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Bill Gates thinks climate change is a serious problem but it won’t be the end of civilization. He thinks scientific innovation will curb it, and it’s instead time for a “strategic pivot” in the global climate fight: from focusing on limiting rising temperatures to fighting poverty and preventing disease. A doomsday outlook has led the climate community to focus too much on near-term goals to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that cause warming, diverting resources from the most effective things that can be done to improve life in a warming world, Gates said. In a memo released Tuesday, Gates said the world’s primary goal should instead be to prevent suffering, particularly for those in the toughest conditions in the world’s poorest countries. If given a choice between eradicating malaria and a tenth of a degree increase in warming, Gates told reporters, “I’ll let the temperature go up 0.1 degree to get rid of malaria. People don’t understand the suffering that exists today.” The Microsoft co-founder spends most of his time now on the goals of the Gates Foundation, which has poured tens of billions of dollars into health care, education and development initiatives worldwide, including combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. He started Breakthrough Energy in 2015 to speed up innovation in clean energy. He wrote his 17-page memo hoping to have an impact on next month’s United Nations climate change conference in Brazil. He’s urging world leaders to ask whether the little money designated for climate is being spent on the right things. Gates, whose foundation provides financial support for Associated Press coverage of health and development in Africa, is influential in the climate change conversation. He expects his “tough truths about climate” memo will be controversial. “If you think climate is not important, you won’t agree with the memo. If you think climate is the only cause and apocalyptic, you won’t agree with the memo,” Gates said during a roundtable discussion with reporters ahead of the release. “It’s kind of this pragmatic view of somebody who’s, you know, trying to maximize the money and the innovation that goes to help in these poor countries.” Climate scientists say every fraction of a degree of warming matters Every bit of additional warming correlates to more extreme weather, risks species extinction and brings the world closer to crossing tipping points where changes become irreversible, scientists say. University of Washington public health and climate scientist Kristie Ebi said she thoroughly agrees with Gates that the U.N. negotiations should focus on improving human health and well-being. But, she said, Gates assumes the world stays static and only one variable changes — faster deployment of green technologies — to curb climate change. She called that unlikely. Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, called the memo “pointless, vague, unhelpful and confusing.” “There is no reason to pit poverty reduction versus climate transformation. Both are utterly feasible, and readily so, if the Big Oil lobby is brought under control,” he wrote in an email. Stanford University climate scientist Chris Field said there is room for a healthy discussion about whether the current framing of the climate crisis is typically too pessimistic. “But we should also invest for both the long term and the short term,” he wrote in an email. “A vibrant long-term future depends on both tackling climate change and supporting human development.” Princeton University climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer said he doesn’t dispute the principle of making human well-being the primary objective of policy, but what about the natural world? “Climate change is already wreaking havoc there,” he wrote in an email. “Can we truly live in a technological bubble? Do we want to?” Gates is clear in his memo that every tenth of a degree of warming matters: “A stable climate makes it easier to improve people’s lives.” Carbon dioxide pollution is increasing A decade ago, the world agreed in a historic pact known as the Paris agreement to try to limit human-caused warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times. The goal: to stave off nastier heat waves, wildfires, storms and droughts. In a 2021 book, Gates laid out a plan for reducing emissions to avoid a climate disaster. But humans are on track to release so much greenhouse gas by early 2028 that scientists say crossing that 1.5-degree threshold is now nearly unavoidable. Breakthrough Energy focuses on areas where the cost of doing something cleanly is much higher than the polluting way, such as making clean steel and cement. Gates concluded his memo by saying governments should work toward driving this difference to zero, and be rigorous about measuring the impact of every effort in the world’s climate agenda. Gates is optimistic innovation will curb climate change Gates said the pace of innovation in clean energy has been faster than he expected, allowing cheap solar and wind energy to replace coal, oil and natural gas plants for electricity and averting worst-case warming scenarios. Artificial intelligence is helping accelerate advances in clean energy technologies, he added. At the same time, money to help developing countries adapt to climate change is shrinking. Led by the United States, rich countries are cutting their foreign aid budgets. President Donald The President has called climate change a hoax. Gates criticized the aid cuts. He said Gavi, a public-private partnership started by his philanthropic foundation that buys vaccines, will have 25% less money for the next five years compared to the past five years. Gavi can save a life for a little more than $1,000, he added. Vaccines become even more important in a warming world because children who aren’t dying of measles or whooping cough will be more likely to survive when a heat wave hits or a drought threatens the local food supply, he wrote. Health and prosperity are the best defense against climate change, Gates said, citing research from the University of Chicago Climate Impact Lab that found projected deaths from climate change fall by more than 50% when accounting for the expected economic growth over the rest of this century. Under these circumstances, he thinks the bar must be “very high” for what’s funded with aid money. “If you have something that gets rid of 10,000 tons of emissions, that you’re spending several million dollars on,” he said, “that just doesn’t make the cut.” AP Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. —Jennifer McDermott, Associated Press View the full article

Recently, there has been a rise in reports from consumers that some physical retail stores are running low on pennies, making it difficult for cashiers to give customers exact change. This week, many social media users reported that one of America’s largest grocery store chains, Kroger, was asking customers to use exact change. This has led many to wonder if there is a national penny shortage. The answer is more complex than just a simple yes or no. Here’s what you need to know. What’s happened? Numerous reports this week said customers at Kroger stores were greeted with signs asking them to provide exact change when paying in cash. Among the reports was one from the Cincinnati Enquirer, which said that these signs were posted at the company’s 103 stores in the Cincinnati/Dayton Division. “The U.S. Treasury has stopped production of pennies, which is now impacting supply,” the signs read. “If using cash for payment, please consider providing exact change.” Reached for comment by Fast Company, a Kroger spokesperson confirmed the move. “We continue to assess the impact of the U.S. Treasury’s decision to end penny production,” the spokesperson said. These signs, along with a growing number of other reports on social media, have contributed to speculation about an American penny shortage. Is there a penny shortage? Without a doubt, the availability of the penny seems to be decreasing. However, according to the American Bakers Association (ABA), there isn’t currently a “penny shortage” in the traditional sense. Rather, there is a slowing of the circulation of pennies throughout America’s banks and retailers. And there’s a reason for this. In February, President The President announced on Truth Social that he had instructed U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to stop producing new pennies. “For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” The President wrote, adding, “Let’s rip the waste out of our great nations budget, even if it’s a penny at a time.” And the Treasury did as The President instructed. As the ABA notes, the U.S Mint, which is responsible for minting America’s currency, “reportedly stopped production and delivered their last shipment of new pennies in August.” That means no new pennies have been minted in two months. Still, the ABA estimates that there are about 250 billion pennies still in circulation. So why are they reportedly getting harder to come across? It’s because many people don’t like carrying around the 1-cent coins. They take up too much space in a wallet or purse, so people just tend to leave them in drawers, jars, or car cupholders. This means that, unlike most dollar bills, a significant amount of the existing pennies that are out there don’t reenter circulation. When no new pennies are being minted, and enough existing pennies aren’t reentering circulation, it can lead to an absence of an adequate amount of change at banks and in cash registers. This is responsible for the “penny shortage” some retailers and customers are now beginning to see. Why does The President want to get rid of the penny? It’s not just The President who wants to get rid of the penny. A YouGov poll from earlier this year found that more Americans now support eliminating the coin rather than saving it. Pennies can be inconvenient. You need need a hundred of them or more just to buy something simple, like a can of soda. And carrying a hundred pennies around in a purse, wallet, or pocket can be cumbersome. As for The President, he is correct that the penny coin actually costs more than 1-cent to make. A 2024 report from the U.S. Mint revealed that the U.S. government lost more than $83 million in 2024 producing the penny. This is because though the penny has a face value of only 1-cent, it had a total unit cost of $0.0369 per coin in 2024. That’s over 3.5x its face value. In other words, the penny is both disliked by some consumers and doesn’t make financial sense from a minting standpoint. No wonder so many people want to see it go. Can The President actually kill the penny? While the U.S. Treasury and U.S. Mint have followed The President’s instructions to stop producing the penny, the penny remains legal tender in America. And most experts seem to agree that The President can’t just end the penny’s life by dictate. As New York Magazine noted in May, killing off the penny likely requires an act of Congress, since Congress controls the specifications of America’s currency. However, both houses of Congress have reportedly introduced bills to kill off the penny since The President issued his decree. The ABA itself notes that the decision to eliminate the penny “lies with Congress and the President, as the Constitution gives Congress the authority to coin money.” But it adds that “The banking industry is prepared to support whatever policy is enacted and will ensure a smooth transition if the penny is officially phased out.” Can I still get exact change if there are no pennies available? Given that so many items in America are priced at one penny short of a whole dollar—before tax—it’s no surprise that if there is a penny shortage, stores may have trouble giving consumers their exact change. But if this is indeed the case, the ABA says that “banks and retailers may temporarily round cash transactions to the nearest five cents” since nickels are widely available. This means the customer may save a few cents—or pay a few cents more—depending on which way the rounding goes. However, the price of online transactions, as they are all electronic, shouldn’t be impacted at all. View the full article

Microsoft Project Standard is designed for teams and individuals managing complex workflows, helping users organize schedules, allocate resources and oversee progress in one platform. It’s ideal for professionals who need structure without needing cloud collaboration. With Microsoft Project Standard, users can easily create project timelines, balance workloads and ensure deadlines are met efficiently, making it a reliable solution for businesses that want streamlined project management and enhanced visibility across their operations. What Is Microsoft Project Standard? Microsoft Project Standard is a desktop-based project management tool designed for creating schedules, assigning tasks and tracking progress with precision. Microsoft Project Standard is part of the Microsoft Project suite and caters to users who need strong planning and organizational tools without cloud-based collaboration. The platform includes Gantt charts, task lists, calendars and basic resource allocation features. As a standalone version, it’s ideal for project managers who prefer working offline while maintaining control over timelines and dependencies. While Microsoft Project Standard provides powerful scheduling and tracking tools, it lacks many modern features available in cloud-based software. It doesn’t include built-in collaboration tools, real-time dashboards or kanban boards that enable fast visual management. ProjectManager complements and enhances Microsoft Project Standard by offering online access, team collaboration, dynamic dashboards and AI-powered reporting that bring projects to life and keep everyone updated, no matter where they work. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ms-project-pm-integration.pngLearn more Microsoft Project Standard Pricing Plans Microsoft Project Standard 2024 is a one-time purchase desktop application priced at $679.99. This version is best suited for individuals or smaller teams that need essential project management tools without cloud collaboration or advanced integrations. Microsoft Project Standard offers the core functionality required to plan, schedule and track projects within a local environment. It is part of the broader Microsoft Project suite, providing structured project organization and timeline management. Project Standard 2024 includes Gantt charts, task lists, dependencies and basic reporting features for project tracking. It also supports automated scheduling, resource allocation and customizable views for managing deliverables. However, unlike Microsoft Project Professional, it doesn’t integrate directly with Microsoft 365, Project Online or Project Server. This makes it ideal for offline use but less suitable for teams that rely on real-time updates and collaboration tools. While Microsoft Project Standard delivers reliable project planning and scheduling capabilities, it lacks the dynamic collaboration, reporting and dashboard features modern teams expect. ProjectManager solves these limitations by offering multiple project views, including Gantt, kanban, calendar and sheet, plus automated dashboards, AI-powered reporting and resource workload tracking. It imports and exports Microsoft Project Standard files seamlessly, enabling teams to manage projects, resources and costs in real time—all in one platform. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Gantt-CTA-2025.jpgLearn more Of course, there is more than one way to manage a project with software. There are, in fact, many products on the market, of which Microsoft Project Standard is one of many. The truth is, there are many better options. However, that’s for readers to decide. For them to make a decision based on feature, price, etc., we’ll take a deeper look at Microsoft Project Standard. Microsoft Project Standard Views Microsoft Project Standard 2024 is a powerful desktop tool designed for planning, scheduling and tracking projects on a single PC. It provides a complete set of core views to help project managers visualize work, timelines and resource usage. Although it lacks enterprise collaboration options found in the Professional edition, it delivers all the essential visualization tools required for effective project control and communication. The following list highlights the primary views available in Microsoft Project Standard 2024, showing how users can analyze schedules, monitor progress and manage resources from different perspectives. Gantt Chart View: Displays tasks, durations, dependencies and timelines using bars on a timescale. Grid (Task Sheet) View: Lists tasks in a table format for easy editing, grouping and filtering. Network Diagram View: Presents tasks as nodes linked by dependencies to visualize project flow. Calendar View: Shows tasks and milestones arranged by day, week, or month. Timeline View: Provides a concise, high-level summary of project phases and milestones. Resource Sheet View: Lists project resources with cost rates, availability and assignment limits. Resource Usage View: Displays how each resource’s work is distributed across tasks over time. Resource Graph View: Graphically represents resource workloads and availability. (All views listed are documented on Microsoft Support under “Overview of Project Views” and related official help pages.) Related: What Is Microsoft Project Professional? Uses, Features and Pricing Microsoft Project Standard Features Microsoft Project Standard 2024 offers essential scheduling, costing and reporting capabilities for individual project managers. It’s ideal for users who need robust planning and tracking tools without multi-user or enterprise integration. While it omits features such as SharePoint coauthoring, Team Planner and timesheets, it includes all the functionality needed to create structured project plans, track progress, and manage resources efficiently. The following list summarizes the key features available in Microsoft Project Standard 2024: Gantt charts for visualizing project timelines and dependencies Automated scheduling with task links, constraints and lead/lag times Critical path and milestone tracking to monitor schedule performance Baseline and variance analysis to measure actual versus planned progress Resource and cost management tools for workload balancing Visual reports and charts for task, cost and progress tracking Multiple timelines for summarizing project phases and milestones Integration with Excel and Word for data export and reporting Local file storage for standalone use without online dependencies Pre-built templates for common project types What Is Microsoft Project Standard Used For? Microsoft Project Standard is used for planning, scheduling and managing projects of all sizes. It helps project managers organize tasks, define dependencies and allocate resources efficiently without relying on cloud-based systems. The software is ideal for businesses that need to create structured project plans, monitor timelines and maintain control over budgets and deliverables. Microsoft Project Standard enables users to visualize progress through detailed Gantt charts, generate reports and ensure every phase of a project stays aligned with its objectives. Related: Microsoft Project Online: Pros, Cons and Best Alternatives Pros and Cons of Microsoft Project Standard Microsoft Project Standard offers strong project scheduling and tracking features, but also comes with limitations depending on a team’s needs and workflow. It’s a dependable desktop solution for structured project management, yet it lacks the flexibility and collaboration tools found in modern cloud-based platforms. Below are the main pros and cons of Microsoft Project Standard to help determine if it fits your organization’s requirements. Pros of Microsoft Project Standard Provides detailed Gantt charts for visual project scheduling Includes automated task dependencies and timeline management Offers customizable reports for tracking progress and budgets Works offline without requiring cloud access Integrates easily with other Microsoft Office applications like Excel and Outlook Supports resource allocation and workload balancing features Ideal for project managers who prefer traditional desktop-based tools Cons of Microsoft Project Standard Lacks real-time collaboration or cloud sharing options Does not integrate with Project Online or Project Server Requires manual updates for reporting and progress tracking Steep learning curve compared to modern web-based tools No mobile app support for on-the-go project updates Limited dashboard and visualization options for executives Higher upfront cost due to one-time license purchase ProjectManager Is the Best Microsoft Project Alternative ProjectManager is a modern project management platform with AI project insights that offers all the planning, scheduling and tracking tools found in Microsoft Project Standard while adding cloud-based collaboration, real-time dashboards and intuitive interfaces. It eliminates the need for complex desktop setups and provides teams with a single platform to manage multiple projects, resources and timelines efficiently. With our software, project managers gain better visibility, control and flexibility without being tied to a traditional desktop application. Learn more about how our dynamic software outperforms Microsoft Project Standard. Use Superior Resource Management Tools ProjectManager offers more advanced and intuitive resource management tools compared to Microsoft Project Standard. Its workload charts provide a visual overview of team capacity, highlighting over-allocated or underutilized members in real time. The team page allows managers to view their team on a daily or weekly basis, filtered by progress or priority and updated tasks without leaving the page. Unlike Project Standard, which relies on manual adjustments and desktop-only views, our software enables dynamic reallocation, balancing workloads across multiple projects effortlessly and improving overall efficiency and accountability. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Team-Light-2554x1372-1.png Track Projects and Resources Effectively With ProjectManager, managers can track projects using interactive dashboards, Gantt charts and customizable reports powered by AI to provide real-time analysis and recommendations. Secure timesheets and cost tracking ensure labor is monitored accurately, and with the mobile app, teams can update their status from the job site, production floor or anywhere. This combination of tracking, reporting and resource oversight makes our software a better alternative to Microsoft Project Standard for teams that need both efficiency and insight. /wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AI-Insights-Light-Mode-Dashboard-GPT5.png Microsoft Project Standard FAQs Here are answers to some of the most common questions about Microsoft Project Standard. This FAQ section covers cost, licensing options, differences from other Microsoft Project versions and availability, helping users understand what Microsoft Project Standard offers and whether it meets their project management needs. Is Microsoft Project Standard Free? No, Microsoft Project Standard is not free. It is a one-time purchase desktop application that requires a paid license. The software provides a robust set of project management tools for planning, scheduling and tracking, but it does not offer a free version for casual or trial use. Are there any Microsoft Project Standard Subscription-Based Licenses? No, Microsoft Project Standard is only available as a one-time purchase. Subscription-based options are available for Microsoft Project Professional and Project Online, but Microsoft Project Standard is a standalone desktop application with a perpetual license rather than a recurring subscription. Is Microsoft Project Standard the Same as Microsoft Project? Microsoft Project Standard is part of the broader Microsoft Project suite, but it isn’t the same as the general Microsoft Project platform. Microsoft Project refers to the suite as a whole, which includes Standard, Professional and cloud-based versions. Project Standard offers essential planning tools without advanced collaboration features. Is Microsoft Project Standard the Same as Microsoft Project Professional? No, Microsoft Project Standard and Microsoft Project Professional differ in features and capabilities. Project Professional includes cloud collaboration, integration with Project Online and Project Server and advanced resource management tools. Project Standard focuses on offline project planning and scheduling without these enhanced features. Is Microsoft Project Standard a Desktop-Based Software? Yes, Microsoft Project Standard is a desktop-based application. It is installed locally on a computer, allowing users to plan, schedule and manage projects offline without relying on internet connectivity or cloud services. Is Microsoft Project Standard Available Online? No, Microsoft Project Standard is not available as an online or cloud-based tool. It’s designed for offline desktop use, unlike Project Online or Project Professional, which provide web-based access, real-time collaboration and integration with Microsoft 365 services. Related Microsoft Project Content There are many reasons to choose ProjectManager over Microsoft Project Standard and even its other project management tools. For readers who want to learn more, check out the links below that go into detail about Microsoft Project alternatives, solutions for Mac users and much more. 20 Best Microsoft Project Alternatives: Free & Paid Options What Is Microsoft Project Professional? Uses, Features and Pricing 6 Free & Open-Source Microsoft Project Alternatives: Ranked Microsoft Project Gantt Chart: A How-to Guide With Pros & Cons Microsoft Project: Plans, Training and How to Download 10 Top Microsoft Project Management Software, Apps & Tools Microsoft Project for Mac: How to Run MS Project Files on Mac ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams, whether they’re in the office or out in the field. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post What Is Microsoft Project Standard? Uses, Features and Pricing appeared first on ProjectManager. 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A reader writes: I wonder if you could offer your perspective on something I’ve been wondering about for a long time now. When I was 16 years old, I got my first job. The culture was one that I now recognize as abusive, and teen employees were regularly taken advantage of in some awful ways. At the time, though, it was my only experience with the professional world, and I assumed that much of it was normal. I had excellent attendance and was always on time, but on one particular day, I was extremely sick — could-not-get-out-of-bed sick. (I would later find out I had scarlet fever, so extremely contagious and potentially dangerous.) I was scheduled to work that day, so I called in sick for the first time. When I told my boss I was unwell and asked to stay home sick, he loudly mocked me on the phone to other employees and customers. “Joelle says she wants to stay home today. Wouldn’t you have liked to do that? But you came in anyway, didn’t you?” to anyone who would listen. He told me he expected me to come in. Although I definitely shouldn’t have, I felt powerless and intimidated and somehow dragged myself out of bed. On my way out the door, I explained what had just happened to my parents, who were shocked that I was going to work. Later on during my shift, I was called into my boss’s office. He was furious with me. Apparently, my parents had called corporate to complain about his behavior (and it sounded like his boss had just laid into him). He chastised me for getting my parents to fight my battles for me. I apologized profusely and assured him that I hadn’t asked them to do that and had no idea that they had. I was mortified. Now, I’m torn. On the one hand, parents should not interfere with their child’s work. On the other hand, his behavior was truly abusive and potentially put others in danger by intimidating sick me into going to work, and I was far too timid as a minor to have pushed back in any meaningful way on my own. How should my parents have responded? I can’t take issue with what your parents did! I wouldn’t encourage parents to call their teenage kids’ employers on their behalf, let alone to lay into their teenager’s boss’s boss, but I have to applaud them in this case. To be clear, ideally your parents would have stopped you when you were walking out the door and told you not to go into work when you were that sick and then, once you were feeling better, coached you on how to deal with a boss like this — including what is and isn’t okay for an employer to expect and how to handle it when you’re treated the way your boss treated you. That’s the most helpful way to do it, because that teaches the teenager how to handle this stuff themselves. But it’s also true that an adult in a position of power had just shamed their teenager into going to work with scarlet fever and they were rightly pissed off. I can’t blame them for switching away from “parent of employee” mode and into just “parent” mode. Parents shouldn’t get involved with the minutiae of their kid’s job, like calling to ask for a schedule change or complaining about an assignment. But sometimes a situation is egregious enough that it’s not unreasonable for a minor’s parent to get involved. And you were still a minor. I’m okay with it. The post my parents called my abusive boss to complain appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

U.S. President Donald The President lavished praise on Japan’s first female leader Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo on Tuesday, welcoming her pledge to accelerate a military buildup and signing deals on trade and rare earths. Takaichi, a protegee of The President’s late friend and golfing buddy Japanese leader Shinzo Abe, applauded The President’s push to resolve global conflicts, vowing to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, according to The President’s spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt. Both governments released a list of projects in the areas of energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals in which Japanese companies are eyeing investments of up to $400 billion in the U.S. Tokyo pledged to provide $550 billion of strategic U.S. investments, loans and guarantees earlier this year as part of a deal to win a reprieve from The President’s punishing import tariffs. Those gestures may temper any The President demands for Tokyo to spend more towards its security in the face of an increasingly assertive China, calls that Takaichi sought to head off by promising to fast-track plans to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP. “Everything I know from Shinzo and others, you will be one of the great prime ministers,” The President told Takaichi as they sat down to discussions, accompanied by their delegations, at Tokyo’s Akasaka Palace. “I’d also like to congratulate you on being the first woman prime minister. It’s a big deal,” The President added. TAKAICHI INVOKES ABE LEGACY Takaichi repeatedly referred to Abe’s affection for The President and gifted him the former prime minister’s putter encased in glass, a golf bag signed by Japanese major winner Hideki Matsuyama and a gold-leaf golf ball, photographs posted on X by The President’s assistant Margo Martin show. Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, was the first foreign leader to meet The President after his 2016 election victory and the two went on to forge a close bond over several rounds of golf in the United States and Japan. Over a lunch of U.S. rice and beef, and vegetables from Takaichi’s hometown of Nara, she presented The President with a map of major investments Japanese firms have made in the United States since his last visit in 2019. Japanese companies on the list of possible future investors included Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Softbank, Hitachi, Murata Manufacturing and Panasonic, among others. Japanese carmaker Toyota would also open auto plants in the United States to the tune of $10 billion, The President said. Toyota did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DEAL ON CRITICAL MINERALS The President praised Japan’s efforts to buy more U.S. defense equipment, while Takaichi said his role in securing ceasefires between Cambodia and Thailand, and Israel and Palestinian militants, was an “unprecedented” achievement. They signed a deal to bolster supplies of critical minerals and rare earths, as their nations seek to reduce China’s dominance of some areas of key electronic components. After lunch, The President met relatives of people abducted by North Korea in the 1960s and 1970s. While some were later repatriated, Japan continues to press Pyongyang for a full accounting of all the abductees and the return of any who remain alive, a cause championed by Abe. “The United States is with them all the way,” The President told reporters after greeting the families. He has repeatedly said he was open to meeting North Korea’s reclusive leader Kim Jong Un during his five-day Asia visit. The U.S. leader began his trip in Malaysia on Sunday, before traveling to Japan late on Monday to receive a royal welcome at the Imperial Palace. He hopes to cap off his trip, his longest overseas journey since returning to the White House in January, by agreeing a trade war truce with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday. VISIT TO U.S. NAVAL BASE Takaichi’s efforts to invoke Abe’s legacy to forge a bond with The President could help bolster her weak political position at home and help her navigate The President’s at times erratic decision-making, analysts said. Though she has seen a surge in public support since becoming prime minister, her coalition government is two votes shy of a majority in parliament’s lower house. The President and Takaichi later flew on his presidential helicopter to the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington, docked at the Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo. There The President delivered an hour-long speech that ranged from topics such as the U.S. southern border and inflation to American football and the possibility of deploying “more than the national guard” to “troubled” U.S. cities. Flanked by two fighter jets, The President ushered Takaichi up on stage before 6,000 U.S. sailors. “This woman is a winner,” he said, before Takaichi thanked the forces for helping defend the country and the region. Japan hosts the largest concentration of U.S. military power abroad. Delivery would begin this week on Japan’s long-awaited order of U.S. missiles for F-35 fighter jets, The President added. “I told the president that I want to work with him to build a new chapter in the Japan-U.S. alliance that will make both countries stronger and more prosperous,” Takaichi told reporters after returning to Tokyo. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is due to hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi on Wednesday. The President will meet business leaders in Tokyo later on Tuesday, before travelling on Wednesday to South Korea to meet President Lee Jae Myung ahead of his Thursday summit with Xi. —Trevor Hunnicutt, Tim Kelly and John Geddie, Reuters View the full article

US president expected to name successor to Jay Powell by ChristmasView the full article

iPhone maker’s share price is up 28% over the past six monthsView the full article

Cultural body plans more job cuts, sale of assets and closure in 35 countries to stave off ‘financial peril’View the full article

You know the feeling. You sit down to work on something important, and within minutes, your hand is reaching for your phone. Maybe it buzzed. Maybe it didn't. Either way, you're suddenly 20 minutes deep into Instagram Reels or doomscrolling through news you'd rather not read. When you finally look up, your focus is shattered, and you can't quite remember what you were doing in the first place. If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. The average American now spends over six hours a day staring at screens, with much of that time devoted to mindless scrolling on smartphones. I don't go a day without lamenting my "phone addiction" and vanishing attention span. If smartphones are the problem, it tracks that the solution could be eliminating all the features that make your phone so "smart." That's why for a growing number of people, dumb phones are making a comeback. And no, it's not just nostalgia for the early 2000s clunky aesthetics. People are ditching their iPhones and Androids for basic flip phones and minimalist devices that do little more than call and text as a solution to our digital noise problem. But the question remains: Does downgrading to a dumb phone actually rescue your ability to focus, or is it just another wellness trend that sounds better in theory than in practice? What is a dumb phone?A dumb phone is exactly what it sounds like: a phone that handles only basic communications. Think calls and texts, maybe a rudimentary camera, but no app stores, no social media feeds, and no endless rabbit holes of content. These minimalist devices harken back to the pre-smartphone era, when phones had one primary purpose, rather than the comprehensive entertainment hubs we can't live without now. While traditional flip phones and basic handsets fit the bill, many people today are finding creative middle ground by "bricking" their smartphones—using settings like grayscale mode, removing apps, and stripping away colorful icons to make their devices as boring and utilitarian as possible. The goal is to reduce screen time and improve concentration. But if you're like me, the idea of giving up your phone feels like a non-starter. How would I go about my daily life without Maps, TikTok, or Candy Crush? Do dumb phones even make that big of a difference to your brain health? What the science saysThe problem of smartphones is more than just anecdotal. Studies have found that smartphone notifications—even ones you don't check—hurt cognitive performance. Interruptions force your brain to work faster at the expense of accuracy, and it takes meaningful time to fully re-enter a task after being distracted. A 2017 study published in the University of Chicago Press found that the mere presence of a smartphone can reduce cognitive capacity, a phenomenon researchers call the "brain drain" effect. So let's say you make the switch to a dumb phone that eliminates push notifications, infinite-scroll feeds, and, well, the mere presence of a smartphone. Does you concentration come back? The answer is yes, according to same researchers from that 2017 study. This year, they published a study of 467 participants, ages 18 to 74, who agreed to block the internet from their smartphones for just two weeks. The researchers measured three different outcomes of well-being, mood, and attention at the beginning, middle, and end of the study. 91% of participants improved their scores in at least one category, primarily in "subjective well-being." When it comes to attention specifically, the researchers write that "reducing a constant opportunity for distraction allows people to practice focusing on one activity or stimulus at a time, and increases the relative reward of focusing attention on activities other than one's phone." This points to a pattern all-too familiar to smartphone users: the cycle of instant gratification. In this same vein, according to Dr. Shawn DuBravac, author of "Digital Destiny: How the New Age of Data Will Transform the Way We Work, Like, and Communicate," switching to a dumb phone is "really just a behavioral design hack." DuBravac says, "You're not changing your brain, you're changing your environment so your brain can do what it does best: focus." Not everyone needs to make the complete switch, and for some people, it's simply not practical. Dr. Nidhi Gupta, a digital wellness expert with a TEDx Talk on the subject, says that switching to a dumb phone alone may not improve your concentration, but changing your lifestyle will. She points out that if you ditch your smartphone but still have a smartwatch, tablet, or laptop nearby, the distractions will simply migrate. "The brain will keep seeking dopamine from any available screen." Again, what matters is breaking the cycle of instant gratification. Bricking your smartphone insteadGupta advocates for a middle path: "demoting" your smartphone so it functions like a dumb phone while retaining useful features like navigation, ride-shares, and FaceTime. Her recommendations include turning on grayscale mode ("It's amazing how boring your phone becomes when it looks like an old newspaper"), deleting time-consuming apps, turning off non-essential notifications, and physically separating yourself from your phone during focused work. I spoke with three Brooklyn-based twenty-somethings who were struggling with concentration issues and self-described phone addictions. Two of them opted to brick their smartphones rather than switching to dumb phones entirely. Sam Schaefer, 28, found that removing color and app logos made all the difference. "It greatly reduced my screen time immediately, but more than anything, it really stopped me from mindlessly clicking on apps," he says. "Making it a black screen with letters really did take away my desire to mindlessly click." Isa León, 26, had similar results. "Like everybody else, I'm addicted to bright colors and notifications, but now everything looks the same. When I have to take a moment to read the name of the app I get to think about what I'm doing instead of following my dopamine." Now, her screen time is down two hours. "Shows you how mindless my scrolling really was." Michael Gebhardt, 31, a professional photographer and videographer, tried using a dumb phone but had to switch back. "A smart phone is sadly necessary for me to answer clients quickly and makes the difference between confirming a gig or missing out on it." The middle path was the road for him. The bottom lineThe consensus among experts and users alike is clear: limiting smartphone features can dramatically improve concentration. Whether you go full dumb phone, brick your existing device, or simply turn off notifications and use Do Not Disturb mode, the science shows that fewer interruptions lead to sharper focus, better memory, and lower stress. The science backs it up, but it doesn't need to be all or nothing. You just need to be more intentional about when and how you use it. Whether that means buying a flip phone, enabling grayscale mode, or simply keeping your smartphone out of sight during work hours, the goal is the same: reclaiming your attention from the endless digital noise. 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Language, collaboration, and leadership training turned competition into cohesion. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

Language, collaboration, and leadership training turned competition into cohesion. The Disruptors With Liz Farr Go PRO for members-only access to more Liz Farr. View the full article

A project progress tracker is an essential tool for monitoring project performance, keeping tasks on schedule and ensuring deliverables are met. Using a project progress tracker helps teams visualize progress, identify bottlenecks and manage deadlines effectively. Whether through software or spreadsheets, tracking progress allows managers to maintain accountability, allocate resources wisely and adjust workflows proactively. By implementing a project progress tracker early, organizations can reduce risk, improve communication and ensure successful project outcomes. Using Excel as a Project Progress Tracker Excel spreadsheets have long been a popular method for maintaining a project progress tracker. They allow users to list tasks, assign responsibilities, set deadlines and update progress manually. Conditional formatting, formulas and charts provide visual cues for project status. Excel is flexible and accessible, but requires manual updating, which can increase the risk of errors. While simple for small projects, it becomes cumbersome for larger initiatives, making dedicated project progress tracker tools more efficient. Best Free Project Progress Tracker Templates & Spreadsheets There are many free project progress tracker templates and spreadsheets available for managers seeking a quick start. Templates often include built-in formulas, Gantt chart visuals and pre-formatted tables for task tracking. They allow users to monitor task completion, resource allocation and deadlines at a glance. These free spreadsheets are ideal for small teams or individual projects but may lack automation, real-time updates and collaboration features that larger organizations require for effective project tracking. 1. Project Progress Tracker Template This project progress tracker template provides a clear layout for tracking tasks, deadlines and completion status. Each task can be assigned to team members with start and end dates, priority levels and percentage completed. /wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Progress-Report-Screenshot-600x559.jpg Conditional formatting highlights overdue tasks or milestones that require attention, while summary charts give managers a visual overview of overall progress. This template is ideal for single projects, helping teams stay organized and accountable while ensuring every deliverable is completed on time. However, templates have their limitations. To avoid those pitfalls, use ProjectManager, award-winning project and portfolio management software with real-time dashboards that collect live data and display it on easy-to-read graphs and charts. Even better, with AI-powered analytics and recommendations, users can get instant summaries and expert advice. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AI-Project-Insights-Lightmode-Dashboard-CTA.pngLearn more 2. To-Do List Progress Tracker Template The to-do list progress tracker template simplifies task management by focusing on individual assignments. Team members can check off completed items, update progress percentages and note any blockers. /wp-content/uploads/2018/06/To-Do-List-Screenshot-600x187.jpg This template is particularly useful for small teams or personal projects, providing a quick and easy way to monitor daily or weekly tasks. Managers can see which tasks are behind schedule at a glance, ensuring work is prioritized effectively and the project stays on track. 3. Multiple Project Progress Tracker Template The multiple project progress tracker template is designed for organizations managing several projects simultaneously. It allows managers to view tasks, milestones and deadlines across multiple initiatives in one consolidated spreadsheet. /wp-content/uploads/2023/02/multiple-project-tracking-template-for-excel-projectmanager-600x278.jpg Each project can have its own tab, while summary dashboards provide overall progress insights. This template supports resource allocation, identifies potential bottlenecks and enables better decision-making, making it ideal for teams handling complex workloads and needing a comprehensive view of progress across all projects. 4. Action Plan Progress Tracker Template The action plan progress tracker template helps teams break down strategic objectives into actionable steps. Each action item is assigned to a team member with start and end dates, priority and completion status. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/action-plan-template-zoomed-in-1-600x245.jpg Conditional formatting highlights overdue or delayed tasks, while summary charts provide a visual overview of overall progress. This template ensures accountability, keeps teams focused on key objectives and allows managers to monitor execution against the plan efficiently, making it ideal for structured project management and strategic initiatives. 5. Task Progress Tracker Template The task progress tracker template is designed to monitor individual tasks within a project. It includes columns for task name, owner, start and end dates, priority, status and percentage complete. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/task-tracker-dashboard-template-final-600x446.png Visual cues such as color coding or progress bars quickly highlight completed or delayed tasks. This template is suitable for both small and medium projects, providing an easy way to track workload, identify potential bottlenecks and ensure tasks are completed on schedule, keeping the project aligned with its objectives. Related: Best Task Management Software: Free & Paid Options (2025) 6. Timeline Progress Tracker Template The timeline progress tracker template provides a visual Gantt-style layout of project tasks along a timeline. Each task is represented with start and end dates, dependencies and progress percentage. /wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Project-Timeline-Screenshot-600x250.jpg This allows managers to see overlaps, critical paths and project milestones at a glance. Ideal for projects with multiple phases, the timeline template ensures that deadlines are visible, resources are managed effectively and teams remain on track. It simplifies complex schedules and helps prevent delays by highlighting potential conflicts early. 7. Project Dashboard Tracker Template The project dashboard tracker template consolidates project data into one visual report for quick analysis. It displays task progress, resource allocation, budget status and timeline metrics using charts and graphs. /wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Project-Dashboard-template-UPDATE-600x262.png Managers can instantly identify delays or risks and make informed decisions. This project progress tracker is ideal for teams managing multiple deliverables since it provides a high-level overview without digging through spreadsheets. It helps improve communication, supports executive reporting and keeps every stakeholder aligned on performance and project health. 8. Budget Tracker Template The budget tracker template helps monitor project expenses, compare actual costs against forecasts and manage financial performance throughout the project lifecycle. Each line item lists planned and actual costs, remaining budget and variance. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Budget-dashboard-template-screenshot-600x308.png Charts or conditional formatting highlight overspending and help maintain cost control. As part of a project progress tracker system, it ensures teams stay financially accountable and enables project managers to make data-driven adjustments before cost overruns occur, promoting better transparency and long-term financial planning. Related: 13 Budget Templates for Business & Project Budgeting 9. KPI Tracker Dashboard Template The KPI tracker dashboard template allows project managers to measure performance against key success indicators such as cost variance, schedule adherence, resource utilization and milestone completion. /wp-content/uploads/2024/08/KPI-Dashboard-Template-Screenshot-600x369.png Data is displayed in charts, gauges and summary cards to provide a real-time view of progress. This project progress tracker simplifies complex reporting by centralizing metrics in one place, ensuring stakeholders can quickly assess performance. It supports continuous improvement by revealing trends, identifying inefficiencies and driving actionable insights for better decision-making. 10. Project Status Tracker Template The project status tracker template provides a structured way to summarize overall project performance across schedule, budget and deliverables. It highlights progress through color-coded indicators such as “on track,” “at risk” or “delayed.” /wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Status-Report-Screenshot-600x319.jpg This project progress tracker helps project managers report status updates clearly to stakeholders while maintaining visibility across multiple phases. By using this template, teams can align on project priorities, ensure accountability and quickly address areas needing attention before they escalate into larger issues that affect timelines or budgets. 11. Project Risk Tracker Spreadsheet The project risk tracker spreadsheet helps identify, assess and monitor potential risks that could impact project success. It includes fields for risk descriptions, probability, impact level, mitigation strategies and contingency plans. /wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Risk-Tracking-Screenshot-600x262.webp Using this as part of a broader project progress tracker allows teams to manage uncertainty proactively and maintain control over project outcomes. Project managers can track evolving risks, assign ownership and regularly update statuses to ensure preventive actions are taken before risks turn into costly delays or disruptions. 12. Project Change Tracker Spreadsheet The project change tracker spreadsheet records and evaluates all approved or pending changes to project scope, schedule or budget. It lists change requests, justifications, impacts and approval statuses in one organized view. /wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Change-Log-Screenshot-600x198.jpg Incorporating this into a project progress tracker ensures transparency and helps manage scope creep effectively. Teams can document decision history, evaluate trade-offs and maintain alignment with stakeholders when adjustments are needed. This structured approach improves governance and prevents miscommunication across departments and project teams. ProjectManager Is a Better Project Progress Tracker Than Excel Templates While Excel templates offer a static way to record project data, ProjectManager transforms tracking into a dynamic, real-time experience. This online project progress tracker connects tasks, resources and budgets across multiple projects, so updates automatically sync across dashboards and reports. Managers can import Excel data instantly, visualize dependencies and monitor performance through interactive dashboards that update in real time. Use Gantt, kanban, list, calendar and sheet views that update instantly as tasks move forward. This flexibility lets project managers plan at a high level or zoom in on details, depending on the stage of work. Gantt charts show dependencies and critical paths, while kanban boards enable agile workflows. Calendar and list views make daily prioritization easier, ensuring no milestone is missed. Robust Resource Planning and Cost Tracking Tools Plan and balance workloads with ProjectManager’s built-in resource management tools. The team page provides a centralized view of every team member’s assignments and availability, while workload charts display utilization across projects to prevent burnout or bottlenecks. Managers can allocate hours, adjust schedules and rebalance workloads with a few clicks. Cost tracking features connect directly to tasks, letting you monitor labor rates, expenses and budgets in real time. This live resource data eliminates the guesswork common in Excel-based project progress trackers and ensures financial accuracy from start to finish. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Team-Light-2554x1372-1.png Real-time Project Management Dashboards and Reports Track performance instantly with live dashboards that pull data directly from active projects. ProjectManager’s dashboards display metrics such as task completion rates, time logged, budget variance and workload distribution. Teams can create AI-powered reports that analyze project health, flag risks and recommend adjustments automatically. Secure online timesheets integrate with these dashboards, providing up-to-date insight into labor costs and productivity without manual input. Compared to Excel templates, which require constant data entry and static reporting, ProjectManager delivers continuous visibility and actionable intelligence that drive better project outcomes. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/timesheet-lightmode-good-version-lots-of-tasks.png Related Project Progress Tracking Content Looking for more information on project progress tracking? You’ve come to the right place. Below are a number of links to articles on time tracking, cost tracking and other related subjects. Project Time Tracking: Tools, Features and Software Reviews Project Cost Tracking: Process, Tools and Best Practices Tracking Budget Variance in Project Management Project Expense Tracking: 6 Ways to Track Project Costs ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams, whether they’re in the office or out in the field. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 12 Free Project Progress Tracker Templates for Excel & Word appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web. Google Search Console has a new query grouping report...View the full article

A shortage of air traffic controllers caused more flight disruptions Monday around the country as controllers braced for their first full missing paycheck during the federal government shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing-related delays on Monday afternoon averaging about 20 minutes at the airport in Dallas and about 40 minutes at both Newark Liberty International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The delays in Austin followed a brief ground stop at the airport, meaning flights were held at their originating airports until the FAA lifted the stop around 4:15 p.m. local time. The FAA also warned of staffing issues at a facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that could cause some problems. Just last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had predicted that travelers would start to see more flights delayed and canceled as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the shutdown, which is nearing the one-month mark. During a weekend appearance on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy said more controllers were calling in sick as money worries compound the stress of an already challenging job. “And that’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” Duffy said. Earlier Monday, flights were also briefly delayed at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. The disruptions emerged a day after the FAA had issued a temporary ground stop at LAX for about two hours due to a shortage of controllers. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said about 72% of the flights scheduled Sunday at LAX took off within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times. Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Monday. That leaves little time for a side job unless controllers call in sick to the FAA. Union members were expected to gather Tuesday at major airports across the U.S., including in New York City and Atlanta, to pass out leaflets to passengers detailing how the shutdown is negatively impacting the national aviation system and the workers who keep it running safely. The action coincides with controllers’ first full missing paycheck since the shutdown began. Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide food donations and other support for federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents. Before the shutdown, the FAA was already dealing with a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers. Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, has said the agency had reached “the lowest staffing we’ve had in decades of only 10,800.” —Rio Yamat, AP Airlines and Travel Writer View the full article

A national measure of prices rose 1.5% from a year earlier, according to data from S&P Cotality Case-Shiller. It was the smallest gain since mid-2023 and followed a 1.6% increase in July. View the full article

Food banks and pantries were already struggling after federal program cuts this year, but now they’re bracing for a tsunami of hungry people if a pause in federal food aid to low-income people kicks in this weekend as the federal government shutdown persists. The rush has already begun. Central Christian Church’s food pantry in downtown Indianapolis scrambled Saturday to accommodate around twice as many people as it normally serves in a day. “There’s an increased demand. And we know it’s been happening really since the economy has downturned,” volunteer Beth White said, adding that with an interruption in funding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, “it’s going to continue to get worse for folks.” It’s a concern shared by charitable food providers across the country as states prepare for lower-income families to see their SNAP benefits dry up. SNAP helps 40 million Americans, or about 1 in 8, buy groceries. The debit cards they use to buy groceries at participating stores and farmers markets are normally loaded each month by the federal government. That’s set to pause at the start of next month after the The President administration said Friday that it won’t use a roughly $5 billion contingency fund to keep food aid flowing in November in the government shutdown. The administration also says states temporarily covering the cost of food assistance benefits next month will not be reimbursed. “Bottom line, the well has run dry,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement. “At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01.” It’s the latest in a string of hardships placed on charitable food services, which are intended to help take up the slack for any shortcomings in federal food assistance — not replace government help altogether. Charities have seen growing demand since the COVID-19 pandemic and the following inflation spike, and they took a hit earlier this year when the The President administration ended programs that had provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks to fight hunger. Food pantry visitors are worried Reggie Gibbs, of Indianapolis, just recently started receiving SNAP benefits, which meant he didn’t have to pick up as much from Central Christian Church’s food pantry when he stopped by on Saturday. But he lives alone, he said, and worries what families with children will do. “I’ve got to harken back to the families, man,” he said. “What do you think they’re going to go through, you know?” Martina McCallop, of Washington, D.C., said she’s worried about how she’ll feed her kids, ages 10 and 12, and herself, when the $786 they get in monthly SNAP benefits is gone. “I have to pay my bills, my rent, and get stuff my kids need,” she said. “After that, I don’t have money for food.” She’s concerned food pantries won’t be able to meet the sudden demand in a city with so many federal workers who aren’t being paid. In Fairfax County, Virginia, where about 80,000 federal workers live, Food for Others executive director Deb Haynes said she doesn’t expect to run out of food entirely, largely because of donors. “If we run short and I need to ask for help, I know I will receive it,” Haynes said. Food banks feel the increased demand Food pantries provide about 1 meal to every 9 provided by SNAP, according to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks. They get the food they distribute through donations from people, businesses and some farmers. They also get food from U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and sometimes buy food with contributions and grant funding. “When you take SNAP away, the implications are cataclysmic,” Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said. “I assume people are assuming that somebody’s going to stop it before it gets too bad. Well, it’s already too bad. And it’s getting worse.” Some distributors are already seeing startling low food supplies. George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program in the Philadelphia area, said a state government budget impasse had already cut funding for his program. “I’ve been here seven years,” Matysik said. “I’ve never seen our warehouses as empty as they are right now.” States scramble to fill in where they can New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she is fast tracking $30 million in emergency food assistance funds to “help keep food pantries stocked,” and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said her state would expedite $8 million that had been allocated for food banks. Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia said last week they would seek to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled. Other states aren’t in a position to offer much help, especially if they won’t be reimbursed by the federal government. Arkansas officials, for example, have been pointing recipients to find food pantries, or other charitable groups — even friends and family — for help. ——- AP writers JoNel Aleccia in Los Angeles, Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, and video journalists Obed Lamy in Indianapolis and Mike Householder in Detroit contributed to this report. —Margery A. Beck and Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press View the full article

ChatGPT creator was founded as non-profit but has been racing to unlock new investmentView the full article

Google has expanded the What’s happening feature within Google Business Profiles to restaurants and bars in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is now available for multi-location restaurants, not just single-location restaurants. The What’s happening feature launched back in May as a way for some businesses to highlight events, deals, and specials prominently at the top of your Google Business Profile. Now, Google is bringing it to more countries. What Google said. Google’s Lisa Landsman wrote on LinkedIn: How do you promote your “Taco Tuesday” in Toledo and your “Happy Hour” in Houston… right when locals are searching for a place to go? I’m excited to share that the Google Business Profile feature highlighting what’s happening at your business, such as timely events, specials and deals, has now rolled out for multi-location restaurants & bars across the US, UK, CA, AU & NZ! (It was previously only available for single-location restaurants) This is a great option for driving real-time foot traffic. It automatically surfaces the unique specials, live music, or events you’re already promoting at a specific location, catching customers at the exact moment they’re deciding where to eat or grab a cocktail. What it looks like. Here is a screenshot of this feature: More details. Google’s Lisa Landsman added, “We’ve already seen excellent results from testing and look forward to hearing how this works for you!” Availability. This feature is only available for restaurants & bars. Google said it hopes to expand to more categories soon. It is also only available in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The initial launch was for single-location Food and Drink businesses in the U.S., UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It is now available for multi-location restaurants, not just single-location restaurants. Why we care. If you manage restaurants and/or bars, this may be a new way to get more attention and visitors to your business from Google Search. Now, if you manage multi-location restaurants or bars, you can leverage this feature. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’re shopping for a new desktop monitor (or a small standalone TV), the Samsung 32" Smart Monitor M5 (M50D) FHD with Streaming TV and Speakers is currently $179 (originally $299). It can be used for working, console-free gaming, and media consumption, making it a versatile two-in-one TV and desktop option that’s ideal for multitasking. Samsung 32" Smart Monitor M5 (M50D) FHD with Streaming TV and Speakers $179.00 at Walmart $299.00 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $179.00 at Walmart $299.00 Save $120.00 The M50D is a dual-purpose LED display and desktop monitor with a 16:9 ratio that makes it easy to switch between work and entertainment modes while also allowing you to control smart home devices via the SmartThings hub. It’s also compatible with voice assistants Bixby and Alexa. The monitor has a built-in Smart TV OS, so you don’t need a PC or an additional streaming device plugged in to watch on platforms like Prime, Netflix, and more. It also comes with a remote for a true TV experience. The display has 1920×1080 resolution, which is a somewhat lower pixel density compared to higher-end monitors with 1440p or 4K. Still, image quality is strong enough for working, streaming videos, and browsing the web. With Samsung Gaming Hub, you can instantly access console-free gaming; however, it's limited to a 60 Hz refresh rate and doesn’t have FreeSync support. Hence, it won’t offer the same performance as a dedicated gaming monitor, but that’s to be expected at this price point. Compared to pricier adjustable models, this one only has tilt adjustment with minimal swivel. The MultiControl feature allows you to control multiple connected devices via the monitor using a single mouse and keyboard. This can help streamline multitasking between your monitor apps, laptop, and PC. You can also mirror your devices via AirPlay 2, Mobile Mirroring, or Wireless DeX, which makes it easy to switch between streaming and work across various devices. Overall, if you’re looking for a dual-purpose smart monitor with built-in streaming apps, reliable image quality, and smart home connectivity, the Samsung 32" Smart Monitor M5 (M50D) FHD with Streaming TV and Speakers is a space-saving, under-$200 option ideal for small homes or dorm rooms that doubles as both a computer monitor and a small-screen streaming TV. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Shark AV2501AE AI XL Hepa- Safe Self-Emptying Base Robot Vacuum — $299.99 (List Price $649.99) Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, White with Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen), White — $59.99 (List Price $99.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $29.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $27.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 with Ring Chime Pro — $149.99 (List Price $259.99) Introducing Amazon Fire TV 55" Omni Mini-LED Series, QLED 4K UHD smart TV, Dolby Vision IQ, 144hz gaming mode, Ambient Experience, hands-free with Alexa, 2024 release — $699.99 (List Price $819.99) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p 2-Camera Kit With Sync Module Core — $51.99 (List Price $129.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

The decline of Wikipedia’s search visibility highlights a fundamental shift in content value driven by AI and changing user behavior. The post AI Is Breaking The Economics Of Content appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Export of goods are languishing at 17% below pre-Covid levelsView the full article

Marketing, technology, and business leaders today are asking an important question: how do you optimize for large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude? LLM optimization is taking shape as a new discipline focused on how brands surface in AI-generated results and what can be measured today. For decision makers, the challenge is separating signal from noise – identifying the technologies worth tracking and the efforts that lead to tangible outcomes. The discussion comes down to two core areas – and the timeline and work required to act on them: Tracking and monitoring your brand’s presence in LLMs. Improving visibility and performance within them. Tracking: The foundation of LLM optimization Just as SEO evolved through better tracking and measurement, LLM optimization will only mature once visibility becomes measurable. We’re still in a pre-Semrush/Moz/Ahrefs era for LLMs. Tracking is the foundation of identifying what truly works and building strategies that drive brand growth. Without it, everyone is shooting in the dark, hoping great content alone will deliver results. The core challenges are threefold: LLMs don’t publish query frequency or “search volume” equivalents. Their responses vary subtly (or not so subtly) even for identical queries, due to probabilistic decoding and prompt context. They depend on hidden contextual features (user history, session state, embeddings) that are opaque to external observers. Why LLM queries are different Traditional search behavior is repetitive – millions of identical phrases drive stable volume metrics. LLM interactions are conversational and variable. People rephrase questions in different ways, often within a single session. That makes pattern recognition harder with small datasets but feasible at scale. These structural differences explain why LLM visibility demands a different measurement model. This variability requires a different tracking approach than traditional SEO or marketing analytics. The leading method uses a polling-based model inspired by election forecasting. The polling-based model for measuring visibility A representative sample of 250–500 high-intent queries is defined for your brand or category, functioning as your population proxy. These queries are run daily or weekly to capture repeated samples from the underlying distribution of LLM responses. Tracking tools record when your brand and competitors appear as citations (linked sources) or mentions (text references), enabling share of voice calculations across all competitors. Over time, aggregate sampling produces statistically stable estimates of your brand visibility within LLM-generated content. Early tools providing this capability include: Profound. Conductor. OpenForge. Consistent sampling at scale transforms apparent randomness into interpretable signals. Over time, aggregate sampling provides a stable estimate of your brand’s visibility in LLM-generated responses – much like how political polls deliver reliable forecasts despite individual variations. Building a multi-faceted tracking framework While share of voice paints a picture of your presence in the LLM landscape, it doesn’t tell the complete story. Just as keyword rankings show visibility but not clicks, LLM presence doesn’t automatically translate to user engagement. Brands need to understand how people interact with their content to build a compelling business case. Because no single tool captures the entire picture, the best current approach layers multiple tracking signals: Share of voice (SOV) tracking: Measure how often your brand appears as mentions and citations across a consistent set of high-value queries. This provides a benchmark to track over time and compare against competitors. Referral tracking in GA4: Set up custom dimensions to identify traffic originating from LLMs. While attribution remains limited today, this data helps detect when direct referrals are increasing and signals growing LLM influence. Branded homepage traffic in Google Search Console: Many users discover brands through LLM responses, then search directly in Google to validate or learn more. This two-step discovery pattern is critical to monitor. When branded homepage traffic increases alongside rising LLM presence, it signals a strong causal connection between LLM visibility and user behavior. This metric captures the downstream impact of your LLM optimization efforts. Nobody has complete visibility into LLM impact on their business today, but these methods cover all the bases you can currently measure. Be wary of any vendor or consultant promising complete visibility. That simply isn’t possible yet. Understanding these limitations is just as important as implementing the tracking itself. Because no perfect models exist yet, treat current tracking data as directional – useful for decisions, but not definitive. Dig deeper: In GEO, brand mentions do what links alone can’t Estimating LLM ‘search volume’ Measuring LLM impact is one thing. Identifying which queries and topics matter most is another. Compared to SEO or PPC, marketers have far less visibility. While no direct search volume exists, new tools and methods are beginning to close the gap. The key shift is moving from tracking individual queries – which vary widely – to analyzing broader themes and topics. The real question becomes: which areas is your site missing, and where should your content strategy focus? To approximate relative volume, consider three approaches: Correlate with SEO search volume Start with your top-performing SEO keywords. If a keyword drives organic traffic and has commercial intent, similar questions are likely being asked within LLMs. Use this as your baseline. Layer in industry adoption of AI Estimate what percentage of your target audience uses LLMs for research or purchasing decisions: High AI-adoption industries: Assume 20-25% of users leverage LLMs for decision-making. Slower-moving industries: Start with 5-10%. Apply these percentages to your existing SEO keyword volume. For example, a keyword with 25,000 monthly searches could translate to 1,250-6,250 LLM-based queries in your category. Using emerging inferential tools New platforms are beginning to track query data through API-level monitoring and machine learning models. Accuracy isn’t perfect yet, but these tools are improving quickly. Expect major advancements in inferential LLM query modeling within the next year or two. Get the newsletter search marketers rely on. See terms. Optimizing for LLM visibility The technologies that help companies identify what to improve are evolving quickly. While still imperfect, they’re beginning to form a framework that parallels early SEO development, where better tracking and data gradually turned intuition into science. Optimization breaks down into two main questions: What content should you create or update, and should you focus on quality content, entities, schema, FAQs, or something else? How should you align these insights with broader brand and SEO strategies? Identify what content to create or update One of the most effective ways to assess your current position is to take a representative sample of high-intent queries that people might ask an LLM and see how your brand shows up relative to competitors. This is where the Share of Voice tracking tools we discussed earlier become invaluable. These same tools can help answer your optimization questions: Track who is being cited or mentioned for each query, revealing competitive positioning. Identify which queries your competitors appear for that you don’t, highlighting content gaps. Show which of your own queries you appear for and which specific assets are being cited, pinpointing what’s working. From this data, several key insights emerge: Thematic visibility gaps: By analyzing trends across many queries, you can identify where your brand underperforms in LLM responses. This paints a clear picture of areas needing attention. For example, you’re strong in SEO but not in PPC content. Third-party resource mapping: These tools also reveal which external resources LLMs reference most frequently. This helps you build a list of high-value third-party sites that contribute to visibility, guiding outreach or brand mention strategies. Blind spot identification: When cross-referenced with SEO performance, these insights highlight blind spots; topics or sources where your brand’s credibility and representation could improve. Understand the overlap between SEO and LLM optimization LLMs may be reshaping discovery, but SEO remains the foundation of digital visibility. Across five competitive categories, brands ranking on Google’s first page appeared in ChatGPT answers 62% of the time – a clear but incomplete overlap between search and AI results. That correlation isn’t accidental. Many retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems pull data from search results and expand it with additional context. The more often your content appears in those results, the more likely it is to be cited by LLMs. Brands with the strongest share of voice in LLM responses are typically those that invested in SEO first. Strong technical health, structured data, and authority signals remain the bedrock for AI visibility. What this means for marketers: Don’t over-focus on LLMs at the expense of SEO. AI systems still rely on clean, crawlable content and strong E-E-A-T signals. Keep growing organic visibility through high-authority backlinks and consistent, high-quality content. Use LLM tracking as a complementary lens to understand new research behaviors, not a replacement for SEO fundamentals. Redefine on-page and off-page strategies for LLMs Just as SEO has both on-page and off-page elements, LLM optimization follows the same logic – but with different tactics and priorities. Off-page: The new link building Most industries show a consistent pattern in the types of resources LLMs cite: Wikipedia is a frequent reference point, making a verified presence there valuable. Reddit often appears as a trusted source of user discussion. Review websites and “best-of” guides are commonly used to inform LLM outputs. Citation patterns across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews show consistent trends, though each engine favors different sources. This means that traditional link acquisition strategies, guest posts, PR placements, or brand mentions in review content will likely evolve. Instead of chasing links anywhere, brands should increasingly target: Pages already being cited by LLMs in their category. Reviews or guides that evaluate their product category. Articles where branded mentions reinforce entity associations. The core principle holds: brands gain the most visibility by appearing in sources LLMs already trust – and identifying those sources requires consistent tracking. On-page: What your own content reveals The same technologies that analyze third-party mentions can also reveal which first-party assets, content on your own website, are being cited by LLMs. This provides valuable insight into what type of content performs well in your space. For example, these tools can identify: What types of competitor content are being cited (case studies, FAQs, research articles, etc.). Where your competitors show up but you don’t. Which of your own pages exist but are not being cited. From there, three key opportunities emerge: Missing content: Competitors are cited because they cover topics you haven’t addressed. This represents a content gap to fill. Underperforming content: You have relevant content, but it isn’t being referenced. Optimization – improving structure, clarity, or authority – may be needed. Content enhancement opportunities: Some pages only require inserting specific Q&A sections or adding better-formatted information rather than full rewrites. Leverage emerging technologies to turn insights into action The next major evolution in LLM optimization will likely come from tools that connect insight to action. Early solutions already use vector embeddings of your website content to compare it against LLM queries and responses. This allows you to: Detect where your coverage is weak. See how well your content semantically aligns with real LLM answers. Identify where small adjustments could yield large visibility gains. Current tools mostly generate outlines or recommendations. The next frontier is automation – systems that turn data into actionable content aligned with business goals. Timeline and expected results While comprehensive LLM visibility typically builds over 6-12 months, early results can emerge faster than traditional SEO. The advantage: LLMs can incorporate new content within days rather than waiting months for Google’s crawl and ranking cycles. However, the fundamentals remain unchanged. Quality content creation, securing third-party mentions, and building authority still require sustained effort and resources. Think of LLM optimization as having a faster feedback loop than SEO, but requiring the same strategic commitment to content excellence and relationship building that has always driven digital visibility. From SEO foundations to LLM visibility LLM traffic remains small compared to traditional search, but it’s growing fast. A major shift in resources would be premature, but ignoring LLMs would be shortsighted. The smartest path is balance: maintain focus on SEO while layering in LLM strategies that address new ranking mechanisms. Like early SEO, LLM optimization is still imperfect and experimental – but full of opportunity. Brands that begin tracking citations, analyzing third-party mentions, and aligning SEO with LLM visibility now will gain a measurable advantage as these systems mature. In short: Identify the third-party sources most often cited in your niche and analyze patterns across AI engines. Map competitor visibility for key LLM queries using tracking tools. Audit which of your own pages are cited (or not) – high Google rankings don’t guarantee LLM inclusion. Continue strong SEO practices while expanding into LLM tracking – the two work best as complementary layers. Approach LLM optimization as both research and brand-building. Don’t abandon proven SEO fundamentals. Rather, extend them to how AI systems discover, interpret, and cite information. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Right now, if you live in the U.S. and you're familiar with lock screen ads, it's probably from your e-reader, your PC, or maybe even your refrigerator. Plenty of devices with screens in them like to subsidize costs by running ads, but American smart phones have been surprisingly good at keeping your lock screen clear. Until now. "Nothing" experiments with lock screen adsIf you haven't heard of Nothing, I don't blame you. The Android phone company made waves back in 2022, largely on the back of its founder, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, but it only recently started making phones on par with flagship devices like the Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy. Mostly, the brand has instead become known for its mid-range accessories and budget phones, which pack in a lot of power for their price points, but otherwise stand out through trendy and minimalistic designs. It's a smaller market, but a loyal one. That's why it's a bit odd to see the company put both its minimalism and fandom at risk by putting ads on its lock screens, via a new "Lock Glimpse" feature. Added in Nothing OS 4.0 late last week, when turned on, the feature will show you one of a rotating selection of wallpapers, which all feature linked content via text at the bottom of the image. For instance, a wallpaper showing a strawberry sundae might look spiffy, but in practicality, it's essentially an ad for a page with a strawberry ice cream recipe. Don't take my word for it—if you're looking for a smoking gun, Reddit users have found permissions agreements linking the feature to Chinese digital ad company BOYUAN (more on that later). Users were not happy, as seen on social media platforms like X, where some threatened to flash their own custom operating systems to their phones instead of using Nothing's own, while others compared the move to similar "features" from OnePlus and Motorola that are largely not live in the United States. Not exactly a great look for a company that sells itself on image. To Nothing's credit, the feature is off by default for now. But the company's response to the backlash paints a picture that those fans may not be happy with, regardless of where they live. "Moving forward, on select non-flagship devices, we'll start including a carefully considered selection of third-party apps and services that don't disrupt the Nothing OS experience you love," Nothing posted to its site over the weekend. Lock Glimpse was stated as one such service. The reason for all this? Cost. Nothing's post was upfront about the "razor-thin margins" the company has to operate on to keep up with major players like Apple and Google, and said that both Lock Glimpse and "pre-installed partner apps" would be a way to continue to hit the mid-budget price point it's become known for. Worse, while the company said the feature would continue to remain off-by-default on its current Phone (3a) model, it made no such promises about the upcoming Phone (3a) Lite, which comes out later this week, and is the "first entry-level smartphone with Nothing's signature transparent design." While Nothing said it intends to give users "full control over features like Lock Glimpse" in the future, it's not hard to imagine a future where the feature is enabled by default, and pre-installed alongside apps that the owner didn't ask for, even on global releases. Nothing's lock screen ads matter, even if you don't own a Nothing phoneAgain, Nothing isn't the first smartphone brand to push lock screen ads. Other low-budget or mid-budget phone companies do so as well—most notably Motorola with a feature called Glance and OnePlus with a feature called Lock Screen Magazine. But Nothing's decision to join the flock points to a potential sea change, both in terms of manufacture and distribution. First, Nothing does not focus on hardware so much as experience. Even its most powerful phone at the moment uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s chip, which is a weaker version of the Snapdragon 8 line you'll find in phones like the Samsung Galaxy series. The selling point, then, comes in software like Nothing OS, which the company pitches as "clean," "beautifully functional," and "mindful." Lock screen ads don't match that vision, at least to me, and that Nothing felt compelled to include them means it's willing to risk its main differentiating factor to up earnings. By my measure, that's a canary in the coal mine for the pressures any smartphone company that's not big enough to eat development costs is facing right now. Nothing tends to be pretty upfront in its communication, so I've reached out for more information and will update this post if I hear back, but it's not a great sign for the industry at large. Which brings me to my second point: While Motorola and OnePlus' lock screen ads have been around for a while now, they've only recently started making their way to the U.S. via test launches, and Nothing's implementation both makes them live for everyone with an impacted phone, regardless of region, and breaks promises the company behind most of these ads has made before. As it turns out, BOYAUN, the company behind Nothing's Lock Glimpse feature, also powers Glance and Lock Screen Magazine. And while Glance had previously told Android Police that it doesn't plan to introduce lock screen ads in the U.S. like it has in regions like India, instead relying on charging users a "subscription fee for access to premium news on their lock screen," here they are. I try to avoid speculation when I can, but taken together, these two facts mean it's very possible that other low- and mid-budget phones will follow Nothing's lead in the future. Lock screen ads have been bad enough abroad, but it's something that U.S. users now may have to get used to. The silver liningThat said, while lock screen ads are something to be ready for, they aren't necessarily going to ruin your phone. They're just going to make it more annoying to set up. I believe Nothing when it says it will give users control over Lock Glimpse, largely because even Glance and Lock Screen Magazine can be turned off. The latter two being far less image focused companies than Nothing, it would be strange to see Nothing break its promise here if they aren't. The same goes for Nothing saying pre-installed apps will be "easy to remove." But still, any extra steps you require of a user means more people are just going to put up with the default. Don't be surprised if, once more phones start to display lock screen ads out of the box, you see your less tech-literate friends end up using them without even knowing that's the case. Which is why this is still an issue, and why it's reassuring that, at least in Nothing's case, Lock Glimpse is only coming to certain phones (again, Nothing's blog said that flagships models will be spared). Being that this brand is already a bit niche, it's probably not going to be the company to normalize lock screen ads, especially because the cheaper models that are more likely to get Lock Glimpse have limited carrier support in the U.S. Still, Nothing's phones with Lock Glimpse are technically available here, and so they might be the first time some Americans are seeing lock screen ads. Plus, they're also exposed to the same market pressures as all of their competitors, which means they're probably not the last time we'll see them, either. Lock screen ads in the U.S. are now no longer a question of "if." Just of "when." View the full article

The Federal Reserve will almost certainly cut its key interest rate on Wednesday and could signal it expects another cut in December as the central bank seeks to bolster hiring. A cut Wednesday would be the second this year and could benefit consumers by bringing down borrowing costs for mortgages and auto loans. Since Fed chair Jerome Powell strongly signaled in late August that rate cuts were likely this year, the average 30-year mortgage rate has fallen to about 6.2% from 6.6%, providing a boost to the otherwise-sluggish housing market. Still, the Fed is navigating an unusual period for the U.S. economy and its future moves are harder to anticipate than is typically the case. Hiring has ground nearly to a halt, yet inflation remains elevated, and the economy’s mostly solid growth is heavily dependent on massive investment by leading tech companies in artificial intelligence infrastructure. The central bank is assessing these trends without most of the government data it uses to gauge the economy’s health. The release of September’s jobs report has been postponed because of the government shutdown. The White House said last week October’s inflation figure may not even be compiled. The shutdown itself may also crimp the economy in the coming months, depending on how long it lasts. Roughly 750,000 federal workers are nearing a month without pay, which could soon start weakening consumer spending, a critical driver of the economy. Federal workers laid off by the The President administration’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts earlier this year may formally show up in jobs data if it is reported next month, which could make the monthly hiring data look even worse. Powell has said that the risk of weaker hiring is rising, which makes it as much of a concern as still-elevated inflation. As a result, the central bank needs to move its key rate closer to a level that would neither slow nor stimulate the economy. Most Fed officials view the current level of its key rate — 4.1% — as high enough to slow growth and cool inflation, which has been their main goal since price increases spiked to a four-decade high three years ago. The Fed is widely expected to reduce it to about 3.9% Wednesday. WIth job gains at risk, the goal is to move rates to a less-restrictive level. Kris Dawsey, head of economic research at D.E. Shaw, an investment bank, said that the lack of data during the shutdown means the Fed will likely stay on the path it sketched out in September, when it forecast cuts this month and in December. “Imagine you’re driving in a winter storm and suddenly lose visibility in whiteout conditions,” Dawsey said. “While you slow the car down, you’re going to continue going in the direction you were going versus making an abrupt change once you lose that visibility.” In recent remarks, the Fed chair has made clear that the sluggish job market has become a signficant concern. “The labor market has actually softened pretty considerably,” Powell said. “The downside risks to employment appear to have risen.” Before the government shutdown cut off the flow of data Oct. 1, monthly hiring gains had weakened to an average of just 29,000 a month for the previous three months. The unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.3% in August from 4.2% in July. Layoffs also remain low, however, leading Powell and other officials to refer to the “low-hire, low-fire” job market. At the same time, last week’s inflation report — released more than a week late because of the shutdown — showed that inflation remain elevated but isn’t accelerating and may not need higher rates to tame it. Yet a key question is how long the job market can remain in what Powell has described as a “curious kind of balance.” “There have been some worrisome data points in the last few months,” said Stephen Stanley, chief U.S. economist at Santander, an investment bank. “Is that a weakening trend or are we just hitting an air pocket?” The uncertainty has prompted some top Fed officials to suggest that they may not necessarily support a cut at its next meeting in December. At its September meeting, the Fed signaled it would cut three times this year, though its policymaking committee is divided. Nine of 19 officials supported two or fewer reductions. Christopher Waller, a member of the Fed’s governing board and one of five people being considered by the The President administration to replace Powell as Fed chair next year, said in a recent speech that while hiring data is weak, other figures suggest the economy is growing at a healthy pace. “So, something’s gotta give,” Waller said. “Either economic growth softens to match a soft labor market, or the labor market rebounds to match stronger economic growth.” Since it’s unclear how the contradiction will play out, Waller added, “we need to move with care when adjusting the policy rate.” Waller said he supported a quarter-point cut this month, “but beyond that point” it will depend on what the economic data says, assuming the shutdown ends. Financial markets have put the odds of another cut in December at above 90%, according to CME Fedwatch — and Fed officials have so far said little to defuse that expectation. Jonathan Pingle, chief U.S. economist at UBS, said that he will look to see if Powell, at a news conference Wednesday, repeats his assertion that the risks of a weaker job market remain high. “If I hear that, I think they’re on track to lowering rates again in December,” he said. —Christopher Rugaber, AP Economics Writer View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Sony’s WH-1000XM series has long been the gold standard for noise-canceling headphones, and while the new WH-1000XM6 has taken the spotlight, the WH-1000XM5 remains a standout, especially at a lower price. Right now, they’re down to $284.99 at Walmart, a notable drop from their usual $399.99 list price and lower than Amazon’s current $328 listing. Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones $284.99 at Walmart $399.99 Save $115.00 Get Deal Get Deal $284.99 at Walmart $399.99 Save $115.00 These are the same award-winning headphones that were lauded when they launched in 2022, with PCMag giving them 4.5 out of 5 stars for their sound, noise cancellation, and comfort. They still rank among the best wireless headphones available, and this discount makes them a smarter buy than ever for anyone who doesn’t need the very latest model. The WH-1000XM5 uses 30mm carbon fiber drivers powered by Sony’s Integrated Processor V1, and that combo still sounds excellent in 2025. Music has depth and balance, with enough punch to handle bass-heavy tracks without losing detail in vocals or instruments. What’s impressive is how little the audio quality changes when ANC is turned on, something cheaper models often struggle with. The noise cancellation itself is among the strongest you’ll find, easily cutting out low-frequency hums from engines or chatter in public spaces. As for connectivity, these headphones connect over Bluetooth 5.2 and support AAC, SBC, and LDAC codecs (meaning you get high-resolution audio over Bluetooth, provided your device supports it), plus multipoint pairing if you juggle between devices. Comfort and design are other strengths. The lightweight frame and soft-fit leather earcups make long sessions easy, whether you’re working, commuting, or zoning out on a flight. That said, the touch controls on the earcups can take some getting used to—swipes for volume, taps for play/pause—but you can fine-tune them in the Sony Sound Connect app, which also lets you tweak EQ settings and ANC sensitivity. Battery life is solid at around 30 hours with ANC on, and they charge quickly through USB-C. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack for wired listening when you don’t want to think about battery life. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $299.00 (List Price $349.00) Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $29.99 (List Price $49.99) Shark AV2501AE AI XL Hepa- Safe Self-Emptying Base Robot Vacuum — $299.99 (List Price $649.99) Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, White with Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen), White — $59.99 (List Price $99.99) Blink Video Doorbell Wireless (Newest Model) + Sync Module Core — $29.99 (List Price $69.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $27.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 with Ring Chime Pro — $149.99 (List Price $259.99) Introducing Amazon Fire TV 55" Omni Mini-LED Series, QLED 4K UHD smart TV, Dolby Vision IQ, 144hz gaming mode, Ambient Experience, hands-free with Alexa, 2024 release — $699.99 (List Price $819.99) Blink Outdoor 4 1080p 2-Camera Kit With Sync Module Core — $51.99 (List Price $129.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article