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Fast Company

Fast Company focuses on innovation in technology, leadership, and design, positioning itself as a top progressive business media brand worldwide.

December 22, 2024  12:00:00

These are some of the biggest topics that will influence the way we all work next year.

Coffee badging. The Great Stay. Revenge quitting. 

December 22, 2024  12:00:00

Real estate investor Michael Zuber made it through the 2008 housing crash, bought the bottom, and retired with more than 170 rentals.

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.

December 22, 2024  11:00:00

The knowledge rate is the percentage of graduates who shared their outcomes with their college after graduating and that the college can reasonably verify.

When high school students and their families investigate which college is the best fit, they will inevitably be inundated with various facts and figures. Brochures and websites might highlight the school’s dining halls or student-led clubs and activities. But one of the most important statistics for students and families to consider when choosing a college is the career outcomes of its graduates.

December 22, 2024  11:00:00

A new compilation from Red Hot arrives at a critical moment for the trans community—and the organization that produced the album.

In 2024, the singer Sade released her first song in six years, Andre 3000 debuted a 26-minute flute song, and Sam Smith covered Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”—and it was all for the same project. They are three of the more than 100 artists who contributed original songs and covers to Transa, a nearly four-hour epic of a compilation album from longstanding advocacy-through-music organization Red Hot. 

December 22, 2024  11:00:00

By the end of 1964, Dylan yearned to break away permanently from the constraints of the folk genre—and from the notion of ‘genre’ altogether.

The Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet, focuses on Dylan’s early 1960s transition from idiosyncratic singer of folk songs to internationally renowned singer-songwriter.

December 22, 2024  11:00:00

Use DreamGift to find the ideal gift for a friend, colleague, or family member—or just to get your creative juices flowing.

Finding the perfect present isn’t always easy—especially if the people in your life are, let’s say, challenging to shop for.

December 22, 2024  10:30:00

Health insurers’ tactics can adversely affect patients’ health and their trust in the healthcare system, which leaves patients in unthinkably difficult circumstances.

The U.S. has made great progress in getting more people insured since the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2014. The share of uninsured Americans ages 18 to 64 fell from 18% before the ACA to 9.5% in 2022. And preexisting conditions no longer prevent coverage or lead to an increase in premiums.

December 22, 2024  10:00:00

Job seekers must figure out how to navigate a transforming landscape where AI shapes how we approach and think about the hiring system.  

Logging onto LinkedIn, your feed is likely full of “Open to Work” profiles and posts about the struggle of finding a job in today’s market. Your LinkedIn inbox is probably a lot quieter with fewer recruiters reaching out with job opportunities than at the height of the Great Resignation just two years ago. 

December 22, 2024  10:00:00

Flood risk can be estimated in waterways without streamgages, but not as accurately.

Flooding is one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in the U.S., causing billions of dollars in damage each year. In 2024 alone, floods destroyed homes in over a dozen states and claimed more than 165 lives.

December 22, 2024  10:00:00

It’s not yet clear what a second Trump administration could mean for workers’ rights. But across many states, workers can expect to see a number of benefits next year, including raises and expanded sick leave.

The new year—and the return of the Trump administration to the White House—could bring all kinds of changes to the workplace. The president-elect is likely to reverse some of the wins of the Biden administration, which included expanding legal immigration to embracing pro-labor policies that help promote organizing efforts.

December 22, 2024  09:30:00

Successful community-centered, public-private partnerships (CP3s) rely on the active involvement of a diverse range of partners.

Cities tackle a vast array of responsibilities—from building transit networks to running schools—and sometimes they can use a little help. That’s why local governments have long teamed up with businesses in so-called public-private partnerships. Historically, these arrangements have helped cities fund big infrastructure projects such as bridges and hospitals.

December 22, 2024  09:00:00

While the Christmas card may have seemed like an entirely new invention to Victorian senders and receivers, the first Christmas card’s design was actually influenced by other, older British holiday traditions.

It’s a common seasonal refrain: “Christmas just isn’t like it used to be.”

December 22, 2024  09:00:00

Arrests and seizures connected to 3D-printed guns are escalating quickly.

Police investigating the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024, have announced that the suspected assailant had used a 3D-printed gun. Several high-profile crimes in recent years have involved this kind of homemade, or partially homemade, weapon.

December 21, 2024  14:45:00

Each year, we cheer as the villains of our favorite Christmas movies change their tune, get their comeuppance, or meet an ignominious end. But these holiday baddies also have a lot to teach us about money.

One of the benefits of rewatching your favorite holiday films year after year is getting the opportunity to take a deeper look into the stories. We’re all familiar with overt themes about how Christmas is a time for giving, togetherness, and Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot range model air rifles—but the hidden messages in these movies can also provide some surprisingly cogent financial advice. In particular, the Grinch and other Christmas movie villains teach some of the most useful lessons about money. Here’s how the worst characters in your beloved Christmas movies can change how you look at money.

December 21, 2024  14:08:00

By embracing its identity as a data company, Experian is driving innovation in credit building and consumer financial tools.

Figuring out who’s creditworthy is getting more complicated, and millions of Americans are stuck with “thin files” or are considered credit invisible. That means they’re struggling to borrow or access credit, while lenders miss out on potential customers.

December 21, 2024  12:00:00

Among the nation’s 400 largest housing markets, these 59 metro areas now have active inventory above 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.

December 21, 2024  11:00:00

The entrepreneur and investor has been a driving force in the push to get consumers and businesses alike interested in artificial intelligence.

Andrew Ng came up with a theory almost 15 years ago: What if Google, the internet giant, thought of machines like the brain and trained neural networks on mass amounts of data using computational power in an attempt to lead to artificial general intelligence? 

December 21, 2024  11:00:00

Her number one retirement tip? Don’t tell Alex Morgan she’s retired.

Alex Morgan doesn’t like the word retirement. “I’ve been saying ‘post-playing career,’” she said, “because retirement makes it sound like I’m old. It’s definitely more of a transition.”

December 21, 2024  11:00:00

As Starbucks workers across the country prepare to strike, one barista explains what brought the union to this point.

This holiday season, the last thing my coworkers and I wanted to do was go on strike—but this week Starbucks has left us no other choice.

December 21, 2024  10:30:00

The ‘skull breaker challenge,’ the ‘Tide Pod challenge,’ and car surfing are but a few of the deadly games popularized through social media.

The “choking game” has potentially deadly consequences, as players are challenged to temporarily strangle themselves by restricting oxygen to the brain. It sounds terrifying, but rough estimates suggest that about 10% of U.S. teenagers may have played this type of game at least once.