Image by Big Lots In a current state of the world filled with store closures, downsizing, and bankruptcies, it’s rare to hear the words reopening and expansion. But Big Lots is defying the trend—and in a big way. The national discount retailer announced that it will reopen 60 previously shuttered locations across multiple states, breathing new life into communities that have missed the brand’s unique blend of affordability and variety. For loyal customers who rely on Big Lots for low-cost home goods, furniture, seasonal décor, and groceries, the news comes as a welcome surprise. But beyond the store shelves, the…
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Coty Raven Morris conducts the combined Rose and Thorn Choirs singing an African piece called “Modimo” at the From the Dust concert performed at First Congregational Church in Portland in November, 2023. Chad Lanning for Portland State University hide caption toggle caption Chad Lanning for Portland State University As a young child in New Orleans, Coty Raven Morris didn’t make a distinction between learning music and learning anything else. “The things that I learned about history, about my culture, about other people’s cultures, I learned in song and play,” she says. “There were not specific music classes when I was…
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Duolingo is adopting an “AI-first” approach to its business, and the language learning platform will reduce its reliance on human contract workers as it assigns AI their responsibilities. In a memo to employees on Monday, Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn detailed the company’s official “AI-first” stance. “AI is already changing how work gets done,” Ahn wrote in an email publicly shared through Duolingo’s LinkedIn account. “When there’s a shift this big, the worst thing you can do is wait.” As part of its AI-first strategy, Duolingo will shift workloads from contractors to AI and “gradually stop using contractors to do…
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Let’s get real, between Zoom meetings, pressing deadlines, traveling to and from work (or rolling out of bed to your laptop), and trying to manage the chaos of daily life, exercising can feel impossible. Time is a precious resource for busy professionals, and the good news is that you don’t have to spend hours at the gym or say that you’ll exercise while holding yourself to an inflexible schedule. It’s all about convenience and efficiency and what can be more convenient than working out in your own home? Whether you only have 10 minutes between meetings, or a solid…
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In recent years, inflation has put extensive pressure on the legal industry. According to our 2024 Legal Risk Index Report, 50% of attorneys now cite inflation as the biggest danger to their firm’s bottom line. And they’re not wrong. From rising overheads to mounting pressure on pricing, firms are feeling a squeeze that’s not likely to let up anytime soon. As financial pressures mount, strong law firm financial management has become a critical part of running a firm. Inflation’s impact on law firms is compounded by several economic factors. Recent tariffs on goods and services make it more expensive to…
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Police process the crime scene where the body of a dead San Fernando resident was found tied to an electric post in Aloguinsan town, southwestern Cebu. | Contributed photo via Paul Lauro CEBU CITY, Philippines — A San Fernando, Cebu resident, who was last seen being forced to board a black vehicle by unidentified men on April 28 as he was walking home from a neighbor’s wake, was later found dead in Aloguinsan town in southwestern Cebu. The victim’s was shot in the body and the head and was tied to an electric post at past 6 a.m. on April…
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The recent Paris AI Summit made headlines as the US and UK declined to support a diplomatic declaration for inclusive and sustainable AI. This decision underscores the growing challenges of achieving global consensus on AI governance.
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One thing that unites the world is the mobile phone. When you travel internationally, everywhere you go, people have their phones. Most hotels and many restaurants have Wi-Fi. Still, it’s much easier if you have mobile data when you’re out and about. You can call an Uber, look for restaurants nearby, or find walking directions to attractions or public transit stations. U.S. Carriers Are Expensive Mobile data is expensive in the U.S. According to a website, the United States ranked #219 among 237 countries in the world for the cost of mobile data (from the least expensive to the most…
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The National Weather Service (NWS) – part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – recently announced that it was reducing the number of weather balloons it launches across the country, citing staffing shortages at 11 NWS locations. The launch cuts followed NOAA’s announcement of hundreds of layoffs or voluntary resignations across the agency, including at the NWS, related to efforts by President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Former NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad said in a press conference that about 650 NOAA employees were among those fired, and his former colleagues in the agency said they had…
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The 2025 NFL Draft has officially come and gone and it was quite the doozy. Some things went chalk and others were complete surprises. This is part of the magic of the draft: There is always something that happens that catches us off guard. With the dust fully settling on the results we figured now would be the best time for us at The Skinny Post, Michael Peterson and RJ Ochoa, to address some of the larger things to happen throughout it all. Let’s begin. Mel Kiper seemed to crash out on live television, stating that the NFL has been…