
The Department of Defense is publicly telling staff to ignore the DOGE team’s ‘what did you do last week’ email requests
Elon Musk announced Saturday that federal employees would be asked to submit a work report. The Pentagon told employees on Sunday not to respond to an email from the Office of Personnel Management instructing them to list their work accomplishments. “For now, please pause any response to the OPM email titled ‘What did you do…

Fyre Festival 2 has a date and location — but the lineup is still a question mark
Billy McFarland, the founder of the original Fyre Festival, is organizing a new festival. It’s been eight years since the disastrous Fyre Festival, but founder Billy McFarland insists that a second attempt is still in the works, though details are scant. “FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality,” McFarland told NBC’s…

Retail traders could have a new YOLO bet: corn and soybeans
Everyday traders have a new way to wager on commodity prices The CME Group’s latest suite of bite-sized agricultural “micro” contracts began trading on Monday. They will be one-tenth the size of corn, wheat, and soybean futures already offered by the exchange. Importantly, and crucial for individual traders, the cash-settled agreements remove the risk of…

DOGE’s 5-bullets email is ‘an opportunity,’ one federal agency told workers. Read its advice for responding.
Elon Musk directed federal workers to outline their accomplishments in an email. One federal agency’s advice to workers who received Elon Musk’s email on productivity: treat it like an opportunity to highlight your accomplishments. After the Office of Personnel Management sent an email to all federal employees over the weekend requesting five bullet points on…

Microsoft stock slips after analysts say it canceled 2 AI data center leases, suggesting possible ‘oversupply position’
Microsoft’s stock slipped on Monday after an analyst note last week said the company was canceling some data center leases in the US. Microsoft’s stock slid slightly on Monday morning after an analyst note said that the company has canceled leases for some of its US data centers, suggesting AI demand might be lower than…

I’ve tried to quit Facebook but can’t. I can’t find a real-life replacement for the niche mom groups that get me through hard times.
The author (not pictured) found mom groups on Facebook to help her through parenting issues Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen the same conversation play out on Facebook over and over again — “I’m leaving. Find me on Discord, Slack, Mastodon, or whatever platform the cool kids are flocking to now.” And every time,…

I was forced into my first solo trip when my friend left me alone in Paris. I was terrified, but it was for the best.
I spent time in Paris and Lyon by myself, and it gave me the confidence to travel alone in the future. In my 20s, I traveled with friends all over the globe, from Oktoberfest in Germany to the Bedouin Tents in Israel. Now that I’m 33 and most of my friends are married (some with…

Starbucks is laying off 1,100 corporate staffers this week
Starbucks said it would notify laid-off employees on Tuesday. Starbucks said it would lay off 1,100 corporate employees this week and halt hiring for hundreds of open roles. Employees whose jobs are being eliminated will hear from Starbucks by midday Tuesday, the company said. “We are simplifying our structure, removing layers and duplication and creating…

These brands are getting the most social media buzz, from Spotify and Netflix to fast-growing Fenty Hair
Ulta Beauty carries Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty products. Streaming and fashion brands are dominating the conversation among influencers on social platforms, new data shows. Influencer marketing platform CreatorIQ ranked the top brands that creators posted about in 2024 in a new report. These brands generated the most conversation and impact in creator marketing, based on CreatorIQ’s…