Author Archive

With seemingly harmless games like “What is Your Favorite Color?” and “What Does Your Name Mean?” Facebook has garnered an enormous following of people seeking connections, relaxation, and information. But recently the harsher side of Facebook is under scrutiny, with whistleblower Frances Haugen telling the world that the safety of children is at risk. Social media companies need to forego endless profits in favor of safety, and algorithms are the way to do that.

Chinese real estate developer, Evergrande Property Services Group, has a predicament on their hands. After amassing $300 billion of debt in the real estate sector, the Chinese government is cracking down on debt since 2020, and Evergrande is struggling.

International events of this past weekend have proven yet again that politics and business don’t mix. With China taking on a larger role in the world of trade in the past several years, and also looking to get their due as a global superpower, innocent entrepreneurs have been used as pawns in their political plans. Governments need to be careful to separate business from politics so that uninvolved people do not bear the weight of a country’s desire for trade.

At a time when many companies are in crisis, the story for business owners has become even bleaker with the retirement of many Baby Boomers who have chosen to leave the workforce.

Americans are amid a job crisis that is affecting businesses throughout the country, no matter the type or scope of work they do. Although there are many people who are out of work, and many jobs that are open, there is currently a mismatch between the unemployed and the skills needed to fill the open jobs in our country.

When a 20-year war comes to an end, not with a bang but a whimper, it seems as though the Stock Market might react to that major event. But whether the length of the war or the distance from America, when United States President Joe Biden ended the war with Afghanistan a few weeks ago, calling for the removal of all the troops, the Stock Market really didn’t budge.

American troops have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, keeping the Taliban quiet and helping the Afghan people live with some sense of autonomy and peace. They have also served as a deterrent to terrorist groups that wish harm to America and the rest of the world.

Compared to the rest of the world, some believe Americans are putting in too much time at the office. In Finland, for instance, workers have a 6.6 hours workday, and in Germany there are laws in place so that Germans don’t exhaust themselves at work. But America is lagging in the race to work-life balance.

Although there is much good news about people getting back to work and the country’s economy rebounding after the Covid-19 shutdown, one sector that is still struggling is that of small business owners trying to find skilled workers. Small businesses have openings and there are workers applying, but there is still a disconnect between what companies need and who is applying.

Simone Biles shocked the world this week by choosing her own mental and physical well-being over her pursuit of a gold medal. And in doing so, she reignited the conversation about mental health in our country. Though progress has been made in stamping out the negative stigma of mental health, the backlash Biles received shows the world that we still have a long way to go in understanding mental health needs and how to help people who struggle.

As the Olympic torch burns bright and the world stops to witness how nations come together in the pool, on the track, and in a gym, I am reminded about the important role sports have played in my own life, namely soccer (the most widely played sport in the world).

The current 5.9% unemployment rate, compared to 3.5% before the pandemic, shows that the country is still suffering from joblessness. But the situation becomes more unusual because there are plenty of job openings and a plethora of workers. Unfortunately, the workers who need jobs are not a suitable match for the jobs that are open. Because of this unbalanced equation, the country is finding it difficult to get back on track.

Although people spent much of the pandemic wishing that the world could return to normal, now that vaccines are administered and people can return to the office, not everyone is in a big hurry to do so. In fact, most workers who can work from home favor the idea of doing so for at least part of each week. Companies are trying to determine the best way to cater to their employees while still fostering creativity and innovation.

The economy has faced a long road to equilibrium, considering the way the pandemic has pounded it over the last 15 months. But recent reports are all bringing positive news, with many growth indicators back on track and most all showing signs of recovery.

Revering football stars is nothing new, but when the stars have a platform of 300 million Instagram followers, whatever they say or do can become gospel. And for chiseled Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, his stance on sugary drinks has shaken the world of Coca-Cola this week. With all eyes on the European Championship, one moment of passion by a fit football phenom has taken $4 billion away from Coke’s market cap.

For the past 15 months, Americans have been locked up at home. Now that the floodgates have been opened and the country is getting back to normal, a rash of unacceptable behavior has occurred, whether in retail stores, sports arenas, or airplanes. Did all those months at home wipe our memories of how to behave in polite society? The headlines seem to think so. But as Mr. Rogers would say, look for the helpers. Amidst the poor

Like a freighter inching through the sea, time seemed to make no progression over the past year of living through Covid-19. A year ago, the country was in the midst of an unemployment peak that had not been felt since the Great Depression. People were scared to leave their houses, even for a quick trip to the grocery store. And there was seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. Fast forward to today, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported that the unemployment rate

Thanks to scientists around the globe, the Covid-19 vaccines have effectively lowered the number of cases and deaths in recent weeks. After nearly 15 long months of wearing masks and quarantine, this miraculous “shot heard ‘round the world” is ushering in a return to normalcy. With people returning to an in-person work environment, the real question surfaces: Can employers demand that you get vaccinated?

In the developed world, we often take things for granted. And nothing fits into this category more clearly than the vaccine for Covid-19. Without the diligent work of scientists from around the globe, the entire world would still be amid personal and economic chaos. Although some people are not understanding the stark ramifications of not having a vaccine, the world is in much better economic and personal shape than before.

After a year like no other, restaurant owners and retailers are smiling big this week after the CDC lifted the mask mandate, which allows patrons to shop and eat without wearing a mask. Fourteen long months into the pandemic, this is a true glimmer of hope that Americans may return to life as they knew it. And for restaurant owners and retailers, the news is more than welcome.

In the pandemic’s aftermath, one unforeseen circumstance is that many businesses are struggling to find workers. Whether people are still worried about Covid-19, forced to stay home to care for people, or do not have the skills they need for certain jobs, many industries such as construction and food service are having trouble filling jobs.

For prospective home buyers, especially those who are trying to purchase their very first home, and for those over 55, buying a new home in 2021 is a difficult proposition. From bark-eating beetles to millennials coming of age to the ramifications of the pandemic, there are many elements working together to raise the prices of new construction.

Dubai is one of the most beautiful, opulent, glamorous, and influential cities in the world. And it continues to hone its craft despite a worldwide pandemic and drop in tourism. With the help of social media influencers as well as forward thinking government officials and business people, Dubai is slated to remain on the cutting edge.

With the technological advancements that bring the world together, it is hard to imagine that a country would want to set out on its own and leave all the other countries behind. But that is exactly what Great Britain did when Brexit took effect on January 1, 2021. In this global economy, nationalism breeds isolationism, and in the first 100 days that Brexit has been in effect, the economic ramifications of learning the European Union have definitely been felt.

A year ago, China was at the helm of the world’s economy, but because of a strong vaccination program and an additional March stimulus package, the United States is ready to shoulder the burden of getting the world’s economy back on track after the devastation of Covid-19. Though the lockdowns started similarly around the globe, the United States has set themselves apart from the rest of the world as the world exits the pandemic economy.

Historically, the forecast for the economic markets and how they would react were based on diplomatic relationships between countries. But if any lesson could be learned from the pandemic, it is that the world is more closely connected than ever before. Slight gains in the global economy seem to be a result of unemployment numbers improving slightly, more Covid-19 vaccines in play, and even something as random

One full year has passed since Covid-19 hit the shores of the United States, and along with the virus, unemployment has swept across the nation. For 52 straight weeks, one million people have been forced to seek unemployment assistance. This oppressive statistic represents a country full of individuals and families just trying to survive. Congress was forced to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 just to keep the nation afloat.

After the appalling year for the oil industry brought about by the worldwide pandemic caused by COVID-19, experts are cautiously optimistic as they continue to roll through 2021. With the onslaught of vaccines and the desire to get back to normal life, all signs indicate an optimist attitude for the oil industry.

After an entire year of upheaval caused by Covid-19, companies like Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson have set our country on the path to health through their vaccinations. The vaccinations have been rolling out well, but there is a disparity in the distribution when it comes to rural America. Some parts of the country do not have proper access to medical facilities and pharmacies, and this is slowing down the process of vaccinating adults