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This Highly Rated 65-Inch 4K QLED TV Is Less Than $500 Right Now
We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Hisense 65U6N, a PCMag Editor's Choice winner (that also made it into Lifehacker's "Best 65-inch TVs to Buy in 2025" roundup in the budget category) is currently on sale for $498, down from its regular $734 price tag. This 65-inch 4K QLED TV uses a mini-LED backlight system to deliver solid contrast and color accuracy—something you’d expect from pricier models. It supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG—meaning whatever you stream will look sharp and vibrant. That said, it’s a 60Hz panel, so motion won’t be as smooth as on higher-end 120Hz or 144Hz models. Gamers might also want to think twice—while it does support VRR (variable refresh rate), it lacks AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync, which could be a dealbreaker for serious competitive gaming. But at an input lag of just 3.6 milliseconds, casual gaming is still solid, according to this PCMag review. Hisense 65-Inch U6 Series Mini-LED ULED 4K Smart TV (2024 Model) $498.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $734.04 Save $236.04 Get Deal Get Deal $498.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $734.04 Save $236.04 Hisense went with Google TV for the software, which is a win if you like a clean interface and easy access to all major streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Apple TV. Plus, hands-free Google Assistant support means you can control your 65U6N and compatible smart home devices just by talking. Apple users will appreciate its AirPlay 2 support, making it easy to stream directly from an iPhone or Mac. Android users, of course, get Google Cast. One notable omission is that this TV only has an ATSC 1.0 tuner, meaning it won’t support over-the-air 4K broadcasts with ATSC 3.0. However, if that’s not a dealbreaker, its smart features still make it a strong pick. The remote feels surprisingly premium, with a brushed-metallic plastic design and a shiny navigation pad. Dedicated buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube make it easy to jump into your favorite apps, and the built-in mic means you don’t have to shout across the room to give voice commands. Connectivity-wise, you get four HDMI ports (one with eARC), two USB ports, an Ethernet port, an optical audio output, and multiple 3.5mm jacks. It also comes with sturdy metal legs for tabletop placement or VESA compatibility if you want to mount it. If you’re after a step up, the Hisense 65U7N ($698, down from $998) offers a brighter display, 144Hz refresh rate, and ATSC 3.0 tuner; but at this price, the 65U6N is hard to beat for everyday streaming and casual gaming. View the full article
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Nine Ways to Build Financial Intimacy in Your Relationship
On a good first date, you want chat about hobbies, and siblings, and dream jobs. Nobody wants to kill the vibe by inquiring how much student debt the other person has. But as a relationship progresses, you'll find yourself assessing a lot about your partner: Their values, emotional management, political leanings, and so much more. The subject of money, however, often gets pushed to the side—sometimes, until it's too late. We all have different relationships with money. Some of us are cautious-minded savers, others are profligate spenders. Some are always padding their rainy day fund; others can’t resist purchasing new stuff every paycheck. When you’re in a relationship, it’s paramount to find out how your partner operates when it comes to money—because if the relationship continues for the long haul, it will come up. A lot. Here’s how to lay the foundation for ongoing financial intimacy. Do it early on (and ramp up gradually)It’s easy to let the subject of money slide due to discomfort. But if you want to avoid a large, emotional misunderstanding down the line, cut to the chase early on. Within your first few weeks or months of dating, start asking questions to uncover their financial situation. It can begin casually with questions like, “Are you more of a saver or a spender?” or “Do you pay attention to the stock market?” or “What’s your favorite thing to splurge on?” to get a glimpse into their general money perceptions, and ramp up to more specific questions about their credit score, salary, and debt as time passes. Keep in mind, disclosure isn’t a one-way street. Be prepared to share your own behaviors, habits, debts, and financial history in due time. Give advance noticeWhile some conversations will arise organically, if they don’t, make it known you want to have a conversation involving money. Rather than ambushing them over sushi with, “So, how much do you contribute to your 401(k) every month?” try something like, “When we have some free time next week, I’d love to touch base on this money goal I’m working towards and get your thoughts.” Ask about their childhoodWe all come with a money “story” or particular set of beliefs and fears around money that we absorbed from our families while growing up. Asking how they were raised is one of the easiest ways to gain insight into their attitudes about money. Some grew up in households where discount shopping reigned, every receipt was saved, and Ziploc bags were washed and re-used. Others were allowed to spend hundreds on trendy clothes for the first day of school and went to a different island every winter break. To find out more about the money attitudes they absorbed, ask questions like: How was money handled when you were growing up? Were you encouraged to save from a young age? Did your parents give you money when you went to the mall, or did you have to use your own? Did your parents fight about money often? Where did your family take vacations? Use a personal financial goal to start the conversationTo make it more subtle and less awkward, use one of your own money goals to get the conversation going. Share your desire to get better at budgeting, save enough that you can quit your job to freelance, pay down debt, or buy a new car. Saying something like, “I’m working towards saving enough to make this down payment. Do you have any suggestions?” can open up a candid conversation and lend insight into their money behaviors without putting them on the spot. This can (and should) eventually segue into questions about their short-term and long-term financial goals. Ask hypothetical “what if” questionsIf it’s early on in a new relationship, or you’re not sure where to start, try framing questions as “what if” scenarios to get an idea of where their financial opinions stand. Things like: What if you won the lottery—what would you do with the money? Would you rather spend your life at a job you don’t love but pays really well, or one you’re passionate about, but will never make you rich? If you had to save 50% of your salary in one year, how would you do it? But also ask real-world questions...Some conversations will revolve around general opinions and attitudes about money, but others should be designed to reveal answers to specific questions you have. Whether you want to know if they save for retirement, ever gamble, have an emergency fund, how often they invest in the stock market, or simply their daily spending habits, devise those questions beforehand. These specifics will round out the more general picture you’re getting of their overall relationship with money. Mention an article or statisticsIf you want to understand where your partner stands financially but you're scared to broach the topic, you can take some of the heat off yourself by foisting the attention on a third party. Try something like, "I read this online article about having a money talk with your partner. Why don’t we just play along and try it out?” Seeing as how money disagreements and “financial incompatibility” are one of the leading causes of divorce, it’s a topic that shouldn’t be ignored. Discuss future real-life scenariosWhile you won’t want to do this in the first month of dating, as you get more serious and begin to broach subjects like marriage and children, don’t leave money talks out. This is the time to get specific on how the two of you would handle money as a long-term team, with questions like: “When you’re married, do you want to keep a joint family account, separate personal accounts, or both?” “If you wanted to make a large purchase, would you consult your spouse beforehand?” “How do you feel about setting joint financial goals?” “If your kids wanted to do an extracurricular or take a trip you couldn’t afford, what would you do?” “What age would you ideally like to retire?” Have regular money talksA couple’s discussion about finances should never be a one-off. Once you’ve laid the foundation for open and honest communication about money, make it a habit. If you’re living together, engaged, or married, set up monthly “money dates” to review bills, budgeting, spending and savings, or large purchases. You can use the time to review current expenditures, air any worries, discuss goals, and create long-term financial plans. Here's how you can take a good, hard look at exactly where your money is going. View the full article
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Waiting for a promotion? Here’s how to earn it instead
Too often, we get stuck waiting—waiting for a boss, a higher-up, or even a partner to hand us the reins and tell us it’s our time to shine. But here’s the truth: empowerment isn’t something you’re given. It’s something you take. If things aren’t going your way, there’s no one else to blame—it’s up to you to make a move. If you’re tired of waiting for someone else to recognize your potential or tell you what to do next, here are three actionable steps to take control and empower yourself today: Stop Asking for Permission—Start Taking Initiative Empowerment begins when you stop waiting for someone to tell you what to do and start taking proactive steps toward what you know needs to be done. Identify a recurring problem at work and propose a solution to your team or supervisor. Even if it’s not implemented, the act of stepping forward demonstrates your leadership mindset and builds confidence. Instead of waiting for your boss to address a gap in team communication, suggest implementing a weekly check-in meeting. Better yet, create a suggested communication matrix with specific questions to ask to ensure gaps are minimized. Taking initiative shows you care about the team’s success and your role in it. This puts you in the best position to shine and to keep top-of-mind when positions or projects pop up that require your skillset. Remember that your boss most likely has a busy calendar with shifting priorities and mounting headaches, if you can make their job easier and alleviate some of their headaches, you will be the hero in their workplace story. Word will travel that you are resourceful. Cultivate Self-Awareness and Lean into Your Strengths Understanding your own strengths, weaknesses, and values is the foundation of self-leadership. You don’t need your boss to define your role—you need to define how you show up in it. This simple reframe will help you take back the influence that many of us give away. Spend 10 minutes each week reflecting on recent wins and challenges. What strengths did you leverage? Where could you improve? Use this insight to guide your actions. Also, assess how you feel at the end of each day for one week and note which job functions you were performing when you felt like you were succeeding and when you felt most stressed. That will help you pinpoint the best positions and functions for you. If you’re naturally skilled at relationship-building, consider how you can use that strength to foster collaboration or improve team dynamics, even without being prompted. It will be those relationships that will get you through tough times and could prove beneficial when up for that next promotion too. Don’t forget that you are the captain of your own ship and the chief navigator of your workplace and life experiences. You do not need to be the victim or bystander. Embrace Feedback as a Tool, not a Threat Empowered leaders view feedback as an opportunity to grow, not as a personal attack. Seek out feedback proactively, even if it’s uncomfortable—it’s a critical step in refining your approach and building trust. Without this feedback, you will undoubtedly experience blindspots on your journey. Be open to feedback if you want to minimize painful mistakes. At the end of a project or meeting, ask a colleague or manager, “What’s one thing I did well, and one thing I could improve?” Listen without defensiveness and take actionable steps to improve. Younger says, “We can choose to remove the clay that we place over our brilliance.” She points out that being proactive about requesting feedback allows our brilliance to shine through. When receiving feedback that your presentations need more clarity, take a public speaking course or workshop to elevate your skills and demonstrate your commitment to growth. In this example, be sure to ask what specific areas of your presentation lack clarity. That way, you will not waste time on the wrong things. Often, people shy away from feedback, because they are afraid of what they might find. Those who are eager to go into the unknown of feedback and take in the good with the bad quickly discover the benefits. We cannot be our best and become more self-empowered unless we know where to smooth our rough edges. The good news is that we all have them. So, there is nothing to be ashamed about. Instead, look at the courage you display when you eagerly seek the feedback as a badge of honor. Claim Your Leadership Role Empowerment isn’t a gift someone hands you—it’s a mindset you cultivate. By taking initiative, leveraging your strengths, and embracing feedback, you build the confidence and competence needed to lead yourself—and, in turn, inspire those around you. Stop waiting for permission. Start leading yourself, and watch how others begin to follow. View the full article
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DOGE-linked Fannie Mae board member departs
The regulator is reviewing Fannie's operations and those of another government-sponsored enterprise, where there was reportedly a separate executive departure. View the full article
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The internet at risk: Experts warn of ‘scary’ threats to digital freedom—and what you can do to fight back
In an era where nearly everything we do carries a digital footprint, experts warn that our freedoms are increasingly under attack. But the average internet user can take steps to fight back against threats that range from mass surveillance to the decline of net neutrality to changes to the very architecture of the internet. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is calling on people to become involved in the nonprofit’s wide-ranging work at the intersection of technology and civil liberties. Last month, for example, it filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking transparency about DOGE’s access to Americans’ personal information and has a petition for people to sign that will be sent to Congressional members. “There’s such an important space for everyone to be involved in defending and continuing to advance rights,” Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties director for the ACLU of Northern California, said during a discussion at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW. “This is not a moment where we just have to crawl into a ball, this is a moment where we have to be aggressively using our entire toolkit to be doing what’s right for ourselves and our communities.” Fighting for what people want is important, especially because many people may not appreciate the access afforded by the internet, added Alissa Starzak, deputy chief legal officer and global head of policy at Cloudflare. “We sort of take it for granted, but now is a time when it’s starting to fall apart, and so really thinking about what we can do to sort-of make sure that doesn’t happen is going to be important.” What’s scary right now One sign that Western democracies are moving closer to their versions of a restricted internet was the recent, temporary ban of TikTok, said Stan Adams, public policy specialist at the Wikimedia Foundation. “As a precedent, that is not a great thing for Western democracies.” The TikTok ban also raised important questions about who implements that type of ban—and how, Starzak added. “People are going down into the internet’s architecture and they’re changing things so that they can limit access, and that is a very scary world if you think about the open internet as a good thing.” What’s more, in a time when we’re all living “incredibly digital lives,” the ACLU is focused on ensuring that all of digital information—about who we are, where we go, what we do, and what we know—is safeguarded and isn’t weaponized against us, Ozer said. For example, the ACLU is working to pass laws to limit the use of geofence warrants so the government can’t find out every single person who has been somewhere at a given time—be it SXSW, a protest, or a reproductive clinic, Ozer added. “That is so scary, particularly in this current moment.” Even age verification laws for certain websites, which Adams pointed out are ostensibly intended to keep children from viewing harmful content, also have implications for digital freedom. That’s because they serve as a partial block to people who don’t have a government ID, people who cannot prove who they are, or people who don’t want to submit a facial scan. “It’s still a trend in the wrong direction,” Adams said. “It’s just a soft way of saying don’t go there, which is bad for internet freedom generally.” Why activism matters If Cloudflare gets pressured to block something, the company prioritizes transparency and tries to advertise what’s happening so that people know, Starzak said. “The reality is if you live in a democracy, you should care about these issues.” What’s more, she said, there have been some victories that show the power of activism—such as early-2010s opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), which the U.S. Congress ultimately decided not to pass that legislation. “We all have a role to play,” Starzak said. Adams and Ozer echoed this sentiment. “People like the internet, we all use it, it’s a valuable tool for everyone,” Adams said. “And when we get upset about things that the government does or the companies do, we should speak out about that.” Finally, Ozer emphasized that people have more power than they may realize, especially when it comes to issues people care about. “Democracy doesn’t defend itself and laws don’t pass on their own,” she said. “ We have to have the power as people to move those issues forward.” View the full article
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Why did businesspeople back Trump?
Many imagined someone in their own hard-nosed imageView the full article
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Soaring global debt interest costs outstrip defence spending
Government debt service payments are biggest portion of rich nations’ GDP since at least 2007, says OECDView the full article
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Evereden wants to be Gen Alpha’s Bonne Bell
Like clockwork, when my daughter turned 9, she started to show interest in nail polish, lip balm, and haircare. “Mommy, I think I need shampoo for my specific hair type,” she told me. I knew the day would come when my daughter would be lured in by beauty products, but I still found myself unprepared to respond. I feel a responsibility to help her navigate what will be a lifelong relationship with the beauty industrial complex. This means helping her decide what products are safe and appropriate to use. More importantly, though, it means helping her see beauty as a tool of self-care, rather than an external standard she must achieve. [Photo: Evereden] This is becoming an increasingly complex task for today’s parents. For one thing, the beauty industry is bigger than ever, with new products and brands popping up daily. Many contain active ingredients that aren’t appropriate for young skin, but that hasn’t stopped tweens from flocking to Sephora to buy them. All of these brands—from Sol de Janeiro to Drunk Elephant—are marketed to adults, with models who are much older than the brand’s youngest customers. The good news is that there’s a new wave of startups emerging that cater specifically to younger consumers, including Starface and Bubble. One of the most successful brands in this category is Evereden, which began as a baby brand in 2018 but has grown alongside its customers by creating skincare products for kids and now tweens. It’s currently making its biggest play for the tween set by launching fragrances designed to compete directly with the Sol de Janeiro mists that are highly coveted by middle schoolers. In many ways, Evereden is filling an important gap in the market for age-appropriate beauty products for young girls. It’s a void left behind by Bonne Bell, the iconic cosmetics brand that catered to generations of American tweens but shuttered a decade ago after years of declining sales. Evereden’s approach offers a glimpse into what today’s tweens care about, and what it takes to win them over. Growing With The Customer Parents who slathered Evereden’s creams on their preschoolers in 2018 are now living with preteens. Evereden is prepared for them. Two years ago, it launched a $22 lip oil that comes with a charm attached that feels like an upscale version of Lip Smackers. (Everden’s formula is certified by the Environmental Working Group to be free of toxic chemicals; meanwhile, EWG says Lip Smackers contains ingredients that could cause allergies, reproductive toxicity, and cancer.) [Photo: Evereden] This week, Evereden is launching a $69 three-piece set of fragrance mists that come in fun, colorful bottles. And when I tested them, they seemed to capture the bright, sugary essence of girlhood. This isn’t an accident. While many adult perfumes are complex and subtle, tweens tend to have simpler sensibilities. That’s what Evereden found when it did a focus group with 200 tweens and teens, asking them to choose among 70 scents. The final fragrances are fresh, floral, and sweet. Over the past five years, the fragrance industry has exploded, and tweens have contributed to this growth. Sol de Janeiro became Sephora’s best-selling brand partly because of the success of its fragrance mists, which are extremely popular among middle schoolers. But Evereden cofounder and CEO Kimberley Ho points out that many of the fragrances that tweens are buying from Sephora aren’t designed for kids. Sol de Janeiro’s advertising, for example, features voluptuous women in bikinis on Brazilian beaches. “Mists were the most requested product last year,” Ho says. “Many parents told me they weren’t comfortable with their child using Sol de Janeiro. The brand’s campaigns are sexual, because they’re meant for adults.” [Photo: Evereden] Ho was careful to market Evereden’s new mists in an age-appropriate way. The boxed set comes with a quiz—reminiscent of something you might find in retro magazines like Girls’ Life or Tiger Beat—that helps you decide which mist to wear on a given day. Are you feeling girly? Darling, with its undertones of strawberry and rose, is for you. Are you feeling a little sassy and independent? Supernova, with its pear and bamboo notes, is the right pick. “We use the same model for all the fragrances, because the message is that we are all multidimensional,” Ho says. “Tweens are at an age when they are trying to figure out who they are. We’re trying to say that you can be many things at once.” The Rise and Fall of Bonne Bell In many ways, Evereden is using the playbook of Bonne Bell, which defined tween beauty for generations of Americans. The brand was founded in 1937, at a time when the concept of the “teenager” was first emerging in U.S. culture. The company realized it had an opportunity to tailor products to girls who were curious about their mother’s makeup and skincare, but weren’t ready to take on an adult beauty regimen. The brand launched a range of teen-focused drugstore products that girls could afford to buy with their babysitting money. It was famous for its three-step acne-fighting regimen called Ten-O-Six. In 1973, it launched Lip Smackers, lip balms that came in flavors like cherry and Tootsie Roll. Two years after that, Bonne Bell launched perfumes. A vintage Lip Smackers ad [Photo: twitchery/Flickr] The branding of these products was distinct from beauty products targeted at adults; Bonne Bell featured younger models with more natural makeup in scenarios that were more about having fun than being sexy. As a result, many parents felt comfortable with their daughters filling their vanity with these products. In the 2000s, Bonne Bell began a slow decline. Competitors like Wet n Wild and L’Oréal started going after the tween and teen market with similar products. And retailers like Bath & Body Works tapped into the tween market by creating fun, limited-edition body sprays and washes that middle schoolers loved to collect. But this was also the dawn of e-commerce and social media, which led to an explosion of new beauty brands in the marketplace. Many tweens were drawn to these other brands, which resulted in Bonne Bell losing market share. In 2015, the company announced it was shuttering its operations. Lip Smackers products have reemerged under a new owner but have nowhere near the same market share they once had. [Photo: Evereden] Bonne Bell for Gen Alpha While the market is now overflowing with beauty brands, there are very few that focus exclusively on the tween consumer. This makes business sense. Brands stand to generate far more revenue by reaching a wider demographic—particularly if tweens are among them. But Ho believes it’s worth creating tween-specific products. For one thing, thanks to the clean beauty movement, many parents are very conscious about what they are putting on their children’s bodies. As their toddlers turn into tweens, they want to be careful about potential toxins or hormone disruptors in beauty products. From the start, Evereden has been focused on clean formulations that are also effective. Ho brought on three chief scientific officers who are professors of dermatology at Harvard and Stanford. Together, they’ve developed products free of 2,000 ingredients known to cause harm. The new fragrance mists are made without any preservatives such as butylated hydroxytoluene, which is commonly used in perfumes in the U.S. but has been banned in other countries because it is carcinogenic. [Photo: Evereden] And parents aren’t the only ones who are eager for age-appropriate products. Based on her focus groups, Ho has concluded that most tweens aren’t interested in plunging fully into the world of adulthood and the beauty rituals that go along with it. They’re just curious and want to dip their toe in the water. Until now, there haven’t been many options for them to explore, so they’ve embraced brands meant for older consumers. I see this in my own daughter. She’s intrigued by my perfume and makeup. But she also seems to understand that girlhood is precious and worth holding on to. When Evereden’s perfume mists arrived, she took the quiz with all the seriousness of a school math test. She decided to wear the Supernova scent, because she was feeling spunky. But who knows which one she’ll choose tomorrow? View the full article
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5 ways to compete for talent when you’re on a budget
Sixteen years ago, I received a phone call that was both unexpected and surprising. On the other end of the line was Lisa (a pseudonym) who had previously been the leading applicant for an open job position at our agency. Lisa had learned about our agency from some of her peers who worked with us and who had encouraged her to apply for a position in the firm. But, halfway through the interview process, Lisa informed us that even though she really wanted to work with us, she had received an offer from a competitor that she just couldn’t refuse. At the time, we were a start-up agency that was bootstrapping its way forward. We simply couldn’t match the salary that the competitor was offering Lisa. Believe me, if we could have, we would have. Lisa’s portfolio of work, CV, and recommendations were more than impressive. Although we were disappointed, we thanked Lisa for participating in the interview process and genuinely wished her all the best in her career. This is a scenario that many start-ups find themselves in—wanting to attract their industries’ “best and brightest” but being unable to compete with the big guys in the area of compensation. But, back to the phone call. In a faint whisper, Lisa asked if the position at our agency was still available. I replied yes, it was, and asked why she was whispering. As it turns out, Lisa was whispering because she was in her new workplace and didn’t want her colleagues to overhear the call. I reminded her that we wouldn’t be able to match her current salary, to which she replied: “I’d rather be working with you guys at a lower salary than be working here in a toxic culture.” (Lisa’s peers who worked at our agency had told her about our fun and often quirky culture.) So, we offered the position to Lisa, who immediately quit her job and came to work at our agency, where she excelled in her role. Lisa’s story should be good news for any company seeking to attract top talent, but especially those that can’t afford to compete on the basis of salary. Here are five ways to compete for talent without having a huge budget for salaries. 1. Build a highly engaged company culture A study conducted by Glassdoor, one of the world’s largest recruiting sites, found that 77% of employees consider a company’s culture before applying for a job, and that 56% of applicants rank company culture as being more important than salary when it comes to job satisfaction. If you want to attract top talent, prioritize building a highly engaged company culture where employees are excited about the work they do and are committed to helping their organizations succeed. Let your culture act as a magnet to attract top talent—even if you aren’t exactly hitting the top of your industry’s salary scales. 2. Prioritize work/life balance Of respondents in a FlexJobs Career Pulse Survey, 64% stated they would choose better work/life balance over better pay. And no wonder! Workplace stress has been linked to physical, emotional, and mental health challenges, including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. If your organization can’t compete for top talent on the basis of salary, try competing on work/life balance by offering generous time off opportunities like “Half-Day Fridays,” flexible working hours, and work-from-home opportunities. 3. Provide opportunities for professional development Ambitious employees often forego higher salaries in favor of professional development that could fast-track their careers in the long run. That’s why a great way to attract top talent is to provide candidates with opportunities for professional development that they would not otherwise find at your competitors. But, what professional development programs would attract the type of employees you would want to apply at your firm? Research conducted by PayScale found that nearly a third of all respondents reported that they would be most interested in management/leadership training. Other coveted training opportunities included professional certifications and technical skills training. 4. Offer non-monetary benefits Cold hard cash isn’t the only thing that can motivate an individual to want to work at an organization. In a study conducted by Randstad US, 61% of respondents indicated that they would be willing to accept a lower salary if an organization offered a great benefits package as part of their compensation. And, in a survey by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 80% of respondents reported that they would choose a job with benefits even if an identical job offered 30% more salary but no benefits. If you can’t go toe-to-toe with your competitors based on salaries, consider offering benefits like workplace wellness programs, gym membership, health insurance, and access to mental health resources. 5. ‘We grow, you grow’ programs When Lisa left a higher-paying job to come to our agency, we promised her that as the company grew and became more profitable, her salary would likewise grow—a promise that we were able to keep. Sometimes, all it takes to win over a candidate is to demonstrate that you value their contributions and that as the company grows, they will reap the benefits. If your company simply can’t offer top-tier salaries, consider using these strategies. You may be pleasantly surprised to find that you can compete effectively for top talent without having a huge budget for salaries. View the full article
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Herbert Smith Freehills fined £465,000 over Russia sanction breaches
Treasury says law firm’s Moscow division paid £3.9mn to designated entities View the full article
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This $1,995 home fitness device crams a gym’s worth of equipment into the space of a bookshelf
This nondescript piece of home decor is about the size of a narrow bookshelf, and it looks like a vertical soundbar speaker. In reality, it’s a new home fitness device—and it hides a gym’s worth of workout machines. Amp is a $1,995 home fitness device that streamlines the clunkiness of a cable-based workout machine into the form of a thin, wall-mounted home accessory. It’s now available to pre-order for $99. Just six feet tall and one foot deep, Amp consists of a vertical mounted bar with a movable arm that pivots off the side and serves as the main workout interface. Unlike the typical gym machine with a stack of weights attached to a cable, Amp’s single cable interface connects to a magnetic resistance motor and electrical driver and can be adjusted to different heights to accommodate everything from bicep curls to squats to lunges. [Photo: Amp] Amp was founded by Shalom Meckenzie, a fitness enthusiast and tech entrepreneur. In 2020, he merged his betting software company SBTech with the sports betting company DraftKings for an undisclosed sum. Driven by the impact of losing his father when he was just 18, Meckenzie knew he wanted his next venture to focus on wellness and fitness. He scoured the market and came upon the idea of creating a workout machine that was more accessible than the large, complex and often ugly devices found in gyms. The starting point for Amp’s fitness device was to build something that “would look like a premium, luxury product,” Meckenzie says. “Not like a fitness device but more something like furniture that will blend into any house.” [Photo: Amp] This is a particular challenge for the multi-functional workout device known as a cable crossover machine, which Amp is intended to replicate, and is among one of the most used devices in any gym. Users can do a wide variety of exercises on this machine, but it’s often an elevator-sized metal cage strung through with cables, pulleys, and large stacks of weights. The solution would need the versatility of a crossover machine without the clunkiness—Meckenzie wanted Amp to sit in people’s living rooms, not get tucked away in their basements, while still being useful. “We’ve looked into all of our competitors and we chose one thing. We said we don’t want to look like any of them,” Meckenzie says. [Photo: Amp] About three years ago, he convened a team to devise a different approach. They holed up in a villa for two weeks and started designing prototypes out of cardboard. “I think we built about 25 different mock-ups,” says Shahar Cohen, Amp’s CEO. At the end of this campout design sprint the team members voted on their favorite version of the device. Their selection was unanimous. This prototype became Amp. Amp’s magnetic motor has between five and 100 pounds of resistance, which may seem low for those accustomed to straining against hundreds of pounds of metal weight. Meckenzie says the team designed Amp to optimize how a user works out, not how much weight they can pull. It operates on three different modes that alter the way weight and resistance are used in any given exercise. A fixed mode uses the same amount of resistance for both pulling and releasing the cable. A rubber band-like mode increases the resistance the longer a user pulls on the cable. And “eccentric” mode adds more resistance as the user returns the cable back to its starting point, meaning a 20-pound curl will feel like 30 pounds during the release. [Photo: Amp] With custom-built motors, integrated artificial intelligence, and a companion smartphone app, the device can mimic some of the most common machines found in gyms, and also create entirely new types of workouts based on the needs of the user. “We have a lot of opportunity for different types of resistance that you actually cannot perform with standard mechanical systems,” says Cohen. About 1,000 of Amp’s fitness devices have shipped to customers and installed so far, mostly in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and the company expects to ship to other regions in the coming months. The full $1,995 cost includes shipping as well as installation, which Cohen compares to mounting a television. Hitting a relatively low price point was important to Meckenzie, who developed the idea for Amp during the pandemic when people were buying up smart home fitness devices like Peloton, which sell for between $1,495 and $2,495. “For me, it wasn’t interesting to sell a device for $5,000 or $10,000 which will not be accessible to people,” Meckenzie says. “I wanted to do something that has a big impact.” View the full article
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Indianapolis wants to turn a traffic circle into a park. It’s a brilliant idea
As the geographic center of Indianapolis, Monument Circle is in many ways the heart of the city. The 284-foot Soldiers and Sailors Monument towering in the middle is a beloved local landmark, and the plaza and fountain around its base has been a gathering place since it opened in 1902. But the way most people experience it is through the window of a car. Monument Circle is technically a traffic circle, which means the center of the city is little more than a place for cars to drive. The past couple of years, however, have shown another possibility. Since 2023, from June through November, part of the traffic circle has been closed to cars and converted into Spark on the Circle, a pop-up park that has activated the space and brought tens of thousands of pedestrians downtown. Created by the nonprofit art and design organization Big Car Collaborative in partnership with several local agencies, Spark on the Circle turns a quarter of the circle into an activated public space, with Astroturf covering the roadway, shade structures, games, vendors, and stages for performances. Now the landscape architects who designed the park are working on a plan that could make the pop-up permanent. Merritt Chase, a firm based in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, has been involved in shaping Monument Circle for several years through its work on the downtown resiliency strategy launched by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett in 2022. One plan arising from the strategy calls for a renewed focus on improving walkability downtown and creating more public space for an emerging residential population. Spark on the Circle, and Merritt Chase’s design for it, was created to turn Monument Circle into a destination rather than something most people simply drive past. Historic Monument Circle: Soldiers and Sailors Monument, circa 1950 [Photo: W.H. Bass Photo Co., Indiana Historical Society] “There’s been so much history there, protests and demonstrations, parades, festivals, and just the everyday life of the city that passed through that space. There have always been questions around the identity of the circle, the use of the circle, the future potential of the circle,” says Chris Merritt, cofounder of Merritt Chase. “Over the last couple of years, the temporary park we’ve put out there has definitely been a successful case study of new ways to reimagine and use the circle. So we’re building on that to continue to think about what a future permanent plan might be for the circle.” [Rendering: courtesy Merritt Chase] Merritt Chase has just been awarded an 18-month fellowship to further explore ideas for redesigning or reusing Monument Circle. The firm is one of 10 fellows supported by Emerson Collective, a philanthropy started by Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple’s Steve Jobs. The 2025 cohort of fellows, announced this week, is focused on local leadership and community-centered place-based work, according to Patrick D’Arcy, senior director of fellowships at Emerson Collective. “We really respect [Merritt Chase’s] community-centered approach. They believe that successful public projects require more than just really beautiful design; they also require community trust and collaboration and relationship building,” says D’Arcy. “Their vision for a more utilized and joyful Monument Circle is really inspiring.” [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] A circle for the city Preparations for this summer’s iteration of Spark on the Circle are still underway, but it’s expected to open in June. Megan Vukusich is director of the city’s Department of Metropolitan Development, and though she says there is currently no funding or official plan in place to make the pop-up park a permanent one, the visitation numbers suggest strong community interest. According to a report from Big Car Collective, the 2024 iteration of the park saw more than 71,000 visitors, with more than 400 on an average day. More than 80% of visitors spent 30 minutes or more at the park, and 30% went to a restaurant or did shopping downtown after leaving. [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] “We don’t want people to come and snap a quick photo. We’d like them to stay, maybe check out some of the local shops. These metrics are showing us that it is having an impact on the larger community,” Vukusich says. “Having activations such as Spark gives us a little bit more insight into what the community is looking for.” It’s also a reflection of the changing shape of downtown Indianapolis. Like many city centers, it was deeply affected by the pandemic, with many companies shuttering offices or allowing employees to work remotely. But downtown development is coming back, and officials estimate more than $9 billion worth of projects are in the pipeline, including a convention center expansion and a new 40-story hotel tower. This is happening as downtown’s residential population has grown to more than 29,000, more than a 46% increase since 2010. [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] Merritt Chase has two other ongoing projects that feed into this growth. One is a pedestrian conversion of three blocks leading up to the convention center; the other will add a new park to the site of a historic downtown food hall, with construction beginning this summer. Spark on the Circle is the pop-up version of these larger projects. “This is a way of leveraging a lot of that private investment and connecting it all across the city to create better everyday livable experiences,” Merritt says. “Projects like these and the way they connect will give more of a reason to not just visit but hopefully encourage more people to live downtown.” Though some local commenters have bemoaned any street closures, downtown Indianapolis has a very tight downtown grid with city blocks that are smaller than those in other big cities. The closure of part of the circle, or even the entire circle, would require only a short driving detour. [Photo: courtesy Merritt Chase] Merritt Chase will use its 18-month Emerson Collective fellowship to expand its community outreach, research, and planning for the future of downtown centered around Monument Circle, using Spark on the Circle as one of the primary use cases. Chase Merritt cofounder Nina Chase says the 2024 visitation numbers show there’s a big appetite for this kind of unconventional public space in the city. “That’s been really lovely to see,” she says. “We as landscape architects, we think yes that’s what you should do, but sometimes you never know. So it’s good to see it in action.” Merritt says turning the pop-up park into something more permanent is one option, but it’s not the predetermined goal of the plan Merritt Chase will produce. They’re more interested in finding out how people in the city want to use the space and then designing around that. “Whether it’s parklike and still open for cars or completely closed to cars, I think that’s still to be determined through lots of conversations with folks downtown and residents.” View the full article
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How to know if your company is offering the right benefits
Between the rise of quiet quitting, the evolution of hybrid work, and concerns about artificial intelligence, we live in tumultuous times. In order to retain talent, it’s important for leaders to adapt to the changing needs of their employee population. This is a particularly large challenge at the moment since it requires understanding and supporting very different groups. There are currently five different generations from all walks of life in the workplace. They have a wide range of preferences when it comes to money management, lifestyle, and retirement goals. Finding ways to better understand and engage with the needs of unique employee segments can enhance recruitment and retainment efforts. In fact, our research shows that 91% of employees would be interested in changing jobs and 89% interested in keeping their jobs to gain access to the financial benefits they need. Below are three ways to increase engagement through workplace benefits while fostering a workplace culture that addresses various employee financial goals and needs. 1. Make sure your benefits meet your employees’ specific needs Fair pay, retirement income, and financial guidance may seem like universal demands, but employees come to the table with varying exposure to workplace benefits or financial planning, not to mention different goals—and thus may require different support. For example, Generation Z officially outnumbered the baby boomer generation in 2024. Many Gen Z’ers are likely experiencing benefits for the very first time. Meanwhile, the sandwich generation—employees caring for both aging parents and growing children—is the fastest growing employee segment and likely needs additional support. Additionally, women with children (35%) are about twice as likely as men with children (18%) to say they declined or delayed a promotion due to family obligations. Look for opportunities to provide support for their range of financial needs. For example, student loan repayment programs can help finance an education, emergency savings accounts can prepare your employees for an unexpected expense, and retirement savings vehicles like 401(k) can help your employees reach long-term financial goals. For complex issues, consider connecting your employees with a financial coach or advisor. Our research at Morgan Stanley shows that only about four in 10 diverse high earners use a financial advisor or wealth manager, yet those who do feel more positive about their finances. At the end of the day, keeping pace with the needs and experiences of all employee segments can support a more financially healthy and engaged workforce. 2. Use equity compensation as a retention tool According to our research, equity compensation is growing in popularity: three in four HR leaders (76%) reported that their companies are offering some form of equity compensation, up four percentage points year-over-year, and 12% since 2021. Offering equity compensation can help strengthen teams, attract talent, and keep companies competitive in today’s dynamic environment. It gives employees the opportunity to benefit from the company’s success and potentially increase their net worth. Additionally, it motivates employees to adopt a collective mindset and invest in the success of the company—emphasizing the shared purpose of your organization and uniting all employers behind a common goal and culture. The benefits of equity compensation reach beyond the employee: Equity can help you better reach business goals like recruiting top executives to hit a specific target or promoting company values. Our research shows that most HR leaders (95%) and employees (80%) agree that equity compensation is the most effective way to keep employees engaged. 3. Ensure your benefits education program meets different groups where they are Benefits are no use to employees if they don’t know about them. Consider diversifying your communication strategy by using multiple channels to meet participants where they are: Data shows that baby boomers tend to prefer to learn about benefits through in-person conversations, Gen X employees through online resources, millennial employees through video and podcast content, and Gen Z employees through social media. Our research shows that most employees (80%) believe their company needs to do a better job helping them understand how to maximize the financial benefits offered. Maintain a thoughtful cadence of communication throughout the year. Use various channels such as SMS text, chats, webinars, conference calls, and virtual meetings. Create a library of educational content such as articles, on-demand videos, and virtual classes on your employee intranet, so that employees can easily locate what’s relevant to them. Financial education can help employees connect the dots between their workplace benefits and their individual financial needs. View the full article
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How to manage survivor’s guilt during company layoffs
A lot goes through our heads during company restructurings: Will I get laid off? Will my coworkers lose their jobs? What will happen to my workload if my team is affected? But in the wake of such events, if we don’t get laid off, we often ignore or dismiss the emotions that linger because we don’t feel we deserve to experience them. After all, we kept our jobs, we’re the lucky ones. Why should we complain or feel upset? However experts say that not addressing this so-called survivor’s guilt can negatively impact your confidence and productivity moving forward. “Those employees who remain, they feel either undeserving of being able to stay, or they feel responsible for their colleagues who lost their jobs, or they just feel kind of an overwhelming sense of guilt and sadness, even though they’re still at the job,” says Isha Metzger, a psychologist and cognitive-behavioral therapist specializing in trauma. There’s also often a fear of the unknown among employees who make it out of a major transition unscathed. “It’s this wrestle in the mind of, Oh man, I got to stay, but now I don’t know for how long,” says Lisa Rigoli, who worked in human resources for brands such as Target and CarMax before becoming a leadership consultant for individuals and teams navigating change. Luckily these feelings don’t have to stick around forever. Here’s how to overcome survivor’s guilt so you can make the most of your situation and come away from the organizational pivot stronger, wiser, and much less overwhelmed. PINPOINT THE WHAT AND WHY OF SURVIVOR’S GUILT Common wisdom says that the best first step to tackling any emotion is acknowledging it. That can be easier said than done, which is why Rigoli recommends asking yourself three pointed questions: What about this experience motivates me? What about this experience triggers me? What are some of my blind spots as a result of this experience? Let’s say your boss was let go. You might be motivated by the fact that there’s now an opening to step up as a leader, but triggered by the advanced responsibility or skill set that would entail. Meanwhile, your blind spot might be how to go about taking on this new role. When you’ve identified the things that excite and scare you, you can then begin to take steps toward solving for them. Metzger says labeling how you’re feeling—whether hopeless, nervous, angry, or something else—can also further prepare you for getting what you need to process it effectively, be that talking with a coworker who can comfort you or a family member who can help you decompress. “Without being able to first identify and then communicate what it is that you need, it’s very hard to advocate for yourself,” she says, adding that it’s also okay to acknowledge uncertainty. “Empowerment can also look like, ‘I don’t even have the feelings, or I’m not even able to communicate those feelings right now, and that’s why I’m coming to you for help.’ “Meeting yourself where you’re at, giving yourself grace, and being able to articulate . . . is the best way to get that help that we need,” Metzger adds. SET BOUNDARIES You might be tempted to overcompensate for organizational confusion or a lack of resources by working harder or longer hours. Or maybe there’s a spoken or unspoken expectation that you’ll take on more. As much as you can, resist this urge and set clear boundaries. “You can give yourself permission to disconnect as needed,” Metzger says, noting that this can be as simple as deciding not to check emails after 5 p.m. “If now you need to recharge and rest twice as much, make sure that you’re doing that as well.” With this, it’s important to get clarity on whom you’ll now report to, if management has shifted or left the company, as well as who on your team is new to you. Once that’s clear, you’ll be able to form a relationship built on mutual respect for work-life balance and boundaries. The best way to do so? Advocate for yourself early and often. FIND YOUR COMMUNITY It’s easy to feel like you have to go it alone in the aftermath of a transition—especially if your organization tends to promote a “dog eat dog” culture. But even in the most competitive of spaces it’s possible, and crucial, to find a community that can support you emotionally. “Focus on those allies or those advocates you’ve already been able to identify, and then . . . if you’re asked to take on an extra load, you can go to that ally or that advocate you’ve identified, and hopefully that will be someone who can protect you,” Metzger says. If all your friends or mentors have left, ask them who at the company you could connect with. “If there isn’t anyone who’s currently at your job, you can certainly think about mental health resources that exist, peer support groups that maybe you could find online,” Metzger adds. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL Survivor’s guilt often stems from the fact that something happened to us that was out of our control. Moving past it, then, requires us to focus on the things we do have a say on. “If you’re feeling a loss of control over your workplace, then reframe the narrative in terms of, ‘Okay, I don’t have control over my workplace, but what sorts of things do I have control over? I can maybe get involved socially or civically, or even politically. I can make sure that I am staying close with those colleagues who no longer work here. I can make sure that I can contribute positively to the new workplace reality,’” Metzger says. Just because someone has left your team doesn’t mean you can’t remain friends, close colleagues, or mentor-mentee. Chances are you’ll need that person for emotional and career support down the road—and so will they once the smoke clears and they’re ready to make their next moves post-layoff. CONSIDER YOUR NEXT MOVES Sticking around long term, even with the residual feelings that stir up, might be exactly the right move for you. However, in some cases, your survivor’s guilt could be a sign of something bigger—for example, that you’re ready for a new job. This was the case for Rigoli, who faced a restructuring in 2022 that had her reconsidering her career path. “It forced me to take a moment to really ask myself, ‘What’s right for me? If I were to stay in that role, how would I feel?’ And I felt not complete,” she says. Or it could mean that you need some extra guidance from a therapist or career coach. “If you’re having these conversations and you find yourself still ruminating, still worrying, still feeling sad or guilty or hopeless,” Metzger says, “it never hurts to get that additional professional help.” View the full article
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Norway’s oil fund strikes £570mn deal to buy quarter of Covent Garden
Norges Bank Investment Management makes fresh bet on fortunes of UK capital’s retail and leisure districtView the full article
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The rise of the AI manager
There’s a growing fear that artificial intelligence will soon replace human talent. While it’s undeniable that AI will impact the labor market, as with any disruptive technology, a closer look reveals a different—and far more empowering—future. Rather than displacing highly skilled professionals, AI is setting the stage for knowledge workers to transition from individual contributors into high-leverage managers, directing teams of AI agents that can execute tasks with breathtaking efficiency. Rather than consign the expertise and creativity of humans into irrelevance, AI will make it all the more essential, as humans direct and guide AI agents toward the ideal outcome. AI as High-Performing Team Members Today’s AI systems are already demonstrating mastery in tasks ranging from data analysis and report generation to complex decision-making in finance, legal research, and the creative industries. In many of the sectors mentioned, this capability emerged only in the past few years, as generative AI became a viable and mature tool for businesses. Agentic AI is the next logical step, wherein AI isn’t a tool that assists a human worker but one that acts alongside them with a degree of autonomy. In effect, digital agents are becoming the new breed of employees: competent, consistent, and ever-improving, with the ability to work around the clock and to ingest vast quantities of data in a matter of seconds. You can understand the fear this provokes. AI agents have the ability—at least, in their realm of operations—to be faster, better, and cheaper than humans. But even the best talent needs a manager. And managers with the most high-flying players on their team are the most effective in the organization. The future belongs to professionals who channel AI’s capabilities into results that are exponentially better than what any one person could achieve alone. Leading AI Through Technical Management This begs the question: What does it mean to be a manager of AI agents? The truth is that effective management has always required a dual set of skills, whether we’re talking about people or, indeed, AI systems. On one hand, there’s people management—the art and science of understanding human behavior, motivation, and emotions. Although AI lacks that emotional depth, effective collaboration with AI agents requires certain soft skills, like the ability to set expectations and provide clear, unambiguous instruction. On the other hand, management also means organizing, delegating, and ensuring that systems are in place to execute a strategic vision. This isn’t just about setting a direction; it’s about verifying that every task contributes toward delivering a shared goal. These abilities (tactical oversight, process optimization, and strategic judgment) are specialized skills that don’t easily transfer among different domains. It’s one reason why a stellar sales manager might struggle if suddenly tasked with running an engineering team, and why an esteemed product manager might struggle to motivate a sales team. In a world where AI agents work alongside us, these two facets of management become even more critical. While AI can execute many tasks with remarkable speed and precision, a manager guiding a team of AI agents must both understand the intricate mechanics of the technology and appreciate the human elements of collaboration to work with other human peers who are managing AI systems. The common notion that great managers need to be skilled only in people management, without truly grasping how the work is done, misses the mark entirely. Anyone who’s experienced a manager disconnected from the practical realities of the job will tell you that true leadership demands a hands-on understanding combined with a clear vision. Revisiting the Job Displacement Myth Some worry that as AI becomes more capable, we’ll need far fewer humans in the workforce, which will ultimately lead to mass unemployment. The counter-argument to this common claim is known as Jevons paradox: the idea that increases in efficiency can paradoxically lead to even greater overall demand. While AI might take over tasks that human beings currently do in the workplace, the gains in efficiency in certain tasks will increase the need for human operators (and the human touch) in other ways. The mistake people continually mistake is assuming that the demand for humans (and human skills) is elastic only in one direction—down. That we’ve reached a ceiling for the usefulness of the collective human race and, over time, that ceiling will get lower and lower. If we embrace the possibility that a single person managing AI could deliver outputs far beyond what we see today, we aren’t looking at a future with fewer opportunities. Similarly, the industrial revolution replaced countless manual jobs, particularly in sectors like garment manufacturing, but at the same time it led to a historic explosion of wealth that continues to this day, although, admittedly, unevenly shared. It led to lower prices for many staples of living, not to mention luxuries, which in turn raised our standard of living. The current wave of AI pessimism ignores previous historical trends. It’s equally plausible that the productivity boost of AI will unlock entirely new opportunities—new markets, industries, and innovative products—that we can’t even imagine now. While some jobs might be displaced, others may emerge in the economy that offset that loss. AI agent managers are just one example. So, How Do We Get Ready for This Shift? I’ve been careful not to minimize the pain that a transition to an AI-centered economy will bring. Just like the industrial revolution brought its own short-term displacement, the same will happen here, but with nowhere near the force and system shock that came with the full-blown mechanization of human labor. I believe AI’s path will be slower and more deliberate, and that there are many steps we can take along the way to make the transition much smoother. First, let’s talk about education. Universities are great at producing academics, but they don’t necessarily provide vocational and professional skills. A computer science program will teach you about algorithms, but it might not cover things like GitHub and Docker. As we transition to an AI-powered workforce, it’s likely we’ll need to shift the emphasis away from academics and toward practical, real-world skills. These are the skills that were, in many parts of the world, once provided by polytechnic institutes and are now offered by community colleges in the United States. I would argue that we need more of them, and to treat them with greater esteem. For the current workforce, companies need to make AI literacy part of their playbook, inculcating it within existing workers and incorporating it into their onboarding processes. Training should be provided evenly, from the most junior hires to the C-suite. The companies that start from the outset with an AI-enabled, AI-aware workforce will be those that thrive during this period. And for individuals, especially those in jobs most vulnerable to being disrupted by AI, this is the time to take action. The best thing you can do? Start learning. Not everyone needs to become a software engineer, but understanding AI tools, getting comfortable with digital workflows, and building problem-solving skills will make all the difference. But here’s the catch: It’s not just about knowing how to use AI. It’s about knowing enough to question it. AI is powerful, but it’s not perfect. Blindly accepting AI-generated outputs without understanding the logic behind them, or the limitations of the models themselves, is a recipe for disaster. It’s also, fundamentally, the definition of AI illiteracy. Ultimately, the role of an AI agent manager will be to push back against their “employees” from time to time. The professionals who thrive in this new era will be those who keep their critical thinking skills sharp and who can evaluate AI’s suggestions, knowing when to trust it and when to override it. The good news? There’s no shortage of ways to level up: free courses, employer-led training, AI boot camps, and self-guided learning. The resources are there, but you have to take the first step. The future belongs to those who adapt—and those who think critically. View the full article
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UK wage growth held steady at 5.9 per cent
Figures come as Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates on Thursday View the full article
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The Fed’s uncertainty doesn’t scare markets
Plus the debt ceiling and the end of QTView the full article
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It’s time for yet another UK fiscal event. Will the OBR fix its BoE bond-sale projections?
MaPS, they don’t love you like we love youView the full article
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20 Quotes That Will Change the Way You See Your Stuff
The physical possessions we choose to own shape the direction of our lives more than we realize. Our possessions either help us fulfill our purpose, or they distract us from it. Every item in a home takes up space, demands attention, and requires care. The more we accumulate, the more we spend our time maintaining things rather than living life. Unfortunately, most of us were never taught to question this. Even worse, from a young age, we have been told that more is better—that success is measured by what we own, that happiness is found in the next purchase, that security is found in full closets, full garages, and full bank accounts. But deep down, we know we were designed for something bigger and better than physical possessions. And life is too short to waste chasing things that don’t matter. There is greater joy to be found in owning less than we can ever find pursuing more—because owning less frees us to live a more intentional and focused life. Sometimes, a single quote is all it takes to shift our entire perspective. Just one sentence can remind us of the freedom found in letting go. Sixteen years ago, my neighbor changed my entire life with a single sentence at just the right time. So whether you’re just beginning the journey to a clutter-free life or looking for encouragement to keep going, these quotes are here to help—because the right words, at the right time, can change everything. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. You’ll love owning less. The post 20 Quotes That Will Change the Way You See Your Stuff appeared first on Becoming Minimalist. View the full article
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How Jeff Bezos made peace with Maga
In the past year, the Amazon founder has executed a sharp public reversal in his relationship with the president that has surprised even longtime associates View the full article
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What will be in Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement?
The chancellor’s ship is set to stay afloat despite choppy waters next week, but bigger threats lurk beyondView the full article
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Israel’s ‘forever war’ stretches IDF to the limit
Reservists warn of growing attrition as country moves closer to renewed full-scale conflict in GazaView the full article
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Retail traders take on hedge funds in Europe’s answer to ‘meme stock’ mania
Small investors have piled in to defence companies targeted by short sellers, in an echo of 2021’s GameStop tradeView the full article
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Gilts investors brace for nearly £310bn in debt sales
Near-record total will be a test of market confidence in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spending plansView the full article