
Trump wants to reduce the trade deficit. Here’s why that matters.
The overall US trade deficit hit $918.4 billion in 2024. The US Department of Commerce says the combined goods and services trade deficit stretched to a gargantuan $918.4 billion in 2024. That’s a 17% increase compared to 2023, although it’s a little smaller than 2022’s record-high of $944.8 billion. Tackling trade imbalances will likely be…

Chinese construction risks turning the Yellow Sea into a flashpoint
South Korean officials are alarmed that China appears to be building structures in the Yellow Sea. Here, Chinese J-15 fighter jets launched from the Liaoning aircraft carrier during 2016 military drills in the Yellow Sea. With China’s neighbors already nervous about its territorial ambitions, a new flashpoint has emerged between China and South Korea. China…

Trump froze Biden’s marquee climate accomplishment and it’s roiling the renewable energy world
Rep. Yassamin Ansari, a Democrat from Arizona, speaks at a protest outside the EPA on February 6. States and businesses deploying renewable energy projects are scrambling to raise capital, delaying hiring, and, in some cases, furloughing staff. That’s because the funds they were awarded months ago aren’t available as President Donald Trump races to squash…

Bill Gates says Steve Ballmer was the business partner he badly needed — so he gave up 4% of Microsoft to recruit him
Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer pictured in 1998. Bill Gates found a kindred spirit, a social connector, a confidant, a study buddy, and a true business partner in Steve Ballmer, he writes in his new memoir, “Source Code: My Beginnings.” Gates, the billionaire philanthropist who cofounded Microsoft, met Ballmer in a graduate economics class in…

‘The Simpsons’ voice actor Hank Azaria fears AI may soon replace him: ‘It seems just plain wrong’
Hank Azaria voices a number of characters on the show. Actor Hank Azaria has opened up about the possibility of being replaced by artificial intelligence. In a New York Times essay published earlier this month, Azaria — known for his work on “The Simpsons” — said he feared the evolving technology could be coming for…

A 29-year-old small-business owner says entrepreneurship shouldn’t be ‘the ultimate goal for everyone’ and describes the challenges, including professional loneliness
Jack Schrupp is the founder of Drink Wholesome. Jack Schrupp fell into entrepreneurship more so than he sought it out. “I had this plan to teach for a while and then become an administrator and possibly even head of a school. That was a dream of mine,” the former French teacher told B-17. But when…

I started an emergency fund for friends who need financial help. It’s now a permanent part of my life.
I know what it’s like to struggle with money and I want to help alleviate some of that pain for my friends. During the pandemic, many of my friends hit hard times. One of my oldest friend’s mother fell down the stairs and was hospitalized in February 2020. A few months later, another friend broke…

AI execs at big consulting firms share their favorite prompts and how they use the technology
(From left to right) McKinsey’s Rodney Zemmel, PwC’s Dan Priest, Deloitte’s Jim Rowan, and EY’s Matt Barrington are at the forefront of AI strategy for clients. Working with artificial intelligence can sometimes feel more like an art than a science. That’s why many companies are turning to consulting firms for guidance on how to maximize…

I’m over-involved in my daughter’s life and often check in with her college professors. She wants space, but I can’t let go.
The author (not pictured) often checks in with her daughter’s college professors. I’ve always been a hands-on mom. Ever since my children were young, I wanted to be there for all the moments that mattered. With my husband away working most of the time, it was only me and my little ones, so we developed…