ResidentialBusiness

A decade ago, streets in Paris were clogged with cars and exhaust. But now, if you ride a bike down a major boulevard at rush hour, you’ll be surrounded by a stream of other cyclists—and much cleaner air. “It’s an incredible feeling to ride your bike—it feels like Copenhagen, basically,” says Vincent Thorne, a postdoctoral researcher in sustainable mobility at the Paris School of Economics, who moved to the city a little over a year ago. Since Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took office in 2014, the city’s roads have radically transformed, speeding up a shift away from driving. More than 100 streets have been closed to cars. Tens of thousands of parking spots have disappeared. Hundreds of miles of bike lanes have been added. In response, car traffic keeps dropping. A new report shows what the changes mean for local air quality: pollution levels have dropped roughly by half compared to 2005. Airparif, an organization that tracks the city’s air quality, found that levels of particulate matter (PM 2.5) pollution—tiny pieces of soot, dust, or smoke that can lodge in the lungs—fell by 55% over the last 20 years. Nitrogen dioxide pollution, one of the main ingredients in smog, dropped by 50%. When Hidalgo began fighting to speed up the city’s transition to sustainable transportation, she was motivated both by the need to cut climate emissions and by Paris’s dismal air quality, which regularly exceeded EU health limits. The previous mayor, Bertrand Delanoë, had introduced Paris’s bike-sharing network, along with an electric car-sharing network, and closed traffic on the left bank of the Seine. Hidalgo pedestrianized the right bank, turning a busy highway into a pedestrian path and park. A new low-emission zone blocked the most polluting cars from the city center. The city started getting rid of parking spots, replacing some of them with trees and other green space. Speed limits were lowered. Streets next to schools were closed, making it easier and safer for students to walk. Hidalgo embraced the concept of the 15-minute city, the idea that you should live a short bike ride or walk away from work and errands. (To help, the city is helping redevelop some single-use buildings, turning offices into housing, shops, coworking spaces, preschools, and other uses under one roof.) The city’s network of bike lanes keeps expanding. The way that people get to work has quickly changed. Between 2022 and 2023, alone, the use of bike paths doubled during rush hour. On some roads, bikes started to outnumber cars. Some of the bike commuters might not have switched specifically from a car, says Thorne, the mobility researcher. Many Parisians already took public transportation, for example. But even if some people previously took the subway, if they’ve now switched to biking, that means that there’s now more room on the train. With the train less crowded, some drivers might now be more willing to take it instead of their cars. Thorne has been studying the impact of adding bike lanes on air pollution in New York City, where he found that bike infrastructure helped some people replace short taxi rides. The situation in Paris is likely different, he says. On many streets, entire lanes of traffic were converted to bike lanes. The shrinking road space for cars is convincing people to drive less overall; some of them may be walking or on public transportation rather than riding a bike. As traffic has subsided, the city is also just a better place to live. “Yesterday, I was having dinner [outside] at a restaurant on one of our main boulevards, and it was kind of enjoyable,” Thorne says. “It wasn’t something that was completely overwhelming with gas vehicles and traffic noise.” View the full article

To promote its newest shoes, the Swiss athletic apparel brand On filmed a fictional movie trailer with Zendaya. Zone Dreamers stars the actress as an elf-eared astronaut who wears athleisure, trains in space with her flight crew, and—On hopes—sells some merchandise. It’s all an elaborate ad campaign for On’s new low-profile sneaker, Cloudzone, its one-piece Studio Knit Bodysuit, and other offerings from the company’s Spring/Summer 2025 Movement Lifestyle collection, which Zendaya wears throughout. (Consumers hoping to get their hands on the futuristic space suit Zendaya sports in one scene will be disappointed to learn that it’s not part of the collection. Celebrity stylist Law Roach, who styled the shoot, commissioned the white-and-clear suit from creative studio Chrishabana. “Some of my best work!!!” Roach wrote on Instagram.) It’s also a high-production way to sell workout apparel in a market that’s more competitive than ever. Global athleisure sales are expected to grow by more than $173 billion from 2024 to 2028, according to data from Technavio, a market research firm, and lifestyle, yoga, and women’s athleisure are expected to be major drivers. Challengers like On and Lululemon have cut into the market share of legacy brands like Nike since the pandemic, and today apparel companies are jockeying for many of the same consumers. On’s campaign suggests that having a celebrity spokesperson isn’t enough in a product category this competitive. The truth is that celebrity brand ambassadors are everywhere. Athleta and Lululemon have partnered with athletes like Simone Biles and DK Metcalf for years, Fila recently tapped model-influencer Hailey Bieber to promote a tennis-inspired athleisure line, and Nike just teamed up with Kim Kardashian’s Skims for a first-of-its-kind collaboration due out later this year. Skims is also a leader in advertising innovation, often engaging external collaborators who bring artistic vision to tentpole campaigns. On is leaning into that approach. Visual artist Nadia Lee Cohen, whose work has been featured in Interview magazine and the Dolce & Gabanna X Skims campaign, directed the spot. The resulting work allows On to “push the limits of creative storytelling,” as Alex Griffin, the company’s chief marketing officer, put it in a statement. With elevated production and an unconventional concept, Zone Dreamers sets itself apart from traditional fashion photo shoots—and that’s the point. The rise of hi-fi marketing campaigns, from the likes of Skims and now On—featuring magazine-style editorial execution and big-name creative talent both in front of and behind the camera—points to how well-suited narrative storytelling is for today’s biggest distribution channels: social media feeds. They’re attention-grabbing, create conversations, and can draw out launch-related buzz over multiple posts and days in a way that echoes box-office-style marketing for movies. Zendaya’s leading role in the new Zone Dreamers video shows there’s room to take high-production marketing concepts to the movies, outer space, and beyond. View the full article

Quiet is out and the “swicy” trend has calmed down. Now our taste buds are screaming for “crunch,” gritty textures, and noisy flavor experiences. Last year, noiseless squishy gummies and sweet-and-spicy, or “swicy” flavoring, were the breakout food innovations that took over the snack aisle. Remember the peelable mango gummy candy that went viral on TikTok? In 2025, food trend watchers, with a little help from TikTokers, have identified our top cravings. They include crispy foods, bold flavor mashups, and edible aquatic plants. The crunchier the better “‘Crunch’ is one of the trends that I’m excited about,” says Alyssa Vescio, Whole Foods Market’s senior vice president of center store merchandising, sourcing, and product development. “An area where we tend to see a lot of innovation is in the snacking category because people are always looking to discover the next ‘taste’ and ‘texture.’ I think crunch connects easily into the trends that we’ve seen in snacking. But now we’re seeing it come out of snacking and go into other spaces,” Vescio says. Whole Foods, which operates more than 500 stores across the U.S., identified crunch as the “texture of the moment” in its annual food trends report, which highlights the grocery chain’s top food predictions for the year. According to Vescio, food shoppers are searching for crunchiness across their meals, from breakfast to lunch to dinner. Food brands are responding by delivering plenty of innovative crispiness, such as crunchier versions of the chili crisp, crunchy dehydrated fruits and vegetables such as mushrooms and okra, crunchy chocolates, fermented nuts, roasted chickpeas, and mushroom chips. The crunch texture is also popping up in beverages and desserts, she says, such as crunchy cinnamon sugar crystal toppings on coffee beverages and the crème brûlée espresso martinis with a hard crunch sugar surface that you crack before you sip. Fast-food chain Subway planted its flag in crunchland, pairing up with Doritos to introduce a quirky limited-time concoction this month called the Doritos Footlong Nachos. Not to be left behind, Taco Bell announced last month that it is adding more crunch, cheese, and sauce to its toasted Cheddar Street Chalupas. It doesn’t end there. “You’re also seeing crunch in spices and seasonings. The number of people that I talk to who say, ‘Every time I make eggs, I put chili crunch on them’ or ‘Every time I have a dinner I put this textured seasoning on it,’ has increased tremendously,” Vescio says. A cultural signal Tastewise, an artificial intelligence-powered consumer research platform, continuously mines tremendous amounts of online data—millions of social media posts, online reviews, online recipes, and restaurant menus—globally to surface emerging food and beverage trends. Using its methodology, Tastewise analyzed the crunchy trend in the U.S. and found that over the past 12 months, social discussions involving the term crunchy have increased by about 13%. “This indicates not only a rising appetite for the sensory experience of crunch but also its resonance in how consumers talk about food online,” says Alon Chen, cofounder and CEO of Tastewise. According to Tastewise, three emergent consumer patterns are defining the crunchy trend. The company analyzes consumer needs at any given moment in time through how various dishes, ingredients, flavors, and textures are framed in menus, recipes, and social posts. It found that the number one reason fueling the need for “crunch,” based on significant growth in discussion on social media, was an association with comfort, such as comfort food. “This insight reframes crunch not just as energetic or exciting, but as comforting. This could be a new lens through which brands can market crispy products,” Chen says. Crunchy is increasingly associated with vegan offerings, showing that consumers are looking for textural satisfaction even in plant-based foods. And Peruvian cuisine has emerged as the fastest-growing culinary context for crunchy dishes with chulpi (or roasted) corn, crispy onions, and fried yucca being the top ingredients fueling the crunch texture in it, according to Tastewise. Among menu items, Tastewise’s analysis showed that 26% of restaurants in the U.S. currently offer items described as “crunchy” on their menus, which Chen says “represents a strong foothold in food service, often a bellwether for broader retail and CPG [consumer packaged goods] trends.” A new kind of crunch Crunch isn’t just for chips. Tastewise says the texture is being paired in several interesting ways—from indulgent to savory—with ingredients such as chocolate and pistachio (Hello Dubai chocolate viral TikTok craze!), cinnamon sugar, blood orange, chicken, and caramel apple. “I consider crunch a texture, not a flavor, and it gives you an experience,” says Sally Lyons Wyatt, global executive vice president and chief industry adviser for market research firm Circana. “Crunch has always been something that consumers have gravitated to when you think about chips and crackers. But there are some innovations that have gone across the texture, like freeze-drying in foods that gives a different texture in the mouth,” she says. Lyons Wyatt believes the big food trends for 2025 will be rooted in experimentation. “When I eat that food or drink that drink, what is that unexpected moment, through crunch, through freeze-dried, through flavors evolving while I eat?” she says. “I do think that crunch is going to be part of that.” The Whole Foods food trend report also highlighted the growing popularity of edible aquatic plants, such as seaweed and sea moss, for snacking or adding to food recipes. Duckweed, or water lentils, for example, is emerging as an alternative high-protein choice to other leafy greens, the report says. “I want to mention international snacking, too, because that’s an extension of crunch,” says Whole Foods’s Vescio. “It’s this idea of taking global flavors or fusion of foods and bringing it into the snacking category. One of my favorites is the Geem Korean seaweed chips. They have a thicker texture and with more substance than in a traditional seaweed snack.” Her other top pick is an artisanal snack brand out of Afghanistan called Ziba. “It’s a trail mix that has some really unique ingredients, like mulberries and apricot kernels. This fusion of flavors and discovery is really exciting and it also has a perfect crunchy texture,” Vescio says. View the full article

AI is transforming PPC metrics, shifting from clicks to predictive modeling, automated bidding, and advanced attribution for smarter, more effective ad campaigns. The post How AI Is Changing The Way We Measure Success In Digital Advertising appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

The Chevrolet Corvette has been the icon of U.S. industrial power since 1953. It also symbolizes the great ideal of America—a dream of individual freedom that was ultimately embodied in big roaring cars and endless highways. This gasoline-fueled dream might lose its gasoline smell forever, as General Motors experiments with a fully electric Corvette. GM created this car in its new design studio in Royal Leamington Spa, about 20 miles from Birmingham in the U.K. And, although the company insists that it is not a confirmed production model (concept cars are never production models), it marks the beginning of a path already taken by rivals like the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Charger. “This concept is purely a design exercise involving GM’s existing design studios in Los Angeles, Detroit, and the U.K.,” Chad Lyons, head of Chevrolet PR, tells me via email. The concept “has no production intent,” and is not a signal of future Corvette design language but rather a “futuristic and exploratory design exercise only, intended to push the envelope of design and technology.” In my mind, an all-electric Corvette is all but inevitable. As GM’s president Mark Reuss stated back in 2022, the electrification of this American icon is “a priority.” Reuss didn’t say whether it will be a variant of the gasoline model or a completely new design standing on its own, but it will happen. And this design is the first spark. Symbol of America’s golden age Ford and Dodge already made the transition to fully electric models in 2019 and 2024 respectively. But, while the Mustang and the Charger are icons in their own right, none of them carry the power of the Corvette as a symbol of America’s industrial might. You can easily argue that the Corvette reached peak car status in pop culture like no other car ever created in the U.S. If America was ever “great,” the Corvette represented that greatness like no other. Like most American celebrated inventions, the Corvette was born as an experiment. The genesis of the Chevrolet Corvette lay in the vision of Harley Earl, the head of GM’s Styling Section, who aimed to create an American sports car to rival the growing popularity of the glamorous European models by Ferrari, Jaguar, and Masserati, which appeared after World War II. Dubbed Project Opel, the initial concept debuted at the 1953 GM Motorama fair, showcasing a revolutionary fiberglass body. The material—which was completely new at the time—offered lightness and a unique aesthetic compared to the typical steel bodies. The design was influenced by U.S. fighter jets and the sleek lines of European sports cars like the Jaguar XK120. While the early six-cylinder models didn’t immediately match the performance of their European counterparts, the Corvette’s striking design and “dream car” appeal quickly captured the public’s imagination. It was not until 1955, with the arrival of its rumbling V8 engine, that the Corvette found its literal and figurative voice. Then in 1963, it cemented its place as the most desired car in America with the C2 Stingray. This marked a pivotal moment in its design evolution. While the overall direction was under legendary American car designer Bill Mitchell, the stunning and instantly recognizable design comes from designer Larry Shinoda, a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Japan. He translated Mitchell’s Stingray racer concept into a new era for the Corvette. Wiki Commons Working within Mitchell’s Studio X special projects group, Shinoda was instrumental in shaping the sleek new appearance of the C2. Its rear split-window coupe, though only produced for a single year, became an instant icon on its own right, symbolizing the bold and innovative spirit of American design during the time NASA took humans to the moon. Compared to other cars of the era, the Stingray offered a unique blend of American muscle and sophisticated futuristic styling that set it apart from both European sports cars and traditional American automobiles. The Corvette became synonymous with the American automotive industry. It represented American industrial prowess, showcasing the country’s ability to produce high-performance machines that could compete on a global stage. It was at this time when the car turned into a towering cultural icon of the Space Age era. It wasn’t only about its sci-fi looks, but also about who was driving it. Starting with Alan Shepard, the first American in space, many Mercury 7 astronauts and those who followed were offered the opportunity to lease Corvettes for a nominal fee. Each crew of the Apollo missions—including Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins—had matching Corvettes, which they used to get around Houston and on the roads near Cape Canaveral. This association forged an indelible link between the Corvette and the image of American innovation, speed, and pushing the boundaries of what was possible. The Corvette became a symbol of the nation’s technological ambition, mirroring the achievements of the space program. The C3 generation—built from 1968 to 1982—became an even stronger visual icon. Often referred to as the “Shark” due to its curvy design, heavily influenced by the Mako Shark II concept car created by Shinoda under Mitchell’s direction, it continued the Corvette’s dramatic styling. It had a long, low profile, a curvy Coca-Cola bottle shape, bulging fenders, and pop-up headlights. Reinventing an icon All this to say that it is a strange feeling to see a new electric Corvette prototype coming from GM’s U.K. Advanced Design Studio. Even more so when you consider how much closer it was to Mitchell and Shinoda’s sensibilities than the current Corvette. The team took the 1963 Stingray’s split rear window and made it the central element of the design, turning it around and splitting the windshield in a concept they call Apex Vision. The singular vertical central spine is not just for looks; it is a structural element, according to Julian Thomson, who leads the design studio. The British prototype is actually a “hypercar” with 22-inch front and 23-inch rear tires, a car that can run on the road and on the racing track. At 15.1 feet long, 6.9 feet wide, and a height of 3.4 feet—lower, wider, and longer than the current C8—the design has two distinct parts. The upper section presents classic Corvette elements in a futuristic style, like Apex Vision, while the lower half focuses on functional technical design. That includes embedded EV battery technology and aerodynamic elements designed to channel air efficiently without traditional wings or spoilers. Instead, the prototype uses active ducts that redirect airflow depending on the driving mode. On a regular road, they optimize range by channeling air under the chassis; on a race track, they deploy aerodynamic surfaces that increase grip. The bodywork is made using additive manufacturing, its creators say, also known as 3D printing, to reduce weight and assemblies. The concept also incorporates aviation-inspired elements in its sculptural forms and functional aspects, along with full wrap-around side glass and powered gull wing doors. All of that makes the electric Corvette a very attractive design. It feels ready to run the 24 hours of LeMans. There have been positive reactions in the press, but met with mixed reactions from fans. Whether purists will accept a Corvette without the roar of a V8 engine is anyone’s guess. The rise of the all-electric muscle car Its direct competitors have had mixed results in the market. Sales of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV have not been good, with only 2,115 units sold in the first quarter of 2025. On the other hand, the Ford Mustang Mach-e has had a great start of the year, becoming one of the best selling EVs in the first quarter of 2025, reaching 22,550 units (an 11% increase over the previous quarter). GM already markets the Corvette E-Ray, a hybrid variant, which only sold 1,447 units in its first year. It’s not a promising sign. But then again, the E-Ray is not a very attractive car. It feels blah. Michael Simcoe, senior VP of global design at GM, says that the U.K.-designed concept is part of a global initiative where multiple studios were tasked with developing hypercar concepts that pay homage to Corvette’s heritage while showcasing unique creative interpretations. The concepts will appear through 2025, perhaps a strategy to whet the fans for an all-electric model. But it’s likely that, at one point in the very near future, the company is getting ready to drop that roaring combustion engine. While the current Corvette doesn’t have the same design magnetism and pop culture symbolism as the ones from the ’60s and ’70s, it still carries the torch of a time long gone, a heavy heritage that nobody can ignore. The moment the gas roaring turns into a silent buzz of electricity, it will truly be the end of an era for a whole industry and the entire country. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, perhaps everyone in the U.S. should be hoping that its most iconic car can successfully turn into the icon of a new era for the country. Looking at the electric supercar tsunami coming from China, I’m not so hopeful for its future. But this concept car gives me some hope that they may pull it off. View the full article

Recently, after decades of paying high fees for the aging photo-sharing site Flickr, I finally moved all my images to Google Photos. It saved money and offered advanced features, like very accurate search results. But uploading years of pictures triggered the dreaded warning that I was approaching the storage limit of my Google account, which also holds Gmail, documents, spreadsheets, and other files. Cloud storage (be it Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox) is just one more in a growing list of subscriptions we all face, such as video and music streaming services, online magazines or newspapers, newsletters, Patreon sponsorship, and often just the right to keep using software. It’s especially frustrating to pay for photo storage when you know that most of those pictures and videos may be less than stellar. Google provides 15GB of free space per account. Beyond that, it charges $1.99/month for 100GB (my current plan), $2.99 for 200GB, then a pricey jump to 2 TB for $9.99. It’s hard to resist capturing pictures and videos, and easy to resist weeding them. But tidying up Google Photos can be a nice money saver. Google offers cleanup tools for Photos, Gmail, and Drive, though how they work—and how helpful they are—isn’t always obvious. Here’s how to make sense of them. Manage storage Start at Manage storage, accessible via the cloud icon labeled “Storage” at the bottom of Google Photos’ left sidebar. You’ll see your current usage, an estimate of when you’ll run out, and an offer to upgrade. If space is tight, look at the Review and Delete tools. Large photos and videos This section can offer considerable savings, especially if you have large videos you can part with. My biggest file was a six-and-a-half-minute, 1.2GB video from a trip to Egypt last year. While viewing each video to decide if it’s worth deleting, also click the “i” icon in the upper-right to see the resolution. This helps when deciding whether to use the Storage Saver feature, which we’ll discuss in a bit. Gmail and Google Drive Return to the Manage storage page, skip the next few sections and jump down to Gmail and Google Drive. All your Google apps share storage space, so clearing out Gmail and Drive makes more room for photos. (Roughly half of my 71GB glut came from Gmail, Drive, and other apps.) Click Review items, then scroll to Clean up by service. Under Gmail, you can delete emails with large attachments. This is where you’ll likely save the most space. Clearing out spam and trash helps, too. Then choose Google Drive and click the List view icon in the top-right to see file sizes. I found huge video and audio files I hadn’t needed for years. Deleting them reduced my Drive usage from 21.2GB to just 760MB. Recover storage Back on the Manage storage page, check out Recover storage: Convert existing photos and videos to Storage saver. This powerful tool lowers the resolution of large videos and photos to save space. Just note: It’s irreversible, and applies to your whole account—with no way to selectively shrink specific files. Storage saver converts videos over 1920 x 1080 down to that resolution. It also slightly reduces quality, even for videos shot at or below 1080p. This helps if you’ve shot a lot in 4K ultra HD. In my test, a 1-minute 4K, 60fps video shrank from 798MB to 30MB—a 96% reduction. I noticed just a slight softening in a reduced iPhone 13 video of a room with ornate furniture and paintings. I viewed it at full screen on my 2000 Macbook Air with Retina Display at the top resolution of 1680 x 1050. (The default is 1440 by 900, and a clip in a web browser would display even smaller.) Storage saver also shrinks photos above 16MP down to that size (and it compresses larger formats, such as TIFF, to JPEG). I used Storage saver to reduce a 40 megapixel, 11MB JPEG photo down to 16MP and 2.3MB. I couldn’t spot differences on screen—even when zooming in. Google says that 16MP photos print well up to 24 x 16 inches. You can toggle Storage saver on or off for future uploads. On the web, click the gear icon in the upper right (next to your profile pic) to open Backup Quality. In the mobile app (in Android or iOS), tap your profile picture, then Backup, then the gear icon, and finally Backup quality. Don’t forget to switch back to Original quality for uploads you want at full resolution. Screenshots Skip the Screenshots section and instead click Documents in the left sidebar. It shows screenshots plus other categories of nontypical photos with potentially short shelf lives, such as event tickets and receipts. Delete them individually, or select a batch by clicking the first, holding Shift, and clicking the last. To automate cleanup, toggle on Archive after 30 days, which moves items to the Archive folder, where you can delete them in bulk anytime. Blurry photos This category may not help much. Google’s “blurry” threshold is pretty low. If you delete all of them, you might lose some cherished soft-focus memories. And since blurry photos probably don’t take much space, combing through them might not be worth the time. After decades of shooting, I had only about 300 “blurry” photos taking up 373MB. Other apps Here’s another section you can probably skip: media taken with or shared through apps like Instagram or WhatsApp. You probably care more about what’s in the pictures or videos than the source. Also, this section doesn’t show file sizes, making it hard to know what to delete. Unsupported videos These are videos that Google Photos can’t play for some reason. They may be in an oddball file format; although Google supports such a large list of video (and photo) formats, that it’s unlikely the upload from your phone or camera won’t be covered. They may also be sub-one-second clips—possibly from accidental button taps: I found several in my account. Unsupported videos may be viewable after downloading. Both macOS and Windows (10 and later) have an app called Photos that can play videos, as well as extract a still image if you’d like to convert that tiny clip to a picture. Empty the Trash Deleted files go to the Trash folder, where they’ll hang around for 60 days unless you clear them manually. To remove them permanently, click Trash in the left sidebar, then Empty trash in the upper right. Limiting Phone Uploads Android phones have a space-saving feature for new photos and videos you shoot. (It doesn’t affect what’s already been uploaded.) In the Photos app, tap your profile pic, go to Photos settings then Backup then Back up device folders, and toggle on or off image types to upload, such as screenshots or WhatsApp shares. iPhone users beware: The Free Up Space option in the Google Photos app doesn’t reduce cloud storage. It simply deletes media from your phone that’s already been uploaded (automatically) to Google Photos. If you also have iCloud Photos enabled, Free Up Space will remove files not only from your phone but also from your iCloud account. View the full article

Environmental lawyers say two new White House directives—designed to greatly expand executive power to strike down federal energy and environmental regulations—are not likely to hold up in court and represent an attempt to move far beyond the established boundaries of presidential authority. “I do not think this even comes close to passing the test for legality,” said Andres Restrepo, a senior attorney in the Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program, of the April 9 executive order, “Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American Energy.” This executive order directs the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and other key federal agencies to “incorporate a sunset provision into their regulations governing energy production.” Once inserted, the provision would repeal that regulation within one year unless an extension is granted. Among those targeted are rules authorized under the Endangered Species Act. In a press release, the Center for American Progress, a public policy group, warned that enacting this order would “create chaos, uncertainty, and a nightmare of administrative procedures to justify almost every individual regulation relating to energy and environment.” “To just arbitrarily have a cutoff date for all regulations issued, regardless of what the statute says, and regardless of whether there’s an evidentiary basis for it—that is simply unlawful,” Restrepo said. “This is really just not how our laws work.” Restrepo said the order may be inspired by an Idaho law that includes a “sunsetting” provision stating that regulations expire automatically after one year unless they are extended by the state legislature. But the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies write and enforce regulations, contains no such language. Federal agencies create regulations based on laws passed by Congress. “It makes no sense. It is impossible to implement. It reflects a complete lack of understanding of how government works,” said Ari Peskoe, director of the Electricity Law Initiative at the Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program. Peskoe theorized that the administration is “enshrining a misguided quote” from billionaire The President donor Elon Musk about his support for applying a “zero-based budgeting” framework to the federal government. Zero-based budgeting is a financial strategy Musk employed at Twitter that forces an organization to constantly re-justify its expenses. When reached for comment about the legality of the order, a White House press representative pointed to an administration fact sheet for “Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting.” That says the order “will unleash American energy innovation, which has been frozen in the 1970s. Regulations from the Carter Administration should not govern energy production today.” From the fracking boom to advances in solar and wind technology, the American energy landscape is very different today than it was 50 years ago. Existing regulations didn’t stop those innovations. A presidential memo also released Wednesday, “Directing the Repeal of Unlawful Regulations,” refers to an earlier executive order, “Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Deregulatory Initiative.” That order required agencies to “identify certain categories of unlawful and potentially unlawful regulations within 60 days and begin plans to repeal them.” The memo lists several recent Supreme Court decisions and directs agencies to prioritize repealing any regulation “in conflict” with those decisions. “You can’t do that. You can’t just repeal a regulation that’s on the books without holding a notice and public comment process,” Peskoe said. “If they want to do this, they’re going to inevitably lose in court.” Under the Administrative Procedure Act, agencies must follow a specific process in order to repeal a regulation. That process involves writing a proposal based on the administrative record for that regulation, soliciting public comment on the proposal, and then incorporating that feedback. The memo says agencies can use the “good cause” exception in the Administrative Procedure Act to “dispense with notice-and-comment rulemaking.” The “good cause” exception has been narrowly defined by the courts to apply only to emergency or urgent situations “where delay could result in serious harm,” Restrepo said. “What this presidential memorandum does is it just provides the administration with a nuke button to get rid of any rule it doesn’t like,” said Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, an attorney and the executive director at the Western Environmental Law Center. He is concerned about what could happen if legal battles over this memo and the related executive order reach the current Supreme Court, with its conservative majority that has upended precedent before. “The Supreme Court justices have proved very willing to use their own values to determine what the law is, rather than reading the plain language of a law and applying it to the facts of a particular situation,” Schlenker-Goodrich said. “There’s a risk, once it rises to the Supreme Court, that they will interpret what the federal government did as perfectly lawful. It will essentially expand the power of the federal government.” If the sunsetting provision were somehow to be upheld in court, “it would be a complete free-for-all on public health and the environment,” Restrepo said. “A huge amount of the work that has been spent to protect the public health and welfare will be erased.” He thinks that’s unlikely, but he does foresee the federal government wasting time and money to defend these directives “with little likelihood of succeeding.” Restrepo and Schlenker-Goodrich both questioned how the agencies would even be able to carry out the work outlined in these directives, given the drastic staffing cuts the new administration has made across the government. Schlenker-Goodrich said the order and memo were part of the administration’s broader efforts to dismantle the federal government and consolidate power away from federal agencies and into the hands of the president. “I’ve been practicing law for going on 26 years, and no administration in my lifetime has exercised authority in the abusive and wild way like the The President administration is doing now,” he said. The administration’s policies would take the United States back to a world before landmark environmental legislation like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, a world of burning rivers, smog-filled cities, and polluted public lands, he said. “It is truly a five-alarm moment,” Schlenker-Goodrich said. —By Kiley Bense, Inside Climate News This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for its newsletter here. View the full article

Discover quick, high-impact PPC tactics designed to boost ROI without burning out. The post PPC Unlocked: Fast Wins For Smarter Ad Strategies appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Discover quick, high-impact PPC tactics designed to boost ROI without burning out. The post PPC Unlocked: Fast Wins For Smarter Ad Strategies appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

In an emergency directive issued late last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced her department’s plan to expand logging and timber production by 25% and, in the process, dismantle the half-century-old environmental review system that has blocked the federal government from finalizing major decisions concerning national forest lands without public insight. Under Rollins’s direction and following an earlier executive order signed by President Donald The President, the U.S. Forest Service would carry out the plan that designates 67 million acres of national forest lands as high or very high wildfire risk, classifies another 79 million acres as being in a state of declining forest health, and labels 34 million acres as at risk of wildfire, insects, and disease. All told, the declaration encompasses some 59% of Forest Service lands. Rollins made no mention of the role climate change plays in escalating wildfire risk or intensity, or how warming contributes to spreading plant diseases and expanding invasive species ranges. Climate change, it seems, has also been overlooked in the development of the The President administration’s proposed solution—to cut forests down. “Healthy forests require work, and right now we’re facing a national forest emergency. We have an abundance of timber at high risk of wildfires in our national forests,” said Rollins in a press release. “I am proud to follow the bold leadership of President The President by empowering forest managers to reduce constraints and minimize the risks of fire, insects, and disease so that we can strengthen the American timber industry and further enrich our forests with the resources they need to thrive.” While it may seem intuitive that cutting down high-risk trees will lead to less organic material that could incinerate, environmentalists say the administration’s plans to increase timber outputs, simplify permitting, and do away with certain environmental review processes are likely to only escalate wildfire risk and contribute more to climate change. Chopping down vast tracts of trees releases tremendous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, exacerbating warming, which supercharges wildfire risk and causes blazes to burn faster and hotter. Though the climate science of timber management is complex, with techniques like prescribed burns considered widely effective in mitigating blaze-prone areas, the administration’s aim to rapidly ramp up deregulated logging under the premise of lessening wildfire risk is poised to backfire, not least because of the carbon costs of cutting down forests. A map accompanying the memo from the Department of Agriculture, or USDA, indicates the stretches of forest that the agency has identified under the emergency designation. California, Colorado, Idaho, and Arizona appear to have the largest swaths of forest lands affected. Parts of the South, around the Great Lakes, and New England are also included. The USDA has not specified how many acres will be impacted per state. The agency’s emergency order and push to expand logging to mitigate wildfire risk, ineffective as it can be if done haphazardly, is not a new strategy, said Lisa Dale, a lecturer at Columbia University’s Climate School who has researched wildfire policy for decades. Similar declarations have been passed in multiple former administrations as a way to shortcut the time-consuming and onerous review processes under the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. What is new about this particular directive, however, is the USDA’s explicit intention to “remove” NEPA processes. The President imposed multiple limitations on the rule in his first term, most of which the Biden administration later revoked. In his second term, the president has sought to unravel how the sweeping environmental legislation is implemented, decentralizing how it has been governed and leaving it up to individual agencies to develop their own guidelines. Dale said this rings “an alarm bell” as the proposed elimination of NEPA processes at the USDA would mean that, in theory, a logging company could come into a forest and extract timber without having to first evaluate the environmental impacts of its actions—like when timber production overtakes endangered species habitats. “I’m a little skeptical about the premise of this memo,” said Dale, who has been a longtime proponent for streamlining NEPA. “The idea that we’re going to increase timber production by 25% and that that will be the equivalent of reducing wildfire risk? That’s the disconnect.” As Dale noted, most of the really valuable timber is located only in a couple of states, in areas that are very difficult and expensive to access. Moreover, she said, “none of those types of timber sales have much of an impact at all on wildfire risk.” The USDA declined to comment for the story, but a spokesperson sent Grist a public letter issued by Chris French, the acting associate chief of the Forest Service. In the letter, French first directs all officers to “use innovative and efficient approaches” to meet the “minimum” requirements of NEPA, and later notes that the agency will soon release direction for “using emergency NEPA” to “streamline and simplify our permitting process.” The agency’s emergency declaration comes even as it continues to cull federal funding for food and farm programs, and has attempted to substantially shrink the very workforce that manages forest health and wildfire management. Anna Medema, Sierra Club’s associate director of legislative and administrative advocacy for forests and public lands, said that the move will benefit industrial logging operations and create a negative climate feedback loop. She called the decision “a boon for the logging industry and a disaster for our national forests.” Other advocacy organizations, like the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, have vowed to “use every legal tool at our disposal to halt the The President administration’s implementation of this order.” Jack Algiere, director of agroecology at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit farm and research center in New York, is holding out hope that agroforestry solutions will be included in how the Forest Service carries out the new emergency order. “The thing with agriculture is that it’s working with living systems. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a forest or a vegetable field,” said Algiere, who flagged there is no mention of a long-term implementation in the memo. “Not all of these places are abandoned forests. Many of them already have management plans, and maybe this is going to disrupt that.” Algiere also took note of how the language in the memorandum includes what he considers a lot of the “right words”—such as mentions of the Forest Service working toward land “stewardship” together with federally recognized tribes. And yet he can’t help but think about how, at the same time, the USDA is freezing and cutting funding for food programs and scrubbing diversity, equity, and climate tenets from applications. “This could have been written in a lot of different ways,” he said. “Not unlike the rest of the USDA, there seems to be a little bit of both sides getting played out.” —By Ayurella Horn-Muller, Grist This article was originally published by Grist. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org. View the full article

How do you do that? How do you actually rank for a keyword? Follow this guide to find out how. Just because a keyword exists doesn’t mean it’s the right one to target. Sometimes a keyword is merely a subtopic…Read more ›View the full article

As the The President administration has set its sights on dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the workplace, the prevailing narrative has been that private-sector companies are retreating from DEI programs. That’s true to some extent: Major employers have made notable changes to their DEI efforts, altering language in public filings and slashing or pausing career development programs for underrepresented groups—and corporate leaders have said they are losing sleep over the threat of DEI-related litigation. Still, it seems that many companies are continuing to invest in diversity programs, according to a benchmarking survey that culture and inclusion platform Paradigm released today. On the whole, federal contractors and large companies—those with more than 10,000 employees—appear to be the most likely to make significant changes to their DEI work in response to the heightened scrutiny by the The President administration and risk of legal action. (The survey polled more than 400 employers of different sizes across a range of industries, including some of the largest U.S. companies by revenue.) What DEI policies are changing It’s true that employers are moving away from certain types of DEI initiatives. Many companies are, in fact, eliminating representation goals—something that leading tech employers like Meta and Google have already done. Paradigm found that 38% of companies surveyed had either stopped using representation goals or are planning to do so. The vast majority of employers who still use representation goals—92%—said they plan to stop sharing those goals publicly, while 77% said they would not even disclose them internally. As the terminology of DEI has grown more polarizing, 39% of companies have also changed the language they use for their programs. What DEI policies are staying the same Even as employers pull back on some of these efforts, however, the budget for DEI work has not radically shifted at many companies, per Paradigm’s findings: Only 19% of employers said they are decreasing funding for DEI efforts. More than half claimed they are not making any changes, and 23% said they actually plan to increase funding. Given that the pushback to DEI has been brewing since the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling on affirmative action, it’s possible some of these companies had already made changes to how they allocated funding for diversity efforts—or cut back on them altogether. As Fast Company has previously reported, plenty of companies were already reevaluating their financial commitments even prior to that ruling, and in some cases trimmed headcount for teams that were dedicated to DEI-related work. Joelle Emerson, cofounder and CEO of Paradigm, also posits that some companies may have just reallocated funding or outsourced certain aspects of their DEI work to organizations like hers. “We’ve worked with Fortune 500 companies that have a team of five learning designers building trainings from scratch on inclusive leadership or inclusive hiring,” she says. “We—and I’m sure other [platforms]—have really great content that doesn’t need to be reinvented for every single organization.” The state of external rankings Over the past year, many companies have made headlines for pulling out of the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, an annual survey that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees and is often touted by companies that are looking to attract more diverse employees. But the Paradigm report indicates that even amid public pressure, many companies have not changed their stance on those rankings—at least not yet. Only 18% of respondents said they had already paused their participation in external rankings that measure inclusion or planned to do so. Emerson points out that many of the companies who, for example, pulled out of the Corporate Equality Index, were being pressured to do so by right-wing activists. But the companies that seem to be staying the course may not be talking about it openly or getting media attention. “If you’re a company that’s not evolving away from these things, there would be no reason anyone would hear about it,” she says. “By and large, you’re not going to be announcing that.” Reducing legal risk Nearly all the companies surveyed by Paradigm—at least 90%—say they have already embedded DEI practices into their talent strategy, which includes continuing to source diverse talent. Most of them are also continuing to collect demographic data on employees and invest in inclusion trainings. Employee resource groups and DEI-related benefits like parental leave and trans healthcare coverage have also remained largely unchanged (though some companies are opening affinity groups up to all employees to mitigate legal risk). Emerson adds that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s recent guidance on DEI has actually helped clarify what could constitute “unlawful discrimination” for some employers, which had sparked widespread confusion when The President first introduced executive orders targeting DEI. “I don’t agree with a lot of the guidance—I think a lot of the things that they’re saying are essentially illegal DEI are, in fact, not,” she says. “But the guidance has given the companies we work with more confidence to continue with the things they’re doing.” View the full article

Industry’s leading equipment supplier still expects growth this year but warns of ‘dynamic’ environmentView the full article

Accounting regulator’s probe will focus on audits for four financial years to 2018View the full article

Figure comes as Bank of England awaits economic impact of US tariffsView the full article

Delve into AI Overview and find out how to optimize your content for AI-driven SERPs and maintain relevance in SEO. The post AI Overviews: We Reverse-Engineered Them So You Don’t Have To [+ What You Need To Do Next] appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss is my boyfriend and won’t give me a day off The owner of the restaurant where I work is my boyfriend and the general manager. I asked for a day off a month ahead of when I needed it off. It’s on Mother’s Day and, yes, it is one of the busiest days of the year. But I have worked there for three years and never took a day off, unless he wanted us to go on a vacation. He recently hired someone two weeks ago and promised her Mother’s Day off because it’s her birthday. I have missed out on so so many things in the past three years because he needed me to work I am loyal and I want to help him out, and I generally don’t complain. This one time I do and he acts like I’m the worst person ever and how dare I. I’ll lose hours and maybe even my place where we live together if I do take it off. I feel like I live one life and I feel like he is just treating me like a body there, like I’m replaceable, and he keeps on working me to the bone but refuses to see it in my way at all. It’s just unfair and I don’t know if I should quit or just firmly say I’m taking the day off. Consider leaving both the job and the relationship. It’s true that in the restaurant business, it’s hard to get days like Mother’s Day off; that’s part of the job. But if he’s offered that day off to a brand new hire, while not giving you any days of your choosing for three years, there’s a problem here, with both the job and the boyfriend. And it sounds like you think that if you take the day off anyway, that itself could jeopardize your relationship (“I’ll maybe lose the place where we live”)? Start thinking seriously about what’s keeping you in both these entanglements (the job and the man), and at a minimum start trying to separate them out from each other. It might get a lot easier to clearly see the state of the relationship if you’re no longer working together. 2. Our boss is MIA I work at a small nonprofit. I have one supervisor above me, Jill, who is managed by our executive director, Sara. Sara is a great person and has been very open about having some family and health challenges in the past couple years. Since I joined the org a few years ago, she has gone from an engaged and effective leader to a totally absentee boss. We don’t have anyone on staff to handle HR issues or approve payments for needed supplies, which means we often end up spinning our wheels while we wait for her. Emails go unacknowledged. I’ve learned to contact her exclusively by personal cell, and those messages are often ignored until it becomes a crisis. She does not attend staff meetings or communicate with the staff broadly. Jill doesn’t have the tools and skills to run the org. We have talked about contacting the board directly but are concerned about a blow-up. Sara is close with the board president and we are worried about being seen an insubordinate or untrustworthy, I feel demoralized. I care about the mission but I am worried about our reputation in the community and our ability to maintain funding if our leader continues to be unresponsive. I feel that if a lower-ranking staff person was this inaccessible or unreliable, they would have been fired a long time ago. Not to make this break-up day, but you should consider getting out. In a small organization, having an absentee leader when no one can step in and run things in their absence is unworkable. It means the organization won’t accomplish nearly what it should be (hugely problematic if you’re a mission-driven nonprofit) and your job will be a constant exercise in frustration. That said, if you want to try to determine if this is solvable first, the right move is for someone (probably Jill more than you, or someone else senior or who has good rapport with Sara) to have a heart-to-heart with Sara where they lay out the impact her absence is having and the need for someone to handle the things that she’s not. If that’s already been attempted and you haven’t seen meaningful changes, that’s your answer. But if no one has tried that yet, it’s time; Sara may not realize how bad things are, and it’s a service to her and to the organization for someone to spell it out. That’s especially true if someone might eventually go to the board; you want to be able to say you’ve tried talking to Sara directly first. For what it’s worth, this is the sort of thing the board should hear about — and it’s not insubordinate or untrustworthy to bring them issues this serious, especially after you’ve tried to resolve the problems with Sara directly first. The bar for staff contacting the board should be pretty high, but what you’ve described meets it. 3. My colleague asked my employee to hide information from me A colleague just asked my employees to keep secrets from their supervisors, and I’m not sure how to address it. This colleague and I are both at the director level and are still fairly new in our positions (within the last year), but as he is an attorney (and much older man), he is paid nearly as much as our CEO and is generally deferred to by people throughout the organization. Last week, while I was out of town, he approached one of the entry-level staff members on my team, Jane, and asked her for some information on behalf of one of our board members. None of the information was confidential by any means, but for some reason he specifically directed Jane not to tell her division head or me, the department director. She did as she was told. The requested information was related to a situation that blew up yesterday, and both the division head and I were caught off guard. When the division head and I were trying to address the situation, Jane told her direct supervisor what had happened with the attorney and how uncomfortable that made her. (My team is well-known throughout the organization as being very tight-knit and supportive of one another.) The supervisor then reported the attorney’s actions to the division head, who told me. This is obviously unacceptable, but I’m not sure the best way to handle this. How do I protect my staff, prevent this from happening again, and restore my team’s trust? There are times when a higher-up might need someone junior to pull specific information without talking about the request with others, when the situation is sensitive and they’re trying to avoid gossip (for example, during an investigation into potential wrongdoing, or financial info that could lead to job cuts). So this hinges on whether there were legitimate reasons for asking Jane to keep the request confidential or not. If there weren’t, then this is a conversation with the other director about not putting your staff in that position unless there’s a clear need for confidentiality, and it’s a conversation with your team about what to do if they’re asked to keep something confidential (which should include who is in a position to make those requests of them, and what steps they should take if they’re uncomfortable with something they’ve been asked for). 4. We’re supposed to have a team meeting to discuss feedback for our boss I’m on a team of about half a dozen people supervised by Barnaby. We all have regular but infrequent skip-level meetings with Barnaby’s boss, Calvin. It sounds like people have mentioned to Calvin in the skip-level meetings that Barnaby is not approachable. He passed that feedback on to Barnaby, and Barnaby asked one of my peers, Alfred, to organize a team discussion to gather more details on where that’s coming from and what he can do to be more approachable. Barnaby will not be at the meeting. Alfred will moderate and provide an anonymized summary of the takeaways back to Barnaby afterwards. I’m not clear whether this meeting was Calvin’s suggestion or Barnaby’s idea or whether Calvin knows it’s happening. I trust Alfred’s judgment and believe he will do his best to get good feedback and actually anonymize it, and I have no reason to believe that anyone else on the team would feel differently. But … this is kind of weird, right? I guess I empathize with Barnaby that it’s tough to get nebulous negative feedback and I understand why he’d want to involve the team in figuring out what specific actions he should take to improve communication. And I’m willing to give him benefit of the doubt that he’s doing this in addition to self-reflection/talking to peers for advice/asking Calvin for details or suggestions. But it still feels like it puts the team (and especially Alfred) in an awkward position, and it almost feels like it could be a prelude to discounting the feedback, like if people can’t provide (or don’t want to share with the whole team) enough specific examples of times he was unapproachable then he can write the whole thing off as unfounded? Is this a smart way to approach an inherently awkward situation, or is somebody falling down on the job here? It’s a little weird, but it’s not necessarily a terrible idea if people generally trust Barnaby and Alfred. If either of them isn’t trusted, the whole thing falls apart — people won’t give candid feedback, and there’s no point. But if people trust them both to act with integrity, and also trust Barnaby not to react poorly to honest feedback even if it’s uncomfortable to hear, I can see where this came from: since if the issue is that people don’t find Barnaby approachable, he’s not well-positioned to get candid info from people himself. That said, my first choice would be to have Calvin lead these conversations, not put it on Alfred … but I can also imagine someone thinking people will be more candid when speaking in a group of peers without their boss’s boss there. So much of this depends on really specific group dynamics that it’s hard to give a general ruling — but I don’t think it’s inherently bananas. 5. As a manager, when do I need to announce my pregnancy to my team? I am a very newly promoted (two months) manager leading a team that I used to be a high performer on for several years. I think my team is awesome, I’m trying to build credibility as a leader, and the transition is going about as well as it can. I am also three months pregnant with my first child (I found out literally three days after accepting the promotion), and I’m wondering what my obligation to my team is regarding when to notify them of my upcoming maternity leave. I should also point out that I’m in a male-dominated workplace and I am the only woman on my team. I know your previous advice states to let your coworkers know whenever you are comfortable sharing, but waiting to tell my team after the 20-week scan feels too late. I handle some of the workload of the team as well, and there will likely be issues with coverage while I’m out, and that’s probably where I’m feeling this sense of obligation from. I am going to manage this as best I can through cross-training in advance, but this will largely be unavoidable. What do you think? As a manager, do I have an obligation to disclose my pregnancy to my team earlier when my absence will impact them? Waiting for the 20-week scan is not unreasonably long. That still leaves you four or more months for your team to prepare for your leave, which is significantly longer than people get with many other types of medical leave. If this is the disclosure timeline you’re comfortable with, use it; it’s not an uncommon one to see. View the full article

Britons are skilled at navigating the humiliation unleashed by political and market chaos — allow us to give you some tips View the full article

My arrest in the government’s attempt to crush dissent shows how important the stability of my country isView the full article

African firms say they lost over a third of their business as global executives forced them to drop risky clientsView the full article

Buyout executives say economic uncertainty unleashed by US tariffs has made pricing assets challengingView the full article

Key to alliance’s anti-missile shield, Rota is among 38 bases across Europe at risk of a withdrawal by WashingtonView the full article

Exporters frontload shipments to beat Donald The President’s tariffsView the full article

Key Takeaways Flexibility and Independence: As an Uber Eats driver, you have the freedom to set your own hours and choose your delivery routes, allowing for a work-life balance that suits your personal schedule. Navigating the App: Familiarity with the Uber Eats app is essential for managing deliveries, tracking earnings, and maintaining effective communication with customers, enhancing your overall driving experience. Vehicle Requirements: To qualify as a driver, ensure your vehicle meets the necessary specifications, including registration and insurance, and understand the age requirements for different delivery methods (bicycle, scooter, car). Earning Potential: Income varies based on work hours and demand; drivers can average around $13 per hour, with opportunities to optimize earnings by delivering during peak meal times and understanding customer trends. Challenges on the Road: Drivers face obstacles like traffic and weather conditions that can impact delivery efficiency and safety. Strategic route planning and weather awareness are crucial. Customer Interaction Importance: Effective communication and service can enhance customer satisfaction and ratings, directly influencing tips and repeat business, making customer relations an essential aspect of success as a driver. If you’re considering becoming an Uber Eats driver, you’re stepping into a world of flexibility and opportunity. With the rise of food delivery services, many people are turning to gig work for extra income or even as a primary job. As an Uber Eats driver, you can set your own hours, choose your routes, and enjoy the freedom that comes with being your own boss. But it’s not just about convenience; understanding the ins and outs of the job can significantly impact your earnings and overall experience. From navigating the app to managing customer interactions, there’s a lot to learn. Whether you’re a seasoned driver or just starting, this guide will provide you with essential tips and insights to thrive in the fast-paced world of food delivery. Overview of Uber Eats Driver Being an Uber Eats driver offers a flexible way to earn income while managing your own schedule. You set your hours, allowing you to balance other commitments or pursue additional business opportunities. You’ll navigate the Uber Eats app to receive delivery requests, communicate with customers, and track your earnings. Familiarity with the app enhances your overall experience and helps manage customer interactions effectively. Understanding the logistics involved is crucial. You’ll need a reliable vehicle or bicycle, a valid driver’s license, and insurance if using a car. Adapting your route for efficiency can reduce delivery times and increase your earnings. Knowledge of your area enables better customer acquisition and allows you to identify popular restaurants and peak hours for orders. Consider the financial aspects. Track your expenses, including fuel and maintenance costs, to accurately gauge your profit margin. Engage in market research to identify trends within the food delivery industry that can enhance your delivery success. This strategic approach helps you optimize earnings while working with a flexible business model. Requirements to Become an Uber Eats Driver Becoming an Uber Eats driver involves meeting certain requirements. These criteria ensure you have the necessary qualifications to deliver food efficiently and safely. Age and Licensing Requirements To serve as a delivery driver, you must meet basic age requirements. If you plan to deliver via bicycle, you need to be at least 18 years old. For car and scooter deliveries, the minimum age is 19 years. Additionally, a valid state driver’s license is essential for those using cars or scooters. If you opt for bicycle delivery, you can use a valid state driver’s license or another government-issued photo ID. Vehicle Specifications Your choice of vehicle plays a significant role in your ability to deliver effectively. For automobiles, you can use any two- or four-door car, truck, SUV, or van. If you lack a personal vehicle, consider renting through an Uber partner. Every vehicle must be properly registered with your state’s department of motor vehicles. Additionally, you must provide proof of valid vehicle registration and vehicle insurance that includes your name. For those using scooters, ensure your motorized scooter has an engine size below 50cc, as motorcycles typically do not qualify. Meeting these specifications helps streamline your delivery process and enhances your experience as an Uber Eats driver. Benefits of Being an Uber Eats Driver Becoming an Uber Eats driver offers numerous advantages that can complement your entrepreneurial aspirations. Key benefits include flexible work hours and potential earnings that can enhance your entrepreneurial journey. Flexible Work Hours Uber Eats drivers enjoy the liberty to pick their work hours, aligning their schedules with personal commitments. Drivers set their own hours without minimum requirements, but cannot work more than 12 consecutive hours before a mandatory six-hour break. This flexibility allows you to balance driving with other endeavors, whether you’re pursuing a startup or managing a small business. Engaging during peak hours, such as lunch (11 am to 2 pm) and dinner (5 pm to 8 pm), can also optimize your earnings and fit seamlessly into your business model. Potential Earnings Earnings for Uber Eats drivers can vary based on several key factors. On average, drivers earn around $13 per hour, which exceeds minimum wage in many regions. The income potential is influenced by your work schedule, market demand, and location, enabling you to shape a substantial side income or enhance cash flow for your business. Understanding local trends and customer preferences can help you maximize earnings while you refine your growth strategy. By leveraging the flexible nature of food delivery and the potential for earnings, you can not only make money but also gain insights into customer acquisition and service, invaluable for any entrepreneurial venture. Challenges Faced by Uber Eats Drivers Uber Eats drivers face distinct challenges impacting their delivery efficiency and safety. Understanding these challenges can help you navigate the gig economy more effectively. Dealing with Traffic and Weather You encounter several significant obstacles during deliveries, such as heavy traffic and unpredictable weather. Long hours often lead to driver fatigue, making it crucial to manage your time effectively. Navigating crowded streets or adverse conditions can increase accident risks and diminish overall road safety. Drivers must adapt their business strategy by optimizing routes to avoid congestion and monitor weather forecasts, ensuring timely deliveries while maintaining safety standards. Performance pressure can push you to accept orders during peak hours or inclement weather. To excel, consider employing market research to identify optimal delivery times in your area, which can enhance your customer service and satisfaction rates. Customer Interactions You often manage various customer interactions, which can impact your overall experience. Polite communication and prompt service are vital for positive customer relations. Drivers encounter all kinds of requests and preferences, requiring adaptability and strong interpersonal skills. Utilizing feedback can help you refine your approach, improve customer service, and ultimately boost your ratings in the app. Building rapport with customers can lead to repeat business and increased tips, forming an essential part of your overall earning strategy. By focusing on customer acquisition through excellent service, you can enhance your standing within the Uber Eats community. In sum, addressing traffic, weather, and customer interactions strategically can improve your performance as an Uber Eats driver, making the most of your time on the road. Conclusion Becoming an Uber Eats driver opens the door to a flexible and rewarding gig that fits your lifestyle. With the right strategies and insights, you can navigate the challenges and maximize your earnings. Understanding the app’s functionalities and the importance of timing can significantly enhance your delivery experience. By embracing the independence that comes with this role, you can create a work-life balance that suits your needs. Whether you’re looking to supplement your income or dive into full-time gig work, the potential is there for you to thrive in the food delivery industry. Focus on honing your skills and adapting to local trends, and you’ll find success on the road. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of becoming an Uber Eats driver? Becoming an Uber Eats driver offers flexibility and independence, allowing you to set your own hours and balance work with personal commitments. You can optimize your earnings by working during peak hours and adapting your delivery strategies. What are the requirements to become an Uber Eats driver? To become an Uber Eats driver, you need to be at least 18 years old for bicycle deliveries and 19 years old for cars or scooters. A valid driver’s license or government-issued ID, along with an insured and registered vehicle, is required. How much can I earn as an Uber Eats driver? Uber Eats drivers can average around $13 per hour, depending on their work schedule, location, and market demand. Earnings can vary, offering a substantial opportunity for side income or additional cash flow. How does the Uber Eats app work for drivers? The Uber Eats app is essential for drivers to receive delivery requests, communicate with customers, and track earnings. Familiarity with the app enhances the overall delivery experience and helps optimize earnings. What challenges do Uber Eats drivers face? Uber Eats drivers often encounter challenges like heavy traffic, unpredictable weather, and diverse customer interactions. Managing time effectively and optimizing routes can help address these issues and improve delivery efficiency. Are there any specific tips for new Uber Eats drivers? New drivers should familiarize themselves with the Uber Eats app, engage during peak hours, and understand local logistics. Tracking expenses and conducting market research can also help maximize earnings and improve performance. Can I use a bicycle for Uber Eats deliveries? Yes, you can use a bicycle to deliver for Uber Eats, as long as you are at least 18 years old. Make sure your bike is in good condition and complies with local regulations to ensure safe deliveries. Image Via Envato This article, "Maximize Your Earnings as an Uber Eats Driver: Tips for Success and Flexibility" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Flexibility and Independence: As an Uber Eats driver, you have the freedom to set your own hours and choose your delivery routes, allowing for a work-life balance that suits your personal schedule. Navigating the App: Familiarity with the Uber Eats app is essential for managing deliveries, tracking earnings, and maintaining effective communication with customers, enhancing your overall driving experience. Vehicle Requirements: To qualify as a driver, ensure your vehicle meets the necessary specifications, including registration and insurance, and understand the age requirements for different delivery methods (bicycle, scooter, car). Earning Potential: Income varies based on work hours and demand; drivers can average around $13 per hour, with opportunities to optimize earnings by delivering during peak meal times and understanding customer trends. Challenges on the Road: Drivers face obstacles like traffic and weather conditions that can impact delivery efficiency and safety. Strategic route planning and weather awareness are crucial. Customer Interaction Importance: Effective communication and service can enhance customer satisfaction and ratings, directly influencing tips and repeat business, making customer relations an essential aspect of success as a driver. If you’re considering becoming an Uber Eats driver, you’re stepping into a world of flexibility and opportunity. With the rise of food delivery services, many people are turning to gig work for extra income or even as a primary job. As an Uber Eats driver, you can set your own hours, choose your routes, and enjoy the freedom that comes with being your own boss. But it’s not just about convenience; understanding the ins and outs of the job can significantly impact your earnings and overall experience. From navigating the app to managing customer interactions, there’s a lot to learn. Whether you’re a seasoned driver or just starting, this guide will provide you with essential tips and insights to thrive in the fast-paced world of food delivery. Overview of Uber Eats Driver Being an Uber Eats driver offers a flexible way to earn income while managing your own schedule. You set your hours, allowing you to balance other commitments or pursue additional business opportunities. You’ll navigate the Uber Eats app to receive delivery requests, communicate with customers, and track your earnings. Familiarity with the app enhances your overall experience and helps manage customer interactions effectively. Understanding the logistics involved is crucial. You’ll need a reliable vehicle or bicycle, a valid driver’s license, and insurance if using a car. Adapting your route for efficiency can reduce delivery times and increase your earnings. Knowledge of your area enables better customer acquisition and allows you to identify popular restaurants and peak hours for orders. Consider the financial aspects. Track your expenses, including fuel and maintenance costs, to accurately gauge your profit margin. Engage in market research to identify trends within the food delivery industry that can enhance your delivery success. This strategic approach helps you optimize earnings while working with a flexible business model. Requirements to Become an Uber Eats Driver Becoming an Uber Eats driver involves meeting certain requirements. These criteria ensure you have the necessary qualifications to deliver food efficiently and safely. Age and Licensing Requirements To serve as a delivery driver, you must meet basic age requirements. If you plan to deliver via bicycle, you need to be at least 18 years old. For car and scooter deliveries, the minimum age is 19 years. Additionally, a valid state driver’s license is essential for those using cars or scooters. If you opt for bicycle delivery, you can use a valid state driver’s license or another government-issued photo ID. Vehicle Specifications Your choice of vehicle plays a significant role in your ability to deliver effectively. For automobiles, you can use any two- or four-door car, truck, SUV, or van. If you lack a personal vehicle, consider renting through an Uber partner. Every vehicle must be properly registered with your state’s department of motor vehicles. Additionally, you must provide proof of valid vehicle registration and vehicle insurance that includes your name. For those using scooters, ensure your motorized scooter has an engine size below 50cc, as motorcycles typically do not qualify. Meeting these specifications helps streamline your delivery process and enhances your experience as an Uber Eats driver. Benefits of Being an Uber Eats Driver Becoming an Uber Eats driver offers numerous advantages that can complement your entrepreneurial aspirations. Key benefits include flexible work hours and potential earnings that can enhance your entrepreneurial journey. Flexible Work Hours Uber Eats drivers enjoy the liberty to pick their work hours, aligning their schedules with personal commitments. Drivers set their own hours without minimum requirements, but cannot work more than 12 consecutive hours before a mandatory six-hour break. This flexibility allows you to balance driving with other endeavors, whether you’re pursuing a startup or managing a small business. Engaging during peak hours, such as lunch (11 am to 2 pm) and dinner (5 pm to 8 pm), can also optimize your earnings and fit seamlessly into your business model. Potential Earnings Earnings for Uber Eats drivers can vary based on several key factors. On average, drivers earn around $13 per hour, which exceeds minimum wage in many regions. The income potential is influenced by your work schedule, market demand, and location, enabling you to shape a substantial side income or enhance cash flow for your business. Understanding local trends and customer preferences can help you maximize earnings while you refine your growth strategy. By leveraging the flexible nature of food delivery and the potential for earnings, you can not only make money but also gain insights into customer acquisition and service, invaluable for any entrepreneurial venture. Challenges Faced by Uber Eats Drivers Uber Eats drivers face distinct challenges impacting their delivery efficiency and safety. Understanding these challenges can help you navigate the gig economy more effectively. Dealing with Traffic and Weather You encounter several significant obstacles during deliveries, such as heavy traffic and unpredictable weather. Long hours often lead to driver fatigue, making it crucial to manage your time effectively. Navigating crowded streets or adverse conditions can increase accident risks and diminish overall road safety. Drivers must adapt their business strategy by optimizing routes to avoid congestion and monitor weather forecasts, ensuring timely deliveries while maintaining safety standards. Performance pressure can push you to accept orders during peak hours or inclement weather. To excel, consider employing market research to identify optimal delivery times in your area, which can enhance your customer service and satisfaction rates. Customer Interactions You often manage various customer interactions, which can impact your overall experience. Polite communication and prompt service are vital for positive customer relations. Drivers encounter all kinds of requests and preferences, requiring adaptability and strong interpersonal skills. Utilizing feedback can help you refine your approach, improve customer service, and ultimately boost your ratings in the app. Building rapport with customers can lead to repeat business and increased tips, forming an essential part of your overall earning strategy. By focusing on customer acquisition through excellent service, you can enhance your standing within the Uber Eats community. In sum, addressing traffic, weather, and customer interactions strategically can improve your performance as an Uber Eats driver, making the most of your time on the road. Conclusion Becoming an Uber Eats driver opens the door to a flexible and rewarding gig that fits your lifestyle. With the right strategies and insights, you can navigate the challenges and maximize your earnings. Understanding the app’s functionalities and the importance of timing can significantly enhance your delivery experience. By embracing the independence that comes with this role, you can create a work-life balance that suits your needs. Whether you’re looking to supplement your income or dive into full-time gig work, the potential is there for you to thrive in the food delivery industry. Focus on honing your skills and adapting to local trends, and you’ll find success on the road. Frequently Asked Questions What are the benefits of becoming an Uber Eats driver? Becoming an Uber Eats driver offers flexibility and independence, allowing you to set your own hours and balance work with personal commitments. You can optimize your earnings by working during peak hours and adapting your delivery strategies. What are the requirements to become an Uber Eats driver? To become an Uber Eats driver, you need to be at least 18 years old for bicycle deliveries and 19 years old for cars or scooters. A valid driver’s license or government-issued ID, along with an insured and registered vehicle, is required. How much can I earn as an Uber Eats driver? Uber Eats drivers can average around $13 per hour, depending on their work schedule, location, and market demand. Earnings can vary, offering a substantial opportunity for side income or additional cash flow. How does the Uber Eats app work for drivers? The Uber Eats app is essential for drivers to receive delivery requests, communicate with customers, and track earnings. Familiarity with the app enhances the overall delivery experience and helps optimize earnings. What challenges do Uber Eats drivers face? Uber Eats drivers often encounter challenges like heavy traffic, unpredictable weather, and diverse customer interactions. Managing time effectively and optimizing routes can help address these issues and improve delivery efficiency. Are there any specific tips for new Uber Eats drivers? New drivers should familiarize themselves with the Uber Eats app, engage during peak hours, and understand local logistics. Tracking expenses and conducting market research can also help maximize earnings and improve performance. Can I use a bicycle for Uber Eats deliveries? Yes, you can use a bicycle to deliver for Uber Eats, as long as you are at least 18 years old. Make sure your bike is in good condition and complies with local regulations to ensure safe deliveries. Image Via Envato This article, "Maximize Your Earnings as an Uber Eats Driver: Tips for Success and Flexibility" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article