58 mins. ago
I'll never forget the first time I encountered Grindr. In 2009, I was enjoying happy hour at Cobalt, a since-shuttered gay bar in D.C.'s Dupont Circle. My friend, spying the mustard skull on an iPhone (first released in 2007!) from across the room, nudged me. "That's the gay hookup app," he whispered scandalously.
When I got over the stigma of downloading Grindr, I was astounded how easy it was to flirt with nearby queer men — and to network. During RuPaul's Drag Race season 3, I changed my username to "Team Jujubee," a nod to a frontrunner, which helped me find a viewing-party friend in my neighborhood. When I lived in New York, I would sometimes engage in friendly chats with the app's gay founder, Joel Simkhai, who'd pop up on my grid from time to time.
For good and ill, tech and our relationship with it has changed a lot since the aughts. Gay apps are no longer a battery-draining novelty; for many, they're as quotidian as texting, a digital town square where a Madonna takeover and catfishing are commonplace. Many, like Grindr, are also now owned by straight people. And no need to comb the upper reaches of Cablevision's channels to find Drag Race anymore — there's an app for that too (several, in fact, depending on the region and season).
This is Out's Tech Issue, and we could think of no better cover stars that encapsulate this queer new media landscape than Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. These queens went through the TV crucible of the House of Ru to emerge as stars of social media and the podcast world. (Their popular podcast, The Bald and the Beautiful, just signed a three-year deal with SiriusXM.) In their cover story on page 36, the media mavens discuss their dizzying rise through the digital spheres — and how their real-life friendship has kept them grounded.
Elsewhere in cyberspace, the advent of artificial intelligence has brought many miracles but also new terrors in how our data can be exploited. Learn how to protect yourself in the online dating world via Last Call (page 58). Technology does have its benefits; find ways it can improve your looks in our Beauty guide (page 26). But it's also important to find ways to unplug. In Out Picks, our editors highlight products that help them blissfully disconnect (page 8).
#time #drag #first
When I got over the stigma of downloading Grindr, I was astounded how easy it was to flirt with nearby queer men — and to network. During RuPaul's Drag Race season 3, I changed my username to "Team Jujubee," a nod to a frontrunner, which helped me find a viewing-party friend in my neighborhood. When I lived in New York, I would sometimes engage in friendly chats with the app's gay founder, Joel Simkhai, who'd pop up on my grid from time to time.
For good and ill, tech and our relationship with it has changed a lot since the aughts. Gay apps are no longer a battery-draining novelty; for many, they're as quotidian as texting, a digital town square where a Madonna takeover and catfishing are commonplace. Many, like Grindr, are also now owned by straight people. And no need to comb the upper reaches of Cablevision's channels to find Drag Race anymore — there's an app for that too (several, in fact, depending on the region and season).
This is Out's Tech Issue, and we could think of no better cover stars that encapsulate this queer new media landscape than Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. These queens went through the TV crucible of the House of Ru to emerge as stars of social media and the podcast world. (Their popular podcast, The Bald and the Beautiful, just signed a three-year deal with SiriusXM.) In their cover story on page 36, the media mavens discuss their dizzying rise through the digital spheres — and how their real-life friendship has kept them grounded.
Elsewhere in cyberspace, the advent of artificial intelligence has brought many miracles but also new terrors in how our data can be exploited. Learn how to protect yourself in the online dating world via Last Call (page 58). Technology does have its benefits; find ways it can improve your looks in our Beauty guide (page 26). But it's also important to find ways to unplug. In Out Picks, our editors highlight products that help them blissfully disconnect (page 8).
#time #drag #first
1 hr. ago
Nicole Kidman has been working in Hollywood for almost 40 years, and in that time she has stunned audiences with her natural hair in movies like Eyes Wide Shut and had everyone scratching their heads when she was put into Party City-quality wigs for other roles.
Over the years, Kidman has talked about wearing wigs in her roles to protect her real hair, but while some are indistinguishable from natural hair, others are truly tragic. We're looking at you, Little Orphan Annie wig from 2016's Lion.
Kidman's wig game ranges from distractingly bad to ones any drag queen would be proud of. But what we're really focused on are the times her wigs were so good you wouldn't even know she was wearing one if you didn't already know she had a head full of red ringlets in real life.
Columbia Pictures
When Kidman played the nose-twitching witch in this Bewtiched remake, she gave us a curly blond bob with bangs that both fits the character and her face.
#wearing
Over the years, Kidman has talked about wearing wigs in her roles to protect her real hair, but while some are indistinguishable from natural hair, others are truly tragic. We're looking at you, Little Orphan Annie wig from 2016's Lion.
Kidman's wig game ranges from distractingly bad to ones any drag queen would be proud of. But what we're really focused on are the times her wigs were so good you wouldn't even know she was wearing one if you didn't already know she had a head full of red ringlets in real life.
Columbia Pictures
When Kidman played the nose-twitching witch in this Bewtiched remake, she gave us a curly blond bob with bangs that both fits the character and her face.
#wearing
8 hours ago
Pop icon Debbie Gibson is celebrating almost four decades of her legendary pop smash 'Shake Your Love.' The singer recently posted a video of herself performing the chart-topping 1987 hit, and fans have some pretty strong opinions about this clip.
Earlier this week, Gibson shared a message on Instagram, writing, "Happy 39th anniversary Shake Your Love! Thanks for shakin' it with us yesterday, Rockhampton, Australia."
Even though fans (scratch that, critics) didn't have much to say about the caption, they were quick to bash the video. Why? The 56-year-old former teen queen struts, or rather shakes, her stuff wearing a teeny tiny one-piece romper. Cue the controversy.
While Gibson looks just as fabulous as she did four decades ago, critics flocked to her post, dragging the celeb's barely-there ensemble.
"Why does every singer wear this sort of thing…what's wrong with a nice dress!" wrote one commenter. But the unwelcome critique didn't stop there. Others piled on, writing, "FYI. You can still look young and hot but with pants", "Wear a cute jean or something…", "What's with the outfit? Deb, you're not in the 90s dress era," and "She looks great for age but I don't love the outfit, just saying. Everyone is entitled to their opinion."
#gibson
Earlier this week, Gibson shared a message on Instagram, writing, "Happy 39th anniversary Shake Your Love! Thanks for shakin' it with us yesterday, Rockhampton, Australia."
Even though fans (scratch that, critics) didn't have much to say about the caption, they were quick to bash the video. Why? The 56-year-old former teen queen struts, or rather shakes, her stuff wearing a teeny tiny one-piece romper. Cue the controversy.
While Gibson looks just as fabulous as she did four decades ago, critics flocked to her post, dragging the celeb's barely-there ensemble.
"Why does every singer wear this sort of thing…what's wrong with a nice dress!" wrote one commenter. But the unwelcome critique didn't stop there. Others piled on, writing, "FYI. You can still look young and hot but with pants", "Wear a cute jean or something…", "What's with the outfit? Deb, you're not in the 90s dress era," and "She looks great for age but I don't love the outfit, just saying. Everyone is entitled to their opinion."
#gibson
8 hours ago
Earnings per share (EPS) for the S&P 500 grew at 52% year over year in second-quarter 2026, according to FactSet estimates -- one of the fastest rates of growth in market history. It is also unsustainable.
Big tech companies are benefiting from reported earnings gains from artificial intelligence (AI), which are dragging down free cash flow, while also marking up stakes in start-ups and recent IPOs like ******* eX, which is inflating S&P 500 earnings power.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The market now trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) under 20, which does not look unreasonable. However, if you take a more comprehensive look at the cyclically adjusted P/E ratio (CAPE), this stock market has done something that has only happened twice before.
History suggests that trouble happens next.
#earnings #signal #flashing #look
Big tech companies are benefiting from reported earnings gains from artificial intelligence (AI), which are dragging down free cash flow, while also marking up stakes in start-ups and recent IPOs like ******* eX, which is inflating S&P 500 earnings power.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The market now trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) under 20, which does not look unreasonable. However, if you take a more comprehensive look at the cyclically adjusted P/E ratio (CAPE), this stock market has done something that has only happened twice before.
History suggests that trouble happens next.
#earnings #signal #flashing #look
9 hours ago
By Dhara Ranasinghe and Stefano Rebaudo
LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) -
The European Central Bank is widely expected to hike interest rates on Thursday, erring on the side of caution as the U.S.-Iran war drags on, keeping oil prices high and raising inflation again.
Brent crude has risen over the last month, while European gas prices have hit their highest since early 2023.
Here are five key questions for markets:
#prices #stefano #london #sept
LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) -
The European Central Bank is widely expected to hike interest rates on Thursday, erring on the side of caution as the U.S.-Iran war drags on, keeping oil prices high and raising inflation again.
Brent crude has risen over the last month, while European gas prices have hit their highest since early 2023.
Here are five key questions for markets:
#prices #stefano #london #sept
14 hours ago
Dragons co-captain Ben Carter will be fit for the start of the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship (URC) after recovering from a summer ankle injury suffered with Wales.
The lock was ruled out of the Nations Championship defeat by South Africa in mid-July after a blow in training.
Carter, who had started Wales' six previous games, was on crutches and saw specialists on his return to Dragons.
The 25-year-old did not need surgery and is working towards his side's URC opener at Benetton on Friday, 25 September (19:45 BST).
"It's not an issue now. He is going really well and is probably in the best nick that I have seen him," said defence coach Dale MacLeod.
#dragons #south
The lock was ruled out of the Nations Championship defeat by South Africa in mid-July after a blow in training.
Carter, who had started Wales' six previous games, was on crutches and saw specialists on his return to Dragons.
The 25-year-old did not need surgery and is working towards his side's URC opener at Benetton on Friday, 25 September (19:45 BST).
"It's not an issue now. He is going really well and is probably in the best nick that I have seen him," said defence coach Dale MacLeod.
#dragons #south
15 hours ago
Callum O'Hare "can't wait" to make his home debut after a hectic welcome to Wrexham since completing his deadline-day move from Sheffield United.
The 28-year-old got up in the early hours on Tuesday morning to seal his switch to the Racecourse Ground before Wrexham's trip to Millwall.
O'Hare then raced to London on the train, arriving hours before kick-off to make the squad, but remained an unused sub as Wrexham won 3-0 at the Den.
Then came his first Welsh derby. He was thrust in from the start by Phil Parkinson, even though he had not yet trained with all of his new teammates.
And O'Hare very nearly capped off a whirlwind few days with his maiden Wrexham goal on debut at Swansea, but the former Coventry man dragged his chance wide.
#hours #united
The 28-year-old got up in the early hours on Tuesday morning to seal his switch to the Racecourse Ground before Wrexham's trip to Millwall.
O'Hare then raced to London on the train, arriving hours before kick-off to make the squad, but remained an unused sub as Wrexham won 3-0 at the Den.
Then came his first Welsh derby. He was thrust in from the start by Phil Parkinson, even though he had not yet trained with all of his new teammates.
And O'Hare very nearly capped off a whirlwind few days with his maiden Wrexham goal on debut at Swansea, but the former Coventry man dragged his chance wide.
#hours #united
1 day ago
On September 4, Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) said its energy and supercon technologies unit, Bruker Energy & Supercon Technologies (or BEST), had struck a supply collaboration with Luvata Materials & Solutions to scale up production of RRP superconductors for magnetic confinement fusion. The deal lands right as governments and private developers from Europe to South Korea race to build fusion demonstration plants, and it comes a month after Bruker's core scientific instruments business showed its first real signs of stabilizing. Two very different stories are converging inside one stock.
The Luvata tie-up is not Bruker's first rodeo in fusion. BEST and Luvata previously supplied materials and expertise to ITER, the international fusion megaproject, and to the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, two of the most advanced superconducting plasma facilities ever built. Their RRP superconductors, wires built with the Rod-Restack Process to withstand field strengths between 12 and 20 Tesla, already run inside CERN's Large Hadron Collider and in ultra-high field NMR magnets. That track record matters now because fusion programs are ramping across Europe, the Americas, China, **** an and South Korea, and Gauss Fusion has already begun evaluating RRP superconductors for its Gauss Industrial Demonstrator and GIGA power plant platform.
The segment is already delivering. On August 4, Bruker reported that BEST revenue climbed 11.9% year over year to $74.2 million in the second quarter, with organic growth of 8.9% net of intercompany eliminations, while first-half BEST revenue rose 12.3% to $141 million. That growth showed up in Bruker's bottom line too. Non-GAAP operating margin expanded to 14.1% from 9% a year earlier, and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share grew to $0.49 from $0.32, results strong enough that management kept its full-year non-GAAP EPS growth target of 15% to 17% intact.
None of that shows up on a GAAP basis. Bruker's second-quarter GAAP operating results swung to a $65.3 million loss, versus $11.9 million of GAAP operating income a year earlier, dragged down largely by a $134.9 million non-cash goodwill charge. GAAP diluted earnings per share swung to a loss of $0.41 from a profit of $0.05, and for the first half of 2026 the company posted a GAAP diluted loss per share of $0.39. Impairments do not spend cash, but they are a reminder that some of what Bruker paid for in past acquisitions is now being written down.
#gaap #bruker #million #already
The Luvata tie-up is not Bruker's first rodeo in fusion. BEST and Luvata previously supplied materials and expertise to ITER, the international fusion megaproject, and to the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, two of the most advanced superconducting plasma facilities ever built. Their RRP superconductors, wires built with the Rod-Restack Process to withstand field strengths between 12 and 20 Tesla, already run inside CERN's Large Hadron Collider and in ultra-high field NMR magnets. That track record matters now because fusion programs are ramping across Europe, the Americas, China, **** an and South Korea, and Gauss Fusion has already begun evaluating RRP superconductors for its Gauss Industrial Demonstrator and GIGA power plant platform.
The segment is already delivering. On August 4, Bruker reported that BEST revenue climbed 11.9% year over year to $74.2 million in the second quarter, with organic growth of 8.9% net of intercompany eliminations, while first-half BEST revenue rose 12.3% to $141 million. That growth showed up in Bruker's bottom line too. Non-GAAP operating margin expanded to 14.1% from 9% a year earlier, and non-GAAP diluted earnings per share grew to $0.49 from $0.32, results strong enough that management kept its full-year non-GAAP EPS growth target of 15% to 17% intact.
None of that shows up on a GAAP basis. Bruker's second-quarter GAAP operating results swung to a $65.3 million loss, versus $11.9 million of GAAP operating income a year earlier, dragged down largely by a $134.9 million non-cash goodwill charge. GAAP diluted earnings per share swung to a loss of $0.41 from a profit of $0.05, and for the first half of 2026 the company posted a GAAP diluted loss per share of $0.39. Impairments do not spend cash, but they are a reminder that some of what Bruker paid for in past acquisitions is now being written down.
#gaap #bruker #million #already
1 day ago
Texas high school football season featured some marquee showdowns this weekend. The Week 2 schedule featured blockbuster games and also some equally notable final scores. Below are the top 25 Texas high school football teams, according to the Massey Ratings, as of Sept. 6.
If the last two weekends proved anything, it's that Allen is back. Behind standout performances from 2029 QB Ty Snell and the entire Eagles defense, Allen has knocked off powerhouses Duncanville and DeSoto to open the season, 50-6. Snell passed for four TD on seven attempts, three of those scores going to fellow 2029 WR Zach Williams. Allen held a 28-0 lead at halftime with the defense setting a strong pace in this one.
North Crowley earned another statement victory in the early season — a 40-10 win over fellow Dallas Metroplex powerhouse Southlake Carroll. After the Dragons took a 7-6 lead early, the Panthers scored 21 unanswered points and cruised in the second half. North Texas commit G'Yrell Smith rushed for 96 yards on 11 touches, and QBs Jacob Torres and Jahzeel McCradic combined for two TD passes.
The defending state champs did not miss a beat in a physical tilt vs. Louisiana powerhouse John Curtis. The Mustangs came away with 27-17 win on the road at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette — after adding two fourth-quarter scores and separating late in the contest. QB Kaleb Taylor threw a TD pass to Jaden Kendrick and Jemarkeus Houston ran for a 14-yard TD to deliver North Shore the impressiveo out-of-state win.
Guyer remained unbeaten on Friday night as the Wildcats notched their 200th program win. The outstanding Guyer defense featuring arguably the state's most talented group of defensive linemen (Zane Rowe (Oregon); Khyren Haywood (Texas Tech); Darrien Neal (TCU); Logan Lokey (2028) held Melissa to less than 100 yards of total offense. First-year starting QB Carter Morgan was terrific — finishing 21-of-29 for 237 yards with a pass TD and a rush TD.
#allen #season
If the last two weekends proved anything, it's that Allen is back. Behind standout performances from 2029 QB Ty Snell and the entire Eagles defense, Allen has knocked off powerhouses Duncanville and DeSoto to open the season, 50-6. Snell passed for four TD on seven attempts, three of those scores going to fellow 2029 WR Zach Williams. Allen held a 28-0 lead at halftime with the defense setting a strong pace in this one.
North Crowley earned another statement victory in the early season — a 40-10 win over fellow Dallas Metroplex powerhouse Southlake Carroll. After the Dragons took a 7-6 lead early, the Panthers scored 21 unanswered points and cruised in the second half. North Texas commit G'Yrell Smith rushed for 96 yards on 11 touches, and QBs Jacob Torres and Jahzeel McCradic combined for two TD passes.
The defending state champs did not miss a beat in a physical tilt vs. Louisiana powerhouse John Curtis. The Mustangs came away with 27-17 win on the road at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette — after adding two fourth-quarter scores and separating late in the contest. QB Kaleb Taylor threw a TD pass to Jaden Kendrick and Jemarkeus Houston ran for a 14-yard TD to deliver North Shore the impressiveo out-of-state win.
Guyer remained unbeaten on Friday night as the Wildcats notched their 200th program win. The outstanding Guyer defense featuring arguably the state's most talented group of defensive linemen (Zane Rowe (Oregon); Khyren Haywood (Texas Tech); Darrien Neal (TCU); Logan Lokey (2028) held Melissa to less than 100 yards of total offense. First-year starting QB Carter Morgan was terrific — finishing 21-of-29 for 237 yards with a pass TD and a rush TD.
#allen #season
2 days ago
A Dayton Dragons record set over 20 years ago has been broken.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
John Michael Faile homered in the Dragons' 9-5 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Saturday.
TRENDING STORIES:
'Teen takeover' trend hits AlterFest, prompts new curfew
#dayton #free #faile #west
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
John Michael Faile homered in the Dragons' 9-5 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps on Saturday.
TRENDING STORIES:
'Teen takeover' trend hits AlterFest, prompts new curfew
#dayton #free #faile #west
2 days ago
Wrexham are hoping to emulate rivals Cardiff City by winning the domestic treble this season.
The Red Dragons made history in 2025-2026 by winning the Adran Premier for the first time, while also lifting the Adran Trophy.
But Cardiff's triumph over Swansea in the Welsh Cup denied Wrexham the coveted treble, something the Bluebirds achieved two years ago.
Wrexham ended the summer by becoming the first women's Welsh side to win in Europe for seven years, marking their Champions League debut with a 4-2 victory against FC Pyunik.
"[The treble] is definitely my goal and I think all the girls would agree," said Wrexham captain Jodie Bartle.
#welsh #winning #first
The Red Dragons made history in 2025-2026 by winning the Adran Premier for the first time, while also lifting the Adran Trophy.
But Cardiff's triumph over Swansea in the Welsh Cup denied Wrexham the coveted treble, something the Bluebirds achieved two years ago.
Wrexham ended the summer by becoming the first women's Welsh side to win in Europe for seven years, marking their Champions League debut with a 4-2 victory against FC Pyunik.
"[The treble] is definitely my goal and I think all the girls would agree," said Wrexham captain Jodie Bartle.
#welsh #winning #first
2 days ago
A dispute over allegations of defective work that resulted in trailers catching fire now is threatening to drag in the manufacturers of some of those components that may be at the root of the incidents.
The case of Indiana-based Summitt Leasing and Summitt Trucking vs. Fruehauf was first filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western district of Kentucky at the end of last year, with an amended complaint filed soon after. Summitt is a carrier as well as a supplier of leased trailers.
Long cast of characters
Last week, Fruehauf, a manufacturer of trailers, moved to bring in as defendants SAF-Holland Inc., Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Hoosier Trailer Acquisition Corp. Two of those companies, SAF-Holland and Bendix, manufactured components in the trailers that van leasing company Summitt says failed in several different ways, which may have led to the fires.
Hoosier is a trailer dealer that supplied the Fruehauf-manufactured trailer to Pace Transportation Services, which then moved the trailers to Summitt. Pace already was a defendant in the original case along with Fruehauf.
#fruehauf #trailer
The case of Indiana-based Summitt Leasing and Summitt Trucking vs. Fruehauf was first filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western district of Kentucky at the end of last year, with an amended complaint filed soon after. Summitt is a carrier as well as a supplier of leased trailers.
Long cast of characters
Last week, Fruehauf, a manufacturer of trailers, moved to bring in as defendants SAF-Holland Inc., Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Hoosier Trailer Acquisition Corp. Two of those companies, SAF-Holland and Bendix, manufactured components in the trailers that van leasing company Summitt says failed in several different ways, which may have led to the fires.
Hoosier is a trailer dealer that supplied the Fruehauf-manufactured trailer to Pace Transportation Services, which then moved the trailers to Summitt. Pace already was a defendant in the original case along with Fruehauf.
#fruehauf #trailer
3 days ago
Our ****** ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
Hilton Food had one messy half, but investors liked the main course. Seafood dragged, vegan food got shown the door, and the profit outlook still moved higher.
Hilton Food Group shares surged more than 13% after the UK food processing and packing group raised its full-year adjusted profit guidance following a better-than-expected first half.
For the 26 weeks to June 28, revenue rose 15.3% to £2.3 billion (about $2.7 billion), while total volumes increased 2.1%. On a constant-currency basis, revenue was up 11.5%.
Adjusted profit before tax from continuing operations fell 5.2% to £32.8 million, but still came in ahead of expectations. The core meat and fresh prepared foods businesses performed well, offsetting weaker seafood results.
#profit
Hilton Food had one messy half, but investors liked the main course. Seafood dragged, vegan food got shown the door, and the profit outlook still moved higher.
Hilton Food Group shares surged more than 13% after the UK food processing and packing group raised its full-year adjusted profit guidance following a better-than-expected first half.
For the 26 weeks to June 28, revenue rose 15.3% to £2.3 billion (about $2.7 billion), while total volumes increased 2.1%. On a constant-currency basis, revenue was up 11.5%.
Adjusted profit before tax from continuing operations fell 5.2% to £32.8 million, but still came in ahead of expectations. The core meat and fresh prepared foods businesses performed well, offsetting weaker seafood results.
#profit
3 days ago
Less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion Freight Line saw yield growth accelerate in August, but tonnage remained slightly negative, according to a Thursday update.
The Thomasville, North Carolina-based company's daily revenue increased 12.4% year over year in August, an improvement from the 8.2% y/y growth rate logged in July. However, diesel fuel prices increased 46% y/y in August compared with a 31% y/y increase in July. (Fuel was up 10% sequentially in August.)
Less-than-truckload fuel surcharge programs include a step function as diesel prices rise, typically resulting in better margins.
Old Dominion's (NASDAQ: ODFL) yield growth accelerated from July, both with and without fuel surcharges. August revenue per hundredweight (yield) was likely 13% higher y/y with fuel surcharges, and roughly 5.5% higher excluding fuel. The July growth rates were 9.3% and 4.2%, respectively. (Growth rates for the two months combined were 11.3% and 4.8%, respectively.) Higher shipment weights were a modest drag on the yield metrics in both months.
"Old Dominion produced solid revenue growth for July and August, with underlying demand trends remaining relatively consistent as the quarter has progressed," said Marty Freeman, president and CEO, in a news release. "In addition, the strength and consistency of our industry-leading service continue to support the ongoing improvement in our LTL revenue per hundredweight."
#revenue #higher
The Thomasville, North Carolina-based company's daily revenue increased 12.4% year over year in August, an improvement from the 8.2% y/y growth rate logged in July. However, diesel fuel prices increased 46% y/y in August compared with a 31% y/y increase in July. (Fuel was up 10% sequentially in August.)
Less-than-truckload fuel surcharge programs include a step function as diesel prices rise, typically resulting in better margins.
Old Dominion's (NASDAQ: ODFL) yield growth accelerated from July, both with and without fuel surcharges. August revenue per hundredweight (yield) was likely 13% higher y/y with fuel surcharges, and roughly 5.5% higher excluding fuel. The July growth rates were 9.3% and 4.2%, respectively. (Growth rates for the two months combined were 11.3% and 4.8%, respectively.) Higher shipment weights were a modest drag on the yield metrics in both months.
"Old Dominion produced solid revenue growth for July and August, with underlying demand trends remaining relatively consistent as the quarter has progressed," said Marty Freeman, president and CEO, in a news release. "In addition, the strength and consistency of our industry-leading service continue to support the ongoing improvement in our LTL revenue per hundredweight."
#revenue #higher
3 days ago
On August 25, Box Inc. (NYSE:BOX) reported second-quarter fiscal 2027 results that beat management's own guidance across the board, with revenue climbing 9% to $321.1 million as customers piled into the company's priciest tier, Enterprise Advanced. The bigger story sits underneath the headline number. Box is repositioning itself as the security layer that lets AI agents from Anthropic, Databricks, and Slack actually touch a company's files, and that shift is starting to show up in the billings line.
Billings jumped 17% to $309.5 million, a figure management tied directly to booking strength and record second-quarter wins, which suggests customers are signing bigger contracts rather than trickling in seat by seat. Net retention rose to 106%, ahead of the 105% the company had guided to, driven by both seat expansion and higher price per seat. That combination matters because it means existing customers are both growing their headcount on the platform and paying more per person, a dual engine that is harder to replicate than growth from new logos alone. Suites, Box's bundled higher-tier offering, now make up 69% of revenue, up from 63% a year earlier, and customers paying at least $100,000 annually grew 10% year over year.
A major federal agency illustrated the pattern in the flesh, upgrading to Enterprise Advanced with a fourfold seat expansion to replace several separate software vendors it had been using for contract management and research. Operating margin expanded to 29.4%, and free cash flow jumped 67% to $59.7 million, evidence that the growth is not being bought with discounts. Box also introduced new Model Context Protocol integrations with partners including Anthropic, Databricks, and Slack, letting AI agents execute multistep tasks directly inside a customer's Box environment rather than just answering questions about files stored there.
Not everything in the quarter was clean. CFO Dylan Smith flagged that gross margin faces a constraint tied to "limited access to certain components of the infrastructure," language that points to capacity limits at the cloud providers Box relies on to run its AI features, and management guided third-quarter gross margin down to roughly 80.5% from the 81.2% just posted. Operating margin guidance for the third quarter also steps down to about 28%, a full percentage point below the 29.4% Box just delivered, even as the top line keeps growing.
Currency is another drag that will not disappear on its own. The company absorbed a $0.04 per share hit from foreign exchange in the quarter and expects roughly $0.09 off full-year earnings per share, which is baked into the raised full-year EPS guidance of $1.54. And while 9% reported revenue growth beat expectations, it is still a business growing in the high single digits, a pace that leaves little room for stumbles if Enterprise Advanced adoption cools or larger AI platforms decide to build competing file-governance tools of their own rather than partner with B
Billings jumped 17% to $309.5 million, a figure management tied directly to booking strength and record second-quarter wins, which suggests customers are signing bigger contracts rather than trickling in seat by seat. Net retention rose to 106%, ahead of the 105% the company had guided to, driven by both seat expansion and higher price per seat. That combination matters because it means existing customers are both growing their headcount on the platform and paying more per person, a dual engine that is harder to replicate than growth from new logos alone. Suites, Box's bundled higher-tier offering, now make up 69% of revenue, up from 63% a year earlier, and customers paying at least $100,000 annually grew 10% year over year.
A major federal agency illustrated the pattern in the flesh, upgrading to Enterprise Advanced with a fourfold seat expansion to replace several separate software vendors it had been using for contract management and research. Operating margin expanded to 29.4%, and free cash flow jumped 67% to $59.7 million, evidence that the growth is not being bought with discounts. Box also introduced new Model Context Protocol integrations with partners including Anthropic, Databricks, and Slack, letting AI agents execute multistep tasks directly inside a customer's Box environment rather than just answering questions about files stored there.
Not everything in the quarter was clean. CFO Dylan Smith flagged that gross margin faces a constraint tied to "limited access to certain components of the infrastructure," language that points to capacity limits at the cloud providers Box relies on to run its AI features, and management guided third-quarter gross margin down to roughly 80.5% from the 81.2% just posted. Operating margin guidance for the third quarter also steps down to about 28%, a full percentage point below the 29.4% Box just delivered, even as the top line keeps growing.
Currency is another drag that will not disappear on its own. The company absorbed a $0.04 per share hit from foreign exchange in the quarter and expects roughly $0.09 off full-year earnings per share, which is baked into the raised full-year EPS guidance of $1.54. And while 9% reported revenue growth beat expectations, it is still a business growing in the high single digits, a pace that leaves little room for stumbles if Enterprise Advanced adoption cools or larger AI platforms decide to build competing file-governance tools of their own rather than partner with B
3 days ago
President Donald Trump wants to be heavily involved in Republicans' midterm push. They're not all thrilled.
As Trump begins to unveilhis midterm campaign plans, many Republicans facing tough elections — even in areas the president carried by double digits in 2024 — are wary of tying themselves too closely to Trump as his approval rating continues to drag.
Many privately admit they're stuck in an uncomfortable spot: By running too far from Trump, Republicans risk alienating the MAGA faithful or the president himself, whose super PAC is sitting on more than $400 million they desperately need deployed to help them win key races. But if the candidates keep Trump close, they could be dragged down by the president, as the unpopular war in Iran has increased costs for Americans across the country.
So far, they haven't settled on a unified approach, according to interviews with more than two dozen GOP lawmakers, candidates and operatives. Mostly, they don't want to talk about it.
When asked in an interview if he wants Trump to campaign in his swing district this fall or spend time elsewhere, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) gave an indirect answer.
#Trump #candidates
As Trump begins to unveilhis midterm campaign plans, many Republicans facing tough elections — even in areas the president carried by double digits in 2024 — are wary of tying themselves too closely to Trump as his approval rating continues to drag.
Many privately admit they're stuck in an uncomfortable spot: By running too far from Trump, Republicans risk alienating the MAGA faithful or the president himself, whose super PAC is sitting on more than $400 million they desperately need deployed to help them win key races. But if the candidates keep Trump close, they could be dragged down by the president, as the unpopular war in Iran has increased costs for Americans across the country.
So far, they haven't settled on a unified approach, according to interviews with more than two dozen GOP lawmakers, candidates and operatives. Mostly, they don't want to talk about it.
When asked in an interview if he wants Trump to campaign in his swing district this fall or spend time elsewhere, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) gave an indirect answer.
#Trump #candidates
3 days ago
On September 1, Sasol Limited (NYSE:SSL) posted fiscal 2026 results that looked nothing like the shaky operator investors have grown used to. Net debt fell to its lowest level in ten years, Secunda output hit a five-year high, and adjusted EBITDA jumped 17% year over year to ZAR 61 billion. The numbers suggest a turnaround that finally has traction, even as chemical markets stay stuck in a rut.
The clearest thread running through the quarter is that Sasol's core Southern African operations are simply working better than they have in years. Secunda production reached 7.26 million tonnes, a five-year high, driven by improved coal quality and gas availability after the company installed a destoning plant that pushed sinks below 12%. That reliability helped cut the Southern African oil breakeven to $49 per barrel. Management is also weaning the business off external coal, planning to cut purchases from 8.8 million tonnes down to a range of 5 million to 7 million tonnes in fiscal 2027 as own production climbs toward 34 million tonnes by 2028.
The balance sheet tells a similar story. Net debt dropped 11% to $3.3 billion, and available liquidity rose 21% to roughly $5 billion after a bond swap that better matched debt currency to cash generation. Free cash flow of ZAR 11.9 billion was actually up 26% once you strip out a one-time legal settlement from the prior year. International Chemicals, long the drag on the portfolio, posted $604 million in adjusted EBITDA on a 7% cut in fixed costs and a stronger fourth quarter market. Retail fuel market share climbed to 13% from 9% five years ago, and renewable capacity reached 500 megawatts on the way to a 2 gigawatt target by 2030.
Not everything is fixed. Sasol lost two colleagues during the year, a reminder that operational improvement has not erased safety risk. Currency remains a persistent headwind, with CFO Walt Bruns noting that "the stronger rand remained a significant earnings headwind given the U.S. dollar-linked nature of much of our revenue." That same stronger rand outlook, combined with weaker long-term polyethylene pricing, drove impairments on the Secunda liquid fuels refinery and the South African polyethylene unit.
Management was explicit that global chemical markets have not turned a corner, warning that "excess capacity and weaker demand" continue pressuring prices with only a gradual recovery expected. Working capital also ran hot at 18.3% of trailing turnover, above the 15.5% to 16.5% target range, due to pricing volatility and elevated inventory. Fiscal 2027 capital spending guidance of ZAR 23 billion to ZAR 26 billion is also higher than the year just completed, and dividends stay off the table until net debt is sustainably below $3 billion, a threshold the company has approached but not yet crossed.
#debt #fiscal #years #five
The clearest thread running through the quarter is that Sasol's core Southern African operations are simply working better than they have in years. Secunda production reached 7.26 million tonnes, a five-year high, driven by improved coal quality and gas availability after the company installed a destoning plant that pushed sinks below 12%. That reliability helped cut the Southern African oil breakeven to $49 per barrel. Management is also weaning the business off external coal, planning to cut purchases from 8.8 million tonnes down to a range of 5 million to 7 million tonnes in fiscal 2027 as own production climbs toward 34 million tonnes by 2028.
The balance sheet tells a similar story. Net debt dropped 11% to $3.3 billion, and available liquidity rose 21% to roughly $5 billion after a bond swap that better matched debt currency to cash generation. Free cash flow of ZAR 11.9 billion was actually up 26% once you strip out a one-time legal settlement from the prior year. International Chemicals, long the drag on the portfolio, posted $604 million in adjusted EBITDA on a 7% cut in fixed costs and a stronger fourth quarter market. Retail fuel market share climbed to 13% from 9% five years ago, and renewable capacity reached 500 megawatts on the way to a 2 gigawatt target by 2030.
Not everything is fixed. Sasol lost two colleagues during the year, a reminder that operational improvement has not erased safety risk. Currency remains a persistent headwind, with CFO Walt Bruns noting that "the stronger rand remained a significant earnings headwind given the U.S. dollar-linked nature of much of our revenue." That same stronger rand outlook, combined with weaker long-term polyethylene pricing, drove impairments on the Secunda liquid fuels refinery and the South African polyethylene unit.
Management was explicit that global chemical markets have not turned a corner, warning that "excess capacity and weaker demand" continue pressuring prices with only a gradual recovery expected. Working capital also ran hot at 18.3% of trailing turnover, above the 15.5% to 16.5% target range, due to pricing volatility and elevated inventory. Fiscal 2027 capital spending guidance of ZAR 23 billion to ZAR 26 billion is also higher than the year just completed, and dividends stay off the table until net debt is sustainably below $3 billion, a threshold the company has approached but not yet crossed.
#debt #fiscal #years #five
3 days ago
In 1893, a chemistry professor named Charles Coates arrived at Louisiana State University and wrote that, to his surprise, "there was practically no athletics in the student body: no football, no tennis, and only very little baseball in the spring." A broad program of sports struck him as the kind of thing a school should have, particularly as US universities were beginning to tout intercollegiate athletics as critical to a balanced higher-ed experience and another way to justify the cost of entry. But 133 years on, sports aren't merely the main attraction at LSU. They're the school's raison d'être, the blinkered obsession that consumes the university and its most prominent ambassadors.
Any doubt that the business of educating college students is just a nettlesome distraction from the business of college sports in Baton Rouge has been emphatically dispelled over the past 10 months. On the football side, the school has spent or committed roughly $162m to its last three head coaches: Ed Orgeron, the folksy national champion in 2019 who received a $17m buyout when he was fired two years later; Brian Kelly, the unloved underachiever who received a $54m buyout after being fired last October; and Lane Kiffin, the Kelly replacement whom it signed to a $91m deal a month later. Clemson, the opponent for LSU's season opener at home on Saturday, are about to find out what all that money buys.
Related: College football is booming, chaotic and more confusing than ever
In March, LSU brought back men's basketball coach Will Wade, the turnaround artist who became a national emblem of college sports' old pay-for-play hypocrisy when he was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing a recruiting offer seven years ago. An NCAA dragnet soon uncovered more alleged recruiting improprieties. After LSU fired Wade for cause, he resurfaced at McNeese State, engineering an unlikely reversal of fortune that eventually landed him a lucrative offer to coach back in the big leagues at North Carolina State. That stint lasted all of one 20-win season before the Tigers swooped in and began the process to bring Wade back – despite the fact that someone else was already coaching the team.
And then there's Kim Mulkey, grande dame of LSU sports blindness. When the national championship-winning women's basketball coach brought 17-year-old Anna Minaeva into the fold last month, more than a few eyebrows arched – and not because she plays the same position as junior center Kate Koval. It's more that Minaeva is Russian, Koval is Ukrainian and the one notable reprieve her father, a drone operator in the Ukrainian military, took from the war was to travel to the United States to watch his daughter play.
#sports #Football #fired #back
Any doubt that the business of educating college students is just a nettlesome distraction from the business of college sports in Baton Rouge has been emphatically dispelled over the past 10 months. On the football side, the school has spent or committed roughly $162m to its last three head coaches: Ed Orgeron, the folksy national champion in 2019 who received a $17m buyout when he was fired two years later; Brian Kelly, the unloved underachiever who received a $54m buyout after being fired last October; and Lane Kiffin, the Kelly replacement whom it signed to a $91m deal a month later. Clemson, the opponent for LSU's season opener at home on Saturday, are about to find out what all that money buys.
Related: College football is booming, chaotic and more confusing than ever
In March, LSU brought back men's basketball coach Will Wade, the turnaround artist who became a national emblem of college sports' old pay-for-play hypocrisy when he was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing a recruiting offer seven years ago. An NCAA dragnet soon uncovered more alleged recruiting improprieties. After LSU fired Wade for cause, he resurfaced at McNeese State, engineering an unlikely reversal of fortune that eventually landed him a lucrative offer to coach back in the big leagues at North Carolina State. That stint lasted all of one 20-win season before the Tigers swooped in and began the process to bring Wade back – despite the fact that someone else was already coaching the team.
And then there's Kim Mulkey, grande dame of LSU sports blindness. When the national championship-winning women's basketball coach brought 17-year-old Anna Minaeva into the fold last month, more than a few eyebrows arched – and not because she plays the same position as junior center Kate Koval. It's more that Minaeva is Russian, Koval is Ukrainian and the one notable reprieve her father, a drone operator in the Ukrainian military, took from the war was to travel to the United States to watch his daughter play.
#sports #Football #fired #back
4 days ago
Shubman Gill embraces 'uncle' role in adorable reply to viral reel about Virat Kohli's son Akaay originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Shubman Gill went viral after leaving a playful comment on an Instagram reel imagining Virat Kohli's son Akaay getting into trouble at school.
Tagging Kohli, the Indian Test captain joked he would be quick to come to school if ever needed.
The comment quickly caught fire, giving fans a rare glimpse of off-field banter.
Social media algorithms have a habit of dragging players into the most bizarre hypothetical scenarios, but very few actually play along. Shubman Gill proved to be the exception, sliding into the comments of a viral Instagram reel to offer his services as an emergency guardian for Virat Kohli's young son, Akaay.
#shubman
Shubman Gill went viral after leaving a playful comment on an Instagram reel imagining Virat Kohli's son Akaay getting into trouble at school.
Tagging Kohli, the Indian Test captain joked he would be quick to come to school if ever needed.
The comment quickly caught fire, giving fans a rare glimpse of off-field banter.
Social media algorithms have a habit of dragging players into the most bizarre hypothetical scenarios, but very few actually play along. Shubman Gill proved to be the exception, sliding into the comments of a viral Instagram reel to offer his services as an emergency guardian for Virat Kohli's young son, Akaay.
#shubman
4 days ago
A banner flew over Paramount Studios that read, "Ellison is Trump's b----."
David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, has courted controversy for leading the attempted takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Ellison has denied reports that he **** ured Donald Trump he would tweak CNN to the president's liking should he gain control over the news network via the merger.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison can't even look up to the heavens to escape criticism.
The embattled head of the media conglomerate was the subject of a vulgar message that was printed in capital letters and flown over Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on Thursday. "Ellison is Trump's b----!" read the message on a banner that a plane dragged back and forth across the airspace over the movie studio.
#message
David Ellison, the CEO of Paramount Skydance, has courted controversy for leading the attempted takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Ellison has denied reports that he **** ured Donald Trump he would tweak CNN to the president's liking should he gain control over the news network via the merger.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison can't even look up to the heavens to escape criticism.
The embattled head of the media conglomerate was the subject of a vulgar message that was printed in capital letters and flown over Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on Thursday. "Ellison is Trump's b----!" read the message on a banner that a plane dragged back and forth across the airspace over the movie studio.
#message
4 days ago
We are nearly there.
Eight months on from the last time the Minnesota Vikings played meaningful football, Week 1 of the regular season is nearly upon us, with the Minnesota Vikings kicking things off by hosting the Green Bay Packers in just over a week. What should the expectations be for the 2026 incarnation of the Vikings? This seems the perfect time to look at what would constitute a good season for Minnesota in 2026.
Unless there are some very last-minute additions to the roster following the late pickup of Kyle Van Noy to the practice squad, the Vikings roster is set, and we know what we are dealing with for the 2026 season.
Last year, it felt like the Vikings were a disaster, but a flurry of late-season wins dragged Minnesota up to nine wins.
Aug 15, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) talks with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) and head coach Kevin O'Connell before the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
#minnesota #nearly #time #roster
Eight months on from the last time the Minnesota Vikings played meaningful football, Week 1 of the regular season is nearly upon us, with the Minnesota Vikings kicking things off by hosting the Green Bay Packers in just over a week. What should the expectations be for the 2026 incarnation of the Vikings? This seems the perfect time to look at what would constitute a good season for Minnesota in 2026.
Unless there are some very last-minute additions to the roster following the late pickup of Kyle Van Noy to the practice squad, the Vikings roster is set, and we know what we are dealing with for the 2026 season.
Last year, it felt like the Vikings were a disaster, but a flurry of late-season wins dragged Minnesota up to nine wins.
Aug 15, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) talks with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) and head coach Kevin O'Connell before the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
#minnesota #nearly #time #roster
5 days ago
Many fashion brands have employed AI to conjure entire ads: Spain's Desigual is instead telling a cautionary tale with its fall 2026 campaign, conscripting outspoken model and influencer Vivian Jenna Wilson to personify its tagline: "Born to Disobey."
In the campaign video, Wilson, aka Elon Musk's eldest daughter, tests and mistreats a humanoid robot: mocking its repeated mispronunciations of Desigual, and using it as a golf tee, gardener, leashed pet and bedmate — until she drags the lifeless machine across the carpet by its ankles and ******* ounces: "Some things aren't meant to be fixed."
More from WWD
Public School to Launch First Ad Campaign in Nine Years
Ashlee Simpson Ross and Daughter to Front Justice Fall Campaign
#born
In the campaign video, Wilson, aka Elon Musk's eldest daughter, tests and mistreats a humanoid robot: mocking its repeated mispronunciations of Desigual, and using it as a golf tee, gardener, leashed pet and bedmate — until she drags the lifeless machine across the carpet by its ankles and ******* ounces: "Some things aren't meant to be fixed."
More from WWD
Public School to Launch First Ad Campaign in Nine Years
Ashlee Simpson Ross and Daughter to Front Justice Fall Campaign
#born
5 days ago
An outstanding defensive performance and big games from Carson Correll and Hudson Shoaf helped the visiting West Davidson varsity football team claim a 40-6 win over Bishop McGuinness on Friday night.
The Dragons limited the Villains' rushing and passing attacks and had three sacks in the game.
West Davidson quarterback Correll had a huge game, running for 123 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. He also completed five of his nine passes for 179 yards and three touchdown passes. Shoaf caught two touchdown passes and had 136 yards receiving.
Bishop McGuinness (0-2) will be striving for its first win of the season on the road Friday at 7 p.m. against East Davidson (0-2).
#shoaf #west #bishop #Friday
The Dragons limited the Villains' rushing and passing attacks and had three sacks in the game.
West Davidson quarterback Correll had a huge game, running for 123 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries. He also completed five of his nine passes for 179 yards and three touchdown passes. Shoaf caught two touchdown passes and had 136 yards receiving.
Bishop McGuinness (0-2) will be striving for its first win of the season on the road Friday at 7 p.m. against East Davidson (0-2).
#shoaf #west #bishop #Friday
5 days ago
An Ohio woman who dragged a DoorDash driver to his death following a fender bender in a grocery store parking lot was sentenced last week to up to 5½ years in prison.
Danielle Henry was handed the sentence after pleading guilty last month to aggravated vehicular homicide in the death of 38-year-old Ibrahim Diakite, WBNS-TV reported.
Henry had just shoplifted and was driving a stolen car when she collided with Diakite in October 2025 at a Kroger parking lot in Westerville.
The incident escalated, authorities said, when Henry fled in her vehicle.
Pregnant Woman Driving Home From Prenatal Visit Shot During Alleged Road Rage Attack: Police
#diakite #woman
Danielle Henry was handed the sentence after pleading guilty last month to aggravated vehicular homicide in the death of 38-year-old Ibrahim Diakite, WBNS-TV reported.
Henry had just shoplifted and was driving a stolen car when she collided with Diakite in October 2025 at a Kroger parking lot in Westerville.
The incident escalated, authorities said, when Henry fled in her vehicle.
Pregnant Woman Driving Home From Prenatal Visit Shot During Alleged Road Rage Attack: Police
#diakite #woman
5 days ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers posted slightly more job openings in July but the American labor market remained sturdy in the face of higher costs that are squeezing household budgets.
U.S. job openings ticked up to 7.27 million in July from a revised 7.18 million in June, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
The department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) also showed that layoffs fell. But so did the number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects. The report showed that gross hiring — before subtracting those who lost or quit their jobs — dipped to 5.1 million in July from 5.3 million in June.
The American job market is hardly booming, but it is ambling along despite an energy shock caused by the fighting with Iran that has squeezed family budgets.
So far this year, U.S. employers — companies, nonprofits and government agencies — added an average of 61,000 net jobs a month. The figure — which was dragged down by job losses in February and July — is unimpressive. But it's an improvement on 2025 when job growth came in below 10,000 a month — weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002 — as the lingering effect of high interest rates and uncertainty caused by Trump's tariffs discouraged firms from hiring.
#july #american
U.S. job openings ticked up to 7.27 million in July from a revised 7.18 million in June, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
The department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) also showed that layoffs fell. But so did the number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects. The report showed that gross hiring — before subtracting those who lost or quit their jobs — dipped to 5.1 million in July from 5.3 million in June.
The American job market is hardly booming, but it is ambling along despite an energy shock caused by the fighting with Iran that has squeezed family budgets.
So far this year, U.S. employers — companies, nonprofits and government agencies — added an average of 61,000 net jobs a month. The figure — which was dragged down by job losses in February and July — is unimpressive. But it's an improvement on 2025 when job growth came in below 10,000 a month — weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002 — as the lingering effect of high interest rates and uncertainty caused by Trump's tariffs discouraged firms from hiring.
#july #american
5 days ago
Aston Villa are now close to seeing Leon Bailey leave for Olympiacos after the British transfer window shut on 1 September. The Daily Express reports that the winger has found an alternative route out of Villa Park after a proposed move to Hull City collapsed late in the window.
Bailey had been left training alone at Bodymoor Heath after that failed switch, showing how far he had slipped from Unai Emery's plans. Now Olympiacos have stepped in with a permanent deal, and the winger is heading to Athens for a medical before completing the move. Reports indicate he will sign a contract running until June 2029.
Villa can no longer replace him from the English market, yet the club can still clear a difficult situation. Bailey's departure closes a chapter that had lost momentum.
Bailey's best spell came in 2023/24, when he produced 10 Premier League goals and 10 ****** ists, but that output has fallen away sharply. Across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 league campaigns, he scored just one goal. Last season brought 13 league appearances, mostly from the bench, with zero goals and one ****** ist, while his spell at Roma produced seven Serie A appearances without a goal.
PORTO, PORTUGAL – JULY 25: Leon Bailey of Aston Villa during a pre-season friendly match between FC Porto and Aston Villa at Estadio do Dragao on July 25, 2026 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
#villa #Porto #league
Bailey had been left training alone at Bodymoor Heath after that failed switch, showing how far he had slipped from Unai Emery's plans. Now Olympiacos have stepped in with a permanent deal, and the winger is heading to Athens for a medical before completing the move. Reports indicate he will sign a contract running until June 2029.
Villa can no longer replace him from the English market, yet the club can still clear a difficult situation. Bailey's departure closes a chapter that had lost momentum.
Bailey's best spell came in 2023/24, when he produced 10 Premier League goals and 10 ****** ists, but that output has fallen away sharply. Across the 2024/25 and 2025/26 league campaigns, he scored just one goal. Last season brought 13 league appearances, mostly from the bench, with zero goals and one ****** ist, while his spell at Roma produced seven Serie A appearances without a goal.
PORTO, PORTUGAL – JULY 25: Leon Bailey of Aston Villa during a pre-season friendly match between FC Porto and Aston Villa at Estadio do Dragao on July 25, 2026 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
#villa #Porto #league
5 days ago
Andy Ruiz Jr.'s life changed forever on June 1, 2019, when he knocked out Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden and became boxing's unified heavyweight champion.
In some ways, it changed for the better. He had accomplished his lifelong dream and was financially set for life.
In other ways, however, it changed for the worse. An out-of-shape Ruiz put in an underwhelming performance in the rematch and subsequently lost his belts six months later.
"Leading up to the rematch, [there were] things [where] I should've just been more disciplined," Ruiz said this week on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I should've taken care of myself a little bit more. I should've been thinking more of the future, not just the present. Once God gave me what I've been asking for, what I've been wishing for, I kind of went over here [and] I was dragged over there — I kind of lost track of the whole mission."
Ruiz had the opportunity to repeat his win over Joshua, which not only would've cemented his legacy in heavyweight boxing, but also opened the door for more major paydays. It would've been an inspiration for his Mexican and Mexican-American fan base.
#changed
In some ways, it changed for the better. He had accomplished his lifelong dream and was financially set for life.
In other ways, however, it changed for the worse. An out-of-shape Ruiz put in an underwhelming performance in the rematch and subsequently lost his belts six months later.
"Leading up to the rematch, [there were] things [where] I should've just been more disciplined," Ruiz said this week on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "I should've taken care of myself a little bit more. I should've been thinking more of the future, not just the present. Once God gave me what I've been asking for, what I've been wishing for, I kind of went over here [and] I was dragged over there — I kind of lost track of the whole mission."
Ruiz had the opportunity to repeat his win over Joshua, which not only would've cemented his legacy in heavyweight boxing, but also opened the door for more major paydays. It would've been an inspiration for his Mexican and Mexican-American fan base.
#changed
5 days ago
Joey Porter Jr. has reached the part of his contract standoff where the business side is getting harder to ignore. The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback is back on the practice field, however, his Week 1 status remains uncertain if the Steelers don't get a deal done. That puts even more attention on a negotiation that has already dragged into September.
And Porter is not navigating it alone. His teammates have backed him throughout the process, with Jalen Ramsey publicly pushing the Steelers to pay him. Now Cameron Heyward has offered Porter something a little different: a veteran's warning about how personal these negotiations can become.
NFL Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Heyward spoke about Porter's situation on September 2, and kept his message pretty simple: separate the contract from the locker room, even if that separation is easier said than done.
"Don't take it personal, but you will. It's a business at the end of the day. You know, there's **** ody in that locker room that doesn't want Joey on that field. And that will never change."
#pittsburgh #don 't #business #cornerback
And Porter is not navigating it alone. His teammates have backed him throughout the process, with Jalen Ramsey publicly pushing the Steelers to pay him. Now Cameron Heyward has offered Porter something a little different: a veteran's warning about how personal these negotiations can become.
NFL Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
Heyward spoke about Porter's situation on September 2, and kept his message pretty simple: separate the contract from the locker room, even if that separation is easier said than done.
"Don't take it personal, but you will. It's a business at the end of the day. You know, there's **** ody in that locker room that doesn't want Joey on that field. And that will never change."
#pittsburgh #don 't #business #cornerback
5 days ago
When bestselling author Katherine Rundell meets young readers, they sometimes play it cool.
They know fantasy books like her "Impossible Creatures," set on magical hidden islands with dragons and sphinxes, are fiction. But they lean in anyway, with a glint in their eyes, and ask, "Just to check, though, is any of it real?"
It's a rewarding comment for the author, 39, who crafted a world real enough to spark that kind of wonder. Speaking to USA TODAY with the soothing lilt of a Miss Honey, Rundell is protective of her young readers and their imaginations. In a recent essay in The Guardian, she argued that artificial intelligence "risks becoming an iron curtain that comes down between a young person and their potential for thinking."
Could fantasy books be the antidote? Rundell is the first author since J.K. Rowling to simultaneously top the children's book charts in the UK and U.S. Queen Camilla will gift every Year 6 student in the UK a copy of "Impossible Creatures" for Christmas this year. Walt Disney Studios has ***** ed up the film rights for a whopping seven figures. And a recent review said the series' next installment, "The Neverfear" (out now from Knopf Books for Young Readers) "would make JRR Tolkien proud."
"I don't think the world is going to become an easier place to be in the next few years. I think it's going to get harder … So I would love to write a book that has in it peril, danger, but also has in it a sense that even amid peril and danger and fear, it is worth finding reasons to rejoice," she tells USA TODAY. "There is a reason that the book begins and ends with a feast, because I wanted the idea that there is always cause for hope. There is always a reason to come together and celebrate love, celebrate humanity."
#year
They know fantasy books like her "Impossible Creatures," set on magical hidden islands with dragons and sphinxes, are fiction. But they lean in anyway, with a glint in their eyes, and ask, "Just to check, though, is any of it real?"
It's a rewarding comment for the author, 39, who crafted a world real enough to spark that kind of wonder. Speaking to USA TODAY with the soothing lilt of a Miss Honey, Rundell is protective of her young readers and their imaginations. In a recent essay in The Guardian, she argued that artificial intelligence "risks becoming an iron curtain that comes down between a young person and their potential for thinking."
Could fantasy books be the antidote? Rundell is the first author since J.K. Rowling to simultaneously top the children's book charts in the UK and U.S. Queen Camilla will gift every Year 6 student in the UK a copy of "Impossible Creatures" for Christmas this year. Walt Disney Studios has ***** ed up the film rights for a whopping seven figures. And a recent review said the series' next installment, "The Neverfear" (out now from Knopf Books for Young Readers) "would make JRR Tolkien proud."
"I don't think the world is going to become an easier place to be in the next few years. I think it's going to get harder … So I would love to write a book that has in it peril, danger, but also has in it a sense that even amid peril and danger and fear, it is worth finding reasons to rejoice," she tells USA TODAY. "There is a reason that the book begins and ends with a feast, because I wanted the idea that there is always cause for hope. There is always a reason to come together and celebrate love, celebrate humanity."
#year
5 days ago
Snowflake is due to report earnings Wednesday afternoon, with the cloud database software provider's stock seen swinging up to 10.5% in either direction by the end of the week.
Wall Street **** ysts expect another solid quarter of growth from Snowflake.
Snowflake is set to report its latest quarterly results after the closing bell on Wednesday, with the cloud database software provider's stock seen potentially rising to a fresh five-year high following the results.
Based on current options pricing, Snowflake (SNOW) shares are expected to swing up to 10.5% in either direction by the end of the week. A move of that size from Monday's close could lift the stock to $361, which would be its highest point since late 2021, or drag it below $297, giving back some of its recent gains.
Snowflake shares have added about half of their value since the start of the year as investors have bought into the company's AI vision. Back in May, shares rallied more than 35% in a single session following stronger-than-expected results, a raised outlook, and $6 billion deal with Amazon (AMZN).
#shares #cloud #software
Wall Street **** ysts expect another solid quarter of growth from Snowflake.
Snowflake is set to report its latest quarterly results after the closing bell on Wednesday, with the cloud database software provider's stock seen potentially rising to a fresh five-year high following the results.
Based on current options pricing, Snowflake (SNOW) shares are expected to swing up to 10.5% in either direction by the end of the week. A move of that size from Monday's close could lift the stock to $361, which would be its highest point since late 2021, or drag it below $297, giving back some of its recent gains.
Snowflake shares have added about half of their value since the start of the year as investors have bought into the company's AI vision. Back in May, shares rallied more than 35% in a single session following stronger-than-expected results, a raised outlook, and $6 billion deal with Amazon (AMZN).
#shares #cloud #software
