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New jobs in health care largely drove the gains, while the federal workforce and finance continued to shrink. View the full article

When starting a business, knowing what licenses you need is essential. In Texas, there’s no single state business license, but local permits can vary based on your business type. You might require a sales tax permit, zoning permit, or even a health permit. Furthermore, some professions demand specialized licenses. Comprehending these requirements can help you avoid legal complications as you move forward. So, what specific licenses apply to your business? Key Takeaways Determine local licensing requirements, as they vary significantly based on business type and location in Texas. Obtain a Sales Tax Permit if selling tangible personal property or leasing services. Secure any necessary professional licenses for regulated fields like healthcare or legal services from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Check if specialized permits are needed for industries like food services, agriculture, or aviation to ensure compliance. Research and apply for an Assumed Name Certificate if operating under a business name different from your legal name. Understanding Business Licenses When you’re starting a business, comprehending the various licenses required to operate legally is essential. A business license secures your right to conduct operations as you ensure compliance with health and safety standards. In Texas, there isn’t a general state-level business license, but cities and counties may impose specific requirements based on your business type. Common licenses include sales tax permits for selling goods, zoning permits for location compliance, and health permits for food-related enterprises. If you’re a sole proprietor or partner using a different name, obtaining an Assumed Name Certificate is necessary. Furthermore, certain professions, like medical or legal services, require professional licenses from applicable state regulatory bodies. Grasping these requirements is key to your business’s success. Types of Business Licenses in Texas When starting a business in Texas, you won’t need a general business license, but you’ll likely require specific licenses or permits based on your business type and location. Common licenses include sales tax permits, which are essential for selling tangible goods, and various permits like zoning and building permits. Furthermore, if you’re in a specialized field, such as healthcare or real estate, you’ll need to secure professional licenses from state regulatory bodies to operate legally. General Business Licenses Overview Starting a business in Texas involves comprehending the various types of licenses that may be required, as there’s no overarching “general business license.” Depending on your location, specific local licenses might be necessary, which can vary by city or county. Common licenses include sales tax permits for those selling goods or services, zoning permits for operating in designated areas, and health permits for food-related businesses. If you’re running a home-based business, you might need a home occupation license to comply with local regulations. Furthermore, if you operate under a different name, you’ll need to file an Assumed Name Certificate with the county clerk. Unlike a business permit in California, Texas has specific local requirements that you must address. Specialized Industry Requirements Comprehending the specialized industry requirements for business licenses in Texas is vital, as different sectors have unique regulations that must be adhered to for legal operation. Here are some key areas to examine: Healthcare and Food Services: These industries require specific health permits to guarantee compliance with safety standards. Agriculture and Aviation: Obtain federal licenses from agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture to operate legally. Environmental Regulations: Businesses discharging contaminants must acquire environmental licenses to align with federal and state laws. Additionally, professions like therapists and accountants need registration with state entities. Each industry’s requirements vary, so it’s important to investigate the implications of a business license. Keep in mind, grasping the business license California cost can provide a comparative perspective. Local Licensing Requirements Comprehending local licensing requirements is crucial for any business owner looking to operate legally within their community. Moreover, most Texas cities and counties don’t require a general business license; specific licenses may be necessary based on your business type and location. For instance, if you’re in the food service industry, you’ll likely need a permit from the local health department. Furthermore, if you’re running a home-based business, a home occupation permit might be required. Remember, each jurisdiction has its own filing forms and fee structures, so you should check with your local city or county clerk’s office. If you operate in multiple locations, you may need separate licenses for each area. If you’re wondering, “do I need a business license in California?” the same local rules apply. Federal Licensing Considerations When you’re planning to launch a business, it’s essential to understand that certain industries require federal licenses in addition to local and state regulations. Failing to secure these federal licenses to operate can lead to legal issues down the line. Here are a few key sectors you should be aware of: Agriculture: The U.S. Department of Agriculture issues licenses for transporting or producing animals and byproducts. Aviation: The Federal Aviation Administration requires specific licenses for operating aircraft and related services. Alcohol: Manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of alcoholic beverages must obtain a federal license regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Always check if your business falls under these categories to guarantee legal compliance. How to Apply for a Business License Applying for a business license can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes the process simpler. First, research the specific licensing requirements for your business type and location, especially if you’re wondering how to get a business license in Washington. Most applications can be completed online through local government websites or the Washington Secretary of State’s office. You’ll typically need to provide a business description, ownership details, and your Employer Identification Number (EIN) if applicable. Application fees vary, so check the specific fee for your area, which can range from $15 to several hundred dollars. After submitting, be ready for a processing wait and understand the renewal schedule, as licenses may need renewal every one to three years. Sales Tax Permits and Resale Certificates When starting your business in Texas, you’ll need to understand the Sales Tax Permit process, as it allows you to collect sales tax on tangible goods and taxable services. If you plan to resell items, obtaining a Resale Certificate is vital, as it helps you avoid paying sales tax on those purchases. Staying compliant with these tax obligations is fundamental for maintaining good standing with the Texas Comptroller and avoiding potential penalties. Sales Tax Permit Process To operate a business in Texas that sells or leases tangible personal property or taxable services, you need to obtain a Sales Tax Permit, often referred to as a seller’s permit. Here’s what you need to know: Submit an application to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts through the eSystems portal. Provide crucial information, including your social security number, business structure, and the NAICS code for your activities. Complete the application swiftly to avoid tax liabilities and guarantee compliance. As for how much does a business license cost, the sales tax permit itself is typically free, but make sure you’re aware of any associated fees or costs involved in maintaining compliance with state regulations. Importance of Resale Certificates Grasping the significance of resale certificates is vital for businesses looking to optimize their operations and manage costs effectively. A resale certificate allows you to purchase goods intended for resale without paying sales tax, which can greatly boost your profitability. To obtain one in Texas, you must first apply for a sales tax permit from the Texas Comptroller’s office. This step is necessary for engaging in sales activities. Furthermore, if you buy used items for resale, a resale certificate can improve your cash flow by preventing upfront sales tax payments. Comprehending the application process and requirements for these certificates is imperative for compliance and avoiding potential tax liabilities. Remember, knowing how much a business permit costs can likewise factor into your planning. Compliance and Tax Obligations Comprehending compliance and tax obligations is crucial for any business owner, especially in Texas, where specific permits and certificates are necessary to operate legally. Here are three key points to reflect on: A Sales Tax Permit is mandatory for businesses selling or leasing tangible personal property or taxable services, obtainable from the Texas Comptroller. Resale Certificates help you avoid sales tax on items you purchase for resale, enhancing your cost-effectiveness. Failing to secure these permits can lead to significant tax liabilities and penalties. To apply for a Sales Tax Permit, you’ll need pertinent information, including your Social Security number and your business’s NAICS code. If you’re curious about how much a business license in California costs, keep in mind that requirements vary by state, so research is crucial. Professional Licenses for Specialized Industries When starting a business in specialized industries, it’s vital to understand the importance of obtaining the necessary professional licenses. These licenses are significant for fields like medical, legal, and financial services, ensuring that practitioners meet industry standards and regulations. Each state has specific licensing requirements, which may include exams, background checks, and ongoing education to maintain the license. In Texas, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) manages various professional licenses, and you must register with the appropriate state entity for your industry. Non-compliance with these requirements can lead to legal consequences, including fines and the inability to operate legally. Professions requiring licenses in Texas include medical professionals, therapists, attorneys, and real estate agents, each governed by their regulatory bodies. Resources for Texas Business Licensing Starting a business in Texas requires a clear grasp of the various licensing resources available. Here are some key tools to help you navigate the process: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): They manage various licenses and offer online applications for many types. Small Business Administration’s Permit Me: This online tool helps you find local licensing requirements by entering your zip code and business type. Local Government Websites: These are essential for grasping specific licensing and permit requirements as they can vary by city and county. Frequently Asked Questions What License Is Best for a Small Business? The best license for your small business depends on your specific operations. If you’re selling goods, a sales tax permit is fundamental. Home-based businesses often need a home occupation license for zoning compliance. Certain professions, like therapy or legal services, require specialized licenses. If you’re in food service, local health department permits are vital. Furthermore, businesses in regulated sectors, such as aviation or agriculture, need federal licenses customized to their industry. What Certificate Do You Need to Start a Business? To start a business, you’ll typically need an Assumed Name Certificate if you’re using a name different from your own. If you’re selling goods or services, a Sales Tax Permit is crucial. Depending on your industry, specific professional licenses may be required, such as for healthcare or real estate. If your business handles food, a health permit is required. Furthermore, check local zoning regulations to guarantee compliance with area requirements. Should I Get an LLC or Business License First? You should establish your LLC first, as it creates a separate legal entity that protects your personal assets from business liabilities. This structure is beneficial when applying for any necessary local permits or licenses later. After forming your LLC, check your municipality’s requirements, since local regulations might necessitate a business license, regardless of whether the state does not. Comprehending these specifics guarantees you operate legally and avoid potential penalties. Conclusion In conclusion, starting a business in Texas requires comprehension of various licensing and permit requirements based on your specific location and industry. You’ll need to check local regulations, apply for necessary permits, and consider any federal licenses if applicable. Don’t overlook professional licenses for specialized fields. By thoroughly researching these requirements and ensuring compliance, you can set a strong foundation for your business and avoid potential legal complications. Always stay informed about changes in regulations that may affect your operations. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What License Do I Need to Start a Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When starting a business, knowing what licenses you need is essential. In Texas, there’s no single state business license, but local permits can vary based on your business type. You might require a sales tax permit, zoning permit, or even a health permit. Furthermore, some professions demand specialized licenses. Comprehending these requirements can help you avoid legal complications as you move forward. So, what specific licenses apply to your business? Key Takeaways Determine local licensing requirements, as they vary significantly based on business type and location in Texas. Obtain a Sales Tax Permit if selling tangible personal property or leasing services. Secure any necessary professional licenses for regulated fields like healthcare or legal services from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Check if specialized permits are needed for industries like food services, agriculture, or aviation to ensure compliance. Research and apply for an Assumed Name Certificate if operating under a business name different from your legal name. Understanding Business Licenses When you’re starting a business, comprehending the various licenses required to operate legally is essential. A business license secures your right to conduct operations as you ensure compliance with health and safety standards. In Texas, there isn’t a general state-level business license, but cities and counties may impose specific requirements based on your business type. Common licenses include sales tax permits for selling goods, zoning permits for location compliance, and health permits for food-related enterprises. If you’re a sole proprietor or partner using a different name, obtaining an Assumed Name Certificate is necessary. Furthermore, certain professions, like medical or legal services, require professional licenses from applicable state regulatory bodies. Grasping these requirements is key to your business’s success. Types of Business Licenses in Texas When starting a business in Texas, you won’t need a general business license, but you’ll likely require specific licenses or permits based on your business type and location. Common licenses include sales tax permits, which are essential for selling tangible goods, and various permits like zoning and building permits. Furthermore, if you’re in a specialized field, such as healthcare or real estate, you’ll need to secure professional licenses from state regulatory bodies to operate legally. General Business Licenses Overview Starting a business in Texas involves comprehending the various types of licenses that may be required, as there’s no overarching “general business license.” Depending on your location, specific local licenses might be necessary, which can vary by city or county. Common licenses include sales tax permits for those selling goods or services, zoning permits for operating in designated areas, and health permits for food-related businesses. If you’re running a home-based business, you might need a home occupation license to comply with local regulations. Furthermore, if you operate under a different name, you’ll need to file an Assumed Name Certificate with the county clerk. Unlike a business permit in California, Texas has specific local requirements that you must address. Specialized Industry Requirements Comprehending the specialized industry requirements for business licenses in Texas is vital, as different sectors have unique regulations that must be adhered to for legal operation. Here are some key areas to examine: Healthcare and Food Services: These industries require specific health permits to guarantee compliance with safety standards. Agriculture and Aviation: Obtain federal licenses from agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture to operate legally. Environmental Regulations: Businesses discharging contaminants must acquire environmental licenses to align with federal and state laws. Additionally, professions like therapists and accountants need registration with state entities. Each industry’s requirements vary, so it’s important to investigate the implications of a business license. Keep in mind, grasping the business license California cost can provide a comparative perspective. Local Licensing Requirements Comprehending local licensing requirements is crucial for any business owner looking to operate legally within their community. Moreover, most Texas cities and counties don’t require a general business license; specific licenses may be necessary based on your business type and location. For instance, if you’re in the food service industry, you’ll likely need a permit from the local health department. Furthermore, if you’re running a home-based business, a home occupation permit might be required. Remember, each jurisdiction has its own filing forms and fee structures, so you should check with your local city or county clerk’s office. If you operate in multiple locations, you may need separate licenses for each area. If you’re wondering, “do I need a business license in California?” the same local rules apply. Federal Licensing Considerations When you’re planning to launch a business, it’s essential to understand that certain industries require federal licenses in addition to local and state regulations. Failing to secure these federal licenses to operate can lead to legal issues down the line. Here are a few key sectors you should be aware of: Agriculture: The U.S. Department of Agriculture issues licenses for transporting or producing animals and byproducts. Aviation: The Federal Aviation Administration requires specific licenses for operating aircraft and related services. Alcohol: Manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of alcoholic beverages must obtain a federal license regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Always check if your business falls under these categories to guarantee legal compliance. How to Apply for a Business License Applying for a business license can seem overwhelming, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes the process simpler. First, research the specific licensing requirements for your business type and location, especially if you’re wondering how to get a business license in Washington. Most applications can be completed online through local government websites or the Washington Secretary of State’s office. You’ll typically need to provide a business description, ownership details, and your Employer Identification Number (EIN) if applicable. Application fees vary, so check the specific fee for your area, which can range from $15 to several hundred dollars. After submitting, be ready for a processing wait and understand the renewal schedule, as licenses may need renewal every one to three years. Sales Tax Permits and Resale Certificates When starting your business in Texas, you’ll need to understand the Sales Tax Permit process, as it allows you to collect sales tax on tangible goods and taxable services. If you plan to resell items, obtaining a Resale Certificate is vital, as it helps you avoid paying sales tax on those purchases. Staying compliant with these tax obligations is fundamental for maintaining good standing with the Texas Comptroller and avoiding potential penalties. Sales Tax Permit Process To operate a business in Texas that sells or leases tangible personal property or taxable services, you need to obtain a Sales Tax Permit, often referred to as a seller’s permit. Here’s what you need to know: Submit an application to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts through the eSystems portal. Provide crucial information, including your social security number, business structure, and the NAICS code for your activities. Complete the application swiftly to avoid tax liabilities and guarantee compliance. As for how much does a business license cost, the sales tax permit itself is typically free, but make sure you’re aware of any associated fees or costs involved in maintaining compliance with state regulations. Importance of Resale Certificates Grasping the significance of resale certificates is vital for businesses looking to optimize their operations and manage costs effectively. A resale certificate allows you to purchase goods intended for resale without paying sales tax, which can greatly boost your profitability. To obtain one in Texas, you must first apply for a sales tax permit from the Texas Comptroller’s office. This step is necessary for engaging in sales activities. Furthermore, if you buy used items for resale, a resale certificate can improve your cash flow by preventing upfront sales tax payments. Comprehending the application process and requirements for these certificates is imperative for compliance and avoiding potential tax liabilities. Remember, knowing how much a business permit costs can likewise factor into your planning. Compliance and Tax Obligations Comprehending compliance and tax obligations is crucial for any business owner, especially in Texas, where specific permits and certificates are necessary to operate legally. Here are three key points to reflect on: A Sales Tax Permit is mandatory for businesses selling or leasing tangible personal property or taxable services, obtainable from the Texas Comptroller. Resale Certificates help you avoid sales tax on items you purchase for resale, enhancing your cost-effectiveness. Failing to secure these permits can lead to significant tax liabilities and penalties. To apply for a Sales Tax Permit, you’ll need pertinent information, including your Social Security number and your business’s NAICS code. If you’re curious about how much a business license in California costs, keep in mind that requirements vary by state, so research is crucial. Professional Licenses for Specialized Industries When starting a business in specialized industries, it’s vital to understand the importance of obtaining the necessary professional licenses. These licenses are significant for fields like medical, legal, and financial services, ensuring that practitioners meet industry standards and regulations. Each state has specific licensing requirements, which may include exams, background checks, and ongoing education to maintain the license. In Texas, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) manages various professional licenses, and you must register with the appropriate state entity for your industry. Non-compliance with these requirements can lead to legal consequences, including fines and the inability to operate legally. Professions requiring licenses in Texas include medical professionals, therapists, attorneys, and real estate agents, each governed by their regulatory bodies. Resources for Texas Business Licensing Starting a business in Texas requires a clear grasp of the various licensing resources available. Here are some key tools to help you navigate the process: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): They manage various licenses and offer online applications for many types. Small Business Administration’s Permit Me: This online tool helps you find local licensing requirements by entering your zip code and business type. Local Government Websites: These are essential for grasping specific licensing and permit requirements as they can vary by city and county. Frequently Asked Questions What License Is Best for a Small Business? The best license for your small business depends on your specific operations. If you’re selling goods, a sales tax permit is fundamental. Home-based businesses often need a home occupation license for zoning compliance. Certain professions, like therapy or legal services, require specialized licenses. If you’re in food service, local health department permits are vital. Furthermore, businesses in regulated sectors, such as aviation or agriculture, need federal licenses customized to their industry. What Certificate Do You Need to Start a Business? To start a business, you’ll typically need an Assumed Name Certificate if you’re using a name different from your own. If you’re selling goods or services, a Sales Tax Permit is crucial. Depending on your industry, specific professional licenses may be required, such as for healthcare or real estate. If your business handles food, a health permit is required. Furthermore, check local zoning regulations to guarantee compliance with area requirements. Should I Get an LLC or Business License First? You should establish your LLC first, as it creates a separate legal entity that protects your personal assets from business liabilities. This structure is beneficial when applying for any necessary local permits or licenses later. After forming your LLC, check your municipality’s requirements, since local regulations might necessitate a business license, regardless of whether the state does not. Comprehending these specifics guarantees you operate legally and avoid potential penalties. Conclusion In conclusion, starting a business in Texas requires comprehension of various licensing and permit requirements based on your specific location and industry. You’ll need to check local regulations, apply for necessary permits, and consider any federal licenses if applicable. Don’t overlook professional licenses for specialized fields. By thoroughly researching these requirements and ensuring compliance, you can set a strong foundation for your business and avoid potential legal complications. Always stay informed about changes in regulations that may affect your operations. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What License Do I Need to Start a Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends 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 Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 wireless over-ear ANC headphones are currently down to $279 (from $479) on Woot, marking their lowest price so far (according to price trackers), with free shipping for Prime members and a $6 fee for others. The deal is expected to run for about a week or until it sells out, so availability could shift quickly depending on demand. The mix of fabric, aluminum, and synthetic leather gives these headphones a more premium touch than most all-plastic alternatives in this range, and their updated headband and thicker cushions make a difference over time—you can sit through long work sessions or a full flight without feeling like you need to take them off. It also gives you 30 hours of playback with active noise cancellation on (your mileage may vary), and the quick charge feature gets you about seven hours in 15 minutes, which is enough to get you through a day if you forget to plug them in overnight. Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 $279.00 at Woot $479.00 Save $200.00 Get Deal Get Deal $279.00 at Woot $479.00 Save $200.00 Sound-wise—as compared to the previous Px7 S2—music feels more open, with better separation between vocals and instruments. Bass has presence but doesn’t take over, and the highs have more energy than before without becoming harsh. And you don’t need the best Bluetooth setup to notice the difference, either. Even on standard AAC or SBC, the improvement comes through. If you do have a compatible Android phone, aptX Adaptive and Lossless support are available, or you can also plug in via USB-C for higher-resolution audio, which is still rare in this category. You also get a proper five-band EQ in the companion app, so you can fine-tune the sound instead of relying on basic presets (as was the case before). That said, while its active noise cancellation has improved, it still falls short of industry leaders like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, especially in environments like flights or heavy traffic. Transparency mode, on the other hand, is much better than before and works well for conversations, but the controls can feel a bit limiting—you still have to cycle through ANC modes instead of choosing directly, and the button layout takes some getting used to. There’s also no support for newer Bluetooth features like LE Audio or Auracast, which could matter down the line. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 Noise Cancelling Heart Rate Wireless Earbuds — $199.00 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ 128GB Wi-Fi 11" Tablet (Gray) — $202.00 (List Price $249.99) Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) — $329.00 (List Price $399.00) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $298.00 (List Price $399.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The White House is set to release President Donald The President’s 2027 budget Friday, a sweeping blueprint that could boost Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion, the largest of its kind in decades, as the U.S. focuses on military investments rather than other domestic programs. Even before the U.S.-led war against Iran, the Republican president had indicated he wanted to bolster defense spending to modernize the military for 21st-century threats. Separately, the Pentagon last month proposed $200 billion for the war effort and to backfill munitions and supplies. The President, speaking ahead of an address to the nation this week about the Iran war, signaled the military is his priority, setting up a clash ahead in Congress. “We’re fighting wars. We can’t take care of day care,” The President said at a private White House event Wednesday. “It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare — all these individual things,” he said. “They can do it on a state basis. You can’t do it on a federal.” The president’s annual budget more broadly is considered a reflection of the administration’s values and does not carry the force of law. The massive document typically highlights an administration’s priorities, but Congress, which handles federal spending issues, is free to reject it and often does. With the nation running nearly $2 trillion annual deficits and the debt swelling past $39 trillion, the federal balance sheets have long been operating in the red. About two-thirds of the nation’s estimated $7 trillion in annual spending covers the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs, as well as Social Security income, which are essentially growing — along with an aging population — on autopilot. The rest of the annual budget has typically been more evenly split between defense and domestic accounts, nearly $1 trillion each, which is where much of the debate in Congress takes place. The GOP’s big tax breaks bill that The President signed into law last year boosted his priorities beyond the budget process — with at least $150 billion for the Pentagon over the next several years, and $170 billion for The President’s immigration and deportation operations at the Department of Homeland Security. This year’s White House document, prepared by Budget Director Russ Vought, is intended to provide a road map from the president to Congress as lawmakers build their own budgets and annual appropriations bills to keep the government funded. Vought spoke to House GOP lawmakers on a private call Thursday. Congress still fighting over 2026 spending The president’s budget arrives as the House and Senate remain tangled over current-year spending and stalemated over DHS funding, with Democrats demanding changes to The President’s immigration enforcement regime that Republicans are unwilling to accept. The President announced Thursday he would sign an executive order to pay all DHS workers who have gone without paychecks during the record-long partial government shutdown that has reached 49 days. The Republican leadership in Congress reached an agreement this week on a path forward to fund the department, but lawmakers are away on spring break and have not yet voted on any new legislation. Last year, in the president’s first budget since returning to the White House, The President sought to fulfill his promise to vastly reduce the size and scope of the federal government, reflecting the efforts of billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. As DOGE slashed through federal offices and Vought sought to claw back funds, Congress did not always agree. For example, The President sought a roughly one-fifth decrease in non-defense spending for the current budget year ending Sept. 30, but Congress kept such spending relatively flat. Some of the programs that The President tried to eliminate entirely, such as assisting families with their energy costs, got a slight uptick in funding. Others got flat funding, such as the Community Development Block Grants that states and local communities use to fund an array of projects intended mostly to help low-income communities through new parks, sewer systems and affordable housing. Lawmakers have also focused on ensuring the administration spends federal dollars as directed by Congress. This year’s spending bills contained what Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, described as “hundreds upon hundreds of specific funding levels and directives” that the administration is required to follow. —Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking, Associated Press View the full article

In October 2024, two entrepreneurs launched a tech news podcast. Eighteen months later, OpenAI just bought it. The ChatGPT maker announced Thursday it has purchased TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network) for an undisclosed sum, bringing the tech world’s buzziest podcast into the AI company’s fold. TBPN is run by Jordi Hays and John Coogan, founder of VC party and cofounder of Soylent, respectively. Here’s what to know about the deal: How will this arrangement be structured? The announcement makes a big claim, stating that TBPN will maintain “editorial independence.” This separation will give the podcasters space to make editorial decisions, run their programming, and choose their guests. Open AI CEO Sam Altman has previously appeared on the show. “TBPN is my favorite tech show,” Altman wrote on X following the news. “We want them to keep that going and for them to do what they do so well. “I don’t expect them to go any easier on us, am sure I’ll do my part to help enable that with occasional stupid decisions.” However, TBPN will be part of OpenAI’s strategy department, reporting to chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane. OpenAI plans to use their “amazing comms and marketing instincts” and “leverage their talent outside the show.” Sure, TBPN is allowed to talk openly about OpenAI. But, from the sound of it, that will mean talking honestly about an employer of sorts. “​​While we’ve been critical of the industry at times, after getting to know Sam and the OpenAI team, what stood out most was their openness to feedback and commitment to getting this right,” Hays said in a statement. “Moving from commentary to real impact in how this technology is distributed and understood globally is incredibly important to us.” What is TBPN? An episode of TBPN can span topics such as buyout deals, gossip about AI talent wars, and startup culture—to name a few areas. Hays and Coogan often cover 50 to 100 topics an episode, Hays told Fast Company last month. The show’s livestream can sometimes attract upwards of 130,000 simultaneous viewers, with millions more watching clips and listening to the podcast after the fact. “We basically leverage the algorithms,” Hays continued. “Love them or hate them, they do a really good job of sorting what people are interested in.” In March, TBPN was named No. 2 on Fast Company‘s Most Innovative Companies list for news and media. Hays and Coogan cohost TBPN for three hours a day, five days a week, talking about all things tech and business. As Fast Company staff editor Connie Lin put it, “The pair tackle business news like sports commentators.” In December, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced a deal to become TBPN’s exclusive exchange partner. View the full article

Figure signals improvement in the labour market after string of bleak data releasesView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Garmin Forerunner 970 is the newest and best Forerunner watch (aka Garmin's flagship running watch line). It’s an improved version of the Forerunner 965, though it does come with a shorter battery life and a higher price tag. Whether that tradeoff is worth it depends on what you're looking for. For data-driven racers and endurance athletes who want to track, analyze, and optimize every aspect of their performance, the 970 is one of the best watches out there. My full in-depth review is still in the works, but a few standout features are already making a strong impression. Garmin Forerunner 970 $749.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $749.99 at Amazon Bright AMOLED display (plus a sapphire lens and titanium bezel)Right out of the box, the Forerunner 970's display feels high-end. The AMOLED screen is vivid, sharp, and easy to read at a glance—whether you're mid-run or just checking your stats on the couch. The sapphire lens and titanium bezel give the watch a durable feel, making it fit for serious training. Perfectly visible display, even in the bright sun. Credit: Meredith Dietz Full-color maps with enhanced navigationThe full-color maps on the 970 hold up impressively well even in signal-challenged environments, including, notably, inside my New York City walk-up apartment, where GPS signals go to die. Whether you're exploring a new route or just trying to get your bearings in a dense urban environment, the enhanced navigation on this watch delivers right out the box. Here is where I'd normally place a photo of said GPS working from inside my apartment, but then you'd be able to find me. Nice try, readers! Running tolerance and training readiness scoresThis might be the feature I've been most excited to dig into. The Forerunner 970 introduces running tolerance scores that help you better understand the cumulative impact each run has on your body, along with a recommended weekly maximum mileage, so you can keep building fitness without tipping into overtraining territory. On top of that, training readiness scores greet you from the moment you wake up, pulling together data on sleep quality, recovery, training load, and more to give you a clear signal: go hard today, or dial it back? "Recovery in progress" isn't totally accurate, since I will be running right after taking this photo. Credit: Meredith Dietz Sort of a no-brainer, but will do! Credit: Meredith Dietz The thing is, I can already tell I’ll need to override some of Garmin’s recommendations to rest. As I've written before, Garmin tends to err on the conservative side for distance runners. That said, I love having this data in front of me, even if I occasionally choose to ignore it. Projected race timesProjected race time isn't a brand-new concept, but the 970's version feels more meaningful thanks to the deeper training metrics backing it up. This prediction shows what your race time and pace could be if you keep training consistently all the way to your goal race date—and with more nuanced inputs like running tolerance factored in, the expectation (and hope) is that these projections will be more accurate than ever. I have a race in May that will serve as the real litmus test. Stay tuned. Built-in LED flashlightLast but absolutely not least: the flashlight. A quick double-press of the upper-left button turns it on or off, and it is powerful. In fact, I accidentally shone it directly into my eyes and spent the next several seconds blinking stars out of my vision while trying to type this very sentence. Beyond my momentary blindness, the flashlight rocks. More importantly, it makes running at night feel a little safer—as long as I’m willing to let the battery drain fast. For anyone logging early-morning or after-dark miles, this is the kind of small feature that could end up mattering a lot. View the full article

Why right now seems like the right time for me to move out of cashView the full article

Across the U.S., the realities of healthcare affordability are reaching a breaking point, with premiums and out-of-pocket costs straining household budgets and forcing some families to consider going without coverage or delaying care, simply because they cannot pay. This isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about everyday decisions: skipping preventive visits, postponing prescriptions, or weighing health needs against rent and groceries. As healthcare costs grow while federal funds and subsidies shift, our systems are under duress, and people are being forced to make impossible choices. In this context, the question for business leaders, in healthcare and beyond, is clear: How do we design operating models that are resilient to these pressures, and genuinely responsive for the people they serve? THE BUSINESS CASE IS STRAIGHTFORWARD Dignity is efficient. We see this every day in community health, where centering dignity over efficiency alone transforms bottom lines. When patients feel seen and respected, they show up, they trust, and they return. Chronic illness gets managed through preventative care rather than acute intervention. Emergency room visits drop. Families stay working and contributing. Health becomes a stabilizing force that strengthens neighborhoods and local economies. The return on investment isn’t abstract. Research has shown us that, because community healthcare keeps people connected to preventive care and early treatment, that contributes to lower hospital and emergency department use, and lower total system costs—a powerful proof point that dignity-centered care can be both humane and efficient. The formula works. Yet, most businesses still optimize for the wrong things, chasing scale and speed while treating community rootedness as a constraint that limits growth. Our own organization’s experience has shown that the opposite is true. THREE PRACTICAL SHIFTS TO IMPLEMENT Implementing dignity-centered care and optimizing for the right things isn’t difficult. Here are three ways to do that. 1. Design with, not for. Don’t treat communities as problems to solve or markets to penetrate. Restructure the organization so its operating model is intentionally shaped around the specific needs, lived realities, and priorities of the communities it serves. This can look like language access, hiring from local talent pools, awarding contracts to small and minority-owned businesses, and partnerships with education systems that create new career pipelines. The same principle applies whether you’re designing financial services, educational programs, or retail experiences. 2. Measure what matters to people, not just what’s easy to count. Standard metrics of success like customer growth, processing time, and cost per transaction can be counter to dignity-rooted experiences. How can we measure trust, belonging, and sustained engagement? Are people coming back? Are they bringing family or friends? Are they accessing services earlier in a problem cycle rather than waiting until crisis? These indicators can predict long-term sustainability better than sales and quarterly gains. 3. Root accountability locally. Community-grounded institutions are more resilient because they answer to something beyond distant shareholders. Create structures where the people your business serves directly impact how it operates. This can mean representation on boards, local hiring requirements, or transparent feedback mechanisms. When institutions can be held accountable by the communities they serve, trust builds—and in an era of institutional mistrust, this kind of credibility is capital. WHY THIS WORKS WHEN TRADITIONAL APPROACHES FAIL When you genuinely understand and honor the cultural context and lived experience of the people you serve, you unlock engagement that top-down, one-size-fits-all approaches miss entirely. This extends beyond healthcare into education, housing, financial services, civic infrastructure, and other industries. Any system serious about resilience must move closer to the people it serves. The institutions that will weather the next decade aren’t those with the most aggressive growth targets or the most streamlined processes. They’re the ones that people trust. The ones that show up consistently, speak their language, understand their context, and honor their complexity. THE STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE Too many companies still treat dignity as a compliance exercise or a values statement in a deck. What if it became the literal structure of how you operate? What if every major business decision was filtered through the question: Does this center the dignity of the communities we serve? When institutions build trust through dignity, they: Generate not only customer loyalty, but competitive advantages Attract and retain talent who want their work to mean something Build resilience that weathers economic shocks and policy change Dignity, it turns out, has an excellent business model when it’s recognized as a structural advantage and not just a soft value. It just requires measuring success differently—not by speed of scale alone, but by depth of engagement and trust. Not by how efficiently you process people, but by how effectively you serve them. Not by how uniform your offering is, but by how well it meets people where they are. The organizations that design for dignity today will outperform on retention, resilience, and relevance tomorrow. Cástulo de la Rocha is president and CEO of AltaMed Health Services. View the full article

Volatility and rising accountability are reshaping every industry. Philanthropy isn’t immune. In moments like this, leadership drives meaningful progress. As chief philanthropy officer at UNICEF USA, I work with C-suite leaders and philanthropists to turn bold commitments into lasting impact. Carol J. Hamilton has spent four decades in the C-suite at L’Oréal USA and continues to serve across corporate and nonprofit boards. Between us, we’ve seen philanthropy evolve and adapt. We came together to talk about what leadership requires in this moment. Michele Walsh: You played a key role in shaping a global company’s philanthropic efforts. Since leaving L’Oréal USA, you seem busier than ever, serving on several boards and continuing to make a difference. As you think about this next chapter, what feels different for you in this moment? How has your career shaped it? Carol J. Hamilton: What feels different is ownership. In my corporate career, I had the leadership platform of a global company to align business and purpose. Now, I had to pivot to something more personal. I knew what mattered to me was continuing my passion for helping women and girls. The harder question was: How would I make a difference on my own? I shifted gears and needed new advisors. Just as in business, I surrounded myself with people who could challenge my thinking and help shape a strategy. Philanthropy deserves the same discipline. Walsh: You have always been an energizer, someone who makes things happen. What does mobilizing look like for you in practice now? Hamilton: It starts with personal commitment. Significant gifts matter. They fund proven solutions. Before I invited anyone else to join me, I pushed myself to give at a level that reflected how strongly I believed in the work. From there, it’s about passion. I care deeply about the issues I support, and I let that show. When something matters to me, I share that openly. If it sparks interest, I bring people closer. Sometimes that’s as simple as hosting a dinner and creating space for a conversation. There’s something powerful about being together. When personal commitment meets shared passion, momentum builds. It’s the same in business. When you lead with shared values, you can turn purpose into collective action. Hamilton: Michele, you work with C-suite leaders across sectors and generous philanthropists every day. With funding pressures and fluctuating markets, how do you see business leaders approaching philanthropy differently? Walsh: I’m seeing both urgency and evolution. Giving toward tangible solutions like vaccines, therapeutic food, and emergency supplies is compelling and critical. Increasingly, leaders are also asking how to deliver lasting change at scale. That may mean investing in training, supply chains, financing mechanisms, or the infrastructure that allows organizations to respond faster and scale responsibly. It’s less visible, more complex, and often where the strongest leverage lives. Hamilton: That feels bigger than traditional philanthropy or even workplace giving. What’s behind that shift? Walsh: In my work with business leaders, the conversation centers on alignment and durability: How do we ensure bold commitments endure? Almost 90% of leaders now say their impact strategies are future-proofing their business, a clear sign that philanthropy is no longer a feel-good option, but strategic. Capital unlocks possibility. Leadership sets direction at scale. Systems make impact scalable and sustainable. Walsh: From the C-suite to the boardroom to personal giving, you’ve seen philanthropy from every angle. What should leaders do differently now? Hamilton: Don’t wait. The environment will always evolve. Expectations will shift. But the need doesn’t pause. Be clear about what matters to you. Surround yourself with the right expertise and commit boldly. And if you can, bring others along. Philanthropy has more tools than ever, even as needs continue to outpace resources. The question isn’t whether we can give. It’s how we lead. Michele Walsh is the executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer at UNICEF USA. View the full article

We last saw Copenhagen planks in our rundown of the best bodyweight exercises that actually build strength. But it’s an under-appreciated exercise, and deserves a spotlight of its own. The Copenhagen plank looks a bit like a side plank: You’re leaning on your hand or elbow, other arm away from the ground, trying to hold your body in a rigid position. But what makes the Copenhagen special is that you do not rest your feet or knees on the ground. No, you place one leg (your top leg) on a bench. This means you need to use the inner thigh muscle on that top leg to hold yourself up. It is a killer leg exercise, and it has benefits beyond just adding variety to your routine. What are the benefits of the Copenhagen plank?This exercise got its name (and its mild popularity) from research out of Denmark that showed it helps to prevent groin pull injuries in athletes. Our inner thigh muscles, called the hip adductors, are responsible for pulling our legs in toward each other. These muscles also act as stabilizers in running and other actions we take during sports. Since adductors are thin muscles and can be prone to tears or strains (“pulls”), the researchers used Copenhagen planks to strengthen the adductors. It worked: Programs including this “Copenhagen adductor exercise” made male soccer players’ adductors stronger, and while it’s not a silver bullet for preventing groin strains, it seems to help. In addition to strengthening the adductors, the Copenhagen plank also contains the elements of a normal side plank, meaning it has a side effect of strengthening a variety of core muscles, including your obliques. Even your abductors, the muscles on the outsides of your hips, seem to get a little bit of a boost from training this exercise. (And yes, those two words are very similar. Abductors bring your leg away from your body, just like an alien abduction takes a person away from Earth. Adductors bring your legs in toward your midline; the two letter D’s in the middle may help you remember that they bring the legs together.) How exactly do I do a Copenhagen plank? The basic idea is to support your upper body on your forearm or hand, while your leg is supported on a bench or another object. In team practices, a partner can stand up and hold your leg while you’re doing the exercise. Start with as much of your leg on the support as possible. In order of easiest to hardest, the progression goes: Knee or thigh on the bench Shin or foot on the bench Dipping the hips toward the ground and back up, repeatedly. (This can be done in either position.) While planks are often done for increasingly long periods of time, you don’t have to take that approach to get the benefits of the Copenhagen plank. Try a 10-second hold, repeated three times with rest in between as needed. When that gets easy, try a harder variation. What if I can’t do a Copenhagen plank?If you can’t do any of the versions above, even the one with your knee on the bench, one way to modify is to keep your free leg on the ground. Lift your hips mostly with the top leg, but use some support from the bottom leg to help. If you’re still not comfortable with that, you may need to do side planks (from the knees is fine) to build up your core strength, and look elsewhere for adductor exercises. This banded adductor exercise is a good place to start, and you can also do single-leg movements like step-ups to work the adductors alongside other leg muscles. View the full article

The U.S. Navy spent at least six months resurrecting a high-energy laser weapon that previously graced the bow of a warship for a new military exercise last year, the service recently revealed. The Navy’s Directed Energy Systems Integration Laboratory (DESIL)—the dedicated facility for evaluating laser weapons in a maritime environment located at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, California—“ramped up efforts to restore critical functions” to the service’s “one-of-a-kind” 150 kilowatt Solid State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) demonstrator starting in early March 2025, according to recently published ‘year in review’ bulletin from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). Initiated in 2012 and officially known as the Laser Weapon System Demonstrator Mk 2 Mod 0, the SSL-TM demonstrator was originally installed aboard the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Portland in 2019. The system, described as the successor to the 30 kw AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System (also known as the XN-1 LaWS) that was mounted on the Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Ponce in 2014, was designed to “provide a new capability to the Fleet to address known capability gaps against asymmetric threats” like now-ubiquitous aerial drones and small boats laden with explosives, as well as “inform future acquisition strategies, system designs integration architectures, and fielding plans for laser weapon systems,” according to Navy budget documents. The SSL-TM demonstrator appears to have performed as advertised. The system successfully destroyed a drone target during at-sea testing in the Gulf of Aden in May 2020—an engagement that yielded one of the most vivid representations of a real-world laser weapon in action to date—as well as neutralized a small surface target during additional testing in December 2021. But while prime contractor Northrop Grumman had specifically designed the SSL-TM demonstrator for installation “with minimal modification or additional costs” aboard the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, the service initiated the system’s deinstallation from the Portland in fiscal year 2023 after spending nearly $50 million on the effort, the budget documents say. The U.S. Defense Department’s final report on the initiative has not yet been made public. Following the deinstallation, the SSL-TM demonstrator was presumably mothballed until the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) requested the laser weapon “play a role” in the Pentagon’s new Crimson Dragon military exercise the following September, the NAVSEA bulletin says. Described as a weeklong, multi-unit DESIL test event, Crimson Dragon convened 20 defense contractors “in a simulated combat environment” to test the effectiveness of their drones, counter-drone systems, and sensors “in scenarios that simulated military base defense, long-range fires and integrated [ballistic missile defense],” according to the bulletin. The SSL-TM demonstrator successfully shot down four drone targets during the exercise, the bulletin says. While it’s unclear which scenarios the SSL-TM demonstrator participated in during Crimson Dragon, an annual assessment of U.S. military weapon systems from the Pentagon’s Director, Operational Test & Evaluation released on March 16 states that part of the exercise “focused on the sea point of departure defense venues against all-domain maritime air-and-sea threats,” which suggests the system may have provided air defense for a simulated port or staging area where troops and equipment embark onto ships. But beyond these brief mentions in recent U.S. military publications, no additional information is available regarding the current status of the SSL-TM demonstrator, its performance during Crimson Dragon, and the Navy’s future plans for the system. NAVSEA, OUSD(R&E), and the Office of Naval Research did not respond to requests for more details. Without more context, it’s difficult to infer where the return of the SSL-TM demonstrator fits into the U.S. military’s expanding directed energy ambitions. The Pentagon has not indicated whether OUSD(R&E)’s request was driven by the urgency of real-world threats—the demonstrator was first tested in the very waters where Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen had spent more than a year targeting U.S. warships and commercial shipping—or simply an opportunistic use of a capable system sitting in storage. But the system’s restoration for Crimson Dragon potentially points to a broader challenge: despite years of testing and high-profile demonstrations, relatively few high-energy laser weapons are actually available for the kind of realistic, large-scale exercises needed to refine tactics and validate how these weapons are used in combat. Indeed, it’s not like the Pentagon has bunch of spare laser weapons floating around to play with. The U.S. Army’s four 50 kw Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) systems have been completely demilitarized, while the service’s Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) systems are preoccupied downing drones on the US-Mexico border. The Marine Corps returned its five Compact Laser Weapon System (CLaWS) to Boeing. The Navy’s AN/SEQ-4 Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) laser weapons are all installed aboard active warships at sea; meanwhile, the service’s 60 kw High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system has had a challenging year on its own. As a result, it appears that previously retired prototypes that might otherwise remain museum pieces are being called back into service to keep the U.S. military’s counter-drone experimentation moving forward. The Pentagon may be racing to field laser weapons at scale, but for now it’s still relying on yesterday’s prototypes to figure out how they’ll actually fight tomorrow’s wars. This article is republished with permission from Laser Wars, a newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology. View the full article

At SXSW 2026, the creator economy moved firmly into the spotlight as a defining force in modern marketing. Creators are no longer viewed as content producers alone. They are business owners, cultural drivers, and trusted voices with direct relationships to engaged communities. SXSW’s creator-first approach reflects a broader evolution across marketing. Creators aren’t just a marketing channel; they’re becoming the primary way brands build relevance and connection. As the SXSW Creator Economy track made clear, creators now sit at the intersection of culture and commerce, shaping what people buy and how they discover and engage. For brands, this means moving beyond one-off campaigns toward sustained, long-term partnerships with creators who genuinely understand and represent their values. 5 LESSONS FROM SXSW Coming out of SXSW, the future of the creator economy feels less speculative and more defined, with a new wave of trends beginning to take hold. Here are five things I learned: 1. AI will flood the internet with content. The response will be a premium on humanity. AI is going to dramatically increase the supply of content. That’s obvious. But the interesting counter-trend everyone was talking about is that as AI content becomes infinite, human-made content becomes more valuable. The scarcity won’t be production anymore. The scarcity will be trust. Creators with real audiences, real opinions, and real communities will become the new “verified sources” of culture. 2. The next filter in social feeds might literally be “human made.” A slightly provocative idea that came up in several conversations: Platforms may eventually need a “human-made content” signal in feeds. Not because AI content is bad—it’s actually getting very good—but because the volume of generated content will make discovery harder and trust weaker. Platforms make money from trusted discovery. So maintaining that trust will become a commercial priority. 3. The biggest shift in marketing: audiences → communities. People are tired of being treated like an audience. An audience is something you broadcast to. A community is something you belong to. Creators build communities. Brands historically built audiences. The future of marketing is brands learning how to participate inside communities instead of interrupting them. 4. The future of discovery is creator video, especially in search. One fascinating shift discussed by both brand and platform teams: Creator videos are increasingly showing up in search results. For travel, food, beauty, and lifestyle categories in particular, creator content is becoming the front door to discovery. In many cases, a creator video is now the first thing you see when searching a destination, a product, or an experience. 5. The counter-trend to digital overload: real life experiences. Interestingly, the more digital the world becomes, the more people crave real-world experiences. Travel. Events. Pop-ups. IRL communities. Creators are becoming the bridge between the online world and those real-world moments. The future of the creator economy is already taking shape. It will reward those who prioritize trust, community, and real connection. The brands that adapt now will not just keep up, they’ll help define what comes next. Ben Jeffries is cofounder and CEO of Influencer. View the full article

On a recent call with a major sports organization to discuss experiential communications, a marketing leader pushed back with a familiar argument, “Why wouldn’t I just take a few million dollars and do an ad buy instead? I can reach the same number of people.” But reach isn’t the problem for today’s brand leader. With marketing teams facing a 54% increase in content production demands, generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Sora, HeyGen, and OpusPro have made it easier or cheaper to produce content at scale to saturate feeds and timelines with ad-ready messaging. Yet, the biggest mistake in doing so is believing that speed and volume equal impact. When reach and efficiency aren’t prioritized, nuance and complexity take precedence. When this occurs, audiences tune out. Far too many brands have chosen to ignore the erosion of trust and AI fatigue currently taking shape. From cultural forces to an overreliance on influencer marketing, audiences have become increasingly skeptical of what they consume. The rise of deepfakes and AI-generated influencers like Lil Miquela or viral personas like Granny Spills, each with millions of followers, has only accelerated that distrust. So when audiences no longer trust what they see, sensory marketing, a deeper and more integrated approach to experiential marketing, must step up to capture and retain their attention. OUR 5 SENSES ARE INTEGRAL TO BRAND STRATEGY There’s a shift happening within the realm of communications, marketing, and authentic storytelling. Brands leading the way are designing experiences that encourage audiences to immerse themselves within their world. From the sounds or scents that evoke nostalgia to the tastes of a once forgotten meal, each creates connections that become part of their brand strategy. This is experiential communications—the intersection where strategic storytelling, edutainment (education and entertainment), and community convene through the use of our senses. WHAT WE SMELL, WE REMEMBER While working with the Monell Chemical Senses Center 15 years ago, research revealed how the brain enables smell to trigger powerful memories. When paired with taste, retention increases even further and anchors meaning. That recall is important for reinforcing the emotional connection between a brand and its audience. Research from the Sense of Smell Institute shows people remember smells with about 65% accuracy after a year, while visual recall falls to about 50% after just three months. CEO of Scent Marketing, Caroline Fabrigas, calls scent an “invisible influencer,” much like the feeling of entering a hotel lobby, like 1 Hotel, and immediately wanting to bottle up the smell to take it home. That response is not only by design, it’s clearly working. SENSORY MOMENTS TURN FEELING INTO ACTION Experiential marketing has become shorthand for brand activation, and that’s where we’ve gotten it wrong. Some of the most effective brands operating in this space don’t label themselves “experiential.” Instead, they rely on sensorial visuals and immersive experiences to translate emotional resonance into buying behaviors. Companies like We Are Ona describe their work as curated culinary experiences. Through food, they tell stories, create memories, and build connections, using taste as a channel to communicate with their audience. Hailey Bieber used strategic creative direction to develop product design visuals for her beauty brand, Rhode, reframing skincare as craveable treats; the move saw the brand generate over $200 million in net sales from just 10 products. The multisensory experience of food activations and edible-inspired marketing creates a sense of relatability, nostalgia, community, and luxury, thus improving brand value while stimulating subsequent purchase decisions. WHY SENSORY EXPERIENCES WORK Experience is the most credible distribution channel. In a time where content is abundant but recall is scarce, in-person connection and sensory principles are powerful. When I hosted a manifestation party for a group of journalists, I knew the safest choice would’ve been a polished dinner, but chose, instead, to double down on experience. We passed out magic wands, concocted a fictitious drink called “magic bubbles,” and played board games all night long. Seven years later, I’m still told by media executives that it was one of the best brand events they’ve ever attended. Bringing a multi-sensory event of this nature to life requires human design. Its effectiveness, beyond the fun, interactive experience, was because it was deeply rooted in research, science, and sensory marketing. This same level of intentional, audience-led design is infused into my collaboration with Ohai.ai for the curated experiential series called, “Care To Gather.” There, a multidisciplinary team, from linguists to copywriters, pressure-tested every detail, including scripts and the run-of-show. The results proved that events that convert must be engineered around audience psychology and behavioral response. SENSORY EXPERIENCES DRIVE PURCHASING DECISIONS Marketing leaders can continue feeding the content machine or invest in experiences that audiences will remember, talk about, and return to. In a trust-fragmented world, experiential communications converts skeptical audiences into buyers ready to click, buy, and repeat. Rakia Reynolds is a partner at Actum. View the full article

Over the last decade, we have been perfecting the algorithms of convenience, and in doing so we have inadvertently moved away from the frequent human interactions that sustain our communities and our workplaces. Throughout my 25-year career in philanthropy, I have worked on challenges like climate change, gun violence prevention, chronic disease prevention, and closing the opportunity gap for workers. While these issues are undeniably critical, I truly believe we cannot solve them in a vacuum of social isolation. We have created a world of unprecedented digital convenience—we use grocery delivery apps, self-checkout lines, streaming services, and text messages, versus phone calls. We are now hyperconnected online, and yet experiencing the highest reported rates of both loneliness and anxiety in recorded history. The World Health Organization Commission on Social Connection has determined that loneliness affects nearly one in six people globally. The rise of generative AI and AI companions is the next significant shift in this journey. With more than 800 million people using just ChatGPT every week, there is truly a fundamental shift in how we seek information and communicate with others. We are at a time where advances in AI technology could actually serve as a bridge to deepen our understanding of one another and our relationships. However, if we allow digital interactions to replace real-world ones, do we risk losing the human art of caring for one another? This issue goes unnamed in boardrooms, but the erosion of human connection could pose a material business risk if it goes unnoticed and unattended to. As we move deeper into the era of artificial intelligence, we need to pay very close attention to investing in human connection, to prevent our relationships at work from atrophying. WORK ACROSS DIFFERENCES We know that trust in institutions and the ability to solve global and local issues depends on our ability to work together and across differences. That’s why the Workday Foundation is doubling down on human connection as a primary pillar in our grantmaking strategy. Today, only 34% of Americans believe that most people can be trusted. Building trust back requires intentional interactions with one another—talking to our neighbors, sharing meals, and attending civic events. The urgent challenge now is to begin creating opportunities for increased human connection. Let’s begin to treat social connection as a measurable social good, one that requires the same level of planning and investment as any other critical infrastructure. This means moving beyond the trap of simply using AI to do more work. A portion of the time we gain from using AI should be a dividend that we invest back into our real-life relationships with our colleagues, neighbors, friends, and family. COLLECTIVE SOCIAL COHESION Rebuilding our collective social cohesion will require a cross-sector movement. Ideally, tech innovators should prioritize pro-social design that accelerates human flourishing. Simultaneously, nonprofits and community leaders need resources to scale local initiatives that help repair our social fabric, like intergenerational programs that build understanding, or neighborhood projects that transform proximity into genuine belonging. For example, at the Workday Foundation, we have launched a pilot program with our partners at the U.S. Chamber of Connection called “Connection as a Cause,” to help our employees become social connectors in their own local communities. It expands our definition of volunteer service—inviting us not just to do things for our neighbors, but to actively build real relationships with them. When we design for connection, we aren’t just making people feel better. We are building the trust and cohesion necessary for a functioning community and thriving economy. As leaders, I hope we can recognize that human connection is no longer a “soft” benefit, it’s a business imperative. A bright future depends on our ability to prioritize the human algorithm—the messy, friction-filled, and rewarding process of connecting with one another. I invite you to join us in this movement. Carrie Varoquiers is chief impact officer at Workday. View the full article

Today, April 3, 2026, is Good Friday. It is an important day to Christians in the United States and around the world. But unlike in many other countries, Good Friday, in many U.S. states, isn’t an official holiday. When it comes to institutions and businesses, some observe the holiday, while others don’t. That can make it confusing for people to know exactly what is open and what is closed on Good Friday. Here’s what you need to know. Is Good Friday a national holiday? No, the federal government does not recognize Good Friday as a national holiday. This means that many federal institutions that are typically closed on public holidays remain open on Good Friday, including agencies such as the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). For those keeping track, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management notes that there are 11 federal holidays in 2026. The last one was Washington’s Birthday on February 16, and the next one will be Memorial Day on May 25. Is Good Friday a state holiday? While Good Friday isn’t a federal holiday, a number of states recognize the day as a state holiday. According to TimeandDate, 10 states observe Good Friday as a state holiday or partial holiday. Those states include: Connecticut Delaware Hawaii Indiana Louisiana North Carolina North Dakota New Jersey Tennessee Texas In these states, state agencies and institutions, such as DMVs and state licensing boards, are likely to be closed. Is the stock market open on Good Friday? No, U.S. stock markets are closed today. America’s stock exchanges recognize their own holiday schedules, not the federal government’s. Both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Nasdaq observe Good Friday as a holiday, and thus their markets are closed. Are banks open on Good Friday? You may think that since stock markets are closed on Good Friday, other financial institutions, such as banks, must also be closed. But actually, that’s not the case. All of America’s major national banks’ retail locations are open today, which includes JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America (BoA), Wells Fargo, and Citibank. Keep in mind, however, that smaller regional banks or banks located in states where Good Friday is observed as a state holiday may choose to close today. Are ATMs open on Good Friday? Yep, it’s rare that an ATM ever “closes”—except when it runs out of cash or breaks. But actually, that’s more likely to happen on long holiday weekends like the Easter weekend than on Good Friday. During holidays, people typically go out and engage in more activities, so ATM usage increases, which can cause the ATM to run out of cash faster than it normally would. Is the post office open on Good Friday? Yes, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is operating today. USPS branches are open—even in states where Good Friday is a state holiday. This is because the USPS is a federal agency, not a state agency, so it is closed only on federally observed holidays. Is mail delivered on Good Friday? Yes. U.S. post offices will deliver mail as normal on Good Friday, so you can expect to see the mail truck drive past your house sometime today. Are FedEx and UPS operating on Good Friday? UPS says that its pickup and delivery services are available today. It also says that UPS store locations remain open on Good Friday. As for FedEx, the delivery company says its FedEx Office, FedEx Custom Critical, and FedEx Logistics are all open today. However, it lists its FedEx and FedEx Freight services as having “modified service” today. Are schools open on Good Friday? This is a complicated one to answer because, for many schools, holidays are decided at the local level, not the state or federal level. For public schools, this means that some will be open and some will be closed. The only way to know for sure is to contact the school or view its calendar online. When it comes to private schools, particularly Christian or Catholic ones, many may be closed on Good Friday due to the holiday’s religious significance. However, the only way to know for sure is if you contact the school in question directly. Are retail stores open on Good Friday? Yeah, you can count on nearly every major big box retailer being open today. They know many people may have the day off work and so go out shopping. Major retailers that should be open today include Walmart, Target, Sam’s Club, Costco, Best Buy, Kohl’s, and more. Are restaurants open on Good Friday? Most fast food and restaurant chains should be open today. This includes most of the popular chains, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, and Chipotle. However, note that many popular fast-food chains operate on a franchise model, which means specific locations may be owned by individuals rather than the company. Individually owned franchise locations usually have the authority to set their own hours and days open and closed. So it is possible some specific locations may be closed today. Are grocery stores open on Good Friday? Yep, nearly every major grocery store chain will be open today. This includes Kroger, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Aldi, Costco, and more. Are pharmacies open on Good Friday? Yeah, most chain pharmacies should be open today, including Walgreens and CVS. The only caveat here is that local independent pharmacies may be closed if the owners observe Good Friday as a holiday. View the full article

Hello again, and welcome back to Fast Company’s Plugged In. More than 15 months ago, I wrote about Surf, a discovery engine for the social web from Flipboard—itself an earlier twist on the same concept dating to the early days of the iPad. At the time, it was still a rough draft, and in private beta. Rather than rushing it out to a broader audience, Flipboard took its time. The app went through a series of revisions that were both numerous and substantial, ending up significantly different than the intriguing prototype I tried in December 2024. This week, the company finally deemed Surf ready for prime time. It’s now live in web form at Surf.social; a beta Android version is in the Google Play store. (The iPhone and iPad versions still have a waitlist.) If you’ve grown jaded about social networking or the web in general, I recommend taking a look. Surf’s sheer ambition makes it a challenge to describe coherently. It weaves together material from Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads—along with YouTube videos, podcasts, blog posts, and articles—and yet it isn’t really a substitute for those services’ own apps. It’s a way to create and share custom feeds about your interests that run on autopilot once you’ve set them up, but that’s optional—you can also just lurk and peruse other people’s feeds. And even though it runs inside a web browser, it feels a little like what browsers themselves might have become if they hadn’t largely stopped evolving almost 20 years ago. All I know for sure is that using Surf leaves me feeling better about the state of the internet. I am aware that the net is rapidly filling up with AI-generated slop, and that, furthermore, the technology’s impact on search and advertising threatens to disincentivize humans from bothering with the medium at all. But for now, there’s still lots of great stuff out there—and Surf is a refreshingly inventive way to find it. It would be inaccurate to describe Surf as an algorithm-free zone. Like Flipboard before it, it uses computer science to help identify what individual pieces of content are about so they can be woven together thematically. Unlike Facebook or TikTok, however, it isn’t a giant machine designed, above all, to keep you scrolling. Flipboard worked with individuals and outlets such as The Verge, 404 Media, and Rolling Stone to ensure that the app launched with a bevy of feeds worth following. The result feels curated, not stuffed to capacity. Even though Surf is decidedly human, it’s organized around interests and passions, not friendships or followers. It’s possible to skim individual Bluesky and Mastodon accounts, but that’s secondary to subscribing to topic-based feeds. Not surprisingly, politics and current events are available in great supply. But so are quieter pursuits that can get drowned out in the din of social networking in its more conventional form: books, cooking, hobbies, and fandoms of all kinds. The other thing about Surf that it has in common with Flipboard—and darn few other ways to consume digital content—is that it tries to present everything to its best advantage. Much of the rest of the field has a stunted feel, as if the highest possible aspiration was to rekindle the aesthetic of early Twitter. Surf, by contrast, complements its Posts tab with ones called Watch, Read, Listen, and Look, each optimized for a different sort of media. In Look, for example, photos are so downright expansive that they make the ones in other social apps look like postage stamps. Surf lets you sign in with your Bluesky and/or Mastodon accounts, allowing you to comment, like, and share on those networks. Some of its feeds are set up as communities unto themselves, letting you post items with a hashtag to pipe them into the flow. Overall, though, it has a magazine-y vibe that’s conducive to leaning back and enjoying what other people are sharing. If all those Twitter-style apps have the spirit of talk radio, this one feels more like a Sunday newspaper. Even after well over a year of incubation, Surf is clearly a first pass at a bigger idea. I occasionally found the way it intermingles multiple social networks befuddling, especially when I was thinking about liking or sharing something and couldn’t quite tell if that involved Bluesky or Mastodon. The long-term goal, Flipboard CEO Mike McCue told me recently, is not only to make that cross-pollination smoother, but to render it irrelevant for many users. “Some people have a Bluesky account, some people have a Mastodon account, some people don’t have either of those,” he explained. “In fact, most people don’t even know what those things are. So what we want to do is make it all about the community, not about joining the social web.” Participating in Surf, McCue said, should be as easy as joining Substack and easier than joining Discord, regardless of where items of interest originated. Given the temptation to give in to dark thoughts about where the internet is headed, I am excited to see where this bright spot could take us. You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fast Company’s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you’re reading it on fastcompany.com—you can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company How Disney Imagineers are using AI and robotics to reshape the company’s theme parks From robotic Olaf to reinforcement learning, the company is rethinking how its attractions come to life. Read More → Y Combinator’s CEO says he ships 37,000 lines of AI code per day. A developer looked under the hood After Garry Tan touted his agentic coding output, a developer found inefficiencies, code bloat, and rookie mistakes lurking in production. Read More → I ate lab-grown salmon. It was nothing like I expected A San Francisco startup is trying to make ‘cultivated’ fish a thing. Read More → OpenAI’s gigantic new funding round renews fears about the company’s profitability and cash burn The stakes of Big AI’s bet that it will transform business and personal life seem to be growing by leaps and bounds. Read More → The AI industry loves token inflation. Your company shouldn’t The brute-force model is starting to look less like technological inevitability and more like lazy architecture. Read More → Apple at 50: The tech giant’s best, worst, and weirdest ideas Over five decades, Apple has built some of the most influential tech ever made—and some genuinely strange flops. These are the highs, lows, and oddities. Read More → View the full article

When you’re looking to conduct a business background check, it’s vital to follow a structured approach. Start by verifying the business’s registration and physical address, which establishes its legitimacy. Next, assess financial records to comprehend its economic health. Investigating funding sources can reveal potential risks, whereas evaluating compliance with regulatory standards guarantees adherence to legal requirements. Finally, a thorough risk assessment will help you identify various types of risks associated with the business. Grasping these steps is fundamental for making well-informed decisions. Key Takeaways Verify the business’s registration status and physical address through official state or country registries. Assess financial records, including profit and loss statements and tax returns, for compliance and health. Investigate funding sources to confirm legal backing and identify any high-risk associations. Evaluate compliance with regulatory standards, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and global regulations. Perform a comprehensive risk assessment focusing on financial, operational, reputational, legal, and ownership risks. Verify Business Registration and Addresses When you’re conducting a business background check, one of the first steps is to verify business registration and addresses. This involves checking the official state or country registry to confirm that the business is legally recognized and compliant with local laws. You can often find online databases where you can search for businesses by name or registration number, making this process more accessible. Address verification is equally important, as it guarantees the business operates from a legitimate physical location, minimizing the risk of fraud associated with virtual or unregistered addresses. Accurate address information helps you assess the legitimacy of the company background and can reveal any discrepancies in claims made during your due diligence. Regularly updating and verifying business registration and addresses is vital for maintaining compliance and guaranteeing ongoing transparency in corporate relationships, helping you make informed decisions in the background check on a business. Assess Financial Records After confirming a business’s registration and address, the next step is to evaluate its financial records. This evaluation is vital for comprehending the company’s financial health. Review profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to get a clear picture of its performance. Look for any irregularities or discrepancies that could signal potential fraud or mismanagement. Examine tax returns for the past three to five years to guarantee compliance with regulations and gauge financial stability. Grasping the company’s credit history, including credit scores and outstanding debts, is likewise fundamental for appraising its ability to meet financial obligations. These records can reveal financial red flags, such as patterns that might indicate money laundering or tax evasion. By thoroughly evaluating these documents, you’ll gain valuable insights into the business’s financial practices and overall reliability. Investigate Funding Sources How can you confirm that a business’s funding sources are legitimate and transparent? Investigating funding sources is crucial for protecting yourself from hidden liabilities or financial instability. Start by verifying the origins of capital investments, such as bank statements and investment agreements, to guarantee funds come from reputable avenues. This process can reveal associations with high-risk entities, potentially flagging illegal activities like money laundering. Utilizing thorough Know Your Business (KYB) solutions provides access to billions of data points, facilitating an in-depth evaluation of the company’s financial history and stakeholders involved. Step Action Purpose Verify Capital Sources Examine Example Bank statements Confirm legitimacy of funding Review Investment Docs Analyze agreements Guarantee proper legal backing Assess Risk Associations Identify high-risk entities Prevent association with illegal activities Utilize KYB Solutions Access extensive data points Conduct a thorough background check Monitor Fraud Trends Stay updated on industry fraud rates Make informed partnership decisions Evaluate Compliance With Regulatory Standards Evaluating compliance with regulatory standards involves a careful review of a business’s adherence to legal requirements that govern its operations. This step is crucial to mitigate risks and protect your organization. Here are key areas to focus on: Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Regulations: Confirm the business performs due diligence to prevent financial crimes, considering that nearly 70% of companies report an increase in fraud incidents. Know Your Business (KYB) Process: Verify the legitimacy of corporate entities, including checks on registration, ownership structure, and funding sources. Mergers and Acquisitions: Conduct thorough background checks to uncover potential risks and confirm transparency, safeguarding against legal liabilities. Global Regulations: Adhere to guidelines from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to enforce due diligence in partnerships, combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Perform a Comprehensive Risk Assessment When you’re considering a new business partner or vendor, performing a thorough risk assessment is essential to safeguard your organization from potential pitfalls. This assessment should evaluate financial, operational, and reputational risks linked to the entity. Start with a detailed analysis of their financial history, including profitability and debt levels. Investigate the ownership structure to uncover any potential conflicts of interest. Utilizing various tools can help you gather vital data. Here’s a table to outline key components of your risk assessment: Risk Category Evaluation Focus Financial Risks Profitability, debt levels, bankruptcies Operational Risks Business processes, supply chain issues Reputational Risks Public perception, past scandals Legal Risks Regulatory violations, lawsuits Ownership Risks Conflicts of interest, key individuals Conducting a thorough risk assessment can greatly reduce unexpected challenges and protect your organization. Frequently Asked Questions What Information Does a Company Need to Do a Background Check? To conduct a background check, a company needs several key pieces of information. You’ll typically provide your full legal name, Social Security number, and date of birth for accurate identification. Previous addresses are essential for verifying your criminal and employment history. The organization likewise requires your consent through a signed authorization, ensuring compliance with legal standards. Depending on the role, additional details like employment history or educational background may be necessary for verification. How to Open a Background Check for a Business? To open a background check for a business, start by collecting key details like the business name, registration number, and address. Next, use a reputable Know Your Business (KYB) solution to access extensive databases for verification. Conduct thorough due diligence by verifying the business structure, evaluating funding sources, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Finally, perform risk evaluations and compile your findings into a clear report for stakeholders, highlighting any risks or discrepancies identified. What Are the Steps You Should Take to Properly Prepare for a Background Check? To prepare for a background check, start by obtaining written consent from the candidate, which guarantees compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Clearly communicate the specific checks being conducted, such as criminal history or employment verification. Collect detailed candidate information, including their full name and previous addresses, to facilitate accurate checks. Finally, select a reliable background check service that adheres to FCRA regulations, assuring thorough and accurate reporting throughout the process. What Kind of Background Check Do Most Companies Run? Most companies typically run several types of background checks to guarantee candidates are suitable for the role. These often include criminal background checks, which identify any violent crimes or fraud, and employment history verification, confirming previous job roles and dates. Educational checks validate degrees claimed, whereas credit checks assess financial reliability for positions with monetary responsibilities. Furthermore, reference checks provide insights into a candidate’s work ethic and performance from past employers. Conclusion To sum up, conducting a business background check is essential for making informed decisions. By verifying registration and addresses, evaluating financial records, investigating funding sources, reviewing compliance with regulations, and performing a thorough risk assessment, you can identify potential risks and validate a business’s legitimacy. These steps not only safeguard your interests but likewise improve your grasp of the company’s overall health and stability, allowing for more strategic and informed business dealings. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "5 Essential Steps for a Business Background Check" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When you’re looking to conduct a business background check, it’s vital to follow a structured approach. Start by verifying the business’s registration and physical address, which establishes its legitimacy. Next, assess financial records to comprehend its economic health. Investigating funding sources can reveal potential risks, whereas evaluating compliance with regulatory standards guarantees adherence to legal requirements. Finally, a thorough risk assessment will help you identify various types of risks associated with the business. Grasping these steps is fundamental for making well-informed decisions. Key Takeaways Verify the business’s registration status and physical address through official state or country registries. Assess financial records, including profit and loss statements and tax returns, for compliance and health. Investigate funding sources to confirm legal backing and identify any high-risk associations. Evaluate compliance with regulatory standards, including Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and global regulations. Perform a comprehensive risk assessment focusing on financial, operational, reputational, legal, and ownership risks. Verify Business Registration and Addresses When you’re conducting a business background check, one of the first steps is to verify business registration and addresses. This involves checking the official state or country registry to confirm that the business is legally recognized and compliant with local laws. You can often find online databases where you can search for businesses by name or registration number, making this process more accessible. Address verification is equally important, as it guarantees the business operates from a legitimate physical location, minimizing the risk of fraud associated with virtual or unregistered addresses. Accurate address information helps you assess the legitimacy of the company background and can reveal any discrepancies in claims made during your due diligence. Regularly updating and verifying business registration and addresses is vital for maintaining compliance and guaranteeing ongoing transparency in corporate relationships, helping you make informed decisions in the background check on a business. Assess Financial Records After confirming a business’s registration and address, the next step is to evaluate its financial records. This evaluation is vital for comprehending the company’s financial health. Review profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to get a clear picture of its performance. Look for any irregularities or discrepancies that could signal potential fraud or mismanagement. Examine tax returns for the past three to five years to guarantee compliance with regulations and gauge financial stability. Grasping the company’s credit history, including credit scores and outstanding debts, is likewise fundamental for appraising its ability to meet financial obligations. These records can reveal financial red flags, such as patterns that might indicate money laundering or tax evasion. By thoroughly evaluating these documents, you’ll gain valuable insights into the business’s financial practices and overall reliability. Investigate Funding Sources How can you confirm that a business’s funding sources are legitimate and transparent? Investigating funding sources is crucial for protecting yourself from hidden liabilities or financial instability. Start by verifying the origins of capital investments, such as bank statements and investment agreements, to guarantee funds come from reputable avenues. This process can reveal associations with high-risk entities, potentially flagging illegal activities like money laundering. Utilizing thorough Know Your Business (KYB) solutions provides access to billions of data points, facilitating an in-depth evaluation of the company’s financial history and stakeholders involved. Step Action Purpose Verify Capital Sources Examine Example Bank statements Confirm legitimacy of funding Review Investment Docs Analyze agreements Guarantee proper legal backing Assess Risk Associations Identify high-risk entities Prevent association with illegal activities Utilize KYB Solutions Access extensive data points Conduct a thorough background check Monitor Fraud Trends Stay updated on industry fraud rates Make informed partnership decisions Evaluate Compliance With Regulatory Standards Evaluating compliance with regulatory standards involves a careful review of a business’s adherence to legal requirements that govern its operations. This step is crucial to mitigate risks and protect your organization. Here are key areas to focus on: Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Regulations: Confirm the business performs due diligence to prevent financial crimes, considering that nearly 70% of companies report an increase in fraud incidents. Know Your Business (KYB) Process: Verify the legitimacy of corporate entities, including checks on registration, ownership structure, and funding sources. Mergers and Acquisitions: Conduct thorough background checks to uncover potential risks and confirm transparency, safeguarding against legal liabilities. Global Regulations: Adhere to guidelines from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to enforce due diligence in partnerships, combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Perform a Comprehensive Risk Assessment When you’re considering a new business partner or vendor, performing a thorough risk assessment is essential to safeguard your organization from potential pitfalls. This assessment should evaluate financial, operational, and reputational risks linked to the entity. Start with a detailed analysis of their financial history, including profitability and debt levels. Investigate the ownership structure to uncover any potential conflicts of interest. Utilizing various tools can help you gather vital data. Here’s a table to outline key components of your risk assessment: Risk Category Evaluation Focus Financial Risks Profitability, debt levels, bankruptcies Operational Risks Business processes, supply chain issues Reputational Risks Public perception, past scandals Legal Risks Regulatory violations, lawsuits Ownership Risks Conflicts of interest, key individuals Conducting a thorough risk assessment can greatly reduce unexpected challenges and protect your organization. Frequently Asked Questions What Information Does a Company Need to Do a Background Check? To conduct a background check, a company needs several key pieces of information. You’ll typically provide your full legal name, Social Security number, and date of birth for accurate identification. Previous addresses are essential for verifying your criminal and employment history. The organization likewise requires your consent through a signed authorization, ensuring compliance with legal standards. Depending on the role, additional details like employment history or educational background may be necessary for verification. How to Open a Background Check for a Business? To open a background check for a business, start by collecting key details like the business name, registration number, and address. Next, use a reputable Know Your Business (KYB) solution to access extensive databases for verification. Conduct thorough due diligence by verifying the business structure, evaluating funding sources, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Finally, perform risk evaluations and compile your findings into a clear report for stakeholders, highlighting any risks or discrepancies identified. What Are the Steps You Should Take to Properly Prepare for a Background Check? To prepare for a background check, start by obtaining written consent from the candidate, which guarantees compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Clearly communicate the specific checks being conducted, such as criminal history or employment verification. Collect detailed candidate information, including their full name and previous addresses, to facilitate accurate checks. Finally, select a reliable background check service that adheres to FCRA regulations, assuring thorough and accurate reporting throughout the process. What Kind of Background Check Do Most Companies Run? Most companies typically run several types of background checks to guarantee candidates are suitable for the role. These often include criminal background checks, which identify any violent crimes or fraud, and employment history verification, confirming previous job roles and dates. Educational checks validate degrees claimed, whereas credit checks assess financial reliability for positions with monetary responsibilities. Furthermore, reference checks provide insights into a candidate’s work ethic and performance from past employers. Conclusion To sum up, conducting a business background check is essential for making informed decisions. By verifying registration and addresses, evaluating financial records, investigating funding sources, reviewing compliance with regulations, and performing a thorough risk assessment, you can identify potential risks and validate a business’s legitimacy. These steps not only safeguard your interests but likewise improve your grasp of the company’s overall health and stability, allowing for more strategic and informed business dealings. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "5 Essential Steps for a Business Background Check" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Baltimore, known for being a leader in medicine and technology as well as for its fiercely community-driven residents, is one of many cities trying to determine how to grapple with some of AI’s most pressing issues. And recently, the city has been sounding the alarm. Artificial intelligence is changing the way we live and work. In many ways, the tools are wildly helpful—solving business problems, advancing medicine, and even helping solopreneurs thrive without a team. However, the technology comes with some worrisome drawbacks and, given the lack of federal oversight, the risks are beginning to reshape local politics. That seems especially true in Baltimore, where just last week the city sued Elon Musk’s company xAI over its chatbot Grok. SpaceX, the parent company of xAI, along with the X social network, are also named as defendants. Filed in the Baltimore City Circuit Court, the lawsuit argues that both the xAI platform and Grok have already been used to generate 3 million sexualized images between December 29, 2025, and January 8, 2026; 23,000 of those images appeared to have depicted children, according to researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate. “Baltimore residents have a reasonable expectation that they will not be exposed to this illegal content on X, and that X will not harass its own customers with Grok-generated deepfakes,” the complaint read. Prior to the lawsuit, other smaller suits have been filed. In March, three Tennessee teenagers sued xAI, alleging that the tools were used to turn their likenesses into explicitly sexual images. The plaintiffs alleged that their mental health has suffered as a result of the images, which also have their name and school attached to the files. In a post on X, the platform contended: “We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.” Fast Company reached out to X but did not hear back by the time of publication. In a statement, per NBC News, Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott said that this kind of technology has the ability to destroy lives. “Our city will not stand by and allow this to continue,” Scott said. “[It’s] a threat to privacy, dignity, and public safety, and those responsible must be held accountable.” Charm city offensive The suit makes Baltimore the first city to sue Musk’s companies over their AI capabilities. But it’s not the only fight over AI woes happening within city lines. Baltimore is already the 44th-largest data center hub in the nation, with 17 current data centers. Now concerns over energy consumption, water shortages, and environmental issues have residents pushing back on new data center construction. At Johns Hopkins University, construction of its new Data Science and AI (DSAI) institute, which is not exactly a data center but a hub of AI research, education, and advancement, is already underway. Given that Baltimore has long been a hub for pioneering medical and technology research—with JHU at the heart of those efforts—it makes sense that the university would be focused on technology advancements. Founded in 1876 as the first research institution in the U.S., it’s credited with a number of majorly influential developments, from introducing rubber surgical gloves in 1889 to developing the first rechargeable pacemaker in the 1970s, as well as the widely used COVID-19 tracking map in 2020. With JHU and Johns Hopkins Hospital attracting top talent, it also has long led the nation in terms of the federal funding it receives—by a long shot. In 2024, the university acquired a record-breaking $3.4 billion, about $1.6 billion more than the second-place university. However, the following year, due to President Donald The President’s federal funding cuts, it experienced a sharp decline in financial research support. Still, JHU’s long and inspirational history of innovation hasn’t insulated it from criticism over its AI ventures. The new project, which is expected to be complete in 2029, has unsettled locals, to say the least. Prior to its start, petitions circulated around the city, protestors took to the streets, and a cease-and-desist letter was sent to the university. On the day construction began, which included cutting down the neighborhood’s beloved northern red oak trees that lined the street, residents came out to make their feelings known. Presently, signs that read “Shame on JHU” appear on the street across from the construction site. Fast Company reached out to JHU for comment and was directed to a public statement, which explained that the project is not a data center but a space for “classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and collaborative workspaces.” The statement also noted that an estimated 4,490 jobs will be created during the preconstruction and construction phases and that the project is set to generate “$505 million in net new economic impact within Baltimore City alone and more than $800 million across Maryland.” “Residents across our city have had enough” While JHU’s project is proceeding as planned, others are facing greater obstacles. Earlier this month, City Council President Zeke Cohen introduced a bill that could place a one-year moratorium on Baltimore data centers. The legislation cites major environmental concerns, which some say disproportionately impact minority communities who live in underserved neighborhoods—given that’s where the centers are typically placed. “Baltimore is one of the most environmentally degraded cities in our country,” Cohen said, per The Baltimore Sun. “The legacy of redlining, racial housing covenants, and disinvestment means that majority Black neighborhoods have substantially worse air quality than white neighborhoods.” Cohen also cited the halting of the Baltimore Peninsula transmission project by the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) in March amid criticism from Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson over skyrocketing energy costs. Those energy costs are something that Baltimoreans have, sadly, grown extraordinarily accustomed to. Since 2010, BGE’s gas delivery rates have increased by 246%. Its electric delivery rates increased by 92%. And just this year, rates have already risen twice. Cohen said the cost of energy is driving an affordability crisis in the city, noting, “BGE bills have skyrocketed and residents across our city have had enough. People are choosing between paying for gas and electricity or their rent or mortgage.” As residents struggle to pay their bills amid already staggering energy costs, new data center construction has become an even bigger concern. Those worries have prompted growing support for a Baltimore Public Power campaign, led by Councilmember Mark Conway, who represents the city’s 4th District. Shelby Averys, an organizer who updates Baltimore Public Power’s social media accounts, said data centers will undoubtedly drive up costs even further for Baltimore residents. “Big Tech is forcing regular people like us to fund their polluting and unwanted data centers through our skyrocketing utility bills so that a handful of executives can get even richer,” she told Fast Company, adding, “By moving to a public utility, Baltimore can take control over how its energy is used and ensure that we prioritize affordable, clean, and reliable energy for Baltimoreans, not diverting our energy to data centers that nobody wants.” From energy to deepfakes, the AI battles facing Baltimore and other cities across the country aren’t likely to be solved overnight, or anytime soon for that matter. AI’s big gains also mean big downsides—and more complicated battles. 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