Author: Fortune
The Biden administration is moving toward a narrower student loan relief plan that would target specific groups of borrowers — those with soaring interest, for example — rather than a sweeping plan like the one the Supreme Court rejected in June. The Education Department on Monday released a draft of new federal rules paving the way for a second attempt at student loan relief. The proposal targets groups that are seen as especially vulnerable, focusing on those who owe so much, or make so little income, that they otherwise may never repay their loans. Though full details are likely months away, the…
U.S. regulators on Monday sued SolarWinds, a Texas-based technology company whose software was breached in a massive 2020 Russian cyberespionage campaign, for fraud for failing to disclose security deficiencies ahead of the stunning hack. The company’s top security executive was also named in the complaint filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission seeking unspecified civil penalties, reimbursement of “ill-gotten gains” and the executive’s removal. Detected in December 2020, the SolarWinds hack penetrated U.S. government agencies including the Justice and Homeland Security departments, and more than 100 private companies and think tanks. It was a rude wake-up call that raised awareness in Washington about…
When Isa Watson needs to clear her head, she jumps out of a plane. The Brooklyn-based author and entrepreneur considers skydiving her “greatest mental health reset.” And she may be on to something. Studies show that the adrenaline rush can help increase mental concentration, make you more alert and give you more energy. “I’ve struggled with depression on and off since I was a kid, but what really made me have to address it was becoming a founder,” says Watson, who founded Squad, an audio-only social app, in 2018. “Becoming a founder is one of the most isolating experiences. It’s…
As much as Elon Musk is looking to push his overly vocal keyless vehicles onto the nation, the electric car just doesn’t seem to be starting. And there’s another harbinger of the sci-fi EV future going off rails, look no further than Detroit and its very retro kind of auto revolution: A union-led revival of middle class wages. Over in Michigan, United Auto Workers employees are on the brink of victory after 44 days of striking for better wages and a slice of the big three’s massive profits from the past couple of years. It’s no secret that wages have…
The timing couldn’t be worse. According to Wysa’s Employee Mental Health Report 2023, the largest study of its kind, 56% of North American workers reported symptoms of mild or more severe depression. Another report by Headspace found that 49% of employees feel a sense of dread at work at least once per week. With such dire statistics, companies are scrambling to find a fix–and the solution may lie in the study of happiness. Why happiness is critical for business “A company can’t exist without talent. So, prioritizing employee health and well-being is not only the right thing to do, it’s…
Laxman Narasimhan’s ethos for thriving in the workplace is simple: Take care of yourself first and avoid meetings after 6 p.m. unless they are vitally important. Narasimha, CEO of Starbucks, took the reins of the global coffee giant just over a year ago. He credits mindfulness, exercise, and time with his family with helping him combat the burnout that’s commonplace in the c-suite—and its adverse physical and mental health effects. “I’m very disciplined about balance,” Narasimhan tells Fortune. Here are Narasimhan’s weekly non-negotiables for success at work and at home: 1. Meditation Narasimhan meditates for 20 minutes in the morning…
The U.S. government on Friday published an application by crypto giant Grayscale to launch an Ethereum ETF for the spot market. Grayscale first applied for the ETF in early October, but the petition’s appearance on the Federal Reserve is significant because it starts a 240-day clock by which the Securities and Exchange Commission must respond. The start of the Ethereum ETF process also coincides with a surge in crypto prices this month that analysts believe is correlated to impending decisions by the SEC on a batch of Bitcoin ETF applications by Grayscale, BlackRock, and others. Since the start of October,…