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JPMorgan chief’s letter to shareholders is an exercise in blending in with the political wallpaperView the full article

Economy Candy’s shelves brim with sweets from around the world—gummies from Germany, lollipops from Spain, chocolates from Japan, and a panoply of candies from across the U.S. Standing amid it all, columns of bright jellybeans to his left and exotic Kit Kats to his right, owner Mitchell Cohen is quick with his assessment of how many of this shop’s 2,000-plus items are affected by the historic round of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. “I think all of them,” Cohen says at his store on New York’s Lower East Side. Few corners of the American economy are untouched, directly or indirectly, by the sweeping tariffs being imposed by Trump—even a little store like Economy Candy. Cohen had just begun to feel a barrage of inflation-driven price increases from suppliers ease when the tariff threats arrived. For a business with a name like Economy Candy, he wants to remain affordable but fears how high some prices may have to climb in the coming months. “I think it’s gonna be another round of this hyperinflation on some items,” says 39-year-old Cohen. “If we’re putting tariffs everywhere, it is going to go up.” Stepping into Economy Candy feels like a time warp. Its name is emblazoned on a sign in a vintage, blaring red script, and crossing below its green-and-white striped awning, past the bins of Smarties, butterscotches and Lemonheads in the front window, an indecipherable sweetness fills the air, oldies music sounds overhead, and customers mill around stacks of candy bars they forgot still existed. It represents just a blip in the country’s $54 billion candy industry. But it was already feeling the weight of surges in prices of cocoa and other ingredients before tariffs were layered on. Candy and gum prices are up about 34% from five years ago and 89% from 2005, according to Consumer Price Index data. Price, according to the National Confectioners Association, has become the top factor in consumers’ candy purchase decisions, outweighing a buyer’s mood. About a third of Economy Candy’s products are imported, crowded on shelves and tables near the store’s rear. There aren’t just “more German Haribo varieties than the Haribo store in Germany,” as Cohen claims, but gummies the brand makes in France, Austria, and Britain. They have every Milka bar they can find in Switzerland, every type of Leone hard candies that Italy churns out and as many exotic Kit Kats from Japan as they can fit. On products like these, the tariffs’ toll is obvious. Pistachio Snickers bars are from India, now subject to 26% tariffs, while passion fruit mousse Snickers are from Portugal, now under the 20% European Union levies. But even an American-made Snickers isn’t immune. While the bars may roll off conveyors in Texas, they rely on ingredients from around the globe. Sourcemap, which tracks supply chains, says Snickers bars include chocolate from Guyana and sugar from Brazil and are wrapped in packaging from Canada. All are now subjected to varying levels of tariffs. “There’s a lot of ingredients in there that have to come from other countries,” says Andreas Waldkirch, an economics professor at Colby College who teaches a class on international trade. “Unless you’re talking about something very simple from your local farmers market, almost every product relies on ingredients from elsewhere. Those indirect costs are really what’s going to drive up prices.” The story repeats with American candies across the store—the boxes of Nerds and bags of Sugar Babies and rolls of Smarties are all inextricably tied to the global supply chain. A table teeming with those domestic delicacies takes center stage near Economy Candy’s entrance. Cohen took over the store from his parents, who took it over from their parents before. He got his first haircut in the store. He was behind the register as a child. He took his wife by on their first date. As a kid, everything on the store’s centerpiece table of American treats cost 59 cents. By 2020, the price was $1.29, but customers who bought a whole box paid a discounted rate of $1 per piece. Now, Cohen can’t even get them wholesale at that price. Today, he sells the items on the table for $1.59. Cohen calls the selection a “loss leader” but thinks it’s important to showcase his store’s affordability. Once the tariffs are fully implemented, he’s not sure he’ll be able to put off price increases. “When your margins are coming down and your dollar doesn’t go as far at the end of the day, you really start to feel it,” he says. “But I don’t want anyone to come into Economy Candy and not think that it’s economical.” The biggest-ticket implications of the tariff blitz understandably gain the most attention—the thousands of dollars a car’s price tag may grow, the tens of thousands that disappear from a retirement account in a single day. But here among the root beer barrels and licorice strands, you’re reminded that small-dollar items are affected too, and so are the families selling them. At its birth, the business Cohen’s grandfather started focused on shoe and hat repairs. But in the wake of the Great Depression, when few in a neighborhood of crowded tenements had money for such fixes, the business pivoted. Candy, once relegated to a cart out front, took over the store. In the 88 years since, business hasn’t always been Chuckles and Zagnuts. The Sept. 11 attacks kept tourists away and had sales sagging and the pandemic closed the store and forced it to pivot to online sales. If tariffs upend things, Cohen isn’t sure how he might adapt again. He sells products that aren’t made in America and he sells American products made with ingredients from across the globe. He had just been making headway on beginning international sales, but the web of tariff rules may make it impossible. The average U.S. tariff could rise to nearly 25% if the import taxes Trump put on goods from dozens of countries are fully implemented Wednesday. That would be the highest rate in more than a century, including tariffs widely blamed for worsening the Great Depression. Trump said imposing the tariffs amounted to a “liberation day” for a country that has been “looted, pillaged, raped and plundered” by friend and foe alike, insisting it was “very, very good news” for the U.S. Cohen isn’t sure how that can be true for a business like his. “I can understand bringing manufacturing and bringing things back to America, but you know, we rely on raw materials that just aren’t native to our country,” he says. “And it’s not like I can get a green tea Japanese Kit Kat from an American company.” As Cohen stood before mounds of strawberry candies in shiny wrappers and little cubes of caramel in cellophane, the first word of the tariff’s concrete impact on him arrived. A French supplier emailed saying it was immediately imposing a 5% surcharge due to the tariffs, expressing regret for the move and hope that “the situation will be resolved swiftly.” Cohen wore a smile anyway. He wants this to be a happy place for visitors. “You travel back to a time when nothing mattered,” Cohen says, “when you didn’t worry about anything.” —Matt Sedensky, AP national writer View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I am going to be leaving my company soon and starting my own business, and will need to hire support staff. One of the employees at my current company (Taylor) has told me she is looking for a new job. I find Taylor to be an excellent employee and I would be happy to have her working for me. I believe that she enjoys working with me as well. The catch is that Taylor primarily works with Leslie, one of my colleagues here, and has done so for several years. Leslie has been a mentor to me since I started working in this city. She is well liked and well connected in our field, while I’m pretty new to it. I do not plan on asking Taylor to come work for me. However, this would not prevent her from submitting a resume if I post a job ad, particularly if she knows that I will be hiring. I am worried that if Taylor left her job to come work for me, Leslie would see this as employee poaching and would perceive this as betrayal of a mentor, even if I didn’t actively solicit Taylor to work for me. It would impact Leslie’s work because she would need to hire a new support staffer and train them to her specifications, which takes time and effort. Primarily I want to preserve my good relationship with Leslie, but I also don’t want to become known in my relatively small professional circle as the one who left Leslie in the lurch by poaching her support staff. I also recognize that Taylor is not an indentured servant to Leslie and does have the choice of leaving whenever she wants. If she were to submit a resume, I’m not sure that “you work for Leslie so I can’t hire you” is a good enough reason to strike her off of my list, particularly when she has worked for me before and we have a good relationship. What are your thoughts? Could I hire Taylor if she submitted a resume to work for me, or is the risk of torpedoing a good personal relationship and a professional reputation too high? I answer this question over at Inc. today, where I’m revisiting letters that have been buried in the archives here from years ago (and sometimes updating/expanding my answers to them). You can read it here. View the full article

Growing concern about growth and deflationary pressure predicted to force central bankers’ hands in Eurozone and UKView the full article

Prime minister says he will ‘seize the opportunity’ to make the economy more secureView the full article

Google AI mode now understands images, allowing you to upload photos and ask questions about them. AI Mode is rolling out to more people. The post Google Adds Image Search To AI Mode, Expands To More Users appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Google has added multimodal capabilities to its new AI Mode feature, letting you ask your questions with the assistance of uploading an image. Plus, Google announced it is rolling out AI Mode to millions of more Labs users in the U.S. AI mode with images. Google AI Mode now lets you upload an image via upload or your camera to ask AI Mode questions with images. Google calls this multimodal capabilities, which is launched years ago in other areas of Search. “With AI Mode’s new multimodal understanding, you can snap a photo or upload an image, ask a question about it and get a rich, comprehensive response with links to dive deeper,” Robby Stein, VP of Product, Google Search wrote. He added: “AI Mode builds on our years of work on visual search and takes it a step further. With Gemini’s multimodal capabilities, AI Mode can understand the entire scene in an image, including the context of how objects relate to one another and their unique materials, colors, shapes and arrangements. Drawing on our deep visual search expertise, Lens precisely identifies each object in the image. Using our query fan-out technique, AI Mode then issues multiple queries about the image as a whole and the objects within the image, accessing more breadth and depth of information than a traditional search on Google. The result is a response that’s incredibly nuanced and contextually relevant, so you take the next step.” What it looks like. Here is what it looks like in action: Millions more gain access to AI Mode. Google said, “we’ve now started to make AI Mode available to millions more Labs users in the U.S.” I mean, I am not sure if this is new. We saw Google expand access to those who do not have Google One AI Premium subscriptions a couple of weeks ago. And then last week, Google invited a third batch of users to AI Mode. So maybe Google is opening up a fourth batch of invites today? Why we care. Google’s new AI Mode does feel like the future of search, in many ways. So it is important that you all try it out as soon as you can, and watch it as it adapts. Soon you may all be looking for ways to get traffic from AI Mode as opposed to just Google Search and AI Overviews. View the full article

John Gutierrez had been thinking about buying a new laptop for the past year. The Austin, Texas, resident needed a computer with faster processing and increased storage for his photography work and had his sights set on a product from a Taiwanese brand. Then President Donald Trump announced expansive new import tariffs Wednesday, including a 32% tax on imports from Taiwan. That same day, Gutierrez ordered the laptop, with a base price of $2,400, from a retailer in New York specializing in photo and video gear. “I thought I’d bite the bullet, buy it now, and then that way I’ll have the latest technology on my laptop and don’t have to worry about the tariffs,” he said. Gutierrez was among the U.S. consumers rushing to buy big-ticket items before the tariffs take effect. Economists say the tariffs are expected to increase prices for everyday items, warning of potentially weakened U.S. economic growth. The White House hopes the tariffs prod countries to open their economies to more American exports, leading to negotiations that could reduce tariffs, or that companies increase their production in the U.S. to avoid higher import taxes. Rob Blackwell and his wife needed a new car that could handle long drives from Arlington, Virginia, to their son’s college. Their current electric vehicle is older with a limited range, and it will soon be used by his daughter, who is on the verge of getting her driver’s license. “I have been telling my wife that for some time we were going to need to do it,” he said, “and I was watching to see what the president did with tariffs.” Blackwell wanted another EV, but said leasing made more economic sense because the technology is ever-changing. He had his eye on the new General Motors Optiq; it’s an American car but made in Mexico, which could be subject to tariffs on supply chains that might increase the cost. After hearing that tariffs would be announced, they made plans the weekend before to lease the car. He said the dealership honored the agreement they worked out before the tariffs were finalized. And although he said the salespeople were a pleasure to deal with, Blackwell sensed a shift in their stance. “They know what we know, which is suddenly it flips from a buyer’s market to a seller’s market very quickly,” Blackwell said, adding that he is happy with his choice. “It was just a simple rational decision,” he said. “If this is what the government’s going to do, I need to get my act together.” Lee Wochner, CEO of the Burbank, California-based Counterintuity marketing and strategy firm, also needed a new vehicle. He wanted a more presentable car for business meetings, but kept putting it off because of his busy work schedule. On March 27, a Thursday, he told his firm’s car broker: “Ed, I need a car pronto and it’s got to happen by Sunday.” The broker gave him some car and pricing options and he leased an Audi Q3, which was delivered Sunday to his house by a nearby dealership. A quick back-of-the-envelope calculation showed how much he saved by leasing before the tariffs were implemented. If he had waited, Wochner said, it would have cost about another $4,300. “One of the things my car broker said was that deals that were already written, some of the dealerships were ripping them up already and renegotiating them because they were afraid that they weren’t going to be able to get enough new inventory at a price anybody would buy,” he said. He believes prices will continue to increase because the U.S. has lost the trust of the international trade market. “If you need a new car, if you can get that pre-tariff deal still, you should go get it,” he said, “because who knows what next Wednesday might be like.” —Claire Rush and Mark Thiessen, Associated Press View the full article

Move from quality control to quality assurance. By Alan Anderson, CPA Transforming Audit for the Future Go PRO for members-only access to more Alan Anderson. View the full article

Move from quality control to quality assurance. By Alan Anderson, CPA Transforming Audit for the Future Go PRO for members-only access to more Alan Anderson. View the full article

As of April 4, 2025, President Trump has put a series of tariffs in place that are making it more expensive to import goods into the U.S. These tariffs basically act as extra taxes on products coming from other countries. That means everything from raw materials to finished products is going to cost more, which could have a big impact on your bottom line. For small businesses and independent workers who don’t have the financial cushion of big corporations, you’ve probably already noticed that things are getting even pricier. And unfortunately, this could be just the beginning. What Does This Mean for Small Business Owners and Freelancers?If you run a small business or freelance for a living, you already know how tough it can be to keep your costs low and your profits steady. But with these new tariffs, things are getting even more challenging. Many small businesses rely on imported goods—whether it's raw materials, tech components, or finished products—and these added taxes mean higher prices across the board. For example, some business owners who sell physical products are already seeing their suppliers raise prices. For instance, packages valued at $800 or less from China and Hong Kong that were previously allowed tax-free entry to the U.S. are now subjected to duties of 30% or $25 per item, increasing to $50 after June 1. Shipping fees are also creeping up. And for those who work in industries like e-commerce, design, or tech, the cost of equipment and supplies could increase as well. Some business owners might be able to pass these costs onto customers, but with inflation and consumer sentiment already very low, others might have to absorb them, cutting into their already tight margins. A Tough Time for Creative Freelancers & Crafting BusinessesIf you’re a creative freelancer or craft-based entrepreneur, this news might be hitting especially hard. Many artists, jewelry makers, and crafters rely on specialty materials—fabric, beads, paints, paper, and other supplies—that often come from overseas. With these new tariffs, those materials are getting more expensive. That means if you sell handmade items on Etsy, at craft fairs, or through your own online shop, your costs are rising, but your customers may not be willing to pay higher prices. This puts you in a tough spot: either raise prices and risk losing customers, or keep prices the same and make less money on each sale. It’s frustrating, especially for independent creators who don’t have the massive budgets or buying power of big retailers. How to Adjust and Stay AfloatWhile these changes are challenging, there are a few ways to adapt: Look for Alternative Suppliers – If your usual materials or supplies are getting too expensive, it might be time to research domestic suppliers or find alternative materials that won’t break the bank.Reduce Waste & Streamline Costs – Now is a good time to take a closer look at your business expenses. Are there areas where you can cut costs without sacrificing quality?Be Honest with Your Customers – If you need to raise prices, consider being upfront about why. Many customers will understand that costs are going up and appreciate your transparency.Stay Informed & Advocate for Your Business – Keeping up with policy changes and connecting with others in your industry can help you stay ahead of challenges. Consider joining small business groups or industry associations that advocate for freelancers and small business owners.There’s no sugarcoating it—these tariffs are making things harder for freelancers and small business owners. But as always, small businesses are incredibly resilient. By staying flexible, exploring new options, making smart financial decisions, and utilizing the free resources that we offer our members you can navigate these changes and keep your business moving forward. View the full article

As of April 4, 2025, President Trump has put a series of tariffs in place that are making it more expensive to import goods into the U.S. These tariffs basically act as extra taxes on products coming from other countries. That means everything from raw materials to finished products is going to cost more, which could have a big impact on your bottom line. For small businesses and independent workers who don’t have the financial cushion of big corporations, you’ve probably already noticed that things are getting even pricier. And unfortunately, this could be just the beginning. What Does This Mean for Small Business Owners and Freelancers?If you run a small business or freelance for a living, you already know how tough it can be to keep your costs low and your profits steady. But with these new tariffs, things are getting even more challenging. Many small businesses rely on imported goods—whether it's raw materials, tech components, or finished products—and these added taxes mean higher prices across the board. For example, some business owners who sell physical products are already seeing their suppliers raise prices. For instance, packages valued at $800 or less from China and Hong Kong that were previously allowed tax-free entry to the U.S. are now subjected to duties of 30% or $25 per item, increasing to $50 after June 1. Shipping fees are also creeping up. And for those who work in industries like e-commerce, design, or tech, the cost of equipment and supplies could increase as well. Some business owners might be able to pass these costs onto customers, but with inflation and consumer sentiment already very low, others might have to absorb them, cutting into their already tight margins. A Tough Time for Creative Freelancers & Crafting BusinessesIf you’re a creative freelancer or craft-based entrepreneur, this news might be hitting especially hard. Many artists, jewelry makers, and crafters rely on specialty materials—fabric, beads, paints, paper, and other supplies—that often come from overseas. With these new tariffs, those materials are getting more expensive. That means if you sell handmade items on Etsy, at craft fairs, or through your own online shop, your costs are rising, but your customers may not be willing to pay higher prices. This puts you in a tough spot: either raise prices and risk losing customers, or keep prices the same and make less money on each sale. It’s frustrating, especially for independent creators who don’t have the massive budgets or buying power of big retailers. How to Adjust and Stay AfloatWhile these changes are challenging, there are a few ways to adapt: Look for Alternative Suppliers – If your usual materials or supplies are getting too expensive, it might be time to research domestic suppliers or find alternative materials that won’t break the bank.Reduce Waste & Streamline Costs – Now is a good time to take a closer look at your business expenses. Are there areas where you can cut costs without sacrificing quality?Be Honest with Your Customers – If you need to raise prices, consider being upfront about why. Many customers will understand that costs are going up and appreciate your transparency.Stay Informed & Advocate for Your Business – Keeping up with policy changes and connecting with others in your industry can help you stay ahead of challenges. Consider joining small business groups or industry associations that advocate for freelancers and small business owners.There’s no sugarcoating it—these tariffs are making things harder for freelancers and small business owners. But as always, small businesses are incredibly resilient. By staying flexible, exploring new options, making smart financial decisions, and utilizing the free resources that we offer our members you can navigate these changes and keep your business moving forward. View the full article

President Donald Trump has aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs across a wide swath of American society. So when Trump sent a White House invitation to the 2024 World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers—the franchise of Jackie Robinson, a team whose identity is indelibly linked to its role in dismantling racial segregation in sports—it surprised some that the Dodgers accepted. Less than a week before they did so the Defense Department removed a tribute to Robinson on its website, a move apparently linked to its DEI purge. (The page was restored following a public outcry.) Author and retired urban policy professor Peter Dreier is among those who have criticized the Dodgers’ decision to celebrate their World Series victory with Trump. Dreier, who has chronicled the history of baseball and social activism in two books, co-wrote an opinion piece in the L.A. Times making the case for why the Dodgers should decline an invite from Trump—even before one was issued. Capital & Main spoke with Dreier the weekend before the Dodgers were scheduled to visit the Oval Office. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Capital & Main: Dodger manager Dave Roberts says that visiting the White House isn’t about the current president but about the office itself. Why do you disagree with that? Peter Dreier: Every president likes to get his picture taken with famous athletes. This is a photo opportunity for Trump to be seen with popular athletes and to bask in the reflected glory of the Dodgers’ victory. So it’s clearly not just about the office, it’s about the occupant. He’s sliding in the polls right now, and I assume he thinks that being seen with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani will give him some free publicity that can help his presidency. So I think it’s naive and somewhat disingenuous for Dave Roberts to say that, and I doubt he believes it. Given the Dodgers’ history of breaking the color barrier by making Jackie Robinson the first Black Major League Baseball player, should that history and Trump’s targeting of DEI have been a factor in the Dodgers’ decision about going to the White House? The Dodgers pat themselves on the back all the time for being the first team to integrate, and they’ve ridden the Jackie Robinson reputation for a long time since 1947. So that’s clearly something that they are proud of. Trump has called for the largest mass deportation in U.S. history. Los Angeles is a city with a very large number of immigrants and whose economy relies in large part on immigrant labor, including that of undocumented immigrants. Should that have played a role in the team’s decision? There are quite a few players on the Dodgers who are from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia. If they have any social conscience or awareness, which I’m sure most of them do, they aren’t happy with the way Trump’s administration is treating immigrants. Will you stop going to Dodger games? If I stopped going to sports events because I didn’t like the politics of the players or organization, I wouldn’t go to sports events. Just like if I only bought clothes made by union labor I’d be naked. It’ll be interesting to see whether Billie Jean King or Magic Johnson [part owners of the Dodgers] go to the White House. They explicitly campaigned for Harris. Are you disappointed that neither Johnson nor King nor any of the more prominent Dodger players have spoken out against the team’s decision to go visit Trump in the White House? Yes. I’m disappointed that they didn’t have the courage to speak out. Maybe Billie Jean King and Magic will speak out at some point, but so far, they haven’t. When it comes to sports and politics, where do you think individual players or teams should draw the line and either take a stand or not? If you’re a big star, you can speak out. You might lose some fans, but you might gain some fans. Trump barely got half of the votes in the United States and got very few in the L.A. area, so it would not be that harmful to the careers of Dodger players for them to speak out against the Dodgers going to meet Trump. And it’s very disappointing that none of them have stepped up to the plate, so to speak. Would Jackie Robinson have gone with the Dodgers to visit Donald Trump and the White House, were he alive today? Jackie Robinson would be outraged by the Dodgers meeting with Trump. Jackie Robinson was a liberal Republican. He went to the Republican convention [in 1964] supporting the liberal Republican Nelson Rockefeller when they nominated Barry Goldwater, and he heard people say things in that convention that so angered him that he came out of that event and said I know what it must have felt like to be at a Nazi rally. Donald Trump is a lot worse. Robinson always had the courage of his convictions regardless of what impact it had on him. He was criticized during his playing career for speaking out, and he said I’m always going to speak out against injustice and if you don’t like it, it’s too bad. So I’m 100% sure Jackie Robinson would be upset that the Dodgers are going to the White House, and I think he’d be extremely disappointed in [Black superstar] Mookie Betts in particular. Doesn’t every player and executive on a team have equal responsibility for their decision to go or not to go to visit a controversial president in the White House? Betts was the one that I thought would be most likely to speak out first and then he’d bring other players along with him. He’s sort of the moral leader of the team. After George Floyd was killed he got the team, white and Black, not [to] play for a game. And what they’re all saying is, “I’m doing this for the team,” but there’s a bigger team called America or a bigger team called society. And they’re playing under a fascist president, and I would hope that people that have a public platform like Major League Baseball players would speak out. — Danny Feingold, Capital & Main language at top of story: This piece was originally published by Capital & Main, which reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Hulu doesn't always get the recognition of competitors like Netflix and Max, but the streamer has an unfailingly reliable and rotating selection of theatrical films, as well as some impressive original releases. These are some of the best, buzziest, and/or most fun movies currently streaming on the service, across a variety of genres. Anora (2024) Writer/director Sean Baker (Tangerine, Red Rocket) has a long run of impressive film credits to his name, but comedy-drama Anora was the film that put his name firmly on the map, winning him a Best Director Oscar and the film a Best Picture prize. Mikey Madison (who also won Best Actress) plays the title's Anora, an exotic dancer whose life changes when she falls in love with the son of a Russian oligarch. It's all going very well until his parents show up to get the wedding annulled. You can stream Anora here. Tombstone (1993) This '90s cult classic is a pretty good and stylish take on the events surrounding the famous, and frequently dramatized, gunfight at the O.K. corral involving Wyatt Earp and company—so frequently dramatized, in fact, that a totally different movie about the same events (called Wyatt Earp) came out within six months of this one. Tombstone has something none of those others had, though: the late Val Kilmer as the hard-drinking, idiosyncratic Doc Holliday. It's almost certainly Kilmer's most indelible role, and remains cinema's most memorable take on the tubercular gunfighter. You can stream Tombstone here. The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (2024) One of those great Soul Food/Steel Magnolia-style tearjerkers, The Supremes stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, and Uzo Aduba as three middle-aged friends who've been through the wringer together. Following the three virtually from birth, we find them facing a seemingly endless number of twists and turns (unplanned pregnancy, cancer, alcoholism, and more) with a lot of heart and plenty of humor. You can stream The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat here. Longlegs (2024) Oz Perkins, more recently of The Monkey, directs this horror thriller starring Maika Monroe as a young FBI agent hunting the title's menacing Longlegs (Nicholas Cage). The serial killer's trail has gone cold, but Agent Harker's seeming clairvoyance has put the two on a collision course, even though there's no evidence the suspect was ever even present at the killings for which he's apparently responsible. Stylish and nerve-jangling, with an unhinged (of course) performance from Cage, it's a real killer thriller. You can stream Longlegs here. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) Nia Vardalos and company kicked off an unlikely franchise with this beloved rom-com about a young Greek-American woman (Nia Vardalos) who falls in love with a non-Greek (John Corbett). Shenanigans ensue when she struggles to get her family (including Lainie Kazan, Michael Constantine, Andrea Martin, and Joey Fatone) to accept her husband-to-be, while she also battles her own mixed feelings about her cultural identity. You can stream My Big Fat Greek Wedding here. A Complete Unknown (2024) Another multiple Oscar-nominee (though it didn't take home any prizes), A Complete Unknown comes from director James Mangold, whose resume includes award-season faves like Ford v Ferrari, Wolverine and Indiana Jones franchise movies, and another Oscar-winning musical biopic, Walk the Line. In this one, Timothée Chalamet stars as Bob Dylan alongside Ed Norton as Pete Seeger, with the narrative rotating around the moment in 1965 when Dylan went electric, scandalizing the Newport Folk Festival, and leading fans to question whether the voice of his generation had sold out. You can stream A Complete Unknown here. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) Awkward title notwithstanding, this fourth entry in the modern-day Apes series retains the technical mastery of its predecessors, as well as their revolutionary spirit, while also serving as a soft reboot that doesn't demand an extensive knowledge of what came before. Generations after the death of Andy Serkis' Caesar, human civilization continues to decline; Owen Teague plays Not, a young chimp forced from home when a tyrannical rival ape faction destroys his village over twisted and conflicting interpretations of Caesar's teachings. It's an impressive continuation of our smartest and most consistent modern movie franchise. Hulu has an array of earlier Apes movies, as well. You can stream Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes here. The First Omen (2024) These legacy sequels have been hit or miss—though more the latter than the former. If you had told me that a prequel to this long-defunct franchise would be one of 2024's more effective horror movies, I'd have looked at you the way everybody looked at Gregory Peck when he tried to kill his satanic kid way back in the 1976 original. But here we are! First-time feature director Arkasha Stevenson brings a ton of '70s period style and an appropriately paranoid vibe to the story of future antichrist Damien's birth, blending (extremely timely!) themes of bodily autonomy with genuine horror—and one of the freakiest birth scenes in movie history. You can stream The First Omen here. Fire Island (2022) Or maybe you prefer your gay flicks with more of a warm-weather vibe? A queer, contemporary take on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Fire Island also takes aim at the overabundance of fat/femme/Asian stereotypes in the gay community. Social commentary aside, it's also a funny, smart romantic comedy with a great cast that includes Joel Kim Booster (in the Lizzy Bennett role—he also wrote the screenplay), Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, and Margaret Cho as a group of friends who travel each summer to the titular island—but this summer proves more dramatic (and romantic) than most. You can stream Fire Island here. Triangle of Sadness (2022) One of the darkest (and funniest) satires of recent memory, Ruben Östlund's wild film feels like at least three movies in one, with narratives that take sharp right turns at unexpected moments, taking potshots at greed and skewering capitalism all the way. A memorable central section onboard a luxury cruise ship divided between the haves (passengers) and have-nots (the crew) climaxes in literal explosions of vomit and shit. That's before a satisfying role-reversal inspired by Lord of the Flies. Brilliant and hilarious, if you've got the stomach for it. You can stream Triangle of Sadness here. The Worst Person in the World (2021) Renate Reinsve brilliantly plays Julie, a medical student—briefly—who has no idea what she wants to do with her life, and a complete fear of commitment to anything and anyone. She's that most frequently exhausting movie trope: a messy 20-something young woman, in ways that you've seen before in other, lesser movies. The Worst Person in the World, though, plays that for all it's worth, offering up all the joys of cinematic romantic dramas that we've seen before while feeling a bit more like real life. People are messy! It's all surprisingly sweet and life-affirming. You can stream The Worst Person in the World here. Prey (2022) Wild that the best Predator film since the first (and probably better still) was dropped as a streaming-only release on Hulu. Regardless of the movie deserving a theatrical release, Prey is a thrilling action movie that expands the Predator universe while also feeling deeply personal. Set in the Great Plains of 1719, Prey stars Amber Midthunder as Naru, a young Comanche warrior who winds up being the only person who can defend her tribe from the hunter from outer space. You can stream Prey here. The Princess Bride (1987) A flawlessly entertaining fantasy, The Princess Bride works on almost every level: as a quotable comedy, a soaring romance, and a Robin Hood-style action movie that has fun with the tropes of those kinds of movies. It's simply a delight. You can stream The Princess Bride here. The Promised Land (2023) In 18th-century Denmark, down-on-his-luck war hero Capt. Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) hopes to turn his meager retirement pension into some kind of life for himself by cultivating a portion of a vast wilderness that no one else has been able to make anything of. A covetous local magistrate quickly finds himself threatened by Kahlen's reputation, with the intent of spoiling all his plans. The beautiful—but bleak and forbidding—Nordic drama plays out much like an old-school western. You can stream The Promised Land here. Happiest Season (2020) Never too early for the winter holidays! (Say many wonderful people who are definitely not me.) Hulu’s Happiest Season is, perhaps, not on anyone’s list of cinematic masterpieces. Very few (if any) films of the modern, Hallmark-style coming-home-for-Christmas genre would clear that kind of bar. Still, there’s a reason we love these things, and this one adds a bit of prestige to its charms in both cast (Kristen Stewart, Aubrey Plaza, Victor Garber, etc.) and directing (Clea DuVall). What’s more, the movie served as a high-profile torchbearer for queer representation in 2020, the year having kicked off a small but significant wave of LGBTQIA+ holiday films. You can stream Happiest Season here. Deep Water (2022) Adrian Lyne (9½ Weeks, Fatal Attraction, and Indecent Proposal) returned to the director’s chair after an absence of two decades for this Hulu original. Ben Affleck is probably a rough equivalent in star power and sex appeal to the male leads of yore, and Ana de Armas is a good choice as a co-lead, even if the casting does remind us that age gaps in these movies will always favor the idea of an older man with a significantly younger woman. Here, Affleck’s Vic agrees to overlook his wife’s string of affairs in order to preserve his marriage, but then becomes the prime suspect when her lovers start turning up dead. It’s a solid setup (taken from a Patricia Highsmith novel) that doesn’t quite connect, but still serves as fun throwback to the golden age of sexy thrillers. You can stream Deep Water here. Die Hard (1988) It’s the Christmas movie that came along and kicked It’s a Wonderful Life right off the 35th floor of Nakatomi Plaza tower. A brilliantly entertaining action classic, and possibly Bruce Willis' crowning achievement. You can stream Die Hard here. Infinity Pool (2023) Writer/director Brandon Cronenberg (son of David) brings a palpable rage and an unmistakable sense of style to this blend of sci-fi and horror, even as it muddies those genre classifications like the best of his famed father's work. A couple vacationing in a strange country leave their resort and run afoul of the law, only to learn that, for a price, they can outsource the punishment to clones of themselves. You can stream Infinity Pool here. 13 Assassins (2010) Near the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the utterly sadistic (not to mention corrupt) Lord Naritsugu is to be offered a seat on the Shogunate Council, a promotion that will not only see the cruel lord’s power increase, but will likely set off a civil war between his supporters and those who hate him. The Shogun’s justice minister decides that assassination is the only way, and so hires a dozen samurai in order to carry out the execution. The kinetic and violent film reminds us that director Takashi Miike made his name in several memorably visceral horror films. You can stream 13 Assassins here. How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2023) A non-fiction work adapted as an action-thriller, How to Blow Up a Pipeline follows eight individuals committed to bombing an oil pipeline in two separate locations. The movie, like the book on which it's based, makes the case that property damage isn’t the worst thing in the face of environmental catastrophe, but that the level of commitment involved to carry out such an act takes a deeply personal toll. You can stream How to Blow Up a Pipeline here. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) A deeply, deeply stupid premise involving a divorced dad reconnecting with his family by dressing up as an elderly British nanny is elevated by the lead performances from Robin Williams and Sally Field. Williams is at his silly best, but both he and Field play the emotional beats for all they're worth. You can stream Mrs. Doubtfire here. Midnight Kiss (2019) Technically an episode of Hulu's Into the Dark anthology series, the feature-length Midnight Kiss finds a bunch of gay friends (and their straight woman friend) heading out to a gorgeous place in the desert for an annual tradition: They'll each pick someone at random to kiss at midnight. Old resentments bubble to the surface, egged on (unbeknownst to most of them) by a serial killer. It's no spoiler to suggest that they won't all make it to New Year's Day. You can stream Midnight Kiss here. Quiz Lady (2023) Awkwafina and Sandra Oh star as two sisters is this wild road-trip comedy in the best tradition of '90s gems like Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. One is tightly wound, the other a complete mess. They're forced to work together to cover their mother's gambling debts, a problem complicated when the loan shark kidnaps a dog to hold hostage in exchange for the cash. Good thing Awkwafina's character is a quiz-show savant who drowned her childhood sorrows in binge-watching a Jeopardy-esque game show with a big cash prize. You can stream Quiz Lady here. The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) Dev Patel stars as the Dickens hero in this ultra-stylish adaptation from Armando Iannucci (Veep, The Death of Stalin). In one sense it reinvents the novel on which it's based, in that it feels nothing like other, stuffier takes—but mostly it's just bringing the wit and humor of Dickens to the forefront while staying true to Copperfield's themes and characters. Patel is joined by Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whislaw, Benedict Wong, and Gwendoline Christie among others. You can stream The Personal History of David Copperfield here. A Real Pain (2024) Jesse Eisenberg (who also wrote and directed) and Kieran Culkin (who won an Oscar for the role) play a couple of cousins who reunite for a Jewish heritage tour through Poland as a means of honoring their late grandmother, and have to confront a more immediate family legacy along the way. A tonally deft blend of comedy and drama with a couple of excellent lead performances. You can stream A Real Pain here. View the full article

Four space tourists who orbited the north and south poles returned to Earth on Friday, splashing down in the Pacific to end their privately funded polar tour. Bitcoin investor Chun Wang chartered a SpaceX flight for himself and three others in a Dragon capsule that was outfitted with a domed window that provided 360-degree views of the polar caps and everything in between. Wang declined to say how much he paid for the 3 1/2-day trip. The quartet, who rocketed from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Monday night, returned off the Southern California coast. It was the first human spaceflight to circle the globe above the poles and the first Pacific splashdown for a space crew in 50 years. The Chinese-born Wang, now a citizen of Malta, invited Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge and Australian polar guide Eric Philips, all of whom shared stunning vistas during their voyage. “It is so epic because it is another kind of desert, so it just goes on and on and on all the way,” Rogge said in a video posted by Wang on X while gazing down from orbit. Mikkelsen packed the capsule with camera equipment and spent much of her time behind the lens. All four suffered from space motion sickness after reaching orbit, according to Wang. But by the time they woke up on day two, they felt fine and cranked open the window cover right above the South Pole, he said via X. Besides documenting the poles from 270 miles (430 kilometers) up, Wang and his crew took the first medical X-rays in space as part of a test and conducted two dozen other science experiments. They named their trip Fram2 after the Norwegian sailing ship that carried explorers to the poles more than a century ago. A bit of the original ship’s wooden deck accompanied the crew to space. Their medical tests continued at splashdown. All four got out of the capsule on their own, heaving bags of equipment so researchers could see how steady returning space crews are on their feet. They pumped their fists in jubilation. SpaceX said its decision to switch splashdown sites from Florida beginning with this flight was based on safety. The company said Pacific splashdowns will ensure that any surviving pieces of the trunk — jettisoned near flight’s end — falls into the ocean. The last people to return from space to the Pacific were the three NASA astronauts assigned to the 1975 Apollo-Soyuz mission. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. —Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer View the full article

The Mail app on iPhone got quite a visual overhaul in iOS 18.2. Suddenly, there was a whole AI-powered Priority mailbox, smart Categories up top, and an icon from every sender. For longtime Mail app users on the iPhone, that's a big shift—with seemingly minimal returns. The contact photos feature is perhaps the worst offender here, as most icons are just stock Apple icons. Even if you get an email from Lifehacker, it won't show the Lifehacker website logo, like it does when you visit the website in your browser. And this is the case with the vast majority of email addresses. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Thankfully, Apple seems to have listened to these complaints—in iOS 18.5, they are adding a toggle to remove contact photos altogether. And you don't need to go all the way into Settings to do this, either. As of this writing, iOS 18.5 is only available as a developer beta, though it should be available as a public beta soon enough. Anyone can now sign up and download the iOS developer beta, though I generally don't recommend it. Developer betas are more susceptible to early bugs and issues, since Apple releases these versions of the betas first. These things are usually ironed out by the time the public beta hits. The public beta is also easier to install, and more stable. To access this feature, I would suggest you wait for the 18.5 public beta, or the wider stable release that will be sometime in early-to-mid May. How to disable contact photos in the Mail appTo get rid of the contact photos, open the Mail app and tap the three-dotted Menu button, then uncheck Show Contact Photos. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Instantly, the column of icons on the left edge will disappear, and the email contents will take up all the available space. Ah, the good old days. Alternatively, you can also use the Settings app to disable this feature. This option has existed all the way since iOS 18.2 launched, but it's hidden quite deep in the Settings app. Here, go to Apps > Mail and then disable the Show Contact Photos option. How to remove Categories and other Mail AI featuresBut you might notice you're still not back to how the Mail app used to be. That's because of the Categories View and the Priority Mail section. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Both those features can be disabled from the same Menu popup, and you don't need to be using iOS 18.5 either. Every iPhone running iOS 18.2 or higher will see these options in the menu. Here, switch to List View to get rid of the Categories section, and then uncheck Show Priority to remove Priority Mail. To find out more about removing all the AI features in Mail, check out our detailed guide. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: My boss clearly loves compliments on her appearance, and our team is responding with more and more of them. It feels embarrassing and a bit ridiculous to me, especially since no one ever makes these kind of compliments to anyone else (e.g., “I love your shoes” to another team member but stuff like “you’re so beautiful, your face is radiant” to the boss). I’m her deputy. I can’t bring myself to say anything about her looks, it feels too weird. But the compliments come so often from other team members that I worry it starts to look pointed that I say nothing. And I also wonder if I need to point out to her that this dynamic that is intensifying and suggest that she cools it down a little (without implying that I don’t think she looks good)? Or should I let this go and just accept this as a quirk of an otherwise good boss? I wrote back and asked, “I am admittedly fascinated by this — how did it even start happening?! Did someone compliment her on looking nice one day and her reaction was so appreciative that others started doing it too?” Yes, exactly this. It started with occasional compliments about something she was wearing. She normally says something like, “Oh, do you really think so? You’re so nice, you make me feel so good” and sometimes goes and looks in the mirror or reapplies make up. And I guess naturally people started saying it more and more. And it’s been gradually ramping up to the point that now every day when she arrives at the office, it’s almost a team ritual to gather round and tell her how beautiful she is. I don’t think she favors the ones who gush about her the most, she just enjoys it in general. But it still just feels weird to me and I don’t know whether to tell her she’s gorgeous or try and tactfully tell her to shut it down! Well… This is of course really weird and not good from a team dynamics perspective, but it’s also hilarious. Like, can you imagine coming to work every day and preening while people gathered round to tell you how beautiful you look? And then going to gaze at yourself in the mirror to bask in your reflected beauty? I do not think this is a normal experience, even for the supermodels among us. And it is extremely entertaining. As for what to do … you’re absolutely right that it’s weird and she should cool it, but given the balance of power between you, if you feel too awkward about raising it and would rather leave it alone, it doesn’t rise to the level of something where you have to intervene. I generally try to apply a “is this really what I would do in real life?” test to my advice (because otherwise it’s easy to fall into giving advice that sounds right but isn’t actually realistic, given humans and politics and all the strange pressures of work life), and I’ve gotta say, I’d almost definitely leave it alone and just enjoy it as the very strange spectacle it is. The exception to that is if you have the kind of relationship where you could comfortably say, “Dude, it’s getting weird that everyone is complimenting you so much every morning — I think we should try to stop that” — but I’m guessing that if you did, you already would have said it. This would not be my advice if you were seeing favoritism toward the team members who compliment her or any chilliness toward those who don’t. If that were happening, as her deputy you’d have more of an obligation to speak up (although still not an absolute one, given the power differential). It would also be different if you were her manager; in that case, you’d really need to point out that she’s creating a weird dynamic and should stop it. All that said, if you are comfortable speaking up, you could say something like, “Have you noticed we’ve developed almost a ritual of everyone complimenting you in the morning? I worry about people feeling like they need to curry favor with you.” But man, it’s hard to say that without sounding like you’re saying, “You are not that pretty and they’re just sucking up to you.” View the full article

Oil company Chevron must pay $744.6 million to restore damage it caused to southeast Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, a jury ruled on Friday following a landmark trial more than a decade in the making. The case was the first of dozens of pending lawsuits to reach trial in Louisiana against the world’s leading oil companies for their role in accelerating land loss along the state’s rapidly disappearing coast. The verdict — which Chevron says it will appeal — could set a precedent leaving other oil and gas firms on the hook for billions of dollars in damages tied to land loss and environmental degradation. What did Chevron do wrong? Jurors found that energy giant Texaco, acquired by Chevron in 2001, had for decades violated Louisiana regulations governing coastal resources by failing to restore wetlands impacted by dredging canals, drilling wells and billions of gallons of wastewater dumped into the marsh. “No company is big enough to ignore the law, no company is big enough to walk away scot-free,” the plaintiff’s lead attorney John Carmouche told jurors during closing arguments. A 1978 Louisiana coastal management law mandated that sites used by oil companies “be cleared, revegetated, detoxified, and otherwise restored as near as practicable to their original condition” after operations ended. Older operations sites that continued to be used were not exempt and companies were required to apply for permits. But the oil company did not obtain proper permits and failed to clean up its mess, leading to contamination from wastewater stored unsafely or dumped directly into the marsh, the lawsuit said. The company also failed to follow known best practices for decades since it began operating in the area in the 1940s, expert witnesses for the plaintiff’s testified. The company “chose profits over the marsh” and allowed the environmental degradation caused by its operations to fester and spread, Carmouche said. The jury awarded $575 million to compensate for land loss, $161 million to compensate for contamination and $8.6 million for abandoned equipment. The amount earmarked for restoration exceeds $1.1 billion when including interest, according to attorneys for Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello, the firm behind the lawsuit. Plaquemines Parish, the southeast Louisiana district which brought the lawsuit, had asked for $2.6 billion in damages. Chevron’s lead trial attorney Mike Phillips said in a statement following the verdict that “Chevron is not the cause of the land loss occurring” in Plaquemines Parish and that the law does not apply to “conduct that occurred decades before the law was enacted.” Phillips called the ruling “unjust” and said there were “numerous legal errors.” Houston-headquartered Chevron reported more than $3 billion in earnings for the fourth quarter of 2024. How are oil companies contributing to Louisiana’s land loss? The lawsuit against Chevron was filed in 2013 by Plaquemines Parish, a rural district in Louisiana straddling the final leg of the Mississippi River heading into the Gulf of Mexico, also referred to as the Gulf of America as declared by President Donald Trump. Louisiana’s coastal parishes have lost more than 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) of land over the past century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which has also identified oil and gas infrastructure as a significant cause. The state could lose another 3,000 square miles (7,770 square kilometers) in the coming decades, its coastal protection agency has warned. Thousands of miles of canals cut through the wetlands by oil companies weakens them and exacerbates the impacts of sea level rise. Industrial wastewater from oil production degrades the surrounding soil and vegetation. The torn up wetlands leave South Louisiana — home to some of the nation’s biggest ports and key energy sector infrastructure — more vulnerable to flooding and destruction from extreme weather events like hurricanes. Phillips, Chevron’s attorney, said the company had operated lawfully and blamed land loss in Louisiana on other factors, namely the extensive levee system that blocks the Mississippi River from depositing land regenerating sediment — a widely acknowledged cause of coastal erosion. The way to solve the land loss problem is “not suing oil companies, it’s reconnecting the Mississippi River with the delta,” Phillips said during closing arguments. Yet the lawsuit held the company responsible for exacerbating and accelerating land loss in Louisiana, rather than being its sole cause. Chevron also challenged the costly wetlands restoration project proposed by the parish, which involved removing large amounts of contaminated soil and filling in the swaths fragmented wetlands eroded over the past century. The company said the plan was impractical and designed to inflate the damages rather than lead to real world implementation. Attorney Jimmy Faircloth, Jr., who represented the state of Louisiana, which has backed Plaquemines and other local governments in their lawsuits against oil companies, told jurors from the parish that Chevron was telling them their community was not worth preserving. “Our communities are built on coast, our families raised on coast, our children go to school on coast,” Faircloth said. “The state of Louisiana will not surrender the coast, it’s for the good of the state that the coast be maintained.” What does this mean for future litigation against oil companies? Carmouche, a well-connected attorney, and his firm have been responsible for bringing many of the lawsuits against oil companies in the state. Industry groups have accused the firm of seeking big paydays, not coastal restoration. Louisiana’s economy has long been heavily dependent on the oil and gas industry and the industry holds significant political power. Even so, Louisiana’s staunchly pro-industry Gov. Jeff Landry has supported the lawsuits, including bringing the state on board during his tenure as Attorney General. Oil companies have fought tooth and nail to quash the litigation, including unsuccessfully lobbying Louisiana’s Legislature to pass a law to invalidate the claims. Chevron and other firms also repeatedly tried to move the lawsuits into federal court where they believed they would find a more sympathetic audience. But the heavy price Chevron is set to pay could hasten other firms to seek settlements in the dozens of other lawsuits across Louisiana. Plaquemines alone has 20 other cases pending against oil companies. The state is running out of money to support its ambitious coastal restoration plans, which have been fueled by soon-expiring settlement funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and supporters of the litigation say payouts could provide a much-needed injection of funds. Tommy Faucheux, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association, said the verdict against Chevron “undermines Louisiana’s position as an energy leader” and “threatens our country’s trajectory to America-first energy dominance across the globe.” He warned that “businesses here are at risk of being sued retroactively tomorrow for following the laws of today.” Attorneys for the parish said they hope that big payout will prompt more oil companies to come to the table to negotiate and channel more funding towards coastal restoration. “Our energy is focused on securing appropriate verdicts and awards for every parish involved in these actions,” Carmouche said in a statement. “If we continue to be successful in our efforts, these parishes, and Louisiana, will have sent a clear message that Louisiana’s future must be built around a new balance between our energy industry and environmental necessities.” —Jack Brook, Associated Press/Report for America View the full article

Like it or not, we’re all at the mercy of Google’s ranking systems. Systems that reward some sites with high rankings. And wipe others off the SERPs overnight. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Google provides fairly detailed guidelines about the type of content it’s looking for: helpful content. We follow these guidelines here at Backlinko. For example, our SEO strategy guide dominates the search results. And ranks for more than 3.2K long tail keywords: But this wasn’t by luck. We aim for every article we publish to meet — or exceed — Google’s helpful content standards. And you can, too. After reading this article, you’ll have 10 Google-approved strategies for creating people-first content. You’ll also see examples from real sites that excel at creating helpful content. Plus, you’ll get a free checklist to ensure your pages meet Google’s quality standards. Let’s start by understanding what “helpful content” is in Google’s eyes. What Is Helpful Content? Helpful content delivers what a searcher needs, whether they’re seeking information, researching options, or ready to buy. It’s content written for people — not search engines. But what was the Google Helpful Content Update (HCU)? First launched in 2022, Google’s helpful content update was designed to reward people-first content while filtering out pages created primarily for search engines. According to Google, helpful content does the following: Provides trustworthy information backed by genuine expertise Delivers substantial value compared to competing results Demonstrates firsthand experience with the topic Creates a satisfying user experience Serves a purpose beyond just ranking in search Google uses a site-wide classifier. It checks your whole domain, not just single pages, for helpfulness. This means a significant amount of low-quality content can drag down even your best pages. The biggest changes to this algorithm update took place in late 2023 and early 2024. Some sites lost A LOT of organic traffic. Google confirms it reduced low-quality content in search results by a staggering 45%. The sites hit hardest by these updates were: Content-only websites with no actual products or services Sites creating articles purely for search traffic Affiliate sites with thin content and/or a high monetization-to-informational content ratio The HCU aftermath sparked lots of debate about whether or not these updates were truly “helpful.” And if the declines and deindexings were warranted. But the reality remains: Google determines your visibility in search. And as the makers (and breakers) of rankings, following their guidelines is essential. As of March 2024, the helpful content update is no longer a thing. But helpfulness isn’t going away. The HCU is now integrated into Google’s core ranking systems. Bottom line? Creating helpful content is vital for your survival in search. 10 Ways to Create Helpful Content That Google Rewards There’s no sugarcoating it: Creating exceptional content is hard work. But it can pay off through high rankings and targeted traffic. Download our Helpful Content Checklist to follow along as you read. Use it before hitting publish to ensure your content meets Google’s quality standards. 1. Incorporate Firsthand Experiences Want to instantly make your content more helpful? Add personal stories and examples (real ones — not AI-generated). Why? Because it shows you actually know what you’re talking about — which is exactly what Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines (experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness) prioritize. Google advises against generic, regurgitated advice on its website: By including personal experiences in your content — including your successes and failures — you’ll create the kind of content search engines reward. And your target audience wants to read. Take this backlink guide from Backlinko founder Brian Dean, for example: Brian didn’t just give generic advice like “create great content” or “reach out to bloggers.” He shared specific tactics and advice that actually worked for him, including: Real email templates he’s used for outreach Screenshots showing actual results Step-by-step instructions Tool recommendations Specific case studies with traffic metrics The result? Content that feels like you’re learning from someone who’s been there, done that — not canned advice you can find on any site. No wonder this guide has maintained high rankings for years. And generated 31.5K backlinks. Pro tip: When sharing personal experiences, focus on specific outcomes and measurable results. Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines value demonstrable expertise. So, don’t just say, “This worked for me,” explain exactly how and in what timeframe. Include photos and screenshots when possible to back up claims. 2. Add Expert Insights and Quotes Expert quotes add authority and new perspectives to your content. They also help you meet Google’s helpful content expectations by providing insights readers can’t find elsewhere. Even if you have personal experience with a topic, expert opinions add dimension and alternative perspectives that make your content more comprehensive and helpful. Expert quotes strengthen your content in multiple ways: Add credibility to your claims Provide unique insights Create content that’s difficult for competitors to replicate For a great example of this in action, look at pet company Chewy. Their content often contains insights from board-certified veterinarians and animal behaviorists. This makes it more authoritative and trustworthy. Source expert insights through: Original interviews (via email, phone, or video) Reaching out to experts on LinkedIn, X, or industry-specific sites and forums Attending industry events and networking for insights Using a media outreach platform As Nate Matherson, head of growth at Numeral, says: When writing blog posts, I often source expert insights from leaders in the SEO industry for my weekly SEO podcast, Optimize. For example, after interviewing Ethan Smith, the CEO of Graphite, on my podcast, I repurposed one of his quotes about topical authority to use in a blog post on the same topic. 3. Create Content That Meets Search Intent Understanding and satisfying search intent is fundamental to helpful content. For example, if someone searches “how to fix a leaky faucet,” they want clear, step-by-step instructions — not a sales page for plumbing services. Content that addresses their actual goal (fixing the faucet themselves) will be considered more helpful. But first, you need to understand the four main types of search intent: Informational: Seeking knowledge — “how to fix a leaky faucet” Navigational: Looking for a specific website — “Home Depot plumbing” Commercial: Researching options — “best tankless water heaters” Transactional: Ready to buy — “buy Moen touchless kitchen faucet” Not sure if you’re creating people-first content that meets search intent? Consider these points from Google: After reading your content, will someone leave feeling they’ve learned enough about a topic to help achieve their goal? Will someone reading your content leave feeling like they’ve had a satisfying experience? If the answer to either question is “no,” your content isn’t fully addressing search intent. To better meet search intent: Analyze the current top-ranking pages for your target keywords Note what format dominates (guides, lists, videos, etc.) Use a keyword research tool to check search intent for each term and identify related questions and topics. Keyword Magic Tool is helpful for this task. Use clear headings that answer specific questions Include practical next steps or related resources Demonstrate topical authority by addressing all relevant subtopics and common pain points in your content Start your keyword research Explore the largest keyword database. Analyze 4. Use Reputable Sources Using high-quality sources (and citing them) is important for all sites. It signals to readers and search engines that the information you’re sharing is reputable, accurate, and verifiable. Well+Good, a wellness site, demonstrates this in its article about medication safety: They support every health claim with information from: Board-certified psychiatrists Professors of psychiatry and behavioral sciences Peer-reviewed medical journals Reputable health resources, like .gov sites. When evaluating sources for your content, follow these best practices: Prioritize recognized authorities in the field (major universities, established publications, industry leaders) Check publication dates to ensure information is current Check that you’re referencing the original source of the information Look for potential conflicts of interest or bias in the source’s funding or affiliations Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines place heavy emphasis on trustworthiness. And nothing builds trust faster than showing readers you’ve based your information on solid, reputable sources. 5. Hire Writers with Topical Experience When it comes to helpful content, experience matters. So, prioritize writers with backgrounds in your niche over generalists. This will benefit your content in multiple ways: More practical, nuanced advice that only comes from hands-on experience Insider tips that readers can’t find on other sites Real examples and case studies that build immediate trust For example, Harvard Health Publishing features physicians as their content creators. These writers have impressive qualifications. Including clinical experience, research credentials, and specialized knowledge in their medical fields. This level of expertise is particularly important for Your Money, Your Life (YMYL) topics, where accuracy directly impacts reader well-being. But experienced writers are valuable across all blog niches, from beauty to travel. For instance, Family Vacationist, a travel blog, features contributors who have personally visited the destinations they cover. This is evident by the insider tips they give. Including advice on the best rides for kids, the tastiest treats in theme parks, and which hotels to stay at and why. Family Vacationist also highlights its writers’ experience in bios. Including relevant publications where they’ve been featured. Even if you already have experienced writers, an expert review process will add another layer of credibility to your content. Have subject matter experts fact-check your information Include reviewer credentials directly in your content Highlight your review process on your editorial standards page For example, home services company Angi has experts review its content and features them prominently with a byline. The expert reviewer also gets a bio to highlight their qualifications. Investing in topic experts signals to readers and search engines that you’re committed to delivering accurate content and genuine value, not just ranking for keywords. Pro tip: Create a database of expert reviewers categorized by specialty, experience level, and publication history. When new content needs arise, you’ll know exactly who to contact for a review. 6. Provide an Optimal Page Experience Page experience is a critical component of helpful content. If your page loads slowly or is hard to navigate, readers will leave. It doesn’t matter how good your information is. But as Google states on its website (in slightly different words), doing the bare minimum won’t cut it. For the best results, cover all aspects of the page experience rather than focusing on isolated elements. Here’s how: Analyze Your Current Performance Use PageSpeed Insights and Google Search Console’s Core Web Vitals report to establish your baseline metrics. Focus on the following scores: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Interaction to Next Paint (INP) Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) If your assessment fails, follow the tool’s recommendations to improve these metrics. Like reducing unused JavaScript and third-party code. Pro tip: Use a tool like Semrush’s Site Audit to get weekly updates about your site’s technical performance. You’ll get automatic updates about issues affecting page experience, including loading speed, crawlability, broken links, large files, and more. Optimize Images Compress images without sacrificing quality using tools like TinyPNG, ImageOptim, or built-in CMS optimizers. This will keep your images from dragging down your page speed. Test Across All Device Types Ensure your site has a responsive design that works across desktops, tablets, and various mobile screen sizes. Use Chrome DevTools or BrowserStack to test how your site performs on popular devices and browsers. Pay special attention to touch targets on mobile. Check that buttons and links are easily tappable without accidental clicks. Improve Security Use HTTPS across your entire site to build user trust and meet Google’s requirements for secure browsing. Google Search Console’s HTTPS report will tell you if your pages are secure. (And what to fix if they’re not.) You’ll also want to configure proper SSL certificates and ensure all resources load securely. Optimize Above-the-Fold Content Prioritize loading essential above-the-fold content (aka content that appears on a webpage before scrolling) to capture web visitors’ attention. And draw them to your most important content or assets. Minimize unnecessary elements that push key content below the fold, especially on mobile devices. Balance Monetization with User Experience If you use display ads, ensure they don’t trigger layout shifts, overwhelm content, or create friction points for readers. Reserve space for ads in your layout to prevent content jumps when they load. 7. Seek Information Gain (aka Bring Something New to the SERPs) Google hasn’t said that “information gain” is a ranking factor, but it aligns with their emphasis on adding value to search results. Information gain means adding something new to the topic. Something readers can’t find anywhere else. I’ve mentioned some information gain methods already, like firsthand experiences and expert quotes. But there are other ways to achieve information gain, including the following: Original research: Survey your audience or industry and publish the findings Proprietary frameworks: Develop your own scoring system or methodology Product testing: Go beyond specs to share real-world performance For example, the finance site NerdWallet goes to great lengths to thoroughly review different financial products. Like credit cards, savings accounts, and personal loans. As part of that effort, they created a NerdWallet star rating methodology. But they don’t use a one-size-fits-all rating system. They created separate methodologies for each financial product category. Why? Because different factors matter for different financial decisions. They also published detailed explanations of how they weigh different factors in their rating system. This helps give their star rating system more credibility. You’ll see these ratings on various NerdWallet reviews to help readers choose the best products for their needs. Like this one for a credit card: The key takeaway here? Information gain often requires a significant upfront investment. Whether in time, money, or both. But it leads to something valuable: content that competitors can’t replicate overnight. 8. Refresh Existing Content Creating new content isn’t always the best strategy. Sometimes, updating what you already have delivers better results with less effort. Fresh, comprehensive content shows Google you’re committed to quality and accuracy. It can also help boost your rankings. In my experience, updating existing content often delivers faster traffic gains than creating new pieces. A blog post I wrote for Positional about title tags basically sat in the same SERP position for nine months. After revamping the post with additional information, it shot up in rankings almost immediately — and the ranking and traffic gains have held. When refreshing content, prioritize these improvements: Update statistics and examples with current data Enhance visuals and formatting for a better user experience Incorporate new expert insights or research Fix outdated advice or recommendations Target evolving search intent Warning: Updating old content with a new date to appear “fresh” without substantial changes won’t fool Google. Focus on genuine updates that add new value, insights, or relevant information to improve the reader’s experience. 9. Create Helpful Graphics and Videos Helpful content doesn’t just mean the words on the page. Graphics and videos can also be valuable additions that improve reader comprehension and engagement. When creating visuals for your content: Focus on clarifying complex ideas, not just adding decoration Create custom graphics rather than using generic stock images Ensure videos add unique value beyond what’s in the written content Use callout boxes to highlight key takeaways At Backlinko, we take visual content seriously. You’ll often see us using screenshots from various analytics programs to highlight results and showcase website performance. Our custom graphics illustrate key points and make complex topics more digestible. They also keep readers engaged throughout the article. We use tables to make data-heavy topics more digestible. And improve the readability and retention of our content. We also use callout boxes to break up text and add more value. Like side notes and pro tips. Visual elements make your content more appealing and effective at conveying ideas clearly. They can also help you improve your bounce rate. 10. Be Strategic with AI Writing Tools AI writing tools can be great assistants, but they shouldn’t replace human writers. In fact, Google warns against “using extensive automation to produce content on many topics.” Google’s March 2024 update specifically targeted sites using AI to generate low-quality content at scale. As a result, many websites with large amounts of AI-generated content saw dramatic ranking and indexing issues. But if you read its guidelines, you’ll see that Google isn’t technically against using AI. As they say on their site — they reward high-quality content “however it’s produced.” This is a little bit of a gray area, though. Your idea of high-quality, human-edited AI content may not match Google’s. But overall, avoid using AI to create low-quality, unoriginal content to manipulate rankings: Including: Publishing AI-generated articles without significant human input Creating entire pieces with no subject-matter expertise Relying on AI for factual claims without verification Generating content solely to target keywords with no real value Luckily, there are plenty of ways to benefit from AI content tools while staying in Google’s good graces. This includes: Summarizing research papers or creating key takeaways Suggesting potential structures based on top-ranking content Creating (very) rough drafts of blog posts, email marketing, newsletters, and more Improving clarity, fixing grammar issues, or suggesting better phrasing Generating topic ideas or angles for your content The key? Use AI as a foundation, not a final product. Enhance it with your expertise, personal experiences, and fact-checking to satisfy Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines. Bonus: Evaluate Your Content’s Helpfulness with Google’s “Who-How-Why” Framework Want a simple way to assess if your content meets Google’s helpful content standards? Use their Who-How-Why framework. Who Created the Content? The “Who” question focuses on expertise and credibility. Google wants to see clear information on the team behind your content. This can be strategists, writers, editors, fact-checkers, and expert reviewers. Add detailed author bios that highlight relevant experience and credentials Include prominent bylines on all articles where readers would expect them Link bylines to author pages with additional background information For example, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) highlights its writers’ experience and expertise prominently in bios. Including medical credentials, education, and writing experience. This transparency builds trust with both readers and search engines. How Was the Content Created? The “How” question is all about transparency in your process. Google wants to know: What research or testing methods did you use? How thorough was your approach? Did you use AI assistance? (If so, how?) If you conducted product testing, explain your methodology. Don’t just say, “We tested 10 products.” Be specific. For example, the NCOA highlights its testing data on articles. Including how many hours of research went into their testing. And how many experts they consulted. Why Does the Content Exist? The “Why” question is the most critical — and the one most likely to trigger ranking issues. Ask yourself: Is this content primarily for helping people? (Good) Is it primarily for attracting search traffic? (Bad) If you’re only publishing to rank for keywords without providing unique value, Google will eventually catch on. Instead, create content that would be valuable even if search engines didn’t exist. Content that people would seek out directly. Like this in-depth NCOA guide on respite care that would be valuable to its target audience, whether on- or offline. Put This Helpful-Content Framework into Action Want results? Stop creating content just to check an SEO box. The sites that dominate search results are those that genuinely help their audiences. With the 10 strategies in this guide, you’ll create content that Google recognizes as truly valuable. And attracts traffic because it deserves to rank, not because it’s gaming the system. So, download our Helpful Content Checklist if you haven’t already. Then, check out our Content Gap Analysis guide to identify untapped opportunities where you can apply these principles. You’ll discover where to focus your efforts for maximum impact so you stand out on the SERPs — and withstand Google’s next update. The post 10 Ways to Create Helpful Content + Examples and Checklist appeared first on Backlinko. View the full article

Hey folks, It’s been a weird stretch: layoffs, gloomy headlines, AI overload. If your job search feels extra heavy right now, you’re not alone. This week, I wanted to share a few things that might help. Some practical, some uplifting. All worth your time. Vic Our Favorite Articles 💯Jamie Wignall/The GuardianHow To Use AI To Get a Job Interview And Nail It – Along With The Salary You Deserve (The Guardian)​This one​'s packed with practical tips: how to use ChatGPT and AI tools smartly (without relying on them completely). These Software Engineers Were Struggling To Find Work. Then They Offered To Pay $10,000 For Their Next Job (Business Insider)A reminder that bold moves are still paying off, even in a tough market. ​This article ​will either inspire you or make you say "huh." (Use Brave to read it ;) ) Exercise for Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide To Improving Mental Well-Being (Health)Science keeps backing it up: moving your body helps your brain (and your outlook). ​Learn more​. Japan's Huge Four-Day Week Change Begins in April (News)Japan is the latest to test the 4-day workweek, backed by real policy change. Here's what’s happening​. This Week's Sponsor 🙌Too many emails? Declutter your inbox with Meco, your home for reading newsletters. Try it for free Remotive Jobs 💼Is this job for you? 👉 ​Senior Microsoft PowerBI Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Enterprise System Engineer (Power Automate) at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Senior Shopify Developer at Proxify​ (CET +/- 3 HOURS) 👉 ​Lead Software Engineer at Anima Health ​(Northern America, Europe, UK) 👉 ​Software Engineer - Infrastructure Team at Discourse​ (Worldwide) Free Guides & Tools​Public Job Board​We curate 2,000 remote jobs so you don't have to! ​Find your remote job →​ ​Exclusive Webinar​3 Mistakes to Avoid When Looking For A Remote Startup Job (And What To Do Instead) ​Register for free →​ ​Job Search Tips​Looking for a remote job? Here are our tips to help you work remotely ​Check it out → Join the Remotive newsletter Subscribe to get our latest content by email. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email address Subscribe Powered by ConvertKit View the full article

President Donald Trump’s administration has decided not to cover expensive, high-demand obesity treatments under the federal government’s Medicare program. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said late Friday that it would not cover the medications under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug coverage. Medicare covers health care expenses mainly for people age 65 and older. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule in late November after Trump won reelection that would have extended coverage of drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy. The rule was not expected to be finalized until Trump took office. Trump returned to office in January. The Senate confirmed Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday. CMS did not offer an explanation Friday for its decision, and federal spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been an outspoken opponent of the injectable drugs, which have exploded in popularity due to the potentially life-changing weight loss that some patients experience. Polls show Americans favor having Medicaid and Medicare cover the costs. But many insurers, employers and other bill payers have been reluctant to pay for the drugs, which can be used by a wide swath of the population and can cost hundreds of dollars a month. Biden’s proposal was expensive: It would have included coverage for all state- and federally funded Medicaid programs for people with low incomes, costing taxpayers as much as $35 billion over next decade. Proponents of the coverage have argued that treating obesity can actually reduce longer-term costs by cutting down on heart attacks and other expensive health complications that can arise from the disease. The benefits consultant Mercer has said that 44% of U.S. companies with 500 or more employees covered obesity drugs last year. Medicare does pay for drugs like Wegovy for patients who have heart disease and need to reduce their risk of future heart attacks, strokes and other serious problems. The federal program also covers versions of the drugs that treat diabetes. More than a dozen state Medicaid programs already cover the drugs for obesity. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. —Tom Murphy, AP Health Writer View the full article

Days of unrelenting heavy rain and storms that killed at least 18 people worsened flooding as some rivers rose to near-record levels and inundated towns across an already saturated U.S. South and parts of the Midwest. Cities ordered evacuations and rescue crews in inflatable boats checked on residents in Kentucky and Tennessee, while utilities shut off power and gas in a region stretching from Texas to Ohio. “As long as I’ve been alive — and I’m 52 — this is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Wendy Quire, the general manager at the Brown Barrel restaurant in downtown Frankfort, Kentucky, the state capital built around the swollen Kentucky River. “The rain just won’t stop,” Quire said Sunday. “It’s been nonstop for days and days.” Officials diverted traffic and turned off utilities to businesses in the city as the river was expected to crest above 49 feet Monday to a record-setting level, said Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson. The city’s flood wall system is designed to withstand 51 feet of water. For many, there was a sense of dread that the worst was still to come. “This flooding is an act of God,” said Kevin Gordon, a front desk clerk at the Ashbrook Hotel in downtown Frankfort. The hotel was offering discounted stays to affected locals. Storms leaving devastating impact The 18 reported deaths since the storms began on Wednesday included 10 in Tennessee. A 9-year-old boy in Kentucky was caught up in floodwaters while walking to catch his school bus. A 5-year-old boy in Arkansas died after a tree fell on his family’s home, police said. A 16-year-old volunteer Missouri firefighter died in a crash while seeking to rescue people caught in the storm. The National Weather Service warned Sunday that dozens of locations in multiple states were expected to reach a “major flood stage,” with extensive flooding of structures, roads, bridges and other critical infrastructure possible. In north-central Kentucky, emergency officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Falmouth and Butler, towns near the bend of the rising Licking River. Thirty years ago, the river reached a record 50 feet (15 meters), resulting in five deaths and 1,000 homes destroyed. The storms come after the Trump administration cut jobs at NWS forecast offices, leaving half of them with vacancy rates of about 20%, or double the level of a decade ago. Why so much nasty weather? Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong winds and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf. The NWS said 5.06 inches (nearly 13 centimeters) of rain fell Saturday in Jonesboro, Arkansas — making it the wettest day ever recorded in April in the city. Memphis, Tennessee, received 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain from Wednesday to Sunday, the NWS said. Rives, a northwestern Tennessee town of about 200 people, was almost entirely underwater after the Obion River overflowed. Domanic Scott went to check on his father in Rives after not hearing from him in a house where water reached the doorstep. “It’s the first house we’ve ever paid off. The insurance companies around here won’t give flood insurance to anyone who lives in Rives because we’re too close to the river and the levees. So if we lose it, we’re kind of screwed without a house,” Scott said. In Dyersburg, Tennessee, dozens of people arrived over the weekend at a storm shelter near a public school clutching blankets, pillows and other necessities. Just days earlier the city was hit by a tornado that caused millions of dollars in damage. Among them was George Manns, 77, who said he was in his apartment when he heard a tornado warning and decided to head to the shelter. Just days earlier the city was hit by a tornado that caused millions of dollars in damage. “I grabbed all my stuff and came here,” said Mann, who brought a folding chair, two bags of toiletries, laptops, iPads and medications: “I don’t leave them in my apartment in case my apartment is destroyed.” For others, grabbing the essentials also meant taking a closer look at the liquor cabinet. In Frankfort, with water rising up to his window sills, resident Bill Jones fled his home in a boat, which he loaded with several boxes of bottles of bourbon. Izaguirre reported from New York. Kruesi reported from Nashville. Associated Press writers Bruce Schreiner in Shelbyville, Kentucky; Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas; Adrian Sainz in Memphis; Tennessee; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Obed Lamy in Rives, Tennessee; and Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report. —Jon Cherry, Kimberlee Kruesi and Anthony Izaguirre, Associated Press View the full article

"Every problem looks big from a distance, and every opportunity looks small." The Concierge CPA With Jackie Meyer For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jackie Meyer. View the full article

"Every problem looks big from a distance, and every opportunity looks small." The Concierge CPA With Jackie Meyer For CPA Trendlines Go PRO for members-only access to more Jackie Meyer. View the full article

The following content is brought to you by Lifehacker partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation. We're all tired of receiving text messages and calls from random marketers on our personal numbers. Whenever you give out your number to sign up for stuff online, your information is very likely sold to a marketing company, then sold again—until your phone is blowing up in the middle of the night with texts from who knows. Surfshark Starter Package Generate a virtual number, mask your email, and take advantage of other VPN subscription benefits. Learn More Learn More But sometimes, you have to hand over your digits to subscribe to a service you want, score deeper discounts, or sign up for text alerts. This is where Surfshark is a lifesaver. Sign up for a Surfshark Starter package for $3.49 per month for the first 24 months, plus an extra four months free. And in addition to getting the Surfshark Virtual Privacy Network (VPN) and Alternative ID, you’ll also receive an alternative phone number to use on your online accounts or wherever you want. Here’s how to get on a Surfshark plan and protect your phone number from prying eyes. What is the Alternative Number? Although you can't directly make calls using your Surfshark Alternative Number, you can use your number to receive endless calls. And you're able to send and receive messages, all through the Surfshark app. This way, you can keep your privacy, not just when you sign up for all your favorite sites, subscriptions, and special discounts but also for all your conversations, too. Your Alternative Number is included with the Surfshark Starter package deal, beginning at just $3.49 per month. How to use your Surfshark number When you give out your Surfshark Alternative Number, all of the spammy messages and calls are forwarded to your phone, but only through the Surfshark app. Your personal number remains private and is safe from marketers, hackers, and data brokers. You can also delete your Alternative Number whenever you want, or swap it out for a new one for free every 30 days for extra privacy. Bundled Surfshark security perksThe Surfshark Starter bundle also includes their award-winning VPN service and a handy Alternative ID. The Alternative ID gives you a whole new online identity, including a name and age of your choosing, and you get a second email address, which, like your alternative phone number, keeps your personal email off those lists. For even more online protection, Surfshark’s VPN routes your internet traffic through a remote server and masks your IP (Internet Protocol) address. Not only will the VPN protect your online privacy, a must when using public Wifi these days, but it can also reduce location-based price discrimination, a nice perk. Surfshark’s Starter bundle includes all you need to sign up for everything online while steering clear of spam, IP tracking, and potential hacks. Sign up today for $3.49 per month for the first 24 months and get an additional four months free. View the full article