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Key Takeaways Understand Your Target Audience: Identifying and defining your ideal clients allows you to tailor marketing strategies to meet their specific legal needs effectively. Build a Professional Online Presence: A user-friendly, mobile-optimized website is essential for attracting clients. Optimize your content with relevant keywords to improve search engine visibility. Leverage Digital Marketing Techniques: Employ SEO and content marketing to enhance visibility and authority. Regularly share valuable content through blogs and social media to engage prospects. Engage in Networking and Community Involvement: Building relationships with local businesses and participating in community events can increase your practice’s visibility and reputation. Utilize Traditional Marketing Methods: Print advertising and hosting educational workshops can effectively reach potential clients and establish credibility within your community. Measure and Adapt Marketing Efforts: Regularly analyze performance metrics and client feedback to refine your marketing strategies, ensuring ongoing effectiveness and client retention. In today’s competitive legal landscape, effectively marketing your law practice is crucial for attracting clients and standing out from the crowd. With countless firms vying for attention, knowing how to showcase your expertise can make all the difference. Whether you’re a seasoned attorney or just starting, the right marketing strategies can elevate your practice and build lasting relationships. From leveraging digital platforms to networking in your community, there are numerous ways to connect with potential clients. Understanding your target audience and tailoring your approach can lead to more meaningful interactions. In this article, you’ll discover proven techniques to enhance your law practice’s visibility and reputation, ensuring you not only reach but resonate with those who need your services. Understanding Your Target Audience Understanding your target audience is crucial for effective law practice marketing. It allows you to tailor your strategies to meet the specific needs of potential clients, enhancing client acquisition. Defining Your Ideal Client Defining your ideal client involves identifying characteristics that align with your legal services. Consider factors such as demographics, legal needs, and behaviors. Create a client profile that outlines age, location, income level, and any relevant legal issues. This targeted approach enhances your marketing strategy, ensuring your messaging resonates with those most likely to seek your services. Researching Client Needs and Preferences Researching client needs and preferences requires a proactive stance. Use tools like surveys and client feedback to gather insights. Analyze patterns in client inquiries and preferences to refine your services and communication methods. Understanding what potential clients value, such as responsive customer service and quick resolution times, can directly influence your business operations and improve client retention. Engage with clients on digital platforms, fostering conversations that enhance your insight into their motivations and expectations. Collaborate with your team for effective data analysis, ensuring everyone understands client needs. This focus bolsters your law practice’s capacity to meet demands efficiently and effectively. Building an Online Presence Your law practice’s online presence significantly influences its growth and client acquisition. Focusing on essential digital strategies enhances visibility and connects you with potential clients. Creating a Professional Website A professional website forms the cornerstone of your law firm’s digital footprint. Ensure it is user-friendly, modern, and easy to navigate. Mobile optimization is crucial, as over 50% of web traffic originates from mobile devices. Prioritize fast load times; slow websites lead to high abandonment rates. Optimize your content with relevant keywords to improve search engine rankings. Include essential features such as quick contact options and clear service details to establish credibility and trustworthiness. A well-designed website not only attracts clients but also reflects your business strategy and commitment to quality service. Leveraging Social Media Platforms Social media platforms serve as effective marketing channels for your law practice. Use them to enhance brand management and engage with potential clients. Regularly post content relevant to your legal services, showcasing your expertise. Respond to customer feedback promptly, as this builds trust and improves customer retention. Use strategic planning to determine which platforms align best with your target audience. Social media offers tools that can help streamline communication and foster community relations, critical components in business development. Implementing Digital Marketing Strategies Digital marketing strategies play a vital role in promoting a law practice, enabling you to enhance visibility and attract new clients. Focus on the following key areas to maximize your marketing efforts. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) SEO improves your law firm’s visibility on search engines. Target keywords related to your services and location, as clients often search online for legal assistance. Optimize your website: Ensure that your site includes relevant keywords, especially in headings and meta tags. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify effective keywords. Improve local SEO: For better local search visibility, claim your Google My Business listing. Keep your Name, Address, Phone (NAP) data consistent across platforms. Enhance user experience: A fast-loading, mobile-friendly website retains visitors. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to test and improve loading times. Content Marketing Techniques Content marketing establishes authority and builds trust with potential clients. Use high-quality content to address client needs effectively. Create valuable blog posts: Write articles on relevant legal topics that answer common questions or concerns. Regular posting keeps your audience engaged and boosts SEO. Utilize social media: Share blog posts and updates on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to reach broader audiences. Regular interactions can foster relationships and improve customer retention. Incorporate client testimonials: Display testimonials and case studies on your website. Positive feedback enhances credibility and encourages potential clients to reach out for assistance. Implementing these digital marketing strategies can significantly contribute to the growth of your law practice, streamlining operations and improving client acquisition through effective communication and engagement. Networking and Community Involvement Networking and community involvement serve as essential components to market your law practice effectively. Engaging with local businesses and participating in community events boosts your visibility, fosters relationships, and enhances your practice’s reputation. Building Relationships with Local Businesses Building relationships with local businesses can significantly elevate your marketing strategy. Establish mutually beneficial partnerships through direct communication and collaboration. Engage with small businesses by offering legal workshops that address common legal issues they face. Share valuable insights on topics like compliance, employee management, or business contracts, which can enhance your credibility and position you as a trusted advisor. Referring clients to local businesses and seeking their referrals in return creates a symbiotic relationship that supports community growth. Participating in Community Events Participating in community events strengthens your law firm’s connection to the community and highlights your commitment to local issues. Attend or sponsor local events such as fairs, workshops, or charities, where you can showcase your legal expertise and engage with potential clients. Provide free consultations or legal advice at these events to attract attention and demonstrate your dedication to service. Aligning your participation with relevant topics, like small business support or financial planning, helps establish you as a community leader and builds trust with local residents. Prioritize consistent involvement to ensure long-term visibility and customer retention in your marketing efforts. Utilizing Traditional Marketing Methods Traditional marketing methods play a crucial role in promoting your law practice. These strategies foster personal connections, establish credibility, and effectively reach potential clients in your community. Print Advertising Strategies Print advertising remains a valuable tool in your marketing strategy. Law firms can place ads in local newspapers, legal magazines, and community newsletters to engage a broad audience. Rick Hovde of Hovde Dassow + Deets successfully utilizes print advertising to keep potential and current clients informed about services and successes. Consider using direct mail campaigns with informative brochures and newsletters, as these can effectively promote client loyalty and engage new clients. Hosting Educational Workshops and Seminars Hosting educational workshops and seminars enhances your visibility and establishes you as a knowledgeable authority in your field. By providing useful information, you engage potential clients and address their needs. Design seminars around common legal issues relevant to your community, offering insight that demonstrates your expertise. Leverage partnerships with local organizations to broaden your reach and enhance credibility. By delivering valuable content, you aid decision-making for potential clients and strengthen trust in your practice. Measuring Marketing Effectiveness Effective marketing for your law practice hinges on measuring its success. Regularly analyzing performance metrics ensures you’re on track with your marketing strategy. Analyzing Website Traffic and Engagement You track website traffic using tools like Google Analytics to assess visitor behavior. Focus on key metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and average session duration. High bounce rates may signal a need for website improvements, while increased session duration indicates engaging content. You can also examine referral sources to identify which marketing channels drive the most traffic. This data helps refine your marketing campaigns and improves customer acquisition. Adjusting Strategies Based on Feedback You prioritize customer feedback to enhance marketing effectiveness. Collect input through surveys and interactions, focusing on areas such as service satisfaction and legal needs. Analyze this feedback to identify trends and areas for improvement. Adjusting your marketing strategy based on client input can bolster customer retention and demonstrate your commitment to service excellence. Incorporating changes based on direct responses fosters trust and builds long-term relationships with clients. Conclusion Effective marketing is crucial for your law practice’s success. By leveraging both digital and traditional strategies you can significantly enhance your visibility and client engagement. Understanding your target audience and tailoring your approach ensures you meet their specific needs. Incorporating community involvement and networking can build trust and credibility. Remember to measure your marketing efforts regularly to refine your strategies and improve client retention. By implementing these proven techniques you’ll not only attract new clients but also establish a strong reputation in your community. Embrace these strategies and watch your law practice thrive. Frequently Asked Questions Why is effective marketing important for law practices? Effective marketing helps law practices stand out in a competitive environment, showcasing attorneys’ expertise to attract potential clients and build credibility in the community. What digital strategies can law firms use for marketing? Law firms can utilize a professional website optimized for SEO, engage on social media platforms, produce valuable content, and use Google My Business to increase visibility and attract clients. How can understanding the target audience improve marketing efforts? By identifying the demographics and needs of the ideal client, law practices can tailor their marketing strategies, fostering meaningful interactions and enhancing client retention. What role does community networking play in law marketing? Community networking involves building relationships with local businesses and participating in events, which increases credibility and trust, fostering mutual referrals and long-term client relationships. How can law firms measure the effectiveness of their marketing? Law firms can analyze performance metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, and customer feedback. Tools like Google Analytics can help track these indicators for continuous improvement. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Strategies on How to Market a Law Practice Effectively" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Understand Your Target Audience: Identifying and defining your ideal clients allows you to tailor marketing strategies to meet their specific legal needs effectively. Build a Professional Online Presence: A user-friendly, mobile-optimized website is essential for attracting clients. Optimize your content with relevant keywords to improve search engine visibility. Leverage Digital Marketing Techniques: Employ SEO and content marketing to enhance visibility and authority. Regularly share valuable content through blogs and social media to engage prospects. Engage in Networking and Community Involvement: Building relationships with local businesses and participating in community events can increase your practice’s visibility and reputation. Utilize Traditional Marketing Methods: Print advertising and hosting educational workshops can effectively reach potential clients and establish credibility within your community. Measure and Adapt Marketing Efforts: Regularly analyze performance metrics and client feedback to refine your marketing strategies, ensuring ongoing effectiveness and client retention. In today’s competitive legal landscape, effectively marketing your law practice is crucial for attracting clients and standing out from the crowd. With countless firms vying for attention, knowing how to showcase your expertise can make all the difference. Whether you’re a seasoned attorney or just starting, the right marketing strategies can elevate your practice and build lasting relationships. From leveraging digital platforms to networking in your community, there are numerous ways to connect with potential clients. Understanding your target audience and tailoring your approach can lead to more meaningful interactions. In this article, you’ll discover proven techniques to enhance your law practice’s visibility and reputation, ensuring you not only reach but resonate with those who need your services. Understanding Your Target Audience Understanding your target audience is crucial for effective law practice marketing. It allows you to tailor your strategies to meet the specific needs of potential clients, enhancing client acquisition. Defining Your Ideal Client Defining your ideal client involves identifying characteristics that align with your legal services. Consider factors such as demographics, legal needs, and behaviors. Create a client profile that outlines age, location, income level, and any relevant legal issues. This targeted approach enhances your marketing strategy, ensuring your messaging resonates with those most likely to seek your services. Researching Client Needs and Preferences Researching client needs and preferences requires a proactive stance. Use tools like surveys and client feedback to gather insights. Analyze patterns in client inquiries and preferences to refine your services and communication methods. Understanding what potential clients value, such as responsive customer service and quick resolution times, can directly influence your business operations and improve client retention. Engage with clients on digital platforms, fostering conversations that enhance your insight into their motivations and expectations. Collaborate with your team for effective data analysis, ensuring everyone understands client needs. This focus bolsters your law practice’s capacity to meet demands efficiently and effectively. Building an Online Presence Your law practice’s online presence significantly influences its growth and client acquisition. Focusing on essential digital strategies enhances visibility and connects you with potential clients. Creating a Professional Website A professional website forms the cornerstone of your law firm’s digital footprint. Ensure it is user-friendly, modern, and easy to navigate. Mobile optimization is crucial, as over 50% of web traffic originates from mobile devices. Prioritize fast load times; slow websites lead to high abandonment rates. Optimize your content with relevant keywords to improve search engine rankings. Include essential features such as quick contact options and clear service details to establish credibility and trustworthiness. A well-designed website not only attracts clients but also reflects your business strategy and commitment to quality service. Leveraging Social Media Platforms Social media platforms serve as effective marketing channels for your law practice. Use them to enhance brand management and engage with potential clients. Regularly post content relevant to your legal services, showcasing your expertise. Respond to customer feedback promptly, as this builds trust and improves customer retention. Use strategic planning to determine which platforms align best with your target audience. Social media offers tools that can help streamline communication and foster community relations, critical components in business development. Implementing Digital Marketing Strategies Digital marketing strategies play a vital role in promoting a law practice, enabling you to enhance visibility and attract new clients. Focus on the following key areas to maximize your marketing efforts. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) SEO improves your law firm’s visibility on search engines. Target keywords related to your services and location, as clients often search online for legal assistance. Optimize your website: Ensure that your site includes relevant keywords, especially in headings and meta tags. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to identify effective keywords. Improve local SEO: For better local search visibility, claim your Google My Business listing. Keep your Name, Address, Phone (NAP) data consistent across platforms. Enhance user experience: A fast-loading, mobile-friendly website retains visitors. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to test and improve loading times. Content Marketing Techniques Content marketing establishes authority and builds trust with potential clients. Use high-quality content to address client needs effectively. Create valuable blog posts: Write articles on relevant legal topics that answer common questions or concerns. Regular posting keeps your audience engaged and boosts SEO. Utilize social media: Share blog posts and updates on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to reach broader audiences. Regular interactions can foster relationships and improve customer retention. Incorporate client testimonials: Display testimonials and case studies on your website. Positive feedback enhances credibility and encourages potential clients to reach out for assistance. Implementing these digital marketing strategies can significantly contribute to the growth of your law practice, streamlining operations and improving client acquisition through effective communication and engagement. Networking and Community Involvement Networking and community involvement serve as essential components to market your law practice effectively. Engaging with local businesses and participating in community events boosts your visibility, fosters relationships, and enhances your practice’s reputation. Building Relationships with Local Businesses Building relationships with local businesses can significantly elevate your marketing strategy. Establish mutually beneficial partnerships through direct communication and collaboration. Engage with small businesses by offering legal workshops that address common legal issues they face. Share valuable insights on topics like compliance, employee management, or business contracts, which can enhance your credibility and position you as a trusted advisor. Referring clients to local businesses and seeking their referrals in return creates a symbiotic relationship that supports community growth. Participating in Community Events Participating in community events strengthens your law firm’s connection to the community and highlights your commitment to local issues. Attend or sponsor local events such as fairs, workshops, or charities, where you can showcase your legal expertise and engage with potential clients. Provide free consultations or legal advice at these events to attract attention and demonstrate your dedication to service. Aligning your participation with relevant topics, like small business support or financial planning, helps establish you as a community leader and builds trust with local residents. Prioritize consistent involvement to ensure long-term visibility and customer retention in your marketing efforts. Utilizing Traditional Marketing Methods Traditional marketing methods play a crucial role in promoting your law practice. These strategies foster personal connections, establish credibility, and effectively reach potential clients in your community. Print Advertising Strategies Print advertising remains a valuable tool in your marketing strategy. Law firms can place ads in local newspapers, legal magazines, and community newsletters to engage a broad audience. Rick Hovde of Hovde Dassow + Deets successfully utilizes print advertising to keep potential and current clients informed about services and successes. Consider using direct mail campaigns with informative brochures and newsletters, as these can effectively promote client loyalty and engage new clients. Hosting Educational Workshops and Seminars Hosting educational workshops and seminars enhances your visibility and establishes you as a knowledgeable authority in your field. By providing useful information, you engage potential clients and address their needs. Design seminars around common legal issues relevant to your community, offering insight that demonstrates your expertise. Leverage partnerships with local organizations to broaden your reach and enhance credibility. By delivering valuable content, you aid decision-making for potential clients and strengthen trust in your practice. Measuring Marketing Effectiveness Effective marketing for your law practice hinges on measuring its success. Regularly analyzing performance metrics ensures you’re on track with your marketing strategy. Analyzing Website Traffic and Engagement You track website traffic using tools like Google Analytics to assess visitor behavior. Focus on key metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and average session duration. High bounce rates may signal a need for website improvements, while increased session duration indicates engaging content. You can also examine referral sources to identify which marketing channels drive the most traffic. This data helps refine your marketing campaigns and improves customer acquisition. Adjusting Strategies Based on Feedback You prioritize customer feedback to enhance marketing effectiveness. Collect input through surveys and interactions, focusing on areas such as service satisfaction and legal needs. Analyze this feedback to identify trends and areas for improvement. Adjusting your marketing strategy based on client input can bolster customer retention and demonstrate your commitment to service excellence. Incorporating changes based on direct responses fosters trust and builds long-term relationships with clients. Conclusion Effective marketing is crucial for your law practice’s success. By leveraging both digital and traditional strategies you can significantly enhance your visibility and client engagement. Understanding your target audience and tailoring your approach ensures you meet their specific needs. Incorporating community involvement and networking can build trust and credibility. Remember to measure your marketing efforts regularly to refine your strategies and improve client retention. By implementing these proven techniques you’ll not only attract new clients but also establish a strong reputation in your community. Embrace these strategies and watch your law practice thrive. Frequently Asked Questions Why is effective marketing important for law practices? Effective marketing helps law practices stand out in a competitive environment, showcasing attorneys’ expertise to attract potential clients and build credibility in the community. What digital strategies can law firms use for marketing? Law firms can utilize a professional website optimized for SEO, engage on social media platforms, produce valuable content, and use Google My Business to increase visibility and attract clients. How can understanding the target audience improve marketing efforts? By identifying the demographics and needs of the ideal client, law practices can tailor their marketing strategies, fostering meaningful interactions and enhancing client retention. What role does community networking play in law marketing? Community networking involves building relationships with local businesses and participating in events, which increases credibility and trust, fostering mutual referrals and long-term client relationships. How can law firms measure the effectiveness of their marketing? Law firms can analyze performance metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, and customer feedback. Tools like Google Analytics can help track these indicators for continuous improvement. Image Via Envato This article, "Essential Strategies on How to Market a Law Practice Effectively" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

If there’s one thing everyone knows about the impact of the tariffs, it’s that no one knows anything. Confusion is the general theme as tariff rates go up and down depending on the day, and trade deals get announced that, well, don’t actually remove any tariffs. So don’t feel bad if you have no idea how to plan for what’s coming. The one thing everyone agrees on is that we’re going to experience higher prices and shortages no matter what happens, because the last shipments of products that weren’t subject to the new tariffs have already arrived in the U.S. From this point forward, most of the stuff you want or need will be affected. This might make you feel like it’s 2020 again and it's time to start hoarding and stockpiling, but it’s not that simple: There are some items that you maybe should hoard a little to insure yourself against price increases and shortages, but some items aren’t going to pay off if you load up on them. Here’s what you should—and shouldn’t—think about stockpiling. What to buy more of now There’s a difference between panic-buying and trying to inoculate yourself from the impact of tariffs, and that difference comes down to being thoughtful. Your first step in a tariff stockpile plan is to focus on things you buy regularly or know you’re going to need in the near future. A few key items to consider include: Toys. Chinese factories manufacture about 80% of the toys sold in the U.S., so if you have kids and want to have toys for birthdays, holidays, and other events, you might do some pre-planning and stock up on those items ASAP. Prescriptions and OTC meds. Many prescription drugs already rely on a fragile and pretty narrow global supply chain, so trade disruptions will very likely make a long list of pharmaceuticals both harder to find and more expensive. If you rely on prescriptions, find out how large a supply you can get (you can often get at least a 90-day supply) and lay that in. This also applies to common over-the-counter medications and first-aid supplies, so these are a good idea to stockpile as well. This goes for your pets’ prescriptions as well, as they’re often manufactured in the same facilities and using the same suppliers. One caveat: Keep expiration dates in mind. Having expired acetaminophen in your cabinets isn’t exactly a win. Pet food. Speaking of your pets, it might not be a bad idea to stockpile their food. Pet food is going to get more expensive both because many use imported ingredients in their formulas and because the tariffs on imported aluminum will wallop the cost of canning it all. Food staples. If you’re worried about grocery prices during the tariff storm (and you probably should be), laying in a supply of staple foods that last a long time in storage is a good idea. Things like rice, canned goods, and beans can be stored for a long time, locking in current prices and protecting you from shortages. If you can preserve or can stuff like fruits or tomatoes, these can be added to your list. And if you eat a lot of tilapia (most of which we import from China), laying in a supply of frozen fillets will help keep your seafood night in action. Coffee and chocolate. As many have noted, the only place in the U.S. that is even capable of producing coffee is Hawaii, which produces less than 1% of the coffee we drink. So creating an emergency supply of coffee for yourself will come in handy when getting a cup of coffee requires a credit check. Similarly, domestic chocolate production isn’t exactly huge, so if you have a sweet tooth it’s a good idea to buy some bars now. Batteries. Much of the raw materials that go into most kinds of batteries are currently imported, and China is a huge supplier in that market. Expect batteries—even the disposable kind you buy at the supermarket—to get both pricier and harder to find. They last for a long time, so stockpiling them makes sense. Underwear. You might not know that the U.S. imports a huge portion of our underwear from places like Vietnam, bringing in $2.21 billion worth of women's underwear alone last year. If you’re due for a refresh in that department, it would be a good idea to go underwear shopping right now. Toothpaste, soap, and detergent. If you intend to not violate all the norms of acceptable grooming, you’re going to be spending a lot more for this stuff in the near future. The good news is that toothpaste can last for years in the tube, and soap and detergent have an infinite shelf life in practical terms, so buying in bulk now can protect you from price increases for years to come. Glasses and contact lenses. If you think you’re going to need new glasses soon, or you need a regular supply of disposable contact lenses, now would be a good time to get those new frames or stockpile your contacts. China is the largest supplier of frames and the plastics used in making eyewear lenses, so the tariffs—even if reduced after trade negotiations—will raise those prices. Spices. The U.S. currently imports almost all the spices you use in your recipes, because most spices require a tropical or sub-tropical climate to thrive. Everything from vanilla to oregano will be subject to import tariffs, so stocking up is a good idea. Don't bother hoarding these itemsBecause the tariffs are so comprehensive, you can stock up on a lot of things without too much risk as long as you’re cognizant of spoilage and how much you actually use a particular product. But there are a few things that don’t make sense to hoard: Toilet paper. If you’re haunted by pandemic memories of scrounging around for toilet paper, relax: Those shortages were mainly caused by the sudden shift from office bathrooms to home bathrooms, combined with panic-buying. Most of our toilet paper is made domestically, though most brands do import some wood pulp to make it, so you might notice some price increases. But you probably won’t see shortages. Clothing. Unless you typically buy several years’ worth of clothing at a time, stocking up on pants and jackets doesn’t make sense despite the near-certainty of price increases. If you’re already planning to replace/refresh some of your wardrobe, it’s a good idea to go shopping sooner rather than later, but buying extra clothes in bulk won’t pay off. Electronics. Similarly, prices will go up on almost anything with a power cord, but you probably don’t need to stock up on gadgets. The money you might save will be offset by the fact that those gadgets will likely be out of date and possibly obsolete by the time you need to replace your current stuff. View the full article

Disney’s 1951 animated film Alice in Wonderland taught audiences that “you can learn a lot of things from the flowers.” But the movie never mentioned the full moon named after those springtime sensations. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a celestial phenomenon called the “Flower Moon” occurs today, and despite being “micro,” it is still a sight to behold. Let’s take a deeper look into what all these names mean, and when you can see this “full flower micromoon.” Why is the May full moon tonight called the ‘Flower Moon’? The Old Farmer’s Almanac shares popular names given to each month’s full moons. Many of these monikers are based in Native American tradition. May is most commonly referred to as the “Flower Moon,” thanks to the Algonquin people. The name comes from the fact that many flowers begin to bloom in May, thanks in part to all the April showers. Eighteenth century American explorer Jonathan Carver used a similar name in his 1798 publication, Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America. He dubbed the orb “Month of Flowers,” after living among the Dakota people. American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau references this name in his writings as well. Other tribes’ monikers celebrated other spring seasonal delights. The Cree preferred “Budding Moon” and “Leaf Budding Moon,” while the Oglala used “Moon of the Shedding Ponies.” Similarly, the Dakota and Lakota people also utilized the name “Planting Moon.” The Flower Moon tonight is also a micromoon The Flower Moon is also the third and final micromoon of 2025. A micromoon occurs when the moon becomes full during apogee, which is a fancy NASA word describing the moon at its farthest point away from Earth. May’s full moon will be smaller and dimmer as a result, but it’s still an impressive satellite (just like humans, the orb can’t always give 100%!). When is the best time to see the full Flower Moon tonight? While May’s moon reaches peak illumination today at 12:56 p.m. ET, it will appear full for a couple of nights. This gives you enough time to bask in its glory, and maybe even accept a proposal of marriage. Ancient folklore states that love is intensified during this time, because as the moon regulates the tides, it may also impact the water in human bodies. In a similar vein, if you need an excuse not to do laundry, clothes washed during this period are said not to last long. Looking up and ahead After you go for love (or the longevity of your clothes) with this flower micromoon, the rest of 2025 still has plenty in store. Coming attractions include three back-to-back supermoons beginning in October, to finish the year out strong. But before we get there, next month’s “Strawberry Moon” celebrates the time when the sweet fruit is ripe and ready to pick. Stay tuned for more to come on these nighttime displays. View the full article

You know that putting money aside is a good idea, but putting it all in the same place can make your budgeting more complicated than it needs to be. It sounds counterintuitive, but when all your savings sit in one account, it's difficult to track progress toward different goals. You might see a healthy balance, but you can't easily see how much is truly available for discretionary spending versus what's socked away for long-term goals. Rather than keeping all your money in one place, here's how you can make the most of your money by separating your savings into goals-based accounts. Think of multiple savings accounts as foldersLike the old-school cash-stuffing where you take your money and put it into an envelope marked for a specific purpose, this approach works the same—except it’s digital and automated by your online bank. As an example, you could have savings accounts for different categories, like this: Emergency fund: Around six months of essential expenses in a high-yield savings account with easy access. This is your financial safety net. Taxes fund: Especially for self-employed individuals, setting aside tax payments in a dedicated account prevents painful scrambling when tax deadlines arrive. Short-term savings: Vacation funds, holiday shopping, annual insurance premiums, or home maintenance—these predictable expenses deserve dedicated accounts. Major purchase funds: Saving for a down payment, vehicle, or other significant expenses? Separate accounts help you track progress and stay motivated. The idea here is that by seeing all your saving goals separately, they’ll be easier to track. If you have just one savings account, on the other hand, you’ll only see an amorphous blob of total savings when you see it on your bank’s website, forcing you to track targeted savings somewhere else, like in a spreadsheet. Automate progress toward your goalsThe other advantage to separate accounts is that it’s much easier to manage different goals at the same time using automated payments from your checking account. For example, you might put away $250 a month for six months to save for a vacation, while concurrently saving $100 a month for two years to pay for a new computer. With dedicated accounts, you can instantly see exactly how much you've saved toward specific goals. This clarity helps you make more informed decisions about your money. Plus, you'll find it's harder to "borrow" from funds explicitly set aside for important purposes. When your emergency fund has its own account labeled "Emergency Only," you'll think twice before dipping into it for non-emergencies. Avoid monthly fees when setting up multiple savings accountsUnfortunately, the savings accounts from brick-and-mortar banks almost always have monthly fees (usually $5-20) or high minimum balances. That’s why you should stick to online banks, which typically don’t charge monthly fees, have low minimum opening balances, and offer some of the highest annual percentage yields in the market. After you choose a bank that offers free accounts with competitive interest rates, stay on top of your progress. Make sure you use descriptive account names that reflect your specific goals, and then set up automatic transfers timed with your paydays. The bottom lineWhile divvying up your funds and opening new accounts may require some work upfront, once they're all open, having multiple savings accounts is a low lift. Savings accounts typically don't generate hard credit inquiries, so your credit score shouldn't be affected. As far as tax implications, interest earned is taxable regardless of how many accounts you have. And when tax season comes along, most banks provide a consolidated 1099-INT for all your accounts. And on the day-to-day, banking apps make managing multiple accounts simple—you should be able to nickname accounts and view them all on one dashboard. Begin with your most pressing savings needs. This is probably your emergency fund and your highest-priority near-term goal. As these habits become established, gradually add more accounts as needed. Remember, the goal isn't to create unnecessary complexity, but to build a system that makes saving money as intuitive as possible for you. View the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. In 2005, the median U.S. homeowner lived and owned their primary home for 6.5 years. In 2024, the median U.S. homeowner lived and owned their primary home for 11.8 years. That’s according to Redfin’s latest analysis. That means the typical U.S. home today has been owned by the same person for nearly twice as long as in 2005—resulting in less turnover in the housing market. That affects the entire ecosystem. For some millennials and Gen Xers, it could mean staying longer in their starter homes as they struggle to find a move-up property in their desired location. And for first-time buyers, especially Gen Z, the lack of turnover means fewer entry-level homes coming up for sale. After climbing every year between 2005 and 2020, U.S. homeowner tenure has come down a bit due to the increase in home sales during the pandemic housing boom. However, given spiked mortgage rates and low existing home sales, tenure rates could start going higher again. “Moving forward, we expect homeowner tenure to stay flat or increase slightly for the foreseeable future,” wrote Redfin researchers. “Existing-home sales hit a 15-year low last year, with many homeowners locked in by low mortgage rates, and while sales should pick up a bit this year, it’ll be more of a trickle than a flood.” Why did U.S. homeowner tenure increase so much between 2005 and 2020? Redfin says, in part, it’s because so many baby boomers choose to “age in place.” “Older Americans are hanging onto their homes because they’re financially incentivized to do so. Most (54%) baby boomers who own homes own them free and clear, with no outstanding mortgage. For that group, the median monthly cost of owning a home–which includes insurance and property taxes, among other things—is just over $600 (similar to the monthly cost for other generations with no outstanding mortgage, but other generations are far less likely to own homes free and clear),” wrote Redfin researchers. In addition to “aging in place,” the Redfin report also cites state-level tax policies that encourage homeowners not to move as part of the reason for increased homeowner tenures. Most notably, Proposition 13 in California limits property tax increases for homeowners, thus encouraging them not to sell. There’s also the fact that older Americans have higher homeownership rates, and over the past few decades, the composition of the U.S. population has shifted older as the giant baby boomer generation has aged and birth rates have declined. That has put upward pressure on homeowner tenure. What has this meant for homebuyers and the industry? The increase in average homeowner tenure over the two past decades has subdued turnover, limiting the purchasing opportunities for certain properties and holding back existing home sales. View the full article

Last month, Google announced Veo 2, the company's latest AI video generation model. This model is currently capable of generating eight-second videos, as long as you pay for Gemini. If you pay for Google One AI Premium, you also have access to Whisk, an image generator that, via Veo 2, now lets you animate those images, too. (Free users are left out for now.) I wouldn't blame you if you assumed that whenever Google inevitably made Veo 2 free, Pixel users would get it first. After all, that's sort of Google's M.O.: Release new features first for the company's own smartphone line, before rolling them out to other devices and platforms. But with Veo 2, the company isn't doing that. The first smartphone users who will get to experience the video model for free aren't Pixel owners, but Honor owners—a phone you can't even buy in the United States. Veo 2 on Honor phonesAs reported by The Verge, anyone who buys an Honor 400 or 400 Pro will be able to access Veo 2 for free via the Gallery app—for the first two months, anyway. What's more, unlike Whisk, which only lets you animate images you generated with Whisk, Honor users will be able to use Veo 2 to animate pictures they took themselves. The Verge's Dominic Preston has access to a compatible Honor phone and shows off some examples of the feature in action. The highlight is an image Preston took of Grant Nicholas, musician for the band Feeder. The image shows Nicholas mid-lyric, strumming on his guitar. But after Veo 2 processes the image, it generates a short clip that, if you didn't know any better, you'd assume was a low-res clip of the singer playing the show. (The Verge says that the clips had to be converted to GIFs in order to include with the article, which does reduce the quality somewhat.) Preston was complimentary of the feature's abilities when presented with clear and simple subjects, like their pet cat. But Veo 2 struggled with more complicated images: For a photo of a vintage car, Veo 2 decided to rotate the car without turning the wheels, which looks quite odd. For a photo of a bunch of tomatoes, Veo 2 decided to animate a hand picking up some tomatoes, but the first time it comes into frame, the hand is translucent. Honor (or, perhaps Google) is limiting generations to 20 outputs per day. The Verge reports that Honor said Google will offer a subscription to the feature "eventually," but the company doesn't have specifics yet. Who is this for?But even if those limitations weren't present, I'm caught wondering who exactly is going to use this feature for any reason beyond a "party trick." Sure, new Honor users might enjoy playing around with the AI-generated videos on their favorite photos for a bit, but the results aren't necessarily useful. Who needs to regularly process their photos through a hit-or-miss video generator, especially if the feature will eventually require payment? It's a bit weird that Google is releasing this on a non-Pixel phone first, but, truth be told, I don't think Pixel users are missing out on much. View the full article

The U.S. federal disaster agency FEMA has sharply reduced training for state and local emergency managers ahead of the start of the hurricane season on June 1, according to current and former officials, memos seen by Reuters, and three sources familiar with the situation. The training cutbacks could leave storm-prone communities less prepared to handle the often devastating aftermath of hurricanes, the sources and some of the current and former officials warned. Leading forecasters predict a busier-than-average Atlantic hurricane season this year, with 17 named tropical storms, including nine hurricanes. If state directors and local emergency managers are not briefed on the federal government’s latest tools and resources, it will impact their ability to prepare for and warn communities of impending storms, said Deanne Criswell, who headed FEMA during President Joe Biden’s administration. Some 2,000 FEMA employees – or about a third of full-time staff – have been fired or accepted incentives to quit since President Donald The President took office in January and declared that the agency should be abolished and its functions handed over to the states. Last week, The President fired FEMA’s acting chief, Cameron Hamilton, a day after Hamilton told lawmakers that the agency should be preserved. Hamilton’s successor, David Richardson, told FEMA employees on Friday that he would “run right over” any staff opposed to his implementation of The President’s vision for a smaller agency. Online training FEMA’s National Hurricane Program and the National Hurricane Center typically conduct in-person workshops and presentations for state and local emergency officials each spring to help them prepare for hurricane season. These training sessions are used to share the latest data on hurricane modeling, build relationships between local, state and FEMA officials to improve coordination on disaster preparedness and relief, and review evacuation routes and other planning measures. Relationship building is critical for coordination in the event of a storm, according to three emergency managers and experts. Some planned hurricane training sessions and workshops have been moved online. FEMA, which is overseen by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, confirmed the training cutbacks in a statement to Reuters. “At the direction of President The President and Secretary Noem, we’re done offering duplicate trainings that promote waste, fraud and abuse and that are not a good use of American taxpayers,” the statement said. “The National Hurricane Program continues to deliver readiness trainings ahead of the 2025 Hurricane Season to emergency managers nationwide with virtual trainings.” Steve Still, the emergency manager for New Hanover County, a hurricane hotspot on North Carolina’s Atlantic Coast, said online training, while useful, was less effective than in-person events. “If there’s any practical applications or exercises, you need in-person training,” Still said. Despite the reduced training, emergency management officials in North Carolina and Louisiana – states regularly battered by hurricanes – told Reuters they have FEMA-certified trainers on staff who can lead in-person disaster training. “FEMA courses have continued as planned in the state without issue,” said Justin J. Graney, a spokesman for North Carolina Emergency Management. Travel restrictions Since February 5, FEMA staff have been barred from travel unrelated to disaster deployment and other limited purposes. Since early March, staff must have their speaking engagements and presentation materials approved by the Office of External Affairs and Office of Chief Counsel, according to two internal memos seen by Reuters. Few speaking requests have been approved, leading the National Hurricane Program to cancel some trainings for emergency managers in storm-prone areas or move them online, according to a source familiar with the situation. Organizers of April’s National Hurricane Conference in New Orleans canceled several FEMA-led sessions – including one aimed at helping emergency managers make evacuation decisions during hurricanes – after FEMA staff dropped out due to the travel restrictions, said John Wilson, chairman of the conference. Wilson said the director of the National Hurricane Center usually speaks at the conference about lessons learned from past hurricane season and shares forecasting model updates, but did not this year. “It was kind of bizarre to have a National Hurricane Conference without the National Hurricane Center director opening it up,” Wilson said. NHC Director Michael Brennan said in a statement that he did not attend the conference due to travel restrictions but noted that the center recently organized a virtual course with 500 participants. He said the NHC’s “dialogue with partners continues and remains unchanged.” Concerns Lynn Budd, president of the National Emergency Management Association, an organization of state emergency managers, and director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, said states need more time and resources if they are expected to make up for cuts to FEMA staff and activities. “There is room to reduce the footprint of FEMA in their regular deployment activities, but there is also expertise provided by FEMA for state and local jurisdictions that the states simply don’t have at this time,” Budd said. NEMA would not comment specifically on the reduced trainings. The lack of training sessions at disaster preparedness conferences leaves state and local emergency managers more vulnerable to inaccurate or inadequate advice ahead of the storm season, said Bryan Koon, the former head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management who now heads a disaster preparedness consultancy. “These conferences are really important, because lots of FEMA trainings are normally done at them,” Koon said. “That’s one of the critical things – new information is released to state and local emergency managers.” If local emergency managers are not trained in new forecasting models, for example, then there might be critical information the public won’t get ahead of a hurricane, Koon said. —Leah Douglas, Nathan Layne, Nichola Groom and Tim Reid, Reuters View the full article

Reducing freedom of movement comes at a cost and governments shouldn’t pretend otherwiseView the full article

US president urges sides to agree to a deal ‘immediately’View the full article

Federal Reserve Gov. Adriana Kugler said in a speech in Dublin that trade barriers could soon affect prices and slow down growth while increasing uncertainty in 2025. View the full article

White House sets out plans for price targets and eliminating ‘middlemen’ in executive orderView the full article

Officers were called to blaze in Kentish Town early on Monday morning View the full article

The rideshare market has reached a crossroads. Autonomous vehicles are on the rise, driver unrest is mounting, and customers are questioning everything from pricing to trust and safety. In the midst of it all, Lyft is mounting a comeback. CEO David Risher, who came into the role at Lyft two years ago, is taking a bird’s-eye view on the operation and pushing to reposition the company squarely against their competitor, Uber—with faster execution, bold new programs, and Lyft’s biggest international acquisition to date. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company Bob Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today’s top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Subscribe to Rapid Response wherever you get your podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. [A recent letter you wrote to shareholders] includes this phrase “falcon mode,” which has also sparked a bunch of interest. I wanted to ask you to explain, what is falcon mode? So falcons fly thousands of feet in the air. But of course, they can’t stay up there always because they’ve got to eat. So falcons have adapted to become extremely perceptive at seeing very small things on the ground and then being able to dive down very, very quickly, grab the mouse or whatever it is, and then go back up to cruising altitude. I use that kind of figurative language to help my team actually understand my job, which is to try to stay up at the high level. I mean, a CEO doesn’t hopefully need to be in the details every single day, but I have never found a successful CEO, and I’ve worked for some very successful CEOs, I’m very lucky in that way, who doesn’t also judiciously decide when to come down and to go really, really deep into the things, to get to the point where you’re literally saying, “You know what, I think this language on the screen isn’t quite doing the job,” as an example. How much of that is about you identifying something that’s strategic that you could have seen at 30,000 feet that maybe others are missing versus pointing to your team that this is the way you want them to act? I think if you never do it yourself, if all you’re doing is telling your team, “Go look at this, go look at this, go look at this, go look at this,” I think the chance of you having good intuition on that, where to actually go deep, is low. But then on the other hand, hopefully they see you doing it, and they become comfortable themselves. And again, I want to make a distinction: you haven’t mentioned the word micromanagement, but that’s a word that sometimes people say, “Well, doesn’t that sound like micromanagement?” And for me, the distinction I make is I try, again, sometimes unsuccessfully to be clear, but I try not to use it as a way to propose answers. Of course, sometimes I do. I’m a human being, I have ideas, but I try more to use it as a way to understand a problem space better. A story I tell in the letter is you can understand the issue of surge pricing at a generic level. People don’t like prices that are unpredictable, and that gives you a certain amount of insight. But when I drove and I picked up a woman named Anne, and she said, “Sometimes the price is 20, sometimes it’s 30, sometimes it’s 40. When it’s 20, I take a Lyft. When it’s 40, I drive myself, but I’m really annoyed. I get up at six in the morning, just check the price every single morning.” You have these conversations, and you get so much more empathy and understanding for the contours of that problem and why it matters so much at an individual level. And then you can go back to your team and say, “You know what, guys, I know we’ve been talking about trying to get rid of surge pricing or at least some of it for a while. Let me give you some examples that I’ve picked up by going deep that maybe help us understand both why this is a big problem for people and maybe understand, as I say, the contours of this space a little bit better as a result.” And so this is why you get on the road and you drive a Lyft every six weeks for a day, so you’re close to the experience of both sides of your marketplace, the driver and the rider. It’s exactly it. And it’s so interesting. I actually took my first drive, I think it was a week before I joined even. So it’s been a little bit over two years now. And at first what I really thought it was going to be is really understanding the driver app and the driver experience. And I learned a lot, but what it’s really taught me is how the rider experiences the ride. And it’s so different to look at the data versus talk to the riders and ask them, “Why did you choose Lyft today versus the other guys? What are some of the perceptions you have?” And sometimes people talk about a credit card deal we have with Chase Sapphire Reserve, and sometimes people will talk about a bad experience they had on the other guys. Sometimes they’ll talk about how they think they like our values better or they like Women+ Connect, which is a service we have. So you get a sense of both sides of the marketplace, and it’s quite efficient. I mean, it’s only two or three hours, and gosh, you can learn a lot in two or three hours if you really, really focus on them. You have more riders than ever, you have more drivers than ever, but you’re still far behind Uber, which has 75% of the market or something. I mean, we’ve heard a lot about the streaming wars in TV, and there’s arguably a ridesharing war going on. Do you have to beat Uber to become like Netflix in streaming, or is it just about staying competitive? You don’t have to be Netflix. If you can be BritBox, and that’s you, that’s okay. So a couple of things I think about that, every year just in the U.S., so we’re not even talking about overseas, just in the U.S., people take about 160 billion rides in their own car, 160 billion. So every single one of those rides, they’re getting behind the wheel, their stress level is probably going up a little bit, hopefully they’re not texting, but they’re certainly tempted to text every time they come to a stoplight, they’re road rage sometimes, frustrated. At the very least, they’re not able to do very much else with their life, and then they got to park, and then they got to pay for parking, and all these different things. So there are a lot of times where, you know what, it’s actually kind of nice to have someone else pick you up. You can do the texting, you can sit back, you can make a phone call if you want to, you can put on your makeup if you’re a woman, whatever it is, guy too, whoever. So the point is it’s a better experience, and we want to do it so reliably and at such a high service level that we move from, call it, 800 million rides a year, which is about what we do, to a billion to two billion to three billion to four billion. So do I have to compete with someone else to do that? Not really. Now, we have to compete with private cars, and to a certain extent, with people staying at home on their couch. I mean, those are things I have to compete with, but I don’t really need to dominate the other guy. Now, having said that, there is another guy in the marketplace. Our share when I joined was about 26% share. Now it’s about 31% share. So we’ve made nice progress there, and that’s hard. I mean, every single point of share you get over a bigger competitor is quite hard. I’ll give you two stats that I’m very proud of. One is we pick you up about 30 seconds faster than they do. Second is for our drivers, we have a 23-point advantage, 23-point advantage in preference of dual-appers, people who use both apps. Who would you prefer to drive for? So I consider those to be very good leading early indicators that we’re doing some things well. The share thing is a little bit of a trailing indicator. It’s just an interesting little thing to look at. Leading indicator is more to people like you more, you get better service. And over time, that tends to grow a business quite nicely. View the full article

Now that the “100 men vs. one gorilla” debate has been settled, a new question is circulating on social media: Who would win, 100 Americans or 100 Brits? British creator @2mwad_ first posed the question on TikTok: “I got a new one, 100 British people versus 100 Americans. One big room, no weapons, who’s winning?” The video has since gained over a million views, succeeding in uniting both nations against a common, historical rival. The patriotism sparked in the comments section is truly something to behold. “Our president is a felon who you think is winning,” one American wrote. “Do they have the Britain man? We have the Florida man,” another added. A third chimed in, “100 British people vs one Waffle House shift.” But the Brits weren’t going down without a fight, and if there’s one thing British people do best, it’s getting under Americans’ skin. “British people 100%,” one wrote. “Don’t get me started. I might start sounding patriotic,” added another. In a follow-up video, the creator made the hypothetical brawl more specific. He said the British side would include groups of 20 from Birmingham, London, Manchester, Nottingham, and Liverpool. For the Americans, the fighters would be drafted from Louisiana, L.A., New York, and Chicago. (For what it’s worth, as a Brit, my money is on the Americans.) “There’s something so uniquely special about being American because our country can be in complete shambles . . . but as soon as someone tries to attack America, we are all patriotic,” said creator @adivunsolicited in a video with 1.2 million views. “The only people Americans are scared or intimidated by are other Americans,” he added. TikTok creator Keara Sullivan posted her ideal American lineup: two people from Appalachia, two Floridians with criminal records, two blue-collar workers from Boston, one drunk Eagles fan born and raised in Philadelphia, and one Waffle House employee from any state. On the British side, TikToker Max Baledge pushed back: “Guys, you would not be allowed guns. I’d like to see all of those people have a bare knuckle bash with someone from Newcastle.” One commenter replied: “We already did this—we celebrate it on July 4th.” View the full article

If you’re a frequent eye drop user, now’s the time to check your medicine cabinet: The pharmaceutical lab BRS Analytical Service, LLC has issued a voluntary recall of five different ophthalmic solutions, including some eye drops and artificial tears, due to concerns that the products may be of “unacceptable quality.” Here’s what to know: What is the reason for the recall? According to a notice published by the distributor AvKare, the recall was initiated when a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) audit found “manufacturing cGMP deviations” in the production of the five eye products. CGMP, or Current Good Manufacturing Practice, refers to the required manufacturing process guidelines set by the FDA for a certain item. Per the AvKare notice, “Health Hazard to the user is unknown, cGMP deviations may lead to products of unacceptable quality, and it is not possible to rule out patient risks resulting from use of these products.” Separately, an FDA enforcement report surrounding the five products notes that there was a “lack of assurance of sterility” found during the agency’s audit. BRS Analytical Service voluntarily initiated the five recalls on April 23. On May 6, the FDA classified each as a Class II, meaning it is considered a situation in which exposure to the product may cause “reversible adverse health consequences,” or where the probability of serious health consequences is “remote.” Which products are being recalled? The recall encompasses five products, totaling over 75,000 cases of ophthalmic solution, shipped over a two-year period: May 26, 2023, to April 21, 2025. The products include: NDC# 50268-043-15 Artificial Tears Ophthalmic Solution; recall number D-0404-2025 NDC# 50268-066-15 Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium Ophthalmic Gel 1%; recall number D-0405-2025 NDC# 50268-068-15 Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium Ophthalmic Solution; recall number D-0406-2025 NDC# 50268-126-15 Lubricant Eye Drops Solution; recall number D-0407-2025 NDC# 50268-678-15 Polyvinyl Alcohol Ophthalmic Solution; recall number D-0408-2025 Detailed lots numbers and specific expiration dates can be found here. Where were the products sold? According to the FDA, the items were distributed nationwide in the U.S., though specific states and stores were not listed. What should I do if I have one of the recalled products? If you have a recalled eye solution, do not use it. Instead, AvKare requests that you follow the instructions listed in its notice to alert the company that you received the recalled product, and then ship the affected items back to its headquarters. With any follow-up questions, AvKare’s customer service email is customerservice@avkare.com. View the full article

Rich Diviney spent 21 years as a Navy SEAL, leading and operating on missions around the globe. In that time, he completed multiple combat deployments and had the honor of serving as the Commanding Officer of a SEAL Command. One of his most pivotal roles was running a specialized Selection and Assessment program for one of the most elite SEAL units. He also spearheaded the SEALs’ “Mind Gym” to train soldiers’ minds to perform better under stress. Today, he teaches optimal performance to thousands of business, athletic, and military leaders. What’s the big idea? What makes someone able to thrive in conditions of extreme stress, challenge, and uncertainty? Why do some people falter when the pressure rises, while others step forward with clarity and strength? High performance under pressure isn’t limited to Navy SEALs. It’s not about being fearless or superhuman. It’s about tapping into human capabilities that we all possess—capabilities that can be trained, honed, and applied in any environment. Below, Rich shares five key insights from his new book, Masters of Uncertainty: The Navy SEAL Way to Turn Stress into Success for You and Your Team. Listen to the audio version—read by Rich himself—in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Uncertainty is the only certainty. On May 2, 2011, a SEAL team launched one of the most daring missions in modern history: the operation to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. They trained relentlessly. They built a replica of the compound. They rehearsed every move, down to the second. The moment they got on target, everything changed. One of the helicopters crashed. Timelines shifted. Entry points failed. All that preparation didn’t mean much—unless they could adapt. That mission succeeded not because they had a perfect plan, but because they knew how to perform inside the chaos. That’s what Masters of Uncertainty is about. Peak performance is a myth. It depends on perfect conditions, and life is rarely perfect. What matters more is optimal performance: showing up with the best you have in that moment, no matter what that best looks like. In the book, I show you how to develop a fluid kind of performance that is resilient and real. Uncertainty isn’t a curveball. Uncertainty is the game. Once you stop chasing perfection and start learning to thrive inside the unpredictable, you unlock your true edge. 2. The Mastering Uncertainty Method. High performers don’t have superpowers. What they do have is a system that allows them to take the raw chaos of a moment and make it work in their favor. That system is what I call the Mastering Uncertainty Method. I built it by observing elite SEALs, world-class athletes, and business leaders who consistently perform under pressure. What I noticed was that they weren’t calm by accident. They practiced something specific, something trainable. “These steps are rooted in how humans are wired.” The first part of the method—Move Horizons—is what you do when the world is swirling. You anchor in the present and ask, “What do I know? What can I control?” Like George, an ultrarunner who started his journey at 450 pounds. Day one: he bought the shoes. Day two: he put them on. He moved horizons—one mailbox, one street corner at a time—until he ran a marathon. Then there’s Keep Going, learning to set meaningful goals that trigger the brain’s dopamine system. And Stay Cool, the art of modulating your stress response to stay focused and clear-headed. These steps are rooted in how humans are wired. Once you train them, you’ll discover you were built for uncertainty all along. 3. Attributes, Identity, and Purpose drive behavior. When everything’s spinning, we like to believe we’ll rise to our training—to our values, our beliefs. But the truth is, we don’t rise. We revert to our instincts and core wiring. That’s why understanding your Attributes, Identity, and Objectives is vital. I’ll never forget one SEAL candidate during assessment who, on paper, was a rock star. He was physically gifted, razor-sharp, and highly trained. But when things got murky and unpredictable, he couldn’t make decisions. He lacked the attributes we couldn’t teach: adaptability, resilience, situational humility. In that moment, it wasn’t his skills that failed him. It was who he was underneath them. This part of the book is about helping you discover who you are when things aren’t going according to plan—when the tools fall away and only instincts remain. You’ll learn to identify the traits that drive you, reshape the beliefs that hold you back, and root everything in a sense of purpose that doesn’t crack under pressure. In uncertainty, the person you are matters far more than the roles you play. 4. Dynamic Subordination and trust in teams. I love to ask teams, “When the plan falls apart, who leads?” Because in high-stakes environments, it’s not always the person with the rank. It’s the person with the clarity. We call that Dynamic Subordination. It’s a principle we lived by in the SEAL Teams. Leadership flowed to the person with the most relevant expertise in the moment—not the most stripes on their sleeve. That only works in a culture built on trust. “Leadership flowed to the person with the most relevant expertise in the moment—not the most stripes on their sleeve.” I remember one mission where our comms guy—normally the quietest person in the room—stepped up mid-operation and made a call that saved lives. He wasn’t the senior guy. He wasn’t the loudest. But he had the best information, and we trusted him enough to follow. Most teams say they want adaptability, but they don’t build the trust required to make it real. I teach how to build trust, implement dynamic subordination, and create a culture where leadership is a function of moment, not title. When uncertainty hits, rigid hierarchy cracks. Trust flexes. Flex wins. 5. Stress as a performance enhancer. Most of us treat stress like the enemy—something to fight off, push down, or escape. But stress isn’t the problem. Misused stress is. Your stress response—what scientists call autonomic arousal—is built to help you. It gives you energy, alertness, even clarity. It’s what helped me stay sharp jumping out of planes, navigating combat zones, or stepping onto a keynote stage. The challenge is knowing when to turn the dial up and when to turn it down. This chapter is about rewiring your relationship with stress. I’ll teach you the same breathwork, visual cues, and mental framing used by elite performers. Once you stop fearing stress and start partnering with it, you unlock performance you didn’t know was possible. Stress isn’t the villain. It’s the voltage. You just have to learn how to use it. Uncertainty isn’t going anywhere. It’s not something we can out-plan, out-muscle, or outrun. But we can learn to meet it with strength, clarity, and purpose. Whether you’re leading a team, navigating change, or just trying to show up better in your life, the ability to move forward in the unknown is a trainable skill. One that starts with awareness, grows with intention, and gets stronger every time you choose to lean in rather than pull back. Learn to master the moment you’re in. That’s where your power lives. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. 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. Pelotons are the most popular indoor exercise bike, but they're notoriously expensive and don't go on sale often. Luckily, they're on sale right now, and while they're still expensive, the discounts are historically good, according to price tracking tools. To sweeten the deal, Amazon is also offering free professional assembly in any room of your house (click the option under "Purchase options and add-ons"). The original Peloton Bike is currently at $1,145 (originally $1,445), matching the lowest price of 2025. The Peloton Bike+, Peloton's best exercise bike, is seeing a higher discount of $495, and is currently going for $2,000 (originally $2,495). Special Feature: Adjustable Seat, Color: Black, Power Source: Corded Electric. Original Peloton Bike $1,145.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $1,445.00 Save $300.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,145.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $1,445.00 Save $300.00 Special Feature: Adjustable Seat, Color: Black, Power Source: Corded Electric. Peloton Bike+ $2,000.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $2,495.00 Save $495.00 Get Deal Get Deal $2,000.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $2,495.00 Save $495.00 SEE -1 MORE If you're choosing between the two models, Lifehacker Senior Health Editor Beth Skwarecki breaks down their differences in detail here. Essentially, the Peloton Bike has all the important features, like the touchscreen you can use to follow along classes, see scenic routes, and even watch Netflix while you exercise. The Bike+ has everything the Bike has, plus a larger screen and resistance that automatically adjusts when you’re following along with a class. The touchscreen is also on a swivel, allowing you to do yoga and strength classes on the floor next to your Bike+. (Whichever you choose, you might as well get the free professional assembly installation, including hauling all of the trash away, since it's being offered free of charge right now.) If you're considering buying a used Peloton instead, here is what you can expect. Keep in mind there's a $95 fee (plus some other costs you might want to consider) that you'll need to pay Peloton in order for the machine to trade hands—and you'll still need a $44 per-month “All Access” membership to use all of the Bike’s features. View the full article

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a policy directive rescinding scores of standing guidance documents, interpretive rules and advisory opinions in a bid to reduce compliance costs. View the full article

Fashion designers from across North America are bringing together inspiration from their Indigenous heritage, culture and everyday lives to three days of runway modeling that started Friday in a leading creative hub and marketplace for Indigenous art. A fashion show affiliated with the century-old Santa Fe Indian Market is collaborating this year with a counterpart from Vancouver, Canada, in a spirit of Indigenous solidarity and artistic freedom. A second, independent runway show at a rail yard district in the city has nearly doubled the bustle of models, makeup and final fittings. Elements of Friday’s collections from six Native designers ran the gamut from silk parasols to a quilted hoodie, knee-high fur boots and suede leather earrings that dangled to the waist. Models on the Santa Fe catwalks include professionals, dancers and Indigenous celebrities from TV and the political sphere. Clothing and accessories rely on materials ranging from of wool trade cloth to animal hides, featuring traditional beadwork, ribbons and jewelry with some contemporary twists that include digitally rendered designs and urban Native American streetwear from Phoenix. “Native fashion, it’s telling a story about our understanding of who we are individually and then within our communities,” said Taos Pueblo fashion designer Patricia Michaels, of “Project Runway” reality TV fame. “You’re getting designers from North America that are here to express a lot of what inspires them from their own heritage and culture.” Santa Fe style The stand-alone spring fashion week for Indigenous design is a recent outgrowth of haute couture at the summer Santa Fe Indian Market, where teeming crowds flock to outdoor displays by individual sculptors, potters, jewelers and painters. Designer Sage Mountainflower remembers playing in the streets at Indian Market as a child in the 1980s while her artist parents sold paintings and beadwork. She forged a different career in environmental administration, but the world of high fashion called to her as she sewed tribal regalia for her children at home and, eventually, brought international recognition. At age 50, Mountainflower on Friday presented her “Taandi” collection — the Tewa word for “Spring” — grounded in satin and chiffon fabric that includes embroidery patterns that invoke her personal and family heritage at the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo in the Upper Rio Grande Valley. “I pay attention to trends, but a lot of it’s just what I like,” said Mountainflower, who also traces her heritage to Taos Pueblo and the Navajo Nation. “This year it’s actually just looking at springtime and how it’s evolving. … It’s going to be a colorful collection.” More than 20 designers are presenting at the invitation of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts. Fashion plays a prominent part in Santa Fe’s renowned arts ecosystem, with Native American vendors each day selling jewelry in the central plaza, while the Institute for American Indian Arts delivers fashion-related college degrees in May. This week, a gala at the New Mexico governor’s mansion welcomed fashion designers to town, along with social mixers at local galleries and bookstores and plans for pop-up fashion stores to sell clothes fresh off the fashion runway. International vision A full-scale collaboration with Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week is bringing a northern, First Nations flair to the gathering this year with many designers crossing into the U.S. from Canada. Secwépemc artist and fashion designer Randi Nelson traveled to Santa Fe from the city of Whitehorse in the Canadian Yukon to present collections forged from fur and traditionally cured hides — she uses primarily elk and caribou. The leather is tanned by hand without chemicals using inherited techniques and tools. “We’re all so different,” said Nelson, a member of the Bonaparte/St’uxwtéws First Nation who started her career in jewelry assembled from quills, shells and beads. “There’s not one pan-Indigenous theme or pan-Indigenous look. We’re all taking from our individual nations, our individual teachings, the things from our family, but then also recreating them in a new and modern way.” April Allen, an Inuk designer from the Nunatsiavut community on the Labrador coast of Canada, presented a mesh dress of blue water droplets. Her work delves into themes of nature and social advocacy for access to clean drinking water. Vocal music accompanied the collection — layers of wordless, primal sound from musician and runway model Beatrice Deer, who is Inuit and Mohawk. Urban Indian couture Phoenix-based jeweler and designer Jeremy Donavan Arviso said the runway shows in Santa Fe are attempting to break out of the strictly Southwest fashion mold and become a global venue for Native design and collaboration. A panel discussion Thursday dwelled on the threat of new tariffs and prices for fashion supplies — and tensions between disposable fast fashion and Indigenous ideals. Arviso is bringing a street-smart aesthetic to two shows at the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts runway and a warehouse venue organized by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, from the Siksika Nation. “My work is definitely contemporary, I don’t choose a whole lot of ceremonial or ancestral practices in my work,” said Arviso, who is Diné, Hopi, Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham, and grew up in Phoenix. “I didn’t grow up like that. … I grew up on the streets.” Arviso said his approach to fashion resembles music sampling by early rap musicians as he draws on themes from major fashion brands and elements of his own tribal cultures. He invited Toronto-based ballet dancer Madison Noon for a “beautiful and biting” performance to introduce his collection titled Vision Quest. Santa Fe runway models will include former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland of Laguna Pueblo, adorned with clothing from Michaels and jewelry by Zuni Pueblo silversmith Veronica Poblano. —Morgan Lee, Associated Press View the full article

Orlin Roussev was one of six who engaged in espionage View the full article

Handover of Edan Alexander comes ahead of Donald The President’s trip to the GulfView the full article

Prime minister claims victory after ceasefire but warns New Delhi has ‘only paused’ military operationView the full article

Republicans in Congress are expected this week to reveal whether they are willing to go ahead with President Donald The President’s suggestion to raise taxes on the rich, which would break with decades of party orthodoxy. After weeks of closed-door talks, the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee is due to unveil full details of tax-cut legislation that would be the centerpiece of a sweeping budget package that also would raise spending on the military and border security. The legislation would build on a measure enacted during The President’s first presidential term that lowered tax rates, especially for the wealthiest. Late on Friday the panel made some details public, but without providing the outcome on the thorniest matters under debate within Republican ranks. Still unknown is whether the legislation will deliver on The President’s promises to discontinue taxes on tips, overtime pay and Social Security retirement benefits, and whether the bill would increase the deduction for state and local taxes. That is an issue particularly important to moderate Republicans, mainly in coastal states, as well as to Democrats. The President has indicated a willingness to raise taxes on the wealthiest in what would be a stark departure from a red line drawn by Republicans for many years. These questions might be answered as soon as Tuesday, when the House committee plans to debate the complex legislation. Republicans did unveil provisions for increasing the child tax credit to $2,500 through 2028, from $1,000. The President’s presidential term ends on Jan. 20, 2029. The House Republicans’ bill also would reduce some taxes for multinational companies and unincorporated businesses. Republicans also have been at odds over spending cuts to safety-net programs — mainly the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor and disabled — to offset some of the costs. The President has privately urged House Speaker Mike Johnson to raise the tax rate on the wealthiest Americans, sources say, though publicly he has been more ambivalent. Some on the party’s right flank have come out in favor of it. Johnson has told some Republicans that he might have to scale back the tax cut package by $500 million to $4 trillion. House fiscal hawks are pushing for deep spending cuts of up to $2 trillion to allow for deeper tax cuts. But some moderates are resisting cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, the crucial food assistance program. Democrats are warning that Republicans could put other social service programs on the chopping block. “Their legislation feeds corporate and wealthy individuals’ greed by abandoning vulnerable children, starving seniors, and cutting off families in need,” a group of Democratic senators said in a letter on Friday. Republicans aim to extend The President’s signature 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Some of its provisions are due to expire at the end of this year. “He’s wanting to help the blue-collar worker,” Representative Kevin Hern, a Republican tax writer from Oklahoma, said. “So we’re going to make that happen.” “This is where the rubber hits the road for tax writers, who will be challenged to preserve President The President’s first-term legacy at a fiscal cost that is acceptable to the conference,” said Mimi Bair, a former Republican tax staffer now at McGuireWoods Consulting. “We’re all eager to see the tax committee shed more light on how they will strike that balance.” Meanwhile, a handful of Republicans from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California are pressing for a higher deduction amount for state and local taxes. The Ways and Means committee is expected to offer a $30,000 limit for these state and local taxes, up from the current $10,000, according to a Republican aide. However, these Republican lawmakers have said that is not enough. “Either we’re going to have a bill that has a fix that assuages the concerns of constituents like mine, or we won’t have a bill and the tax cuts will expire,” Representative Nick LaLota, a New York Republican, told reporters last week. That could sink the budget bill in the House, which Republicans control by a narrow 220-213 margin. —Bo Erickson, Reuters View the full article

The deadline for obtaining a REAL ID has come and gone. If you're planning on flying or entering a federal building, you'll need a driver's license or state identification card that complies with the Department of Homeland Security's new requirements (or an alternative like a passport or Trusted Traveler card). There are plenty of people who still need to upgrade to a REAL ID for upcoming travel—in some states, fewer than half of residents have a compliant license and may encounter long lines to obtain one. And where there's urgency, there's opportunity for scammers to strike. Here's what to know about REAL ID scams and how to avoid them. How REAL ID scams workScammers have been targeting REAL ID for several years, as the deadline has been pushed back multiple times. According to the AARP, most of these frauds are in the form of phishing: emails, texts, or calls that appear to be from the DMV or DHS with links to fake websites that promise to help you apply for a REAL ID or update your personal information to complete the process. These sites actually collect your data, which can be used maliciously, or force you to download malware to your device. One early version of this scam targeting residents in Illinois offered a "driver's license waiver," which doesn't exist. The Better Business Bureau is currently warning consumers about scams that promise to help you get your REAL ID online, which isn't possible—the REAL ID process requires a visit to the DMV. While you may be able to start the application online in some states, you can't complete it without going in person. How to spot REAL ID scamsIf you already have a REAL ID, you do not need to do anything, and you can ignore any messages indicating otherwise. Licenses issued in recent years—either new or upon renewal—are already compliant, so just check for a gold or black star in the corner. There's also no hurry if you don't have air travel planned: A valid regular ID is sufficient in most other cases, and you can use REAL ID alternatives to fly if you have them. If you still need to upgrade to a REAL ID, know that neither the DMV nor DHS will contact you out of the blue to request personal information. Be skeptical of unsolicited texts, emails, and calls—some obvious signs of a scam are area codes that don't match your location and email addresses that end with .com rather than .gov. Official automated texts usually come from five-digit numbers, not full phone numbers or email addresses. Never click links in messages from unknown senders. You should also ignore any services that claim to provide REAL IDs online, letting you skip the DMV trip. These are scams. You also should not need to provide bank account or credit card numbers when completing online applications—REAL IDs do require a fee, but this is paid in person at the DMV. View the full article