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Weak private sector jobs data adds to nerves over elevated valuations for AI-linked companiesView the full article

Swiss bank grapples with $500mn of exposure to First Brands across its investment armsView the full article

Turing Prize winner urges governments to require tech groups to cover catastrophic outcomes and fund safety researchView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Pennywise is back, baby, and pop culture's favorite freaky clown is going back in time to kill the kids of Derry, Maine, in 1962, with future seasons (should they materialize) visiting other time periods. If my hometown saw mass slaughterings of children every generation or so, I might be tempted to pick up stakes and head on out—but the Stephen King IP train must keep rolling, and so here we are. So far, the show isn't hitting the heights of previous It adaptations, but it's shown an admirable willingness to shock—the opening scene includes an impressively graphic and rather unconventional birthing sequence, and the show has quickly made clear that no characters are safe from the dark deeds of Pennywise. While you're waiting for new episodes to drop, you might enjoy these other horror series (including other King adaptations) that hit some of the same notes. Castle Rock (2018 – 2019) Castle Rock, canceled after two (rather excellent) seasons, was a victim of failed marketing. The show was promoted as a dive into some kind of Stephen King connected universe, promising Easter eggs without suggesting much by way of storytelling. And yet! There are actual stories here, with real dramatic heft—the first season’s “The Queen,” told from the unstable perspective of a character (played by Sissy Spacek) with worsening dementia, was one of the best, and most existentially horrifying, things on television that year. The second season introduces young Annie Wilkes, (Lizzy Caplan), the Kathy Bates character we know from Misery. The cast across the two seasons is stellar, and includes Bill Skarsgård, a creepy character not named Pennywise. There’s plenty of stuff for King fans to sink their teeth into as we dive into the backstory of a different Stephen King town, but it all works rather well on its own, as well. Stream Castle Rock on Hulu. Castle Rock at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Talamasca: The Secret Order (2025 – ) The third series in what AMC is calling its Immortal Universe of shows based on the works of Anne Rice, this one stars Nicholas Denton as Guy Anatole, a new recruit to the title organization of supernatural spies and watchers, William Fichtner as a vampire making a play for control of the organization, all while Downton Abbey's Elizabeth McGovern brings us yet another delightfully confusing accent playing the leader of the Talamasca's New York motherhouse. The show is impressively spry and lively—a bit of a surprise, given the heavy emo vibes of Interview with the Vampire and The Mayfair Witches. We're only a couple of episodes in, but the show kicks off with a rather brutal dismembering in the style of It. Stream Talamasca on AMC+. Talamasca: The Secret Order (2025 – ) at AMC+ Learn More Learn More at AMC+ Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023 – ) This is more of an action thriller than a gloopy It-style horror show, but the shows still have a couple of things in common. First, they both provide previously uncharted backstories for popular film properties; second, they're both full of monsters. Monarch does a surprisingly effective job of telling its own story within the universe of all the American Godzilla movies of the past decade or so, bringing the bigger stories back down to Earth while building out an entire decades-long monster-verse mythology in the process. Anna Sawai stars as a young teacher searching for her father, missing since Godzilla's attack on San Francisco (depicted in the 2014 film), and who finds herself drawn into the past and present of a secret government agency. Wyatt and Kurt Russell play the past and present incarnations of the Army colonel who helped set the whole thing in motion way back in 1959. Stream Monarch on Apple TV+. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters at Apple TV+ Learn More Learn More at Apple TV+ Dark (2017 – 2020) Dark began as a mystery involving a missing child and evolved, over its three seasons, into a wildly complex narrative: a time travel-driven story that explores dark family secrets over the course of several generations. If it's not quite as bloody as Welcome to Derry, it shares with that show a willingness to put kids and teens through the wringer. Youth may be a sort of protection in some horror stories, but not here—not even a little tiny bit. The German import has a striking look and incredibly atmospheric feel, with an ensemble cast of teens and adults whose narratives are deftly intertwined across decades in a story that starts when a child goes missing (one of the least bad things that happens to the people of fictional Winden, Germany). Stream Dark on Netflix. Dark (2017 – 2020) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix The Outsider (2020) The premise here is brutal, and, to the everyone in the narrative, impossible: A kid is horrifically murdered (even Pennywise might be shocked), and the evidence decisively points to Little League coach Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman). It’s an open-and-shut case—except that he was out of town at a conference while the murder was occurring, and even appeared on the news in another town. The tragedies pile up, and the threat isn’t entirely natural. Without giving too much away, it’s among the most disturbing of King adaptations (it’s also incredibly engaging). There are great performances here from Bateman, as well as from Ben Mendelsohn and Cynthia Erivo as Holly Gibney, one of King’s recurring characters. HBO declined to renew the show, but it adapts the entire book and ends fairly decisively. Stream The Outsider on HBO Max. The Outsider (2020) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max Channel Zero (2016 – 2018) A mind-bending and occasionally gruesome expansion of various online creepypastas, Nick Antosca's series takes the form of four season-long storylines. While the tone is far from juvenile, the vibe here is childhood-nightmares-come-to-life: The show's first season anticipates I Saw the TV Glow with a story about a half-remembered TV series linked to the disappearances of several children; the second sees a group of friends trapped in a tourist-attraction haunted house that exits into a disturbing alternate reality. It's all smart and genuinely freaky, existential dread blending with memorable visuals such as a child made entirely of human teeth. Stream Channel Zero on Shudder. Channel Zero (2016 – 2018) at Shudder Learn More Learn More at Shudder Lovecraft Country (2020) A Black family sets off on a road trip across Jim Crow America. Matt Ruff’s novel, on which the show is based, is one of a handful of impressive books written over the past decade or so that attempt to reconcile the unabashedly racist outlook of horror writer H. P. Lovecraft with the power and appeal of his creations, and so the series unearths some of the darkest terrors of 20th century America, and places them alongside, and inside, a Lovecraftian universe of elder gods and dark dimensions. Much of '50s period horror, like It, relies on a twisted white suburbia as a setting, while Lovecraft Country turns that on its head—none of these characters is surprised to learn that there's darkness at the heart of the mid-century American dream. The great Michael K. Williams appears here in one of his final performances. Stream Lovecraft Country on HBO Max. Lovecraft Country (2020) at HBO Max Learn More Learn More at HBO Max The Mist (2017) While its extended runtime robs this TV version of The Mist of some of the punch and immediacy of the film version, it nevertheless nails a "hell is other people" vibe with which I can't argue. The setup is basically the same, though the setting now encompasses an entire town: A mysterious mist surrounds the town of Bridgeville, Maine, and the near-impenetrable fog contains various gloopy and vicious Lovecraftian horrors. Some people respond with courage, but most are focused on saving themselves, while others approach the danger with extremely unhelpful religious mania of the kind that does more harm than even the monsters. Afew hours with these people and I'd take my chances outside. The Gilded Age's Morgan Spector leads the cast. Purchase The Mist on Apple TV+ and Prime Video. The Mist (2017) at Apple TV+ Learn More Learn More at Apple TV+ Them (2021 – 2024) Starting off in the 1950s, Them takes a stab at The Second Great Migration, when millions of Black people left the South for northern cities and suburbs; seeking opportunity and escaping overt racism in favor of slightly more veiled racism. The Emory family (led by Deborah Ayorinde and Ashley Thomas) move from North Carolina to an all-white neighborhood in East Compton, each family member eventually haunted by a different ghost. The smiling white faces concealing vicious intent are far more frightening than any specters. The second, and final, season moves forward to LA of 1991, much as Welcome to Derry promises time jumps in future seasons, should they materialize. Stream Them on Prime Video. Them (2021 – 2024) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Midnight Club (2022) The Midnight Club, based on a few different YA Christopher Pike novels, involves a group of eight terminally ill young patients at a bucolic hospice home run by a secretive and mysterious doctor (A Nightmare on Elm Street's Heather Langenkamp). Each night the kids meet secretly to share scary stories, with each also promising to return from beyond the grave when their time comes. It's spooky and often moving without ever being schmaltzy or precious—and, while the tone is a bit more ruminative than in Welcome to Derry, it shares with the more recent series a willingness to put these kids through it. The show was planned as more than a miniseries, so the cancellation leaves several questions unanswered—but that works OK in terms of the show's overall tone, which had to do with unanswerable mysteries about life and death. Stream Midnight Mass on Netflix. The Midnight Club (2022) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix From (2022 – ) For residents of The Town (we never get a name), the feeling of being trapped in your small hometown is literal: Once you set foot there, you can never leave. Oh, and did I mention that creatures come from the woods and kill anyone found outside after dark? Doesn't sound quite as bad as the town where I grew up, but nevertheless: concerning. In the first couple of episodes, the Matthews family learn all about this firsthand when they roll into town in their RV and find themselves trapped alongside the local sheriff (Harold Perrineau)—and it's getting dark. The show's monsters aren't just mindlessly hungry, they're cunning and sadistic, and more than capable of killing residents in impressively gory ways. Stream From on MGM+. From (2022 – ) at MGM+ Learn More Learn More at MGM+ Haven (2010 – 2015) Another Stephen King adaptation that takes the source material and runs away with it, this one comes from the short mystery novel The Colorado Kid. Emily Rose stars as Audrey Parker, an FBI Special Agent sent to the titular small town of Haven, Maine on a routine case, and who gets drawn into “The Troubles," a series of harmful and often violent supernatural events that have recurred throughout the town’s history. A supernatural-case-of-the-week format gives way to a bigger mystery when Audrey comes to learn that this isn’t her first time in Haven, nor the first time she’s encountered the Troubles, even if she doesn't have much memory of her time there. While mostly set in the present, the show masters the "small towns are weird" vibe at which King excels. Stream Haven on Tubi, Peacock, and Prime Video. Haven (2010 – 2015) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Feria: The Darkest Light (2022) Dark deeds and supernatural forces from the past haunt multiple generations—this time, in 1995 Andalusia. This import finds teenage sisters Sofia and Eva caught in a nightmare when their parents go missing while being implicated in a cult ritual that's left 23 people dead, including a woman who'd been missing for years. Tying back to 1975 and, implicitly, the fall of Francisco Franco, Feria shatters this small town's sense of community and security while calling into question the value of the organizations—including government and church—that everyone holds dear. Kids getting caught up in generational cycles of violence and shame is an extremely recognizable vibe. Stream Feria on Netflix. Feria: The Darkest Light (2022) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix View the full article

Central bank signals possible cut as soon as next monthView the full article

Over the last two years, the value of content has collapsed. Thanks to the LLM revolution, the internet is drowning in an avalanche of indistinguishable output: an endless parade of fast-food writing, recycled reports, and SEO-bait fluff optimized for algorithms instead of people. That’s why the only competitive moat left is the human story. For business leaders, this creates an urgent mandate: Storytelling is no longer a marketing tactic. It’s a strategic business imperative—the only reliable engine for changing minds and shifting behaviors. If your brand’s narrative isn’t uniquely human and demonstrably ownable, it will vanish in the churn. Here’s how to find the stories only your company can tell, and why they’re your last true moat. RECOGNIZE THE NEW DISCOVERY REALITY It’s tempting to see generative AI as a shortcut to content volume. But when every competitor can churn out a thousand posts, the value of each piece approaches zero. Audiences know this, and they’re tuning out. Trust in the media is near-historic lows. Our Brand Expectations Index shows that 81% of the general public and 84% of knowledge workers trust direct communication from companies, whether in podcasts, videos, or in-depth articles, nearly as much as they trust local news. Even the best SEO playbooks or algorithm hacks are no longer enough. The only thing that cuts through is a story that sparks a gut-level connection. Your mandate: Stop publishing for the algorithm. Start crafting narratives so bold, so human, that your audience chooses to pay attention. EMBRACE THE WHITE SPACE MANDATE This isn’t creativity for creativity’s sake. It’s about strategic differentiation. The first step is proving your story has true, ownable value. That’s the white space mandate: Use data and rigorous analysis to find the strategic gaps your competitors haven’t filled. Technology for insight, not content. Audit the media and competitor landscape. Map where they’re over-indexing and identify the questions audiences are still asking but not getting answered. That’s the white space—the open territory where a new conversation can take root. The power of the pivot. This process often forces a shift. The narrative your CEO thinks is critical may be saturated. White space analysis reveals the sharper angle, the uncomfortable, or the unexpected perspective that’s necessary to stand out. I’ve seen companies discover that the message they were clinging to was indistinguishable from five rivals, while the story that truly set them apart was hiding in plain sight. FIND THE UN-GENERATABLE NARRATIVE Once you’ve identified white space, the real work begins: filling it with something AI cannot generate. That’s the un-generatable narrative—a story born of lived experience, not scraped data. You uncover it through what I call story-mining, deliberate conversations with leaders, employees, and stakeholders to unearth personal conviction, anecdotes, and hidden ambition. The anecdote as anchor. AI can summarize your mission statement; it cannot recreate the founder’s pivotal failure or the late-night insight that led to a breakthrough. These details are specific, emotional, and unforgettable. They create a narrative that is impossible for a machine to fabricate. Conviction is contagious. When a story is proven to be unique through data and delivered with authentic conviction, it stops being mere communication. It becomes a persuasive argument capable of moving markets and shifting behaviors. THE ONLY FOUNDATION FOR TRUST In an era of content saturation, brands can no longer compete in volume. They must compete with meaning. The stories that will power your business forward aren’t the ones easily generated. They’re the ones painstakingly discovered, strategically proven, and deeply human. Because in a world of infinite content, meaning is your only engine for trust. Tyler Perry is the co CEO of Mission North. View the full article

Tech is shifting faster than the models we built our impact on. And that means even thriving nonprofits face a choice: Keep optimizing what works—or rebuild for what’s coming. Back in June, our leadership team made a decision that felt both risky and obvious: Change a strategy that was still working to accommodate an AI future. We’d been writing and speaking for years about the need for the social sector to stop talking and start doing—and we realized it was time to take our own advice. For the last five years, our organization has helped nonprofits worldwide build tech solutions in partnership with leading tech companies. It worked. It made a difference. But by 2025, it became clear: What brought us to this point won’t take us to where we want to go. We could keep matching tech needs with builders. Or we could bet on something bigger—teach nonprofits how to prepare for an AI-native future, so they can be capable of building and scaling impact themselves. We chose the latter. A BET ON THE FUTURE In recent weeks, four major reports were released: The Philanthropic Reset, AI for Humanity, Accelerate What’s Possible, and AI With Purpose. Four different sources, same message: Nonprofits are ready for AI—but the systems around them are not. The data is clear: 84% of AI-powered nonprofits lack funding to further develop and scale AI solutions. 87% of funders admit they don’t understand their grantees’ tech capacity. 90% of nonprofits don’t fund AI literacy or infrastructure. And yet, the organizations seeing the biggest results are those that fine-tune AI with their own data, test quickly, and integrate community feedback. The takeaway is simple but uncomfortable: The real bottleneck isn’t technology—it’s capacity. That realization pushed us to rebuild not just our programs, but our mental model of what “tech for good” means in an AI-native world. FROM ONE-OFFS TO ECOSYSTEM For years, the social sector has measured success by the number of pilots launched. But in the AI era, pilots don’t scale. Systems do. So, we’ve started building what we call an AI enablement ecosystem—a space where nonprofits can build, learn, and scale responsibly, together. That includes initiatives that help organizations prototype their first AI tools and build internal capacity, support proven social solutions so they can scale through responsible AI use, and a venture-style lab that develops shared infrastructure for nonprofits. But this isn’t about our model. It’s about a broader shift—from delivering solutions to building systems that deliver. WHAT “AI-NATIVE” REALLY MEANS Being AI-native doesn’t mean asking ChatGPT to write your next grant report. It means processes, interventions or even full organizations that make the most out of the promise and benefits of AI. Imagine a three-person nonprofit running a program that today would require a staff of 30. AI handles logistics, data analysis, and reporting, while humans focus on relationships, trust and connection. That’s not that far away. It’s already happening. And it forces us—leaders, funders, and builders—to rethink what kind of infrastructure we’re really financing. Are we funding innovation, or the capacity that makes innovation possible? Our bet is simple: In the next two to three years, it will be exponentially easier for nonprofits to build and scale with AI. But for that to be safe and responsible, we’ll need a shared layer of infrastructure—capacity, governance, and collaboration that helps changemakers build with confidence. We’ve spent years telling the sector to stop talking and start doing. This is why we’re doing it ourselves. Because in the end, doing the right thing isn’t about keeping what works. It’s about having the courage to rebuild while things still work. And that’s exactly what the moment demands and the technology enables. Jacek Siadkowski is the founder and CEO of Tech to the Rescue. View the full article

New York City has elected a democratic socialist as its next mayor. Across the internet, progressive internet users are hopescrolling for the first time in years and proudly declaring: “woke is back.” With his victory, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani will become the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage, the first born in Africa, and the youngest in more than a century. During his victory speech, Mamdani reaffirmed his support for workers’ rights, immigrants’ rights, and the rights of all vulnerable New Yorkers, including LGBTQ people. “BREAKING: WOKE IS BACK!,” one X user posted. “THERE ARE 25 GENDERS. WE’RE GOING TO TRANS THE ECONOMY. DEI FOR EVERY CHILD. AND WE’RE RELEASING THE EPSTEIN FILES!!!” “Zohran win got me feeling so woke i might detransition just to transition again,” another joked. “TRANSGENDER FOR EVERYBODY WINS AGAIN,” wrote another. BREAKING: WOKE IS BACK! THERE ARE 25 GENDERS. WE'RE GOING TO TRANS THE ECONOMY. DEI FOR EVERY CHILD. AND WE'RE RELEASING THE EPSTEIN FILES!!! — Keith Edwards (@keithedwards) November 5, 2025 “If i was zohran i would choose this precise moment to come out as a proud bisexual,” another quipped. For the online left, long disillusioned with American politics and a Demoractic party they feel no longer speaks for them, on Tuesday night, something shifted. if i was zohran i would choose this precise moment to come out as a proud bisexual — meredith 🍉 (@dietz_meredith) November 5, 2025 Mamdani won over the vast majority of voters ages 18 to 29 (78%) and 30 to 44 (66%), according to exit polls from NBC. He also received 82% of LGBTQ+ vote, compared to just 15% for Cuomo. People are feeling so hopeful, they are proudly libbing out on main. For the uninitiated, to “lib out” has been part of the political lexicon for a few years, and means to abandon cynicism, even just for a night, and indulge instead in hope and optimism. LIBBING TF OUT — Democrats (@TheDemocrats) November 5, 2025 “Forgive me father for I am libbing the fuck out,” one wrote. “Sorry to lib out but for so many of us this is the very first time we cast a vote that wasn’t framed to us as ‘the lesser of two evils,’” another posted. “We actually believed in someone, canvassed for him, and saw him…win??? like??? Something…worked???” One simply put: “New York City you have shocked the world by voting for a normal guy instead of a deranged pervert.” Even the official X account of the Democratic Party tried, too late for some, to get in on the act. “LIBBING TF OUT,” read its post. Mamdani, speaking to supporters in Brooklyn after his victory, said: “today we have spoken in a clear voice: hope is alive.” After Kamala Harris’s loss to The President in the 2024 presidential election, many were quick to blame wokeness for his return. “Woke is broke,” wrote Maureen Dowd for The New York Times. Former White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, writing for the Washington Post, suggested “debates over pronouns, bathroom access and renaming schools” lost Democrats the vote. He added “campaigns of joy in an era of rage don’t win elections.” Tell that to the smiling democratic socialist, Muslim, south asian mayor of New York City. View the full article

Oracle has taken a significant step to enhance how businesses of all sizes can leverage the power of cloud technology with the introduction of its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Dedicated Region. Designed to meet the growing demand for flexibility and sovereignty in cloud solutions, the OCI Dedicated Region allows organizations to quickly deploy a complete cloud environment without the extensive space and infrastructure typically required. Scott Twaddle, Senior Vice President of Product and Industries at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, emphasized the increasing need for businesses to manage AI and cloud services in ways that best suit their unique requirements. “Organizations want the freedom to run AI and cloud services where they deliver the most value, a need that’s only growing as sovereign AI considerations drive stricter requirements around data location and control,” he said. This announcement comes as both public and private organizations seek agile solutions that can accelerate innovation and adapt to emerging business models. The OCI Dedicated Region offers full-stack cloud capabilities, enabling companies to start small—with just three racks—and easily scale their operations. This capability is especially beneficial for small businesses that may be constrained by space or resources but still wish to harness the power of a dedicated cloud environment. A compact yet powerful solution, the OCI Dedicated Region boasts modular infrastructure and streamlined service design, providing over 200 AI and cloud services in a secure fashion. The ability to operate a cloud service from their own data center allows companies that previously faced challenges in adopting a dedicated cloud region to innovate rapidly. Kazushi Koga, Corporate Executive Officer at Fujitsu Limited, highlighted the importance of flexibility in today’s cloud strategies. “With OCI Dedicated Region delivering the full range of OCI services via a small physical footprint inside our own data centers, we will be able to deploy apps and services quickly and easily to our customers while benefiting from the flexibility to expand our deployment without downtime or re-architecting,” he noted. The OCI Dedicated Region is particularly suitable for businesses looking for advanced scalability without compromising security or performance. Key features include: Modular Scalability: Businesses can start small and expand without major overhauls, making it easier to grow into hyperscale solutions. Space Efficiency: Advanced designs reduce the data center space and energy footprint needed, which is vital for small businesses facing operational constraints. Integrated Security: With multi-layered security measures in place, businesses can trust that their data is well protected while meeting compliance standards. Full Public Cloud Parity: Small businesses can enjoy the same capabilities as larger organizations, giving them access to an extensive suite of AI and cloud services without sacrificing control over their data. Oracle-operated Management: By outsourcing infrastructure management to Oracle, small business owners can focus more on innovation and less on IT complexities. However, small business owners must also be mindful of the potential challenges associated with adopting a new cloud infrastructure. The shift to a dedicated cloud service may require changes in operations and processes, which can involve upfront time and investment. Small businesses must also ensure their staff is prepared to manage and capitalize on this new technology effectively, which may involve training or hiring skilled personnel. As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of modern technology, Oracle’s OCI Dedicated Region offers a compelling solution for those looking to enhance their cloud capabilities with agility, security, and simplicity. This development underscores a broader trend of cloud innovation that directly addresses the evolving needs of businesses of all sizes. For more information, businesses can check out the original announcement from Oracle here. This article, "Oracle Launches New Dedicated Cloud Region to Boost Agility and Innovation" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Oracle has taken a significant step to enhance how businesses of all sizes can leverage the power of cloud technology with the introduction of its Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Dedicated Region. Designed to meet the growing demand for flexibility and sovereignty in cloud solutions, the OCI Dedicated Region allows organizations to quickly deploy a complete cloud environment without the extensive space and infrastructure typically required. Scott Twaddle, Senior Vice President of Product and Industries at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, emphasized the increasing need for businesses to manage AI and cloud services in ways that best suit their unique requirements. “Organizations want the freedom to run AI and cloud services where they deliver the most value, a need that’s only growing as sovereign AI considerations drive stricter requirements around data location and control,” he said. This announcement comes as both public and private organizations seek agile solutions that can accelerate innovation and adapt to emerging business models. The OCI Dedicated Region offers full-stack cloud capabilities, enabling companies to start small—with just three racks—and easily scale their operations. This capability is especially beneficial for small businesses that may be constrained by space or resources but still wish to harness the power of a dedicated cloud environment. A compact yet powerful solution, the OCI Dedicated Region boasts modular infrastructure and streamlined service design, providing over 200 AI and cloud services in a secure fashion. The ability to operate a cloud service from their own data center allows companies that previously faced challenges in adopting a dedicated cloud region to innovate rapidly. Kazushi Koga, Corporate Executive Officer at Fujitsu Limited, highlighted the importance of flexibility in today’s cloud strategies. “With OCI Dedicated Region delivering the full range of OCI services via a small physical footprint inside our own data centers, we will be able to deploy apps and services quickly and easily to our customers while benefiting from the flexibility to expand our deployment without downtime or re-architecting,” he noted. The OCI Dedicated Region is particularly suitable for businesses looking for advanced scalability without compromising security or performance. Key features include: Modular Scalability: Businesses can start small and expand without major overhauls, making it easier to grow into hyperscale solutions. Space Efficiency: Advanced designs reduce the data center space and energy footprint needed, which is vital for small businesses facing operational constraints. Integrated Security: With multi-layered security measures in place, businesses can trust that their data is well protected while meeting compliance standards. Full Public Cloud Parity: Small businesses can enjoy the same capabilities as larger organizations, giving them access to an extensive suite of AI and cloud services without sacrificing control over their data. Oracle-operated Management: By outsourcing infrastructure management to Oracle, small business owners can focus more on innovation and less on IT complexities. However, small business owners must also be mindful of the potential challenges associated with adopting a new cloud infrastructure. The shift to a dedicated cloud service may require changes in operations and processes, which can involve upfront time and investment. Small businesses must also ensure their staff is prepared to manage and capitalize on this new technology effectively, which may involve training or hiring skilled personnel. As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of modern technology, Oracle’s OCI Dedicated Region offers a compelling solution for those looking to enhance their cloud capabilities with agility, security, and simplicity. This development underscores a broader trend of cloud innovation that directly addresses the evolving needs of businesses of all sizes. For more information, businesses can check out the original announcement from Oracle here. This article, "Oracle Launches New Dedicated Cloud Region to Boost Agility and Innovation" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history drags on, federal workers are left in financial limbo—and the airline industry is feeling the strain as flight delays and cancellations mount at the nation’s busiest airports. In the midst of this upheaval, American Airlines has announced “small” reductions in management and support roles at its Texas headquarters, raising the stakes at a particularly challenging moment. According to the Associated Press, the move is described as a way to align staffing with current operational needs and boost organizational efficiency. A company statement emphasized that investments will continue in other areas supporting long-term strategic goals. While American Airlines hasn’t disclosed exact numbers, Bloomberg reports that the cuts could affect hundreds of corporate jobs, mainly mid-level management and non-union support staff across IT, communications, and finance. Fast Company reached out to American Airlines for a comment. Industry and economic pressures The staffing cuts follow a quarterly net loss of $114 million for American Airlines. The company’s shares (Nasdaq: AAL) were down roughly 21% year to date as of Wednesday’s close. Meanwhile, broader economic concerns are weighing on consumers, dampening potential demand for leisure travel. A recent AP-NORC poll reveals that many Americans fear a recession, and rising tariffs under the The President administration could further drive up costs. A growing number of companies across industries have announced corporate job cuts in recent weeks, including Starbucks, Nestlé, UPS, Amazon, and others. According to a report Thursday from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, layoff announcements in October were up 175% compared to the same period last year. Prolonged shutdown raises adds weight The government shutdown has exacerbated operational challenges. Some 50,000 TSA officers and 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay, contributing to flight delays and cancellations. Bryan Bedford, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), told Fox Business that 20 to 40% of controllers at the 30 largest airports have failed to show up for work. On Wednesday, the FAA said it now plans to reduce flight capacity by 10% at dozens of airports beginning later this week. Looking ahead Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that if the shutdown continues another week, the FAA may be forced to close parts of the national airspace, potentially causing “mass chaos.” The remarks immediately rattled investors, sending shares of American Airlines, Southwest, Delta, and United downward. Experts note that because the air traffic control system is highly interconnected, partial airspace restrictions could have far-reaching effects nationwide. Sheldon Jacobson, a University of Illinois professor, explained in an interview with Reuters, “You can’t simply close one sector without it affecting the rest of the country.” American Airlines and other major carriers are particularly worried about the upcoming holiday season, traditionally a peak travel period. In a statement late Wednesday, American Airlines again urged Congress to reach a resolution and end the shutdown. View the full article

Qatar Airways will sell its stake in Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways in a share buyback valued at $896 million, the companies announced, ending the Qatari carrier’s eight-year involvement with the airline. The announcement came late Wednesday in a stock market filing by Cathay Pacific, which saw its shares gain 4.2% on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Thursday. Under the agreement, Qatar Airways will sell all of its holdings, which represent 9.57% of Cathay Pacific stock. The airline’s other major shareholders are Swire Pacific and Air China. The plan is subject to shareholder approval. “The buy-back reflects our strong confidence in the future of the Cathay Group and underscores our commitment to the development of the Hong Kong international aviation hub,” Cathay Group chairman Patrick Healy said in a statement announcing the sale. Qatar Airways, a state-owned airline flying out of the sprawling Hamad International Airport in Doha, did not acknowledge the sale itself. However, the Cathay Pacific statement included a comment from its CEO Badr Mohammed al-Meer saying the move represented the airline’s “disciplined approach to portfolio management and our commitment to delivering sustainable value for our shareholders.” “Following a period of record profitability and strong performance, this decision is part of a proactive strategy to optimize our investments and position the group for long-term growth,” al-Meer said. Qatar Airways did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on Thursday. Qatar Airways’ decision to divest likely had to do in part with its “limited strategic influence afforded by (its) minority stake,” DBS Bank analysts Tabitha Foo and Jason Sum said in an email. The latest transaction also “further consolidates ownership among (Cathay’s) key shareholders, Swire Pacific and Air China”, they added, helping strengthen the firms’ strategic control of the airline. Qatar Airways bought its stake in Cathay Pacific in 2017 in a deal valued at the time around $662 million. Back then, Cathay Pacific faced financial losses and layoffs amid increasing competition from other airlines. The Hong Kong carrier posted a $1.2 billion profit in the last fiscal year. Qatar Airways, along with Abu Dhabi-based Emirates and Dubai’s Emirates, are long-haul carriers that link East-West travel. Their location on the Arabian Peninsula between Europe and Asia have made them a key link in global transit. Qatar Airways also got a boost when the small, energy-rich nation hosted soccer’s 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar Airways had struggled during a yearslong boycott by four Arab nations and the coronavirus pandemic. However, it soared to a $2.15 billion profit in its last fiscal year. Qatar Airways also has holdings in International Airlines Group, LATAM Airlines Group, China Southern Airlines, Virgin Australia and South Africa’s Airlink. Associated Press business writer Chan Ho-him in Hong Kong contributed to this report. —Jon Gambrell, Associated Press View the full article

There was a moment when Snapchat looked like it was destined to be a relic in social media history, losing users and missing its own revenue forecasts. Not today. Snap, the app’s parent company, announced $1.51 billion in revenue as part of its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday, November 5. That figure was a 10% jump year-over-year (YOY) and beat Wall Street’s prediction of $1.49 billion, according to consensus estimates cited by CNBC. Snapchat beat Wall Street’s expected global daily active users (477 million versus 476 million) and global average revenue per user ($3.16 versus $3.13). Both figures were also an improvement YOY. Snap also announced a stock repurchase program for up to $500 million. Alluding to its reported $93.4 million free cash flow, Snap explained, “The goal of the program is to utilize the company’s strong balance sheet to opportunistically offset a portion of the dilution related to the issuance of restricted stock units to employees as part of the overall compensation program designed to foster an ownership culture.” Snap partners with Perplexity AI All of these figures certainly play a part in Snap’s shares (NYSE: SNAP) spiking more than 20% after-hours and into premarket trading on Thursday. But another announcement likely factored in. Alongside its quarterly earnings report, Snap shared that Perplexity AI will pay it $400 million in cash and equity as part of a coming partnership. “Starting in early 2026, Perplexity will appear in our chat interface for Snapchatters around the world,” Evan Spiegel, Snap cofounder and CEO, said in an earnings call. “Through this integration, Perplexity’s AI-powered answer Engine will let Snapchatters ask questions and get clear conversational answers drawn from verifiable sources, all within Snapchat.” Spiegel added that Snap won’t sell advertising against the responses but that Perplexity could help “drive additional subscribers.” Notably, Spiegel also shared that “Perplexity’s focus on trusted and verifiable sources really aligns with our values and makes them a good fit for our community.” News organizations such as Dow Jones and the New York Post have sued Perplexity for alleged copyright infringement, while Reddit sued the company last month for allegedly illegally scraping millions of users’ comments for commercial gain. In a lengthy statement posted to Reddit last month, Perplexity has disputed claims of misconduct. Last week, the company signed a multi-year licensing deal with Getty Images, allowing the former to display Getty’s content across its AI tools. View the full article

As a tech journalist, I've got Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS devices at home—not because I'm especially wealthy, but because I need to write about all of these platforms, all of the time—and it's my trusty Chromebook that I find myself turning to more often than not. The usual argument against Chromebooks is that they're just a Chrome browser: Windows and macOS give you the same Chrome browser, and much more besides. However, sometimes less is more, as I'll get to below. Sadly, it seems Google is less keen on Chromebooks than I am. The last Google-made Pixelbook launched in 2019, and it's been left to the likes of Asus, Acer, HP, Samsung, and others to keep new Chromebooks coming in. If you're reading, Google, it's high time we had a new Pixelbook. Chromebooks cut down on the clutterThere is the argument that Windows and macOS give you the Chrome browser plus a lot more, but most of the time, I don't really need the "more"—unless I've got some detailed image edits to do, or want to play some games. Almost everything I need runs on the web. There are a lot fewer software updates, background programs, app assistants, and system utilities to think about. While ChromeOS does have updates, they're mostly done seamlessly in the background, and applied whenever you next reboot your Chromebook. Another chore I don't have to regularly take care of on my Chromebook is tidying up the desktop or my local folders, because there isn't really anything to download, save, or sync. The laptop file system and internal storage is tidier by default, because I never use it. Chromebooks save everything instantly No save button required. Credit: Lifehacker All the work I do on my Chromebook is inside a browser, and usually inside Google apps like Google Docs and Gmail. That means everything is instantly saved—should a power cut or a system crash happen, I don't have to worry about losing what I've been working on. I don't need to check for open programs and files in the background that I might have forgotten about, and if I need to jump up and do something else quickly, I can just shut my laptop and I'm done—I'm not clicking through dozens of save dialogs first. Chromebooks put everything on the webWhen you're working inside web apps all the time, without the option of locally installed tools, syncing is seamless. To work on a document that I need to access across Windows and macOS, for example, I need to think about saving, syncing, and app compatibility. When I'm working in Google Docs in a Chromebook, everything syncs automatically. I can even have a document open simultaneously across ChromeOS, Windows, and macOS, and jump between them as needed to make edits—something which saves a lot of time. Chromebooks tie in tightly to the Google ecosystem Android phones and Chromebooks play nicely together. Credit: Lifehacker I can understand that Chromebooks may have less appeal if you're not always using Gmail, Google Maps, Android, Google Docs, Chrome, and everything else Google makes—but for someone heavily invested in the Google ecosystem (like me), they make a lot of sense. If you've got an Android phone, for example, you can use it to set up a Chromebook, share files across both devices, respond to text messages from ChromeOS, and get hotspot access with a click. There's a level of integration you don't get on other platforms. Chromebooks actually work as distraction-free devicesOne of the criticisms leveled at Chromebooks is that they're pretty much useless without an internet connection, but that's only partly true. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and even Gmail actually work perfectly well offline now. If I'm traveling without steady wifi, I enjoy using my Chromebook as a distraction-free device, getting through a ton of writing and email replying without constantly switching tabs. When wifi returns, everything I've done gets synced back to the web automatically. While we're on the subject of ChromeOS being useless when it's not online, I think it's fair to say internet access is almost ubiquitous now (via public wifi or phone hotspots), and that Windows and macOS aren't particularly useful either when the web is cut off. View the full article

In markets across the US, homebuilders sitting on unsold inventory are subsidizing mortgage rates so heavily they sometimes match the record lows last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic. View the full article

US Democratic party titan will stand down after nearly 40 yearsView the full article

Mistaken releases are bound to occur with sentencing guidelines in flux and guards overworked and undertrainedView the full article

President Donald The President has warned that the United States will be rendered “defenseless” and possibly “reduced to almost Third World status” if the Supreme Court strikes down the tariffs he imposed this year on nearly every country on earth. The justices sounded skeptical during oral arguments Wednesday of his sweeping claims of authority to impose tariffs as he sees fit. The truth, though, is that The President will still have plenty of options to keep taxing imports aggressively even if the court rules against him. He can re-use tariff powers he deployed in his first term and can reach for others, including one that dates back to the Great Depression. “It’s hard to see any pathway here where tariffs end,” said Georgetown trade law professor Kathleen Claussen. “I am pretty convinced he could rebuild the tariff landscape he has now using other authorities.” At Wednesday’s hearing, in fact, lawyer Neal Katyal, representing small businesses suing to get the tariffs struck down, argued that The President didn’t need the boundless authority he’s claimed to impose tariffs under 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). That is because Congress delegated tariff power to the White House in several other statutes — though it carefully limited the ways the president could use the authority. “Congress knows exactly how to delegate its tariff powers,” Katyal said. Tariffs have become a cornerstone of The President’s foreign policy in his second term, with double-digit “reciprocal” tariffs imposed on most countries, which he has justified by declaring America’s longstanding trade deficits a national emergency. The average U.S. tariff has gone from 2.5% when The President returned to the White House in January to 17.9%, the highest since 1934, according to calculations by Yale University’s Budget Lab. The president acted alone even though the U.S. Constitution specifically gives the power to tax — and impose tariffs — to Congress. Still, The President “will have other tools that can cause pain,” said Stratos Pahis of Brooklyn Law School. Here’s a look at some of his options: Countering unfair trade practices The United States has long had a handy cudgel to wallop countries it accuses of engaging in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices. That is Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. And The President has made aggressive use of it himself — especially against China. In his first term, he cited Section 301 to impose sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports in a dispute over the sharp-elbowed tactics that Beijing was using to challenge America’s technological dominance. The U.S. is also using 301 powers to counter what it calls unfair Chinese practices in the shipbuilding industry. “You’ve had Section 301 tariffs in place against China for years,” said Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a trade official in The President’s first administration and in Biden’s. There are no limits on the size of Section 301 tariffs. They expire after four years but can be extended. But the administration’s trade representative must conduct an investigation and typically hold a public hearing before imposing 301 tariffs. John Veroneau, general counsel for the U.S. trade representative in the George W. Bush administration, said Section 301 is useful in taking on China. But it has drawbacks when it comes to dealing with the smaller countries that The President has hammered with reciprocal tariffs. “Undertaking dozens and dozens of 301 investigations of all of those countries is a laborious process,” Veroneau said. Targeting trade deficits In striking down The President’s reciprocal tariffs in May, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the president couldn’t use emergency powers to combat trade deficits. That is partly because Congress had specifically given the White House limited authority to address the problem in another statute: Section 122, also of the Trade Act of 1974. That allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15% for up to 150 days in response to unbalanced trade. The administration doesn’t even have to conduct an investigation beforehand. But Section 122 authority has never been used to apply tariffs, and there is some uncertainty about how it would work. Protecting national security In both of his terms, The President has made aggressive use of his power — under Section 232 of Trade Expansion Act of 1962 — to impose tariffs on imports that he deems a threat to national security. In 2018, he slapped tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, levies he’s expanded since returning to the White House. He also plastered Section 232 tariffs on autos, auto parts, copper, lumber. In September, the president even levied Section 232 tariffs on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and upholstered furniture. “Even though people might roll their eyes” at the notion that imported furniture poses a threat to national security, Veroneau said, “it’s difficult to get courts to second-guess a determination by a president on a national security matter.” Section 232 tariffs are not limited by law but do require an investigation by the U.S. Commerce Department. It’s the administration itself that does the investigating – also true for Section 301 cases — “so they have a lot of control over the outcome,” Veroneau said. Reviving Depression-era tariffs Nearly a century ago, with the U.S. and world economies in collapse, Congress passed the Tariff Act of 1930, imposing hefty taxes on imports. Known as the Smoot-Hawley tariffs (for their congressional sponsors), these levies have been widely condemned by economists and historians for limiting world commerce and making the Great Depression worse. They also got a memorable pop culture shoutout in the 1986 movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Section 338 of the law authorizes the president to impose tariffs of up to 50% on imports from countries that have discriminated against U.S. businesses. No investigation is required, and there’s no limit on how long the tariffs can stay in place. Those tariffs have never been imposed — U.S. trade negotiators traditionally have favored Section 301 sanctions instead — though the United States used the threat of them as a bargaining chip in trade talks in the 1930s. In September, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters that the administration was considering Section 338 as a Plan B if the Supreme Court ruled against The President’s use of emergency powers tariffs. The Smoot-Hawley legislation has a bad reputation, Veroneau said, but The President might find it appealing. “To be the first president to ever use it could have some cache.” Associated Press Staff Writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this story. —Paul Wiseman, AP Economics Writer View the full article

Shares in language learning platform Duolingo, Inc. (Nasdaq: DUOL) are plummeting this morning. As of this writing, the stock is down a staggering 25% in premarket trading. That cliff edge comes after the company reported strong Q3 numbers yesterday. So what’s the reason for today’s fall? Here’s what you need to know. Duolingo reports a strong Q3 2025 By nearly every metric, Duolingo had a strong third quarter, which ended on September 30, 2025. Here are the key metrics the company reported for its Q3: Daily Active Users: 50.5 million (up 36% year over year) Monthly Active Users: 135.3 million (up 20% YOY) Paid Subscribers: 11.5 million (up 34% YOY) Revenue: $271.7 million (up 41% YOY) Adjusted earnings per share (EPS): $5.95 Total Bookings: $281.9 million (up 33% YOY) As you can see, Duolingo’s results are nothing to sneeze at. There are plenty of companies today that would love to report 36% daily active user growth or an increase in revenue of 41%. Yet still, DUOL stock is in free fall this morning. The reason for this is one of the key metrics that Duolingo reports: total bookings. Duolingo’s total bookings forecast disappoints The Duolingo metric that investors pay heavy attention to is what the company calls “total bookings.” Total bookings is the catch-all term that Duolingo uses to encapsulate all of its revenue streams. It includes not just current revenues, but future revenues that the company has commitments for. This mainly includes subscription revenue. A customer may sign up for an annual subscription, but may only be billed for it in increments, which means Duolingo doesn’t have that revenue in its bank account yet, but it’s coming in the future. “We believe bookings provide an indication of trends in our operating results, including cash flows, that are not necessarily reflected in our revenues because we recognize subscription revenues ratably over the lifetime of a subscription, the majority of which are twelve months in duration,” the company notes in its Q3 shareholder letter. “Total bookings include subscription bookings, income from advertising networks for advertisements served to our users, purchases of the Duolingo English Test, and in-app purchases of virtual goods,” the company says. Because of the importance of the “total bookings” metric, investors like to hear Duolingo forecast acceptable total bookings growth quarter after quarter. And for the past five quarters, the total bookings growth has ranged between 33% (in Q3 2025) and 42% (in Q4 2024). But for Q4 2025, which ends on December 31, Duolingo says it expects total bookings growth to be only 21.3% to 23.5% (about $329.5 million to $335.5 million). That is well below what Wall Street had expected, as Reuters reports. So what is the reason for the slowdown in total bookings? In Duolingo’s Q3 shareholder letter, CEO Luis von Ahn said the company was pivoting to improve the platform’s teaching quality and grow its user base. This will come at an expense to monetization, which will affect that all-important total bookings metric. “In particular, we’re investing proportionally more in teaching better, and we’re prioritizing user growth over monetization in the A/B tests that get launched,” von Ahn said, adding, “We’re doing this now because we want to keep growing users for a long time, and because of our increasing conviction that AI can fundamentally change what’s possible in how we teach.” This decision reflects one of Duolingo’s operating principles, which the company calls “take the long view.” It believes that by improving the quality of its product and acquiring more users, those moves will help bring in the things investors care most about: increased revenue from increased total bookings. Duolingo’s 2025 stock slide Whether or not Duolingo’s “long view” pays off remains to be seen. But the company’s 25% premarket price drop this morning shows investors aren’t too happy with what’s been happening. This morning’s price drop compounds an already bad year for Duolingo as far as its share price is concerned. As of yesterday’s close, before today’s 25% plummet, DUOL shares were already trading down nearly 20% for the year. The company’s share price started at around $325 before rising to an all-time high of over $544 in May. But since then, shares have fallen steadily, particularly after the company faced a brand crisis after announcing an AI-first strategy that shifted the content creation from humans to artificial intelligence. As of the time of this writing in premarket trading, DUOL shares are currently trading below $200 apiece—a price not seen since August 2024. View the full article

World’s richest man has warned he will quit if investors fail to back the largest pay package in history 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. If you’ve been planning to tighten up your home security without spending much, the Blink Wired Floodlight Camera is worth a look. It’s selling for $49.99 (down from $99.99), which is its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. Blink Wired Floodlight Camera $49.99 at Amazon $99.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal Get Deal $49.99 at Amazon $99.99 Save $50.00 It’s a hardwired setup that combines dual-LED floodlights with 1080p HD video, giving you both visibility and surveillance in one go. The lights throw out 2,600 lumens, which is plenty to brighten a driveway or backyard, and color night vision means you can actually make out faces and details instead of staring at grainy gray footage. Speaking of, the 143-degree field of view of this camera captures a wide area, and daytime footage looks crisp with good color balance and clarity. In day-to-day use, the Blink Floodlight Camera performs better than you’d expect for the price. Motion alerts are quick to arrive, and the live feed on the Blink app loads fast enough to check what’s happening in real time. You can flip on the floodlights manually, talk through the built-in two-way audio, or trigger the 105dB siren if someone’s snooping around. The siren is loud enough to make anyone jump or at least get a neighbor’s attention. Nighttime performance is also solid; even without the floodlights, the infrared black-and-white view stays clear up to about 30 feet, notes this PCMag review. Once the LEDs kick in, you’ll easily recognize people, pets, or vehicles. Still, the camera isn’t without its fine print. You’ll get motion alerts and live view for free, but recording video clips or using person detection needs a Blink subscription. The Basic plan runs $4 a month and stores 60 days of footage, while the Plus plan costs $12 and covers multiple cameras. Those who prefer skipping subscriptions can get the Blink Sync Module 2 as an add-on and plug in a USB drive for local storage. The camera works well with Alexa and IFTTT, but there’s no support for Google Home or Apple HomeKit. Installation is simple if you’ve swapped a wired light before, but it’s best to call an electrician if you haven’t. For under 50 bucks, it’s an easy, practical upgrade for anyone looking to brighten their yard and boost home security in one go. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Shark AI Ultra Matrix Clean Mapping Voice Control Robot Vacuum with XL Self-Empty Base — $299.99 (List Price $599.00) Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones — $199.00 (List Price $349.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Google Pixel 10 Pro 128GB Unlocked Phone (Obsidian) — $749.00 (List Price $999.00) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Introducing Amazon Fire TV 55" Omni Mini-LED Series, QLED 4K UHD smart TV, Dolby Vision IQ, 144hz gaming mode, Ambient Experience, hands-free with Alexa, 2024 release — $699.99 (List Price $819.99) Google Nest Cam Indoor (Wired, 3rd Gen) - Security Camera with 2K Video and Gemini, Night Vision, 2-Way Audio, Works with Google Home - 2025 Model - Snow — $74.99 (List Price $99.99) Sony WH-1000XM5 — $328.00 (List Price $399.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

European shares opened lower on Thursday after a broad advance in Asia spurred by a rebound on Wall Street. Upbeat economic updates and a steady flow of quarterly reports from U.S. companies have helped counter worries over surging share prices for Big Tech companies. But that optimism failed to carry over from Asia to Europe. Germany’s DAX lost 0.2% to 24,003.24, while the CAC 40 in Paris declined 0.5% to 8,033.11. Britain’s FTSE 100 slipped 0.2% to 9,761.18. The future for the S&P 500 was virtually unchanged while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.1%. In Asia, shares bounced back from a retreat the day before. Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.3% to 50,883.68. Shares in Nissan Motor Co. fell 1.7% after the company said it was selling its headquarters building in Yokohama to raise cash. After trading closed, Nissan reported a 221.9 billion yen ($1.4 billion) loss for April-September and said its revenue dropped 7% from a year earlier. In South Korea, the Kospi advanced 0.6% to 4,026.45. Taiwan’s Taiex was up 0.7%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.1% to 26,485.90, while the Shanghai Composite index climbed 0.1% to 4,007.76. However, shares in autonomous driving companies Pony.ai and WeRide fell in their debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange. Pony.ai lost 9.3%, while WeRide’s shares fell 10%. Shares in Cathay Pacific Airways gained 4% after it announced that Qatar Airways was selling its 9.57% stake in the Hong Kong-based carrier in a buyback worth $896 million. The deal is subject to shareholder approval. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks gained ground with broad gains, reversing the prior day’s dip. Much of the market’s push and pull came from the technology sector, where several companies with huge values have an outsized influence over the market. Google’s parent, Alphabet, jumped 2.4%, Broadcom rose 2%, and Facebook parent Meta Platforms rose 1.4%. They helped lead the way higher for the broader market. Their gains also helped counter losses from a few technology behemoths, including Nvidia and Microsoft. Overall The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Dow industrials picked up 0.5% to 47,311. The Nasdaq composite added 0.6%. Company earnings and forecasts were once again a big focus for Wall Street, with results coming from a broad spectrum of industries. The latest round of earnings offers Wall Street a source of information on consumers, businesses and the economy that is otherwise lacking amid the government shutdown. Important monthly updates on inflation and employment have ceased, leaving investors, economists and the Federal Reserve without a fuller picture of the economy. There are still several informative private economic updates that Wall Street can review. A monthly report from ADP showed that private payrolls rose more than expected in October. The report offers a partial glimpse into the job market, which has been generally weakening and raising broader concerns about economic growth. A weaker job market remains a big concern for the Fed. The central bank cut its benchmark rate for the second time this year at its most recent meeting, in part to help bolster the economy amid a weakening job market. Lower interest rates can make a wide range of loans and credit less expensive, potentially promoting economic growth. But, lower rates can also add fuel to inflation, which could stunt economic growth. In other dealings early Thursday, U.S. benchmark crude gained 26 cents to $59.86 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, advanced 25 cents to $63.77 per barrel. The U.S. dollar fell to 153.85 Japanese yen from 154.11 yen. The euro rose to $1.1510 from $1.1494. —Elaine Kurtenbach, AP Business Writer View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Pomodoro technique is one of the most established and oft-recommended productivity methods, praised for its effectiveness and simplicity: It combines time for deep work with periods of reward, and the mix proves effective for many because deep work and breaks are both crucial elements to getting things done. The popularity of Pomodoro has also inspired offshoots that iterate on its philosophies, and one of them might hold particular appeal if you like to relax after completing a task by watching TV. It's called "animedoro," and if the name reminds you of Japanese cartoons, there's a reason for that. What is the animedoro productivity method?Animedoro was created by a med student named Josh Chen, who four years ago uploaded a video explaining how, over the course of four months, he was able to study for 600 hours and still watch 300 hours of anime. In simple terms, his technique is a variation on the Pomodoro method, which involves working for 25 minutes, breaking for five minutes, and working for another 25 minutes, and so on. The original Pomodoro schedule provides a longer break after the fourth work session—but following animedoro, you’ll switch things up a bit. Using Chen’s model, you’ll work for 40 to 60 minutes at a time, then give yourself a 20-minute break to watch an episode of a TV show (or whatever else you want to do to reset). In this way, animedoro is similar to flowtime, which is a technique where you spend time determining exactly what work-to-break ratio works for you. While Pomodoro is widely seen as the best option, since you get small breaks and a solid amount of time to focus and work, no method is one-size-fits-all. It may be that to achieve a state of deep work, you need to put in more than 25 minutes of effort. It may also be the case that five minutes of downtime to scroll your phone or refill your drink just isn’t enough to motivate you. Animedoro is a good option in either case, since it gives you longer periods to study or grind, plus more involved break periods. But like I said, this method was conceptualized by a regular student, someone no different than you or me. Pomodoro, too, was founded by a student named Francisco Cirillo. You, like Chen and Cirillo, can mess with the timing of your work sessions and breaks until you find exactly what works for you. I recommend using a productivity timer app, like FocusPomo, because you can set different lengths of work sessions. If the times suggested here aren't working for you, do your own thing. Scheduling and committing to your work and your breaks is valuable, so don't give up if 25 on and five off aren't cutting it. How to try out the animedoro methodAs with the traditional Pomodoro technique, the real key to success is making effective use of your work periods. Knowing you have 20 minutes with your favorite show on the horizon can be a nice motivator, provided you can stick to the plan of working without distractions for the 40 or 60 minutes of focus time. Put your phone aside, don’t check any other tasks or notifications, and immerse yourself fully in the one thing you need to do. (This is where an app like FocusPomo shines, as it will block you from using other apps as soon as you start a focus session.) This isn’t a time for multitasking: Pick one activity and singularly focus on it for the entire work period. After an episode of Blue Eye Samurai, you can select a different task in your next 40- to 60-minute chunk. View the full article

Until recently, some of the fastest-growing places in the U.S. were also among the most exposed to climate risk. But that’s starting to change—more Americans are now moving out of the areas that are most likely to flood. In the Miami area, where nearly a third of homes face flood risk, nearly 70,000 more people moved away than moved in last year, according to a new report from Redfin. In Houston, the domestic outflow was more than 30,000 people; in Brooklyn, where around a quarter of homes face flood risk, around 28,000 more people left than moved in. In Florida’s Pinellas County, where many homes were hit hard by Hurricane Helene, around 4,000 more people left for other parts of the state or country. Florida “has been a migration destination, but this year the Florida housing market changed a lot,” says Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “We’ve seen a downward trend in home values there, so we wanted to explore what is going on.” The team looked at the highest-risk counties for flooding, where the biggest percentages of homes face flood risk, using climate risk scores from First Street, and then compared those to the lowest-risk counties. High-risk counties were losing more people, and low-risk counties were gaining them. (The caveat: because of international immigration, places like Houston and Miami didn’t see net population loss last year—Redfin’s data focuses only on domestic moves.) Climate risk obviously isn’t the only reason that people move. Cost is another major factor, as the price of housing has gone up in places like Miami. But in a Redfin survey, “concern for natural disasters or climate risks in my previous area” was the most common reason cited by Florida residents for a move. In some cases, people who moved may have lost their homes in a disaster. Others may be struggling with the rising cost of insurance premiums. In some cases, people aren’t moving that far; people leaving Pinellas County often moved to non-flood zones in nearby Pasco County. But some people who left flood-prone areas may be “boomerang” movers who arrived in the pandemic and now are going back to other states where they lived before. “One of the reasons that we hear from our agents that people are leaving these places that during the pandemic, people moved to migration destinations like Houston or Miami, got there, and realized that they are really hot,” Fairweather says. “And then it’s not as affordable so they thought.” It’s not clear if the trend will stick—Houston had an outflow of people moving after Hurricane Harvey, but then gained more residents during the pandemic, and now that’s reversing again. But people are increasingly becoming aware of climate risk. “As there have been more high-profile storms happening, flooding is something that’s more on the minds of home buyers,” says Fairweather. “It’s just an added cost when it comes to affordability.” View the full article

As the holiday season approaches, small business owners are gearing up for what could be a make-or-break period. According to a new report from Constant Contact, a leading provider of digital marketing tools, a staggering 60% of small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) attribute up to half of their annual sales to the current quarter. With such a significant financial impact, adapting to both economic pressures and shifting consumer behaviors has become more crucial than ever. The report surveyed over 1,800 small business owners across the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, revealing that one in three owners feels the highest revenue pressure during this critical time. The retail sector, in particular, feels this strain acutely, with nearly 47% of owners expressing concern. Yet, despite the pressures, a resilient 77% of SMB owners remain confident in their ability to meet annual revenue targets. Smita Wadhawan, Chief Marketing Officer at Constant Contact, emphasized the importance of strategic adaptation: “The holiday season is the most critical time of the year for small businesses, accounting for up to half of annual sales for 60 percent of owners.” Wadhawan noted that SMBs are responding to pressure by rapidly scaling their marketing efforts. The study indicates that the number of businesses launching new marketing campaigns has skyrocketed from 7% in 2024 to 33% in 2025. This renewed focus on marketing comes with tactics that differ from previous years. About 60% of business owners plan to increase the frequency of their marketing communications. A standout statistic shows that 40% of SMBs view social media marketing as the most impactful channel for success, far surpassing email marketing, which only 18% ranked highly. Discounts and sales continue to be the most effective promotional strategy, with more than half of the participating businesses employing these tactics. Last year’s holiday marketing initiatives were reportedly successful for 81% of SMB owners, primarily resulting in increased sales and new customer acquisition, which underscores the potential for success in the current climate. However, economic constraints remain a concern. The report identifies inflation and rising costs as the leading external challenges, reported by 32% of owners, followed by weak consumer spending at 22%. Internally, businesses are grappling with customer engagement challenges (39%), budget limitations (36%), and difficulties in generating fresh content (34%). Notably, 46% of SMBs claim to be negatively affected by recent tariff policies, leading many to consider cutting expenses or raising prices, which could further strain customer relationships. On the consumer side, economic concerns have directed shopping behavior. Approximately 70% of shoppers are actively looking for discounts and promotions. Yet, a silver lining exists; consumer loyalty remains strong, with 72% of shoppers returning to the same small businesses each holiday season, and 88% expressing a likelihood of becoming repeat customers after making a holiday purchase. Small business owners should be aware of these dynamics as they plan their holiday strategies. The insights presented in the Constant Contact report serve as both a guide and a cautionary tale. Balancing marketing outreach with budget constraints and maintaining customer engagement can present challenges but also offers opportunities to cultivate loyalty and boost sales. With the holiday season fast approaching, harnessing social media and discount strategies may be the key to leveraging sales effectively. As Wadhawan noted, “Delivering the efficient, simplified marketing solutions that SMBs need to successfully execute these new strategies is core to our mission at Constant Contact.” It’s clear that while challenges loom large, those who adapt and strategize effectively could see significant rewards this holiday season. For more detailed insights, the full report is available at Constant Contact’s website: Original Report. This article, "Small Businesses Brace for Holiday Surge as Sales Pressure Intensifies" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article