Markets End Another Week Down—Dropping Over 1%—As Oil Still Above $100 Amid Iran War
U.S. equity markets closed the week in the red, with all three major indexes falling at least 1.3% as the United States and Israel escalated their conflict with Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average led the declines, slipping nearly 2% to its lowest level since November, while the S&P 500 dropped 1.6% and the Nasdaq fell 1.3%. Energy prices surged, pushing West Texas Intermediate crude toward the $100‑per‑barrel threshold after a week‑long rally of more than 7%. The market sell‑off was amplified by the deployment of thousands of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East, underscoring heightened geopolitical risk.
Employee Sues Insurer for FMLA Retaliation After Prayer Mistaken for Sleeping
Cameron Nasser, an investment operations analyst at OneAmerica Financial, filed a federal lawsuit alleging retaliation after taking FMLA leave to care for his dying mother. Upon returning, his role was downgraded, performance‑improvement plans were issued, and he was ultimately terminated...
Digg Relaunch Fails
After a brief relaunch as a Reddit‑style beta, Digg announced it is shutting down again, blaming an onslaught of AI‑generated bots and spam. CEO Justin Mezzell described a “hard reset,” noting that despite banning tens of thousands of accounts and...
Dave’s Hot Chicken’s Growth Is ‘Full Speed Ahead’ Under New CEO Jim Bitticks
Dave’s Hot Chicken posted a 58% increase in store count last year and was acquired by Roark Capital, the private‑equity firm behind Subway. In January, COO Jim Bitticks was promoted to CEO, pledging to sustain the brand’s rapid growth. Under...
Worker Sues Lockheed Martin over Alleged Racial Slur, Escalating Retaliation
Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky facility in Stratford, Connecticut, faces a federal lawsuit filed by 70‑year‑old quality‑control inspector Carnell Artis, who alleges he was subjected to a racial slur, disability mockery, and ongoing retaliation after reporting the incidents. The complaint details harassment,...
Wyvern Launches International Partnerships in Agtech, Oil and Gas
Wyvern, an Edmonton‑based hyperspectral imaging startup, announced two international deals: a reseller agreement with Saudi Arabia’s Neo Space Group (NSG) to deliver its Dragonnette satellite data through the UP42 marketplace, and a direct customer contract with U.S. firm Orbital Advisors...
Court Orders Healthcare Employer to Pay $800K+ in Pension Arrears
The U.S. District Court for D.C. granted summary judgment to the Service Employees International Union National Industry Pension Fund, ordering Hamilton Park OPCO to pay more than $800,000 in unpaid pension contributions. The dispute centered on the employer’s failure to make...
Sky-High Oil Prices Are About to Hit Puerto Rico’s Grid
The ongoing Iran‑Israel conflict has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing global crude to around $100 a barrel. Puerto Rico, which generates roughly 60 % of its electricity from aging oil‑fired plants, will see its regulated power rates rise when...
Court Tosses Veteran's Discrimination Suit over Supervisor's Damaging Reference
A federal court in Washington, D.C., dismissed veteran attorney Arthur Ayo‑Aghimien II's discrimination lawsuit against his ICE supervisor, Mary‑Jean Lambert, with prejudice on all five counts. The plaintiff alleged that Lambert’s derogatory remarks and a damaging reference caused the rescission of...
Chloe Varnfield Talks Sneaky Google Ads Settings and Tanking Performance
Chloe Varnfield, a veteran PPC specialist, reveals how hidden Google Ads settings and ill‑timed changes can cripple campaign performance. She recounts three costly mistakes: an automated assets feature that rewrites headlines, a Friday location‑target edit that unintentionally excluded the UK,...
Enforcement Is Down Under Trump. Is that a Problem?
Bank‑level enforcement actions by the FDIC, OCC, Fed and NCUA fell 55% from 116 in 2024 to 52 in 2025, with quarterly new cases dropping from 20 to just two. At the same time, terminated actions more than doubled, reaching...
Team Inc. (TISI) Reports Q4 FY25 Earnings
Team Inc. reported a GAAP loss of $1.47 per share for Q4 FY25, generating $224.8 million in revenue. The company did not have a consensus EPS estimate for the quarter. Team provides mechanical, heat‑treating, and inspection services across the United...
‘Monitoring’ During Meal Breaks Did Not Need Compensation, 6th Circuit Says
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of a Fair Labor Standards Act claim by a security guard at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital who argued that monitoring his radio during lunch breaks made the time compensable. The...
Lush Agrees to Settle Gender Identity Bias Lawsuit Dropped by EEOC
Lush Handmade Cosmetics agreed to settle a sex‑discrimination lawsuit after the EEOC, which had filed a complaint in 2024 alleging bias against a pansexual, nonbinary employee, withdrew its support in 2025 following a Trump administration executive order. The settlement required...
Cities Get a Helping Hand to Attract More Workers to the Public Sector
State and local governments continue to struggle with lengthy hiring cycles, often exceeding 130 days, which hampers their ability to attract tech talent. Nonprofit Work for America is launching a Talent Accelerator workshop to help municipal HR and operations teams...
EXCLUSIVE: Cyprus Acts as a “Third Force” In EU Sanctions Extension Vote
Cyprus, currently holding the EU presidency, has moved from a neutral position to actively opposing the removal of sanctions on Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, citing historic disputes with Turkey. The shift follows a letter from Turkish President Recep Erdoğan to Slovak...
U.S. Debt Is Like a Hallmark Movie Boyfriend Who Eventually Gets Dumped for a Small Town Firefighter, Budget Watchdog Warns
U.S. publicly held debt has ballooned to roughly the size of the nation’s GDP and is set to surpass the post‑World War II record as baby‑boomers retire and entitlement spending climbs. Yale Budget Lab’s Martha Gimbel warned that investors currently accept...
U.S. Economy Has Lost Jobs Under Trump Tariffs, 'Gold Standard' Jobs Data Shows
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) – the “gold standard” of jobs data – shows U.S. employers added only 123,000 jobs in the 12 months through September 2025, far below the 636,000 reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics...
Calm, Steady Leadership Is a Competitive Advantage. Here’s Why Presence Beats Pressure in the Long Run.
The article argues that calm, deliberate leadership outperforms relentless urgency for lasting growth. While pressure can spark short‑term results, it often creates a productivity illusion that sacrifices strategic depth and morale. Sustainable performance hinges on psychological safety, reflective thinking, and...
CPA Firm Automation Case Study: How One Practice Simplified 1040 Tax Prep
Madsen, O’Meara & Company adopted SurePrep’s 1040SCAN and SPbinder automation, integrating it with Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS. Within two months the firm halved the time required to prepare individual tax returns, dropping from roughly 90 minutes to 35‑40 minutes per...
Fake PoCs, Misunderstood Risks Cause Cisco SD-WAN Chaos
Cisco disclosed six new SD‑WAN Manager vulnerabilities, with CVE‑2026‑20127 receiving a perfect 10‑score and confirmed zero‑day exploitation for three years. Researchers warn that the focus on this high‑profile bug has eclipsed CVE‑2026‑20133, a 7.5‑score information‑disclosure flaw that can expose admin...
US Picks 60 Trade Partners for Tariff Action
The U.S. Trade Representative announced investigations into 59 countries and the EU, selecting a total of 60 major trading partners for new import taxes under Section 301. The tariffs aim to block goods made with forced labor, replacing the 15%+ emergency...
Trying to Build Brand Recognition? Here’s a Shortcut You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner.
The article argues that brand recognition stems from disciplined creative direction rather than sheer volume. By establishing a unified point of view—through layout, language, imagery, and interaction—companies create a design language that feels intentional at every touchpoint. Early decisions about...
Iran Conflict Raises Specter Of Inflation, But CRE Could Be Spared
The U.S. war with Iran has disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing crude prices above $100 and reviving inflation concerns. Analysts warn that a prolonged conflict could lift interest rates, jeopardizing the refinancing momentum that commercial‑real‑estate (CRE)...
Unlocking the Power of Conversation: How Slack’s New Platform Is Fueling the Agentic Era
Slack unveiled a new platform layer featuring a Real‑Time Search API and a Model Context Protocol, giving developers secure, real‑time access to conversational data for AI agents. The tools let large language models pull context‑aware information directly from Slack channels,...
CFOs, Tax Leaders Look to Revamp Data in AI Age, EY Leader Says
CFOs and tax leaders are confronting new reporting mandates such as Pillar 2, which require unprecedented volumes of tax data. The pressure is prompting executives to secure budgets for modern data architectures, including data lakes and hubs, to break down long‑standing...
What IT Leaders Can Learn From a Housing Authority’s AI Transformation
NWN relaunched its Intelligent Cloud service, a multi‑vendor control plane that adds observability and governance across hybrid environments. The platform enabled the South Mississippi Housing Authority to replace its legacy phone system with an AI‑driven Amazon Connect solution, deflecting 68 %...
Changes to Temporary Foreign Worker Program Applauded by Business Groups
The federal government announced temporary adjustments to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program to alleviate acute labour shortages, especially in rural and tourism‑dependent areas. Restaurants Canada praised the move as a first step toward a more strategic, predictable workforce, noting that...
The IRS May Owe You Money From the Pandemic Years—But You Have to Claim It
A February 2025 U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruling in Kwong v. United States broadened the interpretation of IRC Section 7508A, extending tax filing, payment and refund deadlines to July 11, 2023. The decision means the IRS may have improperly...
Heritage Grocers Names New CEO
Heritage Grocers Group appointed David Hinojosa as its new chief executive after a seven‑month vacancy. Hinojosa previously served as chief operating officer of Vallarta Supermarkets and spent nearly two decades at H‑EB, plus international roles in Australia and Thailand. The...
TTAN Swings to $0.44/Share Loss in Q4 FY2026, Reversing Prior Profitability on 1.9% Revenue Growth
ServiceTitan reported a GAAP loss of $0.44 per share for Q4 FY2026, a sharp reversal from the $0.27 profit a quarter earlier. Revenue grew modestly 1.9% year‑over‑year to $254 million, with a stronger 17.8% sequential increase from Q1. Operating income turned...
Country Bank Selects CTO to Bolster IT Capabilities
Country Bank announced Ryan Stepalavich as senior vice president and chief technology officer, tasking him with steering the firm’s technology strategy. Stepalavich arrives with more than 26 years of IT experience, including 14 years in financial services, and a track...
Mississippi's Outlook Revised up to Stable by S&P
S&P Global Ratings lifted Mississippi’s general‑obligation bond outlook to stable from negative and reaffirmed its AA rating, citing structurally balanced budgets and healthier reserves. The state posted an 8% revenue surplus in fiscal 2025 and its cash‑stabilization reserve reached $667 million,...
Trump Account Tax Benefit: Here’s What Tax Pros Need to Know About the New IRS Guidance
The IRS and Treasury issued proposed regulations outlining the new Trump account, a child‑focused, tax‑advantaged retirement vehicle created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Eligible newborns born between 2025 and 2028 receive a one‑time $1,000 federal pilot contribution, and...
Airport Security Workers to Miss Paycheck as Shutdown Drags On
The federal government entered its second consecutive shutdown on February 14, 2026 after Congress failed to agree on a funding bill that ties Department of Homeland Security appropriations to reforms of Immigration and Customs Enforcement practices. While the agency’s immigration...
Flat Conditions for Open Construction Jobs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that construction job openings were essentially flat in January, with 231,000 vacancies, matching the level a year earlier. Overall U.S. job openings rose to 6.20 million, up from December but down from a year ago....
Music Royalty ABS Hits a High Note with Investors
A Fourth Pillar report shows 86% of global fixed‑income investors intend to boost music‑royalty and IP holdings, with deal flow rising to more than one transaction per month per investor. The surge is driven by streaming‑enabled globalization, richer data, and...
Preparing Enterprise Data Centers for AI Adoption
A 2025 McKinsey forecast puts AI‑related IT infrastructure spending at nearly $7 trillion through 2030, with $3 trillion earmarked for data‑center capacity. Enterprises must juggle this surge with traditional workloads, requiring distinct strategies for power‑intensive AI training and latency‑critical AI inference. Training...
FIGRE Trust Issues $335.7 Million From Pool of HELOC
FIGRE Trust is launching the 2026‑HF3 securitization, selling $335.7 million of revolving home‑equity lines of credit (HELOC) in eight SOFR‑linked tranches. The A1A tranche holds $164.3 million and receives a 44.5% credit‑enhancement cushion, while lower tranches have progressively smaller enhancements. The underlying...
EXCLUSIVE: Dow Jones Bolsters Brand Team By Hiring Former Droga5 Chief Andrew Essex
Dow Jones has appointed former Droga5 chief Andrew Essex as its brand director in residence and veteran Delwyn Gray to head events. Essex will oversee brand strategy across Dow Jones and Wall Street Journal assets, managing consumer and B2B campaigns...
Factor This Finance and Project Development Roundup: ArcLight, Arevon, Aypa Power, Octopus, Sol Systems
The week’s cleantech roundup highlighted a surge of initiatives aimed at modernizing the U.S. power grid. The Department of Energy announced a $1.9 billion grant program for urgent grid upgrades, while a coalition that includes Google and Tesla is pushing for...
OpenAI Is Testing An Ads Manager, As Its New Ads Business Fights Growing Pains
OpenAI has begun piloting an Ads Manager dashboard with a select group of partners, allowing real‑time creation, monitoring, and optimization of ChatGPT‑powered ad campaigns. Early testers receive weekly CSV reports detailing clicks, impressions, and spend. The program requires a minimum...
There’s a Hidden Job Market for over 50s, but You’ll Need to Do This to Get In
Robyn Greaves highlights a hidden job market for professionals over 50, emphasizing that success hinges on how they articulate their current value rather than past titles. As people enter a "third chapter" of work, they seek flexible, impact‑driven roles such...
How Sexual Orientation Stereotypes Keep Men Out of Early Childhood Education
A new study of 334 U.S. men, split between gay and straight, reveals that both groups overestimate gay men’s interest in early childhood education, while straight men accurately gauge their own low interest. This pluralistic ignorance stems from sexual‑orientation stereotypes...
Sportico Transactions: Moves and Mergers Roundup for March 13
The March 13 Sportico Transactions roundup reports a wave of personnel shifts, partnership deals, product launches, and investment activity across the sports industry. GLD appointed Vanessa Wallace as CMO, MLS Next named new senior leaders, while brands such as Cîroc, Fever,...
Key Contextual Data Points for Targeted and Brand-Safe CTV Advertising
At Streaming Media Connect 2026, Philo and Roku executives discussed how contextual data drives brand‑safe CTV advertising. Philo, a lean MVPD with just 11 ad‑operations staff, relies on programmatic workflows and granular tone signals—such as happy versus sad moments—to match...
Dire Strait
The Financial Times has unveiled the Monetary Policy Radar editorial team, a dedicated unit focused on tracking central‑bank actions and their market impact. The team is led by Chris Giles, FT’s economics commentator, and includes Andrew Whiffin, award‑winning UK CFA Journalist...
Policy Week in Review – March 13, 2026
The Workplace Policy Institute highlighted a surge of industry petitions to the NLRB, seeking new rules to protect secret‑ballot elections, reevaluate captive‑audience meetings, and restore a common‑law test for independent‑contractor classification. The Board also declined to overturn the 1970 Ex‑Cell‑O...
U.S. Economy Expanded at Just 0.7% in 4th Quarter
The Commerce Department revised fourth‑quarter 2023 GDP growth to a modest 0.7% annualized, far below the initial 1.4% estimate and the 3.8%‑4.4% pace of the prior two quarters. The downgrade reflects a 16.7% plunge in federal government spending after the...
As Charge-Backs Spike, Banks Should Avoid These 5 Missteps
Charge‑backs are accelerating, with Datos Insights forecasting 359 million disputes by 2029 and an average dispute value rising 16% to $251. Each U.S. dispute costs banks $9‑10 to process, translating into billions of annual expenses. Banks frequently err by rubber‑stamping claims,...