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The Artemis II moon mission was a full success. Its crew of four astronauts splashed down safely on earth last week after traveling further into outer space than any humans before them. Like most Americans, I followed the mission with a sense of wonder and pride that felt out-of-place in 2026–this was actual history being made, and even my blackened heart swelled. But not everyone was excited; some people are not buying this whole "orbiting the moon" thing and are convinced that the mission never happened. Everyone is lying, the images and videos we've seen are bogus, and spaceflight doesn't even make sense. I've spent a lot of time digging into the many conspiracy theories online surrounding Artemis II, and there are two rough categories. The first is people who nitpick video feeds for "evidence" that the mission wasn't genuine. I'll address some of those theories later, but first, I want to talk about the more interesting kind of space-skepticism—the kind that comes from a failure of imagination. Science-based Artemis II conspiracy theoriesScience-based skepticism questions specifics of this mission and space travel itself with a sense of "it couldn't possibly be real." And I get it. The idea that people, just like you and me, strapped themselves onto a rocket and blasted past the damn moon, then returned safely to earth is so awe-inspiring, it can be seem unbelievable. So I got in touch with Joel Meyers, a theoretical cosmologist and professor at Southern Methodist University, to get some science-based, down-to-earth answers about how space flight really works. But let's get this out of the way first: Stephen Johnson: Was the Artemis mission fake? Joel Meyers: Absolutely not. SJ: ...That's the official line. But off the record, just between you and me, it was fake, right? JM: Still no. It was not faked. SJ: Okay, then. "The rocket's trajectory would lead back to Earth."Many online conspiracy theorists have taken issue with Artemis' trajectory. The rocket did not shoot straight into the sky toward the moon. Instead, it looked like it was heading back to earth to land in the Bermuda Triangle: According to Meyers, that's by design. "The biggest challenges are getting out of the atmosphere, and then getting out of the gravitational well of the Earth," he said. "But it doesn't go vertically upward, but rather on a trajectory that puts it marginally in orbit around the Earth." To put Orion in Earth orbit, NASA chose a trajectory where the curve of its fall matches the curve of the Earth, so the craft is essentially always falling towards the planet but missing the ground. To get to the moon, you first orbit Earth, then widen your orbit until the moon is in your way. "Going straight up, on a straight line trajectory from the Earth to the moon, would be extremely challenging. It would use much more energy, and there's no reason to do it." Meyers said. "How could they see anything on the 'dark side' of the moon?" Credit: NASA Many online took issue with the astronauts' stunning photos of the "dark side" of the moon. "If it's dark, how can they take photographs of it?" people asked. This is mainly a problem with the phrase "dark side of the moon," and I blame Pink Floyd for this (and many other things.) "The same side of the moon always faces the Earth, and we refer to the opposite side of the moon as, more technically, the far side of the moon," Meyers said. "When the side of the moon that's facing the Earth is dark, when it's a new moon, that means the other side of the moon, the far side of the moon, is illuminated. From the perspective of where that picture was taken, the sun was just behind the photographer, so it was illuminating the far side of the moon." "That somebody was up there to take a picture, with the far side of the moon illuminated, actually gives stronger evidence that indeed this was not fake," he added. "How could the speed of the ship be slowed down by just a couple of parachutes?"The Artemis' Orion Crew Module returned to Earth at a speed of around 25,000 miles per hour. Then it slowed down to around 20 mph for splashdown with just three dinky parachutes. How is this even possible? According to Meyers, most of the slowing-down doesn't come from the parachutes. "The drag, or passing through the atmosphere, does a significant amount to slow down the vessel," Meyers said, "They passed through miles of atmosphere that burned off much of the speed by the time the parachutes are deployed ... the parachutes are deployed only at a later stage to slow the descent to a degree that's comfortable for humans to land and splash down." Video evidence of Artemis conspiracy theoriesWith the science out of the way, let's take a look at the video footage conspiracies. There are many videos online that pick apart specific details in the footage sent back from the Artemis mission to indicate it didn't happen. But all of them do more to prove the mission was real than to reveal it as fake. "The food bag floats through the astronaut's ear." In the above video, you can see what looks like a food bag "phasing through" an astronaut's ear. "Don't tell me this is a glitch or an artifact," TikToker @knightfallenangel says in the video. I'm sorry, but I am telling him that it is a video artifact: It's compression noise caused by high-definition video being made small enough to be transmitted from space to Earth and then sent to your iPhone. Crystal-clear video would be a better indication of fakery, because it wouldn't have to travel so far under such unusual circumstances. "The green screen is glitching out." The above video supposedly shows the green screen "glitching out" in footage from the mission. The debunk is contained right in the footage here too. First, this is from a single station's broadcast, not the feed from NASA itself. The same interview on other stations contains no glitch. Best explanation for what's happening here: The local station uses some kind of green screen to display its online graphics. Ride, the mission's plushy mascot, wears a hat that is various shades of green and blue. When the footage contains just the right shade of green/blue, the local feed replaces it with the station's graphics. If the source footage was "shot on green screen," you'd see the background in parts of Ride's hat every time the green/blue parts of the toy appeared on the stream. (My own conspiracy theory is that NASA chose Ride's hat color as subtle proof that it's not freakin' green screen.) "Why isn't the iPad floating?" The iPad in this shot really isn't floating, but I'd guess it's kept in place with Velcro, which was specifically designed to keep things from floating away during space missions. It could be magnets too. Also: The photo that often accompanies this footage that seems to show astronauts on wires in a green screen studio is AI-generated. Credit: @soycastro - TikTok You can tell by the extra fingers, plus those black wires would be prominent on any green screen footage shot in this studio. "Christina Cook's hair proves the mission is fake." Some people have noted that astronaut Christina Cook wears her hair loose during the mission. I'm not sure how this is evidence that the videos are faked, but her hair actually proves the footage is genuine. First, there's the way it fans out from her head, because gravity isn't acting on it. Secondly, green screen does not deal well with translucent things like hair, especially with light coming from behind it. What you'd see is "spill," a green fringe around her head. Overall, Cook's hair would be a special effects person's nightmare. The amount of precision CGI it would take to perfectly animate "weightless hair" while also correcting for the spill might be possible to pull off for a few moments (if you had a large team working on it and several million dollars), but there are hours of this footage. If it was green screened, someone would have just told Cook to pull her hair back or wear a hat. "This launch video shows the astronauts exiting the craft on a zipline."NASA chose to launch the Artemis II mission on April 1. Scientists say the date was chosen based on orbital mechanics, mission requirements, and weather and lighting conditions, but what if it was a subtle signal that the whole mission is a big joke? Joke or not, check out this detail from NASA's launch footage: Credit: NASA At issue are those pods. Right before the rocket lifts off, the pods shoot in the other direction, as you can see here: "See? That's the astronauts not going on the rocket ride," some concluded. But if the mission was faked, why would they bring the astronauts into the Orion in the first place? And why would they make their "exit" so obvious? What you're seeing is actually the Artemis Emergency Egress System, an emergency escape mechanism in case of launch pad problems. Science belongs to everyone The AEES is just one aspect of a mission that was exhaustively documented. NASA lays out every detail. There aren't a lot of secrets here, which makes the spread of these weird theories so perplexing. "There's a bit of an in-group mentality to conspiracy theorists. They see themselves as questioning authority and not taking what's fed to them by the 'mainstream media,'" Meyers says. "But I find it a bit confusing as a scientist, because, unlike a lot of other topics for which conspiracy theories develop, there is no sense of authority in the process of science. It's for everyone. The discoveries we make as a human species belong to the whole species." "Hopefully, seeing some of the science, seeing some of the experiments that astronauts can carry out, will help them understand that this really is an amazing human achievement, and we can all take part in that. It's not a matter of us versus them." View the full article

Online business accounting is the use of cloud-based software to manage your financial transactions, allowing you to access and collaborate on your records from anywhere with internet access. This method streamlines bookkeeping, reduces errors, and provides real-time insights into your finances. By enhancing compliance and improving financial management, it plays a vital role in supporting your business’s growth. So, what are the specific benefits and features that make this approach fundamental for your operations? Key Takeaways Online business accounting utilizes cloud-based software for efficient financial transaction management and collaboration from any internet-connected device. It enhances cost efficiency by offering subscription models that scale with business growth and automate tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. Advanced security measures and compliance features protect sensitive data and minimize legal risks associated with financial management. Accurate financial reporting provides real-time insights, enabling informed decision-making and better cash flow management for businesses. Integrated tax compliance features streamline preparation and filing, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties. Understanding Online Business Accounting As you explore online business accounting, you’ll find that it fundamentally transforms how financial transactions and records are managed. Online business accounting involves using cloud-based software to track your finances, allowing you to access records and collaborate from anywhere with an internet connection. A key component often associated with this concept is the QuickBooks definition; it refers to one of the most widely used accounting software solutions that automates crucial tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. This automation markedly reduces manual bookkeeping efforts and the likelihood of errors. With online business accounting, you can generate customizable financial reports, such as profit and loss statements, almost instantly. Subscription-based pricing makes these solutions cost-effective, adapting as your business grows. Furthermore, advanced security measures, including encryption and regular backups, guarantee your sensitive financial data remains protected and compliant with data protection regulations, making it a reliable choice for modern businesses. Key Benefits of Online Business Accounting When you choose online business accounting, you’re revealing key benefits that can considerably improve your operations. You gain cost efficiency through subscription models that adjust as your business grows, as real-time financial insights help you make informed decisions quickly. Furthermore, built-in compliance and security features protect your sensitive information, ensuring your financial data remains safe and sound. Cost Efficiency and Savings Online business accounting provides significant cost efficiency and savings, especially when you consider the various subscription models available. With platforms like eAccounts, you pay only for the features you need, which cuts down overall accounting costs compared to traditional services. Moreover, by using online accounting software, you can eliminate expenses related to hiring in-house accountants, saving on salaries, benefits, and office space. Automation of tasks such as invoicing and expense tracking saves you hours of manual work each week, enabling you to focus on growth as you reduce labor costs. The flexibility and scalability of these solutions likewise mean you can adapt your financial management without incurring costs from switching systems as your needs evolve. Real-Time Financial Insights Having real-time access to financial reports can greatly improve your ability to track business performance and make informed decisions. Online business accounting provides customizable reports, such as profit and loss statements and cash flow reports, offering detailed insights into your financial health. This allows you to make timely adjustments to your business strategies. Furthermore, automated invoicing and expense tracking save you hours of manual bookkeeping, directing your focus toward growth. Improved visibility into cash flow management enables you to predict future cash flow needs, aiding in effective planning. Here’s a quick overview of these benefits: Benefit Description Impact on Business Real-Time Reports Instant access to financial data Quick decision-making Customizable Insights Customized reports for financial health Timely strategic adjustments Automated Processes Reduced manual bookkeeping More time for business growth Cash Flow Management Improved forecasting of cash flow needs Better planning and stability Enhanced Compliance and Security Maintaining compliance and security in financial management is crucial for any business, especially when sensitive data is involved. Online business accounting offers several features that improve your financial security and compliance with regulations. These benefits include: Advanced encryption methods that protect sensitive financial information from unauthorized access. Regular updates and maintenance protocols to safeguard against potential cybersecurity threats. Compliance with data protection regulations, which mitigates legal risks related to data breaches. User access controls that limit exposure to sensitive information, allowing you to manage who can view or edit financial data. With backup systems in place, you can guarantee financial records are preserved and recoverable in case of system failures or breaches, making online accounting a secure choice for your business. Cost-Effective Financial Management Solutions Cost-effective financial management solutions are crucial for small businesses looking to thrive in a competitive environment. Online accounting services, like eAccounts, eliminate the need for in-house accountants, greatly reducing overhead costs associated with traditional methods. These services often use subscription-based pricing models, allowing you to pay only for the features you actually need, providing flexibility as your business grows. Customized services cater particularly to your financial management needs, ensuring a personalized experience without the high costs of conventional accounting. By utilizing online accounting platforms, you can streamline your financial management processes, saving time and resources that can be redirected for growth. Furthermore, these solutions improve cash flow management and enhance compliance with tax laws, reducing the risk of penalties and ensuring accurate reporting. Embracing these cost-effective options can lead to better financial health and stability for your small business. Time-Saving Automation Features When you utilize online business accounting, you’re tapping into potent time-saving automation features that can transform how you manage your finances. These features streamline various tasks, allowing you to focus on growth rather than paperwork. Automated invoicing: Create and send invoices effortlessly, drastically cutting down your manual workload. Expense tracking: Automatically categorize expenses and sync receipts, saving hours of tedious bookkeeping. Bank reconciliation: Enjoy real-time accuracy with automatic syncing to your bank accounts, eliminating the need for manual entry. 24/7 access: Manage your finances anytime and anywhere from various devices, enhancing flexibility. Importance of Accurate Financial Reporting Accurate financial reporting is crucial for real-time financial monitoring, allowing you to see your business’s performance as it unfolds. With clear data, you can make informed decisions that steer your strategies in the right direction. This precision not only helps manage your cash flow but likewise builds trust with stakeholders by showcasing your financial stability. Real-Time Financial Monitoring In today’s fast-paced business environment, real-time financial monitoring plays a crucial role in ensuring that you have access to the most current financial data, which allows you to make informed decisions quickly. This capability helps you stay agile and responsive to your business needs. Key benefits of real-time financial monitoring include: Timely access to financial reports, enabling quick adjustments to strategies. Customizable reports, like profit and loss statements, for detailed insights into financial health. Identification of trends, allowing you to address potential issues proactively. Enhanced cash flow visibility, helping you predict future cash needs and optimize growth strategies. Informed Decision Making Having access to accurate financial reporting is essential for making informed decisions that drive your business forward. Real-time insights into your business’s performance allow you to rely on current data, avoiding outdated information. Customizable reports, like profit and loss statements and cash flow reports, help you track key financial indicators, enabling timely strategy adjustments to improve financial health. With detailed financial data, you can boost budgeting and forecasting, identifying growth trends and potential challenges. Accurate reporting also improves cash flow management, helping you anticipate shortages and plan for expenses. In addition, real-time insights simplify compliance with tax regulations, making it easier to prepare and file documents as well as reducing the risk of errors and penalties. Ensuring Compliance and Security in Online Accounting As businesses increasingly rely on online accounting services, ensuring compliance and security has become a top priority. To protect sensitive financial information, online accounting platforms implement several key measures: Data Protection Compliance: These services prioritize adherence to data protection regulations, using advanced encryption methods to secure information from unauthorized access. Regular Updates: Ongoing maintenance and updates keep systems secure against threats, safeguarding both business and customer data. User Access Controls: Access is limited to authorized users only, improving data security and compliance efforts. Automated Backups: Backup systems are in place to prevent data loss, ensuring financial records are preserved and recoverable in case of a breach. Additionally, online accounting software helps businesses stay updated with changing tax laws, providing resources to maintain compliance and minimize penalties. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Online Accounting? Online accounting is a cloud-based service that enables you to manage your financial tasks remotely. It automates crucial functions like invoicing and expense tracking, which saves you significant time compared to manual bookkeeping. You can access your financial data anytime, from any internet-connected device, enhancing flexibility. Many platforms operate on a subscription model, allowing you to choose features that suit your needs, ultimately optimizing your financial management and reducing costs over time. What Are the Benefits of Online Business? Online business offers numerous benefits that can greatly improve your operations. It reduces overhead costs, as you only pay for necessary features through subscription-based services. Automation streamlines tasks like invoicing and expense tracking, saving you time. Real-time financial reporting aids in informed decision-making, as improved cash flow management helps you monitor outstanding invoices. Furthermore, online accounting solutions provide scalability and integrate with other tools, adapting to your evolving business needs efficiently. What Is Accounting and Why Is It Important for Businesses? Accounting involves tracking and analyzing financial transactions, which gives you a clear picture of your business’s financial health. It’s important since it guarantees compliance with regulations, helping you avoid penalties. Accurate records allow you to make informed decisions, like identifying profitable areas or adjusting budgets. Furthermore, organized financial data supports effective resource management and promotes transparency, building trust with stakeholders, which is essential for long-term success. Comprehending accounting is critical for any business owner. What Are the 5 Main Reasons Why Accounting Is Important? Accounting is essential for several reasons. First, it provides real-time financial insights, allowing you to make informed decisions. Second, it guarantees compliance with tax regulations, reducing the risk of penalties. Third, effective bookkeeping helps identify profitable products, directing your efforts wisely. Fourth, organized records simplify audits and tax filings. Finally, automated solutions save you time on manual tasks, letting you focus on growth and strategic planning instead of getting lost in financial details. Conclusion In conclusion, online business accounting is an important tool for modern enterprises. It streamlines financial management, improves accuracy in reporting, and guarantees compliance with regulatory requirements. By leveraging cloud-based software, you gain real-time insights into your financial health, which supports informed decision-making. Furthermore, the cost-effective and time-saving features of these solutions can greatly contribute to your business’s growth and stability. Embracing online accounting is not just beneficial; it’s vital for traversing today’s dynamic market. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Online Business Accounting and Why Is It Essential?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Online business accounting is the use of cloud-based software to manage your financial transactions, allowing you to access and collaborate on your records from anywhere with internet access. This method streamlines bookkeeping, reduces errors, and provides real-time insights into your finances. By enhancing compliance and improving financial management, it plays a vital role in supporting your business’s growth. So, what are the specific benefits and features that make this approach fundamental for your operations? Key Takeaways Online business accounting utilizes cloud-based software for efficient financial transaction management and collaboration from any internet-connected device. It enhances cost efficiency by offering subscription models that scale with business growth and automate tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. Advanced security measures and compliance features protect sensitive data and minimize legal risks associated with financial management. Accurate financial reporting provides real-time insights, enabling informed decision-making and better cash flow management for businesses. Integrated tax compliance features streamline preparation and filing, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties. Understanding Online Business Accounting As you explore online business accounting, you’ll find that it fundamentally transforms how financial transactions and records are managed. Online business accounting involves using cloud-based software to track your finances, allowing you to access records and collaborate from anywhere with an internet connection. A key component often associated with this concept is the QuickBooks definition; it refers to one of the most widely used accounting software solutions that automates crucial tasks like invoicing and expense tracking. This automation markedly reduces manual bookkeeping efforts and the likelihood of errors. With online business accounting, you can generate customizable financial reports, such as profit and loss statements, almost instantly. Subscription-based pricing makes these solutions cost-effective, adapting as your business grows. Furthermore, advanced security measures, including encryption and regular backups, guarantee your sensitive financial data remains protected and compliant with data protection regulations, making it a reliable choice for modern businesses. Key Benefits of Online Business Accounting When you choose online business accounting, you’re revealing key benefits that can considerably improve your operations. You gain cost efficiency through subscription models that adjust as your business grows, as real-time financial insights help you make informed decisions quickly. Furthermore, built-in compliance and security features protect your sensitive information, ensuring your financial data remains safe and sound. Cost Efficiency and Savings Online business accounting provides significant cost efficiency and savings, especially when you consider the various subscription models available. With platforms like eAccounts, you pay only for the features you need, which cuts down overall accounting costs compared to traditional services. Moreover, by using online accounting software, you can eliminate expenses related to hiring in-house accountants, saving on salaries, benefits, and office space. Automation of tasks such as invoicing and expense tracking saves you hours of manual work each week, enabling you to focus on growth as you reduce labor costs. The flexibility and scalability of these solutions likewise mean you can adapt your financial management without incurring costs from switching systems as your needs evolve. Real-Time Financial Insights Having real-time access to financial reports can greatly improve your ability to track business performance and make informed decisions. Online business accounting provides customizable reports, such as profit and loss statements and cash flow reports, offering detailed insights into your financial health. This allows you to make timely adjustments to your business strategies. Furthermore, automated invoicing and expense tracking save you hours of manual bookkeeping, directing your focus toward growth. Improved visibility into cash flow management enables you to predict future cash flow needs, aiding in effective planning. Here’s a quick overview of these benefits: Benefit Description Impact on Business Real-Time Reports Instant access to financial data Quick decision-making Customizable Insights Customized reports for financial health Timely strategic adjustments Automated Processes Reduced manual bookkeeping More time for business growth Cash Flow Management Improved forecasting of cash flow needs Better planning and stability Enhanced Compliance and Security Maintaining compliance and security in financial management is crucial for any business, especially when sensitive data is involved. Online business accounting offers several features that improve your financial security and compliance with regulations. These benefits include: Advanced encryption methods that protect sensitive financial information from unauthorized access. Regular updates and maintenance protocols to safeguard against potential cybersecurity threats. Compliance with data protection regulations, which mitigates legal risks related to data breaches. User access controls that limit exposure to sensitive information, allowing you to manage who can view or edit financial data. With backup systems in place, you can guarantee financial records are preserved and recoverable in case of system failures or breaches, making online accounting a secure choice for your business. Cost-Effective Financial Management Solutions Cost-effective financial management solutions are crucial for small businesses looking to thrive in a competitive environment. Online accounting services, like eAccounts, eliminate the need for in-house accountants, greatly reducing overhead costs associated with traditional methods. These services often use subscription-based pricing models, allowing you to pay only for the features you actually need, providing flexibility as your business grows. Customized services cater particularly to your financial management needs, ensuring a personalized experience without the high costs of conventional accounting. By utilizing online accounting platforms, you can streamline your financial management processes, saving time and resources that can be redirected for growth. Furthermore, these solutions improve cash flow management and enhance compliance with tax laws, reducing the risk of penalties and ensuring accurate reporting. Embracing these cost-effective options can lead to better financial health and stability for your small business. Time-Saving Automation Features When you utilize online business accounting, you’re tapping into potent time-saving automation features that can transform how you manage your finances. These features streamline various tasks, allowing you to focus on growth rather than paperwork. Automated invoicing: Create and send invoices effortlessly, drastically cutting down your manual workload. Expense tracking: Automatically categorize expenses and sync receipts, saving hours of tedious bookkeeping. Bank reconciliation: Enjoy real-time accuracy with automatic syncing to your bank accounts, eliminating the need for manual entry. 24/7 access: Manage your finances anytime and anywhere from various devices, enhancing flexibility. Importance of Accurate Financial Reporting Accurate financial reporting is crucial for real-time financial monitoring, allowing you to see your business’s performance as it unfolds. With clear data, you can make informed decisions that steer your strategies in the right direction. This precision not only helps manage your cash flow but likewise builds trust with stakeholders by showcasing your financial stability. Real-Time Financial Monitoring In today’s fast-paced business environment, real-time financial monitoring plays a crucial role in ensuring that you have access to the most current financial data, which allows you to make informed decisions quickly. This capability helps you stay agile and responsive to your business needs. Key benefits of real-time financial monitoring include: Timely access to financial reports, enabling quick adjustments to strategies. Customizable reports, like profit and loss statements, for detailed insights into financial health. Identification of trends, allowing you to address potential issues proactively. Enhanced cash flow visibility, helping you predict future cash needs and optimize growth strategies. Informed Decision Making Having access to accurate financial reporting is essential for making informed decisions that drive your business forward. Real-time insights into your business’s performance allow you to rely on current data, avoiding outdated information. Customizable reports, like profit and loss statements and cash flow reports, help you track key financial indicators, enabling timely strategy adjustments to improve financial health. With detailed financial data, you can boost budgeting and forecasting, identifying growth trends and potential challenges. Accurate reporting also improves cash flow management, helping you anticipate shortages and plan for expenses. In addition, real-time insights simplify compliance with tax regulations, making it easier to prepare and file documents as well as reducing the risk of errors and penalties. Ensuring Compliance and Security in Online Accounting As businesses increasingly rely on online accounting services, ensuring compliance and security has become a top priority. To protect sensitive financial information, online accounting platforms implement several key measures: Data Protection Compliance: These services prioritize adherence to data protection regulations, using advanced encryption methods to secure information from unauthorized access. Regular Updates: Ongoing maintenance and updates keep systems secure against threats, safeguarding both business and customer data. User Access Controls: Access is limited to authorized users only, improving data security and compliance efforts. Automated Backups: Backup systems are in place to prevent data loss, ensuring financial records are preserved and recoverable in case of a breach. Additionally, online accounting software helps businesses stay updated with changing tax laws, providing resources to maintain compliance and minimize penalties. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Online Accounting? Online accounting is a cloud-based service that enables you to manage your financial tasks remotely. It automates crucial functions like invoicing and expense tracking, which saves you significant time compared to manual bookkeeping. You can access your financial data anytime, from any internet-connected device, enhancing flexibility. Many platforms operate on a subscription model, allowing you to choose features that suit your needs, ultimately optimizing your financial management and reducing costs over time. What Are the Benefits of Online Business? Online business offers numerous benefits that can greatly improve your operations. It reduces overhead costs, as you only pay for necessary features through subscription-based services. Automation streamlines tasks like invoicing and expense tracking, saving you time. Real-time financial reporting aids in informed decision-making, as improved cash flow management helps you monitor outstanding invoices. Furthermore, online accounting solutions provide scalability and integrate with other tools, adapting to your evolving business needs efficiently. What Is Accounting and Why Is It Important for Businesses? Accounting involves tracking and analyzing financial transactions, which gives you a clear picture of your business’s financial health. It’s important since it guarantees compliance with regulations, helping you avoid penalties. Accurate records allow you to make informed decisions, like identifying profitable areas or adjusting budgets. Furthermore, organized financial data supports effective resource management and promotes transparency, building trust with stakeholders, which is essential for long-term success. Comprehending accounting is critical for any business owner. What Are the 5 Main Reasons Why Accounting Is Important? Accounting is essential for several reasons. First, it provides real-time financial insights, allowing you to make informed decisions. Second, it guarantees compliance with tax regulations, reducing the risk of penalties. Third, effective bookkeeping helps identify profitable products, directing your efforts wisely. Fourth, organized records simplify audits and tax filings. Finally, automated solutions save you time on manual tasks, letting you focus on growth and strategic planning instead of getting lost in financial details. Conclusion In conclusion, online business accounting is an important tool for modern enterprises. It streamlines financial management, improves accuracy in reporting, and guarantees compliance with regulatory requirements. By leveraging cloud-based software, you gain real-time insights into your financial health, which supports informed decision-making. Furthermore, the cost-effective and time-saving features of these solutions can greatly contribute to your business’s growth and stability. Embracing online accounting is not just beneficial; it’s vital for traversing today’s dynamic market. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Online Business Accounting and Why Is It Essential?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday began layoffs expected to lead to 1,000 job cuts across the company. Josh D’Amaro, who in February succeeded Bob Iger as chief executive, announced broader layoffs following a move in January to consolidate Disney’s marketing division. The cuts are expected to fall across the Burbank, California-based company’s traditional television businesses, including ESPN, as well as its movie studio. Employees in product and technology, and in certain corporate functions will also be affected. “Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney,” D’Amaro said in a memo to employees obtained by The Associated Press. “Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs.” Disney last went through a round of layoffs soon after Iger returned for a second spell as chief executive office in 2022. The company cut around 8,000 jobs then. As of late 2025, Disney had about 230,000 employees. D’Amaro, who previously oversaw Disney’s lucrative parks division, has been at the company since 1998. Contraction has recently been a widespread concern in Hollywood. Paramount Skydance has shed 2,000 jobs since the studio was taken over by David Ellison’s company, and Ellison has acknowledged layoffs would follow Paramount’s planned merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, if the deal wins approval from shareholders and government regulators. Last week, Sony Pictures Entertainment said it would eliminate hundreds of jobs. —Jake Coyle, AP Film Writer View the full article

Flipping the ‘BirdView the full article

Top fund official says UK chancellor looks ‘very aligned’ with recommendation of targeted help in wake of Iran shockView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Robot vacuums have moved from basic helpers to something closer to hands-off cleaning, but the price usually climbs with that convenience. The Roborock Qrevo QV 35A brings a lot of those higher-end features down to $399.99 (originally $649.99), its lowest tracked price so far, according to price trackers. Roborock Qrevo QV 35A $399.99 at Amazon $649.99 Save $250.00 Get Deal Get Deal $399.99 at Amazon $649.99 Save $250.00 The QV 35A is a vacuum-and-mop combo with a dock that handles most of the routine work for you. That includes emptying the dustbin, washing the mop pads, refilling water, and drying the pads after a run—you’ll still need to empty the dirty water tank and swap the dust bag every so often, but the day-to-day effort is low. That said, the dock uses cold water to wash pads and room-temperature air to dry them, which takes several hours and requires occasional cleaning to avoid buildup. The device cleans well for something in this range. The 8,000Pa suction picks up crumbs, dust, and pet hair from hard floors in one pass, and on low carpets, it handles surface debris without much trouble (though deeper cleaning usually needs a second run). Its rubber main brush and curved side brush help keep hair from wrapping around, reducing hair tangles (which is good news if you deal with shedding pets). On the mopping side, the dual pads spin at 200 RPM and press down enough to lift dried spills like coffee or sticky spots instead of pushing them around—and when it moves onto carpet, the pads lift by about 10mm, so it does not drag moisture onto rugs during a cleaning cycle. Navigation is handled by a LiDAR system that maps your home and cleans in a predictable pattern, usually starting along the edges and then moving in straight lines. You can split rooms, set no-go zones, and build routines in the app without much effort, and it supports multi-floor maps if you have more than one level. On the downside, there's no camera here, which keeps things simple and avoids image-based tracking, but it also means the robot is less precise with smaller or low-profile objects—it avoids larger items like shoes or toys without much trouble, but thin cables can still trip it up, so you will need to tidy those before a run. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $199.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) — $299.00 (List Price $399.00) Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Streaming Player With Remote (2025 Model) — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Amazon Fire TV Soundbar — $99.99 (List Price $119.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $35.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $59.98 (List Price $79.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Yesterday was World Quantum Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the physics that powers the quantum computers of tomorrow. But awareness of quantum technology wasn’t the only thing that was rising. So, too, were the stock prices of America’s four major quantum computing companies: D-Wave, IonQ, Rigetti, and Quantum Computing Inc. And today, the stock prices of those four companies are even higher. Here’s why. Quantum computing stocks soar If you’re an investor in any of the so-called Quantum Four quantum computing companies, yesterday was a good day. All four major American quantum computing companies saw double-digit gains yesterday, including: D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE: QBTS): up 15.8% to $16.97 IonQ, Inc. (NYSE: IONQ): up 20.1% to $35.76 Quantum Computing Inc. (Nasdaq: QUBT): up 11.5% to $8.11 Rigetti Computing, Inc. (Nasdaq: RGTI): up 11.5% to $16.87 Those are significant one-day gains. But they haven’t stopped there. As of the time of this writing, in premarket trading today, all four quantum stocks are on the rise yet again. Currently, D-Wave is up another 8%, IonQ is up another 4.6%, Quantum Computing Inc. is up another 3.7%, and Rigetti is up another 5%. But the question is: Why? IonQ and D-Wave lift quantum computing stocks While it may be tempting to believe that interest in World Quantum Day had something to do with the surge in quantum computing stock prices, that likely wasn’t the main driver (though some retail investors may have gotten curious about quantum computing due to World Quantum Day and decided to buy in). Out of the Quantum Four, the two biggest gainers yesterday were IonQ, up over 20%, and D-Wave, up almost 16%. And both of these companies made significant announcements, spurring their stock prices higher. What did IonQ announce? Yesterday, IonQ announced it had made a “foundational technical milestone” for the industry. The company says that it photonically interconnected “two independent trapped-ion quantum systems”—in other words, it linked two remote quantum computers together. Right now, quantum computers, while powerful, operate independently. But if quantum technology is to usurp classical computers, quantum ones will ultimately need to be networkable, allowing them to interface with one another and share data across an interconnected grid. Additionally, IonQ also announced that it secured a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) based on its networking advancements, so it’s no wonder that it got investors excited. What did D-Wave announce? As for D-Wave, the company’s CEO spent World Quantum Day espousing the benefits of quantum computing, especially how it compares to the current AI wave taking over the tech industry, which Nvidia has mainly benefited from. As reported by Yahoo Finance, while speaking at the Semafor World Economy Summit in Washington, D.C., this week, D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz said, “If I was Nvidia, I’d be shaking in my boots,” regarding the capabilities of quantum computing. The reason Baratz says Nvidia should be shaking is that its GPUs, which power AI processes, require a lot of power to run on compared to quantum computers. And Nvidia’s GPUs are only capable of running classical computations, not quantum ones. Baratz pointed out that D-Wave’s “quantum computer takes about ten kilowatts of power to run,” which is about the same amount that five or ten AI GPUs currently require. But a quantum computer can also process tasks in minutes that it would take classical computers millions of years to do. In other words, if quantum computers will be able to carry out tasks in minutes using a minute fraction of the time it takes classical GPUs to do so, that will enable companies to drastically cut their energy consumption bills—which will serve as a massive incentive to switch from running their compute tasks on classical GPUs to quantum computers. The news around IonQ and D-Wave seems to have had a predictable effect on Quantum Four stocks. Often, good news from one company will cause investors to buy into all four, seeing the news as a signal that quantum technology is advancing, and so any company operating in the space is worth looking at again. Quantum computing stocks have had a rough 2026 Despite all four quantum stocks seeing massive gains yesterday, the Quantum Four have had a rough 2026. As of yesterday’s close, all four companies were still in the red for the year, with D-Wave down 35% year-to-date, IonQ down 20%, Rigetti down 23%, and Quantum Computing Inc. down almost 21%. As Fast Company previously reported, while 2025 was a great year for the stock prices of the Quantum Four, 2026 saw investors sour on the four companies. Part of this was due to fears that while quantum computing is a promising technology, real-world widespread use is still likely a decade or more away—which means significant profits are still years off. But the Quantum Four also saw their stock prices plummet due to factors outside their control—as did the stock prices of most other tech companies. These factors included fears that an AI bubble could drag the tech sector down, that inflationary pressures could further hurt consumer confidence, and that geopolitical events such as the war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza could further send the world into turmoil (and this was before America’s war on Iran even happened). So while investors may be cheering quantum stocks again today, recent history shows that investor sentiment can quickly sour, and not even a quantum computer could confidently predict how quantum stocks will be performing when World Quantum Day rolls around next year. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has been expensive since its launch in July 2025, but this current price drop makes it a more reasonable buy. Right now, the 512GB unlocked model in Blue Shadow and Silver Shadow is down to $1,719.99 (originally $2,119.99) on Amazon—a $400 discount, and the lowest price it’s ever been, according to price trackers. You could also go with the Jet Black model, which is another $30 off at $1,689.99. At these prices, the 512GB model is just $120 more than the 256GB variant, effectively doubling your storage for a relatively small bump. If you tend to hold onto your phone for a few years or store a lot of photos, videos, or apps, that extra space is easier to justify. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Unlocked Android smartphone (512GB, Blue Shadow) $1,719.99 at Amazon $2,119.99 Save $400.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,719.99 at Amazon $2,119.99 Save $400.00 What you’re paying for, beyond storage, is a device that feels distinct in a crowded smartphone market. Open it up, and the Z Fold 7 turns into a tablet-like screen that’s better suited for split-screen multitasking, reading, or watching videos without the letterboxing you’d see on a typical phone. Folded shut, it works like a large, conventional handset for quick tasks like replying to messages or navigating maps. Samsung has also refined the hinge this year, making it slimmer and more stable, which helps the phone feel less bulky and better balanced in everyday use. Camera performance holds up across lighting conditions, and video calls look crisp enough for work or casual use. If the book-style foldable doesn’t appeal to you, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is also discounted right now. The 512GB version is selling for $1,019—less than the original $1,099.99 launch price of the 256GB model—while the 256GB option is down to $899.99. The same logic applies here: When the higher storage tier is priced so close to the base model, it’s often the better long-term choice. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $199.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) — $299.00 (List Price $399.00) Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Streaming Player With Remote (2025 Model) — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Amazon Fire TV Soundbar — $99.99 (List Price $119.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $35.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen, 2-pack, White) — $59.98 (List Price $79.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Results from two remaining big investment banks cap earnings season marked by gains from Wall Street tradersView the full article

Macy’s Inc is moving forward with additional store closures in 2026. According the retailer’s website, 14 stores are closing soon nationwide, with shoppers losing their local Macy’s in 12 states. The development is hardly surprising. In February 2024, Macy’s announced it would shutter 150 “underproductive locations” by the end of 2026, although it has since extended that timeline. The company announced the closures as part of “A Bold New Chapter” that will do three things: strengthen the Macy’s name plate, accelerate luxury growth, and simplify and modernize end-to-end operations. Macy’s also owns Bloomingdale’s, a higher-end department store than its namesake. At the time, Bloomingdale’s was outperforming Macy’s. “We are making the necessary moves to reinvigorate relationships with our customers through improved shopping experiences, relevant assortments and compelling value.” Macy’s CEO Tony Spring said at the time. In January 2025, Macy’s announced 66 stores set to close that year. Now, more locations are joining them. Which Macy’s stores are closing? Fourteen Macy’s stores nationwide are “closing soon” or have recently closed. The closures include two locations in both California and New Jersey, with the rest scattered across states like Georgia, Minnesota, and Texas. Four stores are already reported closed in California, Michigan, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. The timeline for additional closures was not immediately clear. Fast Company has reached out to Macy’s for comment and will update this post if we hear back. The stores closing are as follows: California Grossmont Center: 5500 Grossmont Center Drive, La Mesa, CA 91942 (already closed) West Valley Mall: 3200 Naglee Rd, Tracy, CA 95304 Georgia Northlake Mall: 4880 Briarcliff Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30345 Maryland Marley Station: 7900 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie, MD 21061 Michigan Rivertown Crossings: 3850 Rivertown Parkway SW, Grandville, MI 49418 (already closed) Minnesota Crossroads Center: 4101 West Division Street, St Cloud, MN 56301 New Hampshire Fox Run: 50 Fox Run Road, Newington, NH 03801 (already closed) New Jersey Livingston Mall: 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston, NJ 07039 Interstate Shopping Center: 225 Interstate Shopping Center, Ramsey, NJ 07446 (already closed) New York Boulevard Mall: 1255 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Amherst, NY 14226 North Carolina Triangle Town Center: 3801 Sumner Boulevard, Raleigh, NC 27616 Pennsylvania Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills: 100 Pittsburgh Mills Cir, Tarentum, PA 15084 Texas La Palmera Mall: 5488 S Padre Island Dr Ste 5000. Corpus Christi, TX 78411 Washington Parkway Super Center: 17855 Southcenter Pkwy, Tukwila, WA 98188 View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. For some reason, I have painted a lot of stairs in my time. Exterior, interior—I’ve painted more stairs than I ever imagined I would. But sometimes, painting stairs is the easiest way to transform them. When my wife and I moved into our house, the stairs were covered in this truly awful green carpet. We tore that up almost immediately, and I figured I’d just paint the stairs as a short-term solution. But we wound up actually liking the paint, and just left it there. It’s getting a little worn, though, so it’s time to refresh the paint job, and we thought it was a good idea to change things up by painting the risers a lighter color, for contrast (we’re fancy like that). This gave me the chance to use one of my favorite little painting hacks: A wall edging pad on stair risers. I forget who showed this to me, but it makes the whole process a lot faster. In the past, painting something like stairs with all those angles and corners would mean a metric ton of painter’s tape and a stiff wrist from using a cut brush. (I’m pretty good with a cut brush these days and skip a lot of taping, but stairs still present a challenge.) But using a wall edging pad means I can skip all the tape and save my wrist a lot of strain. Everything you need to paint stairs Shur-Line 2006649 7-Inch Premium Pad Painter $20.59 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $20.59 at Amazon Shur-Line 2006645 7-Inch Premium Pad Painter Refill $13.49 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $13.49 at Amazon DAP Alex Ultra Advanced Latex Sealant, White, 10.1 Oz (7079818200) $7.98 at Amazon $9.46 Save $1.48 Shop Now Shop Now $7.98 at Amazon $9.46 Save $1.48 FrogTape Advanced Painters Tape, 2 Inch Wide (1.88-Inch x 45-Yard) Multi-Surface Tape with PAINTBLOCK, Conforms Around Curves & Contours, Tear-Free Removability, 1 Roll, Green $10.98 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $10.98 at Amazon Purdy Clearcut Glide Paint Brush, 2-1/2 in. 144152125 $14.98 at Amazon $16.25 Save $1.27 Shop Now Shop Now $14.98 at Amazon $16.25 Save $1.27 RUST-OLEUM 1 qt Zinsser 271009 White Zinsser, B-I-N Advanced Synthetic Shellac Primer Pack of 1 $24.80 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $24.80 at Amazon Bates- 9 Inch Paint Tray, 3 Pack, Black Plastic Paint Roller Tray 9 Inch, Deep Capacity, Textured Ridge $15.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $15.99 at Amazon SEE 4 MORE You can see here what the stairs looked like before I began—obviously, they needed a little attention. Before. Credit: Jeff Somers I gathered my supplies: I bought this pad painter from Shur-Line. The 7-inch size is about right for stair risers, and it features a swivel pad holder that locks into the angle you need. I picked up a refill pad, too, just in case. A tube of painter’s caulk so I could fill in any gaps that have opened up over the years. Some painter’s tape, just to be safe—even the best painting trick sometimes runs into trouble. Some cut brushes for the same reason—these are old stairs that haven’t seen a 90° angle in years, so I anticipated some spots where a brush might be necessary. Primer and a paint tray—the actual paint color will match the walls. Equipped with everything, I got to work. How to paint your stair risers with an edging padI didn’t bother taping off the treads—I just filled the pan with primer and grabbed the pad. The black button in the middle locks the pad at whatever angle you need; it’s easy to press it with your thumb to adjust on the fly. You can slide the pad out (and a new one in) by pressing the lock tab in the middle. Then you dip the pad into the paint/primer and press it out a bit to get rid of excess paint: Loading up the paint pad. Credit: Jeff Somers When the pad isn’t dripping, and you’ve got it loaded with a manageable amount of paint that you can control, just place it against the stair riser and move it horizontally: Painting the riser with the paint pad. Credit: Jeff Somers Since the pad is rectangular, it produces a straight, sharp line without taping or cutting, and it doesn’t have as many lines as a brush. And since it’s flat and designed to be used as an edger (and painting stair risers is essentially just working all edges), you can get right to the edge, which you can’t do when using a roller. Sometimes it’s useful to slide the pad out of the holder and use it manually, because the pad is more flexible and bendy, so you can have a little more control in tight corners. It takes a bit of practice to get it right, but once you have the hang of it, you can breeze through those risers very quickly. If you want to cut down your prep and painting time on stairs, using an edger pad like this is the way. Here's my final product: After! Credit: Jeff Somers The stairs are old and don't have any straight lines left, but the risers turned out pretty neat—all without taping. I probably saved myself about an hour of work painting these stairs this way. View the full article

Padel has taken the sports world by storm. In a smaller but growing circle, it’s also become a way to date. Much of that runs through Playtomic, a booking app for racquet sports where players join “open matches” with strangers, chat through the app, and meet people they wouldn’t otherwise encounter. For some, those connections carry off the court. “People are meeting each other on the court . . . [and then] grabbing a beer or coffee from the grounds,” says Pro Padel League CEO Michael Dorfman. That kind of interaction is exactly what the app Playtomic is designed to facilitate, and increasingly, to scale. In 2017, co-founder Pablo Carro set out to solve a basic problem: booking a court. “ We didn’t find any user-friendly app[s] that was convenient for making a reservation for court bookings,” he says. “It all started with that very basic necessity because we were not able to find a court or someone to play with.” At the time, padel itself was still emerging globally, having originated in the late 1960s in Acapulco, Mexico, and later gaining traction in Spain. But that timing turned out to be an advantage. Instead of retrofitting old systems, Playtomic grew alongside a new sport. “ The thing is that padel is a new sport,” says Carro. “So it’s a new club, it’s a new business, and every single new business [is] considering the tech side.” Rather than digitizing a legacy ecosystem like tennis, the company positioned itself as infrastructure for a category being built in real time. It developed a two-sided marketplace connecting clubs and players, handling everything from bookings and payments to matchmaking. That last piece, matchmaking, is what sets it apart. “ Open matches are the perfect example of how socially adapted and how community driven we are,” says Carro. Users are assigned a “Playtomic rating,” starting with a questionnaire that places them between Level 0 and 7. That baseline evolves based on match performance, helping pair players of similar skill. Around that system, the app layers in social features: profiles, chat, match uploads, even photo sharing. The result is less a scheduling tool than a lightweight social network organized around play. It’s also one that reflects how people actually use the sport. Padel’s structure naturally lends itself to interaction. “Because of the dynamic of play . . . the velocity . . . there are four people in a kind of small place, [and] it’s easy to learn, the real driving force of the sport was the social aspect,” says Carro. And while Playtomic didn’t create that dynamic, the company did turn it into a product. Today, Playtomic operates across 66 countries, partnering with more than 6,700 clubs and serving 4 million registered users. Its 2025 Global Padel report found that 3,282 new clubs opened worldwide in 2024, averaging nearly nine per day. That growth has given Playtomic a front-row seat to how communities form around the sport. “ The most surprising thing is the fact that countries that we did not expect that social appetite were behaving extremely social like the UK,” says Carro. “If you think about [the] south of Europe, you will tend to think that people are friendly, social, [and] community driven. But if you think about the UK . . . We didn’t expect [that] level of social appetite.” (To his point: More than 20% of bookings in the UK are open matches.) User behavior also evolves over time. Early on, players tend to book classes or structured events. As they improve, they shift toward open matches, using the app less as a scheduler and more as a network. That progression helps explain why the platform has become central to how people experience padel, including off the court. Daniel Dios, padel director at WME, met his wife while playing in Sweden. “We started playing little by little,” he says. “Then, we got to know each other.” Even more infrequent players describe the same pull. “I don’t have much time to play. But, I like to play when I’m here in Miami or [on] vacation. I like to play a little bit with friends. It’s a fun game,” says Brazilian tennis star João Fonseca. As Playtomic expands, it is now trying to replicate those dynamics in newer markets, particularly the U.S. “The sport has been growing between 20% to 25% annually, which means that its numbers multiply by two every four or five years,” says Dios. “So we are seeing this evolution of the sport, especially now of course in the U.S. being adopted so quickly.” In 2025, more than 10,000 open matches were played in the U.S., according to the company. That growth is starting to attract brands as well. Through WME, companies are beginning to treat padel clubs as a new kind of consumer touchpoint. “ This is ultimately the place . . . where consumers connect and where brands want to be present,” Dios says. Carro has relocated to Miami to watch the shift up close. “It is close to becom[ing] the most important city in the world,” he says. “Every single headquarter is moving here. Every single tech entrepreneur is moving here. Miami is extremely vibrant these days . . . I started to see a clear trend, and every single club has more American people playing every day.” View the full article

Disengagement is expensive, and most organizations know it. A 2025 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine estimates that disengagement costs about $5 million a year for every 1,000 employees and that’s before accounting for what’s harder to measure. Teams deliver—narrowly avoiding burnout—but the creativity, the discretionary effort, the genuine spark of someone who truly cares? That’s becoming a rare commodity in today’s turbulent working world as AI continues its disruption. Sure, most AI is exceptional at scale, speed, and synthesis. It learns from what already exists, optimizes from the middle, and produces output that is arguably an average of everything that came before it. What AI cannot do on its own is care. It cannot bring the specific, idiosyncratic passion of a person who is genuinely, deeply invested. It cannot replicate the creativity of a mind that views the world differently, the trust that builds when colleagues show up more openly, or the desire and persistence to solve complex problems. Passion can be that capability; however, in most organizations it remains untapped, an invisible resource that is being asked to take a back seat. Passion is the answer, and most organizations are leaving it completely to chance. Bring on the ‘woo woo’ To business, passion sounds too personal, immeasurable, and weirdly evangelical; the province of spa retreats, not boardrooms. Yet, the outcomes of passion at work are neither vague nor difficult to prove. When people can bring their passion into their work—in any form, however small—the psychological benefits are well-documented: increased confidence, a stronger sense of identity, deeper social connection, and a greater feeling of belonging. These are not nice-to-haves. They are the conditions under which people do their best work. The organizational benefits follow directly. Greater trust between colleagues. Richer, more creative collaboration. The kind of shared experience that builds high-performing teams from the inside rather than engineering them from the outside. Passion is defined as a motivational force, so if an organization wants to drive positive momentum and results, then it makes sense to tap directly into that fuel. In practice, it looks like this. Mike: Finance Guy, and Holiday Cookie Champ Mike (I’ve changed his name) is a finance guy in a growing professional services firm. His Monday-to-Friday is back-to-back calls, spreadsheets by the mile, and the usual drinking from a firehose. By every professional measure, he is good at his job. Outside of work, he is a passionate baker, spending his spare time honing his cookie-making skills. One December, he spent a night baking hundreds of cookies and brought them into the office the following day for everyone to enjoy. His team saw a version of him they had never encountered—creative, skilled in an entirely different way, visibly in his element. New relationships were formed that morning. Trust deepened in ways that months of team meetings had not managed. He felt more fully himself at work than he had in years, and it became an annual tradition, proof that the firm valued individual passions in their quest to be a “best place to work.” Priya: Compliance Leader with a Project Manager’s heart Priya (I’ve changed her name, as well) has climbed the corporate ladder to lead a compliance function with skill and commitment, previously spending years in project management. Despite her success, she misses the impact of those days — the knowledge that she was improving her team’s lives through the efficiency she created. Priya didn’t want to quit her job. But what if she had the opportunity to join a cross-functional committee, spending several hours per month using her expertise to improve the organization’s systems? That would represent a gain for her and the business, but would only happen if she were brave enough to articulate it to her leader, and if the committee program existed. Two people. Two different passions. Both have a tangible impact on performance, connection, and culture. The reason why experiences like these happen is not luck. It’s a direct result of leaders building the programs, the openness, and the deliberate culture that nurtures passion every day. Three ways to cultivate passion It starts with conversation. A leader who understands their people’s passions is being given pure gold – essential information that transcends strengths to what truly makes their team tick. That understanding happens because of consistent, open communication that respects boundaries. It’s not so much “How was your weekend?” as “Tell me one thing that lit you up this week”—and being willing to hear an answer that may not fit in that person’s immediate job description. Secondly, every company needs to walk the walk in formalizing its commitment, whether it’s a sabbatical to enable team members to explore their curiosity for new activities, or a new L&D strategy to encourage the sharing and development of passions. Finally, as with any cultural imperative, when a CEO articulates and demonstrates their own passion—for the work and for what they love outside it—employees feel the freedom to do the same. It starts from the top. The edge that cannot be copied In the vanilla-ization of the business world, the differentiators that remain are human. The specific passions of the people in a team, the curiosity, the craft, the unexpected expertise, the deep investment in something that matters to them, are entirely particular to that organization. No competitor can replicate them; they cannot be bought in or built overnight. They are already there, in the people who show up every day. Organizations that learn to see this, name it, and create conditions for it to flourish will have something genuinely difficult to compete with. Passion as a performance strategy is a deliberate commitment to treat the full humanity of a workforce as the competitive asset it actually is. View the full article

Today, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, is Tax Day. During trying economic times, the tax deadline can feel like a punishment. It’s difficult to watch money being taken out of hard-earned paychecks when household budgets run on thin margins. To take the sting out of Tax Day, many businesses have special deals to soften the blow. Freebies and deals for Tax Day 2026 Many restaurants are ready to make your stomach happy should you need consoling on Tax Day. If you need the food to come to you, 7-Eleven has you covered. Use the 7NOW Delivery app to get $10.40 off of orders of $25 or more. Just remember to enter the promo code WRITEOFF on April 15. Another delivery service, Grubhub, makes yumminess convenient. It not only recently announced the elimination of delivery fees on $50+ restaurant orders, but it is also giving away $100,000 in Grubhub credit. All you have to do to be eligible for this “return” is go to GrubhubFeeReturn.com and upload a receipt from any delivery service. You might just win $20 in Grubhub credit. The Grubhub deals don’t stop there. You can get $10.40 off $50+ orders from Sweetgreen, Krispy Kreme, or Chili’s. First-time users can utilize code FEERETURN10 for $10 off the first $50+ restaurant order. Don’t delay because all of these deals only last until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 15. Speaking of Krispy Kreme, you can also go straight to the source on Tax Day. If you buy a dozen doughnuts, you will get an additional Original Glazed dozen for free. What a BOGO. If you use the app or order online, use the code TAXBREAK. Another sweet treat option comes from Paris Baguette. Rewards members are eligible for a free pastry with the purchase of any drink on Wednesday, April 15. Pizza lovers have two deals to choose from on April 15. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is offering $10 off $40 or more orders. You can dine in or get takeout. The cheesy promo code is TAXDAY. Round Table Pizza’s deal extends the deadline even further. From April 15-19, you can get 15% off your order by using the promo code RTP978. Kroger offerings also extend past Tax Day. From April 15-22, Kroger loyalty ID members can get 50% off of a Private Selection frozen meal when they purchase one. All you need is the digital coupon from your Kroger account. Where does federal tax revenue actually go? According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the federal government spent $6.9 trillion in 2024. About 71% of that figure or $4.9 trillion was funded by taxes. The difference was made up by borrowing money. The majority of federal government spending falls into four categories. The largest is healthcare, coming in at 24% of the 2024 budget. This means that Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act cost about $1.7 trillion. Social Security made up 21% of the budget or $1.5 trillion. These funds help retired workers make the most of their golden years. It also aids disabled workers and their dependents. Possibly the most controversial category is national defense spending. It made up $872 billion, or 13% of the 2024 budget. Another 13% of the budget is spent on debt interest. Since the federal government is not solely funded by tax revenue, it has to borrow money to make up the difference. View the full article

Starting a small business requires careful planning and execution. First, you’ll need to refine your business idea to meet consumer needs effectively. After that, creating a detailed business plan is essential for outlining your mission, target market, and financial goals. Furthermore, you must assess your finances and explore funding options to secure the necessary capital. The next steps involve selecting a legal structure and registering your business. Interested in learning how to build a team and craft a marketing strategy? Key Takeaways Refine your business idea by addressing consumer needs and conducting market research to validate demand. Write a comprehensive business plan outlining your mission, market analysis, and financial projections. Assess your finances, calculate startup costs, and explore various funding options for your business. Choose an appropriate legal structure, register your business, and obtain necessary licenses and permits. Build a skilled team and establish a marketing strategy to effectively engage your target audience. Refine Your Business Idea Refining your business idea is a crucial first step in launching a successful venture. Start by identifying a clear concept that addresses specific consumer needs or problems, using your personal passion or expertise. Conduct thorough market research to gauge demand, understand your target demographics, and analyze competitors to validate your business concept. This research will help you define your business’s purpose and establish measurable goals that guide your strategy. Next, create an extensive value proposition that articulates how your product or service stands out from the competition and meets customer needs. As you form your small business, consider potential financing options early on. This guarantees you have the resources needed to support startup costs and bring your idea to fruition. Write a Comprehensive Business Plan Writing a thorough business plan is critical for laying the groundwork of your small business, as it serves as a strategic roadmap that outlines your vision and objectives. Your plan should detail your mission, target market, and competitive analysis, helping you understand where you fit in the marketplace. Financial projections, including startup costs and revenue expectations, are fundamental to demonstrate the viability of your business idea. Furthermore, clearly outline your marketing strategies to show how you plan to reach and engage your audience through various channels. Remember, a business plan isn’t a static document; it needs regular updates to reflect changes in the market and your goals. Utilizing a business plan template can simplify this process, ensuring you cover all important components, making it easier to present to potential investors or lenders. This thorough approach will guide you toward achieving success in your venture. Assess Your Finances and Explore Funding Options Once you have your business plan in place, it’s time to assess your finances and explore funding options to turn your vision into reality. Start by calculating your startup costs, which can vary widely depending on your business type. Don’t forget to plan for more funding than you think you’ll need to avoid running out of cash. Conducting a break-even analysis is vital; it helps you understand when your business will become profitable, guiding your financial goals and pricing strategies. Explore various funding options like personal savings, loans, crowdfunding, and investments. Each has different implications for ownership and control. Consider smaller community banks for better support and quicker decisions when opening a business bank account. Funding Option Pros and Cons Personal Savings Full control, but risk personal assets Loans Immediate cash, but requires repayment Crowdfunding Access to many investors, but may dilute control Understanding these aspects is significant for your financial operations. Choose Your Legal Structure and Register Your Business Choosing the right legal structure for your business is a crucial step that can greatly impact your liability, taxation, and operational flexibility. You can choose from several options, including sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation, each with its pros and cons. Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll need to register your business with the state by filing necessary formation documents, like Articles of Incorporation for corporations or Articles of Organization for LLCs. This establishes your business’s legal existence. Furthermore, obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for tax purposes, hiring employees, and opening a business bank account. Depending on your activities, you might also need local, state, or federal licenses and permits to guarantee compliance. Finally, check naming requirements and file for a “Doing Business As” (DBA) if you’re using a fictitious name, making sure it’s unique in your state. Build Your Team and Establish a Marketing Strategy After establishing your business’s legal foundation, your next focus should be on building a capable team and creating an effective marketing strategy. Start by identifying the skills necessary for your business and recruiting individuals who share your mission and culture. This lays a strong foundation for collaboration and growth. Ensure you establish clear roles and responsibilities within your team to improve productivity and communication. When developing your marketing strategy, conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience. This helps tailor your messaging effectively. Consider these key elements: Utilize digital marketing tools like social media and email. Engage with your audience to build brand awareness. Drive traffic to your website to increase sales. Monitor the effectiveness of your efforts through analytics. Adjust strategies based on customer feedback for continuous improvement. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Small Business? When starting a small business, you should avoid several common mistakes. Don’t underestimate the importance of a solid business plan; it guides your direction. Ignoring market research can lead to misjudgments about your target audience. Failing to manage finances properly may result in cash flow issues. Additionally, neglecting to comply with legal requirements can create future problems. Finally, not seeking advice from mentors could limit your growth and opportunities. How Can I Find a Mentor for My Business Journey? To find a mentor for your business expedition, start by networking within your industry. Attend local business events, workshops, and online forums. Reach out through social media platforms like LinkedIn, where you can connect with experienced professionals. Consider joining a small business association or a mentorship program, which often pairs you with seasoned entrepreneurs. Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for introductions from your existing contacts; personal recommendations can lead to valuable connections. What Resources Are Available for Small Business Owners? As a small business owner, you’ve got various resources at your disposal. The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers guidance on funding, regulations, and planning. Online platforms like SCORE provide free mentoring and workshops. Local chambers of commerce can connect you with networking opportunities. Moreover, industry-specific associations often have valuable resources customized to your business needs. Utilizing these resources can help you navigate challenges and grow your business effectively. How Can I Effectively Network in My Industry? To effectively network in your industry, start by attending relevant events and conferences where you can meet peers and potential clients. Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn to connect and engage with industry professionals. Don’t hesitate to reach out for informational interviews or coffee chats, as these can lead to valuable insights and opportunities. Moreover, consider joining local business associations or online forums to expand your circle and share resources with others. What Are the Tax Implications of Running a Small Business? Running a small business comes with various tax implications. You’ll need to report your income, which can be subject to self-employment tax. Depending on your business structure, you might face different tax rates and regulations. Moreover, you can deduct business expenses, like supplies and travel costs, which can lower your taxable income. It’s critical to keep accurate records and consider consulting a tax professional to navigate the intricacies effectively. Conclusion In summary, forming your small business requires careful planning and execution. By refining your business idea, crafting a detailed business plan, evaluating your finances, choosing a legal structure, and building a competent team, you set a solid foundation for your venture. Furthermore, implementing a targeted marketing strategy will help you reach potential customers effectively. Following these crucial steps guarantees you navigate the intricacies of starting a business and increases your chances of long-term success. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "5 Essential Steps to Form Your Small Business Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Starting a small business requires careful planning and execution. First, you’ll need to refine your business idea to meet consumer needs effectively. After that, creating a detailed business plan is essential for outlining your mission, target market, and financial goals. Furthermore, you must assess your finances and explore funding options to secure the necessary capital. The next steps involve selecting a legal structure and registering your business. Interested in learning how to build a team and craft a marketing strategy? Key Takeaways Refine your business idea by addressing consumer needs and conducting market research to validate demand. Write a comprehensive business plan outlining your mission, market analysis, and financial projections. Assess your finances, calculate startup costs, and explore various funding options for your business. Choose an appropriate legal structure, register your business, and obtain necessary licenses and permits. Build a skilled team and establish a marketing strategy to effectively engage your target audience. Refine Your Business Idea Refining your business idea is a crucial first step in launching a successful venture. Start by identifying a clear concept that addresses specific consumer needs or problems, using your personal passion or expertise. Conduct thorough market research to gauge demand, understand your target demographics, and analyze competitors to validate your business concept. This research will help you define your business’s purpose and establish measurable goals that guide your strategy. Next, create an extensive value proposition that articulates how your product or service stands out from the competition and meets customer needs. As you form your small business, consider potential financing options early on. This guarantees you have the resources needed to support startup costs and bring your idea to fruition. Write a Comprehensive Business Plan Writing a thorough business plan is critical for laying the groundwork of your small business, as it serves as a strategic roadmap that outlines your vision and objectives. Your plan should detail your mission, target market, and competitive analysis, helping you understand where you fit in the marketplace. Financial projections, including startup costs and revenue expectations, are fundamental to demonstrate the viability of your business idea. Furthermore, clearly outline your marketing strategies to show how you plan to reach and engage your audience through various channels. Remember, a business plan isn’t a static document; it needs regular updates to reflect changes in the market and your goals. Utilizing a business plan template can simplify this process, ensuring you cover all important components, making it easier to present to potential investors or lenders. This thorough approach will guide you toward achieving success in your venture. Assess Your Finances and Explore Funding Options Once you have your business plan in place, it’s time to assess your finances and explore funding options to turn your vision into reality. Start by calculating your startup costs, which can vary widely depending on your business type. Don’t forget to plan for more funding than you think you’ll need to avoid running out of cash. Conducting a break-even analysis is vital; it helps you understand when your business will become profitable, guiding your financial goals and pricing strategies. Explore various funding options like personal savings, loans, crowdfunding, and investments. Each has different implications for ownership and control. Consider smaller community banks for better support and quicker decisions when opening a business bank account. Funding Option Pros and Cons Personal Savings Full control, but risk personal assets Loans Immediate cash, but requires repayment Crowdfunding Access to many investors, but may dilute control Understanding these aspects is significant for your financial operations. Choose Your Legal Structure and Register Your Business Choosing the right legal structure for your business is a crucial step that can greatly impact your liability, taxation, and operational flexibility. You can choose from several options, including sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation, each with its pros and cons. Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll need to register your business with the state by filing necessary formation documents, like Articles of Incorporation for corporations or Articles of Organization for LLCs. This establishes your business’s legal existence. Furthermore, obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for tax purposes, hiring employees, and opening a business bank account. Depending on your activities, you might also need local, state, or federal licenses and permits to guarantee compliance. Finally, check naming requirements and file for a “Doing Business As” (DBA) if you’re using a fictitious name, making sure it’s unique in your state. Build Your Team and Establish a Marketing Strategy After establishing your business’s legal foundation, your next focus should be on building a capable team and creating an effective marketing strategy. Start by identifying the skills necessary for your business and recruiting individuals who share your mission and culture. This lays a strong foundation for collaboration and growth. Ensure you establish clear roles and responsibilities within your team to improve productivity and communication. When developing your marketing strategy, conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience. This helps tailor your messaging effectively. Consider these key elements: Utilize digital marketing tools like social media and email. Engage with your audience to build brand awareness. Drive traffic to your website to increase sales. Monitor the effectiveness of your efforts through analytics. Adjust strategies based on customer feedback for continuous improvement. Frequently Asked Questions What Are Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Small Business? When starting a small business, you should avoid several common mistakes. Don’t underestimate the importance of a solid business plan; it guides your direction. Ignoring market research can lead to misjudgments about your target audience. Failing to manage finances properly may result in cash flow issues. Additionally, neglecting to comply with legal requirements can create future problems. Finally, not seeking advice from mentors could limit your growth and opportunities. How Can I Find a Mentor for My Business Journey? To find a mentor for your business expedition, start by networking within your industry. Attend local business events, workshops, and online forums. Reach out through social media platforms like LinkedIn, where you can connect with experienced professionals. Consider joining a small business association or a mentorship program, which often pairs you with seasoned entrepreneurs. Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for introductions from your existing contacts; personal recommendations can lead to valuable connections. What Resources Are Available for Small Business Owners? As a small business owner, you’ve got various resources at your disposal. The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers guidance on funding, regulations, and planning. Online platforms like SCORE provide free mentoring and workshops. Local chambers of commerce can connect you with networking opportunities. Moreover, industry-specific associations often have valuable resources customized to your business needs. Utilizing these resources can help you navigate challenges and grow your business effectively. How Can I Effectively Network in My Industry? To effectively network in your industry, start by attending relevant events and conferences where you can meet peers and potential clients. Utilize social media platforms like LinkedIn to connect and engage with industry professionals. Don’t hesitate to reach out for informational interviews or coffee chats, as these can lead to valuable insights and opportunities. Moreover, consider joining local business associations or online forums to expand your circle and share resources with others. What Are the Tax Implications of Running a Small Business? Running a small business comes with various tax implications. You’ll need to report your income, which can be subject to self-employment tax. Depending on your business structure, you might face different tax rates and regulations. Moreover, you can deduct business expenses, like supplies and travel costs, which can lower your taxable income. It’s critical to keep accurate records and consider consulting a tax professional to navigate the intricacies effectively. Conclusion In summary, forming your small business requires careful planning and execution. By refining your business idea, crafting a detailed business plan, evaluating your finances, choosing a legal structure, and building a competent team, you set a solid foundation for your venture. Furthermore, implementing a targeted marketing strategy will help you reach potential customers effectively. Following these crucial steps guarantees you navigate the intricacies of starting a business and increases your chances of long-term success. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "5 Essential Steps to Form Your Small Business Today" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

At its factory in Illinois, Rivian will soon use more than 100 retired EV batteries in an on-site power system that will help it save money on electric bills. The electric automaker is one of the first customers of Redwood Materials’s new energy storage business, which takes old or discarded EV batteries—in this case, from Rivian’s own vehicles—and deploys them in a second life on the grid. By making it possible to charge when there’s excess energy available and the cost of electricity is low, the project “can generate significant cost savings that directly contributes to a reduction in the cost of our vehicles,” says Andrew Peterman, who runs Rivian’s advanced energy program. It also means that the manufacturer can use more renewable energy, since excess solar and wind power is available at certain times of day. It’s part of Rivian’s larger approach to energy. “There’s always been this shared vision of transportation and what we’re doing on the automotive side and linking that to grid transformation, enabling affordable, reliable, and cleaner electricity for everyone,” Peterman says. At the factory, the company also has behind-the-meter solar panels and a 2.8-megawatt-hour wind turbine that together provide enough power to charge each new vehicle with 100% clean energy before it leaves the factory. Now the solar and wind power will be connected to the batteries, along with the grid itself. “We’ll charge the batteries when it’s cheapest and the grid has a surplus,” Peterman says. “Then when the grid gets constrained—say, in the middle of the summer when it’s 5 p.m. and the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining, and you see a tremendous amount of strain on the grid—that’s when we would discharge these batteries to our plant, relieving the grid of that strain.” Redwood, the battery recycling company built by Tesla cofounder JB Straubel, designed technology to manage networks of used batteries seamlessly, and will operate the new system at Rivian’s factory. (Redwood’s first system, at its own campus in Nevada, uses EV batteries to store energy from a field of solar panels and run an adjacent data center built by Crusoe, a project that is now set to expand.) At the Rivian factory, the new energy storage system will use batteries that were previously used in Rivian trucks and SUVs, including test vehicles. When a used EV battery is partially depleted and no longer has enough power for driving, it can still have a long life storing electricity. More than 100 batteries will be laid out in a field near Rivian’s wind turbine, providing around 10 megawatt-hours of electricity storage. It’s not designed to back up the whole factory, but it’s enough to make a meaningful difference in Rivian’s electricity bills. Rivian declined to comment on the cost of the new system or the payback period, though it noted that it’s an affordable solution. The solution makes sense for other factories, says Peterman, and could also be used to support applications like public EV charging. Instead of straining the grid, he says, chargers “can now serve as a resource for the grid, coupled with these large energy storage solutions.” View the full article

A decade into the age of nationalism, the idea of quitting the club is still remarkably tabooView the full article

White House and Kremlin make positive comments about Magyar despite previously endorsing OrbánView the full article

When the NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh next week, civic leaders will be using the spotlight to celebrate football’s Steelers—and the city’s growing reputation as a technology and artificial intelligence hub. The events include an AI pitch competition where judges including area native Mark Cuban will award startups from a 1.75 million prize pool—with preference given to companies with a presence in Pennsylvania. There’s a growing number of startups that fit that bill. As the name suggests, VC firm Valley Capital Partners is based in Silicon Valley. But for the past few years, firm general partner Mitchell Kokko has been living across the country in Pittsburgh. The firm considered expanding to a number of cities but was drawn by factors like the area’s universities, relatively affordable housing, a strong business environment, and its location in the Eastern time zone. In Pittsburgh, he says a growing startup scene is taking advantage of strong talent networks, a close-knit business community including nationally known firms, and the area’s low cost of living. “Pittsburgh really offers differentiated networks to founders who are looking to sell to enterprise companies,” says Kokko. “Because it’s a smaller hub than a San Francisco or New York City, the major companies all do business with one another.” And local business leaders are willing to give startups a chance and directly work with their founders, which Kokko says can be critical to the enterprise businesses his firm invests in. “They get faster feedback cycles, and in early-stage startups that can mean the difference between life and death,” he says. Mayor Corey O’Connor, who took office in January, ran on a platform that included support for businesses large and small, through an economic development program he said would help revitalize business districts across Pittsburgh and also keep affordable housing available even as the city grew. Startups are increasingly setting up shop in the city, though some long-time residents have expressed concern about gentrification with rents on the rise, even while still low by national averages. One such startup is Factify, a Valley Capital Partners-backed firm that in January announced a $73 million seed round supporting its efforts to build a next-generation document format that it sees as a potential successor to the PDF. The Tel Aviv-based company deliberately chose Pittsburgh as its first U.S. “base of operations,” says founder and CEO Matan Gavish. That was in part based on its desire to work with a tight-knit community of businesses in regulated industries that would adopt the software and collaborate with one another using Factify’s document standard. The city’s closely linked business community made it a natural choice, he says. “That led us to Pittsburgh from first principles,” says Gavish. In general, Pittsburgh has long had a presence in AI, robotics, biotech, and other areas of technology thanks in part to institutions like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. But though it’s been home to buzzy tech businesses from Duolingo to Gecko Robotics, startup founders, college grads, and other young Pittsburghers looking for work have often historically made the trek to the Bay Area or other industry hubs. Nearly half of all Pittsburgh-area college grads leave town after graduation, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported last year. “The joke is that almost every [Steelers] NFL game is a Steelers home game,” says Kokko. “Because there’s so many people that moved all over the country.” In recent times, though, that’s been changing, with startups setting up shop and remaining in the western Pennsylvania city, says Mayor Corey O’Connor. “Now, more and more are starting to stick around, and from those companies you’re seeing spinoffs that create more of a hub in Pittsburgh,” says O’Connor. That sort of a feedback loop can be important to building an entrepreneurial scene, alongside factors like a skilled workforce, a ready stream of business ideas, and funding, says Olav Sorenson, a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management who has studied the geography of entrepreneurship. “Oftentimes, some initial startups and startup success are important, almost like an autocatalytic process just to get things started,” he says. Bust and boom The city itself is also looking to help jumpstart the process. O’Connor, who took office in January, has emphasized offering support to businesses looking to start or grow in Pittsburgh, including making it easier to get necessary permits and providing workforce training to get residents ready for today’s jobs. He also fields between 10 and 20 calls per week with businesses, promoting the city’s amenities, including the arts and culture scene and the easy access to the area’s rivers and trails. Of course, those calls also promote the idea that support for business development is available at the highest levels of local government, and O’Connor emphasizes a belief that business growth will help the city’s long-term residents as much as newcomers. “It’s opportunities for the residents in Pittsburgh that may have never thought they’d see a boom like this before,” he says. It’s also a city that can offer businesses physical room to grow, he says, including dormant manufacturing centers dating back to its time as a steel and factory hub. It also delivers relatively affordable housing for employees, with local officials pointing to home and rental prices substantially lower than the national average, let alone high-priced hubs like New York and San Francisco. “The problem with a place like the Bay Area is that it’s become so phenomenally expensive,” says Sorenson. “The same startup could probably get going in a place like Pittsburgh for maybe a third or a quarter the amount of money.” After all, while Pittsburgh’s population has been on the rise in recent years, its Census-estimated 2024 population of just under 308,000 is still far below its official peak of 676,806, last seen around 1950. And the city was last year named the country’s lowest-price large U.S. housing market by realtor.com and frequently makes other lists of affordable American locales. “I think Pittsburgh has a unique advantage that’s driven by some of the structural shifts that happened during the collapse of the steel industry,” says Kokko. “And so, what you have is one of the cities in the United States that at one time was the third-largest business hub in the United States, and so you have infrastructure that can support much larger populations.” “Equitable Development” As the city’s mayor, and the son of a long-time Pittsburgh politician who was himself elected mayor in 2005, O’Connor naturally emphasizes residents’ longstanding pride in the city despite the decline in size. “When you’re a visitor and you go into a neighborhood, or you run into a Pittsburgher, they’re going to tell you what’s so great about Pittsburgh,” he says. Still, the rapid growth of the tech sector has gone hand-in-hand with rising costs and gentrification in many cities, and some local advocacy groups have expressed concern about affordable housing in Pittsburgh in recent years, especially for working class residents. Thousands of low-income families, especially Black families, have been displaced from the city in recent years, according to civic organization Pittsburgh United, which has called for “equitable development” in Pittsburgh. “Our vision of a growing Pittsburgh is a responsibly growing Pittsburgh—a Pittsburgh that includes the folks that have been here forever and for a very long time,” says communications director Kyla Rollins. “And that people that built the city have equitable opportunities to grow alongside this vision of the new Pittsburgh.” It’s a message that’s not outwardly at odds with City Hall, where O’Connor emphasizes work by the city to promote affordable housing. That includes a Housing Opportunity Fund to assist renters and homeowners, and the possibility of working with community groups to turn vacant city-owned lots into new housing. “Big emphasis for us [is] to make sure that if you’re living in your neighborhood now, you’re going to live there 20 years from now,” he says. View the full article

My first job was an unusual one, but I learned so many lessons from it that I carried with me throughout my career. I was in my last year at Cambridge and was planning to leave the next year for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard when a British publisher approached me. He had seen me at a televised Cambridge Union debate speaking on the changing role of women and he wrote to me asking me if I would write a book on the subject. I replied, “Thank you, but I can’t write.” He replied: “Can you have lunch?” So I took the train to London and ended up getting both lunch and a book contract with a modest advance. That was my first lesson: take risks. People starting out, especially women, often think they’re not ready. But we’re usually more ready than we think. You don’t have to know everything before taking a leap — you can learn on the job. So when an unexpected opportunity arises, trust yourself. It was a lesson that has served me well not only as a writer, but also in launching a company (The Huffington Post), which I’d never done before, and then in leaving a successful media company to launch another company (Thrive Global) in a completely new field, healthcare. My first book turned out to be an international bestseller, published around the world, then everybody wanted me to write another book on a similar topic. And that was my second lesson. I wanted to explore new territory. I didn’t want to be stuck writing about the same topic again and again. So I wrote a book about political leadership and learned the lesson of pivoting. Careers are rarely linear and that’s a good thing. We can often plod along in the comfort and security of what we know. That can even be a very successful strategy, if we’re defining success in the narrow terms of a career. But leaving our comfort zone and pivoting to something new forces us to learn new things, challenge ourselves, question our old assumptions and ways of working. In other words, it forces us to grow and evolve, which is a broader metric of success. My third lesson came from the fact that my second book was rejected by 36 publishers. By then, I’d run out of money. And at that point, I might have said, “You know what, 36 publishers think this is not worth publishing. Maybe I’ve picked the wrong career.” As I was walking down St. James’s Street in London, where I was living at the time, depressed and wondering what I should do, I saw a Barclays bank. Armed with little more than Greek chutzpah, I asked to see the bank manager and asked for a loan. And for some reason, he gave it to me, even though I had zero assets! That made it possible for me to continue submitting my manuscript until finally I got a yes! So that lesson was one of perseverance and resilience. My mother always said that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s a stepping stone to success. Sometimes, as in my case, there are lots of stepping stones. And perseverance and resilience are what carries us across them. And some Greek chutzpah doesn’t hurt either. My First Job is a recurring series in which prominent business leaders share what their first job was and what they learned from it. View the full article

Threat comes as tensions rise between Washington and London over Iran warView the full article

It’s April again, and that means hundreds of millions of Americans have been logging on to H&R Block or heading to their accountant to see how much they owe in taxes for 2025. For many who file, that dreaded number can feel like a nebulous sum. So how does the federal government use that hard-earned cash? There’s a website breaks it down for you, Spotify Wrapped-style. Tax Wrapped is the latest digital project from Riley Walz, the technologist responsible for viral websites including Find My Parking Cops, a tool to track San Francisco’s parking authorities; Looksmapping, a map that ranks restaurants based on the “hotness” of their patrons; and, most recently, the JSuite, a series of tools designed to help users navigate the Epstein files. Walz’s projects almost always combine a trendy, eye-catching format with an underlying thread of social commentary, and Tax Wrapped is no different. It remixes the Wrapped format—which is so popular that it’s become ubiquitous across brands such as Uber Eats, YouTube, Snapchat, and even LinkedIn—with a genuine lesson in financial literacy. How to use Tax Wrapped When users open Tax Wrapped, they’re greeted with a welcome screen that’s clearly taking a page out of 2025’s Spotify Wrapped design—this time rendered in red, white, and blue rather than a mix of neons. The tool requires a few details to calibrate: the user’s total taxable income, filing status, number of dependents, and work status. From there, it makes an educated calculation on how much the user owed in taxes in 2025, which can be manually edited to the exact sum if needed. Walz broke down your contribution to the federal goverment’s annual spending using a few different touchpoints, according to the website’s methodology section. He derived the government’s top-line spending totals from the U.S. Treasury’s monthly treasury statement, which Walz writes is “the standard source for deficit math and official category totals.” For more granular budgetary breakdowns, he pulled data from USAspending’s File A accounts-balance data, which helped him split larger categories, like income security, into smaller subcategories, like Social Security and housing assistance. The data appears in both bar chart and pie chart form to help users digest it visually. By hovering over a given category, users can read a short description of what each subheading means and how it’s calculated. An American who made $50,000 in 2025, for example, can see that they contributed $95 to natural resources, $2,124 to health, and $1,391 to the military (just $123 of which went to medical care for veterans). They can also dive deeper into how the federal government used taxes to pay off national debt—which, as the tool explains, has been racking up since 2001 and currently sits at more than $39 trillion. “The catch?” it reads. “Just like credit cards, the national debt has interest payments the government needs to pay.” The aforementioned worker will have contributed $1,403 to interest payments on the national debt in 2025. “Not roads. Not schools. Not defense,” Tax Wrapped reads. “Just interest. Interest doesn’t buy anything. It’s the price of having spent money we didn’t have.” Tax Wrapped may not necessarily be an uplifting tool, but it’s an eye-opening exercise in understanding how the American tax system works—and in internalizing that our tax money isn’t simply floating into the void. “Federal spending is usually described in ways that feel abstract,” the site reads. “Everything is huge, everything is rounded, and the scale is hard to feel. This project makes those numbers personal.” View the full article

Editor’s note: Dr. Cree Scott spent her career solving a critical puzzle: why some leaders inspire unwavering loyalty while others struggle with constant turnover, despite similar technical skills and business acumen. As a psychologist and workplace performance expert, her expertise lay in helping leaders navigate the psychological dynamics that drive performance, organizational resilience, and sustainable growth. She was the CEO/founder of Serenity Psy Consulting and served on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. Her book, The Missing Peace in Leadership: Reclaiming Connection and Purpose in a World of Distraction, was published on April 14, 2026. Dr. Scott completed her book just weeks before she passed away in December 2025. She did not live to see it published. What follows is an excerpt from that book. Let me tell you about Paulo. He joined our video call with his usual polished demeanor, revealing none of the turbulence beneath. A mid-level manager with a track record of success, he was the kind of person others described as “driven, sharp, and always in control.” But his team was disengaged, his decisions were being questioned, and his confidence was quietly unraveling. And he had no idea why. At first, he blamed the usual suspects: company politics, shifting market demands, generational differences. But when I asked him to describe his own role in recent conflicts, he paused, genuinely confused by the question. “What do you mean, my role?” Through our coaching sessions, the pattern became clear. Paulo would dominate meetings, cutting off team members mid-sentence without realizing it. He dismissed feedback as “resistance to change” without considering that his approach might be the problem. When frustrated, he’d become cold and withdrawn—with no awareness of how that was shutting his team down. Paulo’s story isn’t unusual. It’s everywhere. Brilliant, capable people unknowingly disconnected from the one thing they need most to lead, succeed, and thrive: themselves. The Myth Leaders Tell Themselves Here’s the story most leaders carry: I’m different at work. I’m on. I’m focused. Whatever is going on at home stays at home. I understand the appeal. It feels like discipline. Like professionalism. Like exactly the kind of thing a high performer should be able to do. But it’s not true. And the cost of believing it is enormous. You’re a whole person—not a work person and a home person operating separately. The leader who learns to pause and respond thoughtfully instead of reacting brings that same presence to a tense board meeting, a difficult conversation with their spouse, and every space in between. You can’t be disconnected at home and magically connected at work, or vice versa. How you show up is who you are. The colleague who stops listening the moment they feel challenged? They’re doing the same thing at dinner. The leader whose team never brings them bad news? Their kids probably don’t either. Disconnection doesn’t respect your calendar. It doesn’t punch out at 6 p.m. It travels with you. What Conscious Connection Actually Is The answer isn’t trying harder to be present. The answer is building what I call integrated connection—a framework rooted in three simultaneous practices: connection to yourself, connection to the people around you, and connection to something larger than any single outcome. Most people focus on one at a time. But sustainable peace—and sustainable leadership—requires all three working together. When any one breaks down, you feel it everywhere. As unease. As irritability. As that low-grade sense that something is off but you can’t name it. Connection to me isn’t self-care Sundays or journaling. It’s uncovering the hidden parts of yourself that are quietly shaping everything you do. What drives you? What holds you back? What are you not seeing about yourself that’s affecting every room you walk into? Organizational psychologist Tasha Eurich found that while 95% of people think they’re self-aware, only 10–15% actually are. That means most of us are walking around with blind spots the size of billboards, completely unaware of how we come across or how our actions affect others. When Paulo finally saw his own pattern—the control, the dismissiveness, the defended confidence—he didn’t just become a better manager. He became a better father. A better partner. Not because he applied a leadership framework to his personal life. But because he was finally seeing himself clearly, and that clarity travels. Finding Your Missing Peace When you lead from integrated connection, something shifts that people can’t quite name but immediately feel. You become the one who makes the difficult look manageable. The one people want to follow. Not because you work harder—but because you’re operating from a fundamentally different foundation. Peace is not separate from leadership. It is the missing piece of leadership. That peace doesn’t live in your office, your title, or your next performance review. It lives in knowing yourself—fully, honestly, without excuses. It lives in the willingness to see that the way you lead and the way you live are not two different things. They never were. View the full article