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Healthy coastal ecosystems play crucial roles in the U.S. economy, from supporting multibillion-dollar fisheries and tourism industries to protecting coastlines from storms. They’re also difficult to manage, requiring specialized knowledge and technology. That’s why the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—the federal agency best known for collecting and analyzing the data that make weather forecasts and warnings possible—leads most of the government’s work on ocean and coastal health, as well as research into the growing risks posed by climate change. The government estimates that NOAA’s projects and services support more than one-third of the nation’s gross domestic product. Yet, this is one of the agencies that the Trump administration has targeted, with discussions of trying to privatize NOAA’s forecasting operations and disband its crucial climate change research. As a marine environmental historian who studies relationships among scientists, fishermen, and environmentalists, I have seen how NOAA’s work affects American livelihoods, coastal health, and the U.S. economy. Here are a few examples from just NOAA’s coastal work, and what it means to fishing industries and coastal states. Preventing fisheries from collapsing One of the oldest divisions within NOAA is the National Marine Fisheries Service, known as NOAA Fisheries. It dates to 1871, when Congress created the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries. At that time, the first generation of conservationists started to worry that America’s natural resources were finite. By conducting surveys and interviewing fishermen and seafood dealers, the fish commissioners discovered that freshwater and saltwater fisheries across the country were declining. Oil spills and raw sewage were polluting waterways. Fishermen were using high-tech gear, such as pound nets, to catch more and more of the most valuable fish. In some areas, overfishing was putting the future of the fisheries in jeopardy. One solution was to promote aquaculture, also known as fish or shellfish farming. Scientists and entrepreneurs reared baby fish in hatcheries and transferred them to rivers, lakes, or bays. The Fish Commission even used refrigerated railroad cars to ship fish eggs across the country. Today, U.S. aquaculture is a US$1.5 billion industry and the world’s fastest-growing food sector. Much of the salmon you see in grocery stores started as farm-raised hatchlings. NOAA provides training, grants, and regional data to support the industry. NOAA Fisheries also helps to regulate commercial and recreational fishing to keep fish populations healthy and prevent them from crashing. The 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and other laws implemented catch limits to prevent overfishing. To develop fair regulations and combat illegal practices, NOAA and its predecessors have worked with fishing organizations through regional fishery management councils for decades. These industries generate $321 billion in sales and support 2.3 million jobs. Restoring coral reefs to help marine life thrive NOAA also benefits U.S. coastal communities by restoring coral reefs. Corals build up reefs over centuries, creating “cities of the sea.” When they’re healthy, they provide nurseries that protect valuable fish species, like snapper, from predators. Reefs also attract tourism and protect coastlines by breaking up waves that cause storm-driven flooding and erosion. The corals of Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico, and other tropical areas provide over $3 billion a year in benefits— from sustaining marine ecosystems to recreation, including sport fishing. However, reefs are vulnerable to pollution, acidification, heat stress, and other damage. Warming water can cause coral bleaching events, as the world saw in 2023 and 2024. NOAA monitors reef health. It also works with innovative restoration strategies, such as breeding strains of coral that resist bleaching, so reefs have a better chance of surviving as the planet warms. Battling invasive species in the Great Lakes A third important aspect of NOAA’s coastal work involves controlling invasive species in America’s waters, including those that have menaced the Great Lakes. Zebra and quagga mussels, spiny water flea, and dozens of other Eurasian organisms colonized the Great Lakes starting in the late 1900s after arriving in ballast water from transoceanic ships. These invaders have disrupted the Great Lakes food web and clogged cities’ water intake systems, causing at least $138 million in damage per year. In the Northwest Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, invasive lionfish, native to Asia and Australia, have spread, preying on native fish essential to coral reefs. Lionfish have become one of the world’s most damaging marine fish invasions. NOAA works with the Coast Guard, U.S. Geological Survey, and other organizations to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species. Stronger ballast water regulations developed through the agency’s research have helped prevent new invasions in the Great Lakes. Understanding climate change One of NOAA’s most crucial roles is its leadership in global research into understanding the causes and effects of climate change. The oil industry has known for decades that greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels would raise global temperatures. Evidence and research from around the world have connected greenhouse gas emissions from human activities to climate change. The data have shown how rising temperatures have increased risks for coastal areas, including worsening heat waves and ocean acidification that harm marine life; raising sea levels, which threaten coastal communities with tidal flooding and higher storm surges; and contributing to more extreme storms. NOAA conducts U.S. climate research and coordinates international climate research efforts, as well as producing the data and analysis for weather forecasting that coastal states rely on. Why tear apart an irreplaceable resource? When Republican President Richard Nixon proposed consolidating several different agencies into NOAA in 1970, he told Congress that doing so would promote “better protection of life and property from natural hazards,” “better understanding of the total environment,” and “exploration and development leading to the intelligent use of our marine resources.” The Trump administration is instead discussing tearing down NOAA. The administration has been erasing mentions of climate change from government research, websites, and policies—despite the rising risks to communities across the nation. The next federal budget is likely to slash NOAA’s funding. Commercial meteorologists argue that much of NOAA’s weather data and forecasting, also crucial to coastal areas, couldn’t be duplicated by the private sector. As NOAA marks its 55th year, I believe it’s in the nation’s and the U.S. economy’s best interest to strengthen rather than dismantle this vital agency. Christine Keiner is a chair at the Department of Science, Technology, and Society at Rochester Institute of Technology. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

About 19 million children under 5 around the world suffer from severe acute malnutrition every year. This life-threatening condition kills 400,000 of them—that’s one child every 10 seconds. These numbers are staggering, especially because a lifesaving treatment has existed for nearly three decades: “ready-to-use therapeutic food.” Nutriset, a French company, was founded by Michel Lescanne. He was one of two scientists who invented this product in 1996. A sticky peanut butter paste branded Plumpy’nut, it’s enriched with vitamins and minerals and comes in packets that require no refrigeration or preparation. Healthcare professionals were quickly convinced of its promise. What was harder to figure out was how to manufacture as many packets as possible while cutting costs. In 2008, ready-to-use therapeutic food producers like Nutriset charged $60 for a box of 150 packets—the number needed to treat one severely malnourished child for the six to eight weeks needed for their recovery. In a study we published in the Journal of Management Studies in October 2024, we explained how the international agencies, nongovernmental organizations, activists, and for-profit companies involved in the product’s distribution managed to resolve a public controversy over the use of Nutriset’s patent and its for-profit business model. Contrary to the expectations of activists and many humanitarian NGOs, this for-profit company managed to reduce its prices down to $39 per box of Plumpy’nut packets by 2019 and keep them consistently lower than any nonprofit or for-profit competitors could, all the while enforcing its patent rights. We interviewed Jan Komrska, a pharmacist then serving as the ready-to-use therapeutic food procurement manager at UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children; Tiddo von Schoen-Angerer, a pediatrician who was leading the access to medicines campaign at Doctors Without Borders, a medical charity; and Thomas Couaillet, a Nutriset executive. We also studied documents issued over the course of a decade to find out why this company’s unusual approach to intellectual property protection was so successful. Helping franchisees in low-income countries get started Nutriset and humanitarian organizations disagreed at the start over how to proceed with the production of ready-to-use therapeutic food. Doctors Without Borders at first accused Nutriset of behaving like a big drugmaker, shielding itself from competition by aggressively enforcing its patents to charge excessively high prices. The nongovernmental organization demanded that Nutriset allow any manufacturer to make its patented packets, without any compensation for that intellectual property. By 2012, Nutriset had changed course. It had stopped being almost the sole producer of ready-to-use therapeutic food and instead allowed licensees and franchisee partners, chiefly located in low-income countries, to make the packets without having to pay any royalties. It did, however, make an exception for the United States. It allowed Edesia, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit, to become a Nutriset franchisee. It also provided these smaller producers with seed funding and technical advice. Nutriset is still the world’s largest ready-to-use therapeutic food producer, we have determined through our research. It’s responsible for about 30% to 40% of the world’s annual production, down from more than 90% in 2008. There are some other U.S. manufacturers, such as Tabatchnick Fine Foods, but they aren’t Nutriset partners. Threatening legal action At the same time, the company continued to threaten to take legal action against potential rivals located in developed countries that were replicating their recipe without authorization. Usually, cease-and-desist letters were sufficient. Nutriset implemented this strategy to ward off competition from big multinational corporations that might try to establish their brands in new markets, gaining a foothold before flooding them with imported ultraprocessed food. A big risk, had that occurred, would have been less breastfeeding for newborns and the disruption of local diets. Nutriset’s strategy of opening access to its patent selectively has enabled UNICEF to double the share of packets it buys from producers located in the Global South. UNICEF, the world’s biggest buyer of ready-to-use therapeutic food, bought less than one-third of its supplies from those nations in 2011. That share climbed to two-thirds in 2022. Nutriset’s reliance on local franchisees has helped create over 1,000 jobs in hunger-stricken regions while strengthening the supply chain and reducing the carbon emissions of transportation, according to UNICEF. Nutriset’s creative patent strategy also helped its partner producers in low-income countries, which include nonprofit and for-profit ventures, compete with large corporations in developed countries by the time its patent expired in 2018. In this instance, a for-profit company not only managed to keep its prices lower than its competitors, including nonprofits, but used its patent to support economic development in developing countries by shielding startup producers from international competition. As a result of these successes, we found that nongovernmental organizations eventually stopped criticizing the French company and recognized that high prices were actually not due to Nutriset’s patent policy but rather to global prices of the packets’ ingredients. In recognition of its contributions and innovation, Nutriset won the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Patents for Humanity Award in 2015. Offering a cheap, convenient, and effective treatment One of the biggest advantages of ready-to-use therapeutic food is that parents or other caregivers can give it to their kids at home or on the go. That’s more convenient and cheaper than the alternative: several months of hospitalization where children receive a nutrient-dense liquid called “therapeutic milk.” The at-home treatment works most of the time. More than 80% of the children who get three daily food packets recover within two months. Severe acute malnutrition deaths remain high because historically only 25% to 50% of children suffering from it get treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food, due to insufficient funding. The treatment programs are run by governments, UNICEF and other international agencies, and NGOs such as Doctors Without Borders. USAID’s funding role The U.S. government spent about $200 million in 2024 through the U.S. Agency for International Development on ready-to-use therapeutic food, enough packets to treat 3.9 million children. That’s nearly as much as UNICEF, which treats about 5 million children annually. It’s unclear whether the Trump administration, which is trying to dismantle USAID, will discontinue its funding of ready-to-use therapeutic food that the U.S. government has purchased exclusively from U.S. manufacturers with U.S.-sourced ingredients. At a time when the flow of development aid from several wealthy countries is declining, the precedent Nutriset set suggests that humanitarian organizations, by teaming up with international agencies, governments, and for-profit companies, can help drive down the costs of saving lives threatened by hunger while increasing the nutritional autonomy of the Global South. But the funding for ready-to-use therapeutic food and its distribution has to come from somewhere, whether it is from governments, foundations or other donors. Nicolas Dahan is a professor of management at Seton Hall University. Bernard Leca is a professor of management sciences at ESSEC. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

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WordPress co-creator is asked at WordCamp Asia if he's adaptable to change The post Mullenweg Asked If He’s Adaptable To Change appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Graham Allcott has written six books, including the global bestseller How to Be a Productivity Ninja. He is the founder of Think Productive and has privately coached prominent international business leaders. What’s the big idea? Kindness, empathy, and psychological safety at work are not just fluffy, hippie ideas. They are key drivers of outstanding performance. Kindness is a practice that requires strength, skill, and intentionality. With it, every team can create an environment of abundant wellbeing, innovation, and growth. Below, Graham shares five key insights from his new book, KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work. Listen to the audio version—read by Graham himself—in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Kindness and empathy build trust and psychological safety. High-performing teams are built on trust and psychological safety. Kindness is one of the fastest ways to build this high-performing environment. Trust allows people to take risks, admit mistakes, and remove micromanagement and other forms of due diligence. In a team, psychological safety—feeling able to take interpersonal risks—leads to high performance. When a team is psychologically safe, people raise the alarm if they spot a problem and share the risky idea that might drive innovation. They tell hard truths but are also more open to feedback for improvement. They feel seen, heard, and part of a bigger picture. All the research points to psychologically safe, people-driven business as being more successful. Psychological safety leads to greater productivity, engagement, retention, well-being, creativity, innovation, and happiness. Kindness and empathy aren’t just moral nice-to-haves. They’re strategic advantages for building a culture of psychological safety where the work matters because the people doing it matter. 2. Nice and kind are not the same. Kindness often gets bad press, or people might even say there’s no place for kindness at work. Kindness is often considered weak or a quality of pushovers. But this is because people confuse being kind with being nice. Nice often is a bit weak—nice cultures often focus on keeping the peace but shirk the responsibility to tell the truth or call out bad behavior. On the other hand, kind cultures focus on truth and grace. Nice is about telling people what they want to hear. Kind is about telling people what they need to hear. Imagine you’ve been in a meeting, and a colleague delivered a presentation to the group. It didn’t go well. At the end of the meeting, your colleague asks you for feedback. At this moment, we face a choice. The nice option is that we tell a white lie to keep the peace: it was good; you did well. We are shirking the truth to keep the peace. “Kind is about telling people what they need to hear.” The kind route would be to invest 20 minutes the following day to go through some quick feedback. We can offer difficult and uncomfortable truth, but from a place of love. The result is that they can learn and improve. It takes real strength to choose kind over nice in that moment. It’s inconvenient (it takes time), it’s brave (because you have to put your relationship with that person at risk to help them improve), and it’s skillful (because delivering the truth with grace takes a skilled communicator). But when everybody operates like that, no one fears feedback, people grow, and the team’s performance and work output continuously improves. Being too nice can be a weakness, but being kind is pretty badass. 3. Challenging the Business Baddie narrative. Kindness drives performance. It also lowers stress levels and improves physical well-being. And it’s free. So, why isn’t there more kindness? What’s holding us back? If you look at portrayals of business and work in theatre, fiction, and media, what you’ll find everywhere is the business bastard archetype. Back to Shylock and Ebeneezer Scrooge, right through to Shark Tank and The Wolf of Wall Street, we’re taught that those who treat people badly are the ones who succeed. Upon reading the biography of Steve Jobs, I witnessed many founders thinking that if they shouted at staff during their all-hands meeting, they’d build the next Apple. In the book, I debunk the idea of dog-eat-dog success. The majority of successful leaders, statistically, are likable. But reasonable people doing a great job, being kind, and inspiring loyalty along the way produce less interesting stories than an evil genius. From Warren Buffett to Jacinda Ardern to Brian Chesky at Airbnb to the kind managers and leaders that you know, there are remarkable leaders whose warmth and kindness set the tone for success. The business bastard narrative keeps us locked into a scarcity mindset, whereas kindness rewires our brains toward abundance. We need to move away from the self-talk that says there isn’t enough time, or there isn’t enough, or that we are not enough. We need to replace that self-talk with talk of abundance: I am enough. There is enough. When we see the world through this lens, then kindness is much easier. 4. Kindness is a verb. A lot of what we see online regarding kindness—the #be kind hashtag, social media memes, virtue signalling—is people adopting kindness as part of their identity. There’s no such thing as a kind person or an unkind person. There are just kind or unkind actions. All of us have the capacity to be kind or unkind. Kindness isn’t something you are, it’s something you do. You are as kind as your last kind act or as unkind as your last unkind act. When we see kindness as a verb, not a noun, we recognize the importance of seeing kindness as a practice. “There are no prizes for just having the thought.” Kindness happens in the gap between having the idea to make someone’s day and actually making someone’s day. There are no prizes for just having the thought. It’s the action that counts. The more we see kindness as a practice, the more we spot the gap when it happens. It’s that tiny moment when you spot an opportunity to be kind. You’re on a train, and someone needs your seat more than you do, or you’re in a meeting, and there’s a tiny window of time to say something kind about a colleague. Act in that moment, and you make their day. Ponder for a couple of seconds too long, and the agenda moves on, and the moment is gone. Learning to leap into that gap rather than be held back by our own resistance is kindness. To notice more opportunities, it helps to slow down. The biggest source of accidental unkindness is busyness. When we reduce busyness and increase presence, it increases empathy, and we build stronger relationships with those around us. 5. Kindness starts with you but doesn’t end with you. I created 8 Principles of Kindfulness at Work. The first of these is that kindness starts with you. When we think about kindness, often our first thought is external: who needs our help? How can we be kind to a stranger? But the uncomfortable truth is that we have to start with self-kindness. Most of us are wired to treat others better than we treat ourselves. We think of self-care as somehow self-indulgent. But practicing self-kindness signals to others that self-kindness matters, and they can follow your example. It also helps us move our self-talk away from scarcity and toward abundant thinking. For the kindness it inspires in others, being kind to yourself is a radical act of generosity. Kindness starts with you. The people who are kinder to themselves find it easier to be kind to others. But of course, kindness doesn’t end with you. In the coffee shops of Naples, they have a tradition called caffé sospeso. It basically means “suspended coffee” and it’s a pay-it-forward model. There’s a jar on the counter of the coffee shop and when I order my coffee, I tell the barista that I also want to order a caffé sospeso. When I do that, the barista gives me a suspended coffee ticket and I put it in the jar. Then, the next time someone comes in and doesn’t have their wallet or money, they take out the ticket and claim a free coffee. It’s a wonderful example of the power of a single, kind act to create a ripple effect. I feel good and get that helpers high, the barista feels good about where they work, the customers who witness it are inspired to do something kind, and then someone claims it, and everyone gets to witness the act of kindness all over again. There’s a lot of research that talks about how many ripple effects can come from a single act of kindness. All the coffee shop owner really did was find a jar and write caffé sospeso on it! They literally created a vessel for kindness and, in doing so, made it easy to be kind. That’s kindfulness. The idea that we can create vessels for other people to be kind. We can, in our work, make it easy for other people to be kind. Whether it’s instigating a thank you card for someone, or taking a few moments in a team meeting to ask everyone to say something they value about the person to their left, we can all create the vessels for kindness. Think about your own work: what’s the equivalent of that jar at the coffee shop? How can you be a vessel for kindness, and make it easy for everyone around you to be kind? This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

New data shows that YouTube citations in Google AI Overviews are growing by as much as 36% every month The post Google AIO Is Sending More Traffic To YouTube appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

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Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to entrepreneurship and financial literacy, has announced a partnership with SCORE, the largest network of volunteer business mentors in the U.S. The collaboration aims to expand mentorship and resources for small businesses and underrepresented entrepreneurs across the country. SCORE, a volunteer organization with more than 10,000 mentors, has provided free business guidance for six decades. Through this partnership, SCORE will extend its mentorship services to small businesses participating in Operation HOPE’s 1 Million Black Business Initiative (1MBB) and clients recovering from natural disasters. The 1MBB program, launched in 2020, has supported nearly 400,000 Black-owned businesses, offering mentorship, training, and access to capital. By integrating SCORE’s mentorship framework, the initiative aims to further its impact in fostering Black entrepreneurship. “This partnership with SCORE reflects our constant evolution in ensuring we are making local, regional, and national connections to empower, support, and grow small businesses nationwide,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE. “By working with an organization like SCORE, which understands the commitment to service in reaching our goals through initiatives like 1MBB and disaster relief programs, we can provide necessary resources and drive economic success for entrepreneurs nationwide.” Comprehensive Support for Small Businesses The partnership will focus on several key areas: Mentorship and Business Guidance – SCORE volunteers will provide one-on-one coaching and business development support. Loan and Grant Assistance – Operation HOPE small business clients will receive guidance on preparing documentation for financial aid. Educational Programs – Both organizations will collaborate on workshops, training sessions, and business resources to enhance small business success. By combining Operation HOPE’s network and programs with SCORE’s business development expertise, the collaboration seeks to create a stronger ecosystem for small businesses. The initiative underscores a shared commitment to economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable business growth in communities nationwide. This article, "Operation HOPE and SCORE Partner to Strengthen Small Business Support Nationwide" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to entrepreneurship and financial literacy, has announced a partnership with SCORE, the largest network of volunteer business mentors in the U.S. The collaboration aims to expand mentorship and resources for small businesses and underrepresented entrepreneurs across the country. SCORE, a volunteer organization with more than 10,000 mentors, has provided free business guidance for six decades. Through this partnership, SCORE will extend its mentorship services to small businesses participating in Operation HOPE’s 1 Million Black Business Initiative (1MBB) and clients recovering from natural disasters. The 1MBB program, launched in 2020, has supported nearly 400,000 Black-owned businesses, offering mentorship, training, and access to capital. By integrating SCORE’s mentorship framework, the initiative aims to further its impact in fostering Black entrepreneurship. “This partnership with SCORE reflects our constant evolution in ensuring we are making local, regional, and national connections to empower, support, and grow small businesses nationwide,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE. “By working with an organization like SCORE, which understands the commitment to service in reaching our goals through initiatives like 1MBB and disaster relief programs, we can provide necessary resources and drive economic success for entrepreneurs nationwide.” Comprehensive Support for Small Businesses The partnership will focus on several key areas: Mentorship and Business Guidance – SCORE volunteers will provide one-on-one coaching and business development support. Loan and Grant Assistance – Operation HOPE small business clients will receive guidance on preparing documentation for financial aid. Educational Programs – Both organizations will collaborate on workshops, training sessions, and business resources to enhance small business success. By combining Operation HOPE’s network and programs with SCORE’s business development expertise, the collaboration seeks to create a stronger ecosystem for small businesses. The initiative underscores a shared commitment to economic empowerment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable business growth in communities nationwide. This article, "Operation HOPE and SCORE Partner to Strengthen Small Business Support Nationwide" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Scrapping of $220mn Roosevelt Hotel contract leaves storied venue’s future in doubt and adds to Islamabad’s fiscal woes View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Blob: A Love Story, by Maggie Su. After a woman takes home a blob she finds in an alley, it grows into her ideal man. (Amazon, Bookshop) * I earn a commission if you use those links. View the full article

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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a reminder to farmers and fishers who opted out of making estimated tax payments in January that they must file their 2024 federal income tax return and pay any taxes due by March 3, 2025. The usual March 1 deadline has been extended to the next business day since it falls on a Saturday this year. Avoiding Estimated Tax Penalties Farmers and fishers who meet the two-thirds gross income requirement from farming or fishing during 2023 or 2024 are eligible for the March 3 deadline, provided they did not make an estimated tax payment by January 15, 2025. Those who did make a payment by January 15 can wait until the regular April 15, 2025, filing deadline without incurring estimated tax penalties. The IRS recommends taxpayers use electronic payment options such as IRS Online Account and IRS Direct Pay, which are available exclusively on IRS.gov. Disaster-Area Tax Extensions Taxpayers affected by federally declared disasters automatically receive extended deadlines for filing and payments. No special paperwork or IRS contact is required to qualify. Currently, taxpayers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, along with portions of Alaska, New Mexico, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, have until May 1, 2025, to file and pay their taxes. For California wildfire victims, the deadline is extended further to October 15, 2025, while taxpayers throughout Kentucky have until November 3, 2025. No additional extensions beyond these dates are available. Taxpayers needing more time beyond these extended deadlines can request an extension to October 15, 2025, but any taxes owed must still be paid by the original extended deadline to avoid penalties. Extension requests must be electronically filed by April 15, 2025. Between April 15 and May 1, requests must be submitted via paper filing. More details are available at IRS.gov/extensions. Electronic Payment Options for Faster Processing The IRS encourages taxpayers to use IRS Online Account for same-day payments, checking account balances, and reviewing payment history. Another option, IRS Direct Pay, allows taxpayers to make or schedule a tax payment directly from their bank account without needing to log in or register. Businesses can also use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) for secure payments. For more information on payment methods, visit IRS.gov/payments. Required Tax Forms for Farmers and Fishers Farmers: Schedule F (Form 1040): Reports profit or loss from farming. Schedule SE (Form 1040): Calculates self-employment tax if net earnings exceed $400. Additional guidance: Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide and Topic No. 554, Self-Employment Tax. Fishers: Schedule C (Form 1040): Reports profit or loss from fishing businesses. Schedule SE (Form 1040): Calculates self-employment tax if net earnings exceed $400. Additional guidance: Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business. Taxpayers operating as partnerships or corporations should refer to Publication 541 (Partnerships) or Publication 542 (Corporations) for specific filing guidelines. For information on estimated taxes, refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, and Topic No. 416, Farming and Fishing Income. Image: Envato This article, "IRS Reminds Farmers and Fishers of March 3 Tax Deadline; Extensions Available for Disaster Areas" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a reminder to farmers and fishers who opted out of making estimated tax payments in January that they must file their 2024 federal income tax return and pay any taxes due by March 3, 2025. The usual March 1 deadline has been extended to the next business day since it falls on a Saturday this year. Avoiding Estimated Tax Penalties Farmers and fishers who meet the two-thirds gross income requirement from farming or fishing during 2023 or 2024 are eligible for the March 3 deadline, provided they did not make an estimated tax payment by January 15, 2025. Those who did make a payment by January 15 can wait until the regular April 15, 2025, filing deadline without incurring estimated tax penalties. The IRS recommends taxpayers use electronic payment options such as IRS Online Account and IRS Direct Pay, which are available exclusively on IRS.gov. Disaster-Area Tax Extensions Taxpayers affected by federally declared disasters automatically receive extended deadlines for filing and payments. No special paperwork or IRS contact is required to qualify. Currently, taxpayers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, along with portions of Alaska, New Mexico, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, have until May 1, 2025, to file and pay their taxes. For California wildfire victims, the deadline is extended further to October 15, 2025, while taxpayers throughout Kentucky have until November 3, 2025. No additional extensions beyond these dates are available. Taxpayers needing more time beyond these extended deadlines can request an extension to October 15, 2025, but any taxes owed must still be paid by the original extended deadline to avoid penalties. Extension requests must be electronically filed by April 15, 2025. Between April 15 and May 1, requests must be submitted via paper filing. More details are available at IRS.gov/extensions. Electronic Payment Options for Faster Processing The IRS encourages taxpayers to use IRS Online Account for same-day payments, checking account balances, and reviewing payment history. Another option, IRS Direct Pay, allows taxpayers to make or schedule a tax payment directly from their bank account without needing to log in or register. Businesses can also use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) for secure payments. For more information on payment methods, visit IRS.gov/payments. Required Tax Forms for Farmers and Fishers Farmers: Schedule F (Form 1040): Reports profit or loss from farming. Schedule SE (Form 1040): Calculates self-employment tax if net earnings exceed $400. Additional guidance: Publication 225, Farmer’s Tax Guide and Topic No. 554, Self-Employment Tax. Fishers: Schedule C (Form 1040): Reports profit or loss from fishing businesses. Schedule SE (Form 1040): Calculates self-employment tax if net earnings exceed $400. Additional guidance: Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business. Taxpayers operating as partnerships or corporations should refer to Publication 541 (Partnerships) or Publication 542 (Corporations) for specific filing guidelines. For information on estimated taxes, refer to Publication 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax, and Topic No. 416, Farming and Fishing Income. Image: Envato This article, "IRS Reminds Farmers and Fishers of March 3 Tax Deadline; Extensions Available for Disaster Areas" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Longtime Goya Foods president and CEO Robert “Bob” Unanue has published a bizarre press release about his recent departure from the company, leaving a lot of unanswered questions about what is happening behind the scenes at the Hispanic family-owned food and beverage company. Here’s what you need to know about Goya’s public drama. A vague press release reveals leadership in turmoil Unanue, who has led the Jersey City-based brand since 2004, said he’s unclear about his current employment status after being informed the board voted him out. “As to the nature of the decision and the rationale behind it, Unanue currently has no real answers, noting the company also has not publicly indicated that Unanue is no longer a leader of Goya Foods,” Unanue said in his self-published statement. Unanue then took to X for a series of posts, making seemingly unrelated statements including: “No board decision can shake my resolve. I remain fully committed to raising awareness, holding traffickers accountable, and ensuring a safer future for our nation’s children. Join me in this fight against one of the greatest evils of our time. GODS CHILDREN ARE NOT FOR SALE!” That post garned 140,000 likes, many from politically conservative accounts, while another post received 1.5 million views: “I recently received news that came as a big surprise . . . While the decision has left many questions unanswered, one thing is certain—I will not waver in my fight against child trafficking.” For some background, the company has a long history of charitable work, including its Goya Cares and Goya Gives programs. Goya Cares is dedicated to fighting and raising awareness about human and child trafficking, abuse, and online exploitation, and advocates for children’s mental health. Goya Gives is a corporate social responsibility program that includes disaster relief and food donations. Goya Foods said its decision has nothing to do charity work or politics. “A recent decision regarding a change in leadership has absolutely no connection to politics, media appearances, nor has it impacted our vital work in protecting children and addressing food insecurity through our Goya Cares and Goya Gives initiatives,” read a Goya Foods statement reported by CNN. Fast Company has reached out to both Goya Foods and Unanue multiple times for comment. A lawsuit airs a family’s dirty laundry The press release isn’t the only drama. Earlier this month, Goya board member and executive Francisco “Frankie” Unanue filed a lawsuit in New Jersey Superior Court against Bob Unanue, who happens to be his cousin, alleging that Bob engaged in a “clandestine agreement” with his friend Suvajit Basu, by hiring Basu to head up Goya’s IT department without telling the board. This hiring resulted in Basu mismanaging and damaging the IT functions, alleges the lawsuit, as reported by CNN. It then went on to allege Bob Unanue tried to interfere with the company’s attempt to resolve the issue, while Bob deflected his own responsibility. It also alleges Bob refused to participate in an important board for an independent investigation into the matter. Goya Foods originally filed a lawsuit against Basu in October 2024; Frankie Unanue joined the case as a plaintiff on February 5. “Any allegations against Mr. Unanue are frivolous, absurd, and have absolutely no merit whatsoever,” a representative for Bob Unanue told CNN. “The allegations are both a smokescreen and defamatory and will be addressed accordingly.” Basu has since filed a counter complaint, alleging a hostile work environment citing his Indian heritage. Goya said in a statement to CNN that it denies “all of the allegations in Basu‘s counter claim and third-party complaint.” Bob Unanue, a Trump supporter, has faced criticism in the past from fellow Latino leaders for supporting the president during his first term, even prompting a social media backlash that called people to #BoycottGoya. Last year, Unanue appeared in Houston to endorse Trump in the 2024 presidential race. Founded in 1936 by Spanish immigrants, Goya Foods, Inc. is the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States and a source for authentic Latin cuisine, according to its website. Goya makes over 2,500 food and beverage items, including staples like beans, rice, seasonings, tortillas, olives, and olive oil, with the popular tag line, “If It’s Goya, It Has To Be Good.” View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. While it's true that hand-writing helps you retain more of what you're studying, it's also true that the convenience of a phone or computer just can't be beaten. Taking your study materials with you wherever you are and having digital access to them can be a major benefit, whether you're preparing for a test in school or memorizing points before a big work presentation. Here are my favorite study apps to help do exactly that. For flashcards: Anki Credit: Anki Anki, which can be downloaded and accessed across all kinds of devices from MacBooks to Android phones, is my top pick for for a flashcard app—it actually hews close to the Leitner system, the best way to use real-life flashcards. Unlike other apps, this one doesn't always show you every card in your deck. Rather, it shows you the ones you get wrong more often, so you go over those more and deal with the material you're more familiar with less. You can put audio, video, and picture files on your cards, too, so you can use them for a wide variety of tasks, like learning a language or memorizing people's names. You answer a few questions about yourself—like whether you're a student, parent, or trivia enthusiast and what times of day you prefer to study, as well as how long you plan to study each day—and the app creates a plan for you. To use features like customized cards and the Leitner system, as well as flip unlimited cards per day, you'll pay $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year after a free three-day trial. You can add your own cards, of course, but there are plenty of pre-made decks to choose from. For mind maps: Xmind Credit: Xmind Oh, you like studying with mind maps more than flashcards? No problem. Download Xmind, which is free on the iOS App Store, but will cost you $99 per year after your two-week trial. You can make a blank mind map to organize your notes—it also comes with a ton of templates for mind maps that focus on problem-solving, business plan creation, project management, or whatever else. They're color-coded, easy to create and edit, and can be accessed by multiple accounts, so you can work on them in tandem with others on your team. (Perfect for group projects!) To minimize distractions: Flora Credit: Flora Flora, available on iOS and Android or via Chrome extension, isn't actually a study app so much as a focus app—but when you're studying, that matters a lot. It's similar to some other apps on the market in that you grow "trees" in a virtual forest, but they only grow as long as you don't interrupt them by using your phone. What I like about this one, though, is that it's free to download and use. You have the option to donate if you want to plant real-life trees based on your own forest and the option to bet actual money on the fact that you won't kill your tree, which will only happen if you abandon your focus during the preset time you scheduled the app for focusing. For instance, I grew a tree successfully by telling the app I wanted to work for 10 minutes straight, then take a five-minute break. You can pick the kinds of trees you grow, how long you spend working, how long your breaks are, and whether your app keeps data on your focus times and/or resets after a week or a month. It's easy to use and very relaxing. To stay organized: MyStudyLife Credit: MyStudyLife I like MyStudyLife as a planner because it's specially designed for school, while apps like iCal and Google Calendar aren't (although you can import your iCal data on here, too). Available on iOS and Android, this tool is free but extremely customizable: You can enter in assignments, tests, and course details right down to the room the class is in and the name of the professor who teaches it. The app will remind you whenever you have something coming up and keeps it all organized in a very simple calendar. It's got a bare-bones interface that is super easy to use and navigate and, for $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year (after a free one-week trial), you can access additional features like grade tracking, widgets, and dark mode. It works absolutely fine on the free version, though, which is why it's the best planner on the market right now. For note-taking: Evernote Credit: Evernote Evernote basically always wins in a battle of note-taking apps, but that's because it really is excellent. You get a planner, docs that you can access from anywhere, and a load of note-taking tools so you can jot down everything important, which the app will then help you organize. With excellence, however, comes a price: The "Best of Evernote" package is $4.99 per week or $169.99 per year while the "Essentials" package is $3.99 per week or $129.99 per year. The free version, though, still lets you create 50 notes, upload up to 250 MB of media and attachments per month, search images and documents, and use features like Tasks, Calendar, and Web Clipper, which lets you save online content to your account. A feature I love is the ability to take a photo of text and have the app transcribe it so it's editable. It's easy to use and fits into way more elements of daily life than just studying and note-taking, so it's ideal to have around. Go to class, take notes, and head to the grocery store with a to-buy list, then make it home in time for your scheduled phone call at 7 p.m., all without leaving the app. (You can leave, though; Evernote will send you push notifications about what's coming up.) View the full article

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Microsoft has announced it will retire Skype in May 2025, shifting its focus to Microsoft Teams (free) as its primary communication platform. The move is aimed at streamlining Microsoft’s consumer communication offerings and consolidating users onto a single collaboration hub. Transitioning to Microsoft Teams Microsoft stated that Skype users will have the option to migrate to Teams for free, with their existing contacts and chats seamlessly transferring when they log in using their Skype credentials. During the transition period, Teams users will be able to call and chat with Skype users and vice versa, ensuring continued connectivity between both platforms. “For years, Skype has been a trusted platform for communication, but as technology evolves, we’re committed to providing a more modern and integrated experience through Teams,” said Jeff Teper, President, Collaborative Apps and Platforms, Microsoft. Teams offers many of the same core functionalities as Skype, including one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing, while also integrating advanced collaboration tools like meeting hosting, calendar management, and community-building features. Options for Skype Users Microsoft has outlined two primary choices for current Skype users before the platform’s retirement: Move to Microsoft Teams for free – Over the coming days, Skype users will gain the ability to sign into Teams with their Skype credentials. Once logged in, all existing chats and contacts will be automatically available, making the transition seamless. Export Skype data – Users who do not wish to migrate can export their chat history, contacts, and call records before the May 5, 2025 shutdown date. Changes to Skype Paid Services With Skype’s impending discontinuation, Microsoft will no longer offer paid Skype features to new customers. This includes Skype Credit and subscription-based international and domestic calling services. Existing paid users can continue utilizing these features until their current renewal period ends. After May 5, 2025, Skype’s Dial Pad will only be accessible via the Skype web portal and within Microsoft Teams. Growing Adoption of Teams Microsoft reported significant growth in Teams usage, citing a fourfold increase in meeting minutes among consumer users over the past two years. The platform has become an essential tool for work, school, and personal communication, aligning with Microsoft’s strategy to consolidate its communication services under one ecosystem. Getting Started with Teams To facilitate the transition, Microsoft has provided a step-by-step guide for Skype users moving to Teams. The process includes: Downloading Teams from Microsoft’s official website. Logging in with Skype credentials to automatically access chats and contacts. Exploring Teams’ expanded features for enhanced collaboration and communication. Final Phase for Skype Skype will remain functional until May 5, 2025, allowing users ample time to explore Teams and determine their preferred course of action. Microsoft encourages users to begin the transition early to ensure continued access to communication tools. Image: Microsoft This article, "Microsoft to Retire Skype in May" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Microsoft has announced it will retire Skype in May 2025, shifting its focus to Microsoft Teams (free) as its primary communication platform. The move is aimed at streamlining Microsoft’s consumer communication offerings and consolidating users onto a single collaboration hub. Transitioning to Microsoft Teams Microsoft stated that Skype users will have the option to migrate to Teams for free, with their existing contacts and chats seamlessly transferring when they log in using their Skype credentials. During the transition period, Teams users will be able to call and chat with Skype users and vice versa, ensuring continued connectivity between both platforms. “For years, Skype has been a trusted platform for communication, but as technology evolves, we’re committed to providing a more modern and integrated experience through Teams,” said Jeff Teper, President, Collaborative Apps and Platforms, Microsoft. Teams offers many of the same core functionalities as Skype, including one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing, while also integrating advanced collaboration tools like meeting hosting, calendar management, and community-building features. Options for Skype Users Microsoft has outlined two primary choices for current Skype users before the platform’s retirement: Move to Microsoft Teams for free – Over the coming days, Skype users will gain the ability to sign into Teams with their Skype credentials. Once logged in, all existing chats and contacts will be automatically available, making the transition seamless. Export Skype data – Users who do not wish to migrate can export their chat history, contacts, and call records before the May 5, 2025 shutdown date. Changes to Skype Paid Services With Skype’s impending discontinuation, Microsoft will no longer offer paid Skype features to new customers. This includes Skype Credit and subscription-based international and domestic calling services. Existing paid users can continue utilizing these features until their current renewal period ends. After May 5, 2025, Skype’s Dial Pad will only be accessible via the Skype web portal and within Microsoft Teams. Growing Adoption of Teams Microsoft reported significant growth in Teams usage, citing a fourfold increase in meeting minutes among consumer users over the past two years. The platform has become an essential tool for work, school, and personal communication, aligning with Microsoft’s strategy to consolidate its communication services under one ecosystem. Getting Started with Teams To facilitate the transition, Microsoft has provided a step-by-step guide for Skype users moving to Teams. The process includes: Downloading Teams from Microsoft’s official website. Logging in with Skype credentials to automatically access chats and contacts. Exploring Teams’ expanded features for enhanced collaboration and communication. Final Phase for Skype Skype will remain functional until May 5, 2025, allowing users ample time to explore Teams and determine their preferred course of action. Microsoft encourages users to begin the transition early to ensure continued access to communication tools. Image: Microsoft This article, "Microsoft to Retire Skype in May" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Microsoft is officially shutting down Skype (RIP). Even if you haven't used the app in years, it's possible Skype was your introduction into modern video chats. The app made it easy to call friends and family via video no matter where in the world you all were. As long as you had a stable internet connection, you could Skype. Once Microsoft pulls the plug on Skype for good, legacy users will need a new platform to turn to. Microsoft will encourage you to switch to Teams, and you can. But there are better alternatives out there. The goal (and challenge) of choosing a video calling platform is to convince other people to join you. The last thing you want is to pick an app that no one uses, then force everyone in your circle to adopt that choice. The less friction, the better. That's why platforms that work with people's existing accounts and platforms are best here: There are some great options out there, from Viber to Signal, that offer good video calling features, but you'll have a lot more luck calling your friends if you meet them where they are. I've focused this list with that in mind. Google Meet Credit: Lifehacker If your goal is to find the easiest video call solution for the average person in your contacts list, my go-to would be Google Meet. In 2025, chances are high the person you're trying to reach has a Google Account—even if it isn't their platform of choice. Because many of us have Google Accounts already, it doesn't really matter what devices or platforms you're working from. Whether one of you has a Mac, another a PC, or you're on competing ends of the iOS versus Android debate, Google Meet works on just about any device. It free, of course, but you do get some perks if you pay—including higher quality video. My main issue with Google Meet, though, is it's not all that intuitive. The service seems designed more for business and professional use than casual conversation, so it isn't necessarily as ideal as Skype was in its heyday. (Just the fact that Google calls the default option "meetings" on the web app makes me feel like I'm working, instead of calling a friend or family member.) Plus, there's a 60 minute limit on calls at a time for free users: That's fine for shorter calls, but if you tend to sit on video chats for hours, you'll be picking up the phone a number of times. If your friend has their Google Account properly set up, though, calling them is as easy as it was on Skype—or about as easy as opening the traditional phone app. However, if their Google Account isn't setup for calls, you need to share the call link with them instead, which is fine, but adds some friction to what should be a simple experience. Again, though, you're not going to find a perfect video call solution if the other person isn't already using that platform. If you're on your computer, you can use the Google Meet web app for most purposes. If you prefer video chatting on mobile, there are apps for both iOS and Android—though Meet may already be installed on your Android device. Google Meet supports video calls with up to 100 participants, as many as Skype did. WhatsApp Credit: Lifehacker Like Google, WhatsApp is insanely popular around the world. If you're not using WhatsApp, someone you know is, which makes it a close second on this list (if not tied for first). WhatsApp's standardization gives it the same advantage as Google Meet: There is a very good chance the person you want to video call has an account. I don't use WhatsApp, but I have a WhatsApp account. Better yet, the app doesn't have a time limit for calls, so you can talk as long as you want. Like Google Meet, WhatsApp is available just about everywhere you access the internet. You can use it on an iPhone or Android device, or access it via the web app. WhatsApp even has a desktop app, unlike Google Meet, which potentially makes it the better Skype replacement. I personally used Skype on my Mac back in the day, and the experience of calling someone on WhatsApp using the app is a bit more reminiscent of that experience than Google Meet's web app is. WhatsApp doesn't support as many participants as Skype did: The app will let you hold calls with up to 32 other people, which, while far less than 100, is still a lot of people for video calls. Facebook Messenger Credit: Lifehacker If not one Meta app, why not another? Messenger has been the go-to option for Facebook users for years, simply because it's built right into Meta's flagship social network. But in recent years, the company's efforts to spin the app into a dedicated messaging service have been successful. I don't use many Facebook account these days, but I do check my Messenger app more often than not. Again, you have the built-in user base here. Facebook might be the largest network of the three mentioned so far. You might have to add your friend before giving them a ring, but seeing as the social media platform contains more than 35% of the world's population, you shouldn't be shocked if the person you want to call is a member. I quite like Messenger's video calling experience, especially on desktop. The Mac app definitely offers a video chat interface that veteran Skype users will enjoy. However, it's a little frustrating you can't start a video call without already having a chat thread going first. If the person or group you want to call already has a conversation going, great: just hit the video call icon to start a chat. However, if not, you'll need to send a message to your friend or friends first, then call them. I suppose it's nice to give them a heads up, but, again, friction! Facebook Messenger used to support video calls of up to 50 people through a feature called "Rooms," but Meta has since discontinued that option. There are no time limits on Messenger calls. FaceTime Credit: frank333/Shutterstock If you have an Apple account and the person you're trying to chat with also has an Apple account, just FaceTime them. The service is easy to use, end-to-end encrypted, and comes with a number of features you might expect from a more business-facing platform than FaceTime—like screen sharing and remote screen controlling. There's hardly anything easier than hitting the FaceTime button on an iMessage thread, or tapping your friend's name in the FaceTime app: seconds later, you'll be chatting. Things get trickier though when you consider the friends who don't have iPhones—especially those who live outside your country. It's suddenly not so easy when you try to call a friend who doesn't have their international number tied to their Apple Account. Still, that doesn't mean you should count out FaceTime entirely. Apple lets you create a FaceTime link that anyone can use to join a call—even those on Android or PC. It's adds an extra hurdle than if you were calling another Apple user, but it still works, which makes this method perhaps the easiest for those of us with iPhones or Macs: Forget about the other apps, just make a FaceTime link, send it to your friends, and wait for them to join your call. FaceTime supports the same number of callers as WhatsApp, 32, with no time limits. Perhaps its biggest drawback is the lack of a native text chat feature: Google Meet supports a native chat, like Skype, while WhatsApp and Messenger are built out of chat apps, so you can send messages there as well. FaceTime, however, is its own entity: If you're all on Apple devices, you can continue the conversation on iMessage, but it isn't quite the same. Teams So work focused. Credit: Lifehacker Microsoft, unsurprisingly, wants you to switch from Skype to Teams. In some ways, that makes sense: The company owns both platforms, so moving from Skype to Teams should be the simple answer. However, Teams is so obviously built with work conferencing in mind (hence the name), that if you're looking for a standard app for casual video calling, this one could be a bit overkill. (It's not like I'd recommend to switch to Slack for casual video calls, either.) If your callers are all Windows users with corresponding Microsoft Accounts, Teams might work. The app does support up to 100 people, and you can chat for 60 minutes at a time. (One-on-one chats are available for 30 hours at a time.) You can also access Teams on a number of different devices—not just Windows machines. If your device has a camera, you can probably use Teams for video calls. The addition of a built-in chat function is helpful, as well. Still, personally, I'd suggest trying one of the other options over Teams. Zoom (not recommended) Many of us in the working world (as well as those of us who jumped on video chats during the pandemic) are quite acquainted with Zoom. The app is perhaps one of the first you think of when you consider video calls, though it's not necessarily one you pick up for casual use. Zoom does offer large video calls—up to 100 participants—for free, but that comes with some limits. While many free video calling platforms end after 60 minutes, Zoom's free calls end at 40 minutes. Unless you're already paying for the service, it really isn't a convenient option for those times you want to catch up with friends or family on video. View the full article

YouTube SEO study finds common factors shared by top-ranked videos. Here's what you need to know. The post YouTube SEO Study: Factors That Correlate With Top Rankings appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article