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Washington has decided to abandon both Ukraine and its postwar role in the worldView the full article

Sales of fully electric car sales In Europe were up 37.3% in January, industry data showed on Tuesday, although the sharp rise was not enough to compensate for a drop in petrol and diesel vehicles, leaving overall sales down by 2.1%. Figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed that all-electric brand Tesla saw a 45.2% drop in the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Area, while sales at its Chinese competitor SAIC Motor, which owns the MG brand, were up 36.8%. Why it’s important The EU executive will present auto sector plans on March 5, following talks with automakers, unions, and interest groups. EU carmakers, which are struggling to compete with Chinese rivals and bracing for U.S. tariffs, are urging the Commission to grant relief from potential fines resulting from CO2 car emission targets that came into effect in January. Some automakers have increased the prices of petrol engine models to encourage EV adoption, but the industry fears that customers will simply buy fewer cars. Electric transport groups, instead, claim that any push to weaken the targets will disrupt investments in EV infrastructure and hamper the bloc’s competitiveness. By the numbers January sales in the EU, Britain and EFTA fell slightly below 1 million cars sold, the lowest volume since August. Registrations at Volkswagen and Renault grew by 5.3% and 5.4% respectively, while they fell by 16% at Stellantis. In the EU, January sales fell by 2.6%, even as the registrations of battery electric (BEV) and hybrid electric (HEV) cars grew by 34% and 18.4% respectively. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) sales were instead down by 8.5%. Electrified vehicles—either BEV, HEV or PHEV—sold in the bloc accounted for 57.2% of passenger car registrations in January, up from 47.4% in the previous year. Among the largest EU markets, Spain sales increased by 5.3%, while in France, Italy, and Germany they dropped by 6.2%, 5.8%, and 2.8%. In Britain they were down 2.5%. Context While battling to bring down high costs in home markets and fighting competition from China, European carmakers are also preparing to face potential import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has raised tariffs on aluminium and steel and threatened a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada, as well as on all autos and semiconductors. —Alessandro Parodi, Reuters View the full article

Implemented in January, the Biden administration rule addressed flood risk in designated zones, setting building levels that were higher than FEMA standards. View the full article

Toyota announced plans to restructure its board on Tuesday in what it described as an attempt to bring in more diverse views and give a larger roles to auditors. Among six appointments is Christopher Reynolds, now an executive in the automaker’s North American operations. As a lawyer, and son of a Ford worker, he brings experience in human resources and risk management, according to Toyota. The number of women on the 10-person board will grow from one to two with the appointments of Kumi Fujisawa, an independent outsider and entrepreneur, and Hiromi Osada, previously a Toyota auditor. George Olcott, previously an auditor, will also join the board. The number of outside members will rise from four to five. Takanori Azuma, a Toyota Human Resources official, said the new board includes auditors for the first time. The company’s internal controls have come under scrutiny since it admitted to cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models last year. Azuma said the additions are designed to bring diverse views to its leadership as “weapons for survival” in a changing environment. “It would be a mistake to assume that what we think up internally will be what our customers and people around the world can empathize with,” he said. The maker of the Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models has been trying to transform itself into what it calls “a mobility company” as the auto industry undergoes drastic changes including the arrival of powerful relative newcomers like Tesla and BYD. Chairman Akio Toyoda, from the company’s founding family, and Chief Executive Koji Sato’s positions will remain unchanged. The company will seek approval for the new board at a general shareholders’ meeting later this year. Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yurikageyama —Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer View the full article

On Monday morning, anonymous hackers played a video on screens throughout the Department of Housing and Urban Development HQ in Washington D.C. The AI-generated video jankily portrayed President Trump kissing Elon Musk’s feet, with an overlaid caption reading: “Long live the real king.” It reportedly played on a loop for five minutes before the baffled building staff eventually scrambled to each floor and turned off the TVs manually. As amusing as it may have been for some to see a high-tech protest depicting a low-status Trump, amusement is all this protest has to offer. Those looking for, or trying to manifest, cracks in the president’s relationship with the world’s richest man still have their work cut out for them. Despite Trump’s historically mercurial affinities, and a distaste for being overshadowed, his alliance with Musk appears a lot sturdier than many predicted. The AI-generated video that played at HUD is hardly the first public attempt to drive a wedge between the president and the tech oligarch. Media figures such as Rachel Maddow, politicians including Senator Bernie Sanders, and random social media users have all been part of a sprawling concerted effort to turn Trump against “President Musk.” Rolling Stone even reported in December on conversations taking place within the Democratic National Committee about party leaders describing Trump as subservient to Musk, in order to activate Trump’s ego. It’s easy to see why they might have thought this strategy would succeed. During Trump’s first term, he quickly soured on the people in his orbit. In 2017 alone, 34% of his top aides either resigned, were fired, or transitioned to different positions; a record amount of turnover for a president in his first year. By the end of that term, among the most influential positions within his administration, the rate of turnover reportedly reached 92%. Beyond past precedent, there were other reasons to believe the relationship would quickly combust. Both men clearly enjoy being the main character of the internet; perhaps the world stage wouldn’t be big enough to contain both egos. On top of that, their apparently tight bond got off to a rocky start. After his political pivot to the right, Musk initially threw his weight behind Governor Ron DeSantis in 2022, since Trump would be “too old” by the end of a second term. Trump, for his part, called Musk a “bullshit artist” around the same time. Any differences between the two, however, now seem confined to the past. During a joint appearance on Fox News’ Hannity last week, Sean Hannity asked Musk and Trump about the push to break up their partnership. In response, Trump confirmed he’s aware of those efforts, saying: “Elon called me. He said, ‘You know they’re trying to drive us apart.’ I said, ‘Absolutely.’ You know, they said, ‘We have breaking news: Donald Trump has ceded control of the presidency to Elon Musk. President Musk will be attending a Cabinet meeting tonight at 8 o’clock.’ And I say—it’s just so obvious. They’re so bad at it.” Perhaps it was a calculated move to present a unified front in the face of so much wishful thinking for a falling out. But there are plenty of reasons beyond the Hannity interview to suggest that a divorce won’t be coming any time soon. Trump and Musk’s shared vision Trump and Musk appear to be on the same page about how the U.S. should be governed, for one thing. As Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency decimates headcount in federal offices around the country, he is on the brink of achieving what Trump set out to do in his first term. Soon after taking office in 2017, Trump signed an executive order placing a hiring freeze across the executive branch. It lasted 79 days, during which then-head of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney developed a long-term plan for workforce reduction. Trump would go on to spend the rest of his term fuming about the “rogue bureaucrats” of the so-called Deep State who thwarted some of his plans. Now, Musk is as animated about taking a chainsaw to the federal bureaucracy as he was about doing so upon taking over Twitter. The pair similarly see eye-to-eye on the classic conservative hobbyhorse of deregulation. While Musk has long lamented all the irksome government rules standing in the way of his business plans, Trump bragged in his 2021 farewell address that he had “slashed more job-killing regulations than any administration ha[s] ever done before.” On top of everything else, Musk and Trump seem equally credulous when it comes to fringe conspiracy theories. Even Musk’s own AI chatbot Grok admits the X head honcho spreads the most misinformation on that platform—although it recently blocked some criticism of Musk and Trump—and farfetched concepts like Fort Knox’s supposed missing gold now tend to quickly spread from a Musk tweet to a Trump press conference. Considering both have also professed intense animosity toward legacy media and wokeness, one imagines the two would find plenty to talk about over deskside Diet Cokes in the Oval Office. The money factor Although Tesla stock has dropped 37% from its high in December amid backlash, Musk and his various companies stand to profit immensely from his new government adjacency. DOGE has already made cuts at agencies that oversee some of Musk’s products, for instance, among other potential conflicts of interest. But Trump may stand to benefit even more. Beyond the $277 million Musk contributed to his campaign efforts, what Trump has gained from this symbiotic relationship is a new cudgel against non-compliant members of his party. Back in December, Musk warned Republicans in the House and Senate that he would fund primary challengers against anyone who stood in the way of Trump’s agenda. That threat lingered in the air throughout the confirmation hearings for Trump’s cabinet, during which any objections to even the most controversial picks—like Robert Kennedy Jr., Pete Hegseth, and Tulsi Gabbard—eventually vanished. Musk’s role in keeping party members in line is not something Trump would lightly sacrifice. Another headline sponge During his first term, Trump’s wild-card unpredictability, social media proclivity, and authoritarian-like bearing brought him constant negative press coverage. With a jubilant Elon Musk testing the limits of his newfound power, though, Trump now has a spare lightning rod for bad headlines. Trump’s critics and adversaries among the Democrats, opinion columnists, and random social media users now have a second Trumpian figure—with his own unique modus operandi—to focus their attention on, siphoning ire that might otherwise go solely to Trump. Still, that ire is very much real. Polls in recent weeks have shown Musk’s popularity plummeting, and Trump’s slipping as well. Angry town halls seem to be making some Republicans nervous about how to defend Musk and DOGE’s actions to their constituents, while conflicting advice about handling Musk’s recent ultimatum for federal workers–that they submit five bullets about what they accomplished the previous week or forfeit their jobs–suggests fracturing support for DOGE within the administration. But the situation would likely have to deteriorate dramatically further before bringing about a divorce—if for no other reason than spite. While the same vanity that allowed Kamala Harris to easily bait Trump into ranting about crowd sizes during their debate last fall does not seem as susceptible to the ‘President Musk’ taunts, it just might help prolong the president in denying his detractors an outcome they so clearly desire. View the full article

And two steps to protect taxpayers. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

And two steps to protect taxpayers. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

Clicks, the iPhone keyboard accessory that went viral during CES 2024, is now coming to multiple Android phones—Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S25, and the Moto Razr+ (2024). Clicks adds a physical QWERTY keyboard to your smartphone, and also functions as a case for your device. Up until now, Clicks was available exclusively for all iPhone 15 and 16 devices, as well as the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. When the first iPhone launched, it sounded a death knell for smartphones with physical keyboards, as the world moved to bar-shaped phones with big screens. Touchscreen typing is good enough for most people, but Clicks is betting on the fact that content creators, vloggers, and people who value productivity may find it easier to type on a physical keyboard. I know for a fact that I make far fewer typos on my MacBook than I do on my iPhone, but the downside with Clicks is that it adds a lot of heft to your phone. It changes the weight distribution of your phone, and some people may find it harder to use their phones since it will feel more top-heavy. Clicks says Android users can customize typing settings on their device using a companion app, such as changing the function of shortcut buttons. Each Clicks case has a few shortcut buttons that vary by device, but a search button appears on all variants of the keyboard. The company says the keys have metal dome switches that provide tactile feedback and that the keys are backlit, so you don't need to switch back to the on-screen keyboard whenever you lose light. Since the keyboard is below the screen, you can use your phone's entire display all the time. That's a perk, especially for apps that benefit from added screen real estate, but it does make your phone bulky enough that it may not easily fit in your pocket or purse. That said, you don't need to remove the case to charge your phone, since Clicks supports USB-C passthrough charging. For Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, Clicks supports wireless charging, too. Credit: Clicks On Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, Click is available in two colors: Surge (yellow) and Onyx (black). The company says it expects to start shipping these cases by late April. For the Motorola Razr+ (2024), the color options are Electric (blue) and Onyx, and the case is expected to ship late May. Finally, for the Galaxy S25, the color variants are Pinot (a reddish brown) and Onyx, and shipping is expected in June. Pre-orders for all Android variants of the keyboard accessory open today on the company's website at an introductory price of $99. That price is valid until March 21. If you order after that, the final price is $139. View the full article

Many things remain uncertain about AI’s future impact on our lives. One that isn’t in doubt is that more and more of the world’s software will be written, at least in part, by software. Already, 25% of Google’s code is generated by AI, CEO Sundar Pichai said last October. By 2028, projects research firm Gartner, 75% of enterprise developers will use AI tools in their work. This trend is reflected in programmers’ embrace of products such as GitHub Copilot and Cursor, which let them call on generative AI to fill in some of the specific code as they tackle a project—essentially a fancy form of autocomplete for software engineering. The next step beyond that is AI coding assistance that’s more agentic—capable of handling at least certain tasks from start to finish without constant supervision. That’s what a San Francisco startup called Factory offers with its platform, which officially debuts today. “Our mission, at a high level, is to bring autonomy to software engineering,” says Factory CEO Matan Grinberg, who founded the company with CTO Eno Reyes. Its platform includes agents—Factory calls them Droids—that “automate tasks in the software development lifecycle, and in particular tasks that developers don’t want to do—testing, debugging, refactoring, migrations, all that ugly stuff,” explains Grinberg. Factory aims to go beyond the code-autocomplete features offered by tools such as GitHub Copilot. Rather than replacing something like the GitHub Copilot, Factory aims to provide a new layer for software projects that’s compatible with the processes and products a team already has in place. “For those who use Copilot, it’s like, ‘Okay, cool—I brought this down from [Factory],’” says Grinberg. “‘Now there’s some other things I want to do.’” ‘I had a bit of an existential crisis’ Grinberg and Reyes were respectively 24 and 23 when they started Factory in 2023—by all accounts, a whirlwind of an experience. It started when Grinberg, who’d studied string theory at Princeton and was working on a PhD in physics at Berkeley, suddenly began questioning his trajectory in life. “I realized that I had spent basically the last decade obsessed with physics,” he says, “and I was only doing it because it was hard, not because I actually loved it. Which is obviously a horrible reason to pursue a career path. So, I had a bit of an existential crisis.” Grinberg found a new obsession in AI, a technology whose destiny had been permanently altered by the arrival of ChatGPT. He was particularly fascinated by program synthesis (later better known as code generation): the science of teaching software to write software. He became a regular at AI hackathons, including the one where he met Reyes, who’d written his thesis on deep learning and worked on language models at Microsoft and Hugging Face. (The two had been at Princeton at the same time and—despite having overlapping circles of friends— had somehow managed not to know each other.) At Hugging Face, “I was working with Databricks, Bloomberg, Grammarly—everyone wanted code gen,” says Reyes. He’d already collaborated on an AI code generator for finance applications. “There’s way more opportunity here,” he remembers thinking. Factory’s platform lets users select code and other data to incorporate into collections called Workflows. This is where a classic Silicon Valley element of serendipity kicked in. At almost the same moment Grinberg and Reyes connected, Grinberg had sent an unsolicited email to Shaun Maguire, a partner at venture capital titan Sequoia, seeking career advice. “It’s very rare that cold emails actually turn into something,” says Maguire. But like Grinberg, Maguire had a background in high-energy physics theory. And when he learned that Grinberg had coauthored a paper with legendary physicist Juan Maldacena, the credential blew his socks off. In person, Maguire was even more impressed by Grinberg: “I was shocked that not only does this guy like have the IQ to write a string theory paper with Juan Maldacena as an undergrad, but he also has charisma and sales ability and empathy.” He immediately encouraged Grinberg to pivot from PhD student to startup founder—a goal Grinberg now acknowledges he’d already had in mind, though he’d kept it to himself. A week later, Grinberg returned with the idea that became Factory. By then, the GitHub Copilot had shown that AI could produce lines of code usable in a production environment. But as the name Copilot indicates, it was doing so under the watchful eye of a human programmer. Grinberg was thinking ahead to AI that could perform some straightforward tasks more independently—in other words, agentic AI, though nobody was bandying around the term at the time. “His point was, ‘Copilot is great, but soon we’re going to have junior developers in a box,’” remembers Maguire. “And that’s what he wanted to work towards.” Sequoia helped get Grinberg and Reyes on their way by leading Factory’s $5 million seed round of funding. It followed up by leading a $15 million Series A round in 2024. ‘Delegating away some tasks’ Grinberg emphasizes that Factory doesn’t envision AI taking over coding in a sweeping fashion anytime soon. Instead, the exact nature of the human-computer collaboration will vary from area to area. “Software developers of the future will be delegating away some tasks,” he says. “They will be pairing with AI on others. And they will be more directly hands-on working on some things with suggestions from AI as they do it.” In a demo, he showed me how the company’s platform uses AI to let engineering teams create shareable, easily digestible collections of all the code and other data associated with a particular project. Known as Workflows, they don’t just help humans keep tabs on what’s where. They’re also a starting point for the Droid agents, which can take on useful grunt work relating to the code encompassed by a Workflow. For example, many programmers use a system called Mermaid to create diagrams about works in progress—say, a chart documenting all the dependencies that various blocks of code might have on each other. Instead of personally writing the lines of JavaScript necessary to create a Mermaid diagram, a user might have a Droid do the job and then save the results as a code snippet for later use. Similarly, if a project has code that lacks comments—embedded explanations documenting what the software is doing and how it does it—a Droid can add them. Among the software development tasks Factory’s AI can assist with is one of the most basic of them all: debugging. Those are examples of tasks that many teams might happily offload to AI. But the whole point is that users can ask Droids to undertake assignments on the fly—“something as spontaneous as ’Hey, can you generate me a customer usage dashboard?’” says Grinberg. Such a dashboard could draw on any relevant data the user added to the Workflow in question. And like everything Droids create, it would be reusable. Of course, there’s nothing new about using dashboards to help wrangle complex projects. In the past, however, they’ve been one-size-fits-all tools hard-coded by a platform provider. By using generative AI, Factory wants to pioneer a more fluid approach in which its customers can call on Droids to construct the functionality they want when they want it. Instead of being “set in stone,” says Reyes, a team’s working environment can consist in part of “LLM-generated, malleable pieces of content.” That malleability includes the ability to choose the large language models that power Factory’s AI: “We support everything, basically,” says Grinberg. Even freshly-minted, cutting-edge models are on the list, including xAI’s Grok 3 (announced last week) and Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.7 (announced on Monday). By riding atop all the major LLMs, Factory expects to get more powerful as they do, opening up scenarios where Droids grow competent at work that’s presently beyond their skill set. “Building for what’s going to be possible in a year or two is how we got here first,” says Reyes. “And we’re already building for what will be possible a year or two in the future.” Which is not to say that Factory fully understands how its customers will use its platform. As with all things generative AI, nobody knows for sure what it can and can’t do well until someone gives it a try. “We just want a ton of people to see this new paradigm of interacting with software,” says Grinberg. “It’s just going to be so much fun to have all these people who have really strong opinions get their hands dirty.” View the full article

True tales about the busy season. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

True tales about the busy season. By Frank Stitely The Relentless CPA Go PRO for members-only access to more Frank Stitely. View the full article

Decision to plunder the development budget brings end to era of Britain as an ‘aid superpower’ View the full article

Whether it’s declaring that blindness prevents government employees from doing their jobs or suggesting that hiring workers with intellectual disabilities contributed to Federal Aviation Administration safety lapses, the Trump administration has repeatedly questioned whether people with disabilities belong in the workplace. This stance reflects widespread stigma and misconceptions about what people with disabilities can and do accomplish. Negative stereotypes and exclusionary practices persist despite the fact that people with disabilities are the largest minority group in the United States, representing nearly 30% of the population. Whether or not you identify as disabled, most people live or work in close proximity to others with a disability. For years I have researched how people with disabilities have been kept out of efforts to guarantee equal access for everybody, particularly in higher education. This exclusion is often due to unfounded beliefs about capacity, intellect and merit, and the false premise that disability inclusion requires lowering standards. However, studies demonstrate that including people with disabilities is good for everyone, not just disabled people. Schools and workplaces are more collaborative and responsive when people with disabilities are included at all levels of the organization. In other words, disability inclusion isn’t about charity; it’s about making organizations work better. Rolling back protections President Donald Trump issued executive orders the day he took office for a second time that aimed at ending government and private-sector efforts to make U.S. workplaces and schools more diverse, equitable and inclusive. In addition to affecting LGBTQ+ communities and people of color, these measures could erode years of progress toward protecting the rights of people with disabilities to earn a living. Between 40 million and 80 million Americans identify as disabled. Even the higher end of this range underestimates the actual number of people with disabilities, because some individuals choose not to identify that way or even realize they qualify as such. That includes people with impairments from chemical and pesticide exposure, as well as many older people and those who are living with HIV and AIDS, to name some examples. Only 15% of people with disabilities are born with their impairment, so most individuals become disabled over their lifetime. Tracing historical precedents Blaming failures on people with disabilities and people of color echoes the harms embedded in eugenics, an attempt to scientifically prove genetic inferiority of disabled, LGBTQ+ Indigenous and Black people. Eugenics led to the institutionalization and forced sterilization of, and the coercive experimentation on, people with disabilities, immigrants and people of color across the U.S. Even the Supreme Court endorsed the concept in the early 20th century. These studies began to fade after World War II, but their legacy persists. Even today, forced sterilization continues to be lawful in U.S jurisdictions in 31 states and in Washington. Due to widespread activism and the advent of new legal protections, many states finally dismantled their eugenic policies in the late 1970s. But eugenics-era experiments provided foundations for contemporary medical research, standardized testing and segregated school placements. People with disabilities have far-reaching legal guarantees of civil rights and access today due to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The statute, which was enacted in 1990 and strengthened in 2008, provided protections in the workplace, educational settings, transportation and places of recreation and commerce, among others. It also guarded against negative perceptions of disability. For example, if an employer perceived someone as disabled and denied them consideration in the hiring process because of that, the candidate would be protected from discrimination under the ADA – whether or not they had a disability. While these advances are significant, many people with disabilities still do not have access to their basic civil rights. This is particularly true of Black people with disabilities, as they are disproportionately pushed out of school, disciplined more harshly, targeted for incarceration and marginalized in disability representation and research. Gaining workplace accommodations Critics of inclusion efforts sometimes wrongly argue that employing people with disabilities is too costly due to the accommodations they may require. But the Job Accommodation Network in the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy found in 2023 that nearly 60% of these accommodations cost nothing. What’s more, many tax incentives are available to cover these costs. Disability civil rights law does not mandate hiring people who are not qualified or lowering standards to include the disabled. The law requires that candidates meet the “essential functions” of the job in order to be hired. According to a 2024 Labor Department report, the employment rate for working-age people with disabilities was 38% compared with 75% for nondisabled people. Though there are countless reasons for this disparity, many people with disabilities can and want to work, but employers don’t give them the opportunity. Providing benefits for everyone Many accommodations designed for people with disabilities also benefit others. Captioning on videos and movies was originally meant to benefit the deaf community, but it also helps multilingual speakers and people who simply are trying to follow the dialogue. Similarly, visual or written instructions assist people with depression, Down syndrome or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but they can also make tasks more accessible for everyone, along with breaking assignments into smaller components. Sensory break rooms benefit people with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder, while also providing a reprieve in a noisy work environment and minimizing distractions. Remote work options can make it easier for people with chronic illnesses to be employed, and they similarly benefit others who may have caregiving responsibilities – helping attract and retain talented employees. Text-to-speech software provides people with cerebral palsy and nonspeaking individuals with options for communication, similar to options that many people already use on their phones. A large body of research demonstrates the broad benefits of making jobs and schools more accessible to people with disabilities, which is ultimately an advantage for everyone. Studies on diversity in educational and workplace settings also demonstrate positive outcomes. In a study of 10 public universities, researchers found that students who reported positive, informal interactions with diverse peers had higher scores on measures of more complex thinking, a concern for the public good and an interest in poverty issues, and were more likely to vote and develop strong leadership skills. In a national survey of human resources managers conducted in 2019, 92% of the respondents who were aware that one or more of their employees had a disability said those individuals performed the same or better than their peers who did not. Research published by the Harvard Business Review found many advantages to hiring people with disabilities. For one thing, people with disabilities can have unique insights that contribute to the workplace culture. The presence of employees with disabilities can make the environment of entire companies and organizations more collaborative. Earning a reputation for inclusiveness and social responsibility can improve customer relations and can give businesses an edge when they seek funding and recruit talented new employees. Ultimately, I believe it’s important to create conditions where anyone can thrive, including people with disabilities. Doing so benefits everyone. Lauren Shallish is associate professor of disability studies in education at Rutgers University – Newark This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Mr. Cooper expects close to 350 former Flagstar employees to be integrated as team members. View the full article

Lifting is about as simple as an exercise gets: You pick the thing up, and you put the thing down. But that doesn’t mean you’re going to walk into the gym and just pick the thing up. A proper warmup can help you to be ready for your lifting, so let’s talk about how to build your best lifting warmup routine. Why a warmup is important (and when it may not be)First, let’s talk about why we warm up. People often talk about warmups as if they will magically prevent injury, or that skipping one will result in some other disaster. That’s not necessarily true. They also won’t really do much for your chances of suffering from soreness (or not) after the workout, either. If you feel comfortable walking straight from the front door to the squat rack, you don’t need to add a warmup. You will probably benefit from a warmup if any of these are true of your lifting workouts: You feel achy or creaky at the beginning of workouts. The first few sets always feel heavier than they should. You have trouble getting into positions that you need for the workout (like the bottom of a squat). You do exercises that get you breathing hard, like circuit training or anything where you're rushing to complete reps to a timer. A warmup can address one or all of those concerns, preparing you for the job of lifting. Your muscles will work better when they’re warm (like, literally at a higher temperature). You’ll also want to be ready to move in all of the ways that the lift requires. If your ankles are stiff, for example, getting them moving will help them to be able to flex more during your squat. If you're worried about your warmup taking forever, good news—you only need to include the parts of the warmup that you, personally need to benefit from. Two people might warm up in completely different ways for the same workout. So let's talk about the different components of a warmup, and how to know which ones you need. Cardio warms you up and gets you ready for workBefore lifting, a lot of folks like to hop on the treadmill or rower for five to 10 minutes, or perhaps do some jumping jacks. A cardio warmup like one of these offers a few benefits: It physically warms up your muscles, It gets at least some of your muscles and joints moving. It gets your energy systems (enzymes, etc) into the groove of supplying extra power to your muscles. Remember how, when you run, the first mile (or the first 10 minutes or so) feels sluggish? That’s because your body is ramping up those energy systems so you can use them more efficiently during the rest of your workout. If your lifting workout keeps your heart rate high—like a Crossfit-style WOD—this cardio warmup is essential for making the rest of the workout not suck. If you’re just going to be lifting at your own pace, cardio isn’t essential, but the warmth and movement may still help you feel better and serve as a mental and physical introduction to the work you’re about to do. Mobility work gets you ready to reach specific positionsWe’re not (just) talking about stretching here. If you want to work on your flexibility by doing long, deep static stretches, that’s best saved for after the workout. As you’re getting ready to lift, you may want to instead do some mobility work. Mobility, in this context, means being able to move in the ways that your workout requires. If you’re going to do some squats, and your calves and ankles tend to be stiff, and this stiffness prevents you from getting as deep into the squat as you’d like, then you should spend some time before doing your squats working on your ankle mobility. (We have some specific suggestions for that here.) Apply this same principle to whatever exercise you’re planning. If you have a hard time arching your back in the bench press, do some upper back mobility work first (I like to lie on my back on top of a foam roller). If you’re going to do snatches or overhead squats, you may want to do some shoulder stretches. Stretching before a workout can give you a temporary boost to your flexibility that lasts through the workout. This stage is where foam rolling and dynamic stretching can come in. Foam rolling can help loosen up a muscle, like a little massage. And dynamic stretches are warmup movements that take your joints through whatever range of motion you will be asking them to do later. Google “mobility work for ___” and you’ll get plenty of ideas. Ultimately, what you use in this section of the warmup should be whatever will best help you to be successful later in the workout. Experiment with adding moves in or taking them out. "Activation" exercises prepare your musclesSometimes it’s nice to do an exercise that uses whatever muscles you’ll be using in the main workout, but with lighter weights or even via a totally different movement. For example, banded glute bridges could help you get ready for a workout where the focus is squats or hip thrusts. To be totally clear, you don’t need to “activate” muscles to be able to use them later, even though purveyors of booty bands will try to convince you this is an essential step. These exercises just give your muscles a preview of what they’ll be doing in the main event, and can help you get through your warmup sets of the main lift (see below) a bit more quickly. For more on what activation exercises are really doing, see my explainer. Technique drills help you perfect your skillsIf you’re doing a lift that requires precise technique, you may want to practice drills that help with that specific lift. For example, before I do snatches, I like to do drills with just the bar: maybe some hang snatches, or overhead squats, or tall snatches. Again, select exercises for this stage based on what technique work you need to practice. Goblet squats may be a good primer for barbell squats, for example. Your warmup sets with the empty bar or lighter weightsThis step is essential if you're doing a heavy lift. Let’s say you’re going to do squats at 200 pounds today. Just because you’ve warmed up with cardio or mobility doesn’t mean you're ready to load 200 pounds on the bar and go for it. Instead, you'll do some squats with the empty bar, and then maybe with 95 pounds, 135 pounds, 155 pounds, and 185 pounds. While the other warmup components we discussed are negotiable, most lifting coaches would agree that these warmup sets with the bar are mandatory. They can often even replace most of the above steps, because if you do enough warmup sets, you’ll be getting your body warm, moving through the necessary motions, activating your muscles, and practicing the technique of the lift you’re about to do. Start by doing a set of the same number of reps you will do for your working sets, or more. So if you’re going to do five reps at 200 pounds, start with a set of 5–10 reps with only a bar. Then add some weight, and then add some more, and then some more, until you get to the target weight for your first working set of the day. The exact jumps in weight aren’t important so long as you have several stops on your way to the working set for the day. How to customize your warmupI like to think about warming up for lifting as combining my warmup sets (as described in the section above) plus whatever I need that my warmup sets don’t adequately cover. So if you feel like you need more mobility work than warmup sets alone will give you, you might walk in the gym, do five minutes on the treadmill to warm up your legs, and then do some foam rolling and ankle stretches before you start squatting. You haven’t done any technique or activation work, but that’s fine if you don’t feel you need it. Or if your mobility is fine but you’re planning on doing a circuit-style workout and you hate that you’re always getting out of breath between lifts, you might benefit from a more thorough cardio warmup to make sure you’re ready for the fast pace of the workout. It’s fine for your warmup to be different for each workout, or for it to change over time. Older athletes often find they need more warmup time than they did when they were younger, and we all might need more of a warmup in cold weather than when it’s hot out. Figure out what makes sense for you, and build your warmup accordingly. View the full article

A new album called “Is This What We Want?” features a stellar list of more than 1,000 musicians—and the sound of silence. With contributions from artists including Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, Cat Stevens, and Damon Albarn, the album was released Tuesday to protest proposed British changes to artificial intelligence laws that artists fear will erode their creative control. The U.K. government is consulting on whether to let tech firms use copyrighted material to help train AI models unless the creators explicitly opt out. Critics of the idea fear that will make it harder for artists to retain control of their work and will undermine Britain’s creative industries. Elton John and Paul McCartney are among those who have spoken out against the plan. The protest album features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces, to show what they fear will be the fate of creative venues if the plan goes through. The titles of the 12 tracks spell out: “The British government must not legalize music theft to benefit AI companies.” Profits will be donated to the musicians’ charity Help Musicians. “The government’s proposal would hand the life’s work of the country’s musicians to AI companies, for free, letting those companies exploit musicians’ work to outcompete them,” said composer and AI developer Ed Newton-Rex, who organized the album. “It is a plan that would not only be disastrous for musicians, but that is totally unnecessary,” Newton-Rex said. “The U.K. can be leaders in AI without throwing our world-leading creative industries under the bus.” Britain’s center-left Labour Party government says it wants to make the U.K. a world leader in AI. In December, it announced a consultation into how copyright law can “enable creators and right holders to exercise control over, and seek remuneration for, the use of their works for AI training” while also ensuring “AI developers have easy access to a broad range of high-quality creative content.” The consultation closes on Tuesday. Publishers, artists’ organizations and media companies, including the Associated Press, have banded together as the Creative Rights in AI Coalition to oppose weakening copyright protections. Several U.K. newspapers ran wraparounds over their front pages on Tuesday, criticizing the government consultation and saying: “Let’s protect the creative industries—it’s only fair.” —Jill Lawless, Associated Press View the full article

Today, February 25, is a make-or-break day for Super Micro Computer (aka Supermicro) and its stock, which trades on the Nasdaq under the SMCI ticker. That’s because by the end of today, the beleaguered server company needs to file its delinquent Form 10-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If it fails to do so, the company’s shares may be delisted from the Nasdaq. Here’s what you need to know about its stock price ahead of the deadline and the possible outcomes should Super Micro Computer fail to meet its requirements. SMCI stock price sinks ahead of filing deadline As of the time of this writing, in early trading SMCI’s stock price is down over 8% to to above $47 per share. Today’s stock price fall follows an 8% fall yesterday. Much of the market is down this week, including big tech stocks, although not as dramatically. One reason for SMCI’s fall is most likely jitters as to whether the company will indeed file its delinquent Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2024, as well as additional forms for the first two fiscal 2025 quarters with the SEC. The forms are both a legal requirement and a condition of being listed on the Nasdaq. Supermicro missed the earlier filing deadlines amidst a swath of negative news last year, which has rattled investors since August. Most prominently, the company has faced allegations of accounting irregularities. These allegations, along with a failure to file specific financial forms, have led to the stock price fluctuating wildly since the fall. Concerns surrounding these issues have led to a 22% decline in SMCI’s stock price over the past six months. In November, the stock bottomed out at below $18 per share—a far cry from its high of over $122 per share earlier in the year. However, despite the company’s most recent declines this week, SMCI stock has still recovered a fair amount since its November lows. Year to date, the stock is up over 55%. Where that stock price goes from here—at least in the near term—may largely depend on whether Supermicro meets its filing deadlines today. Will Super Micro Computer meet its 10-K filing deadline? Surprisingly, despite today being the deadline for the 10-K filing, Supermicro has not given any update on it since last week. On February 19, the company addressed the filing in a Q2 2025 preliminary report. At the time Super Micro Computer said that it “continues to work diligently toward the filing of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2024, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2024.” It went on to state that “Based on information currently available, the Company believes it will make such filings by February 25, 2025.” Fast Company has reached out to Supermicro for an update on the filings. We will update this post if we hear back. What happens if Super Micro Computer misses its deadline? If Supermicro misses its deadline, SMCI stock may very well be delisted from the Nasdaq after the market closes today. However, as noted by MarketWatch, a Wedbush analyst says that Super Micro has the option of asking for another extension to file the required forms. That extension could be for as many as 180 days. This means today will likely end in one of the three following ways for Super Micro Computer: Supermicro may file its delinquent SEC forms by the deadline. Supermicro may not meet the deadline but receive an extension. Supermicro may not meet its deadline and not receive an extension. If Super Micro Computer achieves option No. 1—meeting the deadline today—it’s possible that investors will react kindly. The next best-case scenario is option No. 2, where the company does not meet the deadline but receives an extension. Option No. 3 is the worst outcome. As of the time of this writing, which of the three above options comes to pass remains to be seen. This story is developing… View the full article

Effective retail inventory management is key for running a successful retail business because it allows you to maintain optimal stock levels, minimize carrying costs, and meet customer demand. It ensures that the right products are available at the right time and place, helping to prevent stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and improve cash flow. Retail stores can improve operational efficiency, increase profitability, and provide a better customer experience by optimizing their inventory levels and processes. Using effective inventory tracking and control, a business owner can optimize stock levels, improve customer satisfaction, and increase sales. What is Retail Inventory Management? Retail inventory management refers to the strategic planning, monitoring, and control of merchandise stock levels within a retail environment. It involves activities such as forecasting demand, setting reorder points, tracking inventory turnover, and optimizing stock levels to meet customer demand while minimizing costs and maximizing profitability. Effective retail inventory management ensures that retailers have the right products available at the right time and place to meet customer needs and maximize sales opportunities. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory Management Here are the steps to take to develop your best retail inventory management system and processes. 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software: Research and evaluate different retail management software for the best options based on your business needs and budget. For retail management software, consider factors such as features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, and customer support. Select the software that best aligns with your requirements and implement it according to the vendor’s guidelines. 2. Implement an Inventory Management System Develop clear procedures and protocols for receiving, storing, and tracking inventory for your retail store. Train employees on how to use the inventory management system effectively. Establish workflows at your retail store for managing stock levels, replenishment, and order fulfillment. Integrate the inventory management system with other business systems, such as point-of-sale (POS) and accounting software, for seamless operations. 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records Schedule regular updates at your retail store to inventory records to ensure accuracy. Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology to streamline data entry and minimize errors. Set up automated alerts for low stock levels, discrepancies, or potential issues. Assign responsibility for retail inventory updates to specific employees or teams to ensure accountability. 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits Plan and schedule regular physical inventory audits or cycle counts as an integral part of your inventory management process. Utilize inventory management software or manual counting techniques to align physical inventory with the documented inventory levels. Investigate and resolve any discrepancies identified during the audit process. Analyze audit findings to identify trends, root causes of inventory discrepancies, and areas for improvement to better manage inventory. 5. Optimize Stock Levels Utilize sales data, demand forecasting, and historical trends to set appropriate stock levels and manage inventory. Implement inventory control measures such as ABC analysis and safety stock to optimize inventory levels. Establish reorder points and replenishment triggers to ensure timely restocking. Continuously monitor and adjust stock levels based on changing demand patterns, seasonality, and market trends to manage inventory costs. By following these actionable steps, retail store business owners can create and maintain an effective inventory management system that improves efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory ManagementKey ActionsConsiderationsObjectives 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software- Research and evaluate software options - Consider features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, customer support - Select and implement the chosen software- Business needs - Budget constraints - Future growth potential- To have a robust system that aligns with business requirements and supports efficient inventory management 2. Implement an Inventory Management System- Develop inventory procedures and protocols - Train employees on system use - Establish workflows for stock management and order fulfillment - Integrate with POS and accounting software- User-friendliness of the system - Integration with existing business systems - Employee training and adoption- To ensure accurate and efficient inventory tracking and management through standardized processes and system integration 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records- Schedule regular inventory updates - Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology - Set up automated alerts for inventory issues - Assign inventory update responsibilities- Accuracy and timeliness of data entry - Technology adoption and use - Accountability in inventory management- To maintain up-to-date and accurate inventory records, minimizing errors and enabling timely decision-making 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits- Plan and schedule inventory audits - Reconcile physical inventory with system records - Investigate discrepancies - Analyze audit findings for improvement- Methodology of audits (physical counts, cycle counting) - Frequency of audits - Resolution processes for discrepancies- To verify inventory accuracy, identify issues, and implement corrective actions to improve inventory management practices 5. Optimize Stock Levels- Utilize sales data and forecasting for stock levels - Implement control measures (e.g., ABC analysis) - Establish reorder points - Monitor and adjust stock levels based on demand- Demand forecasting accuracy - Inventory carrying costs - Market trends and seasonality- To balance inventory investment with customer demand, reducing overstocks and stockouts and managing inventory costs efficiently Best Practices in Retail Inventory Management Of course, using your “best fit” retail inventory management software is key, but you also need to back that up with some hands-on work. That will help you keep inventory costs down. Accurate Demand Forecasting Regular Audits and Cycle Counts: Conduct regular physical inventory audits and cycle counts to verify stock levels and identify discrepancies. This helps in maintaining inventory accuracy and identifying any issues such as shrinkage or theft. Cross-Channel Inventory Integration: If operating across multiple sales channels (e.g., brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce platforms), integrate inventory management systems to provide a unified view of inventory levels and prevent overselling or stockouts. Seasonal and Promotional Planning: Anticipate seasonal demand fluctuations and plan inventory levels accordingly. Additionally, align inventory levels with promotional campaigns and events to capitalize on sales opportunities while minimizing excess inventory. Forecasting and Demand Planning: Utilize historical sales data, market trends, and other factors to forecast demand accurately. This helps in determining appropriate inventory levels and avoiding stockouts or overstock situations. Accurate Demand Forecasting using sales data and market trends helps predict customer demand. Efficient Supplier Management Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers to ensure reliable and timely deliveries, which ensures timely restocking. Negotiate better terms such as discounts, flexible payment terms, and returns policies to improve inventory management efficiency. Maintaining quality control is vital for inventory management. Leveraging Data for Inventory Optimization There are several ways to apply data analytics and insights gathered from retail management software, which can help you make informed decisions about stock levels, product placement, and sales strategies. ABC Analysis: Use the ABC analysis technique to categorize inventory based on its value and prioritize management efforts accordingly. “A” items are high-value items that contribute significantly to revenue and should be closely monitored. “B” items are moderate in value and require regular attention, while “C” items are low-value items with lower priority. Just-in-Time (JIT) Inventory: Implement JIT inventory management practices to minimize carrying costs and reduce the risk of obsolete inventory. With JIT, inventory is ordered and received only when needed, helping to optimize cash flow and warehouse inventory management. Tips for Successful Retail Inventory Management Effective retail inventory management is crucial for operating a successful retail business. It ensures that you have the appropriate products available at the right time to satisfy customer demand, prevent stockouts, and reduce excess inventory. Below are detailed tips for successful retail inventory management, which include essential elements of the inventory management process: Understand the Basic Components of Inventory Management: Inventory Tracking: Establish systems to monitor inventory levels, manage orders, track sales, and oversee deliveries. Demand Forecasting: Use historical sales data to predict future demand for products. Stock Replenishment: Determine reorder points and quantities to maintain optimal stock levels. Inventory Audits: Regularly compare physical inventory counts with system records to identify discrepancies. Research for the Best Retail Management Software: Evaluate Features: Look for software with features like real-time inventory tracking, analytics, and integration with your sales channels. Consider Scalability: Choose a system that can grow with your business, accommodating more products and higher volumes of sales, or even specialty programs like warehouse inventory management software. Seek User-Friendly Interfaces: Ensure the order management software is easy for you and your staff to use to minimize errors and training time. Read Reviews and Ask for Recommendations: Learn from the experiences of others in your industry. Prioritize Accuracy in Inventory Processes: Implement Barcoding Systems: Use barcodes to accurately track inventory movement and reduce manual entry errors. Train Staff Regularly: Ensure all employees understand the importance of accuracy in inventory management and how to properly use inventory systems. Perform Regular Audits: Arrange for frequent inventory counts to verify the accuracy of your inventory records. Utilize Cycle Counting: Instead of a full inventory count, regularly audit a subset of inventory so that every item is checked periodically. Maintain a Customer-Focused Approach: Understand Customer Preferences: Keep track of which products are popular and stock accordingly. Monitor Trends: Stay aware of industry trends and customer feedback to quickly adapt your inventory to meet market demands. Offer Alternatives: When popular items are out of stock, have alternative products available to meet customer needs. Enhance Shopping Experience: Use inventory data to organize store layouts and online product placements in a way that enhances shopping experience. Optimize Inventory Levels: Balance Stock Levels: Maintain enough stock to meet demand without overstocking, using techniques like just-in-time (JIT) inventory. Analyze Sales Data: Regularly review sales data to identify slow-moving items and adjust inventory levels accordingly. Manage Supplier Relationships: Build strong relationships with suppliers for reliable lead times and flexible order quantities. Leverage Technology for Efficiency: Integrate Systems: Make sure that your inventory management system is compatible with point-of-sale (POS) systems, e-commerce platforms, and accounting software to facilitate smooth operations. Utilize Mobile Devices: Mobile solutions are used for inventory counts and accessing inventory data from anywhere in the store or warehouse. The best inventory app for your needs will come with robust features and a user-friendly interface. By focusing on these key areas, retailers can develop a robust inventory management strategy that not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BApH54Oyleo%3Fsi%3DCBW28JmATagXdIMq Inventory Management: Essential for Your Retail Business Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or opening your first retail store, implementing a robust inventory tracking system is essential. Effective retail inventory management systems play a critical role in achieving retail success, helping you stay competitive and meet customer demand. This can be a manual system or a more sophisticated software solution, depending on the size and complexity of your operations. Inventory management software can help track stock levels, sales trends, and reorder points, making it easier to optimize inventory levels. Continuously monitor and evaluate inventory management processes for areas of improvement. Solicit feedback from staff and stakeholders, and be open to adopting new technologies and best practices to optimize small business inventory management efficiency over time. FAQ What are the key components of effective retail inventory management? Effective retail inventory management comprises several key components, including accurate tracking of stock levels, demand forecasting, efficient ordering and replenishment processes, proper organization and categorization of inventory, as well as regular audits and analysis to identify trends and optimize stocking levels. What steps should retailers take to improve inventory management? Retailers can enhance their inventory management by implementing measures such as adopting inventory management software, setting up automated reorder points, establishing clear inventory control policies, optimizing storage space, implementing barcode or RFID systems for better tracking, conducting regular inventory audits, and fostering collaboration between inventory management and other departments. How can retailers effectively forecast demand for their products? Retailers can forecast demand by analyzing historical sales data, monitoring market trends and consumer behavior, leveraging data analytics tools, collaborating with suppliers and distributors for insights, conducting customer surveys and feedback analysis, and considering external factors such as seasonality, promotions, and economic conditions. What are the common challenges faced in retail inventory management? Common challenges in retail inventory management include overstocking or understocking, inaccurate demand forecasting, inefficient manual processes, lack of real-time visibility into inventory levels, poor inventory tracking leading to shrinkage or loss, inadequate communication between different departments, and difficulties in managing perishable or seasonal goods. How can retailers minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking? Retailers can minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking by implementing demand forecasting techniques, setting optimal reorder points based on historical data and lead times, establishing safety stock levels to account for variability in demand, monitoring sales trends and adjusting inventory levels accordingly, and fostering collaboration between sales, marketing, and inventory management teams. What role does technology play in modern retail inventory management? Technology is essential to contemporary retail inventory management, offering a variety of tools that enhance efficiency. These include inventory management software, barcode and RFID systems, point-of-sale (POS) systems equipped with inventory tracking features, data analytics platforms for demand forecasting and trend analysis, and integration with e-commerce platforms to ensure smooth inventory management across both online and offline channels. What are some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs? Some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs include maintaining lean inventory levels by adopting just-in-time (JIT) inventory management, negotiating favorable terms with suppliers for better pricing and delivery terms, optimizing warehouse layout and storage systems for efficient space utilization, implementing markdown strategies for slow-moving or obsolete inventory, and continuously monitoring and analyzing inventory performance metrics to identify areas for improvement. Read More: How to open a retail store checklist How to increase sales in retail Image: Envato Elements This article, "Retail Inventory Management: Best Practices, Steps, and Tips" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Effective retail inventory management is key for running a successful retail business because it allows you to maintain optimal stock levels, minimize carrying costs, and meet customer demand. It ensures that the right products are available at the right time and place, helping to prevent stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and improve cash flow. Retail stores can improve operational efficiency, increase profitability, and provide a better customer experience by optimizing their inventory levels and processes. Using effective inventory tracking and control, a business owner can optimize stock levels, improve customer satisfaction, and increase sales. What is Retail Inventory Management? Retail inventory management refers to the strategic planning, monitoring, and control of merchandise stock levels within a retail environment. It involves activities such as forecasting demand, setting reorder points, tracking inventory turnover, and optimizing stock levels to meet customer demand while minimizing costs and maximizing profitability. Effective retail inventory management ensures that retailers have the right products available at the right time and place to meet customer needs and maximize sales opportunities. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory Management Here are the steps to take to develop your best retail inventory management system and processes. 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software: Research and evaluate different retail management software for the best options based on your business needs and budget. For retail management software, consider factors such as features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, and customer support. Select the software that best aligns with your requirements and implement it according to the vendor’s guidelines. 2. Implement an Inventory Management System Develop clear procedures and protocols for receiving, storing, and tracking inventory for your retail store. Train employees on how to use the inventory management system effectively. Establish workflows at your retail store for managing stock levels, replenishment, and order fulfillment. Integrate the inventory management system with other business systems, such as point-of-sale (POS) and accounting software, for seamless operations. 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records Schedule regular updates at your retail store to inventory records to ensure accuracy. Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology to streamline data entry and minimize errors. Set up automated alerts for low stock levels, discrepancies, or potential issues. Assign responsibility for retail inventory updates to specific employees or teams to ensure accountability. 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits Plan and schedule regular physical inventory audits or cycle counts as an integral part of your inventory management process. Utilize inventory management software or manual counting techniques to align physical inventory with the documented inventory levels. Investigate and resolve any discrepancies identified during the audit process. Analyze audit findings to identify trends, root causes of inventory discrepancies, and areas for improvement to better manage inventory. 5. Optimize Stock Levels Utilize sales data, demand forecasting, and historical trends to set appropriate stock levels and manage inventory. Implement inventory control measures such as ABC analysis and safety stock to optimize inventory levels. Establish reorder points and replenishment triggers to ensure timely restocking. Continuously monitor and adjust stock levels based on changing demand patterns, seasonality, and market trends to manage inventory costs. By following these actionable steps, retail store business owners can create and maintain an effective inventory management system that improves efficiency, accuracy, and profitability. Steps for Effective Retail Inventory ManagementKey ActionsConsiderationsObjectives 1. Choose the Right Retail Inventory Management Software- Research and evaluate software options - Consider features, scalability, ease of use, integration capabilities, customer support - Select and implement the chosen software- Business needs - Budget constraints - Future growth potential- To have a robust system that aligns with business requirements and supports efficient inventory management 2. Implement an Inventory Management System- Develop inventory procedures and protocols - Train employees on system use - Establish workflows for stock management and order fulfillment - Integrate with POS and accounting software- User-friendliness of the system - Integration with existing business systems - Employee training and adoption- To ensure accurate and efficient inventory tracking and management through standardized processes and system integration 3. Regularly Update Inventory Records- Schedule regular inventory updates - Implement barcode scanning or RFID technology - Set up automated alerts for inventory issues - Assign inventory update responsibilities- Accuracy and timeliness of data entry - Technology adoption and use - Accountability in inventory management- To maintain up-to-date and accurate inventory records, minimizing errors and enabling timely decision-making 4. Conduct Frequent Inventory Audits- Plan and schedule inventory audits - Reconcile physical inventory with system records - Investigate discrepancies - Analyze audit findings for improvement- Methodology of audits (physical counts, cycle counting) - Frequency of audits - Resolution processes for discrepancies- To verify inventory accuracy, identify issues, and implement corrective actions to improve inventory management practices 5. Optimize Stock Levels- Utilize sales data and forecasting for stock levels - Implement control measures (e.g., ABC analysis) - Establish reorder points - Monitor and adjust stock levels based on demand- Demand forecasting accuracy - Inventory carrying costs - Market trends and seasonality- To balance inventory investment with customer demand, reducing overstocks and stockouts and managing inventory costs efficiently Best Practices in Retail Inventory Management Of course, using your “best fit” retail inventory management software is key, but you also need to back that up with some hands-on work. That will help you keep inventory costs down. Accurate Demand Forecasting Regular Audits and Cycle Counts: Conduct regular physical inventory audits and cycle counts to verify stock levels and identify discrepancies. This helps in maintaining inventory accuracy and identifying any issues such as shrinkage or theft. Cross-Channel Inventory Integration: If operating across multiple sales channels (e.g., brick-and-mortar stores, e-commerce platforms), integrate inventory management systems to provide a unified view of inventory levels and prevent overselling or stockouts. Seasonal and Promotional Planning: Anticipate seasonal demand fluctuations and plan inventory levels accordingly. Additionally, align inventory levels with promotional campaigns and events to capitalize on sales opportunities while minimizing excess inventory. Forecasting and Demand Planning: Utilize historical sales data, market trends, and other factors to forecast demand accurately. This helps in determining appropriate inventory levels and avoiding stockouts or overstock situations. Accurate Demand Forecasting using sales data and market trends helps predict customer demand. Efficient Supplier Management Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers to ensure reliable and timely deliveries, which ensures timely restocking. Negotiate better terms such as discounts, flexible payment terms, and returns policies to improve inventory management efficiency. Maintaining quality control is vital for inventory management. Leveraging Data for Inventory Optimization There are several ways to apply data analytics and insights gathered from retail management software, which can help you make informed decisions about stock levels, product placement, and sales strategies. ABC Analysis: Use the ABC analysis technique to categorize inventory based on its value and prioritize management efforts accordingly. “A” items are high-value items that contribute significantly to revenue and should be closely monitored. “B” items are moderate in value and require regular attention, while “C” items are low-value items with lower priority. Just-in-Time (JIT) Inventory: Implement JIT inventory management practices to minimize carrying costs and reduce the risk of obsolete inventory. With JIT, inventory is ordered and received only when needed, helping to optimize cash flow and warehouse inventory management. Tips for Successful Retail Inventory Management Effective retail inventory management is crucial for operating a successful retail business. It ensures that you have the appropriate products available at the right time to satisfy customer demand, prevent stockouts, and reduce excess inventory. Below are detailed tips for successful retail inventory management, which include essential elements of the inventory management process: Understand the Basic Components of Inventory Management: Inventory Tracking: Establish systems to monitor inventory levels, manage orders, track sales, and oversee deliveries. Demand Forecasting: Use historical sales data to predict future demand for products. Stock Replenishment: Determine reorder points and quantities to maintain optimal stock levels. Inventory Audits: Regularly compare physical inventory counts with system records to identify discrepancies. Research for the Best Retail Management Software: Evaluate Features: Look for software with features like real-time inventory tracking, analytics, and integration with your sales channels. Consider Scalability: Choose a system that can grow with your business, accommodating more products and higher volumes of sales, or even specialty programs like warehouse inventory management software. Seek User-Friendly Interfaces: Ensure the order management software is easy for you and your staff to use to minimize errors and training time. Read Reviews and Ask for Recommendations: Learn from the experiences of others in your industry. Prioritize Accuracy in Inventory Processes: Implement Barcoding Systems: Use barcodes to accurately track inventory movement and reduce manual entry errors. Train Staff Regularly: Ensure all employees understand the importance of accuracy in inventory management and how to properly use inventory systems. Perform Regular Audits: Arrange for frequent inventory counts to verify the accuracy of your inventory records. Utilize Cycle Counting: Instead of a full inventory count, regularly audit a subset of inventory so that every item is checked periodically. Maintain a Customer-Focused Approach: Understand Customer Preferences: Keep track of which products are popular and stock accordingly. Monitor Trends: Stay aware of industry trends and customer feedback to quickly adapt your inventory to meet market demands. Offer Alternatives: When popular items are out of stock, have alternative products available to meet customer needs. Enhance Shopping Experience: Use inventory data to organize store layouts and online product placements in a way that enhances shopping experience. Optimize Inventory Levels: Balance Stock Levels: Maintain enough stock to meet demand without overstocking, using techniques like just-in-time (JIT) inventory. Analyze Sales Data: Regularly review sales data to identify slow-moving items and adjust inventory levels accordingly. Manage Supplier Relationships: Build strong relationships with suppliers for reliable lead times and flexible order quantities. Leverage Technology for Efficiency: Integrate Systems: Make sure that your inventory management system is compatible with point-of-sale (POS) systems, e-commerce platforms, and accounting software to facilitate smooth operations. Utilize Mobile Devices: Mobile solutions are used for inventory counts and accessing inventory data from anywhere in the store or warehouse. The best inventory app for your needs will come with robust features and a user-friendly interface. By focusing on these key areas, retailers can develop a robust inventory management strategy that not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BApH54Oyleo%3Fsi%3DCBW28JmATagXdIMq Inventory Management: Essential for Your Retail Business Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or opening your first retail store, implementing a robust inventory tracking system is essential. Effective retail inventory management systems play a critical role in achieving retail success, helping you stay competitive and meet customer demand. This can be a manual system or a more sophisticated software solution, depending on the size and complexity of your operations. Inventory management software can help track stock levels, sales trends, and reorder points, making it easier to optimize inventory levels. Continuously monitor and evaluate inventory management processes for areas of improvement. Solicit feedback from staff and stakeholders, and be open to adopting new technologies and best practices to optimize small business inventory management efficiency over time. FAQ What are the key components of effective retail inventory management? Effective retail inventory management comprises several key components, including accurate tracking of stock levels, demand forecasting, efficient ordering and replenishment processes, proper organization and categorization of inventory, as well as regular audits and analysis to identify trends and optimize stocking levels. What steps should retailers take to improve inventory management? Retailers can enhance their inventory management by implementing measures such as adopting inventory management software, setting up automated reorder points, establishing clear inventory control policies, optimizing storage space, implementing barcode or RFID systems for better tracking, conducting regular inventory audits, and fostering collaboration between inventory management and other departments. How can retailers effectively forecast demand for their products? Retailers can forecast demand by analyzing historical sales data, monitoring market trends and consumer behavior, leveraging data analytics tools, collaborating with suppliers and distributors for insights, conducting customer surveys and feedback analysis, and considering external factors such as seasonality, promotions, and economic conditions. What are the common challenges faced in retail inventory management? Common challenges in retail inventory management include overstocking or understocking, inaccurate demand forecasting, inefficient manual processes, lack of real-time visibility into inventory levels, poor inventory tracking leading to shrinkage or loss, inadequate communication between different departments, and difficulties in managing perishable or seasonal goods. How can retailers minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking? Retailers can minimize the risk of overstocking and understocking by implementing demand forecasting techniques, setting optimal reorder points based on historical data and lead times, establishing safety stock levels to account for variability in demand, monitoring sales trends and adjusting inventory levels accordingly, and fostering collaboration between sales, marketing, and inventory management teams. What role does technology play in modern retail inventory management? Technology is essential to contemporary retail inventory management, offering a variety of tools that enhance efficiency. These include inventory management software, barcode and RFID systems, point-of-sale (POS) systems equipped with inventory tracking features, data analytics platforms for demand forecasting and trend analysis, and integration with e-commerce platforms to ensure smooth inventory management across both online and offline channels. What are some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs? Some best practices for optimizing inventory turnover and reducing carrying costs include maintaining lean inventory levels by adopting just-in-time (JIT) inventory management, negotiating favorable terms with suppliers for better pricing and delivery terms, optimizing warehouse layout and storage systems for efficient space utilization, implementing markdown strategies for slow-moving or obsolete inventory, and continuously monitoring and analyzing inventory performance metrics to identify areas for improvement. Read More: How to open a retail store checklist How to increase sales in retail Image: Envato Elements This article, "Retail Inventory Management: Best Practices, Steps, and Tips" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Americans’ inflation expectations surge as rising prices for staples and tariff worries hit sentiment, key survey showsView the full article

Claude is an AI chatbot developed by Anthropic, a popular alternative to ChatGPT. Launched in March 2023, Claude quickly attracted a multi-million user base. Today, Claude has 18.9 million monthly active users worldwide. From the number of Claude users to Claude user demographics, you’ll find the latest data about Claude on this page. Key Claude Stats Claude has 18.9 million monthly active users worldwide. Claude app has 2.9 million active users accessing the app at least once a month. The US and India are the 2 major markets for Claude, accounting for 33.13% of the total user base. In January 2025, Claude app downloads reached an estimated 769.6 million. Anthropic currently brings in $850 million in annualized revenue. Claude Website Users Worldwide According to the latest data, Claude reached 16 million unique website visitors in January 2025. That’s down from 18.8 million in November 2024. Here’s a detailed table with Claude number of website monthly active users over time since December 2023: Date Claude Website Users December 2023 4 million January 2024 5.4 million February 2024 5.2 million March 2024 10.1 million April 2024 11.2 million May 2024 10.3 million June 2024 13.3 million July 2024 14.6 million August 2024 12.5 million September 2024 13.7 million October 2024 16.7 million November 2024 18.8 million December 2024 18.3 million January 2025 16 million Source: Semrush Claude App Users Worldwide As of January 2025, Claude had an estimated 2.9 million monthly active app users worldwide. Claude with 2.9 million monthly active users ranks as the 86th most used AI app worldwide. Source: Aicpb Claude Website Users by Country As of January 2025, the US and India account for 33.13% of Claude website monthly active user base. Here’s a detailed breakdown of ChatGPT website users by country: Country Claude Website Users United States 3.2 million India 2.1 million Japan 692.2 thousand South Korea 556.7 thousand Kenya 523.6 thousand United Kingdom 516.8 thousand Germany 491.1 thousand Indonesia 453.5 thousand Israel 329.2 thousand Brazil 327.6 thousand Source: Semrush Claude User Demographics According to recent estimates, Claude website users are predominantly male – 77.1%, while the remaining 22.9% account for a female audience. Over half (51.88%) of Claude’s user audience are younger users ages 18-24, followed by the 25-34 age group (25%). Here’s a detailed breakdown of Claude audience demographics by age: Age Claude Website Users (Share of Total) 18-24 8.3 million (51.88%) 25-34 4 million (25%) 35-44 1.9 million (11.88%) 45-54 1.3 million (8.13%) 55-64 353 thousand (2.21%) 65+ 183 thousand (1.14%) Source: Semrush Claude App Downloads Worldwide Downloads of the Claude app across Google Play and App Store reached 769.6 thousand installs in January 2025. Here’s a detailed breakdown of Claude app monthly downloads since August 2024: Date Claude App Monthly Downloads August 2024 679.8 thousand September 2024 582 thousand October 2024 705.6 thousand November 2024 800.6 thousand December 2024 643.3 thousand January 2025 769.6 thousand Source: Appfigures Anthropic Revenue AI startup Anthropic (developer of Claude) reportedly reached an annualized revenue of $850 million and forecasts to generate $2.2 billion in revenue in 2025. Sources: CNBC, Reuters The post Claude Statistics: How Many People Use Claude? appeared first on Backlinko. 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. These days, you don't need to be a spy to have tracking devices. If you're an Apple user, AirTags use Find My to track anything that you can put these devices on. Right now, Amazon has the four-pack for $67.99 (originally $99)—a new record-low price according to price-tracking tools—likely because the AirTag 2 release date is approaching. If four is too many, you can also get a single AirTag on sale for $22.99 (originally $29). Apple AirTag $22.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $29.00 Save $6.01 Get Deal Get Deal $22.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $29.00 Save $6.01 Apple AirTag Tracker (4-Pack) $67.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $99.00 Save $31.01 Get Deal Get Deal $67.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $99.00 Save $31.01 SEE -1 MORE AirTags are mostly marketed for purses, keys, and travel bags (airlines are adopting their use now), but there are examples of people using them much more creatively (someone on this Reddit post used it on their dog collar and trained it to come back whenever they pressed the "play sound" feature). The AirTag works with Apple's network of iOS devices to create a Bluetooth tracker. Essentially, every person with an iPhone (or iPad) is part of this iOS network, and as long as one of these people gets within Bluetooth range of your AirTag, it will show up as the last location on your Find My app. As you can see on PCMag's "excellent" review of the AirTag, the Find My app has a screen that points you in the direction of your AirTag like a compass, including the distance it is from you. There is also an option to play a sound—which is perfect for locating, say, a remote that's buried under the couch. Once the AirTag is more than 30 feet from your phone, the network of iOS users will kick in. When the AirTag is closer than 30 feet, it uses your own Bluetooth. There are security measures in place set by Apple, including end-to-end encryption, so that nobody (not even Apple), knows where your AirTag is except for you. The batteries last about a year and are replaceable. There is also no monthly charge for these, unlike competitors like Tile or Chipolo for Android users. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I supervise a small team of seasonal staff in a resort community. Most of my team lives a short drive or 10-minute walk down the road from our main office and compound. About two-thirds of the work we do is based out of various buildings in the resort town, all within about a five-block radius (short walking/cycling distance or a short drive, though nearby parking is at a premium on busy summer days), which are usually scheduled in half day chunks (morning shift in one location, then lunch, then swap to a different location a short distance away). We also have some duties that take staff 30-45 minutes’ drive away. (Think: collecting fees and talking to visitors in smaller outlying campgrounds.) I don’t watch the clock when it comes to staff taking time moving between workstations in the town, because part of our role is to give out information so it’s common for staff to be stopped by visitors asking for directions, and some staff prefer walking versus cycling or driving, and we have a rough sense of how much time it takes to travel to do the duties outside of town and that driving time is accounted for in the staff schedule. We provide work vehicles and bicycles for getting around. Generally, staff have been very reasonable and don’t dilly-dally between workstations, especially for visitor-facing roles as they are scheduled to be in front of the public to provide a service at specific hours of the day. The schedule has worked well for the last five years or so — we’ve come up with a good balance of how much time it takes to get between workstations and making sure everyone gets their breaks while also having consistent opening hours for our public services. We have unionized roles, so our collective agreement dictates that staff have two paid 15-minute breaks per day, plus a one half-hour unpaid lunch break. These are generally taken as three separate breaks in our work unit (morning coffee break, lunch, mid-afternoon break). In the public-facing duties where they’re staffing a building (like a visitor information center or campground kiosk), staff can step away for their short breaks with a sign on the desk if we can’t relieve them, but we always relieve them for their half hour lunch so there isn’t a long break in service. The expectation is that your half hour break is half an hour away from your workstation, not half an hour away plus “commute” time somewhere (which would make it a 45-50 minute lunch break, and against the collective agreement, plus a scheduling challenge for relieving other workstations for their own breaks). Most staff have their lunches with them and eat at the staff picnic areas tucked in shady areas around town or in our small office kitchen if the weather is poor, but some staff who live in town prefer to go home for lunch. I’m fine with whatever they choose to do — that time’s their own — provided they’re back in time to resume work as scheduled. My question is around dogs, and to what extent I as a supervisor should be scheduling around what my staff tell me are their needs. Some staff who live in town have dogs at home, and prefer to let them out at lunch to pee. This isn’t a problem 80% of the time, as they can get there and back and still have time for lunch within their half hour, when they are scheduled to work in town all day. The challenge has become that now that about half of my team have dogs, several staff have started to push back on me scheduling them for duties that take place outside of town, or on public-facing duties too close to lunchtime. I haven’t had to worry about scheduling around the question of dogs before, because I generally consider staff taking care of dogs like taking care of dependent children, or other home duties like an appointment with a plumber that has to happen during the work day: not really something that is my primary role to solve. They have their collective agreement-mandated breaks, and we have different kinds of PTO for family-related care, personal leave, things like that, if they need to take time away from work. There is some flexibility in the schedule and I say yes when I can, but I don’t have infinite flexibility and have to consider impacts on the work of other members of the team or impacts on the services we provide for the public. We have legitimate work reasons to have them spend the morning, afternoon, or whole day out in the field away from town, or public-facing duties at specific times right before and right after their lunch break. My staff do have a reasonable amount of warning. I usually set the schedule at least a month in advance, unless someone calls in sick and even then it’s usually modified duties based on what the staff members that are available are able to do. Once, I scheduled a team training session on a topic that several people had been asking for more training on, and planned to bring in an external expert to deliver the training. The best place to do it was outside the public eye about 30 minutes’ drive from town, at a quiet scenic picnic spot. I gave them three weeks of warning that we’d be spending the day out there with the trainer I’d brought in, but three of my staff requested that they only take half the training because they needed to drive back to town to let their dogs out at lunch. When I pushed back a bit, asking if they could make alternate arrangements, such as a family member letting out their dog for this day so they could take the whole training, one of them even said I’m party to animal abuse (!!) because it’s unconscionable that the dog stays inside all day in their house without AC. These dog pee breaks keep coming up and I keep getting asked to change work schedules to accommodate them. I try to be flexible when I can be but I cannot always find alternatives that work for the dog owners without it being at the expense of work duties (for instance, having to close a building to the public) or giving a disproportionate number of certain kinds of shifts to the non-dog owners on the team. I also can’t go against the collective agreement when it comes to breaks by extending them. I’ve never owned a dog myself, but I do love them, and I’ve lived in a house with a roommate who had dogs so I’m at least a little bit familiar with their needs. I’ve never encountered this issue before, and neither have any of the other supervisors of other teams I’ve asked who work on site (many of whom also have employees with dogs). What do other working people do when it comes to dog care during the day, if they are gone from home for eight hours plus commute time a day? How much should I reasonably be accounting for dog pee breaks in my staff schedule, particularly when accommodating their requests would impact our public offerings? Yeah, this is not reasonable of your employees. They took the job understanding where the work was located and what the expectations were. Figuring out how to balance an eight-hour workday and half-hour lunch break with the rest of their lives is something most working people figure out on their own. Generally people with dogs leave them at home during the work day, have someone stop in mid-day to care for them if the dog can’t be alone that whole time and they can’t easily get home on a break themselves (such as hiring a dog-walker), use doggy daycare if more care is needed, or find other solutions. They might occasionally have a dog-related emergency that they need to ask for additional flexibility from their job to accommodate — but that’s a rare thing that’s defined by its being out of the ordinary, not the routine, day-to-day care plan. You absolutely should be flexible with people when you can without putting an unfair burden on the rest of the staff … but it sounds like you already try to do that. The one thing in your letter where I’d maybe be more sympathetic to your staff’s stance is with the all-day training outside of town. If they took the job assuming they’d always be close enough to run home at some point during the day, I can see why they asked about ways to modify the plan. Even there, though, it’s generally understood that this sort of thing might come up at work from time to time — and accusing you of being party to animal abuse is way over the top, and says that they see figuring out their dog care as much more your problem than it should be! It sounds like you need to sit down with the people who have been pushing on this and approach it as, “I want to be really clear about what the scheduling requirements of the job are, so you can make plans that work for you. This job provides everyone with two 15-minute breaks and a half-hour lunch break every day. Sometimes those breaks may come when you’re scheduled for duties outside of town. I understand that you prefer not to be scheduled for duties outside of town close to lunchtime, and I try to be flexible when it’s possible, but sometimes the job — and fairness to other staff — mean you’ll need to spend the morning, afternoon, or whole day away from town, or doing public-facing duties right before or after your break. I will always give you advance notice of your schedule so you can plan around it, but these are the requirements of the job because of the services we offer.” Hell, you could add, “I understand some of us have commitments to animals, and it’s because I understand that commitment that I want to be sure we’re on the same page about the job’s requirements and what is and isn’t possible in our scheduling, so that you can make realistic plans for pet care.” You might also try to head some of this off at the pass by being clear about the scheduling requirements when hiring people. Before anyone accepts the job, you could say, “We hire a lot of people who live nearby and are able to run home at breaks for pet care and so forth. I’ve learned to warn people that while that’s possible on many days, it’s not possible on all days because sometimes you’ll be scheduled further away from town.” View the full article

Home Depot broke a two-year slump in same store sales during the fourth quarter as customer demand improved in a housing market that has been buffeted by soaring mortgage rates and a scarcity of homes up for sale. Revenue for the Atlanta company climbed to $39.7 billion from $34.79 billion. Analysts polled by FactSet were calling for $39.15 billion. Home Depot Inc. said Tuesday that the extra week in the quarter added approximately $2.5 billion in sales for the period. Sales at stores open at least a year, a key indicator of a retailer’s health, edged up 0.8%. In the U.S., comparable store sales rose 1.3%. It is the first quarterly increase since January 2023 and much better than the 1.5% decline expected on Wall Street. The extra week in the quarter was not included in the same-store sales results. “The fact that US comparable sales are back in the black after declining for eight quarters or two years is a very clear win for Home Depot, and it suggests that the home improvement market as a whole might finally be reaching the nadir of its more sluggish performance,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, wrote Tuesday. However, Home Depot said Tuesday that it expects per-share earnings to decline about 2% this year on sales growth of approximately 2.8%. Shares slipped about 2% before the opening bell. Customer transactions rose 7.6% in the quarter. The amount shoppers spent climbed slightly to $89.11 per average ticket from $88.87 in the prior-year period. “Our fourth quarter results exceeded our expectations as we saw greater engagement in home improvement spend, despite ongoing pressure on large remodeling projects,” said Chair and CEO Ted Decker said in a statement. “Throughout the year, we remained steadfast in our investments across our strategic initiatives to position ourselves for continued success, despite uncertain macroeconomic conditions and a higher interest rate environment that impacted home improvement demand.” Home improvement retailers like Home Depot have contended with homeowners putting off bigger projects due to higher borrowing costs and lingering concerns about inflation. The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last month as rising mortgage rates and prices put off many would-be homebuyers despite a wider selection of properties on the market. Sales fell 4.9% in January from December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.08 million units, the National Association of Realtors said last week. Home prices increased on an annual basis for the 19th consecutive month. The national median sales price rose 4.8% in January from a year earlier to $396,900. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. Home Depot earned $3 billion, or $3.02 per share, for the three months ended February 2. A year earlier it earned $2.8 billion, or $2.82 per share. Removing certain items, earnings were $3.13 per share. That’s better than the $3.04 per share that Wall Street anticipated. —Michelle Chapman, AP Business Writer View the full article

The airline industry is notoriously hard to decarbonize: large jets traveling long distances can’t feasibly use batteries, and sustainable aviation fuel is still only produced in tiny volumes. As airlines explore a range of options, United Airlines Ventures’ Sustainable Flight Fund just invested in one possible solution—a system that uses crushed rocks to capture CO2 for use in fuel or to store underground. The fund announced today that it invested an unspecified amount in Heirloom, a company that uses a powder made from limestone to pull CO2 from the air, relying on the material’s natural ability to absorb the greenhouse gas. At a facility in California’s Central Valley, robots stack trays of the limestone powder into tall stacks exposed to outdoor air. Then the powder is heated in furnaces to release the CO2 so it can be used or stored. United also now has an agreement with Heirloom that gives it the right to buy up to half a million tons of carbon dioxide removal from the startup. “We can either sequester it and track it as a carbon removal credit, or we can use it for [sustainable aviation fuel],” says Andrew Chang, managing director at United Airlines Ventures. [Photo: Heirloom] The investors liked the basic simplicity of the technology. “We understand how limestone can capture and release CO2,” Chang says. “It is not a novel, unproven technology or catalyst or chemical pathway. It works: Heat it and cool it and it’ll lock and unlock CO2.” Several other companies are paying Heirloom for the service of carbon removal to offset emissions, including Microsoft, which has a long-term contract to buy as much as 315,000 metric tons of CO2 removal from the startup. If the captured CO2 is combined with green hydrogen, it can be made into fuel that can be used on existing planes. Some other sustainable aviation fuel is limited because of the feedstock—making jet fuel from corn, for example, poses environmental challenges because of the amount of land that’s needed to grow it. (United has separately invested in biofuels made from corn, along with several other approaches.) But CO2 has a supply advantage: There’s more than enough extra CO2 in the atmosphere to meet the industry’s needs. Some startups, including Twelve and Infinium, are now beginning to scale up production of CO2-based sustainable aviation fuel. The carbon footprint is as much as 94% less than conventional jet fuel. (If airlines also pay Heirloom to remove CO2 and store it, that can help offset the remaining carbon footprint.) Right now, this type of sustainable aviation fuel is two to four times as expensive as traditional fuel, though as airlines work on long-term plans to cut emissions by 2050, there’s a path to eventual price parity. The same approach could be used to cut emissions in other hard-to-decarbonize industries, like cargo shipping. United’s investment will help Heirloom scale up production faster. “The funding will be used to continue to drive down the cost of the technology, develop additional projects, and provide the funding needed to subsequently access infrastructure capital,” says Heirloom spokesperson Scott Coriell. The startup is focused on what it calls “deployment-led innovation,” using real-world installations to help it iterate and reduce costs. “As we continue to build larger projects, costs will come down and the market will grow,” he says. “The critical objective to scale [direct air capture] is to repeat this cycle again and again.” Ultimately, though huge volumes of captured CO2 could be used to make fuel, the carbon removal industry will have to grow even faster to deal with the problem of CO2 in the atmosphere; even as companies cut emissions, pulling CO2 out of the air is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Around a trillion extra tons of CO2 have been added to the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, and the number keeps growing. As it’s captured, much of it will be stored. “We believe that over time, the vast majority of CO2 will end up underground,” Coriell says. “Even in a world where aviation, and other hard-to-abate industries, transition to cleaner fuels, there will still be billions of tons of CO2 emissions that will need to be abated each year.” View the full article