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Private sector expected to finance much of the project to the east of London after years of delay View the full article

Artist and industrial design icon Ross Lovegrove’s work has always looked like the space-age future—and he has now partnered up with SpaceX on a project that sees him revisiting one of his most famous pieces from the past: The Bernhardt Go chair. CreativeWorkStudios is a company that fosters collaborations with an eye toward art, science and philanthropy. Having worked on a project that connected artist Refik Anadol with the NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health, CreativeWorkStudios turned to Lovegrove for its next endeavor, a partnership with the Polaris space missions to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Ross Lovegrove [Photo: J Harry Edmiston/courtesy CreativeWorkStudios] Lovegrove created the flowing Bernhardt Go chair—“probably my favorite object”—at the turn of the millennium. With its absence of straight lines and legs that are seemingly reversed, it has a futuristic aesthetic that has landed it a spot in the film Passengers and other sci-fi projects. Which is perhaps why his partnership with the space exploration company feels so immediately organic (and causes you to momentarily forget who owns SpaceX). Using data from the landmark Polaris Dawn mission, Lovegrove is now retrofitting the Bernhardt Go into its next evolution: The $6,500 Polaris Go. A Magnesium-Injected Innovation It’s apropos that Lovegrove is working with SpaceX on a project involving this particular chair. Years ago, he was invited out to the company to possibly become its design director—and when he got there, he discovered a couple hundred Bernhardt Go chairs in the canteen. [Photo: courtesy CreativeWorkStudios] While the first Polaris Dawn mission last year yielded a few firsts, such as the first commercial spacewalk, the Bernhardt Go scored one of its own when it launched in the early 2000s. Lovegrove originally designed the chair in aluminum, but found it to be too heavy. So he decided to use pressure die-cast magnesium, which weighs about 30% less without compromising strength. Thing was, it had never been done before, and has not been done since (the chairs were sealed and powder-coated, and are safe). “How can I say it—it won’t burst into flames, but it’s highly flammable,” Lovegrove says with a laugh. “It took us a while to find somebody who would take that risk.” The Bernhardt Go was hit, with TIME citing it as one of 2001’s best designs, and various museums adding the chair to their collections. [Photo: courtesy CreativeWorkStudios] After partnering with CreativeWorkStudios and the Polaris team for the new project, Lovegrove reached out to Bernhardt, which had 210 originals left—and he says the company handed them over. “I mean, to suddenly give up your whole stock is pretty remarkable,” Lovegrove says. “And it’s because of the St. Jude’s component. Which is not cynical—it’s incredibly sincere.” Earth from Polaris Dawn [Photo: Jared Isaacman] Taking a New Seat Polaris mission commander (and current nominee to lead NASA) Jared Isaacman has a history of raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which the Polaris program has partnered with for its trio of missions. Lovegrove says it’s a cause close to him, as well, owing to a number of family members he has lost to cancer. As he devised ways to update the chair for the project, Lovegrove homed in on the seat pan insert. He decided to utilize data from the shockwaves of the launch to create a pattern emerging from four corners. “[It] is a metaphor about the co-joining of forces for the crew members—so, the four coming together form a total balance, and a kind of dynamic unity … that comes from the abstract forces of nature.” [Photo: courtesy CreativeWorkStudios] Lovegrove says he wanted to find a U.S. supplier linked to the space program to make the inserts, which he was able to do. He could have created it with, say, a 3D-printed polymer—but that doesn’t exactly represent space. So instead, the team used an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy, which is laser-cut to a finite dimension and then pressed incredibly thin so as to not impede the weight of the chair. The names of the four astronauts, meanwhile, are set to be laser-engraved onto the pans. “Ultimately, I’d like to even look at anodizing those, possibly in other colors, so that we could do a limited edition as we roll this out,” he says. “In a philanthropic way, we have to sell these … we have to appeal to people.” [Photo: courtesy CreativeWorkStudios] The chairs are priced at $6,500 and are available for preorder on the project website, with 50 percent going to St. Jude. Lovegrove adds that this is the start of a larger project with CreativeWorkStudios and Polaris, where he’ll take more data and interpret it in various ways, particularly around the physical impact of space on the human bodies. “If you look at space programs now, all the space adventure and business development, I think it’s going to pull [the human race] forward. I think it’s going to pull everything into a whole new mindset,” Lovegrove says. “They always say the most abstract thing that mankind can ever do is go into space, because we’re absolutely not designed to go into space. And then engineers come up and say, ‘Hey, we’re doing it.’” As for that forward momentum—it’s always been visually evident in the chair since the start. Has that always driven him? “Everything that we do has an implied energy in it,” he says. “I don’t like static things.” View the full article

How’s work? If you feel like answering “meh,” you’re not alone. Gallup’s latest workplace survey found that employee engagement has slumped to a 10-year low. It might not be the work itself, though. You might want to take a closer look at your boss, says Dr. Katina Sawyer, coauthor of Leading for Wellness: How to Create a Team Culture Where Everyone Thrives. “The proximal experiences that you have in the day to day of your workplace are what predict your general overall sentiments about your work,” says Sawyer, who is an associate professor of management and organizations at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management. “That means that the people that you work with most frequently tend to be really important, specifically leaders. Direct supervisors are often the key determinant of your feelings [about your workplace].” Leadership norms are causing employees to disconnect, says Sawyer. Traditional beliefs include the idea that work should be a leader’s entire focus, working tirelessly. Leaders should always have the answers and be very decisive and assertive. And the individual leader is more important than the collective team in terms of what they bring to the table. “These ideas have permeated our workplaces,” says Sawyer. “As a result, when leaders rise through the ranks, instead of being the leader that they would have wanted, they unconsciously adopt these norms of what we’ve seen other leaders do.” Unfortunately, these beliefs just don’t work, and employees don’t want to work for a leader who behaves this way. “Feeling ‘meh’ comes from the norms that workers have inherited,” says Sawyer. Organizations have not figured out a way to solve for “meh.” When they see burnout on the rise and job satisfaction on the decline, they turn to shortsighted and trendy wellness initiatives, such as yoga in the morning and mindfulness breaks at lunch, says Sawyer. “Sure, they may be fun, but are they actually driving results?” she asks. “While none of those things are bad in and of themselves, there’s no substitute for a bad leader. If your proximal experiences are not great, it’s like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound.” Instead of investing in one-off solutions, Sawyer suggests that organizations boost leaders’ capabilities to lead in a way that supports teams and, as a byproduct, drives results and productivity. She offers four techniques that can help. Forgo the Fearless Leader The first mechanism she suggests is realizing that people don’t want superhero leaders, who are stoic, decisive, and unafraid. “Actually, that’s quite demotivating for employees, because they can’t see themselves in their leader at all,” says Sawyer. “They also often start to see the cracks when someone presents a very perfect image of themselves as a leader. People are looking for authenticity. When they don’t see it, it gets confusing and discouraging.” Building stronger teams happens when leaders and teammates share their struggles. They become motivated to continue to grow and thrive in the organization, because they actually see a pathway forward for them as human beings, says Sawyer. Don’t Worry About the Clock A second mechanism is training leaders to deprogram themselves from thinking that the amount of time that they spend on work is the best metric of productivity. “Overworked leaders often produce a negative climate and expect overwork from their employees,” says Sawyer. “That’s a recipe for burnout.” Instead, leaders need to create a culture in which people feel comfortable and confident to support one another through their struggles and to show gratitude to each other. “Positive team environments end up saving the leader time in the long run, because what’s supposed to be happening is functioning more smoothly, and leaders are not constantly putting out fires,” says Sawyer. Reset Priorities Third, leaders need to recognize that work supports life instead of thinking you must fit your life around work. This includes encouraging employees to prioritize their personal lives by maintaining and respecting their boundaries. “Help them do the things that are important to them as people,” says Sawyer. “If someone is a parent and they’re coaching their kid’s T-ball team and have to leave every Tuesday and Thursday at four in order to get there on time, be cognizant of the fact. If you make it hard for your employees to participate in things that are important to them, over time, they’re going to grow resentful.” Tailor Your Wellness Approach The fourth mechanism is to realize that nothing is one-size-fits-all. “One of the problems that broader wellness initiatives have is that they take a blanket approach,” says Sawyer. “It assumes every employee will love to participate in mindfulness at lunch, but not everybody does.” Leaders need to have honest conversations about things that really contribute to each employee’s health and well-being. “Sometimes those are physical things, like needing time to walk in the middle of the day,” says Sawyer. “Sometimes they’re mental health things, like needing to get to a therapy appointment every Thursday morning. Try to tailor what you offer to the extent possible to best support employees’ varied needs.” What Employees Can Do If you are feeling “meh” at work and your employer isn’t taking steps to change the norms, Sawyer recommends looking for people in your organization who are like-minded and then suggesting some of the cultural elements that can shift the workplace dynamics. “Create a committee on health and wellness, where it’s not just one squeaky wheel, but it’s a group of people who are brainstorming to try to create a better work environment for everybody,” she says. You can also try to create a micro subculture sphere of influence that adheres to new norms. Document the positive impacts to sell the idea that these mechanisms work. And take steps to regain balance and well-being on a personal level, such as participating in a hobby after work. But don’t keep feeling “meh” about work. “The ‘meh’ feeling is a leading indicator that people are moving in a direction of being less engaged,” says Sawyer. “Companies should think of ‘meh’ as a yellow flag that’s headed to red and a recipe for burnout. It won’t get better on its own. Turn course now and recover instead of simply following the downward trend.” View the full article

The Seattle Mariners will be repping Nintendo this season. The team announced that starting with the season opener on Thursday, team members will be wearing Nintendo patches on their jerseys. It’s the first time the team has ever had a jersey sponsorship. The Mariners promoted the partnership in a video posted to social media showing center fielder Julio Rodríguez wearing the new jersey and grabbing a Mariners ball cap that’s sitting next to a red Mario hat in a locker. Major League Baseball announced in 2022 that it would begin allowing teams to put sponsorships on their uniforms. Some teams quickly capitalized: The New York Yankees signed Starr Insurance, and the Kansas City Royals signed the convenience store and gas station chain QT. For the Mariners, the Nintendo patches are just the latest in a long-running partnership with the video game company that goes back more than three decades to 1992, when Nintendo of America purchased a controlling stake in the team. Though most of Nintendo of America’s stake was sold in 2016, the company still owns about 10% of the team. “Nintendo and the Mariners have been inextricably linked since 1992,” Kevin Martinez, the baseball team’s president of business operations, said in a statement. “Now, each time the Mariners take the field, our jersey sleeves will help serve as a reminder of all that Nintendo of America has done for the Northwest community and the team.” [Photo: Seattle Mariners] Mariners players will wear white jerseys with the red-and-white Nintendo “racetrack” logo on the sleeve for home games. For away games, their turquoise jerseys will feature a red patch for the Switch 2, the Nintendo console that comes out next month. For baseball fans unhappy with corporate sponsorships finally making their way to players’ jerseys, the Nintendo patches may be unwelcome news. But at least for Mariners fans the team’s first ad might just be something they actually want to buy. View the full article

In early 2024, Ben Collins was contemplating the future of the media business—and his place in it. He was in the process of resigning after spending six years as a senior reporter at NBC News, exhausted by the disinformation beat that took him to some of the darkest and most disturbing corners of the internet. It hadn’t helped that in December 2022 NBC News had suspended Collins from the Elon Musk beat following his highly critical coverage of the gazillionaire’s acquisition of Twitter. The media landscape looked bleak. Layoffs were decimating storied media titles like Sports Illustrated, and Collins was hearing rumors that G/O Media, the holding company owned by private equity firm Great Hill Partners, was looking to shed 36-year-old satirical news publication The Onion from its portfolio. (G/O had dumped Jezebel and was about to purge other titles, including Deadspin and The A.V. Club.) As a joke, Collins posted a message on Bluesky: “So uh how do we buy The Onion?” Two media friends (Leila Brillson and Danielle Strle) jumped on board, and they quickly joined forces with another Onion lover, Twilio cofounder and former CEO Jeff Lawson, who also just so happens to be a billionaire. By late April 2024, the team had closed the deal. Here’s how it felt from the inside. Ben Collins, CEO There was this article saying that The Onion is aggressively for sale. I knew that Elon Musk had been dreaming for a long time of owning it. And I was like, “If The Onion is in his hands, just give up on American society.” He’s the most humorless person on earth. So I [posted on Bluesky], “Who wants to buy The Onion? I think I have $600.” I had no idea how to buy a company. I’m not a guy who buys stuff. All my shirts are from the dollar store. It’s a huge problem. But Leila Brillson was sitting at home. She had just had a baby three weeks before. She was the first female executive editor for Playboy and then went to work at Netflix and Disney and TikTok. Leila Brillson, chief marketing officer I think the reason Ben picked up my call is that I had just moved back to Chicago, which is where I’m from. The Onion is based in Chicago. My thought process was, “Huh, it’s for sale. It can’t be that much.” Followed by, “I bet they have an incredible social footprint.” Followed by, “They’re in Chicago. Hey, I’m in Chicago.” I think he thought I was much more connected than I am. The best thing I brought to the table was that I was the only one who lived in Chicago. Also, my sister is an M&A lawyer. [Paula Brillson is now general counsel at The Onion.] Danielle Strle, chief product officer I had a lot of freedom after Tumblr [where Strle went from employee No. 8 to director of product] to just work on fun projects. I had helped a friend run a cheese shop—I was the chief technology officer of New York’s best cheese shop. When Ben called, I was immediately interested. I remember seeing The Onion on newsstands in New York right after 9/11, and I was like, “Wow, The Onion is here. We’re going to bounce back.” My first call was to Scott Kidder [now acting as The Onion’s CFO]. He’s a true wizard on the spreadsheets. If you’re going to try and buy something, you’re going to need a powerful set of spreadsheets. Jeff Lawson, Owner Jeff Bezos bought The [Washington] Post, and Marc Benioff bought Time. The universe would just be right if I bought The Onion. This sort of started like a joke but then, as we looked into it more, it was like, it’s hit some hard times under the last owner and needs some revitalization. So it wasn’t just a matter of, I could buy The Onion, [but] hey, we could save The Onion. There was a real opportunity here to take this modern American institution and help it thrive in a new media environment. An environment where we need satire more than ever. View the full article

It’s not every day that microbial genetics leads to a chic influencer party in Los Angeles. Yet there stood Patrick Torbey, the lone scientist in a plant-filled wine bar, addressing a roomful of stylish guests nibbling artisan crackers topped with melted Brie. Torbey was there to introduce the first product from Neoplants, the Paris-based startup he cofounded six years ago with Lionel Mora, a former Google product marketing manager. Their debut offering, called Power Drops, promises a biological air filter—hence the appeal for wellness influencers. For the science-minded, they’re genetically modified soil bacteria that work with plants to absorb and metabolize toxic chemicals commonly found indoors. “We’ve developed a natural air purifier,” Torbey says. “By pouring in these bacteria, you increase by about 30 times the air pollution efficiency of one plant.” These pollutants, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pass through microscopic pores in plant leaves and exit through their roots. When Power Drops are mixed with water and added to a planter, the bacteria cling to the roots and feed on the VOCs—producing nutrients for the plant in the process. The result: a 30% reduction in airborne toxins in a 160-square-foot room. [Photo: Neoplants] Neoplants originally planned to launch Power Drops in January, just as wildfires engulfed parts of Los Angeles. Instead, the company postponed its event and added a new initiative, CleanAirforLA.com, offering a free month’s supply to support recovery efforts. “We have a technology that can solve a big part of the issue that’s going to linger for a long time, which is that VOCs emitted by these fires will be absorbed by [fabrics and furniture in] every home and continuously reemitted,” Torbey says. “This is really using nature as the technology to solve that problem in a sustainable way.” [Rendering: Neoplants] According to the World Health Organization, indoor pollution accounts for an estimated 3 million deaths annually. It can also impact focus and productivity and exacerbate respiratory issues like asthma. Torbey suggests putting the treated plants in bedrooms as a complement to HEPA filters that block particulates larger than VOCs, which are only several atoms in size. “It takes much longer, but it’s much more sustainable because there’s no electricity,” he says. “It’s always on in the background.” Among the event’s attendees was The Good Place star Kristen Bell, who came away smitten with the company’s natural—and in her case, foolproof—approach. “I have little kids, so I’ve been very concerned with educating myself on the air quality post-fires. I thought this was a very smart way to make it easy, affordable, and sustainable for people,” she says. “I don’t have a green thumb; I have a black thumb. The plants come [in planters] with reservoirs where I don’t have to remember to water [them] more than once a month. That’s extremely helpful for someone like me.” Genetics as a tool Neoplants grew from Torbey’s desire to apply his genetic engineering PhD to something beyond academia, Big Pharma, or agriculture. “Everybody has this kind of negative feeling towards genetic modification,” he says. “But genetics is just a tool, and I wanted to show people how we can use this tool to have a pure, positive impact without any negative consequences.” He met Mora through the Paris division of the global talent incubator Entrepreneur First, which introduces scientists and businesspeople. They’ve since raised $20 million from two fundraising rounds through True Ventures and Heartcore Capital and expanded to a 20-member staff. Neoplants founder Patrick Torbey (center) with Clean Air Campaign supporters [Photo: Neoplants] The science, however, didn’t come easy. When boosting plants’ ability to absorb VOCs proved too complex and time-consuming, the team pivoted to microbes. Bacteria, unlike plants, can be modified and tested within a week—and they clear regulatory hurdles faster. Neoplants engineered two bacteria strains that naturally metabolize formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and xylene, turning them into sugars, amino acids, and lipids. Then, using directed evolution—exposing them to increasingly toxic environments—they bred super-efficient strains. “It’s kind of a boot camp for bacteria,” says Torbey, crediting Mora and his Google training for the quick iteration process. “We were trying to go at the speed of software using biotechnology.” [Photo: Susan Karlin] Power Drops contain 10 billion dehydrated bacteria per packet, activated in water for monthly doses. They work best with leafy, soil-based indoor plants—not succulents, hydroponics, or sandy soil. While they’re not for edible greens, they’re nontoxic to humans and pets. And although the bacteria improve soil quality, the effect on plant growth is minimal—for now. Boosting growth is the next focus for Neoplants. From the ground to space Meanwhile, as its bacterial research raced ahead, Neoplants continued modifying plants to metabolize VOCs without the need for bacteria by isolating the microbial genes responsible and inserting them into plant genomes. Having finally achieved that, the company is now awaiting approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a process not yet impacted by recent federal layoffs. The company will also avoid import tariffs by keeping its R&D operations in Paris and product production in the U.S. [Photo: Neoplants] Down the road, Torbey hopes to apply Neoplants research to other environmental issues—here on Earth and even for future space habitats. One goal is modifying plants to absorb nitrogen from the air instead of using nitrogen fertilizers, which exacerbate the rise in nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas. He’s also spoken to the European Space Agency about how his research might assist its MELiSSA life support project. View the full article

When you pop a piece of gum in your mouth, you might be hoping to freshen your breath, relieve some stress, or just get a bit of flavor. But you could also be getting thousands of microplastics released with every piece you chew. That’s because most chewing gum itself is made of plastic; gum bases often use synthetic polymers like polyvinyl acetate, a plastic used in adhesives; or styrene-butadiene, a type of plastic rubber used in tires and shoe soles. Plastic is already everywhere: our bottled water, our soil, even our air. Microplastics can leach into our bodies through all those things, as well as through foods kept or heated up in plastic packaging. But with gum, the exposure is more direct. “Here, the food is the plastic,” says Sanjay Mohanty, an engineering professor at UCLA. Mohanty is lead investigator on the pilot study that looked at how microplastics from gum can get into our saliva. He conducted the study with Lisa Lowe, a PhD student in his lab, who is presenting their findings at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society this week. Mohanty has been studying microplastics for years; he’s done research on how wind can blow microplastics from fertilizers through the air, and how children’s playgrounds can contain more microplastics than other areas of urban parks. Lowe, who grew up in Hawaii and has seen the devastating effects of pollution firsthand, came up with the idea to actually quantify the plastic impact of gum. The topic even surprised some of her classmates. “People don’t really know that gum is plastic,” she says. “It’s just not something that we think about because it’s like food, so we wouldn’t expect it.” The researchers looked at both synthetic and natural gums, picking five brands of each that are the most readily, commercially available. Lowe herself was the tester: she would rinse her mouth (and take that sample, to see the level of microplastics in her saliva from the start), and then chew a piece of gum for four minutes, spitting out saliva samples every 30 seconds, before a final rinse. On average, they found that every gram of gum would release 100 microplastics, though some pieces released as many as 600. Most pieces of gum are between 2 and 6 grams, so that means a large piece could release as many as 3,000 microplastics. By some estimates, Americans average one to three pieces a day, but looking at a conservative amount, if someone chewed 160 to 180 small sticks of gum a year, the researchers estimated that could lead to them ingesting 30,000 microplastics. Before starting the study, Lowe anticipated that the natural gums would have fewer microplastics—but really they released similar amounts. It’s not clear where exactly those plastics are coming from, though; Lowe said it could potentially be from the manufacturing process. Their study was also limited in terms of exactly which microplastics they could identify in the saliva: They only looked for pieces of plastic bigger than 20 microns, which are visible under a microscope. That means they didn’t look for nanoplastics—particles smaller than 200 nanometers (a human hair, for contrast, is about 80,000 nanometers wide). Previous research has already found that one bottle of water could contain hundreds of thousands of nanoplastics. “There could be many, many more plastics [released by chewing gum] that are too small to be visible in our sensor,” Mohanty says. Lowe also tested chewing the pieces for longer, collecting samples of more than 20 minutes, to see how microplastics were released over time. Most of the microplastics were released within the first two minutes of chewing. After 8 minutes, 94% of the plastic particles collected during the tests had been released. If you’re looking to reduce your microplastic exposure but aren’t quite ready to give up gum, Lowe says this indicates that you could try chewing one piece for longer, rather than starting a fresh piece. There’s not yet a lot of scientific research on how microplastics affect our health, but there are indications that they’re harming our bodies. “We know it’s not something natural,” Mohanty says. The reserchers hope their study helps people become more aware of another form of microplastic exposure. “When you eat chewing gum, you think you are getting the flavor. You are also getting some plastic with it,” he says. And Lowe also hopes this gets people thinking about how they dispose of their chewed-up gum as well. “It is a source of plastic,” she says, “so it should be disposed of properly.” View the full article

Showing enthusiasm in a job interview can be the make-or-break factor in getting that position. In fact, nearly 47% of hiring managers say a candidate’s keen interest in the job is the most important factor in determining whether they get the new role. Enthusiastic candidates are more likely to fit in, stay longer, and do great work. So, here are five ways to project excitement about the role throughout the job interview process: 1. ARRIVE EARLY First, show up 10–15 minutes early for your interview. An early arrival demonstrates enthusiasm, shows respect for the interviewer, and helps you gather your thoughts so that you will come across as poised and prepared. Coming early has other benefits, too. For an in-person meeting, arriving early gives you time to get settled, use the washroom, and go over your notes. (Just make sure you don’t arrive too early, as the interviewer may not be ready for you.) If the interview is virtual, these 15 minutes will allow you to check your technology, your lighting, and your background. 2. PRAISE THE COMPANY When speaking to the hiring manager, share two or three things you love about their company. Do your research and write out your talking points. You might say, “I appreciate the way employees are encouraged to collaborate.” Or “I value your hybrid work policy. It makes sense and it’s what I am used to.” Or you might say, “I admire the leadership of this company. . . . I heard your CEO speak at a recent conference and he was inspiring.” You might even ask the interviewer, “what attracted you to this firm?” This will give her a chance to speak about the company, and you an opportunity to reinforce something positive. 3. GET FIRED UP ABOUT THE JOB Another important thing to share is why you would love to have the job. Don’t wait for the hiring manager to ask you why you are applying. Instead, have a script ready with the reasons you are excited about the position. It could be the leadership role you have been searching for, or the fact that it will draw on your expertise in AI. Whatever turns you on should be written out in advance and delivered as part of your interview narrative. Get these points out right away. Share with the interviewer how important you understand the position is in the larger scheme of things. You might say “I know the critical role this position plays in the department and in the company’s communications with key audiences.” Asking smart questions about the role is still another way to show enthusiasm in a job interview. You might say, “This is a newly created position. How were its responsibilities handled before?” Or you might ask ”Why has this position been created?” Questions like this show that you take the job and its role very seriously. 4. USE POSITIVE LANGUAGE Throughout your conversation, make sure to be positive with your language. During your preparation, make a list of words and expressions that convey your enthusiasm for the role and show how well your qualifications fit the position. Use them in the interview. Your list might include, “I love the fact that this company is leading the industry.” Or “I like the scope of the job.” Or “I know this team has an excellent reputation.” Here are other possible expressions: “I believe that I have the qualities and experience you are looking for,” “I feel this is the perfect next step in my career. Avoid negative or hesitant language, such as “I’m wondering,” or “I think,” or “I guess,” or “I’m not sure.” And avoid filler expressions like “um, “ah,” and other nonstarters like “that’s a good question.” Your role is to answer questions, not evaluate them. 5. SHOW OPEN BODY LANGUAGE Convey enthusiasm in a job interview with open body language. The physical signals you give can matter as much as what you say. During the conversation your face should have a warm, animated expression, but don’t overdo it. When you are talking or when the interviewer responds to what you’ve said, hold your eye contact. Sit with an upright posture. Keep your shoulders back and your chin up. Slouching suggests a lack of enthusiasm. Having great posture displays confidence, and that’s the image you want to portray during the discussion with your potential employer. Keep your arms open, and gesture with your full arms, not with smaller hand gestures. And never fold your arms—doing so will look like you are arming yourself (literally), and that comes across as defensive. View the full article

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Professional business models may need to change if novices lose the opportunities to learn and progress when AI takes over their work View the full article

Influencers, how many late payments are you waiting on? Odds are, more than one. Influencer marketing is a booming $10 billion industry, but for creators, inconsistent cash flow remains a major pain point. Brand budgets shift, campaign timelines change, and payments can take months to land. For many influencers who rely on brand deals as their main source of income, financial instability is the norm. According to the Wall Street Journal, fewer than 13% of online influencers earned more than $100,000 last year—while nearly half made $15,000 or less. A fintech startup called Alchemy wants to change that. Founded by Isaac Wagschal, the company has launched a $100 million fund to provide creators with upfront payments based on projected future income. Since January, Alchemy has already distributed millions. Growing as a creator takes time, money, and the right opportunities landing in your inbox. But unpredictable income is one of the biggest obstacles to scaling. Some months bring multiple sponsorships; others are completely dry. And while traditional financial institutions are slowly warming to the creator economy, access to capital remains limited—especially for creators still building their brands. (If you’ve ever tried asking a bank for a loan as a freelancer, you get it.) Alchemy’s approach is different. It looks at an influencer’s full income stream—brand deals, Patreon, AdSense, and more—then uses the past six months of earnings to project the next six. Based on that, Alchemy prepurchases a portion of the creator’s expected revenue, providing a lump-sum payment upfront. A flat fee, typically around 1.15 times the amount advanced, is added. Say a creator is projected to earn $100,000 in the next six months. Alchemy might advance $30,000 by purchasing 30% of that income. When the full $100,000 eventually comes in—whether it takes six months or a year—Alchemy collects its 30%, plus a $4,500 fee. There’s no loan, no interest, and no fixed repayment schedule. If a creator underperforms, Alchemy takes the hit. To streamline the process, Alchemy is partnering with top creator agencies, managers, and influencer platforms to embed its financial tools directly into brand deal workflows. The goal: make upfront payments the industry norm. “The creator economy is booming, yet too many influencers are stuck waiting months for sponsorships and delayed payments to clear,” Wagschal said in a press release. “Creators should have financial access that matches the speed of the digital world.” View the full article

PayPal has announced new features that make cryptocurrency more accessible and usable in everyday commerce, aiming to eliminate common barriers and drive broader adoption among consumers and merchants alike. With these enhancements, users can now buy, sell, hold, send, and spend cryptocurrencies through the PayPal platform, integrating digital currencies into routine purchases. The company emphasizes its mission to enable seamless crypto payments at millions of merchants without requiring changes to existing payment systems. PayPal users can select supported cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, during checkout just like a credit or debit card. The transaction is handled by PayPal, providing a familiar and straightforward process. PayPal also offers features like recurring purchases and price alerts, giving users more control over their crypto portfolios. Additionally, the platform now supports transferring crypto to friends and family, whether they use PayPal or external wallets. A newly introduced feature allows users to assign wallet addresses with custom names—such as JohnDoe.eth—and save them to an address book, making transfers easier and more secure. For merchants, PayPal presents an opportunity to tap into the growing crypto economy without the need for new integrations or backend overhauls. By leveraging PayPal’s infrastructure, businesses can access trillions of dollars in crypto holdings without installing new checkout tools. Transactions are settled in USD and automatically converted to the merchant’s local currency, eliminating the complexity of managing cryptocurrency. The company highlighted that these developments allow merchants to increase sales potential and enhance customer loyalty while positioning themselves as forward-thinking. Merchants do not need a crypto wallet, and no direct crypto management is required to benefit from the integration. Security and trust remain central to PayPal’s approach. The company offers buyer and seller protection for eligible purchases funded with crypto. In addition, PayPal is the first payments platform to reimburse users up to $50,000 at no additional cost for unauthorized crypto transfers, adding an extra layer of confidence for customers. As the cryptocurrency market surpasses $3.25 trillion and continues to expand, PayPal is positioning itself as a key player in bridging traditional commerce and digital finance. By integrating crypto into its suite of payment tools, PayPal aims to unlock new opportunities for consumers and businesses navigating the evolving digital economy. Image: PayPal This article, "PayPal Expands Crypto Capabilities to Simplify Everyday Transactions" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

PayPal has announced new features that make cryptocurrency more accessible and usable in everyday commerce, aiming to eliminate common barriers and drive broader adoption among consumers and merchants alike. With these enhancements, users can now buy, sell, hold, send, and spend cryptocurrencies through the PayPal platform, integrating digital currencies into routine purchases. The company emphasizes its mission to enable seamless crypto payments at millions of merchants without requiring changes to existing payment systems. PayPal users can select supported cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, during checkout just like a credit or debit card. The transaction is handled by PayPal, providing a familiar and straightforward process. PayPal also offers features like recurring purchases and price alerts, giving users more control over their crypto portfolios. Additionally, the platform now supports transferring crypto to friends and family, whether they use PayPal or external wallets. A newly introduced feature allows users to assign wallet addresses with custom names—such as JohnDoe.eth—and save them to an address book, making transfers easier and more secure. For merchants, PayPal presents an opportunity to tap into the growing crypto economy without the need for new integrations or backend overhauls. By leveraging PayPal’s infrastructure, businesses can access trillions of dollars in crypto holdings without installing new checkout tools. Transactions are settled in USD and automatically converted to the merchant’s local currency, eliminating the complexity of managing cryptocurrency. The company highlighted that these developments allow merchants to increase sales potential and enhance customer loyalty while positioning themselves as forward-thinking. Merchants do not need a crypto wallet, and no direct crypto management is required to benefit from the integration. Security and trust remain central to PayPal’s approach. The company offers buyer and seller protection for eligible purchases funded with crypto. In addition, PayPal is the first payments platform to reimburse users up to $50,000 at no additional cost for unauthorized crypto transfers, adding an extra layer of confidence for customers. As the cryptocurrency market surpasses $3.25 trillion and continues to expand, PayPal is positioning itself as a key player in bridging traditional commerce and digital finance. By integrating crypto into its suite of payment tools, PayPal aims to unlock new opportunities for consumers and businesses navigating the evolving digital economy. Image: PayPal This article, "PayPal Expands Crypto Capabilities to Simplify Everyday Transactions" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Retailers are increasingly turning to AI agents to stay competitive in a fast-evolving marketplace, according to Salesforce’s sixth Connected Shoppers Report. The report reveals that 75% of retail decision-makers believe AI agents will be essential to beat the competition within the next year. Salesforce’s findings are based on dual surveys of 8,350 shoppers and 1,700 retail industry leaders. The data points to a shifting landscape marked by rising customer acquisition costs, increasing returns, and changing consumer behaviors that require a new approach to retail operations. AI and Unified Commerce Emerge as Strategic Priorities To manage growing complexities across digital and physical retail channels, retailers are prioritizing AI and unified commerce. These approaches are aimed at creating seamless customer experiences while controlling operational costs. “When retailers connect their sales channels, customer data, and operations in one platform, they create seamless shopping experiences both online and in-store,” said Michelle Grant, Director of Retail Strategy and Insights at Salesforce. “This unified approach boosts productivity and drives growth throughout the business.” The report shows that 76% of retailers plan to increase investment in AI within the next year. Customer service is currently the top use case for AI agents, where they are used to respond to inquiries, track orders, and handle returns around the clock. Velia Carboni, CIO of SharkNinja, highlighted the role of Agentforce — Salesforce’s agentic AI layer — in improving customer loyalty. Carboni described Agentforce as “key to helping us build a community that keeps consumers coming back.” Retailers Expand AI Agent Applications Beyond customer service, retailers foresee AI agents playing a broader role in optimizing websites, marketing, inventory management, and employee training. “AI agents represent the next wave of retail AI innovation — digital labor that promises to reshape how retailers scale their workforces, serve and market to customers, and streamline operations,” Grant said. Barriers and Progress Toward Unified Commerce Effective AI implementation requires integration across systems, yet many retailers still operate with disconnected platforms. According to the report, 81% of retailers say inefficient processes and technology reduce store associate productivity. Additionally, 49% of shoppers have abandoned purchases due to friction in the ordering process. To address these challenges, 86% of retailers are pursuing unified commerce initiatives. By linking cross-channel and departmental operations, unified commerce improves efficiency, enhances the shopping experience, and enables AI systems to perform more effectively. Consumers Show Growing Interest in AI Agents The shift toward AI agents is not limited to retailers. The report notes that 39% of all shoppers — and 54% of Gen Z — already use AI for product discovery. Gen Z consumers are 10 times more likely than baby boomers to report frequent AI use in shopping. Shoppers expressed strong interest in using AI agents for managing loyalty points, handling returns, and providing customer service — aligning with retailers’ focus areas. Among Gen Z shoppers, 63% are open to agents making purchases on their behalf. However, shopper trust remains critical. The top factors influencing trust in AI agents include data privacy, on/off controls, approval requirements before purchases, data transparency, and access to human customer service. “The data is clear: retailers and shoppers are both moving toward an AI agent future,” said Grant. “But success depends on addressing both sides of the equation — building the connected technology foundation retailers need while delivering the trust and transparency shoppers demand.” Image: Salesforce This article, "Salesforce Report: 75% of Retailers Say AI Agents Will Be Essential by 2026" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Retailers are increasingly turning to AI agents to stay competitive in a fast-evolving marketplace, according to Salesforce’s sixth Connected Shoppers Report. The report reveals that 75% of retail decision-makers believe AI agents will be essential to beat the competition within the next year. Salesforce’s findings are based on dual surveys of 8,350 shoppers and 1,700 retail industry leaders. The data points to a shifting landscape marked by rising customer acquisition costs, increasing returns, and changing consumer behaviors that require a new approach to retail operations. AI and Unified Commerce Emerge as Strategic Priorities To manage growing complexities across digital and physical retail channels, retailers are prioritizing AI and unified commerce. These approaches are aimed at creating seamless customer experiences while controlling operational costs. “When retailers connect their sales channels, customer data, and operations in one platform, they create seamless shopping experiences both online and in-store,” said Michelle Grant, Director of Retail Strategy and Insights at Salesforce. “This unified approach boosts productivity and drives growth throughout the business.” The report shows that 76% of retailers plan to increase investment in AI within the next year. Customer service is currently the top use case for AI agents, where they are used to respond to inquiries, track orders, and handle returns around the clock. Velia Carboni, CIO of SharkNinja, highlighted the role of Agentforce — Salesforce’s agentic AI layer — in improving customer loyalty. Carboni described Agentforce as “key to helping us build a community that keeps consumers coming back.” Retailers Expand AI Agent Applications Beyond customer service, retailers foresee AI agents playing a broader role in optimizing websites, marketing, inventory management, and employee training. “AI agents represent the next wave of retail AI innovation — digital labor that promises to reshape how retailers scale their workforces, serve and market to customers, and streamline operations,” Grant said. Barriers and Progress Toward Unified Commerce Effective AI implementation requires integration across systems, yet many retailers still operate with disconnected platforms. According to the report, 81% of retailers say inefficient processes and technology reduce store associate productivity. Additionally, 49% of shoppers have abandoned purchases due to friction in the ordering process. To address these challenges, 86% of retailers are pursuing unified commerce initiatives. By linking cross-channel and departmental operations, unified commerce improves efficiency, enhances the shopping experience, and enables AI systems to perform more effectively. Consumers Show Growing Interest in AI Agents The shift toward AI agents is not limited to retailers. The report notes that 39% of all shoppers — and 54% of Gen Z — already use AI for product discovery. Gen Z consumers are 10 times more likely than baby boomers to report frequent AI use in shopping. Shoppers expressed strong interest in using AI agents for managing loyalty points, handling returns, and providing customer service — aligning with retailers’ focus areas. Among Gen Z shoppers, 63% are open to agents making purchases on their behalf. However, shopper trust remains critical. The top factors influencing trust in AI agents include data privacy, on/off controls, approval requirements before purchases, data transparency, and access to human customer service. “The data is clear: retailers and shoppers are both moving toward an AI agent future,” said Grant. “But success depends on addressing both sides of the equation — building the connected technology foundation retailers need while delivering the trust and transparency shoppers demand.” Image: Salesforce This article, "Salesforce Report: 75% of Retailers Say AI Agents Will Be Essential by 2026" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The country’s top groups are re-evaluating their strategies as they race to remain competitiveView the full article

Firefighters in North and South Carolina were battling multiple wind-driven wildfires Monday in rugged terrain that complicated containment efforts, officials said. Millions of trees knocked down by Hurricane Helene last year combined with long stretches of dry weather this spring are making for a long and active fire season in the Carolinas, North Carolina State University forestry and environmental resources professor Robert Scheller said. “Helene just dropped tons of fuel on the ground,” Scheller said. “Then these flash droughts allow that fuel to dry out very fast.” Both South Carolina and North Carolina have issued statewide bans on outdoor burning. North Carolina fires Mandatory evacuations continue for about 165 properties in parts of Polk County in western North Carolina, about 80 miles west of Charlotte, according to county spokesperson Kellie Cannon. Three fires burned at least 7.5 square miles in the county and the two larger blazes were completely un-contained, Cannon said in a social media update Monday morning. The Black Cove Fire, one of the larger ones, was moving toward neighboring Henderson County, Cannon said. Kim Callaway, who lives near one of the evacuated areas in Polk County, has prepared her home, WLOS-TV reported. “We’ve already actually evacuated everything that we thought that was important,” Callaway said. “And now we’re just staying at the house and trying to do what we can to get our house prepared if the firemen need to show up and hold the line.” A downed power line sparked the Black Cove Fire, but the causes of the other two fires in Polk County were under investigation, according to North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Jeremy Waldrop. A number of other wildfires burning across the state including one that damaged 500 vehicles at a salvage yard in Burke County, officials said. South Carolina fires Two fires in the South Carolina mountains have led Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency. One fire was in Table Rock State Park in Pickens County and the other was on Persimmon Ridge in Greenville County. Winds and difficult mountainous terrain allowed blazes to grow, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said. The Table Rock Fire expanded to more than 2 square miles, including several hundred acres that firefighters intentionally burned to try to contain the flames, officials said. The Persimmon Ridge Fire, which started Saturday, spread to more than 1.25 square miles despite many dozens of water drops, the commission said. Human activity ignited both the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires. No injuries had been reported, and while no structures were imminently threatened, voluntary evacuations of about 100 homes remained in place. How a September hurricane is creating March fires Scheller, the North Carolina State University professor, predicted this busy fire season if the region saw dry weather following Helene. Scientists saw something similar in 2022 when a fire burned more than 51 square miles of timberland in the Florida Panhandle. The Bertha Swamp Road Fire almost directly followed the eye pattern from 2018’s Hurricane Michael and the fallen pine trees left behind. Pines and their waxy needles dry out and become very flammable, Scheller said. The fallen trunks can also block roads and paths used to fight fires, experts said. The last ingredient to fuel wildfires is dry weather. Despite recent rain, the Carolinas are undergoing an extreme drought, according to federal monitors. The common denominator for many fires on the East Coast is human activity, whether people burn debris, light a campfire that isn’t well watched or toss out cigarette, Scheller said. And more people living next to areas that can burn make fires a bigger threat, he said. New Jersey fire A forest fire burning in New Jersey’s million-acre Pinelands region was 100% contained on Monday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Services said in a post on X. The fire was first spotted Saturday and burned through about 3.5 square miles. That blaze led authorities to evacuate two campgrounds in Wharton State Forest, officials said. The cause was under investigation. Fire forecast A front moving off the East Coast brought rain and more humidity to the area, helping firefighters Monday. But not much rain fell and temperatures are expected to get warmer and the air drier as the week goes on, likely meaning another round of wildfires unless people follow burn bans and fire safety. “It is absolutely paramount that folks respect the statewide ban on all open burning,” North Carolina Forest Service spokesperson Philip Jackson said. View the full article

Simplification drive comes as the FCA launches its strategy for next five-yearsView the full article