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The rapid rise in the cost of both insurance coverage and taxes leaves close to half of homeowners worried about their ability to make payments. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. As we’ve discussed before, there are three ways to hold onto a barbell if you’re worried your grip is going to slip. You can use straps; you can face your palms in different directions (mixed grip); or you can hook your thumb underneath your fingers, a technique known as hook grip. A hook grip is more secure than mixed, and it's essential for lifts like snatches and cleans where mixed grip isn't an option. Yes, it hurts. Yes, you'll get used to it. I am happy to report that, after six years of training and competing in olympic weightlifting (where hook grip is neither feared nor debated, but simply a part of life), I now believe that hook grip is not nearly as painful as it is reputed to be. And yes, I am the person who wrote in an earlier article that hook grip “hurts like hell.” This is partly because I’ve gotten used to it, but it’s also partly because I used to do it wrong. So here are some tips for learning how to get comfortable with hook grip. Use a thinner barThis is a tip for everyone, but especially people with small hands (including most women). You'll find a wide variety of barbells in most gyms, and they aren't all the same diameter at the handle. Some are thick and sturdy; these are hard to grip, and may be reserved for squats or bench press, where that doesn't matter as much. Bars made for deadlifts or for Olympic weightlifting will be thinner, making it easier to wrap your fingers around. So make sure that the bar you're trying to hook grip isn't a super thick one. If you have larger hands, any normal barbell should be fine—that usually means a 28 millimeter handle. Deadlift bars tend to be a little thinner at 27 millimeters, and women's Olympic weightlifting bars are the thinnest common bar, at 25 millimeters. If you've had trouble trying to hook grip on a regular bar, try a women's bar and see if you can get the technique to click. I used to think I "couldn't" hook grip a regular bar, but after I learned to hook grip properly with a women's bar, I found that I was able to hook a men's bar without too much trouble. Lay your thumb so it is parallel to the barA common mistake—and a thing that makes hook grip hurt a lot more than it needs to—is placing your thumb on the bar incorrectly. Don’t think of your thumb as wrapping underneath the bar; it’s not like a pincer opposing your fingers. You also don't want to grip the bar with your thumb, as if your thumb's job were to squeeze the bar. The purpose of the thumb, in a hook grip, is to provide a sort of roadblock to stop things from slipping. I took some photos of myself setting my hook grip on a bar, so you can see exactly how I do it. (I'm sure every lifter has their own idiosyncrasies, but mine should be a solid example to convey the basics.) Here's how I set my grip: First I find my hand placement on the bar (usually by lining up my hand with the knurling or the rings). I press the web of my thumb into the bar, which allows me to reach my thumb away from my body, and bring the side of my thumb into contact with the bar. When I bring the rest of my hand back into place, my middle finger crosses my thumbnail perpendicularly. (If you can only remember one checkpoint for whether you're doing it right, remember this.) I loosely wrap the rest of my fingers around the bar. I don't have to squeeze—the hook locks everything into place. Credit: Beth Skwarecki The exact positions will depend on the size and shape of your hands, and you may find yourself grasping the bar slightly differently for a wide grip (snatch grip) versus a closer grip. But make sure that your thumb goes more or less along the bar, parallel to its length. (It may help to think about pointing your thumb toward your pinky.) You do not want to jam your thumb under as many fingers as possible, nor should you try to wrap it deeply around the bar. If you get a pain in your thumb knuckle, where your thumb meets your palm, this is likely what you’re doing wrong. PracticeWill it still hurt? Your first time going heavy, yeah. But you'll get used to it more quickly than you think. If you commit to making hook grip work, and using it as often as possible, the adaptation process only takes about two weeks. If any pain, bruises, or calluses develop, they should be mild, roughly parallel to the length of your thumb, and on the side of your thumb rather than in the middle of the thumb pad or on the knuckle. During this time, hook grip everything that you can. If that means you're only hook gripping your deadlift warmups, but once there's more than 135 pounds on the bar you can't stand it, that's fine for that day. Next time you do deadlifts, you'll probably be able to hook 135 just fine, and maybe you have to switch back to your old grip at 225. You get the idea. Before long, you'll be hook gripping everything. To get more practice, hook grip every exercise you can (rows, etc) just for the sake of practice. Once you're used to hook grip, the pain won't be an issue, but I'd be lying to say your thumbs will always feel great. If I'm doing an exercise for multiple reps, I'll use straps rather than hook grip 10 heavy reps in a row. Some lifters like to tape their thumbs. This provides a little compression, so the pressure doesn't hurt as much, and it also prevents the knurling from digging into your skin. You can use regular athletic tape if you leave a cutout for your knuckle, but it's more common these days to use a stretchy, grippy thumb tape like this over your whole thumb. Warm Body Cold Mind Premium Lifting Thumb Tape $15.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Shop Now Shop Now $15.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg View the full article

The 30-year conforming fixed-rate mortgage is at its lowest point since the end of December, as Treasury yields are 29 basis points lower since Feb. 19. View the full article

If all you want is a simple, reliable email client, Apple's Mail app is superb choice. And over the years, it's only gotten better. But until now, it's had this one weird quirk that has users running to third-party clients like Gmail or Outlook. It has to do with how the Archive feature works. When you archive an email that you're reading, the Mail app automatically opens the next email in your inbox. Now, that's great if you're just going through newsletters. But when this happens, the next email is marked as read automatically, something you might not want to do in every case (like if the sender is using a tracking service, or if you were saving that email to read later). It's a small thing, but it takes some agency away from you, and that makes it quite annoying to deal with. Luckily, Apple seems to have finally realized this, and in iOS 18.4, which is currently in Developer beta, the company has provided a hidden settings option to change this behavior. Why Apple just doesn't just make the fix the default, and why this has to be an obscure settings item, is beyond me. Either way, if you're running iOS 18.4 use the Mail app regularly, go to the Settings app. Then, go to the Mail section and choose Delete or Move Message Action. Here, switch to the Don't Select a Message option. Boom. You're all set. Now, when you're reading a message in the Mail app and delete, archive, or move it, the app won't automatically open the next message, and instead you'll go back to the Inbox view. What a revolution! Speaking of the Inbox, if your device is running Apple Intelligence, you might have noticed that the Mail app looks a bit different now. It has a bunch of categories up top, and AI summaries, and even Priority emails that never manage to highlight the actually important messages. If you don't like all or some of these AI features, I have some good news—you can turn that all off. Follow this guide to disable all the new AI features in the iPhone mail app and go back to how things used to be. Of course, except for the old archive thing. Because, for once, this change is actually useful. View the full article

Ofwat has ‘limited mechanisms’ to check whether infrastructure investment has been carried outView the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. With federal workers who have been fired or laid off by the Trump administration now numbering in excess of 200,000, one question is on most of their minds: What now? At Slate today, I wrote about why what’s ahead of these workers is daunting, and how they can approach a private sector job search after a career in public service. You can read it here. View the full article

The nightmare scenario of Atlantic Ocean currents collapsing, with weather running amok and putting Europe in a deep freeze, looks unlikely this century, a new study concludes. In recent years, studies have raised the alarm about the slowing and potential abrupt shutdown of the Atlantic end of the ocean conveyor belt system. It transports rising warm water north and sinking cool water south and is a key factor in global weather systems. A possible climate change -triggered shutdown of what’s called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or AMOC could play havoc with global rain patterns, dramatically cool Europe while warming the rest of the world and goose sea levels on America’s East Coast, scientists predict. It’s the scenario behind the 2004 fictionalized disaster movie “The Day After Tomorrow,” which portrays a world where climate change sparks massive storms, flooding and an ice age. Scientists at the United Kingdom’s Met Office and the University of Exeter used simulations from 34 different computer models of extreme climate change scenarios to see if the AMOC would collapse this century, according to a study in Wednesday’s journal Nature. No simulation showed a total shutdown before 2100, said lead author Jonathan Baker, an oceanographer at the Met Office. It could happen later, though, he said. The currents have collapsed in the distant past. Still, the computer simulations should be “reassuring” to people, Baker said. “But this is no greenlight for complacency,” Baker warned. “The AMOC is very likely to weaken this century and that brings its own major climate impacts.” The Atlantic current flows because warm water cools as it reaches the Arctic, forming sea ice. That leaves salt behind, causing the remaining water to become more dense, sinking and pulled southward. But as climate change warms the world and more fresh water flows into the Arctic from the melting Greenland ice sheet, the Arctic engine behind the ocean conveyor belt slows down. Previous studies predict it stopping altogether with one of them saying it could happen within a few decades. But Baker said the computer models and basic physics predict that a second motor kicks in along the Southern Ocean that surrounds Antarctica. The winds there pull the water back up to the surface, called upwelling, where it warms, Baker said. It’s not as strong, but it will likely keep the current system alive, but weakened, through the year 2100, he said. Baker’s focus on the pulling up of water from the deep instead of just concentrating on the sinking is new and makes sense, providing a counterpoint to the studies saying collapse is imminent, said Oregon State University climate scientist Andreas Schmittner, who wasn’t part of the research. Those Southern Ocean winds pulling the deep water up act “like a powerful pump keeps the AMOC running even in the extreme climate change scenarios,” Baker said. As the AMOC weakens, a weak Pacific version of it will likely develop to compensate a bit, the computer models predicted. If the AMOC weakens but not fully collapses, many of the same impacts — including crop losses and changes in fish stock — likely will still happen, but not the big headline one of Europe going into a deep freeze, Baker said. Scientists measure the AMOC strength in a unit called Sverdrups. The AMOC is now around 17 Sverdrups, down two from about 2004 with a trend of about 0.8 decline per decade, scientists said. One of the debates in the scientific world is the definition of an AMOC shutdown. Baker uses zero, but other scientists who have been warning about the shutdown implications, use about 5 Sverdrups. Three of Baker’s 34 computer models went below 5 Sverdrups, but not to zero. That’s why Levke Caesar and Stefan Rahmstorf, physicists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research and authors of an alarming 2018 study about potential shutdown, said this new work doesn’t contradict theirs. It’s more a matter of definitions. “An AMOC collapse does not have to mean 0 (Sverdrups) overturning and even if you would want to follow that definition one has to say that such a strong AMOC weakening comes with a lot (of) impacts,” Caesar wrote in an email. “The models show a severe AMOC weakening that would come with severe consequences.” 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. —Seth Borenstein, AP science writer View the full article

Kerry Doyle sat in an immigration courtroom observing a fellow judge finish a hearing in an asylum case late on a recent Friday afternoon when she received an email with an attachment titled “terminated.” Doyle had been a judge for only about two months and was in training to begin hearing cases soon at a recently opened Massachusetts court. Her colleagues helped her pack up her office before the afternoon was over, she said. “This doesn’t make sense for an administration that is prioritizing removals,” Doyle said, using the legal word for deportation. “You need the judges to hear the cases to order the person removed so that you can then carry out the removal order. It’s a vital part of the system.” So far, the administration of President Donald Trump has fired 22 immigration judges, including a group that worked as managers of their respective courts, according to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, the union that represents immigration judges. The administration has also fired five senior managers of the immigration court system, the union said. As part of its efforts to reduce the size of the government workforce, the Trump administration has been firing federal employees on probationary status, meaning that they had recently been hired for their positions. Immigration judges are on probationary status for their first two years, according to the union, except for military veterans who have probationary status for only a year. When the administration sent federal employees its “Fork in the Road” email calling for voluntary resignations, it was supposed to exclude people who worked in immigration enforcement and national defense and for the Postal Service, according to the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers. But the letters went to immigration judges anyway. “Look up the definition of ‘hypocrisy,’ it’s ‘when someone says one thing but does another.’ The firing of immigration judges when we need more judges to enforce our immigration laws by this administration is a perfect example of hypocrisy,” said Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, in an emailed statement to Beyond the Border. “This outrageous move to fire immigration judges will only make the backlog of cases worse. This is the opposite of the administration’s stated goals,” Biggs said. The Trump administration and the Executive Office for Immigration Review, which operates the courts, did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication. Biggs estimated that the fired judges would have held 10,000 hearings this year. The courts currently have a backlog of more than 3.7 million cases, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which monitors government data on immigration through public records requests. Days after the firings, immigration Judge Samuel B. Cole, who has been hearing cases in Chicago since 2016 and has served as executive vice president of the National Association of Immigration Judges, said that he would be stepping down. He declined to say more on the subject at this time. The firings affected courts across the United States, with California and Texas losing the most, according to the union. Five of the judges were based in Texas with three in Houston, one in Laredo, and one in El Paso. Four of the judges were based in California with one in San Diego and three in Concord. Rhana Ishimoto, the assistant chief immigration judge who managed the downtown San Diego court, disappeared from the immigration court website at the end of last week and was replaced with Anne Kristina Perry, who already served as assistant chief at the Imperial and Otay Mesa courts in Southern California. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Ishimoto was appointed to her position in May 2023 and previously worked as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorney representing the government in immigration court cases. Ishimoto did not respond to a message on social media. On Wednesday morning, the downtown San Diego court, which operates on the fourth floor of the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building, seemed largely business as usual. People with stacks of documents and plastic folders lined up in the court’s lobby to file paperwork and check in for court hearings. In one courtroom, Judge Rico Bartolomei, who once served as assistant chief immigration judge in San Diego before stepping down from the managerial role to hear cases full time again, worked his way through a full docket of people from Venezuela, El Salvador, Haiti, Russia and Brazil. Almost all had recently crossed the border, mostly through the now defunct CBP One phone application that allowed people to schedule appointments to request asylum. Bartolomei greeted each person brightly, almost cooing, “Hi Kaleb!” at a toddler who approached the judge a few strides in front of his parents and older brother. He carefully explained their rights in court and offered them time to find attorneys. In the case of Kaleb’s parents, whom the government alleged were from Venezuela, he learned that they had moved to Arkansas. He asked how they had arrived in court that day. By bus, the family responded. How long did that take? he asked empathetically. About 36 hours, the family said. He moved their case to a court closer to them. He transferred three of the cases that he heard that morning to the court in Concord, California, which is now short three judges. — Kate Morrissey, Capital & Main This piece was originally published by Capital & Main, which reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. View the full article

Also: Are you one firm or a bunch of solos under one roof? By Marc Rosenberg The Rosenberg Practice Management Library Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

Also: Are you one firm or a bunch of solos under one roof? By Marc Rosenberg The Rosenberg Practice Management Library Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

Welcome to AI Decoded, Fast Company’s weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. You can sign up to receive this newsletter every week here. Will native-AI operating systems run our computers in the near future? Samantha, the AI that Theodore falls in love with in the 2013 movie Her is actually an OS. That’s how he meets her: He buys a new OS called OS1 (“it’s not just an operating system, it’s a consciousness”) and “she” is its persona. Samantha becomes his intuitive and personalized companion to all his digital stuff, from email to video games. ChatGPT set off the generative AI boom in part because consumers (not just academics and developers) saw shades of Her. Two years later, the chatbot is a major consumer destination and is the AI interface with which people are most comfortable and familiar. More than 400 million people around the world now use ChatGPT every week, OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap recently told CNBC. For comparison, Apple’s iOS operates on more than 2 billion active devices worldwide, including more than 1.5 billion iPhones. Those are impressive numbers, but iOS is standing relatively still while ChatGPT is steadily moving up the adoption curve. Historically, Apple’s superpower has been its uncanny understanding of the user interface—the technology that acts as the mediator between a human user and their digital tools and content. Apple’s user interfaces rely mainly on older input technologies, such as mouse-clicking and touchscreen-tapping (though Siri remains a problem child). ChatGPT feels more and more like a new generation of user interface, one that’s powered by a very advanced mastery of language and the ability to intuit the intent behind a user’s input. Increasingly, it can act as a personal assistant with the ability to “reason” through problems. It can reason about things a user says with their voice or shows to the AI via their phone cam. Now OpenAI (and Anthropic) are rapidly developing the AI’s ability to control computer functions and apps. At the moment, OpenAI is packaging all this stuff inside ChatGPT. But how long before a chatbot app no longer contains it? Throughout the day, I call up the ChatGPT desktop app (by hitting <Option> and <Space Bar>) to run quick research lookups. For $200 per month, it can conduct deep research projects and control my mouse as it uses the web. It’s not a far leap from there to the AI using an app on my computer or printing something. Soon enough, I’ll likely have a running voice dialog with my AI OS throughout the day. Like Samantha (presumably) did for Theodore, the OS will learn my workflows, habits, and preferences. (In fact, many people in the field of natural language are working hard to build “EI,” or emotional intelligence into these systems, so that your AI operating system can be your friend too—as Sam was to Theodore.) The analyst Ben Thompson said in a recent Stratechery newsletter that OpenAI itself has realized that ChatGPT (and everything contained in it) is taking over the focus of the company. “Consumer tech companies . . . require a completely different culture and value chain than a research organization with an API on the side,” he wrote. “That is the fundamental reality that I suspect has driven much of the OpenAI upheaval over the last two-and-a-half years . . .” In short, OpenAI started out as an AI research lab, then became a provider of one-size-fits-all foundation models to enterprises and developers, then watched as ChatGPT stole the show and became its main source of revenue and fame. The question is, where does ChatGPT go from here? I think it’s the OS. LLMs could help solve the glacial change of government systems Jen Pahlka has a big idea: She says we should use large language models (LLMs) to eat through the government red tape that often stymies badly needed change to bureaucratic systems. She should know. She served as deputy chief technology officer (DCTO) under the Obama administration and helped found the United States Digital Service (USDS). Pahlka says that change agents like the USDS often encounter thousands of pages of policy and regulations that may or may not apply to a proposed change to a government website or system. Those pages pile up administration by administration, often creating overlapping and conflicting rules or a tangle of ambiguities. And agency bureaucrats often use that ambiguity to put new proposals into a state of perpetual review, saying neither yes nor no, effectively freezing attempts at change that they don’t really want anyway. That’s why interagency organizations like USDS need lawyers as much as they need top-notch designers and coders. LLMs could be another tool to cut through the ambiguity and shorten timelines. “You can use an LLM to figure out why there are 7,719 pages [of rules and regulations around a proposed system change] and what of that could get reduced,” Pahlka told Robert Safian in a recent Rapid Response podcast. “You can pretty quickly get to ‘this stuff is conflicting, this stuff is vestigial, this stuff is really controversial but you’ve got to deal with it’.” Pahlka has done work with Stanford’s Regulation, Evaluation, and Governance Lab (RegLab), which is studying the development of LLMs that specialize in swimming through years of policies, guidelines, and regulations. “It’s still pretty early days, but it’s starting to get used that way,” Pahlka says. “I want to see somebody like the labor commissioner in a state saying, ‘Oh yeah, we actually now have a regulatory environment that allows us to serve the needs of our state.’” Nvidia earnings: Good enough to keep the Boom booming Nvidia’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report on Wednesday marked the company’s first since the Chinese company DeepSeek showed the world that it could train a world-class AI model with far fewer Nvidia GPUs than anyone thought possible. If any big AI companies ran to the phone to cancel their orders of Nvidia’s new Blackwell processors it wasn’t apparent in the numbers the company reported. Revenues came in at $39.3 billion (35.6% from data center sales), up 78% from a year ago and up 12% from the previous quarter. Analysts had expected $38.04 billion. The company also said the good times would continue at least through the current quarter, in which it expects $43 billion in revenues. Analysts on the earnings call did, however zero in on the one weak point in the report: Nvidia’s profit margin, which remained flat for the second quarter in a row. But that metric is indicative of overall demand for GPUs only in an indirect way. Also, the company’s stock sagged somewhat in after-hours trading Wednesday, which is very dependent on the (mysterious) assumptions that institutional investors had already baked into the value of the stock. The bottom line is that the tech companies betting big on AI—think Google, Meta, OpenAI, and Microsoft—are not hedging on their infrastructure spending. Not yet, anyway. “Blackwell generating ‘billions in sales’ validates Nvidia’s top position just as the market is expanding on the agentic and physical AI fronts,” wrote eMarketer’s Jacob Bourne in a research note published Tuesday. “Short-term volatility is still on the horizon, but Nvidia’s market command remains unmatched.” More AI coverage from Fast Company: Anthropic’s new Claude AI model can decide between speed and deep thinking Autonomous AI agents are amazing—and scary People are most worried about AI replacing these 2 jobs This new AI tool helps Walmart’s merchandising team plan what’s in stores Want exclusive reporting and trend analysis on technology, business innovation, future of work, and design? Sign up for Fast Company Premium. View the full article

Whether or not you plan on observing the Christian season of Lent, celebrating Mardi Gras (or Fat Tuesday) is a great excuse to chow down on some desserts. In the past, Lent meant abstaining from indulgent foods like butter, sugar, and eggs. As Christianity spread across different parts of the globe, during a time when food spoiled relatively quickly, there was no hope in preserving these ingredients during the 40-day period of fasting. Instead of tossing it all, there was a massive clear-out feast: Everything had to go. In the wake of this food-liquidation period, many creative and indulgent treats were born. Most of them are fried. All of them are carbs. Here are nine exquisite treats with which to celebrate the fattest days of the week. PaczkiA Polish creation now enjoyed around the world, paczki is a fluffy fried dough that is often filled with fruit jams, much like the American jelly doughnut. Paczki might even be filled and topped with chopped fruit, as fruit would also spoil over the fasting period, along with the other primary ingredients. They are made from a rich, yeast-raised dough that usually includes a splash of alcohol. They’re fried until golden, then filled or left fantastically plain and fluffy, before being finished with powdered sugar or icing. FastnachtThe word “fastnacht” refers to both the celebratory snack and the time for enjoying them–just before Lenten fasting. The German variety of fastnacht are pillowy, yeast-raised, deep-fried doughnuts that you can eat with a dollop of blackstrap molasses (which sounds like a lot of intense flavor for me, but I support your choices). It’s the Pennsylvania Dutch version of fastnacht that has piqued my interest. This doughnut is made from a yeast-raised potato dough with plenty of butter and sugar. This recipe repurposes mashed potatoes. I also appreciate this recipe for the helpful tips on changing out the oil, and advice on definitely not using expired yeast. Semlor buns Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I hate to present you with something un-fried, but these semlor buns are too wonderful to ignore. Eaten in Sweden during the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, the plush buns are cardamom-scented and baked. Carve the center out of the baked and cooled roll, and pipe it full of a sweetened almond filling, followed by a heap of whipped cream. Top it with the small bit of roll you took out of the center. This recipe uses a tangzhong mixture to keep the roll soft. Haitian beignetsThere are beignets, like the flour-based ones popular in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and then there are beignets, like the ones made in Haiti with a banana-based dough. There’s no need to proof the dough, and they’re shaped by simply dropping the batter into the frying oil. Check out this recipe for a straightforward mixing and frying method. King cake In several regions of the United States (but none as iconic as New Orleans) the days leading up to Mardi Gras must include this behemoth of a bread. The king cake is a sweet, enriched, yeast-raised treat, covered in icing and yellow, purple, and green sprinkles. It’s an explosion of sugar, color, and flavor. King cakes can be left unfilled, highlighting their soft, doughnut-like texture, or the raw dough can be filled and swirled with jams, nuts, or cinnamon and sugar. The dough is then braided, or twisted and shaped into a circle before baking. Tradition requires the baker to tuck a small token, usually a plastic baby, into the bread. Whoever gets the slice with the baby brings the king cake next time. My king cake video includes a recipe and how-to tutorial. Hornazo de jueves larderoGetting rid of all your perishables in one dish never looked more obvious or more enticing than in the hornazo. Hornazo de jueves lardero refers to the foods in your larder being baked together and eaten on Fat Thursday. Usually made and enjoyed in different regions of Spain, the hornazo can be made with a sweet or savory bread depending on the locality. Make the bread of your choosing, proof it, and when you’re ready to bake, tuck a raw egg, some cured sausage, and a slice or two of bacon right on top. Bake as usual. By the time the bread has fully baked, the meats and eggs will have too. You can follow this how-to video to learn how to make it. Fritole and dolci di carnevaleItaly has no shortage of dishes for celebrating the days leading up to Lent. Among them are lasagna and ravioli, but no celebration would be complete without some sweet fried carbs. Dolci di carnevale include such fancies as the zeppole and cicerchiata, and no Venetian carnevale is complete without fritole. Fritole are yeast-raised, fried dough fritters, bolstered with a splash of booze and studded with raisins. Fry until crisp and dust with a heap of powdered sugar. All the pancakes Credit: Natalia Van Doninck/Shutterstock At this point, you might think “doughnut day” makes more sense as a name, but in several countries, including Great Britain and Ireland, you may hear the day before Lent referred to as Shrove Tuesday, or “pancake day.” When you think about it, if everyone’s dumping eggs, butter, sugar and flour into the bowl, then you’re getting pancakes or doughnuts, depending on the leavening agent you have remaining in your pantry. Shrove Tuesday pancakes are a bit thinner than the fluffy disks you may be accustomed to, but slightly bulkier than a French crepe. Try this recipe, which makes the batter easy to prepare with the help of a blender. Alle bellesA traditional indulgence for Pancake Tuesday in the state of Goa, India, alle belles are crepe-like in appearance but contain no eggs. Considering the price of eggs lately, this might be the pancake for you. The filling is a stunner. Alle belles pancakes are wrapped around a filling of chopped coconut, cashews, and jaggery. The filling softens slightly as it sits in the warm pancake, delivering delicate sweetness and a harmony of textures. Try this recipe, which yields about 10 pancakes. View the full article

California Democrat Rep. Sam Liccardo, a freshman congressman who represents Silicon Valley, said he’s surprised the first piece of legislation he’s sponsoring takes aim at President Donald Trump’s meme coin. “That wasn’t my plan when I ran for office, I can assure you,” said Liccardo, the former mayor of San Jose. But the president’s launch of a meme coin just before taking office last month needed some kind of response, said Liccardo. Those who bought the meme coin right after launch made out, but the price quickly dropped leaving others with big losses. Even Trump-supporting crypto enthusiasts found the launch distasteful. “That behavior is so self-evidently unethical that it raises the question why isn’t there a clear enough prohibition,” he said, adding that Trump’s meme coin raises concerns about transparency, insider trading and improper foreign influence. The bill is set to be called the Modern Emoluments and Malfeasance Enforcement, or MEME act. According to a draft of the legislation, it would block the president, members of Congress, and other senior officials, as well as their spouses and children, from issuing or sponsoring securities, commodities and cryptocurrencies like meme coins. It would also force Trump to disgorge any profits he’s made from the sale of his meme coins. Liccardo’s bill, which he plans to introduce Thursday, has no chance of passing in this Republican-controlled Congress. But the freshman lawmaker said it would serve as a placeholder if Democrats come to power as well an important symbolic gesture against what he called obvious corruption. His bill comes amid a fractured Democratic Party struggling to find its footing in the early weeks of the Trump presidency. Meme coins are a strange and highly volatile corner of the crypto industry that often start as a joke with no real value but can surge in price if enough people are willing to buy them. Critics view them as nothing more than Ponzi schemes that enrich insiders and unethical celebrities. Supporters say meme coins could be early indicators of ways in which the internet could revolutionize financial and other transactions. Trump has long defied presidential norms when it comes to endorsing and promoting products like branded Bibles and perfume. But he’s leaned in particularly hard with cryptocurrency-related projects that could significantly boost his personal wealth. The Trump meme coin quickly soared in price to nearly $70 shortly after it was launched but has since fallen to about $12. Researchers have estimated that trading fees have generated tens of millions of dollars for entities that launched the coin, including a company owned by Trump. Trump and his sons also helped launch a decentralized finance cryptocurrency platform last year, and the president has backed online stores that sell crypto-themed sneakers and $100,000 watches. The Trump family business recently released an ethics agreement that prohibits Trump from “day-to-day” decision-making involving outside business deals and limits financial information shared with him. Once a skeptic of cryptocurrencies, Trump changed course and promised last year to make the U.S. the world capital of digital assets. The cryptocurrency industry, which felt unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, embraced Trump and spent heavily to help him win last year’s election. First Lady Melania Trump also launched a meme coin that spiked in value around the inauguration but has since cratered. A crypto developer who said he helped launch that meme coin was also involved in a disastrous meme coin launch that’s led to Argentine President Javier Milei facing a corruption probe. That developer, Hayden Davis, has said meme coins are essentially a rigged game that benefit a small group of people at the expense of retail investors. “It is an insiders’ game. This is an unregulated casino,” Davis said. Besides a criminal prohibition, Liccardo’s bill would also allow private investors who lose money on a meme coin backed by a public official to sue. Liccardo said that’s a key part of the legislation, given what he sees as a lack of independence in the current Justice Department. “You need to have some enforcement mechanism and a private right of action helps to keep everybody honest,” Liccardo said. —Alan Suderman, AP Business Writer View the full article

UK prime minister to reassure Washington that Europe will bolster its own defences but push for US ‘backstop’View the full article

Setting up a free email account has never been easier. You now have many great options that promise lots of storage or convenient features, although there are a few things to keep in mind when picking one. The rule of thumb is that if you're getting a free email service, you're probably paying with your privacy, because the company has to make money at the end of the day. Depending on the company, it could use your emails to serve ads, track you across the web, or even use the text in your emails to train AI. However, there are exceptions to that rule, specifically when it comes to end-to-end encryption. It's a tough balance. In general, you’ll have to pay real money to avoid compromises—services that focus on privacy might suffer elsewhere. But if you're not ready to pay or set up your own private email server yet, here are your best free alternatives. You're not even limited to one option—it’s a good idea to create multiple email accounts and use them for different purposes, so you should mix and match based on your needs. Gmail is the best email provider for most people Credit: Pranay Parab Gmail is the best email service for most people, hands down. It’s reliable, filters spam well, and gives you 15GB of cloud file storage for free. Plus, it's practically unavoidable. It’s hard to be on the internet and avoid Google entirely, and at some point, you’re probably going to need a Google account. From setting up most Android phones to accessing a shared Google Doc, Gmail serves a wide range of audiences pretty well. Your Gmail account also comes with unlimited addresses, which is a great way to check if a service sold your email ID to spammers. The biggest argument against Gmail is that it’s owned by Google, which makes money by tracking you online to help personalize the ads you see elsewhere. If you are privacy conscious, then this isn’t the right email service for you. Pros: Ubiquitous, easy to use, feature-rich, integrates with other Google products Cons: Lots of advertising based on mining your data Outlook is the best Gmail alternative for most people Credit: Pranay Parab For those who don’t want to use Gmail, but are looking for a similar service, Microsoft’s Outlook is the best option. Just like Gmail, Outlook is backed by a tech giant and will almost certainly be around for years to come. Plus, you get up to 15GB of email storage and 5GB of additional OneDrive storage for free. It’s a reliable alternative to Gmail, but once again, it’s not the email service you want to use if privacy is your top priority. Pros: Backed by a major tech company; a feature-rich Gmail alternative Cons: Like Google, Microsoft doesn’t care that much about your privacy Proton Mail is the best email service for privacy Credit: Pranay Parab Proton Mail is the best free email service for privacy-conscious people. It offers 1GB of storage, a limit of 150 emails per day, and up to 10 aliases for free, which is good enough to get started. My Gmail account is over a decade old and it still uses less than 1GB of storage, so it’s possible to manage with that storage limit for quite a while. Proton Mail also gives you a fair bit more than mail, too, even if you aren't spending a dime. You'll get a free VPN for one device and a free password manager as well. Proton Mail’s biggest advantage is end-to-end encryption, which means your messages cannot be intercepted or read by Proton Mail or third parties. This is a great privacy feature as long as you’re communicating with Proton Mail users or people using other end-to-end encrypted email providers, but it’s not as effective if you’re communicating with people on ad-supported email accounts. Everything could be totally private on your end, but your friend’s email service could read the contents of your email pretty easily. If you're ready to pay, Proton Unlimited offers great value with more email addresses, more storage space, and advanced privacy features like dark web monitoring. Pros: Great for privacy; end-to-end encryption Cons: Only 1GB of storage and a daily sending limit Tuta is also a great privacy-focused email provider Credit: Pranay Parab If you need an encrypted email service that offers open-source desktop clients, Tuta could be one to consider. It has a free tier with 1GB storage and no ads, which is also a plus. While Tuta is end-to-end encrypted, your privacy depends on the encryption status of the people you're emailing. Just as with Proton Mail, email encryption needs all parties onboard and if even one person is on an unencrypted service, your privacy is compromised. Tuta comes with one calendar in the free tier, but you'll have to pay if you want to set up multiple calendars. One good thing is that Tuta doesn't restrict how many emails you can send or receive per day. The only limitation is storage. You also get apps for mobile use. Pros: Encryption, privacy, and no sending limits Cons: Just 1GB storage Yahoo Mail is the best free email for free storage Credit: Joel Cunningham If you want the maximum possible storage on your free email account, believe it or not, Yahoo Mail is your best bet. The provider lets you use up to 1TB storage (yes, that’s 1,000GB) for free. The catch is that it still limits you to a maximum of 25MB of attachments per email, so you can’t start attaching 4K movies to your emails. It also comes with other useful features, such as an easy way to unsubscribe from newsletters. However, Yahoo Mail also shows you ads in your inbox and isn’t really the service you want to use if you’re concerned about privacy. Pros: Tons of free storage Cons: As ad-heavy and invasive as other services, plus you have to have an “@yahoo” or, worse, “@aol” email address. (Certain people will judge you, if only subconsciously.) iCloud Mail is easiest to set up for Apple users Credit: Pranay Parab For anyone who already has an Apple Account, setting up an iCloud Mail account is really easy. Go to your device's settings and tap your name. Then, click or tap through to iCloud > Mail, and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. Since you already have an Apple Account, you don't need to create a new password and you can start using the service for free. iCloud Mail's free tier offers 5GB space and it has no ads. Note that this 5GB is shared with your photos, device backups, and everything else on iCloud, so effectively, it is smaller than you might expect. However, if you're on an Apple device, you have the added advantage of not having to install any apps to use the service, because your iPhone, iPad, and Mac ship with the Mail app pre-installed. iCloud Mail can be accessed on Windows, Android, and the web, too. The easiest way to use iCloud Mail on non-Apple devices is via the iCloud website, although there is an iCloud for Windows app for PC. Note that you'll still need an Apple Account for this, which you can create for free at https://account.apple.com/. For Android, you can also easily add your iCloud Mail to your phone's mail app. Log in to your Apple Account here and select App-specific passwords. Create a new password and save it for later. Add a new account to your favorite email app, select the IMAP option, and type your iCloud email ID and the app-specific password. This will add the email ID to your Android phone. Apple's Mail app gets regular updates, and you can access privacy features such as protection against email tracking even on iCloud Mail's free tier. But while this service is great for many people, it is slightly wonky at times. I've failed to receive some emails on iCloud Mail at times because they got flagged as spam and never landed in my inbox. On the plus side, you can add up to three aliases to iCloud Mail, which is good if you want to protect your actual email address from being compromised. Pros: Easy set up, three aliases for free Cons: Occasionally buggy, just 5GB of free space (shared with iCloud Photos and your device backups) AOL is the best free email for unlimited storage Credit: Daniel Oropeza Another throwback, AOL Mail, offers a lot of the same benefits as Yahoo Mail, with a similar feature set and size limits (they're owned by the same company). AOL is user-friendly, lets you organize and personalize your inbox, and offers a spell-checker, calendar, and a to-do list feature on top of the features most email clients have. It's compatible with Android and iOS apps and you can transfer your contact list from CSV, TXT, or LDIF files. Pros: Unlimited free storage Cons: You're limited to 25 MB for your email attachments Zoho Mail lets you use custom email address domains for free Credit: Pranay Parab The biggest problem with almost every free email provider is you have no control over the domain name associated with your email address. You’ll be stuck with email addresses that end in @gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @outlook.com, etc. If you want to use your own domain name with your free email, check out Zoho Mail. Its free plan lets you add up to five users to your account and offers 5GB of free storage per user. There are no ads, but you won’t get IMAP or POP3 sync features for the mobile app, which means there may be delays in receiving mobile notifications for new emails. The service will still work pretty well on your desktop browser. Pros: You can use a custom @ Cons: Only 5GB storage and no IMAP or POP3 syncing Neo is the best free email for small business owners Credit: Daniel Oropeza Small business owners, freelancers, or anyone who wants to see how their emails are performing and how many people are actually reading them can see basic email analytic tools like CTR (click-through rate) and open rates with Neo. It's also a great alternative to Zoho, since it lets you choose a domain for free and has up to 100GB of storage. You can use an AI feature for writing emails, but you don't get five user accounts like on Zoho. However, if you run into trouble, be warned that Neo's support isn't known to be the best. Pros: See CTR and Open rates Cons: The support isn't very responsive View the full article

Vietnam is revising its energy plans to focus more on large solar farms and less on reliance on coal and natural gas. The fast-growing economy now aims to get 16% of its energy from the sun — more than triple its earlier target of just 5%. A draft of the new policy outline, likely to be finalized in coming weeks, scraps plans to build offshore wind turbines, instead building more onshore wind capacity, rooftop solar and energy storage. Offshore wind and new gas projects have proven expensive and difficult. Large solar farms are cheaper and easier to build. But Vietnam also is emphasizing expansion of large solar farms to meet soaring demand for power generation. It forecasts it will need more than 211 gigawatts of energy by 2030 as its economy grows, 40% more than its previous estimate and more than Germany’s current total capacity. “This reflects both an overall increase in potential power demand by 2030 and the fact that LNG (or liquefied natural gas) projects are not on track to be completed by 2030,” said Giles Cooper, a partner at the international law firm Allens based in Hanoi who specializes in energy policy. Solar power expanded rapidly in Vietnam from 2018 to 2020, helped by generous government policies, as it leaped past its neighbors and some richer nations like the United Kingdom. But construction of new solar capacity stalled in 2020 as the Southeast Asian nation realized that its creaky electricity grid was getting overloaded since electricity was only available when the sun shone. “It was like the market almost stopped,” said Dimitri Pescia, of Berlin-based thinktank Agora Energiewende. Use of polluting coal, which releases earth-warming gases into the atmosphere, has surged and Vietnam is set to become of the world’s top five coal importers, displacing Taiwan, according to the International Energy Agency. Like many other countries, Vietnam still needs to upgrade its rickety grid, which has failed to keep up with rapid growth of clean power generation. However, it has made improvements and gained experience dealing with energy sources that aren’t always availables, Cooper said. Last year, authorities allowed electricity-guzzling factories to buy power directly from energy producers, aiming to ease pressure on the overstrained power grid and help big manufacturers like Samsung Electronics meet their climate targets. But that was hindered by a lack of space to build clean energy projects close to factories. Solar energy is “seen as the most promising technology to kick start” those direct purchases, Cooper said. But while it’s building clean power capacity, Vietnam is also ramping up use of coal. That’s partly to make up for lost hydropower capacity due to drought, and also to meet soaring demand as businesses shift factories from China to Vietnam. Vietnam is Southeast Asia’s second-biggest coal producer after Indonesia. It also imported 50 million ton of coal in the first three quarters of 2024 — a 31% increase, according to government data. Pescia noted that Vietnam’s coal-fired power plants aren’t very old and operators have yet to recoup their investments. “Phasing out coal in a country like Vietnam will take more time,” he said. 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. —Aniruddha Ghosal, Associated Press 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. The TP-Link Tapo C402 is $19.99 on Woot for the next two days or until it sells out. If you're a Prime member, you get free shipping; otherwise, it’ll cost you an extra $6. TP-Link Tapo C402 $19.99 at Woot $49.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Get Deal $19.99 at Woot $49.99 Save $30.00 This camera is IP65-rated, meaning it can handle rain and dust, and has a bullet-style design that makes it easy to mount. You get a 90-day Woot Limited Warranty, which isn’t long, but at this price, it’s hard to complain. It records in 1080p with a 125-degree field of view, offering sharp, color-rich daytime footage. At night, it switches between full-color video (though the colors reportedly appear a bit washed out) using built-in spotlights and black-and-white infrared video, depending on lighting conditions. For storage, the C402 supports microSD cards up to 512GB, but you’ll need to buy one separately if you want local storage. If you’d rather store footage online, TP-Link offers a Premium Tapo Care ($3.49 monthly or $34.99 annually) plan, which includes 30 days of video history, smart sorting for recorded clips, and rich notifications. Even if you skip the subscription, you still get free intelligent alerts for people, pets, and vehicles, privacy zone controls, two-way audio, and live view through the app, notes this PCMag review. Additional controls in the app include adjusting the spotlight brightness, formatting a microSD card, manually recording a video, and enabling or disabling the built-in 94dB siren, among others. The C402 connects via 2.4GHz wifi and works with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT applets to integrate with other compatible smart home devices. It does not support Apple HomeKit. A 6,400mAh rechargeable battery powers the unit, which TP-Link claims can last up to 180 days per charge—though, in reality, that depends on usage. For those wanting a more hands-off power solution, the TP-Link Tapo SolarCam C402 Kit is available for $44.99 (down from $50.98), allowing the camera to run indefinitely on solar energy for a more set-it-and-forget-it experience. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. With more people being called back to offices where they’re expected to share crowded spaces with coworkers — including sharing desks — let’s talk about shared space horror stories! Maybe you share a desk with someone who pinned up deeply personal love notes from their partner all over your shared space … or set the screensaver on your shared computer to be photos of herself in a bikini … or maybe you had a boss who “was constantly leaving open the very explicit romance e-novels she was reading on the shared workstation so you’d sit down to start your shift and suddenly you’re reading about parts quivering and throbbing.” Please share your tales of shared work space gone awry in the comments. View the full article

Mortgage lender Lower accuses New American Funding of stealing a San Antonio branch in early 2025. View the full article

Police to probe incoming chief accounting officer over alleged misappropriation of funds at former employerView the full article

Unwanted phone calls are out of control. Whether it’s a robocall trying to sell you something or spam calls from scammers trying to rip you off, it’s enough to make you want to stop answering your phone. So what can you do to stop them? The scourge of unwanted phone calls has been branded an epidemic by consumer groups, while the Federal Communications Commission says it’s the top consumer complaint. The calls are a nuisance to many ordinary people, some of whom have complained to The Associated Press. “I need help on getting spam calls to stop,” one reader said in an email. She’s getting up to 14 calls a day despite the countermeasures she’s employed. As the name implies, robocalls are automated calls to deliver recorded messages to a large number of phones. A robocall purely to deliver a message or collect a debt is allowed under U.S. regulations, but the Federal Trade Commission says robocalls with a recorded voice trying to sell you something are illegal unless you’ve given explicit written permission to receive them. Many robocalls are also probably scams, the FTC warns. If you’re flooded by unsolicited calls, here are some ways to fight back. Phone settings Smartphone users can turn on some built-in settings to combat unknown calls. Apple advises iPhone users to turn on the Silence Unknown Callers feature. Go to your “Settings,” then scroll down to “Apps,” and then to “Phone,” where you’ll see it under the “Calls” section. When you turn this on, any calls from numbers that you’ve never been in touch with and aren’t saved in your contacts list will not ring through. Instead, they’ll be sent to voicemail and show up in your list of recent calls. Android has a similar setting that allows you to block calls from private or unidentified numbers, although you will still receive calls from numbers that aren’t stored in your contact list. Just keep in mind that you could also end up not getting important calls, which sometimes come from unknown numbers. If an unwanted call does get through, both Android and iPhone users can block the individual phone number by tapping on it in the recent callers or call history list. You can also enter numbers directly into your phone’s block list. Do not call Sign up for the national Do Not Call registry, which is a list of numbers that have opted out of most telemarketing calls. The Federal Trade Commission, which runs the registry, says it only contains phone numbers and holds no other personally identifiable information, nor does the registry know whether the number is for a landline or a cellphone. The FTC says there are some exemptions, including political calls, calls from non-profit groups and charities, and legitimate survey groups that aren’t selling anything. Also allowed are calls from companies up to 18 months after you’ve done — or sought to do — business with them. But it also warns that while having your number on the registry will cut down on unwanted sales calls, it won’t stop scammers from making illegal calls. Other countries have similar registries. Canada has its own Do Not Call list while the U.K. has the Telephone Preference Service. Carrier filters Check whether your wireless carrier has a call-blocking service. Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T, three of the biggest U.S. networks, all have their own call filters for customers to block robocalls and report spam. There’s typically a free basic version and an advanced version that requires a subscription fee. Try an app If your phone company’s filters aren’t good enough, try third-party apps to weed out unwanted callers. There are a host of smartphone apps available that promise to block spam calls, like Nomorobo, YouMail, Hiya, RoboKiller, TrueCaller and others. Many charge a monthly or annual subscription fee but some offer a free basic option. Some also can be installed on landline phones, but only if they use VOIP technology, not copper cables. The Associated Press hasn’t tested any of these apps and isn’t making specific recommendations. We recommend you read user reviews and try some out for yourself. Apple says the apps work by comparing a caller’s number with a list of known numbers and labeling them, for example, spam or telemarketing. Then it might automatically block the call. “Incoming calls are never sent to third-party developers,” the company says. Report calls Did you know you can file a complaint with the FCC about specific spam calls? You can do so easily through an online form. It might not give you immediate satisfaction, but the National Consumer Law Center says data on complaints is the best tool federal agencies have for determining how big a problem robocalls are. Just say no While companies you’ve done business with can make robocalls to you, the National Consumer Law Center says it’s probably because you gave consent – possibly hidden in fine print. But you can also revoke your consent at any time. Just tell the company representative that you want to “revoke consent,” and if that doesn’t stop them, contact customer service and tell them that you don’t consent to receive calls and want your number added to the company’s “do not call” list, the center says. Hang up You might be tempted to try to engage with the call in an attempt to get your number off the call list or be put through to a real person. The FTC warns against doing this and recommends that you just hang up. “Pressing numbers to speak to someone or remove you from the list will probably only lead to more robocalls,” the agency says on its advice page. “And the number on your caller ID probably isn’t real. Caller ID is easy to fake” and can’t be trusted, it says. Cybersecurity company Kaspersky advises not even saying anything when you receive what you think is a robocall. We’ve all received scammy calls that start with something like “Hello, can you hear me?” to which you’ve probably replied “yes” without thinking. Scammers “can then store the recording of your confirmation and use it for fraudulent activities,” Kaspersky says. “So, avoid saying yes where possible.” Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip. —Kelvin Chan, Associated Press View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ Many freelancers really struggle with staying productive. Whether you’re experiencing writer’s block or getting distracted regularly, maintaining productivity can be a significant challenge. Yet, there are a few actions that can help freelancers stay productive. Techniques like the Pomodoro method and blocking your access to distracting apps are ideal for this. Some even better news? Multiple focus and productivity apps help you reinforce these techniques and ensure you avoid distractions. So, if you’re trying to keep your focus and don’t want to take your eye off the ball, apps are an easy way to do this. Let’s look at the productivity tips and productivity software that can help! How to be more productive: Key productivity tipsBelow, you’ll explore the productivity software and apps you can use to be more productive, but first, what are the best methods for being productive as a freelancer? Well, this can involve finding a productive environment and limiting your distractions. Implementing these tips requires you to set up an environment that works best, which may include listening to motivating music. It can also involve implementinging methods such as time blocking or time scheduling approaches, and you’ll also want to take regular breaks so that you can return to the computer feeling energized and ready to work. 6 of the best productivity apps for work as a freelancerWith the right productivity software, you can implement these tips easily, but a huge range of productivity apps are on the market. So, here, we’ll explore six of the best productivity apps to help you maintain your focus from the start to the end of your day. Let’s dive in! Get everyday productivity shortcutsWith the Dropzone app, freelancers can stay focused by remaining organized and managing files easily; the app helps you avoid the stop-start file navigation process, so your focus is always on the task at hand. The main benefit of Dropzone is the speed at which you can organize those files. It just requires a simple drag-and-drop approach to move the files into the shortcut icons. This saves you time as a freelancer and ensures you can return to high-priority tasks quickly. Dropzone also simplifies the administrative task management processes or transitional tasks with handy shortcut-adding functions. For instance, if you’re a freelance writer, you can add shortcuts to resize images that you want to add to a blog post. Or, if you’re an SEO manager adding links to an article, you can add shortcuts that shorten URLs through the DropZone app. Set a timer to stay more focusedThe Focused Work app is a timer-style app that augments your level of focus. It will let you allocate a specific timeframe for the duration you need to focus. You can choose the timer style you want, and a few options are available. The Flowmodoro option lets you focus for as long as possible. The Pomodoro option lets you break up your focus time with short breaks. Focused Work is ideal for a range of freelancer roles. For instance, as a copywriter writing a long-form blog or landing page, you can input what task you will work on and can adjust the length of time you’ll need to focus. With the timer set, you can focus for the duration and then pause for a break in your writing process with the time’s up. If you tend to get distracted by other apps, Focused Work can also help with this. The app has a function to block certain websites and apps, and this will prevent distractions and minimize multitasking. Master online meetingsIf you need to be productive during and after meetings, Spellar AI is ideal. This app helps you maximize your understanding of the spoken information shared in a meeting, doing so through a transcription process. But it does more than this; it automatically organizes what was said in meetings in a written format and aids with grammar and fluency through the transcription process. Since it organizes transcriptions in a clear, organized way, picks up each unique speaker, and gives the speakers a name, the Spellar AI productivity app can help you make the most of those crucial meetings. For instance, as a freelance team leader of a content writing team, you may use this app to transcribe the spoken information during a team meeting and check exactly what a team member said. This can enhance your post-meeting focus and help you decide which actions to take based on the specific details of the conversation. Sync your to-dos & reminders with your MacGoodTask is a to-do and reminder synchronizing app that supports exceptional focus and minimizes distractions. The synchronizing feature works with Apple’s Reminders app and calendar software, which ensures you can handle projects effectively and in order of priority. GoodTask is also a task-setting app that helps you stay focused and organized with a handy list. Manual entry is not required for tasks that happen regularly; the automatic repeat mode will set these tasks to recurring automatically. It’s a good productivity app for freelance team leaders who need to focus on task assignments or timeboxing. For instance, a team leader might need to organize and repeat one-on-one meetings with each member of their team. They can do this by using the automatic repeat mode on GoodTask, which helps them stay focused and minimize the manual processes needed to set up these meetings. Block distractions while workingFocus 2 is a straightforward timer that doubles as software that blocks distracting websites and apps. In terms of its timer and scheduling features, it allows you to establish your own schedule so that you can begin focusing on a particular time and date. When it comes to reviewing your level of focus, there is a statistics tab that shows how long you stayed focused on a task. This is ideal for freelance writers who need to track the time required to complete specific projects and then optimize their level of focus accordingly. Since distracting apps can hinder your focus, you’ll want to use the app-blocking feature if you need to ensure each project is receiving your undivided attention. So, to use the app blocking feature, go into the preferences menu. When you want to add a blocked app to the list, press the + (Plus) button. If you want to remove a blocked app from the list, press the - (Minus) button. Get AI assistant for daily tasksThe BoltAI app is essentially an AI assistant that can help you prioritize different tasks. It helps you focus in many ways, one of which is to provide a focused web browsing or research approach. It eliminates the chance of veering off-topic with your research process and provides tailored responses to your specific queries. When you need to optimize your focus even further and require project prioritization tips, BoltAI can provide these. For instance, a freelance writer and editor could write a prompt related to task prioritization and list the tasks they need to complete. Tasks might include editing three articles and writing two, as well as completing keyword research for a separate project. BoltAI will reveal which tasks are the most important and suggest a task prioritization list. This can help you handle your workload effectively without losing focus. Best productivity apps for work: Need to find these options?It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance editor, writer, or team leader. Focus is needed to complete every task and project effectively and satisfy your clients. If your mind is distracted, you’ll need a way to maintain your focus. This is much easier with the best productivity apps. So, where will you get the ones listed above? Well, they’re all on Setapp! At Setapp, a seven-day free trial applies before your subscription for multiple apps commences, so you’ll be able to see exactly how these features work. If you want to stay focused, go to Setapp today. Try out these best productivity apps for work and watch your output improve significantly. View the full article

This article is posted with permission from our partner MacPaw. MacPaw makes Mac + iOS apps that have been installed on over 30 million devices worldwide. Freelancers Union members receive 30 days of free unlimited access to CleanMyMacX and Setapp: https://freelancersunion.org/resources/perks/macpaw/ Many freelancers really struggle with staying productive. Whether you’re experiencing writer’s block or getting distracted regularly, maintaining productivity can be a significant challenge. Yet, there are a few actions that can help freelancers stay productive. Techniques like the Pomodoro method and blocking your access to distracting apps are ideal for this. Some even better news? Multiple focus and productivity apps help you reinforce these techniques and ensure you avoid distractions. So, if you’re trying to keep your focus and don’t want to take your eye off the ball, apps are an easy way to do this. Let’s look at the productivity tips and productivity software that can help! How to be more productive: Key productivity tipsBelow, you’ll explore the productivity software and apps you can use to be more productive, but first, what are the best methods for being productive as a freelancer? Well, this can involve finding a productive environment and limiting your distractions. Implementing these tips requires you to set up an environment that works best, which may include listening to motivating music. It can also involve implementinging methods such as time blocking or time scheduling approaches, and you’ll also want to take regular breaks so that you can return to the computer feeling energized and ready to work. 6 of the best productivity apps for work as a freelancerWith the right productivity software, you can implement these tips easily, but a huge range of productivity apps are on the market. So, here, we’ll explore six of the best productivity apps to help you maintain your focus from the start to the end of your day. Let’s dive in! Get everyday productivity shortcutsWith the Dropzone app, freelancers can stay focused by remaining organized and managing files easily; the app helps you avoid the stop-start file navigation process, so your focus is always on the task at hand. The main benefit of Dropzone is the speed at which you can organize those files. It just requires a simple drag-and-drop approach to move the files into the shortcut icons. This saves you time as a freelancer and ensures you can return to high-priority tasks quickly. Dropzone also simplifies the administrative task management processes or transitional tasks with handy shortcut-adding functions. For instance, if you’re a freelance writer, you can add shortcuts to resize images that you want to add to a blog post. Or, if you’re an SEO manager adding links to an article, you can add shortcuts that shorten URLs through the DropZone app. Set a timer to stay more focusedThe Focused Work app is a timer-style app that augments your level of focus. It will let you allocate a specific timeframe for the duration you need to focus. You can choose the timer style you want, and a few options are available. The Flowmodoro option lets you focus for as long as possible. The Pomodoro option lets you break up your focus time with short breaks. Focused Work is ideal for a range of freelancer roles. For instance, as a copywriter writing a long-form blog or landing page, you can input what task you will work on and can adjust the length of time you’ll need to focus. With the timer set, you can focus for the duration and then pause for a break in your writing process with the time’s up. If you tend to get distracted by other apps, Focused Work can also help with this. The app has a function to block certain websites and apps, and this will prevent distractions and minimize multitasking. Master online meetingsIf you need to be productive during and after meetings, Spellar AI is ideal. This app helps you maximize your understanding of the spoken information shared in a meeting, doing so through a transcription process. But it does more than this; it automatically organizes what was said in meetings in a written format and aids with grammar and fluency through the transcription process. Since it organizes transcriptions in a clear, organized way, picks up each unique speaker, and gives the speakers a name, the Spellar AI productivity app can help you make the most of those crucial meetings. For instance, as a freelance team leader of a content writing team, you may use this app to transcribe the spoken information during a team meeting and check exactly what a team member said. This can enhance your post-meeting focus and help you decide which actions to take based on the specific details of the conversation. Sync your to-dos & reminders with your MacGoodTask is a to-do and reminder synchronizing app that supports exceptional focus and minimizes distractions. The synchronizing feature works with Apple’s Reminders app and calendar software, which ensures you can handle projects effectively and in order of priority. GoodTask is also a task-setting app that helps you stay focused and organized with a handy list. Manual entry is not required for tasks that happen regularly; the automatic repeat mode will set these tasks to recurring automatically. It’s a good productivity app for freelance team leaders who need to focus on task assignments or timeboxing. For instance, a team leader might need to organize and repeat one-on-one meetings with each member of their team. They can do this by using the automatic repeat mode on GoodTask, which helps them stay focused and minimize the manual processes needed to set up these meetings. Block distractions while workingFocus 2 is a straightforward timer that doubles as software that blocks distracting websites and apps. In terms of its timer and scheduling features, it allows you to establish your own schedule so that you can begin focusing on a particular time and date. When it comes to reviewing your level of focus, there is a statistics tab that shows how long you stayed focused on a task. This is ideal for freelance writers who need to track the time required to complete specific projects and then optimize their level of focus accordingly. Since distracting apps can hinder your focus, you’ll want to use the app-blocking feature if you need to ensure each project is receiving your undivided attention. So, to use the app blocking feature, go into the preferences menu. When you want to add a blocked app to the list, press the + (Plus) button. If you want to remove a blocked app from the list, press the - (Minus) button. Get AI assistant for daily tasksThe BoltAI app is essentially an AI assistant that can help you prioritize different tasks. It helps you focus in many ways, one of which is to provide a focused web browsing or research approach. It eliminates the chance of veering off-topic with your research process and provides tailored responses to your specific queries. When you need to optimize your focus even further and require project prioritization tips, BoltAI can provide these. For instance, a freelance writer and editor could write a prompt related to task prioritization and list the tasks they need to complete. Tasks might include editing three articles and writing two, as well as completing keyword research for a separate project. BoltAI will reveal which tasks are the most important and suggest a task prioritization list. This can help you handle your workload effectively without losing focus. Best productivity apps for work: Need to find these options?It doesn’t matter if you’re a freelance editor, writer, or team leader. Focus is needed to complete every task and project effectively and satisfy your clients. If your mind is distracted, you’ll need a way to maintain your focus. This is much easier with the best productivity apps. So, where will you get the ones listed above? Well, they’re all on Setapp! At Setapp, a seven-day free trial applies before your subscription for multiple apps commences, so you’ll be able to see exactly how these features work. If you want to stay focused, go to Setapp today. Try out these best productivity apps for work and watch your output improve significantly. View the full article

The European Union on Thursday pushed back hard against allegations by U.S. President Donald Trump that the 27-nation bloc was out to get the United States, and warned that it would vigorously fight any wholesale tariff of 25% on all EU products. The tit-for-tat dispute following the vitriolic comments of Trump aimed at an age-old ally and its main postwar economic partner further deepened the trans-Atlantic rift that was already widened by Trump’s warnings that Washington would drop security guarantees for its European allies. Thursday’s EU pushback came after Trump told reporters that “the European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it,” adding that it would stop immediately under his presidency. Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, went on a counteroffensive. “The EU wasn’t formed to screw anyone,” Tusk said in an X post. “Quite the opposite. It was formed to maintain peace, to build respect among our nations, to create free and fair trade, and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship. As simple as that.” And Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez added fiery fuel to the debate. “We will stand up to those who attack us with unfair tariffs and veiled threats to our sovereignty. We are committed and prepared to do so,” he said in northern Spain. The EU also warned that the moment that tariffs are announced, it would trigger tough countermeasures on iconic U.S. industries like bourbon, jeans, and motorcycles. “Spain and the EU have been together working for months, and we will adopt measures to respond firmly. We will do so as a bloc,” Sánchez said. European Commission trade spokesman Olof Gill also said that the EU would stand up to the Trump administration if tariffs are announced. “The EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade,” Gill said in a statement. “We will also protect our consumers and businesses at every turn. They expect no less from us.” Trump said in comments late Wednesday that the United States stood ready. “We are the pot of gold. We’re the one that everybody wants. And they can retaliate. But it cannot be a successful retaliation, because we just go cold turkey. We don’t buy any more. And if that happens, we win.” Gill also countered Trump’s caustic comments on the inception of the EU and its development as an economic powerhouse. “The European Union is the world’s largest free market. And it has been a boon for the United States,” he said, adding that the EU has “facilitated trade, reduced costs for U.S. exporters, and harmonized standards and regulations,” which makes it easier for U.S. exporters. The EU estimates that the trade volume between both sides stands at about $1.5 trillion, representing around 30% of global trade. Trump has complained about a trade deficit, but while the bloc has a substantial export surplus in goods, the EU says that is partly offset by the U.S. surplus in the trade of services. The EU says that trade in goods reached 851 billion euros ($878 billion) in 2023, with a trade surplus of 156 billion euros ($161 billion) for the EU. Trade in services was worth 688 billion euros ($710 billion) with a trade deficit of 104 billion euros ($107 billion) for the EU. The figures are so big that it remained essential to avoid a trade war, the EU has said. “We should work together to preserve these opportunities for our people and businesses. Not against each other,” Gill said. “Europe stands for dialogue, openness and reciprocity. We’re ready to partner if you play by the rules.” Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report. —Raf Casert, Associated Press View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Craig Wright on the value of thinking opposite: “The more a person can exploit the contradictions of life, the greater his or her potential for genius. Great artists, poets, playwrights, musicians, comedians, and moralists embed oppositional forces in their work for dramatic, and sometimes comic, effect. Brilliant scientists and mathematicians seemingly do not go in search of contradictions but are comfortable when they find them. Transformative entrepreneurs look for contrarian solutions. If you want to better understand an object or concept, conceive of the opposite.” Source: The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness II. Clay Scroggins on the key to simplifying: “Find that one sentence that defines why you do the things you do, and it can have massive repercussions on your life moving forward. When you can clarify your why—and by that, I mean the answer to every ‘why do you do what you do’ question—you can start to live and lead effectively.” Source: How to Lead in a World of Distraction: Four Simple Habits for Turning Down the Noise * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article