All Activity

Supermarket executive chair proposes profit cap to limit earnings during exceptional market conditionsView the full article

The move from ‘efficiency’ to ‘resilience’ in maritime supply chains has a long way to go View the full article

The entire chip supply chain depends on energy and chemical imports from the Middle EastView the full article

Agentic browsers and commerce protocols are redefining how users interact with websites, and who actually completes transactions. The post From SEO And CRO To Agentic AI Optimization (AAIO): Why Your Website Needs To Speak To Machines appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Surging energy prices have made it challenging to calculate transaction valuations View the full article

This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Google’s AI, Gemini, has quickly become one of the AI tools I rely on most. It builds dashboards and creates remarkable infographics. It spins out comprehensive research reports in minutes that would once have taken days to assemble. It’s improving every month. On March 13, Google announced Ask Maps, so you can query Gemini about things like “Which nearby tennis courts are open with lights so I can play tonight?” On March 10, Gemini added new integrations to build, summarize, and analyze your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Here are five ways to use Gemini’s best features. 1. Create Images Without Being a Designer Illustrate a presentation, newsletter post, or handout with a diagram, explanatory image, or an editorial cartoon. Let’s call it “Vibe Drawing.” Just as vibe coding has enabled people without technical skills to develop useful apps, image generation helps those of us who are artistically challenged to convey ideas visually. I use it to turn raw ideas into graphics, diagrams, illustrations, or cartoons. Here’s a short prompt I used for the image below. Tip: Upload a screenshot or photograph a paper sketch for Gemini to use as a reference image, or pick a style from the grid of options Gemini shows you (see above) to provide visual context. 2. Get Customized Deep Research Reports The next time you want to better understand a place, person, event, technology, or organization, pick Gemini’s Deep Research tool and dictate a detailed query. Tip: Specify why you need the report, how you’ll use it, your level of understanding, preferred sources, specific subtopics, and the angle, tone, or style you like (tables, bullets, diagrams, arguments and counterarguments, etc). You’ll get a remarkably thorough, personalized report. 3. Connect Gemini to Your NotebookLM Notes Gemini now lets you attach a NotebookLM notebook as a source. I tested this with a collection of my writing to probe my past ideas with Gemini. I also used Gemini to query a notebook I curated with PDFs, links, and videos on congestion pricing. Combining Gemini and NotebookLM offers several advantages: Gemini has access to the Web, so it can supplement references in a notebook with new research material, whereas NotebookLM is grounded only in your source materials. The combo is great when you want to query a mix of curated and new sources, but NotebookLM alone is preferable when you want to fully constrain your exploration to your own notes. NotebookLM can create audio and video overviews, infographics, and compelling slides from your materials. But Gemini has even more tools it can apply to your notebooks, like Canvas for making apps, interactive graphics, and sites. You can query multiple notebooks at the same time with Gemini, something you can’t yet do with NotebookLM. Note: Gemini has a context window of 1 million tokens, which means it can absorb and consider about 1,500 pages of text for any given query. 4. Build Gems to Automate Repetitive Tasks Gems are versions of Gemini with custom instructions. Create a Gemini Gem as a template for work you’ll do many times. Start by uploading reference documents and adding detailed guidance. If relevant, set it to always use a particular tool, like deep research, image generation, or Canvas for building interactive tools. Example: I like making Jeopardy-style games for teaching, so I set up a Gem that lets me quickly create new editions for specific topics. I was inspired by Eric Curts’s free collection of more than 100 EduGems, which he lets anyone adapt. Create other Gems to: Generate alt-text, SEO text, invoices, or expense reports. Start by giving the Gem your preferences or policies, then open it anytime you want to take care of a technical task. Check your work for bias or blind spots. To start, upload style guides, fact-checking instructions, or your pet peeves. Direct the Gem to be a tough critic rather than a sycophantic bootlicker. Instruct it to be specific and clear in its feedback. Create analytics reports in a specific format. Start by giving the Gem instructions and context. Then tell it to pull from data you add to a NotebookLM notebook, or feed your Gem new sheets or data screenshots anytime you want a new report. The Gem could even be set up to turn your data into an interactive dashboard if you instruct it to use its Canvas tool for coding. 5. Build an App, Game, or Interactive Tool Gemini can generate code, just as it can make text or images. Select the Canvas tool and describe a site, game, tool, dashboard, or interactive infographic you want to make. Ideas and examples Build a custom flashcard app. How? Give it a PDF with 100 Japanese vocabulary words. Get strategic recommendations with an interactive dashboard. Give it your metrics output, and make sure it’s in Thinking mode. Get help memorizing poems. How? Share a list of your favorites and ask for a spaced repetition game to help with memorization. Practice sign language phrases. Tell it what you know or don’t know and how you prefer to practice. Or upload a selfie video and request feedback.You can also use Gemini’s Guided Learning mode for this. Gemini vs. Other AI Tools Gemini beats Claude on versatility Gemini can generate images, videos, and songs—and analyze video content— none of which Claude does. . . . but I prefer Claude’s editing suggestions I regularly rely on its Projects feature. Claude also has useful integrations with many other services I use, like Granola, so I can query my meeting notes. Gemini doesn’t yet have extensive integrations. Gemini beats ChatGPT in integrating NotebookLM I love being able to query an entire notebook full of lengthy YouTube videos, audio files, links, and notes. . . . but ChatGPT has a wider range of Custom GPTs, ChatGPT also has built-in apps that let you design with Canva, Figma, or other tools, which you can’t do with Gemini. Gemini has the deepest integration with Docs, Sheets, and Slides The newest features let you create a complete dashboard in Google Sheets from data in Google Drive, generate editable slides that match the style of a presentation, and match the format of existing docs. . . . but Claude, ChatGPT, and Copilot also work well with Google Drive You can pull in content from Google Drive regardless of which AI tool you use. And Claude Code and Cowork have unique capabilities. They act as AI agents that independently manage sequences of tasks. This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. View the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. During the pandemic housing boom, housing demand was running so hot—and homes sold so quickly—that listings barely even registered as active inventory. Indeed, in February 2022, there were only 346,511 active homes for sale, according to Realtor.com’s data series. That was a staggering 68.5% below the 1,102,660 active listings in February 2019. At the end of February 2022, not a single one of America’s 200 largest housing markets had more inventory than in pre-pandemic February 2019. Fast-forward to the end of February 2026, and there were 914,860 active homes for sale—and now 66 of the nation’s 200 largest housing markets have more active inventory than they did in pre-pandemic February 2019. Among the nation’s 200 largest housing markets, the table below shows the 66 markets where active housing inventory for sale at the end of February 2026 exceeded the levels those respective markets had in February 2019. (Click here for a sortable version of the table below.) Many of the softest housing markets over the past few years, where homebuyers have gained more leverage, are located in the South and Mountain West regions. These areas were among the nation’s top pandemic boomtowns, having experienced significant home price growth during the pandemic housing boom, which stretched housing fundamentals far beyond local income levels. When pandemic-fueled migration slowed and mortgage rates spiked, markets like Cape Coral, Florida, and Austin, Texas, faced challenges, as they had to rely on local incomes to sustain frothy home prices. The housing market softening in these areas was further accelerated by the abundance of new home supply in the pipeline across the Sunbelt. Builders are often more willing to reduce net effective prices or make other affordability adjustments to move product in a shifted market. Those adjustments in the new construction market then create an additional cooling effect on the resale market, as some buyers who might have opted for an existing home shift their focus to new homes where deals are still available. In contrast, many Northeast and Midwest markets were less reliant on pandemic migration and have less new home construction in progress. With lower exposure to that demand shock, active inventory in these Midwest and Northeast regions has remained relatively tighter, keeping the advantage in the hands of home sellers (at least relatively speaking). We should point out that national active housing inventory growth on a year-over-year basis continues to decelerate—and many of the weakest housing markets in Florida are now seeing mild year-over-year declines in active inventory. ResiClub members can see our latest inventory analysis for over 800 metro areas and 3,000 counties here. ResiClub Terminal members can go even deeper here. Generally speaking, housing markets where inventory (i.e., active listings) has returned to pre-pandemic 2019 levels have experienced weaker home price growth (or outright declines) over the past 45 months. Conversely, housing markets where inventory remains far below pre-pandemic 2019 levels have, generally speaking, experienced stronger home price growth over the past 45 months. While this data cut will become less useful over time, it remains useful right now One of the common pushbacks I hear when comparing today’s active inventory for sale with 2019 levels is that some markets—like Austin and Punta Gorda, Florida—have larger populations now than they did back in 2019. It’s true that some of the markets with higher inventory today compared with 2019 are also the ones that have experienced notable population growth in recent years. However, that actual population growth (i.e., a larger population base) isn’t the primary reason inventory has jumped so quickly in places like Austin and Punta Gorda after the pandemic housing boom ended. Rather, it’s because those markets have experienced a sharper weakening in their for-sale market since the pandemic housing boom fizzled out, and that has helped push up unsold inventory in those markets. This dynamic isn’t unusual. Growth markets that run hotter during housing booms often experience more pronounced cyclical cooling on the back end. As is often the case, stretched fundamentals, decelerated domestic migration, and elevated levels of new construction coming online—combined with an affordability-shifted market—collectively drive a larger supply-demand equilibrium shift. That said, over time, changes in market size—specifically population and total households—will naturally affect what constitutes a “normal” level of active inventory in higher growth markets (like the Dallas metro area). By 2035, for example, comparing active inventory to 2019 levels will be far less meaningful than it has been in 2021 to 2026. View the full article

Fire officials and pro-density urbanists are often at loggerheads. This is especially evident in notoriously car-centric Los Angeles, where a firefighters’ union spent six figures opposing active mobility measures. The two camps can have different ideas of acceptable risks and priorities. But Matthew Flaherty, a firefighter who has lived in L.A. his whole life, bridges the two worlds. He’s an advocate for affordable, transit-friendly housing. His struggle to find an apartment in a walkable neighborhood led him to become a member of the Livable Communities Initiative, a nonprofit group advocating for more walkable neighborhoods in L.A. “Cities shouldn’t be designed around the fire department,” Flaherty argues. “The fire department should be designed to deal with the infrastructure as it is. If you have a plumber design a house, the whole house is going to be a toilet.” One area of tension for fire safety advocates and density advocates is the requirement that most new apartment buildings have more than one stairway to facilitate resident evacuation and emergency responders’ access. In nearly all American cities, unlike in other parts of the world, developers are required to build double staircases into four- to six-story residential buildings. (Though definitions vary, these are often considered mid-rise buildings.) This extra staircase takes up about 7% of floor space and drives up costs by 6% to 13%, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts. That extra cost could be enough to kill a project to build housing, says Stephen Smith, the executive director of the Center for Building in North America, a nonprofit organization focused on building code reform. Largely due to advocates like Smith and Flaherty, a movement is sweeping across North America, from Texas to Toronto, to relax restrictions on residential stairways. Over 30 locations have now considered such measures. The possibility of relatively rapid changes to local building codes, outside the national three-year cycle, is raising urgent conversations about density and safety as cities grapple with housing shortages. Seattle’s influence Single-stair apartment buildings (sometimes called point access blocks) are sprinkled throughout Seattle. Rents can start at around $1,500/month for studio apartments in such buildings. Walking around these apartments is a good way to get a feel for Seattle’s distinct neighborhoods. The unit styles vary as well, encompassing luxurious full-floor apartments, shareable student apartments, a striking cohousing complex, and nearly 30 apartments stacked next to another residential building. Some of these homes sit above ground-floor businesses. Seattle’s history with single stairways illustrates how attitudes toward housing have shifted over the decades. In the 1940s, amid suburbanization and rapid building, a multiple-stairway requirement was imposed on buildings of three stories and up. In the 1970s, a housing crisis led Seattle to allow single stairways in apartment buildings, without a height limit, but with a floor limit of four units per floor. During a backlash to development in the 1980s, the city instituted a limit of six stories to such buildings. Further fire protection requirements followed. In the 2010s, momentum started to build outside of the few American cities, like Seattle, that allowed for single stairways. New York City’s single-stair permission is older: It was changed in 1938 in recognition of the need for more housing on small lots. But Seattle has been even more influential in galvanizing the current momentum around similar reforms in other U.S. cities. In Smith’s analysis, New York is too much of an exception to the rest of the country to serve as a planning model. With the city’s scarcity of urban space, “we don’t have the room to build these buildings with giant hallways and two stairs,” says Smith, who himself lives in a five-story building in Brooklyn with a single stairway. Plus, “in the building and fire world, there is a deep distrust and disdain for New York City,” Smith believes. “Seattle, I think, has been more of interest because it’s a more typical American city,” down to the frequency with which wood is used as a building material. More broadly, “the places that have been most interested in [single-stair reform] recently have been the West Coast states with the more severe housing crises.” Seattle’s version of single-stair permission has been called the “Seattle Special,” showing how much the city has become associated with a particular type of medium-density housing: an apartment building constructed on a small lot, with up to six floors and just one staircase. Each of those floors can have only four units, all of which must stay within 125 feet of the exit. The Seattle Special represents a kind of compromise. It’s not a high-rise that might intimidate locals wedded to single-household homes, but it also allows for more density than a house or duplex. By allowing for infill development on land parcels where it might be difficult to construct other units, it can permit an efficient use of urban space. In Seattle, this includes corner lots and steep slopes. The single stairway is perhaps the ultimate compromise. It offsets the potential safety risk of losing another means of exit with other fire protection requirements like pressurization systems for smoke control (which admittedly can be expensive to maintain). It also seeks to balance that risk with the benefit of gaining more space inside the building. Mark Chubb, a Seattle-based building-code consultant who previously worked as a fire chief, explains that in various parts of the U.S., land-use reformers were realizing that just having the authority to build denser housing didn’t mean that in practice they could actually do so. “So that’s when they started looking for solutions and kind of stumbled over the Seattle provision. And they said, ‘Gee, wait a minute. It looks like Seattle solved this problem,’” Chubb summarizes. “We don’t have a lot of buildings that use single exit, but we have some fairly innovative buildings on some fairly small parcels that represent a large assortment of solutions.” Chubb believes the single-stair movement has not been driven by large moneyed interests, but by YIMBYs, activists, and architects. L.A. lawmakers’ attempt to allow single stairways in residential buildings up to six stories appears to have stalled following a City Council vote last year; the International Association of Fire Fighters called it one of the organization’s “key victories” in a “coordinated effort to stop these proposals before they become the new normal.” But within L.A., Culver City has gone further on single-stair reform than any other part of California. In September 2025, after three years of advocacy, it approved its own single-stair ordinance. “It is the single most impactful thing that I have done in all of my civic engagement,” says Travis Morgan, a cofounder of the Livable Communities Initiative. This group didn’t set out to become single-stair evangelists, Morgan explains. “It was more of a means to an end, and the end being this walkable, livable, engaged, community.” Their research suggested that without single-stair reform, it would be nearly impossible to build housing on small L.A. lots. Culver City’s new ordinance bears more than a passing resemblance to Seattle’s building code. That’s because “we modeled the ordinance after the city of Seattle,” Morgan says. In Seattle, “there’s been no fire deaths attributed to the single stairwell . . . and it really is sort of considered the gold standard.” Honolulu has also copied Seattle’s rules. Visualizing the spread of Seattle’s single-stair buildings has also helped influence debate in Denver, whose City Council approved a single-stair ordinance in November 2025. According to Denver architect Sean Jursnick, who created the Seattle single-stair map, it “was helpful when discussing single-stair reforms with officials locally because it illustrates how single-stair projects are integrated into neighborhoods across Seattle and could integrate into the similar urban fabric of Denver.” Fire safety The main argument for keeping a double-stair requirement is fire safety. Even nearly 50 years after allowing for single-stair buildings in Seattle, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) does not support the extension of the Seattle model elsewhere. According to Karen A. Grove, SFD’s fire protection director, the 1970s code change “was done in part due to the quick response times of SFD and the very good hydrant infrastructure in Seattle.” In other words, cities with fewer resources might find it harder to adapt. It can be difficult to compare these kinds of metrics across American fire departments, due to inconsistencies in data reporting and definitions. Allowing for just one stairway “puts a larger burden on the Seattle Fire Department, as without the second stair, we become the back up plan if the first stair is blocked or compromised,” Grove states. There is also a burden from regularly testing and repairing the smoke control systems that may become required in lieu of the second stair. SFD cautions fire departments elsewhere to consider extra needs for training and equipment, such as ladder access, if their jurisdictions remove the second-stair requirement. “It’s a very solvable problem,” Flaherty, the Southern California firefighter, says of the potential changes like updating fire trucks. As for the arguments for keeping a double-stair requirement, he believes that it’s not realistic that a mass of residents will crowd on the single stairway and impede firefighting, or that smoke will collect in a single stairway. Instead, in his experience, “sprinklers are what keep fires from getting out of control.” The evidence seems to bear this out for the U.S. Between 2017 and 2021, American buildings with automatic sprinkler systems had 90% fewer civilian fire deaths than buildings without those systems. Unlike in the rest of the world, new apartment buildings in the U.S. are often already required to have sprinklers. So an important fire protection measure has become widespread since the development of double-stair requirements, yet building standards often haven’t been updated to reflect the spread of sprinklers. And for the most part, “we don’t require sprinklers in single-family homes, and there’s no moral panic over it,” Flaherty points out. For some urbanists, this dissonance suggests that the rules around fire protection are essentially arbitrary. Detailed fire safety assessments are continuing. Minnesota published one in December 2025. California’s, due in January 2026, is delayed. The National Association of State Fire Marshals has also opposed single stairways, stating, “Proper exiting, much like smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, is known to have saved thousands of lives and have been and remain the fundamental building blocks to life safety.” Complicating the situation is that unlike in some other countries, many American firefighters now spend a good chunk of their time not actually responding to fires. Flaherty estimates that 90% of the incidents he attends are medical. Firefighting bodies have argued that double stairways provide flexibility in responding to a variety of emergencies, including active shooters and natural disasters. These scenarios aren’t always incorporated into the design of building codes—or their amendments. What single-stair reform can and can’t do For Cody Fischer, a bigger impediment than the costs of building a second staircase has been the rigidity. His company, Footprint Development, develops and manages low-carbon multi-household housing in Minneapolis. While working on his very first project, one of the barriers “ended up being this very obscure safety component in the model building code,” which sets standards for health and safety. Even in sought-after locations that were zoned for six-story buildings, it was tough just to find a site with the dimensions to accommodate a multi-stairway building. And if a site could be located, he would be restricted to one- or two-bedroom apartments, and “gross-feeling hallways” with limited windows. The impact of this single detail was eye-opening to Fischer: “Once you see it . . . it’s like the only thing you see.” Like Fischer, a number of single-stair supporters have been radicalized by their experiences of other countries, which don’t require second stairways and yet don’t suffer more from fires. In the case of the influential Seattle architect Michael Eliason, a stint working in Germany, seeing that his colleagues were designing an 11-story building with a single stairway, initially stunned him. Fire-protection and building-code expert Chubb worked for years in New Zealand, where he commonly saw single-stair apartment buildings. He also served as an expert witness regarding the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings. While American fire departments are nervous about having single exits in active-shooter situations, he says that mass shootings tend to take place outside of residential buildings. For Smith of the Center for Building in North America, spending part of his childhood in Romania, where his family hails from, normalized single stairways for him. Smith says he would even feel comfortable in a 30-story single-stair building in Switzerland. “In general, I think the limit should be higher, the higher your incomes are,” Smith reflects, because of the general link between higher GDP and better fire protection. Of course, a loosened policy won’t automatically lead to more construction. In Culver City, activist Morgan is hoping that newly allowed single-stair buildings will come into being within the next few years. But he acknowledges that this will require education, likely with some demonstration projects to prove that this type of housing can be both profitable for builders and affordable for residents. In Seattle, a kind of demonstration city, progress after single-city reform was initially sluggish. Chubb estimates that, in general, it could take eight years to actually see the effect of a building-code change. An analysis by Dartmouth student Albert Zhang concluded that following permission to include just one stairwell in 4-to-6-story buildings, an average of about 53 additional units were constructed per year in Seattle. This is a modest addition to the city’s housing. One reason may be that the structures themselves have to be modest, with no more than four units per floor. This limits the amenities, like gyms, that developers can bundle into large apartment buildings to increase their appeal. Another lesson is that code changes aren’t enough on their own. It’s only within the last decade or so that “the education component is starting to happen,” Eliason believes. Though a small but vocal group of architects like him has embraced the possibilities of single-stair design, even in architecture school “it’s hammered in our brains” that two modes of exit are needed, Eliason says. Some proponents have argued that single-stair reform can have a host of benefits even beyond increasing housing options, from fostering community-minded cohousing (by allowing more space for common areas) to encouraging climate adaptation (by allowing more ventilation). There are examples of these in Seattle, but it’s not a given. “Single-stair is not some silver bullet that’s going to create a utopia,” Flaherty, the L.A. firefighter, notes. But he calls it a necessary reform, on top of others like removing parking mandates, to ease the development of affordable housing. Seattle appears to reflect this. Jursnick, the Seattle-mapping architect, says that there was “an uptick of single-stair projects in areas like Capitol Hill about 10 years ago when parking minimums were lifted for areas near frequent transit.” So single-stair reform was a building block, which other reforms could build upon. The progress has been piecemeal in other ways as well. In the U.S., it has largely occurred one city or state at a time, through legislative changes that can be more politically complex than the slower but more uniform process of amending the model code set by the International Code Council every three years. (Despite its name, this body sets building standards mainly for the United States.) For the 2027 version of its International Building Code, which would influence standards nationwide, the council is considering allowing four-story buildings to have single stairways without smoke control systems. This would represent significant, if incremental, progress for the single-stair movement. Building-code debates can seem arcane. But at the sharp edges of these kinds of decisions are people like Gabbie Metheny, a mother of two renting a cramped apartment in L.A. “Building regulations that overly restrict how we use space are a huge factor in why folks leave L.A. for the suburbs when they start having families,” Metheny says. She’s unconcerned about fire risks in a single-stair building, and wonders if ditching the second staircase could allow for more affordable family-size apartments. “If there was a three-bedroom apartment in the city in my price range, I’d jump at the opportunity,” she says. But unfortunately, she says, that doesn’t exist. Support for this story was provided by The Neal Peirce Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting journalism on ways to make cities and their larger regions work better for all people. This story was originally published by Next City, a nonprofit news outlet covering solutions for equitable cities. Sign up for Next City’s newsletter for their latest articles and events. View the full article

It’s a familiar feeling: You start a text message, and your phone’s auto-complete function suggests several choices for the next word, ranging from banal to hilarious. “I love …” you, or coffee? Or you’re finishing an email, and merely typing the word “Let” prompts your app to suggest “Let me know if you have any questions” in light gray text. Predictive language technologies have become so routine—baked into smartphones, email services, and chatbots—that we barely notice them anymore. But they raise a difficult question: What happens to a writer’s unique voice when AI routinely completes their thoughts—or generates them altogether from scratch? As the chair of a large English department—and as a scholar who researches the effects of predictive writing—I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges that generative AI systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude pose for individual expression. This technology has been incorporated into the writing process so fully that it’s almost impossible to imagine encountering a scene from the not-so-distant past: a writer, alone, with a pen and a piece of paper, wrestling with how to best translate their ideas, arguments, and stories into something legible and interesting. Predictive text leads to predictive writing As many scholars have noted, though, this vision of writing was never fully accurate. Essays have always incorporated guidance from teachers, professors, or writing tutors. A friend might give feedback, or your favorite novelist’s turn of phrase might offer inspiration. The language we use is never fully “ours,” but draws on millions of sources absorbed over the course of our lives. Just as it’s a myth to imagine that writers compose in a vacuum, there has never been a clear line between genuine human expression versus machine-generated text. As scholars have pointed out, we have been using machines to communicate for a long time. Every technological development—from the quill pen and the typewriter to the word processor—has brought with it changes in how humans express themselves. However, the ubiquity of predictive language technologies directly threatens human creativity—or, as one study put it, “Predictive Text Encourages Predictive Writing.” Because generative AI composes and suggests text in highly standardized, predictable patterns, its outputs can read as if they’re dressed-up versions of what linguists call “phatic expression.” These are the overly common phrases that function as social glue more than as conveyors of sentiment: “How are you?,” “Have a good day,” or “See you soon.” But this glue can lose its hold if the technology is used in the wrong situations. Using artificial intelligence to compose a social media post in the wake of a tragedy, or using it to write a fan letter to an Olympic athlete, comes off as insincere. People are starting to catch on to generative AI’s prose—not because it’s clunky or poorly written, but because it all sounds the same. That’s because large language models are trained on gigantic masses of examples of human writing, and they predict text based on probabilities and commonalities. Those predictive outputs often end up producing a singular, recognizable voice. Or as Sam Kriss explained in a recent essay for The New York Times Magazine: “Once, there were many writers, and many different styles. Now, increasingly, one uncredited author turns out essentially everything.” Slouching toward a cultural mean Generative AI is accelerating the types of cultural convergence and uniform expression that were already happening. For example, linguists have shown that regional accents in the U.S. are fading and becoming homogenized due to a mix of migration, urbanization, mass media, and social media. Meanwhile, American English continues supplanting many other forms internationally due to the global predominance of U.S.-based media, TV, film, and more. Are we all destined to write and speak alike? Generative AI doesn’t know in advance whether you call soft drinks “soda,” “pop,” or “coke.” If you let it choose, it will simply select “soda” for you, since that’s the most common term in its training data. By contrast, what people typically value in a personal essay, novel, poem, or message to a grieving friend is the ability of the human author to demonstrate—clearly and distinctly—something powerful and singular. Making chatbots less appealing So how can teachers compel students to craft their own voices? How is that task different today than it was even a decade ago? It helps to think here about where generative AI struggles, and why. Chatbots are great at creating relatively bland, highly readable prose, since that’s what is omnipresent in their training data. But they struggle to create the kinds of radically unexpected shifts that appear in novels like James Joyce’s Ulysses or songs like Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Several techniques exist to encourage these types of stylistic leaps among student writers. Teachers can bake unpredictability into the assignment. Creative writing instructors have used techniques for decades to encourage out-of-the-box thinking. They might ask students to draft a poem and then rewrite it while avoiding the letter “E,” or limit themselves to two adjectives at most. Another tactic involves having students draw from distinctly personal experiences. Teaching students how to explore connections between characters and conflicts in a novel to people and situations in their own lives makes resorting to chatbots less appealing, if not altogether useless. By contrast, impersonal assignments—“Discuss the symbolism of the color green in The Great Gatsby—will likely produce generic, predictable results. Teachers can also ensure the work of their students has a range of readers. If it’s just the professor, students may be less likely to invest time into cultivating their own voice. But if they have to write an essay or story for, say, their friends or their grandparents, they might have more of an incentive to sound like themselves. Many other strategies exist, from being forced to reverse the argument of an essay to favor the other side, to interviewing strangers for an assignment and including their quotes. The bottom line: Writers have access to sources—and language—that machines cannot access or generate. Having students wrestle with unconventional modes of composition and revision lies at the heart of ensuring that the technology is more of a helpful thought partner, but not a substitute for their voice. Gayle Rogers is a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Premier Li Qiang paints contrast to US at business gathering in Beijing as Donald The President gets bogged down in IranView the full article

Most people seek career advancement. Moving up the ladder gives you additional opportunities, greater autonomy, more chances to think strategically, a higher level of prestige, and (of course) a bigger paycheck. And at some point, you’re going to feel like it is time for you to get that promotion. So, how do you know whether it is the right time to really push for it? Finding the right timing requires being aware both of your own capacities and the current situation in your organization. The stars have to align for you to be successful in your efforts. Here are three things to consider. 1. Are you ready? If you’re going to really push for a promotion (and not just hope for one), you have to do your best to be ready to take it on. You’ll never be completely ready for a new position, of course. There are always things you must learn along the way in order to succeed. But, you do want to ensure you have the bases covered. Operational excellence at your current role is an important signal to leadership in your organization that you are a candidate for a promotion, but it isn’t enough. The higher you rise in an organization, the more that your job is likely to involve strategic insight rather than operational excellence. The capacity to think strategically is not the same as the ability to get things done. So, you have to ensure you have had practice with strategic engagements. In addition, many promotions involve additional managerial responsibilities (though this is not always the case). Managing others requires a number of additional skills including the ability to provide mentorship to those who work for you as well as the ability to give clear and constructive criticism. Before pushing hard for a promotion, find out what mix of capabilities it will require. Ask others who have had that role what it entails. If there are obvious gaps in your skills, work to fill them before you push hard to get promoted. You don’t want to get a reputation for asking to be promoted into positions that you are clearly not qualified for. 2. Are the economics right? Even if you’re completely ready for a promotion, the universe may be conspiring against you. Right now, for example, many industries are experiencing an economic downturn. If your firm is in the mode of cutting costs, then this is probably a bad time to be angling for a role that will pay you substantially more money. Indeed, lots of organizations enter rough patches by thinning the managerial ranks. If you were hoping for a promotion and the timing is wrong, that doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do. Talk with your supervisor. Let them know that you are aware the timing isn’t right for a promotion right now, but that you’d like to be kept in mind for when business starts to pick up again. That approach has two benefits. It conveys your interest in moving up, but at the same time, it highlights your awareness of the broader situation (which is likely to be an important skill for the new role you want to take). 3. Is the right opening available? Even if your skills are in place and the economic winds are favorable, there may not be the right opening. Indeed, the higher you rise in an organization, the harder it may be to get promoted, because there are fewer and fewer roles available. National retail organizations, for example, have a large number of management positions within individual stores, but few opportunities for people to take on district or regional management positions. And, there are a limited number of spots in the C-suite of any company. If your hope is to be promoted inside of your organization, then you may have to wait your turn. Take on assignments that enable you to work with other people at the level of the organization you aspire to be a part of so that you become a known quantity. Continue to develop your skills. Take classes, seek mentorship, and learn from the people around you. Your initiative will serve as your indication of interest in a promotion while you wait for a role to open up. If you have developed a good relationship with organizational leaders, then you’re doing what you can while you wait for an opening. When it becomes clear that there will be a position, you can then have some conversations with key leaders about being considered for the promotion. Remember, though, that high-level leadership roles are quite competitive. There are likely to be several other people at your organization who are also qualified for that role. And, your organization may also want to consider outside candidates. When you reach the thin atmosphere at the top levels of a firm, you have to be ready to move elsewhere if your primary goal is to get that promotion. View the full article

When you need a reliable background check service without overspending, several options stand out. Services like BeenVerified and Spokeo offer extensive records at competitive prices. If you’re looking for unlimited reports, Instant Checkmate might fit the bill. For tenant screenings, TransUnion SmartMove provides unique analytics, whereas GoodHire caters to employment needs with FCRA compliance. Curious about which service aligns best with your specific requirements? Let’s explore the details further. Key Takeaways Backgrounds Online offers national criminal checks at $19.95, delivering reports quickly and without setup fees or contracts, ensuring affordability. GoodHire provides flexible pricing tiers starting at $29.99, meeting various needs while maintaining compliance with FCRA regulations. Spokeo features unlimited searches for $29.95 monthly, allowing access to extensive public records, although detailed criminal reports incur additional fees. Instant Checkmate is ideal for frequent users, providing unlimited report access for a monthly fee, making it cost-effective for regular background checks. BeenVerified offers a 1 Month Membership at $36.89, allowing up to 100 reports, though it may lack pricing transparency for occasional users. Best Overall: BeenVerified If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable background check service, BeenVerified stands out as the best overall option. With a 1 Month Membership priced at $36.89, you gain access to various reports, making it a budget-friendly choice for thorough background checks. For those needing multiple reports, the 3 Month Membership at $71.94 allows access to up to 100 reports per month, which can greatly lower the background screening cost per report. While you might wonder, “how much does a background check cost?” BeenVerified’s prices are competitive in the market. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that the service’s pricing may lack transparency, particularly with initial low-cost trials that could be misleading. The platform covers various searches, from vehicle history to public records, and features a user-friendly interface for easy access to information. Just keep in mind that some specific data, like criminal records, may incur additional fees. Best for Budget-Friendly Searches: Spokeo If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option for background searches, Spokeo might be the perfect fit for you. With a monthly membership priced at $29.95, you gain access to extensive public records and social media profiles, making it easy to reconnect with friends or gather information on multiple individuals. The platform is user-friendly, allowing you to perform unlimited searches without breaking the bank, as well as offering additional paid options for more detailed reports. Affordable Membership Options When searching for affordable background check services, Spokeo stands out as an excellent option for budget-conscious users. With a membership priced at $29.95 per month, you can run numerous searches without overspending. If you only need occasional reports, individual search options are likewise available. Membership Option Cost Monthly Membership $29.95 Individual Search Varies Spokeo provides access to various public records, including names, addresses, and social media profiles. Although it’s one of the cheapest background check services available, keep in mind that additional fees may apply for detailed criminal records. Knowing how much it costs to run a background check with Spokeo allows you to plan your background verification cost effectively. Extensive Public Records Access Spokeo offers an extensive range of public records access that makes it an ideal choice for budget-conscious individuals seeking background checks. For just $29.95 a month, you can explore a variety of records, including names, addresses, and social media profiles. If you don’t need a full membership, Spokeo allows you to pay for individual searches, making it flexible based on your needs. During your consideration of how much is a background check, this service provides a cost-effective solution. Furthermore, reports can include criminal records and offenses, though accessing thorough criminal data may incur extra fees. With a user-friendly interface, you can easily navigate and obtain the information you need without extensive effort. Best for Unlimited Reports: Instant Checkmate For those who frequently require background checks, Instant Checkmate stands out as a top choice owing to its unlimited report access for a monthly fee. This service is particularly cost-effective for users who need ongoing access to multiple reports. You can expect thorough criminal information, including inmate searches and detailed personal history reports, making it a robust tool for extensive research. Its user-friendly interface allows for easy navigation, ensuring that even those without technical expertise can find the information they need. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that Instant Checkmate doesn’t offer single-report purchases, which may be a limitation for occasional users seeking specific details. Additionally, the platform has faced scrutiny, including a penalty from the FTC in 2023 for deceptive business practices, underscoring the necessity for transparency. Best for Tenant Screenings: TransUnion SmartMove In terms of tenant screenings, TransUnion SmartMove stands out by providing thorough insights that help you assess potential renters effectively. This service features a unique ResidentScore, which predicts the likelihood of eviction, enabling you to make informed decisions. Furthermore, TransUnion pulls credit data directly from TransUnion, ensuring that you receive accurate and reliable information quickly, all through an easy-to-use interface. Comprehensive Tenant Insights If you’re a landlord seeking reliable tenant screening options, TransUnion SmartMove stands out as a top choice for thorough tenant insights. This service specializes in providing landlords with crucial information to make informed leasing decisions. SmartMove features ResidentScore, an innovative tool that predicts a tenant’s likelihood of eviction based on their credit data sourced from TransUnion. Furthermore, it offers extensive background checks that include credit history, criminal background, and eviction records for potential tenants. With a commitment to FCRA compliance, TransUnion SmartMove guarantees that the tenant screening process adheres to legal standards, protecting both landlords and applicants. By utilizing these insights, you can better assess the suitability of prospective tenants before finalizing any lease agreements. Fast Report Turnaround With reliable tenant insights in hand, landlords often seek not just thoroughness but also speed in the tenant screening process. TransUnion SmartMove stands out in this area, offering fast report turnaround times that typically deliver results within minutes to a few hours. Here’s what you can expect: Instant Access: Gain immediate insights into your prospective tenants. ResidentScore: Understand eviction likelihood, aiding in informed decisions. Direct Credit Data: Access accurate financial histories from TransUnion. Cost-Effective: Pay only for the reports you need, with no subscription fees. Furthermore, SmartMove complies with FCRA regulations, ensuring you receive legally sound screening solutions. This combination of speed and accuracy makes it a top choice for landlords. Best for Comprehensive Background Checks: GoodHire GoodHire stands out as a top choice for thorough background checks due to its structured pricing tiers and broad search options. You can select from multiple tiers to fit your needs. Tier Price Features Basic $29.99 Social Security trace, national criminal search Fundamental $54.99 Unlimited county criminal searches Complete $89.99 Unlimited state and federal criminal searches GoodHire’s platform is compliant with FCRA regulations, which helps mitigate legal risks for employers. Furthermore, it seamlessly integrates with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and HR information systems, streamlining your hiring process. With these all-encompassing options, you can guarantee thorough vetting for potential hires, giving you confidence in your hiring decisions. Whether you’re a small business or a larger organization, GoodHire offers a reliable solution for your background check needs. Best for Employment Screening: Checkr Checkr is widely regarded as the leading solution for employment screening, particularly for gig and marketplace companies. This platform thrives in streamlining the background screening process through its innovative AI-powered technology. Here are some key features that make Checkr stand out: Transparent Tracking: You can easily monitor the status of background checks, ensuring you’re always informed about the process. Multi-Language Support: Checkr accommodates a diverse range of applicants and employers by offering services in multiple languages. User-Friendly Design: Although turnaround times may be longer than some competitors, the intuitive interface simplifies the hiring process. Compliance Features: Checkr adheres to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), providing legal protections for employers during screenings. With these features, Checkr offers a reliable and efficient solution for employment background checks, making it a top choice in the industry. Best for Quick Reports: Backgrounds Online When time is of the essence in the hiring process, Backgrounds Online emerges as a top choice for quick reports. Priced at just $19.95, their national criminal background checks offer a budget-friendly option without compromising speed. With 90% of reports delivered within 1-4 business days, you can trust that you’ll receive timely results, vital for making informed hiring decisions. There are no setup fees or contracts, meaning you only pay for the reports you need, free from hidden charges. Furthermore, Backgrounds Online improves accuracy with Social Security number validation and trace, ensuring reliable checks. The platform is designed for user-friendliness, allowing for free and instant account setup, making it accessible for both employers and individuals. If you need quick, reliable background checks without unnecessary complications, Backgrounds Online is an excellent choice. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Most Trusted Background Check Site? When looking for a trusted background check site, consider options like TruthFinder and GoodHire. TruthFinder offers detailed reports, making it a strong choice for thorough checks. GoodHire is FCRA-compliant, ensuring your screening process adheres to legal standards, which is essential for employers. For budget-friendly searches, BeenVerified provides unlimited reports. Which Background Check Is Legit? To find a legitimate background check service, you should look for providers that comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Trusted companies like GoodHire and Checkr offer detailed reports, including criminal history and employment verification. Check for transparent pricing to avoid hidden fees. Furthermore, read customer reviews to assess their accuracy and reliability. You can likewise request your own background report to verify the information and dispute inaccuracies if necessary. Is There a Free Alternative to Truthfinder? Although there isn’t a direct free substitute to TruthFinder that matches its depth, you can explore some options. Services like BeenVerified and Spokeo offer limited free trials, but access to extensive reports usually requires payment. On the other hand, you can check public records through government websites at no cost, though this demands more time and effort. Keep in mind that free searches often provide basic information, lacking the thoroughness of paid services. Is Truthfinder Actually Free? TruthFinder isn’t actually free. Although it offers a free trial, you’ll need to provide payment information and can incur charges if you don’t cancel before the trial ends. The service operates on a subscription model, requiring monthly payments for access to detailed reports. Furthermore, users face extra fees for downloading reports. TruthFinder has likewise faced criticism regarding the accuracy of its reports, which raises concerns about the reliability of the information provided. Conclusion In conclusion, choosing the right background check service can greatly affect your hiring or tenant screening process. Services like BeenVerified and Spokeo offer affordability and reliability, whereas Instant Checkmate provides unlimited reporting options. For tenant screenings, TransUnion SmartMove stands out, and GoodHire excels in thorough checks. If you’re focused on employment screening, Checkr is a solid choice, whereas Backgrounds Online delivers quick reports. By evaluating these options, you can find a trustworthy service that meets your specific needs. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Cheapest Background Check Services You Can Trust" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When you need a reliable background check service without overspending, several options stand out. Services like BeenVerified and Spokeo offer extensive records at competitive prices. If you’re looking for unlimited reports, Instant Checkmate might fit the bill. For tenant screenings, TransUnion SmartMove provides unique analytics, whereas GoodHire caters to employment needs with FCRA compliance. Curious about which service aligns best with your specific requirements? Let’s explore the details further. Key Takeaways Backgrounds Online offers national criminal checks at $19.95, delivering reports quickly and without setup fees or contracts, ensuring affordability. GoodHire provides flexible pricing tiers starting at $29.99, meeting various needs while maintaining compliance with FCRA regulations. Spokeo features unlimited searches for $29.95 monthly, allowing access to extensive public records, although detailed criminal reports incur additional fees. Instant Checkmate is ideal for frequent users, providing unlimited report access for a monthly fee, making it cost-effective for regular background checks. BeenVerified offers a 1 Month Membership at $36.89, allowing up to 100 reports, though it may lack pricing transparency for occasional users. Best Overall: BeenVerified If you’re looking for a reliable and affordable background check service, BeenVerified stands out as the best overall option. With a 1 Month Membership priced at $36.89, you gain access to various reports, making it a budget-friendly choice for thorough background checks. For those needing multiple reports, the 3 Month Membership at $71.94 allows access to up to 100 reports per month, which can greatly lower the background screening cost per report. While you might wonder, “how much does a background check cost?” BeenVerified’s prices are competitive in the market. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that the service’s pricing may lack transparency, particularly with initial low-cost trials that could be misleading. The platform covers various searches, from vehicle history to public records, and features a user-friendly interface for easy access to information. Just keep in mind that some specific data, like criminal records, may incur additional fees. Best for Budget-Friendly Searches: Spokeo If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option for background searches, Spokeo might be the perfect fit for you. With a monthly membership priced at $29.95, you gain access to extensive public records and social media profiles, making it easy to reconnect with friends or gather information on multiple individuals. The platform is user-friendly, allowing you to perform unlimited searches without breaking the bank, as well as offering additional paid options for more detailed reports. Affordable Membership Options When searching for affordable background check services, Spokeo stands out as an excellent option for budget-conscious users. With a membership priced at $29.95 per month, you can run numerous searches without overspending. If you only need occasional reports, individual search options are likewise available. Membership Option Cost Monthly Membership $29.95 Individual Search Varies Spokeo provides access to various public records, including names, addresses, and social media profiles. Although it’s one of the cheapest background check services available, keep in mind that additional fees may apply for detailed criminal records. Knowing how much it costs to run a background check with Spokeo allows you to plan your background verification cost effectively. Extensive Public Records Access Spokeo offers an extensive range of public records access that makes it an ideal choice for budget-conscious individuals seeking background checks. For just $29.95 a month, you can explore a variety of records, including names, addresses, and social media profiles. If you don’t need a full membership, Spokeo allows you to pay for individual searches, making it flexible based on your needs. During your consideration of how much is a background check, this service provides a cost-effective solution. Furthermore, reports can include criminal records and offenses, though accessing thorough criminal data may incur extra fees. With a user-friendly interface, you can easily navigate and obtain the information you need without extensive effort. Best for Unlimited Reports: Instant Checkmate For those who frequently require background checks, Instant Checkmate stands out as a top choice owing to its unlimited report access for a monthly fee. This service is particularly cost-effective for users who need ongoing access to multiple reports. You can expect thorough criminal information, including inmate searches and detailed personal history reports, making it a robust tool for extensive research. Its user-friendly interface allows for easy navigation, ensuring that even those without technical expertise can find the information they need. Nonetheless, it’s important to note that Instant Checkmate doesn’t offer single-report purchases, which may be a limitation for occasional users seeking specific details. Additionally, the platform has faced scrutiny, including a penalty from the FTC in 2023 for deceptive business practices, underscoring the necessity for transparency. Best for Tenant Screenings: TransUnion SmartMove In terms of tenant screenings, TransUnion SmartMove stands out by providing thorough insights that help you assess potential renters effectively. This service features a unique ResidentScore, which predicts the likelihood of eviction, enabling you to make informed decisions. Furthermore, TransUnion pulls credit data directly from TransUnion, ensuring that you receive accurate and reliable information quickly, all through an easy-to-use interface. Comprehensive Tenant Insights If you’re a landlord seeking reliable tenant screening options, TransUnion SmartMove stands out as a top choice for thorough tenant insights. This service specializes in providing landlords with crucial information to make informed leasing decisions. SmartMove features ResidentScore, an innovative tool that predicts a tenant’s likelihood of eviction based on their credit data sourced from TransUnion. Furthermore, it offers extensive background checks that include credit history, criminal background, and eviction records for potential tenants. With a commitment to FCRA compliance, TransUnion SmartMove guarantees that the tenant screening process adheres to legal standards, protecting both landlords and applicants. By utilizing these insights, you can better assess the suitability of prospective tenants before finalizing any lease agreements. Fast Report Turnaround With reliable tenant insights in hand, landlords often seek not just thoroughness but also speed in the tenant screening process. TransUnion SmartMove stands out in this area, offering fast report turnaround times that typically deliver results within minutes to a few hours. Here’s what you can expect: Instant Access: Gain immediate insights into your prospective tenants. ResidentScore: Understand eviction likelihood, aiding in informed decisions. Direct Credit Data: Access accurate financial histories from TransUnion. Cost-Effective: Pay only for the reports you need, with no subscription fees. Furthermore, SmartMove complies with FCRA regulations, ensuring you receive legally sound screening solutions. This combination of speed and accuracy makes it a top choice for landlords. Best for Comprehensive Background Checks: GoodHire GoodHire stands out as a top choice for thorough background checks due to its structured pricing tiers and broad search options. You can select from multiple tiers to fit your needs. Tier Price Features Basic $29.99 Social Security trace, national criminal search Fundamental $54.99 Unlimited county criminal searches Complete $89.99 Unlimited state and federal criminal searches GoodHire’s platform is compliant with FCRA regulations, which helps mitigate legal risks for employers. Furthermore, it seamlessly integrates with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and HR information systems, streamlining your hiring process. With these all-encompassing options, you can guarantee thorough vetting for potential hires, giving you confidence in your hiring decisions. Whether you’re a small business or a larger organization, GoodHire offers a reliable solution for your background check needs. Best for Employment Screening: Checkr Checkr is widely regarded as the leading solution for employment screening, particularly for gig and marketplace companies. This platform thrives in streamlining the background screening process through its innovative AI-powered technology. Here are some key features that make Checkr stand out: Transparent Tracking: You can easily monitor the status of background checks, ensuring you’re always informed about the process. Multi-Language Support: Checkr accommodates a diverse range of applicants and employers by offering services in multiple languages. User-Friendly Design: Although turnaround times may be longer than some competitors, the intuitive interface simplifies the hiring process. Compliance Features: Checkr adheres to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), providing legal protections for employers during screenings. With these features, Checkr offers a reliable and efficient solution for employment background checks, making it a top choice in the industry. Best for Quick Reports: Backgrounds Online When time is of the essence in the hiring process, Backgrounds Online emerges as a top choice for quick reports. Priced at just $19.95, their national criminal background checks offer a budget-friendly option without compromising speed. With 90% of reports delivered within 1-4 business days, you can trust that you’ll receive timely results, vital for making informed hiring decisions. There are no setup fees or contracts, meaning you only pay for the reports you need, free from hidden charges. Furthermore, Backgrounds Online improves accuracy with Social Security number validation and trace, ensuring reliable checks. The platform is designed for user-friendliness, allowing for free and instant account setup, making it accessible for both employers and individuals. If you need quick, reliable background checks without unnecessary complications, Backgrounds Online is an excellent choice. Frequently Asked Questions What Is the Most Trusted Background Check Site? When looking for a trusted background check site, consider options like TruthFinder and GoodHire. TruthFinder offers detailed reports, making it a strong choice for thorough checks. GoodHire is FCRA-compliant, ensuring your screening process adheres to legal standards, which is essential for employers. For budget-friendly searches, BeenVerified provides unlimited reports. Which Background Check Is Legit? To find a legitimate background check service, you should look for providers that comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Trusted companies like GoodHire and Checkr offer detailed reports, including criminal history and employment verification. Check for transparent pricing to avoid hidden fees. Furthermore, read customer reviews to assess their accuracy and reliability. You can likewise request your own background report to verify the information and dispute inaccuracies if necessary. Is There a Free Alternative to Truthfinder? Although there isn’t a direct free substitute to TruthFinder that matches its depth, you can explore some options. Services like BeenVerified and Spokeo offer limited free trials, but access to extensive reports usually requires payment. On the other hand, you can check public records through government websites at no cost, though this demands more time and effort. Keep in mind that free searches often provide basic information, lacking the thoroughness of paid services. Is Truthfinder Actually Free? TruthFinder isn’t actually free. Although it offers a free trial, you’ll need to provide payment information and can incur charges if you don’t cancel before the trial ends. The service operates on a subscription model, requiring monthly payments for access to detailed reports. Furthermore, users face extra fees for downloading reports. TruthFinder has likewise faced criticism regarding the accuracy of its reports, which raises concerns about the reliability of the information provided. Conclusion In conclusion, choosing the right background check service can greatly affect your hiring or tenant screening process. Services like BeenVerified and Spokeo offer affordability and reliability, whereas Instant Checkmate provides unlimited reporting options. For tenant screenings, TransUnion SmartMove stands out, and GoodHire excels in thorough checks. If you’re focused on employment screening, Checkr is a solid choice, whereas Backgrounds Online delivers quick reports. By evaluating these options, you can find a trustworthy service that meets your specific needs. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "7 Cheapest Background Check Services You Can Trust" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Market Financial Solutions was complying with rules, law firm reported to UK regulatorView the full article

Carriers that departed from the Middle East before Iran’s missile attacks began are due to arrive in the next 10 daysView the full article

Anthropic’s survey of 80,000 Claude users provides detailed snapshot of how people are using technologyView the full article

Rolls-Royce is latest of more than a dozen groups to change course as demand for petrol engines persistsView the full article

Self-proclaimed stoics who denounce self-examination only prove the bankruptcy of the tech bro worldviewView the full article

Scout Motors’ distinct identity is a radical move for Volkswagen, but it faces stiff dealer oppositionView the full article

Barrister Anthony Searle is part of a generation using new tools in the courtsView the full article

Tokyo frustrated by funding hold-ups that are preventing the signing of a development contractView the full article

Regulators crack down after trading in ‘toxic’ small-cap stocks from China inflicted losses on US investorsView the full article

Young women still lean to the left but male youth is more rightwing than it has been for decadesView the full article

US president who pledged to end America’s forever wars has started another Middle East conflict with no easy off-rampsView the full article

Some operators refuelling outside region to minimise time spent on the ground View the full article