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Police to probe incoming chief accounting officer over alleged misappropriation of funds at former employerView the full article

Unwanted phone calls are out of control. Whether it’s a robocall trying to sell you something or spam calls from scammers trying to rip you off, it’s enough to make you want to stop answering your phone. So what can you do to stop them? The scourge of unwanted phone calls has been branded an epidemic by consumer groups, while the Federal Communications Commission says it’s the top consumer complaint. The calls are a nuisance to many ordinary people, some of whom have complained to The Associated Press. “I need help on getting spam calls to stop,” one reader said in an email. She’s getting up to 14 calls a day despite the countermeasures she’s employed. As the name implies, robocalls are automated calls to deliver recorded messages to a large number of phones. A robocall purely to deliver a message or collect a debt is allowed under U.S. regulations, but the Federal Trade Commission says robocalls with a recorded voice trying to sell you something are illegal unless you’ve given explicit written permission to receive them. Many robocalls are also probably scams, the FTC warns. If you’re flooded by unsolicited calls, here are some ways to fight back. Phone settings Smartphone users can turn on some built-in settings to combat unknown calls. Apple advises iPhone users to turn on the Silence Unknown Callers feature. Go to your “Settings,” then scroll down to “Apps,” and then to “Phone,” where you’ll see it under the “Calls” section. When you turn this on, any calls from numbers that you’ve never been in touch with and aren’t saved in your contacts list will not ring through. Instead, they’ll be sent to voicemail and show up in your list of recent calls. Android has a similar setting that allows you to block calls from private or unidentified numbers, although you will still receive calls from numbers that aren’t stored in your contact list. Just keep in mind that you could also end up not getting important calls, which sometimes come from unknown numbers. If an unwanted call does get through, both Android and iPhone users can block the individual phone number by tapping on it in the recent callers or call history list. You can also enter numbers directly into your phone’s block list. Do not call Sign up for the national Do Not Call registry, which is a list of numbers that have opted out of most telemarketing calls. The Federal Trade Commission, which runs the registry, says it only contains phone numbers and holds no other personally identifiable information, nor does the registry know whether the number is for a landline or a cellphone. The FTC says there are some exemptions, including political calls, calls from non-profit groups and charities, and legitimate survey groups that aren’t selling anything. Also allowed are calls from companies up to 18 months after you’ve done — or sought to do — business with them. But it also warns that while having your number on the registry will cut down on unwanted sales calls, it won’t stop scammers from making illegal calls. Other countries have similar registries. Canada has its own Do Not Call list while the U.K. has the Telephone Preference Service. Carrier filters Check whether your wireless carrier has a call-blocking service. Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, three of the biggest U.S. networks, all have their own call filters for customers to block robocalls and report spam. There’s typically a free basic version and an advanced version that requires a subscription fee. Try an app If your phone company’s filters aren’t good enough, try third-party apps to weed out unwanted callers. There are a host of smartphone apps available that promise to block spam calls, like Nomorobo, YouMail, Hiya, RoboKiller, TrueCaller and others. Many charge a monthly or annual subscription fee but some offer a free basic option. Some also can be installed on landline phones, but only if they use VOIP technology, not copper cables. The Associated Press hasn’t tested any of these apps and isn’t making specific recommendations. We recommend you read user reviews and try some out for yourself. Apple says the apps work by comparing a caller’s number with a list of known numbers and labeling them, for example, spam or telemarketing. Then it might automatically block the call. “Incoming calls are never sent to third-party developers,” the company says. Report calls Did you know you can file a complaint with the FCC about specific spam calls? You can do so easily through an online form. It might not give you immediate satisfaction, but the National Consumer Law Center says data on complaints is the best tool federal agencies have for determining how big a problem robocalls are. Just say no While companies you’ve done business with can make robocalls to you, the National Consumer Law Center says it’s probably because you gave consent – possibly hidden in fine print. But you can also revoke your consent at any time. Just tell the company representative that you want to “revoke consent,” and if that doesn’t stop them, contact customer service and tell them that you don’t consent to receive calls and want your number added to the company’s “do not call” list, the center says. Hang up You might be tempted to try to engage with the call in an attempt to get your number off the call list or be put through to a real person. The FTC warns against doing this and recommends that you just hang up. “Pressing numbers to speak to someone or remove you from the list will probably only lead to more robocalls,” the agency says on its advice page. “And the number on your caller ID probably isn’t real. Caller ID is easy to fake” and can’t be trusted, it says. Cybersecurity company Kaspersky advises not even saying anything when you receive what you think is a robocall. We’ve all received scammy calls that start with something like “Hello, can you hear me?” to which you’ve probably replied “yes” without thinking. Scammers “can then store the recording of your confirmation and use it for fraudulent activities,” Kaspersky says. “So, avoid saying yes where possible.” Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip. —Kelvin Chan, Associated Press View the full article

Getting rid of stuff can be hard, even if you’re not exactly a hoarder. It’s hard enough for so many of us in our consumerist society, in fact, that scientists have studied why that is—and are always coming up with ways to overcome an aversion to decluttering our lives. Just in time for spring cleaning season, look to research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology that suggests there’s a way to ease yourself into parting with old belongings: Instead of throwing them out all at once, banish them to purgatory first. What it means to put clutter in “purgatory”The researchers, Mathew S. Isaac and Poornima Vinoo, kicked off their paper by explaining that people who struggle to part with their possessions tend to jump through hoops to avoid doing it and may only manage to do so by employing “various behavioral strategies” to ease the psychological strain. One such strategy that has proven useful for some, the researchers note, is relegating unnecessary but hard-to-part-with items to “out of sight” status, in the hopes that they will then drop out of mind and can be later disposed of, minus the hand-wringing. “According to ethnographic research, one such strategy is to move products into purgatories, or temporary liminal spaces,” they write. In other words: Before throwing out your old photos, books, receipts, mementos, or knick knacks for good, put them into a space somewhere between your everyday environment and the trash. Essentially, banish things you think you should probably get rid of to a box or a junk drawer where you won’t access them, but you’ll know they’re still around. Once you no longer have to look at them every day, you’ll hopefully realize how little you actually need them once it’s time for a major purge, and they’ll be easier to donate, sell, or trash. Why the purgatory method helps you get rid of your junkIsaac and Vinoo reviewed three existing studies that indicated moving items into “purgatories” helps people brace for the inevitability of disposal. However, their research uncovered a new reason it works, and it has nothing to do with a reduction of attachment. “Specifically, purgatories are shown to trigger mental simulation of the product disposal process, thereby helping product owners brace for the looming loss of their product,” they write. In simpler terms, when you condemn an item to its purgatory, it’s a practice run for throwing it away for real. Not only will you be lessening your attachment to physical objects in a gradual way by removing them from your everyday environment, you’ll be rehearsing for the moment when you actually junk them permanently. How to get started putting your excess stuff into purgatoryWhen you're decluttering, make a separate pile of things you think you could get rid of, even if you aren’t quite ready to pull the trigger yet, in addition to the clear-cut piles of things to toss, sell, donate, and keep. You don’t have to commit to throwing them all away, but this will get you thinking about the possibility. Outdated clothes you don’t wear anymore, single-use kitchen tools you haven’t picked up in ages, and toys your kids have aged out of—basically, all the stuff you hold onto for sentimental or "just in case" reasons—can go into purgatory. Make sure “purgatory” is someplace you won’t have to look at every day. The idea is to forget what’s in there so you can see just how inconsequential it really is. Put the box deep in a closet, down in the basement, or on a shelf in the garage. For maximum efficiency, use separate boxes for things that won’t be useful to anyone else, and things that could reasonably be donated. That way, when it's time for them to go to their final resting place, you can bring one box to the donation center and throw one out without having to go through them again, which will reduce the likelihood of you reneging on anything that's in there. Challenge yourself not to venture into purgatory except to put more stuff in there—but take heart knowing the research shows you probably won’t even want to. Set a reminder in your phone for a month from now, and on that day, transport the items to their final destination, whether that’s the trash or the donation center. In the event you find you actually need to use something from the box during that month, you can consider taking it as a sign that the item was a necessary one. (That is very unlikely, by the way.) Other ways to part with things you're not sure aboutI know better than anyone how easy it is to manufacture excuses for not getting rid of clutter. I am the reigning queen of holding on to something "just in case" I need it in the future. The thing is, though, you can make that excuse for everything you own. A purgatory box is a great way to bridge the gap between knowing something is probably trash and actually throwing it out, which is why I have a purgatory shelf for old clothes. But there are other methods designed to make it easier on you to toss things out on sight and those get even faster results than having to wait around to dispose of a box for a month. I recommend familiarizing yourself with these decluttering questions. When you're sorting through a closet, a cabinet, a drunk drawer, or wherever else, asking objective, reasonable questions is one of the easiest ways to disentangle from any sentimentality or excuse-making. Some of the questions include, "Would I know I had this if I needed it?" and "When was the last time I used this?" Reframing how you think of a particular item and its utility can help you part with it. I used to be all about the KonMari method, which has you ask yourself if each item you pick up "sparks joy" for you, but the issue was that I could do enough mental and emotional gymnastics to claim that everything I owned sparked joy. If you're like me, switching over to a more rigid (and, admittedly, harsher) line of questioning can be the push you need. If, after answering the questions about a certain item, you're still unsure whether you can give it up, toss it into the purgatory box. Combining methods is totally fine as long as you commit to the goal of ultimately getting rid of what isn't serving you and is, in fact, just mucking up your space. View the full article

FTSE 100 group sets out plans to sell £2bn of offices and scale back office developments View the full article

An attorney for a Texas pipeline company said Wednesday at trial that he will prove various Greenpeace entities coordinated delays and disruptions of a controversial oil pipeline’s construction in North Dakota, and defamed the company to its lenders. Attorneys for the Greenpeace defendants told a jury there is no evidence to back up the claims by Dallas-based Energy Transfer, which seeks potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in damages from Greenpeace. The case is tied to protests in 2016 and 2017 of the Dakota Access Pipeline and its controversial Missouri River crossing upstream of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation. The tribe has long opposed the pipeline as a risk to its water supply. The pipeline was completed in 2017. Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access allege trespass, nuisance, defamation and other offenses by Netherlands-based Greenpeace International and its American branch, Greenpeace USA. The lawsuit also names the group’s funding arm, Greenpeace Fund Inc. Greenpeace paid professional protesters to come to the area, sent blockade supplies, organized or led protester trainings, passed “critical intel” to the protesters and told untrue things to stop the pipeline from being built, the plaintiffs’ attorney, Trey Cox, told the jury in his opening statement. “They didn’t think that there would ever be a day of reckoning, but that day of reckoning begins today,” Cox said in opening statements. Attorneys for the defendants emphasized what they said are distinctions between the various Greenpeace entities, such as what they do and how they’re organized. They said Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund Inc. had zero involvement in the protests, while Greenpeace USA had six employees at Standing Rock for five to 51 days. Greenpeace is committed to nonviolence, and only got involved at Standing Rock because of tribal outreach, the attorneys said. “This was an Indigenous-led movement by the Native tribes, and we wanted them to have the spotlight,” said Greenpeace USA attorney Everett Jack Jr. One of nine alleged defamatory statements — that Energy Transfer desecrated burial grounds and culturally important sites during construction — was made many times by the tribe before any of the Greenpeace statements, he said. Cox said that statement was included in a letter sent to Energy Transfer’s banks and signed by the executive directors of Greenpeace International and Greenpeace USA. He added that Energy Transfer made 140 adjustments to its pipeline route in order to respect sacred sites. “Our goal was to be a good corporate citizen in North Dakota,” Cox said. More than 500 organizations from more than 50 countries signed on to that letter, said Greenpeace International attorney Courtney DeThomas, who described it as an act of free expression. No financial institution will testify that it received, read or was influenced by the letter, which was signed after thousands of protesters were already at Standing Rock, DeThomas said. Greenpeace representatives have said the lawsuit is an example of corporations abusing the legal system to go after critics and is a critical test of free speech and protest rights. An Energy Transfer spokesperson said the case is about Greenpeace not following the law, not free speech. Greenpeace says the lawsuit is going after $300 million, citing a figure from a previous federal case. The lawsuit complaint asks for damages in an amount to be proved at trial. Because of Greenpeace, Energy Transfer incurred over $82 million in security, contractor and property costs, and lost $80 million of profits, Cox told jurors. The pipeline was supposed to be completed by Jan. 1, 2017, but wasn’t moving oil until five months later, he said. Greenpeace’s “deceptive narrative scared off lenders” and Energy Transfer lost half its banks, he said. The company suffered over $68 million in lost financing and spent $7.6 million for public relations “to deal with these problems and lies” from the “whisper campaign,” Cox said. But Jack said Greenpeace had nothing to do with the company’s delays in operating or refinancing. He also disputed how Energy Transfer is claiming or calculating its damages. The company also has no expert to back its claim of reputational harm, he said. Jury selection took place earlier in the week and the estimated five-week trial is now underway. Nine jurors and two alternates will hear the case in Mandan, North Dakota. The company filed a similar case in federal court in 2017, which a judge dismissed in 2019. Energy Transfer subsequently filed the lawsuit now at trial in state court. Earlier in February, Greenpeace International filed an anti-intimidation suit in the District Court of Amsterdam against Energy Transfer, saying the company acted wrongfully and should pay costs and damages resulting from its “meritless” litigation. —Jack Dura, Associated Press View the full article

CMA head also warns it will not be ‘open season’ for takeovers harmful to consumers View the full article

In this hectic modern world, it’s natural to feel like your ducks aren’t in a row, but every so often the planets seem to align. This week, Mercury is joining Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune for a seven-planet parade (although not all of them will be visible to the naked eye). Here’s what that all means and how best to see it. How exactly do planets align? According to NASA, the term planetary parade isn’t really a technical term in astronomy, but it’s cute and paints a fun picture. Additionally, planetary alignment has a few different meanings; it can refer to when the planets line up with each other or when they line up with the moon or stars. For our purposes, we are referring to the latter. The eight planets in our solar system all orbit the sun on “a relatively flat, disc-shaped plane.” Almost a metaphor for life, each planet moves at its own speed along the orbit. Because of this, it is inevitable that they occasionally line up from time to time. How often does this happen? It all depends on your perspective. According to NASA, this is not a rare occurrence, but it does not happen every year. For Dr. Gerard van Belle, director of science at Lowell Observatory, this is just another day at the office. “On the scale of supermoon to death asteroid, this is more a supermoon sort of thing,” Dr. van Belle explained to the New York Times. Both NASA and Dr. van Belle do acknowledge that even though it is not rare, it is still a fun phenomenon to witness. How to see the planets align in February 2025 This week is prime viewing for stargazers hoping to catch the planets in action. For most places in the world, the evening of Friday, February 28, is the optimal viewing night. Enter your location into the Sky Tonight app to confirm and head outside right after sunset. Which planets are part of the parade? You won’t need special equipment to see Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars. For Uranus and Neptune, binoculars or a telescope are a must. Be careful with your eyes when spotting Saturn as it is close to the sun and low in the horizon. After you take in the wonders of the night sky, you might find yourself inspired to bring more alignment into your own life by, for example, syncing up with your coworkers on a project (even the annoying ones). If the planets can come together, maybe you can, too. View the full article

A new study from Zoho Corporation reveals that US businesses are falling behind global counterparts in digital workplace transformation, with security gaps and slow adoption of digital tools hindering progress. The Trends in Digital Workplace Transformation report surveyed 4,900 employees worldwide to assess digital transformation maturity and identified critical weaknesses in security and operational efficiency. US Businesses Struggle to Keep Pace The study found that 39% of US organizations remain in the early stages of digital transformation, trailing top-performing global competitors. US businesses ranked 61% in digital transformation maturity, slightly below the 62.2% global average. “Particularly concerning among the several hundred data points analyzed in this survey is the extent to which US businesses lag behind their global counterparts in the maturity scores. US businesses have strong foundations in collaboration and digital tools, but security and process inefficiencies are major barriers to transformation,” says Raju Vegesna, Zoho’s Chief Evangelist. “Companies that fail to address these gaps risk not only data breaches but also lower employee satisfaction and productivity” Process Inefficiencies Undermine Digital Maturity Despite widespread access to digital tools, manual workflows, weak integration, and inefficient processes continue to hamper US businesses: 85% of companies still rely on manual task delegation rather than automation. The hospitality (56%), logistics (53%), and retail (58%) sectors trail behind tech (66%) and finance (62%). Small and medium-sized businesses (58%) lag behind larger firms (63.5%). Only 15% of employees feel workplace tools fully meet their expectations. Security Gaps Leave Businesses Vulnerable Weak security protocols further expose US businesses to cyber threats. The study found: Only 50% of US businesses enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics, or one-time passwords (OTPs) for system access. Fewer than 25% of remote workers receive secure access policies, such as VPN encryption or device authentication. Just 30% of organizations implement physical security controls like ID badges or restricted zones. A lack of cybersecurity awareness training exacerbates these risks: Fewer than 25% of employees have received cybersecurity training. Only 15% of employees have reported a security incident through official channels. Just 20% of employees take proactive measures against phishing and social engineering threats. Path Forward: Integration, Automation, and Security Investments Zoho’s study outlines a roadmap for businesses to improve digital transformation maturity. Moving from Level 2 (Standardization) to Level 3 (Structured Operations) requires investment in automation, integration of digital tools, and enhanced security policies. Advancing from Level 2 to Level 3 takes 3–5 years and costs $250–$500 per employee annually. Reaching Level 4 (Optimized Digital Operations) requires 10+ years and investments of $500–$1,000 per employee annually. This article, "US Businesses Lag in Digital Workplace Transformation, Security Risks Persist, Zoho Study Finds" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A new study from Zoho Corporation reveals that US businesses are falling behind global counterparts in digital workplace transformation, with security gaps and slow adoption of digital tools hindering progress. The Trends in Digital Workplace Transformation report surveyed 4,900 employees worldwide to assess digital transformation maturity and identified critical weaknesses in security and operational efficiency. US Businesses Struggle to Keep Pace The study found that 39% of US organizations remain in the early stages of digital transformation, trailing top-performing global competitors. US businesses ranked 61% in digital transformation maturity, slightly below the 62.2% global average. “Particularly concerning among the several hundred data points analyzed in this survey is the extent to which US businesses lag behind their global counterparts in the maturity scores. US businesses have strong foundations in collaboration and digital tools, but security and process inefficiencies are major barriers to transformation,” says Raju Vegesna, Zoho’s Chief Evangelist. “Companies that fail to address these gaps risk not only data breaches but also lower employee satisfaction and productivity” Process Inefficiencies Undermine Digital Maturity Despite widespread access to digital tools, manual workflows, weak integration, and inefficient processes continue to hamper US businesses: 85% of companies still rely on manual task delegation rather than automation. The hospitality (56%), logistics (53%), and retail (58%) sectors trail behind tech (66%) and finance (62%). Small and medium-sized businesses (58%) lag behind larger firms (63.5%). Only 15% of employees feel workplace tools fully meet their expectations. Security Gaps Leave Businesses Vulnerable Weak security protocols further expose US businesses to cyber threats. The study found: Only 50% of US businesses enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA), biometrics, or one-time passwords (OTPs) for system access. Fewer than 25% of remote workers receive secure access policies, such as VPN encryption or device authentication. Just 30% of organizations implement physical security controls like ID badges or restricted zones. A lack of cybersecurity awareness training exacerbates these risks: Fewer than 25% of employees have received cybersecurity training. Only 15% of employees have reported a security incident through official channels. Just 20% of employees take proactive measures against phishing and social engineering threats. Path Forward: Integration, Automation, and Security Investments Zoho’s study outlines a roadmap for businesses to improve digital transformation maturity. Moving from Level 2 (Standardization) to Level 3 (Structured Operations) requires investment in automation, integration of digital tools, and enhanced security policies. Advancing from Level 2 to Level 3 takes 3–5 years and costs $250–$500 per employee annually. Reaching Level 4 (Optimized Digital Operations) requires 10+ years and investments of $500–$1,000 per employee annually. This article, "US Businesses Lag in Digital Workplace Transformation, Security Risks Persist, Zoho Study Finds" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Noah Wiley can't seem to escape the emergency room. After spending more than a decade on NBC's '90s mega-hit E.R., he's back in scrubs for HBO's buzzy new doctor show The Pitt. If that show hasn't quite scratched your itch for medical drama, there are plenty of other shows to stream. The genre's roots can be traced back to the early '60s, and the sexy Dr. Kildare, but it really exploded in the '70s with shows like Medical Center, Emergency!, and Quincy, M.E., all of them fairly soapy dramas with plenty of action and occasional doses of silliness. Later in the decade, M.A.S.H. became a hit by lacing the sit-com formula with medical pathos, but it was 1982's St. Elsewhere that gave us the template for the medical shows of today: dramatic, serious, and with a large cast of doctors and nurses whose personal lives are often in conflict with their work. That show set the standard, and inspired dozens of medical shows that followed—a bunch of which you can currently find on your favorite streaming service. The Pitt (2025 – ) But first, a little about The Pitt if you have yet to check in for your appointment. Noah Wyle (ER) is back in scrubs as Dr. Michael "Robby" Rabinavitch, senior attending at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital’s emergency room. Robby’s mentor died during the height of COVID-19, and he’s only just recovering from his traumatic experiences. It's gonna be a long day, though: Each episode is a single hour of his 15-hour shift. It’s relatively early days, but the show has already won critical acclaim and a renewal for a second season. You can stream The Pitt on Max. The Pitt (2025 – ) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Watson (2025 – ) Hard to say if this new Morris Chestnut-led series will go any kind of distance, but it’s looking promising, and the premise is so wacky, it's worth checking out either way. Chestnut plays a modern-day Dr. John Watson (yes, that Dr. Watson), who was sidekick to Sherlock Holmes before his detective pal took a header off of the Reichenbach Falls. Now he’s on his own in Pittsburgh, running clinic dedicated to helping people with mysterious ailments—ones requiring a doctor who’s also a bit of a detective. You can stream Watson on Paramount+. Watson (2025 – ) Learn More Learn More Call the Midwife (2012 – ) Set at the dawn of Britain’s National Health Service, Call the Midwife explores an era when many were receiving modern healthcare for the very first time, as the nuns of London's Nonnatus House, who had been providing basic midwifery services for decades, are joined by secular nurses and given public funding. The show deals frankly with women’s health issues in a way that few other series have ever bothered, and its rotating cast of characters has helped it to remain a beloved favorite for over a decade, both in its native Britain and across the pond. You can stream Call the Midwife on Netflix and PBS. Call the Midwife (2012 – ) Learn More Learn More New Amsterdam (2018 – 2023) Even the most realistic medical dramas have soapy aspects, but New Amsterdam leans into that side of things more than most. Ryan Eggold plays Dr. Maximus "Max" Goodwin, the slightly annoying new medical director at one of the oldest public hospitals in the U.S. He looking to freshen up the outdated hospital and bring down its stodgy bureaucracy, with Doctor Who’s Freema Agyeman by his side. The show occasionally sags under the weight of its subplots, but it’s still fun to watch Max fight for public health. You can stream New Amsterdam on Peacock. New Amsterdam (2018 – 2023) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock House (2004 – 2012) Like the much more recent Watson, House showcases investigative medicine, with Hugh Laurie’s as the titular Dr. Holmes (er, House) and Robert Sean Leonard as Watson (OK, Wilson). Not only is the show tightly paced and compact, it also has the benefit of Laurie, giving a career-defining performance as one of TV’s greatest assholes, a wonderfully acerbic curmudgeon who nonetheless gets results. You can stream House on Prime Video, Hulu, and Peacock. House (2004 – 2012) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Getting On (2013 - 2015) One of the few medical shows willing to tackle aging and geriatric care, Getting On considers the trials faced by the staff at an underfunded extended care facility. The fact that it’s a frequently very dark comedy doesn’t make it any less impressive in its handling of tough topics. Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash, and Mel Rodriguez star. You can stream Getting On on Max. Getting On (2013 - 2015) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Knick (2014 - 2015) The Steven Soderbergh-directed The Knick takes us back to the glory days of American medical care—specifically, 1900 New York, and the fictional Knickerbocker Hospital, with Clive Owen’s Dr. John Thackery as the well-intentioned head of surgery who also happens to have a rather significant opium addiction. He’s joined by André Holland as Dr. Algernon C. Edwards, a Black assistant chief surgeon who runs rings around most of his colleagues but still can’t seem to get any credit for it (he’s based on a couple of real-life doctors of the era). Like the best period medical dramas, this one’s a good reminder that modern medicine ain’t so bad. You can stream The Knick on Max. The Knick (2014 - 2015) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max St. Elsewhere (1982 - 1987) Beginning life as a gritty, realistic-ish hospital drama, St. Elsewhere grew into something weirder, funnier, and far more experimental, leading to that all-time memorable series finale (iykyk). In doing so, it also created a template followed by every medical show that followed it. The cast alone is wild, made up of TV and movie greats past and present, including Norman Lloyd, William Daniels, Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, and Alfre Woodard, among many, many others. It's a little slower than the more frenetic shows that followed it, but still a deeply engrossing watch. You can stream St. Elsewhere on Hulu. St. Elsewhere (1982 - 1987) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu E.R. (1994 - 2009) A natural successor to St. Elsewhere, E.R. is less weird but does one better in its commitment to portraying something hospital drama that at least feels like reality. With another rotating cast that kept the show fresh over an impressive 15 seasons, E.R.’s innovation was in its willingness to drag viewers along at a breakneck pace, counting on us to keep up with the fast-paced dialogue loaded with medical jargon. At its best, the show makes you feel like you’re really catching a glimpse of life in an underfunded city emergency room. You can stream ER on Hulu and Max. ER (1994 - 2009) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Childrens Hospital (2008 - 2016) A relentless, and relentlessly memeable satire of medical dramas in general, this comedy centers on the staff of the titular hospital, named for founder Arthur Childrens (motto: “I believe that Childrens is the future.”) The show can’t be bothered with continuity; instead, each episode dives into a very silly/smart brand of dark comedy defined by its commitment to randomness. The stacked cast includes creator Rob Cordry, Lake Bell, Erinn Hayes, Rob Huebel, Ken Marino, Megan Mullally, Henry Winkler, and Malin Åkerman. You can buy episodes of Childrens Hospital from Prime Video. Childrens Hospital (2008 - 2016) at Prime Video Get Deal Get Deal at Prime Video Scrubs (2001 - 2010) This scrappy sitcom was resuscitated at least once during its initial run, only finally declared dead after an impressive nine seasons, though it’s due for a revival from original creator Bill Lawrence. Zach Braff plays J.D. Dorian, who begins the show as an intern at the fictional teaching hospital, Sacred Heart. While playing with slapstick and incorporating surreal dream sequences, the show earned high marks from medical professionals, who apparently found it more accurate in depicting details of hospital life than many prestige medical dramas. You can stream Scrubs on Hulu and Peacock. Scrubs (2001 - 2010) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - ) From Grey’s Anatomy did Shonda Rhimes’ mighty TV empire spring, yet the show that started it all is somehow still going strong in its 21st season. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompey) continues to head the team of doctors at Seattle Grace alongside Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. Deft cast rotations have kept things relatively fresh for over two decades and more than 430 episodes. You can stream Grey’s Anatomy on Hulu and Netflix. Grey’s Anatomy (2005 - ) Learn More Learn More This is Going to Hurt (2022) This British miniseries, loosely adapted the memoir from comedian Adam Kay, chronicles Kay’s time as a trainee doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology circa 2006. Ben Whislaw stars as Kay, facing down daily challenges that range from the very funny to the shocking and horrific. The show makes clear that, while the contexts are very different, British doctors also struggle with chaotic working conditions and lack of institutional support, particularly at the intern level. You can stream This is Going to Hurt on AMC+. This is Going to Hurt (2022) Learn More Learn More Transplant (2020 – 2024) There’s much that’s familiar in this Canadian drama, but the show stands apart because of the unique perspective of its lead character (at least as far as mainstream medical dramas go). Hamza Haq plays Bashir "Bash" Hamed, a refugee of the Syrian Civil War who comes to Toronto to rebuild his life and career as an E.R. resident. He‘s unable to get a job in his chosen field until his heroic actions during the first episode garner him the right kind of attention. Even still, he faces discrimination as a doctor, and suffers the aftereffects of wartime trauma, even as his skills and experience prove extremely valuable. You can stream Transplant on Peacock. Transplant (2020 – 2024) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Nurse Jackie (2009 – 2015) Edie Falco followed up her run on The Sopranos with this similarly lauded comedy-drama that earned her six consecutive Emmy nominations and one win. She plays the titular nurse in the Emergency Department at All Saints’ Hospital in NYC. At the outset of the series, Jackie is married but having an affair, mostly to get the various pills she’s addicted to—which gives you a sense of the messiness of Jackie’s life and work. You can buy Nurse Jackie from Apple TV. Nurse Jackie (2009 – 2015) at Apple TV Learn More Learn More at Apple TV View the full article

The top five lenders have an average retail mortgage origination volume of more than $6 billion, as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2024. View the full article

Artificial intelligence companies must decide how to pay for the human-generated content they need View the full article

Measles cases continue to rise in the United States nearly two and a half decades after the virus had been declared eliminated in the country. Currently, the epicenter of the U.S. measles outbreak is in Texas, where one child has now died from the disease. Here’s what to know about the outbreak, how far it has spread, and the symptoms to watch out for. Measles U.S. outbreak map As of the time of this writing, there are more than 130 cases of measles across two states alone, reports Reuters. Those states are Texas and New Mexico. However, while Texas has garnered the headlines due to it having the majority of cases, the disease has been found in other U.S. states since the beginning of this year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), measles cases have been reported in eight states. The CDC’s Measles Cases and Outbreaks page has an interactive map and charts that show the current locations at a range of the number of cases. The CDC updates its outbreak page with new data every Friday, but as of its last update on February 20, 2025, the states with outbreaks reported this year are: Alaska: 1-9 cases California: 1-9 cases Georgia: 1-9 cases New Jersey: 1-9 cases New Mexico: 1-9 cases New York (city): 1-9 cases Rhode Island: 1-9 cases Texas: 50-99 cases As of the page’s last update, the CDC says the total known number of cases of measles in the United States since the beginning of the year was 93. The true number is now much higher, with over 130 cases in just New Mexico and Texas alone. Measles sees a steady rise in the United States In 2000, measles was officially declared eliminated from the United States, which was defined as there being no continuous transmission of the disease in the country for more than a year, notes Reuters. Its elimination was a major public health milestone for the country. Of course, in the years since then, people who live in the United States did contract measles, yet nearly all of them caught the disease outside of the country and brought it back home with them. But ever since the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of the anti-vaccine movement, measles has returned to the United States. The CDC says that in 2024 alone, there were 285 cases of measles in the United States. Forty percent of those cases required hospitalization, and more than half of those cases occurred in children under five years of age. What’s more, 89% of individuals with measles in the United States in 2024 were either unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status. With more than 130 cases of measles in just two states this year, it’s looking likely that the number of measles cases in 2025 may surpass the total number of cases in 2024. The 93 cases confirmed by the CDC’s February 20 update shows that 30% of them occurred in children under the age of 5, and 52% of them occurred in those aged just 5 to 19 years old. Unvaccinated individuals or individuals whose vaccination status is not known made up 95% of the cases. In all of 2023, there were just 59 cases in the United States. Measles symptoms Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads via the air, according to the CDC. The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person has been there. It can also survive on surfaces. If a person touches those surfaces and then their eyes, nose, or mouth, the virus can be introduced to their system. The CDC says that symptoms of measles start to show about 7-14 days after infection. Initial symptoms include: High fever (may spike to more than 104°) Cough Runny nose (coryza) Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis) The agency also notes that about 2-3 days after symptoms appear, the infected may begin to show Koplik spots inside their mouth. Koplik spots are tiny white marks. Then, 3-5 days after symptoms appear, the infected will usually get a rash, first beginning at their hairline and on their face, and then extending down the body. Is measles deadly? Yes, it can be. As Reuters reports, one child has already been confirmed to have died from the disease in Texas. It is the first U.S. death from measles in a decade. The child was known to be unvaccinated. Besides the potential to be fatal, measles can also have long-lasting or permanent complications. These include pneumonia; encephalitis (which can leave the person deaf or intellectually disabled); complications during pregnancy; and Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal disease that affects the nervous system. Those most at risk from measles are children under the age of 5, pregnant women, adults older than 20, and people with weakened immune systems. How can I protect myself from measles? The CDC says the best way to protect yourself from measles is by getting vaccinated. There are two measles vaccines available in the United States: The MMR vaccine protects against three diseases—measles, mumps, and rubella—and is given in two doses. The MMRV vaccine protects against four diseases—measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (chickenpox)—and is given in two doses. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I'm Lifehacker's resident marathon runner and senior finance writer. And now, I'm merging my two worlds. Running is often touted as one of the most accessible sports—just lace up and go, right? But as many runners discover, what starts as a "free" activity can quickly transform into a significant investment. After a decade of "casually" running, I looked around at my room one day and saw dollar signs: sneakers, my second pair that year, at least $100. Medals from races, some costing $250 to register. A box of energy gels for long runs, around $30. A fancy hand-held water bottle, anti-chafing sticks, high-tech cold-weather leggings—what happened to my "lace up and go" mentality? Here's a glimpse at the true financial impact of running gear, from the bare essentials to premium options for those with deeper pockets. What a minimalist approach to running would cost Pun intended, of course. For those wanting to keep costs at an absolute minimum, running can indeed be approached with remarkable frugality. Here's what you truly need: Essential gear Running shoes: $60-100 (entry-level models on sale) Moisture-wicking shirts: $10-15 (basic athletic tees from discount retailers) Running shorts/pants: $15-20 (simple options from general sporting goods stores) Socks: $5-10 (multi-pack athletic socks) Weather necessitiesWinter: Layer existing clothes (that cotton sweatshirt works—it's just not optimal). Rain: A basic baseball cap ($10) and quick-drying clothes Summer: Stick to early morning or evening runs to avoid expensive cooling gear. Hydration & nutritionWater bottle: $5-10 (basic reusable bottle) Nutrition: Homemade options (banana, toast with honey, etc.) Annual cost for the minimalist runner: $150-250If you're a casual runner who'll only use one pair of shoes per year, this sport shouldn't break the bank. The minimalist approach is entirely valid—countless runners have logged thousands of miles with just the basics. I know I've been stubbornly minimalist through the years. In fact, this past marathon training season is the first time I really invested in some higher tech gear. That said, I must begrudgingly report there's often a noticeable difference in comfort and performance when you invest in purpose-built equipment. How much a practical enthusiast might spend on runningFor runners with some flexibility in their budget, strategic investments in key pieces can significantly enhance the experience without breaking the bank. Quality essentials Running shoes: $120-160 (mid-tier models replaced every 300-500 miles) Technical shirts: $30-45 each (two to three quality moisture-wicking options) Running-specific shorts/tights: $40-60 each Performance socks: $12-18 per pair (three to four pairs) Sports bras (if applicable): $40-60 each (two to three quality options) Brooks Ghost 16 GTX $169.75 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Shop Now Shop Now $169.75 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Weather-specific gearWinter layer: $70-150 (one quality thermal long sleeve) Lightweight jacket: $60-100 (wind/water resistant) Running gloves: $20-30 Headwear: $20-25 (beanie or headband for cold) For anyone training for a spring race, you quickly learn that weather-specific gear are true essentials. AccessoriesRunning belt/pouch: $25-40 Basic GPS watch: $150-200 (entry-level Garmin or similar) Headlamp for night runs: $30-50 Hydration & nutritionHandheld water bottle: $20-30 (running-specific) Nutrition: $30-40 monthly (basic gels, chews, electrolyte powders) Annual cost for the practical enthusiast: $600-1,000This time, I assume you replace your shoes once a year and need seasonal gear additions. After all, at this level, you're investing in gear that genuinely enhances performance and comfort. The right technical fabric in cold weather isn't just more comfortable; it actually enables more consistent training through the seasons. And instead of the cheapest shoes available, I now swear by Brooks Ghost 16 GTX. How much a dedicated runner might spend For devoted runners who prioritize performance, recovery, and optimization, running becomes a more significant financial commitment. Here's a look at just how expensive this sport can get, if you're willing to invest. Performance gear Multiple specialized shoes: $140-250 each (training, racing, trail options) Premium apparel: Complete seasonal wardrobes ($500-1,000+ annually) Compression gear: $80-150 (tights, sleeves, socks) High-end rain/cold protection: $150-300 (insulation jackets, premium thermal layers) Technology & analyticsAdvanced GPS watch: $300-700 (Garmin Forerunner, COROS, etc.) Additional sensors: $50-100 (heart rate straps, foot pods) Training platforms: $60-120 annually (Strava premium, TrainingPeaks) Recovery tools: $200-500 (massage gun, compression boots, etc.) Garmin Forerunner $248.88 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $399.99 Save $151.11 Shop Now Shop Now $248.88 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $399.99 Save $151.11 Nutrition & hydration systemsHydration vests/packs: $80-150 Specialized nutrition: $50-100 monthly (premium gels, recovery drinks, supplements) Water filtration for trail running: $40-100 Professional coachingGait analysis: $75-150 Custom insoles: $200-300 Coaching: $100-300+ monthly Annual cost for dedicated runner: $2,000-5,000+Depending on race schedule and gear replacement frequency, running can transform from a simple exercise into a lifestyle with its own ecosystem of products and services. The investment can be substantial, but for those deeply committed to the sport, each element serves a purpose in enhancing performance, preventing injury, and/or improving the overall experience. If you're spending this much on running, I hope you're getting some sponsorships and brand deals in return. Finding your balanceThe beauty of running is that you can participate meaningfully at any of these investment levels. Sometimes, a strategic upgrade in one area can make a disproportionate difference in your running experience. I find I take something of a hybrid approach. Invest in truly essential items, like good shoes and proper socks, but skip unnecessary "innovations"—not every gadget improves your running! Another cost-saving trick: Always look for last season's models. Unless you're a serious racer, there's rarely a reason to splurge on the newest, hottest watch or shoes. At the end of the day, the "right" amount to spend on running gear is highly personal. By understanding where quality truly matters versus where you can economize, you can build a running kit that supports your goals without unnecessary expense. Stay tuned for my upcoming articles diving deeper into the specific costs of running shoes and race participation, so you can see how much it really costs to be a runner. View the full article

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I'm a full-screen apps guy on my Mac. I love sending each app to its own workspace and swiping between them to use the one I need. When I'm writing, it helps me focus on the task at hand, and it's not hard to use three and four-finger swipes on my trackpad get to my other productivity apps as I need them. However, messenger apps like WhatsApp and Slack are an exception. I need to be able to check these out at a moment's notice, like when I'm using my browser in full-screen. Luckily, that's where the Opera sidebar comes in. This handy tool is home to social media apps, messengers, and even some streaming services, keeping them from getting lost in separate tabs and letting me easily glance at them when I'm working on something else. It's a lifesaver, and other browsers desperately need to adopt it. What is the Opera sidebar?You can think of the Opera sidebar as a way to bookmark crucial services to your Opera browser's left pane. By default, it'll just show icons, but clicking one will open the bookmarked tool in a small popover tab. This is ideal for tasks you want to work on without losing focus on your currently active tab. While I would normally go to a secondary tab to search the web or switch to a different app to reply to texts, this sidebar lets me stay on the current tab, attend to other tasks quickly, and then get right back to work. How to set up Opera's sidebar Credit: Pranay Parab The sidebar is enabled by default, but you should take a moment to tweak it so that your favorite services show up on it. Just click the three-dots button in the bottom-left corner of the Opera window and the sidebar settings pane will open up. Go through the sections for AI services, messengers, and special features. Just click the check box next to the services you wish to use and disable the ones you don't need. After this, your selections will show up in the left pane and you can click them to use them in the sidebar. You can't add any random app to the sidebar, unfortunately, but there is a reasonably well-populated list for you to choose from. You can pick AI services such as ChatGPT, messengers (WhatsApp, Slack, etc.), or social media sites (Instagram, Bluesky, etc.). The most recent additions are Bluesky, Discord, and Slack, so at least Opera is always adding more options. The sidebar also supports music streaming services such as Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music. Why I prefer the Opera Sidebar over tabsI'll admit it: I have a problem of opening too many tabs and then losing track of them. I've been guilty of opening the same website in multiple tabs or sometimes even running the same search query in more than one tab. With the sidebar, I've found a solution to these problems. When I need to reply to a message, I can open the messenger app from the sidebar and dismiss it the moment I'm done. And if I need to access it for longer, I can pin the app, which puts it in a neat split-screen view. This lets me work faster than when I have multiple open tabs, or when I need to switch between apps. While a Mac does let you easily place two apps side-by-side, the browser sidebar feature lets me quickly swap new apps in as I need them. This is a level of flexibility that's otherwise hard to find. It's also worth noting that Opera is not the only browser to offer a sidebar, but it is one of the few that runs your browser extensions within the sidebar. If my preferred browsers—Safari and Firefox—were to adopt this feature, I'd even be compelled to delete the official apps for some of these services. I don't see myself using Opera as my primary browser because I'm attached to the unique privacy benefits in Safari and Firefox, but the company has been doing a few interesting things as of late. It's built a browser that can break your doomscrolling habit and its Aria AI is actually quite useful. Other companies would do well to keep up. View the full article

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Many of us want to get promoted at work, but don’t often stop to consider what that means. Moving into the executive ranks often means leading the very people you once worked alongside. And while you might attract attention with stellar performance, it’s not enough to secure your success as a leader. As a CEO and C-Level coach, let me tell you that I, nor any of my most successful clients, would risk elevating a leader to the next level if it would lead to a systemic risk of losing talent or momentum. In those cases, I’d wait to ensure that this high performer is making an effort to work on leadership quality, including their peer relationships. Leadership requires a new skill set and, just as importantly, the respect and trust of your peers. Your colleagues’ opinions can hurt or help your ability to rise to the next level. Many professionals overlook their peer relationships, focusing instead on managing up to satisfy their boss or managing down to lead their teams’ performance. The reality is: If your colleagues don’t trust or support you, your promotion might never materialize. Worse, it might falter due to their feedback. During executive coaching engagements, I often find leaders realize that they need to start paying attention to their cross-functional relationships. Then they often ask, how do I take such initiative? Where do I start? Below are the steps that you might want to take. Map your landscape Start by listing all the colleagues who are critical to your team’s mission and your success as a leader. Think horizontally, like your peers who report to the same manager and cross-departmental collaborators at a similar level. List them, and for each of them, consider rating the relationship based on the following factors: How vital is it to your mission? Identify the level at which their support is critical to your KPIs, to advancing your team’s agenda and your own professional success. How frequently are you communicating? Think about how often you have a chance to talk, email, or formally meet. What’s the quality of your communication? Determine if your interactions are purely transactional or if you’ve built actual rapport. Think about how productive each interaction is and what follow-up occurs. What is the level of trust between you both? Reflect on how both parties may feel about the honesty of the exchange, the commitment to what you’ve discussed, and the level of political gesturing that might or might not have been present. Once you’ve thought about these “ratings,” take it a step further. Relationships don’t evolve by accident. They require consistent effort, thoughtful communication, and mutual understanding. Use your empathy to reflect upon things like: What drives their business agenda? Reflect on their business mission and goals. Ensure that you understand how to help them. What seems to motivate their engagement? Thinking about a time when they’re highly engaged. That’s a peek into what motivates them and how to get the best out of them. For example, some people are motivated by public recognition, but others aren’t. What tends to demotivate their engagement? Think about when that person exhibited anger, frustration, disappointment, or did not reply at all. That might be a sign that you need to modify your behavior or communication style. Identify your sponsors and anti-sponsors Once you create the list of people and go through this process, you’ll quickly realize that there are key people that you haven’t built relationships with. Start with those people. You’ll also realize that there are peers that will be naturally inclined to support you (sponsors) and those who might work against you (anti-sponsors). Instead of avoiding detractors, take the opportunity to address their concerns. Reflect on why some peers may resist your rise. A client of mine once discovered that an “anti-sponsor” was frustrated by being left out of critical project discussions. Inviting them into conversations and acknowledging their expertise turned a skeptic into an advocate. Take radical ownership The strength of your relationships often mirrors your own behaviors. If a colleague is disengaged or resistant, consider how your actions influenced the situation. Have you been overly competitive? Dismissive of their ideas? Too focused on your own outcomes? Leadership starts with accountability. I learned long ago the only behavior I can truly change is my own. If I wanted to improve a relationship, I had to initiate it. For example, start by saying, “Something seems off in our working relationship. Can you share what it is? Maybe there’s something I can do to change it.” Honesty often paves the way for better collaboration. Radical ownership involves recognizing your impact and taking action to improve, not assigning self-blame. Step into their shoes Empathy is your most powerful tool. Put yourself in your colleagues’ positions and consider the key pressures that they face, the resources that they have access to, and ways that you can make their lives easier. Consider what would matter to you if the roles were reversed. A simple question like, “What can I do to support you?” can open doors to meaningful dialogue. Once, as a young leader in a fast-moving tech company, I pushed hard for more support from my marketing peers. My aggressive approach, however, only generated resentment. When I took the time to understand their pressures and resource limitations, I adjusted my requests. By expressing empathy and remorse, we found a productive path forward and collaborated successfully. Play the long game Building strong peer relationships requires a long-term commitment to earning respect and trust over time rather than focusing on quick wins. When you consistently demonstrate authenticity, reliability, and a commitment to shared goals, your peers will naturally see you as a leader they want to follow. Remember, leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s ultimately rooted in inspiring others to follow willingly. Win the trust of your peers, and you’ll not likely secure your promotion, but equally thrive in the new role with their support. View the full article

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In January 2022, when my book The Success Factor was published, I hosted a virtual book launch party. It was a celebration that brought together friends, family, and some of the high achievers I had interviewed for the book—astronauts, Nobel Prize winners, Olympians, and more. Just before the event, one of the astronauts texted me with an unexpected question: “Will [a prominent physician-scientist at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic] be there?” I chuckled and responded, “Omicron just hit; I think he’s a bit busy dealing with that right now. But this Nobel Prize winner will be there.” The astronaut’s reply floored me: “Wow, a Nobel Prize winner? Now that’s a high achiever.” I was baffled. This was coming from an astronaut—someone who’d gone to space, which only a select few will ever achieve. When I later shared this exchange with the Nobel Prize winner, he wasn’t surprised. “I know most of the other Nobel Prize winners in the sciences,” he said casually. “It’s a small world. We see each other often.” To him, being a Nobel laureate, while extraordinary to the rest of us, was simply normal in his sphere. The same was true for the astronaut. For him, being surrounded by other astronauts had normalized what is objectively an extraordinary achievement. This experience revealed a profound truth: our baseline for what we consider “normal” is shaped by the people around us. The rising baseline effect: redefining normal When everyone in your immediate circle has a doctorate, it can feel like an expectation rather than an extraordinary accomplishment. Yet, less than 2% of the world’s population holds a terminal degree. This phenomenon, where we normalize exceptional achievements, is what I call the “rising baseline effect.” If you want to elevate our own standards and achievements, you need to surround yourself with high achievers. Now, this doesn’t mean you must accomplish what they have, but being in their orbit can shift your perspective on what’s possible and lets you imagine yourself achieving more. The spillover effect: proximity to excellence Even if you don’t mirror the accomplishments of those around you, research shows that close proximity to high performers can positively impact your own performance. This phenomenon, known as the “spillover effect,” underscores the power of your environment. It’s not just your five closest friends who influence your character. A study found that employees sitting within a 25-foot radius of high performers experienced a 15% boost in productivity. High achievers radiate curiosity, innovation, and motivation—qualities that ripple and touch colleagues nearby. The danger of the toxic employee Unfortunately, the proximity principle also applies to underachievers. A single toxic employee can infect their organization with their negativity. And they often have a much bigger influence than their high performing peers. Their behaviors, less than stellar output, and pessimistic views can diminish productivity, disintegrate morale, and stifle innovation across teams. This is why it’s not enough to add high achievers to your circle. It’s also important to minimize your exposure to toxic individuals How to build a high-achieving network If you want to intentionally curate a network that elevates your baseline and leverages the spillover effect, consider these steps: Identify and engage with high performers Seek out opportunities to connect with people who excel in their fields. Attend industry conferences, join professional groups, and engage with thought leaders on platforms like LinkedIn. By starting to engage and emulate their mindset, you’ll start to move closer into the circle of high achievers . Learn through observation High achievers often model behaviors and mindsets that lead to success. Pay attention to their mindsets, decision-making processes, and ways of thinking. When you adopt even a fraction of their approach, it can create significant improvements in your own performance. Just by taking action, you are doing what most won’t. Embrace mentorship You don’t need to be in the same room as Nobel Prize winners or astronauts to benefit from the rising baseline effect. Surround yourself with peers and mentors who challenge and inspire you, and reciprocate by sharing your own knowledge and expertise. Eliminate toxicity Be vigilant about the influence of negativity in your network. Limit interactions with individuals who drain your energy or stifle your growth, and prioritize relationships that uplift and inspire. If they enter the break room when you’re there, give yourself permission to leave. If they want to stop by your office to chat, tell them you’re preparing for a meeting. Give them a reason to leave. Elevating your normal By intentionally surrounding yourself with high achievers, you can recalibrate your baseline for what’s possible. Whether it’s in the workplace or your personal lives, the people you spend time with profoundly shape your mindset, aspirations, and ultimately your outcomes. Remember, you don’t achieve success in isolation. You nurture it in environments that challenge you to aim higher, dream bigger, and perform better. So, choose your inner circle wisely. Your future self will thank you. View the full article

Since its launch in 2018, Olipop has been a bit of a Cinderella story in the oft-unforgiving beverage game. The prebiotic, fiber-laden soda designed to be healthier than the category classics is currently thriving: It just closed a $50 million Series C and announced a $1.85 billion valuation. Last year, it surpassed $400 million in revenue. Its reps cite it as the No. 1 nonalcoholic brand in dollar and unit growth, “outpacing legacy giants like Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, and Red Bull.” It’s now sold in nearly 50,000 stores and is even outselling Coke at one major national retailer (though they won’t disclose which one, per that retailer’s regulations). Which is all to say: There’s no way cofounder and CEO Ben Goodwin still formulates all of the brand’s cult-fave flavors in his laundry room himself, as he did back in the day. . . . Right? “People would be shocked. Established flavor chemists, if they walked into my little laundry room lab, their heads would explode,” he says with a laugh. “I have my own kind of differentiated way that I approach formulation. And from there, it’s all about my nose and it’s about my senses and my vision for the formula. And it’s all I need.” In lieu of Cinderella, Goodwin has been described as the Willy Wonka of soda. And, well, that tracks. [Photo: Olipop] Oli and Microbiology Goodwin grew up in Monterey, California, in a low-income family with food instability and food insecurity. As a result, he says he suffered from weight issues and anxiety—but he realized at 14 that better health would yield a better life in the long run. So, he actively pursued just that through a variety of means, notably nutrition and adopting a vegetarian diet. Ben Goodwin [Photo: Olipop] “It was a very powerful interpersonal awakening for me [that] also affected my emotional stability, my cognitive function,” he says. “It was like a paradigm shift for me as a person, and it’s also part of what then led me to have this really deep passion about how poor nutrition and poor health outcomes can undermine society’s well-being on all levels at scale.” Goodwin went on to study environmental science in college, but didn’t want to emerge saddled with debt. After reading about successful entrepreneurs, he dropped out of college in the early 2000s. He says he felt drawn to the beverage industry, and went to help out a friend who had launched Kombucha Botanica . And that’s when he began to go down the rabbit hole of microbiomes. “The connectivity occurred for me of, Oh, wow, this is probably what I activated as I went through my own nutritional journey—and so that really then became the center of my focus.” After a few years at the company, he spent half a decade freelancing in product development, but eventually found himself pulled back to the beverage industry. He took what he had learned about fermentation at Kombucha Botanica and worked with a microbiologist to develop Obi Probiotic Soda, which was made from non-dairy kefir. He realized he could go the natural product route, or he could meet soda customers where they truly were in the mainstream and think bigger—something that would prove critical for Olipop down the line. “[Soda] is arguably the most deleterious nonalcoholic drink in all of human history,” he says. “So, if I want to make the most impact, here’s where I can make the most impact.” He met ex-Diageo innovation head David Lester as he was working on the product, and the two launched Obi together in 2013. The brand eventually folded a few years later due to what Goodwin dubbed “partnership issues on the investor side,” but the pair had witnessed something critical: potential. “We learned that there was a real opportunity here around this healthy soda concept,” he says. “When Obi came to its conclusion in late 2016, my passion for the mission was not only not diminished—it was actually enhanced.” [Photo: Olipop] A Sodastream and a Dream After Obi folded, Goodwin says he and Lester took $100,000 they had made from the brand and immediately went back into the soda game. For Goodwin, that meant formulating. He was focused on fiber, prebiotics, and nutritional diversity—and, of course, flavor. From a makeshift lab in his California kitchen, he started working on the first three Olipop varieties: Cinnamon Cola, Strawberry Vanilla, and Ginger Lemon. The first was the most soda-like, but while cola traditionally contains cinnamon, people assumed it would be spicy—so they changed the name to Vintage Cola, which Olipop drinkers know today. Ginger Lemon, meanwhile, was intended for health-focused kombucha consumers, and Strawberry Vanilla was an innovation test flavor inspired by one of Goodwin’s favorite candies as a kid. Goodwin still formulates flavors much the same way today, despite running a company worth billions of dollars. He is the chief formulator, and his lab is now in the laundry room of his Washington-state home by virtue of convenience. There’s a sink, and he can put a metal table in there. It’s an otherwise deceptively simple rig consisting of a couple scales, a Vitamix, pipettes and measuring devices, and a Sodastream. “[At our headquarters] we’ve got a much more sophisticated setup with an Alpha MOS mass spectrometer and all that kind of stuff. But when I’m in what I would call ‘the artistic phase,’ I don’t want any of that stuff interfering with my process.” He says he knew he had a knack for formulating back at Obi, and enters a flow state when he’s working. He spends a lot of time up front thinking about the architecture of the flavor he wants to create: What’s the story he wants it to tell? What’s the mouth-feel? The acidity? The resolution as you drink it? Critically, he says he always tries to create something that has a nostalgic anchor, but is innovative and ownable at the same time. As the flavor progresses, he breaks out a yellow legal pad to jot down his formulas. He has cupboards filled with these notebooks—in total, he has created more than 50 flavors over the past seven years, and has brought 22 of them to the market, including favorites like Crisp Apple, Tropical Punch, Cherry Cola, and Cream Soda. Olipop’s flavors have the essence of traditional soda drinks, but they don’t taste exactly like a Coca-Cola or a Dr. Pepper. Rather, they look to channel a similar vibe using sweeteners like stevia, cassava syrup, and fruit, alongside botanicals, plant fiber, and prebiotics (the stuff that feeds the good bacteria in your stomach). “Something I love about formulating: It’s a proper blending of science and art. And I’m still growing as a formulator every time I formulate,” he says. “I take craftsmanship extremely seriously, and it’s like the formulas that I create have the least distance between me and the Olipop customer of anything I will ever do. It is my most direct and unfiltered communication tool.” [Photo: Olipop] Olipop’s can design is perhaps the ultimate mirror to his formulation strategy. It’s clean, thanks to the brand name set in the Ano typeface and the accompanying minimalist illustrations; it’s warm and nostalgic, owing to each flavor name set in the friendly Windsor; and ultimately it harkens back to a more innocent time when we didn’t know traditional soda was terrible for us. (As for the healthiness of Olipop and its competitors, with fewer calories and added sugars than traditional soda, and no high-fructose corn syrup to speak of, they’re indeed a healthier choice than cracking a Coke. But the Cleveland Clinic and others have written that while they can be a good occasional supplement, it’s still best to get prebiotic fibers naturally from eating whole foods.) [Photo: Olipop] Olipop pops off When Goodwin and Lester were trying to get Olipop off the ground, they approached the distributor Dairy Delivery, which Goodwin says agreed to launch the brand if they could get 100 stores on board. Olipop managed to net 40 or 50 accounts, and Dairy Delivery got them into some small chains in Northern California. Goodwin says Olipop has always had robust organic traction, experiencing triple-digit growth every year since launching in 2018; 2020 was particularly critical, with 960% growth. Influencers and TikTok played a big role, and at a time when the world receded from groceries, Olipop’s in-store sales were strong, indicating people were picking it up as an essential item in their strategic grocery runs. The company’s DTC sales (which today account for less than 5% of the business) were an added bonus on top of it all. “That was actually my first clue that something really different was happening with this brand than what is even remotely typical,” Goodwin says of Olipop’s COVID-era sales surge. Olipop has a lot of flavors compared to most bev brands. While Crisp Apple is the company’s top seller, Goodwin says none of the brand’s kaleidoscopic cans have ever really been a failure, so Olipop walks a careful line of skew effectiveness and the right cadence of novelty. “It’s a great problem to have, but it does add to the complexity in terms of what choices we make,” he says. “It’s always a tension between supply chain going, ‘Guys, you’ve got enough SKUs, you’re going to kill us,’ and sales saying, ‘We want more SKUs, we want to go sell more product.’” Of course, the behemoth brands have been watching. What does he make of Coke joining the category last week with the launch of Simply Pop, with Pepsi also reportedly prepping its own response? “I gotta tell you, there is kind of no bigger compliment,” Goodwin says. “Back in 2010, [I said], ‘I think this is important. I wonder how this will do.’ And now in 2025 to have the biggest soda brands in all of human history decide that they agree, putting their money where their mouth is and launching products . . . it’s incredible.” View the full article

The new Netflix series Running Point stars Kate Hudson as president of a fictional pro basketball team, the Los Angeles Waves. And the Pepperdine Waves have a problem with it. Attorneys for Pepperdine University in Malibu have filed a lawsuit against the streaming service and Warner Bros. Entertainment arguing they “have taken valuable intellectual property” from the school and infringed on its trademark ahead of the show’s premiere today. Attorneys for the University claim the fictional team’s branding is too similar to its own, and that it uses the same blue and orange team colors and mascot. They argue this will create consumer confusion and falsely suggest a link between Running Point and the university. There’s an added layer to Pepperdine’s argument. The school, a Christian university, isn’t happy with details from the show they say don’t align with their values. Noting examples of substance use and profanity in the show’s trailer that go against the school’s code of conduct, attorneys argue they’re “misrepresentations of Pepperdine’s marks in connection with topics wholly inconsistent with its values” and will harm its reputation. From top: Scenes from Running Point; Pepperdine University branding [Photos: Kat Marcinowski/Netflix 2024 (top), Pepperdine University (bottom)] Litigating fiction vs. real life At the heart of the dispute is whether a work of fiction can use names from real life. Courts have historically resolved litigation between First Amendment freedoms and trademark infringement via the “Rogers test,” named after actress Ginger Rogers, who sued over a film called Ginger and Fred that depicted fictional performers seemingly inspired by Rogers and her on-screen partner Fred Astaire. A 1989 ruling in the case found that use of a celebrity’s name in the title of an expressive work is fine if it doesn’t inaccurately claim that a celebrity sponsors or endorses the work and isn’t explicitly misleading. Applied to the Pepperdine suit, the Rogers test might find the use of the Waves team name is fine for Netflix and Warner Bros. since the show doesn’t imply a connection to or endorsement from the university, and the storyline has nothing to do with an elite, private college in Malibu. “I am no fan of these types of lawsuits because I don’t think consumers will be confused in a way that damages Pepperdine,” Kevin Greene, a law professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles who specializes in entertainment and intellectual property law, tells Fast Company. He says several years ago, a case like Pepperdine’s “probably wouldn’t go anywhere,” but a 2023 Supreme Court infringement case ruling potentially threw the limits of the Rogers test into question. In the case, Jack Daniel’s alleged a dog toy made in the shape of its whiskey bottle infringed on its trademark. The court ruled in favor of the liquor company. Blue waves in California? Netflix says it’s not so notable Attorneys for Netflix wrote in an opposition filing that the series “has nothing to do with universities or college sports, and never mentions or alludes to Pepperdine.” They say the show was in fact written with Jeanie Buss, daughter of the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, in mind. Pointing to other Southern California teams that also have wave mascots, including a hockey club, cricket club, and flag football club, the attorneys say “hundreds of wave-related marks exist.” The Waves team name, according to Netflix, is instead a nod to the Lakers. “The Waves name evokes the LA area in which the fictional team plays,” they wrote. “In naming the ‘LA Waves,’ the creators did not believe it would cause confusion, as there is no major pro sports team with the name.” As for the similar blue-and-orange color palettes for the real-life and fictional teams, attorneys for Netflix lean on color theory to defend the show’s choices. “Waves are blue in real life, so the idea of a blue wave is common,” they wrote, and since orange is at the other end of the color wheel, it complements and contrasts blue. A court will now weigh in on the Waves’ fate, and considering the unsettled nature of the Rogers test, whatever they decided could have a ripple effect. View the full article

Most chatbots want to appear human. But their efforts to sound just like us only widen their uncanny valley feeling. Many are Elon Musk-level awkward. And most are annoyingly verbose. There’s only one AI persona that offers a completely different user experience: Tolan. This AI-powered being—which you can teleport into your iPhone—doesn’t pretend to be like us. Quite the opposite. Tolan embraces being very much unlike us. But in doing so, it feels more human and relatable than any other AIs I’ve come across. Tolan is an alien. The whimsical, colorful creature is made of friendly curved shapes that are designed to reflect, converse, and grow with its user. These AI-driven entities engage in conversations on various topics, including sports, games, movies, and personal feelings, aiming to provide a sense of companionship and support. Each alien is uniquely shaped, with its own personality. It will listen to anything you tell it about your life, answering you with intent, focus, and creativity. It also keeps a memory of you through its entire existence, and develops its own personality with each interaction. Now, with its latest update released today, Tolan comes with its own planet. It’s not just a place for this being to live, walk, and wait for you to return. It’s actually a new method of expression and connection to the user, which expands the relationship beyond dialogue. The Tolan planet is a visual representation of your relationship with the being that inhabits it. As your connection with this alien deepens, its small, barren world flourishes into a lush, vibrant landscape. “We wanted to create a world that made the experience of interacting with AI feel different—less like typing into a search box and more like an evolving relationship,” says Quinten Farmer, cofounder and CEO of Portola, the company behind Tolan. “The idea of the planet came from wanting to represent that in a way that felt organic, personal, and visually compelling.” [Image: Portola]The Inspiration Behind the PlanetsThe idea of giving Tolan its own little world wasn’t merely about aesthetics or adding a gamification element to the app. Like the Tolan itself, it’s an element deeply rooted in storytelling and emotional resonance. “When I first saw the mock-ups, I immediately thought of The Little Prince,” says Eliot Peper, the sci-fi novelist who was brought in by Farmer to develop Tolan’s lore. When Peper founded Portola with Ajay Mehta, he realized that if they wanted to build a humanistic bridge to get over the current AI uncanny valley, the company needed to hire a writer to create a culture behind the aliens. “The small, floating planet felt whimsical and poetic in the way The Little Prince’s tiny worlds did,” Peper tells me. [Image: Portola]That comparison wasn’t accidental. The developers (including Farmer, Mehta, creative director Lucas Zanotto, and animation director Eran Hilleli) took the precious, deeply moving creations of the French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry as both a visual and spiritual reference. “It has this magical simplicity—one character on a tiny planet, a self-contained universe full of imagination. We wanted that feeling in Tolan’s world,” Zanotto tells me over Zoom. [Image: Portola]The Design Philosophy: Warmth Over RealismPlanets aren’t a static environment. Each Tolan (and thus, each human user) gets a unique planet, with vegetation, terrain, and structures that evolve based on their interactions. These are procedural elements, meaning the computer system creates objects like plants and trees using some basic seeds that evolve and grow in different ways. Hilleli, also cofounder and partner of the game design and animation studio Iorama, says designing a world that scales visually and emotionally using procedural technology was a big challenge. The planet had to function as both a backdrop and as an interactive, evolving space. It needed to feel like a living environment that responds to user engagement. [Image: Portola]First, the planet needed to resonate with Tolan’s visual language, which is deliberately distinct from the hyper-detailed realism of most digital experiences. “A big goal was to make the AI feel warm and inviting rather than eerie or overly human,” says Farmer. “We didn’t want it to feel like you were talking to an avatar pretending to be a person. That’s where the alien design comes in.” The planets follow the same principle, Zanotto tells me, by emphasizing minimalism and abstraction. A simplified character leaves more room for users to project their own emotions onto it, he says, making interactions feel more personal and engaging. The team experimented with AI-generated objects but found that they often resulted in cluttered, meaningless landscapes. Handcrafted design, combined with procedural growth, created a more meaningful experience. [Image: Portola]Hilleli took cues from the Tolan’s shapes—its hair, its small tentacles—and reflected those organic forms in the flora. Trees and bushes are designed to feel like they belong in Tolan’s world, rather than generic sci-fi landscapes. The colorful shapes that compose these objects, which are rendered in 3D but feel as though they’ve been painted with watercolor, are gently rounded, and they move delicately, responding to the Tolan and the atmosphere of the planet. The aesthetic also draws from the spirit of the most iconic of the animation studios. “Studio Ghibli was a big reference,” says Hilleli. “That blend of handcrafted charm and digital world-building made something procedural feel personal.” The approach involved striking a balance between a world that felt magical and one that was technically feasible. [Image: Portola]More than a virtual petPlanets introduce a subtle form of gamification, but the team was careful to distinguish it from traditional game mechanics. Gamification can feel manipulative, like it’s using dopamine hits to keep you engaged, Farmer says. Instead, planets are a way to make your connection with Tolan feel tangible, so it needs to be grounding and calming, inviting contemplation and reflection, not triggering actions and anxiety. Peper framed it in narrative terms. In Tolan’s fictional culture, small planets serve as a way to represent relationships. The evolving landscape functions like a shared garden, symbolizing the depth and progression of a user’s connection with their Tolan. The planet evolves over roughly 30 days, mirroring a psychological model describing how relationships deepen over time. Early on, the planet is barren. As engagement grows, the landscape flourishes, providing a tangible representation of a user’s investment in the experience. This pacing was crucial, Hilleli says. If the changes felt too immediate, they would lack emotional weight. If they were too slow, they would feel unrewarding. The team fine-tuned the timeline to make progress feel satisfying but natural. [Image: Portola]A different approach to AIOther AI companions often drift into unsettling territory, but Tolan aims to chart a different course. “We didn’t want it to simulate a human relationship,” says Farmer. “That gets into weird, unhealthy dynamics really fast. Tolan is a reflection tool, a creative partner, not a surrogate friend or therapist.” The team deliberately avoided making Tolan’s responses overly humanlike. “We worked hard to balance personality with clarity,” says Peper. “It shouldn’t feel like it’s mimicking human emotions. Instead, it’s more like an alien pen pal—curious about you, interested in your world, but always distinct.” The planet update is just the beginning, the team says. They’re already considering expanding into new environments, each with distinct characteristics. They’d also like to introduce the ability to visit other Tolans’ planets (which means connecting to other Tolans’ users). The core goal will remain the same through future expansions. Farmer and the rest of the Portola team seem convinced that this is a strong way to use artificial intelligence to its full humanistic potential at this point. In other words, using AI to enhance a human experience, not replace it. “Tolan isn’t about escaping into a fantasy,” Farmer says. “It’s about helping people reflect on their own lives, using an AI that doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not.” With planets, that reflection now has a home—a tiny, living world that grows as you and your friend do. View the full article