of project management. “Do a little bit of digging,” Escalera advises. “Check out the company’s website. Do a Google search. Check LinkedIn to find out who that individual is.” Another way to find the right person is to see whether the job has been posted on LinkedIn by the recruiter or hiring manager. Or Escalera recommends finding the name of the company’s director of HR on LinkedIn and addressing your letter to that person. 4. Lacking Energy A lot of candidates apply for a role simply because they need a job. Even so, the position must have attracted you in some way, and your cover letter should convey that spark. “Maybe it fits your skill set,” Escalera says. “Maybe it fits with your career trajectory. Or maybe there is something special about the company that intrigues you. Inject your ‘why’ into the cover letter and share your enthusiasm.” Energy will come off the cover letter and provide some clue as to what kind of an employee you might be once you’re hired. Among the top things recruiters look for in the cover letter, according to Zety’s survey, are personality and communication skills. “Start your first sentence with, ‘I am excited to apply for this job,’” says Escalera. “Then restate your enthusiasm at the end of the letter, this time with a call to action. For example, ‘I am excited to learn more about this company,’ ‘I’m eager to hear about next steps,’ or ‘I am eager to discuss my experience in an interview.’ Putting energy and enthusiasm on the page can be really helpful.” Applicant tracking systems may scan your résumé for keywords, but your cover letter is often read by a real person. Take advantage of this extra chance to stand out by tailoring yours for the company and the job. View the full article

Innovation doesn’t happen in environments bogged down by rigid rules, excessive oversight, or unnecessary bureaucracy. The most transformative ideas actually emerge when employees have the freedom to experiment, take risks, and truly own their work. As a former executive at Oracle and the current CEO of the software company Incorta, I’ve seen firsthand that traditional leadership structures often do more to stifle innovation than foster it. Instead of relying on rigid processes, leaders should focus on creating an environment where employees feel empowered to challenge the status quo. Here are four ways to cultivate that kind of workplace. 1. Hire for Capability—Then Focus on Outcomes Too many leaders mistake constant oversight—like ensuring employees sit at their desks from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.—for productivity. In reality, great innovation comes from hiring smart, capable people and giving them room to solve problems in their own way. But hiring the right people is only part of the equation. Leaders must also focus on outcomes rather than rigid processes. At many companies, leadership unintentionally slows progress by overcomplicating decision-making. Rather than trusting their employees, they create layers of approvals and bureaucratic processes that drain time and enthusiasm. When leaders micromanage, they create a culture of hesitation, and employees become afraid to make decisions, innovation slows, and morale suffers. To build a culture of innovation, leaders must hire for capability and alignment with the company’s vision, then trust their employees to make the right choices. Instead of dictating every step, set clear objectives and let talented professionals determine the best way forward. When employees feel ownership, they take more initiative, leading to increased creativity and efficiency. Shifting the focus from rigid rules to impact-driven work fosters an environment where people feel trusted and motivated to find the best solutions. 2. Give Interns the Hardest Problems One of the most surprising lessons I’ve learned is that our interns often come up with the most creative solutions. They’re not burdened by outdated industry norms or ingrained ways of thinking, so they approach challenges with fresh perspectives. We put this philosophy into practice at Incorta by assigning interns some of our toughest projects—like refining AI models with advanced tools and building interactive data visualizations to enhance our marketplace. Time and again, they’ve exceeded expectations, offering insights that even senior team members might overlook. The key? Giving them the freedom to explore unconventional solutions. In contrast, companies that limit interns to low-stakes, mundane tasks miss out on a valuable source of innovation and enthusiasm. 3. Encourage ‘Lazy’ Thinking to Challenge Inefficiencies Some of the best innovations come from questioning the way things have always been done—and sometimes, from those looking for the easiest, most efficient way to get things done. I personally hate unnecessary steps. I don’t want to stop at gas stations or sit in traffic for hours. So, I plan my day to eliminate inefficiencies, like living close to work, planning direct routes, and canceling unnecessary meetings. Small choices like these add up to more time for what really matters in my life, like engaging with customers and spending more time with my family. The same thinking applies to business. Many organizations rely on outdated workflows that require extra steps, redundant approvals, and time-consuming processes. Some of the best problem-solvers are those who find ways to work smarter, not harder. I encourage my team to rethink how work gets done, whether it’s streamlining data processes, cutting out unnecessary steps, or automating tedious tasks. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement. Leaders should empower employees to identify bottlenecks and experiment with better approaches. Creating space for employees to rethink work ultimately leads to better decision-making, greater efficiency, and stronger business outcomes. 4. Embrace Controlled Chaos True innovation doesn’t happen in perfectly controlled environments. In fact, too much structure can kill creativity. Some leaders shy away from chaos, but I believe in structured freedom—providing clear goals without imposing unnecessary constraints. Creativity thrives in environments that allow for experimentation, play, and improvisation. Companies like Apple have long embraced this ethos, recognizing that some of the best ideas emerge when people are given the space to explore without fear of failure. Apple’s longstanding iterative design process, for example, allows for constant tinkering and refining, which has led to some of the most iconic products in tech history. A great way to foster this kind of culture is to take a page from improv comedy. The “yes, and” principle—where participants build on each other’s ideas rather than shutting them down—creates an environment where creativity flows freely. Play-based work environments lead to higher engagement and breakthrough thinking. Some of the most innovative teams operate with a sandbox mentality, where new ideas are tested, refined, and evolved without judgment. Instead of fearing chaos, leaders should create an open forum for ideas, where employees feel free to test, iterate, and push boundaries without constant oversight. With clear goals and a culture that embraces exploration, teams will feel more confident taking bold steps toward meaningful innovation. The Freedom to Innovate At the end of the day, the companies that thrive are the ones that encourage curiosity, creativity, and calculated risk-taking. By giving employees more freedom, leaders tap into hidden potential and drive innovation in ways they never expected. The world doesn’t move forward by following the status quo. It moves forward because people are willing to challenge it. So, if you want to create a truly innovative workplace, start by loosening the reins and letting your people do what they do best—think, explore, and create. View the full article

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Adobe has announced new enhancements to Adobe Firefly Services and Firefly Custom Models, aimed at helping businesses meet the rising demand for personalized content across multiple digital platforms. The announcement was made at Adobe Summit, the company’s flagship digital experience conference. Firefly Services, a suite of generative AI tools for enterprises, now supports video and 3D content, broadening its capabilities in multimedia production. The introduction of Firefly Creative Production provides a no-code interface that automates repetitive content production tasks, streamlining workflows for marketing and creative teams. Additionally, Custom Models now integrate with Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing, allowing marketers to scale on-brand content seamlessly. AI-Powered Tools for Businesses Adobe states that its innovations are powered by its AI Platform, which brings together AI agents, first-party data insights, commercially safe Firefly models, and secure third-party models. These advancements are designed to unify marketing and creativity, delivering personalized experiences efficiently. Leading companies, including Accenture, Dentsu, Henkel, IPG Health, Tapestry, Monks, PepsiCo/Gatorade, Publicis, Stagwell, and The Estée Lauder Companies, are already using Adobe Firefly Services and Custom Models to optimize marketing campaigns, accelerate content production, and enhance creative output. According to Adobe, a Forrester Total Economic Impact Study found that Firefly offerings help enterprises scale asset variant production by 70% to 80%, while reducing the time spent on reviewing and fixing assets by up to 75% over three years. “Businesses are seeing incredible results by leveraging Adobe Firefly Services and Custom Models to drive a more efficient content supply chain,” said Varun Parmar, general manager, Adobe GenStudio and Firefly Enterprise Solutions. “Generative AI increases the capacity of marketers and creatives, enabling them to focus on what matters most, their craft.” New Adobe Firefly Services APIs Adobe also introduced several new APIs designed to improve content creation and management: Translate and Lip Sync API (Generally Available): Enables instant translation of spoken dialogue into different languages while maintaining the speaker’s original voice with synchronized lip movement. Reframe API (Generally Available): Allows teams to resize videos efficiently for different platforms while ensuring accurate scene edits and seamless logo or image overlays. Custom Models API (Generally Available): Integrates custom AI models directly into production workflows to maintain brand consistency in newly created assets. Substance 3D API (In Beta): Helps brands generate thousands of product image variations by combining 3D objects with Firefly-generated backgrounds, enhancing e-commerce and digital marketing efforts. In addition to these API updates, Adobe introduced Firefly Creative Production, a no-code solution that allows marketing teams to automate asset cropping and content personalization, reducing production time and enhancing efficiency. Custom Models Integration with GenStudio for Performance Marketing Adobe’s GenStudio for Performance Marketing is now integrated with Custom Models, enabling marketers to access pre-trained models directly within the application. Currently in beta, this feature is designed to streamline the creation of high-quality, on-brand images for paid social ads, banners, emails, and other marketing materials. Image: Adobe This article, "Adobe Expands Firefly Services and Custom Models for Scalable Content Production" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Adobe has announced new enhancements to Adobe Firefly Services and Firefly Custom Models, aimed at helping businesses meet the rising demand for personalized content across multiple digital platforms. The announcement was made at Adobe Summit, the company’s flagship digital experience conference. Firefly Services, a suite of generative AI tools for enterprises, now supports video and 3D content, broadening its capabilities in multimedia production. The introduction of Firefly Creative Production provides a no-code interface that automates repetitive content production tasks, streamlining workflows for marketing and creative teams. Additionally, Custom Models now integrate with Adobe GenStudio for Performance Marketing, allowing marketers to scale on-brand content seamlessly. AI-Powered Tools for Businesses Adobe states that its innovations are powered by its AI Platform, which brings together AI agents, first-party data insights, commercially safe Firefly models, and secure third-party models. These advancements are designed to unify marketing and creativity, delivering personalized experiences efficiently. Leading companies, including Accenture, Dentsu, Henkel, IPG Health, Tapestry, Monks, PepsiCo/Gatorade, Publicis, Stagwell, and The Estée Lauder Companies, are already using Adobe Firefly Services and Custom Models to optimize marketing campaigns, accelerate content production, and enhance creative output. According to Adobe, a Forrester Total Economic Impact Study found that Firefly offerings help enterprises scale asset variant production by 70% to 80%, while reducing the time spent on reviewing and fixing assets by up to 75% over three years. “Businesses are seeing incredible results by leveraging Adobe Firefly Services and Custom Models to drive a more efficient content supply chain,” said Varun Parmar, general manager, Adobe GenStudio and Firefly Enterprise Solutions. “Generative AI increases the capacity of marketers and creatives, enabling them to focus on what matters most, their craft.” New Adobe Firefly Services APIs Adobe also introduced several new APIs designed to improve content creation and management: Translate and Lip Sync API (Generally Available): Enables instant translation of spoken dialogue into different languages while maintaining the speaker’s original voice with synchronized lip movement. Reframe API (Generally Available): Allows teams to resize videos efficiently for different platforms while ensuring accurate scene edits and seamless logo or image overlays. Custom Models API (Generally Available): Integrates custom AI models directly into production workflows to maintain brand consistency in newly created assets. Substance 3D API (In Beta): Helps brands generate thousands of product image variations by combining 3D objects with Firefly-generated backgrounds, enhancing e-commerce and digital marketing efforts. In addition to these API updates, Adobe introduced Firefly Creative Production, a no-code solution that allows marketing teams to automate asset cropping and content personalization, reducing production time and enhancing efficiency. Custom Models Integration with GenStudio for Performance Marketing Adobe’s GenStudio for Performance Marketing is now integrated with Custom Models, enabling marketers to access pre-trained models directly within the application. Currently in beta, this feature is designed to streamline the creation of high-quality, on-brand images for paid social ads, banners, emails, and other marketing materials. Image: Adobe This article, "Adobe Expands Firefly Services and Custom Models for Scalable Content Production" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article