US Mortgage Payments Ease Slightly but Affordability Strain Persists
The average new mortgage payment in the United States slipped 2.4% year‑over‑year to $1,942 in 2025, offering modest relief to borrowers. Yet 24.3% of new homeowners still allocate at least 30% of their income to mortgage costs, a level deemed cost‑burdened. Generation Z faces the steepest strain, with 32% exceeding the 30% threshold and 10.2% of all borrowers spending 40% or more of their earnings on housing. High‑cost markets such as California remain the most unaffordable, while rising payments spread to Midwestern and Southern cities.
Equinor to Exit RE Producer Scatec
Equinor sold an 8.07% stake in renewable‑power producer Scatec for NOK 1.6 billion (about $169 million), cutting its holding to 8.05% and entering a 90‑day lock‑up on the remaining shares. The transaction makes Norway’s sovereign‑pension manager Folketrygdfondet the largest Scatec shareholder with 9.6%...
Salary.com’s 2026 Pay Practices Report Finds HR Pros Believe Pay Is Fair But Are Not Confident Employees Agree
Salary.com’s 2026 State of Pay and Compensation Practices Report, based on 525 HR and compensation professionals, reveals a 31‑point confidence gap: 74.8% of HR leaders believe pay is fair, yet only 44% think employees share that view. The study attributes...
South Africa: New ALT Capital Fund to Back Rural and Township Convenience Retail Centres
Johannesburg-based ALT Capital Partners has launched the Reimagine Social Impact Retail Fund 2, following the success of its first fund that now operates 11 assets across seven South African provinces. The new fund will raise roughly R2.5 billion (about $152.8 million) to...
TBM 416: Investment Stewardship (As Habit)
The article argues that measuring engineering ROI is less about precise formulas and more about cultivating a continuous stewardship habit. Companies often rely on vanity metrics like revenue per engineer, but true insight comes from leading indicators, disciplined hiring, and...
Walmart Is Refreshing Its Look As It Tries to Attract More Walmart+ Subscribers
Walmart has launched the most extensive redesign of its Great Value private‑label brand, updating the packaging of roughly 10,000 food and consumable items while keeping product formulas and low prices intact. The rollout begins with salty‑snack products and will extend...
New Confidence in Ukraine
The war in Iran has shifted global attention away from Ukraine, giving Russia an unexpected economic boost as higher oil prices and eased U.S. sanctions lift its energy revenues. At the same time, Ukraine is gaining confidence through successful drone...
Conagra Brands Incoming CEO on Knife Edge
Conagra Brands named former JM Smucker COO John Brase as its president and CEO, effective June 1, after Sean Connolly’s departure. The announcement triggered a 4.4% drop in the stock, adding to an 18% decline year‑to‑date and a 62% slide over five...
Macy’s Is Closing More Stores in 2026: See an Updated List of Locations that Will Shutter Soon
Macy’s Inc. announced the imminent closure of 14 additional stores, bringing its total planned shutdowns to about 164 by the end of 2026. The locations, spread across 12 states from California to Texas, include both already closed sites and those...
Power Insider: The Markets Are Obsessed with the Strait of Hormuz. Why It Matters Less than You Think
Traders are fixated on the Strait of Hormuz, believing ship traffic can forecast oil prices, but new Saudi and UAE pipeline capacity has halved the waterway’s relevance. The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports adds volatility, yet the market’s real...
The Solar-Powered Medical Kiosks Bringing Doctors to Remote Chadians
Telemedan, founded in 2021 by Abakar Mahamat and Ahmed Kotoko, deploys solar‑powered medical kiosks that link rural Chadians to qualified doctors via video and on‑site diagnostic tools. Each $10,000 unit is sold to governments or public health programs, offering consultations...
Should You Develop Your Leadership Strengths—Or Fix Your Weaknesses?
The article tackles the long‑standing debate of whether leaders should double‑down on their strengths or remediate their weaknesses. It proposes a four‑question diagnostic to map role requirements, manager expectations, personal capabilities, and development options. Based on that analysis, leaders should...
Startup Essentials: A Starter Guide to Employee Share Plans: Common Founder Concerns
Employee share plans are a potent tool for startup talent attraction, yet founders often fear loss of control, dilution, and tax inefficiencies. The article outlines practical solutions such as exit‑only options, growth shares, and government‑approved EMI or CSOP schemes that...
"Let's Just Build the Farm Inside the Container"
Jason Brown pivoted from a stalled container housing project to launch FarmBox Foods in 2017, converting pre‑insulated shipping containers into fully automated vertical farms. By designing custom hydroponic systems and low‑energy electrical layouts, each unit runs on roughly 190 kWh per...
4 Signs Your Manager Has Stopped Investing in You
The article outlines four clear signals that a manager has stopped investing in an employee: reduced feedback, being stuck on low‑impact work, disappearing one‑on‑ones, and vague career‑growth discussions. It explains how each symptom can be mistaken for autonomy or normal...
The Decline of Mexico’s Central Bank, Explained
Mexico’s central bank, Banxico, has been trimming its benchmark rate from a peak of 11.5% toward a long‑term target near 3% to stimulate borrowing. In July 2024 it lowered the policy rate modestly from 7.00% to 6.75% amid an oil‑price...
Beatrice Monguidi Appointed CEO of Rimowa
Beatrice Monguidi, former EMEA president of Louis Vuitton, has been appointed CEO of Rimowa, effective June 1, 2026. Her career has been entirely within LVMH, with senior roles at Fendi, Valentino and Christian Dior Couture. She succeeds Hugues Bonnet‑Masimbert, who moved to a commercial director role at...
Gritty Maverick Built DLJ Into Wall Street Powerhouse
“I have to be busy, and I just love building things that make a difference.” In a 1986 Wall Street Journal article, Tony James was described as an up-and-coming M&A whiz kid. He transformed DLJ from a mid-sized brokerage into one of...
Greenland Resources Valued at $2.5‑3B
At the current Molybdenum prices, Greenland Resources' $MOLY NPV sits around here (~$2.5-3.0bn) 👇 Market cap of $170m. https://t.co/q78aNaCpRO
Snap to Axe 1,000 Staff: Snapchat Parent Faces Pressure From Activist Investor, Shares Climb over 5% in Premarket
Snap announced it will lay off about 1,000 employees, roughly 16% of its staff, and eliminate over 300 vacant roles to cut more than $500 million in annualized costs. The restructuring, driven by activist investor Irenic Capital Management, will generate $95‑$130 million...
Greece Exceeds Budget Targets, Announces Further Gains
Greece is set to reveal yet more outperformance on budget goals https://t.co/K6mvz8wQdH via @NikasSotiris https://t.co/vU1OuuIO0i
EU Grapples with Whether to Embrace Chinese Investment
Excellent piece by @barneyjopson @leahyjoseph @ian_c_johnston about a very real dilemma faced by many EU governments: should Europe welcome Chinese investment? https://t.co/IWJghsXaVY via @ft
Spain Expands Access to China with Agreements to Export Pistachios and Dried Figs
Spain and China have signed six new agreements, including five collaboration protocols and a memorandum of understanding on denominations of origin, to open the Chinese market to Spanish pistachios and dried figs. The deals build on a 2023 almond export...
The Unseen Muscle: Why Mental Fitness Is Your Most Critical Talent Tool
The article reframes mental fitness as the most essential talent tool, arguing that the brain, like a muscle, needs deliberate training, recovery, and proper nutrition. It highlights how constant interruptions, multitasking, and neglect of sleep erode cognitive capacity, undermining strategic...
Expensive Oil Not a SPX Death Sentence, But Bad Enough
Oil prices briefly breached $100 per barrel after a failed U.S.-Iran peace deal and a Hormuz blockade, reviving concerns about a repeat of past market headwinds. Quantitative analysis shows the S&P 500 historically posts a -6.9% average six‑month return when oil...
Agentic AI Cuts, ERP Evolution, Project Failure Insights
Podcast Ep268: 40% of Agentic AI Canceled, ERP Industry Changing & Evolving, Why ERP Projects Fail https://t.co/4PJ9WIeUR2
Policy Paper: Decision No 1/2026 of the Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes Under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement,...
On 15 April 2026 HM Treasury issued Decision No 1/2026, a policy paper that amends Protocol I of the EU‑UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The amendment refines the framework governing the United Kingdom’s participation in Union programmes, including research, innovation and climate initiatives....
Why Are Workers so Worried About AI? Listen to How Business Leaders Talk About It
Workers are increasingly anxious that AI will displace them, a sentiment amplified by recent high‑profile layoffs at companies like Block and Oracle. Business leaders, however, can curb this fear by reframing AI as a tool for capacity‑building rather than cost‑cutting...
Advanced Supply Chain Planning: How to Build a More Resilient Operation
Advanced supply chain planning is emerging as a strategic priority, enabling firms to anticipate disruptions rather than merely react. APQC research highlights that only 19% of organizations have real‑time supply chain data, underscoring a critical data‑maturity gap. Companies that invest...
Megan Fox Puts Men Through Deodorant School for Dr. Squatch
Unilever‑owned personal‑care brand Dr. Squatch has launched a six‑part “Foundation for Odor eXcellence” campaign starring Megan Fox as Professor Fox, a leather‑clad instructor teaching men about natural deodorant. The series blends humor, innuendo and a riding crop to highlight the brand’s all‑natural formula...
Don’t Manage Every Task Manually — Here’s How You Can Use AI to Outdo Your Competitors in Half the Time
Founders start by handling every task themselves, but as startups grow that hands‑on approach becomes unsustainable. Integrating AI tools such as workflow platforms and language models gives leaders real‑time visibility into projects, contractor load, and launch timelines. The resulting clarity...
Salesforce Launches Headless 360 to Support Agent‑first Enterprise Workflows
Salesforce unveiled Headless 360, a platform that consolidates its Agentforce Vibes coding environment, data, and governance tools into an API‑first layer for building agent‑first enterprise workflows. The offering exposes Salesforce’s core datasets, business logic, and MCP utilities through APIs, CLI...
What Is Business Process Management?
Business Process Management (BPM) is a discipline that designs, governs, and continuously improves how work flows across an enterprise, linking every activity to strategic goals. While many equate BPM with documentation or software, the real value lies in end‑to‑end thinking...
The New PPC Playbook: From Media Buyer to Profit Engineer
The article argues that paid‑search professionals must evolve from tactical media buyers to "profit engineers" as Google and Microsoft automate bidding, creative testing, and audience discovery. It outlines four steps: mapping campaigns directly to the profit‑and‑loss statement, engineering AI signals...
Superior, Wisconsin, Weighs Bond-Financed Bid for Water Utility
Superior, Wisconsin is weighing a bond‑financed purchase of its privately owned water system, the state’s last investor‑owned water utility. An appraisal puts the water assets at $58 million, while a broader acquisition that includes electric and gas could cost $274‑$306 million by...
Equinix Pushes AI Into Network Layer With Fabric Intelligence
Equinix unveiled Fabric Intelligence, an AI‑driven control layer that automates design, deployment, and management of network connectivity across multi‑cloud, data‑center, and edge environments. The platform uses AI agents, a natural‑language “Super Agent,” and the Model Context Protocol to compress weeks‑long...
Inside PepsiCo’s Supply Chain Command Center with Brad Rogers, Supply Chain Planning Director at PepsiCo
In this episode of Unpacked, Brad Rogers, Supply Chain Planning Director at PepsiCo, walks listeners through the design and operation of PepsiCo’s Northeast beverage command center. He emphasizes the human‑centric, cross‑functional approach that keeps the center proactive rather than reactive,...
Golden Chick Secures Exclusive Branding Rights on Crew Gear in Texas Rangers Extension
Golden Chick is expanding its partnership with the Texas Rangers by securing exclusive rights to display the 2026 City Connect primary logo on its employee uniforms. The agreement, part of a five‑year extension, makes Golden Chick the only sponsor featuring...
US and UK Finance Chiefs Brace for Tense Talks
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves are gearing up for what is likely to be a tense meeting https://t.co/GikKUDXuBo via @is_fink https://t.co/mfGjhhMCyG
A Blunt Assessment of Every Major ACCESS Model Participant, Their Business Models, and What CMS’s New Outcome-Aligned Payment Framework Actually...
The CMS Innovation Center’s ACCESS Model launches July 5, 2026, testing an Outcome‑Aligned Payment (OAP) system for chronic‑care management across cardiometabolic, musculoskeletal and behavioral‑health tracks. Participants receive monthly fixed per‑patient payments, with half withheld until a 12‑month reconciliation that depends on meeting...
Colt Appoints President and CEO
Prague‑based Colt CZ Group has promoted Jillair Kubish from interim chief executive to President and CEO of the Colt Manufacturing Group. Kubish, who has served as EVP of Military and Law Enforcement, brings more than two decades of firearms industry experience,...
Euro Adoption Spikes Bulgaria's Inflation, as Predicted
Bulgarians are already feeling the consequences of Bulgaria’s FORCED ADOPTION of the euro. Inflation SURGED to 3.9%/yr in March from 3.3%/yr in February. As the Father of Bulgaria’s currency board, the inflation surge is exactly what I said would happen. https://t.co/CNFoYkR0n4
'Real Reckoning' Around Climate Risk 'Bottom Line' Impact
Amid a so‑called “sustainability winter,” firms are under mounting pressure to prove the bottom‑line impact of climate‑risk assessments, turning rigorous quantification into a market differentiator. Investors, regulators, and corporate clients now demand concrete financial metrics that link climate exposure to...
Almost Half of UK Workers Don’t Understand Their Pension
Penfold’s Retirement Reality Check surveyed 2,000 UK employees and 500 SMEs, revealing that 44% of workers want more guidance on their workplace pension. Most staff receive only minimal communication—typically just enrollment or an annual update—leaving them unsure about contributions, growth,...
Writers Once Underpaid, Now Become AI-Driven Product
Sure. Before most writers (power law distribution) made less than minimum wage. Now, with AI, they are the product.
Radiology Business Management Association Elects New Board Members
The Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) announced its new 2026‑2027 board at the annual PaRADigm meeting in Championsgate, Florida. Stacy Sanso, director of patient access at ARA Diagnostic Imaging, will serve as president, succeeding Jamie Dyer, who moves to immediate...
Google: We May Use Spam Report Submissions For Manual Actions
Google has updated its spam‑report policy to state that user submissions can be used to trigger manual actions against sites violating its spam guidelines. When a manual action is issued, Google will forward the exact text of the reporter’s submission...
Supporters Claim Invalid Vote, yet Kansas City Rejected Stadium
The backwards-hat bro-brigade is out in full support of the KC Royals stadium plan. It seems their new talking point is that the last rejection by voters wasn't a valid vote. 1) It was. 2) KCMO voters rejected the plan...
From Great Moderation to Chaos: Supply Shocks Return
If the Great Moderation was the result of fewer nasty supply shocks, more efficient supply chains, and better policymaking - as economists claim - then what we have now is the complete reversal of those trends. Nasty supply shocks, the...
US Leaders Dismiss Israeli Iran War Plan as Farcical
I spoke w/ @janetonthemoney on the US-Israeli war plan for Iran, presented at the White House on Feb. 11: "John Radcliffe, the head of the CIA, called Netanyahu's Mossad plan to destroy Iran 'farcical'. Marco Rubio said it was ‘bullshit'."